.:nonverbal communication:.

last night, christmas eve, i made the worst meal. ever.

without any assistance i destroyed:
1. one fritatta
2. one pot of beef burgandy
3. 3.5 beef tenderloins
-- one half of one of the tenderloins was salvaged during the second cooking

note: the tenderloins were the replacement for the beef burgandy.

the champagne was brilliant, though.

oh, and did i mention the kitchen fire?

merry christmas, all!

off to mt. rainier tomorrow.

if i don't post photos by, say, the 31st would someone out there call the forest service and initiate the search? thanks!

Posted by tipster at 08:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

amymo, be glad i didn't use this as my guide

personal ads, london review of books style.

the first five from the current issue:

..................
Wreck needs salvaging. F, 60. Please help. Box no. 24/0
..................
Attractive charming smart leftish woman 50ish seeks lover lucy2163@hotmail.com
..................
The Oxford branch of the LRB Readers Dining Club meets monthly. The LRB Readers Dining Club? What could that possibly be? Contact lrbrdcob@yahoo.co.uk and I'll tell you.
..................
Anybody seen in a bus over the age of 30 has been a failure in life." M, 43, failure, seeks F anywhere on the Arriva 333 route between Oare and Maidstone, for evenings cut short and diesel-choked embraces (the last bus leaves the Chequers Centre at 1817 and it's a long walk). empty_to_terminus@hotmail.co.uk Box no. 24/10
..................
In laboratory tests, this ad made seven mice blind. The remaining three, however, developed extra-sensory powers and the ability to levitate. You could too, by replying to ex-communicated biologist and psychic-mouse groomer (M, 39) at box number. 24/01 Or you may just go blind. It’s a 70-30 shot but you can’t halt progress.
..................

Posted by tipster at 06:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

emphasis in title is not mine.
simply a reflection of the dire reporting of the local news outlets.

file this entry under bad haiku.

ice pellets flying
abandoned metro buses
warm up the brandy

Posted by tipster at 09:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

from amymo. thanks!

"Happiness is always a by-product. It is probably a matter of temperament, and for
anything I know it may be glandular. But it is not something that can be demanded
from life, and if you are not happy you had better stop worrying about it and see
what treasures you can pluck from your own brand of unhappiness."

- Robertson Davies

Posted by tipster at 07:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Silas Marner, written by George Eliot in 1861, attempts to prove that love of others is ultimately more fulfilling than love of money.

Next book to re-read.

Posted by tipster at 09:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

this looks promising:

iLike

Posted by tipster at 01:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"Oh, Maggie. In the world of advertising there is no such thing as a lie. There's only the expedient exaggeration. You ought to know that."

Continue reading "north by northwest" »

Posted by tipster at 09:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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"i had two friends as a kid. both of them were imaginary.
and they would only play with each other."

-- rita rudner, during an interview aired on NPR this morning.

Posted by tipster at 03:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ernesto.

Posted by tipster at 09:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

the hard drive in my power book is dead.

as in 'little x's over it's eyes' dead. no more playlist ruts for me. when the powerbook returns from its vacation in cuppertino, i will re-connect with my itunes library in a new, more complete and fairly exciting way.

oh, joy.

and now, a somewhat relevant lyric from cut chemist's "what's the altitude":
"the things you've been through make it seem like nothing could ever last forever
but if you try..."

Posted by tipster at 07:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

linear algebra and it's applications
accelerated c++
introduction to graph theory

serious fun!

Posted by tipster at 11:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

thank you mr. jobs

Posted by tipster at 11:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

aries, june 24th 2006

"For the next several weeks, you'll become fascinated by a new topic. This is going to be fun. And you'll be good at it soon."

excellent.

Posted by tipster at 09:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

snapshots from the gathering at nectar to send lefty off to cali.

i wouldn't want to drive with the hangover i imagine lefty achieved.

this foot will be on the beach monday afternoon!

Continue reading "lefty goes to cali" »

Posted by tipster at 11:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Seattle, King County, Washington (longitude W122.3, latitude N47.6):

Wednesday :: 21 June 2006 (Pacific Daylight Time)

Begin civil twilight: 4:31 a.m.
Sunrise: 5:11 a.m.
Sun transit: 1:11 p.m.
Sunset: 9:11 p.m.
End civil twilight: 9:52 p.m.

Posted by tipster at 06:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

yes, that is a lawn chair.

Posted by tipster at 07:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

oh, bother.

Posted by tipster at 09:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

my father asked me this question a couple of years ago...

"what are the seven ways to get on base, without getting a hit?"

Continue reading "getting on base" »

Posted by tipster at 09:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

the other day, during a meeting at work, i asked my leads to name the seven dwarfs.

don't ask why.

i spotted them a couple of dwarfs, just to get them going. here's the original seven, for your reference:
sleepy
dopey
happy
sneezy
grumpy
bashful
doc

we decided there are a couple of dwarf cousins who aren't as visible as the original seven...

Continue reading "dwarfs" »

Posted by tipster at 08:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

last night
pair
del ray
war room
ibuprofin

this morning
ouch
coffee
croissant
orange juice
good company

Posted by tipster at 09:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

beef tenderloin (oregon country beef) with pan sauce
mashed potatoes (tipping my hat to heathcliff and running them through a sieve)
roasted carrots
02 mas de chimeres (coteaux du languedoc)

Posted by tipster at 04:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

someone recently asked me how often i play my bass.

today i learned the bass line to charlie parker's 'a night in tunisia' while playing (ahem, picking) along to the paris all star's 1990 'homage to charlie parker' release.

i can't decide if i prefer the into or the walking the line for the majority of the arrangement.

i play often but i don't play well often.

Posted by tipster at 04:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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recently, a friend of mine re-took the meyers briggs personality test...again...

Continue reading "meyers-briggs: file under TMI" »

Posted by tipster at 04:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Posted by tipster at 09:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

1. it is impossible to predict the weather and, therefore, pack the appropriate clothes.
-- proof: 65F when i arrived, 16F day of departure
2. to the uninitated eye, the rookery and the santa fe buildings are similar
-- perhaps i need to check my prescription
3. when in doubt, eat beef
4. the phrase 'for the most part' can be used in a specific manner
5. always divide by 1.75
-- i'm glad i have an aptitude for math
6. never under estimate the importance of lounging

Posted by tipster at 07:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

a couple of snapshots taken while spending some quality time with my pallies amy and deanna in and around chicago.

Continue reading "chicago with the girls" »

Posted by tipster at 07:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Continue reading "tampa bay brewing company" »

Posted by tipster at 05:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

nice article in the nytimes on portland. i should give this place a try:

the jupiter hotel

Posted by tipster at 05:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

in tampa, she wasn't much more than a mild seattle-style wiinter storm.

Posted by tipster at 07:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

hello, wilma. looks like we might be able to get together, if you make it into town. i'm sure you'll give a call when you get in, perhaps we can meet for drinks. of course, if we can't meet up no worries.

thursday's update

Posted by tipster at 07:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

posting from my mother's guest bedroom, after two bottles of wine!

babs: hope you are well!!!!

Posted by tipster at 07:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

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here's a request that goes against my core values but what the hell.

i'd like your (honest) feedback before i invest any more time in the project.

let me know what you think about the image in the extended entry.

Continue reading "not in my nature" »

Posted by tipster at 08:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Posted by tipster at 07:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

a couple of ideas for hors d'oeuvres...

roasted pepper and white bean spread

roasted read peppers, canelli beans, anchovy, bread crumbs, olive oil, salt and pepper.

tomato water
not cooking, rather an application of a technique

blanched tomatoes and a cheese cloth. heh.

vodka grape tomatoes

grape tomatoes, vodka, white wine vinegar, lemon zest, salt, pepper, sugar.

still thinking about the main and desert...

Posted by tipster at 05:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

"ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa
ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa"

listening to michael jackson's thriller takes me back to junior high and a summer hanging out with tina frook.

a couple of observations from the first listen after 10 years or so:
-- i had forgotten paul mccartney signing on the girl is mine and i'm glad i did.
-- more synth than i remembered, but i suppose you could say that about the entire decade.
-- wanna be startin' somethin' is a good pop song. i liked it then and i like it now.
-- quincy jones is a brilliant producer.
-- the home demo version of billy jean is interesting but not worth a download from iTunes.

turns out i seem to collect quite a bit of music produced by quincy jones. looking over my collection, it spans 4 decades and is interesting for it's variety: dinah washington, the themes from ironside, the cosby show, sanford and son, michael jackson, big daddy kane...oh yeah, he also co-produced the color purple, one of my favorite films.

this is probably too much information but what the heck: i love the theme from ironside. the bassline and the bass trombone behind that flute then the call and response bit with the horn section. sure, the soprano sax was cool for the time too, but i love me some horns and a good bass...

here's to quincy jones!

Posted by tipster at 02:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

"So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable creature since it enables one to find or make a reason for everything one has a mind to do."

-- Benjamin Franklin

"...Franklin came to stand for all of America's bourgeouis complacency, it's get ahead materialism, it's utilitarian obsession with success - the unimaginative superficiality and vulgarity of American culture which kills the soul."

-- Gordon S. Wood

Posted by tipster at 08:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

yikes. looks like babs and i should take a trip to florida. laura, are you game?

Posted by tipster at 07:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

"you need to be kissed
you need to be kissed badly
you need to be kissed by someone who knows how to kiss

i’ll get you my pretty"

-- thanks amymo...

Posted by tipster at 05:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Continue reading "quote of the day" »

Posted by tipster at 06:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

i traveled to san jose on thursday and friday. rather than head directly back to seattle, especially since i leave for phoenix on monday, i decided to leave on saturday.

laura, cori and i braved 17 to spend the day in santa cruz.

since my flight was cancelled i'm sitting in the san jose airport posting to my blog and drinking a beer.

Posted by tipster at 06:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

looking up at the skyride, a frequent flyer and the girls

Posted by tipster at 05:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

below, one of the rollercoasters on the boardwalk in santa cruz. we did not ride this one.

Posted by tipster at 05:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

as i sorted through the snapshots taken during my, now not so recent, trip to florida i realized some of the snapshots should be posted on the days they were taken. i've been thinking about 'the others' (the photos, not the nicole kidman flick) and believe they deserve a narrative, or at least a bit of reflection; those are posted throughout the month, randomly.

raising a beer to toast friends old, new and re-discovered.

patty cox, nee ritter
thanks for coming out to the game. i can't imagine giving up drinking and carousing for a husband and child. nice to see you've balanced your responsibilities!

anne & renee
thanks for opening your front door so very late on a school night! if a crowd like ours showed up on my front stoop (and frankly they have) i would have turned off all of the lights. and i've done that, too. anne: i appreciate the chat and hope to keep in contact. renee: congrats on the condos!

rondeaux
woah, girl! you rock. i'd say more but i'd be sued.

and right back at you.

richter
what are you going to do about ramsay? laura has a couple of beautiful photos of the man at rest while i have approximately 100MB of blurry action shots. cripes.

spending time at oak street was powerful medicine. i wish you could have been there when i called amy mo. from the porch with a rolling rock (33) in hand.

thanks for opening up your home, getting the tickets for the game and hooking me up with rick. mi casa es su casa.

yes, the note on the fridge is yours.

julia a.k.a. elastigirl
thanks for your flexibiliy. spending the days in st. augustine and orlando with you (and your maps) was a great way to catch up. sleep well.

dt
i won't likely forget:
-- 'the bad appleseed gang'
-- 'i feel a sin comming on'
-- driving across the causeway: 'here's where she booted me out of the car...'
-- 'i had a bad day. i spent the afternoon digging a crane out of mud up to my knees'
...
anytime soon.

while i wish we could have spent more time together, i also recognized, again, you make every minute count.

and yes, parts of tampa bay are 30-40 feet deep.

Posted by tipster at 07:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by tipster at 07:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

at work and courtsey of deschutes brewery in bend, ore.

i have a back log of photos and lyrics to post.

Posted by tipster at 07:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

last night i had a califlower flan at earth and ocean

today's fun is: "let's make some savory flans!"

after an early morning run to the tnc, ingredients are at hand and i'm ready to go. the goal is recreate the califlower flan and try an asparagus version.

Posted by tipster at 08:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Continue reading "up and about since 2:30 a.m." »

Posted by tipster at 05:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

cake :: the guitar man

then you listen to the music and you'd like to sing along
and you want to get the meaning out of each and every song
and you find yourself a message and some words to call your own
and take 'em home

###

i prefer cake's rendition to the original.

Posted by tipster at 07:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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roasted oeufs with ham, parm and gueyere
bread
wine (goats do roam in the rhone)

what could be better than this?

Posted by tipster at 06:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

part 2 of 2

Posted by tipster at 07:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

part 1 of 2

Posted by tipster at 07:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

to all of the whoms it may ever concern: comments are working.

that is all.

Posted by tipster at 11:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

the big excitement these days is the washington state ferry system's wireless service. yes folks, i am sitting on a ferry in the middle (or thereabouts) of puget sound typing this.

i'm also listening to a re-mix of 'round midnight courtesy of gotan project on my ipod.

here's the photo i took from my seat

Posted by tipster at 03:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

from a pal at work: "thrives on chaos"

update
my old indian name, for those who asked, is: "runs with scissors"

backstory
when i lived in tampa, i had a t-shirt with the "runs with scissors" phrase. i find the two sentiments similiar. mum pointed out, before i moved, that i'd be the same person in seattle that i was in tampa. so, i find this to be an affirmation of her comment + some growth. especially since i no longer run with scissors but still love the unexpected, change and making sense of stuff which vexes some. (tmi)

Posted by tipster at 01:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

i'm moving the site from my current hosting service to my local machine today. so far it's been much easier and more fun than expected!

Posted by tipster at 02:04 PM | Permalink

i posted a new photo?

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exhale

close call. steelers over jets in ot 20-17.

Posted by tipster at 04:03 AM | Permalink

"You wife sleeps around man"
"cheap erection tool!"
"cyprian"
"virus attached"
"XPFGM is About to EXPLODE"
"flageolet irruption"
"save cowherd"

Posted by tipster at 03:17 AM | Permalink

i haven't posted a new photo yet. my card reader is fried. how can this be? it's basically a plug.

cripes.

in the interim, the question of the day is:
am i satisfying the expectations i had in my 20's?

Posted by tipster at 08:39 PM | Permalink

decided on my plan for my sabbatical this year. i'll be out on an earthwatch expedition.

earthwatch website

Posted by tipster at 06:59 PM | Permalink