I know that most of you are not history crazed like I am but surely you are aware of the role of barbarians running roughshod over such civilizations as the Romans and the Chinese. And you might or might not know that one of the favorite strategies of these civilizations was to pay tribute to the barbarians - basically bribing them so they wouldn't come and pillage your territory.
Mrs. de-I and I think of ourselves as pretty civilized folk who live in a very civilized fashion. Perhaps this is why we have been targeted by a particularly persistent tribe of Visigoths that live in the foothills to the East of us. Regularly they will swarm down the slopes and conduct a pincer movement whereby both our front and back entrances are blocked off and will proceed to ravage foodstuffs and drink before running off usually with younger members of the tribe howling terrifying war cries as they leave.
Taking a page from the Romans and Chinese, Wife and I went to the Visigoth stronghold and began to negotiate a tribute. We were told that Mrs. Goth Queen would come with me tomorrow into our territory and we would visit various storehouses where she would choose the appropriate tributes to be presented. Then on top of that our presence will be required at some all day Gothic celebration on Saturday where they will be throwing many pieces of meat on a fire and drinking strong drink.
I hope to sneak my cellphone in so I can document the bacchanalia in pictures.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
World's Least Intelligent Hummingbird?
I clearly don't understand what makes hummingbirds tick. If you were a tiny bird looking for a quiet place to raise a family would you put your nest on a precarious perch that is designed to sway in the wind, make lots of noise. Put your nest next to the entrance way of a species that comes in and out and is hundred's of times your weight and whose own noisy grandchildren invade on a regular basis.
Well this one hummingbird has in fact made a nest and is nesting on top of the wind chime on our back patio. Yes the patio where we eat almost nightly during the summer and is directly off of our kitchen. Is this the equivalent of a teen aged, pregnant, crack head hummingbird? As I write this the wind is picking up (as it does most afternoons this time of year) and our bird is sitting on its nest (I presume their are eggs there) as the wind chime chimes away. Maybe she likes the chiming? It seems a bit weird to me.
Thanks Wife for the great pictures!
Well this one hummingbird has in fact made a nest and is nesting on top of the wind chime on our back patio. Yes the patio where we eat almost nightly during the summer and is directly off of our kitchen. Is this the equivalent of a teen aged, pregnant, crack head hummingbird? As I write this the wind is picking up (as it does most afternoons this time of year) and our bird is sitting on its nest (I presume their are eggs there) as the wind chime chimes away. Maybe she likes the chiming? It seems a bit weird to me.
Thanks Wife for the great pictures!
Friday, June 27, 2008
Organ Donation Chronicle - D plus Six Weeks
This last Wednesday marked the six week mark since the operation. I was in Chicago most of this week on my first business trip since the operation. I was talking to Lakeview Coffee in the car on my way to Motherrocker, John the Armenian, Miss Dukes, and Wife and he chided me for not giving an update on my sister. I hate to admit when he's right.
Sister Judy is doing pretty well. It was a rough go for her right after the operation. She was pretty weak from the kidneys malfunctioning. Plus which she's probably a bit less stoic than I am about dealing with pain (I think she was hitting the brown narcotics button pretty good at the hospital). Then she got one of these nasty hospital staph infections and had to go on an intravenous anti-biotic. It ended up taking her a week longer than me to get out of the hospital. Everyone should remember that Judy and I aren't exactly spring chickens either (60 and 57 respectively). We were definitely on the upper end of the spectrum of the age that they will do this.
So with that in mind, Judy is out and walking again getting in 30 to 40 minutes a day. She started driving. They have reduced to almost nothing the drugs they were giving here when her kidneys were malfunctioning meaning my kidney is doing what it's supposed to (better damn well! We don't traffic in no shit body parts!). They have greatly reduced the amount of immunosupressive drugs they are giving her. She complained to me that she was getting bored - that's a good sign. Finally, I've noticed a change in her communication. She's always had severe ADD and has trouble staying in a conversation before bouncing to another subject. Now she is stopping herself when she does it and allowing the other person to keep talking - a big change. We're definitely a lot closer than we were.
On my part, I'm feeling good. It was a little scary the first time on Monday when we went to the airport and I was feeling twinges with the various lifting - limited as it was. I was really glad Mrs. de-I insisted on coming on this trip. Fighter Pilot Girl emailed me and asked how Wife liked being the sherpa! You can bet that I didn't pass that one on.
By the end of the trip I was feeling much more confident and lifting quite a bit more but still trying to stay in the range of control. I can definitely still feel the incisions and definitely am not ready to go back to my sumo wrestling classes.
Finally the spiritual changes keep deepening. It's like the lessons are being absorbed deeper and deeper into my being. It is having a particular influence on my business.
So overall I'm super glad for my sister, I'm super grateful for having had the experience and I'm super ready to heal completely :)
Sister Judy is doing pretty well. It was a rough go for her right after the operation. She was pretty weak from the kidneys malfunctioning. Plus which she's probably a bit less stoic than I am about dealing with pain (I think she was hitting the brown narcotics button pretty good at the hospital). Then she got one of these nasty hospital staph infections and had to go on an intravenous anti-biotic. It ended up taking her a week longer than me to get out of the hospital. Everyone should remember that Judy and I aren't exactly spring chickens either (60 and 57 respectively). We were definitely on the upper end of the spectrum of the age that they will do this.
So with that in mind, Judy is out and walking again getting in 30 to 40 minutes a day. She started driving. They have reduced to almost nothing the drugs they were giving here when her kidneys were malfunctioning meaning my kidney is doing what it's supposed to (better damn well! We don't traffic in no shit body parts!). They have greatly reduced the amount of immunosupressive drugs they are giving her. She complained to me that she was getting bored - that's a good sign. Finally, I've noticed a change in her communication. She's always had severe ADD and has trouble staying in a conversation before bouncing to another subject. Now she is stopping herself when she does it and allowing the other person to keep talking - a big change. We're definitely a lot closer than we were.
On my part, I'm feeling good. It was a little scary the first time on Monday when we went to the airport and I was feeling twinges with the various lifting - limited as it was. I was really glad Mrs. de-I insisted on coming on this trip. Fighter Pilot Girl emailed me and asked how Wife liked being the sherpa! You can bet that I didn't pass that one on.
By the end of the trip I was feeling much more confident and lifting quite a bit more but still trying to stay in the range of control. I can definitely still feel the incisions and definitely am not ready to go back to my sumo wrestling classes.
Finally the spiritual changes keep deepening. It's like the lessons are being absorbed deeper and deeper into my being. It is having a particular influence on my business.
So overall I'm super glad for my sister, I'm super grateful for having had the experience and I'm super ready to heal completely :)
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Ricardo - Enabler
In every case of abuse there are those that are abusing and those that enable the abuse. Ricardo, one of my associates in Chicago, clearly is in the later category. Now I will admit it doesn't take a whole lot to get moi into the abusing mode. But Ricardo does it with such smoothness and finesse that you hardly even see it coming.
Yesterday, we are in the Chicago office. Lakeview Coffee has left for the day when we get a phone call that a prospect Lakeview has been developing is going forward with us. Yay we're all happy and pumped. I'm staying with Ricardo this time around so we're heading to his place. Originally we had planned to buy some fish to grill up for dinner - nice - modest - controlled. So as I said we're heading to his place feeling good about the sale and I say, "we should get a good bottle of wine to celebrate the sale. Joe would want us to do that." Rich of course concurred. So we get said good bottle of 2003 Bordeaux and nice 2007 Tavel to start out with.
Then I say, "You know Rich we really can't be eating fish with this red wine. How about some lamb chops" Well Rich is full agreement mode. Never a word such as no we should stick with our original plan or anything like that. So we get to Whole Foods and I say, "You know Rich, a nice piece of cheese would be great after this meal. Do you like blue cheese?" Well of course he does. And we'll need some chocolate for the Armagnac you have at home for after the cheese of course.
Right, so our modest fish dinner has now morphed into shrimp cocktail, lamb chops, roasted asparagus, sauteed fennel with pecarino cheese. Tavel with the shrimp. Saint Estephe with the main course. Some how in the midst of all this I notice that we have completely polished off the Bordeaux, and finished half the Tavel. And during this whole period the enabler is calmly pouring, encouraging, smiling.
That's all right he got what was coming to him dealing with me and my after effects this morning.
Yesterday, we are in the Chicago office. Lakeview Coffee has left for the day when we get a phone call that a prospect Lakeview has been developing is going forward with us. Yay we're all happy and pumped. I'm staying with Ricardo this time around so we're heading to his place. Originally we had planned to buy some fish to grill up for dinner - nice - modest - controlled. So as I said we're heading to his place feeling good about the sale and I say, "we should get a good bottle of wine to celebrate the sale. Joe would want us to do that." Rich of course concurred. So we get said good bottle of 2003 Bordeaux and nice 2007 Tavel to start out with.
Then I say, "You know Rich we really can't be eating fish with this red wine. How about some lamb chops" Well Rich is full agreement mode. Never a word such as no we should stick with our original plan or anything like that. So we get to Whole Foods and I say, "You know Rich, a nice piece of cheese would be great after this meal. Do you like blue cheese?" Well of course he does. And we'll need some chocolate for the Armagnac you have at home for after the cheese of course.
Right, so our modest fish dinner has now morphed into shrimp cocktail, lamb chops, roasted asparagus, sauteed fennel with pecarino cheese. Tavel with the shrimp. Saint Estephe with the main course. Some how in the midst of all this I notice that we have completely polished off the Bordeaux, and finished half the Tavel. And during this whole period the enabler is calmly pouring, encouraging, smiling.
That's all right he got what was coming to him dealing with me and my after effects this morning.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Adapt or Perish - I
A Social Commentary Post
Most people don't have much familiarity with history let alone a archeology, paleontology, or geology. If they did, they wouldn't be so smug about their belief that the US is the greatest best nation on earth or their belief that we totally deserve and are entitled to the lifestyle we currently enjoy regardless of its relative cost compared to the rest of the world.
Here's a quick quiz for you. Over the 5,000 years of recorded civilized history, how many recognized political dynasties or regimes have lasted over 1,000 years (defined as a continuous dynasty of kings or other polity such as republic)? Answer - Perhaps one or two if we count the Roman Republic and Empire as one polity or the Eastern Roman Empire and Byzantine Empire as one polity. Scanning over Chinese, Egyptian, Persian, Indian, Ancient American, as well as, Medieval and Modern history, one finds that it is rare for a dynasty or polity to go much beyond 200 to 300 years. 400 plus is long indeed.
What follows is usually a period of disunity or chaos. Often that may be followed by the rise of another dynasty or polity with the same cultural subset (China, Ancient Egypt, England from Medieval through early modern periods) or they just disappear.
Why bring this up. Who cares? Maybe we should. After all our republic is now in its two hundred and twenty sixth year (depending on exactly when you start counting). And we are certainly facing a number of changes (I think big changes) in the political and economic environment.
Let's consider one such change - their are billions (plural) of people who over the last 20 years have found that they have the economic ability to pursue a material lifestyle path similar to our own (around 600 million if we count both the US and Western Europe). So now we have billions of new consumers who want cars, electronic goods, home furnishings, the ability to eat more meat, better homes, travel, etc. And that number is increasing even more rapidly as nations such as China, India and other push their development.
Yet the world supply of raw materials (oil, metals, grain production, etc.) that can be used to produce such goods has not increased at anywhere near the same rate. When we have an increased demand for a stable quantity of goods we have? Right, price increases. Now think about this. What chance do you think there is that these new economic powers are going to go back to where they came from? What chance do you think that they are in fact going to pursue bringing even more of their population up the economic curve? What chance do think there is that we are going to be finding and producing substantially more minerals, petroleum, foodstuffs? What does that mean for our ability to maintain the current US lifestyle and the prices that we have been accustomed to?
More to come....
Most people don't have much familiarity with history let alone a archeology, paleontology, or geology. If they did, they wouldn't be so smug about their belief that the US is the greatest best nation on earth or their belief that we totally deserve and are entitled to the lifestyle we currently enjoy regardless of its relative cost compared to the rest of the world.
Here's a quick quiz for you. Over the 5,000 years of recorded civilized history, how many recognized political dynasties or regimes have lasted over 1,000 years (defined as a continuous dynasty of kings or other polity such as republic)? Answer - Perhaps one or two if we count the Roman Republic and Empire as one polity or the Eastern Roman Empire and Byzantine Empire as one polity. Scanning over Chinese, Egyptian, Persian, Indian, Ancient American, as well as, Medieval and Modern history, one finds that it is rare for a dynasty or polity to go much beyond 200 to 300 years. 400 plus is long indeed.
What follows is usually a period of disunity or chaos. Often that may be followed by the rise of another dynasty or polity with the same cultural subset (China, Ancient Egypt, England from Medieval through early modern periods) or they just disappear.
Why bring this up. Who cares? Maybe we should. After all our republic is now in its two hundred and twenty sixth year (depending on exactly when you start counting). And we are certainly facing a number of changes (I think big changes) in the political and economic environment.
Let's consider one such change - their are billions (plural) of people who over the last 20 years have found that they have the economic ability to pursue a material lifestyle path similar to our own (around 600 million if we count both the US and Western Europe). So now we have billions of new consumers who want cars, electronic goods, home furnishings, the ability to eat more meat, better homes, travel, etc. And that number is increasing even more rapidly as nations such as China, India and other push their development.
Yet the world supply of raw materials (oil, metals, grain production, etc.) that can be used to produce such goods has not increased at anywhere near the same rate. When we have an increased demand for a stable quantity of goods we have? Right, price increases. Now think about this. What chance do you think there is that these new economic powers are going to go back to where they came from? What chance do you think that they are in fact going to pursue bringing even more of their population up the economic curve? What chance do think there is that we are going to be finding and producing substantially more minerals, petroleum, foodstuffs? What does that mean for our ability to maintain the current US lifestyle and the prices that we have been accustomed to?
More to come....
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Make Sure Your Loved Ones Have the Number of the US Consulate
When Pulisha and husband Tim de Buffalo moved to Albuquerque, I knew that the intensity of sports fan viewing activity was going to jump dramatically. However, like so many events in history, we tend to discount the fanatical thinking that they are a fringe element when in fact their dedication and commitment mean they are likely to take over complete control. And when the fanatics take control you can count on the personal freedoms going out the window and tyranny taking its place.
Thus you can imagine my shock and dismay when I found out recently that our little corner of the world is now within the borders of the Peoples Republic of Tim! In the PRT you quickly learn that there orthodox sports rooting dogma that must be followed at all costs. All teams from Buffalo - Good. All teams from Boston - Bad. There are more such but I will skip the detail.
Naturally I assumed that the NBA finals would be exempt from this as there are no Buffalo based teams in the NBA, at least not for around 30 years. I am not a fan of Boston (comes from my years growing up in a NY rooted household in Connecticut). And not being a big basketball fan and disliking the cult of personality that one often finds in basketball, I tend to root for teams that favor teamwork and unselfishness over the big ego superstar. Hence I wanted Boston with their three very had working and long-time unrewarded players, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.
But logic is not a requirement in a dictatorship. Seems the Supreme Uberfan Tim likes the LA Lakers after his short stint in LA. Soon I am getting barrages of propaganda text messages and emails from the PSSPRT (Party for the Sustenance and Support of the People's Republic of Tim). I'm being requested to attend mass party meetings to support SUT's rooting for LA.
When Boston won in a blowout (39 point advantage in the last game!), I get threatening emails warning me of what will happen this fall if I fail to toe the line as support the proper teams. You may be aware that the PRT has a reputation for extra-legal activities against opponents of the regime and has used bioweapons before. We are on the look out for small blond and red headed bio infected devices headed our way.
Thus you can imagine my shock and dismay when I found out recently that our little corner of the world is now within the borders of the Peoples Republic of Tim! In the PRT you quickly learn that there orthodox sports rooting dogma that must be followed at all costs. All teams from Buffalo - Good. All teams from Boston - Bad. There are more such but I will skip the detail.
Naturally I assumed that the NBA finals would be exempt from this as there are no Buffalo based teams in the NBA, at least not for around 30 years. I am not a fan of Boston (comes from my years growing up in a NY rooted household in Connecticut). And not being a big basketball fan and disliking the cult of personality that one often finds in basketball, I tend to root for teams that favor teamwork and unselfishness over the big ego superstar. Hence I wanted Boston with their three very had working and long-time unrewarded players, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.
But logic is not a requirement in a dictatorship. Seems the Supreme Uberfan Tim likes the LA Lakers after his short stint in LA. Soon I am getting barrages of propaganda text messages and emails from the PSSPRT (Party for the Sustenance and Support of the People's Republic of Tim). I'm being requested to attend mass party meetings to support SUT's rooting for LA.
When Boston won in a blowout (39 point advantage in the last game!), I get threatening emails warning me of what will happen this fall if I fail to toe the line as support the proper teams. You may be aware that the PRT has a reputation for extra-legal activities against opponents of the regime and has used bioweapons before. We are on the look out for small blond and red headed bio infected devices headed our way.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
The Pu's in Adult Land
We had the distinct pleasure on Saturday to visit the discerning palates of noted blogger Pulisha of Pu's Corner fame and her husband Tim de Buffalo. Pu's Corner is noted for its brilliant but highly rare posts on the realities of raising three young children.
This is the first time that I have done cooking in earnest since the operation. And in spite of planning, restraint in the construction of the menu, I over did it. This was the first time the the Venerable Capitan Pu and Tim de have been to our house with out the hoard. At first Wife and I were a bit bewildered because we couldn't understand Captain Pu until we realized she was speaking in complete sentences without a single phrased interrupted by an exclamation toward a child. A great time was had by all.
Our Menu (inspired by reader suggestions)
This is the first time that I have done cooking in earnest since the operation. And in spite of planning, restraint in the construction of the menu, I over did it. This was the first time the the Venerable Capitan Pu and Tim de have been to our house with out the hoard. At first Wife and I were a bit bewildered because we couldn't understand Captain Pu until we realized she was speaking in complete sentences without a single phrased interrupted by an exclamation toward a child. A great time was had by all.
Our Menu (inspired by reader suggestions)
- Crostini with Roasted Cheese or Proscutto
- Beef Jerky Risotto w/a mushroom ragout and salad
- Steak w/red wine butter and Spinach in olive oil and garlic
- Poached peaches with fresh rasberries and vanilla ice cream
Making a Stock
I sauteed beef ribs with onions, carrots and celery, broiled same to really get flavor development, then put in my fluids and final flavors
I sauteed beef ribs with onions, carrots and celery, broiled same to really get flavor development, then put in my fluids and final flavors
Reducing Red Wine with Shallots for the Butter
The Butter before Cooling
This looked a horrible pink color but ended up tasting great
This looked a horrible pink color but ended up tasting great
Blury Picture of Risotto Cooking
Could it be the wine or was it just fatigue? Last winter I was playing around with making a meat sauce by reconstituting beef jerky. I ended out with a very intense flavoring agent. I had some in the freezer and used it as the base for my risotto
Could it be the wine or was it just fatigue? Last winter I was playing around with making a meat sauce by reconstituting beef jerky. I ended out with a very intense flavoring agent. I had some in the freezer and used it as the base for my risotto
The Venerable Captain Pu and Tim de Buffalo with Cheese Crostini (looking remarkably like grilled cheese - ya but it's high class cheese!)
Captain Pu - The Happy Warrior
Venerable Pu was helping me out with the risotto when I was pooping out.
Venerable Pu was helping me out with the risotto when I was pooping out.
Risotto, Mushrooms and Salad
Steak and Spinach
Ready to Dig into the Main Course
Our Wines: A Chateauneuf du Pape and a Bordeau
Food Model de Buffalo Modeling Poached Pears
Two Bottles of Wine - Not Enought
So we broke out Durnstein, Austria's best grocery store apricot brandy
So we broke out Durnstein, Austria's best grocery store apricot brandy
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