A fascinating article on how lightning strikes affect brain chemistry.
Little Hermione is all grown up.
A few things you might not have known about The Princess Bride.
Technology is going to the birds.
Happy birthday, Internets!
What's your state's best beer? (Warning: this list seems to heavily favor dark beers.)
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Friday, October 17, 2014
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore -- Take 2
I'm not quite sure what all the hype was about with Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. Maybe people who read books just liked the idea of a book about a bookstore. But it was okay at best.I listened to the audio, and it had the narrative feel of Ready Player One, though it was significantly shorter. And I admit that I did find it more interesting in than RPO in that it was about books rather than video games. Through the middle of Mr. Penumbra, I wanted to keep listening, so that was at least a partial success.
However, I wasn't disappointed by the end of RPO the way I was with this. I just asked myself, "That was it?" when the last CD ended. (The fact that I loaded everything only my iPod rather than listening to the actual CDs probably contributed to that element of surprise, because I had no idea how close to the end of the story I was.) It felt abridged, like someone had hacked off the second half of the story, even though it wasn't and they didn't. Skip it.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
What I'm Reading Now -- Uglies
Uglies is the first in Scott Westerfeld's series of the same name. It's teen sci-fi/fantasy, yet another dystopian future story where everyone is becomes a Pretty when they turn 16. Prior to that, they are an Ugly.Honestly, I'm not really in the mood for this book right now; I'm pretty tired of this genre. But I ran out of podcasts and finished my other book, so this was all I had left to listen to on the long drive out to Chesterworld and back. (And c'mon, I needed something for that drive!)
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Cyclocross!
As if I needed a new activity to fill my time, right? Well I finally got the entree I needed to cyclocross, or just cross, for short. This is something I've been wanting to do for a couple of years, and I kept hearing about this clinic put on by one of the local bike clubs.
Cross is a weird sport, and probably requires more technical skill than most types of biking - bike handling skills are important, but any rider can pick those up with enough practice. But all the mounting and dismounting and carrying and running takes some instruction or you'll just hurt yourself.
Because of that, I've been checking this group's website regularly, but there was nary a mention of the cross clinic. Months go by. Nothing. More months. Nothing. Then, after almost two years of just peddling around on my bike without really knowing what I was doing, the clinic arrives!
It started early on Sunday morning, and it was cold. But the instructor and assistants did a good job of keeping us all moving, and within an hour or so I was stripping layers (though there were a lot of layers). The clinic itself covered some basic techniques and what you need to know to get through the course: dismounting, remounting, getting over barriers, proper carry technique both in your hand and on your shoulder, and hairpin turns. It was so much fun and I seemed to have a decent handle on some of the skills, though there are a couple on which I will have to fight bad habits - I can tell already.
After the clinic there was a race, and folks who took the clinic were invited to attend. The sun was coming out and it was turning into a nice day, so I decided to hang around for the race. There was a girl named J who had been there for the clinic. She looked like a biker, tall and thin. She was clearly in better shape than me, and she started out ahead of me during the first lap. But every time we came to an obstacle, I made up ground on her. So that was my secret.
I hung with her for the first lap and a half, then passed her. We ended up doing six laps (the lap count is strange - I may get around to explaining that later), and on the last lap, I fell! It was a completely dry spot, but a hairpin turn that was dry bordering on dusty. My tires were caked with mud from the wet portions of the track, and I hit that dry dirt just a little too fast. J gained some serious ground on me, and ended up passing me.
But we had one more obstacle, followed by a huge uphill, and I closed some of the gap. Lucky for me, J really wasn't paying attention, and didn't push all the way to the finish line, and I passed her with about 10 feet to go. Whew!
Cross is a weird sport, and probably requires more technical skill than most types of biking - bike handling skills are important, but any rider can pick those up with enough practice. But all the mounting and dismounting and carrying and running takes some instruction or you'll just hurt yourself.
Because of that, I've been checking this group's website regularly, but there was nary a mention of the cross clinic. Months go by. Nothing. More months. Nothing. Then, after almost two years of just peddling around on my bike without really knowing what I was doing, the clinic arrives!
It started early on Sunday morning, and it was cold. But the instructor and assistants did a good job of keeping us all moving, and within an hour or so I was stripping layers (though there were a lot of layers). The clinic itself covered some basic techniques and what you need to know to get through the course: dismounting, remounting, getting over barriers, proper carry technique both in your hand and on your shoulder, and hairpin turns. It was so much fun and I seemed to have a decent handle on some of the skills, though there are a couple on which I will have to fight bad habits - I can tell already.
After the clinic there was a race, and folks who took the clinic were invited to attend. The sun was coming out and it was turning into a nice day, so I decided to hang around for the race. There was a girl named J who had been there for the clinic. She looked like a biker, tall and thin. She was clearly in better shape than me, and she started out ahead of me during the first lap. But every time we came to an obstacle, I made up ground on her. So that was my secret.
I hung with her for the first lap and a half, then passed her. We ended up doing six laps (the lap count is strange - I may get around to explaining that later), and on the last lap, I fell! It was a completely dry spot, but a hairpin turn that was dry bordering on dusty. My tires were caked with mud from the wet portions of the track, and I hit that dry dirt just a little too fast. J gained some serious ground on me, and ended up passing me.
But we had one more obstacle, followed by a huge uphill, and I closed some of the gap. Lucky for me, J really wasn't paying attention, and didn't push all the way to the finish line, and I passed her with about 10 feet to go. Whew!
Monday, October 13, 2014
Battlegrounds Mud Run
On a very cold Saturday morning just over a week ago, L and I braved the cold weather and faced down the Battlegrounds Mud Run. Her firm had put together a team, and thank goodness they let me join! I've been trying to convince someone to do a mud run with me for some time, but the answer was always no, until now!
And boy did we pick a day! It was cold and windy, and we went anyway, despite knowing we'd be in water and mud all morning.
Despite the near-freezing temps, we headed out into the muck, and the maze of obstacles which awaited us.
Being in the muck and water wasn't quite so bad as having to get out of it again, and stand there waiting for the rest of the group in the bitter wind. That was cold.
Once it was all said and done, and I was in dry clothes, I realized that I had had a lot of fun. I might even be crazy enough to do it again!
And boy did we pick a day! It was cold and windy, and we went anyway, despite knowing we'd be in water and mud all morning.
Brrr!
Despite the near-freezing temps, we headed out into the muck, and the maze of obstacles which awaited us.
Being in the muck and water wasn't quite so bad as having to get out of it again, and stand there waiting for the rest of the group in the bitter wind. That was cold.
Once it was all said and done, and I was in dry clothes, I realized that I had had a lot of fun. I might even be crazy enough to do it again!
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Goal #41
Goal #41: miscellaneous mess.
In all of my reorganizing and digging through boxes, I've ended up with a lot of little junk all over the place. It's starting to make me crazy, and this week I should have a fair amount of time at home to deal with it. So I will!
Recap of goal #40: did I get rid of all the furniture I intended to? No, I did not. But I did get rid of some of it, so it's a big step in the right direction (and I say "big step" because now I can take big steps in my apartment without fear of running into something!
In all of my reorganizing and digging through boxes, I've ended up with a lot of little junk all over the place. It's starting to make me crazy, and this week I should have a fair amount of time at home to deal with it. So I will!
Recap of goal #40: did I get rid of all the furniture I intended to? No, I did not. But I did get rid of some of it, so it's a big step in the right direction (and I say "big step" because now I can take big steps in my apartment without fear of running into something!
Saturday, October 11, 2014
The Shaved Duck
Uncle P was in town a couple weeks ago, and he too A and me out to dinner at The Shaved Duck, which I've heard so many good things about and have been dying to try!
On the way there, I was pretty sure I had taken a wrong turn. I was driving the little roads of a South St. Louis residential neighborhood, and not a particularly lovely one, at that. But sure enough, about 2 corners past where I was sure I had gone wrong, there were the sidewalk tables, and a parking space right in front!
I was just getting out of my car when A pulled up, and we found P sitting inside at the bar. We headed to our table right away, and I got one of their seasonal beers to wet my whistle. As I recall, we all got the two meat combo platter for dinner; mine was burnt ends and brisket, with Brussels sprouts as a side.
On the way there, I was pretty sure I had taken a wrong turn. I was driving the little roads of a South St. Louis residential neighborhood, and not a particularly lovely one, at that. But sure enough, about 2 corners past where I was sure I had gone wrong, there were the sidewalk tables, and a parking space right in front!
I was just getting out of my car when A pulled up, and we found P sitting inside at the bar. We headed to our table right away, and I got one of their seasonal beers to wet my whistle. As I recall, we all got the two meat combo platter for dinner; mine was burnt ends and brisket, with Brussels sprouts as a side.
Straight up delicious!
Friday, October 10, 2014
What I Watched -- Gone Girl
It had been some time since T and I saw a movie. After much gnashing of teeth, we settled on Gone Girl. I had already read the book (and, as you might recall, disliked the ending), and T is a fan of movies over books, so it worked for both of us.This was the perfect role for Ben Affleck as Nick: smarmy, smug, trying to act nice even though you know he's not. It's exactly how I imagine him in real life (though for Jennifer Garner's sake, I hope it's not true.) Rosamund Pike as Amy was also a good choice. She's lovely, but in a way that can look downright evil, which she needs for this role. (And she can do ugly surprisingly well also.)
As with the book, I don't want to say too much about the plot, for fear of spoiling it for anyone who hasn't seen it.
Bottom line: if you liked the book, you'll probably like the movie. If you didn't, you probably won't.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
New York!
Settle in, this is a long one.
A week and a half ago, I readied myself for my latest (and long overdue) trip to NYC. I was headed up to visit L, and we had planned quite a weekend for ourselves. And, as per usual for me, it started out with a delayed flight. Dad: "I will never fly with you." Honestly, I can't blame him. But I spent the delay as any good traveler should: at the bar!
Despite my delayed landing, we rose early on Friday morning to head up to Hunter for our zip lining adventures. We had gone back and forth about whether we would zip line or sky dive; I had been zip lining but not skydiving; L was the other way around. Eventually, because these misadventures were her idea, we went with zip lining.
So we headed out Friday morning and picked our way through the traffic and arrived at Hunter with about 10 minutes to spare. We were fitted for our harnesses and helmets, signed away our lives, and hopped on the ski lift which would take us up the hill.
We had a blast! The first line was the longest, at over 3,000 feet. It's a little too bad it's the first one, because you're thinking so hard at all the things the guides told you you had to remember, so you do a little less enjoying of the view than you otherwise might. Each of the five lines in our tour was a little bit different in setup: some you had to cannonball on the way down to pick up speed, some you wanted to spread out to slow yourself down, one you got to spin around and do whatever you wanted, because the end point was in the middle, so you just slid back down the other side and climbed down a ladder, rather than worrying about slamming into the ending platform. And on top of it all, it was a stunning day, and being outside was the best place to be.
Although afterwards, L did say we should have gone sky diving. Next time!
We made it back to Jersey City and picked up L's boyfriend J, then headed off to Park and Sixth Gastropub for dinner. I have known L for a long time, but I had no idea she had such an obsession with fries! We got an order of garlic fries as an appetizer for the table, and she couldn't keep her hands off the fries that came with J's entree. For my part, I had the salmon special (a variation of the salmon on the menu) and a Moscow Mule to sate my thirst. The verdict: tasty and reasonably priced.
Saturday we did the most touristy of all things: went to the top of the Empire State Building. In all the times that I've been to NYC, and for all the years that L has lived there (and she works just two blocks from the Empire), neither of us have ever been up to the observation decks! Well we took care of that by taking in the stunning views on a stunning day, with stunningly few lines!
We didn't really have a plan for the remainder of the afternoon, but we did have an early dinner reservation, so we just started wandering south. We came to Madison Square Park, which was hosting Mad. Sq. Eats. We both got deliciously refreshing drinks and kept wandering . . . until we found more food, in the form of the Union Square Greenmarket! I got another refreshing drink (all that walking will make a gal thirsty), and L got a tasty chocolate bergamot muffin. We found a shady bench and watched the people go by until we felt like wandering some more.
And boy, we were unprepared for what we found in Washington Square Park. There was a guy set up with a piano, but we walked past as we entered because he wasn't playing. But then he started Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, and how can you not listen to that? We turned back to find a spot on a bench, and wandered down a side walkway. Oddly, in the middle of the afternoon, there was a rat in the middle of the walkway.
We sat and looked, and it became clear that the rat was sick or injured. Its breathing was very shallow, and flies were swarming all around. It had a bloody foot. We weren't there more than 30 seconds, trying to figure out what to do, when my new girl crush came by.
She was dressed like she was straight out of the 50's: a navy romper with white polka dots, wedge espadrilles, a curly bob, bright red lipstick, and a structured handbag. She saw the rat, put her purse on the ground nearby and started digging through it. Then she went over to the nearest trash can looking for something. Whatever she was looking for, she didn't find.
"Does anyone have a plastic bag?" One guy was out walking his dog, but the - ahem - doggie bags were too thin for her purposes. Another guy happened to have a couple of plastic grocery bags, but he held them hostage until she answered his questions:
"What do you want them for?"
"I'm going to break his neck."
"You're what?"
"He's suffering, and he's going to die. I'm going to put him out of his misery."
"How do you know what to do?"
"I work in a lab with rats, and I've had to do this before when something goes wrong."
"What do you do?"
"I'm a neuroscientist."
Of course she is. I love her.
Eventually, he gave her the bags, and she did just what she said. She layered the bags, grabbed the rat, let him stop squirming, got a firm grip, and twisted -- hard. We were all transfixed. L shed a few tears.
Needing a change of pace, we decided to have our palms read by the elderly Japanese woman sitting near the arch. Things I was told about myself:
- I'm stubbornly independent;
- I'm a good communicator (?);
- I'm fated for two chances at love -- both at ages that already passed.
Well. So much for my neuroscientist. Or anybody else, for that matter.
Upon the completion of my palm reading / dream crushing, we had to get moving to dinner. L wanted to go back to a place called Aldea that she had been to once before. It was an excellent choice, because everything about our meal was spectacular.
We had an early reservation (5:30) because we had an evening engagement, so we were the first customers when they opened. But they were ready for us, warm bread, cold cocktails, and all. Speaking of cocktails, I had the Penny Lane, and it was delightful.
First, we were treated with an amuse bush: a toasted rice cracker with cucumber chutney (mine had yogurt, L's was dairy-free). For dinner, L and I split the Alaskan king crab appetizer. It was delicious, with a couple of little candied flowers on top that opened up your sinuses so you could really taste the delicate crab. My entree was the arroz de pato, and L had the Colorado lamb ribs and braised shoulder. It was all quite tasty, but the braised shoulder probably won the evening. We skipped dessert (although I would have loved to try the yogurt and almond cake), but did get little tasters from the kitchen: an egg custard tart for me, and a gluten-free passion fruit jelly for L. The verdict: worth every penny.
Then, to the ballet! We hopped the train uptown and disembarked at Lincoln Center, which is a busy place on a Saturday evening! Our show of choice was the Stravinsky & Balanchine production, and it was a stunner. I especially loved the Monumentum Pro Gesualdo and the Duo Concertant, the latter of which told an amazing story with lighting. Prior to the show and during the two intermissions, we explored Koch Hall and took in the view of the rest of Lincoln Center from the balcony.
Sunday morning I finally went for the run I promised myself I would take, and it's a good thing I did because then we went to Shopsin's for brunch. Shopsin's, folks, is unlike anywhere I've ever eaten.
It's hard to find. It's actually inside the Essex Market hall, way at the south end. And if you're looking for a restaurant, you're probably overthinking it. Look for a couple of tables instead. Plan to wait. We were the second group in line and waited about 45 minutes. Remember, they don't seat parties of more than four, so don't even think about inviting all your friends.
That time in line is not wasted, however. Despite having all that time (less my run to get a cup of coffee) to review the extensive and insane menu, none of us had decided what we wanted to order by the time we were seated. (J came alone, as did one of my former coachees.) I ended up getting the #12 Silvercup Breakfast Stack. I didn't really know what to expect. Here's what I got: all those things actually come in a giant silver cup, which is plopped down in the middle of the plate. Even once I had it, I wasn't totally sure how to eat it. I ate out of the top of the cup for about 1/3 of the volume, then just upended the entire thing onto the plate. It seemed like a good idea at the time, and frankly still does.
The one waiter who was working the six small tables and three bar stools was the quintessential angry New Yorker, with a black bandana on his head and a Megadeath t-shirt. Heaven forbid we ask for a clean fork when someone dropped one on the floor, or a refill on the coffee! The verdict: overpriced, but fun to do on occasion.
And that (as if that weren't enough) was it. Time to head home.
A week and a half ago, I readied myself for my latest (and long overdue) trip to NYC. I was headed up to visit L, and we had planned quite a weekend for ourselves. And, as per usual for me, it started out with a delayed flight. Dad: "I will never fly with you." Honestly, I can't blame him. But I spent the delay as any good traveler should: at the bar!
Despite my delayed landing, we rose early on Friday morning to head up to Hunter for our zip lining adventures. We had gone back and forth about whether we would zip line or sky dive; I had been zip lining but not skydiving; L was the other way around. Eventually, because these misadventures were her idea, we went with zip lining.
So we headed out Friday morning and picked our way through the traffic and arrived at Hunter with about 10 minutes to spare. We were fitted for our harnesses and helmets, signed away our lives, and hopped on the ski lift which would take us up the hill.
L (hiding in the shadows) and me
The lovely view (and what happens if a zipper doesn't make it all the way to the end of the line)
We had a blast! The first line was the longest, at over 3,000 feet. It's a little too bad it's the first one, because you're thinking so hard at all the things the guides told you you had to remember, so you do a little less enjoying of the view than you otherwise might. Each of the five lines in our tour was a little bit different in setup: some you had to cannonball on the way down to pick up speed, some you wanted to spread out to slow yourself down, one you got to spin around and do whatever you wanted, because the end point was in the middle, so you just slid back down the other side and climbed down a ladder, rather than worrying about slamming into the ending platform. And on top of it all, it was a stunning day, and being outside was the best place to be.
Although afterwards, L did say we should have gone sky diving. Next time!
We made it back to Jersey City and picked up L's boyfriend J, then headed off to Park and Sixth Gastropub for dinner. I have known L for a long time, but I had no idea she had such an obsession with fries! We got an order of garlic fries as an appetizer for the table, and she couldn't keep her hands off the fries that came with J's entree. For my part, I had the salmon special (a variation of the salmon on the menu) and a Moscow Mule to sate my thirst. The verdict: tasty and reasonably priced.
The NYC skyline from Jersey City (and a little teeny sailboat that's hard to find even if you know what you're looking for)
Saturday we did the most touristy of all things: went to the top of the Empire State Building. In all the times that I've been to NYC, and for all the years that L has lived there (and she works just two blocks from the Empire), neither of us have ever been up to the observation decks! Well we took care of that by taking in the stunning views on a stunning day, with stunningly few lines!
Did you know there are 40 miles of NYPL book stacks underneath Bryant Park?
Each bracket is stamped with identifying letters. Apparently this one has changed locations.
The lobby
The lobby ceiling, which took I think a month two do originally, and two years to reconstruct later
We didn't really have a plan for the remainder of the afternoon, but we did have an early dinner reservation, so we just started wandering south. We came to Madison Square Park, which was hosting Mad. Sq. Eats. We both got deliciously refreshing drinks and kept wandering . . . until we found more food, in the form of the Union Square Greenmarket! I got another refreshing drink (all that walking will make a gal thirsty), and L got a tasty chocolate bergamot muffin. We found a shady bench and watched the people go by until we felt like wandering some more.
Root vegetables at the greenmarket
And boy, we were unprepared for what we found in Washington Square Park. There was a guy set up with a piano, but we walked past as we entered because he wasn't playing. But then he started Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, and how can you not listen to that? We turned back to find a spot on a bench, and wandered down a side walkway. Oddly, in the middle of the afternoon, there was a rat in the middle of the walkway.
We sat and looked, and it became clear that the rat was sick or injured. Its breathing was very shallow, and flies were swarming all around. It had a bloody foot. We weren't there more than 30 seconds, trying to figure out what to do, when my new girl crush came by.
She was dressed like she was straight out of the 50's: a navy romper with white polka dots, wedge espadrilles, a curly bob, bright red lipstick, and a structured handbag. She saw the rat, put her purse on the ground nearby and started digging through it. Then she went over to the nearest trash can looking for something. Whatever she was looking for, she didn't find.
"Does anyone have a plastic bag?" One guy was out walking his dog, but the - ahem - doggie bags were too thin for her purposes. Another guy happened to have a couple of plastic grocery bags, but he held them hostage until she answered his questions:
"What do you want them for?"
"I'm going to break his neck."
"You're what?"
"He's suffering, and he's going to die. I'm going to put him out of his misery."
"How do you know what to do?"
"I work in a lab with rats, and I've had to do this before when something goes wrong."
"What do you do?"
"I'm a neuroscientist."
Of course she is. I love her.
Eventually, he gave her the bags, and she did just what she said. She layered the bags, grabbed the rat, let him stop squirming, got a firm grip, and twisted -- hard. We were all transfixed. L shed a few tears.
Needing a change of pace, we decided to have our palms read by the elderly Japanese woman sitting near the arch. Things I was told about myself:
- I'm stubbornly independent;
- I'm a good communicator (?);
- I'm fated for two chances at love -- both at ages that already passed.
Well. So much for my neuroscientist. Or anybody else, for that matter.
Upon the completion of my palm reading / dream crushing, we had to get moving to dinner. L wanted to go back to a place called Aldea that she had been to once before. It was an excellent choice, because everything about our meal was spectacular.
We had an early reservation (5:30) because we had an evening engagement, so we were the first customers when they opened. But they were ready for us, warm bread, cold cocktails, and all. Speaking of cocktails, I had the Penny Lane, and it was delightful.
First, we were treated with an amuse bush: a toasted rice cracker with cucumber chutney (mine had yogurt, L's was dairy-free). For dinner, L and I split the Alaskan king crab appetizer. It was delicious, with a couple of little candied flowers on top that opened up your sinuses so you could really taste the delicate crab. My entree was the arroz de pato, and L had the Colorado lamb ribs and braised shoulder. It was all quite tasty, but the braised shoulder probably won the evening. We skipped dessert (although I would have loved to try the yogurt and almond cake), but did get little tasters from the kitchen: an egg custard tart for me, and a gluten-free passion fruit jelly for L. The verdict: worth every penny.
Then, to the ballet! We hopped the train uptown and disembarked at Lincoln Center, which is a busy place on a Saturday evening! Our show of choice was the Stravinsky & Balanchine production, and it was a stunner. I especially loved the Monumentum Pro Gesualdo and the Duo Concertant, the latter of which told an amazing story with lighting. Prior to the show and during the two intermissions, we explored Koch Hall and took in the view of the rest of Lincoln Center from the balcony.
Metropolitan Opera House
Avery Fischer Hall and the fountain
Inside Koch Theater
Sunday morning I finally went for the run I promised myself I would take, and it's a good thing I did because then we went to Shopsin's for brunch. Shopsin's, folks, is unlike anywhere I've ever eaten.
It's hard to find. It's actually inside the Essex Market hall, way at the south end. And if you're looking for a restaurant, you're probably overthinking it. Look for a couple of tables instead. Plan to wait. We were the second group in line and waited about 45 minutes. Remember, they don't seat parties of more than four, so don't even think about inviting all your friends.
That time in line is not wasted, however. Despite having all that time (less my run to get a cup of coffee) to review the extensive and insane menu, none of us had decided what we wanted to order by the time we were seated. (J came alone, as did one of my former coachees.) I ended up getting the #12 Silvercup Breakfast Stack. I didn't really know what to expect. Here's what I got: all those things actually come in a giant silver cup, which is plopped down in the middle of the plate. Even once I had it, I wasn't totally sure how to eat it. I ate out of the top of the cup for about 1/3 of the volume, then just upended the entire thing onto the plate. It seemed like a good idea at the time, and frankly still does.
The one waiter who was working the six small tables and three bar stools was the quintessential angry New Yorker, with a black bandana on his head and a Megadeath t-shirt. Heaven forbid we ask for a clean fork when someone dropped one on the floor, or a refill on the coffee! The verdict: overpriced, but fun to do on occasion.
And that (as if that weren't enough) was it. Time to head home.
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