spacekadet

Apple Head
Originally uploaded by spacekadet.

Two interesting Royal Gala facts:

- The Gala is a hybrid of Kidds Orange Red and Golden Delicious apples
- Galas were originally developed in New Zealand in 1934 and have only been available in the U.S. since 1980.

Why am I so excited about Gala apples today? Why not? They're delicious.

Posted by monica at 02:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Fire Hydrant Forgot Its Sunscreen
Originally uploaded by spacekadet.

Things have been going, as they do. My once daily posts have diminished to pictures and cheap shots. Funning how writing all day zaps my energy for writing at night.

But it has reawakened my love for books. I just finished The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It's a story about following your dreams.

Dreams do come true!

I went permanent at my job last week. Accolades were passed. A raise was negotiated. And I was given the go ahead (and some kind encouragement) to take a leave of absence next summer so I can finish my tour of Europe.

This time I'm doing it by bicycle. The trip is a year away, but I can already taste it. The spare time I once had to b-log has been occupied by impulsive web searching, reading bike reviews, backpacking stories, budget advice. Luckily a friend gave me a copy of Bicycling Magazine's Guide to Bike Touring.

Thank you for guiding my focus.

The interweb: a bounty of information, and yet often times the most unproductive place to gather cohesive information on a specific topic. Sometimes only one stop is necessary: amazon.com for a decent book on the subject.

Other than reading and dreaming, I've been taking lots of pictures with my lomo and acquainting myself with tahini.

I've also been compiling a list of songs that are guilty pleasures of mine. To give you an idea of what I mean, here is a partial list:

"Ooh Child (Things Are Gonna Get Easier) " - Destiny's Child & Cindy Lauper
"Let My Love Open the Door" - Pete Townshend
"Dreams" - Gabrielle
"When You Were Mine" - Prince
"Turn the Radio Up" - Eric Carmen
"Jessie" - Joshua Kadison

Posted by monica at 10:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by monica at 10:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

How 'leet' must it feel to be one of the MIT physicists who created a new form of matter. Before I read about this quantum miracle, I found it difficult to even conceive of matter different from my solid, liquid, and gas friends..

I'm so primitive.

But they could see it: a gas of atoms that exhibit high temperature superfluidity!

And yet, not a gas. More like a matter-wave, bridging the gap between particle and wave, pushing the quantum envelope, kicking Schrodinger's ass.

I mean - DUH!

What is superfluidity you ask?

Oh - it's just that phase of matter where there's no viscocity.

Viscosity - you know - that, uh, measure of, uh, liquid 'thickitude'.

Somebody pass me a grumblecake!

Actually it's really cool - to be without viscocity is to be without friction! And this means all kinds of good stuff for smart people who study superconductors and stuff.

Here's a picture of the supergas. Those swiss cheese holes are actually little vortices - like tiny tornados ready to pick you and take you back to Kansas (don't worry, there's no friction so it shouldn't hurt much).

How'd they do it? With LASERS of course!

What are they calling the new matter? Bose-Einstein Condensates.

HOT.

Here's an article that might make more sense than this grumbled mess.

Posted by monica at 02:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Polaroid-o-nizer is a cute little website that converts your pictures into a delicious polaroid-esque images - with captions! Especially fun for candid (drunken) shots taken with London workmates.

Posted by monica at 12:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It took me 28 years (very impressive given my age), three devoted fans, and several consecutive spare evenings to read Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.

Chances are you've already read it, because it's a classic. If not, here's a quick summary of the plot: a genius-freak space boy is trained by the government to save the world from mean aliens. The training consists of elaborate simulation games, hence the title of the book. So there aren't many aliens at all in Ender's Game- it's all about poor Ender, his tough choices, and his relationships with other people, from seargents and siblings to buggers and battle school peers.

The imagery was damn amazing and each character was complex enough to constitute their own novel. But Ender's Game didn't blow my mind. Maybe I didn't get the symbolism. Or maybe I didn't bother using my noggin by reading more into Ender's Game than what met my eye. While reading the book, I occasionally caught a passage that made me think "hmm, that's an interesting commentary on leadership" or "wow, what's so funny about peace, love and understanding?" or "war - HUH - what is it good for? Ab-SO-lutely NOTHIN, say it again!" but i didn't spend too much time exploring these thoughts because i felt propelled forward, anxious to find out what happens next in Ender's adventure.

Hey wait a minute - maybe Ender's Game really is THAT good.

In summary: Ender's Game is well worth a read. Even if Orson Scott Card is an asshat.

Posted by monica at 04:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ComicLife (by plasq) is a piece of seriously cool (and seriously mac-only) software that lets you quickly and easily turn your photos into LOL-worthy comic strips.

I've been waiting for something like this!

Check it out on Flickr, too...

Thanks, DW!

Posted by monica at 08:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." So said Ralph Waldo Emerson. But why leave a trail when you can leave a wake?

I started my Saturday with a green pepper and tomato omlette, followed shortly there after by a cuppa coffee and a sunblock grease-down (spf 50). I packed a Morning Glory Muffin and headed to MC's place on the white Trek (which I learned later has the personality of a goofball). We stopped by Wheatsville for some snacks before heading southward on our bicycles of fury.

The groovy guy at the canoe rental place on Town Lake mentioned something about nuclear waste facilities, but we paid little attention, for our minds were on the adventure before us. He hooked us up with a very noble kayak and we were off. The destination: MC's "island", which isn't an island as much as it is a peninsula, but whatever.

I'm not used to "slow moving sports", so the kayaking took a bit of getting used to. My trapezius muscles hadn't been utilized that much in years. But after getting over the false sensation that I was paddling without moving, I relaxed into the repetition of rowing, kept my head up, and waited for the not-an-island.

The rowing was hard work, but incredibly relaxing. There's something about being in the middle of a body of water that makes it easy to detach oneself from all the worries of "the land"! The highlight: laying back in the kayak, enjoying an organic Fuji Apple and sipping on a spicy-sweet Ginger Soother (a beverage I highly recommend - only 89 cents at Wheatsville!).

It probably sounds like kayaking on Town Lake is totally new to me, but in fact, I've kayaked once before with my sister. That was in 2001, my very first weekend in Austin, and I can't believe it took me this long to make it back. That's just... wrong! So props to MC for bringing the river back to me. It's definitely time for more adventures. And sexy arms.

Posted by monica at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My roommate, Elizabeth, had a birthday one week ago today. There was sushi, there was sake, there was karaoke, there was presents.

But there was no Monica. No, my advance tickets to see the Homestar Runner fellas at the Alamo prevented me from celebrating. So last night, we made up for it in style.

Belated Birthday Sushi is still sushi, after all.

The menu:

* Sushi (rice, nori, tamago, "crab", carrot, cucumber, mango, avocado, green onion, red pepper, wasabi, soy sauce)
* Salad with Ginger Dressing.
* Green Tea ice cream, home made!

The Sushi Party could be on the fast track to becoming my favorite party style EVAH (I will forgo making a definitive decision until I've tested out the Hot Dog Party). Among the best parties I've been to have been Tracey's famous sushi parties. And now, having been partial hostess to a sushi gathering myself, I see all the dimensions on which the Sushi Party bangs.

I love the intimacy of cooking, with sushi especially: slicing vegetables, hands spreading sticky rice onto sheets of nori, rolling the mat, tasting the heat of the wasabi, sharing food creations.

It's hot.

And it certainly facilitates social bonding far more effectively than, say, beer pong or keg stands.

And yet, the sushi party is so simple! As both the event and the meal, sushi defines a party's purpose and desired outcome!

The sushi itself is very economical, which is great because the money saved can be spent on bottles of delicious sake. The sake bomb makes a keg stand seem like child's play. Drop a shot of sake into a glass of beer and SLAM IT. I challenge you to be more stylishly hardcore than that.

With all its vegetables and protein goodness, the sushi is a comparatively healthy party choice. At the end of the festivities, the guests are not left stuffed with grease, cheese, and cornchips*, beached on the couch on the verge of either a nap or an umpteenth can of Tecate. This bodes well for any party members who'd like to take that cooking-induced intimacy from the kitchen to the bedroom.

Or to the living room for a round of Scattegories and a viewing of Kinsey.

* Two weeks, corn chip free, and going strong.

Posted by monica at 07:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Austinist gave some props to Hut's yesterday. I dined there for the first time last Monday night and it rocked. It's awesomeness was ballooned by the fact that Mondays are 2-for-1 veggie burger night (and Wednesdays are 2-for-1 any-kind-of-burger night).

I think they could have embellished my burger with more fixins, but their delicious veggie burger patty (their home recipe) and the tasty wheat bun made up for it. M-Shizzle II even said that their fries were the best he's ever had. It's such an incredible deal: burgers for 8 plus a big order of fries plus okra plus 3 soda pops plus 1 malted milk shake cost $31 and change. Even if it weren't 2-for-1 night, the prices are very reasonable.

Posted by monica at 09:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Off the del.icio.us wires: Fifty Writing Tools by Roy Peter Clark.

Now that I write for a living, I am surrounded by a bunch of people who write way better than me. They make me want to be a better writer (dammit). Maybe if I had the time, I'd go back to school.

Yeah right.

Instead, I found Clark's tip list. It covers writing from the "sub-atomic to the metaphysical level". Every topic gave me something to think about, and include some pretty fun exercises.

From Writing Tool #2: Use Strong Verbs:

4. Read "Politics and the English Language," by George Orwell. As you listen to political speech, mark those occasions when politicians or other leaders use the passive voice to avoid responsibility for problems or mistakes.

Posted by monica at 03:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

three girls, a boy, and 8 baskets of corn chips.
a quest for ambiance, salsa, and cold drinks in the sun.
we were too late for sushi, too early for the bbq.
technology failed us.
the diesels failed us.

but we had a bus.
and i'm sure if the radio worked we'd be listening to motown.

was love always this good?

but i'm getting ahead of myself... let's go back a few weeks.

we were in austin - me, pip and sam. and of course: it was hot as balls outside. summer was just beginning, and weren't quite used to the heat yet. we spent the day doing something bad-ass like avoiding poop at twin falls or getting an amazing deal on a dead person's furniture.

a day of makin' trouble in the neighborhood calls for two things: cold drinks and hot service.

somehow we ended up at Polvo's (2004 S 1st St).

by the time we sat down, i was already filled with that "help - i'm drowning in assholes" feeling.

Polvo's Austin sucks**. Don't waste your time.

The food might be considered "good" by someone who doesn't live in a tex-mecca (ooh, i just invented a new word - or should it be 'tex-mexa'? i can't decide). by austin's standards, Polvo's food is average.

but what the food lacked in suckiness was completely made up for by the service. our waiter was a bus boy who couldn't answer any questions about the menu. he was rude, slow, and totally not cute enough to pull off the bitchy 'tude he was sporting that day. and what's with the "salsa bar". sounds like a euphemism for "we don't have time to hire waiters, why would we have enough time to serve you salsa? get your own damn pico!"

i think i've made my point.

so last night, via several simple twists of fate, we ended up at Vivo (2015 Manor Rd).

i think we found ourselves a keeper.

they have a pretty amazing series of decks. the theme: "fern porn", with misters and live jazz in the background. my tofu "puffy" tacos were pretty good, but next time i think i'll have to go for the enchiladas that steph enjoyed so much.

ooh, and they had mexican style beer on the menu. beer mixed with lime and worcester sauce tastes surprisingly good and refreshing.

the crowd, we decided, was 'yuppy', but what can ya do?

oh, and the salsa was so amazing that i ate a summer's worth of corn chips in one sitting.

a journey's end
and the summer without the corn chip begins.
tis the season for moratoria.

* props to marcella for the title
** that one's for Google, baby

Posted by monica at 10:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My Lomo LC-A arrived in the mail last week (from the Ukraine!). I just got my first roll developed.

This camera is definitely going to take some getting used to.

But I'm not discouraged. I see it's potential.

More photos on flickr...

Posted by monica at 11:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

delski sent me some wonderful photos today from my leaving 'do' at my London job. what a great night. this picture brought a tear to my eye. i do miss my mates. sometimes i hear from them on Friday mornings (Friday afternoon their time) after they've had a liquid lunch at the pub. i become instantly jealous and can almost taste the Stella through the ether. but without the laughs, the taste just isn't as sweet.

more of delski's photos can be found on flickr...

Posted by monica at 07:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There I go, crossing the finish, just steps behind the bearded wonder. He must have had the Cubbies mojo in his favor, 'cause the drag on that beard must be incredible!

Posted by monica at 07:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Chip time: 47:27.8
Pace: 9:33/mile

I came in 11th (of 25) in my age group, and 55th overall of the chixx0rs.

Race shwag scored: 2 oranges, 2 bananas, 8 granola bars, 2 packets of sun block.

Mega props to Rachel - this was her first race! She kicked some serious ass and came in well below her goal time. I think the run was encouraging for us both. At the very least, we weren't shy about reaping the rewards in beverage form that afternoon. And why should we be shy? We earned it!

Posted by monica at 11:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I'm so tired right now that I can barely type. But I've been shirking my writing duties lately. And what reader doesn't prefer half-assed but timely ramble in place of thoughtful, strategically spaced narratives?

I'm tired because I've had a long but kick-ass weekend. On Friday, I saw Star Wars III (Revenge of the Boosh). Despite its cheesy lines, SW3 did not make me "lose my will to live". In fact, it was pretty well done - the story was clear and the effects were bangin'. I give it 2 1/2 stars.

Saturday morning started at 6:30am with a cup of coffee and an 8k run sponsored by News8Austin. I rocked it in 47ish minutes (official time still pending). It pumped me up for an afternoon of grillin' and chillin'. The food was plentiful, the drinks were cold, the company was delicious, and the tape deck was jammin'. I made really strong fruity frozen vodka drinkies. Rachel prepared some amazing spring rolls (I thank her for the recipe). Someone even brought a baby, who proved to be even more popular than the pugs. I snapped some pictures with my new Lomo LC-A. Stay tuned.

I could have spent all day grillin' and chillin' - what can I say, it's my move - but I had tix to The Faint / Bright Eyes concert at Stubbs (thank you Steph and Mar). So we were off. The Faint were good - high energy electronic new wave thumping beats. But not really my style. Though I must say - their video was fantastic (though I don't think Stubbs did their projection system justice - the vast open-air venue made their video look a bit like overhead projectors in a board room). Admittedly, I was there to see Bright Eyes, whose show was a huge departure from their acoustic melodies that I'm used to. They sounded more like indie goth or something. Conor Oberst even wore a black hoodie - with the hood on! But it was cool. At one point I spied an impressive line-up on stage: 2 drummers, a cellist, a violinist, keyboards, bass...

The most impressive sight at the show was neither of the bands, but two individuals who fooled us all! A few rows up from us were two lean shirtless lads drinking tall boys and singing along to Bright Eyes. It was insanely cute how enthusiastic they were. Then at the very end, psyched that a technical problem forced Conor to belt out his folk hit "First Day of my Life", they turned to each other, singing in unison. And low and behold - they had breasts! They were not lads at all, but brazen girl-boys with the most impressive backs I have ever seen!

This phenomenon fascinates me. It also makes me jealous. I wish I had that kind of confidence. It's hot in Austin!

Posted by monica at 08:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yo, the news8austin 8k is this saturday! I'm totally excited to kick this race's arse. But it's gonna be a bit of a BEE-yatch, what with the initial MILE AND A HALF UPHILL STRETCH at the beginning of the race and all. Ok, maybe it's not a mile and a half, and maybe it's not as bad as I make it sound, but that hill on South Congress has always seemed rather daunting to me. Whatevs, I'm a rockstar. I just hope I don't roll back down the hill once I make it to the top.

Posted by monica at 07:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Check out this fabulous commercial for Rexona for Men deoderant.

Posted by monica at 02:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It took all day Saturday and Sunday but it's done. Painting is hard work, but so good for the soul. And my room is bright and cheerful - a joy to wake up in, a pleasure to come home to. And it sure didn't take long for me to coat my desk in random "stuff". Ah - the sweet smell of 'home'.

Now, I think we're ready for that housewarming party...

Posted by monica at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)