Wednesday, 25. November 2009, 20:35:22
Sasha, Spokane, The Four Seasons
Got a nicely printed color postcard this morning
from the Spokane Transit Authority wondering if
we would like to be "part of a dynamic new project
to improve the way people connect to places in
Spokane." And if you did, they gave a number to
call to get an application to sign up for the project.
We accidentally got three postcards. My dog Sasha
showed immediate interest in the postcards, and
since we had an extra one we gave one to her. She
loves to "get mail."
I don't know whether this means Sasha is or
is not interested in the Transit project.
Sunday, 2. August 2009, 16:15:29
Spokane, The Four Seasons
Spokane has been experiencing some real heat these past few days. As
such I have been spending most of my time back in the bedroom where
there is at least some relief by way of the small (yet old and not very
efficient) air conditioner. Even so it's been about 95 degrees in the
bedroom at the hottest part of the day. Wheras to feel physically fit
and maximize breathing these days I need about 55 degrees. I'll let you
do the math.
As for the living room where my desk is, it's just on fire. It has now
gotten so that it is useless to turn on my laptop, as I have to turn it
off about 45 minutes later due to overheating. The past week I've been
doing quick hit-and-run posts on the laptop, most of which have been
written back in the bedroom on my phone using Blackberry Notes. This
post is one of them.
I think that it has reached the point where I will have stop posting
in the normal way until the weather cools down. I will still be able to
check out some things on the net via the phone -- including blog posts
from my fellow Opera bloggers. And I'll be doing Comments too -- in fact
I am counting on it as it gets pretty boring back in the bedroom. What I
am going to do is post from the phone, "Post Toasties" -- just some of my
favorite song lyrics.
I sure as hell hope that it is cooler where any of you may be or, if not,
that you have found a way to beat the heat.
"Stay cool, brothers and sisters." 
Sunday, 26. July 2009, 18:27:49
Culture, Spokane
Mayor Stu Rasmussen.
(Photo by Kimberly A.C. Wilson/The Oregonian.)
This isn't really Spokane news, but it's close enough.
Mayor Stu Rasmussen, the first transgender mayor of Silverton, Oregon
and as far as anybody can determine the first transgender mayor anywhere,
has come under some strong criticism lately. It seems he wore a mini-skirt
and a tank top to a meeting with local teens. And while Rasmussen's dress
has generally been accepted in Silverton, some say that the mini and
tank went too far and that he should save such dress for when he is
off work.
Of course, I don't know when a mayor is really ever "off work." And
while it is true that various companies often have a dress code, it's
debatable what the dress code for a small-town mayor should be. And
let's just say that a mini-skirt wouldn't exactly shock a group of teens.
Up to this point Rasmussen has been said by pretty much everbody to be
an outstanding mayor.
Not that it makes any difference, but Rasmussen identifies himself as
a "heterosexual male."
So...does that make him a lesbian?
Thursday, 16. July 2009, 18:12:41
Spokane, The Four Seasons
Just a couple of snapshots taken of Spokane
Falls downtown during Richard's recent visit.
I hadn't been down there in years. And on
previous visits had never taken any pictures
for some reason.
The Falls, taken roughly North.
Spokane River exiting out, West.
Friday, 3. July 2009, 22:08:20
Bloody Marys, Spokane, The Four Seasons
Thai on 1st.
There must be more diversity in terms of the various recipes for Bloody
Marys than any other drink out there. Different bars use different
recipes. And sometimes even at the same bar it depends on who is making
the drink. Over the past months I've drank a Bloody Mary at about six
different bars in downtown Spokane and Browne's Addition. And I didn't
like any of them.
Last night I went to town and made my way to The Satellite. I was a
little leery of ordering a BM there as I figured the probability was
that I wouldn't like theirs either and then have to buy another drink.
As it turned out though the one I had there was the best one so far
(although I have to emphasize that wasn't really all that difficult).
Since I was curious the bartender showed me how she made them. She
used some pre-made mixer (which surprised me, most mixers taste like
crap) and showed me the hot sauce they use, which they evidently make
themselves. I didn't even mind that they put vegetables in it (see
below), olives and asparagus, as well as a lemon slice, inasmuch as it
did taste good.
After consuming let us say X number of Bloody Marys it was time to eat.
So I called up my favorite Thai restaurant, Thai on 1st, and placed an
order for some spicy noodles with shrimp. After 30 minutes or so I left
The Satellite and walked the block or so to the restaurant. The noodles
weren't ready, in fact they hadn't even started making them yet (Thai
on 1st is kinda quirky in many respects), so I drank a beer and waited.
And while I waited I talked with the manager and eavesdropped on a large
table of people behind me, with one stout fellow telling some tale that
began "When I was in Hong Kong..."
There was a photo of some Buddhist monk on the wall. The only Buddhist
monk I would recognize would be the current Dali Lama, and this picture
wasn't the Dali Lama. So I asked the manager who it was. The manager
told me it was Loung Poo Wan, and he said that he was well-known in
Thailand. I had him write down the name for me to look him up. But I've
come up with a complete blank finding any information about him on the
internet. Too bad.
Noodles in hand (so to speak) I headed back to the Satellite. Having
drank a beer at Thai on 1st I decided to keep with the beer. I drank a
Corona and then headed to the city bus station. Downtown was like a
ghost town. Even the Transit Center was strangely empty. It was creepy.
Finding out I had missed the last bus back to Browne's Addition I had
no choice but to call a cab. Luckily is was easy with the new phone --
Sprint Navigation gave me a whole list of cab companies and I simply
selected one and called.
The STA bus plaza, night.
Once home I immediately started work on the noodles. I was a little
disappointed when I opened up the styrofoam box and found that the
noodles were spaghetti type noodles instead of the normal flat noodles
I always had there with that particular dish. And they tasted slightly
different too. Stil very good, but not the stellar noodles that I've
always gotten from them. I'll have to be sure to ask them about that
next time I go in.
Okay. Now since I don't go out very much, if I drink at all these days
it is usually at home. And even then I've been so tired lately that I
don't even do much of that. But having problems finding a good Bloody
Mary over a span of months I decided to have them at home and come up
with a formula that I liked for a Bloody Mary.
ED'S BRAIN DAMAGED BLOODY MARY RECIPE
- 1 jigger Stolichnaya vodka (or another good quality vodka)
- vegetable juice (such as V8)
- Red Devil Cayenne Pepper sauce or other tabasco sauce
- 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (1 tbls. for a large drink)
- ice cubes
- a glass, I prefer a regular short stubby cocktail glass that you might
use for bourbon. But I've also drank them in thin Collins glasses or
even in big 16 oz. beer glasses when I'm drinking out -- it's really
just the bartender's decision on that one.
As far as putting the thing together goes I have a specific sequence:
Put the ice cubes in the glass. Add in the teaspoon of Worcestershire.
Now add the tabasco, shaking vigorously for about 10 to 15 shakes. Pour
in the jigger of vodka. Fill the glass to top with vegetable juice and
stir a bit.
That's it. If you are using a large glass such as the beer glass you
might put in a little more of everything -- especially vodka (ahem!)
Don't go berserk on the Worcestershire sauce though or it will screw
things up.
Now here's the radical thing, and the thing that gives my drink the
"brain damaged" epithet:
I don't put salt or vegetables such as celery in mine. I keep it simple.
Very simple. No celery, no horseradish, no jalapena pepper, no olive...
I should mention too that these taste SUBSTANTIALLY better when you use
good vodka. BM's made with the cheap stuff aren't drinkable IMO.
Having had some back and forth over that past few days with Star and
Linda I should mention too that if you don't drink alcohol that I've
made these using the same recipe but without the vodka and they taste
pretty good. After tossing around several good names for the non-alcohol
version I've decided to call it a Brain Damaged Virgin.
Well have a great 4th of July folks. And if you are outside of the U.S.
I wish you a great weekend too and hope that you can join with us here
in spirit in celebrating, well, something or other.
My Bloody Mary.
Incidentally, that cocktail glass is one of
a set of 12 monogrammed "ECP" glasses that
my father received as a gift back in the
mid-1950s. It's the only one left.
Sunday, 17. May 2009, 20:05:07
Spokane
Amelia Duckheart and her brood.
(KREM2 News photo.)
As I mentioned on a previous post there was a female duck that roosted
at the Sterling Savings Bank here in Spokane and which laid a bunch of
eggs. There was also a contest to name the duck held by KREM2 News
Spokane.
My entry, "Beneduck XVI," didn't win. Maybe because it was a male name
for a female duck. In any case, the winning entry was "Amelia Duckheart."
Which I think is a really good name.
Well about one hour after the naming contest winner was announced, at
7:00 p.m. Friday PST, the duck's eggs finally hatched. Amelia Duckheart
is now the concerned mother of 12 ducklings.
Thursday, 14. May 2009, 23:50:54
Spokane
There have been quite a few interesting stories here in Spokane over the
past few days. So I thought I would take some time and report.
Let's lead off with the happier of the stories. A short while back a
mother duck squatted at the Sterling Savings Bank here in town and
built her nest and laid her eggs. Evidently, she did the exact same
thing last year. Her eggs this year are late in hatching. The due date
was approximately Mother's Day. But so far, still no baby ducklings.
KREM2 News here in Spokane decided this year to have a contest to name
the duck. There have been over 500 entries so far. The leading names
seem to be "Sterling" (after the bank), "Quackers" (not very original if
you ask me), and "Squatter" (because she is making her temporary nest
at the bank).
My own entry was "Beneduck XVI." Which is probably not going to win me
the contest given that the duck seems to be (ahem!) female. A little
technical issue that I didn't think of when I submitted the name.
Oh, well. In any case the duck has her own Facebook page, if you
want to check it out.
There's also a rather unusual story about a man who attempted to rob a
Walgreen's Pharmacy here to get drugs, but at the last minute changed
his mind and walked out. Which is an unusual thing to do -- unless you
are on drugs.
Lastly, a moose hanging out on Highway 90 heading over to Idaho (the
same road Renee and me take over there) was hit by a car. The woman in
the car got out to check for damage to her vehicle. Then another car
came along and also hit the moose. They stopped also. Finally, a pick-up
truck came along and hit the first woman who was inspecing for damage.
A tragedy, certainly; but one not without a certain amount of irony.
Some days you just can't win.
Saturday, 11. April 2009, 20:57:55
Culture, Spokane
Darin Winkler and the mysterious bottle.
Darin Winkler was walking along the Spokane River here a while back when
he saw a bottle lying along the bank. Finding trash along the river was no
new thing; but the bottle that he had noticed looked different -- vaguely
antique.
When he pulled the bottle out from the debris and branches surrounding
it, he discoverd that the bottle was sealed -- and that it seemed to have
a note in it.
Winkler took the bottle home and opened it and carefully removed the note.
It was a bit wet and had a few holes in it, but for the most part the note
was in good condition. Here's what the note said, with ellipses standing
for the holes in the paper:
March 30, 1913
Dear friend,
Whoever finds this bottle, please write in...
at Rockford, within the next two years...
and let me know if...Will put it in...
Spokane...North East...State of Wa...
Yours truly,
Emmett Presnell
Rockford, Wash.
RFD #1 Box 5
Doing some research on the matter, Winkler found that Presnell had
been a life-long bachelor who spent most of his years working on various
area ranches. Presnell died in 1978 at the age of 85.
According to Tom Presnell, his nephew, Emmett Presnell was "a real
dependable person. He lived a pretty clean life."
I imagine that Jacques Derrida could deconstruct the little note and
background information into an entire chapter of one of his books. But
I'm not Derrida. What came to my mind was singer Regina Spector's line
"And the bible didn't mention us,/not even once." The history books are
full of famous people, the movers and shakers of this world. But in
fact the great bulk of history is made of people like Emmett Presnell.
People whose memory usually doesn't live more than a couple of
generations after their deaths.
And in other local news, the Bonner County Sheriff is warning that a
man may be trying to lure women on the road by telling them he has a
broken down Jeep.
Which reminds me -- I need to get that Jeep of mine worked on.
Local journalist Marissa Bagg, one of the
women I have been trying to lure with my Jeep.
Although I might try chocolate. Or maybe a new
bio photo, because that one sucks.
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