16 October 06
There And Back Again
Yesterday evening I went to my 25th high school reunion, which was held at a Livermore Valley winery owned by one of my old classmates, not that I knew the lad—it was a high school class of around 400. I have never been to one of my class reunions, but 25 is a good number, and I currently live in reasonable hailing distance.
(There is definitely a geographical bias to who attends these things).
I was quite glad I went—it’s just fun to see all these familiar names and faces again, and to know that this bunch at least is okay. The neatest aspect of the event was seeing folks I knew not just in high school, but in elementary school too. Third grade is a long time ago.
13 October 06
Calendrical Ponderings
We went this evening to the sixth annual Davis community iftar, which has by now grown to be the largest such interfaith community iftar in California, with well over seven hundred people there today. The keynote speaker gave an introduction to Ramadan, and one thing she noted is that the month of Ramadan shifts throughout the solar year, it cycling through the seasons on a 33-year basis, since the Islamic calendar is strictly a lunar calendar, and the lunar year is about 11 days short of the solar year.
This year the start of Ramadan coincided with Rosh Hashanah, which is not that unlikely an occurrence since both events are keyed to the new moon, Rosh Hashanah occurring on the first of the month of Tishri. But the Hebrew calendar is a lunisolar calendar—every couple of years they stick in an extra month into the calendar, presumably so the holidays don’t migrate throughout the solar year (leading to problems like the harvest festival Sukkot being celebrated in the dead of winter). So I wonder how often does the start of Ramadan coincide with Rosh Hashanah? It does next year as well. My guess is that it usually occurs twice each 33-year cycle, but sometimes only once, and rarely three times.
All these mysteries and many more can be revealed through study of this Gregorian-Julian-Islamic-Persian-Hebrew-Mayan calendar converter.
9 October 06
Digital to Analog
Not finding such a thing as the perfect calendar/planner system to buy, I may be closer to designing my own: while perusing a fountain pen forum, Numenius found a site where you can put together your own paper PDA. The most interesting idea, I think, is a stack of index cards you carry around with a binder clip, called a Hipster PDA . Watercolor paper, calendar, cards for projects: what more do you need? Plus you can choose what kind of paper to write on rather than having it chosen for you.
29 September 06
Tango Evening
There were no tickets. There were no tickets WEEKS ago. But I showed up at 7:55, and, lo and behold, there was a woman whose friend had been unable to make it.
Estampas Porteñas was riveting, sexy, rigid, flowing, stop-start-stop like all good tango should be. But what was so much more fabulous than I’d thought was the four-piece band (piano, double-bass, accordion, fiddle). They were given music-only slots where they each shone. What a treat.
What a treat. I tried to sketch in the dark. It was pretty pitiful but I’ll try and post a sketch tomorrow.
27 September 06
Birthday Party
He was having his friends over—six of them—to participate in a contest on his birthday: make the best presented/sweetest/spiciest etc. dish with the ingredients available. He arranged to have a panel of independent judges present. He greeted his guests with enthusiasm and excitement.
They set about the basil and grape leaves and chiles and ice cream with abandon. His effort was a log-cabin masterpiece of dolmas and chiles…
He has, ladies and gentlemen, just turned six. And he’s my nephew. (Photos of Simon making pizza dough with me two years ago can be found here.)
21 September 06
The Best Meal of Our Lives
Or certainly a top candidate: Tim and Carolina’s wedding, at El Convento in Boadilla del Monte.
Part of this is always, inevitably, context. But I think we arrived in Spain at a time when the cuisine, previously safe, predictable, heavy on the pork to an extreme degree, has been experimenting with copious fresh produce, an interested and interesting clientele, and just plain panache.
The wedding menu featured meats, salad, seafood in novel and interesting combinations (smoked duck and asparagus in an intriguing-looking soup, for instance). But we were offered, and accepted, a “real” vegetarian menu. Watermelon gazpacho; saffron-flavored tagliatelle. Shaved cepes with an exquisite sauce. A chocolate-hazelnut mousse drizzled with tiramisu “soup.”
Was it because, at 10 pm, we were starving? Hardly. The appetizers served outside would ordinarily have fed us on an evening, not counting the meat ones. No. Food in Spain is now Interesting.
(For a fulsome and very elaborate account of a different kind of Spanish meal, see Ethan’s Barcelona Extravaganza.)
14 September 06
Ribena and Friends
As a remedy for my cold I was introduced to what was basically a Swedish version of Ribena. Not that I knew about Ribena before, but mixing this black current syrup in a cupful of hot water makes for a beverage that is very therapeutic, especially before bedtime. I looked for an equivalent yesterday in the Davis food coop, and came up with black cherry concentrate. It too is a success as a hot beverage!
13 September 06
Back on a Bike
We got back late last night, jetlagged and disoriented. There are many sketches to upload, still.
We somehow made it to work and we both rode our bikes. We were impressed with how many cyclists there were in London, not just the courier professionals but ordinary commuters.
My favorite? The Museum of Garden History, an oddball gem tucked in behind Lambeth Palace. I’ve never seen a dodo’s head before, for instance.
My own garden is in need of serious attention, but not tonight—if I were a cartoon my eyes would be x’s.
27 August 06
Packed and Ready
No kitchen sink, either. Some twenty-one hours after we leave the house we should be arriving in Madrid. My book to read on the plane is The Canterbury Tales, though part of me is just saying wake me up when the journey’s all over.
23 August 06
Packing Light
This is going to be entertaining. We just came up with the challenge of getting everything I need for our upcoming two-week trip to Europe in one slightly largish day pack. Such a feat will certainly make the logistics a lot simpler, if it’s possible. The bottleneck (emptied of all liquids, of course) is flying through the UK, where we are currently allowed one carryon measuring 45×35 x 16 cm. I’ve got my art stuff figured out though—it all fits in my Pajaro field bag. And hey, my pack will be two pounds lighter because I won’t have a full water bottle, like I always would carry before.