50cc: a tiny volume. One seventh a 12oz can of soda. About the same as the average unmeasured shot of alcohol. Also, the displacement of the engine in the Vespa.
As I rolled into the driveway coming home from work yesterday the Vespa odometer displayed 1006 miles. While not the nice round 1000 mark, the scooter had 6mi on it when purchased last fall.
That is not in a relative sense a lot of miles, however they were all spent commuting or running other errands around the city, so it's slightly surprising how quickly that added up. Also surprising is that I only used about 11 gallons of gas to cover that distance - less than a standard single tank of gas in a car (or about half a tank of gas in the average SUV)
The Vespa is a mode of transportation that really appeals to me beyond the extremely low running costs. It's quick, but ultimately not fast, the exhuast makes a nice hum/popping sound as you roll along enjoying the breeze and the unobstructed view of the trees/houses/sky/stars/whatever. It is a joyous mode of transportation - you can't be in a rush because you're pretty much always going as fast as the engine can push you - there really isn't much to do but sit back and enjoy the ride.
That and I like the privacy of being behind a black helmet and highlighter yellow jacket. While I'm typically dressed pretty well when riding (the standard work uniform of fine weave pants and pressed linen shirts) it doesn't really matter, because people only see the jacket. Kids point, some adults smile, others take the cell phone away from their ear for a second to glance. While very effective from a safety standpoint the anti-style of the experience is a bonus.
To 2k and beyond.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Philosophy of Stuff
An important step in the evolution of my thoughts on stuff will take place in the next week - I will finally have 0 not-in-use computers in the house.
Up to this point I've been too focused on utilizing space as a resource - more space means more room for projects in process. These projects, whether they be home improvement, cars, computers, are never 100% efficient and result in accumulations of stuff - random computer parts, cables, cans of paint that are 80% used, tools, random car parts, so on. And since I now had a way too large house my parents finally dumped my random collections of stuff from my kid years as well - baseball/basketball cards, old textbooks, yearbooks, my old electric trainset even. So now I have all the stuff I could possibly claim ownership of, all in one place.
I suddenly realized that I'm getting close to being one of those people that requires more than a couple of friends and a pickup truck or U-Haul to move. Basically, I had too much not-in-use stuff. Furniture, cds, a TV, Stereo, a single computer... they're all part of everyday life and will always have a place - they may be upgraded or updated, but are essential (not life sustaining essential, but life enriching essential)... a closet full of rubbermaid bins of stuff - not part of everyday life.
But what to get rid of, and how to get rid of it. Throwing stuff away (or recycling even) is the easy answer, though it is wasteful - while I may not be using boxes of old textbooks or baseball cards or computer parts - they do have some value, to someone, somewhere. Even if the monetary value is small, an enormous amount of energy went into making, distributing, moving and simply storing all this stuff. As such it should not be wasted.
This aversion to outright waste makes stuff-reduction a very long process for me. I've spent a couple weekends sorting out stuff that simply has no value and reduced the rubbermaid bin count by 1 (of 7) through recycling/throwing stuff away. The next step is to sort and sell or donate the stuff that people may want or use. I only hope to complete this task before the next move in a couple years, and try very hard not to accumulate any more stuff in the same time period.
The next move will be to a smaller (or simply small) place - mainly due to the economic realities of living in a city - but it is a good reason to try to distill what is required for a good quality life at home - a comfortable bed and sofa and chair, a nice sounding stereo, a single computer, some clothes and books, two pots, two pans, two knives to cook with... that's about all I want to have in a house. Anything else just takes up space and detracts from what's important.
Up to this point I've been too focused on utilizing space as a resource - more space means more room for projects in process. These projects, whether they be home improvement, cars, computers, are never 100% efficient and result in accumulations of stuff - random computer parts, cables, cans of paint that are 80% used, tools, random car parts, so on. And since I now had a way too large house my parents finally dumped my random collections of stuff from my kid years as well - baseball/basketball cards, old textbooks, yearbooks, my old electric trainset even. So now I have all the stuff I could possibly claim ownership of, all in one place.
I suddenly realized that I'm getting close to being one of those people that requires more than a couple of friends and a pickup truck or U-Haul to move. Basically, I had too much not-in-use stuff. Furniture, cds, a TV, Stereo, a single computer... they're all part of everyday life and will always have a place - they may be upgraded or updated, but are essential (not life sustaining essential, but life enriching essential)... a closet full of rubbermaid bins of stuff - not part of everyday life.
But what to get rid of, and how to get rid of it. Throwing stuff away (or recycling even) is the easy answer, though it is wasteful - while I may not be using boxes of old textbooks or baseball cards or computer parts - they do have some value, to someone, somewhere. Even if the monetary value is small, an enormous amount of energy went into making, distributing, moving and simply storing all this stuff. As such it should not be wasted.
This aversion to outright waste makes stuff-reduction a very long process for me. I've spent a couple weekends sorting out stuff that simply has no value and reduced the rubbermaid bin count by 1 (of 7) through recycling/throwing stuff away. The next step is to sort and sell or donate the stuff that people may want or use. I only hope to complete this task before the next move in a couple years, and try very hard not to accumulate any more stuff in the same time period.
The next move will be to a smaller (or simply small) place - mainly due to the economic realities of living in a city - but it is a good reason to try to distill what is required for a good quality life at home - a comfortable bed and sofa and chair, a nice sounding stereo, a single computer, some clothes and books, two pots, two pans, two knives to cook with... that's about all I want to have in a house. Anything else just takes up space and detracts from what's important.
Monday, May 21, 2007
One year of home ownership. um, yay.
I have been rent-less for about one year now. While anyone that even remotely knows me has probably heard all about the different interesting bits of the house and all the work that has gone into it thus far, I guess I should say, get used to it, because this is a seemingly neverending project. I look back on the last year and see everything that has been done for the house (months of painting, new light fixtures, new front door, new water heater, regrading, planting stuff, day to day maintenance) and think: is it really worth it? There's so much more to do: tearing out the upstairs bathroom shortly, hardwood floors on the main level hopefully by the end of the year... I do think I have over-reached myself on this one. It's just way too much for one person to deal with, especially with work and on call and grad school happening at the same time.
No, the house won't fall down if I leave it alone for a year or two, but the whole reason I did this was to have an investment as well as a place to live. Any of the real cities that are on the list of 'next places I want to live' are all seriously expensive, and for someone starting from $0 (or negative numbers counting student loan debt, which has since been paid off), it seems like the only way to get there is to leverage any income toward the current house to both pay down the mortgage and prepare for resale in 2-3 more years, and contribute lots of labor to the process as well. Between double paying the mortgage (one normal bill each month, and the equivalent amount to principal) and contributing some of the extra to house projects I hope to pay off the mortgage and be able to sell for $250k in a couple years, which would be a respectable down payment on a place, though it still may not be enough for Vancouver, DC or New York - it seems you have to have generous wealthy relatives (none here) or the lucky lottery numbers to buy places in those cities.
Thinking economically - the return on the investment won't be that great, the house is more of a giant piggy bank that I happen to live in - even considering that I got a decent deal on the house originally and plan to pay off the mortgage way ahead of time - the actual value of what I put into it will probably earn less than a normal index fund investment account over the same period, but it does provide shelter in the mean time, which an index fund won't do. Well, the house will provide shelter as long as I replace the unsealed double pane window on the top story.
Where I'm going with this - is regardless of what you hear on HGTV or 'oh this one guy I know bought a place in an up and coming neighborhood, fixed it up and doubled his money in one year' - in the real world houses are just a lot of work.
No, the house won't fall down if I leave it alone for a year or two, but the whole reason I did this was to have an investment as well as a place to live. Any of the real cities that are on the list of 'next places I want to live' are all seriously expensive, and for someone starting from $0 (or negative numbers counting student loan debt, which has since been paid off), it seems like the only way to get there is to leverage any income toward the current house to both pay down the mortgage and prepare for resale in 2-3 more years, and contribute lots of labor to the process as well. Between double paying the mortgage (one normal bill each month, and the equivalent amount to principal) and contributing some of the extra to house projects I hope to pay off the mortgage and be able to sell for $250k in a couple years, which would be a respectable down payment on a place, though it still may not be enough for Vancouver, DC or New York - it seems you have to have generous wealthy relatives (none here) or the lucky lottery numbers to buy places in those cities.
Thinking economically - the return on the investment won't be that great, the house is more of a giant piggy bank that I happen to live in - even considering that I got a decent deal on the house originally and plan to pay off the mortgage way ahead of time - the actual value of what I put into it will probably earn less than a normal index fund investment account over the same period, but it does provide shelter in the mean time, which an index fund won't do. Well, the house will provide shelter as long as I replace the unsealed double pane window on the top story.
Where I'm going with this - is regardless of what you hear on HGTV or 'oh this one guy I know bought a place in an up and coming neighborhood, fixed it up and doubled his money in one year' - in the real world houses are just a lot of work.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Weekend Time
It has been a good week - no classes, on call was quiet for a change - nice weather - was able to commute on the Vespa all week. Walking around at dusk has been nice - comfortable, relaxing - it's what summer should be - it is a good sign to see many people downtown at night last night - making use of the (3 or so) restaurants with outdoors seating, a decent street-band - Charlotte's trying to be a real city.
Also - the light rail has been making test runs for the past few weeks - I'm really looking forward to making that a part of my commute - less than a mile to the station at Arrowood, exit at the Trade St. station, then another few blocks to the office.
I've pretty much planned out the entire new bathroom - will order the pieces this weekend and then start taking apart the current one next week.
This should be the first big value adding project for the house. Tile floor and shower area, ceramic tub, console sink, modern Kohler faucets, new paint. It will be a vast improvement over the 70's era linoleum floor and fiberglass tub/shower that are there.
This weekend - dinner and a movie Saturday - Il Posto, then Shrek 3. Maybe Situl tonight.
Also - the light rail has been making test runs for the past few weeks - I'm really looking forward to making that a part of my commute - less than a mile to the station at Arrowood, exit at the Trade St. station, then another few blocks to the office.
I've pretty much planned out the entire new bathroom - will order the pieces this weekend and then start taking apart the current one next week.
This should be the first big value adding project for the house. Tile floor and shower area, ceramic tub, console sink, modern Kohler faucets, new paint. It will be a vast improvement over the 70's era linoleum floor and fiberglass tub/shower that are there.
This weekend - dinner and a movie Saturday - Il Posto, then Shrek 3. Maybe Situl tonight.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
From :
Leave a comment and I'll give you a letter; then you have to list 10 things you like starting with that letter. Post them in your journal and give out new letters to your commenters in turn.
I have been tasked with V:
1: Vidalia Onions - grilled until caramelized - yay for southern ingredients, as long as they're not in southern food.
2: Vermont - home of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream
3: Vino - wine - like the current glass of Casillero Del Diablo Chilean Carmenere (yes, Carmenere is a grape type - was brought to Chile during the whole colonization period, but then went extinct in Europe, so Chile is the only source - very dark/minerally red wine - flavorful and relaxing)
4: Volkswagen - previously the makers of affordable sporting hatchbacks and sedans, now the maker of affordable Mercedes.
5: Volvo - a turbocharged station wagon - fun and practical - count me in.
6: Victoria's Secret - making female curves colorful and well, curvier - good idea.
7: Wien - counts due to the American spelling - Vienna - for the heuriger concept.
8: Veal - because steak takes longer to grow.
9: Vostok - makers of affordable automatic watches - wish they had the more elegant style of some of the Poljot models though.
10: Vodka - properly made, then served with pepper, rye bread or smoked fish, it is a great beverage.
Leave a comment and I'll give you a letter; then you have to list 10 things you like starting with that letter. Post them in your journal and give out new letters to your commenters in turn.
I have been tasked with V:
1: Vidalia Onions - grilled until caramelized - yay for southern ingredients, as long as they're not in southern food.
2: Vermont - home of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream
3: Vino - wine - like the current glass of Casillero Del Diablo Chilean Carmenere (yes, Carmenere is a grape type - was brought to Chile during the whole colonization period, but then went extinct in Europe, so Chile is the only source - very dark/minerally red wine - flavorful and relaxing)
4: Volkswagen - previously the makers of affordable sporting hatchbacks and sedans, now the maker of affordable Mercedes.
5: Volvo - a turbocharged station wagon - fun and practical - count me in.
6: Victoria's Secret - making female curves colorful and well, curvier - good idea.
7: Wien - counts due to the American spelling - Vienna - for the heuriger concept.
8: Veal - because steak takes longer to grow.
9: Vostok - makers of affordable automatic watches - wish they had the more elegant style of some of the Poljot models though.
10: Vodka - properly made, then served with pepper, rye bread or smoked fish, it is a great beverage.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Well, that was interesting
In my quest to be both healthy and a cheap bastard, I've started to bike to work (basically, any temperate day when I don't have class or any other after work commitments). This works fine generally - takes about 45 min to work, 30 min back (car or vespa are about 20min in traffic)
Except I'd forgotten how tenuous balance is on two wheeled vehicles. And how a very small amount of mud can upset that balance. And now there's a scuffed shoe and bent brake lever to show for it.
All those people commuting in Camrys and Accords don't know what they're missing.
In other news, spring semester is now officially complete. If all the classes are scheduled appropriately I should be finished with the MBA in December of 2008. Then I can get on with life, possibly leave IT, at least not have on call, I hope.
Except I'd forgotten how tenuous balance is on two wheeled vehicles. And how a very small amount of mud can upset that balance. And now there's a scuffed shoe and bent brake lever to show for it.
All those people commuting in Camrys and Accords don't know what they're missing.
In other news, spring semester is now officially complete. If all the classes are scheduled appropriately I should be finished with the MBA in December of 2008. Then I can get on with life, possibly leave IT, at least not have on call, I hope.
Monday, May 7, 2007
It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.
It wouldn't be springtime in a Southern city without a street preacher screaming to the wind and condemning the squirrels.
The guy usually near the square in downtown Charlotte reminds me more of preacher Gary from NCSU in his level of intolerance and anger than the other usual one further up Tryon on the weekends who just reads random bible quotes out of context.
Granted, they have the freedom to say whatever they want as loudly as they want to say it, however they should also have the good sense to leave people to their own lives.
The guy usually near the square in downtown Charlotte reminds me more of preacher Gary from NCSU in his level of intolerance and anger than the other usual one further up Tryon on the weekends who just reads random bible quotes out of context.
Granted, they have the freedom to say whatever they want as loudly as they want to say it, however they should also have the good sense to leave people to their own lives.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Cost of Living Adjustment?
It seems inflation has impacted everyone: twice in the past week I've been asked for $20 (no other denomination of currency) by the bums in downtown Charlotte.
That's a bit of a stretch from the $0.47 (or some other completely non-round number) that the Hillsborough St. bums asked for in Raleigh.
That's a bit of a stretch from the $0.47 (or some other completely non-round number) that the Hillsborough St. bums asked for in Raleigh.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Weekend
Friday - after work, Allison and I took my parents out to dinner at Copper for my mom's birthday. Since they recently 'discovered' Indian food it was good that they see what's possible with it - Indian ingredients, modern presentations - they had a positive opinion of the place. Afterwards Allison and I went to the Lotus concert - which gets more impressive the more I hear from them - even if they have somewhat abandoned the chill-jamband sound in favor of a funk-rock-electronic sound - still - it moves people - and sounds great at way too loud volumes.
Saturday - Errands, yardwork, cooked for Allison and Marcus/Claudia - well, I won't take credit for the sauce beyond the conceptual level, but it worked overall.
Sunday - Installed a programmable thermostat - the ultimate obsessive piece of household electronics - you get 4 time blocks per day, with each day of the week having a separate program - and it's all digital. So it can be 73 degrees from midnight to 6am, then 75 degrees from 6am to 8am, then 80 degrees to save energy when I'm not home from 8am to 6pm, then 74 degrees from 6pm to midnight. Then entirely different tuesday if I want. This kind of precise detailing/customization makes me happy.
Then there were some more errands, and dinner at the Philosopher's Stone with Allison and Daniel - mainly chosen for the fried zucchini sticks and the excellent patio. Live music, perfect weather, good beer and food - what more could you possibly want out of a dining experience.
This week - my new watch is here to be picked up tomorrow - it's entirely mechanical - and Russian - the engineering nerd in me is excited: old swiss engineering using a more affordable manufacturing model. (i.e. - sweep second hand, day and date, using a hand-wound mechanism - all for one tenth the price of an equivalent swiss made brand) Hope it lives up to the concept.
Saturday - Errands, yardwork, cooked for Allison and Marcus/Claudia - well, I won't take credit for the sauce beyond the conceptual level, but it worked overall.
Sunday - Installed a programmable thermostat - the ultimate obsessive piece of household electronics - you get 4 time blocks per day, with each day of the week having a separate program - and it's all digital. So it can be 73 degrees from midnight to 6am, then 75 degrees from 6am to 8am, then 80 degrees to save energy when I'm not home from 8am to 6pm, then 74 degrees from 6pm to midnight. Then entirely different tuesday if I want. This kind of precise detailing/customization makes me happy.
Then there were some more errands, and dinner at the Philosopher's Stone with Allison and Daniel - mainly chosen for the fried zucchini sticks and the excellent patio. Live music, perfect weather, good beer and food - what more could you possibly want out of a dining experience.
This week - my new watch is here to be picked up tomorrow - it's entirely mechanical - and Russian - the engineering nerd in me is excited: old swiss engineering using a more affordable manufacturing model. (i.e. - sweep second hand, day and date, using a hand-wound mechanism - all for one tenth the price of an equivalent swiss made brand) Hope it lives up to the concept.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
New website
I have finally found time to set up a webserver (using parts salvaged from the basement of ![[info]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tB0W52VtOAD_EMSz3Nq482o_PWRX_u2VALyafV03rEy7kfFkiO6oftChafZuHy7bYoVZWf2PQXVSgSF4SvTFN2HbPkRyn67oCxy7pZwM0h=s0-d)
entropysquared ) and register it to www.maslows.net
It seems that other Maslow, the one that wrote some psychology books, has claimed all the maslow.* URLs
Basically it will be a photo repository (all the places I've been with a digital camera) and will probably be used for some house projects as well.
A more normal looking front page and gallery format should be uploaded tonight. What's there right now is exceedingly basic/ugly.
For the nerds that might care, it is Apache. And a dual Pentium 3 with 768MB RAM is surprisingly responsive under Ubuntu.
Back to work time - two research papers to finish by next week, then one exam.
entropysquared ) and register it to www.maslows.net It seems that other Maslow, the one that wrote some psychology books, has claimed all the maslow.* URLs
Basically it will be a photo repository (all the places I've been with a digital camera) and will probably be used for some house projects as well.
A more normal looking front page and gallery format should be uploaded tonight. What's there right now is exceedingly basic/ugly.
For the nerds that might care, it is Apache. And a dual Pentium 3 with 768MB RAM is surprisingly responsive under Ubuntu.
Back to work time - two research papers to finish by next week, then one exam.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Bling
So, the ring.
In the last two weeks I've temporarily misplaced it once, forgotten to wear it out of the house a few times, already put some decent scuff marks on it.
It catches threads in my pockets, reduces the coefficient of friction on steering wheels, makes rather loud sounds when I contact any hard surface.
I'm not sure how people rationalize wearing jewelry, beyond a watch, which I can understand because it performs a function - tells time.
It does however act as a barometer of how stressed or physically exerted I am. If I can take the ring off easily, I'm generally fine. After a day of supporting buggy hardware or running up more than about 4 floors worth of stairs, the blood pressure is elevated enough to make getting the ring off a bit of a chore. At least I think that's the correlation. All the more reason to not stress.
------------
On a different note - it is a really nice day outside. If I hadn't been on call I would have biked into the office, though that takes about twice as long as it does on the scooter, which provides a similar experience, just with a larger helmet. Perhaps next week, after both projects are turned in, I can take the time to get some exercise on the commute.
In the last two weeks I've temporarily misplaced it once, forgotten to wear it out of the house a few times, already put some decent scuff marks on it.
It catches threads in my pockets, reduces the coefficient of friction on steering wheels, makes rather loud sounds when I contact any hard surface.
I'm not sure how people rationalize wearing jewelry, beyond a watch, which I can understand because it performs a function - tells time.
It does however act as a barometer of how stressed or physically exerted I am. If I can take the ring off easily, I'm generally fine. After a day of supporting buggy hardware or running up more than about 4 floors worth of stairs, the blood pressure is elevated enough to make getting the ring off a bit of a chore. At least I think that's the correlation. All the more reason to not stress.
------------
On a different note - it is a really nice day outside. If I hadn't been on call I would have biked into the office, though that takes about twice as long as it does on the scooter, which provides a similar experience, just with a larger helmet. Perhaps next week, after both projects are turned in, I can take the time to get some exercise on the commute.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Vacation Pics and Professional Wedding Pics
http://uncc.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2076965&l=e4357&id=36620541
Each should have a short description next to the pic.
The facebook galleries are a bit of a placeholder until I get the webserver set up at the house - then higher res will be available.
Oh, and I have added some of the professional pics to the wedding album as well. I'm even properly smiling in a few of them!
http://uncc.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2075386&l=612a1&id=36620541
Only the formal ones are up for now - I'll add some of the more fun ones tomorrow.
Each should have a short description next to the pic.
The facebook galleries are a bit of a placeholder until I get the webserver set up at the house - then higher res will be available.
Oh, and I have added some of the professional pics to the wedding album as well. I'm even properly smiling in a few of them!
http://uncc.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2075386&l=612a1&id=36620541
Only the formal ones are up for now - I'll add some of the more fun ones tomorrow.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
The other coast, and the French Laundry Experience
Pics will be posted with shorter descriptions in a following post:
I'll get the car discussion out of the way first - the rental was a Pontiac G5 GT coupe - it's a 2 door Chevy Cobalt with more bling. If the car had been built with more attention to detail, I would have liked it (same as my evaluation of the Ford Focus for that matter) - it was decently quiet, had a firm ride, steering and handling, and the engine revved to 6k without complaint. On the inside the seats were comfortable, the dash and dash lighting were good looking and XM radio is pretty cool. However, the fake carbon fiber trim didn't line up, the gaps were notably uneven, and the sunroof switch flexed the roof headliner around it when used. Also, the armrest interfered with the parking brake handle, and only one of the two windows had one touch down operation (honestly, how much would it have cost to make them both operate the same way - an extra $2, if that, given the volume) and there was a rattle in the dash, with only 1030 miles on the car.
On to the vacation.
First day - flew into LA - picked up the car, and immediately headed to an In-n-Out Burger for lunch (burger 2 of 4 on the week) it's a good hamburger - thin, but flavorful with good fresh veggies - fries were a bit disappointing - not much texture. I'll still vote Five Guys for the best fast food hamburger. On to Griffith Park - took a short hike for the requisite picture of the Hollywood sign - then had some fun along Mulholland Drive - a bit of an appetizer for the Pacific Coast Highway - twisty road, views of the LA haze and all the rich person mansions in the hills. Dinner (grilled fish tacos and a Sierra Nevada IPA) and the hotel were in Malibu, right on the beach. A great way to vacation, but I wouldn't want to live in LA or Malibu - it's too big, too expensive, too polluted, too many cars, too much of everything.
Second day - headed up the coast - where along the Pacific Coast Highway every turn makes you want to stop and take a picture - it's indescribably dramatic and beautiful - quick lunch in Morro Bay (cool place, huge rock right off shore) then on to San Simeon and the Hearst Castle - the ultimate example of too much of everything - though quite interesting to tour for a couple hours - the dude picked a great location to be crazy rich - sitting on the top of a hill overlooking the ocean on one side and the mountains on the other.
On to Big Sur and what is probably the most philosophically indulgent meal I've ever had. Nepenthe restaurant. The restaurant and patio part of the building were designed by a student of Frank Lloyd Wright. It sits on a cliff over 800ft above the ocean, with a view miles down the coast... and home to the best hamburger I have ever experienced (Number 3 of 4 on the week). Ground local organically raised sirloin with cheddar on a soft french bread. That's it. But damn was it good. (Allison had some smoked salmon crostini that were excellent as well) and they stocked Brundlmayer Gruner Veltliner, one of my favorite wines, period. Yes, there is better food and there are better restaurants, but there are very few better meal experiences than this place can provide.
After relaxing in Big Sur for a couple days, on to San Francisco - very cool city - they seem to have an aversion to tearing anything down - kinda like a half scale New York and the polar opposite of Charlotte - I generally like the place - though am somewhat annoyed the the public transportation isn't better, and that anytime it's cloudy and foggy, I know the weather is perfectly brilliant an hour away in the Napa Valley.
Speaking of Napa - probably the main reason for going - lunch at the French Laundry.
The two ideas that summarize every course are freshness and balance. Each course was basically a distillation of three ingredients along those ideas. Foie gras, kumquat, celery for one dish. Rhubarb, asparagus, sweet onion for another. Green tea, passion fruit, white chocolate for one of the desserts... no flavor overwhelmed, each ingredient on its own was intense and fresh and prepared to just the right texture to complement the others.
Particularly notable was the lamb - seasoned with a small amount of salt and pepper, where the crystals/pieces remained in just a large enough quantity to give a little texture to each bite - and the meat itself was more tender than you could ever imagine and very flavorful. Served over a dense eggplant puree on a lightly fried potato pancake. Perfect came to mind with that course (only about 5 bites of food per course), and perfect again came to mind with those listed previously.
However,
Perfect is a nearly impossible concept to define when it comes to food - and value harder - what could $641 ($45 of which was a bottle of wine) worth of ingredients look like - the possibilities are infinite. But after experiencing the French Laundry's philosophy about food :a completely extravagant meal that was essentially devoid of excess, I think it can be summarized as I started with above. Freshness and balance.
As someone that cooks passably and is still figuring out how food works, the French Laundry was more a learning experience than a meal, showing what is possible with food given the ideal ingredients and flawless technique. As such it was entirely worth it.
The rest of the time in SF was spent wandering the city - the Saturday market down at the docks - tons of great looking organic produce and fresh breads. And Valrhona chocolate gelato. mmmm.
It will be a busy few weeks upon the return, so I probably won't post much after the pictures for a while, but that's a summary of vacation, Nick style: food driving food food food.
I'll get the car discussion out of the way first - the rental was a Pontiac G5 GT coupe - it's a 2 door Chevy Cobalt with more bling. If the car had been built with more attention to detail, I would have liked it (same as my evaluation of the Ford Focus for that matter) - it was decently quiet, had a firm ride, steering and handling, and the engine revved to 6k without complaint. On the inside the seats were comfortable, the dash and dash lighting were good looking and XM radio is pretty cool. However, the fake carbon fiber trim didn't line up, the gaps were notably uneven, and the sunroof switch flexed the roof headliner around it when used. Also, the armrest interfered with the parking brake handle, and only one of the two windows had one touch down operation (honestly, how much would it have cost to make them both operate the same way - an extra $2, if that, given the volume) and there was a rattle in the dash, with only 1030 miles on the car.
On to the vacation.
First day - flew into LA - picked up the car, and immediately headed to an In-n-Out Burger for lunch (burger 2 of 4 on the week) it's a good hamburger - thin, but flavorful with good fresh veggies - fries were a bit disappointing - not much texture. I'll still vote Five Guys for the best fast food hamburger. On to Griffith Park - took a short hike for the requisite picture of the Hollywood sign - then had some fun along Mulholland Drive - a bit of an appetizer for the Pacific Coast Highway - twisty road, views of the LA haze and all the rich person mansions in the hills. Dinner (grilled fish tacos and a Sierra Nevada IPA) and the hotel were in Malibu, right on the beach. A great way to vacation, but I wouldn't want to live in LA or Malibu - it's too big, too expensive, too polluted, too many cars, too much of everything.
Second day - headed up the coast - where along the Pacific Coast Highway every turn makes you want to stop and take a picture - it's indescribably dramatic and beautiful - quick lunch in Morro Bay (cool place, huge rock right off shore) then on to San Simeon and the Hearst Castle - the ultimate example of too much of everything - though quite interesting to tour for a couple hours - the dude picked a great location to be crazy rich - sitting on the top of a hill overlooking the ocean on one side and the mountains on the other.
On to Big Sur and what is probably the most philosophically indulgent meal I've ever had. Nepenthe restaurant. The restaurant and patio part of the building were designed by a student of Frank Lloyd Wright. It sits on a cliff over 800ft above the ocean, with a view miles down the coast... and home to the best hamburger I have ever experienced (Number 3 of 4 on the week). Ground local organically raised sirloin with cheddar on a soft french bread. That's it. But damn was it good. (Allison had some smoked salmon crostini that were excellent as well) and they stocked Brundlmayer Gruner Veltliner, one of my favorite wines, period. Yes, there is better food and there are better restaurants, but there are very few better meal experiences than this place can provide.
After relaxing in Big Sur for a couple days, on to San Francisco - very cool city - they seem to have an aversion to tearing anything down - kinda like a half scale New York and the polar opposite of Charlotte - I generally like the place - though am somewhat annoyed the the public transportation isn't better, and that anytime it's cloudy and foggy, I know the weather is perfectly brilliant an hour away in the Napa Valley.
Speaking of Napa - probably the main reason for going - lunch at the French Laundry.
The two ideas that summarize every course are freshness and balance. Each course was basically a distillation of three ingredients along those ideas. Foie gras, kumquat, celery for one dish. Rhubarb, asparagus, sweet onion for another. Green tea, passion fruit, white chocolate for one of the desserts... no flavor overwhelmed, each ingredient on its own was intense and fresh and prepared to just the right texture to complement the others.
Particularly notable was the lamb - seasoned with a small amount of salt and pepper, where the crystals/pieces remained in just a large enough quantity to give a little texture to each bite - and the meat itself was more tender than you could ever imagine and very flavorful. Served over a dense eggplant puree on a lightly fried potato pancake. Perfect came to mind with that course (only about 5 bites of food per course), and perfect again came to mind with those listed previously.
However,
Perfect is a nearly impossible concept to define when it comes to food - and value harder - what could $641 ($45 of which was a bottle of wine) worth of ingredients look like - the possibilities are infinite. But after experiencing the French Laundry's philosophy about food :a completely extravagant meal that was essentially devoid of excess, I think it can be summarized as I started with above. Freshness and balance.
As someone that cooks passably and is still figuring out how food works, the French Laundry was more a learning experience than a meal, showing what is possible with food given the ideal ingredients and flawless technique. As such it was entirely worth it.
The rest of the time in SF was spent wandering the city - the Saturday market down at the docks - tons of great looking organic produce and fresh breads. And Valrhona chocolate gelato. mmmm.
It will be a busy few weeks upon the return, so I probably won't post much after the pictures for a while, but that's a summary of vacation, Nick style: food driving food food food.
Monday, April 9, 2007
The wedding: tons of people and lots to do
For part one of two on the history of the past two weeks according to Nick: the wedding. (Official pics will be posted as they arrive, maybe tomorrow evening)
Due to my exceedingly large extended family, the wedding party basically began on Thursday, when the family members started to arrive, with lunch at Five Guys and dinner at the parents' house. (Which would be hamburger 1 of 4 in that following week - ah health food) As more people arrived on Friday I spent most of the day cleaning the house and fixing last minute things before all of the 'official' stuff happened.
The rehearsal and dinner on Friday went much more smoothly than I was expecting, given the varied tastes and cultures of the people attending. It appears enough good German beer and wine fixes anything. The last of the family members arrived in time for dinner, and we were able to invite a few local friends as well to fill the extra seats. Gifts and ties were distributed, a good time was had by all. Afterward the wedding party and friends went out to Cans to continue to the party - and everyone stayed up way too late and had a hard time waking up in time for lunch the next day. At least it wasn't just me.
Saturday involved lunch at the parents, then heading over to the Van Landingham to get suited up. Lots of pictures were taken, I may have smiled in a few of them. Hopefully. My generally content expression doesn't really show externally, so I have to make an effort to translate that. Everyone arrived, I greeted people, then got ready to walk down the aisle and say some things and exchange rings and such (I'm still not getting this whole ring thing - the only 'jewelry' I've ever worn is a watch, and that is functional, not just a shiny thing that gets in the way - oh well - it is all part of the experience)
The reception was nice - though more people stayed inside than I was expecting, especially given the brilliant weather - food was good, the cake was excellent. Was nice to talk to people that I hadn't seen in a while for a few minutes here and there - between pictures and toasts and such.
Sunday - the house survived the many people that showed up - much pizza was eaten, though there is a lot of beer and cake remaining to be eaten - Charlotte people - we need help with this.
Monday - the vacation started - second post to follow.
Due to my exceedingly large extended family, the wedding party basically began on Thursday, when the family members started to arrive, with lunch at Five Guys and dinner at the parents' house. (Which would be hamburger 1 of 4 in that following week - ah health food) As more people arrived on Friday I spent most of the day cleaning the house and fixing last minute things before all of the 'official' stuff happened.
The rehearsal and dinner on Friday went much more smoothly than I was expecting, given the varied tastes and cultures of the people attending. It appears enough good German beer and wine fixes anything. The last of the family members arrived in time for dinner, and we were able to invite a few local friends as well to fill the extra seats. Gifts and ties were distributed, a good time was had by all. Afterward the wedding party and friends went out to Cans to continue to the party - and everyone stayed up way too late and had a hard time waking up in time for lunch the next day. At least it wasn't just me.
Saturday involved lunch at the parents, then heading over to the Van Landingham to get suited up. Lots of pictures were taken, I may have smiled in a few of them. Hopefully. My generally content expression doesn't really show externally, so I have to make an effort to translate that. Everyone arrived, I greeted people, then got ready to walk down the aisle and say some things and exchange rings and such (I'm still not getting this whole ring thing - the only 'jewelry' I've ever worn is a watch, and that is functional, not just a shiny thing that gets in the way - oh well - it is all part of the experience)
The reception was nice - though more people stayed inside than I was expecting, especially given the brilliant weather - food was good, the cake was excellent. Was nice to talk to people that I hadn't seen in a while for a few minutes here and there - between pictures and toasts and such.
Sunday - the house survived the many people that showed up - much pizza was eaten, though there is a lot of beer and cake remaining to be eaten - Charlotte people - we need help with this.
Monday - the vacation started - second post to follow.
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