I ask because i keep this thing because i had started it so long ago and there are a few folks who read it.. but.. i really prefer to use the blogger acount that i set up a few months ago.
Anybody be insulted if i pulled up my tent stakes and moved over there entirely? eh??
**Update** my blogspot blog can be found over at www.dougsolo.blogspot.com . clever, i know.
Because life is never bland, dull, or normal around these parts, i participated in something fairly brand new yeserday: Fish Spawning.
That is, Lake Trout. Because i am lucky enough to be employed within the environmental flight of our squadron, we have a particular interest in the origin of the fish that we stock our base lakes with. And the form that this interest takes is volunteering with the hatchery during spawn season.
So, it was yesterday morning that i piled into a truck and we cruised over to Saratoga, WY. I have actually been there once before, on a surprise visit trek for miss liz and myself before we were engaged even. They have some really cool natural hot springs in town, and combine that with the hunting that is happening right now you have the entire towns economy. 2 hours of high plains driving later, we roll into the hatchery, and i am immediately asked if i would like to assist in the 'spawning'.
Not a man to back down from anything, i was led to the changinig room and given the nicest pair of waiters i have ever worn, neoprene gloves and a raincoat. I then clown-footed it down to the channels of trout that were awaiting to be used to propel their species. (the fertilized eggs we were making today, actually, were headed to Lake Michigan.) Hopping in the cool water i met Pat, Greg, Dan, and Dave who were already up to their elbows in reproductive trout bits.
The process goes as such: There are two pools of trout, segregated by gender. The girls were netted and put into a smaller trough of water that was dilluted with an anesthetic (read: fishie GHB) where they eventually pass out. Pat the showed me the correct way to grip the lovely ladies by the tail and run my hands down the bottom of their bellies to empty their egg sac into a bucket. And holy cow do these things make eggs. Little orange pellets go screaming out, and when they're empty you've collected 3300-7000 eggs. Empty and dying for water, the ladies are tossed (literally) over the fence to the other pen where they wake up lost, confused, inverted and used.
The egg bucket gets passed over to the boy pen, where the boys are getting the same treatment but give a different result. Their swimmers (ha!) are mixed with the bucket of eggs, and are then walked up to the cleaning station. There the mixture is rinsed, collected, and set to gestate in bins.
Needless to say, by the end of the day i smelled absolutely great and all my wife wanted to do was snuggle with me once i finally arrived home. True story.
It was a really cool experience, even if it felt slightly awkward to be coaxing eggs out of lady fish that i had never even met before, let alone was friends with. (So, how've you been? Seen any good movies lately? Here, enjoy this tub of wonderful water. No no, you're probably just tired from all of the swimming around in endless circles you do...) I would have been more comfortable killing them, i think, than drugging them for their multiplactive properties, but, i was still glad to help.
Go here for a few more pictures of the fun that was had.
A father of a little girl just walked into the coffeshop to meet mom, with his darling daughter on his shoulders. Walking up to his wife, he smiles and says: "I think she's completely asleep."
and she was. sound asleep, slack jawed face resting on the top of her dads head. For some reason, this gives me faith in humanity.
Figuring that it was my turn to make dinner this monday, i swung by the supermercado and procured the remaining items needed to make one of my favorite meals, Pasta Rustica, as lifted from the man, the myth, the legend: Bob Russell. (Or, pastor Bob, for those into the brevity thing, man.)
But, also right in the beginings of the prep required, i decided to document and share, because it's straight up too good not to. SO, read on if you like wonderful pasta dishes.
Ingredients: 1 pint cherry tomatoes 1/2 cup breadcrumbs 1/2 cup parmesan cheese 2 Garlic Cloves crushedsalt/pepper, to taste 1/4 cup olive oil handful chopped basil Chicken (if you prefer) 1/2 pound pasta
Preheat the oven to 400. You start by halving cherry (or sweet) tomatoes, and placing them freshly cut face down in an 8x8 baking pan. You should use a single pint's worth, and you'll be happier the fresher they are.
Then, mix together the bread crumbs, garlic, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and mix together in a small bowl. Once this is complete, coat the tomatoes with your dry mix concoction evenly.
Theeeen, drizzle the olive oil over all of this and toss into the oven to cook for 35-40 minutes. What this basically does is liquefy the tomaters into this wonderfully sweet and addictive bubbly mass. Once you give it relief from it's I would even suggest adding cheese and possibly oil to taste, depending on how sadistic you are feeling for your arteries that night.
Serves 2-3 hungry adults over warm pasta. (we've become addicted to a specialty pasta from the farmers market we head to every Sunday. Tonight was the remainder of a Sweet Basil Trennette...) It pairs perfectly with a nice salad and a warm loaf of bread. mmmm....
One of these days i'll have to list my must-read-on-a-weekly-basis comics. Til then, this gem made me chuckle, and then wonder what kind of christian it is that Tatsuya Ishida knows.
Sitting in my office on Friday morning, doing my best impression of a proffesional of some sort and attempting to answer the obligatory emails of the day, i received a phone call on my cell phone.
It wasn't a number that i knew, so i answered it in hopes of the caller being Best Buy, telling me my computer that i had handed them almost two weeks ago was back from being repaired for a severe motherboard failure, and i had only to visit them to regain it.
Well, it wasn't them. (Though they did call yesterday, and i currently have my noble steed of a laptop back, helping me gallop through the torrent that is the internets) It was a woman named Shannon who i had had lunch with on Wednesday, along with another associate whom i had known as a USAF captain; who had gotten out and begun working in the private sector along with the aforementioned shannon. (whew! that was a long one)
Being an engineer, with a sharp intent and no time to waste, she pressed straight to the point: There was a need for someone with project programming skills (of which i own a few) to assist in straightening out a supremely jangled project database. It would take about six months, and needed to begin asap. Also, the job in question is at Lakenheath Royal Air Base, England.
I began stammering. One of the most basic reasons that i was in the air force (though this is a civilian position, and i would be taking it as a Mr. and not a Lt. ) was to travel. Specifically, to be able to live overseas. But the most base reason of why i am getting OUT of the air force, is to not leave my wife for 6 months. Course, taking this job wouldn't mean i would be sleeping on a cot in the desert, but, it seems to blend the same to me.
I told her how much i would love to be able to say yes, but, i didn't really know if it would be something i could do, and i certainly couldn't decide in five minutes on a random October Friday morning. She told me that she would contact the VP of the company, who is in Germany at the moment, and he would get me more details soon if was interested.
I spent the rest of Friday slightly off-kilter, wondering how something like this would affect me, my marriage, the direction i am attempting to head. It would certainly be a pay bump, and she also informed me that i could basically choose an office to work in (of which there is one in Fort Collins) if i did take the job.
I'm so incredibly torn, that it really defies words. Liz also feels the same, and when she gets incredibly frustrated with her school district has been secretly playing with scenarios involving her quitting her internship and just moving to the limey island with me for a few months. But, at the moment, the gentleman that is doing the hiring has not called, and i slowly grow in doubt that he will. So, maybe the decision won't be mine to make anyways, and i should simply continue in my campaign to find employment with the Forest Service come January.
In the meantime, we had a great gathering of folks last night to the ol' green condo, originally in celebration of Columbus's (too late) discovery, but the theme was eventually eclipsed by the Tigers soundly defeating the Yankees 8-3 to win the first ALDS in more than 19 years. That, regardless of anything else, feels really, really good.
I'm sure that they have been invented, but my brain was racking itself this morning in the shower (where do you people contemplate life? In an easy-chair? Ha!) about how to either create or track down something that would let me only turn on about 1/4th of the lights in my bathroom when i arise before the sun every weekday.
It seems such a small part of a day, of a life, but really; how disturbing is the naked burning of the invasive 60W bulbs(s) that you have to turn on in the morning, straight from the warm and soft darkness where there are pillows, blankets and if you're having a good dream -- the gift of flight. It hurts me to think of it.
To be honest, the best solution is really to refuse to rise until the sun itself crests the horizon and provides nature's reverse dimmer switch. Sadly though, that would make me more than an hour late to almost everything that i am supposed to do. There should be a law.
THIS WEEK'S FESTIVITY ALERT COLOR: RED!
For those within the mountain time zone (and if you are really motivated, any of the other ones too) feel free to come to the Blocksma's house this weekend, Saturday Oct 7 around 7 pm to participate in our Columbus Day Party! There should be snacks and drinks (not completely composed of, but not limited to, supplies left over from the wedding) such as Banina Floats, Pinta Bean Nacho's and Santa Margarita's. If you need the address or directions drop me a comment and i will get them to you.
Erk. It's happened. i didn't even notice it until it was too late: I got married, fat, happy, and slightly lazy.
Well, lets take that back. I obviously haven't done much of, well, anything on here for over a month now - and for that i may appear to indeed be lazy. But, i suppose i can only give lame excuses as to the cause of this intermittent update problem. One being, that as a new cliche homeowner, i have spent most evenings and weekends rewiring all the lighting in the kitchen, finishing the painting, hanging things, installing a garage door opener, building shelving in the living room, and even just today finished a complete brake job on the mini. Really! I'm not that lazy!
Also, the computer (at least, the one in the house that isn't chalk white with a piece of translucent produce on the back of it) is currently on it's way to California to be completely rehauled. And THAT, boys and girls, is why i seemingly spend more money on service plans than on the actual product - they usually break.
so, quick updates i spose:
- because it's on my coffee table at the moment, i received a wonderful package of freshly roasted beans from my friend Dustin, whom visited us last month with his wife Kelli on their way to Portland. Check them out, they are much smarter/funnier/curse less than i.
- Did some climbing outside to round out the warm days, and now miss liz and i have rotated back to the indoor gym a couple times a week.
- Finished a couple books of which my favorite was East of Eden, by John Steinbeck. Absolutely amazing, immediately placed in my top five of all time (there's at least ten books in there) and reminded me of why Steinbeck is one of the best. Great story, characters, dialouge, scenery and good old fashioned truthiness in there.
- Climbed another 14er (that's a peak over 14K feet) with Bill and new friend Chris from our previous 14er hike earlier this summer. At the top of this is a view back across the valley from the top of Mt. Bierstadt.
- Ah! I suppose this deserved to be one of the very first bullets, but, my separation request from the air force was approved. i will no longer be on active duty as of 30 Dec, 2006. Yes, this means that with Terminal leave begining on the 11th, i will be getting the better part of December off. Also, this means that combined with liz's school's winter break, we will be able to drive home for almost two weeks. (which should make up for the two days that i spent home last year.)
- i'm also debating entering the reserves, though, and work 24 days a year still back up at Warren. The pay rate is automatically a jump, they'll help for any classes that i want to take next fall, and they can't deploy me. There's still a lot of room for debate on it, though.
- THE DETROIT TIGERS ARE GOING TO THE PLAYOFFS!
- Michigan State Football proves once again that spartan fans are simply more complete and full people, as they have to routinely deal with the heartbreak of outplaying (convincingly) the nation's favorite football team, and then hand the game back over with five minutes to go. If you don't know what i'm talking about, please just move along. Nothing to see here.
Uh, guess that's about it. I have mutliple ideas for things to put up all day long it seems, but they never seem to make it into a textular (sure, it's a word) format. I promise to soon give long diatribes on how much i hate sports radio in this part of the country and their love affair with the Denver Broncos, why i love comic books again, and the recipe for the most amazing vodka tomato basil sauce that we had for dinner on Monday.
Lastly, for those who read this in the Fort Collins area, liz and i have lived here under the radar for far too long and for that we apologize. I think we are going to have to have a "Hey We Live Here Now!" party, and soon. maybe in honor of columbus day?
Click here to head over to our wedding blog to see a post created by none-other than miss liz herself concerning our wedding and some pictures.
In other news, i realized that i listen to waay waaaaay too much NPR this week. I take a lot of quiet solace in my ability to listen to the world's happenings with my smug hipster elitism set on high as i take my double dose of the morning and evening commute.
I've actually begun carpooling with another Lieutenant who lives in the Fort and works in my Squadron, and am scared to ask whether or not he detests the station, because, well, i don't know if i could live without it.
But, in conversation this week with a coworker, we were examing President Bush's signature on a certificate, doing our best to determine if it was indeed authentic. It was at this point the following tirade began to flow from my own face:
"Well, it very well may be his signature, it's not like he's been wearing out his hands signing much else. I mean, he just signed a veto on a bill for the first time in his entire presidency last month over stem cell semantics. You know, most presidents have signed dozens of vetos by the time their first term is over, let alone halfway through their second term. And i know it has something to do with the fact that he basically owns both the house and the senate, but if you could say anything about the changing face of politics in this country is that it is getting harder and harder to be able to stick to a party line with a straight face, and yet he finally signs his first veto after 6 years -- and it is motivated completely by his own sense of morality and i would argue the 'christian' vote! Though really, another explanation has to do with the way that the president has signed all of those other bills with his texan scrawl in using the line-item approval and his presidential signing statements. Basically, in his administration's interpretation of the constitution's expression of the executive branch's power, he can sign these bills into law with a P.S. tacked onto the end of it explaining his opinion on the litigation and basically changing the point of the entire document if he so wishes. (sidenote - for the best example of this, look here for what Bush signed on top of the Anti-Torture bill at the end of last year.) It has been done before by previous presidents, yes, but as seems to be the credo of this adminstration, never at the level of what they are doing now. This all ties into the giant wire-tapping case that is going on right now in which they basically violated a lot of people's civil liberties in the name of security and terrorism. Which really amazes me, i mean, what is next? And even scarier, could we be finding out even crazier things in the next months that has already happened without our knowledge? There were ways to do what that program was (is) doing completely legally and still on the sly so as to not bring attention to it, the simple question is why didn't they approach the courts before they simply ignored FIZA? It really boggles me."
Yikes, yea, i know. I should explain that it was the end of a work day, and when i am tired the rants that build up in my brain find the exit valve a lot more easily than when i am more astutely aware of my surroundings. (e.g., this all happend after 4 in the afternoon.. and on an air force base. heh.)
Sorry to divulge into politics, but, i can't help it. I promise to post tomorrow about the nice hike that we took this weekend and the bouldering that i did last night. Honest.
I don't know why i haven't commented on this topic as of yet this season, but, i can hold back the torrent that is my glee any longer:
The Detroit Tigers are going to the playoffs.
While they have not actually won a ticket to contend for the pennant yet, i cannot help but sit and wonder how i am going to be able to get home to see it actually happen. I am one of those tigers fans that cannot remember (as i was a little tot the last time it happened) the last playoff appearance, or even winning season that this club had.
Just two years ago, they barely missed (by two games, the last two of the season of which they managed to pull out) setting a new MLB record for most games lost. ever. Last season they pulled .500 for most of the year, and that alone was enough to boost my own self-worth into the red whenever i felt down. But this season has been absolutely insane. At the time of this writing, Detroit is 76-36, and a full TEN games ahead of the ChiSox. Someone pinch me.
I've been reading commentary all season, though, and while most people seemed surprised by Jim Leyland's job with these young players, they didn't think it was a fluke. They told me week in and out that they were most likely for real and would make a deep run post September. I chose not to believe them, if only for fear that my heart would simply be crushed again under the inescapable fate that truly befalls detroit sports teams. (You hear me Joey Harrington?) But i suppose now i can relax and enjoy, even if i know that i am not alone.
But Deadspin finally admitted that they gave the tigers permission to print playoff tickets, and if those guys say it, well, I'll believe it. We wrap up a series with the twins this week, have Thursday off and head into the weekend down on the south side of Chicago (the baddest part of town) to face off with Thome and the rest of the pale leggings. I can only hold my breath and hang on, but i truly have no idea how to act when the playoffs actually begin. I suppose there are worse things to face, though.
So, the problem with good blogging on big events of your life is that they (hopefully, the best ones) take you away from any computer connection. Which means you can't write about what you're doing, nor do you really want to take any time to write about it to other people. For example, like, your honeymoon. Sooo, when you do eventually return within range of a computer network i can't even drag up the muster to really describe the trip.
So, to say the least, the wedding was incredible. Liz was absolutely gorgeous, the weather held up, and everyone (at least, to my discerning eye) had a great time. The square dancin' helped, i suppose.
But, at the moment i don't really have any real shots of the day, as we are still waiting a little longer before we see some proofs of what our cousins Billy and Danielle took the entire weekend. I am sure that i will be sharing as soon as i can, though.
The next day we opened some more stuff, threw it all in the car and drove back across the country. Two days after that we were on a plane to Miami and then to San Jose, Costa Rica. Staying in the city that night at an old Coffee Plantation turned hotel, we got our little 4x4 the next morning and drove it over to the central pacific coast, to the coastal town of Playa Langosta, just south of Tamarindo. We had a few nights at a Bed and Breakfast literally on the beach and with wonderful weather. (the ocean down there is unreal, simply the perfect temperature.) Got some surfing done, got a little burnt, ate a lot of fruit.
Next we headed back inland and spent a few days inside of the national park dedicated to the Arenal Volcano at the scientific observatory lodge turned hotel. Our room had big windows that gave a completely unmitigated view of the volcano... if it wasn't for the clouds completely covering it. But, our first night there we could see an orange glow eminating from the cone, and sadly did not picture it.
Our last night was a little closer back to San Jose at the La Paz Peace Lodge, probably the nicest place either of us have (or will) ever stayed. Wood and stone rooms, fireplace, waterfall shower and even a waterfall in the bathroom and a large porch overlooking another volcano - with a hammock and jacuzzi to help you enjoy it. Not too shabby.
So, suffice to say it was a great trip. Saw lots of wildlife, ate great food and got to get outside of my country's borders. Even when our first flight back came in too late and we got stuck in the armpit that is known as Miami overnight, i would still call it a good trip and give anyone eyeing Central America as a vacation spot a thumbs up.
Life begins to march towards normalcy now, but as the weeks go along and we learn to live this life together, i am sure that it will be nothing short of interesting...
Also, check out all of the pictures i've thrown up from the honeymoon here: Flickr!
Also, fort fun friends, i live here now, and you should all be nice to me and come meet my wife. for reals.
**UPDATE: i do have some wedding pictures, some online galleries from friends: Here are the pictures that Christina took, and Here are some from Kara, and lastly, THESE are from Dylan's camera. Thanks all!
You scored as Emergent/Postmodern. You are Emergent/Postmodern in your theology. You feel alienated from older forms of church, you don't think they connect to modern culture very well. No one knows the whole truth about God, and we have much to learn from each other, and so learning takes place in dialogue. Evangelism should take place in relationships rather than through crusades and altar-calls. People are interested in spirituality and want to ask questions, so the church should help them to do this.
Well, i suppose i should probably let the internet know that i am a) alive b) back in the mountain west and now c) currently married.
I suppose something substantial, involving some discourse of the craziness of having a wedding, moving and going on a honeymoon will be forthcoming, but seeing as all i've been doing is sorting through emails at work the last two days, it will be after that is done.
So, I'm currenly quite lucky to have a future folk-star staying at my house (and helping us move in) straight from Boston and doing a small mountain west tour of some of the better front range watering holes....
So, if you're in the Fort this weekend, my friend Laura Bullock is opening for Cara Cantrella at Everday Joe's at 7, on 144 S. Mason. If you've never been, Joe's is a great place to see a show and makes a decent latte, to boot.
Secondly, next weekend in Cheyenne at the Synergy Cafe she'll also be doing a set on the night of the 24th. Consider yourself warned! Go!
I was treated to another visit from my good friends Monte & Aubrey this weekend, as they did their best to distract me from painting the rest of my house and preparing it for miss liz's big move in tomorrow, and did a fine job of it at that.
Their strategy? A pair of brewery tours. Curses, my only weakness!
So, we piled into the mini and found our way to the New Belgium tasting room (pictured) and the Odells Brewery, each about a mile apart and only 2 miles from my house.
The tour at New Belgium was great, and they have some amazing facilities. Once in the tasting room, you get to select four of the brews they have on tap (for free!!) and enjoy. For the sake of lists and rankings, of both of which i am fond, i shall share what i partook from worst to best:
(4th) La Folie Wood Aged Sour Brown Ale
And they weren't lying. Smelled like vinegar or turned cider, very very tart and almost hard to drink. Almost like drinking a sweet-tart, to be honest, that was how it puckered your whole mouth. Interesting taste, but, i had difficulty finishing the sample.
(3rd) Mothership Wit Organic Wheat
The wheat beer was my first love, but this version of it wasn't really my cup of tea. Firstly, the aroma smelled of Urine. Seriously! Taste was crisp and lemony at first, but over the whole draw grew linear and simply ok, not that great. I prefer the unfiltered wheats.
(2nd) Abbey Grand Cru
Mmm.. Phenomenal! A dark belgian with a robust woody taste and a super smooth finish. Un-purchasable, sadly, so i will have to return for another free tasting.
(1st) Lips of Faith Belgian Stout
If i had to pick, this was 3/4 Belgian ale, 1/4 Stout. Winner of the day's tasting, had a lighter taste than it looked and finished with a little zip to boot. wunderful.
Our next stop was the Odell's Brewery, and i enjoyed a tasty Easy Street Wheat as we were taken around their plant. Surprisingly, Odells is roughly only a quarter the size of New Belgium, but still makes some of my favorite beers. They had a nice patio and a book fare next weekend that i may simply have to attend.
All in all, it is safe to say that if you ever come to visit us in the Fort, you won't be too hard pressed to get me to tag along to these wonderful places. I mean, if i had to.
Eek. This one hurts the ole pride a little bit, i suppose. I guess the only solace that i can take in being named "The most overated football program in the country" is that we got enough national attention to be considered. I guess.
Adding insult to injury, Shannon Brown announced he's leaving the spartans for the NBA. Drat. Tom seems to be a marvelous recruiter, so marvelous he's lost 4 of the last 8 superior players to an early exit to the pro's.
Speaking of ex-spartans, Zach Randolph managed to find it within himself to get arrested again for racing along a 20 mph street. With loaded weapons (though he had permits for them.) Le Sigh.
Though a real thorough update is due (with pictures and funny captions! Guffaw!) i actually need to do some work today and will scratch my blogging itch before i get to them, but, if you got some time to burn:
I've been reading a series of Articles from David Plotz about Blogging the Bible, a self-admitted ignorant Jew who wants to simply read the text of the Torah and write his impressions, without much help from commentary or scholars. Granted, i personally believe this is actually one of the worst ways to read scriptures, that is, with simply your own input to the interpretation of the text; but it makes for a good read when someone else does it.
What else... oh, A Prairie Home Companion comes out today, and truthfully it actually looks to be good. I think i'll wait to see it with my NPR loving sweetie who also grew up on the show from Lake Woebegone, but to be honest my largest impression of the whole thing is smug amusement that i can actually say that i am looking forward to seeing it -- after being tortured by NPR through most of my adolesence by my father. Driving anywhere, Dad only listened to NPR on the radio, and besides the sometimes weekend relief of car talk, i wanted to throw myself from the moving vehicle and hopefully land in a thrush of steak knives. How funny that it is now the only real station i listen to myself, and am a pledging member of Wyoming Public Radio.
This weekend should be a good time of final painting and details before miss liz with Laura the folksinger get here early next week with a trailer of possesions. It's been hot but great, and if anyone wants to come out and climb on some rocks, give me a holler.
MARITAL FINANCES She told me we couldn't afford beer anymore and I'd have to quit. Then I discovered her spending $65.00 on makeup. I asked how come I had to give up stuff and she didn't. She said she needed the make-up to look pretty for me. I told her that was what the beer was for. The conversation went downhill after that.
**edit: This is not an ACTUAL conversation that i had with my fiancee, but a joke that she forwarded to me via email last week. Sorry for the confusion, and also for getting yelled at last night over the phone. :)
Newsflash - I am renting a truck on Friday morning and will be moving the remainder of my belongings down to the Fort that day. I shall then have to return to Cheyenne that night to give the truck back and hang out with some highschoolers, but then return on Saturday morning to commence painting.
If ANYONE wants to lend a hand, feel free to be by either day and i would simply love you for it, and most likely feed you as well. even though quality time spent with me should really be thanks enough.
In celebration of the Memorial Day holiday, i am planning on spending my four day weekend down at the new house painting walls and moving furniture. This will be from Thurs-Mon, and any and all who want to visit and/or help are more than welcome. I will gladly feed anyone who wants to come by.
Also on that note, I think i will be renting a truck this week to bring the last of my big stuff down to the fort (bookshelves, table, dresser, bed) and begin sleeping there like i actually live there. creepy. But, as for other needs that i have besides company and encouragement, does anyone have access to a Dolly or Ladder that they wouldn't mind letting me borrow for a bit? I have to move the fridge and oven... and get myself up to the top of the ceiling somehow. hmmm...
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