Enroute To New York

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A scene from the bus to Boston, South Station, where I will board the Amtrak Acela for New York. (You may be able to read the list of this month’s bus movies. Evan Almighty just got done playing.) I left my house @ 6:50am and expect to arrive @ 3:45pm in Penn Station. Flying from Bangor (very expensive and no direct flights — last time I did I flew to Detroit then NYC) or Portland (a two hour drive each way and less flexibility for times) require more trade-offs for time saved. So if a rapid arrival is not the only priority, this is the best way out of the wilds of Maine and into Metro US…and you may notice that this is a popular option: the bus is full. I got the LAST seat in Augusta.

Happy Halloween

I asked Alison to carve our Halloween pumpkin this year, which actually isn’t a pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo species) at all, but a French heirloom squash (Cucurbita maxima sp.), Rouge Vif d’Etampes, that happens to look just like the iconic pumpkin made into a carriage in the illustrations of the Cinderella fairy tale.

We didn’t grow this one ourselves — winter squash and pumpkins take up so much space in the garden that we limit ourselves to planting only squash that we really like to cook and eat. As beautiful as it looks, the RVdE is all looks and no substance. Right now our preferable variety includes the Long Pie Pumpkin, a Cucurbita pepo variety that doesn’t actually look like a pumpkin, but when mature looks like an overgrown zucchini. But the flesh is full of sweet pumpkin flavor, the seeds have very tender hulls (so are good eating when fried or toasted), and it is very productive here in mid-coast Maine. We now have about twenty of them stacked like cordwood in our unused and unheated upstairs bedroom ready to contribute to our winter menus. Our favorite meals with pumpkin include Thai curries with coconut milk, lamb and pumpkin Chinese dumplings, and of course Carol’s Pumpkin Pie. Although that pie is now a documented feature of the Katy T-Day Party in 2008, maybe Marc will post that recipe on Eats soon for posterity.

Halloween Snow Shower

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There is our pumpkin, now carved (the evening view will be posted tonight). And, yes, winter is coming to Maine. This is the first snow of the season, and the flakes were so large they even show up in a snapshot.

Autumnal Image

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Alas, we did not grow this pumpkin,  but it still looks pretty cool, huh?

This is my first try to post from my Droid; I’ll be interested to see how it works.

FEESHY FEESHY FEESHY FISH

It took me a moment to acclimate when my alarm went off at 5am Thursday. WTF? Then I recalled that in a moment of drunken haze at the party last night I had accepted Kelly’s boss’ invitation to join them on an all day deep sea fishing trip. We were in Sandestin FL (on the panhandle dangerously near Alabama) for Kelly’s company incentive, and since spouses had no formal agenda, I had planned to just hit the beach on Thursday. The VP for Kelly’s division cornered me at the reception on Wednesday night and suggested it would be a good idea to join them on their fishing trip the next day. Kelly gave me a look that said I should agree. That’s where it all began.

As I tottered around in the dark getting ready, I quickly realized that my pins were a bit wobbly from the previous evening’s festivities. “This should be real fucking interesting” I said aloud as I slipped into my board shorts and hoodie. Had I ever been seasick? Not that I recalled…and a trauma like that usually will leave an emotional mark. I could already see the whitecaps reflected by the waning moon from our 14th floor balcony. Yeah…real fucking interesting.

I made it down to the parking garage and met Otis and Charlie, just as Jamie pulled in to pick us up. Two others who had confirmed were bailing out, so the my share of the day’s expenses just bumped by $150. This day better turn out to be fucking awesome or I will be cranky, I thought to myself.
Continue reading “FEESHY FEESHY FEESHY FISH” →

College Life in Atlanta

Don't I look so scholarly now?

Hey there Rectors! I am finally getting around to posting on here. As you all know, I am in college right now (Georgia State University! Go Panthers!). I have basically been here for about a month and I’m loving it. Honestly, I’ve been wanting to go to college since the sixth grade so the fact that I’m actually here feels amazing. City life is the best. Of course anything seems exciting when you’ve lived in a suburb for almost ten years. Anyway,  I’ve decided for my first post to give you a bit of a photo tour of my dorm . Disclaimer: I used a really ghetto 15$ camera, and I drank a lot of coffee when I took these, so please excuse the shakiness/blurriness on some of these. Here we go:

This is my door. I know it’s lame, but I love the fact that my room mate and I have very similar letters in our names. Masha and Myeshia. The M&M’s. Also, that is the peep hole I use to creep on people and see what they’re up to. (RE: Kiddie Freshman dorm room labels. GA State wants us to remember the fact that we are little Freshman, obviously.)
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SAAB Story

…a young man’s quest for the perfect beater…

Last month I had an opportunity to sell my 2004 Infiniti G35 coupe for a very attractive price. I purchased it new and really enjoyed the automobile…but the offer was too good to pass up. So I didn’t.

Reflecting on my options, I looked at Mini’s, the new Ford Fiesta, Mazda’s, and browsed Craig’s list for used BMW’s and Audi’s. In doing so, I discovered two things:

(1) used BMW’s and Audi’s were still a lot of money
(2) Would I be paying a lot for someone else’s problems?

Right then I decided just to search out a beater and expect some issues. The magic is to have the right mix of a low price and manageable repairs over time.

Returning to Craig’s List, I searched for “cars under $2500”. Perhaps in California this would return well-used Hondas and Toyotas, but in addition to that in GA, it returns bizarre vehicles with mis-matched wheels, the tops cut off, and luxo Caddies where none of the electrics worked. And also some middle-aged Saabs.

I hadn’t really thought much about a Saab, but have friends (and relatives) who own and love them. A Saab. I liked what that said about me…if if it was a beater. Hmmm. I adjusted my search to Saab’s and found some really nice “sounding” ones (at least in ad-speak). I spoke to nice people by phone who apparently loved their cars, but needed to be rid of it for one reason or another. Hmmm…a Saab.
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A Wedding Story

Nataliya Topchiy and Brian Rector, July 17, 2010

So I’m happily writing and posting stuff on eatsforone and it is Wednesday evening and Brian calls, “Natasza and I are getting married on Saturday. Do y’all want to come?”

“Well… yeah.”

on the road again...

So Carol works it to get off work on Friday and we leave for Reno at 9:20, grab lunch at Jack in the Box and get to Brian’s a little past two. Immediately, they are all over us. Natasza wants Carol to go hair and nails and cake and stuff with her. Brian wants me to go suit shopping with him. He wants a linen suit, preferably cream, and Men’s Warehouse is having a sale.

Finding Men’s Warehouse was not exactly easy, even with Brian’s superphone. We walked into the largest mall I’ve ever seen and asked questions until we found it at the exact opposite corner of the Mall. Along the way, Brian stopped at an AT&T kiosk to say his phone wasn’t acting right. Guy rebooted and everything was fine. Except this Men’s Warehouse was a tiny tuxedo rental place. There was one linen suit hanging on the wall. The nice lady directed us to a real Men’s Warehouse in the strip mall across the road. Not a great start.

We came out of the mall at the same time as a short woman with pigtails (and very large bazooms, I noted). He asked her about Men’s Warehouse. She said she used to live around here… didn’t know about Men’s Warehouse, but there’s a Joseph A Bank at The Summit – south on Virginia, past where I-380 crosses over.

Men’s Warehouse is in a concrete block, stand-alone building off to the side of the strip mall. It has a modest storefront and inside a rack of six or eight Calvin Klein linen suits. They were very white and none in Brian’s size, we learned. The salesman walked Brian around and showed him other suits, but nothing remotely interesting. B asked where else we could go and the salesman mentioned Burlington Coat Factory.

So we headed to The Summit, WAY south on Virginia Ave, a large outdoor shopping center with Macy’s and Dillard’s and generally upscale stores.

Carol: Natasza and I are plying the strip centers of Sparks. We go to the Bakery closest to the house that Brian mentioned to check out a wedding cake. Oops, $48 and probably wouldn’t be ready by Saturday noon.

Picture this: Natasza doesn’t drive, so she hasn’t done much shopping in Sparks or Reno. I have driven around, but never shopped for bakeries or had my hair done. Hadn’t even thought about it. The Internet isn’t much help in dealing with neighborhood bakeries and hairdressers.

Working our way across town to a bakery recommended to Brian, we found a wonderful little Austrian bakery with all kinds of tempting pastries. And yes, they do wedding cakes and can have one ready by Saturday noon. Natasza described her dream cake, white and light with whipped cream and strawberries between the layers. The price was a bargain $20.

The cake deal done and while ‘the boys’ were away, Natasza showed me her dress and asked me to help her with her veil and head dress. The dress laced up the back with broad silk lacing through fabric loops, quite lovely and the current style in wedding dresses. Natasza had made the veil and it was to go on her head with a circle of flowers. She had yet to try fitting it to her head. Continue reading “A Wedding Story” →

Pigroast, 2010

Last year an actual pig was actually roasted. Pig ca. 2009

The Hales, as I know them, are centered in Lancaster, Ohio and like as not they celebrate their Haleness annually at a reunion wrapped around a Pigroast at Alan’s farm, Hale Hollow. A pig wasn’t actually roasted this year, but as a celebration – and it was a celebration – Pigroast is such a better name than picnic.

Picnic: A basket brought to a field somewhere, maybe under a tree… booooorrrrring. Pigroast: A rollicking good time by a bunch of folks churning around farm-like terrain. Flames and smoke are involved.

Pigs made a contribution by way of two of the meats of choice – keilbasa and pork tenderloin: “the other meat” in this case was brisket, and all were expertly smoked over the preceding 24 hours by Alan with an assist from Eric and Tillie.

This year was special. In addition to filling up on pig parts and other goodies, we were celebrating the life of Edward E. (Bus) Hale, the patriarch of the family who died in March. A service was held at Grace Church where scores of friends and family gathered to pay their respect. Son Mark spoke a tribute called “Dad” and grandson Brian read “Ode to Bus.”

For me, the highlight of the celebration was all those folks mingling in the church lobby before and after the service.
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Germany 0 – Spain 1

2010 World Cup Semifinal.

Scootering to the Market on Tuesday on Pacific Ave, I spotted a place on the corner of Mason with a Spanish flag hanging in the doorway, on the hill, just above North Beach. A sign with a World Cup logo said, “WATCH IT HERE.”

La Lola, A Tapas Bar on Mason at Pacific

On the way home, I stopped and checked it out: La Lola, Tapas Bar. I’d been wanting to watch the Spain, Germany semifinal at just the right bar, but was clueless about where. This looked like the place. At a bar in Vancouver where we watched the Europe Cup final in 2008 I scored an Espana scarf. I got it out of the closet and was good to go.
Continue reading “Germany 0 – Spain 1” →