one of the items on the venture vermont checklist is to make an emergency kit for a camping trip or a hike and i pretty much keep the same emergency kit all the time, but tomorrow is the bitter pill and i have to check that i have my mandatories and shed the winter stuff for weight savings.
so let's kill two birds, eh?
here's my video that lists what's in my kit.
Friday, July 31, 2015
Thursday, July 30, 2015
why i don't have any respect for caitlyn jenner
oh, seriously.
like i care about somebody else's gender identity or expression? she's finally gender matched and hopefully comfortable. yay.
the reason i got no respect can be summed up in three words;
kardashian. reality show.
'nuff sed.
like i care about somebody else's gender identity or expression? she's finally gender matched and hopefully comfortable. yay.
the reason i got no respect can be summed up in three words;
kardashian. reality show.
'nuff sed.
Sunday, July 26, 2015
discipline
i'm watching tv right now.
july is the month of dedicated watching of televised sports.
specifically, the tour de france.
because that's why i have a television.
oddly, bicycle racing is less exciting in the highlight reels than if you watch the whole thing. there are a lot of subtle things that only really become apparent to you if you see the whole thing play out, so for three weeks in july i watch the tour de france.
that's four hours of television watching every day.
i am exhausted.
july is the month of dedicated watching of televised sports.
specifically, the tour de france.
because that's why i have a television.
oddly, bicycle racing is less exciting in the highlight reels than if you watch the whole thing. there are a lot of subtle things that only really become apparent to you if you see the whole thing play out, so for three weeks in july i watch the tour de france.
that's four hours of television watching every day.
i am exhausted.
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
translation
today i decided to translate a robert frost poem into emoji.you know, like you do.
here it is.
Monday, July 13, 2015
move over, emily post
flask's tips for modern living: when you are done eating and wish to lick the plate, place your fork tines down so you don't get sticky stuff on your desk.
you're welcome.
you're welcome.
Friday, July 10, 2015
banana pancakes
yesterday i finally made those things the internet was all excited about for a while.
these things.
if you think of them as real pancakes, they're not at all acceptable. but if you think of them as some other food thing that you might also use as a vehicle for maple syrup, they are moderately tasty.
and they provide a good way to eat a couple of eggs and a banana, so it can't be all bad.
these things.
if you think of them as real pancakes, they're not at all acceptable. but if you think of them as some other food thing that you might also use as a vehicle for maple syrup, they are moderately tasty.
and they provide a good way to eat a couple of eggs and a banana, so it can't be all bad.
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
the democratic congressional campaign comittee, again
for some reason the DCCC keeps writing to me to tell me that they are very sad that i have not renewed my membership, which is odd, because i've never HAD a membership. yet they thank me for my support and ask me twice a day (at least) to give them money for their critically important battles against the REPUBLICANS.
see what they're doing there? that's the crux of it. they're not actually battling poverty or hunger or the lack of appropriate healthcare or the criminalization of just being a person these days. they LOVE mass surveillance. they LOVE militarization of police forces. they LOVE compliant subjects, and not thoughtful citizens.
i'm just going to suggest that many of the problems with crime and terrorism would be solved by taking away the societal and governmental systems that make people poor and disenfranchised. i'm just guessing.
hey, it might not work, but the current regime of increasingly repressive violence on a worldwide scale doesn't seem to be working so well either, so how about we give this a chance for a while?
anyway, it doesn't really matter if it's the demmicans or the republicrats in power; we're all getting screwed and both sides want us to think it's a grand and worthwhile battle.
well, it's not.
it would be if they were concerned with GOVERNANCE instead of CONTROL, but they're not, so it's not.
anyway. i had to unsubscribe AGAIN from the DCC mailing list (second time this week) adn in the little field where they ask you WHY you want to unsubscribe, i wrote this:
because i'm never going to give any money to you filthy corrupt warmongering assholes, even though you keep thanking me for your support. your politics theater nauseates me and you all deserve to be clapped in chains until somebody does some actual governance instead of staging mock battles against the republicrats to distract us from the fact that all you guys do is strip the land and people for maximal profits. NO MASS SURVEILLANCE. NO TPP. NO MILITARIZATION OF COMMUNITY POLICE. NO MORE WAR.
until you can do something about THAT, you're not getting a thin dime from me, you hypocritical lying scumbags.
see what they're doing there? that's the crux of it. they're not actually battling poverty or hunger or the lack of appropriate healthcare or the criminalization of just being a person these days. they LOVE mass surveillance. they LOVE militarization of police forces. they LOVE compliant subjects, and not thoughtful citizens.
i'm just going to suggest that many of the problems with crime and terrorism would be solved by taking away the societal and governmental systems that make people poor and disenfranchised. i'm just guessing.
hey, it might not work, but the current regime of increasingly repressive violence on a worldwide scale doesn't seem to be working so well either, so how about we give this a chance for a while?
anyway, it doesn't really matter if it's the demmicans or the republicrats in power; we're all getting screwed and both sides want us to think it's a grand and worthwhile battle.
well, it's not.
it would be if they were concerned with GOVERNANCE instead of CONTROL, but they're not, so it's not.
anyway. i had to unsubscribe AGAIN from the DCC mailing list (second time this week) adn in the little field where they ask you WHY you want to unsubscribe, i wrote this:
because i'm never going to give any money to you filthy corrupt warmongering assholes, even though you keep thanking me for your support. your politics theater nauseates me and you all deserve to be clapped in chains until somebody does some actual governance instead of staging mock battles against the republicrats to distract us from the fact that all you guys do is strip the land and people for maximal profits. NO MASS SURVEILLANCE. NO TPP. NO MILITARIZATION OF COMMUNITY POLICE. NO MORE WAR.
until you can do something about THAT, you're not getting a thin dime from me, you hypocritical lying scumbags.
Monday, June 08, 2015
another attendance poem
i'm still cleaning up stuff. here's another poem i left for val at attendance time.
--
the clock ticks by in standard slow time
the morning hours play across the stage
and i will come to write my daily rhyme
and on this day i'll turn another page
already now the year is growing old
and snow has covered up the last green grass
and in my bones i feel the creeping cold
but for a time, i'll pause here with this class
and taking inventory, there is cheer
for each and every precious child is here.
--
the clock ticks by in standard slow time
the morning hours play across the stage
and i will come to write my daily rhyme
and on this day i'll turn another page
already now the year is growing old
and snow has covered up the last green grass
and in my bones i feel the creeping cold
but for a time, i'll pause here with this class
and taking inventory, there is cheer
for each and every precious child is here.
Saturday, June 06, 2015
nerd manifesto
last week i was emptying out some of the boxes of stuff that came from my classroom when i cleaned it out. when i first brought all that stuff home i couldn't stand to look at it, so it's been in the corner of the basement for a lot of years.
in one of the boxes i found this, my nerd manifesto for years i kept it stapled to the inside door of my classroom, so that kids coming and going saw it every day. i may not have been cool and popular as a kid, but i was cool and popular as a teacher, so it was important for me to be able to say that to all the kids, and not just the nerdy ones.
in one of the boxes i found this, my nerd manifesto for years i kept it stapled to the inside door of my classroom, so that kids coming and going saw it every day. i may not have been cool and popular as a kid, but i was cool and popular as a teacher, so it was important for me to be able to say that to all the kids, and not just the nerdy ones.
the text reads:
my nerd manifesto
If you know me, you might have noticed that i'm kind of geeky. that's not really true; in fact i'm completely geeky. i'm a nerd. but it's OK. it's all good because now i'm a grownup and i survived being beaten up in middle school and i survived being the last one picked. high school wasn't any picnic either but i made it through and now it's ALL good. i'm still a nerd but all my friends are either nerds or they don't care.
anyway, what i'm getting at is that if you're a nerd, you are welcome here. if you are weird and feel out of place you are safe here. if you're that kid who reads the encyclopedia or the kid who knows the score of every hockey game UVM ever played, or the kid who knows a thousand things to do with paperclips, this place is a safe haven.
if you're not a geek, you are still welcome here. that's the thing; EVERYONE is welcome. you are each rare and exquisite treasures. nothing intended to harm or humiliate another person is acceptable here. every one of you deserves respect and in here we'll do our best to make sure you get it.
whether you're cool or not,you are all cool to me.all of you are welcome here.
Sunday, May 31, 2015
coconut ginger ice cream
a friend asked me to post the recipe for some really good coconut ginger ice cream i just made.
that's hard, because i was experimenting and i don't really know how much of anything i actually used.
you should have on hand:
three cans of full fat coconut milk
sugar
a metric craptonne of fresh ginger
some candied ginger
ok, so start out with two cans of coconut milk and a half cup of sugar in a saucepan. toss in a lot of slices of ginger. simmer those suckers for a while. then for some reason start another recipe that requires PART of a can of coconut milk and toss the rest in with the base you're already making, so now you're going to need some more sugar and some more ginger.
no, i don't know how much.
also then because you want that GINGERY, take a big wad of grated ginger and squeeze out the juice. add it to the base, either before or after you take it off the heat. let that sucker cool and steep for a long time, maybe overnight.
then strain out the ginger chunks and simmer them in simple syrup for a while. let them cool.
meanwhile, toss your coconut base in your ice cream maker as you usually do things, and chop up both your fresh candied ginger and your crystallized candied ginger. as much as you want.
when the ice cream is half frozen, toss all that in there until it's all mixed in and you like the consistency.
put it in containers and freeze it.
you're welcome.
that's hard, because i was experimenting and i don't really know how much of anything i actually used.
you should have on hand:
three cans of full fat coconut milk
sugar
a metric craptonne of fresh ginger
some candied ginger
ok, so start out with two cans of coconut milk and a half cup of sugar in a saucepan. toss in a lot of slices of ginger. simmer those suckers for a while. then for some reason start another recipe that requires PART of a can of coconut milk and toss the rest in with the base you're already making, so now you're going to need some more sugar and some more ginger.
no, i don't know how much.
also then because you want that GINGERY, take a big wad of grated ginger and squeeze out the juice. add it to the base, either before or after you take it off the heat. let that sucker cool and steep for a long time, maybe overnight.
then strain out the ginger chunks and simmer them in simple syrup for a while. let them cool.
meanwhile, toss your coconut base in your ice cream maker as you usually do things, and chop up both your fresh candied ginger and your crystallized candied ginger. as much as you want.
when the ice cream is half frozen, toss all that in there until it's all mixed in and you like the consistency.
put it in containers and freeze it.
you're welcome.
Saturday, May 30, 2015
love and chainsaws
later in the season, after leaf out, i would not have seen it.
jim carved his initial and lucy's initial into the trunk of a fallen tree and sort of made a seat out of it.
you wouldn't necessarily notice it, but lucy would. lucy and jim are high school sweethearts. he still carves their initials in trees.
only now he's no boy with a pocket knife. he's an old guy with a chainsaw.
jim carved his initial and lucy's initial into the trunk of a fallen tree and sort of made a seat out of it.
you wouldn't necessarily notice it, but lucy would. lucy and jim are high school sweethearts. he still carves their initials in trees.
only now he's no boy with a pocket knife. he's an old guy with a chainsaw.
Friday, May 29, 2015
a view from governor chittenden road
i drive this road nearly every day. the mountain in the background is camel's hump, perhaps our most iconic mountain.
if you get a vermont quarter, camel's hump is on it.
thomas chittenden was the first governor of vermont. the road goes by old houses the chittendens built.
Saturday, May 23, 2015
frogs at my house
yes, of course i am doing the 2015 venture vermont challenge.
of course i am.
some of the items on the list are repeats of last year. last year for the item "make a recording of a frog or toad's call at night", i recorded peepers at my uncle john's house.
this year on one of the first warm evenings i sat out on my porch and recorded these guys.
i wanted to get a recording of that ONE REALLY LOUD FROG but it turns out he was singing right from my front porch, so as soon as i stepped out there he was done singing for the night.
of course i am.
some of the items on the list are repeats of last year. last year for the item "make a recording of a frog or toad's call at night", i recorded peepers at my uncle john's house.
this year on one of the first warm evenings i sat out on my porch and recorded these guys.
i wanted to get a recording of that ONE REALLY LOUD FROG but it turns out he was singing right from my front porch, so as soon as i stepped out there he was done singing for the night.
Sunday, May 17, 2015
knotweed pie
people living in most states have probably heard of japanese knotweed. if you've heard of it, you probably know it is a pernicious invasive.
what maybe you don't know is that you can eat the sumguns.
MB told me i should make this pie and she don't have to tell me twice to do a thing.
it's pretty good, but i think i would tweak that. MB says lime juice is the key to it.
so here's my pie.
what maybe you don't know is that you can eat the sumguns.
MB told me i should make this pie and she don't have to tell me twice to do a thing.
it's pretty good, but i think i would tweak that. MB says lime juice is the key to it.
so here's my pie.
Friday, May 15, 2015
here's your proof
yesterday i patted a puppy.
why, yes. that IS out of character for me, but she's mike's puppy so i kind of have to be friends with her plus it was naptime and she was very cute.
yeah, i know, nobody would believe it, so here's proof.
why, yes. that IS out of character for me, but she's mike's puppy so i kind of have to be friends with her plus it was naptime and she was very cute.
yeah, i know, nobody would believe it, so here's proof.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
some random images
 |
| seen in a coffee shop |
 |
| april 20 at my house |
 |
| me and my guy |
 |
| graffiti |
 |
| man with a harp guitar |
Monday, May 11, 2015
you don't see that every day.
i have a little cup of grass on the windowsill near my desk.
of course i do.
because my mom used little cups of grass as table decorations at easter. and she was so excited about it, showing us how you can "mow" it.
yes, she calls it mowing, even though you're just trimming it with your scissors. but you know, to keep it in really nice shape (and who doesn't love carefully manicured grass?) it needs daily care of some sort.
one of my friends said "that's not a houseplant. that's a PET."
fine, whatever.
so a few weeks ago when i was going to NEFFA, i had to bring my cup o' grass with me. so barb and i are getting into the elevator and i'm holding the cup o' grass in my hand and a guy gets on and he takes a look at me and says "now, there's something you don't see every day."
of course i do.
because my mom used little cups of grass as table decorations at easter. and she was so excited about it, showing us how you can "mow" it.
yes, she calls it mowing, even though you're just trimming it with your scissors. but you know, to keep it in really nice shape (and who doesn't love carefully manicured grass?) it needs daily care of some sort.
one of my friends said "that's not a houseplant. that's a PET."
fine, whatever.
so a few weeks ago when i was going to NEFFA, i had to bring my cup o' grass with me. so barb and i are getting into the elevator and i'm holding the cup o' grass in my hand and a guy gets on and he takes a look at me and says "now, there's something you don't see every day."
Sunday, May 10, 2015
spit out the bones
i was riding along on a trail at catamount, working on my mapping project and also looking for forage. i didn't find the things i was specifically looking for, but i did find this most excellent gnawed bone and some really cool owl pellet.
i am going to have to carry some small baggies so i can collect owl pellets and take a look inside them later.
i am going to have to carry some small baggies so i can collect owl pellets and take a look inside them later.
Thursday, May 07, 2015
cookie day
i make a lot of cookies at my house these days. go ahead, blame it on MB.
anyway, i got it into my head to make some experimental savory cookies, cheese thumbprints with onion jam.
so... they're kind of shortbready. i think if i make them again i will make them something with more tooth, but experimental is just that.
the jam is good, though.
the black flavor is onion jam with a balsamic reduction and mustard, the red flavor is tomato rosemary onion jam, and the yellow is honey apricot onion.
they're pretty, and reasonably tasty, if you like savory cookies.
i do.
MB does.
that's all that counts, really.
anyway, i got it into my head to make some experimental savory cookies, cheese thumbprints with onion jam.
so... they're kind of shortbready. i think if i make them again i will make them something with more tooth, but experimental is just that.
the jam is good, though.
the black flavor is onion jam with a balsamic reduction and mustard, the red flavor is tomato rosemary onion jam, and the yellow is honey apricot onion.
they're pretty, and reasonably tasty, if you like savory cookies.
i do.
MB does.
that's all that counts, really.
Wednesday, May 06, 2015
yesterday at catamount
i ride a lot of the time at catamount family outdoor center in williston. yes, it costs money to ride there, but the thing about it is that it is a crowning jewle of greenspace in vermont's most populous county, in a town with all the big box stores and a lot of sprawl.
and because of the way the land is laid out and because of how it's been cared for over years, it is many diverse and protected habitats. it's kind of stunning, really.
and they have races for runners and for mountain bikes and for cyclocross and run camps and programs.
me, i'm the lady you meet on the trails, the one who can give you directions and help you find a trail you will enjoy. i will also check to see if you have your trail pass. it's what i do.
anyway, i was there yesterday and it's still early season and i am riding slow and tentatively because that's how i always ride until i get my legs, plus this winter the time at which i stopped getting a lot of daily exercise coincided with the time at which i started making a lot of cookies.
of course it's because of MB, but it's not really appropriate to lay blame with MB. when you get slow and fat and weak it's nobody's fault but your own.
so here's about two minutes coming down a trail.
and because of the way the land is laid out and because of how it's been cared for over years, it is many diverse and protected habitats. it's kind of stunning, really.
and they have races for runners and for mountain bikes and for cyclocross and run camps and programs.
me, i'm the lady you meet on the trails, the one who can give you directions and help you find a trail you will enjoy. i will also check to see if you have your trail pass. it's what i do.
anyway, i was there yesterday and it's still early season and i am riding slow and tentatively because that's how i always ride until i get my legs, plus this winter the time at which i stopped getting a lot of daily exercise coincided with the time at which i started making a lot of cookies.
of course it's because of MB, but it's not really appropriate to lay blame with MB. when you get slow and fat and weak it's nobody's fault but your own.
so here's about two minutes coming down a trail.
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