Daily Bay Bridge Saga

I have a major issue with California drivers. I don't know if it's the high ratio of luxury vehicles (on a good day it's only a ton of BMW's... I'm usually one of the few POS cars on the road...), or the high ratio of selfish a$%hole drivers. Hard to say. But when you want to merge into a lane, say the one I'm in, there are a few rules that should be followed:

1. if I am where you want to go, speed up or slow down. DO NOT try to merge anyway. I am cranky when faced with congested freeways and low blood sugar. This applies to the morning commute (haven't had b-fast yet) or the afternoon (hungry for din-din)
2. if I will be where you want to be by the time you are going to get there, DO NOT try to merge anyway. See #1.
3. If you don't signal, I don't know you're going to try to usurp my place in my lane.
   
4. do not try to compensate for the lack of signaling by a) drifting slowly into my lane, or b) darting quickly into my lane. You;re still an ass, and I can not be held responsible for the angry look on my face, nor for the profanities issuing forth from my otherwise innocent face at 7:20 in the morning.
   
5. no matter what the current issue of whatever magazine's currently in vogue, road rage is NOT attractive. You will not get a wealthy and good looking mate this way. I am in the right lane because half of the Bay Bridge is an uphill incline, and my POS car gets tired. If you want to pass me, feel free, just do it the way the rest of the world would - IN THE PASSING LANE. The asshole that tried to pass me on the non-existent shoulder this morning in their black BMW SUV! You will get your comeuppance! And you didn't succeed anyway - did you miss the fact that there IS NO SHOULDER?!?!

Follow these simple rules and we may or may not get along just fine. Leave me alone to my bad 70's and 80's rock station and my tea on the way to work in the morning - and no jostling, please, I have no cup holders, and have o clutch my tea all the way to work. Do all of this, and I will forgive the fact that you bought a $50,000 car that emits the same amount of pollutants and eats up almost the same amount of gas as my 1990 Jeep Cherokee with no muffler, instead of a sensible car that could at least make it look like you're trying to make an effort. Ass.

Time Suckage

I have been busy. Mostly with recovering from getting my wisdom teeth pulled. Wow. That sucked. Still swishing gaping holes in my jaw, but now able to keep food down. Just to sum up.

Post wisdom teeth pullage - I had a BF birthday to deal with. So I baked a cake. A chocolate cake with pear filling glazed with chocolate ganache, and with milk and white chocolate decorations. I ground up pecans and substituted some of the flour. The filling was so volumous the two layers wouldn't meet, and I couldn't glaze over the gap. In a nutshell, if decadence wanted to indulge, this would be its cake.

I made the decoration on top by scanning a tile that Craig has of his family's crest. I cropped out the lion, enlarged it, printed it out, put a piece of parchment paper on top of it and traced it out. I hate white chocolate, and so I'm extremely happy to be using some of the 3lbs I had in my cabinet (even if I did only use 4 oz...).
OK - so the letters are freehand. I couldn't trace through chocolate.

And somehow as I couldn't find my round cake pans, and octagon seemed yummier than a square...

I finally live here!

Almost a year to the day exactly since I moved to San Francisco, I finally managed to join the residents club and get myself a residential parking sticker. This means that I can park in my neighborhood ALL DAY LONG without having to move my car every two hours. I am so so super psyched. It means I finally live here...

Odd Trivia

In case you were wondering what happened today in history, here are some juicy tidbits:

1592:	Shah Jahan, Moghul emperor of India, builder of Taj Mahal born
1914:	Ford Motor Co. increased its daily wage from $2.34 for a nine-hour day to $5.00 for eight hours of work.
1923:	The Senate debates the benefits of Peyote for the American Indian.
1928:	Walter Mondale, 42nd Vice President of the U.S. born ( i had to put this one is as we went to the same college. And I felt bad for him in 2003)
1933:	In San Francisco, construction begins on the Golden Gate Bridge. (Did they mention that the toll was supposed to go away after the bridge paid for itself? Which it did a while ago? And now it pays for the bus system, which runs itself further in to debt every year).
1993:	The 103rd Congress convened. (This one just seems slightly random - not unlike this post)

LOTR; Fellowship enters Moria (If you don't know what LOTR stands for, and te hint 'Moria' didn't give it away. Go away. Seriously. You are not dorky enough to be here.)

Who finds this stuff?

MUSHROOMS!!!!!

I was so absolutely bummed to hear that mushroom season 'was ending' already this year. Mostly because this is my first winter since I got bitten by the mycological bug that I have lived away from where there are many. I.e., I now live in the city and am bummed that I can;t go crawl around in the pine needles and mud that is my 'back yard' and come out with several pounds of yummy fungus that I would have to pay upwards of $12/lb for in the city IF I could find them.

So I was very happy to find this morning that my land lady was sorely mistaken - mushrooms were still out in abundance. I didn't even have to crawl - I just walked around the property and in about 20 minutes picked up nearly 15lbs of Boletus (relative of the Porcini - and often what they are called). I gave half to my land lady, and brought the rest home. I cleaned them all up and sliced them up for drying like I do every year, and then remembered that my oven here in SF is new, and doesn't have a pilot light... which has always been essential for mushroom -drying. Hopefully they'll be OK. If I'm really lucky there'll be some still around next week when I go back up...I gave most of the #1's to my land lady (tight little baby Boletuses that are mostly light colored and a bit wet because they haven't even emerged out from the ground yet - hard to find.), so these guys look a little old, but dried they'll be awesome. Hopefully the pepper grinder gives some sort of perspective.

Why I quit the Restaurant business

People ask me that all the time. I have many answers, but this is definitely one of them: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=26&entry_id=10982 & http://www.chow.com/grinder/323.

Thanksgiving Post

Turkey Day. As one who never ate Turkey on Thanksgiving growing up (thanks, Dad!), somewhere in the back of my mind I never really understood what all the fuss was about. As far as my inexperienced self could tell, it was a lot of fuss over an over-sized, under-moist bird. And the concept of eating at 2 or 3 (does nobody appreciate that this means you really do have to get up at 5 to put the damn thing in the oven??) is totally foreign to me.

Enter my experience with my old boss, Rob. After 3 years of eating yummy brined, de-boned, stuffed and trussed Turkey (or 'Turkey in Bondage'), on my first Thanksgiving solo I could not stray from the concept. I was hooked.

So - I ordered a Turkey from the local butcher's ( a real old school butcher's), and brined it overnight in a garbage bag lined 5 gallon bucket (good thing the BF is a contractor and has these things lying around). Getting that puppy in the fridge meant I had to pull out 2 shelves to get it to fit, but these are the things that you do... we were going to host Thanksgiving at ours, but my co-cook, David, has a Kamado in his back yard, and this is what we wanted to cook our bird in, so to his house we went. I was still convinced that de-boning was the way to go (besides, it's really fun in a carnal sort of way). I let David do all the butchery, and I have to again say that for one who has never done that sort of thing before, he is really good! I only showed him a couple of tricks, and like the enthusiastic Canadian that he his, he totally rocked it. I put the Turkey in it's merry bondage, and cinched the hell out of it, as we found out that the thing would not fit on the grill. We decided to hang it from inside the lid instead, and I was cinching to try to make it shorter. Added a bit of cooking time, put came out phenomenal. As I ended up with a 16lb bird instead of a 14 (long story), our timing was off anyway. And we managed to eat by 7 (only 2 hours off of the planned 5pm!!). I also have to add, that if you take our the rib cage, etc, carving the bird is much easier, as you just cut off slices (like if you were serving a pot roast...). That way the man of the house can take his self-proclaimed proper place at the head of the table carving the bird, and you don't get the whole fight over whether or not he knows what he's doing (which often, I have found, they don't).

Good friends, a lot of great food, and free-flowing wine. A good time was had by all. And the Turkey is awesome! Even re-heated with no gravy, it is extremely juicy and yummy, and the left overs are not at all tiresome. I am only slightly pissed that David got all of the bones for soup.... Can't wait until next year.

Boredom

The things we do for....boredom. I had about an hour of it the other day, and so www.craigcummings.com was born. It petered out about the time I was figuring out how to do automated photo galleries, so that'll be incorporated soon. As will some animation bits. (And yes, I know about the broken links....). Still not bad for a closet geek who doesn't have any web software (and refuses to use iWeb - I find it damn useless...).

Those of you who HAVE visited, will know which kitchen's mine...

California Emissions

My Jeep. It has been quite the topic of interest in my life. Many hate it, some love it, I refer to it as 'The Albatross'.

I got my registration renewal notice in the mail a little wile back, and I have to get it smogged this year. Major pain in the ass. So. After the requisite amount of freaking out, I take it to a mechanic that I drive by everyday, does smog checks, and has a stellar reputation on Yelp. Literally 10 minutes after dropping it off dude calls me and tells me that he couldn't do the smog test on my car because the check engine light didn't light up when he plugged in the computer. He goes on to tell me that it will cost about $200 to rip open the dashboard and determine whether or not it's a burnt bulb, or (more likely) if the electrical system is failing in the dash. This, to me, is the death knell for my car.

Craig is not convinced, so he calls his mechanic (the guy who has been taking care of my car for the past almost two years, and who doesn't do smog checks). His mechanic confirms that you have to have a check engine light to get a smog check done, but tells us that he'll figure out what the deal is with the light for $75. Craig and I figure it's worth it to know whether or not I need to scramble to buy a new car and agree. We take it in, and he proceeds to call me periodically throughout the day to ask me strange questions: did the other mechanic run my VIN number through the system, what exactly did the other mechanic say, and so on. Finally his assistant calls me that afternoon to tell me that my car's ready and I can come pick it up. But, of course, she can not tell me what the hell's going on with it.

So the next morning I walk in to the mechanic, where he hands me my keys and a smog certificate. Evidently, he never had to tear open the dashboard - after some research, it came to light that my car was manufactured 2 months before the Clean Air act took effect in 1990. So I didn't need a check engine light. And he only charged me $100 for the whole ordeal (smog checks run from $35 - $50 a pop).

3 days later my registration sticker arrives in the mail from the DMV - and the whole time I have an exhaust leak and a whole in my muffler so big that I set car alarms off as I drive down the street. I take comfort in the fact that the world is a better place with California cracking down on air-polluting cars like mine. ::grin::

Smaller Is Better

My good frined made this. And the cat's name is Lucifer - possibly one of my favorite cats of all time.

Google Buys YouTube

I can't believe these yahoos got 1.65 BILLION dollars. Two Kings? Are they high? Are they in front of a TGI Friday's?

This is a .... barm

'Barm'. It's gotta be one of the wierdest words ever. And some of the oddest looking stuff, too. Basically, it's starter that you've fed, let get all frothy, fed again, and then let ferment (preferably as slow as possible to get a more 'sour' flavor). I let mine ferment for about 12 hours in the fridge, and then pull it out and let it sit under the oven light for a few hours until it comes back up to roomish temperature. And you know it's gotta be good, because the stuff actively bubbles while you watch it.

Mmmmmm....

Glory shots of my latest loaf of home-made sourdough bread. It takes me about 3 days to make one, as I feed my starter (I love my starter, but it does not make for a romantic pet...), make a barm, ferment my barm, make my dough, ferment my dough, let my dough rise, shape my loaf, let my loaf rise, and then finally bake my bread. Fun times. The close-up of the crust (yeah for Macro settings on digital cameras!)is somethiing I am particularly proud of. The fact that I can get a crusty criust that is shiny and a golden brown in color and crackles as it cools... it's like porn.

Battle of the Sunflowers

And the afore-mentioned Miracle-gro sunflower. Or as my friend (The Dark Lord) put it, my flower on steroids. You can see the other guy grown in last year's dirt on the right. Both had a layer of compost as mulch - although I don't know if I would do that again in containers. Even though it helped keep down weeds and helped keep my plants hydrated on really hot days - I think that it promoted a lot of bugs. Some of my plants (and the lower leaves of my sunflowers) got eaten by some bug I never saw. I doused my plants (the non-edible ones) with warm soapy water a couple of times, and that seemed to do the trick. Either that or the drop in temperature ;)

I may be on to something

While living in Japan, I used to drink various hot beverages that we got out vending machines. This morning I went to make my tea (I hate it that I quit drinking coffee!), and realized I didn't;t have any milk. Like a true domestic demi-goddess (not yet a full-fledged goddess yet...) I have powdered milk - I use it in my sourdough bread (I live in SF...) and in my yoghurt (of course I make my own yoghurt). After I managed to get all the clumps dissolved (ew!), I cam o the realization that my tea now tastes exactly like 'Royal Milk Tea' - a flavor of beverage that comes out of a vending machine, and almost always had cornflower blue itty-bitty flower wallpaper motif on the cans. Weird how two things like that can connect in your brain - and how powdered milk can take on a different sense of importance in your cupboard...

Worst Movie Ever

I know that the above title is an intense statement - but trust me, I have been subjected to the WORST movie EVER. I should have known when I read the Netflix sleeve and saw Mark Hamill's name.... I also am embarrassed to admit that I managed to stay awake throughout...

My baby Sunflower

This is my baby sunflower I grew on my deck - as anyone who has actually BEEN to my house knows, there are pots and pots of things growing on my deck. This sunflower was grown in last year's dirt w/organic compost. The base of the flower is about 3/4 inch in diameter. Sadly, the two others I planted 6 weeks after this one in some miraclegrow I found (damn evil stuff) are about to bloom, and are twice as tall, with 3 inch buds. They should be blooming in about a week. But this guy's so cute! I am resisting the urge to post pictures of my bolted and blooming arugula... I can't get rid of the flowers...they're trying so hard to be alive...

Widgets

I have a major problem, and I curse all those (fabulous!) Apple geeks who came up with the widget concept. And for coming up with being able to access them all instantly with the click of a wheely-button. I just downloaded a gazillion of them. They're fun - they're cute - are they helpful? Only when you (don't) have to kill time and/or procrasitnate.... I have hours of wasted time ahead of me....

Japanese BBQ

I had dinner at a friend's house last night... and he has a Kamado and it is awesome! As a food geek, these things are like the ultimate toy on my wishlist! They are so well insulated, and they can be used screaming ot, or at low low temperatures, depending on what you're doing. My friend did a slow-roasted brisket (6 hrs) with one (small) batch of charcoal. So cool! And they're really pretty, too...

'The Way to Peace'

My Friend Steve wrote the following:

Dear friends,

I find myself deeply troubled and disappointed as I consider the global situation, as I'm sure many of you do. However dark these times may seem, I do believe there is hope. I wrote the following as an expression of the frustration and despair I feel, and the hope and faith I find growing amidst that dispair. I encourage any of you who find hope, truth, love, compassion, or anything else of redeeming value in these words to pass this on to as many people as you can.

Many blessings and much love,
Steve

As violence continues in the Middle East and around the world, it is easy to do any number of things. One can despair, deny, ignore, rejoice, laugh, cry. Whatever of these one may do when violent conflict arises, it is safe to say that most people take sides, urgent to be on the "right" side, instantly becoming entrenched in polarized conflict with the "other" side. Some people do it because their life depends upon being on the side of their neighbors. In the United States, where those of us not personally serving overseas are a relatively safe distance from the conflict, there is more room for debate about which side is the "right" side. No matter which side a person takes, the process of taking a side in violent conflict is nothing more than rationalization. If the history of violence among human beings has taught us anything, it's that any action, no matter how much suffering it brings to the world, can be rationalized. I will not deny that it brings me great frustration that few people seem to understand how this works. Not that they can't apply this principle to whatever "other" side they believe they are fighting against. It's always easy to see the faults in one's enemy's rationalization for violent action when we are stuck in our own polarized positions. When we look at our own rationalizations for our own positions, however, we always find a convenient "but"- and as a good friend once told me, "but" is a very stinky word. Look at all the "buts" in this war on terror. Of course we want peace...but they hate America...but they hate freedom...but they're trying to wipe out Israel...but they're EVIL! And of course, the "other" side has just as many stinky buts as "our" side does.

Many people I have interacted with are pacifists, I suppose I can include myself here. One could say I take the side of peace, and refuse to take any other side in violent conflict. Because I want peace I refuse to take sides. That is because each side always blames the other for the violence, and therefore neither side takes responsibility for creating peace. Hezbollah says "we will stop killing Israelis when they get out of palistine." Israel says "we will stop killing Lebanese civilians when Hezbollah stops killing Israeli civilians." Or as I like to call it, the "well they started it!" rationalization. Yet, there is danger in taking the side of peace. Anyone seriously interested in peace would do well to be cautious of making an enemy out of those that engage in violence. Simply thinking of another human being as one's enemy is violence on a very subtle, yet powerful level. It is very easy to become self-righteous for those who take the side of peace, and self-righteousness can lead to further rationalizations for violence- and why would anyone who desires to see a more peaceful world choose to bring more violence in to it?

I recently watched a documentary about the Weather Underground. In case you don't know, the Weathermen (later when they were forced into hiding, the Weather Underground) were a militant splinter group off the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) during the 1960s. Their stated goal was the overthrow of the American Government "by any means necessary." Their opposition to the United States Government was based upon the fact that the Government used violence and oppression against the people in Viet Nam, as well as poor and black people in the United States. They wanted a more peaceful and just world- something I believe most people desire. Their belief was that anyone not with their revolutionary cause was an enemy and a potential target of aggression. They carried out many bombings intended to destroy symbols of oppression without killing anyone (the Capitol Building, the Pentagon, Police Stations, etc.) However, as their war continued, a few members of the group decided to up the ante and target human beings. They planned the bombing of a policeman's ball which, had the bomb they were building not exploded prematurely and killed three members of the Weathermen, could have killed hundreds of people. It is astonishing how easily people can justify violence in the name of peace. Even so, as I watched the documentary I found myself empathizing with the cause of The Weathermen, defending their actions, and rationalizing my defense of their actions. It took me some effort to step back and observe what was happening within my own mind- which made me appreciate just how seductive violence can be.

So how do we find the peace so many of us desperately desire? I believe that if those uf us who want peace understand how there are no sides; if we understand how there is no "us" and "them" no matter who we believe the us and them to be; if we understand how we create our own enemies- then we will be better prepared to bring lasting peace to the world. In order to do that, we each must understand how we do take sides; how our mind is conditioned by the world we live in to react to certain conditions in a way that puts us on one side or another in conflict situations in ways that seem to defy our wills. We were taught to live in forced dichotomies and we can un-learn it! We must work to let go of our polarized positions- let go of the idea that our polarized positions put us on the "right" or "good" sides different issues- if we want to know peace. Peace is not some end goal to be reached someday- that's just procrastination. Peace is something we can bring to the here and now. We must embrace truly unconditional and equinaminous love in order to dispel the hate that fuels violence. It all starts with awareness, and that's where I'm at. I'm simply aware of the violent, partial, judgemental patterns that lie within my own mind. As I develop that awareness and cultivate love and compassion, I have faith that these patterns will fall from my being of their own accord.

Now, while I believe that understanding the self and learning to embody peace is the only an individual can bring lasting peace to the world (and I believe there are infinite paths to that understanding), I also believe that violence is necessary. Violence is a teacher. Violence teaches us that violence is undesireable. It also teaches us, however slowly it seems to do so, that violence only begets more violence. Just as a drunk needs to drink as long as he needs to drink in order to learn that he doesn't want to drink anymore, the human race will continue to engage in violent behavior until it decides- one person at a time- that it has had enough and chooses to abstain from violence. We will either do that, or we will be at war until the end of our species as surely as an unreformed alcoholic will drink until the day he dies. The choice is yours to make.