Steven Harper's Blog, page 13
April 28, 2024
In Defense of the Open Kitchen
"I hate an open concept house, especially the kitchen! I don't want people to see the mess in the kitchen while I'm cooking! I don't want guests in the same room when I'm cooking with strong odors like garlic or fish! And I don't want my pets in the kitchen while I'm cooking! And I love abandoning my guests in the living room while I'm finishing dinner! Why does every new house have an open concept kitchen? I hate them sooo much!!!!!!"
Sheesh.
comments
Sheesh.
You know why modern houses have open-concept kitchens? Because PEOPLE LIKE THEM. If few or no people wanted them, builders wouldn't put them in.
I love an open concept. When I have people over, I want to be able to use the kitchen while still being able to visit with my guests. I don't feel comfortable abandoning them in the living room: "Have a seat on the couch. I'll be back with dinner in about half an hour."
Not only that, when I've lived in closed-concept houses, there's never been an actual door to the kitchen, just a doorway. It doesn't stop smells from migrating to the rest of the house. Besides, who cooks strong garlic or fish when company comes if they know the smell will bother the guests? It permeates the whole house, open concept or not, and they'll get a snootful. The design of the house has nothing to do with it.
And guests always wander into the kitchen anyway: "What can I do to help?" My mother, in particular, loves to sit at the island and kibbitz while I'm cooking. ("It's so nice to watch someone else cook for a change.")
And you worry about mess? Really? Like any decent cook, I clean as a I go, so there's no mess. If you don't want people to see a mess, don't make a mess.
In an open kitchen and when no one else is around, I can watch TV on the living big screen while I'm cooking. And pets? The cats have been trained to stay away while I'm working--a squirt bottle placed in prominent sight reminds them to buzz off. Took all of one squirt to train them run away when I just pick up the bottle.
If you object to open kitchens because they make you feel agoraphobic or if they feel less cozy to you or you don't want other family members in the same room with you when you're cooking because you like to cook alone, that's fine! Just acknowledge that you like a closed kitchen for emotional or psychological reasons, not because they're in some practical way superior to open kitchens.
So open up dem kitchens, builders! We love them!
comments
April 8, 2024
Dinah and Dora vs. the Horrible, Awful, Terrible Food Bowl
Dinah has problems. Every day she vomits at least once, and it's usually on the rug, almost never on the wooden floor, just inches away. It's beyond annoying to clean up, and she must be in some kind of distress, so I took her to the vet. The vet ran some tests and said it's probably a digestion problem (as opposed to cancer or something), so she should have Special Food. Unfortunately, the Special Food is rather expensive, more than three times the price of the normal food.
This wouldn't be such a huge deal, except Dinah lives with Dora, who isn't a cat so much as a furry little pig. I don't want to put out Special Food for Dinah only to have Dora scarf it down. Dinah is also a nibbler, so it isn't feasible to supervise her eating. What to do?
I mentioned this to the vet, who informed me of a lovely invention: the GOTCHA food bowl. The GOTCHA bowl (not it's real brand name) has a hinged cover on it and a tag sensor above it. When the sensor notes the presence of the matching tag, the cover flips open. When the tag moves away, the cover flips shut. It refuses to open for any other tag.
I ordered two of them. (They weren't cheap, either.) When they arrived, I set them up and attached the little tags to the cats' new collars. The GOTCHA feeder has a "learning" mode in which it leaves the food partly covered so the cats can smell and even eat some of the food, but the cover opens fully when the tagged cat approaches. Once they're used to the cover moving by itself, you switch off learning mode and the cover closes completely.
Dora and Dinah get a little soft food every day, and they clamor and beg and dance for it. Incentive! When soft food time came, I put the GOTCHA bowls into learning mode and put the soft food into them. The partially-closed lid covered half of the soft food.
The cats were immediately suspicious. I had to show them who's bowl was whose, and both of them did the surprised kitty jump with the lid opened by itself. After that, they refused to have anything to do with the bowls. They both stared at me, every inch of them saying, "I hate you."
I knew their desire--and Dora's NEEEED--for the soft food would eventually overpower their generalized feline anxiety (GFA), so I left the bowls as they were.
The day wore on. Every so often, one of the cats would go over the investigate the bowls and leap back when the lid opened. Dinah sat and stared at her bowl from a safe distance as if she might open it telekinetically. Dora pouted under the bed.
Later, though, I checked the bowls and saw the soft food was missing from the exposed half of both bowls. This means that Dinah had eaten Dora's food and Dora had eaten Dinah's. But no matter. They were learning the bowls wouldn't bite them. Still later, I noticed Dinah's food was completely gone, meaning she, and only she, had eaten it. Dora's remainder sat untouched, and she begged, pleaded, and demanded more foooooood! Said pleas were ignored.
Several hours later, I checked and saw Dora's bowl was empty, too. Success!
We'll leave the bowls in learning mode for another day or so, then switch them to full GOTCHA mode so we can at last put Dinah on her special food.
comments
This wouldn't be such a huge deal, except Dinah lives with Dora, who isn't a cat so much as a furry little pig. I don't want to put out Special Food for Dinah only to have Dora scarf it down. Dinah is also a nibbler, so it isn't feasible to supervise her eating. What to do?
I mentioned this to the vet, who informed me of a lovely invention: the GOTCHA food bowl. The GOTCHA bowl (not it's real brand name) has a hinged cover on it and a tag sensor above it. When the sensor notes the presence of the matching tag, the cover flips open. When the tag moves away, the cover flips shut. It refuses to open for any other tag.
I ordered two of them. (They weren't cheap, either.) When they arrived, I set them up and attached the little tags to the cats' new collars. The GOTCHA feeder has a "learning" mode in which it leaves the food partly covered so the cats can smell and even eat some of the food, but the cover opens fully when the tagged cat approaches. Once they're used to the cover moving by itself, you switch off learning mode and the cover closes completely.
Dora and Dinah get a little soft food every day, and they clamor and beg and dance for it. Incentive! When soft food time came, I put the GOTCHA bowls into learning mode and put the soft food into them. The partially-closed lid covered half of the soft food.
The cats were immediately suspicious. I had to show them who's bowl was whose, and both of them did the surprised kitty jump with the lid opened by itself. After that, they refused to have anything to do with the bowls. They both stared at me, every inch of them saying, "I hate you."
I knew their desire--and Dora's NEEEED--for the soft food would eventually overpower their generalized feline anxiety (GFA), so I left the bowls as they were.
The day wore on. Every so often, one of the cats would go over the investigate the bowls and leap back when the lid opened. Dinah sat and stared at her bowl from a safe distance as if she might open it telekinetically. Dora pouted under the bed.
Later, though, I checked the bowls and saw the soft food was missing from the exposed half of both bowls. This means that Dinah had eaten Dora's food and Dora had eaten Dinah's. But no matter. They were learning the bowls wouldn't bite them. Still later, I noticed Dinah's food was completely gone, meaning she, and only she, had eaten it. Dora's remainder sat untouched, and she begged, pleaded, and demanded more foooooood! Said pleas were ignored.
Several hours later, I checked and saw Dora's bowl was empty, too. Success!
We'll leave the bowls in learning mode for another day or so, then switch them to full GOTCHA mode so we can at last put Dinah on her special food.
comments
March 10, 2024
The Detroit Pizza Odyssey
Every so often I take it into my head to make something at home that's way easier, and possibly cheaper, to just buy. I've done home-made Pop Tarts, for example. Took up most of a day and the end result may have been slightly more nutritious than the store version, but ultimately not worth the effort. Also tried making Oreo cookies. Same amount of time, same result. Still, it's fun to mess around in the kitchen to see what happens.
Now I'm looking at Detroit pizza.
For those of you who don't live in Michigan, Detroit style pizza is its own animal. It's a deep-dish pizza that has a particular crust--crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. And the cheese expected to be slightly caramelized (never say "burned") around the edges. People fight over the corner pieces.
I looked up recipes for it, and discovered some challenges. All the recipes call for bread flour and warn you that all-purpose flour won't get the same results. You also need a particular type of pan, one with high sides and special dimensions and composition. And you need Wisconsin brick cheese, a very specific kind of mild cheddar. (The "brick" refers to part of the cheese-making, not the shape of the cheese itself.)
Getting past these challenges has turned into A Process. Bread flour is easy enough to come by. But the pan? I couldn't find a store that carried one, and more than once I asked a clerk about it, only to get a blank look or a "We don't carry that, but we could order it." I finally had to order it online, and it took several days to arrive.
And then came the cheese.
Michigan is next door to Wisconsin. (Well, there's a lake in the way, but we still share a northern border.) You would think this cheese would therefore be fairly easy to find around here. Nope! I checked every grocery store in Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor. Nothing. And Ann Arbor prides itself as a foodie town!
I asked on Facebook, where I have several foodie friends, if anyone knew where to get it. No dice. Finally, I asked on Next Door (which is usually filled with nothing but posts about lost animals, found animals, and people begging for returnable bottles). Still nothing.
Finally, I was reduced to checking online. I found it, but it wouldn't arrive for several more days, throwing my pizza off even further. See, Detroit pizza is a bit of a project. Lots of particulars with the crust and the assembly. It's not something you can toss together quickly in an evening, especially your first time through. This means I have to do it on a weekend, and by Saturday afternoon I still had no local leads on the cheese.
I was just about to order it from the internet when ... several people posted today on Next Door that a grocery store in Saline (about 15 minutes away) carried it. Yay! I zipped over there and ... there it was, shining like a star on the dairy section shelf.
I grabbed it and drove home in triumph! We HAD THE CHEESE!
Then I set to work.
I followed the recipe, but I think I got the portions wrong because the dough didn't look right as the dough hook chewed through it. In the end, I tossed it and started a second batch. Then, while I was at it, I figured I'd also run a batch through my bread maker and see which version came out best.
The second batch looked right, and I let the hook finish kneading it. (Thank you, Kitchenaid.) Meanwhile, the bread maker puttered along with its own dough.
Detroit pizza requires multiple risings and restings that take more than three hours to get through, which is one reason it's a project food. I nursed the dough hook batch through the steps (rest, knead, proof, knead, rest), and when it was done, I checked the bread maker batch. Huh. The two were identical in bulk and texture. Okay then, note to future self: the bread maker works just fine and it's way easier. Good to know!
I put one batch of the dough in the freezer for another time and spread the other batch in the bottom of the new pizza pan. Then I had to let it relax. Then I had to spread it again. Now it was ready! Detroit pizza puts the toppings on first, so a layer of pepperoni went down, then a layer of mushrooms. The cheese is cubed, not shredded, and that takes up another layer. Then you pour the sauce in three lines along all that. Into the oven at 500 degrees (!), and we sat back to see what happened.
After fifteen minutes, I opened the oven to check on it. Smoke billowed out. Uh oh. But the pizza is supposed to be a little burned, so I didn't panic. Also, the pizza SIZZLED in the pan. It sounded like bacon frying. It didn't seem to be quite done yet, so I closed the door and waited three more minutes. I figured it was done by then, so I took it out. Darwin dashed around opening windows so the smoke detectors wouldn't go off.
The pizza looked great! I let it set for a few minutes, then worked it out of the pan. This was a challenge--the cheese was sticking to the sides. But eventually it came free. I cut it into sixths and we each took a piece.
It. Was. Awesome! The salty, chewy, crunchy crust. The mild, caramelized cheese. The layers of toppings. So, so good. But heavy! We could only eat one piece each.
Well, we'll have a lot of leftovers. And once we recover, I'll have to make it again.
comments
Now I'm looking at Detroit pizza.
For those of you who don't live in Michigan, Detroit style pizza is its own animal. It's a deep-dish pizza that has a particular crust--crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. And the cheese expected to be slightly caramelized (never say "burned") around the edges. People fight over the corner pieces.
I looked up recipes for it, and discovered some challenges. All the recipes call for bread flour and warn you that all-purpose flour won't get the same results. You also need a particular type of pan, one with high sides and special dimensions and composition. And you need Wisconsin brick cheese, a very specific kind of mild cheddar. (The "brick" refers to part of the cheese-making, not the shape of the cheese itself.)
Getting past these challenges has turned into A Process. Bread flour is easy enough to come by. But the pan? I couldn't find a store that carried one, and more than once I asked a clerk about it, only to get a blank look or a "We don't carry that, but we could order it." I finally had to order it online, and it took several days to arrive.
And then came the cheese.
Michigan is next door to Wisconsin. (Well, there's a lake in the way, but we still share a northern border.) You would think this cheese would therefore be fairly easy to find around here. Nope! I checked every grocery store in Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor. Nothing. And Ann Arbor prides itself as a foodie town!
I asked on Facebook, where I have several foodie friends, if anyone knew where to get it. No dice. Finally, I asked on Next Door (which is usually filled with nothing but posts about lost animals, found animals, and people begging for returnable bottles). Still nothing.
Finally, I was reduced to checking online. I found it, but it wouldn't arrive for several more days, throwing my pizza off even further. See, Detroit pizza is a bit of a project. Lots of particulars with the crust and the assembly. It's not something you can toss together quickly in an evening, especially your first time through. This means I have to do it on a weekend, and by Saturday afternoon I still had no local leads on the cheese.
I was just about to order it from the internet when ... several people posted today on Next Door that a grocery store in Saline (about 15 minutes away) carried it. Yay! I zipped over there and ... there it was, shining like a star on the dairy section shelf.
I grabbed it and drove home in triumph! We HAD THE CHEESE!
Then I set to work.
I followed the recipe, but I think I got the portions wrong because the dough didn't look right as the dough hook chewed through it. In the end, I tossed it and started a second batch. Then, while I was at it, I figured I'd also run a batch through my bread maker and see which version came out best.
The second batch looked right, and I let the hook finish kneading it. (Thank you, Kitchenaid.) Meanwhile, the bread maker puttered along with its own dough.
Detroit pizza requires multiple risings and restings that take more than three hours to get through, which is one reason it's a project food. I nursed the dough hook batch through the steps (rest, knead, proof, knead, rest), and when it was done, I checked the bread maker batch. Huh. The two were identical in bulk and texture. Okay then, note to future self: the bread maker works just fine and it's way easier. Good to know!
I put one batch of the dough in the freezer for another time and spread the other batch in the bottom of the new pizza pan. Then I had to let it relax. Then I had to spread it again. Now it was ready! Detroit pizza puts the toppings on first, so a layer of pepperoni went down, then a layer of mushrooms. The cheese is cubed, not shredded, and that takes up another layer. Then you pour the sauce in three lines along all that. Into the oven at 500 degrees (!), and we sat back to see what happened.
After fifteen minutes, I opened the oven to check on it. Smoke billowed out. Uh oh. But the pizza is supposed to be a little burned, so I didn't panic. Also, the pizza SIZZLED in the pan. It sounded like bacon frying. It didn't seem to be quite done yet, so I closed the door and waited three more minutes. I figured it was done by then, so I took it out. Darwin dashed around opening windows so the smoke detectors wouldn't go off.
The pizza looked great! I let it set for a few minutes, then worked it out of the pan. This was a challenge--the cheese was sticking to the sides. But eventually it came free. I cut it into sixths and we each took a piece.
It. Was. Awesome! The salty, chewy, crunchy crust. The mild, caramelized cheese. The layers of toppings. So, so good. But heavy! We could only eat one piece each.
Well, we'll have a lot of leftovers. And once we recover, I'll have to make it again.
comments
March 4, 2024
Math Is Hard
Okay math peeps! This one's for you.
Darwin and I were looking at the 5-serving pizza again. I cut it into six pieces and Darwin ate two of them, or 1/3 of the pizza. Since Darwin has to keep track of carbs, we checked the label. If 1/5 of the pizza has 28 grams of carbs, how many grams are in 1/3 of it?
We couldn't figure it out in our heads and, just for fun, I decided to run it through Chat GPT. How did it go? Check below.
Meanwhile, the actual answer is to multiply the carbs in 1/5 of the pizza by 5, which is 140. This gives you the carbs in the whole pizza. Divide that by 3, since Darwin ate 1/3 or it, and you get 46.66.
GPT went a different route:
YOU: If 1/5 of a pizza has 28 grams of carbohydrates, how many grams of carbohydrates would be in 1/3 of the pizza?
CHAT GPT: Given:1/5 of the pizza = 28 grams of carbohydrates, We need to find the grams of carbohydrates in 1/3 of the pizza. Let x be the number of grams of carbohydrates in 1/3 of the pizza. We can set up the proportion:(1/5) / (1/3) = 28 / xTo solve for x, we can cross multiply:(1/5) * (3/1) = 28 * (1/3)(3/5) = 28/3Now, let's solve for x:x = (28/3) * (5/3)x = 140/9So, 1/3 of the pizza would have 140/9 grams of carbohydrates. This is approximately 15.56 grams when rounded to two decimal places.
YOU: But how could 1/3 of the pizza have 15.56 grams of carbohydrates if 1/5 of the pizza has 28?
CHAT GPT: You're correct. My apologies for the oversight. Let's correct the calculation.If 1/5 of the pizza has 28 grams of carbohydrates, we need to find how many grams of carbohydrates are in 1/3 of the pizza. Let's set up the proportion:1/5 of the pizza=28 grams of carbohydrates1/3 of the pizza=? grams of carbohydratesUsing a proportion:1/5 : 1/3 = 28 : XCross multiplying:1 x 3 = 5 x X3 = 5xSolving for X:x = 3/5 x 1/5x = 3/5 x 1/5 = 3/25So 1/3 of the pizza would have 3/25 of 28 grams of carbohydrates.Now let's calculate this:x = 3/25 x 28x = 84/25x = 3.36So 1/3 of the pizza would have approximately 3.36 grams of carbohydrates.
comments
Darwin and I were looking at the 5-serving pizza again. I cut it into six pieces and Darwin ate two of them, or 1/3 of the pizza. Since Darwin has to keep track of carbs, we checked the label. If 1/5 of the pizza has 28 grams of carbs, how many grams are in 1/3 of it?
We couldn't figure it out in our heads and, just for fun, I decided to run it through Chat GPT. How did it go? Check below.
Meanwhile, the actual answer is to multiply the carbs in 1/5 of the pizza by 5, which is 140. This gives you the carbs in the whole pizza. Divide that by 3, since Darwin ate 1/3 or it, and you get 46.66.
GPT went a different route:
YOU: If 1/5 of a pizza has 28 grams of carbohydrates, how many grams of carbohydrates would be in 1/3 of the pizza?
CHAT GPT: Given:1/5 of the pizza = 28 grams of carbohydrates, We need to find the grams of carbohydrates in 1/3 of the pizza. Let x be the number of grams of carbohydrates in 1/3 of the pizza. We can set up the proportion:(1/5) / (1/3) = 28 / xTo solve for x, we can cross multiply:(1/5) * (3/1) = 28 * (1/3)(3/5) = 28/3Now, let's solve for x:x = (28/3) * (5/3)x = 140/9So, 1/3 of the pizza would have 140/9 grams of carbohydrates. This is approximately 15.56 grams when rounded to two decimal places.
YOU: But how could 1/3 of the pizza have 15.56 grams of carbohydrates if 1/5 of the pizza has 28?
CHAT GPT: You're correct. My apologies for the oversight. Let's correct the calculation.If 1/5 of the pizza has 28 grams of carbohydrates, we need to find how many grams of carbohydrates are in 1/3 of the pizza. Let's set up the proportion:1/5 of the pizza=28 grams of carbohydrates1/3 of the pizza=? grams of carbohydratesUsing a proportion:1/5 : 1/3 = 28 : XCross multiplying:1 x 3 = 5 x X3 = 5xSolving for X:x = 3/5 x 1/5x = 3/5 x 1/5 = 3/25So 1/3 of the pizza would have 3/25 of 28 grams of carbohydrates.Now let's calculate this:x = 3/25 x 28x = 84/25x = 3.36So 1/3 of the pizza would have approximately 3.36 grams of carbohydrates.
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March 3, 2024
Auto Homophobia
A couple days ago, I came across a small business owner who does car detailing, and he works weekends (which is great, since I kind of need my car during the week). I messaged him and got a little more information and then he asked if I did want my car detailed. I said I did, and my husband would, too.
Silence.
It's been four days, and still no further response.
I can only conclude that he doesn't want to take gay money. What a dumbass.
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Silence.
It's been four days, and still no further response.
I can only conclude that he doesn't want to take gay money. What a dumbass.
comments
February 28, 2024
Wendy's Double-Talk
Wendy's is going to experiment with having an AI change the prices of their food items from moment to moment, depending on demand, weather, and other circumstances:
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2024/02/wendys-plans-ai-powered-menu-to-change-food-prices-based-on-demand-weather/
"Beginning as early as 2025, we will begin testing a variety of enhanced features on these digital menu boards like dynamic pricing, different offerings in certain parts of the day, AI-enabled menu changes and suggestive selling based on factors such as weather," they said. "Dynamic pricing can allow Wendy's to be competitive and flexible with pricing, motivate customers to visit and provide them with the food they love at a great value. We will test a number of features that we think will provide an enhanced customer and crew experience."
Basically what's going to happen is, prices will go up during high-volume times like lunch rush, and the AI will do its best to persuade you to add a frosty to your order on hot days, or coffee on cold ones. They'll also fire the cashier who takes your order, since an AI will do the job.
Also note the corporate nonsense-speak. Changing your prices hour by hour or even minute by minute does not "enhance" customer experience for the customer, though it enhances it for the company in that it makes them more money.
And "Dynamic pricing ... can motivate customers to visit and provide them with the food they love at a great value." AI pricing won't "motivate" customers to visit Wendy's. ("Hey! Wendy's uses AI to change their prices. Let's eat there today!" said no one ever.) And "dynamic pricing" is deliberate sales speak. "Dynamic pricing" sounds better than "changing prices." Or "price gouging."
They gush about it and make it sound like the customers will somehow benefit from something that's designed solely to make more money for the company. You'll notice that nowhere in the article does it say that Wendy's will adjust prices LOWER than normal during slow times, for example.
This will cause problems for customers, especially regulars who buy certain foods and know the price already. They'll instantly spot the price gouge during busy times and note that it went back down to normal during lull times. And they won't be happy about it.
I'm interested in seeing if the public puts up with this.
comments
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2024/02/wendys-plans-ai-powered-menu-to-change-food-prices-based-on-demand-weather/
"Beginning as early as 2025, we will begin testing a variety of enhanced features on these digital menu boards like dynamic pricing, different offerings in certain parts of the day, AI-enabled menu changes and suggestive selling based on factors such as weather," they said. "Dynamic pricing can allow Wendy's to be competitive and flexible with pricing, motivate customers to visit and provide them with the food they love at a great value. We will test a number of features that we think will provide an enhanced customer and crew experience."
Basically what's going to happen is, prices will go up during high-volume times like lunch rush, and the AI will do its best to persuade you to add a frosty to your order on hot days, or coffee on cold ones. They'll also fire the cashier who takes your order, since an AI will do the job.
Also note the corporate nonsense-speak. Changing your prices hour by hour or even minute by minute does not "enhance" customer experience for the customer, though it enhances it for the company in that it makes them more money.
And "Dynamic pricing ... can motivate customers to visit and provide them with the food they love at a great value." AI pricing won't "motivate" customers to visit Wendy's. ("Hey! Wendy's uses AI to change their prices. Let's eat there today!" said no one ever.) And "dynamic pricing" is deliberate sales speak. "Dynamic pricing" sounds better than "changing prices." Or "price gouging."
They gush about it and make it sound like the customers will somehow benefit from something that's designed solely to make more money for the company. You'll notice that nowhere in the article does it say that Wendy's will adjust prices LOWER than normal during slow times, for example.
This will cause problems for customers, especially regulars who buy certain foods and know the price already. They'll instantly spot the price gouge during busy times and note that it went back down to normal during lull times. And they won't be happy about it.
I'm interested in seeing if the public puts up with this.
comments
February 25, 2024
War
If you're following the war in Ukraine, you need to see this:
https://twitter.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/1761130119173988755
"Hellish conditions on the front line in Ukraine have reportedly led to an upsurge in extrajudicial punishments in the Russian army, with soldiers being hanged from or tied to trees for days, forced to rape each other, or thrown naked into open pits in freezing temperatures. "
The Russian army is eating its own. It's beyond horror.
comments
https://twitter.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/1761130119173988755
"Hellish conditions on the front line in Ukraine have reportedly led to an upsurge in extrajudicial punishments in the Russian army, with soldiers being hanged from or tied to trees for days, forced to rape each other, or thrown naked into open pits in freezing temperatures. "
The Russian army is eating its own. It's beyond horror.
comments
February 21, 2024
Puerto Rico, Baby!
I really wanted to Get Out of Michigan for mid-winter break (when the winter blahs really set in), and I investigated Puerto Rico as a possibility. There are many advantages! Since PR is a US territory, it means American citizens don't need passports, custom stops, foreign cell phone plans, or any of the other annoyances that go with travel to a different country. And it's warm! I found a short-term rental in the party district of San Juan, and off Darwin and I went!
So far we've been loving it. The weather has been in the mid-80s in the day and the low 70s at night. We're on the ocean, and get the lovely ocean breezes. We get to wear shorts and t-shirts and sun hats. In February. Incredible!
One thing that's caught my notice is that the sun sets about about 6:30 PM every day. In Michigan, that means it's winter and COLD outside. But down in PR, it's summery. So we have early darkness but warm weather, and I =love= warm summer nights. It's heaven!
We've explored large chunks of San Juan, including El Morro, the fort Spain built after the Dutch almost took the island away from Spain in 1625. Over the next 100 or so years, the fort was expanded and redone until it became a huge stone edifice with a labyrinth of levels and corridors and lookout posts and cannon platforms. So many cannon platforms. And a deep dry moat that would be instant death to any invading soldier that went into it. Nowadays it's a big tourist attraction and World Heritage Site. The land it sits on juts out into the ocean, and there's a long, long, long road leading up to it that crosses a flat expanse of lawn. This is on purpose--if you wanted to invade the fort by land, you'd be exposing yourself to cannon and gun fire for a good half mile. In the Dutch invasion of 1625, the area was covered in thousands of corpses from the battle. Today, people fly kites on it. I think the modern way is much better.
Darwin and I, as we always do, speculated what life for the average person was like at the fort. We saw drawings of soldiers in many-layered woolen uniforms and boots and hats. They must have been miserable most of the time! The food was awful and you had to pay for it, meaning most soldiers had no money at all. You would think that Spain would want well-fed, well-trained soldiers at this place, since it's the gateway to the Caribbean, but...nope!
We also explored the Old City, dissecting the architecture. We poked our heads into the shamefully-shabby cathedral of San Juan. We checked out many shops and strolled along some remains of the original wall that used to surround the city. Always fun.
Yesterday, we went hiking in the rainforest as part of a tour that also took us to an eye-popping rocky series of pools and waterfalls, one of which has a natural waterslide that, at the end, dumps you several feet into deep, cool water. There's also a high-dive rock (yes, I jumped the 30-odd feet downward), and a good old-fashioned rope that lets you swing out over the pool for a breathtaking plunge into it. All this involves a lot of rock and tree climbing, which I absolutely loved. Acrophobic Darwin was content to watch me from the sidelines.
After that, we squished our way to a kayak tour at sunset. The group of us started on the ocean and paddled into a river lined with mangrove trees. At sunset. It was both eerie and romantic, with the trees creating a low tunnel and the coqui frogs calling and giant fish splashing. We emerged at a bay filled with micro-organisms that flare with bio-luminescence when they're disturbed. Usually this means every kayak is surrounded by a soft blue glow and every dip of the paddle creates a little burst of light, but tonight the little critters weren't having any of it, and they only sparked a little. It was still pretty awesome. The evening kayak ride through the mangroves alone was worth the price.
And we've eaten. Darwin has been uncharacteristically daring and has been trying new foods. Wonderful! At a hole-in-the-wall restaurant by El Morro, we tried Sancocha, a stew of simmered beef that originated at El Morro as a way to make the awful dried meat imported from Spain edible. Now it's a national dish, and it's wonderful. So is Mofongo, a base of plantains and garlic with the consistency of cornbread that you stuff or top with a protein (shrimp, pork, or beef) and a luscious sauce. And arroz masteado ("mason rice"?). And much other deliciousness that is new to both of us.
The kayak tour yesterday was tiring, so today so far we're just hanging out on the balcony, enjoying the warm weather. Who knows what trouble we'll get into later!
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So far we've been loving it. The weather has been in the mid-80s in the day and the low 70s at night. We're on the ocean, and get the lovely ocean breezes. We get to wear shorts and t-shirts and sun hats. In February. Incredible!
One thing that's caught my notice is that the sun sets about about 6:30 PM every day. In Michigan, that means it's winter and COLD outside. But down in PR, it's summery. So we have early darkness but warm weather, and I =love= warm summer nights. It's heaven!
We've explored large chunks of San Juan, including El Morro, the fort Spain built after the Dutch almost took the island away from Spain in 1625. Over the next 100 or so years, the fort was expanded and redone until it became a huge stone edifice with a labyrinth of levels and corridors and lookout posts and cannon platforms. So many cannon platforms. And a deep dry moat that would be instant death to any invading soldier that went into it. Nowadays it's a big tourist attraction and World Heritage Site. The land it sits on juts out into the ocean, and there's a long, long, long road leading up to it that crosses a flat expanse of lawn. This is on purpose--if you wanted to invade the fort by land, you'd be exposing yourself to cannon and gun fire for a good half mile. In the Dutch invasion of 1625, the area was covered in thousands of corpses from the battle. Today, people fly kites on it. I think the modern way is much better.
Darwin and I, as we always do, speculated what life for the average person was like at the fort. We saw drawings of soldiers in many-layered woolen uniforms and boots and hats. They must have been miserable most of the time! The food was awful and you had to pay for it, meaning most soldiers had no money at all. You would think that Spain would want well-fed, well-trained soldiers at this place, since it's the gateway to the Caribbean, but...nope!
We also explored the Old City, dissecting the architecture. We poked our heads into the shamefully-shabby cathedral of San Juan. We checked out many shops and strolled along some remains of the original wall that used to surround the city. Always fun.
Yesterday, we went hiking in the rainforest as part of a tour that also took us to an eye-popping rocky series of pools and waterfalls, one of which has a natural waterslide that, at the end, dumps you several feet into deep, cool water. There's also a high-dive rock (yes, I jumped the 30-odd feet downward), and a good old-fashioned rope that lets you swing out over the pool for a breathtaking plunge into it. All this involves a lot of rock and tree climbing, which I absolutely loved. Acrophobic Darwin was content to watch me from the sidelines.
After that, we squished our way to a kayak tour at sunset. The group of us started on the ocean and paddled into a river lined with mangrove trees. At sunset. It was both eerie and romantic, with the trees creating a low tunnel and the coqui frogs calling and giant fish splashing. We emerged at a bay filled with micro-organisms that flare with bio-luminescence when they're disturbed. Usually this means every kayak is surrounded by a soft blue glow and every dip of the paddle creates a little burst of light, but tonight the little critters weren't having any of it, and they only sparked a little. It was still pretty awesome. The evening kayak ride through the mangroves alone was worth the price.
And we've eaten. Darwin has been uncharacteristically daring and has been trying new foods. Wonderful! At a hole-in-the-wall restaurant by El Morro, we tried Sancocha, a stew of simmered beef that originated at El Morro as a way to make the awful dried meat imported from Spain edible. Now it's a national dish, and it's wonderful. So is Mofongo, a base of plantains and garlic with the consistency of cornbread that you stuff or top with a protein (shrimp, pork, or beef) and a luscious sauce. And arroz masteado ("mason rice"?). And much other deliciousness that is new to both of us.
The kayak tour yesterday was tiring, so today so far we're just hanging out on the balcony, enjoying the warm weather. Who knows what trouble we'll get into later!
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February 13, 2024
Validated by Margarine
I've been validated by a tub of margarine.
The tub of Country Crock spread I bought was ... awful. It tastes funny and leaves a greasy film in your mouth. And it's almost impossible to spread. It slides off the knife before you can get it to the bread. Was it me? Had my tastes changed? Was there something wrong with my butter knife?
Turns out not. I'm also not alone:
https://consumerist.com/2015/08/25/you-have-ruined-waffles-many-country-crock-customers-up-in-arms-over-spreads-new-recipe/
I tossed the entire tub and bought Blue Bonnet. We're back to normal now, and I've been validated.
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The tub of Country Crock spread I bought was ... awful. It tastes funny and leaves a greasy film in your mouth. And it's almost impossible to spread. It slides off the knife before you can get it to the bread. Was it me? Had my tastes changed? Was there something wrong with my butter knife?
Turns out not. I'm also not alone:
https://consumerist.com/2015/08/25/you-have-ruined-waffles-many-country-crock-customers-up-in-arms-over-spreads-new-recipe/
I tossed the entire tub and bought Blue Bonnet. We're back to normal now, and I've been validated.
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February 11, 2024
A Fine and Wicked Evening
A few months ago, I bought tickets for Darwin and me to see WICKED at the Detroit Opera House. It turned into A Thing. In a good way.
After some back-and-forth about dinner (before or after the show? where?), we--and by this I mean "I"--settled on the Whitney for supper. The Whitney is a little on the expensive side, but always worth it. It was originally the mansion of David Whitney, the wealthiest man in Michigan and one of the wealthiest men in the country in the late 1800s. The house didn't stay in the Whitney family long, though, and ended up in the hands of various medical societies in Detroit, until it was made into a restaurant in the 1980s.
And you have to dress up to go there.
Curtain was 7:30, so Darwin made reservations for 5:15. We figured this would make arrival tricky--we'd be heading through Detroit during rush hour--so we planned to leave at 4:15. I usually get home from work at 3:30, so I had to zip home in order to have time to shower and dress. We chose our dress clothes, and I decided the unseasonably warm weather didn't require a coat on top of my jacket, but I did grab a white scarf on our way our the door for a jaunty bit of fashionable warmth.
Looking fine, we headed over to the restaurant. Traffic wasn't a problem at all, and we arrived ten minutes early. (!) While the valets whisked our car away, Darwin gave the maître d' his name and added, "I should have used the name Whitney-McClary, since David Whitney was my cousin." (This is true.) The maître d' laughed and said, "Well, then--can I show you to your table early?" This was actually a joke--the restaurant was largely empty at that hour.
The food was wonderful. I started with their lobster bisque--so creamy!-- and moved on to their famous Beef Wellington--so tender!-- while Darwin opted for beef filet. We lingered, partly because we were enjoying the restaurant and each other's company, and partly because we had plenty of time.
We finally left the restaurant about an hour before curtain, which turned out to be perfect timing. The Opera House has its own parking structure, but it does take time to negotiate it when you have several thousand audience members all heading in at the same time! We actually got into the theater half an hour before curtain, which gave us plenty of time to find out seats, just the way we like it.
I've never seen WICKED, but I know the music and story already. Darwin knew nothing about it, and wanted to be surprised, so I only gave him the premise: it's THE WIZARD OF OZ from the point of view of the Wicked Witch of the West.
"Is this going to try to make me like the witch?" he asked. "Because I don't want to!"
And the show began.
It was marvelous fun and we enjoyed it thoroughly. The actors were a delight, and the audience was enthusiastic, which always makes for a grand show.
When it ended, I turned to Darwin. "Do you like the witch now?"
"Dammit, I do," he said.
Getting out of the parking structure didn't take nearly as long as we feared it might. And we got home without incident.
It was a fine evening together!
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After some back-and-forth about dinner (before or after the show? where?), we--and by this I mean "I"--settled on the Whitney for supper. The Whitney is a little on the expensive side, but always worth it. It was originally the mansion of David Whitney, the wealthiest man in Michigan and one of the wealthiest men in the country in the late 1800s. The house didn't stay in the Whitney family long, though, and ended up in the hands of various medical societies in Detroit, until it was made into a restaurant in the 1980s.
And you have to dress up to go there.
Curtain was 7:30, so Darwin made reservations for 5:15. We figured this would make arrival tricky--we'd be heading through Detroit during rush hour--so we planned to leave at 4:15. I usually get home from work at 3:30, so I had to zip home in order to have time to shower and dress. We chose our dress clothes, and I decided the unseasonably warm weather didn't require a coat on top of my jacket, but I did grab a white scarf on our way our the door for a jaunty bit of fashionable warmth.
Looking fine, we headed over to the restaurant. Traffic wasn't a problem at all, and we arrived ten minutes early. (!) While the valets whisked our car away, Darwin gave the maître d' his name and added, "I should have used the name Whitney-McClary, since David Whitney was my cousin." (This is true.) The maître d' laughed and said, "Well, then--can I show you to your table early?" This was actually a joke--the restaurant was largely empty at that hour.
The food was wonderful. I started with their lobster bisque--so creamy!-- and moved on to their famous Beef Wellington--so tender!-- while Darwin opted for beef filet. We lingered, partly because we were enjoying the restaurant and each other's company, and partly because we had plenty of time.
We finally left the restaurant about an hour before curtain, which turned out to be perfect timing. The Opera House has its own parking structure, but it does take time to negotiate it when you have several thousand audience members all heading in at the same time! We actually got into the theater half an hour before curtain, which gave us plenty of time to find out seats, just the way we like it.
I've never seen WICKED, but I know the music and story already. Darwin knew nothing about it, and wanted to be surprised, so I only gave him the premise: it's THE WIZARD OF OZ from the point of view of the Wicked Witch of the West.
"Is this going to try to make me like the witch?" he asked. "Because I don't want to!"
And the show began.
It was marvelous fun and we enjoyed it thoroughly. The actors were a delight, and the audience was enthusiastic, which always makes for a grand show.
When it ended, I turned to Darwin. "Do you like the witch now?"
"Dammit, I do," he said.
Getting out of the parking structure didn't take nearly as long as we feared it might. And we got home without incident.
It was a fine evening together!
comments
