happyweasel

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

November Swim


Well, I now have 8months under my belt. The build up seems to be rougher than the actually swim. Don't misunderstand me, the water knocked the breath outta me, but my racing heart matched with the cold, cutting wind over my narrow flesh before the swim was nearly enough for me to scamper back to the car shivering and mumbling the refrain, "I'm not fucking going in there." Thankfully I did, twice, as the first photo didn't appear to come out.
Air = 42deg F
Water = 51.6deg F
April
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July October

Monday, November 14, 2005

Arugula, Lynch, & Kinski

So we've used Arugula a handful of times now. What a revelation this green has become to the reperatoire in the kitchen. With a glance, it can be mistaken as a nondiscript leafy green, but this vegetable has enough flavor to cause someone to write home, if you know what I mean, and I think you do *wink*. It has a bitterness to it but don't let that disuade you. The wide tenticles of flavors work with the bitter to form a surprisingly ExCiting, delicious, and complimentary food. Many of us are probably familiar with arugula from salad mixes and the like, but new to me was it's use in Italian cuisine. &, I guess, My Cuisine, as well. This was just another evolution of the philisophical, chemistophrology that was highlighted in a recipe tried several months ago. The rough idea being arugula, shrimp, garlic, and mushrooms. She picked up a head of red cabbage from the farmers market and the night before I randomly dove into the never visited olive bar... The plan for arugula didn't come till the fiery last minute, and, I'll be goddamned, I was glad it did. My blank stares in the produce area turned to planned anticipation as I dropped the green in the basket and then plucked a thumb of ginger digging through the dusty doorways of my brain to the counter where the garlic ceramic sits, and yes, it is loaded. Don't need onion, at least two partials, according to the label, crisping. Mushrooms... hmm, how 'bout shitake? ok. I got a tomato and an avacado, just in case but for naught last night. Oh, and the shrimp. & a yam, just for kicks.
Gonna eat with rice, so I start it... Also put chunks of yam in a pan of water and boil (these are the time limiters/determiners, so I got them started first). I finely chop some garlic and ginger and put into large skillet with olive oil on a bit below medium heat. You know how to not burn garlic, pungent and bright, not brown. Add some chunks of red cabbage. Added mushrooms, sliced down the stem. Rummaged through the fridge and chopped the halfa jalepaneo I found and added. Once everything was about done I add the peeled shrimp and arugula on top and cover with this vent cover contraption but not really contraption thing that's been devised from circumstance. Cook no more than 2 to 2.5 minutes with the arugula, shrimp, and some wine... to overcook would mean rocks and mush. Wine can be red or white... for some reason wine works well with the arugula. Wilt and stir, add any salt or pepper at the end. Rice should be ready, and the yams soft (ease the skins off... being careful, 'cause they're hot as motherfuckers).
So I dish the rice, some yam chunks, and finally the arugula dish. Ah, it great when a homemade meal tast
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A week ago I scootered over to the UW campus, Something Hall, to see David Lynch speak on, what was billed, Trancidental Meditation. When the time came I almost didn't go, in spite of the building anticipation during the 3 or 4 days leading up to it. We'd just gotten back from a Vancouver, BC weekend. Yes, the train, only way to go. 4hrs each way, 7:45am Saturday, 6pm Sunday. The next day I was flat out tired. Tired, worn and spent. May've even said it twice that Monday evening, "ah, I don't think I'm gonna go". 7:30pm the day after hearty trip is a weary and slow time of life, and I had to get there even earlier than that as seating was open to us public and limited. But I finished "He Was A fiend of Mine" just in time, decided to go and went. Even though I've meditated less than 10 times since, for a 10day period that bridged the 2001/2002 boundary I did a Vipassana Meditation, meditation has a special place in my mind. Perhaps it improves ones ability to live their life. If I were to actually commit myself to improving my general capacity in life, I would surely meditate regularly. But that's neither here nor there, as I haven't and don't. But David Lynch has, for 32years he "hasn't missed a single meditation". Now I don't know how familiar you may be with his work but some of his stuff is just plain fuckedup weird. Eraserhead? Blue Velvet? The end to Mullhulland Drive? All I know is, if I stumble across a detatched ear covered in crawling ants, I'm pretty sure I won't pick it up... ah, but who really say, eh? A winter ago we watched Twin Peaks. The whole damn series, 29 or 30 episodes (I'd look it up but ripping CDs takes a load of everything on the computer, don't want to distrupt anything). Thanks to The Seattle Public Library and the makers of warply VHS for that batch... over several 3 or 4 or 1 Million rainy cold windy months(quick megophone howl out for "On The Air" failed TV Program catalysted by Lynch immediately after Twin Peaks. Again, the library had the release of all the episodes made, 5 maybe. But the first one is clearly of the most interest... my god is the first episode funny. I'm not a big fan of p[ie in your face, slapstick humor, but the first episode of On The Air is a slapstick Masterpiece... I wouldn't even hesitate to call it develops into a slapstick Grand Masterpiece. It's even a generous hour as the rest are 1/2... You know what? I've convinced myself... hmm, I guess I didn't get "On The Air" from the lib, looks like a sooon rental)
But David Lynch and Trancindental Meditation.

He didn't write any kinda speech, 100% and only Q&A fro mthe audience. Himself and 2 doctors that at keast came across as goofy, quackery scientists. You wouldn't believe it, of all his works, Twin Peaks was asked about the most. To a degree he answered questions on movies and ideas and production but directed not so subtly the conversations direction to trancindental meditation.......

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Klaus Kinski & Werner Herzog

Herzog directed Kinski in:
Aguirre, The Wrath of God 1972, seen and loved
Nosferatu 1979
Woyzeck 1979
Fitzcaraldo 1982, seen and liked a lot
Cobra Verde (Slave Coast) 1987

Docs involving Both:
Burdon Of Dreams 1982, The Making of "Fitzcaraldo"... seen, really cool
My Best Fiend 1999, Doc on Klaus Kinski, seen, created immediate facination with Kinski