HIT IT

OK, so I was looking at my statistics service statcounter today, and happened upon the 'recent keyword' section. If you don't use a stat service, you should. Even if you're a casual blogger, using one offers an interesting insight into the people that follow you and your blog.

Turns out, almost all the keyword searches that result to my blog are about 'giada' and her 'knives'. Which reminded me that I posted about Giada De'Laurentes (spelling? here, let me pronounce it in a fake Italian accent...) and her complete disregard for the edge of a Shun Knife (or at least what I thought was a Shun.) I'm annoyed now that I don't have a video of it...

So I did a keyword search of my own on google for 'giada knives', and the result was:

I know this is sad, but I'm excited that something from my little ol' blog is the third hit on Google (for that search.)

Anyone seen Giada on primetime lately?

Because you can't say it's gross 'til you try it.

So, if I'm a 'fan' of anyone, it's Alton Brown - his cooking show, Good Eats, is in a breed of its own with explanations and true education behind every episode. One of my favorite things Alton has put together are his Shun knife videos... give them a quick watch - you won't regret it.


(The best one can only be viewed on the Shun web site, here - click "School for Knives". The flash page is a little finicky, so you may have to hit 'Refresh' once to get the menu on the left to populate. Seriously, go to that link, it's well worth your time - you'll really appreciate it. No, seriously, stop reading, go here and watch "School for Knives".)

Ok, you back? Anyways, I was watching 'Feasting on Asphalt', a series where Alton rides a motorcycle cross country and feasts on the local fare. While in the Mississippi Delta, he happened upon an oddity that they coined 'Coolickles': Pickles that have been brined with CoolAid.

Out of morbid curiosity, I thought I'd try it out:
I took a jar of pickles, one packet of kool-aid, and I think I used half a cup of sugar, maybe a whole - say 3/4 just for good measure. (I think I used less because the original recipe I found on the web said to use a large jar of pickles, two packets kool-aid and a pound (roughly one cup) of sugar.)

Anyways, I poured the brine from the pickles into a large mixing bowl and combined the kool-aid and sugar until dissolved. Then cut all the pickles in half length-wise and placed back into the jar. Then cover with the brine again. Let them sit in your fridge for a week.

They turned out sweet with a cherry tinge, kind of reminds me of sweet gherkins a little bit.

I wouldn't call them gross, I'd just call them different!

Cloud 9

When I moved out of K&J's, they were kind enough to let me take the bed on which I was sleeping at the time with me. It was a simple bed - a full size set complete with frame. I've been aspiring to upgrade for some time and return the bed to its rightful owners.

I recently received compensation for an auto accident and was granted the opportunity to do just that.

Here's the before and after shots:

Here's the bed I was speaking of - a simple affair.

Here's what $800 dollars will get you at the Original Mattress Factory. (Which I consider a good buy.) It's an Orthopedic Extra Firm, and I love it.

I've slept on it twice so far and my back is thanking me already!

Vegas P1: Hoover Dam

So for those of you who don't know, I traveled to Las Vegas a few weeks ago. The major point of the trip was to set up a photo/ data collection process for the company I work for and a partner, but I managed to take some time for myself while I was there too.

After getting out of one of the most annoying airports ever (McCarran International is awful - seriously, people complain about Hartsfield?! It should be respected as the well oiled machine that it is.) - it took two hours to not get my luggage and get in a rental car to drive away from this place.

So, we (I went with a co-worker) immediately met a local co-worker and went to the Hoover Dam! I'm such a dork for this being my first stop out of the gate in Las Vegas (well, except for an Indian restaurant that we had lunch at), but I don't care.
Here's a cool pan of the leg of Lake Mead that meets the Hoover Dam (The white walls of the canyon note the normal lake level - they're in a pretty severe drought.) CLICK ON THIS PICTURE

We piddled around the top of the damn for a while and then went inside the visitors center just in time for the last tour. WHEW!


One educational movie later and we were in an elevator down to the tunnels inside the dam.

We were escorted to a room that was suspended over one of the penstock tubes (where the water actually gets diverted around the dam to the generators).

Apparently the room serves as a fallout shelter as well.

After that we went one floor up/down (can't remember) to a long pathway that led us to the actual generator room (the one you always see on TV.) Only the very tops of the generator/impellors are visible in this room, but it's still incredibly impressive.


One of the facts that I found most interesting was that the floors of all the facilities at the dam are terazzo. (pieces of marble in a cement slurry, poured into a metal gridwork on the floor, then sanded and buffed to a finish) Apparently the whole of it was done back in the day (by two Italian brothers and 30 workmen) for 52 thousand dollars and the job would START for 3 million today.

Once we returned to the surface, it was to the observation deck which had some of the best views of the dam.

Like I said, Some of the best views: CLICK ON THIS PICTURE


As well as views of the new bridge being constructed to move traffic off the top of the dam. (It's two years behind schedule; the dam was completed two years ahead of schedule.) CLICK ON THIS PICTURE

So that was my little trip to the Hoover Dam. Such an amazing structure.