Note to self: (and anyone else who tries to make Thai food)
Serrano peppers are really freakin' hot! My taste buds can handle them, but my fingers and mouth cannot. I tried this Thai beef recipie, and it called for 14 serrano peppers. I only had 10, so I used them all. I had to "finely chop" the peppers and then grind them into a chunky paste with a mortar and pestle along with some garlic and onions. The directions failed to say that you really should wear gloves when chopping serranos, or that you should have a well-ventilated kitchen when you are stir-frying these peppers.
My lungs were suffering while I was making it, and my fingertips and lips feel like they are on fire now, even after taking a shower. Well, they don't exactly feel like they're on fire, they feel like they've been frozen and are thawing out by a hot fire. Not exactly pleasant.
The food was good though.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Monday, May 15, 2006
Get Kinky!!!
Kinky Friedman should make it on the ballot! He turned in almost 170,000 signatures, so now the secretary of state has to validate the signatures, which could take an extremely long time. I gave Mandy and Mom each a Kinky bumper sticker. Maybe I'm just being extremely naieve, but I think he's got a shot. If he were toeing the line with Rick Perry with just the normal voters (i.e. those who normally give a shit about Texas politics) then he'd stand absolutely no chance, but I think Kinky's banking on people who normally don't vote. To me, that's the beauty of his campaign. He's getting people involved in politics who normally try to steer clear of the quagmire. That's what democracy is all about.
I don't think that Carole Keeton-Strayhorn is going to be a rather large threat. If anything, she'll pull votes away from Perry, since she's a partisan republican in all but name, and seems to be quite well versed in the lingo of outrage (i.e. the press releases on her website tend to be quite bombastic and sensational... She's always "blasting" Perry, or "demanding" extra votes, or "condemning"... Smacks of politics if you ask me...). She also paid for over half of her petition signatures. Kinky got 90% of his with volunteers.
C'mon Texas... Get Kinky!
I don't think that Carole Keeton-Strayhorn is going to be a rather large threat. If anything, she'll pull votes away from Perry, since she's a partisan republican in all but name, and seems to be quite well versed in the lingo of outrage (i.e. the press releases on her website tend to be quite bombastic and sensational... She's always "blasting" Perry, or "demanding" extra votes, or "condemning"... Smacks of politics if you ask me...). She also paid for over half of her petition signatures. Kinky got 90% of his with volunteers.
C'mon Texas... Get Kinky!
Sunday, May 07, 2006
CD's I want
This post is primarily to jot down CDs that I really want. Just to give you an idea of my musical tastes.
This is only a partial list, so I may update it later...
- Bruce Robison
- Max Stalling
- the Dixie Chicks
- James McMurtury
- Led Zepplin
- Metallica - S&M
This is only a partial list, so I may update it later...
Thursday, May 04, 2006
We Are the Champions!
Right now, there is a (probably) drunk homeless dude singing We Are The Champions outside my apartment window. There's not much else I can do, but shake my head and say "that's Austin for you."
Also, I've been spending WAAAY too much time in front of a computer. I need to get out more.
Also, the monochrometer that our group built for the instrumentation class worked like a charm!
Also, I've been spending WAAAY too much time in front of a computer. I need to get out more.
Also, the monochrometer that our group built for the instrumentation class worked like a charm!
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Stolen from Yellow Snapdragons...
Accent: I say 'Ya'll", but I don't really think I have a texan accent
Booze: yup. Tom Collins is my friend. Also good are Redneck Mimosas (lonestar and OJ)
Chore I Hate: Cleaning the bathroom
Dog or Cat: Dog, but cats are cool too.
Essential Electronics: alarm clock
Favorite Cologne: I prefer to shower instead...
Gold or Silver: no preference
Hometown: Garland, Texas
Insomnia: possibly in like 4th grade, but I've since found a cure for that... CLASS!!
Job Title: Data Monkey (a.k.a. Grad Student)
Kids: Sure, why not (in like 10 years)
Living Arrangements: I live with me, myself, and I in a 1-1 stumbling distance from the Crown, Trudy's, and Campus.
Most Admirable Traits: I'm honest
Number of States Lived In: 1 (Texas)
Overnight Hospital Stays: 1 (see my post on snowboarding...)
Phobias: singing or dancing in public
Quote: "There are only two things that I know are infinite: Human stupidity and the Universe... and I'm not sure about the Universe." -- Albert Einstein
Religion: Agnostic
Siblings: 1 sister
Time I Wake Up: 20 minutes before class
Unusual Talent or Skill: I can flip my pen around my thumb and back again... I know... not really unusual, but I like it.
Vegetable I Love: Broccoli
Worst Habit: Procrastinating
X-rays: Teeth, and I think they took one when I had my concussion (see hospital stays)
Yummy Foods I Make: Spagetti, although I'm trying to learn how to cook Thai food.
Zodiac Sign: Don't ask me... I'm an astronomer, not an astrologer...
Booze: yup. Tom Collins is my friend. Also good are Redneck Mimosas (lonestar and OJ)
Chore I Hate: Cleaning the bathroom
Dog or Cat: Dog, but cats are cool too.
Essential Electronics: alarm clock
Favorite Cologne: I prefer to shower instead...
Gold or Silver: no preference
Hometown: Garland, Texas
Insomnia: possibly in like 4th grade, but I've since found a cure for that... CLASS!!
Job Title: Data Monkey (a.k.a. Grad Student)
Kids: Sure, why not (in like 10 years)
Living Arrangements: I live with me, myself, and I in a 1-1 stumbling distance from the Crown, Trudy's, and Campus.
Most Admirable Traits: I'm honest
Number of States Lived In: 1 (Texas)
Overnight Hospital Stays: 1 (see my post on snowboarding...)
Phobias: singing or dancing in public
Quote: "There are only two things that I know are infinite: Human stupidity and the Universe... and I'm not sure about the Universe." -- Albert Einstein
Religion: Agnostic
Siblings: 1 sister
Time I Wake Up: 20 minutes before class
Unusual Talent or Skill: I can flip my pen around my thumb and back again... I know... not really unusual, but I like it.
Vegetable I Love: Broccoli
Worst Habit: Procrastinating
X-rays: Teeth, and I think they took one when I had my concussion (see hospital stays)
Yummy Foods I Make: Spagetti, although I'm trying to learn how to cook Thai food.
Zodiac Sign: Don't ask me... I'm an astronomer, not an astrologer...
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
They only boo in new york
So, if you don't know, I'm a bit of a baseball fan. My team is the rangers, which means I'm perrenially disappointed. Anyway, their achillies heel has ALWAYS been their pitching. Pick a year, any year, and the offensive numbers have pretty much ranked in the top 10 in the majors, but their pitching staff likes to hang out near the basement....
Anyway, we have this closer... Francisco Cordero... He was pretty good for us last year. In fact, he was an all-star in 2004. He's run on a spat of hard luck lately... he's blown 4 of 7 save opportunities. It's gotten so bad that fans are BOOING him!!! BOOING!!! This is TEXAS!!! You DON'T BOO THE HOMETEAM!!! You can be less than pleased, but you don't BOO! Especially pitchers. Pitchers are such skittish creatures anyway, and if you boo them, the mental problems just get worse.
I am ashamed that people like this patronize the Ballpark.
C'mon Cordero... You can pull through this.
Screw all you fair-weather fans.
Anyway, we have this closer... Francisco Cordero... He was pretty good for us last year. In fact, he was an all-star in 2004. He's run on a spat of hard luck lately... he's blown 4 of 7 save opportunities. It's gotten so bad that fans are BOOING him!!! BOOING!!! This is TEXAS!!! You DON'T BOO THE HOMETEAM!!! You can be less than pleased, but you don't BOO! Especially pitchers. Pitchers are such skittish creatures anyway, and if you boo them, the mental problems just get worse.
I am ashamed that people like this patronize the Ballpark.
C'mon Cordero... You can pull through this.
Screw all you fair-weather fans.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Jinjitsu master
I saw jinjitsu master again today. He was on the wrong side of the street riding a bike he'd obviously stole. He had some of his possessions over his shoulder. As I passed him, I heard him grumble to no one in particular (rather loudly, I might add) "I don't have any money, and that really pisses me off!"
He's one of those homeless guys you don't really want to have anything to do with. I've met a few, and some of them you can actually have a conversation with. Not this dude.
He's one of those homeless guys you don't really want to have anything to do with. I've met a few, and some of them you can actually have a conversation with. Not this dude.
Monday, April 17, 2006
when I get my house
I will get a dog. A mutt from the pound. If it's a boy, his name shall be "Stinky Peterson". I will give you props if you can tell me where the name stinky peterson comes from. And no, it's not Arnold, it was somewhere else first. (really, give me some credit... I do not watch little kids' cartoons.)
Not sure what I will call my dog if it's a girl...
Not sure what I will call my dog if it's a girl...
SExtractor
There's a computer and a scanner on the 16th floor which I use to scan in homework solutions for the class I TA. I was up there this evening scanning in a hw assignment. When I got done scanning the images, I had to open up the directory where it dumps the file in order to convert it into a PDF. Anyway, there's a file in that directory which made me do a double take. Yup... it's called sextractor.pdf. It took me a little bit to work up the courage to open it, but aparently, it's a manual for a program called "Source Extractor" The dude who wrote it is french, so I guess sextractor doesn't translate, but damn...
I found the following qutoe on the second page of the SExtractor manual:
"Back in the early nineties, the purpose of SExtractor was to find a comprimise between refinement in both detection and measurements, and computational speed. By today's standards, SExtractor would be more accurately defined as a "quick-and-dirty" tool."
I can't decide which would be more funny... if this guy is old and frumpy and has no idea what it translates to, or if he intentionally named it such...
UPDATE!!
-------------------------------------------------
I think we can rule out him being old and frumpy. His name is Emmanuel Bertin.
This is him. He doesn't look old and frumpy. Well, at least not old. Not to imply that all old people are frumpy. Actually, some of the un-frumpiest people I know are getting up there in age.
I found the following qutoe on the second page of the SExtractor manual:
"Back in the early nineties, the purpose of SExtractor was to find a comprimise between refinement in both detection and measurements, and computational speed. By today's standards, SExtractor would be more accurately defined as a "quick-and-dirty" tool."
I can't decide which would be more funny... if this guy is old and frumpy and has no idea what it translates to, or if he intentionally named it such...
UPDATE!!
-------------------------------------------------
I think we can rule out him being old and frumpy. His name is Emmanuel Bertin.
This is him. He doesn't look old and frumpy. Well, at least not old. Not to imply that all old people are frumpy. Actually, some of the un-frumpiest people I know are getting up there in age.
Hart Hall, how I miss thee
A friend reminded me via his IM away message of the Hart Hall grode yell.
I lived in Hart for three years in undergrad. It was the "pride of central side", as it was smack dab in the middle of campus. My first year there was the last year without air conditioning. I know, the texas climate in the summer is nearly unbearable, but it was doable, especially since the price was right. It was $700 a semester. I pay nearly that much right now for 1 month's rent. It wasn't so bad after you got the fans cranked up and were walking around in your underwear taking cold showers every few hours. It was one of the oldest dorms on campus, and since it was the cheapest living option, it attracted... well, shall we say, a different class of clientelle than did the modular dorms. The thing about Hart was, it had a fairly high retention rate. It kinda grew on you... kinda like the mold in the bathrooms. If you didn't manage to get out there after your first year, you were pretty much a lifer. I had some interesting roommates while in Hart, but if you've known me long, you pretty much know that.
Grode yells were a holdover from bonfire. You did them with your dorm to get yourself fired up for cut or stack or any other bonfire related thing. Your dorm was like your family, albeit a smelly one. Your dorm was the coolest, while any other dorm on campus was stupid and full of 2%-er's. Grode yells were basically the aggie yell version of the Aristocrats joke. The point was to be as rude and offensive as possible, making fun of other dorms/areas of campus. I think Hart had one of the best. Hart's rival was Walton, the other non-AC dorm on campus (at least when I entered). They were on Northside and were basically A&M's animal house. Needless to say, for those of you with delicate eardrums, I would advise not reading the rest of this post.
*DISCLAIMER!!* The following yell is VERY VERY DIRTY!!! DON'T READ IF YOU DON'T WANT TO GET OFFENDED!
Hart Hall, f*** 'em all
p****, c***, and c***.
Grab a t**, suck a s***
sure is fun, but tastes like s***
Through the ramps, into bed
give us h*** until we're dead.
F*** you Walton, suck our b****
wish you could be Hart f***'n Hall
Whoop!
I lived in Hart for three years in undergrad. It was the "pride of central side", as it was smack dab in the middle of campus. My first year there was the last year without air conditioning. I know, the texas climate in the summer is nearly unbearable, but it was doable, especially since the price was right. It was $700 a semester. I pay nearly that much right now for 1 month's rent. It wasn't so bad after you got the fans cranked up and were walking around in your underwear taking cold showers every few hours. It was one of the oldest dorms on campus, and since it was the cheapest living option, it attracted... well, shall we say, a different class of clientelle than did the modular dorms. The thing about Hart was, it had a fairly high retention rate. It kinda grew on you... kinda like the mold in the bathrooms. If you didn't manage to get out there after your first year, you were pretty much a lifer. I had some interesting roommates while in Hart, but if you've known me long, you pretty much know that.
Grode yells were a holdover from bonfire. You did them with your dorm to get yourself fired up for cut or stack or any other bonfire related thing. Your dorm was like your family, albeit a smelly one. Your dorm was the coolest, while any other dorm on campus was stupid and full of 2%-er's. Grode yells were basically the aggie yell version of the Aristocrats joke. The point was to be as rude and offensive as possible, making fun of other dorms/areas of campus. I think Hart had one of the best. Hart's rival was Walton, the other non-AC dorm on campus (at least when I entered). They were on Northside and were basically A&M's animal house. Needless to say, for those of you with delicate eardrums, I would advise not reading the rest of this post.
*DISCLAIMER!!* The following yell is VERY VERY DIRTY!!! DON'T READ IF YOU DON'T WANT TO GET OFFENDED!
Hart Hall, f*** 'em all
p****, c***, and c***.
Grab a t**, suck a s***
sure is fun, but tastes like s***
Through the ramps, into bed
give us h*** until we're dead.
F*** you Walton, suck our b****
wish you could be Hart f***'n Hall
Whoop!
Sunday, April 09, 2006
the other shoe....
So.... as I gather from the comments to my last post, there are a fair amount of people wondering what happend to the girl I was dating...
Well, to make a long story short, it never really got off the ground. We kinda mutually agreed that we were not the right people for each other. She is a sorority girl, and I am definitely not a frat guy. Now we get to see if it gets awkward. We never bothered to have "the talk" to start the relationship, so we didn't really have "the talk" to end it. So, in a way, it's like it didn't happen. I hope we can stay friends. I'd hate to not get invited to poker night anymore.
So what else is new?
Vince is coming here for Grad School. He's sawing logs on my futon right now. He's in town looking for apartments. I'm trying to convince him to live near me. Possibly with me. As far as buying the house goes, I don't know if I'll be able to actually "buy" a house, as I'm not sure if I could get qualified for a large enough loan. Mom gave me a ball park estimate for what I could qualify for, and I'm not sure I'd want to live there. Who knows... I'll keep looking, but the places I will probably end up being able to afford will probably be in some pretty shady neighborhoods. If that's the case, I think I'll try to move into a house with Mike D. and possibly someone else somewhere here in Hyde Park.
Sarah C. came down during spring break. It was nice to see her again. We went to Trudy's and drank some Mexican martinis and had a right old time. I got to meet Matt, her boyfriend, a peruvian dude in some sort of Psych grad program (I think). Sarah kept saying that she didn't want to get married, and that everyone she knows who is married is miserable. Matt and I agreed, but I don't think Sarah quite believed herself :-P
Mandy is applying to grad schools, and she wants to go to Texas State, which is just a little south of here in San Marcos. She came down to visit it and stayed with me for a few days. Luckily she wasn't three sheets to the wind on bourbon again this time.... :-)
I house/dog sat for Mike a few weeks ago. I'm glad I don't have a puppy like Zeus. He's going to be great when he grows up and chills out, but he is a holy terror right now. You have to pay attention to him 100% of the time or he goes crazy.
I got to meet the creater of PhD comics (Piled Higher and Deeper) Jorge Cham. Very funny... and yet so true.... We went out after his talk (entitled "the power of procrastination") to 6th street and shot the bull. Fergal told some funny stories about the astronomy department and the observatory. I wouldn't be surprised if some of our antics make it into the strip.
Taxes suck.
Well, not so much if you're getting money back, but filling the forms out sucks just the same.
Alright, time for breakfast.
Well, to make a long story short, it never really got off the ground. We kinda mutually agreed that we were not the right people for each other. She is a sorority girl, and I am definitely not a frat guy. Now we get to see if it gets awkward. We never bothered to have "the talk" to start the relationship, so we didn't really have "the talk" to end it. So, in a way, it's like it didn't happen. I hope we can stay friends. I'd hate to not get invited to poker night anymore.
So what else is new?
Vince is coming here for Grad School. He's sawing logs on my futon right now. He's in town looking for apartments. I'm trying to convince him to live near me. Possibly with me. As far as buying the house goes, I don't know if I'll be able to actually "buy" a house, as I'm not sure if I could get qualified for a large enough loan. Mom gave me a ball park estimate for what I could qualify for, and I'm not sure I'd want to live there. Who knows... I'll keep looking, but the places I will probably end up being able to afford will probably be in some pretty shady neighborhoods. If that's the case, I think I'll try to move into a house with Mike D. and possibly someone else somewhere here in Hyde Park.
Sarah C. came down during spring break. It was nice to see her again. We went to Trudy's and drank some Mexican martinis and had a right old time. I got to meet Matt, her boyfriend, a peruvian dude in some sort of Psych grad program (I think). Sarah kept saying that she didn't want to get married, and that everyone she knows who is married is miserable. Matt and I agreed, but I don't think Sarah quite believed herself :-P
Mandy is applying to grad schools, and she wants to go to Texas State, which is just a little south of here in San Marcos. She came down to visit it and stayed with me for a few days. Luckily she wasn't three sheets to the wind on bourbon again this time.... :-)
I house/dog sat for Mike a few weeks ago. I'm glad I don't have a puppy like Zeus. He's going to be great when he grows up and chills out, but he is a holy terror right now. You have to pay attention to him 100% of the time or he goes crazy.
I got to meet the creater of PhD comics (Piled Higher and Deeper) Jorge Cham. Very funny... and yet so true.... We went out after his talk (entitled "the power of procrastination") to 6th street and shot the bull. Fergal told some funny stories about the astronomy department and the observatory. I wouldn't be surprised if some of our antics make it into the strip.
Taxes suck.
Well, not so much if you're getting money back, but filling the forms out sucks just the same.
Alright, time for breakfast.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
should I tell?
So... this girl that I'm considering dating... well, I guess we are kinda dating already, but we haven't had "the talk" so I guess I'm technically still single. I have issues with dating her. #1, she's also in the astronomy department. #2 I'm not sure if she's exactly my type, but I'm willing to find out.
#1, I guess this isn't so much of an issue, but at the beginning of the fall, I rationalized (to myself) not going out with a classmate by saying I didn't want to date inside the department. Of course, as time went on, I realized that this said classmate is totally not my type, so I guess I can relax this requirement. Plus, other people date w/in the dept and it seems to work out ok...
#2, At first, I didn't think that she would be my type, but I'm beginning to doubt that first impression.
Eh... oh well... No one else in the department knows about this blog, so I think I'm safe. Well, people (her included) know that this blog exists, but I'm not sure I'm ready to toss her the keys and say "here, look at all the skeletons in my closet!" Maybe if it ends up going somewhere, but we'll see. She keeps bugging me to give her the link, but so far I haven't relented. She's probably thinking that I'm writing soft-core porn entries about her and that's why I don't want to show it to her.
Eh... we'll see.
#1, I guess this isn't so much of an issue, but at the beginning of the fall, I rationalized (to myself) not going out with a classmate by saying I didn't want to date inside the department. Of course, as time went on, I realized that this said classmate is totally not my type, so I guess I can relax this requirement. Plus, other people date w/in the dept and it seems to work out ok...
#2, At first, I didn't think that she would be my type, but I'm beginning to doubt that first impression.
Eh... oh well... No one else in the department knows about this blog, so I think I'm safe. Well, people (her included) know that this blog exists, but I'm not sure I'm ready to toss her the keys and say "here, look at all the skeletons in my closet!" Maybe if it ends up going somewhere, but we'll see. She keeps bugging me to give her the link, but so far I haven't relented. She's probably thinking that I'm writing soft-core porn entries about her and that's why I don't want to show it to her.
Eh... we'll see.
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Damn the torpedos!
My dad once told me, in regards to playing baseball, "Do it with reckless abandon." The point being, if you're going to play, for chrissake PLAY! Don't worry about the score, even if you're behind by 15 runs in the 3rd inning. Don't worry if the ump has been squeezing you all game. Give it your all and try your damnedest. Don't worry about making a fool of yourself or getting hurt. Well, He probably didn't mean the part about getting hurt, but it sounds good. Moonlight Graham in Field of Dreams said it pretty well, I think, talking about sliding into third.
I think love (and to a lesser extent, cooking) should also be approached in this manner. When I fall, I fall hard. I've been hurt a few times, but in retrospect, it's been worth it. I guess I'm still deciding whether or not the 15 day DL is long enough to recover. I'm wondering if the 60 day DL might be better for me. I mean, I'm looking forward to getting back out there, but somehow I don't think my heart will be in it for a while yet.
Kudos if you can catch all the allusions.
I think love (and to a lesser extent, cooking) should also be approached in this manner. When I fall, I fall hard. I've been hurt a few times, but in retrospect, it's been worth it. I guess I'm still deciding whether or not the 15 day DL is long enough to recover. I'm wondering if the 60 day DL might be better for me. I mean, I'm looking forward to getting back out there, but somehow I don't think my heart will be in it for a while yet.
Kudos if you can catch all the allusions.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
sleep deprivation
Yeah... I've only slept an hour and a half in the past 36 hours. Damn NASA proposal. I haven't eaten anything of substance since dinner yesterday except for peanut butter (yep, straight out of the jar) honey, and a few chocolate caramel type things I pilfered from the secretary's office.
The good thing is, all the crap I am supposed to know is kinda starting to make sense. The bad thing is, I'm so sleep deprived that I'm not sure I can keep things straight.
Tomorrow will be fun. I really hope I get to sleep. Not holding my breath on that one, but here's hoping.
I'm going to see Hayes Carll with Bridgett tomorrow night. It should be fun, if I'm still conscious at that time. Shit, I wonder if I need to get tickets.
The good thing is, all the crap I am supposed to know is kinda starting to make sense. The bad thing is, I'm so sleep deprived that I'm not sure I can keep things straight.
Tomorrow will be fun. I really hope I get to sleep. Not holding my breath on that one, but here's hoping.
I'm going to see Hayes Carll with Bridgett tomorrow night. It should be fun, if I'm still conscious at that time. Shit, I wonder if I need to get tickets.
Friday, January 27, 2006
Gotta love Austin....
Well, the good news is that it looks like my health insurance will pay for most of my adventure in Zermatt.
After spending a week in Switzerland where the temperature rarely got above 40 F, I find it rather amusing when I see sorority girls bundled up with their fuzzy Ugs (aside: I think Ugs are just about the UGliest things on the planet.) a sweater, a scarf, and a faux-fur lined jacket walking around campus when the temperature is a balmy 55 F. Maybe I'm still thawing out, but I think these people are wimps.
So there are a lot of homeless guys who live around my apt... I was walking to the Crown last night when one of them approached me. He had a bottle of something in his hand.
Homeless dude: -jabbers incoherently-
Me: I'm sorry?
Homeless dude: Do you know... Do you know who the fuck I am?
Me: No......
Homeless dude: I'm a Jinjitsu master... I can take you to Area 51 and KICK YOUR ASS!!
Me: .....
At that point, I walked away. He followed for a few steps and then got distracted and went off in another direction...
It may be wishful thinking, but I think there are several (read: 2 maybe 3) girls who may be interested in me... Maybe not... Do not need another relationship anytime soon, but some fun would not be a bad thing either...
After spending a week in Switzerland where the temperature rarely got above 40 F, I find it rather amusing when I see sorority girls bundled up with their fuzzy Ugs (aside: I think Ugs are just about the UGliest things on the planet.) a sweater, a scarf, and a faux-fur lined jacket walking around campus when the temperature is a balmy 55 F. Maybe I'm still thawing out, but I think these people are wimps.
So there are a lot of homeless guys who live around my apt... I was walking to the Crown last night when one of them approached me. He had a bottle of something in his hand.
Homeless dude: -jabbers incoherently-
Me: I'm sorry?
Homeless dude: Do you know... Do you know who the fuck I am?
Me: No......
Homeless dude: I'm a Jinjitsu master... I can take you to Area 51 and KICK YOUR ASS!!
Me: .....
At that point, I walked away. He followed for a few steps and then got distracted and went off in another direction...
It may be wishful thinking, but I think there are several (read: 2 maybe 3) girls who may be interested in me... Maybe not... Do not need another relationship anytime soon, but some fun would not be a bad thing either...
Monday, January 16, 2006
I'm coming home!!!
Yes, this time tomorrow, I will be home!!!
Not Austin, but Garland!!!
I have never been so excited about a trip...
I went to Zurich for the last time today. It was cool, but I am definitley missing home.
I got a real swiss recipe for cheese fondue from my uncle today. I think I will try it sometime when I am back in Austin.
My main worry right now is about my health insurance. I'm not sure if the penny-pinchers at BCBS will spring for a $2600 care-flight off the mountain, or how much of my $1500 hospital bill they will cover. At best, they cover it all 75% after a $500 deductible. That's still a helluva lotta money for a grad student to pay off. I guess I will have to kiss my dreams of homeownership goodbye, at least for a year or so, but I'm not sure if it would be worth it then. Who knows, maybe I'll get a second job. I could always hire myself out as a tutor. I think I can get $20/hr from some of these rich Austin kids. Maybe I'll hit up a frat or a sorority.
My main beef with growing up in insurance. I hate it.
Not many memories have returned regarding my ill-fated day on the slopes. I do remember talking to two guys in the hostel the night before my accident. I think I went snowboarding with one of them, so I emailed the hostel and they gave me the two guys' email addresses. Maybe one of them will know what happened to me. Until that happens, I've gotta come up with a great story.
Not Austin, but Garland!!!
I have never been so excited about a trip...
I went to Zurich for the last time today. It was cool, but I am definitley missing home.
I got a real swiss recipe for cheese fondue from my uncle today. I think I will try it sometime when I am back in Austin.
My main worry right now is about my health insurance. I'm not sure if the penny-pinchers at BCBS will spring for a $2600 care-flight off the mountain, or how much of my $1500 hospital bill they will cover. At best, they cover it all 75% after a $500 deductible. That's still a helluva lotta money for a grad student to pay off. I guess I will have to kiss my dreams of homeownership goodbye, at least for a year or so, but I'm not sure if it would be worth it then. Who knows, maybe I'll get a second job. I could always hire myself out as a tutor. I think I can get $20/hr from some of these rich Austin kids. Maybe I'll hit up a frat or a sorority.
My main beef with growing up in insurance. I hate it.
Not many memories have returned regarding my ill-fated day on the slopes. I do remember talking to two guys in the hostel the night before my accident. I think I went snowboarding with one of them, so I emailed the hostel and they gave me the two guys' email addresses. Maybe one of them will know what happened to me. Until that happens, I've gotta come up with a great story.
Friday, January 13, 2006
Headaches
if I remember correctly, getting a concussion hurts...
I went to Zermatt. I rented a snowboard. I woke up the hospital. Apparently, I even got careflighted.
More to come as I remember it.
Back in Austin next wednesday
I went to Zermatt. I rented a snowboard. I woke up the hospital. Apparently, I even got careflighted.
More to come as I remember it.
Back in Austin next wednesday
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Ich bin von Trub
Fri 06 Jan 2006 08:42:12 PM CET
Mom and I left Basel for Trub today. We drove through several small little towns until we got here. It is TINY! We're staying at the Gasthof zum Lüwen which is a tavern/hotel. Our room is right above the party room, and it's friday night, so I'm not sure how much sleep we'll get tonight.
My mother's family, the Wüthrich's, came from Trub. My great-great-grandfather moved to East Prussia (what is now Poland) and then the family returned back to Switzerland once the Russians invaded during WWII. Apparently a lot of people come from here. According to my mom, over 250,000 people can trace their heritage back to this tiny little village.
Walking around the town at night, we found a list of famous families from Trub and their associated coats of arms. I found the Wüthrich coat of arms, as well as Tanner (the last name of one of my uncles back in the states). A coat of arms of note for all you aggies is Baumgartner. Isn't that one of the yell leaders' names? Or wait... was that T-Baum?
We walked up and down the main road in Trub to get a feel for the town. It's a very small community waaaay up in the foothills. There's still about a foot of snow on the ground, and the clouds cleared off before the sun set. It's so clear up here. Still a bit light polluted, but you can see more stars than I have in quite a while. The moon was waxing about 1/2 way full, but the light reflecting off the snow made it so bright you could see for miles, even though there wasn't a streetlight around.
We walked up to a cheese factory where all the farmers were bringing their milk. Seriously, we were passed by at least 15 cars pulling little trailers with milk cannisters. They backed up to the dairy and a guy with a big tube opened the cannisters and sucked all the milk out. I'm assuming they get paid by the liter or something.
We had dinner in another little hotel down the street from ours. Mom and I had Rostig, which is fantastic. I am so totally making it back in the states. Basically swiss hash browns, but much better than anything you can get at IHOP.
We're going to see Tante Kätie tomorrow morning. Or, rather she's coming to see us. She lives up on top of one of the mountains. We came to see her and her husband Ernst last time we all were here in '98. Ernst and Kätie Wüthrich lived in the Wüthrich family home on this hill up until a few years ago when they sold it. In the Swiss tradition, ownership of the family farm is passed down to the youngest son, when the parents grow old. The parents move to the Stückli, the "Mother-in-law" little house near the farm for the rest of their days.
Ernst and Kätie only had one son, and he could not find a woman who wanted to live with him up on the mountain. Apparently, he got so disparaged that he committed suicide, leaving them with the care of the farm. They kept the farm for as long as they were able, and then moved to the Stückli, and sold the farm. Ernst passed away in the past few years, leaving her. It's kinda sad, really.
Anyway, the roads are a bit uncertain, and we don't have a 4wd vehicle (I think we're lucky to have 4 cylinders) so she is coming down the mountain in her 4wd car/truck/whatever. She's 80 some odd years old, and still quite vivacious. Last time we were here in 98, she was in her 70's, and we went hiking with her. She left us panting in the dust. She said that she was expecting a shipment of heating wood in tomorrow so she was going to be stacking wood all tomorrow, but she will reschedule to come see us. Amazing woman. We're kinda torn between making her come down the mountain in her 4wd to come get us and not seeing her at all. I think it would be in poorer taste to not see her now that she knows we're here, just 10 km away. She seems pretty excited to have visitors.
Sat 07 Jan 2006 12:54:50 AM CET
After dinner, I went out walking a bit further north in town. Once the moon went down, the skies were absolutely gorgeous. I even saw a shooting star, and what I am assuming was the Northern Lights, but I could be wrong.
In the other part of the hotel, there was a band playing tonight. I stopped in and saw them for 12 CHF and had a beer for 5 CHF. The were called the Tornadoes, and on the wall was a promotional poster. It said: Tornadoes: Die Partie Band! They were actually pretty good, for a swiss cover band. Among the songs I heard:
Living on Tulsa Time (Pronounced Tool-saw)
West Virginia
Rock around the Clock
Blueberry Hill
There was a dance floor and there were some couples dancing. Polka and jitterbug, mainly. They were pretty good. If you could mute all the sounds, you would have sworn you were in Texas. You had your preppy beautiful-people table, your bitter 35-ish poker night widows, your crowd of young punks, and even a few lesbians. I guess the world is a pretty small place.
Mom and I left Basel for Trub today. We drove through several small little towns until we got here. It is TINY! We're staying at the Gasthof zum Lüwen which is a tavern/hotel. Our room is right above the party room, and it's friday night, so I'm not sure how much sleep we'll get tonight.
My mother's family, the Wüthrich's, came from Trub. My great-great-grandfather moved to East Prussia (what is now Poland) and then the family returned back to Switzerland once the Russians invaded during WWII. Apparently a lot of people come from here. According to my mom, over 250,000 people can trace their heritage back to this tiny little village.
Walking around the town at night, we found a list of famous families from Trub and their associated coats of arms. I found the Wüthrich coat of arms, as well as Tanner (the last name of one of my uncles back in the states). A coat of arms of note for all you aggies is Baumgartner. Isn't that one of the yell leaders' names? Or wait... was that T-Baum?
We walked up and down the main road in Trub to get a feel for the town. It's a very small community waaaay up in the foothills. There's still about a foot of snow on the ground, and the clouds cleared off before the sun set. It's so clear up here. Still a bit light polluted, but you can see more stars than I have in quite a while. The moon was waxing about 1/2 way full, but the light reflecting off the snow made it so bright you could see for miles, even though there wasn't a streetlight around.
We walked up to a cheese factory where all the farmers were bringing their milk. Seriously, we were passed by at least 15 cars pulling little trailers with milk cannisters. They backed up to the dairy and a guy with a big tube opened the cannisters and sucked all the milk out. I'm assuming they get paid by the liter or something.
We had dinner in another little hotel down the street from ours. Mom and I had Rostig, which is fantastic. I am so totally making it back in the states. Basically swiss hash browns, but much better than anything you can get at IHOP.
We're going to see Tante Kätie tomorrow morning. Or, rather she's coming to see us. She lives up on top of one of the mountains. We came to see her and her husband Ernst last time we all were here in '98. Ernst and Kätie Wüthrich lived in the Wüthrich family home on this hill up until a few years ago when they sold it. In the Swiss tradition, ownership of the family farm is passed down to the youngest son, when the parents grow old. The parents move to the Stückli, the "Mother-in-law" little house near the farm for the rest of their days.
Ernst and Kätie only had one son, and he could not find a woman who wanted to live with him up on the mountain. Apparently, he got so disparaged that he committed suicide, leaving them with the care of the farm. They kept the farm for as long as they were able, and then moved to the Stückli, and sold the farm. Ernst passed away in the past few years, leaving her. It's kinda sad, really.
Anyway, the roads are a bit uncertain, and we don't have a 4wd vehicle (I think we're lucky to have 4 cylinders) so she is coming down the mountain in her 4wd car/truck/whatever. She's 80 some odd years old, and still quite vivacious. Last time we were here in 98, she was in her 70's, and we went hiking with her. She left us panting in the dust. She said that she was expecting a shipment of heating wood in tomorrow so she was going to be stacking wood all tomorrow, but she will reschedule to come see us. Amazing woman. We're kinda torn between making her come down the mountain in her 4wd to come get us and not seeing her at all. I think it would be in poorer taste to not see her now that she knows we're here, just 10 km away. She seems pretty excited to have visitors.
Sat 07 Jan 2006 12:54:50 AM CET
After dinner, I went out walking a bit further north in town. Once the moon went down, the skies were absolutely gorgeous. I even saw a shooting star, and what I am assuming was the Northern Lights, but I could be wrong.
In the other part of the hotel, there was a band playing tonight. I stopped in and saw them for 12 CHF and had a beer for 5 CHF. The were called the Tornadoes, and on the wall was a promotional poster. It said: Tornadoes: Die Partie Band! They were actually pretty good, for a swiss cover band. Among the songs I heard:
Living on Tulsa Time (Pronounced Tool-saw)
West Virginia
Rock around the Clock
Blueberry Hill
There was a dance floor and there were some couples dancing. Polka and jitterbug, mainly. They were pretty good. If you could mute all the sounds, you would have sworn you were in Texas. You had your preppy beautiful-people table, your bitter 35-ish poker night widows, your crowd of young punks, and even a few lesbians. I guess the world is a pretty small place.
Monday, January 02, 2006
SauerKraut
to borrow a phrase from Weird Al's song "Albequerque,"
I HATE SAUERKRAUT!!!
It is a German tradition to eat sauerkraut for new years, sort of the same tradition as Black Eyed Peas, so I partook. They didn't tell me that the American diet doesn't prepare your intestines at ALL for the mayhem which ensues. The Sauerkraut was very good, but I guess it was too good, because I had too much... Seriously, 2006 got off to a very painful start. From 9 in the morning until 9 at night, I was in various states of agony.
After a night of pretty bad sleep, I felt much better. Rather weak, because I hadn't been able to eat anything the previous day.
I'm getting better at the whole driving of a standard transmission. I drove from Ottersheim to 3/4 the way to Basel with basically no problems. On the Autobahn, I drove 160 kmph for a little bit. That's right, my American friends, 100 mph!
European drivers seem to have no respect for the speed limit. I mean, even more so than American drivers. We usually go 5-10 mph over. Europeans go easily 20-30 kmph over the speed limit. I think it's probably because you never see Police cars. I've only seen one Polizei car during my entire trip here. They probably don't enforce speed limits very much here.
We just got back from a whirlwind trip of Germany. We spent a night in Colmar in Alsace in France. A.k.a. Little Venice b/c there is a river going through town. Very pretty. Apparently, there was quite a heavy german resistance during WWII. The american General wanted to call in an airstrike and level the town. The french general convinced him not to because of the historical importance. Saving the town through house-to-house fighting cost over 2000 american lives... Beauty and freedom has a price, I guess.
Colmar is the birthplace of Frederic Bartholdi, the architect who designed the statue of liberty. When we were leaving the town to go to Straussburg, there was a miniature (well, still rather large) model of the statue of liberty. I took pictures.
We went to Straussburg the next day. Very old, very huge cathedral. It was started in the 1190's... not finished until the 1700's...
Went to Ottershiem for a few days to spend time with my aunt and uncle there. Also saw my cousin's kids again. I taught Ricky how to play Spit.
Spent New Years with Tillmann and company. Had fun playing with their dog Jula. She's a giant dog, but an attention sponge.
After eating new years' eve dinner (including sauerkraut) and watching Dinner for One with the Schwabes, Tillmann and I went to Christoph's for a New Years Eve party, where I ate more sauerkraut. God, even thinking about sauerkraut makes my stomach churn right now.
When the clock struck midnight, we all went outside to watch the fireworks. I swear, New Years in Germany must be the most dangerous place in the world. It's like a war zone here. EVERYONE buys fireworks! And not just a few, but armloads! The streets are littered with burnt out bottle rockets the next day.
I HATE SAUERKRAUT!!!
It is a German tradition to eat sauerkraut for new years, sort of the same tradition as Black Eyed Peas, so I partook. They didn't tell me that the American diet doesn't prepare your intestines at ALL for the mayhem which ensues. The Sauerkraut was very good, but I guess it was too good, because I had too much... Seriously, 2006 got off to a very painful start. From 9 in the morning until 9 at night, I was in various states of agony.
After a night of pretty bad sleep, I felt much better. Rather weak, because I hadn't been able to eat anything the previous day.
I'm getting better at the whole driving of a standard transmission. I drove from Ottersheim to 3/4 the way to Basel with basically no problems. On the Autobahn, I drove 160 kmph for a little bit. That's right, my American friends, 100 mph!
European drivers seem to have no respect for the speed limit. I mean, even more so than American drivers. We usually go 5-10 mph over. Europeans go easily 20-30 kmph over the speed limit. I think it's probably because you never see Police cars. I've only seen one Polizei car during my entire trip here. They probably don't enforce speed limits very much here.
We just got back from a whirlwind trip of Germany. We spent a night in Colmar in Alsace in France. A.k.a. Little Venice b/c there is a river going through town. Very pretty. Apparently, there was quite a heavy german resistance during WWII. The american General wanted to call in an airstrike and level the town. The french general convinced him not to because of the historical importance. Saving the town through house-to-house fighting cost over 2000 american lives... Beauty and freedom has a price, I guess.
Colmar is the birthplace of Frederic Bartholdi, the architect who designed the statue of liberty. When we were leaving the town to go to Straussburg, there was a miniature (well, still rather large) model of the statue of liberty. I took pictures.
We went to Straussburg the next day. Very old, very huge cathedral. It was started in the 1190's... not finished until the 1700's...
Went to Ottershiem for a few days to spend time with my aunt and uncle there. Also saw my cousin's kids again. I taught Ricky how to play Spit.
Spent New Years with Tillmann and company. Had fun playing with their dog Jula. She's a giant dog, but an attention sponge.
After eating new years' eve dinner (including sauerkraut) and watching Dinner for One with the Schwabes, Tillmann and I went to Christoph's for a New Years Eve party, where I ate more sauerkraut. God, even thinking about sauerkraut makes my stomach churn right now.
When the clock struck midnight, we all went outside to watch the fireworks. I swear, New Years in Germany must be the most dangerous place in the world. It's like a war zone here. EVERYONE buys fireworks! And not just a few, but armloads! The streets are littered with burnt out bottle rockets the next day.
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Don't eat the yellow snow....
Went hiking in the foothills yesterday. It was high and cold enough to support some snow, and wow.... it was amazing. Exactly what I picture a "winter wonderland" like. We borrowed some sled from my uncle and clambered up the hill for about a half mile or so to a restaurant on the top of the hill. We had to dodge some skiers who were coming down the mountain. I had a bottle of cider at the top. It was very good, not as sweet as some of the ciders we have stateside.
We sledded the entire way down. We (my cousin, Mandy, and I) stopped about half way down to have a snowball fight. I am happy to report that although Mandy had been talking smack the entire trip about how she was going to beat me in a snowball fight, she's all talk and no game. I trounced her quite handily and rubbed snow in her face for good measure. It was lots of fun.
Along the path, there were small patches of yellow snow. I only saw 4 or 5 dogs the entire trip. Seriously, like every 20 yards or so. I guess it was good because you knew which areas of the snow to avoid.
Once we were back at my Aunt/Uncle's house, we had dinner (pork chops, noodles, and some sort of mushroom sauce). After dinner, my uncle and cousin taught us how to play Jass (pronounced "Yah-suh"). It's like 42 or pitch, but on crack. It was very interesting. I wouldn't mind playing some more, but you need a special deck.
We're going to Alsace today, although it's taking forever for us to get moving. My mom has spent 3 hours looking for her power converter for her curling iron.
We sledded the entire way down. We (my cousin, Mandy, and I) stopped about half way down to have a snowball fight. I am happy to report that although Mandy had been talking smack the entire trip about how she was going to beat me in a snowball fight, she's all talk and no game. I trounced her quite handily and rubbed snow in her face for good measure. It was lots of fun.
Along the path, there were small patches of yellow snow. I only saw 4 or 5 dogs the entire trip. Seriously, like every 20 yards or so. I guess it was good because you knew which areas of the snow to avoid.
Once we were back at my Aunt/Uncle's house, we had dinner (pork chops, noodles, and some sort of mushroom sauce). After dinner, my uncle and cousin taught us how to play Jass (pronounced "Yah-suh"). It's like 42 or pitch, but on crack. It was very interesting. I wouldn't mind playing some more, but you need a special deck.
We're going to Alsace today, although it's taking forever for us to get moving. My mom has spent 3 hours looking for her power converter for her curling iron.
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