Friday Funny

Actually, I'm not sure this is truly funny. It's what Dad used to do, in another life, and I always thought perhaps his job is one of the reasons I like to climb, but you would NEVER catch me doing this, with or without a lifeline!

Tweet

Hot Tamale!

I had perhaps the best burrito I've ever eaten in my life last week, and having grown up in New Mexico, that's saying a lot.

Bunnies, raccoons and grasshoppers pretty much decimated my garden this year, so plans are in the works for a raised and caged garden next year, perhaps surrounded by and interspersed with marigolds. I think I've also come across a secret weapon of sorts.

When transplanting my seedlings, I accidentally surrounded one tomato plant with Seranno and cayenne peppers. That tomato plant, along with all the peppers, is about the only thing that survived my uninvited and apparently hungry critters.

Both The Lizard and I could eat food from south of the border every day of the week, so I may intentionally surround all of next year's seedlings with habaneros, Anaheims, cayennes, poblanos and Serannos. I don't think we'll have a problem using all the hotness.

I planted 30 red onions; about six have survived. (Did you know rabbits and raccoons apparently like raw onions? I sure didn't!) Last week I noticed two Serranos were ready, so I plucked one of the onions. We had to buy tomatoes from the local farmers market because mine aren't ready yet (and with much cooler nights now, they may not ripen by themselves). I used the cilantro I grew in my kitchen window. The flavor of the resulting pico de gallo was out of this world. It truly does make a difference when you use fresh veggies!

My recipe probably isn't any different than anything anyone else has published, but this was so delicious, I'm sharing. Wish I could offer you a dish of actual salsa instead of just this electronic sentiment, but, well, we ate it all. There is none left!

* * *

Snowcatcher's Pico de Gallo

2 fresh peppers, diced (I like Seranno best)
3 fresh vine-ripened tomatoes, diced
1 fresh red onion, diced
2 teaspoons fresh cilantro, shredded
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
sea salt to taste

Mix all ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Allow to set for 10 or 15 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Enjoy with chips, or top a burrito! Refrigerate leftovers, if you have any. Onions sometimes grow hotter and more flavorful after 24 hours of refrigeration. Yum!

* * *

With all the cycling we do, we don't always have time to cook. So we typically make a couple of dishes on the weekends we can store and then enjoy as leftovers during the week. One of our favorite meals is our homemade burrito bar. So here's what we stash in individual airtight containers and keep in the fridge almost all the time, specifically for that purpose:

1 baked chicken, deboned and shredded
2 or 3 ears of fresh corn, shaved from the cob
1 can of black beans
1 bowl of Snowcatcher's pico de gallo
2 or 3 cups of brown rice, cooked as directed
1 bag of shredded Mexican cheese
1 bottle of La Estrellita hot green vegetarian chile
1 pint of sour cream
whole wheat tortillas
fresh baby spinach

I season the corn and/or rice with cilantro, cayenne pepper, dried onions and sometimes a touch of garlic and/or fresh basil. We heat a tortilla briefly so it will roll easier without breaking, then spoon on some rice, chicken, beans, corn and salsa. We roll the tortilla, then cover it with La Estrellita sauce, which is the best store-bought stuff I've found. Any enchilada sauce or salsa will work, but we like this one and 505 the best, and I'm extremely picky! We cover the burrito with a layer of cheese, then warm The Whole Enchilada (sorry, I couldn't resist that) until the cheese melts. Top with a couple small scoops of sour cream, garnish with baby spinach, and voila! You'll never again be satisfied with Taco Bell!

Of course, the fun part is you can add or subtract ingredients according to mood or craving. Some nights I go meatless, some nights The Lizard wants REAL meat (beef or pork). Some nights we do without the sour cream. And sometimes we go wild with cheese. You can even do this naked! (I'll bet you weren't thinking sans tortilla!)

Tweet

Wordless Wednesday

Tweet

A Few of My Favorite Things

A few weeks ago, I was mourning the loss of the Rocky Mountain Balloon Festival shortly after learning one of my favorite fields of wild sunflowers had been mowed. Tears nearly ensued.

"Patience is a remedy for every sorrow." — Publius Syrus, 42 B.C. (42 B.C.!!!)

We decided to take a sunrise bike ride on Labor Day because there isn't enough daylight for me to commute to work and back via bicycle these days. We thought the sunrise would be the best photos of the day. We were wrong.

We found a small patch of wild sunflowers, so of course I had to lay down my bike and shoot away. Then the most amazing thing happened. First one balloon went up, and then a second.

I got my sunflowers and my balloons, both via bicycle!

I was going to use these for Wordless Wednesday, but I thought it might be more fun to share the story behind the photos, demonstrate an exercise in depth of field and hope my lucky stars might provide something equally as photogenic for Wednesday. (fingers and toes crossed, stay tuned)

Depth of field, or the amount of focus between the main subject and the background, is controlled by the aperture, the adjustable leaf opening inside the lens. Big openings (small numbers) will cause the background to be less focused, drawing attention to your subject and minimizing distractions. (This also relates to bokeh, which is a term describing the appearance of out-of-focus background highlights. Good bokeh means soothing or interesting shapes enhance or dramatize the main subject; bad bokeh means the eye is confused and doesn't know where to look because way too much is going on inside the picture. But bokeh is a topic of a different lesson on another day.) Small aperture openings (big numbers) allow detail to remain more recognizable in the background.

The blurrier balloons and Lizard are shot with a fast shutter speed and wide open aperture, such as 500th of a second at F11 (which actually isn't that wide, but we were in bright sunlight, and I was using a medium telephoto on a macro setting, both of which affect depth of field as well). The better-defined balloons and Lizard are shot with a slower shutter speed and the aperture as small as I could get it, in this case 60th of a second at F32. Can you see why camera settings can help or hurt what you're trying to achieve? And why I'm such a huge fan of manually setting my controls?

Tweet

Snowflake Monday

The Lizard named this snowflake. He was inspired by a big storm we experienced last spring. He calls this the Big Heavy Wet Flake. I like it!

This is another of my flake patterns that can be more than one flake. You may end off on just about any row to make a smaller flake. I'm including the two-row and four-row versions here.

You may do whatever you'd like with snowflakes you make from this pattern, but you may not sell the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!


Finished Size: 6.5 inches from point to point, full-sized, all nine rows
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, size 11 crochet hook, empty pizza box, wax paper or plastic wrap, cellophane tape, glue, water, glitter, small container for glue/water mixture, paintbrush, stick pins that won't be used later for sewing, clear thread or fishing line

Big Heavy Wet Snowflake Instructions

Ch 4, sl st into 1st ch OR make magic ring.

Round 1: 12 sc in ring, sl st in starting sc. Pull magic circle tight, but leave opening big enough to allow stitches inside it to lay flat.


Round 2: Sc in same st, * ch 2, [dc in next sc, ch 3, dc in same sc] (V-stitch made), ch 2, sc in next sc; repeat from * around 5 times, ending with sl st in starting sc on final repeat instead of final sc. For the tiny flake, bind off here and weave in ends. For larger flakes, do not bind off. Keep going.

Round 3: Sc in same sc, * ch 3, [dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, dc in same ch 3 sp] (V-stitch made), ch 3, sc in next sc; repeat from * around 5 times, ending with sl st in starting sc on final repeat instead of final sc.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.

Round 4: Sc in same sc, * ch 4, in top of next V-stitch work dc, ch 3, dc, ch 3, dc, ch 4, sc in next sc; repeat from * around 5 times, ending with sl st in starting sc on final repeat instead of final sc. For medium-sized flake, bind off here and weave in ends. For largest flake, do not bind off. Keep going.

Round 5: Sc in same sc, * ch 5, in next ch 3 sp work [dc, ch 3, dc; ch 3] (V-stitch made); in next ch 3 sp work [dc, ch 3, dc] (V-stitch made); ch 5, sc in next sc; repeat from * around 5 times, ending with sl st in starting sc on final repeat instead of final sc.

Round 6: Ch 11 (counts as 1 dc and ch 8), * between next two V-stitches work [dc, ch 3, dc] (V-stitch made), ch 8, dc in next sc; repeat from * around 5 times, ending with sl st in 3rd ch of ch 11 on final repeat instead of final dc.

Round 7: Ch 9 (counts as 1 dc and ch 6), * in top of next V-stitch work [1 dc, ch 3, 1 dc, ch 3, 1 dc]; ch 6, dc in next dc; repeat from * around 5 times, ending with sl st in 3rd ch of ch 9 on final repeat instead of final dc.


Round 8: Ch 10 (counts as 1 dc and ch 7) * work V-stitch into next ch 3 sp, ch 5, work V-stitch into next ch 3 sp, ch 7, dc in next dc; repeat from * around 5 times, ending with sl st in 3rd ch of ch 10 on final repeat instead of final dc.

Round 9: Ch 9 (counts as 1 dc and ch 6), * work V-stitch in top of next V-stitch, ch 3, in ch 5 sp work [tr, ch 3, dtr, ch 3, dtr, ch 3, tr, ch 3]; work V-stitch in top of next V-stitch, ch 6, dc in next dc; repeat from * around 5 times, ending with sl st in 3rd ch of ch 9 on final repeat instead of final dc; bind off. Weave in ends.

Finish: Tape wax paper or foil to top of empty pizza box. Pin snowflake to box on top of wax paper or plastic wrap.

Mix a few drops of water with a teaspoon of glue in small washable container. Paint snowflake with glue mixture. Sprinkle lightly with glitter. Wash paintbrush and container thoroughly. Allow snowflake to dry at least 24 hours. Remove pins. Gently peel snowflake from wax paper or plastic wrap. Attach 10-inch clear thread to one spoke, weaving in end. Wrap fishing line around tree branch (or tape to ceiling or any overhead surface) and watch the snowflake twirl freely whenever you walk by! Snowflake also may be taped to window or tied to doorknob or cabinet handle.

Tweet

Treasures

This time, something I made was featured in a Treasury! Multiple sclerosis is a cause near and dear to my heart, so I'm sharing this Treasury. Thank you, plain2pretty for putting together this awesome Treasury!

Tweet

Friday Funny

Yet more sock love...

Tweet

Second Sock Syndrome

SSS means so many different things, an entire Wiki page is dedicated to the acronym. My personal listed favorite is Sun, Sand and Surf, but that might be because I’m trapped at a desk in a cubicle, far from fresh air and all things fun.

Years ago, a letter might end with SSS, meaning Sorry So Short. Short is the preferred way of communicating these days, and no one’s apologizing for it. This particular acronym hasn’t translated into texting and tweeting. Nor has its evil twin, Sorry So Sloppy.

Of course, it also stands for my favorite mosquito repellent, Avon’s Skin So Soft.

Surprisingly, one of the most common current uses of the Triple S isn’t even listed on the Wikipedia page. Second Sock Syndrome truly hasn’t infected me. Yet. I’m plugging away, one sock at a time, and still not tired of making foot coverings with small hooks, thin needles and skinny yarn.

Look up SSS on Ravelry, though, and you’re going to find plenty of knitters desperately seeking a cure.

Second Sock Syndrome means one sock's done, the second one is boring, and the needleworker can’t, doesn’t or won’t finish it.

Or, heaven forbid, the crafter ran out of yarn, purchased at tremendous discount because it was discontinued, and there is no more of that exact color anywhere on earth.

A tiny bit of research turns up a few interesting ways of treating this disturbing ailment, provided adequate yarn is available. Knit two socks at once. Knit the second sock first but don’t finish it, then knit the first sock, and then go back and finish the second sock. The best remedy I found was to rename the first sock Golf Club Cover and leave it at that; problem solved!

There's even a woman you can pay to finish that second sock for you. (Scroll down on linked page to find out more.)

Maybe crocheting socks instead of knitting them is a cure; I haven’t run across many sock crocheters afflicted with this frustrating condition. Of course, I haven’t met many sock crocheters.

When I finished my first pair of crocheted socks, I set out with a goal to make 11 more pairs as gifts for close family and friends of the female persuasion. The number kept growing as I thought of potential recipients I’d inadvertently left off my list, but I didn’t mind because I still enjoy the process, from combing the planet for sock yarn bargains to weaving in the ends after completing a sock.

I’m now up to 32 socks. (Insert 32 exclamation points here.) Here we go with exclamation points again... That’s pretty darned thrilling, and I tend to get carried away illustrating exclamation point excitement.

That said, I do have in my stack two unmatched handmade socks. But not because I’m bored.

After finishing my first pair of monster socks, in which I used sock leftovers to make stripes in a black pair of socks, I was so enamored, I wanted to immediately make another pair. Only one problem. I didn’t have enough leftovers.

But I couldn’t resist. So I started one more monster sock. I finished one monster sock. I ran out of leftovers. So I started another pair of socks, primarily to get yellow leftovers.

I got the yellow I needed using ONline's “butterfly color” in the next sock. The sock doesn’t look very much like a butterfly, and I’m not sure I like it. I’m not sure I’d wear it. So it might actually become a golf club cover.

Instead of finishing the second monster sock, I had to make a pair of purple socks because lavender was blooming like crazy all over the place. I wanted to finish the socks while I could still get pictures of them with the flowers, and getting the socks too close to such heavenly smelling blossoms was an unplanned benefit.

A yarn shop announced it was going out of business. I seriously fell to temptation. One of the skeins was so luxuriously soft and harmonized so well with yarn I already had, I began yet another pair. This pair suffered from neglect for a while because I wasn’t sure I would have enough of the gray to finish. I decided to shorten the ankle and cuff instead of trying to hunt down one more skein of gray that most likely would not be on sale anywhere else. As it turned out, the second sock had a 16-inch gray tail when done. Now that’s cutting it close! Mission accomplished, and didn’t have to buy more yarn to finish this pair.

Meanwhile, a package of yarn came in the mail… Ooooooooh la la! A new favorite! I began working on the Regia Mosaik pair immediately, before even finishing that previous By the Hair of My Shinny Shin Shin pair. I’m not the only one who loves this new yarn. You know a sock is beautiful when you get 15-20 comments a day on public transportation: “That’s BEAUTIFUL! What are you making?”

Hmmm. Shinny Shin Shin. Is that yet another Triple S?

Now I’m ready to start another pair of socks. I’m not ready to go back to the butterfly sock yet, and I want to build up a few more leftovers before I finish the second pair of monster socks. So I guess there is a bit of Second Sock Syndrome in my yarn basket. But just a touch...

Oh, here’s another Triple S they left off the Wiki list... Scrumptious Strawberry Sundae. I’ve got to have some strawberry-hued yarn in my stash somewhere!

Tweet

Wordless Wednesday

Tweet

For Dad

Back in June, I bought a fancy schmancy Ride the Rockies polo shirt for my dad for his birthday. It was made out of the same fabric they use for cycling jerseys, so he could stay cool in summer while working in his yard, and he could stay warm in winter while working on his kitbash projects.

I mailed it to him three weeks early. I screwed up. I trusted regular mail. I did not use tracking. Or first class. I should have.

Here it is, four months later, and my dad still hasn't received his birthday present.

So Dad, it's not much of a substitute, but here's a replacement gift. I found this in the most unlikely place. Nestled away in the Mountain Biking Hall of Fame in Crested Butte. During a thunderstorm. I wiled away the lightning bolts while snapping these photos for you.

My dad, an avid model railroader, has loved trains since he was a tot. His dad, my grandpa, gave him a train set for Christmas in 1945, and in 1951, a neighbor arranged for him to ride a real train. My dad has been hooked ever since. He blogs about his projects and even asks my opinion on photography and blog layout every now and then. It's been a lot of fun and bonding, both my dad and me sort of publishing our own electronic newspapers together.

Happy belated birthday, Dad!

Tweet

Snowflake Monday

This is A Snowflake for Jaden.

You may do whatever you'd like with snowflakes you make from this pattern, but you may not sell the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!
Finished Size: 4.25 inches from point to point
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, size 11 crochet hook, empty pizza box, wax paper or foil, cellophane tape, glue, water, glitter, small container for glue/water mixture, paintbrush, stick pins that won't be used later for sewing, clear thread or fishing line

A Snowflake for Jaden Instructions

Make magic ring.

Round 1: *Sc in ring, ch 10; repeat 5 times for a total of 6 petals, sl st in starting sc. Do not pull magic circle too tight.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.

Round 2: *3 sc in next ch 10 loop, 3 hdc in ch 10 loop, 3 dc in ch 10 loop, ch 7, sc in 5th ch from hook, ch 7, sl st in sc, ch 5, sl st in sc, ch 2 (picot tip made) 3 dc in ch 10 loop, 3 hdc in ch 10 loop, 3 sc in ch 10 loop; repeat from * around 5 times; sl st in starting sc; bind off. Weave in ends.

Finish: Tape wax paper or foil to top of empty pizza box. Pin snowflake to box on top of wax paper or foil.

Mix a few drops of water with a teaspoon of glue in small washable container. Paint snowflake with glue mixture. Sprinkle lightly with glitter. Wash paintbrush and container thoroughly. Allow snowflake to dry at least 24 hours. Remove pins. Gently peel snowflake from wax paper or foil. Attach 10-inch clear thread to one spoke, weaving in end. Wrap fishing line around tree branch (or tape to ceiling or any overhead surface) and watch the snowflake twirl freely whenever you walk by! Snowflake also may be taped to window or tied to doorknob or cabinet handle.

Tweet

Lizard Love

You knew this was coming, right?!?

Tweet

Friday Funny

I'm still sock-brained...

Tweet

Apples and Oranges

This is one of several videos shot during the first ever Pikes Peak hill climb by a rider who goes by the moniker of 99SevenTi. He pointed out on YouTube that this video is NOT in slow motion, and I can attest to that! The grade was steep, and that's a muted voice of the wind you hear pounding on the camera.

I thought riding Mount Evans would be the best training to prepare for my ride up Pikes Peak. In retrospect, it would have been better if I had gone up Mount Evans four or five times the week before Pikes Peak, but working stiffs don't always get as much time to play — I mean train — as they need. Fresh off my Pikes Peak ride, I've begun to contemplate some significant differences between Colorado's two 14ers with paved roads. Because Pikes Peak isn’t familiar cycling territory for more than about 300 (legal) cyclists, I'll share my thoughts. First, allow me to clarify "legal" cyclists. The paved road on Pikes Peak has been closed to cyclists for next to forever. The 2000 Pikes Peak Mountain Bike Challenge was a sanctioned race — not a ride open to the general public — on only the top 12 miles of the mountain, not the 24.5-mile climb undertaken by a few brave souls last weekend.



However, word has it a few even braver souls have climbed the mountain on the road on road bikes and even — choke, choke — fixed gear bikes. At night. With headlights. After the gates have closed. Extreme poaching. So there are people out there who know what the Pikes Peak highway is like, but they certainly aren’t publishing any details in public places. The biggest difference between Mount Evans and Pikes Peak, having done both now, is Pikes Peak feels much more difficult. Starting from Manitou Springs, you gain 7,800 vertical feet in 24.5 miles to the top of Pikes Peak. Starting from Idaho Springs, you gain 6,575 vertical feet in 27.4 miles to the top of Mount Evans.

To me, Pikes Peak truly was more difficult. It seemed much steeper than Mount Evans. The second-biggest difference, of course, is road condition. Mount Evans is literally littered with treacherous freeze cracks, sink holes and pavement buckles from the Mount Goliath Nature Center to the top. If you're lucky, you might see a marmot popping his head out of one of the many holes in the pavement as you make your way up the mountain. Just don't hit the hole with your front wheel.

Pikes Peak, on the other hand, is paved and beautifully maintained. There is a 2.5-mile dirt section, but only a short part of that, approximately 30 feet, right before Glen Cove, compares to the bumpy ride you get on Mount Evans.

On a windless day, descending Pikes Peak on a road bike would be a total hoot for roadies. 24.5 miles of screaming downhill. One mile of the dirt section is scheduled to be paved in 2011, and the rest is to be completed in 2012.

Riding down Mount Evans will rattle your brains and your bike, and if you're not careful, you’re going to need new rims before the day is done.

Road cyclists can train on Mount Evans. That's not allowed on Pikes Peak.

A commercial shuttle service will take you and a rental mountain bike to the summit of Pikes Peak, and you can ride down the Barr Trail. Or you can take your own bike up on the cog train and bike down the Barr Trail. But you cannot ride a road bike on Pikes Peak. Unless you sign up for the Assault on the Peak. (August 28, 2011 for those interested.) It's $10 for a three-day vehicle pass on Mount Evans; $3 for a bike. Pikes Peak is $25 per car.

Personally, I buy an Eagle Pass to the tune of $75 every year because I'm a National Park buff, and that gets me (and a guest if we’re cycling) up Mount Evans all year long. (Also works for the Maroon Bells road, in case you need to know.)

You can take a commercial mountain bike tour down Pikes Peak, but not on Evans, which is a wilderness area. No mountain bikes allowed.



Aesthetically, Mount Evans kicks butt and takes prisoners. It has wildflowers, waterfalls, marmots, picas, ptarmigans, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, deer, elk, coyotes, foxes, rabbits... and cyclists. Pikes Peak has pink rock. Lots of pink rock. And then more pink rock. There are tufts of grass here and there during summer, and the summit views may rival Evans just because it feels like you can see further. Basically, though, above treeline on Pikes Peak looks like the moon. Or maybe Mars. It's a harsh environment.

Pikes Peak wins hands down in the insect category. Thirty-mile-per-hour winds last weekend kept the biting flies at bay. Typically, though, the summit is a haven for the annoying critters. Mount Evans proudly has no such infestation.

Best of all, of course, is Pikes Peak is closed to traffic during the Assault on the Peak. Mount Evans is closed during the annual Bob Cook Memorial Hill Climb, but when you're training on it, you MUST be wary of tourists who may or may not be suffering from varying degrees of altitude sickness. As well as the visitors who’ve never seen a mountain goat and unpredictably stop or turn with no regard to anyone else on the road because they just have to get a photo.

Of course, all of this is compounded if you are having altitude sickness, too.

There are two gift shops on Pikes Peak where you can buy food or drink. You may be able to fill water bottles there, too. During the Assault on the Peak, there are four rest stops where you can fill up.

On Mount Evans, you’re on your own. There is no water unless you bring a purifier. Or unless you trust a kind tourist. Sometimes rangers at the top have water to give anyone who makes it that far, whether by vehicle, by foot or by bike, but you cannot count on that. You MUST carry enough to get you up and down.

Oh, I’ve seen a guy trying to go up Mount Evans on a skateboard. I doubt that’s ever going to happen on Pikes Peak.



I've compared apples and oranges; let's throw in a peach or two.

Up until last weekend, my most difficult ride ever was Day 4 of the 2010 Ride the Rockies. Ouray to Durango. 75 miles. 7,250 or so feet in elevation gain. Headwinds as bad as what I encountered last weekend on Pikes Peak. And all on a zooming but unfamiliar demo women-specific Trek Madone. Pikes Peak was MUCH more difficult, to me. It felt longer than RtR Day 4, probably in part because you get very few breaks during all that elevation gain, and the total elevation gain is not only more significant, but 2,000 feet higher.

From Ouray to Durango, you cross three mountain passes, which means you get three fun descents. Unless, of course, you're pedaling into a headwind. The road is very narrow, sometimes mortifyingly, and it won't be closed to vehicles while you're riding it. Well, unless you're trying to ski it during a winter avalanche closure, and then you have to contend with all that snow.

I've never done the Triple Bypass, but I'm married to someone who does it every year and will tell you with a glimmer in his eye it's the best Ride That is Not a Race ever. With Swan Mountain now in the mix, you get the equivalent of four mountain passes, none of which tops much more than 12,000 feet, but it takes 120 miles and 10,310 feet in elevation gain to do them all, and you have some really sweet downhills. If you aren’t battling a headwind.

Many will tell you the short portion that rides right along I-70 is the most hair-raising experience they've ever encountered in their life. The route from Evergreen to Avon is in fairly good condition, but the road portions can be extremely vehicle congested. The bike paths near Breckenridge, Frisco and Vail are the saving grace, but watch out for recreational riders and hikers. You also have plenty of places along the way to replenish food and beverage.

Doing the route in reverse, however, will give you a rough landing as you descend into Evergreen. The road from Juniper Pass into Evergreen is another one I don’t like to do on a road bike. I like my rims in their current circular shape; descending via Bergen Park is likely to reshape them if I take my eyes off the road for even a split second.

All this fruity talk of biking mountains and passes has made me hungry. How about you?

Tweet

Wordless Wednesday

Tweet