Monthly Archives: August 2011

The NYS thruway is open and you can see the flood marks on the roadside foliage. Man, in some places the water was 3-4 ft over road surface! # The still-intact powerline kills me. “@jenwdragon: #Catskills house teeters on edge … Continue reading

Orange County NY (home!) is effectively cut off from northern NJ (work!) by flooded/washed out roads and other closures. extended vacation? # if someone is indignant that the hurricane didn't hurt them, smack them with science: the noaa river gauge … Continue reading

Have procrastinated from peeling peaches for a couple of hours by reading canning/pickling cookbooks. I may press @mikegrundy into service. # Canning peaches. I have 33 lbs to process and still some left for jam! However I am doing everything … Continue reading

Success! Got a bushel of freestone peaches to keep me busy tomorrow while it rains and rains and rains. # Powered by Twitter Tools

Oh pants: this is our DelMarVa penninsula evacuation traffic: #HurricaneIrene http://t.co/a2Yeha6 # Made it home and unpacked the car, and even did a load of laundry! Tomorrow we batten hatches and buy up all peaches we can find. # Powered … Continue reading

Earthquake! We felt this one fm Assateague Island MD: http://t.co/Jgokjiz # If you're going to have an earthquake I recommend doing it here: http://t.co/qvtCeRO # Powered by Twitter Tools

Beach! http://t.co/Y5mbIOp # Powered by Twitter Tools

On our way to the beach! Small car camping FTW! (note: car top carrier and foot locker strapped on) http://t.co/Py93Atm # "Jesus recycles people, we recycle cars" http://t.co/JqZvufT # Powered by Twitter Tools

When all I'm buying at 1130pm is cat food and lots of snacks I appreciate that the man w the gallon of ice cream + a cream pie can't judge. # Powered by Twitter Tools

I hope to hannah (um, sorry @hehardy) that my mascara is what's making my eyes so intolerant of my contacts over the last couple of days. # Powered by Twitter Tools

ugh, I am so horrified to learn that NYS doesn't require sex education. http://t.co/pZhA4HR # off to the beach next week but first large qtys of pickle making/canning + construction of chuck wagon must happen. #typicalvacationschedule # RT @amandapalmer for … Continue reading

Tea and deliciousness

One of the huge perks of working from home is fixing tea and drinking it all day long.

20110812-102736.jpg

Another huge perk is enjoying said tea hot out of a tea cosy handmade by shawneemonkey, and whitened with fresh sorta-local non-homogenized-yet-pasteurized milk bought straight from the farmer at Duncan’s Dairy Farm. And the icing on this cake of perks? the cherry on the sundae of wonderfulness that is today? Mike is working from home today, and even though we’re both noses-to-grindstones it’s so nice to be at home together.

Ride to work week

I’ve had a really good run this week – I’ve ridden in to the office every day. There’s been huge thunderstorms but I’ve lucked out and only gotten wet on Monday (the day I forgot my rain jacket). You may have noticed some tweets republished in this space regarding my  huge stinkiness because of a gas spill. That was Tuesday. The latch on the gas nozzle got stuck and I sprayed gasoline all over before I could get it shut off. And that inclues all over ME. ugh. I had to hang my clothes in the back room to avoid off-gassing myself (and my poor colleagues) to death.

Tuesday, though, I was sure it was going to pour and storm on me all the way home – my big dilemma was: do I put on the rain jacket over my nasty stinky gas laden clothes? Or rub dish soap all over my motorcycle jacket and *hope* for rain? I lucked out then, too. The storms passed by and I was able to ride home on nearly dry roads. And then I swapped into my 2nd motorcycle jacket for the rest of the week while the gas slowly evaporated.

and I did find a butterfly on my bike as I was leaving.

20110811-053101.jpg

20110811-053114.jpg

Of course today when I walked into the office with my dress hanging out below my motorcycle jacket I was a huge hit. Everyone laughed. I made the hardest laugher take my picture:

When I ride the skirt flaps in the wind behind me. I think I should get a tulle tutu. Adorabs!

Tomorrow I’m working from home, so I won’t hit 5 days on my commute, but you know, I’m pretty happy to work from home, so that’s ok.

Pickles ‘n Fritters

20110810-033330.jpg

Made 6-pints of spicy dill sandwich pickles from The Joy of Pickling this week. it’s been ages since I’ve canned anything (OK, since last year) and I’m pleased to report that the washing/warming/boiling/jarring/canning/sealing bits all flowed together without any surprises. Maybe after about 5 years of doing this I’ve finally got the hang of it…

We had gotten dill from our CSA a month or so ago, and it was sadly out of sync with the cucumbers – so I froze a few heads of the dill and used them in the pickles. It seemed to work just fine, I am not sure how they will turn out but I can’t wait to try them. Homemade pickles are, potentially, my favorite thing in the entire world. Potentially.

 

20110810-033408.jpg

Last night Mike and I had zucchini and corn fritters. Instead of grating we jullienned (any excuse to use our awesome OXO Mandoline – it’s super affordable and works so so well. It makes pickling things seem so much easier!), and instead of scallion and cilantro we put in garlic and rosemary. Shown with delicious sriracha sauce.

I still have more pickling plans: green beans and cauliflower are next up, as is kohlrabi-in-lieu-of-radish. All I really need is 4 hours more every night and I’ll be totally caught up on my preserving.

O managed to get gas all over me filling up this morning. This is why I shouldn't fill up until AFTER WORK. # This is going to be a long stinky day. I am a walking toxic smellfest. # Um … Continue reading

things I should do: complete jarring my cuke pickles. things I can't stop doing: eating italian bread, mayo, and tomatoes. SO DELICIOUS. # Powered by Twitter Tools

extra tired this AM – bailed on run so pretending like lots of crunches are just as good. will run later. at little dudes football practice. # “Our children are not our masterpieces.” from How to Land Your Kid in … Continue reading

dayjob irony: "[drafter,] don't accuse someone of being lazy when you're sitting at your desk reading the news instead of doing your job." # Powered by Twitter Tools