Digital Cookery in Our Old House

It was time for an update in the kitchen, and Lakebrook appliance store downtown Madison had the answer, a new LG stove that offers an easier, more efficient, and more variable cooking experience. The guys from Lakebrook came and set it up and took the old stove, and the wife got right to some salsa canning this afternoon. Goodbye, old stove.

The Pasta Queen and Her Noodle Prince

That's me, the noodler, with the shiny chromium Pasta Queen, which recently rendered the live Queen's dough into noodles. They may look wimpy here, but wait until they stiffen up!

At the End of a Long Day, Tomato Heaven Awaits

Yes, it's been a while since your two lucky stars have shone upon you, but then something comes along that cannot be denied. The B, the L, and the elusive T. When they come together, it's a little mouth festival. Where shall we set up the tent? How about, over here by the beer? What's that? Chips as well? And homemade bread? I must be living right.

I Write Like

I write like
Stephen King

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Righto. Thanks, I Write Like. Don't I wish? Meanwhile, my brain is Cujo brain.

A 35 Mile Pencil, With Ants

Back in the old days, a Cracker Jack box contained a toy. Yes, sometimes there was a little lame tablet or flip book, but often, inside the little package was a snap-together toy car or action figure, not big, really, but a tiny little plastic toy that you had to put together. Not any more. The candy-covered popcorn still seems to taste the same--yay!--but the "toy inside" is always a lame little bit of paper like this "pencil topper" that really makes my pencil look like it has ants on it, right? Right. Has anyone had a real toy inside lately? If so, tell me.

I did learn that a typical pencil could make a line 35 miles long or write 45,000 words. But, I have to supply the pencil, and the ants do squat.

Our Own Recovery Plan--Completed

Our home's previous owners Francis and Nancy decided their dining room furniture looked just fine in their previous home, so when they gave us call, we jumped at the chance to put furniture and dining room back together. But we wanted different covering on the seats, so a trip to some "fabric barn" in Sioux Falls got us this nice print, and we transformed the chairs with a little elbow grease.

Best of Craigslist--The Camera Thief

On Craigslist, if you don't know, viewers can recommend posts for the "best of Craigslist" category, and this one from a guy in NYC who's torqued because someone stole his cameras I thought was a fun rant against the thief. Here: You stole my freakin' cameras.

Spicy Library Commercial

I love this version of the Old Spice ad, touting the value of studying in the library. Thanks, Lea!

Los Lonely Boys and Other World Wonders

Here are some images from our two days at Jazzfest in Sioux Falls, both with great music, good food, good times. The music was consistently amazing. My favorite and a cool surprise for me--Los Lonely Boys. They were tight and energetic, cool tunes, fun, playful. They put on a great show. But the lineup was outstanding, the best yet in my book. Now, next year!

Tonight We Run with The Wolves

Los Lobos, that is, along with Davina and the Vagabonds and Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue. Sweetness!

Here Comes the Trekkie

Here's my new Trek 1.1 road bike, just after the first ride of about 18 miles. It's a sweet machine, only 22 pounds (much less than the 31 of my previous machine, durable as it has been). I'm very fond of it so far. I need to learn a little more about its shifting characteristics to keep things smooth, but the rest is very fine. Aluminum frame, carbon fork, and very road-friendly.

I got the bike at Scheels in Sioux Falls, which I did not expect to do. I checked the local bike shops, but their prices were higher and some of the phone conversations were unpleasant. Too bad. Some were very good. Anyway, the Scheels folks treated me right from start to finish (or at least until now). Thanks, Travis and Matt!

I'm looking forward to seeing how this changes my biking!

1st Ever Bike Race, Senior Style

After hemming and hawing all day about whether I was going to take my bike and ride in the Heart of the Lakes Senior Games, I guess I hawed. I took the old Schwinn World (circa 1970's) and zipped through the 10K in 18:49, clocking a 20.1 mph average, not too shabby, worth the $1.00 entry fee and the sweat on this fine summer evening. It was a small field, only me and two others on the 10K, with each of us winning our age groups. Sweet!

The Pressing Matter of Flowers

The wife has been braving the skeeters and came back in with a range of flowers to press. Here's just some of them. What will she do with them? We'll have to wait and see.

The Jacks Put the Hammer Down

Here's a photo of brothers Jay (left) and Justin (right) with their band The Jacks, playing at the Sockeye in Boise, Idaho.

Big Muddy Boat Ride

The wife and I had the pleasure of attending the Stanley County High School all-school class reunion last weekend. It was my 35th, and there were 20 of 51 (46 still living) of us there, so we can call it a success. Among the activities available in Ft. Pierre, where SCHS still rules, was a ride on the Capital City Queen, which took us from the mouth of the Bad River, up the Missouri north of the cities, then back again. We also visited the newly opened Casey Tibbs Center, which was a surprisingly well-done tribute to the world champion bronc rider from Ft. Pierre and those who have followed in his footsteps.

If you're ever in town, it's worth a visit. And tell me whether you or the kids were able to handle the mechanical buckin' bronco.

A trip to the Zesto will have to wait until next time, alas.

Foot Troubles Not My Own

My hotrodding, motorcycle-man brother dinged his foot in a crack-up at AHRMA races in Grattan, Michigan, last weekend, and he's hanging around town, just spending his time, out commission, not earning a dime. . . He asked for, and got, a CD with his greatest hits, the photos of his foot taken at Avera McKennan in Sioux Falls. It doesn't look good. I captured these photos, which seem to show some breakage. Let's hope he gets up and running soon.

Hikes, Car Time, Fractures, Father's Day

I'm here at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls where my brother Jess, the fireman/bike racer, is awaiting surgery on his heel. Bummer. He was out in Michigan, where a racing mishap has turned into a need for some cutting and repair. So here we are.

No pictures at hand, but it's been a time over the past couple weeks while the wife and I went out and ran (oh?) the Deadwood Mickelson Trail Half-Marathon, then headed west, into the Bighorn Mountains. Snow kept us from where we were aimed, but we camped up west of Buffalo, Wyoming, then in Hyattville, and we traveled to Yellowstone, Thermopolis, and points out west. It was a good time, to include an overnight at Old Faithful Inn, with lots of wildlife sightings (but no bears). About 2500 miles?

It's summer! In the meantime, we've done good work too in hiring a promising colleague to replace a long time collaborator.

Finally, it's Father's Day, so that keeps us all humbled by the shadow of our fathers and how becoming one opens the door to a whole new life.

Memorial Day in South Dakota

We took in some Memorial Day events in Howard yesterday, including the dedication of their new memorial in town complete with bronze statues of military personnel. The American Legion served lunch, and then it was off to the golf course, then a nice drive in the convertible on a beautiful day as the sun lit up the clouds.

I love this old vet's cap, and he was sitting next to me at the ceremony, so I took his picture. The one of the flag display is in Madison.

Big Garden, Many Blooms

Here is a panoramic shot of the backyard garden in its present form . . . We've been hauling in flowers from a donor garden in Howard, saving them from destruction that awaits them in August (or the neglect of summer in South Dakota).

May Flowers in the Yard

Here's a quick walk around the house taking note of just some of the flowers now in bloom. Some are fading (lilacs) and some are just on the verge (snowball bush) and some are just right.

Preparing the New Garden

With school out, what are we to do except work on the house? Enjoy the outdoors! Play with software! What if you could do all three at once?

In other words, I continue to play with the time capture software on my computer. While I'm working! Wish I would have had it when I was moving all the sod LAST summer.

An Alternative to Facebook? It's Coming.

There's really nothing new about Facebook. My family and I were networking on a site named eCircles.com years ago, but it couldn't pay, and the phone lines people were using then just couldn't keep up with the message boards, photos, music sharing, etc. But Facebook gathers up all you tell it and puts it to their own uses, and that's got some people a little frazzled. So, here come the nerds to sort it all out. Check out there story in the NYTimes article "Four Nerds and a Cry to Arms Against Facebook."

Embrace This

My sister sent me this. Thank you, sister. Click on the video if it doesn't display the whole thing.

Swarm of the Moped Army

Not sure who the Whiskey Business boys and girls are (an offshoot of Moped Army, apparently) , but this video captures the fun of riding a moped. In swarm.

This second video is uploaded by a fellow who looks to be from Sioux Falls, but I don't think there are Marathon gas stations in SF, and I would wonder where so many mopeds were hiding.

Flowers for Mother's Day

Even as we wait the years it will take for our newly-planted apple trees (one last year, one this), we are enjoying the one old-timer that is blossoming like crazy this spring--promising, perhaps, a bountiful crop of apples. It depends, though, on whether the few tentative blossoms on the youngsters will be enough to pollinate this experienced producer.

In the meantime today, we planted other things for mothers--some ornamentals for KH in a pot, and a snowball bush for RN in her front yard. We also put a new lilac in our yard as well. Now for rain.

Apple Tree Planting

The wife and I put an apple tree in the ground tonight to replace a tired old fellow who died last year and will never blossom again. Here, however, is how you deal with that. Plant a new one.

The Catch : Poetry Everywhere : Video : The Poetry Foundation

The Catch : Poetry Everywhere : Video : The Poetry Foundation Good stuff.

May 4 Morning

Here's what morning looks like from our red-room window in May.

40 years ago today four students were killed and nine injured when National Guard troops shot into crowds of students on the Kent State campus. They're holding commemoration events to remember those who died and were injured.

The days keep turning. Morning comes again. While I went off to swim this morning, I set my Perios time lapse software to take shots every 30 seconds. Here's daybreak to remember those kids.

Why Didn't They Stop for Coffee?

Part of the plan for the day includes heading to Aurora, SD, for some landscaping plants, and when I checked out the route there (52 minutes by car, over 3 hours by bicycle unless the wind is howling like it is today), I noticed that the Google folks had driven by taking photos.

By all signs, they came by last fall (after our mailbox was annihilated but before the snow flew). Thus, here we are, our house newly shingled and painted, largely obscured by trees and plants just the way we like it. But, peeking through, the peak of the grey lady, working on her second century.

Brother, Potter, Singer, Artist

Behold, brother Jered, in Berkeley, making a water bottle out of clay. Kind of a miracle, I always think. Check out his Cloudwest Pottery site!

New Tricks Electronic Version 2

New Tricks is Now Available

You can read our current DSU literary magazine online or pick up a printed copy at the DSU library (in the art space with the Beadlemania display) or in Beadle Hall. You can contact me and I'll try to see that you get one.

Our web site is here: http://www.clubs.dsu.edu/new-tricks/

New Tricks 2010

Ruth Haile, Sioux Falls Lincoln Student, Rocks Washington

The National Poetry Out Loud competition in Washington, DC, crowned its champions tonight:

1. 1st place: Amber Rose Johnson of Rhode Island
2. 2nd place: Ruth Halie of South Dakota
3. 3rd place: Nora Sandler of Maryland.

First place is awarded $20,000, 2nd place is awarded $10,000, and 3rd place is awarded $5,000.

To see Ruth perform her winning poem from the state competition, go here.

Congratulations to Ruth and all the winners!

LOST's Losers

The wife and I hustled home after having dinner out just so we could check out the latest episode of ABC's LOST as it all winds down to the final week. BUT, there was no new episode and, boy, were people pissed. Asked, "Do you think Kate should have let Claire join Sawyer's mission?" Readers responded. Click on the screen capture to check out an example of the response--they're not happy with the rerun. More is available at the link above.

H.L. Chase and Rosie O'Donnell

On Good Morning America this morning Rosie O'Donnell is speaking out on the problem of auditory processing disorders, and I wasn't paying attention until I heard them reading an excerpt that they offered up to illustrate the sounds a sufferer of the syndrome hears. It was H.L. Chase's version of Little Red Riding Hood: "Ladle Rat Rotten Hut." Chase wrote a number of pieces collected in the book Anguish Languish, illustrating how words in English often sound like other English words. If you arrange them well, you can effectively tell a story, as long as you can hear the sounds and not pay attention to the spelling. I thought it was a strange use of the story, and they gave no credit to Chase.

Good Country People, Flannery O'Connor

One of my students sends this link to a video adaptation of Flannery O'Connor's short story "Good Country People." It's a loose adaptation, just ten minutes long and reduced to two characters, but the ending is worth it.

Green Thumb Options in Madison

With spring in the air, it's time to scope out the options for getting your young greenery in Madison. The wife and I took a drive around town and came up with the options you see here. Clearly the Garden Spot has the most friendly-looking structure, with others at Ace Hardware, Lewis Drug, Madison Nursery, Pamida, and those guys down by the Pawn Shop.

Xtranormal.com and Mr. Ellison

In my American Literature class, we were discussing Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, the first chapter, titled "Battle Royal." We used xtranormal.com to make some short animations based on that story. Here's one: http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/6459051/

The Torch Be Mine to Hold It High

When you get the call to burn stuff up, it's hard to resist, and this evening the call came in, and it resulted in several acres of burned grass, cattails, and other dried growth out at the Moose homestead. Here I'm shown enjoying the glow of some burning thistle pods.

Indiana Bones and the Temple of Dogs

Some people want to make their pets look like people, some want to make them just cuter than a dog should look, and some people want to make their dog into a canine equivalent of a grieving angel or a mad hatter. You'll have to go to the NY Times slide show to see it for yourself.

My Forecast, Your Forecast

My brother's always touting the great weather in San Francisco. There are some times of the year, though, when there's not a lot of difference. Which is the forecast for that rugged South Dakota weather, and which for easy-going San Fran?

Stranded, With Croissants

In reading a New York Times article on the plume of ash from Eyjafjallajokull, the volcano in Iceland that's disrupting travel in Europe and around the world, I was struck by (among other things) this shot of this fellow handing out croissants to the stranded travelers in the Paris de Gaulle airport. Maybe I should go ahead and have breakfast, croissant or no.

Guest Gig

April sometimes does appear to be the cruellest month, with much busyness inside and out, but really it's just busy, busy, with plants coming alive, birds arriving from their southern homes, school edging to a close. Today I'm guest speaker, resident poet, visiting performer, and temporary entertainer in two Introduction to Literature classes. I get to read some poems, talk about poetry in general, and generally be the literary lion for this small moment.

It is, after all, Poetry Month all month, in part because it's the month of Shakespeare's birthday. Today is also Thomas Jefferson's birthday, born in 1743. It's poet Seamus Heaney's birthday today, and little Anna B's. It's spring, sure enough, with temps today in the 70's, with our South Dakota wind.

For the Love of Mopeds

It's amazing the work some people go to for others. My Kawasaki Concours depends in part on the good work of the generous people who belong to the Concours Owners Group, or COG. They post tips, answer questions, and tell their stories, harrowing and otherwise. It's one of the wonders of the internet, the way the Concours riders all over the world can share information.

This kind of effort allows someone like me, out here in the boondocks, to take on a non-running Motobecane Mobylette and get it back on the road, manual courtesy of the Moped Riders Association. Help came also from the Moped Army (their slogan? "Swarm and Destroy"). Pretty cool. Thanks to all of you who take the time to scan manuals, offer specs, trade tips, and answer questions. You rock!

Don't Look and You Won't See It

It's time I told my big news of the week. My first bike ride of the year, on Wednesday, ended up with me in the emergency room, a doctor digging grit out of the hole in my forehead. I was riding out north of town on county highway 29, or 457th Avenue, almost to county highway 22, 226th Street, when a dog came running out from a farm and ran into my front wheel, knocking me over and into the road. I landed on my forehead and shoulder, leaving some of both on the road, along with some knuckle and knee.

That's the basics. The picture is of me today, the bruising having spread into both eyes. I'm hoping it's going to start subsiding soon. I'll spare you the gory details; the photo gives hint enough.

New Old Technology

My old Pickering XV 15 phono cartride, playing records for me since 1976, gave up the ghost when the stylus got mushed.

After almost a year, I'm back in business, spinning disks with a new Grado Black1 cartridge I got off Amazon.

First LP? Neil Young, Rust Never Sleeps! I'll have to get used to hearing a little snap, crackle, and pop in my music again.