Random thoughts

Has this happened to you?

....you're headed towards the bathroom, and you have about 8-10 feet before you get to the door, which swings in (that means you push it)...you've been here before so you know it's a multiple stall/urinal type, the door won't be locked.  As you approach you see the door open up and someone walks out.  There are different scenarios to this event, sometimes they will hold the door for you to enter, and sometimes they- won't.

Today I experienced the latter, the door was not held, as I was still the previously mentioned 8-10 feet away.

I had options on what to do, everyday we all have choices and we live with the consequences, whatever they may be.  This day and this choice was no different.

• continue at the same pace, because of the exiting party there could be an awkward moment where you may need to take evasive action to avoid collision.  The door will not fully close, and you'll be able to enter with less force to open the door.
• slow down to give a wide birth to the exiting party, this will usually cause them to take evasive action to avoid collision considering the location of the doorway.  This may result in the door fully closing which will require you to open it fully to enter.
• increase speed to catch the door before it closes, this may allow you to squeeze through the doorway without having to touch the door (Lord knows how much bacteria is on there)  Considering your surroundings, this may be a dorky move.
• Take caution as someone may be exiting the Ladies room at the same time, this can cause a major incident.

So having these three options, I took several factors into account.  Who was exiting, how much time did I have, with the sudden rush of speed use more energy then it would take to push open the door?  This got me thinking which way was more efficient.  Force vs inertia.  wind resistance, the weight of the door, the weight of me...my current velocity...what to make for dinner...

...I really hate math....

so I ended up with option three, and did a little hop through the door...no one was injured

If anyone can tell me the correct calculation to determine the answers to these kind of questions, I'd appreciate it.

Duck....Two Ways

So as you may have heard, or may not have heard, Becky and I enjoyed an incredible dinner at Barbacoa last week.  The cornerstone of this meal was my main entree, "Duck Two Ways".  This was my first real experience with fine dining, and it impacted me so much I had to write about it.  On the menu, it's described as...

Duck Two Ways

Duck Two Ways: Crispy honey roast duck fanned breast and confit of leg and thigh served with cranberry sherry and sweet potato risotto.

What attracted me to this dish was the risotto; a dish I've never had.  I've had duck twice before. Once when my brother-in-law was successful in his hunt, and second at a little place called Va de Vi, ironically WITH my brother.  Both times it was good, however the Va de Vi experience was better because the dish was called "Duck confit (con-feet)" which is basically a duck poached in duck fat.  (I would like to say, there are several great things in this world when it comes to culinary gold, it's duck fat.)  So seeing 'duck' and 'confit' in the same sentence ignited my salivary glands.  Strangely, the confit wasn't the best part of this dish.

About ducks:  Duck meat is considered to be a "white" meat, like chicken, even though the meat is considerably darker than it's poultry counter-parts.  This is because ducks are more active than chickens who spend more time sitting and walking.  Ducks get up and fly around, avoiding my brother-in-law during hunting season, using up more oxygen.  The extra oxygen in the body of the duck gives their meat a darker red color.  This darker color gives their meat a stronger richer flavor.  This distinct flavor and taste allows the duck meat to be cooked with fruits or other sweet and spicy ingredients to get a delicious and exotic tasting meal.

Risotto, a type of rice dish I see cooks screw up all the time on Hell's Kitchen.  Under-cooked, over-cooked, not enough salt, too much salt, it seems like a really difficult dish to make.  Wikipedia defines it simply as "rice cooked in broth to a creamy consistency".  The risotto in this dish was more firm than creamy.  However, the addition of small cubes of sweet potato added a mild sweetness that made it a delicious foundation for the duck to sit upon.  Additional cubes of sweet potato were scattered on the plate for presentation purposes.


A cranberry sherry was drizzled over the whole plate.  How this was made and what was in it is a big mystery to me, and I don't care because it brought the whole thing together.  Each bite was required to have a little bit of everything on it.  


These flavors all worked together so well that each bite caused your eyes to roll to the back of your head while your body just slumps and all your senses focus on that fantastic collaboration of flavors playing the anvil chorus in your mouth. At a price of $25, I would say each bite is well worth it.  As the flavor matches the presentation, this is a dish I would definitely order again.  I can't wait to go back to Barbacoa and try another creation.


www.barbacoa-boise.com/

-Brian

Note: I'm not a food critic, and I'm not a writer, I just love food

What a Summer

Flourless Belgium Chocolate Cake (I did not make this)

 
Summer is finally just about over and so much has happened in the past few months...it's all so scattered, I don't know where to begin.

We took a trip to Tahoe and stayed in a friend's cabin, I got to play several shows with my band before they decided to move on without me, we're going camping next weekend, Isaac lost his first pair of teeth, we made our annual trek to the fair, I haven't blogged once the entire time...so lets get to it!

Last setup with my cousin Ryan

Last time I blogged it was all about the band, so let's start there.  First of all, bands and band members are a finicky bunch.  Especially you are trying to integrate yourself into a group that has played together for so long, and are roughly 10+ years older than you, it's a different generation all together.  With that in mind, we played a few good shows, I got some good experience, and made a little money.  But in the end, my playing style wasn't exactly what they were looking for, and our personalities didn't mesh the way we hoped.  So once again, I'm drummer without a band.  But that's ok since I was diagnosed with tendinitis in both hands, I can use the rest.  (If by chance you became a fan of the retreads because you knew the drummer, you can (un-like) them now. I did!)

We took a trip to Tahoe with the family.  When I say family, I mean my parents, and my brother's family.  This was our camping alternative, which turned out to be a whole lot more fun than we imagined.  First of all, it only took us around 8 hours to get there.  Coming all the way from Idaho,  it was much nicer, not to mention there was no campsite to setup once we arrived.  Instead it was welcoming hugs from our family whom we haven't seen in a while.

Early morning fishing trip, it was COLD!

So what sets cabin life different than tent life?  It can all be summed up in two words, "Hot Water".  Having the ability to take a hot shower everyday without having to heat up gallons ahead of time, not just for you, but for your family at well is such a blessing.  Yes, there is something to be said about roughing it, but right now, I could not tell you what that is.  We spent a lot of time just sitting around on the deck talking, while the kids played.  Had some awesome meals that my mom made ahead of time.  Can't beat momma's cooking!

We also had a private beach, and a private dock for almost the whole trip.  All but one day at the lake, we were the only ones there, and the 2 minute walk to get there wasn't to shabby either.  I will say the dock was a lot of fun, as we would jump off the end and swim back to shore.  Even Isaac did this several times, despite the frigid temperatures of the water.  It was on the last day that we finally got Becky to take the plunge.  An early morning fishing excursion was a nice though, but not well planned out as it was too cold to stay our very long, even with hot cocoa.   But the sunrise, was beautiful and provided a nice backdrop to fishing from the pier.

The only thing really missing was the campfire.  We hope to make up for that next weekend.  In all, it was a great time!  Maybe we'll do it again.

Speaking of great times, we had a hallmark event this summer.  My wife turned the big 35.  For such an occasion, we celebrated like never before.  OK, it wasn't completely original, but I convinced her to try a 'new' place.  After years of watching shows like Hell's Kitchen, or Next Food Network Star, we've seen all this "fine dining" stuff, but never experienced it.  Living in Idaho, the selection isn't too great, so I picked a place to try, Barbacoa's.  The menu looked very expensive, but I convinced her to go anyways, and OMG!  The food was incredible, far surpassing anything we may have tasted before.  I'm not saying there is no other good food around, it is just that this meal was on a whole new level.  Without going into great detail, here is a brief description of our adventure into fine dining...

• Trio of Ceviche
• Crab Mojito
• coco rum infused crab with sugar cane and mint
• Tuna Tartare
• with avocado, capers, red onion, and mango sorbet
• Ceviche of the day
• Red Snapper ceviche
• Grilled Ceasar Salad
• Grilled Ceasar Salad wedges with smoked polenta croutons
• Sweet Corn & Crab Bisque
• Dungenous crab with jalapeno pancake
• Mixed Seafood Grill
• marinated shrimp, scallops, fin fish, with coconut rice
• Duck Two Ways

• crispy honey roast duck fanned breast and confit of leg and thigh served with cranberry sherry and sweet potato risotto

I won't even get into the deserts, needless to say they were "FABULOUS!"  One of the best things about this place, was the water.  The serve all their water was filtered chilled water, sparkling or plain, in glass bottles.  Their water is not, I repeat, not from tap.

There is so much more to say and talk about, but no sense in putting it all here, right?  Keep an eye open for more blogging from yours truly.  I imagine it will involve food in some way.  I think I may devote a blog specifically for that duck dinner I had...yes, I want more.

Peace out, and God bless

-Brian

BUSY, Busy, busy

Life just gets going sometimes, and before you know it, it's passed you by.  Obviously, life hasn't passed me by yet, at least not completely.  I'm amazed it's already the end of April.  Where does the time go???

So your probably asking yourself, what have I been doing?  I've been asking the same question...sadly my answers are very fragmented and may or may not make much sense.  Anyways, in no particular order....

I-HAUL -Why do you need a trailer?  We'll, there are a multitude of good uses for a trailer, especially when you don't own a pickup truck.  As my family only has a small SUV, and a Honda Civic, it really makes some parts of being a home owner difficult.  So we welcome the newest addition to our tool shed.  She's a little 4x8 trailer that needs some TLC.  

Again, why a trailer?  We have a lot of debris that has been accumulating, mostly because it's too big for the trash, and we have no way to get it to the dumps.  We're also camping later this summer, and fitting everything into the Explorer is near impossible.  This way, we have lots of space and will be able to include things like Isaac's bike, or a wagon, our own firewood, and 50 lbs of potatos!

So when I'm done working on her, she will have a nice glossy black frame, bars on each corner, new flooring, new walls, and possibly a removable top for added security.  Not to mention everything will be modular so we can change it up for what's needed.  Now I have a project....don't forget about my hobby.


is still a lot of fun.  Our first show is in two weeks.  I'm really excited, but I'm also a tad nervous...who wouldn't be, right?  I know everything is gonna be fine and once we start playing it's gonna be a ton of fun.  It's my first time out with a live band in this type of venue, but I couldn't ask for a better group of guys to go play with.  Each of them got "mad skills" and the drive behind it to turn out some great music.  Our line up has variety that rivals any radio station out there.  Where else are you going to hear Georgia Straight, Billy Idol, Bryan Adams, The Clash, and other random groups on the same night?  Bring on the Rock!  

Of course being a part of a working band has it's down sides too, you have a tendency to develop what's known as G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome)  Hey, I could use some new cymbals...how about that new in-ear monitor system....should I get that new drum set for practice purposes....more cowbell...how about a drum stage, I'm feeling short!  Of course finances prevents any type of serious GAS outbreak, but the 'want' is still there...all in due time.  


Sleep -I need more...what else can I say?

CATS - I admit it, I've never seen the musical Cats, but I am familiar with a few of the tunes.  Sadly, this has nothing to do with Andrew Lloyd Webber.  This past month we had to say goodbye to a member of our family.  Misty was our first baby.  It was a week after Becky and I had been married that she woke up on a Saturday, came into the living room and said, I'm going to get a kitty.  Before I could respond, she had already walked out the door.  Misty was very special.  As a kitten she literally played fetch with her toys, also ready and willing to show affection to those she loved, namely Becky.  She would perch herself on Becky's shoulder and be content.  As Misty grew up, she took her place as the rightful queen of her castle, with only Nali (our Aussie) to pick on.  Misty would sit on the arm of the sofa and wait.  Nali would walk by minding her own business when Misty would reach out and 'POP' Nali on the back of the head.  Apparently she wasn't allowed to walk by without permission.


Over the past few weeks, Misty had stopped eating, all she would do is sleep.  After some medication she perked up for a little while but then soon digressed again.  She was laid to rest a few weeks ago and will soon have a garden erected in her honor.  She was loved, and will be missed greatly.  

Every emptiness needs to be filled, that's what led us to www.simplycats.org.  This is where we met Lily, she has been welcomed into our home and provides us entertainment and companionship as most kittens do.  Still adjusting to our new home, not all of our pets have totally agreed to the new addition.  But they will in time.   

Yes, we have 4 pets.  It seems like a lot, but it's just right.

My Free Time...

So far it's been a busy day.  8 AM this morning we had a Men's Breakfast meeting at "The Egg Factory".  It was  mostly a chance to hang out with the guys, but also an opportunity to say goodbye to a good friend who's heading off to serve in his families ministry out in the Philippines.  The name of their ministry is "Mercy In Action", and they have been providing free birth centers for poor families in the Philippines since 1992.  It's a very specific, but very cool ministry.  (Here's a very cool story about them, at 37,000 ft)


Anyways, I had the Corned Beef hash Spudsation.  It was basically country style potatoes topped with corned beef hash (which has no corn in it), covered in melted Monterey jack cheese, then two eggs over medium.  It was very delicious.

So after breakfast, it's off to church for rehearsal.  At church we finally got a church drum set.  Since I'm playing all the time now, I needed to get my drums home.  So after a lot of research, we got a really good deal on this kit.  It still needs some tweaking to get it sounding good, but it's not too bad.  It'll take a few weeks to get it right.  At least I don't have to haul my drums back and forth anymore, though I think I'll probably be bringing my drum throne with me as the seat is really lacking in comfort.

Now that everyone is asleep, I have some time to myself, and I've been spending some free time as a beta tester for this cool (at least I think it is) game called "World of Tanks".  It's a relatively mindless game that involves three goals.  1.  Don't get shot.  2.  Shoot the other tanks  3.  Capture the enemy flag.  Depending on what kind of tank you have there are different strategies to use, but teamwork is definitely involved.  This is not a game you want to go rogue in.

My other free time, usually late at night, is what I call a truly love-hate type of thing.  I'm doing a marathon of LOST.  If for some reason you haven't seen lost and are planning on doing what I'm doing now, skip this paragraph.  All six seasons on Netflix.  I'm currently on episode 3 Season 4.  It's a great show, but each episode is like a cliff hanger, so I gotta watch the next one.  Before I know it it's 11:30pm and I'm tired.  I'll be happy when this is done.  I remember how stressful it was watching it the first time, when we had to wait to see what happens next.  Every commercial you get up off the couch and say, "WHAT?!?!? ______?!?!?!?   As I'm watching all these episodes back, they tell you everything that is going to happen, you just don't believe them. Clear as day, "No one survived Oceanic Flight 815"...don't believe the hype.  It's cheap entertainment so what else am I gonna do?  Oh yeah, did I mention, "I'm in a band!"

"The Retreads" has got to be one of the funnest things I've done to date, and we've only had two rehearsals.  Look at it like this.  Yes, I've been playing drums a long time, and I've played lots of different styles with lots of different people.  Just never this loud, and apparently I'm still not loud enough.  I have till May 6th to 'get my rock on' as that's our first show.  I have my drums at home now so I'm hoping to get out there as much as possible.   (There are a few riffs I'm having trouble with.)  Oh and speaking of practice, I think I got roped in to sing the chorus of "Living on a Prayer".  Should be interesting.



with that...good night and good luck.  Maybe it'll snow tomorrow?

What a week it's been!

So as you may or may not have heard, I've gone through some changes in the past 7 days.  Most significantly is becoming the full time drummer to a local rock band called "The Retreads".  If this sounds familiar it's because it is.  This is the band that was auditioning with before that opted to go with the other drummer.  (who ended up quitting due to scheduling conflicts)  But how you ask??? Well, this is how it went down....

On two weeks ago I met with a guy about auditioning with his band.  Since at this time, I wasn't part of 'The Retreads', I kept looking for another group.  Still new to the local scene, I emailed the guys from "The Retreads" to see if they new this other band.  I did this for two reasons

1. It good to keep communications open, especially when you get along so well with people.  No need to burn bridges.
2. I didn't want to get involved with less than desirable people, so it's good to check.

Turns out they never heard of them, so I went ahead and auditioned with them the following Monday.  It was good to play some music, definitely not as loud or as polished as 'The Retreads', but a good group.  I went home with some expectations, but nothing too far fetched as I wanted to keep myself in check.  The next morning I get an email from Pat (Bass/vocals of 'The Retreads') asking how things were and if I had gotten into a band yet.  Initially I thought it was cool that he was checking up on me, but then my wheels began to spin and I thought to myself..."how cool would it be if the other guy quit and they wanted me to join?!?"  Again, I reached too far.  The other guy quit, but they were not at a point to ask me to join, but interested.  An hour later I got an email from the band I auditioned with the night before offering me a spot in their band.  I didn't answer that email till the next day.

So last Wed, I was at home in the office and my phone rings.  It's Pat.  He's at a local pub with the other guys and wanted to know if I could come down for a little bit?  I walked into the bar about 8 minutes later.  No, I didn't speed, it's not that far from my house.  Within the hour, I became a member of one of the greatest Rock & Roll Cover Bands in the WORLD!  (ok, I might be exaggerating, a bit) 

Within the hour, I became a member of what I think is one of the best Rock & Roll Cover/Dance Bands in the area.  Each member brings a unique gift to the table, except for one, who brings a whole lot of gifts, he's got serious skills. 

So over the last 7 days, I've been integrated into this band.  I've taken over all "Social Media" aspects, mostly because I'm the one who uses it the most.  I've also worked to develop our own line of gear/swag.  Clothing for our fans who are known as "Tread Heads".  But tonight I finally get to play some music, which is good since our first show is in just under 2 months, and I have a TON of music to learn before then.
 
So in the mean time, you can follow the band in several ways.  I'd suggest visit the website first to get the most information about the band.  We're also on FaceBook, and MySpace, and even have a blog!

• The Retreads 
• The Retreads - Blog
• The Retreads - FaceBook 
• The Retreads - MySpace 

I hope to see you at one of our shows!

-Brian

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

Killing Time...

That's such an interesting phrase..."killing time".  It sounds very angry on paper, but when spoken it's very laid back...."Hey Brian, whatcha doin'?"...."What does it look like I'm doing?  I'm KILLING TIME!"  But when you think about it, time cannot be killed, at least not in the hear and now. 

I understand that if you are part of a bomb squad and staring at a device that has less than 60 seconds on it, time can be very precious.  But if you look at it in the big picture, there is a lot of time our there.  There's about 525,600 minutes in a year (not including 02/29) 

I've been married for over 302,054,400 seconds!  (And loved every single one of them)

But as you sit and read this, time is moving by.  It's not infinite, we all have a limited amount of time in our lives...regardless of how young we might be, let's use them well.  Time cannot be killed, but it can be wasted...make the most of it.

You got a gift so you best start using it
Cause if you don't your going to wind up losing it
Busy like a school boy making an A
Cause time my brother is tickin away