tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80552273448523187392024-02-19T08:16:27.382-08:00surviving suburbia<i>the job... the marriage... the kids... the mortgage... <br>life changes. but it doesn't have to stop.</i>surviving suburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099359432382543320noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8055227344852318739.post-15287271737140749772010-09-11T16:29:00.000-07:002010-09-11T16:29:41.063-07:00how does your garden grow?i was out gardening today. (no, really.)<br />
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thanks to the boys (not just raf and ben, but bo too), i rarely get to sleep past 8am on weekends. i used to be able to sleep till noon, but those days are long gone! instead, i'm realizing the joys of enjoying a lazy breakfast without rushing out the door to go to work. <br />
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the weather this morning was perfect, bright and cheery with a slight breeze to keep things cool. so after a small plate of eggs and sausage, i decided to attack our overgrown bushes with the pruning shears. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><i>bo and raf say hello to the ladybugs living in our mint leaves. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc3d_PFceXJpfFvkpo4cJQiUTJSgarkzqCDUD7OZPHm7Ks86Y3tO9idBqO1xhkEKMKvHiMogTVgshNYgSzOEu0BWYtQUhyaMhbhV38ujAO3LeL27CMqMetkS1u2BwaN_mS2LtHMbDbJmiV/s1600/060110_4323%20v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc3d_PFceXJpfFvkpo4cJQiUTJSgarkzqCDUD7OZPHm7Ks86Y3tO9idBqO1xhkEKMKvHiMogTVgshNYgSzOEu0BWYtQUhyaMhbhV38ujAO3LeL27CMqMetkS1u2BwaN_mS2LtHMbDbJmiV/s320/060110_4323%20v2.jpg" /></a></div><a name='more'></a><br />
we had the backyard landscaped with low maintenance plants, so all we really do regularly is mow the lawn, which bo takes care of every couple of weeks or so. of course, that means when we realize it's time to trim the plants... it's <i>really</i> time to trim the plants!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><i>my absolute favorite has to be the japanese maple at the center of our yard. i love its year-round deep red brown color and the pretty shape of the leaves.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-_i_rYiTUb1kEsMrJiwfgmoM7oyWrcihg2uUSMvEybQRcL5AaWDblOVfUjWaciyx_3wnuPNJ6SR7jK9wMVIqx3FMtyo11Piuj7pcfXcogtxp4Mnvw3L1HxMqCJyQoLS_7K89oFJeu7nUp/s1600/040509_3913a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-_i_rYiTUb1kEsMrJiwfgmoM7oyWrcihg2uUSMvEybQRcL5AaWDblOVfUjWaciyx_3wnuPNJ6SR7jK9wMVIqx3FMtyo11Piuj7pcfXcogtxp4Mnvw3L1HxMqCJyQoLS_7K89oFJeu7nUp/s320/040509_3913a.jpg" /></a></div><br />
having always had gardeners growing up, then always living in plant-free apartments after i moved out, my thumb is anything but green. i was really enjoying the novelty of wearing gardening gloves and a floppy dark green safari hat, crouching down low to snip away the foot-and-a-half long mint bushes. i've always enjoyed the idea of being outdoors. i guess i never had the time or the type of company to encourage it.<br />
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but it didn't take long till i recalled what it is about the outdoors that freak me out.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><i>a juvenile praying mantis was lurking deep in the mint leaves! i "eek"-ed and jumped back about a yard when i realized what that green "leaf" was creeping close to my gloved hand! </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e3/Mantis-greece-alonisos-0a.jpg/800px-Mantis-greece-alonisos-0a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e3/Mantis-greece-alonisos-0a.jpg/800px-Mantis-greece-alonisos-0a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>and just when i thought i'd gotten over being creeped out by a creepy-crawly, i ran into another one by one of our large bird of paradise plants. double eek!</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/75/Graybirdgrasshoppervertical.JPG/450px-Graybirdgrasshoppervertical.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/75/Graybirdgrasshoppervertical.JPG/450px-Graybirdgrasshoppervertical.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>surviving suburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099359432382543320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8055227344852318739.post-27981925179333419862010-09-10T21:14:00.001-07:002010-09-10T21:27:45.671-07:00word of the day<blockquote><span class="hw">in·im·i·ta·ble</span> <span class="pron">(<img align="absbottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/ibreve.gif" />-n<img align="absbottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/ibreve.gif" />m<img align="absbottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/prime.gif" /><img align="absbottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/ibreve.gif" />-t<img align="absbottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/schwa.gif" />-b<img align="absbottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/schwa.gif" />l)</span><br />
<div class="pseg"><i>adj.</i><br />
<div class="ds-single">Defying imitation; matchless.</div></div>[Middle English, from Latin <tt>inimit<img align="absbottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/amacr.gif" />bilis</tt> : <tt>in-</tt>, <i>not</i>; see <b> in-</b><sup>1</sup> + <tt>imit<img align="absbottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/amacr.gif" />bilis</tt>, <i>imitable</i> (from <tt>imit<img align="absbottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/amacr.gif" />r<img align="absbottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/imacr.gif" /></tt>, <i>to imitate</i>; see <tt> aim-</tt> in Indo-European roots).] </blockquote>i was reading <a href="http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/content?oid=1649503">this story</a> about <a href="http://www.crockerartmuseum.org/">crocker art museum</a> and couldn't help but chuckle at how the writer mentioned sacramento mayor, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Johnson">kevin johnson</a>, who is a former nba player: <br />
<blockquote>"Here in Sacramento, where our mayor has embraced, in that inimitable K.J. way, both the arts and the green movement..."</blockquote>surviving suburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099359432382543320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8055227344852318739.post-43821410305529661162010-09-03T17:14:00.000-07:002010-09-03T17:16:57.384-07:00sacramento events and attractions to look forward to: bourdain and crockeri've been lagging on blogs thanks to the usual suspects... work and kids! i've also been spending more of my free time catching up on my reading and enjoying the last few weeks of summer. hope to be back with more substantial posts soon. meanwhile, here are a couple of cool things happening around town:<br />
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<a href="http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Anthony_Bourdain">anthony bourdain</a> is coming to sacramento! <a href="http://events.sacbee.com/sacramento-ca/events/show/117230745-no-reservations-an-evening-with-anthony-bourdain">he'll be at the memorial auditorium on 9.17.2010.</a> bourdain is definitely one of my favorite food-related celebrities. i don't follow him religiously, but i enjoy his show when i catch it. i won't be attending this one, though it certainly piqued my interest. here's a <a href="http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/content?oid=1591702">cool local interview</a> with him from sacramento news & review.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.newsreview.com/imager/shape_of_fo/b/original/1591702/8a1a/arts-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.newsreview.com/imager/shape_of_fo/b/original/1591702/8a1a/arts-1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
the <a href="http://www.crockerartmuseum.org/">crocker art museum</a> is reopening on 10.10.2010! by no means am i a fine art connoisseur, but i had the privilege of having a preview of the space thanks to work. the building itself is a work of art, designed by <a href="http://www.gwathmey-siegel.com/">gwathmey siegel and associates</a> and built by <a href="http://www.rsconstruction.com/">rudolph and sletten</a>. i won't bore you with the technical details, but an amazing amount of coordination and craftsmanship above and beyond the typical design and construction of a building went into this expansion and renovation project.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.architecturesdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/architecture-design/2008/12/crocker-art-museum-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://www.architecturesdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/architecture-design/2008/12/crocker-art-museum-4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>surviving suburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099359432382543320noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8055227344852318739.post-54542597701750716892010-08-25T20:29:00.000-07:002010-08-25T20:30:04.114-07:00easy yet elegant: ginger sea scallops<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">costco never fails to inspire me to cook. the one close by our home is clean, just the right size, and crammed with all kinds of quality finds in the meat and seafood departments. on rare occasions, it offers truly amazing one-time deals like <a href="http://burb-life.blogspot.com/2010/07/opah-means-moonfish.html">opah</a>. this week, it was a two and a half pound package of the more average yet still provocative sea scallops.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9S7PwB3gP1kTySnEfgFRhBUhkwWYd2A8nzovd3boyRLKntouoQJe8D0gxxNVSQAR48GYVvvPb6Pz8xGba4RvAEn5QwgEDR9Df9yVlorXzbijz7QTVZTOsk9ZDz7jK7W6tHdkJYpUplFXF/s1600/small-082210_5275-edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9S7PwB3gP1kTySnEfgFRhBUhkwWYd2A8nzovd3boyRLKntouoQJe8D0gxxNVSQAR48GYVvvPb6Pz8xGba4RvAEn5QwgEDR9Df9yVlorXzbijz7QTVZTOsk9ZDz7jK7W6tHdkJYpUplFXF/s320/small-082210_5275-edit.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
<a name='more'></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">i love scallops but am a beginner as far as cooking it myself. so i scrounged around the web for an elegant yet simple recipe. in my mind, seafood dishes are usually elegant. and i always prefer simple when i cook—that is, a recipe that isn't too complicated or time-consuming to prepare, and one that doesn't require too many obscure ingredients. with a baby and a very active preschooler running around our house, speedy cooking is a must! and i just hate to waste remnants of barely used ingredients.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">the wonderful <a href="http://www.foodbuzz.com/">foodbuzz</a> community led me to</span> this recipe for <a href="http://nonchefnick.blogspot.com/2010/06/ginger-sea-scallops-provides-easy.html"><span style="font-size: small;">ginger sea scallops by non-chef nick</span></a>.<span style="font-size: small;"> it must have been fate! i had all the ingredients already and it took no time at all to bring my scallops from the refrigerator to the table! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgPblu_suBHvgSPO1n5vY1JZ-AC8sGDG9OZQzqatwpyWi0j7FbMQCtuCOG5k2iEV9b2g-_d8KuO1MX-9ap9sIv-XDITd9-1APGHrNpbEQ7KK5peGluYNCW7RqrqJNdX2ZceVdTXUdxG_V/s1600/small-082210_5272-edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgPblu_suBHvgSPO1n5vY1JZ-AC8sGDG9OZQzqatwpyWi0j7FbMQCtuCOG5k2iEV9b2g-_d8KuO1MX-9ap9sIv-XDITd9-1APGHrNpbEQ7KK5peGluYNCW7RqrqJNdX2ZceVdTXUdxG_V/s320/small-082210_5272-edit.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">i followed the recipe almost exactly, only cutting down on the salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes to our taste. the results were exquisite! not too ginger-y or butter-y, so that the subtle taste of the scallop took centerstage. and i'm grateful that nick emphasized sautéing quickly on medium-high heat, so i avoided ending up with the tough, rubbery texture of overcooked scallops. next time—and there will be a next time!—i plan to turn up the heat a tad more to better sear the scallops. </span></div>surviving suburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099359432382543320noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8055227344852318739.post-32509490148335600482010-08-18T19:39:00.000-07:002010-08-18T19:46:28.441-07:00lake tahoe, ca<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDfHFbLLHQXb6AttoJWlAvz513u-b3ctHIpTXXjoIH8os3pzvy7XivWtlBbW0gK-Fi3XTT9BX9SwwC8KA08WeHZ8OF3-J-4MpaNYmmZwkjYJLV16eCmeFKpnpb7LjXOGvqcsIiLsIANBje/s1600/small-080710_4875-edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDfHFbLLHQXb6AttoJWlAvz513u-b3ctHIpTXXjoIH8os3pzvy7XivWtlBbW0gK-Fi3XTT9BX9SwwC8KA08WeHZ8OF3-J-4MpaNYmmZwkjYJLV16eCmeFKpnpb7LjXOGvqcsIiLsIANBje/s320/small-080710_4875-edit.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>view from commons beach. </i><i>this is why we love lake tahoe in the summer! </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ndrnisrnr5VpYs7SUxHKOP81R6H6M07WKfJs0f1HPPI4Zwjv2PcyDiZTUaGg_QZWk9W0RUVYHT-pHix0oewiLKsbvdVV_ZrdrwFlmvdk-7A5-lIfudDlKPz9dYgTk43_h1da3TfegPFk/s1600/small-080710_4968-edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ndrnisrnr5VpYs7SUxHKOP81R6H6M07WKfJs0f1HPPI4Zwjv2PcyDiZTUaGg_QZWk9W0RUVYHT-pHix0oewiLKsbvdVV_ZrdrwFlmvdk-7A5-lIfudDlKPz9dYgTk43_h1da3TfegPFk/s320/small-080710_4968-edit.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> the dog days of summer!</i><i> </i></div><br />
we normally only venture around the california side, not because we have anything against nevada, but because the just-over-two-hour drive from home is enough for us to get too excited to keep driving past the stateline.<br />
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<a name='more'></a></div><div></div><div>we started off with lunch at the <a href="http://www.lakesidebeachgrill.com/" target="_blank">lakeside beach grill and marina</a>. it was funny because we were actually looking for the <a href="http://www.camprichardson.com/the-resort/restaurants/beacon-bar-a-grill" target="_blank">beacon bar and grill</a> at <a href="http://www.camprichardson.com/" target="_blank">camp richardson</a>, where we had lunch during our last summer visit to tahoe! as luck would have it, lakeside turned out to be a good chance encounter for lunch... semi-gourmet sandwiches, good (albeit somewhat slow) service, a carafe of champagne mimosa, more <a href="http://burb-life.blogspot.com/2010/08/burgers-and-brew.html">kona longboards</a>, and of course a spectacular view of the south shore. the beauty of lakeside is that it's private property, so it's ideal if you want to miss the crowds at the public beaches and parks. the downside is you have to pay to use the beach (at least it's only approx. $5 per adult, and less for kids).</div><div></div><div>we were ready to shell out the cash, as i had promised raffy some beach time, since he so enjoyed splashing around at the beacon. instead, we decided to drive around the west side of the lake so that reg (who was visiting tahoe for the first time) could check out emerald bay, tahoe city and squaw valley. we could always hit up one of the public beaches along the way.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYXf2F8o_jyiqU5UF9byR66ttJlhCUKcmkJ_z-SOj6a7bwnT8_qRbnFBbN_-lXzQmCrGNdVAu_PBIKL6ioFL-TIFiCIK8JiU2TWVgr10lX1DNPtp9Qg8h04nc_HNjwyOD5lIRf-H8-t_g9/s1600/small-080710_4817-edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYXf2F8o_jyiqU5UF9byR66ttJlhCUKcmkJ_z-SOj6a7bwnT8_qRbnFBbN_-lXzQmCrGNdVAu_PBIKL6ioFL-TIFiCIK8JiU2TWVgr10lX1DNPtp9Qg8h04nc_HNjwyOD5lIRf-H8-t_g9/s320/small-080710_4817-edit.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>view of fannette island, from the emerald bay vista point</i></div><br />
</div><div></div><div>sure enough, on the way to emerald bay, we drove by camp richardson and only then remembered it was where the beacon was, where we originally planned to have lunch at. but judging by the crazy large crowd at the entrance to the camp just off highway 89, it was good luck after all that landed us at the lakeside beach grill instead!</div><div></div><div>at the vista point overlooking emerald bay, we stopped for a photo op and a couple of ice cream sandwiches. raffy enjoyed trying to look through the tourist telescopes almost as much as eating the ice cream!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6cqFu5UrnqJufSBH0IqP9bzMADxjQvb2gk1Trga2oOlDu4VAbxf9ncj8tYzdy_5P9_X-2d8-8-BjRLs1RUl_owBWYAn7RKy9UfjFJUMcs7sIAdN2w31TLZNMj5nNOlzKKTxP79Go1Xfg5/s1600/small-080710_5026-edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6cqFu5UrnqJufSBH0IqP9bzMADxjQvb2gk1Trga2oOlDu4VAbxf9ncj8tYzdy_5P9_X-2d8-8-BjRLs1RUl_owBWYAn7RKy9UfjFJUMcs7sIAdN2w31TLZNMj5nNOlzKKTxP79Go1Xfg5/s320/small-080710_5026-edit.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div></div><div></div><div>we were jammed in traffic for almost 20 minutes at the major intersection of tahoe city, which would have really ticked me off on a bad day because without traffic we would have flown passed that section in under 5 minutes. luckily we were all in a good mood, thanks to the great weather (and probably the mimosas and beers!). finally, we landed at commons beach for a couple of hours of pure relaxation. which, for raffy, meant <i>tossing stones into the water</i>! (i wonder when he will graduate to skipping stones?)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHPhuvqnoB3p1UrPOyWXKXusOgkwP1CaGXJg47rwfBygx_ianVxVmoB7o-4K9lhkhrNnSvxwAAcXnD0BlRBf75hBZBR9fPzawPWsqqhOI5pjh7B_YjAKJMi9N7jq6uy1n9bdpSNFw_xXl0/s1600/small-080710_4913-edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHPhuvqnoB3p1UrPOyWXKXusOgkwP1CaGXJg47rwfBygx_ianVxVmoB7o-4K9lhkhrNnSvxwAAcXnD0BlRBf75hBZBR9fPzawPWsqqhOI5pjh7B_YjAKJMi9N7jq6uy1n9bdpSNFw_xXl0/s320/small-080710_4913-edit.jpg" /></a></div></div><div></div><div>finally, it was time for dinner at <a href="http://www.aulddubliner.com/" target="_blank">the auld dubliner</a> at <a href="http://www.thevillageatsquaw.com/index.htm" target="_blank">the village at squaw valley</a>, which is undoubtedly my favorite place in tahoe.</div><blockquote><div>Squaw Valley opened in 1949 with one chair lift, a rope tow, and a lodge. Today, Squaw Valley USA is one of the world's premier destination resorts with year-round recreation and first-class accommodations... One of Squaw Valley's most notable achievements, and a turning point in the development of California skiing, was Squaw Valley's hosting of the 1960 Winter Olympics.</div></blockquote><div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgClUvgOBxVOieWT4dqw7eGxYPEBhJ8ZwcrHGnIWAsGClwm6DNA7DtTeoNQODY5Y13QakUVGmRNY2zEJKn2rbl-qNx15Pu3DkQfpZ5dRN4zOsWXmonZjFKL94DxbuiaJt7V79Ss7KhDdJiL/s1600/small-080710_5041-edit_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgClUvgOBxVOieWT4dqw7eGxYPEBhJ8ZwcrHGnIWAsGClwm6DNA7DtTeoNQODY5Y13QakUVGmRNY2zEJKn2rbl-qNx15Pu3DkQfpZ5dRN4zOsWXmonZjFKL94DxbuiaJt7V79Ss7KhDdJiL/s320/small-080710_5041-edit_1.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>dusk at the village at squaw valley</i></div><br />
the grub was awesome, although my whiskey chicken <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxty">boxty</a> was a little too heavy on the whiskey. reg had the irish stew boxty and mom had the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cottage_pie">shepherd's pie</a>, both of which were exceptional. bo had the corned beef sandwich, which was good too if you're a lover of the corned beef... the thing was just huge! <br />
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<i>as we got ready to drive home after another long yet relaxing day in the mountains, tahoe said goodbye with a beautiful sunset backed by inverted looking <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumulus_cloud">cumulus clouds</a> that gradually dissipated into the night. </i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiEvFz3qmHYb2O9pO6UBSLirwzO5V3WdQYaURxt-aayuZFQ21rS1F4W3Adq3b63t9xPSL0BBYw_-BYDeKZY-KhWID0LHb2Dgx2rnmcZTG1aw8CMvhHdFLzB3646Yw-RpzqBmJFqb_gau0r/s1600/small-080710_5027-edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiEvFz3qmHYb2O9pO6UBSLirwzO5V3WdQYaURxt-aayuZFQ21rS1F4W3Adq3b63t9xPSL0BBYw_-BYDeKZY-KhWID0LHb2Dgx2rnmcZTG1aw8CMvhHdFLzB3646Yw-RpzqBmJFqb_gau0r/s320/small-080710_5027-edit.jpg" /></a></div></div>surviving suburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099359432382543320noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8055227344852318739.post-1158056627445346262010-08-12T22:42:00.000-07:002010-08-12T22:52:42.977-07:00"F" is for fair... which is code for funnel cake!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXSY4EJ8L1cX6XU0YvuP2wua4EjnDZ1NSqoqmx4gjUsinW0tNXW9FDM0Ld-d1lLgDM9xoeBChq5osSA8Ibs0hxzYF7xqbj4CYeIlQgsu6bbKeXM_E0VgBgNwye6iq6tYP1G1sSlnt_ONWo/s1600/small-073110_5131-edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXSY4EJ8L1cX6XU0YvuP2wua4EjnDZ1NSqoqmx4gjUsinW0tNXW9FDM0Ld-d1lLgDM9xoeBChq5osSA8Ibs0hxzYF7xqbj4CYeIlQgsu6bbKeXM_E0VgBgNwye6iq6tYP1G1sSlnt_ONWo/s320/small-073110_5131-edit.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>when one goes to a fair, one MUST have funnel cake! </i></div><br />
at the end of july, for the first time ever, we visited the <a href="http://www.bigfun.org/">california state fair</a> in sacramento. i was having second thoughts about going... it gets so flippin' HOT here in the summer! but it was the last weekend, and raf is big enough to go on some rides, so bo coaxed me into giving it a shot.<br />
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the fair was nothing if not huge. i'd been to a couple of fairs in SoCal, and this was easily three or four times the size of those. they had everything you can imagine that would be in a fair, including the <a href="http://www.bigfun.org/attractions.php">days of the dinosaur</a> exhibit. but we had to pass on that one, much to my dismay (who doesn't like dinosaurs?), because of the long line of people waiting to get in to see it. hopefully, it'll be back next year.<br />
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of course, we spent most of our time at the kiddie rides and looking at animals. raf couldn't get enough of the car rides. he's constantly saying "i like driving" now, when he's pedaling along on his little tricycle. interesting fact: some of the kiddie rides at the fair were from michael jackson's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neverland_Ranch">neverland ranch</a>! i found that kind of creepy, but then that's just me.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFquL_Duyj3LvDRntwrTKaL9V3RYfuhDz36Tsmyp0YA0w3MvjRG7Qss_PhEA-MqNCGgl6ZCRaWP5aLYqh8zbZ_6iGKs1X2TZs_ghroNgeE9s8QqPUM8WVgrxW3q2jgJpv63xFjyqKXEsmC/s1600/small-073110_5112-edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFquL_Duyj3LvDRntwrTKaL9V3RYfuhDz36Tsmyp0YA0w3MvjRG7Qss_PhEA-MqNCGgl6ZCRaWP5aLYqh8zbZ_6iGKs1X2TZs_ghroNgeE9s8QqPUM8WVgrxW3q2jgJpv63xFjyqKXEsmC/s320/small-073110_5112-edit.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>raf and i chugging along on the cars. </i><br />
<i>he can't wait till he's 16 and old enough to learn to drive!</i></div><br><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">i was pretty awestruck at the livestock nursery... </div><blockquote><a href="http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=6641">For the 27th year, a team of veterinarians and 35 trained students from UC Davis' School of Veterinary Medicine will staff the fair's livestock nursery around-the-clock to make sure that the farm animals born at the fair and their mothers are healthy and well cared for. Fairgoers can observe the births and learn about other aspects of farm life, while the veterinary students gain valuable clinical experience.</a> </blockquote><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">as i crouched down beside raf next to the stall of a pregnant cow, i realized (and a preschool trip to the petting zoo confirmed this) that he is pretty nervous around the bigger animals. he'd look at the horses and cows, but not really go near them. i can imagine why. from the eye level perspective of a three-year-old, big animals are exactly that: BIG... and a pregnant cow is way beyond big!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
among the animals, raf enjoyed the fish, reptiles and insects the most. he's enthralled by snakes, spiders, butterflies, grasshoppers and turtles. the interactive nature of the exhibits doubled the fun.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihidvdL_lxVrrEQU0kQvbVO3QlVVsF-qGOZqF-GLRnsXR1Kl766CLyf2ZMpJVtjveiDZFXFwI2rTWUErvb680ioLD_VM5JcXT4yNLvvC_aYdNTF3RCh2zf2KbnpK8TJIq7mH9ExB5BHm9D/s1600/small-073110_5119-edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihidvdL_lxVrrEQU0kQvbVO3QlVVsF-qGOZqF-GLRnsXR1Kl766CLyf2ZMpJVtjveiDZFXFwI2rTWUErvb680ioLD_VM5JcXT4yNLvvC_aYdNTF3RCh2zf2KbnpK8TJIq7mH9ExB5BHm9D/s320/small-073110_5119-edit.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">other cool stuff were located at the shopper's expo, including the <i><a href="http://www.aerospacemuseumofcalifornia.org/">aerospace museum of california</a> exhibit</i>. to a little boy, if there's one thing better than cars, after all, it's got to be airplanes! then, around the corner from the planes, a news channel had a studio setup where you could stand in front of a blue screen and professional video camera, pretending to be a weather reporter. you'd actually see yourself on tv. many of the older kids were having a grand ol' time with that!<br />
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oh, i shouldn't forget, we also found "jerry's jerky" within the shopper's expo, and we enjoyed a "cowboy slab" of teriyaki flavored, old fashioned, homemade beef jerky. yummy!</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlgIzC21Rsix_Pgi3nA2dtlXzMI4x5X8_ShuLr1yvqy0HKBKlsKBDKAvgbey6TExbepMFDnfjfyiImNPe1Nc6W0KCz_6xdE39eTQu_Ch-sbZZyTGSwEmvPFGlgW3f9IIxZhS7-940oq68/s1600/small-073110_5130-edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlgIzC21Rsix_Pgi3nA2dtlXzMI4x5X8_ShuLr1yvqy0HKBKlsKBDKAvgbey6TExbepMFDnfjfyiImNPe1Nc6W0KCz_6xdE39eTQu_Ch-sbZZyTGSwEmvPFGlgW3f9IIxZhS7-940oq68/s320/small-073110_5130-edit.jpg" /></a></div><br />
they had several free concerts and shows, and we happened to catch the <a href="http://web.me.com/ikia/MCYGEC/About_Us.html">multi-cultural youth dance group</a> performing a few traditional hawaiian and filipino dances. i wasn't sure what the first few dances were (including the first <i>filipino dance, when the photo above was taken</i>), but the last was definitely the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinikling">tinikling</a>. when i was a kid, we all wanted to do the tinikling, since it's almost more like a game than a dance... unfortunately, no one wanted to be the ones hefting the weighty bamboo poles! come to think of it, the dance is really quite a health hazard... imagine having your foot caught between two heavy bamboo poles as they are slid closed (or, more like, slammed shut)!<i></i><br />
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<i>by the end of the day, both kids were pooped out!</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqCShWuZHEn5YoZHx8hXM2VnhsQwbRJwafqjvX-_bqkkG-BUAJwgqPuAuUyVZMS3eP4b8rmIjRy0cHIzV5UOwwyD0oSE1uKWE2HDZFQtwaCQAEjy86UaPYk3MQKe45K5v8x4pwD5BBcy3D/s1600/small-073110_5126-edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqCShWuZHEn5YoZHx8hXM2VnhsQwbRJwafqjvX-_bqkkG-BUAJwgqPuAuUyVZMS3eP4b8rmIjRy0cHIzV5UOwwyD0oSE1uKWE2HDZFQtwaCQAEjy86UaPYk3MQKe45K5v8x4pwD5BBcy3D/s320/small-073110_5126-edit.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg246_2qigJLzjhkD_Mm8UNBCdpWRiHW4Qq8CRQvtGtpX0951SA97j9w7mL0rFz3AMeWwsFwOBCiGz7rdX14cZL2mTGDA5JVY2b-vXmEO9JFHZijY3qwvlzVTPPnXhJbGkA3-m04yFT5b8/s1600/small-073110_5125-edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg246_2qigJLzjhkD_Mm8UNBCdpWRiHW4Qq8CRQvtGtpX0951SA97j9w7mL0rFz3AMeWwsFwOBCiGz7rdX14cZL2mTGDA5JVY2b-vXmEO9JFHZijY3qwvlzVTPPnXhJbGkA3-m04yFT5b8/s320/small-073110_5125-edit.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">altogether, despite the blazing sun, we had a great time. the funnel cake was the perfect way to end the day... bo picked bavarian cream... super scrumptious! it reminded me of the bavarian cream and chocolate doughnuts we used to get from <a href="https://www.dunkindonuts.com/">dunkin' donuts</a> when i was little, only better. if you've never had bavarian cream funnel cake before, add it to your list of must-try unhealthy snacks NOW.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk6hidQ0llngVc9wGylGw7RtXdPwX8167pwlM46IXhVCqL40NAUzpDn7UTU9nIssYFhMAbOF8EQvsfz6MQmZm32sGKuhmisjOcu4g5Z0eBwTaObHjI5p5vzjgRuKj25dLZVa8Gh0BEg-1O/s1600/small-073110_5133-edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk6hidQ0llngVc9wGylGw7RtXdPwX8167pwlM46IXhVCqL40NAUzpDn7UTU9nIssYFhMAbOF8EQvsfz6MQmZm32sGKuhmisjOcu4g5Z0eBwTaObHjI5p5vzjgRuKj25dLZVa8Gh0BEg-1O/s320/small-073110_5133-edit.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>bo shows no mercy and takes a chunk out of the cake.</i></div></div>surviving suburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099359432382543320noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8055227344852318739.post-32116429097758544172010-08-10T00:18:00.000-07:002010-08-10T00:44:58.998-07:00burgers and breworiginally, i wanted to do all my catching-up posts chronologically, meaning i would have had to start from the other weekend when we went to the <a href="http://www.bigfun.org/">california state fair</a>. alas, i haven't gotten around to downloading the photos from the fancy schmansy camera! (read: my <a href="http://www.nikonusa.com/Find-Your-Nikon/ProductDetail.page?pid=25420">nikon DSLR</a>, the toy i would love to have more time to play with.) so you'll have to settle for a few posts i can do using my <a href="http://www.samsungmobileusa.com/blackjackii/">camera phone</a> photos first. which isn't necessarily a bad thing. i love how camera phones have changed the game for candid shots. with technology these days, the little buggers actually take better than decent pictures. <br />
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okay, enough about photography. i could go on and on about that all day, but that's not the title i've made for this post!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxYbxVh187sQ-CV2rRcsLqHF8t_-QV5sHnR_4wzQNFt9JI1EgPl2Yo4ri2qKZhmFR3oMS5nh7RrDEjbOmtnbPbaf0ybB3CO8ZJDhPQ3_q15yTeqfxx3JeyX8X1IueXtBvDMA5pZdixKV9m/s1600/PIC-0122-706347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502520571452894194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxYbxVh187sQ-CV2rRcsLqHF8t_-QV5sHnR_4wzQNFt9JI1EgPl2Yo4ri2qKZhmFR3oMS5nh7RrDEjbOmtnbPbaf0ybB3CO8ZJDhPQ3_q15yTeqfxx3JeyX8X1IueXtBvDMA5pZdixKV9m/s320/PIC-0122-706347.jpg" /></a></div><br />
the title is <a href="http://burgersbrew.com/">burgers and brew</a>, after the little restaurant we had dinner at last friday.<br />
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this past weekend was just jam-packed with planned activities because my cousin reg was visiting again, one last time before he heads home to <a href="http://www.australia.com/index.aspx">the land of oz</a>. we started it off by picking him up at the train station and heading straight to B&B for dinner.<br />
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<div class="mobile-photo"></div><div class="mobile-photo"></div><div class="mobile-photo"></div><div class="mobile-photo"></div><div class="mobile-photo"></div><div class="mobile-photo">while bo and i played conservative and split your standard cheeseburger, reg went all out for the <i>buffalo burger, pictured above</i>. real buffalo meat! not something you get to try everyday. it tasted pretty darn good (as did the regular burger). you could tell the meat was different... perhaps slightly more gamey and lean than beef, but not obnoxiously so. and the B&B chef is some kind of master, having cooked the meat to perfection on both counts (medium well is my preference). there is nothing better than a properly cooked burger!</div><div class="mobile-photo"></div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzHEckGgati64-fCDwyuPC9Ie7IzdHngp9qZ_UEnVmzI8mpEPnJaUjMlwnRg8r5_EQZiU-w38gKTA1T3Vmot4iR0Z-HxlvOyveW8P0b40MOKohus1U5cQCovyUzT5fa-72wMwgM_wGxi05/s1600/PIC-0123-703213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzHEckGgati64-fCDwyuPC9Ie7IzdHngp9qZ_UEnVmzI8mpEPnJaUjMlwnRg8r5_EQZiU-w38gKTA1T3Vmot4iR0Z-HxlvOyveW8P0b40MOKohus1U5cQCovyUzT5fa-72wMwgM_wGxi05/s320/PIC-0123-703213.jpg" /></a></div><div class="mobile-photo"></div><div class="mobile-photo" style="text-align: center;"><i>reg digs in...</i></div><div class="mobile-photo"></div><div class="mobile-photo">wait a second... actually, there is something better. how about curly fries with chili? oh yeah! bo and i were debating on which one to get, the curly or the chili. then our waiter intervened, saying, "why not both?" the man made my day. it was so good that i forgot about taking a photo of it before we scarfed it down! it was real chili con carne, meaty and flavorful... not just a tub of full of beans and grease and cheese! and, on CURLY FRIES. nuff said!</div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
</div><div class="mobile-photo">so as the name implies, we had our fair share of beer to wash down our dinner with. bo started off with a classic favorite of many, the <a href="http://www.hoegaarden.com/">hoegaarden</a> (a wheat beer) with a slice of orange. i like the occasional wheat beer but am not a huge fan, so i skipped it. reg and i tried one of B&B's specials of the day, the <i><a href="http://www.konabrewingco.com/beers/longboard-lager">kona longboard</a>, pictured below</i>. bo and i were trying to figure out where we'd seen (and he'd tried) the kona before... we think it was at beach hut deli (mmmm... another love. i'll have to blog about that place too!).</div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizFSP-rC0nUrFpCIQP1GJZg8NxGMQFg3sr4wR_uHEXr44KfWYsDotxpJgmmfTcX805RwjGl1JlkP6Vp2YwjtU0RA5BwXc6uLNdrP1H51QdpNHyIZFcE3NARPHP-xrQiroLnuyOs3D7O3vE/s320/PIC-0120-700303.jpg" width="320" /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">we really enjoyed the kona, it's a very light lager that's easy to drink with whatever you're having for dinner. that also means we downed it pretty fast! tee hee! on to the next one, lads!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR60xOcro5QT6HXh-Bo5WS10oa6WcpQHYfHv6ZLqft8CYLqjUkslOznaLuaUdD5OYrNwh6jXUpSN6JnchDuhl3OKPod_EsGEFDC_syJnJ1EFiO9bP0oHBhXCPKrpqDtEHSEoISEjOvh5m_/s1600/PIC-0124-701933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR60xOcro5QT6HXh-Bo5WS10oa6WcpQHYfHv6ZLqft8CYLqjUkslOznaLuaUdD5OYrNwh6jXUpSN6JnchDuhl3OKPod_EsGEFDC_syJnJ1EFiO9bP0oHBhXCPKrpqDtEHSEoISEjOvh5m_/s320/PIC-0124-701933.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">reg went for the <i><a href="http://www.leffe.com/en/beer/leffe-blond">leffe blonde</a></i>, the self-proclaimed "mystery of the ages." true enough, it had an interesting, distinct flavor, yet it was still very drinkable. beer connoisseurs will enjoy this <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_in_Belgium#Abbey_beers">abbey beer</a>, which <span class="rkr">indicates it should be served in a <i>chalice-shaped glass, pictured above</i>. per the professionals, an abbey beer's "<a href="http://www0.epinions.com/review/Leffe_Blonde_41385172/content_337085042308">almost wine-like qualities</a>" demand a chalice, which "<a href="http://www0.epinions.com/review/Leffe_Blonde_41385172/content_337085042308">funnels the aroma and brings the bouquet to a focus</a>" </span><span class="rkr">better than your typical mug or pint glass can. but if you ask me, well... i'll drink it any which way i can get it!</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKlY-d-csgcF-93iqlaX4GMKGlqSW5a-AGho4r53HfPi-I77ZI69__XETI98ZsbraeEt2JfKNeIQKUm7OBuIUF-7oHv4AFOgPTpVmFgYfmZso6c0CtoZ2xzUhOePNb6pPl5s5jM14QyOKN/s1600/PIC-0126-799091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKlY-d-csgcF-93iqlaX4GMKGlqSW5a-AGho4r53HfPi-I77ZI69__XETI98ZsbraeEt2JfKNeIQKUm7OBuIUF-7oHv4AFOgPTpVmFgYfmZso6c0CtoZ2xzUhOePNb6pPl5s5jM14QyOKN/s320/PIC-0126-799091.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">bo had the <i><a href="http://www.fullers-ales.com/london_pride.php">london pride</a></i>. this slightly darker, malty ale had a much bolder flavor. not at all bad, but it wouldn't be my first choice. i'm not hugely into hoppy beers, which this was. i enjoyed it very much as it was ice cold, but probably wouldn't want it once it warmed down to room temperature.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">and so ended our lovely evening. we had plans to drive up to <a href="http://www.visitinglaketahoe.com/">south lake tahoe</a> the next day, so we couldn't keep poundin' the brews like the good ol' days. honestly, we're pretty much passed the point where double-fisting and such were fun. these days, nursing a few pints on a steady evening is really much more enjoyable.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">on a closing note, it's salient to point out that burgers and brew is by the same folks behind <a href="http://www.crepeville.com/">crepeville</a>. i've only been to crepeville once, and i can't wait to go back again... their savory crepe is killer! i must say, these restauranteurs and sure know their food!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="mobile-photo"></div>surviving suburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099359432382543320noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8055227344852318739.post-13457754062157831152010-08-08T01:33:00.000-07:002010-08-13T00:33:07.320-07:00versatile blogger awardbig thanks to <a href="http://everythingsherbed.blogspot.com/">ela of everything's herbed</a> for passing on to me my first blogger award!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVmut3LWsMNSDnMSxonLzeWvyK5XT4fShZKJVVCSrNmw8dXmPda9nbK9fwyzGipc8e9ipmSNq7ynpN3fgArOvtt2VQPc8qQZkGrAOxgzgfH2IX9bAELFtU2PU0n2aIucFvPTatPzh3mnk/s1600/versatile-blogger-award.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVmut3LWsMNSDnMSxonLzeWvyK5XT4fShZKJVVCSrNmw8dXmPda9nbK9fwyzGipc8e9ipmSNq7ynpN3fgArOvtt2VQPc8qQZkGrAOxgzgfH2IX9bAELFtU2PU0n2aIucFvPTatPzh3mnk/s320/versatile-blogger-award.jpg" /></a></div><br />
so here are the rules:<br />
<blockquote><ol><li>Thank the person who gave you the award.</li>
<li>Share 7 things about yourself.</li>
<li>Share the award to 15 other bloggers who you have recently discovered and think are fantastic. Link to each of the recipients and let them know they've won.</li>
</ol></blockquote><br />
#1 is done! (<a href="http://everythingsherbed.blogspot.com/">thanks again, ela!</a>) that was easy! but #2... er, not so much. here goes...<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<ul><li>contrary to the obvious, this isn't meant to be a food blog. but i am most definitely a foodie, so it just comes naturally to me to notice, ponder on, celebrate or lament about food and drink. i imagine i will be posting on more varied themes eventually. i really don't plan to start posting recipes or reviewing restaurants the way serious food blogs do. that would be too much like work. i do this strictly because i enjoy it, and i want to keep it that way!</li>
<li>though born a foodie, i never really tried my hand at cooking till i was well into my twenties. before that, i lived at home and there was always my mom or the cook to do the cooking. now, aside from my own kitchen experiments (or cooking disasters, which happens more frequently than i care to admit), i'm scrambling to learn from mom and collect her recipes. my grandma (mom's mom) was, from all accounts, a fabulous cook... but none of her 13 children (yes, thirteen!!) really learned and compiled more than a few of her recipes! it would be tragic for that to happen again. also, i like the thought of my kids enjoying some of the same food i so loved when i was little. </li>
<li>i like to read. (understatement.) i'll even read the back labels of stuff like shampoo or dish soap. i am inclined to read "guy" books and historical/non-fiction novels because i grew up having my dad's bookshelf as my primary source of non-required reading. "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bourne_Identity_%28novel%29">the bourne identity</a>" and "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brotherhood_of_the_Rose">the brotherhood of the rose</a>" are a couple of favorites that i read back in elementary school. and yes, i preferred <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hardy_Boys">the hardy boys</a> instead of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Drew">nancy drew</a>. BUT...</li>
<li>my guilty pleasure when it come to books are romance novels by <a href="http://www.juliaquinn.com/">julia quinn</a>. she's the only romance author i really read. primarily, JQ's books make me laugh. i have to admit, i always end up skipping the kissy-kissy parts because, really, once you've read a "love scene," they are all pretty much the same! </li>
<li>i am fascinated by music and think all musicians, no matter what genre, are brilliant in their own way. i had dreams of being a music producer during my teenage years. unfortunately, i have no natural talent at it, just very rudimentary skills at playing the piano and guitar, and a love for singing in private (i.e., usually off-key). i actually invested in a new guitar in my mid-twenties (any instruments we had while i was growing up were gone by the time i went to college). wishful thinking that there's still a chance for a future in music? *sigh* still no dice. </li>
<li>i have abnormally low blood pressure. i think this is why i can seem unnaturally stoic at times of great stress. (look close enough, though, and you'll see the cracks on the surface!) i'm also prone to heat exhaustion, no matter how much water i drink. which is probably why, try as i might, i never really excelled in sports. (okay, okay... i'll admit i was too lazy to practice consistently!) oh, but i did cheerleading for a couple of years, if that can be considered a sport. i like to dance! i even did ballet till the seventh grade.</li>
<li>i went through a phase of not wanting to have kids. i was young and self-centered. but now, i can't imagine life without my little guys. then, when i was pregnant with my 2nd son, i became uber sensitive to all things child-related. i'd see something on the news or read something in the paper about a child getting abused, and i would just fall to pieces. it was so bad that i would wake my husband in the wee hours of the morning in tears because i remembered the news story. i've got the crying bit under control now, but that experience changed me and i'm much more cognizant of child abuse than i was before. if you ever look into it, you'll be amazed to learn how frequent, serious and close to home some of these cases are! it's really very tragic, i wish there was an easy way to address the issues.</li>
</ul><br />
finally, #3. i'm going to bend the rule and just list an assortment of personal-ish, non-professional blogs that i like to visit, without trying to hit the max count of 15. here they are, in no particular order.<br />
<br />
(ps. to all you bloggers that i've put on this list, thanks for sharing your life and loves with me and the general public. we enjoy reading you. really.) <br />
<ul><li><a href="http://onmywalkabout.blogspot.com/">on my walkabout</a></li>
<li><a href="http://koreanamericanmommy.blogspot.com/">korean american mommy</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.confessionsofachocoholic.com/">confessions of a chocoholic</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.foyupdate.blogspot.com/">foy update</a></li>
<li><a href="http://fantasticfabulousmom.blogspot.com/">fantastic fabulous mom</a></li>
<li><a href="http://caffeiiina.blogspot.com/">caffeina</a></li>
<li><a href="http://triportreats.blogspot.com/">trip or treats</a></li>
<li><a href="http://lakocinera.blogspot.com/">la kocinera</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.amomfromtheburbs.com/">a mom from the burbs</a></li>
<li><a href="http://morethanamountfull.blogspot.com/">more than a mount full</a></li>
<li><a href="http://cupofchay.blogspot.com/">cup of chay... not i</a> </li>
</ul><ol></ol><br />
cheers!surviving suburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099359432382543320noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8055227344852318739.post-31122410700298530742010-08-02T22:20:00.000-07:002010-09-10T21:15:29.031-07:00word of the day = inter aliayou know you're working on too many legal/technical docs when you start coming across too much of this kind of language. plain english would make my 9-to-5 (or rather, 8-to-who-knows?!) so much easier!<br />
<blockquote><b><span class="hw">in·ter a·li·a</span> </b><span class="pron" onclick="pron_key()" onmouseout="m_out()" onmouseover="return m_over('Click for pronunciation key')">(<img align="absBottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/ibreve.gif" />n<img align="absBottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/prime.gif" />t<img align="absBottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/schwa.gif" />r <img align="absBottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/amacr.gif" /><img align="absBottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/prime.gif" />l<img align="absBottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/emacr.gif" />-<img align="absBottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/schwa.gif" />, ä<img align="absBottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/prime.gif" />l<img align="absBottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/emacr.gif" />-<img align="absBottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/schwa.gif" />)</span> <br />
<div class="pseg"><i>adv.</i> <br />
<div class="ds-single">Among other things.</div><div class="etyseg">[Latin : <tt>inter</tt>, <i>among</i> + <tt>alia</tt>, neuter accusative pl. of <tt>alius</tt>, <i>other</i>.]</div></div>A term used in formal extract minutes to indicate that the minute quoted has been taken from a fuller record of other matters, or when alluding to the parent group after quoting a particular example.</blockquote>surviving suburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099359432382543320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8055227344852318739.post-77266099651821620842010-08-02T21:49:00.000-07:002010-08-02T21:49:30.449-07:00M. I. A.hello blogland! i've been Missing In Action for about a week now... things at home and at work have just been intensely busy. i'll be back to blogging next week with a small bundle of posts to catch up. <br />
<br />
meantime, i did want to tip my hat to <a href="http://everythingsherbed.blogspot.com/">ela of everything's herbed</a> for passing on to me the versatile blogger award! big thanks! that will certainly be my first post next week. <br />
<br />
till then...surviving suburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099359432382543320noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8055227344852318739.post-1849763473603009632010-07-27T19:35:00.000-07:002010-07-28T06:40:54.822-07:00to-may-toe, to-mah-toh<div class="mobile-photo"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498771768104180850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglkQFxjlXKavVyZJwcMQ6sHjzESIvRbElLe59GKo1RH3xVYUzNJ4MjV5Z3tfvPsTdfarTeSb_Nedlgm5zX4jpr6alK5THcjEHEI8mS7dVU81ydRI6cRyLImSrEqx11I1VNBAoz_7I-Zoyx/s320/PIC-0119-770167.jpg" /> </div><div class="mobile-photo">i had no idea what these were when A brought them over to my desk at work today. purple what?</div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
</div><div class="mobile-photo">"<a href="http://www.cherokeepurple.com/">purple cherokee tomatoes</a>," A repeated. "you eat them just like regular tomatoes. only they have a smoky flavor."</div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
</div><div class="mobile-photo">right. smoky tomatoes? i can't even begin to imagine. i'll let you know what i think when i actually try them. for now, i'm just in awe looking at them. who knew there was such a thing as purple tomatoes? i certainly didn't. </div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
<a name='more'></a></div><div class="mobile-photo">i always feel so country-naive next to A. on top of her full-time day job (which, by all accounts, is tougher than mine), she's got a hundred head of cattle, a chicken coop, a vegetable garden, adopted feral cats and... well, shotguns! they are to keep coyotes away. or was it mountain lions? i think it was coyotes. maybe both!</div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
</div><div class="mobile-photo">i, on the other hand, have never seen a live coyote or grown any kind of vegetable. i grew up in the suburbs, moved to several cities, and ended up back in the suburbs. i never spent summers in the country... or maybe i did a few times, but i was too little to remember it now. i can count on one hand how many farms or ranches i remember going to, most of them through field trips and other similar pseudo-educational activities. </div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
</div><div class="mobile-photo">on a positive note, i get genuinely excited about these "discoveries" A shares with me. maybe that's why she enjoys bringing me farm-fresh eggs that come in such cool natural pastel colors. "see? no need to paint them for easter!" she says with a smile. too right!</div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
</div><div class="mobile-photo">how A finds the time energy to lead this double life of city/suburb and country, i have no idea. i get worn out with just 2 kids and a husband!</div>surviving suburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099359432382543320noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8055227344852318739.post-42729009259272674192010-07-24T16:58:00.000-07:002010-07-27T19:40:06.628-07:00my latest contraption: a hand-blown glass wine decanter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK9nueMOkCszXdE1DQvGYdKUZaJQCeuvBvamVmaNMmQajy6a_slCl97PsC-9Lh0PwMA4D0HRnXQ59SO8sLlwGeFic5Y37dpgv3WjhqRqtSd5ZRDqgaJDlRIDbElrY6r2HKPT8ACICHIs0L/s1600/PIC-0106-764767.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK9nueMOkCszXdE1DQvGYdKUZaJQCeuvBvamVmaNMmQajy6a_slCl97PsC-9Lh0PwMA4D0HRnXQ59SO8sLlwGeFic5Y37dpgv3WjhqRqtSd5ZRDqgaJDlRIDbElrY6r2HKPT8ACICHIs0L/s320/PIC-0106-764767.jpg" /></a></div><div class="mobile-photo"></div><div class="mobile-photo"></div><div class="mobile-photo">i really thought i got suckered into buying this hand-blown glass decanter made by <a href="http://www.gallicchioglass.com/">gallicchio glass</a>. it was at our 4th stop wine tasting... by then my buzz was definitely on! but now, i don't regret spending on this at all. it really does what the wine consultant said it would do: (a) allows the wine to breathe as you pour, so you can enjoy it immediately, and (b) preserves the wine so that you don't need to finish the bottle in one go.<br />
<br />
most importantly, it's uber fun to use. i so feel like a mad scientist when i pour! (evil cackle)<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<i>first, you pour into the decanter. the wine cascades very prettily down all sides of the sphere. too bad it doesn't show too well in this photo taken with my phone's camera.</i></div><div class="mobile-photo"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlIjPUBvRs_M5OhJfBSHxmJVq2SlU7k3IwSaJdlNID1aVA6hbpAcAcdo4ZpbjE5YZpl3Pg2BwsWdHVW8HAd329qF9sJAPQ4u6DNF7b8Hk23PFSmpJ_Jheh0Db2zQGqs63Zfebd9PQWqkAO/s1600/PIC-0113-744017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlIjPUBvRs_M5OhJfBSHxmJVq2SlU7k3IwSaJdlNID1aVA6hbpAcAcdo4ZpbjE5YZpl3Pg2BwsWdHVW8HAd329qF9sJAPQ4u6DNF7b8Hk23PFSmpJ_Jheh0Db2zQGqs63Zfebd9PQWqkAO/s320/PIC-0113-744017.jpg" /></a></div> <i> </i><br />
<i>then, you twist to pour the wine out into your glass. voila! without wasting another second, go ahead and inhale, sip and drink up! enjoy!</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaIB0PY_9-AzyWxJFIrkZ2BOxvAXxIhuwUomYOc7ZpN3Wub8Z2akbytZgCyMXFjMUEjYj92YeSIEpWyudnfUfwHqwQ1oZtk8pdw-u1xyhTxyQ94r5t2vxjxyqhm8ykot7plcQfLdmIn5E3/s1600/PIC-0114-742609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaIB0PY_9-AzyWxJFIrkZ2BOxvAXxIhuwUomYOc7ZpN3Wub8Z2akbytZgCyMXFjMUEjYj92YeSIEpWyudnfUfwHqwQ1oZtk8pdw-u1xyhTxyQ94r5t2vxjxyqhm8ykot7plcQfLdmIn5E3/s320/PIC-0114-742609.jpg" /></a></div><i> </i></div><div class="mobile-photo"></div>surviving suburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099359432382543320noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8055227344852318739.post-43594277749606819582010-07-22T19:42:00.000-07:002010-07-24T16:58:43.074-07:00Cloud 9 Seity Zinfandel 2006whoa! i'm normally not a zin fan, but <a href="http://www.cloud9wine.com/">Cloud 9 Seity Zinfandel 2006</a> is hella good stuff! very very fine tannins. must be cos it's from a... "10-acre vineyard (that) is home to the oldest Zinfandel vines on Earth, with proof of existence dating to 1869." pretty wild.<br />
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here's an <a href="http://www.cork-popper.com/2010/04/29/corkpopper-moment-2006-cloud-nine-seity-zinfandel-with-roast-pork-loin-and-poached-plums/">interesting blog post</a> about it.surviving suburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099359432382543320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8055227344852318739.post-14639835998915029452010-07-20T21:05:00.000-07:002010-07-27T19:40:38.203-07:00linguini with clam sauce<div class="mobile-photo">we had leftover white wine in the fridge (i wonder how that happened?), so i was surfing for an easy recipe that would put it to good use. i came across <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/05/earlyshow/contributors/bobbyflay/main2065103.shtml">this article</a>. it wasn't difficult to decide to try it. i heart linguine ai frutti di mare! so, linguini with just clams... well, it would be easier to prepare. also, who can claim to be a foodie in this day and age and not know <a href="http://www.bobbyflay.com/">bobby flay</a>? he's a great chef and entertaining to watch. if i were half a good a cook as i wish i was, i'd love to be in a <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/throwdown-with-bobby-flay/index.html">throwdown</a>!<br />
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what i liked best about the recipe is that it came in two varieties, with red sauce or white. and, to add to the healthy factor, the white sauce was not cream-based. very cool.</div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>my linguini with red clam sauce.</i> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2woxs28i9UXsn7JVoHlJeBS4Q8biTo3MwCjTzZ5f2agHMpyBPL4r3WAwQZ_T317tdfAxo2ko9iLbsmEIn2q6jfUIbyy9OGSnDTWuouTHPQe1wCSuprpuFFziNW3ReN8fqt0B8Q3mNDXjK/s1600/PIC-0112-704478.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2woxs28i9UXsn7JVoHlJeBS4Q8biTo3MwCjTzZ5f2agHMpyBPL4r3WAwQZ_T317tdfAxo2ko9iLbsmEIn2q6jfUIbyy9OGSnDTWuouTHPQe1wCSuprpuFFziNW3ReN8fqt0B8Q3mNDXjK/s320/PIC-0112-704478.jpg" /></a></div></div><div class="mobile-photo">the funny thing is it was a few weeks before i actually got around to trying this out, and by then the white wine had *mysteriously* disappeared! so i ended up opening another bottle of white wine after all. but this time, we finished it the very same evening!</div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
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</div><div class="mobile-photo" style="text-align: center;"><i>cooking casualty! </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwMRrT4hyphenhyphenmhCr6PlivzZxOi6ZCG2WHh7YBF2ucoXpWEp6fg8hR4R3IknaGDH7CfkBWGncoHo_LzP17pIkLmJulpbqnr-uyh9yPu7l6lCbdHrtIk2sWcOweZiqxFuN2hnGj9Ncv6Fps2j41/s1600/PIC-0108-702532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwMRrT4hyphenhyphenmhCr6PlivzZxOi6ZCG2WHh7YBF2ucoXpWEp6fg8hR4R3IknaGDH7CfkBWGncoHo_LzP17pIkLmJulpbqnr-uyh9yPu7l6lCbdHrtIk2sWcOweZiqxFuN2hnGj9Ncv6Fps2j41/s320/PIC-0108-702532.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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this was my first time cooking two very similar recipes at the same time. as you can imagine, i'm not the most efficient cook... i left the garlic in one pot a wee bit too long and ended up with... well, burnt garlic! good thing this was at the very beginning of the process, so it wasn't a big deal to throw it out and start over.<br />
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and the results? not bad at all! i used a bit too much salt and oregano in the white version, and the red was a tad too hot. another first for me, cooking with crushed red pepper flakes... they usually just go on the pizza delivery! apparently, in cooking, a little goes a long way. also, i used a lightly sweet wine rather than a dry wine, but it still tasted yummy... so i'm not sure if it is much better with a dry white wine, which is what's recommended.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><i>my linguini with white clam sauce. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6AnuUB2YC6RNqmZ18PDK9H5tiW8c1aBmuxc-FM3Jt_1H2jad73RSkG6oJifQmNVgsfyLg3sRq7YqbZP1lanceTbX10_l4KDEgjrqJWtUWrIf9VsZIrLt6Ug_oJeXwtBI0eRuOJxtpL9BG/s1600/PIC-0111-708504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6AnuUB2YC6RNqmZ18PDK9H5tiW8c1aBmuxc-FM3Jt_1H2jad73RSkG6oJifQmNVgsfyLg3sRq7YqbZP1lanceTbX10_l4KDEgjrqJWtUWrIf9VsZIrLt6Ug_oJeXwtBI0eRuOJxtpL9BG/s320/PIC-0111-708504.jpg" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="mobile-photo"></div><div class="mobile-photo" style="border: medium none;"></div>surviving suburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099359432382543320noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8055227344852318739.post-62544466118714925752010-07-17T14:52:00.000-07:002010-07-27T19:41:05.998-07:00midnight snack<div class="mobile-photo">snuck downstairs last night for a midnight snack (just a tiny one! swear!) and found this hiding among the cheese...</div><div class="mobile-photo"></div><div class="mobile-photo"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492897682663368354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTfzrGzC4IPrd6r7FFNj-JFzsUbYGcMMn_Ra9xEV_hDDIhiUG8NXpIsMdXMKFcImVlXJmQMcnH7z3AeHQu3Z5jK_JXYG4cvEyD_TCxgyBAop5WEfXejS9LpMpyZN43p_tDlnP3DrHwUnee/s320/PIC-0103-702175.jpg" /> </div><div class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Tam"><i>arnott's tim tams!</i></a> (thanks to the leones family from sydney for sending them over!) </div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
</div><div class="mobile-photo">if you've never had a tim tam, you're totally missing out. these babies are just the right amount of biscuit and chocolate in one, not too sweet and not too rich, with a little a bit of crumble as you bite into it. i've loved them since i can remember, when dad would bring them home from his business trips to australia. or, like now, when we had relatives or friends from down under drop in. </div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
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</div>tim tams became readily available in the US at <a href="http://www.target.com/">target</a> a couple of years ago through pepperidge farm. nothing against pepperidge farm--i've enjoyed a <a href="http://www.pepperidgefarm.com/productdetail.aspx?catid=725">milano</a> every now and then--but i have it on good authority that, somehow, the target-bought tim tam just doesn't taste the same! <br />
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apparently, tim tams can also be found at <a href="http://www.worldmarket.com/home/index.jsp">cost plus world market</a>. i don't visit cost plus too often, though i enjoy myself thoroughly when i do. the truth is, if i don't resist buying too many treats of the chocolate variety, i'll do nothing but eat them all day!surviving suburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099359432382543320noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8055227344852318739.post-31369406904326501632010-07-11T16:58:00.000-07:002010-07-27T19:41:37.040-07:00summer is for swimming, moonpools and caterpillarsthe song <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_L9O2CBK4Q">"soon" by moonpools and caterpillars</a> played on my ipod.<br />
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maybe it was the song, maybe it was the summer heat... i thought of my childhood, when summer meant <a href="http://acci.com.ph/index.php/page/loadPage/10#swimming">swimming at alabang country club</a>. i have fond memories of spending summer at the club, playing tennis or hanging out by the pool with my sisters, usually with some cousins or other friends in tow. of course, that meant cheeseburgers by the pool or chicken lollipops at the veranda, capped off with butterfly iced tea. good times!<br />
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with the parental impulse to create similar fun memories for raffy and ben (though of course, ben's too young to enjoy anything other than chug milk, sleep and poop!), bo and i decided it was time to set up the inflatable kiddie pool in our backyard. <br />
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<i>bo gets a laugh out of spraying raffy with the garden hose <br />
as he fills up the kiddie pool.</i><br />
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<a name='more'></a>we spontaneously completed the effect by having a lunch of <i>cheeseburgers, filipino-style</i> (my mom's super yummy burger patty recipe, melty cheddar cheese, steamed rice rather than hamburger buns, and knorr seasoning sauce rather than catsup). sound weird to you non-filipinos? i'm sure! but don't knock it till you try it. trust me!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia9j2BRr629XLADsVX-ycsVRYuoaX2ns_0H-o3g-SG2LsXcWUa6M0jraehM59K8GtUT1FojAX2-4Rg0xwsH3MmSbxStTcHsdfXyNmmgsOSGCkS8GISsV_LV71MpVbmZF8d24KU4a5FB3A0/s1600/small-071010_4737-edit-768530.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia9j2BRr629XLADsVX-ycsVRYuoaX2ns_0H-o3g-SG2LsXcWUa6M0jraehM59K8GtUT1FojAX2-4Rg0xwsH3MmSbxStTcHsdfXyNmmgsOSGCkS8GISsV_LV71MpVbmZF8d24KU4a5FB3A0/s320/small-071010_4737-edit-768530.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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and to treat ourselves, bo and i busted out our latest wine find, <i>blue fish 2009 sweet riesling</i>. it was on <a href="http://www.bevmo.com/">bevmo</a>'s 5 cents wine sale, a real steal in my mind. during the summer, we're big fans of refreshing wines that go down easy and can go with almost any dish or stand by itself. this riesling fit the bill perfectly.<br />
<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491346575674410162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2w9pB_oYWbYYufEIrExILrs0v49MiMZ68QZ8-cT9R56b72P82mI_tmgpgy_WzwJfmSE7q1EPhm7pMJKtNfENNo7bAp8TJPMIw9fNl2oifwRI1YLn50QzVpFbrJ6jsBdeTxVOZDPPi1Gqj/s320/PIC-0096-757374.jpg" />surviving suburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099359432382543320noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8055227344852318739.post-34890842684086486142010-07-11T15:42:00.000-07:002010-07-27T19:42:01.553-07:00summer show @ the fountains<div class="mobile-photo">bo and i have always liked <a href="http://www.cpk.com/">california pizza kitchen</a>. we love their salads, and are constantly baffled by how their "half" salad is way larger than any salads we would make for ourselves at home. we enjoy their pizzas sometimes too, the crust is just the right thickness. and the chicken tequila fettuccine is one of my personal favorites.</div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
</div><div class="mobile-photo">this time, i tried their new baby clam linguini with the red sauce. i was initially wanting the white sauce, then remembered i am supposedly trying to eat healthier, so i canned that idea. it was better than i expected! very generous with the clams, and with a spatter of red pepper flakes that added just the right amount of kick. raffy enjoyed his usual, fusilli with meat sauce, and bo had the thai crunch salad, which we've had before. this salad is a great dish if you're a fan of thai food, which i've found often combines peanut + sweet. </div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
</div><div class="mobile-photo">then, bo had the bright idea of ordering dessert. enter the butter cake with vanilla ice cream. bo has a weakness for caramel and any similar flavor. i am a chocolate person myself, but enjoy all desserts anyway. needless to say, bo had 3/4 of it!! though raffy ate most of the ice cream.</div><div class="mobile-photo"></div><div class="mobile-photo"></div><div class="mobile-photo"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492500621059488514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmi0h3bOsnvSFU7PtjcuQ83KxGPtbuj0dktST46TDT7DgtH7nbc2DSbPmKIlpUoRndnqJDU833OoUsURyHDBzTADhIe1aHbO3-GAeD9ypmAEcVjy6HCxZfrnVzmgPApf2Ab-St35pv8lAV/s320/PIC-0098-754202.jpg" /> </div><div class="mobile-photo"><i>the butter cake, in the process of getting demolished.</i></div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
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</div><div class="mobile-photo">after dinner, we strolled through <a href="http://www.thefountainsatroseville.com/">the fountains</a>, and raffy discovered a real treat... the major mist effects put on at the central fountain. awesome way to cool down in the summer heat! at first sight, i mistook it for dry ice. the fine mist would rise and lay heavily over the water feature like a fog, then spill over one side after the other, enveloping passersby almost completely. having always been fascinated by water, steam, and anything in between, you can imagine how this enthralled our 3-year-old. he ran back and forth, chasing the mist where it spilled over, laughing happily as he was immersed in it.</div><div class="mobile-photo"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492500627450589938" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1xbIOMj9jKqoMHC9QD_jCEzdPFjHBAtSUuXpSAAG60rGnVd87UIk1yallLyCcqVTb8KqD4spaI8cFBs2RJmnlLIscjWQ_ClIt85Nx6ArkXSdyppwemAMZcQd8as4LH3kXwTOfVM_hf68Y/s320/PIC-0100-755970.jpg" /><i> </i></div><div class="mobile-photo"><i>raffy and bo marvel at the fountain's summer mist.</i></div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
</div><div class="mobile-photo">our favorite part of the evening had to be the summer show by <br />
<i><a href="http://one-headlight.com/one/default.aspx">one headlight</a>, a local 90's cover band</i>. </div><div class="mobile-photo"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492500633747265154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4NuO8kEBRcoAc7aHBqGceof32lYmlFuRvtpR0I9qKnCrQEOO3SuRcelzVbJ6IMpRAXwWAhYv6nirn8byp49ns9y1331xUEe_kO1kJmIs6x6g1H4KSIXms-seRrpkHxUDZ9D7TuJFBz0gz/s320/PIC-0102-757524.jpg" /></div>of course, a free show at the fountains is not exactly as exciting as the concerts we so loved, back in the days of no kids, when we could plan a night out without a second thought! so i wasn't expecting much, especially since i wasn't blown away by other bands we'd seen at the fountains before. but one headlight was a genuine surprise... great vocals, great instruments, and just the most amazing set list! (they kicked off with better than ezra. nuff said.) most importantly, the band paid attention to their sound engineering, so even in the open air the music was on point and balanced. i've heard great bands play with lousy sound engineering, it can really ruin the show, so kudos to these guys for caring.<br />
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this was raffy's first live band experience, and for at least five songs he was watching the band intently and clapping at the right moments. for a kid with such short attention span, this was a major achievement! but it was no real surprise, since he's shown great interest in anything to do with music. how cool would it be if he grows up to have a future in music? goodness knows i had such ambitions when i was growing up!<br />
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<i>raffy bangs a drum.</i> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9SmBFKxjIau7HYYHVifPR_II6cTYNUDIoO_Gx68uwPFbNXdWjfpFRxCUoRrvv7mLuQRQqFy_Eqi0pAeW2esFVnNi55SBqHyJwIjumXzVTbcbxv8FMSjBaHgFYTxCNUHSQrycLHbOP4pg/s1600/PIC-0095-759919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9SmBFKxjIau7HYYHVifPR_II6cTYNUDIoO_Gx68uwPFbNXdWjfpFRxCUoRrvv7mLuQRQqFy_Eqi0pAeW2esFVnNi55SBqHyJwIjumXzVTbcbxv8FMSjBaHgFYTxCNUHSQrycLHbOP4pg/s320/PIC-0095-759919.jpg" /></a></div> <i><br />
</i>surviving suburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099359432382543320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8055227344852318739.post-37186490248099521392010-07-07T22:21:00.000-07:002010-07-27T19:38:21.774-07:00the beast's first battle scar<div class="mobile-photo"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491324242609213026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh97Zaq5njYv0S1Wwmz4wOK0L5BGz8oNztcjbw9CvYTuLhrN5pG-KHZqFkhO5vc9sSrMgkxJLiO0eLM9WUWeAIZgADQWv-y0x3R1RMslGd39Lgy_JBikQr3ZXpVxCeqazFw3DT7cqaHJC0s/s200/PIC-0094-757181.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="150" /><br />
can you see it? i dinged the truck, right at the corner, midway up the bumper. and if you stare long enough, you'll notice the bumper's slightly turned in on the driver's side. this truck is less than 4 months old. crap!</div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
</div><div class="mobile-photo">it happened at the parking lot of my kid's preschool. apparently, the lamppost has a base that's wider than the actual post. yeah. did not see that from the driver's seat vantage point. grrr. </div>surviving suburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099359432382543320noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8055227344852318739.post-5074053006198357302010-07-06T22:15:00.000-07:002010-07-27T19:42:24.659-07:00opah means moonfish<div class="mobile-photo">i'm no chef by any stretch of the imagination. but i really enjoy good food, so once in a while, i'll try my hand at cooking. the urge is usually fired up by chancing upon a yummy-sounding recipe or ingredient. this time, it was definitely the ingredient. </div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
</div><div class="mobile-photo">i was pretty stoked to find opah at our local costco. i had some vague memory of it being a large fish favored in hawaii. (google it. it's pretty cool how large and weirdly beautiful the opah is.) it looked like tuna meat, only pale pinkish-orange in color. i was half certain it would make for good sashimi. (later research confirmed this.) but then i'm no fan of eating raw food at home. this is because wasabi seems to tastes better when it's from a restaurant and, more importantly, because bo learned all about proper food safety when he worked for ecolab. temperatures, work surfaces, stuff not touching other stuff especially when raw, and so on... all this triggered my dark suspicion that, despite any attempts at sanitizing, harmful bacteria lingers in massive quantities in my kitchen, unseen by the naked eye. </div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
</div><div class="mobile-photo"></div><div class="mobile-photo"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490605003085244786" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLulare8M0Kp0ZWkPKFEKHAeqH8EhvZLmVHM68UrVYIASFOZwdx2gynecP4M3Ck7vZOtasT9cYVrRfdl8ekiuH2Xg111IB9Qo7svu2CkQwhuHxvCYiuBhOG-HqBFu28PKZnJHTDxmuTGKt/s320/PIC-0093-796518.jpg" /><br />
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<a name='more'></a> </div><div class="mobile-photo">so i cooked the opah fillets using my own version of <a href="http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Seared-Opah-Moonfish-With-Vine-Ripe-Tomato-Garlic-Butter-214017">this recipe</a>--that is, i pulled the whatever-you-can-find-in-the-kitchen cheat, skipped the too-time-consuming parts of the procedure, and used only 1/4 the amount of butter the recipe called for. (i mean, one entire pound of butter? really?! i don't think so!) the consensus was that it turned out pretty good. but then, it did have lemon, white wine and tomato. you can't go wrong with any of those three flavors in my book, so combining them is a sure winner!</div>surviving suburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099359432382543320noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8055227344852318739.post-62920165040376596372010-07-06T21:05:00.000-07:002010-07-27T19:42:45.188-07:00old sugar mill<div class="mobile-photo"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490593425993486818" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6zePhV4Xl5rJGAU2R2rgCXVDvx57sbuFJ8IZDJN9RP5JKT3t4eLQHRSAu7bV2yRvXX6iG51dFEbczXGJFzx53jhBIEHjU4F7ST-M8OJDiCYbS85c_TdfyZN8WOJegoRi7ndrjTiU0ieq/s320/PIC-0089-701468.jpg" /> </div><div class="mobile-photo">i love, love, LOVE the <a href="http://oldsugarmill.com/">old sugar mill</a>. it's so convenient, so unpretentious... our favorite go-to when anyone comes to visit. we're not connoisseurs and we don't really want to be. we just have a darn good time appreciating the wine, the people, the history and the architecture... and we always come home happy, with a set of bottles to keep the bar stocked for the next few months.</div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
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</div><div class="mobile-photo">so when reg, my cousin from Down Under who is interning in SFO this summer, came over for the july 4th weekend, we picked him up from the train station and arrived at the mill early, just as it was opening. the next couple of hours we spent enjoying wine flights and shooting the breeze with the wine tasting hosts. meeting bill from <a href="http://www.solomonwine.com/">solomon wine</a> was a treat. we had a great time listening to his random anecdotes.<br />
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although i haven't yet found anything in clarksburg that i love as much as napa's <a href="http://www.vsattui.com/">gamay rouge</a> or trader joe's <a href="http://www.traderjoes.com/">zeller schwartz katz</a>, i would say the <a href="http://www.heringerestates.com/">viognier</a> comes close.</div>surviving suburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099359432382543320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8055227344852318739.post-5358021059848753122010-07-05T10:43:00.000-07:002010-07-10T22:29:22.225-07:00salud!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcfh1lUOfhPvgFT6ng7aW02JeEAOEtYrY8QjMbEexPCwdiMgxggYnjRQH9ZMhUwP7SOCT0V-2MQsqCxTMh_w4GM-IgC-VqhWJXAMTgNEP61nh93y-DhgOrGEiSYhla3dJ9YHSh5A1NHBg/s1600/PIC-0088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcfh1lUOfhPvgFT6ng7aW02JeEAOEtYrY8QjMbEexPCwdiMgxggYnjRQH9ZMhUwP7SOCT0V-2MQsqCxTMh_w4GM-IgC-VqhWJXAMTgNEP61nh93y-DhgOrGEiSYhla3dJ9YHSh5A1NHBg/s320/PIC-0088.jpg" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>i highly recommend the mexican sangria with el charro blanco!</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>in the background: you can't go wrong with tecate on tap.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">last saturday, we had a family dinner on the outdoor patio at <a href="http://www.tresagaves.com/locations/roseville">tres agaves</a>. bo's order of combination soft tacos rocked... on the spicy side, which was great for the 90+ degree summer evening. we ordered raffy chicken soft tacos off the kids' menu, but he wasn't interested in them, having previously stuffed himself with tortilla chips. baby ben slept through the whole thing, which i wondered at, since i would never have been able to sleep in that kind of heat.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">meanwhile, i was pretending to be healthy and ordered a seared ahi salad with tequila dressing. bad move. the sangria was already infused with tequila, and we were just about finished with the jug when our meals were served. so, i was pretty over the whole tequila flavor by the time the salad arrived. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">i really should have known better. it's not the first time i've had to remind myself (in a wide variety of circumstances, as i'm sure you can imagine) that there IS such a thing as too much tequila!</div><div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_a.png?x-id=c7cf39f3-c200-479d-a3bb-7e7877bb9290" style="border: medium none; float: right;" /></a></div>surviving suburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05099359432382543320noreply@blogger.com0