For all of the controversy surrounding construction of the Nationals Stadium, the cost over-runs, tax-payer dollars, etc, the architects and builders got it right. It feels like a ballpark. The sight lines from any seat in the upper deck (gotta sit in the cheap seats) are incredible. Looking across the Anacostia River (I wouldn't want to swim in it), over to the Capitol Building or Washington Monument, there is something to see from every seat.
]]>Canyon de Chelly is a severely under appreciated site in northeastern Arizona. The colors on the canyon wells look like they were painted. Friends of ours who have lived in Arizona their entire lives either hadn't heard of it or hadn't been. I think it is the second best thing to see in Arizona besides the Grand Canyon.
]]>I've lived more than two-thirds of my life inside the Capital Beltway. My first memories of Independence Day are of the National Mall, big crowds and loud, scary explosions. When Washington celebrates the birth of our country, it does it big. If you're going to grow up with a healthy respect for the 4th of July, this is the place to do it.
So I hope I've established my bona fides for the following statement: I hate the 4th of July.
I should say, rather, that I hate one specific aspect of the 4th. I quite like long weekends, potato salad, indolence, grilling with friends and playing frisbee in the park. I'm even mildly pro-fireworks, especially if they're illegal, and dangerous, and I'm setting them off myself while paying dubious attention to my own safety.
What I hate about the 4th is the compulsive drive it elicits amongst great segments of unwashed humanity to descend on public places typically used for other purposes, like driving. I will never, ever understand what motivates people to leave the comfort of their homes and friends to voluntarily join hundreds of thousands of strangers waiting in the mud for a colored light display. It is to me the most singularly perverse aspect of human nature, like the thousands of happy idiots in Times Square every New Years Eve, pretending they don't have to pee. Totally perplexing, and more than a little disheartening, for those of us who care about the future of the species.
What elevates this from a sad anthropological curiosity to something worthy of my burning hatred, is when I have to pass through this gauntlet of idiots to get somewhere enjoyable, like a small party with a few good friends. Washington goes into full-on terrorist lockdown mode on the 4th, leaving one path of egress out of the city, and giving the rest of it over to the throngs.
The only thing that made driving through it remotely palatable was the wholly predictable storm that had them all huddling under trees and canopies like refugees. Whoever poetically asked the rest of the world for their "huddled masses," never saw them hiding under a tree, trying to keep their fucking sparklers dry.
Been going through a bag of flour recently when cooking and after cooking parantha, a pseudo meat pie, I decided to go simple and make some noodles. Mixed the flour with water and kneaded for a while, mixed in some cumin seeds and let the dough sit in the fridge for an hour or so. Took the dough out of the fridge and flattened it out and cut out some noodles. Boiled the noodles, then I stir fried them with some chopped sausage and garlic.
最近生地を使っての料理にはまっていて、今日はうどんを作ってみることに。強力粉にお水を混ぜて、捏ねる、捏ねる、捏ねる。最後にクミンの種を入れて更に捏ねる。ラップをかけて、冷蔵庫に入れておく。夕方になったら、生地をひろげて、麺みたいにきる、うどんって言うよりは下手な刀削麺。お湯でゆでる。フライパンを出して、刻んだソーセージとにんにくを炒める。甜麺醤と豆板醤を加える、最後にうどんを入れて炒める。できあがり。美味しい。
とりあえずモブログ写真だけ集めました。
史上最大の上げ幅！ 新島効果か!?
Fun place to wash car by myself.
It works! Sprocket.Reader is an IMAP mail server that pulls news feeds from a database. I'm focusing on the iPhone mail client at the moment. It's easy to use and there are no downloads or mods required.
If you are interested in being a beta tester, email me at: xantus at xantus d.o.t org.
Here are screen shots of me reading Slashdot
Astrid is already treasuring her Lincecum card.