a little rain

mouse
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

i love the rain, especially since it's such a rarity here in southern california, but it makes me want to stay in bed and do nothing but read. something in my body knew about the rain on a subconscious level, thus i slept through it this morning, and in fact overslept. despite that, i lazily prepared myself for tennis only to realize as i opened the door that the ground was wet.

no tennis. just a little work and mostly unchecked web surfing nonsense ensued. so i blame the rain for my lack of motivation this morning. i must find some ounce of it to get myself to yet more almost endless soldering. i keep thinking that the end is close, but just out of reach.

a (busy) day in the life

mouse
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

what does this photo of mouse have to do with my busy day? nothing except that in the midst of it, it occurred to me that fall may actually be around the corner.

i started out the morning frantically putting together an estimate for some future web work, then multi-tasked working on two websites, and mostly debugging css issues. people need to get on the ball and stop using IE 6. it doesn't comply with w3C standards, and it's always the lone browser with quirky rendering of styles.

it was some time after 12:45 before i finished the urgent items on my to do list and realized i had to get my crap together before rushing off to class. i grabbed a box with the birthday gifts for my friend that should have been put in the mail by tuesday and some packing tape. there was one more item i needed to pick up to go with one of the gifts from blue windows. oh, and i had to print a copy of the rx form to get a refill on henry's fluids called into drs. foster and smith.

showed up late to class once again with no time for lunch. after class, i chatted some with friends, had to stop to fill my car with gas (already learned the hard way not to let it get too low), then drop my friend who didn't want to pay for parking in the lot and who incidentally had an ailing foot by her car.

i am the queen of last minute mailing of birthday gifts. rather than doing everything in my power not to once again be in that stressful situation, i have only gotten better at it.

after picking up the one last gift item at blue windows, i taped up the box and reminded myself that i needed to get one of those big printed labels from the post office machine that i could put the address on and obscure the old label from the recycled box. well, somehow in my urgency, i missed something, and the machine printed out a tiny little label hardly big enough to cover the old labels. doh! luckily, the postal worker woman who was waiting behind me to help someone else was nice enough to suggest one of their large priority labels which i then used to barely cover the old label and hoped that though i was clearly not complying with the requirements of the united states post office, they would still mail my package. this poor postal worker must think i'm an idiot, yet she is always so helpful. last week, i had dropped off a package with postage and gone home before realizing i hadn't put a return or send to address.

continuing on my voyage home, i had to stop off at the vet to get a refill prescription, but at least i enlisted the help of one of the veterinary assistants to collect cat fur for my project. score!

i finally made it home some time around 5pm. after having a bowl of soup for lunch, i cleaned the cat box, tidied up, tried not to freak out too much about the messy home and washed the dishes in relief that the day was finally slowing down. oh, but there was still a bit of web work and photos to retouch and upload and convincing mike to come home at a reasonable time so we could have a nice dinner out.

on days like this, it's difficult to squeeze in any work on art. i often feel that if i don't have at least an hour to spend on it, i really don't want to make the effort. it takes that long to get into the right head space, and by that, i mean concentration level.

so it's 10:39pm. i'm hoping i can squeeze in some reading, sit-ups (which i am soooo behind on) and flossing, before bed. shoot. and i promised to help mike with some processing programming.

Animal

Animal
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 on 101 in 1001: 2/143
if you didn't get a clue from the name, Animal caters to meat-eating foodies. even though the meats were surprisingly lean, you could easily fill up on meat-heavy appetizers alone. i went with a group, and most of us shared, so i was able to sample a broad range of appetizers and entrees on their single sheet menu.

appetizers
i found the appetizers to be more interesting than the entrees, though no less heavy on the protein.
house smoked pork belly, lentil & butterbean salad- one of the better choices of the evening, the pork belly was a shockingly lean piece of meat with a section of fat. marinated in a thick bbq sauce, it was sweet on first bite and ended with an almost too salty finish. thankfully, the tangy vinaigrette from the beans cut through some of the intensity of the sauce.

pork ribs, balsamic, delicata squash & rocket salad, pecans- smothered in a dark balsamic sauce, the meat was tender and easily came off the bones. thank goodness for the spicy rocket salad with sweet slices of squash to balance all the pork. the sauce was somewhat generic.

poutine, ox-tail gravy, vermont cheddar- theirs is a gourmet version of a canadian specialty that consists of french fries covered in gravy and cheese curds. the gravy on this had pieces of ox-tail in it. without much to compare it to, all i can say is that french fries do taste good with gravy on them. the cheese was a little scarce on this one.

entrees
flat iron, sunchoke, lobster & chanterelle mushrooms, hotel butter- this is a quality, thick piece of meat. another diner in the group thought their medium rare was a little too rare, but i found it to be just right. the steak was tender, simply prepared and mostly focused on the natural meat flavor. personally, i would have preferred more mushrooms, less meat.

halibut, king crab, tabasco butter, gold rice succotash, cipollini- one of two fish dishes on the menu, this one consisted of a piece of halibut that has been pan seared and covered with a good amount of king crab, plated with a mixture of beans and sweet corn and a butter sauce. i love crab, and it was good with the butter, so nothing to complain here.

although the preparations are straightforward, and the flavors are a little uninspired, overall, i thought the food was tasty. the ingredients, fresh, high quality, mostly organic and locally produced/grown, were good. our waiter was attentive and friendly, answering the various questions from our large group. though it's definitely not a place for vegetarians, but they do have fish and vegetarian salads, so if you wanted to eat a little lighter, it is possible.

week in progress 10/26

see Louise Bourgeois in person: not only did i go see her work, we went on opening day, and attended a talk with the curator. the only disappointment was that there wasn't more work in the show.

no coke for a week: i did it. i went an entire week without coke. instead of coke, i drank ginger brew or water. it wasn't as difficult as i thought it would be. as a result, i've picked up more soda so i can keep my coke drinking to a minimum.

flossing every night for 30 days: it's been a little difficult to remember to floss, but i'm doing it.

sit ups 250/wk: ok, so this has been the most difficult to work into the routine. not to mention that it's not all that fun. i have a crapload to catch up on.

try a new restaurant a wk (2/143): no problem here. friday, we had lunch at nem nuong khanh hoa, and tonight, i had a decadent meal at animal (review forthcoming).

see the ocean once a wk (1/143): had another nice bike ride along the beach. this time we did 3 lengths of the shoreline path from junipero to belmont shore.

participate in a class through the public school: this wasn't on the list, but it really should be. mike & i spent last sun and this one frantically reading various essays on site specific art and discussing them with art history geeks inside richard serra's sculpture Symmetry. it started out a little confusing, but turned out interesting. i think i would have gotten more out of it if i had been more versed in contemporary criticism and art history.

uWink

hollywood scavenger hunt
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

#25 of 101 in 1001: 1/143
we were in hollywood for a scavenger hunt so tried this restaurant where you can place your order and play games through a touchscreen. food was ok. the veggie burger was actually tasty. for what it was, a restaurant in the hollywood highland mall, it was fine and fulfills my one new restaurant a week goal. the games won't push any boundaries in the gaming world, but they were entertaining while you wait for your food.

tgif

nem nuong khanh hoa
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

so my friday hasn't been as productive as it could have been, but it was pretty good. mike's been overworked lately, and finally took my advice and got some staycation days, today being one of them, to have a leisurely day at home.

after my tennis class this morning, i got in some soldering before we drove to little saigon for lunch at a restaurant that may be an alternative to the popular brodard. both are known for their nem nuong (pork paste filled spring rolls). they have a variety of rolls in addition to the pork ones, including some made with shrimp paste and bbq beef. we ordered a sampler plate. each roll is generously stuffed with fragrant herbs including lettuce, mint, cilantro and a sprig of green onion. the sampler comes with two dipping sauces, a nutty turmeric-y, slightly spicy yellow sauce, and a sweet, salty, sour one similar to the fish sauce that comes with most vietnamese dishes, except this one is filled with chopped garlic bits.

the fresh herbs were nice, but without the dipping sauce, the pork & shrimp could have been spiced more to strike a more even balance of flavors. we shared a banh xeo, which is a vietnamese omelette/crepe thing filled with shrimp and bean sprouts. the flavor was very subtle here as well without the fish sauce. we had to try the banh khot as well. these fried rice cakes filled with shredded shrimp, scallions and fried onions were great if you're into fried foods (and who isn't?). i thought the fried flavoring of the rice cake overpowered the subtle shrimp flavors. i think i will get the banh beo next time. it's a similar dish, but steamed discs of rice cakes instead of fried.

after lunch, i had a much needed hair cut. when we came home, i started some freelance work, while mike fixed my fucked up car window that had gone off its track. now i have a bunch of sit ups to catch up on.

lace scarf

lace scarf
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

i started this lace scarf from knitty last night, but am still not feeling it. the rhythm and satisfaction of knitting has been drifting lately. i'm tempted to start a more exciting sweater project, but then there are the christmas presents i had hoped to do as well...too many things going on right now. i find it hard to focus on more than one thing even though i'm certainly trying to fit it all in.

obama buttons

obama buttons
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

my very cool obama buttons arrived in the mail today. they were "free" with a donation. i wish they had come sooner as i did want to promote the effort by wearing them, but i guess there are a couple weeks left. i love the strong, vintage design. there's a diy grassroots appeal to them. as for the election, the campaigns have gotten so ugly, i find it difficult to listen.

musha w/ steph

musha w/ steph
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

steph and i had plans to check out a yakitori place in gardena--torimatsu--that i had heard was really good. my excitement was dashed upon arrival as we learned that they are closed on sundays. doh! i suppose i could have checked their schedule, but no where on yelp is it listed, which would have meant calling them. so we tried to go to shin sen gumi, another yakitori place nearby. i think i got the wrong address and ended up at a little tiny place that didn't look right and had just closed.

musha happened to be in the same strip mall parking lot, and steph hadn't been there so we went there instead. everything we had was excellent, and i thought our meal was quintessential izakaya. good small plates of food with beer and friendship.

snow crab w/ daikon salad: fresh pieces of snow crab with slices of slightly bitter daikon over mixed greens. healthy and good.

beef tongue shichirin grill: chewy, salt and pepper crusted thinly sliced beef tongue. comes with a buttery, tangy dipping sauce.

buta kimchee: thin sliced pork stirfried with kimchee - smokey, spicy, salty

ebi yuba shinjo: shrimp dumpling wrapped with tofu skin. then deep fried & served w/ tentsuyu dipping sauce -- crunchy on the outside, tender inside

takotama: two layers omelette w/ chopped octopus, tokyo leek, red ginger & tuna broth -- very interesting combination. the octopus was sparingly used and mostly textural. there were a bunch of noodles sandwiched in between the two layers and cooked in a thickish sweet worcestershire-like sauce.

one of the waiters spilled some of the dipping sauce that came with the shrimp on steph, which sucked, but they gave us free ice cream in the end, which was nice.

nguyen family weekend

nguyen family weekend
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

after the scavenger hunt, we rushed to orange county for a dinner with my family. my grandfather's birthday brought my mom & aunt from texas, and my cousin liz, her girlfriend ingrid, and their baby clyde out for the occasion. sadly though, my grandfather didn't want to leave the hospice, so we briefly visited him there. my family brought him food, and mike & i were suppose to meet them there, but were late, so missed everyone else, and instead sat, kept him company while watching him eat his food. rarely leaving his room or bed, he doesn't seem to have any desire for anything, but it was good to see he has a strong appetite.

then we went on to my aunt's where my family was making the usual big dinner with roast beef, mixed greens, sauteed green beans with garlic, lobster thermidor, toast and cheese. it was a good night, even listening to my uncle fred, a fiscally conservative democrat, try not so subtly to influence our upcoming votes on various california propositions.

the older generation of our family consists of republicans, while the younger generation are mostly liberal democrats or independent, so we try to avoid having political discussions. when you already know what someone's views are and that they aren't likely to change, there's no point in getting into arguments over it. my aunts and uncles are close, and there's often plenty of typical family tension between them. since my cousins and i did not grow up in close proximity, we aren't as close or prone to the quibbles and disagreements that can happen when you know someone so well.

hollywood scavenger hunt

hollywood scavenger hunt
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

my friend abby works for a destination management company. basically, she helps companies find food, entertainment, team building activities in the great LA area. she happened to get complimentary tickets for one of the scavenger hunts offered by watson adventures, and invited mike and i to join her. their scavenger hunts are a little different from traditional ones. instead of collecting items on a list, you get a list of questions in the form of a four line riddle/poem and approximate location as to where you can find the answers, and the goal is to collect the answers to the questions. it turned out to be a lot of fun (i love puzzles!). we were running around hollywood solving puzzles and second guessing ourselves. in the end, we won, which was awesome!

fur fix

cat fur
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

i never thought i'd be so excited to see cat fur, but here is the latest installment from maxine66 on ravelry. thank goodness for kind knitters. it's quite lovely, and unlike the stuff i've been collecting around the house sans cat litter. i haven't exhausted all my fur sources (still waiting on people to send me theirs), but am considering getting one of those special combs that removes the undercoat hairs. if i inadvertently make the cats bald, i guess that will be a good excuse to knit them a sweater! ha!

cat fur is an interesting material to work with, so i may continue this project after my nov 6 deadline. it'll depend on what i can collect from people without being too much of a pest.

progress

ok, so it's only been a few days, but i have made some progress on my 101 in 1001.

150 sit ups done
3 days of flossing
researched composting on the LB recycling site
acquired more cat fur for free (although steph's cat yuki is getting a bald spot. poor thing) for my sculpture
2 outings planned to 2 restos i've never been to--uWink in Hollywood and Torimatsu for yakitori in Torrance
called mom

oh, and scavenger hunt really should have been on my list. i've always wanted to participate in one, being a lover of games and puzzles and general running amok. lo and behold, today, my friend abby invited me to one. so far so good. i even considered my no coke thing this week, but i was thinking that may be too much. damn. i'm craving one now.

claws

claws
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

monday, i went for cajun broiled seafood with some ladies from the knitting group and a fellow foodie--steph w, gayle, steph c & her husband josh, and lisa v. it was messy and darn good. we had shrimp, crawfish, mussels, and corn. except for some king crab which were ok, they were out of crab (blue & dungeness) again, so maybe next time. after what i found out about shrimping this week from a new member of our knitting group who is a marine biologist, i'm starting to think about cutting back on shrimp. there's also the whole cholesterol thing.

fur in process

fur in process
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

so i found out today that the show that i will be in with a fellow artist--Richard Hutter-- at BC Space is being moved back to the first of next year, which is probably a good thing as i had submitted some work to a juried show in Torrance (keeping my fingers crossed), and the led project is still moving along at a snail's pace.

recently, i started a sculpture made from mostly cat & some dog fur. i may extend some of the parameters and start begging for rabbit fur as well. besides the strange looks and curiosity, i've received cat fur from various friends, and the cats at home are happy to be regularly combed, but am finding i need A LOT more. not quite ready to troll the animal shelters yet...thinking about it though.

101 in 1001

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.
For more info on meme, click here.

1. Apply and get accepted into an MFA program
2. Make an art piece that costs nothing to make
3. Finish my big led project
4. Make a solar-powered art piece
5. Make an art piece involving video
6. Use Processing in an art project
7. Collect hair from the drain & make art out of it
8. Submit work to four juried shows a year (1/11)
9. See Louise Bourgeois’ work in person
10. Experience James Turrell's crater
11. See art at least once a month (2/32)
12. Learn to make cream puffs & eclairs
13. Bake a cake
14. Bake a pie
15. Make a tart
16. Make ice cream
17. Bake crusty artisan bread
18. Learn to prepare five Vietnamese dishes (0/5)
19. Learn to make sushi
20. Make something from the Tartine cookbook
21. Experience a tasting menu at a 3-star Michelin restaurant (this one's from another meme)
22. Try all the Michelin-rated restaurants in LA
23. Check out Sundays at Three at Silverlake Wine
24. Try a restaurant specializing in food from Africa
25. Try one new restaurant a week (8/143)
26. Have brunch on the Queen Mary
27. Pay off credit card debt
28. Open a High Yield Bank Account at Schwab
29. Figure out expenses and a budget and stick to it
30. Buy a house
31. Clean out & organize garage
32. Get rid of 20% of clothes
33. Stay within household budget of $100 on groceries each week
34. Reorganize contents of kitchen cabinets
35. Get rid of anything > than three years old from kitchen cabinets
36. Get a maidenshair fern and not kill it
37. Clean out dead plants
38. Whittle Netflix queue down to 400
39. Build a content management system
40. Learn to program an arduino board
41. Become more proficient in video editing
42. Become an expert in dom-scripting
43. Redesign my website and build a new one
44. Design & build a database for my website
45. Buy a terrabyte external drive
46. Sew a bag/purse
47. Make a quilt
48. Knit a long-sleeved sweater
49. Knit something with fair isle
50. Knit something by Kim Hargreaves
51. Knit something by Wenlan Chia
52. Knit something from Rowan
53. Crochet an amigurumi
54. Don’t hoard yarn. Knit with the yarn I want
55. Take a walking tour of downtown LA
56. Visit the newly remodeled Griffith Observatory
57. Visit the Arboretum
58. Visit Winchester Mansion
59. Visit Point Reyes
60. Visit the Museum of Jurassic Technology
61. Visit Catalina Island
62. Visit Watts Towers
63. Visit sculpture garden at UCLA
64. Visit Griffith Park
65. Visit Long Beach museum of art
66. Buy a digital slr
67. Complete a bike marathon
68. Don't eat fast food for a year
69. Don't drink Coke for a week (yikes!)
70. Floss every day for a month
71. Reduce red meat consumption to two times a week
72. Get rid of food baby
73. Do 250 sit ups a week (perhaps this will take care of 49)
74. Exercise with Pilates video
75. Finish reading Sync, Omnivore's Dilemma, Stumbling on Happiness, & Hot, Flat and Crowded
76. Make a road trip to Salton Sea
77. Make a road trip to Joshua Tree
78. Take a vacation somewhere tropical
79. Visit another country
80. Visit three state parks (0/3)
81. Take six hikes in California state parks (0/6)
82. Go kayaking in Belmont Shore marina
83. Visit a water park
84. Make a cross-country road trip
85. Watch the sun rise
86. Watch the sun set
87. Organize and host a food event
88. Change out all batteries for rechargeable ones
89. Remember to bring bags everywhere I shop for a month
90. Figure out how to compost at home
91. Make a diary of how much I drive in a month and cut by 20%
92. Make cloth napkins & stop using paper napkins
93. Buy Organic or Local food
94. Buy & use a reusable water bottle
95. Ride in a hot air balloon (scary for someone afraid of heights)
96. Make three new friends
97. Make dinner for a friend four times a year (0/11)
98. Call mom once a week (2/143)
99. Make dinner for my mom
100. See the ocean once a week (5/143)
101. Complete this list

petrillo's pizza

petrillo's pizza
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

Petrillo's, a mom & pop pizzeria that also serves italian favorites, makes good old fashioned pizza. Their tomato sauce is sweet and salty, and they load their medium thick pizzas full of hearty ingredients. Though I prefer thin crust pizza, i thought this pizza was tasty, and like the proportion of the ingredients to the crust.

I went with a group, and we tried several of their pizzas, including the petrillo specialty, which is a supreme pizza with mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, italian sausage, pepperoni, salami, mushrooms, onions and green bell peppers. They don't skimp on the toppings, especially the meat, on this one, which was the group favorite. The sausage was quite tasty with bits of fennel seeds that added a lot of flavor.

We also had a half pepperoni & black olives, half canadian bacon and pineapple, which they loaded up with toppings. Both were hearty and good combinations of flavors. The bianca, which has no tomato sauce, but is topped with mozzarella and romano cheese, fresh tomatoes and fresh basil, was the least favorite of the pizzas. It wasn't bad, but it was a little bland. The fresh basil was a nice touch, but with no tomato sauce or meat, it was on the cheese-y side. I think if they added pesto, it would be perfect.

In addition to the pizzas, we tried the antipasta salad, which consisted of italian cold meats, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, roasted peppers, black olives and pepperoncini over lettuce. The salad was a good balance, and quite large--enough to feed at least four people. We were tempted by another table's order of spaghetti and meatballs, which comes with several huge meatballs. The pasta was ok. I thought the sauce was good, and overall, the dish was typical of a mom and pop place.

I haven't tried any of the other dishes although the owner recommended the lasagna, but I felt that of the things we had, the pizza really was the star.

musha

musha
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

izakaya is japanese comfort food for me, and though the food here is not traditional but has western influences with regards to certain ingredients and preparations, the subtle and refined flavors and heavy use of cream and cheese will not only send you into a food coma, but leave you feeling quite satisfied. here is what we had:

baguette gratin: imagine a crispy, french baguette stuffed with bay scallop, onion & creamy white sauce and covered in melted cheese oven-baked. can't complain about the richness, but they could have had more scallops in the filling.

aski: an assortment of shitake & oyster mushrooms are sauteed with asparagus and garlic in a butter soy sauce. ok, they had me at butter soy sauce, but i love mushrooms, so that was a bonus. i could probably make this at home, but it beats doing dishes.

eringi mushroom: since they don't really have yakitori, the shichirin grill is a fun way to eat grilled food. the bf doesn't eat meat, so we ordered these exotic mushrooms, which were chewy and had a subtle, earthy flavor. don't forget to smear them with the butter before grilling. i'll have to come back to try the beef tongue. served with ponzu sauce.

negitoro menchi katsu: a disc of minced tuna with chopped tokyo leek, garlic, ginger, pepper & heavy cream is breaded and deep fried. ours looked to be slightly overfried, so extra crunchy on the outside. the flavorings were a little on the bland side, and i prefer my tuna a little raw so not one of my favorites of the night, but if you like katsu or anything fried, it doesn't seem to disappoint other diners. served with grated daikon mayo sauce.

maple syrup creme brulee: de-licious! creamy and just the right consistency, richness and sweetness with hints of maple. interestingly, it is accompanied by cornflakes and one of those cylindrical cookies with chocolate inside that i used to pretend was a cigarette when i was a kid.

the food was tasty and had some interesting combinations of eastern and western ingredients, but the thing that really impressed me was the service. considering how small the place is, and how packed it was, and how few servers/cooks there were, we never waited very long for anything. we didn't have reservations, and though they told us it would be 30 min, it only took 15. the food all came out in a timely manner. they seem very efficient and friendly in their work ethic. we sat at the bar, and i was amazed watching the one cook (there were two that i could see) preparing most of the food. i'll be back to try some of the other creative sounding dishes they have.

unbearable lightness

documentation
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

the house is a wreck, and i haven't put away the chocolate or yarn that came into my possession this weekend, but i did document a piece i made this summer during a workshop. i made a total of five pieces, but the others didn't feel as finished as this one.

titles are almost as difficult to put together as the projects themselves. like the piece, a certain amount of ambiguity and intrigue yet some suggestion as to what the piece is about make for a good one. initially, i thought about calling this raw, but that seemed, well...raw and simple, so for now, it is unbearable lightness.

snb yarn swap

snb yarn swap
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

susan hosted another great yarn swap for our stitch n' bitch group this past sunday. amazingly (yay!), i left with less yarn, which is excellent (another thing this weekend i never thought i'd say). one way or another, i'm whittling down my yarn stash, and since little knitting is happening lately, this was opportune.

i'm not a big cotton knitter, but i liked the colors on the all seasons cotton (iceberg) and mission falls 1824 (magenta) i picked up, and was thinking i could make dishcloths for christmas gifts.

rhonda brought sophie, who was quiet and sleepy/sleeping most of the time, so there was plenty of oohing and awwing at her little cuteness. much knitting was done, though not by me. i was a bit distracted and spent the whole time trying to cast on a new scarf, and in the end decided, the yarn i had was too thin. the time just flew by! a nice way to wind down after pigging out on chocolate all morning.

san pedro fish market & restaurant

san pedro fish market & restaurant
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

since mike works so late, i'm often home wondering if i should start dinner without him or wait. sometimes waiting means we don't eat dinner until 9 or 10pm. this past friday night, rather than sitting at home feeling lonely and eager to start the weekend, i went with a few foodie friends to the sand pedro fish market to pick out fresh seafood from the day's catch--shrimp, two kinds of crab, & red snapper, which they cooked for us, and we enjoyed low brow style with messy hands and beers on the pier. ah, the goodness of consoling myself with food, friendship and a nice buzz.

la chocolate salon 08

la chocolate salon 08
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

i love chocolate and never thought i'd say this, but there is a limit to how much chocolate a person can consume in an hour. i was somewhat thankful that the show wasn't as big as i thought it would be, although if it had been, i'm sure i would have mustered the strength to try something from every vendor. between the caffeine from the cacao and the sugar high, i was starting to shake by the time we left. that's not to say that i didn't enjoy it all.

noteworthy chocolates included those from valerie confections, chuao chocolate, amano artisan chocolate, christopher michael artisan chocolates, jade chocolate. there were some that i found way too sweet for my palate, but i won't dwell on those. there was something for everyone--sweet or rich, dark, milk or white, salty, spicy, sugary, and heady.

a trend i noticed were chilis in chocolates, which added a kick, and exotic fruit infusions. chuao had a bar aptly called firecracker made with chilis & pop rocks. it was quite the experience that moves beyond your tongue and brings you into the moment. valerie confections' salt & pepper truffle was divine richness with textural peppery finish. sometimes simple is best to savor the depth and subtle nuances of chocolate-y darkness as was found in amano artisans' various 70% cacao bars made from beans from different locales. jade chocolates had some interesting asian spices and flavors including a nutty toasted sesame & genmai green tea, while christopher michael offered variety in their beautifully silk-screened and airbrushed artisan chocolates with a nice balance of flavors in not too sweet dark and milk chocolate.

i've paid $20 for chocolate tastings at artisanal chocolate shops for 6-8 pieces of chocolate, and usually, the fine chocolates that are freshly made by hand and not machines with no preservatives and short lifespans cost upwards of $2 for a single piece of chocolate with infused ganache, so i thought this was a good deal and opportunity to try a lot of chocolates and chocolate products from different chocolatiers. granted, not all were artisan chocolates, i still thought it was reasonable. lucky for friends and family, i picked up some goodies for them.

they need to provide more water though. by table four, my mouth was a desert (not dessert) made from chocolate. those little plastic cups they give you at the one water dispenser in the whole place only lasts so long. the other complaint i had was that they could have come into the 21st century with checking will call and used a database. i didn't mind the wait which wasn't too bad at opening time, but if the show does grow, they'll want to streamline the entry process.

less than knitting

lacy rose sweater
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

between art, recent freelance work, food outings and an effort to incorporate exercise into my regimen to counter the food outings, i have knitted little to nothing lately. part of the problem could also be that the project(s) that i have in progress require some attention be paid to the pattern. i put down the lacy rose sweater from rebecca 31 i had started some time ago, promptly forgot, then had to refresh myself of the pattern. now that summer is fading into fall, i feel less motivated to finish it. it's also the first pattern requiring more experience as it makes assumptions and doesn't spell everything out so well.

i tried starting a lace scarf, but have run into the same issue. must find a simple or short pattern fast OR find an exciting pattern i can't put down. oi. i'd ask for more hours in a day, but i'd probably fill those up too and still not be satisfied.

in search of (a title)

untouchable
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

the past month, and particularly, the past few weeks, i have been frantically working (is there any other way?) on this one piece consisting of a stack of plain white drawers, some with red interiors and other objects, like fingers, nipples and light. i'm quite proud that when i started, i only had a vague idea of how this thing was going to turn out, as i have a tendency to overly think and plan my projects.

knowing the deadline, i really tried not to overextend myself on making something that was too far beyond my technical knowledge as i have done in the past. of course, it wasn't without challenges, and there were a few. first, i wanted the top part of the piece to turn away when someone approaches and gets too close.

initially, i bought a cheap PIR sensor from radio shack to use for sensing motion which would trigger the motor that would turn the top portion of the sculpture. a few pieces of plastic material between the boxes provided a smooth surface between the box for the turning. mike found some programming code to translate the sensor activation to the motor turning using a simple arduino board.

by itself, the turning mechanism worked, but once i put it together, it did not work smoothly. the weight of the boxes was creating too much friction for the motor to turn. there were issues with the sensor which i had some reservations to begin with due to some idiosyncratic properties of the sensor. i forked out some bucks to change that one out for a sensor activated using ultrasound, and replaced the plastic material for a lazy susan which would better support the weight.

those two changes seem to have made the turning mechanism work, although not perfectly. the sensor has two pieces, one that sends out the ultrasound signal, and one that receives it. since there's only one hole for the drawer, i had to make a second one underneath. this hole is not very big because i didn't want to make it obvious, but limits the range. someone has to get pretty close to activate the turning. not sure how i feel about it yet.

one of the boxes consists of nine small drawers, and all but four are screwed shut. the four are partially open, and you can see cast wax fingers inside. if a person moves one of these drawers, a sound is emitted. the electronics in this was pretty straightforward, although in my addled state, i really had to work through the logic to make sure i was properly soldering the right connections.

in the second box from the top, one of the drawers is upside down, and has a lightbox image of my vagina. simple leds in parallel were used to light this. i may revisit and add more leds to increase the span of the light. because of the height it is set at, to see the image you have to kneel or bend and contort yourself.

i am so glad that i made this thing modular because i have to take it apart in order to get it into my car and transport it anywhere, which i've already had to do five times. i'm also glad i worked wheels into the design.

after some initial critique and feedback from friends, peers and instructors/mentors, i realize that there are two big things i need to work through still. the top box has drawers with clear plexi fronts. i wasn't sure if i should put something in them. i wanted to have drawers that you can see into, but not feel like you're seeing anything. i think i'm going to put something in there that has familiar qualities, but you can't tell what it is.

the biggest problem that i have to deal with though is that the piece is designed to be somewhat interactive and to a certain extent rests on that premise. sound is activated when you open some of the drawers. in the context of a museum or gallery, it's expected that you don't touch the work, so how do i convey that you can touch the work? at the same time, the piece is a bit fragile, and i don't want people to go overboard. in addition, some of the drawers are screwed shut. how will viewers discover this if they don't try?

not that i thought that this project was going to be easy, but i was moving at such a good momentum towards some finality, i figured it would be wrapped up considerably quickly. most of it is done, but this last thing is going to require me to put it aside and think some more about it. for now, it will have to exist imperfect. overall, i marvel at how well it turned out. i must have more faith in myself. as to what it's about...well, you'll have to experience it for yourself. it's a self-portrait.

beach bike rides

beach bike rides
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

since i got my new bike, we've been riding down to and along the beach almost every weekend. one weekend, after riding on the beach, we continued to the farmer's market, picked up groceries, and came back. the arch of the bridge on 2nd st was a bitch to ride over. we made it on the way there, but i couldn't handle it with the extra groceries. one day...soon i hope, i will.

there's a boardwalk that is mostly empty at the early morning time when we usually go. they have it sectioned off, with a separate path for bikers, and one for pedestrians. it's nice to have this amenity so close to home. i think mike was thinking when he gave me a bike that our rides to the beach would be more leisurely, but my type A personality has us up around 8am and riding on average 8 mi. last week, we rode to the end of the marina. we'll have to see if we can make it to seal beach and back. the distance doesn't bother me so much as some of the hills on the way back.

compartes chocolates

compartes chocolates
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

if you love dark chocolate, you'll love the chocolates at compartes. even if you aren't a fan of dark chocolate, you should give it a try because not all dark chocolates are created equal, and this one is one of the best i've had. it's neither too bitter nor too sweet. jonathan graham, the owner, continues to introduce new and delectable flavors to the infusions of his chocolates, including cardamom, pepper & cherry blossoms from japan.

at a tasting at compartes, i fell in love. i had to laugh at jonathan's story of how he went on a reality tv show and had his shop designed by a blind person in order to modernize it. it goes to show you how passionate he is about what he does, and you can taste it and see it from the fun designs on the chocolates that include patterned elephants, skull & crossbones and modern geometric shapes, to the cute little shop displaying pieces of chocolate like works of art. the chocolates were dark, rich and a perfect balance of interesting flavors. here are some i have tasted:

kaffir lime & lemongrass: fragrant, tangy & refreshing. you can smell the citrus before you even taste the chocolate.

cocoa nibs: pure unadulterated dark chocolate goodness with a little texture

cardamom & coconut cream: sweet & rich, with hints of cardamom

rosemary peach: interesting combination of sweet fruit with subtle earthiness. it was more peach than rosemary.

carmelized plantain: if you like bananas & chocolate, get this. the banana flavor hits instantly.

salted peanut butter & honey: wow. i'm not a huge peanut butter fan, but the pb really makes this great. that bit of salt does its job of bringing out the richness of the pb. i prefer eating plain on a day to day basis with flavored chocolates on special occasions, but i can see myself popping these things into my mouth one after another.

passionfruit: extremely tart, but very flavorful. if you like fruit, and especially passionfruit, this is for you.

blackberry bunch: fruity, berry

orange hazelnut crunch bunch: orange fragrance, crunchy hazelnut texture

italian tiramisu: mostly coffee flavors and sweet

vanilla bean chocolate: subtle hings of vanilla

mexican hot chocolate: literally drinking warm liquid chocolate, with a spicy tingle left on your tongue

you'll find hand-crafted artisanal chocolates and truffles as well as candied fruits dressed in chocolate, gift boxes, bar chocolates embedded with fruit. they have an outdoor area with tables and indoor seating, so if you want to stop and enjoy chocolates, you can. parking is a challenge, but it's totally worth it.

yung ho tou chiang: taiwanese breakfast

yung ho tou chiang: taiwanese breakfast
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

the breakfast here makes me nostalgic. i'm not taiwanese, but there are some overlaps in food influences that remind me of things i ate growing up. even if you are not asian, the whole egg & starch combinations with simple flavors epitomize what comfort food is, and for breakfast, that's what really hits the spot to start your day out well.

here are some of the things i tried:
sweet soy milk: served in a bowl, comes not too sweet so you can add sugar to taste. this is how soy milk should be (i think). none of those added flavorings or sweeteners, but pure soy milk IS good. i have to say i'm not a huge fan of the soy milks in health food stores as they don't quite taste right--usually chalkie and too sweet!

salted bean flower: a little on the salty side. cut up bits of fried crullers, tofu and green onions.

sticky rice roll (salty or sweet): the sweet one has sugar rolled inside. the salty one has dried bits of sweet pork. most people liked the salty better, but i would get both.

hubei doupi: sticky rice with little bits of ground pork and pancake on top; very subtle. the pancake reminds me more of a potato cake.

fried onion pancake & egg: it looks like two fried tortillas with a layer of egg in between. the green onions are tasty, and the combination is good.

pork & mushroom bao: not the best bao, but fine.

veggie bao: little bits of greens in this one

crullers: airy, long, cylidrical fried thing. you can't go wrong with something fried.

steamed taro bread: dense bread, reminded me of potato bread, with a little bit of nuttiness. i don't think i would order it again as i wouldn't be able to eat anything else as it's so filling.

turnip cake & egg: buttery, good combination with nice flavors in the turnip cake. one of the favorites.

pan fried shrimp & pork dumplings: surprisingly a lot of flavor in the filling. so good & fresh.

beef pancake: marinated well-done beef with herbs is wrapped in a cruchy pancake thing encrusted with sesame seeds. tasty.

i couldn't believe how inexpensive it was. we ordered a lot of food and ended up taking half of it home, and it came out to $10/person.

altcar expo 08

altcar expo 08
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

we squeezed in a visit to the altcar expo for the last hour of the show on sat. even though the companies converting and manufacturing electric vehicles are not in the mainstream, it's exciting to see the options out there.

if you've never seen who killed the electric car? you really have to. it's a sad story, but it doesn't have to end there. you would be amazed to learn what happened to a viable energy alternative to gas. or maybe you wouldn't, if you are jaded. a part of me feels that way, but i vacillate between that and hope.

one of the painful things to know is that average americans in more ways than one are the ones who pay for the stupidity and greed of those involved. the workers who were laid off from GM years later as foreign companies lead the push for alternative vehicles because instead of properly marketing and taking a chance on the EV1, GM wrenched the electric car from the hands of americans amidst protest, and crushed them all. that's right. perfectly working brand new cars were sent to a facility that compacts them like wall-e.

i really can't do the story justice, so you have to watch this movie. we must in our own ways, because we are partly responsible, curb our addiction to oil. ok. enough of my ranting.

so my next car has to be an electric one. i hope they come out with one that has everything i need. the choices for hybrids seem paltry, and i don't think its enough to get us away from all the problems associated with oil. mike has a honda civic, which is nice, but the back seat doesn't fold down. i often have to transport evergrowing in size art projects and materials for said projects. i need a car that has enough potential length for that. the back window on the prius seems poorly designed in that it's hard to see out the back because of the slope. not sure if that has contributed in any way to accidents, but it's a concern. even though i need room to carry big, possibly oddly shaped objects, i don't really want to be driving an suv all the time. some smaller version like a rav4 would be nice.

i won't be getting a new car any time soon, but i was eying this electric bicycle (green bik) & electric scooter. since both have the same max speed, i'm leaning more towards the bike. They are both made by green bik. it's oh so adorable, and a smart feature is that the battery can be removed and brought inside for charging. priced at $1400 and able to go 40 miles on a charge, it's really perfect for most day to day driving. i know you're thinking i'm just drawn to its pink cuteness. true, it's cute, but i'm more interested in one in green. i was even considering it for the commute to work, although it will take me an hour going down pch. some days with traffic, it takes that long on the 405. well, maybe i'll find a job in long beach.

omnivore's 100

being the eater and omnivore that i am (and list lover), here is my list from very good taste blog. you too can participate.

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

my omnivore’s hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11.