Backpacking

I had a great weekend in the Porcupine Mountains of upper Michigan.

The drive from Madison to Silver City took about 6 hours, so we arrived in mid-afternoon. We stayed at a car-camping campground the first night. The campground was near a rocky Lake Superior shore and the view was magnificent. I especially loved looking at the underwater algae waving its little arms in the waves.


We had a campfire, the most exciting part of which was the stump we burned. It had been hollowed out in the middle (most likely due to rot when the tree was alive), and when we burned it there was a chimney effect. Flames shot out of the hole in the stump and it looked pretty cool.


The next day, friday, we began our expedition. Here's a map of our route. We started at Lake of the Clouds, then took the North Mirror Lake Trail to Mirror Lake. We camped at Mirror Lake, then took the Correction Line Trail and the Big Carp River Trail to the campsites on the escarpment. Then we went back to Lake of the Clouds on the last day.


The hike from Lake of the Clouds to Mirror Lake was somewhat uneventful. There were a lot of other people on the trail and it was muddy. Plus, I was still getting used to my pack. I haven't been backpacking since I was 15, so the weight hit me hard at first. We did encounter a beautiful gorge:


We camped off the trail that night in an undesignated camp area. It was dark, it was wooded, and we were right by a lake. When I walked deeper into the woods I found some beautiful old-growth hemlocks.


The next day was the longest and hardest day of hiking. We had to fill up our dromedaries (collapsible water containers) and carry them with us. I took a 4-liter dromedary and it added over 8 pounds to my pack. But I pressed on. We walked through a swamp (I love swamps) and through a pine forest with very little understory. I love how the pine needles covered the forest floor and crunched beneath my feet.


Our camp food was pretty good. For breakfast we ate instant flavored oatmeal with dried fruit. For lunch we had nuts (cashews, peanuts, and hickory-smoked almonds) with dried fruit and beef jerky. For dinner we had 1) freeze-dried culinary delights such as chicken a la king, 2) spaghetti with canned pasta sauce, and 3) cheese tortellini mixed with olive oil and dried pesto and topped with fake parmesan cheese.

The best part of the trip was the last day. We had camped on top of a cliff and could see both of the lakes and everything in between. It was a neat way to see just how far we had walked. Plus, on the final hike back, we followed the ridge and had an amazing view the whole way. I also loved the dry land (it reminded me of Grayling, the town in which I grew up). I saw oak trees and Prince's Pine and Indian toilet paper (plants I learned from my dad but whose common names I do not know). I do not see these plants in southern Wisconsin and seeing them brought back memories.


Indian toilet paper:


The trip was a success. The only unfortunate thing that happened was on the last day when I discovered I had been drinking straight, unfiltered/untreated river water. Oops! I experienced some intestinal discomfort (EAS) but it wasn't too bad overall.

Today's Lunch:
Leftover backpacking food (I need to go shopping):

• Cashews, peanuts, hickory smoked almonds
• Dried fruit - raisins, cherries, pineapple
  

R.I.P.

Crikey! This morning I got up, took a shower, drank a bucket of water, fed the cat... and then, after I put my contacts in, I walked into my bedroom and saw something on the floor.


I walked closer to it. It was... a dead bat!


Poor little thing. I have no idea how it died, but hopefully it was peaceful.

My landlord contacted animal control and they were going to test it for rabies. However, I had already thrown it in the trash and since today is trash day, the trash was taken out before my landlord could retrieve it. Oops! And I never took Kitty in for her rabies follow-up, so now she may have to be vaccinated.

Plus animal control is going to call me every 10 days for 6 months to make sure Kitty is doing okay.

Today's Lunch:
Leftover red curry stir-fry - beef, snow peas, red pepper, and carrots (you can see the recipe here)
Basmati rice

Thoughts...

Cultural experiences:

• I saw a band playing roots/reggae/African music last night. The highlight of the night was when a Jamaican man asked me if I were bi-racial because no Caucasian could have a bootie that big. Yeah, baby!
  
• I'm going backpacking in the Porcupine Mountains for Memorial Day weekend. 4 days of pure wilderness. It will be wonderful.
• I want to go back to Chicago and explore the area where the stockyards used to be. I'm obsessed with Upton Sinclair's book The Jungle.
  

Thoughts on China:

• It is more mainstream in China to ask acquaintances personal questions, like how much money they make, how old they are, what size they wear, etc.
  
• People in China make much less money than we do but pay similar prices for goods. Houjiang only makes $16k per year and he's a college professor. I am learning more about why people want to come to the U.S.

Food stuff:

• My kind-of-boss's wife, Marsha, gave me a bunch of cooking stuff that she doesn't use, as well as all her back issues of Cook's Illustrated. Score!
• A week ago my coworker Mike told me he was making me a "culinary surprise" that would take about a week to be ready. Could it be.... pickled eggs? I keep telling people how delicious they are.

Today's Lunch:
Went to Kipp's Down Home Cookin' with Houjiang. I had rotisserie chicken breast with macaroni and cheese and a corn muffin. It was really good.

Reggae

I've really been digging reggae music lately. I like the relaxed beat, quiet baseline, and pedaled guitar riffs. The singing is usually happy and sometimes hypnotic, perfect for just chilling out.

I never really had any exposure to reggae music until now. I listen to WORT on saturday afternoons and my favorite shows are Tropical Riddims and PanAfrica (descriptions below). Now I'd like to go out and see some good, live music.

Tropical Riddims
Saturday noon–2pm
Roots, rock steady, reggae, ska and conscious dancehall. Host F.R.P., the messenjah, teachin’ the youts ’bout roots and kulcha!

PanAfrica
Saturday 2–4pm
Popular and traditional music of Africa and the Caribbean with hosts Laurie Mlatawou and DJ Trini. New releases from throughout Africa are featured in an effort to bring African music into the American mainstream.

Today's Lunch:
Ham and provolone sandwich on seeded boule with yellow mustard

Weekend in Chicago

I went to the National Restaurant Association (NRA) Restaurant, Hotel and Motel Show. The show lasted from saturday until tuesday, but I just went to it on sunday.

I arrived in Chicago around 3pm on saturday. It was my intention to attend the show for 2 hours, but I hopped on the wrong bus and ended up getting a tour of south Chicago. It was fun. I think a great way to see a city is to ride the bus for a long time. I saw emaciated neighborhoods, houses that all looked the same, and beautiful trees. By the time I got back to downtown Chicago, it was time to get ready for my date.

Yes, I had a date. I had gone salsa dancing a couple weekends ago in Madison and met this guy, Jamal. He is from Iran originally but went to grad school at UW and now lives in Rockford, IL. I told him I'd be in Chicago, so he came down and we hung out. Jamal proved to be a great tour guide. We walked along the "Magnificent Mile," rode the elevator to the top floor of the John Hancock building, visited Navy Pier, and had some delicious Persian food. We walked everywhere. Although I had a nice time, I'm not sure Jamal is someone I'd like to see again. He's a little too serious and Type A for my taste; however, I really did enjoy hanging out with him.

On sunday I finally made it to the food show. It was insane. There were so many people there, so many booths set up. It took me over 5 hours just to see all the exhibitioners' booths. They were promoting everything a restaurateur could ever need, from kitchen equipment and utensils to building supplies. And the food! My god, I couldn't believe it. There were samples of every food you can think of, from breads to salmon and alligator to fruits and cheeses. There were big companies I've heard of, like Coca Cola, Clabber Girl and Angostura, and other companies that only sell to restaurants or distribution centers but whose food I've most likely eaten.

I decided to try as many desserts as possible and mention a few in my article. And by "trying" I mean tasting, as in one or two bites and that's it. But even so, by the last hour of the show, I was so stuffed from trying desserts that every time I approached a dessert booth I had to force myself to actually eat something. I was SO stuffed.

The strangest dessert I tried looked like a piece of falafel. It was a dark brown cube-shaped thing with a lumpy exterior. It was actually a deep-fried brownie bite. It was pretty nasty.

Some pictures:


Believe it or not, these people were promoting sausage. I guess they knew that people would eat sausage if it were on pizza.


Check out the beautiful marbling on this piece of Japanese beef!


This woman is taking notes on some china.


I especially loved the food art:




Today's Lunch:
Ham and provolone sandwich on seeded boule bread with yellow mustard
Pretzel sticks
Apple

Oops!

I don't know how this happened, but I slept until 2:00 today.

I went to bed at 10:00 and heard my alarm go off at 7:00. Then I remember Kitty poking me with her paw, as she does every morning when I don't get up right away. Then.... I woke up, thinking it was 9:00 or so, and had a heart attack when I looked at my alarm clock. 2:10? I did a double take. I really couldn't believe I slept in so late.

I felt really bad. Irresponsible. Unreliable. My mom always tells me that I'm too hard on myself. But still... I can't believe I slept in 7 hours.

Today's Lunch:
Lunch? What lunch? I was still sleeping!

Good Karma

I met someone, a guy named Karma. I am blogging about him because he called and we've seen each other twice - sunday and tuesday - and are planning to hang out again.

Yes, his name is really Karma, and no, his parents are not hippies. He's Tibetan, but grew up in India. His family moved to Wisconsin 10 years ago and resides in the Madison area. He's 27, works at a hospital, and we met at Woodman's (the grocery store). I was approaching the checkout line and he and his friend were in front of me. They were talking very animatedly to the cashier, and I was trying to figure out what language they were speaking. I noticed his shoulder length, straight black hair and his bright smile. I checked out and walked to my car, then went back into the store to get alcohol (you have to buy alcohol and groceries separate at Woodman's). He approached me as I was perusing boxed wine. I heard him say, "excuse me," and my first thought was that a store employee was going to ask for my ID. But then I looked at him and recognized him, and then he asked me out.

So far I like him. I don't want anything serious, just a fun and light summer romance. :)

Today's Lunch:
Leftover curried pork stir-fry with red peppers, potatoes, green beans, carrots and onions
Basmati rice

Mandatory HPV shots

I just read an article in this month's Hispanic Magazine about the new HPV vaccine, Gardasil.

According to Hispanic, Gardasil is a vaccine that's given in three injections over a period of 6 months. It is currently approved for females ages 9-26 (its effectiveness for older women and for men is still under consideration). It targets four types of HPV that together cause 70% of cervical cancer cases, and 90% of genital warts cases. However, it does not protect us from diseases caused by other types of HPV (there are approximately 40 types in total). I think hitting the four major types of HPV is good enough for now, and we should do whatever we can to protect our female population from getting cervical cancer.

There is some controversy over making the vaccine mandatory for 11- and 12-year-old girls. The aim is to give them the vaccine before they become sexually active. However, opponents claim that giving girls the shot will encourage them to become sexually active, and that instead we should be encouraging them to abstain from sex, period. While I agree that kids shouldn't be having sex until they're mentally ready for it, they're not going to refrain from it just because we tell them to. And, if they choose to have sex anyway, we should do everything in our power to prevent them from contracting a possibly life-threatening STD (such as HPV).

Today's Lunch:
Homemade Italian sub - salami and provolone on a chewy baguette with a dash of red wine vinegar and olive oil, topped with roasted red and yellow peppers.
Kiwi fruit

Latest food obsession

Lately I can't get enough Italian subs. I don't care where it comes from, I just need to taste salami and vinaigrette and lettuce and tomato on a really fresh roll of bread. If there are decent hot peppers nearby, I'll throw those on, too.

I ate one for lunch and now I want one for dinner. Vive Italia!

Crystal's dating rules

I've had an epiphany.

I'm still new at this whole "dating" thing. God knows everything's a little different in college, not excluding the art of romance. I remember when I liked someone in college I could just meet up with them at a party or the bar, and always have the security of my friends to keep it informal. If I got bored I could always excuse myself and find someone else to talk to. However, things are different out here in the real world. Dates seem to involve more money, more time, and more agonizing over what to wear. And if the guy isn't interested, he's too cowardly to tell you and deals with it by not calling. In college, if a guy wasn't interested, he could still be cowardly about it, but at least you got the point when you saw him making out with someone across the room.

I was feeling desperate last week. I had gone on a date with the restaurant guy, and I thought it went well. Yeah, so what if at the end he gave me a 1-armed "brotherly" hug and said, "we should do this again sometime"? It seemed like we'd go out again. It seemed like he dug me. But he never called. After moping about it for a while, I got my act together and went to the library, where I picked up the book, "He's Just Not That Into You." After reading that book, my attitude about dating changed. It's sad that we have to play these little games, but here are my rules for dating:

• Never call the guy back right away. It makes you look too interested and/or desperate. Wait at least 4 hours.
  
• If you're meeting somewhere, show up a little late. You don't want to be the one waiting for him.
• Wear makeup, but don't go overboard. Don't wear perfume if it clashes with your deodorant (that's my own personal rule and I have no background for it, so you don't have to follow it). And for pete's sake, do not dress like a hoochie.
  
• While on the date, consume no more than two alcoholic beverages. I find it ladylike and dignified to not get wasted on the first date.
• If you're doing a lot of talking, make sure to discreetly wipe your mouth on occasion to avoid saliva build-up in the corners. Keep your mouth dry by swallowing to avoid spraying spittle. If you are drinking beer and you burp, turn away because beer burps stink.
  

And, the most important rule of all:

• Never assume the guy likes you until he calls again, preferably within 7 days. If he calls after that time period, make up an excuse to never see his sorry ass again. If he doesn't have the time to call you within a week, he's just not that into you and you're wasting your time.

Okay, that concludes Crystal's Rules of Dating for today. Hope it helps!

Today's Lunch:
6" BMT sub from Subway, with tomato, green pepper, onion, and oregano toasted, then lettuce, pepper, and vinegar/oil afterwards. MMmm....
BBQ Baked Lays
Diet Coke

Learning Chinese

One of our visiting scientists, Houjiang (pronounced "Ho-chee-yung"), is helping me learn Mandarin Chinese. In return, I'm helping him with his English. So far it's really great! He's taught me a few things about Chinese culture, and I answer his questions about English language and American culture.

Take yesterday, for example. He said something like, "I really need help with my English," and I said, "oh, you're smart and your English is already great." To which he responded, "oh no, I'm not really smart." (We're talking about a guy with a PhD in mechanical engineering.) Today he told me that the Chinese do not say "thank you" when they are praised, but instead respond modestly by saying something like, "no, I'm not really."

So far I've learned how to say Hello/good morning/good afternoon, goodbye, my name is Crystal, thank you, you're welcome, and have a nice weekend.

I'm also taking some language classes this summer - Mandarin 1, French 1, and French 2. Yay!

LASIK questions

I'm considering undergoing LASIK (corrective eye surgery). After reading my friends' blogs, I've noticed that other people have had it done, too. I am considering having it done through TLC. My questions are:

• have you had LASIK done through TLC, and were you happy with the outcome?
• did you have your LASIK surgery done using the mechanical microkeratome or IntraLASIK? The TLC people offer both, but are encouraging me to get IntraLASIK, which costs $1000 more (I can't afford it). I'm just wondering if they're trying to make more money off me or what.

Today's Lunch:
Leftover Kentucky burgoo (again)
2 slices ciabatta bread with fake butter

Jealousy

I have felt cranky all day. I took a walk during lunchtime and that seemed to help. But I just have all these negative thoughts about my workplace lately, and they just seem to get worse.

Today I saw my former boss showing around a new girl. I could tell she was very young, just like I was when I started my job. He introduced her to the same people he introduced me to. And I saw them walk by my office, and he looked inside but didn't stop.

It just makes me feel so sad. And jealous. I remember when I was the fresh new face and full of hope. How did I get so old and ornery? And I remember all the attention I used to get, and how people thought I had something new to bring to our lab. I just feel so sad, like I don't belong. And it's like I've been replaced.

Today's Lunch:
Leftover Kentucky burgoo
Saltines
Peanut M&Ms

1.7 liters of bourbon

I have 1.7 liters of Early Times bourbon. The bottle is so huge that it's made out of plastic instead of glass. I bought it for my Kentucky Derby party. When I went to the liquor store, the 1.75 liter bottle was on sale for $17, so I figured, "why not?" and now I have a ton of bourbon and no intention to drink it. Not that I'm complaining... it's always good to have liquor on hand. That's just a lot of bourbon.

Today's Lunch:
Leftover Kentucky burgoo
Saltines
Banana

Feelin' good

I had a great weekend. Friday night I went to Woodman's to get more stuff for my KY Derby party, and some dude asked me out while I was perusing box wine. Sweet! Two times in one week. I must be sending out a vibe or something - "hi, I'm single. Talk to me." Or maybe it's because I'm feeling confident - I've lost 6 pounds in the last month and it feels good. Whatever the reason, I'm happy.

My Kentucky Derby party went well. About 10 people showed up, which was perfect for my little 3rd floor apartment. We had some delicious mint juleps, placed a few bets, did a little mingling, and watched the race.

Saturday night I had a date with Ken, the guy from restaurant. We went to a local bar and had a couple of drinks and chatted for - get this - 4 hours. He seems to be a decent guy so hopefully we can hang out again.

I learned from my Dane101 editor today that a local paper is interested in publishing my article about sweet potato pecan pie from last week. If they decide to publish my article, they'll pay $.16 per word. Sweeeet.

I'm a firm believer that opportunity is always around the corner; you just have to know to look for it.

Today's Lunch:
Leftover orzo risotto with roasted vegetables
Potato salad

Kentucky Derby party

I'm getting ready for my Kentucky Derby party this saturday. I wasn't too familiar with the Derby until I went to it two years ago, and ever since I've been addicted! It was just so much fun being in the sun, drinking a mint julep (they were so strong I could only handle one), and experiencing the excitement of the race.

The last two nights I've been working on making burgoo, a stew that's eaten in Kentucky. It's a thick stew that consists of meat, corn, okra, and other vegetables in a tomato broth. I found a recipe here.

The food:

• Fresh veggies with homemade dip
  
• Cucumber sandwiches
• Kentucky burgoo with saltines
• Bourbon balls (here's a link to the recipe)
• Chocolate chip cookies

And to drink:

• Mint juleps with fresh mint and Early Times bourbon
• "Virgin" mint juleps (substitute lemonade for bourbon)
• Beer
• Wine

I'm not doing crackers/cheese or chips/dip because there's no way I'll eat the leftovers. The veggie dip recipe I'm using is quite interesting - blended cottage cheese/yogurt with fresh dill, mint, and cilantro. If it's not good I can always do the ranch dressing standby.

Today's Lunch:

• Leftover orzo pilaf with roasted sweet potatoes, onion, yellow peppers, and cremini mushrooms
• Leftover spinach salad with fresh oranges in a citrus vinaigrette
• Crust of sesame seed semolina bread

Raising the Tibetan flag

Okay, it's not like I raised the flag, but I did get to experience the ceremony for raising it this morning.

I went downtown to shop at the wednesday farmer's market, which takes place near the State Capitol. I was hoping to find some fresh mint that I can use to make mint juleps this weekend (I'm having a Kentucky Derby party). Although I never did find any mint, I did manage to buy fresh spinach, scallions, and green onions. Yum!

Anyway, as the farmer's market was taking place, I noticed some people were gathered on the steps of a building across the street. I asked the man next to me what was going on. This man happened to be Tibetan, and he told me they were going to raise the Tibetan flag in honor of the Dalai Lama's arrival in Madison today. As I looked closer, I realized the people across the street were wearing beautiful, shiny, traditional-looking robes of all colors. I also noticed some Buddhist monks wearing rust-colored robes and red shoes.

I crossed the street and began talking to people. First, I approached a pair of monks standing together. I asked them what was taking place, where they were from, etc., and they said they were from the east coast but were originally from Tibet. I tried asking the older of the two some questions, but he would just respond with "I don't know." At the time, I just thought he couldn't understand me and that was his typical response, but looking back on it, I think that maybe he didn't want to answer me, like maybe I was being disrespectful in some way. However, most of the other people there seemed more than happy to share with me and other Caucasians the significance of the event.

I was moved by having the chance to be involved in something so special to this group. I have a very slight understanding of the situation in Tibet, but I believe they were raising their flag to show China that they won't succumb to the People's Republic and Tibet is still its own country with its own culture.

First they raised the American flag while some of us sang the Star Spangled Banner. How very classy to respect the U.S. first. Then, as the Tibetan flag was raised, the crowd broke out in the Tibetan national anthem, complete with drums and flutes. It was such a beautiful song. Once the flag reached the top of the pole, we broke out in applause.



I wish I could see the Dalai Lama speak. I may just have to tune in on TV.

Today's Lunch:
3 chicken legs roasted with thyme, salt and pepper
2 pieces of sesame-seeded semolina bread with Smart Balance butter substitute

It started with a trip to the library. Lost Season 2 Discs 6-7 were in! I was ready to veg out on the couch for an evening of mystery, adventure, and hunks.

After hitting up the library, I thought about where I could go for my next dessert review. It had to be done, and soon. On a whim, I decided I'd quickly taste a dessert before going home. I went to a New Orleans-style take-out place that, in my research, I knew had homemade desserts.

My editor liked the idea of talking to the people who make the food to get an idea of what it is, where they got the recipe, and how they learned to cook. So after I ordered my slice of sweet potato pecan pie, I spoke to the guy who made it. His name was Ken. Late twenties, tallish, skinny, baldish, not bad overall. He informed me the pie was made from scratch from the crust to the pecan topping. That always helps get a good review. He gave me a complimentary praline as well, saying they're as popular as the pie. This guy knew how to butter a girl up!

The actual dessert review I will leave for another time. It's what came after it that was the most important.

I heard the front counter girl asking Ken what his sign was (maybe she was going to read his horoscope, I don't know). He said he was a Gemini. My ears perked up. I'm not one of those astrology people, but I was when I was 12 so I remember that Libras and Geminis are very compatible. I'm a Libra.

I finished my dessert (only 3 bites, thank you very much), took a bite of the praline (amazing), and packed up my stuff. I approached Ken and gave him a few comments but tried to be really sweet about it. I gave my thanks, left, and began walking down the street. Suddenly, I remembered that I need a receipt. Damn! I turned around and headed back. I got the receipt, walked out the door again, and was heading down the sidewalk when I heard Ken yelling my name.

I spun around. He ran up to me and asked if I knew how to bake. As we talked about baking, I thought he was going to offer me a job or something. Then... he asked me if I'd like to go out and get a drink with him sometime. Yes! I couldn't believe somebody was asking me out! I seriously can't remember the last time that happened. I tried to remain cool as I gave him a pen so he could write down my number. We chatted a little more, then went our separate ways. As I walked down the street, a huge smile spread across my face. I wanted to run, shout, and throw my hands up to the sky. I wanted to tell everyone I saw that I had just been asked out. But I refrained. That is, until I got home, whereupon I called my parents (my parents!) and told them the news.