Omnivore

Via Very Good Taste, there is a list of a hundred items that every omnivore should try in his or her life. Some of them are easy (PB&J, anyone?), while others are a bit more unusual. The rules are simple... copy the list and post it to your blog, bolding the items you've tried and crossing out any you would never try. I'm adding a star to the ones I had to look up!

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding (I'd rather not, but I'd probably at least try it.)
7. Cheese fondue (Did someone say "cheese"?)
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi^*
15. Hot dog from a street cart (In NYC!)
16. Epoisses (A cheese on my list for "someday")
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes (Grew up in Salem, home of Honeywood so probably inevitable)
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper (too spicy)
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda^*
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi^*
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects (no wiggly food, please!)
43. Phaal^* (too spicy)
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi^*
53. Abalone
54. Paneer^*
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV (Mmm... Abyss)
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips (a good friend growing up was vegetarian)
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin^*
64. Currywurst^*
65. Durian^*
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake (Monday!)
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost^*
75. Roadkill (Again, I'd rather not but...)
76. Baijiu or shaojiu^*
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum^*
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant (I'd go with only a moment's notice!)
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare (Meaning rabbit, right?)
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa^*
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee^* (Anyone know where I can find this?)
100. Snake

Yeup, I'll try just about anything as long as it isn't too spicy or wiggle around in your mouth while you eat it. Apparently I need to travel more as a lot of the items I haven't tried are Asian ethnic dishes or gourmet items that are very rare or expensive.

Just for fun, I added a few of my own suggestions...

101. Chicken & Waffles
102. Rocky Mountain Oysters
103. Red Velvet cupcake (though my personal favorite is Chocolate Orange Chiffon)
104. Dark chocolate (>60% cacao)
105. Oregon strawberries (the best in the world!)

Lazy

1. My attitude towards blogging
2. Saturday in Baker City

OK, picking back up where I left off, from this post.

When we walked into Paizano's and asked for Kina, the gal at the counter looked a little confused. Turns out Kina had just left with a delivery for someone at our hotel... and she thought it was Missy and I that had called. Oops! One entertaining phone call and case of mistaken identity later, she turned over the pizza and headed back to the store. We sat and talked and talked and talked, until Whitey just couldn't take it anymore and made everyone head home (or to their hotel!).

Yearbook

More about the Baker City trip soon, I promise! But until then, enjoy these faux-yearbook pictures. These are the results for 1960, 1966, 1978, and 1984...

I think I totally rock those cats-eye glasses... And the 'fro! What do you think?

Pics were created at this site, which I found via this post. Try it yourself, and please share your results... or just enjoy the laugh.

Jaunt

If you are planning a road trip and it turns out that you will be driving long distances during the hottest weekend of the year? Take my advice... don't. If, however, you do decide to throw logic out the door and hit the road then make the best of it. Like Missy and I did.

I think both of us were dying to try Kina's pizza. Plus we both wanted a few days away from homes, husbands, kids, and dogs (though not necessarily in that order). A girls' weekend in Baker City was just the ticket, so we picked a weekend and made the plan. Actually, we didn't plan a lot which was supposed to be part of the fun. When people asked what we were going to do in Baker City, my answer was "not much". We sought quiet, good pizza, maybe a beer or two, and more quiet.

Rolling out of Bend on Friday afternoon, the sun was at our backs and the air was warm. Not too warm... but pretty warm. We passed through small towns and lots of farm land. The landscape turned from the ranches of Powell Butte, to ponderosa forests, to barren stretches of sage brush and juniper, to the rocky cliffs of the John Day fossil area. And so on. We stopped in John Day for a quick snack at the DQ. As soon as I saw the menu though, my stomach grumbled and I realized I was ready for dinner. After downing a cheeseburger I felt much better. Missy also looked revived, and we continued our drive East.

It was twilight when we left John Day. By the time we got to the turnoff for Baker City it was dark. I was a little worried about missing the turn but we stayed alert and spotted it easily. We wound through more of what must have been heavy woods, and for a while we followed the shore of Phillips Lake. I wouldn't have even noticed the water, but for the reflection of the moon. We laughed and mused about the origin of the name for Social Security Point. (Turns out, it's a popular spot with the over-65 crowd.)

Finally we rolled into Baker City. It was late and the sidewalks were all but rolled up and put away. We stopped at the Domino's Pizza and Missy asked someone sitting at an outdoor table for directions to Paizano's Pizza. He laughed, explained how to get there, and told us he thought they were closed for the night. After a short drive we saw the blinking lights of the Paizano's sign in the distance.

We made it!!!

to be continued...

Rude

Last night we went to the Jonny Lang concert at the Athletic Club of Bend. Our next door neighbor buddies came with us and offered to drive. So we got there in style - riding in their red convertible Slug Bug. It was a great night for a short ride with the top down. When we got there my hair was a little worse off but hey, when isn't it?

We arrived about 45 minutes early but it was already getting crowded. The last time we went to a show there we sat up on the little hill, against the building. Scott remembered that the acoustics up there are horrible so instead we opted for a nice spot right next to the reserved seats. We spread out our blankets and set up our (required) low-back chairs. Off we went again, in search of beer and food.

We didn't have to wander far - there was a beer wagon next to the stage. Once everyone had a cold Deschutes brew in hand we wandered a little further and found the food booth. The options were good and we were happy. Scott had a cheeseburger and it came with plenty of toppings - fresh lettuce, tomato, onion. We girls each ordered a chicken caesar salad - tasty with plentiful chicken and not "over dressed". Our other friend had a pesto pasta and he seemed happy too.

Before the opening act started I was sure to make a run to powder my nose. The restrooms are located in the Athletic Club locker room. I am not sure how it would feel if I was a Club member, to have all these random concert-goers tramping in and out of the locker room after my workout. But, I guess that comes with the territory. They must have been informed there was a concert that night, right? Anyways I am guessing it must have been stressing at least one person out because the restroom had that unmistakable smell. You know what I mean, right? Those - er - herbal supplements? I guess that's one way to relax after getting some exercise.

The opening act was a local musician named Reed Thomas Lawrence, and he was excellent. He is going to be making some other local appearances soon and I highly recommend checking out his set before he goes on the road. We liked the music so much that Scott went over to his booth and bought one of his CD's during intermission. Very good stuff!

After some announcements, Jonny Lang was welcomed to the stage. And this was when the night really started to go downhill for us. A woman not far away from us took a picture of Jonny on stage, and a security guard came over and harassed her about it. Now, I know there are lots of bands that don't want fans to take pictures at shows for one reason or another. But it is usually made clear at those venues that cameras are not allowed. As far as I could tell there weren't any signs proclaiming "no pictures please". On the other hand there were lots of signs reminding us "low back chairs only" and "no outside food or drink". Is it an unwritten rule now that you are not supposed to take pictures at concerts? If so that is a surprise to me. Recently we went to the KT Tunstall show at the Tower Theater and I took several pictures. The ushers at that show saw my camera and even asked to see the photos. In the interest of courtesy to other patrons I turned the flash off. Since we were outside this time I don't think her flash popped so I don't know what the issue was.

After the security guard walked away five or six people walked up and stood there. Right in front of us. Completely blocking our view of the stage. They weren't dancing or anything. Just. Standing. There. From where I was sitting, it didn't appear that their view of the show would have been any worse if they had sat down. And if they had sat down, then they wouldn't have been blocking the view of the stage for our group, and roughly 50 other people. In case you don't know, the ground at the Athletic Club is quite flat except at the very back, where the acoustics become poor as I mentioned earlier.

So, at this point here is a picture of our view of the stage. Nice, eh? I guess... if you are really into looking at people's butts, not the show. Being the shy guy that he is (ha!) Scott walked up after the song and said something like "Hey man, do you realize that some of us back there are having trouble seeing? We would all really appreciate it if you would take a seat so that all of us can enjoy the show." One guy laughed at him and turned around and waved at all of us that he was blocking. Everyone else just ignored him. Scott came back to our seats, muttering about how disrespectful people can be. Everyone around us thanked him for trying. So we were obviously not the only ones who were irritated by the "standers".

Meanwhile a few couples also came to the front and were dancing to the next song. I have to say, I like watching the dancers. They are clearly having fun and give me something to look at other than their butt. Some of them were better dancers than others, but it was still neat to see them enjoying the show in that way.

By about the fourth song I needed to stretch my legs and wanted an ice cream. I figured I couldn't see anyways, but could hear the music. As I was walking over to the food area I saw the same security guard that had harassed the lady with the camera. Here's a recap of our conversation:

Jen: Why, at a concert that requires low-profile chairs, are people are allowed to stand in front of the seating area?
Security Guard: I don't think they are really supposed to do that.
J: Well, there are a bunch of people standing in front of us, and it is really bothering my group and all the people sitting near us. Can you ask them to move?
SG: I don't have time to run around telling people to move. They would just move back. It's not my job to tell them to move.
J: Oh? OK then, what is your job?
SG: My job is to make sure people are having fun at the concert.
J: Interesting. Do you realize that there are about 50 people over there that are not having fun, because they can't see the show?
SG: Like I said, there's nothing I can do. I don't make the rules, the promoter does.
J: I don't understand, you said they weren't supposed to be standing. Is there someone different I should talk to?
SG: There's no one here that is gonna help a sarcastic bitch like you. I am walking away. I am done talking to you.

I stood there in shock - confused and upset. I asked for help, ended up on the receiving end of a bunch of double talk and then just was called a foul name by an employee at the concert. I couldn't help it - tears came to my eyes. I looked over and the security guard was standing a few feet away, watching the show. Not paying attention to the patrons to "make sure everyone has fun". No, he apparently couldn't be bothered to actually do his job, and I was preventing him from enjoying the show.

An Athletic Club staff person was at the ice cream booth and he noticed that I looked upset. He asked what was up and I told him about my frustration over our blocked view and my conversation with the security guard. He looked shocked, but admitted there wasn't anything he could do since he worked for the Athletic Club and security worked for the concert promoter. He did say that he was very sorry, and offered to give me my ice cream for free. I told him that wasn't necessary but I appreciated the offer.

When I got back to our seats, Scott and our friends were ready to go. Everyone else in our area was packing up and leaving too. We gathered our things and headed back to the Slug Bug. While we were walking through the parking lot I heard another couple say that they wouldn't bother going to concerts at the Athletic Club any more - they could hear them just fine from their house and the view was better. We laughed and agreed that it would be much more pleasant to look at our yard than a bunch of butts.

Overall? The main event of our night was an epic FAIL. I can't believe how we were treated by other concert-goers, and I am disgusted that an employee of C3 called me that name. Looking back I am somewhat happy with the rest of the evening since we got to hang out with our neighbor friends, go for a ride in the Slug Bug, and really enjoyed the opening act. But the next time I have an opportunity to attend a concert at the Athletic Club, I will probably pass.

Hoop-a-holic

"There is no other product that gives me as much fear and respect for the power of mass culture as the hula hoop."
~ Dan Rodick, director of sports promotion at Wham-O

And so, the addiction continues. After a fun and successful first hoop class I attended another beginner class and then faced facts. I really needed my very own hula hoop so that I could practice (er, show off?) at home. It is really lovely - silver glitter with purple and green stripes. The first night I brought it home I wanted to sleep with it. Scott disagreed.

The girls have been "virtually hooping" on the Wii Fit game. (Yes, it's more of a game than an exercise program. I am not fooling myself, though it probably is marginally better than sitting on the couch like a slug.) They could hardly wait to try out the real thing. We had fun giggling as everyone gave the hoop a try. And then they even let me use my hula hoop for a while too!

I have taken a couple of weeks off from class, but plan to go back for more next week. Want to come with me? If so, this is a great opportunity to give class a try. Mollie is giving my friends and readers a deal! If you come with me on Monday (7-8:30pm), the cost is only $15 for a 90-minute class. Leave a comment or email me if you want to give it a try.

Later today, I am heading over to World Hoop Day. You can join in the fun too - bring your own hoop (it doesn't have to be fancy) or borrow one at the park. Or just come watch, and hang out with all of Bend's happy hoop-a-holics!

What: World Hoop Day
When: Today (August 8, 2008), 4-6pm
Where: Harmon Park
Why: Just because!

Update: Did you miss out on all the fun at World Hoop Day? If so, check out my pics at the event. Hope to see you on Monday!