Tour of Beehive State

View of Arch from trail
Originally uploaded by zenhikers

My grandfather on my Mom's side was very into geology and I can't go to Utah without thinking of Papa Allison. Rocks, rocks, and more rocks...truly a geologist's dream can be found in the backcountry of Utah. This past week we ventured to a whole slew of places, including quite a few of the National Parks and some rather sketchy 4WD roads.

In addition to meeting some friends,chilling at the river, and having some laid back downtime outside the Silver State we also hit four major sightseeing destinations on our tour around. We stayed a couple nights at Kodachrome State Park, which was a nice jumping off point for exploration of Grand-Staircase Escalante National Monument and the Paria River country. This was some of the toughest driving for the vehicle, but gorgeous scenery and a nice campground with showers, rock spires, and a mountain-biking trail (where I took my first bloody bike crash).

We also went to Bryce Canyon one of the days and did some walking and lots of picture-taking. There were tons of Europeans in the parks and Bryce was lovely and cold, with snow still falling at night. We also took advantage of the awesome paved bike trail through Red Canyon where I took the world's longest coast through beautiful scenery. Now, that is my kind of biking!

After these two sites, we drove through Southern Utah on Highway 12 which is by far one of the most amazing scenic drives I have ever done. We even got into a snowball fight on the freezing cold summit of Boulder Mountain. We met the nicest couple ever at the forest service cabin...I can only hope Aaron and I are doing that kind of work later in our lives.

We stayed a night in Capitol Reef, which has to be one of the best small national parks with a historic area and some beautiful orchards. We are planning to go back and pick some apples and make a nice cobbler with our dutch oven. The park is pretty small, but there are more of Utah's infamous 4WD roads that we ventured short distances on to see more of the scenery. It was great to be able to grill out every night on our Cobb grill and we ended up meeting lots of nice people in our adjoining campsites. I even took in a campfire program on astronomy and got to see some awesome Hubble telescope images of the skies. Torrey, UT is definitely a nice place and I wouldn't mind living there one bit.

After our time on the river, we thought it would be nice to check out a hot springs we heard about in Richfield, UT called Mystic Hot Springs. The pools looked pretty nice, but it was a bit of a let down after the sprawling and peaceful campsites of the Fruita campground.

On the last leg of the trip back to Vegas we stopped in Springdale, UT and stayed at Zion. We shared our campsite with a really nice Dutch couple and shared a nice meal and conversation...at least until the ranger broke it up after "quiet hours" began. There is a great pizza place in Springdale and despite the surly service at the Mean Bean, we grabbed a cuppa joe on the way out of town.

Vegas re-entry was as hard as always, but the mild temperatures and the anticipation of a day at the movies today made it easier. It is good to be home, but we are going to miss our friends and neighbors that are returning to Montgomery, AL today. As we return from our travels, we wish them a bon voyage!

UNLV Launches New Digital Collection: Nevada Test Site Oral History Project

Finally finished another collection!

The University Libraries are pleased to announce the launch of a new digital collection:

The Nevada Test Site Oral History Project

The Nevada Test Site Oral History Project documents the remembered past of persons affiliated with and affected by the Nevada Test Site during the era of Cold War nuclear testing. Through the Libraries' partnership with the UNLV College of Liberal Arts, a wide range of oral history interviews were organized to be presented in an digital collection representing diverse points of view including: scientists and engineers; labor and support personnel; military personnel and corporate executives; Native American leaders; peace activists and protesters; Nevada ranchers and communities downwind of the test site. The Nevada Test Site Oral History Project was directed by Mary Palevsky from September 2003 through July 2007 with funding from U.S. Depts. of Energy and Education. For the academic year 2007-2008 work on final interviews, the digital collection, and project website was supported by the University Libraries and the Department of History.

Nearly 200 full-text searchable transcripts and audio clips are now available in this digital collection. Project URL:http://digital.library.unlv.edu/ntsohp/.

Cool desert stuff

So in the past couple weeks, I have been insanely busy at work getting ready to launch a new digital collection so the blogging has kind of gone by the wayside. But, there are a couple of cool things that we've learned about or seen in the desert lately:

Extra points to those of you that already know what the heck an atlatl is...good job, you either know your history or were a mammoth hunter in a previous life. I, myself, just starting learning about them when Aaron looked up the World Atlatl Association and we went to Valley of Fire State Park to watch them compete at Atlatl Rock. The atlatl is prehistoric weapon that consists of an atlatl (thrower) and a dart and it has been a remarkably successful tool for man through the centuries. Aaron ended up meeting the World Atlatl Accuracy Champion of 1998 and got a few lessons before he bought his own starter dart and atlatl. In addition to interests in traditional archery, fiddling, and occasionally throwing the atlatl, the folks at the competition were very laid back and friendly. It seems to be a relaxing hobby, as Aaron says, "kinda like an ancient pub game".

We also recently took a drive over to Sedona and camped out in Oak Creek Canyon. On the way back we drove to Tuzigoot National Monument and toured the ruins, which are very cool and worth a look. We also drove through the historic town of Jerome, perched on a cliff above Sedona. Very cool, but watch your step...it's a long way down!

Probably the coolest thing we saw in the desert was near Clarkdale, AZ on the way back to Vegas. Walking along the two-lane highway was a woman on horseback, pulling another horse along behind. Riding slumped over the saddle, perfectly balanced and smiling, was an Australian shepherd hitching a ride home. It was really cute and a glimpse of the West still alive and kicking.

Turn Off the Lights Tonight!

Tonight at 8pm your local time there is a worldwide effort to save energy.

Earth Hour is on 29th March 2008, 8pm.

Join millions of others and turn your lights off for one hour to create awareness about energy consumption. The official Earth Hour website has confirmed that over 286,000 people and over 20,000 businesses, including Google [don't worry they are just using a black background, not canceling searches!] have signed up for the event

More info at Earthhour.

And if you live in a neon shrine like Vegas and simply cannot think of how you would survive in the dark for an hour...here are some suggestions of how to spend the time.

One Day at a Time

Nevada Test Site
Originally uploaded by doubleaphotoalbum

So, I have been really busy with work. Since I started last May I have been really working hard to learn everything I can so that I can try to do a good job in my first professional position as a capital "L" librarian. On average last year I was traveling every other month and I ended up completing five presentations at national conference and collaborating on a crazy but ultimately published book chapter. For reasons I won't go into here, my job has been quite the uphill struggle. It didn't help that the president of the university as well as state senator Harry Reid happened to be interested/involved in my first digital collection. These challenges at work in combination with adjusting to life in Las Vegas has made for a interesting past 2 years.

But, things are finally coming together. At the end of March we should have a project that I can honestly say that I worked on start to finish and that I am really proud of. The grant I helped write might actually get funded. I just got notified that the first real article I've worked on has been accepted for publication, and I even got a silly, minor, but appreciated award at work.

On the personal front, I feel cautiously optimistic. Las Vegas is never going to spontaneously combust and reincarnate as Portland. I am always going to be out of place here and I need to just accept it. But, I am starting to feel like maybe we have made a few friends that we actually trust and who somewhat share our values. I like my yoga teacher. There is a decent burrito place nearby. And I got a bike so I can get out of my car for a change.

If I can just hang in there and get this project at work finished I think that I will be able to take a deep breath and feel like the work has paid off. We booked a campsite for Memorial Day at Kodachrome Basin in Utah and we found a new hot springs to explore this summer. I hope to be able to hang out with my sis a little more often in California. Next year we are having our family get together in Sedona, which will be great fun. Mount Whitney will be awesome, if we get the permit. I just need to take it one day at time...and hang in there.

Power of the Pedal

Tonight we were looking up sport utility bikes (SUB) inspired by third world hauling bikes and wound up stumbling across this really cool idea for producing clean filtered water: the Aquaduct. Check it out:

A review of "No End In Sight"

No End In Sight

Even though I try, I am not as familiar with the details of the Iraq War as I really should be. I saw this film was critically-acclaimed and I thought I’d check it out. If you have one hour and forty minutes to dedicate to one of the most important world events affecting our country, than this a well-organized, well-directed documentary that will explain step by step just how we got into the war and who the key players were in the process. Stop reading this and go get the movie now.

Not only is this an informative film that presents lots of points of view, but it underlines the fact that despite all the horrific mistakes made in the progress towards war that there were many people that tried their best and failed to save the country of Iraq. This only makes what we know today about the situation even more tragic. I could hardly bear parts of this film (the looting of the national museum and the burning of the national library as America stood by and watched was painful to see and the way Iraqis were treated as they were round up and arrested by our troops was particularly disturbing).

I’d love to get five minutes alone with Bush or Cheney or Rumsfeld to give them a piece of my mind. I’d also like to sit down with an Iraqi to try to explain that not all Americans supported these actions and somehow apologize for the arrogance of my country. Until then, get this movie and get angry, it is the best possible thing we can all do for our country.

See more about No End In Sight

Hereby Resolved

So, back around the New Year I proclaimed that our trip back to Wisconsin and to Taos, NM had taught me that things change everywhere and that I needed to not be hung up on all the places in the world that I could be, rather focus on the place I am. So, it is hereby resolved that for every complaint about living in Las Vegas that I make on this blog from here on out must be matched by TWO positive comments or observations. So, here goes....

First, my weird, bizarro drive to work today (the negative): As I crossed Valley View and drove east on Desert Inn over the I-15, there was a bunch of honking and red break lights, so I slowed down. Much to my surprise there was a crazy man throwing rocks at cars, flipping off drivers, and flinging a car bumper around in the middle of the right lane. Hmmm...not sure what the story is with that...but maybe he was having a hard day. I do not want to become that crazy man- so here are my two positive comments, as promised.

The first positive thing is my discovery of the Very Vintage Vegas web site. Not only is this blog the work of Jack Levine ("Uncle Jack"), an friendly and engaged Las Vegas community member, the site is the source for real estate showcasing Mid Modern architecture and the downtown arts community. A sampling of recent posts covers historic preservation, local authors, worst MLS photo of the day, and even dogs! Fabulous. This is a true community resource and I think I know where I can finally put my house-hunting energy.

The second great thing about Las Vegas that I really need to highlight is the Las Vegas Springs Preserve, which is just a superb new environmental education center with tons of interactive exhibits, botanical gardens, and walking paths. They also have a great website. Just go there, really!

Last weekend, I also was invited to a Bunco party. Not something I had ever experienced before but the fast-paced dice game, with lots of mingling, good food and wine, and constant laughter made this a really fun night. While I'm not a permanent member of the club, I just subbed for the night, I will be glad to provide my services any time in the future- especially since I left a winner!!

...By the way, that's THREE positive things...this isn't as hard as I thought!

Take Your SXCXS One Spot Over Please!

I don't know where else to turn, so thank goodness I have a blog to vent my frustrations. So as you know, I live in the godawful city of Las Vegas. Here is one of the millions of reasons why a majority of the people here are total joke. A bad joke.

We live in a condo complex, with our apartment located towards the back of the place. Not a lot of the apartments are occupied (all those foreclosures, etc.) so we have ample parking available to us, with only about 5 cars using 8 covered parking spots. So, as residents of over a year, we are classified as "long-term" residents and have fallen into a routine with the parking. Not life or death here. It's not rocket science. It doesn't even really matter- except that there are very few stable things in Las Vegas and my parking spot was one of those things.

I park next to my husband. Our neighbors (a couple) park next to each other and we are all happy. Then we had to have a new person join the mix. An apparently quite confused and disoriented person. A person that has a low-end Mercedes with a license plate that says: SXCXS. If you haven't guessed already, one of the billions of Las Vegas realtors. Now, let's pause a minute. If you are truly a "success" would you live in a crappy condo? Don't answer that.

So Ms. Success decides she wants my "usual" parking spot and every day parks in that spot. So, Aaron and I both move over one spot. The next day, Ms. Success is in my NEW spot. So Aaron moves, yet again, and we park next to each other, again. Then she resumes stealing my spot. On the weekends, she mixes it up and steals the other couple's spots. WTF? I just don't get it..pick a darn spot and park the darn car in it. Repeat. It isn't that hard.

No we don't have assigned parking and I am well aware that this is a petty complaint, but there is a thing called basic neighborly-ness. You know, like just trying to fit in with the group of people you live around. Maybe being slightly respectful of them, their norms, their lives. Maybe trying to incorporate yourself into the group as a peaceful, if not positive member. Whatever. Don't expect it in Vegas.

Add This One to Your Outdoor Classics Bookshelf

The Last Season (P.S.)

by Eric Blehm

Looking for a great nonfiction book? You will definitely enjoy this if you liked Into the Wild, Grizzly Man, Between a Rock and A Hard Place or any of the other popular adventure/outdoor nonfiction accounts. This book examines the events surrounding the disappearance of an expert Kings-Canyon/Sequoia backcountry ranger. Was he suicidal? Was he a victim of a homicide? Weather and nature? Or did he just want to escape to Mexico? The book is part mystery, part investigative journalism, part love letter to the Sierras with plenty of fascinating tidbits about working as a backcountry ranger and doing search and rescue work thrown in for good measure. I’d highly recommend this title for any of us that venture out into the wilderness; as this story reminds us, you can never be too careful…and as Ranger Randy would have said, “Slow down out there and enjoy it!”

See more about The Last Season (P.S.)

What Happens When You Find Random Stuff from the Internet

Aaron and I did a personalty test today. Does this sound like anyone you know?

Big Five Test Results

Extroversion (62%) moderately high which suggests you are, at times, overly talkative, outgoing, sociable and interacting at the expense of developing your own individual interests and internally based identity. Accommodation (50%) medium which suggests you are moderately kind natured, trusting, and helpful while still maintaining your own interests. Orderliness (32%) moderately low which suggests you are, at times, overly flexible, random, scattered, and fun seeking at the expense of structure, reliability, work ethic, and long term accomplishment. Emotional Stability (56%) moderately high which suggests you are relaxed, calm, secure, and optimistic. Inquisitiveness (66%) moderately high which suggests you are intellectual, curious, imaginative but possibly not very practical.

Take Free Big Five Personality Test
personality tests by similarminds.com

My First Caucus

Hillary Clinton

I'm new to Nevada and I had no idea what a caucus is about. Apparently, no one in Nevada knows what it is supposed to be about either, including the people running the caucus. I'm glad I went and I'm glad that I saw the political process in action, but the verdict on the caucus is- I prefer a primary.

We got there about ten minute to 11:00 (the assigned time) and there was a huge line out the door. There was one table inside with one woman checking people in. Because so many people had to register to vote at the caucus the line was at standstill and there were people freezing (it was 50 degrees-but that's cold for Las Vegans) and there was much complaining out the door. About 11:15 we were moved inside and the organizers tried to make the line move a little faster by splitting us into groups, what an idea, eh? At 11:45 there were still people waiting in line. They also ran out of official preference forms and people had to write on scraps of paper. Or in the dirt or whatever....(kidding).

Then we were all asked to move into the designated corners of the candidate we supported, which meant I had to finally make a decision. I had been undecided because I really supported Bill Richardson and he did not have supporters there. Edwards was also an option I was considering, but he failed to have a showing at our caucus either. Basically we had to choose between Hillary and Obama. We did two rounds and after all the undecideds aligned with one of the two candidates the preference slips were counted. Unfortunately, the slips had to match the head count of physical bodies in the room and some people had left, so this took a bunch of counting and re-counting. The Obama people were very obnoxious and refused to let the Hillary people count their votes and so there was a little fighting for the amusement of the bored caucus-ers. Finally the slips and counts were tallied and it came out Obama 5 delegates and Hillary 4 delegates. The campaigns then asked people to volunteer to be delegates and at long last we were allowed to leave. The process took about two hours.

It was disorganized, it felt weird to be out in public, rather than in an anonymous booth voting, and it was more like a big party than a serious political event. It was kind of fun to talk politics with our "neighbors", but the level of disorganization was a bit discouraging.

So, maybe you want to know who my candidate is...well at this point I am aligned with Hillary. I think that it is important and profound to have a woman running. If Obama is the "change" candidate (which I don't know, since apparently Ron Paul is the candidate with the most supporters that own iPhones), than I guess Hillary is the "experience" candidate and hopefully she will want to leave a positive legacy in a historic presidency. Ultimately, I will vote for either of the candidates when the final election takes place.

So I survived my first caucus and I think I deserve a Bloody Mary. Word has it that Mitt Romney took the Republican caucus and his home state of Nevada by storm...

ALA Midwinter in Philadelphia

I was only back in Vegas three days before I had to hop on a plane to the East Coast for the American Library Association Midwinter conference. This means that I was only at work for about three days in five weeks and that after putting 5,000 miles on my truck during the Holiday Road Trip I would also be earning some flight miles as well.

I arrived in Philly and took the advice of a co-worker (who is from the city) and hopped on the train. So easy. It is amazing: from the airport to the convention center I didn't even have to go outside! I did have to hit the street to go to my more frugal hotel, the Hampton Inn but the walk was only about 4 blocks. I soon met up with my former boss and conference roommate (who I totally love and miss and was so happy to see)!

The next day we went to the LITA preconference on User-Centered Design for Websites (Day One) and Usability (Day Two). It was an intensive two-day workshop and I think I managed to absorb a lot of information that will help out with my work on the library's web site and on the digital collections. The only problem was that my brain wasa basically full by the time the actual conference started. I attended my required meetings (ACRL Arts Section, Library Research Roundtable, LITA Digital Library Interest Group, and New Members Roundtable) as well as the CONTENTdm meetings for users of the software we build our digital collections with. But, that was the boring stuff. There was also a bit of fun.

In addition to being reunited with my old boss, I also saw all the UNLV people, a friend from library school who is the digital projects librarian at Drake University, and even met a few new friends and contacts along the way. There was a great party, put on by Thomson at the Philadelphia Art Museum (of Rocky fame) where we got to tour the galleries and eat free food- though not at the same time! There was the night we went to the Afghan restaurant, Kabul ,and the couple trips to Chinatown for cheap and delicious dinners.

One of the best things about the conference was that the convention center literally sat above the Reading Terminal Market with all varieties of tasty food vendors, produce stands, coffee and tea, gifts, and sweets. It rocked! I could eat there a month and not try everything. We had falafel, crepes, Italian hoagies, Indian food, pastries, coffee, and I even tried the Amish pickles. Yum. This place really made the conference.

I got the minimum of required sightseeing in: Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Ben Franklin's grave site and the historic buildings in Old Town. I wish I would have had more time to explore, but this conference was rather busy and I just didn't get to do much beyond scratching the surface. In fact, I only had one Philly cheesesteak- a bad one- at the airport on the way home.

It is good to be home safe and sound, though I will miss my friends until the next conference or visit. I saw the ad above as I was running to the train to catch my flight. I thought it was pretty funny that even the Hard Rock was trying to wrangle a few of the 100,000 librarians in for a bite to eat. Though we all know its true...librarians do rock!

The End of the Road

Club Tap, Wauwatosa
Originally uploaded by zenhikers

It is hard to summarize all that happened during the course of two weeks and over 5,000 miles of driving, but I guess this sign outside Club Tap gets the story rolling.... There are lots fun memories from our road trip to Wisconsin for the holidays: Aaron having marshmallow wars with the kids, Zambuca shots on Christmas Eve, grlling ribeyes in the snow (only in Wisconsin), Danny's face when he saw the Twain Harte spider, exciting news about a new addition to the Wieselman clan, and slamming back a couple of Schlitz, followed by a few Blatz at the legendary Club Tap. And that is just the part of the trip in Wisconsin!

It was great to walk into taverns that we've haven't been into in two years and see Bill, Bob, Bruno, Adrianne, or even that rude women at the Speedway and feel that people remember you from the old days and want to hear how things are going. We really enjoyed catching up with friends, old co-workers, and family as well as our favorite bartenders- but truly, if you're going to Milwaukee, you have to have a special place in your heart for the local taverns.

On New Year's Day we hit to road back down south. Illinois was like an ice-skating rink, with about 30 cars in the ditch along the 300 mile stretch into Missouri. I don't know if it was the new tires or just good driving but we couldn't figure out what the heck was wrong with all these people. At a rest area along the way I talked with an older women that I assumed to be an avid RV'er, as she looked the type. As we were washing out hands and discussing the 10 degree temperatures and wind she said, "You know, I love the road, but sometimes I just wish they would have finally figured out that teleporter thing!" So true!

We stayed in Springfield, MO that night and then busted out a long 13-hour day of driving into Taos, NM. It was worth it. If you have never had the pleasure of visiting New Mexico, you better get it on your list. Especially if you like food. "Life without green chile is no life at all!" Taos is, of course, where we got married and has special meaning for us. This trip we stayed at the Laughing Horse Inn bed and breakfast that used to be an old commune and is dog-friendly and full of interesting people. It is under new ownership and despite our worried that everything would be changed, the place looks good: preserving the old charm and adding new energy. The new innkeeper is a total trip (former stuntwoman that is a multi-talented painter, writer, musician and mother!) Taos truly is a creative magnet for people like that. It was particularly cool that while we were there the innkeeper was hosting a meeting for the Old Spanish Trail historical society and was willing to partner with the group to work on promoting the trail (which just so happens to run in front of the Inn!) Very cool! We got the sauna room and slept in the rustic bunk beds with Pocky chilling out on the lower level. We also made a visit to KTAO solar radio, which is our favorite source of eclectic music while experiencing the Taos vibe. The trip would not have been complete without a couple margaritas at the Taos Inn where we got married. I absolutely love the Adobe Bar and the night we were there we got to hear a local bluegrass singer who managed to pull out a couple favorites, including Iris Dement and "Lakes of Pontchatrain". Excellent. BTW, I send my regards to the guy we met after my third margarita, I don't remember much beyond the fact that you are getting married in the spring. Cheers!

Before we descended back into the Las Vegas valley, we made one more stop in Arizona's Navajo country. We visited our friends, Darrell and Madiria and their son Ethan at their house in progress that Darrell is building just north of Show Low, AZ. It was great to visit and hang out and Ethan was a real cutie. We also swung through Petrified Forest National Park on the way home and got to see some reallyy cool petrified logs. Don't steal these pretty pieces of wood or the NPS will fine you something fierce!!!

The trip ended with a huge downpour in Kingman and fog into the Hoover Dam. We arrived safely back at home and enjoyed sleeping in our own bed and finally finishing the third season of Lost. It is good to be home, but as Aaron said yesterday, "I miss the road already!"

The Frozen Tundra

Get your snowsuits ready!

Here's your dispatch from the winter wonderland of Southeastern Wisconsin in December...

We are here in Milwaukee and enjoying all the fun of the holidays. It is quite a different scene than the Mojave Desert, with 3-5 inches of snow expected today and more to follow. There is nothing but fluffy whiteness covering everything in sight. It's a good day for me to finish reading, The Kite Runner or for a day-long marathon catching up on last season's Lost episodes. You don't feel guilty lighting the fire and sitting back with a blanket and a cup of tea when it is snowy and blowy outside. I am going to soak it all in before we have to hit to road back to Vegas. 2 days of driving through Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and then Nevada lies ahead for us and I can only hope we find a clear window to make some miles westward. Before we go we will have burgers and custard, hit a local fish fry, and visit lots of local taverns. But, most of all it has been fun to catch up with family, relax and kick back with some board games (or poker?) and re-aquaint ourselves with the joys of the frozen tundra!

Happy Holidays from Vegas!

oh christmas tree!
Originally uploaded by danielleyoung

It's that time of year again and we are sending out a greeting from the desert! This picture isn't of our tree, we aren't even getting one this year, but it kind of sums up what it is like to have Christmas in the desert! Hope you are all well and we will keep you posted on our long journey to the frozen tundra!
We have posted our annual holiday letter so if you want to know what the highlights of the year were you can check it out. Happy Holidays to our friends and family!

Tis the Season

Tropical Cocktails

Maybe, the final straw was at Best Buy when they sold out of my carefully chosen, methodically compared, and finally decided-upon holiday gift. Or maybe it was the six hours spent shopping online to purchase a unique special gift, and then finding out that the very same item was available two blocks away. Anyway...I think it's time to consider another holiday tradition- drinking. I have been half-heartedly following the trendy cocktail culture resurgence (Trader Tiki's Booze Blog, Explore the Pour, and Rejiggered are some examples) because I like the aesthetic, I enjoy mixing it up from the usual beer or glass of wine, and I think its kind of fun to concoct things.

A while back I started reading the magazine, Imbibe: The Ultimate Drinks Magazine. This is a great place to start if you plan on doing any holiday entertaining because there are amazing recipes and lots of cool ideas for all manner of beverages; including coffee, tea, beer, wine, spirits, and more. There are often regional articles on coffee shops and bars and there are always very complicated, but delicious-sounding cocktail recipes from leading mixologists. While not everyone really sees the necessity of a driinks magazine, I think it is fabulous and would make a great gift for that special someone who likes to throw a few back.

Last week, I re-vamped my Yahoo page and added a bunch of new content, including the New York Time magazine and the NYT Dining and Wine section. Recently there have been two really cool articles, one focusing on bourbon and the other on the detective work one tiki bar fan went through to discover the original recipe for the Zombie cocktail. Once again, maybe it is the stress of the season, but I seem to really be able to relate to these lighthearted stories that also come with encouragement to try a frosty beverage.

Interestingly, as I sat down to write this blog entry my husband asked me why the heck I was writing about cocktails in my blog. I mean what do I actually know about cocktails? Well not much, but after hearing my better half talk about the origins of the cocktail during Prohibition (and after verifying it in Wikipedia), I got intrigued. You may be wondering where the word "cocktail" comes from, as I was. It may have come from the tailings from the stop cock of the cask in Colonial taverns, or from the fact that cocktails were traditionally drunk in the morning (when the cock crows)! Apparently, one of the earliest cocktails is the Sazerac, consisting of Cognac and bitters and coming from New Orleans.

Which leads to a side mention of absinthe...yes, you have probably heard all about the romantic notion of artists and writers drinking the greenish anise-flavored concoction, "The Green Fairy". Because of the hallucinogenic properties of wormwood (another ingredient), it is banned for import into the U.S., but it's often sought out in Europe and overseas as a popular gift to bring home. But, I have heard the stories and I'd be careful when experimenting.

There are tons of really cool retro cocktail books out there, check your local rummage sales and thrift stores for some cool graphic design and tons of recipes to experiment with. There are also lots of resources online. If you are more into the history of the cocktail there are a couple good books I have seen: And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails and Imbibe: From Absinthe Cocktail to Whiskey Smash.

Well, before I head out the door to do some more shopping, I did attempt to look up a little bit of info on the soon to open (or is it already there?) Trader Vics at Planet Hollywood on the Strip. Unfortunately, real estate is so chaotic and establishments change names and locations so fast in Las Vegas that I can't actually determine if Trader Vics exists. Is it not yet open? Open and just not mentioned on the Planet Hollywood web site? Or opened and closed already?

Well, if nothing else, I can hit one of the world's best places to sink into a booth for a long night of drinking, making goo-goo eyes at a crush, or reminiscing about 50's lamps. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on the south side in Bay View is the wonderful, amazing, impossible to describe... At Random. It's the kind of place guys used to go to cheat on their wives in big dark booths, and where a ancient, white-haired cocktail waitress finishes off your Irish Coffee with a flourish of whipped cream and a cigarette hanging out the side of her mouth. Truly open at random, they serve every kind of cocktail found in their encyclopedic menu. You can have a flaming tiki love bowl, a dry martini, or a yummy Peanut Butter Cup (what could be better than ice cream, chocolate syrup, and vodka?).

In a time of constant flux, there is something very comforting to me about the long history of drinks as a social phenomenon and minor culinary art. Even if some of those traditions have funny names, involve three kinds or rum, six kinds of fruit, and arrive in wooden hula girl glasses with a paper umbrella.

If Christmas isn't your thing, and (hey, I don't blame you if it's not) you could consider adopting a new drinking holiday and nostalgically express your Constitutional right to tip a few back. Celebrate Repeal Day on December 5th (the anniversary of repealing the Eighteenth Amendment)! This monumental day ensures that we all have legal permission to seek out new cocktails, self-medicate after trips to the mall and generally drink ourselves silly if the occasion dictates! Cheers!

SoCal-Style Thanksgiving

I don't think I will ever get used to sunshine, warm days, beaches, and palm trees for the holidays but this year we did get the pleasure of celebrating Thanksgiving with my sister in Los Angeles. After hearing horror stories of 11 hour drives on the I-15 during holiday weekends, we decided to leave early on Wednesday and make the drive early in the morning. I drank a little too much coffee and needed a pit stop, which isn't really as easy as it sounds when you are driving through the Mojave Desert. We finally pulled over somewhere about 40 miles past Baker at a desolate-looking mini-mart. It turns out that this isnot just a clean bathroom, but some kind of official Ron Paul mini mart. There was a sign in the bathroom asking people to please buy something, so I ended up perusing the sodas, only to discover that they specialized in vintage soda. Yay for Dad's root beer. Not much else was available, so we also bought a Ron Paul marketing kit and hit the road. Some interesting reading material, including: "Why Methamphetamine Should be Legal"!

Once in LA, we navigated the maze of freeways and made it to Woodland Hills. This is a northwestern suburb that is really close to Topanga Canyon and then over the mountains, the Pacific Ocean. We drove through the canyon checking out camping at Topanga State Park and then drove south to Santa Monica on the Pacific Coast Highway. We got trapped in a crazy traffic jam and reversed to go north to Malibu. There was a fabulous park across the highway from what's got to be one of the mosst beautiful campuses in the world belonging to Pepperdine University with views of the beach. Pocky enjoyed a walk on the bluffs and we got to experience the wacky California doggie-poop bags (amazingly complex!) After Malibu, we met my sister and went out for a fabulous dinner in the canyon at Abuelita's and I got to FINALLY PLAY Wii!!!!

On Thanksgiving, we all got up early and had bagels and coffee to get us ready for the big day of cooking. We then proceeded to inventory whether or not my sister actually had enough pots, pans, and dishes to cook a turkey and numerous side dishes. It is hard to believe that three people, two cats (hi Honu and Velzy!), and a dog in a one-bedroom LA apartment were able to pull off an organized, well-timed feast, but we did! The turkey was really great and we had my Mom's oyster stuffing, my Nana's blueberry Jello salad, and Aaron's family's Eastern European cucumbers. There were two kinds of pie for desert and plenty of wine and beer. We played a friendly game of Texas Hold-em while the bird cooked and I got my first four of a kind! After dinner we drank more, and played the strangely addictive game Taboo. (Where else can you ponder which beast your relative considers to be the "yin and yang of animals"? That would be the panda.) My sister even updated her Facebook page and verified that we really are siblings.

On Friday, we had breakfast in the canyon at a great dog-friendly place and then took a trip to Muscle Beach in Venice. It was amazing. I have definitely seen some freaky people on the Lower East Side, in Vegas, and across the country- but Venice certainly has an inordinate amount of weirdos. We saw this super-tanned troll-like bodybuilder with nary a piece of clothing on jogging to the workout pen, several folks conversing with themselves, and a rich guy with a herd of dogs. Aaron got his fortune done and we invested in a few well-chosen bumper stickers as souvenirs. After picking Andy up from the house we headed to Ventura to check out their favorite break, Surfer's Point and to get my national park passport stamped at Channel Islands National Park. We couldn't leave without sampling some of the local microbrews at Anacapa Brewing Company who had an awesome nut brown ale and fabulous asiago cheese dip with beer bread that we noshed on. We even called one of our favorite uncles to spread the Thanksgiving cheer. A great night even though some us drank more than others!!

Saturday, we needed to head back to Vegas, but what is life without a little disc golf? We couldn't leave without getting out butts kicked at the Sylmar Disc Golf Course where we played 18 holes. I am still the worst driver on the planet- but I think my putting has improved. With a little exercise under our belts we left for Vegas and made it back to the I-15. We were SO glad we were driving the opposite way from LA because from Barstow to Baker (about 100 miles) it was nearly bumper-to-bumper traffic. What a mess. With a full moon rising over the desert we headed back into Nevada and into the neon of Vegas. Home from a great weekend.

Finally an E-Book Breakthrough?

Amazon has recently revealed its new wireless reading device. It is called Kindle and it sounds very cool. it's light and portable, it works wirelessly like a cell phone, so there is no need to find a hot spot or to do that annoying syncing with cords and software (like my least favorite technology combo- the iPod + iTunes), and it has this crystal clear "electronic paper" screen. In addition to never needing an actual computer, there is no service plan! Access is good- to 100 out of 112 of the New York Times Bestsellers and it provides newspapers, international news, access to Wikipedia, and popular blogs. So what does it cost? Well, $399. Not cheap, but perhaps this is the e-book breakthrough that has been talked about for so long. Could Kindle do for books what Apple did for music as mentioned in this review? I know I will never truly give up my paper books and the comfort factor, but for a portable and highly accessible device, the Kindle looks pretty sweet.

Democratic Debate Tonight at UNLV!

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Originally uploaded by nicetry30

Yes, that is right! All day CNN has been broadcasting live from the field outside the library building. Free t-shirts, Express Yourself booths, press, press and more press! We faculty were just glad to get a parking spot and not be harassed too much by security.

Today at lunch there was a suspicious package that shut down Maryland Parkway, but all in all it has been a relatively smooth day. There are about a million people from the various candidate's supporting groups out in full force with signs and banners. I guess we should have made something like, "Librarians for the Cat-Friendly Candidate" to wave around!

Only about 1,000 seats in Cox Pavilion were open to the staff/faculty/student lottery, and I did not get a ticket. Too bad. But, there have been cameras and press crawling all over, so keep your eye peeled, I may yet make it on the national news!!

Las Vegas in the limelight for something besides OJ and lead-infused poker chips? I'll take it! Watch the debate and hopefully we can get this country back on the right track!