Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life

Not since Fast Food Nation has a book affected me as much as this one. I know, I must be a glutton for punishment reading a book about local food and farming when I live in the Mojave Desert which is barely fit for human habituation. But, a girl can dream. If you care about big issues, the way food relates to politics, homeland security, global warming, the environment, corporate greed, and living simply.....just read this. It is powerful.

There are tons of resources out there that say it better than I can, but here are 10 Reasons to Eat Local and the “Locovore Pledge”, which I like because it allows for options:
If not LOCALLY PRODUCED, then Organic.
If not ORGANIC, then Family farm.
If not FAMILY FARM, then Local business.
If not a LOCAL BUSINESS, then Fair Trade.
If all else fails, at least don’t eat at McDonald’s!

Local can also be defined differently based on regions, so here in the desert 250 miles from home is “local” compared to say 100 in the Bay Area or 20 miles in parts of the American South. The Eat Local Movement is also closely aligned with the Slow Food Movement, which seeks to encourage and nurture diverse food cultures (think Tuscany, the Mediterranean, and parts of Vermont).

I have a tendency to get a little obsessed with things, and I’ve moved on to reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma and Coming Home to Eat. But, I like food, I like cooking, and I like the simple pleasures of spending time with people over a meal (as opposed to going out and spending lots of money) so this stuff hits home with me. Enjoy!

Adventures in Food: Where Have You Been?

I saw this list on a librarian blog and since I love food and consider myself moderately adventurous, I thought it would be fun to see how many of these things I've eaten. I still consider myself not vegetarian, or carnivore but another more appropriate term that we used on our long-distance hikes. Most dirty, starving hikers (and probably most college students) are proud to self-identify as Oppotunivores. If it was free we'd eat it. The original blog post about the list seems to come from this site: Very Good Taste.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison: Can't say I really love or hate it...
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros: Probably the best dish on the face of the earth. I like it with flour tortillas, New Mexico green chile, and eggs over easy.
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue: Oh yeah. I can't get enough cheese. Cheese + wine + Swiss kissing games = even more fun.
8. Carp:
9. Borscht: Yum. Beets rock.
10. Baba ghanoush: Eggplant rocks, too. Especially homemade on the grill with lots of garlic.
11. Calamari: Bar food of choice
12. Pho: Too bad our local UNLV place closed down. I miss it.
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi: Indian food is probably my favorite ethnic cuisine.
15. Hot dog from a street cart: I don't know if bratwurst or polish sausage counts, but I don't eat hot dogs. Period.
16. Epoisses: had to look this one up.
17. Black truffle: I think I had this in an olive oil, so I can't say it's really a regular thing
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes: Plum wine is good
19. Steamed pork buns: Thanks to dim sum
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes: I even grew my own Amish Paste
22. Fresh wild berries: Blueberries, blackberries, huckleberries, etc. Along the PCT up north.
23. Foie gras:
24. Rice and beans: For about 4 years I lived on this dish
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters: I love oysters, especially oyster po-boys in Louisiana
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda: had to look this one up
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl: Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut: Essential for the Milwaukee side of the family
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O: I am assuming this is the classic Jello shot? I like lime.
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat:
42. Whole insects: Not really intentionally though, so it probably doesn't count
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more: I think there was a night in NYC...but unfortunately I don't remember it.
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel: I could eat unagi all day and night
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin: Ditto for uni
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal: I wouldn't eat it now, but I have had it at least once.
56. Spaetzle: I love homemade spaetzle with goulash
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine:I had a modified version referred to as Disco Fries, but it contains the same thing.
60. Carob chips: We had a hippie neighbor that scarred me for life with carob.
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian: NOT YET, But I can't wait to try it
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe: Now that was one bad night of imbibing
74. Gjetost, or brunost: A Swedish favorite
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong: I'm not super fond of smoky teas, but I've had it.
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum: Awesome. Love it.
82. Eggs Benedict: Second to huevos rancheros as my favorite brunch item. Good with avocado.
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant. NOT YET....
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers: ISo squash blossoms count?
89. Horse: Aw, no way!
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam Not bad if you grill it!
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster I went to a wedding in Cancun where the resort had an all lobster menu. Too over-the-top for me, but I do like lobster.
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

What is missing from this list? In my opinion

Pierogies, Chicken Feet, Sauerbraten, Bone Marrow, Tofu, Zubrowka, Buffalo Steak, Pasties, and Menudo.

I’m sure there are others, but that’s what jumps off the top of my head.

So there you have it. Now here’s the rules:
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.

Yellowstone Trip 2008 Part II

The third day of the trip we GOT TO YELLOWSTONE, which is something that you really can't imagine, unless you go and experience it yourself. First of all, there is a ton to see and at any moment you can spot bears, moose, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, bison, elk, deer, antelope, bald eagles, or wolves right from the comfort of your car. It is surreal and amazing.

In addition to the geysers, mudpots, waterfalls, boiling hot springs, and towering peaks there are about a million of your fellow Americans to observe if the wildlife get too boring. The drive into the park allowed us to take in a couple scenic stops including a view of Yellowstone Lake and several waterfalls. We arrived at our campground (Madison), learned all the rules about bear country, and then set up camp complete with our hammock. Throughout the trip the excitement had been building to GET to Yellowstone and yet we promptly LEFT Yellowstone to go to town and buy some supplies (bourbon). We also took our first trip to a local fly shop.

Like a Crested Butte ski shop, Moab bike shop, Oahu surf shop or any other snotty, tourist-exploiting outfitter the staff at this fly shop had attitude and the tourists tended to put up with it; maybe because they are stunned by natural beauty and seek an authentic experience (of which sarcastic outdoor staff have become an integral part). I bought an handful of flies and some flotant, but was generally underwhelmed by the Madison River fly shop. Don't go there unless you are single and want to hook up with an attractive young fly guide and don't mind spending lots of money in the process. Later in the week we re-located all of our fly purchases to Jacklin's Fly Shop which was a million times better. To get it out of the way here is a rundown of the various places we ate in West Yellowstone:

• The Gusher (Pizza)- excellent pizza and a nice local vibe
• Beartooth Barbeque (BBQ)- good sandwiches as long as you can handle meat
• Old Time Cafe (Diner) Polish waitress, try the chicken fried steak, family-run
• tried to go to the microbrewery but it closes absurdly early

On an additional eating note, I have to say that everyone that goes to Yellowstone should at least visit the Old Faithful Lodge. It has a special place in my heart because my Mom worked there as a college student for two summers and it always reminds me of her and our family trips. But, even to those less nostalgic, the building is an architectural wonder and the dining room has an amazing fireplace. Just go there and think about the time in this country when the Civilian Conservation Corps were building our park's grand lodges. Not to mention the view out the back...oh yeah, that would be THE Old Faithful. The one that has rows and rows of seating and erupts just about every 50 minutes.

We went early in the morning of our fourth day and as the sun was rising over the steaming Firehole River we pulled into the vast, empty parking lot literally right before the impressive eruption. Killer timing as the sun came up. After a walk through the geyser basin (Old Faithful is but one of many geysers) we hit the breakfast buffet in the lodge. Notably, it comes with the "good coffee" (organic fair trade and most importantly- strong). You won't be so lucky elsewhere. The food is typical, with nicer than average service and top notch atmosphere. You get the feeling that if you could tune out all the families and tourists that Teddy Roosevelt might be around the corner smoking cigars and telling stories.

In the next installment I promise to get to the important stuff...the fishing.

An Exercise in Futility?

In my never-ending quest to find hope in the city of Las Vegas I have recently tried to humor the good folks putting on the Las Vegas Farmers Market. No, it has not been lost on me that we live in the Mojave desert and nothing grows here. But, hey, I am trying. These are nice folks that drive from California and presumably the produce is fresh and farm-raised.

But tonight I lost a round. After we went and picked out some fruit and a nice loaf of bread there was a huge commotion. My friends, the people of Las Vegas have once again shown their character. Someone, right in front of everyone, in broad daylight, robbed the cashbox at the Farmer's Market and ran to a getaway car. You just can't make this stuff up.

Yellowstone Trip 2008 Part I

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
Originally uploaded by zenhikers

At the beginning of August, we headed out of town to spend some time in Yellowstone National Park, near the part of the country we visited last year on the Backpacker CDT Project. This year, rather than meeting up with a cranky trip leader, we met up with our friend Fine Dining (Andrew) from the Bay Area. We're old friends from our PCT hike in 2002, so travel together was anticipated to be a fun reunion. After a quick stop in Salt Lake City to retrieve Andrew, we hit the road for Idaho and beyond. I don't really recommend stopping at the Tasty Treet in Pocatello, but if you want to encounter a completely enigmatic menu you can order a burger (or something) make a guess at the unique combination of condiments you may receive and sit outside in a nice yard on the main drag. After a few more miles on the road and the integration of our various iPods, satellite radio channel preferences, and CDs, we made it to Idaho Falls and the warm welcome of Tom Bodett. There was a lot of anticipation to GET TO YELLOWSTONE, but because we hadn't set up a campsite reservation until Saturday we decided to drive into the park through Grand Teton and camp out one night a lake there.

The drive out of Idaho Falls involved a search for suitable caffiene, a drive through rural Idaho (beautiful) and some yuppie-viewing in Jackson Hole. We also made our first stop to clean the bugs off the windshield...this would be a point of contention during our travels, since some people literally can't see the road for the bugs, and some fail to let a few arthropod carcasses get in the way of their driving. Others were just plain compulsive and did a great job cleaning the thing. Hey! Pocky appreciates that kind of effort.

Almost immediately after leaving Idaho Falls we starting seeing wildlife, and the bison (a most impressive animal) really woke us up as we entered Grand Teton. We got to Lizard Lake campground in the early afternoon and had a relaxing time setting up camp, chatting and cooking a meal on the Cobb Cooker. Most of the time in camp (and this is a theme through the whole trip) I spent practicing the myriad of knots involved in fly-fishing. I started practicing at home with some alpine cord, but using real fishing line and leader was a whole different ball game. Frustration ensued. I took breaks to go see the awesome campfire programs that the National Parks put on for bored campers, families, and nature nerds like me. At Lizard Lake the program was on the pronghorn antelope and I learned a lot about this very funny looking animal. We went to bed pretty early because we were REALLY EXCITED to GET TO YELLOWSTONE in the morning.

We are Socially Intelligent?

According to an online IQ test, I score the highest in the area of social intelligence. This is closely followed by math (!!!) intelligence and verbal intelligence (about the same scores). I did most poorly in spatial intelligence, in fact I found those tests really hard. My score is saved online. If you'd like to take the test and compare go to the site and try it out!

Aaron is taking the test as we speak and he totally beat my social intelligence score! He also scored high in math and spatial, followed by verbal. His score is online, too.

Review of: The Cactus Eaters: How I Lost My Mind-and Almost Found Myself-on the Pacific Crest Trail

The Cactus Eaters: How I Lost My Mind-and Almost Found Myself-on the Pacific Crest Trail (P.S.)

by Dan White

I know I will be a harsh judge of any long-distance hiking memoir because I have done two of the long trails and have a whole slew of my own memoir-deserving stories (including my honeymoon hike of the PCT in 2002 with our dog).

I think this was a generally amusing tale of a guy’s journey on the PCT. My major complaint about the book was that the author ended up focusing a lot on his relationship and less on the trail. The relationship story ends up being sort of lame and doesn’t really show him in the best light, so I’m unsure why. Also a minor complaint, he never tells us what year he hiked in. Obviously it was many years before 2002, since I had the absolute hardest hitch of my hiking career in Castella and sure could have used a trail angel! All in all a funny and well-written book. I commend ANYONE that makes a good effort to hike a long trail and soak up the amazing trail culture! But as is the danger in memoir, the Cactus Eater’s story just doesn’t seem quite as interesting as my own!!

See more about The Cactus Eaters: How I Lost My Mind-and Almost Found Myself-on the Pacific Crest Trail (P.S.)

Watch This!

I'm Not There (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

by Todd Haynes

Maybe if you don’t recognize Bob Dylan as a singularly important musician and artist, then maybe you wouldn’t get much out of this film. But I sat down and thought about it and I don’t really take anyone’s opinion too seriously who falls in that category.

So, for the rest of you…Get this movie and watch it. It is so smart that you will ask yourself, what the heck have I been watching the whole rest of the time? The film asks a question and then proceeds to challenge you to answer it. Who was Dylan? Well, who do YOU think he was? The impact of your answer and everyone else’s answers makes up the meat of the film. Of course, the music is great and the acting is awesome. Cate Blanchett is incredible and the movie is worth seeing just for her performance. Mostly, I think people should see movies, every once in a while, that mess a bit with your head and stick with you. I’m Not There is one of the rare films that fits the bill.

See more about I'm Not There (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

Tribute to a Great Griller!

Ron at the Tiki Table
Originally uploaded by zenhikers

I just want to say to congratulations to my father-in-law, Ron who was recently recognized by the Milwaukee Journal -Sentinel for his entry in the Milwaukee Grills competition. Ron and his wife Bonnie have hosted us numerous times for a grillout at their lovely home in South Milwaukee and it makes me homesick for Wisconsin just to think of the good times.

Ron's recipes are always good. So good that he has compiled a family cookbook to share with us all and to preserve some of the family recipes handed down over the years. In the Wieselman family Ron is responsible for the cooking and Bonnie handles the baking, so the two are a perfect pair constantly tempting our tastebuds! The featured recipe Ron was honored for is his Chuck on the Grill, so check it out and throw something you like on the barbie. There is no better way to relax and enjoy some quality time with good people. My husband has the Wieselman genes for talented grilling and I plan to challenge him to replicate this recipe this weekend. The thing is...you gotta put that extra ingredient that makes the difference. No, it's not beer (although that always helps) --it's the pinch of love for family and friends that makes Ron and Bonnie's cooking really special. Love you guys!

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.)