the hummingbird

Valentine's breakfast

2009-02-14T08:50:00.001-08:00

Valentine's breakfast, originally uploaded by sunpath.

My sweetie is the sweetest!

Ho ho ho!

2008-12-28T16:00:00.002-08:00

Ho ho ho!, originally uploaded by sunpath.

Dylan as the neighborhood Santa...

I Am Blessed

2008-12-15T06:27:00.002-08:00

I Missed The Point ~ Neko Case
The View ~ Modest Mouse
The Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth ~ Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
You Don't Know Me ~ Ben Folds & Regina Spektor
Acid Tongue ~ Jenny Lewis
Mutha'uckas ~ Flight of the Conchords
White Winter Hymnal ~ Fleet Foxes
Furr ~ Blitzen Trapper
You Are The Best Thing ~ Ray LaMontagne
Can't Always Get What You Want ~ Rolling Stones
Life is Long ~ David Byrne & Brian Eno
Whole Wide World ~ Wreckless Eric
Ghost Town ~ The Specials
The Science of Selling Yourself Short ~ Less Than Jake
The Beach is Free ~ Billy Bragg
I Don't Want To Die (In The Hospital) ~ Conor Oberst
I Am Blessed (Wax Tailor Remix) ~ Nina Simone

Late fall in Arizona

2008-12-05T09:28:00.001-08:00

Late fall in Arizona, originally uploaded by sunpath.

Javalina's on parade

2008-11-26T11:29:00.001-08:00

Javalina's on parade, originally uploaded by sunpath.

We saw Rory in Sedona today...

A lot of updating...

2008-11-06T13:54:00.004-08:00

Holy hell! Was my last post really on September 30th? WOW. Well, my only excuse is that I've been madly cooking and blogging over at Scraping the Skillet. I do have a lot of things to update y'all on, though. Really, there should have been a bunch of posts between September and now...here's a brief recap of what's been going on:

NINI AND ADAM GOT MARRIED! Yes, my little sister is married! I have a bunch of photos posted on Flickr, but here's one to get you started...

I was back in Chicago for a glorious 10 days around her wedding. It was great to spend time with family and friends - we don't get to see them enough! Highlights? Bocce ball in Merrimack Park. Glorious fall leaves. TO DIE FOR Italian food (by an Irish chef, no less). Oh yeah, and the wedding. That was pretty awesome too ;)

2. I took a new job. Actually, I did this before the wedding by a few months. It just didn't seem top of the list. It's not an exciting or challenging job, but it is flexible and the people are nice. Now you know why I've been flakier than usual about returning e-mails, etc. Job + Food Blog = crazy busy.

3. Dylan and I have made a new resolution to go hiking more often. I mean, we live 5 minutes from a National Park but we haven't hit the trail in over a year? Crazy. The first hike was The Bellota trail up on Mt. Lemmon. Gorgeous scenery and a relatively easy hike. Amazing views after just a short hike to the ridge. Here we are:

This weekend we hiked up and around Sabino Canyon. It was also beautiful and we got to see lots of cool stuff, like a desert box turtle and a desert kitty cave. Check Flickr for pictures soon (D took the camera with him to Miami).

4. Speaking of Miami, the Canyon Ranch Miami project that D has been working on since we moved here is opening! He's there now for the soft soft opening. I was starting to wonder if this would ever happen!

5. Caleb has been battling some peeing issues. He's gotten all blocked up twice and had to spend the night at the Vet (he relapsed after the first drain). To help him manage better in the future we have officially put him on the Weekly World News Juice Diet. Mrow.

That's all the news that's fit to print.

I'll leave you with this thought:

Whoa.

2008-09-30T14:32:00.001-07:00

Couldn't get the video to embed...just follow this link:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/30/couric-asks-palin-how-she_n_130642.html

You'll have to watch a commercial to see this, but it's short. Whoa is all I have to say.

Wait a second...

2008-09-26T17:46:00.003-07:00

You, dear readers: "Where did all of those food/recipe posts go to? I was looking for that one..."

Me: "Oh yeah, I moved those over to my new food/cooking/eating blog! You can find them at:
www.scrapingtheskillet.com
Enjoy!"

Voting

2008-09-23T10:23:00.001-07:00

Just a reminder:

If you're not yet registered to vote, here's a good link: https://www.voteforchange.com/

There's less than two weeks for you to get registered, especially if you have moved since the last time you voted. I think it's worth double checking your registration, just to be sure...

A. Homer Hilsen

2008-09-21T13:02:00.005-07:00

I know it's now been months since D finally got his baby, A. Homer Hilsen. I've been meaning to share pictures of this beautiful beast since the beginning but just haven't gotten to it until now. Here's one of D with the bike...you can view several more pictures of his bike here.

Politics 2008

2008-09-11T10:46:00.005-07:00

I have one burning desire when it comes to politics. I want everyone to have access to the same truthful information. Big wish, I know. Especially with all the media spin in present times. If I was an undecided voter, I'm not sure what I would make of all the TV ads and pundit analysis.

I would like to believe that I wouldn't be swayed by the half-truths and straight-out lies that are all over the TV screen and the internet. But, if I didn't have access to the truth, how would I know? How could I ever make an informed, not emotional, choice in the voting booth?

Rather than preaching my personal beliefs on this election process I'm going to share one website with you. One site that is useful to ALL Americans, whether they are decided or not, conservative or liberal, red, blue, purple or green.

The website is FactCheck.org.

Please, for the love of this country, visit this site weekly (or subscribe via RSS!). These folks are doing a valiant job of exposing truth in these political times. Thank goodness.

More cowbell?

2008-09-05T17:52:00.001-07:00

More cowbell?, originally uploaded by sunpath.

I'm not sure, exactly, why someone would have this vehicle.
Off roading? Prolly not.
Hauling? Only a 12" tall driver could access that bed.
Why?
Do these exist everywhere? In bigger cities? Tell me if you've seen one in your neck of the woods. I hope you haven't but won't be too terribly surprised if you have...

(don't miss the cowbell hanging from the hitch)

Sigh

2008-08-22T21:32:00.001-07:00

Sigh, originally uploaded by sunpath.

Just that, sigh.

Ever vacuumed yourself?

2008-08-20T13:08:00.003-07:00

Neither had I, until today.

fur.jpg, originally uploaded by sunpath.

Shoe for scale, W's size 9.
This is what the FURminator can do to 2 cats in an hour. This thing effing rocks!

Needless to say, Rory and I are not friends right now...and Caleb is my new best friend.

Do we have any idea what we are doing?

2008-08-18T12:49:00.003-07:00

How big this is? How much waste we produce? How much it impacts the world? How big the world is?

I don't know about you, but when I feel I'm in for some mind-boggling I sit down and start thinking about how many people there are in NYC...and then in other cities like Beijing or Munich or Paris...and then I start thinking about how impossibly many people there are on Earth. Yes, I know the figures. I could just think about the number...but it's not really the same humbling feeling.

Chris Jordan is a photographic artist who has created a number of masterful pieces of artwork that help us visualize numbers that are really beyond the comprehension level of "whoa that's a lot." He is brilliant and if you haven't spent some time exploring his website, you should do it today.
www.chrisjordan.com

p.s. More foodie pictures coming soon...my computer had to be wiped and reinstalled, so I'm just now getting that stuff back together.

Helpfulness...

2008-07-31T11:09:00.004-07:00

Helpfulness..., originally uploaded by sunpath.

The conversation went something like this:

Me: Caleb! Please, how about you lay on this chair - or the kitchen counter - instead.

Caleb: (jumps off counter where I have placed him as , apparently, the paper I set up for him there (bills!) is not adequate for his needs)

Me: sigh. As long as you leave the piece I am working on alone.

Caleb: (makes a nice nest before determining that his chosen paper is missing a key component. A sort of je ne sais quoi... Oh yes, my undivided attention, that's it)

Me: No - Caleb! Why do you have to lay on the one piece of paper I need to work with?!?

And so on ...

I e-mailed this picture to Dylan...for a midday laugh. His response?

"Of course! That is what he lives for :)"

And, of course, he is right. Paper? All over the table? Caleb must have died and gone to heaven.

Cooking Counters

2008-07-25T11:55:00.004-07:00

Yesterday, the NYT reported in What's Lurking in Your Countertop that some of the zillions of granite countertops trendily being installed in kitchens and bathrooms around the US may actually emit radiation at a level that could be a health risk...! It seems, the more esoteric your granite counter top, the more likely that it is emitting bad vibes at a level higher than what we experience as "background" radiation from the earth's crust and outer space.

My first reaction was to laugh. I mean, I get to gloat since I can't afford to install granite counter tops, right? Isn't it the folks without cash who usually get screwed by these things? Isn't it funny that it's the Yuppies this time?

Bad Micha.

It's not nice to laugh at other people. Remember, if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all.

Tucson in July

2008-07-24T16:22:00.002-07:00

Dear, dear friends,

I want to share with you some insider information. Call it a pitch, or take it at face value. Up to you.

Most people think that the best time to visit our corner of the US is in winter and spring. Mostly, they come for warmth - to escape their bleary winter days and experience some sun in the middle. Here, in my opinion, is where they go wrong.

NOW is the best time of year to be here. Why? You ask. Let me pontificate.

Once the monsoons begin the weather here is paradise. It's not 105 anymore (that's usually just May and June). In fact, it's a high of 90 or 95 with glorious breaks in the day when there is a lovely thunderstorm and it is 70 degrees! Now, before you wince at the 90 -95 degree declaration, remember what the humidity is like in the desert. You know, it's a DRY heat ;) What that means is that it's probably about 13-15% humidity. Midwesterners: BEAT THAT!

When it rains all the plants in the desert do a happy dance. That dance (called photosynthesis and growth) makes everything around us green and beautiful. Seriously, it looks Hawaii in them thar hills! The roadsides are flanked with green grass. For anyone who has already come to visit, I'm sure you can attest that your first reaction to Tucson was "it's so brown." Not at this time of year, friends. Not at this time of year. I've attached a picture (poor though it is, taken with my camera phone while driving) as proof. Look at the hills! Green! Be still my beating heart.

Finally, because most people choose to visit in the winter and spring (and are not privy to this insider info) the plane tickets to Tucson are the cheapest during the summer. Talk about a deal for a get away or a vacation!

Ok, I'm getting off my soapbox. I just wanted to share this with everyone. This season should last thru August and then it's on to "second summer." If you have a free weekend and you're looking for a get away, call :)

A Whole Lifetime

2008-07-09T21:29:00.004-07:00

"Man is free at the moment he chooses to be." - Voltaire

As many of you know, In the past 9 months I've had to basically quit cycling because of sciatic nerve pain. I finally had an MRI and learned that I actually have some bulging discs in my L4 and L5 vertebrae. Of course, this is only part of the picture. The why of these bulging discs is a much longer tale, but that is for another time.

In addition to cutting out my cycling, I've had to significantly cut back my yoga practice. Let me rephrase: I've had to refocus my practice on asana that specifically help heal my back and away from those poses that aggravate my condition. I still practice between 1 and 2 hours a day, but I focus more on standing poses and often repeat basic standing poses 2 or 3 times throughout my practice. Typically, I listen to my heart and allow it to lead me through my practice, letting my body tell me which asana will provide the ideal balance between challenge and therapeutic benefit.

Today during my practice, after a round of hip openers, strong arm balances and deep back bends, my mind instinctively lead me to headstand as my next pose. I had to stop myself. At this point in time the deep forward fold necessary to come into Sirsasana would be too much for my back. Instead, I took a moment and sat back in child's pose waiting for new direction. As I let my mind wander I began to feel frustrated that I couldn't practice a pose I was regularly holding for 5-10 minutes a few months ago. I began to worry about losing all the strength I had build up in this pose.

Then I had an epiphany: There is no date by which I must be proficient at this or any pose. I have a whole lifetime to practice Sirsasana.

And with that thought, I was free.

Stir-Fried Chicken with Crispy Basil in Sweet Chili Sauce

2008-07-06T19:19:00.002-07:00

Crispy Basil Chicken Stir Fry, originally uploaded by sunpath.

I am lucky enough to be helping Jaden (of Jaden's Steamy Kitchen fame) test recipes for her forthcoming cookbook. Of course, I'm not the only one testing, there are a number of people from all around the world. It's pretty neat to read the comments from folks overseas about what they can and can't find in their local Tesco.

Above is one of the dishes I've tested for her. I won't post a recipe, but I will tell you that those basil leaves are deep fried and crispy...a very interesting twist.

Want to see more? Well, one of the others I tested was the Thai Red Beef Curry. If you follow that link you can start flipping through to see other yummies too...

Long Johns

2008-07-03T12:32:00.005-07:00

A bike for those who are worried that they wouldn't be able to do without a car for hauling reasons...

You know, if you need to deliver some cheese, or whatever :)

Most of these are found in Europe (Denmark, Germany, Sweeden), as that is where they are made. However, there is one in Alaska. Now, if someone living in Alaska can use one of these to get around, you will have to come up with a better excuse than whatever you were just thinking...

There are many more pictures of different Long Johns in different countries at longjohn.org.

Meme Mosaic

2008-07-02T13:26:00.003-07:00

Meme Mosaic, originally uploaded by sunpath.

I got the idea for this meme mosaic via Flickr from the Boastful Baker...It seemed like a fun break from what I've been working on so I went for it. Here's how it works:

Rules:
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into Big Huge Lab's mosaic maker.

Questions:
1. What is your first name? (Micha)
2. What is your favorite food? (Sushi - though this was really hard for me)
3. What high school did you go to? (OPRF)
4. What is your favorite color? (blue)
5. Who is your celebrity crush? (Johnny Depp)
6. Favorite drink? (green tea)
7. Dream vacation? (India)
8. Favorite dessert? (brownie)
9. What you want to be when you grow up? (free)
10. What do you love most in life? (Dylan)
11. One Word to describe you. (creative)
12. Your flickr name. (sunpath)

(incidentally, it's amazing how little of what comes up on the first page of a search is actually a picture of your search term...)

1. Poldi, Micha, Schweini: " Viel zu hoch ! ", 2. "What? Sushi? What is it?", 3. Dandelions at dusk, 4. Just hanging around, 5. JOHNNY DEPP, 6. green tea & sunshine, 7. Taj Mahal, 8. Cho Cho Cho, 9. Mulher Maravilha, 10. *waves*, 11. air, 12. sunpath.

Ridin' Around in the Breeze...

2008-06-20T14:40:00.001-07:00

A-Punk ~ Vampire Weekend
Boracay ~ The Little Ones
The Fatalist ~ Robbers on High Street
You Me and the Bourgeoisie ~ The Submarines
Everyone Gets A Star ~ Albert Hammond, Jr.
Miniature Birds ~ Grand Archives
Click, Click, Click, Click ~ Bishop Allen
Summertime Thing ~ Chuck Prophet
Long-Legged Guitar Pickin' Man ~ Johnny Cash and June Carter
I Got Mine ~ The Black Keys
Ruby Blue ~ Roisin Murphy
Two Shoes ~ The Cat Empire
Hello Bonjour ~ Michael Franti & Spearhead
Love is Free ~ Sheryl Crow
End of the Line ~ Traveling Wilburys

Cali-forn-i-a

2008-06-19T16:39:00.020-07:00

At the beginning of the month I/we took a little vacation and toured around a good chunk of California. I started out driving west and camping overnight in Joshua Tree, which was beautiful. I had not been there before and am really glad I stopped. I basically rolled in just before the sun started going down and took pictures until it was gone and the stars were out. Then I set up my tent and attempted to get some sleep. I say attempted because it was actually quite windy. In fact, I had originally planned to have a glorious morning yoga practice amidst the Joshua Trees...well, that plan had to be scrapped due to wind, but I did get to discover a funky little coffee shop in town and have a bagel and coffee there before setting out.

My next stop was Santa Cruz where my dear friend Katie is finishing up her grad program (Paleoclimatology, in case you are interested). She has already blogged about our visit here. To get to her I drove up Hwy 101, through zillions of lettuce patches. At the end of the day I passed numerous farmworker buses carting workers back to their living quarters. Once in Santa Cruz, our three days were filled primarily with eating, talking, some walking, more eating and a lot of baking. Much fun was had with heavenly strawberries. I think we must have done more than that, but really, it was a classic Katie-Micha few days.

Dylan flew into town from Miami (where he had been sweatin' it out for work) and we traveled together up to the Santa Rosa area to visit his uncle John. We got into town just in time to go hear John's jazz trio play at a local winery, enjoy the sun setting over the grapevines and reflect on how lucky we are in so, so many ways...

The next day we went with John into Forestville to see the annual parade and hang out for the first day of the 2-day music and bbq extravaganza in the park. I'm not sure you can get more of a vacation feel than that!

We finished up our trip with a whirlwind visit to Liz and Woody in Pasadena. I've got no picture love to show from this visit, as we were literally there for less than 12 hours (and we slept during that time...). Hopefully, though, there is another trip in the near future, one where I can spend a little more time catching up with Liz :)

a quick thought

2008-06-17T15:26:00.001-07:00

I'm still finishing up stuff for this week's food bank meeting but wanted to take a moment to share this thought that I had today:

Even the cactus seem to be wilting in this heat.