Epic Recap -- Hoover Dam

"oh! You know you are getting close to the Hoover Dam when the power lines are so massive!" Ian said.

We got to see a lot of amazing sunsets on our trip at least half a dozen I'd say. I remember ever seeing two sunsets in Portland and I may be making one of those up! The dry clear air of the other parts of the country (and in the latter part of our trip driving west toward mountains) were just the perfect conditions to watch that giant ball of fire temper into the spectrum of rainbow crossing the whole sky. sigh. so wonderful.

 "You stay here and take a picture of me, hang on I'm gonna walk over here" I said.

At some point we actually looked at one of the plaques on the bridge we were on and this one had a timeline on it of the design and construction. The bridge opened to the public in October 2010, we were surprised. "Where did cars go before this was built?" I kept asking. "Across the dam," Ian would say. "Noh. No way," I'd exasperate.

You could just stare at it for ages. I still didn't believe cars had to wind down the road that I couldn't even see and all cross the dam and wind back up the other side. "Where did the cards used to go?" I'd ask again. "ACROSS the Dam" Ian would reply. "No, I just can't imagine it. We're going to have to add that to our list of things to look up." I thought aloud. "Sounds good," Ian said. 

Every couple on the bridge seemed to be doing pull-aways even with the myriad of other people with expensive cameras that I'm sure would have been more than happy to take a picture. When in Rome though.

 "Ian, let's do a pull-away! It seems the cool thing to do here." "Okay" "Do another one, my face is all squished in that one." "okay" "Ah, perfect!"

It wasn't until somewhere in Florida that I thought "Oh! we should have taken pictures of all the state welcome signs along the way" then again Ian's voice said in my brain said "Why take a picture of something you can just find on the internet" When we saw the Nevada sign right near the ped crossing Ian said "Go over there! We'll get a picture." I told him I only had pictures of 3 of the state signs and my internet theory. "What we should'ave done is pull over and jump out in front of the signs and take a picture." "Oooh! Yeah! that would have been awesome! I could always photoshop us in?!"

As we were leaving the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge eI stopped in the little circle were all the informational plaques were. "What are you doing?" Ian asked since I had just said I wanted to get a move on. "Trying to see if it says where the cars went before the bypass was built."  Ian skimmed the plaques on his side and said "Here. . ." The following text is actually pulled from the Hoover Dam Bypass website so imagine the same information more concise and prettier in metal: "Prior to completion of this project, the existing route of U.S. 93 used the top of Hoover Dam to cross the Colorado River."  "SEE!" Ian pointed out. "Okay, huh, wow. No wonder they finally built a bypass that must have been slooooow."

continued from the Bypass Website:
"The traffic volumes, combined with the sharp curves on U.S. 93 in the vicinity of Hoover Dam, created a potentially dangerous situation. A major catastrophe could occur, involving innocent bystanders, millions of dollars in property damage to the dam and its facilities, contamination of the waters of Lake Mead or the Colorado River, and interruption of the power and water supply for people in the Southwest.

By developing an alternate crossing of the river near Hoover Dam, through-vehicle and truck traffic are removed from the top of the dam. This new route eliminates the problems with the former highway--sharp turns, narrow roadways, inadequate shoulders, poor sight distance, and low travel speeds. "

Epic Recap -- Thanksgiving

Ian and I partook in at least four thanksgiving like feasts (Lansing, Dayton, Gainesville, Austin) while we were out and about traveling the country visiting friends and family.

On the actual day of Thanksgiving however we were roaming around a quiet New Orleans with other Ian. I actually had to use my imagination to experience the debauchery and public disgustingness that would be a normal/festive day in the quarter.

Beignets and Po'Boys were our only two food requirements for the city of New Orleans. We'd even eaten beignets at Mayfel's in Asheville so we could compare.

Cafe Dumonde, a nola institution was still buzzing with activity on the quiet holiday. (Mayfel's beignets were totally more delicious)

An after breakfast walk along the river, looking at all the giant boats and things.

Some of the quaint nola architecture.

"I want both of you like where Ian is!" so they both move in different directions. Afterall, they are both Ian.

We finally found an open restaurant serving Po'Boys! Mike's Carribean or some such. . . Everything a good po'boy should (except cheap). A delicious thanksgiving indeed. Foreground is deep fried shrimp, background is two softshell crabs. My Ian had crawdads.

Also in nola we ate at Juan's Flying Burrito. It was the best unexpected delicious of the trip. If you're in new orleans, go there.

Is it us, or is this building all leaning a few too many inches to one side?

By the end of the day I was getting a little anxious about my online business since I hadn't gotten to check in for a few days longer than I anticipated. So through some problem solving, Ian Smith remembered the borders book store. We go there and it was closed, but he said I should try the wi-fi (both Ians agreed) anyhow because they don't usually turn it off at night.

While I was slowly checking my email over the weak wi-fi connection Ian M. found this gecko scaling the building.

Epic Recap -- Nevada

When we were preparing to leave Ben and Gina's house (my brother and sister-in-law) in Austin, Texas we were both ready to get home as fast as possible. Once we got on the road however, taking semi-back routes from Austin to I-10, we also decided we really didn't want to go near LA like our original speed-home-quick route was pointed to.

"I want to go through Nevada," Ian said.
"Okay, let me figure it all out," I replied.  It turned out to be a bit of a Northwesterly jog through the mountain valleys with amazing scenery. 

Yellow highlighting is our route through Nevada, "the silver state"

At one point Ian pulled to the side of the road and stopped. He got out for a cigarette and said "Aren't you coming out of the car?"
"Nah," I said.
"C'mon you HAVE to, it's so quiet"

So I climbed out of the car, shut the car door and walked toward Ian. The gentle pings of the car cooling off, and the crunching of sandy pebbles underfoot were the only sounds. I stopped and stood there, and looked around. It is the first time I've been in the midst of complete silence during the day. You know how things quiet down at night and you can feel everything slow and become more still as people generally are at home and sleeping. There is always some noise though, the rustle of the wind through the trees or an occasional car on the road outside. Even when you are out camping, the night animals are singing their songs, or you can hear the brooks or ocean waves.

This, was just completely quiet. My little ears couldn't pick up a sound. There were no other cars, no towns in sight, no animals and no trees for wind to rustle. Just absolute stillness in the desert. A moment I'll remember and hold onto for a long, long time.

I think we stopped somewhere "About here" on route 361N.

"Take a picture of me." "In the car?" "well, where did we spend most of our time?" "good point, okay"

 I think that route through Nevada's back roads is something I can call on when I start getting anxious or worried about the things that get me worked up. It was all just so expansive. 360 degrees of land stretching all around and all quiet. It was one of the times during our trip that I felt really small, in a good way. Because if I'm this small, then those problems I could fret over are minuscule, inconsequential and not worthy of my little frets anyway.

So from the same state that brings us Las Vegas (future post) and Reno (we just drove straight through that one), we can also find contemplative stillness. It was awesome.

8,236 miles later: home again. (from vacation!)

Ian and I arrived home safely this morning  yesterday morning just before 8 am. We had left on November 2nd at 8:15am and were gone one month, almost to the hour! Our internal clocks went a little wonky and we spent most of yesterday thinking it should be evening/bed time. We watched a crapload of tv and ordered pizza for lunch. Lazing about on your own vaguely comfortable couch after eight thousand miles in a car, fantastically satisfying.

Today, we've got to unpack a month's worth of road trip from our little wagon and go grocery shopping. It will be nice to have more in our larder than canned peaches and tuna fish.  I missed the opportunity last night to take a picture of Ian's creative dinner, putting to good use a few homemade items we we given by my brother back in Austin. He bakes bread and we got to bring 4 loaves home with us! Last night Ian spread mashed sweet potatoes (from Ben's thanksgiving) onto Ben's pumpkin bread, topped it all off with pepper jack cheese and put it in the oven to melt the cheese/toast the bread. I was impressed, especially since I'd been eating the sweet potatoes for 3 days already.

Once the car's unpacked and groceries are in the fridge and I've planned out my tactics for preparing for Crafty Wonderland, I'll post some photos.

It was a perfect trip, we were happy to be away up until we were ready to be home and then we just happened to be on our way back to our little apartment.

<3

PS. This means goal 103 -- take a vacation is officially ACCOMPLISHED!

Bonzos and electricity.

The remaining updates from the road are going to be a good primer on shortening my posts to make them quick enough to post in between all the happenings that being on vacation visiting with people entails.

For today's quick post I have two photos and a video. I mentioned previously that we were going for bonzos (my first) which are deep fried calzones. We called ahead, but the staff thought the order was a prank (we infer) so it still took 40 minutes after we arrived to eat.

It finally arrived! Once again Ian and I were pretty happy to split the serving. While delicious, any more bonzo would have torn me up inside (like it did to poor Travis) Also I like how our "waitress" photo bombed my attack on the bonzo.

Maria and Bryan (Brian?Bryan?) got their bonzos before everyone else. Bryan took a lot of convincing before he'd eat while we waiting. But hey, eat it while its hot, I say. It may not be the most polite, but I end up feeling guilty watching your food get cold. Lindsey's came dead last, but look how happy she was after that!

Keep tuned for a good video: We have an inside man at a science museum in Dayton and got a sneak peek at some exhibits yet to come. But ssshhhh, don't tell anyone as I don't want to ruin the surprise, if it's a surprise. Static electricity is fun!

From the Road: Thanks-o-ween

When Ian was little and parts of family lived far away, his family would get together once in between major holidays and combine the celebration. Often this would be between Thanksgiving and Christmas so Thanksmas perhaps, Christmas presents with thanksgiving dinner (sounds awesome). When Ian was little he really liked wearing capes, even when it wasn't Halloween. (and really, why not, capes are so great)

This year Ian and my's visit to Dayton fell between Halloween and Thanksgiving. Combining the two results is Thanks-o-ween, a great big lunch/dinner with costumes. The costume theme, CAPES!

The first people in line for the food. Lots of delicious fare. Left to right: Travis, Rachel, Becky

Capes made from curtains, old skirts, jackets, uncut fabric, even table runners. There was some serious creativity going on.

A lot of people took their capes off for the eating festivities. Clockwise starting on left: Matt, Gail, Rick, Georgia, Clarice, Becky, Maria. Not pictured, yet present: Travis, Rachel, Ian, Dave

Maria and me looking at Georgia's scrapbook of old pictures. (Judging by the smile there was probably a toddler photo of Ian on this page)

Today was the first day that I remember wearing a cape, it was awesome. I may incorporate capes into my everyday Bike Cozy studio attire. I felt some extra powers tingling.

Also on this trip I may have finished out my list of firsts: played corn hole for the first time, had my first bloody maria (I'm not big into vodka, this is the tequila version), and tomorrow I'll be having a bonzo for the first time. Hopefully no more than 1/4 of a bonzo (deep fried calzone).

Goal 101-- 10/12 COOK A NEW DISH EVERY MONTH

Originally I was planning on making caramel apples for my October new dish. Circumstances happened otherwise and just in under the wire  (Oct 30th as a matter of fact) I documented my second attempt at cooking up some greens.

I remember seeing cooked collards/greens at various functions throughout my life, though I do not remember trying them. Perhaps the one time I was adventurous they were bitter, or tough, or too chewy like the mustard greens I made last week. Or maybe I just didn't like the color, or that they had been cooked for hours. There was a reason, even if it was a child-brain-this-is-how-the-world-works-reason.

Ian says the reason I think I don't like so many foods is because I haven't had them cooked well. Ian is persistent in encouraging me to try new foods, with a solid track record of success. He makes the best brussel sprout curry every. Things I'll eat much more readily than when I first met him include: brussel sprouts, mushrooms, squash, anchovies, okra and black eyed peas, the list goes on.

He has a very broad palate (a word that I had to look up how to spell, what do you mean you don't spell it pallette?) and will eat anything except for -aises. No mayonnaise, no hollandaise, etc. etc. Everything else he will eat, especially if it is set in front of him. It takes the pressure off of trying out new dishes. Like last week when I thought I was making the mustard greens correctly (granted this was an entire day after I had received a verbal recipe from Ian), the only part I got correct was how you're supposed to cook them a long time, we both still ate them, the chewy kind of grossness of them. I then said "We have to plan greens in for next week so I can try again... while what-not-to-do is still fresh in my mind."

We picked up not one, but two bunches of collards at the store because Ian was sure that one bunch would be just one serving. We still had the can of tomatoes (because I had forgotten they were supposed to go in with the mustard greens for cooking), and we had onion and garlic left. I got a review of the verbal recipe:

"Use a big stockpot, chop the greens in strips about this wide (finger and thumb about an inch apart), sauté  the onion and garlic in the bottom , turn down the heat . . . put the greens in, put the can of tomatoe (tom and chili in this case) on top of the greens, maybe add some additional water, and simmer for hours, stir occasionally, check them every so often to make sure there is enough liquid," Ian told me.

"How much liquid do I put in?" I asked.

"Enough so they steam, but they don't have to be covered or anything," he replied. (I've been practicing my cooking sans recipe so this kind of vague instruction didn't irk me like it once would have)

While the greens came out great, delicious, I think the real hero was the can of tomatoes with chilis. It added the perfect spicy tang into the greens. Also Ian got home just in time to remember to put in some apple cider vinegar and the greens cooked for another hour. (here, Ian deftly made the squash. A little pie pumpkin cut in half, innards scooped and put innards down in a pan with water. When they got soft about an hour later, he flipped them over, sprinkled with brown sugar and chopped almonds and broiled for a few minutes)

I had a feeling Ian had overestimated the quantity for two servings.

I am becoming a sauté master.

Cutting the collards into strips. It was fun to roll them all up together and slice through the whole bunch.

This is the most giant stock pot we have and when first put in, the greens came all the way to the top!

After over an hour of cooking, the greens only take up about 2 inches in the pot.

The greens were delicious and the pumpkin was too. The pumpkin made the potatoes seem extraneous.

Ian and I were both delighted in how good the collards came out. They were delicious! Ian said they were top 5 that he's ever had. I know he means it too. He doesn't just say stuff like that. With the way he likes his southern cooking, I know he's had his fair share of greens and I accept the compliment and store it in my favorite compliments box.

Complete success and with no recipe! This particular experience is part of shifting a larger paradigm. I have never readily tried new things because I would worry that I wouldn't be good at it right away. I hate being wrong, and not being good at something, is being wrong, in my brainpiece. I've never been a big fan of having to learn how to be good at something. I can learn how to go from good to awesome, that's fine! But having to accept that I'm bad at something and then improve to acceptable. . . ugh. . . total esteem killer, I just rather pretend I never tried it in the first place. I don't know when/where I learned that as a kid, but big Rachel thinks that's totally bogus!

So while trying again at cooking some greens is a small little bit of my life, it is a good experience in: trying something new (cooking greens), not being good at it right away (chewy, gross greens first go 'round), and then, instead of giving up. . . trying again and learning how to improve the result (super delicious collards).  Another positive part of this is that when the mustard greens were gross, it was okay. I didn't beat myself up for cooking gross greens. That's just what happened and I learned how to make it better. That's one more table leg for the belief that "it's okay to not be good at something the first time you try it." I've also told myself that it's okay if the next time I cook greens, they aren't as delicious as those collards, it'll be a tough act to follow, for sure.

In November look for a dish from the road.