It was sunny, it was Friday, and I ate good food. I do not ask much more from my days,especially here at school. The sun tends to go AWOL between mid-September and April here in Portland, but today it managed to keep in sight from one horizon to the other. Really, just a spectacular autumn day. I am told that fall on the west coast doesn't even begin to compare to the east coast, but honestly I am of the opinion that a lot of that has to do with very different cloud cover and precipitation pattern. When the sun is shining, and there's just the hint of a crisp breeze to keep you on your toes, and the leaves are glowing gold in the light, autumn is just as beautiful here as anywhere else in the world. I took a bike ride this afternoon with a couple friends, on a borrowed bike - my first ride since this summer.
I had spinach and feta tart for dinner, one of my finer cooking moments in my opinion. And the Boys and Girls Club brought a few groups of kids to the dorm for trick-or-treating, so a couple times our dinner was interrupted by small children in typical small-child Halloween get-up: pirates, devils, and, so my roommate tells me, the cutest kangaroo ever.
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24.10.08
21.10.08
I'm too lazy to write a whole post
- Letter from a Texas Republican, via Salon's War Room
"I am sick to death of the negativity and lack of substance offered by McCain's campaign. The Ayrs [sic] "connection" is ludicrous, and the attempt to paint the "good touch, bad touch" training program for kiddoes is disgusting. Books could, and will be written about Palin's shallowness, and the arrogance that attempted to foist her on us. If these are products of the "'Straight Talk' Express" then I'd hate to see full blown Bushism.
"BTW, I am a white Southerner, the descendant of a Civil War-era Tory. My family was voting Republican by 1868, if not 1864 -- way before all these Johnny-come-latelies, whose ancestors were in the Klan. Regardless, I cannot stand any more hubris, incompetence, cronyism, profiteering, lies, malfeasance, mismanagement, or perversion of justice -- whether by Bush, his enablers in Congress, or their successors.
"I have guns and plenty of them. I am not fearful of losing them.
"I have several Bibles. I am free to read them or not; and to interpret them as I wish. I am not fearful of losing that, either.
"And I am not looking over my shoulder for some gay who will ask for my hand in marriage. And even if one were to do so, all I need do is decline.
"I believe in the literal truth of the Bible; and I believe in my heart that it teaches abortion is murder. But the GOP has been in power more than long enough to overturn that. I conclude that it is not going away.
"The concern I have -- greater than "God, guns, and gays" -- is going to war for a pack of lies. Bush's hands are bloodier than any abortion doctor's and he has exchanged the nation's moral high ground for a miry pit. He has perverted justice, and permitted Alberto Gonzales and Monica Goodling to pervert Justice. And I don't think Bush has the capacity to even realize that he's done anything wrong."
- I made the Spaghettis Bolo as directed, substituting broccoli for meat. I'm not sure that this really counts as a new recipe, even though I don't eat spaghetti much here, since it is almost identical to my mum's recipe. Essentially all you do is throw some broccoli, onion and garlic, chopped up, into a saucepan of whatever size you require, add mushrooms when the broccoli has started to soften up, then add crushed tomato, oregano and basil when the mushrooms are as cooked as you want them. Simmer until you're happy with the broccoli and serve with noodles.
I don't have a pan or the time for making lasagna, so I was considering at least making the bechamel to have with the tomato sauce, but the link doesn't work and I was getting lazy, so I just tossed some Parmesan on top. Strangely, even my roommate who rejected the last homemade tomato sauce she tried liked this one. I think I just have less discerning taste.
- Since I already finished this week's recipe and neither my cooking skills nor my budget were excessively tested, I figured I could afford to try another challenge. Oh, how foolish of me! On the very first blog I was sent to, I discovered a recipe for asparagus and feta tart that really called for me (easy enough to substitute real pastry for the pre-rolled stuff). And then I made the mistake of scrolling down. The moment I saw the next recipe, I knew I would be making it as well, only partly because I have spinach in my fridge at the moment that is begging to get used. I was intending to stop there so as not to tempt myself too sorely, but in the end couldn't resist looking to see what else I could find to tease my appetite with. I think I may be stuck cooking through this blog for a while...
- I'm partway through watching Monsieur Ibrahim right now. I have kind of a thing for French-language movies, but also for French speaking actors. I couldn't help but wonder what Pierre Boulanger, who plays the young Jewish boy in the film, looked like grown up a bit. Well, it's been five years, he's now 21, and he's just as adorable as he was in the movie, except now in a very crush-able way. Aww.
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"I am sick to death of the negativity and lack of substance offered by McCain's campaign. The Ayrs [sic] "connection" is ludicrous, and the attempt to paint the "good touch, bad touch" training program for kiddoes is disgusting. Books could, and will be written about Palin's shallowness, and the arrogance that attempted to foist her on us. If these are products of the "'Straight Talk' Express" then I'd hate to see full blown Bushism.
"BTW, I am a white Southerner, the descendant of a Civil War-era Tory. My family was voting Republican by 1868, if not 1864 -- way before all these Johnny-come-latelies, whose ancestors were in the Klan. Regardless, I cannot stand any more hubris, incompetence, cronyism, profiteering, lies, malfeasance, mismanagement, or perversion of justice -- whether by Bush, his enablers in Congress, or their successors.
"I have guns and plenty of them. I am not fearful of losing them.
"I have several Bibles. I am free to read them or not; and to interpret them as I wish. I am not fearful of losing that, either.
"And I am not looking over my shoulder for some gay who will ask for my hand in marriage. And even if one were to do so, all I need do is decline.
"I believe in the literal truth of the Bible; and I believe in my heart that it teaches abortion is murder. But the GOP has been in power more than long enough to overturn that. I conclude that it is not going away.
"The concern I have -- greater than "God, guns, and gays" -- is going to war for a pack of lies. Bush's hands are bloodier than any abortion doctor's and he has exchanged the nation's moral high ground for a miry pit. He has perverted justice, and permitted Alberto Gonzales and Monica Goodling to pervert Justice. And I don't think Bush has the capacity to even realize that he's done anything wrong."
- I made the Spaghettis Bolo as directed, substituting broccoli for meat. I'm not sure that this really counts as a new recipe, even though I don't eat spaghetti much here, since it is almost identical to my mum's recipe. Essentially all you do is throw some broccoli, onion and garlic, chopped up, into a saucepan of whatever size you require, add mushrooms when the broccoli has started to soften up, then add crushed tomato, oregano and basil when the mushrooms are as cooked as you want them. Simmer until you're happy with the broccoli and serve with noodles.
I don't have a pan or the time for making lasagna, so I was considering at least making the bechamel to have with the tomato sauce, but the link doesn't work and I was getting lazy, so I just tossed some Parmesan on top. Strangely, even my roommate who rejected the last homemade tomato sauce she tried liked this one. I think I just have less discerning taste.
- Since I already finished this week's recipe and neither my cooking skills nor my budget were excessively tested, I figured I could afford to try another challenge. Oh, how foolish of me! On the very first blog I was sent to, I discovered a recipe for asparagus and feta tart that really called for me (easy enough to substitute real pastry for the pre-rolled stuff). And then I made the mistake of scrolling down. The moment I saw the next recipe, I knew I would be making it as well, only partly because I have spinach in my fridge at the moment that is begging to get used. I was intending to stop there so as not to tempt myself too sorely, but in the end couldn't resist looking to see what else I could find to tease my appetite with. I think I may be stuck cooking through this blog for a while...
- I'm partway through watching Monsieur Ibrahim right now. I have kind of a thing for French-language movies, but also for French speaking actors. I couldn't help but wonder what Pierre Boulanger, who plays the young Jewish boy in the film, looked like grown up a bit. Well, it's been five years, he's now 21, and he's just as adorable as he was in the movie, except now in a very crush-able way. Aww.
More...
19.10.08
Cookie + caramel + coconut +chocolate = pure deliciocity
So I finally got around to trying out that samoa recipe. I figured I'd wait until the weekend so I'd know I'd have enough time, which turns out to have been wise. The caramel-coconut-chocolate process is pretty time-consuming, especially when you're just figuring out what you're doing. I'm still waiting for the chocolate to harden, so I can't tell you yet how close the final result is to a samoa. I know they don't LOOK exactly like samoas, due to impatience, carelessness and lack of skill on my part. Nevertheless, I can at least assure you with complete certainty that this recipe tastes good at every step of formation from cookie dough onward.
Cookies ~ Homemade Samoas
(also known as Caramel de-Lites)
From Baking Bites via Once Upon a Plate
Makes about 3 1/2 to 4 dozen
I used the whole recipe, but the number of cookies produced (about 4 dozen) is a little overwhelming unless you have some specific event in mind that will require that many (and in that case, I would recommend that anyone not willing to put several hours into this project make something else). In the future, I'm going to stick to half batches.
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
up to 2 tablespoons milk (I used vanilla soymilk)
Preheat oven to 350F.
Cream together butter and sugar in a large bowl. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt at a low speed, next, the vanilla and milk, adding in the milk only as needed to make the dough come together without being sticky (you may not need any at all). The dough should come together into a soft, pliable ball. Add in a bit of extra flour if your dough seems sticky.
It's easiest to roll the dough out in 2 or 3 batches (between pieces of wax (or parchment) paper to about 1/4-inch thickness (or a little thinner) using a 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter to make rounds. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet (my baking sheet is nonstick and seemed fine without parchment or oil or any of that) and make a hole in the center. I used a knife; recommendations from previous bakers include the end of a wide straw or the small end of a large round piping tip. Repeat until the dough is used up (it's okay to re-roll, this dough is shortbread-like and very forgiving.)
Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, until bottoms are very lightly golden brown around the edges.
Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, to allow them to firm up slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Topping:
3 cups shredded coconut
12-ounces good-quality chewy caramels
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons milk
8 ounces dark or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips will do)
If you prefer milk chocolate, by all means use that. However, the caramel-coconut mixture is quite sweet, so bittersweet can help balance the sweetness bit.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees (F)
Spread coconut evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Watch carefully, especially near the end of toasting time; the coconut toasts very quickly once it begins to become golden.
Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.
Using the spatula or a small offset spatula, spread topping on cooled cookies, using about 2-3 teaspoons per cookie. Reheat caramel for a few seconds in the microwave if it begins to firm up, to make it soft and spreadable once again. (Any spare caramel-coconut mix can be spread on a baking sheet or other flat surface to make yummy coconut brittle candy.)
While topping sets up, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. (Or you can use a double boiler on the stovetop.) Dip the base of each cookie into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment or wax paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate into a piping bag or a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle finished cookies with chocolate. Melt a bit of additional chocolate, if there is not quite enough for each cookie.
Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.
Lest it be thought that I reserve all my chef-ly strength for the occasional grandiose project like these cookies, I would like to mention that I did some other cooking this weekend as well, an apple pie and the Maque Choux from my random recipe challenge. The humidity is pretty low for Oregon this weekend, which made the pie dough a little less cooperative than usual, but it all turned out well in the end.
As for the Maque Choux, it also was quite successful. I used a half cup of chili beans instead of the tasso, canned corn instead of fresh (as with any canned food, try to buy the 'No Salt Added' version, and save a little of the water from the can to replace the corn milk with), dried thyme instead of fresh, and less tomato than was called for (I never seem to have as much tomato on hand as I think I do, probably because I will eat it on/with almost anything). My roommate and I ate it on whole wheat tortillas, not the most "authentic Cajun" option, but delicious regardless, and I tossed the extra in my scrambled eggs this morning. It's easy, healthy, and versatile. I will definitely be having this again.
As for this week:
My assignment (Spaghettis Bolo et/ou Lasagne - part way down the page) is particularly appealing this week because 1) the recipe is in French and 2) I was intending to try to make vegetarian tomato sauce this week anyway (the recipe isn't veg, but I'm not intending to use meat).
More...
Cookies ~ Homemade Samoas
(also known as Caramel de-Lites)
From Baking Bites via Once Upon a Plate
Makes about 3 1/2 to 4 dozen
I used the whole recipe, but the number of cookies produced (about 4 dozen) is a little overwhelming unless you have some specific event in mind that will require that many (and in that case, I would recommend that anyone not willing to put several hours into this project make something else). In the future, I'm going to stick to half batches.
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
up to 2 tablespoons milk (I used vanilla soymilk)
Preheat oven to 350F.
Cream together butter and sugar in a large bowl. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt at a low speed, next, the vanilla and milk, adding in the milk only as needed to make the dough come together without being sticky (you may not need any at all). The dough should come together into a soft, pliable ball. Add in a bit of extra flour if your dough seems sticky.
It's easiest to roll the dough out in 2 or 3 batches (between pieces of wax (or parchment) paper to about 1/4-inch thickness (or a little thinner) using a 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter to make rounds. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet (my baking sheet is nonstick and seemed fine without parchment or oil or any of that) and make a hole in the center. I used a knife; recommendations from previous bakers include the end of a wide straw or the small end of a large round piping tip. Repeat until the dough is used up (it's okay to re-roll, this dough is shortbread-like and very forgiving.)
Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, until bottoms are very lightly golden brown around the edges.
Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, to allow them to firm up slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Topping:
3 cups shredded coconut
12-ounces good-quality chewy caramels
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons milk
8 ounces dark or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips will do)
If you prefer milk chocolate, by all means use that. However, the caramel-coconut mixture is quite sweet, so bittersweet can help balance the sweetness bit.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees (F)
Spread coconut evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Watch carefully, especially near the end of toasting time; the coconut toasts very quickly once it begins to become golden.
Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.
Using the spatula or a small offset spatula, spread topping on cooled cookies, using about 2-3 teaspoons per cookie. Reheat caramel for a few seconds in the microwave if it begins to firm up, to make it soft and spreadable once again. (Any spare caramel-coconut mix can be spread on a baking sheet or other flat surface to make yummy coconut brittle candy.)
While topping sets up, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. (Or you can use a double boiler on the stovetop.) Dip the base of each cookie into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment or wax paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate into a piping bag or a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle finished cookies with chocolate. Melt a bit of additional chocolate, if there is not quite enough for each cookie.
Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.
Lest it be thought that I reserve all my chef-ly strength for the occasional grandiose project like these cookies, I would like to mention that I did some other cooking this weekend as well, an apple pie and the Maque Choux from my random recipe challenge. The humidity is pretty low for Oregon this weekend, which made the pie dough a little less cooperative than usual, but it all turned out well in the end.
As for the Maque Choux, it also was quite successful. I used a half cup of chili beans instead of the tasso, canned corn instead of fresh (as with any canned food, try to buy the 'No Salt Added' version, and save a little of the water from the can to replace the corn milk with), dried thyme instead of fresh, and less tomato than was called for (I never seem to have as much tomato on hand as I think I do, probably because I will eat it on/with almost anything). My roommate and I ate it on whole wheat tortillas, not the most "authentic Cajun" option, but delicious regardless, and I tossed the extra in my scrambled eggs this morning. It's easy, healthy, and versatile. I will definitely be having this again.
As for this week:
My assignment (Spaghettis Bolo et/ou Lasagne - part way down the page) is particularly appealing this week because 1) the recipe is in French and 2) I was intending to try to make vegetarian tomato sauce this week anyway (the recipe isn't veg, but I'm not intending to use meat).
More...
17.10.08
Rock rock on
It's almost midnight, my ears are ringing, I'm covered in other people's sweat, my legs ache, and I have a cross country race in the morning. But for the Blue Scholars... it's always worth it. I overheard some one after the show saying that they've only gotten better, and it's true. I've been listening to them for a little while now, seen a few shows, been around when a couple records and EPs dropped, and I get more in love with them every time I hear a new song.
My school (for the second year in a row!) arranged to have them come do a FREE show on campus. I don't even have words to describe how insane that is. This is the group that introduced me to conscious hip-hop and the idea that you could have sick beats and meaningful lyrics in the same song. They the were first real show I saw - Aesop Rock was headlining, but I went for the Scholars and still maintain that they were far superior. They are the only group I have ever paid to see more than once. It is because of the Blue Scholars that I have the interest and appetite for such a diverse range of music. (Props to Colin, who gave me the Scholars and several other excellent groups; without you my musical taste would be much poorer and much more limited.)
If you have never heard the Blue Scholars or the other excellent acts on their independent label Massline, I urge you to remedy this grievous deficiency in your life and go visit one of the sites linked to above, go to one of their shows, buy a few albums (support your favorite local record shop if they've got the Scholars). Folks in the northwest, though you must be either terribly out of the loop or have the wrong taste in music if you aren't listening, you are very much in luck. They like to play on this coast (and even a bit inland, they've been to my hometown in Montana twice that I know of in the past two years) and from what I've seen they do a good job of getting their music in the stores. They've also got a couple of EPs on iTunes (though for some reason neither are available at the moments).
Well, I just finished downloading Common Market (who opened tonight - holla for two times the Massline magic) "Tobacco Road," which is his latest CD. And as much as I'd love to stay up and listen to all of it, I really have to go to bed. Assuming I can, which with all the adrenaline currently pumping through my veins is not certain.
Peace!
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My school (for the second year in a row!) arranged to have them come do a FREE show on campus. I don't even have words to describe how insane that is. This is the group that introduced me to conscious hip-hop and the idea that you could have sick beats and meaningful lyrics in the same song. They the were first real show I saw - Aesop Rock was headlining, but I went for the Scholars and still maintain that they were far superior. They are the only group I have ever paid to see more than once. It is because of the Blue Scholars that I have the interest and appetite for such a diverse range of music. (Props to Colin, who gave me the Scholars and several other excellent groups; without you my musical taste would be much poorer and much more limited.)
If you have never heard the Blue Scholars or the other excellent acts on their independent label Massline, I urge you to remedy this grievous deficiency in your life and go visit one of the sites linked to above, go to one of their shows, buy a few albums (support your favorite local record shop if they've got the Scholars). Folks in the northwest, though you must be either terribly out of the loop or have the wrong taste in music if you aren't listening, you are very much in luck. They like to play on this coast (and even a bit inland, they've been to my hometown in Montana twice that I know of in the past two years) and from what I've seen they do a good job of getting their music in the stores. They've also got a couple of EPs on iTunes (though for some reason neither are available at the moments).
Well, I just finished downloading Common Market (who opened tonight - holla for two times the Massline magic) "Tobacco Road," which is his latest CD. And as much as I'd love to stay up and listen to all of it, I really have to go to bed. Assuming I can, which with all the adrenaline currently pumping through my veins is not certain.
Peace!
More...
16.10.08
Squash update
You may not realize this, but one byproduct of squash soup is squash seed, which are amazing when baked. This is one of the easiest recipes ever. Mix your squash seeds (pumpkins are especially great) with some oil and some salt. For bonus points, add a spice or two, or some Parmesan cheese. I used rosemary and garlic. Be creative! (Warning, don't put too much salt on because these are super addictive and you will probably eat more than you intend.)
My other squash adventure: zucchini bread in a pie tin! This was actually the only thing I was originally planning to bake tonight, since I'd just discovered that my zucchini was not happy with its proximity to the freezer and I needed something to do while I was waiting up for my laundry. The squash seeds only occurred to me as I was taking the zucchini out, since I'd placed them in the fridge yesterday with the intention of baking them "in the future" (The last time I was going to bake seeds "in the future" they got moldy first, so I'm very glad the future was today.)
The original recipe is from 101 Cookbooks, but as usual I've made some alterations, and also cut the recipe in half.
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup fine brown sugar, lightly packed
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups grated zucchini (about 1 medium), skins on
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
1/2 cup oatmeal (my addition; if you don't want it just use flour)
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (the original recipe also suggests poppy seeds, lemon zest, and crystallized ginger. Again, let your imagination lead you!)
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter your pan(s).
Beat the butter until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat again until mixture comes together and is no longer crumbly. Add the egg. Stir in the vanilla and then the zucchini (low speed if you are using a mixer).
In a separate bowl, combine the whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, spices (the ones above are those I used; the original recipe used curry powder and I encourage you to try whatever appeals to you), and walnuts. Add these dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two batches, stirring between each addition. (I actually never use a separate bowl, a habit I inherited from my mother, but you are welcome to.)
Pour the batter into the pan(s) and level. Sprinkle more walnuts across the top. Bake for 30-45 minutes, depending on the size and shape of the pan(s) you are using. Even though the outside edges of my bread were well done, the inside was undercooked, probably because the pan was round. Keep this in mind if you are also using an unusually shaped pan, but also remember that it will continue to cook even after it is removed from the oven as it is cooling. Remove from the oven and cool the zucchini bread in pan for about ten minutes. Turn out onto wire racks to finish cooling - if you leave them in their pans, they will get sweaty and moist (not in a good way) as they cool.
I really like how this turned out. The walnuts are delicious and crunchy, the spices are warm and autumny, and the oatmeal gives it a nice texture. Enjoy!
More...
My other squash adventure: zucchini bread in a pie tin! This was actually the only thing I was originally planning to bake tonight, since I'd just discovered that my zucchini was not happy with its proximity to the freezer and I needed something to do while I was waiting up for my laundry. The squash seeds only occurred to me as I was taking the zucchini out, since I'd placed them in the fridge yesterday with the intention of baking them "in the future" (The last time I was going to bake seeds "in the future" they got moldy first, so I'm very glad the future was today.)
The original recipe is from 101 Cookbooks, but as usual I've made some alterations, and also cut the recipe in half.
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup fine brown sugar, lightly packed
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups grated zucchini (about 1 medium), skins on
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
1/2 cup oatmeal (my addition; if you don't want it just use flour)
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (the original recipe also suggests poppy seeds, lemon zest, and crystallized ginger. Again, let your imagination lead you!)
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter your pan(s).
Beat the butter until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat again until mixture comes together and is no longer crumbly. Add the egg. Stir in the vanilla and then the zucchini (low speed if you are using a mixer).
In a separate bowl, combine the whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, spices (the ones above are those I used; the original recipe used curry powder and I encourage you to try whatever appeals to you), and walnuts. Add these dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two batches, stirring between each addition. (I actually never use a separate bowl, a habit I inherited from my mother, but you are welcome to.)
Pour the batter into the pan(s) and level. Sprinkle more walnuts across the top. Bake for 30-45 minutes, depending on the size and shape of the pan(s) you are using. Even though the outside edges of my bread were well done, the inside was undercooked, probably because the pan was round. Keep this in mind if you are also using an unusually shaped pan, but also remember that it will continue to cook even after it is removed from the oven as it is cooling. Remove from the oven and cool the zucchini bread in pan for about ten minutes. Turn out onto wire racks to finish cooling - if you leave them in their pans, they will get sweaty and moist (not in a good way) as they cool.
I really like how this turned out. The walnuts are delicious and crunchy, the spices are warm and autumny, and the oatmeal gives it a nice texture. Enjoy!
More...
Debate notes
I didn't watch the debate last night, but I'm listening to it on Hulu right now. We'll see how much of it I can stomach... I only got through about half of the last one. There's only so many repetitive, misleading accusations, counter-accusations, and defenses that I can stand to listen to before smoke begins come out my ears.
Anyway, here's some profound insight into this American political spectacle.
- Obama is a better debater. Numbered points = sound convincing, easier to follow than McCain's rambling. Also, he's better at subtly redirecting questions to issues that he wants to talk about.
- John McCain's spending and taxation proposals don't make logical sense. Spending freeze or new economic stimulus and energy independence spending? How is this going to work? Do I just not understand government spending?
- Why does McCain keep picking up Obama's phrases? First it was "Main Street" now it's the hatchet and scalpel. It only emphasizes the fact that he's playing catch up right now.
- It is incredibly difficult to follow McCain's train of thought. Pick a topic and stick with it, or come up with better transitions!
- The one thing McCain is better at doing than Obama is leveling accusations. Even when he has a legitimate point to make against his opponent, Obama isn't nearly as good at making that argument.
- May I make a point? Budget resolutions do not actually do anything. Kind of like rhetoric, we should not ignore them entirely, but let's pay more attention to records on bills that actually do things, please.
More...
Anyway, here's some profound insight into this American political spectacle.
- Obama is a better debater. Numbered points = sound convincing, easier to follow than McCain's rambling. Also, he's better at subtly redirecting questions to issues that he wants to talk about.
- John McCain's spending and taxation proposals don't make logical sense. Spending freeze or new economic stimulus and energy independence spending? How is this going to work? Do I just not understand government spending?
- Why does McCain keep picking up Obama's phrases? First it was "Main Street" now it's the hatchet and scalpel. It only emphasizes the fact that he's playing catch up right now.
- It is incredibly difficult to follow McCain's train of thought. Pick a topic and stick with it, or come up with better transitions!
- The one thing McCain is better at doing than Obama is leveling accusations. Even when he has a legitimate point to make against his opponent, Obama isn't nearly as good at making that argument.
- May I make a point? Budget resolutions do not actually do anything. Kind of like rhetoric, we should not ignore them entirely, but let's pay more attention to records on bills that actually do things, please.
More...
15.10.08
Food to accompany the sounds of falling leaves
Butternut squash soup and cornbread! My roommate and I signed up to make snacks this week for our residence hall's weekly study break, and that is what I decided to make. It's been getting chilly recently, and organic fall squash are 69 cents a pound at the local grocery, so voila! They're both vegan, since we have multiple vegans living in our hall and its nice to make them feel welcome. Plus well made vegan food is healthy and yummy.
The original recipes both come from the Post Punk Kitchen. The cornbread recipe I didn't really make any changes to, other than shortcutting on the mixing of ingredients. I was a bit more flexible with the soup, so here's my version of the recipe, with major changes noted.
Buttercup Soup (originally South African Butternut Soup)
Ingredients
1 buttercup, about 4 lbs (Honestly, any fall or winter squash would probably work. I have difficulty making distinctions between squash types so this is what I ended up with.)
1 apple
1/2 large onion
1-2 tsp medium curry powder
4 Tbsp flour
pinch of ground nutmeg
2-3 cups water
2 cups soy milk
The original called for stock cubes, boiling water and coconut milk, but I dislike stock, especially in cubes, and this was far more convenient.
Directions
Peel, seed and dice the squash. Peel, core and chop the apple. Peel the onions and chop roughly. In a large saucepan, saute the chopped onions in a small amount of olive oil or margarine. Add the curry powder and fry the mixture lightly. Add the butternut, apple, flour and nutmeg; saute. Add water and soy milk as desired, stir and cover. Cook until squash is soft. Puree or blend until smooth. The color of the soup should be a deep yellow and the texture creamy. Serve the soup hot. (I enjoyed it with some plain fat free yogurt and an extra sprinkle of nutmeg on top.)
Due to time constraints, I was cooking somewhat hurriedly and was forced to begin saute-ing before the squash was cut, with the result that the squash and liquids were added gradually as they became available and/or necessary. I also probably stuck the mixture into the blender a little early, as there were a few hard chunks left, but that might also be due to a poor peeling job (buttercup squash were not really meant to be peeled raw, I don't think). Nevertheless, it was for the most part smooth and delicious. One of the beauties of soup (other than the lovely warm and full feelings it gives you) is how easy it is to adjust recipes to the constraints of the situation.
As much as I like it, though, I'm not sure squash soup was a great choice for food to share, since squash is not a universally welcomed vegetable. Cooking for other people always makes me nervous, since I tend to be pretty nonjudgmental when it comes to (healthy) food. I always worry that something I consider perfectly edible will totally disgust the people I try to feed it too, as happened this afternoon when I tried to help my roommate make tomato sauce from crushed tomatoes, vegetables and garlic. I didn't think there was anything wrong with it, but though poor Jackie tried several modifications to increase the palatability of the sauce, I don't think she ever found something she really enjoyed. The corn bread, at least, was a success, though it is my experience that anything remotely edible that can be simply picked up and placed in the mouth is a success with college students (we are much like teething infants that way...)
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13.10.08
Playing with my food
I spent the last hour and a half or so reading food blogs. leaving me with a watering mouth and a keen desire to cook something. I cook a lot, but for the most part it tends to be either simple things, like eggs or pasta, or else completely random combinations that happen because something is getting old or I have nothing else to eat. I haven't been making much progress toward exploring new recipes, so when I discovered the "Blog Hop" feature at the Food Blog Blog (my new favorite time waster!) I was immediately seized by the possibilities. And now I have a new game, which will allow me to entertain myself while simultaneously introducing me to new food. It's not an especially creative game, because the essential idea is that, each week, using either the Blog Hop or the traditional "flip to a random page and point" method with either one of my cookbooks or a favorite cooking blog, I will select a new recipe to try. Being a nominally vegetarian college student, I'm going to give myself the freedom to skip past some recipes.
Legitimate reasons to not use a recipe:
-expensive, out of season or difficult to obtain ingredients
-long preparation time
-fancy equipment or preparation required
-meat, unless it looks really really good
-deep frying
Illegitimate reasons:
-ingredients I don't like
-it sounds boring
-fussiness
It's actually harder than it sounds. It took me four attempts to even get a blog I could use (the first was no longer there, the second was devoted entirely to bacon, the third was an Indian food blog in which every recipe I looked at used either dried lentils - too long to prepare - or some other incredibly exotic ingredient. I did bookmark it for future reference, though. The fourth blog didn't even have any recipes.) Finally, I arrived at a blog for New Orleans cuisine. After following the link to the new site, I scrolled around for a while in an attempt to find a recipe that met all my requirements, and rather than move onto something different or compromise one of my prohibitions already, I finally went back to the original blog and followed another link back to a recipe on the new blog: Maque Choux. I don't think eliminating the meat should be a problem (I may add the spices separately, though). I'm going shopping tomorrow and will cook sometime this week.
Also cooking this week: corn bread and delicata squash soup on Wednesday night for our weekly hall snack time; faux samoas; and possibly something with sweet potatoes. Plus probably some easier type of cookies at some point or other.
Now I'm really feeling hungry...
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Legitimate reasons to not use a recipe:
-expensive, out of season or difficult to obtain ingredients
-long preparation time
-fancy equipment or preparation required
-meat, unless it looks really really good
-deep frying
Illegitimate reasons:
-ingredients I don't like
-it sounds boring
-fussiness
It's actually harder than it sounds. It took me four attempts to even get a blog I could use (the first was no longer there, the second was devoted entirely to bacon, the third was an Indian food blog in which every recipe I looked at used either dried lentils - too long to prepare - or some other incredibly exotic ingredient. I did bookmark it for future reference, though. The fourth blog didn't even have any recipes.) Finally, I arrived at a blog for New Orleans cuisine. After following the link to the new site, I scrolled around for a while in an attempt to find a recipe that met all my requirements, and rather than move onto something different or compromise one of my prohibitions already, I finally went back to the original blog and followed another link back to a recipe on the new blog: Maque Choux. I don't think eliminating the meat should be a problem (I may add the spices separately, though). I'm going shopping tomorrow and will cook sometime this week.
Also cooking this week: corn bread and delicata squash soup on Wednesday night for our weekly hall snack time; faux samoas; and possibly something with sweet potatoes. Plus probably some easier type of cookies at some point or other.
Now I'm really feeling hungry...
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Politicking (from 5 October)
It looks like John McCain has finally just given up on the idea that his policies are better than Barack Obama's. Or at least on the idea that he's going to be able to convince the American people of that. His campaign in the past few weeks has been so ugly that even Karl Rove has said that he needs to reconsider some of his ads. But now he's planning a 'fiercer' strategy against Obama . My first reaction to that headline was to wonder if that was even possible; my second was astonishment that McCain thinks that this is actually going to win over the independents he needs. Many of the things he says are demonstrably false and/or misleading, including one of the points he will probably be focusing on in some of his new ads: the relationship between Obama and William Ayers, something that Sarah Palin has also been discussing recently. This issue has been in discussion since the primaries, and it seems to be the general consensus (as the last article points out) that there was no close connection between Obama and Ayers.
It isn't as though Obama's campaign is entirely innocent of these kinds of attacks, but it is my feeling that he has maintained a higher standard of honesty and a better balanced array of ads. Though both candidates have spent about the same amount on attack ads, Obama is spending much more overall on ads and slightly less on attack ads, so while almost all of John McCain's advertising budget is now going into negative ads, less than half of Obama's is. Looking at the current top three McCain ads and the probable future targets, I don’t think that there is any content of real substance in any of them - he's accusing Obama of trying to raise everyone's taxes (false), advocating 'massive government' (questionable and not specific enough to constitute a genuine policy disagreement) blaming the policies he advocates for sending American jobs overseas (questionable) and being 'mum' on the market crisis (severely questionable). On the other hand, Obama's attacks address ISSUES like Social Security, health care, and the economy. (Disturbing side note - commenters on this article note that the McCain ad seems to be trying to 'darken' Obama. If you watch the beginning of the ad, it is kind of striking. I don't know if this is intentional, but if it is, well, I don't even know what to say. I honestly didn't think even McCain was that sleazy.)
What this all boils down to, for me at least, is that McCain is in essence admitting that he is less suited to be the president that the American people want than Obama is (slightly different than being the best president for the American people, which I hope he still believes he is, though I may not agree with him). He knows that he's not winning on issues - as this blog describes, no Republican is going to win a debate on the Iraq war today, and voters prefer Obama on the economy as well. He's even pulling his ads stressing the good things about himself in favor of those ads talking about the bad things about Obama, indicating that he thinks he can only win the personality contest by smearing his opponent. (And let's face it, those positive ads don't ring so true anymore either. Joe Biden did a pretty good job of deconstructing the 'maverick' persona, and all the lying/misinterpreting has made American voters less inclined to believe the 'Straight Talk Express'.)
So what does John McCain have going for him right now? In my estimation, not much. Sarah Palin didn't help (she might have done better than expected in the debate, but Biden won more voters, attacking Barack Obama isn't helping, and I don't see it getting any better (even the Washington Post is considering endorsing Obama. I've never agreed with McCain on the majority of policy issues, but before this election I at least respected him for playing fair, telling the truth, and standing up for what he believed him. Today, even that is gone.
Other miscellany:
-I just watched the vp debate online - it's legal and free. Near the end, Biden starts talking about Mike Mansfield, a former Montana senator (the library at the U of Montana is named after him). That made me smile, although other parts of the debate made me pretty angry. There's a good fact checking article in Newsweek.
-A recent look at what the electoral vote is looking like - good news, especially when you consider that at the moment Obama would win the popular vote by as much as 13% right now (summary of polls, Daily Kos poll) and in almost every poll is leading by percentages outside the margin of error.
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It isn't as though Obama's campaign is entirely innocent of these kinds of attacks, but it is my feeling that he has maintained a higher standard of honesty and a better balanced array of ads. Though both candidates have spent about the same amount on attack ads, Obama is spending much more overall on ads and slightly less on attack ads, so while almost all of John McCain's advertising budget is now going into negative ads, less than half of Obama's is. Looking at the current top three McCain ads and the probable future targets, I don’t think that there is any content of real substance in any of them - he's accusing Obama of trying to raise everyone's taxes (false), advocating 'massive government' (questionable and not specific enough to constitute a genuine policy disagreement) blaming the policies he advocates for sending American jobs overseas (questionable) and being 'mum' on the market crisis (severely questionable). On the other hand, Obama's attacks address ISSUES like Social Security, health care, and the economy. (Disturbing side note - commenters on this article note that the McCain ad seems to be trying to 'darken' Obama. If you watch the beginning of the ad, it is kind of striking. I don't know if this is intentional, but if it is, well, I don't even know what to say. I honestly didn't think even McCain was that sleazy.)
What this all boils down to, for me at least, is that McCain is in essence admitting that he is less suited to be the president that the American people want than Obama is (slightly different than being the best president for the American people, which I hope he still believes he is, though I may not agree with him). He knows that he's not winning on issues - as this blog describes, no Republican is going to win a debate on the Iraq war today, and voters prefer Obama on the economy as well. He's even pulling his ads stressing the good things about himself in favor of those ads talking about the bad things about Obama, indicating that he thinks he can only win the personality contest by smearing his opponent. (And let's face it, those positive ads don't ring so true anymore either. Joe Biden did a pretty good job of deconstructing the 'maverick' persona, and all the lying/misinterpreting has made American voters less inclined to believe the 'Straight Talk Express'.)
So what does John McCain have going for him right now? In my estimation, not much. Sarah Palin didn't help (she might have done better than expected in the debate, but Biden won more voters, attacking Barack Obama isn't helping, and I don't see it getting any better (even the Washington Post is considering endorsing Obama. I've never agreed with McCain on the majority of policy issues, but before this election I at least respected him for playing fair, telling the truth, and standing up for what he believed him. Today, even that is gone.
Other miscellany:
-I just watched the vp debate online - it's legal and free. Near the end, Biden starts talking about Mike Mansfield, a former Montana senator (the library at the U of Montana is named after him). That made me smile, although other parts of the debate made me pretty angry. There's a good fact checking article in Newsweek.
-A recent look at what the electoral vote is looking like - good news, especially when you consider that at the moment Obama would win the popular vote by as much as 13% right now (summary of polls, Daily Kos poll) and in almost every poll is leading by percentages outside the margin of error.
More...
28.7.08
Sena Wanawake at Headwaters
I'm recently returned from an amazing weekend of running and had to share. It hasn't been a great summer for me runningwise - convincing myself to go for a run after working out in the sun for nine hours is difficult even when the running is fun, but for some reason (boredom, being out of shape, lack of running buddies, who knows) I seemed to have lost whatever it is that makes running so enjoyable for me. I still don't know what it is, but I think I've found it again.
Despite my lack of training, last Thursday I set off for a 3 day, 222 mile cross country relay in south-central Montana, near Bozeman. It's called Headwaters, and it runs from Missouri Headwaters State Park to Hellroaring Creek, "the ultimate source of the Missouri River". The relay runs through an incredible range of locations: along the side of highways, down dusty two tracks, and even in a couple places on true trails. It goes across bridges, streams, and cattleguards; up and down mountains; through farmland, high-elevation sage/juniper deserts, forests, Montana-style sand dunes, and wildflower-filled alpine meadows. It begins at 4000 feet, and goes as high as 9500 on the third day. I've done it once before when I was in high school, and both times it was an incredibly demanding, incredibly enjoyable experience.
There were fourteen teams total, four of them forming a group from Missoula. I was on a team with 8 other women, including a couple running buddies from high school. We camped Thursday night with the other Missoula teams and woke up at 3:30 Friday morning (and every morning after) so we could make it to the start of the run by 5:30. That day is the longest day, and probably the hardest for me, though it was the flattest. My first leg started out with a pretty steep uphill, which I had to walk a lot of, then turned into a long, long downhill. This day was the lowest in elevation, only 4-5 thousand feet, but I was struggling a bit with the altitude on that first run. The second run I did was actually just a part of a leg called the Miler's Revenge, where seven of us each ran a mile. That was a lot of fun, but my last leg was late in the afternoon, so it was very hot, and the leg, though only three miles, was flat and exposed and extremely boring. Because of the heat, I had to stop with .8 to go and have a teammate finish for me, which was disappointing, the next day I got to run an extra 4.6 miles because another runner had accidently been assigned two legs that were too close together. I'd run that leg the other time I did the relay, and I really liked it then. It starts with half a mile of uphill, but the rest is a great long downhill into Nevada City (which is not in fact a city but rather an old west mining town now turned into a tourist trap. There's a similar town two miles down the road called Virginia City where I think people actually still live). It was significantly harder this time than the previous time, but still a great leg. That run was midway through the day, again without much shade (there aren't many trees in that part of Montana). I'd already run the first leg that morning, which was incredible. Again, we started at 5:30, so it was still dark and a bit chilly. This was my longest run of the weekend, 5.8 flat miles through some pretty farmland. As I was finishing up, the sun was beginning to rise above the mountains on the horizon. It's hard to get up so early, but totally worth it for a run like that.
By Sunday, the final day, I was so sore and tired, but I'd done 19 miles already and only had five more to go. We started out at 5 that morning because the start was closer to our campground, so even though I was the second leg the sun hadn't risen by the time I finished. That was my hardest leg of the day, two miles of nothing but steep uphill, but after all the downhill it felt pretty good. I walked for a little bit in the middle, but fortunately by the time the first car for the college boys team passed me (their team started behind us, and didn't actually pass us for another couple legs, but the car came by early) I was running again, so I didn't have to feel too embarrassed. My next run was part of a five-mile Miler's revenge, again a lot of fun and this time mostly downhill. My last run again was in the afternoon, but there was a breeze and it was a bit rollier than my run the first day, so two and a half miles was actually pretty comfortable. And then I was done- more than 24 miles in just 3 days!
More...
Despite my lack of training, last Thursday I set off for a 3 day, 222 mile cross country relay in south-central Montana, near Bozeman. It's called Headwaters, and it runs from Missouri Headwaters State Park to Hellroaring Creek, "the ultimate source of the Missouri River". The relay runs through an incredible range of locations: along the side of highways, down dusty two tracks, and even in a couple places on true trails. It goes across bridges, streams, and cattleguards; up and down mountains; through farmland, high-elevation sage/juniper deserts, forests, Montana-style sand dunes, and wildflower-filled alpine meadows. It begins at 4000 feet, and goes as high as 9500 on the third day. I've done it once before when I was in high school, and both times it was an incredibly demanding, incredibly enjoyable experience.
There were fourteen teams total, four of them forming a group from Missoula. I was on a team with 8 other women, including a couple running buddies from high school. We camped Thursday night with the other Missoula teams and woke up at 3:30 Friday morning (and every morning after) so we could make it to the start of the run by 5:30. That day is the longest day, and probably the hardest for me, though it was the flattest. My first leg started out with a pretty steep uphill, which I had to walk a lot of, then turned into a long, long downhill. This day was the lowest in elevation, only 4-5 thousand feet, but I was struggling a bit with the altitude on that first run. The second run I did was actually just a part of a leg called the Miler's Revenge, where seven of us each ran a mile. That was a lot of fun, but my last leg was late in the afternoon, so it was very hot, and the leg, though only three miles, was flat and exposed and extremely boring. Because of the heat, I had to stop with .8 to go and have a teammate finish for me, which was disappointing, the next day I got to run an extra 4.6 miles because another runner had accidently been assigned two legs that were too close together. I'd run that leg the other time I did the relay, and I really liked it then. It starts with half a mile of uphill, but the rest is a great long downhill into Nevada City (which is not in fact a city but rather an old west mining town now turned into a tourist trap. There's a similar town two miles down the road called Virginia City where I think people actually still live). It was significantly harder this time than the previous time, but still a great leg. That run was midway through the day, again without much shade (there aren't many trees in that part of Montana). I'd already run the first leg that morning, which was incredible. Again, we started at 5:30, so it was still dark and a bit chilly. This was my longest run of the weekend, 5.8 flat miles through some pretty farmland. As I was finishing up, the sun was beginning to rise above the mountains on the horizon. It's hard to get up so early, but totally worth it for a run like that.
By Sunday, the final day, I was so sore and tired, but I'd done 19 miles already and only had five more to go. We started out at 5 that morning because the start was closer to our campground, so even though I was the second leg the sun hadn't risen by the time I finished. That was my hardest leg of the day, two miles of nothing but steep uphill, but after all the downhill it felt pretty good. I walked for a little bit in the middle, but fortunately by the time the first car for the college boys team passed me (their team started behind us, and didn't actually pass us for another couple legs, but the car came by early) I was running again, so I didn't have to feel too embarrassed. My next run was part of a five-mile Miler's revenge, again a lot of fun and this time mostly downhill. My last run again was in the afternoon, but there was a breeze and it was a bit rollier than my run the first day, so two and a half miles was actually pretty comfortable. And then I was done- more than 24 miles in just 3 days!
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16.7.08
Familiar places
I took a somewhat extended bike trip through Missoula today and went to a couple of my favorite places. I also went to the bank, which was nice because I had money to deposit, but more of a detour than a real stop. It did let me bike through the park, which is also nice. Some of the girls I run with say they get sick of running laps there (a lap is just a mile and a quarter) but if I'm in the right mood I could run in those circles forever. The scenery and people are changing all the time, you just have to look. Today it was a few groups of little kids at basketball camp, and the soccer player of the day (I swear, there's always someone there) was a older man kicking a ball around by himself near one of the goals. Unfortunately, though, my bank is also near the mall, which is an area that's a real pain to bike around. I felt like I was continually in the way of some car trying to pull into or out of some lot. On the other side of South, though, everything is much more residential. I rode past a little park I'm not really familiar with, then across another busy street and back into retail-land. My destination: the Book Exchange, a nice used book store in this little shopping center. The bookstore and a couple other places in the strip are locally owned, which is nice. Instead of Starbucks, the in-store coffee shop is Liquid Planet, a great local company (weird coincidence - one of the few non-MT locations is at PGE Park in Portland). I don't usually buy books - that's what libraries are for! - but I occasionally make exceptions at places like the Book Exchange and Powell's. Today, I was looking for cookbooks, which are not especially great to get from libraries anyway. I had a lot of fun looking through the books they had, though it was hard to choose the ones I wanted. I'm pretty happy with the four I ended up with (including a cute cocktail book!)
It rained, briefly and without determination, as I was biking off. These are my favorite types of summer days, I think - warm, mostly sunny, with the occasional refreshing cloudburst. All the ingredients balance out so perfectly. And there's something inherently cool in the idea of being rained upon while the sun is still shining.
Though I bike past it almost every day, I hadn't been to Rockin' Rudy's yet this summer, and it would have been a true crime if I had been home without ever going. It is possibly the coolest store on earth (I haven't even found anything in Portland that can quite compare) and it was really relaxing just to wander around soaking in the vibes. There was a lot of stuff I considered buying, but fortunately left it all alone for now at least. I'm a fan of the theory that you should avoid making impulse buys: if you still can't stop thinking about whatever it is even after you've left the store, then you can go back in a day or week to buy it. I may end up having to go back for one of the cool "GObama" posters designed by a local artist. My roommate and I are currently trying to come up with ideas to make our dorm awesome next year, and I definitely think that might help. Also, though I already have the CDs, I noted with approval that Rudy's now carries the Blue Scholars and Common Market. They did not the last time I checked, a couple of years ago.
Anyway, after about an hour there spent perusing political bumper stickers, MiSOULla t-shirts, cool jewelery and nice smelling things of various descriptions, I headed over to the library. And got a biography of Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who has been a political prisoner in Burma for years. Even though I wasn't going to get anymore books.
I just taught lessons a work this evening, which is much preferable to coming in early and having to guard as well. Teaching is a little scary, especially with all the parents watching, but it can also be really fun when the kids are listening and learning and enjoying themselves. My first class was definitely stressful, but the second was a lot better, and by the time I headed for home I was in a pretty good mood. It rained again for a bit as I was biking home, and then I was treated to a glorious view of sun rays radiating out from the single storm cloud that had covered the sun. The edges of the cloud were glowing and over the top beams of light were spilling. It's easy to see where artists get the idea for halos and deities radiating light; there is something quite so clearly spiritual about that kind of phenomenon.
More...
It rained, briefly and without determination, as I was biking off. These are my favorite types of summer days, I think - warm, mostly sunny, with the occasional refreshing cloudburst. All the ingredients balance out so perfectly. And there's something inherently cool in the idea of being rained upon while the sun is still shining.
Though I bike past it almost every day, I hadn't been to Rockin' Rudy's yet this summer, and it would have been a true crime if I had been home without ever going. It is possibly the coolest store on earth (I haven't even found anything in Portland that can quite compare) and it was really relaxing just to wander around soaking in the vibes. There was a lot of stuff I considered buying, but fortunately left it all alone for now at least. I'm a fan of the theory that you should avoid making impulse buys: if you still can't stop thinking about whatever it is even after you've left the store, then you can go back in a day or week to buy it. I may end up having to go back for one of the cool "GObama" posters designed by a local artist. My roommate and I are currently trying to come up with ideas to make our dorm awesome next year, and I definitely think that might help. Also, though I already have the CDs, I noted with approval that Rudy's now carries the Blue Scholars and Common Market. They did not the last time I checked, a couple of years ago.Anyway, after about an hour there spent perusing political bumper stickers, MiSOULla t-shirts, cool jewelery and nice smelling things of various descriptions, I headed over to the library. And got a biography of Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who has been a political prisoner in Burma for years. Even though I wasn't going to get anymore books.
I just taught lessons a work this evening, which is much preferable to coming in early and having to guard as well. Teaching is a little scary, especially with all the parents watching, but it can also be really fun when the kids are listening and learning and enjoying themselves. My first class was definitely stressful, but the second was a lot better, and by the time I headed for home I was in a pretty good mood. It rained again for a bit as I was biking home, and then I was treated to a glorious view of sun rays radiating out from the single storm cloud that had covered the sun. The edges of the cloud were glowing and over the top beams of light were spilling. It's easy to see where artists get the idea for halos and deities radiating light; there is something quite so clearly spiritual about that kind of phenomenon.
More...
14.7.08
Bloggish update
So I spent most of the afternoon updating my link lists, labels, photo credits, and so forth. I couldn't remember where all of my pics came from, but I tried. I also added some new stuff - most particularly photos - to a couple of old posts. I'm working on a new post with lots of photos of attractive men, but have not yet completed it.
Unfortunately, I still haven't found a picture that really satisfies my desire to stare at shirtless boys in kayaks, but my search turned up several interesting things, most particularly this blog - what a clever way to get new readers! Also, curiously enough, the first thing that popped up when I googled "kayaker shirtless" was an article from my local paper. And when I switched to image search, I swear that about half the pictures were of David Beckham. Since when has he ever kayaked?
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Unfortunately, I still haven't found a picture that really satisfies my desire to stare at shirtless boys in kayaks, but my search turned up several interesting things, most particularly this blog - what a clever way to get new readers! Also, curiously enough, the first thing that popped up when I googled "kayaker shirtless" was an article from my local paper. And when I switched to image search, I swear that about half the pictures were of David Beckham. Since when has he ever kayaked?
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11.7.08
I am SUCH an athlete!
Or at least, that's how my roomie described me after reading this blog. And this evening we have another unabashedly sporty post. (Expect one tomorrow, too...)
First news of the day: Mark Spitz, a swimmer who earned 7 gold medals in the 1972 Olympics, was at the pool where I was working today in order to talk to our swim teams. I didn't really get to see him or anything, since I was working, but it was still pretty cool.
In addition, today was a pretty physical day for me personally. I did sleep in late, since I didn't have class or work in the morning, but in the middle of the day I took my bike over to the university and ran the two miles home. After work, I ran back to play a couple hours of ultimate. Great fun, cool people, and as much running as you want. I'm not an especially good player, and for a while there were really too many people to do much anyway, but it's always enjoyable. And then I biked home again. I think I burned more calories today alone than I have been burning in an entire week. Of course, then I had to go and make cookies, with all the dough and cookie consumption that implies. Still, despite my heavy belly, all the exercise has left me exhausted, nursing a jammed pinkie, and quite happy.
Other note of passing interest: there was a big kayak thing last night by Caras Park. I biked by/through on my way home from work. Pretty badass. I can't find ANY info on what it was, though...
More...
First news of the day: Mark Spitz, a swimmer who earned 7 gold medals in the 1972 Olympics, was at the pool where I was working today in order to talk to our swim teams. I didn't really get to see him or anything, since I was working, but it was still pretty cool.
In addition, today was a pretty physical day for me personally. I did sleep in late, since I didn't have class or work in the morning, but in the middle of the day I took my bike over to the university and ran the two miles home. After work, I ran back to play a couple hours of ultimate. Great fun, cool people, and as much running as you want. I'm not an especially good player, and for a while there were really too many people to do much anyway, but it's always enjoyable. And then I biked home again. I think I burned more calories today alone than I have been burning in an entire week. Of course, then I had to go and make cookies, with all the dough and cookie consumption that implies. Still, despite my heavy belly, all the exercise has left me exhausted, nursing a jammed pinkie, and quite happy.
Other note of passing interest: there was a big kayak thing last night by Caras Park. I biked by/through on my way home from work. Pretty badass. I can't find ANY info on what it was, though...
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Happiness
Though I had a statistics class, a doctor's appointment, and a sunburn yesterday, it was nonetheless a wonderful day. Because of the appointment, I didn't go home between my shifts at work (it was the last day of this session of classes - another reason for joy). Instead of fussing around on my computer and being fussed at by my mother, I went to the library and then to a park. Honestly, there are few things in life so relaxing as a good book, sunshine, and the freedom to enjoy both. A bike and a surfeit of trails to ride it down are also pretty nice. Lucky me, I had both. In a summer that is most remarkable for its blandness and lack of deep feeling, these truly happy moments are especially valuable.
Plus, I ran yesterday, the second day in a row. I was planning on doing a couple more runs, but then the wind came up and I chose to relax instead. But it's a good start nonetheless.
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Plus, I ran yesterday, the second day in a row. I was planning on doing a couple more runs, but then the wind came up and I chose to relax instead. But it's a good start nonetheless.
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9.7.08
Things people do for fun in Montana
Um, stare at wildfires...
Why we don't play with matches (photo stolen from the Missoulian. Never fear, copyright lawyers, it shall be replaced as soon as I get the pictures from my dad's camera.)
So I was at work this evening, about to start cleaning the party room, when my boss comes in and stares out the glass wall facing east. I come over to see what he's looking at, and half of Mt. Sentinel is black and smoking. According to the janitor, the fire had been burning for no more than an hour, but the flames had already moved almost all the way to the top of the hill. There was a huge cloud of smoke up near where the trees start.
I biked home past numerous people who had come out of their houses to stand and stare - the only thing to impede the view in most of Missoula is the trees. People had gathered in streets and parks in order to get a better view of the blackened hillside with smoking edges and the occasional glimpse of flame. Some have even hauled out the lawnchairs and beers so as to enjoy the show in maximum comfort. It's almost like people coming out to watch the fireworks on the fourth of July. (And no, the proximity to that holiday is not necessarily coincidental. Fireworks set the other hill on fire around this time last year and this is hardly the first time part of Mt. Sentinel has burned.) This is a major event in a town like Missoula, and people are definitely making the most of it. When I got home, even my parents were out standing in the street in front of our house, my dad happily snapping pictures.
As it gets later, it's easier to see the flames. By the time I got home, the wind had died down a bit and they were becoming partially visible. The smoke continued to dissipate as it got darker, colder and less breezy, so that just before I came in to go to bed, around 10:30, the flames formed a few glowing stripes up and down the mountain's face.
There were three fire trucks that could be seen in the middle of the hillside, one well into the blackened patch. Now they are only a row of glowing lights. One helicopter was making water runs, but the darkness has put a stop to that. This is a ridiculously small response to a fire of this size, but supposedly a lot of our firefighters and gear are fighting blazes in northern California at the moment. (In exchange, Missoula is getting whiffs of smoke from those fires.) Hopefully we'll have some of them back tomorrow, since its supposed to be windy. Unfortunately, we always seem to need our firefighters from July 4th on till sometime in the middle of September.
New West and the Missoulian both have articles on the fire already. At the moment, New West has more information and is more up to date. Apparently a couple of kids started it. Fortunately no people or houses seem to be in immediate danger. I'll bet the M trail is gonna be closed for the season, though...
Midnight update: I went out for a last minute viewing before I go to sleep. The smoke has drifted down into the valley, a sure portent of un-fun running tomorrow, but most of the fire has either died down or moved to the back side of the mountain. Over in the west, though, the moon looms low in the sky, glowing orange.
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Why we don't play with matches (photo stolen from the Missoulian. Never fear, copyright lawyers, it shall be replaced as soon as I get the pictures from my dad's camera.)So I was at work this evening, about to start cleaning the party room, when my boss comes in and stares out the glass wall facing east. I come over to see what he's looking at, and half of Mt. Sentinel is black and smoking. According to the janitor, the fire had been burning for no more than an hour, but the flames had already moved almost all the way to the top of the hill. There was a huge cloud of smoke up near where the trees start.
I biked home past numerous people who had come out of their houses to stand and stare - the only thing to impede the view in most of Missoula is the trees. People had gathered in streets and parks in order to get a better view of the blackened hillside with smoking edges and the occasional glimpse of flame. Some have even hauled out the lawnchairs and beers so as to enjoy the show in maximum comfort. It's almost like people coming out to watch the fireworks on the fourth of July. (And no, the proximity to that holiday is not necessarily coincidental. Fireworks set the other hill on fire around this time last year and this is hardly the first time part of Mt. Sentinel has burned.) This is a major event in a town like Missoula, and people are definitely making the most of it. When I got home, even my parents were out standing in the street in front of our house, my dad happily snapping pictures.
As it gets later, it's easier to see the flames. By the time I got home, the wind had died down a bit and they were becoming partially visible. The smoke continued to dissipate as it got darker, colder and less breezy, so that just before I came in to go to bed, around 10:30, the flames formed a few glowing stripes up and down the mountain's face.
There were three fire trucks that could be seen in the middle of the hillside, one well into the blackened patch. Now they are only a row of glowing lights. One helicopter was making water runs, but the darkness has put a stop to that. This is a ridiculously small response to a fire of this size, but supposedly a lot of our firefighters and gear are fighting blazes in northern California at the moment. (In exchange, Missoula is getting whiffs of smoke from those fires.) Hopefully we'll have some of them back tomorrow, since its supposed to be windy. Unfortunately, we always seem to need our firefighters from July 4th on till sometime in the middle of September.
New West and the Missoulian both have articles on the fire already. At the moment, New West has more information and is more up to date. Apparently a couple of kids started it. Fortunately no people or houses seem to be in immediate danger. I'll bet the M trail is gonna be closed for the season, though...
Midnight update: I went out for a last minute viewing before I go to sleep. The smoke has drifted down into the valley, a sure portent of un-fun running tomorrow, but most of the fire has either died down or moved to the back side of the mountain. Over in the west, though, the moon looms low in the sky, glowing orange.
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8.7.08
Just one of those days
I am pedaling against a strong headwind today. I am traveling on only four or five hours of sleep and my thighs still ache from biking up a hill yesterday to visit a friend. Progress is slow and painful. The bottom edge of my shirt is crunchy with flour, or lentil paste, or yogurt; there is a streak of mango down my shorts from the time I dropped the fruit and did not catch it. Nothing seems to be going quite right for me today.Class is tedious, but I am out of absences and missed homeworks. It represents two hours I might have been sleeping but instead must spend struggling to focus my mind on a lecture I don't need and homework I already know how to do. I am only scheduled to work six hours today, though it will be no surprise when the final total is nearly half an hour more. I struggle to stay alert, finding it difficult to pay attention to the few patrons even for the fifteen minutes assigned to me. Though I look forward to the escape from the guard stand, my lessons are equally excruciating. My students are exceptionally energetic and inattentive. Even the little girl who once clung to me and had to be continuously pried off and sent back to the wall can now put her head underwater. This new discovery has made her suddenly gung-ho, and now she has to be repeatedly hauled back to our group and told to keep her head above water to listen. Another boy's father stops by to tell him that he must listen to me; the command produces little effect on the boy but provides me with yet another sign that I am losing control of my class. Back in the guard room, my conversation is awkward and stilted, even by my own low standards. I escape as soon as I possibly can, only to be faced with yet another bike ride. My legs are as dry and flaky. Though there are for once several patches of my skin that have managed to achieve a color at least a couple shades darker than my default translucent white, the tan is obscured by chlorine-fueled desertification. I have spent far too much time immersed in pool water. The smell clings to my hair, lingers on my body, and emanates from me whenever I sweat. This might be a problem if I had a social life outside of the pool, but the only people I am hanging out with tonight are my family. We play Apples to Apples and by the time my father wins the game with six cards, I have only managed to acquire one. Later, I nearly pass out into the dishes I am supposed to be washing. Perhaps it is time for bed.
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2.7.08
Thoughts for today
I'm really enjoying biking around town this summer. It's been years and years since I spent much time on a bike. I've mostly given up on driving, though, and walking takes much too long for someone whose time management skills are as terrible as mine. I may have mentioned earlier how much I love the river front trail from the university to the pool, but in any case it's worth mentioning twice. The bank is gorgeous and woodsy on the one side and you can look across the water and see little snippets of downtown on the other. Riding by Caras Park on a warm day, you can see the kayakers on Brennan's Wave and all the people who've gathered along the railing above the watch. Wednesdays and Thursdays are especially great, with Out to Lunch and then the evening version, whatever it's called. You get a strange bit of detachment from being able to see the excitement without being able to hear the music or smell the food, but I kind of like the feeling.
The past couple mornings I've had half an hour or so between my class at the U and teaching lessons at the pool, so I took the opportunity to follow the trail further west. I'd never been out that way before, and I had a lot of fun exploring. The path splits and rejoins all over the place. I rode circles through all of it, around the 'new' baseball stadium - I don't remember how long it's been there, but I hadn't actually been out to see it yet - a big, junk- and rubble-filled field that is apparently mapped out for some sort of development (just like every other vacant lot in this town - it'll be interesting at least to see what it turns out looking like, it's ugly enough now), the county mental hospital - didn't even know that was there - and even ended up heading across to downtown. I'd known in theory that there was another bike bridge somewhere, but I'd never seen it and probably couldn't have found it intentionally.
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On another note, my family is going to go see Paint Your Wagon at the summer theater this weekend, and decided to watch the movie beforehand. I'm not attending the play, but I did enjoy the movie, even though I'm not big on 60s-era musicals. It's ridiculous, shockingly lewd for its time, and still manages to be far classier than most of today's "comedies" (Love Guru, anyone?). Plus, it has some really good songs and some really funny songs - one particular favorite is "Best Things" (in life are dirty). If you've never seen it and are looking for something different than summer's normal Hollywood fare, I highly recommend giving it a try.
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The past couple mornings I've had half an hour or so between my class at the U and teaching lessons at the pool, so I took the opportunity to follow the trail further west. I'd never been out that way before, and I had a lot of fun exploring. The path splits and rejoins all over the place. I rode circles through all of it, around the 'new' baseball stadium - I don't remember how long it's been there, but I hadn't actually been out to see it yet - a big, junk- and rubble-filled field that is apparently mapped out for some sort of development (just like every other vacant lot in this town - it'll be interesting at least to see what it turns out looking like, it's ugly enough now), the county mental hospital - didn't even know that was there - and even ended up heading across to downtown. I'd known in theory that there was another bike bridge somewhere, but I'd never seen it and probably couldn't have found it intentionally.
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On another note, my family is going to go see Paint Your Wagon at the summer theater this weekend, and decided to watch the movie beforehand. I'm not attending the play, but I did enjoy the movie, even though I'm not big on 60s-era musicals. It's ridiculous, shockingly lewd for its time, and still manages to be far classier than most of today's "comedies" (Love Guru, anyone?). Plus, it has some really good songs and some really funny songs - one particular favorite is "Best Things" (in life are dirty). If you've never seen it and are looking for something different than summer's normal Hollywood fare, I highly recommend giving it a try.
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1.7.08
Oh, the pressure
Go me. I managed to run for twenty whole minutes this afternoon, though I thought I might be crushed by the pre-thunderstorm air. 80 degrees and humid (for this state) wasn't so nice, either. Elevation or water in the air - I can deal (almost) with one at a time, but both just about killed me. I haven't panted so hard since I first saw that clip of Iker running around in his undies after the Euro final. There was a breeze, but its main function seemed to be shoving bricks of warm air into my face every time I tried to breath. Best of all, my pores have soaked up so much chlorine over the past couple days of lessons that every gallon of sweat that dripped off me smelled like it could have come directly from the pool. It's the only thing worse than sweating tequila.
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July Preview: Reading, Running, Sunning
Sadly, June has come and gone. It's always been one of my favorite summer months (yes, I have favorite months. What's it to you?) but this year I was so busy studying and working that I just couldn't appreciate it. I did enjoy having soccer on channels normal people get, but I spent far too many games sitting around in the sun hating my life instead of inside in front of the TV where I wanted to be.
Luckily, July looks like it may turn out to be a much more enjoyable month. This weekend I'm going on my first vacation since I started my job and attending a friend's wedding. At the end of the month, I'm taking four or five days off work to go run a 3 day, 200+ mile relay race in the mountains. And in the meantime, I'm working as a swimming teacher, which is more fun and pays better than being just a lifeguard; hopefully running a lot (I'm going regret it later if I don't get back in shape now...) and working my way through the tall stack of books that has accumulated on my floor. Plus, now that I know my grandparents get ESPN2, I can go watch the MLS on Thursday nights, so I won't have to go cold turkey on the soccer.
Other excitement this month::
- My little brother's birthday is in July. They grow up so fast, don't they?
- Olympic Track and Swimming trials this week! (Ooh, the last Olympic qualifier for Canoe/Kayak is also coming up. Maybe I should look into that...)
- Free ice cream at the pool for the 4th of July!
- The end of my stats class. Thank god. I haven't been so bored since I took it in high school.
List of the Month: Books I am or will be reading
-The Handsomest Man In Cuba, Lynnette Chiang. Nonfiction. An Australian bikes around Cuba. I'm a third of the way through and have started to ponder possible locations for my own cycling pilgrimage, though at the moment the only bike I have belongs to my parents and might fall apart at any moment.
-Quicksilver, Neal Stephenson. I just discovered the brilliance that is Neal Stephenson this spring, but I'm doing my best to make up for lost time. I have all three novels of the cycle in one book, which is approximately the same size as the combined Lord of the Rings trilogy. Oh dear.
-Letters from the Earth, Mark Twain.
-The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron, Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind.
-Fever Pitch, Nick Hornby. You didn't really expect me to leave European football behind completely, did you?
-Reading Lolita in Tehran, Azar Nafisi.
-Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov. It's a classic, I've never read it, and it seemed an appropriate companion to the previous book.
-The Puzzle Palace, James Bamford. A 26-year old book on the NSA. A Legacy of Ashes made me a fan of in-depth studies of intelligence agencies. I just wish I could find a more recent publication on the NSA that was of the same quality.
-How to win the Nobel Prize, J. Michael Bishop. Always a helpful thing to know.
-Dreaming in Code, Scott Rosenberg. Reading Cryptonomicon (by Stephenson) in May rewoke my dormant interest in computers in mathematics. Unfortunately, as the rest of this list reveals, it did not put to rest any of my other interests. For the moment I will confine my technological explorations to easy things like blogging and reading about other people programming.
-Guns, Germs, and Steel, Jared Diamond. Borrowed from my grandparents, who own one of the most amazing private libraries I've ever seen.
-Septembers in Shiraz, Dalia Sofer. Also borrowed from (and recommended by my grandmother. We don't agree on a lot of things (politics and religion, for instance) but she has great taste in books.
-A History of the World Cup, Clemente Angelo Lisi. Yes, more soccer. If I learned anything in June, it was that my knowledge of international football is woefully limited. I am taking corrective measures.
-American Crescent, Imam Hassan Qazwini. I'm already partway through this book already, and I'm learning a lot about historical and contemporary Islam. Really, really interesting.
-Not Buying It, Judith Levine. I admit it, I am one of those people who talks about needing to protect the environment but nonetheless owns far more things than I really need. Maybe reading this book (borrowed from the library!) about a woman who tried not to buy any nonessential for a year will help me overcome my addiction to consuming...
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Luckily, July looks like it may turn out to be a much more enjoyable month. This weekend I'm going on my first vacation since I started my job and attending a friend's wedding. At the end of the month, I'm taking four or five days off work to go run a 3 day, 200+ mile relay race in the mountains. And in the meantime, I'm working as a swimming teacher, which is more fun and pays better than being just a lifeguard; hopefully running a lot (I'm going regret it later if I don't get back in shape now...) and working my way through the tall stack of books that has accumulated on my floor. Plus, now that I know my grandparents get ESPN2, I can go watch the MLS on Thursday nights, so I won't have to go cold turkey on the soccer.
Other excitement this month::
- My little brother's birthday is in July. They grow up so fast, don't they?
- Olympic Track and Swimming trials this week! (Ooh, the last Olympic qualifier for Canoe/Kayak is also coming up. Maybe I should look into that...)
- Free ice cream at the pool for the 4th of July!
- The end of my stats class. Thank god. I haven't been so bored since I took it in high school.
List of the Month: Books I am or will be reading
-The Handsomest Man In Cuba, Lynnette Chiang. Nonfiction. An Australian bikes around Cuba. I'm a third of the way through and have started to ponder possible locations for my own cycling pilgrimage, though at the moment the only bike I have belongs to my parents and might fall apart at any moment.
-Quicksilver, Neal Stephenson. I just discovered the brilliance that is Neal Stephenson this spring, but I'm doing my best to make up for lost time. I have all three novels of the cycle in one book, which is approximately the same size as the combined Lord of the Rings trilogy. Oh dear.
-Letters from the Earth, Mark Twain.
-The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron, Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind.
-Fever Pitch, Nick Hornby. You didn't really expect me to leave European football behind completely, did you?
-Reading Lolita in Tehran, Azar Nafisi.
-Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov. It's a classic, I've never read it, and it seemed an appropriate companion to the previous book.
-The Puzzle Palace, James Bamford. A 26-year old book on the NSA. A Legacy of Ashes made me a fan of in-depth studies of intelligence agencies. I just wish I could find a more recent publication on the NSA that was of the same quality.
-How to win the Nobel Prize, J. Michael Bishop. Always a helpful thing to know.
-Dreaming in Code, Scott Rosenberg. Reading Cryptonomicon (by Stephenson) in May rewoke my dormant interest in computers in mathematics. Unfortunately, as the rest of this list reveals, it did not put to rest any of my other interests. For the moment I will confine my technological explorations to easy things like blogging and reading about other people programming.
-Guns, Germs, and Steel, Jared Diamond. Borrowed from my grandparents, who own one of the most amazing private libraries I've ever seen.
-Septembers in Shiraz, Dalia Sofer. Also borrowed from (and recommended by my grandmother. We don't agree on a lot of things (politics and religion, for instance) but she has great taste in books.
-A History of the World Cup, Clemente Angelo Lisi. Yes, more soccer. If I learned anything in June, it was that my knowledge of international football is woefully limited. I am taking corrective measures.
-American Crescent, Imam Hassan Qazwini. I'm already partway through this book already, and I'm learning a lot about historical and contemporary Islam. Really, really interesting.
-Not Buying It, Judith Levine. I admit it, I am one of those people who talks about needing to protect the environment but nonetheless owns far more things than I really need. Maybe reading this book (borrowed from the library!) about a woman who tried not to buy any nonessential for a year will help me overcome my addiction to consuming...
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30.6.08
My newest hobby...
I've decided that I have to take up kayaking, after watching one fine young kayak instructor for half an hour at work tonight. There's a kayaker group that comes in and paddles around the pool after we close, and I was fortunate enough to be assigned to watching the pool instead of cleaning for part of the time. Mmm. Wet, shirtless, muscle-y manflesh. For some reason, I can't say I mind having to close every Monday and Wednesday night anymore. Sadly, I couldn't find any sexy kayak pictures to go with this post.
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The final Euro post
In retrospect: the good, the bad, and some nearly naked Spaniards.
Honestly, I'm still a little bit in shock. I'm going to miss the excellent football and sexy men that have been the center of my universe for the past few weeks. I'll do my best to carry on, though, with the assistance of the MLS and the Olympics. (U.S. swimming qualifiers started yesterday!) For the sake of closure, however, I am going to inflict one final Euro-centric post upon the internet. Besides, after three weeks of drama, we could all use a final review of the finest moments to sustain us as we return to the Torres-less doldrums of normal life.
Traditionally, of course, "Best of" lists are accompanied by the matching "Worst of", but yesterday's game caused disrupted the supply of cynicism to my brain and it hasn't yet been fully restored. Thus, I have nothing snarky or sarcastic to say about Euro 08 at the moment, and will confine my attempt at balanced reporting to briefly mentioning the unfortunate injuries to the likes of Alexander Frei, Fabio Cannavaro, and half the Turkish team (Villa, you don't count since your team won without you); the Italy-Spain quarterfinal in which Italy was so boring they managed to make even Spain uninteresting; Adrian Mutu's missed penalty against Italy that prevented probably the better (or at least possibly more interesting- is it conceivable that any team could have been less interesting to watch than Italy in the quarters?) side from advancing; the previous winner's failure to score more than one goal (and that against a Spanish side that clearly didn't have much invested in the game); the ceaseless stream of photos of English footballers on vacation (not that I minded their absence from the tournament, but the could have at least had the courtesy to disappear for a month or so, or perhaps they might have even - I know it's a craaazy idea - trained a bit, but instead they had to go get married and travel to the most touristy, paparazzi-filled corners of the earth. When they do terribly at the World Cup - or better yet, fail to qualify again - I will point to this moment and say "I told you so!") and of course the inconsiderate weather, which prevented the most exciting moments of the Turkey-Germany semifinal from being broadcast.
Whew. Now that all the negativity has been gotten through, I can focus on the the things I want to - the things that made up for Holland's loss to Russia in the quarters and having to put up with Michael Ballack all the way to the final. This is a highly difficult and dangerous (who knows when I might accidentally stumble across a photo of Franck Ribery in my quest for video of Holland's four goals against France), so I hope you appreciate the effort.
And here it is, the Official top uncertain number of Fabulous Things observed, discovered, and ogled during the European Championship (TM) - the crazy American college girl version.
1: Iker Casillas. I don't know what UEFA was thinking to name Xavi Hernandez best player of the tournament. Casillas was consistently fantastic in goal and fantastic to look at, giving up only two goals and saving two penalties in the shootout against Italy. Though he certainly wasn't tested as often as many of the other keepers in the tournament, he came up with some fine saves. And come on, he was the captain of the winning team. How much better can you get? (Ok, fine, being part of Spain's deadly midfield is pretty good, too.) In addition to being one of the best goalkeepers in the world, Casillas is also one of the most likely to inspire swooning and lewd fantasies. Regrettably, Iker has a strange attachment to his undershirt and hardly ever appears without it. (Apparently the best way to get him out of it is to get him drunk after winning a major trophy.)
1.5: Iker's two saves to give Spain a 4-2 PK victory over Italy. Serves you right, you non-attacking, brilliance-stifling, beautiful-game-destroying bastards.
1.Bonus: The spectacular save in regulation time during the Italy match that made sure it went to PKs. If Italy had won I would have punched someone.
2: The Dutch National Team. I don't care if they lost in their first knockout round, they scored more goals against Italy than Spain, trounced France, and were only slightly nicer to Romania. The important part, though, is that they played beautiful, entertaining football and had the grace to lose on the single occasion when they did not. I only wish that there was some way that Spain and the Netherlands could have played each other... preferably in the final. Alas, it was not to be. Perhaps in 2010? Assuming the Dutch can find a new wunderkeeper, of course.
2.a: Edwin Van der Sar, who is awesome, gets a special mention. He was one of six players whose teams did not make it to the semis picked for the Team of the Tournament. Clearly your gladiator superpower was wearing off, Edwin. You obviously did not roll in enough mud prior to your game against Russia. What other explanation can their be for your uncharacteristic generosity in front of the goal?
2.b: Wesley Sneijder, who is adorable and was the other Dutch player on the Team of the Tournament. His birthday happened to be the same day that the Netherlands played Italy, and Sneijder had a goal on the day - the first "real" goal of the match. I wish I could do something that cool for my 24th birthday.
3: Dear Russia,
I know it was not your fault that you happened to play four games against my three favorite teams in the tournament, and I will not hold it against you. Neither can I hate you for having spawned Roman Abramovich, even if he does end up turning the Rapids into Ch£l$kiUSA. I do not begrudge you your victories over Sweden (though it was time for me to get over the Swedes anyway, at least until they find some younger players) and the Netherlands, and hope you can forgive me for celebrating Spain's victories over you. Despite all of our differences, I cannot help but admire your incredible two-game ass-kicking spree. I hope to see Andrei Ashavin in England or Spain very soon, and I wish you all the best of luck in 2010. (Unless, of course, you happen to be playing the Americans, the Dutch, or the Spanish. I'm sorry, but my teams come first.) See you at the Olympics!
Something along the lines of "the victory of attacking, exciting football" probably belongs here at number four (if I didn't mention it earlier, there's no real ordering system in use here, so the numbers are to separate the various subjects and could easily be interchanged). However, in the interests of not saying something that several thousand reporters, commentators, and bloggers probably already have, I won't bother. Similarly, I will refrain from adding silly things like "Best Games" or "Best Goals" to this list because I did not see all of the games and thus missed some of the goals, and further, all you need to do to find real discussion of these categories is type "Euro 08 best goals" into Google. (I just did. Not everything that comes up is actually a list of the best goals, but Sports Illustrated has 21 pretty photos of impressive scores.)
From this point on war, I am giving up on the numbering of things altogether, as the numerical values are essentially meaningless and most of the Things left are really too brief to require their own number.
- Turkey's run of three last minute comeback victories, ended by a last minute German goal in a game in which Turkey was first to score. If it had been anyone but the Germans, I would have loved this victory. As it was, it gave me at least a grudging respect for the Deutschelanders, at least until their lackluster performance in the final.
- C.Ronaldo's exclusion from the Team of the Tournament. Haha. Maybe you ought to take this lesson to heart and think long and hard about the potential decrease in ego-stroking that might result from leaving your world class compatriots at ManU before you sign anything with Real Madrid. (Although having discovered the fine specimens that are Casillas and Snijder I would have a hard time willing Madrid to lose. Maybe it's time for both Ronaldo and I to switch allegiances...)
- The sexy German team of the semifinals that almost made me forget that Michael Ballack was their captain.
- The overabundance of beautiful, beautiful men. All right, so there could have been much more shirtlessness, but, though certain teams (*cough*Spain*cough*) seemed to have received more than their fair share of sexiness, almost every team had a least a few players worth watching even when the football wasn't great. (Update: Ah ha! I knew there had to be at least one photo of a shirtless Spanish player who is not Ramos or Puyol. Cesc, darling, thank you. If only those other fellows had had the decency to get out of the way...)
- The vast expansion in my football knowledge and player recognition that has occurred over the past three weeks. I am ashamed of how many names, faces, and historical events I was unfamiliar with before this tournament. Ah well. Give it a year or two more and no one will ever guess that I began life as an ignorant American.
- Spain winning the European Championship. Well, all right, duh. But since there was such an eminently satisfying conclusion to Euro 08, I couldn't end this post with anything less joyful. Especially since someone on the Spanish team must have been listening to my complaints about the negligence regarding shirt removal. Warning: the following video should only be viewed by those who enjoy seeing sexy Spanish men in their underwear.
Photos and video via UEFA and Kickette.
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Honestly, I'm still a little bit in shock. I'm going to miss the excellent football and sexy men that have been the center of my universe for the past few weeks. I'll do my best to carry on, though, with the assistance of the MLS and the Olympics. (U.S. swimming qualifiers started yesterday!) For the sake of closure, however, I am going to inflict one final Euro-centric post upon the internet. Besides, after three weeks of drama, we could all use a final review of the finest moments to sustain us as we return to the Torres-less doldrums of normal life.
Traditionally, of course, "Best of" lists are accompanied by the matching "Worst of", but yesterday's game caused disrupted the supply of cynicism to my brain and it hasn't yet been fully restored. Thus, I have nothing snarky or sarcastic to say about Euro 08 at the moment, and will confine my attempt at balanced reporting to briefly mentioning the unfortunate injuries to the likes of Alexander Frei, Fabio Cannavaro, and half the Turkish team (Villa, you don't count since your team won without you); the Italy-Spain quarterfinal in which Italy was so boring they managed to make even Spain uninteresting; Adrian Mutu's missed penalty against Italy that prevented probably the better (or at least possibly more interesting- is it conceivable that any team could have been less interesting to watch than Italy in the quarters?) side from advancing; the previous winner's failure to score more than one goal (and that against a Spanish side that clearly didn't have much invested in the game); the ceaseless stream of photos of English footballers on vacation (not that I minded their absence from the tournament, but the could have at least had the courtesy to disappear for a month or so, or perhaps they might have even - I know it's a craaazy idea - trained a bit, but instead they had to go get married and travel to the most touristy, paparazzi-filled corners of the earth. When they do terribly at the World Cup - or better yet, fail to qualify again - I will point to this moment and say "I told you so!") and of course the inconsiderate weather, which prevented the most exciting moments of the Turkey-Germany semifinal from being broadcast.
Whew. Now that all the negativity has been gotten through, I can focus on the the things I want to - the things that made up for Holland's loss to Russia in the quarters and having to put up with Michael Ballack all the way to the final. This is a highly difficult and dangerous (who knows when I might accidentally stumble across a photo of Franck Ribery in my quest for video of Holland's four goals against France), so I hope you appreciate the effort.
And here it is, the Official top uncertain number of Fabulous Things observed, discovered, and ogled during the European Championship (TM) - the crazy American college girl version.
1: Iker Casillas. I don't know what UEFA was thinking to name Xavi Hernandez best player of the tournament. Casillas was consistently fantastic in goal and fantastic to look at, giving up only two goals and saving two penalties in the shootout against Italy. Though he certainly wasn't tested as often as many of the other keepers in the tournament, he came up with some fine saves. And come on, he was the captain of the winning team. How much better can you get? (Ok, fine, being part of Spain's deadly midfield is pretty good, too.) In addition to being one of the best goalkeepers in the world, Casillas is also one of the most likely to inspire swooning and lewd fantasies. Regrettably, Iker has a strange attachment to his undershirt and hardly ever appears without it. (Apparently the best way to get him out of it is to get him drunk after winning a major trophy.)1.5: Iker's two saves to give Spain a 4-2 PK victory over Italy. Serves you right, you non-attacking, brilliance-stifling, beautiful-game-destroying bastards.
1.Bonus: The spectacular save in regulation time during the Italy match that made sure it went to PKs. If Italy had won I would have punched someone.
2: The Dutch National Team. I don't care if they lost in their first knockout round, they scored more goals against Italy than Spain, trounced France, and were only slightly nicer to Romania. The important part, though, is that they played beautiful, entertaining football and had the grace to lose on the single occasion when they did not. I only wish that there was some way that Spain and the Netherlands could have played each other... preferably in the final. Alas, it was not to be. Perhaps in 2010? Assuming the Dutch can find a new wunderkeeper, of course.
2.a: Edwin Van der Sar, who is awesome, gets a special mention. He was one of six players whose teams did not make it to the semis picked for the Team of the Tournament. Clearly your gladiator superpower was wearing off, Edwin. You obviously did not roll in enough mud prior to your game against Russia. What other explanation can their be for your uncharacteristic generosity in front of the goal?2.b: Wesley Sneijder, who is adorable and was the other Dutch player on the Team of the Tournament. His birthday happened to be the same day that the Netherlands played Italy, and Sneijder had a goal on the day - the first "real" goal of the match. I wish I could do something that cool for my 24th birthday.
3: Dear Russia,
I know it was not your fault that you happened to play four games against my three favorite teams in the tournament, and I will not hold it against you. Neither can I hate you for having spawned Roman Abramovich, even if he does end up turning the Rapids into Ch£l$kiUSA. I do not begrudge you your victories over Sweden (though it was time for me to get over the Swedes anyway, at least until they find some younger players) and the Netherlands, and hope you can forgive me for celebrating Spain's victories over you. Despite all of our differences, I cannot help but admire your incredible two-game ass-kicking spree. I hope to see Andrei Ashavin in England or Spain very soon, and I wish you all the best of luck in 2010. (Unless, of course, you happen to be playing the Americans, the Dutch, or the Spanish. I'm sorry, but my teams come first.) See you at the Olympics!
Something along the lines of "the victory of attacking, exciting football" probably belongs here at number four (if I didn't mention it earlier, there's no real ordering system in use here, so the numbers are to separate the various subjects and could easily be interchanged). However, in the interests of not saying something that several thousand reporters, commentators, and bloggers probably already have, I won't bother. Similarly, I will refrain from adding silly things like "Best Games" or "Best Goals" to this list because I did not see all of the games and thus missed some of the goals, and further, all you need to do to find real discussion of these categories is type "Euro 08 best goals" into Google. (I just did. Not everything that comes up is actually a list of the best goals, but Sports Illustrated has 21 pretty photos of impressive scores.)
From this point on war, I am giving up on the numbering of things altogether, as the numerical values are essentially meaningless and most of the Things left are really too brief to require their own number.
- Turkey's run of three last minute comeback victories, ended by a last minute German goal in a game in which Turkey was first to score. If it had been anyone but the Germans, I would have loved this victory. As it was, it gave me at least a grudging respect for the Deutschelanders, at least until their lackluster performance in the final.
- C.Ronaldo's exclusion from the Team of the Tournament. Haha. Maybe you ought to take this lesson to heart and think long and hard about the potential decrease in ego-stroking that might result from leaving your world class compatriots at ManU before you sign anything with Real Madrid. (Although having discovered the fine specimens that are Casillas and Snijder I would have a hard time willing Madrid to lose. Maybe it's time for both Ronaldo and I to switch allegiances...)
- The sexy German team of the semifinals that almost made me forget that Michael Ballack was their captain.
- The overabundance of beautiful, beautiful men. All right, so there could have been much more shirtlessness, but, though certain teams (*cough*Spain*cough*) seemed to have received more than their fair share of sexiness, almost every team had a least a few players worth watching even when the football wasn't great. (Update: Ah ha! I knew there had to be at least one photo of a shirtless Spanish player who is not Ramos or Puyol. Cesc, darling, thank you. If only those other fellows had had the decency to get out of the way...)- The vast expansion in my football knowledge and player recognition that has occurred over the past three weeks. I am ashamed of how many names, faces, and historical events I was unfamiliar with before this tournament. Ah well. Give it a year or two more and no one will ever guess that I began life as an ignorant American.
- Spain winning the European Championship. Well, all right, duh. But since there was such an eminently satisfying conclusion to Euro 08, I couldn't end this post with anything less joyful. Especially since someone on the Spanish team must have been listening to my complaints about the negligence regarding shirt removal. Warning: the following video should only be viewed by those who enjoy seeing sexy Spanish men in their underwear.
Photos and video via UEFA and Kickette.
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29.6.08
Best ad ever created?
I don't know about you, but I adore the excellent soccer ad that Nike ran during the Champions League. Understand, now, that I am hardly an ad aficionado. I am a person who watches the Super Bowl despite the ads, not because of them. And though, as a NCAA runner, Nike gives me free shoes, I am not particularly a Nike fan. But I am really, truly crazy about the "Take It To The Next Level" video. They had clips playing during the Euro, but it's simply not as cool unless you get the whole thing. I was actually feeling a bit bummed that I would only get the short version - possibly the only time I've ever been upset about having less commercial - but then today, in my post-Euro boredom, I discovered that Nike has posted an even longer version (the 'Director's Cut') online. Hup Nike Hup!
Bonus: I also learned today that the video is directed by Guy Ritchie, who is also responsible for two of my favorite movies ever. What a brilliant man.
(Also: the Nike Soccer page is really just all around awesomeness. Decent coverage of the US national teams and the Euro with nice pics to go with - check out this great one of Torres - interspersed with fun video from the TITTNL campaign.)
Disclaimer: Despite all appearances, I am not affiliated with Nike, am not being paid to promote it, etc etc. Really. The ad is just that cool.
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¡Los campeones del mundo!
Or of Europe, at least. Was I the only one who thought it was funny that they were playing Queen after the trophy presentation?
Anyway, a mildly interesting final from Spain and Germany. A goal from Fernando Torres in the 33rd minute was all Spain needed to secure what was, as we've been reminded over and over in the build up to this game, their first victory in a major tournament in several eons. Mostly, though, this game could be summed up as having given almost everyone exactly what they deserved. Fernando Torres got a goal, Michael Ballack got headbutted in the eye and bled profusely, and the side that played better in this game and throughout the tournament came away with a victory.
One notable exception to the theory of just desserts was the awarding of yellow cards. Casillas and Ballack may or may not have deserved the cautions they got, but Torres almost certainly should not have been carded - his challenge for a header in the 74th minute didn't look at all out of the ordinary - and David Silva most definitely would have earned a card had the ref chosen to award him one following the headbutt Silva gave Lukas Podolski.By the time the final whistle blew, both sides looked rather weary. Germany's defending, never pretty to begin with, only seemed to get sloppier. There were far too many unnecessary, ugly fouls from both sides, yet not even Germany, whose skill with set pieces was widely remarked upon before the game, managed to score from any of the resulting free kicks. Honestly, the only reason the Germans were not beaten by a much wider margin was that Spain's attack was for the most part equally messy. Though they passed quite prettily to each other, when it came to the point they didn't have that extra fraction of energy and focus needed to score. Really a shame, considering how dominant the Spanish looked in the other two-thirds of the field.
In the end, though I would have hoped for a higher scoring game, Spain did play some pretty football, attractive men got sweaty and angry (though none of them were kind enough to take off their shirts save Sergio Ramos, who was wearing a flag for a little while instead), and the team that I wanted to win did.
Highlights, low lights, and bizarrities (in vaguely chronological order):
- Jens Lehmann's flying leap to prevent an own goal by Mertesacker. This was easily his best save of the night. If the Spanish had ever aimed for any part of the goal other than the posts and the keeper, Lehmann might have been in a lot of trouble. He let the ball get away from him on several stops, allowing Spain to get a chance for a second or third shot. However, after Torres scored, he did manage to get to every long ball he went out for.
- Torres's early header that bounced off the left post. In my opinion, a better episode than the one that resulted in the winning goal. But, as seems to be the trend for this tournament, Torres did everything beautifully except actually managing to score.
- The repeated shots of Iker Casillas's midsection. Yes, he's quite attractive but, um, why?
- Ballack's bleeding face, the result of running into Marco Senna's head as they fought for a header. I was disappointed when I learned that he would not be sitting out for this match, but somehow he became almost hot (I can't believe I'm using that word to describe Michael Ballack) with blood all over his face.- Sergio Ramos, who is supposed to be a defender (though you'd never know by watching him most of the time) nearly scored with a header after a free kick from Xavi Hernandez. All right, Lehmann didn't do so badly here, either.
- Senna's slide across the pitch as he missed Guiza's pass entirely. That should have been a second goal for Spain, but despite (or perhaps because of) his efforts all over the rest of the field, Senna just couldn't get to it. The commentator was kind, ascribing the miss to the bounce of the ball, but really, he should have done better. It made for a highly entertaining replay, though.- Ramos, again finding himself immediately in front of the opposing goal, managed to deflect a sharp shot from Silva away from the goal. Lehmann, though, looked like he might have actually stopped this one, too. (Oops, I think this happened before the header from Ramos. Oh well).
- The celebrations of the Spanish team and fans after the final whistle had blown. I was kind of hoping they would drop Aragones, who is the part of the Spanish team I like least, but even though they didn't it was all quite entertaining. The players seemed incapable of keeping their hands off each other. Again, I would have liked a few more of them to have gotten excited enough for shirts to come off, but I'll settle for ten minutes of man-love if I have to. (I couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for the Germans, though, who no doubt would much rather have been off drowning their sorrows in the vast beer reserves Austria had set by for the tournament. Instead, they were forced to stand around watching the victors celebrate while they waited to be awarded their runner-up medals.)- Finally, the grin on Iker Casillas's face as he went up to accept the trophy for Spain. I would leap in front of a thousand speeding soccer balls to be that happy.
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Wish I worked there...
They've got college students lifeguarding the U.S. Olympic swimming trials. I don't think I've ever wished I lived in Nebraska before, but I'm a bit disappointed not to be in Omaha for this. Even if it is on a volunteer basis only and there are all those silly rules about taking pictures and talking to the athletes. A week spent staring a Michael Phelps and all those other sexy swimmer bodies would definitely be worth it.
Side note: FYI, no one does mouth-to-mouth anymore, at least not professional lifeguards. It's unhygienic. They have breathing masks and even hand pumps to do the job instead. (My condolences to anyone still harboring fantasies of being resuscitated by the sexy guard at the local pool. Sorry, folks, it's never going to happen.)
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28.6.08
Miscellaneous soccer notes
Oh. My God. At work today, I had the incredible pleasure of observing just what C.Ronaldo might look like without the skeeviness, overinflated ego, and excess hair gel. Really, truly distracting. Why do all the hotties show up on the busiest days when I'm too busy yelling at kids to do any really good gawking? They never come on the horrible slow days when I think I'm going to die of boredom. Anyway, the guy showed up with wife/girlfriend and kids in tow, but still, that probably qualifies as the best part of my day, if not my week (at least the part when I was at work).Also, interesting article from Fox Soccer about tomorrow's match. The main point is that (according to this writer's analysis) Spain has historically not actually been an underachiever, but rather has generally been overrated due to the quality of their domestic clubs. What isn't taken into account in creating expectations for the national team is the number of foreign players in La Liga. I don't know enough about the history of football in Europe to comment on the validity of the theory in this particular case, but it does seem to be at least plausible. This might be something England fans to think about as well...
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27.6.08
Running late, as usual
I attempted a bit of running commentary on the Germany-Turkey Euro semi two days ago, but didn't post it due to an inability to get cable TV and Internet access simultaneously. I meant to post it before, but a combination of procrastination and far too much time at work have prevented that from happening until now. It was kind of fun, but I don't actually recommend it as reading if you want to know what actually happened in the match. - I'm not that good at it and spelling in German is definitely not one of my strengths. Plus, I get all pretentious and announcer-sounding in places. Yikes. But if you're really that brave...
7’ Just turned on the Germany-Turkey game – no score so far.
12’ Turkey so far seems to have the majority of the possession – they've forced Germany to play mainly in their own half and have been pretty aggressive on the attack.
13’ Germany has possession, but give it back to turkey after a few passes near midfield.
13’ Another strong shot from Kazim-Kazim ricochets off the top bar– why isn't this man playing for England?! Oh, right, he's much too good to play for England...
14’ Two corners for Turkey in a row, but nothing comes of either.
16’ Germany is passing it around in the back half – they finally get it forward and Turkey takes it away from them.
17’ Free kick for Germany, taken by Klose, saved by the Turkish keeper.
17’ Germany gets a hold of it from Turkey up front, a bit of passing it around.
18’ Michael Ballack misses a header, Germany takes a corner and the Turkish keeper punches it away.
20’ Germany looks as though they may finally be starting to play football… Turkey still looks the better team, but it looks a little more equal now.
22’ Goal Turkey! It was only a matter of time, really. It came back off the bar on the first shot (from Kazim-Kazim? I couldn't tell), but Boral hit it in past Lehmann on the second go.
25’ Schweistiger slides across the turf, his shorts riding all the way up. Mmm, soccer legs…
26’ And Schweisteiger scores! Podoski gets a cross in front of a couple of defenders, and Schweisteiger knocks it in. That’s the first real chance Germany has had, and they've scored! Maybe now we have a real game…
29’ Germany free kick. It comes almost straight back out for a throw in.
29’ Turkey takes it all the way back down, only for Lehmann to grab the header with ease.
30’ German corner is knocked away from the goal. There’s a bit of a struggle in front of the goal, then Turkey takes it back up the field.
31’ Turkey gets a free kick from well out, and Lehmann is forced to punch it over.
32’ Two more Turkey corners come to nothing. Someone makes a weak shot, Lehmann grabs it and off goes Germany. They’re replaying Schweisteger's goal.
34’ Podoski gets it alone up front and kicks it over.
37’ Kazim-Kazim is on the turf – free kick for Turkey.
38’ Boral takes the kick – took them long enough to set it up – he kicks it directly to Lehmann, who hits it away a bit awkwardly. He was lucky none of the Turkish players got a head on it.
40’ Someone German (Rolfes, I guess) is bleeding – The ref looks almost happy about it. Someone Turkish is gushing blood from the back of his head. I hope he’s all right – Turkey can’t afford to lose anyone else.
42’ Yet another great shot by Turkey goes just over.
43’ Great tackle by Turkey stops a promising German attack..
44’ It looks like Frings is getting ready to go on. And Rolfes is back on the field, for a few minutes at least.
Halftime – It’s been a great first half. Contrary to all expectations, Turkey is the team making Germany look slow and inexperienced. Really, they’re unlucky to be tied. Germany has not been playing great football, though they got a bit better after Turkey’s goal. Schwiesteiger has had a few impressive moments, and Podoski wasn't too bad toward the end, but Michael Ballack has been essentially invisible and Lehmann is lucky to have had so many shots going over and wide. Turkey, on the other hand, has been exceptional all the way around, especially considering what a makeshift team they have. Kazim-Kazim has come very close to scoring multiple times, and I’ll be surprised if he doesn't net a least one by the end of the game.
46’ Here we go with the second half. Frings is on – for Rolfe, I assume.
47’ Germany already looks more dangerous in the first few minutes of this half than they did for most of the first half.
50’ A bit of miscommunication on the part of the Germans, a good tackle from Turkey – but the Turkish quickly lose it again and the German are on attack.
51’ Lahm goes down in the penalty box, and the official is wagging his finger at someone, but play continues. From the replay you can definitely see that it should have been a penalty.
52’ Yellow card for Semh for an ugly tackle on Frings. Really, boys, you can do better than that.
54’ Just when you thought Turkey was going to run away with the game, Germany has really stepped it up this half.
55’ Fierce shot over the top by Hitzsperger.
57’ Another strong German attack, another tackle by Turkey – this time on Ballack – and German is given a somewhat questionable free kick. Luckily, the Turkish deal with it pretty handily.
Where has my game gone?! There’s a power outage in Switzerland, apparently… We’re getting yet another review of the first half and that foul on Lahm in the meantime. I’m not really sure there’s anything new to say about any of it. It was already pretty obvious that the ref missed a blatant foul, and I think this is almost exactly (or maybe even exactly) the same description of Turkey’s goal that we got in the first half. And now we’re back!
66’ German cross goes too high and meets no one on the other side, the Turkish get a throw-in and manage to get it down to the other end, only to pass it back.
67’ Turkey still has possession. They get it deep into the German half, manage a cross directly in front of the goal, but again there is no one on the other end.
68’ Schweistegier briefly looks as though he might make a run of it, but Turkey steals it back.
69’ Corner for Turkey. It’s pushed out, brought back in, then booted down the field, only for Turkey to reclaim it. There’s a bit of a struggle for possession at midfield.
70’ Turkey seems to have won out. For a moment it looked like they were going to get stuck in their own half, but it gets down to Kazim-Kazim, who is yanked down by his shirt near the edge of the penalty box. The officials don’t see it, though, and Germany gets the free kick.
71’ Another Turkish cross in front of the goal with no one there to finish. Kazim-Kazim appears to have been either the crosser or the intended finisher. His face keeps appearing on the screen. Can’t say I mind.
73’ Is that Hitzsperger again? Anyway, his shot goes just wide. He’s asking the official for a corner kick, but not getting it.
Oh dear god, the game’s gone again. There was a lightning strike apparently, the first outage, but who knows what this is. Possibly the same thing?
Ach, Klose has scored for the Germans! There is still no video, though…
They've just showed the stats for the game so far. The shot count is about 17 to 6 in Turkey’s favor. The Turkish have simply not been able to finish.
There’s the video of Klose's goal a nice clean header into an open goal. The keeper had come way out but didn't get there in time.
And Turkey’s scored again! Senturk just knocked it in on a cross from Sabri. Turkey has been unbelievable on the comeback in this tournament. Five minutes or so left.
89’ Senturk shoots it wide from well out.
90’ Lahm scores for Germany! Beautiful run up and finish. The Turkish really looked out of it on that one.
And Germany’s won it! I was really hoping for Turkey to pull off a miracle on this one, but you really have to give it to the Germans. They may have had a poor first half, but they really managed to pull it together at the end. What a game, for both teams. Either of them could have won it, I think, and just to have been that close was a great accomplishment for Turkey. I have to say, I didn't mind the German victory nearly as much since Captain Caveman was out of the picture for basically the entire game. My hatred of Ballack is quite irrational, I'm aware. Other than his Neanderthal looks and Chelsea jersey, there is nothing especially objectionable about him. Nonetheless, I most strenuously object to him, and I'm not excited to see him in the final. I just wish there was some chance he'd spend the whole game on the bench.
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7’ Just turned on the Germany-Turkey game – no score so far.
12’ Turkey so far seems to have the majority of the possession – they've forced Germany to play mainly in their own half and have been pretty aggressive on the attack.
13’ Germany has possession, but give it back to turkey after a few passes near midfield.
13’ Another strong shot from Kazim-Kazim ricochets off the top bar– why isn't this man playing for England?! Oh, right, he's much too good to play for England...
14’ Two corners for Turkey in a row, but nothing comes of either.
16’ Germany is passing it around in the back half – they finally get it forward and Turkey takes it away from them.
17’ Free kick for Germany, taken by Klose, saved by the Turkish keeper.
17’ Germany gets a hold of it from Turkey up front, a bit of passing it around.
18’ Michael Ballack misses a header, Germany takes a corner and the Turkish keeper punches it away.
20’ Germany looks as though they may finally be starting to play football… Turkey still looks the better team, but it looks a little more equal now.
22’ Goal Turkey! It was only a matter of time, really. It came back off the bar on the first shot (from Kazim-Kazim? I couldn't tell), but Boral hit it in past Lehmann on the second go.
25’ Schweistiger slides across the turf, his shorts riding all the way up. Mmm, soccer legs…
26’ And Schweisteiger scores! Podoski gets a cross in front of a couple of defenders, and Schweisteiger knocks it in. That’s the first real chance Germany has had, and they've scored! Maybe now we have a real game…
29’ Germany free kick. It comes almost straight back out for a throw in.
29’ Turkey takes it all the way back down, only for Lehmann to grab the header with ease.
30’ German corner is knocked away from the goal. There’s a bit of a struggle in front of the goal, then Turkey takes it back up the field.
31’ Turkey gets a free kick from well out, and Lehmann is forced to punch it over.
32’ Two more Turkey corners come to nothing. Someone makes a weak shot, Lehmann grabs it and off goes Germany. They’re replaying Schweisteger's goal.
34’ Podoski gets it alone up front and kicks it over.
37’ Kazim-Kazim is on the turf – free kick for Turkey.
38’ Boral takes the kick – took them long enough to set it up – he kicks it directly to Lehmann, who hits it away a bit awkwardly. He was lucky none of the Turkish players got a head on it.
40’ Someone German (Rolfes, I guess) is bleeding – The ref looks almost happy about it. Someone Turkish is gushing blood from the back of his head. I hope he’s all right – Turkey can’t afford to lose anyone else.
42’ Yet another great shot by Turkey goes just over.
43’ Great tackle by Turkey stops a promising German attack..
44’ It looks like Frings is getting ready to go on. And Rolfes is back on the field, for a few minutes at least.
Halftime – It’s been a great first half. Contrary to all expectations, Turkey is the team making Germany look slow and inexperienced. Really, they’re unlucky to be tied. Germany has not been playing great football, though they got a bit better after Turkey’s goal. Schwiesteiger has had a few impressive moments, and Podoski wasn't too bad toward the end, but Michael Ballack has been essentially invisible and Lehmann is lucky to have had so many shots going over and wide. Turkey, on the other hand, has been exceptional all the way around, especially considering what a makeshift team they have. Kazim-Kazim has come very close to scoring multiple times, and I’ll be surprised if he doesn't net a least one by the end of the game.
46’ Here we go with the second half. Frings is on – for Rolfe, I assume.
47’ Germany already looks more dangerous in the first few minutes of this half than they did for most of the first half.
50’ A bit of miscommunication on the part of the Germans, a good tackle from Turkey – but the Turkish quickly lose it again and the German are on attack.
51’ Lahm goes down in the penalty box, and the official is wagging his finger at someone, but play continues. From the replay you can definitely see that it should have been a penalty.
52’ Yellow card for Semh for an ugly tackle on Frings. Really, boys, you can do better than that.
54’ Just when you thought Turkey was going to run away with the game, Germany has really stepped it up this half.
55’ Fierce shot over the top by Hitzsperger.
57’ Another strong German attack, another tackle by Turkey – this time on Ballack – and German is given a somewhat questionable free kick. Luckily, the Turkish deal with it pretty handily.
Where has my game gone?! There’s a power outage in Switzerland, apparently… We’re getting yet another review of the first half and that foul on Lahm in the meantime. I’m not really sure there’s anything new to say about any of it. It was already pretty obvious that the ref missed a blatant foul, and I think this is almost exactly (or maybe even exactly) the same description of Turkey’s goal that we got in the first half. And now we’re back!
66’ German cross goes too high and meets no one on the other side, the Turkish get a throw-in and manage to get it down to the other end, only to pass it back.
67’ Turkey still has possession. They get it deep into the German half, manage a cross directly in front of the goal, but again there is no one on the other end.
68’ Schweistegier briefly looks as though he might make a run of it, but Turkey steals it back.
69’ Corner for Turkey. It’s pushed out, brought back in, then booted down the field, only for Turkey to reclaim it. There’s a bit of a struggle for possession at midfield.
70’ Turkey seems to have won out. For a moment it looked like they were going to get stuck in their own half, but it gets down to Kazim-Kazim, who is yanked down by his shirt near the edge of the penalty box. The officials don’t see it, though, and Germany gets the free kick.
71’ Another Turkish cross in front of the goal with no one there to finish. Kazim-Kazim appears to have been either the crosser or the intended finisher. His face keeps appearing on the screen. Can’t say I mind.
73’ Is that Hitzsperger again? Anyway, his shot goes just wide. He’s asking the official for a corner kick, but not getting it.
Oh dear god, the game’s gone again. There was a lightning strike apparently, the first outage, but who knows what this is. Possibly the same thing?
Ach, Klose has scored for the Germans! There is still no video, though…
They've just showed the stats for the game so far. The shot count is about 17 to 6 in Turkey’s favor. The Turkish have simply not been able to finish.
There’s the video of Klose's goal a nice clean header into an open goal. The keeper had come way out but didn't get there in time.
And Turkey’s scored again! Senturk just knocked it in on a cross from Sabri. Turkey has been unbelievable on the comeback in this tournament. Five minutes or so left.
89’ Senturk shoots it wide from well out.
90’ Lahm scores for Germany! Beautiful run up and finish. The Turkish really looked out of it on that one.
And Germany’s won it! I was really hoping for Turkey to pull off a miracle on this one, but you really have to give it to the Germans. They may have had a poor first half, but they really managed to pull it together at the end. What a game, for both teams. Either of them could have won it, I think, and just to have been that close was a great accomplishment for Turkey. I have to say, I didn't mind the German victory nearly as much since Captain Caveman was out of the picture for basically the entire game. My hatred of Ballack is quite irrational, I'm aware. Other than his Neanderthal looks and Chelsea jersey, there is nothing especially objectionable about him. Nonetheless, I most strenuously object to him, and I'm not excited to see him in the final. I just wish there was some chance he'd spend the whole game on the bench.
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