Written by a practitioner of mathematics, philosophy, taiji, gluten-free cooking, chant, meditation, gardening, and renovation, with no particular end in mind. Were there an end, it would come too soon, and the Path would cease to Wander.
No actual D&D this week, as our thief is out of town and we kinda need him to finish opening the chest, so we got together and played other games instead. Two of them I had never played before. The other, Othello, was a way to pass the time until the rest of the players arrived. Despite not having played against anything other than a computer for a very long time, I managed to win at Othello. It was a near thing, as I was nearly boxed in, and decided now might be the time to give up a corner in order to salvage something from the situation ... and wound up taking all the corners instead, as I was able to take the opposite penultimate corner slot and stop Fibonacci from getting the corner I had intended to give up.
Anyway, on to the games I hadn't played before. First, the Mad Magazine Game*, which is a Monopoly spoof where the object is to lose all your money. The spaces on the board have instructions like "everyone move one chair to your (left|right)", "switch money with a player", "roll the dice three times and go that many spaces backwards around the board", etc. It's a hoot. John/Allonar (since there's another John who comments here, I figure I ought to specify) wound up winning, due to fortuitous money shifting and landing on a space where he got to lose more money than he currently had.
Then John/Allonar also brought Munchkin**, and we played that. I'd never played it before, though I'd read some descriptions. It's basically a D&D parody. You start out as a classless human. If you draw a class or race card, you can choose to become that, at least until you get cursed out of it. Every time you defeat a monster, you go up a level. If you can't defeat the monster, you can get help from a fellow player ... but watch out, as they will only do so if it benefits them. The first person to reach Level 10 wins. John/Allonar won the first game, despite us valiantly trying to sabotage his last fight with as many curses as we could muster (cooperating to stop someone else from winning seems to be a given), and I squeaked in as winner on the second game. Amusingly, Andrew agreed to help with what seemed like it should be my last fight, expecting to sabotage me at the last minute with a "Drop 2 levels" curse card...except I had the wishing ring and made the curse go away. Something else had happened so I didn't win on that fight, but on my next turn, I was up against a Level 1 something-or-other, and everyone had used up nearly all their curse cards trying to sink other last efforts. Someone had a +3 to play on the monster, making it Level 4, and Abe had a "mate" card, so that put it to Level 8 total ... and I was sitting comfortably at 15 (17 -2 from another curse), including all the item modifiers I had.
Thus a fun time was had by all, but I suspect Allonar and I will be ganged up on the next time we have a non-D&D gaming night. ^!^
*The Mad game is out of print, but there are "collectible" versions for sale for $84 on up at the Amazon link if you really want a copy.
**There are over a dozen varieties of this at Amazon, but, afaik, we were playing the original card game version.
I thought I had two more days, but I just checked my calendar. I've had 1000 straight days of practice (taiji, yoga, chanting, meditation) as of today. I wasn't sure I'd make it 10 when I started, let alone 1000. I really think the practice saved my life. It was a minor but useful thing that I could do even in the depths of depression and feel a sense of accomplishment.
There have been times when I did the bare, bare minimum just to check it off as done, but lately I've been expanding the practice. I'm up to 22 minutes of standing meditation now. Cheng Man Ch'ing is supposed to have said that one shouldn't even learn the taiji form until one could make 30 minutes; it strengthens the quads and teaches proper skeletal alignment. I can probably jump up to 24 minutes in the next week or so.
Anyway, this song seems appropriate, though I doubt I'll be around long enough to make it to 1000 years. I suppose it's conceivable, but incredibly unlikely ... unless there really is something to the Taoist elixir of immortality nonsense and I've chosen the correct practice to find said elixir. ^!^
Have you ever seen a hummingbird swim? I sure hadn't. This is at the wood-plank bridge over West Mink Creek. I stopped there to rehydrate and had my camera out when hummingbirds just started flying all over the place. At first I thought it was just one, showing up repeatedly, but then I saw several in a group and realized I'd lucked into a hummingbird free-for-all. If my camera were quicker on the uptake, I'd have a massive amount of pictures from it. As is, I wound up with several awesome ones. This is from my favorite shot. I trimmed it down to emphasize the hummer. It didn't stay in the water long. As far as I can tell, it dipped down into the stream as a bird-bath, splashed around a bit, then flew off and started shaking the water out of its feathers. Awesome to see; even better to get a decent shot of it.
dancing, darting wings sail through raspberry blossoms: humming and hov'ring
When I went out to get Princess back inside this afternoon, there was a hummingbird happily pollinating my raspberries. I don't think I've ever seen a hummingbird in this yard. We used to get them once in a while at my dad's house. I stayed still, watching it for a while. Then it darted up into the elm tree, perched for approximately five seconds, and flew off over the house.
The picture is of a hummingbird seen in Idaho (here's the source), and I seem to vaguely remember that there aren't very many species of hummingbird that make it this far north, so there's a decent chance that it's the same species. The colors look about right. It was not one with spectacular coloration, but it was gorgeous all the same.
Click to see larger versions. Two of my purple tulips have come out, and they're spectacular. And while I don't remember doing so, I think I must have gotten a variety pack of daffodils, as there are at least four different types represented so far. The two pictured here are fairly small, maybe an inch and a half for the outer diameter.
On the right are my second two daffodils to come out. On the left is my first hyacinth to bloom. (Click to see a larger view) It looks like I should have some yellow tulips soon. I'm not sure when my deep-almost-black-purple ones will bloom; the buds don't seem to be as far along. I've also got some fancier daffodils that haven't even produced buds yet, so I'm not sure when they'll bloom, either. Still, I'm pretty pleased with what came up and with the amount blooming thusfar. There might be one or two spots that should have had a bulb where nothing came up, but it's looking like 95% of them did come up!
Brandon Sanderson recently announced that "the" last book of the Wheel of Time will, in fact, be three books. That... feels about right to me, to settle most of the major outstanding plotlines. I wonder if Robert Jordan, had he lived, could really have gotten the whole thing into just one final book...? Hard to say. I also find Sanderson's semi-apologetic attitude amusing. I've been waiting for "the next book", whatever it might be, since I was in my teens. I've learned patience. ^/^
I should add that I'm perfectly happy to have more books set in a world that I so enjoy visiting. I was a bit disappointed when the announcement first came that there would be only one more book.
...is now in a semi-final draft format. I need to read through it after a night's sleep to make sure it's coherent (particularly since "incoherency" is part of the title). It's for my political philosophy class, and I almost wound up using one of the tentatively suggested topics. Almost. I had thought about contrasting Locke and Montesquieu on the role of monarchy, but I couldn't get into the topic enough. One of the suggested topics was to contrast the views of Rousseau and Mill on the role of dispute in a democracy. I wound up arguing that an official system of censorship was incoherent in a democracy, using Montesquieu, Rousseau and Mill as sources. So my topic is very closely related to the suggested topic, but with a different primary focus.
Next paper of the semester will be an in-class "midterm experience" for existentialism; Levenson doesn't like the word "exam" or "test", and uses them only reluctantly. Thus it will be a "midterm experience" not a "midterm exam."
* This Christmas greeting is offered in accordance with the articles of Christmas previously posted. Some restrictions apply. If the merriness resulting from this greeting lasts for more than 8 hours, please consult your physician.
Also read Greta Christina's take on what Christmas means. Excerpt:
Let's remind ourselves that life is worth living, and that the cold and dark won't be here forever. Let's remind ourselves that we care about each other, and remind ourselves of why.
So who cares if someone wishes you a "Merry Christkwanzukah!"? The name is not the important part. Let's bypass names altogether, and just wish everyone a Fah-Who Foraze!
Image from Fivethirtyeight.com at 10:40 MST. It's official. Barack Obama will be the next president of the United States. This is the first time in at least the last 6 years, if not the last 8, that I've felt anything remotely resembling pride for my country. Disgust was more like it. Hopefully, president-elect Obama can turn things around.
It's also nice to see another racial barrier come crashing down. I rather like this take on it (mild language warning).
The first snow of the year hit the ground this morning sometime before I got up. There was more than two inches on my car, but some of that had blown off the roof. I'd estimate about an inch or an inch and a half everywhere else. But tonight it's snowing again! YAY!
Incidentally, roughly a week ago I was wishing it would snow, and now it is! Clearly I must have caused this snow. `/^ Snow snow snow snow sno-ow!
Oh, the roads this morning were just fine. The snow hadn't hit much of anything north of us, so, apart from the wind, the drive to taiji class was uneventful. But I had to play Jalan Jalan's Bali album. Despite being inspired by a tropical country, Bali, the music captures that calm in the air that comes when the snow has first fallen. Travis thought it was good music to sleep to... but I find it both relaxing and invigorating, so I have no problem driving with it playing.
I found this as a card at the Paper Store in Estes Park. After I saw it, I'd hoped to find it as a magnet (also the source for the image), but they only had the card. I love the sentiment expressed in the blessing, and that it works for anyone, regardless of their particular religious leanings (or lack thereof). The magnet's slightly pricey, but if it's as large as the card (5 inches by 5 inches), that's not a huge surprise.
I bought the card while I was there, and put it up on a magnet board anyway. ^/^
EDIT: Erm, that link is for a journal with the blessing pic on the cover, not for a magnet. Which also explains the expense. I didn't read carefully enough. Here it is as a magnet. Smaller, but about the same price I paid for the card.
This is one of the few major trails in the Gibson Jack area that I had never been on...until Sunday evening. I had avoided it in the past primarily because whenever I drove by, it looked like the whole trail was probably being baked by the sun. Since it was early in the year and heading towards evening, it wasn't too bad last night. The part that I was on would probably be okay early morning, too, but miserable in the middle of the day. The first part of the trail follows a valley, so there will be morning and evening shade. I have no idea how far up the trail I went. I had planned to turn around when the trail through the valley started going up one of the mountains, only there was a switchback and it went up the same mountain I'd been on, so I took that as an excuse to keep going. Also, the trail wasn't quite as steep after the switchback, so that made it even more inviting. I finally stopped when the trail seemed set to cross over from the mountain I was on to a mountain further back. It was quite a nice hike, though I have discovered that my hiking boots are only broken in when I'm wearing my nice, thick, winter socks; as soon as I switched back to my thinner, summer socks, I started getting blisters. *sighs*
Pictures and commentary below the fold.
The only bit of water I saw on this hike was right at the beginning, crossing over this bridge. I'm not sure what the name of the stream is... It may be the lower part of Mink Creek, as that trail is just a bit past, and above, this one.
A young moose! I saw him on the way up, when I was maybe 100 yards past the bridge. The people camping in the parking lot said that they (eventually) saw his mother, too, but I hiked on, and when I got back down, both were gone. (Incidentally, I'm not sure it's technically legal to camp in the parking lot, but they weren't building a fire and there was plenty of room... *shrugs*)
There were many of these rockfalls of shale along the way. Possibly they're connected to the name, "Slate" Mountain?
Cute green beetle. I saw several of these in the valley. They were capable of short flights, but didn't seem keen on staying airborne for long.
The sun setting on the other side of the mountain whose side I was hiking up. It was a bit hard to tell what I was taking a picture of, as the sun was a bit bright, but several of my attempts turned out well. This one was the most dramatic.
I know I've identified this one before, but the only name that comes to mind is Spring Beauty, and the leaves are wrong for that. I'm too tired to look for it, though.
Okay, I'm sure this is in the pea/clover family, but that's about it. It was the only one of its kind that I saw near the trail.
Just a pretty view from near the top of where I got to.
Okay, these I've seen before. Yellowbells, Fritillaria pudica. These were spread out everywhere on the east side of the hill, which means the snow melted pretty recently, as they generally bloom just as the snow melts.
And that's all for now. Hopefully I didn't slow your computer down too much with all of these! `/^
Finally finally finally FINALLY feeling better. As you might have gathered from the surplus of posts this evening. I even made it over to walk Buster this afternoon, and I'm not sure when the last time I managed that was. And there was a mallard couple swimming 'round the canal, male and female, so likely in a few months there will be ducklings. Anyway, just felt like announcing that. Good night.
It never made it to the only large theater in Pocatello during the initial release, but is finally showing in the second tier theaters. And I got to see it tonight! Very, very well done. It's not quite how I would have done it, but everything works. If you've seen any of Tim Burton's other films, especially things like The Nightmare Before Christmas and Beetlejuice, you'll have some idea what kind of atmosphere to expect.
Johnny Depp managed to surprise me. At the very beginning, I had my doubts. There just wasn't enough expression in his first lines. Seeing the rest of it, that must have been deliberate, perhaps as if he were feeling a bit numb to see London again. The rest of his performance is beautiful. Gruesome, but beautiful.
Helena Bonham Carter is quite good as well. I would either have cast someone with a scratchier voice for the role, or tried to train her to sing it that way. Her voice was just a bit too pretty for the role of Mrs. Lovett, imo. But maybe that's just me. Her speaking lines were wonderfully delivered, and she had just the right flair, so I can't complain about anything else.
They did leave out quite a bit that was in the musical. No tooth-pulling contest with Pirelli; no Judge Turpin lashing himself; no chorus; no "resurrection" at the end. The chorus I particularly missed. The melody ran throughout much of the movie, but no one ever sang the lyrics. I thought maybe they'd show up in the credits, at least, but they hadn't by the time Fibonacci and I headed out. As for the other elements that were omitted, I can understand that based on the way the movie ended; those elements would have been distractions. I will say that what happened at the very end of the movie was in the musical, but it was not the very end of the musical. There was a bit more closure on other plot elements.
At any rate, I would highly highlyhighly recommend this. Er, fair warning, it is a bit graphic: blood spurting and whatnot. I'm the type of person to note such things and begin wondering how they managed the effect, so it generally doesn't bother me. So perhaps I should amend that, and recommend it to anyone with a grand sense of the macabre. PS: if you liked the song, you'll love the way they did "A Little Priest" in the movie. Beautiful. Just beautiful.
I just attacked my hair with my clippers. Normally I try to let other people do the attacking during the semester, professionals for instance, but this semester... when I've had time, I've felt lousy; when I've felt like getting it done, I haven't had time. Ergo, clippers. I have a day or so to do any touch-ups before anyone at school/work can have a fit about it.
Monday - feeling mostly okay Tuesday - a bit off Wednesday - further off Thursday - ACK. Friday - DOUBLE ACK Saturday - DITTO Sunday - better than I've felt since Wednesday
Incidentally, watching Ninja cartoons whilst sick can have odd side effects. Like screaming at the germs that they'll never defeat you, and that they'll soon call your body the "dying ground." And, no, I wasn't screaming aloud...though that could have been entertaining, especially at the grocery store. `/^
By and large, most things are fairly simple to convert to gluten free. Use a gluten free flour mix, add some xanthan gum, maybe increase the amount of baking soda/powder and add an extra egg, and otherwise keep the recipe the same. The only trick is to find a GF flour mix that has the same consistency as regular flour, and there are lots of those available in cookbooks and on-line. There are a few exceptions to this "simplicity". (1) Yeast bread: For this, get a GF cookbook and follow the recipe to the letter the first few times (unless the temperature in the recipe conflicts with the temperature on the yeast you're using; temperature is key).
(2) White cake: I still haven't made a decent GF white cake. It's always too thick and dry. The closest is Bette Hagman's Italian Creme cake, but that's not really a white cake. Her supposed "Master White Cake" recipe was, well, er, interesting... It wasn't any better than any others I'd tried...and in some respects worse.
(3) Date Pudding: I've tried several times in the past to make Date Pudding with gluten free flours using my mom's recipe. It's never turned out. Until tonight. I finally found a GF recipe for date pudding that is similar to my mom's. It's in The Gluten Free Gourmet Makes Dessert. The differences were that I needed to decrease the flour, increase the baking powder, and add some eggs (and xanthan gum). That was it, and it turned out beautifully. So we now have a formerly traditional New Year's dish back on the table for tomorrow. ^/^
What else is on the table? Ham, corn bread, stir fried veggies, and...I'm not sure. I wonder if we have potatoes... I'll probably make rice to go with the veggies, so potatoes would be a mite redundant. At any rate, my mom and I are both happy to get to enjoy date pudding again.
Yeah, I know, I posted about '360 days', well, 5 days ago, so obviously it's now at 365 days = 1 year of practice, but I feel an extreme sense of accomplishment at the moment. I am now one year old. And now for some reason I'm imagining being sworn into a court of law and being asked my age... `/^ I think that has the makings of a Monty Python sketch in it.
"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?" "Yup." "State your age." "One." "What?" "One year old." "No, no... the length of time since you were born." "Which birth?" "What?" etc.
If I get bored sometime, I might flesh that out. Anyway, we one-year-olds need our sleep, so good night.
A slightly blurry woodpecker was in my neighbor's tree during our first big snowstorm this year. Okay, he wasn't blurry in real life. I just managed to focus the camera on the branches behind him, instead of on him. *sighs* Still, I don't usually see these guys in town. Also, a blurry image of "my" Christmas tree (belonged to my Great Grandma Fern once upon a time).
At any rate, I'm using him as a symbols of (blurry) Christmas cheer. Click below for pictures of the gift boxes I made today if you want something a bit more, er, focused.
I've now made it through 10 36-day cycles of practice! When I started, I wasn't sure that I'd make it through the first 36 days, let alone 9 more. I have to say that it was an effective means of dealing with my depression of last year. It didn't make it go away, but it made it bearable. Over Thanksgiving break, a tiny bit of it tried to come back. Two observations: (1) it was such a pale echo of how I felt last year that, even as I felt the depression coming on, it was almost amusing; (2) 10 minutes of qigong practice are nearly always enough to make it vanish. I don't know if (2) would have worked as well last year, as the depression was rather severe. I have no real clue how obvious it was on the blog, as I did make an effort to put a good face on things. However, this year I'm feeling much, much better.
Incidentally, just 36 days with a 10-minute qigong regimen seems to have had a noticeable effect on my push-hands. I'm better able to sink into my root if nothing else. Don again commented today that I might soon be better than he is... The last time he said that, I felt like laughing; it seemed incredibly ridiculous. This time, I felt like there might be some truth to it. Maybe. I prefer not to think in those terms, though, as the last thing I need is to bring ego into it.
And on that topic, we've made it through the end of the second section of the long form. In sense, that means were 2/3 through... In another, it's more like halfway, as both the first and second sections get repeated in the third. There are some things I really like about the long form, and some that just annoy me. Still, it's been good practice to learn it. I particularly like the move "Cold Wind Strikes Both Ears." It's a quick turn on the heel, a slap down, and bring both fists up to clap someone on the ears. Still, I look forward to getting through the long form so we can get back to the CMC form. Mark, I think, will be even happier about that than I am. I'm not sure why, but he's had a tougher time picking up the long form than I have. Admittedly, I've had several lone sessions with Don on it (including today), but Mark sees Don during the week, so he ought to have time to ask questions if need be. Anyway, time to go make it to 361 days.
Final thought: it's rather nice not to be depressed. It really is.
