The Commuter

My first attempt at a curry.

2007-04-05T08:40:00.000-07:00

Contrary to what one would assume by my lack of posting on this blog, I have been cooking from time to time. I tend to forget about this blog with all the distractions that life has to offer a man such as myself. But I digress.

Here is the recipe for a lamb curry I made a few weeks ago. I didn't take any pictures, so you'll have to take my word that it turned out excellent. I swiped the recipe from the best food sub-forum I have found on the interwebs. Recipe courtesy of Gorilla Overlord. Thanks, GO.

I had a blast ordering spices for this recipe, and heartily recommend Penzey's Spices for all your spice needs. So, I present to you:

Lamb Karahi Curry

250g (9oz) Ghee/Clarified Butter
3 tablespoons Fresh Coriander (chopped)
65g (2 1/2oz) Garlic
1 tablespoon Ground Turmeric
1 tablespoon Red Chilli Powder
350g (12oz) Fresh Spinach washed with large stalks removed
1 tablespoon Ground Cumin
4 medium sized Green Chillies with stalks removed
1 tablespoon Paprika
1⁄2 tablespoon Garam Masala
550g (1 1/4lb) Onions Chopped
1 x 400g (140z) Can Chopped Toms
50g (2oz) Fresh Ginger, peeled and chopped
1/2 tablespoon Salt
2lb Boneless leg or shoulder of Lamb (11⁄2 in) cubes
1 tablespoon Ground Coriander
120ml (4fl oz) water
A pinch of ground cumin and freshly ground Blek pepper to serve

When I make this, I use shoulder. It is better for braising, as it stays less dry.

Heat the ghee in a large, heavy based pan. Add the onions and cook over a medium heat, stirring now and then, for 20 minutes until they are soft and a light brown

Put the tomatoes, water, ginger and garlic into a liquidizer and blend until smooth. Remove the fried onions with a slotted spoon, leavnig the delicious fat in the pan, add them to the paste and blend briefly until smooth. You could almost eat it at this point, but let's push on forward.

Return the puree to the ghee left in the pan and add the lamb and salt. Simmer for 30 minutes, by which time the sauce will be well reduced. Stir in the turmeric, chilli powder, cumin, paprika and ground coriander and continue to cook for until the lamb is tender, adding a little water now and then if the sauce starts to stick. This will take probably 90 minutes total cooking time, but always check the lamb regularly.

Meanwhile, put 175g (6oz) of the spinach leaves into a large pan and cook until it has wilted down into the bottom of the pan. Cook for 1 minute, then transfer to the rinsed out liquidizer and blend to a smooth puree. Set aside. Rinse out the liquidiser again and add the green chillies and 2-3 tablespoons of water and blend until smooth. Set aside.

When the lamb is cooked, there should be a layer of ghee floating on the top of the curry. Leave that shit alone - it's pretty and tastes like highly spiced fat, which it is, which is good. Then stir in the spinach puree and the remaining spinach leaves and cook for 2 minutes.

Now taste the curry and add as much green chilli puree as you wish, according to how hot you like your curries. Simmer for 2 minutes more.

Stir in the fresh coriander and Garam Masala. Transfer the curry to a serving dish and sprinkle with a little more ground cumin and some freshly ground Blek pepper just before you take it to the table.

There you go. That's the best single curry I've ever eaten anywhere, except for a few I've had at swanky Indian joints. It also makes a shitload, so you can eat it for a week. Enjoy.

Venison

2007-01-09T16:38:00.002-08:00

This is a venison crown roast. It is very yummy.

A New Direction

2006-12-31T08:28:00.000-08:00

I'm going to take this blog in a new direction. This thing was pretty much a rudderless ship anyway, so here goes.

Cooking. Cooking has been upgraded from passion to obsession recently. I will start posting about meals prepared, dishes I like/dislike, cooking techniques, equipment, recipes, etc.

Saturday, December 30th, 2006.

Christmas dinner with my wife's family. I took over cooking from my mother-in-law. She was much relieved by this offer. Menu:

Appetizers consisted of fresh baked bread using a poolish starter with honey butter, garlic butter, and herb butter (fresh chopped thyme and basil). I made classic bruschetta (Roma tomatoes with shredded basil) served on sliced bread drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with sea salt and browned in a 450F oven.

The main course consisted of the following: 16 rib crown roast of pork with cider/shallot gravy, wild rice risotto with shiitake mushrooms, glazed carrots, roasted green beans with red onions and walnuts.

What went right: the risotto was great. Wild rice is much easier to work with than arborio, and in my opinion more flavorful. The bread was good and the butter worked out great. The crown roast finished in the required time and was juicy and tasty. The gravy was unique, delicate, and delicious.

What went wrong: Crown Roast First off, the butcher screwed me on the crown roast. I asked for the bottom portion of loin, and he talked me into the middle. This led to the chops being far too large for individual servings. Also, the bastards forgot to french the ribs, cut the chine, or notch the ribs for easier cutting. With the size of the roast, I think the stand time could be increased to 20 mins. Carrots The glaze was not as thin as I would have liked, most likely due to excess broth/not enough sugar. The flavor was good, however. Green Beans could have roasted longer, they did not wrinkle as much as anticipated. I'll blame the oven this time. Possibly because the amount was triple the normal recipe? Hmm.

Bootylicious assman.

2006-07-12T12:55:00.000-07:00

It's been a while between posts. This should make up for lost time.

April Showers......

2006-04-06T13:28:00.000-07:00

...bring rivers up to flood stage. Jake (Seayak) and I (Sirocco) made our annual trip through the flooded valley of the mighty Willow River near New Richmond, WI on April 3rd. His other bro-in-law made the trip as well, his first time in a touring kayak (my 14.5 carolina). The weather was warm (50ish) but the 40 mph gusts made it seem a little cooler.

The river wasn't as high as last year, but still flooded the river bottoms quite nicely. At some points the river, which is usually about 20-30 yards wide was over 300 yards wide. The current was very strong, especially when debris and brush blocked the way.

Chad managed to dump his boat just before we entered some decent whitewater, but was able to drag his boat to the side and empty quickly. He did a great job, and didn't seem to impressed with us, at least at that point. He found out later in the week how difficult it is to paddle a 17' kayak in whitewater, but that's a tale for Jake to tell. We all made it through the raging tempest (3-4 ft waves)unscathed, but dripping water from our helmets. The water was COLD! And as usual, the trip ended too soon. I sure like that little river.

Next week: The Apple River and Little Falls, I hope.

Full weekend.

2006-03-20T07:46:00.000-08:00

This was quite a weekend, for me at least.
Friday night was spent bowling and drinking with my good friend Cory. We ended up bowling 5 games and drinking far too many beers. I've been bowling at regular intervals lately, but Cory hasn't bowled in years. Needless to say, he had the high score of the night, a 181. Not too shabby.
Saturday morning was spent trying to be tough and not show my wife I was completely hung over. The smells of frying bacon and fresh ground coffee proved to be impossible to sleep through, so up and at 'em at 8:00 a.m. (that is still sleeping in with two kids.) We loaded up the chitlins and headed for the nearest All-Clad dealer in the area in search of new kitchen ware. We had been setting aside money for this for a while so this was exciting enough to put the hangover on the back burner. After hemming and hawing over adding a 10" fry pan to the set, we settled on the All-Clad MC2 7 piece set. Jess bought the kids a cookie in the coffee shop next door, and we headed home to try out the new pans. After lunch (green eggs and ham) I took a leisurely 3 hour nap. Hangover cured.
I made a great dinner using the new cookware, but that will have to be a separate post.
Sunday brought sunshine and a vino induced hangover for Jess. Did I mention I made a great dinner the night before? Good food has a way of making you drink too much good wine. Anyway, we loaded up the kids, the kayak, and my guitar and headed to Jess's sister's house. Jake and I had a river float planned, and after the float we were to watch the 5 kids while Jess and her sister relaxed and drank coffee and spoke glowingly of their adoring husbands.
The float was a blast! We put in on the Apple River on the Church St. Bridge. The weather was nice: 37 degrees with sunshine, and almost zero wind at water level. We dressed accordingly and were extremely comfortable. Nice stretch of river with high banks, a few riffles, and hundreds of geese. We actually saw a snowmobile while kayaking, a first for both of us. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed being back on the water after 3 months. We even managed to play in some fast water at the takeout.
After that, back to reality and dealing with cooking dinner for 5 kids and 2 ravenous kayakers.
It was the best weekend of the year, so far.....

Monday morning white-out.

2006-03-13T07:13:00.000-08:00

March, someone once said, is the cruelest month. Or was that April? Hmmmmm. Either way, March has given us the extremes in weather that seems to be the norm these days. Yesterday it was nearly 50 degrees and sunny. We are currently in the middle of a snow storm that will apparently dump over 10 inches on us today. March snow is usually wet and sticky, so clean-up is always a bit of a drag. I fired up the snowblower this morning and cleared the driveway, but you can hardly tell with the way this storm is dumping the white stuff.
I'm on a holding pattern for my commute into work today. We lost power to our building , but the generator is holding up so far.
Just another day in Northwest WI.

Catching up.

2006-03-10T10:48:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I posted last (not counting the sleek backside of the nymph below).
Not much has changed over the winter. The family is doing good. DawnWon is finished with her classes and has taking all of her teaching exams. She is looking forward to substitute teaching this year, and next semester will start her student teaching.
#1 son is doing great in pre-K classes and is looking forward to starting kindergarten next year. He has made great strides these last six months. #2 son is turning into quite a character. He should be finishing up potty training this spring, and seems like he is ready to start kindergarten as well. I love my two healthy, happy boys.
I'm still commuting 4-5 times a week. 180 miles round trip.

My brother-in-law and sister-in-law, along with their 3 kids are moving to Seattle this summer. It is a great opportunity and I wish them the best of luck. We will be sad to see them go. I'm losing my golfing, kayaking, and drinking buddy. Fortunately, there are plenty of guys willing to golf, paddle, and drink so it shouldn't be too bad.

I'm looking forward to spring and summer as usual. I forget how inactive I can be in the winter. I have put on the standard winter layer of insulation once again and can't wait to take it off. I'm planning a garden this spring, again. Hopefully I'll follow through this year. We'll see.

More to follow.....

Yet another ass man post.

2006-03-09T13:45:00.000-08:00

Sleek.

Festival of Nations, sausage style.

2005-11-11T08:14:00.000-08:00

Uwe invited me over to make a winter's supply of sausage. 40# of ground pork, 4 types of seasonings, 10#'s of each. We have: Polish, Italian, German, and Andouille. Bulk pork was divided into 4 parts, seasoning were weighed, and we mixed them together.

Taste tests were in order after mixing. Just to verify the mix was thorough. When I was a kid, and my family made potato sausage (Potatis Korv), my grandmother would test the mix raw. We decided to fry our samples.

All taste tests were met with great enthusiasm, and the stuffing commenced. Now, I have made my fair share of sausage over the last few years, and this was without a doubt the most efficient method. Two guys(who know what they are doing)can easily make more sausage than an entire family.
The stuffing went smooth. Here is the Andouille batch. Looks good, no?

So, the sausage was finished, Uwe vaccum packed the meat, and we were ready to relax. The creamy wild rice soup for lunch was delicious. The fried andoullie sausage and fresh baked baguette made for an impressive lunch, and the boys were all ready for a football game.

Bloomer was playing West Salem to advance to the state tournament. Alas, it was not their day to shine. Turnovers sealed their fate. Dayne had a good time, but Uwe looks a bit tired in this picture. All in all a great day. Gus had a blast all day and fell asleep about 15 minutes into the drive home.

Spruce River Lodge

2005-11-01T07:07:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, most members of our deer camp assembled to begin construction on our new "shack". The old shack (no quotes needed) was built in the late 30's by my grandfather and his hunting buddies. Time has not been good to the dwelling. I'll leave it at that, since the feeling of nostalgia is stronger than that of disgust.

Jamyn showed up with his construction trailer, which had enough tools and supplies for 6 men to build 10 houses. We worked in teams engineering the base plates and laying out the exterior walls, cutting studs for the walls, building the walls, and fastening bild-rite and Ty-vek to the walls. All of the teams worked in concert to raise and support the walls once they were raised.

It was a good day for work, the weather cooperated, and the teamwork was fantastic. We were able to put up all 4 exterior walls, set the trusses, and put purlins on half of the trusses. If the rain would have held off on Sunday, we could have started fastening the steel roof.
We won't be able to use the "shack" this deer season, but will definitely use it next season and hopefully another 70 years....Long live the Dingle Creek Boys and the Spruce River Lodge!!!

Artsy assman.

2005-10-25T09:36:00.000-07:00

For Dawnwon, who wil be reading this blog.

Quotations, facts, a lie, and a question.

2005-10-20T10:20:00.000-07:00

It has been a couple of weeks since my spin cycle of misery laden last post. I have since come out of that funk that always follows a lengthy, enjoyable vacation. Life is good, once again, sort of.
My sister and step-daughter, refugees from hurricane Rita, have been staying at our house for the last 3 weeks. They, along with their Golden Retriever have been great house guests, and built in baby-sitters. It feels really good to help someone out in their time of need. That said, it will be nice once they clear out. I miss walking around naked in my own house in the evening.

O.K, so on with the quotations, facts, lies and question. Our hypocritical, fascist government is lying to the public about Medical Marijuana. Marijuana has been used medically for thousands of years. Until the 1930's, medicine shelves carried cannabis in all forms of remedies, in the USA. Now, under federal law, it is illegal for even the sickest of patients to seek relief using cannabis. A plant. A plant in it's raw form is considered a Schedule 1 narcotic, rated as having no medical or scientific properties, is rated as dangerous as HEROIN. Insane.

Quotes.

"In strict medical terms, marijuana is far safer than many foods we commonly consume. For example, eating ten raw potatoes can result in toxic response. By comparison, it is physically impossible to eat enough cannabis to induce death."
-A quote from the DEA.

"The difference between a policy and a crusade is that a policy is judged by its results, while a crusade is judged by how good it makes its crusaders feel."
- Thomas Sowell

"Penalties against possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself, and where they are they should be changed."
-Jimmy Carter - Former U.S. President

"When even one American who has done nothing wrong is forced by fear to shut his mind and close his mouth, then all Americans are in peril."
-Harry S. Truman

FACTS.

Approximately 77,000 marijuana offenders are in prison or jail right now

There have been over seven million marijuana arrests in the United States since 1993, including 755,186 arrests in 2003, —an all-time record. One person is arrested for marijuana every 42 seconds. About 88% of all marijuana arrests are for possession, —not manufacture or distribution

Seventy-two percent of Americans believe that marijuana users should not be jailed. Eighty percent support legal access to medical marijuana for seriously ill adults.

Because marijuana is typically used in private, trampling the Bill of Rights is a routine part of marijuana law enforcementÃ—e.g., use of drug dogs, urine tests, phone taps, government informants, curbside garbage searches, military helicopters, and infrared heat detectors.

Lies.

Marijuana is an unstable mixture of more than 425 chemicals that convert to thousands when smoked. Many of these chemicals are toxic, psychoactive chemicals which are largely unstudied and appear in uncontrolled strengths.

The DEA's own Administrative Law Judge, Francis Young concluded in a 1988 ruling that: "In strict medical terms marijuana is far safer than many foods we commonly consume. For example, eating 10 raw potatoes can result in a toxic response. By comparison, it is physically impossible to eat enough marijuana to induce death. Marijuana in its natural form is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man. By any measure of rational analysis marijuana can be safely used within the supervised routine of medical care.

Well, I could go on and on with the lies.

The question I have is: Why is cannabis (medical or recreational) banned in the USA?
What is it the drug warriors and policy makers are so afraid of? It seems like the public at large supports medical marijuana, in fact most support decriminalization!
Is is the deep pockets and deeper fear of the Pharmaceutical lobby?

Something to think about.

Rain, rain, rain.

2005-10-05T13:51:00.000-07:00

Record rains for October have been falling in MN and WI the last few days. A 'train echo' has stalled over us and dumped over 5 inches of rain yesterday. The ground is saturated and any new rain is running to the nearest collection point. Highways are flooding, creeks are roiling, and my temperament is decreasing as the water rises.
It's always like this when coming off of a vacation, but with all that is happening lately, both personal and globally, it seems to be hitting me a lot harder than normal. It's nice to be able to sound off on this blog, even if only a few people are checking it out.
It seems like everyone has something to hide these days. What has happened that no one tells the truth, until the truth becomes worse than the lies? Friends lie, wives lie, husbands lie, congressmen lie, presidents lie, governments lie. I lie.
The lies are pouring in like this October's rains. I fear we may all drown in this deluge unless the truth is finally told.
Wake up. Look, I mean really take a look around you. Are you doing what you want to do? What you need to do? Are you prepared? Are you with who you want to be with? Are you lying to yourself when answering your own questions?
Damn, I'm in a horrible mood. Need to get rid of this cold. I feel like I'm under water, kicking hard for the surface, but the weight of my clothes and boots are holding me down, pulling me under.
Enough. I've got to slog home through this shit, 90 miles of depression, 90 miles of nothing but time for my mind to bubble and stew, 90 minutes.
90 minutes of rain and lies.

BWCA Day 4 and home.

2005-10-05T10:59:00.000-07:00

Woke up early once again, this time to a howling wind. It made me nervous so I tried to fall back to sleep. No dice. I got up and picked up the loose articles the wind had tried to blow away. I was touch hungover from the night before, but knew Greg would be feeling even worse.
We broke camp in the wind, heating water with the WhisperLite for coffee and oatmeal. I was amazed with how efficient we were this year. 2 #4 Duluth packs (1 Granite Gear original, and 1 GG Superior), 1 GG food pack(which we stuffed with a 10 Gallon bear barrel), and one #2 Duluth pack for the kitchen gear. We could have single portaged, but why? The waves were about 2 feet high with a pretty strong wind, but not too bad. It seemed like the wind was always at our backs this year.
The paddle and portaging out were uneventful. We did meet a couple of retirees who were coming out after ten days in. The 140 rod portage up and down the cliff was pretty tough on the old guys, but it looked like they had enough cigarettes to make it to the Chainsaw Sisters.
We carried the gear back to the car, and went inside for an ice cold Coca-Cola. The service was cool as usual, but expected. With all the gear loaded we headed into Ely for food, a visit to the Brandenburg studio, and presents for the wives.
The Jetta handled the load magnificently, and we were able to the 440 mile round trip on just under a full tank of diesel. We averaged about 38 MPG on the way up, and with the wind and extra canoe about 27 MPG on the way back. Not too bad.
It was a good trip, although much too short. For a first timer, Jake handled himself like an old pro, and fished his tail off. A commendable performance. No major changes will be needed for next year other than to bring more Kool-Aid and wine, and less vodka.
I'm still in a foul mood about having to leave the BWCA so soon, but the duties of a husband, father, and now sheltering 2 hurricane Rita evacuee's are filling the days and keeping my mind off the peace and solitude one can only find in the wild....

BWCA Day 3.

2005-10-05T10:23:00.000-07:00

Once again, I'm up at first light. No sleeping in for me this trip. Today is a travel/exploring day. We are taking a circuitous route through Boot, Fairy, Gun, Bullet, to Moosecamp where we have heard the walleyes are biting. Since we have no hydrocarbons to power our canoes, we must power them with carbohydrates and Greg has just the substance: blueberry pancakes.
Sidenote: The previous night at the campfire, a Maker's Mark discussion between Greg and I concluded that if I was up early enough to make a batch of wild rice, he would make blueberry/wild rice pancakes. We'll since I can't sleep in, I went ahead and made the wild rice.
So, we dumped in a generous amount of wild rice, and proceeded to eat a whole box of pancake mix, with wild rice. Feeling stuffed as an old grizzly bear, we piled into the canoes with fishing poles, MSR stoves, bacon, a frying pan and a filet knife. We were going to "catch our lunch" today. It was a good thing we also threw in the bagels, cheese, and sausage.
We were able to ride with the wind through the lakes mentioned above, but quickly realized that we would NOT want to paddle back into the wind. We decided we would take the shorter route through the stream that connects Moosecamp to Fourtown. With water levels low, this was a risky decision. More on that to follow.
Gun and Fairy lakes were extremely clear and pretty lakes. We did fish and landed a few smallies, but nothing to speak of or eat. Moosecamp produced one pike which we promptly ate. We all stretched out for a nap in the warm sun and breeze, resting up for what threatened to be a rough trip back to base.
The levels were low when we started into the stream, but navigable. After the second beaver dam, we knew we were going to get muddy. We dragged, lined, and portaged over half of the distance to Fourtown, but still felt it was better that battling the wind the entire way back through Gun, Boot, Moosecamp, Bullet, and Fairy.
We caught a few fish in Fourtown on the way back to camp, but again, nothing to write home about. The breeze kept up after dark, but it was out of the south and quite warm. We made up wild rice with fried onions, lots of garlic and butter, and a generous amount of cayenne, wrapped in the remaining tortillas. The rice was harvested and finished by my Dad and I in early September, and tasted fantastic!
We decided to finish off the platy's that night. I should say, Greg and I decided to finish off the platys that night. Another bad decision. I'll leave it at that.
Stars, northern lights, excellent cloud interaction with the NL, too much drinking, and Jake nodded off about 14 times while sitting by the fire. I think the Crazy Creek 3 chair had something to do with the drowsiness. The CC3 is on my Christmas list for sure.
Went to the tent with the spins around 1:00 a.m. Next year I'll bring booze home if I have to.

BWCA Day 2.

2005-10-05T09:58:00.000-07:00

Ahh, up with the morning light. I can't sleep in when I'm in a tent, regardless of how little sleep I've had. What a gorgeous morning! A little cool, but I manage to get a fire going, split some wood, and put the coffee pot and Dutch oven on to heat water for the morning. A thick fog blankets the lake as the sun starts to peek over the tree tops with a brilliant morning glow.
Today will be a rest/relaxation day with a little fishing and exploring so everyone takes their time getting up. I made scrambled eggs with onions and pepperoncino peppers and fried a pound of bacon. We wrapped the eggs and bacon in tortillas, very tasty and almost to spicy. Almost.
Fishing does not pan out for Timmy and I, but Greg and Jake (mostly Greg) land a couple of pike. Greg wants to throw the bigger pike back but Jake, thinking with his stomach, castigates Greg for even thinking about it, and they keep the pike. Greg cooks up four panfuls of the fish, Y bones and all, and we proceed to eat heartily with a side of garlicy, buttery, spicy(cayenne pepper is essential) wild rice. What a feast! Jake manages to finish off the leftovers, that were kept warm in the Dutch oven, before the night is over.
Another night of stars, Milky Way contemplations, platy depletion, northern lights, and conversation without wind or bugs ensues. The birch holds a warm steady glow as we enjoy the peace and quiet away from jobs, wives, kids, and responsibilities. Do we really have to leave the day after tomorrow?

BWCA trip report, pre trip and Day 1.

2005-10-04T12:12:00.000-07:00

Pre trip, 23 Sept:
Greg and Tim arrived at my house to go over the gear, packing, food supplies, etc. We used Maynard's (the usual fourth for this trip) detailed packing list and were fairly satisfied with the results. Jake had already stopped by earlier that day to drop off his gear, drink 3 of my beers, and throw a wicked session of frisbee. Tim, Greg, and I managed to drink our fair share of beer that night and we said goodbye at 11:00 p.m.
We managed to plan a departure time of 5:00 a.m. on the 25th, and very little else.
Pre Trip, 24 Sept:
Tim showed up around 4:00 p.m., and we went shopping for the trip. $60 in food for the whole trip isn't too bad. Not counting the 2 lbs. of wild rice I threw in gratis, $15.00 per head is extremely cheap. We decided to pack in the morning and proceeded to suck down a couple of ice cold pitchers of beer at The Pioneer Bar in my town. Jake was at a wedding party and also managed to consume a large amount of alcohol. We would not budge on our 5:00 a.m. time. He called me a few names and hung up, after I regaled him with the Badgers stirring victory over Michigan.
Greg and Tim spent the night at my house.
25 Sept:
5:00 a.m. - I actually woke up without an alarm. I had planned to let Jake show up at 5 and wake us up, but when your up, and it's the Bdub, your up for the day.
5:12 a.m. Jake shows up!! And promptly lays down when he realizes none of us are packed or ready.
7:00 a.m. Departure. The Jetta is fully loaded and ready to rock.
7:15 a.m. Breakfast in Grantsburg, WI. Mmmm. See old guy with actual handlebar moustach that was greased to great effect.
11:30 - 2:00 Arrive in Ely. Sun is shining, unlike the dreary rain we left behind in Frederic. Eat lunch at the Chocolate Moose. Pick up permit from Piragis. Greg bought a new used canoe from Piragis, we load it up and head for the Chainsaw Sisters and our Entry Point.
Our portages into Mudro and Fourtown lakes are smooth as can be. We saw 4 groups heading out as we were heading in. Fishing outlook does not look good, but the water on Mudro is like glass, and it feels so good to be back in the BWCA. We saw a rather disturbed loon on Mudro, and kept our distance.
We located a campsite about halfway up the eastern shore of Fourtown with a great view and nice tent pads. Greg and Tim gathered wood in my canoe while Jake and I prepared dinner. Pork Tenderloin with garlic mashed potatoes and fried onions. All washed down with a nice red wine platy that Jake was smart enough to bring along.
What a sunset that evening! Fourtown was absolutely still, and the reflection on the water seemed to light the lake on fire. We had plenty of wood thanks to Greg and Tim so we built up the fire and settled around it for stargazing, socializing, and a wee bit of drinking. About an hour after sunset, an owl started showing off behind us. Soon after I heard the most sorrowful, lonesome sound I have ever heard. A lone wolf howling. He went on for almost 10 minutes, and then the whole pack joined in with him. It sounded like they were having a party! They pack yipped and howled together for a few minutes, the lone wolf howled once more, and then silence reigned again.
The stars were brilliant as usual, interrupted only by the glowing and dancing northern lights. A beautiful end to a great day, a better afternoon, and the best night I've ever experienced in the Boundary Waters.

Assman: Redux

2005-08-19T11:03:00.000-07:00

Simply incredible

BWCAW 2005

2005-08-10T07:14:00.000-07:00

It is official; we have an entry date for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (wilderness). Sept. 24 is our arrival date, and we'll pull out on the 28th. This is going to be a shorter trip than what we usually do, but also more relaxed than usual. Myself, Greg, Tim and Jake will be heading into peace, quiet, superb fishing, and rest.

There are numerous reasons for "getting away" from the daily grind, and yet few places truly allow one to get away. The BWCA is one of those places. For those unfamiliar with the B-dub, it has been designated as a wilderness area, which means motorized means of transportation are strictly verboten. This includes airplane flight patterns; in fact, the only air traffic you will see is the occasional National Forest Service float plane. Glass and aluminum are not allowed, and you must pack out what you pack in. Canoeing is the main means of getting around, although there are trails that lead in and out of the BWCA.

The dawn, dusk, and nights are spectacular in the BWCA. The haunting call of a loon at sunrise coupled with the mist on the water and the absolute stillness are unmatched in beauty, and seem to cleanse one's soul. I like to stargaze, and there is zero light pollution in the BW. There are so many stars to see, and they are so bright the sky is almost green (hard to explain).

So, needless to say, I'm very excited.

One note: Our usual fourth man has decided to take a more adventurous route this year, and will not be going with us. He will be missed, and hopefully will want to join us again next year.

More information to follow as preparations commence.

Hired help.

2005-07-28T19:40:00.000-07:00

Last night, Shawn and I sealed his blacktop driveway. It's funny how when you are helping a friend, work doesn't feel like work.
I took a few snaps of his chocolate lab, Sydney.
A little background on Shawn: He and his wife Nicole (a childhood friend of mine) let me stay at their house for a night every other week. It helps break the monotony of my brutal commute. They have no idea how much I appreciate their hospitality.

A little trim for Gus.

2005-07-26T07:10:00.000-07:00

Last night was my first attempt at cutting someones hair, other than mine that is. Gus was a patient, although bored subject. I think it turned out o.k. As you can see, I am already eyeing up my next victim....

Bois Brule trip report.

2005-05-09T07:22:00.000-07:00

The first overnight kayak trip of the year was a complete success, not to mention a hell of a good time. The weather was perfect, the river was amazing, and the company was top notch. This was a 2 day, one night trip. Greg, Jake, Maynard and me were the participants. Here is the report:

Thursday evening: Finally decide to pack since we are leaving my house by no later than 7 a.m. I made room in my garage for my Carolina 14.5' and Sirocco 17' kayaks and camping gear. Maynard showed up around 8 p.m., unloaded, and we dragged the boats across the road for a pre-trip paddle. The weather was incredible, 70 degrees and still and the lake was like glass. Jake showed up a little later, the boats were loaded and a few beers were consumed before we hit the sack around 11:30. My wife played a small part in the early bed-time for me, but there were no complaints from the rest of the crew. Decide to finish packing my clothes in the morning.

Friday: 12 miles, Winnebojou Landing to Copper Range Campground.
Wake up at 5:45. , too excited to sleep any longer. Shower and wake up the boys. Greg shows up at 6:30. Everything was packed and loaded and we hit the road at 6:58, right on schedule. Breakfast in Siren at the Main Street Cafe kicked serious ass and fueled us for the day ahead. Ice for the beer in the cooler and gas in Siren and we are underway, holding rigidly to Jake's schedule.
Arrived at the put in right on time, dropped the boats, found the campsite, self-registered, set up camp, and launched by noon. It was a beautiful, warm, bluebird day on the Bois Brule. A couple of riffles started us out and put us in a great mood. I had not paddled the Sirocco in fast water yet and was a little nervous. It turns out there was no need, the boat handled like a dream, although much different than in flat water. Little Joe rapids were a fast drop with decent action, and were the highlight of this stretch.
Maynard learned that drinking beer on a sharp corner on the Brule is not recommended. Unfortunately for the rest of us, we did not see his textbook wet-exit while under a sweeper, but we did see the aftermath. This was the only accidental swimming on the trip.
The 12 miles was over by 4 p.m., and we were ready to relax and enjoy the day. We had planned to goof off in the May Ledges, but boat launching was not allowed so the plan was ixnayed.
Copper Range campground is very nice. It has large campsites, huge trees, and enough room for a really good round of Frisbee. We set up the chairs and a cooler right next to water near a gigantic pine tree, and enjoyed the afternoon. What a day. Greg nailed it by declaring it the best day of 2005, so far. We all agreed heartily. We consumed a large dinner with wild rice, grilled pork chops, and grilled mushrooms. It was all around excellent fare, an excellent day, and an excellent fire with libations that evening.

Saturday: 15 miles, Copper Range Campground to Lake Superior.
I woke up too early again, around 5:40, and couldn't get back to sleep. I started a fire, and generally made a lot of noise to get the others up. Maynard asked if I had the coffee ready yet, and the tent holding Jake and Greg erupted at the magic word: coffee.
A large breakfast of scrambled eggs with salsa and tortillas and fresh camp coffee put everyone in high sprits. Note: the lid to my Dutch oven, when inverted over a fire makes a fine place to warm tortillas. We moved cars to the take out on Lake Superior, and put in right on schedule again. Jake's schedule was eerily accurate, and eerily followed.
This section of the river was a lot different than the day before. It is almost constant Class I rapids, very fun and enjoyable. We came upon the first set of ledges, the Lenroot Ledges after about 45 mins. of paddling.
What a great little stretch of whitewater! The water was down so the ledges were Class II, but we pre-scouted to determine the best route. Jake went first, I followed, then Maynard and lastly Greg. No problems were encountered and we all were pumped to have navigated the ledge. There were several drops of 2 to 3 feet, and reactionary waves to deal with but it was a fairly easy run. No one wanted to drag their boats back up so we proceeded to the next section.
Mays Ledges were a little more difficult, and a lot more fun. One drop of about 3 feet sent a huge wave of water over my head; I thought that was pretty cool. I almost biffed downstream on another small ledge, but a well timed brace (and a big flat ledge to brace against) put me upright easy as pie. I managed to lose my sunglasses at some point, but was not very upset. That river can put you in a fantastic state of mind.
The rest of the trip was mostly fast water, with the exception of the last mile or so. The river slowed down as we neared the lake, and the wind picked up. The temperature also dropped considerably. We decided against kayaking in the 5 foot breakers on the lake, and left in search of burgers, beers, and home.

The Hooverization of George W. Bush has begun.

2005-04-04T08:58:00.000-07:00

I would just love to see these neo-con(nazi's) burned to crisps, wrapped in a rhetoric sandwich, and served with a side of the soon to be eaten riche.

The following excerpt was lifted from James Kunstler's site:

Herbert Hoover was vilified for doing nothing about the depression that followed the stock market crash. When we look back on the years of George W. Bush we will marvel at his failure to lead, especially his failure to inform the public that our habits of daily life would have to change, that we could not continue to burn twenty million barrels of oil a day, and spend money we hadn't earned; that we desperately had to reform our suburban land development habits, that the WalMarts and other predatory corporations had to be restrained in their systematic destruction of local economies, that our railroads needed to be rebuilt, that our borders needed to be defended, that our local small farmers needed to be supported, that our industries needed to be re-scaled and retained here, that corporate chiseling had to be policed, that finance had to be qualitatively different than a craps game in some casino.
The Hooverization of George W. Bush has begun. Only it will go much worse for Bush. His fall could be so hard, swift and awful that he may not be allowed to finish his second term. That's how stunned the public and even their entrenched oligarchical elites will be as the economy tanks and our national life begins to unravel. The Republican majority will go down with him, including such arrant villians as Tom Delay and the hosts of corporate CEO chiselers who sold out their workers and their country. They can pray all the want. It won't help.

March Madness

2005-03-20T09:31:00.000-08:00

When the hell is spring going to arrive? Real spring, not some bullshit spring determined by a date on a calendar. My wife is going crazy, the kids are suffering a full blown case of cabin fever, and all I want to do is chill out and watch the NCAA tournament. I hate television more than just about anything, but I am eerily drawn to the competition that unfolds during the first 4 days of the tourney. UW-Milwaukee is in the Sweet Sixteen!! Who the hell saw that coming? And the Badgers have a chance to move on this evening, not having to play Kansas in the second round. Go Badgers!
One more week until I can pick up my new Kayak. I purchased a new Current Designs Sirocco, sight unseen. I'll post more about the boat once the friggin ice melts and I can actually paddle the beast. That should be sometime in mid-April..... Next year I'm taking up ice fishing so we have something to do as a family during winter or I'm afraid we'll all go down in a hail of bullets from my wife. Winter can suck my balls.

2005-03-17T08:52:00.000-08:00

I am an ass man. This is a fine example of an ass.

Weightlifting: A running commentary.

2005-03-17T05:28:00.000-08:00

On January 17 I began to lift weights again. I say again because it has been over 5 years since I pumped iron of any sort. An old friend, and cousin of my wife, and I decided to dust off the gear, consolidate our equipment, and get serious. We had been lifting hard, but with no real direction until last week. We are now finishing up our second week of a 6 week program that is pretty strict, at least for us.
Here is how it breaks down:

Monday - Chest

Incline bench
Flat bench
Flat bench negatives
dumbbell press (flat, incline, or decline)
dumbbell flys.

Tuesday - Back and Shoulders

Bent over rows (barbell)
One-arm rows (dumbbell)
Lat pull downs
Rack dead-lifts
Military press
Side raises (dumbbell)
45 degree raises
Front raises
Shrugs

Wednesday - Off

Thursday - Biceps and Triceps

E-Z bar curls (heavy)
Dumbbell curls
Preacher curls
Skull crushers
behind the head presses
Triceps kickbacks
Triceps push-downs

Friday - Legs

Deep squats
Leg extensions
Leg curls
Lunges
Calf raises

Saturday, Sunday - Off

Sets and Reps differ depending on weight. Usually we try to do 4 sets of 8 reps on each exercise, but we mostly rely on how the muscles feel. Also, abs are worked every night we lift.

I am already seeing fantastic results, especially from the Incline BP. I was never fat, but my desk job and driving 3 hours a day sure didn't keep me in shape. I have visible pectoral muscles now, and my shoulders and arms are showing considerable results. I try to drink and eat enough protein each day (1 gram per pound of body weight).

My goal is to either lose 15 lbs, or 3 inches off my waist by mid-June, my 31st birthday. I am currently 195 lbs, and wear a 33 inch waist.

First post.

2005-03-17T04:55:00.000-08:00

Here it is, my first attempt at blogging. Is that even a verb? I'm not sure. Anyway, I'll try to post here once a week and more if possible. I'll be updating my attempts at camping, canoeing, kayaking, other outdoor activities this year. I'll also try to keep a weekly update of my weightlifting progress. Any new tidbits of info with my family life will also be shared, and maybe a few rambling essays on my view of the world.
So if for some reason you stumbled upon my blog, enjoy my little tales and ideas.

Nick