Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower and the Dragon

Follow-up

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:01:14 GMT

Here's a picture of our new puppy.

Pain and Coughing

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:23:16 GMT

I'm not sure if this cold is porcine in origin, but it sure as heck hurts. I can't even take a full, deep breath without bronchial spasms. At least my fever is gone. I'm taking vicodin for its cough-suppressing properties while I make myself some chicken soup. Recipe follows:

Home-made Chicken Soup:

Chicken Stock:
1 Rotisserie Chicken -- Costco makes 'em cheap ($5) and good.
1 celery heart
3 large carrots, washed, but unpeeled. An equivalent amount of baby carrots is fine.
1/4 sweet onion
3 cloves garlic
6 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs fresh sage
Salt and pepper to taste -- If you can, use a mortar and pestle to crack whole pepper corns, the flavor is better.

Separate the meat from the bones on your rotisserie chicken. Reserve the meat in a bowl for later. Put the bones and skin into a large stockpot. Coarsely chop the vegetables and garlic and put them in the stockpot along with the thyme, sage, salt and pepper. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 3-5 minutes, then simmer for 2-3 hours or until vegetables are completely mushy. Don't be afraid to add in parts of the veggies or chicken you wouldn't normally eat -- they'll be strained out later.

Once the stock is made, Strain out the bones and remains of the veggies. They will hold on to a lot of the liquid, so be sure and press it out of the (now flaccid) veggies. If you're concerned about the bones getting in the way, make the stock using just the bones first, strain, then cook down the veggies in the pure chicken broth. Once you're done with the combo broth, you can even puree some of the veggies back into the broth.

Once you have your broth ready to go, it's time for the elements of your actual soup.

Final Soup:

Previously Reserved Meat and Stock
1 celery heart
3 large carrots, washed, but unpeeled. An equivalent amount of baby carrots is fine.
3/4 sweet onion
6 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs fresh sage
Salt and pepper to taste -- If you can, use a mortar and pestle to crack whole pepper corns, the flavor is better.

Same as before -- coarsely chop your veggies and throw them in the pot with everything else. Simmer until your veggies are cooked. If you want noodles, throw them in at as you're cooking your veggies. They'll help to thicken the sauce, but you'll lose volume. If you need more liquid, don't be afraid to add extra store-bought broth or cook your noodles separately. Alternatively, you can thicken the sauce with corn starch and serve over biscuits if you're more into the chicken and biscuits thing.

Wave with me...

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:35:52 GMT

If any of you have been itching to try out the new Google Wave service, I've got 10 invites. I need some people to wave with.

First 10 email addresses get 'em with the understanding that you'll pass on some of your invites to help it spread.

Supplies on a day off

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 17:33:29 GMT

This weekend, Em and I decided to leave our schedule open for work and spend the weekend as a family. While it was pouring rain yesterday, we decided to do a little kitchen prep work. I was able to accomplish the following:

- Roasted an entire bag of garlic heads from Costco. Resulted in a full quart of peeled, roasted garlic.
- Caramelized 9 Hermiston, OR sweet onions. We now have a half-gallon container full of pre-caramelized onions.
- Made beef stew with 2 lbs of well-marbled tri-tip steak, a full bottle of Merlot and orange zest. Served with horseradish-infused sour cream.
- Prepped supplies for the following soups to be made in the next 3-5 days: chicken noodle, roasted tomato w/ shallots, cream of asparagus, french onion.

Recipes to follow upon request.

Busy Days

Sat, 05 Sep 2009 16:17:12 GMT

I spent the bulk of my day up at the studio yesterday, working with tech support and trying to get our Clear service functioning properly with Back To My Mac. No dice. They will be getting a cancellation call later today or Monday. I'm still exploring other (non Qworst) options, but it's looking like I'll be going with Verizon FiOS or Comcast. Anyone with suggestions for other companies, I'm open to it.

FOR THOSE OF YOU LIVING IN UTAH:

We will be making an excursion to SLC on the first weekend of October and we're doing some special mini sessions. Mini sessions are 30-45 minutes and run 100. Full sessions are still 200 and include 2 hrs and a print credit. If anyone's interested, leave me a message here or email me.

Tuna Salad

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 19:24:55 GMT

Growing up, my mother always made tuna salad different than all the other moms. There were no chopped-up bits, no dill taste, nothing. Mom's recipe was simple: sweet pickle juice, Miracle Whip, and fancy chunk white albacore with the water drained. It was sweet and plain, but delicious.

When I moved to Japan, I had to modify the recipe a bit because bread for sandwiches was expensive, chunk white tuna in water was unheard of and they didn't have Miracle Whip. I started mixing a can of oil-packed tuna (the low-grade stuff) with Japanese Mayo (laden with MSG -- yum) and serving it over rice. I called it a Japanese Tuna Sandwich.

After I moved back home, I reverted to the old recipe, but kept serving it on rice. The rice was more filling (and nutritious) than white bread and it was warm, which felt nice in the morning. Em started calling this Tuna Rice and we'd occasionally have it for a quick dinner or lunch, almost always served with some nori so we could make ad-hoc rice balls or onigiri.

Recently, the tuna salad recipe itself morphed into something my mother wouldn't approach unless there was a nuclear holocaust on. It's now a can of tuna, juice from Bubbie's bread and butter pickles, capers, mayo, deli mustard and some Japanese pickles. It's really good.

Just now, from The Pea.

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:35:42 GMT

Upon seeing a commercial on TV:

"Oooo... look! Dental care things!"

One less thing to worry about...

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:05:49 GMT

No longer the mod over at dp_snark. YAY!

RIP John Hughes

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:52:38 GMT

Found this article via damnportlanders and wanted to share it with everyone. Not only was the guy a great director, he sounds like a fantastic man as well.

http://wellknowwhenwegetthere.blogspot.com/2009/08/sincerely-john-hughes.html

I was babysitting for my mom's friend Kathleen's daughter the night I wrote that first fan letter to John Hughes. I can literally remember the yellow grid paper, the blue ball point pen and sitting alone in the dim light in the living room, the baby having gone to bed.

I poured my heart out to John, told him about how much the movie mattered to me, how it made me feel like he got what it was like to be a teenager and to feel misunderstood.

(I felt misunderstood.)

I sent the letter and a month or so later I received a package in the mail with a form letter welcoming me as an "official" member of The Breakfast Club, my reward a strip of stickers with the cast in the now famous pose.

I was irate.

I wrote back to John, explaining in no uncertain terms that, excuse me, I just poured my fucking heart out to you and YOU SENT ME A FORM LETTER.

That was just not going to fly.

He wrote back.

"This is not a form letter. The other one was. Sorry. Lots of requests. You know what I mean. I did sign it."

He wrote back and told me that he was sorry, that he liked my letter and that it meant a great deal to him. He loved knowing that his words and images resonated with me and people my age. He told me he would say hi to everyone on my behalf.

"No, I really will. Judd will be pleased you think he's sexy. I don't."

I asked him if he would be my pen pal.

He said yes.

"I'd be honored to be your pen pal. You must understand at times I won't be able to get back to you as quickly as I might want to. If you'll agree to be patient, I'll be your pen pal."

For two years (1985-1987), John Hughes and I wrote letters back and forth. He told me - in long hand black felt tip pen on yellow legal paper - about life on a film set and about his family. I told him about boys, my relationship with my parents and things that happened to me in school. He laughed at my teenage slang and shared the 129 question Breakfast Club trivia test I wrote (with the help of my sister) with the cast, Ned Tanen (the film's producer) and DeDe Allen (the editor). He cheered me on when I found a way around the school administration's refusal to publish a "controversial" article I wrote for the school paper. And he consoled me when I complained that Mrs. Garstka didn't appreciate my writing.

"As for your English teacher…Do you like the way you write? Please yourself. I'm rather fond of writing. I actually regard it as fun. Do it frequently and see if you can't find the fun in it that I do."

He made me feel like what I said mattered.

"I can't tell you how much I like your comments about my movies. Nor can I tell you how helpful they are to me for future projects. I listen. Not to Hollywood. I listen to you. I make these movies for you. Really. No lie. There's a difference I think you understand."

"It's been a month of boring business stuff. Grown up, adult, big people meetings. Dull but necessary. But a letter from Alison always makes the mail a happening thing."

"I may be writing about young marriage. Or babies. Or Breakfast Club II or a woman's story. I have a million ideas and can't decide what's next. I guess I'll just have to dive into something. Maybe a play."

"You've already received more letters from me than any living relative of mine has received to date. Truly, hope all is well with you and high school isn't as painful as I portray it. Believe in yourself. Think about the future once a day and keep doing what you're doing. Because I'm impressed. My regards to the family. Don't let a day pass without a kind thought about them."

There were a few months in 1987 when I didn't hear from John. I missed his letters and the strength and power and confidence they gave me and so I sent a letter to Ned Tanen who, by that time, was the President of Paramount Pictures (he died earlier this year). In my letter I asked Mr. Tanen if he knew what was up with John, why he hadn't been writing and if he could perhaps give him a poke on my behalf.

He did.

I came home from school soon after to find an enormous box on my front porch filled with t-shirts and tapes and posters and scripts and my very own Ferris Bueller's Day Off watch.

And a note.

"I missed you too. Don't get me in trouble with my boss any more. Sincerely, John Hughes."

Fast forward.

1997. I was working in North Carolina on a diversity education project that partnered with colleges and universities around the country to implement a curriculum that used video production as an experiential education tool. On a whim, I sent John a video about the work we were doing. I was proud of it and, all these years later, I wanted him to be proud too.

Late one night I was in the office, scheduled to do an interview with a job candidate. Ten minutes or so into the call it was clear that he wasn't the right guy, but I planned to suffer through.

Then the phone rang.

1…2…3…4…a scream came from the other room and 1…2…3…my boss Tony was standing in my doorway yelling, "John Hughes is on the phone!!"

I politely got off the phone with the job candidate who was no longer a candidate and

Hit. Line. Two.

"Hi, John."

"Hi, Alison."

We talked for an hour. It was the most wonderful phone call. It was the saddest phone call. It was a phone call I will never forget.

John told me about why he left Hollywood just a few years earlier. He was terrified of the impact it was having on his sons; he was scared it was going to cause them to lose perspective on what was important and what happiness meant. And he told me a sad story about how, a big reason behind his decision to give it all up was that "they" (Hollywood) had "killed" his friend, John Candy, by greedily working him too hard.

He also told me he was glad I had gotten in touch and that he was proud of me for what I was doing with my life. He told me, again, how important my letters had been to him all those years ago, how he often used the argument "I'm doing this for Alison" to justify decisions in meetings.

Tonight, when I heard the news that John had died, I cried. I cried hard. (And I'm crying again.) I cried for a man who loved his friends, who loved his family, who loved to write and for a man who took the time to make a little girl believe that, if she had something to say, someone would listen.

Thank you, John Hughes. I love you for what you did to make me who I am.

Sincerely, Alison Byrne Fields.

Fun communities to read, besides this one?

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 03:49:20 GMT

Up until recently, I've been watching the weddingplans community for (at least to me) pretty obvious reasons. I finally decided to give up on the community, so I'm looking for something to fill out my FL again. Ideas? Fun personal journals will also be considered.

Just because it's awesome

Sun, 02 Aug 2009 14:27:14 GMT

After the last wedding we shot at the beach, I couldn't stop talking about a particular image I caught of the bride and groom on the beach at sunset. Because I just have to share, here it is:

Vendor/Client relationships

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 09:43:08 GMT

Saw this on tastee's journal and just had to re-post it.

We've Moved!

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:33:07 GMT

For those of you who are interested in following the RLP Blog, I've set up an RSS Feed since we moved from our old home (thereversedlens) to our new wordpress blog.

The feed can be found at reversedlens.

Help?

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:17:28 GMT

I found an awesome mix CD on the side of the road the other day and have been able to identify all but 3 of the 22 tracks. Two of them are covers, which renders programs like Shazam! useless. I figured out the original songs, at least.

#1 - ~~Cover of Weezer's "Say It Ain't So" featuring prominent piano and a female lead vocalist.~~ It's by Detroit artist MoZella on her "I Will" album.
#2 - Cover of Eliot Smith's "Between The Bars", also with a female vocalist (Regina Spektor?) and prominent piano. I'm almost certain that it's not Metric, though it could be an alternate version of the Metric cover. Chris Garneau, "Music For Tourists".

~~I'm willing to do some more looking, I'm just not quite sure where to look. Any ideas?~~ Both were found through iTunes and Everyday Music is holding copies of the CDs for me.

Thanks to whoever threw out their mix disk! I love it!

Because

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:35:45 GMT

Waypoints

Mon, 11 May 2009 23:07:53 GMT

There is a half-mile stretch of pavement between Scholl's Ferry Road and the private school I attended for twelve years. It is a long, straight stretch with two lanes and a few houses lining the quarter mile closest to Scholl's. On the west side of the street is a chain link fence and holes 5 and 6 of the Oregon Golf Club. It is a picturesque approach to the school that includes a bridge so narrow that some of the parents will wait on one side or the other rather than cross at the same time as another car.

The straightness of the road and the length make it a severe temptation to students who wish to speed. It is so tempting, in fact, that I have personal knowledge of two of my classmates who were caught drag racing down this road. Campus security banned them from driving to campus for two weeks. I'm sure they're not the first students to do it, nor will they be the last.

On any given weekday morning during the school year, the road is bustling with cars: young parents in Volvo station wagons and SUV's, high school seniors speeding down the road at twice the posted limit. It is a ritual that each student must go through, every day of the school year.

School is full of these rituals -- the smells of the cafeteria at lunch time, the colors and sounds of campus at various times of year, the road to school, high school assemblies. They serve as way points, markers for how we grow and change over the course of our lives. These way points are constants that remain in spite of the change that occurs around them and around us.

The fascinating thing, and really the way we can measure ourselves, is how we view the constants. There was a time when the road seemed a dauntingly long stretch; by the end of my time at the school, I was surprised when I measured its length at only half a mile. It seemed tiny, a short processional to my daily academics that was typically ignored in favor of the food I was frantically ingesting before 8am. Smells were the same way; they pointed to events in the course of a year or a day. The smell of the cafeteria meant gastronomic risks and socializing. The smell of spring meant sun and laying in the grass during recess and free time.

I attended an assembly at the school today. The teachers, the announcements were all the same as they've always been. The students are frozen in time, the only thing changing is their faces and the style of their clothes. In my eyes, it used to be a different animal, but I can see now that this was just me changing and seeing where I stood in relation to everyone else. It was like a series of pictures where the photographer moves around a central object: the pictures are more about how the photographer is looking at something than they are about the object he's looking at.

I am the photographer. See how the world stays the same as my eyes change.

Yelp

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:42:37 GMT

I ran into one of the Yelp ambassadors at an event a couple weeks ago. I knew what Yelp was, but had never gotten into it. After chatting with Don for a while, though, I decided to give it a go.

It's so fun!

If you do not have a Yelp account, I highly recommend it. It's a great way to find out about a business without using a site like citysearch that takes advantage of the businesses it shows off.

Yelp?

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:29:08 GMT

I know theamazingjosh is on Yelp, but are any of the rest of you? Send me your info and I'll add you.

Made in Mexico

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:21:43 GMT

A recent jaunt to Costco in Aloha yielded a case of Mexican-produced Coke made with real cane sugar. In spite of my lack of love for Coca Cola, I find the cane sugar stuff to be great -- and it even comes in glass bottles I can save for later. But I'm still looking for something else.

I would like to find some Dr. Pepper made with real cane sugar. I've had it before thanks to a small bottle ritzcrackerman purchased for me while he was down in Texas and visited the plant. I'd like to use some to stock my photography studio for when we meet with clients, but that requires finding a local source. Plus I want some for myself.

Last night was dinner at Popeye's. Chicken was on sale, 8 pcs. for $4.99. We ate some and then headed up to the studio to meet with a client and secure their deposit. I'm really excited about shooting that wedding -- the reception is at The Secret Society, a local ballroom / recording studio.

Simple tomato sauce

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 22:25:04 GMT

This is what I eat when I'm really tired.

1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
2 small cans sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
half an onion

Sauté the onion until caramelized. Add in garlic and mushrooms, cook for 2-3 minutes. Add in stewed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Salt and pepper to taste, simmer for 10-15 minutes. Serve.

Recipe: Clam Pasta

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 22:17:32 GMT

I just e-mailed my mother-in-law with my clam pasta recipe. Don't know if I've ever posted it here, but it's one of those things it's hard for me to canonize since I do it off the cuff every time.

- 2 8oz cans of chopped clams, drained
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 8-12 small crimini mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed or finely diced
- 1/2 pint cream
- 1 medium lemon, zested and juiced
- Capers
- Olive oil
- Salt & Pepper
- Italian seasoning (if desired)
- 1/4c dry white wine or sherry

In a sauce or sauté pan, cook onions and garlic in a small amount of olive oil and water until onions are translucent. Add in mushrooms and cook until soft. Remove from pan. In the same pan, sauté the clams until they are firm and coated in the remaining olive oil. Add in a little extra if necessary. Remove from pan and mix into onions, garlic and mushrooms.

Deglace pan using the white wine or sherry. Add in cream and lemon zest. Simmer for 3-5 minutes over medum heat to reduce. Add in mushrooms, onions, garlic, and clams, simmer for 1-2 minutes. Add in lemon juice, capers and salt and pepper to taste. If desired, you can add 1 tsp italian seasoning at this point.

Serve over angel hair or penne with bread and Cesar Salad.

Twitter

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 07:04:33 GMT

16:54 I'm sorry, but you're not LL Cool J. Fix your pants. #

http://twitter.com/winter_in_asia

Twitter

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 07:03:13 GMT

14:37 Happy birthday to me! #
17:50 Anyone else out there using Boxee? I'd love to add you as a friend -- just comment with your username. #

http://twitter.com/winter_in_asia

Twitter

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 08:02:19 GMT

08:50 There's nothing like being woken in the morning by your daughter unceremoniously whacking your right testicle with a doll head. Hard. #

http://twitter.com/winter_in_asia

Twitter

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 08:02:34 GMT

08:06 Currently Browsing: project-upstream.awardspace.com/ #

http://twitter.com/winter_in_asia