juice

After five days of gray, Olympia welcomed the sun like an optimistic old friend offering freshly baked oatmeal cookies... I discovered one of my favorite parables while sitting in Trinity Lutheran Church this morning, listening to Pastor Mike's sermon. "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for is vineyard.  He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. "About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing.  He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went. "He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing.  About fie in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around.  He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?' "Because no one has hired us,' they answered. ...

I can't say much about Thursdays, but today was one for the books... er, blog ;) Work was going as usual, but then around lunch time, a couple men popped into the room.  One to chat with Natasha, and one to drop off a stick of valuable data for Sabre, who was gone today.  As I heard man #2 talk briefly with Natasha and then approach my desk, I had the giddy feeling that I was in the presence of a man with a decent amount of "whale watching" under his belt.  He had glasses (check) and a worn white t-shirt with hummingbirds on it (check) and the friendly demeanor of a Canadian (check).... "Hi, I'm Robin".  Of course you are.  I immediately rose from my chair with an open right hand and a little bit of enthusiasm leaking out my eyes and the upturned corners of my mouth.  After our brief encounter, I felt I could cast a line and share my life story with the man.  Given the opportunity, I probably would have just found myself staring and nodding, releasin...

I tried my second Olympian restaurant tonight with work buddies, Natasha, Sabre, and Sabre's significant other (oh, I forget his name!).  Coincidentally, it's called Fish Tale and has a delicious turkey, basil pesto, tomato sandwich with a side of spicy, chicken, lentil soup... http://www.fishbrewing.com/brewpub/ If you are unaware, or don't recall, Fish Tales in Warrnambool, Australia was one of my favorite places to eat.  Even though the menu was a few pages short this time, the food and company was terrific... even in the midst of a bit of rain drops and gray skies.  The atmosphere just enhanced the beautiful mural across the street, on the brewery building, of salmon swimming through a wheat field.  A huge, red octopus overlooked our outdoor table from the restaurant wall.  I thoroughly enjoy the bright paintings around town that seem to make a gloomy day a bit cheerier.

9.16.2014 I began my job at Cascadia today, assisting a masters student from Scotland (Natasha) organize her data on very well structured excel sheets.  The best part of my day had to be chatting with her on our walk home.  Of course, it was no hard task looking at photos of pilot whales all day...  And a free Asian lunch wasn't much to complain about.  Half of the department is gone, conducting research in wonderful places like Hawaii and Southern California, and a couple more interns have yet to start, so it was a pretty cozy work day. A huge map of Hawaii caught my glances above my computer as I told Sabre, who I'm working under, briefly about my time there.  Perhaps I'll get the chance to return with a purpose.  Of course, it's not my computer... I'm borrowing a researcher's space while she's away. You may be wondering exactly what I'm doing at Cascadia.  It goes something like this:  I have an excel sheet on one computer screen that is ...

Dear Friends and Family, It's been awhile!  I'm sad to say I discontinued writing while in Australia.  Things just got too fun and exciting to sit down and reflect.  My reflections usually occurred at the most opportune times; in action and without a laptop.  I miss Australia, but am quite certain I'll return. After a bit of time catching up with home, I've ventured to Olympia, Washington to donate a few months of my time to my love. http://www.cascadiaresearch.org/ Of course, this wouldn't be possible without the support of my parents.  I thank God they are willing to follow me down this unpredictable road. So, Dad and I embarked west, with a mission, on Saturday, September 6th.  Three and a half days of rugged bluffs, golden prairies, land for miles, dense forest, navigable and un-navigable mountains graced our vision and busied our minds.  Dad really got a kick out of the antelope in South Dakota, reminiscing about the times it was a real ...

(written last week; edited 1/20) The Man has finally decided to turn up the heat a bit this week in Warrnambool... to sweltering temps in the 30s, and even 40s, degrees Celsius (over 100 degrees Fahrenheit).  Sonia couldn't remember the last time she had seen so many people on the beach!  I finally was able to brave the waves without a wet suit; savoring the brilliant refreshment in each oceanic nudge.  Fully reintroduced, I returned the past couple days to become reacquainted with the briny blue.  I completely respect the power of the ocean, often being reminded of being thrown around like a rag doll before struggling to crawl unto the sands of Big Beach in Maui.  I was reminded which way was up and which was down only when I slammed and scrapped along the sandy substrate.  Of course, I couldn't stop giggling, staggering like a drunk mermaid, finding her feet for the first time while nearby surfers questioned my well being... and probably sanity, too. ...

I've never had or made mulled wine, but coming across this recipe a few weeks ago, I couldn't resist not trying.  Ben was keen as well, so we "borrowed" one of his Dad's old handkerchiefs, for cheesecloth, and brewed this wonderful recipe.  The ingredients are a bit obscure, but it was well worth it.  I might just make this a winter tradition.  Warming, indeed. Ingredients 8 cardamom pods 8 black peppercorns 6 whole cloves 1 small nutmeg pod 2 cinnamon sticks 1 teaspoon anise seeds (we used 1 anise star) 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (couldn't find these!) 2 bay leaves 1 bottle red wine 6 cups apple cider (we used pear) 1 cup brandy 1 cup honey 1 orange Cider here is always alcoholic, where in WI, and probably other areas in the US, it's first thought of as the stuff sold seasonally, at apple orchards.  We used the alcoholic type, but I'm sure it would be just as good, and decently strong, with regular apple cider/juice. * Cut a square of...