kochleffel

The nearest Stewarts store that I can think of is in Cooperstown. Maybe I'll get a root beer when I'm there in August. A savory galette can be made with a variety of fillings, but leeks are often included. How to make any savory galette without a recipe. I might like the cocktail, maybe only once. Sauvignon Blanc does fairly well in the Finger Lakes and I might look at Hazlitt's 2023 (earlier vintages are still in stores), $21, "notes of lemongrass and flavors of papaya, grapefruit, and gooseberry that linger on the finish." The Point Reyes National Seashore in Marin County is along Drakes Bay and it is probably one of the few scenic places in that region that a college friend has never insisted on taking me. The high temperature today will be about 91° and the rest of the week will be warmer, but right now it's 72°. I have a meeting at the synagogue late this afternoon but there is a meeting room with A/C. I am glad that the ritual committee insisted on moving services for the summer, starting last week, to the chapel, which has A/C, since the main sanctuary doesn't. The rabbi likes the main sanctuary better even though it has a seating capacity about 20 times the average attendance. After that I'll go to the organic farmers' market and hope there are still pattypan squashes.

I don't introduce religion into conversation, either, but I wouldn't lie about my occupation, so sometimes it came up. I have been tempted to lie about where I live.

I'm still where you probably think I am. I left a dinner table once because of political talk. This was on RCI, during a Baltic cruise. When we were overnight at St. Petersburg, it disarranged all the dinner seating: some people with early dining had day excursions that would come back too late, and some with late dining had evening excursions that would leave too early. To cope with that, they made it all open seating at large, shared tables. Another American asked me a question out of the blue about politics, which I tried to deflect. But then someone else, not from the U.S., picked up the topic and would not be persuaded to stop.

Concern about obnoxious dinner companions is what keeps me from selecting fixed seating, but my worst experience of that kind had nothing to do with dinner seating. It was a winter cruise during which it seemed like everyone I met started to berate me over politics. I never initiate political discussion with new acquaintances, but the moment they heard what state I live in, they were off and ranting.

On Thursday or Friday, as I was posting a reply in another thread, the thread disappeared. Several other threads in the same vein also disappeared. From a host's reply in another forum, I know now that bickering--such as repeated posts back and forth between two people--will cause posts or threads to be removed. So will subject drift. (My post would have added to that, because it was replying to a digression.) If topic drift is against the rules, we could all be in trouble. So to keep this post on topic, I'll say that I have never been to Mumbai.

I'm all for African children. While I understand that International Day of Family Remittances refers to the money sent home by immigrants, in Victorian and Edwardian England a "remittance man" was an embarrassing family member who was paid by his family to live abroad. The menu suggestion would be OK but I'm not going to make it. The weather beginning tomorrow will be right for an Arnold Palmer, but I'm more likely to have G&T. For the unfindable wine, I'll substitute a 2021 Pinot Noir Rosé from Fulkerson's, $16. "Grown on one of the best sites on our farm, our Pinot Noir planting is situated on Howard Gravel and Odessa Clay soils. The vineyard is split just about in half by the two soil series giving this field a complexity not found in other sites around the Finger Lakes. The light sandy Howard series gives a light fruity nose, while the heavy and relatively shallow clay of the Odessa series impart a steely, and mineral finish." Mona Lisa and DaVinci didn't give me anything for Father's Day. Considering what they might have come up with, that's for the best.

When I was booking in 2021, cruising hadn't resumed, although it did by the time of my trip. Michele and Shona couldn't predict whether there would be any other passengers, and it's not feasible to fly for just one passenger. Since I was going to be in Ketchikan for three days, I left it with them to match me up with at least one other party any day, any time, while I was there. It remained up in the air (ahem) for quite a while, and then they changed it once to get better utilization of the space and run two full flights rather than having both not filled but with only one seat remaining in each. Finances were very tight that summer since there had been no traffic for more than half of it. Re: taking chances with the weather. In Juneau, I had booked a whale-watching tour with Jayleen. She called early on the morning of that day to say that small-craft warnings were up and she wouldn't take a boat out. She told me that some tours with larger boats might be able to run, and a travel agent was able to find one that I could still book.

I have been to Runnymede. I didn't think it would warrant a special trip, but I happened to be passing nearby. Shaved asparagus sounds like too much work for the result. No on the drink. Low-alcohol wine was pioneered in the Finger Lakes by the Bellangelo Winery in 2018 with a piquette, made from the pomace that remains after pressing the grapes. It sold well, but isn't in their current inventory, so I'll turn to Osmote Wine for their 2022 This is Pet Nat, made from Cayuga White and Riesling, $20. The name refers to its being pétillant naturel, that is, bottled while still fermenting so that it is slightly sparkling. It doesn't require a champagne-style cork, but it's bottled with a beer-style cap. I spent several days in Ketchikan in 2021, arriving on the AMHS Matanuska and then continuing to Juneau on the Kennicott. It wasn't rainy in Ketchikan while I was there; all the rain was stored up for Juneau, where a raft trip was cancelled because there was too much water. Photos here are from the two tours that I recommend to people who ask about Ketchikan. I have the bad habit of recommending these even when the request was for help choosing between two other tours. Misty Fjords with Island Wings (Michele Madsen) Herring Cove bear tour with Kawanti Adventures This tour was open for public booking in 2021 but is currently available only through cruise lines. My regular organic grower has a stand near me on Mondays and I'm hoping that he still has some of these left: Otherwise:

Yes. My mother used canned bamboo shoots and bean sprouts. Oddly, from today's POV, she made it with veal, but it wasn't so expensive then.

We often had chop suey when I was a kid, and even for American chop suey it was mediocre. However, I liked chow mein noodles, and I had some last night with a stir-fry of beet greens and tofu. They have almost disappeared from stores, but a kosher brand is still available (kosher food trends lag the country in general) and I'm having some today as a garnish on a salad. I could make the sandwich if I had any avocado. No on the drink unless it comes with a little umbrella. For a rosé, Keuka Spring 2022 Dry Rosé, $19.99. It's made from Blaufränkisch, Zweigelt, and Cabernet Franc, so about as typical of, and unique to, the Finger Lakes as can be. "Candied cherries, wild herbs and a hint of apricot tease the palate, with enough acidity to keep the wine refreshing. Savor this on its own, with light summer lunches or with pre-dinner appetizers."

Yes. Solo passengers who are platinum or higher can bring a guest -- I have been a guest. What a solo passenger can't do is claim two dinners per voucher for him/herself.

Axe throwing is growing as a sport in colleges in the Northeast; it apparently came from Canada. The daughter of a friend joined an axe-throwing team in college and worked summers in a lumberjack/lumberjill show in Maine. I am a bit less of a klutz in the kitchen than almost anywhere else. I often roast vegetables in the fall and winter but had never thought of radishes. The cocktail sounded like something pandas would eat but, seeing how it's made, I think I would like it. For the wine, I'll nominate Glenora's 2022 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay, $19.99. "Beautiful tropical fruit, pear and lemon custard aromas intermingle with notes of light American Oak. The combination of barrel and concrete egg fermentations give the wine a luxurious texture on the palate but the bright acidity still provides a crisp finish. Try pairing with lemon pasta with cream sauces, soft cheese and herb roasted chicken." <rant> One of the papers reports this morning on the choking death of a rare antelope in a zoo in Tennessee, caused by the cap from a pouch of baby food (food in squeezable pouches is prohibited in the zoo, because of this risk). It led me to ask: do people squeeze the food directly into the baby's mouth? (Yes) Will babies fed this way grow to be toddlers who still expect to have food squeezed into their mouths? (Apparently also yes, as there are pouches for older children.) Will they still be demanding this kind of feeding when they are older, five and six, or nine and ten? (Based on families' experience with children who insist on bottles and sippy cups when they should be moving on to ordinary drinkware, probably yes.) Will humans evolve into a species with no teeth? </rant>

Cachaca was a component of the Brazilian Crush cocktail on May 29. It differs from rum in being made directly from cane juice rather than from molasses. It's difficult to make good falafel; they can easily turn out raw on the inside, burned on the outside, or both. It's startling that the plaintiffs in the Virginia case that ended prohibitions on mixed-race marriage were named Loving. A ground-beef stir fry sounds rather odd. Tofu stir fry with beet greens is on the menu for tonight. Usually when I order an Americano, I want coffee, but I wouldn't mind the cocktail, only not at this hour of the day. Bota Box isn't my favorite boxed wine so I'll counter with Swedish Hill Winery's Viking White, $16.99 for a 1.5L bottle. "A crisp, slightly fruity, almost dry wine with apple-like and citrusy aromas and flavors. Similar to a Pinot Grigio, it’s a bit lighter and crisper than most Chardonnays. Serve with grilled or broiled seafood or lighter meals." I haven't been to Santo Domingo but I've called at Puerto Plata twice in the past two years, with a third time to come on the way to Panama. No nightmares, but I woke up at 4:00 a.m. Got back to sleep at 6:00 a.m. but definitely feeling it.

Thank you. After a nap this afternoon, I'm feeling a bit better. I am going to have to limit my contact with social media, which probably planted the frightening idea, to once a day, before noon.

Adding to that: a heat pump that's installed outside the building, connected to a fan unit in the room by only a tube. The building I worked in installed them for air-conditioning but they could also provide heat. As there was a dropped ceiling, the fan unit replaced a ceiling panel. In a typical installation, however, it's a wall unit installed near the ceiling.

This morning I woke from a frightening dream, which is very rare for me, and I still don't feel well. I definitely don't want muffins or a margarita right now. I recently finished a Ryan William 2021 Dry Riesling. Here's the 2023, already in short supply. "Pale straw-like in color, the 2023 Dry Riesling has a smooth richness that is easily balanced by natural acidity. With notes of peach and slate on the nose, and light pineapple on the palate, the wine finishes with a playful note of lime. Super versatile, serve this Dry Riesling with everything from white fish and charcuterie to baked apple strudel," $18.95. I haven't been to Kodiak but yesterday I saw an episode of Dr. Oakley in which she helped to transport a bull from Kodiak to an uninhabited (by humans, I mean) island where the Kodiak Baptist Mission runs cattle, and bring back a horse that was needed for summer camp at the mission.

To me, sideways cabins feel more spacious even if they're the same size, and they have better feng shui.

The Dawn (post #1) docked at the main cruise terminal in Copenhagen. This is where all cruise ships except a few small ships from a few luxury cruise lines dock.

I'm beginning to think that I may be the only person here who has never visited Malta! For almost any port that is mentioned, I find myself looking for cruises that call there, even though I have no intention of booking any cruises until at least after the Panama Canal cruise in December. In the process I noticed one on Windstar that is actually affordable. It's Papeete to Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica, no ports in between, fortunately at a time I could only go if there were better wifi than there would be. Because of the Canal cruise, I'm not booking a cruise for January or February as I usually would. I have in mind to visit NYC in March when the Met is performing Fidelio.

The desks in my sixth-grade classroom had inkwells for dip pens, and the desks weren't even that old, but we used only ball-points. The menu suggestion might be OK, but I would be wary of the "creamy" part. The drink would be sweeter than I like. For the wine, Glenora's Brut-2014, $30.99. "Elegant yeast and delicate fruit flavors delightfully intermingle in the 2014 Brut sparkling wine from Glenora Wine Cellars. The grapes were all grown around Seneca Lake and the wine offers delicate strawberry and elegant apple flavors. This sparkling wine was filled into tirage for the secondary fermentation during the summer of 2015, producing a profusion of tiny bubbles that explode to the surface upon opening the bottle. The moderate dosage adds luscious creaminess and a lingering finish."

Also true. What I think can be stressful is figuring out the logistics and coping when they don't work. I had a very close call in Spain last fall.

One of my friends is an archivist at the regional history museum. No on the menu suggestion (shrimp). Irish coffee would be OK with me and I'll be ready for it in a little while, I think. I believe that I have an Irish coffee mug from a trivia game or something on NCL. For a sparkling red wine from the FL, Sparkling Rebel with a Cause from Red Tail Ridge, $39.97. "A serious dry red blend of 50% Teroldego, 25% Cabernet Franc & 25% Blaufränkish that was done Méthode Champenoise." (I've corrected their French. I often seem to do that with restaurant menus here. And their German.) The weather report says that it ought to stop raining about now, but it hasn't started and so maybe it won't.

Arborio rice.

I wasn't speaking only about excursions, but they were the most convenient example. The general principle -- book things that you think you will like and don't worry about whether each is absolutely THE BEST -- applies broadly, even to onboard activities. I gravitate to smaller private tours and sometimes to DIY, but I'll use a cruise line's tour if I have no particular inspiration about that port or nothing else is available. A few years ago at St. Petersburg, with an overnight, I joined a few others for a specialized private tour on our first day there; the others were ordinarily afraid to book anything except through the cruise line, but with an overnight, they felt that it was safe enough. On the second day, I found that I had to book through the cruise line, because no private tour agencies would take a booking for just the second day, and I couldn't DIY since I didn't have a visa and don't read Russian. DIY is stressful but sometimes unavoidable if one especially wants to visit a certain place. I did it with a rental car once in France, to visit the Chapelle du Rosaire in Vence, which even custom tours avoid because of the limited parking, and once recently in Spain, by train (the train in Spain stays mainly on the plain) when a tour operator didn't get enough people. For my next cruise, I plan to be on my own in two ports that I've visited before, not even go ashore at one, and book tours for another.