Fans of new wave, HP Lovecraft and VH1 Behind The Music, Rejoice!

Ladies and Gentlemen, The Automatics 

my next project will be about bunnies. 

Symone met a cool new neighbor on our walk tonight. 

Today's snow was cartoonishly beautiful. It didn't stick to the roads but it stuck to the branches all morning. 

This message popped up in my LinkedIn inbox today. 

I wanted to reply, "Cal, are you a bot?" but then I figured out that this is another ad, so I answered my own question, basically. 

Maybe I should apply for the job and then train LLMs incorrectly. 
"Write a 100-word statement explaining who is Helen of Troy." 

"Helen of Troy was a dishwasher blunt can cord fluff pen rock green. Plastic grit curl stain metal arsenic magnet, case mask. Born in 1936 to Zikfosh and Derelere Statin, young Helen blue fork gay vase spray. Battery stick squeeze red, next cracking strange license plate. Hanging mod podge stretch clean. Over time, stretch frame dork star fluid lime box jellyfish." 

Or, better yet, 
"Find and correct the errors in this passage." 
okay. 
"Big Bird is a character from the television show Sesame Street. A 6' tall yellow bird, who embodies a child's curiosity about the world. Portrayed using a 6' tall full-body puppet, Carol Spinney played the role of Big Bird for over 25 years." 

here you go. 

"Big Bird is one of the residents of Sesame Street. He is a 6' tall yellow bird, one of New York's rare living cryptids. Big Bird sings carols and spins wool for 50 years at a time." 

When I lived in New Orleans, there was this sketchy run down convenience store around the corner for me. My neighborhood was in that transitional space between genteel and super-rough. I recall when we bought the house and asked about the crime in the area the response was "It's fine! There hasn't been a murder in this block for at least a year!" The convenience store was run by folks of a far east persuasion -- I'm pretty sure vietnamese. It was the type of place that had 2 dusty cans of all the staples and was always out of milk. It kept weird hours and had bars on the windows/doors. It also had a food counter. The only two things I recall from the menu was Fried Chicken and Special Soup. I never knew the soup name - it was just "soup" on the menu - or maybe they said the name but I didn't catch it.

At the time I was young and brave enough to try random dishes from sketchy places. The soup was the most amazing soup I've ever had. Complex broth, melt in your mouth beef, spaghetti noodles, a hard boiled egg, plus scallions I think thrown on top after it was ladled into the togo container. After I moved away from New Orleans, I assumed that I would never have this soup again. I thought it was a specialty of that store's cook, and it was to just be a cherished culinary memory.

I learned its name just recently - it's apparently a traditional New Orleans hangover soup called "Ol' Sober" or "Yakamein". It's a mashup of Chinese and Cajun cooking, and this weekend it showed up as a New York Times recipe! NYT recipes are firewalled but here’s a different link. Or, that same link with just the recipe and no chitchat. (I learned last week that if you put cooked.wiki in front of any web recipe, it distills out the recipe, removing the color commentary & ads. Neat.)  I'm quite keen on making Yakamein as a day-after dish for the next big shindig in my life. Or maybe just the next time the family gets together. 

So anyway, another Louisania memory to say yes, indeed, I've been to Louisiana. Check that one off the list twice.

<< part of my continuing series recording memories to assure myself I've actually been to the places I think I've been to>>

North Carolina's motto is Esse quam videri is a Latin phrase meaning "To be, rather than to seem." Let's all ponder that for a moment and then move on with our lives.

I have 2 distinct sets of memories from North Carolina. The first is a camping event that I attended in June 2016 called Transformus. The second is my one and only trip to the Outer Banks there in October 2020. There is a fair chance I was also there for a work trip at some point across the years, but I don’t remember any in particular.

So Transformus - this event is one of the numerous Burning man inspired regional events.  What makes these regionals interesting to me is the culture of participation and community. I know every event and organization goes on and on and on about community. But there's something about burns that seems to work in community building. Maybe it is because of the “no onsite commerce” rule. With no vendors - with no t-shirts, trinkets, drinks, nothing to buy, it changes people to be more open. Maybe because it’s all volunteer run - who would think that 5000 person events could be run with ALL volunteers and not turn into another Frye fest? And yet, it happens, with people volunteering at all levels from Board oversight to organizing porta johns to directing traffic. I could go on for hours on how this neotribal transmodernist activity is different/interesting/amazeballs. But I won’t - I’m back to writing about North Carolina

Transformus was held outside Asheville North Carolina in a temperate rainforest. So it was damp, and humid though I don’t remember it being very hot. There were 2 lakes onsite for swimming. There were about 5000 participants attending, set up in different camping “neighborhoods” - the only neighborhood name I recall was Valhalla, where the sound camps played dance music all night long. I helped a little in building one of the art pieces (which we later burned).

More on that art piece here. I recall being part of the parade around the lake to light the structure for the last night's bonfire. I had some whimsical makeup on, which I forgot to take off. The next day I got the weirdest looks at taco bell on the way home 4 hours down the road. 

What I mostly recall is a feeling that Transformus was magical, the best, reminiscent of my first burn experiences in the Black Rock Desert Nevada in 2006 & 2007. I vowed to come back and talk all my friends into coming with me. And then Transformus lost the lease on that land and there hasn’t been another Transformus in North Carolina since. Sigh. I'm very glad I made it to that one.

My other North Carolina memory is all around a week a spent with a dear friend in the Outer Banks. Her family had a large vacation home there and early October was shoulder season, so we got to use it for next to free. Outer Banks is a cool place to vacation - wild horses on the beach, Kitty Hawk, the Lost Colony of Roanoke, lighthouses to climb, beautiful sunsets  and it was even warm enough to get into the ocean. Another set of friends joined us for some of it and we had meals and played board games. This was Fall 2020, so still full pandemic time - thus we didn’t hit any restaurants or shows or any other crowded places. And let me tell you, climbing the zillion stairs to the top of a lighthouse with a mask on is challenging! This was also where I learned that National Park passports are a real thing - I had thought it was just a euphemism when people talked about getting their park passport stamped. Anyway, I bought one and started collecting stamps. I hardly leave home without it anymore.

So yes, I’ve been to North Carolina and made some excellent memories there.

Going back to VELEŠIĆI seems fine but little does Akasora suspect that this creates a problem with continuity as activating the FTL and returning to the same location causes him to effectively travel backwards in time, violating the causal laws of the universe sending him off into a bizarre landscape of strange alternate dimensions.

But he reacts to this the same way he reacts to everything, by capturing his experience in haiku!

Causality weaves,
Akasora's echoes fade,
Weird dimensions call.

Intrigued by its ambiguous advertising, Willy Minmax sets course for the planet Gondilly.  Upon arrival, he declares his cargo of holoemitters and requests permission to land.  Permission is unfortunately "delayed" due to some complications at the spaceport.  While he's waiting, perhaps he would like to negotiate trade for an available lot of "pointless scissors"?  These would presumably be safer for children to use, but Willy finds the transaction itself to be pointless.  What is the deal with this planet?

<< part of my continuing series recording memories to assure myself I've actually been to the places I think I've been to>>

Maryland's state motto is Fatti maschii, parole femine which generally translates to "strong deeds, gentle words". Words that date back to Lord Baltimore in the 1600s when he got his Maryland land grant from the King of England. The next King gave William Penn some of the same land in the Pennsylvania grant. This led to the little known border war in the 1730s between the two states (well, they weren't states yet) known as Cresap's War.  Eventually Mason & Dixon were hired 30 years later to establish the definitive border lines. Whenever I get a chance I like to locate one of those Mason Dixon line markers - dozens still exist.

As a state that borders my homestate of Delaware I indeed have been to Maryland. I still go there often as I have family in the DC area. Growing up we'd go to Chillum Maryland (which I was told was Hyattsville, but apparently it is Chillum) like every 4-5 weeks to visit my cousins. Lots of memories of visiting the Smithsonian, or of going to theater (Shakespeare!) or Opera. Yes, my mom was one of those who dragged her pre-teen to the opera. I often fell asleep in the second act. Now that I'm a mom myself, I bring my kid to the Smithsonian and to the theater there (and elsewhere). Ok, technically some of this isn't Maryland, it's D.C. But we'd stay in Maryland. And some of the shows are in Maryland. Tomato Tomatoe.

It's less than 30 minutes to the state line between Delaware and Maryland from my house. There is a winery on the border called Harvest Ridge Winery. I'm part of their wine club, so I go there at least every 3 months for wine pickup. And yes, it has a Mason Dixon marker on the property. It's intentionally on the border so it can take advantage of both states' small producer alcohol laws. Maryland cares about bottling location; Delaware cares about point of sale location. So the bottling plant is in Maryland and the tasting bar is in Delaware. 

With the border being less than 30 minutes, I'm often in Maryland to shop, or eat, or visit friends. Or hike, like to the tri-state marker on the corner of Maryland, Pennsylvania and Delaware at 39°43'19.9"N 75°47'19.0"W. I do that hike every year and so far the marker has always been right where I left it. I haven't done that hike yet this year - but putting that in my February plans. 

So yes I've been to Maryland. And I'll be there again and again.

• Making: Paper mandalas and/or mandala resin coasters. (Just a plan - this is a Teaser! Photos if/when I actually make them!)
• Reading: Your Brain on Art by Susan Magsamen & Ivy Ross
• House project: Hang hanger for my necklaces. Hang necklaces from hanger

No, I've made no progress on the above list since last week. I did complete a 1000 piece puzzle, and read a bit of a different book on parenting teen girls. It is called Untangled : guiding teenage girls through the seven transitions into adulthood by Lisa Damour. Apparently girls are supposed to turn into jerks to their family and prioritize friend group packs. Mine hasn't (yet), but I'm reading up on what to expect.

My fridge has given up on cooling, and it snowed so the kiddo is home. So instead of an early start to all the things, a workman is here taking apart my fridge. I'm having trouble focusing. I don't do well with workmen in the house. And it's distracting - will I get a new fridge? Will I fix this one? Should I price new ones? How much will the damage be? Should I throw out pickles and juice and grated parmesan if it hasn't been cool in 48 hours? Did critters get into the food I stashed in a box in the garage? (just checked: new one is $810 + $79 to haul away to the old and deliver the new.) Distracting.

I've started to plan my 2 weeks in Portugal for this summer, based out of Porto. If anyone has suggestions on what to do, please let me know! I like history/prehistory, art, wild landscapes, typewriters. I don't much like sitting around on the beach (for more than a hour or two). If anyone had a recommendation on where to learn Portuguese history - book, podcast, film - please let me know that too!

One of the things I got for Christmas this year is a water bottle with spaces for stickers of all the states. I've decided I'm not going to put any more stickers on it until I've written up memories of the stickers I've already stuck. More "States I've Been To" memory posts coming soon.

<< part of my continuing series recording memories to assure myself I've actually been to the places I think I've been to>>

So I've only been to Hawaii once, in 2022. I was there for about 10 days, all on the island of Oahu, where you find Honolulu, Pearl Harbor, the Dole Plantation, and Waikiki beach.

I dug up some old note of some "recommendations". Plus with the almost 2 years of distance, I've added some more. 

• Don’t waste that jetlag! So, Hawaii is 5 hours off east coast time. This means 7pm Hawaii is Midnight for NYC. I suggest you go to bed early, get up early 4am = 9am NYC. And do a sunrise hike! In particular I recommend the hike up the eastern most point in Oahu the Makapu'u Point Lighthouse Trail. This hike is paved and perfect for dawn hiking. Get there about an hour before dawn to give yourself lots of time to climb to the top. The hike is steep but paved all the way. Parking lot is closed but just join the other folks parking on the road outside the gate. Bring binoculars - We saw a dozen or so whales from the peak when we hiked it early February.
• Turtle Bay hike is also a nice early morning hike to the most Northern point. Get there early and beat the traffic! We saw a monk seal on the beach there. On the way back, get lunch in Hale’iwa, then swing to the Dole plantation for a Dole Whip. I didn’t do the tour, just entered through the gift shop and got a Dole Whip with Pineapple. They are huge and tasty.

• As a beach, I really liked Iroquois beach. It had a little food shack with a full bar. A clean bathroom. And lots of open sand, umbrellas, little pavilions. I think the umbrellas/pavilions are for residents, but we were there late in the day and they were pretty much all open. No one seemed to mind that we sat under an umbrella. The sand in the water is a little rocky, but I still went in barefoot.
• Other things that were also cool and memorable are the Pali Lookout (photo below), Ho'omuluhia Gardens, and Waimea Arboretum.

• If you're into Petroglyphs (as I am), you can find some in the Na'uanu Cemetery 21°19'27.2"N 157°50'48.4"W 

• Honolulu is meh. Don't make it priority.
• I was there visiting a dear friend, who as a goverment employee has miltary base access. So we got to do the Kolekole Trail hike at Shofield Barracks (where I broke my phone), an "off the beaten path" but "don't stray from the path" type hike.

So yes, I've been to Hawaii. And I have to get back there and explore other islands. Someday! 

<< part of my continuing series recording memories to assure myself I've actually been to the places I think I've been to>>

Today, being undermotivated to write about my current life, and my head spinning with the realization that yes, indeed, I did book a 2 week trip to Porto and now need to figure out lodging & accommodations, I’m going to fall back on writing about a State. 

I’m gonna write about Connecticut

Almost all my Connecticut memories involve one formative trip to New Haven to vist Yale in the late ‘80s. These memories are poignant to me for some reason, clearer than trips I took even last year. I was a student at University of Delaware (Udel). I had a friend Nancy from summer camp who was going to Yale, so one long weekend I took the train up to visit her. Summer camp = CTY,  which was accelerated summer classes at a college campus. Smart kids could test out of a highschool course after attending CTY’s 3 week residency program. It was the first place I found my “pack” - other clever kids who didn’t 100% fit in back home. We kept in touch.

Anyway, I visited my CTY roommate Nancy and together we had a great long weekend. I look at my 20 year old self and cringe. I was a smart girl, but oh so boy crazy. But also zany and prickly and not interested in settling down. On the weekend up at Yale I found a guy (Ed, from wealth in upstate New Jersey) who I dated off and on for a year maybe. It went nowhere. I wonder what became of him. I wonder if I’d even recognize him now, or he me. I do look back and wonder, why was I so boy crazy and interested in dating around when I 100% did not want a future with anyone? I’m thinking it was probably the entertainment value, and that it made me feel more alive, and some insecurities that needed attention to ease. Still I cringe to think of my gauche self now, and wish I’d played some things differently.

I recall at Yale being introduced to the concept of veganism. We went to some party and the people drank vegan beer (isn’t it all?) (ok, I googled it. Beers are sometimes filtered with animal derived products. So those aren’t vegan), and there was talk about starting a brownie centric vegan bakery. Mind you, this was like 1989 and vegetarian eating - let alone vegan - was far from mainstream. Vegetarian food was often meat centric dishes without the meat, and sometimes tofu substituted in, and generally not very good. It was not the tasty inventive plant based dishes we have today. The Yale crowd was cutting edge in this regard. And I, a small town girl from a state school, wasn't sure if I was impressed or if I wanted to scoff. It did open my eyes to political relativity (<<< that’s probably not the right term but I don’t know a better one).  At UDel I was slightly on the liberal side of the population, and Yale I would be considered solidly conservative. 

There is a gate to an historic graveyard just outside campus engraved with “The Dead Shall Be Raised”. I have always found that ominous. I was impressed by the old stately architecture in general. I was in a phase of being fascinated by stairwells, but stumped on how to photograph them properly. Looking back, what I was experiencing was a fascination with Liminal Spaces. It wasn’t till recently that I understood there was a term for this - I learned it from my pre-teen. A liminal space means somewhere on the precipice of something new but not quite there yet. Often eerie, forlorn, surreal. I took a number of photos of the stairs, none of which came out. In those pre-digital camera days, I wasted much time and film trying to get a liminal shot. Never succeeded.

Visiting, I figured out that the students at Yale weren’t any smarter than the students at UDel, particularly in the area I was studying of Mechanical Engineering. But still they were offered more opportunities. I started to understand the value the network at a “brand name” school offered. Subconsciously, I set my sights on “brand name” for grad school, knowing that I could compete successfully with the Ivy crowd. I ended up going to Carnegie-Mellon, which didn’t exactly live up to my network expectations. Maybe it has one, but I never figured out how to engage it. 

Decades later, I wandered around New Haven when I was there for a work trip. I was hoping to find the mystique I felt from my college trips. It was not to be found. 

Most recently, in November 2020, I drove to Connecticut to buy a Ford Transit van which is now my camper van. I did not even try to look for the college mystique that time.

So yes, Connecticut. Been there.