Queenkv’s Brainpickings

I’ve been thinking about Balut. I think it’s time I try this Filipino delicacy. Hell, Mark already sampled it.

originally uploaded by queenkv.

I wonder if this is a good price for the half-hatched duck eggs. We found this vendor at the Fremont Farmers Market last September. Sadly, I had to catch a plane to Kansas that day…so we passed on the Balut.

This week, I stumbled on this informational blog entry on Balut aka Hot Vit Lon.

I remember eating them with my siblings, tapping on the egg shell with a spoon and then breaking the membrane underneath to sip at the flavorful liquid, which was broth like. Then we ate the solid stuff, which basically was the embryo. I don’t recall beak, bones or feathers, but they can be in there, depending on the age of the egg. We didn’t eat the hard white albumen. It was a kind of weird dare and that was it.

OK — some day I will try Balut. Maybe on my next trip home to LA…we’re thinking about doing a quick visit on President’s Day weekend. I know that falls in the middle of sweeps, but I happen to have that holiday off. Neato.

Mark sent this link to me from Digg: New Star Trek XI Teaser Trailer. It runs before the Cloverfield movie.

So we have to watch that movie now…
And guess what we’re doing for Christmas? That’s right. We’re joining the other cool cats and waiting in line for the first damn showing of the coolest Star Trek movie. Ever.

OK - check out our cool video from Soda Springs…
Yeah - we’re going a little slow — but we’re on the bunny slopes afterall.

Riding the Slopes from Kris Vera-Phillips on Vimeo.

I’ve finished another action-pack week at work. My weekend morning shows were quite exciting with all the breaking news. On Saturday, our chopper got all that amazing flooding video. My boss kept calling back to our editors to make sure they were taping everything. Later, CNN and NBC picked up the video and used it for their weather coverage. On Sunday, our LA affiliate hooked me up with their satellite coordinates. So I ended up taking live chopper video of another flooding accident in Pasadena plus a bus hitting a donut shop near USC.

After work, we tried going to church. Then I saw a PT Cruiser run a red light and smash head-on with another car. I got out of the car to make sure the driver of the smashed car was OK. We missed church because I had to give a statement to police. Afterwards, I pondered the whole accident business. A few hours before, my crew was aggressively pursuing those crashes in Southern California. Now, I was more intimately involved in another one. It felt jarring to switch hats from being a journalist to a civilian witness.
OK — enough about work.

originally uploaded by queenkv.

Here’s an example of playing hard, Mark riding the slopes. We went snowboarding at Soda Springs for the MLK Holiday. It’s just off I-80, on the way to Truckee. We needed to use chains by Gold Run. I helped Mark attach them to the tires.

originally uploaded by queenkv.

My Medill buddy Sara came along for the ride. She said this was her first time playing in the snow. Sadly, she got a little banged up after snowboarding. However, I think she wants to try again. I think.

originally uploaded by queenkv.

I found out I don’t like riding Goofy and on the flip side, Mark likes riding with his right foot facing forward. I finally got the hang of staying up right by my third trip down the slopes. I got addicted to the adrenaline rush. It piles up in my head as I picked up speed down the bunny run. It’s nice that I’m nearly 30 and I’m still learning crazy new stuff to do with my body. Snowboarding doesn’t feel like exercise. However, a few hours later, I felt soreness in my legs, arms and back — just like a real workout.

originally uploaded by queenkv.

It doesn’t hurt to fall. Once our bodies got used to that idea, I think we ended up taking bolder shots down the bunny run. By the end of the day, we rode down the slopes without any falls. This marks our second trip snowboarding and I’m surprised how much I remember from our first and only class. We took another lesson on this trip, but our instructor wasn’t able to keep tabs on everybody. I ended up hitting the lift and doing my own thing for most of the class.

originally uploaded by queenkv.

We can’t wait to go snowboarding again. I think we’ll explore other runs beyond the bunny slopes. Maybe I’ll try out the half-pipe! Anything’s possible!

Hot Buttered Rum, originally uploaded by queenkv.

After snowboarding, we stopped by Auburn for dinner. This hot buttered rum was a hot drink that warmed me up after a day on the slopes. This tasty cocktail from the Club Car has a pat of butter, mulling spices and rum. Oh so tasty!

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originally uploaded by queenkv.

We took advantage of the break in the rain and took Daisy for a walk. The creek behind our house filled up from this last storm. It’s a nice way to unwind from my crazy day inside the newsroom. Today was all about the weather. I ended up using our live chopper reports for our flood coverage in Yolo County. We had some amazing pictures of trucks trying to drive thru the high waters. Still, it’s good to be home. Time for bed.

This is scary: Coffee habit may hike miscarriage risk - Pregnancy- msnbc.com.

Doctors are split on what this means for pregnant women, with some advising avoiding caffeine altogether and others saying buzz-inducing beverages are still safe in moderation.

originally uploaded by queenkv.

I loved snowboarding at Soda Springs. It felt like flying down the mountain! Now I want my own board. I can’t wait to go back and try a harder slope.

originally uploaded by queenkv.

I went to mass at Newman Hall today. It felt good to return to my Berkeley parish. Then we had Zachary’s pizza with Betina, Hans and family. It was nice to catch up and know we can see them again some time soon.

originally uploaded by queenkv.

I did lunch with my hubby at Bj’s today. I tried the Grand Cru. It was described as a Belgium-inspired brew. I thought it was OK. But I also thought it had too sharp of a flavor to be considered Belgian. BJ’s also has some tasty lunch specials. I had the angel hair pasta and minestrone soup. The beef, veggies and soup broth helped settle my nerves after too many cups of coffee. I also loved the mix of diced tomatoes, garlic and olive oil on my pasta dish.

originally uploaded by queenkv.

I took Daisy for a walk on a Vacaville bike trail after work. It’s a beautiful sunny day, perfect for hunting blue jays. It looked like Daisy was on a mission to catch a feathered friend for dinner. It felt like she wouldn’t take ‘No’ for an answer by the way she kept pulling on her leash.