Queenkv’s Brainpickings

Less than two weeks to go before I’m flying to St. Petersburg. I still have a ton of editing and writing to finish. I also have to work on new subjects for new lectures.

I’m sure I will be working on these presentations on the plane. In the meantime, I’m trying to get a better idea of what to expect in St. Petersburg.

Some travel prep notes:

• Travel Document Systems e-mailed my Russian Visa. Woot! It was an adventure trying to apply for a visa at the Russian Consulate in San Francisco. I’ll blog more about it – soon.



• I bought a new battery for my MacBook at the Apple Store in San Francisco



• I borrowed some international converter plugs from Suzanne. I guess I’ll see which one works in St. Petersburg.
• I’m learning some Russian phrases thanks to the one-minute lesson podcasts by Radio Lingua.
• My bedtime reading is the Lonely Planet Guide to St. Petersburg.

Move over Ultimate Frisbee.

Last month, Scott and Catalina introduced us to Frisbee Golf. We played part of a round at Lagoon Valley in Vacaville.

It’s a relaxing, challenging game of skill and chance. Mother Nature was another player on the green by blowing strong wind gusts into the mix.

Like the game of golf, players attempt to fling their frisbees into a caged “hole”. In addition to trying gain enough air and distance on my disc fling, I’m also trying to aim the disc at the hole standing about 350-400 yards away.

We spent a wet Easter Sunday in San Francisco with our friends. Because of my spiffy work schedule, my hubby suggested driving down to LA and spending the holiday weekend with family. But I didn’t like the idea of driving back home after Mass.

So, it was a pleasure to eat good food and chill with Susan and Tom. Over the last two years, we put a lot of miles on Mark’s Corolla, crossing the Carquinez and Bay Bridges. I think it’s totally worth the mileage to spend time with people I consider I close enough to be family.

This is the third year that we’ve done something special for Easter Sunday in SF, growing into a lovely tradition.

We followed Susan’s suggestion of Easter dinner at the Waterbar on the Embarcadero. The stormy weather offered a romantic backdrop to our classy feast of seafood, wine and other gourmet treats.

Before the weather turned stormy, we marked the end of Lent with steaks on the grill. When I smelled the savory, rich aroma of meat sizzling over hot flames, I nearly melted.

As a woman of leisure, I spent a lot of time challenging myself in the kitchen.

I enjoyed cooking dinner and catching up with my hubby over a hot meal. I got over my hesitation/fear over baking and produced some tasty cheddar gougeres. I bonded with my hubby over rolling pizza dough and cutting up pasta noodles. On dry days, we fired up the grill for fresh fish and sausages. All the culinary activity, from chopping vegetables to studying recipes, helped me cope with being out of work.

I got tapped to work an early morning shift on April Fool’s Day. So, I didn’t have the energy to pull off a decent prank.

This year, I kept it simple.

Before bedtime, I burrowed under the covers and called for my Daisy. I made sure I didn’t have any limbs or toes sticking out under the blankets.

“Where’s Mommy?!?! Mommy disappeared!”

The dog kept sniffing until she burrowed under the covers next to me.

When she pushed her muzzle into my face, I said: “April Fools!”

Last weekend, I played in the dirt with my hubby.
I ripped out weeds and dead stems left behind from our first garden in Cow Town. Next, we added new soil and mapped out spots for our new plants.

Before dawn, I spent a few hours researching what plants work for our garden space. Last year, the potato plants played Prima Donnas. Basically, the potato vines took over most of the space. I suspect that’s what killed off the chives and green bean plants. Another rock star in my garden: Roma Grape Tomatoes. I remember picking some for my parents. As I showed off our backyard, we sampled the fresh vegetable off the vine.

For this year, I wanted more structure for our garden instead of using a strategy of “Anything Goes.” I wanted to give plants a fighting chance.

Here’s what we planted for 2010:

“Sit.”

And that was a challenge for my Daisy. She knows sitting is her way of saying so many things.

“Yes.” “Please.” “More kibble.” “More wine.” “Throw my Toy.”

It took her three tries to squat into a sitting position and it looked uncomfortable. Daisy still had enough vim to chase squirrels and ghosts in the backyard. But she also had trouble jumping on to the couch (she loves doing that) and she took more naps.

Time to take her to the vet.

Daisy’s doctor took some X-rays and showed us why she would never be serious contender for “Best-in-Show.” The black-and-white images shows one leg bone is shorter than the other. We finally have proof that she runs with a permanent limp. I suppose she would fit in with any hip hop/rap video with her gimpy stride. Just call her a playa. She’ll answer if you call for her in a high-pitched voice.

So – we think she may have strained something when it came to chasing critters on the trail. Daisy’s doctor gave us some herbal pills for her leg/bum pain. He also said she needed a break from running and walking. She hated it when I left her behind for my walk/run along Alamo Creek, but she needed the rest.

After the pills, Daisy’s jumping back on the couch and bed with no problems. She’s also sitting again.

Hopefully, we’ll be able to take her on a walk to celebrate the weekend of Spring.

Hubby’s working at home. Yah! It’s a pleasure to see him after my graveyard shift. After I finished up an episode of Bleach, I stumble into his room.

Me: “I’m ready for a hug….this could be exciting”

I let myself slump into his arms, basking in his strength and comfort.

Him: “Felt like you were about to fall over.”
Me: “I know. That was the exciting part.”

So sleepy.

Channeling my inner Martha Stewart.
Since I’m freelancing, between jobs and spending plenty of time at home, I’m challenging myself in the kitchen.

Thanks to Serious Eats, I tried out this French technique with fish: Cod en Papillote. The foil helped cook the cod fillets perfectly. Unfortunately, I used salted butter. That, plus a generous pinch of salt made this dish too salty for my palate.

Trying to convince my puppy to drink some water.
She’s panting up a storm after our last run by Alamo Creek. She starts strong, but she doesn’t know how to pace herself.

Before the run: She’s a furry ball of energy when she sees me in my running pants and tiny socks. After the run, she gives me this look: “What part of “lap dog” don’t you understand?” I know cocker spaniels are typically pampered pets, but Daisy has energy to burn. Plus – she has the sad look on her face when I leave her behind for longer runs.