One of the elements I really like about the kitchen in our house is its breadboard -- a pull-out cutting board. It's like magical counterspace. You're cooking and you've got crap all over the counters, but you need to put this one thing down -- what to do? Viola! A place wondrously appears with a simple pull of the hand. And even though I have a large butcherblock, I find myself using the breadboard for more than just bread. Since it pulls out, I don't feel awkwardly smashed up against it. And it's easily cleaned. So when I remade the kitchen, I had to include a breadboard.

Well two years later and I finally got around to making it. The old one was made out of plywood (hey, just because it's old doesn't mean it doesn't suck) which I'd worn through the top layer. So solid maple strips with a bit of walnut for some style. It's wide so I have to glue up the wood in two pieces, plane both to thickness, then do a final glue.
One of the flaws in the original was with cutting juicy stuff -- the juice would run off if not paid attention to. So I routed a small channel in the new one which works quite nicely. So there's two side to work on, with hand pulls on each side.

The pic is the Christmas country ham before its boiling, broiling, and slicing ordeal.

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I've got two more songs before that third ghost appears.

Joseph Spence, a musician from the Bahamas, "sings" Santa Claus Is Coming to Town. I love this recording because the only line he knows is the title -- yet it doesn't really matter. You know the lyrics, there're stuck in your head. So you can sing along with his muppet-like delivery.

On the other side of the 'meaningful song' continuum is I Heard the Bells On Christmas Day. This version is by Pedro the Lion is spare and plaintive, focusing the attention to the cynic-challenging lyrics

Happy Eksmas to all!

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So last week we saw Aimee Mann's Christmas show at the Birchmere. It's the third time she's doing it and the third time we've seen it -- always a hoot. Which reminded me that I should post some Christmas music on this fine website you are now perusing. Just a couple of songs related to the show.

In his stand-up bit, Paul F. Tomkins mentioned a pet peeve of mine. Song: It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year. Line: "There'll be scary ghost stories..." No. There's really only one Christmas-related ghost story. Don't exaggerate. But despite that line, I actually enjoy that song. It's as American of a Christmas song as you can get: big, happy, and full of hope. It's not really the most wonderful time of the year - the weather sucks, it's stressful, and full of obligations. But during the song, you actually believe that it is.

Here's the original by Andy Williams:

And here's a Shrift remix version (a bit less saccharine):

And Nelly McKay, another singer at the show, has a really catchy and sweet Christmas song, Take Me Away.

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First started journeying into the countryside to cut down a Christmas tree back when I lived in Richmond, mid-80s. For a number of years recently we drove out to Milltown Creek Tree Farm to fetch a tree. Didn't do it this year, though. Without a young child or a holiday party, I just can't seem to put all that much effort into the festooning. But it's a good excuse to show off my MINI with the tree right on top.

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Cathedral Valley Photo Album

Capitol Reef NP was full of old people. It was September and we stopped by the visitors center to check out the conditions in Cathedral Valley, and the parking lot was full of buses and RVs. We've been here a few times before, but stuck to the rt 24 area and south. This trip's objective was the Cathedral Valley area in the north part of the park. It's billed as remote and harsh -- just what I like. If you want to follow along at home, GORP.com has a Cathedral Valley Scenic Drive Guide that I used, and it's pretty good.

Thirty minutes after we left the visitors center, there was nary a soul to see. We had crossed the Fremont River and drove amid the ruddy bentonite hills. As you might expect, the vehicle traffic abates considerably when you have to ford a river. September is one of the peak times in this part of Utah -- summer's too hot and winter's too cold, so spring and fall is the prime time to visit. But for the next day we saw maybe five cars total, counting the three at the campground.

So what's good? I'm sure there's plenty that we didn't do/see. But here's a quick list:

• hiking to Jailhouse Rock (that's the photo there at the top)
• the vista at the South Desert Overlook
• great views and dark skies from the Cathedral Valley campground
• Temples of the Sun and Moon and Glass Mtn
• gypsum crystals in the hills near campers springs
• did I mention the solitude?

Check out the photo album for the pretty pictures of the above items.

It's a gravel road, so you're not gonna be making any great time. You'd probably need a high-clearance vehicle for the river crossing and the road near Caineville Wash. You could drive it all in one day, but try to take the time for the camping. The pit toilet was very nice and the views are excellent.

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As a parent, you measure the milestones of your child with those that you yourself experienced growing up: losing teeth, first day at school, first time at summer camp, and all those other markers. And up until now, those parallels have been rather theoretical for me. I don't have a lot of clear memories from my childhood. Nothing traumatic, just being an only child with rather uncommunicative parents there wasn't much repetition to build those memories.

But now Zoe is 16 -- and that's an age I actually remember being rather vividly.  And I don't just remember being 16, I still recall what and how I thought at 16 -- my conflicts and my complexity. And the things I did at 16, well, I just hope...

It's also a way of viewing how things have changed in the world. Zoe's 2008 is my 1979. The big struggles for my 1979 world was disco versus rock, and US versus USSR. You know you're reached middle age when events you read in the newspaper get written into the textbooks.

So I'm pretty amused by this, and the way it's making me feel -- reflective, a bit weirded out. Enjoy the pic.

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Photo Gallery
Calf Creek provides the biggest return on investment of all the hiking near Boulder, UT. It has two impressive waterfalls, it cuts a beautiful canyon, and it runs through some of the hardest landscape in the country. On our recent trip out, we made a return hike to the Upper Calf Creek falls.

We stopped in Burr Trail Trading Post in Boulder in the morning to coffee-up before setting of on our day hike - Deer Lake on Boulder Mountain. During the caffeination, we discovered our barista to be a local guide. "It's muzzle-loading season on the mountain, so make sure you wear bright clothing," he advised. As we attempted to wrap our heads around the muzzle-loading part, we decided that regardless our planned hike might not be the best idea. We were going to hike upper Calf Creek later in the week, but now sounded good. When I mentioned that we were going to hike in from the west, he was very displeased. The popular and easy trail to the upper falls is from the east, right off of rt 12 near the Hogsback. We hike this trail the last time we were in Boulder. But I had read on Toms Canyoneering Guide that one could hike in from the west -- a longer and more difficult route. "I wish he wouldn't give away all of our secrets. He should leave some things for the local guides."

As for the hike itself, having a guide would have been a help. There are no trails - it's just solid sandstone - and precious few cairns to lead you. So you just wayfind over the rocky landscape - aiming for landmarks and just figuring it out. Because of the wayfinding, it took longer than I anticipated - not that it mattered.

But it is a wonderful hike. The Navajo sandstone has a rhythm and a texture that I always find intriguing and beautiful. And after starting on such an arid and harsh landscape, you descend into the green and lush Calf Creek. Go upstream by just walking in the creek (we didn't and we should have). You can marvel at the 88 foot waterfall, then climb back out to the desert. And then keep climbing until you return to your car at McGath Point.  You'll get there exhausted but happy.

This is definitely a recommended hike, but make sure you have a topo map, gps, and a hearty sense of direction before attempting.

Photo Gallery

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The last line of McCain's 2000 convention speech was the enigmatic "And I am haunted by the vision of what will be." Which seems an appropriate starting point for a Halloween ringtone. This is the last one, so after this we'll be back to the pretty pictures and non-controversial topics. ;)

Download haunted.mp3
Download haunted.m4r (iPhone)

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On 28 Oct 2008.

This one is the first one I created, because nothing is more easily mocked this season than that disasta from Alaska.

Download russia-from-my-house.mp3
Download russia-from-my-house.m4r (iPhone)

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I'm a political junkie. I read the blogs, watch that TV, give a bit of coin. But I keep this blog away from that. You can find plenty of other folks on the internets smarter, pithier, and more dedicated than me. The world already has too many blogs dedicated to ranting and whining.

But having said that, I'm not above poking a little fun.

So I've gotten into creating ringtones -- and no, I don't really know why. Here's the most recent from last night's final (thank god!) debate.

Download joe-the-plumber.mp3
Download joe-the-plumber.m4r (iPhone)

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You know when there's sandstone on the blog that I've been out to Utah. We've recently returned from a trip out west, mainly hanging around Boulder, UT. I'll yap about the hikes and post photos over the next week or so.

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