Another experimental dish...

 
Okay, the chili/cherry/lime pork roast is in the cooker. So in a few hours we'll know if it's awesome or never to be spoken of again.

Pork roast w/
pitted, sliced cherries - maybe 2 cups
1 onion
4 garlic cloves
black pepper
1tbsp green chili sugar (one of those random things I just happened to have)
3 hungarian peppers
2 red hot peppers (I remembered to wear gloves this time)
zest of 1 lime
little chicken stock

My plan is to serve with brown rice. Maybe fresh shredded red cabbage.Another experimental dish..., originally uploaded by callenstewart.

Fired in Salute...

My grandfather was in the Navy during World War II. One night, when I was about 17, he told me his story about the King of Arabia. He was aboard the USS Murphy when they picked up the King of Saudi Arabia to meet with President Roosevelt. The meeting is documented in history, but his stories were not.

The King would apparently not set foot on the ship, so the deck was covered in rugs. He would only eat fresh meat, so there was a herd of sheep on deck as well. One day, he and a couple of his Navy buddies snuck into the throne room, and took turns sitting on the throne. If they had been caught, the consequences would have been quite severe. One of the King’s guards gave my grandfather a coin and a handwritten note. Unfortunately, it was written in Arabic, so he didn’t know what he had written. He showed me the note that night, but had never had it translated. I’m not sure what ever became of the note after he passed away. The shell in the picture was from when they fired salute to the King. He managed to get a hold of one somehow and saved it. The coin he received from the King’s guard he had adhered to the shell and later engraved. The engraving says, “Fired in Salute to King of Arabia Aboard the U.S.S. Murphy. February 12, 1945.”

He gave me the shell that night. It was pretty amazing, and I was shocked and honored that he would give this to me. I’ve kept it for years now. Often wondering what the heck I was going to do with it, but I just can’t part with it. It’s a piece of history that no one else owns.

You can read more about the USS Murphy, and when it was spit in half, then repaired and redeployed. There was a documentary a few years ago, on Discovery I think. That’s another really interesting story in itself.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Murphy_%28DD-603%29

An explanation...

Hi. My name is Chris and I'm a thinker.

Okay - to explain a little bit of my comments... I've come to the realization that I'm someone who thinks he's interested in learning or doing all kinds of things, but once I have an understanding of HOW something is done (please understand that I am not confusing this with SKILL), I tend to loose momentum. Interest is still there, I'm not as dedicated to it.

I took guitar lessons this year - which I've talked about doing for YEARS. But, once the lessons were over... well, I haven't touched it since. I bought a really cool camera (Nikon D90) last year and I "understand" the concept of photography, but again, my momentum has really slowed. The same can be said for learning Photoshop, Spanish (also French, Italian, Latin and Navajo - yes, Navajo. I blame author Tony Kellerman). I throw myself into it head-first. But once I get the concept, I'm ready to move on to something else.

Now that I understand this tendency, I need to know how to hold on to those interests and keep motivated. I have no idea how to do that. Or should I just accept that I am always going to be a "jack of all trade, master of none?"

A friend of mine and I were sitting around chattin' recently and I was talking about some of the VERY vivid dreams I have - and have had all my life. And she noticed a theme - I'm always solving some sort of problem in my dreams. I don't know if that has anything to do with this or not, but I feel like there's a connection. Like maybe once I've conquered the "idea" of a skill, I'm finished with it. Hmm...

I have to stop thinking.

I think too much.
I think too much about doing stuff.
I think too much about learning things.
I think too much about going places.
I think too much about how things are created.
I think too much about how things are done.
Thinking is a waste of time.
I need to stop thinking for a while and just do something.


.

Marching into spring... finally.

This year continues to fly by. I haven't been posting nearly as much this year, as you can see. The winter here in Florida has been unusually cold, which has really taken it's toll on the yard. But I think Spring is finally here. We've been spending a lot of time cleaning up, pruning, and planting spring color. Friends are coming to visit in a few weeks, so we want to be sure it looks as nice as it can. We would be doing these things anyway, but with company coming, it gives a little more motivation.

Well, I've completed my guitar lessons. Mostly. I missed the last couple sessions. The truck finally died, so we spent one weekend shopping around. I can't remember why I missed the previous lesson, but I felt like I was so far behind at that point that I blew off the last one. That's okay, I really just wanted some direction and good pointers. And I got that. So I'll continue to practice on my own and maybe in the fall sign up again.

I'm still taking pictures. I have a shoot this morning with a three year old. She's a friend of ours. A beautiful little girl, so this should be easy. Her mom wants Easter pictures. Hopefully I get a couple of good ones.

I'm off to Orlando in a couple weeks to attend Photoshop World. I've been to a couple of Scott Kelby's seminars, but never the BIG one. I'm really excited about it. I know I'll go feeling all inspired which will later turn into overwhelmed. But it doesn't matter. I know I'll have tons of notes and materials to review.

Speaking of photography and Photoshop, at our monthly neighborhood gathering I met some really interesting people. Kent and Jules Follett are photographers who specialize in the entertainment industry. Jules just published a giant photobook called Sticks n Skins - featuring drummers from famous bands. Some I'm familiar with, some not. But it's an incredible book. Check it out. Turns out they are just a block or so from my home. They invited me over to check out their studio any time. I sure I'm going to take them up on it. I love meeting interesting people, and I'm sure I could learn a thing or two from them too.

End of January already...

Well we're one month into the new year already. It's happening fast. Although I'm not one for New Year's Resolutions (as I said earlier), it's still a time for new and renewed ideas.

I've started the year by finally signing up for guitar lessons. So far I've enjoyed it. I would be much farther along if I spent more time practicing. But life gets in the way. There are other things to do, dogs take care of, and work.

This year I'll also continue to work on my photography. I've gotten my feet pretty wet this past year, so it's time to expand a little bit on it and start to do something new with it. I'm a little tired of the standard landscape shots and candid pictures of the dogs. I'm inspired by all the artistic photography I see on Flickr (my favorite haunt lately).  So, we'll see how it goes.

Have you started anything new this year?

Mmm...

Well it’s been a low-key Christmas this year, which is okay. A lot of work and money went into house upgrades. But for the past couple weeks I’ve been enduring one of those childhood cravings. No matter how much I tried to ignore it, it seemed to haunt me at every turn. Being the Christmas season, you might think it would be Christmas cookies - and that would be a reasonable guess. I’ve been known to be reduced to a drooling idiot over a good frosted sugar cookie. But no, it’s been three little elves that have been taunting me. With their crispy, ricey, marshmallow... ey... goodness.

I know what you’re thinking. You can buy them anywhere now. Neatly prepackaged, ready to go, no muss, no fuss. But they aren’t as good as home made. And I think that the packaged ones have an odd taste. So I made my way to the grocery store this morning in the hunt for all the fixins.

For those of you who know me, you know that I can’t follow a recipe to save my soul. I view them as general guidelines. Besides, how the hell would Betty Crocker know how I like my cakes? This has ended in many disappointing baking failures, and a few pleasant surprises. So, I varied a little, but not too much. I couldn’t decide between Cocoa Rice Crispies and regular. So I grabbed a box of both. Off to the marshmallow aisle. Yes - I choose to believe that there is an entire aisle dedicated to them. Being just after Christmas, the pickings were slim. I found a couple left over bags that somehow managed to escaped a yam filled doom. But... there were a couple bags of French Vanilla Marshmallows. Ohh-la-la! How decadent! Okay - the truth is they taste like a regular friggin’ marshmallow. But it was fun to imagine. Plus, they were in the shape of little snowmen. I couldn’t care less, but it meant they were part of the “We Gotta Get Rid of All This Christmas Crap Sale” so they were half off. Sold.

I got everything home, and after putting all the other groceries away, and watching the “Inside the Tardis” special (yes, I love the new Dr. Who), I decided to tackle the Rice Crispies Treats.

Since I couldn’t decide between the cocoa and regular and bought both, I bought double the marshmallows needed too. You know. Just in case there might be a marshmallow emergency in the near future (it could happen). Well, I thought that I would just save some time and double the batch. That would be easier. (Let’s call this mistake number one.)

As the butter was melting, and I dumped in two bags of vanilla snowmen (I made little screaming noises as I callously dumped them into the sizzling butter). Then I went to grab the biggest bowl I could find. Then I grabbed another, slightly smaller bowl to measure out the cereal. Six cups. Nope. Double it. Okay. Twelve cups of Rice Crispies. good thing I bought the two boxes. Was that eight cups I measured out or ten? I think it was eight. (Mistake number two.) Wow. this bowl won’t quite hold 12 cups. (Let’s say it might be 14 cups - but what does it matter?)

Now, I hadn’t totally forgotten the marshmallows - they were melting down nicely. But soon the little buggars were making more noise than they should. So I started stiring them vigorously. You know, this might be really good if I add just a touch of orange flavoring. Vanilla, lemon, maple. No orange. Oh well. Note for next time. Crap. I’ve burnt them on the bottom (number 3). No problem. I think I can salvage most of it. And the cocoa flavor might cover any of the charred bits.

I quickly grabbed another stock pot and tried to dump it from the burning pot into the new one. That sounds so simple. Has anyone ever measured the flow rate of melted marshmallows? I’m guessing not. By the time it happened, they surely would have gotten bored and thrown it all in the sink and gone back to watch more Dr. Who. I concluded that it doesn’t have one. As it “poured” it began to cool. To the point that it just stopped moving completely. I could have set the pot down and had an incredible piece of objet d’art with a spoon of marshmallow trailed about 9 inches above the pot suspended there in fluffy confection. It would be all the rage in New York art world. I finally got most of it scrapped into the new pot - with the exception of the quickly browning bottom bits.

Okay - as the new pan heated a little bit, I look at the box and see that it says a 9x12 cake pan. Got it. Next to the heaping bowl of cereal, I realize that there’s no way it’s going to all fit in this pan. Oh yeah. I doubled it. Fortunately I have a larger cake dish. I think it’s 10 feet by 6 feet. Okay. Not really. But it’s bigger, thank god. Swap those out quickly. Back to the marshmallow goo. After a quick spritz of Butter Flavored Pam, it’s time to dump in the cereal. I thought about mixing a little in at a time. But something in my head says that's not a good idea. So I dump it all in. All ten cups. Yes, ten cups. No, not the 12/14 cups I measured out. The last three or four cups are not going to fit into the pan. Crap. So I’m trying to stir this stuff together on the stove with the heat off, but still on the burner - thinking the residual heat would keep it pliable. What a mess. There’s cereal everywhere. And three dogs circling my feet. I need to divide this up. So back at the counter I (while still mixing) spoon some of it back into the giant bowl with the extra cereal that didn’t make it into the pan. Great! Well, then I realize it’s starting to stiffen up REALLY quickly. There’s no way I can mix both of these at the same time before it cools AND get them into the giant cake pan. Bill walks through the kitchen and suggests that using a metal spoon might not have been a good idea (number 4), and that I should use the “spoonula.” Thank you Rachel Ray. Get out.

Well the pot was stirred enough, so I dump it into the cake pan. Remember the flow rate of marshmallow goo? Well it’s even slower when it’s cooling with Rice Crispies. “Thump.” I begin to smooth it out with the spoonula while stiring the giant bowl of leftovers. Damn. This is a lot of cereal. Finally, the bowl is mixed good enough. It’s starting to look like a giant Rice Crispie cheese ball - the outer coating looks pretty dry. Who cares. I start beating it into submission with my faithful spoonula (I may carry this with me at all times from now on).

Finally. It’s all in the pan. Somewhat smoothed out. Okay, so it looks like the craggy surface of some alien planet. But who cares. I’ve finally got my Rice Crispies Treats - and now I don’t even know if I want them anymore. It’s amazing how many find childhood memories can turn out to be huge pains in the ass as an adult. I'm not sure how my parents survived my childhood. Snap, Crackle, Pop indeed.

Merry Christmas

It's that time of year...

It's that time of year again when the entire world (it seems) starts to look back on the year and make promises for the coming year. There were a lot of bumps, scrapes, and all out crashes this past year, but somehow I manage to come out of it unscathed (knock on wood). So what will the next year be like?

I'm not one for New Year's Resolutions. In fact, there has been only one that I have ever stuck to. "I will never again make a New Year's Resolution." You've heard the expression, "avoid disappointment, aim low." That seems to have been my mantra lately. But I am starting to feel like it's time to do some thing.

I don't know what that "something" will be yet. Will the Costa Rica vacation finally happen? Will I finally sign up for lessons and learn how to play the guitar? Will I go back to school and complete my degree? Will I finally loose 40 pounds? I don't know yet. But those are all things rattling around in my brain. Who knows. Maybe all of the above. Maybe none. But one thing's for sure... I won't be making a list of promises come New Year's eve.

The End Is Near

Well, it's that time of year again. When everyone begins talking about how they can't believe another year has already gone by. When everyone starts feeling sentimental about friends and family. When everyone swears that Christmas is about spending time with those friends and family but still freaks out when they don't have the right gifts. And I'm no different.

For Thanksgiving, we had a few friends over. And as cliche as it sounds, that's really the thing I love the most. I always rush around in near-panic about company coming over to our home. And in the end, it's my most favorite thing in the world. We don't host a lot of parties or get-togethers. But I can say that what makes me really happy is seeing a group of my friends all together having a good time. Several years ago, we had a group of friends fly in to spend the holiday with us. It was crowded, and loud. We didn't have a dining room table so we threw a few sheets over the ping-pong table and sat down for Thanksgiving dinner. I think that was one of my most favorite days ever.

Now it's time to concentrate on Christmas. Christmas isn't as fun to me as Thanksgiving. It's harder to pull friends together because there is so much going on. It's a little more stressful because I feel like I'm putting up the tree for just the two of us - which I know, should be enough, but I feel like I want to share it with more people. We don't do a lot of gifts. There are too many nieces, nephews, brothers and sisters. So we tend to just concentrate on the youngest ones in the family. Besides, we're at that point in life where there just aren't a lot of things we need that we don't have. And seriously, when friends ask what I want for Christmas, and I say "just a lunch or dinner date" or "cocktail hour" I really mean that.

I haven't even begun to think about shopping. I'm going to try to not put it off until the last minute like I usually do. Actually, it's usually at the last minute that I think, "oh crap. I should have gotten some thing for that person." So, I guess I need to set some goals. First off will be to get my Christmas cards out. Maybe that will be this weekend's project. Still need to get the tree up (I slapped the lit wreath up on the door this evening). Then probably need to get the lights up on the house before the neighbors start giving us a hard time (all in good natured fun). Then find time to relax and enjoy it all.

Wish me luck.

All Hallows Masquerade Ball: Candy Shoppe

The Fast and the Furriest

Rain chain

Rain chain, originally uploaded by callenstewart.

A friend of mine has this really cool rain chain. I've envied it for years. During the rain, it guides the water into the rain barrel below, to be used during a dry period.

Sunset Gold

Sunset Gold, originally uploaded by callenstewart.

Sometimes I forget... then I remember. I live here. :)

My boy...

My boy..., originally uploaded by callenstewart.

Such a handsome boy.

Good morning.

It's been a while. I guess I just haven't had much inspiration lately. Maybe it's the heat. It's summer in Florida. Always a challenge just to stay cool.

I finally got to go kayaking with my friend Patti. It was our third attempt. The first time we tried to go, I ended up with a flat tire. The second time we actually got onto the water, but thunder and lightning in the area drove us out. Finally we made it out last weekend. It was the first time we went out together (maybe the first time for Patti-?). We had a really great time. We have another date planned for this month. And I may go out tomorrow too. I haven't decided yet. Lots of things to do around the house (as usual).

I took the kids for a walk this morning - last night's rain left the dog park really wet I'm sure. Not in the mood to deal with muddy dogs this morning. But we had a good walk.

I'm off to run some errands. Maybe go to The Spice & Tea Exchange. I need to pick up some Florida Sunshine for a friend of mine in WA.

Chandler? Chandler Bing?

I took the dogs to the park again this morning - our usual weekend ritual. We left a little later than usual this morning. It was starting to get busy, but not too bad. There were a lot of Yellow Labs, an Irish Setter, a few mixed breeds, and the Australian Cattle Dogs. We've met the Aussies a few times. They are pretty friendly dogs. Every now and then, there's another male dog that gets a little too "interested" in Jackson, one of my male dogs.

Now, Jackson is about the most docile dog on the planet. He doesn't have an aggressive bone in his body (unless you happen to be a 'possum, raccoon or cat). Several months ago there was a Standard Poodle that wouldn't leave him alone. I finally gave up because the owners were pretty useless and couldn't control their dog, so I decided to leave. While trying to get Jackson to leash him, he turned on the Poodle and I think he turned into a bear. So I was happy to see him stick up for himself.

So this morning he had an admirer in one of the Australian Cattle Dogs. Why this visit and not any of the other times we've seen them is a mystery to me. So I think it must be his hair. He has gay hair. He's the Chandler Bing of the Fort De Soto Paw Playground.

Camera Madness

One thing I've always wished that I did better was document my vacation, friends and just anything that interests me. I wished I was better about taking pictures. I went to Maui years ago, and think I have maybe a dozen pictures to show for it. When I was lucky enough to be invited to go to the Dominican Republic last year with friends, I forced myself to take gobs of pictures and journal everything we did at the end of each day (which you can read here if you're really interested). I'm glad I did.

So a couple months ago, I picked up a new camera and began a new hobby. It's a little bit overwhelming at times - there is a LOT to learn.

One of the unexpected side effects is that I've began a few new friendships with other photographers - some I've actually met and some I have not. I never thought I would be one of those people who "befriends" people online. But my addiction to Flickr has me in awe of many people all over the world - and prompted me to start discussions with a few of them.

I'll keep on shooting, and keep on learning. I hope you enjoy my photos as much as I do taking them.

St. Pete Pride

Last weekend was the 7th annual St. Petersburg Pride Parade. In just a few short years, St. Pete's festival has become the largest pride festival in the state. There were an estimated 80,000 people in attendance. In addition to just having fun, hanging out with friends, I got to practice taking some photos.

If you're interested in seeing more photos, you can visit my flickr set.

Dog Park Ettiquette

Those of you who know me, are aware that I have a weekend ritual that plays out every Saturday and Sunday morning. I have three whippets that are a part of my family and a huge part of my life. Each weekend morning is spent at the local dog park. Over the past five years, I’ve learned a lot about dog park behavior. Some of it is etiquette, some of it is behavior, and some are just lessons that others really need to learn.

• Always, always, always clean up after your dog. You brought it in, you are responsible for it. And I don’t want to step in it. It can also spread disease. Be responsible.
• Don’t be afraid to ask someone for a bag if you don’t have one.
• CLOSE THE GATE BEHIND YOU! There is a reason for the gate. It’s not for your sake, it’s to keep the other dogs in.
• If you’ve never used a gate fork latch, the way to use it is pull UP then DOWN to the right. It’s not rocket science. You’re just lazy.
• Watch your dog. Do not sit and read a book. Do not get tied up on a phone call.
• Learn to read your dog and others in the park. Are tails wagging? Or are hackles up?
• Do not let your dog run with others when on a retractable leash. These leashes are dangerous. Especially when they are playing with other dogs.
• Friendly dogs hurt too. Sometimes dogs can play rough. Even though they may not be aggressive, they can still hurt other dogs or people.
• Just because your small dog is comfortable around big dogs does not mean it’s safe. See bullet above.
• Just because your child is comfortable around big dogs does not mean it’s safe. See second bullet above.
• Good dog owners go in the morning. Okay - so I’m not saying that if you go in the afternoon that your a bad owner. I’m saying that the regulars who make the effort to get up early and go tend to pay more attention. The afternoon crowd are usually just on their way to the beach or park and decide to take their dog. They are there for a different reason.
• Talk to the other dog owners. Most people LOVE to talk about their dogs. It will help put them at ease about your dog if they feel you are a good dog owner.
• Don’t forget to ask about their dog. A simple, “what’s his name,” or “how old is she” goes a long way. Other people’s dogs are just as important to them as yours are to you. Keep this in mind when you are talking to other dog owners.
• In addition to cleaning up after your dog, clean up after yourself. Do not leave your water bottles, worn out dog toys, food wrappers or trash in the park. Save your trash so you can litter in your own front yard.

While you have a lot of responsibility during your visit, your dogs are there to have fun. Enjoy your trip to the park. This is the time you get to spend with your best friends.