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The Dodgers are 12-0 at home to start the 2009 season!
13-0 ties a Major League Baseball record set way back in, you guessed it, 1911. This guy wanted everyone to know that we were going to be a part of history, and the best way to celebrate being a part of history is to start The Wave.
We made history in several other ways, too:
(1.) He started The Wave counterclockwise -- an MLB first.
(2.) He started The Wave while the home team was at bat -- also an MLB first.
(3.) He started The Wave while the home team had the bases loaded -- again, an MLB first.
For the record, the Dodgers won. After the game, it was announced that Manny Ramirez would be suspended for 50 games for testing positive for a banned substance.
We found a tiny, foreclosed house just across the street from Watts Towers, and we're considering going into the B&B business. Within walking distance of the world-famous Watts Towers! There's probably only room for one bed, so that probably leaves either us or the guests on the couch in the living room. Start your morning with a hot, toasted waffle and freshly poured orange juice! The towers are 'open' only a few days each week leaving us to search for other income streams on the off days. View bits of glass and stone stuck in concrete and stacked really high from the window of your cozy bedroom!
Los Angeles looks much lovelier at night when the smog isn't as visible.
Now, let's all sing 'The Smog Song'!
I tried to point out the skyline
From somewhere on Mulholland
'I think that's the Union Bank
or maybe a nameless mountain.'
The beige clouds were obstructin'
The panoramas and the vistas,
'I curse you darn pollutants!'
and shaked both of my fistas
CHORUS
It's what's happenin' now
Mixin' smoke 'n fog
There in the sky
Yeah, you get smog
Smog, smog, smog
doobie oobie
Smog, smog, smog
doobie oobie
It's what's happenin' now,
Now and then,
Smog
Chuao Chocolatier in Encinitas whips up a tasty little morsel called 'Firecracker'. The not-so-secret ingredient is Pop Rocks. 'Mmm. Crunchy. A little spicy. Hey! Why is my mouth tingling? What's that crackling noise?'
K, in a tremendous storm of testosterone-fueled rage, rips the knob off the door latch of the Holiday Inn Express in Cardiff.
After a series of ho-hum dining experience throughout San Diego, B stumbled upon the Cardiff Seaside Market in Cardiff-by-the-Sea/Encinitas just off the beach. A great little supermarket, with an amazing selection of desserts in the deli -- see the Chocolate Paradise and Chocolate Fusion pictured above. Yow. Good eatin'. Better desserts than anywhere back home. For those of you scoring at home, the Fusion has nine layers of choco-goodness, and in the dessert book would be coded C7+c2[x399].
Wildlife photographer extraordinaire K whips out the Canon and sends the poor panda fleeing for safety. No wonder they've been on the verge of extinction.
When will anyone need to use this?
We just finished a lunch of the wildly overrated Pinkberry (tastes remarkably like frozen cream cheese, but maybe this appeals to you), so we didn't partake in any German delicacies. However, we paused and paid tribute to the most regal pork product in Southern California, His Royal Highness, Sausage King.Do not confuse him with 'King Sausage'.
Here's K at 20 weeks into pre-motherhood. If she looks weary and exhausted, it's because she's been hauling a 12 ounce baby around San Diego all day. A welcome respite at the Hotel Del is had. But not the $10 cheeseburger.
We think this best captures the spirit of Graceland.
Payne's Bar-B-Q on Lamar gets the five-beret award for barbecue pork sandwiches. This is real good and real cheap. Two huge chopped porks and a bowl of beans went for $8. There's no heat in this converted garage, so most of the patrons were chowing down in their cars.
If we could give more than five berets to Central BBQ, we would. Their ribs are amazing and worth the drive from Iowa even if the guy at the counter thinks we chose a poor road trip destination.
If anyone has any tips on how to rotate this video, we're listening. This was the loveliest sight we found in Memphis.
Did you know that Mississippi has only two bookmobiles for the entire state?
Crossing the Mississippi state line on Highway 61, we met this guy welcoming us to (a.) gamble, (b.) purchase fireworks, or (c.) see some dancers. We weren't sure which one, but he seemed nice enough so we bet on whether or not we could get away with firecrackers in the dance club. We could not. K won the wager.
There are a few things that Memphis, Tennessee has in abundance. Recording studios would be one. Sun and Royal are still standing, but Stax was torn down in a blazing feat of historic ignorance. Realizing their civic mistake, they rebuilt the studio in the location. While not quite the same thing, it's a pretty lively museum that suffers from the usual read-a-sign, move-to-the-next problem. Worth a visit just to see the Rufus Thomas 'Funkiest Man Alive' sweatshirt on display.
In no particular order, we'll run through some of the surprisingly good dining establishments we found in our tour of southern Utah. We're not too sure how to define 'Utah cuisine' and expected to find a lot of frozen pizzas and pasta-alla-Boy-Ar-Dee. We were wrong!
Above is Zion Pizza & Noodle - the best joint in Springdale. Green chile as pizza topping! Chocolate Confusion cake! And the staff seemed happy to be working there.
The Kiva Koffehouse is not well-pictured here -- you'll get a better idea of how niftily built it is on their website. We had a tasty, solid breakfast here and a better than we expected dinner of turkey and potatoes and chicken enchiladas along with some absolutely yummy breads. And more dessert.
Here are a few things overheard at the Kiva:
"Which table can we view petroglyphs from?"
". . . as the oppressors."
"This is the year I'm going to make an effort to enjoy hearty soups."
Okay, we didn't get a meal at The Trailhead Cafe, but we did enjoy a raspberry muffin.
Georgie's Cafe is a Mexican restaurant in Escalante that looks like somebody's house. Their chicken enchiladas were better than the Kiva's. And, as we said before, the food here is overall better than you would expect -- and tastier than the better known Bit & Spur in Springdale. You can sit on a big drum if you like.
Escalante Outfitters has something for everyone. Pizza, espresso, hiking boots, whiskey, quad maps, head lamps, salads, wireless internet, lodging, books, floppy hats, carabiners, magazines, camping stoves, and berry cobbler. The pizza here is, again, better than you would expect. Good crust. Just the right amount of cheese. And no backtalk.
Cowboy Blues looks a lot like many mediocre to terrible midwestern restauraunts that have too extensive menus and really bland food. But! The steaks are amazingly good! And huge! And they had fresh bumbleberry pie! They're having a Halloween buffet. You should go.
The New York Times and other foodie literati have raved about Boulder's Hell's Backbone Grill for a while so you may have heard about them. They whip up schmancy dinners using locally grown ingredients. No small challenge considering their location in dusty, dry, non-agricultural location. We had a breakfast and a dinner there, and liked it so much, we bought the teapot. Best potato pancakes ever. Best black pepper biscuits ever.
And now to the ultimate culinary find of our jaunt. The nearest major airport is in Las Vegas, so we decided to give the In-N-Out burger chain a shot to and from the runway. We hadn't heard much about the quality of the food, but we were intrigued by the not-so-secret menu where you can theoretically order a burger with 8 patties and 16 slices of cheese. We didn't, but the burgers taste like burgers should taste. Beefy. And the french fries are made with potatoes. We witnessed a giant russet go from potato to golden fry in 60 seconds. Why anyone puts up with McDonald's and the rest of the un-fresh faux-food is a mystery. This stuff is good and not as unhealthy as you would think. And, like Zion Pizza & Noodle, the kids who worked there seemed to get a kick out of their jobs. So, if you're in SoCal or CenCal or SoNev or AllAriz, place your order and enjoy how the classic American fast food meal should be.
Mr. Geology, we've received several letters from readers since your last visit. Would you mind taking some time from your busy schedule to answer their questions?
Not at all. I always enjoy interacting with my fans.
Dear Mr. Geology,
How can I determine the UTM zone of a digital orthophoto quadrangle?
Sincerely,
Unclear In Utah
I believe you have me confused with someone else.
Dear Mr. Geology,
How does a waterfall form?
Sincerely,
Querying In Quebec
Ah, now we've got it. The waterfall is one of geology's most amazing specimens. Duoxygenated hydrogen molecules traveling at the speed of light are channeled through a flowal system (sometimes referred to as a 'crick' or 'river') that approaches a stagtationary verticalizationary suspendiary zone (or a 'cliff' or 'edge). The molecules then de-constitute themselves during the dropization zonal area -- this is what you call a 'waterfall'. The true wonder of this can be found at the bottom of the dropitertiary zoning area where the molecules literally reconstitute themselves to again form a flowagation apparatus (or 'stream').
Dear Mr. Geology,
Is the earth a magnet?
Sincerely,
Attracted In Albuquerque
No, magnets are horseshoe shaped and are partially or mostly painted red. The earth is spheroid and blue.
The long search for some piece of souvenir junk emblazoned with K's name has finally ended. We found this Mexican handicraft at the Conoco/Phillips station in Escalante. They also had 'KARI' and 'CARRIE'.
Nothing whets the appetite like a round of Cracker Barrel Frustration Triangle Golf Tee. Here, K hones her skill. She remains, to this day, the only person to have cleared the triangle of all the pegs.CLARIFICATION: We did not sink to dining at a Cracker Barrel on this trip. To support our case, here are a selection of condiments on the same table as pictured above.
Hello, again, Mr. Geology. Thanks for making the long trek to southern Utah.
I wouldn't miss an opportunity to educate the American people.
First, what is the predominant land feature of this part of the world?
Southern Utah is covered in a thick layer of frictionalized supercompressed stonal firms -- in the words of the layperson, 'rocks'. Tremendous forces, including, but not limited to, hydromotion, breezification, and erosionation, have acted upon this 'rock' to create the forms you see before you.
But, these shapes and colors are beyond anything I can comprehend! Just how did it happen?
Let's use the canyon you see here as an example. Perhaps hundreds of years ago, massive downward pressure from precipitationary bihydrogen-oxygen in flowal directionization splitified the stonal firms, or canyonized the landscape. To put this in perspective, stick your finger in a newly opened jar of peanut butter while jumping off a chair.
Okay, so how did that tree grow there?
I'm a geologist, not a botanist.
The Getty Center has a marvelous setting and a delightful building, but a somewhat less-inspired collection of art. That is, unless you are interested in endless Italian oil paintings of crucifixions.
One of the more entertaining pieces is recreated here by B. The original is below. The security guard wouldn't let us put glasses on the gentleman.
The Dodgers are 12-0 at home to start the 2009 season! 13-0 ties a Major League Baseball record set way back in, you guessed it, 1911. This guy wanted everyone to know that we were going to be a part of history, and the best way to celebrate being a part of history is to start The Wave.
We found a tiny, foreclosed house just across the street from Watts Towers, and we're considering going into the B&B business. Within walking distance of the world-famous Watts Towers! There's probably only room for one bed, so that probably leaves either us or the guests on the couch in the living room. Start your morning with a hot, toasted waffle and freshly poured orange juice! The towers are 'open' only a few days each week leaving us to search for other income streams on the off days. View bits of glass and stone stuck in concrete and stacked really high from the window of your cozy bedroom!
Los Angeles looks much lovelier at night when the smog isn't as visible.
Chuao Chocolatier in Encinitas whips up a tasty little morsel called 'Firecracker'. The not-so-secret ingredient is Pop Rocks. 'Mmm. Crunchy. A little spicy. Hey! Why is my mouth tingling? What's that crackling noise?'
K, in a tremendous storm of testosterone-fueled rage, rips the knob off the door latch of the Holiday Inn Express in Cardiff.
After a series of ho-hum dining experience throughout San Diego, B stumbled upon the Cardiff Seaside Market in Cardiff-by-the-Sea/Encinitas just off the beach. A great little supermarket, with an amazing selection of desserts in the deli -- see the Chocolate Paradise and Chocolate Fusion pictured above. Yow. Good eatin'. Better desserts than anywhere back home. For those of you scoring at home, the Fusion has nine layers of choco-goodness, and in the dessert book would be coded C7+c2[x399].
Wildlife photographer extraordinaire K whips out the Canon and sends the poor panda fleeing for safety. No wonder they've been on the verge of extinction.
We just finished a lunch of the wildly overrated Pinkberry (tastes remarkably like frozen cream cheese, but maybe this appeals to you), so we didn't partake in any German delicacies. However, we paused and paid tribute to the most regal pork product in Southern California, His Royal Highness, Sausage King.
Here's K at 20 weeks into pre-motherhood. If she looks weary and exhausted, it's because she's been hauling a 12 ounce baby around San Diego all day. A welcome respite at the Hotel Del is had. But not the $10 cheeseburger.
Payne's Bar-B-Q on Lamar gets the five-beret award for barbecue pork sandwiches. This is real good and real cheap. Two huge chopped porks and a bowl of beans went for $8. There's no heat in this converted garage, so most of the patrons were chowing down in their cars.
If we could give more than five berets to Central BBQ, we would. Their ribs are amazing and worth the drive from Iowa even if the guy at the counter thinks we chose a poor road trip destination.
Did you know that Mississippi has only two bookmobiles for the entire state?
Crossing the Mississippi state line on Highway 61, we met this guy welcoming us to (a.) gamble, (b.) purchase fireworks, or (c.) see some dancers. We weren't sure which one, but he seemed nice enough so we bet on whether or not we could get away with firecrackers in the dance club. We could not. K won the wager.
There are a few things that Memphis, Tennessee has in abundance. Recording studios would be one. Sun and Royal are still standing, but Stax was torn down in a blazing feat of historic ignorance. Realizing their civic mistake, they rebuilt the studio in the location. While not quite the same thing, it's a pretty lively museum that suffers from the usual read-a-sign, move-to-the-next problem. Worth a visit just to see the Rufus Thomas 'Funkiest Man Alive' sweatshirt on display.
In no particular order, we'll run through some of the surprisingly good dining establishments we found in our tour of southern Utah. We're not too sure how to define 'Utah cuisine' and expected to find a lot of frozen pizzas and pasta-alla-Boy-Ar-Dee. We were wrong!
The Kiva Koffehouse is not well-pictured here -- you'll get a better idea of how niftily built it is on their website. We had a tasty, solid breakfast here and a better than we expected dinner of turkey and potatoes and chicken enchiladas along with some absolutely yummy breads. And more dessert.
Okay, we didn't get a meal at The Trailhead Cafe, but we did enjoy a raspberry muffin.
Georgie's Cafe is a Mexican restaurant in Escalante that looks like somebody's house. Their chicken enchiladas were better than the Kiva's. And, as we said before, the food here is overall better than you would expect -- and tastier than the better known Bit & Spur in Springdale. You can sit on a big drum if you like.
Escalante Outfitters has something for everyone. Pizza, espresso, hiking boots, whiskey, quad maps, head lamps, salads, wireless internet, lodging, books, floppy hats, carabiners, magazines, camping stoves, and berry cobbler. The pizza here is, again, better than you would expect. Good crust. Just the right amount of cheese. And no backtalk.
Cowboy Blues looks a lot like many mediocre to terrible midwestern restauraunts that have too extensive menus and really bland food. But! The steaks are amazingly good! And huge! And they had fresh bumbleberry pie! They're having a Halloween buffet. You should go.
The New York Times and other foodie literati have raved about Boulder's Hell's Backbone Grill for a while so you may have heard about them. They whip up schmancy dinners using locally grown ingredients. No small challenge considering their location in dusty, dry, non-agricultural location. We had a breakfast and a dinner there, and liked it so much, we bought the teapot. Best potato pancakes ever. Best black pepper biscuits ever.
And now to the ultimate culinary find of our jaunt. The nearest major airport is in Las Vegas, so we decided to give the In-N-Out burger chain a shot to and from the runway. We hadn't heard much about the quality of the food, but we were intrigued by the not-so-secret menu where you can theoretically order a burger with 8 patties and 16 slices of cheese. We didn't, but the burgers taste like burgers should taste. Beefy. And the french fries are made with potatoes. We witnessed a giant russet go from potato to golden fry in 60 seconds. Why anyone puts up with McDonald's and the rest of the un-fresh faux-food is a mystery. This stuff is good and not as unhealthy as you would think. And, like Zion Pizza & Noodle, the kids who worked there seemed to get a kick out of their jobs. So, if you're in SoCal or CenCal or SoNev or AllAriz, place your order and enjoy how the classic American fast food meal should be.
The long search for some piece of souvenir junk emblazoned with K's name has finally ended. We found this Mexican handicraft at the Conoco/Phillips station in Escalante. They also had 'KARI' and 'CARRIE'.
Nothing whets the appetite like a round of Cracker Barrel Frustration Triangle Golf Tee. Here, K hones her skill. She remains, to this day, the only person to have cleared the triangle of all the pegs.
Hello, again, Mr. Geology. Thanks for making the long trek to southern Utah.
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