Simian shenanigans

We've been here a little over a year now. And within that time our local police blotter has had two stories that feature some sort of pet primate. After the second one appeared, I had to go find the first one and start tracking the monkey business (a gimme, but I couldn't resist).


Sept. 16 2010
Trespassing: A 20-year-old Bainbridge man was apprehended after he jumped a Kono Road home’s security fence and was yelled at by the homeowner. The suspect, who was apprehended by police near the home at 12:40 p.m., admitted he had jumped the fence. He explained that he saw a rare mushroom growing on the property. “I saw a really cool looking mushroom that I’ve been looking for,” the suspect told the property owner. The suspect dropped the mushroom while fleeing the scene. The suspect had a “live Marmoset monkey sitting on his shoulder,” police noted. A report was forwarded to the county prosecutor for possible trespassing charges.

Oh yeah, by the way, guy had a monkey on his shoulder. Just thought I'd mention that.

And from June 8 2011:
Crash: A monkey is believed to have contributed to a vehicle crash on Blakely Avenue. A 22-year-old Bainbridge man told police he swerved his Honda van to avoid hitting a deer. The van struck a tree and then rolled onto its side, causing front-end, side and roof damage. The driver was not injured. Police learned that a "live, unrestrained monkey" wearing red shorts was in the van with the driver, contributing to the crash.

Love the detail about the red shorts!

Green smoothie learnings

Starting small on the green smoothies. Yesterday I threw a handful of spinach into an otherwise fruit and yogurt smoothie. Color turned a little darker, but not totally unappetizing. Bill said he could taste the spinach. I couldn't, but could taste that it was less sweet than without it.
Today's smoothie was a bigger baby step towards green:

• handful of spinach
• one apple
• one banana
• half a handful of almonds
• 2 c. water

And here's what I learned:

• The "smoothie" preset on the BlendTec is not sufficient for apples and almonds
• ice is required
• less sweet is good
• I was not hungry

10 Spanish phrases that don't translate well

1. A otro perro con ese hueso.
   To another dog with that bone.
   (You're putting me on.)
2. Antes que te cases mira lo que haces.
   Before you marry, look at what you do.
   (Look before you leap.)
3. Cada quien tiene su manera de matar pulgas.
   Everyone has their own way to kill fleas.
   (There's more than one way to skin a cat.)
4. Como el burro que tocó la flauta.
   As the burro plays the flute.
   (By pure luck.)
5. Salir de Guatemala y meterse en guatapeor.
   To leave Guatemala and arrive in worse cornstalks.
   (Out of the frying pan and into the fire.)
6. El hijo de la gata, ratones mata.
   The son of the cat kills mice.
   (Like father, like son.)
7. Entrada de caballo, salida de burro.
   Enter on horseback, leave on a donkey.
   (Don't start something you can't finish.)
8. Tener más lana que un borrego.
   To have more wool than a lamb.
   (To have money to burn.)
9. Yo tengo una tía que toca la guitarra.
   I have an aunt that plays the guitar.
   (What's that got to do with the price of tea in China?)
10. Ir a donde el rey va solo.
    To go where the king goes alone.
    (To powder one's nose.)

2009 tomatoes

Most of this year's tomatoes are now in.
Planted

• Sungold


• Matt's Wild Cherry


• Valencia


• Brandywine


• Bloody butcher


• Early girl


• Viva italia


• Orange banana (heirloom orange roma)

Still to go

• Micro tom


• Sun sugar


• Sweet million


• Galina's cherry


• San Marzano roma

Also planted

• Swallow eggplant


• orange pepper whose name escapes me at the moment


• Yellow scallopini squash (a.k.a. pattypan)


• Maxibel french filet beans


• Marina di Chioggia pumpkin

2008 tomatoes

Posting this now, mostly so I don't lose it. Last year was a dismal year for tomatoes. I didn't even keep any notes. But I reconstructed something of what I had when the excitement of spring gripped us around here:

From the collection of Megan's standbys

• Jaune Flammee: Didn't produce a whole lot, and what it did produce was good but not *wow*. Not on my list of must-haves.


• Taxi: Tasty, fun 'cuz they're yellow and round and smooth. Will probably grow again.


• Isis candy: I don't remember anything in particular about this one.


• Urbikany: I found a tiny slip of paper last night that had the words "Urbikany" and "Patio" with two smiley faces. So I guess these are grow-agains.


• Patio: Also had the note that this tasted like a "real tomato".

Experiments

• Red currant: excellent. Maybe not quite as good as Matt's Wild Cherry, but close.


• Beam's yellow pear: Good. Regular yellow pear.


• Riesenstrauβe: Cherry tomato that's slightly larger than Matt's Wild Cherry if I recall correctly, but quite tasty.


• Mortgage Lifter: Big disappointment. There's no paying off your house with this tomato in the Northwest. I don't think I got a single one. :(

My standbys

• Matt's Wild Cherry: It will be a very sad tomato year that does not include these.


• Sungold: You know. I don't even have to say it. Candy on a vine.


• Brandywine: must have. They don't produce a lot of fruit, and they're big so it's always iffy, but if you can get even one good one, it's worth it.


• Valencia: these didn't do as well last year, but they were so fabulous in 2007 that I will absolutely try them again.

Movie: Rachel Getting Married

Was it good? I don't know. They say it was, but I will never know. Why? Because it nauseated me. I've complained about herky-jerky movies before. Not a big fan of "flash editing" and not a big fan of hand-held camera work either. On this one it looks like they hired someone's nephew to follow the actors around with a video camera. Whatsamatta? Over budget? Going for that documentary feel for no apparent reason?

Wasting time with the Facebook quizzes

• I was Pablo Picasso in a past life
• I'm Rowlf from the Muppet Show
• My real age is 34
• I'll have one kid - a girl
• I'm Sinead O'Connor
• I'm Frenchy from Grease
• I'm Oscar the Grouch
• I'm Hamlet
• I should marry Johnny Depp
• I'm Alice in Wonderland
• I'm Dartmouth College (yay!)
• I'm a warm and loving wife

Isn't this all fascinating?