Pickles! Revisited

I finally tried one of my pickle pops.

Well, um, yeah...

It was disgusting.

I so wanted to like them.

Sigh.

Exterminate, Exterminate!

[Ben Golub's Photos]

I enjoy an incinerated marshmallow as much as the next person. But I'm not a huge fan of Peeps. I can handle a few, and they sure are darn cute. But they basically are sugar, coated with sugar, with a side of sugar. A little goes a long way.

However, they sure do make a pretty microwave show.

Let the destruction begin.

A few peeps:


Or the entire box:


Happy Easter everyone!

Addendum: Would you like to see a peep show?

Pickles!

In the past I have posted some odd, odd, odd, things that people are willing to spend money to get. There just doesn't seem to be any limits to people combining really odd ideas with a marketing plan.

I, however, have never actually seen the above products in person. Not so for today's intriguing entry.

Introducing Bob's Pickle Pops



This was a gift from my brother who ordered them online. I have a feeling there isn't going to be any middle ground for this one. It's either going to be fantastic or disgusting. I'll let y'all know.

Apparently they are quite popular:



Anyone out there ever try them?

Tri-tip of the Day

The Hubster and I just came back from a mini road trip through Oregon and Northern California. Only a week, but very much needed.

The last town in California we visited was Calistoga. We were headed for Napa (the city) along highway 128 (incidentally, one of the most beautiful highways I've ever been on), when we saw billowing smoke on the side of the road:


View Larger Map

This, ladies and gentlemen, is Buster's Southern BBQ & Bakery.

The order windows are in the white building, and if you want to eat in, there are tables in the brown building:



This is Buster himself loading up the BBQ:



How much meat does he cook? Oh, just a bit:



The end result. Tri-tip on fresh on site baked buns, baked beans and the most incredible slaw in the world.



I couldn't finish mine. But it wasn't for lack of trying.

Damn, now I'm hungry

The rest of the holiday pics are here.

To Market, To Market

Finally, finally made it to the Royal City Farmers Market. Its schedule and mine have never met, but I had a rare Thursday off and was able to see what the Hubster has been talking about.

Brat really likes the market. Here she is pulling us to our destination.



Taken from the top of the market pointing towards the river.



There were quite a few other dogs there. Brat didn't think much of this rambunctious little guy. She ended up behind the Hubster's legs after letting this puppy know exactly what she thought.



Bought a wonderful looking (haven't eaten it yet) loaf of cheese and roasted garlic bread from A Bread Affair.



Yum!



Little Qualicum Cheeseworks makes some truly magnificent cheeses. Here the Hubster is urging me to try their curds.



We ended up buying feta, monterey jill and raclette.



Every week they have different music and entertainment.




As well as Art in the Park.



Of course we had to have a nosh. How about a bison dog?



Gotta try this one. (Made with the brie from Little Qualicum Cheeseworks).



Good choice! That was one fine dog.



Time for a bit more shopping.





Bubbles!




Alas my cold is getting the better of me and it's time to go home with our loot.



I don't want to go. You can't make me! (You can't really tell. But she had completely put on the brakes here)



A very enjoyable (& delicious) visit. Awaiting next week's when I'm feeling better.

Lots more photos from the RCFM site here.

If you'd like to check it out, the market is located here.

Penguins and Spaghetti

Happy April Fools Everyone

Your Hamster in the Box And it’s Not Breathing.

Once upon a time I loved flying.

Not so much anymore.

The last trip I took (last summer) was cramped and tedious. The service was fine, but 3 hours in a cramped stuffy space with nothing to eat is not my idea of fun. I had a head cold too. Extra fun!

I would like flying if I was rich. Then I could fly like this:

(Emirates first class)

Or this:

(Virgin first class)

Well maybe not the second one, at least not to India

Seems that a passenger was not overly happy with his dinner on a Mumbai to Heathrow flight. Or what may have been presented as dinner. Or perhaps Spackle.

Doesn't this look yummy?


God only know what it is. The passenger certainly didn't know. And he wonders if Richard Branson knows.

He had a few words to say to Mr. Branson, and those words spread to the world.

Apparently this letter has been making the email rounds for a while, and as usual I'm the last to know.

Happy travels

Original Recipe...

Or extra nasty?

I wouldn't drink this if you paid me



But I would probably buy it for the box and then try to sucker a friend into trying it.

Best possible recipe: Melamine sunrise

Still need Christmas gifts? There are many fine looking products here. Note: product categories are not based on any logic I can understand.

I'm Not Putting That In My Mouth

[hotcactuspepper's Photos]

I can't stand sweet liqueurs.

Which is probably a good thing or I might be really tempted to down a Popsy

Ewwwwwwwwww!

A Damn Fine Cup of Coffee

[Twin Peaks Freshly Squeezed]


Well if you say so Agent Cooper.

But was it this kind of coffee?



Haven't tried it, but am tempted to load the machine.

Em Eye Cee, Kay Ee Wye....

M.O.U.S.E

Just back from two wonderful weeks in Southern California.
Ok we got back on Monday. But five million e-mails (two accounts), a billionty RSS feeds and uploading and editing photos & videos have kept me busy.

(Note: Most pictures can be embiggend by clicking on photo and then clicking on "all sizes" above photo)

This trip we (as usual) spent most of our time @ Disneyland & Disney's California Adventure. But we also rented a P.O.S convertible and visited the general L.A. area. The Hubster reports that we only put 425 miles on the rental during the week we had it - felt like more.

As usual I decided we had to be really early for our flight. So by 6:30 am we were sitting outside the airport sucking back Starbucks. Our flight was @ 10:10.



I used to really love flying - back in the days of Pan Am and Wardair, but it's losing a lot of it's charm.

We flew Alaska. The crew and service were fine, but the seats are getting narrower and narrower, (or my ass is getting - never mind!)

Food service was the ever popular party mix, but the Hubster went out an bought the $5.00 Northern Bites® Picnic Pack and an ok Chardonnay for me.



I was glued to the window. Crop circles?



We stayed at the Hojo Anaheim. It's an 196mumble (same age as me) hotel about a 10 minute walk from the Disneyland main entrance. It's been recently refurbished back to it's original glory and is very retro cool.

What it looked like back then:



And a similar recent shot:



Our room with the new deliciously comfortable bedding. The mattress was an absolute dream.



We overlooked the pool area:



One exit away from yodeling cowboys:



Disneyland & DCA

It was pretty hot most days we were in the parks, so the Hubster partook of the wet rides - often.

Here he is on the Grizzly River Run:



The aftermath:



Favourite new rides:

Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, where I proved how much I suck at video games:



And Toy Story Mania!, where I proved how much I blah blah blah:



Pixar rules the rides.

Food at Disneyland still sucks (with a few exceptions), but in DCA we both really like Wine Country Trattoria. Italian food and some really nice wines. I discovered a new Favourite: Dr. Loosen Riesling.

Universal Studios

We spent one exhausting day @ Universal Studios Hollywood.

Started with the tour. We've done the tour a few times before, so it was pretty predictable, except for this part: the wreckage from the fire.



Also new and cool this time. The plane crash wreckage from War of the Worlds.





And of course, Bruce was present as usual:



My Favourite ride is still Jurassic Park. Nothing like a 7 story drop into a pool of water to freshen you up.



There is cute / fake English street @ the park, built for the Austin Powers movies. It includes a equally fake Irish pub that serves decent wines and beers. We managed to kill a couple of hours there in air conditioned bliss. That's the Hubster in the doorway on the left:



Afterwards we visited Universal City Walk, a shopping a dining district attached to the Studios:



And had dinner at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.. We had, well....





I was a bit reluctant to try out Bubba Gump. A restaurant chain based on a movie seemed a bit of an obvious cash cow. But the food was actually pretty good.

As we were leaving we saw this:



Of course most of the colour show was produced by all the smoke from the fires. Pollution does create the pretties sunsets.

Other Stuff

We had the wise idea of trying to drive to Newport Beach on the 4th of July. Idiots!

We gave up and ended up having a very nice lunch at The Cottage restaurant in Laguna Beach instead.

We did make it to Newport Beach a few days later. One of my Favourite beach communities. I'd buy a house here if I was a kazillionair.



Lunch at the Newport Landing.


It was overcast and quite muggy.

View of the Balboa Fun Zone from the ferry:



Balboa Island security - don't mess with the (rich) locals:



Then on to margaritas at Cabo Cantina (no webpage). Good drink & service. Very grotty! It's amazing the places I'll drink stateside:



No trip would be complete without wieners on the beach:



And alas, home again, home again:



Sigh...

Note: All the photos (from above and more!) are here.