Culture.

Awaiting the curtain.

Chicken Gitmo

Peep, post-holocaust

So good.

Children of the corn

Early on, our Sous Blogger learned that if you want someone to make you a meal, go sit on the ingredients until it happens.

Our Sous Blogger in simpler times

Circa 1855.

But I brought dessert

Thomas Keller's French Laundry Lemon Tart. Recipe via grainy iPhone
photos surreptitiously taken by Eric M. EM made this tart first (and
best, of course). He also was kind enough to supply an extra crust's
worth of dough, which given how comatose I feel right now, was a huge
and delicious help.

Loveliness

Judy, friend and neighbor, is an exquisite cook. And how nice not to
have to be responsible for dinner after Easter churching. Perfect
roast rack of pork, potato gratin, roast asparagus and all the
trimmings. Thank you so much, Judy.

My view

Cute Couple

The guy on the right is wearing a gingham checked searsucker suit.

Sous Blogger: Holding out on us

So the Sous Blogger and Consort are viewing old slides tonight, she tells me. Projector, screen, the whole nine yards. Evidently the show includes our very own SB parasailing in Mexico. Can any of you think of one reason that those slides are not being uploaded to this blog immediately? I can not.

Adoration of the cross

I can think of few things worth suffering the pain of death by crucifixion: saving the world from itself? Sure, if you're into that kind of thing. But also, my mother's hot cross buns (though I have messed with the recipe enough that these are no longer exactly my mother's hot cross buns). Mother never began by soaking the currants and golden raisins in brandy. I also omit the fruitcake mix (red food coloring tastes like cancer). New this year, I added cardamom to the dough (there's already cinnamon), and, bowing, to Minnesota tradition, I added glazed crosses. Mother always snipped the tops of the rolls with a scissors into a supposed cross form, and sprinkled sugar into the wound, but I don't think anyone ever figured out those were crosses. Anyhoo. I am going to try not to eat the entire two dozen of them before I have to take them to dinner tomorrow afternoon.

Take that, winter

And that.

And that.

And that, three more times. Yes, it was a little chilly planting. But I don't care; the pansies make the porch habitable for a few weeks, at least until school is over and I can turn my attention to full-time porch-sitting. It's sunny, hot cross buns are on their second rising (raising? resurrection? allegory?), and the family is napping. Life. Not. Bad.

Hell week

Or as some might call it, Holy Week. Except in our house it's also tech week for MN Opera, so in addition to all the church gigs, Eric is away until 11:30 every night for Barber of Seville rehearsal. Viggo is a latchkey kid. Our meals consist of cookies. 

There is no point to this post.

I miss winter already

Our next holiday cards will be from Handsome Devil Press.

Veggie tale

So I'm sitting in the lecture hall before our biodiversity test, minding everyone else's business, when I notice that the woman in front of me has on her desk—along with her No. 2 pencil, eraser, and coffee—an oddity: a yellow bell pepper. Surely this isn't a snack? I wonder. Maybe it's some sort of pre-test ritual; or perhaps she has Salad 101 right after this class. Anyhoo. The exam is distributed, I get to work and forget about the produce until—CRUNCH—Pepper Gal starts chomping away, eating the stir fry ingredient as though it were a ripe juicy apple. I want to remain the open-minded, easygoing guy you've come to know and love, but is this what passes for snack food nowadays? Is she normal? Am I?

Do the math

Chocolate cake + ganache + caramel + toasted pecans =

Turtle cake, where turtle means way too much sugar than is good for a person.

Probably right

- posted by the SousBlogger

A final element

I hate the way toasting the pecans brings out their flavor, and makes
them extra crispy and crunchy. Time for a run, then I'll try to
assemble these four ingredients into something edible. It doesn't look
promising, I know.

An appropriate base

Standard issue chocolate cake. Yawn.

Vanilla caramel sauce

Still warm. Yuck, right?

A big bowl of love

Chocolate ganache. Stay tuned.

Sundin Music Hall

Takehome from today's piano master class

Is there anything in this works more boring than listening to Haydn?

(The correct answer is yes: TALKING about Haydn is way worse.)

Von meinem iPhone gesendet

Big roll of the eyes.

Wild boars

I'm almost certain that these are those frightening creatures that do
serious damage in the Silence of the Lambs sequel.

I don't know what this is

But seems totally lazy.

Flamingos

Seem really dumb and therefore happy wherever they are. Pretty color
pink--glad they don't overdo it.

Lemurs

We're on the Tropic Trail. It seems less creepy, except for some kind
of rare rodent piled up by a "hidden" back door waiting for dinner.

Evidently not endangered

Surprised they warrant their own exhibit.

Camels

Are evidently more tolerant of chain link fencing than I am.

Waiting for the train.

Because of the pink star on my arm we were allowed in Car 1, where
children are verboten.

Learner on monorail

Note sign above the learner's head says "No talking in car." They told us #1 was the Whisper Car.
- posted by SousBlogger Deb

Eric knows the solution

Gold Bond.

Bunnies!!!

Someone told me it's all happening at the zoo.
- posted by SousBlogger Deb

Snow monkeys

Enjoying their view of Brutalism.

It's a long way to Apple Valley

What I hate: Live-blogging a field trip

I hate:

1. Pedophiles
   
2. Circuses (where pedophiles work)
   
3. Clowns (pedophile uniforms)
   
4. Zoos (where pedophiles lurk)
   

This afternoon Sous Blogger (because she made me go back to school) and I will be visiting the Minnesota Zoo (a requirement of the Biodiversity class—and yes, I've already made quite clear to Prof H what I think about this requirement). Besides the lurking pedophiles, I also hate seeing animals in captivity. H.A.T.E. I.T. More to come. . . .

Showing you how it's done

Any entries to the new Going40 contest are going to have to be stellar, because we nailed it. And stuck the landing.

(Thanks to Meema for capturing this candid shot.)

New Going40 contest

Take a photo of yourself recreating the pose shown below and send it in. The person who comes closest to attaining the perfect pose wins a prize—and my admiration for all eternity. I suppose there should be a prize for the most pitiful attempt as well. Actually, there will be a prize for anyone who attempts this. And I'd want you to sign an insurance waiver.

Best headline ever

Thanks to Eric M for passing on this bit of perfection.

My blog, my prerogative

I don't post many family pictures (this isn't a family blog; after all, Chef Kyle referred to a hoo-ha in a comment a few days ago). But, look how cute is my youngest niece, Torii (yes, she's named after the baseball player). And, her mom (my sister first) made her this adorable shirt out of an IKEA PILLOW CASE! Go, Jenny! We Rohrs can do stuff, ya know?

Monetize

Google really wants me to have ads on my blog. There have always been three tabs for producing the blog: Posting, Settings, Layout. Now they've added a fourth: Monetize. Turning ads on (and hopefully off) now takes approximately.031478 seconds. I was curious what would show up, ads tailored to my blog and (I presume) readership. First ad: Bundt cake recipe. Second: See how Rachel Ray Lost 30 Pounds. And, we're done with the ads experiment on Going40.

Almost spring (but scroll down for Going40's actual blog post today)

Posted by the sous blogger, whose 10:00 appointment is a no-show.

UPDATE: In class. On time. With coffee.

Travel time: one hour, thirty six minutes.

There's never been a day like this day to me. . .

A childhood song, except that I think the day in question was meant to
be a good thing. It's so shitty outside right now and by outside I
mean outside the windows of the 21 bus which is taking me to school at
a snail's pace. I forgot a book. Except for my biology book and who
wants to read that (even though I barely skimmed the reading for
today). And maybe I'm new to the ways of the bus world--this being
Eric's domain--but shouldn't there be a rule about talking to
strangers if you're icky? As in, don't. Almost to the midtown station.
Only four more hours to go. Last night we rearranged almost all the
furniture in our house and it's ever so much better. We both agreed we
hated having the new tv in the bedroom so we moved it out into the
main room. We're now calling that corner of the space the den because
neither of us believes in having the tv in the living room. All of
south Minneapolis just got on the bus. If you have headphones on I
shouldn't be able to hear your music. Or smell you. I'm really ready
for school to be done. Does anyone know a good sports psychologist?
I'm really having trouble memorizing piano music. I've always had that
trouble but the problem seems particularly acute now. May 21 is, like,
tomorrow. Almost to Hiawatha. It seems like I'm not saying much given
the distance but this is good stuff using only my thumb. At the
light rail station. Very tempting to take it to the airport and hop on
the next flight south. Even if just for a few hours. Fourteen folks
exited at Arby's. Mr. Smelly Pump Up the Jam opts to stay put. Any
ideas about what I should with the rest of my life? Not too many
takers at Denny's today but the McDonald's drivethru is doing a brisk
business. I happen to know that Prof K lives very nearby this next
intersection. Not going to be happy if I see that Prius glide silently
by. Here's my old office. I'd rather be on this bus forever. I can
even see them in there. Kind of surreal. When does the coffee cart
come by? At the Mussissiopi. I left that spelling to show how poorly
iPhone's auto correct sometimes works. Though you can be sure it
always corrects iPhone, even if I meant to spell vagina. Which I never
do. Who knew the 21D doesn't go to Snelling but turns on Cretin? I
didn't. But now I'm outside. Now back on a bus. Oops. Got on a 53 by
accident. Have no idea what I'm doing. Though getting to class on time
doesn't seem likely. Very curious. Hope to hop off before turning. Not
sure if I have more cash for another bus ride. Almost to Snelling.
That's good. Turning. The right way. Oops. East 94 would have been a
bad idea. Nice of the driver to let me off. Wet walk north. The bus I
next needed just splashed me going over the freeway. Next one not for
20 minutes. Now I walk. Thanks for riding along.

Von meinem iPhone gesendet

A comeback, of sorts

German midterm grade: A-. During the conference (much like parent/teacher conferences, except in this instance I was the parent of me), it was also suggested that I talk too much in class. I. Am. Shocked. Shocked, I say. So then I immediately went into class and whispered to Caite that I got in trouble for talking too much in class. Coincidentally, so did she! We are dumbfounded.

Caramel apple spice cake with candied pecans

Only for the childless gays (after all, there's brandy in the cake).

What do you see when Eric cries?

A Vollen tear.

Can you tell I'm at a Vollen family dinner? Evidently that's a time-
honored family funny joke.

Von meinem iPhone gesendet

Draft Eric

Can you think of anyone who more fits the bill than eWAC? He's refusing to apply, afraid that he'll bungle an answer about world peace. Please join me in recruiting him to this endeavor.

Who's that on the right????

Two can play this game.

- posted by MiiDeb

Whee!

Deb and Phil have a brand new Wii. If you don't know them, you don't know how perfectly their Miis capture their essence. Or iissence. I had absolutely no permission to post this photo.

I am disturbed.

I love to bake cakes, I love babies, I love to give cakes to baby-makers, and so forth and so on. However. I draw the line at making babies. Both via the traditional icky way, but especially out of marzipan. That's right, these babies taste like almond paste.

Can a Nobel be far behind?

Midterm grade in Biodiversity & Conservation Biology: A

I was hoping to graduate this spring, but I think I have a gift for remedial science. Perhaps I need to pursue that further.

Hope for America

This makes me so happy.

Real World: Minneapolis

Sometimes blogging fills out an experience, sometimes it supplants one, or fills in the space where one doesn't seem to exist. And sometimes, it's just gets in the way. I start spring break tomorrow, and while it won't be much of a break (I need to be chained to the piano), I am looking forward to a change in routine, and a chance to regroup. Like you, I have projects I never seem to get done: prepare my taxes, file some school paperwork, etc. I have a fair amount of freelance work, some academic projects, and did I mention practicing?

Several people have asked me what comes next, post-graduation, and someone recently asked me what happens post-Going40. I hadn't really considered the end of Going40, but a new adventure will crop up, and I'll be sure to bring you along for the ride. Until then, let's enjoy the last few weeks of craziness.

Chocolate cake

I've been baking today. For families with babies. If you want me to
bake something, have a baby.