Word Of The Day

Use it in a sentence. This is interesting.

Gordian knot.

1. a very difficult problem, insoluble in its own terms; an inextricable difficulty; to cut the Gordian knot is to remove a difficulty by bold and energetic measures: "A territorial dispute over an incredibly small plot of land had become a multi-generational Gordian knot."

2. an intricate knot tied by Gordius, the king of Phrygia, and cut by the sword of Alexander the Great after he heard that whoever undid it would become ruler of Asia

---

Origin:
Approximately 1579; an allusion to the knot tied in legend by Gordius, king of Phrygia.

In action:
"In 'Caucasia,' those bystanders are children, Cole and Birdie Lee. Their mother, Sandy, is the shy, overweight daughter of a Cambridge blue blood (Cotton Mather is a cherished ancestor) and a liberal Harvard academic. Their father, Deck, is a bright, upwardly mobile graduate student who grew up scant miles (and yet light years) away, in the Orchard Street Projects of Dorchester. Like a lot of interracial couples at the time, Sandy Lodge and Deck Lee marry in the assumption that the Gordian knot that is America's race problem would loosen, if not come undone, in the foreseeable future. It doesn't, of course. In Boston it grows even tighter, as the tension surrounding the great busing experiment of the early 1970s polarizes the city's black and white populations to an even greater degree."

Karen Grigsby Bates. "Passing: Blacks who go incognito in white society learn terrible truths and tell dangerous lies." [Book Review: 'Caucasia' by Danzy Senna] Salon.com (April 15, 1998).

"Perhaps the secret of Oprah's success lies in her ability to align worthy ideals with canny marketing. There are those who balk at the fact that she is the world's most influential book critic, that Toni Morrison landed on the mass-culture map not because of her Nobel Prize but because Oprah coronated two of her books. That Morrison might be, at least for a moment, as hot a commodity as a Beanie Baby is an irony, but even the mustiest academic has to admit it's a sweet one. Perhaps because pop-icon status is so often accorded to people of slight or dubious achievement, we become suspicious when achievers like Morrison get what they deserve from us. If a rhapsodic review from Oprah can help to untie that Gordian knot of reasoning, so much the better."

Erin J. Aubry. "The Oprah Effect: The TV star has transformed the publishing world," LA Weekly (May 29 - June 4, 1998).

Spring, Summer, Fall Trips

This summer I think we're going to stick around Colorado, save for a few domestic trips, and take care of some crazy adventures that have been on our list. Notably:

- 4-pass loop hike in the Maroon Bells
- Mountain biking from Aspen to Crested Butte (via Pearl Pass)
- Mountain bike trip to Moab, and to Fruita
- Hiking 3+ TBD 14'ers to keep up with our yearly quota
- Cycle to New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins
- Backpack in the San Juans (maybe after Tayler's graduation from Fort Lewis in May)
- Backpack the Aldo Leopold Wilderness around the NM/TX border
- Backpack the Picketwire Canyonlands (CO)
- Bike over McClure Pass (outside of Carbondale)
- Backpack Paria Canyon (CO)
- Hike Mt. Sopris (CO)
- Visit the Roan Plateau before it becomes a huge gas station

And more, I'm sure!

We'll take a trip to the farm in Illinois, head to the East Coast for a long weekend, and most likely spend many weekends in Carbondale/Aspen.

Eat Fage

Fage yogurt is quite possibly one of the tastiest snacks I've ever had. I used to only find it at Trader Joe's, but King Soopers just started carrying it. The day I saw Fage at King Soopers, I knew that I loved my local grocery store. And it loves me too! You can either buy the yogurt with a little compartment of honey or fruit on the side, or the straight up yogurt. It tastes like a little angel melted in your mouth. No, it tastes like a mix of ice cream, whipped cream and sour cream. And it's called yogurt, with 18g of protein per cup.

It's Greek, , natural and unstrained yogurt, and it's better than any other yogurt I've ever had. Learn how Fage is made.

Swimming

I have been swimming twice a week, for what I figured has been six weeks. I think I have the perfect schedule - every Wednesday and Friday morning. This way, I don't have to worry about getting up at 5:45 a.m. right after a weekend, but by the time the mid-week rolls around, I don't have too much motivation left on evenings to work out, so getting it done in the morning is great. It took me 2-3 weeks to get back into swimming, so during that time I was mostly just swimming laps without any real thought to it. I've been able to improve my stroke and speed in that short time at least enough to dictate my pace, so I started doing sets, or what a humble beginner might call a set. 300's with 3x25 3 normal; 3x25, 1 fast, 2 normal; 3x25, 2 fast, 1 normal; 3x25, 3 fast. Then ladder down with the same sets in the opposite direction. I'm not that fast, so I can usually do the entire 600 set, a 10 minute warm up, 5 minute cool down, and 10-15 minutes of targeted stuff in 45 minutes. I did do another 300 set and part of a 4th this morning. The 3rd and 4th were with a floatie, which makes it so much fun. My goal is to do 4 sets, so 2 full ladders, or 1200m. Then I can learn a new set and mix it up.

There are some seriously fast and strong swimmers at the South Boulder Rec Center. I try to eyeball them underwater and pick up some tips.

I've been trying to run 2-3 times a week, and ski 1-2 times a week. I'd like to start cycling during the day, if anything just a 30 minute hill climb. It would be nice to be in shape to do some Xterras this summer...

Squirrel In The Henhouse

There was a squirrel in the henhouse this morning. Not really the henhouse, but their summer condo, the chicken tractor. In the winter, they spend cold days and all night in the chicken house that Steve built, and in the summer they sleep in the tractor. A tractor is just a basic A-frame, that can be easily moved around the garden.

In any event, there was a squirrel poking around at the chicken tractor this morning. I was keeping an eye on it all morning, more for the potentially entertaining chicken/squirrel interaction than out of fear of the damage it would wreak. What it ended up doing was pure entertainment. It slithered its way under the 2x4 tractor frame and started going nuts (pun!) in the tractor. It had no idea how to get out. I didn't feel sorry for it at this point, just amused. The hens were all staring at it as if if the squirrel were stupid. The squirrel ended up slithering back out of the tractor, so I didn't have to let it out. I couldn't help but take a video.

Whales.

I love drawings of whales. They usually look different than an actual whale, so maybe I just like caricatures of whales. I went to tweet, and this graphic came up, to say that there were "too many tweets!" I'm glad there were too many tweets. I got to meet this whale. I also love drawing of birds. This warmed my heart. I am enjoying imagining what Twitter is trying to convey by netting this whale. They should know it's illegal. And those are some pretty strong birds. But doesn't this whale look so happy? With her great big smile. She can finally take a load off. The birds have it covered.
When we were visiting the Oregon coast last November, we stayed in Depoe Bay (very quiet coastal community, highly recommended!). There was a candy shop, the Depoe Bay Candy Shoppe, that we never ended up visiting, but a sign outside had a nice whale on it. I miraculously found a shoddy picture online (look closely at the sign!):

Peacocks & Chinchillas à la Montagne

Here are some pictures of Steve and me hiking up the Highland Bowl this past weekend. And one last of Steve as a bby dinosaur of some sort (my personal favorite). The Highland Bowl is just an amazing natural feature, with about 1,500 vertical feet of 40+ degree chutes.

Hiking up.

Steve about halfway up.

Me at the top.

View from the top.

The view from the bottom of the bowl.

Steve and his new best friend.

Mustela Frenata - Long-Tailed Weasels...

ARE AWESOME.

Geographic Range: The range of the long-tail weasel includes most of North America, extending from just north of the United States-Canadian border and south to Central America to northern South America. Long-tailed weasels have the largest distribution of any mustelid in the Western Hemisphere.

Habitat: Long-tailed weasels are found in temperate and tropical habitats in North and Central America. These habitats range from crop fields to small wooded areas to suburban areas. They are not found in deserts or thick, dense forests. Their burrows and nests are in hollow logs, rock piles, and under barns. Sometimes instead of building a new nest, long-tailed weasels take over the burrow of one of their prey.

Physical Description: Long-tail weasels have a long slender body, similar to other weasels. On average, males are larger than females. These weasels have long, bushy tails that are about 50% of their total body length. Body length varies between 330 and 420 mm in males and 280 to 350 mm in females, tail length is from 132 to 294 mm in males, and 112 to 245 mm in females. Long-tailed weasels have a small, narrow head with long whiskers. They also have short legs. The fur is composed of short, soft underfur covered by shiny guard hair. They are cinnamon brown in color with white under parts that have a yellow tinge. Twice a year these weasels shed their fur, once in the spring and again in the fall. This process is controlled by photoperiod. The coat of animals in northern populations is white in the winter and brown in the summer, while those in southern populations are brown year round.

Reproduction: Long-tailed weasels mate once each year. Young are born from April to May. Mating for long-tailed weasels occurs in the mid-summer months. After copulation, implantation is delayed and the egg does not begin to develop until March, making the total gestation time around 280 days. Birth occurs from late April to early May, and the average size of the litter is six. At birth young weasels weigh about 3 grams. They are pink with wrinkled skin, and they have white fur. At fourteen days, the white hair begins to thicken, and size differentiation makes it easy to tell males from females. At 36 days young weasels are weaned and can eat food brought back to the nest by the mother. They learn how to kill prey from the mother and by 56 days old they are able to kill prey on their own. Females mate in their first summer, but males wait until the following spring. At birth, young weasels weigh about 3 grams. They are born helpless, with eyes closed, and with pink, wrinkled skin and white fur. At fourteen days their white fur begins to thicken, and size differentiation makes it easy to tell males from females. At 36 days old young weasels eyes open and they begin to be weaned and to eat foods brought back to the nest by their mother. They learn how to kill prey from the mother, and by 56 days they are able to kill prey on their own. Soon after they become independent.

Average lifespan (captivity): 8.80 years. Many long-tailed weasels die before reaching one year old. However, once they have reached adulthood they may live for several years. The lifespan of long-tailed weasels in the wild is not well known.

Behavior: Long-tailed weasels are not social animals; the sexes live apart from each other except during the mating season. One male's home range may overlap several female home ranges, but home ranges of adults of the same sex never overlap. Weasels exhibit very aggressive behavior to intruders of their home ranges. Long-tailed weasels are quick, agile, and alert animals. They are good climbers and swimmers. Long-tailed weasels hunt their prey by picking up a scent or sound. They then follow the animal and make a quick attack. They kill their prey by a quick bite to the base of the skull. While long-tailed weasels can be active during the day, they are more active at night. These weasels are also known to be noisy animals, but the noise is usually in response to some type of disturbance.

Communication and Perception: Long-tailed weasels communicate among themselves with visual, sound, and scent cues. Females emit an attractive scent when they are ready to mate. Body language and sounds are used to communicate when weasels confront each other. Long-tailed weasels have well-developed senses of sight, hearing, and smell, which allows them to be efficient and sensitive predators.

Food Habits: Main prey are small rodents. Females, with smaller bodies, have better success in hunting small rodents because their bodies can fit inside the small rodent burrows. Males pursue larger animals, such as eastern cottontail rabbits. While mammals are the food of choice, these weasels eat a wide range of food, from birds to reptiles, and in the summer their diet includes fruits and berries.

Known Predators: Owls, coyotes, rattlesnakes.

Ecosystem Roles: Long-tailed weasels help to control populations of rodents and rabbits.

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive The pelts of long-tailed weasels were available in the fur trade but were not a popular commodity. Long-tailed weasels are good mousers and ratters, so farmers do not mind having weasels around their farms because they eliminate these pests

Newell, T. 2002. "Mustela frenata" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed February 12, 2009 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Mustela_frenata.html.

Counting the Days... And a Weasel.

Last ski season, I think I got in about 25 days. Mostly at Copper and Aspen area, with a few days at Winter Park and Crested Butte.

After next Monday, I will have 14 days. I'm trying to do the math. Am I on track for another 25 days? I think that 25 days is respectable, what with a full time job, graduate courses, a flock of chickens to which to tend, and an otherwise booming (maybe a step below booming) social life. Right?

These are my ski days so far this year. I'm very excited about visiting Scott in Alta, UT this weekend for a 3-day powderfest.

1. Copper 12/6/08
2. Winter Park 12/14/08
3. Snowmass 12/25/08
4. Copper 12/27/08
5. Copper 1/3/09
6. Copper 1/4/09
7. Copper 1/11/09
8. Snowmass 1/17/09
9. Copper 1/25/09
10. Snowmass 2/7/09
11. Highlands 2/8/09
12. 13. 14. Alta woohoo

Why Copper so much, you ask? Because it's an all around good time, you can ski the entire mountain for days on end and be constantly entertained, there are challenging big mountain runs, powder stashes and endless bump runs, and you know there's more to discover, you just need to hike a little longer. And it seems to weed out some of the Front Range crows.

We skied Aspen last weekend, no new snow (the reported snow was delayed every day for 4 days, and it finally started snowing at 2 p.m. on Sunday), but we were able to find some pretty fun runs up high, and hidden powder in the trees. We hiked the Highlands Bowl on Sunday. A 45 minute hike and the best run of the day. We hiked up the top of that ridge in the picture above (from much further below), and skied down on skier's right, to the left. These pictures come up dark, which is frustrating.

But the BEST PART OF THE WEEKEND was our encounter with a very special mountain species I'd like to call the long-tailed weasel, or ermine. Wildlife biologists also call it that. Steve and I were skiing down the the Hanging Valley headwall on Snowmass (sidenote - I measured the slope angle of the run with my trusty iPhone, which was about 48 degrees) and got down to a wooded area. Suddenly, Waldo the long-tailed weasel, or ermine, comes flying out of a tree bank and across the slope headed for a another tree. But wait! He has a prisoner! Waldo the long-tailed weasel, or ermine, was carrying a dead bird in its mouth to stash away! But who are those fools lurking in the background? Waldo the long-tailed weasel, or ermine, is scared. He freezes. Intruders! How dare they enter my dead-bird lair! He races back to the tree bank, but No! Waldo the long-tailed weasel, or ermine, drops his bird! He must retrieve it! And before those dirty scoundrels have restored by peace with their departure! Ah ha, not too fast, Waldo the long-tailed weasel, or ermine, we thought. We knew he was hiding in the bank, and needed to get his bird back. But we wanted some free wildlife entertainment. So we skied slowly to the tree, and just waited quietly. After 30 seconds, Waldo the long-tailed weasel, or ermine, pokes his head out on each side of the tree, frenetically, as if resigning to the fact that we are there, and mustering up his speed to reclaim his fowl and be on his way. He creeps toward us, then jets away, creeps toward us, then jets away again. I'm loving this. Not to demean Waldo the long-tailed weasel, or ermine, but he's very cute. And spry. So finally he shoots back toward his bird, and picks it up, and drops it in his hole, wherever that may be. And he emerges from the tree bank again, birdless, and ran back up the hill. It was very exciting.

The picture is what he (or she, I guess) looked like. At first, we thought it was a ferret, but at lunch, we couldn't find anything about a ferret of that coloring on the internet (courtesy of iPhones). Then Steve thought it was perhaps a mink, so he googled Aspen mink. And of course, the first 100 google entries were advertisements for mink coats in Aspen. Then, we visited the Wapiti Wildlife Center at the top of Elk Camp (which I would highly recommend, next time you're skiing snowmass - awesome wildlife info), and discovered that it was a long-tailed weasel, or ermine. My next post is going to be about the long-tailed weasel, or ermine. And I'd like to give a big shout out to Waldo, long-tailed weasel, or ermine.

Getcha Enchiladas

Last Friday, on our way to Carbondale, Steve and I stopped in Minturn, CO (outside of Vail) to eat at Chili Willy's. It was a decent experience. We were both very hungry, and Steve used to eat there when he was on ski trips with his Dad. Plus, after hiking a 14'er one weekend last summer (Mt. of the Holy Cross), Steve had tempted Schivonne, Kris and I with the idea of Chili Willy's on our way home, and it was an absolute letdown when we pulled up for our Tex-Mex meal, only to have to restaurant be closed. So Steve and I redeemed ourselves, and finally ate there. It was pretty good, and that's that.

In any event, it reminded me of my favorite Mexican restaurant (although Chili Willy's is Tex-Mex) in Denver, D'Corazon. The chile rellenos and enchiladas are perfectly seasoned, not too greasy, and an overall delight. I'd highly recommend it, and please, seriously consider the combo. It's in downtown Denver, LoDo area:

EAT AT D'CORAZON!

What.

1. I will not be tempted to write a “25 random things about me” note just because everyone else is doing it.
2. If you want to know 25 things about me, pick up the phone. I’ll get back to you within 25 days.
3. Social media is ridonk sometimes and pushes the limits of social acceptability.
4. I’m not really interested in your list.
5. Since I am writing this list, does this mean that I am writing 25 random things about me?
6. Do you REALLY care to read this, or are you just comparing it with yourself?
7. If I had 5 more digits, I would have 25 digits.
8. There are 25 ways that I will say that I don’t want to write a 25 things list.
9. This one time, I turned 25 years old.
10. This other time, I ate 25 m&m’s.
11. There are at least 25 ways that I can tell someone to bugger off.
12. Before I had 259 friends on Facebook, I only had 25.
13. Persons with serious mental illnesses die, on average, 25 years earlier than the general public.
14. Did it take you 25 minutes or 25 hours to write your list?
15. This is going to take me under 25 minutes.
16. There are 25 reasons why I don’t want to read your list, but 26 why I probably will.
17. randomrandomrandomrandomr has 25 letters.
18. I’m sure you can think of 25 reasons why you regret writing your 25 random things about me list.
19. There are 25 reasons why the 25 random things about me list is self-indulgent.
20. 5 more things I need to say after this.
21. How would we count the days on our knuckles if there were a month with only 25 days?
22. In blackjack, I would definitely lose if my cards amounted to 25.
23. There are 25 other things I’d rather be doing at this point in my list.
24. Google 25 and the first thing that comes up is a link to an article about how stupid this is.
25. Over and out.

Ratatat Radio

If you can listen to music at work, my recommended Pandora station is Ratatat.

The station has few, if any, lyrics, mostly electronic beats, some guitar riffs, and it's an overall mellow station, perfect for work.

Cold & Deep/Collins Rock @ Alta

Steve's brother Scott Heysoos is spending a few months in Alta skiing and working at the Alta Lodge. We're going to visit him over President's Day. He's taken a few sweet videos with his helmet cam. I see some kind of badass future.

If you like to ski all mountain or park, check out his website, Powder and Park.


Cold and Deep.


Collins Rock at Alta.

10 Minute Dessert

This is one of the easiest and most satisfying desserts. I made it on my lunch break today in less than 10 minutes (not 20, as the recipe indicates), and it will be ready for dessert tonight. I don't usually have espresso powder on hand, so I replace that with any flavor that I have available. Today was some leftover Baileys. I also didn't have enough milk, so I just used enough sour cream in the milk to make 2 cups. And I only had 1% milk, not whole. You don't have to make the whipped cream if you're not feeling it - the pudding is rich enough. I also don't use ramekins, I just put it in a bowl. Very easy and very versatile. So if you're with me, I basically don't follow the recipe, and I can get away with it. Which is fine. It's your life.

Chocolate Pudding with Espresso Whipped Cream
Bon Appétit | November 2008
Yield: Makes 6 servings
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes (includes chilling time)

Ingredients
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
2 cups whole milk
1 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

Preparation
Whisk 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder in heavy medium saucepan to blend. Gradually whisk in milk. Whisk over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in chocolate chips, butter, and vanilla extract until smooth. Divide mixture among 6 small ramekins or glasses. Cover and chill pudding until cold, about 2 hours. Using electric mixer, beat cream, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon espresso powder in medium bowl until peaks form. Top each chocolate pudding with dollop of espresso cream.

Tweet Tweet

I am now tweeting, mostly because I like the Twitter bird. Also because Efrem told me to do it.

I'm concerned that everything I think about in my head will either sound like a Facebook status update or a tweet. When I'm doing the dishes - 'Morgan wishes the dishes were already done.' When I'm running - 'Right hip flexor hurts.' When I'm doing homework - 'Morgan wonders if an ecosystem valuation of opportunity costs related to natural gas drilling on the Roan Plateau would be an effective way t.' STOP!!! I'm much wordier than this and it usually takes me a good 140 words to even get to what I'm trying to say. We'll see how this goes.

Follow me: mponcelet

Intense Resistance

There are things I need to do sometimes that I really do not want to do. And they're usually the simplest things. Like an hour of research, calling my insurance agent, or doing dishes. I can't get myself to do it, but I usually have no choice. So by the time I actually get it done, the appropriate late window has elapsed, and I just look like a dumb ass for being so late or for putting it off for so long. I know all this, but I don't do a single thing to change it, aside from procrastinate a bit more.

I've gotten away with it so far, so unless there's a serious incentive - or threat - to do otherwise, I guess it's not so bad.

Right Out My Window....

This is the view from my office window. There's a pinkish glow to the air right now, it's very surreal. The dirty window adds a recessionist charm.

Slaying Since 1996

I am listening to my Modest Mouse Pandora station this morning. So far, I've heard Pink Floyd, Weezer, MM, The White Stripes, Bloc Party, The Shins and Radiohead. I've enjoyed every song except for the Weezer song. Those don't always thrill me, for some reason I think they try too hard and aren't genuinely peculiar. Remember when you'd put your iPod on shuffle, and somehow, that little white box would know exactly what you wanted to hear, and play it? I love that! Pandora also does that. I guess it's just all programming, but it rocks.

A Modest Mouse song from an album called "Slaying Since 1996" came up. Although I own many MM records, I'd never heard of this one. It's a compilation of Suicide Squeeze label's tunes from the last 10 years. Constantines, The Black Heart Procession, Les Savy Fav, The Aislers Set, Minus The Bear, Iron & Wine with Six Parts Seven, Modest Mouse with 764-Hero. I'll probably end up buying the album, basically a mish mash of indie music from some artists I know, some I will soon, if anything for the cover art - this dragon knows how to have a good time.

I eat Steel for Breakfast

One of my favorite Michael Scott quotes is:

"I guess this is what they call a bittersweet moment. It is bitter because I slightly destroyed a wonderful little family. But sweet because David Wallace thought I did a good job. That's what I hate bittersweet chocolate. I don't even... what's the point of that? Why not just sweet? Who are you helping?"

I love football, but it does makes me sad sometimes. I wanted to see the Cardinals win their first championship more than I wanted to see the Steelers become the first team to win six championships. Football is just one big bittersweet moment, especially when the camera veers back and forth between sadness and happiness. I feel so happy for the winning team, because winning is awesome, but then they switch to the other team completely deflated and I get depressed. But back to cheers and Gatorade coolers and confetti! Woohoo! Then over to sorrow, and head in their hands and tears, and I am upset again. It's an emotional rollercoaster. Sometimes I wish I had never watched the game, because half of the time (or more, if you cheer for teams in Colorado), I end up wistful. But it my team had won, I would also have been sad not to have watched. Risky business. What to do?

Plus, the ads sucked this year.