What is in your cup?

[CRussel]

Oranges at this time of the year are tricky at best. The one's I got a couple of weeks ago are, unfortunately, exactly what one would expect -- not sweet and no flavour. But I'm hopeful that by the time this case is done I'll be able to get some decent ones. I've got another week until it's time to order another case. I generally get 138's -- more juice, less skin. And often a bit cheaper. But it also means they tend to be on the early side of the ripeness equation.

[jersysman]

Having a hard day, so I am relaxing with a glass of champagne.

[kindlekitten]

I hope things get better, I know I've been having some pretty tough times myself, hang in there!

[Stitchawl]

:

:

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKd3N2bvLwY )


What a way to start the day!

Good morning, everyone! Happy Monday! East India Company's "Assam" tea in my mug, a guitar in my lap, and a smile on my face. I've been watching the sunrise every morning, trying to get another 'good' sunrise photo and I came to the startling conclusion that there really is no such thing as a bad sunrise. There are only 'better' sunrises. Hmmmm.......

Lots to do today before I go off to my guitar lesson. Post office, Immigration Office, music store, street market... Call China to put in an order for fencing equipment - I need everything. None of my old kit can be found anywhere back in the States. Besides, I couldn't trust the metal on my old mask or the steel in the old blades. Probably the only thing that would have been salvageable would have been the weapon handles, and as fate would have it, my personal choice of handgrip, the "Spanish Offset" has been ruled out from competition. Life can be such a challenge...


Stitchawl


Stitchawl

[jersysman]

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

I hope things get better, I know I've been having some pretty tough times myself, hang in there!

Thanks, KK. I get like this around the holidays.. All it takes is one little thing not to go exactly right.

[poohbear_nc]

Well .... I'm either:
a) coming down with a cold/flu/plague
or
b) going to have a major migraine

Why?

My sense of taste has gone completely haywire tonight .... esp. in regards to my single malts .... which are mostly undrinkable tonight
Talisker tastes sweet
Laphroaig tastes like rancid oil
Ardbeg tastes like old medicine

Only the Lagavulin is remotely drinkable ... but doesn't taste right ....

I may have to resort to the Dewars!

Having my sense of taste or smell go wonko is a danger sign to me ... either warning of imminent illness or head pain .... I noticed strange odors outside this morning when I went to top off my gas tank ... and now tonight the Scotch is 'off' ...
and I've been congested all day ...

So .... drinking club soda and waiting to see what develops ...

[pholy]

@Stitchawl -

Probably the only thing that would have been salvageable would have been the weapon handles, and as fate would have it, my personal choice of handgrip, the "Spanish Offset" has been ruled out from competition. Life can be such a challenge...

I'd say 'First World Problem' but your in Thailand, so I dunno what to say...

@Poohbear_nc -

Laphroaig tastes like rancid oil

It may have gone 'off' - send it to me for testing (please!)

[pholy]

And while I'm here... I't trying DavidsTea 'Gingerbread' - a rooibos blend they sent me to sample. It smells more gingerbready than it tastes.

Stitchawl, what sort of color calibration gear to you use? (I'm assuming you must, given what we see here.) What should I use (given that I just want my printer to match my monitor better)? My prints are much darker than the pictures on my monitor. Remember I have much time, not so much money... and I'm amateur, at best.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by pholy

Stitchawl, what sort of color calibration gear to you use? (I'm assuming you must, given what we see here.) What should I use (given that I just want my printer to match my monitor better)? My prints are much darker than the pictures on my monitor. Remember I have much time, not so much money... and I'm amateur, at best.

I use Datacolor's Spyder4 Elite Pro but there are less expensive models and companies that do, in my not-so-humble opinion, just as good a job. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that often, exact color reproduction isn't necessary. No one knows what exact color the orchid actually was that is in your photo, or the exact color of the landscape you shot. As long as it looks the way YOU want it to look in the finished image, that's all that counts. On the other hand, if you take a picture of Aunt Sally, and she comes out with the skin tone of a plum when she really should look more like a peach... that's a problem. Darker skinned people often get printed looking really purple, while blond Scandinavians often show up as Albino in many people's home prints... Good calibration software is necessary.

Unfortunately, most people don't realize that their monitors need to be re-calibrated every few months for home use, and every week for studio work. Most folks have NEVER calibrated their monitors but wondered why colors just didn't seem exactly right but live with it so long as to never really notice at all any more! Fortunately, today's monitors are MUCH more accurate than they were even 5 years ago, especially laptops!


Stitchawl

[pholy]

Thanks, Stitchy. It looks like the Spyder4 Express or the ColorMunki Smile will probably meet my needs. The Express is about 50% more, but both can be used by the Argyll CMS with Linux, Windows, or Mac. I'll have to see what I can get locally, I guess.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

Well .... I'm either:
a) coming down with a cold/flu/plague
or
b) going to have a major migraine

Why?

My sense of taste has gone completely haywire tonight .... esp. in regards to my single malts .... which are mostly undrinkable tonight
Talisker tastes sweet
Laphroaig tastes like rancid oil
Ardbeg tastes like old medicine

Only the Lagavulin is remotely drinkable ... but doesn't taste right ....

I may have to resort to the Dewars!

Having my sense of taste or smell go wonko is a danger sign to me ... either warning of imminent illness or head pain .... I noticed strange odors outside this morning when I went to top off my gas tank ... and now tonight the Scotch is 'off' ...
and I've been congested all day ...

So .... drinking club soda and waiting to see what develops ...

Taste sounds more migraine than cold/flu. But in either case, not a good sign.

Originally Posted by pholy

@Stitchawl -

I'd say 'First World Problem' but your in Thailand, so I dunno what to say...

@Poohbear_nc -
It may have gone 'off' - send it to me for testing (please!)

OK, you take the Laphroaig, I'll take the Talisker. We can't have poor poohbear_nc having to taste all this bad malt. We'll save him from it.

An evening spent with a glass of respectable BC Pinot Noir and a big wedge of Tourtiere, the classic holiday dish from Quebec. I'd never heard of it before we moved here, but now it's an absolute tradition. Sharon tried a new recipe this year -- the crust was good, the filling tasty, but overall a bit too much liquid. I think the crust will be a keeper, but we'll likely go back to the filling from last year, or a blend between the two.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by CRussel

...... and a big wedge of Tourtiere, the classic holiday dish from Quebec. I'd never heard of it before we moved here, but now it's an absolute tradition.

One of the joys of living 90 minutes south of Montreal for so many years!


Stitchawl

[kindlekitten]

Ok, so what is it?

[5thWiggle]

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

Ok, so what is it?

Meat pie. Many variations, all called Tourtière because that's the name of the cooking vessel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourti%C3%A8re

[kindlekitten]

Sounds like it can be fairly similar to true mince meat pie