AntSaint

Blog Update: Coming Soon

2010-09-08T04:26:00-07:00

Working on/Coming soon

Lots of Food & Drink! Food preservation. Homebrew. Eugene grub. Cookbook series. And more.
Writing: This category may go by the wayside. I'm not really interested in "writing about writing", but do enjoy talking about productivity posts and such — mainly because it keeps me honest. We'll see how this shakes out, or what future form the category may take.
Eugene/Northwest: Changing seasons.
Journal: Reflections of a transplant Oregonian. (10 years since I made my home in Oregon... what does that mean?)

What is this? From now on, occasionally I'll note posts I'm working on and planning to publish. This way you're getting some heads-up on content that may be of interest to you — plus it motivates me to get on the stick and get some more goram writing done.

These will be coming out in the next few weeks. (If I'm really smart, I'll even remember to update this post with links as I publish each piece.)

What do you want to hear about?

At This Crossroads of Seasons

2010-09-01T04:33:00-07:00

The end of this August mixes many moods and thoughts. This time last year, in the heat of summer, Jodie and I were less than 2 weeks away from our wedding day, in the thick of finalizing details. This year, we have time to relax, to enjoy, and to ponder a season where, lately, the days are intent on combining summer, spring, and a touch of fall. At this crossroads of seasons, I have much to ponder, and much to look forward to as September gets underway…

Experiments with Tej, or Ethiopian honey wine. This small-batch honey brew is similar both to mead and wine, and will make for some fun wild yeast fermentation experiments. I'll be making a couple of small batches in half-gallon carboys, varying fruit and yeast. If all goes well, there'll be a yummy new style of homebrew for us to enjoy. If a batch goes bad, well, the compost heap won't complain.

Trips, friends and family. Two dear friends are getting married in Seattle in September. Jodie and I are stoked for their wedding, and for a road trip to one of our favorite cities. We also have travel plans to see family later this year, plus there are friends with new babies to support and spend time with.

Food preservation. This past weekend Jodie and I hardly left the kitchen. From apricot butter to our first-ever batch of pickles, this was just the beginning of a season of canning and drying summer goodness for winter enjoyment. We might not get to everything on our "might can this" list, but these next few weeks will be packed with canning and drying food.

Outside time. The dry season continues, and the weather is lovely. This past Friday night, Jodie and I joined thousands of other Eugenians laughing along with Garrison Keillor's "Summer Love" tour. We drank Deschutes Mirror Pond and ate chocolate cake while sitting on on the grassy slopes of the Cuthbert Ampitheatre. There's nothing like being outside this time of year. As we head into September, we're looking to sneak in a few more jaunts to the coast and some end-of-season camping.

Writing and writers. September 2 marks this season's first Willamette Writers Mid-Valley chapter meeting, and I am stoked. Miriam Gershow leads a discussion on "Novel Structure and the Limitations of Making it up as You Go Along" — timely, as lately I've been working on project outlines. I'm also looking forward to attending the Willamette Writers meetings, meeting other area writers, and talking shop with other folks in the writing and editing craft.

I can never say enough how much I love living in the Pacific Northwest. On Sept. 20, it'll be 10 years since I first moved to Eugene. It's one of the best decisions I ever made, and I'm excited for the years to come.

Our 1st anniversary. On Sept. 12, Jodie and I celebrate our first wedding anniversary. We'll crack one of our marriage beers, reflect on the year, and dream out loud of what's to come. My wife is the power and the love behind all the wonder of this life I hold so dear, of this world I so love, and my dear Jodie, I cannot love and thank you enough for the laughter, smarts, and wonder that is you.

It's been a great summer. Now to get out and enjoy the rest of it.

Eugene Weekend: Nathan Fillion and the Arcimoto Pulse

2010-08-25T04:17:00-07:00

“I found it! I found my spaceship! It's real and I'm getting it!” — Nathan Fillion on Twitter, Aug. 13, 2010

Photo Credit: http://yfrog.com/f/n79mhj/

This past weekend, actor Nathan Fillion flew in to Eugene from Los Angeles so he could test-drive the Arcimoto Pulse electric car. Jodie and I got to see both car and star. Conveniently ensconcing ourselves in Whitaker on Saturday afternoon, we watched the Pulse zipping up to its trailer, as Arcimoto staff prepped it for a test drive out by the airport:

One test drive finishes. Another soon begins.

This car is awesome, and is the closest we mere mortals will ever get to riding a Tron-style lightcycle. After seeing the Pulse in various stages of development, watching one being driven around the streets of Eugene was most gratifying. We're stoked for the Pulse's expected release in 2011 — if any electric car could shake the market wide open, this is the one.

And then we met Nathan Fillion. Here in Eugene. (<holy-goram-schnackies>Pardon me a fanboy moment, but holy crap, we met Nathan Fillion! How freakin' cool is that?</holy-goram-schnackies> Ahem.) Jodie and I follow Nathan Fillion on Twitter, and we are fans of his roles in Firefly and Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog. (Fillion is currently co-star of the hit ABC series Castle, but we haven't gotten around to watching that yet.)

Fangirl Jodie with Captain Tightpants

We got to chat with Nathan Fillion for a few minutes, and were stoked that he was very much, well, just another person. There were no airs or pretense; there was no ego or attitude. He was in Eugene, he was stoked to be test-driving the Pulse, and he was having a good time. We talked about Eugene, the Pulse, and movies (Jodie and I were seeing Ironman 2 that evening, and he offered his opinion — good, but not quite as good as the first one).

It sounds like Fillion had a great time in our wee part of the Pacific Northwest. Apparently, his test-drive more than lived up to his expectations. Now back in LA and on-set for Castle, Fillion and his co-star, Jon Huertas, have each put down $500 deposits for a Pulse of their own.

Fanboy Geek Anthony with the man himself.

More about Nathan Fillion and the Arcimoto Pulse (Check out Nathan Fillion's tweets from Aug. 13-Aug. 23 for his commentary on the Pulse, Q&A from followers and Arcimoto staff, photos and video):

Our Cookbooks: What We Use and Why

2010-08-17T17:18:11-07:00

New (Occasional) Blog Series

I love cookbooks. Sitting on the couch on a Saturday or Sunday morning, coffee in hand and NPR on the radio, there'll most likely be a cookbook on my lap. Friends and loved ones know how much we love cooking and cookbooks, so they often ask us about recipes and cookbooks. What do we use? What do we recommend?

Workhorses, Auxiliaries, Hobbies, Acquisitions

The more I've thought about those questions, the more I've wondered about the cookbooks we have and use. That's an important distinction, too. We have 28 cookbooks, but regularly use only 12. These 12 are our workhorse cookbooks. The other 16 are auxiliaries, references, used occasionally for a recipe or inspiration.

That's not all, though. There are also the 8 hobby books for brewing, cheese making, canning and food preserving.

All told, that's 36 food-related titles on our shelves right now. And don't even get me started on the cookbooks we want to get...

That brings us to this new series on Antsaint: "Our Cookbooks".

In this occasional series, we'll discuss the cookbooks on our shelves. Why do we have the cookbooks that we have? How do we use them? What do we like about them? Where do we find them lacking?

This occasional series will run throughout this year and 2011. Don't worry, every week won't be about cookbooks; I plan to post about cookbooks no more than twice a month.

Here's how it'll break down.

Our 12 Workhorse Cookbooks: From their permanent spot overseeing the kitchen, I rely on 12 cookbooks day by day, meal by meal, nom by nom nom nom nom…
Our 16 Auxiliary Cookbooks: Shelved in the living room, 16 reference cookbooks are great, ahem, food for thought. We also bust out these cookbooks for special occasions, new dishes, entertaining, seasonal cooking, etc.
Our 8 Hobby Cookbooks: In addition to regular cooking, Jodie and I brew beer, make cheese, and dry, freeze and can foods. 8 books help us out.
Our Uncountable Acquisitions: I don't need (or want) to snag every cooking title in print, but there are other cookbooks I want to add to our library. Here we'll discuss which titles, and what sets them apart from what we currently have.
Our Individual Cookbooks: Where relevant, I'll also discuss and review specific titles in individual posts.

It's going to be a fun, droolworthy nom-nom-nom time. If you have particular questions or titles you'd like me to address, comment below or drop me a line.

Bon appetit, and happy cookbookery!

First-time Success: One Day at the Willamette Writers Conference

2010-08-11T17:24:01-07:00

Last week, I blogged about preparing for my first-ever Willamette Writers Conference (WWC) in Portland, Oregon. After attending and taking a few days to reflect and review my notes, I can confidently say that participating in WWC is one of the best things I've ever done for my craft.

While only able to attend one day out of WWC's 3-day span, I made contacts, learned a lot, and pushed my boundaries. I attended various workshops, did a heap of networking and even wound up doing a little pitching. I'm amazed at how much I learned — and I'm already planning to attend the entirety of next year's conference.

Here are some of my observations and takeaways from my first-ever Willamette Writers Conference.

Workshops

During the 4 one-and-a-half-hour time slots open for workshops, I attended workshops on a range of writing and publishing topics:

Conference Success Basics, led by Mary Andonian and April Eberhardt. Designed for conference newbies such as myself, by the end of this workshop I felt prepped to the max for success at WWC. Mary and April discussed how the conference enabled a writer's efforts in pitching, networking, project planning and story development, as well as what writers can do outside the conference to further their success. From blogging to independent publishing, the group had lively discussions — not bad for a bunch of writers just finishing their morning coffee!

Business Planning: Sell Your Work, Not Your Soul, led by Gary Corbin. Many writers have trouble thinking of their craft as a business. Gary cut to the chase on exactly this problem, with a step-by-step exploration of how business planning sets up writers for success. Gary demystified what it takes to plan a writing business, made it approachable, and brought home how this makes a big difference between a writer who makes a living as a writer, and a writer who doesn't.

Puzzle, Tension, Character, led by Charlotte Cook. Talk about personality! Charlotte's no-nonsense, no-bullshit style resonated with me. She led a packed room through how a publisher evaluates a manuscript. We were not going to examine grammar or mechanics, she explained. Instead, we were going to answer a simple question: "Do I want to turn the page?"

In addition to going through what constitutes good combinations of puzzle, tension and character in a story, much of our workshop time was devoted to getting our hands dirty. Charlotte read aloud sections of stories brought in by people in the room. Then she would explain elements that she thought were strong or weak in the story, and open up the room to lively discussion. "As a publisher, honey, here's why I wouldn't buy this story," she would say, then relay feedback that authors could put to work in the perspective they brought to crafting and refining their work.

Corporate Writing 101, led by Nancy Christie. Writing for periodicals isn't what it used to be. While periodical submissions can still be part of a writer's submissions process, corporate copywriting is an important area to explore for stable income and a range of writing projects. Nancy broke down organization types, how to pitch, what to look for, and a range of projects and services a writer could offer business clients.

Networking

Meeting other writers and publishing professionals was a highlight of the day, and one of my main reasons for attending WWC. From people I would not have met otherwise, to folks known online but not face-to-face, I brought home a stack of business cards, excellent conversations and good memories.

Now that the conference is done, I'm working hard on the next phase: contact. From adding Twitter follows to sending out "great to meet you" emails, I'm looking forward to keeping in touch with the folks I met this year.

Pitching

This is the last thing I expected to do at the conference, but you never know what might happen at an event like this.

Writers pitching their work to agents is an integral part of WWC. However, it's not why I attended this year. The reason? I'm not ready. I was attending the conference not to yap about myself or my work, but primarily to listen, observe and learn the ropes. My intent was to keep my ears open, and my mouth shut.

April Eberhardt, who led the Conference Success Basics workshop, had a different take — and an alternative. For writers who aren't yet ready to pitch but want to gain experience and get feedback, WWC also offers "pitch practice." In these first-come, first-serve free sessions, writers have 15 minutes to sit down with pros who have been on both sides of a pitch. The writer has an opportunity to run through a pitch, ask questions, and get pointers on what to do and what not to do when they pitch an agent.

This bit of serendipity became one of the most productive parts of my day at the conference. While I didn't have a pitch prepared, I did have enough grasp of my story to give info and provide coherent responses to questions. By the time we were done, my pitching coach gave me some final words of encouragement: "You just need a manuscript, and you'll be ready."

Didn't see that coming.

Final Thoughts on My First WWC

There are myriad aspects of the conference I could mention in this post. People met. Tips taken to heart. Ideas inspired. Connections made. But I'll spare you the length and breadth of my text file of conference notes and observations (not to mention how many emails I have left to send.)

I'll finish with this instead: As a writer, I'm prone to trying to do too much solo. Instead of reaching out to colleagues, far too often I try to tough through things myself. Heck, it didn't even occur to me that my state, my city, might have a trade organization of fellow professionals, fellow craftspeople who have challenges, doubts, skill sets, interests and hopes similar to my own. I'm a bit silly like that.

I only learned about Willamette Writers, and the conference, while reading Johanna Harness' blog post about conferences she was attending. Once I knew, though, I got to work. Willamette Writers and WWC were a revelation, and I realized I was being daft. I didn't need to go everything alone, and I was only as isolated as I let myself be.

That's why I immediately joined Willamette Writers, and am planning to start attending the Eugene/Mid-Valley chapter's meetings starting this fall. That's why I spent a day at the conference, and am so glad that I went.

Even though I could only go for one day, attending WWC was enlightening and encouraging. Of course, back home there's now a pile of new things to do and consider. I'm looking forward to it though, and to exploring new options in my craft.

And to going to WWC next year.

Preparing for the 2010 Willamette Writers Conference

2010-08-04T05:49:00-07:00

Conference updates, attendee tweets, news, etc.
can be found on Twitter at hashtag #wwc41.

Willamette Writers Conference

Portland, Oregon, Aug. 6-8, 2010, Portland Airport Sheraton Hotel
Website: Willamette Writers
Conference Website: Willamette Writers Conference (WWC) Main Page
Twitter: @wilwrite
Twitter hashtag for all things WWC 2010: #wwc41

Bust out the #amwriting and #wwc41 hashtags! The 2010 Willamette Writers Conference is this weekend, and I am stoked. Granted, I only recently found about it, thanks to Johanna Harness and her blog post, Conference Season and #Amwriting. Now I’m a card-carrying member of Willamette Writers and am prepping like mad for WWC.

Workshopping and networking

This will be my first year going, and unfortunately I can only go Saturday. Even with one day, there’s still a lot of workshops, networking and more to look forward to, such as...

Mary Andonian & April Eberhardt: Conference Success Basics
Robert Dugoni: Playing God: Creating Memorable Characters
Gary Corbin: Business Planning: Sell Your Work Not Your Soul
Charlotte Cook: Puzzle, Tension, Character
Jeff Fisher: Social Networking for the Not-So-Social Writer
Nancy Christie: Corporate Writing 101
Melissa Hart: Travel Writing for Newspapers and Magazines
Meeting other writers and making new contacts
And… Talking shop — electronic media, independent publishing, short and long form fiction/non-fiction, marketing, character development, story tension, etc.
Putting a face and personal connection to other writing bloggers and twitterers
The Saturday night Gala Awards Banquet, with keynote speaker Chuck Palahniuk

What to say, what to ask, what to listen for

Networking this much with other writers is kind of new to me. I’m both excited and a little apprehensive. Here are some things I’m doing in advance to make sure that my WWC experience is fun and productive...

Listening more than talking. I want to increase my understanding of the publishing industry, network with other writers, and become more involved in Oregon's writer/author/editor community. I'll have far greater success with always-open ears and a rarely-open mouth.
Knowing what to say. I’m not doing manuscript pitches or critiques this year, but when talking with other writers, I'll have in mind things to say. This will help both relay who I am and what I do, and help me learn more about the people I talk with. That way, we're each able to get the most benefit out of our interactions.
What blogging or authorship goals do I want to discuss?
How do I relay my writing interests and experience?
Keep an ear and eye out for other writers who blog, tweet, publish independently, etc.
What’s my favorite punctuation? (Kidding... well, maybe—but in any case, it’s the em dash)

Meeting folks

In addition to the interactions of being out and about at the conference, I've heard tell of various meet-ups and such.

Writer Johanna Harness has mentioned planning a tweet-up. Check her blog and twitter feed for updates.

Also keep tabs on the conference's Twitter hashtag #wwc41 for more conference info, meet-ups, etc.

I’m excited to get more involved with writers organizations, especially one such as Willamette Writers. Since their focus is Oregon, I’m seeing opportunity to get to know more colleagues and learn and share a heck of a lot. If I dig the conference, I’ll be planning to go for the entire time in future years.

Are you heading to WWC? Looking forward to seeing you!

Want to go? You can still register. Full info at the WWC website.

24 Hours in Portland: Beers, Movies & Secret Diners

2010-07-28T05:57:00-07:00

Photo Credit: richtpt

"How about we meet up at the Brew Fest in Portland?" asked my Seattleite friend Matt. Such an innocent question.

From free-flowing taps to a full-moon movie in the park, plus a you-don't-know-about-it-yet diner, our Saturday-to-Sunday 24 hours in Portland turned into one of the highlights of our summer.

Oregon Brewers Festival

Saturday afternoon at the Oregon Brew Fest was a hot, dry day, amidst a massive crowd thirsty for excellent beer. Under 2 massive tents, each at opposite ends of a fenced-off area at the Portland Waterfront, 10 trailers poured a steady stream of beers from 80 craft breweries from all over the U.S.

And oh my, did they pour.

I must admit, Saturday was not the optimal day for quiet introverts such as us to go to Brew Fest. Did we have an amazing time? Oh yes. We also know how we'll have a better time next year — but we'll get to that. (BTW, Kevin at Beer and Coding in Eugene has a great write-up on his 2010 OBF experience.)

The madness of a Saturday at Brew Fest can be summed up easily: tapped-out taps, and the random primal scream.

Timing matters, too, and we knew ours would not be optimal. Our schedules only gave us Saturday afternoon, the heaviest day of the festival. We read the program, and roped in recommendations from friends. Sadly, many taps were out.

It's an ugly truth: there's no way to always have enough beer. Brewers can only bring but so much, and we can always drink more.

We easily found alternates, but I'll wag my finger, Colbert-style, at 2 breweries: Great Divide, your Hoss sounded like one of the most unique, fascinating beers of the entire fest. Yet when I got to the front of the line, Hoss was out, with Hopworks Organic Rise Up Red pouring instead. But the sign still said, "Hoss". I'll gladly drink Hopworks Red — it's a good beer, and after that bloody wait, I certainly wasn't leaving empty-mugged. But change the signs, folks. Just change the damn signs.

Anderson Valley, and your Summer Solstice Cerveza Crema, I'm watching you. Twice you've evaded me now — once at the 2009 Sasquatch Brewfest in Eugene, and again at the Oregon Brewer's Festival. But you can't run out forever, Cerveza Crema, with your delectable name and well-written beer descriptions. You will be mine. Oh, yes, you will be mine.

Then there was the scream.

Random, primal, defying logic or even Bones-level anthropology, the scream would begin with one drinker, spread like a virus, and shake the tent like a verbal vuvuzela.

We never knew when it would happen, much less why. At first we tried to observe, anticipate, hypothesize. "I got it! The scream happens when a new keg is tapped!"

Nope.

"OK — it happens when someone spills their beer!"

An excellent guess… but no.

The primal scream rang, and rang, and rang — and we understood.

The primal scream happened, because on hot July days where thousands of people are off their nuts on well-crafted beer, primal screams just happen.

Notable Pours

Here are some of the beers I'll gladly welcome back to my hand and mouth:

Buckbean Brewing Original Orange Blossom Ale — good summer sipper, light on the palate, and a hint of Earl Grey tea-like flavor.
Natian Brewery Destinatian — Kevin at Beer and Coding wasn't fond of Destinatian, but I respectfully disagree. The added honey contributed complexity and depth to the dark roast malt tones, and the hops were refreshing and lip-smacking good. I'll be curious to see what else comes out of Portland's 1.3-barrel nanobrewery.
Upright Brewing Reggae Junkie Gruit — now this is different. I won't comment here on the "Northwest hops arms race", except that I find over-hopping pretty damn boring. Portland's Upright bucking the trend by eschewing hops completely in this gruit ale. Their "gruit", a catch-all term for the blends of herbs and spices used for beer before hops became the dominant bittering and preservative agent, was light and deep on the palate. Some gruits can be too medicinal; Upright's had tartness, sweetness and texture. As a brewer interested in trying my hand at gruit ales, I'm looking forward to more pints of Reggae Junkie.

Better Luck Next Year

As we people-watched, read the program and pondered, we realized what we can do to ensure a more successful (for us) OBF experience.

Let's qualify this, though. Do you love a crowd? Do you love screaming and rowdiness? Then have at — Saturday is for you. And probably Friday evening, but we weren't there to observe.

But.

Do you want smaller crowds? No "we're out" signs? Maybe even some more specialty beers?

Here's what we're going to try next year, and it may work for you too.

Go during the day Thursday or Friday. Earlier means smaller crowds, especially on business-hour weekdays while people work.
Hit the specialty "Buzz Beer" tent. Packed with 48 limited release and specialty beers, there'll be fewer people, and this is where to be for some truly unique beer-tasting.

Portland Pandora

Beered up? How about a movie for a nightcap? Parks all over Portland show movies during the summer (free to the public, for places and showtimes see the Portland Parks website).

For our weekend, we left the Beer Fest and headed up Sandy Boulevard… and up… and up, from downtown Portland to Wilkes Park, way out on NE 154th Street. A lush green park full of friends and families patiently waited for dusk — and for Avatar. At 3 hours long, I was impressed with the number of kids who stayed up till midnight to watch the entire movie. One friend among us was seeing Avatar for the first time. Back at her house post-showing, we stayed up until nearly 4 a.m., discussing the movie, its social commentary, and the many ways its story can be interpreted.

State Secret

This ends, as many good things should end, with a damn fine meal.

Making plans for a Sunday brunch, a friend mentioned a new diner near her apartment. Our 7-strong, sleep-deprived group rolled in to City State Diner at 10:30 a.m., and were amazed: no wait for a table. On a late weekend morning in Portland, this is unheard of.

After a palate-tastic brunch, though, we know this will change.

Located at 128 NE 28th between (Couch and Davis), the newbie City State opened not 2 months ago, on June 4, 2010. (The address listing in Google Maps hasn't even updated, as of this writing.) I will suggest that word has not yet gotten out about their homemade muffins, reasonable prices and fill-you-up-but-not-overstuff-you plates. When our server set down my wife's Challah French toast, Jodie noted the jealous looks around the table, and offered up some pieces for all to savor.

As for me, I tucked into a plate of 2 eggs over-easy, hash browns, rustic white bread toast… and oh god, those sausages. Split lengthwise, mixed with a touch of orange zest and topped with feta cheese and sauteed green and red peppers, the Loukaniko Greek sausages were a Sunday morning delight. Not too greasy and with a savory-tart flavor, even if I had wanted lunch I would've skipped it to savor the memory of these sausages.

Brunch at City State Diner boils down to this: It will be worth the wait, once there is one. So go now while it's easy — and spread the word. City State Diner is a secret just dying to get out.

Homeward

All this, in about 24 hours.

As always, Jodie and I are glad to be home.

That way, we're always ready for more in Portland.

Eugene Symphony in the Park 2010

2010-07-21T13:22:26-07:00

Cuthbert Ampitheatre, Eugene Symphony in the Park, July 17, 2010

Photo Credit: Steve Smith, Imagine Photographics

The geese stole the show, but the orchestra played on.

Partway through the opening piece, Rossini's Barber of Seville "Overture", 5 geese flew out from behind the copper arch of the Cuthbert Ampitheatre. They seemed deliberate, part of the show, and the audience laughed as the geese soared, then turned and flew over the crowd. Suddenly, a goose faltered in its flight; the rest of the flock turned with it, circling back behind the stage, over the river. The geese disappeared to spontaneous applause.

Near the end of the overture, the geese returned. More sure-winged on this second glide, they blasted out from behind the stage, flying up, away, and out of sight from all of us at the Cuthbert. As the Rossini faded, the geese lifted the crowd's giddy mood higher. We laughed and applauded both orchestra and bird show, and knew that we were in for an amazing night.

Soprano and senior solos

From the moment gates opened at 6:30 p.m. for the 8 p.m. concert, throngs poured into the Cuthbert Ampitheatre for the Eugene Symphony's second free "Symphony in the Park" concert. Carrying blankets, stadium chairs and picnic dinners, we relaxed in the evening sun, listening to the Eugene Symphonic Band's pre-concert performance, conducted by Dr. Burnette Dillon. By showtime, a crowd of 4,000 had packed the seats and grassy slopes surrounding the stage.

The Eugene Symphony played their first free Cuthbert concert in 2009. Well-received by the public, as summer 2010 got closer and closer excitement was all over Eugene: "Is the Symphony playing Cuthbert again?" Sure enough. Returning this year with well-known and much-loved music, from lyrics to cannons, Indiana Jones to the Brahms Hungarian Dance No. 5, conductor Danail Rachev and his orchestra held the audience in thrall for 2 hours.

In addition to orchestral pieces, mezzo-soprano Angela Niederloh wowed the audience with both her voice and a range of musical subjects. Not limiting herself to operatic works such as Rossini's “Un Voce Poca Fa” (also from Barber of Seville) and Bizet's saucy “Habanera” from Carmen, Niederloh also got bluesy and funny. She brought longing and tenderness to the classic song “Speak Low”, from Weill's One Touch Venus. In the funniest piece of the evening, Niederloh mixed some New-Yorkah attitude with her mezzo tones on the hilarious “Ooh! My Feet” from Loesser's The Most Happy Fella.

One crowd-pleaser of a surprise was violin soloist Emily Sokoloff 's spectacular performance on the Saint-Saëns’ violin showpiece, Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso. A senior at South Eugene High School, the 17-year-old Sokoloff already has racked up acclaim and awards for her rich musicality and strong technique. If Sokoloff did not pull out all the stops for this night's performance, then I am unsure which were left unpulled. Even with a microphone on her violin — a nerve-wracker that can easily amplify mistakes and a player's doubt — Sokoloff awed the audience with her clear, flowing tone, precise bow and ear for detail. No sooner had the piece ended but the audience was on their feet, touched and blown away by the passion and skill of the young violinist.

Only in the park

My wife and I love the Eugene Symphony and their Hult Center concerts. However, there are some things you just won't find at a concert hall, that you will find on a July evening in an outdoor ampitheatre.

It's not so much anything different about the Eugene Symphony itself (well, other than them donning white jackets instead of the usual concert black). It's the audience. The park setting allowed not just for the appreciation of music, it also gave people the chance to relax. Sometimes I wish that more classical music could be enjoyed this way. It revives and freshens the form, reminds the audience that this music is not just for big concert halls, but for the world around us, for the day to day. In each piece there is a message, a pulse, that we can make part of us, that can make us feel even more alive.

On this night at the Cuthbert, children danced in the aisles. One wee girl in particular spent the entire concert dancing, twirling, climbing and jumping off a low wall, taking a bow — and then starting all over again.

This is classical music, and the life it breathes into us.

Back to the cannon

Last year's park concert ended not on a note, but a cannon blast. Rachev delighted in telling the crowd this year's concert would also end with the beloved Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture.

At the first of many booms, the audience jumped and giggled, especially the children. As the orchestra moved towards the finale, the cool dark of a Eugene summer night settled around us. The black shadows of the green trees encircled us in safety; the river flowed by, quiet in its own ever-flowing melody. A mild breeze sent some to jackets, or to the arms of their partner.

A night of music, summer, and each other — such was this night, where the orchestra played, the cannon boomed, and voices as well as souls soared high.

At no point were any geese harmed — but the geese stole the show, and the music stole our hearts.

Homebrewing: The Curse of Brown Ale

2010-07-15T05:14:00-07:00

The culprit

Split batch: Ol' Dillydally English-style Brown Ale & Parchcrusher Nut Brown Ale

Ever since I began homebrewing in 2007, I've felt a wee bit cursed when it comes to making brown ales. The cursed feeling began, as these things often do, with a sub-par batch (admittedly, our second brew ever). The feeling has lingered all these years, but now it seems our new batch of brown ale has removed that feeling. Mostly.

The flaw in the plan

Fine so far

The error in the first batch was simple: temperature. Our house was chillier then, especially in the area of the kitchen where we store bottled beer developing its carbonation. That first batch hardly fizzed, and while drinkable, it was just barely so.

The flaw in this most recent batch was also simple: too much damn hazelnut extract.

The plan itself was decent: Brew a 5-gallon batch of English-style brown ale, somewhere in between an American-style brown (for hoppiness) and, say, a Newcastle Brown Ale (for smooth maltiness). At bottling, bottle half the batch as-is, but before bottling the second half of the batch, add 1 oz. of hazelnut extract.

Things are about to go awry

The logic was common sense. The bottle said to add the full 2 oz. of hazelnut extract to a 5-gallon batch of beer. Naturally, obviously, of-course-ed-ly then, for 2.5 gallons of beer, add one ounce.

While common, common sense is rarely sense. The bottle should read: "For a beer-colored liquid that just happens to taste completely like nuts, add 2 oz. For a beer-colored liquid that tastes almost completely like nuts and somewhat like beer, add 1 oz."

The error was clear: I should've added, say, 1/2 oz. At the most.

Salvaged

The remedy

While drinkable, the resulting nut brown ale has been very, very nutty in flavor and aroma. Too much so, but not so much that we can only bung the batch on the compost heap. The batch is salvageable. And the joy of a salvageable batch of beer? It can be mixed.

Results thus far are pleasing: 1/4-1/3 part nut brown ale mixed with 3/4-2/3 part brown ale results in a nicely nuttied brew, with good hop and malt coming through.

Next test? Mixing the nut brown ale with some of our Jubilation Chocolate Porter. After all, what better than hazelnuts and chocolate?

The curse

I now consider my brown ale curse half-removed. While the second half of the batch, which on a wild hair I named "Parchcrusher" is so-so, the first half of the batch more than makes up for it. "Ol' Dillydally" chases away curses, woe, frustration and any daft sense of need-to-hurry.* It is a fine summer beer.

Who knows? Perhaps next year I'll be able to brew away the rest of my brown ale curse.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, CDC, AMA, AA, AHA, Skull & Bones, Bull & Scones, the Illuminati, or the Order of the Phoenix.

Brown Ale (split batch)

Ol’ Dillydally English-style Brown Ale & Parchcrusher Nut Brown Ale

Source/Based off Brown Ale Recipe #4. Home Fermenter Center.

Brew Date: May 23, 2010
Initial Gravity Reading (O.G.): Forgot
Bottling Date: June 19, 2010
Split Batch
- Black Cap Plain: Ol’ Dillydally English-style Brown Ale
- Red Cap Nut: Parchcrusher Nut Brown Ale
Bottling Counts, Black Cap Plain Brown
- 22 oz.: 5
- Flip-top: 1
- 12 oz.: 12
Bottling Counts, Rep Cap Nut Brown
- 22 oz.: 6
- 12 oz.: 15
Final Gravity Reading (F.G.): 1.018
Alcohol: probably ~5%
Open Date: July 9, 2010

Ingredients

6 lb. Dark malt extract
1/4 lb. Chocolate malt
2 oz. Willamette hops, boiling
1/2 oz. Cascade hops, finishing
1 packet Safale S-04 dry ale yeast
@15 minute 1/2 tsp. Irish moss
@ bottling: 1-1/4c. dried malt extract
@ bottling: 1 oz. 1/4-1/2 oz. hazelnut extract (for adding to half of batch)

Brewing & Fermentation

Place crushed grains in 2 gallons of 150-160ºF water and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain out and sparge with ~2 quarts hot water. Bring to a boil, while adding malt extract. After 30 minutes, add Willamette hops.

Clean/sanitize carboy and other equipment during this time. Add 1 gallon cold water to sanitized carboy. At 45 minute mark, add Irish moss. At 2 minute mark, add aroma hops.

Remove from heat and cool wort to 90-100ºF.

Strain wort into carboy, sparging through hops. Add cold water until total amount of liquid in carboy is 5 gallons. Shake to aerate. Take a sample for initial gravity reading.

When wort temperature is between 68-76ºF, pitch yeast. Cap carboy and set in a warm, quiet place.

Ferment at approx. 72 degrees F for 3-30 days. Bottle with DME solution. Bottle first half of batch as-is. For second half of batch, add 1 oz. 1/4-1/2 oz. hazelnut extract and bottle. Age one month.

Notes

5/23/10 — Brew went well. Thermometer fell into wort during cool-off, but I vodka-sanitized some tongs and got it out. Hopefully no harm done. Name — Neukie Nut Brown Ale?

5/28/10 — Ferm almost done. Krausen cleared, some bubbling remains. May bottle next weekend?

6/19/10 — Bottle day! Going to bottle 1/2 batch as-is, and half w/ 1 oz. hazelnut extract. Black Cap: plain brown (1st bottle, flip-top, with gold star on cap) Red Cap: hazelnut brown Bottle prep: 42 12-oz., 12 22-oz. (inc. 1 flip-top). Beautiful medium brown, caramel color. Hints of red and copper. Mild flavor, good sweetness. A good, refreshing warm-weather session beer.

7/13/10 - More nut flavor in the Parchcrusher than intended. Will mix it with other beers at serving. For future brews using these types of fruit, nut, etc. extracts, always remember to use far, far less than what label recommends.

Creativity Begets Creativity, As Long As You Don't Wuss Out

2010-07-07T05:17:00-07:00

From a recent note-to-self… or maybe a bit of a philosophical bitch-slap. You decide.

Creativity begets creativity, just as love begets love.

I made myself write, dreading as always the first, feeble, floundering pen strokes. Then I got over myself, and wound up with a half-decent draft of a blog post.

Next I outlined an idea for an article (or maybe an e-book — we'll see).

Creativity begets creativity.

All you need is the first courage, the first action — to just write those first words. Forget yourself — there is only what to say, nothing more!

Lose yourself in the act of expression. The creativity will grow, it will move on its own, and will build upon itself.

Just take the first step. Just write the first words. And then, just keep going.