too eventful

even for hyper people like us. these couple of months.

- i had 3 different groups of friends who flew into singapore and i played tour guide 3x. fun the first time, okay the second time, just whatever for the third time.

if you're getting this book for your visiting friends, be warned. it will fall apart. i think i definitely did a way much better hand-binding job at school... sheesh

- we had to rush and fly off to our respective "work country" to fix some problems :S and i most probably have to go again very soon....

- we got our car! and still busy furnishing it! cleaning it! washing it! crazy.
first casualty is the wheel rim. got seriously scratched when we drove into leanne's condo carpark... who the fuck puts a 2" tall metal bar in the middle that is at the blind spot!???! partly the security guards's fault too for the distraction. what's up with all the mean condo security guards! i was so hot-headed last week that i actually quarreled with the one at my mum's. crazy people. mr. b couldn't get over his de-valued precious wheel rim for 1 whole day. he used his bare fingernails to scrap off the paint from that stupid metal bar that has gotten onto his new shiny rim, and spoilt his own nails. silly poor thing. but latest highlight is that we just got the not very chio (pretty) chrome part on the front painted black! just last night! so mr. b is more or less happier than before. a fierce looking car for a young man, he says. is better. no comment. ha!

- we both had family problems to deal with and resolve

- elsie is leaving lof soon :( and we are rushing to find and train someone new, hopefully 2 peeps. sigh.

- got a new assistant, nori, for belle, who is my main assistant in the philippines. a help for a help. awesome.

- i had (still having) major customs problems with a certain region

- another separate customs-related problem, one of lof's largest buyer/stockist is major pissed with her country's customs and may not want to order from us again, so now i'm pissed at her customs too!!!!

- a new bulk custom order that has been dragging the longest time, is dragging even longer than before, and driving me nuts, especially since i had specially hired a part-time sewer here to help out with this order and now she is generally pissed. singaporeans are generally all about $, efficiency, being quick, and bloody impatient. so if you're going to drag.... sigh. being generally pissed is not good, because she is now basically like a machine gun, no fixed target, just sweep and shoot at sight. that includes shooting at me. le sigh.

- many many events and places to go see and to visit, also since i had to bring people around


- many gifts and pressies for dada! :D my absolute new favorite thing now is my atsuko matano hankie. lovely lovely! personally bought from japan! you should check out her illustration works in her lovely website!


- and many other things.... that my over-crowded mind can't think of right now. so this brings us to the end, which is this:


if you work way too hard, don't have a life, don't have weekends off, don't go out with friends, don't go to places enough, have nothing else to talk about other than work and your family, and more of such things, this book is guaranteed to make you feel like an absolute loser with a capital L. it was such a crazy fun read!!!!! so crazy that someone has borrowed it from me, scanned and printed 2 pages to pin on his colleagues' board, as a huge hint. more like a wake-up smack i think. mister meany. tsk. but you should go get it though! it's entertaining, sarcastic, fun-poking humor. life is too short to be so serious all the time. we should all learn to laugh at ourselves more often. and chill!

xoxoxo!

pssssttt... new goodies in the shop and more on the way! almost done with another order! :D

Colorado National Monument: Rim Rock Drive

Length: 23 miles


The Colorado National Monument is one of those must do’s for any Coloradoan. So for all you Denverites, get thy hinnies on I-70 and GO WEST. To sweeten the experience, I suggest a little Colorado wine tasting while there. Note of caution…the Rim Rock Drive is precipitous. Save the wine tasting for AFTER the drive.

The monument is part of the greater Colorado Plateau. This expanse includes the better-known features of Bryce and Grand Canyon as well as Arches National Park. This plateau fills the void between the Rocky Mountains and the Great Basin in Nevada. The average elevation of the plateau is around 5,000 ft so all you Denverites will feel at home.


Many of the overlooks in the Monument gaze out on 2,000 ft of sheer rock faces or detached rock towers. Like the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, the primary process at work in the Colorado National Monument is erosion. The accumulated soils have made colorful bands in the rock, and the varying hardnesses of the rock have resulted in both pillars and deep canyons.


The photos in this post are a year old. The weather was delightful and the park uncrowded. Alas, I had the dogs with me so I was unable to hike into any of the canyons, but the drive was worth doing regardless. I do remember that finding the entrance to the Monument was not easy. You can get to it from either side and there were no signs from the freeway. I would recommend reviewing the National Park Service’s directions to the Monument before heading out.

Capital Grill: Get Religion

I discovered religion at the Capital Grill. This is not some self-depriving, woe is me religion, but a full blown hedonistic religion like they use to have in the good ole days. I have eaten enough steak in high-end steak places around the world to be uniformly disappointed by all the hype. Well, let me witness, the steaks at the Capital Grill are not hype.

We went to the Capital Grill with our fine dining club. It was also a birthday and the table was festively strewn with miniature Italian candies. I saw another table covered with rose petals so these guys know how to throw a party. Our group was large, so we were not seated in the main, more masculine area, but instead were seated in a side room. Given the clientele, I would have preferred a more prominent table. I hate being shoved in a corner.

Knowing that our entrees would resemble the continent of Africa, we skipped the appetizer and went straight for the jugular. Bring on the beef! I had the Porcini rubbed Delmonico with aged balsamic vinaigrette. This is a popular selection and although I hate to blend in with the herd, its popularity is well deserved. I kid you not it was melting in my mouth and was as smooth as fois gras. The flavoring was a delightful surprise as well. Somehow my subsequent attempts to dump Balsamic Vinegar onto my steaks at home have not come close.

The Capital Grill, which is a chain oh purists out there, is a typical steak place in that everything is al a carte. We ordered the Lobster Mac & Cheese, some potatoes, as well as the Asparagus sans Hollandaise for our sides. There was plenty to share. One member of our party ordered the Kona encrusted dry aged sirloin, which I confess I did not think was as tasty as the Delmonico. He raved and drooled, however, which shows you there is something out there for everyone.

Here’s a technical tidbit on the aging of steaks. Dry aging occurs in the refrigerator before the meat is cut. The time can vary between 10 and 28 days. Dry aging sucks all the moisture out of the steak, which concentrates the flavor and gives it a distinctive taste. It also tenderizes the meat by making it “rot” in a delightfully artesian way. Wet aging also tenderizes the meat but since it is vacuum packed in its own juices you don’t get the signature concentration of flavors. The majority of the cuts at the Capital Grill are dry aged, so their flavors pack a punch.

Our wine for the evening was a 2003 Crozes Hermitage by Paul Jaboulet. A straight Shiraz, this intense wine complimented the steaks wonderfully and did not cost more than the food, which is always a good thing. Our waiter was very knowledgeable about both the wine and the restaurant, regaling us with tales of cows gone bad, corporate mergers, and other sundry tidbits of gossip. We never felt neglected.

Given our barbaric appetites up to this point it is surprising we could even consider dessert but it was a birthday after all. We ordered the fresh berries and cream, which was light and refreshing and did not put us over the edge into a food coma even though at that point almost anything would.

This trip to the Capital Grill took place in April so you can see I am woefully behind in my restaurant reviews. Too many hikes to rave about I guess. This month’s 5280 magazine lists Denver’s Top of the Town and for best steak the editors picked Elway’s while the readers picked the Capital Grill. Their review prompted me to get off my well-fed tail and write up my impressions. Now I am going to have to check out Elway’s and do a taste comparison. In the meantime, you can’t go wrong with the Capital Grill as long as you are willing to pay homage to the deities of hedonism. Health nuts that don’t know how to enjoy themselves once in a while need not join in the revival. I for one will be leading the chorus. Now I know why those choral outfits are tent-like!

Wedding Reception in Salt Lake City

Here are some snap shots from a wedding open house in Salt Lake City Utah. Weather was awesome finally, we only shot the reception though, so sadly we didn't get to know the couple very well, but we filled in for the uber talented photographer Lindsay Hale of Salt Lake City Utah, who photographed their wedding the day before. All I have to say is yummy looking food and deserts and an amazing backyard!!! Oh and the wedding couple was easy on the eyes as well ;)! They also had two string quartets one as you came down the drive way and one right by the wedding couple, very talented violinist! Congrats you two and have fun in Hawaii, I know I'm jealous! ;) Hawaii... sigh. :) Enjoy!

Click images to enlarge

The Danger of the Supreme Court Ruling on Guns

June, 2008 the United States Supreme Court rules that Americans have the right to own guns. Did they have to do this and what is the danger of this ruling?

It is sad that the Supreme Court had to rule on this. It’s well stated in the Constitutions second amendment that Americans do have the right to own guns. It is necessary for our own defense.

It is unlikely that we’ll have to fight with guns to protect our homes from foreign invasion. It’s possible, especially with the threat of terrorism the past ten years, but it’s still unlikely that we’d need our weapons to defend our homes against foreign invasion. We have the best military in the world despite the fear mongers on the liberal side saying that our military is drained.

The Constitution was written following the Revolutionary War. The men that wrote the Constitution were very familiar with tyranny. Farmers and shoemakers and tinsmiths and blacksmiths and land surveyors took up arms to fight the most powerful country on earth for their freedom and the freedom of those that followed in the future. The designing of the Constitution was based on their experience with that tyranny.

If we look at the Declaration of Independence, they give us a reason why it’s necessary for the second amendment. “…That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying is Foundation on such Principals, and organizing its Power in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”

What this means is that power is lent to the government by the people. When the government takes power from the people and claims it for itself, it is to the detriment of the people and it’s the people’s right and responsibility to claim that power back. Government takes power from the people by removing their freedoms. The right to own guns, bear arms, is one of those freedoms.

By taking away the right to bear arms, the government then has the ability to coerce the people who will find it much more difficult to exercise the rights and responsibilities stated in the Declaration of Independence.

So what is the danger of this ruling by the Supreme Court? The danger is that it shows our rights are dangerously close to being usurped by the government in each of the three branches of government.

Legislators at all levels are trying to regulate our right to bear arms. This case was about a Washington DC law banning citizens from owning guns for the past 33 years. We also know that there are many in the United States Congress that want to take away our right to bear arms. A prime example is Senator Chuck Schumer. In addition, we’ve had those in the executive branch that wanted to take away those Rights. President Clinton was one that wanted gun control laws. Senator Hillary Clinton, had she been nominated and then elected is another that would have been for a gun ban. Senator Barack Hussein Obama is another that has said he prefers gun control. Now he’s changed his position a couple of times, depending on the group he’s speaking to on any given day, so we’d have to assume he would ban guns.

Now we find out that the Judicial Branch is also looking to ban guns. We know this because the vote on the case of gun control was 5-4. We were lucky that one of the justices, who seems to go back and forth on our rights depending on the topic, voted for the Right to bear arms.

We are precariously close to losing our rights. One nomination away from the vote going the other way. If Obama becomes President and the wrong Justice retires or dies in office, that vote will go the other way and our rights are lost to us.

I could argue all day about how when the gun ban was put in place in Washington DC the crimes increased where guns were used. It’s an old line but it’s still true. If we outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns. Or the numerous places where gun carry laws have been passed and those crimes went down. However, that’s no longer the issue. The issue now is our government removing more and more of our rights and if they manage to get a gun ban in place, they will have disarmed us. This is a very real danger and it was pointed out very clearly in this ruling by the Supreme Court last week. It was a great victory, but it should also be a wake up call to all Americans. We’re one vote away from losing more rights, which means we’ll have less freedom.

The danger of this ruling should be a wake up call to us all. We are one vote from that tyranny that our forefathers fought against.

I welcome your comments.

Brett

why cook when you can buy

Brandon.... is Bacterius says: (6:36:35 PM)
wah
Brandon.... is Bacterius says: (6:36:43 PM)
u need to eat pig gua now
littleoddforest™ says: (6:39:23 PM)
u cooking?
Brandon.... is Bacterius says: (6:39:49 PM)
pig gua v easy to cook
Brandon.... is Bacterius says: (6:39:56 PM)
i go huo guo always cook
littleoddforest™ says: (6:40:15 PM)
but u need huo guo soup, so you cooking that?
Brandon.... is Bacterius says: (6:40:37 PM)
er no.
Brandon.... is Bacterius says: (6:40:41 PM)
i Request
littleoddforest™ says: (6:40:59 PM)
request from who. heaven and the gods ah
Brandon.... is Bacterius says: (6:41:04 PM)
can request ma la or yao chai from that stall
Brandon.... is Bacterius says: (6:42:17 PM)
famous and delicious
Brandon.... is Bacterius says: (6:43:21 PM)
juz ask and pay $ and prob solve


***pig gua = pig's liver
***huo guo = steamboat
***ma la / yao chai = 2 steamboat soup flavors to choose from, spicy or ginseng tonic soup

from our chat 2 weeks ago, when i had the monthly cramps.
don't you just love him? hahahha

Mills Lake

Distance: 5 miles round trip
Elevation: 9,240 ft-9,940 ft
Elevation Gain: 700 ft
Critters: Hordes of Tourists

Mills Lake

I often neglect poor Mills Lake as I blow past it on my way to Black Lake. It is a destination in and of itself for many of the tourists who visit Rocky Mountain National Park every year. At five miles it is not a killer but it provides some level of bragging rights for the hordes of Texans and other flatlanders that descend on the park every year.

(On the left: Typical Trail Segment). This year we ended up at Mills Lake by default because the trail to Black Lake was still covered in snow. I am beginning to sound like a broken record every time I say that this season…sigh.

The trail to Mills Lake begins at the park’s shuttle park-n-ride across from the Glacier Gorge Campground. Don’t even bother heading up to the trailhead yourself unless you are willing to fight for a spot and be situated by 6 AM. This shuttle park-n-ride is a significant improvement to the park. Its expansion was completed sometime back in 2004 along with an 8.2M rework of Bear Lake Road. The one downside of the park-n-ride is that there is no water, so fill up before you come. If you start early enough, the wait time for a shuttle will be less. Due to some folks who got lost on their way to the park, we ended up getting on the shuttle an hour later than expected (around 11 AM). The hordes had arrived and there was a very long line of tourists waiting for their glimpse of Alberta Falls. Be prepared to embrace, literally, your fellow man if you arrive late.

Ok, I am snobbish about Rocky Mountain National Park. Hike more than 3 miles up a trail and the number of people you will see falls off exponentially. Most visitors never make it to Black Lake, Sky Pond, Flat Top, Hallet Peak, or Andrew’s Tarn. These are all worthy destinations if you can stand being part of the herd at the beginning.

(On the right: Entering Glacier Gorge). Once at the Glacier Gorge trailhead, the route to Mills Lake climbs quickly on a wide National Park-like trail. If you are only going to Mills be sure to spend a little time at Alberta Falls. Again, I tend to blow past it on my way up and this time was the first time I had actually climbed up the rocks near the falls. This year’s runoff is amazing and the falls are spectacular, albeit at an angle so you never get a full frontal view of them.

Beyond Alberta Falls the trail continues upwards with some expansive views down the valley. It then enters Glacier Gorge itself, which on this trip felt like a line at Disney Land there were so many people plodding up its narrow shelf. Take a moment to stop watching the rocks at your feet here. The gorge is something to remark.

The trail will come to a junction a mere 0.5 miles from the lake. You can pop up to the Loch Vale from here or continue to Mills. Doing both in one day would certainly be doable. From this junction, the trail is relatively flat on its way to the lake.

View from the far end of Mills Lake

There are several things to note at Mills Lake. On the right just as you come up is a sheer wall of rock that drips with water, stains, and mosses. Nearby is a field of dead trees, which make a stark landmark for the lake in winter. A little farther on is a very large flat rock suitable for a large group lunch. One would think the ever-industrious Park Service put this rock there but alas it was the far more industrious Mother Nature. In the distance you will see a large boulder perched near the water. This glacial remnant seems to have a magnetic quality. You will see a swarm of anglers and small children orbiting its sphere of influence.

The trail continues around the left side of the lake and a stroll to its end will reveal the plateau that holds Black Lake. Unless you are just looking for the quintessential picnic spot, do wander along the lake. Your legs will enjoy the additional exercise and the views will be rewarding.

Looking down on Bear Lake Road

I gained a new appreciation for Mills Lake on this trip. It is amazing how your perspective can change when you stop to linger and admire what is around you instead of viewing all these million dollar views as just a means to an end.

Estes Cone

Distance: 6.6 miles RT
Elevation 9,425-11,002 ft
Elevation Gain: 2,023 ft with additional ups and down


View from the summit
Estes Cone is just that, a large volcanic remnant with a cap of flat-ish rock. We decided to hike this trail because the high country is still covered in snow and we needed both elevation gain and elevation. Estes Cone also has the advantage of being close to the Front Range and in possession of some excellent views of Mt. Meeker, Longs Peak, and Mt. Ypsilon not to mention Estes Park.

There are two ways to get to Estes Cone, one from the Longs Peak trailhead and the other from Lilly Lake trailhead via Storm Pass. On this trip we started at the Longs Peak trailhead but on our way back we accidentally turned onto Storm Pass (more details about that later). I can tell you that the views from Storm Pass are much better since the trail is about 300 ft higher than the other. If we hike this peak again, we will go via Storm Pass. According to the trail signs, it is only an additional 0.5 miles. I don’t know about any additional elevation gain, however.

The down side of the Estes Cone trail is that it is in the trees most of the time. There is one nice meadow crossing, one creek, and one old cabin. Other than that though it is trees, trees, and more trees. The trail is easy to moderate except for the last 0.7 miles, which ascends straight up the cone. Here the trail switches from dirt and rock to almost entirely rock. In fact the slope and the trail look so much alike that the Rangers have interspersed cairns every 10 feet or so to guide hikers upwards. While rocky, this pitch is short and by no means unassailable. On this trip, the sky was turning dark and we felt pressured to get to the top as quickly as possible. Not the best option when trail finding.

The summit of the cone consists of four to five rocky outcroppings. The hiker can choose to climb to the highest, which is located to the southwest, or scramble up the closest. On this trip we chose this option again because of the threatening weather. The views are just as grand.


Estes Cone viewed from the parking lot
Unfortunately, we were only able to stay on the summit for about a half hour before a storm over trail ridge road finally swooped down upon us and we had to bolt. Since it was before noon, we were not happy to be turned away from the views so early. While it thundered periodically, the rain never made it to the ground so the storm turned out to be a bust, but above tree line you can’t second guess Mother Nature.

We were boogying down the hillside at a quick clip so it was not difficult to see how we got onto the wrong trail. The trail junction between Storm Pass and Estes Cone is poor going up and worse coming down. There is a large pine tree between the trail and an extremely large cairn. Before the tree, Storm Pass shoots off to the left. To continue to the Longs Peak trailhead, you have to go around the tree, around the cairn and up a trail on which the trail signs face away from the descender. Not ideal. It took us about a half hour of cruising through the trees before we figured it out. Back tracking up hill is never fun but anytime you get off your route back tracking is the most appropriate thing you can do but it is also the least likely. Studies have shown that back tracking is rare. Most people feel the need to keep moving forward, which often makes things worse.

Everyone should climb Estes Cone at least once. The perspective gained of Meeker and Longs, which normally blend into one large massif, is both pleasing and valuable. The twisted shape of the pines on the upper slopes of the cone is intriguingly eerie. The summit is worth the monotony of the trees particularly when there are few other options. It is going to be a short alpine season this year. Sigh.

Mountain Goats!

How I envy the Mountain Goat (Oreamnos americanus). Mother Nature has equipped them with all the mountain equipment they need to thrive in a high alpine environment where I have to take out stock in REI. For starters, they have a double coat, the inner one being a dense fur and the outer one being long hollow hairs. This haute couture is rated to -50F. Next time one of your buff friends says he does not need to layer, just throw the Mountain Goat in his face. These bad boys invented technical fabrics and are stylish to boot.


Speaking of boots, how much money did you spend on your last pair? Well, I wish I had the Mountain Goat’s feet. Their toes are padded for extra grip, they have a dewclaw that also allows them to cling to cliff faces that only the hardiest rock climber would dare ascend, and their hooves are cloven, which allows them to spread and grip. Take that Spiderman!

Did you know that Mountain Goats are not native to Colorado? Experts believe that the farthest south they naturally roamed was southern Wyoming. They were introduced into the state back in 1947 to provide game for hunters. In 1993 though, the Colorado Division of Wildlife made them naturalized citizens and declared them “native”. I wonder how many of the people sporting those “native” bumper stickers are doing so on similarly shady circumstances!


Despite their long beards and curved black horns, Mountain Goats are really not goats. They are actually closer to antelope and cattle. They spend their entire life on one mountain but will occasionally come down from their precipitous heights to seek out mineral licks. I think that is why I was able to get such great pictures of these goats. There was a mineral lick in the cleft of a rock that was drawing them down. When not sucking on rocks, however, Mountain Goats eat grasses, herbs, sedges, ferns, moss, lichen, twigs, and if you are not careful your topo map. And you say they are not goats…hmmm.


Bad boys of the mountain lounging on a shelf above the mineral lick
Sighting a Mountain Goat in Colorado is a blessed event. There are two prominent herds, one on Mt. Evans and another in the Chicago Basin. My envy of Mountain Goats extends to their choice of Colorado real estate. So get out there and explore Colorado and maybe you’ll be blessed too…Yodel-a yodel-a yodel-a-hee hoo!

lallalllalala

humming a tune and getting real work and sewing done!
lof has got a new part-timer coming in today to help out, and elsie is back at work today! {{{grateful}}} been flying solo with no one to help pack orders and do yucky paperwork since last weekend.... and it was no fun at all.

trickling into the shoppe now!

and plenty more new stock updates, including

--- summer bird bangle clutch restocks ---
(brand new fabrics! & more next week!)

--- enchanted fairy-tales tote restocks ---
(brand new with vintage fabric!)

--- forest seedlings tote restocks ---
(brand new fabrics!)

--- starry rainbow pouch ---
(new color combi!)

--- folded leaf wristlet restocks ---
(and new fabrics!)
--- pleated love wristlet restocks ---
(and new fabrics!)

--- foille shoulder bag ---
(new fabric!)
thanks tons for showing your love for lof's new collection designs! i promise you i am working hard to restock sold out designs!

and coming soon!
new tank top design (yes yes i know i know.... finally!!!)
new combinations of bird nest on tree charm, our collaboration with starrydesigns !


phew. that was plenty for updates me thinks. enjoy, cute folks!

Weddings at Conrad Ranch Provo Canyon Utah

Wade & Beth had a beautiful wedding at Conrad Ranch up in the Provo Canyon, so luckily it was a little bit cooler. The weather was great REALLY, I know the 8th pic down kind of looks like lighting, but it's just a texture! The guys in the bridal party were styling in their tuxes and the bride’s maids were gorgeous! They had a very relaxed ceremony with family and friends. The officiator talked a little about the rings and how they're new and unscratched and that later they'll be scratched, but to make sure that the scratches are from fun times and work and not because of marital problems, really good advice. Wade & Beth were able to have a few moments alone, well with us shooting around them ;) before the dinner and reception started. It was fun to get some pictures of such a beautiful couple and such a gorgeous background! Thank you for letting us be part of your day! Congratulations you two!

On a personal note, I know there will be a lot of things going on out side this summer, engagements, weddings, receptions, bridals, etc make sure that you have some sun screen as well as Mosquito repellant I got like 10 mosquito bit from an engagement session and the wedding, since I forgot to put it on, plus I know some one who caught the West Nile virus last year and is still recovering. So better safe than sorry! ;)
Have a good safe summer!

Click image to enlarge