Going to MARRS

This Wednesday I start as a volunteer with MARRS, the Mountain Area Radio Readers Service. Anyone who has trouble reading print can sign up to get a special radio over which they will receive the signal.

Different days have different focuses. I'll be reading news from 11.30 to 12.30, with another reader. We'll read everything, good bad and indifferent, no editorializing. We're not choosing what to like for our subscribers, just reading so they can keep up with news. Most of the papers seem to be local ones, Asheville, Black Mountain, Hendersonville, etc. If time permits, some national or international news will be read.

I like to read aloud so I think this will be a good fit. We'll see.

Sakeness

Finally got to go to the new sake brewery here in town, one of only four such breweries in the country. They had a kickstarter a ways back and I pledged but it didn't get funded. When they tried again, I couldn't afford to pledge, but I've been following their progress.

Last week they had their grand opening of the bar part (the brewery proper has to wait on official permits). Right now, they're serving about 50 different sakes along with small plates.

I went with Mary-Anne last Thursday. Our small plates were: pork gyoza, spicy tuna salad, and ginger "pesto" noodles with shrimp. All delicious.

We got a flight of four sakes to taste:
1. Asa Buraki Naburyu Junmai "Southern Stream" -- medium dry, smooth gentle flavors, cypress/cedar notes, rich round body.
2. Momokawa G Joy junmai Genshu -- barrel matured, nutty vanilla layered flavors reminiscent of fine rum.
3. Niwa No Uguisu Tokuetsu Junmai "Garden Nightengale" -- bold, rice forward, slightly sour, essence of dried autumnal fruits.
and
4. Kizakura "blossom of peace" Kyoto plum brewed ume-shu -- plums soaked in sake for three months, lightly sweet, round lush fruit flavor.

This is my preferred order (though #4 is definitely a dessert sake so we kept it for last). Mary-Anne's order is a little different but I can't remember it.

The total was $55 for two (includes tip): not too bad, I thought.

Blue Kudzu Sake
372 Depot St.
Asheville NC

Roadtrip: Foamhenge

As promised, here are pictures of Foamhenge, a life-size replica of Stonehenge made out of styrofoam. Located near Natural Bridge VA.

This is the entrance from the field where you park. There's no-one around so just walk up. Second is a close-up of the "stones." Third is a statue of Merlin who may have had something to do with the original. Last is a picture of Amy standing between two "stones."

Roadtrip Deepness

Here's postcards of the two cave/caverns we visited, each spectacular in its own way.

 This is a photo of the "bacon" formations, which are semi-translucent. Near Lexington VA (I think).

This cave is traversed by boat and has trout that live in the waters, mostly by the dock in case you toss food. Steep trail and 48 steps down and then back up. Goes out into a made lake with ducks and spottings of elk and deer in their wildlife park all around the cave. And then back through the cave to the dock. It's the only flooded cave to visit in the country.

Roadtrip: Things That Went Wrong

Naturally, there's always something. One thing I forgot to get a pic of is the rig cabin leaning heavily to one side. Huh, I said, wonder if the guys at the shop forgot to fill the airbags. Sure enough, they were almost empty. Once I got 60# of air in them, the cabin leveled off. Much better.

This next thing is the TV mount deciding not to hold the screen level any more (the couch is below). We managed to wedge it up with library books long enough to watch it without lying down. It's now been fixed and is much easier to watch. I'm also the proud owner of a hex key set, basically allen wrenches, which are required on this mount.

Now this was a real pain. I have a plywood desk (covered in black rubber matting) that's 69 inches long, held up with two large heavy-duty L-brackets screwed into the desktop and into studs in the wall. The Pennsylvania roads were so bad they shook the screws out of the wall, thereby tossing the desktop down (along with everything on it, like computers, pens, clock, etc.). Amy got creative with bungee cords to support it enough to put light things on it and leave the space underneath for storage. Hooray for really strong latches on the cupboard doors. We've now put actual legs under the corners, and will probably do a little more shoring up. The L-brackets may or may not be reattached.

There's always something, isn't there? At least, none of it was life-threatening. I'm thinking about writing the Penn. State Tourism Bureau about their roads.

Kevin and Mark's Wedding

 Amy, Kevin, Adam, and Heather (Adam's wife). The first three all went to college together. The reason for the roadtrip was Kevin's marriage.

 The officiant at the ceremony. Most of the attendees are artists and theatre people so the costumes were outrageous.

 An important part of the procession was Princess Bucket (turtle) in her coach (wagon) escorted by fabulously costumed courtier.

 Kevin and Mark on their way to the altar spot. A lovely ceremony.

 After-party with Kevin and an ass not his own.

 Close friends of Kevin & Mark's are Kat and Mason, who have a lovely property adorned with these two hippie buses.

And their house, too, is a testament to their artistic impulses. Gorgeous.

It was a great weekend.

Roadtrip Pix

 Pie for breakfast is the thing to do on a roadtrip, right?

 Me, Jason, and Amy on a lookout seeing downtown Pittsburgh.

 Jason and Amy having tipsy fun at the bar.

 Local dragsters.

Phyllis Palm and me. She and I worked at the Madison KOA campground back in 2008 and have stayed in touch ever since. She let us park the RV at her place while we went to town to visit Jason.