Category: hiking

04/17/16 10:15 - ID#60470

Zoar valley with Emily and Mike

Today we scampered down to Zoar Valley with Emily and Mike. It was their first time there, somehow we weren't able to convince them to stumblerun down Point Peter. But we had a good time anyway. I'm ready for summer after this.

It was so hot down in the gorge. I wanted to do some FKK schwimmen but there were a ton of people around. The rocks were too mossy to cross in barefeet so we stuck mostly to the part where the creeks fork, having a beers while building a river rock chateau.







Here's a 360 photo I took. I haven't VR'ed in a while but I want to see how it looks.






Said chateau


Rock skipping contests with (e:terry)

Permalink: Zoar_valley_with_Emily_and_Mike.html
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Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 04/18/16 10:34

Category: solar

04/16/16 12:02 - ID#60466

Linwood solar net

I finally got the Ethernet cable hooked up to the solar panel inverter.

Connecting it was super annoying, because instead of just plugging in an Ethernet cable on the inside, you need to strip the wire, run it through a tiny hole on the bottom and crimp a connector with the tiny stripped end you can reach.

But now all our data is uploaded to a monitoring portal. It even has a REST API and app so you can pull production data from every individual panel and find out which one is slacking.

In March alone we already became net power producers. Awesome.

I want to nerd out with this more. What could we do with this data?

Permalink: Linwood_solar_net.html
Words: 120
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 04/16/16 03:41

Category: garden

04/16/16 11:54 - ID#60465

Garden prep

I spent my Friday off working on the back garden. Clearing beds and pulling weeds is like dehoarding outside. I actually don't mind it.

Anyway we still need to get rid of more wood. I put it on craigslist free but if nobody takes it I think I might just cut it up and throw most of it out.


Solar powered drying. These blankets could use some sun-disinfectant.


The one raised bed is falling apart. We're going to have to put it back together


I think I want to use this hill as a raised bed too. Now that Basra is gone he can't stomp through and eat anything being grown there.


(e:paul) sunning himself

Afterwards (e:paul) and I went on a bike ride out to Hoyt Lake.




At night we were going to this rave at Iron Works, but the music didn't sound so great for $20 a person. Instead we walked around downtown. The so called cobblestone district had more people than I thought. And it wasn't just the casino. We ended up at Ballyhoo for a few beers. Too overpriced and fancy but they did have an amazing vegetarian sausage.

The last snow pile in Buffalo.

Still a vegan at heart, right (e:paul)?

Permalink: Garden_prep.html
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Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 04/16/16 03:47

Category: cooking

04/10/16 11:15 - ID#60460

Leeky cheesy galletes

(e:terry) and I channeled our inner Chetna (e:joe,60410) and did a bake. We made these cheesy flakey pastries filled with dill, goat cheese, leeks and potatoes. Recipe hier:

Hot goat man cheese was involved (e:joe,59060)

We rarely bake anything so it was a crap shoot on whether we were doing the dough right - but it was buttery and perfectly cooked.

Frying up the leeks

If you go by the recipe picture, we were supposed to spread the filling more and leave the potatoes exposed. This worked fine though. All the galettes got an egg wash.

Cheesy goat man goodness

Finished project

Permalink: Leeky_cheesy_galletes.html
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Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 04/14/16 12:28

Category: food

04/10/16 11:14 - ID#60459

Buffalo Rome

On Friday we decided to try somewhere new for lunch and ended up at Buffalo Rome, on Porter. It's where the second Cafe 59 and a million other cafes used to be. I really liked it - they had a delicious mushroom soup and an eggplant sandwich. The bread was especially amazing. Soup, sandwich, coffee and a shared dessert was only $30 for all three of us.

It was cramped inside but very nice.




What is Luiza's pierogi club? I'd want in.


Later at night we went to the Underground with Jeremy for the next she lives event. It was crazy packed. I've never waited so long at a bar before.
Still it was fun to see everyone there. (e:mike) and (e:libertad) you should have made it out.

At the end I got chased out by the butch security guard at the door for taking my beer with me, but luckily my legs are longer ;)

Permalink: Buffalo_Rome.html
Words: 158
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 04/10/16 11:23

Category: weather

04/04/16 01:41 - ID#60457

I take it back

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Permalink: I_take_it_back.html
Words: 5
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 04/04/16 01:41

Category: random

04/03/16 05:18 - ID#60456

Gem show

(e:Paul) and I went down to the gemshow at the fairgrouds. It's the strangest combination of crystal people, geology nerds, cat ladies, and people who love gems.

Bismuth is really cool. There were some very neat minerals at the show. In the back of my mind I had to wonder how many of them were not safe to handle, conflict materials, or were straight up from strip mining or mountain top removal or something. (e:paul) noticed some that looked very similar to asbestos.











Dino bones!


While the magic crystal people are fun to watch, some of what they were hawking was insane.
Unfucking believable! Crystals healing cancer and AIDS? And people were buying it.

Weirdly enough while I am updating this post a lady is talking about setting her energies into crystals. What a world crystal people must live in.

Permalink: Gem_show.html
Words: 150
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 04/06/16 01:52

Category: food

03/26/16 07:29 - ID#60452

Burmese food at Lin Restaurant

We rode bikes up for lunch to Lin on Tonawanda Street, in Riverside. unfortunately while we were crossing the street I dropped (e:Paul)'s old Android wear watch and the glass smashed. It's still usable but has a ton of shards sticking out.

They had the Thai iced coffee which is amazing.



They also had a tea leaf salad. I usually eat my tea leaves anyway but this was pretty interesting.


Terry and I split a curry and a fried rice. We also got a million different appitizers, including spring rolls and samosas. They had extremely tiny and super spicy peppers to top everything. Yum.




Next door they had a small grocery store with a bunch of different Indian/Japanese/Chinese foods.

One of the shelves contained nothing but this nut. Apparently it's speed-y plant that gives you oral cancer. Anyone want to try?


And some banana blossom. How do you eat these?

Permalink: Burmese_food_at_Lin_Restaurant.html
Words: 166
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 04/06/16 01:36

Category: how's

03/26/16 03:42 - ID#60451

Spring got sprung

It's so warm out and were not even inland. I want to go hike or camp.

(e:terry) and I cleaned out the garden. It's time to ember all the shit you hoarded outside from last fall, like this pile of wood. Anyone need any 2x4s?

It's also time for Dyngus day. Do you believe the "official dyngus day guide" is 26 pages long? Every holiday must be milked for all its worth!

Permalink: Spring_got_sprung.html
Words: 78
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 03/26/16 03:42

Category: tech

03/24/16 12:56 - ID#60446

f.lux

I downloaded f.lux for my computer. It's a program that adjusts the color temperature of your computer screen as the time of the day and position of the sun changes. Because blue light prevents melatonin, which helps you fall asleep, from being produced, the program gives your screen a warmer color temperature as it gets darker/later.

Download it here.

I used to have it on my Windows computer but it's much better now. It takes into account your location, the time of day you want to wake up, and generates an graph overlay of the required color temperature on the amount of potential sunlight for the day.



I've already noticed a difference in the past few days in how long it takes me to get ready to sleep. There's even a version for android phones but unfortunately it requires you to be rooted. So I downloaded a similar app called twilight. You have to make sure to turn down the brightness on OLED screens like the Note, otherwise you may get burn in.

Permalink: f_lux.html
Words: 183
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 03/24/16 12:56