Brian's Journal

Subject:	AKICILJ?
Time:	8:30 pm.

Longer trip report coming in a day or two, probably, but here's a random request on behalf of my dad. Apparently, there was a book he read like 2-3 years ago, first in a long series, but he can't remember the author or the title. I know I've got a lot of SF/Fan-type people on here, so maybe one of you has heard of it.

Here's Pops:
"Basic premise: SERIAL LINKED WORLDS ACCESSIBLE THROUGH GATEWAYS. Worlds are linked in strings with two ro more gateways. Mapping to get from the home world (Empire home) to a series of other worlds. Gateways can be at different altitudes and climates on opposite sides of the gateway. Main plot is an enemy race discovered on one of the outer worlds. During a peace treaty negotiation, the aliens attacked and killed humans. Eventually that led to a war. The aliens had dragons of dIFFERNT TYPES: carriers, fire, other war dragons). Humans had the ability to communicate from gifted people (basically telepths who could link with each other across a world and then cross the portal and link with another telepath across the next world. Central character is a sort of a scout who has powers. He meets another adept (lady) and they instantly bond, setting up a long term relationship. climax is a battle against the dragon wielding enemy in whch the emperor's son (prince) defends the good guys even though he sees his death in a precognition. "

Anyone recognize it? Author/Title?

Comments: Read 8 orAdd Your Own.

Subject:	I am afar!
Time:	7:09 pm.

And I finally have internets, even. I *think* everyone should know this by now, but I've been surprised enough times about people not knowing. I'm bad at communication, mostly. I'm doing my fall quarter as a Study Abroad in Orvieto, Italy. I left LA on Monday, and arrived in Italy about 17 hours later on Tusday afternoon. The flight was enormously long and entirely uneventful.

It is safe to assume that my pants are going to be perpetually bankrupt. I mean, I'll check in periodically, but, well, I'm in Italy. So if you have something on LJ you think I should see, send me an email.

Email continues to be the most reliable point-of-contact. I've got Skype set up, but timezones make it difficult to use, at best. (I'm 9 hours off of LA time) I've got a cellphone, in theory, but there's still some bugs in the pre-paid thing, so I'm not wanting to give out the number just yet.

It's just about dinnertime, so I'mma shut down again. Ciao!

Comments: Read 9 orAdd Your Own.

Subject:	Confidental to Typhoid Mary:
Time:	8:06 pm.

You're in a culinary arts program. This means that you've, by definition, passed a course in Sanitation. I'm not sure how that's even possible, given how badly you fail today. Here's some hints. If you're that sick, stay the fuck home, we don't want you here. If you sneeze all over your hands you might consider washing them, you disgusting slob.

If I end up getting whatever random ass plague you're trying so hard to give me, I'm going to kick you in the kneecap.

Comments: Read 1 orAdd Your Own.

Subject:	Staxxy wanted to know how I make rice.
Time:	7:53 pm.

Comments: Read 4 orAdd Your Own.

Subject:	In other news!
Time:	10:37 pm.
Mood:	bouncy.

I am still sometimes trying to suck less as a blogger. I'm feeling chatty tonight for some random reason, so y'all get the benefit(?) of my chattermouth. Sorry.

This week in class was "Great Plains Cuisine", aka "Delicious Calorie Bombs". Chicago Deep Dish Pizza, Kansas City Baby Back Ribs, Macaroni and Cheese, etc etc. I think I ate about 15000 calories in two days. Omnomnom.
School is still hard. Tons of work. Fun! But tons of work. And a lot of the work is really boring, and I still suck at self-motivation. Ah, well. Classes are awesome still, at least. Pies and tarts last night in Baking, and wine&food pairings on Thursday night. Next week I've got practical exams in Regional and Baking, and a field trip for Food&Beverage. Possibly a second field trip for Nutrition. We're headed (for F&B) to the San Antonio Winery for a tour and some tastings.

Also on Thursday, I am going to be volunteering to help out with the preps for a demo by Chef Lorenzo Polegri, who is visiting this week from Italy. He's trying to drum up support for his Study Abroad program in Orvieto, Italy. Which I am very much planning on *attending*, this fall. I hope this all works out. If it does, I will be in Italy for about 9 weeks, studying Classical European and World Cuisine, among other subjects. Huge opportunity, if I can swing it. (I almost said "I hope they have internets", but really? Does anyone *not* anymore? At least in first-world countries.)

My depression is apparently cyclical on really ass-tastically long and random-as-fuck cycles. Last Monday sucked monkey dick through a bendy straw, but that was apparently the bottom of the cycle and I'm better now. What the fuck, over?

This weekend is going to be re-cock-ulously long and busy, and anyone that catches me on Vent should totally pester me about whether I'm on track for homework. I have an insane amount. 6 weeks of journal for Regional and the entire quarter's worth for Baking. Plus my restaurant project for F&B, and a bunch more crap for my Nutrition class. Giant pile of shite.

I actually went *out* last weekend. I drank beer in a public house. It was awesome. I really really need to do that more often. If only it didn't suck so hard to go out alone. I need a wingman like wtf.

Father's Office in Culver City. Food was decent, but not orgasmic. (Some of the reviews are a tad bit worshipful.) They have like 50 beers on tap, though, which is totally awesome. Stone Brewing Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale, Russian River Pliny the Elder Double IPA, and a New Belgium La Folie sour ale. All three very awesome. And strong enough that I was quite *happy* after just three beers, and didn't need a fourth.

Comments: Read 6 orAdd Your Own.

Subject:	Craft Swap Meme.
Time:	10:02 pm.
Mood:	accomplished.

So I've seen this in a bunch of places. I haven't taken advantage of any of the offers, because I've either missed the window, or they were offering something that didn't work for me. But I will propagate the meme anyways, because it's awesome like that.

Here's the scoop. The first five people to comment on this post will get something crafted by me. If you're reasonably local (and patient), then that hand-crafted thing will be actual edible foods, lovingly prepared. (AKA, I will serve you dinner (I'm training to be pro, so if you want a catered dinner party that's also remotely possible, but we'd have to chat, first)). If you're not local, then I will craft you a custom menu for a dinner, complete with excessively detailed recipes (tested recipes, even, if you want).

Here's the catch. If you accept my offer, I would humbly request that you offer the same thing to your friends list. Well, a similar thing. You might not be a foodie, so I don't expect you to offer catering. But everyone's got a talent, and you should offer your talent to your friends. That's the *point*, after all. I know that I can't enforce this, so it's possible for someone to leech free stuff and not pay forward. But it'd be bad form.

(As a minor aside, if anyone out there has Photoshop Skillz, I desperately need a decent Food icon. I suckzorz at images.)

Comments: Read 17 orAdd Your Own.

Subject:	In other news, sharp things are sharp.
Time:	9:42 pm.

So, yeah. I was preparing tonight's dinner, which included quick-pickled daikon, so I was making really thin slices of daikon with a mandoline.

Mandolines are sharp.

I ran just one slice too many, and I removed the tip of my right index finger. You can't really imagine how hard it is to type without your index finger. Quite challenging. My backspace key is being overworked.

And the pickles were shitty, too.

(The rest of dinner was pretty damn good, at least. I can do better next time, I think. Udon noodles with three kinds of seafood. Poached sole, pan-seared shrimp, steamed clams.)

Comments: Add Your Own.

Subject:	Food porn post.
Time:	12:29 pm.
Mood:	hungry.

16 units of school is a lot of classes. Yay, classes, boooo tired. Ah, well. This quarter I have a double-kitchen, which is a whole new brand of challenging. 12:30p to 10:50p. In theory, I have a 40 minute break in between those two, in practice it averages about 15 minutes, because nothing ever ends on time. So it's basically 10 hours solid. American Regional Cuisine (redux), Intro to Baking, Nutrition Science, and Food and Beverage Operations. F&B is basically all front-of-house stuff, which is interesting.

Okay, random update is random, the real reason I am posting is so that I can show you things that I've made. Some of these are from classes, some from home.

Comments: Read 9 orAdd Your Own.

Subject:	Meme is meme (Ask me anything!)
Time:	5:22 pm.

I've done variations on this meme a thousand times before, but this is an interesting twist, plus it's about time for another round anyways. Copypasta time!

I WILL BE COMPLETELY HONEST FOR 24 HOURS... you can email me and ask me any question, no matter how crazy, sinister, or wrong it is. I WILL answer no matter what. You have my FULL honesty, and I DARE you to post this in your own livejournal and see what questions you get. Just make ABSOLUTELY sure that you want to know the answer to what you ask!

It amuses me that this version is so stressing the COMPLETELY HONEST thing, since I tend to answer just about any question *anyways*, most of the time. The "privacy" settings in my head are weird.

Comments: Read 1 orAdd Your Own.

Subject:	It's finally happened. I have joined the Borg.
Time:	9:40 pm.

Resistance is futile, we will all be assimilated. (I have joined Facebook. Fucked if I know what I'm going to *do* with it, but whatever.)

Comments: Read 4 orAdd Your Own.

Subject:	Now is the time of Thanksgiving?
Time:	10:17 pm.

I should probably do this thing. I wasn't gonna, mostly because I didn't think I'd have any internets to post it with. Because Grandma's House has always been the land of dial-up interwebs, and screw that. But I forgot that this year I actually have a motel room instead of just sleeping on an airbed on the floor. Which is nice. And comes with a side order of hotel wifi. So that's a win. And thankful I won't be aching in pain tomorrow, yes please. Even the best airbed in the world can't compete with a real bed.

I have a lot to be thankful for, this year. It's been a good run. The biggest thing has been starting school at The International Culinary School at the Art Institute (pimp, pimp). Which has been an amazing experience all by itself, taking my cooking skills to a whole new realm and really learning all kind of new techniques and such. But it's also given me a new level of focus in my life, finally pursuing something that I actually *want* to do, instead of just doing whatever someone else wanted, or the convenient thing. And it's given me a social life again, OMGYAY. Not to be underestimated, that one. Much love to the vent crew and CoX and all that, but hanging out with people in meatspace is always going to be a whole different beast from hanging out on the interwebs.

I'm thankful my interwebs friends. Much love and respect. Y'all keep me sane when the stress of trying to do work and school at the same time makes me 'bout to 'splode.

Much love to the family. I am blessed to have a family-of-origin that is pretty much entirely composed of people that I actually *want* to spend time with. Is rare, and wonderful.

I am thankful for the netbook upon which I type this missive. So much love for my tiny computer. So happy that I bought it.

I am thankful for the food and wine that I consumed this evening. My belly is happy, and it is a goodness that I have delicious things to eat. Especially this year, when a lot more people than normal are cutting back or going without. Omnomnom.

And now, I am about to be thankful for dreamland. Goodnight, LJ.

Comments: Add Your Own.

Subject:	In other news...
Time:	11:01 am.
Mood:	busy.

New laptop also makes for a *really* good excuse for trying to get all organized and shit. Which I've totally been doing lately, go me! It helps a lot that new laptop is uber portable, and so I can reasonably expect to have it *with me* when I need it. Which gives me some more insight into why people tend to go completely insane over smartphones and crackberries. It's an external brain! More reliable than normal brain, and just as omnipresent! Although now I'm kinda wishing that I had sprung for the cell-card when I bought this computer. I *think* it's possible to install it later on, though. And I'm not sure yet if it'd be worth the extra $40 a month for the data service, yannow? 95% of the time I'm using this thing, I'm working somewhere that I can leech wifi.

It still feels kinda weird to be (sort-of) working in the mornings before classes. I always used to just goof off on class days. It's also really nice that $employer gave me VPN access, so I can actually do paid work from my bedroom a little bit. Really a weird feeling, that. (There's a joke in there somewhere about getting paid for sleeping, and how is that different from before, or something. I dunno.)

I finally got around to arguing with Student Financial Services and sorting out all the contradictory information I'd been getting from different sources there. So I actually have a clear picture for once about how much money I owe them and when. Go me.

Up next, I get to argue with Capital One about how they don't actually have a leg to stand on when they attempt to *triple* my interest rate on my credit card, and they should all burn in hell. *time passes* Aaaand, that went pretty much exactly according to script. "Yeah, it's already done, tough shit." She did at least say she'd flag the account to get reviewed again in six months instead of twelve. (I'm not peeved enough to cancel the account, since the *rest* of the terms are still quite generous, and the interest rate only actually matters if you carry a balance, which I don't.)

One feature that I really liked a lot on my old laptop that I really wish this one had? A button to turn off the touchpad when I'm using it with an attached mouse. I can't tell you how often I am very glad that there's an Undo button because I just "wristed" the touchpad and destroyed a huge chunk of my typing.

The only thing left on my todo list for this morning is my homework, which really just isn't going to get done this week. She'll accept lates, though, so fuckit. Time to go eat some foods and then head to campus.

Comments: Read 1 orAdd Your Own.

Subject:	Keep In Touch!
Time:	10:25 am.

So I have a new laptop, right? And I also got a new email client because my old one was really really old and not being updated long since. And now I finally have a decent Address Book thingy, so I figure I might actually use it for once. Mostly I'm going to be just updating it from all the old sources, like old email client, cellphone, etc. But it made sense to actually ask for people's info and all that.

So if you would like to exist in my address book, please to be replying to this post with whatever information you think I should be having. Comments are all screened, and will remain such.

Comments: Read 1 orAdd Your Own.

Subject:	Omega Tau Phi? (As my dad loves to say)
Time:	4:26 pm.
Mood:	confused.

Since when does my LJ account have $12 in gift certificates available? And why on earth is there no way to see who *sent* them or when or why?

I mean, it's awesome that my paid account is $10 cheaper than it was gonna be (can only use one cert per run, apparently) but I am left very confused.

Thank you, random donor?

Comments: Read 2 orAdd Your Own.

Subject:	A less random update
Time:	1:10 pm.
Mood:	busy.

I love the idea of sitting here and updating LJ right now, because I'm totally *in class* right now. Which isn't as horrible as it sounds, since we're doing indivual conferency things re: our projects from last week and the midterm, so I'm *supposed* to be mostly just entertaining myself while I wait for it to be my turn.

Today is better than yesterday. I got my registration for next quarter done this morning, I've been invited to a party on Friday night, and I pulled the highest score in the class on the midterm. My project is going to be less awesome, I think, but I still take tests well.

The biggest problem with this netbook, btw, is that the screen is glossy, and therefore glares likes mad at the wrong angles.

Courses for next quarter, for the curious:
Food & Beverage Operations
Nutrition Science
Intro to Baking
Americal Regional Cuisine

So I got my midterm back. 88%, 22/25. And two of the three questions that I got "wrong" I could make a compelling argument that the question is either wrong, poorly worded, or misleading. We were warned that the tests for this class are "hard", but I wonder whether that's actually because the material is that hard (it hasn't been so far) or the questions are just really badly written. Using ambiguous weasel words in a true/false question makes it kinda difficult to really be sure of your answer.

Time for lecture now, so here's where I hit the post button. ( I need a really good food icon.)

Comments: Read 2 orAdd Your Own.

Subject:	Bored now. Time for meme! Maybe content later.
Time:	8:53 pm.

"Tell me story, a secret, a confession, a fear, a love - anything. Be sure to post anonymously and honestly. Post twice if you'd like.. hell however many times you want.

Then put this in your LJ to see what your friends have to say."

Comments: Read 1 orAdd Your Own.

Subject:	Signal amplification: Minor LJ security issue.
Time:	9:44 am.

http://news.livejournal.com/117957.html

Short version, someone found a hole in the embedding code, used it to hijack a little. They didn't get much, account security not compromised, etc. Mostly, it just set some recent posts to default settings, and stole your email address off your profile.

If any of your recent entries have a weird busted embed thing, then check the security settings on your recent posts, and edit out the embed tags. Full details at the link.

(I actually got hit with it, apparently, and it spreads via friends pages. So anyone that reads this post is at elevated risk. Otherwise I wouldn't have bothered, since it's a fairly minor thing.)

Comments: Add Your Own.

Subject:	Typing with condoms on my fingers is kinda hard, yo.
Time:	10:52 pm.
Mood:	exhausted.

So my first real kitchen injury today. Whee, fun. Only, yannow, not.

There was a pan. It was on the stove. It was empty and dry. It had flame under it. I grabbed it. OWOWOWOWOWOW.

Burns are excessively painful, really. And it comes in these funny waves, where it's fine for a while, and then it hurts like the dickens, then it's fine again.

First three fingers on my left hand, palm-side, from fingertip to 2nd joint. Chef helped me with the first aid, was high-side of 1st degree, not bad enough to qualify for 2nd degree. It's down enough right now that I'm typing normally, if a bit clumsily.

I also failed utterly at trying to make Hollandaise today. Bleh. Broke it twice, then burned myself trying to set up for a third try. My Beurre Blanc was judged to be excellent, however, as was the Red Pepper Coulis. The Hollandaise was delicious, it just broke instead of thickening. I missed the line where I needed to turn off the fire on the double boiler when I started adding the butter. Bleh and phooey.

I got a bonus point in the purchasing class for random Excel trivia. Don't even remember what it was, anymore.

Comments: Read 5 orAdd Your Own.

Subject:	I WIN AT FOOD OMG.
Time:	8:58 pm.

So, first win, I went to class today. We made four of the classical french mother sauces, Bechamel, Veloute, Espagnole, and Tomato. Me and my partner for the day finished before anyone else in the class, and Chef had nothing bad at all to say about our product. (The other pair sharing a table with us got corrections on two of four sauces)

So, I win.

And then I came home, and I crafted the best fajitas I have ever eaten in my entire life. Not even kidding, they were that fucking good.

I win again.

If only my knee wasn't in a lot of pain, I'd be having a flawless day. Booooo, randomly busted joints.

Comments: Read 7 orAdd Your Own.

Subject:	Ramblerambleramble
Time:	8:04 pm.
Mood:	cranky.

I had a big old rant that I was going to post about stuff. I'm still all annoyed about it all. But I'm also too fucking tired, so what-the-fuck-ever. **

School is hard. Balancing school and work is fucking exhausting, and I'm not used to it.

And where the hell is everyone, tonight? Vent is completely empty. Boo.

** If anyone really wanted to know, it had to do with Race, Asperger's Syndrome, and how I'm being encouraged to not even fucking try to be an ally, anymore, because everytime I open my mouth I'm reminded that it's apparently a fucking *crime* lately just to have the *audacity* to be born white. It's also a crime to attempt to be objective instead of just frothing at the mouth. And I'm automatically wrong on absolutely everything, because I've obviously never been oppressed or downtrodden. It was a lot longer, though, when I was ranting to myself in the car. With context, even. And I'm almost tempted to delete this paragraph, because it's just going to get me in more trouble. But fuckit, it's my fucking journal, so I'll say whatever the fuck I want. And because it won't fucking leave me alone, and some shit.

In other news, school is mostly going well, I'm still too smart for my own good, and Asperger's can lick my sweaty balls. I'm tired and kinda drunk, and I really need to get out more. And I made the most delicious sauce I've ever made in the history of ever, tonight, and it was awesome. Fresh-caught albacore steaks, marinated in lemon vinagrette, grilled, then served with herbed buerre blanc, and herbed roasted potatoes. It was straight out of the South of France, and it was all delicious.

I've decided I need to update more often, because people are still being all surprised about stuff that happened like six months ago. So here you go. And update. Kinda.

Comments: Read 6 orAdd Your Own.