We got food in the mail

One of the gifts we got for Christmas this year was a Snackcrate subscription. So far we have gotten a Christmas box, an Egyptian box, and a Pakistani box, with sweet and salty snacks appropriate for the theme of the box. What usually happens is we go through the box when we first get it and anything that’s a gummy or jelly Mrs. the Poet designates as mine because she doesn’t like the texture. Then we go through looking for “strange” flavors, like the ketchup potato chips in today’s box, and the chili and lime chips, and basically anything hot. Those I get also, because my darling wife has an extremely white person tolerance for capsaicin, having lived all her life with people from NYC and Upstate NY. I, on the other hand grew up as a Military Brat getting food from a variety of cuisines, from Korean to Schezwan(sp?) to Thai to Mexican to stuff I never learned where it came from unless it was Hell it was so hot. We’re talking stuff that would be a crime against humanity if you were forced to eat it, and we were fed it as kids, so maybe? Also some Moroccan because we lived there for a few months. It’s been years since I had couscous, and now that I think about it I want some.

Anywho, had some… interesting snacks today, nothing too hot, but lots of unusual tastes like Garlic Chili, and the aforementioned ketchup chips. Like I wrote, I like this stuff, basically this is what I grew up with except even stranger like the ginger and nutmeg Winter Spice Twix from the Christmas box. That was subtle, not in-your-face like American Pumpkin Spice, but still not what we get on the daily unless you get all your beverages from the place with the mermaid on the cup. And even then that’s only from September through early January. Something else Mrs. the Poet said was mine was the bag of Candycane Cookies from Honolulu, because she doesn’t like mint. That one we can blame on morning sickness after she brushed her teeth, and having to brush them again after she threw up. Yep associating mint with throwing up puts you right off from mint four decades, the youngest turned 41 this year.

As it works out after we weed out the textures she doesn’t like, the flavors she doesn’t eat, and the stuff she just refuses, there isn’t much left besides chocolate bars and cookies, so I get the lion’s share of snacks. And because I’m a Garbage Gut, I eat what’s left. I think that’s why my kids grew up to be such picky eaters, because “Dad will eat it.”

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I need a recipe

I need something to graze on. Requirements are high fiber, low fat, moderate carb, salty or sweet depending on preparation, And simple enough for a guy who can use a slow-cooker and a rice cooker and hates complicated prep work. Crunchy if possible, but I could also go for chewy, but not mushy. Scalable so I can make 50 pounds at a time if I want, or a single serving. And it has to keep for extended periods of time for when I don’t feel like grazing right now.

And it has to be cheap to make. I don’t have tons of money for snack foods even if they are healthy enough to eat all the time instead of meals. Basically we are looking at creating Bachelor Chow from the TV show Futurama, Now With Flavor.

Opus the Unkillable (but hungry)

Another grocery day, another Feed

Yep, time to hit the neighborhood supermarket again to replenish the produce and bread. The milk we bought last week went bad before we could open it so we absolutely have to buy more today, those artificial creamers are just nasty IMHO. Also looking to get more salty snacks. I don’t know why but my cookie cravings went “Meh!” and my tortilla chip and pork skins cravings went through the roof over the winter. My BP is staying low so I’m not overloading on salt, and as frequently as I can I swap regular salt out in favor of a 50% Potassium Chloride blend to get my potassium levels up. It’s a mystery why my cravings change from sweet to salt and back again…

Our first wreck report is from Enn Zed. Cyclist seriously injured in crash The cause in this case appears to be the tourist not being used to driving on the wrong side of the road and looking in the wrong places. I don’t know what to tell you about avoiding that one except the damage looks like it was a broadside impact to the cyclist so probably intersection protocols to avoid and get the infrastructure right to prevent.

Still in Enn Zed we get a victim blamer. Teen injured in collision The very first paragraph of the article blames the cyclist for not wearing hi-viz instead of the driver for not watching where he was going. “Police are pleading with cyclists to wear high visibility clothing after a teenage cyclist and a car collided on Courtney Road this morning.” The article goes on to say the cyclist was hit by a vehicle making a turning movement that hit the cyclist going straight. Intersection protocols to avoid or to minimize damages, and get the infrastructure right so what clothes a cyclist wears will have nothing to do with safety.

The civil suit goes on without the criminal conviction as that case has yet to be tried. Family of dead cyclist sues alleged drunken motorist Both parties to this wreck were in Marketing, the victim at Groupon, and the driver at AllYouCanDrink.com. Somehow I think that company name is going to be a big factor in this case.

A PA cyclist is laid to rest after he was killed on his bike. David Ray Wilson This was the wreck in question Bicyclist struck, killed in Monroe Township I find it interesting that the family picture at the top of the announcement had two ferrets featured prominently.

Our first Infrastructure! link is this humorous video on how not to use a bike lane (Spoiler Alert, most of the people in the video in the bike lane are not riding bicycles). Floating Parking – People Behaving Badly

The BESTEST infrastructure news all MONTH!!!1!!!one!! State Senate approves Aaron Cohen Life Protection Act This bill recognizes that leaving people to die on the roads might actually cause them to die, or to have a worse outcome with long-term disability than if the driver remains at the scene and calls 911. If this bill becomes law it eliminates most of the incentive for DUI drivers to flee the scene as the minimum sentences for both crimes would be the same and prosecutors would not have to prove DUI to put you away for a very long time. The possibility of the driver being drunk would never have to be brought up at the trial.

More on the Houston plan to eliminate all bicycle deaths inside the city. Houston Launching ‘Goal Zero’ Bike Safety Program Unless they are working from the Dutch CROW manual I don’t see any hope for reaching that zero fatalities per year goal.

Another link to the proposal to send text alerts for cars involved in hit-and-run. Catching Hit-and-Run Drivers With Amber Alerts This law has been in effect for just over a year now in CO and has resulted in the timely capture of several hit-and-run drivers in time to allow testing for DUI.

What is your riding style? Ray Keener: Take the Lane? Share the Road? I’m of the opinion that I share the road, not the lane unless there is at least 14 feet of clear pavement between the lane marker and the edge of the road. In that case it’s a matter of trash on the road and crumbling road patches that determines if I share the lane. If there are a lot of either then I take the lane to make avoiding the bad places easier.

An “informed” opinion about bicycle infrastructure. Bike lanes a really dumb idea I like the reply under the article…

Your daily dose of Ted. Morning Links: City Council may not be PLUM crazy when it comes to MyFigueroa after all

The cyclist killed when a driver passed another car making a left turn and went all the way into the bike lane on the wrong side of the road to hit the cyclist head on has been given a Ghost Bike. Ghost bike memorial reminds drivers of roadside safety

Some of these guys look as bad or worse than I do. Neil Grayshon’s new book Cycling Shouldn’t Hurt reveals gruesome images of injured London cyclists

Some gorgeous e-assist bicycles that are bicycles first and e-assist second, but designed to be e-assisted from the get-go. Custom Electric Bikes with Bosch Mid Drive, Gates Belt, & NuVinci Hub

Most people don’t get this kind of return on investment from their e-assist bikes. How an Electric Bike Paid for Itself in 3 Rides

And those were all the links that gave me fits and giggles. I much prefer fits of giggles to the other kind of fits.

Billed @€0.02, Opus