CSA Week 1

We received our first batch of delicious local goodness from our CSA last week!

In addition to sausage and eggs, here is a list of the produce in this week's allotment:

• Arugula and mixed salad greens
• Green garlic
• Kohlrabi
• Lettuce
• Parsley
• Radishes
• Strawberries
• Sweet Potatoes
• Tatsoi

Suffice to say, we have been feasting this week! Our CSA membership came with a cookbook as well, so we've been trying new and exotic recipes to go along with our new and exotic foods. Last night we had sweet potato risotto, and tonight we had fresh greens over pasta. Later this week we're making a sausage pizza, and we're enjoying plenty of fresh salads and berries as well.

So far we're big fans. My only concern is that we may have too much food and not be able to eat it all! Oh, and the occasional garden slug, but I guess that's the price you pay for going organic.

First of Many Posts on Food Inc.

As many of you know, I had the opportunity to view the documentary Food Inc. a few weeks ago and was deeply impacted by it. So deeply impacted that I haven't fully formulated my response to it, as I feel that the issue at hand is just too serious and far-reaching to be reacted to impulsively. For example, is corporate control of the food supply a necessary evil? Can an organic and local food movement be sustainable, and can it feed a hungry world? I have no idea.

But for at least one post, I'm going to defend big agriculture. Know what's more cruel than milking a dairy cow? NOT milking a dairy cow. This week I was privileged to spend quite of bit of time with some Wisconsin dairy producers. I was hesitant going into this... given my love of cheese and my current distaste for some of the policies utilized by corporate agricultural, this had the potential to go badly. Food Inc. hyped the animal cruelty that undoubtedly exists in the ag industry, particularly where animals are treated as commodities instead of well, animals. What I found, however, was a group of farmers who respect their animals deeply. On these dairies, animal health and well-being was always top of mind. Part of this was from an economic standpoint -- an upset cow doesn't milk -- but I don't think money was the only motivator. One producer talked of the disappointment of losing a calf, but said the most important thing was that the cow was OK. Another told me that if a cow was upset, it wasn't her fault -- it was indicative of something he (the producer) was doing wrong. I saw the inner workings of milking parlors and learned all the steps that are taken to ensure cow comfort. Large animal and agriculture producers get a bad rep sometimes, but in Wisconsin, the dairy cow is queen.

Many more thoughts to come on Food Inc. to come, but for now, this hippie is enjoying her cheese in peace.

Your Kitty Don't Dance and Your Puppy Don't Rock n' Roll

Meet Marty's new pet sitter! That's right, kids, three times a week the lead singer of the Canadian band Toronto whose video was once on MTV and can still be seen on VH1 will be coming to our house to give the perfect dog his potty break.

Here's more band info from their Wikipedia page. Pay special attention to the first bullet point -- they wrote a freaking Heart song!! And since she's still an active recording artist, here's her current site.

Far out man. Far out.

One Last Dig Before I Let It Go

Saw this on another blog today and it made me giggle. Chortle actually, almost to the point of falling off my chair. A more mature person might have abstained from continuing to circulate this image; however, if you read my birthday posting, you're probably not expecting maturity out of me.

Congrats to Ty, Tyler, Wayne, Danny and the rest of my boys! (Ty and Wayne, come back. Please.)

It's Birthday Season!

Some people dread birthdays and view them as annoying reminders of their mortality. Then there are people like my husband who can't be bothered to care one way or the other. I, fortunately, don't fall under either of those camps; I'm one of a minority of adults who shamelessly celebrates birthdays with the enthusiasm of an 8-year-old.

My birthday is very special because it's not just my birthday. The day before my birthday is the birthday of one of my oldest and closest friends, so this birthday thing isn't just about me and hasn't been for a long time. Last night we celebrated our birthdays together for the 10th consecutive year, which is a pretty awesome thing. 10 years of birthday shots (even the year we had to do it over the phone because I was in San Diego) and trips to Bubs and mega parties. It's really a pretty sweet coincidence.

A quick rundown of the birthday celebrating thus far:
It all started a week and a half ago when my doting husband got my present and couldn't wait til the day of my birthday to give it to me. He gave me a second fondue pot and one of my favorite movies, so now we can have chocolate and cheese fondue at the same time while we watch the Big Lebowski. Did I marry an amazing man or what?? The birthday celebration continued with an almond-flavored pound cake made by my mother-in-law (yum), pedicures and martinis with my birthday partner in crime, and an office covered in confetti and balloons. My colleagues also left a note saying they had hidden eggs in my office. Of course I had a moment of Gilmore Girls induced panic and thought they meant REAL eggs, but fortunately they're of the plastic variety and contain candy. The bummer is that I have only found 5 of the 6 eggs, so my productivity has suffered as I go on Monkesque fits of OCD searching. (My colleagues find this hysterical, by the way, so you can't accuse me of being selfish with the birthday thing -- this is very clearly for them.)

And the best part? It's not my birthday yet! There are 3 more days until it's time to celebrate for real! Man, I dig birthdays the most.

They Gave Me an Inch

Check out my company's blog. It's highly entertaining and occasionally even educational. BTW, I'm a contributing author and have been given free rein to write regular columns about all the spelling and grammatical errors that get under my skin (insert evil laugh here). So if you come across anything particularly asinine that deserves a public flogging, send it my way!

This post has nothing to do with moving day

Tag teaming off of my lovely wife, I've decided to pop on here with some of my own news! Unfortunately, Uncle Scotchy couldn't join us today, as he's napping quietly in a box for the new house. Also, it's not even 10:00 yet, so there's that. At any rate, there has been a small flurry of media activity around my company recently, so I thought I'd share some of it with all of you!

First off, there's a cross-promotion going on regarding the Dexter iPhone game, which isn't a huge deal, but I thought it was kind of neat: http://kotaku.com/5185951/check-out-this-bloodspattered-iphone-case

Secondly, X-Play apparently interviewed Lee (our lead designer) while he was up at GDC this past week. It's a pretty standard piece on our game, but it's more exposure than we've seen (or at least I've seen), so I think it's pretty cool: http://g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/694364/GDC-09-Fallen-Earth-Preview.html

Anyway, I don't have anything really funny or witty or insightful to add, but I took this opportunity on today of all days to share that with you.

--Ak out