Idus Martiae

The Ides of March is best known as the date that Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC and retold in Shakespeare's play which made popular the expression "Et tu, Brute?". That day is March 15, only two weeks away. Then there are the other days in March.

St. Patrick's Day has been moved up to March 15 this year by the Vatican because it would otherwise have fallen on the 2nd day of the Holy Week (March 17, 2008). Beware St. Patrick's Day! Heh, these Romans are a funny lot.

Julius Caesar's funeral was held on March 20th, which happens to mark the vernal equinox this year. The First Day of Spring. The cusp between the astrological signs Pisces and Aries (I happen to be a cusp child, born on the 21st). That semi-annual occurence where our days are no longer or shorter than our nights.

My boys were born on March 22nd, almost 10 years ago!

I ran across something interesting that falls on March 14th. Having a lifelong interest in mathematics, I was quite surprised that I never knew about the celebration of pi on this day. It's also Einstein's birthday coincidentally (betcha there was pi with his E=mc²).

We are observing Cesar Chavez Day out here in California on the 31st of March (a Monday holiday for me, but Chavez was actually born on this day in 1927). He was a labor leader and co-founded what is now the United Farm Workers.

It is interesting to note too that we segue into the long month of March through an extra day this year. 2008 is a leap year, and today is leap day, February 29th. And wow... ours was a balmy 70 degree Friday to close out the work week.

Foreclosure Pets

The SPCA and animal shelters have been very busy lately, accommodating a higher than usual number of "guests" due to the recent rash of housing foreclosures. When the home goes, so goes the family pet. The rationale is that these one-time homeowners are now looking to become renters again, assuming the cheaper option of apartments where there are no yards, no pets allowed or hefty pet deposits. Seems to make sense.

But abandonment?!

So these are the type of people who would ask the government to help bail them out of their financial predicament? Yes, the unscrupulous lenders are also to blame, but how 'bout taking some responsibility for your own actions? You got in too deep, gambled and lost. Maybe I wouldn't be so harsh were it not for the disregard of the family pet's welfare. This goes to show what you're really made of; therefore, it's not such a big surprise for your just desserts.

Looney

I'm not sure what's in store for the rest of the U.S., but out here in these parts we're expecting a total lunar eclipse. That's when the moon's orbit around the earth puts it opposite the sun just so; the earth's shadow is cast upon the lunar face resulting in the eclipse. The event will occur Wednesday evening beginning around 5:45pm with totality around 7:00pm (need to look up an astronomy site to get particulars)... it's moonrise when the orb hovers above the eastern horizon.

Also forecast here tomorrow night are clouds and rain.

Wine Country

My ride this weekend took me through the wine country; it's been almost a year since I've come out this way. I took the backroads as most avid motorcyclists do and ended up in Napa, whereupon I called up my friend Pam and spoke with her briefly (seeing as I was in town unexpectedly she was not prepared for a visit... other plans for such a nice Saturday). I then decided to head up valley along Hwy29, sometimes referred to as St. Helena Highway since this town is at the heart of the Napa Valley. Or so I've heard.

Just after going through Yountville and still shy of getting to St. Helena, I turned onto the road which leads to the Oakville Grade. I've known about this twisty stretch of tarmac for ages, which meanders over the hill into the Sonoma Valley (the Valley of the Moon), but this was the first time I have ever ridden it. The road took me to Sonoma Highway, and not having a map I was unsure exactly where I ended up.

When in doubt, hang a right.

A couple or few miles later I came upon the Santa Rosa city limits sign and a gas station where I needed to fill up and rehydrate. I got directions that Calistoga Road was a few stoplights further up the road and will take me back to Calistoga at the northern tip of Napa Valley. I am quite familiar with the Napa Valley, but not so much the Valley of the Moon.

Riding through Calistoga I pass by many tourists enjoying the sunny and mild weather. At the other end of town I turned onto the Silverado Trail and followed it to Rutherford, where I took the winding road back toward home.

Both valleys are narrow and lush, and make for a wonderfully scenic excursion. Now if you can appoint a designated driver, there are many well- and lesser-known wineries where you can stop and sample their wares. Along with the wines, it's also about the food... there are a number of local restaurants scattered throughout the area. Once the days get a bit longer I will definitely have to revisit both valleys and stop for lunch and spend some time hoofin' it to soak up the communities. I really need to make these motorcycle trips more than just about the time spent in the saddle, where I catch the pleasant whiffs of roses. But it's time I stop and truly smell them.

Frog Legs

Taste like... chicken. After a long ride to the wine country Saturday (Napa and Sonoma Valleys), I stopped back in town for some Asian seafood smorgy. There were a few new items since my last visit over a month ago. Hmm. The frog legs were lightly breaded and seasoned with salt and pepper; there was no mistaking by the articulation that they were indeed frog legs. Verdict? I guess it was like having a chicken wing where the meat seemed leaner and less fattening, but then again, it could be all just my imagination.

They also had sauted snow peas and 'shrooms, crunchy honey shrimp, pork ribs and more. Mmm, all this is getting my mouth watering again, yum.

Grammatical Pet Peeves I

I was listening to a radio commercial on my way back from the gym tonight. You know, the filler between songs?

"When it came time for my husband and I to consider buying a new car, we headed over to Cars 'R' Us".

This is probably by far my biggest grammatical pet peeve: misusing the pronoun "I" in the predicate. The rule of thumb? Take away the other person (animal, mineral, vegetable... whatever) and see if it sounds right.

"When it came time for I to consider..."

Hey, nobody's perfect and I certainly have more than my fair share of grammatical faux pas, but this one seems to get under my skin for some reason.

BTW, it's Valentine's Eve!

I Ride

Finally, a weekend where the temps were nice, the sun is out and the skies are blue! It's been over a couple of weeks since I last rode, and although the weather was nice this past week, I was busy at work. No playing hooky.

I headed out to the Sierra foothills: Jackson, San Andreas, Angels Camp, Sonora, Jamestown, Mokelumne Hill, Valley Springs, Ione and home.

Such a therapeutic ride... just what the doctor (would have) ordered!

Pre-Valentine

Heh, VDay is less than a week away (falling mid-week on a Thursday). So, what am I looking for in a Valentine girl?

Cute, smart, sweet and...

...has an M1 license and her own motorcycle (and wants to ride with me).

Gung Hay Fat Choy, 2008

Happy Chinese New Year (of the Rat)!

10K

Last night my pickup truck hit 10,000 miles on the odometer... just a few months shy of turning four (in May). My guess is that I'll be averaging less than 3,000 miles per year, compared to the 11,000 per year I am logging on two wheels.

Just thought I'd share this milestone (like turning 18, 21, 25, 30, 40, ad infinitum), that's all.

Super Bowl

It's Super Bowl Sunday, and a whole week since my last post. I had an invitation to a party in Rocklin (or was that Roseville?), about 20 miles from where I live. The weather began to clear today, after another storm went through Saturday and into early Sunday morning... meaning I could have and possibly should have geared up and ridden my motorcycle to said party. If I had to take my truck, that'd be something on the order of about 2.5 gallons of gas for a round trip.

Instead, I bailed. Too many errands, too much on my mind (never mind the general feeling of lethargy). So, after scrawling all this after spending a bit of time surfing cyberspace, I best get to addressing some overdue chores.

I'm not much of a sports spectator, so a super bowl to me would be an enormous helping of noodles at a Chinese restaurant anyway.