the 411

1. eating
have been trying to make ethiopian food. sometimes with good results, usually with room for improvement. marcella and brittian have been willing co-conspirators, and we're making headway. trying to make injera in particular has been giving us fits.

2. diving
i'm coming to the conclusion my initial dumpster diving experience was a-typical. in my last several forays i've netted less than a quarter of the food recovered that first time. on the plus side, i've gotten a lovely dendrobium orchid for my efforts. and strawberries.

3. hiking
this weekend is the Pacific Crest Trail Association's Trail Fest 2009. tonight and tomorrow my friend john and i are going to be checking out the classes, workshops, vendor displays, and over-all hiker community as i prepare for my thru-hike attempt this summer. i'm planning to leave sometime near the end of april and expect it to take me about five months to complete - much like my appalachian trail thru-hike last summer.

4. thinking
"The irony of commitment is that it’s deeply liberating - in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around as rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life."
-Anne Morriss

saw this yesterday and liked it. fine, i'll get off my high horse and admit the quote was on a starbuck's cup. now i'm contemplating how it may apply to me...

5. searching
and while i'm on the subject. google has a free 411 information line. it's 1-800-GOOG-411. you can also text "google" (466453) with simple questions, business locations, weather, etc... at no charge other than your normal texting rate. this service has been around for a while, but it seems every time i mention it to someone, they're surprised to learn of it. the google machine is all-knowing and it frightens me sometimes - tap into its power at your own risk.