Long Time No Taco

     I spent yesterday "upstate" in Dutchess County, with my JET Alum friends. We visited the farmers market in Rhinebeck, Mead Orchards in Tivoli, and Sawkill Farm, in Red Hook (not to be confused with the Brooklyn neighborhood of the same name).       The excellent Farmers Market obliterated my delusions of budgeting. I bought honey, beer, cheese, meat, pickles, and whiskey to take home. That doesn't include the tacos and Thai mini-crepes with meringue and toasted coconut, we bought and ate there! Half the sellers, it turned out, also sell at the Union Square's farmers markets. While initially, I felt disappointed by that news, I would have never found them or understood them as well, were it not for this trip, and now I know where I can find more without the travel.      The Mead Orchard apple picking was equally fun and amazing, but our tour guides gave us less than one hour there, and constantly threatened to leave stragglers b...

A friend pointed out an aspect of my personality I always knew about, but never realized others could notice, until he said something. I wish I could recall the exact quote, because the friend, Dan, has a beautiful way with words. The gist, however ineloquent, was "Wow, Greg. Another new hobby? You sure go through 'em!" It's true. Despite areas I have (hopefully) matured, my unfocused interest in everything has remained constant since childhood. When it comes to athletics, I am terrible at remaining dedicated. MMA, Jujitsu, skateboarding, snowboarding, softball, golf, even simple jogging and yoga - I pick them up for a few months, take twice as many months off, and may-or-may-not return to every so often. I do better with artistic hobbies, though. I have always been a writer, and in recent years, I started home brewing, and I have stayed dedicated to honing my craft (beer). Jokes aside, there are many artistic interests my humble (read: poor) upbringing prevented ...

Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving today, and you may think "Oh, that's a whole month earlier, but I guess even they have a Thanksgiving!" You may even read or hear about it in the media, like this article with an annoying autoplay ad: http://www.ibtimes.com/why-canadas-thanksgiving-october-all-ways-holiday-differs-americas-turkey-day-2133869 But never forget, while Canadians seem like slightly-friendlier Americans, with a better health care system, THEY DRINK MILK FROM BAGS! BAGS PEOPLE! That's right Canada, I've got your number! Happy Thanksgiving Day Canadians!

Sorry for my absence, but after returning from a MOST EPIC time in Hawaii, I've delved deep into the world of photo editing. More on that later. For now, I'd like to formally introduce you to my cat, Samus. (pronounced "Sam"- "Us") See! Photo Editing! (above photo not edited) Her name is not Seamus . She is neither Irish, nor a boy. She is named for Samus Aran, the Female protagonist of Metroid, who also features in another popular video game, Super Smash Brothers. Like the character, she has a brownish-orange coat, and green eyes, but her armor hides that she is, in fact, a strong-willed female! My sweet kitteh is a Norwegian Forest Cat/Calico mix. That makes her my first long-hair cat. The calico mix that colors her fur, also gives her a feisty temperament. She nips, bites, and scratches to communicate, when basic cat-body-language fails to get her point across, but she loves sitting on my lap, and laying in bed, purring loudly. She als...