Celeste's Breadbox

Nerd rock

Feeling in touch with my inner nerd this week. Pleased to share some YouTube:

I Will Derive, combines two things I love: math and Gloria Gaynor.

Adorable video for Datarock’s Computer Camp Love.

Random August Thoughts

Had to share this link to some amazing photos of the construction of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. Incredible feat of engineering, and may well usher in a new scientific era.

Secret Chiefs 3 show coming up on Sunday. I was all excited a few months back about their new album, but sadly the actuality was not as thrilling as I had hoped. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a pretty good album. I think part of the reason it doesn’t resonate with me is that it’s a cover of one of the Madada albums I don’t have. Either that or it’s just not surf/metal enough. Stoked for the show, for sure. They’re awesome live.

For the last year or so I’ve been trying to make the Oaks Bottom Public House my “local.” They’ve got great food (totchos!), mix a mean bloody mary, and always have interesting guest taps. Too bad it’s just out of comfortable walking distance, so we don’t go nearly as often as we should. And after a misadventure this past week, we’ve written off ever, ever going on Wednesday nights again. Some group of folks who like to sing old English drinking songs have taken over the place on Wednesdays (it’s on a card on the tables, too, so I know it’s sanctioned by the pub), and start around 9:00, about a dozen of them or so, singing very, very loudly in a small room that can’t seat more than about 30. It was so loud and annoying, we just wolfed down our food and ran out as soon as we could. So, unless that’s really your thing, I advise staying far, far away.

Spring at the Coast

Took our annual spring trip to the Coast this past weekend. Lots of good animal spots, including a short-tailed weasel carrying its catch to a burrow behind the hotel. That was a first for me. Also my first spot of a pair of Wandering Tattlers, on their way up to Alaska for the summer.

We had the benefit of a very low tide in the late morning on Saturday, and got in some excellent tidepooling at Cape Perpetua. Lots of little nudbranchs, the usual starfish and bivalves. Every sandy pool was full of tiny sculpins, isopods, and gunnels. We even managed to catch one of the tiny, fast-moving gunnels and take its picture in a jar.

(I have to insert a product endorsement here: Bogs boots. I bought these mostly for working in the muddy garden, but they’re fantastic for tidepooling. The soles are thick and have enough traction to navigate wet rocks, and they’re super comfortable, warm and totally waterproof.)

Then we hiked my favorite trail in all of Oregon, Sweet Creek. Saw a pair of ouzels at the upper falls, flying in and out of their nest in the high rocks right next to the falls. One of them followed us as we went downstream, picking aquatic insects out of rushing rapids.

Sunday was semi-ruined by a wrong turn on a forest service road, a flat tire, and the new exhibit at the Oregon Coast Aquarium not being open yet. Oh well, had a good time anyway, got to say hello to my octi and the snowy plovers, and met my new favorite fish, the grunt sculpin.

Go (former) hawks!

I haven’t brought up hockey here in a while, I know most of my friends and family couldn’t care less about it. But last night was pretty noteworthy - two former Portland Winterhawks scored the game- and series-winning overtime goals to close out the conference semi-finals.

Marion Hossa was a late-season trade to the superstar-laden Pittsburgh Penguins, and scored the winner to close out the series with the NY Rangers. In that same series, former ‘Hawk Brandon Dubinsky had a big goal and assist in a big win for the Rangers.

But the game everyone’s talking about was the Dallas Stars/San Jose Sharks matchup that went into a fourth (!) overtime period before the winner was scored by their captain, and former captain of the Winterhawks, Brendan Morrow. Fantastic game, especially the spectacular goaltending at both ends, entertaining for all 5 hours. And it ended on the best note of all, with Brian Campbell in the penalty box and Morrow with the game winner. Ha, ha, stupid Sharks.

Library Horse

A great shot of one of the Horse Project ponies, in front of the Multnomah County Central Library.

Jacques Dutronc - 60s French Fab

I’m making an effort to post more, even if it’s just random snippets and links.

Today - some fabulous Jacques Dutronc videos. Thanks to Suzie for the original introduction.