User talk:Rhonda

I can't believe it. Vancouver just keeps getting better and better! We'll for sure have to meet up before I leave at the end of April! Thepiguy 17:48, 9 April 2009 (UTC)

For sure... hope another one comes up that's accessible (by Vancouver standards) Rhonda

2009-04-16

Bellingham? It's practically Vancouver! Thepiguy 16:00, 16 April 2009 (UTC)

Holy crap you can drive right up to it! -- Rhonda 16:07, 16 April 2009 (UTC)

And/or cycle! What time are you going to be there? I'm almost packed... Thepiguy 16:11, 16 April 2009 (UTC)

Hm, I'm starting from North Vancouver. You're in Richmond if I remember your trip reports right? Does the 98 have bike racks? -- Rhonda 16:14, 16 April 2009 (UTC)

The 98 does have bike racks. If you can catch a 601, or any other bus that goes to the Ladner loop I can meet you there. And check Robyns discussion page too! Thepiguy 16:19, 16 April 2009 (UTC)

Peace arch at 1:00! Thepiguy 16:23, 16 April 2009 (UTC)

I'm looking up bus schedules from north van to ladner loop (once I find ladner loop...) how long is it from there to the peace arch? -- Rhonda 16:26, 16 April 2009 (UTC)

Not sure, I've never biked that part before. I'll let you know when I find my map. Thepiguy 16:42, 16 April 2009 (UTC)

May 2/3

Don't forget your camping and police geohash ribbons. -Robyn

Oh right, police geohash! -- Rhonda 18:11, 4 May 2009 (UTC)

2009-05-12 49 -123

Just in case you missed it. I haven't checked tides and winds yet. -Robyn 15:43, 12 May 2009 (UTC)

Hmmmm, transit kayak hash, eh? We have been wanting one of those.

I also picked up a backroads mapbook like the one Juventas and my dad have, for the Vancouver/coast area, and it shows a public boat launch in Lions Bay. -- Rhonda 15:51, 12 May 2009 (UTC)

Correction - it shows a boat launch. I guess the book shows private recreation facilities as well as public. -- Rhonda 16:53, 12 May 2009 (UTC)

Mouse Over Day

What would you say to a Mouse Over Day alternate at Canada Place tomorrow? Because the algorithm owes us one. -Robyn 18:52, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

I saw the suggestion on your talk page - I think that would be pretty cool. -- Rhonda 18:56, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

Bike trailers

Wike has some interesting trailers that I've been eyeing.

Foldable (or at least compact) with enough cargo space to carry my Sevylor and a few other things are my main priorities. I don't have a lot of storage space. -- Rhonda 15:58, 21 April 2009 (UTC)

Centicule map

Thanks for creating this! One suggestion, however: The blue centicule lines make the green graticule lines kind of hard to see. Making the centicule lines a lighter blue, or a different color would probably help with this. --aperfectring 13:53, 24 May 2009 (UTC)

Heh, that's exactly what I said when she first showed it to me.

Another quick suggestion: Some way to mark the centicules, so that it is easier to identify centicules. Perhaps using the info panel setup on the peeron coordinate map to identify what graticule and centicule were clicked on? If that is that is not possible, then maybe marking 00, 09, 90, and 99 in some way so that it is at least easier to identify the centicule number for the notification program. --aperfectring 14:04, 24 May 2009 (UTC)

That's a very good idea. I was counting over from the corners, and I know if I crossed the equator or prime meridian I'd screw it up. -Robyn 03:47, 27 May 2009 (UTC)

I have added a popup bubble that displays the co-ords of whatever you clicked on, to two decimal places. Also chose better colours. I haven't figured out yet how to display text directly on the map without going to a popup bubble though. This is on my computer at home, not public yet. -- Rhonda 16:17, 30 May 2009 (UTC)

Cable Adaptors?

Could you have left a small set of cable adapters (maybe for a camera/GPS/cellphone) in my car? They were in the dashboard pocket where you were putting things, in a ziplock bag. Might be mini-USB to Nokia. Leave a note on Wade's talk to arrange pick up as I'll be out of the graticule by the time you return. -Robyn 03:47, 27 May 2009 (UTC)

I don't seem to be missing any cables. I don't think I brought any with me on the trips in your car, either. -- Rhonda 05:57, 31 May 2009 (UTC)

Sunday hike?

Would you be interested in 2009-06-07 49 -122? We could drive there if you don't want to bike -- and best of all, no ferry toll! - Elbie 22:28, 5 June 2009 (UTC)

I was out of town this weekend - sorry I couldn't join you. It looks like an adventure! -- Rhonda 17:29, 8 June 2009 (UTC)

2009-06-14 49 -122

Can you make it? It's more or less transit accessible. - Elbie 14:34, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

I have plans for the afternoon, but I can do a morning hash. Let me look up the bus transfers I'd need. -- Rhonda 16:29, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

When do you need to be back by? I'm currently aiming to get there at 11:00, but I can go earlier if that's too late for you. - Elbie 16:58, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

I have to be at the commercial drive skytrain station at 1:30 or so. The 351 leaves from downtown so I can get on the same bus as you, to head there even! -- Rhonda 17:10, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

It looks like I'd have to catch the returning 351 at 12:30. Google estimates a walking time of 41 minutes for the 3.5km, so I'd have to leave the hash point by 11:45 at the latest. May need to do one 351 bus earlier, since the bus in your plan arrives at the stop at 11:00, +45 minute walk means I turn around as soon as I get there, no time for photos or anything. -- Rhonda 17:32, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

I'm fine with taking an earlier 351 -- that would be around 9:09 at Broadway (9:00 at Burrard Station). - Elbie 17:37, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

You have an influence on me

I couldn't sleep last night, something to do with going to bed at a normal time after my messed up northern duty schedule, so at 4:00 am I came up with the brilliant idea of going for a run. The horizon was just barely green-blue with thinking about sunrise; there was no traffic; the air was cool and it altogether seemed like a good time for a run. And it seemed like a good idea to go barefoot, after wearing workboots all months. The sidewalks were a little scratchy, but the roads were nice and smooth. I didn't want to run in the grass in the dark for fear of needles and glass. I figured that when my feet got tired I'd stop. So I had a nice little slow run out and back for a total of thirty minutes. The pavement felt a little rougher on the last bit, but it was quite comfortable. Like a good toe massage. And then I went to sleep.

So that's why I have blisters on my feet this morning. Ouch.

Good thing I'm staying in to reconfigure my computer today.

- Robyn

Good move on staying out of the grass. Even in daylight, grass hides things. I can't say I've ever got blisters going barefoot, but then I did walk a lot before I started running. -- Rhonda 19:53, 30 June 2009 (UTC)

Are you free on Sunday?

There's a virgin graticule ripe for picking -- 2009-07-05 49 -125. Are you free to join me? And if you're driving -- I'd be happy to pay gas! - Elbie 16:03, 3 July 2009 (UTC)

Spanakopita recipe

So, I have a sort of framework for spanakopitas, that I adjust by what I have on hand. Below is the standard spanakopita I'll make. - Elbie 20:33, 6 July 2009 (UTC)

My standard recipe

Ingredients for one baking pan's worth of spanakopita (6 of those squares):

400 g of feta (I use the Lucerne light feta)
28 g of fresh dill
150 g of fresh green onions
450 g of fresh baby spinach
100 mL of basmati rice
one egg
a great deal of butter (make sure to have at least a pound on hand, just in case)
18 33x43 cm sheets of phyllo

Firstly, I cook the rice - not so it's completely done, but almost. Around this time I'll also start pre-heating the oven to 350 F.

Then secondly, I make the spinach goop. I use a food processor to chop up all the spinach, green onions and dill, which I then mix together in a large bowl. From there, I add the egg into the mix, making the mix to be pretty gooey. Then I add the rice and mix it in. Lastly, I crumble the feta in rather finely, and mix that in.

Now it's time for the phyllo. I make the spanakopita in a 21 cm by 30 cm (8" by 13") pan, so I start by cutting the phyllo sheets down the middle so they'll fit the pan. Then I'll get a pot on the stove with butter in it, and melt it; I keep the butter close by so I can add more, and I set up my baking pan, phyllo, and spinach goop so the pot is in hand's reach.

Are you familiar with how to work with phyllo? You need to work fast, and use a brush to coat layers with melted butter to hold the layers together. I can elaborate if you want me to.

You start with the base layer -- usually about 11 sheets. Then put on about a fifth of your spinach goop, and then a smaller layer of phyllo. Repeat the spinach-phyllo layers until you run out of spinach goop, then put the rest of your phyllo on top. Try to spread the goop evenly between the layers, and try to make it so each layer is the same height. The way I set up the layers is like so:

(top of pan)
8 sheets of phyllo
spinach goop
5 sheets of phyllo
spinach goop
5 sheets of phyllo
spinach goop
5 sheets of phyllo
spinach goop
5 sheets of phyllo
spinach goop
11 sheets of phyllo
(bottom of pan)

After the layering, I'll cut it once down the middle of the pan, and then into squares. I'll cut the squares into triangles, and then put the pan in the oven. I'll cook it until the phyllo is a golden brown

The spanakopita you ate

I was low on spinach when I made that batch of spanakopita, so I substituted about half of it for beet leaves. I also added in some fresh garlic. I was low on feta and phyllo that day, too -- normally my spanakopita is much more cheesy and pastrylike. I added in extra rice to make up for less phyllo between the spinach layers.

Yum... I'll have to test out variations. I could just eat so much of that stuff. And no, I haven't worked with phyllo before. I'll have to do some searching to find out where I can get it, in fact. There's a Mediterranean deli a couple of blocks from my place, they might have some. -- Rhonda 20:48, 6 July 2009 (UTC)