 February 18, 2009, at 12:18 pm 
I love these bars! They have the taste and texture of dense, chewy brownies with walnuts, but hidden inside are two servings of fruit. I keep one in each of my camera bags and take them on all my bike rides, just in case I feel my blood sugar start to drop. They’re low on the glycemic index, which means that they provide a steady level of energy and won’t cause a sudden surge of blood sugar followed by a drop. They’re the perfect snack for me when I need to keep my energy up and keep hunger at bay.
Clif uses all organic ingredients and free-trade cocoa in these bars, and they’re a member of 1% for the planet, so you can feel good about where your cash is going when you buy a nectar bar. Good taste, good for you, and good for the planet – I couldn’t ask for more in an chocolate bar.
February 16, 2009, at 6:30 pm 
The more I learn about lighting theory, the more I notice lighting and it’s influence on what I see. I notice the color of the natural light, and how it changes throughout the day. I notice how light elucidates texture when the sun is low on the horizon, and often hides it when the sun is high in the sky. And I notice how lighting can play with emotions, not just in photography but also in my life – the way that the sun popping out from behind a cloud can illuminate a room and life my spirits at the same time.
Every day I’m learning a little bit more, and seeing a little bit more. The door to the world is open, and every day the world is new again. It’s up to us to see it as new, and to explore.
February 15, 2009, at 5:00 pm 
In an effort to decrease my rampant spending at Barnes and Noble I stopped by the local branch of the Minneapolis Public Library on Friday to get a library card. This was the first time that I went to the public library since I was a child, and things sure have changed. The old system of applying for a library card and waiting for it to be made has been replaced by an instantly ready card that you can use immediately for self-checkout. Yes, I said self-checkout. I was able to scan my card and books at a scanner similar to those used at the supermarket to read prices. And it gave me a paper receipt letting me know when the books were due back – no more little cards sitting in a pocket in the front of the book to track the due date. The biggest change for me was the ability to track and control my account online. If I need to renew I don’t even need to leave my house, I can just log on to the computer and do my renewal right there. I can also check online to see if the library has the book I need, no need to rummage through the dressers full of index cards trying to find the right book. How, well, modern!
It may seem obvious to you that the library would change with the times and take advantage of the new technology out there, but for some reason I expected it to be a relic of my past, left exactly the same as I remembered it when I was checking out books on horses and fantasy novels for young adults. There was something quaint about the old way that I expected, and inexplicably missed. But the books still smell a bit musty, and many of them still have those plastic dust cover protectors that give the books that certain sound when you open them that just screams “library book.” There are some things that never change, and I like it that way.
February 12, 2009, at 3:24 pm 
Winters in Minnesota are usually very bright and very, very cold. We had plenty of that in January but now we seem to have hit a warm spell. This would be a good thing, except the warmth has come with rain and cloudy, gloomy days that mentally feel worse than the cold, sunny days and make me yearn for springtime. On days like this I try to surround myself with bring colors or bright locations to fight the depressive dreariness, but today I’m just longing to ride my bike.
The photo above was taken when we got a brief break in the cloud cover and the sun shone in on my racing steed, which is spending its winter in the warmth of the dining room. Seeing it in the sun brings back fond memories of the summer rides where I was so hot I thought I might melt down over the handlebars and two water bottles just weren’t enough to keep me hydrated for an entire outing. It reminds me of lunches at The Tin Fish and the twists and turns of the creek trail. Summers here are short but are truly fantastic. Is it May yet?
February 11, 2009, at 5:10 pm 
Starbucks has been getting quite a bit of bad press lately, and some of it is well-deserved. However, I can confidently say that they scored big points with me when they put the vanilla rooibos latte on the menu. This blend of vanilla and rooibos with a healthy dose of steamed milk has really put Starbucks back on the map for me. This is a drink I drive out of my way to get, and not just in the morning. Since it’s naturally caffeine-free I can get my latte fix all day and still sleep well at night.
If you’re not familiar with rooibos, it’s a reddish-brown leaf grown only in South Africa. The name is actually means “red bush.” It’s naturally caffeine-free, doesn’t get bitter if it steeps for a long time and is high in antioxidants. It has a slightly sweet flavor, but I still prefer it with a tiny bit of honey, and it goes really nicely with milk. Starbucks’ version has vanilla, but I’m not sure if that’s from the tea or from a vanilla syrup added to the drink. Either way it’s pretty tasty.
I’ve tried to make this drink at home, and I’ve not been able to duplicate the full flavor of Starbucks’ version. It might be that I’m using skim milk, or that I’m using a different brand of tea. I’m going to keep trying though – I’ll let you know if I find a recipe that works for me.
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