spring 2012 quarterly speed bump magazine

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Quarterly Speed Bump Spring 2012 magazine Slow Down & Relax Slow Down & Relax Slow Down & Relax Slow Down & Relax Slow Down & Relax QSB Volume 2 No. 1

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A free quarterly magazine full of Things to Do. Articles on ways to help you slow down and relax including hobbies, recipes, and reading.

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Page 1: Spring 2012 Quarterly Speed Bump Magazine

Quarterly Speed Bump

Spring 2012

magazine

Slow Down & Relax Slow Down & Relax Slow Down & Relax Slow Down & Relax Slow Down & Relax

QSB

Volume 2

No. 1

Page 2: Spring 2012 Quarterly Speed Bump Magazine
Page 3: Spring 2012 Quarterly Speed Bump Magazine

2 Frontage: From the

Editor

3 Mileposts: Things to Do

4 Potholes: One Pot Plot

6 Work Ahead/Quail

Pillow

15 On the Road to...Fantasy

Baseball

18 Roundabout: Orange

Asphalt

26 Roadside Stand: Save

Some for Later

28 The Fork: Cook

Something for Yourself

34 On the Corner

38 At the Crossroads

40 Interchange: Get Ready

to Read

43 Off the Beaten Tracks

44 Undulations

Contents

QSB: Spring 2012

A note on the products in our pages: QSB only features items that we like and actually use. We haven't

been paid for any of our comments or recommendations; we just like to share.

QuarterlySpeedBump.com

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Page 4: Spring 2012 Quarterly Speed Bump Magazine

It's raining as I write this which is not so

surprising in Spring. What is surprising is just how mild

the winter was. We hardly had any cold weather or rain or even

fog. The weather might not be warmer now but there's still

more light every day. Flowers are blooming, bees are buzzing,

and birds are twittering everywhere when they're not hunkered

down waiting out the rain. What a wonderful time of year (is it

my favorite season? Could be.).

We have a full issue of things for you to do outside when the

weather's nice or inside when it's a bit soggy. In any case, we

hope you have a wonderful Spring!

Cheers,

Frontage

F

From the Editor

J

.

V

a

u

g

h

n

Editor/Publisher:

Rebecca L. Wendt

Columnists:

Jessica Herrick

Sebastian Nelson

Contributors:

Jeff Crawford

Joseph Vaughn

Scott Wendt

Rebecca L. Wendt

Editor-in-Chief

[email protected]

Quarterly Speed Bump Magazine | Spring 2012

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Mileposts:

More Things To Do

www.poets.org/npm

www.bikeleague.org/programs/bikemonth

& in June:

14 - Flag Day

16 - Bloomsday

17 - Father's Day

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Quarterly Speed Bump Magazine | Spring 2012

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Page 7: Spring 2012 Quarterly Speed Bump Magazine

Find 1 pot at least 18" in diameter

and 24" deep,

Good quality potting soil, &

Large saucer (maybe with wheels).

+

Plant the tomato quite

deeply in the soil & pat soil

gently to firm.

Place tomato cage over tomato plant.

Plant 3 peas at the base of each cage leg.

Plant lettuce seeds in a circle, 5 inches

in from pot rim.

Plant radish seeds in a circle, 2½

inches from pot rim.

+

Water well,

Check moisture levels frequently, &

Keep damp but not soggy.

Watch things grow!

Find a sunny spot with

6 hours of sun/day minimum.

+

+

=

Grab a tomato transplant, snip off

bottom sets of leaves,

remove from transplant pot, and

gently tease apart some of the roots.

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Page 8: Spring 2012 Quarterly Speed Bump Magazine

Wo

rk

A

hea

d

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The state bird where I live is the California Quail, Callipepla californica,

an amusing bird to my way of thinking. These chubby guys (just a little

smaller than your average pigeon but much prettier) post lookouts while the

covey (technical term for a group of quail) eats or bathes in the dirt. Their

curving feather head plumes are distinctive as is their three-syllable call

(some say it sounds like "Chi-ca-go" but I swear they're saying my name).

Quail seem reluctant to take wing until the very last moment. Generally, if

startled, they run away into the underbrush in a speedy move that makes

them look like they're levitating.

This season's crafty project is inspired by one of the lookout quail that I

snapped while we were out on a walk one weekend. He was braver than most

or maybe just a camera hog.

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Quail Pillow Pattern

You'll Need:

• 2 16 inch squares of white cotton fabric (medium weight)

• 2 yards ½ inch black piping

• Black embroidery floss (cotton)

• Embroidery hoop

• Embroidery needle

• Sewing thread - black or white

• Pins

• Pencil or other way to transfer image

• 15 inch pillow form or stuffing

• Sewing maching or the patience to hand sew

• Iron

1. Make a sandwich with the black piping in between two white squares. Pin all three layers

together. Remember to have the right side facing in. The raw edge of the piping should be aligned

with the raw edges of the squares.

2. Sew the sandwich together a ¼ inch from the edge. Use either a sewing maching or needle

and thread. DO NOT SEW ALL THE WAY AROUND. You must leave a large opening to get the

embroidery hoop through as well as room to fit the stuffing into the case. Turn right side out and

press.

3. Transfer quail outline to front of pillow case. Trace, use carbon paper, or other method.

2 3

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4. Place your embroidery hoop over the quail image. Be sure to only catch one layer of the pillow case

in the hoop.

5. Tie a know in an 18 inch length of embroidery floss. Stitch over the transferred image outline. Be

sure not to go through more than one layer of the pillow case. For more information on

embroidery stitches, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embroidery_stitch.

4

5

6. Use any combination of stitches that you like. This is freestyle embroidery. You may even want

to fill in the entire outline to make a silhouette. The sky's the limit (plus your time and

inclination).

7. Once you've finished your stitching, fasten off you loose ends. Then remove your pillow case

from the embroidery hoop. You'll notice that the hoop has left creases and folds in the

pillow case.

8. In order for your pillow to look professional, you must rid it of these creases. Iron using a

press cloth to protect your work.

Quarterly Speed Bump Magazine | Spring 2012

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9. Stuff your pillow.

10. Sew up the opening.

11. Admire your work!

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QSB: Do you refer to this hobby as

"fantasy baseball" or is there another

term that's preferable? What, in a

nutshell, is fantasy baseball?

Jeff: We just call it fantasy baseball--nothing

special or high-brow. Ours developed by coming

up with our own system. It's not rotisserie

baseball that started in a New York broiler. We

started in 1993. It was just us doing it for fun, no

money. Ours is just for fun.

Fantasy baseball is the use of statistics for the

players who you select for your team. You

compete against

other people in

your league. You

have a "salary"

and so much

"money" to

spend. It's all

statistics-based

and doesn't really

reflect baseball.

Strikeouts don't

count against you.

You're rewarded

for the 35

homers. It may

cause you, at

times, to root

against your own

real life team.

I avoid this problem by never having Dodgers on

my team. Here's a problem: almost everyone in

my league is a Giants fan and they have an

aversion to Dodgers except my bother. Someone

has to step up to pick up great Dodger players so

my brother Brian won't get them in the last

round. With me, my real life team eventually was

the Giants after growing up with a dad who was a

Dodgers fan but I went through the Brewers and

Twins first.

QSB: What about fantasy baseball appeals

to you?

Jeff: I love baseball as a sport and really enjoy

watching baseball. I just enjoy it. It hearkens

back to the pastoral era of our times. It is a little

bit cerebral, a little more complex than just

getting hits.

I only do fantasy

baseball. It's the

same group of

people for 20

years; the same

group of family

and close friends--

the Gorskis-- who

I've known since

elementary school

when we moved to

Pleasanton in

1977. It's a family

thing, a reunion.

Bragging rights are

involved. It's being

connected to the

same group. It's

my Christmas. I

look forward and I wake up that morning and it's

draft day.

QSB: When did you get into fantasy

baseball? How did you get started?

On the Road to. . .

Fantasy Baseball

with Jeff Crawford

Players hold up one finger per time they've won the league. Jeff is on the left.

For the "On the Road to..." column a Quarterly Speed Bump writer sits down with a hobbyist

and finds about how to get into their particular hobby and what they find to be rewarding

about it. In this issue we're on the road to fantasy baseball. We were pleased to sit down with

Jeff Crawford to learn more:

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Jeff: We started with just four teams in 1993,

have had as many as 9-10, and will have 8 teams

this year. Steve, Larry, Vince and I went to a

preseason game at The 'Stick in 1993 and decided

how we were going to do it. We sat down with

our notebooks. The first pick of the first draft I

selected the new Giants outfielder, Barry Bonds.

For the first couple of years all the statistics were

totaled by hand. Funnily enough, the person

doing the math won each year (I was that person

twice). Now you do it by computer so it's much

easier to change players if

they get injured. The

league has always been

called the Humm Baby

League--we were coming

off that great era of Giants

baseball when we started.

We've never played for

money but in the first few

years the winner was feted

at a Giants game. I got a

really sweet Giants hat one

year and haven't won the

league since I lost my hat.

Three times we have held

the draft at Spring

Training. In 2000 at

Spring Training, the draft

weekend was the most

enjoyable weekend I've

ever had in my life. All the

important people in my

life were there. Kristen got us great hotel rooms

and service at the restaurant. It was just perfect.

It felt like everything went right. Unfortunately

it's become more difficult. Since we started the

League we've had life and death events happen.

There was a period of six straight years when, if

you had a major even in your life, you won the

league. One week after we came back from

Spring Training in 2000 we found out my dad had

melanoma. He won that year. Steve passed the

trophy on to my dad just days before he passed

away. My dad was not able to move and, maybe,

not even speak at the time. But everyone was

around the bed.

QSB: What would you recommend to

others who might be interested in getting

into fantasy baseball? What supplies do

you need and what would you

recommend to a beginner?

Jeff: Buy a magazine or study guide. Or, Yahoo,

USA Today, CBS Sports, and others all have up-to-

the-minute online study guides. There's strategy

involved. Some people have mock drafts.

Traditional fantasy baseball leagues have pitching

and hitting stats--basically runs, steals, average,

homers, and RBIs. Because

of the way our league

developed we use way

more stats. We even use

triples. Our league puts

more of a premium on

speed and we're weighted

towards hitting and speed.

We use Yahoo for stats. Just

enter what stats you want

to track. Steve's our

commissioner and will

enter the draft results.

Then, you manage your

own team. You have to

realize that as soon as you

drop somebody, somebody

else is going to be right

there to pick him up. I like

to look at who's panicking

early and getting rid of

players. I hope the bad

statistics are eaten by the other league player.

QSB: Is there a player you most want to

have on your team this year and who has

been the best in past years?

Jeff: There's always a premium on Giants in our

league. About 3-4 years ago I said that if I had the

number 1 pick, I'd take Albert Pujols. For a long

time I was always drafting Brian Giles--especially

during his pumped up 'roid years with the

Pirates. Greg Maddox too. He was just a good

pitcher.

The virtual passing of the Rog (the trophy) since last

year's winner, Vince Gorski, was unable to make it from

Portland for the draft.

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QSB: What are your expectations for this

year and what have you gotten out

playing fantasy baseball?

Jeff: This is the first time my son older son,

Luke, is going to sit in on the draft. Hopefully

this will lead to a generational shift and,

hopefully, the boys and girls--the kids--will want

to play along.

QSB: What happens during a season of

fantasy baseball?

Jeff: Before the draft everyone creates a board.

You paste on the players you want, there's a grid

to track who has what players. Some of the

boards are 2 feet x 3 feet or they might be the

size of a legal piece of paper. I'm more of a cut

and paste and

tape-it-on kind of

guy. The board's

proprietary. We

don't use a

computer for the

draft. We sit at a

table, draw names

out of a hat and

figure out if we

want to trade our

draft positions.

Our draft is in

person or by

phone

conference. It's

hard to all get

together now but

we always have a

draft. We each

get 7 pitchers, 11 position players, and 2 for the

bench.

I check stats daily. During the season I probably

make more changes than most people--a couple

of changes a week. I draft on hitting but change

pitching later after I see who's hot. I can bump

up my strikeout and win categories by choosing

middle relievers rather than closers. I take a

chance but it doesn't always work.

Our trophy is a bobblehead. Steve won it when

he was feted--in 1994 maybe? First the winners'

names were just written on. One year the

bobblehead took a tumble and now it looks like

it's had surgery. It's on a trophy base now and

the winning team's name is engraved on.

QSB: Are there any publications or

websites that you've found particularly

useful?

Jeff: Any of the magazines are useful. They have

projections but I like to focus on previous years.

Sometimes it's better to grab a general baseball

magazine to focus on previous stats. Generally,

the people who study the most do the best

though some of it's random due to injuries and

such.

QSB: Anything

you'd like to

add?

Jeff: I do the

league and I do it

for one reason:

it's family. Our

kids all play when

we're doing the

draft. The draft is

less about the

draft than about

the day and the

people that are

there. It's more

about family than

baseball. And

we've literally

seen life and death.

I'd like to win the league again. Last year I tied

for second place with my mom. That was kind of

cool. The draft is at her house this year.

Jeff was born in Superior California and completes in

his fantasy league under the team name "Bandidos Feos

de Muerte."

The intense studying that goes on during the draft. However the league's motto

is "Study Long, Study Wrong."

———

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Someone once said “you are what you

eat.” If you had asked Frank E. Pohl, he

might have said “ you are what you sell.”

Or rather, your place of business is what

you sell. Pohl was one of those visionary

pioneers of what has become known as

roadside vernacular architecture. Starting

in the 1920s Pohl and his family opened a

chain of roadside orange juice stands across

California that were built to look like giant

oranges. His iconic oranges served as

beacons to generations of thirsty travelers,

until new highways and changing tastes

began to take a bite out of the oranges.

One by one the giant oranges closed, were

abandoned or repurposed until just a

handful were left. The Society for

Commercial Archeology, an organization

dedicated to twentieth century

architecture, included California's giant

oranges on its list of the ten most

endangered roadside places, joining the

ranks of the Teapot Dome Gas Station (a

1920s gas station in Washington State that

looks like a giant teapot) and “Tex Randall”

(a 47 foot tall concrete cowboy in the Texas

Panhandle).

Asphalt

Photos and Text

by Sebastian Nelson

Quarterly Speed Bump Magazine | Spring 2012

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Roundabout

Mark's Hot Dogs in San Jose, California

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San Jose

Dixon

What is it about these crazy buildings that

have endeared them to generations of

Americans? How did structures of plaster,

concrete and plywood enter our collective

pop culture consciousness? Are they still

worthy of our attention and protection?

Today two of Pohl's last giant oranges can

be found in the cities of Dixon and San

Jose, and I decided to take a trip and try to

answer these questions.

Dixon's giant orange has stood sentinel on

the south side of Interstate 80 since the mid-

1940s. Pohl's family operated the orange

juice stand, also know as George's Orange,

until 1973. More recently the orange

housed a Mexican restaurant called Mr. Taco.

A few years back Mr. Taco moved into a

nearby strip mall. The new location is no

doubt clean, comfortable and convenient.

The orange, however, was vacant and lonely

when I arrived. The whole building is

painted orange, while the ten foot tall

orange itself is emblazoned with paintings of

dancing Mexicans. A weathered neon sign

above the building looks out across some

nearby fields.

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George's Orange in Dixon, California

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I can see some framed photographs of

anonymous individuals inside the orange

itself. As I leave for San Jose, I wonder if

this orange has seen its last customer like

so many others around California.

Last look at George's Orange in Dixon, California

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San Jose's giant orange has, since 1947,

housed a hot dog stand started by Mark

Yuram. Mark's Hot Dogs is an east San

Jose institution featuring car service and

arguably the best natural-casing hot dogs in

Santa Clara county. Around ten years ago

Mark's moved about a mile to a new

location, and remarkably the owners

brought the orange with them (in part

because the orange was declared a city

landmark in 1992). Today patrons have a

variety of dining options. Car service is

still offered, but on warm days you might

want to eat your hot dog sitting on one of

their outdoor tables. Mark's orange is

bigger than George's orange, measuring

fifteen feet high and 37 feet in diameter,

and includes a grill, cash register and even

a few seats. It too is painted bright orange.

I treat myself to a chili dog and an orange

flavored milk shake. Business seems brisk

and encouraging, but as I leave I realize that

the urban surroundings makes it difficult to

imagine what the orange must have

originally felt like back in the 1930s and

40s.

Now we're in San Jose

23

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The freedom that many Americans must

have felt in the early twentieth century by

having new roads and automobiles seems

more tangible while looking at the rural

landscape around the Dixon orange and

listening to its nearby interstate. Perhaps

Pohl's giant oranges remind us of a time

when travel was more adventurous or

glamorous than it seems today. Maybe they

remind us of mirages reported by weary

desert travelers; fanciful sights that

couldn't possibly be real. Unlike mirages,

however, the giant oranges are real and

don't disappear as you approach them.

Most of California's giant oranges have

vanished, however. The few that remain

serve not only a geographical markers

letting motorists know where they are, but

also as temporal markers that tell us where

we have been and, perhaps, where we are

going.

Quarterly Speed Bump Magazine | Spring 2012

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Sebastian is an archivist at the California State Archives and a

native Californian. He enjoys sleeping, Civil War reenacting, the

gentle art of heraldry, and things that go bump in the night.

Want to see more photos of Sebastian's road trip adventures?

Go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/114367610595201294871

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ROADSIDE STAND: Save Some for Later

Rhubarb!

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Sometimes know as the pie plant, rhubarb is available in late winter and early

spring when most other local fruits are not yet ripe. It's beautiful color and

perky flavor offer welcome relief to the sometimes colorless days of winter.

Rhubarb is pretty sour and needs a nearly equal amount of sugar. Don't eat

any of the leafy parts (the leaves have a high oxalic content and may also

contain anthraquinone glycosides: toxic and poisonous!) but the stalks are just

fine and yummy too. You may want to pull off the strings if you find the stalks

to be very tough when you cut them.

Raspberry Rhubarb Jam

Makes 2 cups

12 ounces raspberries (fresh or frozen)

6 ounces rhubarb, chopped into berry-sized pieces

18 ounces sugar

Let fruit mascerate in sugar for half an hour. Then, over medium heat, let the mixture boil until

it thickens to a pleasing jam consistency (about 1/2 hour), stirring occasionally to make sure it

doesn't stick or burn. Store cooled jam in covered, clean jars in the refrigerator. Great on bagels

with cream cheese.

Rhubarb Syrup

Makes just over a cup

Cook 4 cups of rhubarb in a tiny amount of water until soft and jucy. Pass through a food mill

then add 3/4 cups sugar to the juice. Bring to a boil until sugar dissolves. Store syrup in a tightly

sealed bottle. Good on pancakes or add two tablespoons of syrup to a glass of seltzer water for a

refreshing drink.

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The Fork:

Cook Something

For Yourself

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Cavatappi with Chicken and Asparagus (Pictured next page)

Serves 6

½ pound cavatappi pasta

Cook pasta until al dente in boiling salted water, save some of the pasta water to thin out the

sauce if necessary, then drain.

1 ½ pounds asparagus

Remove tough ends then cut on the bias into one inch long pieces. Simmer bias-cut pieces in 1 ½

cups chicken broth until tender. Set aside.

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, poached in poaching liquid (below)

Poaching liquid:

2 quarts water

juice and rind of 1 lemon

1 bayleaf

1 teaspoon whole pepper corns

2 peeled garlic cloves

sprigs of fresh herbs (I like marjoram or thyme)

1 teaspoon of kosher salt

the ends of the asparagus spears

Let cool, then chop chicken into bite-size pieces.

Sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 ounces mushrooms (at minimum), sliced

1 large shallot, minced

4 tablespoons butter

¼ cup flour

3 cups milk

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh herbs (basil and parsley)

salt

freshly ground black pepper

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and shallot.

Sauté until mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in with the mushroom

mixture over medium heat. Add flour and stir 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk. Stir over medium

heat until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Stir in chopped herbs and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Remove from heat.

Toss pasta, chicken, and asparagus with the mushroon herb sauce. Thin with extra pasta water as needed.

Serve with Recotta Focaccia.

Ah, Spring. Asparagus is plentiful and, hopefully, local. Rhubarb is making its ruby

presence felt. And, if you feel like making a light but satisfying meal, you'll want to try

these recipes. For a spring picnic, these dishes travel nicely--the pasta tastes great hot

or at room temperature.

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Ricotta Focaccia

Makes 1 dozen squares

2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast

½ cup warm water

pinch of sugar

1 cup white whole wheat flour

1½ cups all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons sugar

¾ cup ricotta cheese

¼ cup olive oil

1 egg, slightly beaten

Soften yeast in the warm water

with the pinch of sugar in a

medium bowl. In the meantime,

combine the dry ingredients in a

large bowl and make a well in the

center of the mixture. Beat

together the rest of the wet

ingredients with the yeast mixture once the yeast has bubbled. Then gradually add the

wet ingredients to the dry mixture. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. Shape

into a ball and place in a well-oiled bowl. Cover and let rise until double--about 1

hour. Punch down and press into a well-oiled 9"x13" pan. Cover and let rise for 40

minutes. Press your fingers into the top of the dough to form the typical dimples of

focaccia bread then brush top with 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil. Bake at 350° F until

nicely golden brown--about 40 minutes. Cut into squares to serve.

Rustic Rhubarb Pie

Serves 6-8

3 cups rhubarb chopped into 1 inch lengths (about 1 pound)

1 cup sugar plus one tablespoon, reserved

3 tablespoons flour

zest of one orange

1 tablespoon butter

1/3 recipe of Favorite Pie Crust (below)

Mix 1 cup sugar with the flour.

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On a piece of parchment paper, roll crust into a 14 inch round--no need to be perfect here, just be

approximate and rough edges are fine. In the center of the crust, place half the sugar/flour mixture in a

circle. Place rhubarb on top, then sprinkle over the remainder of the sugar/flour. Add the orange zest

and then dot with butter. Fold the edges of the crust up and over the rhubarb so that you have

approximately an 8 inch pie. Leave some uncovered rhubarb in the center for good looks. Sprinkle the

reserved 1 tablespoon of sugar over the top. Transfer pie on parchment paper to a rimmed baking sheet.

Bake at 425° F for 20 minutes then reduce temperature to 350° F and bake for 25 minutes more or

until crust is golden brown. Let cool slightly before slicing and serving.

Top each slice with cardamom whipped cream (below) when ready to serve.

Favorite Pie Crust

Makes three crusts

Note: You can use 3 cups of all-purpose flour instead of two different flours or play with

the ratio of all-purpose to whole wheat. Below is what works best for me. This recipe

makes three pie crusts--enough for one double crust pie of your choice plus one pie

shell.

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup shortening (I like one without hydrogenated oil)

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

½ teaspoon salt

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

5 tablespoons cold water

In a food processor mix the flours, shortening, butter, and salt until just combined (you

still want lumps). Quickly pulse in the wet ingredients until the dough just barely

comes together (visible pieces of butter and shortening are desireable). Divide dough

into thirds, place on plastic wrap, and press into 7 inch disks. Chill until workable--

about 30 minutes--or freeze until you need pie crust. Works great for both sweet and

savory pies.

Cardamom Whipped Cream

Plenty for 6-8 servings

½ cup heavy whipping cream

2 teaspoons sugar

¹/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

Beat cream, cardamom, and sugar in a large bowl until soft peaks form.

Quarterly Speed Bump Magazine | Spring 2012

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QuarterlySpeedBump.com

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On the

Corner

D.H. (David Herbert) Lawrence was a modernist

English novelist, artist, poet, and critic who lived

from 1885-1930. You may be more familiar with

him for his once-considered-racy novels such as

Women in Love and Lady Chatterly's Lover.

"The Enkindled Spring" was first published in his

1916 volume of poetry, Amores. More conventional

than his later poems (I mean, really, it rhymes!),

"The Enkindled Spring" still brings nature to the

fore. Lawrence is generally concerned that

civilization is becoming more unnatural and

dehumanizing so spring and this poem must be an

considered an antidote. Read it and see...

Page 37: Spring 2012 Quarterly Speed Bump Magazine

This spring as it comes bursts up in bonfires green,

Wild puffing of emerald trees, and flame-filled bushes,

Thorn-blossom lifting in wreaths of smoke between

Where the wood fumes up and the watery, flickering rushes.

The Enkindled Spring

by D. H. Lawrence

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I am amazed at this spring, this conflagration

Of green fires lit on the soil of the earth, this blaze

Of growing, and sparks that puff in wild gyration,

Faces of people streaming across my gaze.

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And I, what fountain of fire am I among

This leaping combustion of spring? My spirit is tossed

About like a shadow buffeted in the throng

Of flames, a shadow that's gone astray, and is lost.

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At The Crossroads:

Puzzle Pages

KW VZ NJP BT VKBDZU, DNZ XHUKBE

VTMRP BTD QZ XT HRZJXJBD: KW VZ

PKP BTD XTGZDKGZX DJXDZ TW

JPOZUQKDA, HUTXHZUKDA VTMRP BTD

QZ XT VZRLTGZ.

--JBBZ QUJPXDUZZD

Cryptoquote

Each letter in the original quote has been replaced by a different letter. To solve

the puzzle, you must determine the original lettering.

Example: DMTDTSWKL = CHOCOLATE

Go to quarterlyspeedbump.com/puzzles-from-the-mag for printable puzzle pages.

answers next issue (answers to the Winter 2011/2012 puzzles wouldn't fit in this issue.

Check out the above web page for the answers to those puzzles as well).

38

Page 41: Spring 2012 Quarterly Speed Bump Magazine

Pile-Up: A Scrambled Letters Game

by Scott Wendt

Go to quarterlyspeedbump.com/puzzles-from-the-mag for printable puzzle pages.

answers next issue (answers to the Winter 2011/2012 puzzles wouldn't fit in this issue.

Check out the above web page for the answers to those puzzles as well).

ATPOOLN

IGB

BRVAEHETAR

HRCNOILCE

OGFAR

ANSWER:

39

Page 42: Spring 2012 Quarterly Speed Bump Magazine

First, the Fluff

Ever read Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret

Garden when you were younger? That's a

perennial favorite. In The Forgotten Garden,

Kate Morton's grown up

version of the tale, a

little girl (named Nell by

the family who takes her

in) is found on the docks

in Australia in 1913 not

remembereing who she

is or where she came

from. She grows to

adulthood and starts on

a quest to find out who

she really is. But, her

task is interrupted and

it's left to her granddaughter to carry on the

search. There are three parts to the storyline: the

granddaughter's story, Nell's story, and her first

family's story. Some darkness lurks around this

garden's edges but it's pretty much a light

(though lengthy) and quick read. Heck, Frances

Hodgson Burnett makes a walk on appearance;

you wouldn't want to miss that, would you?

Perfect to read out in the spring sunshine after

your gardening tasks are done...don't forget the

sunscreen.

In Wild Designs by Katie Fforde when Althea

loses her job, she decides she'll just make a go of

being a garden designer. A gardening contest

comes at just the right time and of course,

there's the man who owns the greenhouse she's

been secretly borrowing for her plant

production. Happy endings all around but you

knew that. This one's firmly aimed at the

romance novel reader

but will appeal to

anyone who likes

domestic fiction because

of the well developed

characters and more

humor than your

average "chick lit." This

was one of Katie

Fforde's earlier novels

and the one that firmly

hooked me as a fan.

Give one of her books a

try on one of those rainy spring days when it's

too soggy to garden but you really wish you

could.

Now We're Getting Serious

I can't think of a better place to read the poems

of Robert Hass (rhymes with grass) than

outdoors in the

California he loves--

particularly Pt. Reyes,

the coast, the Sierra--or

even under an apple tree

in your own garden or

someone else's. Hass's

poetry is free verse but

full of the imagery--not

like some free verse that

I'd swear is just ordinary

prose formatted

differently--that makes

Interchange:

Get Ready to Read

My spring is full of gardening and wanting to garden. The selected reading material reflects a

garden grab bag. Some are fluffy and ephemeral. Some are educational. At least one will keep

you coming back for more. There's something here for every mood you might experience in this

most changeable of seasons, spring.

Quarterly Speed Bump Magazine | Spring 2012

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Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret

Garden is worth another look if you

haven't read it since you were a kid.

poetry last. The themes of nature recur as do

love, loss, life, and death. Hass was US Poet

Laureate back in the '90s and I think he was good

poetry ambassador; you'll find his poetry

accessible. The Apple Trees at Olema is a good

place to start as it's a retrospective collection of

previously published poems with a front section

of newer works. Perfect for contemplative times

in spring and on into summer.

Learn Something

Weeds: In Defense of Nature's Unloved

Plants is the kind of rambling read that I enjoy--

the kind that touches on a myriad of subjects

while using (in this case) weeds as a jumping off

point. Richard Mabey makes a case for weeds as

part of the planet's immune system...moving

into brownfields and

bringing life back to

abused land. He notes

that there are few (but

the few are horrible like

kudzu in the American

South or prickly pear in

Australia) weeds that are

really out of control and

explains why and how

plants become weeds

(it's a cultural construct

to some extent). In

sum, weeds are a sign of humanity's presence and

disturbance of the ecosystem. An English

perspective on weeds but relevant to the entire

world and definitely food for thought.

I'm a Michael Pollan fan (if you haven't read

Omnivore's Dilemma or The Botany of

Desire, that's a bandwagon you should get on

and we'll discuss them later) and the quietly

composed Second Nature is what first drew me

to his writing. Before Pollan became the

unwitting spokesperson for the sustainable food

movement, he became a gardener (and always a

journalist, of course). His first published book

(1991) documents his battle to create order out

of the chaos, impose his

own will, or leave

nature alone on the land

around his house in New

Jersey. Of course, along

the way, we learn all

sorts of social history

tidbits on suburbia, land

ownership, gardening

politics, and on and on.

This is a precursor to his

other books

documenting humanity's

relationship (or disassociation) with the earth.

You will be inspired to get outside, note the

changing of the seasons, and think about

gardening.

———

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Books on biking can be found in the 796 section of the Dewey Decimal

System hanging out with the other books on outdoor sports. Don't forget to

wear your helmet if you go biking.

If you just feel like reading poetry, head to the 811 and other 8XX sections.

You'll find lots to ponder there. Try a new poet in the month of April.

Baseball is America's sport but books on baseball are going to be with all the

other outdoor sports books in the 796 section. Books on Fantasy Baseball

will be there too. Also check to see if your library has magazines on baseball-

-usually shelved separately from the books.

Books on birds (like the California Quail) will be in the 598 section but I

guess we've been over that before.

If you're inspired tohit the road just like our intrepid Sebastian Nelson, head

first to the California section: Dewey Decimal 979.4.

Vernacular architecture more your thing? Admire works in the 720s.

Manuals on how to embroider as well as embroidery patterns are located in

the 746 section of the Dewey Decimal system.

As always, if you want to read up on ballroom dance before you hit the floor,

you need to be in the 793 section of the Dewey Decimal System.

Library List

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Grouplove

Never Trust a Happy Song

www.grouplovemusic.com

A pop-y indie-rock group whose

songs make be want to dance

while I'm typing--probably because

they remind me of what I listened

to when I was in college (we won't

say when that is but perhaps you

can guess after listening?).

Favorite tracks: "Itchin' on a

Photograph" and "Tongue Tied."

Dum Dum Girls

Only in Dreams

wearedumdumgirls.com

Influenced by Sixties girl bands in look and sound,

the Dum Dum Girls sing of sadder and darker

times--an interesting juxtaposition of sound and

meaning. You'll find yourself tapping your toes

anyway to this retro album. Favorite tracks: "In

My Head" and "Heartbeat."

Off

the

Beaten

Tracks

Pop music might be your

summer fare but I look at

it as a reward for making

it through the dark times

of winter. Like most

genres, pop is a little

difficult to define--all

these albums simply have

pop elements--but I look

at pop songs as fun,

upbeat, catchy, and not

too cerebral. Some of

these songs will stick in

your head but that's okay;

it's a new season. Try on

new music as you slough

off your winter sweaters.

Dance around, feel

carefree, and HAVE FUN.

You deserve it.

Youth Lagoon

The Year of Hibernation

youthlagoon.blogspot.com

Dreamlike and haunting is the

only way to describe this work

by young artist Youth Lagoon

(aka Trevor Powers). He sings

in falsetto, writes some dark

lyrics, but there's an undeniable

upbeat sound. Favorite tracks:

"Cannons" and "Daydream."

Tennis

Young & Old

www.tennis-music.com

Decidedly the most pop-y

album of the five reviewed

here. This husband and wife

team produces clear and

youthful vocals with lots of

keyboard and bass plus an

upbeat tempo. Favorite tracks:

"Traveling" and "Petition."

The Drums

Portamento

http://thedrums.com/

Many of these songs sound

similar or even familiar on

first listen. Then you

realize you've been infected

with an earworm. Favorite

tracks: "Book of

Revelations" and "How It

Ended."

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Photo by B. Drawdy

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That is the question most often asked

when people find out that I am a

ballroom dancer. Some ballroom

fanatics may have difficulty answering

this, as each dance has its own flavor, its

own character, so that choosing

between them can be like picking an

apple over an orange…it just depends

on what you feel like at the time. I,

however, have an answer instantly ready:

Argentine tango.

Hands down. Best. Dance. Ever.

Dedicated to Todd Ohlander and Chris Martell.

We will tango again, amongst the clouds.

“What’s your favorite dance?”

E

Essays in Dance

by Jessica Herrick

U

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l

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The beauty of this dance lies in its improvisational

and intimate nature. By most accounts, Argentine

tango was born in the dockside neighborhoods of

Buenos Aries during the last few decades of the

nineteenth century. Thousands of immigrants

flooded into Argentina during a period of rapid

economic growth from about 1880 forward, most

of them male. Tango evolved as a form of

courtship and flirtation, in an environment where

men outnumbered women sometimes 50 to 1.

Such high stakes led men to hone their dancing

skills with other men, while women, who of

course did not want to be left behind their

partners in ability, practiced with other women.

Both sexes brought their talents out of

overcrowded tenements onto the street corners

and into bars, bordellos, dance halls, and a wide

variety of other social venues.

Argentine tango is therefore a dance of many

moods. It can be playful or passionate, seductive

or solemn, steamy or angry, grandiose or

whimsical. At its heart, tango is simply a couple

walking around a dance floor together in an

embrace, trying to harmonize their movements

with each other and the music, trying to connect

with each other. Tango is viewed by many,

including yours truly, as a form of moving

meditation. Tango is not danced for the audience.

It is danced for the dancers themselves. It

demands that each person in the pair live in the

NOW. There is no past, there is no future. There

is only the next step of the dance, which, as in

life, can be completely different than what you

anticipate.

There are no set steps in Argentine tango, and

very few “rules,” all of which are meant to be

broken. This intimidates many people,

particularly ballroom folk, who love their

patterns and steps. I cannot fault this, as I too

love the graceful patterns of a waltz, and the sexy

steps of a rumba. But in tango, dancers are not

limited to a proscribed set of movements. You

can dance exactly what the music makes you feel,

to any beat that inspires you. A freedom such as

this is as exhilarating as it is terrifying.

Tango music is as varied as its moods. More

traditional tango music, such as that created by

Carlos Gardel, Carlos Di Sarli, Juan D’Arienzo,

and other talented musicians in the first half of

the twentieth century, generally features the

sound of a bandoneon (a type of accordion)

accompanied by a violin, guitar, or piano. This

era of tango music peaked in the late 1940s. A

great many tangueros (Argentine tango dancers)

still love the feeling that this music evokes.

R. Molavi

B. D

raw

dy

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As a product of my generation, I prefer the more

modern twist that groups such as Tanghetto,

Gotan Project, Bajofundo, and Otros Aries have

brought to the scene. Their music, often referred

to as tango nuevo or neo-tango, is influenced by

rock and roll, new age, techno, and electronica.

Djimi (my dance partner) and I have found,

though, that you can tango to any music which

inspires you to move. Two of my favorite pieces

of music are Bajofundo’s “Pa’Bailar,” and Salt-n-

Pepa’s “Shoop.” Vastly different genres…one

2000s tango nuevo, and the other 1990s hip-hop.

But both with a varied beat structure perfect for

the Argentine tango dancer.

Tango music, like Argentine tango itself, is

constantly evolving, changing. In that sense,

tango is alive in a way that many ballroom dances

are not. It has not been formalized into a set of

steps, a specific tempo, or certain type of music.

If, by some hopeful chance, this article or some

other influence brings you to venture into a dance

studio for Argentine lessons, be wary of

ballroom’s need to categorize every movement. If

the instructor starts teaching the “eight count

basic,” run, do not walk, out of the class.

Argentine tango cannot, should not be reduced to

a formula. It is a feeling as much as it is a style of

movement. Learning how to move, how to step,

how to feel the music, how to connect with one’s

partner…those are the important things in

dancing Argentine tango.

I simply cannot do justice to this dance with mere

words. It requires experiencing the dance, the

music, the motion, the connection with one’s

partner. Consider yourself warned, however…in

the words of tango dancer Naomi Hotta, “Tango

contains highly addictive ingredients, such as

pain, pleasure, passion, excitement, connection,

freedom, torment, and bliss. In seven out of ten

cases it takes over a person's life.”

How lucky I am to be one of the seven.

———

Jessica Herrick is a regular columnist for

Quarterly Speed Bump. Follow her

continuing adventures in

ballroom dance in our next issue.

Contact Jessica at

[email protected] or

learn more at www.any2cantango.com.

B. D

raw

dy

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Quarterly Speed Bump Magazine | Spring 2012

Page 51: Spring 2012 Quarterly Speed Bump Magazine

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Page 52: Spring 2012 Quarterly Speed Bump Magazine

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