Digitally adrift

It's not like we don't have some technology around here (I live with a professional geek, and consider myself semi-pro), but not having my laptop with all my programs, files & settings has kept me from updating this as I would have liked.  Going to try to get over it, out of that rut and get on with it.

Since that March 30 storm, the weather has been quite nice quite often.  I believe we broke a temperature record on April 9 or 10 (near to 60F).

We've been around the Avalon Peninsula a bit, got down to Cape Race (site of the wireless station that received Titanic's wireless CQD/SOS) Easter weekend (thought not all the way out to the station & lighthouse; the gravel road was a challenge).

black sand beach near Cape Race

And have been on the look out for icebergs...got to see a couple though not as big/dramatic and/or close to shore as we'd like.  Caught this bergy-bit a few towns over...

The weather has cooperated on weekends fortunately - strolled out to Fort Amherst and saw this fishing boat heading out:

That's all for now!

On the morning radio show

Along with the weather/traffic report (and how many ferries are running on the Tickle), I love the movie reviews. The reviewers play clips from the trailers. On the radio. I find that amusing. Maybe it was the same back in NYC, but I didn't listen to the radio as much then as now.

Speaking of the weather, we're under a winter storm warning for tonight. A weather forecast just quoted accumulations between 15-30cm by Saturday eve. Let me get out my Convert app to put that in an amount I can relate to...
As I suspected, it means a sh*tlo@d !!

Laptop died

Arghhh. There goes my beloved Windows XP. Greg said he might be able to boot it to get some of the files that I didn't have backed up.

Drowning my sorrows in baked goods.
Yesterday I made Pignoli Pound Cake and Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins. This morning, I've got some Blackberry Muffins fresh out of the oven. The first two went with Greg to a meeting he's hosting this morning.  Hopefully they'll be tasty for his guests - told him not to indicate where they came from unless reviews were good!

Was trying to send the BB Muffins with him too but they came out of the oven 10 min too late. 

They're suppposed to be served hot out of the oven.  So I tried one as soon as it was cool enough to bite.  And I tried another after having some oatmeal.  And now I'm having one with my coffee, as I type.  They're best while still warm but they don't stink otherwise.

Oy vey...I gotta go for a walk to burn some of this off.

Pack Ice

There it is.  A big piece of pack ice floated past the Narrows this morning and with the currents not as strong closer to shore, it's making a slow tour of the point off Amherst Light.  We were part of the traffic jam heading up to Signal Hill to get a good view and hope there was a traditional iceberg too.   Another photographer standing up around the Queen's Barracks told us its part of the Petermann Glacier that broke off in August 2010 and is still drifting down from Greenland.

This is a picture I shot today.  Still haven't looked at the ones from yesterday; expect them to be less dramatic.

Date Night at Bianca's

We had a great night out last night, dinner at Bianca's, a very well regarded restaurant downtown.  We've been meaning to go for the past few months (thanks Tricia & John!).

Great meal:  I had Shrimp and Snow Crab Bisque and Cod with a Squash Risotto; Greg had the Roast Rabbit Ragoût Stuffed Pasta and Confit of Duck Leg.

We asked a passing waiter to take our photo; my point & shoot isn't the greatest and probably should have done a test shot before handing him the camera - it's very blurry.

Then a stroll down Water Street (low wind so it wasn't too chilly) and a nightcap at the Gypsy Tea Room.

The day started out with a mad dash to Signal Hill and then out to Cape Spear to try to catch sight of a recently reported iceberg.  We didn't see a berg but there was some pack ice in the distance.  I still haven't downloaded my photos - hope my shots of it with a CCG boat (maybe an ice breaker?) come out.   We were downtown a little while ago (without cameras, darn it) and could see the ice in The Narrows; here's a capture from the CBC's webcam; you can just make it out as it drifts by:

Can't wait to see a full grown iceberg!

"There you go, my love"

That's what the woman at the store said to me upon giving me my change.  At another store, I got called Darlin' .  I don't get this much sweet talk at home!  ;-}

It makes a nice segue to something that was on the St. John's Morning Show; a writer said she felt Newfoundland was more Irish than Ireland.

Here's a link to the piece, if you want to give a listen.

Extend NY

Awesome website that Greg referenced recently.  It takes the NYC street grid and applies it to the world.
In St. John's, we're in the vicinity of 20,321st Street and 3,764th Avenue.