Thursday, August 30, 2007
Back in Edmonton
We were up and out of Prince George by 9AM, the weather was not great, so we made it all the way to Jasper by 2PM. After a picnic lunch, we continued on to Edmonton and stopped at my Mom's place. Not too much else worth mentioning; today was mostly a driving day.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Homeward Bound
This morning we woke up to the constant drizzle of rain, but I was still enthused about wanting to head back and see the bears one more time. I drove out to the viewing platorm, but there were no bears there, and people were waiting for something to happen. I waited for half an hour in the rain, getting ready to leave, when a grizzly appeared.
I watched him fish. This one was a tad lazier, taking easy pickings of existing carcases rather than fishing, but he did go chasing along the stream bed a few times. As I followed him on the boardwalk, he finally seemed to take notice of the people above him, and climbed up onto the stream bank out of curiosity. It happened quite quick, and when he did,
he was less than 10m away from me. I took some magnificent photos of him, struck by awe and too mesmerized by the moment to feel fear. It's only when he turned away that the spell broke, and I and the people around me broke the tension by staring at each other in amazement and finally breathing a sigh of relief.
I headed back to he motel; Carole and I packed up, and we began our drive, heading back along the branch highway. We continued along the Cassiar highway to its terminus, where it joined the Yellowhead. At this point, our journey finally seemed to be coming to a close; this highway would take us all the way back to Edmonton. We had a brief stop in Smithers, and at this point
decided that if we made it to Prince George tonight, we could be back in Edmonton tomorrow night. So we decided to press on, arriving in Prince George at 9:30.
I watched him fish. This one was a tad lazier, taking easy pickings of existing carcases rather than fishing, but he did go chasing along the stream bed a few times. As I followed him on the boardwalk, he finally seemed to take notice of the people above him, and climbed up onto the stream bank out of curiosity. It happened quite quick, and when he did,
he was less than 10m away from me. I took some magnificent photos of him, struck by awe and too mesmerized by the moment to feel fear. It's only when he turned away that the spell broke, and I and the people around me broke the tension by staring at each other in amazement and finally breathing a sigh of relief.I headed back to he motel; Carole and I packed up, and we began our drive, heading back along the branch highway. We continued along the Cassiar highway to its terminus, where it joined the Yellowhead. At this point, our journey finally seemed to be coming to a close; this highway would take us all the way back to Edmonton. We had a brief stop in Smithers, and at this point
decided that if we made it to Prince George tonight, we could be back in Edmonton tomorrow night. So we decided to press on, arriving in Prince George at 9:30.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
A Lunar Eclipse, Bears, and Glaciers
The only common thread is that I got to see all three today.
I reluctantly fought to become conscious at 2AM as my alarm beeped away.
I slowly pulled myself up out of bed, got bundled up, and went outside to watch tonight's lunar eclipse. Initially a bright white disk, for over an hour the Earth's shadow remorselessly ate away at the moon, and only once it was completely digested by the Earth's umbral shadow did it appear to bleed, turning a eerie brownish red. Unfortunately, BC was at the edge of the viewing zone, so it disappeared below the horizon before it could emerge from the shadow. I went back to bed at 4:30. If you want to see one, the next opportunity is on February 21, 2008.
Not surprisingly, getting up the second time at 9AM was not any easier. We had a slow morning. Our destination this morning was the bear viewing platform set up beside a stream in Tongass National Forest, where you can watch the bears come and feed on the salmon. We arrived just as a mother an her two cubs were feeding, but they soon disappeared. A black bear then came by and hung out, but didn't do very much, then left. We waited a while, then decided to go see the Salmon Glacier.
The road to the Salmon Glacier is an adventure in itself. Initially at sea level, it at one point begins a slope-hugging ascent of the valley, and doesn't relent for 25km, gaining about 1000m in elevation. Mercifully we were on the inside lane on the way up.
The lookout of the Salmon Glacier did not disappoint;
it was a truly spectacular view of a massive glacier, and we spent a while there having lunch and going on a small hike of the area.
We slowly drove back down the road, this time on the outside, my knuckles white for almost an hour was we descended back down.
As we drove past the viewing platform area, we were told that a grizzly bear was there, so we parked and walked onto the platform. When you think of a grizzly bear catching salmon, the mind conjures images of the a bear on some rocks, snatching a salmon in mid-flight as it leaps heavenward to surmount the cascade in its way. Although this must occur, since this is the image strewn on postcards and posters everywhere in Alaska, the everyday reality is a bit more mundane.
The grizzly will stand in the shallow part of the stream, and eventually
decide to run after some salmon it sees, but they get away. Then it turns around, chases some more salmon in the other direction for a while, and they get away. (Double click on the photo of the bear running; in the blowup you can see 4 salmon in the water ahead of it). The bear makes 5 or 6 passes before it catches one. The way it eats the fish, is, of course, pretty grisly.... sometimes will take a bite or two, then will release it live, and chase after another. 
Male bears tend to go after female fish, since they like to eat the eggs. (See my previous blog entry for my thoughts on the life of a salmon).
After a while, it was more amusing to watch the tourists as they stampeded up and down the boardwalk in tandem with the bear!
We then returned home, and went out for some of the best pizza we've had on this trip... who'd have guessed in a town with a population of less than 100!.
I reluctantly fought to become conscious at 2AM as my alarm beeped away.
I slowly pulled myself up out of bed, got bundled up, and went outside to watch tonight's lunar eclipse. Initially a bright white disk, for over an hour the Earth's shadow remorselessly ate away at the moon, and only once it was completely digested by the Earth's umbral shadow did it appear to bleed, turning a eerie brownish red. Unfortunately, BC was at the edge of the viewing zone, so it disappeared below the horizon before it could emerge from the shadow. I went back to bed at 4:30. If you want to see one, the next opportunity is on February 21, 2008.
Not surprisingly, getting up the second time at 9AM was not any easier. We had a slow morning. Our destination this morning was the bear viewing platform set up beside a stream in Tongass National Forest, where you can watch the bears come and feed on the salmon. We arrived just as a mother an her two cubs were feeding, but they soon disappeared. A black bear then came by and hung out, but didn't do very much, then left. We waited a while, then decided to go see the Salmon Glacier.
The road to the Salmon Glacier is an adventure in itself. Initially at sea level, it at one point begins a slope-hugging ascent of the valley, and doesn't relent for 25km, gaining about 1000m in elevation. Mercifully we were on the inside lane on the way up.
The lookout of the Salmon Glacier did not disappoint;
it was a truly spectacular view of a massive glacier, and we spent a while there having lunch and going on a small hike of the area.We slowly drove back down the road, this time on the outside, my knuckles white for almost an hour was we descended back down.
As we drove past the viewing platform area, we were told that a grizzly bear was there, so we parked and walked onto the platform. When you think of a grizzly bear catching salmon, the mind conjures images of the a bear on some rocks, snatching a salmon in mid-flight as it leaps heavenward to surmount the cascade in its way. Although this must occur, since this is the image strewn on postcards and posters everywhere in Alaska, the everyday reality is a bit more mundane.
The grizzly will stand in the shallow part of the stream, and eventually
decide to run after some salmon it sees, but they get away. Then it turns around, chases some more salmon in the other direction for a while, and they get away. (Double click on the photo of the bear running; in the blowup you can see 4 salmon in the water ahead of it). The bear makes 5 or 6 passes before it catches one. The way it eats the fish, is, of course, pretty grisly.... sometimes will take a bite or two, then will release it live, and chase after another. 
Male bears tend to go after female fish, since they like to eat the eggs. (See my previous blog entry for my thoughts on the life of a salmon).After a while, it was more amusing to watch the tourists as they stampeded up and down the boardwalk in tandem with the bear!
We then returned home, and went out for some of the best pizza we've had on this trip... who'd have guessed in a town with a population of less than 100!.
Monday, August 27, 2007
The Cassiar Highway - Part II
This morning we broke camp at Boya Lake and continued our drive along the Cassiar Highway. We encountered a few bouts of construction, but nothing to slow us down too much. The Cassiar Highway is a beautiful drive; narrow and quiet, but with stunning scenery. The gentle but weary Cassiar mountains eventually gave way to the more sprightly Coastal and Stikine Ranges.
The weather was quite erratic; beginning with scattered clouds, we could see profuse showers around us. Eventually they caught up with us, and we spent some time driving in the rain, then it became sunny, then we drove in the rain while the sun shone, being entertained with the occasional rainbow.
We detoured onto Highway 37A, the spur road to Steward and Hyder. An interesting anomaly, Hyder is a small Alaskan town that is right on the Alaska BC border, but can only be reached by BC.
The weather was quite erratic; beginning with scattered clouds, we could see profuse showers around us. Eventually they caught up with us, and we spent some time driving in the rain, then it became sunny, then we drove in the rain while the sun shone, being entertained with the occasional rainbow.
We detoured onto Highway 37A, the spur road to Steward and Hyder. An interesting anomaly, Hyder is a small Alaskan town that is right on the Alaska BC border, but can only be reached by BC.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
The Cassiar Highway - Part I
This morning packed up camp, and waited for Victoria and Mike to drop by, at which point we went to a nearby deli for breakfast, and spent the morning chatting away. Unfortunately, though we did want to make some distance today, so we reluctantly left at 11, and began our journey back down the Alaska Highway, towards Watson Lake.
Just prior to Watson Lake, we turned right and began down a stretch of highway known as Highway 37, or the Stewart-Cassiar Highway. Compared to the Alaska Highway, it is definitely the road less travelled - seeming like a paved country road winding though forest and small
lakes and marshes. We could see the Cassiar Mountain ranges... they definitely seemed old and tired, with their moderate height and subdued slopes.
Farewell to the Yukon, but we shall return someday soon.
We stopped for the night at Boya Lake Campground, a fairly picturesque lake nestled
within the Cassiars. Its waters had audacious aquamarine hues to it. Evening eventually descended, and I watched the moonrise over the lake, the nearly full moon reminding me of tomorrow's celestial event....
Just prior to Watson Lake, we turned right and began down a stretch of highway known as Highway 37, or the Stewart-Cassiar Highway. Compared to the Alaska Highway, it is definitely the road less travelled - seeming like a paved country road winding though forest and small
lakes and marshes. We could see the Cassiar Mountain ranges... they definitely seemed old and tired, with their moderate height and subdued slopes.
Farewell to the Yukon, but we shall return someday soon.
We stopped for the night at Boya Lake Campground, a fairly picturesque lake nestled
within the Cassiars. Its waters had audacious aquamarine hues to it. Evening eventually descended, and I watched the moonrise over the lake, the nearly full moon reminding me of tomorrow's celestial event....
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Back in Whitehorse
Today we drove from Moose Creek to Whitehorse. This evening we met up with a friend, Victoria, and her boyfriend Mike. Initally we didn't think we would meet up, playing a game of telephone tag, but this being Whitehorse, we bumped into her serendipitously in the Superstore parking lot. We then passed away an evening of pleasant conversation over dinner and beer.
Friday, August 24, 2007
The Dempster Highway - Part II
After a leisurely day in Inuvik, we spent the past two days driving back. We were originally going to camp in 
Tombstone provincial park, but unfortunately, the rangers closed the campground because some careless people left some food in their tent, and were subequently visited by a bear.
It really is too bad, as Tombstone is a beautiful area. Plus, it is now autumn up here, and the colours are changing. They were noticeably different then when we came up this way four days ago.
The weather on our drive back was quite fickle; sunny one minute, rainy the next. We probably saw more along the Dempster than anywhere else on our trip.
So we continued on, finished the Dempster Highway, and stayed at a small campground as we start our journey back to Whitehorse.
Tombstone provincial park, but unfortunately, the rangers closed the campground because some careless people left some food in their tent, and were subequently visited by a bear.
It really is too bad, as Tombstone is a beautiful area. Plus, it is now autumn up here, and the colours are changing. They were noticeably different then when we came up this way four days ago.
The weather on our drive back was quite fickle; sunny one minute, rainy the next. We probably saw more along the Dempster than anywhere else on our trip.
So we continued on, finished the Dempster Highway, and stayed at a small campground as we start our journey back to Whitehorse.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
The Dempster Highway - Part I
Today we arrived in Inuvik, NWT after 2 days of driving the Dempster Highway. This is a 700 km dirt road winding through a pristine landscape of tundra, mountains and lakes which takes you past the Arctic Circle and through a few very northern communities, ending here in Inuvik.
Halfway up on the drive we climbed up out of the Ogilvie-Peel river basin, and up to an escarpment on the edge of the Ogilvie mountains, a striking geological feature. This area marked the edge of the Laurentide Ice Sheet.
It strains the imagination to think that this far north, the land to the West was never glaciated. This unlikely situation arose because although it was cold, the area is so arid that not enough snow fell to accummulate into an icefield.
Although the midnight sun is no longer
here, 'nighttime' is more or less a continuous twilight, a muted polychromatic delirium between dusk and dawn.
Halfway up on the drive we climbed up out of the Ogilvie-Peel river basin, and up to an escarpment on the edge of the Ogilvie mountains, a striking geological feature. This area marked the edge of the Laurentide Ice Sheet.
It strains the imagination to think that this far north, the land to the West was never glaciated. This unlikely situation arose because although it was cold, the area is so arid that not enough snow fell to accummulate into an icefield.Although the midnight sun is no longer
here, 'nighttime' is more or less a continuous twilight, a muted polychromatic delirium between dusk and dawn.
The Arctic Circle - Theory Vs. Reality
The Arctic Circle is one of those imaginary lines of geographic significance. In theory, on December 21, the sun will make a cursory appearance on the horizon at noon. All places further north will be in 24 hours of darkness. Conversely, on June 21, 
the sun will simply appear to bounce against the horizon at midnight, and all places to the north will get the midnight sun.
Of course, this is the hypothetical ideal. Reality is not quite that tidy, because our sun appears in the sky as a disk, not a point source of light, so the 'line' is actually a band 100km across.
In addition, the earth has all sort of wiggles and wobbles as it goes about its business of spinning around on its axis and around the sun. Even the spinning isn't constant: the earth spins a tad more slowly every year due to Tidal Acceleration. The more you read about it, the more you think that all cartographers must go bald from pulling out their hair, trying to create fixed reference points on a planet that constantly changes and shifts.
the sun will simply appear to bounce against the horizon at midnight, and all places to the north will get the midnight sun.Of course, this is the hypothetical ideal. Reality is not quite that tidy, because our sun appears in the sky as a disk, not a point source of light, so the 'line' is actually a band 100km across.
In addition, the earth has all sort of wiggles and wobbles as it goes about its business of spinning around on its axis and around the sun. Even the spinning isn't constant: the earth spins a tad more slowly every year due to Tidal Acceleration. The more you read about it, the more you think that all cartographers must go bald from pulling out their hair, trying to create fixed reference points on a planet that constantly changes and shifts.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Dawson City - Ground Zero of the Klondike Gold Rush
Over 100 years after the stampede of the Klondike Gold Rush, this city still has its old attributes: dirt roads, original historical structures and dingy saloons featuring can-can dancing. Dawson City is also where the poet Robert Service lived for a few years. The small cabin he rented where he wrote his poems is considered a national shine and remains a tourist attraction, which of course being tourists, we visited. The sense of history here is quite palpable and enagaging.
Serendipitiously, we arrived during their Discovery Days Festival. It was near here, at Bonanza Creek, on August 17, 1896 (111 years and 2 days ago), that gold was discovered. It was this particular strike that triggered the Klondike Gold Rush.
Dawson city is also the gateway to the Dempster Highway, the only road in Canada that takes you past the Arctic Circle... stay tuned!
Serendipitiously, we arrived during their Discovery Days Festival. It was near here, at Bonanza Creek, on August 17, 1896 (111 years and 2 days ago), that gold was discovered. It was this particular strike that triggered the Klondike Gold Rush.
Dawson city is also the gateway to the Dempster Highway, the only road in Canada that takes you past the Arctic Circle... stay tuned!
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Self-Powered Icebergs?
One interesting phenomenon that seemed to defy our sensibilities while paddling one day in a crosswind was watching an iceberg go scooting smartly past us at right angles to our direction of travel; it was like it had a motor attached to it and a destination in mind.
It took a while to make sense of the physics behind this illusion: in a kayak, which has a very shallow draft, is mostly above water, barring a strong current, is primarily affected by the wind, which was pushing us crosswise downwind. However, an iceberg is 85% below water, and affected far more by moderate currents than even strong winds, the current in this instance going against the wind.
It took a while to make sense of the physics behind this illusion: in a kayak, which has a very shallow draft, is mostly above water, barring a strong current, is primarily affected by the wind, which was pushing us crosswise downwind. However, an iceberg is 85% below water, and affected far more by moderate currents than even strong winds, the current in this instance going against the wind.
The Ice Sirens
In the epic tale 'The Odyssey', written by Homer (the epic Greek poet, not the yellow cartoon character), one part of Odysseus' eleven year voyage from Troy back to Ithaca takes him past the land of the Sirens, female creatures who sat on the rocks and with their alluring singing, would irresistibly draw sailors toward them, where they would crash on the rocks and meet their doom. Odysseus managed to avoid this fate by putting wax in the ears of his crew and they in turn lashed him to the mast before they sailed past.
Our kayaking odyssey in Glacier Bay was a tad shorter: seven days.
Only here, the Sirens of Glacier Bay are made of ice: tidewater glaciers - alluring and potentially deadly for those who fail to heed the warnings and stray too close, only to have them calve, bringing down tons of ice onto your head or creating a wave capable of capsizing a kayak, should you be foolish enough to venture too close.
The inlets here are most appropriate amphitheatres for holding an audience
with these sirens. Massive fjords with imposing granite walls, they provide ideal acoustics, but offer no clue to the scale of the venue. Rather than being drawn by their voice, we were drawn by their stunning beauty. If anything, their voices were quite frightening - they sounded more like Zeus, god of thunder, with frequent tumultuous crashes resonating through the fjord as gargantuan pillars of ice groaned and shifted within them; massive crystaline dominoes teetering against each other. But drawn to them we still were.
Our most fabulous encounter with these sirens was heading around the point of John Hopkins' inlet, when we first saw its namesake glacier. Already an imposing siren as we went around the point at the head of the inlet, yet it took us two and half hours of paddling to get within two kilometers of it. We spent an hour there in our kayaks, listening and watching, and occasionally getting to watch a tantrum of fantastic violence as an ice block was sent crashing into the waters below. An of course, in order to get close, we had to navigate the inlet through the corpses of these ice blocks: icebergs large and small, strewn about by the winds and currents.
An intruder in the form of a tour boat passed us and headed closer, and 
only then were we able to get a sense of scale of the scene before us.
A truly memorable spectacle, and we had great weather for the duration of our visit to this mythic land.
Our kayaking odyssey in Glacier Bay was a tad shorter: seven days.
Only here, the Sirens of Glacier Bay are made of ice: tidewater glaciers - alluring and potentially deadly for those who fail to heed the warnings and stray too close, only to have them calve, bringing down tons of ice onto your head or creating a wave capable of capsizing a kayak, should you be foolish enough to venture too close.The inlets here are most appropriate amphitheatres for holding an audience
with these sirens. Massive fjords with imposing granite walls, they provide ideal acoustics, but offer no clue to the scale of the venue. Rather than being drawn by their voice, we were drawn by their stunning beauty. If anything, their voices were quite frightening - they sounded more like Zeus, god of thunder, with frequent tumultuous crashes resonating through the fjord as gargantuan pillars of ice groaned and shifted within them; massive crystaline dominoes teetering against each other. But drawn to them we still were.Our most fabulous encounter with these sirens was heading around the point of John Hopkins' inlet, when we first saw its namesake glacier. Already an imposing siren as we went around the point at the head of the inlet, yet it took us two and half hours of paddling to get within two kilometers of it. We spent an hour there in our kayaks, listening and watching, and occasionally getting to watch a tantrum of fantastic violence as an ice block was sent crashing into the waters below. An of course, in order to get close, we had to navigate the inlet through the corpses of these ice blocks: icebergs large and small, strewn about by the winds and currents.
An intruder in the form of a tour boat passed us and headed closer, and 
only then were we able to get a sense of scale of the scene before us.A truly memorable spectacle, and we had great weather for the duration of our visit to this mythic land.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Gustavus
This morning we took a 4 seater plane from Juneau to Gustavus, AK. Gustavus is an idyllic little town, the type of town one would have loved to have grown up in (at least until you became a teenager): no locks on the doors, much less needed for the bikes.
We arrived at Aimee's Guesthouse just before lunchtime, and our hostess, Aimee, was gracious and helpful. She loaned us a couple bicyles and we explored the area. Afterwards, we went to Bartlett Cove for our back-country & kayaking orientation & permits. Life in a small town has its advantages - everybody knows you're from out of town and wants to help you and make your stay a pleasant one. Our only regret was not tagging on an extra day to just take in the hospitality and charm.
We arrived at Aimee's Guesthouse just before lunchtime, and our hostess, Aimee, was gracious and helpful. She loaned us a couple bicyles and we explored the area. Afterwards, we went to Bartlett Cove for our back-country & kayaking orientation & permits. Life in a small town has its advantages - everybody knows you're from out of town and wants to help you and make your stay a pleasant one. Our only regret was not tagging on an extra day to just take in the hospitality and charm.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Stay Tuned...
Well, we arrived at Juneau, safe and sound on the ferry.
Tomorrow morning we leave for Gustavus and Glacier Bay for our week of sea kayaking. Even though we have been able to connect to the Internet in some of the most unlikely places here, I suspect we' won't be getting Wi-Fi reception in Glacier Bay ;-(
Thus our next posting will be sometime after August 16th, when we return.
PS: Saw the Simpson Movie tonight, it seemed very serendipitous to see it here.... if you've seen the movie, you know what I mean.
Tomorrow morning we leave for Gustavus and Glacier Bay for our week of sea kayaking. Even though we have been able to connect to the Internet in some of the most unlikely places here, I suspect we' won't be getting Wi-Fi reception in Glacier Bay ;-(
Thus our next posting will be sometime after August 16th, when we return.
PS: Saw the Simpson Movie tonight, it seemed very serendipitous to see it here.... if you've seen the movie, you know what I mean.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Happy Anniversary to Us!
So today is our 10th year wedding anniversary.
Carole: Happy Anniversary, Honey!
Ron: Ditto! xoxoxo
Carole: note to self...romance with an engineer is definitely an uphill battle at times :)
Carole: Happy Anniversary, Honey!
Ron: Ditto! xoxoxo
Carole: note to self...romance with an engineer is definitely an uphill battle at times :)
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Mochaccino: Chocolate with a Hint of Dirt
So today was a bad weather day so we decided to hang out and catch up on our blog. Those who regularly peruse this blog may have noted the prolific spew of back-dated entries. We are hanging out at the Sea Bean, a quaint little Internet cafe and sauna in the heart of Seward. I'm not sure how you can encourage people to buy a hot coffee when it's so warm you're sweating onto your laptop?
It's no secret that Carole has been trying for years to get me addicted to coffee, for reasons unknown. I've tried all the brands (Tim's, Starbucks, VanHoutte's, even Kona coffee from Hawaii!), all makes (organic, shade grown, fair trade, etc), and all formats (latte, cuppaccino, espresso, etc), all to no avail. But now she's being conniving and using my achillies heel: Chocolate! By combining the rich, delectable velvety taste that is chocolate, half and half with coffee, it seems to sufficiently mask the bitter taste of dirt that is coffee. It started innocently enough, 10% coffee in my hot chocolate, and now like a dealer handing out free samples, I'm up to a 50-50 mix. Most commercial hot chocolate is too sweet anyways, so it does restore the bittersweet balance that I like, but I think I have hit my dirt threshold...
Anyways, I have this theory that coffee addiction is genetic, and thus subject to the evolutionary forces: there are some people for whom the caffeine buzz is totally addictive, and allows them to rationalize the fact they are drinking dirt. And then there are those who don't get that buzz. The coffee drinkers may have made better hunters, having that extra altertness and edginess to better provide for their tribes and increase their populations. However, that advantage is
nullified by the fact that in a caffiene induced jittery hysteria, they are more likely to kill their annoying co-workers. Thus the two gene pools co-exist in an uneasy truce.
Anyways, it's a slow news day here, folks, so there's not much else to ramble on about.
It's no secret that Carole has been trying for years to get me addicted to coffee, for reasons unknown. I've tried all the brands (Tim's, Starbucks, VanHoutte's, even Kona coffee from Hawaii!), all makes (organic, shade grown, fair trade, etc), and all formats (latte, cuppaccino, espresso, etc), all to no avail. But now she's being conniving and using my achillies heel: Chocolate! By combining the rich, delectable velvety taste that is chocolate, half and half with coffee, it seems to sufficiently mask the bitter taste of dirt that is coffee. It started innocently enough, 10% coffee in my hot chocolate, and now like a dealer handing out free samples, I'm up to a 50-50 mix. Most commercial hot chocolate is too sweet anyways, so it does restore the bittersweet balance that I like, but I think I have hit my dirt threshold...
Anyways, I have this theory that coffee addiction is genetic, and thus subject to the evolutionary forces: there are some people for whom the caffeine buzz is totally addictive, and allows them to rationalize the fact they are drinking dirt. And then there are those who don't get that buzz. The coffee drinkers may have made better hunters, having that extra altertness and edginess to better provide for their tribes and increase their populations. However, that advantage is
nullified by the fact that in a caffiene induced jittery hysteria, they are more likely to kill their annoying co-workers. Thus the two gene pools co-exist in an uneasy truce.
Anyways, it's a slow news day here, folks, so there's not much else to ramble on about.
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