TWoNN Hall Meeting: TWoNN Citizen of the Year Award

Hello, world!

Today, I want to share a conversation with you. It is a deep and meaningful conversation that just puts a different perspective on things. I don't want to scare you, but I actually do have plans for our little blog. I like to call them "festivities," but feel free to apply your own labels.

In February, I challenged myself to post one blog entry per day. Okay, okay, so I chose the shortest month (but it is a Leap Year), might have underperformed sometimes, and deliberately announced the challenge in the marquee so there wouldn't be any actual evidence (e.g., a blog entry) of the promise I made. But it really got me to see that I can't just expect our blog to run itself. I must participate. I must treat it as a job (for lack of a better word, since this is one of the most enjoyable of the semi-regular activities in my life). I must make it a point to post here because "trying to" doesn't do it (the last entry I posted was four days ago).

But, this recent decline of blogging frequency is just one half of the participation puzzle. Another event has now forced my hand. I wasn't going to unveil this until March 15, but I fear it may be too late, so I will do it now. The one-year anniversary of TWoNN is coming up! April 15 is the date. Easy to remember, right? So, I had planned to conduct a trivia contest whereby a TWoNN Citizen of the Year is chosen. Of course, the selection will have a random slant to it (more on that later). But first, allow me to share with you the conversation that occurred earlier this week. This is the event that forced my hand.

Freelance Midget is favorite niece (don't tell your sister), and we chat during the day (via gmail) sometimes. She is a graduate of a prestigious university, and a very bright individual. One chink in her armor, I am grieved to reveal, is her knowledge of TWoNN history. Check it out (chat and email to be read in conjunction with each other):



Are you witnessing this? It seems that America's general blase attitude toward anything educational has seeped into TWoNN and its citizenry. One of the most important topics of TWoNN--Maggi Sauce, its origins and uses--completely forgotten by one of our brightest. Hang your head in shame, Midge. I hope your mom (3-fish) isn't reading this.

The above conversation and the realization that I must commit myself [insert crazy joke here] has encouraged me to launch the next TWoNN activity ahead of schedule. Okay, so, TWoNN Citizen of the Year--WHAT IS IT?? TWoNNCotY is a competition to determine who might be the most knowledgeable TWoNN citizen alive. The reason why I say "might be" is because I have devised a scoring system that has a random component. In the next month, I will try to come up with a trivia question each day* and the person who gets the answer first gets the points associated with the question. And, how many points does the answerer get? That will be determined by this. Yes, that's right. Either Mr. Nonny Nu or I will roll a die to determine how many points the person will get (and we won't do that until the question is answered--so don't even try to get all efficient and select only high-value questions to go after, Stillman).

The winner will be determined on April 15, and will receive a TWoNN trophy along with a certificate of appreciation. TWoNNCotY begins tomorrow, so be sure to look out for it!

Note: Play is suspended on the Chinese Idiom Game until TWoNNCotY is over, or it is revealed that Man from U.N.C.L.E. is actually Man from C.H.I.N.A., whichever occurs first.

* Like the Chinese Idiom game, the trivia question will change either when it is answered correctly, or when I can't stand it anymore.

[edit] Due to popular demand, the number of questions have been capped at 3 per day.

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Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!

The Nu household is no longer dependent on Starbucks! Check it out, people! Our very first cappuccino! Look at the foam on that thing. We made a cup last night around 11:15pm as a nightcap for myself. Mr. Nonny Nu was worried that I wouldn't be able to fall asleep afterward but I was out like a light by 12:30. That's what drinking tea as a child does to ya. But, really, check out that foam. Honestly, I didn't know what was the big deal about foam until I tried that cup. OMG, it was so creamy!! Previously, all the foam I tried was just watery tasting and not creamy at all, which is why I always opted for whipped cream. But, last night's foam? YUM. I'm going to have another one tonight. We are all stocked up on the coffee pods, too. Mr. Nonny Nu ordered around 200 pods, so we are all ready for Stillman's and MonkeyPig's visits! The Nespresso people gave us a decorative box and with descriptions of each coffee flavor in the top of the box (that's Kash's tail behind the lid).

Skillet and Kash just looked on as I enjoyed that piping hot and fresh cup of joe. These two are just too cute.

Remember yesterday when I told you about the new book I am reading (Predictably Irrational)? Interestingly, when I read some more of it in bed before I went to sleep, it talked about Starbucks!*cue Twilight Zone theme* In the following excerpt, the author uses the term "anchor" to refer to a price that, for whatever reason, has been anchored in our minds as a starting point of comparison for a particular product or service:

Now that we know we behave like goslings, it is important to understand the process by which our first decisions translate into long-term habits. To illustrate this process, consider this example. You're walking past a restaurant, and you see two people standing in line, waiting to get in. "This must be a good restaurant," you think to yourself. "People are standing in line." So you stand behind these people. Another person walks by. He sees three people standing in line and thinks, "This must be a fantastic restaurant," and joins the line. Others join. We call this type of behavior herding. It happens when we assume that something is good (or bad) on the basis of other people's previous behavior, and our own actions follow suit.

But there's also another kind of herding, one that we call self-herding. This happens when we believe something is good (or bad) on the basis of our own previous behavior. Essentially, once we become the first person in line at the restaurant, we begin to line up behind ourself in subsequent experiences. Does that make sense? Let me explain.

Recall your first introduction to Starbucks, perhaps several years ago. (I assume that nearly everyone has had this experience, since Starbucks sits on every corner in America.) You are sleepy and in desperate need of a liquid energy boost as you embark on an errand one afternoon. You glance through the windows at Starbucks and walk in. The prices of the coffee are a shock--you've been blissfully drinking the brew at Dunkin' Donuts for years. But since you have walked in and are now curious about what coffee at this price might taste like, you surprise yourself: you buy a small coffee, enjoy its taste and its effect on you, and walk out.

The following week you walk by Starbucks again. Should you go in? The ideal decision-making process should take into account the quality of the coffee (Starbucks versus Dunkin' Donuts); the prices at the two places; and, of course, the cost (or value) of walking a few more blocks to get to Dunkin' Donuts. This is a complex computation--so instead, you resort to the simple approach: "I went to Starbucks before, and I enjoyed myself and the coffee, so this must be a good decision for me." So you walk in and get another small cup of coffee.

In doing so, you just became the second person in line, standing behind yourself. A few days later, you again walk by Starbucks and this time, you vividly remember your past decisions and act on them again--voila! You become the third person in line, standing behind yourself. As the weeks pass, you enter again and again and every time, you feel more strongly that you are acting on the basis of your preferences. Buying coffee at Starbucks has become a habit with you.

But the story doesn't end there. Now that you have gotten used to paying more for coffee, and have bumped yourself up onto a new curve of consumption, other changes also become simpler. Perhaps you will now move up from the small cup for $2.20 to the medium size for $3.50 or to the Venti for $4.15. Even though you don't know how you got into this price bracket in the first place, moving to a larger coffee at a relatively greater price seems pretty logical. So is a lateral move to other offerings at Starbucks: Caffe Americano, Caffe Mistro, Macchiato, and Frappuccino, ["Ah, the Oxford comma--a man after my own heart!" --Nonny Nu] for instance.

If you stopped to think about this, it would not be clear whether you should be spending all this money on coffee at Starbucks instead of getting cheaper coffee at Dunkin' Donuts or even free coffee at the office. But you don't think about these trade-offs anymore. You've already made this decision many times in the past, so you now assume that this is the way you want to spend your money. You've herded yourself--lining up behind your initial experience at Starbucks--and now you're part of the crowd.

However, there is something odd in this story. If anchoring is based on our initial decisions, how did Starbucks manage to become an initial decision in the first place. In other words, if we previously anchored to teh prices at Dunkin' Donuts, how did we move our anchor to Starbucks? This is where it gets really interesting.

When Howard Shultz created Starbucks, he was as intuitive a businessman as Salvador Assael. He worked diligently to separate Starbucks from other coffee shops, not through price but through ambience. Accordingly, he designed Starbucks from the very beginning to feel like a continental coffeehouse.

The early shops were fragrant with the smell of roasted beans (and better-quality roasted beans than those at Dunkin' Donuts). They sold fancy French coffee presses. The showcases presented alluring snacks--almond croissants, biscotti, raspberry custard pastries, and others. Whereas Dunkin' Donuts had small, medium, and large coffees, Starbucks offered Short, Tall, Grande, and Venti, as well as drinks with high-pedigree names like Caffe Americano, Caffe Misto, Macchiato, and Frappuccino, Starbucks did everything in its power, in other words, to make the experience feel different--so different that we would not use the prices at Dunkin' Donuts as an anchor, but instead would be open to the new anchor that Starbucks was preparing for us. And that, to a great extent, is how Starbucks succeeded.

...

Descartes said, Cogito ergo sum--"I think, therefore I am." But suppose we are nothing more than the sum of our first, naive, random behaviors. What then?

These questions may be tough nuts to crack, but in terms of our personal lives, we can actively improve on our irrational behaviors. We can start by becoming aware of our vulnerabilities. Suppose you're planning to buy a cutting-edge cell phone (the one with the three-megapixel, 8x zoom digital camera), or even a daily $4 cup of gourmet coffee. You might begin by questioning that habit. How did it begin? Second, ask yourself what amount of pleasure you will be getting out of it. Is the pleasure as much as you thought you would get? Could you cut back a little and better spend the remaining money on something else? With everything you do, in fact, you should train yourself to question your repeated behaviors. In the case of the cell phone, could you take a step back from the cutting edge, reduce your outlay, and use some of the money for something else? And as for the coffee--rather than asking which blend of coffee you will have today, ask yourself whether you should even be having that habitual cup of expensive coffee at all.*

We should also pay particular attention to the first decision we make in what is going to be a long stream of decisions (about clothing, food, etc.). When we face such a decision, it might seem to us that this is just on decision, without large consequences; but in fact the power of the first decision can have such a long-lasting effect that it will percolate into our future decisions for years to come. Given this effect, the first decision is crucial, and we should give it an appropriate amount of attention.

Socrates said that the unexamined life is not worth living. Perhaps it's time to inventory the imprints and anchors in our own life. Even if they once were completely reasonable, are they still reasonable? Once the old choices are reconsidered, we can open ourselves to new decisions--and the new opportunities of a new day. That seems to make sense.

*I am not claiming that spending money on a wonderful cup of coffee every day, or even a few times a day, is necessarily a bad decision--I am saying only that we should question our decisions.

Dan Ariely, Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions 37-39, 43-45 (2008).

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Phleger Has Competition

Last Sunday, Stillman and I went on a new hike at Fall Creek. The Phleger Estate has been a long time favorite for Stillman, so I was very surprised when, halfway through this hike, she announced that Fall Creek might now be her favorite hike.

Fall Creek is in Santa Cruz County so we expected to see many of its mascots there. Unfortunately, we only saw three banana slugs. But, there was lots more to see at Fall Creek. Some wild flowers had started to bloom. And, the really fun thing about the hike was that it wasn't just walking. We had to go over and under a lot of trees and also cross little foot bridges over the creeks. It was more of a scramble than a hike.

We started off along the creek:


Along the way, there were lots of stumps with exposed roots, some of which were growing through rocks. We saw many examples burnt out old stumps surrounded by new growth. One example was interesting in that the burnt out stump had fallen over and was held back from falling into the creek by the new growth. Another example had the new growth growing straight out of the old stump!

The area was very wet and the water wasn't restricted to the creek. In some parts, trees were cut down and their stumps formed stepping stones across wetter portions of the trail. As we started to move away from the creek, we came upon the barrel mill area. Fall Creek used to be the location where trees were cut down to create barrels for the local limestone quarry. The barrel mill area had old equipment strewn throughout. ["Look at those jagged edges. That's a lawsuit waiting to happen." --Stillman]

After visiting the barrel mill area, Stillman and I sat down for a bit of lunch. Stillman had a meatloaf sammich and I had a hoagie. Unlike the time when she kept all the bacon to herself, she offered to share her sammich this time. She passed the test!

When lunch was over, we got on our way and started moving away from the creek. We encountered a drier trail with shady lanes and woodlands. Unlike the old fallen trees we saw along the creek, a newly fallen tree blocked our trail here. This resulted in a couple of horses turning back along the trail. We went around the tree and went into a sunny area with a manzanita grove. The soil there had a yellow tinge to it.

Towards the end of the hike, we started to head back towards the creek. We saw a screaming tree! ["ooooohhhhh...creeeeeepyyyyyyy..." --Nonny Nu] The creek was alternately rushing along and relaxed. At the very end, passed over a proper bridge.

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Going Home to Phleger

Ah...it was nice to go home. Stillman and I hadn't gone hiking since last July when MonkeyPig visited HQ. Part of the reason was that Stillman had knee surgery, and part of the reason was I was too busy eating on the weekends between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Now that Stillman's knee is ready to face the wild again and I am face to face with my New Year's resolution, we have begun our hikes again. And, what better place to start it all off again than the Phleger Estate? Yes, it was like coming home again. There were so many little nooks and crannies that became familiar again once we came across them.

One thing that was unusual was the packed parking lot. Turned out that there was some sort of foot race being run out of the park, but not on the trail. So, off we went into the forest.

There were so many things that I had forgotten but was reminded of again when I went into Phleger! We went past the spot where I had first met the kung fu master. She wasn't there today, though. But, you know who was there? The Banana Slug Welcome Back Parade! Sometimes, when we think about trees and shrubs standing still or the banana slugs living solitary lives since they move so slow, we forget that they really are a community together. I mean, look at the parade they organized for us, right? And, look at the trees and their vine entourages. These are not solitary things, after all.

It was really nice to walk along the trail under the overhanging tree trunks. The heavy canopy kept the rain off, but when we got to the part with the chaparral, we felt a bit of the rain on our heads. We were struck with a sense of nostalgia as we encountered our first switchback:



But, there were so many new things! Since, I only started hiking last April, I have never seen the trails in Winter. There was a lot of fresh, new moss. This was the most mossed single-standing structure. And, since it was so soon after the rains, the brook was REALLY babbling:



And, the birds were really chirping:



We also saw a whole bunch of new mushrooms sprouting up:
Clump 1
Clump 2
Clump 3

Also, we witnessed one of the first blooms of the season. Stillman and I thought it was an iris, but Professor Know-It-All says that it's a Slink Pod (of the Lily Family). But, it was a day of learning for me. Stillman explained that, if you look carefully, you will see a dead tree in the middle of a ring of new trees. This is because the dead tree in the middle (the parent) sprinkled acorns from its branches around their trunks. Then, when a fire goes through and burns through the forest, the parent tree dies, but the fire helps the acorns to start growing into trees. We saw quite a few examples of large burnt out tree stumps surrounded by new growth on our hike.

Speaking of old and new growth, any one want some nice fungus? Check this out. They're fresh and there's plenty for everyone! The soft orange puffy ones seem to be new fungal growth that will mature into the harder looking ones. (I left them in high resolution so you all can see what I'm talking about.) These guys are also glow-y. Here, take a closer look.

One last thing that was new was a real live lizard! I've shown you guys lizards in still-life format before, but here is one on the move:



At the end of the day, we were bid farewell by our old friend, The Graffiti Rock. As you can see, the graffiti others had left was erased by the moss' regrowth. Of course, I had to leave my mark. (YAY, GIANTS!)

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I feel like crap, but I hope the Giants win!

Went hiking today with Stillman. I thought that the canopy of the trees would keep the rain off, and I really didn't feel that much rain on me. Stillman, being the mother hen that she is, kept telling me that I was going to get soaked. I thought my sunny disposition would prevent all that. Again, I was wrong. I felt fine throughout the hike and when I got home. Then, I went grocery shopping, and I think I might have gotten further soaked at that time. When I got home, I had a headache. I couldn't even eat my Chicken McNuggets. Now, that should tell you how sick I was. So, I called it a night pretty early, and right before I showered, I barfed. Yeah, it's been a long time (I'd say over a year) since I barfed. I'm generally a healthy rabbit. Never even had the flu.

Anyhow, it's kinda fun being sick. Plus, SuperBowl will be on tomorrow!! I don't really know these two teams. I really only started watching football during the finals. But, Tom Brady? NO THANKS. (No, I'm not a Bridget Moynahan fan.) And, that 18-0 record? It must be vandalized...

Go Giants!!

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Christmas 2007: Hello, my beauties...

Merry Christmas, everybody! Boy, has it been a hectic two days. There was a lot of shopping to get through yesterday. I had to go to eight different stores just for eggnog. I was looking for the Nus' favorite brand: Bud's Famous Egg Nog. Unfortunately, it's only available in the Bay Area.

My dogs sure were barking last night (translation: my feet were hurting when I went to bed from walking around so much yesterday). But, bright and early, I got up and wrapped the presents.* Stillman and Mr. Nonny Nu's brother were our guests today. A few members of The Backyard Petting Zoo showed up for the party, too. Sushi was there in spirit and celebrated with us as well.

There were also a lot of foods to be eaten. Latkes were the crowning glory of the day (more on that later), but we also had chocolates, caramelized walnuts, Spanish peanuts mix, homemade cheese plate (I personally selected and cut the cheese--HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAA!!!), pumpkin and double cream blueberry pies, Beard Papa cream puffs (these are seriously delicious), and steak with asparagus, mashed potatoes and gravy, asparagus, and dinner rolls. Also available were veggies plate for dipping in ranch dressing and chips with salsa and guacamole, but we didn't get to those because the lightweights didn't have room in their stomachs.

Anyhow, the moral of this story is that latkes are fun to make, taste great, and will be a part of the Nus' Christmas tradition from now on! The recipe is simple. This is not my recipe. It is the recipe of my Jewish Mother.** The ingredients are:

1 packet Knorr leek soup mix
1 bag Simply Potatoes Shredded Hash Browns
3 eggs

Scramble the eggs and then add the soup mix into it. Mix well, then mix in the potatoes (mix well again). Then, just heat up some oil (I used canola) and fry them in a skillet (the metal kind, not the grey fuzzy kind). Each portion should be about 2 tablespoons, when they are as brown as you like, just flip them over and brown the other side. Serve with sour cream and apple sauce.

Here are my beauties being crafted. First, their birth (background music provided by Mr. Nonny Nu):


Now, they go through finishing school:


Finally, Stillman sets the stage for their debut:


After the eating was squared away, Skillet hung out at the dinner table for a few more moments. But, Kash decided to stretch out on the couch. I crept up on him and stretched out, too. These two are such little...cutie ...pies. Stillman is allergic to cats, so we are very lucky that, armed with Claritin, she was able to withstand several hours of the kitties!

* Mr. Nonny Nu and I got a Rosetta Stone program to learn German! I'm on vacation until Jan. 7, so I'll be working on that. Can't wait!

** My Jewish Mother is not really my mom (she's not even old enough to be my mom), but she's Jewish and very motherly.

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TWoNN Hall Meeting: Get Ready for Thanksgiving!

Hi, folks,

Seeing as how we are all going to be celebrating Turkey Day separately, I was thinking of putting up photos from everyone's celebrations so that we could kinda celebrate "together." So, if you would like to join in on the fun, please email to nonnynu@gmail.com photos of 1) your Thanksgiving Dinner, and/or 2) (if appropriate) the atmosphere/decorations of your celebration. There will be a vote afterward for "Best Turkey (or Other Thanksgiving Meat)" and also for "Best Setting in a Supporting Role." (Special thanks to Freelance Midget for coming up with the idea for the voting! Unfortunately, she gets nothing for it.) Please note, if Willy Wonka participates, only 1/3 of the votes for his Turkey (or Other Thanksgiving Meat) will be counted.

The winner(s) will either get 2 extra entries counted (if they are already guestblogging) or will get honorary MAYO status on the Contributors list (if they are not already guestblogging).

All photo entries must be received by Nov. 23 midnight PST (that's the midnight that marks the END of Nov. 23--sorry, this "midnight" business has always been confusing to me). Polls open Nov. 24 noon PST (noons are much clearer, imho).

Remember, *NO FACES OR OTHER IDENTIFYING MARKS IN THE PHOTOS* and *NO NUDITY, STILLMAN*.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Nonny Nu
Chief Editor, The World of Nonny Nu

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To Stillman's Knee

Get well soon!

P.S. That's just a mock knee, not Stillman's actual knee.

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Shamelisted: Poorly Signed Hikes

This is about as bad as what Stillman and I saw on Sunday when we went on our latest hike. OMG, I couldn't believe this thing. Okay, lemme start from the beginning.

We went to the Upper Stevens Creek County Park. It's only a 5.5 mile loop, as compared to the 7+ mile loop at Phleger Estates. I hadn't been hiking since MonkeyPig visited, which was almost an entire month ago, so you can just imagine how out of shape I am (I've also slipped off my running schedule and Mr. Nonny Nu has threatened me with morning calisthenics again--I HATE THOSE). Anyhow, we get there and it was bad from the beginning. The hike synopsis told us to "look for a narrow, unmarked path heading east." Okay, seriously, WTF, right?

Anyway, after a false start (I parked at the wrong place and Stillman had to set me straight), we found the entrace and off we went. Folks, if I'm lyin' I'm dyin', but not one sign matched the county-provided map. Needless to say, we headed 2 miles out of our way because we were led astray by the non-signs. And, if you look at the elevation description, it's a steep hike. It was all downhill from the beginning, so, once we figured out our way back, it was all uphill (nearly 800 feet ascent) and not at the strollable 7 degree slope either. Get this--the hike synopsis says: "A few early switchbacks lull you into the false confidence that this will be a gently graded ascent. As you get further uphill, steeper sections set you straight." Right. It wouldn't be so bad if the signs actually told us where to go.

I was looking forward to a good strenuous hike since I hadn't been hiking for almost a month, so I didn't even bring Professor Know-It-All or my hand-me-down camera. I just wanted to focus on the hike. Personally, I had a great time because I was confident that we'd find our way out of there eventually. And, we had a nice little rest with a couple of clementine oranges, so everything was just dandy. But, I just think it's such a disgrace how poorly marked this trail is. Here, take a look, this is what one of the junctions look like:We were supposed to take the trail to the left where the reflector "marker" is, you see? You see?

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MPBSFA Day 2: Phleger Estate

Here we are at official Phleger Estate sign (left to right: Stillman, Freelance Midget, MonkeyPig, and Nonny Nu). It was a really fun day. The weather was just right, not too hot and not to cool. We saw a banana slug, and MonkeyPig and Freelance Midget poked it a bit. Before we knew it, we were already at the halfway mark. Of course, there was the usual antics, including taking pictures of each other as we took pictures and surreptitious photography.

Stillman and I showed MonkeyPig the landmarks, like the bridge where we took a group photo, and the graffiti rock. MonkeyPig had a bathroom break at Yoda's house, btw. Then, I had a failed attempt at using my timer to take a photo with MonkeyPig on a log. All in all, it was a very fun hike, except for Freelance Midget who suffered a bee sting to the head. Stillman was quick to produce a first aid kit, and I, being the documentarian that I am, saved the stinger for show and tell.

After that and because the dim sum place was too crowded, Freelance Midget, MonkeyPig, and I had a steamboat lunch (clockwise from upper left: enoki mushrooms, beef, lamb, fishballs, napa cabbage, udon noodles, taro, spicy fishcakes, spicy tofu; and clockwise from upper left: spinach, deep-fried gwais, bamboo shoots, more beef). What you do is you cook the food at the table using boiling hot broth. The spicy side of the soup was way too spicy, though, and we just didn't have strong enough taste buds to endure it. MP and FM had a good time. Some people like to cook as they go, but here's how I like to assemble my stuff.

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I'm-a Gonna Learn Me Some Plants!

Apparently, some people disagreed with my naming of the wildflowers from my last hike. So, Stillman, for my birthday, got me a tutor, Professor Know-It-All! Dudes, check out this guy's brain! So, for Fourth of July, Stillman and I went to Sanborn Trail with the Professor. Here's a map. This was not where we had planned to go, but when we got on the freeway to go to our originally planned destination, it was just bumper to bumper with holiday traffic. So, we just switched destinations in the blink of an eye. [Stillman: We're pretty darned adventurous to just switch locations like that, aren't we?]

The first thing I noticed was the seasons had really changed. We were no longer in the lush springtime. Summer was upon us and the trail was much drier. We were expecting a Banana Slug Fourth of July Parade, but no dice. Stillman did her banana slug call in vain. [Stillman: They could be charging to the gates as we speak but we wouldn't know about if for a few hours. They are, afterall, banana slugs.] We did encounter some water, but it was rare and just enough to make a tiny branch start growing out of the trunk of a tree.

So, we just kept on trucking and admired the scenery, which included a tree that looked like antlers growing out of some Tafoni rocks. We were just down the road from Castle Rock, so I was sort of disappointed because I didn't see any manzanitas, which were very abundant at Castle Rock. There were plenty of madrones, though, and some were huge. The red bark of the mardrones showed up brilliantly against their green leaves, just like the way my red mosquito bites are showing up brilliantly against my yellow skin right now. I don't have a picture of my mosquito bites (the last time I posted a photo of my wounds from when I ate it while running, Mr. Nonny Nu made me take it down), but you will get the idea by just viewing either the internet re-enactment of the incident, or a screen shot of a full-length feature film of the incident featuring my body double).

We came across some plants that looked like scallions, and you all know how much the Nus like our scallions! So, Stillman and I investigated. Yeah, they really were wild scallions. These things actually have blooms, but I guess we are past the blooming season for the wild scallions. I didn't spot any flowers until we got to the very middle of the hike. But, that's where I saw some shrubs with yellow flowers. I ran up to the shrub. I thought I had found some Lemony Doodads, but Professor Know-It-All said they were Scotch Broom. Scotch broom?? RIGHT. I swear, these academics are so silly sometimes with their "names."

Then, we came upon a hostel. This wasn't the type of hostel that you hear about in the news. No, this was a fairy tale hostel, an oasis in the woods, the type of hostel where people DON'T get slaughtered. In other words, the boring kind. I looked inside and saw a really nice dining hall and living room with piano (check out the intricate staircase). They turned the landing into a little music area. Unfortunately, the hostel was closed (they keep it closed during the day to cut down on expenses since they can't charge customers an arm and a leg--HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHHAHAHAAAAA!!!). So, Stillman and I just took a look around. We followed a path that was ringed by a moss-topped rock wall and found a pond covered by a thick layer of algae. In one little area of the pond that was relatively clear of algae, there were toads and turtles. All along the pond were Pinky Patinkin and peepee colored Peepee Flowers. Now, according to Professor Know-It-All, these were actually Azalea and Tinker's Penny, respectively. Fellow citizens of TWoNN, you tell me which names make more sense to you. Anywhoo, the Professor was at least nice enough to take a picture of Stillman and me.

By that time, we were pretty hungry, so we found some picnic tables at the hostel under a canopy of redwood trees, one of which apparently bleeds photons the way maples bleed syrup. Stillman had a BLT and I had a salami sammich.* [Stillman: No, I don't want any of yours and you're not having any of mine either.] [Nonny Nu: Well!] It was a really nice little set up. There was even a real live barbecue pit there. Stillman was too pooped to peep at that point. Okay, maybe she did let out one little peep.

After we recharged, we figured that it was best to head back to the trail. As we left the hostel's property, Stillman noticed a deer that was about 10-15 feet away from us! All three of us looked at each other and didn't know what to do. But, finally the deer snapped out of it and hopped back behind a tree (about 25 feet away now) and was looking over its shoulder at us. Did you see it? Here, I put a National Geographic-like yellow rectangle around it. Then, it just leapt off.

One thing I didn't tell you was that we had been going downhill so far. That means that we had an uphill climb ahead of us and, boy, was it steep. I'm talking steep. None of that 7% grade sissy stuff. We were going pretty steady at about a 45 degree angle for quite a while. I was so tired... We passed by a yellow grass field and saw some nice vistas(!). But, as we got higher up, we saw ravines, too. I saw some Purplescus Purpledum and Yellowstar Galactica, while Professor Know-It-All saw Purple Thistles and Goldwire Hypericum Concinnum. Yeah, that rolls right off the tongue, doesn't it? Just goes to show that having an "education" isn't everything...

*We got these sammiches at a deli on Saratoga Avenue, right before it turns into Highway 9 (aka, Big Basin Way) in downtown Saratoga. I can't remember the name of it, but it is rumored to have been bought by a busboy who worked there, and the seating area is downstairs from the counter where you order the food. Anyhow, DON'T GO TO THIS PLACE THAT I CAN'T NAME. The sammiches were small for the price. $6.00 each! Sheesh!

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Wow, will you just look at the time???

Okay, Mr. Nonny Nu is snoring away next to me, and I'm losing steam. Stillman, and other merciless TWoNN readers, I'm working on the blog entry for the July 4th hike. It's coming along just fine. No bumps in the road except that I'm dog tired and my brain is shutting down. So, I'll try to finish it tomorrow (technically, later on tonight). Okay, goodnight and good luck, chickadees.

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Forgive me...!!

Please accept my sincerest apologies for this late posting of Saturday's hike. There is good reason, though. Instead of giving you the usual "[insert color here] wild flower" description of the flora and fauna, I did some research and figured out the scientific names of each of the flowers Stillman and I encountered on our hike. I just thought that it would be nice to learn something for once in The World of Nonny Nu. So, here we go...

When I got up in the morning, I was super giddy because I had bought a new camouflage hiking outfit and I couldn't wait to see how well it would work. So, I donned my camou-wear and headed off to Buck's in Woodside* to have breakfast with Stillman, and then off to Purissima Creek Trail. Before setting off on the hike, we made double sure that we didn't have any contraband and took a refresher course on how not to be dumbasses. (Dudes, notice the posting above the one about the mushrooms. We are so in NorCal...)

We set off on the trail where we were met with a fresh-faced banana slug.** Soon, we came upon Purissima Creek proper. Sure, there were a lot of rocks of all shapes and sizes in the creek and, sure, rock crushes scissors in a game of RPS. But,

[deepthought]
in the game of Life, fern grows out of rock.
[/deepthought]

The trail was well-marked and bedecked with trees that were straight as arrows or of the Marianne genus. We continued along the creek and headed into the forest, and encountered a field of magical ferns.

Not to be outdone, members of the Halle genus popped up to say, "Hello!" We also saw some Salad and Orangina (two species that have been known to go well together).

[soothingly]
Shhhh...I know you have questions right now, but you really just worry too much. Sure, anyone in your situation would be wondering how to get a refund from the educational system that never introduced you to the scientific names of these beauties. But, hush...relax. Just enjoy your newfound knowledge. Trust me--I'm a doctor.
[/soothingly]

There was no shortage of (everyone's favorite) Yellow Faced Pink Lions. There were even a few Spotted Spunky Spamajamas. While it's easy to like the elusive Purple Palloja al Shanti Shanti, true camou-wearing sherpas know how to appreciate the rare Spikey Globe Bebop. At this point, our banana slug friend opted for an afternoon nap and Stillman decided to trek on.

Good thing, too, because we next sampled some vistas(!) and some more vistas (!). We then got into a more sunny area where we encountered my camou-competitor. There were also a lot of Jurassic sized plants (taller than Stillman), and the place was just ablaze with activity. Not just bees, butterflies as well. [Stillman: "Oh, look! It's a butterfly gang bang!]

Anywho, it wasn't a surprise that the bees and butterflies were out in droves to see the Purple Panic Punk Rock, and the Aloha Mello Yello. The Pom Pom Peabody were in season and, set next to the White Widow Walanda, the Redrum Redrum! was exquisite. With all these colors, my camou-wear worked like a charm.

* I had the Chorizo Scramble and Stillman had the Buckwheat Pancakes with eggs and bacon (and didn't offer me any of the bacon, just like she didn't offer me any additional blackberries).

** Does anyone know why banana slugs are always so clean, even though they spend all day rolling around in the dirt? Yeah, that isn't one of those questions that the asker knows the answer to.

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Does a bear shit in the woods?This and other life changing questions answered on today's...Journeys with Nonny Nu.

Oh, joyous day!! I know, it's Wednesday and I haven't posted a blog entry for my Saturday hike yet. Shame on me, but I've honestly been swamped with work (I even had to work on the weekend). I've already received complaint(s) from at least one person, which could possibly be Stillman. But, you know, nowadays, anything is possible.

Anyhow, as I was saying, oh, joyous day!! Stillman and I were graced with Mr. Nonny Nu's presence on Sunday when we visited Memorial Park. (I played sherpa to Mr. Nonny Nu.) I was very excited to go on this hike because I skipped last weekend (due to the recent No Hiking By Yourself Decree that was seconded by several readers *roll eyes*). I even printed out color packets of information, including a description of the hike and the map but there were no takers.

On that beautiful foggy morning, we set off on the Memorial Park Trail. It was inadvertantly apropos, since the park is dedicated to the veterans of WWI. We started off on a fire road, which was wide enough for all three of us.

We three stood at attention as the Banana Slugs Memorial Day Parade passed before us. (Okay, the previous sentence is most certainly true if you take into consideration Einstein's Theory of Relativity.) It was a dewey morning, so it's no wonder that we had a great turn out of banana slugs. Boy, was it dewey! Just look at all that dew! (Happy now, Stillman? SHEESH!)

It was a beautiful day, with much opportunity for contemplation. Soon, the fire road narrowed and the trail became sketchy. I thought, "Where's the trail?" So, I kept looking at the map and hike description to make sure we weren't lost. As we went deeper and deeper into the woods, we saw all sorts of stuff. We saw artsy fartsy trees, and Christmas trees. There were trees with vines running through them, and twisty trees. There was also a freaky tree that had like fifty branches coming out of it.

But, we didn't just see trees, we also saw flowers. There were ferns that I had never seen before. There were wild lilacs and white wild flowers. We saw a gigantic mushroom attached to a tree, and a lot of blackberry bushes. Stillman gave the go ahead, so I ate a blackberry.

I started hallucinating and thought that centipedes were crawling all over me.

Okay, I'm just kidding. The blackberry was delicious. As you can see, there were several blackberries available for consumption, but I was only offered ONE. That is why I laughed long and hard when Stillman got slimed by some mysterious foam that was all over the plants. But, then, my comeuppance was mercilessly handed to me when I got wacked with an errant thorn whip. Okay, so maybe that isn't the proper name of that plant, but that is in fact how it worked. Just look at how overgrown this trail is! Since I was wearing shorts, I ate it pretty bad. My leg was tingly all over, like the thorns had burrowed into my muscle and was squirming around. Dr. Stillman then administered some Claritin and told me to not scratch at it. It worked! Because after 48 hours of feeling like I was carrying a pissed off porcupine inside my leg, I'm all better now.

Soon enough, we started to ascend Mt. Ellen. Along the way, the trail widened and we passed some very Shire-looking panorama. Finally, we got to the top, and all we had to show for it was a wooden sign. So, we headed down the hill and back to our starting point.

I paid attention during the hike and I can tell you with 100% accuracy that, no, a bear does not shit in the woods. Well, at least this one didn't.

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