Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Yes, its true, I've been a bad blogger. I've neglected to update my blog in a REEEEEAAALLY long time.

I'm currently working on migrating my blog to a different blog which has a new name yet to be determined. I'm also thinking about jumping on the twitter bandwagon but I want to have a unified online life so I am taking some time to think about a new user name. I've stood by the 'schmiddy66' moniker for too long. I mean c'mon, doesn't that name sound sooooooo high school? Hopefully I'll have a new link posted out here soon.

Thanks for the opposable thumbs!

Happy 200th birthday to Charles Darwin!

Thanks for 'On the Origin of Species'

West Michigan Coop

I had my first pick up from the West Michigan Co-op the other day, and it was a great one! I got a lot of great food and everyone there was really nice! After getting lost, walking in the wrong door to the building and consequently walking around like an idiot for a while, I got the hang of things and was able to get all my stuff easily and people were more than willing to help me out and chat about their products.

The Locavore Challenge is sort of on hiatus due to poor planning on the start date (rescheduled for an April/May start) but I am still going to try and eat as local as possible. One of my favorite pick ups was the Blue Majesty potatoes I bought from Funny Farm Organics. I have never seen blue potatoes before. I immediately made mashed potatos with them and sure enough, they taste like potatos....

I will be looking forward to future monthly pick ups especially when the growing season starts and the veggies come in big-time. Until then, I'll see you at McDonald's (just kidding).

First Annual Diamond Cutters Ice Fishing Weekend

One thing I've noticed in the last few cold Michigan winters is that if you take up hobbies that make the winter enjoyable you will have something to look forward to and it makes the sub-zero temperatures more beareable. Mine is snowboarding however, with recent developments I find myself unable to snowboard due to a separated shoulder in December.

So to cull the days of cabin fever I made plans to have some family and friends up to the Sage Lake cottage for a weekend of ice fishing. Before I knew it I had invited upwards of 30 people to the cottage! It worked out becuase only 23 ended up being able to go and only around 18 actually made it and one of the participants was my uncle who has a cabin across the lake from ours. Most people had a place to crash and some passed out on the floor to avoid the snorer's room.

Unfortunately we didn't catch a single fish but a great time was had by all and we even got see Chris who lives in California and we seldom get to see. Most of the time I was to busy to take pictures but I've got a few with, playing host or imbibing mass quantities of alcohol to stay warm. Keep in mind that the more one drinks, the warmer the weather seems. This weekend was cold, very cold.

Easiest way to get around on the ice - Snowmobile or Quad, thankfully we had both. Safety is key on these kinds of trips. Thanks uncle Scott.

Brad's to snowmobiles were enjoyed by all and after a little work getting them going, they ran relatively well. Its also really fun to get pulled on a saucer by a wakeboarding tow rope, trust me..

Taken right after I woke Uncle Gene from his slumber - yea thats right, it was below zero and this guy is sleeping on a plastic chair on the ice.


Chad and Scott had to take care of uncle Dan after a stumble face first into the snow. Some shenanigans took place around this fire ring that will never be forgotten. Danny went inside soon after and slept while we messed with him. Notice the self whitewash as he faceplanted with glasses on.


The survivors hanging out by the fire after a long day of unsuccessful fishing. I was thankful everyone could make it and had a good time.

Next year I think we will pick a different lake/river to fish on. So mark your calendars for the third weekend in January 2010!

Music Update

High Fidelity style Top 5 bands I'm digging on right now:




1. Kings of Leon - Only by the Night - going to see them on the 26th in Lansing if anyone wants to go.

2. Iron and Wine (I discovered their pre-Shepard's Dog albums - great cover of 'Such Great Heights')


3. Blitzen Trapper - Furr


4. Matt Costa - I can't help it I love the songs we sing. Its the best music to shower by.

5. Rachael Yamagata - Elephants......Teeth Sinking into Heart. Kind of sad but she has a beautiful voice.

I've been in a pretty mellow mood musically lately. Putting the metal and scream-core on hold for the time being. I'm wondering when the Music industry executive is going to knock down my door and take me to jail though!

Please, chime in with opinions, comments, suggestions, and sarcasm!

Something to Make All This Snow Worthwhile

I recently went snowshoeing with my friend Colleen in the Pinkney State Recreation area and took some pics. Its nice to have something to do outside when you can't go snowboarding b/c you're broken.

The Trail was beautiful, and thankfully Colleen and Mel had been out the day before and beat down the path so snow didn't pile up on our shoes. Mel is apparently good at finding spots to take pictures, using trees and sign posts for the camera becuase we didn't need to look for a spot, just re-took the ones from the day before

We took the short route this time but next time I definitely want to do the whole 6 mile loop.

Locavore Slow Food challenge

So seeing as the first of the year is steadily approaching and I've made claims to start this locavore slow food challenge (props to Kate for the new word) I thought it appropriate to give an update or at least start defining the ground rules of this idea. I have been reading this book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver that a friend suggested to me and its giving me quite a few good ideas on how I am actually gonig to pull this off.

This book is about how a family moved out from their city life in Arizona to a farm they owned in Virginia and decided that for a year they would only eat local food and try and reduce distance their food traveled. Its pretty amazing when one steps back and actually looks at the food cycle he or she is a part of. Especially when a book like this points out how silly it actually is to eat food that comes all the way from China instead of food from the farmer who lives less than an hour away. Not only does it take less fossil fuels but it is healthier and promotes responsible farming practices and fair treatment of workers (not to say that non-American farmers can't farm w/out destroying the land - just that industrial farming doesn't really take into account the land they are destroying and that most food imported is owned by large farming corporations).

I am stepping off my soapbox now. Back to the topic at hand, the challenge. It started out in the form of me not eating any meat that doesn't directly result from me (hunted, caught or raised etc.). This is somewhat hard to do considering I have 20 square feet of front lawn and no room to raise any sort of animals. This also doesn't take into count all the vegetables I would be eating, that is a big part of the food 'industry'. So I have designed the ground rules as follows.

The Locavore Slow Food Challenge:

1. If I cannot produce something first hand I will and get it from the farmers market or a farmers co-op that sells all year round online. If i still cannot get it I will go to the local health food store and look for it organically. If I still can't get it depending on how much I need it I may go to Meijer and get it organically.

2. Starting in the middle of the winter is probably the worst timing for this challenge seeing as I have only stockpiled venison and frozen fruits that are mostly not organic, so I am affording myself some loopholes until the growing season starts in March so anything I already have stocked up is fair game (but I'm not going to stock pile anything else)

3. Any meat must be non-CAFO (Confined Animal Feed Operation) In other words no meat from industrial meat operations. Any vegetables must be at least grown locally if not organic (although certified organics are also becoming kind of a joke).

4. The hardest rule of all (bar nights and long car rides will suck!) NO FAST FOOD.

This is how I am going to do it:

I will make a monthly order from the West Michigan Co-op.

I will shop at my local independant grocer that carries many different kinds of organic food.

I will buy bread from the local bakery by my house

I will try to cut out as many packaged foods as possible including organics.

I will become a member of a local CSA at Trillium Haven Farm (anyone in the GR area want to go in on a share? Trillium with doesn't split shares and I dont need vegetables for a family of 4 but two other ppl would work out good)

I will buy vegetables as they are in season from the farmers market on saturdays and can, freeze and pickle as many as possible.

I've got enough venison to feed a family of 4 so after sharing I should have enough to totally cut out the need for purchasing red meat and I will buy my poulty, dairy and any other meats I need from the co-op or the local farm store as needed.

There are still probably millions of things I am not taking into account but I will cross those bridges when I get to them.