Granny Clampett at the Chamber of Commerce

I went to a Chamber of Commerce mixer at a neighboring town last night to network. It was a great venue so long as you didn't want to see what was offered and you didn't want to hear what was said. What a view though. Up on a golf course, you can't beat it with a stick. Seriously, it was fun, even though I felt like Granny Campett putting my ear to everyone's mouth saying.... eh? Whaaaaat?

The Chamber of Commerce members were FRIENDLY and HELPFUL. I will join the one in my town. Making the mistake of telling everyone I was a caterer and not a baker made me realize people love to talk baking but catering is a snoozer. Won't do that again.

Given our economic times, in the first ten minutes, I got people asking me for jobs. What a world. In the future I'll need employees, so the mixer was helpful in a way I didn't anticipate.

On the baking side, I'm going to a party tomorrow and will bake a red velvet cake. It's my first one. I always experiment with my cakes. If it is scrumptious, I'll post the recipe - and maybe a picture of someone eating it. I just love pictures of people eating. Don't you? Especially, I like sitting across from someone who's relishing what their eating, one of life's little joys.

From County Kildare to County Contra Costa

While running for clover is a great goal, a few obstacles have come up. Hurdle them? Hell yes. I got laid off from my job. It wasn't totally unexpected. The handwriting was on the wall for months but seeing as how I could listen to books on CD while I did my work and got off at 2:30 in the afternoon, I would have done just about anything to keep that sweet deal.

Thank God my daughter's graduating from college in May and it's all paid for. So I can sport around for awhile. My hobby for the last four years has been baking, now I'm going to go at it full time. To be a legit baker in Contra Costa County you need a site evaluation of your facility (bakery) at a cost of $193.00 and a one year permit that costs $766.00. That means I have to bake in a kitchen that I rent, get it approved by the county and pay the permit. Sounds easy? Right?

Try finding who you can talk to at County. After an hour on line pouring over the environmental health page, I could not ascertain who to talk to and where I go. I drove to Martinez to the County Recorder (where I got my business license) and asked the lady behind the window where I go for a baking permit. After watching her shuffle through the county handbook for about ten minutes I said, "I'm glad it's taking you this long, I couldn't figure it out either."

A few minutes later she handed me an address and a phone number. "Wait a sec, I don't think that's the right phone number." Eventually she gave me another number, I called it and got a voicemail. A government agency and a voicemail? noooo, really? ha ha. I drove to the Agency located across from a Marie Callendar's. A hunk of cornbread with honey butter would go down real well right about now, I thought.(This blog will be the opposite of the BIG LOSER.) Avoiding my craving, I trudged on.

Waiting in line to talk to the planner, I overheard some poor bastard trying to get a permit to build a pool.

"I need the permit by Friday. My client wants us to start construction Monday." The PB said.

"Oh," the planner cringed, "We won't even look at these plans for two weeks."

"But, my client wants the pool finished by April 1st. I didn't even know I had to go through you."

The planner went on. "We have 30 days to review a permit. Sorry."

The construction worker put his head down, rolled up his plans and handed them over. "Call me." He said.

Naturally my first question was how long it took for a site inspection of a commercially owned bakery.

"About a week or less."

"Whew."

He smiled."I don't get much call for catering permits in this area." His eyes widened.

"I bet." I grinned again. "Look, I have to go legit because eventually I want to open a place and I need to grow my business."

"Now you can advertise." He volunteered.

I nodded.

Drop in at the South Pole? Not

While it's hard to drag me away from anything POLAR you couldn't drag me to the south Pole on the upcoming anniversaries of Scott and Amundsen's journey's to the elusive Pole. The New York times is running an article today by Jennifer Kingson on the new craze to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of Scott and Amundsen's feat by "dropping in" to Antartica for a little look see. Yikes.

Since we're leaving in September my goal for January

is to figure out if I can attend the Shackleford Autumn School in Kildare when we're in Ireland. I won't let the fact that Ranulf Fiennes called him a "gas bag" deter me. And I'm not going to footnote stuff, but he was quoted that in the tremendously wonderful book by Isobel Williams, With Scott in the Antartic. Of course it goes without saying (although I'll probably be a giant gas bag when I talk about it) that we're visiting the Scott Polar Institute in Cambridge the day after we land in Heathrow. I do not want to get ahead of myself though. Today, since I'm having my domino buddies over for Sue and Pascale's birthday dinner and I'm making Irish stew as we speak (Speke, now there was an explorer), I've got to see if we can go as a visitor for a day at Shackleford's. My daughter will only be able to stand one lecture. Me, I could attend the school for a year. It's good for me to have her perspective. She anchors me, if you'll excuse the pun.

Information on Shackleford's school is available July 2011, duly noted. There was a lecture Nov 19, 2010 by Michael Smith on his book The Great Endeavor about Irish explorers. When we get to the Athy Heritage Museum we'll be able to hear it. Since my birthday is September 28 and I want to be in Ireland for it. I may have to schedule the trip more in October than September to catch a lecture at the Shackleford's.

Better than running for cover

Although... I don't know at any given time whether I'm running for cover or clover. Since my goal this year is to get to Scotland/Ireland and Wales and it's more positive to run for green grass than cower under a blanky, so let's go with clover. Running is the operative word anyway. I'll have to haul ass to get there in nine months. No, not the kind of hauling ass that happens when you strap on your trainers... that my friend is physical exercise, this kind of movement is very small and uses ten digits. The only car I'll see when planning for this escapade is carpal tunnel This is 2011 travel sponsored by Off Peak times, Promo codes, reservations online, virtual tours, and Rick Steves DVDs.

Since the very thought of all the computer time makes me nauseated, naturally the first first stop I've planned is Glenmorangie Distillery in Scotland. Nothing like a slug of single malt to get the blood flowing, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Cramming in all the planning is impossible since I live in Danville and work full time in SF. I'm a commute hog traveling to and fro alone in my car due to my rabid fear of enclosed spaces under water. BART is not an option. My daughter who will be accompanying me on the trip is content to let me plan it which is not altogether good. It's her graduation present from college. If she wants to come with me on an adventure I make up so be it. No complaints and no using the word "awesome" to describe A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G.

And we're off...