AntSaint

Christmas Vacation... and Announcement

Oh yeah, computers... I forgot to go near mine the past few days. Which means I forgot to blog that Antsaint is on vacation till after the New Year. Duh.

In very, very good news though... Jodie and I are engaged! Dates, etc., to be set. Thanks to many friends for support and conspiratorial advice. You know who you are :-)

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go kiss my fiance.

Old ice cream parlour will become Italian pizzeria

When I first saw this headline — Classic ice cream parlour closes: The Register-Guard, Eugene, Ore. — my heart skipped. I was scared to death that Prince Puckler's had shuttered, but luckily, it has not. However, another Eugene ice cream icon, the Pearl Street Ice Cream Parlour, on 13th & Pearl, has closed for good. According to the R-G article, the Beppe & Gianni’s folks are taking over the space and will convert it into a pizzeria.

Family Style Dinner at Iraila Restaurant for Saturday, Dec. 29, 2007

Spanish Family Syle December 29 at 6:30 $30.00 at Eugene's Iraila Restaurant

From the Iraila newsletter: I haven't done some of these recipes in a couple of years — but am really happy to be re-visiting them before the end of the year. PLEASE NOTE... Drinks not included (although we will be offering Sangria!)

• We'll start with Sopa de Ajos a garlic/paprika soup with crusty croutons
• Next a Tortilla Espanola a layered potato dish with beaten egg, mild chilies, red onion and a layer of garroxta cheese
• A little Lemon Granitas (fluffy flavored ice) as a lil' palate cleanser and then we'll dig into...
• Paella - we'll of course have the classic saffron rice with hunks of chicken and Cattail Creek Lamb sausages and a seafood medley of fish, clams, shrimp and calamari, bell peppers onions and a ton of lemon wedges.
• We'll also have a vegetarian version with the saffron rice and zucchini, turnips, rutabaga and grilled portobellos. - I will have just some seafood medley for those vegetarians who do seafood - let us know when you rsvp!
• We'll finish off withe Kenne's Suspiro de Bilbao - 'Sighs of Bilbao' - an airy almond meringue served on a crunchy almond sugar cookie - all topped with a gooey apricot sauce.

RSVP today — iraila.com or call (541) 684-8400.

Editing Basics FAQ from Angela Harms

Editing is by no means simple, but I hadn't even thought of how many different levels there are to editing. And I am an editor. Ahem. Luckily for schmoes like me, Angela Harms has thought a great deal about the many facets and levels of editing, and has even put together a helpful Editing Basics FAQ.

Golden Toad Chipotle Pepper Sauce

We love our hot sauce, and this Golden Toad Chipotle Pepper Sauce reviewed in the Hot Sauce Blog sounds like a tangy chipotle must-have for our cabinets. Hmmm, reminds me of the crockpot chili recipe I've been working on...

Eugene Irish Festival Daytime Festival: Sheldon High School, Saturday, March 8th, 10:30 am to 6 pm

The daytime festivities of the Eugene Irish Festival include many talks and workshops, as well as great food, music and crafts:

Featured Workshops and Performances (list subject to change, check out eugeneirishfest.org):

• Irish Sea Shanties- singing workshop with Shay Black
• Irish Chorus Songs - singing workshop with Michael Black
• Songs from Dublin- singing workshop with Martin Black
• Irish Whistle Workshop - taught by Gerry Carthy
• Guitar Workshop -taught by Dave Cory
• Uilleann Pipe Workshop - taught by Eliot Grasso
• Irish Fiddle Workshop - taught by Dan Compton, from Portland
• Irish Percussion Workshop - bodhran, bones & spoons, taught byVash
• Irish Language Workshop - taught by Gerry Carthy
• Irish Calligraphy Workshop- taught by Anne Merydith
• Learn to Draw Celtic Knots - taught by Anne Merydith
• Patrick Kavanagh, One of Ireland's Finest2 0th Century Authors - presented by Mark Quigley, UO professor whospecializes in Irish literature
• Arts and Culture of the Aran Islands and West of Ireland - presented by Diane Dugaw, UO professor who specializes in folklore of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
• Irish Stone Masonry - presented by Alan Ash, an expert atstone masonry and rebuilt a 1700s authentic Irishhouse shipped over from Ireland to Virginia.
• Irish Story Telling - told for people of all ages by YvonneYoung
• Gerry Carthy -will perform Irish music with several instruments
• Circled By Hounds- Matthew Hayward-McDonald, Kathryn Claire, Sarah Dee and Vash
• Tonn Nua - a local group of teenage musicians who play Irish music
• Eliot Grasso and Dave Cory - will perform Irish music together
• Traditional Irish Step Dancing - Murray Irish Dancers from Portland
• Sheldon Choir and The Dublinairs - will sing Irish songs
• Ceili Mor - a performance by a Celtic music class from the UofO

Other Activities (list subject to change, check out eugeneirishfest.org):

• Irish Ceili Dance
• Family Activities
• Irish Food
• Vendors

Tickets: $8 adults; $6 students and seniors; children 5 years old or younger, free. Tickets will be sold at the event, or you can pay in advance fortickets and pick them up at the Will-call table.

Remember — mark your calendars now for the Eugene Irish Cultural Festival, held March 7-8, 2008. See you there!

Eugene Irish Festival Evening Concert: University of Oregon's Beall Concert Hall, Friday, March 7th, 8 PM

The first night of the Eugene Irish Festival includes at concert at Beall Hall, full of some varied Irish music:

The Black Brothers (Michael, Martin and Shay) come from Ireland's foremost family of song (brothers of Mary Black). They grew up in the Dublin area with music as an integral part of their upbringing. You will enjoy hearing their beautiful voices and harmonies as well as their humorous and thought-provoking songs.

Gerry Carthy was born and raised in County Mayo and plays numerous instruments and sings. He was one of the musicians who started the famous session in The Crane pub in Galway.

Eliot Grasso & Dave Cory have been playing together for several years. Eliot plays  Uilleann pipes, flute and whistle and recently received his Masters degree in Ethnomusicology from the University of Limerick in Ireland and is now a PhD student in Ethnomusicology at the University of Oregon. Dave Cory, who is a well-known and respected banjo, octave mandolin and bodhran player among Irish musicians and is currently on tour in Ireland.

Tickets

• $13 for adults, $9 for students and seniors
• Purchase in advance through the UO Ticket Office, in person or over the phone: 346-4363
• This year, ticket sales will include assigned seating, no general admission
• Tickets will also be sold the evening of the concert at the Beall Hall ticket office

5th Annual Eugene Irish Cultural Festival - Mar. 7-8 2008

Looking for a weekend of good ol' Irish culture, but right here in Eugene? Mark off your calendars for March 7-8, when the Eugene Irish Festival hits town again. Evening concerts on March 7 will be held in UO's Beall Concert Hall, with the daytime festivities held at Sheldon High School. More about the Eugene Irish Festival...

Monday Web reading round-up: Faster Google & 2007's Best Web Designs

My favorite read from Monday is the first link. Sometimes people ask about this and that bit of code in a webpage, what it means for search engines and such, and this piece gives good, simple explanations:

• Official Google Webmaster Central Blog: Answering more popular picks: meta tags and web search
• Google Indexing Even Faster? - Search Engine Guide
• Monday Inspiration: Creative Workplaces | Design Showcase | Smashing Magazine
• Best Of CSS Design 2007 | Sideblog | Smashing Magazine

Market panic? Here's a little graphical perspective

Ah, 2007 — another year when everyone suddenly wants out of the stock market. Panic! We're losing everything! Or are we? The past may not predict the future, but hey, at some point, the past was the future, so it's worth taking a look at. This post, using graphs to illustrate market ups and downs over the last 11-ish years, is one more reason why I'm not bailing out of anything, anytime soon:

Link: A Visual History of the Stock Market From 1996 - 2007 : Generation X Finance.

"With the current volatility in the market, it causes people to begin questioning their investments and wondering where we’re headed. In my profession, I have to work with uneasy clients daily, and it can be difficult to remind them that the stock market is constantly moving and generally goes through cycles."