Chip'n'Dale rescue rangers

Mr.Fritz is an angel. Golden Gate Bridge angel. He is a part of official Bridge Patrol, who talks with people on the edge. In several years Fritz talked off jumping hundreds of people. Everyday he is riding his tiny three-wheel vehicle along the main symbol of San Francisco. He says the people who want to jump - jump, the others just really need to talk with someone and that what he is there for.

Googland

It is 10 years since the word “Google” quite fast turned from proper name to a verb. All over the world people use it as an invitation to look for answers in the Internet. The search may take you pretty much anywhere. But we took it to the Google village ourselves. So welcome!

Salsa. Best Recipe.

Salsa like every sauce has a recipe. We dare to say that we’ve learnt some of the secrets of well-made Salsa Party here in San Francisco in club “Impala”.

Time of cooking: 3,5 hours

Cost: $10

Ingredients:

Take about 1000 lbs of friends and soak them in a bottle of a good mood. Pour the mix of different nationalities to the dance-floor and hit it up to 100F. Grind the bits of salsa, bachata and merenge spices in the DJ-vessel. Now just stir it all together on fire somewhere around midnight. And your delicious salsa-potion is ready. 

Grab a spoon!

Yosemite National Park

We've been away for a while. We were spinning in Yosemite National Park, one of the first wilderness parks in the US. No comments, just pictures:

Singing in Seattle

Have you ever applauded in the church? Have you ever heard bass guitar and drums in the church? Have you ever seen pastor excited jumps during his speech? Go to the Mount Zion Baptist church in Seattle and you will see. 

Pedal to the metal!

We still didn’t get to the Disneyland to check out all the roller coasters, but we’ve got enough of a preview on American rides. Driving in a snow storm and through the blinding mist, in the night busy city and on National park waving roads – this is just a part of rough course for roadtrip-beginner we’ve got.

Skyscrapers of the forest

Getting into the Redwoods is like a trip to a childhood, when everything was big, tall and important. The Humboldt Redwoods took our breath away. It was truly a huge thing on our way.

Experience Twilight

Have you ever thought what would happen to your little home town if one day the film crew would come and set a whole movie there? 

First it would give your town lots of extra money - the film-guys also got to eat and sleep somewhere, you know. Plus different and unpredictable things which they may need including extra people for a background, who are also payed. And when all this circus will leave the town the place will get back to its same life for a six months or so until the movie will be edited and released.

RV - runaway vacation

Wild wild west is a birth place for RV (recreation vehicle). Many years ago forefathers of present Americans came there with a household on wheels pulled by horse.

Russian American

On the way from Newport to Reedsport, OR we stopped to check out the Sea Lions’ Cave. It was wonderful to see them so close laying on each other. But we didn’t expect to find our countrymen there. In the gift shop. Group of five dressed in leather are having a big road trip from San Diego to Seattle by brutal motorbikes.  It seemed too odd to meet them so we thought it’s time for our “Russians in America” topic.

Let's get married!

I do! I do! I do! This words will crown one of the happiest day of your life. There are lots of aspects need to be thought through before the wedding itself. One of them is a ceremony and a minister. We were lucky to talk to with very creative one. She is Universal minister with 12 years experience of marring people in Portland. Couples call her when they want:

• To merge traditions of two cultures
• To create non-religious ceremony with depth
• To get silly and funny but keep it professional

Details

New city or new house. You look around once or twice and you already know if you like this spot or not. What makes your opinion? Our theory says - that it is mostly about simple details.

There are a lot of things to like about Suzanne's house: the antic dolls collection, 170 years old quilt, cute little garden on the back yard. But the plush Big dog - Mr.B, is definitely on the top of them all.

Into the wild

 “Desire to work outdoors and respect for nature” - says Rudy Wilson, the Mount Rainier National Park ranger – “That is all it takes to work here.” And what a literally beautiful  this job would be!

400 people were hired as “extra” just this April for a season 2011. And all of them are gonna have lots of to do. The park is full of things to keep its staff and guests occupied:

- climbing seminars (for ones, who dies to get high fast)

- talks and walks (for history and legends hungry)

- junior ranger quest (for an energetic future generation)

40 000 visitors would come and spend hours or days in the park each year. It costs some money. But if  you find yourself being a Native American, then you can show up by the gates without a single penny in your pocket. The guard will let you in absolutely gratis. Why? Because it was yours forefathers territory and sacred place long time ago. Even now some tribes get together to have traditional private ceremonies by the 14410ft tall mountain of Rainier. No witnesses are allowed.

A tip from a ranger:  This Park has got a wide variety of fauna. If you meet the Black Bear or a Mountain Lion remember:  “Don’t run. Back slowly. Talk loudly.”

Rest well )))

Market News

The food is good. Good food is even better. Our little stewards – Fishka-cat and Eddie-rat are exploring the best combination of price and quality in local trade spaces. Some market news from them in case you are off to shop in the USA:

$14 smoked salmon fettucini

$2.50 croissant with spinach and feta cheese

$3.10 coffee mocha

$2 mango

$1.50 blueberry oatmeal muffin

$0.99 bunch of asparagus

$0.99 pack of strawberries

Never wear it without a smile

We get an American smile with every mile.  It is about 6 cities which we have checked in the USA so far. And wherever we go people seem to be friendly and welcoming to visitors like us. The basic like “Excuse me! Where am I?” - answers and hospitality we do not even count. Here is our top three for today: 

Riding a bus to the Airport. We sit hugging our bags, thinking how to get in time. The nice old lady hangs above us:  “So what’s your next adventure, girls?”, “Where are you from?”, “Good luck to you”. A smile and she is leaving the bus. No reason, but what a pleasure!

Seattle’s Museum of Flight is the major city’s high-light. In there we asked one on the guards where we can buy tickets. He volunteered to walk us to the counter, while asking where do we come from. And in the end gave us two membership cards, which helped us getting free tickets to see all the airplanes plus an exhibition. 

The Water Taxi to the west of Seattle. The crew was taking care of the tickets and we got to talk. The tricky question “Where can I see orcas?” was followed by detailed directions for our road trip. We went on our sits upstairs, but one of the staff members found us there. He asked whether we have seen seals before... The number of pictures was made 10 min later, when captain had almost stopped the ferry in the bay waters to tell us that on the left board now we can see those cute animals nesting on the buoy.

These “American smiles” are not making our days on this trip, they do inspire for more

All kinds of jobs

I listen to your problems for $2.00

Way to school

Have you ever thought of a bus driver as a second mom? No? Mrs. Graff wouldn’t agree. Because for a upcoming Mother’s Day she is gonna receive lots of attention and even cards from her young passengers. She is a Middle Township Elementary school bus driver for 3 years. Every morning she hits the same road to pick up her kids for the school. Sometimes they play songs, sometimes silent game – it is a lot of fun on the road there. Don’t miss it!

Quilt the happiness

The wedding of your fave little sister what would be your present? You want something more then just a gift. "Quilting? Sounds good. Why not to try?", thought Corinne. The King Size Bed cover, a year of work and the happy bride.

Since that 12 years putting patches of all colors of rainbow together - Corinne's beloved hobby.

Are you a GREEN-go too?

Greener and greener an American go... With years it is become more and more trendy to care for your planet. In a good sense. It is nice.

It is everywhere. You go shopping for dinner. All those show-cases' around you are labeled with the rates from 1 to 5 grading the amount of humanity with which your future stake has been treated before it had become one. The highest grade would be given to the meat, which:

- have lived for its life at the same farm (no experience of transportation stress)
- have eaten just a fresh grass (no chemicals involved)
- have never been cut in any parts off while alive (ears, legs even horns).

"100% grass fed" - the label above the row of bright pink pork parts. You buy i and three hours later you feel simply happier for this piece of piglet at your plate. That peace in minds helps to digest things better too.

Some people go further. They decide don't eat meat at all. That is called vegetarian. Why do it? Because "there is not enough meat for everyone on the planet", "because of animal rights" and finally it comes - "it feels good".

That was a BBQ party in Brooklyn last week. We were discussing food there. And a big, smart and very nice in all senses guy was saying: "You know, I love meat. All those kinds of it, the color, the smell.. just mouth-watering!.. But you eat your burger and after two hours you feel broken and stuff! You want to sleep, you don't wonna move... And on the other side you eat only this spinach and you got all this energy, just like a superman!".

Anyways... whether you are a vegetarian or you are a meat lover, if you want maximum from your food, you have got to learn this word - nutrition. Where nutrition if simply is all vitamins, minerals and fibres in the product. And the more you get it per calorie, better for you. This figure would be called ANDI (Aggregate Nutrient Density Index). And let me tell you that the kale has 1000 ANDI-points, when your soda-drink scores only 1 of those. Go figure!