Octopodial Chrome

Tonight I made pickled lemons & limes (I’d a large number left from my party back in August, and even a fridge as cool as mine cannot make food last forever). Essentially, one takes the fruit, cuts in nearly in half, then jars it up along with salt, pepper and saffron, then adds juice (preferably fresh-squeezed) until covered, then lets sit for three to four weeks. Which means that I’ve a good time left to go until I can sample the wares. I’m looking forward to it, though.

One Jenny Turner has written Reasons for Liking Tolkien, an essay which shifts about curiously. On the one hand the author has an obvious liking for the books; on the other she calls them the Franklin Mint collectible of English literature. She’s also a fan of Philip Pullman’s utterly foul and evil His Dark Materials series; also, there are some quite disturbing (and rather incorrect) bits. Overall, though, it’s a good read, and quite interesting.

Quenya, of course, was the High Elven Tolkien devised for his Middle Earth. It’s a remarkably mellifluous tongue, inspired by Finnish and, I believe, Welsh. Quenya Lapseparma has a long list of names translated into High Elven by examining what the name means (yes, Virginia, real names actually mean something). For example, my name means Bright-fame Manly Owl (utterly ridiculous—it puts those silly aboriginal names into perspective), which turns into Alcarcalimo Vëon Huon. My buddy Phil’s becomes Roccondil (or Melarocco) Olwon Ulmo; my brother Thomas becomes Onono Eruntano (or Eruantano, or Uviteru, or Alteru) Huon. Pretty slick, I think.

Sunday marked the tenth anniversary of my arrival in Denver. I still remember arriving at old Stapleton; the snow on the ground; Dad explaining that here one vents the car to the outside to let the dry air defog the windows &c. For the first few years I hated the place, then went off to college only to return upon graduation. Now I absolutely love it: there’s nowhere else—with the possible exception of Oregon—that I’d rather be. I love Colorado: great beer; great weather; great food; great music and great people.