Vibrant Journey » Entertainment

A Life at Sea?

Luis Menchu — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 18:25:10 +0000

Last night I awoke to the rhythmic creaking of a brig’s hull making sail for San Francisco bay. Only as I arose to take my watch on deck with the incessant creaking continuing did I take note of the odd city noises in the background. Awareness soon followed; I am not aboard ship but in a hotel room with apparent aspirations of a life at sea.

Now a choice awaits me. Shall I continue to enjoy my virtual life at sea while in the city by the bay or jump ship for that distant silent shoreline across the hall?

Art Literacy Rhapsody

Luis Menchu — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 05:35:16 +0000

Jennifer Bartlett’s Rhapsody inspires these small art panels crafted at home by dad and daughter. The kids at school will be crafting pieces for a large installation as part of art literacy. We get to play and work on the projects as a trial run for the classrooms.

You might remember our Chinese Dragon Puppets from a previous art literacy program.

Chinese Dragon Puppets

Luis Menchu — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 08:07:39 +0000

A fun evening crafting Chinese dragon puppets. All the students at the school will be making them soon, so we played to build samples and figure out ideas for materials needed.

Three souls expressed in our creative clan of dragons.

Chicken Soup for a Fall Day

Luis Menchu — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 07:19:46 +0000

There is nothing like homemade chicken soup for a cold fall day and it is even better with carrots from the garden and baby bok choy from the farmer’s market.

Chicken Soup

Exposing My YouTube.com Expanded Memory

Luis Menchu — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 06:13:57 +0000

I have been my introverted, modest self and for a year or so not announced my YouTube.com videos here when I’ve posted them. The videos are largely weekend chores around the house that I need to remember how to do the next time around. So YouTube.com is my long-term memory and, it turns out, the videos are helpful to others.

Over the past year or so I’ve posted seven weekend chore videos that have been viewed over 30,000 times. I know it isn’t impressive compared to many videos, but my expectations were low. I didn’t really expect a video showing how to clean a bathtub drain with a lift-and-turn stopper would get over 14,000 views. Apparently I’m not the only one that has had trouble removing that stopper.

Perhaps some of my shyness related to the quality of the videos. Usually I’m on my own so the chore is performed and filmed just by me with the camera on a tripod or in one hand while I work with the other. No fancy lighting, just the camera’s microphone and I try to get it done in one take. (I did have to retake one portion of the Fisher & Paykel Diverter Valve Repair.)

Now of course I kick myself if I perform a chore and don’t tape it. Initially my family thought I was a bit silly posting the videos but the many positive comments received are proof that many of us need help with these small household chores and could all benefit from a shared and expanded memory.

Know Your Mojo

Luis Menchu — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 20:19:00 +0000

So I’m a matchmaker, I thought for sure I’d be a wallflower. Well at least I know my mojo and am doing my part to promote the new Yahoo! home pages.

PCC’s Poppe Panther

Luis Menchu — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 01:41:44 +0000

The Panther mascot at Portland Community College is really strutting his stuff as of late. He’s got a new video on YouTube.com and is pawing the latest happenings into Twitter. This is quite a break from the reclusive behavior I had been accustomed to from our Panther. Once rarely seen in the wilds on campus, Poppe is now spotted commonly on campus and across the Web.

Poppe Panther and his brethren form a proud ink of panthers to be mascots of schools. While I am aware of professional and university panther mascots, I was not aware of the population of panthers touting the mission of community colleges.

The Chronicles of Goodfoot and Toaster

Luis Menchu — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 00:02:52 +0000

The first volume of The Chronicles of Goodfoot & Toaster: The Misunderstood Union is now available for the world. This soon-to-be cult classic tried in vain to avoid being posted online but finally relented to the throngs awaiting its release. The Misunderstood Union is loosely based upon actual events in the lives of our main characters.

(The Chronicles of Goodfoot and Toaster is a wedding card produced by a father-daughter team one fun afternoon.)

Kash, er, iKash

Luis Menchu — Wed, 20 May 2009 05:55:06 +0000

Kash, er, iKash

This is the money you could have saved going with Geico!

Daughter is either quite creative, watching too much TV or both.

Direct from phone to you.

Scrapple Fest at Reading Market

Luis Menchu — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 14:27:13 +0000

Our morning started at the Reading Market which is always an exciting adventure of noise, smells and sights. Today was especially unique as it was Scrapple Fest Day!

Scrapple? You don’t know what scrapple is? Well I didn’t either and I’m still not sure I do. Pork, I know that. The other ingredients are a mystery to me. I know I could look it up but I’m not sure I want to. My impression after viewing and tasting is that scrapple is a browner version of Spam.

The truck below was a “Guess the Weight” contest. I guessed 35 pounds and was told I was close (as I’m sure everyone heard that missed) and awarded a balloon.

While I can’t say I enjoyed my sample of scrapple, I did thoroughly enjoy the atmosphere and excitement that Scrapple Fest brought to the market.