*Al* Appreciation Thread!

[Diana Kulaga]

This is a shout out to Friends of Al! Tell us your fondest memory, favorite Al-ism, what you love about him, whatever.

Me first: I love his typos! Only he could get away with it.

Diana

[Al Pickrel]

Oh behave! Everybody disserves his/her own appreciation day.

[Al Pickrel]

Save the appreciation day until after my obituary is posted. (I wrote THAT myself so it has all the good parts edited out.)

[Diana Kulaga]

*Disserves* is but one example of the things I like about you! And no, I will not behave and you can't make me. Nyanyanya!

Diana

[Al Pickrel]

Well if I can't make you behave at least make it a "Roast." ...and be sure to invite Charo. She still makes laugh.

[Diana Kulaga]

It was always intended to be a roast, ninny!

Diana

[Wendy7]

He never got a dinner!!!!! Cheers Al, Wendy ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This questionnaire has been circulated many times in the last half decade. But I will answer again. Some of my answers have changed and it is time to update the form.

I am Al.

It appears to be the planet earth. Leesburg Virginia USA to be specific.

Lots of things. Phals species are my biggest love. I have Big Plans for breedings them. Big Plans.

The birth certificate puts me in my early 40s. But that refers only to physical age. In mind and spirit there is conciderable vasscilation and I would have a hard time pinning it down.

Since I was 16.

Two or so years ago I got the BIG greenhouse I have always wished for and learned definitivly that it is true what they say: Be careful what you wish for.

It makes me nervous to know that physcologists read what we write here.

I have a website/web business that supports my orchids but not me:

I like to garden.

I have been stuck in this newsgroup for about 5 years now and still can't find the door. On occasion I have claimed to be an Alien from Outer Space. Strictly speaking, this is true. I have also claimed to play the fool but I think of this role as being more like 'court jester' and don't mind at all when others vie for the roles of village idiot or Supreme Monarch. It's fun to watch. I always have appreciated the good advice people offer on orchids and their culture to all the other stuff I find here. But I also know I am a significant contributor of 'other stuff'. I have issues to work out. Basically, this is a good group and the people who use it are good people.

Late at night when I can't sleep I like to re-read my posts to this newsgroup and count the number of times I use the word "I". I find it amusing.

[jankey]

-scratching head-

Wasn't there something about blue spandex...?

--j_a

Diana Kulaga wrote:

[K Barrett]

Then there's this:

There once was a lady from venus who grew orchids of ever-ry genus "I've filled up the house and tossed out the spouse Cause only my plants come between us"

or maybe this one

There once was a lady from venus who grew orchids of ever-ry genus "I've filled up the house Now out with you Spouse! These orchids are better than.... umm...ahhh.... oh drat!

...I swear, it's right on the tip of my tongue...

Al

K

[K Barrett]

After the week Al's had I think he needs a cookie. These kick ass.

K Barrett

Triple-chocolate cookies - makes 26 cookies

The key to the fudgy texture is letting them cool on the baking sheets.

3 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 1/2 c bittersweet chocolate chips - they like Hershey's special dark or Ghiradelli double chocolate bittersweet chips

7 T unsalted butter, cut in pieces

2 t instant coffee

2 t vanilla

3 large eggs at room temp

1 c sugar

1/2 c all-purpose flour

1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

1 1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips

Melt unsweetened chocolate, bittersweet chips and butter in heatproof bowl set over saucepan of simmering water, stirring frequently, until just completely smooth and glossy. Remove bowl from pan and set aside to cool slightly.

Stir coffee powder and vanilla together in small bowl until dissolved.

Beat eggs and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer at med-high speed until very thick and pale - about 4 min.

Add vanilla-coffee mixture until incorporated - 20 sec.

Reduce speed to low, add chocolate mixture until thoroughly combined - 30 sec.

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in medium bowl.

Using large rubber spatula, fold flour mixture and semisweet chips into batter.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand at room temp for 20-30 min until it firms up - it will more closely resemble thick brownie batter than cookie dough.

Meanwhile, adjust 2 oven racks to upper and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using 1 heaping T batter per cookie, place 2" apart alternating rows 3,2,3,2,3 for 13 per tray.

Bake until cookies are shiny and cracked on top, 11 to 14 min, rotating sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking time. Transfer baking sheets to racks and cool completely on racks before serving.

DO NOT OVERCOOK!

[Diana Kulaga]

I have absolutely no doubt that there was!

Diana

[Robert Lorenzini]

I'm a cyclist and I'm just sick of spandex jokes from my non cycling friends. What makes is worse is I like orchids. :-/

Bob

[tenman]

Wow! Thanks for the recipe - they sound great! I saved it and some night when I've got the baking urge, I'll have something special to make!

Tennis

[unknown]

it was either that or a blue bunny suit....

--j_a, a casual cyclist, and regular wearer of riding britches. (!)

[Diana Kulaga]

You know, I think you might be right about the bunny suit. C'mon, Al, set us straight here. Bunny suit or spandex? Or was it a blue spandex bunny suit with aluminum rabbit ears?

Diana

[Wendy7]

Nobody has mentioned the wenches yet. I wonder if they got burned? <wink>

[Al Pickrel]

Teetering on the edge of dignity, Al responds thusly: ;-)

you have to go back to May 25 1999 in the archives to find the truth about the color and description of the costume being debated here. It was neither purple nor spandex. It is in a thread called "help deflasking Phalaenopsis seedlings" but it had turned into a flame war and so I figured I should dress appropriately for it.

However as recently as Nov 4 2004 in a flame, ...er thread... called "New

2005 Orchid Species Calendar" I myself describe it as 'spandex' and remind all the careful readers of this newsgroup of its true color .

In both the above threads I was wearing my three pointed jester hat with the little bells on the tips. Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle. My antenna were probably stuffed underneath. I suppose they do look a bit like aluminum rabbit ears. If it comforts you earth people to believe that's all they are, I got no problem with that. Fortunately the inflammation that prevents me from retracting them has not been a problem for several years.

I gots no idea what is a "deeley bobbers."

The giant C amythstaglosa is at Pat's greenhouse. It was in full bloom. It is a mess, but still intact. The mother of all Phal equestris 'kiekie monsters' did not survive. It was hanging just beside one of the benches that burned. However, I believe a whole tray of small kiekies I removed from it in the fall survived and is probably in Pat's greenhouse someplace.

[pakrat]

Is this the one that had a seed pod explode earlier than expected and lead to Phal equestris as a greenhouse weed?