Why, yes, I am insane, and thanks for asking.
When the temps hit triple digits — 101°, another record — the first thing I think about preparing for dinner is a piping-hot pot of soup. A fragrant chicken soup with chickpeas and vegetables from Melissa Clark, to be specific.
OK, between you and me, I was thinking more along the lines of a jambalaya, or maybe some slow-cooker chipotle-honey chicken tacos.
But when I made the mistake of consulting Herself about the week’s menu, she ordered up salmon with potatoes and asparagus, and the aforementioned soup.
Well, whaddaya gonna do?
We get two dinners out of a pound and a half of salmon, a half-dozen taters, and 12 ounces of asparagus.
And that burly soup serves six to eight, which means we’ll probably be eating it through the weekend. Especially since I made a fresh loaf of whole-wheat bread to keep it company.
Maybe next week I’ll pitch a gazpacho at her. Yeah, that’d be cool. …
Mad Blog Media 
The chickpeas
And now for something completely different….
https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/eight-cops-plus-one-angry-bicyclist-equals-lawsuit/article_f43e3a68-28ca-11ef-9180-27515d54e7ee.html?utm_source=spotim&utm_medium=e-mail&utm_campaign=liked-message
The paywall won’t let me read that rascal. But man, would I ever like to see more cops writing up moving violations down here. Assholes who blow stop signs and red lights (on four wheels or two), park their SUVs on the pedestrian crossing (or in the bike lane), use the people’s streets as F1 courses, tailgate, sit through a light change while mesmerized by their phones, turning right from the left lane and left from the right, using right-turn lanes as passing lanes … the list goes on and on.
In fact, forget the tickets. Let’s go straight to execution.
Here is the cop-cam video, if you have the endurance to watch this shit-show unfold. Full disclosure, I know the bicyclist.
Jeez Louise. I could only watch a couple minutes of that. The Entitlement is strong with this one, que no?
I don’t understand what she hoped to accomplish with getting up in the cop’s grille from jump. I don’t relish being pulled into The System; it’s expensive, annoying, demeaning, and did I mention expensive? Plus it takes time away from doing fun stuff like, oh, I dunno, riding your bike?
Doesn’t cost shit to give the cop a wave and a grin, shout, “Sorry, officer, I couldn’t get unclipped and didn’t want to fall over in the middle of the intersection” or some such bushwa and then everybody goes about his/her bidness. No harm, no foul.
You gots to know how to play the game. Stand on your rights over every little thing and you’ll get them, a’ight, and a few lefts too.
Yeah, that kind of nails it.
Cops are not always your enemy, either. Sometimes your friend. Case in point.
I saved myself a serious citation once in my misspent youth by cooling my jets and working with the cop. He responded by cutting me a major break and instead of possibly getting my license suspended (I was doing 40 mph over the limit and weaving in and out of traffic), I paid a serious but affordable fine. Got a bunch of points on my license, too.
The guy was a Suffolk County (Long Island) sheriff deputy. He told me he was tired of having to respond to motorcycle fatal crashes when people were behaving like idiots and ending up dead. Made me a deal–promise not to ride like a fool any more, and he would drop the ticket to 19 over and not add reckless driving. So a big speeding ticket rather than what it should have been. That cop probably saved my life, because I kept the promise, as hard as it is to believe that.
I used to take out my anger and frustration on the road. Was going through a divorce and my cat had been hit and killed by a car, all while trying to keep my dissertation from circling the bowl. So I had a lot of devils in my head. He knew that sooner or later, I’d be looking up from the wrong side of the grass.
So at 70, I have a soft spot in my heart for good cops.
Wow. I watched most of the video and thought the police were very admirable handling a situation that didn’t really need to go that far. Your (Khal) acquaintance looks as though she was having a rough day and only made it worse. Based on the video, I thought she was foolish. I do not know the traffic laws in NM, but if I am there and I am on the road, then I obey traffic laws as if I was a car and stop at all stop signs, especially when other traffic is present. Although she may have rolled slowly through the intersection, to have done so in front of a policeman who appears to be very accommodating, one that she just hollered at when he had another vehicle pulled over likely while his lights were flashing, and then to decide to stage a protest over police misconduct appeared ridiculous. I hope the ruling court in the manner is able to help her understand that there are more fruitful battles to fight. May her past legal benefits aid her in fulfilling her future legal defense costs.
Shawn, we don’t have an “Idaho Stop” law here so legally, you have to stop. We do have a Duty to Identify Yourself law, Section 30-22-3 – Concealing identity. So she violated that.
I don’t know if she was having a bad day to begin with and took it out on the cop, felt “white privileged”, or whatever, but sometimes as O’G says, venting one’s spleen at the wrong time and person takes time away from more fun and fruitful endeavors. I’d have done what O’G said, try to be nice and sweet talk my way out of it.
That worked for me before. Had a cop compliment me for slowing down to let a jaywalker cross the street safely. Cop said “I was going to give you a speeding ticket, but you seem like such a nice guy, I’ll just give you a warning”. Happened down East of the Duke City on a drive back from southern NM.
The lady in question used to be on the Board of a local bike advocacy organization. I would not advocate for this way to deal with cops.
I’ve had the pleasure of being attended to by brightly flashing cars driven by well adorned professional sorts many times and have no reason to delay their purpose. They are doing their jobs and in most every case I was doing mine while violating the applicable law. When this has occurred in recent years, not so much now that I’m a bit more restrained, I try to be nice, respectful and sincere. The last time I was swept down upon, I pulled over well off the road in a safe location for the officer, had my driver’s license already in my hand while holding the steering wheel with both hands, and was dealt with in a very timely manner. I violated the law and failed in doing so while being too conspicuous – my fault, my citation.
Regarding the disturbed cyclist, I have also had friends that may have done something similar. We all have times when authority just bothers us and we would like to rebel. In her case, it appears the officer(s) were giving her the clear opportunity to complete her day with only a light verbal correction. Unfortunately for us taxpayers, she chose a more difficult afternoon in an attempt at protesting our system’s vehicular priorities. I can’t imagine her next lawsuit will be fruitful.
POG I hope the leftovers are tasty. The initial batch sure looks good.
Did you add the chickpeas later? Only see what look like carrots and vegetables. We make a similar soup, adding white beans or chickpeas towards the end, but leave out the carnivorous stuff. In fact, the leftover portion in the fridge will be my lunch today.
Yup, the chickpeas and cilantro went in right after I lifted the lid for the pic. I shoulda tooken a shot of the bowl instead of the pot. The orange bits are sweet potato. I’ve been thinking some red Fresno chiles might punch this up a tad, mebbe sautéed with the turnip and sweet potato. Frankly, I’m not certain the celery really brings much to the party here.
How about a slight bitterness, color, and crunch? How about rutabagas instead of turnip to go with the sweet potatoes? Damn, that does look good, and I can see a big hunk of buttered sourdough going well with that. That’s just two cents from a plain cook that served a baked potato and salad for lunch yesterday. It was too hot for much else, and I had a jam session right after lunch.
PO’G, mi amigo et mon ami …. when I saw “Soup’s On”, I thought it would be a take on soupcon (French) meaning a very small amount, a hint. But in true American free enterprise and “click-recipe” style, it nevertheless intrigued me with the appetizing photo and the potential I saw for the coming Fall gourmet “exploration” (yes, that’s also French) of recipes that satisfy both the tummy and the psyche.
“Lessez les bontemps rouler”, eh, mi amigo!?
“… gazpacho … that’d be cool …”
Tweet! Fifteen yards, shooting one-and-one, penalty kick, and two minutes in the box for assault with a funny bone.
Guilty as charged, your honor.
Bill Walton commenting about bicycles
https://kottke.org/24/05/my-bike-is-everything-to-me