Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

I haven't decided whether I'm making this yet tonight, as I'm a little tired.  I'd like to, though, as it sounds nice, and I already have the ingredients:

Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake (copied from a cooking website, though I don't remember which)

Ingredients

	CRUMB CRUST
1 1/2 c	vanilla wafer crumbs (about 45 wafers crushed)
1/2 c	powdered sugar
1/3 c	unsweetened cocoa
1/3 c	butter, melted
	CHEESECAKE
1 pkg	12 oz. package of semi sweet chocolate chips
3 pkg	8 oz. packages of cream cheese softened
1 can(s)	14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
4	eggs
2 tsp	pure vanilla extract

Heat oven to 300°F. To make crust, stir together vanilla wafer crumbs, powdered sugar, unsweetened cocoa and melted butter or margarine in medium bowl. Press firmly onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan and set aside.

 Place chocolate chips in microwave-safe bowl and Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 1-1/2 minutes; stir. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, just until chips are melted when stirred.

 Beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add melted chips, eggs and vanilla; mix well. Pour into prepared crust.

 Bake 1 hour and 5 minutes or until center is set. Remove from oven to wire rack. With knife, loosen cake from side of pan. Cool completely; remove side of pan. Refrigerate several hours before serving. Garnish as desired. Cover; refrigerate leftover cheesecake.

Four Days in Lieu of $400 Plus Administrative Fee

This morning, I went to the gym, as I like to on Monday mornings.  I stayed until just past 12 (I arrived a bit past 9, and started on the stationery bike and the hand-bicycle).  I did most of my mat exercises and stretching & rolling, then used just one machine, the Dual Cable Cross.  When I'd finished those seven exercises, I decided that I'd get cleaned up and ready to go, as I needed to catch two buses to the courthouse on Claremont Mesa Boulevard.

Though there was  queue for the check-in desk, I walked right into Courtroom A.

The commissioner was a slightly older man, probably in his late 50's or early 60's, from the look of him, and there were a few of us who were there.  A couple of attorneys were there, representing several clients each.  They moved through their cases pretty quickly. Other defendants pleaded guilty, though a couple of them were let off because the state neglected to schedule their trials within 45 days and therefore nulled their cases.

When the commissioner asked if anyone wanted to change their Not Guilty plea, one man stood up and went up to plead guilty.  He received a fine, something around $300, I think. He left the courtroom to the cashiers' room, which is where one goes to pay one's fine(s), makes payment arrangements, and/or gets instructions for community service.

When the commissioner asked if anyone else wanted to change their plea, I raised my hand and stepped up.  I said to him that when the light changed, I waited for the opposing traffic to pass, then made my turn, as I didn't want to sit through another light cycle and waste gas.  The commissioner said he understood not wanting to waste gas, but said there are other, overriding, factors that come in when driving.  He said that there could have been a cyclist, and I countered, saying that it's a well-lit overpass and I would have seen the cyclist had there been one.  He didn't go on with hypotheticals, but just said that it's a $400 fine.  I told him simply that I'll need to perform service.  He asked me my employment status.  After I told him that I'm living on Disability, he sentenced me to 4 days of physical labor.  He asked me if my disability would prevent me from performing physical tasks, and I answered that it depends on exactly how physical the task would be...

The commissioner said that there is an registration fee of $59.  I asked if I could work that off, as well.  At that point, he waived the fee.

I left the courthouse and walked down to the county services building complex, at the end of Overland Avenue.  The building that houses the work registration office is tucked back within the complex (from the point of view of approaching from Claremont Mesa Blvd), around the side of a large building.  In the office were several chairs, all facing the same way, away from the bank of windows through which I could see county employees, chatting and generally passing time.  I filled out paperwork, took a number (note:  I was the only person there), and sat down. When they finally got around to calling my number (government employees like to take their sweet-ass time, don't they?), I gave the woman behind one of the windows my paperwork.  She took them, then said she'd call me after she did some other stuff (presumably to do with my case).  I sat for several more minutes. She called me up and asked me to pick a day on which I can serve.  I said that Tuesdays were probably best for me.  She said that I can serve for four consecutive Tuesdays, and I told her that I might not make it to the last one, as I'll be out of town.  She told me that I can come for a maximum of two days per week. Then I would be done sooner.

I walked out, then took the street parallel to Claremont Mesa down to Ruffin Road, where I saw a bus stop across the street.  Just as I crossed, I saw the bus coming down the street, as if on cue.  I rode the bus to the intersection just before my condo, then walked the rest of the way home.

Power, Energy, and Utilities

If I have this correct, Power is the product of Energy and time, so that whereas energy has the unit called a volt, which describes the difference in electrical potential over a given resistance (the resistance is expressed in ohms), power describes how much energy is transported over that resistance in a given time period (as in kWh that one reads on one's electric bill).  I'm not completely sure I understand the terminology, because there are not only volts, watts, and ohms, but also Amperes, which describes how much energy is put through one ohm of resistance by one volt...  It all seems fairly circular, but I suppose that's not so different than the definitions for the circumference, radius, and area of a circle (though the latter are more physically easily modeled and therefore make more sense to the likes of me).
Utilities like SDG&E provide power, over transmission lines which they (typically) build and also maintain.

I started reading an article by the Rocky Mountain Institute, found here:

http://blog.rmi.org/blog_2014_09_25_why_the_net_energy_metering_debate_misses_the_point

in which they discuss the problem of "net metering."

My initial reaction, when first approached with the problem of utilities paying small producers the same amount as the utility charges its customers was that the utility needs to separate the cost of the energy provided from the cost of transmission.  To that, I would now add a third element:  energy storage (capacity?), which has become a hot topic with respect to the electrical grid.  As it stands, electricity is not "saved" or "held in reserve."  What is produced must be used immediately, and therefore, so-called "peak" plants are being proposed by utilities, such as SDG&E, under the assumption that electricity demand will continue to rise, and therefore, they need "peak" plants, for which they receive government money to construct and operate.

Unfortunately for customers, while they still pay through the nose for peak electricity, the utilities (such as my local provider, SDG&E) appear to be double dipping, since they receive grants from the government for building "peak plants" so that they can provide such power in the first place.  SDG&E takes no risk in its investment, and yet reaps the rewards from both taxpayers and ratepayers.

Just yesterday morning, I watched a few presentations by VPs of energy storage and management firms, including Tesla, who is building a factory in Nevada for the production of high capacity (think utility-scale) batteries.  One smaller firm, called Sunverge Energy, is working with smaller capacity energy producers, some as small as multi-residential housing complexes like condominiums (condominia?), who install batteries in addition to on-site solar generation.  Smaller capacity batteries ensure consistent power service to the customer as well as leveling off the customer's peak demand on the grid, thereby avoiding "peak charges" that utilities (such as SDG&E) demand during those times, such as the middle of (hot) summer SoCal afternoons, when many folks run their (electric) A/C units.

As battery storage becomes common, utilities will be pushed even further to move their business model from a "one stop shop energy producer/provider" to that of an energy broker or power transmitter.  They can keep their role of keeping the wires and lines in good repair, and allow others to put their energy onto the grid (and therefore the market) to charge what they will for the power they produce.  Not so unlike Ma Bell back in the day?...

3 am fantasy

I am thinking about a playmate Peter and I had acquired last Winter (and it's really been that long, hasn't it?).  His name is Steve, and he, like Peter, lives in suburban San Diego County.  We've met for drinks before, and, in addition to being physically attractive to both Peter and myself, Steve has turned out to be an intelligent, well-intentioned, thoughtful, and just all-around cool guy.  He's at a point in his life, similarly to Peter, where he no longer needs to impress anyone with his CV.  In fact, he's retired (at a quite-early age), and spends his time between here and the house in Palm Springs which he also shares with his wife, whose name I will refrain from mentioning.  Hers is an unusual name and would be very easy for people to look up (as Peter did when he was first introduced to them).  At any rate, she is likewise retired, but spends much of her time organizing a nonprofit club for brainiacs, which means Steve is often left to fend for himself because he chooses not to attend various out-of-town functions with her.  Since she is often out of town fulfilling her duties, he is oftentimes (but not altogether too frequently) available for playdates.

Given that Peter is out of town this week, I am thinking it would be fun to have dinner with Steve at a restaurant run by the same wine company where we'd gone for a wine tasting earlier this year.  After dinner, Steve can take me home, either to his house or Peter's, and we can spend some time indulging in extracurricular activities...

Not that I'd do anything without Peter's knowledge, of course, for he is my lover, as well as my best friend (funny how those roles coincide in the best of relationships) with whom I share my thoughts, although there are probably times when he wishes I wouldn't share quite so much...

I was about to say "without Peter's knowledge and consent," but consent isn't a word I'd use with respect to Peter, for that implies permission, and I don't seek Peter's permission to do, well, anything, because he doesn't command me (except, of course, during play, and even then only sometimes).  Part of the fun of playing with Steve is that I'd be able to regale Peter with it afterward.

I won't get into a detailed description of the fantasy here, but suffice it to say that I am certainly glad that Peter and I have found someone with whom we both feel completely at ease.  Now we seek the elusive Unicorn...

The Slope is Steep and the Road is Slippery

This was a sign Peter'd seen in Beijing.  It made sense that it was at a Buddhist garden near the Wall.

It reminds me that, indeed, the trajectory of one's life can be steep, and the means to achieve it difficult and unforgiving.  But that is the journey, is it not?

I just took a pound cake out of the toaster oven (I use the toaster oven for baking things that don't need the volume of the oven).  It looks really nice, browned with a nice light crack running down the center.  It's not a difficult recipe that I followed from a website:

1/2 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar (I cut this back to 1 1/4 c. because I appreciate less sweet foods)
3 large eggs (I used 2 jumbo eggs, as they're what I have on hand)
1/2 c. sour cream
1/8 t. baking soda
1 1/2 c. a-p flour (I used unbleached and it's still pretty light in color)

Preheat the oven to 375.
Cream the butter and sugar for a few minutes to maximize volume.  Scrape the bowl.
Beat in the eggs, and add sour cream.
Sift together the flour and baking soda.
Beat in the flour mixture to the egg mixture until a smooth batter forms, scraping the bowl often.
Spray a loaf pan with Pam or some other nonstick product, then dust with flour.
Pour cake batter into the pan.  Cover tightly with foil, then bake for 45 minutes.
Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes.
Replace foil and finish baking, about another 15-20 minutes.
Cool on rack.

I think I'll try whipping some heavy cream to top off the pound cake because I do not have any ice cream in the place at the moment.

We have the opportunity for Kat to apply to Scripps Ranch High School, which is where I'd wanted her to go originally.  Mira Mesa High is a "Program Improvement" school, and we have the option of applying for admittance to both La Jolla and Scripps Ranch.  Given our location, it makes much more sense for Kat to go to Scripps Ranch, because the distance from our flat is about the same to either Mira Mesa or Scripps Ranch.  I want her in the better school.  She wants to stay with her friends and acquaintances.  The application is still on the dining table, where she'd left it, probably hoping I would not see it.  But I do want her to apply.  She'll get used to the other kids and they'll soon accept her as a regular student.  I don't want to fuck up this opportunity.

The Slope is Steep and the Road is Slippery.  She'll adapt to her new situation, I'm sure.  And it's not even a guaranteed entry.  It is an application, the implied meaning being that entry is not guaranteed.

The pound cake stuck.  Will need to remember to flour the pan next time,  It tastes quite good.

I think if I make this again, I will add some lemon zest or almond extract to the batter for more flavor.

At any rate, our trip to Avalon, on Catalina Island, was quite pleasant:
We took the morning ferry from Newport Beach, which is just about directly east from Avalon and therefore provides the shortest crossing from the mainland to Avalon.  We arrive in the late morning, and decided to have a snack, so we went to a wine bar with a view of the water and a Blue Planet dvd playing behind the bar.  Afterwards, we intended to go to the Dive Park and get ourselves wet.  While donning my drysuit, I pulled on the neck seal, then felt it suddenly give way (NOT what you want to feel happening with your head inside the suit).  The neck seal had ripped, all the way down to its base, and would need to be replaced.  Peter went to ask the fellow at the fill station if they carried neck seals, and was told no, but that there is another dive shop in town that does carry DUI neck seals.  We decided to go get a replacement neck seal after Peter went on a solo dive.  The entire trip over, I could tell that he was itching to get into the water, so I told him that he can scope out some things to show me on the morrow, when I'll have my drysuit whole again.

I checked into our room, whose preparations were completed while we were out, and took care of emails, which took quite a while as I'm trying to whittle away a lot of the junk that gets sent my way.  Shortly after 4, Peter returned to the hotel, and after hanging up his drysuit and liner, he joined me upstairs for a spell before we went out for dinner.

We ended up going to a rather noisy restaurant for dinner the first night, where Peter ordered fish tacos and I ordered a spinach salad and clam chowder.  The second night, however, we went to a Mexican restaurant on the ground floor instead of climbing up the flight of stairs to Steve's Steakhouse (or some name similar to that).  Peter ordered pork loin, and I ordered a duck enchilada with mole.  My dinner was really quite yummy.  Peter's was the same, also very good.  After we turned down dessert, we waddled back to our room.

The diving was good;  the water was relatively clear, and there was not the huge kelp that typically obstructs one's view in all directions.  We made one dive after breakfast, and one dive between lunch and dinner.  Since I do not have a functioning torch, we did not dive after dinner.  Instead, we sat with our drinks after dinner;  Peter had a glass of merlot and I had a cup of coffee, as I was feeling the cooling air without my hat, which I'd inadvertently left somewhere...

On the second morning, we decided that we'd make a lazy day of it instead of trying to dive, as the hotel checkout time was too early to allow us to have a decent morning dive.  We went instead to a breakfast/lunch restaurant (there are a few in town), where we were served a large omelette with spinach (me), and something more akin to a ploughman's breakfast for Peter.  As we left, we realized we were late in checking out of our room, so we hurried back to the hotel, packed quickly, and went to the storage room to gather everything to take to the ferry.  We were each fairly well-laden, with one pull-along each (I had the rolling duffle, and Peter had the two tanks on a trolley) and one gear bag each.  When we were about a quarter of the way past the point where we'd left our dive bags on a bench, we both realized that in order to get there, it would be faster if I pulled the two and Peter carried both gear bags.  We made it onto the ferry in good enough time, and watched the sun set behind the island.

So there's our trip, in a nutshell (yes, I know, it'a more like a coconut shell than an almond or even a walnut).  Now Peter's on a business trip that will take him to Beijing, Shenzhen, and Seattle.  The original assignment was for him to spend almost two weeks in China. but because he's needed at some meetings in Seattle, the China trip was truncated to three days for (I think) a product launch.

Kat will have me full-time for the next week, which I'm sure she appreciates (yes, my tongue is firmly planted in cheek).