100 Candles + Fire = Donut?

Friends

Merriam-Webster defines a pyromaniac as "a person who has an uncontrollable impulse to start fires". Those of you who think me a pyro, on account of my new year's eve celebrations, should note I can control my impulses. I guess that makes me more of a pyrophile. That said, I do enjoy a good pyrotechnic display, no matter the proportions. Case in point, my grandmother Jane would have turned 100 years old on Sunday. She was really keen to reach this milestone and blow-out 100 candles. Although I had promised her I would host the party, the deck seemed stacked against it. When she passed away six years ago, I could have called it off. I didn't. When the pandemic hit, limiting gatherings, again, I could have called it off. I didn't. I was ready to have a small get together when inspiration hit and technology came to the rescue. Enter Zoom! Sunday, most of the family joined to sing happy birthday and watch the fire hazard from a safe distance (what else were they going to do? -- it's not like they were going somewhere!). It turns-out that if you put a bunch of candles side-by-side, the flames feed off of each other. A lone candle's light may go as high as an inch on a good day. Put it next to a bunch of other candles and you can get a foot-tall inferno, easy! And, when it's done, you get a wax donut.

Happy Friday!

Comments

Donut Doodle Dandy

Dear Members and Constituents, In trying to figure-out Wednesday’s cool-looking Google Doodle ( Jorge Luis Borges’ 112 th birthday ), I stumbled across a list of Google Doodles you’ll never see. This, and a Rockies game later that day, were sufficient inspiration to get my head spinning around what other doodles Google might never noodle? I’m sure you’ll probably have a few ideas of your own, but I was able to come-up with a couple. How about a former Colorado Rockies player whose unfortunate encounter with a moth put him in the news this week? The Matt Holliday doodle might look something like this… Another item which, surprisingly enough, has not been made into a doodle are donuts. Although I was slightly taken aback to find this delicious pastry has not been featured, after the initial disappointment, I decided to take matters into my own hands and take a stab at one (perhaps Google can use it next year for national donut day )… or to celebrate Greek police having “ blown a ho...

Donut Hole Alignment

Friends, My predawn attempts to watch the planetary alignment have thus far been met with cloudy skies. The weather forecast through the end of the cosmic event suggests I shall not witness it. And yet, my futile attempts have been rewarded in other ways. The chorus of birds, frogs and insects singing in anticipation of the sun’s glorious rising complement the river’s steady churning. The crisp, fresh air in a desolate town whose citizens are still bidding Morpheus “adieu” caresses my skin while the sweet aroma of petrichor fills my lounges. Deep shadows of centenarian eucalyptus trees slowly recede and give way to the imperceptible progress of the brightening skies. Sure, witnessing those tiny bright spots lined-up in the sky would be pretty cool —like sprinkles on a donut. Speaking of donuts, if you’re ever in Cuenca around the feast of Corpus Christi (which ended yesterday) you need to try the Huevos Chilenos (Chilean Eggs) —think of them as less sweet donut holes. And, if like me t...

Where in the world is Kate Middleton?

Friends, There’s a perfect storm brewing and I’m not talking about the massive amount of snow falling over the Denver area. I’m referring to the mixing of two highly reactive ingredients. On one hand Kate, princess of Wales, absent from the public limelight following her mysterious surgery allegedly posted a clumsily edited photo. On the other “swifties”, whose penchant for following mysterious clues left behind by Ms. Swift has been in need of a new challenge due to a break in Taylor’s schedule. The poor handling of royal communications followed by the ensuing wild speculation by the hoards of bored gen Zers has been fun to watch. Is she horribly disfigured? Is she leaving William? Is she dead? While the truth is probably more mundane (she’s convalescing), conspiracy theories are so much more fun. And, since all one really needs is a fig leaf of plausibility to create one, I’d like to fabricate my own: I believe Catherine had a compliance chip implanted against her will. The chip’s pu...

Friday Donuts

Search This Blog