weird

[kareina]

For most of my samples the diagrams I've been generating either result in decent intersections, with the lines representing the four different end-members for the garnet (think of them as the flour, butter, sugar, and eggs in a cake--all will be present in any given cake, but in differing amounts) having different angles that cross at a point, more or less. Others have terrible intersections, with the four lines framing a large region. And then there's today's sample. When I did this one the first time all four lines came out dead parallel, and all plotting in just about the same place. So I tried it again using the technique of estimating the rock composition based on the compositions of the minerals as measured on the microprobe and their relative abundance. Usually when I do this I get somewhat different results than I did for the other method of measuring the rock composition. This time, although the two rock compositions are somewhat different, I got pretty much exactly the same results--with all four garnet end-members plotting parallel and together, all agreeing on a temperature, but thinking that just about any pressure would do to achieve that combination. Describing this phenomena gives only 229 new words for the thesis, all of which are likely to be relegated to the appendix, with the "things attempted which didn't really work". Sigh.

In other news, the morning was useful--not only did I do the vacuuming/sweeping (it was my week for that chore), I also lifted the microwave out from cubbyhole in which it resides and cleaned behind it. It had been *way* too long since that task was done. We may not fry food here, but there was still a greasy component to the dust back there!

Went down the hill this afternoon to meet up with a friend of mine from Uni who moved to Canberra some months back. She's been in town to do some work on her condo for renting it out and to make some progress on her thesis corrections. It was a delight to see her, as always. She was staying with some friends of hers, who also come from China, and when I went over they were making some dumplings (be being the done thing when one has visitors). They invited me to stay and have some, and even though it has been more than a year since I'd had red meat, there was no way I was going to say "no". I've always loved those sort of dumplings--the yummy flour-water shell and the filling of beef and Chinese cabbage! I even like the dipping sauce--they had a home-made chilli paste diluted with a dark rice vinegar. Can anyone tell me why I can't tolerate wine or European style vinegar--don't even want to be in the same room as an open bottle, won't even use it for house-cleaning, but I can eat Chinese dumplings dipped in chilli and rice vinegar and enjoy it?

Comments

[fjorlief.livejournal.com]

Regarding the vinegar differences, I'm wondering if your reactivity has to do with what the original material the vinegar is made from...Rice vinegar is made from fermenting rice, wine vinegar from grapes, cider vinegar from apples, and "white" vinegar from corn...I imagine that the vinegar-making organisms are also slightly different, based on my experience with making kombucha. Just a thought.

[kareina.livejournal.com]

There is certainly some sort of difference. I find the smell of what I think of as "rotten" apples, grapes, or corn as unpleasant (in a different way) as rotting road-kill, but the almost painful component to the smell simply isn't there with (at least some of) the Asian style rice vinegars. Mind you, I'm not going to rush out and buy rice vinegar and start using it, but at least I *can* eat it once in a while, when in a situation where it would be appropriate.

[darttn.livejournal.com]

Perhaps your tastes are changing! That does happen over time.
Love you
Mom

[kareina.livejournal.com]

While tastes do change, this is not the reason for it. I've always been able to eat rice vinegar in small quantities--I remember dipping gyoza in a soy-sauce, rice vinegar-hot oil blend when I was young. But I most certainly cannot tolerate even the smell of European style vinegar or wine. I smelled some just the other day, nasty, unpleasant stuff that makes me want to flee the room just because someone opened a bottle. I'm convinced it is poison, and will never understand someone voluntarily putting that stuff into their mouth. Ick.