Yes - check Gwadzilla's post here - I think they are really really stupid if you are going to be outside exercising (running or cycling).
But. Painting? Man Let me tell you. Flipping brilliant. I suppose just turning on the radio would work too. But. Most of them suck around here, there isn't one up in the room where I was painting today. And a Tiesto 2 hour mix makes the time fly by!
Brilliant stuff. For painting. And the silly white ear buds are great. They match the paint splatter from the ceiling color!
G
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Why am I not in Florida...
#1 the riding flat out sucks around Orlando from what I've heard.
#2 scheduled days from breakfast to bed for a whole week just kinda rubs me wrong
#3 I need a vacation
#4 Team meeting at Casters that shouldn't be missed
and really the only one that matters...
#5 Remodeling the girls room
I'm pooped. We got the trim work finished yesterday. I swung through Lowes at 9:15 last night (between glimpses of the lunar eclipse - how cool was that), grabbed the marshmellow fluff like spackle, the Alex the wood filler and the waterbased urethane headed home and started caulking and spackling like a mad man. Wrapping up after about 2.5 hours.
Started reading The Rider before falling asleep and woke up, made a triple shot of espresso and did one last bit of caulking. Taped the plastic cloth over the whole damn floor, did a final dust/brush of the paint surfaces. And broke out the brush to coat the exposed wood and paneling with some nice 1.2.3 primer sealer stuff. Washed the brushes. Then busted out the really dirty and covered in paint orange suit and started rolling the ceiling. Honestly I don't think they could have put more texture in it. Ceiling is completely finished now! Yipee. It is drying. And my lungs are getting a break from the ammonia-like fumes from the Behr Ceiling paint. I almost drove in here for a meeting but, decided, I needed to get on that bike and get some air through the lungs to blast out this paint. That and parking is a bigger pain in the ass than, well, me this time of day. So I'm eating lunch (that pasta with the mushrooms and and zucchini from earlier in the week) waiting for coffee to finish brewing, and waiting for the meeting (oh and typing this of course). MULTI-TASK MAN. MTM. That's me.
When I went down to the bookshelves last night looking for Tim's book I found a couple other books that are good "worthy reads" for cyclists. Okay one of the ones I found is pretty lame and not that great but has some good stories. The other is a master piece.
Does the name Maynard Hershon ring a bell? The new kids around might have missed his legacy in VeloNews. That back page belonged to Maynard for most of the 80s and 90s. He probably was the reason the back page existed in its form. I flipped open the book and read one of the short stories. It was great.
Sure it is dated. It is old. But man I tell ya. Put this thin little book right next to Tim Krabbe's The Rider on the cyclist's must read list. Or the cyclists who read. Or the cyclists who aren't too busy playing with their power tap files in excel or cycling peaks or emailing them to their coach or... well you get the idea. You got time to read, grab yourself a copy and read it.
The title story is a true MUST read for any roadie, or any cyclist who rides on a bike path or road with other people, from Pathlete to Gumbie to Fred to Tri (wait - not triathletes what are they gonna get out of it?)
Man - i'm pooped. I'll say this though. It is damn nice being six and a half feet tall when ya gotta paint the edge around a ceiling.
Feeling pressure to get it done. I can't do the polyU on the threshold chunk of maple until i get the drop cloths up. Can't pull them up till I get everything painted. Girls get home Saturday. PolyU says to let dry for 24 hours or 72 for heavy traffic... Well... it'll be what it will be.
Food is just making me want to take a nap. Zzzzzz
heddwch
g
#2 scheduled days from breakfast to bed for a whole week just kinda rubs me wrong
#3 I need a vacation
#4 Team meeting at Casters that shouldn't be missed
and really the only one that matters...
#5 Remodeling the girls room
I'm pooped. We got the trim work finished yesterday. I swung through Lowes at 9:15 last night (between glimpses of the lunar eclipse - how cool was that), grabbed the marshmellow fluff like spackle, the Alex the wood filler and the waterbased urethane headed home and started caulking and spackling like a mad man. Wrapping up after about 2.5 hours.
Started reading The Rider before falling asleep and woke up, made a triple shot of espresso and did one last bit of caulking. Taped the plastic cloth over the whole damn floor, did a final dust/brush of the paint surfaces. And broke out the brush to coat the exposed wood and paneling with some nice 1.2.3 primer sealer stuff. Washed the brushes. Then busted out the really dirty and covered in paint orange suit and started rolling the ceiling. Honestly I don't think they could have put more texture in it. Ceiling is completely finished now! Yipee. It is drying. And my lungs are getting a break from the ammonia-like fumes from the Behr Ceiling paint. I almost drove in here for a meeting but, decided, I needed to get on that bike and get some air through the lungs to blast out this paint. That and parking is a bigger pain in the ass than, well, me this time of day. So I'm eating lunch (that pasta with the mushrooms and and zucchini from earlier in the week) waiting for coffee to finish brewing, and waiting for the meeting (oh and typing this of course). MULTI-TASK MAN. MTM. That's me.
When I went down to the bookshelves last night looking for Tim's book I found a couple other books that are good "worthy reads" for cyclists. Okay one of the ones I found is pretty lame and not that great but has some good stories. The other is a master piece.
Does the name Maynard Hershon ring a bell? The new kids around might have missed his legacy in VeloNews. That back page belonged to Maynard for most of the 80s and 90s. He probably was the reason the back page existed in its form. I flipped open the book and read one of the short stories. It was great.
Sure it is dated. It is old. But man I tell ya. Put this thin little book right next to Tim Krabbe's The Rider on the cyclist's must read list. Or the cyclists who read. Or the cyclists who aren't too busy playing with their power tap files in excel or cycling peaks or emailing them to their coach or... well you get the idea. You got time to read, grab yourself a copy and read it.
The title story is a true MUST read for any roadie, or any cyclist who rides on a bike path or road with other people, from Pathlete to Gumbie to Fred to Tri (wait - not triathletes what are they gonna get out of it?)
Man - i'm pooped. I'll say this though. It is damn nice being six and a half feet tall when ya gotta paint the edge around a ceiling.
Feeling pressure to get it done. I can't do the polyU on the threshold chunk of maple until i get the drop cloths up. Can't pull them up till I get everything painted. Girls get home Saturday. PolyU says to let dry for 24 hours or 72 for heavy traffic... Well... it'll be what it will be.
Food is just making me want to take a nap. Zzzzzz
heddwch
g
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
i learn
one of these days... maybe...
learn what? dunno...
All that's left to do is caulk spackle a few holes and paint paint paint...
Gotta be dry for Saturday... got some work to do
Food. Yes food. It was good that I had as much stock piled as I did. Haven't needed to cook yesterday or today. Lots of work, sanding, cutting, caulking, sanding, washing but even in the old funny paint and pre-primed trim look it is worlds different. Already looking at it gives a great sense of accomplishment and reward for getting the job done, and yes, everyone is having a blast down there. Probably for the best that super grouch g is not there with them... probably for the best.
Even without having run for about a month the legs really aren't feeling too bad today. And the comment about grinding vs spinning - while grinding sure can be way easier/seem more efficient at times it isn't faster and it is way harder to change speeds/jump/sprint when ya are bogged down in the gears.
So yeah. I'll try to stick with food. But ya know. Food is only part of the equation, as little as i know about promoting and the history of divisions and classes and problems and solutions and categories and training and base and power and speed and winning - well... it is part of a journey, I can't just ignore it. But i can, I guess, try and keep it a lower profile part of my documentation of what ever.
So - here's this. I've always had an itch to do a documentary kind of film, I've flushed out ideas before, but never really had the equipment to make it work, or the time. But, when my cousin went up for an Oscar, and now I just found out a good friend from College is up for one (both documentaries - both probably the best film in the bunch that will be torpedoed by politics and not get the statue), it fires up that urge again.
But food, films and flimsy ponitifcating on training aside. I NEED COFFEE. I got my fingers cross that the meeting tonight at the shop will reveal some old stock and a 26.4 bar so i can use an old stem on the p'mount so i can match the position on the bike closer to the Q-Pro. Fallin asleep last night I had a major urge to clean up my Tool chest/pile of bike shit in the bike room. It is sort of mostly a disarrayed pile of tools, cloths, used bar tape, and parts (cranks and chain rings and all sorts of stuff), mostly so that if I do get a chance to work on the bikes, it won't take me 45 minutes of digging to find either the right tool or the part I know I have.
Maybe i'll just dig out Krabbe's The Rider book. I read through Marvin's latest last night to try and settle my head after working... But betweeen BKW and now Hoyer's mentioning of it, I should make good on my statement that it is a book to be read at least once a year, preferably this time of year.
Go read your copy...
heddwch
G
learn what? dunno...
All that's left to do is caulk spackle a few holes and paint paint paint...
Gotta be dry for Saturday... got some work to do
Food. Yes food. It was good that I had as much stock piled as I did. Haven't needed to cook yesterday or today. Lots of work, sanding, cutting, caulking, sanding, washing but even in the old funny paint and pre-primed trim look it is worlds different. Already looking at it gives a great sense of accomplishment and reward for getting the job done, and yes, everyone is having a blast down there. Probably for the best that super grouch g is not there with them... probably for the best.
Even without having run for about a month the legs really aren't feeling too bad today. And the comment about grinding vs spinning - while grinding sure can be way easier/seem more efficient at times it isn't faster and it is way harder to change speeds/jump/sprint when ya are bogged down in the gears.
So yeah. I'll try to stick with food. But ya know. Food is only part of the equation, as little as i know about promoting and the history of divisions and classes and problems and solutions and categories and training and base and power and speed and winning - well... it is part of a journey, I can't just ignore it. But i can, I guess, try and keep it a lower profile part of my documentation of what ever.
So - here's this. I've always had an itch to do a documentary kind of film, I've flushed out ideas before, but never really had the equipment to make it work, or the time. But, when my cousin went up for an Oscar, and now I just found out a good friend from College is up for one (both documentaries - both probably the best film in the bunch that will be torpedoed by politics and not get the statue), it fires up that urge again.
But food, films and flimsy ponitifcating on training aside. I NEED COFFEE. I got my fingers cross that the meeting tonight at the shop will reveal some old stock and a 26.4 bar so i can use an old stem on the p'mount so i can match the position on the bike closer to the Q-Pro. Fallin asleep last night I had a major urge to clean up my Tool chest/pile of bike shit in the bike room. It is sort of mostly a disarrayed pile of tools, cloths, used bar tape, and parts (cranks and chain rings and all sorts of stuff), mostly so that if I do get a chance to work on the bikes, it won't take me 45 minutes of digging to find either the right tool or the part I know I have.
Maybe i'll just dig out Krabbe's The Rider book. I read through Marvin's latest last night to try and settle my head after working... But betweeen BKW and now Hoyer's mentioning of it, I should make good on my statement that it is a book to be read at least once a year, preferably this time of year.
Go read your copy...
heddwch
G
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Why is it...
That it takes running to get me to crank the HR way up. Too much cycling base? Running has helped with pedaling circles, keeping my back from being tweaked. Oh Obama looks to just have won WI - that's cool. He's running adds around here about 10-1 to Clinton's. So I got thinking riding home and running about cadence.
And that powertap. It was great at reporting cadence at low high torque cadences, and it was good if i pedaled super lumpy at high cadences. As soon as I started pedaling super smooth the damn thing would jump all over the place. Nothing like the trailer to make pedaling smoothly mandatory. I always had thought leading up to it that I had decent form. But nope. But then it is all relative. Smoothness, spin. Always room for improvement. Always. The more efficient you pedal the more work ya gotta do to work it. I ain't a coach - a physiologist - or doc, but it seems that the running does a heck of a lot to tune a part of the engine that cycling doesn't hit as hard, esp with a solid foundation/base.
Just random musings... Freaking windy - we ran down to the point - walked around on the sand for a bit - ran into the wind. Watched a bit of the sunset. it was very cool...
heddwch
g
And that powertap. It was great at reporting cadence at low high torque cadences, and it was good if i pedaled super lumpy at high cadences. As soon as I started pedaling super smooth the damn thing would jump all over the place. Nothing like the trailer to make pedaling smoothly mandatory. I always had thought leading up to it that I had decent form. But nope. But then it is all relative. Smoothness, spin. Always room for improvement. Always. The more efficient you pedal the more work ya gotta do to work it. I ain't a coach - a physiologist - or doc, but it seems that the running does a heck of a lot to tune a part of the engine that cycling doesn't hit as hard, esp with a solid foundation/base.
Just random musings... Freaking windy - we ran down to the point - walked around on the sand for a bit - ran into the wind. Watched a bit of the sunset. it was very cool...
heddwch
g
AHHH Nooooo
Wait... I'm not sure I care but, wow.
Shimano picks up Pearl? What kind of clothes are the campy only ShimaNO gumbies gonna wear now? Wait - they probably wear Assos exclusively. Never mind.
Mergers and acquisitions.
Speaking of which, our little team down here has just signed another masters racer for CX season. So next year there'll be some extra Refunds NOW (the biggest and fastest allowed) riders at the start. 3 of em in the 35+ division and one in the 45+.
Not to early to say "I should have brought lunch with me today." Guess it is time to go home and cut up some baseboard and prep for paint after eating lunch and making more coffee.
Food. Must... eat... food... Okay well i did just eat at least 3 servings of that cake I made from Fatty's recipe yesterday. 'Cept all that sugar on top of the coffee is just making me jittery. Time for a fast twitch ride - cadence baby here we come...
heddwch
g
PS - yes i edited it
Shimano picks up Pearl? What kind of clothes are the campy only ShimaNO gumbies gonna wear now? Wait - they probably wear Assos exclusively. Never mind.
Mergers and acquisitions.
Speaking of which, our little team down here has just signed another masters racer for CX season. So next year there'll be some extra Refunds NOW (the biggest and fastest allowed) riders at the start. 3 of em in the 35+ division and one in the 45+.
Not to early to say "I should have brought lunch with me today." Guess it is time to go home and cut up some baseboard and prep for paint after eating lunch and making more coffee.
Food. Must... eat... food... Okay well i did just eat at least 3 servings of that cake I made from Fatty's recipe yesterday. 'Cept all that sugar on top of the coffee is just making me jittery. Time for a fast twitch ride - cadence baby here we come...
heddwch
g
PS - yes i edited it
road to rupert
so actually while writing those recipes last night i had the TV on...
watching Family guy's Road to Rupert episode. Funny show. Funnier for those who live in Rhode Island/SE Mass I think, but still well written and all that.
a corny old joke made me just burst out loud laughing scaring the crap out of the dog - it was the tag end of this 'scene'
(quote snipped from wikiquote)
yeah, let's keep it that way...
Got some serious cadence intervals in on the way home last night. Came in to read that the Turk is getting the beat down from his coach and nega-coach from being a pathlete gear grinder on his long rides this weekend. And his knee hurts. Go figure. Spinning. Anyone can grind. It takes alot of work to pedal fast. Back in the day, ya know old school, pre-power meter, pre-HRM, the sprinters trained by riding around in the little ring. Not that it was always effective but, if you can go fast spinning a 39 or 42, just imagine the benefits in the big ring. Maybe they should put Junior gear restrictions on EVERYONE. If not all the time maybe Junior Gear restrictions on races up until August. After August 1st you can use the big gears. Spinning hurts. It is hard. It takes a lot of work. But, I seems to be, to be well worth the work. Assuming you get enough recovery (like this morning's ride in - nice and mellow - looking at the scenery with only a few intensity bits thrown in to get me over the hills).
But it has been well documented that I ain't the one to give advice about Training. But I can speculate, no?
Got thinking again last night. Cooking it around a corner, my reaction is to ALWAYS stop pedaling and get that inside pedal unweighted and if not at the top of the stroke at least on the back half of it. Conditioned response. High bottom bracket ain't gonna change that. I've clipped too many damn pedals and find i can carry plenty of speed into a corner and can start pedaling soon enough that pedaling through the corner isn't needed (for me)... Sure if someone brakes early (stupid) and then pedals through the corner I might have to work harder than if I lead through and didn't brake, leaned it way over and burst out of the corner. But then that comes down to positioning.
Someone was talking about cross and positioning. Maybe it was on the Rhode Island Smack Down (RISD) ride a week ago, or maybe it was before that and it framed a discussion on the ride. Take the lead on the corners. Don't let someone else dictate the pace. Sitting in on a corner is not so smart.
Ah we got a long way to go before cyclocross season is upon us again. A Loooooong way to go. But not long enough. Rachel's comments in the velonews should be read by the promoters, and organizers. Do we want USA competitors to have a chance at Worlds? Or do we want to continue sending racers who are burned out and tired by the time worlds rolls around? Moving Nats to Jan should help. But starting Cross in August does NOT help. But what do I know, we can just leave it with the words of 'The Rev' Time will tell (yeah well he used em in response to Ball being good or bad, Judas or Moses - time will tell) but I think it applies well to the current flux in the domestic cyclocross scheduling.
heddwch
G
watching Family guy's Road to Rupert episode. Funny show. Funnier for those who live in Rhode Island/SE Mass I think, but still well written and all that.
a corny old joke made me just burst out loud laughing scaring the crap out of the dog - it was the tag end of this 'scene'
Brian Griffin: Look, Stewie, don't you think at some point you're gonna have to let Rupert go? I mean, you are getting a little old to have a teddy bear.
Stewie Griffin: Brian, I'm one!
Brian Griffin: Still?
Stewie Griffin: What?
Brian Griffin: Look, I'm not going to Colorado. I'm turning around and going home.
Stewie Griffin: Fine, then, I'll go by myself. See you from the back of my milk carton. Want that on your conscience, Brian? Try explaining this to Lois. You'll wind up in a Dumpster with a bunch of slow, unadoptable greyhounds.
Brian Griffin: Don't joke about that! That's like the Holocaust to us!
Stewie Griffin: Yeah, well, when greyhounds start running The New York Times and the World Bank, I'll be more inclined to believe you. [he sticks out his thumb] Now are you coming or not?
Brian Griffin [sighs]: Fine. [he sticks out his thumb, then he starts singing] Take to the highway, won't you lend me your name...
Stewie Griffin: Who sings that song?
Brian Griffin: James Taylor.
Stewie Griffin: Yeah, let's keep it that way.
(quote snipped from wikiquote)
yeah, let's keep it that way...
Got some serious cadence intervals in on the way home last night. Came in to read that the Turk is getting the beat down from his coach and nega-coach from being a pathlete gear grinder on his long rides this weekend. And his knee hurts. Go figure. Spinning. Anyone can grind. It takes alot of work to pedal fast. Back in the day, ya know old school, pre-power meter, pre-HRM, the sprinters trained by riding around in the little ring. Not that it was always effective but, if you can go fast spinning a 39 or 42, just imagine the benefits in the big ring. Maybe they should put Junior gear restrictions on EVERYONE. If not all the time maybe Junior Gear restrictions on races up until August. After August 1st you can use the big gears. Spinning hurts. It is hard. It takes a lot of work. But, I seems to be, to be well worth the work. Assuming you get enough recovery (like this morning's ride in - nice and mellow - looking at the scenery with only a few intensity bits thrown in to get me over the hills).
But it has been well documented that I ain't the one to give advice about Training. But I can speculate, no?
Got thinking again last night. Cooking it around a corner, my reaction is to ALWAYS stop pedaling and get that inside pedal unweighted and if not at the top of the stroke at least on the back half of it. Conditioned response. High bottom bracket ain't gonna change that. I've clipped too many damn pedals and find i can carry plenty of speed into a corner and can start pedaling soon enough that pedaling through the corner isn't needed (for me)... Sure if someone brakes early (stupid) and then pedals through the corner I might have to work harder than if I lead through and didn't brake, leaned it way over and burst out of the corner. But then that comes down to positioning.
Someone was talking about cross and positioning. Maybe it was on the Rhode Island Smack Down (RISD) ride a week ago, or maybe it was before that and it framed a discussion on the ride. Take the lead on the corners. Don't let someone else dictate the pace. Sitting in on a corner is not so smart.
Ah we got a long way to go before cyclocross season is upon us again. A Loooooong way to go. But not long enough. Rachel's comments in the velonews should be read by the promoters, and organizers. Do we want USA competitors to have a chance at Worlds? Or do we want to continue sending racers who are burned out and tired by the time worlds rolls around? Moving Nats to Jan should help. But starting Cross in August does NOT help. But what do I know, we can just leave it with the words of 'The Rev' Time will tell (yeah well he used em in response to Ball being good or bad, Judas or Moses - time will tell) but I think it applies well to the current flux in the domestic cyclocross scheduling.
heddwch
G
recipes of the day
Not feeling much like writing at the moment- but here's a bit of food talk
Recipes…
So the menu for Saturday night.
A roastish beef burgundy stew.
½ bottle of wine
3 tablespoon cranberry sauce (home made of course)
3 strips of bacon
1 ½ pound top sirloin (natural creekstone beef cut in 4-6cm chunks)
1-2 pounds new potatoes (quartered)
1 pound carrots (peeled and chunked)
½ large sweet onion
½ pound fresh pearl onions peeled
2 Portobello mushrooms (chopped about 2cm in size)
4 oz White mushrooms halved.
Flat Leaf parsley
1-2 dozen stems of fresh thyme
1 large Jalapeno pepper halved
3 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoon flour
Okay – I think that is the complete list of ingredients. I think.
To start – reduce the bottle of wine in a non-reactive (stainless steel) pan. Just before being reduced by half add the cranberry sauce.
While that is reducing chop the bacon and cook it in a dutch oven (or large heavy pot with lid). Once crispy remove the bacon and leave the fat in the pan, turn it up until it starts to smoke. Then add a few pieces of the sirloin at a time to the smoking oil and brown (creating a nice fond on the bottom of the pan). When all the beef is well browned on the outside, (don’t cook just sear) remove it and set aside in a bowl. Add the chopped onions to the hot fat in the pan and reduce the heat until well clarified (stirring all the while). Once the onions are clear, turn the heat up and then add just enough wine to lift the fond off the bottom of the pan (classic cooking method – this stuff has all the flavor, you need hot water based liquid to easily lift it).
Tie the parsley and thyme into a bouquet garnis. Add everything into the pot. Mix well.
Put a bit of aluminum foil under the lit and depress it in the middle so any water would drip back into the middle of the pot. Put the heavy lid on over the foil on the pot and place in the oven. Turn the oven on at 250 degrees F. Set the time for 45 minutes. At that point remove the pot from the oven, remove the lid and gently mix, replace the lid, return to the oven and turn the heat up to 350 and after 30 minutes mix it one more time, and then cook again for another 30 minutes.
With about 5 minutes to go in the final 30 minutes melt the butter and add the flour to create a Roux.
Pull the pot out, add the Roux, mix well (should thicken quite visibly quickly) Turn oven off, and replace the lid and return the pot to the oven for about 15 minutes before serving.
Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, coarse ground black pepper and salt, to tastes.
Makes a fair bit of food.
There ya go – That was Saturday night’s meal. And a few Lunches.
Sunday, well I needed to eat something different for dinner. I wanted pasta. Craved some pasta..
Simple, but stayed with the bacon to start with (3 strips).
Added 1 pound of ground beef.
Browned it.
Added a ¼ of chopped sweet onion and clarified a bit
Turn the heat up and add a few tablespoons of balsalmic vinegar and reduce
Add 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
Press a few cloves of garlic into the sauce
Add some dried oregano, basil and thyme
Add some chopped Portabella and white mushrooms
Quarter chop up a zucchini and add it
Add 2 cups of wine
Some sea salt and pepper to taste
Add some crushed red pepper
And some chopped flat leaf parsley
Simmer
Then mix in about a pound of pasta in the sauce and serve with a bit of freshly grated parm or romano.
Recipes…
So the menu for Saturday night.
A roastish beef burgundy stew.
½ bottle of wine
3 tablespoon cranberry sauce (home made of course)
3 strips of bacon
1 ½ pound top sirloin (natural creekstone beef cut in 4-6cm chunks)
1-2 pounds new potatoes (quartered)
1 pound carrots (peeled and chunked)
½ large sweet onion
½ pound fresh pearl onions peeled
2 Portobello mushrooms (chopped about 2cm in size)
4 oz White mushrooms halved.
Flat Leaf parsley
1-2 dozen stems of fresh thyme
1 large Jalapeno pepper halved
3 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoon flour
Okay – I think that is the complete list of ingredients. I think.
To start – reduce the bottle of wine in a non-reactive (stainless steel) pan. Just before being reduced by half add the cranberry sauce.
While that is reducing chop the bacon and cook it in a dutch oven (or large heavy pot with lid). Once crispy remove the bacon and leave the fat in the pan, turn it up until it starts to smoke. Then add a few pieces of the sirloin at a time to the smoking oil and brown (creating a nice fond on the bottom of the pan). When all the beef is well browned on the outside, (don’t cook just sear) remove it and set aside in a bowl. Add the chopped onions to the hot fat in the pan and reduce the heat until well clarified (stirring all the while). Once the onions are clear, turn the heat up and then add just enough wine to lift the fond off the bottom of the pan (classic cooking method – this stuff has all the flavor, you need hot water based liquid to easily lift it).
Tie the parsley and thyme into a bouquet garnis. Add everything into the pot. Mix well.
Put a bit of aluminum foil under the lit and depress it in the middle so any water would drip back into the middle of the pot. Put the heavy lid on over the foil on the pot and place in the oven. Turn the oven on at 250 degrees F. Set the time for 45 minutes. At that point remove the pot from the oven, remove the lid and gently mix, replace the lid, return to the oven and turn the heat up to 350 and after 30 minutes mix it one more time, and then cook again for another 30 minutes.
With about 5 minutes to go in the final 30 minutes melt the butter and add the flour to create a Roux.
Pull the pot out, add the Roux, mix well (should thicken quite visibly quickly) Turn oven off, and replace the lid and return the pot to the oven for about 15 minutes before serving.
Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, coarse ground black pepper and salt, to tastes.
Makes a fair bit of food.
There ya go – That was Saturday night’s meal. And a few Lunches.
Sunday, well I needed to eat something different for dinner. I wanted pasta. Craved some pasta..
Simple, but stayed with the bacon to start with (3 strips).
Added 1 pound of ground beef.
Browned it.
Added a ¼ of chopped sweet onion and clarified a bit
Turn the heat up and add a few tablespoons of balsalmic vinegar and reduce
Add 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
Press a few cloves of garlic into the sauce
Add some dried oregano, basil and thyme
Add some chopped Portabella and white mushrooms
Quarter chop up a zucchini and add it
Add 2 cups of wine
Some sea salt and pepper to taste
Add some crushed red pepper
And some chopped flat leaf parsley
Simmer
Then mix in about a pound of pasta in the sauce and serve with a bit of freshly grated parm or romano.
Monday, February 18, 2008
every once in a while
Some one emails me and says "you should rant about blahblahblabhalbh..."
And some times I take the bait and go off on it.
And some times it just sparks my own damn rant. Somewhat fizzling along until I strike the key word/picture that triggers it.
Astana just triggered it. Actually BKW did. I've been ignoring everything out there about this road silliness. Sometimes reading the latest Ball Saga. I've seen this and that - the re-opening of OP. And the latest of 'who the fahk cares' the let levi race petition. Sure that guy's nice enough. But look. HE signed on with Astana. All those boys who inked a deal with the knew the kettle of scorpions and eels that the team was carrying around as baggage.
Sort of free speech-ish. You are free to ride with who ever you want. You just can't be assured a spot on the Tour.
Heck - go back a few years and there is usually a squad or two that should have been invited to the TdF that wasn't. It isn't anything new going on.
That said - it is freaking balmy out there - hot almost. Nearly 60 degrees! Crazy. Sure is nice to get some high cadence high load intervals in with a tail wind. Kinda like motor pacing. Not that i'm doing anything specific. Just felt like getting a nice mellow warm up in and blasting the cob webs out. I'll say this one good thing about a power meter. I did use it long enough to really reinforce the awareness of holding a steady state load. Too bad it don't go squat for going fast in a cross race. But it was cool, holding the interval, feeling the slight build up of lactic acid to a noticable level just under the LT effort numbers, feeling the HR steadily increasing and increasing, legs spinning the 40x13 madly... arms in TT mode, fore arms resting on either side of the stem, just floating there - all my forward weight going into the pedals, arms nearly unweighted... just powering and spinning along with the tail wind, going fast enough to create my own head wind, wondering if I indeed had a tailwind.
Riding without any electronic feed back is liberating. No Speed readout. No Cadence. No HR. No Power. Nothing. No clock. Just me and my bike. Listening to my legs for how hard and fast to go. Paying attention to the key indicators.
Really quite cool.
So I know I was going to share some of GeWilli's Top Secret Dinner recipes soon, but, well I found a recipe earlier today and while at home taking the measurments and consulting with the contractor who is advising the slight changes to the room (well before he showed up with my niece) I made up a quick cake from Fatty (as everyone seems to call him).
Best Cake in the World? No where anywhere CLOSE to that apple spice cake I made. This once certainly is easy, simple and all that to make. It is sweet enough. But. It just is missing something.
I had printed it out and took it home and walking into the house I just had a craving for cake. And I had everything on hand. Well not the chocolate Chips but i chopped up some Milk Chocolate bars we had (Hershey).
At anyrate - I now have something else to eat up along with the left over chocolate chip cookies from V-day to have for desert.
Gotta get some kJ created so I can keep eating! I like eating.
Food is good.
Good food is better.
Being hungry makes eating that much better. I guess it is like training. You'll never be good if you don't suffer. And Maybe ya won't look good without a bit of suffering tossed in there too. A weak analogy but. I started off with a pretty weak rant. Figured I'd end with something to match.
Heddwch
G
And some times I take the bait and go off on it.
And some times it just sparks my own damn rant. Somewhat fizzling along until I strike the key word/picture that triggers it.
Astana just triggered it. Actually BKW did. I've been ignoring everything out there about this road silliness. Sometimes reading the latest Ball Saga. I've seen this and that - the re-opening of OP. And the latest of 'who the fahk cares' the let levi race petition. Sure that guy's nice enough. But look. HE signed on with Astana. All those boys who inked a deal with the knew the kettle of scorpions and eels that the team was carrying around as baggage.
Sort of free speech-ish. You are free to ride with who ever you want. You just can't be assured a spot on the Tour.
Heck - go back a few years and there is usually a squad or two that should have been invited to the TdF that wasn't. It isn't anything new going on.
That said - it is freaking balmy out there - hot almost. Nearly 60 degrees! Crazy. Sure is nice to get some high cadence high load intervals in with a tail wind. Kinda like motor pacing. Not that i'm doing anything specific. Just felt like getting a nice mellow warm up in and blasting the cob webs out. I'll say this one good thing about a power meter. I did use it long enough to really reinforce the awareness of holding a steady state load. Too bad it don't go squat for going fast in a cross race. But it was cool, holding the interval, feeling the slight build up of lactic acid to a noticable level just under the LT effort numbers, feeling the HR steadily increasing and increasing, legs spinning the 40x13 madly... arms in TT mode, fore arms resting on either side of the stem, just floating there - all my forward weight going into the pedals, arms nearly unweighted... just powering and spinning along with the tail wind, going fast enough to create my own head wind, wondering if I indeed had a tailwind.
Riding without any electronic feed back is liberating. No Speed readout. No Cadence. No HR. No Power. Nothing. No clock. Just me and my bike. Listening to my legs for how hard and fast to go. Paying attention to the key indicators.
Really quite cool.
So I know I was going to share some of GeWilli's Top Secret Dinner recipes soon, but, well I found a recipe earlier today and while at home taking the measurments and consulting with the contractor who is advising the slight changes to the room (well before he showed up with my niece) I made up a quick cake from Fatty (as everyone seems to call him).
Best Cake in the World? No where anywhere CLOSE to that apple spice cake I made. This once certainly is easy, simple and all that to make. It is sweet enough. But. It just is missing something.
I had printed it out and took it home and walking into the house I just had a craving for cake. And I had everything on hand. Well not the chocolate Chips but i chopped up some Milk Chocolate bars we had (Hershey).
At anyrate - I now have something else to eat up along with the left over chocolate chip cookies from V-day to have for desert.
Gotta get some kJ created so I can keep eating! I like eating.
Food is good.
Good food is better.
Being hungry makes eating that much better. I guess it is like training. You'll never be good if you don't suffer. And Maybe ya won't look good without a bit of suffering tossed in there too. A weak analogy but. I started off with a pretty weak rant. Figured I'd end with something to match.
Heddwch
G
Uh oh
Now I guess we all have to be nice to VeloNews.
But that said - here's to hoping our local man Steve can do a Kick ASS job.
(Yes the CX sticker will be on the car the next time our paths cross Steve!)
But that said - here's to hoping our local man Steve can do a Kick ASS job.
(Yes the CX sticker will be on the car the next time our paths cross Steve!)
once again
meh... TOC? Are they actually racing out there?
I'm far more excited and depressed about the final weekend of cross.
Cross - Sluitingsprijs Oostmalle, (GvA #8), Bel (C1)
February 17: Full results & report
Cross - Superprestige #7, Bel (C1)
February 16: Full report & brief results
Prince Albert seems to just be freaking ON FIRE. Man he's been putting on a clinic lately.
Our favorite American Living in Belgium (Christine) showed up and represented with a 14th only a couple minutes off the winner (Mmmmm Daphny).
Those of you who read Rachel's interview on Velonews might have picked up something very cool. She has fun racing. Seems she has fun training. Just really loves the bike. THAT is very cool.
Ya know, after two days of demo, I look down at my arms and hands and say - these don't feel like mine. I feel like I can rip down some more wall, yank some more 2x3 studs out. Haul more stuff around. Damn sissy cyclist arms. A true cyclist physique makes ya look pretty freaking frail from the waist up. Even Crossers. The difference between a tour dude and a cyclocross racer might be just a bit more lower back/waist tone in the CX racer from the running and carrying of the bike... But then, it still comes down to being fast and all ya need are the legs and good power to weight. Power to weight. Last week I mistakenly hopped on the scale at an odd time of the day and found myself to be over the Clydesdale line. Well. I checked again at the end of the week after spending the first part of the week sick (sun-wed) and the second part (thr-fri) on the bike and, well damn, i'm 10 pounds lighter. Craaaaazy. Checked a couple times this weekend, still under the 195 mark. Hmmm. There's hope that my legs can haul my fat ass up the hills at Battenkill yet.
Or not. I was reading the 'Dirty Dozen' article in Urban Velo #5 last week. That sounds like way too much fun. Watched the Video of the Rhonde de Portland or what ever that was. Very cool. Might need to organize a branch from the Rhode Island Smack Down ride to include a race up each hill here in Providence starting at College and working north until heck maybe Cedar. Need to find an organizer to score the first person to the top and then someone to say go at the bottom... But i don't think we'd get the hundreds of people (probably a good thing) that the other two rides get so the 'winner' (first to the top the most) could be scored by mutual agreement.
Hmm - couple that with a team mattes 80 mile ride that hits every hill in the GPA (greater providence area) and That is some fun "training."
Cooked a big batch of some tasty saucy pasta goodness last night. Watched the Red Wings suck and Dale Jr not quite get to the front when it counted. But hey my Stock Car Challenge team did pretty darn well I scored in the 99.76903%. I'll say this, it was a very exciting race, towards the end. Kinda boring for a while - but it held my attention with that #88 always near the front. If you care who wins, ya can watch/follow anything. TOC? Um. Sorry but I kinda don't really care who wins and even with Ball's antics I just don't feel like seeing who's doing what.
Ah well. Got the tough choice of either making yet another creative masterwork or eating what i've made already. Maybe both. Hmmm. I really kinda want to make a linquica sauce (cream based I think) over pasta. Maybe I should save that for another night.
I'm going to see if i can get these recipes up for the past two masterworks, in between finishing the room and painting. and maybe riding the bike...
Heddwch
G
I'm far more excited and depressed about the final weekend of cross.
Cross - Sluitingsprijs Oostmalle, (GvA #8), Bel (C1)
February 17: Full results & report
Cross - Superprestige #7, Bel (C1)
February 16: Full report & brief results
Prince Albert seems to just be freaking ON FIRE. Man he's been putting on a clinic lately.
Our favorite American Living in Belgium (Christine) showed up and represented with a 14th only a couple minutes off the winner (Mmmmm Daphny).
Those of you who read Rachel's interview on Velonews might have picked up something very cool. She has fun racing. Seems she has fun training. Just really loves the bike. THAT is very cool.
Ya know, after two days of demo, I look down at my arms and hands and say - these don't feel like mine. I feel like I can rip down some more wall, yank some more 2x3 studs out. Haul more stuff around. Damn sissy cyclist arms. A true cyclist physique makes ya look pretty freaking frail from the waist up. Even Crossers. The difference between a tour dude and a cyclocross racer might be just a bit more lower back/waist tone in the CX racer from the running and carrying of the bike... But then, it still comes down to being fast and all ya need are the legs and good power to weight. Power to weight. Last week I mistakenly hopped on the scale at an odd time of the day and found myself to be over the Clydesdale line. Well. I checked again at the end of the week after spending the first part of the week sick (sun-wed) and the second part (thr-fri) on the bike and, well damn, i'm 10 pounds lighter. Craaaaazy. Checked a couple times this weekend, still under the 195 mark. Hmmm. There's hope that my legs can haul my fat ass up the hills at Battenkill yet.
Or not. I was reading the 'Dirty Dozen' article in Urban Velo #5 last week. That sounds like way too much fun. Watched the Video of the Rhonde de Portland or what ever that was. Very cool. Might need to organize a branch from the Rhode Island Smack Down ride to include a race up each hill here in Providence starting at College and working north until heck maybe Cedar. Need to find an organizer to score the first person to the top and then someone to say go at the bottom... But i don't think we'd get the hundreds of people (probably a good thing) that the other two rides get so the 'winner' (first to the top the most) could be scored by mutual agreement.
Hmm - couple that with a team mattes 80 mile ride that hits every hill in the GPA (greater providence area) and That is some fun "training."
Cooked a big batch of some tasty saucy pasta goodness last night. Watched the Red Wings suck and Dale Jr not quite get to the front when it counted. But hey my Stock Car Challenge team did pretty darn well I scored in the 99.76903%. I'll say this, it was a very exciting race, towards the end. Kinda boring for a while - but it held my attention with that #88 always near the front. If you care who wins, ya can watch/follow anything. TOC? Um. Sorry but I kinda don't really care who wins and even with Ball's antics I just don't feel like seeing who's doing what.
Ah well. Got the tough choice of either making yet another creative masterwork or eating what i've made already. Maybe both. Hmmm. I really kinda want to make a linquica sauce (cream based I think) over pasta. Maybe I should save that for another night.
I'm going to see if i can get these recipes up for the past two masterworks, in between finishing the room and painting. and maybe riding the bike...
Heddwch
G
Sunday, February 17, 2008
So here I am
Gorgeous day outside and I'm inside. At work even.
Project is on hold for a second till the Tool Truck can swing by the house tomorrow. Knocked most of the dirty work out. A few stringers and 2x3s to pull out, some rock to knife and trim. But searching the house for one of my 3-4 utility knifes has proved completely futile. Ya'd think i might have been able to find one of them. noooooooo. I found the pack of new blades, sure, that was easy. Knife? Nope. I guess I can take some comfort in the fact that if i can't find it then neither can my girls.
Home Depot is next, picking up paint today, and a new utility knife.
Made a big batch of some stewish sort of roast last night. sort of combined a French-style pot roast and stew. Minus gelatine + roux. Very tasty. After two big bowls last night there's a nice almost 2 quarts to get me through a few days this week.
It is going to be about using the veggies that I got at the market yesterday with what I have in the house. No more food purchasing till next week's run to the market (we'll see how that goes). It is a creative challenge. Spending the hour in prep for the dinner and the occasional checking/stirring/tasting/smelling over the next couple hours was a welcome distraction from an empty house. Ya see. These girls of mine escaped to the land of evil marketing imagination killing life sucking moron making corporate buy more useless shit made in China called dis knee wurld. No way in hell am i going there. They've got every hour scheduled from today till they leave planned out. Not just my girls (all three - wife included there) but my wife's who family and her sister and kids and stuff. One of these days I'll let into dis knee place with all the vitrol I have bottled up about it. Sure, pretty much everyone I know with kids has wasted a couple grand going down to that place. Sure the kids had fun... blah blah blah but I've got some solid reasons (I believe) why it is not on my most favorite lists.
Taking some of the packing blankets out of the bike room to start the project i had to move the Croll. And I looked outside. Gorgeous day. What am I doing working inside. Why? Because I can't put it off. I should take advantage of today, go out to Otis or something epic. But I need to get the room finished, painted and back in order before they all get back. Priorities. Training conflicts with life. Life takes precedent.
Took a bit of indulgence last night and watched (for the first time) Miracle on Ice, that movie about THE hockey game. It was on TV. I watched it. Very very very cool. And during the lead in. I couldn't help but feel, the problems we have now, aren't anywhere near as bad as they were in the 70s. As bad off as our country seems to be, things really are not that bad.
Obama's "washington is broken, elect me to fix it" really does bother me. What is broken about it? Is it not the most representative of democracies in the world? Even if it is a republic with the whole electoral college and delegate system to pick the president. The Prez ain't got all the power. They've got a ton of it.
The more I look at the political stuff the less I like the trio vying to be the perceived most powerful person in the world. Could we take the fiscal conservatism of the old dude and the anti-war side of the young dude with the face of the woman? I can't argue against a comment that I heard from a female politician that went along the lines of arguing how important it would be for the girls and young women in this country of ours to have a female President without regard to their beliefs and policies. Just the measureable impact it would have on the girls here, SHOWING them that they can do anything, that would be powerful. Sadly there are people who don't want that to happen. Men and women who go to great lengths to keep that glass ceiling in place, working hard to make it glass that no woman can break through. We are seemingly to a point where Race matters less than Gender in a time where either shouldn't make a difference. I would have hoped our society might have reached a point by now where the best person for the job is selected, period.
Well. That big race starts some point today. The Red Wings are playing on TV too, maybe I'll just put my feet up and relax with my dog and waste the afternoon away and surf between spectacles, all the while thinking about Cyclocross.
Seriously. Grabbed a bite of lunch, turned on the TV and found nothing but infomercials. That CHiPs dude selling swamp land on two channels, some suits selling government gold and some "sports" people selling motorcycles, ATVs in between MotorX racing. All those 'niche' sports are infomercials when it comes down to it. And until a big PR machine picks up cycling in the US and makes it like those shows it can't make it. No way. And even then. American's don't want to watch stuff where then can see the physique. Pads, protective gear, all seem to be required unless you are a 7' freak or wear clothes dressier than I wear to work to 'play' (golf for example).
So, for now. Till later...
heddwch
g
Project is on hold for a second till the Tool Truck can swing by the house tomorrow. Knocked most of the dirty work out. A few stringers and 2x3s to pull out, some rock to knife and trim. But searching the house for one of my 3-4 utility knifes has proved completely futile. Ya'd think i might have been able to find one of them. noooooooo. I found the pack of new blades, sure, that was easy. Knife? Nope. I guess I can take some comfort in the fact that if i can't find it then neither can my girls.
Home Depot is next, picking up paint today, and a new utility knife.
Made a big batch of some stewish sort of roast last night. sort of combined a French-style pot roast and stew. Minus gelatine + roux. Very tasty. After two big bowls last night there's a nice almost 2 quarts to get me through a few days this week.
It is going to be about using the veggies that I got at the market yesterday with what I have in the house. No more food purchasing till next week's run to the market (we'll see how that goes). It is a creative challenge. Spending the hour in prep for the dinner and the occasional checking/stirring/tasting/smelling over the next couple hours was a welcome distraction from an empty house. Ya see. These girls of mine escaped to the land of evil marketing imagination killing life sucking moron making corporate buy more useless shit made in China called dis knee wurld. No way in hell am i going there. They've got every hour scheduled from today till they leave planned out. Not just my girls (all three - wife included there) but my wife's who family and her sister and kids and stuff. One of these days I'll let into dis knee place with all the vitrol I have bottled up about it. Sure, pretty much everyone I know with kids has wasted a couple grand going down to that place. Sure the kids had fun... blah blah blah but I've got some solid reasons (I believe) why it is not on my most favorite lists.
Taking some of the packing blankets out of the bike room to start the project i had to move the Croll. And I looked outside. Gorgeous day. What am I doing working inside. Why? Because I can't put it off. I should take advantage of today, go out to Otis or something epic. But I need to get the room finished, painted and back in order before they all get back. Priorities. Training conflicts with life. Life takes precedent.
Took a bit of indulgence last night and watched (for the first time) Miracle on Ice, that movie about THE hockey game. It was on TV. I watched it. Very very very cool. And during the lead in. I couldn't help but feel, the problems we have now, aren't anywhere near as bad as they were in the 70s. As bad off as our country seems to be, things really are not that bad.
Obama's "washington is broken, elect me to fix it" really does bother me. What is broken about it? Is it not the most representative of democracies in the world? Even if it is a republic with the whole electoral college and delegate system to pick the president. The Prez ain't got all the power. They've got a ton of it.
The more I look at the political stuff the less I like the trio vying to be the perceived most powerful person in the world. Could we take the fiscal conservatism of the old dude and the anti-war side of the young dude with the face of the woman? I can't argue against a comment that I heard from a female politician that went along the lines of arguing how important it would be for the girls and young women in this country of ours to have a female President without regard to their beliefs and policies. Just the measureable impact it would have on the girls here, SHOWING them that they can do anything, that would be powerful. Sadly there are people who don't want that to happen. Men and women who go to great lengths to keep that glass ceiling in place, working hard to make it glass that no woman can break through. We are seemingly to a point where Race matters less than Gender in a time where either shouldn't make a difference. I would have hoped our society might have reached a point by now where the best person for the job is selected, period.
Well. That big race starts some point today. The Red Wings are playing on TV too, maybe I'll just put my feet up and relax with my dog and waste the afternoon away and surf between spectacles, all the while thinking about Cyclocross.
Seriously. Grabbed a bite of lunch, turned on the TV and found nothing but infomercials. That CHiPs dude selling swamp land on two channels, some suits selling government gold and some "sports" people selling motorcycles, ATVs in between MotorX racing. All those 'niche' sports are infomercials when it comes down to it. And until a big PR machine picks up cycling in the US and makes it like those shows it can't make it. No way. And even then. American's don't want to watch stuff where then can see the physique. Pads, protective gear, all seem to be required unless you are a 7' freak or wear clothes dressier than I wear to work to 'play' (golf for example).
So, for now. Till later...
heddwch
g
Friday, February 15, 2008
awe poor basso
Italian Ivan Basso, the sole cyclist to have been sanctioned in the initial stages of the Operación Puerto blood-doping affair, said the inquiry had left him "shattered."
Awe you poor bastard.
Maybe... just MAYBE
YOU SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT BEFORE YOU TURNED INTO A CHEATING SACK OF DONKEY POOP!
You listening Tyler and Felching Floyd?
Reap what you sow... (yeah i'll get it for being mean to yogurt boy for a while... no one is immue - except well... we'll skip it some people certainly still think their poop smells like roses)
Yeah I paid a bunch of cash to that doctor and he stored my blood, but ya know i just 'couldn't' put it back in... no that would be cheating...
um...
yeah - here - walk into a bank, with a big mask on carrying a shotgun and shot "THIS IS A ROBBERY" then take the mask off, and say: "No, i don't think i am gonna take any money."
retard
dry my eyes mate
Lee posted this set of jokes and today - for some reason - they are making my die with laughter...
Irishmen
Six retired Irishmen were playing poker in O'Leary's apartment when Paddy Murphy loses $500 on a single hand, clutches his chest, and drops dead at the table. Showing respect for their fallen brother, the other five continue playing standing up.
Michael O'Conner looks around and asks, "Well, me boys, someone got's to tell Paddy's wife. Who will it be?" They draw straws. Paul Gallagher picks the short one. They tell him to be discreet, be gentle, don't make a bad situation any worse.
"Discreet??? I'm the most discreet Irishmen you'll ever meet. Discretion is me middle name. Leave it to me."
Gallagher goes over to Murphy's house and knocks on the door. Mrs. Murphy answers, and asks what he wants. Gallagher declares, "Your husband just lost $500, and is afraid to come home."
"Tell him to drop dead!", says Murphy's wife.
"I'll go tell him." says Gallagher.
***********************************************************
Into a Belfast pub comes Paddy Murphy, looking like he'd just been run over by a train. His arm is in a sling, his nose is broken, his face is cut, and bruised, and he's walking with a limp.
"What happened to you?" asks Sean, the bartender.
"Jamie O'Conner and me had a fight," says Paddy.
"That little O'Conner," says Sean, "He couldn't do that to you, he must have had something in his hand."
"That he did," says Paddy, "a shovel is what he had, and a terrible lickin' he gave me with it."
"Well," says Sean, "you should have defended yourself. Didn't you have something in your hand?"
That I did," said Paddy, "Mrs. O'Conner's breast, and a thing of beauty it was; but useless in a fight."
************************************************************
An Irishman who had a little too much to drink is driving home from the city one night and, of course, his car is weaving violently all over the road.
A cop pulls him over. "So," says the cop to the driver, "where have ya been?"
"Why, I've been to the pub of course," slurs the drunk.
"Well," says the cop, "it looks like you've had quite a few to drink this evening."
"I did all right," the drunk says with a smile.
"Did you know," says the cop, standing straight, and folding his arms across his chest, "that a few intersections back, your wife fell out of your car?"
"Oh, thank heavens," sighs the drunk. "for a minute there, I thought I'd gone deaf."
**********************************************************
Brenda O'Malley is home making dinner, as usual, when Tim Finnegan arrives at her door.
"Brenda, may I come in?" he asks. "I've somethin' to tell ya".
"Of course you can come in, you're always welcome, Tim. But where's my husband?"
"That's what I'm here to be telling ya, Brenda. There was an accident down at the Guinness brewery"
"Oh, God no!" cries Brenda. "Please don't tell me."
"I must, Brenda. Your husband Shamus is dead and gone. I'm sorry.
Finally, she looked up at Tim. "How did it happen, Tim?"
"It was terrible, Brenda. He fell into a vat of Guinness Stout, and drowned."
"Oh my dear Jesus! But you must tell me true, Tim, did he at least go quickly?"
"Well, Brenda, no. In fact, he got out three times to pee."
**************************************************************
Mary Clancy goes up to Father O'Grady after his Sunday morning service, and she's in tears.
He says, "So what's bothering you, Mary my dear?"
She says, "Oh, Father, I've got terrible news. My husband passed away last night."
The priest says, "Oh, Mary, that's terrible. Tell me, Mary, did he have any last requests?"
She says, "That he did, Father."
The priest says, "What did he ask, Mary?"
" She says, "He said, 'Please Mary, put down that damn gun...' "
**************************************************************
AND THE BEST FOR LAST
A drunk staggers into a Catholic Church, enters a confessional booth, sits down, but says nothing.
The Priest coughs a few times to get his attention, but the drunk continues to sit there.
Finally, the Priest pounds three times on the wall.
The drunk mumbles, "Ain't no use knockin, there's no paper on this side either."
Irishmen
Six retired Irishmen were playing poker in O'Leary's apartment when Paddy Murphy loses $500 on a single hand, clutches his chest, and drops dead at the table. Showing respect for their fallen brother, the other five continue playing standing up.
Michael O'Conner looks around and asks, "Well, me boys, someone got's to tell Paddy's wife. Who will it be?" They draw straws. Paul Gallagher picks the short one. They tell him to be discreet, be gentle, don't make a bad situation any worse.
"Discreet??? I'm the most discreet Irishmen you'll ever meet. Discretion is me middle name. Leave it to me."
Gallagher goes over to Murphy's house and knocks on the door. Mrs. Murphy answers, and asks what he wants. Gallagher declares, "Your husband just lost $500, and is afraid to come home."
"Tell him to drop dead!", says Murphy's wife.
"I'll go tell him." says Gallagher.
***********************************************************
Into a Belfast pub comes Paddy Murphy, looking like he'd just been run over by a train. His arm is in a sling, his nose is broken, his face is cut, and bruised, and he's walking with a limp.
"What happened to you?" asks Sean, the bartender.
"Jamie O'Conner and me had a fight," says Paddy.
"That little O'Conner," says Sean, "He couldn't do that to you, he must have had something in his hand."
"That he did," says Paddy, "a shovel is what he had, and a terrible lickin' he gave me with it."
"Well," says Sean, "you should have defended yourself. Didn't you have something in your hand?"
That I did," said Paddy, "Mrs. O'Conner's breast, and a thing of beauty it was; but useless in a fight."
************************************************************
An Irishman who had a little too much to drink is driving home from the city one night and, of course, his car is weaving violently all over the road.
A cop pulls him over. "So," says the cop to the driver, "where have ya been?"
"Why, I've been to the pub of course," slurs the drunk.
"Well," says the cop, "it looks like you've had quite a few to drink this evening."
"I did all right," the drunk says with a smile.
"Did you know," says the cop, standing straight, and folding his arms across his chest, "that a few intersections back, your wife fell out of your car?"
"Oh, thank heavens," sighs the drunk. "for a minute there, I thought I'd gone deaf."
**********************************************************
Brenda O'Malley is home making dinner, as usual, when Tim Finnegan arrives at her door.
"Brenda, may I come in?" he asks. "I've somethin' to tell ya".
"Of course you can come in, you're always welcome, Tim. But where's my husband?"
"That's what I'm here to be telling ya, Brenda. There was an accident down at the Guinness brewery"
"Oh, God no!" cries Brenda. "Please don't tell me."
"I must, Brenda. Your husband Shamus is dead and gone. I'm sorry.
Finally, she looked up at Tim. "How did it happen, Tim?"
"It was terrible, Brenda. He fell into a vat of Guinness Stout, and drowned."
"Oh my dear Jesus! But you must tell me true, Tim, did he at least go quickly?"
"Well, Brenda, no. In fact, he got out three times to pee."
**************************************************************
Mary Clancy goes up to Father O'Grady after his Sunday morning service, and she's in tears.
He says, "So what's bothering you, Mary my dear?"
She says, "Oh, Father, I've got terrible news. My husband passed away last night."
The priest says, "Oh, Mary, that's terrible. Tell me, Mary, did he have any last requests?"
She says, "That he did, Father."
The priest says, "What did he ask, Mary?"
" She says, "He said, 'Please Mary, put down that damn gun...' "
**************************************************************
AND THE BEST FOR LAST
A drunk staggers into a Catholic Church, enters a confessional booth, sits down, but says nothing.
The Priest coughs a few times to get his attention, but the drunk continues to sit there.
Finally, the Priest pounds three times on the wall.
The drunk mumbles, "Ain't no use knockin, there's no paper on this side either."
YEAH Rachel (warning cyclocross content)
Finally. A good article in Velonews: Rachel's Return. You can't help but say "cool" when Rachel's mother is emailing my mother about Rachel's race.
Go give it a read. Then you can go watch the women's race if you haven't already.
The most poignant part of the article is this:
How often is that echoed. Pro Women travel around just as much or more than the men, yet i would be suprised if a local cat 2-3 man can make more $$ in prize money pimping crits all summer.
I applaud the work and effort Myles is putting into the sport on that front. I wish other New England Promoters would take his lead. Take all the cash out of the Masters races. None of them 'need' the cash, sure it is nice getting a $50 blank check of some cash. But is that going to make a difference in a Master racer's season? Not that $50 would be a big drop in a PRO woman's pocketbook, but it certainly would make more of an impact on a female pro cyclists than some master racer who has bought all his own gear and can afford to drop a few hundred on a new set of dugasts at will.
Now speaking of fixing things that are broken.
OBRA seems (to me) to have one upped USAC on the category side of things. Personally I think it makes WAY more sense.
Check it out at K-man's page.
So there. something different than yogurt wars for a change
Heddwch
G
Go give it a read. Then you can go watch the women's race if you haven't already.
The most poignant part of the article is this:
“I had been dirt-bagging it for so long, and part of me felt like if I’m going to be living like this I might as well just have fun and not stress about results,” Lloyd said. “I felt like if I was meant to be a bike racer, I should have been getting paid. I mean, most people don’t spend 10 years working a job where they don’t get paid.”
How often is that echoed. Pro Women travel around just as much or more than the men, yet i would be suprised if a local cat 2-3 man can make more $$ in prize money pimping crits all summer.
I applaud the work and effort Myles is putting into the sport on that front. I wish other New England Promoters would take his lead. Take all the cash out of the Masters races. None of them 'need' the cash, sure it is nice getting a $50 blank check of some cash. But is that going to make a difference in a Master racer's season? Not that $50 would be a big drop in a PRO woman's pocketbook, but it certainly would make more of an impact on a female pro cyclists than some master racer who has bought all his own gear and can afford to drop a few hundred on a new set of dugasts at will.
Now speaking of fixing things that are broken.
OBRA seems (to me) to have one upped USAC on the category side of things. Personally I think it makes WAY more sense.
Check it out at K-man's page.
So there. something different than yogurt wars for a change
Heddwch
G
First, allow me to...
Apologize for the underhanded and biting attacks on a genuinely excellent product and a company that is going above and beyond the call of duty in the name of global preservation and human health. I get a bit out of hand at times (all the time maybe). Just ask my wife if it has been something that is repeatable over the last 17 years. Getting older does a few things, it helps to balance the youthful passion and blind energy with patience, but it also hones the edge that cuts and amasses more facts that can be used to help drive the blade home. When that edge is unsheathed things can happen. For me fortunately my temper most usually comes out in words. Some with similar temperament are not so fortunate and this emotion is released physically. I should wear a caution sigh - do not provoke - but that would be a big red light flashing for folks who want to push my button. Lately I seem to be on a negative swerve. I can't really point to why. Things are generally great right now. Busy, fun, ya know: just flat out good. Stonyfield Farms makes some of the best cultured product in the world. The smoothies are amazing. I would far prefer a SF Smoothie, Shift or regular over an 'energy' bar on a ride. If they didn't cost a bunch of cash I would consume them on a daily basis. But when it comes to plain yogurt. Things change sometimes. If Hawthorne Valley stuff is available, I will buy that over anything else. I will buy it the day it is set to go out of code even. Why? Taste. I like the taste. Consistency. And because of where it comes from, where it is made and what it supports. No they don't have global initiatives like Stonyfield. But they work very hard to be as self sufficient as they can. My brother remembers distinctly the pride the farm took in being nearly 100% self sufficient, relying only on diesel fuel and a very small supplement of grain to run the whole farm and the dairy. When Hawthorne Valley Yogurt is not available I usually always grab some Stonyfield Farms. But with a preference for Whole Milk. If there is organic whole milk but no SF WM, I will generally by the WM vs the FF or LF SF product. That's just the way it is. I push Stonyfield Milk when ever i can. It is a great company.
But just because someone is the biggest and most diverse and most available, doesn't make it the best. Why buy a bike from a smaller brand? Sure TREK might be an amazing company, giving back to the community, making a good share of bikes in the USA (i dunno if that is true anymore or not), it doesn't mean you shouldn't ride a bike that might fit you or your needs better.
And all this talk about cultured breast milk from a bovine has really gotta turn a few vegan tummies. That or make their head spin.
So easily and quickly I can snap, jumping in, reacting to w/o thought. Often left wondering why. That same passion that drives me in a positive direction also has a backlash component in the wrong direction. Sadly my observations and thirst for facts and knowledge result in easily calling up items like poisoned darts, launching them on autopilot, zing - hair trigger. Pointed bits and I always seem to prick my finger on the poison tip as it flows, wounding myself in the process. The slow acting poison always starts to work well after the dart has hit home on the hapless target. I've worked at times to reign it in. It is a constant battle. Even for some old fart like me. But this is my burden to bear. The load gets lighter as I go and fortunately over my life I have made some good friends who've generally become immune, or just good at dodging and deflecting.
Back in 10th grade something the worst teacher I ever had has stuck with me. But I can never remember the exact words, but it was a pointed remark about criticism being something lowly and cheap or easy. And it sticks because, I wonder why it flows so easily for me. Why is my first instinct always to tell someone what they are doing wrong? My intentions are to help them do it right. Honestly. It is given to help. Like the cheaper by the dozen book. The father is always working on inventing time saving methods, helping others with his goal of having more time himself, and the cycle never actually turns around to benefit him. I want people to know that there is a better way to do something than how they are doing it. But people don't always like to be told what they are doing is wrong and things go downhill quickly.
Now to end this epic bit of introspection into the deep inner workings of... um, me. I want to quote something else that has struck a cord with me from the very first moment I heard it.
The words maybe are most effective if you can read with Peter O'Toole's voice:
Without effort I can critique a work of art, a musical track, an essay, a photograph, and sadly a person with great veracity and little effort. And so when something defies critique, much like Anton Ego's meal at Gusteau's, I am really overwhelmed and the emotions are strong and joyful.
Another powerful line:
That whole film for me is made when Peter O'Toole reads the passage. To end (for real) Here is the whole passage (as pulled from here).
Heddwch
G
But just because someone is the biggest and most diverse and most available, doesn't make it the best. Why buy a bike from a smaller brand? Sure TREK might be an amazing company, giving back to the community, making a good share of bikes in the USA (i dunno if that is true anymore or not), it doesn't mean you shouldn't ride a bike that might fit you or your needs better.
And all this talk about cultured breast milk from a bovine has really gotta turn a few vegan tummies. That or make their head spin.
So easily and quickly I can snap, jumping in, reacting to w/o thought. Often left wondering why. That same passion that drives me in a positive direction also has a backlash component in the wrong direction. Sadly my observations and thirst for facts and knowledge result in easily calling up items like poisoned darts, launching them on autopilot, zing - hair trigger. Pointed bits and I always seem to prick my finger on the poison tip as it flows, wounding myself in the process. The slow acting poison always starts to work well after the dart has hit home on the hapless target. I've worked at times to reign it in. It is a constant battle. Even for some old fart like me. But this is my burden to bear. The load gets lighter as I go and fortunately over my life I have made some good friends who've generally become immune, or just good at dodging and deflecting.
Back in 10th grade something the worst teacher I ever had has stuck with me. But I can never remember the exact words, but it was a pointed remark about criticism being something lowly and cheap or easy. And it sticks because, I wonder why it flows so easily for me. Why is my first instinct always to tell someone what they are doing wrong? My intentions are to help them do it right. Honestly. It is given to help. Like the cheaper by the dozen book. The father is always working on inventing time saving methods, helping others with his goal of having more time himself, and the cycle never actually turns around to benefit him. I want people to know that there is a better way to do something than how they are doing it. But people don't always like to be told what they are doing is wrong and things go downhill quickly.
Now to end this epic bit of introspection into the deep inner workings of... um, me. I want to quote something else that has struck a cord with me from the very first moment I heard it.
The words maybe are most effective if you can read with Peter O'Toole's voice:
In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is more meaningful than our criticism designating it so...
Without effort I can critique a work of art, a musical track, an essay, a photograph, and sadly a person with great veracity and little effort. And so when something defies critique, much like Anton Ego's meal at Gusteau's, I am really overwhelmed and the emotions are strong and joyful.
Another powerful line:
Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere.
That whole film for me is made when Peter O'Toole reads the passage. To end (for real) Here is the whole passage (as pulled from here).
" In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. Last night, I experienced something new, an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core. In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau's famous motto: Anyone can cook. But I realize that only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere. It is difficult to imagine more humble origins than those of the genius now cooking at Gusteau's, who is, in this critic's opinion, nothing less than the finest chef in France. I will be returning to Gusteau's soon, hungry for more."
Heddwch
G
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Happy Valentines Day
That and Proud Father Day.
My Daughter came home with this yesterday.
What the digital representation doesn't convey is the fact that it is a multi-layer constructed piece. The hair, the face, the eyes, the lips, all different cut out layers of paper. Oil pastels and colored paper would be the description in a gallery. In some ways the image is slightly a caricature. But to me the simplification runs along the lines more of Picasso than a kid. No lines are out of place. Each one is deliberate and critical to the impression presented. I think it is very cool.
Being a proud Daddy is reason enough today to share.
So anyway - Happy Valentines day.
Heddwch
G
change of course
I had a rolling bit of commentary from the ride in this morning into the steady headwind. Thinking about the Road Commission meeting yesterday about the disruption of the last bridge usable by cyclists between east providence and providence. Thinking about looking up to see if there were other bridges than the I-5 between Vancouver and Portland. I don't remember if 205 has bike access. Somehow I don't think so. But I got imaging this isn't much different than if they closed I-5 (to bikes) and anyone wanting to go between the cities would have to ride way the hell out of the way.
Not conducive for decreasing vehicle traffic and getting people to realize the benefits of alternative modes of transportation. Sure they could do the whole bike on bus rack deal. But what if you have a trailer? How does that work??? Bike on front, trailer on bus via wheelchair access? I suppose that might work. Hmmm.
Anyway. Someone defiled the name of the Hawthorne Valley Farm. I can't sit idly by and fire cheap shots back via the comments. No. This is more important than that.
Is that said out of jealousy or offense or ignorance? Or a bit of all three. And since people never really take the literal meaning of words I'm not suggesting this person is ignorant. Far from it. But everyone, with out exception, is ignorant about something.
So, Ya see. While I haven't been in the giant factory there in New Hampster that churns out more organic yogurt than most it would seem. A formerly small company with great ideals that let their recent expansion and capital growth get fueled by some giant French MegaCorporation certainly knows every last little place that is making yogurt in the country. Esp those Organic Yogurt brands they compete against.
This big corporate yogurt giant (talking the NH branch including the SF and BC brands) does make a fantastic product. Great and consistent stuff. No question there. But. Ya see. There is a small Association that includes a Biodynamic Farm, a Nursery through grade 12 Waldorf School, and a market.
They have a full dairy on site. I could go on and on. But first I will offer up a quote from their Dairy web page:
Hmm. Either this CXRacer guy is being a dink, or he's just mis-informed, or HVF is not so truthful.
Okay. Add this to the equations. One of my little brothers lived and worked there for 6 years. He actually worked in the dairy, putting the yogurt into boxes for transport.
So why is this yogurt special? Unlike the Nancy's stuff out west where they put powdered milk into milk to make a thick yogurt (damn stuff is REALLY thick), or worse than using powdered milk as a "thickening agent" (in my opinion) Pectin.
Here, again. Let me pull a bit from their descriptions of the Yogurt:
I've heard someone talk about the european Yogurt market driven first by taste, then by "organic." American consumers don't really care what the yogurt tastes like. How many actually consume large quantities of PLAIN yogurt? Or how many use plain yogurt to mix with their granola/muesli in the morning? Or use it as a topper to dishes? Go stand infront of the dairy case some time.
Think of it this way. It would be like switching the quantities of flavored milk with plain milk in the store (make all plain flavored and flavored plain in stock quantities).
Fact of the matter is, Hawthorne Valley Yogurt just flat out tastes great. Doesn't have any thickeners. Sure the cream rises to the top. That's what happens when you take warm freshly pasteurized organic whole milk and mix it with living cultures. You get some amazing magic.
I may not have ever been inside a yogurt factory. But I ain't no city boy. I've been around my share of farms. Hell being around an Ag school has some knowledge boosting advantages in this department. Growing up walking down to the end of the dead end road, then through the forest, out into a friends pasture and coming back home with a big wide mouth glass gallon of raw milk probably isn't something most folks have done. Maybe that single example doesn't shed light on everything. That and yogurt is just a simple microbiology project. Anyone who has done a few years of sterile cell culture work, or spent time trying to keep cell lines alive or clean probably could make yogurt. It ain't very complicated. It ain't all that special. But why, oh why, do people insist on it being thickened or solidified? Wait. They don't want it natural and lumpy. yeah. gotta be smooth, homoginized, processed and clean.
Great Grumbling Fuzzle sticks. Real food is pretty amazing. People should try it more often. That said, another key benefit is the microwave and dishwasher safe quart containers the yogurt is sold in from HVF. I don't take lunch to work any other way!!!
So. Excuse me while I have just one more nice chocolate chip cookie that i brought to work in a HVF yogurt container that my wife made last night with my cup of Coffee Depot Tanzanian peaberry that i brewed here in my office.
Coffee and cookies.
Heddwch
G
Not conducive for decreasing vehicle traffic and getting people to realize the benefits of alternative modes of transportation. Sure they could do the whole bike on bus rack deal. But what if you have a trailer? How does that work??? Bike on front, trailer on bus via wheelchair access? I suppose that might work. Hmmm.
Anyway. Someone defiled the name of the Hawthorne Valley Farm. I can't sit idly by and fire cheap shots back via the comments. No. This is more important than that.
Bolocks to you for thinking HV is 'hand' made; small batch.
Is that said out of jealousy or offense or ignorance? Or a bit of all three. And since people never really take the literal meaning of words I'm not suggesting this person is ignorant. Far from it. But everyone, with out exception, is ignorant about something.
So, Ya see. While I haven't been in the giant factory there in New Hampster that churns out more organic yogurt than most it would seem. A formerly small company with great ideals that let their recent expansion and capital growth get fueled by some giant French MegaCorporation certainly knows every last little place that is making yogurt in the country. Esp those Organic Yogurt brands they compete against.
This big corporate yogurt giant (talking the NH branch including the SF and BC brands) does make a fantastic product. Great and consistent stuff. No question there. But. Ya see. There is a small Association that includes a Biodynamic Farm, a Nursery through grade 12 Waldorf School, and a market.
They have a full dairy on site. I could go on and on. But first I will offer up a quote from their Dairy web page:
Hawthorne Valley Farm was one of the first dairies in the United States to be certified as organic. The products we make from our biodynamic cows’ milk can be enjoyed with the assurance that our cows are grass–fed on our pastures throughout the spring, summer, and fall. In late fall and winter, they are fed our biodynamic hay and baleage from our fields; limited amounts of certified-organic grain are fed to our dairy cows for the purpose of helping them maintain condition. They are given no hormones or antibiotics and are tended with gentle, caring hands.
* Demeter-certified biodynamic dairy processing plant
* products include farmstead yogurt, quark, and cheeses
* raw milk available at the Farm Store
* products available at the Farm Store, Green Markets (Union Square and Inwood, NYC), and through our CSA; yogurt and quark distributed east of the Mississippi River to natural foods and grocery stores
* cheese is sometimes sold through mail order (call for availability)
Hmm. Either this CXRacer guy is being a dink, or he's just mis-informed, or HVF is not so truthful.
Okay. Add this to the equations. One of my little brothers lived and worked there for 6 years. He actually worked in the dairy, putting the yogurt into boxes for transport.
So why is this yogurt special? Unlike the Nancy's stuff out west where they put powdered milk into milk to make a thick yogurt (damn stuff is REALLY thick), or worse than using powdered milk as a "thickening agent" (in my opinion) Pectin.
Here, again. Let me pull a bit from their descriptions of the Yogurt:
* Old European–style
* made with live cultures
* no thickeners or emulsifiers added
I've heard someone talk about the european Yogurt market driven first by taste, then by "organic." American consumers don't really care what the yogurt tastes like. How many actually consume large quantities of PLAIN yogurt? Or how many use plain yogurt to mix with their granola/muesli in the morning? Or use it as a topper to dishes? Go stand infront of the dairy case some time.
Think of it this way. It would be like switching the quantities of flavored milk with plain milk in the store (make all plain flavored and flavored plain in stock quantities).
Fact of the matter is, Hawthorne Valley Yogurt just flat out tastes great. Doesn't have any thickeners. Sure the cream rises to the top. That's what happens when you take warm freshly pasteurized organic whole milk and mix it with living cultures. You get some amazing magic.
I may not have ever been inside a yogurt factory. But I ain't no city boy. I've been around my share of farms. Hell being around an Ag school has some knowledge boosting advantages in this department. Growing up walking down to the end of the dead end road, then through the forest, out into a friends pasture and coming back home with a big wide mouth glass gallon of raw milk probably isn't something most folks have done. Maybe that single example doesn't shed light on everything. That and yogurt is just a simple microbiology project. Anyone who has done a few years of sterile cell culture work, or spent time trying to keep cell lines alive or clean probably could make yogurt. It ain't very complicated. It ain't all that special. But why, oh why, do people insist on it being thickened or solidified? Wait. They don't want it natural and lumpy. yeah. gotta be smooth, homoginized, processed and clean.
Great Grumbling Fuzzle sticks. Real food is pretty amazing. People should try it more often. That said, another key benefit is the microwave and dishwasher safe quart containers the yogurt is sold in from HVF. I don't take lunch to work any other way!!!
So. Excuse me while I have just one more nice chocolate chip cookie that i brought to work in a HVF yogurt container that my wife made last night with my cup of Coffee Depot Tanzanian peaberry that i brewed here in my office.
Coffee and cookies.
Heddwch
G
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Reflection
That whole bike lust is somewhat cyclical. I know. There is some logic to just getting it. More logic in asking "will i really use it more" will it better than the one I have? Can't really use it more. That'd be pretty darn close to impossible. Does my current ride detract at all from my riding? Can't say that it does. So it is just dreaming for dreaming sake. But the long I dream. The more I learn. Dreaming for me is about education in a way. Taking my past experiences and asking myself again, against the new, older (by days hours or years) me, what would I pick now. It changes.
Last year this time we were getting ready for a big storm that turned the path into sheer ice.
And last year I collected a special image of a heart to share as a valentines with everyone:
In pretty much all ways jotting stuff down here is a way of chornologically remembering what happened when for me. Time and dates and names don't stick in my head the same way images, feelings, and faces do. For instance I couldn't have told you that the sheet of Ice on the bike path was around the 14th of Feb last year. I knew it was last winter. But when? No idea. Does it matter? Maybe not. But maybe it will down the road. So while I might seem like I am talking to someone else. I really am still honestly talking to myself.
Life offers up challenges. We are tested, mentally and physically. Sometimes it is self restraint causing anguish, sometimes it is outside. The process of overcoming each obstacle or dealing with the without, I believe, makes us stronger each time. These sorts of lessons are impressed upon parents repeatedly. Hold your ground at times or be walked over all the time. It isn't easy holding your ground, but knowing the rewards are down the road, make the challenge worth meeting.
alright - dats about it...
heddwch
G
Last year this time we were getting ready for a big storm that turned the path into sheer ice.
And last year I collected a special image of a heart to share as a valentines with everyone:
In pretty much all ways jotting stuff down here is a way of chornologically remembering what happened when for me. Time and dates and names don't stick in my head the same way images, feelings, and faces do. For instance I couldn't have told you that the sheet of Ice on the bike path was around the 14th of Feb last year. I knew it was last winter. But when? No idea. Does it matter? Maybe not. But maybe it will down the road. So while I might seem like I am talking to someone else. I really am still honestly talking to myself.
Life offers up challenges. We are tested, mentally and physically. Sometimes it is self restraint causing anguish, sometimes it is outside. The process of overcoming each obstacle or dealing with the without, I believe, makes us stronger each time. These sorts of lessons are impressed upon parents repeatedly. Hold your ground at times or be walked over all the time. It isn't easy holding your ground, but knowing the rewards are down the road, make the challenge worth meeting.
alright - dats about it...
heddwch
G
YES
The key to getting faster as you get older is to not be very fast when you're young. -DF
That certainly brightens my day right up!
That certainly brightens my day right up!
Wet wet Snow
Slushy wet cold snow.
Well that's how it looked and sounded from the car.
Scary. I could get soft and used to this. Dropping both girls off, driving in. Moving the car. Gotta bust out of the routine sometime. Flu bug seems to be just about gone. Energy levels are returning. But, not quite completely 100% yet. If I ever hit 100%.
The whole deranged ravings about new bikes and all. Just that. Momentary lapse in sanity. It is really really cool to hear about friends getting new bikes. Perfect bikes made by good people behinds brands like Zank, ANT, Circle-A and on and on. No animosity or debilitating jealousy. Just being honest that someday I would like that to be me. And I have faith that some day, some day, before I get as old as solobreak, I will be pimpin some sweet new machine. For now. Honestly. I am very happy with the bikes I have. They serve me very very well.
So falling back on food. I made a nice little side dish for dinner. Very simple. Swiss chard. Chopped up (stems chopped thin, ala celery). Started with a big pan (with lid). Reduced about 1/4 cup of basalmic vinegar and 1 tblsp of organic Shoyu sauce until they were thick. Cranked the heat up, dropped the chard in. Tossed and mixed for a minute or so. Turned the heat off. Put lid on. And served. Extremely complex and very tasty and very simple.
Time to have a nice waffle with my coffee. Made some fancy waffles this morning. Buttermilk AND Yogurt. Nothing extra-healthy other than all natural ingredients. Simple white flour (no whole wheat), a bit of sugar to sweeten it. They turned out quite well. So. If you excuse me I'm going to have a bit of coffee and a waffle, while I day dream about cyclocross.
Heddwch
G
Well that's how it looked and sounded from the car.
Scary. I could get soft and used to this. Dropping both girls off, driving in. Moving the car. Gotta bust out of the routine sometime. Flu bug seems to be just about gone. Energy levels are returning. But, not quite completely 100% yet. If I ever hit 100%.
The whole deranged ravings about new bikes and all. Just that. Momentary lapse in sanity. It is really really cool to hear about friends getting new bikes. Perfect bikes made by good people behinds brands like Zank, ANT, Circle-A and on and on. No animosity or debilitating jealousy. Just being honest that someday I would like that to be me. And I have faith that some day, some day, before I get as old as solobreak, I will be pimpin some sweet new machine. For now. Honestly. I am very happy with the bikes I have. They serve me very very well.
So falling back on food. I made a nice little side dish for dinner. Very simple. Swiss chard. Chopped up (stems chopped thin, ala celery). Started with a big pan (with lid). Reduced about 1/4 cup of basalmic vinegar and 1 tblsp of organic Shoyu sauce until they were thick. Cranked the heat up, dropped the chard in. Tossed and mixed for a minute or so. Turned the heat off. Put lid on. And served. Extremely complex and very tasty and very simple.
Time to have a nice waffle with my coffee. Made some fancy waffles this morning. Buttermilk AND Yogurt. Nothing extra-healthy other than all natural ingredients. Simple white flour (no whole wheat), a bit of sugar to sweeten it. They turned out quite well. So. If you excuse me I'm going to have a bit of coffee and a waffle, while I day dream about cyclocross.
Heddwch
G
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