Chocolate and Zucchini

Inspiration!

I have mentioned this blog before but now you have a link! I will also link to it from the side.
The main recipe I have borrowed from it is Salmon and leek quiche which was easy enough the second time.
While I have never been all that bad in the kitchen my lack of true culinary skill has been a bit frustrating. Conclusion, recipe's are not written for men.
That said I am getting adroit at actually dovetailing my meals so that all the courses come out hot simultaneously. Things your mom never told you, sheesh!
Sunday brought Chicken in wine sauce with Greek roasted lemon potatoes and a salad.
Monday brought Costolette alla pizzaiola. which was fantastic. Especially when followed with copious amounts of starbucks double coffee ice cream.

Tonight Soph and I made banana nut bread.

I have no business posting recipes on this blog so dont ask. See the link as she has forgotten more about food than I will ever hope to know.
The one exception I may make is Shrimp Peyraeous.

Reads and training

Okay I promised some time ago to bring folks up to speed on what I am reading. After taking much abuse for not doing so here is a list although not comprehensive.
Blink and the Tipping Point
A Short History of Nearly Everything
The Pentagons New Map
Attitudes and Longitudes
The Map That Changed the World
The Known World
Slaughterhouse Five
The Little Prince

Marathon Training continues to go well with a run of twelve miles this Sunday. This despite a lack of training time earlier in the week due to other commitments. So I was short a total of fourteen miles this week. I ran all over Chapel hill Sunday to include Raleigh, Estes and MLK road to try to get some hills in. I am finding though that I am beginning to suffer a minor case of inclinus pussanoma. Hopefully this will abate as my body gets used to the longer distances.
I enjoyed the run and the fact that it wasn't so blasted hot meant I wasn't wringing my socks out at the end. This Weeks is runs of 4/6/4 and 14 on Sunday. Which given what plans are laid for me Saturday night ought to be a challenge.

C'est Lamore

I watched recently as a past lover passed. She did not, could not, have seen me. I saw her, waiting at a light while I sipped my beer and talked with a colleague. She looked great and I was happy to see her look great I truly hope she is, truly. The light changed, she moved on with no way of knowing of my brief voyuerism. I turned to my colleague. "I'm sorry you were saying?"

Falling

We fall
over
on
into
We fall
from
flat
down
We fall
in love


So many things that fall describes are bad. Yet we use this expression with love. It sems idiotic yet I wouldn't mind skinning my knees just a bit...

Projects

Finished! In a fit and flurry of activity and with the help of Papa Alpha (again). I managed to finish the bookshelves which were promptly ensconced in Soph's room. She set about turning them into a designer masterpiece. She may have a career as a curator of a national art museum somewhere. Philly Museum of art are you reading? (no I didn't think so).
Inspired by a Pottery Barn model which in the catalogue was $300 plus 50 shipping and handling, I thought, as any self respecting testosterone charged American male of modest ability should, "I can do that for much less."
So I bought pine shelving, plywood, glue, putty, paint, screws, rollers, sandpaper, table saw, sander, band aids, compresses and a trip to the doctors office and oh yeah my time which at a billing rate of 100$ an hour total cost $2432.31. The knowledge that I did it myself worthless, as I always knew I could. The smile on Soph's face as she rushed to populate it with dolls and books and nicks and nacks. Priceless.
All in all I had good fun building them and they came out really well.
So what's next?

T Day!

Today is the day. The Soph returns from Europe! It will be Thursday before I see her, but just to know she is in the area is a lift. I have her bookshelves assembled and am putting paint on them they will be done and in her room by the time she comes to me Thursday. It is going to be a tough weekend as she will be jetlagged and tired from new school. I hope that she can adjust well. We are going to a water park this weekend, which ought to be a lot of fun.
Friends have rallied round for Sophie's homecoming, Big thanks to Papa Alpha for a squeaky clean house that I have managed to only slightly clutter up and to Janet for her help with the bookshelves color and paint.

Off to back to school night!

What Remains of the Day

After running, showering and a full breakfast of eggs, bacon, fruit and coffee I decided to turn to on the Soph's bookshelves. They were just one of many unfinished projects and part and parcel of my being out of sorts with myself here lately. Further it is now officially T-9 and I want them done before she gets home. It was one way of filling this empty space that exists where she should be.

So I gathered my tools, toolbelt, shorts, boots, lumber and set about cutting, sanding and assembling. There will be pictures when assembled.
They are house shaped and have three shelves with dividers. There were a fair number of miteres so it took a bit longer than expected, but what doesn't.

I managed to get them assembled prior to a threatening thunderstorm that never materialized, showered and went over to Koen's for dinner. Following which I came home and cleaned the house.

Not a bad days work. Now I'm off to watch Osama and read Blink.

More on what I'm reading later.

Marathon Training Week 6

The week goes well. The training schedule was 3/5/3 and the the long run of ten miles today.
We weren't able to get a babysitter for Koen's kids so we needed to alternate. I ran first starting at 0600. I ran the Bolin Creek trail to MLK, climbing the long hill towards the Carolina Inn. The day was warm though not yet hot. I started easily allowing the legs to warm up , my breathing to regulate and may pace to settle in. I rounded the Carolina Inn and headed through campus down the long hill on Raleigh road turning right down golf course road, looping back to 54, reversing my course and then running through the Oaks, past the soccer Fields on Cleland, back to Estes and the city park. The total run took just under eighty minutes. A good Marathon pace. I was done by 0740.
I then watched the kids while Koen ran his ten miles. I was a bit concerned about him going that distance on his own as he had struggled the past week. However, half way through his run I took the kids and some water out to the trail and we did the wave and cheered and handed him some water, he brightened noticably. Sure enough he finished in good order. My confidence in his ability to finish a marathon has soared. I took them to Driade for some lemonade and there ran into Mike Troy of He's Not Here (in) Fame.

What did you do this morning?

Wait Wait its Barack Obama

Okay kiddies Barack Obama gets my vote, for any office which he would, could or ever should choose to run. Not because he is a democrat; he'll get my vote despite that (not that I am a hard core republican, I'm registered independent and hoping for the silent middle majority to rear its head) Not because he is insanely articulate, insanely intelligent, nor because he is insanely good looking (well okay except maybe in that really repressed corner of my childhood) Nor because he has a phenomenal life story. All that is nice to have but any past plethora of presidents indicate that those alone does not a good president make.

No, Mr Obama well get my vote because he has a sense of humor and big brass ones to back it up. If you missed Wait Wait this weekend well then you missed it. If you can find a replay of the broadcast then go listen.
Here a junior senator, jokes about opening the mail, sharpening pencils and fetching coffee in the U.S. Senate. Rails against the phony self esteem of eigth grade graduations. "Graduating to what? Graduating to sit your butt down and study for four more years! Then maybe we'll talk about accomplishments!" Thank you sir for a little sanity in the self esteem earned vs birthright issue.
Finally he gets my vote for the following. While playing a game where he was asked about Wade Boggs (a famously supersticious baseball player) The question was asked about what behavior Boggs insisted on during games to make him play better. The answer was, of course, that his mistress appear "comando" at the games. The commentator remarked that "Apparently the first time this happened Boggs went four for five that night."
To which Obama quipped "You mean at the plate right?"
Yep that man gets my vote!

55000 hunnhhh???

Well just when you think you've gotten slightly ahead in the rat race, the bastards tie your shoelaces together.
Here's a question for you. How is it that a single guy living alone with a normal water usage of 1400 gallons per month could suddenly use 55000 gallons? While on vacation for ten days??? There is no leak I checked.

So lets do some simple math shall we? 55000/30=1833 gal/day 1833/24=76.375 gal/hour
=1.27 gal/min.
News flash. A tap running wide open barely does that. Again, I checked.
Now the only period of time I have unaccounted for is 10 days so multiply the above numbers by three.

Where'd it go???
BTW that water bill could easily hit 1600 bucks.
The last thing OWASA said to me. "Have a Nice Day"

Musical Bookends

After a highly mediocre week at work and things being only to the left of that elsewhere, by Friday I had "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" by Greenday on repeat. "I walk a lonely road, dont know where it goes, but I walk alone..."
So by Friday I felt very much at the bottom of a steep hill with a heavy load and no choice but to climb. So as I have always done, I grouched a bit, shouldered my pack put my head down and as Nozzle would say "ready plod!" Sometimes you just have to put one foot in front of the other and have some faith that you'll get there.
The weekend brought an evening out on Friday, listening to good music and a good meal at Patio Loco, ably attended by Gina.
Saturday brought a work out and a full days work, punctuated by lunch at Tupelos with Chris which stretched to two hours. By the end of the day I had made enough to take care of my lawn and get a maid for the year. So no more slaving away on my off weekends. I am going to perfect the art of lounging on Sundays, walking around in a sheet if anything.
Also of note on Saturday, Laura Brennen dropped me a line from HAwaii. Laura, whom I've known for 14 years as the girlfriend and wife of my old roomate Jim Brennan, is expecting twin girls in September. Jim is currently deployed to Iraq and is do back in time for the birth. It was great to hear from her and know that all is well. It was also a source of some humor that Jim will be getting twin girls, and we all know why. Because he deserves it.
Sunday the plodding seemed to be bringing results, Koen and I ran eight miles. I ran really well and felt great. The only issue is a recurring blister under a toenail. If I am lucky I will lose it before the race.
After the run I bought and assembled a table saw, cut the grass, cleaned the house, cut the boards for Sophies bookshelves, bought groceries, rented two movies (Osama and I vetelloni by Fellini).
Cleaned up feeling much better I had a dinner of Steak on the grill, a salad of spinach, almonds and strawberries with rasberry balsamic and some excellent pasta with crumbled goat cheese all accompanied by an excellent australian shiraz of which I minded my limits and didn't drink it all (for once). This was followed by listening to music and reading on the couch until I fell asleep.
So this morning 0500 up and aware after a full nights unaided sleep!
A workout has gotten the blood flowing and my energy up so its off to fight the dragon again this week.
Oh and on the cd player this morning Tubthumping by Chubawamba.
"I get knocked down, but I get up again. Aint never gonna keep me down...!"

I know a girl, she puts the color inside of my world

It is now T+7 and the world has been a touch grey here lately.
This image was created from nothing, by the girl in the darkroom while at an afterschool program. She calls it Catching Falling leaves. I call it brilliant!
Its amazing how they look at the world, and looking at this today (its my screensaver) I have decided that its about time to start counting down to her return (S-21)! Its all in how you look at things!
I have a lot to do to get ready for her return, but I am now highly motivated to do so. I am grateful for the experiences she gets to have, her travels and adventures. I look forward to hearing about all of them, after dinner and a bath, sitting on the edge of her bed with my hand on her stomach as she nods and smiles with her bright wide eyes. So with thanks to John Mayer and Kat...
Yes.. I know a girl, she puts the color inside of my world....
So fathers be good to your daughters. Daughters will Love like you do...
Gotta go

Ya gotta decide

Well sometimes you have to decide, do I keep trying to sleep or do I get up. Well up it is at 0300 this morning. Groan... No surprise though after a wonderful dinner with Janet, owner of Found Objects, Laura owner of Reba and Roses and Tommy, owner of just about everything else. We had great margaritas and good conversation. I ordered a Steak picado con salsa verde, expecting a green tomato salsa. Instead I got a jalepeno salsa, made my nose run and the top of my head hot, much to the delight of my dinner guests.
No wonder I can't sleep, I should have gotten up and read some more of Bill Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything" that probably would have done the trick.
P.S. yeah that's eastern time and its correct

Training

Marathon training progresses apace despite the heat and the constraints of work. Soon it will get more difficult to find time as Sophie returns. Furtunately I now have access to a shower in Hillsborough so I can run during the day on days I have Sophie. The training program I am using is from 'The Non-Runners Marathon Guide" by Davit Whitsett. It has served me well for my first two marathons.
Koen continues to slog along and is doing well despite the heat. Our training schedule will have us up to 8 miles this Sunday.
Given all that has been going on I am glad to be running the longer distances. Last night was a run of five miles. The first two miles were fairly typical, small talk with Koen, finding the pace, feeling the muscles loosen and warm. Then the focus comes, when the body remembers and you quit hearing your footfalls, the sound of your breathing, you quit thinking about breath, stride and pace. You quit thinking. You pick a spot in front of you and watch as it nears with every step as you settle in for the longer distance. The world goes quiet and the stride becomes effortless. This is a wonderful release, clearing the mind as all the little annoyances and troubles run off with every bead of sweat. I am looking forward to eight miles on Sunday.

Why I don't wine. Another attempt to avoid the diary blog

Okay I am sick and tired of hearing about Sideways and wine and the fact that the movie gets it. Gets what? Gets that its okay to be a narcissistic underachiever, who over indulges, self indulges and waxes poorly poetic about nirvana in a bottle. That's not art that's addiction. Further, its nothing but a warmed over wine snob version of other wayward boy comes of age movies. But I digress.
My problem is not with wine perse but with the expectations that come with it. If you somehow manage to serve a decent bottle of wine, you are also expected to be able to tell which hand was used to pick the grapes. Fact is, everything I know about wine would fit on the back of a business card and is simply this "Jen Barger, Hillsborough Wine Company."
Want to dazzle your friends, impress the boss, the in laws the new girl or boy friend? I have found this a much much better route to wine aficianadodum (dodum! That ought to be a word of its own!) Simply go see Jen.
To those of you who don't know Jen she is charming, cute and exceedingly knowledgeable about wine. She can determine what to serve with what your eating, why it will work, conversely why what you thought you wanted won't. "And Oompah. Loompah, Dupity Der if you are smart you'll listen to her! (sorry I couldn't find the audio clip before work.)
So I don't feel the urge to go to any special lengths to learn about wine, hell its a full time job on its own and who has the time? I know Jen and I will absorb what I need through osmosis, god knows I buy enough wine from her.
And when asked about the vintage, the year, the vinter, I simply hand out Jen's card and say "Here now you know everything I do, and the difference between you and me is that I'll never worry about it again"

Note to Todd, however much your paying her, its not enough!

Why We're Different

LtCol Dave Bardoff's wife has started the Semper Fi Fund, designed to releive the families of injured Marines from some of the Financial Pressures of caring for their wounded Marine. For those that are familiar with the Marines this will touch your heart. For those not it may may increase your understanding, for me it sat me down and brought tears. The link for the story is NPR.

Semper Fi
"Preacher"

Wee Binder

Does the fact that you dont remember how you got home necessarily mean you've drank too much????

A question not worth considering. At least not through the current fog...