Since it's a long weekend, I didn't feel the same sense of urgency to get all the week's cooking done today. And a good thing, because I had a few obstacles thrown in my path.
For starters, I was working on a story this morning when Dan decided to go for a run. This was the first time in more than a year and he couldn't find his shoes. Or his running shirts. Or his old mp3 player with his running songs queued up on it. No matter how much one might want to say, "Hey, buddy, that's YOUR problem," the fact remains that it's damn difficult to immerse oneself in a fictional world with someone coming in and out of the room, digging through things, asking questions and muttering sour nothings under his breath.
Around noon, I gave up and left to run errands. I was already an hour behind schedule and had to make a separate stop to pick up my asthma meds, since my annual deductible kicks in on Monday. Still, it all would've worked out okay if I hadn't come out of Central Market at 12:45 and found my car wouldn't start. AAA got there in pretty good time, but it was still 1:30 before I got home and could start cooking.
And by the time I got done with my cooking for the day, it was just too late in the afternoon to do a bike workout. I was hungry and it was nap time, so I'll just have to try to work that into my schedule for tomorrow.
But I did try some new recipes today, and here they are:
Peanut Butter Cookies: In the comments associated with this recipe, everyone suggested adding more flour, so I (rebel that I am) added 1/4 cup of quick oats and some pecan meal to the cookie dough. I also added about 1/4 cup of maple syrup and some cinnamon. Be sure to take the cookies out sooner rather than later if you like them soft. These are totally decadent and delicious, and I have a feeling I'll be asked to make them again!
Persian Spiced Rice with Potato Crust: I had this for dinner, hot out of the oven. It's quite a treat! I don't have a 1-quart casserole dish, so I used my 2-quart dish and doubled the recipe. If you do the same, bear in mind that you need to increase the cooking time. I used red potatoes instead of new potatoes, since that was what I had on hand. Yukon golds would've been good, too. I used yogurt instead of sour cream, and I didn't have saffron. Oh well. I threw in some curry and coriander and ended up with something probably more Indian than Persian, but hey, it's all good.
I also made Apricot Bread again, but I haven't tried it yet so I can't say how my new recipe adjustments worked out. Faithful blog readers may remember that I thought it was a little dry and not sweet enough last time. This time I added some apricot preserves and maple syrup, so we'll see how that worked out.
And that's it on recipes today. My day wasn't nearly as productive as I would've liked it to be, but that's just how it goes sometimes. At least I don't have to go to work tomorrow, so I can try again!
(Note: The car issue was a loose battery post. I gave someone a jump at the park yesterday morning after my run and he said I had a loose battery post, but I was brain-dead and didn't really get what he was saying until I was outside Central Market today with a car that wouldn't crank. Never try to tell something to a tired runner. It does no good.)
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Saturday Notes
No, we're not throwing the bunny away! It just seems there's nothing he's not curious about. He got in my lap last night while I was on the computer, stuck his face in the sleeve of my bathrobe and just sat there like that for fifteen minutes while I rubbed his ears. Little weirdo. I guess he's never heard about oxygen. Note to self: add science lessons to the reading lessons.
In other news, the hurricane tracking models have settled down and it looks good for us, bad for New Orleans. Although actual site of landfall is still uncertain, you might as well have the checkbook handy. Or just send your Red Cross donation now and beat the rush.
This morning’s run wasn’t what it could’ve been. My hamstrings were tight and I wasn’t disappointed when preparations for a music festival along the Buffalo Bayou trails required me to turn back and cut my run short by about a mile. Since we’ve got a long weekend, I might see if I can get an appointment with my massage therapist. It’s been a long time and I could stand for her to beat up on me a bit.
There was no post-run ice cream and music today. Damn those people for setting my expectations! I had to go home and eat yogurt instead. Better for me, but not as much fun.
Recent Workouts
Tuesday: 6 mile run
Wednesday: 45 minute spin
Thursday: 30 minute elliptical
Friday: scheduled rest day
Saturday: 19 mile run
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Bunny in a Box
Not a lot to report here. Work is busy-- thank goodness Monday is a holiday! We're continuing to watch the storm track for Gustav. We should start to get a good sense of where the hurricane will go after it passes Cuba, which should be sometime Friday. We aren't terribly concerned, though. We're pretty well positioned to handle a hurricane and other than needing some more batteries (I bought a second battery-powered fan this summer) we're about set.
Tonight Cadbury decided to jump into my lap while I was on the computer. I was startled, to say the least! Pretty darn cute, though.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Mid-Week Rambles
This has been a catch-up week at the office. Although the students are back now, I don't work in a student-serving department, so we're not affected much. Instead I'm trying to dig through the backlog that built up over the past two weeks when we put everything on hold in order to get the new fiscal year merit pay verified and loaded.
Dull stuff.
Less dull is the hurricane that might move into the Gulf by the weekend. There's no telling where it will end up at this point, but already some people are freaking out, wondering if they need to evacuate from Katy, Sugarland, and Conroe-- areas that are so far out of the danger zone that even a direct hit with a Cat 5 probably wouldn't be a big problem except for people living in trailers and flood-prone areas. But people need things to freak out over in their dull little 8-to-5 lives and the news media is happy to oblige with exciting graphics and dire predictions.
All I know is I'll be pissed if we get a Labor Day hurricane. I already have Monday off, dammit. If we're going to get a major storm (or serious threat of one), I want it to come with a Get Out of Work Free card. So how about Tuesday or Wednesday, Gustav? If that won't work for you, go someplace else, okay?
Dull stuff.
Less dull is the hurricane that might move into the Gulf by the weekend. There's no telling where it will end up at this point, but already some people are freaking out, wondering if they need to evacuate from Katy, Sugarland, and Conroe-- areas that are so far out of the danger zone that even a direct hit with a Cat 5 probably wouldn't be a big problem except for people living in trailers and flood-prone areas. But people need things to freak out over in their dull little 8-to-5 lives and the news media is happy to oblige with exciting graphics and dire predictions.
All I know is I'll be pissed if we get a Labor Day hurricane. I already have Monday off, dammit. If we're going to get a major storm (or serious threat of one), I want it to come with a Get Out of Work Free card. So how about Tuesday or Wednesday, Gustav? If that won't work for you, go someplace else, okay?
Monday, August 25, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Busy Sunday
Sometimes I wonder who is the crazy person in this household. My weekends are taken up with working out, cooking, cleaning, running errands and catching up on economic news, while my husband’s weekend seems to mostly be about searching for the perfect ringtone for his Blackberry.
Yeah, I don’t get it, either.
At any rate, I wrote and posted a new Steal Tomorrow flash fiction piece this morning, then went to run a few errands and mentally curse the people of this world who do not understand that blocking grocery aisles with your cart is bad and adding your cart to someone else’s aisle-blocking cart does not improve matters.
I came home and cooked for the week. Nothing new here, but I made:
Now I’m going to iron some clothes for work, do my nails, feed the bunny and settle in with some quiet time for writing, editing, etc.
Cadbury seems to be settling down a bit. He still has intense periods of exploration and friskiness, but he also spends more time just hanging out in loaf position. I guess he’s getting used to this place. He still has a lot to learn, though, including that scratching at a door will not make it open. For that, you need opposable thumbs. I tried to explain, but he remains undeterred. Dan says I shouldn’t trust a bunny in a mask, and maybe he’s right.
Yeah, I don’t get it, either.
At any rate, I wrote and posted a new Steal Tomorrow flash fiction piece this morning, then went to run a few errands and mentally curse the people of this world who do not understand that blocking grocery aisles with your cart is bad and adding your cart to someone else’s aisle-blocking cart does not improve matters.
I came home and cooked for the week. Nothing new here, but I made:
- Quinoa-Spinach Bake
- Rice Balls
- Curried Zucchini and Yellow Squash
- Baked Yellow Squash with Chipolte Cheddar
- Brown Rice
- Oatmeal Cookies
Now I’m going to iron some clothes for work, do my nails, feed the bunny and settle in with some quiet time for writing, editing, etc.
Cadbury seems to be settling down a bit. He still has intense periods of exploration and friskiness, but he also spends more time just hanging out in loaf position. I guess he’s getting used to this place. He still has a lot to learn, though, including that scratching at a door will not make it open. For that, you need opposable thumbs. I tried to explain, but he remains undeterred. Dan says I shouldn’t trust a bunny in a mask, and maybe he’s right.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Sunshiny Ice Cream Day
I’m glad I started going to Memorial Park on Saturdays to start my weekly long run mega-early. I still think it’s ridiculous to drive in order to run, but it’s the closest safe place I know for running in the dark and this way I get my long run done before temps get into the 90s.
I got to the park a little after 5:00 this morning and did three loops before heading out to do the Buffalo Bayou trails. It was one of those good runs where my body felt mostly-good and my brain was on board with the plan. As every runner knows, there are days when your brain spends most of the time trying to sabotage your run, thinking of all the reasons you should stop early, whining and being generally bratty about the whole thing. But not today. Brain kept itself occupied by pondering this and that, freeing my body to do the simple task of putting one foot in front of the other.
It didn’t start getting warm out until I was heading back toward the park with about three miles to go. When I got there, I saw that today was HARRA’s annual Party in the Park. The event was free to all runners, with music, booths for many of the local running groups, cold water, cold sports drink, and best of all, free ice cream! There’s really no describing how it feels to be greeted with music and an ice cream cone at the end of a 20-mile run in a Houston August, but suddenly I didn’t care that I was wet and stinky, my socks were squishy, and my shoes had created a small blister. The sunny day turned sparkly and all was right with the world.
After I finished my ice cream and changed into dry clothes, I went to check out a drug store I sometimes run past on my Chimney Rock run. I had seen some stuff in the windows that I usually order online because it’s hard to find around here, and the store looked cool in general. So I went there and was very excited to find all kinds of things I needed. It’s so hard to find a store that stocks all the things you want, as if the buyer were your psychic twin. Now that I’ve discovered this place, it’ll probably close down. Seems to happen every time. But I’ll try not to be too cynical.
After all, today was an ice cream day!
I got to the park a little after 5:00 this morning and did three loops before heading out to do the Buffalo Bayou trails. It was one of those good runs where my body felt mostly-good and my brain was on board with the plan. As every runner knows, there are days when your brain spends most of the time trying to sabotage your run, thinking of all the reasons you should stop early, whining and being generally bratty about the whole thing. But not today. Brain kept itself occupied by pondering this and that, freeing my body to do the simple task of putting one foot in front of the other.
It didn’t start getting warm out until I was heading back toward the park with about three miles to go. When I got there, I saw that today was HARRA’s annual Party in the Park. The event was free to all runners, with music, booths for many of the local running groups, cold water, cold sports drink, and best of all, free ice cream! There’s really no describing how it feels to be greeted with music and an ice cream cone at the end of a 20-mile run in a Houston August, but suddenly I didn’t care that I was wet and stinky, my socks were squishy, and my shoes had created a small blister. The sunny day turned sparkly and all was right with the world.
After I finished my ice cream and changed into dry clothes, I went to check out a drug store I sometimes run past on my Chimney Rock run. I had seen some stuff in the windows that I usually order online because it’s hard to find around here, and the store looked cool in general. So I went there and was very excited to find all kinds of things I needed. It’s so hard to find a store that stocks all the things you want, as if the buyer were your psychic twin. Now that I’ve discovered this place, it’ll probably close down. Seems to happen every time. But I’ll try not to be too cynical.
After all, today was an ice cream day!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Rain and Rabbit
The Rain:
Monday: Gym was closed and I was still recovering from Saturday long run and two-hour Sunday spin. I was therefore not up for either, so I slept in. No workout. This meant I could skip no other workouts this week.
Tuesday: Rain. Did a 40-minute spin in studio.
Wednesday: Rain. Did a 45-minute spin in studio.
Wednesday Afternoon: Got email from university rec center informing me they would reopen at noon on Thursday. I work out in the mornings. Grrr. I made arrangements with my boss to work 7-4 on Thursday so I could go to the gym after work.
Thursday: Got out of the office at 4:15. Rain and thunder. Went home and changed into workout gear. More rain, more thunder. Rec center is half a mile away by shortest route and I don’t buy a parking tag any more. I picked a pair of shoes to sacrifice and put another pair in a plastic bag along with a pair of dry socks and walked to the gym. Arrived with very squishy shoes just as lightning began and rain turned into wind-whipped horizontal deluge. After 20 minutes on the elliptical, the rain was letting up. After 20 minutes running on the indoor track, it was raining again. Back into wet shoes for the walk home. Squish. Arrived home wet but triumphant.
The Rabbit:
Bunny decided to tip over the wastebasket and lie down in the trash. It was clean paper trash, but still…
After I cleaned up the mess and got back on the computer, he got quiet. Too quiet, like a little kid. I turned around and discovered he had found a way onto the day bed and was romping around. Dan came in and supervised until the bunny decided the bed wasn’t as interesting as it looked and jumped down.
Bunny decided he wanted some hay but the kind in his box wasn’t acceptable and the perfect piece of hay was, in fact, underneath his cage somewhere and he was going to dig for it until he got it. I went and got him some more of his favorite hay so I could read in peace.
Now he’s rummaging in the desk cubbyhole where I keep checks and envelopes. I have no idea what he intends to buy, but unless it’s new rain gear for me, I’m putting a stop to this nonsense.
I made more of those oatmeal cookies tonight. Comfort food.
Monday: Gym was closed and I was still recovering from Saturday long run and two-hour Sunday spin. I was therefore not up for either, so I slept in. No workout. This meant I could skip no other workouts this week.
Tuesday: Rain. Did a 40-minute spin in studio.
Wednesday: Rain. Did a 45-minute spin in studio.
Wednesday Afternoon: Got email from university rec center informing me they would reopen at noon on Thursday. I work out in the mornings. Grrr. I made arrangements with my boss to work 7-4 on Thursday so I could go to the gym after work.
Thursday: Got out of the office at 4:15. Rain and thunder. Went home and changed into workout gear. More rain, more thunder. Rec center is half a mile away by shortest route and I don’t buy a parking tag any more. I picked a pair of shoes to sacrifice and put another pair in a plastic bag along with a pair of dry socks and walked to the gym. Arrived with very squishy shoes just as lightning began and rain turned into wind-whipped horizontal deluge. After 20 minutes on the elliptical, the rain was letting up. After 20 minutes running on the indoor track, it was raining again. Back into wet shoes for the walk home. Squish. Arrived home wet but triumphant.
The Rabbit:
Bunny decided to tip over the wastebasket and lie down in the trash. It was clean paper trash, but still…
After I cleaned up the mess and got back on the computer, he got quiet. Too quiet, like a little kid. I turned around and discovered he had found a way onto the day bed and was romping around. Dan came in and supervised until the bunny decided the bed wasn’t as interesting as it looked and jumped down.
Bunny decided he wanted some hay but the kind in his box wasn’t acceptable and the perfect piece of hay was, in fact, underneath his cage somewhere and he was going to dig for it until he got it. I went and got him some more of his favorite hay so I could read in peace.
Now he’s rummaging in the desk cubbyhole where I keep checks and envelopes. I have no idea what he intends to buy, but unless it’s new rain gear for me, I’m putting a stop to this nonsense.
I made more of those oatmeal cookies tonight. Comfort food.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Miscellaneous Thursday
Gratuitous Cadbury pic:
It's been raining this week and as luck would have it, the university rec center is closed as they prep for the start of the new semester next week. I've been making do with spin workouts in my studio, but it's getting old.
I've been busy at work all week getting merit increases verified and loaded. There are a lot of reports and queries to run, a lot of triangulation, and I feel slow because it's all new to me. I've always been on the department side ("What do you mean you cancelled his merit increase because he's ineligible?") so it's a whole different ballgame being on the inside with thousands of these things to match and make right.
Monday was the most critical day and my boss ordered in lunch for all of us. Why is it that although so many restaurants and caterers now have delicious vegetarian offerings, there are still places that can't think of anything more creative than salad on a pita? Vegetarian IS a popular option for a lot of people and if you offer it, people will order it.
Eight years ago when I was new in my first department business manager role, I insisted we start having vegetarian food at all our office parties. The Old Guard looked at me askance and said no one but me would eat it. Boy, did I prove them wrong! I brought the veggie stuff myself and it was what we always ran out of first. Then we got a Jain AVP and the rest was history. I never had to fight again for vegetarian.
Yet in some places the struggle continues. I mean, I like salad, I like bread, but...oh, never mind.
Time to pull some clothes for tomorrow, feed the critters and settle in with some writing. We're at the beginning of Chapter Two on Steal Tomorrow, so if you haven't been following along, it's still easy to catch up! I'm doing a little advertising of my web serial through Project Wonderful and we'll see how that goes. It's cheap and if it makes my hit count go up, it'll be worth the pennies!
It's been raining this week and as luck would have it, the university rec center is closed as they prep for the start of the new semester next week. I've been making do with spin workouts in my studio, but it's getting old.
I've been busy at work all week getting merit increases verified and loaded. There are a lot of reports and queries to run, a lot of triangulation, and I feel slow because it's all new to me. I've always been on the department side ("What do you mean you cancelled his merit increase because he's ineligible?") so it's a whole different ballgame being on the inside with thousands of these things to match and make right.
Monday was the most critical day and my boss ordered in lunch for all of us. Why is it that although so many restaurants and caterers now have delicious vegetarian offerings, there are still places that can't think of anything more creative than salad on a pita? Vegetarian IS a popular option for a lot of people and if you offer it, people will order it.
Eight years ago when I was new in my first department business manager role, I insisted we start having vegetarian food at all our office parties. The Old Guard looked at me askance and said no one but me would eat it. Boy, did I prove them wrong! I brought the veggie stuff myself and it was what we always ran out of first. Then we got a Jain AVP and the rest was history. I never had to fight again for vegetarian.
Yet in some places the struggle continues. I mean, I like salad, I like bread, but...oh, never mind.
Time to pull some clothes for tomorrow, feed the critters and settle in with some writing. We're at the beginning of Chapter Two on Steal Tomorrow, so if you haven't been following along, it's still easy to catch up! I'm doing a little advertising of my web serial through Project Wonderful and we'll see how that goes. It's cheap and if it makes my hit count go up, it'll be worth the pennies!
Cookie Monster
I made a batch of these oatmeal cookies last night. They are now nearly all gone.
I'm going to blame the rabbit. Who's with me?
I'm going to blame the rabbit. Who's with me?
Monday, August 18, 2008
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Special Delivery
A package arrived today, addressed to...Cadbury!
Hasn't even been here a month and already he's getting his own mail and deliveries! What could it be?
Carrot greens from his Aunt Sarah in Michigan!
Thanks, Aunt Sarah! These are great.
Now everyone go away so I can enjoy.
Hasn't even been here a month and already he's getting his own mail and deliveries! What could it be?
Carrot greens from his Aunt Sarah in Michigan!
Thanks, Aunt Sarah! These are great.
Now everyone go away so I can enjoy.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
The Great Hay Test - Part 2
The results are in! Orchard grass it is, with oat hay a close second:
I was surprised by this, since I was sure he'd be all over that botanical hay. But who knows what goes through the minds of bunnies?
My own taste test was of this apricot bread recipe. It was clear from reading the recipe that it would not be a very sweet bread, and my taste of the batter confirmed it, so I added some stevia and honey. Even so, the result was a little less sweet and not as apricoty as I would've liked.
But I'm going to try this recipe again because no sooner had I put the bread into the oven last night than I remembered I had an unopened jar of apricot preserves in the cupboard. Wouldn't some of that be great mixed in? Yeah, I thought so, too. So I'll be making this bread again soon, with some modifications. I'll be sure to share the results!
And as an aside, I'm getting a bit tired of having to go to so many retirement parties at work. There seems to be a wave of them right now and while I don't mind dropping by and wishing my friends well and even speaking on their behalf, I can't help wondering if it's a university requirement that sesame-coated bits of chicken on sticks be served at these functions. Ditto the scary-looking red punch. Thank goodness it's always a buffet and I can opt out!
I was surprised by this, since I was sure he'd be all over that botanical hay. But who knows what goes through the minds of bunnies?
My own taste test was of this apricot bread recipe. It was clear from reading the recipe that it would not be a very sweet bread, and my taste of the batter confirmed it, so I added some stevia and honey. Even so, the result was a little less sweet and not as apricoty as I would've liked.
But I'm going to try this recipe again because no sooner had I put the bread into the oven last night than I remembered I had an unopened jar of apricot preserves in the cupboard. Wouldn't some of that be great mixed in? Yeah, I thought so, too. So I'll be making this bread again soon, with some modifications. I'll be sure to share the results!
And as an aside, I'm getting a bit tired of having to go to so many retirement parties at work. There seems to be a wave of them right now and while I don't mind dropping by and wishing my friends well and even speaking on their behalf, I can't help wondering if it's a university requirement that sesame-coated bits of chicken on sticks be served at these functions. Ditto the scary-looking red punch. Thank goodness it's always a buffet and I can opt out!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
The Great Hay Test
Since Cadbury seemed lukewarm on his Timmy hay, I ordered samples of some of Oxbow's other offerings. The hay arrived Monday and tonight we were ready for the Great Hay Test.
On the left, Botanical Hay. In the middle, Oat Hay. On the right, Orchard Grass.
The results:
After chinning the wooden box and nibbling the wood, Cadbury did a few laps up and down the hall and tried to squeeze past the barricade into the living room to watch the Olympics.
What kind of hay does he like best? Who the heck knows?
I tried a new recipe tonight-- apricot bread. The bread is still too hot to eat, so perhaps by tomorrow both Cadbury and I will have some food reviews to share.
As an aside, if you aren't subscribed to get Steal Tomorrow in your email, be sure to check the blog on Wednesday for the second installment!
On the left, Botanical Hay. In the middle, Oat Hay. On the right, Orchard Grass.
The results:
After chinning the wooden box and nibbling the wood, Cadbury did a few laps up and down the hall and tried to squeeze past the barricade into the living room to watch the Olympics.
What kind of hay does he like best? Who the heck knows?
I tried a new recipe tonight-- apricot bread. The bread is still too hot to eat, so perhaps by tomorrow both Cadbury and I will have some food reviews to share.
As an aside, if you aren't subscribed to get Steal Tomorrow in your email, be sure to check the blog on Wednesday for the second installment!
Monday, August 11, 2008
Monday Bunday
Hay, there! It's me, Cadbury, checking out my biped's book. I'm not really sure what it's all about, since I'm still working on my alphabet blocks (yummy!). But if you go here, the book is available in blog posts every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and there's a link to where you can buy it in print or download.
Print is tastier and I recommend it.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Olympic Rant
Okay, I just got done watching the men's 4x100 relay and did I watch the same race, or are they seriously overlooking Cullen Jones? Sure, I'm impressed by anchor Jason Lezak's world record-breaking swim and the way he caught Bernard, but HELLO, it was Cullen Jones who closed the gap against France on the third relay leg to put the U.S. team in position to win. Lezak might've still pulled off a world record relay leg, but it was Jones who put him in position to get the gold.
Grrr...stupid TV announcers. I sure hope the print writers give Cullen Jones the credit he deserves.
Rant over. Back to your regularly scheduled blog reading. If you're not reading my blog on a blog reader/RSS feed of some kind, there's a regular weekend post just below. Scroll on down!
Grrr...stupid TV announcers. I sure hope the print writers give Cullen Jones the credit he deserves.
Rant over. Back to your regularly scheduled blog reading. If you're not reading my blog on a blog reader/RSS feed of some kind, there's a regular weekend post just below. Scroll on down!
Back on Schedule
For several weeks, my weekend has been disrupted with have-tos. Some have been good (Cadbury!), some have been less tedious than I expected them to be (Dan’s half-sister’s daughter’s Pentecostal wedding), and others have been teeth-grindingly frustrating (lunch with my immediate family).
I’m a creature of habit and too many weeks in a row of disruptions to my schedule leave me irritable and tired in a deep way that extroverts can never understand. So it was with great joy that I greeted my first normal weekend in a long time.
My Saturday long run was a semi-repeat of last week, when I got up extra-early and drove to Memorial Park so I could begin my run at 5:00 and finish before the weather became obscenely hot. Memorial Park is full of runners at almost every hour of the day and night, so it was quite safe to be trotting the trails in the pre-dawn darkness. Once there was a little light, I took off toward Turtle Pond, the roadside garden, and Tanglewood, which is a route I’ve missed doing since moving close to the university. Upon my return to the park, I did one more loop, changed into dry clothes in the Tennis Center locker room, and went home. Indian buffet lunch proceeded on schedule, as did my post-everything afternoon nap. Very nice.
Today I spent some time in the kitchen, making food for the week. Menu is as follows:
* Quinoa Spinach Bake, using Bag Lady’s spinach.
* Rice Balls, using chipotle cheddar instead of mozzarella. Mind-blowingly delicious.
* Steamed Broccoli
* Brown and Jasmine rice blend
* Oatmeal Cookies
* Granola Bars (made these Saturday night)
I’ll probably make some kind of quickbread this week, but I haven’t decided what kind. I have a lot of dried apricots, so I’m leaning toward using them in some way.
I followed up my afternoon in the kitchen with a 90 minute spin in my exercise studio. It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve been able to do that.
And finally, the big news. I finished the line edits of my novel this morning and uploaded it into Lulu for print or electronic-download purchase. The pocket format is more expensive than the trade paperback format for some reason, so I’ll be working on the trade format tonight or tomorrow and making that available as well. I also uploaded the novel into Kindle format, available from Amazon in a few days. For more information about all of this, check out my post on my writing blog. And to get started reading the web serial, you may bookmark Steal Tomorrow, add it to your reader, or sign up for the emails. New posts will appear on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
That’s it! It’s been a nice weekend of re-charging by doing the same-old and I’m ready to face the week. Sort of. This actually promises to be Hell Week because we’ve got exactly one week to review, approve, and upload all merit increases for the entire university, but hey, one Hell Week every now and then is nothing compared to Every Week a Hell Week in my last job. I am so counting my blessings!
This Week’s Workouts
Monday: 30 minute elliptical
Tuesday: Rain Day laziness
Wednesday: 4.5 mile run
Thursday: 30 minute elliptical
Friday: scheduled rest day
Saturday: 19 mile run
Sunday: 90 minute spin
I’m a creature of habit and too many weeks in a row of disruptions to my schedule leave me irritable and tired in a deep way that extroverts can never understand. So it was with great joy that I greeted my first normal weekend in a long time.
My Saturday long run was a semi-repeat of last week, when I got up extra-early and drove to Memorial Park so I could begin my run at 5:00 and finish before the weather became obscenely hot. Memorial Park is full of runners at almost every hour of the day and night, so it was quite safe to be trotting the trails in the pre-dawn darkness. Once there was a little light, I took off toward Turtle Pond, the roadside garden, and Tanglewood, which is a route I’ve missed doing since moving close to the university. Upon my return to the park, I did one more loop, changed into dry clothes in the Tennis Center locker room, and went home. Indian buffet lunch proceeded on schedule, as did my post-everything afternoon nap. Very nice.
Today I spent some time in the kitchen, making food for the week. Menu is as follows:
* Quinoa Spinach Bake, using Bag Lady’s spinach.
* Rice Balls, using chipotle cheddar instead of mozzarella. Mind-blowingly delicious.
* Steamed Broccoli
* Brown and Jasmine rice blend
* Oatmeal Cookies
* Granola Bars (made these Saturday night)
I’ll probably make some kind of quickbread this week, but I haven’t decided what kind. I have a lot of dried apricots, so I’m leaning toward using them in some way.
I followed up my afternoon in the kitchen with a 90 minute spin in my exercise studio. It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve been able to do that.
And finally, the big news. I finished the line edits of my novel this morning and uploaded it into Lulu for print or electronic-download purchase. The pocket format is more expensive than the trade paperback format for some reason, so I’ll be working on the trade format tonight or tomorrow and making that available as well. I also uploaded the novel into Kindle format, available from Amazon in a few days. For more information about all of this, check out my post on my writing blog. And to get started reading the web serial, you may bookmark Steal Tomorrow, add it to your reader, or sign up for the emails. New posts will appear on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
That’s it! It’s been a nice weekend of re-charging by doing the same-old and I’m ready to face the week. Sort of. This actually promises to be Hell Week because we’ve got exactly one week to review, approve, and upload all merit increases for the entire university, but hey, one Hell Week every now and then is nothing compared to Every Week a Hell Week in my last job. I am so counting my blessings!
This Week’s Workouts
Monday: 30 minute elliptical
Tuesday: Rain Day laziness
Wednesday: 4.5 mile run
Thursday: 30 minute elliptical
Friday: scheduled rest day
Saturday: 19 mile run
Sunday: 90 minute spin
Friday, August 08, 2008
Thanks, Bag Lady!
A package arrived today!
Cadbury was very curious, since he had heard a rumor that the box might contain spinach.
The box did indeed contain spinach, but in dehydrated form for cooking. It's from Bag Lady's garden and she also sent chiles, chutney, salsa, and some of her delicious homemade crackers. There was also a Canada pen in the box, but although I have immense respect for Bag Lady's talents, I'm pretty sure she doesn't make ball-point pens.
Thank you, BL! Such a nice surprise to find on my doorstep at the end of a busy day!
Cadbury was very curious, since he had heard a rumor that the box might contain spinach.
The box did indeed contain spinach, but in dehydrated form for cooking. It's from Bag Lady's garden and she also sent chiles, chutney, salsa, and some of her delicious homemade crackers. There was also a Canada pen in the box, but although I have immense respect for Bag Lady's talents, I'm pretty sure she doesn't make ball-point pens.
Thank you, BL! Such a nice surprise to find on my doorstep at the end of a busy day!
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Mid-Week Recipe Share
Here's the latest recipe I tried: Oatmeal Breakfast Bread.
As usual, I didn't follow the recipe exactly, but it turned out just fine. For starters, I didn't have buttermilk, so I used my usual soy milk and put a bit of lemon juice into the batter. Next, although I did have some dried figs, I liked the apple taste of the batter so much that I threw in a bag of diced dried apples dried cranberries and walnuts instead. I used powdered stevia instead of sugar and skipped the oil and topping. I still ended up with a very moist, flavorful quickbread that's great for breakfast or a snack and even met with Dan's approval.
We're all a little disoriented today by having had a day off yesterday. It felt like Monday, most of us at the office felt like we were behind on all our projects (which we were, even though a lot of us did some work from home), and if it wasn't for our Outlook calendars, a few meetings might've been overlooked. Not that I would've minded. I'm not much on meetings, but at least in my new job I have yet to be forced to sit through 90 minute meetings that run on for closer to 2.5 or 3 hours. Most meetings in my new department are scheduled for about an hour and end early. That's about as close to meeting bliss as I'll probably ever get, so I'll just be grateful and not complain.
Cadbury sat in my lap for awhile tonight while I was reading the news online. He's pretty frisky now, running everywhere. But earlier today when Dan came home from work and let him out, he was feeling more relaxed and did this entertaining bunny flop:
Enjoy the rest of the week, everyone!
As usual, I didn't follow the recipe exactly, but it turned out just fine. For starters, I didn't have buttermilk, so I used my usual soy milk and put a bit of lemon juice into the batter. Next, although I did have some dried figs, I liked the apple taste of the batter so much that I threw in a bag of diced dried apples dried cranberries and walnuts instead. I used powdered stevia instead of sugar and skipped the oil and topping. I still ended up with a very moist, flavorful quickbread that's great for breakfast or a snack and even met with Dan's approval.
We're all a little disoriented today by having had a day off yesterday. It felt like Monday, most of us at the office felt like we were behind on all our projects (which we were, even though a lot of us did some work from home), and if it wasn't for our Outlook calendars, a few meetings might've been overlooked. Not that I would've minded. I'm not much on meetings, but at least in my new job I have yet to be forced to sit through 90 minute meetings that run on for closer to 2.5 or 3 hours. Most meetings in my new department are scheduled for about an hour and end early. That's about as close to meeting bliss as I'll probably ever get, so I'll just be grateful and not complain.
Cadbury sat in my lap for awhile tonight while I was reading the news online. He's pretty frisky now, running everywhere. But earlier today when Dan came home from work and let him out, he was feeling more relaxed and did this entertaining bunny flop:
Enjoy the rest of the week, everyone!
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Rainy Day
Well, I was right that the storm would take a last-minute hook to the east and spare us the worst of it, but what we ended up with was a disappointing mix of the worst of both worlds. It has rained all day, so I couldn’t go for a run. It was the kind of horizontal rain that made walking to the gym out of the question (and I don’t have a parking tag to park at the gym). But it didn’t rain hard enough to actually be scary and interesting.
On the plus side, our new water heater got installed. If it had truly stormed around here, the installers couldn't have come and I’d still be listening to the racket of that leaky old thing, so I’m glad to have it fixed. Then again, if it hadn’t rained, I wouldn’t have had to mop the floor after the installers left. Mud and water all over my black and white tiles. Yuck.
I did a little work from home this afternoon and may do more tonight. I’m almost out of banana bread, so I’ll probably do some sort of quick bread tonight, too. I've been doing some recipe searches for something new to try. I'm a little burned out on carrot bread, and I don't want to make pumpkin bread because it doesn't require a full can of pumpkin and I don't currently have a use for the remainder. Look for a new recipe from me tonight or tomorrow!
And so no one thinks I've spent the whole day in serious pursuits, I got Cadbury set up on Bunspace so he can make some virtual bunny friends:
His story is on his profile, or what I know of it. Basically, he was a hutch bunny who ended up with a rescue group and was then adopted by a nice young lady who soon found that her new job and roommates didn't allow her to give Cadbury the kind of life he deserved. She advertised on Craigslist and things worked out.
Cadbury is starting to settle in. His initial behavior was probably just his reaction to being allowed to free-range. He still runs around, and he spent about half an hour this morning burrowing in a comforter Dan left on the floor, but he spends a lot of time lounging in the wicker tunnel now, too. Maybe soon we can trust him on his own when we're not in the same room, but it will be awhile before we decide if it'll ever be safe to leave him out when we're not here. Tid was pretty special in that she wasn't a cord-chewer. Most bunnies are, though, and we need to be certain he won't hurt himself before leaving him to his own lapine devices.
Gonna go have a granola bar now. I guess I'll need to make some more of those tonight, too!
On the plus side, our new water heater got installed. If it had truly stormed around here, the installers couldn't have come and I’d still be listening to the racket of that leaky old thing, so I’m glad to have it fixed. Then again, if it hadn’t rained, I wouldn’t have had to mop the floor after the installers left. Mud and water all over my black and white tiles. Yuck.
I did a little work from home this afternoon and may do more tonight. I’m almost out of banana bread, so I’ll probably do some sort of quick bread tonight, too. I've been doing some recipe searches for something new to try. I'm a little burned out on carrot bread, and I don't want to make pumpkin bread because it doesn't require a full can of pumpkin and I don't currently have a use for the remainder. Look for a new recipe from me tonight or tomorrow!
And so no one thinks I've spent the whole day in serious pursuits, I got Cadbury set up on Bunspace so he can make some virtual bunny friends:
His story is on his profile, or what I know of it. Basically, he was a hutch bunny who ended up with a rescue group and was then adopted by a nice young lady who soon found that her new job and roommates didn't allow her to give Cadbury the kind of life he deserved. She advertised on Craigslist and things worked out.
Cadbury is starting to settle in. His initial behavior was probably just his reaction to being allowed to free-range. He still runs around, and he spent about half an hour this morning burrowing in a comforter Dan left on the floor, but he spends a lot of time lounging in the wicker tunnel now, too. Maybe soon we can trust him on his own when we're not in the same room, but it will be awhile before we decide if it'll ever be safe to leave him out when we're not here. Tid was pretty special in that she wasn't a cord-chewer. Most bunnies are, though, and we need to be certain he won't hurt himself before leaving him to his own lapine devices.
Gonna go have a granola bar now. I guess I'll need to make some more of those tonight, too!
Monday, August 04, 2008
Rain Day and Other News
They’ve closed the university on Tuesday for the tropical storm. Whatever. It sounds like a lot of hype to me, but I get a free day off, so I’m not complaining. If not every place in town acts silly and closes, I might even be able to take care of a few errands I wanted to do over the weekend but couldn’t. At the very least I can sleep in a bit and work on some things around here that need doing.
I won’t be able to sleep in by much, though. Our water heater is getting replaced around 9:30 tomorrow morning. It’s leaking steam from a valve somewhere on top and makes quite a racket. It’ll be good to get the whole thing replaced and I’m hoping the new heater will be more efficient and cost us less money.
Cadbury went to the vet today for a checkup and was pronounced healthy. I figured as much, since no one with that much energy could have anything wrong. But it’s good to get a baseline and everyone was happy to meet him. They say we can get him neutered in about two weeks, after he’s had time to finish settling into his new home. Getting snipped will quiet him down a bit, which will be nice.
Cadbury is starting to figure out that the paper litter pellets are not for eating and the hay is. Yay! He ate one of his Timmy cakes and tonight I ordered him some other hays to try from Oxbow. Maybe he’ll pick a favorite.
So that’s all for now. I looked at the latest computer models on Edouard and still see no reason to feel confident we’ll get a direct hit or be on the dirty side of the storm. Tropical systems in this part of the Gulf often take a last-minute bobble to the east, so the fact the models are sending it up the I-45 corridor suggests it’s likely to hit closer to the Texas-Louisiana border, sparing us much of anything in terms of wind and rain. Of course, these storms are unpredictable and the models don’t appear to have been updated in several hours, so we’ll see.
Somebunny isn’t the least bit concerned.
I won’t be able to sleep in by much, though. Our water heater is getting replaced around 9:30 tomorrow morning. It’s leaking steam from a valve somewhere on top and makes quite a racket. It’ll be good to get the whole thing replaced and I’m hoping the new heater will be more efficient and cost us less money.
Cadbury went to the vet today for a checkup and was pronounced healthy. I figured as much, since no one with that much energy could have anything wrong. But it’s good to get a baseline and everyone was happy to meet him. They say we can get him neutered in about two weeks, after he’s had time to finish settling into his new home. Getting snipped will quiet him down a bit, which will be nice.
Cadbury is starting to figure out that the paper litter pellets are not for eating and the hay is. Yay! He ate one of his Timmy cakes and tonight I ordered him some other hays to try from Oxbow. Maybe he’ll pick a favorite.
So that’s all for now. I looked at the latest computer models on Edouard and still see no reason to feel confident we’ll get a direct hit or be on the dirty side of the storm. Tropical systems in this part of the Gulf often take a last-minute bobble to the east, so the fact the models are sending it up the I-45 corridor suggests it’s likely to hit closer to the Texas-Louisiana border, sparing us much of anything in terms of wind and rain. Of course, these storms are unpredictable and the models don’t appear to have been updated in several hours, so we’ll see.
Somebunny isn’t the least bit concerned.
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Saturday, August 02, 2008
More Cadbury
This is one busy bunny!
When he’s out of his cage he spends nearly all his time running around the room, exploring corners, and getting out into the rest of the house where I have to go check up on him. Then he runs the whole way back, doing little leaps and half-binks along the way. He chases the cat, runs laps around the room, goes running down the hall again, more investigating, more chinning, binking, and a few laps around my chair.
I’m a little concerned that he hasn’t done much eating or pooping since his arrival. I think he’s just excited, though. He’s obviously not sick, since he’s so busy and curious. I’m going to take him to Dr. Jordan on Monday for a checkup and if he’s still not up to proper bunny input/output volumes, it’ll get taken care of.
He sure is fast! And he’s not the least put off by the hardwood floors. With Tidbit, we could control where she went simply by not putting rugs where we didn’t want her to go. Cadbury doesn’t care, though. Hardwoods and kitchen tiles are no impediment to his exploring. He doesn’t appear to be a cord-chewer, so maybe in the future we can let him have the run of the house. But until we’re sure of his habits, I have to either keep the door to “his” room closed or chase after him like a toddler.
More later tonight or tomorrow. He’s up again after a brief rest in the wicker tunnel and I need to keep an eye on him. I also need to start a batch of granola bars. Those things never last long around here!
When he’s out of his cage he spends nearly all his time running around the room, exploring corners, and getting out into the rest of the house where I have to go check up on him. Then he runs the whole way back, doing little leaps and half-binks along the way. He chases the cat, runs laps around the room, goes running down the hall again, more investigating, more chinning, binking, and a few laps around my chair.
I’m a little concerned that he hasn’t done much eating or pooping since his arrival. I think he’s just excited, though. He’s obviously not sick, since he’s so busy and curious. I’m going to take him to Dr. Jordan on Monday for a checkup and if he’s still not up to proper bunny input/output volumes, it’ll get taken care of.
He sure is fast! And he’s not the least put off by the hardwood floors. With Tidbit, we could control where she went simply by not putting rugs where we didn’t want her to go. Cadbury doesn’t care, though. Hardwoods and kitchen tiles are no impediment to his exploring. He doesn’t appear to be a cord-chewer, so maybe in the future we can let him have the run of the house. But until we’re sure of his habits, I have to either keep the door to “his” room closed or chase after him like a toddler.
More later tonight or tomorrow. He’s up again after a brief rest in the wicker tunnel and I need to keep an eye on him. I also need to start a batch of granola bars. Those things never last long around here!
Cadbury is Here!
Somebunny arrived at his new home today!
He's already making new friends.
He also tried to get the cat to groom him, so I have a feeling who's going to be in charge of this relationship. On this occasion, Pixel just gave him a dirty look and walked away. I have a feeling this little guy will wear him down, though.
For now, Cadbury is all over the place, scampering around the room chinning things and investigating. From time to time he eats a little hay, drinks some water, and takes a break.
More later. I'm going to focus on getting some more pics and then he'll be going into his cage for an hour so Dan and I can go get our Indian buffet fix.
He's already making new friends.
He also tried to get the cat to groom him, so I have a feeling who's going to be in charge of this relationship. On this occasion, Pixel just gave him a dirty look and walked away. I have a feeling this little guy will wear him down, though.
For now, Cadbury is all over the place, scampering around the room chinning things and investigating. From time to time he eats a little hay, drinks some water, and takes a break.
More later. I'm going to focus on getting some more pics and then he'll be going into his cage for an hour so Dan and I can go get our Indian buffet fix.
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