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.
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.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Coming Soon...
This is Cadbury. He'll be coming to live with us on Saturday!
We're very excited, but a little sad, too. It makes it so final that Tid is really gone and not coming back. Stupid, I know.
He's a really fun guy who loves to play.
Cadbury sounds like a love and I know we're going to be great friends. Check this space for more info on Saturday!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Stay Tuned!
We may be getting a new bunny in the next few days! We're very excited and hope this turns out to be a good arrangement for everyone. I'll post more details once I'm sure if this will be happening. The bunny in question might not be ready for fame, so it's important to set expectations.
AND! The second print draft of my book arrived today! I'm looking forward to reading it. I'm a weirdo who actually likes the editing process. Hopefully I won't find many errors and then I can make it available for purchase, simultaneous with a web serialization.
Lots of cool stuff happening around here!
AND! The second print draft of my book arrived today! I'm looking forward to reading it. I'm a weirdo who actually likes the editing process. Hopefully I won't find many errors and then I can make it available for purchase, simultaneous with a web serialization.
Lots of cool stuff happening around here!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Catching Up
It was another busy week around here and I have a little catch-up to do.
For starters, I still don't have any pics from the Seventies party. I'm going to ask again on Monday and each following Monday until someone at the office ponies up. We've got a lot of things going on right now though, and the primary custodian of the photos is busy putting together our annual Benefits Fair, so I figured it wasn't a good time to be too persistent.
I've got my second print draft of Steal Tomorrow en route from Lulu with my fancy new front and back covers, so I'm looking forward to getting it this week and seeing how it looks. I'd like to begin posting the story before the end of August, but in the meantime I'm posting extra content on the blog, so check it out and feel free to subscribe to the email updates. The email is through Feedburner, not me, so don't be shy-- I only know how many subscribers I have, not who they are. I hit a dry patch with my writing after Tid went to the Bridge, but I'm doing better now and new content should be pretty consistent.
I didn't do too well with exercise this past week. Weather was a big part of the problem, since for two mornings in a row we had a rain band move in off Hurricane Dolly at the exact time I needed to get out the door. I have to start my workout by 6:00 am in order to be ready for work by 8:00, so things like wind-whipped horizontal rain at 6:00 really screw things up. On Thursday, though, I took an extra half hour at lunch and got in a short run, so I made up for one of those lost mornings, at least.
Dan and I reversed our usual order of things this weekend. We had a wedding to go to on Saturday, so I made it my cooking day and did my run this morning instead, followed up with Indian food and a nap.
I have no new recipes for this week-- sorry. Maybe next week.
I also still have not found my new bunny, although I'm starting to feel like I'm ready for a new long-eared pal. One can't force these things, though.
And finally, Tidbit's old pals at Furry Butts gave us this nice award:
The rules are as follows:
1) Put the logo on your blog.
2) Add a link to the person who awarded you.
3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4) Add links to those blogs on yours.
5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.
Since this award seems to have gone through all the bunny blogs, I'm going to hit up a few of my writing and fitness friends.
1. Tennessee Text Wrestling
2. West of Mars
3. Ingenious Title to Appear Here Later
4. Chumplet Writes
5. Cranky Fitness
6. MizFit
7. Running into the Sun
Here's where to pick up your Award. Play or not, as you choose.
Here's to a great week, everyone!
For starters, I still don't have any pics from the Seventies party. I'm going to ask again on Monday and each following Monday until someone at the office ponies up. We've got a lot of things going on right now though, and the primary custodian of the photos is busy putting together our annual Benefits Fair, so I figured it wasn't a good time to be too persistent.
I've got my second print draft of Steal Tomorrow en route from Lulu with my fancy new front and back covers, so I'm looking forward to getting it this week and seeing how it looks. I'd like to begin posting the story before the end of August, but in the meantime I'm posting extra content on the blog, so check it out and feel free to subscribe to the email updates. The email is through Feedburner, not me, so don't be shy-- I only know how many subscribers I have, not who they are. I hit a dry patch with my writing after Tid went to the Bridge, but I'm doing better now and new content should be pretty consistent.
I didn't do too well with exercise this past week. Weather was a big part of the problem, since for two mornings in a row we had a rain band move in off Hurricane Dolly at the exact time I needed to get out the door. I have to start my workout by 6:00 am in order to be ready for work by 8:00, so things like wind-whipped horizontal rain at 6:00 really screw things up. On Thursday, though, I took an extra half hour at lunch and got in a short run, so I made up for one of those lost mornings, at least.
Dan and I reversed our usual order of things this weekend. We had a wedding to go to on Saturday, so I made it my cooking day and did my run this morning instead, followed up with Indian food and a nap.
I have no new recipes for this week-- sorry. Maybe next week.
I also still have not found my new bunny, although I'm starting to feel like I'm ready for a new long-eared pal. One can't force these things, though.
And finally, Tidbit's old pals at Furry Butts gave us this nice award:
The rules are as follows:
1) Put the logo on your blog.
2) Add a link to the person who awarded you.
3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4) Add links to those blogs on yours.
5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.
Since this award seems to have gone through all the bunny blogs, I'm going to hit up a few of my writing and fitness friends.
1. Tennessee Text Wrestling
2. West of Mars
3. Ingenious Title to Appear Here Later
4. Chumplet Writes
5. Cranky Fitness
6. MizFit
7. Running into the Sun
Here's where to pick up your Award. Play or not, as you choose.
Here's to a great week, everyone!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Weekend Recipe Wrap-up
Okay, I know I said I probably wouldn’t be trying any new recipes this weekend, but plans change and I gave this recipe for Quinoa-Spinach Bake a try.
It was quite easy and the results were delicious. I recommend washing the quinoa well and even soaking it in salt water for a few minutes to help remove the bitterness. Since ricotta tends to be a bit bland, don’t hesitate to spice this recipe up a bit with whatever suits your fancy. I just used salt and red pepper, but white pepper, extra garlic, or Indian spices would make a nice option, too.
The other new thing I tried this weekend was feta and ricotta in the rice balls recipe. I forgot that I was out of mozzarella when I was at the store, so I dumped in what cheese I had and all was well.
So here’s the day’s culinary count:
I’ll probably do some cookies or quick bread (carrot or banana) later in the week. Until then, happy eating!
It was quite easy and the results were delicious. I recommend washing the quinoa well and even soaking it in salt water for a few minutes to help remove the bitterness. Since ricotta tends to be a bit bland, don’t hesitate to spice this recipe up a bit with whatever suits your fancy. I just used salt and red pepper, but white pepper, extra garlic, or Indian spices would make a nice option, too.
The other new thing I tried this weekend was feta and ricotta in the rice balls recipe. I forgot that I was out of mozzarella when I was at the store, so I dumped in what cheese I had and all was well.
So here’s the day’s culinary count:
- Quinoa-Spinach Bake
- Rice Balls (with feta and ricotta)
- Steamed broccoli with lemon pepper
- Zucchini baked with cheddar and bread crumbs
- Granola bars. Again. They keep disappearing.
I’ll probably do some cookies or quick bread (carrot or banana) later in the week. Until then, happy eating!
Saturday, July 19, 2008
A Run Too Far
As I always do, I carefully mapped a running route for today. I needed to take a couple of checks to the bank, so it had to be a route that would put me at the bank at or near 9:00. No problem, since I do this fairly regularly.
The run went okay at first. I did a loop around campus then headed out along the bayou, where I saw a flock of brown ducks—the first ducks I’ve ever seen on this bayou. Later, as I neared the end of the bayou portion of the run, I saw another duck, much larger, and with black and gray coloring. This duck was alone, but the egrets and cormorants didn’t seem bothered by its presence.
I finished the bayou section of my route and headed toward Rice University. From there, I went to my bank and got there a little too early. With ten minutes to kill, I refilled my water bottle at Whole Foods and went for a stroll around the block. Then I deposited my checks and headed toward River Oaks.
No sooner was I in River Oaks when I realized I needed a restroom. There wouldn’t be another one on my planned route for at least five miles, so I detoured to a church that I knew would be open. It took me off my route, so I figured I would make up the difference near the end of my run, cutting straight across Hermann Park instead of going around. By my mental calculations (made under the influence of heat and humidity) it would all work out about the same.
So when I got home much later than I expected, I chalked it up to the time spent waiting for the bank to open and having to make a pit stop. Also, there were a couple times I got a side stitch and had to walk. (I have no idea what that was about, since I don’t usually get stitches or cramps any more.) Anyway, everything added up in my mind, so I went on about the business of getting ready to have lunch with Dan.
Then tonight I got online to check my route and confirm my numbers. Twenty-two miles. Damn. That explains a few things.
I may start cutting back my Saturday mileage a little now that we’re in the worst of summer. It can be pretty hot by the time I finish, and the last two miles are in direct sunlight. There’s no safe alternative route home, either. But there’s another part of me that wants to just keep after this thing, since I’m pretty well acclimated and I hate building mileage. Maintaining is just so much easier.
I think this is the sort of thing only a runner can understand, but I try to keep my distance mileage high because I'm lazy. Too lazy to drop back and then go through the suffering of re-building.
Well, tomorrow is cooking day. I don't have anything new in my plans, but I could come up with something between now and then. Also, I made some more granola bars tonight. A certain spouse keeps eating them. I guess that's the sign of a good recipe when you can't keep the food around for long!
The run went okay at first. I did a loop around campus then headed out along the bayou, where I saw a flock of brown ducks—the first ducks I’ve ever seen on this bayou. Later, as I neared the end of the bayou portion of the run, I saw another duck, much larger, and with black and gray coloring. This duck was alone, but the egrets and cormorants didn’t seem bothered by its presence.
I finished the bayou section of my route and headed toward Rice University. From there, I went to my bank and got there a little too early. With ten minutes to kill, I refilled my water bottle at Whole Foods and went for a stroll around the block. Then I deposited my checks and headed toward River Oaks.
No sooner was I in River Oaks when I realized I needed a restroom. There wouldn’t be another one on my planned route for at least five miles, so I detoured to a church that I knew would be open. It took me off my route, so I figured I would make up the difference near the end of my run, cutting straight across Hermann Park instead of going around. By my mental calculations (made under the influence of heat and humidity) it would all work out about the same.
So when I got home much later than I expected, I chalked it up to the time spent waiting for the bank to open and having to make a pit stop. Also, there were a couple times I got a side stitch and had to walk. (I have no idea what that was about, since I don’t usually get stitches or cramps any more.) Anyway, everything added up in my mind, so I went on about the business of getting ready to have lunch with Dan.
Then tonight I got online to check my route and confirm my numbers. Twenty-two miles. Damn. That explains a few things.
I may start cutting back my Saturday mileage a little now that we’re in the worst of summer. It can be pretty hot by the time I finish, and the last two miles are in direct sunlight. There’s no safe alternative route home, either. But there’s another part of me that wants to just keep after this thing, since I’m pretty well acclimated and I hate building mileage. Maintaining is just so much easier.
I think this is the sort of thing only a runner can understand, but I try to keep my distance mileage high because I'm lazy. Too lazy to drop back and then go through the suffering of re-building.
Well, tomorrow is cooking day. I don't have anything new in my plans, but I could come up with something between now and then. Also, I made some more granola bars tonight. A certain spouse keeps eating them. I guess that's the sign of a good recipe when you can't keep the food around for long!
Friday, July 18, 2008
Seventies Party Report
Dan and I had a great time at the Seventies Party Thursday night. I wasn’t sure what to expect, since it was a work-related function for HR staff and their spouses from all of my university’s campuses. Our uber-boss had made it very clear that she wanted us there representing, and those kinds of pronouncements always make me a little twitchy, since there’s an underlying message that we don’t have anything we’d rather be doing with our time once we’ve left the office.
Anyway, I would’ve gone regardless since I’m the new kid and want to be seen as a team player. And the party was a blast. There were people already dancing when we got there, so while Dan settled in to talk to my boss’s husband (they both do tech support for the university), I hit the dance floor and stayed there most of the night. Dan surprised me by participating in the karaoke contest and I, my boss, and my boss’s boss were his backup dancers. We didn’t have time to choreograph our moves, but what the heck.
I went to a lot of parties and functions when I was in IT, but none were much fun. I thought all university staff were like that and didn’t give it much thought, but I’ve been proven wrong. I swear I’ll never look at HR people the same way after this. When I went to the Galveston conference last month, the attendees who were staying at the hotel would giggle and hint around at late-night antics, but I thought they were kidding. Nope. HR folks love a good party, and if there isn’t one they’ll make their own. Don’t let the stodgy, paper-pushing demeanor fool you!
They had some of the party photos in a slideshow during a break in today’s pan-HR workshop and I caught glimpses of some shots of Dan’s karaoke act and me in my hilariously awful wig and platforms. I suspect the photos will be available on the server by Monday or Tuesday and I’ll see if any are good enough to post.
Have a great weekend!
Recent Workouts
Sunday: 20 mile run
Monday: rest
Tuesday: 30 minute elliptical
Wednesday: 4.5 mile run
Thursday: 30 minute elliptical; lots of dancing
Friday: scheduled rest day
Anyway, I would’ve gone regardless since I’m the new kid and want to be seen as a team player. And the party was a blast. There were people already dancing when we got there, so while Dan settled in to talk to my boss’s husband (they both do tech support for the university), I hit the dance floor and stayed there most of the night. Dan surprised me by participating in the karaoke contest and I, my boss, and my boss’s boss were his backup dancers. We didn’t have time to choreograph our moves, but what the heck.
I went to a lot of parties and functions when I was in IT, but none were much fun. I thought all university staff were like that and didn’t give it much thought, but I’ve been proven wrong. I swear I’ll never look at HR people the same way after this. When I went to the Galveston conference last month, the attendees who were staying at the hotel would giggle and hint around at late-night antics, but I thought they were kidding. Nope. HR folks love a good party, and if there isn’t one they’ll make their own. Don’t let the stodgy, paper-pushing demeanor fool you!
They had some of the party photos in a slideshow during a break in today’s pan-HR workshop and I caught glimpses of some shots of Dan’s karaoke act and me in my hilariously awful wig and platforms. I suspect the photos will be available on the server by Monday or Tuesday and I’ll see if any are good enough to post.
Have a great weekend!
Recent Workouts
Sunday: 20 mile run
Monday: rest
Tuesday: 30 minute elliptical
Wednesday: 4.5 mile run
Thursday: 30 minute elliptical; lots of dancing
Friday: scheduled rest day
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Groovy!
Dan and I are going to a Seventies Party tonight. I've got my platforms and feathered wig, and what's really scary is that I still knew exactly how to style those Farrah Fawcett wings!
Here's hoping the party is as groovy as this classic TidPic:
Here's hoping the party is as groovy as this classic TidPic:
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Gotcha Day Memories
In honor of what would've been Tidbit's fourth Gotcha Day, here are some photos of celebrations from other years.
This was a bun who knew how to enjoy a party!
Thanks again to everyone who has left condolences either through this blog or via private email. It's funny to think that the scrawny Cinderella of the county shelter ended up with so many friends just by being her bunny self.
It doesn't take great noble deeds to make the world a nicer place.
This was a bun who knew how to enjoy a party!
Thanks again to everyone who has left condolences either through this blog or via private email. It's funny to think that the scrawny Cinderella of the county shelter ended up with so many friends just by being her bunny self.
It doesn't take great noble deeds to make the world a nicer place.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Weekend Recipe Share
We're doing things kind of backwards this weekend. Dan had some things he needed to do today, so we switched Indian Food Day to Sunday, making Sunday my weekend long run day as well. Consequently, I have no outdoor adventures to share this evening.
I do have recipes, though!
First up is this nice granola bar recipe. My favorite non-HFCS granola bars are well over $4/box now, so I'm experimenting with making my own. I made these bars for the first time last week, but I made them too thick and although they were delicious, they were more like thick, chewy brownies. Nice, but not what I was after. So this weekend, I used a bigger pan and flattened them out nice and thin, and they turned out perfect-- firm, but not break-your-teeth hard. Chewy, but not like mutant Rice Krispies bars.
If you make these, you'll want to be sure the granola mix is a big sticky thing that you could, if you so chose, put into the baking dish in one big ball. You may need to keep adding peanut butter, syrup, or honey to accomplish this. So start out with the recipe as it is written, then add oats if it's too wet, peanut butter if it's too dry and sweet, and syrup or honey if it's too dry and not sweet enough. Pay close attention to the directions in the recipe link regarding scoring the granola bars near the end of the cooking process. Once they're cool, you'll have a dickens of a time making them break up in a pretty way, so follow the instructions!
The second recipe I want to call your attention to is for crackers. I don't know about anyone else out there, but I always thought crackers were one of those things that required a factory and elves. But I'm seeing some really ridiculous prices for them these days, often $3.50 and higher per box for good organic crackers without HFCS or hydrogenated oils. Finding a good cracker recipe online was a revelation because they're just stupidly easy to make.
For my first attempt, I used whole wheat flour and added five-pepper pesto and parmesan for my flavoring. They came out great, but I did have a problem with the center not getting crunchy before the edges started burning. I recommend either baking these crackers in strips, or taking them out when they're done enough to hold together well, breaking them up, and putting them back in the oven for a few more minutes. I suppose one could also put the finished product in a food dehydrator. Here in the Land of Humidity, one is often tempted to do that with things. My next batch of crackers will probably be simpler, maybe just parmesan and black pepper. One other thing that isn't mentioned in the recipe but would be nice, is a sprinkling of sea salt over the tops.
And that's it for new recipes! Have a tasty weekend!
I do have recipes, though!
First up is this nice granola bar recipe. My favorite non-HFCS granola bars are well over $4/box now, so I'm experimenting with making my own. I made these bars for the first time last week, but I made them too thick and although they were delicious, they were more like thick, chewy brownies. Nice, but not what I was after. So this weekend, I used a bigger pan and flattened them out nice and thin, and they turned out perfect-- firm, but not break-your-teeth hard. Chewy, but not like mutant Rice Krispies bars.
If you make these, you'll want to be sure the granola mix is a big sticky thing that you could, if you so chose, put into the baking dish in one big ball. You may need to keep adding peanut butter, syrup, or honey to accomplish this. So start out with the recipe as it is written, then add oats if it's too wet, peanut butter if it's too dry and sweet, and syrup or honey if it's too dry and not sweet enough. Pay close attention to the directions in the recipe link regarding scoring the granola bars near the end of the cooking process. Once they're cool, you'll have a dickens of a time making them break up in a pretty way, so follow the instructions!
The second recipe I want to call your attention to is for crackers. I don't know about anyone else out there, but I always thought crackers were one of those things that required a factory and elves. But I'm seeing some really ridiculous prices for them these days, often $3.50 and higher per box for good organic crackers without HFCS or hydrogenated oils. Finding a good cracker recipe online was a revelation because they're just stupidly easy to make.
For my first attempt, I used whole wheat flour and added five-pepper pesto and parmesan for my flavoring. They came out great, but I did have a problem with the center not getting crunchy before the edges started burning. I recommend either baking these crackers in strips, or taking them out when they're done enough to hold together well, breaking them up, and putting them back in the oven for a few more minutes. I suppose one could also put the finished product in a food dehydrator. Here in the Land of Humidity, one is often tempted to do that with things. My next batch of crackers will probably be simpler, maybe just parmesan and black pepper. One other thing that isn't mentioned in the recipe but would be nice, is a sprinkling of sea salt over the tops.
And that's it for new recipes! Have a tasty weekend!
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Monday Bunday: Memories
Thanks to everyone for their condolences and Tid tributes. She did indeed live the life of royalty around here.
She was my resident optimist. Always perky, always certain that something really good was right around the corner.
She loved to make new friends...
and considered Pixel her true pal.
She was more adventurous than her feline friend and was quick to explore her new home, confused as to why he wouldn’t join her. She slept right outside his carrier until he decided to make his appearance, lending her support and encouragement to what she must’ve thought was a big scaredy-cat.
Tidbit was always a sport about my travels...
and a supporter of my accomplishments.
She shared my interests...
and sometimes followed me around like a little dog.
She even went to the office with me, where she worked hard...
and made quite an impression.
Tidbit couldn't resist a good party...
and we had a great four years together, celebrating...
and sharing a lot of love.
I want to thank Tidbit’s friends at Animal Avian Hospital for caring for her and for staying open late for us on Saturday so we could be with her. Dr. Jordan and his techs were incredibly kind and it wasn’t until we were on our way home that we realized they stayed nearly three hours beyond their Saturday closing time to monitor her situation, call us, and let us do what had to be done.
If anyone would like to make a charitable donation in Tidbit’s memory, this was one of her favorites: Best Friends. You can also donate to her doctor's veterinary school, or to the local charity of your choice. If you’re not into charity or are currently going through hard times, just do something nice for someone. It’s important to add to the balance of good in the world so the negative won’t overwhelm us.
Dan, Pix, and I are doing fine. We would’ve preferred a different outcome, but we’re glad Tid isn’t suffering or having to keep going to the vet, which was stressful for her. I'll continue with this blog, even though I originally set it up for her as much as for me. I'll also continue to post "Classic Tid Pics" from time to time. Keep us on your blog reader, and hug a bunny, if you've got one (and if it will let you)!
She was my resident optimist. Always perky, always certain that something really good was right around the corner.
She loved to make new friends...
and considered Pixel her true pal.
She was more adventurous than her feline friend and was quick to explore her new home, confused as to why he wouldn’t join her. She slept right outside his carrier until he decided to make his appearance, lending her support and encouragement to what she must’ve thought was a big scaredy-cat.
Tidbit was always a sport about my travels...
and a supporter of my accomplishments.
She shared my interests...
and sometimes followed me around like a little dog.
She even went to the office with me, where she worked hard...
and made quite an impression.
Tidbit couldn't resist a good party...
and we had a great four years together, celebrating...
and sharing a lot of love.
I want to thank Tidbit’s friends at Animal Avian Hospital for caring for her and for staying open late for us on Saturday so we could be with her. Dr. Jordan and his techs were incredibly kind and it wasn’t until we were on our way home that we realized they stayed nearly three hours beyond their Saturday closing time to monitor her situation, call us, and let us do what had to be done.
If anyone would like to make a charitable donation in Tidbit’s memory, this was one of her favorites: Best Friends. You can also donate to her doctor's veterinary school, or to the local charity of your choice. If you’re not into charity or are currently going through hard times, just do something nice for someone. It’s important to add to the balance of good in the world so the negative won’t overwhelm us.
Dan, Pix, and I are doing fine. We would’ve preferred a different outcome, but we’re glad Tid isn’t suffering or having to keep going to the vet, which was stressful for her. I'll continue with this blog, even though I originally set it up for her as much as for me. I'll also continue to post "Classic Tid Pics" from time to time. Keep us on your blog reader, and hug a bunny, if you've got one (and if it will let you)!
Saturday, July 05, 2008
In Memoriam
I’m sad to report that Tidbit went to the Bridge today.
After her illness in May, she had a good month with us here at home, always happy, following us around, playing with her toys and eating like a horse. Then on Tuesday she was of her feed again, so I took her to the vet on Wednesday. Dan took her again on Thursday, since she resisted our efforts to medicate her.
She was doing a little better Thursday, even playing with her toys, so we decided to not leave her at the vet and to try to medicate her at home on Friday. As (bad) luck would have it, she started showing new symptoms that required a trip to the emergency pet hospital. They saw nothing so wrong that she couldn’t go home, and I had already left a message for her regular vet to expect us on Saturday morning. She spent most of last night in her favorite spot by my computer chair, but it was clear things weren't right with her.
Dan took her in this morning and they still had her under observation for her cluster of seemingly unrelated symptoms when things started to go very wrong. It seems she suffered a stroke or other type of deep rupture inside her brain.
Luckily we were only a few blocks away when we got the call and as soon as I saw her, I knew what the only right decision must be. I could’ve spent thousands of dollars and put her through hell to put off my own pain for a few weeks or months, but that’s not what love is about. She died in my arms while I petted her and told her it was okay to quit fighting.
If you never read the story of how I got her, it’s here. She cheated death four years ago when the shelter workers forgot to euthanize her on schedule, but you can’t cheat death forever. I still can’t believe it was less than a week ago that she was doing little binky dances for us in the living room and stomping her foot when I wasn’t quick enough with her breakfast. Nature gives prey animals a pretty unpleasant part in the food chain, they are also blessed with a quick exit when things go too badly wrong.
For now, I have her corner under the watchful care of a friend, until I’m ready to welcome a new bunny into my home. I always seem to end up with the strays and sad cases, so I’ll know when it’s the right time and the right bunny.
As for all her pals on the 7-bunny-7, Tidbit regrets that she won’t be flying home with them. She’s found her happy hay place where no one is ever late with breakfast. She will be missed.
Friday, July 04, 2008
Happy Fourth!
Tidbit isn't up for a photo shoot this morning, so I offer this Classic Tid Pic for your enjoyment. I also have a holiday-themed flash fiction piece on my writing blog if you're looking for something to read before the potato salad is ready and the fireworks start going off.
Have a great day, friends, and whether you're American or not, take a moment to be grateful for the freedoms we so often take for granted.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Sunday Culinary Update
Today was a typical busy Sunday in the kitchen.
New and Notable:
• I tweaked my usual banana bread recipe by adding ¼ cup of hazelnut flour and a cup of chopped hazelnuts to make hazelnut-banana bread. It’s pretty tasty, too.
• I tried a new recipe for banana cookies. They came out a little dry and not as banana-y as I would’ve expected. I think the problem was that I didn’t use enough bananas. The recipe called for 2 ¼ cups of mashed bananas and I only had two bananas left after making banana bread. They were large bananas, but I didn’t bother to measure how much I had after mashing them because what was I going to do? Go back to the store? Not likely. So the result was something closer to ordinary chocolate chip cookies. Okay, but not unique.
The rest of the week’s menu:
• Rice balls
• Curried yellow squash and onions
• Curried chickpeas with spinach and tomato
• Steamed rice (brown and jasmine blend)
If it seems like a small menu this week, it is. I still have a loaf of pumpkin bread from last week and I have the banana bread I made today, and they’ll make nice snacks for me. Dan will snack on the carrot blondies and banana-chocolate chip cookies.
It’s a short work week for us, and probably for most folks here in the US. Last year I spent a good part of July 4th working and I’m oh-so-glad not to have that on my horizon this year!
And finally, Tidbit is off on a virtual vacation to visit the Oxbow Hay Company this week, courtesy of the fine folks at 7-bunny-7. Her bag is packed and we're looking forward to her tales of adventure!
Have a great week, everyone!
Recent Workouts
Today: 1 hr, 45 minute spin
Yesterday: 21 mile run
Friday: scheduled rest day
Thursday: 35 minute elliptical
Wednesday: 45 minute spin
Tuesday: 6 mile run
Monday: 30 minute elliptical
New and Notable:
• I tweaked my usual banana bread recipe by adding ¼ cup of hazelnut flour and a cup of chopped hazelnuts to make hazelnut-banana bread. It’s pretty tasty, too.
• I tried a new recipe for banana cookies. They came out a little dry and not as banana-y as I would’ve expected. I think the problem was that I didn’t use enough bananas. The recipe called for 2 ¼ cups of mashed bananas and I only had two bananas left after making banana bread. They were large bananas, but I didn’t bother to measure how much I had after mashing them because what was I going to do? Go back to the store? Not likely. So the result was something closer to ordinary chocolate chip cookies. Okay, but not unique.
The rest of the week’s menu:
• Rice balls
• Curried yellow squash and onions
• Curried chickpeas with spinach and tomato
• Steamed rice (brown and jasmine blend)
If it seems like a small menu this week, it is. I still have a loaf of pumpkin bread from last week and I have the banana bread I made today, and they’ll make nice snacks for me. Dan will snack on the carrot blondies and banana-chocolate chip cookies.
It’s a short work week for us, and probably for most folks here in the US. Last year I spent a good part of July 4th working and I’m oh-so-glad not to have that on my horizon this year!
And finally, Tidbit is off on a virtual vacation to visit the Oxbow Hay Company this week, courtesy of the fine folks at 7-bunny-7. Her bag is packed and we're looking forward to her tales of adventure!
Have a great week, everyone!
Recent Workouts
Today: 1 hr, 45 minute spin
Yesterday: 21 mile run
Friday: scheduled rest day
Thursday: 35 minute elliptical
Wednesday: 45 minute spin
Tuesday: 6 mile run
Monday: 30 minute elliptical
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Saturday Run Report
I decided to be adventurous today and run the Brays Bayou trail from my home to Hillcroft, which is 10.6 miles and roughly halfway to my parents’ house on the west side of town.
It was cool when I started out, but very humid. It’s a strange feeling to be covered in sweat yet not hot, but that’s Houston for you. Although most of the Brays Bayou trail is unshaded, this isn’t a problem in the early morning when the low angle of the sun and the fact that much of the trail in the Med Center is below street level work in one’s favor, creating shade. There were a lot of cyclists on the trail and a number of runners and dog-walkers in certain popular sections, so I felt safe even though once I was past Buffalo Speedway I was in unfamiliar territory and wasn’t sure how safe the trail would be to my turnaround point.
Some stretches of the trail have water fountains at well-spaced intervals, but there were places where you could easily run several miles without finding water, so it’s a good thing to always take some along. Here’s the most unusual water fountain I saw today.
By the time I reached my turnaround, the sun was fully out and I had begun to realize that running a straight out and back route of this length presented some psychological challenges. The route as a whole was no longer than most of my Saturday morning runs, but running looped routes close to home puts you in a very different mental space from being more than ten miles from home with only your own feet to get you back. And did I mention it was very hot out by now?
I spent much of the way back fighting my own brain, which was at least a distraction from the heat. Once I got to the Med Center I was in need of some cold water, not the outdoor water fountains which run cool at best and are often hot in the summer. I went up to street level and went into the nearest medical facility, figuring they’re in the business of caring for people so of course they’ll let me use a water fountain. Not only that, but the very kind folks at Texas Orthopedic offered me a cup of ice in their lunch room. Maybe I looked pathetic. I hope not.
Refreshed, I finished my run with no difficulties and was greeted by my lovely Tid when I got home. Sure, I was hot and stinky and my calves wanted to cramp up, but when someone like this runs out into the hall to say hello, you just have to take a minute for an ear rub, right?
I’m making carrot cookies tonight. Dan and I decided that we like the way they came out last weekend when I doubled the recipe and made it moister by adding applesauce. The end result is actually more like carrot blondies than carrot cookies, so maybe that’s what I should call them.
It was cool when I started out, but very humid. It’s a strange feeling to be covered in sweat yet not hot, but that’s Houston for you. Although most of the Brays Bayou trail is unshaded, this isn’t a problem in the early morning when the low angle of the sun and the fact that much of the trail in the Med Center is below street level work in one’s favor, creating shade. There were a lot of cyclists on the trail and a number of runners and dog-walkers in certain popular sections, so I felt safe even though once I was past Buffalo Speedway I was in unfamiliar territory and wasn’t sure how safe the trail would be to my turnaround point.
Some stretches of the trail have water fountains at well-spaced intervals, but there were places where you could easily run several miles without finding water, so it’s a good thing to always take some along. Here’s the most unusual water fountain I saw today.
By the time I reached my turnaround, the sun was fully out and I had begun to realize that running a straight out and back route of this length presented some psychological challenges. The route as a whole was no longer than most of my Saturday morning runs, but running looped routes close to home puts you in a very different mental space from being more than ten miles from home with only your own feet to get you back. And did I mention it was very hot out by now?
I spent much of the way back fighting my own brain, which was at least a distraction from the heat. Once I got to the Med Center I was in need of some cold water, not the outdoor water fountains which run cool at best and are often hot in the summer. I went up to street level and went into the nearest medical facility, figuring they’re in the business of caring for people so of course they’ll let me use a water fountain. Not only that, but the very kind folks at Texas Orthopedic offered me a cup of ice in their lunch room. Maybe I looked pathetic. I hope not.
Refreshed, I finished my run with no difficulties and was greeted by my lovely Tid when I got home. Sure, I was hot and stinky and my calves wanted to cramp up, but when someone like this runs out into the hall to say hello, you just have to take a minute for an ear rub, right?
I’m making carrot cookies tonight. Dan and I decided that we like the way they came out last weekend when I doubled the recipe and made it moister by adding applesauce. The end result is actually more like carrot blondies than carrot cookies, so maybe that’s what I should call them.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Sunday Doings
I got a late start on my cooking today because I had to take some pictures to use on my Steal Tomorrow fiction blog. For those of you who only visit this blog, check it out. I’m posting preview content while I clean up the draft and I hope to start posting the story itself later this summer. There will be an option to download the story as a pdf and to buy a print version as well. There is also an email subscription option in the sidebar, which sends new posts directly to your email. I and a few of my friends have tried it and it's pretty nifty.
But for now, it was just one more thing I had to do. I got my pictures, then came home and started cooking.
I started by putting some rice in the rice cooker, then got out the leftover rice from last week and made a banana/rice dish, based on the Apple Cinnamon Rice dish from last week. I used two overripe bananas and I skipped the butter just to see what would happen. It tasted great-- you can’t even tell there was supposed to be butter in the recipe, so I saved a few empty calories there.
Next I made some curried zucchini and yellow squash, but forgot I wanted yellow onions in there, too. Not a big deal, but I was a little annoyed with myself. I had extra of both the zucchini and yellow squash, so it went in the dehydrator to use when it’s out of season.
As an aside to the commenter who asked about the dried spinach, I dehydrated it last spring when locally grown organic spinach was at a good price. I’m finding that I like it better than fresh spinach for including in recipes because there’s no tedious chopping involved. Just crumble it into whatever it is you’re cooking!
After the squash was done, I started mixing the ingredients for rice balls, which Dan asked me to make again. I got a little more aggressive with the flavors this time, adding some cheddar to the mix, more spinach, and more pepper.
While the rice balls cooked, I made chickpeas with pumpkin-curry sauce. I’ve done this before and it’s a nice way to use the excess canned pumpkin when I do pumpkin bread. The canned pumpkin goes into a saucepan with drained chickpeas, cubed cooked potatoes, spinach, and a generous addition of curry, coriander, cumin, white pepper, garlic, and whatever else strikes my fancy. Heat and stir just enough that everything blends together, then set it aside to cool for mid-week dinners.
The pumpkin bread needed an hour for baking, so since it was late in the afternoon and I needed to work out, I mixed all the dry ingredients and staged everything else for quick prep later. After my spin workout, I blended everything together, put the two loaves in the oven, and by the time I had showered and had dinner, the pumpkin loaves were done.
Summary:
Today's Cooking
Plain Rice
Banana Rice
Curry Zucchini and Yellow Squash
Chickpeas in Pumpkin Curry
Rice Balls
Pumpkin Bread
Today's Workout
90 minute spin
Not bad for a day’s work!
Have a great week, everyone!
But for now, it was just one more thing I had to do. I got my pictures, then came home and started cooking.
I started by putting some rice in the rice cooker, then got out the leftover rice from last week and made a banana/rice dish, based on the Apple Cinnamon Rice dish from last week. I used two overripe bananas and I skipped the butter just to see what would happen. It tasted great-- you can’t even tell there was supposed to be butter in the recipe, so I saved a few empty calories there.
Next I made some curried zucchini and yellow squash, but forgot I wanted yellow onions in there, too. Not a big deal, but I was a little annoyed with myself. I had extra of both the zucchini and yellow squash, so it went in the dehydrator to use when it’s out of season.
As an aside to the commenter who asked about the dried spinach, I dehydrated it last spring when locally grown organic spinach was at a good price. I’m finding that I like it better than fresh spinach for including in recipes because there’s no tedious chopping involved. Just crumble it into whatever it is you’re cooking!
After the squash was done, I started mixing the ingredients for rice balls, which Dan asked me to make again. I got a little more aggressive with the flavors this time, adding some cheddar to the mix, more spinach, and more pepper.
While the rice balls cooked, I made chickpeas with pumpkin-curry sauce. I’ve done this before and it’s a nice way to use the excess canned pumpkin when I do pumpkin bread. The canned pumpkin goes into a saucepan with drained chickpeas, cubed cooked potatoes, spinach, and a generous addition of curry, coriander, cumin, white pepper, garlic, and whatever else strikes my fancy. Heat and stir just enough that everything blends together, then set it aside to cool for mid-week dinners.
The pumpkin bread needed an hour for baking, so since it was late in the afternoon and I needed to work out, I mixed all the dry ingredients and staged everything else for quick prep later. After my spin workout, I blended everything together, put the two loaves in the oven, and by the time I had showered and had dinner, the pumpkin loaves were done.
Summary:
Today's Cooking
Plain Rice
Banana Rice
Curry Zucchini and Yellow Squash
Chickpeas in Pumpkin Curry
Rice Balls
Pumpkin Bread
Today's Workout
90 minute spin
Not bad for a day’s work!
Have a great week, everyone!
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Work, Running, and Cookies!
I’m enjoying the new job, although projects seem to be piling up at a rapid rate. I feel like I should be able to get through them faster, but I still spend a lot of time hunting around the computer files for the right templates, the right databases, the right reports, etc. It’s the sort of problem that will resolve itself in another few weeks, but in the meantime I keep having to remind myself that it’s okay to be slow. I’ve spent 2.5 of my first 10 days in training and conferences, so I need to back off some of my expectations for myself.
In general though, the work is pleasant and straightforward. I’m nobody’s boss, but I do make decisions and have a lot of autonomy. And I get to go home for lunch! I wouldn’t have thought it would be such a big factor in my personal happiness, but it is. I can eat, get caught up on housework, play around on the computer, or even take a nap. There's no putting a price tag on something like that.
I’m going to have to do some schedule-juggling with regard to my workouts, and I’m still debating the best way to do this. I might experiment with working 8:30-5:30 on some days so I can do a longer workout in the morning. One thing is for sure—I’m sleeping more and feel a lot more rested, now that I don’t spend most of my home time working, leaving me to cram all my “me” time into the hours after midnight. I’m getting too old for that!
Today’s long run was a fun one. I explored the Brays Bayou trail a little farther, enjoying the fish and waterfowl along the way and making mental notes about safety and the availability of water and restrooms. I feel pretty good about this new route and will go farther next week to see where it takes me. I had a strong run overall and felt pretty good, except for my hip bothering me in the last few miles. So annoying.
At Dan’s request, I baked some carrot cookies tonight. I’ve had problems with this recipe being dry in the past, but tonight I added applesauce at the end, blending it in until the cookie dough was no longer crumbly. Also, I doubled the recipe and cooked it in a 9 x 13 pan. The end result was a thicker cookie that held together much better, although I still could’ve made it a little more moist. I’ve got plenty of carrots, so I’ll try again soon.
Finally, Tidbit wishes good luck to all the racers at Ironman Coeur d’Alene tomorrow. You can do it!
Recent Workouts:
Monday: 30 minute elliptical
Tuesday: 4.5 mile run
Wednesday: 40 minute spin
Thursday: 30 minute elliptical
Friday: scheduled rest day
Saturday: 20 mile run
In general though, the work is pleasant and straightforward. I’m nobody’s boss, but I do make decisions and have a lot of autonomy. And I get to go home for lunch! I wouldn’t have thought it would be such a big factor in my personal happiness, but it is. I can eat, get caught up on housework, play around on the computer, or even take a nap. There's no putting a price tag on something like that.
I’m going to have to do some schedule-juggling with regard to my workouts, and I’m still debating the best way to do this. I might experiment with working 8:30-5:30 on some days so I can do a longer workout in the morning. One thing is for sure—I’m sleeping more and feel a lot more rested, now that I don’t spend most of my home time working, leaving me to cram all my “me” time into the hours after midnight. I’m getting too old for that!
Today’s long run was a fun one. I explored the Brays Bayou trail a little farther, enjoying the fish and waterfowl along the way and making mental notes about safety and the availability of water and restrooms. I feel pretty good about this new route and will go farther next week to see where it takes me. I had a strong run overall and felt pretty good, except for my hip bothering me in the last few miles. So annoying.
At Dan’s request, I baked some carrot cookies tonight. I’ve had problems with this recipe being dry in the past, but tonight I added applesauce at the end, blending it in until the cookie dough was no longer crumbly. Also, I doubled the recipe and cooked it in a 9 x 13 pan. The end result was a thicker cookie that held together much better, although I still could’ve made it a little more moist. I’ve got plenty of carrots, so I’ll try again soon.
Finally, Tidbit wishes good luck to all the racers at Ironman Coeur d’Alene tomorrow. You can do it!
Recent Workouts:
Monday: 30 minute elliptical
Tuesday: 4.5 mile run
Wednesday: 40 minute spin
Thursday: 30 minute elliptical
Friday: scheduled rest day
Saturday: 20 mile run
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Weekend Recipe Share
I’ve got two new recipes for you today. I had more leftover rice this weekend than usual, so I wanted to do something new with it. Here are the two recipes I tried:
Rice Balls. Okay, it needs a better name, but it’s basically cheese, rice and spices, baked in balls or little cakes like crab cakes. I added extra garlic, red pepper flakes and crumbled dry spinach to mine and they’re very tasty. They go great with a side of steamed or sautéed summer vegetables!
Cinnamon Apple Rice. This tasty baked rice dish is similar in consistency to bread pudding, so if you like bread pudding, you’ll love this. I used a Granny Smith and a Golden Delicious for the apples, and I added a little ginger, since it’s hard to go wrong with ginger and apples. Delish!
Other Weekend Cooking:
Rice Balls. Okay, it needs a better name, but it’s basically cheese, rice and spices, baked in balls or little cakes like crab cakes. I added extra garlic, red pepper flakes and crumbled dry spinach to mine and they’re very tasty. They go great with a side of steamed or sautéed summer vegetables!
Cinnamon Apple Rice. This tasty baked rice dish is similar in consistency to bread pudding, so if you like bread pudding, you’ll love this. I used a Granny Smith and a Golden Delicious for the apples, and I added a little ginger, since it’s hard to go wrong with ginger and apples. Delish!
Other Weekend Cooking:
- Steamed rice
- Chickpea and potato curry
- Curry zucchini and yellow squash
- Dehydrated zucchini and yellow squash (to store for when they aren’t in season)
Saturday, June 14, 2008
This n’ That
I think I’m going to like my new job. Everyone is very nice, and although I’m sure the quirks will show up soon enough, I don’t have a sense that the culture encourages blaming, dumping, and complaining—all of which were typical in my last department. I also haven’t seen a lot of crisis-oriented behavior. In my last job, everything was a crisis, but now even things that are, aren’t, somehow.
They keep me busy though, and I can already see I’ll have a lot to do. It’s great to be able to be useful from the beginning. All instructions are well-documented and people are very nice about sitting with me while I do things for the first time, even though so far nothing I’ve been given is much different from what I’ve done before. I update database files, do compensation analyses for new hires and reclassifications, create positions and job descriptions, and create ad hoc reports on salary matters. The work itself is easy and the instinct about which of my customers are priorities, problem children, etc, will follow in due time.
One cool thing is that I’m just five minutes from home (as opposed to 15 before), so I can walk home for lunch. Everyone at my new job takes an hour for lunch, which in my last job was something only the lower-level staff had time for. Here, everyone goes to lunch and expects me to do the same. So I’ve been going home for an hour during the day and it’s very nice. I can start a load of laundry, read blogs, have something to eat and work on a creative project before heading back and finishing the day.
The only thing I don’t like is that a lot of things seem to happen in the last hour of the day, so I’m considering how to best arrange my work hours so this isn’t a problem. I figure I’ll give 8-5 another week and then discuss with my boss. Maybe I’ll ask to work 8:30-5:30 or even 9-6.
And did I mention that I’m totally loving not being a manager? I loved my staff in my last two management positions, and unless they’re all liars, they liked me too. But management takes a lot out of me, and it’s a nice treat to be responsible only to people above me and to no one below.
Just think—all this, and I get paid more than I did before! Have I been missing the boat, or what?
Today was long run day, and it was a mixed bag. I was less than enthused about the run and my body was in sluggish agreement that this was not one of my better ideas. Nevertheless, I started my pre-plotted route while my brain and body argued about the matter until I decided to try a new-to-me trail that follows Brays Bayou through the Med Center and to points southwest of town. It’s a route that has been popular with cyclists and runners for a long time, but this was my first time to follow it as far as I did. I like it and I plan to explore it further and add it to my regular routes.
The distraction of a new running route helped a lot and I finished my twenty miles without any more than the usual problems of a long run in summer. I don’t feel completely acclimated yet to the heat, but I will be soon. And I told Dan that when he buys a sprinkler for the front lawn, he can turn it on for me while I’m out running on Saturdays so I can cool off before coming in. I reminded him that such a plan would be to his advantage, since I would come in the house smelling better. We’ll see now if he gets the sprinkler.
Recent Baking:
Thursday: Banana-Blueberry bread (made with the last of my Pagosa Springs blueberries)
Saturday: Carrot-Apple bread
Recent Workouts:
Monday: missed workout—got home too late from conference
Tuesday: 4 mile run, ten minute elliptical
Wednesday: 3 mile run
Thursday: 30 minute spin
Friday: scheduled rest day
Saturday: 20 mile run
They keep me busy though, and I can already see I’ll have a lot to do. It’s great to be able to be useful from the beginning. All instructions are well-documented and people are very nice about sitting with me while I do things for the first time, even though so far nothing I’ve been given is much different from what I’ve done before. I update database files, do compensation analyses for new hires and reclassifications, create positions and job descriptions, and create ad hoc reports on salary matters. The work itself is easy and the instinct about which of my customers are priorities, problem children, etc, will follow in due time.
One cool thing is that I’m just five minutes from home (as opposed to 15 before), so I can walk home for lunch. Everyone at my new job takes an hour for lunch, which in my last job was something only the lower-level staff had time for. Here, everyone goes to lunch and expects me to do the same. So I’ve been going home for an hour during the day and it’s very nice. I can start a load of laundry, read blogs, have something to eat and work on a creative project before heading back and finishing the day.
The only thing I don’t like is that a lot of things seem to happen in the last hour of the day, so I’m considering how to best arrange my work hours so this isn’t a problem. I figure I’ll give 8-5 another week and then discuss with my boss. Maybe I’ll ask to work 8:30-5:30 or even 9-6.
And did I mention that I’m totally loving not being a manager? I loved my staff in my last two management positions, and unless they’re all liars, they liked me too. But management takes a lot out of me, and it’s a nice treat to be responsible only to people above me and to no one below.
Just think—all this, and I get paid more than I did before! Have I been missing the boat, or what?
Today was long run day, and it was a mixed bag. I was less than enthused about the run and my body was in sluggish agreement that this was not one of my better ideas. Nevertheless, I started my pre-plotted route while my brain and body argued about the matter until I decided to try a new-to-me trail that follows Brays Bayou through the Med Center and to points southwest of town. It’s a route that has been popular with cyclists and runners for a long time, but this was my first time to follow it as far as I did. I like it and I plan to explore it further and add it to my regular routes.
The distraction of a new running route helped a lot and I finished my twenty miles without any more than the usual problems of a long run in summer. I don’t feel completely acclimated yet to the heat, but I will be soon. And I told Dan that when he buys a sprinkler for the front lawn, he can turn it on for me while I’m out running on Saturdays so I can cool off before coming in. I reminded him that such a plan would be to his advantage, since I would come in the house smelling better. We’ll see now if he gets the sprinkler.
Recent Baking:
Thursday: Banana-Blueberry bread (made with the last of my Pagosa Springs blueberries)
Saturday: Carrot-Apple bread
Recent Workouts:
Monday: missed workout—got home too late from conference
Tuesday: 4 mile run, ten minute elliptical
Wednesday: 3 mile run
Thursday: 30 minute spin
Friday: scheduled rest day
Saturday: 20 mile run
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
The Conference
My first two days back at work have been at a conference in Galveston. On the whole, it was pretty good. I got to meet my peers from other state universities, I heard some good speakers, got some very useful handouts I wish I’d had years ago, and I got to hang out at a nice hotel.
My only big frustration was Monday afternoon, when out last session was supposed to end at 4:00, then at 4:15, and ended up not ending until nearly 5:00. I had planned to go for a run along the seawall, but the late end to the day nixed that idea, since I still had to drive home and do various household things. Then I thought maybe I could do it today, since we would end at noon. But once we were finished with the conference, one of my new bosses wanted to take us all out for lunch, and even though I ate light, a storm was moving in by the time we were done so I had to head straight home.
No running on the seawall for me. Bummer. With Galveston an hour away, I won’t be running the seawall anytime soon, unless I’m down there for some other reason in the near future.
Tomorrow is the big day—the day I actually get to move into my new office and start seeing what kind of work they have for me. My boss is excited because she says this is the first time she’s brought someone in who didn’t require training. I’m just relieved I’ll soon have keys, an office, and projects. This has been a nice interlude, but it’s time to get back to work!
My only big frustration was Monday afternoon, when out last session was supposed to end at 4:00, then at 4:15, and ended up not ending until nearly 5:00. I had planned to go for a run along the seawall, but the late end to the day nixed that idea, since I still had to drive home and do various household things. Then I thought maybe I could do it today, since we would end at noon. But once we were finished with the conference, one of my new bosses wanted to take us all out for lunch, and even though I ate light, a storm was moving in by the time we were done so I had to head straight home.
No running on the seawall for me. Bummer. With Galveston an hour away, I won’t be running the seawall anytime soon, unless I’m down there for some other reason in the near future.
Tomorrow is the big day—the day I actually get to move into my new office and start seeing what kind of work they have for me. My boss is excited because she says this is the first time she’s brought someone in who didn’t require training. I’m just relieved I’ll soon have keys, an office, and projects. This has been a nice interlude, but it’s time to get back to work!
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Return to Normalcy
It’s great to be home and getting settled again. Even though this was my easiest vacation yet in terms of quickly being able to find the stuff I needed and always having my own pillow, it’s still fantastic to be home.
Tidbit is doing great. She still wasn’t 100% before we left, but she’s there now! When we brought her home Thursday, she went exploring just like she used to, she did some binkies for us and this morning she came bopping down the hall soon after I got up to run. She poked her head in the bedroom door like she used to, with that look on her face like, “Where’s my breakfast, biped?” Every time I get on the computer, she settles at my feet like a little dog. It’s so great to have her back!
The only thing I need now is for my work situation to stabilize. Although my new boss said I could move some things into my office on Friday if I wanted, I had a lot of errands to catch up on, so I didn’t take her up on it. And with the conference on Monday and Tuesday, it looks like I’ll be “homeless” until Wednesday. It’s a very strange feeling to have no office and no university keys. I realize it makes me rather dull, but I am very work-oriented and this sort of thing leaves me unsettled. But I already have a meeting to go to—on Friday. So I really do have a job. Just not an office, keys, a computer, or anything else that makes it feel real. But this will be remedied soon. I’m trying to remember to enjoy this little interlude of being employed but with no responsibilities, since it’s likely the last I can expect before retirement.
I went for a long run this morning, and let’s just say I wasn’t in Pagosa Springs any more! I didn’t miss the hills much, but I started out the door with temps and humidity in the high 80s and was dripping before I’d finished the first mile. I did eighteen miles—a little short of what I would’ve liked, but my body was craving the dry air of the west and my heat tolerance was a little off. I suppose it didn’t help that it was 90 when I got home, with a heat index of 97. Pretty brutal when the humidity keeps your sweat from cooling you. I’ll get my tolerance back quickly, though. The conditions around here are never fun, but one can learn to tolerate them.
But overall, it’s nice to be back, especially with my two furry friends so healthy and happy.
Be it ever so humid, there’s no place like home!
Tidbit is doing great. She still wasn’t 100% before we left, but she’s there now! When we brought her home Thursday, she went exploring just like she used to, she did some binkies for us and this morning she came bopping down the hall soon after I got up to run. She poked her head in the bedroom door like she used to, with that look on her face like, “Where’s my breakfast, biped?” Every time I get on the computer, she settles at my feet like a little dog. It’s so great to have her back!
The only thing I need now is for my work situation to stabilize. Although my new boss said I could move some things into my office on Friday if I wanted, I had a lot of errands to catch up on, so I didn’t take her up on it. And with the conference on Monday and Tuesday, it looks like I’ll be “homeless” until Wednesday. It’s a very strange feeling to have no office and no university keys. I realize it makes me rather dull, but I am very work-oriented and this sort of thing leaves me unsettled. But I already have a meeting to go to—on Friday. So I really do have a job. Just not an office, keys, a computer, or anything else that makes it feel real. But this will be remedied soon. I’m trying to remember to enjoy this little interlude of being employed but with no responsibilities, since it’s likely the last I can expect before retirement.
I went for a long run this morning, and let’s just say I wasn’t in Pagosa Springs any more! I didn’t miss the hills much, but I started out the door with temps and humidity in the high 80s and was dripping before I’d finished the first mile. I did eighteen miles—a little short of what I would’ve liked, but my body was craving the dry air of the west and my heat tolerance was a little off. I suppose it didn’t help that it was 90 when I got home, with a heat index of 97. Pretty brutal when the humidity keeps your sweat from cooling you. I’ll get my tolerance back quickly, though. The conditions around here are never fun, but one can learn to tolerate them.
But overall, it’s nice to be back, especially with my two furry friends so healthy and happy.
Be it ever so humid, there’s no place like home!
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