Tenderfoot Diaries

down time

noreply@blogger.com (Deene) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 16:12:00 +0000

Just when I was seriously considering registering for my first half marathon in a long time my left foot starts complaining. Seriously WTF! On Sunday I ran, had lots of fun, Monday I did the stair climber and Tuesday was a rest day. Then Wednesday morning my foot hurt right at the base of my middle toe. I thought it was just a cramp until I attempted my noon time run, I limped for about a quarter mile then quit. A week later it still hurts. Maybe I should make a dr. visit to see what’s up.
I was so looking forward to a running fall season. :( I’ve tried to massage the bottom of my foot with a ball and have not run and only walk the pubby around a few blocks. I haven’t been back to the gym since last week. My work outs have been with a resistance band for upper body.

Trail run

noreply@blogger.com (Deene) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 15:34:00 +0000

On impulse I signed up to run the Rattlesnake Ramble just the day before the race after receiving an email on the trailrunners’ listserv that the race was not full up yet. The run is at the El Dorado State Park so only a limited number of participants are allowed.
The first ten minutes of the race I hated myself for wanting to run this. My quads hurt. Finally after a mile and a nice view from above of Boulder valley I felt better. Another couple of minutes later the first runner met us on the return from the first leg of the “y” we were running. The course is single track so we had to step to the side to allow those runners by. Prior to the start the announcer made it a point to tell the slower folks to yield to runners going downhill as they will have plenty of momentum and we should just get out of the way to avoid collision. On the first mile there was a stretch of steep drop offs as well where I definitely stopped and stood to the side when I met a couple of runners. That might have been extra cautious but kind of wanted to finish the whole distance still running.
The challenging part was this is a climb of 850 feet with the course shaped like a “Y”. The first hill was a teaser with the second leg much steeper including a couple of switch backs at the top. About a third of the way up the send hill I had to slow to a fast hike but with some difficulty as there were steps and plenty of stops to the side to allow the first group of runners by. I was able to start back up to a jog near the top and headed back down. My run friend from work and I ran together most of the way but she speeded up and passed me as we headed back down. I’m not that surefooted on the downhill so I took it very carefully until I got to the paved service road and made it to the finish nearly a minute behind run friend.
Overall I had a good time and I still favor trail runs. I will definitely run this course again. I had heard of this race before but never entered. Their t-shirts are fantastic – tech fabric and nice artwork. I should have got opted for one but maybe next time. Just the right amount of people, can’t complain about the entry fee, coffee and bagels, plenty of swag to give away(I got a calendar). Someone forgot the water at the finish line that left me parched, friend shared her extra bottle of water. Glad she was parked only a few yards from start.

Salsa Time

noreply@blogger.com (Deene) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 15:52:00 +0000

So I entered a couple of recipes in the harvestfest salsa tasting contest again this year. It was a last minute decision and a very last minute recipe for one of them. Really it was more of an experiment.

As usual it was a fun adventure. I ended up with a corner table that did not exactly work to my advantage for several reasons. First of all about 1/3 of my table was shoved up against a competitor with similar ingredients to my salsa but of yucky quality. Some tasters mistakenly thought we were the same contestant. Another thing was that some of the tasters started disposing the icky salsas from other contestants at the corner edge of my table although i attempted to direct them to the garbage cans. This was kind of funny later though, when the some entries were running out of salsa, eaters came and took the rejects. Another completely disturbing thing was starting with the contestant next to me(not the one with mushy salsa) our entry numbers went out of sequence. This should not be an issue yet the tasters become very disoriented by the numbers going out of order. I know it's hilarious but some of the folks just stood there wondering where #13 was or why it it suddenly out of order. This was so confounding to some people that they just walk off without tasting my entry.

As i said, it's an adventure. The Kid abandoned me at the last minute to attend Anime con so i was a little shorthanded trying to serve. All went well and I placed second overall and another second in category. The awards were two sets gigantic engraved beer mugs. They must weight nearly five pounds each and are a little too bulky for a display shelf. They might be ideal for a home brewer though. I could use one of them as a flower vase.

The experiment did not turn out well when mixed in mass quantity. I called the contest coordinator to see how many votes it got but was sad to learn it got so few i'm embarrassed to say.

hello dear, i'm home!

noreply@blogger.com (Deene) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:24:00 +0000

Oh boy! It’s practically been forever since I posted. Sometimes I did think of adding to the blog but it ended there. I’m stilling doing the same old – y’know living. Eat, sleep, family, work, Run, repeat.
This past year family has taken significant priority and as it should. My aging parents about whom I’ve posted before continue to require much care. I travel at least once a month to spend time with them. I try to give my caregiver sister a break but one weekend a month never seems to be enough. My time away from my household is stressful as well but what are you gonna do. It’s family so we keep it up.
I still run but not as much as I’d like. I enjoy the longer distances but it’s hard to do when you miss the weekend runs to maintain the mileage. Hopefully this fall I will actually register for some races. I miss the rush of stepping up to a start line. I need that back soon. I have not been registering for races because I feel like I’m constantly holding my breath waiting for a call that something else is happening with the parents and I’ll have to go there right away. If I’m consistent I’d like to sign up soon for the Duke city half mary.
So last night I ran nearly six miles on a flat trail. I could have kept going. The trail certainly beckoned but I played it safe and turned around. The evening conditions were perfect – cool breeze and no harsh sun. There were a few flying things that I had to spit out but otherwise all was good. Hopefully soon I get back to feeling comfortable at 10 on an ordinary day.
On a side note. My project to bring Alzheimer’s support and resources to the community where my parents reside is coming to fruition. I’m ecstatic. After four years of my pestering, writing letters, emails and basically repeating my story to anyone who can listen, action began. There was a change in the state representative for the district who seems to have contributed to this action. This week a task force to discuss my issues will meet to plan how to design and deliver services to families affected by Alzheimer’s disease. I am also informed that a start-up grant is available. I so want to exhale big time but it’s not done just yet. We’ll still have to wait for the plan to be implemented and have all agencies providing representative to get it going. I’m thrilled and pray that things work out. When the project does finally get off the ground, it will be too late for my family and mother to benefit but it will be useful to other families.

Happy St. Pat's day

noreply@blogger.com (Deene) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 16:35:00 +0000

I ran up to the foothills yesterday during my lunch break. What a gorgeous day to be outdoors! I did not want to stop but heeded the therapist suggestion to increase only by 10%. I met a few runners and was passed by lots of cyclists in colorful spandex. There were yellow and purple crocuses blooming in one of the yards that I passed – yay spring.

I can’t really tell if the deep massage made a difference but the stretches on that leg might have felt a bit looser. I’ll try another longer run with the pubby on Sunday and see how things go.

My best friend who usually travels to spend the weekend visiting during her birthday weekend is not coming this year. I’m old and all but I’m still disappointed that we will not get to go out and celebrate. She will come out in another couple of weeks and we can save the silly antics for then but my inner sixth-grader is sitting in a virtual corner pouting.

Spring break is approaching and The Kid actually wants to visit her Grandma in NM for a few days. She is learning how to crochet or knit and I think she intends on bribing the G-ma to assist with her scarf project. She is making a scarf to donate to some charity and receives a couple of hours of community service credit at school.

wake up, already!

noreply@blogger.com (Deene) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 21:08:00 +0000

You know that sleep expression when you lift your head off of the pillow in the morning and you are squinting for the time to come into focus? Bed head and squinty with thin lips and all. Yeah, that face.

While at the gym cardio room today I saw this girl standing behing a row of machines in use with that expression complete with crooked ponytail. Her presence was so bizarre I was beginning to wander if she was not sober or awake. There were other machines available but she just appeared dazed and stared at the tv screen attached to the machines in use. I didn't even see her come through the entrance since I was near the door and she suddenly appeared there, maybe she got beamed from her sleep. Apparently she wanted exactly one of the machines that was in use even though there were vacant ones available. freaks.

I finally went to the massage therapist on Tuesday. Oww, deep tissue massage hurts. The therapist says the piriformus is very tight which we should be able to relax. I have to do some stretches on the side to help it along. She confirmed that these callouses that formed at the base of my big toe are result of pushing off of the wrong part of my foot since all this makes my pelvis crooked. She did not exactly used those words but this was my take away.

Due to all the soreness I didn't run this week or spin. I did go to the cardio room for some time on the stepper. In other news, I'm so glad the kid is continuing to go to the gym.

Good bye February

noreply@blogger.com (Deene) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 04:18:00 +0000

Worked on legs in the weight room today. Nothing new, just routine. Did pyramids on each in 10 lb increments and left with legs feeling spongy.

I've been noticing quite a few of the women performing movements or using the machines in an inefficient manner. I'm so tempted to correct them but I keep it to myself. It would be nice if the gym had a roaming trainer to keep an eye out to offer a little advice or something. Maybe if they didn't charge so much per hour more people would be inclined to use their services.

The Hub wants to plan for a summer getaway already. He and the Kid have been talking about oneof those cruises to among the chunks of ice near Alaska. I just want to hang out at some lake in the mountains for a couple of days and fish, maybe go for a bike ride.

Helloooo

noreply@blogger.com (Deene) — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 14:10:00 +0000

well hello all! it's been awhile since last post. i finally felt like blogging again and suddenly I could not access my account. When I changed ISP i forgot to include an alternate address to use as login as well as forgetting my password. Finally after plenty of data closet cleaning I am now back in.

The last portion of 2010 pretty much sucked and i took time to get over it. Nothing terrible but a series of unfortunate events added up. We are fine and will learn from experience but sometimes stuff just happens.

Beginning in March I will start visits to a sports massage therapist to work on my knee troubles. Although I still run regularly I have extremely tight hamstrings on one leg which prevents me from longer distances. The Hub is planning on completing another marathon soon and I'm very jealous.

I still go to spin once a week for an intense workout. this past week i started going to a class with a different instructor. This was good for a change in program and intensity. She played Pink Floyd so all was good.

The Kid has been joining me for some workouts lately. I'm glad for that since she spends plenty of time in front of her computer. She walks about a mile from the bus stop after school but that is a slow stroll with friends. She thinks she has a muffin top problem. The last time we were in the weight room a couple of boys came to workout near us causing her to get very self conscious.

Glad to be back and hopefully I still have some readers. Happy New Year.

making a difference

noreply@blogger.com (Deene) — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 14:32:00 +0000

I can't remember when exactly I started working on issues related to Alzheimer's disease and my family. Probably about four years ago when mother's condition progressed and we learned there were very limited services available to assist families living with this disease. Specifically I mean for families residing in the region where my parents live. There is so much red tape involving county, state and federal jurisdications. At least that is how i understand it.

It continues to be stressful on family members in living with and caring for mother. A choice a made to care for her at home instead of a care facility because of the conditions and care provided at a nursing homes was not something we liked. So for several years I've been writing letters and voicing my concerns at every opportunity about establing services for those specifically with Alzheimer's or dementia and especially providing support for care givers in the same community as my parents.

Recently I think my voice has been heard. It still feels like a needle in a haystack but but my contact at the Alzheimer's organization informed me that a task force has been formed to meet quarterly and my point was specifically noted by a state representative. *big sigh* I am definitely keeping my fingers crossed. I submitted the contacts that I have made including all the walls that I encountered. I've even logged the negative communication that was received by me when I asked too many questions of supposed service providers some of which I believe are publicly funded.

I hope positive things come of this effort. Maybe I contributed to a difference in life. I hope so.

otherwise i still run. my knee hurts sometimes.

wannabe runner

noreply@blogger.com (Deene) — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 14:50:00 +0000

Congratulations to all of the race finishers over the weekend! Lots of races going on with the weather finally cooled off.

The Hub went to Albuquerque for the Duke City Marathon to run the half where he PR'd. Needless to day he mighty pleased with himself. I wanted to come along with him but plans didn't work out well so I stayed home.

Instead I went downtown to the Denver Rock n Roll marathon to spectate. On the way I picked up some fruit hoping to find the 22 mile spot from which to cheer and people watch. I like being at the 22 mile point as this was my wall during previous long distance training. Despite forgetting the course map I happened upon the exact spot while avoiding a one way street and street barrier.

Since I got off to a slightly late start I was there to see those who would finish at 3:30 or later. I took some grapes and cut up oranges in a large pink bowl. A few were still alert enough to come over and grab some. There were plenty runners who were just kicking in the pace at that point and many others who had begun a major struggle. Across the street from me a woman in runner garb stood cheering constantly for the whole hour and half. It was fun getting the attention of some and making them smile or doing knuckle bumps.

Now I'm very jeaouls of their finishes and I need to register for a run soon. Next week is another anniversary of my birth and I have to find a 5k to finish in less than 30 minutes. (i hope)

Cheers

noreply@blogger.com (Deene) — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 16:58:00 +0000

So I was whiny yesterday. I’m was being hormonal or just being girl. Could be that I was trying to wear clothing a size too small. I’m good today. You know there is that age factor and the slowing of metabolism. I’m also to blame too because I’ve been grazing while sitting at me desk at work most of the summer.
*Deep sigh*
Now I just have to pull up the granny panties up to my arm pits and suck it up? No to either. I have to eat smarter and get back in the fitness game. Four miles-36 minutes yesterday. Today is spin class at noon.

crap monday

noreply@blogger.com (Deene) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 14:59:00 +0000

I'm growing lots of belly fat! I hate and it's like the giant elephant in the room. all the time. we'll since last month really. Yesterday i was disgusted with myself I even wore stretches with a baggy top.

It's all i think about lately, that thing around my waist that feels like a half full bike tire. if i cant get it under control soon i'll have bat wings to complete the ensemble. maybe i'll have a couch attached to my ass. :(

good morning, sunshine!

noreply@blogger.com (Deene) — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 15:03:00 +0000

With all the excitement about my salsa recipe’s wins last month, I now have an unsolicited agent. The funny thing is that he’s my superior at work. He found some folks that distribute salsa locally and talked to them about including my salsa in their product distributions. All this before speaking with me, of course. I’ve tasted this group’s salsa at farmer’s markets or other events and it’s just okay. So their rep, tells the boss, “yes, sure, just give us the recipe”. Uhm, hell no! I was glad he also said that.

On the other hand I actually went out and did a bit of checking to see about using a commercial kitchen because I’ve been considering selling limited amounts at holiday food/craft shows. Limited amounts because it’s still a hobby of mine and want to keep it fun yet. I’m not sure how I’d keep the prices reasonable considering the overhead involved. One of the places I contacted requires $100/month plus $20/hour and they cover all of the sanitation and health requirements. I’d have to get lots of help and produce in massive amounts to make a worthwhile profit. The shelf life is only a week max so that’s another consideration.

One other factor that I have issues with is that many of the salsas out there that sell strongly are those that are very mildly flavored. Many people do not enjoy spicy or much heat on their palates. I do not like this and refuse to compromise because I do not believe chiles should be mild.

Anywho, that’s the condiment situation. One guy stopped in to tell me that his son “really, loved the salsa, I don’t mean he just liked it. He reeeally he loooved it”. I’m just pleased there are people out there that enjoy my kitchen experiments.

----------------------
I’m still loving the new running shoes. The first mile of my run yesterday completely sucked due to my chest feeling very tight which caused the rest of my body feeling like lead. I didn’t want to waste a perfectly good run weather so I continued on thinking I’d stop and walk if I didn’t feel better. Don’t know when the crappy feeling went away but I felt great when it was all over. I turned around just where the trail splits to head up the mountain.

incorrigible senior

noreply@blogger.com (Deene) — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 22:41:00 +0000

Still running. in new shoes. things are good.

finally got back in the pool for laps today. felt great after 10 laps. first 3 laps felt like a bricks on my back though.

i still have my late auntie's phone number on my cell phone. I should remove it but it would be so final. she used to call me on sundays.

perfect term for dad - incorrigible. while sister and brother were not immediately available he high-centered his truck out in the sticks. "stupid Fords have no power" he said.

Pubby got loose during our last run at the park. I didn't want to chase her so i just waited while she some research. Finally I got impatient and took out my car keys indication i was leaving, she decided to come with.

catching up

noreply@blogger.com (Deene) — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 15:36:00 +0000

I’ve been running in my new shoes. So far I gone about 15 miles in them and have no complaints although I have not gotten used to the bright pink soles. I swear I even gained a few minutes on an old course.

The rest of my runs have been slower due to running partner (dog) distractions. While we were stopped at the park to let Kita sniff around, a man walking past must have noticed my impatience so he commented that pubby was reading the morning paper. His comment made me laugh so now when Kita stops to take a quick sniff I know she’s catching up on the headlines. It's funny that while I plug in the ipod to hear the news or pick up the remote to see what's going one I've been forgetting about the dog, she needs out of the house to see who's peed where or take a whiff of rabbit or coyote tracks, too.

My fingers nearly froze during our Saturday morning run to the park was very cool with a constant fine mist. I was glad to see the sun break through the fog finally as we headed home.

No hot!

noreply@blogger.com (Deene) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 19:06:00 +0000

It was fun and I had a very good time but I'm glad it's over with for now. I'm tired and would like to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible for a few days.

My mango salsa placed first in the non-ordinary category meaning it wasn't tomato salsa. It also placed second in the Judges' selection which is wonderful. The JerryGarcia-lookalike guy won the judges fave. I tasted his salsa which was very ordinary. He says it he has been entering for six years now and if it's the same recipe he's been entering, i think he got voted out. The coordinator kept announcing that this year's judges's winner cannot enter next year.

The red chile recipe turned out good but it didn't exactly turn heads. I will need to do further experimenting to figure out how to hit the high notes. It's got dried red chile peppers which are roasted first to get the smoky flavor, roast garlic and apple cider. while mixing up the minimum required amout of three gallons the proportion of spices got lost and the enhancing flavors didn't stand out as I expected. Many people remarked on the color and only one guy came back to tell me really liked. I cringed every time I noticed serious tasters stop by, you can tell which ones by the way they lift the cups for a sniff first with a little swirl. Despite the lack of heat in this one The Hub actually likes it.

The mango recipe was a hit from the start and with The Kid helping serve it didn't hurt either. She definitely had the younger people's attention. I even sold some and a few people came back to ask if I have a distributor. It was a feel-good experience. Some of the other contestant came for a taste of this and a few said it was too hot for their taste, ugh! Actually the heat was just right because even the kids liked it. During my ingredient shopping I pulled out my blade a few times to make sure I was purchasing jalapenoes with heat. The ones at the supermarket were very mild so I ended up going to the produce vendors at the Mile High Outdoor Market Place. I purchased a couple of pounds of jalapenos from a woman who assured me they were hot. Later I as was about to leave I decided to check the heat and sliced off a chunk to taste. The silly woman told me wrong, the peppers were practically sweet so I took them back to here but there was a language issue so I just said "NO HOT!" and showed her by chewing on another slice. She got "not hot" but still tried to show me where the heat factor was by breaking a piece from her supply. Quickly though her neighbor vendor shoved a piece at me from his stand which was definitely high in Scoville units. I bit into it and it made me sweat while walking back to the car. I returned the previously purchased to the woman and he gave me some of his and I left them to work out the payment exchange.

While making preparations I was getting concerned that I was spending too much on a hobby where I might be contributing to a free lunch for the festival goers. The even coordinator cautioned participants against giving large samples as this was not lunch but a tasting. Even then there were some people asking for another scoop. I was glad that at the end I came out ahead. The awards included a couple of gift certificates for a restaurants, some scented candles, an apron and a couple of those decorative bottles that are filled with beautifully arranged olives, peppers and such.

This is another one of those perfect people watching opportunities and time for some goofy conversations. We had the usual supply of folks asking "is it hot?". If there is one pet peeve question when it comes to salsa that is it. Finally I wrote on our table, "of course, it's hot!". That was kind of obnoxious but I don't believe it's salsa if there is no kick to it. I had this strange conversation with a guy that stopped and he asked, "so where is this from?". Me with with a slight frown: "umm, my kitchen?", him: "I mean where is the chile powder from", Me thinking (as if I used chile powder) "oh, I got my supplies at King Sooper's". He sighed, and repeated "my kitchen" and walked off. I'm assuming some of the other contestants were explaining that they were using specifically grown chile like Hatch or Pueblo.

Even more weird was a taster that decided to sit down at a table behind us and start announcing loudly which two entries were "way ahead and winning". I think they were his friends and he was doing a cheesy job of voicing his support. He also walked past other contestants table pretending to talk with his child about the two entries and how they were the best. Since he continued to sit at a contestant table I ratted on him to the even coordinator and he got booted. Those two he was boasting about didn't place.

Oh yes, this used to be about running. I have new running shoes as of Friday. Yesterday I took them out for a test drive for about six miles. Good shoes from Nike.

in the race!

noreply@blogger.com (Deene) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:36:00 +0000

So I submitted an entry form this morning to enter two recipes for the salsa contest. Salsa as in condiment, not the dancing type. I'm excited.
As an after thought I checked the weather forecast. No rain or wind predicted.
I'll get two six-foot tables for my area. They'll judge table decorations or theme but I will probably just bring a disposable cover as I do not wish to get all bothered with more details. A simple set-up would be to pick some leaves or fruit from the garden for an arrangement but my plants have been neglected that even the flowers turned brown. maybe some cornstalks?
Mango Salsa and the red chile with applecider and roast garlic. definitely not in the ordinary category.
According to the event coordinator there will be 14 other entries. If i don't win anything it will difficult to blend in with this few participants.

another season

noreply@blogger.com (Deene) — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 16:09:00 +0000

I so look forward to spin class today. I need the work out to clear the cobwebs or whatever is up there. Exertion and sweats helps to wipe the slate clean so I can think better.

Since I’ve cut down on the running mileage I “think” my knee is feeling better. I have also put aside the shoes that do not really feel comfortable – mainly the heels with no arch support. Note that I say “aside” not tossed. I like pretty shoes with heels and will refuse to wear practical until maybe I also start riding elevators instead of taking stairs.

I went to visit the folks for the weekend to help out with care giving. You know how people say old age isn’t for sissies? It’s true. It’s not for sissy old people or sissy care givers. Mostly when you take everything into focus it’s depressing. At least that’s how it was for me on one day when I did nothing but sit with mother. I couldn't even engage her in a craft activity. Dad’s now on some depression meds probably in response to mother’s condition worsening and so is his. He no longer goes to physical therapy which was the only way he could stay strong and active.

Mother is like in a parallel universe. It is so very hard to see a formerly capable and strong person reduced to obnoxious childlike behavior. She took off on Sunday refusing to listen to anyone that tried to get her to stay so we just kept an eye on her as walked south until dusk when sister went to find her. Good lord, woman! I’ve read these discussion boards or online support groups at the Alzheimer’s dot org where caregivers post about their loved ones with this disease. Either those people are complete liars or the only ones who post are those that provide care for completely cooperative, sweet and kind sick people. Our mother is quite the opposite. It’s truly exhausting for the whole family. The woman who built up my family is now tearing it down bit by bit.

flavors

noreply@blogger.com (Deene) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:56:00 +0000

unkind humans

noreply@blogger.com (Deene) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:50:00 +0000

My morning jogs with the pubby have been interrupted by some idiot teenager. While The Kid was out with Kita a couple of weeks ago some kid three a firecracker in their direction from behind a fence startling both of them. Pubby has since regressed to timid behavior as when we first adopted her at the shelter. She no longer wants to walk in the direction of where the idiot teenager did the damage and is behaving very timidly around loud male voices when we walk around the neighborhood.

She’s fine when we take an opposite path except for a couple days ago when we were near the old man’s house and she heard him scolding his dog. She quit walking and we had to turn around and go home. Our subdivision in on former farmland and the old man is the last holdout on the next street over. He still has a tract of dirt along with some old farm equipment and stables that have no livestock.

This morning The Kid and I took pubby for a jog and she appeared a little more secure with both of us out with her.

Spin classes are nearly kicking my butt after a half a year off from cycling. My legs feel like spaghetti during the sprint portions. I missing the class as I blog now because I forgot to pack my shoes for gym.

I cooked up two red chile salsas yesterday and have found a few tasters to provide critique. They are stopping in from New Mexico so I’m confident of their taste buds. One recipe I already feel is a bit on the tart side and not hot enough. The other with the cider I’m still not sure what is missing. Red chile is kind of bland so I’m finding is tough to get the correct blend of other flavors. I might try to add roasted garlic on another sample, but I’m not sure it would work with the sweeter version. I’ve included Mexican oregano and cumin in one of them.

Today I’m trying a corn salsa. I think this would be great with hamburgers rather than for dipping chips.

Ruling pots & pans

noreply@blogger.com (Deene) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 22:15:00 +0000

I've been spending plenty of my free time in the kitchen this past month either baking, making jams, pickles or cooking up something to test on my family. I have plenty of time freed up when I'm not training for a run, it's been kind of nice to hang out at home.

Yesterday I made strawberry jam. Today I wanted to make some sugar free peach jam for my dad but the peaches are still a bit too firm. I'll have to wait another day although if I do I'm afraid The Kid will be a dent in my supply. She is enjoying plenty of peaches and cream with cinnamon. I don't blame her.

Last year I did not enter the salsa contest during the annual harvest festival due to dad's injury. This year I'd want to enter again. You may recall that I placed first in one of the categories so I have to defend or something - make a comeback? The thing is I've misplaced my recipe so now I have to remember the proportions and some of my "secret" ingredients. I've made the mango salsa twice but it didn't taste right. Finally The Kid remembered a couple of items since she had helped me. Usually I need help with all the chopping and mixing since I need to provide three gallons for all the tasters. I will mix a new batch tomorrow and hopefully that will be it.

One thing that always worries me is that by the time the contest rolls around ripe mangos aren't exactly in abundance. I will have to buy them days earlier to make sure they ripen by the time I need them.

I'm thinking of adding another recipe so I'll have two entries. Last year I tried a recipe using the dried red chilies as a base with a apple cider binder but I couldn't get the sour part right - it should have the hot, sweet and sour to taste good. My family will be sick of this soon and then I'll target some people at my work. The disappointing part is that not too many of them appreciate spicy condiments.

in napa

noreply@blogger.com (Deene) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 16:32:00 +0000

While The Hub and I sampled at a winery in the Napa valley, The Kid wandered in the grape field to take photos.

I enjoyed a nice and smooth cab called "Old Bull" at this location.

ugh!

noreply@blogger.com (Deene) — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 21:38:00 +0000

"Hey, you're still coming to workout? You put on some weight. I haven't been in all summer."

That was the older lady who normally swims at the same time as I do. Boy, did I feel obese and just because of that I didn't swim. I hit the weight circuit instead and then stepped on the scale. I weigh 113 lbs. with shoes.

I needed the weight for the jeans i wore today though. My metabolism must have slowed down and keeping the running shoes at bay has me adding a little flab. I'm trying to tell myself it I'm okay but that comment got to me.

I'm glad to be back at the gym and looking forward to the cycle classes.

Friday, 13th

noreply@blogger.com (Deene) — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:41:00 +0000

It must have been sometime last spring or even before that I last saw the creepy dog walker guy in the neighborhood. He’s the super quiet guy with the large German Shepherd that I nearly ran into a few times while out before 6:00 a.m. with our dog. Since no longer saw him I assumed he was a temporary resident. I wasn’t like I missed his unneighborly encounters. Yesterday I saw him in broad daylight with his dog. Still creepy as ever giving the dog just a few inches of leash and walking at a measured pace and looking directly ahead.

I’ve renewed my membership at the gym finally. I missed going there. Yesterday I spent some time on an elliptical machine and followed that up with 12 laps at the pool. I’m not too fond the of elliptical as I don’t feel like I get any benefit out of it but it was a nice warm-up. Earlier I had run with the dog so the swim was just to work out some kinks in my back. I’m looking forward to returning to spin classes – fine opportunity to break out the bike shorts. :P

While The Kid was back to school shopping I snagged a couple of items for myself including a towel specifically for my gym bag. It’s a microfiber towel and I love it! I really hope the absorption factor is not just a coating and I’ll be disappointed after a couple of washings. I hate how ordinary bath towels are heaving and take up much space in my bag and have been eyeing the camp towels at REI but they were way pricey but I got mine at Marshalls for about $9. It folds flat to about the size of a normal wash cloth but packs super drying powers.

I might have mentioned that I’m once again taking advantage of public transportation. It requires a great deal of patience sometimes but it’s got some economical and environmental benefits. One day this week one of the traffic delays was due to some emergency vehicles on the shoulder of the freeway. Traffic reports announced that there might be a woman in labor at that location. Sitting up there on the regional buses allow us to see into cars next to us in the lanes – there is a whole lotta texting going on. I’ve been getting plenty of people watching time to say the least. It was nice to see a couple of men give up their seats to women when on a standing room only bus. One of the women however opted to stand saying she sat at work all day. It’s possible that after becoming accustomed to this environment where you are always in the midst of many people you might lose some inhibitions. In only a week and a half I’ve heard plenty of stuff I’d rather not such as “ran from Rincon del Sol, didn’t have time to get to the restroom so I’ll have to hold it. Damn, I’ll piss like a race horse when I get home”. Ha. Not just an ordinary horse?

TGIF

noreply@blogger.com (Deene) — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 15:40:00 +0000

I've gone back to some toning and strenghtening exercises that I'd quit sometime last year. after one session upper legs are sore enough that I walk with a goofy gait after sitting for awhile, even less fun when I wore heels.

Today got off to a good start! A short run with the dog in nice cool weather. It's getting darker at 5 a.m. so I waited to go out until after I finished the first cup of coffee. I had to give the Niece a ride to downtown area where the streets are narrower and I am proud to say I parallel parked Henry on first attempt. Older niece stepped out to the sidewalk just in time so i have a couple of witnesses. Thanks to Mr. Swensen, my old driver's ed. teacher, i can still do it. Of course, i still can't do the soft stop he insisted that I practice over and over. He probably has chronic neck problems for all his years of teaching. Speaking of driver's education, my baby is now in driver's school preparing for a learner's permit when she turn's 15 1/2 in about a month. Yikes!!

It's county fair time locally, part of our county is still rural so there is an annual fair not too fair from our home. I'm looking forward to catching The Kid's BFF partipate in the horsemanship competition. She has a very young horse that likes to step out of line in the middle of routines.