(postblogged)
What a fabulous day - and almost warm, a scorching 46 degrees! Felt like Spring, given the recent weather trend of the past few weeks.

I woke up late after a night of productivity and after many continued domestic tasks, I decided to take an early afternoon training ride out towards Hillsboro - a mere 44 miler. It was cold but very clear. I miss cycling during daylight.

Came home and showered and began preparing some Creme Brulee from scratch (recipe to eventually follow), to enjoy after the date I had. Pumpkin and White Chocolate Creme Brulee (preparation pics below).

photo by d. scott gregory Creme Brulee production click on photo to enlarge	photo by d. scott gregory Creme Brulee Ramekin dishes click on photo to enlarge
photo by d. scott gregory Creme Brulee Ramekin dishes click on photo to enlarge	photo by d. scott gregory Creme Brulee torch click on photo to enlarge

Suffice to say, the dessert was a total hit, after dinner.

And then we shared my homemade Pumpkin and White Chocolate Creme Brulee. Nuff said. :) (a way to a woman's heart is to be a good chef, no?)

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Phew...I'm glad it's Friday.

Been a weird week, albeit productive in ancillary sorts. Crazy work drama, not much - just stupid office politics. Flotsam weather making me nuts. Endless domestic "chores" teemed with trying to finish my xmess shopping/wrapping routine. Snow, ice, sleet, headache after headache - fun stuff with post-concussion crap.

I think it's all over.

Ready to finally relax into the weekend now - after my odd mix of things I did after work today. Went on a very cold (not frigid) 6 time loop around my 'burban 5 mile loop thru the wafting of steak and dryer sheets, but this time to the visual splendor of the mix of xmess lights in various levels of diaspora. It was quite pleasant. I felt like it was by far the most fucked up NASCAR loop after loop-de-loop ride. I had to give up after loop 6, my frozen hotdog legs and frozen fish stick fingers couldn't take it anymore.

(sidenote about my office cronies ask/think I'm nuts..and what my winter riding outfit costs)***

I finished up and loaded my frozen ass into my car and headed over to do a few errands...bank, grocery store on the way to the mall to finish up a xmess project I've engineered for my parents...then on to Home Goods to finish up some good capitalistic spending - to complete my final xmess experience for the year, shoppingwise.

Came home and made some Grilled Bourbon Butter Salmon and Grilled Asparagus wrapped in Prosciutto - oh so yum. Settled into an evening of catch up with email and wrapping the last of my xmess presents, boorish, yes - but DONE!. I began to prepare some Pumpkin Vanilla Chocolate Creme Brulee for my date tomorrow, then found mid-preparation that my Creme Brulee torch was out of butane - grrr..what a fuckin buzzkill. I abandoned the project until the morning and then felt eager on that idiot high to pay all my bills and sort my CDs. Oh joy.

***(yea..I invest a lot of cheddah' in the silly lifestyle called cycling...I cannot even begin to say how much I spend on travelling to and from events, hotel costs, gas, tolls, meals, time off work, race fees..and what I spend for simple things like the nutrition and vitamins, supplements, gel packs, gatorade, recovery drinks, all of that. It's to be expected. And the equipment..all of my cycling crap from trainers to repair stands, toolkits, et al. And then my bike, and all the costs of cycling mile after mile - keeping it spit-shined and safe for me to hurl myself down mountains and hump back up again to make my face happy. I've upgraded almost every single component on my bike 2 times in the past year and a half. It's part of the sport. The frame is the last part of the bike that has not been replaced (soon to be). It's an investment - I have it insured, not unlike a car. Damn thing is about $5k. So when one of my colleagues asked me at work "how much did that outfit cost ya?" referring to my winter cycling gear..I couldn't give a definitive answer.

well, the breakdown is this (head to toe): Helmet: $190, neoprene balacava: $34, cycling glasses: $120, outer vest: $64, cycling jacket: $120, long sleeve self wicking inner shirt: $59, outer shirt, self wicking jersey: $70, LiveSTRONG bracelet: $1, winter cycling gloves: $56, Neoprene cycling tites: $120, wool cycling socks: $12, inner socks: $6, neoprene shoe covers: $60, cycling shoes: $240 (this not mention the bike pump and tube that I pack in my back pockets, or the hand warmers). Does the math. Crap, too much money spent on keeping me warm. But I love what I do.

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...whatevvah

"I wish God was alive to see this..." "...because a broken clock is always right twice a day"

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From the National Weather Service, "...ICE STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM THURSDAY TO 7 AM EST FRIDAY..." "...POWER OUTAGES AND EXTREMELY TREACHEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON." Oh joy. Like the weather hasn't been harsh enough. We had a water main break in my community from frozen pipes this morning, rendering about 5 complexes to be without water this morning. I talked with the folks for an ETA of when we'd have water restored, they had no clue, except "soon". Well, difficult to make coffee, take a shower or flush the toilet. I called the office to let them know I'd be a little late. Note to self: stock huge amounts of bottled water and baby wipes.

Headed into the office a little late for a freekish productive day on an individual project that I feel a little OK about. It made the day pass by real fast. By mid afternoon I kinda resigned myself from the notion of going out on a training ride - dangerously frigid and still icy. I was going to have to go to my gym in my community. I left work on a few errands, came home and changed - went to my gym and cycled for about an hour and a half catching up on news and such from the overhead cable tvs.

The temperatures tonight are brutal - I'm basking in the warmth of my studio with my new portable heater, finishing my last minute holiday correspondence & gift wrapping, paying bills and a little tv. I really need to start a new calendar for my cycling races/events starting in the early Spring - for inspiration.

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Well, I'm celebrating something today that Ted Nugent, Dick Van Dyke, Steve Buscemi, Jamie Foxx and Amy Lee(lead singer of Evanescence)is - a December 13th Birthday. In fact, I was born the exact same day as Jamie Foxx - in 1967 (yes, 38 years ago). Steve Buscemi was born in 1957 - he's 10 years older than me, I hope I don't look as bad as he does in my next 10 years. But damn, I'm getting old. Other notables that share my same DOB - Mary Todd Lincoln (Abe's wife), Thomas Watson (telephone pioneer). 2003 Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is captured near his home town of Tikrit today 2 years ago. Silly trivia.

Today was incredibly bitter cold. I could not stay warm enough last night - finally went to bed to warm up and awoke this morning very early to just coldness. I bundled up and headed into the office for a rather dull day of inactivity (was nice for a change to have no drama). It seemed like half the office was out either sick or doing other business - so it was a relatively quiet day.

I tried to pick up a small ceramic space heater during the day, because my studio office gets cold at night after I come home after the recent frigid rides that I stupidly endure - to no avail at Walmart....most were sold out. SO I decided that I would take a run of it right after work. One of my colleagues talked me out of going on my training ride - the temperatures dropped and right before we were about to leave work...it was 31 degrees...with an index of 17 degrees...and would drop 5-8 degrees in the next few hours. I was convinced that it was unsafe and just STUPID for me to be cycling out in those elements. Afterall, I had a short birthday dinner date scheduled for a little later.

So I went to of all places, Costco - and picked me up a FINE italian made instrument of warmary, a DeLonghi SafeHeat Ceramic Heater. Total score. I only picked up a few quick items. My new strategy to not spend too much $$ at Costco is to NOT get a cart when I go in. If I cannot carry it...I won't buy it. Too many temptations.

I ran a few more errands and met up with my date in Reston to drive down to the place I picked. We had a lovely dinner at La Dolce Vita, a fine establishment in Fairfax which I happen to know the owner and head chef. It was a very romantic dinner - candles, wine, GREAT FOOD, great conversation - but it had to be a quick dinner/date, she was heading out of town on business, so we said farewell in Reston and I drove home (I asked if I could drive her to the airport, but her firm has a company car...grrr...I was trying to be romantic and polite, oh well).

Came home to a cold place - unloaded all my coffers and immediately plugged in my space heater - it's fricken amazing, for such a small thing. Another day, yes - just another day. Whatevvah.

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Brrrrrrrr! Today was COLD COLD COLD. But for a Monday, work was actually tolerable. The day just sort of floated by - ho hum.

Suited late in the day before I left work to embark on one of the coldest rides this winter so far. I had to bike my winter loop, because the trail was still covered in snow - but managed to milk out a very frosty, snotciclish 25 miles. Came back to my car completely frigid. It was 31 degrees when I left the office...with a index of 21 degrees.

I came home and embarked on a few chores and tried to relax and get warm, still trying to get/keep warm. I wish I had a fireplace.

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What a wonderful day! Relaxing, and just fun. Slept in and went to the gym and worked out on the spinner cycle for an hour and a half, came home and mulled around the house doing domestic crap, then showered and drove to my parents house for a birthday dinner they prepared for me.

What a wonderful dinner - Paella with a nice salad, very lovely - followed up with coffee and a "too die for" chocolate icecream cake, parents sang happy birthday while I tried to blow out the single candle...one of those trick candles that would never blow out. They went all out with serving dinner in the formal dining room, with all the silver, crystal, candles - it was quite beautiful.

photo by d. scott gregory Knees & Bees, Vol. 2, 2005 click on photo to enlarge

We had a lot of laughs and good fun. They gave me a nice medium pan (cooking), because it's perfect to pan-tossing the way I cook (strange talent I have). They are incredibly sweet and hospitable to have me over for a birthday dinner. They loaded me up with leftovers and I had to go home for an evening of pre-workweek chores and such.

That "such" was the finale of binding my silly cookbook edition (only 15 complete sets) - I'm not happy with the final binding...but it's complete. I have larger plans for the entire project. This edition is for family and friends, like last year.

Welp, another sunday night anxiety settles in - not fully enthused about the work weeek ahead...and a birthday on Tuesday. But life moves on.

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