Stayed up wayyy too late last night in fun Spring goodness - cooking, corresponding, doing general cycling planning. Just uber fun. Woke up late this morning and sat out on my deck garden with coffee and just listened to the birds do their thang. It was a chorus of sorts.
Hopped on my bike and headed out to West Virginia (for some folks, that would sound strange). So in the fantastic cloudless sky of clear blue, I pedalled my fat ass out towards Harpers Ferry. It was a perfect day. Met up with a few cycling buddies to paceline back. Smooth sailing. The MS 150 event was happening, and I saw a few of my buddies on about a 20 mile stretch - but I was on a different ride/training agenda.
I came home, took a shower and then went out to meet a friend to head out to another friend's house warming party with gravlox (posted from yesterday) and Tire Bite beer in tow.
We had a wonderful time, being in the company of civilized adults, swilling beer, eating and talking about just whatevvah. The kind of night where you just open the moon roof on your car and drive and witness large blue firey chunks of falling stars while missing exits on unnamed parkways. Put your hands in the air like ya just don't care.
This weekend is a "writeoff" of sorts for me - a mere resting point between cycling events. Next weekend is gonna be farkin brutal, so I'm enjoying the lack of drama and quad-searing challenges of the day - with a nice beer or two.
Life is farking fantastic.
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Thank goodness it is Friday - spent the day in uber drama mode at work. But I was able to soldier on. Strange weather all week, and not just talking about the office politics. Went to the gym after work....for a couple of hours. I felt great... more of this below....
Chatting with friends online is a funny thing - because when you just excerpt what they have written, it's a funky representation of things. Below is an excerpt from a friend and my usual quick online conversation (I am "me in chat with friend", I deliberately removed her comments). I guess there's not much that was revealing in that conversation beyond trivial domestic information. That excersize in observation was obviously futile, so you can follow the excerpt below with the recipe and pics of the Gravlox that I've prepared...
Gravlox
Ingredients:
2lb fresh large Salmon fillet, boneless & skinless
1/2 cup Kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp. black pepper grounds - crushed
1 zest of lemon skin
1 handfull fresh Dill, loosely chopped
1/2 cup premium Vodka
Preparation:
Drape a medium glass baking dish with plastic wrap, with enough surplus to cover the half width. Cut the salmon fillet lengthwise, set aside. In a large bowl, combine salt, sugar, pepper, lemon zest - mix thouroughly. Dredge salmon fillets in bowl, liberally coating all sides of salmon meat and lay the first fillet atop the plastic wrap in the glass baking dish. Liberally cover the fillet with the fresh dill and lay the second fillet on top. Drizzle the Vodka over both fillets and then tightly blanket the fillets with the plastic wrap. Place a flat object like a small cutting board on top of the fillets and then a heavy object (like a cast iron skillet) then place in refrigerator. Allow to chill for 12 hours before turning. Repeat this 12 hour turning process for process for 24-72 hours, depending on severity of flavor.
To plate:
Remove plastic wrap, brush off salt mixture, and pat dry. On a large cutting board, make slim cross-section slices.Serve with crackers, smeared with cream cheese, minced chives, and diced red onions. Garnish with fresh dill.
Chatting with friends online is a funny thing - because when you just excerpt what they have written, it's a funky representation of things. Below is an excerpt from a friend and my usual quick online conversation (I am "me in chat with friend", I deliberately removed her comments). I guess there's not much that was revealing in that conversation beyond trivial domestic information. That excersize in observation was obviously futile, so you can follow the excerpt below with the recipe and pics of the Gravlox that I've prepared...
me in chat with friend: i rented a few DVDs too... Memoirs of a Geisha and Shopgirl
me in chat with friend: i was supposed to mow my parent's yard...but it's raining hard in Fairfax
me in chat with friend: spent time at the gym instead....ran errands...came home and swapped out my gear cassette
me in chat with friend: no drama
me in chat with friend: just gonna be a relaxing evening
me in chat with friend: doing laundry...packing for next weekend, preparing/garnishing my gravlox for tomorrow night
me in chat with friend: great movie: Shopgirl...I think you would like it...it has Claire Danes & Steve Martin...funny storyline...prolly a great "breakup" chickflick movie...hopes you are enjoying your evening. Sitting here listening to of all things, opera - Verdi and Nyman, enjoying a glass of Chardonnay and working on my old bike...as a training bike...ha! I have all my windows open, enjoying the spring air and the smell of the flowers off my deck garden come into my place.....I love tonight
me in chat with friend: (just finished photographing my gravlox)...lol
me in chat with friend: great film
me in chat with friend: I saw that a few weeks ago
me in chat with friend: i ned to switch to coffee..I had a little too much wine
me in chat with friend: lol
me in chat with friend: <--- giddy
me in chat with friend: i'm in a silly mood
me in chat with friend: in a GREAT mood
me in chat with friend: in my element
me in chat with friend: ~ fin ~
me in chat with friend: the flowers are from my garden
me in chat with friend: rolls yer eyes...going yukky
me in chat with friend: it's not raw salmon
me in chat with friend: it's CURED salmon
me in chat with friend: i've been pickling/curing it since tuesday
me in chat with friend: like the pics?
me in chat with friend: too gay?
me in chat with friend: lol
me in chat with friend: you just like my silly grown up pad...lol
me in chat with friend: even tho I rent
me in chat with friend: she is a good friend
me in chat with friend: shall I let ya herd off to bed?
me in chat with friend: it's ok...understood
me in chat with friend: I know when yer tired...and you are being polite...usually when you are tired...you get a little non-angellic
me in chat with friend: i know that bite
me in chat with friend: oh oh oh...
me in chat with friend: picked up a six pack of beer... Tire bite
me in chat with friend: hold on...you will be amused
me in chat with friend: http://www.flyingdogales.com/beer-tire-bite.asp
me in chat with friend: I dig it
me in chat with friend: haven't tried it yet...but will be bringing it tomorrow night
me in chat with friend: lol...yea
me in chat with friend: anyhoo...i miss yer voice...I hope ya feel better & get some sleep... big hugs! >:D<
me in chat with friend: yep, ciao!
Gravlox
Ingredients:
2lb fresh large Salmon fillet, boneless & skinless
1/2 cup Kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp. black pepper grounds - crushed
1 zest of lemon skin
1 handfull fresh Dill, loosely chopped
1/2 cup premium Vodka
Preparation:
Drape a medium glass baking dish with plastic wrap, with enough surplus to cover the half width. Cut the salmon fillet lengthwise, set aside. In a large bowl, combine salt, sugar, pepper, lemon zest - mix thouroughly. Dredge salmon fillets in bowl, liberally coating all sides of salmon meat and lay the first fillet atop the plastic wrap in the glass baking dish. Liberally cover the fillet with the fresh dill and lay the second fillet on top. Drizzle the Vodka over both fillets and then tightly blanket the fillets with the plastic wrap. Place a flat object like a small cutting board on top of the fillets and then a heavy object (like a cast iron skillet) then place in refrigerator. Allow to chill for 12 hours before turning. Repeat this 12 hour turning process for process for 24-72 hours, depending on severity of flavor.
To plate:
Remove plastic wrap, brush off salt mixture, and pat dry. On a large cutting board, make slim cross-section slices.Serve with crackers, smeared with cream cheese, minced chives, and diced red onions. Garnish with fresh dill.
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Listens to "Are you happy now?" by Michelle Branch while reading stories of Burning Man Festival. Such a dichotomy of things to absorb. Today was kinda like that - a farked up feng shui enabled idiotfest of sorts. Work was just another chapter in a continued flawed theater of performance. No jazz hands, just the fat mime singing the last words. I was ready to get the hell out of there. And this, I proudly did.
I left work assuming that the weather was going to be thunderstormy - which it was all day. I didn't want to get caught out in the deepest of deepest rural Loudoun County in the midst of thunderboomers, so I took solace at the gym where I did a solo 2.5 hour spinner session. Worked up a good sweat and almost an altruistic sense of kinmanship to the music as I was jamming to, imagining myself jamming up the hills in a week doing the Mountains of Misery. I imagined the pure hell that those mountains are - and the uphoric feeling I succummed to as I finished the damn thing - after 8 hours of multiple walls of trees and asphault, total quad searing pain. I am going to relive it in a little more than a week. Except this time - I've elected to do the double metric century. What a fool I am. HA!
After the gym, I ran a few errands - including a trip to Dicks (a sports store) to get (of all things) some new wrist sweat bands. I sweat too much when I am on the spinner bike - and I wear glasses. Sweat management is key - difficult to focus when I have gallons of sweat rolling off my forehead into my glasses. I picked up a few other self wicking items and then headed to my bike shop where I had to pick up a new 9 speed cassette cluster (seems that after over 28,000+ miles (seems my old one just wore itself out). All nice and sparkly and new - a mere 80 bucks. But it's what literally drives me.
Came home and watered my garden, flipped the gravlox, made dinner, did a little organizational crap, correspondence and then flopped in front of the tube to watch 2 hours of tv (such a slacker). Tomorrow is Friday - hopefully no huge drama in the office. Will take another training ride and then off to my parent's house to mow their grass while they are out of town. Come home and deal with tuning/lubing/cleaning my bike for the week (before next weekend - Mountains of Misery). Will be a relaxing weekend, between training, sleep, a house warming party at a friend's new condo, and more training & prepping before my next weekend's travel and event.
Life is Good.
I left work assuming that the weather was going to be thunderstormy - which it was all day. I didn't want to get caught out in the deepest of deepest rural Loudoun County in the midst of thunderboomers, so I took solace at the gym where I did a solo 2.5 hour spinner session. Worked up a good sweat and almost an altruistic sense of kinmanship to the music as I was jamming to, imagining myself jamming up the hills in a week doing the Mountains of Misery. I imagined the pure hell that those mountains are - and the uphoric feeling I succummed to as I finished the damn thing - after 8 hours of multiple walls of trees and asphault, total quad searing pain. I am going to relive it in a little more than a week. Except this time - I've elected to do the double metric century. What a fool I am. HA!
After the gym, I ran a few errands - including a trip to Dicks (a sports store) to get (of all things) some new wrist sweat bands. I sweat too much when I am on the spinner bike - and I wear glasses. Sweat management is key - difficult to focus when I have gallons of sweat rolling off my forehead into my glasses. I picked up a few other self wicking items and then headed to my bike shop where I had to pick up a new 9 speed cassette cluster (seems that after over 28,000+ miles (seems my old one just wore itself out). All nice and sparkly and new - a mere 80 bucks. But it's what literally drives me.
Came home and watered my garden, flipped the gravlox, made dinner, did a little organizational crap, correspondence and then flopped in front of the tube to watch 2 hours of tv (such a slacker). Tomorrow is Friday - hopefully no huge drama in the office. Will take another training ride and then off to my parent's house to mow their grass while they are out of town. Come home and deal with tuning/lubing/cleaning my bike for the week (before next weekend - Mountains of Misery). Will be a relaxing weekend, between training, sleep, a house warming party at a friend's new condo, and more training & prepping before my next weekend's travel and event.
Life is Good.
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A good and a strange day happens - must be just ironical Spring bullshit. The weather has been just May - thunderstormy one moment, then another brilliant Springlike goodness. Much like the bi-polar drama that happens in my office. But I refuse to talk about work - because it impedes on my happiness, and reminds me that business is just business. Fuck that. Regardless of my career, I am human - and I relegate my happiness between certain hours so it provides a monetary level to me to enjoy things outside of work - including my $7k bike and the trips I take to enjoy the cycling that I do.
With the weather in a constant flux, I went to the gym to do a very sweaty spinner class - it was wonderful to be there with my cronies and the swoonable one to enjoy the class. After class, I ran a few errands and came home to an evening of trivial domesticity. Such is life. But life is fun - with all the soon to be gluttony of the training and crazy delicious fun of events true to be soon - Mountains of Misery in 2 weeks. I'm half nervous - and half masochist for electing to do it again. This time will be the double metric century. 136 miles of pure uphill hell. What the fark was I thinking? Oh, I'm just a sadist for electing voluntarilly to do this. The matrix of my life allows me to perform these stupid acts of self idiocy to prove nothing but testemony for a fake legacy of an ultra-endurance marathon cycling fool.
But life is soo farkin' Good. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
With the weather in a constant flux, I went to the gym to do a very sweaty spinner class - it was wonderful to be there with my cronies and the swoonable one to enjoy the class. After class, I ran a few errands and came home to an evening of trivial domesticity. Such is life. But life is fun - with all the soon to be gluttony of the training and crazy delicious fun of events true to be soon - Mountains of Misery in 2 weeks. I'm half nervous - and half masochist for electing to do it again. This time will be the double metric century. 136 miles of pure uphill hell. What the fark was I thinking? Oh, I'm just a sadist for electing voluntarilly to do this. The matrix of my life allows me to perform these stupid acts of self idiocy to prove nothing but testemony for a fake legacy of an ultra-endurance marathon cycling fool.
But life is soo farkin' Good. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
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I woke up this morning ill - combination of tummy flu like symptoms, sore, feverish, and exhaustion. I emailed my office to take a sick day. Was in bed all day sleeping and woke up about 7pm. Being that my phone didn't ring, there must have been no drama from my absence. Sad that I missed such a wonderful day, on any level (didn't take a training ride). But I'm feeling better now.
Showered and ran an errand to the grocery store to get the last items to prepare gravlox, came home and prepped and made the gravlox - put it in the fridge to chill/cure for the next few days. Then flopped my fat ass in front of the tv to just continue to relax.
That's about it.
Showered and ran an errand to the grocery store to get the last items to prepare gravlox, came home and prepped and made the gravlox - put it in the fridge to chill/cure for the next few days. Then flopped my fat ass in front of the tv to just continue to relax.
That's about it.
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Yawns. Just another manic monday... Was a very busy day at work...teemed with being really sore after the Century ride. The sunburn looked worse than it felt. But I soldiered on. Ten HUT!
After work, I ran a few errands to get a few provisions at Costco to make gravlox. Will prepare this tasty cured salmon delicacy for this weekend (takes a few days to "cure") to bring to a friend's house warming party.
Then I went to my spinner class (it was thunderstorming all day and afternoon) - it was a great sweatfest, albeit - I was sore as hell. Hung out afterwards and chummed it up with my spinner class cronies.
Came home and unloaded my things, prepared dinner and faired thru domestic issues before I finally flopped my fat ass on the sofa and watched a little tv (of course, fell asleep). Took some advil and just finishing up some correspondence, ready for bed to do it all over again.
After work, I ran a few errands to get a few provisions at Costco to make gravlox. Will prepare this tasty cured salmon delicacy for this weekend (takes a few days to "cure") to bring to a friend's house warming party.
Then I went to my spinner class (it was thunderstorming all day and afternoon) - it was a great sweatfest, albeit - I was sore as hell. Hung out afterwards and chummed it up with my spinner class cronies.
Came home and unloaded my things, prepared dinner and faired thru domestic issues before I finally flopped my fat ass on the sofa and watched a little tv (of course, fell asleep). Took some advil and just finishing up some correspondence, ready for bed to do it all over again.
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Happy Mother's Day to all!
I woke up this morning completely sore and still sunburned - I applied more aloe gel and went back to bed, woke up at about 12:30pm and popped a few advil and went to my community gym to do a stretch ride on the stationary bike. I was really stiff and sore - the stretching really paid off.
Came home and packed up all the provisions for the Mother's Day feast I was going to prepare for my Mom (pictured below), collected some flower clippings from my deck garden to bring (pictured on the dinner table), took a shower and then headed over to my parents house.
They are such a cute couple (pictured below) - and always appreciative of all the even simple things I do for them. It goes both ways. So we all chatted and laughed as I cooked dinner (I had pre-prepared the lobster and the asparagus, I just needed to make the pesto linguini and broil the lobster & asparagus). It was a great meal, and we finished up with with a Key Lime pie that I asked my father to pick up.
We had a great time and it's always wonderful to see them. We all said our farewells, and off I went to come home to finish preparing for the workweek, catch up with correspondence and watch a little tv - trying to relax before another drama addled workweek.
Life is Good!
I woke up this morning completely sore and still sunburned - I applied more aloe gel and went back to bed, woke up at about 12:30pm and popped a few advil and went to my community gym to do a stretch ride on the stationary bike. I was really stiff and sore - the stretching really paid off.
Came home and packed up all the provisions for the Mother's Day feast I was going to prepare for my Mom (pictured below), collected some flower clippings from my deck garden to bring (pictured on the dinner table), took a shower and then headed over to my parents house.
They are such a cute couple (pictured below) - and always appreciative of all the even simple things I do for them. It goes both ways. So we all chatted and laughed as I cooked dinner (I had pre-prepared the lobster and the asparagus, I just needed to make the pesto linguini and broil the lobster & asparagus). It was a great meal, and we finished up with with a Key Lime pie that I asked my father to pick up.
We had a great time and it's always wonderful to see them. We all said our farewells, and off I went to come home to finish preparing for the workweek, catch up with correspondence and watch a little tv - trying to relax before another drama addled workweek.
Life is Good!
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(Under development, I'm bashful)