Where I've Lived

You have already seen my Where I Live series. You may or may not know that I travel a lot for work and so therefore have lived in some interesting places. I lived in New Orleans on and off for about 5 years. It is a great city and I can't wait to go back there someday. (You can see more photos of New Orleans on Photography Blog )

The theme today is BLUE, since I am hoping for the quick return of blue skies for my folks back East!  Fill up your bathtubs, buy batteries and don't forget to get money out of the ATM before the power goes out!

Earhart Ave

City Park

St Bernard Parish

Jackson Square

St Louis Cemetery

Rusty Pipes

Arabi

Where are some of the most interesting places you have lived? Do you live in the path of Irene? Do you have plenty of candles?

Deep Thoughts

One would think that when you are on a long run, you would have plenty of time to hash out some very important things, make some important life decisions and figure out all the problems in your life. In my case, one would be wrong. Here are, in chronological order, some of the things that go through my head on a run. This run was 9 miles long.

Mile 0.1: This isn't too bad. Thank goodness it's not too hot.

Mile 0.12: I have to pee.

Mile 0.4: (I stop at the bathroom. Nothing comes out.) Hm, guess I was just nervous.

Mile 0.5: My left knee hurts. Maybe I should stop.

Mile 0.7: Man, my knee is really hurting. Maybe I will do my long run tomorrow.

Mile 0.8: Should I stop? I will just run one more mile and then if my knee is still hurting, I will stop.

Mile 0.9: I really want to stop.

Mile 1.0: I'm thirsty.

Mile 1.5: Man, I've only gone a mile and a half? Crap. I gotta stop looking at my Garmin.

Mile 2.0: Everyone on this path sure is happy and smiley today.

Smile for me babe. 
Whatchu looking at?
I wanna see your grill.
You wanna see my what?
Yuh grill, Yuh, Yuh, yuh grill.

Mile 2.5: Well it is a nice day. Hello bikers! Hello joggers! Hello man wearing street clothes and smoking a cigarette on the running path at 7 am on a Sunday! Wait, what?

Mile 2.7: Darn it. I've only gone 2.7 miles? Maybe my Garmin is broken.

Mile 3.0: I need a wrist sweat band. Is that like totally 80s? Do people still wear those? Will I look like Jane Fonda if I have one? Do I have to wear a thong leotard and listen to Michael Jackson if I have one? Maybe I should feather my bangs too. Wow, this could be a lot of extra work just to get the sweat out of my eyes.

Mile 3.5: Am I to the turn around point yet? This run is taking forever. I gotta stop looking at my Garmin.

Mile 4.0: I'm hot. I should have started running earlier in the day.

Well woman the way the time cold I wanna be keepin' you warm
I got the right temperature to shelter you from the storm
Oh lord, girl I got the right tactics to turn you on...
And girl I, wanna be the poppa, you can be the mom.
Oh oh. 

Mile 4.5: Turning around. Yay! Dang, I'm thirsty.

Mile 5.0: What the heck kind of shorts is that girl wearing? Helloooo butt cheeks! And a sports bra! What is this, a beauty pageant? Here she comes, Miss America!!

Mile 6.0: Hey only 3 miles left. Thank goodness I have my Garmin.

Mile 6.5: My right knee hurts now. 

Mile 7.0: Oh look, a doggie!

Who let the dogs out!! 
Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof. 

Mile 7.5: I am so tired. I think I just hit the wall. I could take a nap right here. 

Mile 8.0: Oh here come three girls running towards me taking up the whole path. One of them will get out of the way so I can pass. Maybe they will do it right before I get there. I know they see me. Huh. They are not moving. Um. Hello ladies? No?

Mile 8.1: Bitches! I can't believe they didn't move! Happy Sunday to you too ladies!

I do know one thing though,
Bitches they come and go, 
Saturday through Sunday, Monday
Monday through Sunday yo.

Mile 8.2: My knee hurts, I am so tired and I need to pee. And I have sweat in my eye.

Mile 8.5: Alllllmossssst thereeeerrrrre.

Mile 8.9: Pant, pant.

Mile 9.0: -------- So hot. So thirsty.

Mile 9.001: Hm. That wasn't so bad! 

So, as you can see, running is not really making me any smarter. But I am improving my knowledge of rap music, my meteorology skills, my fashion sense and my attitude.

Music credit: (1) Nelly (2) Sean Paul (3) Baha Men (4) Eminem 

What do you think about when you are running or working out? Are you solving world problems or do you think about silly things like I do? Have you ever worn a sweat band?  

In other news, I signed up for a race: 

City of Roses Half  -- Cape Girardeau, MO

September 18, 2011

You can read more about the other races I've done HERE. 

Also on THIS PAGE I made a list of  good places to run in the cities I've run  in. 

Stop by and check it out and comment with your favorite place to run in your city! Or any city!

This is part of Jill's:

Also, if you are new here, make sure to check out some of these other running posts:
Running with Music (and other ways to get faster)
Running with Heat and Fatigue
Running and Hills

Planning, Anger, Onions, and Randoms

You may already know this, but last year, after working 60 hours plus per week for many, many months, I had finally saved up enough to do my favorite thing in the world (no pun intended) -- Travel! 

This time the trip was going to be Around the World. Now, I am a planner and I usually like planning, but have you ever tried to plan a multi-month trip?

Want to hear more about this? Please go over HERE (<---- link) where I have a post up about trying to plan this trip! 

Also for where I went on this trip and others, go HERE! 

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A few of my favorite posts this week from other bloggers: 

Liz, who has lost many lbs through running, talked about running a 30k!

Kate talked about saving money by making lunch.

Sarah talked about what it's like being back in the states after a stint abroad.

Aly did some anonymous bitching.

Cailen is giving away a free cookbook!

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This is the book I am currently reading:

click photo to go to Amazon

Nice huh? Actually, it's interesting, in a good way.
It's about women and how they cope with anger in all different situations.
If you want it, I will send it to you when I am done. For real.

ALSO on the same line, I got an Amazon Gift Card and need to know -- what book do I absolutely HAVE to buy next!? Recommendations are in order!

To see more of what I am reading you can check out my BOOKSHELF or friend me on GOODREADS. 
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Okay, I know this is kind of a strange segue, but next up I am going to tell you....

How to cut an onion. 

You heard me right. I know, we have all cut an onion before. Many of them probably.
And we all Know How To Cut an Onion Already!
But wait! I learned this great way to cut an onion and since then, I am a fired up onion chopper. I am like the bass-o-matic. I can chop an onion in two seconds flat! Okay, maybe not that fast. But pretty fast.

First, cut the onion in half, vertically.

Now, put it flat side down and with what used to be the top of the onion facing away from you, slice the onion like this. 

The key is: Do Not cut it all the way to the end. I repeat: Do Not cut it all the way to the end. Only cut it about 7/8 of the way to the end.

Make the cuts about 1/4 or 1/2 of an inch apart, depending on how small you want your dice. Keep leaving a little bit intact on the end.

It should look like this when you are done.

From the back. See the cuts. They don't go all the way.

Then start slicing it perpendicular to your original cuts.

Like this: 

Keep going until you get to the end. Once you get to the uncut part in the back, I lay the little bit that is left down on it's side and finish it off. BUT be careful. There is now a lot more finger near the knife than there is onion.

If you are looking for recipes, you can go HERE for more.

________________________

And now: How to cut your finger.

While trying to take photos and do a tutorial and cut an onion all at the same time, put your finger right under the knife. Duh.

Tip: When cutting the onion, be sure to keep your finger out of the way of the very sharp knife.

Do as I say, not as I do.

Do you have any tips about getting food prep done faster? 
What were your favorite blog posts from the last week?
What book should I buy with my gift card?

Ten Questions

These originally came from Caitlin but then I stole them from Lisa, since today is a very busy day and a Q&A is a lot easier than trying to make my brain work on a real post!

What are you really good at?  What are you really bad at?

I am good at planning things. I am very organized (read: anal). I am good at spreadsheets. I am trying to be good at photography. I am good at tying a cherry stem in a knot with my tongue and remembering the words to songs. I am good at remembering birthdays and phone numbers and random things like that.

I am really bad at changing plans, especially at the last minute. I am bad at making plans at the last minute (that is essentially changing plans). I am bad at letting go of control. I am bad at accepting other’s faults. I am not patient. I am very hard on myself and other people. I hold a grudge.

Have you ever been in a car accident?  What happened?

In 1999 in Sacramento I was driving home from work and a lady turned left across my lane and right into my driver’s side bumper. I was not hurt. My passenger was not hurt. My car was barely hurt. It was not really a big deal except that I was on my way to a party and it made me late.

Where did you attend college?

Who said I went to college? Just kidding. I first went to college at a JC when I was in HS, to get college credit before I even went to college. You would think this would have given me a jump start and SHORTENED my college experience. You would be wrong. 

Once out of HS, I started college at CSU, Sacramento. I also went to the local JC to get some of the general requirements out of the way… Again, why was my experience not shortened? I took a year off to figure out my life and then I transferred to SFSU (San Francisco), which I think probably added a year, since all the classes did not transfer over. I am not sure why. I also went to the local JC while I was there! So then, about 17 years later, I graduated.

Describe your morning routine today

6:00 alarm goes off

6:00:01 think about getting up to go running, instead, I hit snooze

6:09 get up, make coffee

6:10– 6:17 Pee, put on pants, put hair in ponytail. Ready to go!

6:18 start work

6:19 – 8:29 work, drink coffee, make spreadsheets

8:30 eat breakfast (I usually get by on coffee for the first couple of hours)

9:00 meeting with client

10:45 take a much needed 10 minute break and a quick look at Reader

Have you ever snooped through someone else's things?  Did you find anything interesting?

No. I am a very private person and I would hate it if someone snooped through my things, so I give them the same privacy.

What do you think happens when you die?

I am not sure. I think…nothing. Maybe it’s like falling asleep but you don’t dream and you don’t wake up.  Honestly, I don’t really contemplate it.

Are you superstitious?

No.  But I do knock on wood.

Do people think you are younger or older than you actually are?

Younger. Not only do I have a young face, but I usually wear jeans and sneakers. However, even when I get dressed up, I still get thought of as younger. Also I work with a lot of older guys (read: 50s, 60s, 70s!) and so they really think I am younger.

How did your parent's relationship influence you?

My parents were very loving to each other. I mean, they had fights, who doesn’t but I always remember them kissing and hugging (and me going “EWWW”!) and being very loving to each other. They were also both very hard working, not only in life, but in their relationship. I saw that even when they fought, or even when they had differences, they still made a point to work it out! I would like to say this is how I am, but I am still working on it. However, they have led by giving a good example.  

What were the three happiest moments of your life?

1.      I witnessed a friend of mine slip on a rock and go sliding down the side of a sheer rock cliff and go flying over the edge and I thought he was dead. This was not the end of this saga by far, but learning a couple seconds later that he was still alive was the best feeling ever.

2.      In the same vein, my brother almost drowned under a waterfall when he was a kid but I went under the water and grabbed him by the arm (or hair, I couldn’t quite tell, I was so panicked) and pulled him out and dragged him to shore and I was so scared (I was probably about 15 at the time) but SO HAPPY that he was alive.

3.      Wow, so since the other two are both about near death experiences…um…I am going to leave you with a happier but generic answer and say that I am happiest when planning my next trip or when traveling!

What was the happiest moment of your life? Or any other answer to any of these questions? 

The Blacker the Berry, The Sweeter the Juice

I went home for a few days and lucky me, the blackberries were ripe. So I decided to make what is one of the easiest and yummiest dishes to make in the summer, cobbler. Blackberries and cobbler are one of those things that really make me think of summer. My mom calls this "magic cobbler". Probably because it's super easy to make!

First, admire the nice ripe berries. Yum. 

Next, pick the berries. You will need 4-8 cups. 

Wash the berries. Nobody wants to eat those weird little hairs!

Magic Cobbler:

1 cube of butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup Bisquick

2 cups milk

4 cups fruit (this is also really good with peaches)

 Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a 9 x 13 pan, melt the cube of butter. 

Mix the sugar, Bisquick and milk together. It may be a little lumpy, but that’s okay. 

Pour the batter into the buttered pan. 

Pour the blackberries (or whatever fruit you want) into the batter.

Don't worry, they will sink a little as it cooks!

Bake 35 - 45 minutes until brown. 

Serve with vanilla ice cream. 

A couple of notes: I added about a half a cup of oatmeal to mine, which gave it a bit more robustness. I also added about 6 cups of fruit, which didn't make it too soggy or too tart. 

Enjoy!

Do you have a favorite summer recipe to share?

Lost Coast

source

You may be familiar with the Lost Coast Brewery? NO? Well, shame on you. It's in Eureka, CA, which if you don't know where that is, is in Humboldt County, yes the one of the legendary weed, and also the home of CSU, Humboldt. Also, another random factoid: do you remember the scene in Return of the Jedi when they are in the forest with the Ewoks? That is Fern Canyon, and it too is in Humboldt County. And it is gorgeous!

The reason I picked this as my beer of choice for Kim's blog hop is that, as you may know, I went home last weekend/week. So my this weeks Look What I Did Last Week (<----- click here for my older beers and posts) has a lot of California in it. So, get your beer in hand and get comfortable!

The big event and reason I went to CA was...this little girl's 1st birthday! How exciting! 

She is my best friend's daughter, aka, my neice. Can't you see the resemblance?

In honor of her birthday, my friend's MIL wanted to throw her a big party. With hundreds of people, and decorations and favors and food and...(you are probably wondering WHY, but this my friend is another story in itself!)

So we made 300 cake pops. No joke. 

You can find the recipe HERE. 

We had a few casualties. What do you expect? The poor thing was like, "Nobody sees me as an individual! They just want to use me! Don't they see I am more than just a sweet little ball of strawberry? Cake pops have feelings too! There is nothing left for me in this life!" 

Plop.

 Just a very tiny part of our 300 pop assembly line. A.Very.Small.Part. (it took 3-6 of us 12-14 hours to make all 300, roll them, dip them, sprinkle them, wrap them, tie them and label them). 

Then I got up really early  the next morning and snuck out for a (very awesome 6 mile, 60 degree) run before anyone could make me wrap another cake pop (or dip. or sprinkle. or roll. or.....PLOP!) 

But they found me. And made me start helping with the decorations.

See those small balloons? I tied all those balloons. I am not exaggerating. 20 tables, 3 balloons each (the big ones, praise the lord, were self closing) plus extras for the porch and the gift table etc. My fingers were sore for days. I could barely open a beer. Kidding. This was a booze free party - I am not sure why...is there something wrong with an alcohol fueled 1 yr old birthday party?

Then I went home for a couple of days so I could get a vacation from the party! I did not take these while driving. Okay, maybe I did.

I took advantage of my favorite time of year at home and one of my favorite fruits by picking some blackberries (YUMMY! pick one, eat one, pick one, eat two...etc) and making blackberry cobbler! The recipe will be posted later this week.

(ps I can't believe I paid $3 for a tiny tub of these at the farmers market. If only they were ripe every time I went home!)

I went to visit my oldest friend. Not oldest like she's 100 years old, but the one I have known the longest. Remember this post about my first day of school -- she's the one with the Strawberry Shortcake lunchbox. I was so jealous of that box. It was metal and her mom gave her way cooler things in her matching thermos. Way. Cooler. Now she's a mom and will soon be packing a way cool lunch for her little boy.

I cut off her head. Hehe. It's all about the kids.

I ate so many straight-from-the-garden items. I was in heaven! 

Grape Tomatoes -- I eat them like candy!

Crenshaw Melon

Yellow Zucchini

I forgot what this one is called. Weird flower shaped squash.

 I took advantage of the nice cool weather and ran up some hills. 

You can read more about that HERE.

Yes, that is right! And it says 60! Wonderful!

I hung out with my Mom, drinking coffee and waching....

My favorite coffee cup

....blue-jays eat the cat food. I was seriously only about 2 feet from him. Cheeky little...

 I miss home already!

Dog Rock

Don't worry California. I will be back soon! 

 How was your week? What did you get up to? 

Are you enjoying the last of your summers? 

This post is part of these hops: