Thursday, November 19, 2009

Thursday Thirteen

1. Hair. It's as dark and straight as I remember it being about 15 years ago. I was expecting a lot of gray, but the gods who gave me hypothyroidism, asthma, and a host of allergies decided to give me a break on this one. Yay!

I liked being a blond, but my hair grows nearly an inch a month, and there's lots of it. Plus, the 18% humidity here, chemical processing, swimming, and crappy hotel shampoos at race venues are just a bit drying. Less $$ for maintenance = $$ for race entry fees, right?
My hair dresser says my dark hair is really going to make my green eyes, "pop".
I suggested to him that using the word, "pop" isn't so good for describing what eyes might do.

2. Reboot. I had an interview this week, but no call came from HR. :-( I'm hoping for another interview soon.

3. CHEAP!! Since I've been off work I've reverted quickly to the survival mode from when I was a single parent. Last week I dug a cactus needle out of my thumb that had been stuck in there for a week because it just seemed silly to pay someone else to do it when I had Orajel and a knife handy. Soon I'll be splinting injuries with sticks and closing wounds with super glue.


4. Training. I was invited to do a coffee ride this past Sunday (As you know, I love trying desperately to catch my super fast friends on one of their "rides"). I took one look at the forecast for snow and rain and typed back, COUNT ME IN! because I knew we'd never go.
I was right. It was 30 degrees and snowing, the ride was canceled, and I spent the day in with a fire and movies.
But now I have the benefit of having come across as being as a motivated joiner. Unless they read this.

5. Ankle. I'm hiking on trails again. The ankle moves forward and backwards, but not so much side-to-side. I have started gently manipulating it by hand. It still hates me, but now the hate is more like a pout than a scream.

6. UP. I went hiking with Sweet Baboo and Courtney anyway. I took it easy because of the ankle thing, and only climbed up to 9400 feet. Next week, we're headed to the south peak.
7. Future Races. I have been stricken by the "never say never" curse and plan to sign up for a hundred-miler when I reach 160 pounds. I haven't decided which one. I'm looking at Pinhoti (near my sister), the Javelina Jundred (cool buckle, and a 100k "wimp-out" option) or Rocky Racoon (flat, flat, flat but boring, boring, boring). Each of these races is superbly organized and supported.

8. WEEPY. Does getting older mean you cry at every damned thing? Even movies I've seen a million time do this to me. In fact, movies I've seen a million times are worse: I start to get choked up in anticipation of what's about to happen. I'm pathetic.

9. Foot.
A new development: a pain between two of my toes on the bottom of my right foot. Mostly felt going downhill. I hear it's called a neuroma, and is hard to get rid of . Oh, YAY.

10. Training, P.2. I've started over with the 50-mile training plan. I'm a bit behind because of the ankle thing; I've only done 47 miles this month so far.

11. FIRE! Sweet Baboo has gotten really good at making fires! His fires are roaring and burn away any accumulated soot on the glass, so you can see them clearly. This means they burn out accumulations in the chimney, too.
This was Sunday's fire:

12. Cookies. Sunday Sweet Baboo asked if we could have some sort of cookie. Well, hell, the man had made a kick-ass fire, so sure, I started looking for healthy PB cookie recipes.
One recipe said "low fat" but included a cup of butter-flavored crisco "or butter."

Another one required olive oil. Olive oil? in cookies?

Another one required maple syrup, which people like to imagine is safer than sugar, because it's all natural and junk. Of course, snake venom and botulism are also natural, but trying to explain that to certain people is like trying to explain to them that quartz crystals are chemically identical to window glass. It creates a cognitive dissonance that they cannot overcome.
But I digress.
Anyway, I don't like maple syrup. I like Mrs. Butterworths. So there.

Well, after looking at various recipes, I decided to make up my own. How hard could it be?
And, Oh, My, Goodness. They sucked. Apparently, baking is, like, a skill.

Plus, my oven thermostat is broken, and of course, I won't get it fixed because I'm too cheap and I only use the stupid thing twice a year anyway. So, unless I go over to the oven and turn it off for about one minute out of every 5, everything BURNS..

The recipe yielded 5 decently cooked bland cookies and about 15 peanut butter charcoal briquettes.

I will continue to experiment. I'll post a recipe when I have one that works. Meanwhile, just go ahead and skip telling me about PB cookies at Trader Joes. Remember: I will not join your Trade Joe's cult.

13. Motivation. I have a friend that calls me every 4-5 months to tell me how much she really needs to get fit. I'm not naming names. I don't think she reads my blog, anyway.
So. She tells me how badly she needs to work out, and makes a date to go on a trail hike or short run with me, doesn't show up, and then I don't hear from her again until the next quarter. This has been going on for a few years.
She was supposed to come over the same day I agreed to cycle with my very super fast cycling friends. Of course, I was not troubled by the double-booking, as I was relatively certain the weather would cancel the cycling and my friend would not show up.
I was right. I relaxed all day, until i did a late afternoon hike with Baboo. Win-win. Meanwhile, the door's always open for her.

...

15 comments:

  1. Your hair looks lovely; I hope you get a call back and hired soon; and that fire is picture perfect! Have a great weekend.

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  2. I know you do the vegetarian thing and not sure if you are vegan or not, but- easy and quick and not a butt load of cookies.

    1 cup of your favorite peanut butter
    1 cup of sugar
    1 egg

    portion out on a cookie sheet and bake til just barely golden. PERFECTION!

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  3. Really? No flour or anything? How does it stay together?

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  4. You are my long-lost twin. I had the same Natural-Schmatural conversation with my sis-in-law... To her query that I switch to (natural) molasses from white sugar-- I told her that syphilis is natural--that doesn't mean I want it in my body.

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  5. Long lost triplets, maybe . . . am always working on getting the fire hot enough to clear the glass; oak (and other hot hardwoods) really help. And, OMG! I think I have the same friend (let's workout on tuesday, huh, what?) but I uncharitably closed that door like 2 blow-offs in. I dunno about increasing with age, but I have been known to cry over AT& and/or General Foods International Coffees commercials if seen at the right time of the month.

    No Trader Joe's? You are missing out.

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  6. Regarding number 3, I'd love to see what you could do with a paper clip and a feather!

    I also have a number 13 in my life. I always "leave the garage door open" and hopes she decided to drive in and park. :)

    And what's wrong with TJ's. Seriously? We don't have them here in Texas, but I have been to them in Cali -- they seem like great stores!

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  7. Nope, not a drop of flour. The PB and the egg bind up enough and do the trick. When I am feeling a lil fancy, I'll chuck in a pinch of salt for zing or maybe a splash of vanilla for depth. That's all you need.

    If you like them softer, bake less. Crispy, bake more.

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  8. and brown sugar almost guarantees soft cookies. You can sub out equal amounts of white/brown sugar with one another to achieve crispier (white) or softer (brown) cookies.

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  9. Nueroma is tons of fun - apply sarcasm as necessary. There is some shining light. You can develop a tolerance to it - similar to your butt going numb on your bike. You can slowely extend the time you're on your feet before it starts to flare up. Also, your running store should have little pads which you can put underneath the part of your foot that is being pinched- which can expand that area (over the pad bump) and help with blood flow. It did nothing for me, but they are cheap. Also- if you're in a race, and your foot gets to the point of numbness - the WORST thing you can do is stop and try to get feeling back in it. Trust me. I spent the last 3 miles of my last long race crying my eyes out because the no longer numb feeling was like walking on hot coals burning through my foot. Numb is so much better!

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  10. I found protein cookies.
    trioplex.com
    9g protein per cookie
    sugars 11g
    (that's the caramel apple cookie)
    they come in PB too.
    beats having a pile of cookies screaming "eat me, eat me!"
    Don't get distracted from THE PLAN.

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  11. Love reading these... but I gotta ask.. your hair grows an inch a month ?!?!? What are you using/doing? I am lucking if I get 1/4"/month !

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  12. Yep, it grows 3/4 to an inch a month, no lie. Being blonde has been a very expensive proposition over the years. Every 5-6 weeks, I got it foiled and cut. It's how it's always been.

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  13. Awesome story about your eldest. You should write real books,
    tell stories; you have the gift. I have two sons with similar but less extreme tendencies. Hoping they will mature into the men they could be at some point.

    Sorry to hear about the ankle. I tell everyone (hope I'm not repeating myself to you) that I've had good luck using an ASO ankle brace (~$30) and haven't had a re-sprain in several years now.

    I know what you mean about having to actually train so you can meet cutoffs. Even so, I've managed to miss them a couple of times on longer races (50 miles, 100K). Really really annoying.

    Good luck with your recovery and training!

    Cynthia

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  14. I was going to suggest my all time fav/easiest peanut butter cookie recipe, but I see someone else already has :D

    PB/sugar/egg - it makes amazing cookies - I've even made it with splenda instead of sugar and it turns out great. Was a god send when hubby was going wheat free for about a year.

    ReplyDelete

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