Behold the Green Tomato

JE calls it the green tomato, in addition to refusing to drive the car. Its sort of funny to drive down the street and watch onlooking youths slug each other when I pass. I once came out of a wedding reception and several very drunk girls were perched on the back in various poses taking pictures. [Come on ladies, its not like its a Porsche.] I flicked my key and the car beeped and lights flashed, to which they burst into embarrassed giggles. Yesterday I loaded groceries into the back, got in, started the car and looked up at a very startled boy about to touch the hood. It had apparently been designated the end point for a game he and his brother were playing while waiting for mom. He looked quite shocked when he saw me in the car. Whoops.

I find myself being very lazy these past few days. All I want to do is sit in my house and read or putter around cleaning and doing random chores. I think I am getting sort of bored. I suppose if this was my retirement, I would find lots of stuff to do, but since its only temporary I just sort of do whatever suits. Sleeping, a lot. Reading, a lot. In fact, I think my day will consist of a trip to the library, shopping at the farmer's market and golf. Its ladies night on the golf course, so B and I will play six holes. I haven't even hit a ball for weeks. Regardless, I'm pretty terrible so it doesn't much matter until I commit to doing more to get better. Its not in the budget or on my daily list of to dos. I think I better go early and hit the range.

Before and After

Garden First Planted

Garden After Month Plus

"Patio" with Bbq

24.7, Sushi, Farmer's Market, and Patio - Oh My!

The biggest mileage of my training is done. I'm confused as to how it will be better at the marathon when almost 25 was killer. I felt surprisingly okay at the end. There was a struggle about half way when my knee really hurt and my brain kept telling my body that this was quite far enough, thank you. I shared those thoughts with BT, after working through them and coming to the conclusion that it was okay because BT has already done this before, to which she told me that actually it was the furthest training run she had done in her now fourth run of it. (No pun intended.) I guess that made me feel better. We joined BT and spouse for dinner at a lovely sushi joint.

The next morning a trip to the farmer's market successfully killed my lack of enthusiasm for cooking. So once again inspired by wonderful fruits and vegetables (and some yummy chipotle cheddar cheese) I have regained my need for fresh, healthy food. Not to mention the scale is telling me I better get to it. Despite the training, my ability to lose the extra pounds that are causing my annoying knee pain seems to be a challenge. A visit to the gym and a scale last week told me there's no more pigging out. In an effort to eat light, I thought I would substitute carcinogens for that other stuff. So off JE and I went to the Depot to investigate the cost of pavers and a barbecue. We've complained for a year now that we really would like to have a barbecue, especially since last summer that's all we did. Alas our humble abode does not provide a place for outdoor activity. So we decided to add to the planter box area by creating a 5x4 "patio" of paver stones, then completing it with a Weber charcoal grill. Said area was christened promptly thereafter with delicious lamb burgers in pita and a cucumber raspberry salad. Tonight's meal consists of grilled squash, feta, and quinoa salad (a variation on this:Quinoa and Grilled Zuchinni) and some fresh salmon from the Japanese Market, all washed down with this wonderfully nutty Japanese barley tea. Now that's how one should spend their summer off.

Cucumber, Raspberry and Pine Nut Salad
One English cucumber
1/4 C mint (optional)
1 basket raspberries
1/3 to 1/2 C toasted pine nuts (I cover the bottom of a small frying pan)
Olive oil
Raspberry or balsamic vinegar
Salt and Pepper

Chop cucumber into 1/4 inch size pieces (about,) then toss in basket of rinsed and drained raspberries and toasted pine nuts (cooled.) Chop and add in mint, salt and pepper (to your liking) Mix ingredients. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar of choice. Serve. Be happy!

I have made variations of this, mostly experimenting with the dressing and spices, but the three basic ingredients remain the same.

Life in the Smoke

Yeah, yeah, California is burning. I went on a week break and without wanting probably inhaled the equivalent, without the filter, of a couple packs of cigarettes from the forest fire smoke. Bleh. Its sort of getting in the way of my marathon training. Yesterday's 20 miler was tough. I sucked wind like never before. I have experienced achy, tight legs, soreness elsewhere, but short of breath is a new one for me. I feel for people with asthma (although I was told I have lower than normal lung function myself.) This week I am resolved, trying to embrace the choice I have made in terms of work. Today, I hung out with my plants, did laundry, some shopping, groceries, all the mundane tasks that keep everything else running smoothly. It was a nice day. Oh, the picture is the smoke/fog where I live. So, I went from and air quality index of about 180 to about 111. Burn, baby, burn.