Silly cat, chocolate is for humans!

I had a hankering to make something chocolate, but with summer coming on I didn't want to heat up the oven and thereby my residence. I found the perfect solution. My mother has a recipe for no-bake cookies that is very good, but given my preference for some "healthier" options in recent times, I decided to adjust the recipe slightly. Here's the ingredients to my mother's recipe:

No-Bake Cookies

2 cups sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 cups oatmeal
1 teaspoon vanilla

I decided to substitute dark chocolate baking cocoa for the baking cocoa and almond butter for the peanut butter. I also use Smart Balance spread instead of butter because of its mixture of omegas -- that way I get the benefit of eating fish without eating fish all the time. The substitution turned out alright, and making the cookies is very easy.

First, combine the sugar, cocoa, milk, and butter in a saucepan. Once you apply heat, the mixture will liquefy rapidly, so stir constantly. Eventually the mixture will start to boil around the edges of the pan, just like you see here.


Continue stirring until the mixture reaches full boil, as shown here. Boil for 1 minute (or thereabouts before the mixture threatens to escape the confines of your pan).




Next, remove from heat and add in the oats and stir.







Then, add in the almond butter (oh, I love this stuff!)







Finally, add the vanilla and stir. The cookies are made by dropping the mixture in spoonfuls onto wax paper, as shown here. (I know what some of you think these cookies look like, and all I have to say to you is get your mind out of the gutter! You know you are, and so do I!)

The cookies (30 total) take about an hour to cool. But it seems that someone just couldn't wait that long! And of course, she wants the biggest one. Silly cat, chocolate is for humans, not cats! But as good as these turned out, I don't blame her for wanting some. The consistency is a little different than what I remember Mother producing, but I attribute the difference to the change in ingredients; the oils in the products I used are substantially different. That being said, the cookies did hold up well. And it's not like that requirement is all that extensive, since an individual cookie doesn't last five seconds in my hand! Yum!

The tortoise still runs

My time for my second race was better than on first, and there was this nasty hill around mile #2! I was so surprised to see that my time was actually better than the previous race as I approached the finish, and I finished feeling strong. Out of breath but strong. A full 90 seconds strong. And there was a hill!

So approaching my third race -- the Swamp Rabbit 5K -- this last weekend, I had full expectations of achieving an even better time. There were even more people at this race, and it felt electric to be a part of a huge group there to traverse the same distance. I positioned myself around the middle of the pack, and after waiting what seemed like forever, the strating gun fired. Once I was able to start running continuously, I established a good pace and didn't worry about all of the yahoos passing me. I knew that I would pass many of them soon enough. And I did. And I felt like I could keep on going, just keep running. I was Forrest Gump. "That boy is a runnin' fool." I was on track to an even better race time.

But eventually I had to slow down for my heart rate. (To understand the problem, see my post on my first race.) I alternated between running and speed walking as I felt the need, and as I approached the finish and saw how much time had elapsed, I was aghast. I was in real danger of having a worse time! I dug down deep and gave it all I had, crossing the finish line with an improved time of just one second.

I understood and yet I didn't understand. I understood that people would be passing out water and bananas to those who had finished the race. But hot dogs? I didn't understand that one. But I wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. I took my free hot dog, and as I sat down to eat it, I was trying to understand what had happened earlier. How could I feel so good at the start and end poorer than I expected?

Was it my starting position? There were a lot of people there and it took a while to get going. What about the hill in this race? Or did I end up walking a bit too much there at the end? I had purchased some special shorts to help me feel cooler while I ran, and it helped, but I was till sweating like crazy. Did the salt water in my eyes slow me down any? I had to dig really deep to finish as I did, and it seemed to me that I shouldn't have had to do that. It still seems to me that I shouldn't have had to do that. I guess I need to step up the training!

And all this came to me while eating a hot dog! My training was off to a great start.

Then the score sheet was released, and I found a larger race in front of me. I was listed with an even better time than what I remembered achieving. I emailed the distributor and explained my situation. I was in effect saying that I should have been listed as finishing 1035th instead of 1018th. Some people would say that this was not a big deal -- which is what the distributor told me -- but in the race of ethical behavior I wanted to finish with my integrity intact. Whether I finish 1035th or 1018th, out of 1606 total participants, I think that I did pretty good! Yes, I was in the 35th percentile, so my time is nothing to boast about. But how many of those people felt as strong as I did starting out? I was not as fast as a whole lot of other people, it's true. But I am still running the race. And with each race I run I achieve a better and better time. I am progressing. I am improving. And eventually one day my number will be something to boast about, and I will have done it through honest effort. When that day comes, this tortoise will then be a hare! What a day that will be!

Break out the mads, boys!

I thought that I had already made this post, but when I saw on my blog after my earlier post that it wasn't here, I thought to correct the deficiency immediately.

I would have never thought that I would have made something French before my brother did -- and certainly not something like madeleines (for those who don't speak French, it's pronounced "mad-a-lanes"). But it seemed like the surprise I had planned for my brother turned out to surprise me as well. I thought it would be a great idea if I would surprise my brother on Easter Sunday with some fresh madeleines from my oven. He was coming clear across the country to visit me, and he has always loved everything French, especially since his mission in Paris. He has even been back a couple of times. And I knew how much he enjoys a very simple breakfast in the European fashion. So I decided to surprise him. And this is how they turned out. Not bad for my first attempt, even if I do say so myself!

With the consistency of spongy pound cake, madeleines are surprising easy to make. And because they are small like a cookie, they bake very quickly. There are lots of mad recipes around. I used one that I found online that supposedly comes from France (wow, what a surprise). Here is the recipe:

Madeleines au Citron

2 large eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teasppon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit. Prepare pan with non-stick cooking spray or by heavily brushing softened butter into each molds with a pastry brush, taking care to butter every ridge, and then dusting the molds with flour and tilting the pan to coat the surfaces evenly and remove any excess.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, granulated sugar, and salt. Using a wire whisk or a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat vigorously until pale, thick, and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the almond and vanilla extracts and lemon juice. Sprkinle the sifted flour over the egg mixture and stir or beat on low speed to incorporate.

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the lemon zest and half of the melted butter just until blended. Fold in the remaining butter.

Divide the batter among the 12 prepared molds, using a heaping teaspoon of batter for each mold. Bake the madeleines until the tops spring back with lightly touched, 8-12 minutes. Makes 12.

The distictive seashell shape comes from the special pan used to bake them. You can tell they are done when the edges brown and the puffy center springs back upon touch. When filling the molds, I learned that it is okay for the batter to fill the mold entirely, coming flush with the top of the pan. Minus the special pan, I am sure that this recipe would work well for mini muffins. I also recommend using an electric mixer, as the hand method will take considerably longer and requires a little bit of skill to achieve the same effect. With the mixer, I can have these in my mouth in 25 minutes. Per my usual habit with any recipe, I omitted the salt. I figure I get enough of that from what I already eat.

My brother was so impressed with my effort to make him this very common Frech teacake that later that evening he asked if he could make more for his plane ride the following morning. I of course consented. It was then I learned that he had never before made mads, and so I was surprised that I had made something French before he had. He used my recipe, only he added the lemon juice, which I had not used for my first batch. In his generosity he left some for me in a plastic sandwich bag. When I got back the next morning from having taken him and his wife to the airport, I found the bag sprawled out on the kitchen counter with little nibbles in the bag and on the mads inside. Tashi! I swear that cat has food on the brain!

Recently I went out of town to attend the funeral for Uncle Darrel (details in my previous post). Tashi could not come with me, so I asked my good friend Kim to feed her for me and also to play with her if she wanted. Kim was very good to Tashi, and so as a thank-you gesture I decided to make her some madeleines. Here is how this batch turned out. I know it looks like Tashi got to some of these as well, but truthfully I didn't quite use enough cooking spray on the pan, and so the mads somewhat stuck to my so-called non-stick pan. For some reason that escapes me, these also seemed to cook a little faster. That's not a complaint -- I like crispy -- just an observation of the experience. Whatever the reason, I am totally in love with mads. I'm sure to be making more of these in the future and drinking them with some dark chocolate cocoa. Mmmm mmmm good!

Why cats need to learn English . . . or some other people language

Tashi has this insane habit of insisting that I wake up around 5 AM to feed her. She is very mannered; she doesn't climb all over me and poke at me to wake me up. She waits for me to wake up, but then once I am awake, she is relentless in making sure that I know that she is starving to the point of death. Of course, those of you who know me well know that it takes a while for me to leave the land of dreams and return to the land of the woken. So I'm not completely here as I meander to the kitchen to feed the cat, but it takes her no time to gulp down all her food. It makes me wonder if she even chews it that much. This is the usual procedure.

What wasn't usual was what I saw the other day. I had just put away the cat food after feeding Tashi when out of the corner of my eye I saw it. My cat had made mince meat out of my paper towels! I thought to myself, Guess I need to get a scratching post for this cat.


I was naive to think that was all this cat had done. When I got back to my bedroom I saw that the cat had destroyed the blinds! The close-up shot shows better what the cat had done. She was obviously getting up into the window while the blinds were down, and her body moving in between the blinds bent them out of shape so much that they snapped off. She didn't do this all at once; I had seen earlier where she had bent some of theblinds back, but they had never fractured. Well, that has obviously changed. And it will take a while before this gets fixed. Why? Because things like this are honeydews, and I have no honey to get me to do them! Women offer refinement to men -- just one of many reasons why it is not good for man to be alone. But what more had this cat done? And where was she?

Ah, there's the little stinker! Guess all that destruction just wore her out. Look at her -- she's so cute, especially when she is sleeping! So naturally it is easy to forgive her whenever I see her in all her cuteness. And I went out and got a scratching post for her, which of course she doesn't use. And I'll fix the blinds. If only Tashi could speak English or Spanish or even Chinese, we could avoid all of this mishmash! I know what she would say, though. Most of the time she would say something like "Feed me" or "More, please." That cat has food on the brain!

One good thing from all of this -- I got a great picture of Tashi's distinctive V marking on her belly. I didn't notice it when I first got her because she had been neutered the previous week, and the vet shaved her belly as a part of the surgery. So at the time I thought that her marking was the white spot on her chest. Only recently has her belly hair grown back, revealing her distinctive V marking. What does the V stand for? Well, if she could speak, then we'd know! For the time being, it can be whatever I want it to be. With my imagination, I'm sure to think of something!

Tribute to a hero gone home

My plans were recently disheveled when I learned that Uncle Darrel had passed away. Not many people can say that they know their great-grandfather's brother, but not only can I say that I knew Uncle Darrel, I knew him fairly well.

Of course, it helped that he lived right around the corner from where my folks live. They didn't even know they were moving so close to him when they bought the lot for their house, but they soon found out and were joyed to be living so close to family. Being so close to my family, Uncle Darrel was always on my radar when I have been in the vicinity of home.

I actually didn't care so much about him when I first came to know him. I was actually looking for information about my great grandfather, and so I had come with my dad's voice recorder and some questions. But it didn't take long before I was swept into the story of Uncle Darrel, and very soon I had changed my objective to collecting more information about him.

He was born in the roaring 20s, so he lived through the Great Depression as a youth. When WWII broke out, he quit high school to serve his country in the Coast Guard. He was based in San Diego and saw action in the Pacific. The emotional scars from that conflict left an indelible impression upon him, and I could tell that it was difficult for him to talk about, so I maintained a respectable distance on that subject.

He came home from the war and was celebrated as a hero. He went on to do lots of things both with his career as a craftsman and his family. He was married twice and loved both his families. But by the time I came on the scene he found it difficult to control his emotions when they were deep about anything, and so there were some things that we just never talked about. But I always enjoyed his company and the growth of our relationship. He always expressed his appreciation for my visits and phone calls.

Last year he was especially helpful to me. I had some amazing experiences that are too sacred to share here, but Uncle Darrel was a part of some of those, and for the part that these experiences brought good things into my life I have to thank Uncle Darrel for his contribution. I would not be the man I am today without any of it.

It was about three weeks ago that I found out about his stroke. Uncle Darrel was never one to be idle; he was always up and about as much as his body would allow him, which some days wasn't all that much. But this stroke really took it out of him. He was paralyzed completely, a condition that must have frustrated him. At first he could not even so much as talk and had to get his food through a tube, but slowly as his feeling started coming back into his body, he could wiggle a foot or a finger, but only on one side of his body. This made his speech sound very slurred, since he was only using half his mouth to speak. It was hard to understand him the last time I talked with him over the phone. But he kept at it and made some improvements, so much that it looked like he was going to pull through.

Then a second stroke came and placed him in a coma. When I got the news I sensed that we were looking at the end of the road. I wasn't too far off the mark when Mother called me the next day and told me that Uncle Darrel had passed away that morning. I was home sick (with a head cold, not swine flu) but still working. The news didn't surprise me, but I still felt something at the news. For a while, all I could do was sit in my chair and say over and over, "He was a good man." I shed a few tears.

There were more to come. As I made my way home, I thought about all that Uncle Darrel was to me, and again all I could say was that he was a good man. It was good to be with family and meet some that I had not seen before. But it was also good to learn things about Uncle Darrel that I never knew.

I never knew that during WWII he watched our government deliver one of our warships to the Russians off the coast of Alaska.

I never knew that he was deeply involved with Scouting. There was never any paraphenelia around his house to indicate that. But since it was hard for him to control his emotions late in life, it makes sense that all of the "triggers" would be kept out of sight.

And I never knew that the Lord was tenderly merciful to him at the end of his life. The first stroke he suffered clogged the vessels that delivered blood to his emotional center, thus effectively killing that part of his brain and freeing him from the trouble that had plagued him for many years. Because his emotions would now not fly out of control, he could have some tender moments with his family as they sang to him songs that he loved to hear. The second stroke then escorted him through to the other side with a minimal amount of pain and suffering.

As I sat in the funeral service hearing all of this, I could not help but weep like a child -- weep not only for the good man that Uncle Darrel had been to me but also for the good that the Lord had done for him. I had been holding back my tears up to that point -- maybe it was a subconscious macho thing -- but there at the end I just let go and let the salt water flow. It was very cathartic.

My thoughts since then have been often poignant, thinking back upon Uncle Darrel and the times that we spent together. I've been thinking about the influence that one good man can have in the lives of others, because I saw that in the the life of Uncle Darrel as reflected in those who came to pay their last respects to the hero called home. And I have been wondering about the influence that I have had and will have in the lives of those around me.

I'm certainly going to miss Uncle Darrel. But I'm certainly also looking forward to that day when I will see him again.

Socialism? Please, that is SO yesterday!

I generally leave discussions of politics to the side since they often serve more to divide than to unite, but what happened this week at the G20 summit is monumental. I'm not sure how many of you are aware of what is going on in the world, but if you aren't keeping tabs on things, you should be. Our world is changing right before our eyes, and many of us are wearing blinders such that our field of view is extremely narrow.

Part of what helps me to broaden my field of view is listening to the online broadcast of the BBC while I am at work. Honestly, with my busy schedule and no TV in my residence, this is the best way I can stay informed. Because GE owns NBC, I could easily tap into a feed from MSNBC, but most of the media in this country does not provide a truly international view of the news. The BBC does (or rather I should say they do a better job since their focus is on nations which were formally part of the British Empire, which having been said is still better than what you get here in the US), and I like that approach.

What first particularly struck me about the G20 summit is that it ended so quickly. When I learned that the summit had reached resolution, I thought, What? Didn't they start that yesterday? How can they be done already, especially with the stink that France and Germany were making? Then I learned what had been decided, and I just had to take a step back and look at everything that had occurred in context.

President Obama in the press conference he held after the summit called the event "historic." Honestly, what is it with everything surrounding this man being "historic"? That word is getting bandied about so much I am starting to tire of it, just like Senator McCain during the presidential campaign calling everyone "my friend". President Obama said that "we must act quickly" and that the crisis of the Great Depression was prolonged because people did not work together to solve the common problem. Well, that may or may not be true. It is good that people are working together to solve the current problem. But a novice on the international political stage comes in and gets everyone on board in just two days? There's an old saying: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

People are talking more and more about socialism these days, and not just in connection with the summit. The problem I have always had with socialism is the restrictions it places upon individual choice. That is what makes America the bastion of freedom in the world, why immigrants from all over the globe continue to flock here even with the moves our government has made over the years towards more national control of everything everyone does and even with some of the horrific things our nation has done on the international scene. But this G20 summit has set the stage for something far more extensive -- preparations for a new world currency as a stepping stone to a new world government.

This is not some kook conspiracy theory. President Obama said that we must "end the bubble and bust economy through regulation." Translation = we need to get rid of capitalism and replace it with a system that gives government more control. He talked about identifying jurisdictions for tax havens. What does that mean if not more regulation over what people can and cannot do with their wealth -- limits on individual choice? Do you think that the rich are just going to allow politicians to take their money? I don't think so. The President talked about reforming the IMF and the World Bank. What does that mean? Without more details, it's hard to say, but I can guess that we are looking at setting the stage for getting ready to introduce a new world currency because this cannot be done unless changes to the current system are introduced.

President Obama is not the only one talking this way. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown after the summit said that "the Washington consensus is over." That was in fact his most used phrase. That's monumental. He is referring to the order established after WWII, the one where the United States basically holds on to everyone's gold and issues the dollar as a promissory note. That is why the US dollar has been a standard world currency ever since. Recent events threaten to change all that, but I digress (or do I?). Mr. Brown talked about a "new world order," a new "consensus" among industrialized nations, and a "new era of responsibility" that extends worldwide. Seriously, all the talk from leaders everywhere about "sacrifice" and "responsibility" sound like justification for some pretty sweeping changes on our doorstep.

I can see why they would want to regulate banks by requiring them to have the cash on hand to cover all of the loans they make. On the surface, that makes sense. But if banks have to hold onto cash, then the costs of making loans will increase, and that hurts Joe Blows like me who don't have the money to pay for big ticket items upfront with cash. But I forget. That's really okay because the government knows better than I do what car I should drive and what house I should live in and even what job I should have. More restrictions on individual choice!

I understand that not everyone can do anything that they want. Terrorists, for example, want to kill lots of people. I think we should curtail their choice in order to preserve the choices of others. Choice, freedom, and liberty in this world are meaningless if you are dead. Generally, governments (and our government in particular) do a great job at things like national security. But when they reach out beyond that scope -- you know, what the Founding Fathers outlined in the Constitution -- they never do a good job. I'm no expert, but I do know how to think about things. There seems to be a pattern here. Maybe government should stick to what is outlined in the Constitution? But hey, what am I thinking? That's crazy, right? I probably had something bad to eat last night that is affecting me. For those of you who read my post from 14 March, maybe peaches on pepperoni pizza ISN'T such a good idea.

The collapse of Bear Stearns was the first event that marked our entry into a new world. This G20 summit is the second, and not just with the sweeping outcomes that resolved seeming differences among major players. I can remember when this summit used to be the G7, and then the G8, and now today we have the G20. The group is expanding. Why is this? More of the developed world is becoming industrialized, true. But it also could be what all the leaders are talking about, the establishment of a new world order, in essence a new world government. Is that good or bad? I'm not really sure, but I shudder to think about a world in which the people of an individual nation are not allowed to choose their own destiny.

China, Paris, meet Dixie

Last weekend was incredible. I went to Atlanta to see the Terracota Army exhibit on display at the High Museum of Art. It was way impressive.

For those of you not in the know, the first Chinese emperor was obsessed with ruling forever. He had thousands of lifesize stone warrior statues buried underground at his tomb site to protect him in the afterlife. Each one of these statues is unique, and considering the materials and methods of the time, the massive undertaking is very impressive.

I was not alone in that assessment. It appears that a lot of other people thought the same way I did. The museum was packed with people. It took me 30 minutes waiting in line just to get a ticket. And those who purchased tickets ahead of time online fared no better. Their lines moved just as slowly, because the attendants who were distributing/selling tickets were also trying to sell everyone on a membership to the museum. Then it was another 45 minutes in line for the actual exhibit before I actually got in. But it was well worth everything I exerted to get there.

And I got a special bonus: The admission I paid admitted to the entire museum, so I also got to see a special exhibit on loan from the Louvre in Paris! It was a series of paintings, sculpture, and drawings that exemplified the evolution of the concept of masterpiece down from medieval times and especially its "transformation" of sorts into what is called a reception piece. Apparently around the 16th century there was this fancy shmansy art circle in France, and to join you had to produce a reception piece. This concept turned the convention idea of a masterpiece -- a work which resembled the ultimate lifetime achievement of an artist -- on its head.

And then of course there was all of the modern art, which still to this day escapes me. I saw a giant green trapezoid attached to a wall, and I thought to myself that I once cut out a similar shape from construction paper in the first grade. The difference is that my work is largely forgotten in some decomposing landfill while this one is much larger and actually making someone lots of money. I wonder if it's the size that matters.

The best was this display of wooden logs arranged in a square spiral formation on the floor. Each log had an area of about six inches square with a height of about two and a half feet. I could not help but think that someone had stolen some Lincoln Logs from the Green Giant and then set them up on end like dominos. Seriously, I'd like to get this modern art deal, but for some reason it continues to escape me. A friend of mine once said that modern art is like that story about the emperor's new clothes; a bunch of slickters are able to convince the snobs of society that they are better than everyone else because they are inside the circle that no one else can understand when in fact they are being left naked in their ignorance for all the world to see. I don't want to believe that. I want to believe that there really is something to this modern art thing, because I can see great value in art from previous centuries. I just have a hard time seeing what I want to see.

Anywho, I enjoyed my trip very much. I certainly felt ennobled by my brush with culture and look forward to more delving in the future.

Running the good race

Today was a first for me. I never before ran in an official race. I have always enjoyed running, but I never actually ran in an official race. Today I changed that forever.

I even crossed the finish line alone. Keep in mind there were many people ahead of me as well as many people behind me. With my asthmatic tendencies, I think I did pretty good.

Yes, I have asthmatic tendencies. I think they are related to some allergy that I must have. My respiratory passages fill up with mucous membranes, the natural reaction of the body to capture and expel foreign particles. But for me it means that the effective area of respiratory passages for air to enter my lungs is significantly reduced, and that means when I undergo activities which require extra oxygen – like running – I tire sooner than the average person. So my finish with an average time is really extraordinary.

I had set the goal to run the entire race. If I could just go the distance, that would be enough for me.

As much as I wanted that, I wanted my own safety more. So I wore a heart rate monitor. The instant I found my heart rate too high, I could slow down.

That turned out to be a life saver – probably literally. Part way through the race, I found my heart rate higher than I have ever seen it. I can recall over the years some workouts that were really working me out, but I have never seen my heart rate as high as 162. I had to slow down. Without that heart rate monitor, I would have pushed myself even farther and probably would have suffered for it. I may not have been in the best physical shape for that race, but my mind was sharp and determined. I truly intended to finish well.

What surprised me is that my first race experience was about more than the race.

I was in line to use the restroom just before the gathering at the start line. The line for the men’s room was much longer than that for the women’s room. Not surprising, since there were lots more of us men at the race. But the line for the men’s room was incredibly slow.

As surprising as that was, that was not what really surprised me. I was almost to the door to the men’s room, when out comes this old guy with a cane. I thought, Hey, dude, if you need a CANE to help you WALK, what the freak are you doing at a RACE? I just had to smile.

But that was not my last view of Cane Man. I saw him shortly after the race had started. I was purposefully in the back of the pack; I wasn’t there to compete, so I determined to stay out of the way of those who were competing. In addition, I understood that soon after the race begins a natural filtering process would unfold. Those who sprinted off like madmen would soon lose steam and start walking. I passed many such characters early on. That felt good. But I also passed Cane Man.

For some reason, I have to put him in a different category. Here is this man who needed a cane to walk, and he was RUNNING. Granted he was anything but fast — his gate resembled more some ancient native dance technique than modern athletic precision — but he was running all the same. I thought about that old fable about the tortoise and the hare. That made an impression on me.

And I’m glad that it did. When it became clear that I would have to choose between chasing after my goal or my own health and safety, I slowed down and thought about what I had witnessed. I felt discomfitted; here was the moment that I had looked forward to now for at least two months, and I found that I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t go the distance. But Cane Man taught me that it didn’t matter, not fundamentally. He soldiered on despite his obvious impediments. I could do the same despite mine.

I may have stopped running on occasion, but I never stopped moving. And I crossed that finish line running — alone, but running. There were some greeters there to congratulate those who finished. They were probably part of the organizing crew. They were welcome, for they already knew what I had learned along the way. Everyone who finishes the race is a winner. And I actually did go the distance, just not in the way I had envisioned.

That is what it means to run the good race. We keep doing what lies within our power, keep reaching for that mojo, keep acting on the belief that eventually we will cross that finish line and enter into our rest. That’s what I did today.

And next time I’ll do better than I did today.

Smile, it's bacon!

You have no idea (or maybe you do) how happy I am now that my home Internet connection is working again. It's amazing how dependent we can become on some of these things that were not even in the public mind 20 years ago.

I found this pic while purging old files on my computer, and it made me laugh just like it did when I first saw it. Then I thought that I shouldn't be selfish; I should share it with everyone else! My apologies to Stacy May -- I know you abhor bacon. But for those who are not among a defiant minority in a bacon-loving world, this pic is just priceless.

Hmmm . . . it makes me hungry just thinking about it. I think I'll have some bacon. Actually, I did have some bacon for breakfast the other day, along with eggs and an English muffin. I've started to enjoy life more by enjoying food more, and that morning provides an excellent example. I don't just scramble eggs; I toss in some black pepper, dill weed, and extra sharp cheddar cheese. If am making filling for a breakfast burrito, I'll also throw in some marjoram. And the English muffin I topped with butter (not the real thing -- I actually like the Smart Balance Light brand which is somewhat spreadable and supposedly "healthier" for you) along with cherry preserves. Mmm mmm good!

The other night I had another good example -- pizza with pepperoni and peaches! I know it sounds weird, but it was really good. For some time now I have known about pepperoni and pineapple on pizza. The sweet of the pineapple tames the spice of the pepperoni so that the flavors of the pizza come out together more instead of being overwhelmed by the pepperoni, which in reality has served to mask the shortcomings of many pizzas. The peaches did the same thing as the pineapple only not as much; the end result was a taming that left just a little kick in the pepperoni. It was really good.

I tried this on a frozen pizza. I usually take whatever I bake out halfway through the baking cycle so that I can turn it around. In my experience the back of the oven is usually a little hotter than the front, so I turn my item around halfway through for more even cooking. But this time I took the pie out of the oven so that I could add the diced peaches (which I took from a can of lite fruit cocktail). Then I stuck the pie back in the oven and let it finish its normal baking cycle, and voila! I know it sounds weird, but just like those roasted chicken flavored potato chips from my college days, this was actually really good!

As part of my continued effort to live more fully, I'll have to include more spotlights on good food and recipes in future posts. And lest anyone think that good taste means an increased waistline, I lost a total of 41 pounds last year on the Dr. Curtis Plan. I love eating what I want and still losing weight! Maybe I can go into more detail about this as well in a future post. For now, Tashi wants to play, and as every man knows, when the female says jump, the man just jumps. Plus she was upset with me the other night, but who can blame her? I left at 7 AM, got back at 9 PM, and didn't even call to let her know where I was or when I would be coming back. I didn't call of course because I didn't think that she would pick up, but that is obviously no excuse! I tried to make it up to her by buying her some new toys, and now part of my penance is to spend more quality time with her. So here I go. Woohoo!

You figure out what the title should be

So I had it all figured out. There was just one problem. How do you put something online if you can't get online?

My home connection experienced some major problems. Apparently there was a glitch somewhere, and my account was discontinued. Getting it back up and working again has been a pain in my you-know-where. It's still not up. I am at this moment sitting in the public library using their connection. So the post that I intended to do last Saturday didn't get up, because apparently when I called beforehand to ask what was going down, the answer I got was that someone at their computer had not done something correct. So the extra week that I was made to wait while the service got reinstalled was spent with nothing on both ends, mine and theirs. I was told that tomorrow my service should be back in operation, but I didn't want to wait that long to post again.

In my desires therefore to be proactive with the situation, I typed out my post in a simple text file, put it on my flash drive, and decided to visit my public library with the idea of doing a simple copy and paste. I usually do visit the library anyway, but I usually also go to the downtown branch because it is bigger and nicer. Seeing as how that branch is out of my way coming between work and a church meeting, I am here in the suburbs (well, not exactly, but same same). I was also going to update my goodreads.com bookshelf (an excellent site for those who like to read and share their love of reading with a wider community). Lo and behold, what do I find? The library network has been set up so that people can see what files are on their flash drives, but they can't open them.

What was the old saying about how some people can't win for losing? Whatever it was, I'm sure they were talking about me.

I obviously have access to post, else you wouldn't be reading this right now. So I decided to post about my inability to post. Not very creative? Well, at the end of my workday throughout which I was forced to use my brain almost exclusively, this is all I got left. Sad, I know, but true nonetheless. My employer is #9 on Fortune's most admired companies list for a reason; we perform exceedingly well, and part of the reason for that is a culture that pushes the people who work there farther and farther. I'm one of those people.

I was told that my home connection should be working tomorrow. We will see. I'm certainly not going to withhold my thoughts if it turns out that a certain red light on my modem hasn't changed to green. And those of you who know me well know what limits my mouth has when I release any sense of scrupples. In a word, none.

OK, I'll be nice. I know I should be. And I (usually) am. I'm just a bit frustrated.

The hardest part of not having my home connection is NOT not having access to email (I know I'm an English degree holder who just used a double negative; sue me). I always considered email as little more than a tool; I get in, use it, and then get out. But with the upgrade in my Internet connection to a higher speed, I have begun to discover something called Internet TV. Since I haven't had a TV in my place for almost four years now, I had escaped the black hole of vegetation that seems to be a mainstay of modern American culture. And I haven't missed it at all. But now that I have some access again, I have become re-integrated with a show that I was starting to get into before I foreswore my TV altogether --- 24. They only have the last three episodes online, so if my connection is not up and running tomorrow as promised, then I stand on the precipice of risking ignorance. A gap will exist in my understanding of events. Well, OK, not a total gap since they replay enough of the main digs to patch it together. But then why watch the show at all? Details, man, the real story is in the details, buried right in there with the devil. I'm afraid I might miss a little of the excitement. And yes, watching Jack Bauer be Jack Bauer is way more exciting than hearing about it. I loved how they started the season with him telling off that smug senator. Plus the long anticipated battle between Chloe and that IT chick at the FBI (sorry, too tired to remember names right now) was just starting to ignite during the last episode that I was able to see. I've been looking forward to that one all season long.

Guess you don't know how dependent you are on stuff until it's gone.

Enter the Tash

Well, I decided that living alone should go the way of the dinosaur. I got myself a good roommate on Monday. Her name is Tashi, and I think that this will be the start of a beautiful relationship.

Now, all of you who think that Tashi is a chick need to get your head out of the gutter. Tashi is a cat, and a really good one at that.

I went to the animal shelter on Monday over my lunch break to adopt an animal. I've had this idea for some time now, but it was only until my friend Kim "made" me schedule it on my calendar that it actually happened.

What surprised me is how few cats the shelter actually had. The website for the shelter makes it sound like they have tons of animals pouring through the doors all the time. When I showed up, there were only seven cats available.

I of course looked at all of them. One of them was huge; he looked to be 30 pounds of cat! I wondered how he would manage in a fight with a dog. There was another right by the door to the room that got very animated as soon as I came in the room. I instantly scratched (pun intended) that one off my list; I don't need a cartoon creature, just a companion to keep me company.

Then I saw Tashi. I stuck my fingers through the cage and let her sniff, and there was an instant bond with the creature. Then I took her out of her cage and held her and there went my heart, melted like butter in a microwave. The cat was very comfortable with me for the very short time that we knew each other.

I knew that this was the one. My friend Kim held her while I checked out the stat sheet tied to the cage. Her name was Panther. I thought, Panther? Where the holy Hebrew hay did that name come from? This was no Panther. That implies agression, and this cat was obviously just like me -- laid back and happy just to be around. But the rest of the stats looked good -- female, year and a half old, spayed just a week ago, mixed breed.

I determined to secure that cat as soon as possible. After signing a few forms and purchasing a few supplies there at the shelter (all told I parted with about $80), I walked away with a new friend.

She cried incessantly on the way to my place. I would too if I were boxed up like that. But when I brought the box inside and opened it up, she popped her head up out of the box and looked around very eagerly. I took her out, and she went from room to room to orient herself. In the meantime, I set up her litter box and then placed the cat in it so that she would know where it was. Then I washed her bowls and set out food and water. That cat seems a little thin, I thought, but I'll correct that soon enough.

The only thing missing was the name. Kim suggested Caroline, since I got the cat in South Carolina, and I admit that name had some appeal to me. But it also got that Neal Diamond song stuck in my head -- "Sweet Caroline, good times never seemed so good" -- and though it would be appropriate and I like a lot of what Neil Diamond has put out, I didn't want the song to get old.

There seems to be a little Siamese in the cat, especially with the shape of the head and the proportion of her ears and nose, so I thought that an Asian-sounding name would be appropriate. I first thought of Sasha, but that didn't seem right. It sounded more African than Asian to me. After a few iterations on Sasha, I came upon Tashi (Sasha --> Tasha --> Tashi). And the best part is that I can shorten it for a nickname that is both classy and spunky at the same time -- Tash (which I pronounce "tosh" to keep with the pronounciation of the full name "taugh'-shee"). She seems to respond well to the name, so that seals the deal.

My sister thinks that I stole the name from Tibet since, apparently, "tashi" is Tibetan for "prosperity". Gee, if only I knew Tibetan. I am learning Chinese, though, and in Chinese "ta shi" could mean "she is", although the pronounciation is different from the way I have named the cat. In a way, that seems godlike, what with the whole Jehovah the great I AM running through the Old Testament. But out of respect for my friends who are avid dog advocates, maybe I'll just not go there.


This cat is purr-fect! Very well behaved. Most of the time she only wants to just be around, so she will sit or sleep nearby no matter what I am doing. She lets me know when she wants to play, and then I get her toy -- right now a rod with feathers on the end of it -- and away we play. At first she had to have me right next to her before she would eat out of her dish, but now she seems more accommodated and only needs to have me nearby.

I'm sure more adventures will come. For the moment, it's great to have someone to come home to at the end of the day, someone who looks forward to seeing you (even if it may only be because your food dish needs filling), someone who doesn't have demands but rather simple requests that are easily satisfied, someone who is happy just to be around. Enter the Tash.

Culturing a classic education

I must be an idiot. Actually, I'm pretty sure that I am. See, I was sitting there in this awesome seat that got picked for me randomly by some computer and staring at a stage on which stood some of the most talented musicians of our generation not to mention at least the last two and all I could think about was how to answer a simple question: Is this a cultural event?

I had made a number of goals at the start of the year, and one of those goals was to go to at least 6 cultural events/places by the end of the year. So I was wondering whether or not I could count the event I attended last night as a cultural event.

Looking back, I can see that my true struggle was with the nature of what is cultural. See, I had envisioned back when I made that New Year's resolution that cultural embodied something old, something passed down from a previous time, something that transmitted something ennobling across time and even space, something that refreshes our humanity by our participation in it. That seemed to imply something that is . . . well, not modern.

What amazes me is that I was struggling with the question for so long. I was at a concert last night. It took me a good fifteen minutes just to get inside the doors to the building because of all the people trying to get in at the same time I was. The show actually started about 20 minutes late, which I think was done to accommodate all the people behind me trying to do what I was doing. And who was it we were all coming to see? Just four guys called Timothy, Glenn, Don, and Joe.

Yeah, that's right. The Eagles.

They actually played Greenville, SC, on their tour. Yeah, I'm a total idiot for not seeing right away how cultural this was. The Eagles have been making and playing music for almost 40 years, and not just any music either. Their music is classic, and it crosses generational boundaries, as evidenced by the ages of those in attendance at the show. The subjects they treat in their music as well as their own particular treatment of those themes could very well be described as ennobling. Their honesty, while abrasive to some, is in my estimation refreshing. In the current political climate, who wouldn't give whatever to have an elected representative tell it to us like it is instead of taking polls and having to spin everything just so?

And speaking of politics, that was the one part of their show that I didn't like. The other was that they didn't play "Get Over It," which I can only imagine would be killer to hear live. Timothy started introducing one of their songs with a reminder of what would be coming today --- the inauguration of the first black US President. He learned very quickly where he was. While there were some cheers from what seemed to be the floor, many more boos could be heard from the rest of the arena. They wised up and moved on. I know what Bono said about politics and music, but sometimes I think it pays larger dividends to leave well enough alone and recognize that there is a time and a place for everything. Put the message in your art and let people get what they will out of it. Use emphasis with discretion.

The only other reference to politics they made was in the video they were showing while playing Don's classic "Dirty Laundry." They had images from all of the cable news companies as well as major websites and periodicals, but it seemed awfully disproportionate. All but a small handful of the images they had from CNN were of Glenn Beck's program, and whatever you may think of Mr. Beck, it seems awfully disproportionate to use him as the model representative for CNN. The other guy I think they picked on was Bill O'Reilly. Fox News had perhaps more image representation than any other news outlet. In contrast, MSNBC was represented by only a single image. I only mention this all because it seems that the message behind the song would have more potency if the whole of media were excoriated together equally. That is at least the message that I get out of the song.

Outside these two trifals, the show was fantastic. It was certainly worth every penny, which I would surrender again for a repeat experience. I know that some performers rely too much on the light show, but these guys didn't. They got the balance right. The lights were an effective accent and never went over the top. The video images were effective as well and made the presentation of the music that much more rich. And what better way to enrich classic music than with classical instruments. I sat there after they started the show with four songs from their new album and thought, "I'll bet they'll play something different now. Some time tonight they must play 'Hotel California.'" And right then a trumpet solo started, which turned out to be their intro to "Hotel California." It was simply masterful.

And old --- classic stuff is almost always old. And these guys are old. You can't be playing for almost 40 years and not be. But they haven't lost any of their artistic talent. If anything it has increased. Don sang a wonderful rendition of "Desperado" and held one of the final notes for at least a good 10 seconds without breaking a sweat. The man who can do that and still write songs on a new album that rocks, after all these many years, is an artist in my book. That kind of talent and dedication mirrors anything one might typically think of as classical. It was ennobling to watch.

Part of that was because Don wasn't the only one like that. They all were like that. They all still have the gift. And they played and played and played. They were professionals, even in their dress. They were all wearing business suits: whites shirts, ties, jackets, the whole deal. They four of them appeared very Beatle-esque together. As the night wore on, they eventually took off their jackets and loosened their ties, but there they were, looking professional and being professional. Sure, Glenn got the track number of one of their new songs mixed up in an intro, but when you got so many songs to keep track of and you get old, you tend to slip a little here and there. And besides, when it came to the essence of their art, they didn't slip at all, not even a little.

Some people complained about how pricey the tickets were. And sure, I usually think twice before dropping that kind of cash for anything. But after what I experienced, all I need to know before dropping the cash for this is that I still have money left in the bank after I buy the ticket. There's no second thoughts there.

And no second thoughts either about The Eagles in concert qualifying as a cultural event. I'm definitely counting them towards my goal.

Still reaching for that mojo

So it turns out that -- as hard as it may be to believe -- I really am a lazy bum. Here's the proof. I've been meaning to use this blog as a place where all my friends can get updates on my ever evolving life without having to join some Internet social networking site (aka virtual black hole). Sorry, I know that many of you are Facebook fans. Maybe it's just my stubborn nature, but you haven't converted me yet. Keep trying, though. You never know.

How do I fill in for the past almost two years since I've been here? I don't, for starters. I left my job at the lab I was working at due to ethical differences, and now I work for GE. There are some big differences, going from a small company to an international heavyweight, but they made me an offer I just didn't know how to say no to -- 25% increase in salary not to mention a FULL benefits package. I'm working with some great people as a reliability engineer. If you don't know what that is, join the club; I'm still trying to figure it out myself! What I have been able to piece together so far is that we make statistical models to tell the sales people how reliable our products are, and then they know what cards they have in their hands when they negotiate contracts with clients. That's very simplified but sufficient to get a flavor for the work.

And what is it the sales people sell? Gas turbines. Yeah, carbon emitting greenhouse gas producing beasts. And way more advanced since the 60s when the modern environmental movement began. By advanced, I mean more powerful, more efficient, and more CLEAN. Wind and solar got nothing on this as far as bang for your buck. Working for an energy company has given me a new way of seeing the world. I've learned a lot about the power generation and distribution industries, not to mention the details in the energy debate that the media seems comfortable leaving out. Like the fact that the typical wind turbine produces 1.5 MW of power while the typical gas turbine can produce 200 MW. How many wind turbines do you need to get the same output from one gas turbine? You do the math. Oh, and these days power plant owners typically use the heat from the gas turbine exhaust to power a steam turbine, getting about another 150 MW for free. That changes the equivalent number of wind turbines, and again I'll let you do the math. For some reason, these little details never enter the discussion on energy sources, at least not the public one.

Some of you may recall that I was living in upstate New York. That was until a couple of years ago when I moved to Greenville, South Carolina. I'll be sure to put in details of travels around the state and region, and look for pics in the future as well. I'll also be more diligent in adding entries to this space; it's part of my goals for the year. Check back to get updated. I've got lots of exciting things lined up as well. In my reflections on 2008, I came to realize a lot of things. I realized that I had grown in a lot of important ways. I learned that true love is so much more than romance, and the choice to love truly even for a moment is worthwhile, even when the one you love leaves you empty, hurting, and overwhelmed with grief.

I also realized that I have wasted too many years looking for that "ideal life" that just hasn't come to me. I actually charted out the significant events of my life and saw that I haven't really done much with myself. And with that realization came another one -- I'll keep on wasting years until I decide to start living life here and now. I have been realizing that in bits and pieces the past few years and had been making sporadic efforts to correct that, but seeing my life to date in graphical form was really sobering. It really brought it all together for me. I quickly saw that I must begin now to live every day to the fullest.

So that's what I'm going to do. That's what my goals for 2009 are all about. The whole carpe diem thing. Breathe in every day. Give thanks for the wondrous gift of life I have been given. Work hard and play hard. Get back in the saddle whenever I get the wind knocked out of me. Meet more people and extend my sphere of influence. Learn how to do new things. Have new experiences. Keep reaching for that mojo.

Will this dyed-in-the-wool procrastinator conquer the natural man within? Check back later. I'll let you know what happens.

Lazy bum finally gets mojo

I've been thinking about getting this whole thing started for some time, as you can see from the dates of the previous posts, but it is only recently that it has actually come to fruition. Yeah, yeah, I know --- I'm a lazy bum. But things like this are honeydews, and I have no honey to motivate me to do what needs doing. Just further proof that it is not good for man to be alone.

But my life is good, and I'm not just quoting Nacho Libre. For those not in the know, I moved from upstate New York to South Carolina at the end of October 2006. New York had its good and its bad aspects, as do most places. I enjoyed being in that beautiful part of the country for a year and a half and soaking up some of the history. I didn't get to see all of it, which gives me an excuse to go back on occasion. There is so much to see and to do in the Northeast. And there are some very good people there.

And there is so much to see and to do in my new home. There were more Revolutionary War battles fought in South Carolina than in any other state, and I've already started to see some of them with plans to visit more. I've also been to a recreated Civil War battle, which was way cool. To see the way people once lived and to feel the heritage that has been left to us is very exciting to me.

I'll update this blog from time to time. Sending out a newsletter by email every six months was fine while the email list was small, but now I think that the blog option will make things easier for everyone. I can post a quick update whenever I want, and people can check in whenever they want, as often as they want, and not miss anything. I thought about some of those websites like Myspace or Facebook, but you have to join them just to view the updates on people, and I don't like the idea of forcing my friends to join something that they may not want to join, especially since I am not into joining those sorts of sites myself.

Keep an eye out for new updates. I've got lots going on. Between my writing, my work, my travels, and my plans to learn new skills (like horseback riding), I'll be sure to have lots to report. Hope all is well for all of you -- I wish you all the best!

Oh, the places I will go!

Just a quick update on some future travel plans --- next weekend I'll be visiting with relatives down by Cincinnati. The route I take will be through Pennsylvania (which I have never before visited), but I am still trying to decide how to get there and what I will do en route. Next month I will likely be attending a writer's conference in NYC. And I'm getting ready to move in May.

Yes, I've been meaning to get the word out on my new blog sooner, but life just keeps me busy busy busy. Mosy of my busy-ness comes from work; we are getting more and more of it coming in. My employer is evidently pleased with my performance; my most recent paycheck shows that I got a raise! It isn't much, and I'm sure that New York State will confiscate most of it somehow (which reminds me, I still have to do my taxes -- ugh!) but it is nice to know that my performance has been evaluated and found worthy of the increase in pay. I am also keeping busy with writing my book and trying to fit more reading into my schedule, which seems increasingly harder to do. But I soldier on nonetheless.

Hopefully most of you my friends will find your way here soon. Keep checking back for updates!

Enter the blog

OK, people. My email list is growing so long that emailing everyone every six months is now a major project. And I have enough of those already.

Enter the blog. A place where I can provide updates without emailing a single soul. A place where I can post pictures of places I visit and experience. A place which can accomodate short or long messages at any time I choose. And a place where anyone wondering what is new in my life can get a quick update.

I've never done this before, but this isn't the first time I've tried something new, so lay in a course at maximum warp and engage!

This edition of the news is brought to you by the letters N and Y.

Now for the news. I love my job! It's really great being able to do something that you love. The work is interesting and varied, I am learning so much that school could never teach me, and I get along so well with my work associates that we joke and laugh every day. So my job is good for me all around. New York has a tax structure that I consider oppressive, and the cost of living is higher than average, so we shall see how long I stick around here. There was talk of moving me to the satellite lab in South Carolina, and I was excited about that opportunity, but it appears that the people who make important decisions have decided on another route. On the bright side, my name appears on the company business card under the heading "Failure Analysis." I have my own business card now (a supposed sign of "arrival"), and this week I will be submitting a paper to be published in a professional journal. (There's a VERY funny story connected with that if anyone wants to hear.)

In other news, this is a wonderful area of the country! Upstate New York has so much to offer. I have already been to NYC twice, and the last time I bought a pass to ride the subway. I went to go see a free exhibit in the public library of manuscripts from medieval and renaissance times. That was so the bomb! Later this month I will be going to Connecticutt -- first time ever. I have some other trips in the works. And pictures will be coming soon of my travels.

Finally, I have decided that the time has come for me to embark on a very ambitious project. I have completed three short stories that I am trying to get published, and more are undoubtedly on the way. But it gets even better. Around the coming of the new year, I got this fabulous idea for a great story, but this one cannot be told adequately in the short story form, so I have to notch it up to the novel level. It will require a great deal of research and plain flat-out work to complete, but it seems to be something that I need to do, if for no one but myself. But the contribution that this story has the potential of making in giving hope to other people is almost overwhelming, and it is this idea that is starting to keep me awake at night --- the idea that my talents can be used to make a real difference in the lives of other people.

I am coming to realize a great power in adjusting my focus to that end. Instead of planning what I want out of life and what can make me great, planning to use my talents to help make other people great is more than ennobling; it is empowering. It fills me with life and a desire to take carpe diem to a whole new level. It brings out my best self. It reminds me of the high I got when I was running daily, the feeling of invigoration that would sweep over me after a good 20 minutes on the treadmill.

Life is good. I'd like to hear about yours, but this blog thing is new to me, so I have selected some settings temporarily to see how things go. Only registered users of this blog can make comments, and at present I am the only registered user. I'm not sure what features you will have available, but worst case scenario is you send an email to my junk mail account at idahoalpha@netscape.net and then I reply back to you. Eventually I'll have more of this figured out. In the meantime, whereever you are, may God's choicest blessings attend you all.