The Potato Vine

Ella Update

2009-06-17T13:07:00.001-07:00

Thanks so much to everyone who sent positive thoughts for my family! I really appreciate it. The poor baby headed home today from the hospital. She was there from Sunday to Wednesday because she kept running a fever and they couldn't figure out why. All the crazy tests they took came out negative so I guess it was just a virus or infection that her little 3 week going on 4 week body had a hard time with. Let's just hope the fever stays away!

Need Positive Thoughts

2009-06-15T06:39:00.000-07:00

My three week old neice< Ella, is in the hospital. She has a fever and they don't know exactly what's wrong for her. I feel like there's nothing I could do to help, but realized positive thoughts from others might help. Prayers, mantras, regular old postive thoughts sent her way -- I'd really appreciate anything.

LC's Back!

2009-05-16T18:32:00.000-07:00

Last summer my friend LC was my stable training buddy until she got pregnant, which was super happy news. Now she's back to training, which is great news for me! I need someone to help me get out there. So, with her help, this was my training week.

Monday - Swim, one mile
Tuesday - 45 minute run
Saturday - 1 hour run (3-2s)
Sunday - Tomorrow I'm riding with my other training buddy LA, should be about 25 miles

Could have been better considering I was planning to ride on Wednesday and planning to swim on Friday and neither happened thanks mostly to work, but overall, not so bad.

A Late Mother's Day Post

2009-05-12T17:33:00.000-07:00

The only remaining reader of this blog, my mom, has pointed out that she goes to the Potato Vine every day to find zip. So, in her honor, here's a late mother's day post.

My inclination is to organize my thoughts in honor of my mom using words that remind me of the woman who I'm lucky enough to have as my mother. So, here it goes.

Strength - My mom raised my brother and I by herself for about 7 formative years. I was two and my brother was an infant when my biological father and my mom split. It would be a tough task for anyone to raise two young ones on her own and yet my mom did it with such style and grace. I learned a tremendous amount from her just observing how she lived her life.

Fun - I love to travel with my mom and do pretty much anything with her. She's adventurous! I'll never forget the time in Mexico that she jumped off this incredibly high cliff to water below. Unfortunately, her legs came out from under her and she ended up with a huge bruise on her poor ass, but she never regretted it for a minute! I could only laugh with amazement from a safe distance. I didn't have the guts to make such a plunge!

Appreciative - One of the greatest things about experiencing things with my mother is that no matter what it is that she's doing it is "the very best _____ I've ever tasted/had/did!" I mean this seriously. I can't tell you how many times she's told me that a salad was the very best salad she's ever had in her life. Every new scenery she experiences, she says its the most beautiful thing she's ever seen. It is so nice to be with someone who appreciates things so genuinely.

Catholic guilt - Sorry, ma, but no one's perfect. She's an absolute champ at both feeling it herself and doling guilt out on others. You ask for some examples? "Little One, how can you live in California, so far away from your family?" "Little One, how can you not have come to visit in so long?" "Little One, have you called your brother lately?" It's always in the name of love though!

Kindness - My mom is one of the kindest souls that I'm blessed to have in my life. She cares deeply for her family and generally dotes on children.

Determination - I was very proud of her for fairly recently making a commitment to get healthy and losing a good amount of weight. She got on an exercise regime and has really stuck to it! I'm super impressed by her.

You've probably guessed that my mom is a very special person. People are continually surprised that we talk on the phone everyday, but I couldn't imagine my life without her in it on a daily basis. She's a rock for me in many ways and me for her. We're a team. We've made it through this life that way and we're very lucky to have done so. They say we don't get to pick our parents, but if I had any say, I would have picked my mom every single time.

That Cow's Killing You!

2009-04-29T15:14:00.000-07:00

Hey. Sorry for the long silence. Had to pass this story on. A major thorough study indicates that the people who eat a good deal of "red and processed meat" will die sooner. Stop eating it! Or if you must, at least eat less! Your body, the animals, and the environment will thank you.

Sunday Wrap-Up: Week 4

2009-04-05T20:07:00.000-07:00

This was a pretty good week. I guess after the ridiculousness of actually gaining weight the week before shocked me into seriousness!

Monday: 50 minute run. Oh, yeah! It was a group run and my buddy LA was supposed to join me, but she got stuck at work. That sucked because we run at about the same pace. Well, honestly, right now she's a much stronger runner than me, but she's nice enough to stay with me. Without her, I was by my lonesome, but my coach rode next to me for awhile. Actually, that was a mixed blessing. He was riding his bike next to me so I felt bad stopping for my intermittent walking. Hence, I went about 18 minutes and 30 seconds before he rode away and I had a well deserved break. So, I didn't systematically work in walking breaks. It was basically a 50 minute run with a few one minute walking segments.

Tuesday: one hour spinning class at the gym. It felt pretty good really.

Wednesday: at work until late

Thursday: One hour swim - 2,000 yards. I came home from that work out and told CC, "The Little One is back!" That's right people. I'm back in business.

Friday: Just my commuting to work exercise

Saturday: ride with LA for 2 hours and 29 minutes and we went 30.7 miles. It was pretty great. We went to a small town that is up a fairly steep hill. I felt good but definitely was getting tired on the way back. I noticeably slowed down. Still, I didn't wake up this morning with sore legs to that's good news!

Sunday: Wanted to do yoga, but missed the time slot so, I ran. The good thing about running is that you can do it at any time. I did one of the loops in the park close to my house. I ran 35 minutes and 30 seconds. I ran 10 minutes and walked 1 minute and repeated. I was proud of myself for getting out there without the group or a friend to entice me. I need to do that more.

Weigh In: 124! At least we're now moving in the right direction! Just 10 pounds to go. Geesh, that sounds like a lot. This one pound lost was hard earned.

At the end of this week I'll be in L.A. for a work meeting. When ever I travel, it is difficult to stick to the exercise and food plans, but I'm going to have to be serious.

Vancouver Day Four: Part 1, Ah, the Sun!

2009-04-01T19:59:00.000-07:00

Our Saturday in Vancouver was the day to really see the city and we were so excited to get beautiful weather! CC's last obligation was over a little after 10 AM and we were planning on leaving a little after that. But, we couldn't go out and be tourists on an empty stomach! So, first some breakfast.

Fortified we walked from our hotel to almost the entrance of Stanley Park. I had finally convinced CC that it would be a good idea to rent bikes to tour around. I'd asked him to do it on several trips and he was never very enthused. This time though we would be riding around in a park and he loves parks so he said yes. Yippee!

The park was absolutely beautiful and big. The bike path goes all around the park, which is also all along the shoreline. You bike on what they call the sea wall.

The first park feature we came across was a series of totem poles (scroll down). They were beautiful and were a great way to honor the traditions of First Nations people.The view of city skyline from the park is breathe taking. As you go around the park, the views continually change. Here's the view from the totem poles area.
This little food hut in the park by a children's area had veggie dogs! So, of course, we had to get one of those!While I was generally a big fan of this park, the "petting zoo" really bummed me out. Why? I can't believe we send such bad messages to kids. It makes sense that children become okay with eating animals (if they ever examine it) because we've taught them since they were very young that animals are only useful in so far as they serve you. Hence, let's cage them up just so your little hands can pet them. What the hell? Great idea.

Back to the happy description of our wonderful day . . . the back side of the park was all in the shade because it was on the seawall behind a pretty steep cliff. I was so glad we had bought gloves! [Okay, so I know I try not to buy new, but our hands were freezing so I think it was a necessity and they became my only souvenir.]

Once we got all around the park, we decided we surprisingly up for still more biking. We had planned to return the bikes and cab it to Granville Island because I was interested in going to the Granville Island Market. I was happy though to skip a cab ride and continue on via pedal power. We continued all along the coastline. There were great bike trails/lanes for miles! Vancouver is really bike friendly.

We decided on a route that would take us through the 2010 Olympic Village. On our way we biked past the Vancouver's Science World. The museum is a really interesting structure and is right next to the Olympic Village.It was so neat to see the Olympic Village under construction. The athletes will have a beautiful view of the mountains where I assume lots of events will take place.

After a look around the development of the Olympic Village, we kept on heading to Granville Island. But, the description of our activities there and our final dinner will have to wait. We did so much that it's hard to get it all in one post without boring y'all. So, part 2 Vancouver Day 4 will have to come soon.

Sunday Wrap-Up: Week 3

2009-03-29T20:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I know it is actually Monday morning, but alas, here's my week wrap up.

Tuesday: 30 minute run with LA (run 4 minutes, walk 1) and then a 50 minute swim
8 * 25 = 200 yards
4 * 50 = 200 yards
6 * 75 = 450 yards
4 * 75 = 300 yards
12 * 50 = 600 yards for a total of 1750 yards

Wednesday: 45 minutes of Pilates

Friday: 40 minute swim

Saturday: 20 minutes gardening - believe me that counts! All that bending over is a real work out for my hamstrings! & a long walk with CC

Sunday: 1 hour 5 minute ride in insane winds so that we only went 13 miles. Then, ride to work still in crazy wind, ride to gym, 1 hour of yoga, and rode home.

Weigh In: 125! Yep, I gained 2 pounds! That's what three weeks of getting back on track does for me. So, yesterday I went back to writing everything down that I ate and tracking the calories. Well, until KG asked to do dinner. Rats! Oh, and PLEASE don't say, "Oh, Little One - you're gaining muscle." I don't care at this point. I feel yucky and that's what matters.

Enough crankiness. It is a new week so let's see what it brings.

Vancouver Day 3: Dinner

2009-03-25T23:15:00.000-07:00

From what I read, I wanted to check out the neighborhood called Yaletown. The magazines all said it was some kind of "hip, urban" area. Since we had a late afternoon snack, CC and I were fine with a late dinner. So, we decided to walk from our hotel to the Yaletown area and then have a cocktail and maybe an appetizer prior to finding a dinner place.

The first cool hipster place we stopped at was Plan B. As was the case with pretty much every menu in Vancouver, they had veggie samosas on their menu. Given my deep love for samosas and the neat atmosphere, we thought this was a good first stop.We sat at the bar and the bartender (with yet another accent that we couldn't pinpoint) asked us what we'd like to drink. I was open to options and interested in what he specialized in. He, not so humbly, said he could make anything well. So, I said I'd like something in the realm of a mojito, something with fresh fruit and an herb like mint. CC ordered a Manhattan. Unlike the bartender at Cin Cin, this one didn't ask if he wanted it with rye or bourbon or if he wanted it up or on the rocks. Hence, he made it as he wished, which was interesting. It was with bitters, Crown Royal (which my Dad loves), some kind of dry soaked cherries, and the liquid they were in. CC liked it.

We also ordered the samosas, but said we need to make sure they were dairy free. Unfortunately, (and kind of strangely) the house samosas included cottage cheese! I never heard of that. And, then, they didn't offer us anything else because they said nothing was vegan on their menu. It was kind of a bummer because a chef at a place like that surely could make something vegan, but wasn't interested in doing so. Still, the bartender was wonderful. He knew we were looking to eat dinner and so he even did his own Google search for a Vancouver veg restaurant for us. So sweet! They may not have vegan food, but I'd definitely recommend the place for a drink!

We decided to do a bit more walking around Yaletown and see if we could find a restaurant more suitable for vegs. I have to admit that the pickings were slim. We decided on Milestones. They seemed to have a few dishes that we could make veg and even some veg items on the menu.

The waiter was very nice, accommodating, and good. He explained that they had a bellini on drink special with a shot on the side. Hmm. Again, not the bellini I know. Hello, Canada! That's a shot of Malibu rum on the side.As an appetizer, I asked the waiter if he could ask the chef if he'd be willing to do the garlic bread without cheese or butter. He came back saying that the chef would be willing to do a version, but that it would be different than just without cheese and butter. We were down with that.
It turned out that I considered the app the best part of our meal. The basil olive oil was sublime and the olive tapenade under the bread was wonderful.

For our main courses, CC ordered the Shanghai Noodle Stirfry and I ordered Red Curry Chicken bowl without the animal of course. CC loved his meal. It was exactly what he was looking for.
I didn't have as high a review for my entree. It was just too much red peppers. There wasn't enough variety. It was pretty much only red peppers and bok choy. Maybe if tofu was added, that would be better, but I think that in general it just needed more variety.

I can be a bit OCD so there was one major thing that really kind of bugged me throughout our dinner. When we arrived, the booth right across from us was full of dirty dishes. It was never cleaned off. When we left almost an hour and half later, the dishes were still on the table! At one point a hostess came over and moved the dishes together and then later someone picked up the martini glasses, but then the rest of the dishes sat close to one another for an hour and a half! Then, when we were eating our entrees a six top (table of six) left and ALL of their dishes were left. Their dinner dishes were still on the table! As a former server, I can tell you that is a ridiculously huge no-no. You just can't do that. You likely won't be surprised to know that those dishes also sat the for the rest of the time we were there.

Our particular waiter was very good at clearing tables and got rid of dishes in an appropriate amount of time. I suspect there was no manager on duty because I can't believe those things are okay for what is supposed to be a fairly fancy restaurant.

It was very chilly (well, for us Cali folks) and we had walked quite awhile to get to Yaletown, so we decided to cab it back to the hotel. All in all, it was a very nice night. Of course, that's pretty much always true when I have my CC with me!

My Musings

2009-03-25T22:24:00.000-07:00

Have I ever told you that I love the ridiculous movie Because I Said So? I totally love both Diane Keaton and Mandy Moore. And, even though it is apparently a one and a half star movie, I've watched it literally dozens of times. I can't help loving it, but it got me musing tonight.

I'm wondering the following, which I'm sure no one will comment on, but I'd love it if you did. Can we love someone if we don't really know them completely? Can we really love them if we do know them, but decide to simply refuse to admit some of what really makes them who they are? In other words, can it be love if we deny part of what makes them who they are?

Vancouver Day 3: TLO Sleeps

2009-03-24T22:43:00.000-07:00

I'm generally a healthy person. I find that when I'm starting to get sick I can usually fight it off. I'm afraid that Day 3 in Vancouver was a lot of me trying to fight off getting sick. Still, we were able to work some fun stuff in.

First sign of illness - I didn't get out of bed until CC finally said, "Sweet pea it's 10:30." Holy crap! Despite still feeling like my eyes didn't want to stay open, I got into the shower. We went for an early lunch because CC had an afternoon work commitment. Surprise, surprise, we walked to lunch in the RAIN!

After lunch, I went back to bad. I just couldn't keep my eyes open. CC came back to get me out of bed after his work stuff and we decided some fresh air might do me some good. Plus, it had stopped raining!

It was about 3 PM and we wanted to see Canada Place because it has these iconic sails. It is also in the harbor. It provides a beautiful view both of the city skyline and the mountains across the water. We even got to see a water plane land, which was pretty darn cool.

After walking all around Canada Place, we stopped for a beer at Lion's Pub, which I just realized from their website is part of some richy rich-ass club. We had no idea! It just seemed like a really cool Britishy pub with lots of good beers on tap.

The menu kind of cracked us up, but it was so quintessentially Vancouver! We were consistently struck by what an international city Vancouver was. Everyone seemed to have a different accent. Almost every nice restaurant we checked out had Indian samosas on the menu and in general, menus seemed almost weirdly international. So, this pub rather than having a British-themed pub menu, they had a variety of greek items, bruschetta, thai spring rolls, french fries, and much more. Because I was getting peckish, I decided to order a greek salad and some pita with hummus.I have to admit that both were a bit strange. The greek salad had no greens or lettuce of any type (but maybe it is us Americans who make the greek salad strangely). The "pita" didn't seem like a pita at all except that it was cut in triangles. It was just too thick. Even the hummus was a bit off.CC helped a bit with the pita and then had to get back to the hotel for another work appointment. After I was done, I also went back to the hotel to rest a bit more. There's more to tell, but dinner is going to have to be a future post because I have to get to bed!

Sunday Wrap Up: Week 2

2009-03-22T22:28:00.000-07:00

In my travels back home, I almost forgot my Sunday wrap up and it's just my second one! I still have 2 days in Vancouver to post about, but here's the rundown on exercise this week.

Monday: Group training session, 30 minutes running followed immediately by 20 minutes in the pool

Thursday: 45 minutes on a stationary bike in the hotel

Saturday: 30 minutes run/walk on treadmill in hotel; about 15 minutes on bike riding around Vancouver

Sunday: zip, was traveling

Weight: ? wasn't at home this morning to weigh in

It wasn't a great week, but considering I was traveling, I'm glad I got this much in.

A Great Rainy Day: Vancouver Day 2

2009-03-20T19:01:00.000-07:00

Being able to wake up when I wish is seemingly so rare that it makes me gleeful. I got out of my very comfy hotel bed about 8:40 AM. I was in the gym by 9 AM. I was happy with myself for actually working out when I'm away. That's tough!

Breakfast - was fairly late given the morning workout. I went to Mosaic in the hotel. I just had a bagel with sliced tomatoes and coffee. They even had soy milk! They scored star points for that.

CC was done with his meetings at 12 PM. I had just returned from breakfast at 11:30 AM so I wasn't up for lunch, but was happy to go with him. He had a fairly unexciting burrito.

We then headed back to the hotel because I had a scheduled conference call with colleagues. Of course, once we made the trip back, I learned via email that one of the participants had cancelled it. Nice. Oh, well.

Okay, back out onto the streets of cold rainy Vancouver. Now, at about 2:30 PM I was hungry. CC and I wanted to check out The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver so we decided to go to their bar and see what I could order. Our hotel is right across the street from The Fairmont. Check it out.

The hotel was as gorgeous inside as it was from the outside. I just wanted a small bite to eat, but ended up with this huge pizza sans cheese.

After the Fairmont we crossed the street to the Vancouver Art Gallery. CC and I enjoyed it. We especially liked the 2nd floor, which included contemporary pieces that invited folks to participate in the display. My favorite was a sound proof room with electric guitars, piano, bass, and drum set. The music you play is heard in the lobby of the Art Gallery. It was pretty cool.

Dinner was nondescript Thai. We were with a bunch of people who I went to graduate school with. It was great to catch up with them.

Given that's it rained off and on the whole time we've been here, Vancouver might best be visited in the summer!

Vancouver Day 1 Dinner

2009-03-19T17:35:00.000-07:00

Our first day in Vancouver resulted in a great restaurant so our expectations were high for dinner. The concierge recommended walking down two blocks to Robson and that street would have lots of different options.

Despite walking in the rain and cold, we were happy to be together and decided that as a result of our huge lunch we actually weren't hungry yet so we decided to get a drink first. We ended up at Cin Cin. The wine and spirits list was crazy impressive.

The bartender was very nice and helpful. I had two glasses of delicious wine. The first was a light British Colombian red wine. The second glass was even better. It was a Super Tuscan. CC had a Manhattan. We were living it up.

After our cocktails we were thinking Indian food would be good. We found a restaurant called Salam Bombay that had a whole vegetarian section, which we always appreciate. We ordered the same thing we always do - vegetable samosas, channa masala, aloo gobi, and what ever bread doesn't have milk and sans the butter (often roti, in this case parantha).

The atmosphere is really nice. It is on the second floor so you can see the city below. The service was excellent and the staff welcoming.

The vegetable samosas were probably the best I ever had. Generally they taste the same where ever you have them, but these were definitely different. The crust around the samosas was much fluffier and it had a different balance of spices. They were fantastic! Here's a picture with some chutney on it.

My main course was also wonderful. I always order channa masala at pretty much every Indian restaurant I go to so that makes it easier to compare across restaurants. This dish was exceptional. The chick peas were perfectly cooked. The raw sliced onions on the top were nice (some restaurants do that some don't) and the few slices of caramelized onions on the rice were also an interesting touch.

CC also really liked his dish. We were generally very happy with our choice and wouldn't be too upset if we ended up back there for another meal!

Vancouver Day 1

2009-03-18T17:20:00.000-07:00

CC and I arrived to a rainy chilly Vancouver, Canada this morning. The hotel we're staying at is very nice. The style is modern. Our room has a city view. I'm generally happy with it so far.

I was fairly hungry so we headed out with our Happy Cow list of restaurants to see what we could find within walking distance, in the rain, without umbrellas. Needless to say, we weren't super interested in walking really far.

I apologize for being a bad blogger because, unfortunately, I forgot my camera in the hotel room so I don't have pictures of the food, but I do have a restaurant recommendation. Maybe that redeems me? We went to a vegan raw food restaurant called Gorilla Food (on Richards close to Hastings). They don't seem to have a website, but I found a review here (not written by a vegan).

It's a small place that is actually kind of underground. You walk down a few stairs to get to it, but the ambiance is peaceful. Their menu includes appetizers/snacks, entrees, desserts, smoothies, shakes and juices. I always go a bit crazy when I can have anything on the menu so I ordered a smoothie, appetizer, and main course. CC helped with the app and ordered a strawberry shake.

The appetizer was Thai lettuce wraps. It was good. I especially appreciated the very gingery sauce that was served on the side. We think the green wrapping was kale. I felt like I was getting healthier with every bite!

My smoothie was made with bananas, pineapples, orange juice, and kale. In very unvegan fashion, CC shuns green shakes so I was glad to have him taste how delicious it was! I believe it was called a Helio-Tropic shake.

For the main course I had Falafel (raw of course) and CC had the Green Taco (nut meat). They were served in huge lettuce leaves. We both respectively liked our dishes, but geesh I was starting to get very full!

Conclusion on Gorilla Food - vegans in Vancouver should definitely make an effort to visit this restaurant!

When we were finished, the rain had picked up a bit and CC had to work so we decided to head back to the hotel. On the way we walked by a coffee shop that said it was all organic. My experience has been that those are the kinds of places that likely have vegan options but don't advertise it. The place is called Trees Organic. What was there in their cheesecake case but a vegan chai cheesecake?! I was psyched so despite not being hungry any longer (travel is not good for my get back to my ideal weight plan), we order one piece to split.

It looked very good. However, it tasted like crap. Not kidding. It was really bad. So, while I REALLY appreciate companies that are interested in providing vegans with options, I cringe when I know anyone who eats the dish labeled "vegan" is then going to have confirmed for them that all vegan food sucks. The consistency was all wrong and so was the flavor. It was just all around bad. And, considering the number of delicious vegan cheesecakes that I've had, I was bummed that folks would think that's how vegan cheesecakes taste. Oh, well. Again, I do appreciate their effort. On a positive note, they seem to have good progressive principles regarding their selections of coffees to sell.

We still have dinner ahead so here's hoping I remember that darn camera!

Sunday Wrap Up: Week 1

2009-03-15T21:19:00.000-07:00

Every time I have a plan for regular posting, it doesn't work out so you shouldn't expect that I'll actually stick to this, but we'll see. Here's my idea -- not every workout is really post worthy, but a weekly wrap up could possibly (?) be interesting. We can also track my goals this way and see how I'm doing.

So, here it goes . . . This week was the beginning of the spring season of my women's tri group.

Monday - I ran with my group and was then sore through Thursday. Ridiculous.

Wednesday - I was supposed to ride with LA, but we were worried that we didn't have enough day light left after work. Plus, my legs were still feeling like they were going to fall off because of the Monday run. I wanted to do something though so LA came over and we walked for 50 minutes in the park.

Saturday - almost 30 mile ride with a pretty good hill

Sunday - yoga

Weight: didn't lose a single pound, 123

Goal weight: 114, was when I felt best and was bad ass with my training.

[Side note: don't take this as being obsessed with my weight. I just want to feel healthy and good and I try my best to not let that be dictated by society, but I also recognize that I'm a woman living in a racist hetereonormative patriarchy and as much as I try to resist it, it inevitably affects me.]

Any way, that's week one. Tomorrow night is a scheduled group run/swim. I better be there or be square.

I Thought It Was A Good Ride

2009-03-15T14:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my training buddy LA and I had planned to go out for a ride at 9 AM. I invited KG to come along. I always love having KG with me!

At 8:45 AM KG called to say that she had not slept well and when she fell back asleep in the morning she had then overslept. She was going to try and catch us. Considering she's a stronger rider, I figured that would likely happen.

LA and I started off to a stronger wind than I was expecting, but I was happy to finally be back on the bicycle. Brace yourself to hear how long it had been since I had been on the bike . . . Nationals, September 20th, 2008! Oh and I might as well tell you now that I also still haven't been in the pool since the race either. Yeah, I know, I'm not much of a triathlete.

But back to what I thought was a pretty perfect ride -- it was almost 30 miles up a long gradual hill, a good amount of climbing. I was a little worried it would be really tough for me, but it was actually fun! I didn't even get into my granny gear (the one that makes turning the pedals the easiest, usually reserved for very steep hills).

My goal was just to keep LA in eyesight. She's been riding lately so I was pretty sure she was going to kick my ass going up the hill. She was ahead of me for a good portion, but about 2/3rds of the way up I caught her and we both got to our agreed upon stopping point at the same time. Yeah TLO! It took us about an hour and half from our start to our turning around point.

The climb was beautiful and I was feeling great, but I was still happy to turn around to go down hill. On our way down we went past KG. I didn't stop because (a) she loves to climb so I was sure she'd want to make it to the top and (b) LA was not that far behind me and has crashed a few times going downhill so she's very scared going down and I didn't want to freak her out by stopping.

The ride down was not as fun as usual because the wind felt like it was going to blow me off my bike. The good news though was that when we changed direction on the flats the wind was at our backs and gave us a nice push. I couldn't believe that I felt so good. It was actually really fun ride and I felt great about it until . . .

Later in the day I called KG to invite her and her partner over for dinner because their kitchen is being remodeled and they're sick of takeout. When she answered the phone she said something like, "So, I guess you're calling to apologize?" I was completely flummoxed. I had no idea what she was talking about. Apparently, she had turned around when she saw us and tried to catch us almost the entire way back into town. She was sure we had seen her but just never slowed down to allow her to catch us! I was shocked. I had no idea that she was behind us that whole time. I assumed she continued up the hill. LA never saw her either!

We're idiots for not knowing she was behind us, but at least we weren't such horrible people that we saw her back there and never slowed down! Still, it is going to take me awhile to live this one down. I did make her a four course meal last night though that hopefully will help me make up for it!

Meat Out March 20th: A Proposal

2009-03-12T20:50:00.000-07:00

What if all us vegs could convince one person to go meat free for March 20th? Think of how many animals could be spared. I'm throwing down a challenge.

Calling all vegs . . . get at least one person to go animal-free on March 20th. Please comment on this post to let me know that you're on board. Hell, if you get more than one person, even more gold stars for you!

Mom - will you be my "meat" out candidate for 3/20? It's just one day :)

Walnut-Dusted Fettuccine with Carmelized Veggies

2009-03-11T20:12:00.000-07:00

I've previously posted that I was lucky enough to be able to test some recipes for Robin Robertson's forthcoming book Vegan on the Cheap.

This time I tested her Walnut-Dusted Fettuccine with Carmelized Vegetables. Wow. The thing that always impresses me about Robin's recipes is that the combination of ingredients and flavors she puts together is so unique. When I read other people's recipes, I can generally intuitively figure out what the final recipe is likely to taste like. Often Robin though totally surprises me and when I read the recipe I say to myself, "Really? Those ingredients are going to add up to make X?" The stroganoff from Vegan Planet was a good example of this. And yet,every time she's put things together beautifully and I'm very pleased by the final dish.

The Walnut-Dusted Fettuccine with Carmelized Vegetables is a really great recipe. The butternut squash, especially carmelized, gives the dish a slight sweetness. There are ground roasted walnuts and parsley on top that add great texture and depth. With recipes like this, I definitely recommend her new book!

When it is closer to publication, Robin even agreed to do a blog interview here. How rad is that!

Sore: Feels good

2009-03-10T11:08:00.000-07:00

Our spring triathlon training group is starting up again so I have a new chance to recommit. We ran (I more like jogged) last night. Between that and gardening on Sunday, my legs are sore. Considering it isn't a feeling I've had in quite awhile, it's surprisingly nice.

Some Hawai'i Pics & Tidbits

2009-03-08T18:30:00.000-07:00

The above picture was the view from my hotel balcony. I did actually make it back from Hawai'i, but barely. The trip back was simply hellish. I never mind flying and am one of those people who generally don't mind delays. I get a lot of work done in airports and sometimes, even better, I get a chance to actually do some fun reading. I didn't feel that way at all this time though.

My best friend was having her baby non-shower open house that day (2/14) and I was really hoping to be home in time. Not only did I not make it, I didn't get home until about 5 hours after it was over. Plus, it was Valentine's Day. Aren't you supposed to be with your sweety that day even if you don't do all the consumer bullshit? Regardless, of the twists and turns, I did eventually get home even if I did return a little worse for the wear than when I left (ended up with a bronchial cough).

As I posted previously, my time in Hawai'i was almost all work and no play. I never ventured very far from the hotel, which is not at all like my normal travel behavior. I only had one free day and I found myself really exhausted. I was glad that I worked out a way to spend most of the day by myself. I needed the alone time. I ate a late breakfast after sleeping in. The hotel breakfast buffet sucked for vegans, but I didn't let that get me down!

After breakfast I thought I should see a bit of the beautiful surroundings outside my doorstep so I walked a couple miles along the beach. It was really beautiful. Here's a nice shot.
Check out how close I am to the birds below! Hawai'i really helped me with my bird phobia. I even let a white pigeon hang out on a railing within arm's reach. It was a bit scary, but I was brave!

I get on food kicks. My current one is veggie pizza sans cheese. I had that several times in Waikiki. My favorite one was also at my favorite spot. The bar was called Mai Tai, was right on the beach with amazing drinks, and was the bar for the beautifully newly renovated Royal Hawaiian. The chef threw some arugula on the top. It was great!

The drinks at the Mai Tai were also incredible! Two in particular impressed me. One was a fresh blueberries muddled drink with rum, I believe. The other was a coconut milk, basil, and vodka drink (again, I believe). If I'm ever in Waikiki again, I'll definitely be at that bar and if at all possible, I'll be staying at the decadent Royal Hawaiian.

All and all it was a good trip, definitely not a vacation, but a good trip. Still, I'm looking for a much needed vacation for this summer. Any suggestions for a place to visit that will make me finally stop working and just relax by the pool and ocean for one week? I do have a short break coming up - Vancouver, Canada on March 18th for a few days. I'll need to work, but plan to not over due it.

In Case You Think It is All Glamorous

2009-02-14T23:59:00.000-08:00

I arrived at the Honolulu airport at 5:30 AM for a 7 AM flight. Because of delays, however, I have to leave on the 11:30 PM flight to Cali. No, I'm not kidding. I've been in the Honolulu airport for 11.5 hours at this point. Yep. Not kidding. I did watch the slam dunk contest though, so I guess there's that.

Another Day in Paradise: Hawai'i

2009-02-13T00:02:00.001-08:00

Well, it was actually another day of back to back sessions in one hotel. What a day. I think I may be the luckiest person on the planet. I can't imagine what I could have possibly done to deserve this incredible life.

You shouldn't take that to mean that my life is easy. It is not in any way shape or form. In fact, it is almost too hard to take some times. How, you ask, can these sentiments both coexist? It is hard to explain as I assume that how each of you feel about your complex lives is hard to explain.

As I sat in training sessions over the last three days, several times I was overwhelmed by emotion. For those who have been reading this blog for awhile (or are my amigas), you know I'm in higher education. What, you may ask, could possibly be emotional about the cold world of academe? It is true that life in university settings can be cold, distant, and sometimes overly intellectual, but that's just not the work I do. That doesn't mean that all kinds of academic work isn't valuable, because there are many ways to contribute. All I'm saying is that such work is not what I do.

My research and teaching are inseparable from my activism. For me, I don't know how else to be so when people think they're complimenting me for being passionate about the topics I work on, I get kind of uncomfortable. It isn't that I don't appreciate their compliments. The issue is that I just don't see it as special. I don't see any other way to be. It is like congratulating me for breathing.

Still, I don't think women should be modest and despite the fact that I shock people quite frequently, I refuse to undermine my own accomplishments and work. Men don't and they shouldn't, so neither should women. My point is that while I realize that I'm not sure what else I would do but follow my activism, I also know I'm fucking (sorry ma) good at it. I get shit done and that is something if of which to be proud.

The project that I'm currently working on (which is why I'm in Hawai'i) is the biggest accomplishment of my life and for the most part, it isn't really an intellectual project. It is about helping ensure women's safety and responding when they've been violated. It is about creating change. It is about being a true sister who is working with women to figure out what they need and how I might be able to do my small part to help meet that need.

So, as I sat in these sessions the last few days, I found myself almost randomly overwhelmed. Holy shit. Have I really done this? Have I figured out a way to get people who can really create change to sit at the same table and work with me on ending violence against women. How the fuck did I do that? Really? Have I set in motion, with the help of many others, a set of actions that will actually have a very direct effect on women's lives? Wow. The opportunity is incredible, but the burden now is also immense. I have some how (don't ask me how because I really don't know) figured out a way to get people to almost completely change the way they think about female victims of violence and be committed to prevent that violence from continuing. Holy crap. Just writing about it shakes me regarding how much that rocks.

Still, I can sit in a room and talk for hours about why all of this matters. I can be truly passionate, evidence-based, and offer clear recommendations, but if no one listens and no one cares, it wouldn't matter at all. So, I sit here and am enormously grateful for the people who may not have totally jumped on board immediately with all I asked, but found a way to keep listening so that today they're different than they were yesterday. They're definitely different than when I started this project. I could never ask for more. I may sound conceited when I say I kick ass for doing what I'm doing, but I never forget for a single second that I could do absolutely nothing without others. It just isn't possible.

With all of this, you might have guessed that I haven't seen much outside of a few blocks of my hotel and you'd be right. But, I'll always remember Waikiki as the place that made real for me this new journey that I'm on. I'll remember Waikiki as the place that allowed me to support people who had made major changes in their own thinking about the world over just a couple of days. I'll remember it as a place that exposed to me the challenges, obstacles, accomplishments, and support related to trying to reduce and respond to crimes against women. It will always live in my heart as the place I realized that what I'm doing matters.

None of this was the great relaxing day on the beach or a boat tour, but hell, maybe I'll do that tomorrow. Tonight I feel sated. Hawai'i has already done more for me than I ever imagined.

Aloha

2009-02-11T00:14:00.000-08:00

I was in meetings all day, but I did come up to my room for lunch and to check out my partial ocean-view. Very nice. The beach is just across the street from the hotel, which is giant. You can see details on the hotel here.

The training today was really good. It reminded me though of how much work needs to be done with this new project I'm starting. I won't bore you with the details, but suffice to say, it is a bit overwhelming.

Dinner was a salad bar, but it was pretty good. Lunch was a veggie burger. I had some crappy mango daiquiri, which I obviously won't be ordering again. I definitely had much fewer drinks (just two and both were very watered down) tonight, which was good.

One of the cool things about this conference is that several of my former students are here and it is so rewarding to hear about all their amazing accomplishments. They rock!

Oh, and a definite highlight of the day - I saw a whale jump! He just kept jumping. I guess he was happy?

All in all, a very good first full day in Hawai'i. Tomorrow more meetings that hopefully will be as fruitful as today's.

I'm in Hawai'i

2009-02-10T03:02:00.000-08:00

Yeah. I know I have a great job. I'm here for work and really should blog about it. Will you read if I tried to actually post about it? Does it matter since I keep telling my friend AS that I post because I like to write? Regardless if you read, I think I'll try to post. We'll see how I do.

Vegan friends - I had my usual of lots of drinks (yeah mai tais!, okay that's totally Hawai'i) and a pizza sans cheeze and as usual people around me noted how good it looked.