Stop All the Calls in the World

A friend took this pic of the alley by my house. All those lilacs on the left are mine. I'm lucky.

Last Friday I got off work, went to the Co-op and then came home and made salmon, rice pilaf with shaved almonds, beet salad, sauteed zucchini and red pepper and we had French bread. it was all lovely. We also watched Woody Allen's Sleeper. I hadn't seen it in years and it did make me laugh several times.

Lickety split.

On Saturday we got up very, very early and jogged over to Regina high school to do a 5K'ish trail race to raise money for our friend's organization. He started a foundation to help cancer survivors with their medical bills. Most of the things done to help cure cancer, can also cause cancer later on and screw up people's teeth and a lot of other things that cost tons of money, and so our friend is trying to help with those costs.

It's a great organization and the race was fun too. It was warm but misting. The Guy and I previewed the course, by slowly running/walking it and got back about 10 minutes before we had to run it. Our friend J. is another bartender at the Dublin. She worked until close and then drank until the race. She showed up reeking of alcohol and we kept making jokes about how we could get drunk for free by huffing her or licking her. She ran the race and did just fine, and then promptly went home to go to bed.

The Guy and our friend A.

The Guy and I went home after the race and got ready to ride our bikes to Riverside to see our friend, S. and his wife. We had lunch at Murphy's and then rode home.

We were pretty exhausted by the time we got home, so we basically just got some Chinese food and watched the movie, Cedar Rapids. it was fine. Nothing too memorable. I did think it was funny that they tried to make Iowa seem like it was some crazy, party state. Actually, the most memorable thing about it, is that it put that song, "Hotline" in my head. It was a amusing for about 5 minutes...

Our favorite bartender, S. and his wife and his phone.

Sunday was a very lazy day for me. I was pretty tired. I did a lot of lying around, reading a book called InZanesville, by Jo Ann Beard. She was in the non-fiction writer's workshop here and is an amazing writer. This is more of a young adult novel, about 14 year old girls trying to grow up in the Quad Cities in the early 70's. I love it so far.

The Guy spent most of the day building up a new road bike for himself. We did swim laps in the afternoon, and then got take-out Indian food and went down to the Dublin to eat it and feed our favorite bartender, S. while he worked. Our friend Bry came down and had a beer, before he and The Guy headed off to play pool and I headed off home to lie around and read my book some more. The end.

Love Is All Around, No Need to Waste It.

Here's me after my first bike race of the season.

So, I road raced for the first time in a long time. I only did 3 last year and each one I was either last or second to last and I'm pretty sure I got dropped from the pack first almost every race. Since I've been trying to actually train this season, my goal was to stay with the pack for the entire race. I didn't reach my goal, but I was the last person to get dropped from the pack and I had them in my sights until the very end. I was 10th out of 15. Not bad for me, and I think I can build on it.

Here is The Guy up close and personal after the race.

The Guy was recovering from a cold, so he didn't do as well as he wanted, but it's the first race of the year for most of us, so no one took it all that seriously.

The race was held out in the country by Hills, Ia. It was part VERY hilly gravel and part pavement, with 30 mile per hour winds. My ass was officially kicked by the end of it.

After the race, we went out for Mexican food and came home and took a nap. Even after the nap, I was pretty wrecked. We watched some Mary Tyler Moore episodes. The Guy has the firs two seasons. The Guy and I were talking about for people our age, MTM has to be one of the ultimate nostalgia shows...Along with The Carol Burnett Show and M*A*S*H*.

Here's our dorky after-race self-portrait.

On Sunday, we took our time getting going and then drove to the trails we will be racing on next week. We did about 10 miles of the course. The Guy felt pretty good, but my legs were still dead from the bike race the day before.

In the evening, The Guy went to play pool with his friend Bry and Stinky and I were finally going to watch the movie, Tangled together. Of course, 20 minutes into it, one of Stinky's friends showed up and off she went. I went ahead and finished watching the movie by myself. I thought it was pretty damn cute.

And She'll Have Fun, Fun, Fun...

Archie adorably gnawing on me while I read my book on Sunday morning.

Oh, how I love my weekends. On Friday The Guy and I went to the store after work to buy running shoes. We have that 25K race coming up in a few weeks and we want to have our shoes worn in for a couple of weeks first. I haven't had new running shoes in 3 years, and some of those years, I was putting in about 30-40 miles a week on them. I suppose it's about time.

We went for Thai food after the store, and then home to watch The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. I loved the book when I was younger. The film version is much different, but still really good. Alan Arkin is amazing as a deaf/mute. His face is so expressive.

Our favorite bartender S. giving The Guy a good, swift kick in the tuckus.

On Saturday, I woke up and lazed about for a bit and read my new book, The Tiger's Wife. I do love it so far. it takes place in what I believe is the former Yugoslavia, and possibly Hungary. It is full of folktales and stories about the Bosnian conflict.

I ran my 6.4 mile route finally and then came home and made lunch before we took a nice little nap. We woke up in time to get ready for G. and The Guy's ex to come over for dinner. I made tortellini with a creamy pesto sauce, shrimp and veggie scampi over fettucini, The Guy made the salad and we had some good bread with it. It was a lovely evening.

The Guy in a playground jail.

On Sunday morning, I lazed some more. The Guy went running and when he came back I was in the spare/reading/office/cats/Coadster's room, reading my book by the sunniest window. He brought me a tray with everything I needed to make my tea and I had the most wonderfully relaxing morning.

Here's me in the same playground jail.

In the afternoon, The Guy and I rode our bikes to Riverside. The weather was warm but very windy. I've at least been feeling stronger on the bike this year. last year, it would have killed me to ride that far in the wind.

We made it to our friend S's house and got to see all the work he and his wife have been doing on their place, then we wandered over to a place called the Icehouse to eat a late lunch and play some pool.

The shadows of ourselves riding home against the fields.

In the evening, we had cereal for dinner and watched Woody Allen's, Bananas. I hadn't seen that movie in forever. Some of the sight gags were so ridiculous that I actually did laugh out loud.

Like the Trembling Heart of a Captive Bird

Here are some docks on a frozen lake.

And yesterday, I was exhausted. Not surprising after my weekend, but I had a hard time staying awake at work. The Guy was also feeling pretty tired. So, we just gave us another Get Out of Jail Free card night.

I had leftover salmon and brie left, so we just cut up some red onions and got some greens and put the salmon and brie on bread and toasted it all up and then served it with some roasted red potato soup. It turned out very, very well.

I made a pot of lentil soup for tonight, but didn't really feel like doing a whole hell of a lot else. I asked The Guy if he wouldn't mind watching Play Misty for Me and he was all for it.

I hadn't seen that movie in forever.It is definitely of its time (1971). Clint Eastwood is a super cheesy DJ who plays jazz and recites poetry over the air. It's not hard to understand why someone would want to kill him...Just kidding. Like The Guy said, all cheese aside, that movie had plenty of things going for it. I'm assuming a lot of Fatal Attraction was taken from it.

Well, Holy Moly, Me-O-My, You're the Apple of My Eye

Here are some bracelets they gave us at the sushi place we went to last night. If it weren't so blurry, it would be easier to see that The Guy's was a fake bug. I liked his best.

Our Valentine's Day was lovely. I'm not much of a celebrator of Hallmark holidays, but I'll take any excuse to go out for sushi. We had a great dinner and a wonderful talk about some of the issues both of us have that aren't always fun to deal with. (as far as I know, everyone in the world has some) There was no accusing and neither of us got defensive or shut-down. We both acknowledged our own shit and talked about ways to work on being healthier. How refreshing.

So, there were no candles, flowers or chocolates. Instead we had a frank and open talk about keeping things in our world as happy and healthy as possible, and a commitment to both work toward that end. What could be more romantic than that?

I've Got No Deeds to do. No Promises to Keep.

Here is Archie lying on (oozing over) our hot water heater.

My weekend was wonderful. On Friday night, I made pan seared sea scallops, steamed asparagus, salad and sourdough bread and then we watched Bull Durham. It was perfect.

On Saturday I got up and went running right away. It was supposed to snow/rain all day, and I thought I'd try to get a jump on it. I ended up running a little over 8 miles, but The Guy ran for at least 11 miles. Pretty amazing. We ate lunch and then made it to the pool, where we swam laps. We had to hurry and get home and take showers so we could meet my friend K. and her husband at the Dublin at 6. We had a drink and then went to a restaurant called Basta for dinner and had a really good meal and conversation.

On Sunday, We got up and I got to work. I painted as much of the quarter round as I could before I went to run. At noon, we got on our bikes to meet our friend, Bry and his girlfriend at a coffee shop in North Liberty. We had a nice visit, and then they headed home and we rode further. We got 34.5 miles in altogether.

I picked up Stinky from work and got us some take-out Chinese food. We ate quickly and then headed to the Hilltop to watched the Superbowl with some friends. I wasn't all that interested in the game, but The Guy and I did shoot a couple of games of pool and I talked to some folks and we still got home around 9. Not too shabby, I'd say.

She Said It's Cold. It Feels Like Independence Day.

Stinky with a friend on NYE. Her braces are doing a great job, don't you think?

Oh, and it's the weekend again. I just started reading Ann Patchett's, The Patron Saint of Liars yesterday and I really like it so far. I have been ridiculously obsessing about books lately. I went so many years as a single mom with no time to read, that I feel like I can't get enough literature in my current life. I am devouring novels and stories. I am voracious.

I've been Googling, and then printing "Best of" lists. Best novels of 2010, 2009, 2008, the first decade of this century, literary prize lists and then every month I get to go to Prairie Lights and buy a book or two. Of course, this is my latest excuse for not blogging very much as of late, but it's a good one, don't you think?

Coadster with some friends, around Christmas time.

Last night was very nice. We invited a woman named Jess, who is a bartender at the Dublin and her boyfriend over for dinner. I made brown sugar glazed and garlic butter baked salmon, savory sweet potatoes, a Greek salad and sourdough bread. We had a nice talk and listened to music and we were all done at a decent hour, because it was a school night. I do believe having a couple of people over for dinner is one of my favorite ways to socialize.

I'd Rather be a Comma Than a Full Stop.

The asshole, peaking out from the kitchen sink.

Winter finally came down hard on us Iowans yesterday. Making up for lost time, I suppose. It snowed and got blustery and cold.

The Guy and I shoveled snow right after work, and then we ordered pizza. We drank a couple of glasses of wine and watched The African Queen. I do like watching movies that take place in extreme heat when it is ridiculously cold outside. I hadn't seen the movie since I was a kid, and I had forgotten how deliciously schmaltzy it was.

The asshole in a more pensive state.

I am happy to report that Archie did let me sleep last night. I gave each of the cats a small handful of food before I went to bed and locked them out of our room. I heard Archie meow at one point, but ignored him and he stopped once he realized he wasn't getting what he wanted. Whew!

This weekend is the first in a while where we don't have big things planned. We are having a few people over tonight for fish tacos and frijoles. The rest of the weekend should be pretty mellow...I hope. I want to swim and ride the trainer and run and if we get really lucky, we might actually be able to cross-country ski. My other big goal is to finally paint the trim in the spare bedroom and read as much of my book, Last Call (about Prohibition) as possible. Thank the gods and goddesses, I have three days off to try and do all of this.

And My Time Was Running Wild

This is what the course looked like - all frozen ruts. Really tough to ride on.

This weekend The Guy competed in Cyclocross Nationals in Madison, Wisconsin. He actually finished 7 places higher than predicted. Which was great.

The Guy taking the first hill.

We drove to Madison after work and went straight to Pizza Brutta to eat. After that we headed to my brother's house. He was away on vacation, so we had the place to ourselves...Well, if you don't count the dog and cats. Basically, we took care of the pets and then went to bed.

The obligatory cheese head. This is Wisconsin, after all.

We woke up early on Saturday and headed to the park. It was cold and after the previous muddy days, all the ruts had frozen and were so hard, they were popping people's tires right and left, plus people were sliding and crashing all over the place. The Guy said he crashed more in that one race than in all the other races this season combined.

The winner of The Guy's race and a former mountain bike Olympian athlete.

After the race, we met my oldest sister at her townhouse. I had never seen it before and it was very nice. We all went out for lunch at an Indian restaurant that had the best buffet I'd ever seen. So much good food.

Me taking more photos of myself next to things with bigger cheeks than mine.

We drove back to Iowa City and showered and then I picked up Stinky and some take-out sushi. After we ate, we decided to finally watch Singin' in the Rain. I hadn't seen it since I was a kid. What a fun movie.

The Guy shooting pool at the Ice House in Riverside, Ia.

On Sunday I woke and had a very leisurely morning. I read some and took a long hot bath and then by 12:30, The Guy and I were on our bikes, headed for Riverside, the future birthplace of James Tiberius Kirk. We had a nice ride and when we got there, we hung out at the Ice House and ate lunch, had a couple of pints and played a few games of pool. I tried to ride pretty hard on the way home, to see if I was getting stronger from my trainer work-outs. I did feel stronger. I guess we'll see what happens when I race again in the Spring.

On Sunday night, we watched the Exorcist. The last time I saw it was in 1983. The only parts I really remembered about it where the demon possessed Linda Blair scenes. It still was able to creep me out, all these years later.

I hope you all had a Linda Blairless weekend.

I walked Down the Primrose Path

Riding into Hills on New Year's Eve day.

Sooo, I've been told I have this thing called a blog? And that I might want to actually write in it again? Yeah. That. Anyway, here goes:

Archie helping us play Twister on New Year's Eve.

New Year's weekend was all so very nice. On Friday we went to a friend's house. They were planning on watching the Hawkeye bowl game. We came for the food, basically and played frisbee golf on his Playstation 3. I'm better at real frisbee golf - which still isn't saying anything.

Us ringing in the Irish new year at 6.

On Saturday we woke up and lounged around the house. We met some friends for a New Year's Eve bike ride at noon. It was 50 degrees but ridiculously windy. Luckily, we had a tail wind on the way home.

The Guy and some friends showing off their steppin'-out shoes.

We came back from the ride, took a quick nap, and then headed out again for the Irish New Year. It was packed at the Dublin, but I got to see a mess of people and had one drink and then we scurried back to make the fondue and other food.

Fondue'ing and fondon't'ing.

We ended up with about 10 guests and played Pictionary, Twister and Battleship. I had a migraine for most of the day and evening and shortly after midnight, I finally had to go to bed. The Guy stayed up with the few guests who lived within stumbling distance from their homes and therefore stayed until around 2. A good time seemed to be had by all.

The cats vying for the best birdwatching spot on the couch.

I woke up on the first day of the New Year with a lingering headache. The Guy was wonderful and did all the cleaning-up from the party. I did manage to make a delicious breakfast and then spent the rest of the day reading. I finished Swamplandia! and started Truth and Beauty a Friendship, by Ann Patchett. We also watched the movie Cowboys and Aliens. My friend Toby had a small part in it and I got t see him get dragged away by horses. The movie was much better than I thought it would be.

I hope all of your New Year's were just as wonderful as mine, but migraine free.

We Love All the People and We Love to Rock the House

Here is the mall, taken from the bowels of some annoying teen clothing store where they played a song that sampled the Clash's "Revolution Rock". Wow.

Well, kids it looks like we're reaching the end of another year. This year was so great, I can only be excited about next year.

Our plans for New Year's Eve look like this: We will try to go for a bike ride during the day, since it's supposed to be 50 degrees again. Then hit the Dublin Underground for Irish New year at 6. We'll head home by 7 and have a few people over to play board games and eat fun snacks - including fondue. I'll let you know if we actually stay awake for the American New Year at midnight.

May next year be even better than this year for all y'all.

It's the Smiling on the Package, It's the Faces in the Sand

Here is some Christmas Eve graffiti I saw when I was running.


Christmas weekend was good. On Friday we ate shrimp scampi pasta and watched the movie The Family Stone.

On Saturday, I got up and went running. The girls and I scurried around getting ready to go to Ottumwa. We got to see my sister's family - which was the main reason we go down there. Her kids were fun and all hopped up about the holiday.

We headed home a little later than I wanted, but made it home before 10. The Guy got home from his mom's house about 2 seconds before us, so we all talked about our separate celebrations and then went to bed.

The Guy and I woke up on Christmas day and waited for the girls to get up...And waited, and waited...Finally, we had French toast for breakfast. The Guy was feeling like he was catching a cold, so he took a little nap. While he was asleep, the girls finally got up and went through their stockings. They seemed quite happy with what they found in there.

The Guy woke up and the girls gave us their gifts. Stinky painted us a picture to hang in the living room, and Coadster bought us books on the history of Prohibition, a book about the perfect bike and a biography of Kurt Vonnegut. She knows us well.

The Guy's mom stopped over after she got out of church, and we all went out for sushi lunch together. It was very nice, and we stuffed ourselves. I tried to run a couple hours later, but my belly still wouldn't let me. Instead, I opted to lie around and read my book Swamplandia! It is pretty bizarre and wonderful.

Later in the evening, my friend G. called to tell me stories of her evening out at the bar on Christmas Eve. About halfway through, I asked her if she just didn't want to come over and have dinner with us. it wasn't anything special, just grilled cheese and tomato or chicken noodle soup, but she ate with us anyway.

We had a great talk and laughed a ton before we lost G. to the bar again. We finished the night by watching the movie, Heathers. Both the girls had a great time making fun of all the 80'sness about it. By the end of the holiday weekend, I felt like we had covered all the bases.

But have a Cup of Cheer

This is what I get for coming to work today. An eyeful of this. Eek!

So, I have a few hours left before my long holiday weekend. I just want to wish you all a safe and fun holiday, whatever you celebrate, and if you don't celebrate, I hope you enjoy your lack of celebration as well.

The girls and I will be heading to Ottumwa on Christmas Eve for a few hours and The Guy will go to his mom's to make oyster stew and watch It's a Wonderful Life with her. On Christmas day, I hope we can get my girls and The Guy's mom all together for sushi for lunch - just like how my Irish ancestors spent the holiday.

Soooo, yeah....RAWK!

You Know I've Seen a Lot of What the World Can Do.

I took this at The Living history Farms in Des Moines. It's a little crooked, but fitting for the subject matter, I think.

Oh, you know...I don't have a lot to say, or I do, but I don't have time to process it all. What the hell, I'll just blather on anyway.

Things are just fine at home. The Guy and I are happy as clams. We are having a little cooler day reunion party for the Monday Night Ride tonight. It's too cold for anyone to really want to ride at night here, but we are still going to have the normal riders over for Mexican food and drinks. The Guy was wonderful in helping me cook. We made veggie enchiladas, and refried beans and de gallo salsa. When I get home tonight, all I have to do is make guacamole, finish refrying the beans and put the enchiladas in the oven. With dinner parties, I've found the less cooking or drink making I have to do, the less stressful it is. I'd love to serve margaritas from scratch, but I wouldn't love to spend the whole evening, trying to make them. So, instead we're drinking beer and some sipping tequila. Let's hear it for simplification!

Oh, sure. It is a subtle beauty, but I do like the look of Iowa.

I get off work early today to sift through Stinky's senior picture proofs and pick the ones we like the best. I'm looking forward to that.

From what I hear, my friend G. had a bad day yesterday. I'm sure she's reaching the saturation point with her headaches. Her chiropractor was going to work with another friend of her's to arrange coming over to help with her pain and I told G. about a good physical therapist to go to, but I can't make her go. G. is at home for now, so all I can do right now, is wish her the best and let her know that I'm here if she needs me. I will post on here the second I hear that her headaches are finally gone. I can't wait for that day.

Just Another Day for You and Me in Paradise.

Archie "helping" me make the bed.

Thank the gods, this weekend was so much better than last. On Friday, I made a quick meal of miso soup, salad and steamed shrimp gyoza with spicy plum sauce. We ate we drank a couple of cocktails and then we watched the newer Tron movie. It was okay. It was very 80's and the music sounded a lot like a porn soundtrack to me - not that any of those are necessarily bad things, just observations...

The back end of the mountain bike trails at Sugarbottom.

Our original plan this weekend was to work with our friend Joanne to sand and refinish the floors in Coadster's old room. At the last minute, we found out that G. would be staying with us on Sunday night and not just during the day today. I didn't think that strong smell would work well with G.'s excruciating headache, so we're putting it off for another week.

The Guy coming out of the pine woods on the course.

The best part about that, is that the weather was beautiful here for November and we got to go out and play both days. We took our cyclocross bikes out on the mountain bike trails and had a blast. It was so fun riding through the woods and next to the lake and trying to figure out how to maneuver through hills and rocks and roots and not crash. It was such a great stress reliever after last week.

My handlebars at the brink of the bridge.

On Saturday night, we went out for one drink and then had Indian food. When we got home, we settled in on the couch and watched. E.T The Guy had never seen it before. After it was over, I asked him if it was cheesy enough for him. He agreed that it was pretty cheesy.

The Guy trying to figure out how to take photos and send them from his new phone.

On Sunday we went out for Mexican food as a late lunch after our bike ride and then home. I picked up G. and The Guy made some potato leek soup, while G. slept.

G, is doing much better, if only we could get rid of that nasty headache she still has....

She's Moving Out in All Directions

Here is all the old black adhesive and carpet backing residue, left after we pulled up the carpet in Coadster's old room.

I had a great week so far. Monday night, we had the last Monday Night Ride of the season...Possibly. We rode out to a camping spot and had a fire and one of our friends met us out there with beer and stuff to make fish tacos. Very nice.

Here is a cute, cuddly (only because he's asleep) Archie in what used to be Coadster's room, that is quickly becoming the cat's room.

Tuesday was lovely and warm. Both The Guy and I went running on our own separate routes and met back at home. Where I made shrimp scampi with asparagus and served it with red sauce over penne pasta, with salad and bread. The Guy worked on taking the black crap off of the hardwood floors while I cooked. Then we were both pretty much exhausted.

Heidi with her reflective eyes.

Last night we did some cyclocross training in the park. I have a lot to work on, but I do feel like I'm slowly getting better and better at my skillz. When we got home, I heated up soup and pizza burgers and we just took it easy. We had a good talk about what kinds of things we wanted to do in the future and how we thought we'd train for them over the Winter. The Guy is a little more realistic than I am about such things. In my head, I can run and bike and swim all day every day. Right now, I think after Cross season is over, I might chill out for a bit and then get started making sure I swim at least once a week, do work-outs on the bike trainer a couple of times a week and run about 3 times a week. Of course, that will all go out the window if we get decent snow and I can cross country ski at any point.