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.

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.

And the Wind Ain't Blowin' From the South.

Here is part of a stone church in the snow.

I started reading Barbara Kingsolver's, Lacuna last night. It takes place in Mexico. I think it will be the perfect way to combat the below zero wind chills we're supposed to get by tonight. If that doesn't work, we will probably watch The Big Easy tonight. I haven't seen it since it first came out, but as I recall, everyone walks around in sweat stained shirts...Plus, an '80's Dennis Quaid should be hot enough to defy any Iowa Winter, right?

I've been having weird, insecure dreams lately. When I was younger and didn't know how to drive, I would have "feeling out of control" dreams that I was driving a motorcycle on an old logging road in Northern California...The kind that can sometimes just end without warning. Now, I dream of f*cked-up races I find myself in. One was that I was in a bike race that took place inside the hospital where I used to work. We raced through the hallways, trying to avoid patients and carts full of expensive equipment. In another dream, I was doing a triathlon and I kept forgetting that I was racing and would stop and talk to my friends, until someone would remind me and I would find myself further and further behind. Hmmmmm. It appears that the ass end of Winter is weighing heavily on me once again.

In a Country Where They Turn Back Time

Here is pretty Heidi, all cute and sleeping.

I guess it's weekend synopsis post day today. Wanna hear it? Here is is:

Friday night was nice and mellow. We made dinner and then I got Stinky some Chinese take-out and a DVD and drove her to her friend's house, so they could have a girl's night. I got home and The Guy and I watched Good Bye Lenin! I really enjoyed it.

Me making the X with my ski poles. I'm not quite sure what that was for...

On Saturday, we went to Lake McBride to ski. The snow wasn't great, but we've been a little desperate lately. I felt like I was doing a little more awkward walking on the snow then fluidly gliding. After about an hour and a half, I was feeling a little migrainy. After last week, we didn't want to push it, so we went out for Mexican food for lunch and then came home and showered and took what turned out to be a two and a half hour nap. Jaysus!

The Guy under a very impressive tree.

After we woke-up, it was clear we weren't going to get any chores done around the house, so we headed over to the Dublin, to play some pool, have a drink and wait for Stinky to get off work. We decided on Chinese take-out. Apparently, Stinky was up for it a second night in a row and then we tried to make her hang out with us, but watching The Town. She did grace us with an hour of her time, but alas, she had better things to do and off she went with one of her friends.

A Grant Wood homage in Stone City, Iowa.

On Sunday morning, we were desperately trying to find somewhere to ski. We knew the temps were rising and there was some weird misting, that would wreak havoc on our shoddy snow. The Guy found a place outside of Stone City (an hour away) that looked like our best bet.

We drove there and some of the country roads were pretty slick, but manageable. The trails were wonderful, though. We skied for almost two hours, but it started getting sticky and hard to glide on, so we bagged it and headed into the town of Stone City.

The General Store in Stone City.

We stopped at the General store for lunch and beer. It was so nice and quaint and the staff was really nice. We will definitely come back to ski again this Winter and bike in the Summer.

The blurry but cozy pub with the wood burning fireplace.

We got home and putzed around the the house. I went to my friend G's for a bit and then picked up Stinky from work. We had salmon quesadillas (shut-up. The salmon was leftover and they were actually pretty good) and veggie tamales for dinner and then watched the South Korean movie, The Host. It was so bizarre but so good.

So Will You Catch Me Now I'm Falling

The Guy at the top of the hill I was about ready to herring bone up.

This three day weekend was lovely for the most part. On Friday we had some people over for fish tacos. We ate and drank and talked and knew it was time to go to bed after our friend S.'s boyfriend started doing his Tom Waits impersonation and we couldn't stop laughing.

On Saturday, we got up and The Guy went to the cross-country ski trails and I stayed home and did a work-out for an hour on the bike trainer. He came back with good news. There was enough snow to ski on. We headed to the trails and skied until it got dark. It was so very nice.

We stopped at the Dublin for a drink and a pool game or two on the way home. I actually won my first pool game ever. Yea!

I had made up a pan of lasagna before we left to ski, so all I had to do was put it in the oven and put the beet salad together and we were ready to eat. We watched Midnight in Paris. Woody
Allen can be pretty hit and miss with me, but I thought this movie was just good escapism.


The Guy all lousy with cats. Archie wants to touch Heidi with his paw so badly, but he doesn't want her to get up and move away either. Poor guy.

We went skiing bright and early on Sunday morning, since we knew that the snow was going to melt by afternoon. Of course, I forgot how exhausted I'd be after working-out for 3 hours the day before. By the time we had skied for almost 2 1/2 more hours, I was so tired that I forgot all function or form and fell hard on my back down a hill. I heard a loud cracking sound from my neck and my left arm suddenly felt very, very hot. I was dizzy, but I could move my fingers, so I got up and slowly, VERY slowly, skied back to where we were parked. It was pretty scary.

The Guy took me out for sushi for lunch, but we decided to nix our later afternoon swimming plans and just took a nap instead. We had leftover lasagna for dinner and then The Guy went to play pool with his friend Bry, while I laid around on the couch and read my Prohibition book.

Yesterday I woke up sore and had some whiplash. Luckily, I didn't have to go to work yesterday. I needed the rest. I'm taking at least another recovery day, before I try to work-out again. It's not hard to listen to your body, when it's screaming at you, is it?

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.

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.

My Beacon's Been Moved Under Moon and Star

Here is me holding a dead sunflower upside down. Nice.

The weekend is here already and I'm excited. We'll see what happens, but right now I'm planning on racing in the state championships in cyclocross in Altoona. I am giving myself an out, in case it's rdiculously cold or they got a ton more snow than we did. But I'm going with the intention of racing.

Tonight, I'm going with my easy stand-by dinner - shrimp fajitas with beans and guac and salsa. We're having a friend come over for dinner, and we might actually try to watch a Fellini film - Armacord.

I'm also hoping to finish my book, Bel Canto and start Swamplandia! this weekend. Stop back in for next week's post, where we see what actually gets done over the weekend...

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....

Cause the Free Wind Is Blowin' Through Your Hair

Toasting to The Guy's Health and happiness.

I think I'm still recovering from this weekend. It was great and wonderful and, as always, we tried to cram as much into it as possible.
me at the derby with my favorite roller girl.

On Friday, I got home and Thy Guy and I went to work on the house. We went through every room and our storage area in the attic and the backyard and the garage and made a list of everything we wanted to get rid of, then we made a big pile in the garage with it. We also ripped up the icky carpet in Coadster's old room and threw that in for good measure.

I made tempeh reubens and salad and soup for dinner and watched a little Andy Griffith before we went to bed. Stinky was in the Quad Cities with her youth group and it sounds like she had a lot of fun there.


The Guy giving me some sugar at the derby.

We slept in until 7:30'ish on Saturday when Stinky pounded on the door, back from her youth group all-nighter thingy. She informed us that our friend S. was outside with his truck as well. The Guy and S. loaded up the pick-up and headed to the dump and to the architectural recycle store, and I took the cans and bottles back and ran another errand or two.

We got back and and got ready for our celebratory one year after The Guy's accident bike ride. We went to our friends' house. They just moved here from the Czech Republic and brought out this really good plum brandy, so we could toast The Guy. Very nice. We met up with some other friends, and rode our bikes to Hills for some Mexican food and back home for a nap.

The Guy running his bike up a hill.

Saturday evening, we picked up G. and headed to the roller derby. It was tons of fun and we drank beer and took dorky pics. When it was over, we dropped G off at a bar downtown and went home to bed, so we could get up early on Sunday.

Me all cheeky before the start of my race.

We headed to Burlington on Sunday morning. It was colder and sprinkled on and off, but the course was nice and easy, compared to some of the others. I raced the second full cross race, and I was much better at some things. I had a migraine and took my meds, which makes me spacey and my legs weak, but I felt like I was better about certain skills than I have been in other races. I didn't come anywhere close to winning, but I wasn't last and I learned a lot and had fun.

Me running my bike up a hill.

On Sunday evening, The Guy, Stinky and I finally ate dinner together. It wasn't anything all that exciting - just quesadillas with beans and guac and salsa and stuff to put on them, but it was great to hear all bout Stinky's weekend.

After dinner, I took Stinky to her youth group meeting and The Guy and I settled down to watch A Fish Called Wanda. It was a nice relaxing way to end a crazy busy weekend.

I Look at the Floor and I See it Needs Sweeping.

The beach where I trained on was pretty damn empty during the Iowa/Iowa State game last weekend.

I got quite a bit done this weekend. The Guy was sick, and I had a lot of time by myself, so I kept busy. On Friday we cooked trout on the grill and steamed asparagus and fried potatoes in garlic butter and rosemary. Then we watched the movie, Inception. The Guy had never seen it, and I thought all the action might keep him from falling asleep, but he said it did make him a little tense. Hey, at least he wasn't bored, right?

Me getting ready to put my bike in the car and then run a 5K'ish.

On Saturday, I got up and tried to get some practical stuff done and then ran an errand then finally went to the reservoir to train. I wandered around and took a few pictures before I started, then I swam (that open water swim will probably be the toughest part of the tri for me. The bike ride came next, and it's a route I normally do, so I feel pretty comfortable with it. I took another photo or two and put my bike and stuff away, before I started the run. A lot of the run is on a trail. I'm not sure of the exact route, so I winged it, and because I'm me, I got a little lost. Of course, it was a perfect day, and a beautiful trail, so it didn't bother me to wander/run around in the woods. It just took a little longer.

I got home in time to eat pizza and watch an Andy Griffith episode with The Guy before I went to my friend's treehouse party.

Me climbing up out of the trap door and into the top floor of the awesome treehouse.

Of course, by the time I got to the party, I had already worked-out for almost 3 hours and had some pizza, so I could have easily just stayed home and relaxed,(read: slept) but I did want to go and see my friends, so I made it through two drinks and a couple of hours before I went home.

The Guy and I watched a cheesy bike racing movie called, American Flyers. Kevin Costner with a pornstache. Need I say more. There were some cool cycling close-ups and there was plenty to laugh about with it, so I was very entertained.

Some of the boys at the party played some RAWK! music and G. and I decided that if they were going to play old Motley Crue, then we should at least do some head banging.

On Sunday, I got a ton of stuff done. I painted Coadster's room. I still have to paint the trim, but the walls are done and she picked out a really pretty silvery, purple color. So far, it looks really nice. I did some gardening and swept about a million acorns off of our back deck and then mowed the lawn - all before 12:30. After my chores were done, I went for a ride. I went back to the triathlon cycling route and extended it some more. It felt great.

The rest of the afternoon, I relaxed. I read my book on the porch for a bit, until my brother called, and I finally talked to him for a bit, and then The Guy took Stinky and I out for sushi. We got to hear about Stinky's trip to visit her sister in Ames and how much fun she had there.

By the end of the weekend, I think The Guy was finally feeling a little better and we had a nice talk. Now, I just hope I don't get sick right before the triathlon...

Turn Around and Say Good Morning to the Night.

The Guy appearing to pick his friend's nose...Even though they say you can't do that.

This weekend was nice and mellow for the most part. Friday night we had tempeh reubens and steamed asparagus and salad for dinner. We both read and The Guy worked on the wheels he's building for my bike for cyclocross season and then we walked a few blocks and got ice cream. Just my speed.

Our friend Bry, being judged by Captain Kirk in the future home of the captain's birthplace.

On Saturday morning, we went on a bike ride to Riverside, Ia. with our friend Bry. His real bike was in the shop, so he had his old bike, which kept flatting out. By the time we got to Riverside, he had run out of innertubes and we had to call my favorite bartender, S., to come and get Bry and drive him back to Iowa City.

The Guy and I rode our bikes home and then decided to take a nap. We did that thing where we took too long of a nap and I think I was getting a cold and when we woke up at 5, I was wiped out and useless. We decided to finally finish watching Dead Man. I've never been able to watch even part of that movie without falling asleep. Don't get me wrong, it's a good movie. It's just very, very slow. Saturday I made it through and didn't fall asleep once. Woot!

The Guy pointing out S., who was nice enough to drive to Riverside and rescue our friend Bry.

On Sunday, The Guy and I decided to try swimming, biking and running the triathlon course I'm going to do in a few weeks. Holy crap! That was tough. Apparently the biking and running courses are much hillier than normal courses and man did I feel it. I learned that I have to eat something in there. Which is hard to do and then run, but I'll drink Gatorade and have a bar of something during the bike ride.

We got home from that and took a nice, short nap this time. We got up and cleaned until our Czech friends came over to see our house and borrow some books. Then we walked with our friends and Stinky to Shakespeare's for dinner. We finished the evening by watching a silly zombie movie called I Sell the Dead. It was totally goofy, but it was a zombie movie, so it was exactly as it should have been.