7 Years and 14 Days
Dec/100
After 7 years and 14 days of blogging I am going to officially retire. It has been fun. I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to express myself in a semi-public method and laugh the commentary it generated. Quite obviously, I don’t really get around to writing too often.I can’t say I’ll be retired forever, but for now it makes sense.
Thanks for reading. Maybe someday all of this content will be in a book about my life. Maybe.
Vegas Marathon
Dec/101
Tomorrow morning I jump on a plane for a very exciting destination: Las Vegas. Back in the winter I got this grand idea to do the Vegas marathon. It is about to become reality. Even if the running sucks it is Vegas. It will be a good time.
Challenging
Nov/100
You think it would be easy to write a couple random sentences every couple days. It is unfortunately quite difficult. After a day of sitting in front of a computer I find myself with very little desire to sit down for 20 minutes and pound out more ramblings. I almost feel like I need to hire someone who will do the typing for me. If I actually felt like writing tonight here are some topics I might cover.
- Harrison Ford on Conan last night – He was clearly not sober and that made it to be very entertaining
- Running – I’ve decided to move forward with doing the marathon. There was a period of time when I didn’t think I was going to be ready enough and I was just going to do the half. I did my longest training run ever the other weekend and it went fairly well (17.2 miles). I don’t expect to PR or even break 4 hours but I’ll set a conservative goal of 4:30. Even if it all ends of going pear-shaped Erin and I are staying at the Wynn Encore (nice hotel) and taking a special tour of the Hoover Dam.
- I kegged my latest beers the other day: oatmeal stout and pumpkin ale. I’ve tasted the oatmeal stout and I have the sense that it might be the best beer I’ve ever brewed. The nose, the taste, the mouthfeel. I seriously might need to open a brewpub some day.
- Bass – I’ve been giving some serious thought to buying an acoustic bass guitar. I played a few on Sunday though I haven’t tried enough to figure out which one I’d buy. It isn’t a particularly common instrument so most stores don’t carry all that many if they have any at all. If I do buy one you can expect that Adam and I will be out playing on a more regular basis.
- Thanksgiving – For the first time ever I won’t be home for Thanksgiving. Strike that, back when my older brother was studying overseas we had Thanksgiving dinner at The Porcupine near Leicester Square in London. For the record, we had fish and chips and I had my first beer. It was a Murphy’s Irish Stout and I went all downhill from there. In fact, I was so jet-lagged that the little bit of alcohol made me very very tired and I took a short nap on a bench outside of some museum. It certainly will be unfortunate that I won’t see my parents, and almost as important, my friends for our yearly pre-T-day traditions. However, I believe Massachusetts will be pretty good.
- Last week I was up in NYC for work and I saw Times Square for the first time. I also visited one of the 400 Irish pubs. I really enjoyed being in the city though I’m pretty sure I could never live there. Speaking of cities, I’m not sure I have all that much interest in living in any city right now. My car got broken into again two weekends ago. Nothing major stolen but another window had to be replaced. Admittedly, I park in a bad area but when you spend 20 minutes looking for a spot you have to pull the trigger and do something.
I’d Like to Know How
Nov/102
I voted. Did you?
I am non-affiliated (not aligned to any particular political party) and might lean towards more liberal views but to be honest, I am not too disappointed that the Republicans have some more control. It is their turn to try and guide the country down the right path. However, I have no doubt that they will do no better a job of fixing the two things most people seem to care about: jobs, the economy. I think most people see jobs and the economy as one in the same when they are in fact two very different concepts, though related. However you look at it, they are complex issues and you can’t fix things like that over night. I will agree that Obama’s push for a health care bill was not politically wise, though I already know people who have benefited from it and I haven’t see it impact my paycheck so in practice it feels like a move that was right for the country in the short and long term.
Jumping back to jobs, I’d love to know how the Republicans are going to create them without spending more money. I’m not saying that money is the magic bullet but it is very true that you need to spend some money to make money. Cutting taxes is not going to have any more significance than the stimulus packages. Speaking of the stimulus, while the intention might have been a short-term boost to the economy with the incorrect expectation that the unemployment rate would drop dramatically, I’m concerned with two things about how it is/will play out.
1) We have no way of knowing how high the unemployment rate would be if it weren’t for the packages and bailouts, etc. These efforts might have kept everything in check and since humans can only seem to respond to drastic change this wasn’t dramatic enough to warrant praise.
2) There is the potential for long-term benefits and there is the chance the Republicans will claim these changes to be their own efforts.
I’m not going to dive into the economy too much as I don’t totally understand it. I believe our interest rates are too low. We are now trying to weaken the dollar. That just feels very counterintuitive. I never cared much for economics.
If the first order of business for the Republicans is to get rid of the health care bill, I hope they all lose the next election because that is not why they just regained power. People may not like the program, but that is not the problem they were trying to raise attention to (at least from a majority perspective). Focus on the jobs thing.
Speaking of jobs, people also need to remember that they have an equal responsibility to ensure they are qualified to work. If you can’t find a job maybe you need to get some additional education/training to make yourself more qualified. There certainly are existing government programs to make that possible. While I appreciate the fact that we are able to have a wellfare system, I do not believe it is anyone’s right to utilize it. It is a privilege that should come for those who truly need it.
Duck Confit Poutine
Oct/101
I might have had the ultimate Canadian food tonight while visiting Duggan’s Brewery in Toronto: duck confit poutine. I don’t think I need to say much more. It was awesome. I’d go back in a heartbeat just to eat that dish. The schnitzel was pretty tasty as well. I was sure to take advantage of the lemon slices which add a really nice citrus note to the fried crust. The only disappointment was the lack of growlers. They didn’t have any sanitized so they couldn’t sell me one (even empty). Oh, the beer was decent. Nothing exciting but good for sessions of listening to your coworkers tell college stories – there stories made me feel like I missed something in college.
Did you miss something (i.e. not take advantage of) in college? Thoughts?
Camping
Sep/101
While eating a birthday dinner consisting of a wild boar burger with a bottle of Deus (awesome Belgian beer finished in France in a Champagne-style) Erin and I discussed the possibility of camping on Saturday. She had given me a nice new tent and ground tarp as a birthday present (along with a book on purchasing your first home) and I was eager to test it out. The plan was to visit French Creek State Park which isn’t too far outside the Philadelphia metro area.
On Saturday we headed out to Wegman’s on 422 to purchase supplies. While eating lunch it occurred that calling ahead to see if they had sites open would be a good idea. Unfortunately, they did not and the closest place they recommened was south of Harrisburg. I wasn’t feeling west so we looked north on our smartphones and settled on Hickory Run State Park up in the Poconos which appeared to have spots. While it was nearly a 2 hour trip we had the Penn State game on the radio and it was a beautiful day for a drive.
We settled on site 107 which was near a road but had plenty of wooded space around it so we didn’t feel crowded. It took hardly any time at all to setup the tent and get everything in order. We took a 3-4 mile hike down a ridge it felt so good to be outsides. The smell of the woods is one of my favorite scents. For dinner we had hot dogs and smores. A similar yet satisfying meal. The rest of the night was spent watching the TV of camping known as a fire.
On Sunday we decided to try another trail. Our choice was named “Shades of Death” and was listed as difficult. We joined the trail midway and walked to the start of it. It was fairly well worn so we couldn’t figure out why it had such a rating. When we got back to our starting point and started on the other section it became much cleared. Challenging to follow at times, filled with roots and boulders though incredibly beautiful. There were waterfalls, canopies of mountain laurel and a old dam (pictured above) holding back some of the clearest water I had ever seen.
After packing up we decided to make one more stop. We drove to a remote section of the forest to see “the best example of a boulder field on the east coast.” You really needed to see it to understand how fascinating this was. It was around 1200′ x 800′ and incredibly flat though deeply filled with boulders of various size and shape.
Overall, it was a very successful trip and I believe we’ll be checking another park in the very near future.
28
Sep/104
There have been so many writeable events in the last month that it is a bit of a shame that it took my 28th birthday to inspire me to finally sit down and write something new.
I guess a fairly common question to someone turning 28 is “Are you worried about turning 30 soon?” I bet that is even more common when you turn 29. My answer is simply “no.” I did a little reflecting last night to think about what good things I did during my 27th year on this planet. I realized I’ve done a lot of cool things. Overall, I’m at a pretty good place for being 28. No major regrets. So, why should the number 30 have any sort of negative connotation for me? It will likely mean I’ve accomplished even more good stuff. What about the fact that I’ll be one step closer to being old and deceased? I say, the day you are born you are one step closer. No value in fearing that.
So what exactly did I accomplish and what experiences did I enjoy this past year? Here are a short list of things that come to mind.
- I visited 4 new countries and 1 US territory - Mexico, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Puerto Rico
- I got promoted to “manager” at my company
- I continued my traditions of going to Boston for Extreme Beer Fest, my friend Rachel’s cabin, poker picnic with my dad and beach soccer tournament
- I started a potentially new tradition of going to a Massachusetts beach for Memorial Day
- I brewed my best batch of beer yet (“Chocolate Thundar”)
- I successfully moved out of Manayunk
- I defended my “Most Unique” chili title at our work competition
- I went to my first Eagles game
- I established that Erin makes a good companion
This list got me thinking about another list. Before I get to that I wanted to note how nice the “manager” of my “soccer club” is. She brought me cookies to soccer last night and made everyone day happy birthday to me. Additionally, Erin waited until just about midnight to give me a call so that at the turn of the hour she could be first to wish me a happy birthday. Such nice people. Anyway, I didn’t do it intentionally, but yesterday I indulged in a ton of things I really like almost as a precelebration.
- Ate a bacon, egg and cheese bagel from McDonalds for breakfast
- Drank an iced coffee
- Had a spicy chicken wrap and mushroom soup for lunch
- Went for a run in the rain
- Played soccer in the rain
- Ate mash potatoes and gravy for dinner
- Ate Taco Bell
- Drank a beer (3)
- Drank a diet Mountain Dew
I believe today will be a good day and the coming year will be filled with interesting things.
I’m On Vacation
Aug/100
I pressed send on my back-fill coverage plan and set my “out of office” messages around 6pm on Friday night. It was time for vacation to begin. First stop, the beer store to pick up some Sam Adams Oktoberfest.
I got home and started working on the packing process. I received a phone call from a co-worker around 9pm. It was a friendly call encouraging me to enjoy my vacation as I had “really earned it.” A short time later Trevor and Jessie arrived. They were passing through/crashing on their way to a Saturday picnic in the area.
We went down to Baggataway’s for dinner and drinks. We split an order of wings and I went with a mushroom and Gruyère burger. Pretty tasty all around. We sat outside and it was a very nice night to be sitting outside.
The rest of the night was spent sitting around a camp fire trying an assortment of beers I had acquired and discussing life. It was really nice to catch up with them both. We also discussed a “man-cation” next summer of RV’ing across the US stopping at various craft beer establishments. Before I knew it the clock read 3:30am and it was time for bed.
Today I got a little more serious about packing. However, my method of packing was questionable. I pulled all of the clothing that had piled up in my closet and started folding, sorting and hanging it. I decided that it would be nice to come back to a clean room.
I also found time to watch two good movies: Inglourious Basterds and Soylent Green. I especially enjoyed the first one. Creatively structured, good acting and edge-of-your seat action were the highlights. I’m not sure if I’d be eager to watch it again but definitely worth watching at least once.
I also popped out to the bank to deposit a check and made a run to the grocery store for some dinner items. I made scallops, zucchini and couscous. Delicious. Only problem is that I made too much and there isn’t anyone around to help eat it.
I’m going to spend the remainder of the night folding shirts and watching HGTV. Tomorrow morning at 9:45am Erin and I take off (got upgraded to first class) to Mexico for a week long vacation at an all-inclusive resort in Playa del Carmen. I expect nothing less than glorious enjoyment. I’ve got three books to read and an appetite for relaxation (and fruity beverages).
When I return, marathon training begins (but I won’t think about that until next Saturday).
Cooking
Aug/105
In the past two weeks I’ve been doing a decent amount of cooking. Last week I made risotto three different times with three different recipes.
1) Mushroom risotto #1 – I didn’t add the mushrooms until the very end and basically just let them steam. This kept the rice a nice cream color. I servered it with some small bay scallops. Overall, it was good.
2) Lobster mushroom risotto #2 – I don’t know what I was thinking but ACME had pre-boiled lobsters for $7.99 per pound. I bought around 3 pounds. Pulling apart lobster outside of a nice restaurant just doesn’t feel right. In this batch I soaked dry mushrooms in my chicken broth which turned it into a really nice mushroom broth. The rice ended up having a dirtier color as I strained the mushrooms from the broth, chopped them and re-added them. I tossed the lobster meat in at the end. Initially, the risotto wasn’t exactly what I wanted but after sitting in the fridge for a night it got a lot better for some reason.
3) Mushroom risotto #3 – This one was perfect. I didn’t over complicate the risotto. I used the same dry mushroom soaking technique but did not add the mushrooms in with the rice. I served the wild mushrooms on the side. I did forget to add salt which just means you have to add your own when you eat. Not such a bad thing as the salt won’t get disolved and it will have a bigger impact in enhancing the flavor and consumption time. The piece that pulled it all together was the dry-pack sea scallops. I seared them in olive oil with and flavored them with a little bit of kosher salt and fresh-ground red pepper corns. I believe I cooked the scallops perfectly. The are my favorite food of the moment. It was an excellent meal and the only real downside was that the mushrooms were a little boring.
This week I made turkey meatballs. I pan seared them and let them simmer in my Crockpot with sauce. They ended up being incredibly tender.
I find cooking to be very relaxing.
iPhone vs. Blackberry
Aug/102
Bottom line, I need a new cell phone. The Blackberry Torch is out today. It is the latest in the Blackberry line and includes a pullout QWERTY keyboard. you know what’s funny? I hesitated when I went to type QWERTY because I was looking for the keys. Think about it. Hilarious. Anyway, the iPhone 4 is pretty cool and other than the antenna issue, I haven’t heard any major complaints. They are both going to cost me $199. I haven’t met anyone yet that thinks I should get the Blackberry but I do like the idea of having a physical keyboard. Perhaps it is time to learn how to type on a touchscreen? I’m going to check them both out at lunch today.
Update: If I were to consider a phone with the Android OS, which particular phone? I have AT&T.
Update #2: I went with the Samsung Captivate at the advice of John W. So far, so good! Thanks.