These Cut Flowers Just Won't Die

"Flowers -- in the dead of winter!"  That is a quote said by Patricia Neal in the original Walton's movie, The Homecoming, where she played John Boy's mother, Olivia.  We occasionally will buy fresh, cut flowers to brighten up our lives during the dreary winter months.

These "daisies" were purchased more than 3 weeks ago and still look -- well, fresh as a daisy.  My mom pointed out these aren't actually daisies.  She asked me what kind of leaves do they have.  They have chrysanthemum leaves.  She said they are actually chrysanthemums bred to look like daisies.   The leaves are actually pretty dried up, but the flowers still look great.  Whatever they are, they were worth every cent ($8) I paid for them.

Life Without Sweets -- Day 2

Although I'm not religious, I am using Lent as an excuse to give up sweets until Easter.  (Come on... I can't not eat chocolate on Easter--I'm not a fanatic.)  It is only Day 2, but I have to say, I do miss the sweets. 

Giving up "sweets" begs the question, "What is a sweet?"  Obviously it would include cookies, cake, donuts, ice cream, and candy.  But as I was about to put a piece of gum in my mouth, I stopped and wondered, "Is this a sweet?"  Since it was sugar-free, I decided it would be permitted.

Another problem is when I leave the gym during my lunch-time workout, I have to walk through a mall on my way back to my office and I always pass an Auntie Anne's pretzel place that has small pieces of sugar-coated pretzels sitting out as free samples.  I would often reward myself with a sample after a long run.  That is now out for a while. 

Anyway, I'm convinced I can actually lose weight if I don't eat any sweets, even if I don't really cut back on my eating.  I have been eating out the last few nights and although I haven't had any sweets, I haven't exactly been starving myself.

 I did have an apple today when I normally would have had a late-afternoon snack containing sugar in some form or another.  I also have been snacking on those little 100 calorie bags of nuts (almonds and walnuts), but just one bag  a day.  That's progress, right?

Giving up stuff for Lent is so much easier than a New Year's Resolution.  It is just 6 and a half weeks.  It's not like you have to commit to an entire year.  Anybody else giving up anything for Lent? 

Zest American Bistro - New Barracks Row Restaurant

To celebrate our good news (see post below), Shane and I went out to dinner at a new restaurant on Barracks Row called Zest .  Barracks Row is the up and coming area near our house on Capitol Hill.  Shane read about Zest in an e-mail newsletter he gets on Barracks Row businesses and suggested we give it a try.  I'm glad we did.  We loved it.

It is beautiful inside with its exposed brick wall and the other wall is fabric covered, which helps keeps down the noise.  It looks very trendy and modern.

To start out, I had the Troegs Nut Brown Ale -- a dark wheaty beer on draft, and Shane had a lighter draft beer, the Brooklyn Lager.

I ordered the Roasted Leg of Lamb on grilled flatbread with caramelized onions, crumbled feta and pomegranate bbq, along with mixed greens.  OMG it was good.  I have always felt that doggy doo would taste good with caramelized onions and this was much better than doggy doo (I imagine).  The sandwich was sweet and delish.  I will be getting it again.

Shane had his favorite meal, a cheeseburger with "herb" fries.  He said it was all "wonderful."  Zest was a great find.  We highly recommend.

I give Zest 4 out of 5 blue sponges.  That is a very high recommendation for me.  Also, the price was very reasonable (both our meals were around $10 each).  If you are in the DC area, you won't be disappointed by trying Zest .

Good News On the Florida House Front

You may be aware that we are trying to buy a house in Punta Gorda, FL, which is pictured above. There was a problem with a variance that was subsequently challenged by a neighbor in his attempt to get the house torn down because he thought it made his McMansion valued less. Anyway, today was the Punta Gorda Council Meeting, so they voted on the variance on the house and approved it. Now we have to wait up to 2 weeks for the town to "record" the variance, whatever that means, and then we can go to closing shortly thereafter (we hope). There is a light at the end of the tunnel!

The view of the canal from the Lanai.

Marion Barry Broke a Law?

Former DC Mayor and current DC City Council member Marion Barry is in the news again for possibly breaking the law. He personally benefited from a contract he awarded a former girlfriend. An investigation found Barry violated DC law and recommends the findings be referred to the U.S. Attorney for criminal charges. The girlfriend got a contract to develop a program called, "Emerging Leaders of Ward Eight," which is Barry's ward. The investigation also found that significant portions of the program were copied from the Internet without attribution. Also, Barry had loaned the girlfriend money and forced her to repay him from her paycheck from the contract.

Barry doing illegal stuff? I thought he was too busy protesting gay marriage because it is so immoral.  In other breaking news, the sky is blue and the pope is Catholic.

Fat Tuesday Feast

We went out to dinner tonight to Matchbox on Capitol Hill. Shane had a pizza and I had a crabcake sandwich and crab soup. We then came home and filled up on candy we got for Valentine's Day from my sis and her triplets. Though I'm far from a religious person, I am giving up sweets for Lent. After all the crap I've consumed since the first of the recent snowstorms, I need to go without for a bit. I will miss you sugar and chocolate!

Not Just Sticks In a Vase -- Forcing Springtime

As I did last year, I am once again forcing some springtime into our lives.  We went to my mom's over the weekend and I trudged through the several feet of snow in her backyard to her forsythia bush and made some cuttings.  I then bought them home and smashed the base of the sticks and placed the in a vase of water.  Hopefuly, in a few weeks they will be blooming like nobody's business.  I'll keep you posted.

Virtual Run from DC to FL -- Update 8

This is another update on my progress doing a virtual run from my home in DC to the home we're attempting to buy in Punta Gorda, Fl. It is a distance of about 1,003 miles. This week I only ran 4 days. We had a few snow storms here this week, which not only hampered my progress, but caused me to do extra physical labor in the manner of snow shoveling. Here's how it breaks down. The time in minutes and seconds is now after my milage.
Monday: Off Tuesday: 4 miles -- 32:40 Wednesday: Off Thursday: 4 miles -- 34:20 Friday: 9 miles -- 76:30 Saturday: Off Sunday: 3 miles -- 24:10
Total Distance Run This Week: 20 miles
Total Distance Run in 2010: 144 miles
Total Run Time: 19 hours 41 minutes 22 seconds
My Virtual Distance to Punta Gorda: 859 miles

On my virtual run, I have run south of Richmond, just past the small town of Templeton. I've run 144 miles and I'm still in Virginia. PUSH UPS I am also trying to improve my strength by doing push ups. With all the snow I shoveled this week, I couldn't do as many push ups as last week. Believe me, though, I got lots of arm exercise. Goal for the year: 10,000 Tuesday: 55 Friday: 65 Sunday: 60 Total Push Ups This Week: 180

Push Ups in 2010: 1,026

Top Ten List -- Favorite iPhone Apps

This doesn't include apps that came with the phone, such as Safari, Camera, Photo, Mail, YouTube, etc.  These are the top 10 iPhone apps that I've actually downloaded -- mostly for free.

10.  DC Metro -- You select a station and it tells you when the next train will be arriving.  I can see when I leave my office how much time I have to get to the platform to catch my train.

9.  PapiJump -- A fun, mindless game that makes you move the phone to make a ball jump up and up.  Of course, it gets more difficult the longer you climb.  Very addictive.

8.  iRadio Now -- This app plays a variety of radio stations, including our favorite from Fort Myers, FL, Sunny 106, which plays various easy listening, 70s, Frank Sinatra, etc.  It makes me feel like I'm in Florida anytime.

7.  Brain Tuner -- Another addictive game that tests your basic math skills and supposedly prevents Alzheimer's.

6. Phone Flicks -- Lets you update your Netflix queue on your iPhone anytime.

5. Snap Tell -- Helps prevent impulse buying by showing the book, movie, or cd I'm about to buy can be bought elsewhere for much less.

4.  i.TV -- Helps not only with what is on TV, but shows movies and times in the area.

3.  SitOrSqat -- This was nice to have when we were visiting New York City and wanted to find a nice, clean bathroom.

2.  Urbanspoon -- Great way to find new places to eat in DC or other cities we may be visiting.

1.  Shazam -- I don't actually use this application very much, but it amazes me.  It listens to just about any song and tells you the title, who sings it and where you can buy it.  How do they do it?

Memories of Florida -- Alligator Alley

These shots are from are trip to Florida in January, when we drove to Key West from Tampa via Route 41, aka Alligator Alley.  This was at a rest stop on the road with a boardwalk that features lots of wild gators.  Just driving along, we saw countless gators on the sides of the road.  It is not a good place to have your car break down.

Snow Escape -- "All of My Days" by Alexi Murdoch

The second snow storm in less than a week is about over (all but the wind), and we're starting to get cabin fever. I found this video, which features a beautiful song by Alexi Murdoch.  It was in the film Away We Go. As you may recall from my review of that film, I thought the best thing about it was the music. I purchased the soundtrack and, so far, this is my favorite song from it. I love this video version of it, because the images remind me of warmer times away from the snow. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash and Apple Puree Recipe

There is another snow storm coming our way, so what better thing to do on a cold, snowy day than make more soup?  I made a batch  of this squash and apple puree on Sunday, and it was amazing.  I love this soup.  Even Shane likes it and he isn't crazy about soup in general and a soup made from squash--well, I'm amazed he likes it.  On a post I did on Sunday, Bo made a comment that he wanted a recipe... so here it is.

olive oil to coat bottom of pan

1 pound of butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about half a squash)

1 stalk of celery

1/2 medium onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 granny smith apple, peeled and diced

2 and 1/2 cups water or stock (I used vegetable stock)

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp honey (I didn't have honey, so I added a tsp of sugar)

Heat a medium-sized sauce pot to medium high heat and lightly coat bottom of the pot with olive oil. Add onion and garlic and saute for about 2 minutes.  Add celery and season with salt and pepper. 

Add the squash and apple and saute for about 10 minutes.  Add the water or stock, season again with salt and pepper, and simmer about 10-15 minutes.

Remove from heat, add nutmeg, cinnamon and honey (sugar), and mix it in.

Place everything in a blender and puree until smooth.  Adjust seasoning to taste and serve hot.  This recipe makes four servings.  Bon Appetit!

Enter the Dragulator

Season two of RuPaul's Drag Race has begun and the website has a the Dragulator. Upload a photo and create your own drag image!  The one above is Shane in red and myself in the turquoise leopard.  What visions!  Enter the Dragulator here.

New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #228

Dang!  One of you varmits is a rattler.

The above cartoon is the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest  #228.  Let me know if you come up with any captions too. Click on the link above to enter.

Colorful Dinner

I made quite an extravagant dinner (for me, that is) tonight. BBQ pork loin, green beans, and a yam for me and a russett for Shane. I also made the squash and apple soup (not shown) we learned to cook at
our cooking class . The soup was awesome. It all was pretty good!

More good news:  We have a snow day tomorrow.   The Federal Government is closed.  Yippy Dippy Doo Dah!

Virtual Run from DC to FL -- Update #7

This is anothjer update on my progress doing a virtual run from my home in DC to the home we're attempting to buy in Punta Gorda, Fl. It is a distance of about 1,003 miles. This week I ran 5 days. I had planned to run again today, but with the big snow we had over the weekend, I decided to take an extra off day.  I did get a bit of exercise shoveling snow anyway.  Here's how it breaks down. The time in minutes and seconds is now after my milage.

Monday: 3.5 miles -- 29:50
Tuesday: 4 miles -- 31: 23
Wednesday: 5 miles -- 39:20
Thursday: 3.5 miles -- 27.33
Friday: 5 miles -- 31:59
Saturday: Off
Sunday: Off

Total Distance Run This Week: 21 miles

Total Distance Run in 2010: 124 miles

Total Run Time: 16 hours 53 minutes 42 seconds

My Virtual Distance to Punta Gorda: 879miles

On my virtual run, I have run south of Richmond and am near John Tyler Community College.  The video is from the college website and is about their embalming classes.  Sounds interesting.

PUSH UPS

I am also trying to improve my strength by doing push ups.

Goal for the year: 10,000

Tuesday: 74

Friday: 72

Sunday: 54

Total Push Ups This Week: 200

Push Ups in 2010: 846

I pooped out on my push ups today and only did 54.  I blame it on shoveling snow yesterday. 

Snow My God!

This shot is snow piled up on the top of the railing on our back deck.  Below is a shot of some birds on the spaghetti of wires behind our house.  The video below that is of Shane cleaning the snow off our car.

5 on the Fifth -- The Blizzard Begins

I saw on the Life in the Day website that he was taking part in the 5 on the 5th event, an idea from State of the Nation UK . The theme this time around was City Life, and since we are getting the start of a blizzard in the city, I thought I document how we are enjoying the storm.  These are taken with my iPhone, so I apologize for the quality.

It is about 10 pm on Friday night and this is the view out our front window. We're listening to music, drinking wine, and watching the snow. It could pile up to 2 feet. We're glad we're inside watching.

This is the top of our coffee table with our various remotes, our Netflix movie (The  Hurt Locker) and The Music Man, which we just got in the Blu-Ray format.

You can't expect us to suffer through a blizzard without a few extra snack, can you?

This is Shane sitting at our table in the front window, drinking wine and watching the snow fall.

"Flowers in the dead of winter!"  That's a line from The Waltons Christmas movie, The Homecoming, which I posted on here at Christmas.  These are daisies that still look as fresh as daisies after a week.

New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #227

I heard about this book called The Secret

on Oprah and it really does work!

The above cartoon is the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest  #227. Let me know if you come up with any captions too. Click on the link above to enter.

DADT Repeal About Values

West Point Military Academy cadets must adhere to the Cadet Honor Code, which states "A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do."  In addition, the values of the U.S. Army are stated on the Army website as: "Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage."  However, the official policy of the the Army and the entire military toward gay soldiers is "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."  This basically means don't tell the truth about who you are. 

 

Senator John McCain, though claiming respect and admiration for all soldiers (including the gay ones), calls the policy "effective."  He seems to be saying it is OK to be a gay soldier, unless you're an honest gay soldier. 

 

As a result of this "effective" policy 428 service members were discharged in 2009 at a cost of $290 million. Even with the announcement that third party reports will no longer be used to dismiss soldiers (I guess "don't tell" never meant other people couldn't rat you out), this policy continues on and more service members will be dismissed. 

 

Adm. Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, criticized DADT yesterday during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing yesterday.  He said, "I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens." 

 

Adm. Mullen was joined at the Senate hearing by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who also supported the change in policy, but asked for a year to study the impact of changing the policy.  Hmmmm... a year to study how to change the policy...  Why does the administration need to study this for about a year and what will it entail?  Are they thinking about getting rid of communal showers or providing separate accommodations for gay soldiers?  Are they going to develop sensitivity training on how to treat soldiers making out in a foxhole?  Are they trying to delay things until after mid-term elections? BINGO! 

 

There is nothing to study here.  You simply change the policy. You announce soldiers will no longer be dismissed from military service for being homosexual.  The rules of sexual conduct should be the same for homosexual soldiers as they are for heterosexual soldiers.  The end.  Life goes on. 

 

Republicans criticized Gates for stating the year-long review would determine how to repeal the ban, not whether it should be repealed.  That is a step forward, I guess (baby steps).  However, repealing the ban does take an act of Congress, which is not currently in the works. 

 

Many other countries around the world have open, gay soldiers and their military survives.  These are tough soldiers.  They can handle being around a few gays.  The argument that this is not the time to change the policy because we're fighting two wars is nonsense.  With approximately 66,000 gays and lesbians currently in the military (according to a study by the  Williams Institute), there is no better time to support all our soldiers by letting them know none of them has to lie anymore.