Tuesday, April 5

5 for the Fifth: My 5K Struggle


This is an idea from State of the Nation UK -- taking five photos and share them with the world on the fifth of the month.  This month is really a double cheat since I am not following this month's theme: blur; but also, I did not even take any of these photos.  They are from last Friday, April 1, at the first of five Crystal City (VA) 5K Fridays in April.  There was a blog posting about it here on April 1.  The first photo is the start, which I am technically in (but not visible), and the second is of me somewhere during the race.  The last three photos are of me at the finish.  I ran this race harder than I intended and I think these photos show I was struggling.  I did finish in under 24 minutes, which is astounding for me. 





Monday, April 4

New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #282

I don't care that you "really, really have to go." 

or

This is why you don't buy airline tickets at Walmart!

or

Where's the stewardess call button?

or

Flying just isn't glamorous anymore. 

or

I always have a hard time sleeping on a plane. 

These are some ideas for the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #282.  Let me know if you have any ideas for a caption too.  The third one and last one are by Shane. 


Sunday, April 3

Back In Florida; Sunday at the Beach


Today is Day 2 of our 4-day weekend in Florida, and we had a great day.  We slept in a bit and I went for a run.  Eventually, we went to the beach.  It was crazy crowded, probably because it was such a beautiful day.  Anyway, we had a great afternoon at the beach.  I am reading Andre Agassi's autobiography, Open, on my Kindle.  It is actually really interesting.  Here's the Reader's Digest version:  He hates tennis and his dad was an ass.

After the beach, we came back to the house, showered, changed, and went out to dinner to the River City Grill in Punta Gorda.  I had blackened salmon and Shane had NY strip steak.  We love eating there.  We've always enjoyed it.  We especially love it when, during the off season, they have two for one entrees.  That was not the case tonight, but it was still well worth it. 

Saturday, April 2

Back In Florida: House Update


We flew back to Florida today for a long weekend in the warm weather.  The weather is awesome--not a cloud in the sky and high temperatures in the mid-80s.  

The above photo is what our Florida house looked like when we bought it last year.  Since then, we have been working on fixing it up.  Today is the first time we saw the results of our new entry.  We had the walkway redone and a railing put on the porch.  We also had to have the roof painted, and of course, we previously had the house painted.  In addition, we had the yard redone with new trees and all the old plantings removed.  This trip, we are hiring a landscaper to put in new plants in all the beds.  It is a work in progress, but we are loving how it is turning out. 

We had the broken and loose tile walkway removed.

We're working on getting plants for the flowerbeds.  

Friday, April 1

Crystal City 5K Fridays Race #1


I signed up to run all of the five Crystal City 5K Fridays, which is near where I work.  Tonight was race #1.  My plan was to take it easy on the first one so that I could do a steady improvement throughout the month.  However, everyone around me was running like crazy, so I ran pretty fast too.  My result was pretty good.  I actually ran it in under 24 minutes.  I came in 181st overall out of 938 runners and 145th out of 418 males.  My chip time was 23 minutes, 58 seconds, which is a pace of 7:46 per mile.  Now I have to improve on that time.  Yikes.

I need neck liposuction!


Thursday, March 31

What We're Watching: Downton Abbey on Netflix


The other night we started watching Downton Abbey on the Netflix channel of our Roku.  The Roku is the device that allows us to watch instant downloads on the television.  Downton Abbey is a modern version of Upstairs, Downstairs.  It stars Maggie Smith and Elizabeth McGovern.  We are loving it.  I believe it was on PBS last year (Masterpiece Theatre), but we somehow missed it.  See a scene from the show below.


Watch the full episode. See more Masterpiece.


Watch the full episode. See more Masterpiece.

Wednesday, March 30

Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cake


I took a sick day today.  I actually was not feeling well this morning.  I didn't get much sleep as a result and couldn't face a day in the office.  This afternoon, after taking it very easy all morning, I was getting bored and hungry and was looking around in the kitchen and realized I had all the ingredients to make one of my favorite cakes:  The Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cake.  

It is a simple recipe that is in Anne Byrn's The Cake Mix Doctor cookbook.  All you do is mix a devil's food cake mix with a can of cherry pie filling (21 oz.), two eggs, and a teaspoon of almond extract.  Bake it at 350 for 30-35 minutes in a 13- by 9-inch pan (sprayed with vegetable oil spray).  The icing is a bit more tricky.  You bring a cup of sugar, 1/3 cup of milk and 1/3 cup of butter to a boil for a minute (stirring constantly).  Then you remove it from the burner and mix in 6 oz. (or a little more) of semi-sweet chocolate chips until they melt and the icing is smooth.  Poor it over the warm cake and let it cool.  It is very sweet, but so good. 

You can see from the photo that it did not take long before I had to try a piece.  

Monday, March 28

New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest # 281

Really? You think saying "Only 20 more letters to go," is a comfort?

This is my submission for the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #281.  Let me know if you have any ideas for a caption too.

Sunday, March 27

Our Weekend in New York


We went to New York City this weekend, primarily to see the Signature Theatre Company's production of Angels In America.  We saw the matinee of Part 1:  Millennium Approaches and the evening performance of Part 2:  Perestroika.  In all, it was about 7 hours of play with four intermissions and a 2 1/2 hour break for dinner.

The show was amazing.  The theater was very small.  We sat in the seventh row for the first performance and the second row for the evening show.  We had already seen the HBO production of the show, so knew what to expect, but seeing it live was well worth it.  Prior Walter was played by Michael Urie, who played Marc St. James on Ugly Betty.  I was never much of a fan of that show, and I knew he looked familiar, but did not realize who he was until after the first performance.  The whole cast did an excellent job, especially Adam Driver, who played Louis.


Prior to the first show, we walked down (in the freezing cold) to the Hudson River and saw this aircraft carrier parked nearby, which made us feel quite safe from military attack during our visit.  


We ate dinner at this Japanese restaurant between shows.  It was very good.  We both had teriyaki chicken and miso soup, but mine also came with shrimp sumai, seaweed salad, and vegetable tempura.

I had already ate one of the shrimp sumai. 


When we arrived on Friday evening, we went to this piano bar, Don't Tell Mama, which has a back room for show tunes only.  It was also lots of fun.  I drank a Sexy Mama.  Mmmm.

Saturday, March 26

In NYC to See Angels In America

Shane and I are in New York this weekend to see both parts of Angels
In America. We already saw Part 1, which was amazing, and are about
to see the second part. That's about 7 hours of show! More later.

Friday, March 25

Buying New Glasses Part 2--Even More Frames

Here are some more glasses frames I tried out recently.  Do any of them do anything for me?

Harry Potter?

I don't hate these.

I do hate these.

No.

Hell No.

I think we have a winner.

Thanks to my co-worker, Sara, for going with me and taking all these pictures.  Visit her blog, the Butterfly Cottage, about her upcoming wedding here.

Thursday, March 24

Buying New Glasses--So Many Choices

I'm thinking about buying new glasses and getting a new look.  Which would you choose?

These are the Dame Ednas.

Yes. Those are rhinestones.

No.  It's me, not Michael Caine.

Ewww.

Now that's hot?

More choices later...

Wednesday, March 23

Elizabeth Taylor Tearing It Up in "Woolf"



She really was amazing!  She was only 33 years old when this was filmed.  She gained 30 pounds to play a mid-40s ball-breaking drunk.

This is from the blog, Signature Roles:
Her performance was and is still one of the most modern pieces of film acting ever. Her Martha is a ruthless, fierce, thunderbolt of rage and unacknowledged grief. She enters hard, like a wheel barrel of bricks being dumped on your front porch, and never let's up - until the last moment. Her hard thrust and power is an equal match to the amazing film-making.

Tuesday, March 22

New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #280

I need you to execute this will.

This is my submission for the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #280.  Let me know if you have any ideas for a caption too. 

Monday, March 21

Monday Night Sing-Along with Laurie


Shane's step-brother Trent's wife Laurie, from Salem, Mass., is back in town for a business trip and we went out to dinner at Zest on 8th Street.  Laurie treated!!! Thanks Laurie.  After dinner, we came back to our house and took advantage of Laurie's piano skills to have her play a few tunes on our upright.  Highlights of the sing-along included the Star Spangled Banner, the Rainbow Connection, and Downtown.  It was very fun!

Sunday, March 20

My Popovers Pooped Out

This is what popovers are supposed to look like:

I have made popovers that have looked somewhat like the ones above.  They are awesome when they are warm, buttery and full of jam.  I made popovers this morning and followed my usual recipe and this is what resulted:


I don't know what I did wrong.  They were mealy, dark and not edible.  They didn't pop.  They were all poopy.  Oh well.  Maybe next time I'll have better luck.

Saturday, March 19

Sleepy Day with Blue Sponge


I have problems sleeping about once a week.  Last night I went to bed a little after 11 and fell asleep fine.  I have no problem falling asleep initially.  My problem is I wake up and think it is morning.  I am ready for the day and wide awake. I turn to look at the clock and it is 12:30 a.m.  I lay there and try to go back to sleep to no avail.  I get up and play on the computer.  I pet the cat.  I read.  I stay awake.  Luckily, today is Saturday, so I don't have to do anything really.  It is much worse when it happens and I have to go to work.  When this happens, I just feel like crap all day.  I have a bad taste in my mouth and am a bit grouchy.  I'll sleep tonight though.  On the bright side, it makes the weekend longer.

Friday, March 18

Ann "Coo Coo" Coulter Says Radiation Is Good



Will she say anything to sell books?  Somebody has been standing too close to the microwave oven.

Thursday, March 17

Where In the World Is Shane? Part 2


Happy St. Patrick's Day.  Here's another hint as to where Shane is on "business" travel this week.  They seem to be having quite the St. Patty's Day celebration there, but not as big as last week's party I bet.  I hope Shane doesn't have to show his boobies.

Wednesday, March 16

Where In the World Is Shane?



Can you guess what city Shane is on travel to this week from these photos he took out of his hotel window?  First one who guesses correctly will win everyone's admiration.  Here's a hint: It is not in Japan.  GOOD LUCK!

Tuesday, March 15

Monday, March 14

New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #279

I guess we shouldn't try to hold meetings during Oprah.  

This is my idea for my submission for the the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #279.  Let me know if you come up with a caption too! 

Sunday, March 13

Running the St. Patrick's Day 8K in DC

Today, I ran the St. Patrick's Day 8K in Washington, D.C.  I came in 861st out of a total of 5,543 runners.  I came in at 653rd out of 2,367 men.  I came in 71st out of the 246 men in my age bracket (45-49).  I finished the 8K (5 miles) in 39 minutes and 31 seconds, which works out to a 7 minute, 57 second per mile average.  I was pretty happy with my result.  It had been a while since I ran in a race and the 8K was a good distance for me.  The weather was perfect and it was a fun race with bagpipe players around the course and adorable little girls doing jigs at the finish line.  More pics to come.




Saturday, March 12

Tweet of the Day-Springing Forward @jasonmustian

"Has anyone reminded Flava-Flav to turn his necklaces forward an hour?" -- Jason Mustian @jasonmustian

Friday, March 11

Trailer for Running the Sahara



I've been dying to see this movie and I finally got it on Nexflix.  The best part for me was when they got to Giza, Egypt and saw the pyramids in the distance.  What I didn't like so much was the personality of the one runner who was such an asshole.  The other two runners were much more forgiving than I would have been.  The movie did inspire me to go for a run though.

Thursday, March 10

Eating Out for Charity


We went out to dinner tonight to Trattoria Alberto, the Italian restaurant around the corner from our house.  Tonight was the annual "Dining Out for Life" event that benefits Food and Friends.  More than 150 restaurants in the DC area donate part of their proceeds to this worthy cause that provides meals and services to people with HIV/AIDS and cancer.  You can win a trip if you donate online, so do it.  I give to them through the Government's Combined Federal Campaign also.  It is very cool that you can go out and have a nice meal and also helping others.  I didn't mind a bit.  My salmon was delicious!

Wednesday, March 9

Off to See Some Rocks in the Shape of Dead Presidents


Shane is going on a business trip to South Dakota next month and I bought my ticket today to join him.  How many chances do I have to go see Mount Rushmore, Deadwood, Crazy Horse, and possibly take  a side trip to Wyoming to see Devil's Tower?  This is really just a chance to get more state awards on my Qrank game.