Not much of a post of consequence.  Just a few random things today.

Punted for dinner tonight.  I decided to make burritos but wanted something in addition to the beans, rice, onions, tomatoes, and cheese I was planning on putting on.  Lund's didn't have any tempeh, so I picked up some extra-firm tofu.  I really like the idea of cooking with tofu.  I know it can be really good, but I've only had what I would call successes with tofu a couple times.  But I thought I'd try again.  My thought was to use tofu instead of taco meat.  Here's what I did:

Squeeze as much water out of the tofu as you can
Shred it (thank you food processor.  I love you.)
Squeeze some more
Saute chopped onion and minced garlic in veggie oil until tender
Add tofu, chile powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, crushed red pepper, cayenne, and some of this sauce stuff Joe got me from Nicaragua
Saute, stirring ocassionally.
Add some oil now and then when things are looking a bit dry
~10 minutes later (maybe more, maybe less, I don't remember) it will start to crisp and brown

I have to say, the texture was decent, and it didn't taste half bad.  I was rather pleased with myself and will call this a tofu success story.

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I like my dentist.  I am not much of a fan of the poking, scraping, fiddling around, etc, but I do like my dentist.  Once he brought me into one of his back offices to show me a certificate of some conference he went to decades ago because he thought it illustrated a funny story pretty well.  It wasn't terribly funny, but he was amused.  I can identify with this.

His taste in music and art leave much to be desired, though.  I certainly don't mind classic rock from the late '70s and early '80s, but if I was his hygenist, I'd go nuts.  There's only so much Styx and Phil Collins a person can take.  I was surprised, this afternoon when I went in, that he had different music on... smooth jazz.  *hork*

So I'm in his waiting room, and then an exam room listening to some Kenny G wanna-be staring at these fantastic (not in the "Gee, that's fantastic!" sense) tropical landscapes.  We'll just say that whoever painted those paintings would be honored to have them at the starving artist sales at the Radisson in Roseville, let alone the Uptown "Art" Fair.

So, good guy though he may be, I can't help but be a little amused by the environment of his office.

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Got a prescription from him for a tooth issue I'm having.  I went to the pharmacy and did some grocery shopping.  I get back to the pharmacist, and he says that our insurance won't cover the drug, and that it would cost $200 if I wanted to pay for it out of pocket.  Holycrap!  Thanks, but no thanks.

Dear Health Insurance Industry,
Go away.
Sincerely,
Me

Simple pleasure - recording Burnell's old social studies VHS tapes to DVD
Peace

I can't stand Entertainment Tonight, nor anything that resembles celebrity worship.  I can't think of anything more inane.  We watch NBC news, and there are commercials for Entertainment Tonight on during the news.  Invariably I groan or when I am able to control myself I roll my eyes.  Sarah knows this... how can she not?  After an ET commercial, she often looks over to see how I am reacting.

This afternoon Sarah was sitting on the couch watching the French open when I got home (she's off early on Fridays for the summer now).  I sat and watched some of the Gonzalez/Soderling match when an ET commercial came on.  When she looked over at me, I was beating my head with my fist.

"Maybe if I hit my head hard enough I'll be a good American and like this crap."  I said
"Oh, why don't you just go upstairs and read something revolutionary or radical and not wear any pants.  That'll make you feel better."

It's true.

My wife knows me pretty well.

Simple pleasure - having so little to do at school that I got some long overdue filing done
Peace

In college, I was a regular at a coffee shop in Dinkytown called Espresso Royale Cafe.  I spent an awful lot of money here.  Sometimes I was very productive, other times I spent a couple hours playing chess and visiting with people.  Though there are about a dozen ERCs around the country, this place doesn't feel at all like a chain.  From the funky college art on the walls, to the whole busy ambiance of the place, I just really like this coffee shop.  I have to say, though, that it doesn't feel the same as it did ten years ago when there was maybe one or two laptops out on the tables.  It's pretty quiet right now and of the eleven people (including myself) that I see in this side of the shop there are eight computers out.  Oh well. 

So I am pulling myself bacak to reality in that I've got school tomorrow morning.  My table is covered with assignments that need grading.  Once that is done, out will come my geography resources to finish planning the rest of the school year.  I suppose it is time to get things done, though.  I've not exactly had a productive long weekend.

I played poker on Friday night at a bar in north St. Paul (and somehow took first).  I played poker and Settlers of Catan at Maggie and Chris's on Saturday.  I watched baseball and played more poker yesterday at a different bar in St. Paul yesterday as well as throwing a few rounds of disc golf with Gideon.  I guess I did go grocery shopping too.  But other than that I've been pretty lazy and minimally clothed around the house since I've got it all to myself.  Bachelor food has been rather predominent too since Sarah's been out of town.  Cheap crappy pizza, going out to eat (Pho 79, and Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery) has kept me "nurished".  

I do enjoy being bachelorish now and then, but I am ready to share the bed again tonight.  The cat isn't very good at spooning.

Simple pleasure - reminiscing about college days in this place
Peace

No plans until late this morning, so we are slowly waking up in bed.

Me:  Sarah, would you please hand me my glasses?
Sarah:  Are you going to use them for good or for evil?
Me:  *looking at her blurry self out of the corner of my eye*  Good and evil are in the eye of the beholder.
Sarah:  Good is making pancakes.  Evil is not making pancakes.

My wife.

She is special.

I guess if I'm not evil I should make some pancakes.

This is going to be a busy week (or half week) this week.  We leave for Istanbul on Wednesday evening.  And though I am very excited for our trip, there are many things I need to get done and soon.

Today:

• Have Geography and Global Issues grades ready for submission for last trimester
• Grade assignments and journals for World Geography
• Grade some papers for Immigration
• Have tomorrow's lesson ready for Immigration
• Have Tuesday and Wednesday's lessons for Immigration sketched out
• Have tomorrow's lesson for Geography ready
• Have lessons for the rest of the week sketched out for Geography
• Go for a run
• Pay bills

Monday

• Have Online grades ready for submission
• Track practice
• Have lessons ready for Immigration for Tuesday and Wednesday
• Have lessons ready for Tuesday (at least)
• More Immigration grading

Before Tuesday is over

• Have lessons ready for the remainder of the week for Geography
• Sub plans/directions ready for Thursday and Friday
• Pack everything I'll need for the trip
• Back up all pictures on the camera then clear its memory
• Have all travel documents, reservations, itineraries printed and packed

Oof-da.  I'd rather be sitting with my feet up listening to the Twins and then go for a bike ride this afternoon.  Too much to do right now though.  I will survive.  I will survive.  I will survive.  I will survive. 
Simple pleasure - waking up to homemade scones fresh out of the oven
Peace

I've always derived a lot of satisfaction from working with my hands.  I was always proud of my projects in shop class.  Though it was frustrating, I felt great after I spent a day putting on our storm door.  I had a great time making our little imperfect stained glass window above our back door.  Well today I finally got around to fixing the futon frame.  A month or so ago I made an abortive attempt at fixing it, but it became clear that the method I was trying wasn't going to work.  So after some advice and a trip to the hardware store I spent a couple hours putting the thing back together.  Aside from the aches of working on the floor in the basement (oh, a shop and a work table would wonderful) it felt pretty good finishing the thing.

Now if I can only figure out a way to be an apprentice to Norm Abram on the New Yankee Workshop.  That would be a dream come true.

Simple pleasure - improvised chili cooking away on the stove
Peace

I haven't been posting much lately at all because I've just been so busy.  Then when I do try t sit and write something, there doesn't seem to be much of interest to write about. 

8 days to the end of the trimester
6 days until I leave for the Minnesota Council for the Social Studies conference
29 days until Sarah and I leave for Istanbul
36 days until the Twins season opener

Too many hours before I'll have enough work done before I can go to bed tonight.

Simple pleasure - a good run this evening
Peace

The Frozen Half Marathon was shortened to a quarter marathon yesterday since it was so cold.  The official race results said the temperature was fifteen below, though the news said it was only about ten below.  Fortunately there was only a light breeze rather than what could have been a dangerous wind.  I was a little hesitant, but had layers on and knew that while I might be a little cold that I'd be alright in the end.

We arrived downtown St. Paul where I picked up the race chip and there were hundreds of people milling about getting ready to run.  I was a little surprised how many people where there considering the temperatures.  After a short warm-up run (I use the term very loosely) and stretch I went out to the starting line. 

The course is an out and back course with a short and steep downhill on the way out.  My first two miles were at about 7 minute/mile pace, which felt pretty good.  It became clear that my legs just weren't warming up though, and it wasn't long before people were passing me left and right.  I was getting drafts up under my fleece and running jacket, so I had a hard time warming up my core.  My legs felt like the gel in one of those big gel bike saddles - squishy and useless.  There was never any question about me running the whole way, but it became apparent quickly that this would be more of an exercise in running through discomfort than racing.  About three miles in (right before the turn-around) my hands magically warmed up.  Then at the turn around, the wind was at my back and I was able to warm up the rest of my body.  The legs still didn't want to do anything but plod along though.

With the wind out of my face, I warmed up enough to take off my mittens.  I used my fingers to unfreeze the lashes at the corners of my eyes, but soon frost developed on the little hairs on the back of my hands.  That felt a little funny.  The last half of the race was not fast and people continued to pass me.  I only passed one person who was walking and one or two people going up the last steep hill before the finish.

It wasn't a bad race, just not a good one.  I'll register for it again some time when the weather is more reasonable and I will be happy to run a full half mary during the Winter Carnival.  After I got back, Sarah showed me the shirt she bought me (a pretty nice race shirt, really).  I warmed up and stretched a little.  Then we went to Scandia Bakery over in Minneapolis for a post-race treat.

Race numbers:
48:13
10.25 k
162/663

I guess I'll have to wait a few months before I finally get to do a half marathon.

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The frame of the futon I bought a few years ago is coming apart.  There are two parts to what make the base of the frame (seat and back, which then fold flat).  The rails on those parts are bowing apart and that is allowing the slats to come out of the little pockets they fit into.  That's no good.  Should be easy to fix, I thought.

My plan was to drill holes and sink screws through the rails into the slats and tighten them up, drawing the slats back into their pockets and correcting the bow of the rails.  It wasn't that easy.  I was able to draw one end of some of the slats into the pockets, but couldn't draw them into the other side.  Now I've got some slat tongues that are a little mangled and rails that are still bowed and in the process, the screw driver bit broke from all the torque I was putting on it and the tip is stuck in one of the screws I was using.  *grumble*   What I need is a work bench and some large cabinet clamps.  After calling around, it appears that places don't rent those clamps.  Fortunately Burnell is coming through town on Thursday, so he'll bring down his clamps for me to use.  That's great.  I was just hoping to finish this project this weekend.  Oh well.

Some day I'll be like Norm Abram and be a New Yankee.  Right?

Simple pleasure - reading Turkish phrases I'll be using
Peace

Perhaps you've seen Stuff on My Cat.  It doesn't work like that around here.  Here it is Cat on my Stuff, and that stuff is often the stuff you need.  Within minutes as I was getting ready to do some work after I got home the cat was first on my bag.



After I shooed her off and got things out and ready to go, she was shortly on the one paper I was about to use.


*sigh*  I can't win.

Simple pleasure - a good swim this evening
Peace

Sleeping in on Sunday after a full day yesterday is nice.  We went to a Gustavus/St. John's football game, walked around campus and saw Erica's office.  Then after a drive through the country, and dinner, we just sat and visited for a few hours.  It was a nice, but long day.  So sleeping in and getting up to Sarah preparing a pumpkin for us to make into a pie later today, her looking for a recipe for apple french toast and a hot cup of coffee was quite a treat.  Not too bad.  Not too bad at all.

After a little bit of digesting (and sitting down for her) we're going to go running and then some grocery shopping.  Then pie making this afternoon/evening.  It's been a nice weekend.

Simple pleasure - making a grocery list
Peace