Kickboxing is Fun!

A friend of mine at work, Jennifer, is a member of a local gym, and they had a "bring a friend" day the other day. She and Leanne, another coworker, go to a kickboxing class, and both of them had been saying how much they enjoyed it. So, when she invited me, I had to take her up on it. What could be more fun than kicking and punching things? Especially on Thursday, when I had a really stressful day at work.

The lady who was teaching the class was the regular teacher. Both Jennifer and Leanne said that when they first started, they thought she was really tough and mean, but they had grown to like her. The teacher was not what I expected. Instead of some skinny, muscular, workout princess, she looked like a regular person. She was a little chunky, but very muscular. She also wasn't dressed in fancy workout clothes, just a t-shirt and sweats. That made me feel a lot more comfortable.

In the yoga class I take, the instructor starts out by chatting a little bit before getting started. Not this lady. Instead, it was turn on the music and let's go!!!! I wasn't familiar with a lot of the moves, but I tried to keep up and when I wasn't sure, I would either move a little bit or just stop and watch. My main goal was to not hit anyone. The class lasted for an hour, and after a while I allowed myself a peak at the clock. I thought for sure it was about halfway through. No such luck! 15 minutes in and I was drenched with sweat. And if that wasn't enough, time for Turbo! Which is instructor speak for "the next three minutes are even higher intensity and a living hell". Actually, I didn't mind the turbo so much, since I couldn't really keep up. The best thing was after turbo you got a short break-enough time to towel off and gulp down some water.

At that point, I didn't think I could make it anymore, but I had to tough it out. I couldn't be a wimp in front of my friends. So more lunges, jabs, cuts, bob and weaves, and two more turbos. After that, we did some stretches to cool down, which I was more comfortable with since they were very similar to yoga stretches. Even so, by the time I was done I was DONE. I think a couple gallons of sweat left my body that night. During our breaks, Jennifer and Leanne kept asking me if I liked it, and I honestly couldn't answer.

When I got home, I was a serious couch potato. I fully expected to be sore the next morning, which I was, but not to the extent I thought I would be. They also warned me that it would take two days. I gotta admit, it was really hard to get out of bed this morning, but as the day has gone on I feel a lot better. They asked me again today if I liked the class, and after evaluating it I really did. If I end up joining the gym, I think I will make it a habit to attend that class.

Next up, bellydancing! That's on Wednesday, with the lady who teaches my yoga class. I'm really looking forward to that!

Wrinkle Free

I'm glad I was born in modern times. By modern times, I mean the times when women do not stay home and do housework. You've seen the cute little plaques and cross-stitches with the chores list-"wash on Wednesday", etc. Most of those chores aren't so bad. And some days staying home and doing housework doesn't sound so bad either. No, I'm talking about a specific chore on that list, and that chore is ironing. I really hate ironing. Just in case I'm not being clear enough, let me repeat-I hate ironing.

Most of my clothes that need ironing get worn infrequently. They get worn, they get washed, and then they get shoved into the back of the closet until I am either out of clothes or I can sweet talk Mike into ironing for me. The problem is there's always that piece of clothing that I really like, and gets wrinkled really easily. Then I eventually break down and drag out the iron. Of course, I try to rationalize it first-"why bother ironing, it's going to wrinkle as soon as I put it on anyway?" Sometimes I can get away with it, but not always.

The problem with my ironing is that it doesn't look much better after I'm done. When Mike irons my shirts, they stand up and walk back to the closet and hang themselves back up. When I iron my shirts, they kind of slouch back into the closet, yawn, and take a nap. Plus I never seem to be able to keep them on the ironing board-they tend to slide away just when I have them turned the right way. I may have to get a staple gun to solve that problem.

We've made great strides with wrinkle free pants, now the laundry geniuses need to come up with wrinkle free blouses. Or better yet, a home version of a laundy press like they have at the dry cleaners. Until then, there are some shirts I won't be wearing a whole lot.

Dude, Pass the Doritos

Am I the only the one that's confused by this story? I thought pot was supposed to kill brain cells and cause memory loss, now they're saying it might actually prevent the progression of Alzheimer's disease. What next, are they going to say that drinking alcohol will actually help your liver in the long run? Eating McDonald's will help you lose weight? Eating chocolate is good for your heart? (Oh wait, that one's true.)

I can already picture the nursing homes of the future, and what festive places they will be. Instead of folks dozing into their applesauce while watching Price is Right and Jeopardy, the residents will be laughing and giggling, munching chips and brownies while watching Comedy Central. The term "old person smell" will take on a whole new meaning. And forget the stereotype of the person forgotten in the nursing home, I bet the relatives will start visiting with the hopes of catching a contact buzz.

Oh, what the future will bring!

Urbana Doesn't Completely Suck

In keeping with our summer of doing things in the area we hadn't done before, yesterday afternoon Mike and I went to the International Beer and Chili Festival in downtown Urbana. It was advertised as having over 140 beers to taste, as well as a chili contest. When we got downtown, we noticed a HUGE line of folks waiting to get in. The festival opened at 3, and this was a few minutes afterward, but still......the first 500 folks to get in free received a special glass for the beer tasting, and there were a lot more than that by the looks of the line.

After driving around a bit we found a parking spot and headed to the end of the line. There were actually two lines around the block to get in, and they almost met each other. We saw Kanno and Becca, and for some reason didn't skip in with them. Oh wait, that's called common courtesty not to skip a line. Unfortunately, a group ahead of us didn't know that and we watched two people turn into twelve.

The line really didn't take too long, so we finally got in around 20 minutes later. We paid our 5 bucks and received our "over 21" bracelets, so on to the drinking. In order to taste the beer, you purchase tickets worth fifty cents. Most of the tables (there were 35 in all) were one ticket, and five or six required two tickets. We each got $10 worth of tickets-that's some serious tasting!

I figured out later we each tried 15 different beers. You got a sample cup at each table that was filled with 2 1/2-3 ounces (depending on the pourer). We also made sure to get different samples so we could share. These were all beers from smaller breweries located in the US and various other countries. None of that Miller or Bud stuff here! I discovered that I really like wheat beer, and I think my favorite was Boulder Sweaty Betty Blonde Wheat from Boulder, CO. Mike thinks his favorite was Two Brothers Heavy Handed IPA from Illinois.

At some point we took a break from the beer and decided to try the chili. A lot of places had already packed up and left, as they were out of chili. One of the stands had a long line, so we figured that must be a good one and got in that line. The chili was also one ticket and you got a small sample cup for that. When we got to the front of the line, it turned out they only had two bowls left. YES! We rule, we got the last of the chili! I'm glad we did too, because it was really good. They posted the ingredient list, and it contained (amongst other things) maple sausage and brown sugar, which gave it a really sweet taste.

Back in for more beer. We kept running into Kanno and Becca, as well as Darcy, Grady, and Kristina. We were able to compare notes, and were advised to skip a certain table as the pourers were drunk. Gotta love volunteering at the beer festival!

Near the end, we decided to use some of our tickets for more food. Mike got some curly fries, and I got a larger bowl of chili. After the other stuff, it really wasn't that good. As we were standing outside eating, we were approached by a reporter from a local TV station. She wanted to know if she could interview one or both of us. I said sure, what the heck, why not? She made the comment that she was constantly turning down the drunk college kids who wanted to be interviewed. Guess she picked us because we weren't college kids (which was about 90 percent of the crowd). I don't think I realized how buzzed I was, because in the "interview" I rambled on about how great all the beer was. Afterwards, we tried to find the rest of the group so I could brag about how famous I was, but we couldn't find them. So on to the Esquire to get some real food (and more beer), where I ran into an annoying ex-coworker. She told us about her recent trip to Alaska, which I have to admit sounded really cool (no pun intended).

We then went home to watch my television debut. When the story finally came on, I was very nervous to see how it would turn out. Turns out I had nothing to worry about, because my stunning discourse on all the wonderful beer ended up on the cutting room floor. I think I'm relieved, because I'm not sure I really wanted to be on TV.

So there is a good festival in Urbana. Why haven't we been to this before? I don't know, but we are definitely there next year. And we are getting there much earlier-I want a souvenir glass.

Goin' to the Windy City

Or Rainy City today, as the case may be. Mike and I are headed off to a much needed long weekend in Chicago.

I especially need it after yesterday's news. I think it will be fine, it's just a little hard to get used to the name change. But we've done it before, we'll do it again.

Hmmmm.......

Guess who has a birthday today!


Happy Birthday Mike!!!

Another Colts Victory

The Indy Colts won again today, 43-24 over the Houston Texans. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see too much of the scorefest. We were at the Third Sunday market in Bloomington this morning, and we didn't get back until halftime. I saw a few minutes of the third quarter, and the Colts scored right away, bringing the score to 27-3. The powers that be at the network then decided that it was too much of a blowout so they switched to another game where the score was 3-0. Yeah, that was much more exciting.........so we watched the Bears instead (hey you have to take what you can get). Mike was very excited that the Saints beat the Packers. Of course, given the way that the Packers have been playing, I'm not sure it counts. But a win's a win, take it how you get it.

We didn't find anything at Third Sunday. For those of you who have never been, it's basically a giant flea market type of place with lots of crafts and antiques. Most of the stuff is not in my taste, but every once in a while you see something nice. I saw a couple of nice pieces of furniture, but didn't have the extra $500-$1000 dollars to spend on it. I did see one of the drivers from Brinks who said "hey, you're the bank lady!". Yep, that's me. The bank lady. However, I prefer my other title, the ATM queen.

We've got storms in our area, which is good because I won't have to water my flowers. I've got a couple of window box and a couple of containers, and a couple of weeks ago I planted some mums. But the mums aren't doing so well, and the rabbits aren't helping any by chewing them up. I was going to post some pictures of the containers but I'm having technical difficulties, so maybe some other time.

All Your Snakes Are Belong To Us

Check out this merger of two pop culture phenomenons!

New Addition

I've now got links to different bands/artists I like. This is in no way a comprehensive list, but I figure it's a good start. There's also bands that I like that are no longer together, which makes it difficult. I'll keep adding as I think of more, of course I'm drawing a total blank while I'm doing this. They're also not in any particular order, except for the top three.

Have Flugelhorn, Will Travel

We went to the Urbana Sweetcorn Festival last night, our first time since we've been here. The festival is in downtown Urbana, and it features food and music. There may have been other vendors as well, we didn't see the entire festival. And the sweet corn looked pretty darn tasty!

We went to see the Tons of Fun Band. We had never heard of them before, but Larry kept telling us how good they were. They definitely lived up to their name. They play a lot of funk and R&B, and they even have a real live horn section. It was really fun watching them, and watching the crowd. When they introduced the band at the end, they mentioned that their trumpet player was leaving and moving to Bermuda. Turns out it was Sam Hankins, the much loved jazz band director at Edison Middle School. The jazz band has won many awards during his tenure, and even won a competition at a high school level. He's also played with the Glen Miller Band, the Ojays, and Aretha Franklin, among others. His departure will create a huge musical hole in this community. I feel lucky to have witnessed one of his last local performances.

Tonight it's back to the Sweetcorn Fest to see The Living Blue, a local alternative rock group. That should be pretty fun, and I'm definitely going to have some of that sweet corn!

I'm so full.....

I woke up really hungry this morning, and decided to head over to Wienerschnitzel. They have signs in their windows advertising they now serve breakfast, so I figured that today would be a good time to try it out. As I drove by, though, it was dark inside and their open light wasn't on, so I kept going. There was one car in the parking lot, but I didn't know if it belonged to an employee or was left there. So instead of having a junky breakfast I had my usual half bagel. Then I thought I'd treat myself to a junky lunch. What I really wanted was a burrito supreme. About a thousand years ago I worked at the Target snack counter. One of the things we served was a burrito supreme, which consisted of a deep fried burrito on top of a bed of lettuce with chili and cheese poured over the top. Definitely not healthy, but good junk. I'm guessing Target no longer serves that, so instead I decided to wander over to the Aroma Cafe. I don't know why I don't go there more often, I work downtown so I have no excuse. Today's special was a supreme quesadilla, with cheese, onions, avocado, tomatoes, black beans, and corn. Quite tasty!! Since it was a nice day, I decided to sit on the back patio and enjoy the sun. I couldn't take too long, as we're short staffed (a bunch of my co-workers are at a conference), so I thought I'd get back and tell everyone who called that no one they were looking for was there. So now I'm back at my desk, digesting. And nobody anyone is looking for is here.

Albacore Tuna Stir Fry

Here's another one of our favorite recipes:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups assorted fresh vegetables, such as pea pods, bean sprouts, and baby corn
1 (7-ounce) pouch Albacore Tuna
3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon sugar
hot cooked rice

In wok or large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; sauté onion and garlic until onion is soft. Add vegetables; cook about 3 to 4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add tuna, soy sauce, lemon juice, water and sugar. Cook 1 more minute; serve over rice.

I could probably eat this every day. I got the original recipe from Starkist, and made a few modifications. The original recipe calls for frozen vegetables, but I found that too mushy. You can use whatever veggies you want. I've also made it with imitation crab meat instead of tuna, which was really good. Another time I had to substitute regular tuna, which was only okay. And this recipe is very quick. I usually start the rice when I'm prepping the veggies, and the timing works out perfectly.

Enjoy!

I Want A Meerkat

And not just one, because they are social creatures and can't survive on their own. I want a whole family. I've already got it figured out. Since we've already redone the guest bedroom, we'll have to use the office. We'll just take everything out and fill it instead with sand so they can make their burrows. And maybe install some heat lamps, since they are desert creatures. An added benefit-they eat things such as giant centipedes and scorpions, so we would never have to worry about being overrun by those insects.

Or maybe I should just stick to watching Meerkat Manor on Animal Planet. That way sand won't get all over the house.

Champaign's Finest

So I'm driving down State St. today, which is a one way street. There's a car a little ways ahead of me that's in the right lane, and it stops, puts on its turn signal, and promptly turns left. Now, this is a signature move by a Champaign driver. The difference today though is that this Einstein was in front of a cop. So what does the cop do? Turns right..........

And we wonder why the drivers around here seem insane!

A Regular Wildlife Refuge

Living next to a "borrow pit" lake does have some advantages. If you're a fan of nature, you get to see a lot of wildlife. On a regular basis we have ducks, geese, rabbits, and birds of all sort hanging around. At night you can hear bullfrogs sing. We've even spotted some type of heron, and a coyote running around. We now have a new addition to the backyard family.

Meet the Eastern Ribbon snake.


This isn't the actual snake, he didn't stay still long enough for us to get a picture. Mike's seen him slithering through the grass when he's been out mowing the lawn, and I finally got to take a look at him yesterday. He's about 18 inches long, which means he's a young adult. Their normal size is anywhere from 18-40 inches. They live near water, and eat toads, frogs, fish, and other water creatures. Unfortunately, no insects, and to Mike's dismay, no rabbits. They can be found on the eastern half of the continent, from Canada down to Florida. There's also a Northern ribbon snake, which lives around Canada and the Great Lakes, and a Western ribbon snake. (You can guess where that one lives.) The ribbon snake is also very similar to the Eastern garter snake, which lives in the same areas and habitats. The difference between the two is that the garter has a stockier body, and the lip markings are different. If I'm close enough to a snake to see the lips, I'm too close. Even if it is harmless to humans.

Anyway, there's your nature lesson for today. I've got to finish getting ready to go on our road trip to IKEA-can't wait!!!!

Comfortably Numb

Up until a couple of weeks ago, it had been a long time since I had been to a dentist. See, the last dentist I saw made a serious mistake. He told me I had excellent teeth. I interpret that as dentist-ese for "you don't need to worry about your teeth unless you have problems". So, I didn't. Plus, with the move to Champaign, we didn't know the local dentists, didn't have dental insurance....yeah, that's it! But now I have dental insurance, and decided it was time to use it. I got a recommendation from a co-worker, and made my appointment. I did it early enough in the morning so I wouldn't be quite awake yet. It wasn't too bad, he was a nice guy and got my teeth shiny and clean. He did find a cavity, which I didn't even know I had, so we scheduled an appointment to get it removed.

Today was the big day, and I'm happy to report everything went fine. Of course, I can't feel half my face, but I'm okay with that. Before he did it, he asked me if I wanted anesthesia. Hmm..let me think about that.....HECK YEAH!

Plus, this appointment got me out of work early on an exceptionally slow day, so no complaints in that department!

Obligatory iPod list

Here's what I listened to today, and the star rating:

Sevendust "Enemy" -2
Disturbed "The Game"-4
Dream Theater "Status Seeker"-2
Rush "A Passage to Bangkok"-4
Ani DiFranco "Wishin' and Hopin'"-3
Air "venus"-2 (with the potential to increase to 3)
Lacuna Coil "Circle"-4
Velvet Revolver "Slither"-5
Lacuna Coil "Humane"-4
Incubus "Talk Shows on Mute"-4
Simon and Garfunkel "The Boxer"-4
Sarah Brightman "The Second Element"-3
Eagles of Death Metal "Chase the Devil"-2
Fates Warning "Crawl"-not yet rated, probably 3
Fates Warning "Face the Fear"-3
Placebo "Every You Every Me"-5
Madonna "Forbidden Love"-2
Foo Fighters "Resolve"-3
Liquid Tension Experiment "Another Dimension"-3

Today's Fortune

You will receive a fortune. (cookie)

The Price of Cute

I bought these really cute wedge shoes about a month ago, and I haven't really worn them yet. Mostly I've worn them around the house here and there, but I haven't done any serious walking in them. I decided to wear them to class tonight, since the heels are so tall they would go well with the longer jeans I was wearing. After all, I'll be sitting on my butt, no big deal, right?

Wrong. They started hurting my feet pretty much as soon as I got to class. The upper part was rubbing against the tops/sides of both feet. They're slip ons, so I kept slipping them off to give my feet a break. Usually on breaks I walk around the building, but not this time. During the second break, I slipped them off and made a comment about my feet were killing me. A couple of my classmates complimented the shoes, but winced when they saw the blisters in progress. As one of them wisely pointed out, that's the price of being cute.

When I left class, I didn't even bother to wear them, just went barefoot through Parkland's halls and parking lot. I also drove home barefoot. I'm sure they'll break in eventually, we just need some time apart right now.

Fish Tales

I tried a new recipe last night, and I thought it was so good I would share it. It's super easy, and only took about 20 minutes from start to finish.

Chili-Spiced Cod

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 (6 ounce) cod fillets
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
lime slices, to garnsih

On waxed paper, combine flour, chili powder, and salt. Coat cod fillets with mixture. In non-stick 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat, in hot oil, cook fillets 10 minutes or until cod flakes easily when tested with a fork, turning fillets once halfway through cooking time. Garnish with lime slices.

I didn't have lime slices, and I used slightly less than a pound of cod, and it still turned out very tasty. I also used Enova oil instead of vegetable oil. Bon appetit!