Kurt Kelly | Singing The Springtime Blues

Stopped by to see Kurt today. He looked great and despite claiming to only feel adequate, he was pretty fired up. We had a few laughs, a few snorts of honey and a good time.

In The Weeds | Wayward Gardner

Bekki Rich first opened the Wayward Gardner three years ago. It's a combination of nursery and garden-inspired home goods. Situated down the alley behind Coffee Talk in Stone Harbor, NJ, it can be a little hard to find unless you're looking for it. But once inside, you'll be glad you found it.

Bekki has good taste and it shows in her ability to arrange elements in a way that complement color and structure. Which means that she knows how to put a room together. 

The Wayward Gardner presents a good balance of small ticket items with some larger pieces, so it's always easy to find something you can't leave without.

While it's still a bit early for most of the flowers, Bekki has a few flats outside already. By Mother's Day, the sunny, outside courtyard will be bursting with color. For now, you're best bet for color are the sarongs near the door.

So next time you decide to stop by Coffee Talk, walk around back and visit Bekki. Tell her we said to stop by.

Angel Hair | Angel's Barber Shop

I've been growing my hair out. That sounds so strange. How else would one grow their hair. For that matter, it's not like I've made this conscious decision to grow hair. I've made a decision to stop cutting it, or at least cutting it so close to my skull. So let me start over.

I've decided to stop cutting my hair every week with clippers. Which means I probably won't be cutting my own hair for awhile. Which means I needed to find someone else to do it.

This is where Angel comes in. Angel owns a small barber shop in Cape May Court House, the next town over from me. Just walk in, you'll most likely find Angel.

That's Angel. Nice guy. Greeted me the moment I walked in the door. Shook my hand and told me he'd be right with me. And that he was.

I sat in the chair, told him what I wanted, he said he understood....Badda Bing, Badda Boom, some clippers, some shears, a hot towel, a straight razor and a few other implements of destruction, and I was all cleaned up and ready to go about my day.

There is a place in Philadelphia that's kind of like this. But they also do the old school straight razor shaves. That's a little slower pace than Angel's. But that's cool. It was a good experience.

10 Things I Like : Volume 002

For many people, Cape May County, NJ is a vacation resort. A place to spend your summer vacation, be it a week, or the entire season. But for those of us who live here, it’s a different world. So even though I didn’t grow up here, I’ve lived her for almost 17 years now. It gives me the insight of both a local, as well as an outsider. Here are the 10 things I like about Cape May County.

1. County Zoo
People who come for the first time are usually shocked at just how good our zoo is. This isn’t a couple of turtles and a parakeet. We have lions, tigers, bears, otters, giraffe, zebras, lots of small monkeys but no large primates, ostrich, buffalo, boa constrictors and alligators, bald eagles, flamingos and of course our famous snow leopards. Throw in that the only cost is whatever you decide to donate (as little as nothing if you can’t afford it), and you’ve got a world class attraction. We go several dozen times a year. Usually with kids or grandkids, but sometimes just to walk around. Sometimes you just need to pet a goat.

2. Seafood
We live in an amazing area for fresh seafood, with some pretty substantial fleets anchored in our area. The Lobster House is still probably the best place to go for a large selection of fresh merchandise. But if you know the right people, you can buy it directly from the fishermen themselves. You’ll never taste anything like it.

3. Surfing
It might not be Jeffries Bay, or Malibu, and it certainly isn’t the North Shore, but South Jersey produces some nice rides. It’s pretty much all beach break, so you’re constantly chasing waves and fighting fickle conditions, but when it’s on, it’s on. Living in the middle of corn fields like I do, but still 15 minutes from surfing is why I live where I do.

4. Birds
Cape May is known as one of the top birding spots in the world. It’s located along the Atlantic flyway, one of the busiest migratory corridors on Earth. Hundreds of species of birds heading south along the East Coast are funneled via westerly winds down the peninsula to Cape May. Many stop among the barrier islands and wetlands to eat and rest before carrying on... others choose not to proceed south across the thirteen mile stretch of the Delaware Bay and opt instead to take up in the local meadows and woodlands. The spring migration brings thousands of songbirds, shorebirds and waterfowl through the area. Between the songbirds, hummingbirds and butterflies, spring and summer is an especially lively time in our backyard.

5. Ferry
It may not seem like much, but not everyone has a fleet of ferries that travel 13 miles across salt water to another state. Gone are the days when the fancy new ferries that looked like small cruise ships graced our shores. I guess the economy took them. We’re left with simple, yet sturdy, vessels that take you, and your car, from Cape May, NJ to Lewes, DE and back again. It’s great for a day trip and if you ride your bike, it’s only $11/way.

6. Pinelands
Just over 1 million acres of largely undeveloped land, the Pine Barrens is a heavily forested area of coastal plain stretching across southern New Jersey. The name "pine barrens" refers to the area's sandy, acidic, nutrient-poor soil, to which the crops originally imported by European settlers didn't take well. These uncommon conditions enable the Pine Barrens to support a unique and diverse spectrum of plant life, including orchids and carnivorous plants. The area is also notable for its populations of rare pygmy Pitch Pines and other plant species that depend on the frequent fires of the Pine Barrens to reproduce. The sand that composes much of the area's soil is referred to by the locals as sugar sand. There are literally hundreds of miles of trails suitable for hiking; the Batona Trail alone is 50 miles long. It’s a beautiful ecosystem of pine trees, cedar lakes and streams, and the occasional meadow. It’s what most people DON’T think about when they think about New Jersey....despite the single Sopranos episode when Christopher and Paulie get lost in the woods. My favorite part of which was:

Tony Soprano: [over the phone] It's a bad connection so I'm gonna talk fast! The guy you're looking for is an ex-commando! He killed sixteen Chechen rebels single-handed!
Paulie 'Walnuts' Gualtieri: Get the fuck outta here.
Tony Soprano: Yeah. Nice, huh? He was with the Interior Ministry. Guy's like a Russian green beret. He can not come back and tell this story. You understand?
Paulie 'Walnuts' Gualtieri: I hear you.
[hangs up]
Paulie 'Walnuts' Gualtieri: You're not gonna believe this. He killed sixteen Czechoslovakians. Guy was an interior decorator.
Christopher Moltisanti: His house looked like shit.

(By the way, every time I read that I literally chuckle. Out loud. "His house looked like shit.")

7. Brendan Borek
One of the best events of the summer is the Brendan Borek Surf Memorial. This year will be it’s 22nd consecutive year. I’ve written pretty extensively about it over the years, and last year I did a short film on it, which you can view here:



8. South Seaville Camp
Tucked deep in the pines, inland of what is now Sea Isle City, settlement of this area dates to the construction of the King's Highway in the early 1800s, Farms and lumbering camps were scattered throughout the region in 1860, when the Cape May and Millville Railroad laid down tracks through the forest. The founding of the camp meeting transformed South Seaville from a prosperous maritime community to a destination of religious pilgrimage. According to tradition, the first camp meetings were held "under the leafy canopy of oak trees." Between 1865 and 1874, Methodist campers gathered at the Cape May County Agricultural Fairgrounds. Common to every meeting was the ephemeral character of the assemblage, a seasonal occasion for the faithful to commune in a natural setting. In 1875 the camp was permanently established as the "South Jersey Camp Meeting Association located at Seaville Station, Cape May County, NJ." The founders drew an ambitious plan, with hundreds of numbered lots grouped in rectangular blocks and arranged around parks. The streets, named for past Methodist bishops, ran parallel to a central park where benches and a platform formed the main meeting ground. These more permanent structures retained much of the camp's earlier transient feeling. Buyers were expected to build a canvas or frame structure on the land within one year. Most of the cottages were simple, two-story, balloon-frame dwellings with open porches and gingerbread trim. Often resembling tents themselves, they offered no protection during the cold winter months. Those who chose not to purchase property usually rented canvas tents, ranging in price from $5 for small "A" tents, to $15 for 12' x 16' wall tents. By 1877, ninety cottages had been built and sixty tents pitched. Many of these still exist today. The first time I came upon the camp I was enthralled. It looked like some kind of cult community. All these tiny, ornate cabins. During the summer you can attend church at 10am in the Tabernacle, a gable roofed structure with screened sides. It’s like stepping back in time.

9. Outdoor Shower
Now this might not necessarily be something that is exclusive to our area, but when I first talked about installing one, the people who I work with just outside of Philadelphia were perplexed. Why, they wanted to know. Why not, was my response. There is simply nothing better than an outdoor shower after a day at the beach. Or a day doing anything. Or even as a way to wake up in the morning. Our shower is rather large and has no roof. The walls start about 2 feet up from the floor and are louvered so that air moves well through. Nothing like being naked and wet with a warm breeze across your body. It's very invigorating. Not to mention you don't bring the sand into the house.

10. Farms Stands
Summertime means being able to eat completely local; from countless farm stands to locally caught seafood. Tomatoes, potatoes, squash, zucchini, lettuces, herbs, fruits, everything you can think of. Deliciously fresh and waiting to be eaten. As Garrison Keillor once said, “Sex is good, but not as good as fresh, sweet corn.”

Easter Chicks | Hatching Eggs

Throughout the time we've been living in this house, we've hatched chickens a number of times. Some have been more successful than others. We've had some not make it. We've had some come out deformed, and then not make it. But mostly is a miracle of nature. You collect eggs for about a week, put them in an incubator, and exactly 21 days later, bright yellow fuzzy chicks pop out. It's crazy.

I wrote a story in 2001 called Chickens In The Brothel about the first time we got chickens and looking back on it now, I realize how far we've come, and at the same time, how nothing really has changed. I'm certainly not sitting in the middle of the chicken yard watching the chickens run around anymore. Jane has to usually yell at me now to feed and water them, and collect their eggs. I guess the novelty wore off.

But we're hatching chicks again, which we haven't done in awhile. They should hatch on Easter morning. Jane wanted to do it as much for our grandson Paxton as anything, but also our daughter Julia and her husband Mike are going to take the chicks.

We have only one concern. Our rooster doesn't seem to be overly amorous, or at least not when we're around. Our past roosters were pretty dominant. It was a pretty violent act from all accounts. We're hoping we don't end up 21-day-old partially cooked eggs.

10 Things I Like : Volume 001

This morning I was inspired by an article in an Australian quarterly journal recently, which is, in and of itself, rather random—even by my standards. The article listed, in no particular order, the top ten things this author liked. They revolved around his staying in a cabin in Northern California. What I liked was the looseness of the structure. The unstructured structure, if you will. I also liked that it was a positive way to look at the world. What I normally find entertaining or funny are cranky people telling you what they don’t like about things. That’s still probably funnier, but this might be healthier.

So I think I’ll randomly post these when the urge presents itself. This is Volume 001.

1. Sick Day
Sometimes there is just nothing better than staying home sick. Maybe not everyone feels this way. My wife for instance. She hates being sick. She’s a doer. She likes to do things. I’m more of a sitter. Or even better, a layer-downer. Being sick is quite compatible with my personality. I can lay on the sofa, napping and watching TV for anywhere from a couple of hours, to days on end, and no one will say anything because I’m sick. It’s rather glorious. I don’t even care that I feel like shit as long as you leave me alone. Except nausea. That’s terrible. And now that I quit smoking and I’m not drinking at home (when at all), there’s not even any reason for me to get up, except to get a drink of water or pee. It’s a simple existence, and that’s what I like about it.

2. Birdsong
It’s been an early Spring, with the weather unseasonably warm, so we’ve often had the windows open throughout the day, sometimes even into the night. Our county is a well-known bird-watching area, because it’s situated in a good place for migration. There are constantly birds coming or going, north or south. Some of them find their way into our yard. And some of those, sing. It's nice.

3. Peanut Butter and Jelly
The comedian Adam Carolla once said, “Peanut butter and jelly is the only sandwich that actually gets better with time. Like a fine cabernet that sticks to the roof of your mouth. How many other sandwiches can boast that sitting in the sun makes them taste better?” I often forget how much I love a good old fashioned PB+J. Why? Because even though it’s like an American institution (A 2002 study claimed that the average American will have eaten 1500 PB+Js before they finish high school), it’s not something you can readily get outside of your home. There are the occasional gourmet varieties, but these are always overdone. When I used to shoot a lot of bigger budget television commercials, I had a standing request for PB+J on set. I would have more than one during the day. They were fast, simple, and easy to eat on the go. The first time I asked for it, I got something with 12-grain bread and some spreadable fruit. A fancy PB+J. The next time I was more specific. Wonder bread: white. Peanut Butter: Skippy. Jelly: Strawberry, Peach or Grape. That’s it. If you really want to see me go wild include a pickle. Or sometimes, put hamburger dill slices RIGHT ON THE SANDWICH. I don’t care if you don’t think that sounds good. Write your own list. This is my list. It's heaven.

4. Tea
I used to drink a lot more tea years ago. I don’t know why I stopped. Probably because I was either drinking coffee or alcohol. Since I’ve stopped drinking caffeine and cut WAY back on the drinking, I guess there’s more time for tea. Although I can’t get into tea without sweetener. Just can’t get there. I have cut back, and use honey more often than not, but still, I need a little something in there. Otherwise, I don’t taste anything. I might as well just be drinking hot water that someone dipped a scented candle in. But now I’m drinking a lot more tea. Lately I’ve been drinking something called Holy Basil, which is of Indian origin. It tastes more like black tea than most herbal teas, but it’s strictly herbal. No caffeine. It’s quite good.

5. Magazines
As my wife can attest, I love magazines. I usually have a stack, or two, next my chair. Where she sees clutter, I see possibilities. I like the whole thing. I read the ads. I read the articles. I read the sidebars. I go to the websites (this is when it’s handy to have an iPad). The better magazines even have better paper. They’re portable, entertaining, informative, and fun. The only downside is they make me want things which I realize (being in advertising as I am) is the point. But I like them anyway.

6. Newspaper
While on the subject of reading, I recently began getting the New York Times on a daily basis. I love the paper, but I don’t think I’ve ever gotten it delivered daily. At the most, I get the Sunday Edition, and even then, not every week. One of the reasons for this is I was not in an area that they would deliver to. If I wanted the paper, I had to drive to the nearest store and buy one. If it was the Times, this meant paying a surcharge on top. The Sunday paper cost something like $6-7. It was ridiculous. But then they closed the post office across the street from me and they gave me a new address. Now, I can get the paper delivered. At first I really kept up with it. I would grab it in the morning, then read it when I got home at night. It was lovely. Then I went away and I got behind. After that I bought a new iPad (my first) and discovered the digital version, it went downhill from there. I finally had to stop getting the paper...or at least during the week. Now I only get the Sunday paper, which allows me to continue to get it digitally. I didn’t think I would like the paper digitally. I hate it on my computer. I like having an honest-to-God, cut-down-trees, newspaper. But the iPad version is incredible. It’s everything, only better.

7. My New iPad
By now you realize that I have a new iPad. It really is glorious. If you don’t own one yourself, you have certainly heard reports of the wonders it beholds. Maybe the most impressive thing about the newest iPad release, is what has some saying, it’s not that impressive. It’s because while in the past, screens were a rough approximation of reality, but no real competition. Photos weren’t as good as a printed piece. Neither was type. We got used to shitty resolution. The new iPad is now better than print. It looks like you’re holding a book, magazine or newspaper. Only better. So people look at, and think, "What's the big deal?" That's the big deal! I’m hooked. I’m transferring almost all my magazines and newspaper subscriptions to digital. I never thought I would willingly do that.

8. Journal
While I’ve gone completely over to the dark side when it comes to publications, I still maintain my love of paper journals. And while I love my leather bound tomes, I find that Moleskins are much more practical. I have one in almost every bag I own, which is a lot of bags. I like blank ones best. I can scribble, draw, write, whatever. It can be deep and thoughtful, or a phone number for take out. The more you use it, the more you use it. And even though I carry my iPad everywhere now, I don’t like to type on it. Writing in my journal forces me to slow down a bit, which is good. And you can look back through old ones, which I can't imagine me doing digitally. Some things are just better in analog.

9. A New Book
One thing that is hard to beat for excitement is a new book. And while I like my new iPad and have even begun reading an old favorite on it, I still like the old analog version. I’m getting ready to start a new one by Anne Lamott called, “Some Assembly Required.” The first book I ever read by Anne was “Operating Instructions: A Journal Of My Son’s First Year.” The new book is the first year of her son’s first child. He was only 19 when she found out she was going to become a grandmother. It should be good. She’s a very funny, honest writer.

10. Spring
It’s not my favorite season because usually it’s overly damp, and I hate that. But the promise of summer is strong, and therefore I get excited. The days get longer, and the air warmer. I have already had the top on my convertible down several times. I’m even wearing flip flops at this very moment.

Soon enough we’ll be complaining about the heat.

P.S. Even when I try to write a positive piece, most of it is cranky. Oh, well.

Smoke House Rice + Beans | Recipe

iPhone 4S + Hipsamatic

After juicing for most of the day yesterday (except for lunch), and all day today (except for dinner), I made dinner tonight, with the plan to have a good bit of leftovers for lunch for a couple of days. I had some smoked Tofu that I bought at the Asia market that I'd been wanting to try out, and this seemed like the time to do it.

I wanted to make a rice and beans dish that usually would have called for Chorizo or some other smokey sausage, and I figured the smoked tofu would substitute well.

I thought it turned out amazing. Very good smokiness, with just the right amount of heat. I didn't really follow a recipe, I just kind of made it up as I went along. It tasted nothing like a vegetarian meal, but more like something you'd expect Cowboys or Lumberjacks to eat. It was big, bold, spicy and smokey!

This dish has more than enough protein, good fiber with the brown rice, low salt, low sugar, low calorie. It's all good stuff. :) Serve it with a salad and you've got a pretty balanced meal.

Smoke House Rice and Beans with Smoked Tofu and Chipotle Chilis.
Serves 4 (more or less)

Ingredients:
Brown Rice (8 cups cooked)

2 Tbls Olive Oil

1 lb of Smoked Tofu (cut into small pieces)*

1 Can Black Beans
1 Can Kidney Beans
2 Carrots (diced)
2 Celery Stalks (diced)
2 Onions (diced)
3 Garlic Cloves (minced)
2 Cups of Sweet Corn
1/2 Small Can Chipotles (in Adobo)
2 Cups of Tomato Sauce
2 Tbls of Cilantro (finely chopped)
1 Lime (I used a lemon because I didn't have any limes)

Start your rice (I used a rice cooker which is one of my favorite things ever).

Heat a large cast iron skillet with the olive oil and add the garlic, onions, carrots and celery. Cook about 5 minutes on medium heat until onions begin to go clear. Add the Tofu, Chipotles, Beans (with the liquid), Corn and Tomato Sauce. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until most of the liquid cooks off. Add the corn near the end.

Place 2 cups of Rice on the plate and ladle 1 cup of the rice and bean mixture on top. Squeeze fresh Lime juice on top and garnish with the Cilantro.

*I found the smoked Tofu at an Asian Market, but I'm going to try smoking some myself. It tasted like you'd expect it to taste and had the consistency of Smoked Gouda. Pretty good actually.

Spicy Tuna from Tokyo in Rio Grande, NJ

iPhone 4s + Hipstamatic

As good as the weather has been recently—and it was still plenty warm for this time of year—today was pretty shitty. Just damp and a bit chilly. So, in order to get out of the house, we went out to eat, and we went grocery shopping. What can I say, a lot of our life revolves around food.

I've mentioned a local Japenese/Thai place that we like called Murasaki. They have two other restaurants in Rio Grande, a few towns down the road. One of them is another Hibatchi/Sushi place, and the other is Tokyo, a straight up sushi bar. We went to Tokyo.

I got Miso Soup, a Spicy Tuna roll and a Philly Roll. It was pretty decent. According to a sign on the door, they just started offering maki made with brown rice, so that's cool. It's never as pretty, but it's so much better for you. Jane's got me accustomed to getting green tea with me meal. I'm getting used to it, but it still kind of tastes like hot water someone soaked a crayon in.

Jane got one of the specials (she almost always get the special), which was called a Yummi Roll. It was basically Tuna sashimi topped with seared Tuna. That's like a burger topped with a steak. Or a Cuban sandwich, which is ham topped with pork. WTF?

I must admit, it did look Yummi, and Jane said she would come back for it, special or no special. She'd get them to make it for her. I believe her.

The French Make Shitty Vegetarians | Ottawa

Unlike many so-called "patriotic" Americans, I like the French. Fashion, culture, food, wine, appreciate of the arts. What's not to love? But they would make shitty vegetarians. Or at least they don't set a good example for eating well, at least not in the west. I'm sure I could live in Paris, eat like them and be perfectly healthy.

But alas. I'm at a brasserie in Ottowa and this is a list of the appetizers*: 

1. Musssels and Frites
2. Pan-seared Quebec Foie Gras
3. Foie Gras Mousse
4. Duck Poutine
5. Escargot Gratiné
6. Chicken Liver Parfait
7. Steak Tartare

Since I haven't been eating meat, this was not a good development, but what truly unnerved me was the glamorous couple next to me, laughing and eating pommes frites that smelled like bliss and elegance. How can something that smells so good be bad for you? I'm sure they were dusted with sea salt.

iPhone 4S + Hipstamatic

Consequently, I ended up with the ceviche, which was pretty good (it wasn't pomme frites) but it had huge pieces of fish. Not the way I'm accustomed to seeing it prepared. The glass of champagne I had, helped to soften the blow of no pomme frites, let along no foie gras, but the old me would have definitely had several glasses of Chardonnay, along with the pomme frites AND maybe the foie gras, and THEN gone out to dinner. Ce la vie.

I want to be skinny. I want to be skinny. I want to be skinny. Ok, I'm back.

*In the spirit of full disclosure, I didn't mention the Asparagus Vinagarette and the Wild Mushroom Risotto dishes on the menu, because my story was better without those additions. Though neither are particularly healthy either. I don't like asparagus, wrapped in bacon though it was.

Birds, Bees and Yarn

Sundays have always been a day of missions in my family. When I was a boy, it was learning about brave men and women living in Africa. I don't remember why, but they were often being shot at in the middle of the night. Today, Sundays are more likely to be about missions of a different kind.

Today, Jane and I were on a mission to find a bird feeder. I'm spare you the suspense and tell you now that we didn't find one. But that's the thing about my kind of missions. Achieving your mission is about enjoying the journey. The hell with the mission.

It helps if the mission is trivial; with no consequences for falling short. Like looking for a bird feeder.

As I said, we didn't find one, but did have a few adventures.

We started by going up the road to Seaville, to visit Wild Garden Accents. This is a favorite place for us to visit, especially when we're feeling cooped up in the house. We usually end up there in the Spring. 

It's sort of like a garden center, but they don't sell plants. They sell bird houses and bird baths, koi ponds and pottery, stepping stones and statues. Stuff for your garden. We've bought quite a few things there over the years. They have really nice things, and while some of them are great deals, others are top notch quality, and priced accordingly. We were looking for a bird feeder to put on a post and these were all just a bit too nice. Copper roofs and such. Beautiful, but more than I had in mind.

They did have these little straw nesting baskets that were just too cute (pictures above). They were 3 for $15. We bought three. And a tin of Burt's Bee's lip balm. Some trips you make big purchases, some you buy lip balm.

On our way back South, we were driving down a stretch of road on Route 9 that we travel all the time, and somewhere in the back of my mind, there is a memory of having seen a sign for a particular store, but I can't recall. It seems new to me, and yet, it seems like I've seen it before. I pass it, drive on another fifty yards, and then pull over.

"What are you doing," Jane asks.

"I want to go back and check out that store. Looks like it could be interesting," I say. "They've got a cool sign."

So we turn around and pull in.

Home Made is set in a mid-19th century home located in Swainton, NJ, where owner/operator Julie Petrella both lives and works.  Along with many family and friends, Julie spent months renovating the house and as her website says, ..."it continues to be a work in progress."

As the sign says, it's both a craft shop and a studio. Dealing mostly with knitting, one section of the space sells materials such as artisan yarn, wooden knitting needles, and patterns. Another section sells finished crafts such as knit hats, hand made home decor accents, and blankets. The largest section is reserved for classes.

Julie has a range of classes from sewing and knitting to arts and crafts, as well as several clubs (Yarn, Sew and Girl Scouts).

I've never had any desire to knit, but with the large sunny rooms, wood floors and antique feel of the place, I'd be willing to learn, if just so I could hang out for a bit.

Eventually, we made our way to Cape May, where we had a wonderful lunch, but where I neglected to take any photos. We'll return and I'll be sure to report back.

From there we stopped by the West End Garage, another place I'll need to shoot and report back, The Linen Outlet and The Lobster House, also need more time to cover.

It was a full day. More to come....

Foot Race

Today was race day. My wife Jane, and step-daughter Julia ran. My other step-daughter Jessica and I, along with my grandson Paxton, watched.

Although was only a 5k (I say only, not because I could have currently run it, but because they often run longer races), they both ran strong. Julia has been currently training longer than Jane, not to mention that she's 20+ years younger, so it stood to reason that she did a bit better.

Not only did she run with her two-year old black labrador Bosco, but she came in first in women! She was something like 4th or 5th overall. She was booking.

Who knows what she would have done if she hadn't been running with a dog.

Paxton spent the race walking around. His new thing is to walk in circles....because he can. When the first runners starting coming in, he clapped with everyone else.

After Julia had picked up her medal, and Bosco tried to eat it, we adjourned to our house for breakfast. Good start of the weekend.

The Five Stages of Missing A Flight

I consider myself an expert traveler.

I can pack efficiently and effectively for a week's trip in less than 15 minutes. I move through security with economy of movement and speed. I have a reference library in my head of clubs, restaurants, and shops for over 20 airports worldwide. I know things.

For instance, I know that the Virgin Atlantic Business Class Club is actually nicer, though a good bit smaller, than the British Airways Business Class Club at Heathrow International Airport. I know that if I'm flying USAir, and I'm not in First Class, and the plane is a Boeing 757, I'd prefer to sit in either 8D or 8E and that both are aisle seats. I know that when in First Class, I don't want to sit in the first row (not legroom or storage under the seat), or the last row (sometimes the seats don't recline).

For over 15 years, I've been flying around North America, and other parts of the world on a regular basis. I have systems and routines for everything from checking into a flight, to checking out of a hotel (I never actually check out, I just get my bill via email).

But somehow, that doesn't stop me from making bonehead travel moves.

It doesn't happen often, but occasionally all reason seems to leave me and I'll do something that makes me look like a rank amateur. I've left things on the plane (iPod, hats, an Armani suit). I've booked the wrong flight (albeit an easy thing to do). And I've missed flights I was booked on.

Missing flights has often involved oversleeping, but more often than not, it's happened due to calculating incorrectly, the amount of time needed to get to the airport.

For instance, last night Jane asked me what time I needed to leave for the airport. I don't take this lightly and usually do a little math in my head. First off, I want to be at the airport at least an hour and a half before departure, and usually more like two hours before. It takes me an hour and fifteen minutes to get from my house to the airport, and it typically takes me forty-five minutes from the time I wake up to the time I walk out the door. I usually do this math fairly quickly in my head, and then instantly set the alarm on my phone lest I forget.

I use my phone, rather than my alarm clock, for a number of reasons. One, I can be relatively assured that even if the power goes out, my phone will have enough power left to wake me. Two, it's plugged in across the room meaning can't hit a snooze bar and oversleep. This has served me well for years after less than optimal results before this system was instituted.

So back to last night. Jane asked me what time I needed to leave. Here's where my brain failed me (math was never my strong suit). Somehow I decided that I needed to wake up at 5am, which would have me leaving at 5:45am. This would get me to the airport at 7am, for....a 7:35am flight. I was off by an hour. I should have gotten up at 4am, left by 4:45am, gotten to the airport by 6am, for a 7:35am flight.

This, I realized, at about 5:35am. I rushed out the door, did about 80mph the whole way, and since I still had to check a bag, just missed the flight. They might have taken my bag, but I still had to park my car and make it through security. There was no way I was going to make it.

This is the worst part. You're trying to negotiate your way out of it, with anyone, with yourself. There's no way I just missed that flight. It's not possible. Not for something that stupid. But you did. You just did.

It's the five stages of grief.

Denial. I'm not too late. I can make it. Really.
Anger. WTF! No. No. No. No.
Bargaining. There must be a way. Please? I'm here. I can make it. The plane is just over there. Please?
Depression. Fuck. I missed the flight. I can't believe I missed the flight. I must be some kind of idiot.
Acceptance. Might as well settle in and wait for the next flight. When is the next flight? Vodka and soda, please?

Now, this isn't the worst thing. I've done worse. I've had situations from jumping another flight and just barely making the meeting by the skin of my teeth. That's just embarassing. The other end of the spectrum is when I've had to turn around and go back to the office and miss the meeting altogether. That's really bad.

I may be alone in this at my agency. I can't think of anyone else who's done this even once, let along several times. This would be a huge problem for anyone else.

I don't know what's wrong with me.

I'm not like I'm trying to make a meeting today. In fact, I just need to be there sometime today, so I can shoot a TV commercial tomorrow. But I did have a lunch scheduled in Santa Monica today with a producer. I would have gotten to spend the better part of the day in sunny Los Angeles, rather than sitting in an airport for hours upon end on a rainy day in Philadelphia. Instead of landing at 10:40am, I get in at 4:50pm. Then I'll be expected to have dinner with the client and be happy.

So, at least I'm the only one who suffers, and no real damage done, but still. What a bummer. And there's no one else to blame but me, which is what really hurts.

Postscript:
I'm trying to eat healthy while traveling, but it's freakin' hard. Once you start paying attention to calories, let alone sodium, you feel like you can't eat ANY prepared food. It's insane. I can't bring everything with me all the time. I just don't live that way. If I was home every day, I could do it, but I'm not.

As an example. Legal Seafood (not that it's a bastion of health) offers a tuna melt that has 35% more calories and 20% more fat than the fucking beef burger! You can't assume anything anymore.

I read somewhere that McDonald's has a salad that has more calories than a fucking Big Mac!. What bullshit. Even for people who are TRYING to eat healthier, they're getting screwed.

Obviously, I had some time to kill, so I walked around looking at menus. Depending on the internet site I look at, I need to be somewhere between 1200-1900 calories a day. Even at the high end that's not shit. Of course, that's me wanting to still lose another 15 pounds. Might be easier to just fast again for a week or two. With exercise, I don't see any problem eating under 2500 calories per day.

But as I said, I have almost zero confidence in controlling my intake when eating out. It's really nerve racking. Everything is cooked in butter, or has sugar added, or uses all kinds of processed SHIT.

Honestly, I think the big change in my life isn't going to come solely from changing my diet. Something else has got to change. This traveling sucks.

After The Fast: Day Seven

Seven days after breaking my fast and I'm feeling great. I am eating well, not bored at all, exercising daily, and still drinking lots of water. Still no caffeine and no cigarettes. I've had a few drinks on several occasions, but nothing like I used to. I'm not drinking at home and not at all daily. In reality, I've had alcohol three times since I started my fast and never more than a couple of glasses of wine. I think it's like cigarettes: I miss the idea of it more than the actual thing. It was never really about the buzz for me anyway.

But the big news is my weight. As you may recall, I went from 202lbs on the last day of my fast, gained 1.5lbs three days later, then gained a few more and was at 206lbs, still only four pounds over my lowest weight, which is pretty damn good.

Today, I was back down to 203.5lbs. That is awesome. So, I think in another month, I can be at 190lbs. That seems reasonable if I stick to my guns. I still really, really want to get under 200lbs. It's my albatross.

I have to travel this week. I'll be in Los Angeles Tuesday through Thursday for a shoot. LA is certainly a place where you can eat healthy if you want to, but travel and shoots are rarely conducive to eating well. It will be my first real test. I have to be careful to not just avoid junk. I also have to actually eat quality food. It's easy for me to just not eat, but that's no good either. Maybe I'll just pack my own snacks in my suitcase, I can always eat breakfast and dinner in a restaurant well, and all I have to worry about is lunch.

Flying sucks anyway, but I used to pass the time drinking and eating shitty snacks. :)

Saturday | Potstickers (Gyoza)

So, as promised, today I made Gyoza, which are Potstickers for us white boys. Since I have been laying off meat, I made these vegetarian, and after having done so, I doubt I'd go back to pork filling. Not really worth the time and expense.

As one person I read online said, "It's not really about the filling anyway, it's about the wonton and whatever you dip them in."

Here is the recipe I followed:

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Vegetarian Potstickers (Gyoza)
Makes about 48 dumplings

For the potstickers (gyoza):

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 pound tempeh, cut into thin slabs
1 cup very thinly sliced Napa or green cabbage
6 green onions, white and light green parts only, minced
4 teaspoons Chinese rice wine (sherry is a good substitute)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
48 potsticker wrappers (that is about one normal package; if possible choose a "thick" variety)

Heat a large skillet, preferably cast iron, with a tight-fitting lid, over a medium-high flame. Add 2 tablespoons of oil. Fry the tempeh in a single layer, working in batches if needed, until golden brown on both sides. Set aside to cool.

NOTE: I got almost no browning. They just started falling apart after awhile. Whatever did brown just stuck to the pan like glue. For the record, I was actually using firm tofu and not tempeh, so that might have had something to do with it. I wouldn't know. I'd never cooked with either before.

Fry the cabbage for a few minutes until browned and most water removed. Turn off the heat.

Thoroughly crumble the tempeh into a bowl. Combine it with the cabbage, green onions, rice wine or sherry and soy sauce. Taste and adjust salt as needed. You can also add more rice wine or soy, but don't make it too wet. When you are satisfied with the taste, sprinkle in the cornstarch and toss thoroughly to combine. (This will absorb any water released when the dumplings are cooked).

To form the potsticker dumplings, take one wrapper and moisten the entire edge with a fingertip or pastry brush dipped in water. Place a heaping teaspoon of filling in the center. Pick it up, fold in half, and seal the edge. Crimp if you like. Set on a plate or sheet pan.

NOTE: I actually had fun making these. It was like an art project.

To cook the potstickers, heat that big skillet back up again to medium-high and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Put the potstickers in in a single layer, flat side down, not touching but they can be close. Fry 1-2 minutes until they are dark golden brown on the bottom. Add 1/3 cup of water and cover the pan. Cook about 3 minutes. Remove the lid and keep cooking until the water is totally gone – otherwise they won't be crispy.

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NOTE: Now I have to say, that's what the recipe said to do. They were looking beautiful and weren't sticking to the pan. I poured the water in and covered, and when I lifted the lid, they looked perfect. Until I tried to move them. It was like they'd been cemented to the pan with crazy glue. I thought I was going to lose my mind. I saved most of them, but they weren't looking so good.

I tried again, not using a lid, and trying to keep them from sticking, and while a little better, they were still tearing. Finally, I just seared them in oil on both sides and then took them out. They weren't steamed, but they were actually better. Next time, no steaming.

Another note: I had maybe six wrappers leftover, so that was pretty good. About just the right amount of filling for a package of wrappers.

The finished product. Tasty little fuckers.

Serve hot, with dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce:

1/4 cup good quality soy sauce / shoyu / tamari

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1-2 teaspoons hot-chili sesame oil (or 1-2 teaspoons plain Chinese sesame oil and 1/2 teaspoon chili paste)

1 green onion, whites parts only, cut into tiny thin rings

Combine all ingredients, taste for salt/vinegar/heat balance and set aside.

NOTE: I actually substituted hot Chinese mustard for the hot-chili sesame oil and even though I had them, I forgot to add the green onion rings. Still tasted pretty damn good.

Made By Hand No.3 | The Beekeeper

From the Made By Hand Series.

Self Portrait | The Skinny Me

Well, maybe not exactly skinny by some standards, but without a doubt, a lot skinnier than I was. 205 pounds from 230. Shaved the beard, of course, and I'm growing my hair in a bit. Not sure what I'm going to do with it yet. Feel like growing it long just to fuck with everyone.

After The Fast: Day Five

Well I spoke too soon. I guess it takes a bit to catch up to you. Weighed myself again this morning (I really need to stop doing that), and I had gained a bit more weight. Coming in at 205.5lbs. That's another two pounds. I'm not concerned, I guess I just thought I was special and wouldn't gain a few pounds back after the end of the fast. Wrong again Ronald.

If this was a real photo, it would be mostly just the left side of my body on the scale.

So, I think I'll stop weighing myself daily and go to once a week. Since I'm concentrating more on exercise anyway, I'll try to think more about how I look as opposed to how much I weigh. I want to tone my upper body more, as well as my abdomen. Doing a lot of crunches and curls. Sounds like a breakfast cereal: Crunches And Curls...by Kellogg's.

I'm still eating very well. Two eggs for breakfast. Granola at 10am. Sushi, rice and vegetables for lunch. Apples and peanut butter at 3pm. A little more sushi, or rice and beans, for dinner. Hell, all I'm eating is eggs, rice, beans, vegetables, a tiny bit of fish, fruit and nuts. All I'm drinking is water, and a little decaf coffee or tea at night.

I don't get a lot of cardio exercise except on the weekends. It's mostly isometrics what I'm doing. Resistance training. I may have to step up my weekend cardio a bit. But I think I'm getting a pretty good workout in the morning. Although never REALLY sore like I would be if I worked out in the gym. Not sure whether that's good or bad.

Wondering if it wouldn't be a good idea to juice one meal a day. Breakfast, for instance. It would provide me a lot of my vitamins and minerals for the day. Buying and maintaining the produce is a hassle though. You can't buy too much or it goes south, and I don't want to put any more time into this than I already am. It's consuming my life. :) Still, it would be very healthy and might contribute to my weight loss.

Ok, enough of that. Back to food. This weekend I was going to try to cook Naan, a middle eastern flat bread, but I found these two recipes for grill pizza and flatbread. I'm going to combine them and make some herbed flatbread on the Big Green Egg.

Grill Pizza

Cooked Grill Pizza

Making The Flatbread

Finished Flatbread

I haven't cooked on my Egg since I quit smoking and drinking. I don't know what the fuck I'm going to do while I'm cooking, but I guess I'll figure something out.

Here are the recipes I'm using as inspiration. I'm going to alter things a bit since I'm cooking on the Egg, but even if you don't have an Egg, you can use either the oven or a traditional gas grill and make do. Enjoy!

Herbed Flatbread

Makes 16

* 1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)

* 1 teaspoon active dry yeast (from one 1/4-ounce envelope)

* 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface and hands

* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for bowl

* Coarse salt

* 1 teaspoon sugar

* 1 large egg whisked with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

* Sea salt, for sprinkling

* 1/4 cup fresh rosemary or thyme (or a combination)

Directions

1. Place water in a medium bowl; sprinkle with yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour, oil, 2 teaspoons coarse salt, and the sugar. Stir until dough forms.

2. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead with floured hands until smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let dough stand in a warm, draft-free place until it doubles in volume, about 1 hour.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Divide dough into 16 equal pieces; cover with plastic wrap. Roll out 1 piece to roughly 4 by 10 inches on a lightly floured surface; transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with egg wash; sprinkle with sea salt and herbs. Repeat with remaining dough, arranging 4 pieces per sheet.

4. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until crisp and golden, 18 to 22 minutes. Let cool on sheets on a wire rack.

Grilled Pizza Dough

1- envelope dry yeast

1- cup water – room temperature or warm

1 teaspoon honey

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/3 cup fine ground flax meal- corn mean can also be used- I even sometimes substitute semolina flour

3 1/2 tablespoons whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tablespoons good quality virgin olive oil

3 cups all purpose flour

1- in a large bowl add the water, yeast and honey

2- after all is dissolved slowly stir in the flax meal, whole wheat flour, salt and olive oil

3- slowly stir in the flour until a firm dough has formed

4- remove all contents from bowl and continue to knead on a floured surface until a smooth dough has formed adding additional flour to prevent the dough from sticking.

5- after you have achieved a smooth sough clean of any lumps transfer to a large bowl that has been lightly coated with olive oil. add oil to the top make sure a skin does not form while rising. cover the bowl and let rise for about 2 hours. remove dough and knead again.

6- let the dough rise again for about 30 minutes.

Directions

When the dough is ready, transfer it, lifting it on each side with your thumb and pointer fingers, and spread it across the hottest part of your grill. Let it cook for about 2-3 minutes or until bubbles appear on the top almost like a pancake.

Using tongs and a spatula flip your pizza over on to the cool part of the grill. Quickly brush the top with olive oil and add toppings as fast as possible. The idea is to get each ingredient on to every part of the pie evenly. Then using the tongs slide the the pizza over to the hot side of the grill. When the cheese is melted and starts to bubble its ready. Slide it of to a wooden cutting board, garnish cut and serve right away. The ideal crust is chewy in the center and crunchy at the same time. Practice makes perfect.

After The Fast: Day Four

Weight Update
This morning I weighed myself for the first time in a few days. 203.5 lbs! After four days of eating solid foods, albeit on my new and improved diet, I only gained a pound and a half.

Given that people were telling me that I would gain as many as 10 pounds as soon as I got off my fast, I’m very happy with this development. I couldn’t very well expect to continue losing weight immediately after finishing my fast, but I was hopeful that I would only gain a nominal amount of weight. 1.5 pounds is righteous.

Hopefully this means I will begin losing weight again. I should. I’m eating exceptionally well compared to my past, plus I’m exercising daily. I should only go down.

A Busy Morning
My mornings are a lot more involved that they used to be. I get up an hour earlier, and do a lot more. I’m enjoying the time.

I get up at 5:30am, go to the bathroom and “clear my head”, after which I go downstairs and begin my workout. As I’ve mentioned, my workout entails using Ripcords®, essentially big rubber bands with handles. I do two separate workouts, each 7 minutes in length. One works the entire body, and the other focused more on the upper body. Then I do 30 hardcore crunches on this machine my wife bought. It’s a pretty good workout and I’ve been doing it everyday for almost 3 weeks.

Farm Fresh Organic Eggs. Beat with diced Jalepeños.

After my workout, I go outside and get the paper. Then I start breakfast. This morning I did eggs again. Two eggs, scrambled with diced, pickled jalepeños, sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Tasty.

I’ve been eating more of my meals with chopsticks. Before you laugh, let me tell you why. I eat slower. It’s perfect. Try eating rice and peas with chopsticks and see if it doesn’t slow you down as well.

New 16oz thermos. Perfect for one can of soup.

Today I brought soup for the first time in a new little thermos I bought. The soup was an organic butternut squash. It came from a can, but the ingredients were simple and all natural. But it was still from a can. That's not going to last. We got some new toys.

I just bought two new gadgets that it's hard to believe we didn't own prior to this. One is a food processor. We used to have a small one, but you couldn't do much with it. The new one is a Cuisinart 11-Cup bad boy. It's got several blades and various attachments, none of which we have room for.

The other is a Waring Pro Immersion Blender. Between these two appliances, I shouldn't need to buy soup from a can. For what it's worth, Jane makes soup all the time, and she didn't have either of these two things. But, it'll still be nice to have.

Anyway, after I eat breakfast and clean up after myself (other than dishes drying next to the sink, I try to leave the kitchen as if I wasn't there), I sit down with my water bottle and read the paper...or at least some of it. This is my relax time. I never did this before. I always got up in just enough time to shit, shower, shave, dress and walk out the door.

Usually, I've packed my lunch the night before, but today I had to heat my soup and pour it into the thermos, plus cut up an apple and pack some natural peanut butter. I also threw some roasted almonds in a ziplock bag for snacks. My piece de resistance, was supposed to by some leftover sushi from last night's dinner, and rice and beans from a few days ago. They were sitting in the fridge, all ready to go, only I forgot them.

Jane called on my way to work and asked, "What's with all this sushi?"

Grrrrr. I was so pissed.

I made do with my snacks and the soup. I'll eat it for dinner tonight. I may need to make some rice and vegetables for lunch tomorrow. We'll see. I'll come up with something.

After The Fast: Day Three

I always seem to be catching up, or posting too soon when it comes to my meals. But in order the keep everyone up to speed, last night's dinner was supplied by Peggy Raley, my friend and associate Sherman's wife. She'd been following my fast on Facebook and so was aware of my circumstances. Needless to say she rose to the challenge and cooked up a sumptuous vegetarian extravaganza. It was a black bean and sweet potato vegetarian chili over rice, which she's promised to get me the recipe of. Only problem is, she cooks like both Jane and I. It's like a made for TV movie. It's BASED on a real recipe, but is really just a list of ingredients, the proportions of which are at the discretion of the cook. There was also a wonderful salad with greens, cheese, and ripe strawberries. I definitely ate too much.

This morning I had to get up early. Peggy had again come through and was prepared with whole wheat tortillas and organic eggs. I skipped the tortillas, but scrambled a few eggs.

Throughout the morning I snacked on roasted peanuts and had a nice hot plate of the previous night's chili. It hit the spot as I was outside all day.

Got finished early and was able to get on a 4:15pm ferry, rather than the 7:45pm one I was originally booked on, so I can get home and make a decent dinner, as well as tomorrow's lunch. Grabbed a banana and a bottle of water at the terminal. I'm getting better at this. In the past, I definitely would have scrounged a hot dog, or two, and then had a large cup of coffee.

I haven't weighed myself in a few days, so I'm anxious to see what regular food has done. I expect to go back up a bit before beginning to lose weight again, but I'm hopeful that I don't go up much.

When I come home tired, it's hard for me to be creative about food. Hell, it's hard for me to be creative about anything. It takes something out of you to be sure. That's why historically, a lot of my more adventurous food excursions have been when I'm on vacation, or at the very least, on the weekends. Even when I am out and about with work, if I'm really tired, I'm not interested in anything new or overly elaborate. That's when comfort food comes in.

But I want to eat more sushi. Or at least what I think of, most of the time, as sushi. First, there's Maki-zushi, or rolled sushi, which is what most Americans think of when they think of sushi. Maki is a layer of rice around a core of fillings, all rolled inside a layer of nori. A variety of this, and what I prefer, is called Uramaki, or inside out sushi. Uramaki is where you have a core of filling such as tuna or salmon, a layer of nori, and then an outside layer of sushi rice.

Uramaki was created because Americans had trouble eating nori. While Americans dining in the early sushi bars enjoyed the food, they preferred to not see the seaweed. To remedy this, the pioneering Chef Mashita at Tokyo Kaikan in Little Tokyo created the inside-out roll. This development is widely believed to have fueled sushi's early success in the United States, and has led to hundreds of variations on the first uramaki.

Interestingly, the American-style uramaki sushi is beginning to find its way across the Atlantic to Japan. Bringing innovations in sushi-making back to the traditional styles in Japan is another step in the cuisine's evolution.

Sushi, by the way, is a reference not to raw fish, but to the rice. It's sushi rice. The filling is up to style and taste.

I think I may just stop on my way home and get some for dinner. Wouldn't mind some spicy tuna. Hmmm.

Spicy Tuna Roll. Uramaki.

After The Fast: Day Two

The first day back to work was a good test. I got up and did the exact routine I set out for myself. I worked out, made breakfast, etc....My lunch was already packed the night before, and all my things ready to go. I posted the pictures of what I made yesterday.

For breakfast this morning, I made a Japanese dish called Tamagoyaki. It's basically a type of omelet, but it's got several layers to it. You start by pouring the egg mixture into a hot skillet, and as it sets, you roll one end up and over the rest till it looks like a burrito. Then you pour some more egg in, and roll the cooked part back over the setting egg mixture. You repeat this will you're out of egg and have 4-5 layers. You take the finished piece out of the pan, lay it on a sushi mat, and press it firmly into a more or less square shape. Then you cut it into 1" pieces, let them cool, then put them in your lunch box.

Japenese Tamagoyaki

My intention this morning was just to make a breakfast burrito, but I had seen this recipe and wanted to try it, so I did. It turned out great, if not somewhat bland since I just beat the eggs. Also, I needed about half of what I made. I'd done 4 eggs because our chickens are fairly young and the eggs are still kind of small. I could do 3 eggs, and still have breakfast, and part of lunch.

Next time, I'm going to add green onion, diced jalepenos and kosher salt. Should go great with brown rice and soy sauce.

In Japan, these use special pans made just for this. Tamagoyaki is a very big deal in Japan. I just used a small round, nonstick pan. Worked splendidly.

Here's a simple recipe. Just cut it in half for a two-egg portion.

4 ‘large’ eggs

1 Tbs. sugar

1 tsp. mirin

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. light soy sauce (usukuchi shoyu); you can use regular soy sauce instead

Oil for cooking