It's been more than two months since I've posted? Holy crap.
Well, it seems like it's been two months since I've ran. OK, it's not quite that bad, but it's pretty bad.
Same story goes as before. Work is keeping me busy, and when I get home, the little guy is doing the same. Between the two, blogging has just fallen off the scope. I don't want to bag it yet.. I'd really like to continue. You guys are an awesome group, and I'd like to keep hangin' with ya. So, keep me in the reader, and we'll see if this ship can get turned around soon.
As far as fitness goes, well.. I'm not doing too well. If I get one day of exercise in a week, it's a good week. Two days is absolutely stellar.
I realized that I'm not going to be getting my butt to the gym this winter. I just don't see the time existing. As a result, I'm trying out a bike trainer. A friend of mine is letting me borrow his for a bit, and if I like it, I think I'll spend some money on getting one. (Recommendations, anyone?)
Ideally, I'll bike a couple of times a week, and maybe going running once during the weekend, when it's light out. Realistically, well, if I can bike once a week, that'd be huge. Running just hurts right now. One ITB or the other, one foot or the other, etc etc. I'm hoping that some cross training and just building up the general fitness level helps some. It certainly isn't going to hurt. Right now, I just feel the fitness slipping away. Alas. (If only it was as hard to lose as it is to gain..)
At work, it's a constant battle of fighting for the job, making sure other people don't steal your assignment, etc etc. Political garbage. Blah. It's a job, and I'm glad to be employed, but.. blah.
At home, the little guy is doing well. We're emerging from the dark cloud of colic. There's still a bad spot here and there, but at least it's not constant. He's rolling over and generally interacting more, so that's pretty cool. It's amazing seeing him learn and develop. Truly amazing.
How's it going with you all? I haven't been around too much, and I apologize.
For all of the U.S. folks here, happy Turkey Day. For the rest of ya, have a day full of thanks for all that is good in your life. As always, keep on rockin'.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Running and Rye
Man, it's been a week since I posted anything. I haven't even been around to all the blogs to even read them. Ugh.
So, I got back to work, and guess what? They want me to actually *work*. That is totally cutting into my blogging time.
In the same vein is that work is cutting into my running time. When I was off of work, I could go running in the morning (yeah, right), the early afternoon, the evening.. whatever I felt like. Now, when I get home, if there's time, I'm not beat, and the stars align, I might be able to get a run in.
On Sunday I got out for a run at least.. It was actually my first one in a whole week. Killer week. I had a stretch goal of doing 7 miles, but I hoped for 5. I wound up settling for 4.25, because shizz was just hurting. Left ITB was bothering me (note to self: foam roll more often. Of course 'more often' implies I'm actually doing it at all.. errrr). My right foot was bothering me. I just decided to shut it down a little early.
I think I need to get on the bike a bit more (all of you tri-people are inspiring), and do that to maintain some level of fitness for now, with a couple of runs a week. (Well, that's the goal, at least. Gotta have goals)
It is Tuesday, so I'm here with a new entry for Alky Tuesday...
This is Saranac's Rye Pilsener. (Yes, I know that's not a Pilsner glass.. I didn't feel like digging for one in the cabinet. Sadly, yes, I do have pretty much every glass type for different types of drinks)
I vaguely remember reading about a rye beer on someone's blog, but my 2 minute attempt to locate such a post came up empty. I had never had such a creation, and there was a pair of these in the Saranac summer sampler pack. (The same sampler pack that has the lemony Summer Ale that I previously covered. Oh, and yes, *that* was a beer that Mrs. Raul actually took to).
Speaking of Mrs. Raul, she was going to the grocery store yesterday.. before leaving, she asked me "Are there any beers you need?".
Brought a tear to my eye, let me tell you.
Oh, and speaking of the grocery store.. In the area I live in, there really isn't much. We just got a Sonic, and we're finally getting a Best Buy in October, just to show you what little is going on. There's one specialty beer store, but it's not terribly convenient to get to. However, the local Wegman's grocery store redid their insides, and they opened up a specialty beer section. They had always done pretty good by me before, carrying Brooklyn, Ithaca, and some other non-mass produced beers. Now though? I'm like a kid in a candy store there. But, that's where I get most of my beer.
Anyway, back from the two tangents.. I'm typically not much of a pilsner beer guy. They're just "ok" in my book. I honestly just chalk it up to the fact that I haven't had many good ones, and I really haven't spent the time to find some I like.
This one had a bit of a bread-like smell.. nice golden color, with lots of small carbonation bubbles. The taste was slightly spicy, and it really was quite tasty for a pilsner.
I think the description on the bottle sums it up quite well: "Rye malt adds dimension to what otherwise is a relatively simple brew." It's a basic beer with some additional flavor.
Certainly not my favorite beer, but quite pleasant out of a sampler pack. I'd have it again if offered it. It's a limited release, for those that are going to hunt it down.
I'm going to have to locate some more rye beers, just to try them out. Alas, we're coming into my favorite beer season, that of the Octoberfests and Pumpkin ales... the quest will probably be sidelined.
So, that's it for now. You know what to do.. keep on rockin'.
So, I got back to work, and guess what? They want me to actually *work*. That is totally cutting into my blogging time.
In the same vein is that work is cutting into my running time. When I was off of work, I could go running in the morning (yeah, right), the early afternoon, the evening.. whatever I felt like. Now, when I get home, if there's time, I'm not beat, and the stars align, I might be able to get a run in.
On Sunday I got out for a run at least.. It was actually my first one in a whole week. Killer week. I had a stretch goal of doing 7 miles, but I hoped for 5. I wound up settling for 4.25, because shizz was just hurting. Left ITB was bothering me (note to self: foam roll more often. Of course 'more often' implies I'm actually doing it at all.. errrr). My right foot was bothering me. I just decided to shut it down a little early.
I think I need to get on the bike a bit more (all of you tri-people are inspiring), and do that to maintain some level of fitness for now, with a couple of runs a week. (Well, that's the goal, at least. Gotta have goals)
It is Tuesday, so I'm here with a new entry for Alky Tuesday...
This is Saranac's Rye Pilsener. (Yes, I know that's not a Pilsner glass.. I didn't feel like digging for one in the cabinet. Sadly, yes, I do have pretty much every glass type for different types of drinks)
I vaguely remember reading about a rye beer on someone's blog, but my 2 minute attempt to locate such a post came up empty. I had never had such a creation, and there was a pair of these in the Saranac summer sampler pack. (The same sampler pack that has the lemony Summer Ale that I previously covered. Oh, and yes, *that* was a beer that Mrs. Raul actually took to).
Speaking of Mrs. Raul, she was going to the grocery store yesterday.. before leaving, she asked me "Are there any beers you need?".
Brought a tear to my eye, let me tell you.
Oh, and speaking of the grocery store.. In the area I live in, there really isn't much. We just got a Sonic, and we're finally getting a Best Buy in October, just to show you what little is going on. There's one specialty beer store, but it's not terribly convenient to get to. However, the local Wegman's grocery store redid their insides, and they opened up a specialty beer section. They had always done pretty good by me before, carrying Brooklyn, Ithaca, and some other non-mass produced beers. Now though? I'm like a kid in a candy store there. But, that's where I get most of my beer.
Anyway, back from the two tangents.. I'm typically not much of a pilsner beer guy. They're just "ok" in my book. I honestly just chalk it up to the fact that I haven't had many good ones, and I really haven't spent the time to find some I like.
This one had a bit of a bread-like smell.. nice golden color, with lots of small carbonation bubbles. The taste was slightly spicy, and it really was quite tasty for a pilsner.
I think the description on the bottle sums it up quite well: "Rye malt adds dimension to what otherwise is a relatively simple brew." It's a basic beer with some additional flavor.
Certainly not my favorite beer, but quite pleasant out of a sampler pack. I'd have it again if offered it. It's a limited release, for those that are going to hunt it down.
I'm going to have to locate some more rye beers, just to try them out. Alas, we're coming into my favorite beer season, that of the Octoberfests and Pumpkin ales... the quest will probably be sidelined.
So, that's it for now. You know what to do.. keep on rockin'.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Gingerly
It's Tuesday! Alcohol Tuesday, everyone! Now that I'm back, I can get back on it. (I did feel bad not doing my Tuesday postings.. honest, I did)
Today's entry is Hitachino Nest Real Ginger Brew.
A certain someone said I should review wine while he's away, and I debated humoring him. I think instead, I'll wait until he gets back. Just for fun.
So this beer.. talk about a flavor bonanza! It's malty. It's slightly hoppy. It's got ginger. There's a lot going on with it.
The ginger flavor is certainly pronounced, and it's a slightly sweet beer. It's a really cloudy beer, and there's a decent amount of sediment (presumably ginger) in the bottom of the bottle.
It's a beer I could have one of once in a while, but I'm certainly not going to tie one on with this beer. I think it would accompany certain foods quite well, though. If I was having some sushi (vegetable-only sushi for me, though), it would be fine. Maybe some other Japanese-style food with ginger, as well. Just to drink, it's a beer that is slow going.
It's an interesting flavor, but certainly a specialized one. Definitely isn't an every day sort of brew. Sold by the single bottle, that's the way to go if you're going to try it.
Keep on rockin'!
Today's entry is Hitachino Nest Real Ginger Brew.
A certain someone said I should review wine while he's away, and I debated humoring him. I think instead, I'll wait until he gets back. Just for fun.
So this beer.. talk about a flavor bonanza! It's malty. It's slightly hoppy. It's got ginger. There's a lot going on with it.
The ginger flavor is certainly pronounced, and it's a slightly sweet beer. It's a really cloudy beer, and there's a decent amount of sediment (presumably ginger) in the bottom of the bottle.
It's a beer I could have one of once in a while, but I'm certainly not going to tie one on with this beer. I think it would accompany certain foods quite well, though. If I was having some sushi (vegetable-only sushi for me, though), it would be fine. Maybe some other Japanese-style food with ginger, as well. Just to drink, it's a beer that is slow going.
It's an interesting flavor, but certainly a specialized one. Definitely isn't an every day sort of brew. Sold by the single bottle, that's the way to go if you're going to try it.
Keep on rockin'!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Boo
Guess who's back?
Paternity leave is over, the furlough is over, I'm back at work.
That also means I'm back at the blogs, too.. I'm waaaaaay behind. I didn't really read many blogs while I was away, either.
I did put some pics of the kid on Facebook, for those that are interested. I probably should get some more up, but I've just been kind of floating around, not really doing a lot.
Running has been going well.. I've basically kept up a schedule of running every other day, or with two days off, depending on my schedule. One time I had 3 days off, but that was the only time. Regular runs are 3.5-4 miles, and the long ones are about 6. Things are going pretty well. I did a 6.5 miler this past weekend, and it was, eh, ok. All kinds of things are creaky now, so I'm going to not go to that distance for a while again. All in all, I'm pretty happy with the ITB rehab.
I need to get back into biking.. do some cross training. We'll see if my wife lets me leave the house once I get back from work today. I can see her handing me the little guy and running away. hah.
But, yeah, I should be posting fairly regularly now. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. Keep on rockin'!
Paternity leave is over, the furlough is over, I'm back at work.
That also means I'm back at the blogs, too.. I'm waaaaaay behind. I didn't really read many blogs while I was away, either.
I did put some pics of the kid on Facebook, for those that are interested. I probably should get some more up, but I've just been kind of floating around, not really doing a lot.
Running has been going well.. I've basically kept up a schedule of running every other day, or with two days off, depending on my schedule. One time I had 3 days off, but that was the only time. Regular runs are 3.5-4 miles, and the long ones are about 6. Things are going pretty well. I did a 6.5 miler this past weekend, and it was, eh, ok. All kinds of things are creaky now, so I'm going to not go to that distance for a while again. All in all, I'm pretty happy with the ITB rehab.
I need to get back into biking.. do some cross training. We'll see if my wife lets me leave the house once I get back from work today. I can see her handing me the little guy and running away. hah.
But, yeah, I should be posting fairly regularly now. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. Keep on rockin'!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Updates, pomegranate martinis
Yes, it's been a while since I posted. :)
I'm quite fortunate that I have some time off from work right now. I get some paternity leave, but I'm coupling that with some furlough time from work.. One of those "cost saving" mechanisms at work. Whatever. It doesn't help the take home pay, but spending the time at home with the little one is so much more important.
Things have been going well here. The little guy finally busted through the remainder of the ounces in the 6 pound region and weighs a little over 7 pounds. He's been a really quiet boy, until the last few days. Turns out he's developing colic. Yay. Cranky little fella right now, poor kid. Of course, he's throwing his 7 pounds all around and kicking the shizzzz right out of me. How could someone so little kick so much ass? He's not even taking names.
Well, it is Tuesday... That means Alcohol Tuesday. And with a colicky infant, so totally appropriate. Today, I give you a pomegranate martini.
Guys, it sounds like a fruity and pansy drink, but it's not. I've recently came into some pomegranate juice (more on this in the next post), and this was one way I decided to sample it.
So. Ingredients:
Mix, serve in a martini glass. Garnish with a slice of orange. That's my take on a pomegranate martini. It's not too sweet, it's smooth, and it goes down easily. If you don't have Cointreau lying around, you could substitute some triple sec with no problem. Similarly, you could use plain vodka, and maybe add some lemon juice or garnish with a lemon slice.
There's a lot of ways to mix this up and achieve a similar result.
The final product:
I hope everyone is doing well. I'll try to be back more frequently. Keep on rockin'!
I'm quite fortunate that I have some time off from work right now. I get some paternity leave, but I'm coupling that with some furlough time from work.. One of those "cost saving" mechanisms at work. Whatever. It doesn't help the take home pay, but spending the time at home with the little one is so much more important.
Things have been going well here. The little guy finally busted through the remainder of the ounces in the 6 pound region and weighs a little over 7 pounds. He's been a really quiet boy, until the last few days. Turns out he's developing colic. Yay. Cranky little fella right now, poor kid. Of course, he's throwing his 7 pounds all around and kicking the shizzzz right out of me. How could someone so little kick so much ass? He's not even taking names.
Well, it is Tuesday... That means Alcohol Tuesday. And with a colicky infant, so totally appropriate. Today, I give you a pomegranate martini.
Guys, it sounds like a fruity and pansy drink, but it's not. I've recently came into some pomegranate juice (more on this in the next post), and this was one way I decided to sample it.
So. Ingredients:
- 3 oz pomegranate juice
- 1 oz lemon flavored vodka
- 1/2 oz Cointreau
Mix, serve in a martini glass. Garnish with a slice of orange. That's my take on a pomegranate martini. It's not too sweet, it's smooth, and it goes down easily. If you don't have Cointreau lying around, you could substitute some triple sec with no problem. Similarly, you could use plain vodka, and maybe add some lemon juice or garnish with a lemon slice.
There's a lot of ways to mix this up and achieve a similar result.
The final product:
I hope everyone is doing well. I'll try to be back more frequently. Keep on rockin'!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Have a cigar
Hello everyone!
As you may (or may not) have noticed, I've been absent lately. I haven't even been keeping Facebook up to date. I have a good excuse, at least..
Reason being is, mini-Raul has been born! A couple of weeks early, but that wasn't terribly unexpected.
He and Mrs. Raul are doing fine, and everyone is home from the hospital.
Things are going well so far. I'm really glad we did as much prep work around the homestead as we did, so that there was little to do once we got home.
That's that.. I'll try to stay more in touch once we get into a groove. Keep on rockin!
As you may (or may not) have noticed, I've been absent lately. I haven't even been keeping Facebook up to date. I have a good excuse, at least..
Reason being is, mini-Raul has been born! A couple of weeks early, but that wasn't terribly unexpected.
He and Mrs. Raul are doing fine, and everyone is home from the hospital.
Things are going well so far. I'm really glad we did as much prep work around the homestead as we did, so that there was little to do once we got home.
That's that.. I'll try to stay more in touch once we get into a groove. Keep on rockin!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Green Flash
Last night was another run in the rain. We've been having rain for the past few days, and there's no sign of it letting up. At least it wasn't too hot out, and the predicted thunderstorms never materialized.
Somehow, I decided to run last night's run on the faster side. Even including my walk break, the first mile was sub-8. Made me reflect on the fact that before I started running, I ran a sub-8 mile once in my life. Now, I'm walking part of the mile, and still wound up there.
The beginning speed wound up sapping the life out of my legs for the last half mile. I still wound up with 3 miles in, at least. I know I shouldn't be running fast while rebuilding my base, but I figure once won't hurt me (as long as I truly do keep it to a very limited once-in-a-while).
Lovin' the Galloway method still. I'm still lacking some calf power, as I feel like I need to walk after running a mile or so, just to take a break. That works out for me, at least. I wonder if that feeling will go away, and I'll have to force myself to take breaks, or what. We'll see.
I've been lacking a bit of my blogging mojo lately. Blah. Thankfully, I've got a product review coming up (sponsored, even!), maybe some books to talk about, and some new CDs I bought. (I know, CDs. So last decade.)
Today's Alcohol Tuesday entry is Green Flash Brewing's Trippel Belgian Style Ale.
Hailing from the San Diego area, this is a bottle-conditioned Belgian style ale. At a sporty 9.7% ABV, it's got a bit more kick than the average bottle of beer.
They call it a "fiery, golden brew", and I certainly agree with that in regards to color. A decent amount of carbonation, and a moderate head when pouring.
Sipping it fresh out of the fridge yields a high alcohol taste.. not something you really want from a beer. A lot of the trippels have that taste, but it's undesirable (in my opinion, at least). As it warms, the scent and taste of some fruit and spice comes out. It has a slight orange smell, according to Mrs. Raul.
.. Side note.. What is it with the sense of smell in pregnant women? Holy cow. One day, she was picking me up at home. I had a couple of beers in the last hour, but nothing too serious. I had just sat in the car, not even shut the door, and she says "You've been drinking, haven't you?". I mean, wow.
(She doesn't pick up on vodka & tonic, I've found. I only discovered this for the sake of science and experimentation, of course.)
OK. end of side note..
It's a good, but not great beer. I did like it more as the evening went on, due to the different flavors being released as it was warmer. Unfortunately, I do like pulling a beer out of the fridge and starting the consumption right away.
Of course, with a big bottle like this, you're obligated to finish it in one sitting.. I mean, you can't just recork it or anything. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
All in all, glad I tried it, probably won't pick this one up again, however. I'm not opposed to trying the other beers from Green Flash, though.
As always, keep on rockin'..
Somehow, I decided to run last night's run on the faster side. Even including my walk break, the first mile was sub-8. Made me reflect on the fact that before I started running, I ran a sub-8 mile once in my life. Now, I'm walking part of the mile, and still wound up there.
The beginning speed wound up sapping the life out of my legs for the last half mile. I still wound up with 3 miles in, at least. I know I shouldn't be running fast while rebuilding my base, but I figure once won't hurt me (as long as I truly do keep it to a very limited once-in-a-while).
Lovin' the Galloway method still. I'm still lacking some calf power, as I feel like I need to walk after running a mile or so, just to take a break. That works out for me, at least. I wonder if that feeling will go away, and I'll have to force myself to take breaks, or what. We'll see.
I've been lacking a bit of my blogging mojo lately. Blah. Thankfully, I've got a product review coming up (sponsored, even!), maybe some books to talk about, and some new CDs I bought. (I know, CDs. So last decade.)
Today's Alcohol Tuesday entry is Green Flash Brewing's Trippel Belgian Style Ale.
Hailing from the San Diego area, this is a bottle-conditioned Belgian style ale. At a sporty 9.7% ABV, it's got a bit more kick than the average bottle of beer.
They call it a "fiery, golden brew", and I certainly agree with that in regards to color. A decent amount of carbonation, and a moderate head when pouring.
Sipping it fresh out of the fridge yields a high alcohol taste.. not something you really want from a beer. A lot of the trippels have that taste, but it's undesirable (in my opinion, at least). As it warms, the scent and taste of some fruit and spice comes out. It has a slight orange smell, according to Mrs. Raul.
.. Side note.. What is it with the sense of smell in pregnant women? Holy cow. One day, she was picking me up at home. I had a couple of beers in the last hour, but nothing too serious. I had just sat in the car, not even shut the door, and she says "You've been drinking, haven't you?". I mean, wow.
(She doesn't pick up on vodka & tonic, I've found. I only discovered this for the sake of science and experimentation, of course.)
OK. end of side note..
It's a good, but not great beer. I did like it more as the evening went on, due to the different flavors being released as it was warmer. Unfortunately, I do like pulling a beer out of the fridge and starting the consumption right away.
Of course, with a big bottle like this, you're obligated to finish it in one sitting.. I mean, you can't just recork it or anything. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
All in all, glad I tried it, probably won't pick this one up again, however. I'm not opposed to trying the other beers from Green Flash, though.
As always, keep on rockin'..
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
