Six Peeps

September 4, 2007

SEASONS GREETINGS!!!!

Oh man am I ever in the Christmas Spirit these days! I am so pumped about the holidays. Sunday night I actually used my car’s heated seats for the first time this year. That means it’s finally the Holiday Season! OK, maybe just for me, but who cares, I’m im feeling cozy and holidayish, and I don’t mind it one bit.

Let me tell you exactly what I am looking forward to this holiday season:

1. Holiday chick flicks and romantic comedies starring famous actors wearing turtlenecks, wool coats and cotton gloves with fake snow everywhere.
2. FOOTBALL SEASON! GO BRONCOS! I just talked to Rob who says he has some more sideline passes for me this season! YAHOOOOOO!!!!
3. TANKSGIVING! Let me tell you what I love about THANKSGIVIN’:
a. TURKEY TROT… then TURKEY. and mashed po-taters! and stuffin’! and green bean casserole with the crunchy onion things on top! and hot, buttery rolls! and wine! and cranberry sauce! and fruit salad with the little marshmellows! and pun’kin pie! and CAFIERO’s CRAZY PIPPIN APPLE PIE! (this year I am doing ski patrol less, so I may actually have time to make it this year! Yes, I make my own flaky crust from scratch and
b. Thanksgiving day FOOTBALL!
c. Going for a post-dinner family walk in the neighborhood
d. Seeing people putting up Christmas lights on that walk!
e. Snuggling with my woman!
f. Fire in the fireplace (mandatory in CO)
g. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. It’s not just a song, I really do that every winter!
h. Good beer!
4. Seeing the first Christmas-themed TV commercial.

I don’t know where I will be this Thanksgiving, but I know I will have a mouth full of turkey, so regardless, I’ll be in a happy place.

Yesterday was Labor Day. It was also splurge day. At my wedding on Sunday it dawned on me that I need new clothes from losing 20 lbs. I don’t have any more notches on my belts and my pants are falling off. I just bought a new suit like 8 weeks ago and I can’t wear it any more. It’s a great problem!

Anway Jenny and I went for a big hike in Boulder (Gary too) and we didn’t actually splurge much. Photos coming this week. We did have a greasy bfast at The Buff in Boulder. I drank a lot of Gatorade which is wonderful. Then for dinner we went to our good friend Kent’s house and holy cow they went gourmet on us. We had good wine, perfectly roasted almonds, fresh tomatoes from their garden with some very nice mozerella (ella, ella, ehhh ehhh ehhh, eatin my mozerella ella… ok I’ll stop)… and for dinner an awesome eggplant rolled up with ricotta, pine nuts and tomatoo sauce. Then for dessert, a home made apple cobbler, and HOME MADE LEMONCELLO!!! WHAT?!?!? I have never had home made lemoncello, it was soooo good! Most important, we just had great conversation and Jenny and I always look forward to dinner with the Meireis’. Thanks Kent and Gerri!

Here’s a shot of my friend Mark Booker back when we were like 14 years old. I found this the other day as I was cleaning out an old box. Funny thing is that Mark emailed me and reminded me of this shot the week before. That’s my dad’s schwinn which got stolen a couple weeks later.

I took this with my old Canon AE-1, which my mom gave to me. This was the summer that I developed a passion for photography. Mark came out to VA to visit my dad and I during summer break. Mark and I both ended up racing bikes. This particular summer, Mark was getting pretty serious about it (notice the bike short tan line), and he went on to becoming the CO state champ in Criterium and Road Race I think, and went on to Junior Nationals. Mark has always been an inspiration to me. He also was all-state football, state champion on the track team, plays piano, guitar, was a whitewater raft guide for a whole, a Roades Scholarship candidate, but still went off to Oxford in England to earn a double major in Philosophy and Theology and played Rugby while he was out there. Now a family man, Mark is out there in Washington DC using that degree, working as a pastor. Amazing. I hope I get to see you this holiday season Mark!

Finally people have been asking me for healthy recipes. Well I don’t use recipes when I cook, but here’s a healthy option for dinner. I call this, “Steak on the Foreman Grill with a potato and broccoli”. Catchy, huh?

1. Chop up fresh garlic and onion. Throw a bit of it onto a hot foreman grill.

2. Put a LEAN cut (top round or loin) over the onion and garlic.

3. Put some more onion and garlic on top, also add fresh chopped basil (not shown)

4. Grill. Don’t overcook or you will be forced to choke down dry meat which is no way to enjoy a steak. I added some balsamic vinegar on the steak to add a little flavor.

5. Microwave potato for 5-6 minutes. I love fat free sour cream, fat-free butter spray and BACOS!

6. Make broccoli. DONT you dare overcook your broccoli. Boil it for about 5 minutes. Overcook your broccoli and you get a disgusting mushy green mess to eat. It should be a vibrant green color, crisp and drizzle some fresh lemon juice and abut a tablespoon of olive oil on top. This was frozen broccoli that Jenny had in her freezer and I hated it. Fresh is the way to go.

There you go. Stay tuned for cool wedding photos (Winter Park and Broadmoor) coming in the next day or so!

FIT DAY (Week 7 of 12). Lost 20 lbs officially now. Still dropping. Today I increased my cardio, I will now be running 5.4 miles a day rather than 2.7 (previously). Still riding everywhere on my bike. Driving cars are for getting to Wedding Jobs only)

September 4, 2007 |