hushpuppy and other 2012 faves....

It's the end of 2012 so I'm doing a best of year compilation...
I saw a bunch of good movies this year but my favorite was "Beasts of the Southern Wild".  There once was a Hushpuppy and she lived with her daddy in the Bathtub.  Other favorites were "Moonrise Kingdom" and "Searching for Sugarman".

I haven't gotten around to drinking moonshine yet but I did visit a couple of bourbon distilleries this year.  My favorite was the Maker's Mark distillery in Loretto, KY.  The drive there was great, the location is fabulous and the tour was top notch.  The samples were good too.  giggle.  We even got to dip our own bottle at the end.  

I did a few races this year.  There was a half marathon in Murfreesboro, TN and a 200 mile relay race from Chattanooga to Nashville with some friends from work.  These races were good but they can't compare with the Route 66 Marathon in Tulsa, OK.  The run was actually fun, Tulsa was nicer than I imagined and I got to run with 2 of my BFF's.  It was perfect.

Last but not least, I'm going with the Moon Pie as my favorite indulgence for 2012.  It was a close contest with Goo Goo Clusters but the Moon Pie contains 3 of my favorite food groups - chocolate, marshmallow and mystery cake.  Yum


Happy New Year

on your trail....

An alternative to road running is trail running.  Trails are typically a very narrow (2 feet) path that winds through the woods.  There is not any clearing involved.  As a result, there is a lot of zig zagging and short uphills and downhills.  All tree roots and rocks are left in place.  10 miles of road running is a piece of cake compared to 10 miles on a trail.  However - the scenery is incredible on the trail.
There is a National Recreation area near me called Land Between the Lakes.  It's not the most romantic name but that's basically what it is - a land mass between Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake.  They have many trails and I checked it out yesterday.  There is an 11 mile trail loop that is typically used for mountain bikes.  It's a 70 mile drive but it was well worth it.  I left home around 6:30am and hit the trail around 8:00am.  The goal in trail running is to not trip on a root or a rock and to not hit your head on a low branch. I was successful on all counts.  yay

please pass the butter....

I read an article this weekend about butter churns and it made me wonder how butter is made.  I did a little research and it turns out to be relatively easy.  I didn't dash out and buy a churn but I did utilize my mixer.
Butter is basically whipped cream that's been whipped too long.  I started with 40 ounces of heavy cream and turned the mixer to high.  It thickened, went to hard peaks, became coarser, turned yellow and then started flinging liquid.  The liquid was buttermilk separating which signaled that it was done.  I poured the mixer bowl into a strainer and then kneaded the butter until it was smooth and all of the buttermilk was squeezed out.  From my 40 ounces of cream, I got 18 ounces of butter and 28 ounces of buttermilk.  It took about 10 minutes.
It's cheaper and less hassle to buy sticks of butter but I may stick with the homemade stuff for awhile.  There are no preservatives so I have about two weeks to make cookies, pancakes and such.  Wish me luck...

pudd'nhead ......

I'm pushing two years of solitary living in middle Tennessee.  I could point out some good things about living alone but it's really not much fun.  I do have less laundry and planning meals is much easier but it doesn't compensate for being an army of one.
There is, however, one good point and I say this with a selfish tongue in cheek.  I make chocolate pudding from scratch - milk, chocolate, corn starch and sugar.  It is really good and I don't have to share it with anybody. giggle.
I've never read Pudd'nhead Wilson but I've always liked the title.  A quick look at Wikipedia told me that Pudd'nhead is thought by the townspeople to be of low intelligence.  I've never interacted with townspeople here so they have no reason to believe that I'm not of low intelligence.  He's a bookkeeper and his hobby is collecting fingerprints.  I don't collect fingerprints but I sure do enjoy my pudding.  I'm a modern day pudd'nhead.

thanks for the support....

I ran a marathon last weekend in Tulsa OK with a couple of my best friends ever.  Clea turned 40 on Saturday and had suggested the Tulsa marathon many months ago as a fun way to celebrate.  Another one of our dear friends, Stephanie, also joined us for the trip.  The three of us have been running together for years so it was fun to get together again.  Tulsa is on Route 66 and that was the theme of the event.  I was there from Friday until Monday and I really enjoyed the trip.
This was my 18th marathon but it had been a couple of years since I had run one.  The newest craze for long distance runners are compression socks that run up to just below the knee.  I have dismissed them as a gimmick but Clea swears by them.  In appreciation for making the trip, she bought all of us matching pairs of red compression socks.  The marathon was the first time that I wore them.  They are really tight - they actually feel good.  This was the first marathon that I didn't cramp during the run and I wasn't sore at all the next day.  I'm a believer.  Thanks for the support.

your turn....

Wow - it's All Saints Day already. The year is flying by.
I'm doing a relay race with a group of co-workers next Friday.  There are 6 of us and the race is from Chattanooga to Nashville.  I did it last year but we did it as a team of 12.  The idea of running in a smaller group seemed like fun when we thought of it last December.  Now I'm not so sure.  The distance from C'nooga to N'ville is 197 miles.  We start on Friday morning.  Each of us does 3 legs for a total of about 34 miles.  My sections are 14,10 and 10.  My last leg starts around 2:30 on Saturday morning.  I got lost last year in the dark and fog and did a few extra miles.  urgghhh.  We'll finish early Saturday afternoon, drink some beer and eat some pizza.  Please don't call me on Sunday - I'll be sleeping.  Mercy.

that smells familiar...

I've been in Tennessee for nearly two years so I felt it was time to make my pilgrimage to the Jack Daniel's distillery in Lynchburg this week.  I don't think I've ever had Jack Daniel's so I can't say if it's a smooth drinking whiskey or not.  It just seems like such a part of Tennessee lore that I had to make the trip.
The leaves have started to turn so the drive was really pretty.  I went on Monday and the place was packed.  There were 35 in my tour group and they were from all over the country as well as from overseas.  The tour was quick but it was interesting.  One part was in the fermenting room.  There were many vats that were 3 stories high and about 18 ft across.  Each one was full of a mash made up of rye, corn, barley, water and yeast.  The mash was bubbling as carbon dioxide escaped.  The tour guide opened a vat cover and let us take a big whiff.  Legend has it that a 6 yr old boy stuck his head in the vat and proclaimed "it smells like grandma's breath."  Priceless.

90.3 on your radio dial...

The first radio station that I found in middle Tennessee was WSM.  I actually picked it up in Arkansas on the drive up here.  It's famous because of its history with The Grand Ole Opry.  The second station I found was WPLN which is the public radio station out of Nashville.  The radio station started broadcasting in 1962 from the public library.  That's where the call letters come from - W Public Library of Nashville.  After nearly 2 years of loyal listening, I became a new member of the radio station last week.  I got a nifty "Go Public" bumper sticker.  In appreciation of my financial contribution, I got to pick out a free gift. I eagerly await the delivery of my $120 coffee mug.  giggle

pass the tabasco....

This job has given me my first in depth experience with construction crews.  Their lifestyle is interesting but it's got to be rough.  They move to a job site for a couple of years while their family stays back "home".  They head back for visits but they mostly stay in hotels or travel trailers and send the checks home.  It must be the location of this project but most of the crew here is from Louisiana.  I've become friends with a bunch of them and every time they head home, I ask them to bring me back some gumbo.  A couple of guys have gotten tired of me asking them so they have whipped me up some good Cajun fare.  So far, I've had chicken creole, shrimp gumbo and chicken and sausage gumbo.  A construction buddy is leaving next weak for his next assignment in Edmonton.  He's threatened to make a pot of gumbo while watching Nascar this weekend.  yummy

and the walls came tumbling down....

Since the first part of July, my runs on the country roads were like running down cramped hallways in a building. All I could see on either side of me for miles and miles was a row of corn stalks.  Between last week and today, the farmers of middle Tennessee have been busy.  All of the corn is gone as well as the tobacco.  Tobacco might only get to about 2 ft in height but the fields seem empty without it.  The denuded tobacco fields mean that the tobacco barns are in full smoking / curing mode.  On a cool, calm morning before the sun comes up, the smoke from the barns collects in the valleys.  It makes breathing interesting but it looks really cool.  The empty corn fields were a shock.  All of my walls were gone.  I felt so unprotected - so exposed.  giggle

runner up.....

All of my long runs take place in the countryside to the east of town.  It's all two lane roads and there is very little traffic.  I always run on the left side of the road - facing traffic.  When I do encounter cars, they are really good about moving all of the way into the other lane as they pass me.  I've been pleasantly surprised and I always give them a wave of thanks.
I can't say the same for bikes.  Even if it is a couple of bikes coming my way, it's a game of chicken.  I exaggerate slightly but they seem to enjoy some close time with me as they pass.  I ran this past Saturday and I ran right into the Labor Day Century ride.  Hundreds of riders riding a hundred miles.  A few would shout out "runner up" and move to their left but others enjoyed watching me sidestep into the ditch.  Maybe they were acting out their roid rage.  giggle.

single "a" ball.....

I attended a Nashville Sounds game a couple of months ago.  They are a Triple A farm team for the Brewers.  It was fun but the overall experience was kind of blah. The crowd wasn't into it.  The players weren't into it. I chalked it up to the hot weather.
Today I drove 65 miles to Bowling Green, KY to see the Hot Rods play.  The Hot Rods are the Single A team for the Tampa Bay Rays.  The entire drive was through farmland on country roads.  Bowling Green has a population of 50,000 and is the home of Western Kentucky University.  I went to a Sunday day game and when I got to town, all of the little freshman were moving into the dorms. They were cute.
The baseball team is called the Hot Rods for a couple of reasons - my favorite is that General Motors has been using Bowling Green as the lone manufacturing site for the Corvette since 1981.  Who knew?  The Hot Rods stadium is really nice.  There was a lot of energy for a small crowd.  All of the players had birthdays in 1991 or 1992 and they were having a grand time.  I wish I had discovered them a little earlier in the year.  Play ball...

brrrr...

The summers in middle Tennessee are hot and humid.  The past two mornings however have been unseasonably cool.  It's early August and it's supposed to stay toasty for a while longer.  However, it was 62 on Saturday and 59 on Sunday morning.  I've had a rough time running this summer so this was a pleasant surprise.  On most mornings, I've been reduced to a puddle after the first couple of miles.  I ran 15 miles on Saturday and I felt like I could have gone further.  I'll probably have my bubble burst on the next warm morning but I really enjoyed this weekend.
Where do I send the thank you card?  giggle

from the mouths of babes....

I discovered Moon Pies last year.  They originated in Chattanooga and they passed them out as finishers medals at some runs I did.  Goo Goo Clusters are advertised throughout Nashville so I did some research as well as some taste testing.  The Standard Candy Company began making them in Nashville in 1912 and the recipe really hasn't changed much over the years.  The Goo Goo Cluster has 4 of my favorite food groups - marshmallow, caramel, peanuts and chocolate.  If you see old photos of the Grand Ole Opry, you'll notice that they were a big sponsor.  As for the name, the story is that it was selected because goo goo are the first words that babies speak.  This way, everyone asks for Goo Goo Clusters from birth.  The Standard Candy Company is still churning them out and you'll always find a few in my refrigerator.  yum

water sports...

Here's my assessment of water activities in middle Tennessee.  They have got to exist but I have not seen a municipal pool since I moved here.  There are a lot of lakes in Tennessee.  I get the sense that most of them are the result of the TVA.  Boating seems to be pretty big.  The Cumberland River runs through town but it's mostly used for barges.  I rarely see a personal boat on it.  People go out of town for their boating fun.  At the risk of sounding like a snob, there are not any spring fed pools here.  sigh

so corny....

I do my weekday morning runs in my hood.  On Saturdays, I venture out a little bit.  My house is a couple of miles from the edge of town and Clarksville is surrounded by farms.  Some farms have already had a wheat planting this year.  Now they are switching to soy beans and tobacco.  Other farms have massive amounts of acreage committed to corn.  My run is all on 2 lane roads and the corn comes within 5 ft of the road edge in some places.  The locals say that corn should be knee high by the 4th of July.  The crops were about 7 ft tall by then this year.  So much for folklore.  The corn's as high as an elephants eye.  The good thing about being surrounded by corn is that no one can see how slow I'm going.  giggle

help me, i'm melting....

When I moved to Tennessee, I was looking forward to the summers.  I figured that since I was moving halfway to Canada, the temperatures would be a lot milder than they were in central Texas.  Boy - was I mistaken.  Tennessee doesn't have the long string of 100 degree days but it feels much more humid here.  Maybe my disappointment is exaggerating the way it feels but the summers seem brutal. Nashville broke an all time high (ever) last week when it hit 109 degrees.  The happy thought is that electricity is cheap here.  I keep the AC between 78 and 80 since I'm such a tight wad but it still feels chilly compared to the rainforest outside.

the holy land......

The sacred altar of music in Nashville is The Ryman Auditorium.  It was originally a church but eventually became the home of the Grand Ole Opry.  The Opry relocated to a mall (I exaggerate but only slightly) on the east side of town.  The Ryman remains in downtown Nashville and it is still used as a music venue.  I've seen a couple of shows there now - last night was Norah Jones.  The pews from the original church remain and they pack 'em in.  This is not the place for people with personal space issues.  I really enjoy the whole experience.  Halfway through the show, I always expect for the collection plate to be passed.  Please open your hymnals to number.....

praise the lord and pass the crackerjacks.....

Nashville has a AAA minor league baseball team called the Nashville Sounds.  The parent team is the Milwaukee Brewers.  I went to a game this Sunday.  I was a little nervous because they advertise Sunday events as Family and Faith games.  I decided that if I'm going to live in the bible belt, I should see what this is all about.  
While standing in the ticket line, a guy gave me a church bulletin and said that if I showed it at the ticket window, I'd get half off.  That bit of deception didn't seem very Christian so I didn't do it.  giggle.  I paid full price.
I got a ticket in the 2nd row behind home plate.  I do 2 things at all baseball games that I don't do normally - I polished off a whole bag of peanuts and I drank a Bud Light.  yikes.
In the movie Bull Durham, Annie Savoy says "I believe in the church of baseball."  To that I say amen.

sir....

Here's an observation.....
Since I've made the move to middle Tennessee, everyone calls me sir.  I never heard that in central Texas.  I get it in grocery stores, at work, restaurants, etc.  I ran on the greenway this morning and when I said "Good morning" to other runners, I got a "Good morning, sir" reply.  This can be explained by one of many things.
- Did I age a lot when I moved from Texas?
- Are people more respectful of elders in Tennessee?
- Ft Campbell is here.  Is it a military thing?
- Did I get knighted and it slipped my mind?
I guess I should be happy that I wake up every morning and get called anything at all.  giggle

connections.....

It's strawberry season in middle Tennessee.  I have already made a trip to my favorite farm, given them $10 and picked a few pounds of strawberries.  They are huge and they are everywhere so it only took me 30 minutes to pick them.  I expect to go back many times this month.
Strawberries are my favorite fruit.  Of the farm animals, cows are my favorite.  Of all the many products that cows give us, heavy cream is my favorite.  My favorite topping on strawberries is whipped cream.  My favorite album cover of all time is Herb Alpert's Whipped Cream and Other Delights.  See - everything is connected.

lumbering...

It's been 4 weeks since my "procedure" and this is my 2nd weekend of running.  Every day gets easier but it still feels like I'm just starting.  Is it possible that starting to run after 30 years of relative inactivity was easier than starting after 3 weeks of inactivity in my mid 50's?  Maybe it's all mental.  Anyway - I lumbered (if there is such a word) through 6 miles this morning.  It's been warm in middle Tennessee during the merry month of May.  One more excuse.  giggle

no more speedo for me...

The mechanic predicted that my tire would be healed in 2 weeks. Tomorrow marks a fortnight and things are going well. There was a 4" cut but it's sealing up nicely. I can feel a little bit of of a shimmy in certain turns but it really is back to normal. I'm going to give it one more week and then I'll try a faster speed. I'm already looking for a nice 13.1 mile course to work up to. It's all very magical the things they can do. The only downside is that I haven't gotten all of the mechanic's bill yet. yikes

battle of the bulge....

Let's go with the tire analogy so as not to gross anybody out. giggle...

I've had a bulge for the past few years that wasn't causing any issues so I never addressed it. It was also during a time where I joined 40 million of my fellow Americans with no means to pay for a repair (unemployed). Recently it became larger and I was in a situation where I had service coverage so I decided to get it fixed. The mechanic made an incision, pushed the inner tube back in, installed a mesh for extra protection and sewed everything back up. This all happened on Thursday and I've had to rest the tire for 3 days. Then I will be allowed 2 weeks of normal speed but no fast speeds or sharp turns. The things those mechanics can do nowadays. yikes

everyone has these on their face.....

Tulips! Giggle....

In addition to an abundance of wallpaper in the house, the previous owners surrounded the place with flowers. I am much more tolerant of flowers outside than I am on wallpaper. I moved in at the end of the year so most of the flowers were gone. It's been a pleasant surprise. They are springing up everywhere.

It seemed like the trees sprung leaves overnight. The town takes on a whole new character in the Spring. I'm driving to Nashville tomorrow. I'm looking forward to the scenic drive.

Happy Vernal Equinox to everyone.

bratwurst, anyone?......

It was like a switch was thrown - it was 56 degrees this morning after months of sub freezing temperatures. I was able to wear shorts and a short sleeved shirt for my little early morning run. I've worn tights since December so the legs are a little white. I'm glad it's dark at 5:00am - the fewer people that see the overstuffed sausage casings which are my legs in tights, the better. I'm going to tempt fate and stash the tights in the closet until next December. I'm ready to declare winter over. I've had these tights for years and they seem to shrink while in storage. The first use each year always seems a little tight. giggle

finishers medal....

I have found a fun little running activity in Tennessee. There are road races at many of the state parks over the course of the year. The races range from 5K to a half marathon. Many races on city streets cost upwards of $75 for a half marathon. There are bands and "goodie" bags and finishers medals for all participants. The entry fee for these state park alternative races is $6. If you want a race shirt, the fee jumps to $19. For $6 you get a race number which gets recycled at the end of the race. No bands. No goodie bags

I did my 2nd state park race today. It was a 15K run (9.3 miles). Half of the race was along the rim of an incredible gorge and the other half of the race was on a paved path in the middle of the woods. I may spring for a cabin rental next year. The best part of races in Tennessee is that in place of a commemorative medal, they hand out Moon Pies at the finish. I don't bother hanging my Moon Pies in the closet with the rest of my medals. I enjoy it on the drive home. yum

sun burned chest.....

Sun burned chest. Sorry for the junior high humor but the robin red breast has returned to middle Tennessee. This is my second spring season in Tennessee and it's kind of fun using the robin to mark the passing of time. The robins return here a lot sooner than they did in central New York but return they did. I need to do the googles and find out where they go. They were never in Texas so maybe it is someplace in between. Or maybe they went to Mexico. If it was Mexico, I'm glad that they were able to get back. What a mystery.

Step 2.....

My obsession with the sun room continues. The hot tub is gone but there was an ugly carpet under it. Since it was in a hot tub room, the carpet was closer to astro-turf than carpet. I anguished over the type of floor to put in. The room is not climate controlled 100% of the time so my first choice of hardwood was out. Then I priced tile. Yikes. I settled for a Berber carpet and a thick carpet pad. Step 1 in my room redo was to get the tub out. Done. Step 2 was to get the carpet out. The damn thing was glued to the floor rather than tacked along the edges. I survived the ordeal and the carpet installation is next. I will conquer this room yet. giggle

the same but different....

I've been here for a year and a month and i noticed some differences between the 2 locales. I don't know if it is a difference between large city vs big city or central Texas vs middle Tennessee. As a public service, here are the top 3 differences between here and there....

1 - I go to the store twice a week and I have yet to see anyone graze at the grape display. Are people hungrier in Austin? Why are they always sampling the grapes?

2 - My vehicle in Texas was a Honda Accord and I loved that car. I took great pains to park it far from other cars but after a year, it was covered with small door dings. sniff. After 13 months in middle Tennessee, my Mazda 3 doesn't have a single ding and I work at a construction site. Freaky.

3 - I run at 5:00am and I'm struck by the number of empty vehicles warming up on cold mornings in neighborhood driveways. It does get a little colder here but it's not frigid. Were people scared to idle their cars in Austin for fear that they might get stolen?

No one probably finds this stuff interesting but there it is.

i'm dreaming of a white january 12th.....

We had our first significant whiteness today. It doesn't compete with a New England snowstorm but it was still a little exciting. It was 47 degrees this morning and by the end of my work day it was 24 degrees. The weather reports mentioned flurries but they said there would not be any accumulation. That type of forecast and miss is rare - they usually predict life threatening storms and then nothing happens. It will be curious to see what tomorrow looks like in terms of work attendance. Most people will take advantage of the snow and stay tucked in bed in the morning. Remember how we would walk to school in the snow when we were kids? Barefoot? Up hills both ways? Jeeesh.