New Year, New Challenges

Last year I attempted a different 30 day challenge each month with mixed results...at least through March, which was the last month that I actually defined a 30 day challenge.

This year my brother Ted joined Kirk and I in a new kind of challenge...and one I think will be much easier to accomplish. We're going to attempt to drink 100 different varieties of grape in wine form. It isn't a new idea, Kirk got the idea from a group called "The Wine Century Club".

The only rules we've come up with so far are:
1. All varieties in a blend count, although if you'd like to follow the spirit of the challenge you should attempt to try as many varieties as possible in their "pure" form.
2. There is no credit given for previous experience. You start the challenge TODAY.
3. There is no time line.

Benefits:
1. The challenge WILL open your eyes to new wines. It has already helped get me out of my California rut (a great rut to be in, but a rut nonetheless).
2. There is a checklist (click on the link), so you can feel some accomplishment as you check things off (Carly).
3. As a friend of mine attempting to accomplish this great feat you are also privy to the address of my brother's blog documenting his travels toward membership in the Wine Century Club. Anyone who knows me knows that I talk A LOT (especially during 20 mile runs)...my brother talks even more than I do *sorry Ted, but it's true*. This lends well to the idea behind his blog...Testing the Infinite Monkey Theorem. My travels are also documented, but not on my own blog...Kirk is documenting the wines we try on HIS blog, All Four Seasons. Currently we are at 9 varietals while Ted is at 8 (yes, this has brought out a competitive side of me, even though Ted wouldn't put any money on it). However, at this point it would be easy for any (or all) of you to catch up...

Where does the time go?

Wow, what a fantastic summer! I hope I don't curse myself by saying this, but life is good. I really have nothing to complain about except....

Wasps.

We had a wasp nest earlier this summer that Kirk destroyed with wasp spray and high pressure water. Like the residents of New Orleans, the wasps quickly rebuilt.

I asked around at work and one of my coworkers recommended that I wait until after dusk, until the wasps were all back in the nest, before spraying the nest. I think about this every night at about 6 PM, then I forget. Needless to say, the wasps are still living the high life under our eaves.

Tonight I Googled "Homemade wasps trap" and found the following website for Grandpa Kipp's surefire Yellow-jacket trap


I made a modification based on some other stuff I read that said wasps, in the fall, will be looking for sweet stuff instead of protein. I strung some squished grapes to a string (it was easier than I thought it would be) and created my own wasp trap. It worked like a charm and kept us wasp-free for the rest of the evening. Dead wasp count = 2. Stung people/dog count = 0

30 day challenges

Failure has escalated to a new level. I have not failed at my April 30 day challenge, but I did fail at PICKING a 30 day challenge. Here I am nearing the middle of the month and I haven't identified something that will make me a better person or the world a better place. I find this a little troublesome.

This challenge hiatus has, however, give me the opportunity to revisit previously successful 30 day challenges, specifically the January challenge.

The challenge was to not buy anything unnecessary (food and drink were considered necessary) or new (used items were allowed). This challenge led me to go shopping at Goodwill for the first time outside of Halloween costume season. I came home with an ice cream maker that I've been wanting for a few years. The original retail price was $50. The Goodwill gently used price? Only $4.99. Even though the price was low and it was a used item that clearly fit into the challenge agreements, I felt a little guilty about spending the cash.

Any feelings of guilt have since melted away. Since bringing the maker home I've made 3 batches of sorbet; mango, mixed berry and strawberry. Pictured here is the maker in the middle of the most recent batch...Strawberry. The sorbet is absolutely scrumptious. The ice cream maker (and it's icy products) have been the best result of the original 30 day challenge.

I'll start thinking about a challenge for May...I'm open for suggestions...

Welcome to the Bog-o-sphere

Last Friday Kirk and I went for a run over to Lebanon Hills, our favorite local park. To call it a park seems a little offensive. It would be like calling Mike N. a little wordy. The park is huge and full of what most people think of as hiking trails. Kirk and I consider them running trails.

Considering that there is still ice on the ground in some spots it was no surprise that the trails were a little muddy. It reminded me of stories my brother used to tell about participating in the "Bog Jog" at Boy Scout camp. I remember thinking how fun it sounded to run through all that mud and muck. Friday's run was probably as close as I'll get to that experience. Except for the time in the Boundary Waters where I went into the muck up to my waist, but that didn't include any jogging, so it doesn't count.

The day the appliances ran the house

I had a really nice weekend, punctuated by a Sunday where I didn't leave the house. I used the day making a concerted effort to clear as much from the pantry as I could by actually USING the food. What I didn't realize until nearly the end of the day was that I used almost every appliance in the house. The following is a list of appliances I used yesterday and what either Kirk or I created with said appliance.
1. Washer (clean clothes)
2. Dryer (dry clothes)
3. Coffee maker (coffee)
4. Dishwasher (clean dishes)
5. Oven/stove top (beans on the stove top, Cake in the oven)
6. Bread machine (bread)
7. Ice cream maker (mango sorbet)
8. Refrigerator (for freezing the mango sorbet and for cold water)
9. Food processor (for pureeing the mango sorbet and for pureeing chilies for the beans)
10. Mixer (cake)
11. Crock pot (shredded Carolina Pork)
12. Rice cooker (rice)
13. Coffee grinder (ground coffee)

BTW - the mango sorbet was really nice...

February 30 Day Challenge

Motivated by Ed and Carly's list of 30 day challenges Kirk and I decided to take on our own series of challenges. For February we've given up deep fried food. On February 2nd we both accidentally ate donuts. It doesn't sound believable, but I forgot about the challenge AND about the fact that donuts are fried. They come from a bakery...it seems like they should be BAKED.

I do like most forms of fried food. Potato chips, french fries, chicken wings, nachos. Yum. One form of fried food I'm not missing...Fritos Varitos. Kirk and I went to Spain a few years ago. We stopped for appetizers at a bar and ordered "Fritos Varitos", guessing the translation was "various fried things". I was seriously disappointed when a plate of deep fried sardines showed up.

Poor Paul

Is there any one of us who hasn't pulled a pair of socks out of the drawer, noticed a hole in them and thought, "I'll just wear them today, then I'll toss them"? Paul Wolfowitz probably didn't dream that his toes would end up on Yahoo.