Still here

Hello! I'm still here. Don't worry. I didn't keel over from my Boot Camp workouts. In fact, I've been blogging for my "drill sergeant."

So, I'm working out and still trying some new recipes. Last night's dinner was Chili-rubbed Tilapia with Asparagus and Lemon from "Healthy in a Hurry." You can also find the recipe at EatingWell.com. It was quite yummy and good for you -- but you don't have to tell anyone that. Serve brown rice or couscous with it to make it a little more filling or if you have an S.O. that must have a side dish besides veg.

I recommend this dish because it's quick and easy, as well as healthy. And it is quite tasty. Tilapia doesn't taste too strong, so it's a great way to add fish to your weekly menu without a lot of work.

Melting the muffin top

I'm sticking with the Boot Camp training and completed my fourth day this morning.

Summer is just around the corner, and I really want to be ready for it. Although I have no plans to put on a bikini this summer, I know it's impossible to keep completely covered up. With the heat come shorts, skirts and sleeveless tops. Plus, the significant other and I are planning to ride in the Elephant Rock Bike Festival, as well as try some backpacking this summer. So, I need to build my endurance, as well as try to look good in bike shorts (although very few people look good in Spandex!).

It isn't just vanity that gets me out to the park at 7 a.m. on a foggy Monday morning. I'm fighting genetics, in the form of heart disease, high blood pressure and an under-active thyroid. So far, I have been lucky and have kept my blood pressure low. I credit working out. Unfortunately, at a certain age, I began struggling with allergies, asthma and a lagging metabolism, worsened by my thyroid. And now, I find myself with a bit of a "muffin top."

So when Joe asked me this morning what I'd like to focus on, I told him I want to increase my endurance and whittle away at the love handles. I haven't really gained weight, but it seems to have redistributed itself around my waistline. I guess that's age for you. But like my dad always says, "It's better than the alternative."

Still, I have no intention of settling for a slow metabolism and a jiggly middle. Today, we did lots of exercises for the obliques, including side planks and V-sit tosses with a partner. We also did plenty of cardio exercises and work for our arms and legs, lest you think we only focus on one body part each day.

There's no boredom at boot camp. Friday, as I was running, pulling a tire behind me (nope, not a euphemism for my butt) a couple of women walked by with their dogs. "Were you bad?" they called out to me. "Nope," I answered, "This is the fun part!"

Remembering the Cake Lady

Mom was always "the cake lady." Whether she was making cakes for her own kids' birthdays, graduations or weddings or creating elaborate cake concoctions for the celebrations of friends, neighbors and friends of friends, for several years there, it seemed like she was baking and decorating cakes 24 hours a day, seven days a week (she probably was!).

Sometimes the cakes were a source of fun and creativity. A lot of times, they were a source of headaches and annoyance. But everyone who knew Mom knew she was "the cake lady." And everyone always commented on how beautiful her cakes were.

This was long before Ace of Cakes and the dearth of fondant on cakes. Mom created scenes -- from roses to critters -- for the most part using buttercream frosting. Sometimes she would use royal icing, chocolate molds or marzipan when it was absolutely necessary.

Like so many of her talents, I didn't inherit the cake gene. I can bake a cake, but I can't make it look the way she did. She once made a cake that looked like a huge basket of strawberries -- the basket was "woven" with buttercream frosting, the handle was royal icing over wire, and the berries were made of marzipan. It was amazing.

Another day of torture... I mean training

Today was day two of my Boot Camp training. As someone who is easily amused, I am equally easily bored. After slogging away at the gym on cardio machines and free weights for years, I had hit a major burnout in my exercise routine. I dug out some old fitness DVDs I have. They're fine for once in awhile. But I can only hear the same tired jokes so many times before I can't stand it.

Recently, I started working out with kettlebells, and they're great. But I'm not always able to motivate myself enough to really see results. I tried a DVD and an MP3 download. Both are good, but I run into the same problem as other fitness videos -- they are the same every time you do them.

Boot Camp offers motivation -- in the form of Joe, our "drill sergeant" -- variety, camaraderie and fun. Yes, I said fun. "Our bodies want to have fun*," Joe says.

And for all the jokes about it being torture, this workout really is fun. Think about it. Would you rather:

• Spend 30 minutes running on a treadmill or spend 30 minutes running around the yard with your kids (or spouse or dog)?
• Spend 30 minutes "climbing" a StairMaster or spend an afternoon climbing an actual mountain?
• Go to the gym or go out dancing?
• Workout alone in your living room (or a gym) or workout with a great group of women in a sunny park?

I think it's safe to say most of us would chose the second option in each of those scenarios. Exercise doesn't have to feel like a chore. This Boot Camp isn't easy -- but neither are chasing kids or climbing a mountain -- but it is fun and it can make those other activities easier. Because working out really should prepare us for real life challenges.

A great added benefit to working out at 7 a.m. (there are even earlier classes!) is how much more I accomplish throughout my day.

*I wanted to include Cyndi Lauper here, but I can't embed the video. Go here to enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVwFeQpy_Us&feature=channel_page

Oh deer!

Today, I had an interview at Mount St. Francis. Tucked away in the foothills, it must make the deer feel safe there. St. Francis is the patron saint of animals, after all.

This photo was taken through the windshield of my car, but only because it was starting to rain. I was able to walk pretty close to them before pulling out the camera. There were more of them off to the right, out of frame.

Deer are a common occurrence here. But I still think it's cool to see them and to get so close.

On a -- somewhat -- related note, I saw a fox jump to the top of 6-foot fence, not far from where this picture was taken. I guess they're more cat-like than I realized. I wish I'd had time to get a picture of that.

I poach halibut

No. Not in the illegal-hunting way, in the basically-boiling-fish-in-wine sort of way. And even though that sounds kind of disgusting, it was actually very tasty. I impressed myself with how yummy this dish was.

Once again, it's a recipe from Real Simple: Meals Made Easy. I'm waiting for my personal copy to arrive from Amazon. So far, I've manage to keep the library's copy neat and clean, despite the fact that I am so in love with this cookbook I want to marry it and have little half-human/half-cookbook babies with it.

The recipe is quite simple: halibut, white wine, chive, salt, pepper, with boiled red potatoes and green beans on the side (although I could make a full meal out of just the fresh green beans and red potatoes in a heartbeat).

Once you have the potatoes boiling away, you start heating the fish and wine to a simmer. I used a Pinot Grigio, because it's what we had on hand. (It's called Birdman and it has a screw top. Gasp! Cool label though, right?)

Once the potatoes are "fork tender," you add the beans to the water. I don't normally boil beans, but the recipe called for it, and it saves washing another pan.

If you want the exact recipe, I can type it up for you. But as I said, it really is easy. And comes out making the cook -- me! -- look like an expert. Thanks Meals Made Easy!

Do you maggots understand that?

My dear friend Kate invited me to join her this week at the fitness boot camp (www.womensbootcampfitness.com/womens-colorado-bootcamp/index.aspx) she attends. She's been going for a while now and loves it. So I thought what the heck. I work out. I can handle it.

The alarm went off at 6:10 a.m. yesterday morning, and I popped out of bed, ready to face this Joe character I'd been hearing about. With spring here, Joe plans to conduct these sessions outside at a park. But the morning was foggy and 40 degrees, so we worked out in a gym. But this isn't your typical gym. There are no cardio machines or namby pamby free weights here.

Joe smiled at me and introduced himself as if he were a kind soul. Hidden beneath that friendly exterior is the heart of a drill sergeant. We started out with a pretty simple warm up, then moved on to exercises with a partner. From there we did two rounds of the circuit -- which was set up to look a bit like a torture chamber, with resistance bands, medicine balls, a stability ball, kettlebell and more.

Ok, I'm exaggerating. It only looked like torture because I hadn't had my coffee yet. It is funny, though, how long 45 seconds can seem. This morning, I can really feel it in my ab muscles.

When I thought my recent Kettlebell workouts were tough, I had yet to meet this man. Now, this isn't to scare you away. Because he's tough but he's motivating. I don't think he'd make the entire group drop and give him 50 if I had pooped out halfway through a set of crunches or squats, but I wasn't going to test him.

So I pushed myself and made it through the circuit twice, just like the other people in the group. I have a bit of a competitive side, and if those other women can do it, so can I, dammit! It didn't matter to me that they'd been doing it longer or that some of them were younger than I am. I was not about to be the one who quit. And I'm not positive there wouldn't have been push-ups to do latrines to clean if I'd wimped out.

What I watched: "My Bodyguard"

The recent appearance of Scott Bakula on the season (and quite possibly the series) finale of "Chuck" set off a bout of nostalgia in me, prompting me to rent the film debut of "Chuck" cast member Adam Baldwin. He isn't one of the Baldwin brothers (Alec, Stephen, William), but you may recognize him as Jayne from "Firefly."

He debuted way back in 1980 as Ricky Linderman in the film "My Bodyguard" (not to be confused with "The Bodyguard," which I hated). The movie also features Chris Makepeace, a gangly and adorable Joan Cusack and budding teen heartthrob Matt Dillon.

Tormented by Moody (Dillon) and his group of bullies, Clifford (Makepeace) hires Linderman to be his bodyguard. Linderman, troubled and misunderstood, helps Clifford but doesn't want to be friends. In true buddy-film fashion, the two do become friends, along with a group of misfits that includes an uncredited Jennifer Beals.

Although there are predictable moments in the movie, it never becomes trite. It's sweet without becoming saccharine. And it's fun and funny without becoming cheesy. If they made it today, it would probably have to be an independent film in order to keep it the way it is. I hope no one decides it should be remade with Hayden Panettiere and Zac Efron.

If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. If you watched it long ago, watch it again. It holds up despite it being nearly 30 years old.

In short, I love this movie. It was a perfect way to end a stressful week.

Happy May Day!

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Don't you just love Ogden Nash?
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Chicken soup for the actual body

My experiment in cooking continues this week, starting with a roast chicken and vegetables Sunday night. Simple, easy, tasty dishes are perfect for me, because (1) I'm a lazy cook, (2) bland is boring and (3) I'm a lazy cook.

The recipe (once again from Real Simple: Meals Made Easy) calls for carrots, onions and potatoes to roast alongside the chicken. A one-pot meal is an extra plus. I added a beet and some parsnips (left over from my Steak with Root Vegetables experiment). It's a tasty meal and ends up looking like you spent a lot of time slaving away in the kitchen. I think it would be a good meal to cook to impress friends -- simple and yummy, with that touch of a Sunday dinner at Mom's house.

The best part is that with just two people eating, there's plenty left over to make soup. My attempt at chicken stock involved putting the chicken in the slow cooker overnight, then picking it apart to get off all the good meat and using the liquid to make a broth. It wasn't great soup, but it was pretty good for a first attempt with homemade stock. To the broth and meat, I added carrots, celery, onions, potatoes and a healthy portion of herbs (sage, parsley, thyme) and some Creole seasoning. (I don't care what anyone else thinks, that stuff is awesome.)

There was enough soup for two dinners, which meant I didn't have to cook while playing Florence Nightingale.

"Hey, Pammeey, what's on the menu tonight?" you ask. Tonight, I attempt Soy Salmon with Noodles. I have to look at the recipe again because I'm pretty sure you serve it with ice-cold green beans. Um, no. I've not eaten ice-cold green beans since I was a kid. And that was only because I had to sit there until I took three bites. It's part of the reason I shun canned vegetables* as an adult.

*Canned beans like kidney, black, pinto, Garbanzo and cannellini don't count. Canned green beans and peas are strictly off my menu.

Call me Florence Nightingale

The S.O. underwent orthopedic surgery today to repair his broken pinkie. It took longer than originally planned because there were so many little pieces, his doc said. They placed pins, but the pins wouldn't hold, so a piece of bone from the S.O.'s wrist had to be grafted in to hold things together.

The upside is this cute picture of the S.O. in pre-op.

The downside is the pain blocker they gave him pre-op wore off about 12 hours before they thought it would, and he has some severe pain. Thank goodness for strong meds.

Here's the S.O.'s new paw:


I played nurse for the S.O. a few years ago when he had to have some work done on his nose (no, not awful plastic surgery). He's only slightly less whiny this time. He's lucky I love him.

What I saw: Bumper Sticker edition

"Remember, Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but she did it backwards and in high heels."

-- Faith Whittlesey

Recommended for you

Amazon has a nifty little feature that recommends items for you based on your purchases, your ratings and things added to your Wish List. Sometimes it confuses me.

Today, my recommendations include a Korg GA-30 Ultra Compact Guitar and Bass Tuner, "because you purchased Planet Waves PW-GH Acoustic Guitar Humidifier," and "Animaniacs, Vol. 3," "because you purchased 'Pinky and the Brain, Vol. 1.'"

Those make sense.

But what about "There Will Be Blood"? I haven't seen it. I don't know much about the film. But does it really seem like a movie I might like because I rated "Lars and the Real Girl"? Or "3:10 to Yuma" because I rated "Stardust"?

I've seen both "Stardust" and "3:10 to Yuma" and I while I liked them both, I'm having a hard time thinking of their commonality? They're both about a rescue? Sort of. But then one is set in the old west, with lots of gun play. The other is about a fallen star, witches and finding true love. Oh, there's a battle there, too. So, maybe the battles?

Maybe there are actors or actresses common to these recommended movies (I haven't checked) but I don't think that necessarily means you'll like the western with this guy just because you liked the fantasy movie with that guy.

But my favorite today: "Battlestar Galactica - Razor" because I rated "Futurama - Bender's Big Score." Because, you know, they're both "sci-fi."

Pete Rose, he ain't

Pete Rose played for the Cincinnati Reds way back in the '70s and '80s. He was probably best known for his head-first slides. He had a .303 batting average and holds multiple Major League Baseball awards.

The S.O. plays recreational softball. He has not learned the art of the head-first slide.

The photograph to the right shows Rose executing a picture-perfect head-first slide.

The photograph below shows what happens to your hand when you attempt a head-first slide and you're not a 17-time MLB All-Star.

The finger is broken "in several places" and will require a specialist. On the upside, the S.O.'s team won the game.

It's a very small upside, in my opinion.

Fun with Typos: Construction Edition

Today in Fun with Typos, we examine the word "expect," as in "Construction ahead. Expect delays."

What do you get if you swap the "c" and "p"? You get the word "except." And you get a sign that says: "Construction ahead. Except delays." Which means what, exactly? That there is construction, except there are no delays?

Big flashing sign on the side of the road. Most people probably drove by without given it a moment's thought. What is wrong with me that it is still bothering me some five hours later?

My experiment continues

This week I have vowed to try a new recipe for dinner each night (or in today's case, lunch). I have pulled five recipes from Real Simple: Meals Made Easy, because I am a lazy cook, and a cookbook with both the words "simple" and "easy" sounds good to me.

Today's lunch was Steak with Root Vegetables -- very simple, very tasty. Here's what it looks like in the cookbook:Here's how mine turned out:Not as pretty, but not bad. And it was quite tasty. Someone recently said to me, "If you can read, you can cook." I beg to differ. I can read and follow directions, but my meals are never quite as tasty as my friends' meals.

On the other hand, I think my first two experiments this week have been fine. The S.O. hasn't complained. But I think he's just happy I'm cooking.

Making music

Slowly but surely I am learning the guitar. I surprised myself this weekend by picking up a friend's guitar and actually pounding out a bit of a song. No one can tell what song it is yet, but it's coming along.

For a while, every time I walked by my guitar I avoiding looking directly at it. I could feel the failure radiating off it. Now, I can pick it up and make sounds that resemble music, and we have a much better relationship.

My new favorite thing

It's called a Coffee Frappuccino Light Blended Coffee, but I don't think you have to say all of that. In a tall, it has just 90 yummy calories and .5 grams of fat. If you're a real health nut, you will probably stay away, because I'm pretty sure it has artificial sweeteners in it. Mmmm ... artificial ...

But it's creamy and cold and full of coffee goodness. A nice little pick me up after dealing with uncooperative kids or an office full of (boorish, backstabbing, gossipy, whiny) co-workers.

If drinking a Starbucks Frappuccino makes me pretentious or "hoity toity," well, that's fine by me. 'Cause it's delicious, and my taste buds and tummy win out over what other people might think of me.

What I read: "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant

I really want to tell you something about "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant, but I can't seem to think of anything of substance to say about it. I read this book like you would devour an entire bag of potato chips while watching a cheesy movie on the SciFi channel. You're full and you're entertained but you don't have a whole lot to show for it (except greasy fingers).

I didn't get greasy fingers reading "The Red Tent" and, although it was a page turner, I didn't really come away with anything meaningful.

My good friend Lisa told me that when this book first came out about 10 years ago, many women's bible study groups read this book. And while the book uses some characters from the bible -- the main character is a minor player in the Old Testament -- I don't think this is really a book for Christians. Many of the men worship "the God of Isaac and Abram," but the women worship their household gods, the river goddess and others.

Of course, I'm not much of a bible scholar. Mention Goliath and I'm picturing a talking claymation dog. As for the Egyptian gods, I'm probably imagining the system lords from Stargate SG-1. So, I guess I'm a poor judge of what constitutes bible study.

I go back and forth as to whether the book is all about female empowerment or just a study in how women have been controlled. Some women are very powerful, while others are naked slave girls. And all have husbands, fathers or brothers to answer to.

The book made me happy and angry in turns, so I suppose it's more powerful than I am giving it credit for. Then again, it has enough "drama" to be a soap opera. I think if I look at this book as a fun read for a snowy weekend, I really like it. If I try to look at it as a serious study of female empowerment, I don't care for it as much.

Happy Easter from Colorado!

Remember this?

Well, here's what Easter looks like here:

Poor Easter Bunny.