Journal

2024 - Week 17 Cooking Results

Sausage

As always, good things.

Mac & cheese

Once again with the Beecher’s, good things.

scrambled eggs and hash browns (direct repeat, but what are you gonna do?)

I was able to pull this together, with some bacon that was from something skipped last week. I did get a bit of bacon splatter to the face. Good dinner.

Creamy Sesame Noodles

Delayed!

I was quite out of it for the time where Steve Vai and Joe Satriani would have been performing. I suspect I wouldn’t have remembered much. Oh well.

By all metrics surgery went well, at least according to the discharge instructions and what Shannon said. I think it took a bit longer than expected (estimated 2-2.5 hours, probably closer to 3-3.5). The good doctor was able to put my well broken radius back together and connect the ulna in the one break. I meet with the doctor on Monday.

We got home, I made my self comfortable on the a chair, and we discussed dinner. At the time, I couldn’t think about eating, but by the time she got home, I was thinking about eating. So I had her pull together a cheese and meat tray with pretzel crisps. Which really hit the spot.

My left arm was effectively dead to me, with the nerve block in place. As Shannon was tucking me in, we both watched my arm slide off my belly and fall to my side and just laughed at it. After getting another pillow to brace my elbow to hold my arm up, I was able to sleep with my arm elevated as it should be. Around 3:AM, I got up to relieve myself and didn’t initially notice that my arm was holding itself up. I woke again around 5 and was finally able to move my fingers. Around 6:30 when I started to get motivated to get up, I was able to wiggle my fingers hi to Shannon as she got up.

Because opiates scare me so much, I’ve already started to ramp down. Late Friday I swapped to dual action pills (combo of ibuprofen and acetaminophen) and am watching the dosages.

While it was uncomfortable and my right hand got tired, I was able to drive us to Cedar Rapids to celebrate my fathers 75th birthday. I was able to see an uncle and aunt, and catch up with a couple of my brothers, and spend time with them. I enjoyed my meal quite a bit. On the way home, we ran into a storm close to Iowa City and driving west from Iowa City, we had to slow down, put the hazards on and we followed a semi for 20 or so miles, before we got to a lower level of rain, where the fastest setting could keep up at a higher speed. Eventually, we got to the point where the weather was no longer a concern. Then back to my right hand getting tired. I guess one doesn’t realize how often they switch hands, when driving.

The Tigers of the Dale of Beaver

After a day of earning wages, our hero’s plan for the evening was to help disassemble a cooking implement to send home with his parents for a birthday celebration.

This was a challenging task, as two of the four there were on restrictions of one sort or another. Slowly, but surely, bolts were removed and pieces loaded to head out.

Clearly everyone had been around a bit too long, as one of the many tigers located in the Dale of Beaver leaped over a fence, crossed the modest land holdings and charged in. Fortunately, the hairs on our hero’s back stuck up and he ducked to the side.

The tiger leaped over our hero and turned to attack others. Our hero had no choice but to stand and charge. Our hero blocked routes to his partner and parents. The tiger charged again, roaring. By luck our hero was able to redirect the charge away again.

The battle continued, swipes and punches were exchanged. Our hero fought on and with a moment of time and a burst of adrenaline, our hero was able to leap in the air and do an elbow drop on the back of the tiger.

Our hero yelled out, mostly in pain, but the tiger decided to cut his losses, and charged off.

Our hero’s mother, father and partner went to help, but clearly something was wrong.

After a bit of safety and a drain in adrenaline, our hero went inside their humble home to try and clean his hands. When attempting to do so, our hero noticed something poke up through his skin near his left elbow.

Our hero and partner sent his parents home, instead of sharing a meal. Our hero and partner headed to a nearby medical facility.

Apparently there had been quite the night, with many people who appeared to be sick, others who may have had their own interaction with tigers.

So let this be a warning to those who come visit to the Dale of Beaver, there are tigers and they can be aggressive.

During a recent performance at the temple theater, I have taken to heart, “If the story is boring, add a tiger”.

2024 - Week 17 Cooking

  • Sausage

  • Mac & cheese

  • scrambled eggs and hash browns (direct repeat, but what are you gonna do?)

  • Creamy Sesame Noodles

I am disappointed in the fact that I wont be seeing Steve Vai and Joe Satriani in the prime seats I had, due to surgery that day. I was introduced to them in high school, and it made me, vaguely, want to be a guitarist, but I never really followed that path. I do have other cool concerts coming up, though.

2024 - Week 16 Cooking Results

This week took a bit of a turn, Computer interaction has been harder then normal. My left arm and hand are mostly useless right now. My schedule has been off, and it takes a lot longer to do things. Shannon is being extraordinarily helpful as I get used to this temporary condition.

My lower arm is broken in two places near the elbow. I have scraping along my belly, bruised knees and a broken toenail. After an Emergency Department visit on Wednesday, and a consult with an orthopedic surgeon specialist on Friday, I have a conveniently regularly scheduled primary care provider appointment on Monday, and a cardiologist appointment, Tuesday leading into surgery on Thursday.

Overall the experience has been painful, but interesting. After hearing of a friends own arm break I may got of easy, pain wise. There was a period of pain and shock, but after I got my arm into a comfortable place it wasn’t to bad. I had to move it for x-rays (showed large break and indicated small break) and a CT scan (showed shattered part of small break). and when they put a partial cast on. and, at least for the cast, I was on some heavy pain killers.

For a lot of things, it just takes longer. For some, minor adjustments, and things are ok. For some others, I haven’t figured it out yet (bread bags, zip bags, cutting with one hand, etc). For work typing takes quite an extra amount of time. I’ve had it been suggested to use voice to text, which I’ll try Monday.

Sausage

A quick dinner before we ran off to see Happily at the Varsity, The movie was darkly enjoyable.

Chicken Salad

I used leftover pulled chicken, that I ended up not using on a salad, and made a nice chicken salad. A good easy Sunday meal,

Eggs and Hash Browns

Need to make freezer space, so this is came up as a thing to do. Good things.

Toad in the Hole

Yeah…skipped will come back later to it.

Glazed Salmon

Dropped the salmon into the freezer.

2024 - Week 15 Cooking Results

Sausage

As always, good things.

Lasagna

So while I shopped at another hy-vee I was able to pick up a Beecher’s Lasagna. So I picked it up, and baked it this week. As a sister company to where my brother works, I’ll always give anything I see of theirs a try. It was pretty good. Though I generally like the ones I make better.

Taco Salad

Back to regular chorizo, and beans. Good things.

Tangy Chili Pork Noodles

I had a craving for this and because of that made it. A good and easy choice.

As note, I bought a new mower, which will retire my almost 20 year old mower, or at least, will give a new life to someone else (will leave it as free on my lawn here in a bit). I bought an electric mower after debating it back and forth for a good long while on the sale (mower w/ battery and extra battery). I gave it the first go through today. After getting the hang of starting it, and that I should have mowed earlier (it was perhaps a bit long for how short I wanted the grass). Right now I have it on recycling, but I suppose I can swap to the other modes, but frankly, I like keeping the chopped up dead grass on the lawn. The mower does have a moter to move the mower which is nice, and my heart rate doesn’t get as high as when I’m pushing around the other one, so that’s probably better to. I guess we’ll see how it goes, but first mow, I’m pretty happy with it so far.

Martha Redbone - Temple Theater - 4/12/2024

We were sitting at one of the comedy series shows and looking at the upcoming items in the Live at the Temple concert series, and just reading the description, without knowing anything about the artist, sounds like something I’d like, so I asked Shannon and she said sure and we bought tickets. As a note, I tried to get tickets for the tables, but several of them had a seat taken and a seat reserved for handicapped, so we couldn’t buy 2 seats at a table, leaving the handicapped seat by itself. So we ended up on the risers. For the most part, we ware on the younger side of those that attended, with a handful, much younger. It was stunningly good. Not knowing what to expect, as I did no research, and Shannon did a little.

We had dinner downstairs and headed up to the concert.

I think we were both stunned. She has an emotive and beautiful voice, and the backing band, including her husband, was quite talented. She moved between classics that she doesn’t want to be forgotten, the album they our touring on, which is based on William Blake poems and the various projects that she’s been involved in.

Of the strong performances over the course of the night, her performance of Blackbird, was fantastic (from another show).

2024 - Week 14 Cooking Results

Sausage

As always, good things.

Tuna Steaks

I went to a different hy-vee in hopes that I would be able to find some ingredients I want for recipes that look good, and was unable to find them, however I did get some tuna steaks that were shockingly similar in size, as opposed to what normally happens, where one is big and one is small. I added a bit of soy sauce to each side and baked them off. I served them with some greens.

Lamb Burgers

Salt, pepper, a bit of momofuku tingly salt, paired with a cheese and we had a bit of delicious dinner.

Egg Salad (vaguely based on)

I recently saw Shannon make an egg salad, and thought it would be a good thing. It was, perhaps, a bit more liquid then I would have liked, but not to much, just enough to be a bit annoying, even so, the flavor was good.

Hummus (for Shannon)

This was a bit different form her last one, and I think looked better. Also I had lemons, unlike last time when I had to use a vinegar (beach rose) as the acid. I once again used the beechwood smoked salt, to get it up to that level, but also dusted it with smoked hot paprika. Which looked nice over the hummus. This more successful, judging by the amount taken, then last time.

Pork tacos with orange salsa

I tried to segment t and remove the membranes, and then gave up and ate the orange and then put the ingratiates as things to add or without he pork. I did not have the sazon, so I skipped that. I thought I had another type, but after a cupboard search it didn’t appear so. Even so, it was still a good combination and pretty good meal, even though I barely followed the recipe.

Meatloaf

Should I have made this, perhaps not as tall as I did. Yes, it would’ve saved on cooking time, but it looked quite good as I used lamb, beef and pork as the mixture., but the rest was mostly the same, I swapped the chili powder and cayenne for chipotle powder. I also made mashed potatoes using the last of the potatoes that I had bought. While cooking the kitchen go a bit warm, but it was nice enough outside I opened a window in the kitchen and two in the living room to create a nice breeze through he house. Great meatloaf, looking forward to having some leftover sandwiches.

During the Action Movie Saturday, for Sisu (excellent), I had intended to sip on some wine, but the movie was fast paced enough that I didn’t think I could take a break. I ended up drinking it later that night.