Random

A Night at Wonderland (Pier)

/ foodsweatandbeers / 7 Comments

Fact: The worst thing about moving is everything.

Scenes from the weekend. Fun, right?

Packing boxes is no fun, no matter who you’re doing it with, and after a weekend of loading cars, driving to and from North Carolina, sweating in the heat, and the early stages of a cold, I was feeling a little worse for wear.  And then, like a fairy godmother, my buddy Claire fluttered down from North Jersey to sprinkle my night with joy. And, having spent the past two days with her, I figured I should share a bit of our trip to Wonderland.

In case you’re not from around these parts, Gillian’s Wonderland Pier is the oldest amusement park in Ocean City. Considering there’s only one other (Playland), that’s not incredibly tough, but either way, it’s been a staple of my life as long as I can remember.  But then you get older, and your time on the boardwalk is spent scoping out dudes (or chicks or clothes or foods) and the rides can fall by the wayside.

Here’s a tip: Ditch the dudes, the funnel cakes, the neon colored tshirts – get thee to the rides, post-haste.

Keeping it classy

We couldn’t let ALL our adult vices go, though, so we started our evening with a nice sampling of some tasty craft beer, including this Hop Sun from Southern Tier. Though I’m not normally a fan of wheat beers, this brew was tart with an almost citrusy bite to it, and lacked some of the saccharine taste that I’m used to tasting in a lot of sweet wheat beers.  If you’re in the market for a refreshing summer beer, nab one.  Or a few, as we did.

After a few adult beverages, it was time to let the kids inside of us out to play.

LET’S DO THIS!

Moneybags Claire picked up 25 tickets (a BARGAIN for $20 [sarcasm]), and we made a plan.  First up: The Musik Express.

Safety first, buckling up

We decided to stay in separate carts because, as you know if you’ve ever been on a Musik Express-type ride, if you’ve got more than one person in the cart, someone’s getting squished.

Hard.

Though I did have a few buddies in my cart: my giant shins.

It was a WILD ride. Too fun, especially having the cart all to myself. We screamed like lunatics backwards and forwards, and came off a little loopy and ready for the next ride!

The BIG BOY!

It’s not like the Ferris wheel is a petrifying thrill-ride, but man…. it does allow for quite the view of Ocean City, NJ.

Though it felt pretty romantic at the top, we somehow resisted making out (though I did see a few capsules a-rockin’… we did NOT go a-knockin’).

Afterwards, we made ourselves sick and dizzy on Wonderland’s version of the gravitron… We were the ONLY passengers on the ride.  Bonus: Yelling as loudly as we wanted, and dancing like fools throughout.

Bird’s eye view of the ABDUCTION! Scared yet?

We rounded the night out the only way I know how.

At The Henna Shop.

I can’t resist

I’ve mentioned it before, but I used to work every summer during college at the Ocean City Henna Shops, and I can’t help but go back and get the bottle in my hand now and then.

Letting the kid inside of me out to play was just what I needed to (momentarily) forget about the grown-up issues looming ahead and behind (moving! student loans! apartment hunting! HOORAY!)  Bonus? HENNA HAND!

What childhood past-times do you still enjoy?

 

Happy Birthday, America!

/ foodsweatandbeers / 5 Comments

A HUGE happy birthday to my favorite country in the world!

Yes, we sang to a nation. Jealous?

As evident by this layer cake (that you can hardly see since my iPhone pictures aren’t exactly DSLR quality) that my little sister slaved over all yesterday, my family’s a bit crazy about the 4th of July. And, when I asked my mom what her favorite part of the 4th was, she thought for a moment and said, “You!”

In my opinion, Independence Day is the absolute PERFECT holiday. You get off from work, you don’t have to buy presents, there’s grilled foods involved, I look great in red/white/blue, and, most importantly, fireworks!

Oh, heck yes!

So yes, maybe I planned every single outfit of my day months in advance to assure maximum patriotic fashion…

I hit up my new gym for a little pre-beach Zumba and, though my headband did scream “AMURRICA!” something was missing…

That’s the ticket!

Of COURSE! A red belly-dancing skirt totally completed the outfit and I sweat my face off shaking those silver discs as loudly as I could.

For the beach, I had something else prepared…

I call this my Freedom suit

I’m pretty sure Ryan has never loved me more than when I texted him this picture.

Walking on the beach, I definitely wasn’t the only one rocking the stars and stripes in bathing suit form, but I didn’t see anyone else with the matching headband, so I think I won.  What, you don’t think every day is a competition? That probably means you’re not winning.

The grand finale was a little number I’d been plotting for some time, and was happy to finally show off.

Beer and Bikes: Does it get more American?

The H&M dress that’s almost too short to qualify as a dress (and only cost me $18!) and the bright red patent leather Sperry’s which ran me about 40-50 at Nordstrom Rack. The result?

Americana.

God bless the USA, and all the fun clothes I get to wear in honor of it….

Did you go red, white, and blue yesterday?

What’s your favorite holiday?

Rolling (Uncontrollably) on the River (or How NOT to Whitewater Raft)

/ foodsweatandbeers / 4 Comments

So the main reason I decided on the trip and itinerary we chose for Costa Rica was for the adventure of it all.  I saw the itinerary on Groupon and was immediately hooked on the idea.  Canyoneering, horseback riding, safari tour, hot springs, a waterfall visit, AND white water rafting?

Sign me up.

However, I don’t know if I was ready for all that jelly (Knowles, 2001).

See, the thing is, the guides from Costa Rica Descents were, for the most part, great. They were knowledgeable, they were skilled in the ways of the river, and they were mostly supportive.  Mostly.

When we got to the jump-off for the whitewater rafting trip, we were excited.  We were ready to rock!

Wahoo! Go team!

To the right of that picture is Alex (I think his name was Alex, that’s what I’ll be calling him). He was our lead guide on the adventure and, as luck would have it, chose Rachel and I to be his boat partners.

That’s right. Just the three of us. One raft. Let’s do it.

 After a brief (10-15 minutes) introduction to whitewater rafting (TOTALLY sufficient for class 3-4 rapids in a boat of firsttimers, right?), we hit the river rowing. Or paddling. Or whatever.

For the record, I consider myself somewhat athletic.  That being said…. I’m not very coordinated.  Oh well.

At first rapid, I thought I was doing pretty well.

We got this. Right?

We were jammed in the front of that boat, my legs sticking out, but I still felt like we had a grasp of what our guide was saying.

He, on the other hand, did not think so.

You can’t tell in this shot, but he’s judging me.

He started to tell me that, in my paddling, I was being a chicken. He said that if I didn’t start doing it right, I was really going to screw us up.  That being said, I was not really told what exactly I needed to change. Calling me a “chicken” and telling me to stop being scared does NOT equal guidance.

Now, those of you who know me might be aware of my extreme sensitivity.  In this post on all the junk I hate about myself, I talked about how I cry over EVERYTHING.

Being told that I’m a chicken who’s lousy at rafting and likely going to kill my best friend and a total stranger falls under “everything”.

I sort of LOOK like I’m doing it right, right?

Anyway, within minutes of hitting the water, I was already crying.  That’s right, the river guide made me cry and feel like a loser.  Awesome vacation story, right?  Don’t worry, it gets better.

Rachel suggested to not worry about him, so I did my best to put a brave face on.  I could do this.

Grinning and bearing it

Just call me Billy Badass

And then, we started approaching it.  The Class 4 rapid we’d heard so much about (sarcasm, he hadn’t told us anything about it).

This doesn’t look promising…

I felt like I was slipping. We hit the steepest drop and…. well.  A picture is worth a thousand words, right? Here are a few for you.

Wait. This isn’t right. Right?

I held onto that paddle like it could do me any good. HA!

ADULT SWIM!

And in we went.

Don’t worry, I was still holding onto my paddle (wtf?)

Lifeline? Nope. Just a plastic stick.

Cue: Scariest experience of my adult life.

Cue: Only time I’ve ever truly thought to myself “Hey, you could die. Right here, right now.”

Cue: Attempts to breathe met immediately with river water.

Sweet drowning shot.

Luckily, there were kayaks along for the ride to help us if we got in a tight spot.

Oh, wait. The water was too rough even for the KAYAKS!

That’s cool, bros, row on by…

SEE YA!

I didn’t drown, don’t worry (though, if I did, I think ghost-blogging would be a sick career move). But I DID inhale quite a bit of river water (a little piece of Costa Rica to take home with me?) and I did end up with a NASTY bruise on my thigh, a cut on my ankle, a number of smaller scrapes, fear filling my heart, and a deep, deep wound to my pride.  As if the guide’s constant berating of my rafting skills wasn’t enough, I had to go and prove him right by almost killing us.

That’s SO Jordan.

Anyway, it was absolutely terrifying.  You’d attempt to breathe and, instead of air, you’d suck a giant gulp of water. You’d try to follow your guide’s instructions and get your legs in front of you, then you’d feel a rock drag your leg underneath your body, twist you in a way you never thought possible, and panic as you were turned around, spun by a combination of water and moss-covered stones.

Speaking of which, I’d like to give a big shout out to MOSS, my main man, which probably prevented me from sustaining any more injuries than the ones I did. It was like a tiny furry yoga mat on all the giant boulders, buffering my buffeting.  Finally, the other boat caught up to us and I was hoisted out of the water by my trusty lifejacket.  At this point, I was uncontrollably crying my eyes out trying to remind myself that I wasn’t dead.

Petrifying? Yes.

But we made it out.  And, though there were some close calls…

NOT AGAIN!

But we stayed in the boat for the rest of the trip.  Despite the horror, I ended the day with a big smile on my face.

You’d never know what had happened earlier…  But Rachel knows.

It was probably the knowledge that a heaping plate of rice, beans, porkchops, and yucca chips were waiting for me around the corner.

How about you, any near-death experiences in your life?

Six Pack Someday: Tropical Storm Debby Does Destin

/ foodsweatandbeers / 5 Comments

What day is it?  What time zone? Wait…. where am I?

Ah. Ok. It’s Friday, 4:51 pm EST and I’m (blissfully) in Ocean City, NJ, my favorite place on the planet. And after scampering from Costa Rica to Pennsylvania (for a quick nap) then to Durham for a hot second (or four days), I headed even further South for a little vacation with the beau and his family. Though we’ve been dating for over four years, I have just recently met a number of Ryan’s relatives (who reside in exotic Texas, thus mostly out of my regular travel grasp) in Destin, Florida. And Tropical Storm Debby had the NERVE to join me on my vacation.  Luckily, she migrated after a little more than a day, so I still nabbed my fair share of sun and sand (too much on my backside I think…. I’m basically the Coppertone Girl right now.)

Sweet Booty Burn, right?

ANYWHO, I know it’s not Sunday. But since, when you’re funemployed, days don’t make any sense (and I haven’t produced a Six Pack Sunday in AGES), let’s bring it back for old time’s sake.

1. Tiny Baby Plane

Perhaps you’ve flown US Airways…. But have you EVER had the pleasure of flying US Airways Express?  Because (and correct me if I’m wrong), I’m pretty sure they’re the same airline, only they use toy airplanes meant for children to play with instead of real airplanes to get passengers from one destination to the next.

Here’s an awesome shot of my head pressed against the ceiling (roof?) as I uncomfortably await my deplaning.

Neat.

Normally, being 6’1″ is the JAM. In the case of the tiny airplanes… less so.

2. Debby’s Demise

Double the rainbow, double my joy

Only rainbows after rain, right?

Take that, Debby.

3. The Donut Hole Diet

The Donut Hole is a quaint little spot (or two, I think I saw a second location) in Destin, Florida that’s known for donuts and serving breakfast foods well into the evening.  But I think what I’ll remember best about it was their “Diet” Plate.

Healthy, yes?

Luckily, I went with a much healthier option.  Giant slices of homemade french toast filled with walnuts, raisins, and drowned in syrup.

Much better.

4. Polish Party

When there are rainy days at the beach, there’s not much to do.

Mojito Madness by Essie!

We may all have had the same color polish on by the end of that first day. Lucky the storm didn’t last much longer, or the boys may have gotten pedis.  And maybe the puppy.

5. The Ultimate Spot for a Hermit

Ah, oysters, ambrosia of the sea.  And, apparently, a not-so-great spot for a Hermit Crab to try and make a home.

SICK!!

That’s right, we found this little nugget inside of an oyster we got during Happy Hour at Mitchell’s Seafood Market. Luckily, it was spotted BEFORE anyone swallowed it.  Apparently this hermit wanted the ultimate getaway.

RIP Hermie.

6. Do Not Adjust the Settings on Your Computer 

Is that our love burning, or just our skin?

Both Ryan and I ended up about the shade of your run-of-the-mill boiled lobster.  That Florida sun is no joke.

And now, here I am. Another beach, only this one’s the shore.

It’s good to be home.

Weirdest thing you’ve ever found in your food?

Hermit crab TOPS the list, hands down.

iCosta Rica: Scenes from My Phone

/ foodsweatandbeers / 23 Comments

Since I am still working on editing the big-girl camera pictures from my trip, I figured I’d share a few choice shots from my phone with a brief intro to my Costa Rica adventure!!

From Top Right, Clockwise:

  1. Quick stop at Flying Monkey Bakery for some Whoopie (pies!) with Ryan before nabbing Rach at the Greyhound station.
  2. I wish I could just dive into these.
  3. 3:30 a.m. calls for breakfast. Mimosas and Banans, anyone?
  4. My sleepy traveling partner…. If Rachel could’ve slept 70% of the next 5 days, she would’ve been a happy camper.

From Top Left, Clockwise:

  1. Remember when I had to make that decision? Now, I just breezed by both. I had bigger fish to fry.
  2. Oh, neat, my first meal in Costa Rica. Yup, it was in a mall food court.  A solidly Americanized food court. Delicioso?
  3. Learning Spanish!

Scenes from our home, the GORGEOUS Casa Luna Hotel & Spa

From Top Left, Clockwise:

  1. Clear shot of the Arenal Volcano from our balcony
  2. Are you an orchid? I hope so.
  3. The birdies left the nest!
  4. Who pulled the clouds down?

From Top Left, Clockwise:

  1. Breakfast, EVERY DAY! Rice, beans, eggs, salami, pineapple, granola, toast, joy.
  2. The absolute perfect avocado Rachel and I enjoyed for lunch.
  3. Casado: Rice, beans, protein, etc. The etc included treats like plantains, eggs, corn, salad, tortillas, papaya root, or anything!

From Top, Clockwise:

  1. Fried plantains. I want you all the time.
  2. A tasty little present all wrapped up! Tamale, anyone?
  3. Nachos. Heavy on the avocado.

 A bevy of bevvies!

From Top, Clockwise:

  1. Cerveza! Imperial. Not my favorite beer. But still tasty.
  2. Best sangria of my life, courtesy of Lava Lounge. I probably drank about 2 pitchers of this over the course of our stay!
  3. Whiskey for my friends, ridiculously girl star fruit cocktails for MOI!

Sometimes, things were hilarious.

From Left, Clockwise:

  1. Important souvenir I forgot to get.  Sorry, everyone. I owe you a gift.
  2. QUICK! PUT EVERYTHING AMERICANS LIKE ON A SIGN!! That’ll trick them into coming in.
    Dude, I don’t know if burgers are Italian food.
    PURA VIDA!!
  3. Second Drink Down: Who wouldn’t be proud to order a Self Pleasure?

Much more to come….

 

Ladies Craft Beer Attire: Beer Couture

/ foodsweatandbeers / 12 Comments

Mmm… that’s better.

I’m fresh out of my massage (courtesy of the Healthiest You Challenge), having just enjoyed a tasty deconstructed omelet (translation: I messed up mid-flip. It was still tasty). After a rough evening last night struggling to sleep thanks to that nap I “absolutely needed”, I’m looking forward to hitting the hay pretty early this evening.  But before I go, I wanted to discuss something I’m wildly fond of: Ladies Craft Beer Gear.

As I mentioned in yesterday’s Six Pack Sunday, I am a fashionista. One that primarily rocks jorts and beer t-shirts. And while I’m content with your average classic t-shirt style (I can always snip them into something sexy with some inspiration from Pinterest), I had the good fortune to see some of craft beer’s fanciest finery this weekend at the Beer City Festival in Asheville, NC.  Real talk, there were some well-dressed ladies enjoying the festival, pouring, and generally looking fierce. And while not every brewery has embraced fashionable swag options for their lady beer enthusiasts, I’ve found a number that embody everything I want in some lady clothes. Appealing to the eye, looks comfortable, fits our uniquely womanly shapes… And it only makes sense to share my research so that all of my fellow females can dress the part of a craft beer lover.

Lagunitas Brewing Company’s online shop offers a number of lovely options. But my favorite was actually a hand-painted shirt I saw one of the Lagunitas Ladies wearing this Saturday.

Click image to check out the shirt/buy!

Beautiful color, hand-painted, adorable v-neck… It’s just everything a girl could ask for!

Mother Earth Brewery from Kinston, NC just released their newest beer swag…. That’s right: ATHLETIC SHORTS!

Click image to go to their store!

Even though the shorts aren’t yet available online, I’m doing my best to get a pair of the navy ones (if I can squeeze my booty into an American Apparel size XL which is the equivalent of a children’s size 14). The Mother Earth logo is gorgeous, I’d be proud to wear any of their gear, but the shorts…. I just can’t.

The next item might be a bit familiar to y’all.

Oh, hey there St. Patty’s Day!

Brooklyn Brewery’s v-neck shirt is one of my favorite shirts that I even own. It’s super flattering, very comfortable, and looks GREAT with a pair of jorts.

That’s really what I look for in any clothing.

If you hate sleeves and need to show off your guns, why not try Big Boss Brewery’s sexy tank top?

Too cute

Since I love just about every one of Big Boss’ beers, I can support any of their other shirts on their site. This one’s just my favorite.

Oskar Blues actually has a GREAT selection of cute, lady-friendly clothing items.  But, when you feel the need to channel your inner Flashdance, there’s only one option.

Click image to buy the shirt!

RIGHT?!?

I know. Dale’s Pale Ale is tasty to boot, so you can’t go wrong with this top.

I never knew about Schlafly until Hannah sent me a Pumpkin Beer (which I loved) but their Biere de Garde top has me totally convinced that they must be a girl’s best friend.

Click image to go to store

The vintage wash and scoop neck are my favorite parts, but obviously the logo is a perfect location if you feel like people aren’t looking at your left breast enough.

If this Dogfish Head Patagonia Graviti Hoody wasn’t $79, I’d have 4 of them… Which would be weird since they only come in two colors, but seriously, it’s THAT cool.

The ridiculously good looking model doesn’t hurt

I love a good zip-up.

For another hoodie that is a little more relaxed and destroyed in appearance, look no further than Abita’s Abbey Ale Hoodie.

Click image to go to store

While the color isn’t my favorite, it’d be great around a campfire, or a cool night with a pair of jeans. Or jorts, if it isn’t TOO cool of a night.

Are all of these covering your sexy body up too much?

I understand, and so does Lonerider.

Click image to go to store

Craft beer thongs are the new black.  You heard it here first.

Ladies: Which of these clothing items would YOU want? OR, if you don’t see one you like, what would be your perfect piece of beer (or wine, or liquor) gear?

Fellows: Would you wanna see any of these on your ladies?

 

 

 

 

Six Pack Sunday: Fashion, Fun, and Foliage

/ foodsweatandbeers / 16 Comments

I’m struggling to keep my eyes open.  I just spent the past 48 hours road-tripping to Asheville, NC and then enjoying the HECK out of the last few days of Asheville Beer Week (which, surprisingly, is 11 days. Asheville goes HAM.)  And I really wanna write all about that.  But I can’t begin to put into words the glory of that beautiful town and their booming craft beer community right now, so I will stick to the tried and true format of ol’ reliable Six Pack Sunday.

1. Fiercely Fashionable

I am a fashionista.  I made this abundantly clear by rocking jorts almost the ENTIRE weekend.

Craft Beer Couture?

Be on the lookout for my new fashion blog, Just Jorts, in the not-too-distant future.

2. Bathroom Intrusion

Um, excuse me, sir….

Mister Nature is pretty nosy

I don’t think I invited a TREE into the port-a-potty with me…

Rude.

3. It’s So HARDDDDDDDDD to Say Goodbyeeeeeeeeeee

Farewell, old friends.

I’ve had them for a year and a half, but I finally wore out (and stank out, pee YEW!) my pumped up kicks that my beau got me for Christmas 2010….  I will miss them dearly.  I will NOT miss their aroma.

4. All the Single Ladies (AND their Single Pancakes!)

Yummy

Courtesy of Joy the Baker’s Single Lady Pancake recipe (and a few tweaks of my own), I was able to both clean out some pantry goodies (coconut, quick oats, flour) AND create a DECADENT oat-peach-coconut pancake order for one.  Single girl living isn’t too bad if you’ve got syrup to wash it down…

5.  Lost and FOUND!

Holy. Mackerel.

Remember that bag that went missing in FEBRUARY that I assumed was gone forever and I was so upset and it was the worst?

I got an email from a restaurant, and they said it TURNED UP IN THE LOST AND FOUND!! oh my goodness. Nothing was missing. It’s back. I am the happiest purse mama of all.

YOU’RE BACK!

Thank you to whatever kind soul turned it into a lost and found. You’re an angel!

6. Pucker Up for Putt Putt

Umm.

I don’t know. I hate mini golf, but if it’s played with lemons… well maybe that’d be a little more fun.

Asheville, you’re a hell of a town.

BRB, gonna crash so hard in my bed.

The Doughman Race 2012: We Ran, We Ate, We Conquered

/ foodsweatandbeers / 8 Comments

I never thought I’d say this, but I ran one hell of a race (dressed like a bloodthirsty honey badger after eating a vegan tako).

Yeah, I think the whole sentence is what I never thought I’d say. MAYBE I thought I might have run a race (or swam, or biked, or crawled one)…. but NOT dressed like a honey badger, and NOT with a tummy full of treats.

Saturday morning, I met at my teammate’s house bright and early to put the final touches on our costumes (ok, let’s be honest, mostly my costume… I’ve got a flair for the flamboyant) before carpooling in the direction of downtown Durham.  Our goal? The Doughman, an event that may have been the first thing I put on my Triangle Bucket List.

Note the honey…. gotta stay true to form.

We registered our team bike (a road bike… remember that, as it comes into play later) and checked out the scene.

The closest I came to the trophy, don’t worry

The sweet slap bracelet that served as our “baton” to pass from person to person

There were amazing costumes by some of the other teams. It was clear that folks had gone all out and, despite the fact that I probably looked like a road-killed skunk, I was channeling my inner bloodthirsty honey badger. And I was feeling great.

Team BHB aka Team 38! Jordan, Katie, Ben, and Paul

The organizers of the race called the teams together for a few announcements. First things first, they covered the rules. I can get behind that, everyone needs to know the rules.  Then they covered some other stuff.

For instance, if you’d raised $250 or more as a team, you got a “time bonus” of a 2 minute head start. If you raised $1,000 or more, your head start was 5 minutes. We’d raised $160 as a team and, in my opinion, that’s awesome. I’m so thankful for my loved ones who donated, and I LOVE that we raised money for SEEDS. But the entire time the organizers were talking about the time bonus, I felt a big whopping pile of guilt being ladled onto those of us who didn’t raise enough for a time bonus.

Look at all those teams hopping up to the start early, all of you other teams… Maybe next year, you’ll think of that when you’re raising money.

Whoah. Wait a minute. Is my money not also doing great things?  That wasn’t all that was said to us, and I feel like we were basically made to feel like second-class citizens for not meeting THE QUOTA. If there’s money you NEED us to raise, make it a requirement. Otherwise, don’t give us hell for not doing it.

ANYWAY, Team 38’s lead leg, Paul, faced a daunting meal before his 8.5 mile bike ride.  From Dain’s Place: Peanut Butter & Banana Sandwich with Homemade Marshmallow Fluff on Fresh Bread (contains nuts)

A worthy foe

He chomped it down, hopped on his bike and got to getting. And then, the unthinkable happened.

EEK!

The chain on Paul’s bike fell off the moment he started riding it. LUCKILY this happened inches away from the starting line, so Ben QUICKLY jumped into action and fixed it. But it didn’t bode well for the bike ride.

See, the thing is, according to Ben we “broke the first rule of races”. Don’t change something on Race Day. Paul had never used a road bike before, just mountain bikes. Uh oh.

I waited. I was the second leg and, after 27 minutes, the first speedy racers came in from Leg 1. I was getting fired up. I stretched. I jumped around. I ran through the course in my brain. And I waited.

And waited.

And waited.

According to Paul, since he wasn’t accustomed to gear changing, every time he had to go up a hill, he had to walk the bike. And then re-mount it.  Translation? Slow and (semi-)steady.

Result?

Mercy rule, they let me go at 1 hour in….  And THEN I was off!  Ahead of me? 1.8 mile run followed by a “water activity” (paddling across a pool in an inner tube!) after eating a treat from Kokyu.  Ahead of me was their V-Tako: Soy Nuts, Sprouts, Vinaigrette, Cilantro, Kokyu Chili, Sesame Kimchi’d Radish.

Hello, nemesis.

I ran the short distance from the corral to the table and had at it. My first instinct? TAKE A HUGE BITE!

The many faces of eating Jordan

WOW! That was a spicy tako! The initial HUGE bite was the hardest to chomp on, knowing that every time I bit down, a burst of spicy Kimchi was coming at me. I wised up after the first half of the taco, ripping it into small pieces and chasing each bite with water. FINALLY, I got it down. Well, mostly down.  I had to take a last few swallows when the judge asked me to show him my mouth.  Oops…

The run BEGAN!

I jumped out of the gate FAST, much faster than I’m accustomed to running.  I knew the course, I was ready for this.  What I was NOT ready for was how very lonely it is out there when there aren’t any other runners.  Since that whole “mercy rule” was instituted, it was just me and one other runner, one who was faster than I was. He sped by me (though, I WILL say I ate my tako before him, HA!) and, since I didn’t bring my iPod, I was alone with my thoughts.  I know it was only 1.8 miles but, for me, that’s more than I’d ever run before practicing the route earlier in the week.  After speeding the initial uphill + downhill portion, I looked at my HRM. Where I was at 10 minutes in my practice round, I was at 7:45 during the actual race. So when it came to the uphill portion, the quiet, the loneliness, and the TAKO got to me.  There were a few portions that I had to walk (namely uphill, right across from the Durham Bulls stadium).  I couldn’t help myself, I was sucking wind and thinking to myself “Whoah, there’s phlegm and cilantro in my throat.” I know that is gross, and probably TMI.  Sorry.  But the moment I saw the YMCA in the distance, I knew I’d made it. So I hauled ass to the Y, yanked all my clothing off (don’t worry, I had a bathing suit on!), tossed my HRM to the side, and hopped in the pool.

I HATE that I don’t have pictures of this, because I imagine it was hilarious.  But I placed my butt in the inner tube and paddled my honey badger heart out.  And I ran the last 50-70 yards barefoot, clutching my shoes and clothes.

CHAMP!

My final leg time was 20:05. For eating, running, and paddling, that sounds GREAT to me.  To give you a range, the fastest time I saw was 12:41 (Damn Bull City track team speed demons) and the slowest I saw for my leg was 30:40, so I feel comfortable in the middle of the pack. I really think I could’ve gone faster if I’d run the whole thing, but morale wasn’t as high without any volunteers out to cheer me on, or fellow runners to feed off of their energy.

Katie’s leg started off with a doozy.

From Nosh,  Fried Green Tomato Sandwich with Roasted Red Pepper Spread (contains nuts).

Yummy!

It was delicious. Not that I ate many bites of it….

MOVING ON!

Alas, I didn’t get any pictures of the only meat-item of the race, but Ben had the pleasure of eating Old Havana’s Cuban Sliders on Gugelhupf Brioche with Maduros. 

Jealous.

He ran like the wind (the fast wind) and actually had like, the 4th fastest time for his leg of all the teams. If we were ALL Bens, we would’ve won that trophy, I’m sure.  We’re not, but I love him for keeping us in a position of honor for the last leg.  They saved the best, of course, for last.

The DESSERT LEG!

On the menu?


Leg 5, team sprint: The Parlour, Mad Hatters, LocoPops & Daisy CakesMeal: Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream with Strawberry Swirl; Chocolate Walnut Whopper Cookie; Water-based Raspberry Coconut Popsicle (vegan); Strawberry Cupcake with Almond Buttercream Icing

I decided to take control of the strawberry cupcake with almond buttercream icing.  I knew, if I could dominate anything, it was a cupcake especially with almond flavored ANYTHING.

The two “cold” items not pictured to avoid melting.

I dove right in.

The frosting was FLYING!

I’m pretty amazing at eating cupcakes fast, I learned and, after the rest of the teammies wolfed down their dishes, we sprinted to the finish line.

Team 38/81 came in 58th place…. But I know we’re #1 in your hearts.

WAHOO!!

It was brutally hot, it was tough to down food then go running, and bike issues got us down initially. But, on the other side, it was exhilarating, it was hilarious, it was delicious, and it was a blast! I would TOTALLY do it again. In a heartbeat.

I feel so lucky to have amazing buddies to make up a dream team, and I LOVED the chance to Doughman-ate the Doughman!

I think I wanted to pretend it was a cape?

I am the Dough(WO)MAN!!

Craziest competition you’ve ever been a part of?

Eating, running, racing, swimming, I’d love to hear about it!

Would you ever do something like the Doughman?

Six Pack Sunday: Glows, Games, and Girls

/ foodsweatandbeers / 8 Comments

Whoah. A Sunday not spent on the road (or on a plane, or checking in for a flight, or anything of that sort).  An easy Sunday where I didn’t set an alarm, I just woke up, at some stuff, watched some stuff, and (later) I’ll sit by the pool and stuff.  If I feel like it.

I don’t get many Sundays like this lately, so it’s essential to make the most of it.

Clearly, “making the most of it” translates to “writing a Six Pack Sunday” post.

1. Games (Well, really just one Game [of Thrones])

Halloween Costume this year?

I don’t have HBO at my apartment. I do, however, have internet, and a family that LOVES HBO, traditionally. THIS means that I have access to HBOGO. For some reason, this didn’t sink in (despite my hours spent watching junk on Netflix). But, since  I finished the Mad Men offerings on my go-to-streaming site, it was time for a change. And, fancy that, there’s a show running featuring dragons, kings and queens, lovers, warriors, sword fights, and magic. Basically, every single thing that I used to read about every day of my childhood/adolescence.  Terry Goodkind, Maggie Furey, Robert Jordan, Tolkien, Tamora Pierce….

Yup, I’m hooked.

2. Behold the Power of Precious

I love Jellyfish. We’ve covered this before, as I have them decking my home’s walls and counter tops.

On a second, unrelated note, I have no interest in having a child anytime in the near future.

But, let me share with you something that made my womb ache with the need to produce a little one, just so I could deck him/her in this glory:

eeeeeeeeeeee!

Don’t worry, the squealing faded as my proximity to the onesie decreased.  But for a moment there, I contemplated stealing the nearest baby to raise as my own and dress in ONLY jellyfish gear.

Too much.

3. Ain’t No Party Like a Cheese Party…

….because a cheese party’s GOT CHEESE!

Let me explain.

As I’m leaving my company (and the state of North Carolina) at the end of June, they wanted to put together a little farewell dessert thing for me.  However, despite the occasional sweet tooth, dessert isn’t really my favorite thing.  But you know what is?

Cheese!

I requested advice from my various social networks for cheese recs, and have decided that a cheese plate is the ONLY way to bid me farewell.  I am happily welcoming any other cheese suggestions.  This Wensleydale with Cranberries came HIGHLY recommended from several sources, though. So it’s definitely going on the list.

4. Flower Power

well, almost a flower

This is an artichoke down to the last layers. And it is BEAUTIFUL!

More importantly, it’s a delicious, healthy treat.

For future reference for all my suitors and fans, in lieu of flowers, I will accept bouquets of artichokes.

5. Girls Gone… Something

I know I’m far behind but, as I mentioned above, I just found the joy of HBOGO.  This means, I just watched (all 4 episodes of) Girls.

I shared my thoughts with my buddy ClaireB already, but here they are for the rest of the world (and for posterity, I guess):

I HATE the lead (Hannah).  She’s like this deplorable character that reminds me of Betty Draper from Mad Men, who I also hate.  I was so proud of her speech to that guy, and then was like UGH you rat letting him touch you again, get that squirrel dick away from me.

I LOVE Shoshanna. She may be my favorite character.
I’m feeling the same way about Jessa as I did Juno (from Juno). I kind of like her, and then I feel uncomfortable with her talking to the dad of those kids.
Marnie, poor Marnie. I feel sad for her, b/c Charlie seems like such a tool, but a lovable tool, and I imagine that he’s hard to get rid of.  I’d like to see her character get more developed.
We’ll see how this series goes but… it’s promising.
6. It was all YELLOW!
I’m a big fan of being tan. However, when you work all day, travel on the weekends a lot, and generally don’t live at the beach (or tanning salon), it can be tough.  Enter an old friend:
Providing moisture to the skin as well as tint, Jergen’s Natural Glow is a girl’s best friend (you know, when she doesn’t have too many diamonds to her name).  However, there’s this little phase between totally pale and a happy “glow” that looks a LOT like jaundice.
Unfortunately, that’s the phase I’m in right now.
Time to rub more in my skin and pray people don’t think I have a liver condition…
What’s your FAVORITE cheese?
 
What would you want in a bouquet instead of flowers?

I HATE Star Wars Day

/ foodsweatandbeers / 12 Comments

Things that I would rather do than read the “May the Fourth be with you” anymore on the internet:

  • Lose all my checked luggage at the airport
  • Drink ONLY Pickle Back shots all night

    Grosser than gross.

  • Lose all my DVRed TV shows/movies (like A Goofy Movie. THAT would be the worst loss.)
  • Have to walk through all Drive-Thru ATMs

    No, this didn’t bother anyone at all.

  • Sit between two giant, hairy, smelly guys on my next flight (which is still possible, tonight… keep your fingers crossed!)
  • Get 10,000 spoons when all I need is a knife
  • Get caught in a windstorm wearing all black, and carrying a plate of beignets

    This doesn’t look promising

  • Have to cheer for Duke. Ever.

    The only time I may actually do that.

  • Get lost in Philly and lose my GPS signal (also very possible, I get lost easily.)
  • Have to spend the weekend in Sevierville, TN home of Dolly Parton… Again.

    This actually happened one year the night before Thanksgiving… but that’s a story for another time.

  •  Hmmm… That’s all I can think of right now, off-hand.

There are probably countless other options, but none that come to mind with fun illustrations to go with them.

I can’t wait for Cinco de Mayo, if only because Han Solo will take a back seat to tequila jokes and sombreros.

Comprende?

Do you have any least favorite holidays that aren’t actually holidays, they’re just things that people made up to sound clever?

Basically, I’m asking if you are as sick of these ridiculous tweets and status updates as I am….

Goodness, I sound bitter.