Day One-hundred-and-thirty-eight: Football Saturday

It wasn't going to be a football Saturday but this morning I got a call from my son who said that he was at the Notre Dame - Navy game at the Baltimore Raven's stadium and I should watch it. He was there with his friend from scouts and grade school, a groomsman at his wedding, and an alumnus of Notre Dame. He was supposed to be right on the 20 yard line and should have been very visible with his wife still on her crutches. Needless to say this was the excuse I needed to avoid my work and spend another day in front of the TV.

I never did see them. It seemed that whenever the camera panned the crowd it always showed midshipman and in the game shots the seats were always too far away to show any details of the stands, even on my big screen TV. Navy made a game out of it in the last quarter but lost.

After the football game I went into the kitchen to make the Spicy Mole Oatmeal Chili and discovered that I didn't have any carrots, clean measuring spoons, or clean spatulas. So I did the dishes. Then I took my Calling for Obama raffle winning Starbucks card and my incomplete speech notes to Starbucks. Now I know I shouldn't be drinking coffee in the afternoon, particularly caffeinated coffee, but I was planning on finding how much was on that card this morning. (It was a $5 card.) I did get my speech "mind mapped" out.

I started the speech last night technically after I went to bed. I had a "midnight" brainstorm that reminded me of my college days so I decided to make sure I got those thoughts down on paper. At least this "storm" didn't stop me from sleeping once I wrote it out.

I started working on my list this morning, before I was tempted away from working and into TV watching. I have started one review of six I have committed to do. Maybe the caffeine will allow me to stay up late tonight and actually get something marked off of my list yet today.

At least now I have carrots as well as apples, pears, and four cans of soup. Thursday I had had enough legumes in my diet so I opened a can of Amy's No Chicken Noodle Soup. It was quite good but I wished I had crackers to go with it. So yesterday I went out and got two boxes of crackers even though they are a worse than worthless food. Not only do they not have any nutrition, they are salted. While I bought non-fat crackers, I drew the line at their not having any taste. I can't help but think that this is a sad commentary on my vegan Life after Layoff where my splurges are tasteless soda crackers.

Yet to do tonight, other than items on my list, are: make the chili and sit in the sky chair a while. The weather is so nice this weekend that I just have to take advantage of it. Hopefully the memory will carry me through the worst of winter in Ohio and West Virginia. And now that I have all the ingredients, I just have to carry through with my earlier plans to make the chili. Somehow my life is more about completeness now.

Day Eighty-six: Ready to ride

For one reason or another, but most likely because of the soy latte I had in the afternoon yesterday, I was awake at 2:22 AM this morning. I remember that time because I was still so awake that I checked my clock and noted the unusual time. Before I went to bed I had set my alarm clock to make sure that I didn't miss my motorcycle servicing appointment this morning. Since I got up before the alarm went off, I shut it off.

Even though I got ready somewhat leisurely, I still made it to the Daly City Honda service center a full 25 minutes before they opened. Thank goodness they started moving the motorcycles, scooters, and even a four-wheeler before 9:00 AM so they were checking me in right around 9:00. I walked about a mile to a Starbucks that I knew was in Daly City and had another soy latte. I don't think it will keep me up tonight.

However, the political twists may. I couldn't turn on the TV or look at the Internet without hearing and reading about McCain's latest surprise. While I thought it was a political ploy, it was confirmed for me when he also suggested that the VP debate be "postponed." Well, anyway, I have to stay up to watch Letterman. I gotta get DVR. But realistically, I never watch Letterman normally so probably wouldn't have it programmed to record it.

Oh well, I now have a smooth running ride for my Life after Layoff. I even used it this evening for a grocery run. I wore my summer gloves on my way to the grocery store and my winter gloves back. What I went to get was some more Earth Balance margarine. I need it to make my Fluffy Buttercream Frosting for the cupcakes I am taking to my first ever campaign participation tomorrow. I'm looking forward to a longer motorcycle ride this fall, maybe all the way to Reno.

I also have some whole wheat bread raising for baking tomorrow morning. All of this baking meant that I washed dishes not once but twice today (and could have washed another batch but wanted to stop working.) I'm baking the bread for tomato sandwiches.

My guests didn't drink enough beer. I have 17 bottles of Stella Artois, five bottles of Lobotomy Bock, five bottles of Blue Moon, and two cans of 24 oz. Bud Light. The last two were contributions of two of my sisters. I used one Blue Moon to make beer bread but won't use any more as my youngest daughter said that she liked that beer. Oh well, maybe I can deliver them to her this weekend. I'm thinking of giving my neighbor 12 or 16 of the Stella Artois bottles. He has given me, well my daughters, venison. He is also ready to go on a motorcycle ride with me. Now that I am ride ready, I can do that.