scattered thoughts

You know those moments when you are trailing so far behind in your track workout that it almost looks like you are leading the pack?

That was me this morning. My body is still recovering from both yoga and the Loop de Loop. I can't wait to go to bed.

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I recently finished reading this book. (Thank you, Chickenland Library!)


The information wasn't new to me -- I've seen the statistics on industrial farming and its impact on health before -- but it's always good to be reminded. Other than the fact that I couldn't stop hearing Cher from Clueless in my head while I was reading ("Meat is, like, so nasty!") and that things at times got a little too hippie-save-the-world for me, I liked the book.

What Alicia calls her "Superhero" recipes -- vegan macrobiotic dishes -- drew my attention, largely because they incorporate a lot of Japanese ingredients that I had either never heard of or had no idea how to use: Umeboshi vinegar, kuzu, daikon, burdock root, mochi (and I'm not talking about the ice cream), kukicha tea, kabocha squash and all kinds of sea vegetables (nori, arame, hijiki, etc.).

I made the Gingered Green Beans with Hijiki last night -- my first time ever cooking with seaweed!


The verdict? Love. The flavors really blend well together, and the recipe itself is fairly easy and straightforward (though you have to allow yourself some time to soak the hijiki). In fact, this dish was so good that I am kind of obsessed with hijiki now and can't wait to see what else I can do with it.

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I am torn between the first-ever Ragnar Napa Valley and the first-ever Moo-Cow Half Marathon. Both are the same weekend.

I had planned to rally the troops and organize a team for Ragnar -- it's pretty much a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But I've been holding off on registering because (1) I felt nervous about the race fee ($1,300 for a 12-person team -- I'd be footing the bill and people would pay me back as they signed on -- and I haven't paid my taxes yet, so I'm kind of short on cash at the moment), (2) the logistics of the race are daunting as hell (the Ragnar "bible" of race info is literally 22 pages long) and (3) I can't decide on a team name (this seems silly, but seriously, if it were up to me, the team would be called Poo Strong or something similar -- and then nobody would want to be on my team).

And then I found out about Moo-Cow. It's close to home (I can walk to the starting line!). The medal is a cowbell. There's a 5K option (which means my dad can come up here and we can run together again). And the course is hilly and challenging and goes through some really beautiful countryside.

Decisions, decisions.