Caffinara|Melanie Watts, Caffinara: Wake up to life

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Thursday, May 28, 2009

Throw Me a Worm

Posted by Melanie at 20:58 0 comments

I've got spinach, collard greens, radishes, potatoes, peas and Swiss chard poking out of the ground. The spring bulbs are over. Make way for the late tulips and early summer perennial flowers. Everything is greening up nicely except for the roses, which are acting fragile and refusing to open their leaves until what? And don’t even mention the hydrangea, it still looks like a bunch of sticks. I know it’s alive because the buds are insidiously enlarging and when I scrape the woody stem it is green underneath.

The green house is a lovely place, out of the wind and the biting bugs, which have just started to hatch, to spend a few minutes or hours soaking in its warmth, admiring the tomatoes, noticing the yellow flowers on some of them and smelling their delicious earthy smell. A comfy chair and a book would not be out of place in here.

Labels: Gardening, greenhouse, Spring

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Video Killed the Radio Star

Posted by Melanie at 20:16 0 comments

I've been watching David Pogues very entertaining technology video podcast, Circuits, for a few months now. It is a great way to spend three or five minutes a month. The technology is never anything I would drop cash on but that's not the point. The point is David Pogue himself. His enthusiasm about this stuff and the hilarious way he gets his point across is reason alone to watch his videos.

Before the Internet got so ubiquitous I used to watch David’s monthly technology videos on the MacWorld or was it Mac Addict CD that came with the magazine of the same name. I no longer buy any of these magazines as I now satisfy all my geeky techno cravings online.

Pogue produces the video for the NYTimes and CNBC as part of his Pogue's Posts. It is also available in itunes.

Labels: tech

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Lore of Running

Posted by Melanie at 20:24 1 comments

I got three books out of the library on running two written by men and one written by a women. The books that the men wrote are about something called V02 and how to achieve it. There are lots of graphs and charts for comparison. They brag about various famous runners, all men, how fast they run their races and what their training schedules are like. They talk about the importance of getting the right pair of shoes.

The book written by the women talks about target heat rate and how to achieve it, buying and wearing the right kind of clothes, what kind of food to eat and how much weight you could lose as well as the importance of getting the right pair of shoes.

I think the stereotypical gender differences in these books are hilarious.

The other book I got from the library is Tim Noakes book, The Lore of Running. Noakes is a Medical doctor, his prose may be a bit academic but his advice and ideas are sensible and backed up with scientific evidence. Compared too the other books this one is much more interesting. My only problem is the size of the book. Despite being twice the thickness of ordinary books it is also at least a third bigger than even a regular sized hardback novel. All this bigness makes the book hard to hold. I find myself resting it on my knees so I can comfortably turn the pages.

I‘ve barely read a tenth of it. When I read it it makes me want to get out there on the road and running.

Labels: books, Running

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Spring Again

Posted by Melanie at 20:15 1 comments

Despite set backs like this one. Spring just keeps coming. The tulip tarda's opened today. These little bulbs are so hardy and they increase in numbers by seed as well as by division.

Pulsatilla vulgaris is one of my favourite spring flowers. It used to be classified as an anemone but because botanists are constantly finding out new things about plants they are always changing their classification. As I've mentioned before these plants grow wild in the hills above the Peace River.

In the early spring after the snow has melted and the prairie wind is just getting going drive north of Rolla BC. Turn left at the Sheardale cemetery. After reading the headstones start descending through the trees towards the river. Every clearing is full of these purple beauties the wind doesn't seam to bother them.

The hare's coat is now totally brown. I hope that means it is truly spring and there will be no more snow.

Labels: flowers, Spring

Star Trek 2009

Posted by Melanie at 07:06 0 comments

I'm not a Star Trek fan. I've never watched the TV show or seen any of the movies, in fact I didn't really know what "Beam me up Scotty" really meant until yesterday. If you have a couple of hours and need something light and entertaining to do, after work and after a ten killometre run then Star Trek is your movie.

Labels: movies, Star Trek

Monday, May 18, 2009

I want one of these.

Posted by Melanie at 19:20 0 comments

We were in a rush too leave, Saturday morning, for our quickie trip to Jasper, at least that is my excuse for forgetting crucial things like a bathing suit, towel, camp chairs and a headlamp for reading in bed.

The campsites were packed, full of kids, anyone our age was sensible enough to check into a hotel. The campsite opposite us had 2 huge tents, a dog and 6 women drinking beer and dancing to their endless tracks of electronic ghastly music. It all sounded the same.

For an extra eight dollars on top of the camping fee we had access to a mall sized stack of rather wet firewood. By supplementing this with dead twigs from the forest floor I was able to make a roaring fire on which we cooked breakfast and dinner. Stupidly we did not have the foresight to pack extra wood in the car. The next day when we came out of Miette hot springs, all warm and relaxed and looking forward to dinner, we had too look for alternatives.

Like I thought I was able to rent a towel and a bathing suit. I got an old fashioned costume, similar to the one in this photo. The one I rented was made of polyester. I'm sure the ones in the photo are made of cotton or possibly wool? Mine was a sleeveless one piece with two buttons on the left shoulder, shorts and a form fitting overskirt. I thought it was cool. My only regret is I didn't get a photo of myself wearing it.

Instead of homemade hamburgers, we ended up at the brew pub not for the beer which is good but the food which was barely passable.

Labels: Jasper, Miette hot springs

Friday, May 15, 2009

Robins Nest

Posted by Melanie at 19:26 0 comments

A robin tried building a nest in the corner of the green house all day yesterday. It must have been frustrated when it didn't seem to get anywhere thanks to our constant throwing away of it's building materials.

This morning we noticed a big beautiful nest in the corner of a rafter. The robin was perched in a tree, no doubt admiring it's handiwork. It got quite excited when Robert went outside, carefully dislodged the nest and placed it high off the ground on top of a fence post. The bird immediately set to work building another one in the same corner. Damn those birds and their instincts.

The robin eventually gave up and flew off, probably looking for a nesting sight with more hospitable neigbours. Although I don't know why it doesn't like the perch on top of the fence post.

Labels: Spring

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Compost Modern

Posted by Melanie at 09:34 0 comments

via Design Sponge

Labels: film

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Spring Update

Posted by Melanie at 21:20 0 comments

After work I went to the library to pick up some books. I sat down in a chair for a minute to rest, shut my eyes and forty minutes later I woke up, only because of some noisy people, sitting at a nearby table. I decided right then not to go to the running clinic or pickup any groceries but just go home.

Robert has been on holiday since we got back from Vancouver. He's catching up on his thriller fiction reading as well as building a greenhouse. Every time I come back home he has added a new dimension too it. We got all the glass for free from a friend who has replaced all the old windows in his house with newer models. My tomatoes, and peppers are still under lights in the basement. I'm anxious for them to get into their new home.

We still don't have any leaves on our trees or shrubs. It feels like this is the last place on earth to get leaves this spring. The only things which seem to be growing are the bulbs. Everyday as I make my way to the car I notice another tulip has bloomed. The daffodils, Narcissus spp. are next. Then the Grape Hyacinths (Muscari armeniacum) and then the later Tulips. There is a Tulip for every season.

The white crowned sparrows are back. They're competing for feeder space with the finches. The black capped chickadees have migrated to the bush where they're serenading each other with their distictive mating call. It's a sound, above any other, which reminds me of spring, much like I think yellow is the quintessential spring colour.

Tomorrow I don't have to go to work, attend a meeting or volunteer as a Master Gardener, or running clinic leader at the YMCA, or do anything for the Cancer Society, yet. I may not even get out of bed.

Labels: greenhouse, Spring

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Lemon Char er Tart.

Posted by Melanie at 06:37 0 comments

When I saw this I could almost taste its sour sweetness. I got an intense craving to make one for myself. I couldn’t find a recipe I liked so I ended up inventing my own.

I used lots of sweet butter, 4 lemons, 4 free range eggs, white sugar, white flour and cream. I made the crust in the usual way cutting the butter into the sugar and flour, adding just enough water to bring it together into a soft pastry. I rolled it out, put it into my pie dish and placed it in a hot oven to partially cook. I grated the rind off the lemons, squeezed out all their juice and beat them up with the eggs, sugar and cream. I took the partially cooked pie shell out of the oven, poured in the filling, turned the oven down to medium and put it back in.

After a reasonable amount of time I checked it and then again a bit later. The filling still had not set. So I poured a glass of wine and grabbed my laptop to read one of my favourite blogs. I followed one of the links to a scathing review of. At that precise moment I smelt burning. NOOO. I pressed the cancel button on the oven as I opened it. The lemon tart was spouting flames, I stared at like a dumbstruck deer in the car headlights, I toyed with the idea of picking the tart up and taking it outside in the hopes the flames would somehow die down but instead decided the flames were too big and with my luck I would probably set myself on fire as well. Then the fire alarm started screeching. I slammed the oven door shut.

Black smoke was everywhere. I opened the kitchen door then noticed the oven was going into panic mode issuing digital readout instructions telling me to turn off the power. One quick flip of the switch in the fuse box and the screeching stopped. The stove was silenced but black smoke still filled up the house. I decided, as I ran around opening the rest of the doors and windows, that I needed a great big fan.

Downstairs again I opened the oven door to see the flames had almost gone. Using oven mitts I picked up the pie blew out the last of the fire and took it outside onto the deck. It was charred black.

Hmmn

When everything was back to normal, I went back outside to examine it. I found I could scrape off the char with a spoon, underneath was a delicious looking, deep yellow, lemony filling. I carved a piece off the edge. It taste divine.

Labels: baking

Friday, May 8, 2009

Cool Blue

Posted by Melanie at 07:54 0 comments

The colour of this photograph perfectly illustrates my mood. I’ve only run once in the last week and only because I thought I was healed. I’ve done something to the back of my left thigh. Last Sunday I found walking was difficult, I was sort of limping and had to really concentrate to lift my leg over the curb. Luckily I spent the whole day in the car so not much was required. Monday I was in the car as well. By Tuesday I felt a whole lot better. On Wednesday the pain was gone so I decided I could go to the running clinic. We ran 5k in 25 minutes it felt really good.

Yesterday afternoon the familiar ache came back it's not really painful just debilitating. I feel it is better to rest because I don't want to wreck myself permanently the other thing is my left leg is the one I broke, while skiing, seven years ago. I broke my tibia in two places. It’s called a spiral fracture. The orthopedic surgeon put a titanium rod down the middle of the bone to fix it. I was wondering if this had anything to do with my problem?

According to these pages there are many things I could have done to myself to cause the aching pain. I'm leaning towards pulled hamstring muscle. The good news is I can still run. I just have to take shorter steps and go slower and stretch more. A bit of a bummer since I like to be out in front,

Labels: Running problems

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Never late than better

Posted by Melanie at 20:45 0 comments

When we arrived home ninety percent of the snow was gone. All the spring flowers and bulbs were growing madly and these were blooming.

Labels: Spring

Monday, May 4, 2009

pink and white, yellow, orange, blue and green

Posted by Melanie at 21:06 1 comments

Vancouver was amazing.

For us disadvantaged northerners it was like finally being allowed to get out of a closet.

Despite the SPF 30 my underexposed limbs got sunburnt anyway.

I found myself having to wear sunglasses, until I left them behind in a bathroom, to shield my eyes from the glare off the ocean, the bright flower colours, whole lawns full off emerald green grass, trees dripping with leaves, real leaves I tell you.

It never went down below zero once and there was not a snowflake to be seen, anywhere.

It was definitely a trip into spring.

Labels: Spring, Vancouver

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Embarrassing Runs

Posted by Melanie at 11:16 0 comments

When this first happened to me I thought I was doing something wrong, eating the wrong kind of food, too much too little but no matter what I ate or when I ate it relative to when I went running it kept happening. It was no big deal since I was always only a killometre or less from home. It was easy to cut my run short and dash inside to the toilet.

The last time it happened I was running the seawall. At first I thought I could just ignore it, try and will the feeling away. But NO. I was forced to turn around, climb some steps onto the road and contemplate hiding behind a tree. I tried to force my mind to think of other things but it was just too hard. I kept running, hoping to see one of those familiar male female icons on a building. I really did not want to crouch half naked behind a tree.

Eventually I did find a bathroom and managed, in my relief, to leave my sunglasses on the back of the toilet. bummer.

Later, while reading a newsletter from Map My Run I found out that diahoreea is normal in novice runners.

Labels: Running

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