Spring is in full swing now here in the Lou. We had our first complete weekend of warm weather and sun. Well let me qualify that: Sunday was a full day of spring conditions. Saturday was a class day so I guess that doesn’t count. It was a complete weekend for us though.
We kicked it off Thursday with some grilling. I stopped at Straub’s to get some meat and ended up with two rib cut pork chops which were over an inch thick. The lamb chops were irresistible as well. We dressed these ladies up in EVOO (first press), kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, and rosemary. On the side was roasted corn and grilled asparagus. The beverage of choice was New Belgium’s Springboard Ale. Tracey’s preference is red wine – not sure what she sipped on.
The beauty of Thursday was the warmer weather. While the fire was starting up I sat on the patio reading macroeconomics while sipping on my beer. Oh the joys of macroeconomics! Let me tell ya, when you work in the advertising business and you experience economic conditions right along with retailers, understanding economics doesn’t make it feel better. At least we know we’re in it together. A fascinating class none the less.
So it was a class weekend and I did manage to complete my cost accounting final – another class down. I really enjoyed that class and am sorry to see it behind me. On the other hand, I don’t want to do the final again. There were only three questions and all-in the exam took me about 5 hours, just what the professor predicted. I analyzed and analyzed the numbers though and perhaps overshot some things.
The operations management class is absolutely awesome. We’ve played two simulations in the class to get a handle on work flows and supply chain management. Our team won both so that obviously makes it enjoyable. All that means is that we didn’t screw up as much as the others did. Believe me there were plenty of goofs to go around.
Saturday evening we hit Senor Pique. This is becoming a class weekend ritual. I come home on Saturdays, grab the family and Tracey and I sip margaritas while the kids stuff tortillas into their throats. We are ultra excited that the restaurant has started construction on a deck. At their old location (recently moved) they had a quaint deck. We prefer the old location but now with a deck coming, we’re feeling better about summer being right around the corner.
Last summer I had a tree guy come out and bid on doing some work. He recommended I cut down our crab tree. This tree had been overtaken by ivy and it looked as though it was going down for the count. When I cut the ivy out of it I discovered why the previous owners had let the ivy grow up the trunk, the base appears to be rotting away. It isn’t a pretty sight.
I didn’t get the tree work done because something inside told me not to worry. This spring the crab tree is marvelous. As you can see it’s in full bloom with new growth all around. The trunk looks horrible but certainly it has plenty of life and we’re happy we didn’t remove it.
The birds have been going nuts and we’re noticing more and more kinds of birds than we did over the winter. We’re keeping our bird book handy and the kids and I look up the new birds as we see them. The finds this week have been a White-Throated Sparrow (our little guy has much more color and pronounced features than the picture in the link) and the American Goldfinch. Still no positive ID of the bluebirds, although it appeared we saw one zip by the grub cup for a snack.
The cardinals have been an absolute joy to watch. There are many more than last year. The males have been staking out territory and there are three that were battling for a stake of our back yard. They would tussle just feet from us while we were on the patio, race through the trees, and sing till there’s no tomorrow.
After mowing the lawn and spending some time in the yard Sunday afternoon, we threw more items on the grill. Tracey gave some chicken a bath in lemon juice, herbs, and EVOO. I do believe I enjoy chicken on the bone more than boneless. There’s something about the taste, texture, and the act of eating it that equates to more enjoyment. I guess it takes me back to when I was a kid and that’s how we had chicken. Actually now that I’m thinking about it I can’t remember there being boneless chicken breasts when I was a kid. Maybe it was just that Mom never saw any value in spending the extra money?
Well it only took me four days to write this post. I better quit before we get into next week. School and work take enough time as it is. Now that I’ve incorporated fitness back into the routine, there’s less and less. We are finding time to enjoy the season though…
Don’t go in the Locker Room
We switched gym memberships about 8 months ago when the family caught up to me here in St. Louis. Gold’s Gym is two miles from the house and our location is a corporate gym which is supposed to mean great gear, cleanliness, etc. I stopped going months ago during the winter because I hated getting out in the ice and other assorted winter elements.
I have been ramping up for the daily gym visit again. If I truly get back to a pace I was at a year ago I’ll need a gym that I feel comfortable in 4 days a week. I say comfortable because that’s what its about for me. I don’t go to gyms to socialize or compete. I just need a place to train in my own space.
There’s many reasons why we don’t like Gold’s and we’re looking for a new home in that department. It’s the little things that irk me. The gym back in Virginia had a basket for car keys so you didn’t need a locker or worry about carrying keys in your pocket. They also had a row of coat hangers to hang jackets, or for me a warm-up jacket and pants, again so you didn’t necessarily need a locker. Basically you never had to enter the locker room if you played your cards right.
This is one of the things that turn me off to gyms the most: the locker room. I don’t know how it is for the ladies but in a mens locker room there are always that assorted bunch of dudes that just like to hang out naked and chat with anyone that comes along. They are always there, lurking, waiting for another naked socialite. I don’t believe they’re gay, just proud to be naked.
Usually the nakedites don’t have great physique either which is another item that has always puzzled me. Most are older too. It’s like a bunch of grandpa’s standing around at the proctologist talking about the last check-up they had. I don’t know what they talk about. I never socialize in the gym, regardless.
Our Gold’s forces you to enter the locker room. They don’t allow you to leave your keys at the front counter. There’s not a place to hang a jacket. You have to go to the locker room. I usually take an empty locker as close to the entrance as possible so I can drop off and pick up as quickly as I can. Yesterday I got caught.
I had my ear phones in and didn’t hear the initial comment. There he was, a half-naked socialite. And half-naked means there’s no bottom, just a shirt. He was a Jackie Wright look-a-like, right out of Benny Hill but a little more stockier. Because I had my music on, a little Allman Brother’s Southbound (oh, I miss Dixie) and clearly not engaged in recognizing any person, I was somewhat puzzled that his lips were moving while looking at me.
I could have just walked out. I didn’t. I removed the ear pieces to acknowledge the greeting or whatever this guy was talking about.
“Did you hear that?” he asked grinning ear to ear. “No, I didn’t.” I said, now even more puzzled. Was the roof of the gym collapsing? Did a fire alarm go off?
“Oh ok,” he said. “I just ripped a big one over here,” he exclaimed still smiling ear to ear, proud of the morning flatulence, wanting the Master’s green jacket as an award.
I had no comment and headed briskly for the exit. As if he were Santa Clause and was wishing me a Merry Christmas as he rode off into the moonlight I heard him say, “whoo, don’t come around this corner.”
This is precisely why you stay out of the locker room. Next time Tom, keep the ear piece in.
Good Friday, ya’ll.