Roasted Bruschetta

I don't usually post about food, but this was so good and easy that I'm going to.

Ingredients:
3-4 small-medium fresh tomatoes
2-3 cloves garlic
fresh basil
1/3 of a medium onion
red pepper flakes
salt/pepper
olive oil

Slice the tops off of the tomatoes and put them on a dish (I used stoneware and it worked great) that has been rubbed with olive oil. Place in oven under broiler and roast until skin is easy to remove. Top the still whole tomatoes with crushed red pepper and sea salt, add sliced onion and garlic cloves (tossed in olive oil) and put back under broiler. After everything gets good and roasted pull it all out. The onion and garlic cloves should be soft. Coarsely chop fresh basil in liberal quantity and throw in a bowl. Add still hot and whole tomatoes, coarsely chopped onion, and finely chopped garlic. Run a knife thru the bowl to slice the tomatoes up a little (don't do this on a cutting board, you'll lose all the juice). Add salt/pepper to taste and serve spooned onto toasted bread.

This was amazing. The best part was that it just came together spontaneously. I've made bruschetta before but never roasted the ingredients first. I don't know where I got the inspiration, but we had a bunch of tomatoes and fresh basil from the local farmer's market and I grubbed through the kitchen and found the other stuff and just did it. It's the best appetizer I've ever made. Try it. Change it. Let me know how it turns out. Cheers.

Fire Ants and Cankle

Part of the deal with outdoor activity, especially in wet environs, is that you are bound to abuse the hell out of your feet. I was bitten by a fire ant this weekend camping. I'm not absolutely sure that it was a fire ant. I never saw the bugger, but I've my foot as evidence and there was no shortage of fire ant mounds around the site. At first it was just a little itchy spot, but then it started growing. It's been two days now, and I think it's peaking and should start going down again soon. In any case, I've got one raging cankle. The first photo is from the end of last summer, when I don't know what happened, but my left foot swelled up (note cool tan lines from my kayaking footware and even cooler reef scar from surfing in Hawaii). The second was taken today. I'm off to take care of the old dogs so I can use 'em for a while longer.
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Good Times...

...will begin in 5 minutes. You either know, or you don't.

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Scotty, Dad, Cindy, Willy and I. 4 of ~2000 Friends that I'll see again this weekend.

Surf and Turf Super Sprint

Finished my second race today, the Surf and Turf Super Sprint in Surf City, NC. Woke at quarter til 5, got my stuff (prepacked) and drove up to Topsail. There by 6. Met the boss, got my packet, helped set up Tech support area, set up my transition area, and then pumped tires for an hour. Nothing too exciting here. I ate a Clif Bar for breakfast and downed a gel 15 mins before the start at 8.

The Swim (750 meters): was brutal. Ocean swim, comfortable at 70 degrees in my ls spring suit. I started with the second wave. Seas looked fairly calm to me from the beach at 7, but I think the tide was coming in and it picked up by 8 to fairly choppy for a swim (my first ocean swim). Had I been surfing I would have called it waist/stomach high. Getting out through the breakers was pretty rough, despite my comfort with being in the surf zone from almost 10 years surfing. Once I made it around the first buoy I settled into a pace that was OK, but all I could think about was getting it over with. I finally rounded the last buoy and swam for shore. The run across the beach to the TA was pretty rough and my legs felt like they would give out, but I was stoked to be done with the swim and going into the first bike leg.

Bike 1 (4 miles): Into the wind on the first half, with it for the second. Averaged 17/18 into the wind, 20/21 with. Drank some water from my bottle with GU2O electrolyte replacement to stave off cramps.

Run 1 (2 miles): Not too bad. Ran my standard pace of 10 min/mile (too slow). It seemed longer than 2 miles. There was a beach leg, mostly on hard sand, but the stairs over the dunes and soft sand on the upper beach was rough.

Bike 2 (4 miles): Better than the first bike, same average into the wind, but picked it up slightly for the second half. Ate a GU gel halfway thru to help me through the last run.

Run 2 (1 mile): A little faster paced than R1. Jubilation at being almost finished.

Times and Places:

Swim: 22:21
B1: 15:12
R1: 20:58
B2: 13:12
R2: 9:27
Finish Time: 1:21:07

Place Overall Men's: 96/131 competitors
Men 30-34: 11/13 competitors

Lessons Learned and Reflections: Again, I need to get better (if not faster, at least more comfortable) at swimming. Specifically I need to practice swimming from the beach out through the breakers, and then back in. I'm going to spend as much time in the pool (and ocean) before Kure Beach as I can. I've got to run and bike faster, and in succession. I WILL IMPROVE BY MY NEXT RACE (June 28). I was finished by 9:30 and Aimee was there, so we walked over to the beach and I stood in the water for a few minutes to cool down, then packed up and rinsed off, changed, watched half of the awards ceremony, then drove home. Halfway home I was suddenly exhausted and starving. At home I showered and ate 3 black bean enchiladas and then went to work for the day. Tonight my folks are in town and took us to our favorite restaurant for my favorite curry, and it was excellent as always. I'm not too stiff yet, but I'm sure tomorrow will be a different story.

Race Bike

The Bike I'm Riding Tomorrow

24 Hours to the Surf and Turf Super Sprint

Right now tomorrow I should be either running or on a bike in my second triathlon in Surf City, NC on Topsail Island. I've got to get up there by 6 a.m. to get my race packet and help with tech support for Two Wheeler. I've been training some; not dedicated swim/bike/run for hours every day, but making sure I get some physical activity in. I joined the Y and I've been using the elliptical and swimming there. I ride my bike rather than use my car all the time, and I've gone on a few runs too. Today I'm resting, getting my stuff together, and hanging with my folks. I'm a little nervous about the swim; it could be calm and glassy or big and mean based on what the wind does in the next 24 hrs. Otherwise I'm looking forward to it. I'll let you know how it goes.

Friends

In the bad economy (and afterwards), make sure you take time to do little things that actually matter. Go for a bike ride or a walk, hold hands with your partner, eat a good meal, have friends over for dinner. There are lots of things to do that don't cost money and can be more rewarding than the things that do. Life isn't about cars and houses and rings and material; it's about experience, and knowledge, and relationships. We had dinner with friends tonight, and played a game. It didn't cost much, but it was a great time, and I'm grateful to be able to share with people who've had an impact on my life, and whose lives I think I've impacted in return. Thanks to all my friends, you know who you are. Cheers.