Classic 4 of 40: Dune

Dune by Frank Herbert

Why Dune? 
I don't want to be in a classics rut where I just read literary masterpieces. This was a classics can be fun, kind of read! And I have never read science fiction. I like science fiction movies, so it seemed about time!!













Thoughts on the book: 
It was delightful, page-turning, thoughtful, and a worthwhile read! I was taken in immediately by the scenes and imagination of this novel. Soon thereafter I was completely pullled into the universe of Dune. Arrakis. The Arakeen people. The main characters were plentiful and complex. The story was both relatable and other worldly.

I understand how this book has stood the test of time.


Recommended for:  Those who want to sink into a novel with rivalries, revenge, mysteries, and politics. This book has, and likes to point out that it has, plots within plots within plots. But it builds so well, I never felt left behind by the author. And hope you will enjoy it!

If you enjoyed Lord of the Rings, this similarly has journeys full of adventure, a deep cast of characters, and a brilliantly created universe.

Plus, I now understand some nerd jokes! Bonus.

I completely understand this meme! Ha. The power of reading classics.

#2 of 40: The Grand Canyon - First Completed!

The Grand Canyon: First of 40 Completed!

I made it!! The Grand Canyon.

Desert View (near the East Entrance of the South Rim). The Watchtower, designed by Mary Colter, completed 1932.

It was an unexpected trip in some respects, but all of it was beautiful.

My mom & I had been talking about going to watch my cousin play in a softball tournament this year - because somehow it's her final year in college. And we picked the one in Arizona. Not knowing anything beyond what google maps offered us, we booked!

We stayed in Sedona. We hoped that the weather would cooperate and we'd be able to make it through the snow to the Grand Canyon. Fingers crossed, I boarded the flight from below freezing DC.

It was clear by the time I had made it to my layover in Atlanta and my family had made it to Phoenix that things were going to work out! It was a toasty 81 degrees in Phoenix and snow free in Sedona!!

We spent the first day driving back to Phoenix to watch my amazing cousin play in their first tournament of the year - we were all adjusting to the beating sun and heat. The players had the brunt of it - with no shade cover at all. Yikes. Check this girl out!

On Day 2, we could wait no longer! Off to the Grand Canyon we went!! Starting from Sedona was great. It was a little cooler, already in the red rocks, and closer to the big destination - meaning more time to see the national park!

My nephew, Lennon, taking in the vastness of the Grand Canyon. Adorable!

 During the drive  - full with plenty car games provided by "Grandma" (a.k.a. my mom) to keep my nephews entertained, we kept climbing in elevation. I had absolutely no idea that the Grand Canyon was so high up in altitude. On the drive up we were reaching over 7,000 feet. But we made it!


We practically ran to our first outlook (it may have been the need for a restroom break, but I choose to believe it was the view we were eager to get to!) Thankfully, and skillfully planned, there was a watch tower at the first post - allowing us to climb and climb and climb up some narrow steps and look out a little further with each level.


We had a picnic lunch over looking the deep crevasses - and had the too-close-for-comfort company of a raven. Ravens were all over. Much the boys delight and my dismay. We found out this guy had eyed a little bit of PB&J crust and was waiting for the moment to jump in for the grab. Which he got!

Raven eyeing my mom's lunch!

We pulled out and each look out, and kept saying we wouldn't get out, but couldn't help ourselves. Each stop was stunning. Each view was breath taking.

When we reached the visitor's center the map showed that after miles of stopping and viewing and gasping at the beauty - we had barely begun to view the whole park. We had only ventured a very small way in!! I was floored. It really is SO. Big. I was amazed. I am thrilled to have a reason (or dozens of reasons, really) to return.

Though we had hoped to venture out on the viewing platform - the glass one that goes out over the canyon for a dizzying view downward - but found out that we were on the wrong side of the canyon! We were on the South Rim, and apparently it's on the North Rim. Reason to go back!


While we did "hike," it was on a paved path along the rim. It was beautiful.

That thing happens where people at the park are just happy to be there. Everyone was a little giddy. February was a beautiful time to be there. The weather was lovely. The crowds were present, but sparse.

River - fountain of Grand Canyon knowledge!

The canyon - as my nephew River educated me - is a vertical mile! I was shocked that it was "only" a mile to the bottom. Clearly, it takes much longer than a mile to reach the bottom, but somehow it was still a surprise. One day, I would love to hike or raft down at the bottom!


But for now, I'm happy to have made it and seen one of the majestic beauties our country has to offer.

Sunset snack spot on the Canyon Rim!!Yavapai Point

As the sun was beginning to set, we scrambled a little bit to find a good viewing spot. The maps offered at the park are atrocious! Appalling, even! As the road options are limited, we ended up at Yavapai Point (near the Geology museum) - for a snack and sunset experience!

One couple had a bottle of wine. Brilliant!

We had trail mix & fresh Grand Canyon water - delicious!

The boys - enjoying watching the sun go down over the South rim.

I'm so glad that not only did I make to the gorgeous Grand Canyon - but got to make it their with my mom, Dennis, River, and Lennon. I am one lucky woman! Thanks to each of you for being there!

The Grand Canyon crew! At Grandview Point

2015 Bike Goal Achieved! (Spin goal)

It's only January and I have already met one of my goals for biking! This was the only goal I have for spinning. I'll take it!

My spin studio (Ride DC) calculates metrics tied to each bike for each rider and it's posted in real time during class, then details of your performance are sent to your email after class, and they are tracked on your individual profile on the website. It sounds intense - and maybe it is. But it's completely motivating!

I'm regularly the bottom of the class.  On a good day I'm in middle of the class. And that's okay with me! I'm mostly in competition with myself. And I'm kicking my own ass. 

The summary category is: Total Energy. For each class - starting around last May - I had a goal of reaching 300 "points" in the Total Energy category in each class. Then I started aiming for 325, then 350, then 400, etc. It ebbs and flows and there are strong times and less strong times.

Last January (2014) - the first class that they still have on file for me, my total energy was 227.
My goal for 2015 was to reach 500 in a 45 minute class.

Last January 2014:

At the end of 2014 I was in a low period. Ranging from 315 to 375 per class. So it seemed like 500 would be a big challenge for the year. Today I got 520!!

This Friday (January 2015):

Woot woot!!!

Classic 3 of 40: Slaughterhouse 5

Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut.

Why Slaughterhouse 5?
It was long overdue: My first Vonnegut book. Finally. Slaughterhouse 5 was recommended by my friend Matt. 

My thoughts on the book: 
No spoilers here. The book is rooted in the bombing at Dresden. Confession:  I didn't know much of anything at all about the bombing at Dresden.

Beyond that basic plot tidbit, I'll say that I had never read anything with this style of writing before. It presented itself with a simple, straight-talking narrator that put you immediately at ease. Maybe I can go so far as to say the manner in which this book is narrated intends for you to feel a bit superior. But I couldn't help but be intrigued by the whole complexity of the protagonist. I was pulled into the strange world and the simply profound insights on human nature and human behavior.

It was a short book that seemed to lull me into believing it would be an easy book. But it was hard to read in a way. Challenged my first impressions, my expectations, and in the end made me feel like I lead a simple life and I'm lucky for it.

Recommended? Yes, For those that want to look at old ideas from a new perspective. While you could pick up this book and read the story, it seems like its best for those that are open to reading for more than just the plot. This book, and I'm guessing this author, is not for everyone all of the time. Recommended for those that are willing to read with an open mind.

Ricotta Making! (a.k.a. Learn to make cheese part 1)

Superbowl Sunday!!

My friend Victoria joined me early on Superbowl Sunday afternoon. We planned to take a crack at and conquer ricotta making in plenty of time for the Big Game. Things did not go as planned.

Ultimately the game was crushing, but we conquered the ricotta! Woot woot.

This ricotta making endeavor resulted in success on the second of  two attempts. One miserable and complete failure. One wild success. I will tell you about both, so you can learn from our (many) mistakes.

First here are the 3 ingredients and the very simple instructions.

Ingredients: 1 gallon whole milk, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 Lemon Juice*

Directions: Bring milk to exactly 190 degrees stirring constantly (to prevent scorching), remove from heat, add lemon juice and stir once. Let curdle/do not touch. Let separate into curds and whey for 15-30 minutes. Drain in sieve or multiple layers of cheese cloth for 30 minutes. voila!
*see end of story for keys to success for this same recipe!

Attempt 1: 

With only 3 ingredients, you'd think we wouldn't manage to leave one out. But... we did. I'm going to blame it on the amazing story telling and catching up that happens when the two of us get together that lead us astray so quickly.... but I'm not entirely sure that's true.

We brought the milk to 190, stirring the whole time. In retrospect, I realize that at this early stage we failed to add the salt (though according to one recipe it's optional, so maybe we could pretend it was by choice).

We took the milk away from the heat. We added the fresh squeezed lemon juice. We watched and watched for curdles... but none formed. I believe I may have been speculating that curdling could be happening. There was quite a bit of froth on the milk which I hoped was preventing our viewing... sadly, that was not so.

We transferred it to the cheesecloth. And hoped to see the cheese! We were disappointed to see milk. lots of still-hot milk with some curdles. I don't think we fully grasped how big of a complete failure it was at that stage, but we did feel something was perhaps a bit amiss. It was! 

After waiting and waiting, and adding more lemon juice, things weren't looking good.  The game has now started. Seahawks are playing strong & things are looking good despite the Patriots early lead.

The "cheese" never recovered. Even after letting it sit in the cheesecloth for a long time, we still had a milky mess on our hands.  We finally admitted defeat. I ran along to the corner store to get supplies for Round 2.

Attempt 2: 

New gallon of milk. 1tsp of Salt, added early to the pot! I bought two lemons for good measure.

We heated the milk, slowly from medium high heat, building the heat, until the milk reached 190. stirring constantly with a whisk. Removed the gigantic pot of milk from the heat. Then added two lemons worth of lemon juice! I think this is the key!! Plus, lemon concentrate for good measure. Multiple squeezes.

Within minutes (probably seconds), we could see the transformation happening. We were making cheese! We waited (watching the Seahawks retake the lead back!) as the curds and whey parted ways, and came back to the pot to find a whole new texture before us. The curds were squishy like a sponge and the whey was clear and whey-like! Progress.

We then strained our ricotta (because it was clear by this stage that we were on the road to ricotta success) and30 minutes later - voila! We had ricotta cheese. A lemony, rich delicious cheese. It was amazing.

We then used it in a skillet lasagna and enjoyed the rest of the game! Right up until the brutal, painful, cruel, cruel end.

Key Lessons: 

• Use at least 3/4 cup of lemon juice for a gallon of milk
• Stir the lemon juice well, so it is well distributed. Stir quickly and walk away. 
• Use only a single layer of cheesecloth. Better yet: use a metal sieve. 
• Definitely make it. Absolutely worth it.  

Resources: 
http://www.thejoykitchen.com/ingredients-techniques/building-better-pantry-ricotta
http://video.about.com/cheese/Ricotta-Cheese-from-Scratch.htm

Thank You, Victoria! Looking forward to Mozzarella making soon.