Kitchen Fun

One of my goals for this year is to do more cooking, so I decided to try a new recipe from the cookbook 366 Delicious Ways to Cook Rice, Beans, and Grains. I bought this cookbook in the spring of 2008, and I think this is the first recipe I've tried from it! I decided on the "Brown Rice and Lentils" recipe on p. 329, went to the grocery store, and came back with several goodies!

For starters, I didn't have a large skillet with a matching top! I was also missing the spices cumin and coriander in my spice rack, and I also picked up lentils, fresh cilantro, and fresh scallions.

Here, I sauteed the fresh carrot and small onion (in the first picture) in olive oil, and added the cumin and coriander. Yummy smell already at this point!

Here, I added the uncooked brown rice and lentils, and sauteed a little more. I added four cups of water, put the lid on and brought it to a boil. Then it simmered for 40 minutes.

The scallion and cilantro got mixed in at the end, and the whole enchilada had to sit under a paper towel for five minutes.







And voila! It tastes really good, and the recipe made several servings! Can't wait to have it for lunch this coming week!

125 Days and Counting!

I just checked the website for the Outer Banks Marathon, and it's only 125 days (plus some hours and seconds) away! Wowee! I'm both excited and nervous about it, to be honest. I'm excited because it'll be my first marathon, but I'm nervous because I've been kinda struggling with the long runs lately. I must be patient, and continue to prepare for it. Well rounded training includes good nutrition, hydration, and sleep, as well as exercise.

Happy New Year!

Today marks the end of the fiscal year at work, and I'm relieved and glad that things went really well. As with many "new year" transitions, it's made me pensive about things at work, and my life in general. What do I want to accomplish in the next year? 5 years? 10 years? I'm glad for the chance to think about these things in the middle of the calendar year, even if some of the decisions and challenges are tough.

I'm looking forward to taking the rest of the year, I mean WEEK, off, to power down, catch up on some housework, reading, and genealogy, and probably do some goal planning.

100 Day Challenge for Better Health

I'm now on Day 9 of the 100 Day Challenge I started for myself to work on healthy habits. I was inspired a bit by the book 100 Days of Weight Loss: The Secret to Being Successful on Any Diet Plan, a book I'm reading through in chunks. I decided not to follow the book, day by day, because I want to develop all-around good habits. Of course, I want to lose weight along the way too! :) The book has some pretty good ideas, but I'm glad I borrowed it from the library.

So, I'm tracking the following things, with the goal of doing them daily:

1) Weigh in
2) Take a multivitamin
3) Drink 64 oz of water
4) Sleep
5) Floss

I'm recording my weight, as well as hours of sleep, no matter what the numbers are. I've also got a comments section, where I put things like "ate at ____ Restaurant last night" or "meeting after work," in hopes that I can see patterns over time that will help me be healthier.

One of the motivators in this is that I'm training for my first marathon, and being ready means doing all I can to be healthier. The exercise is easy for me to do, and I'm already recording that in a paper log, as well as several online exercise logs. (Wierd, but there's a reason! The paper log goes with me to the gym. The various online exercise logs have different features I like a lot, whether it's tracking shoes, neat graphs, or social networking. I haven't been able to give up one of them yet!)

So far, I have a perfect score in every column for the first 8 days. I'm still working on going across the board for today. Things I've learned so far:

1) Something close to 7 hours of sleep is optimal for me, but I'm not good about getting it.
2) It's easier for me to drink more water during the work week.
3) Flossing any time of day is good. If I floss in the morning, sometimes I floss again at night. All the better, right? I think my dentist and dental hygienist will be pleased, come August, if I keep that up. I've gotten the flossing lecture during my last two visits to the dental hygienist. I haven't had a cavity in ages, but I don't want to tooth ache to interfere with my marathon training!

I'm keeping track of this on a spreadsheet, which I uploaded to Google Docs, so I can add to it wherever I am. I numbered Days 1-100 down the lefthand side, and have the five goals in column headers across the top, along with a comments column.

So far, so good.

Top facts about the name Lesley Looper

I googled my name recently, and came upon the site isthisyour.name. It's pretty amusing. I also learned that my "power animal" is the Satin Peruvian Guinea Pig, and my numerology number is 6 (which means I'm responsible, careful, and compassionate). Also, acccording to the US Census Bureau, 0.023% of US residents have the first name 'Lesley' and 0.0017% have the surname 'Looper'. The US has around 300 million residents, so we guesstimate there are 1 Americans who go by the name 'Lesley Looper'.

There's actually one other "Lesley Looper," and we're related (don't remember how, now), but have never met.

Did you know that Lesley Looper is...

1. Well envoweled
2. Yelsel Repool backwards
3. Esleylay Ooperlay in Pig Latin
4. 01001100 01100101 01110011 01101100 01100101 01111001 00100000 01001100 01101111 01101111 01110000 01100101 01110010 in binary code?

See more at www.IsThisYour.Name

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Fun with Picture Books!

I've been on a reading kick of late, and my current obsession is children's picture books! I'm finding them to be very relaxing and soothing, sometimes funny, sometimes thoughtful. Some of the books have been pictures only, but most have had stories as well. Some of the books I've reread, as they were favorites when I taught school, but some I've enjoyed for the first time. Now, I'm on a kick to read all of the Caldecott Medal winners. It'll take me a little while longer, as I can only put 30 books at a time on hold at the public library, and I'm currently at my quota (again!). The staff must "love" me, but if circulation stats mean anything, perhaps I'm helping there! :>

Some favorite illustrators I'm enjoying revisiting are David Wiesner, Steven Kellogg, Tomie dePaola, Chris van Allsburg, and Uri Shulevitz.

I write reviews, however short, for a lot of the books I read, on book-tracking website Goodreads.com. Check out my profile here, and feel free to "friend" me visiting the website. I enjoy checking out what others read, and have gotten many good ideas. Once I finish the Caldecott winners, I'll think about what reading goal to tackle next. Any ideas? :)

Memorial Day Trip to Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area

This afternoon, George and I packed a lunch at drive one county over to Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area, in Hillsborough, North Carolina. We had a nice lunch on one of the picnic tables at the bottom of the trails, which was very pleasant. Then we headed up the trail to the summit.









The trail is through a pretty, wooded area.














This is one of the overlooks.














Near the summit













This tower was at the top of Occoneechee Mountain. Not very scenic from the bottom of the top, but this towers are kinda fascinating to me, up close anyway.

It was a nice, relaxing way to spend an afternoon. The hike we took was not terribly long or strenuous, a good thing because it was very humid this afternoon!

You CAN Buy Imagination

Earlier today, I ordered this poster from allposters.com for my cubicle at work. I decided to have them laminate it as well. My cubicle walls are still pretty drab, though I've been in my new workspace for nearly 10 months! Can't wait to hang this poster up!

Okay, I Did It Again

No, I'm not about to break into the Britney Spears song by a similar title! I did just register for the local Galloway training program, though! Evenhough I'm still working on the IT Band Syndrome in my right leg, and am hardly running at all at the moment, I'm still doing crosstraining and stretching like crazy. I'm missing running like crazy too, and have been exercising with my bottom lip sticking out this week. I think this is just what I need to start getting out of my funk! The people in the Raleigh Galloway group are friendly, helpful and really encouraging, so the timing of the training season kick-off this coming Saturday couldn't be better for me! I start physical therapy a week from today, and am thinking about getting a sports/deep tissue massage for my leg. (Any recommendations for Triangle massage therapists?!)

Thanks to Katy and the Pink Pacers!

Katy, a fellow Junior Leaguer, and her "Pink Pacer" teammates recently did the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in Washington, DC. Before they left for DC, Katy put a shout out on Facebook, inviting her FB friends to post the names of people we wanted her to walk in honor or memory of. My mom, LaNelle Looper, is a breast cancer survivor, so I posted her name for Katy. After the walk was over, Katy posted cute pictures on Facebook, including a picture of the backpack she carried with her on the Avon Walk. In the middle column, above the pink part, is my mom's name! Thanks, Katy!!

Read more about Katy's Pink Pacers Team here. (You can even donate!)

Monday Picker-Upper

I just got the link to this YouTube video from a Duke classmate on Twitter. (Sounds very Web 2.0, doesn't it?!) I expecially enjoyed it because "The Sound of Music"has been one of my favorite movies for ages! Enjoy!

Bucket List: The Grand Canyon

Recently, I had the opportunity to talk about my pipe dream for retirement, which included trips to at least four international locations I haven't been to yet (Machu Picchu, the Pyramids in Egypt, the Great Wall of China, the Eiffle Tower).

After a recent trip by George's first cousin to the Grand Canyon, I decided I want to add some "local" destinations to my bucket list as well. I'm sure there's little surprise that the Grand Canyon is high on my list.

Yesterday, I started a savings account for this trip. (ING Direct, an online bank, allows for any number of accounts, which you can name. Transferring money from my main brick-and-mortar account will be easy, technically speaking, anyway! One dollar at a time, right?



I don't have a timeframe yet; it'll depend on when the money is saved, and when both George and I can go. Meanwhile, I'll enjoy researching the activities, lodging, and other possibilities. I'd love suggestions!





Meanwhile, these are free images of Grand Canyon from the National Park Service website! Inspiration!

Main Street

A couple of Saturdays ago, when a group of us volunteered at Urban Ministries for supper, we noticed that nearby Dillard St. was blocked off, and there were lots of bright lights. Turns out they're filming the movie,"Main Street" in Durham. Pretty cool! It includes several actors I've actually heard of (don't laugh!), including Colin Firth, Orlando Bloom, Ellen Burstyn, and Andrew McCarthy. Now I wish George and I had hung out for a bit!

Thinking Ahead

A couple of weeks ago, my Covenant Group (small "spiritual discussion" group from church) met, and the discussion topic revolved around our "pipe dreams" for retirement. It was interesting to hear the group members' thoughts on this, as I formulated my own. Retirement is a moving target right now, in terms of when I'll be able to retire, as well as my interests. Part of what I want to do in retirement will depend on what I accomplish between now and then. It's been fun to continue to think about this topic, to mull ver my "bucket list."

In the mean time, I've increased my 403b contribution at work, hoping that the economy is pretty much done tanking, and will start to rebound in the months ahead. I also dumped some spare change into my IRA. Money will play a part in what I can or can't do in retirement, and I want to have options. Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy choices!

My family tree work has also been getting more attention lately, as a result of the last Covenant Group meeting. I'd like to be able to do a number of things with my genealogy interest, not just in retirement, but in the months and years ahead!

Losing Interest

Last night, I watched "The Biggest Loser" for the first time in several weeks, and it reminded me of my own TV-watching transformation, something that's happened almost without my noticing.

It used to be that, when "The Biggest Loser" first started, I watched the show by myself, then George started watching it with me. We watched the past couple of seasons together pretty religiously, though we both got pretty irritated by one of last season's contestants, Vicky. We started watching again this season, but then realized that spending two hours watching TV on a "school night" felt like a big chunk of time, when we both had other things we'd rather be doing. So, we started taping the show and watching it on the weekend. THEN, our weekends started getting busier, so we recently missed watching about a month's worth of episodes! Well, last night I happened to have the TV on, listening to more than watching the local news, which has a 7 PM edition, and "The Biggest Loser" started right after the news. I'd forgotten it was coming on, so it took me by surprise! (I used to put it on my calendar!) George didn't even have any interest in watching it with me, and didn't ask me about it as we got ready for bed.

Watching the episode last night wasn't as satisfying as it used to be. I didn't feel really motivated or inspired afterward, like I used to, and I've been trying to figure out why. It was kinda nice to see the progress the remaining contestants have made, but it didn't leave me looking forward to next week's episode at all.

I think part of it is that I've realized (again!) how unrealistic the show is. Few people have the time to take off several weeks to months from their lives to exercise, work with trainers, and eat healthy meals in a constrolled environment. Then, there was last season's player of players, Vicky, who so blatently "played the game" that it was a distraction from some of the good things happening on the show. Of course, there was this season's flub with contestant Dane, who was taped at home (once he got eliminated) finishing a local marathon, when in reality, he was picked up several miles from the finish line and driven to the end of the course, where he was taped crossing the finish line. Only when viewers balked did the show and Dane come clean about really happened with the race. (Apparently, Dane wasn't going to finish before the race officials closed the course, and the segment producer wanted to have him crossing the finish line with the finishing clock running for the benefit of showing at the end of the episode. When that episode aired, no one in front of the camera mentioned the pickup, and we were left with the impression that Dane had finished his first marathon in a great time! The story now goes that he returned to the course later in the day to run the miles he'd missed for the taping of the episode. ) Being a slow runner myself, that whole thing was a turn-off.

So, I think I'll probably just catch the recaps online for the rest of the season, but maybe I'll watch the season finale. I'll find other things to do with that two-hour chunk of time!

New (to me) Products

I recently read the book, Purple Cow, by Seth Godin. It was an interesting book about what makes companies and products remarkable. One of the products mentioned was Dr. Bonner's Soap. Part of what's supposed to be remarkable about this product is that it's organic. I've never shopped for organic soap...I buy organic vegetables and fruits once in a while, but that's about it. I was intrigued, though, so I bought some of the peppermint liquid soap at the Vitamin Shoppe last night. I tried it this morning, and it smells yummy! Otherwise, it seems a little bit on the liquidy side. I'm going to keep trying it, though. It's supposed to be okay as a shampoo as well.

In addition to the soap, I recently bought a 12-can box of Diet Dr. Pepper Cherry, and I like it!

Happy Easter!

I've had an unusual Easter weekend, but a good one!

Friday night, George and I joined our Covenant Group at Nancy's house to bake some 400 cookies my scratch! That was a new experience, for sure. The cookies were for the local homeless shelter, and we were scheduled to serve last night. So, we spent about three hours baking cookies on Friday night, then about three hours cooking and serving dinner (and our cookies) at the homeless shelter last night! It was a very worthwhile thing to do, but George and I were pretty bushed this morning! So, we both slept in, and then had Easter lunch at one of our favorite restaurants, Stonewood Grill in Cary. Afterward, we went to nearby Henry's Gelato for dessert. We split a small cup of half mint and half biscutto (I think that's what that half was called, close to biscotti, but not quite). That was a yummy treat!

This afternoon, I decided to bump my fundraising goal for the Ronald McDonald House from $500 to $1000! I'm so excited about this, and my marathon race plans, that I decided to take it up a notch! Wish me luck!

Um, Congratulations?

Folks who know me well, know I'm a big fan of the Duke University Blue Devils! This goes wayyyyy back, as my parents both graduated from Duke, where my dad attended on a football scholarship. Yes, I was a Duke football fan long before I saw a Duke basketball game. What makes this a little more unusual is that I grew up in SEC territory, where most of my friends pulled for Auburn or Alabama!

My sister followed the family tradition by attending Duke, and lo and behold, I did as well! Then, some 15 years after graduating, I returned to Duke to work. So, my Duke blue blood runs thick!

So, you can understand if I have trouble sometimes pulling for the "other team," the UNC Tarheels, the newly crowned 2009 NCAA besketball champions! UNC is Duke's biggest rival, and sometimes it can be a bitter one. But, I do have fond memories of spending time in Chapel Hill my senior year. I even got to attend the first basketball game in the Dean Dome (which happened to be against Duke)!

Truth be told, though, I think that having another great basketball team in UNC down the road helps make Duke a better team. If the rivalry shut down, I think Duke would be hard pressed to find another consistently good conference team to replace UNC in the schedule. It's like being part of a class, group, or work department where everyone is busting their butts, so you're motivated to do the same.

There's something to be said for the company you keep (or want to keep). That's why we join clubs, churches, interest groups. Joining the Galloway training group in Raleigh last year has opened up my running world, and I get a kick out of seeing the people I met there out and about in the area. They're an active bunch by the nature of it being a running group, and most of them are faster than me. Probably without knowing it, many of them inspire me to want to be a better running.

Although I didn't watch the game last night (it was halftime when I clicked on the TV, but it was bedtime for me), and in fact I haven't watched any basketball games since Duke bowed out of the tournament, I am glad that a North Carolina and ACC team won the national title--eventhough it wasn't Duke! UNC makes for good company. (Shhhh, don't tell anyone I said so!We're rivals, you know!) ;-)

Patience

Every so often, the whole patience lesson comes up to show me a thing or two! For instance, the week after I signed up for the Outer Banks Marathon, I got overexcited about training, and got injured. It's taken patience to take it a little easier, and to be creative about working out. As a result, I'm doing more strength training and stretching.

Over the weekend, George and I went to a couple of meetings at church, in addition to the regular service, in an effort to learn more about recent events going on at our church. I was hoping to learn all the facts over the course of the weekend, but that wasn't in the cards. I learned more, but not everything! I discovered that no one has all the answers, and it will take patience (among other things!) to sort through everything and figure out the way. Our covenant group had our regular meeting tonight, and while we talked about "the issues" briefly, most of the meeting was our normal topical discussion. I must admit, it was nice to take a mental break from the challenging issues of the weekend and funnel my brain power in a different direction. The people in our covenant group make for good company and stimulating conversation!

Excitement at Barnes & Noble

I stopped by Barnes and Noble at New Hope Commons tonight on my way home from dinner out, and escaped without buying a single book (but pretty notecards instead)! That's not the exciting thing, though! I learned at checkout that the Barnes & Noble sign was on fire! I thought they meant a stand-alone sign was flaming, but no! The store evacuated as I was getting into my car, and as I drove out, I saw that the "B" on the sign ON THE BUILDING was ablaze! Thank goodness the firetrucks were on their way as I drove down 15-501! Yikes!