Poor Pitiful Pearl and Peppermint Bark

The Mondawmin Mall in Baltimore may have been the first enclosed mall; I think I read that somewhere. Anyway, it was the place we went to when I was a little girl. It had two floors of shops and everything anyone, at that time, could want.

My favorite shop was Roger's Toy Store. It was on the first level, tucked in the back. I can still remember how I felt as we'd approach. Right near the entrance was a life-size stuffed giraffe. There were games, stuffed animals, and my favorite: dolls.

One year, near Channukah, I remember looking longingly at a doll in the window: Poor Pitiful Pearl. Pearl was a woebegone girl: she had a shabby dress and a headscarf. She had big sad eyes, a button nose and no hint of a smile. Every time we went to the mall I had to spend at least a few minutes looking at her. And without fail, my mother would tell me she was too expensive. And my response, without fail, was always, "I'm just looking."

Jerry's mother, Judy, passed away last week. She had survived three lung cancer treatments over the last ten years, so by anyone's estimation, her life was a miracle. Judy was a collector: paintings, first-edition books, Lladro figures and dolls. She had Shirley Temples, Barbies, and a host of rare and collector-coveted specimens.

Several years ago when Judy was at the house, I pulled out my Whimsey Doll. Tillie The Talker certainly showed her age and the effects of a little girl's own whimsy. She had her hair cut and her ears pierced. But I loved her, and I still do. We got to talking about dolls and I told Judy the Poor Pitiful Pearl story.

The next Christmas, we were at Judy's house. She still lived in Dayna Point at the time, and we flew down, hauling presents for the family. Christmases at Judy's were known for their excess. Lots of stuff; not all of it something you really wanted, but the philosophy seemed to be more is more.

We had a nice dinner and then moved on to opening presents. Because of the multitude, we each took turns, opening one present at a time. There were t-shirts and tool kits from trade shows; there were flamingo socks. And then there was a big box for me from Judy.
Poor Pitiful Pearl, in her patched red dress and headscarf looking up at me with those sad eyes.

It may have been the best present I have ever received, and I still get teary thinking about it.

To call this year's Christmas subdued would hardly describe it. Jerry and I are pretty much ignoring the holiday. Four months ago his father in Southern California died, and now, just days ago, his mother, in northeast Texas went to sleep and didn't wake up. Fortunately Jerry had been there just the week before when they could still talk and tell each each other of their mutual love. I had been there in November, so I got to see Judy when she still had hope that she was going to once again, beat this thing. I am so thankful for Hospice coming in and telling her if she didn't feel like getting out of bed that was just fine, and letting her know it was okay to go.

The one holiday tradition I did not give up this year was baking and making candy. Every year I make a couple of batches of peppermint bark and I sell it to raise money for AIDS Lifecycle. I didn't hawk it as heavily as I usually do, but I sold five or six pounds, so raised some money for the cause closest to my heart. I also baked two different kinds of biscotti and as usual, toffee bars, which are Jerry's favorite.

This has been one hell of a year. And I am so looking forward to it being over. Jerry and I plan to make New Year's resolutions for the first time: we resolve to have a happy 2011, full of fun and travel.
God bless us all.

Point Reyes and the Death of Velma and Earl

The weather here in Marin is what summer was supposed to be like. It's sunny, in the high 60s, low 70s and perfect for cycling.

Jerry and I had not been on our tandem in weeks, so this weekend we ventured out for a short ride-- only about 20 miles-- from Nicasio to Pt. Reyes Station.

Despite having not ridden much lately, the bike felt great and we averaged around 15 mph. Granted, we didn't take on any major hills, but we rode well and it did feel good. Next weekend, maybe we'll ride a little further.

I haven't been on my single bike in a couple of weeks, but I don't think I've lost my nerve. I still need to ride up and down hills; I haven't done that yet, but it will come. I need to be patient. But due to my lack of nerve, I don't get much of a workout on the single, so tandem riding keeps my muscles going and chest heaving, so more tandem, less single until I'm ready.

Velma, my chicken that is strapped to my handlebars lost her cluck some time ago. The stress of all that air pressure was just too much for her. I knew I had to retire her sooner or later, but the later came sooner, as this week, Earl, Jerry's handlebar chicken, almost lost his head. The sun beating on his little rubber neck was just too much, and it finally got the best of him. We are considering burying them in a shoe box in the back yard. For now, they have been freed from the bike and are lying in state on the hood of my car.

My Week of Meat

Part of why we have not ridden much lately was due to our week-long trip to northeast Texas, more specifically, Lone Star, where Jerry's mother lives with her husband.

Judy has not been doing all that well lately, so we thought we'd visit. She has successfully battled lung cancer for longer than anyone I've ever known or even heard of, but it has now spread to her other lung and it has weakened her significantly. She's on oxygen and using a walker, and occasionally a wheel chair.

Judy and Dee have help come in every day and friends and relatives bring over casseroles. Judy is not eating much, so I decided my assignment for the week was to make things she liked in hopes of getting her to eat more. And I know what Judy likes: meat. People who know me know I will eat most anything, but what I don't eat is beef, but that wasn't going to stop me from cooking it, though I knew I had to ease into it.

The first night I made turkey meatloaf, mashed Yukon golds and sauteed zucchini and yellow squash. I folded eggs, mild salsa and breadcrumbs into the loaf. The potatoes were filled with milk and lots of butter, though no garlic. I did use some garlic in the squash, though not a lot. These are two folks in their 80s who are not all that fond of highly spiced foods. I even found out a few days into the visit that Dee does not like garlic or squash, so they weren't in much of the menu for the rest of the week.

Deciding that I had waded in far enough, on night two I took a deep dive with steak. Here's where I admit that I let Jerry grill the steaks. The kitchen has a small GE grill-- sort of like one of the George Foreman type of things, so I marinated the steaks in some oil and vinegar, and yes, garlic (I hadn't received the news about Dee yet) and Jerry grilled them up. I roasted brussel sprouts and potatoes. The potatoes were a hit; the brussel sprouts, not so much. Jerry and I love them, but again, the traditionalists would have rather had them boiled.

Next came boneless pork chops. I took a chance on a mustard sauce, and it indeed, went over well.

I ended the week with beef stew that was also gratefully accepted. I made enough so there were a couple more meals to freeze.

As the week went on, Judy seemed to be eating a little better and got a little stronger. She had a setback when she stumbled and tripped while using her walker, and while she wasn't hurt, it blew a big hole in her confidence.

For me, while it was a big cooking week, it was not an eating highlight for me. It's just not my kind of food, particularly the beef. On those nights I had leftovers of things I did eat.

The highlight of my week, eating-wise, actually came shortly after we arrived in Texas. After we left Love Field in our rental car, we went in search of dinner before our long drive. Not far from the airport, we stumbled upon a little diner. Lucky's looked like your usual greasy spoon, except it had a full bar. And my gaydar immediately went off loudly: the place was full of gay men. And there was fried okra on the menu. So all in all, a wonderful dining experience.

And miles to go...

before I eat. Actually it's just too early for dinner, but that doesn't stop me from thinking about it.

Jerry and I just took an eeny weeny ride around the neighborhood on our singles. I'm slowly getting the seat to the proper height and every now and then even take a hand off the handlebars to signal. I'm getting there, slowly. But getting there. If the weather holds we'll take the singles to the bike path in Sausalito this weekend, and I will try at least a small hill.

Halloween is Sunday, and I'm looking forward to our cul de sac party. We sit outside with big bowls of candy and eat turkey chili that Vicki makes, cornbread that Joan makes, and drink wine that Rita brings. This year I made bat cookies for dessert.

I found a nice brown sugar cookie recipe on Epicurious. It had nutmeg in it, and I added a little cinnamon. I overdecorated the bats and they are hideously lovely. Lots of sprinkles and black and orange gel. I've never used this gel before and I sure as hell hope it firms up. I'd like to toss the cookies in the freezer so I don't eat them before Sunday.

Tonight we'll probably have beans and rice leftovers that I made in the slow cooker last evening. I sure do love my slow cooker. It's not like I'm making anything different; I just love not having to deal with things like stews and spaghetti sauce. No burning on the bottom: no trying to adjust the flame to low enough to not scorch whatever it is I'm cooking.

And I've already started planning Thanksgiving. For the first time, I may actually stuff the bird. or not. Decisions, decisions.

Half Bike, Noodles and Beer

Anyone who knows me knows I am a tandem rider. What they might not know is why I pretty much stick to the tandem.

Two years ago, I took my newly acquired used single bike, a Bianchi Boardwalk, out for a ride around my neighborhood. I left with my garage door opener in my back pocket. No ID or anything else with me.

The next thing I remember is waking up at Marin General, Jerry by my side, a cut on my head and double vision. Somewhere, somehow, just a few blocks from home I crashed. I don't know what actually happened, though I can surely speculate.

Riding as a stoker on a tandem takes strength, but not much skill other than to be in tune with your captain. I don't steer; I don't shift gears; I sightsee and keep an eye on the cyclometer so I can kick a little harder when our speed is down.

What I think might have happened on that day I crashed is, I was paying far too much attention to my cyclometer and not enough to the road. Crash. I had a concussion and I damaged a cranial nerve, forcing me to wear prism glasses for six months until I'm thankful to say, it fixed itself without surgery.

Since then, I have taken two cycling classes but the fear has not left. But I really did not want to give up. So, once again, I signed up for a class-- this time with the Marin Bicycling Coalition.

The positive part: there were only two students in the class; the downside: the area in which we had to practice was far too small, due to Biketoberfest taking over much of Fairfax. We did run through drills and while I was shaky, I gained a bit of confidence. Then we went for a road ride. We rode for an hour, making our way through Fairfax, San Anselmo and a bit beyond.

And it felt great. I had a few wobbly moments, but I was comfortable in the traffic. I stopped at stop signs, signaled for turns and felt good. I'm not sure of my speed because I took my cyclometer off the bike, so no temptation to look at it.

Jerry had taken out his single, so we met up at Biketoberfest after my class. This event is a combination bike fair and beer tasting. Jerry and I are not much in the way of beer drinkers, but we had fun looking at bicycles, and everything that goes with them. Once again, we drooled over a Calfee tandem and got a kick out of seeing a bicycle powered blender. If you wanted a smoothee, you had to pedal for it.

Knowing we were going to ride today, last evening I thought about making a noodle dish for dinner, though I wasn't feeling particularly inspired. I had made a large pot of spaghetti sauce earlier in the week and we had already had that, so I wanted something different. But what, but what...

I dug in the pantry and found a box of Chinese noodles with black bean sauce. I didn't remember buying it and had never had it before, but that didn't stop me from figuring out an improv dish. I steamed some broccoli and snow peas, sauteed some spring onions and garlic while the noodles were boiling. I also threw some pieces of cooked chicken breast in with the onions and garlic to heat it up. With that, I added some grated ginger and hoped for the best.

While it won't win any prizes, it wasn't bad. Next time I will add some heat with some cayenne and add even more ginger.

So as not to lose my nerve, Jerry and I are going to take our single bikes out again tomorrow. We'll ride around the neighborhood, continuing my progress on the flats, and perhaps sometime soon, I'll actually attempt a bit of a hill.

But as my friend Diane said when I posted on Facebook that I had ridden.. one pedal stroke at a time.

Going Commando and Popcorn

I have discussed, ad nauseum, about my butt issues on the bicycle. I switched back to an old seat; I used chamois butter by the bucketful; I tried every brand of shorts on the market, but nothing seemed to help.

Jerry and I carted the tandem over to Mike's Bikes the other night and had Jessica, one of the salespeople and a cycling enthusiast, look at my fit. We had had a fit, but the last time we saw Jessica, she told us to bring the bike in and she'd have a look.

Jessica didn't see anything wrong with the fit, but she did have some ideas. First, she suggested I do a short ride with padless shorts. Second, she asked me to put a pad in the shoe of my shorter leg.

So far, I have acted on her first suggestion. Yesterday, Jerry and I did a short 22-mile ride, part of the AIDS Lifecycle kickoff. Even though I'm not riding ALC 10, I'll still do the training rides on the tandem with Jerry. He works even harder on the tandem than on his half-bike, so he figures the training will be really great, and I get to ride.

First thing I noticed was, hmm, yeah, I feel the seat, but it doesn't really feel that bad. At red lights and when we coasted I stood as much as possible, and by the end of the ride I was a little sore, but no real irritation on those spots that get so irritated.

What I'll do on longer rides is still a question. I might try taking the seams out of the pads because maybe it's the thread doing the irritation. I may look for wider or narrower pads. I may try longer rides in padless shorts and see how I do. In any case it was surely wonderful to ride and not want to cry because of the blisters on my butt.

After the ride we had snacks at Sports Basement, I bought a pair of Sugoi padless longs that match my shorts, and we gave our raffle tickets to our friend Gabo, and wished him luck.

We got home and Jerry talked to his mother's husband about her condition. Judy has been very ill and in the hospital. Things continued to be not so great, so we decided that we should partake in our usual Sunday evening activity of popcorn for dinner at the movies.

We saw "Social Network" and enjoyed it more than we thought we would. Who knows if those folks are really such big jerks in real life, and who cares. We got our mind off of troubles for a couple of hours and ate the entire large bag of popcorn.

We did get better news today about Jerry's mom. She's much better and may go home from the hospital in the next couple of days. Made us both much happier.

And in my quest to get back on my single, I'm taking yet another riding class next weekend, this time with the Marin Bicycling Coalition. Maybe the third time's the charm.

It's what I do

Jerry's father died last week. We knew it was coming, but when it actually happens, there is no way to really predict reactions and feelings. Jerry had been going down to visit him fairly regularly in the past several months; on his last visit I accompanied him. We saw his dad declining pretty rapidly.

This was a man who perhaps less than two years ago was still beating people half his age at racquetball. He had been diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis some time ago, but it seemed the disease was very slow in progressing. I think it may have been to his active lifestyle. Besides racquetball, Don took care of property he owned, doing maintenance and mechanical work.

Don would have celebrated his 88th birthday at the end of this month. So while he lived a long, full and mostly healthy life, it's still not easy to say goodbye to a loved one.

We got the news late Thursday evening, and Jerry left the next morning for Orange County. At the time he said he'd let me know when funeral arrangements were made, and then I would come down. But it didn't take either of us long to realize that just wasn't what felt right, so I flew down on Saturday.

And I started to do what I do. Feed people. I cooked dinner. With Don's wife Carmen and one of her daughters, I went shopping. I began planning what we would have to eat after the funeral.

For me, food is a way I express myself. It is love; it is caring.

The funeral was Wednesday, and I came back to the house after the church service. I didn't like missing the military honors at the cemetery, but I felt I had a job to do at home. I arranged trays; I cut up the brownies I had baked. I arranged chairs. I wanted everything to be ready when Carmen, Jerry and his sister Donna, and the rest of the family arrived.

Carmen has four children and they in so many ways were like Don's children. They, in turn have a bunch of kids, and a few of them have children as well. Don was their grandfather and great-grandfather. At the funeral they spoke so lovingly about him. It was touching and bittersweet.

We sat around after the funeral and basically had a non-alcoholic wake. Stories were told, and we got to know each other all over again.

There is still much to do, so Jerry will be making trips down to Orange County to help Carmen sort through things and help with what needs to be done. When I can, I will go with him. And I'll make dinner.

Blisters and Mustard Sauce

The last time Jerry and I rode, my seat issues continued, so I changed back to my old saddle-- a Specialized Jett, since in the past it had worked for me.

So, we set out Saturday morning, full of high hopes for a great ride. Initially,everything felt great,and I thought I had solved the problem, but as we climbed Camino Alto, that old "spot" started to nag at me again, and I knew the problem was not solved.

We rode around 40 miles, out to Lagunitas, where we took a break.After having rested my behind a bit, I felt ready to ride off, but it wasn't long before pain and acute discomfort set in. By the time we reached home I once again had a full-fledged blister.

After our ride, we stopped in at Mike's Bikes in San Rafael, where Joyce, a downhill rider, has given me advice before, and I think perhaps she came up with the answer. It's not the saddle, but its position. We will bring the tandem in later this week (and she wants me to bring ALL my shorts) and we'll get to the bottom of my bottom problem. I have confidence that she can figure this out.

The night before the ride, I decided we needed a good dinner; besides, I felt like cooking.

I went to Trader Joe's with a couple of ideas; I settled on some thinly sliced pork loin. I also got some mushrooms and broccoli.

We had some farro at home and my previous attempts at cooking it were not entirely successful. The farro was cooked just fine, but it seemed no matter what I added to it to spice it up, it was just plain bland. This time, I had some other ideas. I soaked some dried chanterelles and porcinis and used the water, along with some chicken broth, to cook the farro. I sauted the reconstituted dried mushrooms with garlic, shallots and some fresh mushrooms in some olive oil. When the farro was almost done, I added that mushroom mixture and sprinkled in perhaps two tablespoons of grated parmesan.

I sauteed the pork and steamed the broccoli, and in the pan I had sauteed the mushrooms, I made my mustard sauce. I sauteed some more garlic, threw in some herb mustard, squeezed in the juice of half a lemon, then whisked in some yogurt. I cooked it gently over low heat.

The meal came together really well, and we really enjoyed it. And even though I was full, I knew there was some home-made ginger fig ice cream in the freezer, so I just had to have a dollop to finish off the meal.

If only the ride had been as pleasant as that dinner!

Finally ready to ride and summer fruit

Finally, three weeks after the end of AIDS Lifecycle my "parts" have healed. No more bandages, antibiotic creams or moleskin. I can sit on an unpadded chair comfortably, and the next challenge will be a bike seat.

Jerry and I hope to ride on Monday, the 4th of July holiday. The Pos Peds are heading up to Alpine Dam, and while we won't do that climb, we will at least accompany them for part of the ride. I will pick my shorts judiciously. I have two pair of Volers, and their pads seem to be the best, at least for me.

Until this latest bout with the worst saddles sores I have ever had, I never realized the truly personal nature of bike shorts. I always figured, the more expensive the better. At least in my case, that is certainly not true. I've got some very high end shorts and they may be the worst culprits. The Volers are nowhere near as expensive, but I have a feeling they are going to be my spandex of choice for the near future.

Looking a little further into the future, Jerry and I are still undecided about next year's ride. My hunch is, Jerry would like to do it on his single bike, which would leave me two choices: sit out the ride altogether or come along as a roadie. I have to ask myself if I'm prepared physically to work that hard. I may have to discuss options with the roadie captain and see if there is a job that would keep me involved with the cyclists without needing another knee replacement.

The weeks since the ride have seen the grocery and farmers market full of beautiful summer fruit. Strawberries, blueberries, peaches and nectarines. I buy some with the intent of baking some delicious tart or whipping up a batch of sorbet, but I end up eating the fruit with yogurt, ice cream or by itself. Not that that's a bad thing.

Speaking of baking, my friend Leslie, who owns Theresa and Johnny's Comfort Food Cafe, has just opened the Pie Palace, a couple doors down from her eatery. She is producing beautiful sweet and savory individual pies using local ingredients. I stopped by yesterday and the business was brisk during my short visit. I hope she is incredibly successful. She is one of the hardest workers I know, her food is fantastic, and she deserves the success.

The Week of Potato Chips and Crack Bars is Over

I was going to wait for the blisters on my butt to heal before I wrote about ALC 9, but it seems that might be quite a while. Sitting down is getting a bit easier, but I've still got some hideous sores back there.

Jerry and I once again rode AIDS Lifecycle, a 545-mile bicycle ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to raise money and awareness for HIV and AIDS.

Our start on Day Zero, Orientation Day was not auspicious. I read the email wrong and we got to orientation just in time to see the last showing of the Safety Video. If a rider or roadie misses the safety video on orientation day, he or she must show up at 4:15 am to watch it on Day One. I am thankful we made it in time. This year's video, while full of important information, also featured cast members of Glee. I learned that the woman who plays Sue Sylvester (cheerleaders coach) did the ride a number of years ago. Way to go!

Because we arrived so late there were no lines and we zipped through Orientation. Jerry had to write a BIG check because he did not raise enough money. We can't really afford it, but without it we couldn't ride. The biggest downer of the day was arriving after the Positive Pedalers had closed up their shop. We had ordered jerseys, but more important, jackets from them, so we had no jackets for Day One. We solved that by getting some inexpensive jackets at Old Navy. Have I mentioned I hate Old Navy's ads.

When we finished Orientation we headed to Pacifica for dinner at Tam's Chinese restaurant. I used to live down the street and it was a favorite of ours. The hot and sour soup was still very good and the salt and pepper squid was just as we remembered it. A comforting end to a hectic day.

We then headed to Thom and Jeff's our annual host for the night before Day One. They live in Daly City, just minutes away from the Cow Palace. I had packed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for breakfast, so we got to their house, and got to bed as early as possible. It was going to be an early morning and a long day of pedaling.

The Cow Palace was its usual chaotic Day One self. Lots of people milling around, riders and roadies delivering their bags to the gear truck. My friend Buffy, who used to work at the AIDS Foundation was volunteering. A bright smiling face was welcome.

Opening ceremonies began and a part of those ceremonies is the Positive Pedalers bringing in the riderless bike, a symbol of those we have lost. This year, the bike belonged to Paul Serchia, whom we recently lost, and seeing his bike without him was bittersweet. He is no longer suffering, but he had hoped to get better and ride this year. It was hard seeing it and I cried as I saw my friends wheel in his bike.

As usual, Day One brings with it fog and a bit of mist, though it was warmer than usual. Jerry and I rode very strong. The route for us at this point is very familiar. We know what to expect and when. But hills that in the past seemed insurmountable were climbed with relative ease.

While I won't bore my readers with a blow-by-blow day to day accounting of the ride, I will say that in some ways the ride seemed easier, in other ways-- mainly because my butt got really ripped up, much harder.

I've decided that the culprit to my woes is my shorts. The chamois seams acted like little saws, wearing away at my flesh, causing horrible pain, irritation, and a couple of the biggest blisters I've ever seen. The key will be to get shorts with a bigger chamois, avoiding the creases where my behind hits my leg. It may mean a bigger size, which could create a new set of problems, but I'm going to give it a try.

The food on the ride was, once again, plentiful. Breakfast for me was the usual oatmeal and yogurt. The vegetarian lunches continue to improve. Good tabouli and feta wraps; bean burritos and caprese sandwich only once. And of course, every day's lunch was accompanied by the real reason I ride: potato chips. This year's choice was salt and vinegar. I showed great restraint by having only one bag a day. I could have easily had another, but didn't want to actually gain weight on the ride, as I did the first year I rode.

The other amazing treat on the ride are the peanut butter and jelly on graham crackers, AKA crack bars. They are the most delicious rest stop food on earth. Better than the pop tarts, Chex Mix, and yes, even better than the Fig Newtons, though I admit having my share of those as well. God knows how many crack bars we go through during the course of the ride. Thousands, without a doubt. The sad thing is, they just don't taste good anywhere but AIDS Lifecycle.

As far as electrolyte drinks go, I steer clear of the Powerade that is mixed up in huge vats. There was a new flavor this year. Blue. I can't tell you what Blue tastes like. But I have my suspicions. I stuck to my Nuun tablets. I drop them in my water bottle, they fizz and make a relatively palatable drink.

The one night we strayed from camp food was our one evening of being Princesses. People who stay in hotels rather than camp take what is known as the Princess Tour. We did that one night, in Paso Robles. It had been a particularly rough day with the afternoon heat making me a little wacky, so the hotel and its air conditioning was particularly welcome. As we did last year, we ordered in pizza and sodas and ate on the bed. We did not take a hot tub this year. The combination of the heat outside and the open sores on my butt made it not quite alluring. The bed on the other hand, was incredibly alluring, and after long showers and pizza, lights went off and we had a great night's sleep.

My experience is still colored by my considerable pain, and also by several friends who got very sick during the ride. There was a GI bug going around and several people I know were laid low by it. Jerry and I escaped it, but their suffering definitely affected us.

Next year is Year 10 of the Ride, being billed as an Alumni Reunion. We haven't signed up, and are still in decision mode. We have to look at our lives, our schedule and our finances before we make a decision.

But what I have decided, ride or not, I will still be involved with these wonderful people, and do what I can to continue to raise money and awareness for HIV and AIDS.

Riding on Hold; Eating, not so much

It's just a few days until AIDS Lifecycle, so riding, as is the tradition, has been pretty much on hold until rideout on Sunday. Normally, we would have ridden this past weekend, but Jerry headed down to Southern California to visit his dad, and since I'm still not riding my half bike, the only riding I did was maybe a total of an hour on the wind trainer.

But I did do some eating, and even did some cooking.

I worked all day Monday, even though it was Memorial Day, but got home in time to make a nice dinner for Jerry's return. I cooked my standard: roast chicken. I roast a whole organic chicken on a vertical roaster. I really do find that organic chicken tastes better and it's worth the few cents more a pound. I rubbed some olive oil on the skin and then ground some African spices on it. Don't ask me what's in the African spice blend. All I know is, it tastes good and has a bit of a kick to it.

On the tray below the chicken were a combo of cut up red potatoes and halved brussel sprouts. I love roasting brussel sprouts. It's my new favorite way to cook them. I love them in almost any form, but this has got to be my favorite.

I roasted the chicken in my convection oven, starting out at 350, goosing it up to 375 for a little while, and then down to 325. I didn't really time it, but it was more than an hour, and it was done beautifully.

While all that was cooking I made a rhubarb crisp. Mark Bittman has a recipe in the week's (or was it last week) New York Times that looked simple and delicious, as his recipes usually are. I cut up a couple of pounds of rhubarb, added a small amount of sugar, orange juice and zest, then, on top of that the crisp was brown sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon (more than he called for) and walnuts. His recipe called for pecans, but the walnuts were the first bag of nuts easily reachable in my freezer; plus, I like them better.

The crisp was still warm when we ate some, topped with vanilla ice cream. I had a cup of espresso with it. Perfect!

I can't believe the ride is in just a few days. I haven't even thought about packing, and for the first time, I have not raised my minimum. I have sent out a last-minute plea to friends. Let's hope they come through.

The Friday before the ride is a spaghetti dinner the Pos Peds are sponsoring. Looking forward to seeing everyone and grateful Beau's work colleagues, rather than me, are preparing the dinner.

Car Doors and Rides of Silence

While riding this weekend I saw good riding, lots of it. And I saw bad. Four riders tooling along side by side, oblivious to traffic or anything else. A group of riders drafting us, and then slowing down when passing us. They were the most dangerous riders we saw, and they really rode like idiots.

And then the article in this morning's paper about a cyclist who had to dodge a car door, opened by an oblivious woman. He had to swerve and was killed when he was hit by a bus. I'm sickened and saddened.

Just last night was the ride of silence. Cyclists all over the country riding for cyclists who were killed or injured. The number of ghost bikes is climbing, and through no fault of safe responsible riders. It seems those are the ones who are killed or seriously injured. Not the hot dogs riding on public streets like they are part of the Tour de France pelaton.

Jerry and I have both crashed bad enough to end up in the hospital. His was due to an underinflated tire. I'm not sure why I crashed because I have no memory of the crash. I woke up in the hospital seeing double. It could have been a car door. I don't know.

I ride with a very responsible law-abiding group of cyclists. AIDS Lifecycle demands that we obey traffic laws and ride responsibly, and I for one am thankful for those rules. But like the young man who was killed yesterday, following those rules is not always a guarantee of safety. I mourn for him and my only hope is that it makes drivers who read about him double check that rear view mirror and watch out for those of us on bikes. There are more of us than ever.

Pos Peds and Chicken Tagine

Last week was a busy week, though it didn't include any riding.
Friday, April 30 was Positive Pedaler Day in San Francisco. While I was disappointed no "mainstream" press attended, perhaps I shouldn't be surprised. After all, what audience would want to see a group of healthy, fit men and women who are HIV positive talk about raising funds and awareness for HIV prevention and education?
Yes, I'm being a bit sarcastic, but it does point to the complacency surrounding HIV and AIDS, and people still continue to get infected and people still die from this disease. And the number of women being infected is climbing. At the event, a woman, Kaya Dzambic, spoke about coming to terms with being HIV positive. She really wants to reach other women who are ashamed and feel like victims. There are a lot of women out there who are in hiding with their status, and that shame and secrecy can't be good for them. Or for their families. She is truly a role model.
The event was wonderful, but my real work began when it ended. After the event, I picked up Jerry and we headed to Restaurant Depot to finish shopping for the Jonathan Pon Memorial Ride weekend, held every year. It's a two day bike ride and for the last several years, I've done the dinner and breakfast for around 150 riders and roadies.

Jerry and I had ridden Jon Pon a few years ago and the food, well, let's just say I thought I could do better, and I felt that the riders deserved it. So with the help of Jerry and a couple of others, I have planned and prepared these meals for the past three years.

I'm happy to say that each year it seems to get a bit easier. This year two of the three ovens in the kitchen worked, and they added another griddle, making the job far more manageable. I also simplified the menu a bit. It seemed a bit risky not marinating the 60 pounds of chicken ahead of time-- I worried a bit about its tenderness and moistness, but it came out great.

I made a chicken tagine, with apricots, chick peas and a melange of spices that included ground coriander, cumin, cinnamon and fresh ginger. Jerry and Hunter cooked the chicken on the griddles, and then the sauce, which also included chicken stock, onions and garlic, was ladled over the boneless breasts. I served it with couscous, roasted zucchini and a Greek pasta salad. For dessert we had brownies and oatmeal bars. I took a standard oatmeal cookie recipe, added a bit more butter and pressed it into pans.

In addition, since riders would be arriving hours before dinner, I set out some munchies. We had hummus and pita, raw vegetables and I made a dip from goat cheese, olives and sun dried tomatoes. In addition, I had frozen pesto palimiers left over from my fundraiser, and they got eaten as well.

For breakfast, we served scrambled eggs with chicken sausage and cheese. For the vegetarians, I sauteed shallots and mushrooms for their eggs. We also had roasted potatoes, buttermilk biscuits and cantaloupe and grapes.

Exhausted but happy, we cleaned the kitchen in record time and were out of Cassini ranch a bit after nine.

The success was do in no small part to all the help. Drew, Hunter, Tracy and Kathy, along with Jerry and me made for a lively, hard-working crew. I think we all enjoyed ourselves, and from the comments we received, our hard work paid off in great food.

Welcome to Heaven, Here's Your Harp

Welcome to Hell. Here's your route sheet.

Perhaps I doth protest too much, but for me, yesterday's Day on the Ride, other than the rest stop on a windswept mesa, did not have a great resemblance to any day on AIDS Lifecycle.

I thank my lucky stars that no day on the ride will have that much climbing, nor will I get that much sand blown in my eyes, ears and enough to get sand burns on my legs.

The day took its first downturn with a flat barely out of Golden Gate Park. This was our very first flat on an upright tandem. We had several on the recumbent trike, but considering we spent most of the time riding as far to the right as possible to give people room to pass, that was to be expected.

And thank goodness we were back on the Co-Motion. If we were still riding the Greenspeed we'd still be on the course. Well, perhaps I exaggerate a little-- but there's no way we could have finished before the course closed, and likely there would be no sweep vehicle to haul that behemoth.

The ride left me cranky, and I let all that cranky out at the post-ride spaghetti dinner at Sports Basement. And while yes, perhaps moi was over the top just a tad, I do think that a Day on the Ride should not be used to scare the Hell out of new riders. I spoke to more than one newbie who was in a state of shock at the number of climbs we took. And they were indeed reassured that no day on the ride was this hard.

So perhaps, in some way, the ridiculousness of this DOTR served a purpose. More than one rider, after hearing this was harder than the actual ride said, well, if I made it through this, I guess I can make it through the ride.

A real sign to me of the toughness of the day was how it affected Jerry. When he is on his single he is out front with the best of them, but yesterday's ride really took its toll on him. True, we are more than twice the age of a lot of riders, but generally, we are strong riders. But this ride really blew us away and took more than just the wind out of our sails. It really made us think, is this really what we want to do? We had a long talk last night about our future with ALC. Is it time for a break? Is it time to do something else?

Perhaps these thoughts will pass when we are on the actual ride and we are swept up in the euphoria and Utopia of that week.

Bur for now, we are taking this Sunday to loll, laze and go out to lunch.

Mont Fromage and Kurt

Yesterday was lots of big hills day.
Once again, we picked up the Cat2 Pos Ped ride in San Anselmo and met up with some of the riders in Fairfax. Since we hadn't ridden very far, our stop was short and then it was off to tackle White's Hill.

Though our stop was short, we did run into Kurt Schade. He runs his own series of rides on Saturdays, but on this ride, he was one of the pack. Not that Kurt could ever really be described as one of the pack. Along the route, Kurt sings, he tells jokes-- he is a one-man entertainment center.

So, as we left Fairfax, Kurt was right behind us. We hadn't spent much time with him lately, so it was a real treat to get to pedal and visit. Kurt had lots of great stories about some of his riders, and as a former DC area resident (he went to Georgetown) we traded east coast stories, and of course, got to talking about John Waters. Kurt did his best Bawlmer Miss Edith voice. We talked about Glee. We sang, we laughed. And before we knew it, we were up White's Hill.

Next came Lagunitas Hill and more of the same. It had never seemed so easy. Last, but hardly least before a break at the Cheese Factory, came, of course, Cheese Factory Hill, which goes by a variety of names, Alp de Fromage, or as I call it, Mont Fromage. It is a toughie, and it is long. But once again, with Kurt riding with us, it was as easy as its ever been.

Another factor making the day's ride so pleasurable was the weather. While there's frequently nothing to complain about regarding Northern California weather, this day was perfect. The hills were lush and green from our frequent deluges of the past few weeks; the air was warm, but not too warm, and the winds were never really awful. Picture perfect postcard day.

After speeding down the Cheese Factory Hill (At one point I clocked us at 48.7 mph) we rode around the reservoir and then on to Pt. Reyes Station. Jerry and I split a sandwich and a bag of chips and we headed out, this time without Kurt as company.

I felt all those miles and Kurt's absence. The hills were harder and I was definitely starting to sag. But once we were up the short and easy side of White's Hill, we sailed back to San Anselmo, drove home, stuffed some more food in our faces and took naps.

That evening we engaged in our usual Sunday night activity-- going to a movie. We saw the Last Station at the Lark. What a wonderful movie! So engaging, so beautifully acted. The only downer was the popcorn. The Lark boasts organic popcorn, and to that I say, Big Whup. I'd prefer the regular stuff popped with whatever carcinogenic oil and "movie additive" that makes it tastes so good. The popcorn at the Lark was full of unpopped pieces and next to no flavor. Sorry, but I'll stick to the crap at the chain theaters. If we go back there, I'll bring truffle salt.

Cook to Ride

As part of our fundraiser, Taste of Spring, I auctioned off a gourmet dinner, and last night, the winners of that auction item cashed in, so to speak.

The dinner was the highest bid on auction item, so I wanted to do a really great job. The hostess decided upon salmon, which is something I have cooked a lot of, so I felt pretty confident I could pull off a good meal.

I started my prep earlier in the week, starting with making a fresh pea soup. It was a recipe I had not tried before, so I wanted to make sure it was good. The recipe was simple, though time consuming. It was a simple soup of sauteed shallots, water, a potato and peas. I decided to change the water to chicken stock, for starters, and I added a bit more potato. I simmered it, and then it was time to get out the immersion blender to puree it. I probably would have been better off letting it cool and running it through the food mill, and if I make it again that will be my plan of action. But even after a food mill, I'd run it through a sieve, as I did this time, to make sure I get all the "solids" out. I also added just a touch of lemon zest to boost the flavor. It was light, but it was good.

On to hors d'oeuvre prep. I inadvertently bought black olives with pits, so before I could tackle the tapenade, I pitted olives. Glad to have a pitter-- made the job pretty simple.

I make a very simple but flavorful tapenade with black olives, sun dried tomatoes, garlic and a little olive oil. I whipped that up in the Cuisinart in a flash. Delicious. I served that with a goat cheese spread, and it was a hit.

One hors d'oeuvre had to be made at the event, but I think it was worth it. I made little phyllo cups and then filled them with chopped pears, Camemzola cheese, topped with a pecan. They were lovely and I thought delicious. (Yes, I tried one-- quality control.)
I also served some really good aged Gouda, and that constituted the hors d'oeuvres.

As I wrote earlier, first course was the soup. That was followed by a simple salad with Balsamic vinaigrette. I did put a little truffle salt in the dressing, and it added just a hint of a little more depth of flavor. Probably not identifiable to the diners, but I think it added a nice taste.

Dinner was salmon, roasted potatoes and roasted asparagus. I oven poached the salmon. I cut 6-8 ounce servings and wrapped them in foil, topped with some dill, lemon slices and a scallion, and sprinkled them with white wine. I also made a lovely sour cream dill sauce. I ladled a bit of that on the fish after it was plated.

I found the smallest potatoes I could find and initially roasted them in a moderate oven, then turned up the heat. They were crisp on the outside, tender on the inside. Perfect.

Since the oven was small, I roasted the asparagus first, sprinkled with olive oil, a little butter and lemon, and served them cold. Not my first choice, but since this was a home oven, not commercial, it was what had to be done.

My friend Rene contributed the dessert. She made lovely individual lemon pots de creme and lavender creme brulees.

Jerry was my sous chef and waiter, and we worked beautifully together. Since the dinner was for eight, it was relatively low stress and our timing was impeccable. As the guests finished dessert and sipped port, we cleaned up the kitchen, said our good nights, and headed home.

We will see this couple again, as they were also the high bidders on Jerry's aerial tour of the Bay.

Cold toes and Morning Buns

On our ride out to Pt. Reyes Station yesterday, Jerry and I spent much of the time thinking about the clothes we wished we were wearing-- vests, wind pants, toe condoms...
At least we had worn caps under our helmets and I even opted for an ear-warmer headband.

But it was cold. Grey and cold. My fingers and toes were like blocks of ice. At one point I gave Jerry a real shock by putting one of my hands under his jersey. I am a mean wife, I know. But my God, the warmth of his back felt so good!

Not wanting to ride the bridge, we started our ride in Marin, figuring we'd meet up with riders in Fairfax, at the Coffee Roastery.

And indeed, we found lots of ALC'ers there. I really wanted something warm, but uncharacteristically for me, I did not want coffee. I was having some mild heartburn so I ordered some ginger peach tea. It was vile, but it was hot, so I drank it.

Next was climbing White's Hill. We both looked forward to it in hopes of warming us up. It did, a bit, but the ride down brought the chill back. The ride through Samuel P. Taylor Park was cool, but the trees sheltered us from the wind, and that was a relief.

Climbing Olema Hill did help the circulation a bit, then we cruised into Pt. Reyes Station. I ordered a Chai and a morning bun at Bovine Bakery. I love Morning Buns, but it, like creme brulee, is something I never make at home. It would take the specialness away. And morning buns, to me, are special. The dough is similar to a brioche dough-- yeasty and buttery, and the sprinkling of sugar and cinnamon makes it just about perfect. The counter person handed me a warm bun, and that, with their exceptional chai made me forget about the cold. Jerry had a cup of tea and an Alonzo roll. It looked like a cinnamon roll you'd get from one of those stands at the mall, but since it came from Bovine, I suspect it was far superior.

We sat on the curb and had our snacks, and I was parked next to a guy who is going to do his first ALC. He had not been going on group training rides, and I encouraged him to do so. I also encouraged him to go on the Jon Pon ride, the first weekend in May, to get a taste for the ride and to also meet some of the most wonderful people he could ever know.

After talking about the Jon Pon ride, it got my mind on the menu. Everyone really loved the chicken I did last year, so I'm thinking of a repeat performance, though no doubt with some little tweaks and changes. And if asparagus is still plentiful, I'll serve that as well.

Heading back from Pt. Reyes, a miracle happened. The sun came out and we actually started to thaw out. Not enough to remove our caps, but enough to start to have feeling once again in our fingers and toes. Bliss!

The ride back to the car was oh so much more pleasant. We headed home, did a quick change and went out to lunch.

From there, we checked in on the big sale at the Recyclery at Trips for Kids. They seemed to be doing brisk business, and we had a chat with Marilyn and a few of the other workers and volunteers. Jerry puts high-end items on E-Bay for them, and they had some sure winners waiting in the wings. One is one of Robin Williams's old bikes, but I told Marilyn she really ought to get Robin to autograph the frame and get a picture of him with it; it would surely increase its value. She's shy about asking him for favors, but he's a Trips for Kids fan, so I think he'd have no problem filling the request.

Today is another gray day which is too bad since it's Easter, but my hope is lots of folks in their pastels and florals will brighten the day

Pre-season Potato Chips

Most people know the only reason I do AIDS Lifecycle is for the potato chips. And most people know I'm kidding.

But in reality, despite my love of French food and smelly cheese, it is almost impossible for me to pass up potato chips. But I know that if I ate them as often as I wanted, I'd need a forklift to get out of bed in the morning. So I save my potato chip eating for lunchtime during the ride.

Except for the last couple of weeks. It all started in Norway. My friend Arna introduced me to Norwegian potato chips, and though her potato chip obsession pales in comparison to mine, even she can't resist them. They truly were wonderful. Exceptionally crisp with just the right amount of salt, which is to say, a bit too much. We went through two bags while I was there, and it must have woken up my potato chip urge, because on my last two cycling rides, I succumbed.

This past weekend was another trip around Tiburon Loop, and as usual, we stopped at Shark's Deli. I'm usually not hungry after what is really not that long a ride, but this Saturday, I was. I'm not really enticed by most of what they have at the Deli, but there they were-- salt and pepper potato chips. I bought a small bag, and no, I did not share them. That and a Luna bar and I was ready for the rest of the ride back to the Presidio and the AIDS Lifecycle Expo.

The Expo is a yearly event with various bike stores selling their wares, Roadie training and a San Francisco AIDS Foundation and Positive Pedaler Booths.

At the Pos Ped Booth I saw my friends and met the newest member-- a young woman who is about to do her first ride. I'm looking forward to spending more time with her and hearing her story.

After a bit we headed north to get to Comfort Food Cafe before it closed. I had breakfast for lunch and lots of coffee.

This coming week we'll ride up to Point Reyes and stop at another Deli for lunch. Jerry and I will split a turkey sandwich and I will use as much willpower as I can muster to stay away from the potato chips.

Unless I'm really hungry.

White's Hill and Truffle Salt

Yesterday, Jerry and I rode with the Sunday Cat 2 series to Lagunitas.
It was a gorgeous day, though it did start out chilly. My cap fit snugly over my newly shorn hair under my helmet, and it did much to keep me warm on that first mile out of Mike's Bikes in Sausalito, where we picked up the ride.

But what got me warm in a hurry was the ride up Camino Alto. I was actually looking forward to that climb to get the blood flowing. It worked. We climbed at our usually not-record-breaking speeds, but caught up with lots of folks on the descent. That is where tandems shine-- with all our weight we can take a downhill with the best of them. Jerry has been cautious of late on those downhills, but we still move pretty fast. Ever since his crash he's a tad more timid, but I do see the old confidence returning.

We stopped with everyone in Fairfax for snacks and picture-taking for an article about the Positive Pedalers, which will be published in April. It will be in a magazine about living with HIV -- HIV Plus Magazine. Looking forward to reading the article.

After the stop in Fairfax it was time to climb White's Hill, something we had not done in months. As usual, we weren't going to break any speed records, but considering we had not made the climb in a while we rode it well. Then the speedy downhill and cruise into Lagunitas.

In Lagunitas I once again turned into a huckster for our fundraiser, A Taste of Spring, which happens in Petaluma next Saturday evening. I think I convinced a few people to come, and I asked two other riders to volunteer for the event. They are both unemployed and knew they couldn't buy tickets, but I couldn't imagine the event without Gabo and Stephan, so they will come and volunteer and add to the event's success.

We didn't eat lunch in Lagunitas, decided we would hold off until after we got home, where we went to our usual spot-- Comfort Food Cafe. Leslie, the owner, had some perfectly ripe pears which she gave us to have for dessert, although we ate so much for lunch we decided to take them home to have later.

Because of the big lunch, I didn't really want a real dinner, so I decided popcorn was just the thing.

I love popcorn, but I love it even more with truffle salt. I sprinkled white truffle salt all over the popcorn and accompanied it with a glass of Malbec.

After the wine and the day's exercise, I managed to stay up until 10 pm, and then had one of the best night's of sleep I've had in a long time.

This week will be finishing up work on the fundraiser-- buying ingredients for the hors d'oeuvres, and working with friends who have graciously agreed to help me with prep. I know all the hard work will pay off in a lot of fun and funds raised for HIV and AIDS services.

Scaredy Cars and Roast Chicken

Jerry and I once again pedaled around Tiburon Loop yesterday. It was an absolutely beautiful day. The sun was shining and it was even verging on warm. Delightful.

Maybe it's just us -- we are on a tandem so it's a bit bigger than a half bike-- but cars seem not only afraid to pass us, but they seem afraid of getting anywhere near us. They stay way back, crawling along until they finally get up the nerve to pass. True, the road around Tiburon is one lane each way and the visibility is not always great, but the cars there-- most of them giant Range Rovers or some other pricey huge SUVs, seem particularly timid.

I suppose that's better than them trying to run us off the road, but it does seem strangely amusing that they seem afraid of us.

Riding the tandem felt wonderful. I had begged off on Saturday, still feeling a bit jet lagged and tired, but the wait was worth it. We rode strong and were not exhausted at the end of the ride.

Once we got home, Jerry headed off to Petaluma to play with his airplane, and I headed to Goodwill. I have a friend in need of jerseys so I went to take a look-see. He's a small, and there was only one jersey that seemed to fit the bill, but I decided to hold off on it. I think I can do better for him, so I'll keep my eyes open for more bargains that are sure to come.

Having not cooked in a while, I decided it was a night for a simple roast chicken, potatoes and broccoli.

I cut red potatoes up small and drizzled olive oil and salt and pepper on them. Yes, I was making "camp potatoes," but with a twist. They went into a pan that held my vertical roaster with the chicken perched on it, so the potatoes got good chicken fat dripped on them, making them even more crisp and delicious. I lightly steamed the broccoli in the microwave, carved the chicken, which I had also seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper, and that was it.

Sometimes a meal so simple can be so delicious. We had a nice red wine with it-- something I had picked up at Trader Joe's-- and ate dinner while watching the Academy Awards. A simple dinner; a pleasant evening after a delightful ride.

Land of the Midnight Sun. And Cheese

Just back from a week in Norway. In reality, too late in the season for midnight sun-- there were, in fact quite a few hours of daylight though many of the days I was there were overcast, grey and snowy. I thoroughly enjoyed the snow. It had been many years since I trudged around in snow. The last time was most likely in St. Petersburg, Russia, or maybe a January trip to New York. But in any case, I loved it. I had a thinsulate jacket and my ears were covered, so the cold was not too bad. Also, my friend Arna had me buy a pair of feetless wool tights. Absolutely wonderful and I'm considering wearing them for cold weather cycling.

Aside from the snow, there was, the cheese. Part of the extreme cheese eating was due to the fact that my friend is kosher, and she can't get kosher chicken in Oslo. She did have some chicken she had brought from the states (thank you, Trader Joe's) and we partook of that and some kosher lamb she had also imported. And, we ate a lot of cheese.

I absolutely love cheese but eat it very sparingly at home, mostly due to its monumental fat content, but hey, I was on vacation.
We ate hard cheese, soft cheese, goat cheese, cream cheese. We had it on wonderful thin flatbread flavored with rosemary. We had it on hearty whole grain crackers and wonderful crusty bread.

We also had good Indian food in Oslo and decent Chinese food in Kongsberg. Norway is legendarily expensive, but while these restaurants were pricey by American standards, they were quite reasonable for Norway.

Being a huge cluckaholic, I had chicken at both restaurants. I was relieved that the chicken at the Chinese restaurant was not sweet, as is so often the case. Anyone who knows me knows I have a thing about sweet food. Sweets are for dessert. Not for main course. Do not put orange sauce on my duck; no sweet ginger sauce on my salmon, thank you very much.

And speaking of salmon, we also had lovely salmon one night for dinner. It was not sauced at all and was moist and flavorful.

I drank my share of coffee in Norway, and a lot of it was good. That's partly because I brought a can of Trader Joe's French roast with me and we made coffee in an Aero-Press. In addition, Arna's office had an industrial-sized Nespresso machine, which churned out great cups. But "regular" coffee in Norway is not to my liking. It tends to be not dark roast enough and a bit bitter to my taste. I had vague memories from my last trip there, which was all the more reason to bring some coffee.

In addition to coffee, I brought three or four Aeropresses with me. Arna had one, but wanted another for her office, and being the envy of many friends who loved hers, I brought some more for friends and coworkers. How such a simple little coffee maker can make one of the absolutely best cups of coffee is amazing. By far the most portable coffee maker I've ever had, and in my opinion, far better and neater than French press.

And then there were the Norwegian potato chips. Normally, I reserve potato chip eating for the AIDS ride, but again, I was on vacation. And the potato chips were outrageously crisp and crunchy. We went through two bags while I was there, and if there had been another bag sitting around, it would not have sat around for long. Yum.

What I didn't eat a lot of were sweets. Chocolate gives me migraines and we also had to deal with the meat/milk aspects of meals at Arna's. We did have ice cream one night, but by and large, it was not a dessert-laden week.

Home now, I'm back to a refrigerator with some feta, but no other kinds of cheese, and it will stay that way.

And most definitely no potato chips in the cupboard.

Has it really been that long? and fries

Jerry and I rode yesterday for the first time since Dec. 6. Between bad weather and traveling, our poor tandem has just been hanging in the garage along with the single bikes and the unicycle.

We took off with just a bit of trepidation yesterday. Could we really climb Camino Alto? Could we get around Tiburon Loop without a nap?

Yes and yes. We actually had a lovely ride, though were more tired than usual after not a very long time on the bike. But it felt great to get out there. My right knee had been achy and it feels so much better today.

Despite it being gray, overcast and a little chilly, there were a lot of ALC'ers out, and we saw quite a few of them.

At Shark's, the stop in Tiburon, I took time to hand out flyers for our March 20 fundraiser. What started out as a crab feed is now wine tasting, hors d'oeuvres and lots of wonderful auction items. You can read all about it at: www.alctasteofspring.org

Working on the fundraiser has consumed an inordinate amount of time, but ultimately, I hope it's worth it. I'm pleased at the generosity of some of our local businesses.

I'm a tad nervous that I won't be able to devote time next week to working on the fundraiser. I'm off to Norway for a week to visit my friend Arna and to maybe do a little cross country skiing and some dancing. While I really can't wait I am a tad apprehensive about not having the week to work on getting more items for A Taste of Spring, but I have a feeling once I get to Oslo, I'll be able to let go a little.

After our ride yesterday, we went to the usual-- Johnny and Theresa's Comfort Food Cafe in San Rafael. and yes, we always have fries with that.

We then headed over to Trips for Kids where Jerry picked up a Trek carbon time trial frame to put on EBay for them. I hope it brings them a bundle of cash!

Truffles and Popcorn

I haven't written in a month, which also means I haven't ridden in a month, or maybe more.

Listening to the steady hard rain outside gives me a chill and makes me long for the days of sun and riding. But with weather like this, I'm more likely inside, eating.

The last two days there was a lot of that. I went to the Fancy Food Show at the Moscone Center in Downtown San Francisco. Two huge pavilions of cheeses, chocolates, coffee, tea, and yes, lots of popcorn and even more truffles.

I went with my friend and fellow foodie, Renee, and everywhere we turned we were inhaling the heady scent of black truffles. There was truffle salt, truffle cheese, even truffles paired with sweets-- not my favorite. Then there was the truffle popcorn. It was absolutely delicious, and the kettle corn and the plain popcorn. Then there were the olive oil and rosemary potato chips.

And more cheese, and green tea and walnut oil ice cream. And fresh anchovies and smoked trout.

It was a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. Beautiful tea displays and chefs thinly slicing aged pork.

We tasted numerous salts, olive oils and vinegars. We collected brochures and business cards.

We spoke to people from Italy, Australia, Russia and Renee's home, South Africa. Companies from around the world displayed their wares and were all too happy to answer questions.

And I had at least four espressos each day.

There was at least one company whose main business was giving back, and I, of course gravitated to them. They were young t-shirted guys who represented Project 7-- www.project7.com They sell a variety of products including bottled water, mints and gum, and 50 percent of their profits go to seven different causes, including hunger, homelessness, peace, environmental issues, and "my" cause, health. They are small, their donations are not huge, but they are doing good.

We ran into them near the end of our second day at the show, and I left feeling hopeful, if not bloated from too much of too many good things.

But I did leave inspired to continue to explore new foods and get more creative in the kitchen.

And I also left inspired to get back on the bike if I want to keep exploring new food.