Scotch

Ted and I went to our first Scotch tasting party last night. Six Scotches were sampled by twelve people, and it was fascinating to see how different they were. At the end of the evening, some bottles were empty, while others were barely touched. So, here they are, in my personal order of favorite to least favorite.


The Balvenie was my favorite. It had lots of honey notes and was less peaty than some of the others. This appeared to be the favorite of the women at the tasting.


The Laphroaig was my second favorite, although it was quite different from the Balvenie. It was very peaty and smokey, and gave that wonderful warm feeling going down the throat.


A close third was the Oban. I went back and forth between the Laphroaig and the Oban, debating which I liked more. I think the Oban belongs behind the Laphroaig, though. With my very limited Scotch expertise (none!), I found this to be middle-of-the-road for all of the attributes, making it very balanced.


Fourth in line was the Talisker. For me, this one was okay, but not a top favorite.


The Glenkinchie was very thin and light. It just didn't stand up when compared to the other four ahead of it. However, as our resident Scotch expert, Karl, pointed out, this could be an ideal Scotch for a hot Summer day.


The Highland Park was by far my least favorite, and, judging by the half+-full bottle at the end of the evening, this was the consensus. It lacked character and frankly was boring.

So, there are the rankings of 6 Scotches per the tastebuds of a Scotch newbie who will freely admit that she knows nothing about the subject. After last night, I would definitely like to learn more.

"You won't be like a man. You'll just pee like one."

The most unique gift I received during the holidays was from my Aunt Suzanney. Mom and Deborah were also fortunate to receive a Go Girl. The Go Girl is silicone, allows women to pee standing up, and coincidentally looks very similar to the sausage stuffer Ted received for Christmas. Go figure. The manufacturers highly recommend that practice sessions be conducted (performed?) in the shower at home. Apparently, FUDs (Female Urination Devices) have been around for years. Have I tried it? No. Will I? Of course! I have to try it at least once!

My cat loves laundry day. She spends the day on the hot water heater, and then heads to the clean laundry.

After a rest week, I'm ready to put in a few more weeks of good training. Now, I just have to find the time to do so! Thursday afternoon I have to give a 30 minute seminar on a published, scientific journal article, which is pretty much my worst nightmare. Public speaking is not my forte. Mom asked what will be contained in the flask I'll carry in my purse. Ha!

I will be heading to Salt Lake City to visit Rusty and Deborah for part of my Spring Break. I wlll have to take the new, unused snowshoes Ted got me for Christmas, as the weather in Pullman has been far too nice for snow sports. Not that I am complaining... but, in a way I am.

And, now, on to watching the rest of The Dark Knight.

Which car looks faster?

Which F1 car looks faster? Ted and I have opposing opinions. Based on comments on this blog, loser buys the other a drink. So, which car looks faster - Ferrari (red) or McLaren (silver)?

http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/image/7702.html?page=1

Starting Up the Ol' Blog Again

I kind of miss updating my blog regularly, so perhaps it's time to start it up again. Afterall, I'm in my final semester of grad school, the racing season will soon be starting up again, and well, surely there must be some things to write about.

January in Pullman has been awesome this year, which, I have to say, I needed after the last two Winters from hell. Trainer rides in January 2010? Zero. Enough said. And, knock on wood, my back has been relatively happy, so I may actually be able to train and race for this season. I hope so!

I am definitely approaching the point when I will be ready to be done with school. Three more full months of classes and research, and then I will be nearly done. After that? A move to Spokane will happen soon after the semester ends. After my time in Pullman, I am definitely ready for a change. With Ted living/working in Spokane during the week, I am only more anxious to finish up.

Hitcher and I walk together nearly daily. For one year, I want to see how many miles the two of us walk together, so we will be carrying the GPS with us on all of our daily walks. So, until January 23, 2011, how many miles will the hound and I walk? Maybe I should have a contest with the nearest guess winning a small prize.

I am really craving a post-dinner dessert, but alas, there is nothing in the house. Must keep the goal in mind: get to race weight by the season!

Wow... 2 months since I last did a blog post. It doesn't seem like it has been that long.

I have been plagued with back trouble since April 26th, making this by far the worst back pain episode I have had. There have been a few days here or there when it has been okay, but otherwise it has been fairly consistent. One evening a few weeks ago was particularly horrible, as I was unable to even walk down the hall to the bathroom without help. With nothing stronger than Tylenol, I downed a bottle of wine, just to be able to sleep.

I have been going to PT for the last few weeks, and things have definitely improved, so I am really hopeful that I will able to complete a race soon - preferably this weekend!

Follow-up on the experiment

The experiment with the nasty girls continued in the weeks following Spring Break, with me arriving early to class to steal their seats. The first occasion resulted in lots of whispering and glares, which gave me secret pleasure in knowing I had "gotten" to them.

For the next couple of classes, they arrived after me, forcing them to sit on the other side of the classroom. I have given up with getting up early just to spite them (30 more minutes of sleep!), so they can have their seats. The point was made and it was surely satisfying.