November

My blooming tea from Phil and Ellie

Hound dogs will sleep anywhere

November has been a busy month, and I'm kind of glad it's nearly over! The first half of the month was filled with stress, as I worked to finish up with my grad school duties. I defended my thesis November 16th, which was traumatic for me, given my severe dislike of public speaking. November 16th was also the two year anniversary of my dear cousin Jimmy's passing, so it was nice to end the day with the positive note of finishing up my defense. The evening before my defense, a conference call was made to toast Jimmy and his birthday. Ten relatives in different areas got together over the phone for a shot of Rumple Minze. My brother and I did the same thing last year, but it was better with a larger party!

A week ago our refrigerator began having issues, so Ted ran out Saturday morning to "get some ice" for food. I was talking to Rusty on the phone when Ted pulled up in the driveway. Imagine my surprise when Rusty walked into the kitchen! He and Ted set up a surprise visit. The three of us took part in Spokane's Holiday Wine Fest, tasting wine from 9 (of 17) Spokane wineries. Some favorite wines were Townshend's Tempranillo and Emvy's Devotion.

Ted and I hosted Thanksgiving for both sets of parents and Ted's aunt and uncle. We had lots of food, including what I would call an "ugly pie" and Ted would call a "dry turkey," but I don't think anyone left hungry.

In our attempts to embrace Winter, we went XC skiing from the house the past two days. Yes, we have lots of snow... and more is on the way. The skiing is fun, but I'm secretly ready for summer.

Cyclocross

Ted and I are both officially healthy enough to race cyclocross, which is amazing given that neither of us thought we would be doing any cyclocross in 2010. We may not be super fit or fast right now, but we are happy to be physically able to at least participate! My back feels pretty good after today's race, which was bumpy and had a long climb, so I am highly encouraged that I can start to really train for racing in 2011. I feel better today than I did after any CX race in the last couple years. Yay!

The last week in Spokane has been gorgeous - temps in the 80s and sun! We got out for a hard group ride this morning, which I followed up with a nap in my sunny hammock. My thesis is still not complete, so I am working on it each weekend, and as much as possible during the week. I started a new job two weeks ago at Commercial Creamery, so my thesis work time is restricted during the week.

Ted and I are both healing pretty well and back to riding regularly. I started PT several weeks ago and it has really been helping. Basically, the muscles on the left side of my back have not been efficiently recruited in quite some time, so they are very weak in comparison to the right side. My exercises are helping with these recruitment issues. For the first 2 weeks after starting PT, the left side of my back would fatigue within 30 minutes of starting to ride, almost to the point of cramping. That has significantly decreased in the last week or 2. I almost feel like I'll be able to train like everyone else this time around! Yay!

Yellowstone

Ted and I drove to Yellowstone for Labor Day weekend, meeting Rusty and Deborah for a weekend of camping. The park was beautiful, and we saw lots of wildlife - elk, a bald eagle, river otters, deer, chipmunks, herds of bison, coyotes,and a black bear. Perhaps most prevalent was the breed of human known as "those to whom the rules do not apply." We could not believe how many people we saw who freely walked off of the boardwalks, ignoring the signs, and stupidly approaching wildlife. One woman tried to justify her proximity to the geysers by saying she was "only posing for a photo." Here are a few of my photos - very hard to choose which ones to post!

Fence

The fence is officially complete now, including the gate across the driveway. I think Hitcher, for one, is definitely happy after 2 months of leashed outside play.

Summer

We are having a fence put in to enclose the backyard. Here are two shots with just the posts up. It works out well because our neighbor also wanted to fence her yard, so we are sharing the cost of the common fence portion.



They came Friday and completed all of the fence, except for the gate that will go across the driveway.



Ted has been racing a little bit in the past month, including a couple Spokane weeknight races and a smaller road race on the western side of the state.


I'm back on the bike, having a bit of a breakthrough week last week. Prior to last week, my longest post-surgery ride was 15 miles. But, last week I jumped to 27, and then to 47. And, it feels okay. I have some sore muscles, but I am otherwise not feeling badly... and the left leg pain is completely gone.

I was actually contemplating trying the Spokane Tuesday night race this evening, but a dumb rule insists that you cannot participate in this race if you have not done another race in the series. It makes no sense at all, especially considering that this is a stand-alone race, not contributing to the series points. Call me crazy, but if I were promoting a race, I would want to encourage racers to participate. They call this race "The Best of the Bunch." As Rusty said, "Guess it isn't really Best of the Bunch then, is it? Perhaps it should be called the best of those who have already raced this year."

The Summer is nearly at an end, and I hate to say that it's been a pretty lame one. I have not left the Spokane/Pullman/Lewiston area in over 3 months! Ted and I do have a trip coming up soon. We are driving to Yellowstone to meet up with Rusty and Deborah for a few days of camping. Just thinking about it makes my itchy feet start to tingle.

We are finally having real summer weather in Spokane, with temperatures in the 90s. Being unable to go outside and enjoy the nice weather on my bike is making me stir crazy. I do still go for short walks around the neighborhood, but otherwise I'm pretty much in the house right now. I need a change of scenery in the worst way! Who wants to take a trip somewhere? Anywhere!

I did start riding my bike last Friday, beginning with 2 miles on the trainer to test it out. I've since worked my way outside, with my longest ride being 7 miles. Later today I'm hoping to do even a bit more. I have to stay flat, as it is not comfortable to get out of the saddle. Otherwise, I really feel pretty good on the bike. The worst thing is actually the small area directly around my incision, as I appear to be allergic to the adhesive that was used to seal my incision with Steri-Strips. I had my strips removed Thursday, and began to have a reaction Friday, which is still continuing. Bike shorts, sweat, and heat really tend to irritate it, making it itch and burn.

Ted leaves tomorrow for a 10-day trip to the Midwest, so this will be a real test for me. I am still not supposed to lift anything over 5 pounds. Let me tell you, a lot of things weigh more than 5 pounds! I was thinking of driving somewhere to ride my bike, but I can't lift my bike to get it out of/into the car! And grocery shopping? The bags are too heavy. Thankfully, Ted's going to stock me up with stuff today before he leaves.

I haven't walked Hitcher since surgery because he is so strong and pulls so much. I did buy one of these harnesses, with hopes that it'll be enough for me to comfortably walk him. The real test will come when he spots a squirrel. We may also start with the shock collar on, so I can buzz him if he really starts to pull on me. The yard is going to be fenced soon, but not until Ted returns from his trip, so I need to at least be able to walk Hitch out to the yard for bathroom breaks. If all else fails, I'll go to Mom and Dad's for a few days, where Hitch can run around the yard as much as he likes.

In the meantime, I'm applying for jobs left and right, but haven't had any nibbles so far. And, there is still that thesis to write... I think the coffee shop up the street will become my office this week.

A lovely pre-surgery shot.

I'm finally feeling well enough to sit at the laptop for a little while, so I thought I'd kill some time with a blog post. Mom and Dad came up to Spokane Tuesday night, and took Ted and me out for my last pre-surgery meal at the Downriver Grill. I was called Wednesday morning and told that my surgery had been postponed to 1:30 or 2, which meant that I could not eat or drink anything for most of Wednesday. I found myself looking at the dog's water bowl with envy.

I had an anesthesiologist who looked like the second-coming of Doogie Howser. I remember being wheeled into the OR, which was filled with lots of bright colors (Dad said maybe they gave me mushrooms by mistake), and that was all.

Apparently, I'm a slow "waker-upper" from anesthesia, as it took over 1.5 hours for me to wake up. I remember seeing that my heart rate was 42 and asking what pain medication I was receiving (Dilaudid).

Post-surgery, my left leg pain was immediately gone, but my back was severely hurting. I took hydrocodone for the first day, but I was incredibly queasy, and decided I'd rather have more pain than be unable to eat/drink, so I switched to Tylenol. I was finally able to stomach some snacks Thursday night, which were desperately needed since I was pretty weak.



Little walks have been a critical part of the recovery process. I started with a walk to the neighbor's yard, where I proceeded to dry heave on my knees in front of our nice neighbor and her granddaughters. I have since progressed to 25 minute, very slow walks... with no dry heaving.

Mom and Dad stayed with us until yesterday afternoon, which was a huge help. You can't ask for much better home care than a retired nurse and a retired doctor, especially when they are Mom and Dad. They shopped, cleaned, cooked, got me things, walked with me, helped me with wound care/changing clothes, and watched TV with me. It was great because Ted didn't have to take any more time off from work after losing all of his vacation time with his accident.

I'm desperately bored and may try to spin on the trainer for 1 or 2 miles in the next couple days (the doc said it's okay), but we'll see how I feel. Time to switch positions now - my back is telling me so.

Crisco, Panko, and Raisins

We are officially moved out of Pullman, as of June 30th, and trying to get things all settled/unpacked in Spokane.

This week was an interesting one for Hitcher. We came home Monday evening to discover that Hitcher had gotten in the garbage. He had also found a dietary supplement, eating 30 to 40 capsules. Off to the emergency vet we went, where they had to induce vomiting. He was a bit groggy that evening, but seemed normal Tuesday morning.

We did ride and had dinner Tuesday evening, and came home to find that Hitcher had again gotten into things. A stick of Crisco and a box of Panko bread crumbs were demolished. Upon closer examination, I saw that there was also an empty bag of Sun Maid raisins. I'm glad I noticed the tiny closure sticker on the bag because the dog had left the raisin box where he found it - in a big bag of kitchen things.

Years ago, my friend Tammie told me that raisins, and sometimes grapes, are toxic to dogs. I called the vet ER and they said we should bring him in again. I asked the vet how concerned I should be. She said it would probably be okay if the raisins had not yet left Hitch's stomach, but it would likely not be good if the raisins had already been digested. Ugh. Not what I wanted to hear. They again induced vomiting (8 cups!) and found the Crisco, Panko, and lots of raisins. Yay! We took the groggy guy home again, and he could barely keep his eyes open in the car. Thankfully, the rest of the week was free of any more episodes.

Hitch is a smart cookie. He has figured out how to get into the new step garbage can without turning it over. He has also discovered that he can open the dishwasher if we do not latch it all the way, so we sometimes find dirty utensils (licked clean!) on the kitchen floor.

I go under the knife Wednesday, so there is a lot to get done before then. I really just want to get the surgery over with now. It's an outpatient procedure, so I'll be able to recover at home. Mom and Dad are coming to stay for a day or two, so Ted shouldn't have to take more than the actual surgery day off from work.

Lots is going on. Ted is walking again, and even went for his first outdoor ride today, so he is making lots of progress. He can't always see the improvements himself, but he truly is getting better daily.

Everything must be out of the Pullman house by the end of June, which gives us one week to get everything out and clean. Simultaneously, I am also in the throws of finishing my research, with two more days of panels to go. These are wine tasting panels, and my final panel will coincide with my final day in Pullman. Very apropos.

Ted's family is coming to visit this week, and mine is coming the following week for the 4th of July. Yes, the 4th will include a toy dog that wears diapers, a miniature Schnauzer with some degree of "little dog syndrome," and a hound doped up on Xanax.

I have made the decision to have back surgery, so I will be going under the knife in a few weeks. After years of dealing with back pain, and months of leg pain, it is time to try a surgical approach. It will mark the end of my 2010 cycling season (aside from some possible cyclocross), but then I can begin to work towards 2011.

June

It's weird to think that my time in Pullman is coming to a close. I will surely miss the view of campus from the yard. Ted and I have to be out of our rental house by the end of June, so there is a lot to get done by then.


While I will miss the campus view, I will not be sorry to see these vials go! This is the set-up for one of my wine aroma panels. Each week I have labeled, organized, filled, capped, and washed (not by hand, thank God!) 900 of these suckers, along with conducting the panels. Occasionally I did 1800 of them per week, which was just too much, and really caused my back to ache! Tomorrow I will fill 900 of them for the last time, and Thursday will be my final aroma panel. Yay! Then, I just have to do three days of wine panels with my research wine, which means I will finish all of my research by the end of June.

I raced this past weekend in Hood River. I really wasn't competing, only participating. After getting dropped 8 miles into the first stage, and riding 45 miles solo, I confirmed that I truly had no personal expectations for the race because I truly was okay with it! And, I had a blast in the TT, even though I didn't do very well. I will admit that I considered dropping out of the Saturday road race because my back was not liking the climbing, but I had to finish. I did opt out of Sunday's crit once it was announced that it would not count towards GC. With my herniated disc, Ted's injuries, needing to move by the end of the month, and trying to finish my research ASAP, there was no real reason FOR me to do the rainy crit. Plus, I'm kind of a wuss!

I had an MRI done of my back today. It confirmed that a protruding disc is causing my problems. At the L5-S1 level, the disc is protruding and compressing the nerve root, which fits with my symptoms of pain on the left side, and down the left leg. The L4-L5 disc is also protruding, though it is not compressing the nerve; this means that it is probably not causing me any symptoms.

My last terrible flare-up was a year ago when I could not walk to the bathroom (in a tiny house!) without assistance. Though I have not been completely incapacitated since then, my back continuously causes me trouble, often preventing me from doing the things I want to do. So, it has reached the point where it is time to see what options exist.

I am heading to Hood River tomorrow to do a four-day stage race. My only goal is to have fun, as I realistically cannot have any expectations for myself without becoming disappointed. Hopefully the weather cooperates!

I used to be kind of fast...

I'm just back from my first larger race of the year. I had fun simply being on the bike, but my performance was far from satisfying. Ted reminds me that my training is very inferior to what it should be for me to be competitive at a 1/2 level, and I just looked back through my training times (total riding time, including races) in the past few months:

January - 37.5 hours
February - 34 hours
March - 26.5 hours
April - 21 hours
May through the 16th - 21 hours
Sum - NOT MUCH!!!

It's frustrating to be so significantly slower than I was even a few years ago. My back has just been preventing me from training for any significant periods of time. Looking at these hours, I see that I should have no expectations for myself right now. It would just be nice to be able to have some expectations, and to be able to put the time in that I want to. I hope I can someday train and race the way I used to, and that my fastest days are not simply in the past.

Our house could use some whimsy, so I made hound cupcakes today...


...and I've been wearing these slippers, sent to me by Mom and Dad.

Since my last update, Ted had surgery. His mom (Ellie) and I took him to Spokane to have ankle surgery. Once they wheeled him back, I went down to the cafeteria for breakfast, while Ellie stayed in the waiting room. While I was eating, Ellie received word that the doc felt he should also operate on the wrist. Surprise - you get two surgical procedures, not one! Ted was very groggy and they kept him overnight. I headed home to Pullman to work on my final exams and papers for the semester, and Ellie brought Ted home the following day.

I finished up the last of my graduate coursework a week ago, a few days after Ellie left. Before she left, she loaded us up with Chauvin spaghetti sauce, and we have a freezer full - 10 Tupper Ware containers of various sizes plus 4 quart-sized jars!


The weather is getting better here, so I've been doing some riding, and the Palouse is getting greener and more beautiful!

We head back to Spokane Thursday for Ted's follow-up appointment with his surgeon. Hopefully he will get some good news then. And, I may actually do a non-collegiate bike race next weekend in Wenatchee. That's all for now!

Long week

It has been a long, busy week, and not in the best of ways.

Thursday, April 15th

I went for a short, easy ride last Thursday evening after conducting a day-long aroma panel for my wine research. Ted was going to come down from Spokane that evening after doing a short ride himself, and then we were going to get ready to head to Walla Walla for the Tour of Walla Walla Stage Race.

I was about 15 minutes from home when my phone rang. It was Ted, telling me he was lying on the side of the road after being hit by a car. When I asked if he was okay, he said, "No. I'm in a lot of pain and I think my leg is broken." He told me the ambulance was coming, but he didn't know which hospital he would be taken to.

While I rode home (quickly!), I made phone calls to family to let them know what had happened, and that I would be heading to Spokane immediately. I grabbed the dog, a change of clothes, and headed to Spokane, arriving at Sacred Heart at 8:15. After 23 x-rays and lots of wound cleaning (his elbows were completely thrashed... and filled with rocks - not pebbles - rocks!), it was determined that his left ankle and right wrist were broken. The driver had hit Ted from behind going 55 mph a couple miles south of Cheney. I left the ER at 2 am, and headed with Hitcher to a hotel to get some sleep.

Friday, April 16th

Up at 7, thanks to the dog, a quick bagel for breakfast (first food since lunch the day before), and back to the hospital. After a look at the x-rays by the orthopedic surgeon, Ted was told he would not be heading home that day. I hung out for a bit, ran to Rite Aid to grab him some things, and then headed back to Pullman to take care of the cats, grab clothes, and to take Hitcher to the kennel to be boarded.

Mom and Dad drove to Pullman to pick me up, and headed to Spokane with me. After a visit to Ted, we had a fantastic dinner at Sante.

Saturday, April 17th

After a quick breakfast at the hotel, we headed back to the hospital to visit Ted. We were there for his PT session, which really showed just how limited his mobility would be. His PT also said that he would likely not be going home until Monday.

At this point, Ted had a roommate for the first time - an inconsiderate, old priest, who left the lights and TV on all night, and was rude to the nurses (Ted nicknamed him "Padre Prick). As this roommate limited visiting, we decided I should head back to Pullman for the night, so I stopped in Cheney to pick up Ted's car, and headed home to have a martini and salad bar, and to visit the cats.

Sunday, April 18th

Decided I should make myself go for a bike ride before heading back up to Spokane. The weather was beautiful, which helped my motivation, but didn't keep me from constantly looking over my left shoulder. After a shower and a light lunch (Haagen-Dazs Pistachio Ice Cream), I headed back to Spokane for a short visit. Left the hospital around 8:30, and headed home for a quick dinner of Safeway pizza.

Ted had been told that he would possibly leave the hospital the next day, so the plan was for me to head back to Pullman again, pick up Hitcher Monday morning, and wait to see if I would drive back up, or if Ted's uncle, Bruce, would drive him down to Pullman.

Monday, April 19th

Ted had more x-rays taken of his ankle to see if it was looking like he would need surgery. So far, so good. He was told he would be able to go home in the afternoon. Sure enough, things took far longer than they should have, and Ted didn't get home until after 6. Bruce very kindly drove him down, and our nice neighbor physicians helped to get him in the house (and gave him a welcome home Black Butte Porter complete with hot pink straw!).

Tuesday, April 20th

Ted's awesome sister, Corrina, flew over from Seattle to stay with us for a few days. Otherwise, not an eventful day, though sleep was hard to come by in our little house; this was due to pain for Ted, and due to cats for me (sidenote: tape used for wound care is apparently very fun to throw around in the middle of the night if you are a cat).

Wednesday, April 21st

A day at home. Corrina cooked and cleaned for us. I walked Hitcher and got my Stats project done.

Thursday, April 22nd



Woke up to rain, so opted for no bike ride again. Tomorrow will be a day for a ride. We got Ted settled in the car, folding down the back seats of the car, covering them with a moving pad and an unzipped sleeping bag, and propping his ankle with lots of pillows. Off to Spokane we went for two meetings - one with Ted's mortgage guy, and one with his orthopedic surgeon. Oh, and a stop in Cheney along the way. Bad news: Ted will have ankle surgery Wednesday. Good news: Ted is getting closer to having his house! After the appointments, we drove Corrina by the house, and stopped at Latah Bistro, as a treat from Mom and Dad.

Corrina leaves Saturday at 3:20. Her help has been awesome. Ted and Corrina's mom, Ellie, arrives Saturday at 2:55 and will stay for a week. And, I will be doing a collegiate road race and crit her in Pullman/Moscow this weekend. Time for one of us to get back out there. And now, time for bed.

Bike Fit

I had my first race-specific bike fit done yesterday by Erik Moen. Erik, a physical therapist, agrees with my pt in Pullman that I likely have a herniated disc, so my position was altered to alleviate the nerve pain down my leg and to take the stress off of my lower back. In short, pretty much everything about my position was altered, including saddle height, cleat position, stem length, saddle position, and brake hood position. It feels completely different, but in a good way. After the fit, Ted and I went for a short ride and I had no symptoms down the left leg for the first time in months, so I already have to say that I highly recommend Moen for bike fits. In my 17 years of racing, I have been overly stretched on the bike, giving me a weak lower back, which only irks my likely disc problem.

For the time being, I will continue pt, with a goal of improving my symptoms. I do have symptoms 95% of the time, but I can live with it as long as I can continue to do the things I want to do. Other options may have to be considered if I reach the point where I cannot be as active as I would like, but hopefully this will not happen.

I raced the Tour de Dung today, which was my first road race of 2010. I did end up getting in 2 breaks, despite Erik's advice to take it easy with my new fit. I just couldn't help it! Tomorrow is the Mason Lake road race, and it is going to be rainy.



Photo before bike fit.


Photo after bike fit.

Mysterious Lurker

Who are you, mysterious lurker, who googles several times a week for "Ted Chauvin" or "Ted Chauvin Pullman," leading you to my blog? Inquiring minds (not just myself) want to know! Your location is unknown, your latitude and longitude point to Kansas, and you use Firefox. Who are you?

I rode my bike in Cheney this morning. The riding there is great, but I couldn't believe how much trash I saw on the sides of the road. To make it even worse, there were 100s of empty alcohol containers. Scary!

We went to our final Cougar basketball game as season ticket holders. It was a good game, except for the three twenty-year-old girls who sat behind us. They were wearing Cougar colors, but constantly ridiculed the Cougar players, and their language was foul! After listening to the one idiot girl scream at Klay Thompson that he "f-ing sucks," Ted turned around and asked her what her problem was. She proceeded to tell Ted he is too old to be in college, has gray hair, and is a "f-ing f-er." Her friends soon joined in, and they proceeded to kick the back of my seat for the duration of the game. They also bopped us on the head with their foam cheering things. I was just waiting for gum to be put in my hair!

The language never ceased, and the 3 girls just seemed to encourage each other. They were cursing at the players, us, the refs, the fans of UW, and they thought they were hilarious. It was disgusting and classless. Are kids not taught respect anymore? These girls were an embarassment to themselves, their university, and their families. Our country is in trouble with up-and-comers like these.

My second PT appointment was yesterday. Unfortunately, it sounds very likely that a disc is to blame for my problems. My PT has ruled out Piriformis Syndrome because I fail the Slump Test. When I extend my left leg and drop my chin to my chest, I get very strong shooting pain in my left leg/hip. Apparently, the test does not bother those who have Piriformis Syndrome. Plus, when I look at the symptoms of a disc problem, it sounds just like me and what I have experienced over the past 5 years. I would say I am now at the Grade II stage. The good thing is that I have been able to ride my bike overall. I can live with this, annoying as it may be, as long as I am able to be active and do what I want to do.

Hitcher and I have continued to take the GPS with us on all of our walks. After one month of walks, we have done 59.08 miles. There were also 6 days when Ted walked Hitcher without me, and 1 day when (heaven-forbid!) Hitcher got no walk. So, after 24 days of walking, our average per day is ~2.5 miles/day. Keep in mind that our walks also contain LOTS of stopping, smelling, marking, and pooping, so a short distance can turn into a fairly long walk time-wise.


Old Man Shamus enjoyed a few sips of Guinness before his afternoon nap yesterday.

The semester is about to get very busy for me, as I will be conducting a minimum of 24 aroma and taste panels before the end of April. The panels, papers, tests, and my fine talent of procrastination are making me one stressed chica right now. Then again, it's only 2 months, right? Or, 120 miles of dog walks. That's nothing!

Breaking?

Am I breaking? I started physical therapy again today, seeing the same guy I saw last year for my back. After a prelimary examination, he suspects I have either a herniated disc or something like Piriformis Syndrome that is affecting my nerve. I have a whole new set of exercises and stretches to do, and I will be in PT 2x per week for a minimum of a month (sounds more like 10 weeks). I can only hope that it does not affect my racing season too much. I have a lot more fitness this year than I had last year, but that's not saying a lot since I barely rode/raced last year! I am not even 30 and I appear to already be falling apart.

2010

I just got my new ride for 2010, courtesy of Vertical Earth in Coeur d'Alene. Loving the black and red, and stoked to take it for a spin tomorrow. The Riverstone Women's team is going to kick ass in 2010!

As for the race car poll, I found the Ferrari to look faster, while Ted thought the McLaren looked faster. Yes, this means I owe Ted a drink.

I will be back in PT next week, though not for the back this time. This time it will be for my left leg, which has been bothering me since October. Hmmm.... maybe I should have used the PT referral I received in November, but I was stubborn and thought it would get better on its own. It hasn't. A very sore area near the fibular head, along with lots of tingling down the leg, has me thinking it's a nerve problem.

In any case, I am determined to get a real season of racing in this year. Last year was incredibly frustrating, as I was forced to spend half of April, nearly all of May, and half of June off the bike. Needless to say, no results were seen.

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!