listening after dark

"Spiffing timepieces for low price"

So said the subject line of a spam e-mail received today. Sounds British. At work I get German spam. I kind of wish I knew German.

Today I managed to bike to work, home for lunch, then to rock climbing after work and home again, getting rained on only a little, and all without getting hit by lightning. All is well.

Climbing is getting easier each week, and my forearms are kind of huge (for me). Wes said I looked like Popeye (maybe a little facetiously). I like the muscles.

We went camping one night this weekend, got far too much sun but no sunburns, didn't catch any fish, played with our buddy Stanley, ate huge pork chops and smelled a lot of cow pies. Why is it that Wyoming's beautiful and rugged parts are always liberally sprinkled with cattle dung?

Two more days of work until I leave for Montreal! I'm not at all looking forward to flying, but the destination will be worth it. I have too many lists in preparation. Wes makes fun of my lists because there are always a few little notes on my kitchen table. But then he saw my Montreal list. I can't help it if being organized—which I enjoy—means writing everything down so I don't forget.

And how about a few photos depicting some of the silly fun I've been having lately:

Crazy Adventures

This week my family brought to my attention some people who are undertaking pretty cool adventures:

• Dan, Alison, Sonia and Gus at Shut Up and Pedal! are biking across the U.S. as a family. The kids aren't even that old, so it's pretty impressive.

• Zac Sunderland just began a round-the-world solo boat trip. He's 16. If he finishes it in the next year, he'll set a world record for the youngest person to sail alone around the world.

Also, my friend Lisa is currently in Ghana, and a former Santa Fe co-worker has been traveling around South America for several months.

All this just makes me want to go somewhere. So it's a good thing I depart for Montreal in just 11 days. It's not a sea cruise or a bike expedition, but it will include family, so it will definitely be good enough for now.

Breakfast favorites: 15 minutes or less

I have the deepest sympathy for people who say they don't like breakfast. Maybe they've just never found breakfast foods they really like. Maybe they think they don't have time for it. Maybe they're just not hungry in the mornings. In case any of you think along those lines but would like to change your mind...

I used to eat cold cereal for breakfast fairly often, but I've found it doesn't satisfy for very long. And walking to work, even less than a mile, requires a bit more energy. I try to avoid excess sugar and grease, because those usually make me feel jittery or too full. Peanut butter is a staple. I've also taken to baking big batches of breakfast cookies to keep in the freezer for an instant breakfast or energy snack. They thaw at room temperature in a matter of minutes. (I've been modifying the recipe to include chopped unsalted peanuts, chopped dried apricots, dried coconut, cooked bulgar, applesauce, chopped dried cranberries and/or cherries—and whatever else sounds good.)

Here are some of my favorite breakfasts, which I choose depending on the amount of time I have in the morning. Sometimes the thought of breakfast is what encourages me not to languish in bed too long.

5 min
Fruit and Yogurt
• Mix 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt with a sliced banana and 1/2 cup applesauce
• Eat with whole wheat toast and peanut butter

PB and Banana Sandwich
• Spread two slices of whole wheat bread with peanut butter
• Add sliced/mashed banana
• Eat with a glass of milk

Fruit Smoothie
• In a blender, place 1/2 cup frozen fruit, 1/4 to 1/2 cup milk (or fruit juice) and 1/2 to 1 cup fresh fruit such as a banana or strawberries

10 min
Spicy Egg and Toast
• Cook one egg over-easy
• Toast one slice of whole wheat bread
• Spread toast with honey, top with egg and Tabasco
• Eat with a glass of milk, a banana, some applesauce or orange slices

Toast as Waffles
• Toast two slices of whole wheat bread
• Spread with peanut butter and top with applesauce, canned peach slices, plum sauce or another sliced or sauced fruit
• Eat with a glass of milk or fruit juice

15 min
English-ish Breakfast
• Cook one egg over-easy
• Heat a few slices of precooked sausage alongside the egg
• Toast one slice of whole wheat bread, spread with marmalade
• Heat 1/2 cup of canned whole tomatoes (unflavored)
• (For the daring, add 1/4 cup heated baked beans)
• Eat with favorite black tea (with or without milk and sugar)

Slow-Cooked Oatmeal
• Prepare according to can or box directions
• Add raisins after 5 minutes, then cook another 5 to 10 minutes
• Add honey or brown sugar, milk, banana after cooked
• Eat with whole wheat toast and peanut butter

As you can see, bananas, milk, whole wheat toast and peanut butter are my basic necessities. If none of these ideas sound appetizing, fine. Just find some things you like to eat for breakfast and keep them on hand. You don't have to rely on cold cereal, boring bagels or gummy instant oatmeal. The world of breakfast is much bigger than that.

More pain, or, I like rock climbing

Last night's (second) class was great. We had a few minutes of terms and then were set loose to climb. It was basically like what I imagine a school playground might have been, had I attended school and therefore experienced a school playground. We climbed around, helped each other, showed off, complained about sore arms, squinched toes—basically, we played.

I'm probably the oldest person in the class, which is a strange thing. All the others seem to be barely out of high school. One of the guys who was belaying me just turned 18. Which means he was born in 1990. !! That makes me feel old.

After biking home into the (20ish mph) wind last night, I was unbelievably tired and could hardly lift my arms, but today I feel better than expected. The weirdest things are hard, though, like dressing myself. Putting on pants especially. But I'm already looking forward to the next class on Monday, when the soreness is gone and the climbing will be just slightly easier. Maybe I'll even be able to grasp that one hold I couldn't quite reach...

Suddenly very active

It feels good to be sore and tired in an I-used-my-muscles-and-they're- telling-me-about-it way. Yesterday I went for a two-hour hike/climb/run. I meant to just hike, but of course I had to start off by climbing my favorite rocks by the waterfall (at Rotary Park). Then of course I wasn't on the right trail, so I had to climb the hillside and a lot more rocks to get there. And then it was mostly downhill, so why not jog partway?

Today I rode my bike to work and also ran a few errands at lunch (average 15 mph wind all day). I never ride slow when I can ride faster. I left work half an hour early to bike about a mile across town for my first rock climbing class. We just did intro stuff—forms, harnesses, knots—but then I did three quick climbs (belayed by my new buddy, a girl who's shaping up to re-enter the Marines). And then biked home about a mile and a half, into the wind. I think I'm a little tired now.

Anti-peeve

I discovered yet another talent: eating an ice cream bar while riding my bike. I've had the no-hands thing down for many years now, but I don't know that I ever tried to eat ice cream while biking. Or, no, wait, I think last summer I ate a popsicle on my way to work once. So never mind.

Peeve

Ooooh, I hate when I open a web page that resizes my browser. I have it a certain size and shape for a reason—because I like it that way.