Social Gracious

Diagnosis Old

The last time I did the South Beach Diet was over five years ago. I tipped the scales at a hefty 118 which for me at the time was totally unacceptable. So, a friend and I decided to try the diet and drop a few pounds quickly. Of course I forced UberGeek to go along with me. I quickly dropped nine pounds following the diet relatively strictly and going to the gym five days a week. UberGeek dropped 20, cheating all the way. Mission accomplished.

Fast forward five years, after a vacation during which UberGeek and I stuffed ourselves with fried Grouper sandwiches, frozen rum runners and all manner of other delicacies I tipped the scales at 125. I don't normally weigh myself but tight jeans necessitate a reality check. 125 is a weight I don't think I have ever been at except during and six months after pregnancy. I know that to most people that doesn't sound heavy but at just under 5'2" it's actually pushing toward an unhealthy BMI. With a family history of heart disease I prefer to keep things on the safe side. So, I decided I would do South Beach again and drop it off in a couple weeks.

Ummm, yeah, except I'm not 29 anymore, I'm 35 and apparently you don't just drop 10 lb as easily. I have been just as strict (only very occasional cheating) and have been working out and still the needle on the scale has moved just four depressing pounds in almost two weeks. I am sick of eating salads, cauliflower fake mashed potatoes and stir fry vegetables I tell you.  I want my brown rice and whole grain pasta, fruit, bread, CARBS!  So, because I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis which results in weight gain sometimes and also occasionally in me being more tired than usual I decided in my mind that surely this was the issue, perhaps a change in my medication was necessary. A flare up of thyroid disease causing my thighs to stand their ample ground.  I called Mayo to make an appointment with my primary care physician.

Walking into his office I waited for just a couple minutes before Dr. M arrived. We have a good relationship, he's UberGeek's physician too and has been for many years. The first time we met I was 25, in grad school and newly married to UberGeek. I tagged along on a visit so I could meet Dr. M who, at the time, was also the physician head of IT where UberGeek worked. I demanded a promise that UberGeek would live to be 100 and received instructions in return to force UberGeek to stop eating fries and drinking soda.  It was a deal, with a HIPAA release on file for each other we are both able to tattle freely to Dr. M. "He is still eating the fries, Dr. M, and he hasn't run in two months" I will report.  I don't know that Dr. M ever says anything specifically to UberGeek but just the fact that I've tattled causes the running shoes to appear at the front door once more.

Dr. M. has watched our relationship mature from young marrieds, to harried parents, he saw my ghastly postpartum state (mental and physical), he requests pictures of our twins and occasionally gets a visit from them. So when he comes in there is usually some brief small talk. The door opens and I tell him what I am there for, "I cannot seem to drop more than three or four pounds" I tell him, "I am wondering if my thyroid is acting up." "If it's not that, then I am worried that it is just because I am getting old" I joke.  "I am tired of eating salads and nuts and the needle on the scale staying put." Yes, he says, that is what I am always telling my 60 year old patients, things slow down and you just can't eat as much as you used to as you age. I don't put quotes around that statement because he might not have worded it exactly like that, but that was the gist of it. At that moment I thought, oh my God, I will get to eat less and less every day until I die if I want to stay thin. This really sucks. I said a prayer (silently) that my thyroid was really messed up. Dr. M sent me for labwork down the hall just after my appointment.

Thursday the nurse called to give me the results, "Your thyroid results are normal" she said in a cheerful voice. Diagnosis=old.

Rum Cake Recipe

Rum Cake Recipe with Captain Morgan's

It's an odd time of year for rum cake, I know. However, earlier this week my boss celebrated her birthday and she happens to like Captain Morgan's, so what better cake to bake? I work from home today but our team is taking my boss out for lunch so I'm going to take this cake too as a surprise. This is a really easy cake to make and it's the bomb! I can't promise you all the liquor bakes out of the glaze either.

Cake

1 box Yellow Cake Mix

1 small box vanilla instant pudding mix

4 eggs

½ c. cold water

½ c. canola oil

½ c. rum (I like dark or spiced)

½ c. chopped pecans

Glaze:

1.5 c. sugar (I use turbinado raw)

1 to 1.5 sticks butter depending on if I am feeling thin or fat

¼ c. water

¾ c. rum (I like dark or spiced)

 

 

Preheat oven to 325. Grease non stick bundt pan or spray with non stick spray. Mix first six ingredients of cake together in large bowl with whisk or hand mixer until relatively smooth. Sprinkle the pecans in the bottom of the bundt pan. Pour batter evenly on top of pecans and smooth out with spatula. Bake 45-55 minutes depending on pan. If you use a dark pan it will need less time. Remove from the oven and place on rack but do not turn out yet.

 

While the cake is baking combine the first three ingredients for the glaze in a heavy saucepan and bring to a gentle boil for five minutes. Remove from the burner, add rum. Place back on burner and bring back to a boil for one minute then remove from heat. Taste, try to keep yourself from tasting again, taste again.

While cake is still in pan drizzle half of glaze on cake. Wait five minutes for glaze to soak in, then turn cake out onto your cake plate. Prick cake with ice pick all over. Then drizzle rest of glaze on cake. Frantically scrape the pan with a spoon and gorge yourself on the leftover rum infused glaze. Try to avoid the eyes of others since you will look ridiculous doing this. I find this cake is best when you let it sit over night before serving.

 

Download Rum Cake

Office Space Movie Night

We got rid of cable about a month ago. By get rid of cable I don't mean that we switched to dish or DirectTV, I mean we completely got rid of any TV service. We hardly watch TV anyhow and most of what we watch is available online. The kids have adjusted easily, we take them to the library to check out books or DVDs and they really only watched PBS anyhow. We do hear occasional wistful remembrances about watching Olivia on demand but that is the extent of their complaints.

Tonight UberGeek and I broke out one of the two most excellent movies of all time, Office Space. Having spent the last few nights in quiet, working on various projects, reading or doing housework we needed a break. It is one of two movies we watch over and over again. The other is Parenthood. Office Space is a cult classic and I am such a dork that I eat up its blatant satire of the modern workplace. My cubicle has an "Is This Good for the Company" poster tacked up and I own an Initech mug. The irony of the poster isn't obvious unless you've seen the movie. I wonder how many of my colleagues think I'm a total loser for hanging up a poster that reminds me to think about whether my decisions are "good for the company?" If I could find a red Swingline I'd own one of those too. Most geeks know about Office Space, it's an anthem of sorts. I think that at some time in our lives we've all felt the quiet desperation of office life. Born to be social and active human beings we are confined together in a maze of tiny cubicles, separated by sort of walls and illuminated by dim flourescence. We are forced to sit all day in front of a tiny flickering screen that is supposed to give meaning to the nine plus hours stretching out in front of us.  

I am very thankful that I work for a good company that does great things throughout the community. Still, after hours alone in front of my computer screen I sometimes have a tremendous urge to jump up and down and yell something really loud then run down the hallway. I contain myself but I am always fearful that one day all that caged up energy and lack of actual human contact will result in some sort of bubbling over. That is one thing I miss since I made the switch from working in clinical practice to technology, regular human contact. The pent up energy is easily taken care of with a run before or after work but the need for interaction remains. I wonder if I am the only one who finds it hard to act like an adult all the time when there are so many times I am overwhelmed by the urge to just stand up and jump?

 

Neda Soltan

Neda Soltan's Death

It's a Small World After All

 
Neda Soltan

Unless you've been living under a rock recently you know that the country of Iran is involved in a bloody upheaval with citizens demonstrating in the streets for democracy. In a recent election, the president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, claimed victory a scant two hours after the election closed. I have listened on the news to various experts claiming that it would be impossible to count all of those paper ballots in that period of time. I personally don't know whether the candidate who opposed him, Mir Hosein Mousavi, would be any better as a president than Ahmadinejad. What I do know, is that the people of Iran cried foul, and are now exercising a right that we take for granted every day. The right to assemble and demonstrate peacefully.

With the help of social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook the people of Iran have shared photos and video of the protests there and of the governments brutal response. To show solidarity with the Iranian people and to support their right to demonstrate, many people around the world who Twitter have turned their Twitter avatars green, as have I. Huge numbers across the world have set up proxy servers from sites like glype to help people in Iran access the Internet in an uncensored way as well. In fact, if you have friends or family in China, Iran or anywhere else with censored media this is something you might want to think about setting up ahead of time so you can be ready for this type of event.

None of this really seemed that close to me though, I have been watching it, monitoring it surely. I checked with my neighbors, who are from Iran to make sure their families are safe. Thankfully they are. Then recently I learned about Neda Soltan, a student attending a protest with her professor in Tehran over the weekend. She was gunned down while standing on a street, by a Basij sniper, shot through the heart. A bystander caught the last moments of her life on video and I watched it courtesy of YouTube. I viewed it not because I am particularly enamored of gory video, but because this is life. This is life for the rest of the world and I should look at it. But for an accident of birth that put me in this country, and her in that one, that could easily be me.

Neda is beautiful, you don't need high quality video to see that. Her death is heartbreaking and I felt my heart just swelling and my eyes filling with tears watching it. It's a very small world that we live in. Neda could be my sister, one day she could be my daughter, protesting an injustice somewhere. I pray that our country maintains the freedoms that we take for granted so often. I pray that my daughter never has to be Neda. I pray that I have the strength to teach her right from wrong, to help her learn the meaning of justice for all and democracy, beyond rote memorization in the classroom so that she feels its power in her heart. I hope that all of our daughters will one day change the world with their power.

Neda has become a symbol of the revolution in Iran. Neda, in Persian means voice, and many are saying that Neda's story has become the voice of the people. I wonder if this consoles her family at all? Surely the pain of missing her is great. I hope that it is some comfort to them, that they raised a woman with such strength, who became the symbol of a revolution for change in her country.  I pray for peace for Neda's family and for all of the people of Iran tonight. 

 
Neda's Final Moments

 

**The video of Neda's final moments is very graphic so I chose not to post it here. You can obtain it by searching YouTube: death of neda. Please be certain you do not have young children with you when watching.

Jacksonville Beach Paddle Boarding

Yesterday we decided to skip church in favor of heading to the beach. Diva's dance recital had taken up all of Saturday and we enjoyed it thoroughly. We were unable to attend Saturday evening service though due to the festivities and Sunday morning dawned beautiful, clear, and a perfect beach day. The kids pounced on us in bed around 6:45, late by their standards, and demanded to know what the day held. UberGeek rolled over, looked at me, then them. He announced that we would be going to the beach. Who was I to argue? No better place to worship what God has to offer than the ocean.

We packed up the minivan and headed to the beach. I have lived near the water my entire life and have spent much of my life on the beach. As children, my sister and I were swathed in sunscreen, had lunches packed and were expected to entertain ourselves for entire days at the shore. There is nothing I like better, nothing my sister likes better and nothing my mom likes better than a day at the beach. My mother and her brother both were surfers, as was I in earlier years. It turns out that my kids love the beach too.

Yesterday we were playing around in the shallow water, having a good time when a paddle boarder came in, watching his friends finish up out in the breaking waves. I pointed out his board to Eddie Haskell and explained what it was. The owner of the board heard me and offered to let him stand on it. D iva of course also had to get in on the act. As I watched them I felt a tightening in my chest. Not just of pride for my kids balancing on their wobbly legs, but also of longing, for the days that I was a surfer and not the suburban mom in a tankini and a sunhat, loaded in sunscreen and about to get back in a minivan. Rather for the days that I was the adventurer, cruising the coastline, other countries and places, riding waves and flying in impossibly small planes. Those days are gone but maybe sometime I'll figure out how to surf again. Perhaps Diva and Eddie Haskell will want to learn.

Transplants Work-Organ Donors Give Life

Happy Anniversary to GrandDad's Liver

 

Today was the nineteenth anniversary of GrandDad's liver. This wouldn't be a big deal if Granddad was nineteen, the thing is, GrandDad is in his seventies and his liver is now 35 years old. He received a liver transplant at the University of Pittsburgh 19 years ago. The transplant was performed by Dr. Thomas E. Starzl, who the Pittsburgh Transplant Center is now named after, also a National Medal of Science honoree. They did a good job because nineteen years later and UberGeek's dad, our children's GrandDad, is hale and hearty. This was not the case before his transplant.

For a number of years before his transplant GrandDad was sick and no one could figure out why. Always energetic and with a strong work ethic he was suddenly constantly fatigued to the point of exhaustion. He went from doctor to doctor and none of them had an answer. Since they lived in a suburb of Washington DC at the time he ended up at NIH, where he was finally diagnosed with Alpha-1 Liver Disease, a rare genetic disorder caused by Alpha-1 Antitrypsin deficiency. By the time it was discovered, GrandDad was in rough shape, and there was more bad news, there was no cure. After some research it was determined that the only shot for GrandDad was a new liver and the best surgeons and shortest wait list was in Pittsburgh, a long way from Washington, DC.

Granny and GrandDad stayed in a short term apartment in Pittsburgh waiting and hoping for a new liver until GrandDad was too sick and had to move to the hospital to wait. UberGeek was in college at the time but he remembers visiting when he could and how hard it was to be in school at a time when he wanted to be with his parents. Finally, when they were told that GrandDad only had a few days left before it would be too late, a liver did come. That is the bittersweet part, another family lost their son in order for my children to one day meet their GrandDad. I can't imagine what UberGeek and I's life would have been like without his father and I'm glad I haven't had to. I know there is no price that can be put on that precious gift of 19 more years and counting. 

GrandDad does have some special concerns, he has to take immune suppressive drugs to keep from rejecting the liver which means his immune system is compromised. For this reason, we keep the kiddos, and ourselves away if any of us are sick or have been exposed to some rampant preschool epidemic. He is followed regularly by Mayo Clinic who also have one of the top transplant teams in the country. Cooking with alcohol is out, as is drinking the stuff (for GrandDad, not me). So other than a few minor concerns, GrandDad leads a normal life and frankly, is in better shape than most men his age. He takes our kiddos on walks, swims in the pool, and is out and about with Granny. We can hardly keep up with our kids so that's pretty good for seventy something.

There is no cost to organ donation, only love.  If you are not an organ donor, or aren't sure if you are, please find out more at Donate Life America.

 

Happy Nineteenth Anniversary!

The Luxury Recession Vacation Continues

Wednesday of our vacation we went on a snorkeling trip to Egmont Key. Tropical Island Getaway was recommended to us for the trip. Their website and phone service leave something to be desired but fear not, they are great and courteous sea captains. We drove the thirty minutes from Clearwater Beach to Gulfport Marina and packed a lunch. They provide coolers and you can bring your own drinks (including adult beverages if you choose). I absolutely love snorkeling so I couldn't wait. I'm in my element in the water and started swimming at a very young age. I began swimming competitively in high school and was in a pool for four hours a day for years so water and I go way back. UberGeek likes the water, just not quite so much. If there is 18 inches of clear water I will snorkel in it, picking up anything that looks cool and as if it would not sting me too badly.

The boat ride out was fun, we got to watch dolphins jumping the waves made by the boat. Since both UberGeek and I come from waterfront towns this wasn't that exciting to us but the people who were visiting from middle America really enjoyed it. It was pretty neat to see the dolphins racing alongside the boat. I enjoyed the sun, seeing the sights and relaxing.

Once we got there the island was so quiet and beautiful. It's reachable only by boat and is a state park and bird sanctuary. There are both ruins and shoreside area to snorkel and we did both. I picked up star fish, anemones and sand dollars. We also encountered a huge flounder, a couple sting rays and a sea horse which was floating by. We took a long walk on the desolate beach where only a few other people wandered around collecting shells or sunning themselves. The water was so warm, clear and gentle that a few young children seemed to be learning to snorkel as well. Originally we had intended to bring back sand dollars for the kiddos but they were so obviously alive UberGeek voted to buy cheap dead, pre bleached ones at a souvenir shop and pitch our live ones back in.

We slept well that night after a delicious local dinner at the Sea Hags in St. Pete Beach on the way back to Clearwater. Thursday morning it was off to Orlando. We scored a room at the Renaissance Orlando Sea World via Priceline for $70 a night. It was a steal! I couldn't believe how gorgeous our room was when we checked in. Nice marble bath with double sinks, big fluffy bed with European pillows, high thread count sheets, coffered ceilings and a nice sofa, best of all we had a view of Sea World and the night time fire works from our window.

A friend of mine at work always uses Priceline to book hotels, I tend toward Hotwire since you can usually figure out which hotel you will stay in but we decided to throw caution to the wind this time. It worked out nicely. The Renaissance has a great pool, several restaurants and bars and a really great location, even a free shuttle to Universal Studios. It was a bargain and a great place to stay.

Friday we spent the day at Universal Studios; we had received a coupon in the mail which offered one two park single day ticket for $50 and the second ticket for free. So, for $25 each we enjoyed the day at both Universal Studios and Universal's Islands of Adventure. Then we had libations at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville and dinner at another restaurant in Universal City Walk to celebrate my (drumroll please) 35th birthday. The best part about celebrating in a theme park is that they are so stringent about carding anyone who could possibly, with a lot of Botox, pass for 40 that you get carded if you just cover up your greys. So, I got carded on my 35th birthday!

Frenchy's Original Cafe Clearwater Beach

Frenchy's Original Cafe Clearwater
Tasty Seafood

Our second night in Clearwater Beach we decided we wanted to experience some original seaside goodness. By that I mean fried seafood, specifically grouper. The gulf side of Florida is probably somewhat responsible for a shortage of that tasty fish as it is a specialty on nearly every menu. Nobody does it like Frenchy's though. They even have a grouper reuben sandwich that is supposedly to die for. I didn't try it though, in my mind I couldn't get grouper and reuben to go together.

There are a number of Frenchy's restaurants throughout Clearwater Beach, several on the oceanfront. As a teenager and young adult I lived and worked in a resort town long enough to know that you are likely to get better quality food, and service, off the waterfront in a busy resort town. For that reason we stuck with local recommendations and hit Frenchy's Original Cafe at 41 Baymont Street. It's tucked back away from the busy resort streets and only has a few wooden tables inside, so go early.

The menu is seafood, and more seafood. Despite dealing with an abundance of teenager diners who took up three tables and asked for probably fifteen separate checks our server, Nikki, quickly brought us drinks. UberGeek ordered his favorite, fried shrimp, and I ordered the grouper sandwich, cajun style. We also ordered an appetizer of smoked fish spread with crackers which was quickly brought out. Nikki was really attentive and checked back with us throughout our meal. Our food was delivered quickly and it was delicious! My sandwich had a huge piece of fish on it and I ended up pulling it off the bun and eating it with a fork. UberGeek had some of the best shrimp I have ever had, and I am a connoisseur of fried shrimp, if there is such a thing. At the table next to me I noticed that the group ordered the fried grouper sandwiches and those looked divine too. For dessert we indulged in something called Fried Oreos, UberGeek saw it on the menu and decided he had to try them. They were actually delicious, kind of like a beignet with a chocolately gooey center.

We had a great meal and enjoyed the locals at the bar, kind of wished I was able to sit and have a beer with them. Grizzled beards and fishing hats abounded. We had a great meal and a great time. Afterward we walked over to an oceanfront restaurant to listen to music and enjoy some rum runners together. I know I said I would keep track of expenses and let you know what our recession vacation cost. I think the easiest way to do that is to do a final blog post at the end of our vacation with details for all our accomodations, meals, expeditions etc. Can't promise I saved the odds and ends receipts but the big ones we have. Should be fun to see how much we spent, or didn't spend!

Next adventure, snorkeling trip on Egmont Key! 

Royal North Beach Hotel Clearwater Beach, Florida

Royal North Beach Hotel
A Great First Stop

The first stop on our Luxury Vacation, Recession Style was the Royal North Beach Hotel in Clearwater Beach, Florida. UberGeek, master of all things Internet, has a way of finding out of the way boutique, niche or otherwise non mainstream hotels. Royal North Beach fits in this category, it's a motel, most likely built in the 1950s, that appears from the exterior to maintain its fifties deco appearance. In fact, if you didn't know what the rooms looked like inside you would probably just drive on by.

 

The grounds are unremarkable, mostly tidy patterned concrete, with a few tropical bushes and plantings. There is a sparkling pool once inside the gates, plenty of lounge chairs, umbrellas and even beach chairs, clean beach towels and coolers for guests. Once inside your room however, you realize what a little gem the Royal North Beach is. The door is frosted glass and opens into a good size living room with couch, arm chair, coffee table and television armoire. Everything is tastefully decorated in a beachside theme. Rooms are cleaned every third day although you may request daily cleaning, we preferred not to. Each day you may have your bath towels replaced by staff and they will also take out your trash. In the kitchen paper towels and dish soap were also provided, a nice touch that often is not in rentals. The management also provided Kleenex brand tissue and moderate quality toiletries.

There is also a full kitchen with granite countertops, full size refrigerator and eat in area with table and chairs. There is a separate bedroom with a comfortable mattress, plenty of fluffy pillows, a dresser and a roomy closet. Between the bedroom and the tidy bathroom is a walk in closet, in case you have a lot of luggage or stay the winter I suppose. The bathroom is not large but it is clean, with new cabinetry. Hot water was plentiful as were the towels provided.

Just across the street was a quiet, beautiful white sand beach that seemed to stretch on forever. We walked over there and felt as if we had an entire island to ourselves. The Royal North Beach is on the North end of Clearwater Beach, hence the name, and it is quieter there without all of the crowds. The location is close enough to walk to many restaurants, shops and even live music at night. If you have children there are a number of parks and playgrounds within walking distance. We did see several families staying here although the units are very quiet so we never heard of them once inside our room. It seems as if it would be very convenient with kids, one or two bedroom units with a full kitchen, pool and just a short walk to the beach.

The Royal North Beach is not the Ritz but it is clean, spacious, comfortable and definitely luxurious for the price. We paid $139 a night for two nights and received the third night free as a promotion. A great deal in a resort town for a full size suite with full kitchen and separate bedroom.

 

Luxury Vacation, Recession Style

UberGeek and I arrived last night for our first child free vacation in five years. To say we were excited would be an understatement. We are looking to fall in love all over again. Unlike our honeymoon, however, this time expense is something we are considering. Ten years ago, on our honeymoon, no expense was spared, we flew first class (airline miles), stayed at one of the world's top luxury hotels, a yacht & breakfast, wine country mansion, and really enjoyed ourselves. This time, we wanted to enjoy ourselves just as much at a fraction of  the cost. UberGeek and I are very competitive. So, the challenge between us has become finding the most luxurious vacation for the most rock bottom price.

Among our friends this has become a trend of late. One of my girlfriends, accustomed to buying Nieman's and Macy's $200 maxi dresses has, after losing her well paying medical sales position, resorted to purchasing the Old Navy version for $25. She still looks gorgeous as usual, but at a fraction of the cost. Other friends are eschewing the $12 per hour babysitters, instead choosing to swap nights with friends to save cash. Many of us have begun to clean our own homes (sigh, gasp) much to our own dismay when it leaves us less family time. These things pale in comparison to the families who have to skip real necessities in order to make ends meet.

Our vacations are no different. We are tightening the belt but we still wanted a relaxing couples vacation. How would we do this for a rock bottom price? I like thick towels, luxury toiletries, comfortable mattresses, oh my!

I also confess a love of the odd. If there is a tin contraption on the side of road pouring smoke from the top with an old man in a lawn chair sitting by the side of it, I must stop and purchase the barbecue for sale there. Likely it will be the best barbecue I have ever eaten. UberGeek is more timid, preferring the assurance of chain restaurants and a lack of e coli bacteria. I am like a carp, I can eat whatever and remain unaffected. Tonight, on our second day of vacation we passed by a seedy locals bar called the Shipwreck, loud music was oozing out, a floozy female wooden pirate was bicycle locked to the door. I was intrigued. I knew I had to have a drink there before our vacation was over. UberGeek, knowing me, had already asked at the pizza joint across the street what the Shipwreck was like, "safe, local, and smoky" came the reply. "My wife will have to go there" he said.

This morning we went for a run too late, 8:30 and it was brutally hot, but we slept in. Then we had a quick breakfast and hit the beach. It was like having the Gulf of Mexico all to ourselves at the quiet North end of the beach. We swam around in the water, sunbathed, read and relaxed. Then it was naptime, dinnertime and rum runner time. I am going to dedicate the next few days of my blog to detailing our stay. Where we stayed, what we spent, and what we experienced. Just in case anyone else is interested in a recession style vacation. So far, so good.