Saturday Evening Quick Post...

A restful day where nothing really happened.   But... I feel like I have not blogged since last week, so I have to add something!   So let's recount the molehills and try to make some mountains.   Even if it is impossible/ 

To start,  I got to sleep in this morning.   That was nice. 

Dave told me of a Moving gig that was scheduled to happen at one of the churches/schools in Kenosha.  ( I think Kenosha has 4 Lutheran Schools/ churches?  I have now been to three of them.  4 if you could the high school as one.   OK.. maybe five?   There are a LOT of Lutherans in Wisconsin.   We even have Wisconsin in the WELS title!   

Back to the Moving story.  ( Are you "moved" yet?)  Since I LOVE moving things,  I volunteered my services.   I arrive about 15 minutes prior to the time that I was told it would happen.   Because... Last time we arrived "on time",   the job was already done and all that we had to do was eat donuts.   I did not want to repeat that "mistake."   So.. I arrived early. 

There was no moving van.. Only a sign saying that there was a craft fair/bake sale from 10 -2 today.  I went inside and no one had any idea there was anything that had to be moved.   All they knew was that they were setting up the craft/bake sale.  And that was already done. so...  I waited. 

And waited.  

And waited a little longer.  

People showed up... bought stuff, and left.  But no moving van or truck appeared.  So.. I did the only obvious thing to do.... I paid $5 and enjoyed lunch there.  Beef soup and BBQ sandwich with chips and drink...  What a bargain!  They even had coffee and cake!   The ladies were nice and I chatted with a few of them.  But after a while,  I figured this task of manual labor was never going to happen.  

Finally,  One of the other Pastors showed up and informed me that the stuff was moved yesterday by the kids.  Ah well....  I obviously could not show up THAT early.  But I did get a good lunch out of it and got to visit one of the other Lutheran facilities.  And got to chat with a few new people while I waited around. So...  It was not an entirely disappointing experience. 

Next,  While doing laundry the other day, I discovered that I only had one work sock that did not have a hole in the toe area.  Perhaps it was time to buy more socks.  I headed out to Goodwill, because I saw that they had a bunch of new socks for a reasonable price near the check out area.  But apparently, they have all been replaced with Winter garb.... and that is not what I was looking for.   

I checked out a nearby  Kohl's, But their prices and selection seemed lacking.   $20 for 6 pair of socks... athletic!  I only needed work socks.  And that price seemed a little high for me.  (Judge my frugality if you must.... I will not be shamed for bargain hunting!) I found what I was looking for at Walmart.  And although I do not particularly enjoy shopping there, I do find some pretty good deals there from time to time.   Example:  12 pairs of socks for $10!   And I was able to check myself out... So it was an in and out situation. 

Other than that, I went out for a run in the cold and spent the rest of the evening folding paper.   I have been tasked with folding Christmas Ornaments for Cheryl's Newspaper Christmas tree.  I have set a goal of folding at least 3 items a night.  I could fold more, but the origami is to be folded out of newspaper.  Which is not the best paper for folding.  So... Glue has to be involved.    And that takes time.  

So far, I think I have a nice selection of some pretty good models.  I may attempt more complicated ones later.  We shall see. 

Well, that is all.    Boring?  Yes, I know... But what can I say?   Sometimes peaceful boring days are a welcome distraction from the normal.  And I felt I could use the peace and quiet after last week.   Time seems to move so much faster now.  I will have to do better in finding time to write. In the mean time,  I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend.  And thanks for stopping in.

Cheryl Completes The Indy Monumental Marathon!

That is correct!  This weekend was Marathon Weekend!  Why have I not hinted at it until now?  Well, the very prospect of us actually being able to pull it off seemed almost impossible!  I had to get Subie fixed last week.   I had to purchase my new glasses and that left very little money in the bank account.  Luckily, I got paid on Friday!  Cheryl had her own hang ups and issues from Time  and Car woes, and of course... Money!  

But we pulled it off!   Just arriving at the start line seemed Monumental to me. (Pun intended!)  And with all the other things going on,  the possibility of Cheryl pulling out another Personal Record for a Marathon distance seemed equally as unlikely...  Could lightning strike twice?

I'll skip all the useless drama and simply say, "No."  Cheryl did not set a new PR yesterday.   Nor did she get any age group award.. or even break the 3:30 time for a full marathon.  (3:31:56!   Was she even trying???)

And best of all... I have no pictures of her during the race.  

#1 Fail to take pics at a Marathon!

So that means...  There is no record of her "terrible" performance.  The Japanese proverb says: "Humiliation requires an Audience."   So my mishandling of the photo record allows Cheryl to spin what ever story she wants for this marathon...  So instead of an incompetent camera man....  I'm actually a Hero!  

The weather was not ideal for a high performance Marathon.  65 degrees with high winds and rain.  And it did rain.   Just enough to make you uncomfortable, but not  a downpour.  

The winds were nearly 40 mph!  At one point, the wind stopped me in my tracks!  I could only imagine running against such an invisible wall would be demoralizing.  

Cheryl admitted her training was less than ideal.  But that is very subjective.  I remember a time when she would have KILLED for anything under 3:40!  Now anything over 3:30 makes her depressed.  At least the guy printing out times mentioned that her time and pace were insane and that he could never run that fast.  A little outside perspective is always helpful to bring you back to Earth.  

So that is Cheryl's story...  But what about me?  The "Hero" of this Tale?   

Well,   Travel time to Indianapolis was far easier than it was to Fort Ben.   And navigating the city was fairly easy the second go around.  We found parking and I had downloaded the App and map so I could follow her and get some great shots  at various places.   With the warmer weather, I was bound to not be hindered by the cold this time. 

However,  my camera's battery life is ridiculous!   And before hardly any time,  my camera was acting up.   Add in that it is old and fussy.  It  takes forever to focus... if at all!   It froze up around mile 2.5 and I could not take any pics.   In frustration, I tried to close all apps and instead brought up and locked the "assistant" button.  If you have ever used the Google Assistant app,  you will know that she is anything BUT an assistant.  Instead, she is an annoying voice telling everyone what you are doing on your phone.  With long overly complicated sentences.  " App button, pushed!  Double tap for App to engage. App button pushed! Double tap to close app.  App button pushed, App button pushed. App button pushed. App button pushed. App closed. Double tap and hold bring app back up. "  And on and on and on!  (I'll skip the long "You pushed this app and it is for this purpose" statements.)

So while she was draining my battery with her yap,  I had to go back to the car several times to recharge the phone and try to unlock the app assistant.   Hint:  Two fingers  ( not one!) on screen swipes up the phone, allowing me to finally SEE the app assistant feature and shut her down.   Good to know if this disaster ever happens again!

In the mean time,  The "App Assistant" would not let me take any pictures while she was "in charge."   ( Pun intended!)  And before you say "Then SHE was the real hero!"  I will note that she is not a living, breathing person... Just an AI used to piss regular humans off and prevent them from doing their jobs.  Which, in my case, was to take pictures.

So as Cheryl raced towards the finish line, I thought I was snapping pictures of her, but instead got the App assistant telling me that the Volume control on my phone was maxed!   Pure Evil!

But Cheryl finished the race.   With a VERY GOOD TIME!  Despite what she will tell you. not a PR, but not as crushing as maybe an injured race might have been. So..  Yeah!  

By the way,  we should look at the good things:  It rained, but not hard.  It was not a hypothermic race.  We both arrived safe and sound and in a timely manner with no incidents.  She was able to run the race!  No injuries, no lack of funds, no car repairs or car issues.  We were able to stay an extra day and recover after running such a distance.  And  most importantly:   Cheryl was able to complete her 10th Marathon!  With a pretty good time!  I'm sure completing 10 marathons for most people would be Monumental  without the fast times!  ( pun intended)  So... Mission complete.

And now we can pack up and go home.  Cheryl got the extra medal for doing the two Indy Races  ( Ft Ben Half and the Monumental Full Marathon.) And she discovered that outside factors  that you have no control over can effect the race performance.   So getting a new PR would take a little more luck instead of just purely physical training.    With 10 Marathons under her belt,  she now qualifies for entry into the "50 States Marathon Club."  Which is just a snobby runner's ability to brag to others about.   Perfect for Cheryl. 

Thanks for stopping in.   Marathons!  The Holy Grail of physical achievement have now become almost routine.  What else is there to blog about, unless there are no pictures.  To be able to run a Marathon with a 3:30 time and simply shrug must be nice.  It downplays the Monumental achievement of running such a distance.   ( pun intended) And the desire to race in distant cities and places with thousands of total strangers.  And the efforts required to make such things happen.  Both in time and money!    Good thing there will be no record of this "humiliating" Marathon performance.....

Ink Caps And Elm Oysters!

Remember last post when I was flirting with two types of Oyster Mushroom Identities?   Turns out, both Id's were wrong and the actual Mushroom is not even in the Pleurotus family.   The Elm Oyster Mushroom is not technically an Oyster mushroom, even if it does look and taste a lot like one. Hypsizygus ulmarius  is really just a look-a-like that grows on a number of trees in late fall and even early winter.   

Shaggy Mane, Elm Oyster, and Onions.

Who cares?   Will it kill you?  

No!  

Will it make you sick? 

All the fixin's

Probably not.

Can we eat it?  

Yes!   In fact, it does not even have a leathery or woody texture like Ganoderma or Turkey tail. 

So let's Eat it!   And we did!  

Tonight, I fried up several Elm mushrooms with a Shaggy Mane I found in someone's yard this afternoon.   The Shaggy Mane is one of my favorites, mostly because it is one of the few mushrooms that blooms in spring and late fall. 

Bacon!

Add onions, and Mushrooms!

 

Both Flavor and texture of the Elm Mushroom was noteworthy in that they were fine.  Nothing gross or terrible, but nothing awesome or amazing either.   In the end, it is a large, firm mushroom that taste like a mushroom.   The texture is similar to a slice of Sashimi.  And all of the recipes I looked up suggest it taste a lot like some type of seafood.  A great addition to any soup or pasta dish. 

Add to Pasta!  Yum!

We didn't even have to cook it very long!  ( Unlike Honey Mushrooms or Ash Boletes.) If I come across this mushroom again, I will definitely harvest it and bring it home. So if you happen upon an Elm or Boxelder tree with a large mushroom growing out of it.   And the gills do not travel down the stem,  you may want to consider taking it home and giving it a go.  Another Mushroom to add to the Library of Knowledge!    

Thanks for stopping in.

Weekend Mushroom Finds. From The Family Pleurotus.

 That is "Oyster Mushrooms" for the non-fluent Latin speakers. ( Which is everyone except Latin teachers and Scientists.)   This weekend,  between small tasks and events,  we managed to find a few Late Fall Oyster Mushrooms of several different varieties.   Dave offered his Mushroom Finding services to me on Satureday, and I happily took him up on it.  He is, after all, an "Eagle Eye"  when it comes to finding mushrooms.  

I was also happy that he pretty much found all of the mushrooms on Saturday.   It is fun finding mushrooms that you can eat and readily identify.   These are Fall Oyster... I don't know the scientific name.... but it is Fall... and we did find them. So I think the name shall remain. 

It was  a pretty nice cluster.  Enough for a decent meal at least.  Given the color and the yellow staining, I think it is an Angel  Wing Oyster Mushroom. Dave also found some Honey Mushrooms and an small hen of the woods that was past its prime.  ( we brought it home anyway...)  There was also plenty of Fresh Turkey Tail out there. 

Today was the special Reformation service at the Highschool.   Dave and I went to go help set things up, but managed to miss the big event.  On the bright side, I was there to help tear everything down after the service, so I think it all evens out.  There was also coffee and goodies after the service.   Good times! 

I managed to head out on a solo expedition this afternoon checking out new territory.  I did not find many, but the ones I did find were HUGE!   Pleurotus Levis... I think.  It could also be Pleurotus Dryinus.  Both are  edible, from what I gather.   Although the word "Choice" is often left out.  Mostly because it seems like a very tough mushroom.  I will see how adventurous Dave is in the future, for trying such an item.  

Pretty firm and tough.

I also saw some wildlife along the way.   The small steam that cuts through the property had Salmon spawning in it.  Try as I might, it was impossible to take its picture without the glare of the water getting in the way. 

Some were a little too far out of reach for me.

There was also a deer eating on the football field near the park entrance.   Full sunshine!  Not a care in the world.  I paused for a moment to try to head back for a photo... but  Everyone has seen a deer already and it would have been difficult to capture. 

Los of small fall oysters that are past their prime.

Work tomorrow.  I better get some rest and hopefully get over this little sinus issue before morning.  IT ha driving me crazy lately.  However,  I think I'm getting better now.  No sore throat or cough.  Just the constant sniffles.   Grrrr.  Change in the weather perhaps. 

Well I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.  Weekends seem to fly by so quickly lately.   I forgot to mention that I showed Subie some love by changing the oil and Rainex-ing the window. He is good to go for the next 3000 miles!  I also got him back from the Mechanic on Thursday after having all 4 bearings replaced.   From the sound of it, he was definitely overdue.  

Thanks for stopping in.

A Little Slice Of Heaven...Steals The Show!

A few weeks ago,  one of the Families from Church invited Dave and me to a Walleye Fish Fry!  How could I possibly say no?   They informed us that they would get things ready and set the day for Thursday ( yesterday)   I was very excited, because Deep Fried Walleye brings back so many great memories from those days of fishing as a kid.  ( and teenager... and adult!) There were others who got to join us ( five guests in total!)  and it was sold to us by Dave that everything was bound to be home made and delicious.  Jerry was an avid Fisherman and was a master at cooking fish.  Helen had already entered the Crockpot Cook off last weekend and was known for her side dish cooking skills.   It was bound to be a great meal. 

Walleye frying up!

And almost as an after thought,  Dave added that Helen would probably  top things off with a slice of apple pie. 

The walleye did not disappoint.  The guys separated to the Man cave to cook fish, drink beer, and swap fish stories and cooking techniques.  The ladies hung out in the kitchen and did "Girl Stuff".   ( Men don't know what women do  or talk about in private... It is part of their mystery....) 

The table was set.

Ok, That is not entirely true.   Helen was busy cooking up some Potato Cakes as the side dish.  Along with coleslaw, Pickled beets, and sliced Rye bread.  I was put in charge of keeping the fish warm by racing to the kitchen and transferring the fillets to the oven. in hardly any time at all, the entire meal was ready and we dug in. 

It was great!  As expected.   The Walleye was wonderful and I made sure there were no left over scraps to be thrown away.   ( Who would throw away fried Walleye?)  Well,  just in case...  Dave and I made sure.  The entire meal was as delicious as  we had been prepared for.     I can't stress this enough...  Everything  about the meal was a Home Run.  

And then Helen served us Dessert.    

A single slice of apple pie with a single scoop of Ice cream. 

And everything changed.    

Helen's Apple pie.

My mind was completely blown away when a single slice of apple pie could trump an entire meal of Fried Walleye and Home Made Potato Pancakes!   Especially when Apple Pie is not my favorite.  Oh, I'll eat it and enjoy it... But if given a case of pies,  Apple will be near the bottom of my choices.   Usually because there is such a huge list of factors conspiring to keep it there.   The filling is too chewy, or sweet. The crust  is too tough,  or soft, or damp... The apples are too mushy or  tart.   There is always something about apple pies that fail to excite me. 

Yes...  My reaction was captured.

But Helen's apple pie changed all of that.   My dear readers,  I'm not lying when I say that this was possibly the best pie I have ever had.  EVER! There was only one other instance:  a french silk pie in Alaska, that comes close to  challenging  this experience.   Words fail me in describing the taste.   The texture.   The hot and cold mingled with the creamy of the ice cream.   And the  soft crunch of the nut laden topping.  

Nuts?   Yes!  Walnuts.   Lightly toasted and placed on top. How is that possible?  Who would have ever thought of such a thing?  All I could say was:  "This Pie is AMAZING!"   over and over again.   To the point where even I became uncomfortable. It was simply Amazing!  

I offered to buy one to bring home to Cheryl next week.   Helen said she would give me the recipe.   But.... I know that making a pie is MORE than a simple recipe.  It is love and art and skill and craftsmanship.... combined and baked at the perfect temperature for the perfect amount of time.   It takes years or LOTS to trial and error to get such a creation right.  She even hinted that she got the recipe from a newspaper but added and removed things to make it her own.  ( Something an artist would do...)   For example... No raisins!  And cinnamon instead of ginger. Butter instead of Crisco. Etc. etc...

Now I know that the atmosphere can play a heavy role in making or breaking a meal.   And the atmosphere was great!  True.  But as I stopped to savor each bite... and searched for how the apples could be so soft and melty while  still tasting like apples.   The crust  was so soft and flaky...  you ate the wrap around the edge!  The Walnuts....  Who would ever think to put Walnuts on an apple pie?  Lightly Toasted!  

I have spent time in the kitchen watching Cheryl unravel the mystery of the perfect fruit pie.  It is no joke and takes a lot of failures to get something to turn out "right". Mom never did it.  My Grandmothers were supposed to be awesome pie makers... but I do not remember any of their pies being particularly special.  ( Mostly because Mom set the bar pretty low.) I lived among the Amish for 12 years!  And their pies are pretty good!   Helen's pie blows them out of the water and into outer space!  Unless I attend some national Champion Pie Bake off... I believe this pie will archived as the best Pie I have ever had in my life.   It has set the bar so high, I don't know if Helen will ever be able to reach it again.  In fact!   Helen should enter that pie into a contest!  She would win!

So that was it..   The best pie ever.  EVER!   I was stunned when no one else was having the same reaction as I was.  Dave admitted later in the car that if he had not been trying so hard to be polite, he would have asked for a second slice!  ( That's what I'm talking about!)  I was afraid I was going to cross that thin line from "Extremely Enthusiastic" to "Annoying and Bothersome" with my compliments.   Or rather... My "This pie is AMAZING!" line... Over and over again.  How can you top a Walleye Dinner with a single slice of pie?   Such a feat should be impossible!

So...If you have read this far and have not yet got the impression that I really REALLY liked this pie.   I will leave you with this:  I would want to be able to give a slice of  Helen's Pie to each and every person I have ever loved in my life.   Everyone.   So they can share that pure emotion of joy that I felt for that brief moment in time.  

That's it.  The end.  A pie like no other I have ever experienced.   A slice of heaven.  

Thanks for stopping in.