T'was the Tuesday After Iowa...

 And I did not blog at all about the weekend!   Probably because I left my computer here in Kenosha.  Also..  there was not much to blog about in Iowa.  ( That has not already been blogged about hundreds of times before...)  So... here I am on a normal, every day Tuesday....  Blogging about pretty much nothing spectacular.   But,  I miss the blog, so why not  just mention the small things. 

Iowa!  Yes, I went to Iowa to help Cheryl tear the apartment down a little more.  I took a few things off the walls that she was having trouble with. She pretty mush has most of the holes patched up and ready for paint.   And all of those wall treatments are now a thing of the past.  We put most of the big stuff in the shed to await our final decision on what will become of it....  Sale?  Stuff?   Firewood?  Who knows at this point.  All I know is it is out of the apartment. 

There is not much to do in Iowa on a weekend.   We went running.. And traveled to Muscatine for the Farmer's market on Saturday. I got to pet the cats and hang out with all of them except Fluffy.  Perhaps  he will show up this next weekend. 

The biggest event  was on the trip home.  It began raining as the sun set and pretty much stormed the entire night. There were flood watches and the temps dropped significantly.  I was able to park in the driveway because Dave was in Oregon.  It was a good thing too, because I would have been soaked just trying to get into the house!  It was pouring buckets outside!

Aside from work, I have been staying home and exercising to pass the time.  I ran three miles today!  ( yeah!)  And it was a good thing too.. Because....

Christina whipped up some Mushroom Chili!   Was it by design?  I don't think so... Christina is a rather "Creative" person who makes things up on the fly.   I can relate to  her line of reasoning when it comes to cooking:   Taste,  add more stuff... taste,  add more stuff...  Rinse and repeat until either you have a masterpiece or you have ruined the dish and made it unpalatable for everyone but the dog!  ( and even the dog will turn up an indignant nose sometimes.)   It is the artist's process I guess.  And with two very willing and hungry consumers to experiment on,   Dave and I provide her the opportunity to sharpen her "cooking creativity."

But I have to say,  this Chili turned out AWESOME!   I think it was started out as soup... then became stew...  I don't think it was planned as Chili.  

But it certainly tastes like really really GOOD Chili!  And it has all of the old Chicken of the Woods mushrooms that have been getting old in the fridge for the past week.   She tossed them into the mix and honestly, they taste like little meat chunks.  you would never know it was mushroom.  

I also gave here the dozen Morel mushrooms I have had since this last spring.   They were dried and I had hoped Cheryl would bake up a Mushroom Torte or Chiche.   But things changed and I had the mushrooms for way too long.   I gave them to Christina and told her to use them how she saw fit.   She tossed them into the Chili for added flavor.   

Well it was a good thing I went out for a run. That way I was able to eat a second helping guilt free! I may pay for it tomorrow, but it was not as dangerously spicy as other chilies I have had in the past.  

Tomorrow is Wednesday!  Hump day..  If all goes well, I will be heading back to Iowa to visit some traveling In-Laws.  And Cheryl, of course!  And maybe we will be able to do something fun.   Who knows?   I'm sure we will have something to blog about at the very least.    Thanks for stopping in for this rather boring post.  But at least I had the energy to write something tonight.   Cheers!

Of Dogs And Mushrooms!

Lady Bird in her Bed.

 Kind of a dud day today.  Given that the weekend with Cheryl was so extraordinary, it was bound to be lacking in comparison.  But here I am... Alone in the house with Christina's Pooch,  Ladybird.  

Ladybird is a good dog, by the way.  She is quiet and well behaved.   Unlike cats... who can be anything at any given time.  It has been a while since I have spent quality time with a dog, and I kind of miss it.   I also don't know what to do with her.   She doesn't seem to want to play or anything.  Mostly she just cuddles....  Which isn't so bad. 

Chocolate Gills! On wood chips?

Other than that,  I am relaxing and catching up on things.   I wanted to post the pictures from last week that I didn't have time to blog about.  Namely...  Gilled Mushroom!

Last Friday, I discovered several mushrooms popping up around Parkside, but I was not going to harvest them because we already have a bunch of Chicken of the Woods in the fridge already.  More mushrooms would just clog up the fridge.  And I did not really have time to look any of them up properly anyway. 

A Perfect Destroying Angel!

But then I discovered the Destroying Angel!   An Amanita Mushroom!  Yes... As the name suggests, THIS is the mushroom people talk about when they are trying to scare you.  

Pretty Colored Gills!

At the same time, I found several other gilled mushrooms and wanted to show a few comparisons.   Because, being informed is always a good thing, right?  

Note the Volva!

First:  The Destroying Angel is an Amanita and I believe all Amanitas come from a small egg sac called a Volva. There is only one other mushroom that comes from such a sac and that would be the Stink horn species.   ( Some of those are edible, but look nothing like an Amanita fully grown.) The standard rule is NEVER EAT AN AMANITA MUSHROOM!

But then there are these other mushrooms with gills.   Are they bad?   Well,  probably not deadly.  Some may make you sick.   Some are actually choice edibles!   So learn the key identifying features...

Chocolate gills.   Some of these are edible.  Meadow mushrooms are a choice edible, with gills starting off pink and turning to chocolate brown.   There is no Volva, but some do have  a veil around the stem.   Chocolate gills are a good starting point. but it is always a good idea to get a spore print and check for yellow bruising.  

Pink gills.   The Fawn mushroom falls under pink gills, with a pink spore print.   Fawn mushrooms grow on wood though.   They also have gills that DO NOT touch the stem.  (Like a little race track around the stem base.) Another choice edible.  Sometimes fawn mushrooms grow on the ground around a dead stump or dead roots, so it looks like they are growing from the ground.   Always get a spore print though.  

White gills.    You might think this is an easy one to avoid, but many Russulas have white gills and are choice edibles.  but they can be confused with Amanitas at a young age.  One thing that is easy to distinguish is that volva.  Russulas do not have the Volva... Nor a veil.  ( Usually,  from the ones I have learned about.)  

The Amanita is very easy to ID to the basic "DO NOT EAT" category.   A long stem, a veil around the stem, a broad umbrella-like cap,  close white gills that go to the stem, and most importantly... they come from a Volva egg-like sac from the ground!   Never eat an Amanita!

I have eaten the pink gilled (fawn mushrooms)  and the chocolate gilled (meadow mushrooms) before.   And I have lived to tell the tale.   I luckily have not ever gotten sick ( because there are a few that could give you a tummy ache.) so...  Do some research,  and when you feel confident,  try a little.  (You should NEVER eat an Amanita in any amount..  They destroy your kidneys and liver...just throwing that out there.) Once you see enough mushrooms, you will gain the knowledge and be able to tell them apart.   But ultimately it is YOU who has to take that first bite.   And you had better know your mushrooms by then.  ( Sounds fun and exciting, doesn't it?)

That sounds a little scary, but it was not meant to be.  Aminitas are OBVIOUS in my book.  Every "look-a-like" to me has looked Nothing like an honest to goodness fully blown Amanita. I have seen several versions of Amanita, even the Blusher ( which they "say" is edible, but recommend against...) Look for a veil, long stem, broad cap, white gills and volva.  They like to grow with other mushrooms that are edible, like Boletes and Russulas.  So it is good practice to pick each one and figure out the differences.

Did I mention that I think Amanitas are actually quite beautiful.   It figures that something so pretty would also be deadly.  It is also funny that slugs and bugs do tend to eat them.  They must be very good at defusing the toxins... but Humans are not.   

Ok,  another long boring post about mushrooms.   I must be bored today.  But... what else am I going to do?   I could pet the dog I guess.   And I probably will later on.   She is currently sleeping on the couch next to me.  Hope everyone is having a wonderful relaxing day  today.    It is a beautiful day in Wisconsin.  A great day to be outside before Summer is over.  Thanks for stopping in.

Another Weekend With Cheryl.

I know what you are thinking....  Aren't these two married? Why does he have to blog about every weekend with her?   What's the big deal?   Well no one ever said that Long Distance relationships are easy! (Unless you can't stand your spouse. Then I can imagine that the distance is not only easy, it is possibly a requirement!  Just ask my Dad....) 

Besides...  Several of my Co-workers believe Cheryl is a made up figment  of my imagination. Well  I'll show them with plenty of Selfies and Spectacular stories that she really is REAL!  And to do this.. I have to include myself in the picture.   I personally dislike selfies.   I think they are self absorbed and narcissistic. (Unlike anything in my awesome blog about Me....) And... The angle of the camera always makes me look fat! 

But let us get back to talking about My Awesome Wife...  What's-her-name.  She runs FAST!   How fast?  Faster than you!  Phil!  Or Scott!   And to prove it I will write a story...  With PICTURES!  And "No!"  She is not a paid Actress....  She has never had any acting lessons what so ever.   And I only gave her $300....  for travel expenses and Hotel.

So anyway...  Cheryl!  Yes!  My WIFE...  signed both of us up for a 5K this weekend.   In Milwaukee. A Run for Bacon and Beer!  Also known as the Bacon and Kegs 5K.  ( Get it?  Bacon and KEGS instead of Eggs?   It's a pun....) I reluctantly agreed because I'm not a sissy and I wanted to sample the beer.  And thankfully.. It was only a 5K.  ( Which I have run one before... In case I have not mentioned it.) 

The race was to be along the beautiful coast of Lake Michigan.  No one ever said it was going to be hot.   You might think : Lake Michigan = Cool!  You would be wrong for this one instance. I think it was in the 80's at the start of the race.    Cheryl was not very happy,  telling me that she would never get a PR in heat this bad.   But then we found out that there was a cash Prize of $100 for the winner!  

Did I mention that I paid Cheryl $300  to show up.... for  travel expenses?   Well, she really wanted $400!  ( Typical WIFE..  Phil! Always needing more money for "bills and stuff."..) But I told her about an expensive Car repair on Subie this week and that I was a little short on Cash.  ( I think she bought it....)    And that if she wanted the money.... She would have to EARN it by winning this race.  No pressure or anything.

We lined up at the start and the announcer said that the folks who were going to attempt to win the race should line up in front.   I pushed  Cheryl to the front of the line, siting that she had Run the Boston Marathon in 2017.  ( no pressure or anything.) The crowd parted as  a spotlight from heaven illuminated Cheryl  as she slowly walked to the front.  Sometimes,  to achieve greatness,  you have to push people to the peak of their potential. No pressure or anything.

At the sound of the gun,  Cheryl was OFF!  Like a rocket!  With Jet Engines and Nitro Turbo Shoes! She sprinted out in front of everyone, including the men... to take a solid lead for the first mile.  It was at that point that I knew that all of MY hard work had paid off...  I provided the much needed motivation she was going to need to win the race.  

I would love to give you a play by play of the actual event.   But I was forced to actually participate in the event and therefore, could not take any action pictures or even see her as she blazed out over the horizon line.  This is not an admission of how slow I am... No!  I had a strategy for this race from the beginning:  Let Cheryl win.  And that is what I did. 

So Cheryl won. ( Shocker!)  And I huffed and puffed to the finish line in some time that I do not care to admit here.  But I will say that I beat an Ex Marine!  So.. Go Former Army Guy! ( Me!) Hurray!  Cheryl was there cheering me on and telling me that I'm really not as slow as I obviously was.... OR at least I was almost faster than the old lady with the walker in front of me.   I think that was helpful. 

After the race,   There was beer.   And Bacon.  I enjoyed both.   The beer was from a local Brewery and they were one of the sponsors of the race, promotion their new line up of craft beers.   They brought 5 kegs for  approximately 200 people. 

Five kegs... Five Flavors!   We had to try them all or else the entire effort would be in vain.   Right?  

I have to say,  I have never had a race happily and readily give out this much beer at one setting.   five beers later... and we were both feeling the happiness!  Of Completing and WINNING a 5K of course!  There was also bacon... did I mention the bacon?    The five flavors of beers were spectacular!   They had a Pistachio flavored beer!   Who would have ever thought of such a thing?  They also had a 14 % IPA.  I never knew you could get that high of a percent in an IPA... But there it was.   And I was so Thirsty I drank it down in practically one gulp.   Did I mention Cheryl WON the race?

Yes, yes... Cheryl won the race as  First Female OVERALL  this time.   She won $100 and this cute little pin to add to her trophy collection.   Better than a Heavy Watermelon or Sippy Cup!  We are talking cold hard cash! (In check form... so it will have to go through a bank before it becomes available...) And no downgrade to "Master" like what happened in Muscatine. She was recognized for being the best of all ages.

It took a little while to "sober up" after that awesome event,  but eventually we went back to the hotel room and took a nap.  Because.... Old People need their sleep.   And waking up and running a 5K at 10 AM can be taxing on one's system.   We had  to change our plans because of the time and eventually found ourselves at IKEA for some Meatballs and french fries.  What can I say... We love IKEA.  ( Possibly because they are Swedish... Everyone loves the Swedes!)  We also toured the displays and  fantasized about the small apartment set ups.  A typical IKEA visit.  

And then we  got dressed up and headed to the Pho Cali.   We had been here before and Cheryl liked it enough to revisit it.  A nice touch to end the day, dressed up and looking fancy as we slurped noodles from a bowl filled with broth.  

Ok, that was mostly just me.   Cheryl ordered the Spring Rolls and I offered to share the noodles, but she politely declined.    With all of this eatin',  I think we are going to have to run some of this food off for tomorrow.

And that is what we did this morning...   We drove to the shore of Lake Michigan and ran... Cheryl ran 7.5 miles and I ended up running 5.   Why five?   I would love to say it is because I'm strong and tough... and an endurance athlete.  But the real reason is I had no sense of where I was or how far I had run.  Cheryl has a Garmin on her wrist, so she runs back after I had run 2.5 miles.   She informs me that I am at 2.5 miles and I think I only have to run an additional . 5 miles to complete the run.  

But she meant I was 2.5 miles FROM THE CAR!   Meaning I had to run 2.5 miles BACK...  Luckily,  there was cloud cover and a cool breeze blowing off the lake this morning.   And I tried to keep up with Cheryl  But Cheryl is FAST!  And, for some reason... did not want to slow down for me.   

We ended up having a good run and almost burning off all of the food we consumed the night before. I actually felt pretty good that I ended up running 5 miles instead of three.  Somehow, I think that makes me almost look athletic.   Except for the slow part....

With time running out,   Cheryl and I headed to the Beach to enjoy our last remaining hours together.   The wind had picked up and the surf of Lake Michigan had become violent.  Perfect for Beach combing.     We managed to find a handful of Beach Glass and some cool rocks that Cheryl found interesting.   

Eventually, as with all things in life,  The spell wears off and we all turn back into a Pumpkin.   Cheryl headed back with some  cat food and IKEA purchases and I had to head back to Kenosha.  A sad goodbye, but  nothing ever lasts forever.   Except the memories.   Unless you drink too much beer the night before... at a race.   Which we totally didn't do!  So... Memories!  Good thing I have this Blog to remind myself of the things I once did in my youth.  

A long blog post.   And this is the abridged version! Imagine if I had gone into detail of all the happenings of this weekend.   But... Things were trimmed out for time and left on the cutting room floor to achieve the PG rating that would be Blog Worthy.  It was a lovely weekend and a Wonderful Visit.   And even though almost all of the plans had to be changed, we still managed to find  the fun in the experience.  With a LOT of selfies... to prove to Phil and Scott that What's-Her-Name is really real.  And she wins Money because she is an Olympic Runner!  Or at least could be if they did not have those stupid restrictions on contestants. 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday weekend this weekend.   I know I did.   And I think Cheryl did too.  I have tomorrow off and I'm not sure what to do with the extra time, but I think I will try to relax and recharge my batteries in Prep for Work on Tuesday.  Running with Cheryl can take a lot out of a person.    Because she is kind of fast.      Thanks for stopping in.