Run. Hike. Poop.

Easy Crock Pot Roast

August 1, 2011By y2kemo

After a long day at work I have no desire to spend an hour in the kitchen preparing and cooking dinner. What with having to entertain and feed my son, take out the dogs, clean, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. If you’re like me then I suggest investing in a crock pot, some veggies, and a slab of beef.

You can knock out the 20 minute preparation in the morning, and let the crock pot cook your dinner while you’re at work. When you arrive home your dinner will be ready for serving. If you’re interested in trying this recipe out just keep reading.

Zucchini and Corn Tacos

July 4, 2011By y2kemo

The other day I was given a five pound zucchini. So, uh…that’s a lot of zucchini. Well, I had to find ways to use the enormous green squash so I fired up Epicurious, searched for zucchini recipes, and settled on zucchini and corn tacos.

Using the apps built-in shopping list I hit up a local grocery store, grabbed what I needed, then headed home to prep. About an hour later my meal was finished and my belly way full. If you’re interested in this recipe and want to know my thoughts on the tacos keep reading.

No gas. No shoes.

December 31, 2010By y2kemo

What a crazy two weeks it’s been. Last week temperatures rose into the upper 90Fs (mid 30C) and the barrios of Buenos Aires were intermittently without power and water. Luckily (or is it thankfully?).

This week there’s a petrol shortage that’s said to last until after the new year. As a result, cars have been lining up for several blocks just for a chance to fill up their tank. As I did for the power outage, I wanted to get in on the action. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out the way I planned, and the story ended up being about shoes instead of gas and street fires.

I Heart Running

July 9, 2010By y2kemo

I <3 running. All I need to do is throw on a pair of shorts, an optional shirt, and my Vibrams (also optional), and I’m out the door. Sure, that’s all I need but I tend to run with a visor, sunglasses, an iPod, Garmin Forerunner 305 w/HRM, and my dog, Bella.

Unfortunately, this past year has been a rough one. I’ve battled injuries (from shin splints to knee probs to a thrice torn calf ) and put on 35lbs (thanks to my reluctance to give up the high calorie runner’s diet). Yeah, this past year has sucked pretty bad.

Well, my leg is finally healthy (knock on wood), and I’m ready to get back to where I was. To motivate myself I’ve set a personal goal of 100 miles in 30 days.

Running, Injury, and Awakenings

May 7, 2010By y2kemo

In Awakenings, a doctor (Robin Williams) finds himself with a ward full of comatose patients; victims of an encephalitis epidemic many years prior. He tries out a possible cure on one of the patients (Robert De Niro) and it works. The patient has a blast, lives life to its fullest, but eventually falls back into a coma after only a short time.

In January, I tore my left calf. The doc gave me PT exercises and my leg got better after 5 weeks. My first run out and the calf tore again. Back to the doc. Back to the PT. Another 5 weeks and bam, the calf tore again! Sweet JMJ. Well, I took it easy. Completed the exercises. And it appeared I was ready to go.

The Perfect Cheesecake

April 19, 2010By y2kemo

Making the perfect cheesecake is actually pretty easy. And, if you don’t care what it looks like, it’s even easier. On the other hand, if you want to prepare a Carnegie Deli style cheesecake, you’ll want to keep reading.

For starters, you’re gonna need my secret family recipe (hint: it’s the same one printed on the back of a box of Keebler Graham Cracker Crumbs). Next, you’ll need a few things and a bit of hardware. Get ’em and proceed to the good part.

Lost on Shining Rock: Day Four

March 5, 2010By y2kemo

2/23/10, 6AM, Day 4: Our watch alarms go off at 6AM. Daybreak is nearing. Time to break camp, fill bottles, drink coffee, and plot our course. With plenty of sunlight, we can see how to avoid the thickest patches and travel the safest route down the mountain. The downside? The slopes are steep, there’s 3 feet of snow on the ground, there are fallen trees everywhere, and to top it off, there are coyote, bobcat, and mountain lion tracks on both sides of the creek.

CHRIS: Let’s not die.
COOP: And when we don’t, let’s get Big Macs.
CHRIS: Agreed.

Lost on Shining Rock: Day Three Part 2

March 4, 2010By y2kemo

2/22/10, 2AM, Day 3 Part 2: Just moments ago Search and Rescue (SNR) told us we were on our own. So much for being airlifted on a chopper. Wonder if we’d have to pay for an air rescue. Not that it matters though. According to SNR, we have to keep walking in the direction we’re headed (which we don’t know). The trail will get steep (i.e. “just shy of cliff.”) And, once we cross the valley and climb the slope we’ll be on Old Butt Knob (maybe). Is that all? Well, shoot. Honey, set me a plate. I’ll be home in a few.

CHRIS: Dude, this totally blows. Let’s get off this mountain before the weather hits.
COOP: Word.

Lost on Shining Rock: Day Three Part 1

March 3, 2010By y2kemo

2/22/10, 2AM, Day 3: Morning comes sooner than expected. At 2AM rain starts to fall. At 4:15AM sleet begins to accumulate. By 6AM our tent domes sag thanks to a fresh 5 inches of sleet and snow. Thanks weatherman. Any hope of following tracks are gone. The 3 feet of snow is now 3 and a half feet. Looks like we are going to have to posthole our way down the mountain. I’m not sure about you, but when I have to lift my leg to my ear 400 hundred times in a row, I get tired. Eventually we find a clearing. Clouds settle in bringing visibility down to about 10 feet. Compass says we need to go up the mountain through all the rhododendrons. Seriously, who’s in charge of landscaping around here? We melt snow to fill our bottles and bladders, and use the surplus for a cup of coffee.

The pu-pu platter of whiteout, waist-deep snow, and bobcat tracks make choosing the correct path difficult. We choose a path that takes us through rhododendrons (a.k.a. the vineys) for a good quarter mile.

Lost on Shining Rock: Day Two

March 2, 2010By y2kemo

2/21/10, 6:00AM, Day 2: Sun up at 6AM. Oatmeal and coffee are the morning’s priorities. I break down my tent and fill up on water—not sure how long the creek will follow us up the mountain. By 7AM, Coop and Bigfoot wake and join me at the fire pit. Photo ops take up a few minutes after breakfast. Bigfoot tries out my poles out of curiosity. At 9AM it’s time to gear up. Coop and I part ways with Bigfoot and continue up the trail. Nice to be hiking on an actual trail. For the first hundred yards it’s hard-packed snow. After that, we’re off trail and following Bigfoot’s tracks from the previous day.

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