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Speaking stomachs, back on October 1st Sarge wrote about how he's been eating well, indulging in a delicious salad. With my cardiologist recommending eating better, I have started eating salads more on the regular. Which is healthy and keeps me regular! However my salads can't just be a basic lettuce tomato and croutons, or maybe a cucumber sliced up in there too, but it needs to be much more varied. I prefer a very colorful and crunchy salad, with croutons and or tortilla chips or those little tiny bagel or pita chips in there, maybe some sliced grapes, cranberries and walnuts, shredded carrots, maybe some grated cheese, and mandarin orange segments. All of that over a base of a chopped salad is my favorite, as I prefer that over chunky lettuce pieces. However, it must also have some protein, and my preferred is some grilled chicken that is still warm, maybe a mesquite filet, chopped up into slices or small chunks. I don't necessarily have all of that in one salad, but the more stuff the better. A tasty colorful textured meal helps me enjoy it and tricks me into thinking it's not as healthy as it is. I realize that adding cheese and dressing takes a little bit of a that healthiness away but baby steps. I like a raspberry vinaigrette and with that some cranberries and some other crunchies are good. If it's some sort of Asian ginger dressing then the more Mandarin segments the better, and the fried wontons for the crunchies. I love a chunky blue cheese dressing, and that requires some apple chunks or slices and some walnuts, maybe a big leafy green like spinach and a spring mix. Anyway, more than you wanted to know about my salad interests but eating healthier has been on my mind.
Eating more salad has got to be cheaper right? I hope so, as we have been hit with a ton of unexpected bills recently. First off was a steady leak we discovered after the last big rain we had here when Hurricane Rachel weakened into a Tropical Storm and passed through. Fortunately we don't need a new roof, just a couple sections of the roof need repairing, but it's still a healthy chunk out of our savings. Fortunately we can swing it without anything more than me grumbling about it.
Speaking of cars, did you all see the video of Elon musk's latest invention, the flying car? No? Well here you go!
That man is the living embodiment of a mad scientist. Ok, maybe "mad" isn't the best description, but amazing and unconstrained is definitely apt. That car isn't exactly practical, and while we don't want the CHP* to become the FAA, it is pretty amazing what he creates. He has transformed space flight, electric vehicles, solar power, and satellite internet access. Whatever he sets his mind to he likely will achieve, and having mostly infinite resources does greatly enable his inventive streak.
There's been a long-standing joke about flying cars that we were promised. We've been dreaming about them since the 50's or 60's I'd guess and no one has really delivered, until now.** To be honest, it's just a concept car and not a production model. It's filled with compressed air and uses thrusters borrowed from SpaceX tech. Not sure there's much room for all the rest of the things we want in a car, but he's really good at building, testing, and failing until he gets it right. He just may have it right already, but it'll be fun to see what he has planned for it next. Even if we don't get flying production cars, that tech could be useful for safety aspects, preventing rollovers and such. I guess it is supposed to go into production in 2028, but are we really ready for flying cars? There's already questions about what agency would regulate it, so my FAA comment, while tongue-in-cheek, isn't that far off. I expect my finances will regulate it right out of the realm of possibility for me, as it will many others.
It seems Elon's imagination knows no bounds. He has also been this year's largest donor for political campaigns. I'm glad he's on my side of most issues***.
In my last post I mentioned the travel my wife and I have planned; a bucket list to tick off in the near-term before we hit the age that too many of my relatives never got the chance to reach. I was recently informed about a Knights of Columbus meeting we get to attend in the Bahamas next March. It's due to the work I did last year as California's Membership Director. I've been told it's more of a reward than a true business meeting, but I'm ok with that, or at least I will be. Of course my Catholic guilt has interfered with the anticipation of the trip, and I'm thinking of how much charity could be done with the money for it all. Don't worry, I won't feel the guilt for long. About 20 State Membership Directors will be attending, all expenses paid.
Now that I'm not as busy with KofC work, I've had some time to watch some decent TV shows, and a few that aren't all that great. On the good side of that ledger I strongly recommend
Slow Horses starring Gary Oldman as the leader of a disgraced group of MI-5 agents, all banished to "Slough House." After the finale on Thursday, I'll pick up The Diplomat again on Netflix. Sarge is just starting it, but my wife and I have been invested for a while.
Another one I really enjoyed was Jackal, based on Frederick Forsyth's Day of the Jackal. He's one of my favorite authors and while the 90s era movie remake starring Bruce Willis and Richard Gere wasn't very good, this recent adaption into a series is very well done. If you haven't read the book or seen the original movie from 1973, those too are highly recommended.
Ted Lasso. Watch it. Enough said.
As for the not-so-good, a show I really liked for the first couple seasons, but has dropped off quickly is Reacher. I've read nearly all of the Lee Child books and like the character - a huge former Army MP officer who’s sharp, capable, and always on the move. The first two season were great. The third was good, but the 4th has deviated from the source material too much and the story is unrealistic, with Reacher doing things he never would have. I guess it's been renewed for 2 more season though. Not sure I'll tune in. The Tom Cruise movies were meh.
Anyhoo, that's all I've got for today. Let me know if you've watched any of those and if you plan to watch.
*California Highway Patrol. Or choose your own State traffic police agency.
**I'm not counting the VTOL airplanes with wheels that have been developed over the past decade.
***It's nice to have a counter to Soros who just funds chaos.
I must be one of the few people left in the US who doesn't like a big chunk of hot meat on a salad. Sliced deli meat, fine.grilled/roasted meat, nope.
ReplyDeleteCole slaw - with a whipped cream dressing - finely chopped cabbage, grated carrots, then take some heavy cream, add salt and pepper, whip it to soft peaks, add vinegar to clabber it some, then Splenda or sugar to balance the acid. Keep whipping to medium peak. Fold into cabbage.
Greek salad (leaving aside that tomato is a new world food, so are bell peppers). Chunks of tomato, thinly sliced red onion, a little chopped red or yellow pepper (don't like green bell peppers), dress with salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice. Crumble some feta on it, and olives and bread on the side. Sop the juices in the bottom of the bowl with the bread.,
Your cole slaw sounds pretty good. I didn't mention much veggies, but I love bell peppers of all colors, olives, tomato wedges or cherry ones- all good in my salads.
DeleteThe Tesla Roadster.......can't wait for the videos of "Hold my beer"....:)
ReplyDeleteI can't see the govt allowing drivers to spin in mid-air.
DeleteThere are a number of his flying roadster shorts out there, most having to do with being stopped by the cops. All have been worth a smile!
DeleteTuna,
ReplyDeleteMrs J and I eat a lot of salads also. Bit hot down here (although we've been down in the 50's a couple of times this month), so cooking in the kitchen isn't well enjoyed. Barbecue outside, yes. Even then we don't eat a lot of red meat. Hamburgers a couple of times a month, steak of some style a few nights, chicken quite frequently. Yes, I got a bit of encouragement on dietary change last Halloween when I kissed the rock wall at almost 70. But on the good note of that, I was 236 when that happened. I'm 175 this morning. So diet and yes, I now walk between 3.5 and 6 miles a day. Starting to like that and I feel a LOT better. So....
Cheers,
juvat
That is great Juvat! Congratulations! I have lost around 20 lbs. since June of last year and feel the better for it.
DeleteWaytago Juvat. That's awesome. While I'm closer to your top figure, and I walk 5 miles a day, I need to portion control and avoid my sweettooth to get back where you are, which I was when I retired.
DeleteTuna, anything that gets one to eat more healthy is to be welcomed. Like you, the cheese/chips/dried fruit bits/dressing is delightful and makes it more interesting (and, I would argue, does not add that many calories). Most used meat on salads is chicken, but I enjoy salmon and tofu as well.
ReplyDeleteIt strikes me as funny that in another timeline, Musk would be widely recognized as the gamechanger he is, perhaps a bit like Edison in that regard. Alas, politics is now the currency of the realm and so we cannot celebrate all technological and scientific achievement, only that of those we find palatable.
I think "we" as a whole celebrate Musk, but the vocal minority owns the media version of the narrative so it seems like he's not as celebrated.
DeleteI agree with you on the slow demise of the Reacher series. Tried watching the spinoff, Neagley, and it was more of the same. I'll have to check out that Gary Oldman series as he's a favorite of mine. I'm almost done with Season 4 of The Diplomat and it's been excellent throughout.
ReplyDeleteMy addiction to salad continues!
The commissary was selling a bagged salad that you could stir-fry with a protein if desired. I'll have to look for that at the local grocer. I like the rice-based power bowls as well, which are similar in the variety options.
DeleteMy go-to salad is either baby spinach (with the splines pulled off) or cabbage, small tomatoes, croutons and, yes, Hidden Valley Ranch dressing. With a side of a small Italian sub (ham, salami, pepperoni with gouda and provolone, mayo on the bottom, mustard up top and pickle slices.)
ReplyDeleteA good filling meal on hot days. Definitely not winter food.
I prefer baby spinach to iceberg any day.
DeleteGood salad recommendations, except I absolutely reject the concept of oranges on a salad. Fine if you want them, but I respectfully decline.
ReplyDeleteWe have listened to all the Reacher books while we have been traveling, and enjoyed them. The Tom Cruise version just failed the "huge hulking" physical image of the character, even though it otherwise was okay. We passed on all the later incarnations.
Musk's flying car is an incredible achievement. Thoroughly impractical, but a lot of stuff we use every day now was totally impractical when first invented. If dependent on the driver's skills, the flying cars will all just be useful to get passengers to the scene of the accident. However, despite my skepticism of the driverless Teslas, the unimaginable concept of a driverless flying car just might work.
JB
You're probably not one for Hawaiian pizza either I'd guess! First 2 seasons fit the mold and the source material if you decide to watch. Driverless flyers might work, but not self driven by drunks, rednecks, or 16 year olds!
DeleteI have not bought any lettuce or spinach for over two years but that will change soon. Aphids have taken hold of the spinach and spread to the Bibb and baby romaine. I sprayed but I was too late for the spinach but I can replant. I think I can save most of the romaine but I will let rest of the lettuce go to seed.
ReplyDeleteHomegrown vegetables taste so much better than the store bought. Tomatoes especially.
DeleteMovies... I enjoyed "Disclosure Day", I rented it and was not too sure the first time through so I had to watch it again. It was good!
ReplyDeleteI do recommend it.
Fully agree! Did you see Archive on Netflix?
Delete