New Best Buddies: Reggie and Hagar

My Plants Are Surviving "May Grey"

"Bride Wars": A Surprise on the Upside

One of my friends highly encouraged me to watch "Bride Wars." Although this is not a movie I'd typically rent, she was insistent she didn't usually like these kinds of movies either but really enjoyed the movie. After debating between several other choices I decided to go with "Bride Wars" based on Christine's recommendation and was not disappointed. It is pretty funny - Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway are both really cute in it and I think if I could find a guy like Bryan Greenberg out here in San Diego, I'd probably be willing to get in a bride war of my own.

My New Favorite Salad

It starts with cabbage. Yes, cabbage. Who would have guessed it? Part of this salad is inspired by one of my all-time favorites - the raw kale salad at Whole Foods. This salad includes craisins and pine nuts. My salad includes cabbage, craisins, sliced up pears, choice of nut (I've used pistachios and pine nuts, but you could also use walnuts or almonds) and choice of cheese (I've used blue cheese and feta cheese but would also highly recommend goat cheese, especially if you're at Trader Joe's).

This salad is very easy to prepare, and one large head of cabbage makes enough salad to last for a week if you're eating it every other meal. My current salad includes pistachios, feta cheese (a mix of reduced fat plain and feta with garlic and roasted peppers), sliced up pears, craisins and is generally topped with balsamic vinaigrette, although occasionally I mix it up and top with raspberry vinaigrette.

A Tale of Two Fish

Over the past couple of weeks I've been cooking more frequently, largely inspired by the "Cabbage Strada" recipe my little sister Ali passed along to me. That recipe left me with tons of left over cabbage, which actually makes a great salad as it turns out. Yesterday as I was wondering the aisles of Von's I realized they had some pretty good sales on fresh fish. I purchased three different kinds of fish, two of which I've already prepared and eaten. One was a very solid recipe that I'd proudly prepare for guests. The other, well, not as great.

Last night for dinner I made a red snapper fillet. This is a quick and easy recipe that makes quite a delicious dish. Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees and in a bowl, mix some olive oil, chile sauce and lemon juice. Season this marinade with salt, pepper and some freshly diced garlic if you'd like. I also put some salt and pepper on the fish, as well as some "Chef Paul Prudhomme's Magic Salmon Seasoning." I pretty much use this seasoning on all my fish. It's good. Not sure exactly how long I put the snapper in the oven, but I'd estimate between 10 and 15 minutes. I served with some salad and watermelon. It was very tasty.

This morning for brunch, I made a different salad and cooked some tilapia fillet on the range. Similar to the snapper preparation, I used olive oil, lemon juice and seasonings in the pan before adding the fish (and also directly seasoned the fish fillets with salt, pepper and salmon seasoning before adding to the pan). Hmmm...not sure if it was the tilapia or the preparation but this dish wasn't as tasty. I'm guessing since the ingredients were nearly identical, it was the tilapia. So if you're preparing dinner for friends, I'd recommend skipping the tilapia and going with red snapper.

Nellie the Beach Cruiser

I am the proud owner of a new Dyno Glide beach cruiser. As of this blog post, I think I'm naming her Nellie, though I can't really say why. After agonizing over the numerous used cruisers on Craigslist and checking out a few new ones, I decided Nellie was my gal. She's in really good shape, particularly after I polished her up with some chrome polish, purchased new grips, a new horn and got a new lock so she'd be safe.

There are some initial learnings about beach cruisers I'd like to share with my three loyal readers. Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Any type of hill on a beach cruiser is a disaster. I learned this cruising down to Pacific Beach from La Jolla. There are a couple of mild hills that felt like K2 on Nellie. If you are in an area where you'll need to cruise around a bunch of hills, go with a cruiser with numerous speeds and be prepared for burning quads.

2. Taking your willful puppy for a run while your riding your beach cruiser can be tricky. Reggie has been pretty good about running next to me when I take her leash off on the bike path, but I'm still a little nervous about doing that closer to La Jolla Village. There were several near accidents, particularly when she saw another dog or tried to go the other way around a pole, etc.

3. Riding on a beach cruiser is incredibly relaxing and makes you very nostalgic. Sunday afternoon I took Nellie down to Pacific Beach. Midway through Birdrock I was humming "California Girls" and thinking about 3389 Hoover Heights and riding my bike as a kid. I think I'm going to try to make it a new weekend tradition - the beach cruise down to PB to grab a beer and a burger and then cruise home.

4. Beach cruisers personify "Cali-ness." Beach cruising is turning out to be one of my favorite things about living in Southern California.

5. More to come. I've only cruised a few times and Nellie still needs a little polishng up...

The Alarm Clock

Nine times out of ten this is now what I wake up to, whether I fall asleep on the couch or make it to my bed. Reggie is a very good snuggler and likes to tell me when she's ready to get up. In the rare case she sleeps in her crate, it is a 6:30a sharp wake up call, which isn't so much fun on a Saturday morning.

We checked out the dog park at Balboa Park today - it was a lot of fun. At one point, she was hanging out with a three month old chocolate lab, a five month old yellow lab and a few other dogs. It was quite a scene to see the puppies chasing each other around. Not shockingly, she was bullying the three month old but the five month old was actually bigger than her, making it a bit of challenge for her to get her way. She is now officially exhausted and has been napping on and off since 4p. Gotta love the dog park!

My Neighbor's Pig...

Yes, my neighbor has a pig. He also has a very friendly black male lab (who always tries to hump Reggie), as well as an enormous tortoise who is apparently very good at keeping the lawn trim. She's a girl...I forget her name, but she's mighty cute!

Running Update

I'm slowly but surely getting back into the running routine. This Saturday I did an eight-miler and then I got another six miles in this morning. The goal is to be able to get in a half marathon by the end of June. I've been tacking on one more mile each weekend, so next weekend's nine miles. Although it has been relatively easy to ease my way back into the longer runs, I still have to work on getting faster. I think this means speed work...intervals on the treadmill, anyone?

Welcome Louie!

Since Reggie is a fairly social gal, I figured I should get her some company so she's not always hanging out by herself. Although I've had a relatively rocky past with my previous betas (Ralph committed suicide by jumping out of his aquarium in Cincinnati...I didn't find him until it was too late), so far Louie has been a very good fish. He's quite chipper now that he's not living in that wee little jar PetSmart keeps the betas in. Hopefully he'll have a long and fruitful life and I'll remember not to fill his aquarium up too much.

Reggie's New BFF, Hagar

Great Expectations...

Over the long weekend in between bike cruiser rides, dog walks, and runs, I decided to take advantage of the HD OnDemand movies Time Warner Cable offers. I was thinking it was either going to be "Bride Wars" or "Pineapple Express" until I saw "Slumdog Millionaire" was available. I've heard so many people speak so highly of the film, I decided to check it out and see if it lived up to all the hype.

Although it was a pretty good movie, I have to say I was a bit disappointed after all the rave reviews I've heard. Definitely still worth watching, but it's always better not to get your hopes up too high. Didn't quite make my top 10 list but still an interesting watch. I have a different perspective on public port-a-potties in large cities after that movie. Man, that kid must have really wanted that autograph...

Rolling Around in the Sand

After the big swim, Reggie found out the sand is a great place to roll around and get dirty. She actually jumped back in the water several times and got most of the sand off, but a good bit of it also ended up in the front seat of my Crossfire. What is it in the sand that makes the dogs want to roll around in it? I can't stand having sand in between my toes and can't imagine what it feels like to have it stuck in my hair. When we got home, it was bath time (and then the rest of the sand ended up in my tub). They need to have dog showers at Fiesta Island.

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Reggie's First Swim

Reggie is now officially a swimmer! She had previously been nervous around the water, particularly the waves at the beaches. We spent a couple of hours yesterday at Fiesta Island. When we got down to a lake and I took her leash off, she started to run around and get her feet wet. She gradually progressed to jumping around in the water and eventually went all the way in and started to swim. She still won't reliably fetch a stick that I throw out for her in the water, but it's definitely progress. Reggie also made a new friend - Wiley, a whippet that she chased around (including in the water) for about 30 minutes before we left. She came home and slept for hours. It was very cute and I'm excited to take her swimming again next weekend....

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First Experience at Fiesta Island

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Pannikin Without The Crazy Lady...

This weekend May gray is in full effect. I've spent a couple of hours each day with a cup of coffee reading and working on the computer at Pannikin. It's been a very enjoyable experience again and there were no crazy ladies yelling at the wait staff this weekend. Reggie is a big fan of Pannikin's doggie cookies, which actually look like little baked biscuits. She found a friend today - a yellow lab that was fully grown but really wanted to steal her rope toy. Too bad we weren't at the dog park because I think they would have really hit it off. It's harder to have doggie play time when you're at a coffee shop...

Update on Cardio Kickboxing HR

It's official...cardio kickboxing is a pretty tough workout. I wore my Garmin 405 today during class and looked down a couple of times and my heart rate was in the mid-160s. Pretty high for an hour class. Usually when I run long distances, my heart rate is in the low-160s. I think my average heartrate for the class was about 150 but that's with warm up and stretching included. So after today's class, I'm convinced that it's a great (and different) way to get an hour workout in!

Pannikin and The Crazy Lady

I think I’ve found the best cup of coffee in La Jolla and the place that serves it is absolutely adorable! It’s called Pannikin and it’s up the street on Girard Avenue (near the intersection of Pearl Street). Reggie and I can either make a long walk out of it or a short drive. Either way, the coffee is tasty, the muffins are delicious (as are the Greek eggs) and the feeling is homey.

This Sunday Reggie and I were enjoying a cloudy late morning breakfast after cardio kickboxing. The mood was chill and the people are all super-friendly, including the wait staff. One of the girls who had been working stopped to enjoy her lunch. As we were both enjoying a lazy Sunday, a crazy woman stormed the service counter demanding her soup. Apparently the table runner brought out her drink when it was ready but her soup wasn't quite done yet. The guy at the service counter calmly explained that there were still a few orders ahead of her, but this really didn't satisfy her at all. She huffed and puffed for another minute or two and then returned to her seat.

The Pannikin worker and I exchanged glances and chuckles. Some of the woman roaming around downtown La Jolla are too much. I'm not sure if there's a "Real Housewives of La Jolla," but I think I should start chronicling the most outlandish women I see. I could definitely have a new reality TV show.

La Jolla Shores...

...a great place to watch the sun set and a great place to take your dog for a walk. Reggie and I caught this great sunset this past Thursday. She is still pretty nervous around the water. We took a walk down toward the pier and away from the crowds. When I took her off leash and threw the ball for her, she chased it down with much excitement until she saw a wave coming. When she sees waves coming, she pretty much does an about-face and hightails it away from the wave as fast as possible. Unfortunately for both of us, we were down at the Shores at high tide and got caught by surprise by a couple of big waves, which made for a messy car and sandy shower.

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Cardio Kickboxing Class at La Jolla Sports Club

Any of you crazy fitness fanatics seeking a creative and new way to get into shape should check out Sunday morning’s cardio kickboxing class at La Jolla Sports Club (LJSC) in downtown La Jolla near the intersection of Fay and Silverado. From 9:30a to 10:30a, Liz kindly kicks our butts with a cardio kickboxing class that is not for the faint of heart.

The first time I attended I was actually in pretty good shape because I was pre-Silver Strand half marathon. However, despite being able to run a half marathon, I was left gasping for air during the 60 minutes of cardio kickboxing. There is a lot of movement and it requires decent rhythm as well.

After taking a couple of months away from the class, I attended again this past Sunday. Today my glutes feel like they’ve been abused. I didn’t wear my heart rate monitor during class but I would guess that my average heart rate during class was comparable or even greater than during Saturday’s six mile run through Pacific Beach and Mission Beach. I’ll try to remember to wear the heart rate monitor next Sunday and report back…

The Three Musketeers

Here is a picture from Saturday evening’s doggie play date, including my girl Reggie and her buddies Bella, an 18-month old Vizsla, and Gracie, a two-year old yellow lab. Bella and Gracie are great playmates for Reggie – they’re both tolerant of her puppy behavior. Bella also is incredibly fast and has a ton of energy. Reggie chases her around, but can’t really keep up with her.

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Ali Visits San Diego (Again)

Over the past several weeks, I had the good fortune of getting to see my dear little sister twice.  Her company sent her out for a work conference two weeks ago.  She arrived Monday afternoon and left Friday morning, which meant we could hang out in the evenings and Aunt Ali got to meet little Reggie for the first time.  During the work trip, we had burritos on the boardwalk in Mission Beach, checked out Grant Hotel and Bareback Grill downtown in Gas Lamp, enjoyed dinner at George’s in La Jolla and watched the sun set at Windan’Sea Beach.  I thought I was doing a pretty good job of selling Ali on moving out West to join me, but alas, she believes San Diego is too crowded.  The little country bumpkin needs more wide-open spaces.  

 

The weekend visit afforded us time to be a little more social.  I introduced Ali to surfing/laying on a surfboard in the ocean and catching some rays.  She discovered how painful it is to put on a wetsuit and get the soft rack and surfboard on my little Crossfire.  However, we weren’t attacked by a great white shark, which was a great success considering we were out in the water near the exact one year anniversary of the fatal attack that occurred at Fletcher Cove just up the street in Solana Beach.  Ali and I also did a La Jolla Kayak tour, which was pretty cool.  We got up close and personal with some sea lions and leopard sharks and managed not to flip our kayak once, despite paddling out against some good-sized waves.  We made another trip to our favorite La Jolla yogurt spot, Yogi Topi, made several fabulous meals ourselves (including fresh guacamole), and experienced Su Casa for the first time.  

 

Perhaps the highlight of the trip was seeing Ali’s reaction to Pacific Beach, aka PB.  Although there are a lot of fun things to do in PB, such as shop at Wahine’s where we both bolstered our wardrobes affordably, the drunken day crowds get old quick.  After enjoying some beverages with friends during the day on Saturday and heading back Sunday to shop again and get an acai bowl, Ali noted how obnoxious the Sunday afternoon crowd on Garnett Street was.  Amen, sister.  

 

All in all two great trips and I was quite depressed the first couple days of this week without Ali in San Diego with me.

Reggie’s Up to 35 Pounds

The little rascal had another round of vaccinations yesterday.  Given her allergic reaction to the last round, I took her in early so the kind people at Windan’Sea Veterinary Clinic could give her some preventative Benadryl.  Everything worked out fine and she is all set with vaccines until her rabies one year in a couple of weeks.  Next up, getting the poor kid fixed.  Ouch.  Hopefully she’ll forgive me…I still need to research pet insurance before that happens.  Any suggestions?

 Reggie has continued her streak of being relatively well behaved with one minor mishap.  When Ali was visiting and we were out surfing/laying on our surfboards catching some rays, she decided to snack on my (brand new) couch a little.  She also chewed on the corner of the rug.  It’s a good thing she’s cute and it’s hard to stay mad at her long, or else she would have been in BTT (big time trouble).  Now it’s back to the cage for her when I have to run a couple of errands.  Above she's shown in a seemingly innocuous pose with the couch and rug she later terrorized...

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In the Morning, When I'm Feeling Blue...

...this is now what I wake up to.  Reggie typically uses her paws to tell me when she's ready for our morning walk.  I'm typically pretty crabby in the mornings but it's hard to stay mad because she's just so cute. 

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The Plants

I am a bit challenged when it comes to keeping my plants alive.  I’m not exactly sure if it’s over-watering, under-watering or not selecting the proper plants for the conditions my back porch offers (I would think that “full sunlight” is the appropriate selection).  During Ali’s visit, we checked out an awesome garden spot in PB on Cass Street where the kind gentleman we worked with offered advice on appropriate plants for those that may be challenged with keeping plants alive.  Above is a snapshot of the new additions…the little guy in the middle in the blue plant is Ali’s baby.  His name is “Yogi.”  Hopefully they’ll all still be alive the next time she makes it out to San Diego.

I would also like to officially thank Ali for her assistance in not only assisting me in redecorating my personal garden but also helping me to rearrange my living room.  It is now much more open and looks bigger.  Good thing Martha Jr. came to visit.  One of my favorite expressions from her visit that came up several times during the redecoration: IMHO, which means “in my honest opinion.”

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