Paella with Fuentabravia friends

In a rare stroke of scheduling luck, a group of friends from my tour in Spain were all in town last night. While stationed in Rota, I lived in a pretty sweet apartment building right on the beach of a little town called Fuentabravia. OK, even though I technically lived there I was deployed so much I'd forget where the light switches were every time I'd come back! Whit was my upstairs neighbor in this great building and Laurie lived in the apartment right next door. Whit and Laurie (in the black and blue shirts in the picture) are both officers in the Navy in the CEC (Civil Engineering Corp). Just up the beach lived Sergio (a civilian working with Navy CEC in Spain) and Ana, the life of any get-together! Whit has been the link between this diverse group ever since we all moved away from Spain in the mid to late 90s. Coincidentally, Whit, Ana and I all live in the San Diego area now. Laurie and her husband just got orders to Hawaii so they were out here visiting friends same as Sergio (who lives in the DC area now). Somehow, we all converged on Whit & Kathie's house for a night of paella.

For those of you not lucky enough to be stationed in Spain at some point in your life, paella is an amazing rice dish similar to Cajun jambalaya but with a lot more ingredients. I don't know how it's prepared in the rest of Spain, but on the southern coasts of Spain and Portugal, it's laden with seafood. It's not an easy dish to make; food preparation is labor intensive and the whole thing takes quite a while, and a lot of patience to cook. Lucky for us, Ana is an expert Paella maker and doesn't mind preparing it for friends who really appreciate the art of its creation. Being from Spain, Ana had brought to the States the essential equipment for this dish's preparation. As you can see in the picture, a large shallow pan is placed over a custom made stand atop a propane burner. I went over to Whit & Kathie's straight from work because I didn't want to miss any of the steps in the cooking of this unique dish. I arrived in time to watch Sergio cure the new pan but most of the ingredients were already prepped upon my arrival.

Ana is a lot like my late Papa Babin; an amazing cook but can't tell you a recipe to save her life! She hardly measured anything, she'd just eye-ball it up and throw it in the pan. I was trying to pay close attention, but with so much catching up to do with so many people it was hard to stay focused! The ingredients I did catch though were olive oil & garlic (lots of both!), green sweet peppers, shrimp, clams, calamari (squid), chicken, green beans, rice (from a Cuban grocery store), saffron and lemons. I asked Ana for the recipe, but she said I'd just have to invite her over to make it and pay closer attention next time! Umm, OK!!!

Several hours later with way too many appetizers already in our bellies, we dug into the paella. The picture above is the finished product. Whit & Kathie have the perfect party patio (complete with candle chandelier) so we settled in for some great food and conversation. With only 3 of us in the group of 10 not fluent in Spanish, the conversation kept sliding between Spanish laden with accents from Spain and Mexico, to English. Once again I was humbled by my lack of linguistic ability but appreciative of the broad spectrum of friends in my life.

For those of you who know Whit & Kathie, you'll be happy to hear that they are expecting. Not only is Kathie pregnant, she's carrying twins! Yep, Whit's strutting around like he's a stud!! She's due in the January-February time frame so maybe she won't be so cold all the time this winter! Get ready Whit, I have a feeling you're in for some strange food cravings while she's eating for three!

Million Dollar Hwy & Black Canyon

With Sunday being an off-day for the construction crews, we rode off towards the Million Dollar Hwy (U.S. 550) confident that we wouldn't hit many delays. As always when riding in the mountains, it was a bit chilly for my taste, but what an amazing ride!! Snow capped mountain peaks, roaring waterfalls, babbling brooks and grazing deer greeted us all along the route.

Having just been paved, the roads were incredibly smooth but slick. A biker who had just ridden the highway stopped us as we started out to warn us not to lean into the curves due to the fresh oil on the roads. We heeded the warning, but it was hard not to pick up the pace through the twisting canyon with so many miles of smooth pavement and so little traffic ahead of us. We covered a little over half of the distance between Ouray and Silverton before we turned around. We were a long way from the Springs and still had a lot of sightseeing to do before the day was over.

As Ouray slipped away in our rear view mirrors (that's an overview of Ouray in the pic), we made our way towards the Black Canyon of Gunnison. I had never heard of this National Park but I was pleasantly surprised as we rode along the rim of a mini Grand Canyon in Colorado.

After riding along the rim of the gorge and walking out on a few scenic overviews, it was time to explore the gorge from within. We navigated the hairpin turns, 16% grade and loose gravel of the road that took us down to the river at the bottom of the canyon as curious motorists looked on and wondered if we were actually crazy! I usually do some of my best thinking, problem solving and daydreaming while riding, but my attention was keenly focused on the road for this one! The park ranger had informed us as we entered the park that bikers usually either love or hate the ride down into the canyon. I'm happy to report that we fell into the "loved the ride" category!

As we made the trek back towards Colorado Springs, we detoured off Hwy 50 just outside of Canyon City to do one of our favorite rides. Although Skyline Drive is only a couple of miles in length, the sheer drop offs from the single lane paved "road" makes it an interesting ride. I'd ridden this road many times, but it's still a thrill to ride along and enjoy the view from this unique vantage point. That's David in the picture cruising down Skyline Drive.

I'll end this post with the picture David took of Suzanne & me as we were riding down the highway. Ever since we all started riding together a couple of years ago, Suzanne takes the lead with me in the middle and David riding sweep (i.e. interference) when it's just the three of us. Although I find myself as the dominant female in most circles, Suzanne's position as mother of 8 grants her alpha dog status (that's a compliment Suzanne)! Plus, my terrible sense of direction doesn't exactly make me a prime candidate for taking point! So, that's me on the second bike in the picture riding towards the lake. I recently discovered that it's a lot less painful to run a brush through my hair at the end of the day if I wear it in pig tails when I ride. I can feel my hair flipping around in the wind, but I had no idea I resembled Pippi Longstocking until I saw this pic! After riding behind me for 700 miles over the weekend watching my pig tails stick straight out, now I can understand while David always seemed to be laughing at me when we'd stop!!

Well, that's it for my adventures in Colorado Springs. I'm now back in sunny California and as of now, I'm scheduled to stay in San Diego for the next three weeks! I'm pretty excited to sleep in my own bed and run on the beach in the mornings again. Plus, I can use a little time away from airports, airline seats and delayed flights for a little while before my travel schedule picks up again. Looks like I'll be going out to our training center in Lake Placid, NY in mid-August followed by two weeks in Okinawa, Japan for a pre-Paralympic training camp and then on to Beijing, China for a week at the Paralympic Games. I'll post if I embark on any adventures between now and then! Thanks for checking in!!

Riding to Ouray, CO

The stars lined up and I ended up with a weekend free of work obligations! Much to David’s amusement, Suzanne and I were like two little kids waiting for Christmas morning as we planned an overnighter to Ouray! They had done some riding out in that area last summer with their two teenage daughters and were excited to share it with me also.

We got off to a chilly start early Saturday morning with the temp hovering around 60 until we pulled into Canon City for breakfast at Big Daddy’s. The breakfast of biscuits & gravy pretty much set the stage for my food discipline, or lack thereof, for the next 48 hours! Although chilly, the sky had cleared up and we enjoyed a crisp walk around Monarch Pass. As it turns out, the rest area at Monarch Pass is known for their fudge. Are you getting a feel for how my food intake over the weekend went yet?!

The climb in temperature as we dropped down the other side of the 11,000 ft pass brought a smile to my face and a little lead to my throttle hand! The day had turned gorgeous as we rolled past lakes full of weekend boaters and parks crowded with family BBQs. This picture of David & Suzanne and I was taken in Blue Mesa next to the reservoir. We pulled into Ouray with enough daylight left to stroll the main street of the mid-1800s town. It reminded me a lot of the towns of Cripple Creek and Deadwood with its cowboy-Western looking storefronts lining the street.

We had intended on checking into our B&B and unloading our bags then to continue riding out on the “Million Dollar Highway” (U.S. 550) towards Silverton. We decided to wait until the next morning however once we heard that road construction was causing traffic backups of up to an hour on the route. Although not an arduous day of riding, the delay in plans was welcomed after riding about 300 miles. We toasted the day with a glass of wine followed by a perfectly decadent dinner on the patio of Bulow’s Bistro. My culinary discipline was regained momentarily when I ordered the grilled tilapia only to be lost again as I followed that up with a dessert of raspberry baked Alaska!

We greeted the setting sun with a dip in the B&B’s hot tub after dinner. The Softail Deluxe I had rented made me realize what a kidney busting ride my Sportster can be, but I was sore between my shoulder blades from the lack of a back rest on the Softail for so many miles. I know, I know, I’m turning into an old lady!!! Besides the lack of back support, I felt too tall for the bike. The seat was cushy enough, but it was so low I felt like an adult riding a child’s tricycle as my knees rested even with the top of the gas tank! It was much heavier than my Sportster so it was more stable of a ride, but I dragged the boards more than once as I leaned the bike into the canyon corners!

I can only attach a few pics to a post, so I’ll do a separate one for Sunday’s riding. Stay tuned!

Colorado Crawfish!

I guess everyone sent out some on-time-flight vibes because I got back from Ft Benning only 1 hour late on Sunday evening and made it to Colorado Springs on Monday. It's been a long, but productive week of meetings. Although I didn't like living here in the winters, Colorado is pretty amazing in the summer! The weather has been gorgeous since I arrived, plus I always feel like a rock star when I come back to the training center here! So many people to catch up with on complex, it's good to feel missed!

After a late conference call, I met up with some friends at a great Cajun restaurant here in the Springs called Culpepper's. I usually don't eat Cajun food outside of Louisiana, but I took a chance and tried this place out when I lived out here and their red beans and rice tasted pretty authentic. As luck would have it, this restaurant gets fresh crawfish flown in from Louisiana every Thursday and has a crawfish boil. Even though I knew crawfish season is over, I decided to join some friends there for dinner. We were not disappointed!

Paul had called ahead of time and reserved 3 pounds of crawfish. I laughed when he called me mid-day to tell me that. Three pounds, that's not even an appetizer! I don't think he realized the weight counted the shells! April and Paul's wife Karla decided not to partake of the boiled crawfish, so I told Paul we should order at least 5 pounds for him and I and get some sides to go with it. Although a little over-seasoned, the crawfish were really good as were the potatoes, sausage and corn-on-the cob that were boiled with it. We don't really have a name for the dip we make to go with boiled seafood at home but boiled seafood just isn't complete without it for me. I tried to describe to the waiter our Daigle family concoction and he said he would give it a shot. He came back with a huge boil of the mixture that actually tasted pretty close. A couple of Abita Turbo Dog beers to accompany the crawfish and an order of beignets for dessert completed our Louisiana dining experience. The sun setting behind the Rocky Mountains completed the eclectic evening.

Tomorrow will bring a morning of trying to answer the hundred or so emails I've fallen behind on and a couple more meetings. In the afternoon I go to the Harley dealership to pick up a rented 2008 Softail Deluxe for the weekend. I'll ride it to a social tomorrow night then take off for an overnighter to Ouray early Saturday morning with Suzanne & David. This rugged little mountain town out west has been dubbed the "Switzerland of America" and is nestled amongst towering 13,000 foot peaks. It was on my list of places to visit before I moved from Colorado, but time got away from me and I never made it. I'm excited to get the chance to check it out now and to ride there on a bigger, nice bike. My camera broke last week in Ft Benning, so I bought a new one out here. Hopefully I'll get some good pics from our weekend trip to post.

4th of July in Columbus

Although I was disappointed that I wouldn't be on Coronado for the huge 4th of July shindig they put on every year (and that I'd be working instead!), I still ended up having fun for the 4th. By mid-afternoon, the shooting competitions that I needed to be at were completed and my testing was done. I got directions for the fitness running trail from some of the guys stationed there and did a few loops of the hilly trail through the woods. It felt so good to run in the humidity! I know, I know, everyone thinks my love of the heat & humidity is crazy. There's something to be said though for being hot and sweaty after a hard workout. Even though I ran a ton while I lived in Colorado, I never felt like I was really getting a good workout. It was probably the altitude and not the lack of perspiration though that made me feel that way. After cooling down a bit after our run, Nick (the Physical Therapist) and I headed downtown for what was billed as an "old fashioned 4th of July celebration." The festival itself was geared mostly towards kids, but the river walk right on the Chattahoochee is pretty cool. We departed from the river and the family entertainment and headed towards the main strip of restaurants and bars. With 95 degrees and 95% humidity, the margaritas we had were pretty refreshing!

After the sun went down, we made our way back over to the river and watched the fireworks show. The Chattahoochee River divides Georgia from Alabama as well as Eastern from Central Time zones. A bridge connects Columbus, GA to Phenix City, AL. As we watched the fireworks show, we tossed around the thought of how cool it would be for Phenix City and Columbus to have a dueling fireworks show over the river! The show was nice but too short! The night was still young so we met up with some of the coaches back on the main strip and hung out for the better part of the evening.

My disappointment over not having BBQ on the 4th of July was alleviated last night when a bunch of us went to one of the shooter's house for an evening of grilling. After a full day of competitions, we rallied across the river in Alabama (less stringent fireworks ordnances!) and shot off a few colorful explosives. I hadn't laughed so hard in a long time as we set off various forms of firecrackers, fireworks and whistlers for well over an hour. Stereotypical redneck, but fun nonetheless! The gathering dispersed with just enough time for most of us to get a couple of hours sleep before our early flights this morning. I'm doing this post from the Atlanta airport as I await my flight to San Diego via Denver. Tomorrow morning I will fly out to Colorado Springs for a week of meetings and a weekend of riding with Suzanne & David. Hopefully I'll have something fun to post about from the Springs!

Cajuns in Georgia

No, I did not actually fall off the face of the earth after all my house guests left! I just needed a little time to get myself together before the next round of work trips started up. I realize that you would never guess it from this blog, but I really do work between these adventures!

I walked out of the airport this evening into the warm, humidity laden embrace of Atlanta. I'm out here for the 4th of July weekend to work with some of our shooters during a competition being held at Fort Benning. I don't have any pictures to post, but just thought I'd let everyone know that I'm still alive & kicking and to tell my story of what a small world it is. . .

With mapquest directions in hand, I was making a sharp turn coming off an exit on the way to my hotel when I spotted a motorcyclist stranded on the side of the road. Being a firm believer in karma, especially motorcycle karma, I navigated my rental car to the shoulder and sized up the situation. Some guy is standing there with an amused look on his face staring at his Harley. I roll down my window and ask him if he's got it under control. He looks a little embarrassed and admits that he's run out of gas. He tells me that he just bought the bike and was so excited to ride that he didn't check the fuel. It was a mid-90s Fat Boy with a pretty sweet paint job, so I could understand his desire to take it for a spin ASAP.

If I can just use your cell phone, I'll give my wife a call to bring some gas out.

Sure, no worries and I hand him my phone.

At this point, I'm picking up a down-da-bayou accent and ask him where he's from.

Louisiana.

Yeah, what part?

Houma.

Are you kidding me?! I'm from Bayou Blue!

Turns out, Raymond is from Bourg! For the non-Cajuns reading this blog, Bourg is a couple of bayous over from the one I grew up on. He and his wife are physical therapists and just moved out here about a month ago. What are the odds?! He couldn't get in touch with his wife so I took him to the gas station just up the road. He kept apologizing for taking up my time but we both couldn't believe that Bayou Blue and Bourg natives met up on the side of the road in Columbus, GA! Of course we run through the "do you know so and so" list and discover that he played ball with my ex-brother-in-law. What a small world! During the evacuation for hurricane Katrina he had taken extra gas with him and was able to help out a few bikers on the way, so we chalked it up to his good karma coming back around. As Raymond thanked me profusely for helping him out, I pulled away from the gas station feeling pretty good about my contribution to the universe for the day!

Not sure if I'll post or not while I'm out here, so I'm sending out a "Happy 4th of July" wish to everyone now. I fly back to San Diego on Sunday evening and fly out to Colorado Springs on Monday morning. I'd appreciate some on-time-flight vibes from everyone so I can be where I need to be on time!