Cowboys Stadium

Here are the pictures from our trip to Dallas.  The Cardinals played in Cowboys Stadium, so we decided to make the trek up north :)


Dallas, here we come.

 

So begins a LONG trip thanks to an overturned truck in San Marcos and a torrential downpour.

The next morning Kyle took the boys down to eat breakfast and I enjoyed ALONE time with coffee.

And room service with breakfast in bed.

Took them outside to do some pre-game warm ups.

The gift shop, Coltrane was in heaven.

Elevator up to the box.

Though the box seats were AWESOME, we preferred watching the game down below.

Not the final score, but you know, they scored within seconds :)

Simple Stuffed Shells

I've fallen a bit behind on posting all of our recipes.  This school business is seriousness!  So, in the midst of new school schedules and Kyle's season schedules we added soccer to the mix.  I knew that I would not want to be prepping and cooking in the kitchen after a busy day like that, so I prepared everything ahead of time and all I had to do was plop the dish in the oven.  These are so simple to make, hence the name and a very versatile dish, you can add whatever you want to it really.  I went  the very, very, easy route with what I had in my refrigerator at the time.  I can imagine that these would be amazing with different herbs, meats, and veggies and will definitely switch it up next time.

Simple Stuffed Shells

INGREDIENTS

1 box of jumbo pasta shells
1 jar of marinara sauce (ugh, sorry, or you can should make your own)
1 15 oz. tub of ricotta
1 cup of shredded mozzarella
1 egg
1 packet of fresh chives
salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

• preheat the oven to 350 
• cook the shells in boiling water for 10 minutes, drain and let cool (about 5 of my shells fell apart/got stuck to the bottom of my dutch oven during the cooking process, nbd :)
• in a bowl mix together the ricotta, egg, mozzarella
• add about 3/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper and chop up 3/4 of the chives and mix together (I just use scissors and cut them up right over the bowl)

• line a casserole dish with 1/3 of the marinara sauce
• stuff the shells with a heaping tablespoon of the ricotta and place in the dish, once all shells have been stuffed, pour the rest of the sauce on top of the shells

•  cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes
• before serving, chop up the remaining chives and sprinkle over top

IF Deluxe Redux - Yo Eddy Reborn?

While cruising the Independent Fabrications blog a few weeks back - yeah, my blogging action in slow motion lately (sorta like how I race) - came across a cool post that mentioned Chris Chance being spotted at the last NAHBS.  Considering Mr. Chance seemed to drop off the face of the bicycling planet after Fat City Cycles closed its hallowed doors, pretty cool to read he was spotted at a bike show.

Even cooler - after a Chris Chance conversation - IF decided to put out a bike celebrating a bit of yesteryear, combined with new school.  Steel hardtail and fork, 29er wheels and disk brakes.  To me, it says modern Yo Eddy, complete with vivid old school paint colors.  Very cool bike, as depicted by the photo I borrowed from the IF site.

If you know the Fat City story, also a bit of coming around full circle.  Independent Fabrications was started by Fat City Cycle employees during the closing era of Fat City.  Old history for crusty old mountain bikers and Fat fans, like me.  Another time and another era.

In any case, if you have a spare $6000 burning a hole in your pocket, one of these could be yours with a nice build kit.  That's currently way out of my bike budget, for now and probably forever, so I'll just enjoy from a safe distance and be glad it even exists.

Wendy Jumping at MoMA PS1!

Audrey, Andres, Stephan and Josef (those are Josef's legs!) jump for Wendy by HWKN at MoMA PS1 in Long Island City, New York. Thanks for sending!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Solitary

I found myself on Wordpress and came across their weekly photo challenge.  Ah, yes, a weekly photo challenge, I can definitely do that, I kind of dropped the ball on the photoaday.  I'm thinking I may even switch from blogger to wordpress, because I'm so excited about this challenge :)  So, here's from last weeks theme. 

Solitary

On This Day...

I get messages from God and from The Universe daily.  They are basically affirmations.  Just wanted to share this one that I received from God in my facebook inbox :)

Who-What-When-Where-Why

All.  Day.  Long.  I hear, Why? and What? Especially from the baby.  Today was no different than any other day where there are constant questions regarding anything and everything.  Except for today, he really got me when he asked, "What does what mean?".  Oh Coltrane, you're good, you're real good :)

King Kingston

Today Kingston was the King for the day at school.  I wasn't sure what that exactly meant and he wasn't exactly in the mood to tell me what it entailed, but I gathered that he was the line leader and got to eat lunch on stage :)  He has been doing so wonderfully at school and even wants to go on the weekends!  AND, now, I'm not allowed to walk him into the school (his rules, he is The King after all).  I now pull up in the drop off lane and a volunteer helps him out of the car and he walks into the school like a big boy.  The past few times, the P.E. teacher has been opening my car door for him and greeting him in the morning.  This afternoon, as I was waiting in the pick up line, she walked past me and said, "You're Kingston's Mom right?"  I said yes, that I sure am.  She then said, "Wow, Kingston is just a special little boy.  He is so funny and is really something else.  What a good kid"  I was beaming and still am. 

**Okay, so today he was the line leader, and yesterday he did not sit on stage.  (I need to remember what Mrs. Cook said when she said that she believes about 50% of some of the stories the kids tell her)  What he got to do was wear a crown all day yesterday and sit on the Sun on their carpet for the story time.  Close enough :)  Last year, he told some of his teachers that he went to Paris over the weekend and another weekend, we had gone to Disney World.  Kids ;)

Another Rainy Day

When it rains, it pours.  After months of no rain with a miniscule rain "shower" here and there, things have finally changed.  It is raining cats and dogs here today!  After a busy trip to Dallas, which I will post about soon, it is a nice change to come home and have a lazy, rainy day.  I know I've said it so many times, but it is hot down here and during the Summer months, if we're not at the pool and we are outside we have to limit our time because of the heat.  So the minute it gets cooler or is raining, we all jump the chance to actually have to wear a jacket and rain boots.

Cyclocross Season Begins - 2012 Style

Cyclocross season in the Seattle area has officially kicked off, despite my late blogging action.  Racer Boy Ian, with less then usual riding this summer, gives it a go.  Me, bike geek dad, coming off one of the lamest riding summers in years, provides support and can't even comprehend entering a 'cross race at the moment.

Lucky for me, taking pics at races has proven more fun then actually suffering through one, though entering a 'cross race or two still on my agenda, even if that doesn't occur 'til next season.

Two races under Ian's belt so far.  First one the sarcastically titled Labor Day Cyclocross Championship, the season kick off event for the area. This edition held on some sort of military property near Tacoma, Washington...

Teammate Lars blurs the course tape.

In the heat of battle.

Race your shadow.

Lars frozen mid remount.

JL Velo juniors hanging out at the team tent.

Ian (on right) warms up with teammates.

Ella warms up, representing one of the few junior girls racing 'cross.

Start line smiles, Ian (sans shades) looks on.

Go Ian go !!

Ian sprints for the line, despite his 8th place out of 8 (in the 13 - 16 year old class) for the day.  Racing against older kids who are coming off a summer of racing road and track ain't easy.  Ian never gives up however, his face as proof.  Ironically, he won this event last year.

High school age teammate Anders day in the sun.  Nice kid and son of Lars, also on the team.

Racing hurts in many different ways.  An early lesson.

Post race Ian looking a little tired.  Warm and dusty conditions for the day.

A few blur shots for the album.

In the shadow of Mount Rainier.

Second race of the season, the following weekend, the first race of the MFG series was next on the list.  This being Ian's third MFG 'cross series since starting racing a few years ago.  I dig the MFG series and the folks running the show.  A very cool scene and something we look forward to.  As per last year, MFG # 1 held at Big Finn Hill Park in Kirkland, almost in our backyard.  Don't get to ride from your driveway to a race very often...

Junior teammate Evan in action.

Teammate Lars warmin' up.

Singlespeed action.

Hanging out.

This woman at every 'cross race styling on the yellow IF and always smiling.

Diggin' in.

Various shots from the several zillion I clicked through the day.

Junior teammate Jarrett on the go.  Some of the kids on the team, Jarrett included, race CAT4 men and their respective junior class during each event.

Go Ian go.  Did much better this race, around 12th place out of 24 juniors in his class.  Not bad considering he was in the ER three days earlier with a suspected broken elbow, courtesy from falling out of a tree.  The life of a 13 year old.  This season, the MFG folks split the juniors up by school grade, a cool idea and less confusing then "racing age".  Ian will compete in the 6 - 7 grade class for the series.  We dig it.

Junior teammate George exits the barriers.  George didn't even know what a cyclocross bike was until last year.  One of his school teachers mentioned it, his family checked out a race and here he is - now in his second season of 'cross.  Awesome.

Teammate Luke about to sample a little soil.

Start line laundry pile.

More examples of my patented blur shot.  Call now, operators are standing by.

Daytona 500 banked turn action, Zac Daab leading the charge.  Zac owns Cascade Bicycle Studio and is the driving force behind the MFG 'cross series.  Thanks to Zac and crew for providing a great series for the Seattle area.

No crankset?  No problem...

Pics-O-Plenty for the day.  It's late and I've turned off the caption machine.  Feel free to make up your own.

Two races down in the books.  Ian gave it his best and enjoyed both events, and that's what it's all about.  Plenty more races in the near future, with rambling Words 'N' Pics provided at no cost to you, the home viewer.  And with that, I sign off...