Hobbies

On the Second Day of Christmas

Posted by golfkat on December 13, 2021

Posted in: Cultures, Entertainment, Hobbies. Leave a comment

During the pandemic, I started doing something I have not done in over 50 years. Yes, I bought a jigsaw puzzle! It was a world map, since I enjoy traveling, and seeing where I am going or places I have been. After that, I jigged a San Francisco Giants puzzle, and a Tour de France puzzle. I need to find one for the UC Berkeley campus, as well as the Niners, Warriors, and Napa Valley.

Now before you dismiss this idea. please understand the health benefits. None other than Dr. Michael DeBakey at Baylor University have endorsed jigsaw puzzles.

Studies have shown that doing jigsaw puzzles can improve cognition and visual-spatial reasoning. The act of putting the pieces of a puzzle together requires concentration and improves short-term memory and problem solving. Using the puzzle as an exercise of the mind can spark imagination and increase both your creativity and productivity.

A bit of history: The first jigsaw puzzle was created by a map engraver called John Spilsbury, in 1762. He mounted one of his master maps onto wood and then cut around the countries. He gave it to children in the local school to help them with their geography education. And in that act jigsaw puzzles were invented. It was an instant hit and the concept was soon copied by others and expanded into other educational images other than just maps, such as farms and religious scenes. At this time all jigsaw puzzles were created from wood, but also at this time they weren’t called jigsaw puzzles, they were called dissected puzzles. The term jigsaw comes from the special saw called a jigsaw that was used to cut the puzzles, but not until the saw was invented in the 1880’s. (Wentworth)

Most modern jigsaw puzzles are made of paperboard as they are easier and cheaper to mass-produce. An enlarged photograph or printed reproduction of a painting or other two-dimensional artwork is glued to cardboard, which is then fed into a press. The press forces a set of hardened steel blades of the desired pattern, called a puzzle die, through the board until fully cut.

My suggestion is to try one, on a rainy or cold day. I have done several, and I notice that my dexterity has improved, and my IQ has increased over 10%!!! Well, it FEELS like it has increased! My Aunt and Uncle in LA lived to at least 90. After four strokes, my Uncle managed to put together jigsaw puzzles in his spare time.
Nevertheless, please give it a try. It is much less expensive than shopping online or gambling.

My Water Pail List, Completed!

Posted by golfkat on September 24, 2020

Posted in: Action, Cultures, Entertainment, Food, Golf, Hobbies, Music, National Parks, Shopping, Sports, Travel, Wine. Leave a comment

Just for the record, I never had or wanted a proverbial “bucket list” that has become so popular with travelers. I rarely compiled a list of places I wanted to go. Visiting all fifty of our states was almost by accident, until the total reached the low forties or thereabouts. Trips to places around the world were never planned more than eight to nine months ahead.

Much of this I owe to my travel buddy Mike. He rarely wants to commit to a location, too far in advance. When we drove Chile from top to bottom, it all came together just a few months before. Same for our trek to Africa for the safaris and visiting Barry the V.

I have seen other people’s bucket list, and thought I would give you my “water pail” **list, which I consider complete at this point in my life. About the only trips left, that I can even think about are a trip to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, the Tour de France, and perhaps the four eastern Canadian provinces. There will be some revisits, such as the Oktoberfest in Munich, wine regions in various European countries, and some cycling trips.

In no particular order of importance or sense of accomplishment:

Trek the Amazon Rainforest, Peru

Visit Angkor Wat, Cambodia (3 times)

Cross the Berlin Wall at Checkpoint Charlie (sorry, you cannot do that anymore!)

Take the Trans Siberian Railway across Russia

Visit my ancestor’s home city of Nagoya, Japan

Visit all 50 U.S. states

Taste champagne in Champagne, France

Spend two weeks at Wimbledon, England

Do the tango in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Amtrak across the country (several times)

Visit most of the western National Parks

See the Aurora Borealis in Alaska

See the witches of Salem, MA on Halloween

Visit all the ballparks in the west

See a play on Broadway, NYC

Traverse Chile from top to bottom (by air, land, and sea)

Visit Fenway and Wrigley

Dive the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Jet boat in Queenstown, New Zealand

Bike down Haleakala Crater, Maui

Zipline in the Costa Rica cloudforest

Watch a lion hunt in the Serengeti

Play golf at St. Andrews, Scotland

Shop at Harrod’s for wine gummies, London

Visit the “Girl from Ipanema”, Rio de Janeiro

Sip wine in Mendoza, Argentina

Cruise Halong Bay, Vietnam

See peak bloom Cherry Blossoms in DC

Hear the roar at Sturgis, SD

Visit Tsukiji Fish Market, Tokyo

Find rare ports on the Algarve, Portugal

Attend a concert at Royal Albert Hall, London

Drink many beers at the Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany

Eat smoked omul at Lake Baikal, Russia

Attend the U.S. Opens, golf and tennis

Climb Eiffel Tower, Paris

Make homemade Italian sausage

Dine on pork knuckle in Prague

Eat stone crabs at Joe’s in Miami

Wine tasting in Stellenbosch with Barry the V

Enjoy Grand Marnier soufflé in Zurich, Switzerland

Go hiking at Torres del Paine, Patagonia, Chile

Walk on the parquet floor at the Boston Garden

Win a ski race at Aspen

Ride/walk across the Golden Gate Bridge

Shake hands with Arnold Palmer

Attend Paul Simon’s farewell concert

Attend a Tom Douglas farm to table dinner

Make my own umeshu (sour plum vodka)

Drive over 100 mph on the German autobahn

Sip Tokaji in Budapest

Visit Dracula’s castle in Brasov, Romania

Stare at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel

Eat black hoof jamon in Porto Banus

Give a new pair of Nike’s to my tuk tuk driver in Chiang Mai

Attend the Grand Ole Opry

Dine in the Surgeon General’s private dining room

Run the Bay to Breakers (world’s largest footrace)

Enjoy Shabu Shabu in Tokyo

Taste the best salmon sushi in Queensland, Australia

Stroll the medina in Morocco

Visit Ebenezer Baptist Church and childhood home of MLK

Visit both Capes (Horn and Good Hope)

See the Rose Parade

Eat beignets at Cafe’ Du Monde

Visit Alcatraz Island

Marvel at the great Willie Mays

Shop at the Grand Bazaar, Istanbul

Cycle and taste wine in Bordeaux

Cross the Continental Divide

Enjoy several custom tailored suits in Bangkok

Adopt the most beautiful Labradoodle in the world

Write a book (several)

Visit a Relocation camp of my ancestors

Complete my lifetime sports-fecta (a separate email a few years ago)

What Have I been unable to do:

Hole in one (got close several times)

Publish my autobiography

Visit all of the Canadian provinces

Play on the grass court at Wimbledon

Impeach a President! (Or at least elect a different one!)

2020 Tour de France

Posted by golfkat on August 29, 2020

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Much like other sports, this year’s Tour de France has been postponed from June to August 29, 2020, through September 20. And needless to say, it is the premier cycling event of the year, eclipsing even Olympic year cycling events.

And for many years, I had absolutely zero interest in the race, due to doping and various forms of cheating. Now that I am a semi-serious cyclist, and the sport is a bit cleaner, I have become a fan. I record every stage, watch them religiously, as only a cyclist would and can do, particularly during the pandemic. I do envy the stamina of the riders, though I would never subject myself to that abuse.

This year’s race will be 2,156 miles, or 3,470 kilometers. Just for comparison, I try to ride between 25 and 30 miles a day, perhaps three to four times a week. The race is divided into 21 stages, nine flat, three hilly, seven mountain, and two individual time trials. In between will be only two rest days.

Also, importantly, this year’s race will utilize a bubble as part of their anti-Covid measures. The crowd will be asked to wear masks, social distance, refrain form selfies and autographs. The norm pageantry of the awards after each stage will also be rather subdued.

Again, it is almost incredible that upwards of 3.5 billion people will tune in to this event. Normally, about TWELVE million spectators line the routes, whether on the Champs Elysees, or the Alps. And it is FREE!

The race involves 22 teams, of nine riders each (total 198 cyclists). They usually each have both a star sprinter, and a competitor in the general classification, or the overall race. The sprint generally involves the flat stages, and bonus points along the route. The star sprinter is my cycling favorite, Slovakia’s Peter Sagan, who has won most of the last decade of sprint titles (green jersey) at the TDF. The winner of the race receives about $500,000.

Each stage is about 225 kilometers in length, taking about 5.5 hours to complete. Each of the 22 stages has a winner, with the lowest cumulative time winning the overall title. Each stage winner gets a yellow jersey. The overall leader also gets to wear a yellow jersey in the race. The top sprinter gets to wear a green jersey, and the best climber wears a white jersey with large red polka dots. I would prefer wearing the green jersey of the best sprinter!

Each race is unique, and involve fairly detailed strategy and advanced planning for the terrain. Almost every race begins in a ceremonial fashion. It quickly moves into a breakaway, where a few riders, anywhere from a handful to perhaps as large as 15, take off ahead of the peloton. Almost always, the peloton catches the breakaway before the finish line.

Attacks occur generally on hilly or mountainous terrain, where a rider tries to break away from either the peloton or the breakaway group. The element of surprise is often their ally. Teamwork is very important, as are the support vehicles with extra bicycles, food, water, and medical assistance.

Sprinters often position themselves on the flat stages to make a strong run at the end of the race. They use various techniques, such as slipstreaming to position themselves for the final meters of the race. Again, they king of the sprints, Peter Sagan, is highly skilled in both strategy and sprint speed. Sprinters, with a different body type, generally do not excel at climbing.

Lead-out groups or teams try to both control the pace, and protect their lead rider, whether a sprinter or climber. They keep the lead rider safe, and allow him to slip stream during the race to save energy. The reduced wind resistance is a big factor in the final sprints and climbs in the mountains.

Some other terms used:

Grand Départ — The first stage of Tour de France.
Peloton — French for “group.” Peloton is the main group of cyclists who ride together for coherence.
Breakaway — A rider or group of riders who have broken away to lead the race.
Slipstreaming — Riding close behind another rider in order to benefit from almost no air resistance.
Bonking — Also known as “hit the wall.” This when a rider has completely run out of energy.
Domestique — Every team has a leader, and the remaining riders (domestiques) support the leader in whatever way they can in order for them to win stages, accumulate points and hopefully win the tour.
Directeur Sportif — Each team has a director, known as directeur sportif, that follows riders during the race and gives them instructions, water, helps with mechanical issues and replaces damaged bikes.
Flamme Rouge — French for “red flag” this is used to indicate the last kilometer of the race.
Lanterne Rouge — French for “red light” this is the last rider in the general classification/the tour. This is not a dishonorable term.
Musket Bag — A shoulder bag containing food and water that is handed to riders at feeding stations.
SAG Wagon — A vehicle that follows cyclists and picks them up when they can no longer ride due to injury, fatigue, biking failure, and also carries gear.

So, the question is, would I attend the Tour de France? The answer today is definitely YES. I have attended several other cycling events, and consider the TDF the Holy Grail of cycling. Wouldn’t it be grand to find a nice little village in the French countryside, and drive to several legs of the race? But I would not act like some of the idiots along the route who need to show off on camera.

Oh, it might be the only reason I would go back to France! Although the wine is a good reason too. This year, more than most, I wish I was there. After all, the route will cross many wine regions of France.

The Greatest Spectacle in Racing

Posted by golfkat on August 23, 2020

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The “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” will now take place on Sunday, August 23, instead of the traditional Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. But I will look forward to the race, as it brings back some wonderful memories. This article is from 2010. About the only change is that about half of the engines are Chevrolets, half are still Hondas. And of the top nine qualifiers, eight are Honda engines!

The start of the race is a powerful and exciting event, 33 high powered engines, revving up to about 230 mph, 3 racers wide, 11 rows. The noise is deafening, ear plugs must be worn, the vibration shakes the grandstands and your soul, as the crowd noise tries to match the roar of engines. No matter how hard I try, I cannot imagine making a left-hand turn while pushing 230 mph!!!

You probably know by now that I attended five Indy 500 races. It is the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” by far, and one of the top five sporting events I have attended. Though most events (parades, concerts, parties), including attending the race are rather subdued this year, the Race still draws me in. Tune in at 10am today!

I first went in honor of my father, his love of auto racing, superb knowledge of auto mechanics and engineering, and his trips to the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” The photo above is Bill Vukovich from Sanger. He was my Mom’s neighbor on Indianola Avenue.

Here is one of my five visits:

Only about 400,000 plus racing fans will attend the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing”. I often listened to the race on the radio as a child. My Dad and I would listen, then I would run outdoors to play, before coming back to see who won the race. There were many ties to the Fresno area where I grew up. Several drivers and car owners lived in Fresno. The most famous was Billy Vukovich, who won the race twice in a row, before crashing and burning to death the following year, while leading the race by a huge margin.

The Indy 500 Museum is a great place to spend some time before the race. The collection of cars provides great insight into the evolution, not only of race cars, but also of the safety features developed over time. It is also a great place to get out of the heat for an hour or so. Oh, and the food at the Indy 500 is also outstanding!

All the engines (now also Chevrolet) for the race cars are made by Honda. Starting in 1996, Honda began an ascent to the heights of open wheel racing. In 2004, Honda won its first Indy 500 race. Much like most innovators here, they were laughed at first, then moved to owning the entire field, and sole supplier to the race.

Some facts about the Honda engine: The service life is about 1400 miles, between which the engine can be rebuilt. A total of 40 drivers completed 202,210 racing miles over the course of the 17-race season with only a single race-day failure. Honda also powered the entire 33-car Indianapolis 500 starting field, and for a record-extending fourth consecutive race, there were no engine-related retirements during the running of the Memorial Day classic.

The engine itself is a fuel injected, aluminum alloy 90-degree V8, and weighs 275 pounds. Its displacement is 3.5 liters. It has a dual overhead camshaft, and four valves per cylinder. The crankshaft is alloy steel, with five main bearing caps. The pistons are forged aluminum alloy. The engine uses McLaren Electronics for engine management. A six-speed transmission and single water pump are much like most passenger cars we know. The fuel is 100% fuel grade ethanol.

About Mr. Honda himself: Soichiro Honda’s love of victory helped launch a small company into a racing giant. He possessed an uncanny ability to develop technology for racing and adapt it to the consumer market. At age 22, and drawing upon his skills as a mechanic, Mr. Honda developed a V-8 Curtis Wright aircraft engine to race on a Ford chassis. He took the wheel himself that year and set a Japanese speed record hitting 75 mph. Honda Racing was born.

Later that year, after an unfortunate racing accident, Mr. Honda made a promise to his family to never take the wheel of a racer again. So, Mr. Honda began to tackle racing from the development standpoint, producing some of the finest engines ever to race.

From their website: Triumph and innovation. Precision and speed. The lifeblood of Honda Racing. Join us and rediscover some of our proudest moments through the years, and honor the man who gave rise to one of racing’s greatest powers.

Small side bar: We saw Air Force One at O’Hare Airport Friday in Chicago. Apparently, our fine President and former Chicago resident is in town for the long weekend. I guess he needs some much-needed R & R after trying to help both Barbara Boxer in her Senate re-election, and the gulf oil spill fiasco. Most suspect he is barbecuing in his backyard this weekend. We were not invited.

But we had a fabulous dinner at Harry and Izzy’s last night. The rack of lamb was almost as good as Jimmy’s in Carmel Valley. Then we had a drink at the Equinox atop the Hyatt, much like the one in San Francisco. The more we drank, the faster it spun!!! Sunday is the big day!

The reality of the engines is this. The roar of the 33 racecars accelerating down the main straightaway for the start is truly exciting and earth shaking. And we must wear ear plugs just to deal with the noise and vibration. And our seats are on the main straightaway, in the grandstand area, and not far from the start-finish line. A closed-circuit camera system allows us to see the remainder of the track. Best of all, the pit area is right in front of us!

Today is a big and bright blue sky, soon to be filled with balloons, upon completion of “Back Home Again in Indiana” by Gomer Pyle, aka Jim Nabors. But the excitement builds, the engines are fired up, the crowd goes crazy, and we are on our feet. This is the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing”.

I went with my brother one year, as well as another with my Aunt and Uncle, and yet another with my insurance agent. It is one of the best sporting event and parties on earth!!!

I strongly encourage you to go, even if you are not a racing fan. The parade, and the race day festivities are among the top five sporting events I have attended!!!! Where else can you see the Purdue Golden Girl, the legend, A.J. Foyt, and every celebrity who loves auto racing?

The Rule of Thirds

Posted by golfkat on July 27, 2020

Posted in: Action, Cultures, Hobbies, Travel. Leave a comment

Here is a tribute to “thirds”, as in one of three parts of a whole.

Fun Fact: The Pacific Ocean is larger than all of Earth’s land area combined. Essentially, the Pacific amounts to roughly a third of Earth’s surface (nearly 64 million square miles), all of the other water amounts to another third, and the land makes up the remaining third.

The Trans Siberian Railway, which I took back in 2012, covers one third of the earth’s surface, or 5772 miles, from Vladivostok to Moscow.

Earth is the “third rock from the sun.”

In photography, we all know the “Rule of Thirds.” It is a type of composition in which an image is divided evenly into thirds, both horizontally and vertically, and the subject of the image is placed at the intersection of those dividing lines, or along one of the lines itself. From the Digital Photog School:

The “Rule of Thirds” one of the first things that beginner photographers learn about in classes on photography and rightly so as it can help you create well balanced and interesting shots.

I (D. Rowse) will say right up front however that rules are meant to be broken and ignoring this one doesn’t mean your images are necessarily unbalanced or uninteresting. However a wise person once told me that if you intend to break a rule you should always learn it first to make sure your breaking of it is all the more effective!

Also keep in mind it’s just one composition technique of many – we have quite a few articles on other techniques and rules of composition here.

What is the Rule of Thirds?

The basic principle behind the rule of thirds is to imagine breaking an image down into thirds (both horizontally and vertically) so that you have 9 parts. As follows.

The rule of thirds 1

As you’re taking an image you would have done this in your mind through your viewfinder or in the LCD display that you use to frame your shot.

With this grid in mind the ‘rule of thirds’ now identifies four important parts of the image that you should consider placing points of interest in as you frame your image.

Not only this – but it also gives you four ‘lines’ that are also useful positions for elements in your photo.

The theory is that if you place points of interest in the intersections or along the lines that your photo becomes more balanced and will enable a viewer of the image to interact with it more naturally.

Studies have shown that when viewing images that people’s eyes usually go to one of the intersection points most naturally rather than the center of the shot – using the rule of thirds works with this natural way of viewing an image rather than working against it.

That said, have you ever tried to divide a candy bar or similar treat into thirds? Even harder, would be liquids, like a 4 ounce bottle of 18 year old Scotch. Fortunately, growing up, there were four of us kids. Division was easy: half, then half again, no cheating!!!

Quick Photo Tips

Posted by golfkat on July 20, 2020

Posted in: Cultures, Hobbies, Travel. Leave a comment

With everyone using a smartphone to take photos, the quality of photos have taken a precipitous drop in quality and content. When I travel, I still prefer a regular camera, albeit a point and shoot. But it has a zoom, and a few little dials to make some changes when conditions require it. I found this list (Brian Samuels form Travel Tips) from one of my travel emails.

Place some human element in your frame. Some suggestions are a face, or hands. How about a knife and fork if you take photos of your fabulous dinner. I am guilty of this, since I am so anxious to eat the food, my photo is a quickie with little planning or thought.

2. The camera orientation should place the photo at eye level. In other words, take a photo of the view as if we are all standing at the same place, looking at your great view.

3. Make sure you have something going on in the photo. Strangers moving away from your desired target is not a bad thing!

4. Since we take so many photos of our meals, try to catch the vibe of the restaurant. Yes, the food brought us there, but the atmosphere is often times just as interesting.

5. Use natural light for warmer images. Once in a while, I take a photo that is perfect, when the light is not!

How to Spot an American

Posted by golfkat on July 16, 2020

Posted in: Action, Cultures, Entertainment, Food, Health, Hobbies, Music, Shopping, Sports, Travel. 2 Comments

Though I rarely feel self-conscious when I travel, I am certain some people do. I figure it is fairly obvious what I am to natives, so I don’t really worry about it. But people do seem to ask about my ethnic heritage, when they see me, and hear perfect English. The question becomes, “What are you?” When I say I am an American, they ask further, “No, what are you, really?”

Invariably, I have to ask them what an American looks like. Then I further confuse them by saying that they look like an American! Whether I am in Europe, Africa, or South America, I tell them that Americans look like just about anyone.

But are we that obvious when we visit some of these countries? There might be some stereotypes among us.

(Some borrowed for Alot, some are my own)

Nose buried in cellphone This started out as just an American thing, but it has caught on, both among the young people in foreign countries, as well as older travelers.

Requesting ice in drinks Now, I really resent this one. My friends in South Africa not only request ice for their wine, they request an ice bucket filled with ice. But I think most of us know not to drink the water (ice) in most places we visit outside of the U.S.

The ubiquitous baseball cap I see nothing wrong with this, but I am guilty as charged. I need a cap to keep the sun off of my continuing bald head. But I think the cap worn backwards is somewhat irritating to our hosts in more conservative countries.

White socks Who does this anymore, except the octogenarians, who should not be exposing their untanned legs anyway? But it is getting “cool” again to wear white socks with white tennies. Go figure!

White teeth Who else but Americans are obsessed with white teeth? Nobody.

Fanny packs I thought this fad died about a decade or two ago.

“Hey Bro” Why do we call everyone Bro or buddy? Is it a term of endearment? Or are we just trying too hard? I prefer the more respectful version, “sir”, don’t you?

Pfootbol Yes, we prefer our football to theirs. Nothing can be done about this. But, I will say, walk into a “soccer” bar and I guarantee you will have an entertaining evening.

Walking while eating Are we always in a hurry or is it a bad habit. I say, join the cafe’ culture, and enjoy the moment.

Eating at American chains Please, if you just spent 8 to 12 hours on a place, please try the local cuisine!

Getting drunk Why?

Nike sneakers

Prudish about nudity Certainly not about their female nudity!

Talking to strangers I do this all the time. How do you think I met Barry the V, Katy, Jason and Chun??

Feelings We tend to show our true feelings quite easily. I don’t see anything wrong with tis, as long it is not offensive or vulgar.

Wearing shorts Now I am really offended. I work out and have a tan, so I earned the right. Those of you with skinny, fat, hairy or pasty white legs, you wear the long trousers!

Tipping Yes, guilty as charged, Americans tip too much!

Accent or lack thereof Other than our Southerners or Bostonians, we come off as fairly neutral. Don’t try to imitate the local accent, it pisses them off!

Speaking loudly Yes, we Americans are guilty as charged. Try to tone it down!

Respect the local customs Like taking your shoes off when entering a room in Asia. Or asking permission to take a photo.

Using hand sanitizer Even before Covid, I was a firm believer in using hand sanitizer, particularly in Third World countries. But it is an “American” thing!

Logos Personally, I could care less about your logos. But it does mark us as Americans. We love them all, but North Face seems to be the once that marks us as American.

Obnoxious T shirts This is definitely an American thing. But while in Hanoi, with Mr. Mike, his T shirt was getting all the attention from passersby and other tourists. What did it say? In about 15 different languages, “Not my President!” Everyone wanted to take a photo with him.

Laughing too loud Okay, it is mostly the young females, but it is an American thing.

Leaving a mess This goes for your restaurant table, your hotel room, or your airline seat. Please!

Overpacking Actually, I think with the ridiculous baggage fees, we are getting better. I see the Europeans and Chinese as taking over this dubious habit.

Disrespect Nothing embarrasses me more than a fellow American who acts like an ASS!

Too many selfies I think everyone is guilty of this, not just American teenagers.

Haggle or negotiate Americans are typically not good at this. Just remember to do it with respect and in the right spirit.

Smoking or vaping Asians and Europeans are worse than Americans!

Barefoot Never go barefoot, except for the beach!

Torn jeans I know it is popular, but not for travel.

Just remember, you are representing an entire nation, a rich and educated culture, and something that many people in the world aspire to. Just be respectful, and everything will take care of itself!

Best Grilling Techniques

Posted by golfkat on July 2, 2020

Posted in: Cultures, Entertainment, Food, Hobbies, Wine. 1 Comment

Almost all of us think we are born grill masters, right? I quickly came to the conclusion, after a very spotty grilling career, that I am definitely not. Maybe the skill is attached to the male gene? Maybe it is best to use at least some scientific information to have the best grilling results.

Here are a few:

Season your meat hours before actually placing it on the grill.

Don’t be afraid to grill vegetables, and other side dishes. But please, fresh fruit is best without charring!

Buy the best quality meat (marbling is a good thing) and barbecue tools that your budget can handle. Lean is not always best.

Clean your grill after each use. DO NOT use a wire brush!

Never cut into a steak to see if it is done. Use a timer and a good grilling guide.

Don’t try grilling beans unless you keep them in the can! My Hispanic friends told me this!

It is not cheating to use a meat thermometer.

Always allow the meat to rest before cutting and serving. Have another beer!

Beef is usually done when it reaches 145 degrees F.

Your marinade is your secret weapon. Wine, soy sauce, and lemon always come in handy. Never rely on BBQ sauce to flavor your meat.

Longer marinade means tastier and more tender meat.

Use tongs or a spatula to flip your food, not a sharp tool.

Higher heat means increased caramelization.

Applying barbecue sauce will increase the chance of burning your meat. Apply the last 5 minutes if you must.

Don’t press down on your meat, or continue flipping as it cooks. Chicken can be flipped every 5 minutes.

Never skimp on the quality of your grill. Never!

The rule of one drink (or one beer) for every 15 minutes of grilling is strictly up to you!

Use these cooking times for grilled fish: Salmon fillets, 6 – 8 minutes per side; Salmon or halibut steaks, 5 minutes per side; Trout fillets, 4 minutes per side; Small whole fish, 7 minutes per side; and Large fish, 15 minutes per side. If your whole fish are stuffed, give it a few extra minutes per side.

Use these general cooking times for grilled chicken:

Breasts and wings, 15 – 20 minutes

Thighs and legs, 30 minutes;

Chicken halves, 40 – 45 minutes;

Whole Chicken, 75 – 90 minutes

Don’t be afraid to experiment.

Always buy more meat than you need. People tend to eat more when your grilling is good!

Great Cycling Story, And . . .

Posted by golfkat on June 23, 2020

Posted in: Action, Cultures, Entertainment, Health, Hobbies. Leave a comment

This is a great story, please read!

https://theundefeated.com/features/the-worlds-fastest-man-biography-cyclist-major-taylor/

Other bicycle facts:

If you’ve ever ridden a tandem bike, you know that it can be tricky to get one moving. So just imagine how hard it must have been to ride a bike that stretched for 135 feet and 10.7 inches, making it the longest bicycle in the world. Crafted by Santos and the University of South Australia in 2015, a group of cyclists did manage to ride the bike—which was much wider than normal in order to compensate for the length—over a distance of 100 meters.

Over 100 million bicycles are manufactured each year. But it appears everyone is dusting off an old bicycle stored in the garage, in an effort to get some exercise during this pandemic. China has over half a billion!

Seven out of eight people in the Netherlands, over the age of 15, have a bicycle!

There are over a billion bicycles being used around the world. There are twice as many bicycles in the world than cars.

Bicycles save over 238 million gallons of gasoline yearly.

Daily 16 kilometer ride (10 miles) burns 360 calories, saves up to 10 euros of budget and saves the environment from 5 kilos of carbon dioxide emissions that are produced by cars.

First cyclist that drove his bicycle around the world was Fred A. Birchmore. He pedaled for 25,000 miles and traveled other 15,000 miles by boat. He wore out 7 sets of tires. But I am not sure of his exact route over the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

The U.S. is home to over 400 cycling clubs. Fresno has one too!

In 2018, American cyclist Denise Mueller-Korenek set a new “bicycle speed in slipstream” record of 183.9 mph (296 kph) at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Mueller-Korenek didn’t just break the record, she smashed it—the previous longstanding mark (set in 1995) was 167 mph. To put this in perspective, Tour de France cyclists can hit around 62 mph when descending.

Lasting 21 days and over 3,000 kilometers, the Tour de France is one of the most grueling athletic events in the world. But while the mileage alone is impressive, so too is the diet of these professional cyclists. Each rider consumes between 5,000 to 7,000 calories every day, depending on the length and demands of the stage. Now that’s a lot of pasta!

Half of all the parts on a bicycle are in the chain!

If the number of cyclists was tripled, the rate of motorist-bicyclist accidents would be cut in half.

Again, I see many of you have dusted off your bicycles, and are riding to get some exercise. One word of advice: Please wear a helmet!!! One third of non-fatal bicycle injuries are to the head. Three-fourths of fatal bicycle crashes involved a head injury. Nearly all who died (97%) were not wearing a helmet!

I see too many adults on the road with no helmet. Please buy a helmet!!!

Woman with bicycle sending air kiss. Portrait of cute girl riding on bike outdoors. People and healthy lifestyle.

Best Activities During Quarantine

Posted by golfkat on May 16, 2020

Posted in: Cultures, Entertainment, Food, Health, Hobbies, Sports. Leave a comment

So, the experts have a list of activities, as do many of you, concerning how you can get exercise during the self quarantine or shelter in place.

The obvious:

Plan next trip (always)

Walking

Running

Cycling (my choice)

Hiking

Gardening (yes, plant that garden!)
Skateboard

Ride a scooter

Tennis, but don’t touch your opponent’s balls

Yoga

Walk the dog (Lexi and I do a bike run)

You tube exercise videos

I knew those old VHS exercise tapes would come in handy, but what do I play them on??

Sew a mask or two

Not so obvious:

Fill out your census online

Phantom of the Opera (You tube)

Take an online course

Meditate

Medicate (if you must)

Wash your car

Wax your car

Do housework, clean closets

Bake (I love pies, and cookies)

Sex

Stop watching CNN or TV reruns

Sex

Trash pickup on your street

Sex

Skydiving

Dream

Photography

Cooking

Canning

Painting

Face time, Zoom, or call your long lost friends (reconnect)

Make a music video

Finish home projects

Organize your photo collection

Pull out that old musical instrument

Groom your pet

Organize pantry (we did that)

Clean your Inbox, Junk Mail, etc

Be Nice

If all else fails:

Drink wine or your favorite spirit

Read

Drink wine

Learn a new skill

Drink wine

Learn a new language

Drink beer

Play a board game with the family

Harass Trump supporters on FB

Catch up on your sleep

Bake cookies for the front liners

Learn to sew masks for front liners

Work on your financial plan

Make an emergency preparedness kit

Volunteer

Avoid:

The gym

Bars

Nightclubs

Parties

Anything fun

Travel (damn!!!!)

Concerts

Mosh pits

Public transportation

Emergency room

Church-nothing but a money grab!

The bicycle has proven to be a beacon of positivity during these uncertain times. Bike ridership has boomed in cities where commuters have traditionally relied on public transportation. Some bike shops are reporting an increase in sales and repair numbers. Cities across the nation are even shutting down roads to cars to give riders and pedestrians more room to move. Bikes are uniting us while we’re encouraged to stay apart.