Harper Valley

Deep Sea Fishing: A Valentine's First

 

This year, my Valentine's Day was full of firsts.  First time deep sea fishing.  First time catching a fish.  First time spending V-day with a bunch of dudes on a boat.  First time listening to country-rap music. Check out these shots of my fantastic day in the Gulf of Mexico!

Tarpon Springs is the official Sponge Capital of the World.

  

I wonder how old this anchor is?

   

Our fishing poles are lined up, waiting for their temporary owners.

 

I caught my first fish (ever) just a few minutes after I cast my line in the water!  Baiting the hook was no biggie, but prying the caught fishie off the hook was a different story.  It's really hard!  They flop around and they're covered in slime.  Plus, their fins cut your hands if you don't have the technique down pat.  So...Gus and Dad unhooked my catch all day.  Fishermen to the rescue!

 

Da boys.

A huge flock of birds followed us back to the dock.  Some of them were so close to the boat that we could almost touch them!  Our live bait died, so Mike threw it all out to the birds.  Can you spot the mini fish flying in the air??? 

 

Here's Gus and Dad with the loot.  We caught a whole mess of fish!  They were good eats with hush puppies and Mom's homemade coleslaw.

 

Superbowl Sundaaaaay!

How was your Superbowl Sunday?  Did your team win?  Did you win any money in your office football pool?  I sure didn't.  My $20 investment got me a big fat ....goose egg!  Oh well.  That's what I get for trying to get rich quick. 

What a fantastic game though!!  I barely know what's going on when it comes to sports.  But I got into the game this year and that made the party even more fun.  Especially at the end..wow!  I was really cheering on the Cardinals to make their come back.  No matter who you rooted for, it was an exciting game.

What was your favorite commercial?  Maybe it's the recruiter in me, but I vote for CareerBuilder.com.  Their advertising peeps have quite a quirky sense of humor!  Remember their series with the mischievous monkies causing commotion around the office?   Classic.  They eventually got too many PETA protests, so they pulled the ads.  Total shame.  If you missed this year's CareerBuilder spot, check it out below.  An easy game day recipe follows the video.  A little late, I know.  =)

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PRETZEL BEER DIP

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix
• 2 cups FINE shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup beer
• Rold Gold Honey Wheat Braided Twists (2 bags)
• 2 stalks green onions, finely chopped (optional)

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese and dressing mix. Stir in beer, and then Cheddar cheese. The mixture may appear mushy. Cover bowl, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, overnight if possible.  Serve with pretzel sticks.  Garnish with green onions if desired.

Citrus Bowl Parade

After living in Central Florida most of my life...I have never been to the Citrus Bowl Parade.  So I thought it was about time.  I think it's actually the Capital One Bowl now, but Citrus Bowl sounds better to me..and think the locals still call it that.  My youngest sister, Janet joined me along with Avery, Meagan and Hunter.  What a fantastic day for a parade!  The weather was beyond gorgeous and we found the perfect spot right on Orange Avenue in the shade...oh yeah!  The parade was full of talented bands, horses, pageant ladies, funny cars, floats, majorettes, flag corps, and mascots.  It was a full two hours of free entertainment!

Janet and I couldn't remember the last time we'd been to a parade.  We decided that it was probably when we were in our high school parades.  And that was several decades ago!  Long time.  If you didn't make it to the parade, hopefully these pics will make you feel like you were there too!

Michigan State University Band...they had a FIERCE war cry!   You can kind of tell in their facial expressions.

 

Here we are at our rock star parade spot.  Meagan said the bands were too loud, so her fingers stayed in her ears most of the time!

 

Silver Spurs Rodeo gals.

 

One of the many floats made from real citrus fruit.

The lovable Shriners had guys riding coolers turned into vehicles.  What a hoot!

 

Another Shriner...this is my favorite picture from the day.  

 

University of Georgia Band.  Go Dawgs!

 

Meagan had heard enough marching bands at this point, so she "hid" under a towel.

Universal Studios float...you can see Homer's tummy peeking out.  Marge was on the other side.  Lisa & Bart were in the car behind them.  

Universal Studios stilt walkers.

 

Me and Hunter checking out the sights.

 

Flag corps from a band up North.  There were lots of high school bands from Ohio, Iowa, New York...and even from down South - The Bahamas!

 

And of course, it wouldn't be a parade in Orlando without Mickey & Minnie.  They finished off the parade on a gorgeous drawn carriage pulled by six gigantic black stallions. 

Bioluminescent Kayak Tour

On Sunday this weekend, I jetted over to Titusville with some peeps from my Young Professionals group.  We were so excited for our Bioluminescent Kayak Tour!  I'd never heard of this phenomena until recently.  Apparently there are a few bodies of water in the world that host dinoflagellates, which are tiny plants that live in the sea and obtain energy from sunlight during the day.  In darkness, they emit bright blue light in response to movement within the water.

Sounds cool, right?  Well it would have been cool if the dinoflagellates hadn't died off for the season from our "cold snap" a few weeks ago.  Our guide told us this right before we hopped in our kayaks, and right after listening to lots of instructions in the pouring rain while darkness closed in around us.  Major bust. 

It was a rough start.  Me and my kayak partner had quite a few challenges (wailing into trees, inability to paddle straight, ya know..the basics).  Eventually we got the hang of it and caught up with the pack.  Kayaking is way harder than canoeing!  Since all the glowing dinos were gone, we pretty much just paddled around in the dark for over an hour.  In the rain.  With OFF dripping into our eyes.  And salt water splashing into our noses and mouths.  The best of times.

Then FINALLY at the end, we paddled into a school of mullet that went freakazoid when we shined our flashlights into the water.  Literally hundreds and hundreds of mullet were jumping in and out of the water at the same time all around us.  It was hilarious!  There were so many jumping that it sounded like a major thunderstorm.  I could not stop laughing.  And..several of the mullet became our new best friends when they jumped into the kayaks.  Oh  yeah, we're talkin' live fishies outa water here people.

It was pretty fun despite the conditions..and I got in my workout for the month. 

Food & Football

Most of y'all know that I'm not a huge sports fan.  I'm a disgrace to my fellow UF alums.  They seem bewildered and even angered that I have no clue when the Gators play football.  I don't know the players' names.  And I don't know if they win or lose.  However, in the spirit of football season, I'd like to share a fabulous recipe that is great for parties...yes, even football gatherings. This recipe takes a little more time than your traditional layer dip because each layer is made from fresh and healthy ingredients.  But - it's worth the time!  For even more football party recipes, check out Aggie's "Food & Football" event at http://aggieskitchen.blogspot.com.  All recipes will be posted at her blog on Friday, September 19th.  Five Layer Mexican Dip by Ellie Krieger

2 teaspoons olive oil 1 medium onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, preferably low-sodium, drained and rinsed 1 tablespoon minced chipotle pepper in adobo 4 tablespoons lime juice 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon water 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups corn kernels (10-ounce box frozen corn) 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves 2 ripe avocados 4 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced (about 2 cups) 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion 1 tablespoon finely diced jalapeno pepper, optional 3/4 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until they soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more. Put half of the onion mixture into a food processor with the black beans, chipotle pepper, 2 tablespoons of the lime juice, cumin, water and salt. Puree until smooth. Set aside. Add the corn to the skillet with the remaining onion mixture and cook for about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro leaves. In a small bowl mash the avocado with the remaining lime juice. In a medium bowl toss together the tomatoes, scallion and jalapeno, if using. Season tomato mixture with salt and pepper, to taste. Spread the black bean dip into the bottom of an 8 x 8 glass baking or serving dish. Top with the corn mixture, spreading it out to form a single layer over the beans, repeat with the avocado, then the tomatoes. Top with cheese. Serve with baked chips. Per Serving: Calories 140; Total Fat 8 g; (Sat Fat 2 g, Mono Fat 3 g, Poly Fat 0.7 g) ; Protein 5g; Carb 16 g; Fiber 5g; Cholesterol 6mg; Sodium 245 mg

East needs West

Watching the Olympics closing ceremony Sunday night reminded me of how well the Chinese do balance.  They have yin.  They have yang. And they really showed that concept to the world throughout the opening and closing ceremonies.  I loved the contrast of opposites between the bold tribal warrior numbers and the calm ethereal fairy-like performances!

I suppose we can only achieve balance if the two opposites are connected.  What good can come of two opposing forces in your life all the time?  Not a dadgum thing.  I can tell ya that from experience!  I'm constantly challenged by the polar opposites in my life - The highs, the lows.  The pros, the cons.  The business, the peacefulness.  The good, the bad...and some of the ugly too.

Kinda reminds me of my MOST favorite Alicia Keys song, "I Need You."  It's about her convincing a man that they belong together like sunrise and sunset.  Like ham and burger.  Go 'head on, 'Licia girl.  Sing it to us.  Take a listen here...

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North needs south

East needs west
No needs yes yes yes
Up needs down

Life needs death
No needs yes yes yes   

Synchronized Swimming Flashback

I have mad respect for synchronized swimmers.  I mean, they're basically doing a complete gymnastics routine in the water while holding their breath the majority of the time.  And their feet can't even touch the bottom!  Insane. 

While I totally admire these swimmers, I cannot watch Olympic synchronized swimming without thinking about that good ole SNL skit featuring Martin Short and Christopher Guest.  Remember that one?  They were male synchro swimmers..and one of them couldn't swim.  Hilarious!  This is definitely one of my favorites..it ranks up there with "Choppin Brocco-lay" and "A Van Down by the River."  What is your favorite SNL Skit?  Leave a comment to let me know.  I'd love to reminisce about it! 

If it's been a while since you've seen this one, here's the video: http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=4122944961711350389&hl=en&fs=true

In Awe of the Olympics

Is anyone totally in awe of the Olympics and the amazing athletes who compete in them?  I don't remember a time where I was ever SO INTO the Olympics.  This year's games have really caught my attention.  The opening ceremony got me hooked.  What an incredibly impressive performance!  Ya, I know some of the fireworks were fake...and that poor little singing girl got the shaft on her moment of fame.  But what they pulled off was just mind blowing.  I was so proud of them.

I think another reason I'm so drawn to the Olympics this year is because I was actually in Beijing this time last year on a global experience (aka mission trip) with Discovery Church http://www.discoverychurch.org.  Feels like just the other day that I was eating with chopsticks every day and "speaking" Mandarin.  We were fortunate enough to see the Bird's Nest still under construction.  Thought you'd enjoy seeing a picture here below.  I also included a shot of the Olympic Friendlies (official mascots) at McDonald's.  I miss China.  Love the people.  Love the culture.  Wouldn't mind living there one day if they'd just fix those vile toilets!