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| Another fine dinner at Chez Jürgen |
Let's start with the good news: It appears from the EKG conducted a few days ago that my heart is back in rhythm. Taking a 200 mg dose of amiodarone twice a day for the past month has had an astonishing effect on the aFib with which I had ended up after drinking a few cans of Monster Energy while at the downhill race in Solitude, Utah. I had not been too hopeful when I showed up for my appointment at Guy's office as my little Fitbit-like device had been giving me erratic readings that were not promising. Well, the damn thing has already been returned to Amazon, and I was elated by the news.
This big scare already lies four weeks in the past (and I am still waiting for my check to cover expenses as well as my referee fee!). During that time in Lubbock, I went out for almost daily rides, making up a little bit of lost ground on the bike. Guy had cleared me to ride, even though he had also given me Eliquis ("Don't crash!") so I wouldn't suddenly stroke out while in aFib. Just in case, Guy is keeping me on the amiodarone for a few more weeks to let the drug (which has an amazingly long medical half-life, up to almost 150 days according to Google) saturate my system and keep things running smoothly; the blood thinner, however, is a thing of the past.
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| Sandy enjoying la dolce vita after another long day in the Vision Center |
Lubbock had a typical summer, with high temperatures and little rain. Typically, I'd leave for my rides by 10 a.m. before it got really hot, and then I'd stay mostly inside before venturing out once more in the late afternoon when the temperature was again bearable. I did a few chores around the house but couldn't really motivate myself for anything major except lots of cooking. I have to admit, I felt fairly sloth-like.
A nice break from this routine was a surprise visit by my Norwegian friend, Linda, who with her hubby lives in Oregon but who had been handed an anti-doping assignment here in Lubbock. While I work only cycling events for the ITA, Linda (a school nurse by trade) also offers her DCO services to various anti-doping agencies. For the one night she was going to be in town, I had already planned a dinner at my place with René and Masako, so adding an extra person wasn't a big deal at all. Of course, Sandy was part of our very international group, and it was really one of the highlights of the past month.
Speaking of food: The New Mexico Hatch chile season is in full swing, shrimp and chicken are always on sale, and my basil is growing like weeds! It was (and still is) so much fun to throw together a tasty meal that does not carry the exorbitant price tag that restaurants affix to their dinner plates. I generally don't go out to restaurants for numerous reasons: fake-friendly servers who are angling for tips, the noise level in what should be a somewhat calm environment, the high prices, and of course the fact that my food is better and the wine at home is of a higher quality and I don't have to drive home inebriated. That said, for the first time in literally years I had to go to a restaurant in Lubbock,
Orlando's, when an in-law of Sandy's came through town and took us out for dinner. Nothing has changed since my previous eating-out adventure ... (but I
did appreciate Eric's nice gesture).
What a culinary month, indeed. Not only did I go to a restaurant in Lubbock, but during my road trip last week to see Martha and Alan in Carthage, MO, I joined them and a befriended couple at a fine-dining establishment at Springfield's Finley Farms, the
Garrison. Lest you think of me as a total boor I did enjoy the menu, which gave me some ideas about what to try to replicate at home. Cooking is not rocket science, after all! The next night we had a Spanish-themed tasting dinner with two other couples; the meal was centered on an assortment of Austin's Antonelli's Cheese shop, brought to Missouri by Martha's monthly cheese club membership. August's dinner was hosted by Brady and Chanti in their charming home, and we were joined by Brook and Emily, who used to own a small gourmand store in Carthage,
The Garde Manger.
To counteract the gluttony (we sampled not just the cheese, fruit, and homemade
paella,
ceviche, and
elote but also various bottes of
cava and
vino that magically appeared in perfect pairings), Alan and I went for a couple of road rides, one of them together with Brady. The area around Carthage has lots of small country roads, and
Beard Engine Brewing is only eight or so miles away, tucked away in the booming metropolis of Alba, population 521.
It's a long haul from Lubbock to Carthage, almost exactly 650 miles one-way. It sure was nice when M&A still lived in Temple and I'd see them two or three times a year. On the way to Missouri I stopped for the night in Oklahoma City, in a Simply Suites by Sonesta that was located right off the North Canadian River bike trail. And wouldn't you know it, from my hotel it was just five miles via said trail to
The Big Friendly, a microbrewery that has won twice Brewery of the Year accolades at GABF in Denver. The trail proved to be so much fun that I rode another 21 miles on Friday morning before heading north-east.
In Pryor, OK, I had paid a visit to
Fat Toad Brewing and picked up a crowler of their Duke IPA, which came in handy during Spanish night. On the way home I routed myself through Stillwater, OK, in hopes of yet another ride or two, but the weather had turned sour Monday morning and I had to change plans. Nevertheless, I visited two other breweries,
Stonecloud as well as the
Iron Monk Brewing Company. Stillwater is an odd place with a university (OSU) with an enrollment of 26,000 students yet a non-student population of not even 50,000.
Iron Monk is owned by some faculty members, but on Monday afternoon just a handful of regulars were hanging out and the two (student) servers were glad to forget about their boredom by engaging me in interesting conversation. Bright guys, they were, and the one-off and unadvertised Parking Lot IPA was excellent!
After a night in another Sonesta property, the incomparably run-down and vile America's Best Value Inn (whose proprietors had the audacity to charge my credit card $55.30 for a 100% free points stay—already disputed and refunded, but I still need to contact Sonesta because nobody should stay in a place like that), I loaded up Tuesday morning and drove the 410 miles back home to Lubbock for my follow-up appointment with Guy the next day. And thus the circle closes.
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| Stillwater's finest: America's Best Value Inn, by Sonesta |
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| The lobby: note the bottles of perfume for sale as well as empty curry dishes |
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| Stairs leading up to my room on the second level |
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| Well-draining bathroom sink |
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| Lots of bugs (actually moth larvae) |
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| In-room fridge |
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| The deluxe complimentary continental breakfast |
Today is the start of our Labor Day weekend, and I'll be in town for another week before more races beckon. Last night a massive storm moved through Lubbock, with an amazing lightshow and some fierce thunder. The roads are wet, but the sun is starting to peek out and it will be a lovely afternoon and evening. I'll use the day to finish this blog entry and do a few things related to next weekend's Texas Road State Championship just outside of Austin and the two World Tour races in Quebec City and Montreal a few days later. Life moves on.
Jürgen
What a culinary month, indeed. Not only did I go to a restaurant in Lubbock, but during my road trip last week to see Martha and Alan in Carthage, MO, I joined them and a befriended couple at a fine-dining establishment at Springfield's Finley Farms, the Garrison. Lest you think of me as a total boor I did enjoy the menu, which gave me some ideas about what to try to replicate at home. Cooking is not rocket science, after all! The next night we had a Spanish-themed tasting dinner with two other couples; the meal was centered on an assortment of Austin's Antonelli's Cheese shop, brought to Missouri by Martha's monthly cheese club membership. August's dinner was hosted by Brady and Chanti in their charming home, and we were joined by Brook and Emily, who used to own a small gourmand store in Carthage, The Garde Manger. 
It's a long haul from Lubbock to Carthage, almost exactly 650 miles one-way. It sure was nice when M&A still lived in Temple and I'd see them two or three times a year. On the way to Missouri I stopped for the night in Oklahoma City, in a Simply Suites by Sonesta that was located right off the North Canadian River bike trail. And wouldn't you know it, from my hotel it was just five miles via said trail to The Big Friendly, a microbrewery that has won twice Brewery of the Year accolades at GABF in Denver. The trail proved to be so much fun that I rode another 21 miles on Friday morning before heading north-east.
In Pryor, OK, I had paid a visit to Fat Toad Brewing and picked up a crowler of their Duke IPA, which came in handy during Spanish night. On the way home I routed myself through Stillwater, OK, in hopes of yet another ride or two, but the weather had turned sour Monday morning and I had to change plans. Nevertheless, I visited two other breweries, Stonecloud as well as the Iron Monk Brewing Company. Stillwater is an odd place with a university (OSU) with an enrollment of 26,000 students yet a non-student population of not even 50,000. Iron Monk is owned by some faculty members, but on Monday afternoon just a handful of regulars were hanging out and the two (student) servers were glad to forget about their boredom by engaging me in interesting conversation. Bright guys, they were, and the one-off and unadvertised Parking Lot IPA was excellent!
After a night in another Sonesta property, the incomparably run-down and vile America's Best Value Inn (whose proprietors had the audacity to charge my credit card $55.30 for a 100% free points stay—already disputed and refunded, but I still need to contact Sonesta because nobody should stay in a place like that), I loaded up Tuesday morning and drove the 410 miles back home to Lubbock for my follow-up appointment with Guy the next day. And thus the circle closes.
Glad to see you are feeling better.The food looks amazing!
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