A Rant, a Rambling, a Ride, a Review, and a Recipe

Part the First: A Rant
Communication is an important driving skill.  This does not mean talking on your cell phone as you’re backing up.  It should not mean talking on your cell phone ever.  Hang the effing thing up and pay attention to what you’re doing, please.  Using your directional would be a start to proper driving communication.

Also, bikers often have to share the road with drivers.  Please do not speedily back out of your driveway, then stop in the road, with no indication of what you plan to do next.  It is dangerous, and it ticks me off when I have to brake because you can’t figure out what comes next.  Please take to heart my snarky "nice driving" as I ride by and see the blank I’m-the-only-person-who-exists look on your face.

Part the  Second: A Rambling
For the second time on  a bike ride in the last week, I saw a sweet red fox.  Last week she darted in front of me from pond-side of the road into the woods.  Today she was contemplating her road crossing.  We saw each other at the exact same moment.  We both started, then had a second to stare at each other.  She turned tail and ran, and I rode off.  While I’ve considered the beaver my totem animal for ages, I think red fox is trying to tell me something.  I’ll do my best to pay attention.  Do you have an animal that calls to you?

Part the Third: A Ride
I loved my ride today, other than the poor driving that nearly made me crash.  Just after that incident, I passed a peloton of elders.  They had just come up a big hill, but every last one waved back to me and most gave me an oral greeting.  I was happy beyond reason when I saw them.  I want to be out on the street biking when I’m in my 70s.  Hell, my 80s!

Part the Fourth: A Review
Last Saturday I had the luxury of settling in to read a big ol’ historical novel.  I had taken Black Ships from the library, and as a fan of the Aeneid, I was ready to have some fun reading a modern take on the fall of Troy and the founding of Rome.   I had to suspend my disbelief a lot, which is fine by me. The writing, while occasionally bordering on being overdone, was good enough on the sentence level that it didn’t disturb me, and the story moved at a quick pace.  It was amusing to follow Gull, a Trojan born into slavery, as she became Pythia, the handmaid of Death.  While I don’t quite believe the kindnesses shown by the men in the novel, I did like the broadness of the journey the group takes, especially when they’re in Egypt.  There was nothing challenging about this novel, but I was entertained by it, and it did make me think about death in a different, interesting way.   I wouldn’t go out of my way for it, but I would recommend it for a flight or a few days at the beach.

Part the Fifth: A Recipe
Neal has set ideas about gazpacho, as do I.  I’d been making a recipe that was adequate, but it didn’t quite do the trick for me.  Monday evening I adapted several recipes and created both of our favorite gazpacho to date.  I would post a picture, but it is long gone.  I was able to use a lot of produce from my garden, which added to my pleasure in the soup!

Golightly’s Gazpacho
2 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded
2 green bell peppers, seeded
2 red bell peppers, seeded
1 yellow pepper, seeded
3-5 tomatoes (I used 3 from the garden and 3 plum tomatoes I had leftover from Monday’s sauce)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
Drizzle of olive oil
Pinch of salt
Dash of hot pepper

Chop all vegetables to about 1/4 inch.  Gently mix in bowl.  Add remaining ingredients.  Blend half to two-thirds of the mixture, then stir it in with the remaining vegetables.  Season to taste.

I think this is best made the day before you want to serve it.  It gets better the longer all the flavors mingle.  You can, of course, add other veggies if you like–corn, onion, what have you.  This tastes great with a side of panzanella.