We're on hiatus from rowing until September 4, though no one really understands
why the city set it up that way. Rudder and T2 are still training, though, since
they own their double, so I went out in my single this morning. I can only go when
someone else is around, because, though I can carry my boat to the water by myself
(it's a loooooooong walk, as these things go) I can't get it off the rack without
help.
It was quite nice to not have to wait for other people to show
up and not have to deal with any of the crap that seems to be inherent in
any group of more than about 5 people engaged in the same activity. Though I do
think that the crap level here is more than is required by the sheer number of
people, and I lay a lot of that at DI's door. I'm thinking of sticking with the
single, and just not signing up for the next session. It's not like I ever get
much coaching anyway (though more than the guys in the double get, which is
approximately none). I can use the expense and my out-of-work status as an excuse,
too. I would probably miss rowing in the bigger boats, though.
I
attempted a beef stew last night, but wasn't impressed with the results. I got a
little creative and used beer instead of wine or stock for the liquid, and that
seemed to work out fine. The gravy was quite tasty and just about the right
consistency. The veggies were pretty good also, but the meat was lousy. Part of it
was the meat itself. I don't know what the cut was, because it was only labeled
"pot roast". Er, which part of the cow would that be? My guess is the shoulder or
something like that, because it was extremely fatty and quite tough. I cut off as
much fat as I possibly could, because I can't eat it (not an allergy or anything,
it just makes me gag, literally). Still, though, there was a little bit of gristle
in almost every bite. And it was tough; I don't know if the crockpot I cooked it
in wasn't hot enough or what, but after 2 hours of cooking, I'd have expected it
to be more tender. I did finish it in a pot on the stove, to get the potatoes to
cook through faster.
Anyway, it wasn't really bad; it just wasn't
much better than what I could get out of a can. This was Mark Bittman's Classic
Beef Stew recipe from his How to Cook Everything. I've generally had good
results with his recipes, though. The pot roast I made last week was tender and
tasty. I need more ideas for things to cook while I have the time, preferably
things that are a bit better suited to summer. I'm considering a flank steak salad
next, though what I'd really like is a recipe for Mongolian Beef (at least that's
what P.F. Chang's calls it) since I have some thin-cut beef on hand that would
work well.
Looks like I will be driving out to LA to meet up with
people from my List on Thursday. I'll come back Saturday night, so I don't miss
all of my weekend with Rudder. Someone is kindly putting me up, so I don't think
it will be too expensive a trip. I'm still a little nervous about the drive
though; it's not challenging driving at all, just long. So if you think of it, any
time around Thursday afternoon, send some not-sleepy vibes my way. I'll be in the
red Tacoma heading west on I-10. Thank you.