Monday was just another day. I didn’t have much to write about yesterday, so I took a day off the blog. Most days Donna has work to do. She’s either writing, working on book promotions, doing magazine interviews or just taking care of business. I generally don’t have anything real pressing on my agenda. The only appointment on my calendar for Monday was a visit to the chiropractor for an adjustment and therapy.
Sometimes, balancing my carefree days with Donna’s work schedule can be challenging for one or both of us. If she has phone interviews, or is really working hard to hit a deadline, I find things to do outside the coach to give her space. That doesn’t sound too tough, right? It really isn’t, but it’s something to consider if you’re going to live in a confined space. The nice part is, we can be in places where being outside is nearly always an option. It’s great to be able to choose our climate!
The weather has gone from warm to very warm (it’s not hot in Arizona until the thermometer hits 110F). Monday was 89 degrees and yesterday was over 90. We ran the air conditioners both days. The forecast calls for highs near 100 by the end of the week. If we would have left Mesa on schedule, we would have gotten out before things heated up.
Yesterday, I started re-organizing the trailer. I needed to come up with a better way to hang our bicycles and figure out where my new mountain bike will go. I’ve been hanging our bikes with a nylon cord strung through the roof bows. This worked fine except the edge of the roof bow cut into the cord.
Cord strung through trailer roof bow
I went to the hardware store with a vague notion of what I wanted to do. Sometimes I’ll browse through the hardware section until I see something that fits my needs, without knowing precisely what I’m looking for. That was the case on this visit. I found shallow “U” shaped hangers that I attached to the roof bow with self-drilling screws. The cord shouldn’t chafe on the smooth surface and it should be more than strong enough. I installed two of the hangers where my road bike and Donna’s bike usually hang.
Hanger attached to trailer roof bow
Next, I needed to figure out where my mountain bike will fit. This presented more of a challenge than I thought it would. The mountain bike has a longer wheelbase. The long wheelbase coupled with big 29″ wheels and tires requires a lot of space.
Donna came out to the trailer and looked around. She gave me a few ideas on repositioning some of the bins. She’s the organizing expert after all. After I cleared a few things out and repositioned the bins, a few minutes with the measuring tape and I was set. With the front wheel removed, I can hang the mountain bike upright from two hanger points. If I turn the wide handlebar so it’s parallel with frame, it fits. I’ll take a picture when I get everything packed up this weekend.
After I had the trailer straightened out, I took a short snooze on the sofa. Then I showered and rode over to the Red, White and Brew to have a cold one with the guys. While I was there, I found some sad news on Facebook. My former colleague and friend, Sergio Bianchi, passed away suddenly on Sunday. I’m stunned by the news. RIP, Sergio, you’ll be greatly missed.
When I returned, I helped Donna prepare a Cornish hen. I used poultry shears to cut out the back bone. I removed the ribs with a small knife. This allowed me to butterfly the hen for grilling. Donna prepared it simply with olive oil, salt and pepper, while I started the grill. We grilled the hen using the brick method I wrote about in this post. As always, the brick grilling method worked like a charm. The hen was juicy and very good.
Cornish hen under a foil wrapped brick
Looking good
Donna served the hen with pan fried artichoke hearts, whole wheat couscous and Sriracha green beans. Another tasty and nutritious meal!
Tasty!
Today, I have another appointment at the chiropractor. Other than that, it’s another carefree day.
Another interesting post. I read “Flying the Koop” every day, and look forward to it’s Mountain Time publishing schedule (I’m on Easter time).
And again, my mouth is watering whenI read about the meals Donna prepares. I do wish she’d put together a cookbook. When I see these recepies I wonder how she deals with the “pre-left-overs” (those thing that you have to buy more of than the recipe calls for).
Also, since you’re going to have yet another carefree day, you & Donna may want to spend some time in Carefree, AZ. There’s a lovely little tea room (The English Rose Tea Room) in a strip mall there. We went there while visiting Phoenix for a conference.
Hi, Michele. Thanks for taking time to comment. I AM planning to put together a cookbook of healthy, nutritious, gourmet meals that are easy to prepare. I’m thinking it will be a good summer writing project for me.
What do I with “pre-leftovers?” I never really thought about that before, but I guess it’s something I take into consideration when planning meals. For example, if I need half a head of cabbage to make something like the Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls I made Monday night, then I plan to shred the cabbage to make Asian Coleslaw as a side for another meal. I also tend to always have certain things like baby carrots and celery on hand for snacking and then, when I need carrots in a recipe, I have them. Herbs can be tricky. Again, I try to find other recipes that use those herbs. I also keep a few pots of fresh herbs on hand. AND, I store them in special green bags that keep them fresh for weeks. I use those bags for storing all of the fruits and veggies that go in the refrigerator and sometimes use them for the fruits and veggies I have at room temp.
We have been to the English Rose Tea Room in Carefree! I took my stepdaughter, Alana, and her two girls and it we really enjoyed it.