2011 - The Year of the Rockstar

If I thought I was Supergirl-mode in 2010 (I could do ANYTHING), I thought I was a Rockstar in 2011 (I could do EVERYTHING).  The year's busy round up included:

Travel:

• Three international trips:  Costa Rica, Haiti, and France
• A couple of domestic trips:  Tampa/Orlando, Miami, Anaheim, Las Vegas

Education: 

• Taking a comedic writing course and a story-telling course
• Building up my skills in Spanglish, Salsa, and Bacchata
• Confirming that I could speak some French (even if alcohol had to help a little bit)

Athletics:

• Three triathlons and two marathons, including the Goofy Challenge.  PR-ing at several races.
• Inspiring others -- including 2 friends to run their first Half Marathons and 1 who ran his first Full Marathon

Service:

• Joining High Cloud's Dream Team and raising funds/awareness for children and women in distressed situations in international countries through my athletics
• Strengthening the bonds of my alumni community
• Helping to develop future leaders in my professional community
• Raising funds for the Homeless and assisting at the Winter Shelter in my neighborhood

Health and Sanity:

• Eating more salad than I did last year and truly buying fruit because it looked more scrumptious than the cupcake
• Getting a juicer and discovering the taste of fresh veggie and fruit juices
• Splurging more occassionally on good chocolate, good gelato, and fresh flowers for home
• Making room for lots of new friendships, while growing a lot of old ones as well

It's important to take notes on your accomplishments, regardless of how small or big they may seem to you.  You have to recognize your own contribution and impact on society.  You have to give yourself some credit for your own strengths and flexibility.  Life's too short to wait for something to happen.

An Athletically Bigger, Badder 2012

2011 was a great year.  I remember when I used to bargain with myself to do 2 races a year.  Then, the goal was a race per quarter.  This year was a lot more insane.  Here was 2011's Race Calendar:

So, what's next?  How does 2012 become bigger and badder?  Oh, let's just say, it is already.

1)  February - We start off by stripping to our undies and running around the Capitol.  Yep!  Unfortunately, I'm not kidding.  Remember that nightmare where you show up to school in your underwear?  Well, I'm running in the Cupid's Undie Run to raise funds for the Children's Tumor Foundation.  To support the cause and my utter embarrassment of all things, help by making a donation.

2)  March - Why-oh-why did I sign up for a Spring marathon?  Yep, I'm running the Suntrust Rock 'n' Roll Marathon on March 17th.  With a band at every mile, I already know of 2 friends who will be playing and look forward to the local entertainment.

3)  April - I love me some Crystal Run 5Ks.  Those were some of the best sprint workouts I had all year  in 2011.

4)  May - I'm heading to the West Coast to the city gave birth to the crazy sport of triathlons - San Diego.  I'll be competing in the ITU World Championship - Olympic Distance.  I look forward to supporting the DC Tri Club and seeing the rest of the country (and world) and my new favorite sport.

5)  July - The Big One.  Here we go.  Big gulp.  I am going after my first Half Ironman Distance.  Musselman, here I come.  It's a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride, and 13.1 mile run.  I know...I know...I'm crazy.

6)  September - I'm bringing it back home and racing Nation's Triathlon again.  In 2011, the swim was cancelled due to some torrential downpours, so hopefully this will get to be a full race.  Yes, that's right.  I'm taking my chances and diving back into the Potomac River again.   

8)  October - I tuck the goggles and bike away.  I'm going after another Race Wishlist Item:  The Chicago Marathon.  With a flat course worth bragging about, I plan to focus on some speed workouts to go after a true PR at this marathon.  Then, I'll be happy with my marathon career.

9)  November (tentative) - I said "happy," not retired.  Yep...I think I'm going back to Philly for the Philadelphia Marathon again of the year.  With good friends already scheduled to go, I just hate missing out on a great party.

That's about nine races planned and 2012 hasn't even begun.  I guess I better get to the gym.

What does your badass year look like?!!

Beyond refreshing: Carrot, Grapefruit, Ginger Juice

Has the lethargy set in after a month of holiday parties, cookies, and candies?  Does your body hate you for all of the crap you've fed into it?  Well, no need to wait another week to start your New Year Resolution -- start doing that body some good today. 

This refreshingly sweet juice will speed your metabolism, offers some keen carotene for your eyes and skin, and the ginger is great for your overall digestive system.

Serves 1

2    Grapefruits (peeled)
4-5 Organic Carrots
1 inch Ginger (peeled, chopped)

Process through the juicer and drink immediately.

**Tip:  When time crunched, it is fine to refrigerate/store fresh juice for up to 24 hours.

Restaurant Review: Thai X-ing

Some sad misconceptions about Thai food in the US that I want to clear up:

 

1)  Adding peanuts to a dish does not make it Thai.
2)  Thai people don't use chopsticks.
3)  Pad Thai is not actually popular in Thailand.

Being Thai and having a mother who was a very good cook leaves me to be highly critical of Thai restaurants in the area.  I was particularly curious to check out Thai X-ing after the reviews I had read.  It was absolutely necessary to make reservations in advance before dropping by this rowhouse which is nonchalantly located in the Shaw neighborhood of DC.

 

It's a $30/pp Chef's Choice menu with a BYOB benefit. So what was on tonight's menu?

• Stuffed Cucumber Soup and Papaya Salad

• Pumpkin Curry, Beef Kra Pow
• Red Chicken Curry
• Pad See Ew
• Sticky rice in banana leaf
• ...and a cabernet sauvignon from home (only because the riesling wasn't properly chilled)

 

I think the "cucumber" in the soup is actually called bittermelon.  At least, that's what my mom called it growing up.  The soup was a light, flavorful broth that you don't typically find available at local Thai restaurants.  I enjoyed this soup because I haven't had it since I was a kid when my mom would still make it.

As for the papaya salad, this salad is from the Isaan (northeastern) region of Thailand.  As a result, cityfolk (Thai people from Bangkok) don't make this as well as the countryfolk.  While I could be wrong, I think the chef is from the Thai countryside.  And I have the say that this was one of my favorite papaya salads that I've had.  It was a bit sweeter than other versions that I've had and the papaya was very tender (a result of being hit by the mortar and pestel quite hard).  I loved it.

The curries were very fragrant.  I enjoyed the pumpkin curry in particular because most Thai dishes that I've had don't have many vegetables.  Many Thai restaurants in the US have added veggies like broccoli, red pepper, etc. but the authentic versions don't actually use these veggies.  The pumpkin absorbed the coconut milk rather well.  It was also a nice thick consistency. 

The fresh noodles in the pad see ew.  I also loved the banana leaf sticky rice dessert -- a welcome departure from the mangos and sticky rice that have become so mainstream in the US. 

All-in-all, I would give Thai X-ing 4.5 stars out of 5.  The food was "good" -- like I said, I'm a hard critic of Thai food.  It was much better than the average Thai restaurant in the DC area...and they are almost ALL average.  However, I also enjoyed the friendly service and casual ambience that made me feel like I was eating in someone's family home.  And at the price of $30...it's no wonder that it's considered a DC area best bargain.

Healthy Mint Chocolate (Carob) Milkshake

My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard....

Here it is - a mint chocolate milkshake that is actually healthy.

1 cup Coconut Milk
2 T  Carob Powder
2 T  Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
1 T  Agave Sweetener
Leaves of 2 stalks of fresh Mint  (approx. 8 leaves)
1 cup ice

Blend.  Serves 1.

Restaurant Review: America Eats Tavern

Wow!  What an unbelievable eating experience in DC.  I was lucky to go to America Eats Tavern, a “pop-up” or temporary restaurant by Chef Jose Andres in the place that Café Atlantico used to be.  My cousin is an ultimate foodie and had the responsibility of determining what our food experience was going to be.  It was a win-win situation for both of us.

First course:

Eggs A La Benedick – My cousin is into molecular gastronomy so this dish was completely up his alley.  As for me, the eggs had been whipped up in such a light way that I just couldn’t figure out how to eat the liquid egg.   

Fried Chicken with Catsup (plus additional Jack Daniel’s Catsup) – This comes with blueberry catsup, but my cousin ordered the Jack Daniel’s catsup on the side.  I actually preferred the sweetness of the blueberry catsup with the deliciously fried chicken to the salty, tanginess of the Jack Daniel’s version.  This was so delicious that the table next to us had to copy our order.

Second course:

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich – It’s almost like a Hot Pocket version of a PB&J.  While I liked the modern twist, and the use of a natural nut butter (instead of Jiff), it was a pretty expensive PB&J.  It did come with chips and a glass of milk for a bit of childhood nostalgia.

Shrimp Etoufee – Yummy, but with so many Cajun places in the DC area, this didn’t seem like anything special.

Third course:

Harvard Beet Salad – I’m going to admit that I’m seriously bias here because I LOVE beets.  And this was a heavy beet salad.  Lots and lots and lots of beets.  Well done.

Mock Turtle Soup – Served only on Tuesdays and Wednesdays  I’m really glad to catch the word “Mock” in front of “Turtle;” otherwise, I was a bit hesitant to give this slow-poke a try.  It reminded me a lot like a beef stew to me.

Fourth course:

New England Clam Chowder with Poached Cod – Heavenly.  Seriously.  This version of clam chowder was lighter than traditional chowders and had a delectable piece of cod and raw clams. 

Blackened Croaker with Braised Turnip Greens – The fish was very fresh so the croaker was also quite delicious.  It was blackened which tends to mean it’ll be a tad bit on the salty side.  I’m a big fan of greens but the braised turnip greens were a bit too salty and saucy for me.  I ate up every last bit of the fish however.

Fifth course:

Key Lime Pie – What a lovely, light finish to our meal.  There was no graham crust.  Instead the key lime part of the pie was squeegeed out onto the plate.  A nice finish to our palate.

Overall service:

Fantastic.  We were treated like kings and queens.  The pacing between the courses was well done.  I say that if I'm going to have an eating experience like this, I'd expect the type of service we received.  Thankfully, it lived up to expectations.

All in all, I’m no foodie, but I enjoyed our meal.  While we walked away barely able to roll away from the table after so much food, I think the best way to enjoy this restaurant is to really spoil yourself with a full range of 5 courses so you can sample a little bit of everything.  This was definitely a fun night of eating.

Small Business Support: The Factory Tees and Vintage Apparel

This is a story called "Be Nice to Your Neighbor."

My first day of kindergarten, I stood at my school bus stop with all of the big kids.  Having just moved into the neighborhood a month ago, I was brand new to the block and did not know ANYBODY.  The big kids started to quiz me, "Say the alphabet!" 

I recited it just as my parents had taught me, "Ay - Bee - Cee - Dee - Eee - Eff - Jee - Echh..."  A roar of laughter ensued.

On Day 2, the big kids said to me again, "Say the alphabet!"  I repeated everything just as my parents, whose native language was NOT english (see where this is going?), had taught me.  Once again, roaring laughter.  I didn't know what was so funny.

On Day 3, we go through the same routine again with the same results.  On Day 3 after school, one of the big kids, Stan, stops me in my tracks before I leave the bus stop.  "Say the alphabet."  I repeat our little dance.  He laughs quietly and then says, "Okay, it's not 'Echh.'  It is 'Ayych.'  Say 'Ayych.'"

Much to the bitter disappointment of the other big kids on the block, Nice-Man-Stan saved me from further alphabet-reciting humiliation.  In later times throughout our childhood, he would also teach me how to breakdance, defend my nerdy clothing selections when his girlfriends picked on me, and act impressed when I told him I got accepted into the University of Virginia (my nerdiness had actually paid off).

Fast forward thirty years later from that first day of kindergarten, I come across an article in Northern Virginia Magazine about a new store that has opened up on Main Street in Fairfax.  The Factory sells cool vintage and original t-shirt designs; and the article had a picture of its cute owner/designer -- a guy named, Stan Darke.

Say what?!!

Yep, Nice-Man-Stan grew up to be a talented artist.  So like the curious stalker that I can be, I made my way to the store.  Ladies and gents, I have to say it's pretty cool.  There is a lacking of vintage shops in Northern Virginia.  Consignment shops are growing in popularity.  And some of them are carrying vintage designer wear.  But not everyone can afford a $500 Chanel jacket, regardless of the bargain deal it may be for vintage Chanel. 

The Factory sells cool t-shirts.  The kind that you would probably try to buy a replica of at Target.  Only it's not actually vintage at Target.  And guess what?!!  The price of Target's replica is the same as the original vintage over at the Factory.  You may only get a better deal if you were willing to sift through the mess at the Salvation Army, but seriously...do you have time for that?

In addition, Stan has a bunch of his original designs for sale too.  It's very Cali-hip -- something I haven't found too much (none that I can think of actually) in the DC Metro Area.  There are some tree-hugger themes, Northern Virginia-pride themes, and current issue themed shirts (Stan had funny "I survived the Northern Virginia Earthquake of 2011" t-shirts printed the day after the Earthquake).

(Little piece of trivia:  The old hipster in the photo turns out to be Stan's 86-year old neighbor.) 

Follow The Factory on Facebook to stay updated on their latest vintage shipments and t-shirt designs. 

So, Friends, now when you see me in a fun new cotton t-shirt that has digressed from my typical athletic-sweat-wicking functional t-shirts, you can probably guess where I got it.  And when you see me doing the Arm Wave on the dance floor, you can probably guess who I learned it from.

Race Report: Epic Fail aka The Hot Chocolate 15K

I won't pick apart this race any further than it's already been picked apart.  However, I will say that I will most likely NEVER do another Hot Chocolate race. 

The inaugural race in National Harbor had way too many runners (greedy), was very expensive (greedy), gave cheap swag (greedy), and the so-called Chocolate Party at the end sucked (wasn't I running for the chocolate?).

It was terribly organized by RAM Racing.  There was a lack of communication about where to go, where to park, and even where the START LINE was.

The only positive thing was the people and volunteers who worked the event.  They were very nice and apologetic, even amongst 22,000 angry runners.

Unfortunately, kind apologies don't replace the actual race experience which can be described as "mass chaos."

Some of the runners are demanding a full refund.  I wouldn't take it this far.  I still raced.  I even had a good run and PR'd for this distance.

However, I don't race because I expect to win.  And no one pays ME to race.

Instead, I can explain best my relationship with racing via Rihanna's S&M song lyrics, "There's no way I'm turning back (Oh oh oh oh oh); Now the pain is my pleasure 'cause nothing could measure (Oh oh oh oh oh)."    Like the sadomasicist I am, I actually pay someone else so that I can put my body through the pain.  I race for the enjoyment of the experience.

Unfortunately, this was not a great race experience.  The Hot Chocolate Race turned out to be made with sour soy milk.