Aaron = Pain

If Aaron ever invites you to work out with him, think twice. Aaron is a strong guy and so he tends to forgot what us non-giants are capable of. Which is gratifying, until you have to correct his assumptions. I went to lift weights with him on Monday night and I am still in a WHOLE lot of pain. Most of the routine went like this:
Aaron: Now we’re going to do side-bicpetial-tricep-pectoral-bench-curls. They’re great for your arms!
Me: That’s not the one where you curl your arms to the side while laying on your back, right? I hate those, it feels like my muscles are being torn from my bones.
Aaron: Yep, that’s the one.
Me: Drat.
Aaron: You can do 50 lbs right? Here. (Casually swinging a weight my way that I have no business picking up)
Me: Hmph…NO! No. Try 5 lbs. (Me dropping the weight)
Aaron: No, you can do more than that. 30 lbs?
Me: No, Aaron, really, try something in the single digits.
Aaron: Okay here’s 15 lbs. (looking sort of disappointed)
So that’s about five minutes of the hour and a half workout. And it’s only an hour and half because I insist I have other things I need to do and Aaron only very reluctantly agrees to leave.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the challenge. And I can beat Aaron in things like the plank or running, but get him in the weight room and he becomes he becomes one crazy personal fitness trainer. If you want that go work out with him, just don’t expect to walk the next morning.

Not Again

I have this expectation that everything I buy should last forever. I paid good money for it so it should stick around for at least five years. Sadly, my running shoes are not cooperating. They keep wearing out. I need to buy some new ones. I like Asics but I just found out from another runner that the shoe company she love and wears, Ryka are giving away 50 pairs of shoes a day for 25 days! So 2500 pairs of shoes are up for grabs. Sorry guys, Ryka just makes lady's shoes. So maybe, maybe I won't have to buy another pair of running shoes. They're also giving away running clothes. You can enter here.
Good Luck!

Bubba Gump Papas

I have a sense that some people may be tiring of my extended Pawpaw exposition so this should wrap it up for the blog for a while. I still believe that Pawpaws are some of the tastiest fruit in the world. Here are some things I learned at the Pawpaw festival:

Pawpaws were beat by the blueberry. Both are native north american plants that caught cultivators interest in the early part of this century. Orchards of pawpaws were planted then forgotten when bananas from Central America became cheap and plentiful. The blueberry survived to become the well loved berry it is today. But I like to imagine just how common and plentiful pawpaws could have become. Many Pawpaw cultivars of today come from those forgotten orchards which Neal Peterson of Peterson's Pawpaws hiked into.

Pawpaws helped Lewis and Clark survive on the way back from their great expedition.

According to a newspaper from the time, the Hatfields shot three McCoys after tying them to Pawpaw trees, which is wierd because pawpaws are sort of spindly little trees.

Pawpaws are more nutritious than many of your common fruits. Better than grapes or peaches from my memory. They are equivalent to blueberries.

Swallowing pawpaw seeds will make you throw up.

If you want to get a lot of fruit on your pawpaw tree keep a goat. He will get you the pollinating flies you need.

And most excitingly, here are some tastey foods that are made using pawpaws:

Pure Pawpaw (Yes)
Pawpaw icecream (Yes)
Pawpaw icecream sandwiches (Yes)
Pawpaw smoothies (Yes)
Pawpaw popsicles
Pawpaw jam (Yes)
Pawpaw chutney (Yes)
Pawpaw pizza (Yes)
Pawpaw candy
Dried Pawpaw
Pawpaw chicken
Pawpaw bread
Pawpaw preserves
Pawpaw frozen pulp
Pawpaw bbq sauce
Pawpaw wine
Pawpaw beer
Pawpaw frosting (Yes)

The "yes"s are food Norma and I had a chance to consume.

Atlatl

The pawpaw festival was a wonderful time. The pawpaws were tastey and the Ohioans were friendly. (Is that what you call someone who lives in Ohio?) One of the funnest things at the festival was the atlatl throwing. I had never heard of an atlatl before Saturday but it was mankind's supreme weapon for several thousand years. They date back to 18,000 BC. At that age, it procedes the bow and arrow and for some people the creation of the world. It's a stick that projects long spear like darts with suprising force. Caveman used them to bring down all kinds of monstrous game. The Aztecs could penetrate conquistador armor with their powerful atlatls. How do I know this? Wikipedia's article on the atlatl, of course.

So back to the pawpaw festival: There was an atlatl target range open to anyone. Several hunter guys were using atlatls to hit a deer target with unnerving force and accuracy from about 100 feet away. Norma and I decided to try get in touch with our caveman roots and gave it a try. We put down our bags and were directed away from the men in camo to the kiddie range. It was really fun even though I was mocked mercilessly by the seven year old shooting next to me. You can see him standing behind Norma wearing a blue sea otter t-shirt. While I was aiming and trying to focus on my would be perfect shot he shouted out "Hey You! YOU! YEah YOOOOU! We Are ALLL waiting on YOU! You to shoot! SHoot already, why don't yah!" I was pretty ready to shoot him but I restrained myself.

We actually took a movie of some of our shots and I might try to post those later. Youtube isn't cooperating right now. Until then you can enjoy this picture of Norma modeling the atlatl and preparing to slaughter any mammoth unlucky enough to cross her path.

Miss You

So for the next two to three days I’ll be enjoying the glory of middle America. I’m So Excited! In the doubtful case that any of you miss me, here’s a tasty tid-bit for you to savor during my absence. It’s the Challenger album from the New Pornographers. And it’s not as bad a name as it seems. A 1950s evangelist Jimmy Swaggart declared music to be the new pornography thus this Canadian band identifies themselves as the new pornographers. The music itself is crystal clean. REALLY. You can listen to it here.

O-HI-O

It's decided: Norma and I will be attending the 2007 Ohio Pawpaw festival this weekend. We will be leaving Friday afternoon. We think we'll try to split the 6 hour trip halfway and are looking for a good place to spend the night. Anyone know a good stopping point for two husbandless ladies in the wilds of the West Virginia mountains? Or any other attractions that might be worth seeing along the way?

PS-You can see my new haircut in the picture. I think it looks okay, but sort of like a girl mullet which isn't cool. But Aaron says I'm the only one who thinks that. At least it's lighter.

Poem of the Week, A little Late

Part One: Life


SUCCESS is counted sweetest
By those who ne’er succeed.
To comprehend a nectar
Requires sorest need.

Not one of all the purple host
Who took the flag to-day
Can tell the definition,
So clear, of victory,

As he, defeated, dying,
On whose forbidden ear
The distant strains of triumph
Break, agonized and clear.

-Emily Dickinson

I needed a short poem this week because I got a little behind on Lucasta. I picked this because I already sort of know it. And I like the poem. I love Emily Dickinson. I wouldn't mind memorizing everything she ever wrote.

I also picked the poem because there's a great story to go with it. My senior year of high school a boy I knew wrote this in my year book, drew a rose next to it and never spoke to me again. He was painfully shy. Definitely the best year book inscription EVER. Ahhh, high school, such a tragic time...