Kamis, 24 Februari 2011

Cold news, hot news


Juxtaposition ?
First the cold news:
During lunch hour Tuesday I took the TT bike on a shakedown ride before the event this weekend. I'm glad I did as it needed some derailleur adjustment and I needed some more time in my "crouching tiger, hidden backache" position. When I rolled out, it was sunny and very chilly. After turning around on my out-and-back course, I spotted a few errant snowflakes blowing around, but nothing to get excited about. In a few short minutes big, wet flakes were coming down hard and were coating me like frosting. The combo of a time trial bike and snow just isn't something you see every day. Hottie and have been dreaming of hot weather, and were even planning a trip to a warmer place, but our invitation was suddenly withdrawn. We find ourselves feeling awkward, like a kid showing up at a ski slope in a swimsuit. But we will make the best of it I suppose.

The hot news:

Yes, I made this. I know, I know.
It has taken me a few years but I believe I have perfected scone baking. If the opportunity came up, I would enter my scones in a competition. I am grateful to my family for enduring the long road to success with the scones. In sharp contrast to my success with scones, I have had an equivalently extreme level of failure making bread. My failures have been so dramatic that many attempts went from oven to compost in a matter of seconds. Usually with a heavy thud; not traditionally associated with bread. I have also harbored a semi-secret desire to produce that holy grail of bread making, sourdough. After nearly two weeks of "grooming" (my word) my starter, I have had success with making sourdough. Last night, Hottie commented that a particular sample was the best bread I had ever made. Years and years ago a baseball player named Steve Garvey shared some insight into how he learned his backhand stroke in tennis. My bread success is similar.

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