stevemullis[dot]net

I came, I saw, I wore myself out.

The trip to Florida was a lot of fun. I hung out with as many people as I could, partied with friends, spent quality time with the family and even got a little sun. Florida still seems to be located a half-mile from the sun, which was fun to be reminded of.

It will be nice to get back to work, however it is going to be very busy over the next couple of weeks.

Next vacation though, I’m using the passport and going adventuring.

This is how I’m rolling today. Too windy to go for a ride. Hopefully tomorrow is better.

Also, cooked up some potatoes, onions and mushrooms topped with some razor-sharp cheddar. Phenomenal, excellent lunch fare. I’m trying to minimize any grocery buying due to the impending weeklong+ vacation coming up.

Can’t wait for the trip. Friends, family, sun, golf (hopefully even though I will stink) and relaxing.

Like I said before, this week marks one year being in Minnesota and at my job. I’m really surprised it’s already been a year, it went by so fast.

It doesn’t seem that long ago I was driving my little car packed with all of my belongings toward my new home.

Hmm, now what?

Just listened to Sarah Palin’s farewell speech, albeit the Daily Show recap. Wow, please let this woman fade away. Dare I say, for the sake of the Republican Party, let her go away. Anyone that says she has any political value is a blind idiot. Listening to Bill Kristol try and defend her is laughable.

In other news, t-minus two weeks until going to Florida and pseudo-reunion 2009. Can’t wait.

A.H. Belo reports $7.1M second-quarter loss

I came to Minnesota for my current job about a year ago. Before I made the long drive and battle against the heavy winters, I had the choice to go to the Dallas Morning News, which is owned by Belo. Despite favoring MPR initially, it was still a tough choice. A bonus offer was thrown at me from Dallas, I’d be working in a medium I was more familiar with and the weather was a bit more forgiving. On the surface, Dallas seemed to be the safer choice.

Obviously I chose MPR. Needless to say, if I’d gone with Dallas I would probably be unemployed right now.

Sometimes you’ve just got to go with your gut.

Went about 40 miles today, on a new route around five different lakes in the Twin Cities. I know, I know; it’s no Tour de France, but a good ride nonetheless. A lot of fun, but part of the ride was very crowded. I hate having to pass people, or wait, then pass. Kind of takes the wind out of your sails. The best part was that I did a circuit, so I didn’t have to ride back the same way except for the part near my neighborhood.

Now dinner.

OK, so this one was easy math. You can’t really mess up chili; I mean it’s a bunch of stuff thrown in a pot a heated slowly to let the flavors combine. Bingo, bango you’ve got chili. Served it up with a Summit Red Ale, summer style.

Ingredients:
• Chili beans
• Kidney beans
• One small, minced white onion
• Organic chili powder
• Minced garlic
• Chopped, roasted tomatoes
• Oregano
• Vegetable stock
• Organic, garden tempeh as a meat substitute. I pan-fried the tempeh in some olive oil before adding it to the chili
• Topped w/ shredded, smoked cheddar on serving

Full disclosure, I used canned organic beans. Next time, when I’m feeling more ambitious, I’ll cook the dried beans myself. As it stands, the whole deal only took about 30 minutes from beginning to end. I used two cans of beans though and a little less than two cups of stock, so I made too much.

Another delicious success…that I’ll be eating for a few days.

Looks like a drab, gray day outside today. Funny, last Tuesday was the same, meaning I have to ride the bus. Oh well, could be worse.

Thinking about buying a netbook in order to have an ultra-portable computer. It’s not an ultra-necessity, but would be a fun vanity purchase. However I’d rather have the new camera body first however.

The health care debate is dominating the news this week. It’s both funny and annoying to watch the two opposing forces feint and spar, though some just really don’t have the ammunition they think they do. “Bingo!” Really Michael Steele, that’s your answer?

/Facepalm

Have a good day.

Yesterday was a fun-filled day of biking, sun and pictures of things. Now back to the grind, if it can really be called that. Not really sure what we’re working on this week, but that’s part of the fun of my job.

Onward!

Definitely need this today.

This is honestly the most entertaining thing I’ve seen all day. Bonus appearances from Turbo and Ozone.

And no, I’m not a crack baby nor did I lose a bet. My little finger is just obscured by the book.

And just like that, another weekend is peeking over the horizon. The weather has been kind of dreary this week, so hopefully the weekend shapes up a little nicer. Definitely want to ride somewhere new this weekend. Sun, you’d better cooperate (or what?).

Weekend mission(s):
• Ride
• Experiment taking some HDR pictures
• Ride to and buy some produce from the Farmer’s Market
• Get a haircut
• Buy shoes and some cheap shirts for work
• Cook something new and with a slightly higher difficulty level and pair it up with some wine
• Get started on a new book

Go!

So what do you do when all you’ve got is an egg, yogurt, the last bit of a jar of peanut butter, a banana and some strawberries that are about to turn, soy milk and you are in a hurry? Well, you make a bloody good smoothie, that’s what.

Quickly:

• Our missing Somalis case up here just got a lot more interesting, and a bit scary. Find out more by checking out the timeline (made by moi!)
• A group is trying to get the Midtown Greenway extended. If this happens, the Greenway will have an entrance less than a mile from my apartment. This would make me very happy.
• It’s raining today, which means I have to ride the bus, which means I can’t ride my bike. Bummer. I’m definitely addicted and feel like a slacker if I don’t ride to work.
• Three weeks and counting until Florida visit. A lot of people to see and things to do. I can’t wait.

OK, time to catch the bus, bleh.

OK, not really. Mondays are just Mondays. Weekend was successful for the most part, the only thing I didn’t do was buy new shoes. No big deal.

Rode out to a Bastille Day celebration yesterday. Interesting to say the least. Kind of like St. Patrick’s Day but everyone was suddenly French and drinking wine instead of Irish and drinking beer, and with better music. Oh, and the people are better looking too. My camera battery died suddenly so I didn’t get as many pictures as I wanted. Kinda sucked.

Sotomayor hearings and related stuff all week. I love the theater!

Here’s to hoping your Monday is going better than this: