YIPPIE HIPPIE GRANOLA

YIPPIE HIPPIE GRANOLA

This summer I went by the downtown Farmer’s Market and within a few minutes of walking around the place,   I noticed a noticed a booth with my favorite colors in their

Granola Marketing at its best

banner, drawing in the crowd with their tasty wares.  It was YIPPIE HIPPIE GRANOLA – and by coincidence, it was being run by a former co-worker of mine!

Those favorite colors were the tye dyed look of the 60’s, which of course symbolizes youthful rebellion and freedom – a topic which will always reign universal as a recurring theme.  It wasn’t exactly Woodstock, but it at least blotted out the reality of 2011 and our economic downturn for a few minutes, if nothing else.

I bought a bag and a snack bar made fo the same stuff, without a bit of hesitation – I was reeled in!   It turns out that it was very good, and healthy as well.  The owners of this business are the Ervins and they know their granola; they had a complete ingredient listing ready to quote for anyone to see.

Here are a few more shots of their product; I hope all of you will try it sometime, either online via their website, or it is more personalized if you go downtown on a Saturday morning and buy it at the Farmer’s Market, after a long bike ride on the Mississippi riverfront, which I also did that day, but that’s another blog post). 

By the way, here’s their URL –  http://www.yippiehippiegranola.com/

Happy Granola eating!

The Ervins – proprieters of Yippie Hippie – More Granola peddling

The actual product

Niagara Falls and Beyond

The Canadian Falls - much bigger than the US falls

I finally got to see the world-famous Niagara Falls the first week of October, 2011.  It was as they say, spectacular.  Take a look at the photos below to convince you that it is awesome.  The area known as Niagara Falls is located on the border between the US and Canada, with the Niagara river separating the two countries.   Many people assume that there is only one waterfall, but actually there is the American Falls on the United States side and the Canadian Falls (or ‘HorseShoe Falls’) on the Canadian side.  

You can freely travel between the US and Canadian side with your US passport as often as you want, and enjoy the view from all angles.  I recommend you definitely go into Canada by crossing Rainbow Bridge.

The Maid of the Mist with a rainbow alongside

Beside the Falls

Well, one more wonder of nature to check off on the list of must-see places!

Niagara Falls - the US The Maid of the Mist - ridden by thousands of people yearly

My First 5K Race!

NAMI 5K – October 15th, 2011

I took up running in the Summer of 2011 as a way of cross-training to offset all the road biking that I had been doing.  I initially did not enjoy running as much as biking, but eventually I came to like it as much as being on a bike.  Many of my co-workers were into running and had many years of experience, along with a string of successes in marathons and other racing events.  I knew that I too would want to compete, but I would have to start small, just in a local 5K, to see if I could keep  up. 

NAMI 5K - just after receiving my first 5k medal!

My moment of trial by fire came in early October, when the NAMI 5K was presented as a goal to acheive by my neice and her boyfriend, whom both planned to participate. NAMI stands for National Alliance on Mental Illness, and is a very worthy cause, in my opinion.

I almost did not run, but at the last minute I jumped in the car and headed out to Collierville to run.  I was happily surprised when I arrived and had not missed the start, so I began filling out the registration forms.  As soon as I finished putting my name on the dotted line, someone shouted ‘GO’ and we were off!.  I had to put down my tote bag on the ground and ask a food provider to watch it while I ran.  I ran as hard as I could to catch up with the pack, but they were way out in front.  Somehow I managed to get through the 3.1 miles that make up the 5K run, crossing the finish line in 29 minutes and 43 seconds.  I did not know if I had placed or not, so I waited around for the awards ceremony.  It was a pleasant shock to find out that I came in second in my age bracket!  

NAMI 5K - getting the 2nd place medal

I accepted the medal and was encouraged by this to go on to run again in November.   You can see the snippet from Races On Line with my time posted – it was just an awesome moment for me, considering that I had just taken up the sport a few months earlier. 

Running seems to clear your mind to focus on other things, and some even say that it promotes the growth of new brain cells.  I need all the new ones that I can get at my age! 

NAMI 5K - at the finish lineNAMI 5K - the results are in!

 But seriously, running can be very beneficial to your health.  It is one of the oldest sports in the world, dating back to Biblical times, where numerous times in both the Old and New Testament it is mentioned as a metaphor for various things.

 

Here’s a great one from the Greatest Communicator, the Apostle Paul, when writing the running aficionados of the city of Corinth:

 

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

‘Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore i do not run like a man running aimlessly, i don not fight like a man beating the air. No, i beat my body and make it my slave so that after i have preached to others, i may not be disqualified for the prize.’

Keep running!

NAMI 5K - the results are in...

A Personal Milestone – 50 Miles In One Day

The 50 Mile Journey

On September 2nd, 2011 I achieved a biking milestone, in which I completed 50 miles of peddling in temperatures that reached almost 100 degrees by the end of the ride, but yet I felt great and never too tired to keep going. 

Using a too-tall, all-aluminum bike that a co-worker recently gave me, I was able to go from Shelby Farms to Harbor Town and back, plus an added side trip to the Peddler bike shop on Highland.    This was done with the help and encouragement of another biking co-worker who set the pace. 

The Memphis Greenline provided the access through the city up to Tillman, which at that point it required the use of Broad Street to cross over into the Mid-town area.  Passing by the old Sears Crosstown building, I could see the rusting hunk of what was once the grand old store, looking like some forelorn mountain peak jutting out of a valley of equally quaint housing.

Upon reaching Harbortown, crossing via the Auction Street bridge, I peered down between the pilings to see the gleaming Memphis Harbor, which had been a previous conquest of mine just a few months earlier.

Passing back through Mid-Town, we crossed into the Vollitine-Evergreen neighborhood, where we encountered what turned out to be a small greenline that I had never even been on before.  We exited that greenline after a few blocks to travel up University street in order to return back to the main Memphis Greenline.  Passing by Cafe Eclectic, the scene of many a great vegetarian meals, we turned on to North Parkway to continue the ride, which required a pass through the odiferous Memphis Zoo area.

Upon returning to Shelby Farms where my PT Cruiser had remained parked all day, my co-worker’s GPS indicated that the total trip for me had reached 50 miles.  I felt that I had finally reached a pinnacle of some success in my biking pursuits. 

I would encourage you to bike your way to health – you’ll not regret it!

Kayaking in The Memphis Harbor

Mississippi River Bridge - a view from the bow

Harboring A Deep Secret – Kayaking in The Memphis Harbor!

In June, 2011 I did a Saturday morning kayak trip by myself in the Memphis harbor.  It was quite fun, because I was able to paddle out in the harbor among a few speedboats that were heading out into the Mississippi river.  I launched my little kayak from the Mud Island marina, after putting down $10 to satisfy the fee they charge for non-members. 

Here I am paddling out to meet the river

It turned out to be well worth the price, as I felt really alone but independent as I floated towards the mouth of the harbor.  There ahead of me laid the mighty Mississippi river, seething in all its majesty, just recently having flooded its banks thencovering the entire area just a month earlier. 

 

I paddled under bridges that I had crossed by car for almost 40 years, admiring their swarthy structures from underneath girders of decades old steel.  How perfect of a day was this to behold.

 

I had packed a lunch to eat onboard, so about noontime I stopped paddling and floated aimlessly in the ever-warming sunlight, enjoying a mostly vegetarian feast.  This was living!  Did it have to end?  

 

I saw the old steam-powered paddle boats docked at the foot of Front street that I had once ridden as a child on a field trip, more than 40 years earlier, and saw a younger, tinier version of me aboard the Memphis Queen, peering out at the small green kayak in the harbor.  Could this all be real?

 

I considered paddling into the river, and attempting a small excursion into the main waters, but

Paddling in the Memphis Harbor

avoided that, knowing that it could mean instant death with no trace.  My older, wiser self said it was better to stay content and alive in the harbor than risk it all for a wild ride in the open river.  Thank goodness for common sense!

 

If you can find your own kayak, be it a real one or some other form of excursionary vehicle, I highly recommend it.  You’ll never regret it nor the journey of self-discovery that is possible in such a craft.

 

To put it into perspective, here’s a quote from that great musician and poet, James Taylor:

 

“Being on a boat that’s moving through the water, it’s so clear. Everything falls into place in terms of what’s important and what’s not. “

 

Happy boating!

Stuck in the Mud!

I am always looking for locations to kayak, so this morning I went down to the Wolf River bottoms at Houston Levee. I had heard that you could put your boat in there and kayak to Germantown Parkway, so i was on an investigative hunt for the truth.

When leaving the area I got stuck in the mud! I struggled with trying to get out but my little PT Cruiser got further entrenched.

Fortunately a fisherman in a four wheel drive came along and pulled me out.

This nice guy also gave me sage advice on boating in the Wolf River there – he said it’s dangerous, too many eddy currents that are whirling beneath the surface. I guess I should heed his warnings!

Playing the Levitt Shell

I fulfilled a lifelong dream of playing the guitar on the Levitt Shell about two weeks ago.  Two of my former band members came in town for a reunion so I thought it would be fun if we went to the Levitt Shell and staged our own impromptu concert.  Even though the temperatures reached almost 100 degrees, we stood out there for an hour, singing our old songs from the 70’s.  Even my granddaughter got into the act, turning the amp down just when we got really into playing, and strumming guitars on stage.

The band back together one more time

In 1975, a then unknown guitarist/singer named Dana Key approached me with the idea of playing there, and I unwisely told him we were not ready and did not have the right equipment to do the gig. I should have jumped at the chance, because Dana Key went on to found Degarmo and Key, one of the most influential Christian Rock groups of the 80’s.

Well, you cannot go back and undo history, but at least you can have a little fun with nostalgia.  Here are a few pics from that reunion concert.  We are all old and gray now, missing a lot of hair, and in our 50’s, but we still can rock out.  We are going to try this again in the fall when the weather is cooler, but this time with a song list prepared and more equipment!

Playing the 'Strat' on stage - what fun!

At the Levitt Shell - the Three Amigos - Los Tres Hombres, the three Stooges!

What Not To Eat

How I Lowered My Cholesterol, Weight, and Blood Pressure All At Once

I thought that I would post something on a success at reducing my cholesterol since it was such a breakthrough for me.  About 10 years ago my physician said my overall cholesterol was 240 which was too high, and that I should begin taking a statin drug to lower it.  I resisted for three years and then in 2004 I gave in, fearing the risk of a heart attack or worse would befall me in the future.  However, always in the back of my mind I wanted to get off of those statin medicines that are bad for your liver, stomach, and muscles.

Well, in 2011, I got my wish, in the form of a combination of biking, change of diet, and otherwise different outlook on life.  I began riding the bike(s) again, up to an hour a day, regardless of the weather or how tired I was.  I began following a dietary plan that was influenced by what my co-worker had shown me to be healthy, and it has worked out to be very successful.  My weight dropped 30 pounds in less than a year, my blood pressure went down to 109 over 70, and my cholesterol dropped to 160 without taking any cholesterol lowering medicine.

Exercise is a big part of the plan, in that you have to want to get out and do some physical activity.   For me it always has been biking, since I was a small child.    Also, you have to get a high metabolism somehow, and I was blessed with one since birth.  Back to biking – I try to ride twice a day, if possible.  I do a road bike ride in the morning and then maybe another in the evening or switch to mountain bike.  I only bike outside, and never use an indoor exercise cycle; I prefer the view to be changing constantly or I would get bored.

So, here are my lists of what not to eat and what to eat!

What Not To Eat!

• Pork
• Beef
• Fried Foods
• White bread
• White sugar
• white rice (some is okay, but there’s no fiber in white rice!)
• Donuts or other high fat pastries
• Desserts with an excess of sugar, fat, eggs, etc.
• Bacon
• Real eggs
• Shrimp and other shellfish
• Anything cooked in excessive fat or oil
• Indian food cooked in ghee ( that is also known as clarified butter )
• Soups or other food with a high sodium content
• Sweet tea ( or at least avoid a whole glass; dilute it with unsweet tea )

What To Eat!

• High fiber cereals ( such as Fiber One – has 57% of daily fiber )
• Double fiber wheat bread
• Steel Cut Oats
• High fiber wheat tortilla shells
• Egg beaters ( has no yolk, but you can do the same thing with a real egg by removing the yolk, and cooking only the whites.  Cook the yolk and give it to your dog, he’ll love it!
• Non-Fat Greek Yogurt ( read the labels and find the ones with the lowest sugar content )
• Almonds ( only the natural, raw ones, with no salt added )
• Bananas ( high in carbohydrates, but also high in potassium )
• high fiber muffins ( blueberry, banana nut, etc. )
• Peanut butter
• Veggie Delite sandwiches from Subway ( with the veggie patty ! )
• Fiber One Bars or Fiber Plus bars ( 35% of daily fiber )
• Granola
• Hummous
• Tofu
• Olive Oil – as a salad dressing and as a cooking oil
• Olives
• Fat Free feta cheese
• Veggie Burgers
• Portabello mushrooms
• Grilled chicken sandwiches ( hold the mayo, and try to get a wheat bun )
• Salmon
• Nutritional shakes such as Ensure
• Fresh fruits such as oranges, cherries, blueberries, strawberries
• Sweet potato fries
• High fiber beans such as garbanzos, Fava beans, black beans, etc.
• Avocados – and the product made from them, guacamole
• Baby spinach (fresh, as in a salad )
• Salads, salads, salads!

If you think this diet would be difficult for you to adapt, then I can understand your point.  Most Americans are accustomed to the fast food regime that our culture thrusts upon us.  I have to be an observant shopper and a practicing cook to keep up this style of eating.

I could be a 100% vegetarian but that’s not necessary, and you need some protein every day.  Egg beaters, Chicken and fish offer plenty of protein, along with many vegetable products.  I read about MUFAs about five months ago, and that influenced me to focus on certain foods.  MUFA is an acronym for mono-unsaturated fats, and these are found in olives, olive oil, almonds, peanut butter, avocados, and other nuts.  Basically these are healthy fats.

The most healthy thing that I can make or buy is the ‘strawberry spinach salad’ which is available at Fresh Market.  Here’s what I put in it:

• Fresh baby spinach
• Cut up strawberries
• Almonds
• Fat-free feta cheese
• Black olives
• A raspberry vinagrette salad dressing that is non-fat

This salad has MUFAs in it and can really make me smile – I have made it dozens of times and it always pleases.

Find your eating plan, and stick with it – you’ll be better off!

The Levitt Shell

I went to see the movie ‘U2 – Rattle and Hum’ at Levitt Shell last night and it was just awesome – both the movie and the experience of watching it at the Shell.  What made it different this time is that I got there early and rode my bike around Overton Park at dusk to get the feeling of what Overton is like in the evenings.  I used my bike as a makeshift viewing platform and was able to watch the movie from angles all over the seating area.  Additionally I circled the Shell on my bike during a song or two and got a special effect of hearing Bono singing from afar, then nearer and nearer, as if I was approaching the live concert itself.

The Edge is fantastic guitarist and can really get a lot of distinctive sounds from his guitars.  I noticed that he played a variety of electric guitars, including a Fender Stratocaster, Rickenbacker, Gibson ES-330, as well as a few that I could not recognize since the movie was shot almost entirely in black and white.  For more info on the movie/documentary, see the Wiki Rattle and Hum entry.

I have now seen three of the Levitt summer concert movies and each one has been different but immensely enjoyable.   Next week it is the Concert for Bangladesh, which first I saw in 1971 as a young impressionable 15 year old at the Frayser 3 movie theater.

Get out there and see something at the Shell – it beats sitting at home!

Happy Fifty-Fifth Birthday, Five Days In a Row!

Monday, July 11th was my 55th birthday – of course I celebrated in the usual way by going to work and putting in the day’s toil – however this birthday was a break, because I got to go to an Agile Boot Camp training course and listen to how my chosen profession is evolving into a more compassionate form.  Agile is not for everyone, but I think it’s going to take my company into a new wave of re-thinking how to deal with life-long problems of software development and deployment.  For further examples on how re-thinking the way people looked at things, I suggest you study the French Revolution, the Impressionistic Art Movement of the 1870’s, and of course, the Woodstock generation of hippies!

Birthday Flags Still Hang Over My Cubicle – even on July 15th!

Oh well, but I digress -back to my birthday.   It is the tradition in my work area to hang a banner of flags over one’s cubicle on the day of their birthday.  Additionally a colorful banner that says ‘Happy Birthday’ also hangs in the chosen one’s cubicle.  See the photo below – and the mess that is my cubicle as well!.  The flags should have come down after a day, but they stayed up till the end of the week, so I got birthday greetings from co-workers every day.  It was kind of a nice gesture, but then I thought of the Bill Murray movie, ‘Groundhog Day’ and wondered was I aging a year more for each day that the flags were hung?  Would I be eligible for retirement by next Tuesday?

Well, it now is Saturday, the 16th, and I am happy to say that I am still 55 and not feeling that old yet.  I still have not applied for the senior citizen discount at any place like I said that I would do; instead I have been busy pursuing other fun stuff such as kayaking, riding a bike on the river, going to a 60’s concert movie at the Levitt Shell, and generally enjoying life.   Maybe I’ll get to see 56, 57, 58, and many more years, but I am going to try and have some fun where I am now – see ya!

Biking On The River Front - this should be required practice for every Memphian