Hola!

(Hello in Spanish. :-)

It felt good to get out of the house today even though it was pretty cold. Yesterday I just stayed put. This morning I was back on the Stairmaster. I'm itching to get back on the roads. But they're just too slippery and the wind chill too low. Saturday, for sure. Dunn Bros. on Elton Hills Drive. 7:30 AM. I'll be there. With treats.

Triathlon this 'n that: Cartoon from Mike Schmitt.

WIN Multisports has been acquired by Mark Bongars and Final Stretch. So the Rochesterfest Tri, Waseca Tri and Treadman Duathlon will have a new race director for 2010. Look for more info on either the WIN Multisports or Final Stretch websites.

Mario Minelli will again be facilitating the multi-sport class at the RAC beginning in January. Click on the link and check out the course description and requirements on page 8 of the brochure.

Cookie Auction update: Thank you Dave Morrill for the $120 bid!! Wow. Very generous. If you want to check out the bidding, it's on the RTC website. Bidding closes Friday at 8 PM.

Carol on the Run Wed the 16th at 6:00 PM at Running Room. Please join us! It's a lot of fun. Here's the schedule (thank you Larry Pederson for setting this up):

6:00 Running Room to Charter House
6:15 Charter House
6:30 Charter House to Samaritan Bethany on 8th St
6:45 Samaritan Bethany
7:00 Samaritan Bethany up to 14th, to 11th and down to Ronald McDonald House
7:45 Ronald McDonald House
8:00 Ronald McDonald House to Running Room
Mileage total is about 6 miles.
 
I got this TOTALLY fun little number (early Christmas present) in the mail today from a dear out-of-town friend. I LOVE it!!
 

 
I attended the RTC board meeting this evening (John, Kit, Ron, Kevin, Lin) ...
 

 
to discuss the transition from a paper RTC News to an electronic version. The next newsletter, March 2010, will be electronic only and will be posted on the RTC website. Newsletters are published in March, May, July, September and December. So look for a post on the Forum indicating that a new newsletter is available for your reading pleasure.
 
On the Foodie Front: For supper this evening, I made an asparagus and pea risotto. DELISH. Basically, you stir warm chicken broth into arborio rice ...
 

for about an hour. Stirring constantly. But that's what makes it so creamy and wonderful. (There was still a little liquid to be absorbed in the photo below. You don't want it soupy.)
 

 
I ran across this recipe today via a link in an email:

Classic Shortbread Cookies in 4 ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into chunks
1 teaspoon water

OK, I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I think I can count. Isn't that ... 6 ingredients?? Whatever. :-)

Tomorrow for me, more cookie baking. And a haircut and highlight at 10:00 AM. Yes!!

Tomorrow at 10:00 AM (exactly!) RochesterDealsForLess are $50 gift certificates for Prescotts for $25. Don't be even 15 seconds late or they'll probably be gone.

Quote for the day: "Hold yourself to a higher standard than anybody else expects of you." --Henry Ward Beecher

Toodles!!