Beer Tasting

The beer tasting Einar and I attended last night at Johnny Delmonico's in downtown Madison was really fun! They paired 5 beers from Capital Brewery with 5 small courses.

U.S. Pale Ale with Spanish Trio (almonds, olives, and paprika oil-soaked giant white beans)
Island Wheat with Sea Bass, Peas, and Ham
Wisconsin Amber with Chorizo Stuffed Chicken on Paella
- passionfruit sorbet to cleanse the palette
Maibock with Lamb Tenderloin and Sauteed Cabbage
Munich Dark with Cheese and Fruit

The chef came in before each course and described the food. No one described the beers. It would've been really cool if the sommelier had gotten some descriptions of the beers from the brewmaster to help us discern the different notes and flavors of the beers. Oh, well. It was fun, nonetheless, and a really good deal ($30/person plus tax and tip). Johnny Delmonico's offers similar wine tasting events (Wine 101) on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. If you're in the area and like wine, check them out!

Saint Patrick's Day

In the summer of 2004, I spent a month in Ireland. Growing up, I was told I was half Norwegian, and the other half was German, English, Scottish, and Swedish. My dad has been telling me for the past few years, however, that there's also some Irish in there. I'm not generally one to disbelieve my dad, but I learned during my time in Ireland that Irish heritage is the most over-reported ancestry in the U.S. That month is Ireland was fantastic, so regardless of my ethnic heritage, I'm celebrating St. Patrick's Day today by wearing a green shirt and by going to Beer 101 at Johnny Delmonico's downtown. I know beer isn't Irish, but Guiness is, and that's beer. Plus, a lot of people drink green beer on St. Patrick's Day. I hope that's not part of Beer 101. . .

If you're wondering, Beer 101 is the beer version of a wine tasting. We'll go to the restaurant and get to taste and learn about several beers. We'll also get some small sample food pairings. That's about all I know. Tonight's Beer 101 is featuring beers from Capital Brewery in Middleton. It should be fun.

My friend Sarah and I did the Shamrock Shuffle again this year. We did the 5K, which was a much better choice than the 10K we attempted last year. It is a fun event! People dress up in costumes, and there are a lot of families either watching or participating. Einar came to cheer us on. He had such a good time, he's considering running or walking or volunteering next year. After the run, we went to State Street Brats where they were offering runners and their families a good deal: burger or brat and fries for $5! So, Sarah, Einar, and I had some lunch before returning home. It was a great morning for a jog - sunny and mild. If you don't have plans for March 14, 2010, please join us. All proceeds benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County. And my co-worker Steve Donovan is one of the organizers.

Oh! I know I haven't mentioned this, but last week, Einar and I bought tickets to go visit our brothers and brother-in-law in Seattle/Vancouver. We'll leave on August 11 and return on August 21. Hooray! We couldn't be more excited!!

Grandma Carlson

Today would've been my Grandma Carlson's 96th birthday. It's hard for me to believe that she died 4 and 1/2 years ago already!

In unrelated news, my sister-in-law starts a new job today. I hope it is a better work environment than the last dental office she worked in. Er, in which she worked.

Exercise

One of the added benefits of Einar's new job is that he now gets up at 6:00am. Well, his alarm goes off at 6; he actually gets up around 6:15. Anyway, 6am just happens to coincide with the time I need to wake up if I am going to exercise before work. Knowing that he'll be getting up to get ready for work provides me the little push I need to drag my tired body out of bed in the dark and get in a great workout before starting my workday. I've been doing Nordic Track Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Wii Fit strength training Tuesday, Thursday. And I also do some sort of workout on either Saturday or Sunday. It feels really good to be back to a regular, daily exercise regime. I am really looking forward to the weather warming up and drying out so I can start jogging outside again. Hooray, 6am! Hooray, employment! Hooray, hooray!!

The Real Unemployment Number

As I've mentioned in a previous post, I really like NPR's Planet Money podcast and blog for explaining the economy. Today, when new unemployment numbers were released, they posted this on their blog. If you don't want to click on that link, the final sentence of their post is: "For now, the broadest measure of unemployment stands at 14.8 percent." 14.8% A staggering number. Almost 3 people out of 20 either unemployed or underemployed.

I am extremely grateful to have a full-time job AND a part-time job. And I am also grateful that Einar has gotten full-time work. But I cannot stop thinking about those people who are affected by this economic crisis. It is hitting close to home. And economists are predicting it'll be 2010 before we see real change.

Bowlin' for Colons

Yesterday afternoon, Einar and I joined two of our friends for the 8th Annual Bowlin' for Colons fundraiser. The proceeds benefit the U.W. Cardone Comprehensive Cancer Center and specifically go toward colon cancer research. It was fun! We each paid $30, which included a t-shirt, shoe rental and 3 games of bowling plus a $15 donation. Some local business had donated prizes, so there were raffle drawings every half hour with 8 prizes given away. And we got to bowl!! It was a great way to support a good cause.

We had a great time, and we're already planning to do it next year. If you are interested in participating with us next year, let me know! (You can leave a comment below.) It is the first Sunday in March, so it should be March 7, 2010. And if you can come up with any funny/clever team names, we'd love to hear them!

Thumbs

I've never really noticed how much I use my thumbs. I mean, I know opposable thumbs separate us from many other animals, and I'm always thankful that I can easily open doors and jars and my cat cannot. Last night, my right thumb starting hurting while I was waitressing. I can't recall hitting it on anything. It seemed strange to me. I even commented to the bartender about it being sore and how odd that was. It was a little swollen, too, making it difficult to bend. When I got home, it continued to swell and be painful. It is still swollen and painful, and the cause remains a mystery.

If you read my post from yesterday, you know that I was fasting in observation of Ash Wednesday. I made it almost the whole day - I ate a roll while I was waitressing because I started to feel lightheaded and dizzy. Other than that, I avoided the temptations of bagels in the office, Riesen chocolate caramels on my desk, Starburst in the conference room, and a whole restaurant full of food. It may not have been 40 days, but it was full of temptations, nonetheless.

Employment and Other Thoughts

Einar had a second interview yesterday with a real estate office in DeForest. He accepted the position and starts at 8am on Monday. He will be doing office administration work - inputting property information into the computer, scheduling appointments, etc. He has been guaranteed 24 hours/week with the possibility that it'll be 40 hours/week shortly thereafter. Einar thinks it'll probably be closer to 40 right away while he's learning and figuring out their system and getting caught up with anything. It's a small real estate office - the owner, 3 other real estate agents, and 1 other guy who does property maintenance. There seems to be potential for growth, as the owner indicated that he wants Einar to become the office manager. The owner also said Einar could get his real estate license, but that will have to be something Einar will have to determine his interest in. All in all, it feels like a good opportunity.

Last night, Einar and I had dinner with his parents at Granite City. It was a fantastic way to share our good news and get caught up on what is happening in our lives. Unfortunately for me, I didn't have anything new and exciting to share - it was Einar's night.

Today is Ash Wednesday. I have to work both jobs, so I won't be able to attend any Ash Wednesday service. I wish I could. I have decided to fast as a way to observe this holy day, but I'm not sure if that's a good idea for when I go waitress. And then, I get to work, and one of my co-workers has brought in bagels! Oh the temptation!! I have not caved in, but I have 7 and 1/2 hours left in the workday. And I can smell them. . .

Segue

I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit that until October 2008, I thought segue was pronounced SEEG, not segway. I knew that "SEEG" meant the same thing as "segway," but I had no idea that segue should be pronounced the same way as "segway." *sigh* Better late than never, I suppose.

Six months

On Monday, February 9, Einar and I celebrated our six monthiversary. It is hard to believe that we've already been married for half a year! We were both scheduled to work at Mariner's, but we both got called off. So, we treated ourselves to a nice dinner at Madison's, a block off the square in downtown Madison. Everything we had was great, from our capreze appetizer to our chocolate mousse dessert. I'd highly recommend checking it out if you're in the area.