Lesson 285: Let the Games Begin!

Winter greetings to you from The Lamp Post.

This edition is brought to you from my home, Erie Pennsylvania,

leader of snow totals in the USA.

The snow and cold just won't stop.

Eloise doesn't mind though.  I was born here, and settled here by choice.

I expect the snow and cold, and try to find some beauty in it.

We had a beautiful, blue morning last weekend.

For the most part, my world looks black,

and white.

Still, things appear in landscape to remind us that despite what we see,

we do walk in a world filled with living color.

My world is about to be filled with these colors.

The opening ceremonies are televised right now, as I am writing this blog.  

I love how the history of a nation is told through artistry, costuming, and symbolism. 

And music.  

Don't miss the Russian music.

It makes me want to strap on a rifle, 

go hunting, 

and come back to a desolate cabin 

and drink vodka next to a crackling fire
while my boots dry.

I suppose that is why I've been wearing this hat.

I almost look like a Russian in this photo.

I've pissed off enough people in my day, that a few wouldn't mind Eloise shipped off to Siberia.

Ahhh, but there is no need,

because I'm living in it.

My workout group had some Olympic themed photo moments.

My friends who love sports, sure are good sports, putting up with me 

and my camera 

and my poses 

and my props.

Even if they are rooting for the French.

It is my hope that the games go off without a hitch, given all the hype over security concerns.

We've been talking peace in the schools since Martin Luther King Day.

Mrs. Eloise dreams of peace too, Klein Schooler.

And my own children were dreaming of peas this week, simply because they are part of our normal meal plan.  For folk at the Lamp Post, dinner has become a predictable meat, potato, and vegetable offering, with fruit or yogurt for dessert.  Healthy?  Most of the time.  Boring?  Always.

This is one of the reasons why I implemented a six week eating adventure at the Lamp Post.  It helped to break up the boredom that winter brings.  It also served to help me stay focused on Doc's Detox--a plan to abstain from alcohol, caffeine, and sugar for 42 days.  It also kept me away from left over holiday treats of epic proportions, like this one:

 Mother Eloise instituted theme weeks.  We began five weeks ago with Fish Week, and filled out dinner plates with salmon, shrimp, and tilapia.

 We then moved on to Mexican Week, and had Natalie's favorite (tortilla chips),

every night of the week.

Asian Week was somewhat of a flop,

with the exception of the fortune cookies.

We had a luau during the second polar vortex,

and pretended we were stranded on a deserted island and could only survive on fish and fruit.

My family began to miss my home cooking, so last week we returned to normalcy somewhat by instituting Heritage Week.  We served Sicilian pizza, German potato salad, pizzelles, 

and pasta fagioli. 

 Word to the wise when making pasta fagioli---you can feed the Italian army with it.

Enter Grandma with the biggest surprise of all on Thursday:

Thanksgiving dinner!

Complete with jelled cranberry sauce with the can marks in it,

just how I like it.

Grandma decorated my house.

and helped us celebrate our ethnic fests.

This is my last theme for our 'Round the World Eating Expedition, but it is going to extend throughout the Olympic Games.  What did Eloise choose for this week?

Russian cuisine, of course!

Eloise is going to try her hand at borscht.  And if things go bad, after Wednesday, I can always turn to vodka.  The detox will be over!  Boring blogs no more!

Big fun of the week:

Six Pack Run #2

I put a new twist on our group runs.

It's a little game I made up called Where's Eloise?

I purchased a Where's Waldo hat, donned it, and took off on a twenty minute head start from the rest of my group.  It was their job to find me.  The first to tag Eloise, received a prize.  Congratulations on your gold medal grab, Matt Kleck!  He now has a pocket full of energy chews.

Even with a 20 minute head start, I still finished last.

One by one, they all caught me.

and one by one they passed me by.

That's fine with Eloise.  The hunt is what made it fun.

For the hunters, it gave them something to look for, something to think about.

We are all looking for something, aren't we?

What is it that you are looking for? 

Did you ever ask yourself that question?

That's your homework for the week.  Dig deep and find your answer.

For the hunted:  I pretended I was trying to outrun a zombie horde.  

That's why I picked up this stick.

Figures I'd find the damn thing on the first mile of my six mile trek.  

It was just what I needed for an art project I'm working on and I couldn't pass it up.

It needs some finishing touches.  I'll show you next week.

 I also found this abandoned boot, 

which was way cool because we were running to a bar called Bootleggers.

I even ran a Lost and Found ad for it, but no one bit.

Looks like this boot is going to have to become Lamp Post art.

Surprise of the week:

Eloise found herself on an advertisement for The Barber Beast on the Bay!

There is quite a story behind that picture.  I'll save it for when I am pushing for a few more recruits.  My sister Kenyan and I each have teams and are huge supporters of this adventure race.  If you are interested in participating, contact one of us.  We'll hook you up with event information and some people to train with. 

 Join us!

Funny of the week:

My friend Dan's response to opening this e-mail.

Dan posted to‎Eloise Hawking

February 3

I've opened some shocking and disturbing E - mails in my day but this one takes the cake! — with Eloise Hawking.

 Eloise's S. Book Club:

S. by JJ Abrams and Doug Dorst is my favorite book!  For those of you joining me on this reading adventure, check out this link and stare at the S a little while.

Who is Straka?

  All call to the techies:  What is a pgp key?   Looks I will need it to break the encryption.

Intrigued?  Get the book, and then ask to join my facebook page for S. readers.

Biggest shocker news of the week:

Eloise has had a lovers spat.

Tim McGraw has slid a bit from my top spot.

No worries.

It's natural.  

Lovers quarrel from time to time.

All will be well again soon.

But for now, Eloise is a little ticked at Handsome.

He better watch out.

I've been thinking about Harry Conick Junior a lot lately.

Handsome was a week late getting the song he wrote about me onto iTunes.  Lookin' For That Girl was released a week later than planned.  I thought it would be the perfect song to use for the photos of my Where's Eloise? run.  I made the whole video, and it got blocked for copyright violation.  Grrrrr.  Tim has also announced his summer tour and cities, but has yet to release the dates.  My summer plans center around one of his concerts and it's making Eloise pacey and anxious, the very thing that 42 days of NO COFFEE, COOKIES, AND BEER is trying to cure me of.  Hurry the f%$! up Tim!

This morning I had to remake my video.  I chose Follow Your Arrow by Kacey Musgraves.  It is a pretty liberal song coming out of the country music world.  I like it.  A lot.

Right now I have to follow my own arrow to the TV set.  Team USA is going to make their appearance and I don't want to miss it.  I'll just make sure I don't blast this song loud enough for Vladimir Putin to hear it.  I don't think this arrow would fly too far in Russia.

Let the games begin!
Eloise