Limiting Football On TV: Or Being Cheap With the Programing

 

The High Cost of Too Much TV: Learn to Say No

 I missed the Bears game last week. I followed the game on one of those YouTube channels where a fan tells you what’s going on in the game in real time. It’s not as good as watching the game, but it’s at least a real time broadcast. I don’t think I can even listen on the radio for free anymore. The last time I tried it I had to log in or sign up or get some app. Whatever the requirements were, I didn’t want to mess with it. As for the NFL ticket or game package on TV, I’m not about to shell out that much. I’m pretty sure it’s around $500 to see every game. I’m a fan, but not that much.

Football and TV

Even my brother only gets the red zone. He can certainly afford to buy the full package, but he won’t fork over that much either. I might be exaggerating the price a little, but I’m sure it’s in the $500 range. While at work earlier this summer, I talked with my coworker about the package. Despite his lifelong interest in the Denver Broncos, he refused to pay it as well. YouTube might have overshot the interest in the plan. Then again, I don’t know how much they bought it for. At least I have Prime. I can see all the Thursday games and one black Friday game every year. This year the Bears played the Eagles on black Friday.

I’d rather the NFL got rid of the Thursday games. At least with black Friday it’s only one week per year they do a Friday game. The teams don’t get the full rest they need on Thursday and it shows. It’s usually the sloppiest game you’ll see all year.

I can’t back this up with any kind of data, it’s a ‘feel thing’. Sloppy play means a lot of false starts and poor routes, missed tackles and on-field fights. If your team looks out of sink it’s probably a Thursday game. More Bears games would be nice, but I can’t justify the high price of the TV package. Anyway I don’t have YouTube premium or whatever they call it. The MLB network package worked out well for me this year. At the beginning of the season it was around $150 for the year. I didn’t get every Cubs game but probably around 75% of them. But I didn’t buy the package until May, which means I missed a whole month. By then it was only $60 through Prime. I used that month to find out if the Cubs would be worth watching 3 nights a week. They were. This upcoming year I’ll get the package again, but I’m not sure if buying through Prime is the same thing as just buying through MLB network.

Can’t imagine it’s any different but I never checked it out.

Reading and No TV

Sports are basically the only thing I’ll pay for. Prime is the only streaming service I have. It’s the crappiest one as far as shows and movies, but I’m not paying for Netflix or Hulu or Disney. You have to decide which one you want and forget the rest. TV shouldn’t be this expensive. It used to be free after all. Just adjust the rabbit ears on the top of the screen and hope it doesn’t short out on you. But then again, we do have a lot of options nowadays that didn’t exist before. And the vast number of shows and films made every year is staggering. But at some point, you can’t watch everything. You need to be choosy for the sake of your mental health if nothing else.

Free time can make people lazy. I’m certainly in this camp, but I’m trying to make better choices with my time. Books are better for your brain than movies. I don’t have a study to reference but it’s obvious right? There is something about reading that inspires writing too. I’ve noticed this while reading. It’s like there is some section of the brain where reading and writing thrive and even work on the same frequency. TV has a way of turning off some creative part of your brain. As much as I like sports, I’m more selective with how many games I watch per Sunday. Bears weren’t on today in my area. I turned it off. Not like I didn’t want to watch football either. But if I watched an early game, I’d probably watch a later game. And then I’d watch some of the Sunday night game, while talking on the phone to my cousin. On a warmer day I’d be outside raking leaves and being productive.

Conclusion

Circling back to the NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube, the high cost almost ensures you’ll watch more football. When you pay a steep price for something you want to get the most out of it. I’d feel obligated to keep the channel on all day. That’s something I don’t need. For now I’ll watch what I can and read more books. This wasn’t meant to be New Year’s resolution post, but it’s sounding a lot like one. I guess that’s OK, we’re in the season for it. Merry Christmas and go Bears!

Avoiding the Hospital and Trying to Live Healthy

 

Time and Healthy Living Will Blunt Most Medical Conditions

I had a checkup with my doctor the other day. I’m required to go at least every few years to get my prescription refilled. I have enough refills throughout the year to survive, but per the insurance, I can’t just keep getting the same drug in perpetuity. Maybe it’s the drug companies that require that, I’m not sure. Either way it feels like wasted time. We can handle most of this through the web chart portal I would think.

 “Still having the same issues?” Yes.

 “Any difference on the prior history forms since 3 years ago?” No.

I suppose they need to do the requisite blood pressure checks and breathing tests. In person visits are the only way, no getting around that.

Early Childhood Skepticism

We didn’t go to the doctor much as kids. Only the most serious issues would force a begrudging trip to the emergency room or walk in clinic. My parents figured our bodies could take care of whatever illness worked its way through our system. Kids get respiratory infections all the time. Stomach aches too and ear infections are a regular part of growing up. Broken arms and fingers need to be set of course, but fevers just need time. You might miss school but after a short while you’ll be back to normal. There are always exceptions. I still have a scar on my right middle finger from stuffing my hand into a coffee mug and cracking the porcelain while washing the dishes. Needless to say, we rushed to the emergency room after I stopped the bleeding with a tightly wound rag.

As an adult I’ve kept the same reluctant approach toward hospitals and doctors. It’s not a fear necessarily but a “why bother” attitude. Your body can fix most attacks whether flu or headaches. Some things take longer to leave your system, but rest and time are all that’s needed. There might be some superstition in my thinking I’ll admit. Like, if the doctor can’t see something “off” in my bloodwork it’s not really a problem. This is a bit like not checking your bank account balance and hoping it’s still full after buying a vacation cruise package to the Bahamas. If I don’t look at it then I don’t have to think about it.

But there’s some truth to not thinking about problems and just letting your body fix it.

The Internal Fix

As a runner I’ve lost count of all the ankle, foot and calf pain that seems to be a regular occurrence. I’m not talking about debilitating pain but nagging injuries. Every few weeks another one pops up. They’re not enough to keep me from jogging though. Usually stretching and sleep are enough. Plantar Fasciitis was the worst injury I’ve experienced. That one forced me to quit running for 3 to 4 months until I didn’t notice it anymore. Stretching didn’t help. Massages didn’t help. Only prayer and waiting got me over the hump. The point is, the body is designed to heal itself.

Despite the sickness and disease in the world, our bodies are constantly fighting off infection, repairing damaged tissue and breaking down toxins. Our part is staying healthy and choosing to exercise and eat right. My attitude towards doctor visits was shaped as a kid. At root, is a belief in the body’s ability to heal itself. If God is the designer of our bodies, it means he created them to heal and repair and function in an orderly way. That’s a first principles philosophy on health and fitness for me. It’s only a starting point though. There remains a slew of health issues that have nothing to do with poor diet or inactivity. But leaving aside autoimmune diseases, birth defects and mental disorders, a lot of illnesses are lifestyle related. Meaning, diet and exercise are being ignored.

New Approaches to Health

I’m not one to preach healthy living but the whole MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) movement has made me rethink food. Like most conservatives I’ve always taken a libertarian approach to the health of others. It’s none of my business. The finger wagging stuff from the federal government has always irritated me. Unfortunately, health care’ is now shorthand for medicine and hospitals. That means runaway costs for people that probably shouldn’t be on drugs, if they took better care of themselves. In an ideal system everyone would pay their own healthcare without the distorting effect of insurance on the market. We aren’t there yet. For now, it’s a government run system heavily dependent on a both federal dollars and insurance company cooperation. I don’t pretend to understand it all. It’s too opaque.

Like education, health care spending in America outpaces nearly every other country and produces the worst results. We’re dumber and sicker. Since the American heath care system is so intertwined with multiple interests, it’s not out of bounds to start reigning in the drug companies. They’re a major beneficiary of the total spending, and that’s the way they like it. But we don’t need cheaper drugs as much as we need fewer people on drugs. I hope this is where RFK Jr and HHS (health and human services) end up. So far he’s lost a lot of people who aren’t serious about the direction of the cabinet. He’s right to start from the position that Americans are as unhealthy as we’ve ever been, and work backward towards a solution.

Conclusion

I started off mentioning my visit to the doctor to get a refill. I didn’t miss the obvious irony either, complaining about people who don’t need drugs while taking one myself. All I can say is it’s not from poor health, mental or physical. But then again, maybe there is more I can do from a trial and error perspective. I suppose I could try a different set of vitamins. The body was made to heal itself after all. God designed us as image bearers of Him.

“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” (Psalm 139:14)

 

 

 

 

What Does the book of James Tell us About Prayer?

 The Importance of the Unity in the Church: James and the Power of Prayer

The church I attend held a prayer service last night. For the last 3 months or so we’ve been slowly going through the book of James. Written by James the brother of Jesus, it’s a practical and short New Testament letter to an early church in Jerusalem. Faith is a common theme, as is confession of sins and righteous living. The last chapter gives practical steps for praying over the sick and confessing sins to one another. Prayer is central to building strong Christian communities inside and outside the church walls.

Confession and Healing

In that attitude, a slightly different service was arranged to maximize one on one prayer. Instead of a single sermon, there were stations throughout the sanctuary with prayer partners. We used the last chapter of James (5) as a templet for faith in practice.

First comes obedience to the Word, then a move of the Spirit to do good works.

 “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, an let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.” (13-14)

Our team usually prays at the end of the service. Volunteers (Elders) come forward to wait and agree with those in need. It’s not just for the sick either. A fair amount need prayer for job situations, marriage and issues with families and kids. Many are there on behalf of others. Prayer is such an integral part of a Christian community that I feel terrible for those who aren’t afforded it. I don’t mean corporate prayer from the leadership. I’m talking about the ground level one of one type of prayer. We could all do well to follow the instruction of the apostle Paul and “…bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).

Doers and Hearers

To bear another’s burden might begin with prayer, but often requires follow ups and practical help. Church leadership does this. It’s part of their mission. But the church isn’t just an organization of ordained ministers who get paid to preach and visit members in the hospital. It’s a union of people, committed to growing in faith and knowledge of the scripture. The two biggest tasks for Christians are, preaching the gospel to those outside the church and bearing the burdens of those inside it. As it was with the first church in the book of Acts, it remains to this day. Faith in practice for the unity of the church and its impact on non-believers, is a strong theme from the book of James. As is waiting and trusting in God's plan.

He follows up his instructions to the elders about healing. “And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed” (15-16).

Now we have a starting point. Sickness, disease and injury are realities of life. But our confidence for healing was secured by the Christ’s resurrection. James doesn’t spend time on legal arguments about the authority residing in the church over disease. Healing is axiomatic. That tells me the principle of divine authority was understood when James wrote his letter. No explanation was needed.

Agreement and Reluctance

James is concerned with doing and being the church. Faith plus works equals life in Christ.

God works through His people as a channel to others. This is important to remember during these sessions of healing prayer. We don’t heal or save anyone. The Christian’s role is to agree with scripture for the one in need. We speak and God moves. A lot of the reluctance around healing prayer is connected to the emotionalism of tent revival meetings from the 1980s. Large churches in particular want to avoid anything that seems weird or out of control. Even Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, lays out some restrictions for church control over speaking in tongues during service. The idea being, people won’t join if they’re afraid of being in cult.

The gospel is for everyone so handle with care.

But the scripture is clear on the power of God when the gospel is preached. In Acts 10, Peter speaks to the house of Cornelius and they have an encounter with the Holy Spirit. Peter became the channel of God’s power by being obedient to the vision he had about the Gentiles.

Conclusion

This is the model for churches. Obedience proceeds salvation and healing. More believers are brought into the faith because they see the goodness of God, demonstrated through healing. We prayed for almost 500 people in all 3 services this weekend. Some responded with salvation and others believed for physical healing. The ones I prayed with were there for healing on behalf of others. I expect miraculous stories in the weeks ahead and I can’t wait to hear them.

Immigration and Populism in the West

 

The Future Of the West and Populism: The Disaster of Unchecked Immigration

I started reading a book called the Guns of August. 

It’s supposedly one of the best books on World War I. So far it’s giving a lot of background on the monarchies running most of Europe before the war. So many of them were related. Since the Middle Ages, kings and queens married off their kids to the kids of other rulers. After a few hundred years, Western Europe was made up of a handful of families. How much the world has changed since these monarchies lost power? World War II was the beginning of the end for most of the European dynasties. The families were able to keep their titles, but power shifted to elected governments. Obviously it’s different from country to country, but that model certainly carried the day.

The current global order with look different in the next few years as populism reasserts the need for sovereignty, after being nearly lost by mass immigration.

Global Order

The struggle is between a global order and a nationalist/populist surge. The global order got going after World War II with the Bretton Woods meeting of business and government leaders. The purpose of the meeting was to establish a way to stabilize trade and institute a rules based order on currency exchange. Partly to counter the instability of Communism, they believed economic alliances and free trade was key to stability.

In that same vein, European coal and steel industries came together in a multi country alliance after the Treaty of Paris (1951). Once those initial 6 countries (West Germany, Italy, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands) were in a common market, additional countries (Portugal, Spain) joined the alliance. It’s been called the European Union since 1992, and includes all of Western Europe and even a few Slavic countries (Slovakia, Bulgaria).

Whatever the benefits to international organizations, the global order runs roughshod over the sovereignty of nation states. America still maintains a lot of independence in real terms, but big decisions aren’t voted on by the public. Immigration is the biggest of all.  

Cultural Stressors

 Europe, Canada and America have all made the same mistake since at least the 1980s. They’ve taken in too many immigrants from other parts of the world for mostly economic reasons. Often the cultures are very different. This isn’t a moot point either. North African Muslims think very little of females, same with Pakistani Muslims. Rape of white girls in England is a terrible problem in a lot of the cities where large populations of them live.

In America the problem is just one of rampant crime. When you don’t know who is in the country it puts a strain on everyone, law enforcement included. I’m not saying we don’t have crime or violence without illegal immigration either. But in the last 20 years or so the lack of attention to the border has become a problem. It’s really because illegal immigration benefits the globalist model that it’s been impossible to stop. The laws on emigrating to another country don’t matter if no one enforces them in the first place. The population never got a vote on immigration. After so many years of open borders, rampant crime and Visa abuses, a strong populist party began to form.

In America Republican populism pushed Trump to the presidency. In Britain it’s unclear how strong the populist sentiment is. Tommy Robinson might be the most effective spokesman for the Right, despite the mainstream media calling him a racist. He gets tossed into jail for the smallest slights. Cleary the British government fears him. Will Nigel Farage be enough of a blunt instrument to deport illegals and slam the door shut on further immigration? He seems more opportunist than agent of change, but we will see. Populism can easily go Left wing as well. It’s not a sure bet that it stays on the Right.

New York City just elected a Socialist mayor from Uganda, but in other ways the global order is in retreat. The idea that nations should decide their own fate is back in style. The question is, will Right wing populism be able to bring back sovereignty and order? Has the slide into runaway immigration gone on for too long? Can America claw back cities like Dearborn, MI and Minneapolis, MN from Muslim control? Whoever decided to turn these places into Mogadishu in the heartland should be thrown out of the country. Or at the very least, be forced live there and have their kids attend school under Sharia norms.

Disastrous History

Mass immigration will turn out to be the biggest disaster of the 21^st century. Immigration as an idea isn’t a terrible thing for a country, but without assimilation it will be a problem. I’d be in favor of a moratorium for 20 years on all immigration. This of course, while deporting those here illegally on a scale that dwarfs the recent waves of people coming in. There was a time when I would be worried about being thought of as cruel toward immigrants. After all, America has seen large groups of immigrants arrive since the early 1800s, why pull up the drawbridge for newbies?

Because we’ve been conned. The tech bros in Silicon Valley pretend that their special kind of talent can only be found in the Asian continent. They get H-1B visas for a lot of their technical help instead of hiring Americans. It’s a con, because they don’t have to pay them as much or keep them as long. Some companies will offshore the jobs connected to the visas. Why don’t Americans have the supposed skill anyway? We spend more on post-secondary school than most countries in the world, by an order of magnitude. We have around 350 million people in this country. H-1B visas are a cost saving measure for the tech industry and nothing more.

Another way we’ve been conned on visas, is believing that Americans won’t do certain jobs. I’m sympathetic to this argument to a degree. Certain industries, lawn care, construction, agriculture are labor intensive and don’t pay well at the bottom level. When unemployment pays better than cutting grass, people find ways to get fired. Add in SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) fraud and you’ve just eliminated 2 very big expenses for your family. Employers are rightly put off by all the lazy Americans.

 But only with alternatives can it be said that Americans won’t do a job. Employers can say a person won’t work if there is another who will work for less. It’s not a real choice. If no second person existed to give the work to, you’d have to make accommodations with the first one. Illegal immigration changes the calculation by introducing a second person. And when you start to add other industries (trucking, restaurant and hotels) Americans get pushed out of everything except retail and marketing.

This is a two part problem requiring curbs on both immigration and unemployment. The goal is to get Americans off the dole and into the labor market. The Trump administration has gone after illegal immigration and continues to deport in large numbers. The next phase is to cut into the wasteful unemployment system and get people working again. This is much tougher because it requires getting reps to vote for less money. 

Conclusion

The monarchies in Europe thought their control would only increase before World War I, but after 1918 most were gone, replaced by republics or revolutions. Since Word War II we’ve seen a global order run by international institutions and dollar dominance. But populism is on the rise, as is nationalism. The excessive movement of people across borders has displaced native workers and caused resentment among citizens. The best case scenario is for politicians to take up the cause of their voters, both in America and Europe. Globalists want unchecked immigration; populists want enforcement of laws. No one wants revolution or civil war. In 10 years the world will look very different. 

 

Justice Run 2025: Half Marathon Version

 

A Race For Everyone: Justice Run Fun

Running is becoming a family affair. Last weekend was the 4^th time I’ve completed a race at the Justice Run. This time it was only a half marathon. The full seemed a little out of reach for where my training is this year. That turned out to be the best option after all. I finished just over 2 hours and 16 minutes. Slower than I’d like, but at least I finished running the whole way. I’m starting to set my expectations a little lower on some of these summer runs. I know it’s not summer, but the heat hasn’t relented enough for me to feel like keeping a quick pace. I tried to eat a little more in hopes that my energy levels wouldn’t dip so much. I’m not sure how much it helped, but I’m in a phase right now where I’m trying different things.

Recovery Tools

For the second time after a race, I got a vitamin cocktail IV at one of the booths. It’s perfect for quick recovery. For whatever reason I get very wiped out during these races and nothing feels better than a full bag of nutrients right into the blood stream. I was getting chills sitting there in the chair. The IV bag is quite cold apparently. They offered me a blanket and I declined. Not because I wasn’t cold, but because I thought I looked pathetic enough on a chair with an IV bag dripping into my veins. I wasn’t interested in looking even more like a hospital patient.

Instead I shivered--like a man!

While the color started to return to my face and recovered, the 5K run began. That’s important because my nephew and 2 nieces ran their first race along with another family (the houses) we know well. My brother and me and my mom all walked over near the finish line to cheer them on. At this point I was full of energy and happy to be on the other side. Emily managed to cross the finish line first. That took us all by surprise because she is the youngest. The rest of the kids passed the line about 5 minutes apart. Bella first and then Christian. All of them had a great experience and can’t wait to do it again. We talked about doing a Turkey Trot at Thanksgiving since they’ll all be here. I’m not sure if this will come off but I do hope so. Turkey day has a way of making people relax and watch football instead.

The seeds of running were planted.

Habitual Tools

There is something about listening to people cheer as you cross the finish line that keeps you coming back. You get a medal and a tee shirt to remember the day. You start to learn how fast you can run and still maintain a constant pace. The more races you do, the more you learn. It’s fun to strategize and improve. Mostly it’s good for you and builds habits that can last a lifetime. Later that evening we had steaks on the grill, another tradition that we all look forward to.

I was happy the race wasn’t rained out. Two years ago it rained heavily the night before and washed out the running trails. The organizers pushed the start time back a few hours hoping for a little more light and little less water on the track. It worked out despite the later start. The first 30 minutes were sloppy but the water drained off enough to make it passable. This year it looked to be a repeat of that. Friday night brought monsoon level rain to Fort Worth. Flash flooding was a problem that night across the region. Fortunately, it didn’t stop the race. Pooling water wasn’t a problem on the path either. The worst part was probably the humidity it brought with it. Living in the south means getting used to the heat though.

Conclusion

But it's finally on the way out. Colder temps are on the way and despite being uncomfortable in the early part of the race, it allows me to go longer. I realize that I write a lot about the weather in these running blog posts. But it plays such an important part in how my body performs that I always feel the need to mention it. The goal is to learn to run despite the conditions. In that regard, I’ve got a way to go.

 

Weekly Running: Grateful for the Journey

 

The Complete Picture of Jogging and Gratitude for the Growth

My running schedule is nearing the end of the summer/fall session. This season I’ve been acting as a run lead for the 10 to 11 pace group. There are two of us. We take turns sending out the email on a weekly basis telling the others where to meet and sharing the route map. Mostly it’s been hot this year. We’re 3 weeks into October and we run consistently it weather above 70 degrees. For long runs this is tough. This late October season usually consists of cool mornings below 60 degrees. We’ve had maybe one or two weekends like that. That’s been the trickiest part to this late season, getting the hydration right.

In a lot of ways, warmer temperatures are wonderful for running. I love to wear tank tops when it’s warm. Those are the first things to go when it gets chilly. Figuring out the best way to dress in the winter is much tougher. Too many layers and you’ll sweat to death. Too few and you’ll be uncomfortably cold for the duration. I think the running schedule has a total of 4 more weeks before the end of the cycle. This one culminates in the Route 66 Marathon. Most of the participants sign up for this. It’s local and quite popular.

I’ve been going to Texas to do the Justice Run for 3 years in a row. The first two years, I did the full marathon. Last year I attempted the full and finished with a half. I ran out of steam near the midpoint and decided to call it early. The run is set up as an out and back for half marathoners, the full marathoners run the loop twice. It’s easy to bail if you feel sick or exhausted after the first loop.

This year I’m not even going to attempt the full marathon. I’m not ready. Frankly just the thought of doing such a grueling run in the heat makes me nauseous. Will it be warm in a week? If the previous few weeks are any indication, absolutely.

But to keep up the streak of consecutive runs, I’m still signed up and ready for a fourth year. I get to see my brother and his family anyway. Any distance is worth it. It’s like a little vacation anyway, and doing the run means I don’t miss any training.

As for this week, today was my last big  group run before my race and I was supposed to run 18 miles. I managed 12. This wasn’t a surprise, as I’ve been sick most of this week. Wednesday I went to La Fortune park for my usual 6 miles. After only a couple of miles I wanted to walk back to the car. 3 was my total and I barely got that in. After that rough start I decided to take the rest of the week off and let the allergies run their course. Considering the week, I’m fine with 12. I’ll do a few short ones this week before I leave for Texas however.

Everything in me wants to make excuses for why I’m not prepared to do a full marathon, but I feel like I’m at a plateau in my training. I’ve been on the same running plan for the last 4 years or so. I run more miles throughout the week than most people in my group. How do I know? I’ve asked them. One of the benefits of being in a group like this is comparing and contrasting your efforts to that of others. I’ve picked up advice about food and clothing, weather preparation and target heart rate. Jogging is thought of as a solo sport, but it can also be done in a community. It’s where growth happens.

In the interest of growth, I could add more miles to my weekly runs. But without waking up an hour earlier, I don’t have the time. There is an element of balance to everything in life and if I never run a full marathon at less than 4 and half hours, I can live with that. My purpose with jogging has been, from the beginning, to maintain a healthy lifestyle and keep the weight off. Races are a way to keep me accountable, but my race time doesn’t sum up my effort. I know how much I’ve improved. And when the progress stalls, or plateaus, I have to rest in that effort.

Excuses won’t get me closer to my goal of completing a marathon while running the whole distance. For now at least, I’ll take my wins where I can and be grateful that I can run at all and feel God’s presence whatever the weather. Little reminders of where we’ve come, whenever we feel stuck, can bring us out of a mental funk. Gratitude works to reset your mind and put order back into our daily lives. It’s true in running and it’s true in life.

 

Of Carbs and Cooking: More Spaghetti Please

 

Spaghetti Dinner for One: Best Meal of the Week

Had a full dinner tonight. 

Spaghetti remains a favorite meal for me. Of course there isn’t a lot of food I know how to cook. The issue I have with anything that needs to be cooked after work, is the lag time between preparation and eating. I’m hungry when I begin the prep. That leads to snacking, a lot. If the meal takes 30 minutes, I’m half full on whatever I munched on during the wait phase. It’s a problem of self control. I could force myself to wait for the food to cook and count the minutes before the water boiled. Then dig out the noodles to see if they’re soft enough to drain. And finally, wait for both noodles, sausage and sauce to simmer together for 5 minutes. I haven’t mastered patience yet.

The weekends are a little different however, I can cook before I’m really hungry and not have to fill up on crackers or potato chips.

But whether I’m making spaghetti on a work night or on an Sunday afternoon, most it will get polished off during the leftover phase. And yes, leftovers are just as good as a meal straight from the pan. I don’t make the garlic bread anymore unless I’m serving a handful of people. Not because of some no bread diet or anything, I just don’t crave it like I used to. Anyway, the consistency of reheated garlic bread is similar to a dishwashing glove--rubbery, chewy, tasteless. It’s completely unlike the noodles and sauce which warms up nicely and doesn’t surrender taste. Where does my love for spaghetti come from? It’s not like we used to eat a lot of it as kids. But then, I don’t know what a lot would be. Certainly not once a week, like with pizza.

Wherever my fondness for the classic Italian dish comes from, it hasn’t wore off yet. I’m as committed to having it once a week as am to getting in my miles when jogging. The carb heavy meal actually works well for work outs too. Carbohydrates are quick sources of energy because they turn into glucose quicker than do fats or proteins. The glucose is stored as glycogen for an efficient fuel source during a run. I didn’t need to hear that something I already enjoy is good for energy, but it certainly helped. Right about the time I found out about carb loading is about the time I started doing a spaghetti meal every week. Before that I had laid off making it quite so often. 

I’d burned out a little. Running brought me back.

Obviously I love homemade food but don’t have enough time to cook a lot of different meals. Tuesday through Friday are packed with events, men’s groups and training in the evenings. Mondays are typically free. On the weekends I like to relax. I realize I could cook more often on Saturday afternoons or Sunday evenings, but I like to lay around a little too. Plus, we’re in football season and I’ll always try to watch a few games on TV. I don’t watch it all day, but I’ll catch at least one NFL game and maybe a Saturday night one as well. I tend to doze off though. It’s a wonderful feeling to snooze for an hour or so just because you’re tired enough to do so.

For now at least I’ll keep my meals simple.

I should probably mention the biggest drawback to cooking, I’m not good at it. Even spaghetti is only “cooking” in the most basic sense. I doubt cooks would call it that. It’s closer to warming food up. It’s not like I’m making my own sauce or anything. I brown the sausage and add it to an already simmer pot of marinara (or meat sauce) from a jar. In recent years I’ve switched to the Rao’s brand. It’s more expensive but tastes better than the Prego I used to buy. I like the Johnsonville mild sausage instead of the ground chuck from the grocery store. Here I’m also not sure when this changed, but I prefer sausage. It also doesn’t render into a greasy pool in the frying pan like fatty beef either. Once the water boils I dump in the noodles. This part is tricky. Sometimes I put too many noodles in and have to save them for the next meal. It’s not easy to tell how much I’ll need though. Is a handful or two handfuls? Well, at least they’re cheap.

I probably cook my noodles slightly beyond the ‘Al dente’ standard because I can’t abide even a hint of crunch. And I always use the spaghetti noodles and not pasta penne or bowties or any other variety. Once it’s sticky it’s ready. Then comes the low heat marinade process. By then I’ve usually eaten handfuls of cashew pieces to take off the hunger urge. Once the pan cools, I sit down to eat.

 Cooking? Maybe not, but it’s close enough for now.