Its been a while. I use IG and FB, even TikTok, Lemon8 and Clapper, almost daily, but I never seem to get to here. I have to make this part of the weekly routine at least. The move to Mill Creek is done. Baby is due end of January 2024.
SCARED TO DEATH about all of this.
At 54, I had more or less given up on the baby thing, as had Rebecca. Reality is, its mostly on her. She has to carry it. We are both happy, excited and scared.
Rebecca is reading baby related books none stop. I am casually reading them between Bible study, Calling Jesus, and a few other books.
42 weeks straight of Peloton work outs and 14 or 15 days in a row. Did a Shilajit experiment. Tried Alpha Brain (Joe Rogan’s supp). A few other things. Working on a Shilajit post (did it work? doesnt it work? stay tuned), as well a post discussing all of the things I have tried and ranking them in effectiveness, at least for me. As if the first few months of 2024 were not going to be busy enough with the baby, I hope to start a Family Project. Pod cast style, recording the Anderson-Dickinson family history. Interviews with family members (have to figure out how to work the Canadian side into this as well). I also want to do some wine related content, and food/cooking.
Get back into Day Trading as well.
Rebecca and Baby are the priority. The other things are “when I have time” LOL 2087 maybe? I dont know – I am pretty solid on schedule and time management though so I will figure it out in 2024.
So first, I apologize Week 9, I forgot you… So I will include you with week 10.
Digging deep into who you are, discovering the Why, and even the Who, What, When and Where, are important. If you have not taken a few days at some point in your life to really dig in and ask yourself “Why…” like Why do I react that way to situation X, why do I believe in Thing Y, etc, you are missing something.
Often these tidbits are not Life Altering, or some huge discovery about yourself, but they are important. BUT if something is big and life altering, then you have done yourself a favour.
Self Awareness, and being HONEST with yourself about who you are, what you believe, how you want to live, how you want to love, is some clarity that I believe very few of you ever really get. We all know Who We Are, but do we REALLY know Who We Are? The answer will shock the fuck out of you.
Elements of Self Awareness – Self Love, Confidence, Self Acceptance These elements are not used to fool yourself into a delusional state, that would be the opposite of Self Awareness. You could easily use “Confidence” to hide things, build up around them. That is not real Confidence. Confidence is there to allow you to be Honest with yourself, look yourself in the eye and accept what you truly see (self acceptance) and then employ Self Love to improve upon it, or realize it is what it is, accept it and move on. Not every weakness you find or see needs to be worked on. Sometimes they are just what they are, and the effort to truly improve them is not worth the time and extreme added effort, when you could do so much more with that effort on either a different weakness, or a strength and gain exponentially more. BUT Accepting It is ALWAYS worth it, Acknowledging it is ALWAYS Worth it.
What have I discovered recently about myself with this process? Glad you asked: I allow the status quo to set in too often, give up the fight for change too easily. I am not straightforward enough with employees and co workers when it matters most. (sort of part 2 of the status quo weakness) When something finally has to be done, I knee jerk react to it, because I allowed the status quo too linger too long and now it has to be solved. I am smart, determined, flexible and capable of almost anything I set my mind too (as long as I cure the status quo part…) I avoid confrontation in situations that really need it, and confront at times in situations that do not need it (part of the knee jerk reaction from above).
There are a host of other things as well, strength and weakness, but these were the higher level ones and things I have chose to work on actively.
Now on to the Fun Stuff: On May 5th – 7th I got to head to Eastern Washington for some fantastic wine events, a tour of Cascade Cliffs and the Leonetti release party. While there did some tastings at Gramercy, L’Ecole, Lagana, Col Solare and Jacob Williams. Some FANTASTIC wines in that group. I will get some content out around those this week and a post or two.
Happy Weekend and looking forward to a great week a head for all of you!
So I am WAY behind where I wanted to be on posts, but it has been a WHIRLWIND so far in Italy. Milan, Venice, Florence, San Gimignano, Bologna and now on the train to Rome (and then to Sorrento).
I figure most of the detailed posts will have to wait until I am home and then will gather thoughts and notes and pictures over the next few weeks.
So far the trip has been amazing, Food, food and more food, wine flowing pretty free also. Prices in Italy for many things are significantly cheaper than I remembered, the EUR and USD are about even, which helps a lot as well. Dinner is usually about $15-$25 a person, for two, if not three courses and wine. And this is not Olive Garden italian food… this is real food. Your average pizza, about the size of a medium from Domino’s, $10-$12. Bottle of wine $8-$20 ($20 is extreme, usually $12-$16), a glass $4-$6, maybe $8 if you go top end.
Quick thoughts on cities we have stayed in: Milan – not a lot to see, food is so-so, likely a good party city, as it is the most modern city in Italy. Venice – I am not a fan. Have been twice now. The history of Venice is amazing but the actual place leaves something to be desired. Florence – amazing sites, great food. A lot of our group did not like it, but I do. I especially like the surrounding countryside San Gimignano – Tuscan Hill Town, but very touristy. It is the visual representation of Tuscany, but is not the intimate, individualistic, Hill Town experience. Worth the visit, but not a long stay. Bologna – Still confused by this place, just leaving the city right now.
The trip on the whole is amazing. Even if parts of it have not hit the spot for me, something in every place is has been someone else’s favourite. Just being here in Italy is fantastic.
We had quite a few side trips, wineries, restaurants, cheese prosciutto and basalmic makers. Details on those things and more coming.
Ten of us on this trip, eight from Seattle and two from New York. Meeting in Frankfurt, then on to Milan, Italy.
The basic outline is Milan -> Venice -> Florence -> San Giamono -> Bologna -> Rome -> Sorrento/Capri and then fly out of Naples.
Three generations of Anderson-Huppert’s on this trip. Organized by my parents (TA, CA), the tip includes by sister, her husband and their three boys (LH, BH, KDA, RH, JH) and the oldest’s nephew’s girl friend (G) and then myself and my girl friend (RS).
Food, wine, sights, and who knows what else in store for u over the next three or so weeks.
2021 provided me with a lot of options and some issues. I am not one to dwell on “issues” or problems, so I really want to focus on the options and positives. Obviously Covid was a negative for all of us… that was really the big issue, things closed, or half open, access restricted in a lot of ways.
On the positive, I left my job to make a full time go at Day Trading, went from single to not single (after a couple tries at dating different people) and got my yard at the house finished, really started to get my cooking pictures on a different level (still needs work) and just took a lot of time off to get some things straight for myself.
In 2022 I need to continue to get focused and really dial myself in. My Goals for 2022: Peloton three or four times a week, and days I do not use the Peloton, do some strength/conditioning work. Core52 focus, study and get back to Church on a more regular basis. IG story things better and more often. Spread my content around into more regular posts. Post on this site at least weekly, but two or three times a week really. Use IG for quick posts, and promote this site through my IG posts. Get my Garage cleaned up. Its a legit mess. I need to throw a ton of stuff away. Day Trading focus on $2000 a week income and build my Trading Account to double its current size, and then focus on $3000 a week income.
Then I have a couple personal things that I do not need to air out and posts, relationship things.
That is my 2022 Plan. I look forward to working on it and making it happen and having an extremely successful 2022.
I have always been and continue to be inspired by Italy and Italian cooking, and their wine. I had also just watched all four ep of Bobby and Giada in Italy, so that helped me some with this dinner.
I tried to keep this simple, pure ingredients as much as possible. I heavily salt and peppered the steak, then into a bag with the lemon juice and zest, tarragon, fennel seed, oregano, garlic and olive oil. Marinated it for about five hours. The chimichurri was italian parsley, lemon juice and zest, a shallot, tarragon, olive oil and some salt and pepper. Butter, pepper, parmesan cheese and the pasta for the Cacio e Pepe.
I started with the artichokes and melon and prosciutto. Cutting the artichoke in half, I seasoned with olive oil, salt/pepper/garlic powder mix, and dropped a couple cloves of fresh garlic in the middle, wrapped in foil and onto the grill for about 45 minutes. I cut up a Lemon Drop Melon, sort of a mix of a honeydew melon with a touch of lemon, Prosciutto wrapped the pieces and put on a bed of arugula.
While the steak was resting after the grill, the pasta was cooked until just tender. Melting the butter, adding a lot of pepper (and I mean a lot), I allowed those to combine, then added about a 1/2C of pasta water and the cheese, blended them and added the pasta, and simmered for about five minutes, stirring constantly. Taking the pasta I nested them, and garnished with some italian parsley.
Cut and topped the steak with the italian parsley chimichurri.
Coming home from Ellensburg on Sunday, my parents gave me a couple of pieces of Halibut to bring home. As RS and I drove home, I was thinking “what can I do with these ASAP?” Risotto came to mind and when I needed a veg to go with it all. So once home it was time to hit Haggen’s and see what looked good there and to come up with a flavour profile.
Halibut pieces this good deserve some fresh fresh fresh ingredients to go with it.
Tarragon, Italian Parsley, Garlic, Lemon Zest and Arugula.
I used the Boeckel Grand Cru Wiebelsberg Riesling as the white wine in the Risotto. The dryness and fruit forward flavour in this wine went fantastic with the fresh chopped herbs. Onion, garlic, rice, wine, chicken broth all cooked together slowly. Just before the Risotto was d0on, added the herbs and parm cheese. Then right as served folded in the arugula.
The Halibut was seasoned with salt and pepper, then put into a hot cast iron pan. About 1 minute, then flipped, the herbs mixed with butter brushed on the top, then into the oven with a few minutes to finish.
I had blanched the beans earlier to save some time. Back in the pan with the same herb mix and some olive oil, and sauteed for a few minutes.
The Efeste Grenache with its earthy, herb and light strawberry notes paired amazingly with this dish, in my opinion anyway.
The Riesling also was great with this.
Great way to end the weekend and lead into Labor Day.
Started with fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic and basil. Browned the meatballs in a cast iron pan, then transferred them to a baking dish and into the oven at 350. Rough cut the tomatoes, onion, crushed the garlic. Garlic and onion in the pan using the meatballs grease for oil. Added tomatoes and cooked for a few minutes. Asparagus seasoned with salt and pepper and into the oven. Allowed the sauce to cook down a little and blend together. Cooked the linguini. Added torn basil to the sauce. Pulled the pasta from the pot and added to the sauce to finish cooking.
Plated the pasta, meatballs and asparagus, added parm cheese and served. Added some pickled cauliflower on the side.
Paid this with a Cascade Cliffs 2019 Nebbiolo – AMAZING WINE.
Kevin White, is in my opinion, one of the best wineries in Woodinville right now, and for the last couple of years. This 2017 Syrah is from Boushey and Olsen Vineyards. On the nose is dried herb, red berry, maybe a touch of citrus? Light smoke. This wine is smooth with raspberry, red fruit, a touch of smoke. This wine, like everything Kevin has done the last 3 or 4 years (and maybe longer?) is AMAZING!
If you have not been to Kevin White Winery, GET THERE. One of the best values in Woodinville and some of, if not THE, best wine in Woodinville right now.
Three of Cups is one of my favourite wineries in Woodinville. This 2018 Mourvedre (100% and from Columbia Valley) is a fantastic wine. On the nose grilled meat, dark berry (blueberry?) and dried herb and pepper. First sip, blueberry and herbs. Second try pepper, maybe something like prune? This is a club only wine (sorry all).
Great wine. Great winery. Make sure next time in Woodinville you swing by, they are in Artisan Hill.
