Keeping busy: Stand up paddleboarding in Newport Harbor

Yesterday I wasn't busy so I followed up my advanced yoga class with a pleasant afternoon paddling around Newport Harbor on a stand up paddleboard. Conditions were really good and I was not terrible, so it ended up being really fun. Here's the summary of what I learned:

• The board is more stable when you're moving. If you get stuck standing (literally) in one place, such as if you have to wait for the ferry, you are more likely to fall in. I didn't, but it was a near thing.  
• Paddleboarding is waaaay more fun than going in circles in a Duffy. And better exercise. I'd argue it's better than a kayak, too. Much better view, 6 feet off the water.
• If you get stuck waiting for the ferry, tourists will take your picture. They do it to everyone, because when I told the guy at the rental shop that I had to stand and wait for the ferry boats, he laughed and asked me, 'did they take your picture?' And indeed they did do. I almost waved, but I didn't want to go tumbling into the water in the middle of the channel. Not because I couldn't get back on the board, but because the water in the channel is nasty. 
• Paddling downwind is easy. Paddling upwind, less so. 
• Eat a powerbar and drink some water before you get started.
• Sunglasses are optional but recommended. Sunscreen is required. 
• It's hard to throw a friendly wave at passing boats when you're one careless gesture away from a dunking. So I made do with my paddle as best I could. 

Next time there's no waves and warm(ish) weather I'll try it at Doheny, which is supposed to be super fun. At least the water there won't give me hepatitis when I fall in.
See you there.

Who's hungry? (part III)

The Observer (weekend edition of the Guardian) is publishing a list of the fifty greatest cookbooks. They were nice enough to put 11-50 online so I could have a look through.

In my unstudied opinion it's a nice combination of old and new. There are many cuisines, regions, styles and similar subsets of cooking represented here, which I quite liked. What I also liked: nothing about light, cooking light, low fat or similar. I hope not to see any of that ilk in the top 10.

Comments:

• Surprised to see Mastering the Art of French Cooking at number 21. That book changed the way people thought about food in the US. But I guess it's the 'best cookbooks', not 'most influential'.
• Pleased to see the Chez Panisse cookbook at number 11.

Predictions to make the top 10:

• Silver Palate Cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins - my mom loooooves this one, and it's a dark horse to make the top 10 but I've got my fingers crossed. It's excellent. 
• Something from Martha Stewart? Not sure which is the best, and I'm too lazy to check Amazon, but other entries in the list lead me to believe she'll make the cut here.
• The French Laundry Cookbook - No way they omit THE cookbook from THE chef of the past 10 years. Keller's recipes are so famously complex that when he opened a new restaurant he released another cookbook with recipes for stuff you could actually make in your own kitchen. Which I hear is easier, but not necessarily easy.
• Something from Alain Ducasse, who was Thomas Keller before there was Thomas Keller.
• Joy of Cooking - easy choice for number one. Should be the first cookbook you buy. Comprehensive, thorough, and delicious. 

What does the picture have to do with food and cookbooks? Nothing. But I liked it and wanted a picture for this post, so here we are.

I am an international financier, Part the Third

A while ago I wrote a post about loaning some money through Kiva.org (see button in the sidebar for a link - i'm too lazy to put it here). I got another small reimbursement from the woman that Kiva helped me (and others) loan money to. No text updates, but she's paying on time so I'm hoping that it's going well.

here's the text of a previous email from the group that organized the loan:

Karomadjon is very happy, because due the loan from KIva she increased the volume of her goods and she could paid education for her children and also she could buy new clothes for daughter.Her business is gradually takes rate of groth.In thew end of this month she plans to purchase vegetables and other food product for winter season.She is very thankful for KIva.

If that doesn't warm your heart then you're a miracle, because you don't have one.