We recently had the opportunity to attend a Puddles Pity Party. Puddles is either a Baby Boomer or very close, depending on the biography. His sad demeanor put a huge smile on our face. His voice and stage presence make for a very entertaining show. Check out his Stairway to Gilligan’s Island. Epic.
Where have we been?? Reader’s Digest just listed the best burger in each of the 50 states and Li’l Woody’s won for Washington right in our own Seattle backyard!! Yet we’d never been there. So with Maserati Mike, we immediately engaged in some cuisine research….. and also to do a little day drinking. And we will not argue with Reader’s Digest. It’s a good burger. Not a monster pile of food but just a nicely balanced and very tasty burger. The fries were plentiful and excellent. Thin, greasy perfection. And we like their style.
National Day Calendar reminds us that June 19th was World Martini Day. Fortunately for Buzzed Boomers, Fathers Day, International Date Line considerations, and the earth being slightly off axis this year, we can still celebrate a day later! So shake or stir or have the kids make you one….. celebrate a classic cocktail with style!
Have you ever felt like you were having a darn good time when you realized other people were having a much better time? We recently rode the Amtrak Coast Starlight train from Seattle to Los Angeles. Between our bar setup in the sleeping car bedroom and the drinks in the observation/lounge car, we were catching a pretty nifty Buzz as the scenery whizzed by. A chance meeting in the dining car revealed that some fellow passengers were having a really, really fun time. Much laughter and the kind of friendly banter unique to train travel led to our introduction to the Crazy Train Drinking Game. The game was much like the games we played as kids on long trips in the family station wagon. Except for the drinking part. The Crazy Train rules were simple. Take a drink whenever one of the following happened:
With one blank, add your own opportunity, Maserati Mike added “cows”. We learned pretty quickly that you might as well just keep your drink in your hand because there weren’t a lot of resting moments.
We usually travel by plane. Good thing. No cows up there.
Dave Robson wrote in The Guardian recently that it’s possible to reframe exercise pain into exercise gain. (Did we really just write that? Sorry)
But in our defence, the article is titled, The mind gym: five ways to make exercise a pleasure.
Here are the five ideas quoted or summarized.
Select music that moves and distracts you.
Avoid pictures of perfect bodies for inspiration. In one study, “The sight of the fitness gurus had left them feeling less attractive and more concerned about their weight and shape, which put a downer on the whole experience.”
One study found that “reframing muscle aches as a positive signal can ramp up the production of the brain’s endogenous cannabinoids and opioids, natural analgesics that could mask the strain.
“The use of mental imagery can improve the accuracy of our movements, and even our overall strength. Studies show that people who spend a few minutes each day visualising the lifting of heavy weights see bigger strength gains than those who did not practise an imaginary workout.”
Have trouble getting to the gym? “Try temptation-bundling, which involves packaging the things you don’t want to do with one of your guilty pleasures. The technique was developed by Prof Katy Milkman at the University of Pennsylvania, who gave people iPods loaded with four addictive audiobooks to enjoy while they worked out. The simple strategy increased their gym attendance by 29% over the following seven weeks.”
Let the trickery begin!
– Jet Cannon
Your Brain is Gullible. tell it exercise is a pleasure Read More »
Eat This, Not That sums it up nicely. Don’t eat because you’re bored, sad, tired, or just a great cook. Eat when you’re hungry, only, and keep moving as much as you can when you’re not. Chances are you will lose those excess pounds.
The ETNT website is loaded with more ideas for staying healthy.
– Jet Cannon
If We only ate when we were hungry Read More »
AARP Magazine reminded us recently about the benefits of tea and, with summer here, let’s drink it on ice. Besides the caffeine Buzz, tea has antioxidants that protect against those nasty free radicals that can increase the risk of heart disease and cancer. There are a number of tea varieties and each has their own characteristics. Green, black, white, oolong, chamomile and hibiscus are among the most popular. We picked up some matcha which is green tea in powder form. It has triple the antioxidants of regular green tea and about the double the caffeine. Besides making ice tea or lattes the powder can be used in smoothies as well.
– Jet Cannon
Photo: Healthline.com
Tea on the rocks, rocks! Read More »
Beer here! Get your baseball bat beer mug! Check out dugoutmugs.com
Hammered in left field Read More »
Today.com has a nifty article about morning being the best time to exercise. But evening has some benefits, too. So, really getting in a workout anytime is what matters. Excerpts:
“Women who exercised between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. had greater reductions in their belly fat and blood pressure, and they achieved stronger leg muscles, compared to those who worked out in the early evening, researchers reported last month in Frontiers in Physiology.”
““When you exercise first thing in the morning, it gives your metabolic rate a boost… it allows you to burn more calories even when you are sitting at your desk doing nothing,” fitness coach Laurent Amzallag told TODAY.”
“Working out also releases endorphins, which help you feel great throughout the day, she added.”
What about the folks who aren’t crazy about cranking it up first thing in the morning?
“Evening exercise — between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. — “greatly” increased upper body muscle strength, power and endurance, and enhanced overall mood for women, according to the study published in Frontiers in Physiology. For men, the p.m. workouts lowered systolic blood pressure and fatigue, and stimulated fat oxidation compared to early morning exercise.”
So you see it’s all good. Morning or evening. Or both for the uber-achievers out there.
– Jet Cannon
Anytime is Exercise Time Read More »
Our early human ancestor, Australopithecus afarensis, was walking upright around six million years ago. Give or take. So reports the University of Washington magazine. Today, some 145 million Americans walk as part of their fitness regimen. Besides weight loss, heart health, improving balance, preserving muscle strength, and lowering blood sugar, walking appears to also boost creativity. Hitting 7,000 steps daily reduced the chances of early death by 50%-70%, according to one study. In short, it’s all good. Just don’t bump into one of the 144,999,999 people out there.
– Jet Cannon
Photo: Britannica.com
The Associated Press reports, “A small brewery in Finland has launched a NATO-themed beer to mark the Nordic country’s bid to join the Western military alliance.” OTAN is the French abbreviation for NATO. The CEO described the new lager as having “a taste of security, with a hint of freedom.” We assume one will also catch a nice, mellow Buzz.
– Jet Cannon
When in an Irish pub, we like to start with a Dublin Donkey cocktail. Why? Well, it’s just fun to say it!
“Ireland is seen internationally as the home of the donkey; donkey or ass – both terms are correct, the origin of ‘ass’ being the Latin name Equus Asinus.” This is per the Donkey Society. And they would know.
Anyhow, a Dublin Donkey is like a Mule except Jameson Black Barrel Irish Whiskey or Tullamore DEW Irish Whiskey is the spirit typically used. Plus some ginger beer and lime juice.
Sláinte!!
– Jet Cannon
Did you just call me a donkey? Read More »
Our doctor say we’re not getting enough Nuke Waste so we headed back to the Horse & Cow Pub for refueling with Captain Tony and Maserati Mike. Located in Bremerton, Washington, which is a scenic ferry ride from Seattle, the bar is named for the World War I merchant marine sailors who tattooed a cow on one ankle and a horse on the other ankle to ward off German U-Boats. Whatever works! Meanwhile, the pub has an excellent collection of submarine photos and artifacts.
Anyway, Jimmy, the owner, started creating Nuke Waste in a 5-gallon bucket out back a few decades ago until he finally graduated to having his bright green alcohol creation bottled professionally. It’s now distributed regionally including at the nearby Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.
So, down the hatch!! We’re confident that a shot or two will ward off any lurking German U-Boats.
– Jet Cannon
