Under The Tuscan Sun

 Gastronomy, Travel  2 Responses »
Jan 272013
 

TuscanyIf you know me well, you’ll know that I love all things Italian – including my husband Al, who hails from a long line of relatives from Sicily. I will confess though, that I am no expert on all things Italian. I am however, an expert planner. I spend hours researching the web, evaluating reviews, checking schedules, calculating exchange rates, planning routes, comparing prices and checking references, before taking a vacation.  My friends joke that I am obsessive compulsive. I don’t care. My trips always work out well.

Anyway, I’ve been asked several times in the past about my travels to Italy, and most recently, two good friends of mine (Donn and Shari) sent me the following e-mail:

“We are heading to Italy in mid-late September. We want to stay in Florence for two or three nights and Tuscany for seven to nine nights. We’re thinking about taking the train from Florence to a central destination in Tuscany.   One idea is to stay in a hotel the entire time and take day trips via car. Or perhaps two hotels would work better. We just want to minimize packing and unpacking. Lastly – we’d like to go to some cooking classes. Any good suggestions?”

So I thought I would share some of my Tuscan experiences with Donn and Shari, and anyone else that might be interested in planning a trip to one of the most beautiful places on earth. Continue reading »

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What am I on? I’m on my bike!

 Health and Fitness  4 Responses »
Jan 192013
 

Lance – I so, so wanted to believe you. You overcame cancer. You won the toughest athetic endurance race ever devised……seven times.   You founded the most amazing charity to help cancer victims cope with their own personal endurance race.  All good stuff…and all one big, fat, ugly  lie.Lance

 You lied your way to the top, you collected millions of dollars by cheating, and you bulldozed, bullied, threatened and sued anyone that stood in your way.  You told Oprah “To be honest, we sued so many people.”   Are you serious?  There were  so many victims that you can’t count….or even remember?

 You are the guy who berated, threatened, intimidated and screamed at anyone who dared to suggest that you doped. Your fancy, expensive lawyers sued anyone that even hinted the like….and won!

What are you on?  You are on erythropoietin, testosterone and human growth hormones…you thought you’d never get caught, because, for all of your seven Tour de France wins, you supplemented your dope cocktail with blood, saline and plasma infusions.

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Oh,oh,  and, of course the grand finale…your Oprah apology.  It’s nothing more than self-serving.  Sorry, but one staged confession doesn’t undo all the hurt, harm, and destruction you’ve caused over the past decade.

 How can I forgive you?  Does Greg Lemond, the first American to win the Tour de France forgive you?

 Lance, you are a despicable, disgusting manipulator who betrayed me, your fans, your sport and your country. You are a liar, a cheater, a drug user and a master sociopath.

 It’s time to get on your bike and ride away.

 From one of your multi-million sad, cheated, betrayed…..and devistated past-fans.

 

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Spinning Class Profile: Strength, Speed or Smarts?

 Spinning  15 Responses »
Nov 262012
 

(Print version: Strength Speed or Smarts)

Subbing for a fellow instructor always presents a challenge for me, because the students are not used to my coaching style, my class format, or worst still, expect every class to be “all-out, everything you’ve got, warp speed, power-up.”

So I tried to create a “sub” profile that will satisfy the “power fiends” without sacrificing my own basic spin class principles.

A huge advantage is that you can use this profile over and over again, since your sub-class is rarely the same twice.

The objective of the class is to carefully balance the control necessary to remain aerobic while ascending for extended periods, with the power to leave the pack behind, and build a big-enough lead to maintain it over the next hill.

This ride suits all levels of skill. I’ll be constantly providing support, cues, and safety instructions. Tell riders it’s their ride, nobody else’s. Tell them to listen to their body, and back-off when the intensity is too much….and that’s the point of the ride – recognize, manage and control intensity to make this a smart ride. Continue reading »

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Can you imagine a world without breast cancer?

 Health and Fitness  No Responses »
Oct 162012
 

It’s almost impossible to find anyone who has not personally been affected by breast cancer.  Hope can trigger powerful emotions, and so I was compelled to write this blog after watching a short 2-3 minute interview on a local news station.

A first-of-its-kind vaccine to prevent breast cancer was developed in 2010 by Professor Vincent Tuohy of the Cleveland Clinic. The vaccine safely and significantly prevented the development of breast cancer or inhibited the growth of breast tumors in three different breast cancer mouse models.

If the vaccine is as safe and effective in women as it is in mice, it has the potential to eliminate 95% of all breast cancer worldwide. If it tests as well in humans as it does in mice, breast cancer prevention is on the horizon. It will save millions of women, men and billions of dollars. Continue reading »

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Spin Profile: Whiteface Mountain – Surrender To Gravity

 Spinning  14 Responses »
Aug 152012
 

Today we will test the law of gravity…what goes up, must come down. Whiteface Mountain is a very challenging 8-mile climb up to a castle at the summit of the mountain. As you approach a toll-house at the three-mile mark, you will be mentally preparing for the most challenging part of this ride with 8% to 10% gradients for several miles. As you ascend to the summit, two switchbacks and an ease in grade will provide you with the perfect opportunity to enjoy the rush of powering-through your threshold to the summit. At the summit, you will surrender to gravity…and be rewarded with an exhilarating 10-minute down-hill recovery. Continue reading »

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Gourmet Grilling

 Gastronomy  No Responses »
Aug 032012
 

There is nothing better than relaxing outside on a nice summer day with your foodie friends…except perhaps relaxing and dining outside on a nice summer day with your foodie friends.

How about preparing a quick, easy, gourmet dinner on the grill that goes way beyond burgers and dogs?  Grilling is more sociable than baking, because you can be outside where all the fun is.

This gourmet grilled pizza idea was passed on to me by my good friend, Marion who has an “in” when it comes to obtaining the best and freshest ingredients available.

Continue reading »

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Fifty years is a long time to be married…

 Family and Friends  8 Responses »
Jul 282012
 

 

In their innocence, my parents really had no clue what they were getting into on this day, fifty years ago. They just knew that whatever happened from that day on, they wanted it to happen to them together.

A lot has happened in 50 years.  My mother was 16 when she said ” I do.”  Seven months later she gave birth to my older sister Nicola.  13 Months later, I was born, and four years later, my brother Duncan was born.

Can you imagine – two kids at age 17?  There was no 20-page prenuptial agreement that specified what time they’ll go to bed, what they’ll eat for breakfast and who will do the laundry.  They were committed…they were in it for the long haul.

Fifty years ago, my teenage parents couldn’t afford to own a cheap house, couldn’t afford a junk car, and couldn’t afford a portable black and white TV.

As the middle child of three, I know that I speak for my siblings when I say that, as children, we never felt like we were poor.  My first memory of home was Albert Parade, Bristol, U.K.  Fond, fond memories.  In relative terms, we were very lucky.  We were always clean (despite no hot water), well-dressed (my mother hand-made our clothes) well-fed, and loved (tough-love). Continue reading »

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