This was a busy day. Considering it’s the last weekend before four consecutive weekends of tennis officiating, I prepared for the busy period (like laundry). The UMTR fest and a CD release party were mixed into the day. One was great, and one was disappointing.
The UMTR fest was fun. There was great food, great people, and great weather. It was a nice festivity with some surprises. It wasn’t surprising that Helen Lavin won several awards. Her success inspired me. The best part was the recognition of Wayne Nelson. He won an award, I think it was the Larry Pederson’s Founder’s Award/ UMTR Trail Person of the Year award. Steve Quick informed me it was the Steward of the Year award. He received a unique award at the UMTR Awards Night. These awards are made from the heart, unlike professional awards. They have a story and are unique. Wayne Nelson is humble and deserves this award.
Daryl Saari was the inaugural recipient of the Gnarly Bandit Award. This year, he achieved five consecutive 100-mile finishes, along with numerous other notable accomplishments. During races, he was often seen at aid stations, where he and his wife provided unwavering support to athletes across the sport. I had the privilege of working at an aid station with them once, and their contributions significantly enhanced the quality of the station. I believe they would be equally formidable running partners if my speed were comparable to theirs.
Numerous deserving individuals were recognized in this year’s celebration, making it a memorable end-of-year event. If you missed the event this or last year, I highly recommend attending in the future. The UMTR’s dedication is commendable, and membership is a relatively inexpensive investment of $20.
After the UMTR fest, I went to Bunkers for a CD release party for Pamela McNeil. I was super excited because her first three CDs got better and better, and Nightingale is one of my all-time favorites (right up there with Springsteen). I was really looking forward to the new one. But guess what? It was a total letdown. Instead of the awesome lyrics and music combo I’ve come to love, it was more like a home-grown jam session in my living room with a keyboard while I sulked in bed and wrote lyrics on a CD. I compared it to the movie Music and Lyrics, but this time, it lost Drew Barrymore, and something was missing.
On the bright side, the night was still a blast. She performed a bunch of her old songs with her incredible voice. And if you’re into old rockers like me, her husband is Dugan McNeill (remember Chameleon from the 80s?). He was one of the first unsigned original bands to make and sell their own albums. They even sold out the Rolling Stones' tickets one week, which were featured in “Rolling Stone” magazine. He plays bass, and he can make any concert awesome. To me, he’s in a league of his own, working hard on stage and being a top bass player in the world!
Now, let’s talk about the award fest. Some of the food and conversations there made me think. One thing that caught my attention was homemade energy bars and juicing. I spent an hour searching the web this morning and found a recipe I’m going to try. I’m not sure if it will be a game-changer, but it sounds promising!
Big Sur Power Bar Recipe
If you can't find the crisp brown rice cereal, no worries—just use regular rice cereal, such as Rice Crispies. Stay clear of "puffed" rice cereal, as it will throw the recipe off. Feel free to substitute other types of nuts, seeds, or whatever little goodies you can dream up.
1 tablespoon coconut oil (or regular butter)
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup slivered almonds
2/3 cup (unsweetened) shredded coconut
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups unsweetened crisp brown rice cereal
1 cup brown rice syrup1/4 cup natural cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
2 tablespoons ground espresso beans
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking pan with the coconut oil. If you like thick power bars, opt for an 8 by 8-inch pan; for thinner bars, use a 9 by 13-inch pan.
Toast the pecans, almonds, and coconut on a rimmed baking sheet for about 7 minutes or until the coconut is deeply golden. Toss once or twice along the way. Mix the oats, toasted nuts, coconut, and cereal in a large bowl and set aside.
Combine the rice syrup, sugar, salt, espresso, and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly as it comes to a boil and thickens for about 4 minutes. Pour the syrup over the oat mixture and stir until it is evenly incorporated.
Spread into the prepared pan and cool to room temperature before cutting into whatever size bars you desire.
If I cannot run a race early next year, I may be domestic and try some ideas to test out on the runners at an aid station. Best test group in the world.
Carry on my friends, carry on!
Comments from my original blog - I merged the blogs.
SteveQ - The official name of Wayne's award is: The Larry Pederson's Founder's Award/ UMTR Trail Person of the Year. Not surprised you couldn't remember it! Good to see you there. The night has me thinking forward to next year. Sunday, November 15, 2009 at 12:55:52 PM CST
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