Wedding Part 4 – The Big Day

Saturday morning Katie and I arose; the sun was shining, birds were chirping, and excitement was in the air. After breakfast many of us set about making final preparations. Many of the women decorated the granaio, which would be the scene of dinner and dancing, while others picked local wild flowers from the countryside. WeContinue reading “Wedding Part 4 – The Big Day”

Wedding Part 3 – Our Last Day as Singles

Friday many of our guests went out exploring on their own. Some went to Florence, some to Lake Trasimeno, some to Cortona, and some just drove around. Katie and I stayed at the castle to enjoy the estate a bit and make any final preparations for the big day. Castello di Montalto is on 700Continue reading “Wedding Part 3 – Our Last Day as Singles”

Wedding Part 2 – Brunello di Montalcino

Thursday’s focus was on my favorite aspect of Tuscany: the WINE! After breakfast together (featuring exclusively food grown/prepared there at the castle or baked/prepared in the nearby village), we lined up an eight-car caravan to travel to the wine region of Brunello di Montalcino. The Garmin GPS that came with our rental car led usContinue reading “Wedding Part 2 – Brunello di Montalcino”

Wedding Part 1 – Arrival

The best week of my life – including the best day of my life – has just ended. I have had some really tremendous previous best weeks and days of my life, but this wedding really blew them all away. Everything was just so . . . so . . . perfect. Katie and IContinue reading “Wedding Part 1 – Arrival”

Thoughts on Osama bin Laden

When news came through Sunday night that Osama bin Laden had been killed, everyone in my house rushed to the TV. We turned it on just in time to catch Obama’s address and then to see coverage of celebrations around the country. I was a bit shocked to see what looked like college kids outsideContinue reading “Thoughts on Osama bin Laden”

Schaefer Wedding

Blogger’s note: I no longer use the term “Redskins” but am leaving my prior references intact in the spirit of learning. This weekend Katie and I had the pleasure and honor of celebrating someone ELSE’S wedding just a week before our own! The wedding was in Key West, Florida so we were excited to relaxContinue reading “Schaefer Wedding”

Legally Married!

Last Saturday Katie and I took a major step by formalizing our civil union with some of our best friends in Houston. Because our “real” wedding will take place in Italy and because it’s kind of a pain to be legally wed there, we decided to be legally wed in Houston first. We originally intendedContinue reading “Legally Married!”

My Metabolic Profile

Yesterday I had a full metabolic assessment performed to calculate my body’s profile for converting oxygen, fat, and carbs into energy. Frankly I didn’t really know what this meant when I signed up, but it seemed like it would provide some really interesting data (and it is well documented how much I drool over data!)Continue reading “My Metabolic Profile”

Capitol 10k 2011 Race Report

Today Katie and I set new 10k PRs at the Capitol 10k in Austin, the largest 10k in Texas. Katie and I drove up yesterday and had our pre-race dinner at Mother’s Cafe and Garden. Mother’s offers great vegetarian fare and most of their produce is grown there onsite. We ate there last year beforeContinue reading “Capitol 10k 2011 Race Report”

The Most Pressing Question: How To Price Food, Energy, and Health?

I was recently invited to throw my hat in for participation in the conference on “Ecosystem Services” hosted by the National Academies Keck Futures Initiative. It is a “think tank” style event at which people from all disciplines, sectors, and backgrounds come together to address weighty topics. One question on the application was, “Which oneContinue reading “The Most Pressing Question: How To Price Food, Energy, and Health?”