It Finally Warmed Up!

There’s nothing harder than running when temperatures are below freezing. For the last month Utah has been in a deep freeze and daytime highs have rarely risen past the 32 degree mark. When I run in the mornings temperatures have usually been around zero and my body never really seems to warm up – even after a long, hot shower. It doesn’t help that I have little to no fat on my body either.

Yesterday the temperatures finally broke the freezing barrier as temperatures shot up to nearly 50 degrees. Marathon Girl said her six mile afternoon run felt wonderful to not have to spend the first half of her run trying to warm up. It made it easier for her concentrate on speed and technique.

We’re hoping the warm weather stays as we’d like to take the kids on a run with us Saturday. It would be good for them to spend more time outside now that it’s warmer. I think long overdue trip to the park is in order.

My Super Bowl XLI Pick

I don’t have feelings one way or another for either the Bears or the Colts. I am a little partial toward the Bears simply because one of my good friends, Eugene, has been a Bears fan as long as I’ve known him and has suffered through a 21-year Super Bowl drought very patiently. This has the potential to be a very good game. If the Bears come out playing like they did last week, they could seriously give Payton Manning and the rest of the Colts some problems. The Colts need to make sure they’re not letting the hype about them being the team-to-beat get to their heads. Better teams have often lost the big game simply because they weren’t prepared mentally.

The problem I see is that the Bear’s quarterback, Rex Grossman, has been widely inconsistent all year. He’s had some good games but others where he’s been just awful. Manning, on the other hand, can have a bad game but still be counted on to score. The Bears have great defense, but against the Colts you still need an offense that can put points on the board. I just don’t see Grossman having the big game he needs to give the Bears their second Super Bowl title.

So, yeah, I think the Colts will win even though I’ll be cheering for the Bears.

Sorry, Eugene.

Colts 31 Bears 17

***

And speaking of the Bears, who can forget their Super Bowl Shuffle from 1986. Thanks, Jason. I forgot all about it.

Pencil

Does anyone use pencils any more or have they gone the way of the dodo bird? I have one pencil on my desk that I use occasionally for editing. I’ve finally worn the graphite down to nothing and can’t find a pencil sharpener anywhere. In fact, I can’t even remember sharpening the pencil or how this pencil even got on my desk in the first place. Time to call Mulder and Scully.

Until this pencil somehow arrived on my desk, I can’t even think of the last time I used one. I do most of my writing and editing via the computer and when I do take notes, I always use a pen.

Is it just me or are most people penciless?

And does anyone know where the nearest pencil sharpener is?

Super Bowls and Birthdays

After talking with a friend yesterday I realized that, outside my immediate family, no one friends ever remembers my exact birth date. For the last 20 years I’ve always celebrated my birthday on Super Bowl Sunday and people have just become accustomed to whatever day the big game is played is the day it’s usually celebrated. This means the week before the Super Bowl I receive a lot of emails and phone calls from friends wishing me a happy birthday usually included with some sort of apology for not knowing the exact day. Such was the case with talking to this friend yesterday.

The fact that no one seems to remember the exact date isn’t a big deal. The Super Bowl has only fallen on my exact birthday a handful of times in the last 20 years. And now that the game is played the first Sunday in February, it will never be played on my birthday again. For the last 10 years these big game parties have been more of a Super Bowl party than a birthday celebration. If it wasn’t for the fact that Marathon Girl wants to do something to celebrate me getting older, I probably wouldn’t make any effort to blend the two together at all. I’m perfectly happy with just having a big Super Bowl party.

So Happy Birthday to me…whatever day it happens to be.

Abel’s Super Bowl Buffalo Chicken Wings

I’m always floored how my Super Bowl party becomes more popular every year. I don’t even want to guess at the number of people that are going to show up this year even though I really should. I don’t want to run out of food. Speaking of food, for the last five years or so I’ve been making buffalo wings for the party. They’ve proved to be tremendously popular so I’ve decided to share the recipe should anyone need some tasty food for their own Super Bowl party or any other occasion. Enjoy!

Abel’s Super Bowl Buffalo Chicken Wings

What You Need:

• oil for deep frying
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup hot sauce
• a dash black pepper
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 10 chicken wings

The key to the recipe is the type of hot sauce you choose to use. I prefer Frank’s Red Hot. (I use their original hot sauce. I’ve never tried the one specifically for Buffalo wings.) It’s thicker than most hot sauces and has a bit of garlic thrown in. Use this and your wings will have a nice, thick coat to them as well as a little flavor that other hot sauces don’t have.

Directions

1. Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). The oil should be enough to cover the wings an inch or so deep. Combine butter, hot sauce, and black pepper in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir together and heat until butter is melted and mixture is well blended. Remove from heat and reserve for serving.
2. In a small bowl mix together the flour, paprika, cayenne pepper and salt. Place chicken wings in a large nonporous glass dish or bowl and sprinkle flour mixture over them until they are evenly coated. Cover dish or bowl and refrigerate for 60 to 90 minutes.
3. Fry coated wings in hot oil until parts of wings begin to turn brown. Remove from heat, place wings in serving bowl, add hot sauce mixture and stir together. Serve.

Children of Men

The outlook for humankind is bleak. At least that’s how many “serious” movies about the future view it. And even though the movie Children of Men takes this future-is-miserable attitude to a new level, it avoids being just another the-world-is-coming-to-an-end film though the subtle messages of hope and faith. Based on the P.D. James novel, the movie is set in 2027 England where we lean that women are infertile and the youngest person on the planet has died at 18. Since there are no babies being born and no one can figure out the cause of the world-wide infertility or how to solve the problem, society has disintegrated into lawlessness. England, we’re told, is the only country soldiering on – an island of stability in the midst of chaos. But even England isn’t immune to the problems. There are bombings from terrorist groups and everyone seems to go about their day without hope. People who are too miserable to live are encouraged to use state-sponsored suicide kits.

Clive Owen is superbly cast in the role of Theo Faron, a former political activist who is now a London office worker. He finds himself meeting up with his radical ex-girlfriend (a poorly cast Julianne Moore) who persuades him to help escort a refugee across the country. Halfway through their journey Theo discovers that the refugee is pregnant and only then does he realize the urgency of his mission. The hope and future of humanity might very well be in his hands. The question is whether or not he can hide the woman’s pregnancy from those who would either kill the baby or use it as a political tool.

Despite the gloomy and lonely feel to it, Children of Men is a story of hope. The real message of Children of Men is that people are assets. Without a reason to pass on a better future onto our children, mankind has no reason to keep their humanity and work to make the world a better place.

Director Alfonso Cuarón does an excellent job of portraying a world of 2027 that looks a lot like todays only with minor technological changes. It’s easy to get caught up in the idea that we’re not watching something on a Hollywood lot, this really is our world. Cuarón’s wise of handheld camera sequences gives the picture a news/documentary feel to it at adds to the film’s realism.

Only two complaints about the movie: first, there are a few scenes – such as the final need-to-save-the-woman-and-child sequence – that are almost too violent. I understood that the world is falling apart in the first 15 minutes. There’s no need to rub it into our faces. Second, it has some overtly political overtones to current social issues, such as the Iraq war, that is distracting and unnecessary and deter from the film’s central message of hope and redemption.

The Children of Men is gritty at times but does show how people need a reason better future to continue living. If you can stomach the violence and overall sad atmosphere of the film, there’s a rewarding message of hope and redemption interwoven amidst the depressing and sometimes very bloody background.

Abel's rating: B+

The Photographic Journals of Lewis Victor

Indian Jim by Michael Keogh

Some of my dad's photography titled The Photographic Jounals of Lewis Victor will be on display at the Brigham City Art Museum January 26 - February 24, 2007.  The Photographic Journals of Lewis Victor is a love story written with a camera. The photos span three decades and are a manifestation of Victor’s love for his wife Marion, his family, including 13 children, his friends, his faith and the beauty of nature.

You can read more about the exhibit here.

Phone Call

Receiving phone calls all day can sometimes be a hassle and a little stressful. Thankfully, you can hire telephone answering services to take your calls all day. Finding a great call center service can be the difference between being swamped with telephone calls all day and being able to focus on other things. Find answering services in your area and leave your phone at home!

I'm in the midst of preparing for my radio show when the cell phone rings. Caller ID shows it's Marathon Girl. Marathon Girl rarely calls while I'm preparing for my show unless it's important. I answer the phone hoping that everything is okay.

"What's up sweetie?" I say.

Silence.

"Marathon Girl?"

I listen for sounds that Marathon Girl's in the car or other signs that she accidentally dialed my number. I hear nothing.

"Is everything okay?" My heart rate increases. What if something's seriously wrong with her or one of the kids?

Then I hear the soft sound of breathing on the other end of the phone.

"Aidan?"

"Hi, Dad," Aidan says. "Can I watch Cars?"

I let out a sigh of relief. Aidan's dialed my number. This is the first time he's ever called my phone. I wonder how many other people he' called before reaching me.

"No, Aidan. You can't watch Cars. You've already seen Cars once this week. Play with your toys."

"Can I watch Cars?" Aidan asks again.

"No," I say. "Play with Steven."

"Steven's playing with trucks," Aidan says.

"Where's mom?" I ask.

"Molly's sleeping"

"I need to talk to Mom, not Molly."

"Molly's sleeping."

We go back and forth like this for another minute. Finally I have to hang up because I need to head to the radio studio and go on the air.

"I have to go Aidan," I say.

"Bye, Dad," Aidan says in a chirpy voice.

I head to the studio with a smile on my face. The kid has just made my day. On the way over my cell phone rings again. It's Aidan calling back. Wanting to talk to Daddy. My smile gets bigger as the show goes on the air.

What a great kid.

Random Thoughts January 2007

There’s something about a crowded parking lot three days before Christmas that brings out the worst in people. Nothing’s better than seeing the excited faces of your kids on Christmas morning.

Car dealerships have the worst waiting areas. They could improve them by adding a television, wireless internet access, and a toy area for the kids. It actually might make going there a more pleasant experience.

Full screen movies bother me so I never rent or buy them. But for some reason the local video rental store has the need to stock 75 percent of its new releases in the full screen format. If I wanted to watch a full screen movie, I’d turn on the TV. I really need to sign up for Netfilx.

My website receives around 20 hits a day from people who Google my name. Thought I never wonder why someone in South Carolina, Tennessee or England would be Googling me, when someone from my hometown does it, I start to wonder who’s checking up on me.

It’s nice to see that the producers of LOST are discussing how long to keep the show going. Knowing when the show will end will give the writers a time frame when to tie up loose ends and answer all the questions we’ve been anxiously waiting for. There’s nothing worse than seeing a good show that doesn’t know when to end it (read: The X-Files).

Running when the temperature is just above zero is not a pleasant experience. You never really warm up.

Marathon Girl looks sexy in her Under Armour running clothes.

The NFL playoffs are always fun to watch because the teams know each game is all or nothing. Too bad college football hasn’t adapted a similar format.

When Marathon Girl and I take our kids to the doctor, they give us questionnaire to fill out. It seems like half the questions are about the health of your child and the other half are to determine whether or not you’re a good parent.

There’s nothing like cuddling up with the person you love and watching a good movie.

The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene

I'm thrilled to announce that Robert Greene, the best-selling author of The 48 Laws of Power, The Art of Seduction, and The 33 Strategies of War, will be a guest on The Abel Hour Wednesday, January 17. It should be fun and entertaining show. To listen click here or go to The Abel Hour website  on Friday and click the Listen Live button from 11 a.m. to noon MST (1 p.m. EDT).