Cut the Racket

A couple of weeks ago, I read an article in the local paper about how the YMCA was considering closing the racquetball courts. I had no real opinion on this at the time; I don't play racquetball, or care to. The Y has three courts and they seem to have a small core of devotees, all significantly older than me (I'm not sure exactly what that means anymore, but I am guessing north of 60). OK, a little older.

The racketeers quickly mobilized, and for the last two weeks, a few of them have been  standing on the street in front of the building wearing "SAVE Y COURTS" t-shirts, raising their fists just like they used to in the sixties, fighting the power.

This weekend the chair of the Y responded with a little data, suggesting that the fitness center is far more popular than the racquetball courts, and that the two occupy roughly the same amount of space. The ballers shot back about how they were not informed of the decision, and that racquetball is awesome.

I am of mixed minds on this. The fitness center is not that crowded, in my estimation. I work out 4 days a week, usually around 8 AM, and it is rare that I cannot get immediate access to the equipment I want. I use the Smith rack, dumbbells and chin-up bar, and one of the cardio machines. The recumbent bike is my preferred vehicle, but the three in the facility are usually occupied, so in the past I have chosen the stair steppers, for which there is never a wait. However, a few weeks ago the stairs disappeared, and when I inquired as to their whereabouts I was told that they were being replaced. The new models arrived, looking more modern--with built in televisions and heart rate monitors, as well as some handles to get your arms swinging--and they were far superior in every way except one: they did not do a good job of approximating the act of climbing stairs (which is what I look for in a stepper). Perhaps there are medical reasons, but I couldn't get used to swinging my legs parabolically, so I switched over to the 21st century version of the NordicTrack, I mean, who cares, right? It's just about getting in your workout.

Which is why I have a hard time sympathizing with the old timers, who decidedly did not grow up playing racquetball, since it is a relatively new sport. If they love it that much, they can go play it somewhere else, but if the Y is really serving the community, it needs to serve the people who want to get their workout in, and right now, that means cardio machines and weights. They can always go outside and play against the wall, which is really what inspired the game in the first place. I' suspect the Y did not do a good job informing the community of their plans, and I'm not sure that there is a business case for expanding the fitness center, but I am sure that racquetball takes an egregiously disproportionate share of the physical space based on the number of users.

Anyway, it's nice that the expansion of the fitness center and the demise of the racquetball courts looks like it will have modest benefits for Big D. That's not the way change always works, but if you're playing the numbers, that's the way it usually does.

Udon Noodles

One of the best ways that new dishes come into our house is when one of the Gs asked me to make something that they had at a friend's house, or that looked particularly tasty in someone else's lunch box. This not only gives me a chance to make them happy with food, but it's much easier to introduce something new if it has the imprimatur of approval from a trusted friend.

About a month ago, the BG asked me to make udon noodles. I was familar with them only from Anthony Bourdain's account of his adventures in Tokyo in Kitchen Confidential, but I said that I'd look for them.

I found them in the International section at the Harris Teeter; wheat noodles lighter than pasta, but more substantial than the lo mein-type noodles I'm used to in Asian cuisine. I followed the recipe on the package, omitting chicken and substituting carrots for the cabbage, and the results were enjoyed by nearly all.

They are remarkably easy to make, and now part of the regular line-up. We'll also be supplementing our Asian menu with Alton Brown's Dan Dan noodles tonight, which the BG requested after trying them at the Gourmet Kingdom, last month, which is the first truly excellent Chinese restaurant I've ever been to. The Teeter did not have the Black Vinegar called for in the recipe, but luckily there is an Asian market just around the corner.

Udon Noodles
Drop a package of noodles into boiling water and cook for 4 minutes. Rinse with cold water after removing from pot. Meanwhile, saute 2 carrots and an onion, minced in a food processor, in olive oil for a couple of minutes. Add the noodles and a bunch of spring onions, chopped, dress with a little soy sauce, salt and pepper and heat through. Serve.

Update
The Alton Brown version of Dan Dan noodles was too peanutty and not spicy enough. I have another couple of recipes to try, and if any are decent, I'll share. I also am now the proud owner of a litre of black vinegar. Any other ideas of what I might use it for?

The Voices

The Hobbit is not a good choice for the lover of realistic fiction (coincidentally it stands as the first and last book read by G Lo from the fantasy genre), but it is the one book remaining for the BG in the Battle of the Books, a competition at her school where students are challenged to read a set of books and then quizzed jeopardy style on their contents.

To help it go down a little easier, she asked if I would read it to her. I agreed and we are now two chapters in. But before we started, I asked her an important question: "Should I do the voices?" When the Gs were younger and bedtime stories were part of the evening ritual, I developed a habit of creating voices for the characters. They seemed to like it, and I enjoyed the challenge of switching back and forth from the omniscient narrator (my own voice) and whatever I had come up with for the people in the story.

The BG answered affirmatively (though not as enthusiastically as she did when she was six), and we got to work. Here's what I have so far.

• Bilbo: Droopy Dog
• Gandalf: Oxford professor
• Dwarves: Mckenzie Brothers
• Trolls: English hooligans

I think I'll make the elves sound like Gandalf's students when they come into the story, and give Gollum a Peter Lorre sound. I forget who else is in the story, but I welcome the challenge.

Schoolhouse Rock!

The BG killed it today as one of the leads in Schoolhouse Rock, a play inspired by the beloved songs of the Saturday mornings of my childhood, and a new fave of G-Lo, who came down with Ol' Granddad to see the show. Here she is unpacking her adjectives. Link to the original cartoon is here.

Update

In response to overwhelming demand (ok, repeated requests from one grandmother), here is Interjections. Hooray!

More Wild Things

I mentioned awhile ago that my Reading Group was enjoying Wild Things, by Clay Carmichael, and that the author is a regular visitor to the Y. Today, she approached me, and told me that she was going to be coming to school this month. I mentioned my hypothetical question to the Group (If you could ask the author one question, what would it be?), and wondered if she might be interested in using their feedback for her talk. She responded in the Comments section to the post this morning, but I've elevated her answers to a post of their own. The kids will enjoy seeing this tomorrow:

Hello, Brian and Carrboro Elementary Battle of the Books Readers. Thanks for your questions. I'll be coming to your media center on February 25 and look forward to seeing you all then.

--Are you going to write another book?
I have already written another book, "Brother, Brother," which is for older teens and will be out this August. You can see the cover here, www.claycarmichael.com, and read a little about it here, http://www.throughthetollbooth.com/

--Where is the book ["Wild Things"] set?
"Wild Things" is set in the fictional town of Sugar Hill, North Carolina, which I picture in the western Piedmont. A fan once wrote me that there is a real Sugar Hill, NC where they famously fight every year with hard boiled eggs on Easter Sunday. Go figure.

--Why didn't Will tell Zoe he's her brother?
Are you [Is Zoë] sure he does know?

--What is the message of the book?
I tend to the story and the characters and always leave what messages might be there for the reader to decide. 

Why didn't the grandmother show up in the story more often?
I think Maud doesn't want to intrude, sees that Zoë has enough things to figure out and waits for Zoë to come to her. Kind of like the author who waits for the reader to figure things out for themselves. 

Thanks for asking and I'll see you on the 25th! 

This is What's Going On

Speaking of Marvin Gaye's better work, the OG just purchased her first record to play on the MP3 turntable Young Jeezy gave her for Christmas. How much fun it was to put the needle on the record and peruse the pictures, lyrics and other information on the album cover and liner notes. Makes me wanna holler in a good way.

I also learned via the Internet (an excellent complement to liner notes) that Detroit Lions Lem Barney and Mel Farr (who went on to become well known Detroit car salesman Mel Farr Superstar) sing backup on the song.

30 Years Ago in Pop...

I was in 12th Grade on January 22, 2013. If you asked me what the kids were listening to back then, I would have acknowledged Thriller, by Michael Jackson, but also Prince, Run DMC, The English Beat, the Police and various other new wave and rap dilettantes. Arena rock was dead and the world was a better place.

Coverville has a show out featuring covers of the Billboard top songs of the day, and I was excited to fire it up on Friday at the Y. Ye Gods, as Grandma Anna would say. Was it really this bad? Were we not the tastemakers we styled ourselves to be. Check out the list of songs:

Title	Original Artist
Heartbreaker	Dionne Warwick
Kitty (Mickey)	Racey
Rock the Casbah	Clash
Baby Come To Me	Patti Austin with James Ingram
Maneater	Hall & Oates
Africa	Toto
Sexual Healing	Marvin Gaye
Dirty Laundry	Don Henley
The Girl Is Mine	Michael Jackson
Down Under	Men At Work

Not exactly the Golden Age is it? I'm a little weary of Maroon 5, Pink and Ne Yo on Pulse 102, but I'm not sure I prefer this group. I will say that, of this list, the only two songs in my Library are the Clash and Marvin Gaye, and both represent great artists past their prime, who have done much better work. In fact, the former has risen in my view from "they're ok" (1983 me) to "they are one of the best bands ever (2013 me). I highly recommend the Box Set.