My Supporting Cast. The Food Version.
A quick cheat sheet to identify the rowdy crew who most often frequent my posts. I’ll update it periodically as you meet new people.
Doug: AKA the D-Man. My husband, life-mate, help-meet, better half, significant other etc. Lives with me in Texas. Obsessed triathlete whose training schedule turns our life sideways – but man, is he ever in good shape. Annoyingly good shape. Such good shape that he gets to eat whatever he wants. His scheduled events for the next 9 months include: a half-marathon, a marathon, a 70.3 Ironman, and an all-out, full-bore Ironman. Did I mention he can eat whatever he wants…
David: AKA Bro-D. My brother. Not to be confused with the D-Man. They are the same age, but you can tell them apart because Bro-D doesn’t live with me. He lives in Canada and says “eh” a lot. And also, because he lives in the Ottawa Valley, “lad”. As in “some of the lads partied with me and the band after our show”. Musician. Which explains the whole “partied with me and the band” thing… Likes to cook and makes a mean pizza.
Mom: Duh. Also lives in Canada. Also lives in the Ottawa Valley. Says “eh” on occasion. Doesn’t say “lad”. I can’t explain the discrepancy. Not a musician. Genetic source of my inability to sit still. And my prodigious appetite… Bakes like a pastry chef, cures broken hearts and scraped knees with little more than chocolate milk and a kiss – and drinks whiskey with the best of them.
Jen: Close personal friend. And by close, I don’t mean living down the street. Because she just keeps moving away. Farther and farther away. First Colorado. Then Utah. Would you please just stop it? Fellow whacko-dog-person. With three, count ‘em, three Viszlas… Nothing like a little Ellie, Katie and Abbie energy to start your day. Amazing baker – bread, Italian cream cake… Feeds me through the mail (balsamic vinegar, olive oil, smoked salmon).
Jackie: Good friend. And by good, I mean I like her. I do NOT mean well-behaved. Has a penchant for sleeping on patio furniture after parties. Jackie, Jackie, Jackie…. Another fellow whacko-dog-person. With two Australian cattle dogs (Sydney & Sandy). Fab British accent. Fab hostess… fun drinks and great food.
Karen: And (do you sense a theme here?) yet another fellow canine aficionado. Pitbull lover. Michael Vick hater. Mom to Tuxedo (Pit mix) and Dakota (Chow mix). Guardian to my crew. The original purple rose of Texas. And an occasional lunch companion. Cause a girl’s got to eat…
Mike: Much adored trainer-extraodinaire. Epitome of patience (Still agrees to train me after having endured four years of my, umm, effervescent company…) Good friend who not only whips my butt into shape, acts as confidant and father-confessor - but feeds me cookies as well!
Josh: Much adored master-masseur. My go-to anti-kink man. Fab British accent. Epitome of patience (“Yes Josh, the same hamstring. No Josh, I didn’t stretch like you told me…”) Good friend who not only keeps me fine-tuned so I can stay up and running, but also gives me coffee, lets me sleep… and feeds me!
Jae: My old training partner. As in “past”. But also as in “old”. A charter member of the “Old Broads’ Brigade” in our gym. (I’m the other member.) Epitome of patience (hasn’t killed me yet, not even after I got distracted spotting her and almost let a dumbbell land on her face.) Softball coach. A while ago, she jilted me for her volleyball girls. I felt so used.. But she’s come back to me! My new training partner! Reconciliation! Yes, I’ll take you back, Jae! How was your garden this year? Are you going to feed me ?….
Todd: My Friday training partner. Epitome of patience (Hey, he’s still training with me. And that’s after having spent a LOT of time being graced with my presence this year. Says a lot about the man…. or maybe about his sanity…) My very favourite world-travelling friend who brings back such luscious goodies for me (in other words, folks, yes, he feeds me…)
Paul: Occasionally: my training partner. Frequently: my cardio companion. Constantly: makes me laugh. Alec Baldwin look-alike. Epitome of patience (Has to listen to me chatter on and on while I’m occupying the treadmill next to him. The poor man is too polite to make a run for it…) Good friend who… hey, he doesn’t feed me! What gives?
Barry: My newest training partner. Has trained with me occasionally in the past. Has a wife who is an absolute riot (and who used to be my training partner until life got in the way). Veritable encyclopedia of classic rock knowledge (except for the birth place of Neil Young…) Collector of Mustangs, drinker of Jack… Will have to learn to be the epitome of patience if he’s going to train with me. Could be a good friend… if he feeds me…
