Hate or Hope, you decide.

Hello Sports Fans!
Welcome to Election Season! It is gonna get down and dirty in the trenches, I can feel it in my feathers!

I was able to attend both of the conventions. I am not sure why they are called Political Parties because they aren't really a party at all. More of a mud slinging contest. Well, some more than others if you know what I mean.

I know, I know, you sit there and gasp "Oh Anabelle, how could you attend BOTH conventions?! What about your allegiance to good over evil?!" Let me 'splain. As a duck for all people, I need to be able to have a view of both sides of the coin. I need to be able to look at things from each perspective before I can weigh in and give my opinion.

I am ready to endorse a candidate. I have thought long and hard and did oodles of research on both offerings. My feathers were worn to a nub with all of the Googling I did. HEY I guess you could say I did oodles of googles! But I digress...

My vote is to be cast for Obama/Biden. These two guys are straight shooters and I truly believe that they want what is best for America. They actually seem to have a plan on how to end the war and help the economy. They have solid suggestions as to how to end our dependence on foreign oil.

The McCain/Palin ticket scares me. Think about it, if McCain should have an issue with health and not be able to lead......then we got Palin in the White house. Not gonna happen if I can help it. Don't get me wrong, John McCain served his country valiantly and is a decorated war hero. That doesn't mean I want him as my president. There is a war monger in the White house currently and look at the mess we are in because of him. This needs to change.

American can't afford another 4 years of Republican leadership. Look what the last 8 has cost.

This is my opinion and you are certainly entitled to yours.

That is all -- I am going to go and have a peanut butter and jelly sammich now.

The Olympic Games

Hello Lovlies!
I don't know about you but I am really feeling the exhaustion of these Olympics. I guess I should have trained more to be able to watch all of these Olympians competing for hours on end. I fear I am getting carpel tunnel syndrome due to the massive amounts of remote clicking I have been doing. We still have several days of intensive viewing to get through so let us try to stick to some rules that will make it easier on our bodies.

1. Watch your caloric intake. We musn't let ourselves get depleted. Bump up those complex carbs and stay away from the sugar. Michael Phelps eats 12,000 calories a day. We should be consuming at least that many too. Oh yeah, cake is a complex carb.
2. Dehydration will get you when you least expect it! There are only 3 things we should be drinking right now; water, water and water.
3. Battery check. A remote with batteries that are low can be a great cause of frustration and this will drain energy reserves you might need for yelling at the tv later on.
4. Get lots of rest. I know that the publicity we must all face can be overwhelming and it is tough to be "on" for the cameras. Keep this in mind and try to get at least 7 hours of sleep every night.
5. After the games are over, we may feel a bit depressed and let down. This is to be expected and is referred to as the Tour de France Syndrome. The only remedy is to get off your butt and go outside and play!
   

If we all try to pay attention to what our bodies are telling us we shall see this thing through to the closing ceremonies. Maybe there will be lip synching and fake fireworks there too!

Have a good day!

ABD

Heckuva long time!

Hello Lovelies!

Again I must apologize for I have been remiss in my posting duties. I would like to say that it will never happen again but I cannot for it might.

Right now I am deep into training for the QUALCOMM Million Dollar Challenge. I am one of the coaches and that is a hard job. Don't get me wrong, it is a lot of fun too! In fact, more fun than hard.

We do group training rides on Sundays -- yesterdays ride was from Solana Beach to San Clemente and back. 82 miles. It was just a nice jaunt after the hell-of-the-east the week before! My group did great and everyone was able to keep pace.

I tell you what, it is hard herding 10 people around San Diego and Orange Counties with nary a flat tire or mechanical breakdown! We caught a break when one of the women in my group got a goat head in her tire but DIDN'T get a flat! The other ride leader just cut it off and off we rode. I have to check with her to see if she got a flat later that day or today. Stay tuned.

The ride is in late October and until then it is ride, train, eat, sleep, train, eat, sleep, ride, eat, sleep...you get the picture.

Stay tuned for more hijinks from the road!

ABD

I'm a Soul Duck!

Hello Brothers and Sisters!

ABD here, checking in from the Big Apple. We arrived in the city that never sleeps on Thursday and since then we have logged more than 10 miles by foot. Of course, we are hooked up with the 7 Day Metro Pass and if you ever come here you gotta get one of these!

Today we went to the Museum Of Natural History in Central Park. It was wonderful and I was able to gaze upon Duck Billed Dinosaurs. It was a beautiful thing and several times I found I had to turn my head away to fend off the tears I shed when I felt the connection with my prehistoric brethren. Those guys were HUGE. No one would have ever messed with them!

After the museum we felt a bit peckish and decided to cross another gastronomic stop off our list. We hopped on the M10 heading towards Harlem. I had heard of Sylvias on the Food Network and since I am a lover of Soul Food, had to go there. On the bus, we were chatting with some women and they told us how to get to Sylvias; get off the M10 at 116th and then get on the 7 which would take us to the restaurant. Sounded good to us!

Another woman on the bus was on the phone and when she got off, we found out that she had called her friend to see where she went for soul food in Harlem. She told us to go to Amy Ruths and not Sylvias. If there is one thing I know, it is that one must ALWAYS take restaurant recommendations from locals so we got directions, jumped off the bus and headed to Amy Ruths.

As soon as we walked in, we KNEW we were in the right place. We were ushered upstairs to a crowded room and handed menus. We ordered our food; jerk chicken, collard greens, cheese grits, macaroni and cheese, cole slaw, potato salad, corn, corn bread, lemonade and sweet tea.

Then we waited.

When our food arrived and we began eating, all of the conversation at the table stopped. All that could be heard was the banging of dishes, the clinking of silverware and the "want some of this" that goes with friends having good food together.

All I have to say to you is that if you are ever in Manhattan, get yourselves on the M10 and get yourselves to Amy Ruths. You will not be sorry. Bills down, the BEST collard greens I have ever had. My dining companions will agree with me on this one without arguing.

Oh yeah, we brought home some sweet potato pie and a slice of red velvet cake. The reviews are yet to come in on that as we are still stuffed from Amy Ruths.

Tomorrow we are going to the Soccer Fields at Red Hook in Brooklyn for some Latin street food. Then we are gonna go to the Brooklyn Flea.

More later, dear readers and I wish you were all here with me.

Yours on the East Coast, ABD

Playing with words

Hi Loves,

I spend a lot of time just thinking. Thinking about nothing in general and everything in particular. Lately it has been words in the english language. Some of them just don't make sense to me! Am I stupid? NO! Am I even a little reticent in my understanding of them? I don't think so but I will leave that up to you, my dear and faithful readers. On I go....

1) Why is it called a "pair of pants"? There is only one of them, right? I can see why it is a "pair of socks" for the love of pete. There are TWO of them. But only one pants. How then should we say it? Not "pants" either for that is plural too! How about just "pant". Hmmmm but then we might become confused about what the dog does in summer.

2) This word: extraordinary means really super great, right? I have to disagree on this one too! Look at the word, really it is two words, "extra" and "ordinary". Extra means more of something and ordinary means common. So wouldn't something that is more common be actually less great? Get what I am saying?!?!

3) When I golf -- and this is often believe it or not, you should see how cute my little clubs are -- I aim for par or below. In life however, par is average and below par is not good -- subpar. So why is it that in golf, subpar is really the thing I want?!

4) I am confused as to why a roasted jalapeno has a completely different name -- chipolte. Why can't it just be roasted jalapeno? It wasn't until a little while ago that I found out that the chipolte wasn't an entirely different pepper!

Those are just some of the things that I wonder about. What do you wonder about?

Red, White and Blue Duck!

My Fellow Americans!

One of my favorite holidays is fast approaching! It is the day to eat tofu pups, (or hot dogs, depending on your relationship with meat) potato salad, corn on the cob, apple pie and watermelon! The day to go to the beach at 4AM to reserve your spot, frolick all day in the water, get sand in places you didn't know you had and then watch fireworks. You guessed it, the 4th Of July!

Did you know that it wasn't a paid holiday until 1941? Why the lag? I am not sure but I would have to say that someone (congress!) was asleep at the wheel on that one!

Around these parts, there are lots of fireworks displays. Sometimes these are set to songs that are patriotic in nature. Songs like God Bless America Cause She Sneezed, This Ham Is Your Ham and Oodles Of Yankee Doodle Noodles. You know these well and you can sing along even though you can't hear a damn thing due to the din. It is ok that you can't hear anyhow as most people don't really know all the words and tend to just wing it. No pun intended.

Sometimes, though, these displays are set to the REAL American music -- hip hop. That's what I am talking about! I wanna be throwin' down to anything by Missy E, Lil Wayne, Chingy and Ludacris. This duck is so G it is the only letter I know!

Wherever you are on the 4th, be sure to say hi to your friends -- or give a shout out, whichever you prefer, eat some american food (there really is none) and then GO BUY GAS.

Feel me??

Start Spreadin' The News!

Hi Wacky Readers!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I have just been swamped! No excuses other than that. I don't accept excuses so I won't make them.

The big news on the Anabelle front is that I am only 23 short days away from The Big Apple. That's right, friends! I am heading for The Great White Way, The City That Never Sleeps, The City So Nice They Named It Twice, New York! I am going with some friends and we plan on eating, walking, eating, museuming, eating, book store-ing, eating, shopping, eating and eating. Get my drift?

I am soooo excited I can't hardly stand to be around me! Of course, first I have to deal with the cattle call that is airline travel. I do have some tips for making the hassle of travel a bit easier:

1) Don't pack toiletries. Go to a drug store when you get to your destination and buy small sizes there. You don't have to worry about that stupid rule anymore and you will give the local economy a little stimulus!

2) Cram everything you are taking into a suitcase that is to small. Don't worry about wrinkles, iron it when you get there.

3) Don't check your luggage. Somehow you have got to get it in to that (shrinking) overhead compartment. Shove it in there even if there is no way in hell it will fit. Screw what the people behind you are muttering about you under their breath! They are going to do the EXACT SAME THING in a couple of minutes.

4) Get completely, obnoxiously, rip roaring hammered on the flight. No one will notice.

5) When you land, at all costs, BE THE FIRST ONE OFF OF THE PLANE. Even if you have to shove children and little old people out of your way.

6) The Flight Attendants really preferred to be called Waitresses-In-The-Sky. Treat them as such and BONUS; no tipping allowed!

Those are all the tips I have! Now get out there and travel before only the Rich And Famous can!

My next quest

Hello and Happy Monday!

Today starts the US Open in my fair city. I am not going to go to it as I cannot afford the tickets. No worries though, even if I could afford the tickets it would be a waste of my money. I am diminuitive in physical size so I wouldn't be able to see anything but ankles and the choice of socks of my fellow observers. I can go to Target and look at socks for free.

Now that the marathon is over, I have embarked on my next life-changing journey. I will be participating in the QUALCOMM Million Dollar Challenge. This is a bicycle ride from San Francisco to San Diego. 600 miles in 7 days. This ride benefits the Challenged Athletes Foundation. There are not many causes that are more deserving of my time and my effort.

Sure the training will be hard -- though not as hard as that damn marathon! My bicycle is wee so the ride will be even harder for me! Think of it, my tires are only 2" in diameter so I will have to pedal that much more to go one mile. I won't complain though as I am certainly not one to take what I have for granted.

If you want to read about the ride, go here.
If you want to make a donation, go here. Please donate, I gotta raise an ass load of cash!

To see a picture of me on my bike just look below! Remember this is just a likeness and not my actual photo! I do rock that particular earring though......

Thank Ducks That's Over!

Hello Dear Readers,

ABD here signing in after completing the Rock and Roll marathon. Happy to be here and happy to be done with that!

Please don't misunderstand, if running is your "thing" then more power to you! In fact, if everyone is allotted a certain amount of miles in a lifetime to run, you can have mine for free! I think I only used about 100 of them for this escapade!

Oh sure, I had a great time with my friends. Oh sure, I am able to say I did something that most people haven't. Oh sure, I can now say that I have walked north on the southbound lanes of Interstate 163! Oh sure, I can say I was in the marathon the year they broke the Running Elvi record. All that aside, I don't see the need to ever do that again. Ever.

I have ridden my (very small, yellow, duck sized) bicycle miles and miles and miles and NEVER has my little body hurt so much as it did during only 26.2 of them. Really it was 26.5 miles but I am taking that issue up with the Event Director.

I see two critical mistakes that my friends and I made during our training.
1) we only trained on sidewalk. The race was mostly on asphalt and that is a very different surface. Who knew?!
2) we would stop at the halfway point in our training days for a meal and some witty repartee. I didn't get that option during the race. I didn't see a cafe serving warm bread and cheese. No one offered me a butterscotch latte at an aid station.

I do have to give a hearty "Thanks!" to all of the great volunteers at the race. Without them I would not have seen the smiles and heard the cheers that were meant just for me. It really helped to keep my flippers moving along.

Ducks could have saved your dream.

This particular entry is intended mostly for Mr. Michel Fournier but I am sure everyone will be able to benefit from the wisdom within.

You all might not think you know Mr. Fournier but you do. He is the visionary who was going to attempt to set a world record by recording the highest parachute leap ever. He was going to jump from a balloon that was 25 miles in the air. It would have been incredible. What a story he would have had and I would have listened with rapt attention as I also aspire to heavenly heights!

Alas, Mr. Fournier wasn't able to realize his dream. His balloon got away without him in it. How sad he must have been for this to happen. Perhaps he shed some tears. I would have, had it been me.

Mr. Fournier, ducks could have saved your dream. If you had befriended ducks (in great quantities) they would have been at your disposal to take off and fetch your wayward balloon. They would have ferried it back to earth safely in their beaks so that you could try again at another time.

Michel, gather ducks around you. You never know when we can be of assistance. There isn't much we won't do for our friends.

I am confident that you will be able to make your great lead successfully one day soon. When you do, I will be waiting to hear what the earth looks like from 25 miles up.

So close I can taste the pasta!

Hello Sports Fans!

The marathon is days away and I quiver with anticipation!

I am enjoying the taper after days of grueling training. Honestly, the sheer number of restaurants we ate at during training is enough to exhaust even the halest of ducks! I did make some very nice discoveries whilst training though and shall never forget the meals shared with the Seasoned Women.

All I think of now is carb loading, sodium intake, electrolyte imbalance and hydration. I am drinking so much water my bill bubbles all the time! I have to pee constantly! I ran out of toilet paper the other day and used paper towels -- OUCH!

I have obsessively laid out the clothes I will wear on Sunday. I have a plan to go to the store to get all sorts of snack foods that I will tote for the Seasoned Women. I bet I will see 5 HUGE smiles at mile 20 when I bust out the Uncrustables! I am thinking that some of them may cry when I hand them a Nutter Butter at mile 18! It is the little things that make my friends smile.

I may have to hitch a ride on some shoulders if I get really pooped. I only weigh 3 pounds and 7 ounces so it shouldn't be a problem.

One thing I am most excited for is to see all of the Running Elvi. Yep, that's right, the RnR marathon is going to attempt the world record for the largest number of Running Elvi in a marathon. I am excited but I hope that none of the Elvi step on me. That would mess up my marathon and I would have to peck their ankles until they laughed cause it tickled so much!

Well that is all for now, I have a large plate of shells and sauce with my name on it. Oh yeah, and ANOTHER DAMN glass of water.

Wish us luck and a blister free day!

ABD -- running for her life in San Diego.

Marathon Training is HARD!

Hello Dear Readers,

It has been a long time and for this I apologize. You see, I am training for a marathon and it is my first. I am quite sure that I will do well and probably exceed even my own expectations but I am here to tell you that training is HARD.

Let me clarify. DUH, I know that training is supposed to be hard. It isn't the physical aspect that I find the most challenging though. Even though I am only about 9.75 inches tall and I have to take MANY MORE steps that the people I run with that isn't the hardest part. The hardest part is the extreme boredom that I experience during the training. I mean YAWN! Who's bright idea was it to decide that 26.2 miles would be a good distance to run?! Why not 25 or 30? That would make more sense after all.

So I go on long runs and am bored, bored, bored. Oh sure I have an iPod and all but still. My mind goes to wonderous and dangerous places when I am out there. I think that the marathon itself won't be as boring as there will be lots of other folks out there and lots of music too.

Yep, that's right. My first 26.2 is the Rock and Roll Marathon in San Diego. I am pretty excited but also pretty disheartened at the snacks (or lack thereof) that will be available to ducks along the route. Lots of water seems to be no problem. There is only one stop with any kind of gel and NONE with sammiches or steaks available. FOR THE LOVE OF PETE!!!

How can anyone possible be expected to go 26.2 miles without a peanut butter and jelly sammich? I guess I will have to pack my own. No, I won't share.

Wish me luck and if you are out there and see a little yellow duck trotting along be sure to say "Hi!".

Back In Civilization!

Hello Dear Readers,

I am happy to say that I have made it back to the place that I love.
It was close, to say the least! I have never been sent to secondary at an airport before but I was in Montana! I guess that the Airport Police think that a little yellow duck passing through security just "looks wrong"!

Oh and to add insult to injury, they took my Huckleberry Marmalade away from me saying that it was a gel. It most certainly was not! It was marmalade for the love of pete!

Needless to say, I don't think I will find it necessary to go back to Montana EVER. For the most part, the entire state was closed and seems to really only be open about 4 months out of the year. That would drive this duck crazy!

Seems to be lots of drinking, smoking and quilting going on in Montana. I guess that is all there is to do when it snows for 8 months out of the year.

Oh yeah, that and the 10 Commandments. I don't have a problem with them at all but I guess these people forget them a lot and need to be reminded of what they are constantly!

Well more later, I am just happy to be home where I can get some Delicious carnitas!

Pickles

To my dear and valued reader that asked about pickles;

I will fill you in on the wonderful world of pickles as soon as I have done a bit more research on them. I hate to submit some half-baked entry that doesn't help you at all.

Keep reading!

Senseless In Montana

Hi all, Anabelle here and I am in the state of Montana. I would say “Great State Of Montana” but as of yet, I haven’t really seen anything that great. If I may speak freely, I have seen some pretty horrific things and one in particular…

People in Montana seem to have a penchant for hanging animal heads on their walls! I mean to tell you, these were once proud and beautiful creatures that have been killed, had their heads torn off, had them stuffed and landed up on the walls of most buildings here usually over the fireplace! When I first got here, I kept running out of the buildings to look for the rest of the animal but they were never there.

Deer are by far the most commonly mutilated and hung animal -- one guy has TWO in his house! But I have also seen bears, one moose, geese and (this one was really hard for me) ducks. Yesterday I even saw a man and a woman in a truck and there was a deers head between them. I guess that this means all of the walls they know are full up and now they are going to tote this head around with them in their truck. I hope that at least they put a seatbelt around it.

ARE THESE PEOPLE CRAZY?!?!?! I have been asking around to find out what is going on and this seems to be the loudest secret that no one speaks of. Trying to make peace with these seemingly senseless murders, the only thing I can think of is that these animals broke into homes and were tearing houses up but there is one flaw in this argument; ducks aren’t the type of creature to go on this sort of rampage. I can’t speak firsthand for deer, mooses (meese?!) or bear. Of course we all know that geese are capable of this type of behavior but this is due to an inherent birth defect and there is medication for their problem. Still, I don’t think that ALL of the geese in the state of Montana have suddenly gone crazy and decided to tear up the place. Nope, I think there is something much more sinister going on here.

I think that most people in Montana are just plain mad. Mad that it snows here a lot and the snow makes them cold. These animals don’t get cold and this makes the people mad so they shoot them. Do they think that this will make them less cold? Maybe so, I haven’t asked. I think that when they find out that these killings won’t make them warmer, they get madder and then they just kill more. See the vicious circle beginning?

I don’t know how to help these crazy killers who are cold and I don’t want to. They scare me and they might kill me even though I am cold too.

Hopefully today will be a better day. I am going to Glacier National Park and hope to see some animals that are whole and living. Maybe a deer or a moose or a Harlequin Duck. That would make me really happy! This is a very rare and beautiful duck and Glacier is one of the only breeding grounds in North America for this duck.

Well have a nice day and remember that animals are best when they are whole.

This Duck's solution to outlandish gas prices

Hi Friends,

I see what has been happening with the gas prices. Big Oil is rakin' it in and it is at the expense of the little guy, the working stiff, the American duck. I am suffering with the rest of you, I have cut back on everything from produce to trips to the movies so my people can afford gas. I know how it is, it HURTS. I also know it is wrong. I read the papers, I see that the oil companies are making their BIGGEST PROFITS EVER. Duh, no surprise there. The Fat Cats* in Texas are getting fatter off of their texas tea.

I have a solution and it is going to take a lot of help to put it into action. I know we can do it, we are a strong group and have been through worse torments than this.

This is what I propose -- every driver in America gets a certain amount of gallons a week. That gas is purchased at a price that is fair -- say $2.00 a gallon. (I don't know about you but if I drove that would be a bargain!) Now I am just spitballin' here but let's say 15 gallons a week at the fair price for the sake of argument. Don't get me wrong, you can have as much gas as you want BUT after you have reached your 15 gallon limit then you have to pay market rates which will be GOD ONLY KNOWS HOW HIGH.

It's up to you! You can drive as much as you do now and pay dearly for the privilege or you can curtail your driving and save a lot of money!

What do you think?! Think it will fly?! This duck does!

*I mean no offense to kitties of the world, "Fat Cats" is an expression used in disgust at people who make money at the expense of others.

Some delishious bread!

Hi all, Anabelle here expounding on a favorite thing; FOOD and a favorite type of FOOD; bread.

I love bread, specifically I love bread that is baked in small batches by a baker who cares. I don't love Wonder Bread even though the packaging is genius. The bread is nasty. There, I said is and it is out there in the open for all to see. Love me or hate me for it, makes no difference to me.

I was in the charming community of Point Loma and saw some red umbrellas on the sidewalk indicating some sort of dining establishment. I strolled over and saw the name of the place, "Con Pane"....."With Bread".......hmmmmm I thought to myself, this looks promising so I ventured in. The little place had a wonderful menu filled with leavened delights such as Rosemary and Olive Oil and Pesto Tomato Foccacia.

I wandered around to see what some of the patrons were eating and in some cases, I hopped on their tables to get a closer look. Let me tell you, what I saw was enough to make me swoon! Bread, BREAD everywhere and in copious amounts!

I decided on a sweet sampler plate and an Almost Grilled Cheese Sammich and I am not sorry for either decision. Since it was Sunday, the Pain Chocolate was on the menu so I got this with my sweet plate. This is nirvana for those of us that love bread and chocolate. Run don't walk if it is Sunday and GET YOU SOME. The Almost Grilled Cheese is Brie and Gorgonzola on your choice of bread. The cheese is not quite melted and the smoothness of the Brie is accented wonderfully by the ZING of the Gorgonzola. Now, even though I weigh 9 pounds, I can pack away the FOOD so I was able to eat all of what I ordered. You might want to share with a friend or take some home for later as Con Pane doesn't skimp on portions.

I have decided that I need to try all of the sammiches on the menu. Not a bad goal in life if I do say so myself.

They don't have a website but the address is
1110 Rosecrans St
Ste 100
(between Avenida De Portugal & Canon St)
San Diego, CA 92106 (619) 224-4344

The First Entry

Well, this is a big day in the life of a duck.
My friends have been telling me that I need to be blogging my life.
I have many adventures and some won't believe that one so small as I can live such a LARGE LIFE!
I am here to tell you it is possible and I am living proof!

A short bit about me;
My name is Anabelle B Duck. Please note that there is only one "N" in Anabelle. Sometimes folks have difficulty with that as this is a non-conventional spelling. As you get to know me, you will see that there are lots of things about me that are non-conventional. Get used to it.

I am 9 years old and I am not the sort of duck that you would find in a lake or the bay. I am civilized and need creature comforts. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with my lake and bay brethren. I love them, they are ducks. It's just that I find I need a warm bath, a TV with a DVR, a soft bed and a nice meal. I am unable to live in the great outdoors.

I hope to blog about all of my adventures, my travels, my opinions (of which I have many), my friends and my food. Therein is my first passion -- food. I travel the globe (or at least around the block as I can't drive, I am 9 and a duck for the love of pete!) in search of culinary delights. I will eat anything that won't eat me first! I do try to eat only organic and only locally grown whenever possible and I am a new convert to the Slow Food movement.

I will sign off now for I have places to go and people to see however, I will put in a likeness of me for you to see. Not a picture, mind you, rather a representation as I am reticent to be recognized and mobbed on the street.