Honey Story: A Tribute to Robert J. Duax

This is how it all starts. A honeybee extracts nectar from a flower. Brings it back to the hive. 20,000 of them work day in day out, and produce honey and honeycomb in the hive all year round. They will fight and they will die to protect their honey and their hive. It's a beautiful, wonderful process.

But this entry is not about the birds and the bees. It's about a great man from Davenport, Iowa who harvested his own honey, and taught his sons how to do it, too. And of his 11 sons and daughters, the youngest has carried on the tradition, all the way out here in Midtown, Sacramento of California.

He does not wear a veil. He does not wear gloves. Just like his father. He goes out to the hive in the backyard and softly talks to the bees, as he gently smokes them with burning burlap. He brushes them carefully from each frame. He tells the bees that he is not there to hurt them. Sometimes he'll hum them a sweet tune. The bees relax.



After carefully removing each frame from the hive and gingerly bringing them into the house, the extraction process begins.

Here is the equipment you will need:

A couple of buckets with faucets, an extractor, an electric heated knife, newspapers to cover the kitchen floor, and lots and lots of jars. You will also need a strainer, cheese cloth, and a spoon.

First you must cut the caps off the combs in the frames. The bees do a great job of "capping" their honeycomb and sealing them tightly shut so the honey doesn't leak out.

Next, you place the frames (two at a time) in the extractor, and spin as hard and as fast as you can. All the honey will fly out of the combs and settle at the bottom of the extractor. Then, you will turn the faucet on, and let the honey pour into a big bucket.

 

You will make sure to strain it through a fine cheesecloth so you make sure to filter out all the bee wings and other wax particles from the honeycombs.

 

 
After filtering once or twice, there may be foam gathered at the top of your bucket on the honey. Paul lovingly scoops out the foam by hand and makes sure that the honey is good and pure.

He then begins to pour the honey into big jars so that they can be heated (to about 120-145 degrees) in boiling water.



After heating them, you can pour them into smaller jars, again through a strainer or cheesecloth to filter them once more.


These jars that he is using are from his father. His father mailed them to him over 10 years ago, before he passed away after learning that Paul has taken up beekeeping. He sent his blessings in a carefully wrapped box with jars, burlap, and a Beekeepers magazine.

This batch is dedicated to his father and his mother who just passed in August. She would have loved a jar of this year's honey. We were able to harvest 57 pounds of honey this year. It was hard work and Paul spent many nights staying up into the wee hours of the morning to heat the honey, jar the honey, filter the honey, and label the jars. It is truly a labor of his love.



I am honored and touched to have witnessed this process and lend a hand to the harvesting of this honey. We are happy to share our honey with family and loved ones, and hope that if you received a jar of honey from us, please know that it comes with hours of labor and love, and that we sincerely hope you enjoy it.

law school blues

So, just finished my 9th week of law school, and we really only have about a month and a half left of this semester. It's moving along quickly. Do I feel like I've learned anything? A lawyer's answer: It depends.

So far, I've learned about what makes a contract a contract, what offer and acceptance is, how to write part of an office memorandum, and a whole boatload of elements of negligence. I better learn a lot more for how much I'm paying for all this.

So far, Torts is my favorite class. I don't care much for the Legal Writing class, and I'm completely lost in Contracts. I've ordered a supplement book, so we'll see if that helps. By this time in undergrad, I felt like I had everything under control. In law school, it's different, because there really is nothing to help you gauge how you're doing, there's only one test at the end of each semester.

I'm also frustrated at myself because I'm too scared to raise my hand, and I don't get called on. I'm also terrified of getting called on, and kick myself when others give answers I knew or if I had the wrong answer in my mind. Like, darn, I knew that one! Or, whew, glad I didn't say out loud my wrong answer. I just can't win.

And if my Contracts professor would post the friggin questions on time like he said he would instead of lagging for days, maybe I wouldn't be stressed out all week until he finally posts them. GOSH!!

But I think I'll feel a lot better after doing more practice exams. I feel relieved I have a study group going, and I enjoy reading cases. They're interesting. And it's amazing what people sue for, it's crazy. I will continue to keep in mind what a professor said at orientation: "Remember your future clients." I am doing this for the people I'm going to help in the future.



And in the grand scheme of things, it's really the Bar that matters, not these dinky first semester classes. I'll be ok. I'm just going to keep telling myself that.

What more do I have to say about law school?
The campus is beautiful. It's only 3 miles away from home. I'm learning "The Law." And I have one great professor so far.

Ok, enough with the bull. I would rather talk about the things I miss.

I miss reading for leisure. Before I got accepted to McGeorge, I had JUST bought another book by my favorite author, Columbian novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez: One Hundred Years of Solitude. Never got to start it. So it's sitting on the bookshelf collecting dust. And it will remain there for 3 years. Since I've started, I've bought a few more books with wishful thoughts, but I know it's stupid, because I won't be able to read any of them. It's so sad!

Here are the books I've bought in the last few weeks that I won't get to read for a long time:
  
 

There was also a book by Franklin D. Roosevelt and a book on the history of medicine that is sitting on my bedside table, I won't get to those either.

I miss riding my bike in the middle of the day on a weekend. Just hitting up the bike trail to enjoy the sun on my skin and smile into the breeze. How I miss the freedom.



I miss calling up my brother and just heading down to the Bay to visit him for the weekend. Well, we're fighting right now and haven't talked in 2 weeks, but we'll get over it and I won't get to hang out with him as much as I'd like. And he needs me.





I miss the feeling of coming home after a long day of work and just being able to change into my pjs and sink into my cushions and read whatever I want. My TIME magazines and Vanity Fairs are just sitting there in a pile, untouched. It will remain this way until the subscriptions run out, at which point I will not have a chance to renew them.

I miss going to the gym at night. Run in the morning, gym at night. Watch a little CNN, because that's where I get my tv fix-at the gym, but no more.

Wah wah wah. I'll stop whining. I'll keep thinking about my future clients and shut up.
At least I have two races coming up and a 12-day trip to Honduras at the end of the year. Something to look forward to!

secret to happiness: running

So, by request, I will do an entry on my weight loss. In 2006, after recovering from an illness (mono, among other things) for 4 years that kept me at barely 100 lbs, I looked in the mirror one day and didn't recognize myself. Nor did any of my clothes fit. I jumped up and down and looked myself at all angles, and thought- WHO THE HELL IS THAT? Sorry I don't have any pictures. I didn't take any of myself for obvious reasons. I wish I had a picture though. So I can have one of those Before/After shots. But just picture a short, fat girl with a goofy personality. Or something like this:





I stepped on a scale. I had to call my mother over to make sure that the scale wasn't broken. It wasn't. She stood on it and she still weighed a perfect 100 lbs. I stepped back on and the number went right back to what it was. 170. I was in serious trouble.


The hardest thing about dieting when you hit that weight at my height (5'2") is that it's really, really discouraging. Because no matter how much you starve yourself and sweat for hours, you're still fat. And you have to live with it day after day after day. Because losing weight the right way takes time.

First thing I had to do was cut out juice and soda. I lost the first ten pounds in one week from cutting out all sugary drinks. Next were sweets. No more cookies, chocolate, ice cream, cake, candy. I had the worst sweet tooth. I lost another ten pounds in the next couple of weeks from cutting out sweets.

The work started kicking in at 150 lbs. I had to journal what I was eating to see what my problem was. In my case, it was carbs. Rice, bread, pasta, pizza. And at what time I was eating all of these things, at all hours of the day. So I had to "systemize" everything. Meaning, I had to figure out what to eat, at precisely what time.



Your body has a clock, and it digests your food faster and slower at certain times throughout the day. It truly is a science and you have to figure out when your body burns most to know when you should consume which nutrients. So, for example, you want to consume carbs earlier in the day, rather than later, because you're more likely to burn more energy at the beginning and middle of the day, than you are closer to bedtime. So, with that logic, you don't want to be eating a big ole' hunk of bread right before going to bed, because your body won't be able to burn it off as energy- so it will become stored. In your thigh.

Also, you have to figure out your metabolism rate and find out what accelerates the rate at which your metabolism burns. If you starve, your metabolism will slow down because it thinks you are starving, so your body will do what it must to hold on to whatever fat you have in your body to sustain yourself. Not a good idea, since you're not really stranded on a deserted island, and you will eat. At which point, you will overeat, if you've been starving.

Little meals throughout the day will keep your metabolism rate up. This is not to say you pig out all day long. You take portions the size of your palm and make sure to select foods from different food groups to keep your meals balanced and healthy.

Eating well truly is key, and this point is made in my cooking entry (and will be reiterated in more of my cooking entries), but although eating is 90%, you can speed up the weight loss process by 10 times if you incorporate in the right amount of exercise. This includes a good mix of cardio and strength training. Cardio to burn the fat, and strength training to sculpt your body.



But this entry isn't really about tips on weight loss. It's about running, and how it truly is the secret to happiness in life.

Ok, so I started running to lose weight. And yes, the weight came off. But really, running has become something more to me. It truly is the key to my own happiness and I am so very happy to have discovered it. I am an early morning runner. It's harder for me to run after work because I am so drained and tired after a long day. So I like to jump start the day by getting the running out of the way, and I feel fresh and invigorated for the rest of the day.

Running in the morning is also great because the air is cooler, and I really like to feel the coolness on my skin, because believe me, I am not a pretty sight when I sweat. I think I have abnormal sweat glands or something because I sweat like a stuck pig. It's crazy. So the cool air helps. It's also great because the world is just waking up. I used to get up at 5:30 am to beat the sunrise, and see the stars fade away as the sky gradually lightens to welcome the dawn of a new day. I'd run out for as far as I could (3.5 miles) and then run right back. I don't like running in circles. I like to run to a certain point, so that I'd have no choice but to run back. It's a good way to keep the miles going. Now I don't wake up that early, mainly because sleep has become a precious commodity since starting law school, but also because we were held up at gunpoint last year and I will no longer run by myself in the dark.

I started off with short walks, because I was not a runner. I was the kind of person that would run for about 30 seconds and be out of breath and would need to stop. So I "walked fast" for about 2-3 miles until I gradually worked up to light jogs. I felt like King Kong when I ran the whole way all 3 miles. I was at about 135 lbs or so, and was getting really excited because I had lost 35 lbs already. It was such an accomplishment, but I still had a goal weight to hit, and I knew I had to do more to get to my goal.

So I kept plugging along, running every chance I got, sometimes even running twice a day to burn the extra calories. It really became a game to me. And I was winning.

I'll never forget the day I ran 7 miles. It felt so good. It was about 7 months into my running. That was a pivotal turning point in my entire running career, because I began to really realize my potential. That was the summer I eventually hit 113 lbs with 2 pack abs. That was mainly to prove to myself I could do it, and then I gained back about 10 lbs, and I'm at my "happy weight" now, meaning I'm not cut like I used to be but I'm ok with my body. There's no such thing as a perfect body in real life.

But anyway, this running business was really symbolic about the turning point in my life. It wasn't just a turning point in my running career, it was the point in my life when everything changed. It was when I finally believed I can do anything and that I was in full control of my own life. It was a rebirth, and I celebrated this by running.
 

My first organized run was the Disneyland Half Marathon. It takes place every year on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend. The feeling I got from running with the crowds cheering you on is a high I can never fully describe. It's just one of those things you have to experience, at least once in your life. And it's addicting. As I run, I think about all the hardships I've overcome and how I can run it off now. As I run through a crowd, they don't know the pain and suffering I went through, but they're cheering me on. The clapping and the cheering are music to my ears, and the emotions that come over me makes me cry tears of happiness inside. As I approach that finish line, I am flying. I feel weightless. The fatigue dissipates as all of the life and energy within me explodes and I speed like a bullet to the finish. As I cross that line, I feel like a winner. I am a winner. The triumph and feeling of accomplishment is overwhelming and it swells deep in my chest. I can't stop smiling. You must experience this at least once in your life.

Here's a picture of me running at the Disneyland Half Marathon in 2007 and high-fiving Goofy and Minnie Mouse as I was coming in to the finish line:

       


So I've moved on to doing 3 full marathons, a half, two 10 milers, a 7 miler, 2 full century rides, and I'm currently registered for my 4th full marathon. I also climb mountains, but that's yet again, a whole another entry... I'm also considering doing a half marathon in the next month or so, the Stinson Beach Half. It has become a lifestyle. And a key to happiness for me. No matter what is going on in my life, I have that to fall back on. It keeps me healthy, full of energy, and happy.

Also, running has helped me to travel and see the country a little bit. You learn about all these cool races in different states, and it's really cool to go and run in a whole new place. Here's a picture of me running in New Orleans for the Rock'n Roll Marathon in Louisiana and in a redwood forest at the Avenue of the Giants Marathon in Humboldt County:

   

It's really not about weight loss anymore, it's just about staying healthy and being happy. And using it as an excuse to travel and get out of the area to sight-see other great locations to run...

When I'm not traveling to run, I am perfectly content to run around town. There are a few routes I like to run, and I like to change it up.

Sometimes I'll run to West Sac because I can run across the I St bridge, and then run to the Tower Bridge, and then all the way down to hwy 50, and back to midtown. I call this the "Bridge to Bridge to Bridge" run. It's fun because I work on the 17th floor in the Emerald Tower downtown, so when I look down from the window, I can see a bird's eye view of the distance I cover. It's pretty amazing. Not to toot my own horn, but just what a human being is capable of doing is amazing. Another variation is running to McKinley Park. I enjoy that run because there is a soft, dirt trail to run on that is easy on the knees and ankles, and there are lots of ducks there. I love ducks. Also, if I really want a change of scenery, I can run to Curtis Park and back, which from midtown is a good 7 miles round trip. I just recently discovered a new route that takes me to McGeorge and back and that's a 6 mile loop. A decent distance.

Anyway, so when you run around town, there's plenty to see, so no need to travel far and wide. Here are some scenes around town:

So I had some fun this past weekend, taking these shots for this blog. :) It was fun running around looking for murals to use as a background. Normally, I enjoy views of the river and the bridge, and stop to pet random kitties.

You can be a bad ass and do some of these side exercises like Paul to up the ante a bit:

He set the all-time record at his college as hurdler for track and field, so I wouldn't try what he does. You could hurt yourself.

So anyway, that's what I have to say about running. If you aren't already a runner, I highly suggest you give it a try. Because I swear, if I can do it, ANYONE can do it.

**********

A few months back, a girlfriend asked me for tips on how to keep from injuring our knees as runners, and here was my answer to her question:

Things We Can Do to Prevent Knee Injury

-Making sure we're not running too often on pavement. Try to switch it up by finding a park with dirt roads because it's less impact on your knees and ankles.

-Switching out your old shoes for new ones every few months, depending on how many miles you're putting in, is very important, because as much as I love my Asics Gels, they don't last forever, and the first marathon I ran, I forgot to get new shoes a few weeks before the actual race day, and my knee ached pretty bad for months after the marathon. I know good running shoes aren't cheap, but they're way cheaper than knee surgery.

-The recommended number of miles to determine when to switch out your shoes is after about 300-400 miles, depending on your weight and size, and level of impact based on where you're running. So.. for me, I run about 3-7 miles a day, 4-5 times a week, so that averages out to 5 miles times 4= 20 miles a week. So in a month, I'm averaging about 80 miles. So I'm supposed to get new shoes every 5-6 months, but I'm terrible about getting new shoes. I go for about a year, and I really shouldn't go that long.

-If and when your knees do hurt, there are glucosamine pills (pretty cheap at Costco) that are designed to help ease the pain of diminished cartilage that keeps your knee joints cushioned.

-Wrapping your knees tight and icing them really help too.

But so far, for the times I've had knee or ankle pain, getting new shoes with excellent shock absorption like a good pair of Asics Gels have made a difference.

-On that note, I don't really like my Nike Frees. They are stylish, but don't offer the cushion and support that Asics provide. After these wear out, I'm going back to Asics.

cookin up a storm

I may not have time for much these days, but I'll be sure to cook up a storm every chance I get. Cooking is a hobby I picked up fairly recently. Five or six years ago, when I was going through a body transformation when I dropped about 50-60 pounds (that's a whole another story), a lot of the weight loss circulated around what I ate, even after all the running and excercise I was doing. So cooking became an integral part of my weight loss, although- I was doing a lot of quick on-the-go meals like shakes and salads- but then it was after meeting Paul I really broke out with the big guns. I always knew how to cook, from watching my grandmother and mother and father cook- and I paid attention to their careful instructions- but I think cooking is a combination of good sense and intuition. It's definitely an art. I've also been inspired by a lot of cooking shows over the years. I don't own a tv, but I've drawn a lot of inspiration from Iron Chef America, Emeril Live, and even a bit of Rachel Ray, whenever I'd be flipping through channels on someone else's tv. Subscribing to a few health and running magazines has given me an opportunity to pick up a few recipes here and there and it has given me some ideas to draw from. Also, dining at a lot of great, quality restaurants all over California and all over the world has helped me to develop a skill of detecting different ingredients in what I'm eating, and then fusing complementary tastes together in my own cooking to recreate new flavors. I don't really do cooking books, I've never been great at following precise instructions, so it's just from trying this or that and finding out what works. So it's a way to be creative, and you can control what you eat and how you eat it, by cooking for yourself.

Last week, I conjured up a wonderful southern, cajun-inspired meal that consisted of bread-crumb crusted polenta cakes, breaded tilapia, garlic-egg brown rice with fire-roasted salsa, and fresh broccoli and tomato salad with white peaches in creamy jalapeno dressing . If only you knew!

Doesn't that look delicious? It's healthy too. The bread-crumb crusted polenta was a nice touch. I've been searing pieces of polenta on a frying pan with a bit of olive oil, but that night it just occurred to me that it would be extra crunchy and tasty to roll it around in bread crumbs first before throwing it on the pan. And it worked. And rice should never be served plain. You can do so much by adding some garlic salt, minced garlic and cracking a couple of eggs in there. The salt really seals in the taste of the garlic and egg with the rice, and rice should always be brown for a guilt-free carb addition to whatever you're pairing it with. It's so much healthier.

*****

Last night, it was an indian-inspired meal that included egglant tikki masala, garlic-egg brown basmati and jasmine rice, steamed asparagus, bell peppers, celery, and asian pears dipped in edadame hummus, peach and broccoli salad, and tilapia with plenty of sriracha sauce for that extra kick. We eat mainly vegetarian, but the occasional fish gives us the omega 3's that we need.

Cooking is an art, and it is a hobby. I hate that I can't cook Mon-Wed because of law school, but at least from Thursday-Sunday nights I can put my culinary skills to use. Food should never be eaten processed and should always be fresh. I haven't decided what I'll be cooking tonight, but that is also the fun part. It's fun to look inside a fully stocked refrigerator and pantry and allow my creativity to take me to a place where I can conjure up a yummy, healthy meal with whatever I have and just let it all come together. The result has never been disappointing.