Posted on by Gary

One more lap around the sun

One more lap around the sun

One more lap around the sun, I had a birthday this week.

I woke up to a Facebook Messenger message left by a fellow blogger who shares my birth date.

Mortein surface spray for killing cockroaches in Canberra this season #qlder #origin #rugbyleague #greatestgameofall

This blogger is a night owl and often doesn’t go to bed until 3.30 am so left me a message knowing I’d be asleep. I replied when I got out of bed shortly after 4 am.

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As I was leaving home, I received a text message at 6 am from a dear friend in Darwin when it would have been 4.30 am.

I was grateful to receive calls from my daughters. Hearing their voices always makes me feel very happy.

I was sharing text messages with my father about football and politics but he’d forgotten it was my birthday. He was reminded by Mum later in the day.

I wasn’t intending saying anything at work but while I was in a meeting a workmate sitting next to me noticed Facebook and Twitter notifications streaming through on my smartphone and it wasn’t long before everyone in the area I work in knew it was my birthday.

I ate well on my birthday.

For breakfast, I had one of the best sandwiches I’ve eaten in a long time. Last weekend I cooked a chicken by splaying it flat and using a meat thermometer to get the muscles to the right temperature to avoid any possibility of overcooking the flesh. This meant even the breasts which I normally don’t like (I’m a thigh lover) remains soft, tender, and succulent. This toasted chicken sandwich made with homemade bread was really good. It doesn’t look like much but it tasted really good.

Delicious chicken thigh sandwich and birthday card from my daughters

I treated myself to a muffin for morning tea. It wasn’t too bad. I was hoping for a chocolate muffin though.

Muffin with coffee and my birthday card

For lunch I splurged and enjoyed pulled pork nachos with mozzarella cheese, and two fried eggs. This was pretty good. The pulled pork could have had a little more flavour. The corn chips were still nice and crisp. The addition of the fried eggs with gooey yolk was on point.

Pulled pork and fried egg nachos from Urban Bean Espresso Bar for my birthday lunch.

I had to be modest about dinner. I needed to begin a 12-hour fast at 8 pm because I had to have blood collected at 8 am for some pathology tests. I ended up with leftover sous vide chicken and udon noodles.

Leftover sous vide chicken and Udon noodles Chicken, Spring onion, Bird’s eye chillies, Parsley, Cos lettuce, Fennel, Red onion, Udon noodles, Vegetable stock #yummylummy #foodphotography #hypop #foldio #sousvide #chicken #MasterChefAU #birthday

Part of this year’s birthday celebration included receiving a letter from the Chief Medical Officer of Australia reminding me I was due to undertake another faecal occult blood test as part of the Australian Government’s program to screen everyone for bowel carcinoma. I received my first test kit four years ago and ended up needing a colonoscopy because of a positive detection of blood in my stool.

That colonoscopy detected some hyperplastic polyps. With a family history of bowel carcinoma, I’ve arranged to see a new gastroenterologist in a couple of weeks because the gastroenterologist who did my first colonoscopy died of malignant metastatic melanoma shortly after he had a good look at the inside of my large bowel.

Influenza Immunisation

Another thing I did for my birthday was to get immunised against influenza. At my age and with my chronic health matters, getting vaccinated makes sense. One more lap and each time I’ll get vaccinated.

Vaccination Anti-vaccination Influenza Lollipops
Influenza immunisation on my birthday

What have I watched this week?

Master Chef Australia

One more lap and Master Chef Australia (MCA) has started this week. Given my refusal to watch My Kitchen Rules because it is hosted by Pete Evans, MCA is a welcome relief. I’m yet to pick a favourite contestant, although, I am getting a little tired after 11 years of MCA having to endure back stories which describe a contestant’s life struggles. Call me callous, I just want to be entertained by some good cooking and learning some new techniques.

National Rugby League

After the elation of watching the Brisbane Broncos defeat the Cronulla Sharks last week, I watched in horror as the South Sydney Rabbits comprehensively demolished the Brisbane Broncos this week.

After the two teams swapped coaches over the offseason, I knew I would feel emotional this game. I’m a big fan of Mr Wayne Bennett. He really is a super coach. I wanted him to stay in Brisbane. I will never forgive the board of the Brisbane Broncos for terminating his contract. Mr Bennett’s replacement, Anthony Seibold is a good coach. He’s highly rated. He’s bringing a new set of ideas and techniques to Brisbane. He’s a smart bloke, well educated, and he’s said to be scientific in his approach. That said, Mr Bennett is THE coach. I felt happy for him in his victory as much as it hurt to lose to a team I’ve loathed forever.

Stargate SG-1

I’m really grateful to Rachael S Rigda for putting me onto SG-1. It’s held up well for a made for TV science fiction series. I’m enjoying learning about the different characters.

If you like science fiction and if you like reading positive uplifting tweets please follow scientist and actor Rachael S Rigda. Through Twitter, I know that Rachael is also making one more lap this month.

LAW & ORDER

Okay, I’m in the immediate post-Angie Harmon period and it’s not the same. The Abbie Carmichael character Ms Harmon played was extraordinary. I must have a thing for people from Texas.

What have I listened to this week?

No Such Thing as a Fish

Episode 267: No Such Thing As Mission Impossible For Slugs

Slug penises feature prominently. It’s hilarious listening to Anna describe how pretty slugs are during copulation.

What have I eaten and photographed this week?

This is a gallery of photographs. Click on one image and scroll through the rest of them.

  • Pan-fried salmon 🎣 on a stack of quinoa rice 🍚 The salmon was cooked in a hot fry-pan. The quinoa rice was cooked in a pressure cooker in vegetable stock. #yummylummy #foodphotography #foldio #hypop #salmon #quinoa #rice Salmon, Rice, Quinoa, Fennel, Red onion, Spring onion
  • Vanilla ice cream with pineapple pieces and passion fruit pulp
  • Pan-fried salmon on a stack of cos lettuce with mustard, mayonnaise, and tomato sauce. Crispy skin salmon fried in a hot frypan. Shredded cos lettuce tossed with American mustard, mayonnaise, and tomato sauce. Salmon, Cos lettuce, American mustard, Tomato sauce, Mayonnaise, Red onion, Fennel, Spring onion, Lime juice, Olive oil, Bird’s eye chillies #yummylummy #foodphotography #foldio #hypop #salmon
  • Nut tart
  • Scones with gream and jam
  • Me on Monday morning Prisma
  • Autumn leaves near Australia Post, Woden
  • The Owl Statue on Monday morning
  • Leftover sous vide chicken breast with shredded cos lettuce, spring onion, and parsley dressed with American mustard, tomato sauce, and mayonnaise. Served with quinoa rice browned with bird’s eye chillies. #yummylummy #foodphotography #hypop #foldio #sousvide #chicken #quinoa #rice
  • Caramel doughnut
  • The Owl Statue on Tuesday morning
  • Payday lunch. Beef burger with hot chips and aioli.
  • Chocolate muffin and coffee
  • The Owl Statue on Thursday morning
  • The Owl Statue on Thursday morning
  • Vanilla ice cream with pineapple pieces and passion fruit pulp
  • Leftover sous vide chicken, leftover crispy quinoa rice, with seedy nutty salad Chicken, Spring onion, Bird’s eye chillies, Parsley, Cos lettuce, Fennel, Red onion, Quinoa, Rice, Tomatoes, Peanuts, Sunflower seeds, Pumpkin seeds, Mayonnaise, American mustard, Tomato sauce #yummylummy #foodphotography #hypop #foldio #sousvide #chicken #MasterChefAU
  • The ingredients to make Bao bread for my democracy sausage
  • The ingredients to make Bao bread for my democracy sausage
  • Bao bread dough
  • Bao bread dough with Lup Chong and Spring onion
  • Bao bread dough with Lup Chong and Spring onion
  • Bao bread dough with Lup Chong and Spring onion
  • Bao bread dough with Lup Chong and Spring onion ready for the oven. Egg washed and sprinkled with sesame seeds.
  • Yummy Lummy 2019 Australian Federal Election Democracy Sausage #AusPol
  • Yummy Lummy 2019 Australian Federal Election Democracy Sausage #AusPol
  • Yummy Lummy 2019 Australian Federal Election Democracy Sausage #AusPol
  • Yummy Lummy 2019 Australian Federal Election Democracy Sausage #AusPol
  • Morning tea coffee, nuts, and seeds
  • Smoked salmon, Swiss cheese, and avocado sandwich
  • Cranes in Belconnen
  • Mortein surface spray
  • Dobinsons coffee on Saturday morning
  • Lake Ginninderra sunrise on Saturday morning
  • The Owl Statue on Saturday morning
  • Toasted homemade bread with tomato paste, mozzarella cheese, and basil

Yummy Lummy this week

I made the Yummy Lummy 2019 Australian Federal Election Democracy Sausage

Yummy Lummy 2019 Australian Federal Election Democracy Sausage #AusPol

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Final thoughts

One more lap for me, how about you?

  • How do you feel about birthdays?
  • Do you like to eat well on your birthday?
  • Do you always have cake on your birthday?

14 Replies to “One more lap around the sun”

  2. Happy Birthday Gary! I like birthdays, mine included. I don’t care as much about getting older as I thought I would. It’s better than the alternative! I always eat well on my birthday and there’s always cake. Re Masterchef, I’d better start watching in on TenPlay catchup before it’s too late! I miss so much of it every year. I’m hoping to pick up some pointers and I like seeing the celebrity guest judges too. I know what you mean about Pete Evans. My 11 year old son and I started watching MKR “for the drama” (according to son), but we stopped watching it also because of “all the drama”.

    1. I’m hoping to have a nice cake later this month when I visit my daughters and parents. We have lots of May birthdays to celebrate.

      My reason for disliking Pete Evans is the scientifically incorrect position he has about nutrition. I think he is potentially dangerous.

    2. Enjoy the cake and the family time!

      I don’t know much about the science of nutrition but I do know Pete Evans is extreme in his nutritional views and cutting out entire food groups makes no sense! Not to mention all the anti-vaccination stuff he spouts.

  3. As soon as I saw your sandwich Gary (even though it’s chicken) I thought it looked fabulous…and yes can’t stand the back stories of Master Chef…just cook!!!!!

  4. Really like how you opened your post with the sentence, ‘One more lap around the sun, I had a birthday this week.’ 😀

    I am like that blogger who sleeps late and wakes up late 😀 Looks like you ate well on your birthday and birthday week, Gary. Celebrating birthdays is not my kind of thing. However, I don’t have an issue with other people celebrating it. If they want to eat good food on their birthday, why not. Also why not eat good food all year round in moderation 😀

    1. Thanks Mabel. I wonder how many laps we’ll do before we stop.

      I wish I could stay up late and sleep in. I would eat late night snacks 😃😃😃

    2. You should count laps around the Sun and Moon. So many laps 😃 For every lap there will always be good food 😃😃

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