The Commoner Loves Coconut

I have to tell you that one of my favorite foods is coconut.  


I love coconut but I don't eat it like this.

My first favorite coconut product is the Mounds bar.  And not just the Mounds bar but the coconut chocolate you may find in the Russell Stover Chocolate box.
 My first favorite drink was the Pina Colada.  A frosty alcohol drink made of pineapple, rum, and coconut.
 One of my favorite out of the pantry, satisfy your sweet tooth snack has always been sweetened shredded coconut.  So chewy, so sweet, so yummy.

  Then there's the SnowBall.  I still buy these occasionally.  I love them.  

 At that point I was pretty sure my coconut options were done.  What else is there really?  I was wrong-along came coconut water.  The rather pricey miracle drink which had more electrodes than Gatorade and more Potasium than a banana.  It's the perfect drink for a runner.  But it's pricy so I only drink it after runs-and I have it delivered monthly from Amazon.  Yum.
 Next up?  Coconut Milk.  So delicious, cream, but light.  Like a pina colada but good for you.  I drink it when I'm thirsty, or hungry, or need a pick me up.  It's creamy and delicious.
 And now? Last but not least-coconut oil.  I hear it's great for everything, you can cook with it and it's organic.  But I like it for all of it's beauty purposes, moisturizer, conditioner, itch relief, you name it.  It's fantastic.

The Commoner's New Shoes

I have to say I haven't been shopping very much lately.  There are lots of reasons for this.  But this week I will happily be breaking in a new pair of running shoes.

 

I know you are excited about that, but I change my shoes religiously every 300 miles.  I've been wearing these since early October-that makes four months-I did the math for you because I'm nice like that.

I wear Nike Mottos.  I love them because they are super cushy.  Which is good because I'm a pounder when I run.  I like to clomp.  It's taken me a long time to find the perfect shoe.  And since I'm old I want to make sure I take care of everything to keep me going as long as I can.

You can only buy these fabulous shoes at the Nike Outlet or on line.  If the outlet doesn't have them for 50 dollars then you have to buy them from Nike.com for 100 dollars.  But they are worth it because they are cushy and comfortable and my legs like them. 

Around Christmas time, before my 300 miles were up I noticed the Nike Outlet had my shoe on sale for 50 dollars so I bought them.  And here they are...



  
 I'm not much of a fan of change.  Bring me luck new shoes!

  

A Commoner's Night at the Fairmont Part 2

 

When I left off last time I left you hanging-yes hanging to find out about our night at the Fairmont San Jose.  I have to tell you I can't possibly blog two nights in a row.  I'm not that interesting.  But I have to so I'm going to list all the things that happened.

1.  Return to Fairmont to change and go to dinner at fancy schmancy Steak House the Grill.

2. Notice some very nicely dressed people ready for a wedding mulling around in the 'lounge' (that's fancy for bar).
 

3.  Suggest this can't be a wedding, EVERYONE is wearing Black tie and gown -this must be a fund raiser.

4. Go up to room come back down and notice hundreds of beautiful people mulling around our bar-oops lounge.

5. Ask hostess at dinner-what's going on with everyone out there?  Santa Clara University Alumni Fund Raiser- (Hey Santa Clara you are no big deal-I turned St. John's down you know)
 

6.  Have a great steak dinner-so good-I love steak

7.  Go to the bakery next to the hotel for dessert and coffee.  Yummy fruit tart-not that great actually.
 

8.  Notice characters on stilts passing by.  Toy Story guy, A girl with a pretty dress, others I can't remember.  Very strange but very cool. 


9.  Head back to hotel when we notice coming at us-about a half a mile away-from the direction of the Tech Museum -an army of tuxedo clad penguin clones-sorry Santa Clara alumni-heading toward us-with their super model dates.  
 

10.  Watch drunken college student scaring commoner girls and screaming for his friend Scott-we were pretty sure there was no friend Scott.
 

11.  Get to the entrance of the Fairmont only to find -The many well dressed alumni, the Santa Clara Cheer squad, the Marching band and......the tribe of stilt walkers.
 

You will have to wait until next time to hear about the lounge....  
 
    

The Commoner Stays at the Fairmont

I have many times told you about my commoner job of teaching.  Well I do like a good conference, so when the opportunity arose to go to The Good Teaching Conference in San Jose on the Union's dime-I said sign me up!

My friend Rosa said let's stay in San Jose Saturday!  Great idea -I'll get on that, like never.  Don't get me wrong I wanted to-after all these are exhausting days and if I came home Saturday I wouldn't go back Sunday.  

Time went on and I was busy doing what ever and we didn't have a room.  At the last minute I was able to get a room at the beautiful Fairmont Hotel in San Jose.  I've never stayed there, mostly because they probably never had a deal with a hockey rink.  I typically don't stay in San Jose.

 

So we were able to check in super early-7:30AM. We valeted the car and went up to our swanky room.  I've stayed in some swanky rooms but this is the first time I was in a room with a seperate tub and shower.  I was truly impressed.  I'm a commoner and it doesn't take much to impress me apparently.  

The day went great-we warded off the tiny cheerleaders who were separated by a curtain from the teacher's at the conference.  We bought things, we learned about masters programs, we had coffee, we filled out raffle tickets, we learned about the common core (and freaked out a little), had lunch, started a business for my class and went back to the hotel.   

In spite of cutting out of the President's speech it was a great  event.  Plans were made for dinner at the Grill at Fairmont-and this had been an over all success. 

Wait until I tell you about our night at the Fairmont.

The Commoner and The Number 50

Yes I know I've blogged about numbers before.  It's a weird thing to blog about, but I have a collection of numbers, 5, 22, 13, 11, and now a new one 50.

I obsess about the number 50 because I'm turning 50 this year.  How can I possibly be turning 50?  How can I be that old?  How can you be in your 30s? I know you are -aren't you?

To begin with, I've bought my beefcakes back to Facebook.  Who am I to deprive my women friends the pleasure of muscles with their breakfast.  My Beef cakes are always submitted by others you know.  Well my cousin sent me one today of Jon Bon Jovi.  The man is 50.   I'm feeling okay about that one.
 
 
On the radio the other day I heard someone refer to the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's death.  I said to myself, "Wow, has it been 50 years already?"  Then I realized I wasn't even a month old when he died.  That was the start of my freak out.
 

Then I saw a snippet of Chris Christy on David Letterman.  For those who don't know-Chris Christy is the charismatic governor of New Jersey.  He's famous for his large size, love of Barrack Obama, and ultra conservatism.  Turns out he's also turning 50.  Believe it or not that made me happy because although he's heavy, he doesn't seem old.  



I've also explained to you my fascination with ESPN.  Sports is the new reality TV -I'm telling you for sure.  Today as I was making dinner I hear an ad that said to celebrate Michael Jordan's 50th birthday, we are bringing you Jordan's top 50 plays.
 Really?  I could have sworn he was a year older than me.  Whatever.  He seems older than 50.  But hey-he's MJ, so that's okay.


So I'm 50.  Well not yet but I will be later in the year.  Until then I'm going to enjoy every day of 49.  Each day a mini-birthday.  So happy birthday to me, my friend Maria, Michael Jordan, Chris Christie, and Jon Bon Jovi.  After all 50 is the new 30.