Federer

What an amazing feat.
Roger Federer d. Andy Roddick 5-7 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 16-14 at Wimbledon and is now being called the best ever (having surpassed Pete Sampras' record). Or at least the best in his era.
Read it all here.
Bravo, as well, for Roddick for giving him a run for his money.

Three-bean bake

Three bean bake
Nice accompaniment for outdoor summer supper

2 TBSP butter or margarine
1 large onion, chopped
1 16-oz can kidney beans
1 15-oz can pork and beans
1 15-oz can lima beans
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 TBSP vinegar
1 TBSP prepared mustard
One-half cup brown sugar
1 tsp. pepper
4 slices bacon, partially cooked

Brown onions in butter and place in large mixing bowl.
Partially drain kidney beans, pork and beans and lima beans; then add to brown onion.
Add remaining ingredients except bacon and mix well.
Place in baking dish and top with bacon.
Cook in preheated oven at 325 for one hour.
Yield: 8-10 servings.
--A Southern Collection: Then and Now
(This is our local Junior League cookbook. I'm telling you, those Junior Leaguers can cook!)

Core strength

This fitness blog on Msn has these 10 tips for toning your core. (Your abs and lower back are part of your core.)
If you're like me, though, you're frustrated by tips like these--or some of them. For instance, one on this list suggests seltzer water instead of alcohol, on occasion. Yet other studies say a glass of red wine a day is good for you.
Which is it?

Crane

Stationery is very much on the brain today because of a half-price sale at this local place.
Get you some!, while supplies last.
Crane is probably my favorite. You might say, "a piece of paper is a piece of paper." Not so. The texture is just right. Also, especially in a recession, Crane is better at half-price.
Seen here, our Fat Cat Bisquick checks out the finds. He'll probably get into this later and write some notes.

Bursa

That is the word for the day. Bursa.
Here's what it's all about: "Bursitis is inflammation of the bursa sacs. Bursa are fluid-filled sacs located in the areas where muscles and tendons glide over the bones. The bursa can become inflamed making movement stiff and painful. ..."
So I apparently have one of these. Had been noticing that the left side of the right knee didn't line up with the right side of the left (got it?), because there was this bulge on the right knee. Yet, there was/is no pain so it was a puzzle.
You must first know that I'm prone to hypochondria so bear that in mind. First thing Monday, I called my family practice guy and I couldn't get in until the next morning. Which would be fine for, say, Normal People but not really for those of us who are prone to a) hypochondria and b) wanting answers pronto.
So I went to one of those doc-in-the-box places and they X-rayed it and that's what it is. A bursa, with a touch of arthritis. Good thing I can still ride my bike--because that particular movement is good for it--and there's also an anti-inflammatory she gave me.
Someone should write a book (or maybe just an essay) about the time you spend in the exam room. Alone, studying all the charts and latex gloves and many things made of steel. It's that suspension between when the doctor/P.A. comes in, and leaves to look at X-rays or whatever, then comes back. That period of time (even if it's just five minutes) can be so excruciatingly long.
Because, as level-headed as I can be, my Paranoid Freak side doesn't take long to conjure up words like Tumor. Power saw. Death.
Internet, I turned 40 last November and I'm telling you, things are falling apart fast.

Aron Lee Ralston

Here's an update story on Aron Lee Ralston, the Coloradoan who amputated his right arm in a climbing accident in 2003.
I like his perspective.
“Before the accident," his sister says, "he had quit his job as an engineer and moved to Aspen to be in the outdoors and do what he loves. It’s just that what happened to him has vindicated this choice about doing what you love and not being defined by other people’s expectations.”

Watterblogged: Bottled vs. tap

Here's a good find about bottled water vs. tap water.
Mea culpa: I myself spend too much money on bottled water, and not enough re-filling old bottles with water from fountains.
Of course tap is just fine. ... But here's the thing: Marketing, and appearance. The other day I succumbed to a bottle in a glass container at the checkout counter because it LOOKED so refreshing. Ahhh.