The best dressed Ironman at the party
So there I was, sitting at a local coffee bar the other day (or "cafe," as the hip kids call it) when an older gentleman started shouting in Polish and franticly pointing to this table over by a window with a lamp on it. Fortunately I had just been at the 1st Annual Team Irontom Pre-Race Season Fun-and-Food Time Extravaganza (or TIPRSFAF) and I knew just what to do: I squatted down, then leaped into the air and clapped my hands over my head. Okay, perhaps that didn't happen exactly the way I described it. There may not have been an older, frantic Polish gentleman. But I have been to a cafe before. But the knowledge is real and that is all thanks to the powerful lesson in the intricacies of the Polish language given by Mrs. TOMasz. But, alas, I get ahead of myself...The festivities kicked off around one in the afternoon at the Hensel home perched high above the chilly waters of the town resevoire. Now, let it be known that there is one thing that there will never be a shortage of at a team TOM part: food. Food food food food food. There was the standard fare, like chips and salsa and cheese and crackers, as well as the more exotic, like week-old sushi from Boston (ask the TOMahawk about that one) and bottle after bottle of Ensure (ask TOM-a-lot about that).
Japanese flavor
T2, TOMb, and Megan
All the eyes were on TOM-a-Lot. He may have been discussing the chilli recepieAll that of course, is just for starters because somethin' fierce was being cooked up in the Hensel kitchen. While we waited for the main course the task of entertaining the TOMs was taken up Mrs. TOMasz, Kasia. For some odd reason Britta was not interested in performing this duty this time around...
Armed with a thirty year old condensed Polish-English dictionary and a room full of go-getters who will squat, jump, clap and....wait, what was the other one...at even the slightest suggestion, we proceded to squat, jump, clap and do that other thing to the tune of lamp, table, window and....something else. By the way, the word for lamp, is "lampa." Lesson learned.
Armed with a thirty year old condensed Polish-English dictionary and a room full of go-getters who will squat, jump, clap and....wait, what was the other one...at even the slightest suggestion, we proceded to squat, jump, clap and do that other thing to the tune of lamp, table, window and....something else. By the way, the word for lamp, is "lampa." Lesson learned.
Polish flavor
Testing the Ensure
TOMalita and TOMmommaAfter taking us through a few rounds on her own Kasia graciously passed the torch to me to make everyone run through these motions. This was such a happy coincidence because just that morning I had been thinking "boy, wouldn't it be great to find some way to get a room full of people to jump up in the air and clap their hands over their heads?"
Once it was established that I did, in fact, have the best Polish accent of everyone in the room it was time for the real eating. Carbo-loading doesn't even begin to describe it. Pastas and breads and rices adourned the dining table. But, if you like your pasta covered in chili, red beans, onions and cheese and...something else...then you went for bowl after bowl of Skyline Chili. Now, having spent a weekend with TOM-a-lot and TOMasz in Maryland waxing nostalgic about this mythical "Skyline Chili" I was, needless to say, curious. Very, very tasty stuff. Can't say I would eat it before heading out for a run, but I can say--without engaging in any hyperbole whatsoever, that it was the best Skyline Chili I had ever had or will have.
Once it was established that I did, in fact, have the best Polish accent of everyone in the room it was time for the real eating. Carbo-loading doesn't even begin to describe it. Pastas and breads and rices adourned the dining table. But, if you like your pasta covered in chili, red beans, onions and cheese and...something else...then you went for bowl after bowl of Skyline Chili. Now, having spent a weekend with TOM-a-lot and TOMasz in Maryland waxing nostalgic about this mythical "Skyline Chili" I was, needless to say, curious. Very, very tasty stuff. Can't say I would eat it before heading out for a run, but I can say--without engaging in any hyperbole whatsoever, that it was the best Skyline Chili I had ever had or will have.
Tasting of the "Skyline Chilli"Having filled our collective bellies to the bursting point, it was time for ice cream cake. Now, I would like to make a motion (we do follow Roberts' Rules of Order at Team Irontom, right?) that all future team parties be time to coincide with birthdays so that we can have ice cream cake. I mean, come on, it's ice cream in cake form--what more could you ask for. Well, maybe if you topped it with chili, red beans, onions, cheese...
After a rousing round of "happy birthday" sung to the man of the hour, Eli, it was time for dessert and, unfortunately, time for me to go. The nice day was calling me to my road bike and so, after purposefully leaving my sunglasses behind so that I would have to get them from the Hensels when they got out of church the next day and then get to eat some oreo cream pie stuff--yup, that was all planned out--I headed back.
After a rousing round of "happy birthday" sung to the man of the hour, Eli, it was time for dessert and, unfortunately, time for me to go. The nice day was calling me to my road bike and so, after purposefully leaving my sunglasses behind so that I would have to get them from the Hensels when they got out of church the next day and then get to eat some oreo cream pie stuff--yup, that was all planned out--I headed back.
Eli's B-Day cake. It was his sixth
The TOMahawk familyThings look promissing for Team TOM as we head into race season. We should have a good showing at Mooseman, another contingent in Lake Placid and Timberman, and, of coure a slew of other races in between. And you know what that means...RACE REPORTS!
Finally we can stop reading about Chuck and Carla racing through the cold rain in Vermont (because we all read that report compulsively, right?) immerse ourselves in the fantastical world that is Team Irontom, 2008
Finally we can stop reading about Chuck and Carla racing through the cold rain in Vermont (because we all read that report compulsively, right?) immerse ourselves in the fantastical world that is Team Irontom, 2008
A family picture
The most popular Iron-person in the room with members of the IronTOM Support Team
A great time was had by almost all ;o)
