Routines broken

Yesterday was the first day in three months I didn't write something in this blog. I also didn't go out for a walk yesterday afternoon.

The reason for this dereliction? 

I did go for a run in the morning, but almost as soon as I got back, I went downstairs and spent over an hour re-organizing our locker to try and make room for some of the stuff that clutters up our apartment - with limited success. I managed to tweak my back a little in the process which has slowed me a little.

The rest of the day was spent completing a re-organization of the apartment that has been in the works for some time. Karen and I have been sleeping separately since we got back from England in January. We both often sleep badly. We realized, from sleeping apart when one of us was sick, that part of the problem is we disturb each other. Our sleep is also disturbed by worrying about disturbing the other. 

So we're making it a permanent switch. Karen is taking over the master bedroom, and moving all her art-craft stuff in there. I'm now in the small second bedroom. Our occasional overnight visitors need not be concerned, however. Karen and I will bunk in together when we have company.

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All that effort having being taken to help improve our sleep, we both  slept very badly last night. Karen was up before 6. I woke at a little after 3:30 and was awake most of the rest of the night - or so it seemed. So we've been taking it easy today, making a few final adjustments to our new personal spaces. I didn't go out in the morning for my usual exercise, but did - still breaking routine - get out in the afternoon for a power walk.

That was after I had made, and we had eaten, a very nice curry of my own devising. Don't believe me that it was good? Try it yourself...

Gerry's Barley Chicken Curry

Serves: 2 (maybe with leftovers)

2 tbps olive oil

1/2 large yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 inch thumb of ginger, minced

2 sides of yellow, orange or red pepper, sliced

1 large carrot, chopped

3 large cauliflower florets, chopped

1/2 cup frozen peas

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1/2 cup barley

1 cup canned tomatoes

1/2 cup chicken stock

4 tsps mild curry powder

2 tsps cumin

2 tsps turmeric

Granulated garlic

Salt

Pepper

1/2 tbsp Mister Patak mild curry paste or to taste

1-1/2 tsps lime juice

Instructions:

1. Mince garlic and ginger and soak in olive oil

2. Rinse barley in cold water, cook for 30 minutes (bring to rolling boil, turn down to simmer), rinse in sieve with boiling water and let sit

3. Season chicken thighs with 1/2 curry powder, salt, pepper, granulated garlic to taste

4. Par-cook carrots and cauliflower: steam carrots 8 min, cauliflower 4 (put in fridge to stop cooking)

5. In a large frying pan, heat 1 tbps olive oil over medium-high heat; brown chicken thighs on both sides; set aside

6. Reduce heat to medium and add remaining olive oil to pan; sautée onion and pepper for a few minutes; sprinkle with remaining mild curry powder, cumin and turmeric and salt and pepper to taste; add garlic and ginger and cook for one minute

7. Add par-cooked vegetables, stir to cover with oil and spices

8. Add barley, stir to cover with oil and spices

9. Cut chicken into chunks and add to pan, stir to mix thoroughly

10. Add tomatoes and chicken stock; cover and bring to a boil; reduce heat to simmer for 10-20 minutes

11. Add frozen peas and curry paste, stir to thoroughly mix; simmer for another 5-7 minutes; sprinkle with lime juice, stir to thoroughly mix, serve

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The rest of the day was taken up with winter 2012 photographs. 

We're still in Rome with Caitlin, sightseeing hard. The first four were taken at the same unidentified church as the pictures I posted the day before yesterday. I used one of them to do a Google image search today to try identify the church, but with no luck. (I was initially impressed by image search, but it's pretty much useless in my more recent experience.)

In any case, it's a beautifully designed and decorated church, whichever it is.

The last two were taken on the first Sunday we were there: one in front of St. Peter's Basilica, the other on a side street where we came upon tourists and locals watching a papal mass on a mobile big-screen TV. The Pope channel.