Hopping on the Bandwagon: DIY Blue Print Cleanse

I’ve always been the first to oppose cleanses and fasts.   I’m generally critical of any dietary trend that isn’t maintainable long-term, and frankly I’ve always had concerns about the impact an extremely low calorie cleanse has on your metabolism.  Because guess what: you’re going to have to go back to eating at some point, and when you do, do you want your body in starvation mode?   In the past, I’ve also often questioned the appeal of juicing: unless it’s booze, I generally prefer to eat my calories.

So why did I go online last week and buy a juicer?   And why am I kicking off on a 3-day juice cleanse?  I would say it’s two parts curiosity and one part desire to push the ‘reset’ button on the decisions I’ve been making about what to put in my body.  I’ve read a lot about juice cleanses in my recent perusing of the Blogosphere, and let’s be honest: I’m damn curious!  Will I love it?  Will I hate it?  Will it make me energetic?  Lethargic?  Just plan hungry?  Only one way to find out.  And if the serious foodies over at Serious Eats can do it, so can I!

Plus, I need to reset the way I think about food.  To learn to recognize hunger, and remind myself that hunger is a cue to eat and that boredom, ‘because it’s there’, ‘because it’s free’ and ‘because I’ll start eating healthy tomorrow!’ are not.  I want to learn how my body feels with less gluten, meat, dairy, processed sugar, fake sugar and booze, and to start from scratch creating new healthy habits that are good for my body and well being.

So I had my motivations, next I had to pick my cleanse.  I decided to go with the BluePrintCleanse (BPC), which seems to be the leading juice cleanse on the market these days.  I like the variety of juices and the fact that it contains a reasonable number of calories, including a cashew juice as a source of fat and protein – it’s not a fast or a starvation cleanse, and that appealed to me.   What didn’t appeal to me?  The price.  BPC runs at about $75 per day, not including delivery.   That means I would have to hand over about $250 for a 3-day cleanse.   Yeah, no thank you.   Instead, I did a little research and decided I would invest in a juicer and do a much cheaper DIY version of BPC.

Breville BJE200XL Compact Juice Fountain: $100

Way more than three days of supplies from Costco: $70

Here are the basics:  It’s three days long.  During those three days, you drink six juices a day in the following order:  Green Juice, P.A.M. (Pineapple, Apple, Mint), Green Juice, Spicy Lemonade, C.A.B. (Carrot, Apple, Beet) and Cashew Juice.   There are a couple of things you may drink to supplement your juices: green tea and filtered water.  There are many things you cannot drink to supplement your juices: coffee, wine, gravy, dark chocolate syrup… the list goes on.  And on and on.

They also recommend that you do three days of preparation pre-cleanse, phasing out meat and grains and take five days to phase food back into your normal diet: first fruit, then veggies, then legumes, and finally meat and dairy.  But let’s be honest: who with taste buds and a social life can dedicate eleven days to a cleanse?!  Not this girl.  So instead I did one day of prep in which I eliminated coffee, meat, dairy and grain.  Yesterday I had a fruit smoothie with plant-based protein powder for breakfast, vegan Sloppy Joe (no bread) for lunch, an apple for an afternoon snack and vegan spaghetti squash pad thai (recipe to come!) for dinner.  That’s pretty clean, for me.

Today is day one.  Over the next three days, I will keep you updated on my experience with the DIY BPC, the good, the bad and the ugly.  And then, I promise I’ll make it up to you with some really delicious recipes.

Monday Morning Meet-Up: Nike Women’s Half Recap

This isn’t the story I was expecting to be telling you today.   I’d planned to tell you how I hadn’t done as well this race as I did my last half-marathon, but that it didn’t come as any surprise.  I’d pretty much totally neglected any sort of real training over the past month.  I knew I’d finish (frankly, with an upper course limit of four hours, it would take breaking a leg to not finish), but I didn’t expect to be proud of my time.  After all, I can count the number of times I’d run in the past six weeks on my fingers.  That’s right, I’d practiced my excuses.

But instead I somehow shaved 1 minute 40 seconds off of my previous PR, a time I was quite happy with and had expected would be difficult to beat.  Particularly without training.  But let’s start from the beginning.

Friday night I trekked to Georgetown and made a rushed pass through the Expotique, wanting to get as much swag as possible without missing happy hour.  I must say that for the exorbitant cost of the race ($160 for a half?!  Seriously the things women will do for that little blue box from Tiffany’s), I expected a little more out of the expo.  I picked up my bib, grabbed a couple handfuls of luna bars and headed straight for Tony & Joe’s for a couple of Blue Moons.  (Dear Nike, next year, please include a beer coupon in my race packet instead of a shampoo sample).  Several very refreshing brews later, Laura and I headed to Bourbon Steak for a burger, something that had been on my bucket list for some time.  It didn’t disappoint, nor did the duck fat fries.

Saturday Courtney and I set aside for yard work.  Which I’d been calling gardening, because for some reason that makes it sound more appealing.  Maybe the lack of the word ‘work’?  Regardless, we headed to Frager’s, bought everything they told us to buy (compost, manure, peat moss, mulch), and came home and walked in circles trying to figure out what to do with it.  In the end, we got the front yard looking pretty good (you’re welcome neighbors), but the back yard?   Yeah, about that.

Saturday night, the ladies on the running team got together at Joy’s for a carbolicious potluck.  We gorged on pasta, garlic knots, salad and cookies and talked about our hopes and fears for the next day.  Which quickly turned into a serious discussion about runners’ trots and Viviana’s tendency to inadvertently seduce much older gentlemen on race day.  Both very real concerns if you ask me.

Okay, back to the race.  I arrived eight minutes before the gun went off, my general strategy to avoid standing around thinking about what I’m about to do any longer than necessary.  I got there just in time to see the Olympic athletes who would be running with us introduced, and to observe a moment of silence for Boston and the National Anthem.   The start line was utter chaos.  There were thousands of women (and a few good men) packed into tiny corrals, which were all released at the same time, not in waves.  Luckily, because I’d predicted a 8:30-8:59 pace for myself, I was very close to the front and able to get off to a good start.  Despite the congestion, I ran my first mile in 8:19.

It was an ideal day and an ideal course, flat and surrounded with supporters.  I often laugh out loud at some of the signs folks are holding on race day.  My favorites yesterday were “binders full of runners” and “hurry up my arms are getting tired.” (With the runners up being “why do women always run from me?” and “if Sarah Palin can run, so can you).   Anyways, the support and excitement of race day always helps.  By mile eight or so, I realized I was on par to beat my previous time.  By mile twelve, I knew it was going to be very close so I just booked it.  I ended up finishing in 1:48:40, 1 minute and 40 seconds faster than the Rock ‘N Roll.

Oh, and if I wasn’t happy enough about that?  I was greeted by sexy dudes in tuxedos holding perfectly wrapped little blue boxes filled with bling.

The finish line was also pretty chaotic.  And for what we paid, I was underwhelmed with the race after party.  Sure, it’s great that you’re offering free make up trials.  That’s exactly what I want.  Slather it right over the sun screen and sweat, please!  And $15 hair cuts?  I can’t think of anything less appealing after running a race.  Where are the cupcakes and beer?!

But I was able to find most of the ladies so that we could pose for a million pictures in our awesome matching shirts.  I was super proud of our team!  We all finished (with smiles!) and for at least a handful of the ladies it was their very first half marathon!  Definitely a huge accomplishment! 

After said million photos, I had to speed walk home, pick up a bottle of champagne, and head to my next event for the day:  our book club meeting and first annual book swap.   I enjoyed an awesome brunch.  This was only my first plate.

You know it’s a good weekend when it involves multiple pot lucks.   The book swap was also a great success.  Except for the fact that I walked away with twice as many books as I brought.  Whoops!  I guess we’ll be in the market for some taller book shelves!

My Lunch at the White House

When I told you about my visit to the White House, I left out one little detail: our lunch in the Navy Mess Hall, the West Wing’s Private dining room.  Kind of ironic, seeing as this is a food blog.  I suppose I owe you an exclusive review.

Since the late 1800’s, Navy Stewards have been utilized to provide food service to the President of the United States.  The White House Mess was established in 1951, and continues to be operated by Naval officers.  The menu is fairly short and simple, and believe it or not the calorie count was not Mrs. Obama’s doing – it dates back to the Clinton Administration, when the White House Mess revamped the menu to offer more healthy options.

You won’t forget where you’re dining… even the butter has the White House seal!

I finally know what Chuck Todd is talking about when he announces the White House soup of the day.  When we visited, it was a very tasty Tomato Basil.

 

I went with a basic turkey club (the Grant Park) with a very generous serving of fruit salad.  They must want to keep POTUS’ top advisors healthy!

Courtney ordered the crab cake, a great choice.

And for dessert, we had Freedom.

Or so they call this warm chocolate melting cake served with vanilla ice cream in a cone bowl and drizzled with chocolate and caramel.  How can you pass up a dessert called freedom?

The only thing missing from our meal?  A pint of the White House brew.

 

 

 

Vegan Seduction and Crunchy Thai Quinoa Salad

As of late, I’ve found myself seduced by proponents of a plant based diet.   Interestingly enough, the strongest persuader has been the sheer quantity and quality of delicious vegan options, both at restaurants and at home.  I recently enjoyed a lunch catered by Elizabeth’s Gone Raw, and I couldn’t get over the things that can be created using nothing but plants.  I’ve also been feeling more empowered than limited by vegan cooking as of late.  It makes for sort of a fun challenge.

Second for me has been the health benefits.  Please don’t read health and think “weight loss,” because that’s not what I mean at all.  I mean cholesterol (believe it or not, mine is high), cancer, diabetes, gastrointestinal, neurological and heart health.  The list goes on.  There is considerable evidence that a vegan diet is better for our health in pretty much every way possible.  And very non-scientifically, putting lots of fresh fruits and vegetables in my body makes me feel good.

Nom nom nom VEGGIES!

I’ll go ahead and put out any flames of anticipation: this is not a post where I tell you that I’ve decided to adopt a vegan lifestyle.  No, that is not my intention any time soon.  First of all there’s this…

The number one crusader against Jo becoming vegan.

There is no soy product, no combination of ground nuts, absolutely nothing that comes anywhere close to replicating that magic.  Second, and perhaps I am being too honest here, I find dietary restrictions annoying.  Other peoples’ and my own.  I never want to have to ask for special accommodations or to be limited in what gastronomic awesomeness I can experience.  But I do see a lot more veggies and legumes in my future and a lot less meat and cheese, especially when cooking at home.

This crunchy Thai quinoa salad I’ve been enjoying for lunch all week has been a great start.  The ‘crunchy’ in the title is a very accurate descriptor… this salad has some serious crunch, which makes it oh so satisfying.  Also, there’s something inherently satisfying about eating such vibrant colors.  Just look at it!  It does require some prep on the front end, chopping, dicing and more chopping.  But if you make it Sunday night, you’ll be lunching great all week!

Crunchy Thai Quinoa Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing

Adapted from Ambitious Kitchen

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup uncooked quinoa
• 2-3 cups shredded purple cabbage, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• ½ yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• ¼ cup diced scallions
• ½ cup peanuts, chopped
•  1 cup edamame, shelled
• Fresh lime juice, to taste

*For the dressing:

• ¼ cup all natural peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
• 3 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey (or agave if vegan to the extreme)
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

*Next time I might reduce the dressing by 1/3 – 1/4.  I found it to be a very generous dressing:salad ratio.  Not that it didn’t taste great (it did!) but it’s a lot of calories from dressing, particularly if you increase the serving size, as I found necessary.

Instructions:

1. Cook the quinoa according to package.  Remove from heat, transfer to a large bowl and fluff with a fork.
2. Meanwhile, prepare all of the veggies.  Stir the diced onion into the quinoa while it’s still hot if you prefer a milder onion taste.  Otherwise you can stir them in when you stir in the rest of the vegetables.
3. To make dressing: add peanut butter and honey or agave to a medium microwave safe bowl; heat in microwave for 20 seconds. Add ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, and both oils and stir until mixture is smooth and creamy.
4. Mix the dressing in with the quinoa.  You can mix all of it in at once, or reserve some to drizzle on top when you are ready to eat (if you do this, you may want to thin it out with a little bit of water).
5. Next fold in red pepper, cabbage, and carrots into the quinoa. Garnish with peanuts, lime juice and green onions. Serve chilled or at room temperature with lime wedges if desired.

*Serves 4

*I initially tried to make this into five servings, but it simply wasn’t enough.  Maybe for a side dish, but not for lunch.  I recommend breaking this into four servings, and reducing the dressing as described above if you’re conscious of calories.

Happy Hump Day! Edition

Congratulations!  We’ve made it to Hump Day, which as I didn’t realize until college,  means that we’ve made it over the hump in the work week (don’t worry about what I thought it meant before that).  We’ve made it up the Monday/Tuesday hill and can now just coast down the other side until we’ve arrived safely back to the weekend.  But Thursday and Friday aren’t always easy coasting.   Here are a few things to help propel you to Friday:

• You probably saw the Dove Real Beauty Sketches Ad that went viral last week.  Yeah, that was kinda cool.  But the guy version?   Downright hysterical.
• And that ridiculous sorority girl e-mail that made all of us non-Greek ladies thank our lucky stars for dodging that bullet?  If only Obama had taken a few cues from her when addressing the Democrats that voted against background check legislation.
• Speaking of Obama, if only my tattoo hadn’t been covered up by my favorite brown shoes when I met with POTUS, maybe we’d have a FAMILY TATTOO!
• And last but definitely not least: I never weighed in on the Marriage Equality Evolution that has occurred over the past month or so (I am amazed and excited about how rapidly this tidal wave of sense-coming to has moved, albeit confused as to why it took so long to emerge).   While I’m not particularly at all religious (and perhaps this right here helps explain why) I love this college student’s open letter to the Church.  (And obviously you should take her advice and take the time to watch the video in her post.  Macklemore alone is enough to get you through the rest of the week!)

These Are All of My Favorite Things: Shrimp, Bacon and Figs with Goat Cheese Quinoa and Fig Balsamic

You know the old classic song from the Sound of Music, “These are a few of my Favorite Things”?  I’m pretty sure it was written about this dish.  And that it was originally called “These are all of my Favorite Things.”

No, but really.  Bacon.  Figs.  Quinoa.  Goat Cheese.  Shrimp.  Does it get any better?  I think not.  These are quite literally all of my favorite things.   Except dark chocolate.  And I don’t even think that drizzling this dish with deep dark chocolate would make me like it more.  I’ve had this  recipe pinned for a very long time waiting for a special occasion to make it.  Friday night’s dinner party finally gave me that excuse.

Shrimp, Bacon and Figs with Goat Cheese Quinoa and Fig Balsamic

From Beth Michelle

• 2 cup quinoa
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 6 ounces soft goat cheese
• 6 slices of bacon
• 3 garlic gloves, minced
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 1 lb shrimp
• 6 large dried Calimyrna Figs, cut into chunks*
  
• Fig balsamic, to drizzle
• Salt and pepper to taste

*You can definitely use fresh figs, I just couldn’t find them this time of year.  I actually really liked how the dried ones work, but if you use dried be sure to get the plump Calimyrna figs.

1. In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa and stock and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Cover and simmer quinoa for about 15 minutes or until the stock is absorbed. Remove quinoa from heat and mix in goat cheese until melted and evenly combined with the quinoa. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
   
2. Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until fully cooked and crispy. Remove bacon from pan, chop into chunks and set aside.
3. In the same pan that you used to cook the bacon, add the minced garlic and onion to the bacon grease and cook until softened about 5 minutes.  Add in shrimp and cook until pink and cooked through, about 7 minutes.  Stir in the dried figs and allow to cook for a few additional minutes.  Remove pan from heat.
   
4. To serve, split quinoa among 4 bowls and top with shrimp, bacon and figs.
5. Drizzle each dish with fig balsamic and serve immediately.

Serves 4

Monday Morning Meet-Up: A Busy Week It’s Been

So much has happened in the past week.  It’s amazing how it’s flown by, yet last weekend seems so long ago!  Last Saturday, Dad arrived talking about all of the travelers with their shoes strapped to their bags headed to Boston.  Last week at this time, the Boston marathon bombing hadn’t even happened.  By this Saturday, one suspect was dead, the other in custody, and the puzzle quickly coming together.  In the process, the issue of racial and ethnic profiling has once again been brought to the light.  As Cardinal O’Malley said at Sunday’s mass, “We must be people of reconciliation, not revenge. The crimes of two young men must not be the justification for prejudice against Muslims or against immigrants.”  Here in Washington, the Senate failed to pass a basic background check for gun sales, despite 90% of Americas supporting the measure.  Gabby Giffords responded beautifully.

We too have had a super busy week, packing as much as humanly possible into a short seven days (get ready for a long post!), and eating and drinking so much in doing so that I’m thanking the heavens that the batteries on my scale are dead.  We enjoyed mussels at Belga Cafe, where on Tuesdays there’s no corkage fee if you bring your own wine and all mussel pots are just $15.  And of course we had to try some very unique desserts…

Hoeogaarden Honey Milkshake with Apple Doughnuts and Beer Caramel Sauce

Sweet Asaparagus Beignets Laced with Almonds, Green Asparagus Ice Cream and Violet Syrup

Caramelized Endive Clafoutis with XO Patron Cafe Ice Cream and Sweet Orange and Five-Spice Sauce

I made Thai Lentil curry (recipe to come!) and my favorite homemade banana naan.  

As you know, we devoured a Thai Thanksgiving feast.  Friday, we started the day with an awesome 10 mile run, boosting my confidence in being able to survive next weekend’s half marathon despite having completely neglected to do any sort of training since my last race in March.  Then I took my Dad and Kippy to see my office and we explored the American Indian Museum, which happens to serve up one heck of a lunch.

Veggie sampler plate

Friday night, my mom joined us for a Messy Kitchen dinner party.   Despite few unnecessarily flung profanities and even more unnecessarily shed tears when Courtney nearly ruined the meal right as I was about to add the finishing touches, everything turned out quite well.

First Course: mixed green salad with goat cheese, caramelized onions, and walnuts in a fig balsamic.  (Plus, check out our new table!  Isn’t it lovely?  We can now comfortably sit 6-8!)

Second Course: Shrimp, Bacon and Figs with Goat Cheese Quinoa, drizzled with Fig Balsamic (recipe to come!)

Dessert: Dark Chocolate Fettuccine with Caramelized Bananas in a White Chocolate Liqueur Sauce

Saturday we went on a beautiful hike in Great Falls National Park.  On the way out, we went on the Billy Goat Trail, which required all hands, feet and bums on deck and careful attention by Jo to not clumsily sprain an ankle.

Our reward at the end?  An A Litteri’s picnic: 

And Saturday night, we ended the week with a dinner party with a wonderful bunch of folk who have been dear friends of Kippy’s since before I could walk.   (I brought my favorite spiced rosemary chocolate chip cookies).  Awesome food, abundant wine and fabulous company.  The week definitely went by too fast, as visits with Dad always do.  But Mission Make Dad Fall in Love with (and subsequently move to) D.C. is underway, even if he doesn’t know it yet…

Workout Recap: (Even with company, it’s been a super active week!)
Saturday: 4.5 mile run
Sunday: 6.5 mile run
Monday: Cycling and Chisel
Tuesday: Cycling
Wednesday: Chisel
Thursday: Cycling
Friday: 10 mile run
Saturday: Beautiful hike
Sunday: Much needed rest day

Goals for the Week: 
Monday: 5 mile run
Tuesday: Cycling
Wednesday: 5 mile run
Thursday: Cycling
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Half Marathon

In other news…

I’m thinking of doing a juice cleanse.  I’ve considered either a DIY BluePrint Cleanse or the 3-day Dr. Oz juice cleanse.

Anyone have experience with these or other juice cleanses?

Any recommendations on a what juicer to invest in?

A Second Look at Thai-Xing

About a year ago, I wrote a review about my first trip to Thai-Xing.  I’ve now been three times, but I never cease to be impressed by ridiculous amount of delicious, authentic food they serve up for such a reasonable fee.  I’m generally overwhelmed by the menu at Thai food restaurants and never know what to order, so I love that there is no menu.  Instead, it’s served family style, allowing me to try a little bit a very generous amount of everything.  I felt it was time to tell you about the amazing food at Thai-Xing again, this time mostly through photos.

First off, the company.  Definitely five stars on the company.  

Appetizer course:  Very SPICY Papaya Salad

Second Appetizer: Cucumber soup

Tofu and cellophane noodle salad

Chicken and eggplant curry

DELICIOUS pork in a phenomenal coconut-based sauce – definitely one of my favorite dishes, and one that I hadn’t had during any of my other visits!

Fantastic pumpkin curry  – their house specialty, and for a reason!

Whole rockfish – awesome presentation, super spicy sauce.

Not pictured: AMAZING tofu pad thai – make sure you save room!  Served after all the other main courses, I always forget this dish is coming!  But it’s one of their best!

Mango sticky rice – always a classic!

Not really sure what this was all about.  The violinist played for a very long time for what looked like a proposal, but I never saw a man on one knee or a ring.  Just a restaurant full of people slowly realizing that maybe it was going to have to be okay to talk while the violinist was playing.

And of course us.  Because I know you love pictures of us!

Korean BBQ Pizza with Kimchi and Prosciutto

My Pinterest boards are covered in Kimchi as of late:  Korean Meatloaf, Kimchi Sweet Potato Salad, Korean Pulled Pork.  In fact I’d venture to say that kimchi is my latest “trigger ingredient.”  Betcha didn’t see that one coming!  But I’m totally intrigued by the stuff.

If you’re not familiar with my new found love, it’s main ingredient is fermented vegetables, generally napa cabbage and it’s served as a traditional Korean garnish or side dish.  Apparently, I’m not the only one who likes it.  On average, South Koreans consume approximately 40 pounds of the stuff, per person, annually.

This Korean BBQ Pizza with Kimchi was my first experiment with the National Dish of Korea, and I’ve already made it twice.  The garlicky crust paired with spicy BBQ sauce, salty prosciutto, and the tang of the kimchi pack an awesome flavor punch.  Both Courtney and I devoured this pizza.  Grunting noises might have been involved.

Inspired by Kohler Created

Ingredients:

For the pizza:

• 1 garlicky pizza dough (recipe here)
• ½-1 cup kimchi, squeezed of excess juice and chopped
• 6-8 slices of prosciutto, sliced into strips
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella (or more!)
• Red pepper flakes and/or parmesan cheese (optional)

For the sauce: 

• 2 tbsp kimchi juice
• ½ tsp sesame oil
• 3 tbsp BBQ Sauce
• 2 tsp sriracha (or to taste)
• 1 tsp fish sauce (optional)
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed

Directions:

1. Prepare the dough according to these instructions.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and stirring well.
3. Once the dough has cooked for 5-8 minutes, remove from oven and top with sauce, prosciutto, mozzarella and kimchi.
4. Cook for an additional 5-8 minutes.   Top with red pepper flakes, if desired, slice and serve!

On Boston.

My whole heart goes out to the victims of yesterday’s tragedy in Boston.  To those killed and injured.  To those whose loved ones were killed or injured.  And to those who undoubtedly underwent unimaginable terror and uncertainty as they tried to determine what was going on around them and how their loved ones had been impacted.  I also lament the underlying effect that all tragedies of this sort have in common: the dent that is left in the unparalleled sense of safety that we enjoy as Americans, and which we so often take for granted.

Sure, yesterday’s bombing was an attack against the running community, just as 9-11 was an attack on New Yorkers, Virginia Tech an attack on Hokies, Newtown an attack on school children.  But all of these tragedies also have a common victim: the sense of security that has long been an American privilege.  The scene we saw in Boston- replayed again and again on every news reel, printed on the front page of every newspaper across the nation- is alarmingly common in parts of this world.  But here in America, a scene like this invokes shock and horror.  We generally expect that we will be safe at our workplace, in our schoolroom, going about our day-to-day lives, and events like this contradict that assumption.

But we must not allow this sort of evil act to make us go about our daily lives with fear.  College campuses didn’t become less safe on April 17, 2007, elementary school classrooms didn’t become any less safe on December 14, 2012, and running your next marathon will be no less safe than running your last.  The lesson to learn from any tragedy is that life is fragile and uncertain.  Every time you say goodbye to someone you love, no matter how young or old, no matter how long it will be until you expect to see them again, you should hug them the same way you hug your elderly grandparents or your brother who is about to ride around the world on a motorcycle.

We must also not allow this sort of evil act to make us question the state of human nature.  I’ll admit, one of my first reactions was fear for what a fucked up world we live in.  But at the same time, this sort of unspeakable tragedy always illustrates the inherent kindness of the human heart.  You see individuals risking their safety, offering up their homes, their money and their blood, all for complete strangers in a time of need.  And it makes you reassess your doubt in human nature.