Watches, Varicose Veins, Pecked by Ducks.

I had to buy a new watch yesterday. For years I have been wearing a Cassio men's water resistant watch which had a number of functions I didn't use. However, part of it snapped off the day before. I have an Omega gold watch which I have had for centuries (well seems like) but I don't wear it a lot any more as it is a) not water resistant b) not digital and c) doesn't show time and date. Matt thought I should start wearing it again, but you can bet your bottom dollar it would have been in the shower with me before you could spit. Plus I am not used to having to actually wind up a watch any more!! So off we went to Zellers (big chain store in Canada) to get me another cheap watch. I ended up with a Sportek which also had 25% off so I was pleased. It is cheap and cheerful and not too many bells and whistles which I don't need on a watch. Once my other watch broke, I pulled out three watches which turned out not to work any more and yet my Omega and another watch which was the first Matt ever bought, work like a charm. As a general watch though, Matt wears a Seiko diving watch although he hasn't dived in years. Surprisingly the weather has actually been very nice for the last two days. Not too hot, but pleasant for sitting out and yet pretty cool at night dropping to temps like 9°C. This morning there was a segment of great interest to me about varicose veins. There is a new procedure called VNUS ClosureFAST which can be done in the doctor's office in 15 minutes or so. It is available in the States, whether it can be done in Canada I don't know. There is an article and a video at this site for those of you who wish to check this procedure out. Heredity plays a part in causing varicose veins as does pregnancy, standing and last, but not least, overweight. I just came across a blog called Pecked By Ducks, I think the author, Marina, is so funny, I added her to my blog list - do check her out. Because we are soon heading to North Carolina my mind is turning towards shrimp dishes. I just came across this one on Cooking.com. Shrimp Asopao (Shrimp Stew) Burt Wolf's Table 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 cup chopped onion 2 1/2 cups chopped, seeded tomatoes 16 large uncooked shrimp, peeled, cleaned, and deveined 1/4 cup recaito (see Note) 5 cups warm chicken stock 3 cups cooked white rice 1 cup cooked asparagus tips 1 cup cooked peas, fresh or frozen 1/2 cup chopped stuffed olives DIRECTIONS In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the vegetable oil until hot. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and sauté until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and sauté until opaque, about 3 minutes. Stir in the recaito. Add the remaining ingredients, and stir well. Bring the stew almost to a boil, then serve at once. NOTE: If recaito is not available, combine equal parts of chopped onion, chopped jalapeño peppers, and cilantro, and add a little olive oil. Have a great day.