Day 17: All I Know For Sure Is I'm Trying. I Will Always Stand My Ground

I gave the yard a second chance today. It had been begging me to take it back after it had failed me once, so I was very leary of it's enticing offer. You know what they say—once bitten, twice shy.

But the yard came back to me with a new look, a much shorter 'do. No longer was it the long-haired hippie that greeted me when I came back from vacation. It now was sporting a close-cropped sassy look. Very desirable, but I didn't want a repeat from before.

"C'mon, man!" J-Rope said. "Let's give it another chance. The yard has reformed. No more of those wild days. It's ready to be there for you."

I'm a sucker for second chances and sporty new looks. So me and J-Rope went out into the backyard for some one-on-one-on-one time. Janet Jackson was singing in the background as I grabbed nine rocks out of the flower bed and set them in a row nearby.

The jumps began.

I have to hand it to the yard—it played real nice, not ever once being a tease and flirting with J-Rope. We were there to do some serious work. 100 jumps. I took one of the rocks and tossed it back into the flower bed. 200 jumps. Another rock tossed. 300 jumps. 400. 500. Eventually all the way to 850 jumps, and the nine rocks were back in the flower bed.

The yard had done us good. Maybe it had changed it's ways. It was worth a shot. J-Rope and I decided we would give it another try tomorrow. The yard had earned my trust.

And now, more Creative Cooking from E's Kitchen!

Not-So Devilish Eggs

Ingredients:

2 hard-boiled egg whites
low-fat cottage cheese (enough to fill four egg halves - I used approximately 80g)
curry powder to taste
mustard powder to taste
paprika to taste

Take the low-fat cottage cheese and add about a pinch of curry powder and a pinch of mustard powder to it. Mix it together. (If you like more or less curry or mustard, feel free to adjust the spices to your taste.)

Fill the hollow of the egg with the cottage cheese mixture. Sprinkle a little paprika on the top for some extra color. You can add a parsley sprig for a festive touch.