ArcaMax

Calculated Risks

By most standards, I carry a pretty hefty amount of life insurance. That makes sense though. As a CEO of two small companies, if something happens to me, there are things that will have to be taken care of that will cost money. We should all plan for the unexpected.

In the fine print of those policies, they lay out some rules. There are several things they tell me I cannot do. If something terrible happens to me while I am doing any of them, they will not pay the claim.

I have seen the list, but probably not for about two decades. I do remember it includes things like: No scuba diving. I can snorkel, but I’m not allowed to scuba dive. No sky diving. Well duh! No parasailing or hang gliding. Double duh! No driving race cars. I can drive my own car like a nut if I choose, but nothing on a race track. No boat racing. Same thing with driving my own boat like a nut, but I don’t have a boat. So that’s easy. There are probably more rules but I’d have to check the list.

So what did I do? I went zip lining through the rain forest in Costa Rica.

If the list were up to date I bet zip-lining would be on it too.

So here I am preparing to fly 300 feet above the base of the rain forest, hanging by a couple of pulleys and strapped into a harness. They gave me gloves to protect my hands. That makes sense because you use your hands as brakes. They gave me a helmut. If I fell 300 feet I doubt the helmut would have helped me much, but if I banged into a tree going 20 miles an hour as I came in for a landing I suppose the helmut was a good idea. (I never fell off my bike as a kid so I never needed a helmut doing that, but that was the 60s. Helmuts weren’t even for sale for kids on bikes).

My legs were slightly shaky as the instructor (such as he was) lent us his direction and expertise. He told us to keep our right hand behind the pulley. If we didn’t our fingers would be severed. Check. Hand in back. Left hand holds onto the harness. Check. What was I getting into?

He told us to keep our head to the left of the cable and to tilt it left or we might go spinning as we were sailing along. I’m not into spinning out of control as I careen through a dense rain forest, so, check.

The first guy goes. He’s the instructor who has to catch us at the end if we fail to stop. He’s all set and I can see him on the other end of what is probably a 200-yard long span. That’s what made my legs a bit more watery. I made jokes about going back to the hut with the other woman dumb enough to be along for the ride. She speaks only Spanish, has no clue what I just said, so I just laugh and get on with it.

The man she is with is the first of us rookies to go. He is obviously nervous but he bravely goes forward and lands at the platform hanging high in the trees. He’s arrived safely.

His young lady friend goes next. She forgets to keep her head left and wonders why she’s spinning as she goes along. That was not a fast segment of the trip so she doesn’t spin a lot. The instructor catches her cuz she arrives backwards at the other end. That doesn’t make me feel any more confident. She weighs less than me, so I figure the more you weigh the more you spin. Confidence dissolves. But I remember, head left.

Off I go! I can’t hardly remember more during the ride. I was concentrating so intently. Right hand in right place. Left hand on harness. Head left. Look forward so I know when to put on the breaks with my right hand. Land. Done.

When I get off I yell “Facil!” (translates to EASY in Spanish). All Spanish-speakers laugh. My knees turn to water...this time for REAL. I remain steady and watch my husband come in to land with a look of sheer terror I have never seen on his face. That sobers my attitude for the next run and I take each and every of the nine segments very seriously. Never waver from being intent. Nine segments in all. The last one was probably 600 yards over a river. By the time I got to that one my legs didn’t feel watery anymore, although I wondered how I’d feel if my cable snapped and I went into the water.

While on the various perches high up in the trees, I saw howler monkeys and the biggest, bright blue butterfly I have ever seen. Greenery everywhere. The monkeys and the butterfly were both accustomed to tourists. They hardly gave us notice. We were intruding on their territory but seemed willing to share without making a fuss.

I completed my task, checked that off my list and vowed never to do anything dumb like that again that might cause my insurance company to raise my premium or deny the potential claim. As long as they don’t read this, I’m good. And like I said, DONE.

Savory Burgers and Kale Chips

Have a hankerin for a burger and fries? Try these! You’ll be glad you did!

NEW Recipe from Plan Z. I was making a simple burger today for lunch and decided to jazz it up.

Experiment with the amounts of the extra ingredients and see how you like them. I’d start with it subtle; (just the way I made them) and if you want it with a deeper flavor next time, add more.

Serves 2 (Can easily be doubled or tripled). Make these ahead and reheat at work.
12 oz of lean ground sirloin
4 Tbl of Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp of dry mustard
1.5 tsp of garlic powder

Mix in a bowl. Form patties. Grill like you would any other burger. Spray and grill to your liking. Top off with a good grind of sea salt and pepper.

I had a baby salad wedge, a slice of tomato and part of a cucumber dusted with sea salt. Love cucumber and sea salt.

Baked Kale Chips

Baked Kale Chips are easy to make. Super Easy! If you have a hankering for potato chips, try these! They are dark green but you’ll be amazed how good they taste!

Serves 6

1 Bunch of Kale, washed (you can also use collard greens for this dish)
Olive oil spray
Grated sea salt
Pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Remove the stems. Also remove the rib that runs up the middle of each leaf. Tear into pieces the size of potato chips. Wash and thoroughly dry the kale with a salad spinner. Lay them on an oven proof pan. Make sure they don’t overlap or they won’t get crispy. Lightly spritz with olive oil spray (on top only) and lightly grate with sea salt and pepper.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 350 or until the edges just begin to brown. I like mine especially crispy so I leave them in about 13 minutes. The final time will depend on your oven so keep a close eye on them toward the end. They turn brown FAST. Serve warm right from the cookie sheet!

Serving Suggestions:

Makes a great snack or side.

Enjoy!
Cheers,
Zola