BALLS!

Black Bean Croquettes, to be exact.  This picture doesn't really show the coloring well, though.  Here's the recipe.  They were pretty easy to make, but when I cooked them, I thought they'd come together a little tighter.  I liked the idea of baking them, but I honestly feel like they would brown better if they were sauteed in a little olive oil and then baked.  Or maybe broiling them a bit at the end would color them and crisp the outside a bit better.  I'll experiment a little next time.  They were tasty, and the salsa was yummy.  I put some on the side to eat with bites of the croquettes, and some on mixed greens with walnuts and a little oil and balsamic vinegar.  Top it off with some juicy orange wedges, and this was a delicious meal! 

The BALLS! capped off a decent few days of running and weekend stuff.  I ran 12 on Friday, 5ish on Saturday, and 6+ today.  Legs are doing well, and since I've lost a few pounds the running is a little easier.  All good stuff.  I have been a little bored with my running routes, though.  It'll be good to go away in a week or so for some running in new scenery. 

I also had a good swim on Thursday.  Got new goggles that worked way better than the other new one I had.  No leaks!  Yay!

And, one more thing of BALLS! for this weekend. I went to Drexel University yesterday to watch a former student play for the varsity men's lacrosse team.  He was a troubled kid when I had him in middle school.  He was suspended several times, struggled academically, and many teachers lost patience with him.  Not me.  I could see he had potential, and I reminded him all the time that he could be making better choices and he could really succeed.  He was a likeable kid with me, and he felt comfortable in my class.  In fact, when things were bad in his other classes, he was freely allowed to bring his assignments to my room, slide into one of the back rows, and work there.  He wasn't a disruption, and he felt safe there.  At the end of the year, he thanked me, and wanted to hug me (I let him, since there were other people in the room).   Throughout high school, he stayed in touch, and I watched as he slowly got his stuff together.  I watched him succeed in lacrosse and wrestling, and in his academics.  When he graduated and told me he was going to Drexel and majoring in business and playing lacrosse, my heart skipped for him.  He red-shirted his first year there to extend his playing eligibility, and yesterday I watched him, as a sophomore, start for the varsity team.  His grades are good, too.  I was so proud.  Although I waited for a bit, I didn't get to see him after the game (I was going for beers with a guy I met!).  I sent him an email, though, and I hope he feels just how proud and happy for him I am right now.