Of beer pancakes, Dad and the psychology of breakfast

They say that smell is more closely linked to memory than any other sense. It stands to reason that taste, being closely related to smell, would also have the same effect. Simply smelling or tasting something can trigger trigger vivid memories and emotions.

My question is this: Can it be reversed? Can a memory of something be so strong that you can actually smell and taste it?

Wednesday night, I was settling in to watch a hockey game and I had the overwhelming smell and taste of pancakes. Not just any pancakes. My Dad's beer pancakes.

Now, I know what you're thinking. Who would waste perfectly good beer making pancakes? Then, I'd introduce you to the resourceful man my Dad was. And tell you about his habit of creating happy accidents and adhering to family tradition.

Like all of Dad's stories, the story about how beer pancakes came into existence changed depending on whether we were standing around a campfire, breakfast table or poker table. This is the version I heard most often:

We were at deer camp one year and whoever was supposed to bring milk didn't. (Probably him.) Everyone was supposed to bring a 5-gallon jug of water, but not everyone did. Pretty sure I brought one. You know I don't like going without water. (True story. He'd forget toilet paper, but never water.) So the day it was my turn to make breakfast, we didn't have any milk and we were short on water. But we had plenty of beer, so I figured I'd give it a shot. The rest is history. Everyone liked them so much, I started making them all the time.

Dad started making them at home when I was two or three years old. He probably didn't make them as often as I think he did, but if you ask me now, I'd probably tell you he made them most of the time he made breakfast on the weekend.

I guess he probably made them to remind himself of a simpler time in his life, and to bring back memories of being with his buddies and their new families in an Eastern Oregon deer camp for a week. They'd hunt all day, drink beer and play poker or sitting on strap lawn chairs or logs around a campfire all night to see who could spin the best yarn about catching the biggest trout, the most smelt or the monster buck that got away.

My memories of beer pancakes center around deer camp and the smell of the scrub cedar and sumac that surrounded the clearing along Middle Caney Creek in Chautauqua County in Southern Kansas. My dad cooked on a cast-iron griddle on an ancient Coleman stove he probably built from spare parts he acquired in the early 60s when he worked for that company.

Now, it's been at least 25 years since I've had Dad's beer pancakes. But on Wednesday night, the sense of smell and taste hit me so hard, I knew I had to make them this weekend. They weren't as "beer-y" - or as good - as Dad's, but still had that familiar tangy-sweetness I remember.

Maybe beer pancakes simply taste better after a morning spent sitting in a tree. Or maybe they're better when someone else makes them while telling you about how he created the recipe and you laugh, not because it's the fifth time you've heard this version of the story, but because you can see his enjoyment in making them while telling the story.

Or maybe it was just the company.

A Year of Change(s)

One year ago, I was in ICU with a bilateral pulmonary embolism. A.K.A Saddle clot. The long and short of it is that I had blood clots in both lungs. The mortality rate is about 25%. Scary stuff.

I won't bore you with the details, but a lot has changed in the past year. I've made a ton of progress. Here it is, by the numbers:

• I've lowered my blood pressure from high 140s/mid 80s to mid 120s/high 60s.
• My resting heart rate is down from mid 70s to mid 50s.
• I've lost 90 pounds. (Nope, I'm not done yet.)
• I've dropped 8 inches off my waist. I've bought new pants and jeans, but not belts. Leather is still good, so I've just been drilling new holes.

I'm not telling you this because I'm looking for an attaboy. Nor am I trying to be preachy. I'm saying this because if I can change, anyone can. But I figured out that I have to listen to my body, but still know when I can push.

Avoiding past mistakes

Yes, I've changed my diet. No, I'm not starving myself and I don't deprive myself of much, either. Moderation is the key. I haven't given up beer, but it's a special occasion thing now. I've tried eating healthy before, but I sabotaged my efforts by going off the deep end any time I didn't strictly adhere to it. So now, I'm a big proponent of the 80/20 rule.

Yes, I've changed my attitude about exercise. Six weeks after my hospital stay, I was cleared to walk 10 minutes a day. Over the next six months, I increased the time I could walk until I was doing 3-4 miles a day. Now I do an hour of fairly strenuous cardio five days a week and strength training two days a week. I haven't been cleared to do more. Yet.

Trying something new

Probably the most unexpected change I've made, that I didn't think would ever happen, is that I meditate. It happened by accident; I started doing deep breathing exercises to help my lungs recover. And I noticed that I was a little sharper and a little more focused. So I meditate now.

Perhaps the biggest change is my attitude toward health care. A lot of that has to do with my employer, as I work for a health care company. I realize that preventative care trumps sick care. By a lot.

My doctor kicks ass. She's supportive, creative and calls bullshit when it's needed. She's whip smart and funny as hell. I also have a health coach that I see once a month who keeps me accountable, gives me advice and lets me talk about what I'm going through.

I will also tell you that I'm a big believer in FitBit. It tracks calories in and out, water and steps. Even tells me how good I slept last night. It takes five minutes out of my day and guards against the bad habit of eating without a purpose.

Starting slow and finding time

I'll tell you right off the bat that you don't have to go to the gym. More people say one of the overriding factors for not exercising is they don't have the time. And it's hard getting started. Hey, I've been there. But by starting small, increasing when the time was right and pushing myself when I could, I got better.

Wanna know a secret? Exercising sucks the first few days. I'm not going to lie to you. But do it every day for two weeks and you'll start to feel worse if you don't do it. Wanna know another? I lost more weight just walking than I have since I started going to the gym. More about that later.

I had to start slow because I had to. Doc was afraid my heart would work harder because of the clots. I adhered to a strict, 10-minutes a day maximum the doc set for me for a few weeks. Ten minutes became 15, and I could walk around the north end of the school in our neighborhood. Then it became 20 and I could make it down another block down and one more over. A couple weeks later, it became 30 minutes, and I could make it down and around the park. I started walking in the morning and in the evening for 30 minutes, one of the few things I did that didn't get cleared by the doc.

By mid-July I could go 45 minutes without stopping, then an hour. I was getting up at 5 a.m. to walk, every day.

Here's the deal: If you don't have time to walk 30 minutes, walk for 15 minutes twice a day. It might even be better for you than doing it non-stop.

Becoming a rat

When I got cleared to go to the gym, I didn't start right away. I liked walking. But as it got colder, it was my only option. Low impact was the key, so I was on the stationary bike for 30 minutes. First week of that hurt the old posterior. But I got used to it.

Most days, I'm the first one there. I go on the weekends, too. Fearing an injury that would set me back, the doc made me schedule two rest days a week. She's overly cautious, but I get it. I'm turning into a gym rat. Kinda. I've even been known to go to the gym a couple of times a day.

To top it off, Ashley has been putting in time, too. She goes five days a week and is making great progress. It definitely helps having someone who's not only in my corner, but on the front lines as well.

Changing it up

Although I like the bike, I've added elliptical, rowing machine and swimming to my cardio arsenal. Keeps things from getting boring. I'm not an efficient swimmer so much as I'm an inefficient drowner. But I get a little better each week. (I swim on my off days. Don't tell Dr. Toney.)

It's not my objective to preach. I hope I'm coming off as somewhat inspirational. And realistic. Is it hard? I would say, no, not really. Having a health scare of that magnitude changes the perspective quite a bit. I'm grateful for what I've been able to accomplish, the resources that have helped me, and the people who've supported me in my efforts.

It's a journey. One step, one minute, one mile, one lap and one day at a time.