It's the holidays and everything is glowy and lit up and beautiful... and then you venture out of your little holiday bubble to get groceries or put gas in your car and you realize that people are still totally idiotic.
Here are just a few things that are making me go sideways this week that I need to vent about:
1. Helpless People- I'm not talking about people that actually need help doing things, I'm really talking about people who are lazy and act all, "Woe is me, I cannot get my stuff done... what am I to do?" and then they look at you as if you are supposed to bail them out. Well, I've got stuff to do also and I have the same 24 hours in a day to do them so don't look at me. Organize yourself and get your shit together.
2. Bad Eyebrows- this one's for the ladies. It is totally true that a well-done eyebrow really frames your face and keeps you looking polished. But if eyebrows are NOT well done... it makes me want to give you a face-wipe and have you start over again before you embarrass yourself even more. This is for sure one of my OCD hang-ups. Mr and I were on the train into Portland one day (can't really remember what for... maybe a Timbers game?) and there was a young lady dressed really well, hair done very nicely and then the WORST EVER drawn on eyebrows. It was like she took a black chisel-tip marker and drew a thick straight line over each eye lid. I could not stop staring at her and for a good week that's all I could think about. And the epidemic seems to be growing as I've seen a few ladies while out and about this week that did the same thing. Either this is a new and terrible trend for make up, or no one showed these ladies how to do an eyebrow arch fill-in with the correct colored powder or pencil.
3. Waiting Until the Last Minute- this one is mostly work related... but this also happens in my personal life from time to time. I cannot stand it when people ask me to do stuff totally last minute, especially when they've known about it for a while. I totally understand that things come up that have to quickly be taken care of, but I'm not talking about those instances. I'm talking about when people have a meeting planned for MONTHS and then the day before the meeting run up and ask me to help them coordinate logistics (like food, room set up, etc). Like I don't already have things on my To Do list and have them scheduled out for the day... let me totally drop what I'm doing to help you because this wasn't something you could have asked me 2 months ago to help with, right?
4. People that baby-talk their children. Just stop! I hate how it sounds, and it makes me want to poke my eardrums out. It's not cute, no one enjoys listening to it, and you are contributing to your child's terrible grammar and incorrect pronunciation of the english language.
5. People that Don't Use Turn Signals While Driving- I cannot read your mind. I have no idea when you slow down what you are doing unless you use your turn signal to tell me that you are slowing down so you can turn left up at that street. I also will not make room for you to get over into my lane on the highway if you don't use your turn signal to tell me that you want over... why? Because I CAN'T READ YOUR MIND and I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU WANT OVER INTO MY LANE. So keep your hand gestures to yourself, ass, and instead use your hand to turn on your blinker.
6. People That Assume Things and Don't Ask- Just don't. Always ask. I'd rather be "bothered"* with a question about something rather than someone assuming they can 1) use something of mine 2) put things that aren't mine in my area and 3) assume I will do something that is not my responsibility. You planned a party? Awesome! You just left all of the party decorations at my desk and assumed I would bring them and set the party up for you? Not a chance in hell. Had you asked, probably. But you didn't. You are on your own. Also, see #3.
7. Chipped Nail Polish. This doesn't happen that often because of the invention of Shellac nail polish, however it's now not as easy to fix when it does. I totally admit that this is another one of my little OCD things because I cannot stop touching the chipped spot until it is fixed. Every nail must be smooth and perfect or I fixate on the imperfection. Does that make me crazy? Probably.
Ok, that's it for now... until next edition!
*Questions hardly ever bother me, so I'm saying that sarcastically.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Thursday, December 5, 2013
The Shortest Cold I've Ever Had
I probably did it to myself, but I caught the yucky cold thing that is going around right now. If you aren't familiar - most people in my office that have had it have had to take a few days off work to recuperate because it knocks them down so hard. Not fun.
Last week was totally amazing because it was a short week due to Thanksgiving (Yay, American Holidays!) and everyone was in a great mood, and Mr and I had tickets to see Anti Flag and Less Than Jake on Wednesday night. I was particularly excited because I LOVE Thanksgiving so much. There is not a better day in the whole year for me, and I don't even need to tell you that it's all because of the food. This year I was debating on whether I should allow myself to eat some of the traditional food of the day versus making gluten/wheat-free version and I thought oh to heck with it! I'm eating regular stuffing on Thanksgiving because it won't kill me and I love it so much. I'll just probably have a stomach ache or get a bit rashy, but WHO CARES?! (because I don't have Celiac's, so it really just makes me uncomfortable when I eat it and doesn't cause extreme reactions for me. I do not advocate eating things you have severe reactions to) So I ate gluten and wheat filled goodies with gusto on Thanksgiving and only suffered a very mild case of indigestion, and I said to myself TOTALLY WORTH IT!! At the end of the day I was super sleepy and had a bit of a tickle in my throat, but didn't pay it much mind since we'd been eating and talking and laughing all day long.
We headed home from our Thanksgiving dinner that my mother so awesomely prepared and got ready for bed since I had some serious Black Friday Shopping plans in mind... online. The sale I was waiting for was an online only thing for a shop that I absolutely adore and would go broke ordering things from Michelle if I wasn't careful. I needed to get up at 4:30am and get my computers up and running (yes, I used 2 computers so I could use Mr as a proxy to buy me some good stuff!) for her sale that started at 5:00am PST, then for another round at 8:00am PST, and a final round at 10:00am PST. When I got up I felt... well, like I had gotten up at 4:30am so I didn't really notice how bad my body felt until around 8:00am. I was bundled up on the couch doing my Black Friday online shopping spree and generally feeling icky- almost like I had a hangover - without having had the fun night before. My head was pounding and my body was all stiff and achey. After the last round of sales, I took a hot shower thinking it would relieve my symptoms, but it did not, so back to the couch I went in sweatpants with blanket burrito-ed around me and napping commenced for next few hours.
When I awoke from napping I realized that I was in trouble. My throat was sore and dry, my head was now throbbing incessantly, and every time I swallowed it felt like tiny knives were catching my throat on their way down. I made myself some tea, took some Occillococcinum (which I swear by, if I take it early enough), and then force-fed myself a tablespoon of raw honey with freshly ground cinnamon. My thought process was a little something like WE ARE NOT GETTING SICK. Use ALL of the natural and naturopathic remedies we know! ALL OF THEM!!! I spent the rest of the night wallowing on the couch waiting to feel better but not quite understanding that this probably wasn't going away as fast as I wanted it to.
Saturday morning came and I realized that I had it... I had caught that damned cold that everyone else around me had caught weeks before and were still suffering through. My entire body hurt, my throat was dry and sore, I had a headache from hell and I could feel the congestion starting to block up my nose. Most of the day was spent napping and drinking tea, in between spoonfuls of honey and doses of Occillo. I was pretty darn miserable and ravenously hungry every time I woke up from a nap. By the end of the night I had given up hope that I was going to beat this thing and made Mr drive me to Burgerville for a huge Tillamook Cheeseburger and Fries (on a GF bun, of course) with a NW Cherry Chocolate Shake to accompany it. I inhaled my meal, took my last doses of Occillo and honey and dragged myself to bed. I slept fitfully and woke frequently to blow my nose, and apparently I woke Mr up with my snotty snoring. Soooo sexy.
Sunday was more of the same- woke up, ate breakfast, medicated, made tea, took a nap until 2pm, ate lunch, medicated, made tea, et cetera, et cetera ad naseam. I may have watched a few movies in there. I did venture out to get groceries and herbal tea with Mr, and then came promptly back home and fell asleep for a few more hours. I went to bed Sunday night feeling pretty yucky still and decided to sleep with a Breathe-Right strip so as not to snore my husband awake and also put some Vick's on my chest and on my feet (hey, it totally works). I was convinced that I was going to have to call in sick in the morning and as a final measure, took some NyQuil in the hopes that I would be able to breathe long enough to get some real rest.
I woke up Monday morning feeling super well-rested and the only lasting cold symptom I had was a stuffed up nose. I went to work as usual, sounding a bit stuffy but feeling completely fine. By the end of the day my nose had somewhat cleared up.
It's now Thursday and the only issue I've had is a slight cough any time I do too much "active" stuff- like when I try to work out or when I walk too briskly outside. My nose is only stuffy when I first wake up, but goes away pretty quickly in the morning.
You guys, this is the FASTEST I've ever gotten over the majority of a cold. Usually the yucky stuff hangs around for a full week, and then as I start to feel better I still have a cough, a constant drippy or stuffed up nose and a bit of a sore throat for at least another week.
One thing I do still have is a rash on my feet and some red blotchy marks on my face from eating wheat and gluten on Thanksgiving... still totally worth it!!! But I probably won't be eating it for every holiday.
Saturday morning came and I realized that I had it... I had caught that damned cold that everyone else around me had caught weeks before and were still suffering through. My entire body hurt, my throat was dry and sore, I had a headache from hell and I could feel the congestion starting to block up my nose. Most of the day was spent napping and drinking tea, in between spoonfuls of honey and doses of Occillo. I was pretty darn miserable and ravenously hungry every time I woke up from a nap. By the end of the night I had given up hope that I was going to beat this thing and made Mr drive me to Burgerville for a huge Tillamook Cheeseburger and Fries (on a GF bun, of course) with a NW Cherry Chocolate Shake to accompany it. I inhaled my meal, took my last doses of Occillo and honey and dragged myself to bed. I slept fitfully and woke frequently to blow my nose, and apparently I woke Mr up with my snotty snoring. Soooo sexy.
Sunday was more of the same- woke up, ate breakfast, medicated, made tea, took a nap until 2pm, ate lunch, medicated, made tea, et cetera, et cetera ad naseam. I may have watched a few movies in there. I did venture out to get groceries and herbal tea with Mr, and then came promptly back home and fell asleep for a few more hours. I went to bed Sunday night feeling pretty yucky still and decided to sleep with a Breathe-Right strip so as not to snore my husband awake and also put some Vick's on my chest and on my feet (hey, it totally works). I was convinced that I was going to have to call in sick in the morning and as a final measure, took some NyQuil in the hopes that I would be able to breathe long enough to get some real rest.
I woke up Monday morning feeling super well-rested and the only lasting cold symptom I had was a stuffed up nose. I went to work as usual, sounding a bit stuffy but feeling completely fine. By the end of the day my nose had somewhat cleared up.
It's now Thursday and the only issue I've had is a slight cough any time I do too much "active" stuff- like when I try to work out or when I walk too briskly outside. My nose is only stuffy when I first wake up, but goes away pretty quickly in the morning.
You guys, this is the FASTEST I've ever gotten over the majority of a cold. Usually the yucky stuff hangs around for a full week, and then as I start to feel better I still have a cough, a constant drippy or stuffed up nose and a bit of a sore throat for at least another week.
One thing I do still have is a rash on my feet and some red blotchy marks on my face from eating wheat and gluten on Thanksgiving... still totally worth it!!! But I probably won't be eating it for every holiday.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
A Little of This, A Little of That
Oh man, it's 11am and I'm exhausted... partially because it's a Monday, partially because the soap holder in the bathroom fell off the shower wall in the middle of the night and startled me enough to completely wake me up and make it hard for me to fall back asleep quickly, and partially because I biked to work this morning. Oh yes, that is correct. I biked just under 10 miles to work today on my COMFORT BIKE. Now I get why they make commuter bikes... with more gears. I LOVE my bike, but I highly doubt I will be making this a regular routine. I might just ride to the MAX station and take the train, but unless I have a bike built more for long rides, I will happily just use mine to run quick errands and visit friends. What a workout, and I still have to bike home at the end of the day. I might make a few stops...
This week is supposed to be gorgeous! I'm very excited because the rain last week killed me just a tiny bit; I am excited that Fall is on it's way, though. Mr made it through his first week of school last week with minimal drama so that is always good and I'm just plugging away at work as per usual. I did just complete my second month of being gluten and wheat free and I feel amazing! I didn't make this change very willingly at first, but realizing you are putting something in your body that your body doesn't react well to is a huge motivator. And now that I'm saying this I realize that I haven't brought this up at all in any post, so I guess now's a good time to tell all.
It all started last winter (and if I really think about it, it started WAY before that) when I was traveling a bunch for work meetings and I started experiencing some not so fun GI issues. I asked my doctor about it and and she said it sounded like I had some mild IBS symptoms, which made sense to me at the time because my mom has a history with IBS. I avoided "trigger" foods for a few weeks and really didn't feel any better, but I was told that with diligence, time, and a diet change things would get better. Well they didn't, and my allergies were getting out of control bad. The last few years I'd been getting a rash on my hands and feet (and sometimes on my elbows and knees) in the spring and summer when my allergies to pollen would get bad- or so I thought. We always thought it was a reaction to touching grasses and green things (most of which I'm also allergic to) since I didn't have it or I had a very mild rash in the fall and winter. This year, I got the rashes so bad I couldn't wear regular shoes because it was so painful, so I was relegated to 1 pair of super-soft flip flops that didn't rub anywhere that was rashy. I was talking to a few friends that have Celiac's and/or gluten and wheat sensitivities and over time they told me that my symptoms all sounded like they had something to do with wheat or gluten. I looked it up online (because I'm sometimes skeptical of other people's ideas about medical issues) and found that my symptoms did closely match someone with a wheat or gluten sensitivity, so maybe they were on to something.
I called the advice nurse and told her what I thought and about my symptoms that I didn't think were connected before. She suggested I try an elimination diet (and gave me some good resources for that) to test myself- eat the basics, no processed foods and sugars and eliminate gluten and wheat. I did days and days of research before deciding on a good diet for me and then implemented my plan to take out wheat and gluten. After a few weeks of eating without those, I noticed my face was clearer (unexpected awesome effect!), my rashes were almost completely gone and my regular allergy symptoms were way more manageable than they had been for years. I also noticed that I felt much less bloated than usual and didn't really have any GI issues that had continued. I was supposed to "test" the elimination by eating wheat/gluten and then noting how I felt and if any symptoms returned, so I did and found that I felt bloated, tired and had some mild GI issues later that day. I was also supposed to get some bloodwork done after eating wheat/gluten, but it's spendy and by the time I got around to "testing" the elimination and adding wheat/gluten back in, I knew pretty immediately that it didn't matter because I felt so much better without them that I didn't need a concrete diagnosis. I did accidentally eat some wheat/gluten filled food last week at a dinner with family and didn't know it until 30 minutes after dinner when my stomach got super bloated and I got headachey... then we realized that the steak marinade that was used for dinner was not wheat/gluten free. Crazy how quickly your body reacts to things!
I really do need to go in and get an official "diagnosis", but I think that I have non-Celiac's gluten sensitivity and possibly some form of wheat allergy (but that is harder to find out about because apparently there are 27 different things in wheat that a person can have an allergic reaction to). That is just my speculation based off the research I've done and reading after the fact on symptoms/issues that I used to think were random, but now look like they actually were all connected. I really don't want to go back to eating wheat/gluten if I can help it but I feel like my Dr will order the bloodwork and I will feel icky for a few days. Oh well! I probably should be an adult and just go in.
So anyway, I've been experimenting with new foods which has been expanding Mr's diet to new things as well. It's been interesting, but also super frustrating. Sometimes I just want a quick snack, but I cannot just pick up any-old-thing. I have to seriously read labels at the store (which I think you should do anyway) but I have now realized how much we use wheat in our foods! I've increased my fresh fruit and vegetable intake substantially which feels pretty good. And by default, Mr is eating pretty much what I eat. He's also now reading some Michael Pollan books (ones that I was totally into about 1.5 year ago which got me into the whole food, organic kick in the first place). Now we are a little more aligned with our food strategy.
So that is what's new with us- what's new with you?
This week is supposed to be gorgeous! I'm very excited because the rain last week killed me just a tiny bit; I am excited that Fall is on it's way, though. Mr made it through his first week of school last week with minimal drama so that is always good and I'm just plugging away at work as per usual. I did just complete my second month of being gluten and wheat free and I feel amazing! I didn't make this change very willingly at first, but realizing you are putting something in your body that your body doesn't react well to is a huge motivator. And now that I'm saying this I realize that I haven't brought this up at all in any post, so I guess now's a good time to tell all.
It all started last winter (and if I really think about it, it started WAY before that) when I was traveling a bunch for work meetings and I started experiencing some not so fun GI issues. I asked my doctor about it and and she said it sounded like I had some mild IBS symptoms, which made sense to me at the time because my mom has a history with IBS. I avoided "trigger" foods for a few weeks and really didn't feel any better, but I was told that with diligence, time, and a diet change things would get better. Well they didn't, and my allergies were getting out of control bad. The last few years I'd been getting a rash on my hands and feet (and sometimes on my elbows and knees) in the spring and summer when my allergies to pollen would get bad- or so I thought. We always thought it was a reaction to touching grasses and green things (most of which I'm also allergic to) since I didn't have it or I had a very mild rash in the fall and winter. This year, I got the rashes so bad I couldn't wear regular shoes because it was so painful, so I was relegated to 1 pair of super-soft flip flops that didn't rub anywhere that was rashy. I was talking to a few friends that have Celiac's and/or gluten and wheat sensitivities and over time they told me that my symptoms all sounded like they had something to do with wheat or gluten. I looked it up online (because I'm sometimes skeptical of other people's ideas about medical issues) and found that my symptoms did closely match someone with a wheat or gluten sensitivity, so maybe they were on to something.
I called the advice nurse and told her what I thought and about my symptoms that I didn't think were connected before. She suggested I try an elimination diet (and gave me some good resources for that) to test myself- eat the basics, no processed foods and sugars and eliminate gluten and wheat. I did days and days of research before deciding on a good diet for me and then implemented my plan to take out wheat and gluten. After a few weeks of eating without those, I noticed my face was clearer (unexpected awesome effect!), my rashes were almost completely gone and my regular allergy symptoms were way more manageable than they had been for years. I also noticed that I felt much less bloated than usual and didn't really have any GI issues that had continued. I was supposed to "test" the elimination by eating wheat/gluten and then noting how I felt and if any symptoms returned, so I did and found that I felt bloated, tired and had some mild GI issues later that day. I was also supposed to get some bloodwork done after eating wheat/gluten, but it's spendy and by the time I got around to "testing" the elimination and adding wheat/gluten back in, I knew pretty immediately that it didn't matter because I felt so much better without them that I didn't need a concrete diagnosis. I did accidentally eat some wheat/gluten filled food last week at a dinner with family and didn't know it until 30 minutes after dinner when my stomach got super bloated and I got headachey... then we realized that the steak marinade that was used for dinner was not wheat/gluten free. Crazy how quickly your body reacts to things!
I really do need to go in and get an official "diagnosis", but I think that I have non-Celiac's gluten sensitivity and possibly some form of wheat allergy (but that is harder to find out about because apparently there are 27 different things in wheat that a person can have an allergic reaction to). That is just my speculation based off the research I've done and reading after the fact on symptoms/issues that I used to think were random, but now look like they actually were all connected. I really don't want to go back to eating wheat/gluten if I can help it but I feel like my Dr will order the bloodwork and I will feel icky for a few days. Oh well! I probably should be an adult and just go in.
So anyway, I've been experimenting with new foods which has been expanding Mr's diet to new things as well. It's been interesting, but also super frustrating. Sometimes I just want a quick snack, but I cannot just pick up any-old-thing. I have to seriously read labels at the store (which I think you should do anyway) but I have now realized how much we use wheat in our foods! I've increased my fresh fruit and vegetable intake substantially which feels pretty good. And by default, Mr is eating pretty much what I eat. He's also now reading some Michael Pollan books (ones that I was totally into about 1.5 year ago which got me into the whole food, organic kick in the first place). Now we are a little more aligned with our food strategy.
So that is what's new with us- what's new with you?
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Valuable Lessons Learned While Adventuring
Hey Guys! So Mr and I completed our first backpacking trip together and it was amazing! We drove up to the Mt Jefferson wilderness on a Sunday morning and boy was it pouring. Once we got to the Pamelia Lake trailhead, we decided to eat lunch in the dry car first, hoping that the rain would clear up by the time we were done and it was! We headed down the trail expecting a 5 mile hike, but only 2 miles in we were surprised to find the approved camp spaces and the lake. The hike in wasn't too strenuous either as it was a pretty gradual slope up and we didn't gain a ton of elevation. A great choice for a first time trip.
We looked at the camping spots and chose one we thought would work well and started unpacking the tent. I had just gotten everything laid out on the ground when we heard the thunder and looked across the lake at the quickly approaching thunder storm. About 30 seconds later we also heard a funny buzzing noise, and Mr looked around the camp and found a GIGANTIC wasp nest in a tree a few feet from where we were going to pitch our tent. With the impending storm we quickly grabbed our stuff and ran to the next site so we could set up before the rain started. We successfully got the tent and rainfly up and staked in and felt our first rain drop. We spent pretty much the rest of the first evening and night in the tent while it poured and thundered. It was actually really cool and we were nice and dry. Oddly, we were the only people camping there!
The second day we had a quick sprinkle after breakfast, but it cleared up very quickly and Mr and I decided to hike the trail around the lake and head towards Hunt's Creek. It was an easy beautiful hike with lots of little creeks to cross. The rest of our time at Pamelia Lake was fantastic as we just hung out by the lake or explored the woods around us. Our hike out was cake and we stopped in Detroit at a little diner for lunch. We are looking at planning a second trip soon! And we will continue our weekend day-hikes until the rain stops us.
While getting out and about more, Mr and I have learned a few fun things about what to bring, what not to bring, etc.
Things I've learned during our various hiking/backpacking adventures:
1. Bring Your Inhaler. This only applies to folks that have one and sometimes need to use it. I've been on two hikes recently where, for whatever reason, I completely spaced out and didn't grab my asthma inhaler. I don't have traditional asthma, my symptoms are largely related to allergy issues and I really only have troubles breathing when my allergies have been extremely bad (spring is when it's the worst). I think because I don't have to regularly use my inhaler the thought to bring it along just gets lost in my head. It's not until we are climbing a steep mountain on a humid day and my allergies start acting up and I get winded taking 25 steps that I stop and realize I don't have the darn thing to help me out. Then poor Mr has to stop and let me catch my breath every few minutes and our mountain hike takes way longer than it should and I feel like and out-of-shape idiot.
2. Bring a Hair Tie. We've talked about this before. If you've got long hair, remember to bring something (rubber band, hair clip, headband, bandana) you can use to get it out of your face. There is nothing more uncomfortable than constantly trying to keep the sweaty hair off of your sweaty face when you are hiking. There is also nothing more silly looking than using your button up shirt as a turban to keep your hair out of your face.
3. Bring your Trekking Poles! Or a walking stick or whathaveyou. Those babies really help to stabilize on uneven terrain and help take the strain off of your knees and other joints, especially going downhill. Someone once explained it to me like this: it's like having 4-wheel drive for your body. Now instead of 2 points of contact, you have 4.
4. Sometimes the extra weight is worth it. I know it sucks to have to carry everything you are going to need for a few days in 1 backpack and then hike with that loaded pack up into the mountains. But sometimes I am so glad I packed that extra packet of hot chocolate or the inflatable seat pad so I'm not sitting on cold, damp ground. I'm not saying pack everything and the kitchen sink, but pick a comfort or extra item that will make a difference to you. Mr says we need lightweight packable chairs because we are getting too old to sit on the ground. I think he's right.
5. Research EVERYTHING! If you don't know much about where you are going, look it up, buy a map, Google it, whatever. If you don't know how to backpack, look it up- there are so many resources out there and how-to's you could spend days reading it all. Knowledge costs nothing, weighs nothing and can save your life!
And now for some pics...
We looked at the camping spots and chose one we thought would work well and started unpacking the tent. I had just gotten everything laid out on the ground when we heard the thunder and looked across the lake at the quickly approaching thunder storm. About 30 seconds later we also heard a funny buzzing noise, and Mr looked around the camp and found a GIGANTIC wasp nest in a tree a few feet from where we were going to pitch our tent. With the impending storm we quickly grabbed our stuff and ran to the next site so we could set up before the rain started. We successfully got the tent and rainfly up and staked in and felt our first rain drop. We spent pretty much the rest of the first evening and night in the tent while it poured and thundered. It was actually really cool and we were nice and dry. Oddly, we were the only people camping there!
The second day we had a quick sprinkle after breakfast, but it cleared up very quickly and Mr and I decided to hike the trail around the lake and head towards Hunt's Creek. It was an easy beautiful hike with lots of little creeks to cross. The rest of our time at Pamelia Lake was fantastic as we just hung out by the lake or explored the woods around us. Our hike out was cake and we stopped in Detroit at a little diner for lunch. We are looking at planning a second trip soon! And we will continue our weekend day-hikes until the rain stops us.
While getting out and about more, Mr and I have learned a few fun things about what to bring, what not to bring, etc.
Things I've learned during our various hiking/backpacking adventures:
1. Bring Your Inhaler. This only applies to folks that have one and sometimes need to use it. I've been on two hikes recently where, for whatever reason, I completely spaced out and didn't grab my asthma inhaler. I don't have traditional asthma, my symptoms are largely related to allergy issues and I really only have troubles breathing when my allergies have been extremely bad (spring is when it's the worst). I think because I don't have to regularly use my inhaler the thought to bring it along just gets lost in my head. It's not until we are climbing a steep mountain on a humid day and my allergies start acting up and I get winded taking 25 steps that I stop and realize I don't have the darn thing to help me out. Then poor Mr has to stop and let me catch my breath every few minutes and our mountain hike takes way longer than it should and I feel like and out-of-shape idiot.
2. Bring a Hair Tie. We've talked about this before. If you've got long hair, remember to bring something (rubber band, hair clip, headband, bandana) you can use to get it out of your face. There is nothing more uncomfortable than constantly trying to keep the sweaty hair off of your sweaty face when you are hiking. There is also nothing more silly looking than using your button up shirt as a turban to keep your hair out of your face.
3. Bring your Trekking Poles! Or a walking stick or whathaveyou. Those babies really help to stabilize on uneven terrain and help take the strain off of your knees and other joints, especially going downhill. Someone once explained it to me like this: it's like having 4-wheel drive for your body. Now instead of 2 points of contact, you have 4.
4. Sometimes the extra weight is worth it. I know it sucks to have to carry everything you are going to need for a few days in 1 backpack and then hike with that loaded pack up into the mountains. But sometimes I am so glad I packed that extra packet of hot chocolate or the inflatable seat pad so I'm not sitting on cold, damp ground. I'm not saying pack everything and the kitchen sink, but pick a comfort or extra item that will make a difference to you. Mr says we need lightweight packable chairs because we are getting too old to sit on the ground. I think he's right.
5. Research EVERYTHING! If you don't know much about where you are going, look it up, buy a map, Google it, whatever. If you don't know how to backpack, look it up- there are so many resources out there and how-to's you could spend days reading it all. Knowledge costs nothing, weighs nothing and can save your life!
And now for some pics...
Monday, August 19, 2013
All the Fun I've Been Missing
I finally got a bike. I haven't had my own bike in YEARS and the last bike I had was "borrowed" by someone and then lost forever, but it was a cheap one so I wasn't super devastated. After a few months of looking and trying to decide on the type of bike I wanted, I found this vanilla Electra Townie and I'm in love! I also bought the quick release wire basket that mounts to the front because I'm mostly going to using it to get to friends' homes for BBQ's and to run down to the farmer's market on the weekends- all of which are within a 3 mile radius of my home.
And Mr. got a bike too! So the first thing we did on Friday night was ride around the neighborhood and then ride to a friend's house. Because why not?
 |
| Mr trying on MY bike helmet, for whatever reason. |
So now I'm going to see if I can ride my bike to the max station and take the train to work a few days a week instead of driving. Hopefully it'll work out and I can save a little on gas and get my dose of fresh air.
Yay bikes! Yay summer!
Thursday, August 8, 2013
The Ford Family Plans an Adventure
I cannot tell you how insanely excited I am for our upcoming vacation week at the end of August. Originally, Mr and I discussed taking a week off together so we had some downtime before he started the school year again. When we started planning what we were going to do with that week, we decided we really need to get outdoors and that our first ever backpacking trip together was in order. Actually, this will be Mr's first backpacking trip ever in his life!
About a week ago, Mr started looking up places in the NW that would be good for beginners and after researching a few, we've landed on the Pamelia Lake area in the Mt. Jefferson wilderness. A few permits are required (which thanks to the magic of the internet I've just purchased) and a little background research on the area and I feel ready to go! Our plan is to hike from the trailhead up towards the lake a find a good campsite on Day 1. Day 2 we will leave our camp and just venture out for the day further up the trail, but return to the same camp that evening. Day 3 we will pack up and hike back out. Short and sweet, but long enough for us to get a good feel for backpacking.
The prep for this trip is the hard part- trying to make sure we have everything we need without over packing and making our trek too heavy to enjoy. Right now I'm researching good food options, which I'm pleasantly surprised with the quality and variety that the freeze-dried meal companies now offer. I am a little nervous about not trying them out ahead of time, so this next week I might pick up a few just to taste test before we are stuck out in the wild without other options.
Also on our upcoming adventures is bicycles! We've both just recently placed orders for bikes so we can cruise around town and go to the markets without having to drive one of the cars. I have no idea where we are going to store them, but I guess we'll figure it out!
Here's to our upcoming adventures!
About a week ago, Mr started looking up places in the NW that would be good for beginners and after researching a few, we've landed on the Pamelia Lake area in the Mt. Jefferson wilderness. A few permits are required (which thanks to the magic of the internet I've just purchased) and a little background research on the area and I feel ready to go! Our plan is to hike from the trailhead up towards the lake a find a good campsite on Day 1. Day 2 we will leave our camp and just venture out for the day further up the trail, but return to the same camp that evening. Day 3 we will pack up and hike back out. Short and sweet, but long enough for us to get a good feel for backpacking.
The prep for this trip is the hard part- trying to make sure we have everything we need without over packing and making our trek too heavy to enjoy. Right now I'm researching good food options, which I'm pleasantly surprised with the quality and variety that the freeze-dried meal companies now offer. I am a little nervous about not trying them out ahead of time, so this next week I might pick up a few just to taste test before we are stuck out in the wild without other options.
Also on our upcoming adventures is bicycles! We've both just recently placed orders for bikes so we can cruise around town and go to the markets without having to drive one of the cars. I have no idea where we are going to store them, but I guess we'll figure it out!
Here's to our upcoming adventures!
Thursday, August 1, 2013
I Want to Go to There!!!
Check this out and then come back...
http://theowlmuseum.com/home.html
Because that is TOTALLY A PLACE I NEED TO VISIT. It has now made my bucket list. Malaysia was not on that list until now.
Ok, that was all!
http://theowlmuseum.com/home.html
Because that is TOTALLY A PLACE I NEED TO VISIT. It has now made my bucket list. Malaysia was not on that list until now.
Ok, that was all!
Monday, July 29, 2013
Because I Didn't Get All Excited About Babies This Weekend.
I have to start this post with a few things to bring you up to speed and what has lead me to feeling like I need to post this. First off, let's talk about how many pregnant women surround me right now.... probably 100. Actually when I stopped to count the number of pregnant ladies I currently know the total was 12. TWELVE. That's a lot and it sure feels like 100, and each year at any given time that number seems to fluctuate between 3 and 15 because I'm pretty sure we are in that stage of life where it's almost everyone's next logical step. Second, the number of women I know who have recently had a baby (within the last 12 months is what I'm considering recent) is around 15 when I do a quick count- but is probably closer to 20 if I really thought about it.
Ok, so now that you know those two things we can get to the heart of what I want to talk about today: Maternal Instincts.
You guys- when you meet me you may notice that I'm not the "girliest" girl you've ever met and you may even think that I might be lacking maternal instinct. I don't get all excited over new babies (unless you are my best friend or a really close family member) and I'm definitely not the first in line to hold a new baby. It's not that they make me uncomfortable or that I don't like them... it's just that I don't have that strange pull that makes me want to touch your offspring and cry when I see their baby-fat leg rolls (which I actually do think are super cute). I'm just not like that. If you need a break, I'll gladly hold your baby, but does your baby really want to be held by 1,000 strangers? I won't even begin to pretend to know what your baby wants, but I know that if it were me I would not like it one bit.
I guess I'm just feeling a little judged recently being surround by babies and soon-to-be-babies and women who want to do nothing but talk about babies. I think baby clothing and accessories are super adorable. I think babies are pretty darn cute. But I also think that babies are crazy hard work and I know that I am just not ready at this moment to handle all of the extra responsibilities and sacrifices that come with them. This is not to say that we won't be having kids... eventually we will, but until that time we are focusing on things that we want to do while we are young and still can. Anyhow, please don't be offended when I'm not jumping over other ladies to hold your baby. Please don't think that I don't like babies or small children because I'm not cooing over their every movement and expression. Please don't think that I completely lack maternal instincts because I'm not currently seriously interested in having kids. Just know that we are doing things in our own time.
Ok, so now that you know those two things we can get to the heart of what I want to talk about today: Maternal Instincts.
You guys- when you meet me you may notice that I'm not the "girliest" girl you've ever met and you may even think that I might be lacking maternal instinct. I don't get all excited over new babies (unless you are my best friend or a really close family member) and I'm definitely not the first in line to hold a new baby. It's not that they make me uncomfortable or that I don't like them... it's just that I don't have that strange pull that makes me want to touch your offspring and cry when I see their baby-fat leg rolls (which I actually do think are super cute). I'm just not like that. If you need a break, I'll gladly hold your baby, but does your baby really want to be held by 1,000 strangers? I won't even begin to pretend to know what your baby wants, but I know that if it were me I would not like it one bit.
I guess I'm just feeling a little judged recently being surround by babies and soon-to-be-babies and women who want to do nothing but talk about babies. I think baby clothing and accessories are super adorable. I think babies are pretty darn cute. But I also think that babies are crazy hard work and I know that I am just not ready at this moment to handle all of the extra responsibilities and sacrifices that come with them. This is not to say that we won't be having kids... eventually we will, but until that time we are focusing on things that we want to do while we are young and still can. Anyhow, please don't be offended when I'm not jumping over other ladies to hold your baby. Please don't think that I don't like babies or small children because I'm not cooing over their every movement and expression. Please don't think that I completely lack maternal instincts because I'm not currently seriously interested in having kids. Just know that we are doing things in our own time.
Monday, July 22, 2013
A LONG Overdue Update
Ok, so it feels like I died or something and I feel that I've completely neglected the old blog, but life sometimes gets BUSY and I've had weeks-going-on-months-now where all I have time to do is keep things afloat. So here is my attempt to update you all on what the Mr. and I have been up to since mid-April.
May:
Summer sort of started in May, just how it always teases us, so we decided that we would do a fun Memorial Day weekend with friends and camped on the coast. It was a soggy, wet mess and our poor dogs hated every minute of it (they aren't very fond of being wet, ever) but we got to spend some quality time with our friends and with the Tillamook Cheese Factory, so all was well. Mr got ready for the end of the school year and our schedule was packed with things pretty much every day... none of which I can actually remember at this point.
June:
We were still being toyed with by the weather, but Mr and I decided to start doing day hikes on the weekends, so we did a few of those on Saturdays and Sundays and realized how much better shape we needed to be in if we were going to climb any mountains this summer. I planned what felt like a million offsite meetings for work so that kept me pretty busy. School ended for Mr so we took a few days off together to just veg out at home, go on some hikes and organize our disastrous home. Then work kicked my but with all of the meetings we had, but totally made up for it when Postal Service played live for us at an outdoor company picnic. You guys, I have the best job in the world. Then our favorite restaurant in Portland closed so we had to go there on their last night ever for our favorite dinner.
July:
Mr and I took our first ever road trip together and went to visit my best friend in Utah and see her new cute baby. I got a totally gnarly spider bite that I eventually had to go to Urgent Care for because it got so swollen and itchy and gross that I was afraid my leg might fall off (it didn't). We had an awesome week in Utah hiking around and swimming in ponds. The bugs in Oregon totally ate me alive when I returned (I still have visible bug bits from that weekend) but we had a nice relaxing few days back before going back to work. Then last week I went to Atlanta for a week for work and I got food poisoning the first night. Talk about not fun. I felt fine the next day, once all of the offending food was out of my body, but spent the rest of the week eating really lightly just in case. This week (and for the next few weeks) I'm taking part in an elimination diet to see if I have a wheat or gluten allergy or intolerance. You guys, I just want some bread. You don't realize how quickly liquids go through you when you aren't eating breads and pastas.
So there is a super brief update of our past couple months. And now for the picture parade:
May:
Summer sort of started in May, just how it always teases us, so we decided that we would do a fun Memorial Day weekend with friends and camped on the coast. It was a soggy, wet mess and our poor dogs hated every minute of it (they aren't very fond of being wet, ever) but we got to spend some quality time with our friends and with the Tillamook Cheese Factory, so all was well. Mr got ready for the end of the school year and our schedule was packed with things pretty much every day... none of which I can actually remember at this point.
June:
We were still being toyed with by the weather, but Mr and I decided to start doing day hikes on the weekends, so we did a few of those on Saturdays and Sundays and realized how much better shape we needed to be in if we were going to climb any mountains this summer. I planned what felt like a million offsite meetings for work so that kept me pretty busy. School ended for Mr so we took a few days off together to just veg out at home, go on some hikes and organize our disastrous home. Then work kicked my but with all of the meetings we had, but totally made up for it when Postal Service played live for us at an outdoor company picnic. You guys, I have the best job in the world. Then our favorite restaurant in Portland closed so we had to go there on their last night ever for our favorite dinner.
July:
Mr and I took our first ever road trip together and went to visit my best friend in Utah and see her new cute baby. I got a totally gnarly spider bite that I eventually had to go to Urgent Care for because it got so swollen and itchy and gross that I was afraid my leg might fall off (it didn't). We had an awesome week in Utah hiking around and swimming in ponds. The bugs in Oregon totally ate me alive when I returned (I still have visible bug bits from that weekend) but we had a nice relaxing few days back before going back to work. Then last week I went to Atlanta for a week for work and I got food poisoning the first night. Talk about not fun. I felt fine the next day, once all of the offending food was out of my body, but spent the rest of the week eating really lightly just in case. This week (and for the next few weeks) I'm taking part in an elimination diet to see if I have a wheat or gluten allergy or intolerance. You guys, I just want some bread. You don't realize how quickly liquids go through you when you aren't eating breads and pastas.
So there is a super brief update of our past couple months. And now for the picture parade:
My made-up hair wrap, which was really just my shirt, but it was too hot to have my hair down and no hair tie. Lesson learned- always bring a hair tie.
Goodbye, Berlin Inn!
And now the SPIDER BITE PICS...
Salt Lake Temple
Hiking at over a mile above sea level- hard work!
The ATL!
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Checking In
Portland has decided to be beautiful this week and I'm so thankful! It seems we've finally emerged from winter and are headed into a nice spring. This past weekend, Mr and I spent a good chunk of time cleaning up the yard and getting things ready to enjoy. Last summer we completely demolished the backyard because the previous owners neglected it to the point where nothing was salvageable so we took everything out and only were able to complete the paving-stone patio and put new sod down before summer was over. This year we are focused on adding back in some lovely plants to brighten it up so on Sunday morning we took a trip to Lowe's and Home Depot and came home with a few dwarf boxwood shrubs and a handful of pink and purple azaleas... and quite the load of bark dust. After tilling the dirt and adding some better quality soil, we planted the boxwoods and alternated them with azaleas in the back corner near the patio. Our plan for the long stretch of nothing on our neighbor-side fence line is to clean up the edges, dig out an old maple stump and put bark dust down. Mr bought 3 hop rhizomes and we've got them started in small planters, but the plan is to eventually get large half barrels to plant them in and then put them along that fence line to create some more privacy between us and the neighbors. An added bonus- organic homegrown hops for Mr's home brews! Still on the list of to do's is to get an awesome fire pit that we can enjoy as well.
Besides getting dirty in the yard, we've had the opportunity to figure out how to repair a dryer. Yay, home ownership!! We were catching up on laundry over the weekend and had 1 last load to dry on Sunday night. I put the clothes in the dryer, turned it on a timed setting and went to bed. I woke up at 4am because I heard something rattling around... so I listened for a moment and realized that I was hearing the dryer. I got out of bed to see what was going on and found that the dryer had been running all night, and without heat! So I turned it off, pulled the still damp clothes out and hung them around and figured we could fix it. Yesterday when both Mr and I got home from work and had eaten dinner we decided to tackle the dryer issue so began by pulling it out from the closet in which both the dryer and washer sit. To my absolute horror there was about 2 inches of filth baked to the floor and baseboards in the closet. I'm not just talking about dust and dryer lint. It was as if every time the previous owners did laundry they threw a sock or hand towel behind or to the side of one of the machines. Years of the damp and hot had created a rock hard formation of baby socks/towels/popcorn kernels/pistachio shells/etc on the floor. We literally had to use a paint scraper to SCRAPE the layer of yuck from the floor before I could even begin to clean it. I'm not disgusted by much, but it was quite the sight. We checked the fuses and what we could see and it didn't seem to help fix anything, so today we will look at replacing the heating element and hopefully that works!
And to follow up on my commitment of eating cleaner and moving more here is how the past week and a half has gone: If I had to grade myself I'd give myself a C+. Not the best, but average. I did really well journaling my food for the first 4 or so days and then we had a work offsite and I was so consumed all day that I would forget to write down what I was eating when and by the end of the night I was so tired I didn't even care. I didn't do great at exercising, but I will chalk that up to fighting off a sinus infection and working 12 hour + days. Every time I tried to do something active I would get crazy dizzy, my head would hurt and I would just want to die. Actually, last week was just too much all around. But over the weekend I got a great workout in while doing yard work and cleaning the house so I feel pretty good about that. And last night I ran a mile after the great dryer debacle. Today the plan is to do one of my Jillian Michael's dvd's or a 30 minute circuit (one I pinned online) while watching Downton Abbey. I've been doing pretty well keeping my fluid intake up and have been trying to replace my coffee with tea every couple days.
So that's what is new with us this week! What's new with you?
Besides getting dirty in the yard, we've had the opportunity to figure out how to repair a dryer. Yay, home ownership!! We were catching up on laundry over the weekend and had 1 last load to dry on Sunday night. I put the clothes in the dryer, turned it on a timed setting and went to bed. I woke up at 4am because I heard something rattling around... so I listened for a moment and realized that I was hearing the dryer. I got out of bed to see what was going on and found that the dryer had been running all night, and without heat! So I turned it off, pulled the still damp clothes out and hung them around and figured we could fix it. Yesterday when both Mr and I got home from work and had eaten dinner we decided to tackle the dryer issue so began by pulling it out from the closet in which both the dryer and washer sit. To my absolute horror there was about 2 inches of filth baked to the floor and baseboards in the closet. I'm not just talking about dust and dryer lint. It was as if every time the previous owners did laundry they threw a sock or hand towel behind or to the side of one of the machines. Years of the damp and hot had created a rock hard formation of baby socks/towels/popcorn kernels/pistachio shells/etc on the floor. We literally had to use a paint scraper to SCRAPE the layer of yuck from the floor before I could even begin to clean it. I'm not disgusted by much, but it was quite the sight. We checked the fuses and what we could see and it didn't seem to help fix anything, so today we will look at replacing the heating element and hopefully that works!
And to follow up on my commitment of eating cleaner and moving more here is how the past week and a half has gone: If I had to grade myself I'd give myself a C+. Not the best, but average. I did really well journaling my food for the first 4 or so days and then we had a work offsite and I was so consumed all day that I would forget to write down what I was eating when and by the end of the night I was so tired I didn't even care. I didn't do great at exercising, but I will chalk that up to fighting off a sinus infection and working 12 hour + days. Every time I tried to do something active I would get crazy dizzy, my head would hurt and I would just want to die. Actually, last week was just too much all around. But over the weekend I got a great workout in while doing yard work and cleaning the house so I feel pretty good about that. And last night I ran a mile after the great dryer debacle. Today the plan is to do one of my Jillian Michael's dvd's or a 30 minute circuit (one I pinned online) while watching Downton Abbey. I've been doing pretty well keeping my fluid intake up and have been trying to replace my coffee with tea every couple days.
So that's what is new with us this week! What's new with you?
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Getting After It
Oooohhhh. *BIG SIGH*
You guys. Do you know what happens in the winter? Heather eats whatever she wants and stops running as much as she should and gains a few pounds and gets soft. I know I'm not the only one that lets this happen.
And this year I am truly committing myself to getting in shape before bathing suit season. I am serious. So today I'm sitting down and crafting a healthy eating plan to keep myself on track and to have a plan to fall back on so I'm not scrambling to find things to eat each day. And when I'm done with my eating plan/menu I am crafting an exercise schedule because I don't follow through when I have to think about what I'm doing- it just has to be a "plug and play" situation where I know exactly what I'm doing on exactly what days or else I waffle between what I should do and what I want to do and end up sitting on the couch in my running stuff looking at Pinterest and not actually exercising.
My food guidelines aren't going to be super strict because I find that when I totally deprive myself I end up hating everything, being grumpy all of the time and not sticking with it after about a month and a half. Instead here is what I was thinking- eating more lean proteins and vegetables. Cutting down on the carbs and grains I eat and trying to stick mostly with brown rice and sweet potatoes vs breads and pastas, but the occasional whole wheat bread or pasta is fine. Keep the dairy to a minimum- I've already cut out dairy yogurt and dairy creamer in my coffee to coconut yogurt and coconut creamer but ensuring that I'm using olive oil instead of butter (which I mostly already do) and keep the cheese to a minimum... which is the hard part because I love cheese. Cut down on the processed/packaged foods- we already keep it pretty minimum, but sometimes I find it easier to grab a prepackaged bag of snack crackers rather than preparing fruit and nuts for a snack. If I want a small piece of chocolate or a small serving of a goody, I can have it. If I want a beer or glass of wine, I can have it- just make sure I'm not having sugar-loaded cocktails. Sometimes it's the little indulgences that make a difference between feeling like you hate life and feeling like you are healthy and happy.
I have decided to keep a food journal using an App on my phone to make sure I am conscious of what I am putting in my body each day, and also keeping a regular daily journal to log how I am feeling- not just about food and exercise but in general.
My exercise guideline is to just move more. I am a fairly active person (not always in the traditional "Take a jog" way, but I work up a sweat deep cleaning and rearranging my house on a weekly basis) so mostly I just want to ensure that I am more consistent with my exercise and that I plan out what I'm going to do. I want to do some sort of resistance work 2 times a week and then cardio at least 3 times a week. Mr also wants to start taking long hikes on the weekends since the weather is starting to improve and he has made a goal of climbing a mountain soon.
I know I can do this, I just need to remind myself to make the healthy and better decisions on a daily basis and that the occasional goody or extra is not bad.
So here we go.
You guys. Do you know what happens in the winter? Heather eats whatever she wants and stops running as much as she should and gains a few pounds and gets soft. I know I'm not the only one that lets this happen.
And this year I am truly committing myself to getting in shape before bathing suit season. I am serious. So today I'm sitting down and crafting a healthy eating plan to keep myself on track and to have a plan to fall back on so I'm not scrambling to find things to eat each day. And when I'm done with my eating plan/menu I am crafting an exercise schedule because I don't follow through when I have to think about what I'm doing- it just has to be a "plug and play" situation where I know exactly what I'm doing on exactly what days or else I waffle between what I should do and what I want to do and end up sitting on the couch in my running stuff looking at Pinterest and not actually exercising.
My food guidelines aren't going to be super strict because I find that when I totally deprive myself I end up hating everything, being grumpy all of the time and not sticking with it after about a month and a half. Instead here is what I was thinking- eating more lean proteins and vegetables. Cutting down on the carbs and grains I eat and trying to stick mostly with brown rice and sweet potatoes vs breads and pastas, but the occasional whole wheat bread or pasta is fine. Keep the dairy to a minimum- I've already cut out dairy yogurt and dairy creamer in my coffee to coconut yogurt and coconut creamer but ensuring that I'm using olive oil instead of butter (which I mostly already do) and keep the cheese to a minimum... which is the hard part because I love cheese. Cut down on the processed/packaged foods- we already keep it pretty minimum, but sometimes I find it easier to grab a prepackaged bag of snack crackers rather than preparing fruit and nuts for a snack. If I want a small piece of chocolate or a small serving of a goody, I can have it. If I want a beer or glass of wine, I can have it- just make sure I'm not having sugar-loaded cocktails. Sometimes it's the little indulgences that make a difference between feeling like you hate life and feeling like you are healthy and happy.
I have decided to keep a food journal using an App on my phone to make sure I am conscious of what I am putting in my body each day, and also keeping a regular daily journal to log how I am feeling- not just about food and exercise but in general.
My exercise guideline is to just move more. I am a fairly active person (not always in the traditional "Take a jog" way, but I work up a sweat deep cleaning and rearranging my house on a weekly basis) so mostly I just want to ensure that I am more consistent with my exercise and that I plan out what I'm going to do. I want to do some sort of resistance work 2 times a week and then cardio at least 3 times a week. Mr also wants to start taking long hikes on the weekends since the weather is starting to improve and he has made a goal of climbing a mountain soon.
I know I can do this, I just need to remind myself to make the healthy and better decisions on a daily basis and that the occasional goody or extra is not bad.
So here we go.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Heather's Definitive-ish Guide to Travel
Ok, if you haven't heard from me for the last month it's because I've been providing any and all updates via my cell phone in airports and hotels using their sometimes spotty wireless while trying not to lose my mind. I was traveling for work for a bit, and I'm about to head off on my own Spring Break (because I haven't been on enough airplanes and slept in enough hotels yet, apparently). As I've been out and about for this spurt of travel - and it always happens in spurts grouped together- I've made some observations and come up with my own definitive guide for travel. Not only did this list help distract me during layovers and runway taxi time, I believe it's helped smooth my adventures as much as possible with each passing trip.
Firstly- have a good set of luggage. Luggage is totally up to the individual, but it always helps to have a good bag or set of bags that meet your needs. I'm a pocket and pouch girl- I need lots of little places to stash odds and ends while I travel and little zippered pouches and bags within them to keep my items organized and not spilling out of my bag every time I open it to grab headphones/gum/etc. This also holds true in my larger luggage. I like to compartmentalize my clothes, shoes, toiletries and whathaveyou. The luggage I currently own is awesome (for me) because each side zippers completely off from the other side and has smaller zippered compartments within the larger ones. In the big main compartment I usually roll all of my clothes- jeans, shirts, sweaters, and pj's. There is a smaller zippered pouch within that area where I stash my underwear and socks, etc. And then there are two even smaller zippered side pockets where I put things like belts and accessories. On the top side main compartment I put larger clothing items like jackets and bulky sweaters and then line the sides with items like my blowdryer, my boots, etc. My largest bag even has a separate compartment for shoes- so they aren't touching my clean clothes!
And while I'm on the luggage and bag topic I should also specify that it is a good idea to come up with an easy way to identify your bag, especially if you are checking it. This could be a bright or original luggage tag, ribbons on the bag handles, etc. I've opted for a neon colored "Belt" for my bag (they are made to cinch overfilled bags, but I don't really need that) so I can spot my black bag easily.
Secondly, research and plan ahead of time. I believe there are times to be spontaneous and times when preparing ahead will save you time, money and sanity... even if your plans don't work out. I like to have all of my travel details nailed down as much as possible two to three weeks out- meaning flights booked, hotel reserved, car or transportation reserved/tickets purchased. I will also do some research about where I'm traveling to and where I might be passing through during my trip to see what types of restaurants, stores, etc are in the area to get a good feel for it. This does a few things for me: a) If I don't have meals planned out I can get a good idea as to where I can expect to eat or if I need to pack snacks, b) if I wander and get lost, I know what stores/landmarks/etc are in the area to navigate by and c) if there is an emergency and I need something, I know how to get to what I need. On the list of things I research before I go are coffee shops, restaurants (chain and otherwise), hospitals, hotels (so I can easily catch a cab if needed), Target/Walmart/Grocery Stores/etc, landmarks and historical sites and ATM/Bank Locations. I'm not the type of person to schedule every single second out, but I give myself a general guideline for a trip and go armed with my research so that no matter what happens, I'm in good shape. I also look at the forecast for the week, but I'll get to that soon enough.
In my personal preparations I also make sure to call my bank and have them note the dates I will be traveling and the locations. It has happened before that I've tried to purchase something while traveling and had my card declined because the bank assumed they were fraudulent charges. They are happy to note that you will be adventuring and to note that there may be charges from different locations to avoid any issues.
Packing- here is where I think I've learned the most over the years. While I'm the type of person who always wants to be prepared for any situation I've come to find that being prepared does not mean that you have to overpack. As I get older I realize that I don't have to pack for all of the possibilities, I just need to make sure I have the essentials that will get me through. Normally before I pack I research the weather trends in the area I will be visiting to get an idea of what I should be wearing. For instance, tomorrow I'm leaving for Buffalo, NY. The forecast calls for around freezing temps and snow showers off and on until later in the week. I go through my closet and pick out an outfit for each day that I will be traveling and lay them out as a complete outfit- underwear, socks, pants, top, shoes, accessories. Sometimes my outfits are missing 1 or two things because I will wear the same shoes multiple times or the same shirt again, etc. Once I have all of my outfits put together I make sure I'm not missing anything for any activities I might also be doing (like swimming!) My bed looks like deflated people are laying on it, but it helps me visualize each day. Once I have everything set, I start to pack my bags- everything in their own compartment - I roll almost all of my clothing except jackets, which I lay flat on top of everything so they take up less space. This is pretty much the same process I use for toiletries... lay everything out on the bed to ensure I have every item I normally use and then pack them in their respective bags and organizers.
Some of my learning curve here has been around hairstyling, makeup and accessories. I've realized that no one else cares if I change my hairstyle each day, so unless I'm traveling for something totally glamourous I try to stick with low-maintenance hair when I travel. That means I don't have to pack a flat iron, a curling iron, a blowdrying with diffuser, hot rollers, etc. Usually I don't even bring blow-dryer because if I'm staying at a hotel, I know they will have one or I can ask for one. What I do bring is a brush and a large-barrel curling iron because it's very versatile for me- I can create big voluminous waves, or just give my ends a little flare, or pin my curls up so they set and have curly hair... or just blow-dry straight. Also, as I've gotten older I've simplified my beauty routine and found a few great products to multi-task so I avoid packing my whole make-up bag.
What I've whittled it down to are the following:
1. Benefit Play Sticks foundation Stick which acts as a foundation & concealer and dries to a matte finish
2. Tarte cheek stain stick (I found a mini size version of the big stick in one of the holiday samplers at Sephora this past year) that I can use on my cheeks and lips and even eyelids (depending on the shade)
3. Eyelash curler
4. Maybelline Full 'n Soft waterproof mascara in Very Black
5. an eyeliner or two- usually a black and a brown
6. Benefit "Hello Flawless" powder compact
I will also throw in a lipgloss or lip-stain if I feel like it, but I'm really more of a lip-balm girl.
Toiletries are really up to each person's preferences and it really depends on where I'm going and what I'm doing when determining what I'll pack, but again, I try to only take what I know I'll use. My obvious staples are deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste, razor, body lotion and hairspray.
What I take on the plane with me has become super important and I always have a "carry-on" bag (but not necessarily the wheeled small bag you are thinking of). We are allowed 1 "Carry On" bag and 1 personal item, so typically (if I'm not carrying on my luggage for a short trip) I have a just a larger bag that I put my purse into that will fit under the seat in front of me. Sometimes it's a backpack (super easy to lug around since you don't need hands for it) and sometimes it's just an oversized cross body bag. What goes INTO that bag is what is important.
There are a few things that I've found I cannot live without:
1. a super moisturizing lip balm- lips get dried out during travel!
2. hand and body lotion
3. eye drops
4. earache drops (I use a naturopathic brand I found at Whole Foods)
5. gum and mints
6. my iPad loaded with books, magazines and music for entertainment with my headphones
7. a LARGE bottle of water (purchased at the airport after security)
8. extra pair of socks and extra pair of underwear- just in case I get stuck without my luggage somewhere.
9. my travel scarf- which is huge and doubles as a travel blanket, shawl, etc.
10. Snacks- I always grab a handful of my favorite snacks just in case I'm in a bind and starving. Those include individual serving packs of nuts, small packs of fruit snacks, individual sized bags of trail mix- things that are ok when squished or smashed during transit. I get super grumpy when I don't eat so these are a must.
11. 1 serving of a cold medicin/decongestant and 1 of Benadryl- I have terrible allergies and sometimes traveling messes me up and my eyes water and my nose runs like a river.
12. TUMS or other antacids because you never know.
13. My little bag of chargers- I have a tiny little cosmetics bag that I use to stash my phone charger, my ipad charger, a flash drive, head phones, etc
14. Small pack of Tissues
15. Small pack of handi-wipes or clorox wipes
Everyone has their favorites and items that make them the most comfortable.
Along with how I prep and pack for a trip, I've also learned a few "While Traveling" Rules. Some of these are guidelines for myself and others are guidelines I wish other people knew about because they do things that directly affect everyone else.
Here goes:
1. Go with the flow. It doesn't matter how well you plan or prepare, sometimes things happen. Just chalk it up to part of the experience and don't let it ruin your adventure- just think of it as a good story in the making.
2. Don't touch other people's stuff unless you have their permission. If I put my bag in the overhead bin, which is over my own head, that is where I want it. It doesn't mean you have permission to move it so your totally-too-large-to-be-a-carry-on-bag can be over my head instead of my own bag. Asshat.
3. Cover Your Cough/Sneeze and WASH YOUR HANDS. It sucks to have to travel when you are sick- I've been there. But please don't infect the rest of us!
4. Try New Things. Some of the best travel experiences I've had are because I decided to step out of my comfort zone and try something new. If it doesn't work out well, see Rule #1 and turn it into a good story.
5. Follow the TSA's guidelines and pay attention. Don't be the ass who holds up the line because they don't have their liquids in a separate bag so the TSA has to search them and slows everything down. Don't be the jerk who The rules have been the same for almost a decade now so we should all know them and be following them without confusion.
So I'm off to NY and then to California and I'll see you all in April!
Firstly- have a good set of luggage. Luggage is totally up to the individual, but it always helps to have a good bag or set of bags that meet your needs. I'm a pocket and pouch girl- I need lots of little places to stash odds and ends while I travel and little zippered pouches and bags within them to keep my items organized and not spilling out of my bag every time I open it to grab headphones/gum/etc. This also holds true in my larger luggage. I like to compartmentalize my clothes, shoes, toiletries and whathaveyou. The luggage I currently own is awesome (for me) because each side zippers completely off from the other side and has smaller zippered compartments within the larger ones. In the big main compartment I usually roll all of my clothes- jeans, shirts, sweaters, and pj's. There is a smaller zippered pouch within that area where I stash my underwear and socks, etc. And then there are two even smaller zippered side pockets where I put things like belts and accessories. On the top side main compartment I put larger clothing items like jackets and bulky sweaters and then line the sides with items like my blowdryer, my boots, etc. My largest bag even has a separate compartment for shoes- so they aren't touching my clean clothes!
And while I'm on the luggage and bag topic I should also specify that it is a good idea to come up with an easy way to identify your bag, especially if you are checking it. This could be a bright or original luggage tag, ribbons on the bag handles, etc. I've opted for a neon colored "Belt" for my bag (they are made to cinch overfilled bags, but I don't really need that) so I can spot my black bag easily.
Secondly, research and plan ahead of time. I believe there are times to be spontaneous and times when preparing ahead will save you time, money and sanity... even if your plans don't work out. I like to have all of my travel details nailed down as much as possible two to three weeks out- meaning flights booked, hotel reserved, car or transportation reserved/tickets purchased. I will also do some research about where I'm traveling to and where I might be passing through during my trip to see what types of restaurants, stores, etc are in the area to get a good feel for it. This does a few things for me: a) If I don't have meals planned out I can get a good idea as to where I can expect to eat or if I need to pack snacks, b) if I wander and get lost, I know what stores/landmarks/etc are in the area to navigate by and c) if there is an emergency and I need something, I know how to get to what I need. On the list of things I research before I go are coffee shops, restaurants (chain and otherwise), hospitals, hotels (so I can easily catch a cab if needed), Target/Walmart/Grocery Stores/etc, landmarks and historical sites and ATM/Bank Locations. I'm not the type of person to schedule every single second out, but I give myself a general guideline for a trip and go armed with my research so that no matter what happens, I'm in good shape. I also look at the forecast for the week, but I'll get to that soon enough.
In my personal preparations I also make sure to call my bank and have them note the dates I will be traveling and the locations. It has happened before that I've tried to purchase something while traveling and had my card declined because the bank assumed they were fraudulent charges. They are happy to note that you will be adventuring and to note that there may be charges from different locations to avoid any issues.
Packing- here is where I think I've learned the most over the years. While I'm the type of person who always wants to be prepared for any situation I've come to find that being prepared does not mean that you have to overpack. As I get older I realize that I don't have to pack for all of the possibilities, I just need to make sure I have the essentials that will get me through. Normally before I pack I research the weather trends in the area I will be visiting to get an idea of what I should be wearing. For instance, tomorrow I'm leaving for Buffalo, NY. The forecast calls for around freezing temps and snow showers off and on until later in the week. I go through my closet and pick out an outfit for each day that I will be traveling and lay them out as a complete outfit- underwear, socks, pants, top, shoes, accessories. Sometimes my outfits are missing 1 or two things because I will wear the same shoes multiple times or the same shirt again, etc. Once I have all of my outfits put together I make sure I'm not missing anything for any activities I might also be doing (like swimming!) My bed looks like deflated people are laying on it, but it helps me visualize each day. Once I have everything set, I start to pack my bags- everything in their own compartment - I roll almost all of my clothing except jackets, which I lay flat on top of everything so they take up less space. This is pretty much the same process I use for toiletries... lay everything out on the bed to ensure I have every item I normally use and then pack them in their respective bags and organizers.
Some of my learning curve here has been around hairstyling, makeup and accessories. I've realized that no one else cares if I change my hairstyle each day, so unless I'm traveling for something totally glamourous I try to stick with low-maintenance hair when I travel. That means I don't have to pack a flat iron, a curling iron, a blowdrying with diffuser, hot rollers, etc. Usually I don't even bring blow-dryer because if I'm staying at a hotel, I know they will have one or I can ask for one. What I do bring is a brush and a large-barrel curling iron because it's very versatile for me- I can create big voluminous waves, or just give my ends a little flare, or pin my curls up so they set and have curly hair... or just blow-dry straight. Also, as I've gotten older I've simplified my beauty routine and found a few great products to multi-task so I avoid packing my whole make-up bag.
What I've whittled it down to are the following:
1. Benefit Play Sticks foundation Stick which acts as a foundation & concealer and dries to a matte finish
2. Tarte cheek stain stick (I found a mini size version of the big stick in one of the holiday samplers at Sephora this past year) that I can use on my cheeks and lips and even eyelids (depending on the shade)
3. Eyelash curler
4. Maybelline Full 'n Soft waterproof mascara in Very Black
5. an eyeliner or two- usually a black and a brown
6. Benefit "Hello Flawless" powder compact
I will also throw in a lipgloss or lip-stain if I feel like it, but I'm really more of a lip-balm girl.
Toiletries are really up to each person's preferences and it really depends on where I'm going and what I'm doing when determining what I'll pack, but again, I try to only take what I know I'll use. My obvious staples are deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste, razor, body lotion and hairspray.
What I take on the plane with me has become super important and I always have a "carry-on" bag (but not necessarily the wheeled small bag you are thinking of). We are allowed 1 "Carry On" bag and 1 personal item, so typically (if I'm not carrying on my luggage for a short trip) I have a just a larger bag that I put my purse into that will fit under the seat in front of me. Sometimes it's a backpack (super easy to lug around since you don't need hands for it) and sometimes it's just an oversized cross body bag. What goes INTO that bag is what is important.
There are a few things that I've found I cannot live without:
1. a super moisturizing lip balm- lips get dried out during travel!
2. hand and body lotion
3. eye drops
4. earache drops (I use a naturopathic brand I found at Whole Foods)
5. gum and mints
6. my iPad loaded with books, magazines and music for entertainment with my headphones
7. a LARGE bottle of water (purchased at the airport after security)
8. extra pair of socks and extra pair of underwear- just in case I get stuck without my luggage somewhere.
9. my travel scarf- which is huge and doubles as a travel blanket, shawl, etc.
10. Snacks- I always grab a handful of my favorite snacks just in case I'm in a bind and starving. Those include individual serving packs of nuts, small packs of fruit snacks, individual sized bags of trail mix- things that are ok when squished or smashed during transit. I get super grumpy when I don't eat so these are a must.
11. 1 serving of a cold medicin/decongestant and 1 of Benadryl- I have terrible allergies and sometimes traveling messes me up and my eyes water and my nose runs like a river.
12. TUMS or other antacids because you never know.
13. My little bag of chargers- I have a tiny little cosmetics bag that I use to stash my phone charger, my ipad charger, a flash drive, head phones, etc
14. Small pack of Tissues
15. Small pack of handi-wipes or clorox wipes
Everyone has their favorites and items that make them the most comfortable.
Along with how I prep and pack for a trip, I've also learned a few "While Traveling" Rules. Some of these are guidelines for myself and others are guidelines I wish other people knew about because they do things that directly affect everyone else.
Here goes:
1. Go with the flow. It doesn't matter how well you plan or prepare, sometimes things happen. Just chalk it up to part of the experience and don't let it ruin your adventure- just think of it as a good story in the making.
2. Don't touch other people's stuff unless you have their permission. If I put my bag in the overhead bin, which is over my own head, that is where I want it. It doesn't mean you have permission to move it so your totally-too-large-to-be-a-carry-on-bag can be over my head instead of my own bag. Asshat.
3. Cover Your Cough/Sneeze and WASH YOUR HANDS. It sucks to have to travel when you are sick- I've been there. But please don't infect the rest of us!
4. Try New Things. Some of the best travel experiences I've had are because I decided to step out of my comfort zone and try something new. If it doesn't work out well, see Rule #1 and turn it into a good story.
5. Follow the TSA's guidelines and pay attention. Don't be the ass who holds up the line because they don't have their liquids in a separate bag so the TSA has to search them and slows everything down. Don't be the jerk who The rules have been the same for almost a decade now so we should all know them and be following them without confusion.
So I'm off to NY and then to California and I'll see you all in April!
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Everybody's Sick and Tired
No seriously. Everyone at work (or almost everyone) is sick or is getting over being sick. It's awful. Luckily (or not, whichever way you see it) I got the sicks at the beginning of January so I'm hoping that my immune system is ready to handle it. Mr's immune system was not ready and this week so far he's been at home lying on the couch, moaning and groaning and running a fever. I'm upping my intake of vitamins and fresh air and water just in case his germies find me.
Also, HOLY MOLY it's halfway through February and Valentine's day is this week! We're hoping Mr is feeling better soon - or at least by Thursday for dinner- because we have reservations at our favorite restaurant, Berlin Inn! Mmmm... fondue and sausages.
And I feel like I owe everyone an apology for being insanely grumpy. So I'm sorry if I've been grumpy or awful to you in the last 2 weeks. Things at work have been busy, I feel totally broke (as I always do in Jan and Feb), and everyone being sick is really making me crazy (because I'm a huge germaphobe AND because everyone else is grumpy and whiney while being sick). None of those are good excuses to be grumpy to anyone, so I sincerely apologize.
Let's all go take naps and catch up on Downton Abbey.
Also, HOLY MOLY it's halfway through February and Valentine's day is this week! We're hoping Mr is feeling better soon - or at least by Thursday for dinner- because we have reservations at our favorite restaurant, Berlin Inn! Mmmm... fondue and sausages.
And I feel like I owe everyone an apology for being insanely grumpy. So I'm sorry if I've been grumpy or awful to you in the last 2 weeks. Things at work have been busy, I feel totally broke (as I always do in Jan and Feb), and everyone being sick is really making me crazy (because I'm a huge germaphobe AND because everyone else is grumpy and whiney while being sick). None of those are good excuses to be grumpy to anyone, so I sincerely apologize.
Let's all go take naps and catch up on Downton Abbey.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Long Over Due Post
Hey Guys! Where did January go? Because I feel like it shouldn't be February yet, but here we are.
So many things going on and some very cool things to update everyone on from January. First, my bestie had a BABY GIRL. Totally the cutest baby ever in the history of babies. I hope later this Spring I get to meet her in person. Mr and I are totally ecstatic for D and M. I cannot begin to describe how adorable she is! Also, I still don't have baby fever, and if that cutie couldn't do it for me, I don't think I'll ever have baby fever. Not to say I won't have them, but there is no ticking clock for me just yet.
In the work world I got a new boss who I really like. Our schedules have been hectic at best, but we are working through it. She would like me to join her on some of her upcoming travels which will be exciting and also frequent! It will start in late February and I will be gone for a week in Seattle, back for the weekend, then I'll be gone for a week in Las Vegas for a conference and then back home again for the weekend. Then in March I'm at home/office for a week and then I travel to Chicago for a week, back the following week at home and then the personal travels start. After Spring Break I will spend a week in a to be determined location and then hopefully be home for a bit.
Speaking of personal travels, I don't know how Mr. and I are ever going to save money if we keep having to go places... you know, because we HAVE to go to Disneyland. In late March I have to go to New York to visit family for a few days with my mom and sister, and then I'll land in Portland for 6 hours and then get on a flight to LA to go to Disneyland for a few days and to visit Mr's sister in San Diego. Definitely not complaining about getting to hang out in sunny CA for almost a week!
Oh yeah, back to January. Some other things that happened- I caught the death cold/flu like I do every winter pretty much the only week I couldn't take sick time, when my new boss started, so she got to see me at my very worst, which is kind of nice to have that out of the way. I also officially changed my name EVERYWHERE, got a new SSN and driver's license, etc. Wow, it all feels so adult and real. I do not, however, feel super official and adult and am not sure that it will ever change. Mr and I also signed up to run the Shamrock Run here in Portland in March so we've been trying to get out in the wet and cold and get some miles in. And then on the very last day of January we got to see Muse, live at the Rose Garden. It was fantastic and ended January well.
And into February we go. It hasn't been half bad, other than the Super Bowl being totally disappointing, not because we cared about the teams, but mostly because the half time show wasn't longer and the commercials weren't as funny as I wanted them to be. Last night we went to see BEN FOLDS FIVE which rocked my face off, but put Mr to sleep.... give him a break, he's had a long week full of report cards and long hours. Anyway, it was my 90's dream come true and I loved every second of it.
Away we go, into February. I promise I'll be better at updating!
So many things going on and some very cool things to update everyone on from January. First, my bestie had a BABY GIRL. Totally the cutest baby ever in the history of babies. I hope later this Spring I get to meet her in person. Mr and I are totally ecstatic for D and M. I cannot begin to describe how adorable she is! Also, I still don't have baby fever, and if that cutie couldn't do it for me, I don't think I'll ever have baby fever. Not to say I won't have them, but there is no ticking clock for me just yet.
In the work world I got a new boss who I really like. Our schedules have been hectic at best, but we are working through it. She would like me to join her on some of her upcoming travels which will be exciting and also frequent! It will start in late February and I will be gone for a week in Seattle, back for the weekend, then I'll be gone for a week in Las Vegas for a conference and then back home again for the weekend. Then in March I'm at home/office for a week and then I travel to Chicago for a week, back the following week at home and then the personal travels start. After Spring Break I will spend a week in a to be determined location and then hopefully be home for a bit.
Speaking of personal travels, I don't know how Mr. and I are ever going to save money if we keep having to go places... you know, because we HAVE to go to Disneyland. In late March I have to go to New York to visit family for a few days with my mom and sister, and then I'll land in Portland for 6 hours and then get on a flight to LA to go to Disneyland for a few days and to visit Mr's sister in San Diego. Definitely not complaining about getting to hang out in sunny CA for almost a week!
Oh yeah, back to January. Some other things that happened- I caught the death cold/flu like I do every winter pretty much the only week I couldn't take sick time, when my new boss started, so she got to see me at my very worst, which is kind of nice to have that out of the way. I also officially changed my name EVERYWHERE, got a new SSN and driver's license, etc. Wow, it all feels so adult and real. I do not, however, feel super official and adult and am not sure that it will ever change. Mr and I also signed up to run the Shamrock Run here in Portland in March so we've been trying to get out in the wet and cold and get some miles in. And then on the very last day of January we got to see Muse, live at the Rose Garden. It was fantastic and ended January well.
And into February we go. It hasn't been half bad, other than the Super Bowl being totally disappointing, not because we cared about the teams, but mostly because the half time show wasn't longer and the commercials weren't as funny as I wanted them to be. Last night we went to see BEN FOLDS FIVE which rocked my face off, but put Mr to sleep.... give him a break, he's had a long week full of report cards and long hours. Anyway, it was my 90's dream come true and I loved every second of it.
Away we go, into February. I promise I'll be better at updating!
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Out with the Old...
Well well well, 2013, here you are! Mr. and I weren't sure we'd like you as much as we liked 2012, but so far so good.
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday break (if you were lucky enough to have one!). We sure did! Mr. didn't have to work for 18 days and I didn't for 11. I don't remember the last time I was that relaxed. As always, it took me a few days to wind down, so I got some house projects done with my extra energy which was nice.
I am a little sad that 2012 is over because it was such a fabulous year. In no particular order: Mr. and I got married, I went to Hawaii for the first time ever, my bestie got pregnant with her first baby, Mr. got a full time teaching job, Mr. and I bought a house and I had my 5 year anniversary at work. We had some pretty big moments, but we are looking forward to what 2013 has in store.
If you know me at all you know I'm a planner by nature so in our down time at home over break Mr. and I started planning out our 2013 adventures. Here is what we hope to do/see in 2013:
1. Go on more hiking trips.
2. Go backpacking for the first time ever together.
3. See MUSE at the end of the month when they come to Portland.
4. Plan a 2 week vacation to the United Kingdom (we've already started looking into it and purchased some travel books at Powell's)
5. Go to Newport for a weekend and stay at the Bed and Beer.
6. Re-train our dogs how to take walks and not pull so hard they choke themselves (even with harnesses on... seriously they are a little dumb)
7. Actually take our honeymoon at Disney!
This is just the start of our list, much more to come.
Happy New Year to all!
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday break (if you were lucky enough to have one!). We sure did! Mr. didn't have to work for 18 days and I didn't for 11. I don't remember the last time I was that relaxed. As always, it took me a few days to wind down, so I got some house projects done with my extra energy which was nice.
I am a little sad that 2012 is over because it was such a fabulous year. In no particular order: Mr. and I got married, I went to Hawaii for the first time ever, my bestie got pregnant with her first baby, Mr. got a full time teaching job, Mr. and I bought a house and I had my 5 year anniversary at work. We had some pretty big moments, but we are looking forward to what 2013 has in store.
If you know me at all you know I'm a planner by nature so in our down time at home over break Mr. and I started planning out our 2013 adventures. Here is what we hope to do/see in 2013:
1. Go on more hiking trips.
2. Go backpacking for the first time ever together.
3. See MUSE at the end of the month when they come to Portland.
4. Plan a 2 week vacation to the United Kingdom (we've already started looking into it and purchased some travel books at Powell's)
5. Go to Newport for a weekend and stay at the Bed and Beer.
6. Re-train our dogs how to take walks and not pull so hard they choke themselves (even with harnesses on... seriously they are a little dumb)
7. Actually take our honeymoon at Disney!
This is just the start of our list, much more to come.
Happy New Year to all!
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