January Books

So hey, I read 8 books this month.  

 

This appears to bode very well for my goal of reading 50 books this year, but before I go puffing up my chest with pride and amending my goal I will let you in on a little secret:  I always read a lot in January.  Winter is a good reading season for me because antisocial sloth is my natural state.  I mean is there anything better than a curling up on the couch with a book when it's cold out? So yeah, I'm not getting too cocky just yet.  When spring and summer show up, life always inevitably happens so I am still going to keep my goal of a book a week, and some months I'm sure I will excel, and during others I will surely fail miserably. My aim is to read more and talk about books here more, so let's get to the talking part, eh?

(Here is a reminder on how I evaluate books.  Don't worry, it's not scientific, and doesn't even involve math!)

Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner
I picked this up when I was in a hot pink covered book mood.  I know you know this mood whether you like to admit it or not.  It is the follow up to Good in Bed  and I liked that book well enough, so I was interested in what the characters were doing 10 years later which is the premise here.   Hot pink or not, I have to give Weiner credit, she is a very smart writer and I think too often her books are sort of relegated to "chick lit fluff" but I think she really does bring something a little different.  One of the things that stood out in this book was the relationship between Cannie and her daughter, and their family unit as a whole.  It was complex for fluff and she certainly knows how to capture that complexity.  Without spoiling it, I will tell you that the end of the book made me very emotional. It was not so much about the events of the plot as it was the words Weiner used to talk about them.  She captured a feeling that I know well in a very beautiful way and heart wrenching way and I got a little misty, y'all!  That's more than I can say for many other hot pink covered books that tend to dwell a bit in cliche, so plus for you Jennifer Weiner. 
Verdict:  Very Good Writing.  Somewhat Engaging Premise, if you've read the first book.  Page Turning.

unSweetined by Jodie Sweetin
Aha! I see what you did there, Jodie.  
Come on, you are morbidly curious about Jodie Sweetin's meth addiction and whether Uncle Jesse's hair really got him laid in the 90s aren't you?  Well I will admit it, I was curious and when this showed up on an end cap at my library, I gave in to that curiosity.  It's kind of a sad story -- I always feel bad when I read about people who "have everything"  but turn to drugs to deal with their insecurities -- but the book felt like a bit of a cash grab and didn't make me feel super sympathetic.  Especially when she spends the whole book saying she'd do anything for money, and confesses to giving false interviews to People magazine just to stay in the press and stay relevant.  All of that made me somewhat leery about this whole "I want to tell my story to help people" tone, you know?  It came off as opportunistic, which frankly I don't fault her for, it's obviously a story people are curious about, but it felt a bit inauthentic.  It was short and sweet though -- a very quick read.  And hey, I may actually click through when I see an article on People.com about her now just to see if it smells of bullshit -- so hey, Mission: Accomplished Jodie!  For whatever that's worth.  
Verdict:  Poorly Written.  Engaging Premise.  Pretty Page Turning.



Good Calories Bad Calories by Gary Taubes
This was a great guide to what science has to say about nutrition but in the voice of a journalist.  A science-y journalist though, not like an US Weekly reporter.  Not that there is anything wrong with US Weekly, just thought it was worth making the clarification.  I like to learn while still reading something interesting and this book definitely fit the bill.  Sure the subject matter can get tedious and the book is sort of daunting, but overall incredibly informative.   Lots of good stuff clarifying the role of carbohydrates, insulin, cholesterol and really debunking some of those common fear mongering beliefs that our society holds as "Conventional Wisdom."  It turns out a lot of it isn't all that wise, and doesn't have a sound scientific basis.  It makes me feel sad that nutrition and health have become such a mine-field of marketing.   
Verdict:  Good Writing.  Engaging Premise.  Not always a Page Turner, but that's sort of par for the course.


Looking For Alaska by John Green
I read this because after finishing Certain Girls, I read an interview with Jennifer Weiner where she discussed reading a lot of YA Fiction while working out how to write the character of Cannie's teenaged daughter.  I had been wanting to revisit some good old YA fiction and when I looked this book up it seemed to be something I would enjoy.  And it was for the most part.  A good coming of age story, entertaining characters, and I loved all the factoids about famous people's last words.  It reminded me of an angsty teen 80s movie in the best way. 
Verdict:  Good Writing.  Engaging Premise.  Page Turning.



Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
This was another book Weiner recommended and while I liked it, it also reminded me of why I get annoyed at YA fiction.  All the characters are just soooooo affected and remind me exactly of how Kristen Stewart plays Bella in all the Twilight movies.  Sometimes I get fairly impatient and want to roll my eyes and get on with it.  So imagine my surprise when at the end of this book I read something that said Kristen Stewart was in the movie adaptation of this book. Who knew?  A good choice, I guess.  That said, this book really was so well written. She nails the angst. The shame.  High School.  UGH.  And she doesn't hit you over the head with The Secret that the main character is struggling with.  It's a good read, this one.  As for the movie, I don't know if I will be able to take it but if I watch it, I'll let you know. 
Verdict:  Good Writing.  Engaging Premise (you want to get to the bottom of the secret!).  Page Turning (mostly because it was short). 

 
Half Baked by Alexa Stevenson
Well, I'm about to get fired from The Internet.  I did not love this book.  
Now, before you stone me, please understand that my opinion of the book is completely separate from my opinion of Stevenson's harrowing ordeal miscarrying one of her twins and going on to have the other one at 25 weeks.  That is an incredible story, and WOW -- I definitely have a lot of respect for her.  But -- now I guess you can get your stones ready -- this book!  Oh, this book!  It was so incredibly overwritten in my opinion.  Everything is a freaking metaphor with some obscure reference that isn't really that obscure but just sounds so obscure and OHMYGOD when it comes to sentences Less is More, Alexa -- LESS IS MORE.   I just really found the act of reading this great story to be a giant pain in the ass at times.  She spends the whole book talking about how neurotic she is, and I get that this is kind of the point:  stressful situations + neurotic people = compelling novels about learning lessons in life.  But it was a bit contrived.  Instead of saying "I was feeling anxious" and owning it, the whole book was like "haha let's all talk about Shrodinger's Cat  and quantum mechanics because OMG it is such an apt metaphor for my life right now.  Like totally!"  And that god old, yo.  So yeah, maybe I just just resign from The Internet instead of waiting to be fired, because seriously all that hype about this book seems to me to be more about having warm, fuzzy feelings about this author and her blog rather than actually about the writing in my humble opinion.  Maybe we can just agree to disagree?
Verdict:  Irritating Writing.  Engaging Premise (harrowing, insane story).  Kind of an anti page turner since I already knew the ending and really got impatient with almost all of her sentences.



The Pleasure of My Company by Steve Martin
I feel like I should confess to you that I kind of have a thing for Steve Martin.  Not like I'm hot for him, but I just have this sort of crush on him as a creative person.  He just does so much (seriously? movies! music! writes novels!  I just want to have coffee with him and hear about his life) and I think he is kind of underrated.  That said, this book is weird.  The main character is weird.  The whole premise is weird.  And that's kind of why I loved it.  It's actually a novella so it is a quick and easy read -- I read it on the plane home from New Mexico -- and the voice is very unique.  I love that Martin is not afraid to be a little different.  I'd probably read anything he wrote.
Verdict:  Interesting Writing.  Oddly Engaging Premise.  Page Turning.  

   

Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann

Why is this the first Colum McCann book I have ever read?  That will be remedied soon, I hope.  This book was an amazing compilation of stories portraying New York in the 1970s somewhat centered around the tale of a tightrope walker who is performing between the Twin Towers.  Honestly, it was a bit slow to start -- not terrible, but not super page turning -- and then one night I was reading one tiny little paragraph in the bathtub and I was like, OH MY GOD! I GET IT!  It's about the space in between -- the liminal spaces (hello, college buzzwords!) those moments of potential, the physicality of transition.  The book sort of knocked me over the head actually and it from there was one of the most wonderful things I've read in a long time.  It was complex and beautiful.  It was the kind of book I always wish to find and I loved it.

Verdict:  Gorgeous Writing.  Engaging Premise (the spinning of the tales was flawless).  Not a huge page turner.  More of a book to savor.   
 
 
So, if you actually got to the end of this long ass post, tell me:  What did you read last month that you loved?

Be Where You Are

I know, I know two posts in one day -- you hardly know me anymore.  I'll explain it with this complicated series of mathematical equation:

Training for a Half Marathon = Lots of running
Lots of running = Lots of time with my own thoughts
Time with my own thoughts = Notes to Myself = Blog Posts

So that pretty much sums it up, mmmkay?

Anyway I had a terrible run today which sucks, obviously.  It doubly sucked because my run on Saturday was so awesome that I felt like I was finally getting the hang of this running thing.  I was having all these grand epiphanies, feeling pretty great during the run, and fantastic afterward.

Today, however, was the pits.  I was supposed to run 3 miles and only ran 1.5.  When I showed up to the gym all the treadmills were taken.  When I went back a second time my brain had practically given up before I even got on the damn thing.  

(Sidebar:  I think treadmill running is sort of equivalent to water torture, but right now it is a necessary evil so that I can fit in some training runs in during the week and not totally kill my post-work social life.  And by social life, I mean time I spend CrossFitting, running errands, cooking dinner, seeing my boyfriend, oh yeah and sleeping.) 

Life is wild these days, my friends.  

So where was I?  

Ah yes, a sucky run.  My run was so sucky in fact, that it took me just as long to shower and clean up afterward as it did to actually work out.  And I spent the bulk of that primp time beating myself up for having such a crappy run -- reminding myself that I would never get anywhere with a performance like that, and how the hell did I expect to be ready to run 13 miles by June if I can't run 2 without bitching out on a Tuesday afternoon?  

But then do you know what I realized?  I realized that I did not sign up for this half marathon to add another item to my List of Things I Feel Bad About.  Oh, and Newsflash:  Beating myself up is not going to make me run faster.  So eff all that noise!

I've been thinking a lot about my dad lately since starting CrossFit and taking on a few more athletic endeavors.  He was a great athlete and super educated about all this stuff that I am bumbling around and trying to figure out and sometimes I feel really sad that he is not around to give me advice or that I can't call him like I wanted to last night when I PR'd on my deadlift at CrossFit (255 lbs baby...Holla!)  But I know he is around and supporting me, and every once in a while I can hear him clear as day.  And today in that locker room was one of those times.

Be where you are, he said.

Don't beat yourself up for where you aren't.  
Be where you are.  
Own it.  
Build on it.
And you will kill it. 

Yes today's run wasn't my best.  But 6 months ago I made a tiny change by prioritizing fitness.  5 months ago I wouldn't have gotten up and packed my gym bag to bring to work.  4 months ago  I wouldn't have gone to the gym on my lunch break.  3 months ago I wouldn't have gone back a second time when all the treadmills were full.  2 months ago I wouldn't have run on that treadmill for 25 minutes.  

Had I not taken one tiny, seemingly meaningless step forward 6 months ago, I would not be where I am right now.  So I am just going to be over here where I am if that's ok with you.  Not feeling a damn bit guilty.  And 6 months from now?  Who knows where I will be.  


 

A Central Coast Weekend

I mentioned last week that we took a quick road trip down to the Central Coast before our big New Mexico adventure.  My old roommate and good friend Sarah lives down there now so we packed our bags, hopped in the car, and headed down to spend the weekend with her and her boyfriend Nick.  Aren't they cute?  And such good hosts, those two!

 

We drove down Friday morning, though if I were making a recommendation I would insist you go down on a Thursday night.  The San Luis Obispo Farmers' Market is a fairly legendary and everyone should stroll up and down the streets looking at the shops, perusing the local produce and smelling the BBQ at least once.  

Speaking of legendary, we ended up enjoying a late dinner on Friday at Jocko's in Nipomo, which has not only its own local history but perhaps the best beans in town.  Garrett has a minor obsession with these beans, and I say minor to be polite.  Every time we head down to visit Sarah Little Jocko's is one of our last stops on the way out of town so we can pick up a gallon To Go.  Yes, I said a gallon.  And sometimes we even make it home with some beans.  Jocko's has a giant oak fired grill outside that you can smell a mile away and the menu is full of the kind of grilled deliciousness that one can only replicate over a wide open fire.  Everything we ordered was awesome, and so was everything that the people who sat next to ordered, seeing as they made us pass over our forks for bites of their pork chops.  It's just that kind of place, you know?

Saturday, after recovering from our meat hangover and a wild morning enjoying the 80 degree weather at the dog park (yeah, we get crazy on vacation, what?) we headed up to San Luis Obispo to do some shopping and some Olive Oil Tasting.  I was on a mission to find the perfect red lipstick and an olive oil that I want to eat with a spoon.  As for the former, I'm still searching.  As for the latter, our stop at We Olive on Higuera St left me with not only a wealth of information about the different types of oils (love: buttery/fruity oils, hate: peppery oils) but a bag full of goodies as well.  I left with a new olive oil that's good enough to drink, a golden balsamic vinegar, and a blackberry roasted red pepper vinegar.  My salads will never be the same again.  I am still dreaming about the fig balsamic vinegar that we tasted (drizzled over cream cheese with crackers...how good does that sound?!?) and I think the next time we are down there it may have to come home with me.   It is one of those stores that has a sample of almost everything so even if olive oil isn't your bag, I'm sure there is a bruschetta or tapenade with your name on it. After our shopping and people watching extravaganza we had a late lunch at Firestone Grill, watched some football and called it a night -- which is the best part of visiting a good friend -- not having to be going, going, going every single minute!  

Sunday we got up and had a lazy breakfast at Cowgirl Cafe where Garrett discovered his other new obsession -- The Pepper Plant hot sauces.  We may have picked up a few bottles of the habanero sauce on our way out of town.  In general I stay away from most habanero things, but I have to agree with Garrett that this particular sauce would be a great way to spice up bloody marys and now I'm just looking for an excuse to make some.  Because the weather continued to be beautiful we packed up the truck full of bikes and headed over to the Bob Jones Bike Trail for an afternoon ride down to Avila Beach.  I think we made a pretty cute bike gang if I do say so myself!  

It was a gorgeous day and of course the beach was packed!  I kept having to pinch myself because, hello -- it was JANUARY.  

We dipped our toes in the water, looked at the shops along the boardwalk, and then of course rewarded ourselves for all that hard work with some waffle cones!  

I mean how could you not, right?

Post ice cream, we hopped back on our bikes and rode out to Port San Luis where we may have had a few cocktails and appetizers because man can not bike on ice cream alone!  It's all about staying nourished, my friends.  

That evening after biking home we rewarded ourselves with a soak at Sycamore Mineral Springs.  Along with the Thursday SLO Farmer's Market, I have to say this is an absolute must to complete the perfect Central Coast weekend.  These tubs are nestled on a hillside, piping hot, and totally relaxing.  It's a relatively inexpensive treat, and after a day of biking to the beach, it was just what the doctor ordered.

photo credit

Monday morning we headed out early to make the journey back home.  After stopping for beans (of course!) Garrett and cruised through San Luis one last time and took a little trip down memory lane.  I wanted to go by my old Starbucks stomping grounds since that was my first real job in college and Garrett wanted to cruise by the house where his buddy lived when he was in college.  Good memories in both spots (but let me tell you I am sure that house did NOT look like that when it was full of college boys renting, if the stories Garrett tells are any indicator!)

We took the scenic route home, stopped by two bookstores that we love, and made it home just in time to repack our suitcases, sleep for a bit, and catch a plane to New Mexico.  It was a whirlwind weekend but totally worth it.  It was full of old friends and new, beautiful scenery, and tons of fun.  Just the way a road trip should be, dontcha think?

The rest of the photos are here if you are interested.  


 

     

Dip Dip Hooray!

 With the Super Bowl coming up I am pretty darn excited.  I have to confess though that my excitement doesn't really stem from the football.  Sure it's fun to watch, and of course I love the commercials, but what I really love is having an excuse to eat appetizers for a meal!  It is literally on my Top 10 list of Favorite Things.  YUM! 


This year I have other plans so we aren't having a get together like we usually do, but I am definitely leaving Garrett a few munchies so he doesn't starve while yelling at the television.  I was thinking up my menu the other day and it dawned on me that I should share my recipe for the easiest most crowd pleasing dip EVER.  Despite its humble ingredients, I've never met anyone who didn't love this.  


Dill Dip
2/3 Cup Sour Cream
2/3 Cup Mayo
1TBS Dried Dill 
1 TBS Dried Parsley
2-3 TBS minced green onions
1 TBS Beau Monde   (Super random spice, but readily available in grocery stores.  Also good just mixed with cream cheese as a spread on crackers!)


Mix the following together in a small bowl.  Then place in serving dish and Enjoy!

And because it is the season, here are a few other places where you can dunk those chips, crudite, or baguettes.

Caramelized Onion Dip from 101 Cookbooks

Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip from Paula Deen

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa from Tyler Florence (Garrett will eat this with a spoon!)

Do you have a favorite dip I can add to my arsenal?  Do tell!

Good Reads

Some stuff from around the web that I think is interesting:

How To Keep Facebook From Humiliating You Today
I mean, it can't hurt to read it, right?

Why?
Yes.  Just Yes.  The Question.  The Answer.  The point this raises.  Yes. 

Need
Food for thought about needing less and living more.

My Tree & Me
How cute are these Custom Family Trees?

Free Online Tools For Tracking Your Goals
This one is pretty self explanatory, yes?

Janet Fitch's 10 Rules for Writers
I love this article and think about it a lot.  I don't practice these things as much as I should, but some of these are just so lovely.

Give Me Something To Read
Are you really bored at work?  Click here. 


I have no idea from where I found most of these links since I generally just bookmark them for later (the first is from Not Martha this morning though, so there's that).  If you recognize one that I probably got from you -- Hey, Thanks!

I'm Baaaaaaaaack

So we are back from our Great Road Trip That Wasn't!

Oh, hadn't I mentioned that?  Yes, we ended up having to scrap The Great Southwest Road Trip of 2011.  Well, sort of.  

(And it wasn't for any lack of fabulous suggestions mind you, because many of you got a A+ when it came to making recommendations for that trip and I thank you for that.  They are stored in my little idea book for the future!)

The short story is that the whole thing ended up being much more complicated (read: expensive) than we originally anticipated.  Especially when you are trying to drive SUV rentals over 2 state lines.  We were Last Minute Larrys about the whole thing and in the end we realized that we were looking to drive about 2900 miles in 5 days (we wanted to make sure we had about 5 days to spend with The Parents before flying home) and after that realization the trip just started looking more like a comedy of errors and less like a vacation.  We ended up just buying plane tickets to New Mexico and hanging with Garrett's parents for 6 of those 10 days instead, and can I tell you -- buying last minute plane tickets saved us like $1,000 compared to renting a car (not to mention all that time) so seriously -- YOU ARE RIDICULOUS, RENTAL CAR COMPANIES!  But that is another story for another time.  


For the 4 day weekend that preceded our New Mexico adventure, we ended up scratching the Road Trip Itch by driving down to the Central Coast to visit with my good friend Sarah which turned out to be a fantastic idea.  There were scenic drives, ice cream at the beach, steaks and sunshine, bike gangs and olive oil tastings.  I mean, it basically had all the fantastic things you need for a fun mini-weekend getaway.  We took a scenic route home that included trips to two different bookstores, repacked our suitcases, slept for a few hours and then flew our tired tookuses out to New Mexico.   

The sacrifice of flying there for 6 days was that we ended up having to save the northern part of the state for our next trip (Oh Taos, I will see you one day!)  Since Garrett's parents live about 3 hours South of the Albuquerque Airport we concentrated our exploration in the Southeast part of the Southwest.  It was a more relaxed trip than we would have had trying to do all that driving so in the end I'm so glad we made that decision.  I guess I am getting old because there is just something so alluring about a vacation where you just get to go home.  Even when it's not your home.  Having Garrett's parents cook for us, laying around and chit chatting in person instead of on the phone, reading books, hiking and playing with the animals was just awesome.  And we even squeezed in some touristy things to boot, which I will totally tell you all about once I have the energy to upload the pictures.  
 
Obviously we are still in the recovery phase of vacationing you know?  Monday was all about getting back to work and just surviving (Note to self:  Stop schedule flights that land at 10pm on Sunday night when you have to go to work Monday morning.)  Yesterday afternoon our house turned into a ceremonious post-vacation laundry jungle, and last night I went to the Grocery Store around 9:30 and absolutely filled my cart to overflowing levels because otherwise we were going to be eating toothpicks and wilted spinach for breakfast today.  Though I was smugly proud of going through all of our perishables before we left, our kitchen was a bit post-apocalyptic when we got home, which was inconvenient since we immediately jumped back into CrossFit and started our Half Marathon Training.  Obviously, it was only a matter of time before we starting eating each other. 

Even though it was freezing ass cold last night I diligently looked at my weekly grocery sale papers, created a menu plan and made a grocery list.  Of course then I got to the eerily deserted store last night (duh! It was almost 10 at night!) and realized that all of the sales that I had just carefully ogled didn't actually start until TODAY.  Which, really? Is such a rookie mistake.  The upside is I did manage to make it home with some food so we are no longer eyeballing each other post workout like those scary cannibal gangs in The Road. 

So ANYWAY, this is my long winded way of saying Hello!  I'm back!  I can't wait to sit down and chat and tell you about my adventures!  But a girl has got to catch her breath a minute and since Garrett is having dinner with a friend tonight, I plan to spend the evening ignoring The Internet and making out with my DVR if that's alright with you?  I hope you will forgive me but I may just go a little crazy if I don't confirm that Camille Grammar is still a nut-job.  We all have our quirks. 

It feels good to be home.  

Greetings from Deserts of New Mexico ...

...where we are hanging out with:


5 horses
10 Chickens
15 Goats
4 Cats
1 Dog


Oh, and also?  Garrett's parents.  


The weather has been lovely and cooperative (clear skies with absolutely crisp air) but the elevation has done a number on us and we've literally been sleeping 12 hours a night like drunken teenagers.  


His parents have a ranch on 200 acres out in the middle of nowhere the state and it has been peaceful and full of adventure all at the same time.  Today I got a lesson on guns.  I'm hoping there isn't a test later because I will fail miserably, but it has been fun learning the paces of a totally different lifestyle.  I feel like Pioneer Woman but less internet famous.  


It's been a blast.  When I have the patience to upload some pics I will, but out here in the Wild West the internet is dial up, so don't hold your breath.  Hope you all are having great weeks as well! 

On Happiness

So I am fully admitting to stealing the idea for this post from Maggie's comments section, but when I read the questions I just thought to myself -- I must think about this and write it down!  And now here we are.  Thanks Maggie! 

If the questions sound familiar it is because they are straight out of Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project, which is a book I read last year and highly recommend.  There is something worth marinating on for everyone in that book I think, and it is especially timely when we are all thinking about resolutions and such, and how we are all going to make our lives better (ie happier, right?)

So here are my answers -- what are yours?  If you end up blogging about it too, leave me a link so I can read your thoughts.  I think everyone can benefit from a little sharing about happiness.

What is a simple activity that consistently makes you happier?
Exercise.  It's not always the same exercise, but I feel consistently happier when I am exercising regularly.  Part of why I have been enjoying CrossFit so much is because it has really streamlined my exercise routine -- I don't have to think about it, plan it, and then also execute it.  I just have to show up and try hard -- and this seems to be a recipe for results for me.  That said, even if I am just going for a run because I want to get outside, or taking a walk to clear my head, exercising ALWAYS makes me feel happier. 

As for smaller things with less commitment:  crossing things off lists, taking bubble baths, reading in bed, and drinking good coffee consistently make me happy too!

What's something you know now about happiness that you didn't know when you were 18 years old? 
That it is my choice.  As I've gotten older I think I have stopped looking for people to blame for my unhappiness or for the difficulties in my life and I have started to look at every situation that makes me unhappy and find a way that I can either change my perspective or change the action that is making me unhappy.   I can't control those around me, but I can ALWAYS control my reaction.  I can always choose happiness.  Now that doesn't mean I always do that, but deep down I know it to be true. 

Is there anything you find yourself doing repeatedly that gets in the way of your happiness?
Taking on too much.  Because I enjoy crossing things off lists, I often make my lists extra long.  There is a tipping point, though, where the list goes from happiness inspiration to anxiety inducing chore chart.  I am not always clear on where that tipping point is until I have gone way past it.  I am trying to be better about this at work and in life.  It is a work in progress for sure.   

Is there a happiness mantra or motto that you've found helpful?
Well I love the good old Eleanor Roosevelt adage that no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.  It is not directly about happiness but it definitely is a nice reminder that we choose our feelings, and happiness is no different.

If you're feeling blue, how do you give yourself a happiness boost?  Or like a "comfort food" do you have a comfort activity?
My comfort activity is definitely reading.  I love nothing more than diving into a new book, whether it is fiction and I get to spend some time in an entirely made up world, or non-fiction/memoir where I get to learn about something or someone.  I really do just love to spend time with words.  It is also an escapist activity though, so I can lines between me being unhappy and me reading a ton certainly run parallel. 
I also almost always call my mom when I need a happiness boost.  Sometimes you just need a the parental rose-colored glasses to recalibrate you know?  It's almost always a sure thing!
Is there anything that you see people around you doing or saying that detracts a lot from their happiness?
Complaining.
Watch your thoughts, they become your words.  Watch your words, they become your deeds...right?  I love to vent as much as the next person, TRUST ME, but I know if I stay there it's not my most meditative happy place.  I try to spend an equal amount of time solving a problem if I'm complaining about a problem.  Note that I said try.  Also a work in progress.  

Have you ever been surprised that something you expected would make you happy, didn't -- or vice versa?
Last year surprised the hell out of me because we reduced our income by half when Garrett quit his full time job, yet our happiness increased exponentially.  I did not expect that AT ALL.  I expected to feel challenged and deprived and a little jealous of others at times.  What I ended up feeling instead was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.    We were no longer struggling with the stress of his job daily and the blissful return of normalcy felt like taking a deep breath after being trapped under the sea.  Prioritizing happiness over money was one of the best decisions we have made as a couple yet.  Yes there was panic, but the relief was so palpable that it just made everything else seem manageable.  Even easy in comparison.  It has changed the way I view my work, my life, my family, our future marriage, money, and most importantly my priorities. 

Really, it changed everything. 

Well would you look at that...

I'm interrupting your regular broadcast here to point out a few features of our Boeing...

....wait, where is this metaphor going?  Oh right, Blog Navigation!

So I've updated a few things here and there for better-ish navigation.  It was about time, really.  Frankly it is about time for me to burn this baby to the ground and head over to wordpress but there are just so many steps to that in my mind, so that is coming eventually.  But for now -- a few quick fixes. 

1.  A New About Page -- Who the hell am I?  What the hell am I doing here?  All of these deep metaphysical questions are answered there.  Also -- my email address! For love notes!  I am currently accepting them.

2.  A Recipes Tab -- As it says, there is not a lot in there right now.  This is sad considering how much I actually cook.  I'm hoping to add some more original recipes in the near future so stay tuned for that.  

3.  My 2011 Goals --  Because who doesn't like to look at the things other people are pushing themselves to do?  Isn't that the best inspiration?  Anyway, this is what I'm up to and thinking about this year -- have any solutions?  I'm all ears.  

4.  My Cooking Bucket List -- I hate the phrase "Bucket List" almost as much as I hate the phrase...well, let's not even go there.  But how else do you say "A List of Stuff  That I Would Like To Cook At Some Point In My Lifetime" in 3 words without it?  Necessary Evil I guess.  

So that's the story, morning glories.  Take a look around, stay awhile.  And while you're at it, let me know what you think!

Shut In

 photo credit

This weekend I:

• Read two books
• Enjoyed the Free Showtime Preview Weekend and watched dumb Twilight movies to my heart's content (and to Garrett's dismay)
• Ran a few miles
• Watched Whip It and wondered if I still knew how to roller skate
• Made The Perfect Roast Chicken (and it was!)
• Spent $65 at Whole Foods and left carrying only one bag
• Watched a ridiculous amount of football
• Experimented with The Oil Cleansing Method on my face
• Took 3 baths
• Took 2 naps
• Watched the sun come up
• Drank a LOT of coffee
• Contemplated running a half marathon in Seattle in June 
• Only did what I damn well pleased

And it was awesome.

I Don't Even Think I'll Have To Use My AK

I slept an extra 30 minutes this morning because it was Friday and I didn't have to think quite so hard about looking professional.  When I got out of bed I realized Garrett had left the heat and the Christmas tree lights on for me when I woke up.  Tonight is our last night admiring the tree, tomorrow it is being picked up by a Boy Scout Troop doing a fundraiser.  The house looked pretty all lit up and it was toasty and warm. 

The coffee was already brewed and in the carafe since Garrett worked early so I sat down with my new book and leisurely enjoyed my first cup.  I checked my email and it wasn't full of spam.  I checked out the CrossFit WOD for tonight and it didn't look overwhelming.  The shower was piping hot and my new shower gel smelled delicious.  I got dressed in a pair of jeans that I haven't worn in years and they are a little big.  I put on my hot pink shoes.  

It's not payday but we aren't broke.  It's Friday and Garrett and I have the weekend off together (which doesn't always happen now that he is back at Peet's.)  We're grilling flank steak tonight for dinner in our favorite marinade.  The weather appears to be cooperating with that plan so far.  New netflix showed up in the mailbox yesterday so we have two movies ready to be watched (random choices, I know!) 

I'm feeling exceptionally creative and inspired, like the weekend is my oyster. 

Today has been a good day, and I guess I just felt like that was worth mentioning.

What I Talk About When I Talk About Reading

There are two things that I can talk about endlessly:  Books and Food.   And just ask Garrett, I do.  It still surprises him that I can be eating lunch and already discussing the dinner menu.  I can also be in the middle of a page turning thriller that I don't want to put down and see the another book out of the corner of my eye and go crazy with anticipation about what's next on my To Read List.  Cooking and reading -- I guess you could call them my passions, but if you did I would roll my eyes at you because I hate when people talk about "passions."  It's cool, you can just roll your eyes at me back when I tell you how much time I spend online updating my Library Reservation List. 

Actually, I take it all back, let's just be friends okay? 

I'm going to be talking about books a bit more around here this year.  I'm constantly reading and last year I resolved to document and at least write a note or two of commentary on all the books I read over on Goodreads . While I did a pretty good job of it, this year I'm going to force myself to actually write some legitimate reviews.  I sort of hate to call them reviews because who am I, The New York Times?  But I can't think of anything better to call them.  How about we just say we will be talking books a little bit more because my little English major brain is getting dull and that makes me bitter when I send off my student loan payments every month.
If you are going to stick around and read some of these reviews I figure I should give you a little context about what I think makes a book enjoyable.  So here is the mythical formula:


1.  Good Writing
*Would the dialogue sound stupid if I listen to it on audio book?
*Does the narrative arc make my head spin or need to take notes to follow along?
*Is it full of passages that make me say "Damn, I wish I would have written that!" or "Shit, I need to write that down."

2.  Page Turning
*Do I want to read this while I am standing in line somewhere?
*Do I make sure it is in my purse whenever I leave the house?
*Am I reading this under the covers late at night when I should be sleeping?

3.  Engaging Premise
*Is this a story I want to hear?
*Is this a topic I find relatable?
*Is this something I am curious about?
*Are these characters I care about?

I think the best books have all three of these things, but that is pretty hard to find all three in the same book.  If I find 2 out of 3 I'm usually happy, but when I find all 3 it is mythical!  Like El Chupacabra!  So now you know where I'm coming from.   

So tell me, what do you think makes a great book?  Or better yet, what was the last one that you read?

2011 Goals

2010 was a fantastic year full of new adventures and accomplishments, but the biggest lesson I learned was that I needed to slow down a bit.  In 2011 I want to focus on a few big goals and some small fun goals.  My inner drill sargent thinks this list is too short, but I'm trying to listen to him a little less and keep in mind that if I get everything done, I can always make another list right?  

So here's what I'm focusing on this year:

Health
Lose 50 more lbs
Run another 5K (under 35 minutes)
Run a10K
Run a Half Marathon
Do 10 Non-Girl Push ups
Continue Paleo Cooking/Eating
Sleep 8 Hours Per Night

 
Travel
Visit all of the following places:
Austin
Arizona
New Mexico
Boston
Seattle
Maui
Mexico


Finances
Merge finances with Garrett
Add to Savings
Open Roth IRA
Rollover old Retirement Account
Make financial life more automated


*I know you are probably snoring after this category, but I must chime in really quick and note that I made my last credit card payment yesterday and I am OFFICIALLY FREE OF ALL CREDIT CARD DEBT!  So it really makes me happy to not be writing "Pay off credit cards" on this list for the first time in probably 10 years.  WOOT!

Home Improvement
Re-do Guest Bedroom
Paint Kitchen Cabinets
Paint Living Room, Office
Re-do Master Bedroom  


Random Other Stuff Thrown In For Good Measure
Find a good red lipstick
Buy a pair of boots
Make a Cooking Bucket List   (added above)
Read 50 books
Start Fertility Charting 
Entertain at least once a month
Write somewhere daily
See one of my favorite writers speak
Go to the ballet
Wine Taste in Amador
Move website to Wordpress

*****
I think it's going to be a good year. 
***** 

Elsewhere

For those of you interested, I posted a little update over at Bodies in Motivation.  

I'm still amazed at the results yielded by a tiny tweak in my diet and workout routine.  This isn't going to turn into an "I Love CrossFit" blog, but some of the strides I've made with health and fitness this year just feel like a big deal to me, so hopefully you don't mind when I share.

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday! 

 

Moving Mountains One WOD at a Time

My first Crossfit workout was on October 9th.  It's hard to believe it's only been a few months.  It took me probably a year to finally get the guts to show up to one of the Saturday Drop In Workouts and now it feels like something I have been doing my whole life.  On my first day I was in a state of panic from the moment I showed up to the moment I left.  Well if I'm being honest, at the end of the day the panic had morphed into a low grade exhaustion, but you know what I'm getting at.  I dragged Garrett with me as my security blanked and into the box we went -- first getting a mini tour, a brief synopsis of what Crossfit was all about, an overview of the Paleo diet, an introduction to The White Board, and then we warmed up and did our first WOD --- The Newbie WOD. 

3-5 rounds for time of the following: 

20 box jumps
10 push ups
10 sit ups
10 squats

It seemed innocuous enough, no scary names or Olympic Weightlifting.  No weird abbreviations or unintelligible combinations of exercises.  Plain and simple -- I imagine they do this on purpose.   

I gave it my all, I survived 3 rounds and then I had had enough.  18 minutes and 32 seconds. 

I had pushed myself enough just showing up, frankly, so I was ok only completing the minimum.  I modified the box jumps by doing step ups on a 12 inch box, but overall felt relatively pleased with my performance.  Then I went home and was sore for 5 days.  Hella sore, actually.  Like don't drink any water because then I will just have to sit down to go to the bathroom sore, if you know what I'm saying.

So last night when I headed into the gym, guess what showed up on The White Board?  A little revisit to The Newbie WOD for comparison.  A little check-in on the progress.  And after 2 months and 2 weeks my workout shook out as follows:

I completed all 5 rounds (woot!)
20 box jumps (this time I used the 20 inch box -- still modified though for my precious knees!)
10 push ups
10 sit ups
10 squats

Finished in 14:15. 

This morning, I'm a little sore but nothing crazy.  Mostly my upper body is sore because we worked Shoulder Presses for about 15 minutes before we even started that newbie WOD, so it was like two workouts in one!  

I felt pretty amazed last night in the obvious increase in my physical endurance.  After only two months!  One of the things I tell myself now when I'm mid-workout and feel like I'm going to keel over and die is that I can stand around and have those thoughts and delay finishing my workout, or I can push through and think about how tired I am while getting one squat closer to being finished.  So my mental endurance is improving as well.  :)

It's funny how sometimes we put off reaching for our goals because they seem so overwhelming or out of reach.  It seems like they would take too big of a commitment, or require a life U-turn of epic proportions and really, who has time for that?  What Crossfit has taught me in a very short amount of time is that sometimes you just have to show up and try hard.  

Holly's New Rules For Life:
1.  Show Up
2.  Try Hard

You don't have to be the best or the fastest or the strongest, you just have to keep showing up and ultimately you will get somewhere.  Sometimes you will get to where you thought you were going, and sometimes you will go even further than you thought you could.  They say if you want to move mountains you have to start with a single stone, right?  I'm so happy I lifted that first stone because now I'm dead lifting 220 lbs (that's two supermodels!), shoulder pressing 80lbs (small children, anyone?), doing handstand push ups, squatting with barbells full of weight over my head, pushing and pulling myself and sweating through every goddamn t-shirt that I own.

But every time I look up at the horizon, that mountain gets just a little bit smaller.      

The Story of Our House

So our front and backyard? 

Finally done. 

Actually, it’s been done for over a month now but I just haven’t had it in me to post the Before/After pics.  I know, I suck.  Part of the reason is because since finishing, it is almost painful to look at the before pictures.  It’s not that our new yard is so super fancy that it blows our old yard out of the water -- I mean, come on, our budget was spent on really fabulous things like Extreme Trenching and Improving Drainage, etc so obviously this hampered the Porno Pool w/ Grotto, you know?  I just want you to manage your expectations here.  But my hesitation to post these pictures had more to do with the fact that every time look at the Befores, it is all I can do to not shout – I SWEAR WE WERE NOT WHITE TRASH!

But before I tell you the story of the yard, I feel like I should tell you the story of this house so you understand why the yard got to the condition that it was in.  It’s not like one day we just started throwing garbage in the backyard and stacking things – it was, er…well, a much more complicated process. 

So once upon a time in 1999 Garrett’s parents bought him this house when he went off to college.  They were assuming (quite intelligently, actually) that when he was done with college a few years later they could sell the house, recover their expenses, and pat themselves on the back for their smart investing. This was only possible for two reasons --  1)  Real Estate in Sacramento in 1999 was incredibly cheap  and 2)  Their son was an 80 year old man living in an 18  year old’s body and could responsibly care for a house at such a young age.  As you can imagine there was no way in hell my parents would ever have purchased me a house when I went off to college, and righfully so!  The only thing they didn’t anticipate was Garrett getting comfortable here and never wanting to leave (and who can blame him – our little house is really quite cozy) and that the real estate market would take a massive nose dive.  Have you heard?  It blows.  So for now we rent from his parents, live in sin, and it works out well for all involved. 

But back in 2007, after almost a decade of Garrett living there but before I moved in,  it was becoming apparent that the house needed a little updating.  It was about 900 square feet, had one bathroom, 3 tiny bedrooms, and only outdoor laundry.  Garrett and his parents hired a contractor and 6 months later basically had a brand new house.  It was still 3 bedrooms (though much roomier at 1200 square feet), but it had a second bathroom, a remodeled master suite, and an indoor laundry room.  Due to the dumpsters, tractors, contractors, and new foundations being laid though, what it DIDN'T have at the end of that 6 months were pretty yards.  The front and back yards died a horrible death and instantly got put on the the "Things To Do At Some Point When the Remodel is Done" list.  And then life went on for about 2 and a half years:  Garrett started a new job, we moved in together, we merged all sorts of aspects of our lives, Garrett quit the new job, and  it just never seemed like the right time to start a large scale yard remodel, so we didn’t. 

But by August of this year Garrett had quit the soul sucking full-time job and had been working part time for a few months.  We had fallen into a new life rhythm and it finally seemed like the time.  We started interviewing landscapers, getting quotes, and finally in September we started with the front yard looking like this:  

And come November, it started looking a little more like this:

A nice new driveway that can fit 3-5 cars now instead of just one.  And some low maintenance bark/shrubs/moss rock...see?

And inside that gate, a new little patio:

Of course now that the yard is done we have no Patio Furniture Budget, but that is neither here nor there.  


Now, onto the backyard!  


I just want you to remember to tell yourself that we are not white trash, mmmkay?


Here was our back patio and "lawn" before:

And what was left of my "Garden Beds":

Here's another look at what were my Garden Beds and our shed:

No, that is not where the Uni-bomber lives.  That's our backyard!  

And of course, here was our lovely side yard:

But then November came, and after about a month of many strange men being at my house at all hours of the day 5 days a week (sometimes 6!) the yard began to look a bit more liveable.  

Now look at that side yard:  

Which leads right onto our new patio:

And look -- we actually have a lawn now!

And Garden Beds that look like, come spring, they might actually grow things:

Though, uh, who is going to teach me how to garden now that I am responsible for 120 square feet of soil?  OY!  HALP!


Anyway, as you can see there is no Porno Pool to my dismay, but I am pretty happy that things are simple, clean, functional, and more importantly don't make our neighbors think that we are total crazies!  


I am trying to convince Garrett that we should have our wedding here since we could easily fit 75 people in the back to witness a little holy matrimony.  Plus -- it would be free!  (Well, the venue at least.) 


If you are interested in seeing more, all of the photos are here. 

The Travel Bug Has Bitten

Because I love clean cut beginnings and endings, and mostly because I love to do big picture planning, the end of the year always appeals to me.  For the same reasons Mondays actually appeal to me also, but I know I am slightly in the minority on that, so let's forget about that for a minute.  I think this makes sense to a lot of people -- the love for planning, but in practice I am slightly crazy at the end of the year, just ask Garrett.  I have been following him around for last couple of weeks talking about our 2011 travel plans and he keeps looking at me like, "Woman, can we get through Christmas already?" 

BUT WHAT ABOUT ALL THE TRAVEL DEALS THAT ARE PASSING US BY???  

Anyway, we have a few trips that we have already agreed upon, plus a wishlist that I'm just putting out to the Universe in case it wants to drop some fabulous opportunity in my lap or something.    

January -- The Great Southwest Road Trip 2011

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Since Garrett is back working the retail circuit, vacay in November and December is not an option.  His parents live on a ranch in New Mexico though and we really want to go see them.  I've never been to there house in the 5 years we've been dating if you can believe that?!?  So we've finally marked off two weeks in January to road trip our way out there, spent some quality time, and then fly home.  I'm really looking forward to it.  We are currently planning tentative stops in central/so-cal, and Arizona (his grandma lives there) plus 5 or 6 days in NM with the parentals.  I'm pretty excited about it seeing as I've never been to either state ever!  I'm definitely down for some suggestions of places to stop so if you have any let me know.

May -- Playa del Carmen, Mexico with Garrett and his friends

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The boys are planning this one and I'm just showing up, which could be genius or a total nightmare.  I'm thinking it will be genius though and am getting pretty excited.  Mexico is another place I've never really been (Tijuana soooo doesn't count!)  Also, it has been great workout motivation, if nothing else.  Can't wait to be lying on a Carribbean beach with a giant drink in hand hanging out with fun people that know how to have a good time! 

August -- San Diego for the BlogHer?

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Right now this is a maybe.  It's so close so I feel like I should go, but honestly the thought of a million people I don't know is sort of socially overwhelming.  Are you going?  Tell me you are going.  It will make me feel much better.  Besides I have gone to San Diego every year for the last 3 or 4 years, so it's kind of A Must, I think or I may have withdrawals.

Fall 2011 -- The Blathering, Austin TX
Both Garrett and I are OBSESSED with going to Austin, so I will have to figure out how the two of are going to travel there together plus have a girls weekend.  It can happen, I'm sure of it. 

Probable other trips with no determined time:
Seattle Again -- Seattle and I fell in love at first sight and I am convinced we must return! 
Portland -- why not just squeeze it in with another Pacific Northwest adventure?

Trips to find time for (and hey,  money!  Universe do you hear me?): 
Boston -- How have I not been here yet?
Maui Again -- I know nothing will compare to the first time, but I would really like to get back there again for some beaching and frosty umbrella drinks. 

Where do you want to go in 2011?

Asked and Answered

Friday night after a long week, Garrett and I sat down over a glass of wine and started talking about the ups and downs of our day.  When I got to the downs I told Garrett about how I was was a little bummed that we didn't get a Christmas tree this year.  We don't have kids, but we're pretty festive and we had talked about getting a tree this year (since we didn't last year) and decided to definitely do it. 

First we had planned to go right after Thanksgiving --  but honestly, after running the 5K, the siren song of having 3 more days off just to relax had a greater pull than the idea of having a festive and decorated house.  So I lit a balsam scented candle and said we'd do it next weekend.  Then the following weekend had us attending 2 parties, with one very late night out so come Sunday we lit the candle again and decided we'd go next weekend.  Oops, except "next weekend" was this last weekend, and this last weekend Garrett was heading out of town.  Unless we wanted to go the weekend before Christmas and do a rush job -- and I didn't mostly because I'm morally opposed to paying $50 for a tree that is only going to be up for a week -- it was looking like we weren't going to be getting a tree, and I was bummed.  

Mostly I was bummed because I am dying to replace the memory of the last time we got a Christmas tree.  I've told you about this, haven't I?  How we marched down to Home Depot, picked out the prettiest tree on the lot, smugly tied it to the roof of our car, and then realized that we had tied our doors closed?  Yeah, not my sharpest moment. 

Anyway, so no sooner do I express my dissatisfaction with our Christmas Tree Situation and my phone buzzes.  It's a new text message from my cousin's husband saying:  "Want a Free Christmas Tree?"  And for a minute I felt like I was on candid camera or something, but obviously without hesitation I said YES!!!  And 4 hours later we had a tree in our garage.  That he delivered!  Saving me from tying my doors closed or tying it to myself or something equally as unsavory!  It was a huge tree, actually and it needed a little surgery before it could come inside, if you know what I'm saying.  So  Garrett handled the actually trimming of the branches and stump, and I handled the light and ornament trimming while he was out of town.  And it's so cute!  My mom came over, we busted out all my childhood ornaments, played cheesy Christmas music, and by Saturday night we had this:  

Except imagine it looking even better because I take terrible pictures! 



The house smells fantastic, it is beautiful to see at night, and even though it takes up half of our tiny little living room -- I LOVE IT. 

I think I'm going to call it my own little Christmas Miracle.  Well, you know, unless Santa shows up at my door with the winning lotto ticket.