The Doctor is In

I want this kitchen

2011-07-28T10:53:00.001-07:00

Kelly | Moore made this kitchen, and I love it!

Vancouver Half-Marathon

2011-05-04T07:38:00.000-07:00

May 1st was the Vancouver Marathon weekend. They also included a half-marathon, 10K, and children's race. My "big goal" for this year was to run in the half-marathon -- 13.1 miles/21.1 km. My journey started 18 months ago. At the time, I couldn't run a mile. In fact, I had never run a mile in my entire life. I was the sorry girl walking around the track in 9th grade PE when we were supposed to run the mile. I really wanted to change that though, so I hired a trainer and told him that I wanted to be able to run a mile. It took about two months to get me there, then on February 14th, 2010, I ran my first 5K. And I mean that I ran the entire race. I'd been in several 5K's before, but this was the first time I had run the entire 3.1 miles. I was thrilled!

I then made the goal to do a sprint distance triathlon in August of 2010. I did that, and then another on the same course in September. It felt great to be able to finish those races and to continue to run 5K's. Then I needed another goal. I had several friends, including my physician, who all signed up for the Vancouver race. It was great to hear about everyone's training and progress along the way. I continued working with my trainer to help build my endurance, and Patrick ran with me all the way. He can run a lot faster than I can, but he still stays with me every time we run.

On Friday night, we headed out to Vancouver. It was an easy trip across the border and we arrived at our hotel around 9:30 that evening. On Saturday, we took a walk around China town and then headed to the expo to pick up our packets with bibs and timing chips. We ran into Kathleen and her family and Dr. Bowers and his wife. It was great to see them and share the excitement. After that, Patrick and I went and got dim sum for lunch and then did a little shopping before heading back to the hotel for some relaxation. We didn't do much, because Patrick was having a bad backache and we really wanted that to subside before the race. We had dinner at a fantastic Italian restaurant in Yaletown called Lupo. We walked there and enjoyed the lovely evening, wonderful food, and comfortable walk. We turned in early, because race time would be bright and early at 7:00.

On Sunday morning, we got up early and ate a light breakfast before heading to the race start. It was about a 10 minute walk from our hotel, which included a bunch of stairs. It was an easy walk there, but I realized it would be a killer hike back. We hung back at the start line because we (and when I say "we", I mean me) run pretty slow. The race actually started just a bit before 7:00 and we ran over the starting line right at 7:00. The first few kilometers were easy and we got in the groove of the run. There were bands every so often along the way and a lot of people cheering at different spots that were easy for spectators to get to. The first half of the race was great! When we hit the half-way point, it was 1:25 in and I was excited to think that I would come in under 3:00. Even though there was a big hill in front of us, I didn't think it would slow me down by more than 10 minutes.

That was before the G.I issues started. I've NEVER had any problems when running before, but I guess the excitement and stress of the first 1/2-marathon was just more than my body could take. The trouble started just after the half-way mark and right at the beginning of the uphill climb. By the time I got to the top of the hill, I'd walked most of the way up and was in distress. Fortunately, there were bathrooms (real public restrooms -- not port-o-potties!) and I ended up spending way too much time in there. Patrick waited for me by running back and forth so he wouldn't seize up. I, on the other hand, really lost my groove.

After I got back to the run, we had a steep downhill portion of the race. I found out that this is why I should have spent more time training on hills. By the time I got to the bottom of the hill, my hips were killing me and I was not doing well. I ended up having to walk a little more at that point (about 1/2 kilometer) then got back to the running. I had already lost so much time that I wanted to push myself, but there just wasn't much extra in the tank. I ran again until about the 18 km mark and walked another 100 meters there, then picked up the pace and ran the rest of the way in. I didn't push too hard until I could see the finish line. We came around a bend and the finish was less than a quarter mile away. At that point, I put on the gas and sprinted to the finish line. It felt awesome! I was so glad to be done. The final time was 3:14, so I definitely lost the momentum I had early on in the run.

After we left the finish line area, we ran into Dan and Holly who had both finished before us. That's when we took pictures of each other holding up our medals. That's one medal I'm really proud to have earned. It was so great to see friends at the finish line and share the joy. Once the running was over, the pain started though. Patrick and I started toward the hotel and both of us just laughed when we saw the steps. You would have laughed if you'd seen us too. We looked like a couple of 100-year old ladies climbing those silly steps. I think that may have been the hardest part of the race! After that, we got back to the hotel and did a lot of stretching before and after cleaning up. We really wanted to feel better, but 13.1 miles of pounding the pavement had taken its toll.

Later in the afternoon, we met up with our friends for a celebration lunch. It was great to hear everyone's stories of the race and talk about our next goals. Even though I said I would only do one 1/2-marathon, I really wanted to finish in less than 3 hours, so I feel like I need a do over. That's why, in spite of my better judgement, I'm signed up for another 1/2-marathon in June.

Ladybug Pushpins

2011-01-28T16:35:00.000-08:00

Growing up, we would visit Granny and Papa's house quite regularly and I have more memories that I can count of time at their house. While I was visiting a bookstore a while ago, I came across something that made me very nostalgic for their house. You see, Granny and Papa had a big bulletin board in the hallway with all kinds of fun things on it. And most of them were held up with pushpins that looked like ladybugs.

When I saw these I couldn't resist.

It's not quite the same as at Granny and Papa's house, but I think they look pretty cool on my bulletin board.

Music Monday -- ABBA

2011-01-10T15:02:00.000-08:00

I have pretty eclectic taste in music, but some of my favorite music comes with just a little bit of nostalgia. I listen to ABBA fairly often, but some of the songs still take me back to the summer of '78. Mom was driving me to my summer ceramics class at Fairmont Jr. High, but she let us listen to "our" music on the radio. My older brother knew ALL the words to this one. I can still hear him singing "take a chance, take a chance, take a ch-ch-ch-chance."

Awesome!

2011-01-07T15:03:00.000-08:00

I love Ted Talks. They're inspiring, informative, and interesting. The most recent one I've watched on the trusty internet was about awesomeness. We all need more awesomeness in our lives. The good news is, you really just need to notice the awesomeness. It's already there. I promise you that you will love the next 18 minutes if you spend it watching this Ted Talk.

Neil Pasricha: The 3 A's of awesome | Video on TED.com

Let's hear it for attitude, awareness, and authenticity.

And, if that wasn't enough, check out the speaker's blog of Awesome. I dare you not to feel a little better about your day after reading a couple of entries.

An Accounting

2011-01-01T22:29:00.001-08:00

In 2010, I accomplished the following physical goals:

Lost net 13 lbs
Ran an entire 5k for the first time ever (at the Valentine's Day Dash) -- actually, I had never been able to run for a full mile when the year started, much less 3.1 miles
Participated in two triathlons
Had more training sessions than I can count
Started participating in Saturday boot camp workouts

The physical goals were huge for me in 2010. I have more goals for 2011. I'll be participating in the Danskin triathlon and several 5K races again, but I'm also adding the Vancouver half-marathon to the list. It should be a good new goal.

I'm thinking about other goals to focus on this year, but these are the ones that are easiest to share.

Christmas Memories

2010-12-29T14:18:00.000-08:00

Now that Christmas 2010 is a lovely memory, I figure I better capture some of the fun on the blog. The DH and I stayed home for Christmas and had no visitors, so it was a nice quiet affair. The weekend before Christmas was very busy. We went to an amazing Christmas concert put on by the Northwest Boy Choir and I made cinnamon rolls and we participated in the Sunday Christmas program.

On Christmas Eve, we both had the day off. We both slept in, then I went and worked out with my trainer and did some last minute shopping (though mostly for groceries, not gifts). For our Christmas Eve, we had Chinese food from Chef at Wok and watched a movie (Bounty Hunter and it was pretty good -- definite rental). We read the Christmas story from Luke 2 before going to bed and then called it a night.

On Christmas morning, we woke up fairly early (just after 6) and made sure Santa got the stockings filled. Then we both got up and went to open gifts. We were both excited to give our gifts to each other! It took us about an hour to open and look at everything.

Here's the low down on the loot:

I got 10 swimming lessons, and iPod touch, a cool ring, a bracelet made of Chinese tiles, a cool bee necklace, a blue paperweight, a painting from an Etsy artist with two birds on a wire with a cool background with gold in it, new running socks, a cool yoga top, a Gene Juarez gift card, and iTunes gift card, and various candies and toiletries from the DH. He did a great job finding just the things he knew I would love and going completely overboard in making me feel loved and pampered.

I also got a cool Space Needle lego set and an Etta's gift card from my parents; an Amazon gift card and star ornament (or sun catcher, depending on how I feel) from Colin, Sam, and Max; wonderful Hickory Farms food gifts from the Godfrey's; and a wonderful candle from one of my co-workers.

The DH got an overcoat, a Buck knife, a T-shirt that says "Meat is Murder, tasty, tasty murder" on it, an iTunes gift card, a pint glass with a skull and cross-bones etched in it, a Raiders mug for drinking tea at work, a bunch of handmade soap, and other candy and food items from me.

He also got a T-shirt from Colin, Sam, and Max that says "Bing in love is totally punk rock" that we both love, an iTunes gift card from my parents,

The two of us together got a Raiders blanket and stocking caps and pillow cases from his brother time, a couple of books that look really good from the DH's sister, some sparkling grape juice and candle from friends, a movie gift card from friends, and I'm sure I'm forgetting something here.

All in all, we feel incredibly blessed by all that we received and the wonderful opportunities to give.

After opening gifts, I talked to my family in Boise and cooked for a good part of the day. I made rolls, pumpkin pie, cheesy potatoes, green bean casserole, and homemade stuffing. The DH bought a smoked turkey from Jensen's (about which I cannot say enough good things) and that topped of the most wonderful dinner. We shared dinner with some friends and then called it a night.

It was a very merry Christmas for both of us.

Our Year in Review

2010-12-29T14:15:00.000-08:00

The DH and I wrote a Christmas letter, then I forgot to tell DH that we needed to add it to the Christmas cards when he was helping and he sealed them all. He was being super helpful, so I take full responsibility. So, since no one got our letter with their card, I'll just post it here.

Dear Fiends and Family,

2010 has been a wonderful year for us! In January, Patrick got to take a photography class (part of his Christmas haul) and Noelle had the privilege of participating in jury duty. It may sound like a chore, but really was a unique experience getting to understand how our judicial process works. In February, we had the pleasure of flying out to Pensacola, Florida for a week to visit Patrick’s oldest son Daniel and his wife and three kids. It was one of the coldest winters on record, so we didn’t get as much beach time in as we’d hoped, but we had a wonderful time enjoying family for a few days.

February also marked the beginning of racing season for us. After starting workouts with a trainer, Noelle was able to run a full 5K for the first time in her life at the Valentine’s Day Dash. From there, we continued training and participated in several more runs. Noelle finally got to her big race, the Danskin Triathlon, in August. It was a sprint distance swim, bike, and run event and was a huge accomplishment for Noelle. She even felt so good about it that she did another triathlon a month later (also a sprint distance).

In May, Noelle headed off on her own to meet up with her mom and sisters in New York City to celebrate Whitney’s 40^th birthday. They had a fantastic time seeing the sites, going to a Broadway show, eating great food, and shopping at fun stores. The activities were good, but the best part was the company!

In August, we enjoyed more time with the Robertson family at a reunion in Boise, ID. It was a great time to see all the nieces and nephews and catch up on what everyone is doing. We had fun with all the activities that mom and dad had planned, but again, the company was the best part. We also had a really nice trip to see Patrick's sister and brother-in-law just outside Hermiston, Oregon in the Fall. We came home with a car loaded with produce, much of which Patrick's brother-in-law grew organically on their land. We're still enjoying the home grown tomatoes and spuds!

In early October, we set off on a grand adventure with another couple and visited southern Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Patrick had never been to any of these areas, so it was all new to him. Noelle had been to many of the places, but had a wonderful time seeing some of the wonderful places she has such fond memories of from past trips. The best news of all is that we’re still good friends with the couple we traveled with. They were wonderful travel companions and we all seemed to travel at about the same pace.

We spent some time in Boise again for Thanksgiving and enjoyed visiting with the relatives that live there (and Ann!) for a few days. It’s been a busy December, but we’re looking forward to a quiet Christmas at home and a wonderful new year with more plans for fun.

Merry Christmas!

Noelle and Patrick McDonald

Music Monday -- Vampire Weekend

2010-12-13T14:32:00.000-08:00

Several weeks ago, I kept seeing posts on an event list asking for tickets to Vampire Weekend. I thought it was some late Halloween thing. After a while, it dawned on me that it might be a concert. So many people were interested in tickets that I thought it might be worth my while to check them out. I was not disappointed!

Their latest album is called Contra and I took a listen and decided that I liked it. The songs vary pretty wildly in style, but I actually think that gives the album a lot more interest. I hate it when you buy an album and you can't even tell the songs apart because they all sound the same after a while. That won't happen with Vampire Weekend. The first song on the album is Horchata. It's the kind of song that just makes me feel good.

Feelin' It?

2010-12-09T09:06:00.001-08:00

I haven't been lately. I just haven't felt much in the Christmas mood. I thought some Christmas tunes might help the situation. I really love this song. It's hauntingly beautiful and has all the right words.

Music Monday -- Florence and the Machine

2010-12-05T19:58:00.000-08:00

Yes. I realize it's not Monday. It'll be OK.

I discovered a new band (well, new to me of course) a few weeks ago and I've been loving them every since. Florence and the Machine has been playing in my car more than the DH can stand, but I'm completely enamored. The album is called Lungs and I like just about every song on there.

My favorite song on the album is probably Drumming Song. It's great, but embedding was disabled for the song, so you'll have to click the link to hear it. (How does she dance in those shoes? Crazy!)

I also love the song Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up). I hope you enjoy it too!

Architecture of the Alpine Region

2010-12-05T19:46:00.000-08:00

While traveling in the Alpine region, we visited many small towns with a variety of architectural styles. It was fun to see the paintings on the sides of buildings, the architectural embellishments, and the variety of styles. These are a few of the buildings that I enjoyed most.

Back to Bavaria -- The Final Installment

2010-12-02T20:58:00.001-08:00

After having a wonderful time in Salzburg, we headed back to Bavaria. Our first stop was Herrenchiemsee. We had a bit of difficulty finding it to begin with. The instructions I read basically just said what town to go to and gave the impression it was close to the train station. We parked at the train station and I went in to ask about getting there. The man told me generally what direction to walk, but wasn't so clear on how long it would take. We started walking and saw nothing that gave us the impression we were walking in the right direction. We stopped again and Beep asked a guy on the street which way and how far. We were going the right direction, but he indicated that it might be kind of far. That's when we headed back to the car and started driving. It wasn't too long to drive, but it would have been an ugly walk.When we finally got to where we needed to be, we actually had to buy tickets for a ferry to get to the island where the Herrenchiemsee is. This is the third of the three castles built by crazy King Ludwig. He had a huge fascination with France's King Louis XIV, so he modeled this castle after Versailles and had a lot of art dedicated to Louis XIV and several portraits of the King. It also had large fountains and gardens out front reminiscent of Versailles, but on a much smaller scale. Apparently, he ran out of money before he was able to build things out to the scale he wanted.From there, we headed back to Munich. When we got there, we checked into our hotel and ran to the grocery store for a lifetime supply of chocolate to take home, and then went to the Modern Art Museum. They had some really great displays and we enjoyed seeing them. It was fairly late in the afternoon and we were concerned about the time, but we were able to see all the displays we were interested in before the Museum closed.From there, we wanted to go to the iconic Hoffbrauhaus for dinner. It was a Friday night and we didn't have reservations, so we had the choice of joining a shared table of heavy drinkers or finding a dinner alternative. After walking through the beer hall, we thought we may have had enough of the ambiance. It was fun to see the band playing and watch the waitresses hold ten liters of beer at one time, but it just wasn't the place for us to eat dinner. We didn't really have any ideas, so we went across the street to the Hard Rock Cafe. The dinner wasn't German, but it was still good. We all enjoyed interesting burgers and then spent our last Euros on Gelato.
From there, we headed to the hotel where we spent our last night before heading back to the airport and flying home. We had a great time with Bop and Beep, but two weeks was a long time to be on the road, so we were glad to be home and sleeping in our own bed again.

Mishap Two of Two on the Alpine Tour

2010-11-09T16:01:00.000-08:00

We had a great time overall and, again, I'm so thankful that we didn't have anything really bad happen the whole time we were traveling abroad.

We'll just call it The Salzburg Situation. The Situation started when we couldn't find any laundry facilities during our first 10 days on the trip. We ended up doing our first bit of laundry in the sink and then let it air dry. If you've never had to do this, I encourage you to just try it once for fun. Oh, wait. It's not fun. It makes for crunchy undies. Good times. Let me just say that we were very much looking forward to the laundry facilities that we knew were awaiting us in our Salzburg apartment rental.

As soon as we got to the apartment in Salzburg, we asked the woman giving us our key about the laundry. She said something about 10-cent pieces and easy and in the basement. No problem! Beep and I headed to the basement on a reconnaissance mission. We found the washer and dryer with no problem, but they were currently in use. However, it was not yet a Situation. We could wait until someone else finished.

We headed down later and found that the other person using the washer was just getting her laundry out of the washer and so we waited for her to finish and put our load of whites in right after she was done. We couldn't see anywhere to put money in, but the washer started, so we figured it would just work.

We waited 45 minutes and Beep and I went back to get the wash. When we got to the laundry room, it looked like the wash was done. It was a front loading washer, so we had to push a latch button to open the door. We pushed. Nothing happened. We noticed all the lights on the machine were dark. We pushed every button on the machine. Nothing happened. It was becoming a Situation! Our laundry, our WHITES, were stuck in the washing machine. We pushed every button again. Nothing! It was definitely a Situation.

We went back to the apartment and the DH had to go see if he could fix it. We pushed every button again. He tugged on the door. He yanked on the door. I feared for the door! Things were getting tense. Our WHITES were held hostage in the washer. We thought. We reasoned. We realized there must be somewhere to put the money in that we had heard about. We looked around, but couldn't find anything in or on the washing machine. We looked around the room and saw only what looked like a breaker box. We read the instructions (sort of) that were in German and very unhelpful. We pushed all the buttons again. The DH was ready to pull the machine apart to extricate our laundry. By this time it was after 11:00 at night, so we couldn't easily ask anyone for help. At that, we decided to go to bed. It was the only thing we could do.

I fretted all night. All that fretting paid off at some point though. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that the problem was in the paying. This Situation required that we pay the 10-cent fee. After thinking more, it became clear that paying sent the electricity to the machine and that our laundry probably hadn't gone through the whole cycle. The person before us had some time left when she took her laundry, so we just got the leftover time that she had paid for.

Since I was awake fretting anyway, I got up around 6:00 and went down to the laundry room with a handful of 10-cent pieces. I stood calmly in the room and looked around. All I could see was what looked like a breaker box, but I opened it up. Inside were two meters labeled "washer" and "dryer" in German. Breakthrough! There was also an instruction sheet on the inside of the door that indicated that one 10-cent piece bought 14 minutes of electricity. I put 3 pieces in. I turned to the washer. Nothing happened. I pushed some buttons. Nothing happened. I started getting tense again. The Situation was not yet under control!

Then, I heard footsteps on the stairs. I looked out and there was a woman picking up her newspaper. I called to her in German. This was one time I really had to speak German and do it right. She came down and I told her that I couldn't get the washer to start. She looked at the washer, then looked at me, then laughed and pushed the power button.

It's not funny.

I wasn't laughing at all, but she thought it was just the cutest thing she'd ever seen. She then went on to tell me all there was to know, plus a little extra, about doing laundry there. It was quite informative.

The Situation was over. The laundry continued its cycle and we threw it in the dryer half an hour later and did a second load of laundry before leaving for the day. It was about as easy as any chore could be.

Salzburg and the Sound of Music

2010-11-05T11:19:00.000-07:00

Our next stop was Salzburg. We got up in Fuessen, had breakfast, and then headed back into Austria. I think our time in Salzburg was my favorite part of the trip. When we arrived in the city, we found a spot to part the car and walked into the main part of town.It was beautiful. We were there on a day with perfect weather to enjoy of lovely city and its surroundings. Our first destination was the tourist information center. It was right off this lovely square with a statue of Mozart.
At the tourist information center, we bought our tickets to the Sound of Music tour and then found some lunch before heading out to see all the Sound of Music sights. We hopped on a big coach bus that had songs from the movie playing while the tour guide wasn't talking. The tour guide reminded me of John Lovitz. He didn't look like John Lovitz, but his voice reminded me of him for some reason.

Anyway, we headed out first to the lovely building where a few scenes from the movie were filmed. The lake in front of this house is the lake that the von Trapp kids and maria were in on a boat that tipped over. Apparently the actress playing Gretel couldn't swim, so it was a bit of a traumatic experience for her.
Then we headed to where the gazebo is placed. It used to be next to the building pictured above, but apparently the tourists were a bit too rambunctious and it bothered folks in the building. The building is used for conferences now and the tourists proved to be a bit disruptive. It's also locked up now, supposedly the result of some 80-year old woman pretending to be 16 going on 17 and falling down and breaking her hip in the gazebo. Now we just get to look in. No dancing inside.
From there, we headed up into the mountains. The area around Salzburg really is a sight and we were lucky to have such a clear day for it. Untersberg is the mountain in the background here. It's actually several miles from Salzburg, so it would have been impossible for Maria to hear the abby bells and run back in time for dinner. It's nice to imagine anyway, though.

As we continued the drive, we went to a small town called Mondsee. The Collegiate Church of Mondsee was the church used as the venue for the wedding of Maria and Captain von Trapp in the movie. This wasn't the actual church they were married in though. They were actually married in the abby church in Salzburg, but it's not grand at all, so not as impressive for a movie set.

After leaving the town of Mondsee, we headed back to Salzburg to enjoy the city a bit more. They dropped us right by the Mirabel Palace. The gardens behind the palace are where the filming of the Do, Re, Me song took place.

With that, we headed out to our apartment for the stay in Salzburg. The place was a little out of the way, but right on a bus line, so it was super easy to get back into town. We found a small grocery store and bought food for dinner and spent the evening playing cards and relaxing after a long day.

The next day, we went back into Salzburg. We spent a good part of the morning exploring the churches. There were a bunch of them!

We also walked past Mozart's birth home several times. It's right in the middle of town, so it's hard to miss.
Bop and Beep decided to try out the roasted chestnuts. They're all over the cities in Europe, so it seemed like the right thing to do. I had to laugh tough when neither of them liked chestnuts much. I think they're yucky, but I didn't want to dissuade them from finding out for themselves.
After lunch, we got on another tour bus that took us into a small town with a large salt mine. To go on the tour, we had to put on coveralls that they supplied for us. We had quite a time laughing about our attire. No pictures were allowed on the tour (and it was sort of dark for the whole thing, so pictures wouldn't have turned out well anyway) so we don't have pictures inside the mine. I loved the tour though. We got to ride little train cars into the mine, slide down wooden slides inside the mine, and float in a barge over a brine lake. It was very cool!
Once we got back from the salt mine tour, it was dinner time and then we were done for the day. We had one more day to enjoy Salzburg. We started our third day in Salzburg at the Mozart home. This is the house that Mozart lived in from the time he was 18 until he died. There were a lot of interactive exhibits and it was fun to read more about Mozart.
From there, we headed to the Mozart bridge. It's a foot bridge that just happened to be in the Sound of Music as well. It's also really old, like a lot of things in Europe.
It was foggy and overcast all morning and we thought the clouds might burn off, so we hung out in town for quite some time. We found street food and the DH enjoyed some time with Wolfi.
We had hoped that the clouds would burn off because we planned to go to the castle, but it wasn't getting any brighter as the afternoon wore on and we couldn't just hang around. We finally just decided to head up to the castle. It's a good thing we didn't waste any more time, because it ended up staying cloudy all day. The castle was really cool even with the clouds, so in the end it didn't matter.
We rode a funicular train up the mountain to the castle. It dropped us just outside the wall. The views from here were amazing.
I enjoyed the detail in the castle. It seemed like there was something interesting every time we turned a corner.
After checking out the museum in the castle, looking at a marionette exhibit, and walking around the grounds, we headed back down the mountain. Our last destination was the Nonnburg abbey church. This is the abbey where Maria von Trapp was a postulate. When we were on the Sound of Music tour, the guide told us that they sang vespers each night here. It was a bit of a hike to the church and we were early for vespers (they started half an hour later than we thought). We looked around for quite some time, then just waited and then finally listened to vespers for about 15 minutes. It was really lovely.
From there, we headed back into town and wrapped up our Salzburg fun.

Return to the Scene of the Crime

2010-11-05T11:01:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, the DH and I went to Stumbling Goat Bistro for dinner. The occasion was the sixth anniversary of our first date.

Six years ago, I invited the DH to go see Rigoletto with me, and my brother and sister-in-law, at the Seattle Opera. Before the opera, we all met up for dinner at Stumbling Goat.

The date itself was a bit awkward, as first dates usually are, but we both enjoyed the food immensely and then loved the opera. It was the DH's second opera and it was a good choice for someone who wasn't a huge opera nerd. It was set in WWII and has a lot of singable melodies that just about everyone is familiar with.

As first dates go, it was one of the better ones. There may have been lulls in the conversation, but it was good enough that we ended up going out again a few weeks later. Our second date was on the DH's birthday. We went to Thai Siam for dinner with friends. Then there was the Carrie Akrie show a few weeks after that. Soon, we were seeing each other regularly and falling in love. The rest is history.

Thanks, DH, for taking me to the scene of the crime to enjoy the place where I first started this journey with you.

More Fun in Bavaria

2010-10-29T14:58:00.000-07:00

Our Alpine tour took us back into Bavaria at the beginning of week two. We spent a couple of days with Fuessen as our home base. We got up on Monday and headed out for Linderhoff Castle. This is the second of crazy King Ludwig II's castles that we visited. The grounds were beautiful and we enjoyed seeing the grotto in the back with a lake and swan boat that the crazy king had his servants row him around in -- indoors. It was also a venue for concerts and parts of Wagner operas. That guy really was crazy, but he built some beautiful places.
From there we headed to Oberamergau. This city is famous for it's Passion Play that is put on every ten years. It was put on this year, but we decided against going considering that it's five hours long and in German. I just couldn't see this group sitting through that. We did see the large theater that the play is performed in and quite a bit of religious art in the area.
The town was also very quaint and we enjoyed lunch there and some window shopping.From there, we went to Garmish-Partenkirchen. I think I just wanted to go there because the town name is a tongue twister. It had lovely architecture and we enjoyed yummy gelato there too.

The next day, we headed back to Austria to enjoy the lovely Tirol.

Three Countries in One Day and Mission Memories

2010-10-28T18:44:00.000-07:00

From Luzern, we went to Dornbirn, Austria. It wasn't in our original plan, but road took us through Liechtenstein, so we decided to stop in the capital city of Vaduz to check things out.
The first thing we noticed about the city was the pervasiveness of public art. It was quite wonderful. We also found out that stamps are a big deal there. Apparently, a lot of people come to the city only to get the stamps. I also found out that people really like to put those stamps on postcards and send them from Vaduz so they have the stamps with the Liechtenstein post mark on them. If I were a philatelist, I would have done that. But I'm not.We walked around and found a spot for lunch. I had the wurst, but apparently Bop and Beep had the worst -- worst hamburgers that is. I'm glad I didn't go for the hamburger. We all got a kick out of the menu though. One of the burgers was called the "BURG Burger" and was described as being a "beefburger mc burg." We're not entirely sure what that means, but we weren't sold on it.We enjoyed walking around town a little more and saw the parliament building. It had a cool modern feel.We also walked to a church in the middle of town, but it was closed for renovations.From Vaduz, we went on to Dornbirn. I didn't actually live in Dornbirn on my mission. I lived in Bregenz, just a bit North of Dornbirn, but we attended the ward in Dornbirn. While I served in that area, there were two women who were baptized. I really wanted to find out if they were still there. I was so happy to be back in Austria. I think if I lived in a foreign country, it would be Austria.We arrived in Dornbirn in the late afternoon and checked into our hotel. This was a great hotel with a wonderful design aesthetic. I thought the beds were even extra comfy. Once we were settled in the hotel, we went to explore the city. We walked to the walking zone in the middle of town and found that they were having a pumpkin festival. The coolest part of that was that there was a jack-o-lantern parade with kids lighting their pumpkins and pulling them around in wagons. It was so fun to see.We also had one of my favorite dinners at a super old restaurant called Das Rotes Haus. The house was amazing (and very old) and the dinner was wonderful in every way.The next morning, we got up and went to church at the Dornbirn ward. There was no one there that I knew, but I was able to find out where a few people were. I was disappointed to learn that one woman had quit coming to church, the the other woman's husband and two of her three children also joined the church and they were still active and living in a different town now.After church, we checked out of the hotel in Dornbirn and looked around town just a bit more before heading out. We also stopped in at a Rolls-Royce Museum just outside of town. Word on the street was that it was the largest collection of Rolls-Royce cars in the world. It was pretty cool.Then we drove back into Germany and went to Neuschwanstein castle. We parked the car and bought our tickets and had almost two hours before our tour would start. We looked in all the shops and at lunch before climbing up the hill to the castle. While we hiked and waited, the skies were completely overcast and it was a bit dreary looking outside.
We went on the tour and learned quite a bit about crazy King Ludwig II. He was an interesting character and built an amazing castle.When we came out of the castle, the clouds had completely lifted and the view of the castle was amazing. As we hiked back down to town, we saw the view of the castle on the hill and it was just wonderful. We had a great time visiting the castle and enjoying the scenery.
After leaving the castle, we headed to Fuessen, Germany and checked into our next hotel. It was a small guest house in a small suburb of a small town. The adjoining restaurant was our only choice for a dinner destination, so we tried it out. We all had to laugh when they asked us if we had a reservation when we showed up. It was just funny in such a small town like that. The dinner was fantastic though and we all enjoyed our evening.

Mishap One of Two on the Alpine Tour

2010-10-28T17:17:00.000-07:00

Actually, I should qualify "mishap" as nothing really too bad. I'm so grateful for a trip that was blessedly free of any major problems.

On our drive from Luzern, Switzerland to Dornbirn, Austria, we drove on the Swiss Autobahn. It was delightful to drive on the fast open road. On our way, we stopped for gas at a rest stop right off the Autobahn. After getting gas, I moved the car to wait for the rest of our friends. That's when the Swiss police officer knocked on the window.

I tried not to panic, but that was a tall order. The officer asked me in German if I was driving my car. I answered that it was a rental car. I'll admit now that I was a bit wicked and also spoke with my worst American accent. That's when he asked me if I spoke German and I answered "a little" again with a bad American accent. Then he proceeded in English to tell us that we were driving without paying the toll for the Autobahn. The fine is $120 for not having the sticker. I had heard that police officers expect you to pay fines on the spot and they're not very nice about it. I was very concerned, but tried to play it cool.

We were talking to this officer on one of his good days. He told me to go into the gas station and buy the toll sticker (for $40) and told us that we would need one for Austria as well. And we didn't have to pay the fine. The man that sold me the toll sticker seemed to think I lived the charmed life. He couldn't get over the fact that I didn't get the fine. That made me even happier for the situation.

Once I got back in the car and put the sticker in the window, all was well. We all breathed a sigh of relief and were very vigilant to find a place to buy a sticker for Austria so we wouldn't have the same problem there. As nice as the police officer ended up being, I didn't want to talk to any more.

And We're Off to the Alps

2010-10-27T18:34:00.000-07:00

After a couple of days in Munich, we headed Southwest toward Switzerland. Beep found this wonderful design museum just outside of Basel, Switzerland in Weil am Rhein, Germany. The Vitra Design Museum really was a highlight for two reasons. First, the buildings and displays were fantastic. I loved the way they created rooms to show the furniture and other things.
At every turn, I felt like there was something new and interesting to see.
Second, because of the amazing weather that day, the views from the museum windows were some of the best I've seen. Like Beep, I was interested in finding something in the museum shop to take home. Alas, everything was far beyond my means, so I didn't buy anything there.
From Weil am Rhein, we continued South into Switzerland and to Bern. We had a lovely, centrally located hotel in the city and we were able to go explore a little our first evening there. We had dinner at an outdoor cafe, where we were reminded how very many people in Europe smoke. It was anything but delightful when our waiter sat at the next table over from us smoking.The next day, we headed out to Zollikofen, just outside of Bern, and visited the temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. There was a little stress in finding the temple because the street it was on is a private street and didn't show up on the GPS. This turned into another "opportunity" for me to practice my German as I had to ask for directions from someone I stopped on the street. Fun times! Once we were there, though, it was wonderful. All the people were so nice and I got to see a couple that lived across the hall from me when I was a missionary there.After we got back to Bern, we did a bit of a walking tour of the city. We visited a beautiful church. I loved the decoration on the doors.
We also went to the bear pits that didn't have the bears in them. The pit was being cleaned, so the bears were in another more open area next to the river. It looked like fun for the bears, so we didn't mind too much.We also saw the Bern landmark, the Zytglogge.Then we went to the botanical gardens. It was interesting, but somewhere along the day I had twisted my knee and it hurt really bad, so I wasn't too interested in climbing the hills of the garden. Everyone else saw a lot more interesting things than I did, but that's the breaks. The good news was that the hurt knee went away the same way is showed up -- mysteriously and for no reason.The next day, we headed out of town to the Berner Oberland. This is perhaps some of the most beautiful land on earth. We went to Interlaken where we looked around a bit, then headed for the mountains.
We got on one gondola that took us up, up, up. That took us to a train that wound us around the mountain and up some more.Then we had to walk through one of the cutest towns ever to get to another gondola. It was fun to pass a group that looked like an alphorn band, but they were all Chinese.
Then we rode our second gondola and then a third one to get to the top of Shilthorn, featured in the movie On Her Majesties' Secret Service. Fortunately, we didn't really get our Bond on. That would have been a little much, especially as thin as the air was up there.
From there, we headed down the mountain and on to Luzern. Again, we had a perfectly located hotel. It was right on the river, just a quick walk to the middle of town. This was the one place that I think we didn't stay long enough in. It felt rushed to see the sights of the lovely town before we had to move on.We did enjoy the farmers market, especially the bread and produce.And we went to see the Luzern Lion Monument.
From there, we had a whirlwind trip to the tree museum. It was hard to find, but well worth it once we found the right place.The outdoor garden displays were so unique and beautiful.And that's where the Swiss portion of our tour ended.

Bavarian Fun

2010-10-20T20:36:00.000-07:00

Once we got settled in our apartment in Munich, our next order of business was to go into town to look around and have our first authentically German meal. First, we had to figure out how to pay for U-Bahn (underground train, a.k.a. subway). The instructions were all in German, but we found out that you could buy a day ticket for a group, so that's the route we took. Our apartment was a quick walk from the U3 station that could take us directly to Marienplatz in the heart of the city.
Once we got to Marienplatz, we took a fair number of pictures of the Rathaus, then walked around the walking zone and were shocked at the number of people in lederhosen and dirndles (those clothes that look like Oktoberfest costumes). I assumed that most of the folks we saw must be going to or from work in a restaurant, but there were far too many to attribute to that. They simply were everywhere. It was surprising, but kind of fun, too.
After our walk, we went to a restaurant in the basement of the Rathaus right on Marienplatz in the middle of town. They had a traditional Bavarian menu, so we all got the traditional meals. I had schnitzel and the DH had wurst. It's about as Bavarian as it gets. The meal was good and we enjoyed our first foray into the traditional. After that, we were pretty pooped and headed back to the apartment for some sleep.

The next day, we started at the Viktualien Markt. We bought fresh meat, pasta, bread, and produce to have for dinner that night. The shops were delightful and had all kinds of fresh local fare. I think the DH's favorite was the greek shop with a large variety of olives, marinated garlics, and marinated peppers. It looked amazing and the few things we bought lived up to the anticipation. They were fantastic. We also got a couple of Greek spreads that were wonderful on the fresh bread we had.
After the market, we headed out in the car to the BMW museum. We had to check out the actual showroom first. It was wonderful to see all those beautiful cars. It almost made me want to buy one -- almost! I guess I'm just too practical to have a BMW here, but in Germany they're considered regular cars, not just luxury cars. They were everywhere. We then visited the museam and got to see the history of BMW and many of the engines, motorcycles, airplane engines, and cars that they've manufactured over the years. I loved the BMW Isetta. It's the smallest car I've ever seen, even making the new Smart Cars look big in comparison. It reminded me of a cartoon car. I had to have one of my own, so I bought one that's two inches long. It's cute as a bug.
After the BMW museum, we made our way farther out of town to visit the Dachau Memorial. We did the self-guided walking tour and spent time on the grounds as well. The only rain we had on the trip was while we were visiting Dachau. I guess that's fairly appropriate. It was a stark reminder of what hatred and fear can create and had me thinking about current events regarding Muslims. I was glad we went there, but also glad to leave those painful reminders behind.
We spent the evening at the apartment eating dinner that we prepared ourselves. We had way too much after wanting to try a little bit of everything that looked good at the market. We had also made our first trip to the grocery store and the boys had a great time with that. They loved all the crazy new brands and products that they were unfamiliar with, and seeing the German take on brands they did know. We also played some cards (a great new game to the DH and I called Nerts). The next day we would be moving on to our next destination.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

2010-10-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, October 2nd, the DH and I left for the vacation of a lifetime. Our flight was at 1:00, so we had a friend pick us up at 10:00 and then she got our friends Bop and Beep and we headed to the airport. I was so happy that we had a flight a little later in the day (after way too many 6:00 a.m. flights) and I had time to finish up the last minute details that morning.

What I forgot:

Travel guide books -- I meant to bring the two books that covered the areas of Bavaria, Switzerland, and the Tyrolean alps.
Conditioner for my hair -- but instead, I did have three tubes of toothpaste.
Laundry detergent -- Bop and Beep came to the rescue once and the apartment in Salzburg had a bottle of detergent there. Plus, you can always buy it there.

What I took that I should have left behind:

My swimsuit -- did I really think I would swim laps at some point on this trip? That was ludicrous thinking
Dansko clogs -- whoever says they're good walking shoes must have never walked all day in them.
Magazines -- they just weighed a lot and I had plenty of other entertainment.

The flight from Seattle to Amsterdam left on time and actually arrived a few minutes early. Everything went without a hitch. We then connected to our flight to Munich and that was quick and easy as well.

Once we got to Munich, it was Monday, and we needed to get the car rental and head to the apartment we would be staying in for the next few days. This was my first practice in-country with speaking German. The attendant at the car rental desk didn't speak English. We made it through OK, with me mostly understanding everything she said. We had ordered a mid-size car that claimed it would be large enough for five adults and four suitcases. I'm not sure what size they expected the people or the suitcases to be, but we'll just say it was a bit of a tight fit all the way around. The Mercedes 5 series is just not that big. We appreciated, once again, the DH's prowess in figuring out how to load big things into small places.

We had pre-ordered GPS for the car, so all we had was the physical address of the apartment, but no maps or directions. When we got in the car, we didn't see any GPS and couldn't figure out how it might be there or how it would work if it were there. I went to find one of the rental workers and two of them came over to show us how the "Navi" worked. It was fully built in and worked like a charm. We nick-named our Navi hostess Gert and she never failed us (even when we thought she was heading us in the wrong direction). She took us straight to the apartment with no issues at all.

We met the owner there and got instructions on what to do, how to get to the U-Bahn station, and what to do before checkout. The first level of the apartment was for the owners. The second level had a bedroom for Bop and Beep, the third level was the kitchen, living room, and bathroom, and the DH and I were in the attic. Except for carrying the bags up the stairs, it was a great setup. The apartment was big and had all the amenities we needed and was very close to a grocery store and public transportation. This trip was starting out spectacularly!

Second Tri

2010-09-20T09:09:00.002-07:00

Yesterday, I participated in my second triathlon. I had five weeks between the first and second and spent a lot of time with my trainer focusing on things that would improve my endurance. I can now tell you that I felt a lot better at the end of the second triathlon that I did at the end of the first one.

Over the last five weeks I decided I wouldn't do this one about 35 times (that's at least once a day for the duration). The DH didn't know when I was doing this event and planned a trip with his sons to go see a Raiders game the same weekend. That was the first time I decided I wouldn't do it. I just couldn't fathom taking care of all the race prep and hauling and stuff all by myself. Enter Kathleen, outstanding friend, to the rescue. I asked her if she would help me and she was not just willing, but even excited to be there with me. Having done our first triathlon together, I knew I could count on her support and so I was back in.

Over the next few weeks, there were countless reasons why I didn't need to do the race or didn't want to do the race, or just didn't feel like doing the race. I'd paid the money though, so each time I wavered, I was back in shortly. Then, I started watching the weather. September in Seattle is often beautiful. It starts cooling down and the days are quite lovely -- except when they aren't. The forecast was for ugly storms that day, but you just can't trust the weather report around here. I was in. I was out. I was in again when the forecast was for clouds, but no rain. Then, for a good portion of the night before the race, I woke to hearing stormy, hard rain outside. I was out. I did NOT want to do the race in the middle of an ugly rainstorm. Then, around 3:00 a.m. when I woke up, the storm had stopped. I was back in. When I actually got up, the ground was wet, but it was really nice out. There were high clouds and a little bit of blue sky. I was definitely in. The weather held out for the race. Barely.

The race starts with the swim, so I wore my cycling/running clothes, but flip flops on my feet. There were a bunch of really muddy spots, so I was a bit of a mess by the time I got to the transition area. I had to wash my feet off before putting on the wet suit so I wouldn't get mud all over it. It was an extra challenge, but was actually more funny than difficult. While in flip flops or barefoot, at some point I hit my heal on a rock. I felt it, but didn't think too much of it at the time.

The swim went great and I beat my last time by half a minute. The first transition was quite a bit faster than last time. The bike was fine, but exactly 5 seconds slower than the first race. My second transition was super fast. The run was 3.5 minutes faster than the previous race. Total difference was seven and a half minutes faster. The biggest difference in how I did this race was that I decided not to worry about running the whole 5K run. I walked really fast for a bunch of it. It helped my regulate my heart rate and run faster when I did run. It seemed to be a good strategy. When I finished, I was super tired and my legs were screaming, but I actually felt really good. I'm excited to train more over the Winter and work on improving in all three areas.

Kathleen was there at every leg of the race and it was great to see her at the finish line. After it was done, I went to gather all my gear and we started walking to the car. It was about a ten-minute walk to where she was parked, and while I was walking I realized that my heal hurt where I had hit it on a rock earlier. I thought maybe I had bruised it a little. We packed all the gear in the car and headed home. By the time I got home, my heal REALLY hurt. All the endorphins had officially worn off and I was in pain. Once in the house, I took my shoe off and saw that there was a big circle of blood in the bottom of my shoe and then I saw that my sock had a matching stain. I couldn't really tell how bad it was until after I showered and it was all cleaned off. It looks like I cut it in a little half-moon shape about a half inch across. I had to laugh that my first "sports injury" is a cut from a rock. How silly! I think it will be fine in a day or two though. It already feels better today than it did yesterday, so I'm not too worried about it.

In the end, I'm really glad that I finally decided that I was in and that I finished the race. It was a lot more fun this time around and I was able to enjoy every moment of the camaraderie and support much more than I did last time.

Thanks again, Kathleen, for your help! It made all the difference. I'm pretty sure that I would have decided to sleep through it if I hadn't known Kathleen was up and on her way to my house to pick me up.

2010-09-20T09:09:00.001-07:00

Little Bee

2010-09-12T15:32:00.001-07:00

I just finished the novel Little Bee. "No one likes each other, but everyone loves U2" is one of the truths in the book. Little Bee is a novel that tells the story of a Nigerian orphan and a British couple whose lives become entwined through some seemingly random events. It's an extremely well-written novel and I'm thinking I need to read Chris Clive's other novel now.

The beauty of the story is in the narrative that Clive gives us alternating chapters between narration from the Nigerian Little Bee and the British Sarah. Both have very different perspectives on their shared story that gives the reader a sense of time and space that might be missing from the telling by either one of them alone.

As the story unfolded, I realized that the themes were much deeper than just the story of these women and the people around them. It is about what it means to be part of a global community and how that may help and harm us. I found it to be a wonderful way to think about these profound ideas while enjoying such a skillfully crafted story.

Silly Dilly Beans

2010-09-09T22:13:00.000-07:00

Over Labor Day weekend, the DH and I took a quick trip to his sister's house and came home with all kinds of wonderful things. From the SIL's land, we got red potatoes, yukon gold potatoes, patty pan squash, crookneck squash, pears, fresh eggs, a frozen chicken, and a lot of green beans. We also went down the road a piece and bought watermelon, cantaloupe, and corn on the cob. Then, on our trip home, we stopped in Yakima and bought local honey, peaches, and plums. The entire back of the car was filled with food.

Once we got home, we had to figure out what to do with all of this bounty. I'm not a big fan of frozen beans, so I chatted with a few folks and decided to make Dilly Beans. First, we had to wash all the beans and trim the ends.
Once all the beans were trimmed, they were ready to go. Don't they look wonderful?

Almost good enough to eat! It took two trips to the store to get everything we needed to make the recipe. They only had tiny containers of dill weed at the grocery store I went to on the first trip and that just wouldn't do.
Once we had everything, we put most of the ingredients in the bottom of the jars. I also put the lids in a pan to sterilize and put the vinegar/water/salt mixture on the stove to boil while we stuffed the jars.Stuffing the jars was the hardest part of this recipe. Overall, the recipe is pretty easy, so the hardest part wasn't that bad.Once the jars were filled, we poured in the vinegar mixture, put the lids on, tightened them, and turned the jars over.When I turned them all right-side-up after they were cooled, all but one had sealed. When I got up the next morning, that 12th jar was sealed too.

Of course, now comes the hard part. We have to wait three months for the beans to really pickle before we eat any.

Dilly Beans
For each pint jar of beans, place the following in the bottom of the jar:
1-1/2 T dill seed
1/2 t mustard seed
1/8 t powdered alum
4 cloves garlic
1 sprig dill weed
beans

Brine for all jars:
3 quarts water
1-1/2 quarts apple cider vinegar (not apple cider flavored vinegar)
1 C pickling salt (the green box if you're getting Morton's)

Instructions:
Sterilize jars. Place flat lids in boiling water. Bring brine to a simmer and leave on the stove as you pack the jars. Fill each jar with ingredients, packing the beans as tightly as you can and ensuring that all beans are 1/2-3/4 inch below the top of the jar. Also, make sure that dill does not poke out of the jar. Pour brine in until the jar is filled to within 1/2 inch of the top of the jar. place flat lid on jar and put ring on tightly. Turn jars upside-down to cool. After cooled, turn right-side-up and store for three months while the beans pickle.

Glutton for Punishment

2010-09-03T15:04:00.000-07:00

I signed up for another fitness event that happened this week. It was the Islander Aquathon sponsored by BTO Multisport. It would be just a simple 500-yard swim and 5K run. No big deal! In fact, it seemed like such a pleasant event that the DH decided to do it with me. We swam at the pool last Saturday and he got tired out, but his swimming was great. We both were sure he could do it.

Then Wednesday came along. The day was turned out to be beautiful after starting a little wet and cloudy. By the time we got to Mercer Island, it was in the low 70's and sunny. We got checked in and I got my wetsuit on and we headed to the water for the start of the race. They separated the men and women for swimming waves, so the DH had to go in without me.

What I didn't realize while I was that while I was hoping the DH would have a good swim, it was decidedly not good. The water was extremely choppy and by the time he got close to the first buoy, he was in over his head. Literally. The waves knocked water into over his head and he got a mouthful of water. When he tried to get a breath, there was another wave of water. The result was a panicked swimmer who decided to cut his losses and get back to dry ground.

While that was happening, I got started on my own swim. When I got close to the first buoy, I was shocked at how big the waves were. It was so choppy that I felt like I was swimming backwards. I did OK when I was just swimming and not trying to breath or sight, but those two things are required when swimming, especially when it's a race. I got several mouths full of water, but fortunately didn't panic and could keep going. However, for the first time in a long time, I did roll over to my back and try to breath for a moment before continuing the swim. While swimming from the first buoy to the second buoy, it felt like someone was slamming against my right side the entire time and the waves went over my head several times while I was either trying to breath or sight. It was NOT fun. When I finally got out of the water, I was a little beat up and a lot tired. It was much more difficult than any other swim I've done.

Fortunately, when I got back to the transition area, the DH was there and helped me get my wetsuit off. It was much easier with his help than it would have been on my own. I was really glad to see him. When we started the run, he told me about his adventure. I was proud of him for trying to do the swim, because I knew he hadn't spent much time preparing, but I was really glad I hadn't know he was struggling while I was swimming. I just got to find out about it when he was safe on dry land.

The run was super hilly, so I walked up some of the hills, but it was a strong power-walk. We ran most of the time though and our times were OK. I was really glad when we were done. We each got a handful of Dilettante mint chocolate truffles and we headed home to warm showers and soft pillows. All in all, it was a good event, but not our best night.

Thursday, I had thought that I would get up and go to the gym first thing in the morning, but my body said NO. I was really sore from the swim. I took a day to rest and then I was back at it again today. Only two more weeks to my second triathlon!

Music Monday -- Pandora Radio

2010-08-30T16:20:00.000-07:00

I know I usually highlight a band I'm listening to on Mondays, but today I've got something totally different. If you already know about Pandora Radio, then I'm not going to tell you anything new. If you don't know about Pandora, then this is your lucky day.

Pandora Radio is the result of the Music Genome Project. It was started in 2000 by a group of musicians analyzing music for commonalities. They capture what is unique about every song, band, album, whatever, and then basically code it with this metadata. Then, you can think of a song, band, or album that represents a certain sound that you like and enter it as a radio station. The system then finds music that has similar "genes" in the pool of all the music that's been analyzed and plays them together as your station. As songs come along that you don't like, you can tag them with a thumb's-down so they won't get played again. The concept is brilliant.

I've been listening to Pandora Radio for at least a couple of years now and one of the best parts is discovering new songs or artists that have a sound that I really enjoy. That, and I get to listen to music that I enjoy without having to put together my own playlists (which I'm really bad at).

Wait, maybe the best part is that it's free. It's just like listening to any other radio station with a few adds here and there, but not too many. You can buy an add-free subscription, but I find the adds to be pretty low-key and they only play one add for every 20-30 minutes that I listen.

Biography Badness

2010-08-30T15:56:00.000-07:00

And when I say "badness," I mean the kind that actually is bad, not the kind that is good. I've tried to read two biographies this year. I have still not finished either of them. I usually only read one book at a time and I seldom give up on a book. I've now read several other books while still not finishing the two biographies. Ugh!

The first was inspired by watching Julie & Julia. I thought Julie was a narcissistic windbag, but I was intrigued by Julia. I wanted the whole story so I picked up Appetite for Life. That woman lived a fascinating life.That is, until you drag out the telling of it into 592 pages. There are books about the entire history of the modern world that are written in fewer pages. Worse yet, it started getting tedious before I'd even gotten 50 pages into the book. At almost halfway, I've given up. I'll just have to enjoy the fact that I have an idea of what happens next, because I won't be finishing this book.

The second biography I picked up was Pearl Buck in China. I loved The Good Earth and knew that Pearl Buck had lived in China, so it would have to be interesting. At least it's only 320 pages, so it's not quite as drawn out as Julia Child's biography, but I think it was written by a literary critic. It reads to me more like a dissertation than a novel and I really want a good story to latch onto. There are so many opportunities in the material, but it just never happens. I'm afraid, now that Pearl is living in the US again, that I've lost interest. I won't be finishing this one either.

Music Monday -- Sera Cahoone

2010-08-23T13:25:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, the DH and I set out for the No Depression Festival 2010 at Marymoor Park in Redmond. The day turned out to be sunny and warm (after the scary forecast of cool and rainy), so we started out happy. No Depression is an organization dedicated to roots music that used to have a monthly magazine that I subscribed to. They do a lot of music reviews and I've been introduced to a lot of great music through them.

The lineup for the festival included a couple of artists that the DH and I both like, and then a few we'd never heard of. Sera Cahoone is one that I hadn't heard of before the festival and I really enjoyed hearing her. The sets were all only 45 minutes, so I was sad that she couldn't play longer. I definitely could have listened to her a lot longer.

Her last album is called Only as the Day is Long and features many of the songs she sang at the festival. This is the song Baker Lake. It really highlights her lovely voice and guitar playing. I think I'll go buy the album now.

Eat, Pray, Love -- The Movie Review

2010-08-20T10:49:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, while Annzy was here, we snagged Sam and sent to a matinee of Eat, Pray, Love, the chick flick of choice for August. I had seen a few minutes of the Oprah show featuring the cast of the movie and it was a total love fest. Perhaps that got my expectations up a little too much. I was expecting something a bit more universally important and perhaps even more profound. Julia Roberts talked about several soul-stirring moments filming the movie. I expected something!

The good: The movie is visually lovely. The scenes in NY, Italy, India, and Bali are all beautiful. I enjoyed everything about the views in this movie. I also thought I liked the premise of a travel writer traveling a little more for herself and going on a journey of self-discovery. And of course, I love Julia Roberts and enjoyed her performance. Overall, the movie is like a Summer novel. It's great to enjoy while on vacation, but really won't stay with you.

The bad: I found the main character to be a little too narcissistic for my taste. I realize this is a journey of self-discovery, which by definition requires a certain level of navel-gazing, but it really was a bit much for me. I was looking for more Aha! moments for myself and found that particularly lacking in this movie.

The main character decides to enjoy a Neapolitan pizza while in Naples. I know very few people crazy enough NOT to do that. The real discovery for the main character in Italy is that she can be a whole, real person all by herself. I realize that this is an issue for some folks and I'm glad she figured it out, but it's not an issue I deal with.

In India, while living in a guru's ashram, the main character's goal is to learn to forgive herself. Although I think this is a very important concept that all of us have to learn, we don't get enough of the inner struggle to really understand that part of the journey.

In Bali, our main character decides that she can love someone without totally losing herself. It has to be conscious though. Again, we know that she has the struggle, but we don't get enough of the inner thought and learning to be able to learn and grow with her.

The ugly: The only ugly in this movie is the very strange side view of Javier Bardem's face. He's a fairly attractive guy, but there's something just a bit off about his face.

The verdict: The movie is lovely and skims over the surface a real issues that lie deep in the ugly parts of our psyches. If you want to while away a hot Summer afternoon in a cool movie theater, this movie is the perfect pick. If you're looking for any depth, then keep looking.

Fun, Food, and Friends

2010-08-17T20:51:00.000-07:00

On Friday, we got together with a few friends for a tapas party. We were requested to bring tapas to share with the group, so I had to put my thinking cap on. I don't really know anything about Spanish food, so I went online and looked around. Tapas is either really simple (like bruschetta) or really complicated. Because the party was on a Friday evening, I simply couldn't do complicated. I finally decided to make up my own recipe for empanadas and hope for the best. They ended up being really good! So, because I love you, I'll share my recipe.

Easy Empanadas
1 rotisserie chicken (I like the ones from Costco the best)
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 package taco seasoning
2 packages of prepared pie dough

Debone chicken and put in a large frying pan with tomatoes and seasoning. Simmer on low for 20-30 minutes so the flavors can mingle. Using a large round cookie cutter, cut circles from the pie dough. Dab water around the edge of the dough circle, place a spoonful of chicken mixture in the middle, and fold over to make a turnover. Crimp the edges if desired. You can also mix one egg with 3 T water and brush over the dough to make them shinier.

Bake for 14-16 minutes at 350 degrees or until lightly browned.

Serve with cilantro cream sauce.

Cilantro Cream Sauce
In a blender, mix one large tub of sour cream with one large bunch of cilantro. Add the juice of one lime and salt to taste.

Danskin Triathlon -- Part 4

2010-08-17T09:43:00.000-07:00

This is the part where I share my feelings, so get out now if you can't handle the gooey stuff of life.

The journey is still going on, but the Danskin Triathlon was a huge milestone for me. When I signed up, Kathleen and Annzy signed up too and it was so fantastic to know I wasn't doing the race alone. I've also had amazing support from my family, friends at work, at church, at the gym, and everywhere else imaginable. It has been so uplifting to have people tell me along the way that they know I can do it, that they believe in me. Seriously, the girl at the smoothie bar at LA Fitness in Ballard has been awesome! She asked me every time she saw me for months about how my training was going, how long I had to go, and how I was feeling about it. There was also one woman that I ended up sharing a lane with many times at the pool who was always super positive and supportive. I'm overwhelmed now just thinking about how much love and support is out there when you tell people what you're doing.

I've loved meeting up with Kathleen for years now to exercise, but it was even better to kick it up a notch and meet to swim both at the pool and the lake and cheer each other on. I'm so proud of her for doing this and believing in herself. She's a great example to me for doing this with gusto.

Mostly, it's been amazing to have the DH right there by my side this whole way. I don't think he realized what he was getting into when he agreed that I should do the triathlon. I know he'd like to know how fast he could run a 5K, but he has run every 5K right by my side encouraging me along the entire way. I know I've run faster because of his support. He's the perfect partner for me because he has been great at pushing me and still letting me go at my own pace.

During the race, I was extremely emotional. I was actually surprised at myself how emotional I was. I had been super calm during the days leading up to the race, but once I got to the transition area to put on my wetsuit, I started to get really panicked. It was hot and I was a little sweaty and it was hard to get the wetsuit on. It all went on fine, but i was getting a little worked up. When I finally walked out to the swim start, I had major butterflies in the tummy and anxiety on the brain. Fortunately, there were plenty of women talking and laughing and giving each other pep talks, so that made it easier. Once the swim started, I actually calmed down completely. It wasn't as crowded as I expected and I was prepared. It still seemed like an eternity in the water, but I could see the progress and just kept going on. When I finished the swim, I was totally relieved.

In the transition area, taking off the wetsuit and getting ready for the bike, I started to cry. I was just overwhelmed realizing that I was doing it. I was in the race. And I wasn't going to come in last. Then, I had almost a full hour in my own head while I cycled. That's a long time to be alone in a race, but I really wasn't near very many people for my entire bike ride. Part way in, I realized that it was a lonely sport. There were no spectators on I-90, no one doing any cheering there, just some other cyclists all spread out on the ride. I got pretty emotional again with mixed feelings. I was proud of myself for doing this thing and a little lonely doing it all by myself at the same time. The most exhilarated I felt during the whole race was when I got to the half-way mark of the bike leg. It was half over and I was owning it.

By the time I got to the run, I was just plain tired. All I could think about was keeping my feet moving. When I got to the top of the one hill of the course, I was simply relieved. Relieved that I had gotten that out of the way. Then, I just willed myself to keep going the rest of the way. Once I got close to the finish line, I was so happy to see my cheering section and to finish. Honestly though, it was a tiny bit of a letdown. I think I was too tired at that point to really feel the excitement of what I had accomplished.

Later in the day, I went to see if the times were posted on the Danskin website. They were already there and I could check my times and see that I had met all three of my goals that I gave myself. At that point, I cried again, all alone in front of the computer, by myself. I was so happy that I had met my goals!

And with that, I think I've broken it down every way possible now. You don't have to hear any more about my experience unless you ask.

Music Monday -- Pink

2010-08-16T15:36:00.000-07:00

Pink is my musician of choice today because she was my best training partner. I love running to her music. She was with my when I ran my first full 5K and hundreds of training sessions over the past year. She really knows how to rock it. The album that I listen to is Funhouse and it's got a pop meats punk kind of feel to it. It's not really that edgy, but the girl's got style and strength and I like both.

Now, I'll admit that when I bought the album, I didn't realize that it had explicit lyrics in it. On iTunes and Amazon, you can buy and listen to the clean versions of the songs. All of them are pretty easy to clean up because there's not that much that's questionable there (an occasional swear word vs. really awful subject matter).

I think my favorite song is Please Don't Leave Me. It's got a great beat. You can really dance to it.

Danskin Triathlon -- Part 3

2010-08-15T16:11:00.000-07:00

First, the spoiler. I did it! Now on to the story...

I didn't sleep well the night before the race. To begin with, it was what will most likely the hottest weekend of the year. We bought the air conditioning unit for the bedroom, but it was still hot. On top of that, I was pretty nervous. The worst part of this is that I was nervous the alarm wouldn't go off even though I had checked it twice. And of course, I got up before the alarm even went off because I was awake anyway.

the DH and Annzy and I left the house at 6:30 with the intent of watching my friend Kathleen get into the water for her wave at 7:10. We didn't move quite fast enough to see her get in, so I went and put all my things in my transition area and then we went down to the water for her exit and she looked great. I had signed up for the open waves, and those didn't start until 8:20, so I also took some time to help Kathleen pull off her wetsuit. After that, it was time for me to get ready for my race. I went to my transition area and put on my timing chip, set up all of my things to make it easier after the swim, and then put on my wetsuit to the waist. At 8:05 I headed over to the water to line up for the open waves of swimmers.

When I got to the swim start, it was amazing to see all the women there in red swim caps with me. There were three waves that still had to go before the open waves were ready to start, so I waited a little while to finish putting on the wet suit. It was pretty hot in the area and I knew I would be really warm with the wet suit on the rest of the way. I finally put it on and I loved how helpful all the women around me were. I had gotten a little sweaty, so it was hard to get the arms up, but with a little help from my new best friends, I was in the suit in a jiffy.
I was in wave 31, so had to wait for another four waves of red cap lovelies go in front of my while I tried to quell the butterflies. We moved into the "on deck" position while wave 30 waited for their start and then went down to the water after wave 30 left. It felt great to get in the cold water. Finally, we got the signal to go. I was right at the front on the right-hand side. I swim to the right on accident, so I wanted to be on the right so I wouldn't be able to swim all the way across the route and spend too much time going sideways. It was a good strategy. I felt strong in the swim, but I will say that it was really hard to swim with the huge group of women in the water. When I swam hard, I ran into groups of swimmers that were hard to get around. It felt a little like being on a crowded freeway when you come up to people going slower than you in all the lanes. It was good to have the experience and I think I'll be able to swim faster in the future.

As we came around the second buoy, the water got really choppy. The good news is that I never got panicky or had a problem swimming. I just knew I had to swim harder to stay on track and finish. There were tons of weeds in the water for the last 100 yards. I hate swimming in the weeds! It was great to get out of that. I was so happy to see the DH, Annzy, and Dr. Bowers and his wife at the end of the swim. I also finished in 25:46, below my goal of 30 minutes.

I then went to the transition area, peeled the wet suit off and then dried off a little and put on my t-shirt, shorts, helmet, gloves, and sun glasses. I got the bike off the rack and then walked over to the bike start area. I got on the bike and started riding toward I-90. I had been told about a tricky part at the entrance to I-90. It was a narrow steep area, but there were not a lot of cyclists around, so I really tried to ride the whole way up the steep area. I only got about 2/3 of the way up before having to get off my bike and walk it the rest of the way though. Then, I got back on and rode as hard as I could. The beginning of the I-90 portion of the route was down hill, so I wanted to get as much speed and momentum as possible. After that, it was kind of rolling up and down with flat in between for the rest of the way out and then the opposite heading back in. The end of the route, back to the park was super easy. I finished in 56:33, below my goal of 60 minutes.
After the bike ride, I dismounted and rolled the bike back to the transition area. I racked the bike, took off the helmet and gloves, and put on a ball cap. From there, I headed toward the run start. On the way, I ran into Kathleen. She was done and I was so proud of her! I started the run and could tell that I was really tired. My goal for the run was not a time, but simply to run the entire way. The course was flat all the way out and my run was very slow, but still a run. At about 2.5 miles into the race, there's a hill that is about the length of one city block and very steep. I knew it would be the hardest part of the whole day for me and it really was. I actually quit looking up and just concentrated on keeping the jog going and putting one foot in front of the other. I envisioned jogging in 1st gear. It worked and I made it to the top of that hill. I kept up the jog for the rest of the way and was excited to see my cheering section close to the end of the race. I ran pretty fast the last 100 yards, but that was my last bit of steam. I was so glad that I had accomplished my third goal and run the whole way. Even better, I was done!

It was really warm and I was totally spent at the end. I was so grateful to see Brock and Layla and Colin, Sam, and Max at the finish line in addition to the DH, Annzy, and Kathleen. It was a great time and it was wonderful to know that I had done what I set out to do.

Danskin Triathlon -- Part 2

2010-08-14T21:53:00.000-07:00

Today was check-in for the Danskin triathlon. Kathleen and I (and Annzy) met up at my house where Kathleen left her car with the bike rack and went in my car with Ann and me to Seattle Center to check in and get our packets.

When we arrived at Seattle Center, the line to get in was all the way around the block. It was insane! Fortunately, we met some really nice people in line that helped pass the time more quickly. It took about 45 minutes to get into the Exhibition Hall. When we got there, we went to the big books to find our race numbers. Then we got in another line to pick up our bibs, another line to get our chip anklets, and then another line to get our swim caps and shirts. After that, we got some additional swag (really great stuff like razors and deodorant!) and some free samples of Bear Naked granola, Luna Bars, and flavored water. We did everything we needed to there, then called the DH to bring the bikes to meet us at Genesee park.

With Kathleen at the expo building getting checked in

We drove over to Genesee park and met the DH and Dr. Bowers and his wife there. We racked our bikes and then walked to the swim area so we could see what it looked like, then walked back to the transition area and to the bike exit and entrance, then back and to the run exit. We both got great spots for our bikes right by the letters that were assigned to us so they'll be easy to get to. I'm also taking the chartreuse towels to lay out so I can see my spot easily.With Dr. Bowers and Kathleen at Genesee Park getting final prep done

Once we'd done all that, we had done everything we could there and headed home. Annzy and I went to a move with Sam and then Annzy and I met Patrick and Serafina for a fantastic carb-load dinner. This evening, I'm spending the rest of my time before the race packing my gear, checking it twice, and making sure I have everything I will need for tomorrow.

Tune in tomorrow for Part 3!

Danskin Triathlon -- Part 1

2010-08-14T21:16:00.000-07:00

A year ago in April, I started a journey to lose some significant weight. I knew that I would need something more than just the scale to keep me motivated, so I thought about what I could take on as a really big goal.

Later last Summer, I had lunch with a couple of friends from my Microsoft days and started to think seriously about doing a triathlon. My friend Jan is a super athletic, but also super positive and supportive. She thought it would be a great idea. My other friend, Rob, had just started his own business as a personal trainer and was certain I could meet my goal.

In the Fall, my friend Kathleen brought it up as something she'd like to accomplish in her 50th year. She, like me, wanted to do something big. I loved that she wanted to do it, because I knew she'd be a great partner on this journey. Our physician also supported the idea and volunteered to help out. With that, the decision was made. I would do the Danskin triathlon in August this year.

I started working out with Rob in October. At that point in time, I couldn't run a mile without stopping. For the record, I had NEVER been able to run a mile without stopping, even when I was in Junior High School and had to run the mile for P.E. class. It was something that I really wanted to be able to do. We got serious about running after Christmas. By January, I had conquered the mile. Patrick and I also signed up for a 5K in February as my second goal. I wanted to be able to run the full 5K by then.

On February 14th, we ran the Valentine's Day Dash at Greenlake and I ran the full way. It was exhilarating! I was so excited that I had done it that I actually cried. Great tears of joy! Rob and his partner Ron were there to cheer me on and Patrick stayed by my way the entire time to keep me going. I was so grateful for the support and happy that I could make it. I knew my goals were attainable at that point.

In April, Kathleen and I met at the pool at the gym for our first swim. I've never been a strong swimmer, but I took some lessons five years ago when I thought about doing the triathlon before. I wasn't sure what to expect. It wasn't pretty. I couldn't even swim a whole lap before getting too tired to go on. Rob suggested that I swim every day, and that gave me the confidence and stamina in the pool. Then Dr. Bowers and Kathleen met me and Patrick at the lake to do several open-water swims. All of that made me know that I can get through it. My swim time is slow, but it's good enough to get me through the race.

Patrick and I have also been on several bike rides to get ready for the race. It's been quite a lot of work, but also a lot of fun along the way. I've enjoyed more 5K runs, a lot of walking, and a lot of swimming -- including a swim in the 50-meter pool at the YMCA in Boise. I've done all I could do to prepare and lost 55 lbs along the way. I'm really excited to actually do the race now!

Here's some of the photographic evidence of how the goal has helped me change...

Music Monday -- Kickin' It Old School

2010-08-02T15:01:00.000-07:00

On our trip last week, I spent quite some time listening to some of my older music. Really, it was my first favorite... The Beatles. It was a result of my iPod synch going all wrong, but fortunately The Beatles were still there to keep me company. When I was young, my older brother and I had rooms across the hall from each other. At night, he would play the few albums he owned, including Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band and other Beatles classics. They became an integral part of the soundtrack to my childhood. I love a lot of the Beatles music, but my all-time favorite Beatles song is Norwegian Wood.

I also love quite a few covers. The I Am Sam soundtrack is another of my favorites. Sarah McLachlan singing Blackbird is one of the songs I like best from that collection.

Overcoming Fear

2010-07-28T16:46:00.000-07:00

I'll just go ahead and say it. I'm a big ol' fraidy cat. It's true. I'm also quite an amazing faker when it comes to pretending I'm not that big ol' fraidy cat that I really am. This year, however, I decided to face at least one fear head on. You all know that I've never even bit a little bit athletic. I participated in organized sports when I was young, but I never excelled at any of it and dropped out as soon as things got even a little bit competitive and I became a handicap for the team. I decided that I needed to take on a really big goal for the year, so I decided that I would do a sprint distance triathlon.

The funny thing is that many people (seriously, MANY) have told me it's an easy distance and no big deal. I think the intent of such comments is to assure me that I can do it easily. It sort of has the opposite effect on me though. I just think about how easy so many other athletic things are for other people that always came very hard to me. A little known fact about me is that I'm sure I drove my dad crazy when he was trying to teach me to throw a softball. How on earth could it possibly feel anywhere near natural for me to lead with my right foot as I throw with my right arm? It's a mystery to the athletically inclined. It is my reality.

Anyway, this triathlon is a really big deal for me. I've been in several 5K races, so I thought that might be OK. I've ridden my bike more than 20 miles in one day before, so that can't be so bad. However, the first part of the triathlon is a half-mile swim in Lake Washington. You can't even see the bottom, much less touch the bottom, when you're swimming out there. When I decided to do the triathlon, I hadn't been in a pool for three years. At all. And I was never what you might call a strong swimmer. This was going to be a challenge.

In April, I finally got in the pool. I had four months to figure it out. It didn't go well. I could swim one length of the pool and then needed to rest. I got heart palpitations just thinking of a half-mile open water swim. A half mile is 17.2 laps in the pool! That's more than 38 lengths and I couldn't even must two in a row. The fear grew. Then I talked to my trainer about it and he said I just needed to get in the pool every day. EVERY day. That sounded almost as scary.

My trainer came to the pool with me to give me some pointers and my technique improved. He also worked with me at the gym so my stamina would improve. It took about two months before I could swim 18 laps without really resting, but I got there. Now, I regularly swim 24 laps without resting.

I was invited to go on an open water swim in May, but refused on the grounds that the water would be too cold until after the 4th of July. It sounded like a good reason to me. I realized that waiting wouldn't make it easier though. I did my first open water swim the last weekend in June and I was truly very scared. I was actually worked up about it for the three days leading up to it. Even with all the pool work, I was very concerned about being in the open water and wasn't sure I could do it.

I rented a wet suit and showed up at Seward park to swim to the buoy and back. It's a quarter mile round trip. I'd been swimming twice that distance in the pool, so I shouldn't have had anything to worry about. I still worried about it. Once I was in the water, I had to really work to stay calm. When I started getting too worked up, I would turn onto my back and just float and breath for a moment to calm down, then turn back and continue to swim. After getting to the buoy, I was in a hurry to get back to the shore and get out of the water. My friends laughed that I got back a lot faster than I got out to the buoy. It's interesting how fear motivates.

So, I conquered my first open water swim. It wasn't pretty, but I did it. The funniest part is that no one out there that day had any idea how hard it was for me and how anxious I was in the water. Let's hear it for fakers!

A Letter to my 20-Something Self

2010-07-04T16:40:00.001-07:00

Last week, Annzy shared this blog post from Mighty Girl that was simply delightful. I then found out it was part of a project called 20-something self letters that blogger Cassie Boorn started. The call was this:

I am asking your to write a letter to your 20 year old self. Share the things that you questioned at 20 that you no longer questioned. Share your wisdom and advice. Give some guidance to another generation.

So, loving meme's as I do, I thought I should write a letter to my 20-something self on my birthday. And because I like you all, I'll even share it with you.

Dear 20-Something Self,

You are smarter and prettier than you give yourself credit for. You should take chances on things that might not turn out and really quit worrying about what other people think. Your life path won't look like anyone else's, so quit worrying about everyone else. And while you're at it, quit making decisions based on how you think your life might be ten years from now. You could always change paths. It's not as hard as you think it might be. Just go for it. If you want to be an opera singer, quit being a pansy and do it.

You should try to have a little more confidence in yourself. That lack of confidence won't do you any good. If anything, it just holds you back from having a lot of experiences that you might actually enjoy. You really ought to grow your hair out too. It looks better and you like it better. To help with the confidence, you really ought to try working out. That aerobics thing will never be more fun, but there are so many other choices that you could enjoy and would help you avoid health problems down the road. You will also find that you feel better and handle stress better when you try that exercise thing.

And finally, let yourself love more and be loved more. Invest more time in people and you'll be that much happier for it. You might get hurt more, but you will live more vitally and it will be worth it. It's OK to hug more people, tell people you love them, and cry a little more. All of those emotions will make your life fuller, not scarier. And while you're at it, just act crazy every once in a while. Sing karaoke out loud. You'll like it.

Love,
Your older and wiser self

Music Monday -- Muse

2010-06-21T14:47:00.000-07:00

My friend Layla over at The Grass is Greener has raved about the band Muse, so I had to find out what all the fuss was about. Their latest album is called The Resistance, so I took a listen. There's a little something in there that reminds me of Queen, so I was immediately hooked. The sound takes me back a bit and I really like it. I'm thinking it might be good workout music. It's perfect for turning up the volume.

I enjoyed the song Uprising, so here it is for your listening pleasure:

Father's Day

2010-06-20T15:46:00.000-07:00

1 John 4:18-19 reads: There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
We love him, because he first loved us.

As a young woman, attending church, it was easy for me to understand a loving Father in Heaven and a loving Christ. I was blessed with an example of a loving father that mirrored to me the way my Heavenly Father would love me. Only as an adult have I become fully aware of how lucky I was to have that relationship with my father. I have always loved him easily because I knew he loved me. I always knew I was safe when I was with my father and I knew he was looking out for me.

When I was young, I never remember my father leaving for work without telling my mother that he loved her. We always ate dinner together and my dad was interested in each of us individually, asking us about our day. He was a great example of living the principles that he taught. Even my friends knew my dad was someone we could all count on. As an adult, I realize how lucky I am that I was never afraid to call my dad when I was in a pinch, and even a friend or two turned to my dad.

On this Father's Day, I want my father to know what a great example he is to me and how much I appreciate his love and example. Here's to you, Dad!

Music Monday -- Yeasayer

2010-06-14T08:15:00.000-07:00

The DH and I have widely divergent taste in music, but we still find quite a bit that we can both enjoy. A few weeks ago, the DH came across the band Yeasayer that we've both been enjoying. The music takes me back to the late 80's or early 90's but still manages to sound new. The music videos are just plain weird, but great if you like that kind of thing. I prefer to just listen to the music. And, of course, the DH loves the videos.

This song, Ambling Alp, is one of my favorites.

Girrl Power

2010-06-10T12:38:00.000-07:00

As a woman with an English degree, I couldn't help but love this.

Big Apple -- Part 3

2010-06-09T21:23:00.000-07:00

On day 3, we had reservations for breakfast at Sarahbeth's on Central Park South. The food was divine and we all enjoyed their signature Four Flowers juice. It was a lovely way to start the day.

After breakfast, we walked up 5th avenue to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The exhibits are everything you would imagine them to be, but we had to laugh when we found out that the paintings we most wanted to see were in visual storage. They were renovating that part of the museum, so we got to see everything in cases instead of on the walls.

Day 3 looking at paintings through glass is not quite what we expected

After the museum, we walked across Central Park so we could say we'd been there and seen that. It was also a beautiful day and quite fun to see how the park is every New Yorker's back yard.

Day 3 walking through Central Park

After walking through the park, we went to Cafe Lalo for lunch. It's a restaurant that was in the latest You've Got Mail movie, so that's the recommendation we went on. We discovered once we were seated that it's basically vegetarian, but the real draw was the dessert, not the lunch. We chose three desserts to share amongst us and they were all wonderful. I had to have cannoli and theirs did not disappoint.

After lunch, we got back on the subway and headed North. We went to the Cloisters, a part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art that is dedicated to medieval art and architecture. Whitney was especially interested in seeing the Unicorn in Captivity tapestries. They're more that 500 years old and really magnificent. The room they were in had very low light, so pictures didn't turn out well, but you can trust me that they were worth the trip. We also enjoyed the wonderful architecture and religious art.

Day 3 view of a cloistered garden

Once we finished up at the Cloisters, it was already after 5:00. The day had gone by way too quickly, but we'd had a great time with everything we'd done so far. We decided that Whitney needed to see one last place, so we headed toward Lincoln Center, which is right across the street from the LDS Manhattan temple. We got a few good pictures in and then headed back to the subway.

Day 3 seeing the Manhattan temple

No trip to New York would be complete without some shopping on 5th Avenue, so that was our next stop. It was fascinating to see the elaborate window displays, visit Tiffany's, and go the the huge American Girl store.

Day 3 looking at the window displays on 5th Avenue

By the time we were done shopping, it was starting to get late. We had some authentic New York pizza for dinner and then visited our last tourist attraction of the trip. We took the elevators to the top of the Empire State Building and got to see the city at night. The lights were beautiful and it was really cool to look down on a big roof-top party that was going on not too far away. Of course, none of my pictures taken from there look very good, but the view was spectacular and we enjoyed the time there.

Then we spent one more night in New York, headed for the airport again, and went home. The party was over and it was one to remember.

The Big Apple -- Part 2

2010-06-09T20:46:00.001-07:00

On day 2, I got up early so I could run. Little did I know how unnecessary any extra exercise would be by the end of the day. We needed to get a relatively early start because we had a schedule to stick to on day 2. We started with a trip south on the Subway to Battery Park to get to the ferry to go to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Our tickets were for a specific time, so we were in a real hurry. When we got to the ferry area, we saw that there were huge long lines. There was a shorter line for ticket holders, but it still took a good half hour to get through the line, go through security, and get on the ferry. Apparently, the ticket time is not really for a specific sailing. It's just to manage the crowd.

Once we were on the ferry, we headed toward the Statue of Liberty.

Day 2 with Mom, Annzy, and Whitney by the Statue of Liberty

The statue is really beautiful there in the harbor, but we didn't have tickets to go to the top of the statue, so we just took a good look from the ferry and went on to Ellis Island. There, we got off the ferry and went on an audio tour of the main building. It was pretty powerful to see all the photos and think about all the people, many of whom spoke little English, dealing with the lines, delays, and stresses of getting through the processing there. One of my favorite things about the audio tour was that they had little testimonials from people who had actually come through Ellis Island when emigrating. I was also impressed with the displays they had there. Once we got through the displays and tour, we jumped back on the ferry.

Day 2 at the main building on Ellis Island

After getting off the ferry, we went to the financial district to take a tour of the New York Stock Exchange. The day we were there was the day that Express went public, so they had a huge banner on the front of the building and did a fashion show out front. We missed the fashion show, but that's OK. The tour was really interesting. We got to see how everything works on the floor, where the opening/closing bell is, and where all the reporters hang out. We also had a fantastic tour guide from Morgan Stanley who helped us understand the NYSE better and told us some great stories. We also got to see some of the other rooms in the building and hear about their history. Things sure have changed with the digital age!

Day 2 with the huge EXPRESS banner in front of the NYSE (and Whitney in the foreground)

After our tour, we walked over to Trinity Church, a beautiful old church in the heart of a bustling part of town. It has a small cemetery with head stones so old the writing has been worn off by the weather. It was beautiful and serene, so we took an opportunity to rest our weary feet before heading off to a late lunch.

Dan 2 at Trinity Church

Annzy knew of a shop she wanted to go to for lunch, so we headed there only to find out that they were out of just about everything. We left without lunch, but with a box of Macaron cookies to hold us over. Fortunately, there were a dozen choices right on the same block, so we have Mexican food. The best part was the amazing guacamole they brought us. It was some of the best I've had.

Once we finished lunch, we went to China town to see if we could find any amazing bargains. It looked like what was available didn't really suit our tastes as much as we had hoped, so we didn't spend too much time there.

Day 3 shopping for purses and deals in China town

We headed back to the hotel for a little siesta and then got ready to go to Promises! Promises! It's a revival of a 60's Broadway show starring Kristen Chenowith and Sean Hayes. The retro music, sets, and costumes were delightful and we had a wonderful time. After leaving the show, we headed to Times Square. It's just amazing how lively that place is regardless of the time.

Day 3 ending the evening with a walk through Times Square

We enjoyed people watching and shopping and then headed back to the hotel for a good night's rest.

The Big Apple -- Part 1

2010-06-09T20:29:00.000-07:00

The middle sister turned 40 this year, so the youngest sister dreamed up the big idea of taking her to New York City for a big birthday blow-out. All of us liked the idea of a trip to New York, so we agreed to a plan and set a date. The birthday was in March, but because you just can't count on the weather then, we decided to go in May instead. Lucky for us, that bet paid off and we had beautiful weather while we were there.

Mom and the sisters met up in Salt Lake and flew to NYC together, but my flight arrived an hour before theirs. The planets conspired against us somehow and zapped all of our cell phone batteries on the trip there. It really was quite a mystery to all of us. We all started with fully charged phones, then got off the plane and had low batteries. ALL of us! It made the meet-up a bit more stressful than it should have been, but we found each other after only about an extra 10 minutes and went to take the train into the city. Annzy took charge of transportation for the trip and got us on the right train and subway to get us to the wonderful hotel she booked. It was a quick ride in (about 45 minutes) and we walked all of about 100 yards to the hotel entrance from the subway exit.

Day 1 waiting for the subway to take us into the city

We checked into our room and realized that it was later than we thought, so we headed out and made our way to Serendipity for dinner. We had yummy dinner and then shared two desserts, including their world famous frozen hot chocolate. Unfortunately, we didn't call 48 hours in advance, so we couldn't get the Golden Opulence Sundae, with the price tag of $1,000.00. So sad for us.

Between the wait for a table and the transit time, it was very late by the time we got back to our hotel, so that was it for our first day in NYC. Of course, the highlight of day one was meeting up with the wonderful women in my family and having a great time with them.

Music Monday -- The National

2010-06-07T18:18:00.000-07:00

The National is a new band I've been listening to. I think I like them. I bought the album High Violet and I've enjoyed it so far. The band has gotten great press for this album, which is how I heard about them, and I find the music interesting, but not overpowering. Take a listen. It's pretty good stuff.

Believe It

2010-05-20T11:07:00.000-07:00

While traveling last week, I took some time to read Triathlons for Women by Sally Edwards. The book is very well written and an easy read, but I'm not sure it had the intended response from me. The intro to the book specifically states that the goal of the book is to get women motivated and excited about triathlons. I think I got scared. I'm not going to let it get to me, but I didn't feel excited about the triathlon when I put the book down. I really felt a bit mortified.

As hard as I've been training, and as much confidence I have in my ability to finish the event, I still have the huge fear of the unknown. I've talked about signing up for another triathlon five weeks after the one I'm signed up for now, which might sound just crazy coming from someone scared of the one race. My thought process really isn't that crazy though. I've been thinking that the first race will be harder because it will be foreign and new, not because I won't have trained enough and be ready for the swimming, biking, and running. If I were to do the second race, it would be the exact same course and I would have a better idea of what to expect and I think it would be a lot easier. Reading about what to wear and how to transition from one part to the next are the pieces that have me wondering what I've gotten myself into and I know those are the little things.

Yesterday, I swam 18 laps and took small breaks after each two full laps. It was hard, but I could do it. I've made huge progress in the swimming since I started swimming everyday (and had to rest after every length) six weeks ago. Yesterday, I also ran intervals with some at 6mph on the treadmill. My rest on the treadmill is jogging slowly instead of walking now, and that progress has been in the last four months. I'm amazed daily at the progress I have made and the abilities I'm cultivating. I'm also learning that I can do things that I didn't think were possible even six months ago. Most of all, I'm seeing the power of setting a goal and believing in myself. I've had plenty of people tell me I could do something like this, but I'm just now starting to believe it.

Sally Edwards may not have motivated me the way she thought she would, but I'm on my way to being a triathlete.

Overheard

2010-05-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

I promise I did not make this up. You may know that I'm swimming daily, which means spending a lot of time at the gym. I show up, strip to my suit, swim several laps, then shower and move on with my day.

Yesterday, while I was showering, I overheard the following:

Brrring, brrring, brrring...
pause and the sound of water running (it was in the showers)
Brrring, brrring, brrring...
another pause and the sound of water running
Brrring, brrring, brrring...
Hello? Hello! I'm in the shower, so I can't talk now. Can I call you back in half an hour?
pause...
Where are you? Oh, really? You have the day off? Well...

And then the conversation continued for about three minutes.

Who answers the phone when they're showering? I mean, really? It's not like you could get to an emergency from the shower any faster than if you heard about it when you got out. You'd still have to dry off and get dressed.

I know I have issues with disconnecting from technology, but that was even worse than I could imagine.

Catching Some Hapiness

2010-05-06T15:46:00.000-07:00

My good friend Layla over at The Grass is Greener is doing something fun for her birthday. She maintains that Happiness is Contagious and I think she may be onto something there. She asked everyone who reads her blog to send her a Happy List. I didn't want to limit the viewing of my Happy List to her readership, so I'm putting it here on my blog. It's all good stuff.

Happy List:

cool breezes on a warm day
feeling really strong
the last few minutes of the day lying in bed with the DH and talking (or listening to him snore)
clean sheets on the bed, especially when they're just a little warm from the dryer
chocolate
fresh cut flowers for no reason
watching antiques roadshow with the DH
sleeping in
road trips
lavender
vanilla ice cream
no socks
trips to boise
new clothes (especially when I have to buy a size smaller than I thought)
cute squishy babies
purses
going out to dinner
clean house
shoes
teaching the youth sunday school class
singing, especially to oldies in the car with the DH
long hot shower after a killer workout
reading great blog posts

Thanks, Layla, for suggesting the Happy List. It made me happy thinking of all these things.

Random Thoughts

2010-05-05T11:53:00.000-07:00

This morning, on the way to work, the song "Life's Been Good to Me So Far" by Joe Walsh came on the radio. It's one of those songs that just feels like it's always been around. The thing it made me think of was taking baths as a little kid. There's a part in the song that sounds just like the drain in the bathtub would when I put my head under the water. I'm not sure why, but hearing that just made me smile on my drive.

Star Wars Day

2010-05-04T15:29:00.000-07:00

May the 4th be with you! I'm just enough of a geek to care that it's Star Wars day. Click here to see the DH and me starring in our own Star Wars movie.

Swimming for Fun and Profit

2010-04-22T11:20:00.000-07:00

Today is Thursday. I started "swimming every day" on Monday, so I've gone four days straight now. You may wonder why in the world I would do this (or maybe I just think that because several people have asked). Here are the reasons that I shouldn't do this:

I'm really not a huge fan of swimming. It's tiresome and hard.
I hate wearing a swimsuit (and who doesn't, really?).
I hate how the chlorinated pool dries out the skin and does a number on the hair color.
I haven't had to swim since I was twelve and that was under duress.
I don't like to get up any earlier in the morning that absolutely necessary.

Even though it's counter-intuitive, I'm still taking on the challenge. In August, I'm going to participate in the Danskin Triathlon. The first leg of the race is a half mile swim in Lake Washington. The water will be cold, there will be no bottom of the pool, and I will be swimming with 100 of my closest friends splashing around me. This is more than a little intimidating to me.

Last week, I raised my concerns with my trainer. I'm worried that even though I've been swimming "regularly" that it's not enough to be ready for the half mile in August. My trainer is super supportive and very practical. He was a competitive swimmer in college and is very familiar with what it takes to do a half mile swim. He also knows my capabilities right now and he wants me to be confident when the big race comes. He knew I wouldn't savor the idea, but told me the best way to be ready would be to swim every day. It doesn't matter how long, how far, or anything else. Just be in the water every day.

So, this is why I am swimming every day:

I want to be comfortable swimming with splashing around me and with someone in the same lane.
I want to not think about my breathing because it's second nature.
I want to feel strong and not ever have to touch the bottom of the pool.
I want to be able to swim 18 laps without stopping, and have it feel easy.
I want to avoid freaking out because I got water in my mouth or nose.

All of those things will happen if I'm in the pool every day. I'm still deciding if Sunday counts as a day. Even an "every day" swimmer may need a day of rest.

Music Monday -- She & Him

2010-04-20T11:01:00.000-07:00

Thanks, Amazon, for introducing me to the duo She & Him. The group is made up of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward. You may have seen Zooey in (500) Days of Summer or Bridge to Terabithia. She's also on Cisco and Cotton commercials, so I'm sure you've seen her around. I don't know anything about M. Ward other than apparently he met Zooey when they needed to record something for a movie they were both a part of.

I purchased Volume 2 and hope to enjoy it all summer. The music is a little retro, not folk or country but with a bit of a folk sound to Zooey's voice. The music itself is totally modern and fun and just the type of music you'd listen to in the car on a sunny day with the window rolled down.

The song below is "In the Sun" from their second album:

It's About Time

2010-04-18T18:22:00.001-07:00

It was just about two years ago that Annzy delivered the amazing Drunk Love quilt. Last week, I started the binding. It's the one task that Annzy left for me. The DH and I have had the quilt on our bed for these past two years without the binding being done, so it really is about time I did it. I'm at least a 20th of the way done. I'm sure I'll be done before the end of the year.

Update: I hung out with lovely women this evening and sewed the entire time. I'm about a quarter of the way done with the binding.

I Had NO Idea!

2010-04-17T11:49:00.000-07:00

Apparently there's a trend on this interweb thingy that includes Legos and music. I had NO idea such a thing existed until I read about it on Mashable. Who knew I could be so behind on such a trend? Well, I'm trying to catch up. And, because I'm such a giver, I'll help you catch up as well. First, by making sure you know about the trend, and second by letting you watch this very cool Lego ABBA music video.

Your Life is Awesome!

2010-04-15T11:32:00.000-07:00

I just found this blog called 1000 Awesome Things and I think I love it. Reading the top 1000 awesome things made me think, laugh, maybe even cry a little. But mostly, it just reminded me that life is pretty awesome most of the time. And I don't mean that in the "totally rad and really awesome" overly stated kind of way. I mean that life inspires awe in me regularly. I'm in awe at how Ichiro can hit a tiny ball into the stands. I'm in awe of the generosity of a birth mother giving her child up for adoption so my friend can have the kids she desperately wants, but can't have on her own. I'm in awe of the sunrise that I saw this morning. I'm in awe of the love that I can feel for my husband that I didn't even know I had in me and has grown immensely since we married almost five years ago. I'm in awe of how smart the crazy raccoons in the city are.

Race for the Cure

2010-04-14T16:15:00.000-07:00

My manager isn't at work this week. She started aggressive chemotherapy last Monday and isn't feeling up to it.

Three months ago, C had blood on her nipple and went to the doctor to have it checked out. Within six weeks, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and scheduled for surgery to remove the tissue and any lymph nodes that might be effected. After the surgery, they decided that the margins weren't large enough from the cancerous tissue, and she had more tissue removed.

After having an easy recovery from surgery, C was given the options for continued treatment. The oncology team recommended four treatments of chemotherapy at three-week intervals. They told her she'd be pretty sick for about three days following the treatment. Apparently this was the understatement of the century for C. After an easier that expected recovery from surgery, she had a worse than expected reaction to the chemotherapy.

While C is out, I've taken on some of her responsibilities. She divided everything between several people so it wouldn't be too difficult for any one person. I'm more than happy to do whatever I can to make it easier for her. She is married with two young daughters and I know this will be a hard Spring and Summer for all of them. The prognosis is good, but there will be several very hard months ahead with the treatment C is getting right now.

In June, the DH and I will run in the Race for the Cure for our 5th year. It has new meaning to me as I do what I can to support my manager in her fight. If you're interested in helping out, then please sponsor me by going to my Race for the Cure Fund Raising Page and make a donation. The other alternative would be to sign up and join me and the DH on June 6th as we run for a cure. It's only 5K (3.08 miles), so I know you could do it. Come on!

Utah Weekend

2010-04-13T11:17:00.000-07:00

For Easter weekend, the DH and I headed out to Utah. We flew in Thursday evening and headed to the Marriott hotel. On Friday, we walked around temple square and then headed over to Hires to meet my good friend Shalene and enjoy a Big H. I love their burgers and enjoyed introducing the DH and Shalene to the goodness. Shalene drove down from Idaho Falls just for lunch with us. What a trooper! We had a wonderful time catching up and hearing about all that's been going on for the past few years. Then Shalene turned around and drove back to I.F. and the DH and I headed South to Provo. There, I took the DH on a mini tour of BYU campus. I showed him the dorms I lived in my Freshman and Sophomore years and then we walked around the Student Union building and out to main campus to see a few other buildings. The DH may have also found a new BYU sweatshirt along the way (but I refrained from buying the divine chocolate covered cinnamon bears).

After touring campus, we hooked up with Annzy and our good friends Darin and Liz at Pizzaria 712 in Orem. The pizzaria was very much like Delancy here in Seattle. The food was amazing, but the company was even better. We had a great time getting to know the newest addition to Darin and Liz's family, Thor. He's six months old and happy as the day is long. He was such a trouper, even when we could tell he was getting tired.

On Saturday, we lazed around for the morning, then met Annzy at Red Iquana for an early lunch. This is my favorite Mexican restaurant, and I've gone out of my way more than once to eat there. We had a wonderful lunch and then headed back to the hotel to change clothes and go to the afternoon session of LDS General Conference. The session was lovely and then we went back to the hotel. Things got interesting when Gage called to tell us that E had conked his head with a shovel and they were at the Doc in a Box seeing about stitches. E ended up being OK and Gage still made it down to SLC so he and the DH could go to the Priesthood session of conference at the conference center. In the mean time, Annzy and I got some Jamba and headed South to hang out with the rest of Gage's family in his absence. I swear, those boys E and M are a laugh riot. We had a great time hanging out and enjoyed their stories and antics. By the time the DH and Gage were back with dinner, it was 9:00, so we ate while the kids pretended to be going to sleep.

On Sunday, we drove down to Springville to hang out with my second family, the Conrad's. We had an amazing Easter brunch and of course had a wonderful time reconnecting. This was the DH's first time meeting the family and he was impressed with them. Good thing! It was sad to have to leave, but we had to fly home that night, so we left them all watching the afternoon session of conference and headed back to the airport.

I love visiting Salt Lake and only wish I had more time to connect with more friends. It looks like there will be a big mission reunion in July, so we may just have to plan another trip!

Music Monday -- Pomplamoose

2010-04-12T13:53:00.000-07:00

I was going through my posts to see what I'd already featured on Music Monday and was horrified to realize that I have not share Pomplamouse with all my bloggerific friends. You all deserve to her Pomplamouse! Because I care.

Pomplamoose is made up of Jack Conte and Nataly Dawn. I love Nataly's voice, but it's the rhythms that get me with this duo. NPR did a story on them, because they don't have any record deals or promoters. They've really just become a YouTube sensation. I was able to buy a few songs on iTunes, but the selection was severely limited. To really enjoy them, I recommend their YouTube Channel. It's really fun.

They do a lot of covers and I was introduced to them by Annzy when she found their Single Ladies cover. It's the best rendition of that song that I've heard. Good stuff.

I also like this video for "If You Think You Need Some Lovin" that showcases Nataly's voice very nicely.

What fills us is real, sweet, dopey, funny life

2010-04-07T11:49:00.000-07:00

I just read an essay in Sunset Magazine by Anne Lamott. I loved her book Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith and enjoy her take on becoming a writer. I'd recommend anything she writes, because she's honest and real and conveys her message in writing that is without peer.

In the essay, she talks about taking time to slow down for at least a half hour a day. It's advice that I need to take. I think I need to evaluate the kinds of commitments I make and determine which I should take out of my life.

When I was a missionary in Switzerland, I had a conversation with a woman about prayer. Apparently, she had read a study that indicated that people who practice prayer or meditation are generally more healthy in both body and mind. I liked the idea that science could get behind prayer. But it also made me wonder what science would find as the connection between prayer and wellness. In the end, I came up with my own hypothesis and I'm pretty sure that Anne would be on my side. When we slow down and ponder the things we are grateful for, the things we are in need of, and the many ways we are blessed, it seems only natural that we would in turn feel more peace in our lives. This slowing down, even if only for a short time during the day, brings more stillness to our minds, helping us break away from the frenzy that our lives can sometimes become.

Life is so full of real things that have nothing to do with Twitter, Facebook, or my work calendar and e-mail. It's time for me to turn it off at some point during the day and live in real life. Hopefully, for me, that also means more writing.

Music Monday -- Caitlin Crosby

2010-04-05T21:45:00.000-07:00

The DH doesn't have the same taste in music that I do, but he's figured me out and can find music that I really like. Several weeks ago, he gave me a CD to play in the car. I put it in and instantly knew he had found another keeper. The album is Caitlin Crosby's Flawz. One thing I love about the album is that Crosby has several different styles on the album. The first song sounds like classic doo-wop, others have more of a pop feel, and some are a little edgier. There's not much edge here though. It's just good clean fun.

I really like the song Flawz. Watch the video below. The music starts about one minute in though.

Blast from the Past

2010-04-01T08:42:00.001-07:00

And when I say "Blast for the Past," I mean loooooong past. Pictured is a pincushion made by my great-great-great-grandmother. It's an heirloom that I treasure.

Growing up, this pincushion hung on the wall behind my mom's sewing machine. It was always there, and had lots of pins in it. I loved taking it down and reading the back, where it says that it has been handed down to the oldest daughter for 6 generations.

Last week, my church had an event where they asked us to volunteer to bring treasured heirlooms for a display. They also wanted some history on the piece, so I did a tiny bit of research in the form of reading up on my ancestor from the book "The Trio's Pilgrimage."

The pincushion was hand-made by Maria Thomas Bywater. I learned that she joined the Mormon church with her family in Wales when she was eight years old. They traveled to Salt Lake, first by ship and then in a wagon train, walking almost the entire way from Keokuk, Iowa to Salt Lake, when she was 12 years old. I was simply amazed when I read about her. I can't even imagine what that journey of almost six months must have been like. I also read about her falling in love with her husband James and the difficulty she had in accepting a sister wife when he was asked to participate in polygamy. Her life was full of heartache, pain, and joy. I loved reading that she experienced great joy with her family and that she was a delight to be around for her entire life. She left a great legacy.

She made the pincushion after arriving in Utah. The pincushion was handed down to Maria's oldest daughter, who gave it to her oldest daughter, who gave it to her oldest daughter, who gave it to her oldest daughter, who gave it to her oldest daughter, who is me, the sixth oldest daughter in a direct line to own the pincushion.

Danskin -- Here I Come!

2010-03-30T16:57:00.001-07:00

Registration for the Danskin Triathlon opened last week and I signed up. I'll confess that this is not the first time I've signed up. I chickened out twice. This time will be different though. You may be asking yourself why I think this time will be different. I've asked myself the same question, and fortunately I have an answer.

This time, I started training in November. And, I didn't just start training. I made a real commitment. With that commitment, I've already seen some pretty great results. I've actually RUN my first 5K and I'm working to run a 5 mi race in two weeks. I'm confident that I can do those things and that gives me the confidence to know that I can do the triathlon.

This time, I also have a different type of support. My physician is supporting me. He happens to be a triathlete himself and has done some coaching with me in the pool to start improving the swimming. My trainer is actually my friend and is able to push me in ways that no other trainer ever has. That has come with results I don't think I even believed in myself. I have a good friend here in town who is training with me and we're now swimming together once a week (and egging each other on).

I'm not sure I really knew I could do this the other times that I signed up, but I know I can do it this year. I'm also really enjoying the changes that come with training for this really big goal. I feel good. I sleep pretty well. Life is good!

Music Monday -- Broken Bells

2010-03-29T16:30:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while. March has just been a crazy month. Things are going to calm down though, I'm quite sure of it. Or, at least I'm hopeful. During this crazy month, the DH at some point introduced me to the band Broken Bells. It's the name of the band and of the album. I don't even think the DH likes them that much, but they played at South by Southwest this year and they seem to be making quite a splash.

I really like this song, Sailing to Nowhere. Enjoy!

Color Career Counselor

2010-03-01T13:20:00.000-08:00

I just took a kind of fun Color Career Counselor test and found the results to be uncanny! It said that I'm a "Creator" and listed the perfect jobs for me. On the list were: Technical Writer, English Teacher, Corporate Trainer, Author, and Editor. My horoscope never comes that close to reality. Who knew that my color preference had anything to do with my career choice? It also indicates that I'd be a good Architect, Web Designer, Reporter, Medical Illustrator, Landscape Architect, and Package Designer. I have a feeling I don't have the chops for any of those though.

My second best career indicated that I'm a "Persuader" and that means that I'm one of those "enterprising types that sell, persuade, and lead others." Have I sold you on how great this quiz is yet?

Honestly, the list of jobs was long enough to be pretty inclusive, so maybe it really is only as good as my horoscope, but it was fun to take.

Music Monday -- OK GO

2010-03-01T08:54:00.000-08:00

I have one album from the group OK GO. The music is good, but the music videos are simply brilliant. You have to see it to believe it. On one level, I think it must be a ton of work to put together the videos that they do, but they look like they're having so much fun that it's simply infectious. This video is from their latest album, Of the Blue Color of the Sky that isn't even in stores until tomorrow. I just may have to purchase it.

OK Go - This Too Shall Pass from OK Go on Vimeo.

Goal Achieved!

2010-02-16T21:09:00.001-08:00

Late last year I started working on my fitness level with the goal of doing the Danskin Triathlon this coming August. I have worked with many trainers and always had the goal to be able to run a mile. I could never do it -- not even in Jr. High or High School P.E. class.

In November, I started working out with a new trainer and told him I had the specific goal of being able to run a mile. He told me I was setting my sights too low. I thought he was being a little over-zealous. Now I'm happy to admit to being wrong. Rob not only helped me get to run a mile, but got me to run an entire 5K (3.106 miles) straight.

On Saturday, the DH and I ran the Valentine's Day Dash around Greenlake in Seattle.

In the picture, the DH is the one with the number on his leg and I'm in the green jacket and pink ball cap right behind him.

Finishing the race without walking even one step was one of the best feelings I've ever had. I'm thrilled that I have achieved the first part of my goal, or rather achieved the greater goal that my trainer put in place. Soon I'll be easily swimming a half mile and biking 12 miles without a thought. I will be a triathlete. And that will feel even better than the 5K.

Thoughts of Sugarplums

2010-02-12T11:30:00.000-08:00

I saw this on Design*Sponge and thought to myself, "self, you could do something even better!" What if I baked yellow cake in my smallest mixing bowl, then put Granny's Cream Pudding in the middle and the Chocolate Ganache frosting I make for Cherry Chocolate Cake on top. Would that be the most mind-blowingly awesome dessert?

Music Monday -- Hotel Lights

2010-02-01T21:32:00.000-08:00

I was looking for some music a few weeks ago and listening to the songs recommended in the "if you like this artist" section. I can't remember who the original band was that I was listening to, but it brought me to Hotel Lights. I purchased the album Firecracker People and I've been enjoying it ever since. I think the band would be classified as Indie-Pop. It's not too mainstream, but also not too far left of center.

I've enjoyed all the tracks for the most part, but there are a couple of standouts. Firecracker People and Norina are a couple of my favorites, but I couldn't find them to share from YouTube. Blue Always Finds Me is the only song I could grab from this album. It's not my very favorite song from the album, but I like it a lot. I hope you do too.

Best Mom Ever!

2010-01-19T16:15:00.000-08:00

Most of you probably think that you have the best mom, but you're just plain wrong. I have the best mom ever. She's very cool in many ways, but today she's cool in one of my favorite ways. She can sew and quilt like nobodies business and she recently finished a quilt for me and the DH.

I have some friends out there who know how hard it is to piece a quilt with curves in it. For the rest of you, it's SUPER difficult! See all those small pieces that make up the variation in the blue of the rings in the picture? Each one has to be sewn together, and then the ring gets sewn to the white piece that doesn't have any straight lines, and then it's supposed to lie flat. In my mom's world, she sews it and it lies flat. My world doesn't work quite that way, so I can appreciate the talent that it take for her to make that happen.

But beyond the fact that it's a difficult patter to piece, she also hand quilted the entire queen size quilt. And after that, she bound it by hand.

But most of all, she made it just for me with lots of love and that's just about all a daughter could wish for. She'll say that it's taken way too long and that there's some flaw in it, but that's just because it's her way. She's humble like that. It's part of her charm.

So, be jealous. Be very jealous! I have the best mom ever and the quilt to prove it.

Civic Duty

2010-01-18T16:15:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago, I got a summons to appear for jury duty. The date came last week and I had to be there a minimum of two days. The DH dropped me off at the King County Courthouse on Wednesday morning and I reported for duty. Most of the morning was spent sitting in the jury room with my laptop. They have free wifi and a bunch of tables and chairs, so it was pretty comfortable and I was able to get caught up on some work.

A bit before noon, they called 75 of us to be the jury pool for one trial. We had to fill out a questionnaire that asked if we had any experience with drug abuse, sexual abuse, or mental illness. It also stated that the trial would require approximately three weeks of service. It was our opportunity to write either why we couldn't serve for three weeks or if we didn't want to talk in the court room in front of everyone about any of the three topics listed.

After lunch, we were taken to the courtroom and introduced to the honorable judge Susan Craighead. (One funny thing is that the woman in the jury room who announced everything had a bit of an accent and every time she said the judges name, it sounded like crackhead instead of Craighead.) The judge explained to us how the jury selection process works and then we met the plaintiff, defendant, and attorneys. The case was brought by the county, so there was no actual plaintiff, just the attorney. The defendant was there with an attorney and paralegal. We were then told that the defendant was charged with murder in the second degree. At that, I felt horrible. No matter how much CSI I watch, I didn't want to hear details of a real murder. I'm pretty good at separating fiction from reality, but reality can be horrid and I didn't want to know any more.

After being instructed in the courtroom process, the attorneys each took 20 minutes to ask questions. Because there were so many of us, we each had numbers assigned and would simply hold up our number if our answer was "no" to any of the questions. Sometimes they would ask anyone who said no to elaborate and sometimes they just took down the numbers. I was number 67. We took an afternoon recess and then had one more round of questions. At 3:00, they let everyone go except for the people who had asked to only talk about their answers in private. I took the bus home and got caught up on work that I didn't get done in the two hours of actual court room time that day.

On Thursday, we all reported to the jury assembly room again and waited to be called to the court room. We went up around 9:30 and saw that another half dozen people had been excused from that trial after talking to the judge and attorneys. That morning, the attorneys continued asking questions, we held up our numbers if the answer was no, and some of us got to clarify our answers. We had a morning recess and lunch recess, and after each recess a couple more would be dismissed for one reason or another. The final round of questions was after lunch and then the attorneys had the time during our afternoon recess to determine who else they wanted to kick off and we went back to the court room for the final process.

During the final process, there are 14 jurors in the jury box (12 angry men and two alternates) and the rest of us were in the benches at the back of the room. Each attorney had six opportunities to dismiss another juror. They would review the answers they'd heard from the 14 in the box and then select one person to dismiss. Each attorney would dismiss one juror and then the other attorney would do the same until they had each dismissed six. Once they did that, there were still four people in front of me on the benches and three behind me, so the eight of us were dismissed because they had their group. It was all done by 3:30 that afternoon.

When I got home, I was no longer under orders to stay impartial, so I did an internet search on the defendant and got to find out what he was accused of. I found out that he had actually confessed to committing the crime, so I was left to assume that his defense had something to do with claiming that he had mental illness that impaired his ability to control his actions.

Having had this experience, I think I would really like to be selected as a juror, but on something non-violent and short. I met some really nice people while waiting around and the judge and attorneys were so nice and were genuinely grateful that we were there. I do know that I won't dread the summons if I get selected for jury duty again.

Music Monday -- Eastmountainsouth

2010-01-18T15:06:00.000-08:00

I really enjoy acoustic music with a bit of a folk feeling and I'm very partial to great harmonies. The two artists in this vocal duo sound like their voices were made for each other. As far as I know, they only have one album titled Eastmountainsouth. My friend Sarah introduced them to me and gave me the album and I've hoped for more ever since.

Music Monday -- Peter Gabriel

2010-01-12T17:09:00.001-08:00

Yes, I realize that it's Tuesday and that I'm a day late. It's OK though, because today I'm talking about a great classic album. Peter Gabriel has been around for a long time and produced some really good tunes, but the best is SO. Before going solo, he was part of Genesis, a great band of the 70's. I'm glad he left Genesis so I could have the album, SO. It's fantastic and one of my all-time favs. Take a listen to this great track (though any of them could fit that bill).

Not Yo Mama's Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

2010-01-07T09:58:00.000-08:00

The DH and I went to see Sherlock Holmes with friends on New Year's Eve. It was a great way to spend and evening and we both really liked the movie.

The movie was directed by Guy Ritchie. I haven't seen many of his movies, but he was the director of Snatch, which I thought was brilliant. Seriously, if you have not seen it, you must (but don't judge me for loving it if you hate it). Guy Richie likes the over-saturated, kinetic film style and it's a style that I like, so it works for me.

Sherlock Holmes is definitely in Guy Ritchie's style. It has the perfect look for industrial 19th-century London and the effects with slow-motion really worked for me. However, if you want to see a movie that closely resembles any of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes mystery novels, you will be disappointed. This movie is about action and style. Robert Downy, Jr. is great at both, plus he looks pretty good in the process. I also enjoyed Jude Law as the more proper Dr. Watson. The two had great chemistry and played their roles very well.

If you're interested in an action-packed version of the detective, this movie is for you.

Little Women

2010-01-06T15:35:00.000-08:00

As a child, our family would travel the two and a half hours to Burley to visit Granny and Papa, my paternal grandparents, on a regular basis. Their place felt as much like home to me as my parents’ home in Boise. I didn’t have any cousins my age, so I spent my time just hanging out with Granny, going on Papa’s gas route with him, or spending time on my own. With time on my hands, I spent most of it doing one of my favorite things, reading. Granny had a large collection of books as reading was one of her life-long passions.

I still remember finding Little Women on the shelf at Granny’s house. I devoured it in a weekend, stopping only for meals. I fell in love with Laurie, idolized Jo, and cried for Beth. Like most of my favorite books, I hated that it had to end. Granny didn’t have any of the sequels, so it was years before I even knew they existed.

Fast forward twenty years. In my early 30’s, I had to travel quite a bit for my job. The biggest perk was that I got all the sky miles and my manager let me have Fridays off on occasion because I had to travel on most Sunday evenings. With a built in three-day weekend, I flew to places other than home on some of the weekends using my free tickets purchased only with the sky miles. I got to go see Ann while she was working in Washington DC and I got to go with my friend Camille to visit our old roommate and friend Catherine in Boston. We had a great adventure there, but my favorite part of the trip was going to Concord. We saw Walden Pond and the home of Henry David Thoreau, but the best part was going to Orchard House, the home of Louisa May Alcott when she wrote Little Women. The setting was beautiful and I felt like I knew Miss Alcott even better after that lovely visit.

Last week, I watched a PBS program on Louisa May Alcott. I was surprised to find out that she sold more books and earned much more money in her lifetime than both Henry James and Herman Melville combined. She did quite a good job of turning her talent into gold for her family, which was a good thing since her father had never done well at providing for the family. I enjoyed hearing about her clever wit and abundant personality. It made me like her even more.

Another Finished Project

2010-01-06T09:11:00.001-08:00

Patrick's niece, Katy, and her husband Quinton had an adorably cute baby just before Christmas. When I found out she was pregnant, I want right to work thinking about the great baby blankets I could make. I bought the fabric and fell in love with what I had found.

When I went to Boise for Thanksgiving, I used my mom's big cutting table and fantastic sewing machine to do part of the work. I even got a little help from Annzy on the star blocks for the rag quilt. Then I brought everything home where it sat until after Christmas.

Once Christmas was done, I finally hunkered down and finished everything.

It took me about 2.5 hours of TV watching to crochet around the monkey receiving blanket. I watch way too much TV, so you would have thought I could have finished this by the end of November, but I procrastinated. Bad, me. I love the red and yellow together and it's double flannel, so it should be nice and warm for the winter baby in the foothills of the Sierras.

The rag quilt was fun to sew. I only had to rip out one seam along one square. For me, that's an AMAZING sewing experience. Only one seam to rip! WOOHOO! Mom, aren't you proud? The funny part is that I set all of the squares out in a way that would make it easy for me to pick the right block at the right time to keep the pattern going the way I wanted it to. For some reason, I just picked up a random square and sewed it to the row. Then I looked at it and realized it was all wrong. I'm still not sure what gap in my thought process allowed that to happen, but I got it taken care of before sewing another square to that one.

After sewing everything together, I had to snip the exposed seams at quarter-inch intervals. The seams have four layers of fabric at this point and it seems like an easy task for about the first row. Then the scissors start jabbing into your hand and by about half-way through, you think this was a really bad idea. I thought I had it beat. The DH was going to do the snipping. However, once he realized how careful you have to be, so as not to snip the actual seam, he declined. The blanket is still a small receiving size, I hunkered down with an episode of CSI and powered through the pain.

It was great to finish these two items up and the DH sent them off to the cute new baby, so they should have them this week.

The Wall of Fame

2010-01-05T09:15:00.001-08:00

Over the weekend, I finished my decorating project. The pictures hang on the wall of our dining area (with the light switch on the left and the thermostat on the right). The spark of an idea came with the family tree pedigree chart that I bought. I thought it needed some company, so I added a picture of the DH and me, then pictures of our parents. Aren't they so cute in their photos? We sure do have handsome parents. Then, I rounded it out with a picture of the Salt Lake temple and two more quotes. The top left has numbers and says "count your many blessings" and the one on the right is a quote by George Sand that says "There is only one true happiness in life, to love and to be loved."

I especially like how the white frames pop on the green wall. You can see it in the photo, but the trim on the doorways on either side of this wall are also trimmed in white, so it fits the room well.

Music Monday -- Paramore

2010-01-04T08:17:00.001-08:00

I really like the style and videos from Paramore more than I like the music. That being said, if you're in the mood for some good alternative rock, this band fits the bill. Apparently, I'm a little late to the party with this band, just like Bon Iver, but I'm OK with that. The musicians are very talented and I enjoy Hayley Williams' strong vocals. She's a real rock star.

CrushCrushCrush...

Beethoven's 9th

2010-01-03T14:07:00.000-08:00

When I was young, living in Boise, there was one spot in the middle of the living room floor that would have the square of sunlight on it from the front window. On a Sunday afternoon, I would lie in that square of sunshine with Blacky next to me reading the funny papers and listening to the old console stereo. I remember listening to Beethoven's 9th symphony on many a Sunday afternoon in this position on the living room floor.

Last night, the DH and I went to hear the Seattle Symphony and Chorale perform Beethoven's 9th. It brought back that memory quite vividly. What also struck me, was that I must have heard the first side of the record more often than the second side. The first and second movements were very familiar to me, but the third and forth not quite as much. I just love the way that music rises and falls with so much emotion. The quiet making you listen for more and the loud reminding you that you're alive.

What to Do With Leftover Turkey

2010-01-02T11:07:00.000-08:00

The DH got a huge turkey for Christmas, so we had to do more than just make turkey sandwiches. I had made rolls for the sandwiches, but we needed to make other yummy things. One thing we did with the turkey is make delicious turkey and wild rice soup. It was much more improvised than made with a recipe, but this is the general recipe and it never disappoints.

Turkey Wild Rice Soup
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
2 carrots, diced
½ cup butter
½ cup flour
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups wild rice, cooked
2 cups milk (1/2 &1/2 if you like)
2 cups cooked turkey, diced
1 teaspoon parsley
½ teaspoon salt, pepper, paprika

In large kettle sauté onion, carrots and celery in butter until onion is transparent. Reduce heat and blend in flour, cook till bubbly. Slowly add broth, stirring constantly. Add all other ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes.

Ring in the New!

2010-01-02T10:59:00.000-08:00

The new year in Seattle started out a bit wet and gloomy outside, but I'm feeling quite the opposite inside. I'm surrounded by people I love (and who love me back) and have a full, rich life. I was thinking about my post in August about who I want to become and how I've progressed since then and I'm feeling OK about it.

I'm definitely fitter than I was six months ago. As I write this, I'm a bit sore from the hard core workout that I had yesterday. I've lost some unwanted weight. It takes a lot more to get my heart rate up and it take much less time for the heart rate to come down. My Vitamin D levels are normal, even without the sun's help. For all of this, I'm feeling pretty good about myself.

I've also spent more time blogging and less time playing time-wasting games on the computer. I can't say that I've stopped those altogether (as the DH can attest), but I've seriously curtailed the habit and that feels really good.

I'm still working on spiffing up the office and learning new software, but altogether I've made some nice progress.

Here's to more of the same in the New Year!

New Year's Resolutions

2009-12-31T13:34:00.000-08:00

I really like setting and keeping goals, but I've never been really big on the "New Year's Resolution" because they always seem to sputter before the end of January. That's why I had to laugh when I found The New Year's Resolution Generator to help.

Now, when I sputter in February, I won't feel so bad. Especially, since I've decided to FROST CUPCAKES. Actually, I may be able to really succeed in this one.

My Family Tree

2009-12-31T09:16:00.000-08:00

I've had questions about the cool family tree from my last post. I'm working on a group of pictures for the living room right now with this as the centerpiece. It's a real work of art, in my opinion, that I purchased from a small online retailer called My Tree and Me. Jen is the proprietor who says this about her work:

I became interested in my own family history when my first child, Finley, was born. As a new mother, it felt incredible to take my place in the long line of mothers who had come before me. And in the more challenging moments, it was comforting to think that all of these generations of parents had raised children, day-by-day, year-by-year, through the highs and lows, and they made it through! I didn’t want to lose that sense of connection. By graphically interpreting our history, our family tree serves as an emotional reminder that we always have the wisdom, humor, and experience of generations to draw upon.

She has several designs, but I fell in love with this one, partly because I love the little, blue bird, but also because it sports the same color scheme that we already have going on in the living/dining area of the house.

The process was easy. I selected the design I wanted and paid for it. Then, Jen sent a spreadsheet for me to fill in with the pedigree chart information. She created a draft of the tree with all my names filled in and sent it to me in .pdf format to review and make sure everything was correct. When I gave her the thumbs up, she finished it and printed it and sent it to me in a mailer.

I'll post more pics when I finish getting everything hung on the wall. I need one more frame before I'm really ready, but I'm very close.

Music Monday -- Bon Iver

2009-12-28T15:07:00.000-08:00

I think I missed the Bon Iver boat when it left the port. I have heard about the band for quite some time and never really sat down to take a listen. After continued mentions of them, I finally gave in and it made me very happy. The album For Emma, Forever Ago is just real, great, indie folk music with a lovely voice. It's not music to keep you up, but definitely great to keep you entertained.

Project 2010

2009-12-27T16:46:00.000-08:00

I always love a project. I don't always finish, but having a project to work on is always fun. I also think family history is important, but I'm really not interested in genealogy by itself. So, I have two things I'd really like to do. One I'm fully committed to and the other, well we'll just have to see.

My first project is to write some personal history. My blog is a bit of personal history in real time, but I'm going to spend time writing about memories and growing up. My commitment is to write something at least once a week. It doesn't have to be super long and drawn out and I'm not going to write about a whole year each week or anything crazy like that. It might be something small, like writing about my first memory or a things I loved to do on summer vacation or a trip I took as a kid. By committing to this small step, I think I can accomplish something important for myself, and maybe I'll even do more. I'll also share some of my writing here on my blog. I'd also like to collect photos that go along with what I write, so I may have to take a photo vacation to Boise at some point to collect the pictures that go along with my memories.

My second project is a little more challenging. I have an ancestor who wrote a personal history. Then another relative put it together (mostly as it was written, but not exactly) in a book called The Trios Pilgrimage. I've read the book a couple of times and I would love to read the actual manuscript and then write my own rendition of the story. Challenge number one is finding out who has the actual manuscript and then figuring out how I can get either the manuscript or, preferably, a copy of the manuscript. I'm hoping my mom can help with that. The second challenge may be reading the manuscript depending on how it was written. The final challenge will be having the discipline to do my own writing.

We'll see how far I get with both of these, but I think it will be fun. And I just followed the first rule of starting new projects. By writing it down, it's already twice as likely to happen!

Christmas Day

2009-12-25T21:05:00.000-08:00

It's been a beautiful day. We woke up to open presents and then the DH cooked up venison steaks and eggs for breakfast. We had the brother, SIL, and nephew over for a nice Christmas dinner and it turned out fantastic! We had a smoked turkey again and I just can't get over how much I love it. The SIL made the best scalloped potatoes ever, and we had a nice time stuffing ourselves.

We also had presents for them to open and the nephew seemed to love everything. However, the tribble was the highlight. The DH had gone to the EMP and Science Fiction Museum and thought that the brother would appreciate it. He thought it was good, but the nephew really loved it, at least while they were at our house. It was fun to find things for them to enjoy and we enjoyed the giving.

After everything else had died down for the day, I spent some time reading Christmas letters from my extended family. I'm grateful to my dad for pushing me and all my aunts, uncles, and cousins on that side of the family to participate in this annual tradition. I'm so blessed to know some wonderful people in my family and, since we don't see each other often, it's a blessing to catch up in letters once a year.

Holiday Traditions

2009-12-22T10:19:00.000-08:00

This evening, the DH and I will go on the Christmas Ships. We've done this every year, except last year when we got snowed in, since we've been married. It's a tradition that we came up with together and we've enjoyed it each year. The Christmas Ships are a fleet of Argosy cruise boats that are decorated with Christmas lights and the ships have choirs on them for entertainment. Then, they go around Lake Washington with a bunch of private boats that are decorated to the nines floating around with them. It's similar to going on a drive to see the lights, but we get to just hang out in the boat and the cool light displays come to us.

On Sunday, we did what I think will become a new Christmas tradition for us. We went to the Northwest Boychoir Festival of Lessons & Carols concert. The music was beautiful and it really put me in the Christmas mood. The concerts are held in area cathedrals and end with two concerts at Benaroya Hall. We chose the performance at Trinity Lutheran church in Lynnwood and thought the venue was fantastic. The acoustics were perfect for the choir and there was not a bad seat in the house. I especially enjoyed the format where the congregation gets to join in the singing. Maybe that's why I thought it really got me in the mood.

We Finally Trimmed the Tree

2009-12-21T09:35:00.001-08:00

Happy Solstice! I love that the days will start getting longer again after today. The ancient pagans celebrated solstice with an evergreen tree, and that was the precursor to our Christmas trees.

The DH and I finally decorated our tree on Friday night. We put on the lights, the cool gold star, and our collection of all kinds of ornaments that we've gathered through the years. We even found some presents to put underneath. We're getting close!

Saturday Sweets

2009-12-21T09:23:00.001-08:00

Last week, I felt the need to make some treats to give to friends, so I went nostalgic. This is one of my favorites from growing up and it always makes me think of my Grandpa D. This is pecan brittle, and it tastes amazing.

When I was young, my mother made this every year at Christmas time and sent a box to my grandpa in Arizona. It was one of his favorite treats that she would make. The batch doesn't make a lot of candy, so 90% of it would be packaged up to send South and the small remainder would be divided between all the six kids in my family. That meant about two pieces each. It was never enough!

Now I find that even though I could make a whole batch for myself, in theory, it's too sweet to keep.

The pecan brittle is basically just sugar and butter cooked to a hard ball stage and poured over pecans. However, even in its simplicity, it's easy to ruin. I think that's a metaphor for something. Maybe you can tell me what.

I've now made four batches and two made great brittle. The first was perfect. The second, the butter and sugar separated and wouldn't go back together. The third I burned. The fourth was perfect again. I only wasted one pound of butter. That's actually not too bad for this recipe.

After making the first batch, I packaged it up in bags to give to the ladies that I work with in my church position. It was fun to have something I made to give them.

The rest of what I made with go to more friends in the next day or two.

If you want to try this, here's the recipe:

Pecan Brittle

Pecans
½ pound butter
1 cup sugar

Lightly butter a square 9x9 pan. Spread pecans on bottom of pan in a single layer. Cook butter and sugar in heavy pan. Stir all the time it is cooking. Cook until light brown in color and starting to smoke. Pour over pecans and let cool. Break into pieces.

Life is Good

2009-12-18T22:39:00.001-08:00

These are a few things that made me happy today:

The electrician fixing the lights in the kitchen so I can see when I cook and the house won't burn down
The turquoise scarf and red shoes -- those colors are my favorite combo right now
Giving gift cards to the PMs at work
Finally decorating the Christmas tree
Working out so hard it hurt
Meeting all my deadlines at work today
Crocheting more than halfway around a baby blanket for Patrick's niece
The awesome candy mouse that one of the PM's daughters made for all of us at work today

A Thrill of Hope

2009-12-17T08:07:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure I can even express how much I love the song O, Holy Night. I love to sing it, and more than anything, I love to hear it in unexpected places. I few days ago, I was in the grocery store and not really paying much attention to the music playing. I couldn't find what I wanted and was becoming increasingly frustrated. I'd already been to more than one store. Standing in the baking isle, I suddenly heard "Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices! Oh, night divine, the night that Christ was born." That part always gets a little louder than the rest, and it always gets to me. I'm reminded of why I am a Christian. I get a "thrill of hope" and feel the rejoicing that comes from knowing that Christ was born so that I, and the weary world, could rejoice in knowing that he came to the world for us. For all of us.

Music Monday -- More Christmas Tunes

2009-12-14T15:58:00.000-08:00

When it comes to the more traditional Christmas music, I definitely have some favorites there. It's still not the Mormon Tabernacle Choir or Andy Williams.

My current favorite is Kathy Mattea's Christmas album, Good News. My favorite song is called Brightest and Best, but it's not on YouTube. The only song from the album is Mary Did You Know, but I love that song and if you haven't heard it, you need to. It's beautiful! Of course, embedding is disabled, so you'll just have to follow the link. I promise that it's worth the effort.

You can watch this too, though. It's beautiful, but it's not Kathy Mattea.

Dulcet Tones

2009-12-10T13:48:00.000-08:00

On Friday, last week, the DH and I went to see Renee Fleming at Benaroya Hall. I wouldn't say she's my idol, but just about as close as you can get when it comes to multiplying the vocal talent. She is breathtaking.

The program included a bunch of 20th century pieces in the first half. Although I appreciate the skill required to perform those (and it is a lot of skill), it's not music that I enjoy listening to. Perhaps that just speaks to my laziness, but I enjoy a good melody.

The second half started with a group of Strauss lieder and it was exactly what I wanted to hear. Every note was perfection. By the time she'd gotten through the songs, I was so happy that we'd come to hear her.

If you're interested in hearing classical vocal pieces, I highly recommend Renee Fleming. She is likely the most talented soprano performing right now. What a delight that I got to listen in person.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

2009-12-09T08:22:00.001-08:00

The wreath went up on the front door and the DH put up lights on Saturday, but there was nothing inside to put us in the holiday spirit. Fortunately, we were able to go to the Sunday broadcast of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Devotional on Sunday to help get us in the mood, but last night, when we finally put out a good portion of the Christmas decorations, it really started to feel like Christmas. And, although he's been saying it's too early, I think I could have talked the DH into putting up a tree last night if we'd had the time. It will have to wait until Saturday though. Once we have that, I'll really be in the mood!

We set up the Santa collection on the side table:
And put out the nativity and hung our stockings with care. I know the DH doesn't believe it, since I'm such a plant killer, but I just love having poinsettias in the house at Christmas time.
I hope you're getting in the mood too!

Small Talk

2009-12-08T09:15:00.000-08:00

It's when you talk about the weather, or "how about those Mariners, this year?" Well, baby, it's cold outside! Can you even believe how cold it is? I sure am happy to have my furnace for inside and a warm coat for outside. I was laughing when the DH said he thought it was too cold in Boise at Thanksgiving. We're at least 20 degrees colder here now than we were there.

Music Monday -- It's Christmas Time!

2009-12-07T08:44:00.000-08:00

Being sick for the last week really put a damper on my Christmas spirits and general holiday prep. This week, it's time to get on with the Christmas spirit, start listening to holiday music, and decorate the house. The DH has been holding out, but I'm sure we'll finally get a tree on Saturday.

When it comes to Christmas music, I hate the "classics" and don't want to hear it. I enjoy the three or four songs the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sings for the Christmas devotional, but I would never put on a MoTab Christmas CD to listen to for pleasure. For me, it needs to have some kind of interesting spin or not sound too traditional.

One of my favorite albums is called Navidad Cubana by a group called Cuba L.A. Of course, they're no where to be found on YouTube. The music is fun and jazzy, but with a definite Latin beat.

I also enjoy the Brian Setzer Orchestra album, Boogie Woogie Christmas for some of the same reasons. The music has a decidedly non-traditional beat and makes Christmas time sound fun. I mean, who couldn't get hyped listening to something like this?

Faith, Poetry, Love, Romance

2009-12-01T12:27:00.000-08:00

I just love this time of year. It is the time of faith, poetry, love, and romance. The Christmas season abounds with wonderful things and I'm so happy we're here again. I've already started a few projects that I hope to get done and I'm looking forward to all that the season has to offer -- even if we end up with snow!

Technically, advent started on Sunday, but since I'm not Catholic I'll start mine today with this:

Music Monday -- Mindy Smith

2009-11-30T18:33:00.000-08:00

I really enjoy some acoustic loveliness. Mindy Smith delivers in spades. I have the album One Moment More and have enjoyed listening to it for the five years since it came out. She's technically in the Alt-Country genre, but I find that it sounds like a mix of pop-country and acoustic folk. Though, come to think of it, that's a lot of what alt-country is. I highly recommend listening to the nicely produced tracks that you can hear on iTunes or Amazon, but the video below gives you an idea of Mindy's style.