A Colorado Christmas

If one can have a spirit state, mine is Colorado. Husband and I spent this Christmas in Boulder with his family. And if anything can distract me from missing my family and traditions, it's nature and good food, both of which exceeded my expectations on this trip.

With an extended vacation on the horizon, I have no time off work. On Christmas Eve, I was up and working at 6:30 am (after arriving late on Wednesday) at Boxcar Coffee Roasters to stay on par with Eastern Time. As a morning person, I much enjoyed these hours. Plus, it provided an excuse to try a couple Boulder coffee shops—something I relish when traveling. (And an excuse to pass on running, though I brought my gear, the weather was frigid.) I should also mention caffeine is a mandatory additive when you travel at my pace. (We later sampled coffee at The Cup Espresso Cafe and Oxo Coffee Co.) Alas, all the coffee and hard work on this particular morning called for a breakfast at The Buff, where dollar Bloody Mary’s were on the menu. Yes, please! The food was quite yummy. Though as I proceeded to eat my way through Boulder, nothing disappointed me. There was my favorite salad at Christmas Eve, made by my mother in law. There was eggs benedict for Christmas breakfast, Yorkshire pudding for dinner. A diner breakfast at The Village, where the slogan captured my heart: "890 sq. ft. of reality surrounded by Boulder." The dinner at Jax stole the show. Oh my goodness, heaven on plate after plate—a true food experience. The next morning we whipped up a mighty fine pre-outdoors breakfast with Christmas leftovers. And what does hunger call for at the end of a long day? Margaritas at Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant! On our last day, when I should not have been able to fit in my clothes, we squeezed in one more scrumptious lunch at Fate Brewing Company. That meal was nearly eight hours ago as I pound away on my keyboard on the flight home and I’m still not even mildly hungry. True overindulgence. I had no idea Boulder had so many delights waiting for me. Every time I thought I had experienced a Rocky Mountain high, something better touched my palate.

While we were there, the temperatures did not rise above 25 degrees, which was quite the contrast from the way Washington, DC has been. The bitter cold definitely brightened the holiday spirit! And in a town like Boulder, no one is slowed by the chill. We were out for long walks—along Boulder Creek and through University of Colorado’s campus. We hiked Wonderland Lake Trail, Buckingham Park, and Chautauqua Park. We saw the sights along Gross Reservoir. And we snowshoed in Rocky Mountain National Park, an obvious vacation highlight!

All the eating. And all the nature. 

Holiday Traditions

I admittedly am overwhelmed by the holiday season. I probably always have been to some degree; I remember being called Grinch at a young age. As I have grown up, I understand myself much better. I can feel the stress coming. With practice, I have become better at managing my anxiety during this time of year. I’m nowhere close to perfect or even where I’d like to be but progress has been made, I think.

Growing up, my parents set the traditions, some of which I still enjoy to this day. With less time and flexibility during the holidays, I have a lot more control over my fate. Though dating and recently marriage have added a level of complexity to holidays—blending traditions, new traditions, and holiday travel. (My family traveled once over Christmas during my junior year of high school and swore off holiday travel for all eternity imm.)

For the past several years, some traditions have emerged. I’m here to document for prosperity.

The Sunday after Thanksgiving, Husband and went to Lowelands Farms to pick out our Christmas tree. This was our third (and perhaps final year for some time) visiting this farm. The owners are very kind. The honey is divine. The location is optimal. The farm is large enough to select from a couple Charlie Brown trees amongst the true beauties, though the selection has dwindled considerably in size over the past several years.

We visited the National Zoo to see the Zoo Lights in mid-December. With the exception of one exceptionally busy December, this has been a tradition of mine since December 2010. This year has been unseasonably warm, which made walking the zoo very enjoyable! The fact that we didn’t have our hot chocolate in hand was only mildly disappointing. We had thousands of children to navigate, thanks to the genius idea of going on the nicest Saturday of December.

This year, for the first time, we attended my company’s holiday party. The party was incredible. We felt like A-listers. My previous company did not have a holiday party, and we’ve had competing priorities with Husband’s party both years he has been with his company. We won’t be upset if attending company parties becomes a tradition from here on out.

We dined at Little Serow for annual fancy Christmas dinner. (In previous years, we dined at Le Diplomate and Rasika. For the record, we think Le Diplomate is our favorite yet.) The Northern Thai food was delicious and the time together was nice as always. I was able to leave work at a reasonable hour so we could queue up for the first seating, allowing us time to soak up the continuation of pleasant weather as we visited the National Tree and the Capital Tree post-feast.

This year, in additional to the holiday party bonus, we saw Matilda the Musical at the Kennedy Center. This night was an absolute highlight for me. I anticipated this night since the last time I saw Matilda, no lie.

And what's Christmas without thousands of cookies? We hosted the our second annual sugar cookie decorating party with our new neighbors. There are few things better than celebrating the season with friendship, cocktails, frozen pizza, and holiday movies and music. There was of course the products of our artistic sides to further sate our tummies.  

We then jetted off to Boulder, Colorado to spend Christmas with Husband’s family. And afterwards, we’ll do Christmas at New Years with my family! 

Fragments of Summer

Life accelerates to warp speed in the summer. As a result, all kinds of things happened that never rose to the level of having their own blog post. Since this is my only semblance of a scrapbook, please pardon me while I recap a few things.

1. Boyfriend and I battled a nuisance of a specie, The Fruit Fly. A large army of fruit flies invaded our kitchen, in the most unpleasant of matters. There were a lot of tears shed during battle. Those flies belong in the Biology Lab I left them in, circa 2004. In a jar of apple cider, the entire army eventually plummeted to their death and we--with all thanks to Boyfriend--were victorous in war. For now anyway.
   
2. On the subject of war, I have been battling a mysterious case of bursitis (in my groin). The injury is not from overtraining or even running, hypothetically speaking. It is most likely from a nasty spill I took in February, supposedly "ruining" my gait for what feels like all eternity. My life has become painful; everything--and I do mean everything (from biking to running to sitting to walking)--hurts. I am quite devastated as I was on track to qualify for the Boston Marathon at the Chicago Marathon in October... and now I cannot run, heck walk. I have visited three doctors; religiously stretched, iced, and heated; and, most importantly, rested. There has been no change. In fact, my hip has become aggravated, from what I suspect is overcompensating for bursitis and sitting in an office chair for hours on end. You cannot win all the wars. 
3. The Washington, D.C. collective bid H.M.O. farewell to over happy hour, after she moved in with Boyfriend and I for a few nights. Her departure was most upsetting. I hoped her stay would be eternal.
   
4. In June, Boyfriend and I ate solely from our pantry--purchasing only fresh produce and milk. We are members at Costco, where we often overdue it. This has led to brining home a 10-pound bag of black beans; a 10-pound bag of sugar; 20 cans of diced tomatoes; and/or enough Cheez-Its to last a milineum. The only fail, if it can be called that, I prefer to think of it as genorousity, was spending $2.04 on chocolate chips to make my 'office famous' fudge for a coworker's birthday, per her request. (4a.) I psuedo quit my 2014 Personal Goals challenge, like all decent resolution makers tend. I have still been partaking in a challenge each month, however, I am basing these goals on praticallity of my life at the start of the month. And I am not writing about them, except for now, because snooze. 
5. There has been time spent with K.S.D., my old roommate, double dating at some Northern Virginia establishments (i.e., FrozenYo and BonChon). The company of her and her lad is always welcomed (and refreshing).
6. M.E.K. and her husband visited over Fourth of July weekend. I had lunch with them on a slow working Wednesday before the holiday, then Boyfriend and I were able to meet them at ShopHouse, a Chipotle-owned Southeast Asian-inspired kitchen, for dinner on Thursday. Things do not get too fancy when the Midwesterners visit! I have reason to keep them around though because... they like dessert, so went opted for Pitango Gelato (and Red Velvet Cupcakes for some).
7. Boyfriend and I finally made it to Boyou Bakery for brunch. Why--tell me why--we waited so long? There are few things better than devouring supremely made biscuits and beignets on a patio with a close companion. So yummy! So affordable!  
8. R.D.S. and her fiancé also visited during the Fourth of July holiday. We met them, along with their friends, for brunch at Red Apron Butchery on Saturday. Afterwards, we visited the National Building Museum, which can only be described as lacking; do not follow our lead.

   

   These posters in the Designing for Disaster exhibit belong on my wall. 

9. On this same Saturday, Boyfriend and I visited the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, featuring Kenya and China. I endured stomach pains while Boyfriend meanered throughly through Kenya. I loved what I saw (and heard). We'll definitely be back next year. And we'll come hungry, the ethnic food looked mighty appealing.
   
10. I made bagels using a recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe, my lastest food blog obession. The taste and texture were close to perfect, especially for my first attempt. They weren't as pretty (or as large) as I had hoped, but I'm looking forward to experimenting further in a second attempt. Parmesan and sundried tomato? Cinnamon raisin? The world is my oyster. 
    
11. A variety of epics salads have been prepared in my kitchen for any number of meals, including breakfast. So. Many, many, many. Epic. Salads. There are no recipes, lending these salads to an uncountable number of combinations. These might be rooted in my attempt to 'cheat the challenge' during June; inspired by summer--the season of produce; or because I am too lazy to plan and cook and also too cheap to let the produce I have stocked up on--much too much for two people--waste away in my fridge.
    
12. I have seen some real bad baseball at Nationals Park, featuring the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs. In the name of the Altanta Braves, I have unsuccesfully cheered for victorious underdogs. More successfully, I have sharpened my 'scoring baseball' skills. Not unrelated: Have I mentioned Boyfriend and I now have MLB.com Gameday Audio, for the price of $20. It has revolutionized my world. The Braves will take on the troubled Cubs here in an hour, and I will listen while I work.

And here we are at the midpoint of summer with a fury of weddings (and related travel) on the horizon.

Easter Weekend

My college friend was in town visiting for Easter, providing an excuse to live a less lethargic life. We started Friday night off with some District of Pi deep-dish pizza, then a birthday party. Those are still fun when you are old. They are even more fun when you are celebrating older friends.
After sleeping in, I hit the ground running Saturday. The rest of the weekend followed suit, aside from the two episodes of trash television I was pinned down for in the afternoon. There were pedicures to be had, gourmet sandwiches to consume, a commute out to my parents, dogs to be walked, more fuel—in the form of over-sized hamburgers at Melt, my absolute favorite stop for quick-ish, greasy food in Northern Virginia, and cinnamon roll dough to be started. I essentially rose and repeated the eat-exercise-eat-activity frenzy on Sunday.

This was Easter, according to my photographs. The table décor caught my eye—and camera’s attention.

So simple and pretty. So easy. So not trying too hard.

(I am (and feel) old. Very old. I am detailing table arrangements on The Blog.)

The arrangement channeled early spring, appropriately so, as spring is just now finally springing in the metropolis of Washington, D.C. Though it’s late April, pastels would have been too warm for this occasion; navy and burnt orange worked.

(I was not disappointed the color pallet was that of my dear ol’ Clemson Tigers either.)

There was a lot more to Easter (beyond the one photograph captured). And Easter Weekend in general. Those plates were later filled with the hard work of Mom and Pop—lamb, rice pilaf, lemon roasted potatoes, green beans, spinach salad, and Sister Schubert rolls. Sister Schubert rolls because we—friends and family—needed a third starch. And for dessert—my contribution, there was banana pudding. Before dinner, we brunch’d on strata, cinnamon rolls, and fruit salad. There was also tons of Easter candy to snack on throughout the day, of course.

This weekend I made the sad realization I fall into the ‘run to eat’ category and not the reverse despite grand attempts to live a consistently healthy life. I assured Mom we needed Sister Schubert rolls because duh. And I ignore the ingredient list—including two cups of butter and sugar—when I pound cinnamon rolls like a champion.

I did not start the week as rested as I might have liked, however, my heart (and stomach) were certainly happy.

Friday Night Walk

There was a full moon on Friday night. And the city was stunning as the moon's light reflected against the snowfall from the previous day. Boyfriend and I set out for a post-work jaunt on walkways illuminated solely by the moon, we're totally romantic like that, you see. Oh and it just so happened to be Valentines Day; the passion truly soared as I climbed dirty snow banks! There is just something about snow that brings out the inner child in me.

As with so much of life (especially unplanned circumstances), there is a choice to make: resist it or embrace it. I choose to be present rather than wrapped up in anxiety over things I cannot control. Today was a joyful, memorable, adventurous today.

And tomorrow, well, we shall see.

Reflections on the Holidays

The holidays are a fabulous time of year. As I grow older, I gain a fuller appreciation of the Thanksgiving and Christmas season. The lights. The music. The excitement. The togetherness. The wonder. The smells. The warmth. The memories of my childhood years. And the sweet memories being made each new year.

This appreciation is derived from the work that goes into creating holiday magic.

Planning.

Shopping.

Baking and cooking.

Making.

Writing Christmas cards--stuffing, addressing, and stamping.

Decorating.

Traveling. 

This year--and maybe even last year--the effort seemed worth it. I reveled in the payout. 

But then January came with a calm never before experienced. And I have to say, while December was crammed with fun activities and travel, the pause has been a blessing. I only have one weekend book this entire month. And before that weekend comes, I will continue to have ample time to catch my breath. 

Part of my distaste with the holidays prior, especially Christmas, is the mandatory consumerism. It burdens me. It stresses me out. It angers me. 

I tired to get away from that, giving gifts chocked-full with meaning and asking for only "stretch" need--defined as life enhancers that I would not necessarily purchase for myself. My list included a range of gifts ideas too, with no true expectations. And I tried not to control nearly as much. 

Again, the payout was spectacular. I was more excited to give than to receive. Check. Plus, I was gifted some incredible presents I would not have even known how to ask for. Check. And some [gifts] I asked for and admittedly like just as much. Check. 

I feel truly thankful for the generous people in my life. Exhibit A: Generosity with spending. As I become more aware of the expense of adult life (re: The 2014 Budget Crisis), I'm exponentially grateful for the kindness allotted by others. And Exhibit B: Generosity with time. While shopping for others requires time (and thought), a handmade gift is an exponential multiplier. The rate at which I live my life seems to end up costing me time. I want to be someone who choses to spend my time doing or making something for someone else. For now, I'll let Christmas 2013 be my example. 

So what is this blog, if it's not a play-by-play documentation of my life? To highlight a few of my favorites, from M.R.B. I received an afghan she crocheted. The afghan is beautiful. And warm. And colorful. And cozy. I'm obsessed. I have cuddled up with it every night since opening. 

And S.M.S., my brother's girlfriend, stitched me an apron. The front (or back) displays all things Atlanta Braves and the reverse is Clemson University themed. From my kitchen, I'll be able to cheer all year long. How practical. And fun.

These women did incredible jobs. I have no idea how much time and effort when into crafting my apron; I do, however, have an idea about the blanket. Because apparently the blanket wasn't enough, I "got" a hobby for Christmas too. Today marks the time, I consider myself a skilled beginner in the single stitch (crochet). My mini masterpiece is highlighted below. It's nothing, i.e., not a scarf or a blanket. It simply displays my progress single stitch during a holiday afternoon, a Sunday NFL Playoff Game, and the BCS National Championship. I'm going to take up my first project here real soon and turn this blog into my gallery. Only kidding.

So my point: M.R.B. worked really hard. (I'm sure S.M.S. did too!) And for a long period of time--my estimate has me guessing forever--to produce this cherished gift.

If you're on my 'good list' for 2014, I see pot holders, coasters, place mats, hats, and/or tech cozies in your future. From my craft room to yours, be inspired.

Though I basically just spent 482 words describing how much there is to celebrate in receiving, I feel compelled to close with a thank you to the hosts and travelers throughout November and December. I imagined the holidays would grow dull with age under the assumption there wouldn't be as much to celebrate. Well there is much more the celebrate than presents, it seems--the time with family in Boston, Massachusetts to Atlanta, Georgia to Phoenix, Arizona above all. A big, big thank you to the special people in my life for sharing this stellar season with me.

Oyster Night

While visiting Boston, Massachusetts over the Christmas holiday, we had dined on oysters one night for dinner. This was my first time having oysters not ordered from a restaurant. And the experience was quite a delight. It's quite a process to reach the eating portion of the meal: the oysters must be purchased, in this case there was  seven varieties of oysters; then kept on ice in a ventilated environment; and last opened with a special knife while wearing cut-resistant gloves. The oysters were served three different ways, of which I can not decide my favorite--as shooters, oysters rockefeller, and, of course, on the half shell. To compliment the meal, M.R.B. made mushroom wellington; this was quite a treat.

There was also some research that took place prior to consumption. And maybe some research during the meal. My notes proceed this words.

1. Raspberry Pine - Prince Edward Island (Canada)
• Size: small
• Method of consumption: on the half shell
• Tasting description: briny, light
2. Pickle Point - Prince Edward Island (Canada)
• Size: medium
• Method of consumption: on the half shell
• Tasting description: easy to open, juicy, meaty; group favorite
3. Noank - Noank, Connecticut
• Size: large
• Method of consumption: oysters rockefeller
• Tasting description: easy to open, deep cup
4. Salt Aire - Prince Edward Island (Canada)
• Size: small
• Method of consumption: on the half shell; shooter
• Tasting description:
5. Cotuit - Cape Cod, Massachusetts
• Size: medium
• Method of consumption: on the half shell
• Tasting description: standard oyster--no real distinct flavor, chewy
6. Fancy Sweets - New Brunswick (Canada)
• Size: medium
• Method of consumption: shooter
• Tasting description: smooth texture, sweet, salty
7. Montauk - Montauk, New York
• Size: large
• Method of consumption: shooter
• Tasting description: hard to open, juicy; personal favorite
  

I guess the secret is out. This girl is officially back on the "meat eating" bandwagon. I can't say it's been half bad. 

Putting Others Out

I’m sitting here at Gate 63 in the lovely Kansas City International Airport, minutes before an estimated 7:18 pm departure. Boyfriend and my flight was supposed to leave at 2:33 pm, bound for Cleveland, Ohio; then later (at approximately 7:22 pm) on to Boston, Massachusetts. But those are all just minor details. We had a heads-up on the flight delays and were granted some extra time with my childhood best friend forever, M.E.K. My busy itinerary originally only allowed for an early breakfast on Sunday at Panera. Due to our flight situation, we were able to visit both her old and new home, briefly stop by her parents to exchange greetings, play were her puppies—Addy and Mogley, and watch the Kansas City Chiefs lose another depressing game to the Indianapolis Colts.

This visit to Kansas City, Kansas was an in-and-out trip–lovely, quick and very cold. To pull this trip off, to be there for M.K.B.M.’s big (wedding) day—we needed a lot of help. Boyfriend and I needed a ride to Lenexa from the airport; we landed late on Thursday at a not exactly convenient time. Then Friday, we needed a ride to Lawrence… or to borrow a car—both, again, of which would put someone out. The simple solution would have been to rent a car. But I was clearly unprepared. Friday, getting a loaner car and driving to Lawrence, we wandered around the cold, bitter cold Massachusetts Avenue. Saturday, we got ready for the wedding and anticipated the winter storm. A storm that would result in tons of cancellations for the unfazed bride and groom. On departure day—Sunday, we needed to get back to Lenexa… meet M.E.K. for breakfast… return our “rental” car… and get to the airport all before our 2:33 pm flight, with roads in OK-ish conditions. If you ask this I-don’t-know-how-to-drive-in-the-snow-girl, the roads were in poor shape.

But again, we found out early enough that our flights were delayed, and were allowed to relax a little, enjoying our final hours while simultaneously lining up a back-up plan. It is just so terrible. And I'm not dealing with adversity well. Because no part of me wants to be stuck in Cleveland. All I see are dollar signs—hotel rooms, rental cars, dining out. And though I have visited Cleveland before, navigating an unfamiliar city late at night after a long weekend. Plus, I'm so exhausted from putting others out. I was beyond worried about not only needing a ride to MCI but after waiting and waiting and waiting... the possibility of needing another pick-up later this evening, if our flights are ultimately cancelled.

So, here I am, finishing the remainder of this story on Christmas Eve. I also so badly wanted to get to Boston, I had late-night plans with my recently married college roommate, H.C.H… and the thought of missing this girl time was upsetting. And last—what I thought was the final piece of our puzzle, in terms of inconvenience—I now felt as though I was putting Boyfriend’s parents out… because we’re not scheduled to land until 12:05 am. They are much closer to Boston Logan International Airport, then my Lenexa friends are to MCI; regardless, I felt like we’re got this trip off on the wrong foot.

With false promises that our flight out of Cleveland would not be cancelled, we hopped on the 5:55 pm flight (delayed over-and-over again until we officially departed at 7:52 pm). And when we landed in Cleveland, our flight had been delayed until 11:26 pm. But by the time we got off the plane, the last leg of our journey—the flight to Boston was cancelled. I burst into tears. I couldn’t deal. It was admittedly pathetic. Boyfriend jumped into problem-solving mode. And I called my mom for sympathy. Not one of my prouder moments. There were just so many emotions—my first Christmas away from home was looming. After talking to his parents, Boyfriend had us boarding at 10:40 pm flight to Manchester, New Hampshire… minutes after landing in Cleveland. Something seemed so promising about getting that much closer to Boston, lifting my spirits a bit. His parents, with near perfect timing, were waiting for us when we landed in Manchester. I cannot express how grateful I was for them (and everything that had come together through the duration of the weekend) when we landed at midnight.

From there, we drove the 70 miles down South to Boston… and began celebrating Christmas week, luggage-less. Boyfriend called United three or four times, waiting 40 minutes each time to speak to an agent, in hopes of tracking down our bag on Monday. Then, rather randomly, was contacted around 8:30 pm with news that our missing piece was on a plane to Manchester… and would be dropped off in the middle of the night. At 5:18 am this morning, Where Is My Luggage was ringing to let us know our luggage was waiting outside the door. This was after a Monday shopping trip to Kohls, where the lines were 100-people deep, to pick us tide-us-over necessities at United's expense.

So now, my great adventure and story has ended; I wish I could say I enjoyed and relished in the ride. 

Eight Years and Counting

My friend is currently going through a tough time. Tough is a mild statement. She is living a soap opera. And not the good kind. She is facing life-altering, adult challenges. Those of a variety I have not yet witnessed or, thankfully, experienced for myself. But it's not my story to share so tell I will not. 

This past weekend I did what any friend living in reasonable proximity would do, I made the journey to New York City for a weekend together. For several  reasons, she will be leaving NYC in a few days... and gone will be my place to crash in Manhattan! In addition to bringing her some comfort, which I'm not even sure I was capable of, I came armed with an agenda. I needed have one last go at all my favorite things in the city. I figured, albeit selfishly, my to-do list would serve as a nice distraction. 

I'm not a re-visitor. I like going some place and doing it all, then picking a new destination for my next excursion. But the Big Apple is a place that keeps calling me back. I feel anyone can find their niche in the city. As far as dining goes--for me, I opt for bagels and iced coffee. And while I'm tempted to try new bagel and coffee shops, I don't. I am loyal to Ess-a-Bagel and Stumptown Coffee, NYC's second-rate bagels and fourth-rate coffee. For entertainment, Broadway shows--duh. And I shop at Uniqlo, for Japanese-inspired outerwear.

So Saturday, it was Matilda followed by Insomnia Cookies. And it was fabulous. I pretty much danced around singing Matilda music the rest of the weekend. Even if you're little you can do a lot, you mustn't let a little thing like 'little' stop you. If you sit around and let them get on top, you might as well be saying you think that it's OK. And that's not right. I hear--from the Broadway Queen herself-- it's going on tour in the next year. And yes, I will be seeing Matilda again (when it makes a stop in Washington, D.C.). I will be promoting it here for some time too. 

Sunday morning brought my first round of fresh, warm city bagels. Then a trip to the movie theater to see Frozen, which in NYC is the price of a Broadway show. But it was worth it. The movie was filled with excellent music--sung by Broadway stars themselves--and a sweet message of true love between sisters. We hit up the Union Square Holiday Market for a little shopping after the movie. For dinner, we met a mutual friend to celebrate R.D.S.'s upcoming birthday at Número 28, her favorite estaurant. And since we were in Greenwich Village, I opted for dessert at Pasticceria Rocco. There I had my very first cannoli! 

We decompressed after dinner with TLC's Extreme Cheapstakes, where I had to embarrassingly confess to employing several of these "extreme tactics" in my own home. At least I haven't resorted to cloth toilet paper and/or asking fellow restaurant patrons for their leftovers. I do wash Ziploc bags for reuse and, at times, use spare lemon combine with baking soda to wash dishes. I was reminded of the Girl Scout days, when an extreme cheapskate threw soap slivers in pantyhose for washing oneself with that final ounce. And I learned used foil can be thrown into an onion bags for homemade steel wool. Who knew?! 

My final day--Monday--started early as R.D.S. had to be up at an unreasonable hour to monitor some some silly work task. I decided it would be best to get out of her hair and wander the streets until my 11:30 am bus ride. To Ess-a-Bagel I went for round two. This was followed by a trip to Stumptown for iced goodness. I was not deterred by the 25 degrees outside; I was going to drink my coffee iced (and like it too!) even if the result was frostbite. The weather was sub-par all weekend, but the bitter, snowy temperatures definitely got me in the spirit. If NYC does one thing right, it's Christmas. That being said, my obvious next stop was Rockefeller Plaza for a photo opt of the tree. This wasn't my first time seeing the Rockefeller Plaza at Christmas, but--just like the city--something brings me back each winter. The tree is of an incomparable size. I'm not sure how it works--the transporting a live tree of this mass, the decorating, the costs, the removing, etc. I feel it demands to be admired. And I had time to kill before Uniqlo opened at 10:00 am. On my way back towards 5th and 34th to shop, I stopped in Bryant Park to viisit another holiday market. I ended up getting booted out as the vendors did not appreciate my homeless appearance: I was lugging all the goodies R.D.S. has no interest moving to Raleigh, North Carolina; a dozen bagels; the remaining sips of an iced coffee; my backpack; and purse. And again it was freezing, so I was bundled from head-to-toe in winter boots, two jackets, a scarf, hat, and mittens. The Uniqlo doors opened promptly at 10:00 am and I was first in line. Yes, line. I had 45 minutes to browse before getting in line to pay-up. I would have been better off not going... but you know, this was my last affordable (i.e., free lodging) trip for some time and it is the holidays; I went wild. 

I scurried the six avenues over to my bus... and regretting not running into  another shop, in anticipation of a late bus, as was the case this time. That's a wrap

Oh Christmas Tree

This Thanksgiving was such a nice one. And afterwards I jumped right into Christmas, which is something I would normally abhor. My parents have a Christmas Tree Farm just miles down the road from them, so on Sunday Boyfriend and I went to check it out. I had too much fun frolicking around looking at all the varieties of trees. I seriously felt five. The memories of my childhood years came rolling back; and the sweet memories being made that day were almost too much! Boyfriend had all these restrictions about size and girth. And the farm had these complicated pricing schemes. But my search for the prize tree disregarded all matters of size and price. I refused to accept that a nine foot tree won't fit in our living room.

I was about finding a tree with a lot of character, one that would charm me throughout the season. About half way through the search, there was a tree with too pretty to pass up. Before deciding--spirits still high--we searched the rest of the farm before ultimately settling on The Tree. I opted for pursuing the gift shop, after we paid the more-than-reasonable $12.63 for our tree. And landed with some incredible vanilla bean honey to compliment my morning oatmeal.

We brought the much too tall tree home and Boyfriend began the process of sizing our tree to actually fit right-side up in the apartment. Then we strung lights. And slowly began hanging ornaments. I have to say, I liked our tree much better pre-ornament. But I'm learning to accept the ornaments.

Each night, the glow of the our Christmas tree lights up the living room. And our whimsical tree graces us with its charm. Tis the season.

Preparation Madness

Memorial Day weekend is and always has been the unofficial start of summer here in the Land of the Free. But, as a working gal, to me, it simply represents three days of solitude FAR away from the office. Boyfriend and I decided this would the perfect weekend for camping. And before I start rambling, let me just say we are about to strike it big with the weather. It has been in the 80s all week, with 86% humidity... until last night when a huge storm came through and cut the nasty Washington, D.C. swamp-like atmosphere. I am very much looking forward to weather in the high 60s all weekend, with no chance of rain. (This would be a totally different story if I had made plans to be poolside for the holiday weekend, of course.)

Life around here has been hectic lately, and somehow, it seems that while we have been preparing (for camping) for at least the past week, there was an awful lot still to get done when I woke this morning. The first trip of the season always seems to be the most work. Is that just me? I had an appointment early this morning, then coordinated with Boss Man to work the remainder of the day from home. This move spared me time to finalize the preparations.

I tend to take on way more than necessary. Today was no exception. This was my initial list:

• 9:00 am podiatrist appointment
• Email J.L.W.
• Email H.J.W. 
• Email M.R.B.
• Email roommates
• Send birthday cards to J.W.M. and M.E.K. 
• Send thank you note to M.R.B.
• Write Grandma and Great Aunt B
• Bake muffins
• Make granola
• Make trail mix
• Pack food; pack bag 
• Return honey to Giant
• Run
• Shower
• Empty dishwasher
• Vacuum

I am a crazy person. I think that has been confirmed. And this instance of crazy means I require my home be cleaned before stepping out for any extended period.

Again, thankfully, I am working from home today. The majority of my list, being entirely unrelated to camping, can wait until Tuesday, but I really do not do well with looming lists of tasks needing my tending to. In my mind, it is a dark, ugly picture with me in the center.

On that note, take a look at this picture of my kitchen around noon today:

You will see chaos. Dark. Ugly. Chaos. While whipping up a batch of blueberry coconut muffins, not C.A.R.'s granola, and assembling a half-hearted batch of trail mix, I noticed the my disturbing surroundings. It was one of those how am I going to get everything done? moments.

With only a couple more business hours remaining on this cool, crisp day-before-long-weekend Friday, I am pleasantly surprised to say things are coming together. Now, my non-camping related items will most all sit until Tuesday, but I am more at ease with everything. The 'must-do' items are crossed off from the list... with time to post a brief (and boring) update.

Have a good Friday and enjoy your Memorial Day weekend.

Earth Day, 2013

Ya’ll –

(Yep, I’m gonna talk to ya’ll like a true Southern 'cause I'm just so excited... and I ain’t got time for (attempted) grammatical preciseness to distract me!)

(I doubt I'll be able to keep up the act, so needn't now to stop your reading.)

Today, April 22, is Earth Day. And I wanted to share some news: I planted a garden (last week). My very first garden. I have been waitin' and waitin' and waitin' to share, but it's Earth Day, so I said to heck with waitin' until I saw the first sign of life; I am posting today, in honor of our dear planet. This will inevitably lead to embarrassment when I report back here in a few weeks that everything including basil, an herb supposedly impossible to screw up, is dead. Even worse will be the pesto infused meals I envisioned—distant dreams at that point. 

This past weekend, I went to the United States Botanic Garden, and even though I'm more into sustanible farming—crops and such—than flowers, I left inspired. So I thought I should inject this relatable tangent. I saw plants from everywhere, even the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho was represented. 

These flowers were there. And they were pretty. And all spring-y in color. 

There were tons of fancy, unique orchids to be seen. But I was too busy admirin' and smellin' and just plain livin' to bother pullin' out my phone to snap a picture. Lets be real folks... who doesn't like them self an orchid? Atlas orchids. Green dragon orchids. Kaleidoscope orchids. Princess diana orchids.  (Those are just a few of the more memorably-named orchids seen.) 

There were no sunflowers, which was vastly disappointing. Boyfriend exclaimed it was far too early for those. But after traversing through the endangered species, garden court, Hawaii, jungle, plant adaptation, and world desert exhibits... one would have thought there might have been room for Kansas. 

But again, Lesotho. That rocked. And got me thinking. This technically (is and) isn't my first (garden) rodeo. During my stint in Thaba-Tseka, I depended on my (host family’s) garden to bring variety to my diet. You see, while I picked crops from the garden, my host family did all the dirty, labor-intensive work. They terraced. They sowed. They ploughed. They watered. They weeded. If it counts for anything, I learned farming was no joke.

Far from the mountains of Lesotho, in Washington, DC, I find myself without an iota of land. Boyfriend looked into community plots… and oh circa sophomore year of college, I should have foreseen my life here and signed-up for the wait list. And even then, after waitin' and waitin' for eventually ever, I would've been generously allowed to purchase my very own one square yard test-plot. Then I would've had one-year to prove I'm worth the space. Well, you know what, county board, forget you and your community plots; I'm not deterred. I'll (help) keep the farmers in business at the Saturday markets. And I'm gonna grow the best darn herb garden on my balcony—proving my worth to every neighbor and passerby in range.

So to planting. To encouragement. And growing. To something new. And eating. To reducing my carbon footprint. To life. To the nine-mile walk to the Botanic Garden. To inspiration. Happy Earth Day friends.