New Year's Eve Grub

On the menu for tonight:
Little Smokies
Crab Dip in a bread bowl
Ranch Dip and Veggies
Shrimp & Dip
Champagne punch

It's a good thing Mandy and Michael and the kids are joining the 3 of us!

Bon Appetit!

Ending December with The Decemberists

So lovely.......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9JKoCtoox8

Read this story of The Crane Wife - it explains where the song came from.

Resolutions continued..........

So going off my last post I continue my resolutions. One of them being to take more pictures. Tony and I invested in a really nice Canon DSLR this past year. We always have the best intentions of taking pictures but then forget! And seriously, even if I don't want to lug around the big gun it's not that hard to take my little digital camera with me in my purse to capture moments. So this year I am going to try really hard to take more pics.
Geocaching. This is something that Tony and I really enjoy doing (as you can see from previous posts). But its something we just haven't done that much of. One of the biggest reasons is grad school. I know I blame it most of the time for why I don't/can't get things done, but it's all I do! There just aren't enough hours in a day. But maybe if we plan ahead of time we can stick to it and start doing more of it. At REI they are really expanding their caching stuff. They have a section dedicated to it now.
I have quite a few other "little" resolutions too. Now that I look at these -they are not so much resolutions as parts of my life I want to improve on or things I want to do. I know that for the first half of the year (until August 13th! Graduation day!) they are all going to have to go on the back burner because I'll be going to school full time, but maybe every now and again I can find the time to do things I really enjoy doing. Like sewing (or more like learning to sew), keeping a cleaner house (how can 2 people and a dog get a house so dirty?), cooking more, baking more, keeping in touch better with friends and family. Take language classes (free Rosetta Stone through the college library - how can I pass that up???).
Oh, and we have big plans for the garden this year. We are going to expand it to double in size so that we can grow more food!! We had a lot of fun last summer and learned some lessons. We have already started planning how we are going to lay it out and what we are going to plant. The veggies just tasted so good and it felt good to eat straight out of the garden. Hopefully this year I will have enough to can as well.
One of the bigger resolutions I am really going to try and stick to is letting go of guilt. I am guilt ridden! It's almost debilitating. I feel bad about everything. I think of things that happened years ago and I am plagued with guilt about what I should have done or didn't do or did wrong. I know how unhealthy it is. I am still not sure how I am going to do accomplish this. If I start letting things go I know it will help. I feel like it's part of my DNA to feel so bad about next to everything. Like taking time off work - it's hard to even enjoy it because I think of what I should be doing or what I am going to have to face when I get back. I worry that maybe I'm not in the right career field. I worry that I don't have children yet....and what if I can't? What if I wait so long to start trying that I am not able to? I feel guilty that I don't do as well in school as I should. Oh, I could go on and on and on with this list.
On this same note another thing I need to do is learn to let things go. I know in my head that not everyone is going to want to keep/maintain friendships. I guess I just always think that even if you don't talk to someone often that you continue thinking positive thoughts and hoping good things come their way, but not everyone is like that. This sounds negative, but I need to accept that and realize that friendships are two sided and they cannot be maintained by only one side. And I will still continue praying for people and wishing great things for their life, but I cannot allow the non existant reciprocation of this to affect me. I mean, how many times do you reach out to someone before you realize that they are never going to reach back? Does it make you a fool to continue trying? Maybe it is just a waste of time that you could be spending on those that really count in your life, those that are going to be there at the finish line waiting for you with open arms and an iced coke. Once you realize that you can see that they were the ones cheering you one the whole time, even when you were falling, when you were wanting to give up and walk away, they were the ones who loved you no matter what and they are ones that are important then you can focus your energy on doing the same for them. And I don't want this to sound like I am going to start taking people out of the address book, I'm just not going to put as much heart into those relationships. I'm going to try and keep them at arms length, then its not such a big deal when in the past I would be disappointed. I think part of why I am feeling this way is our lack of friendships here in Colorado. As you get older too, I think you realize that there are a few people who really count in life and they need/want you as bad as you do them. I am so lucky and so grateful for the lovely people in my life....the ones who will drop everything to listen, who know just what to say and who know it's ok to not say anything at all sometimes. The ones who call just to hear your voice and be reassured that you are ok. So here is to letting the nagging feeling that it's my fault go to the wayside with the rest of 2009.

New Year's Resolutions and other notions

It seems like everyday I add to my list of resolutions. Things I want to change about myself. I usually don't do resolutions because I seem to break them the minute I make them - but this year I'm hoping to turn that trend around. And what a better time to do so as I enter my 29th year. That's right, the BIG 2-9. I figure I ought to try and end this decade on a high note.
My biggest resolution is to start running again. Not only that - but to run with a purpose(s). I know that mentally it will make me feel a million times better. It will help me to de-stress. With all that I have had going on for the past year and half, the move, new job, going back to school along with all the other everyday stresses that we all face, I desperately need to do something to help me cope. I also have this dream of ending my twenties at the size I was at the beginning of my twenties. That is going to be close to impossible, but a girl can dream, right? Granted I haven't gotten on a scale since last summer, but I know I have a ways to go. I also plan on signing up for some competitive runs. The best part about these is that you are always striving for your own PR, it's not so much a race against anyone else. I love that running is measurable, be it time or distance or both. I think that if I sign up for some ahead of time I will have more drive to keep practicing. I just keep trying to remember how good it felt when I accomplished my best run. It wasn't very fast, but it was definetly the hardest run I ever did. It was not that far, maybe 3 1/2 miles, but I did it the whole way through without walking and I felt so good about myself when I finished. It was a course I had done so many times before, but had usually had to stop and walk for a bit halfway through. If I keep thinking about how good that felt I know it will help me to be inspired. I'm reading a book right now on running and one of the suggestions was to find a running group. When we lived in Federal Hill there was a running group that I always wish I would have joined. The book says that it will help you to stay committed and make your runs more fun. Maybe this would be an opportunity to make some friends as well. I'll have to look into it (another item added to my to-do list). Another idea from the book was to expand your running courses. So maybe I can start trail running. That is one thing that I am a little nervous about since my knees are so bad - so I'll have to try it out and see if I can do it. I have seen some people trail running while we have been out hiking and they are hard core!! But the scenary might be worth it.
Well, this is enough for now. My first resolution. I'll have to list the rest of them in another post. Right now I need to finish getting ready for my sister!! She's driving up tonight and I can't wait! We are going to try and go either cross country skiing or snow shoeing on Wednesday in Breckenridge. They have a Nordic Center there with groomed trails. We have been snow shoeing before but never CC skiing - which looks like so much fun! I love the winter and I want to make the most of it. It's just so nice to be outside enjoying the white fluffy stuff. Hopefully I'll remember to take pictures (take more pictures - another resolution). Maybe we can even do some Geo-caching while we are up in the mountains (see - another resolution!!).

Merry Christmas to All

HAPPY CANOEING!!!

I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas! Our's was wonderful! We drove down to New Mexico on Wednesday and got back home today. Driving was kind of hairy - we hit a really bad storm in between Vaughn and Roswell. It was definetly in the top 3 worst driving conditions we have been in - only change up was that I was driving!! There was no where to pull over to switch. No plows, no salt, just a really icy stretch. It was super scary but thankfully we made it ok.
It was great to be with my family. We had a really nice time. We spent most of it at my parents house but also got to go over to my aunts and see my grandparents and cousins. It's been too long.
We were going to go to Minnesota for New Year's but have decided against it. We are tired and don't want to risk the weather being bad on the road again.
I also got to catch up with some old friends while in Roswell! We met up with Marla and Lauren and Doug this morning for breakfast. I haven't seen Mar since she came out to Baltimore in 2007 and I think it's been 3 years since I've seen Lauren. There is never enough time but at least I got to catch up with them for a little while. It's so hard when everyone lives so far apart.
I have one week off until school starts. Ughh, I need to buy my books. Oh, and finish a 20 page paper from my last class. But this last week I'm going to try and relax as much as possible. And try to finalize my New Year's resolutions - which at this point are NUMEROUS!

Book Review and New Readings

So I finished the Sarah Palin book. It was an interesting read because I am interested in her. But I think if you are looking to get a juicy autobiography - this is not the book for you. It was mostly about her experience in politics in Alaska. Then towards the end it was dedicated to her experience with the RNC and running as VP. The part I liked most was that throughout the book she continued to talk about how she was a mom first and how much she loved her kids. I really admire her being able to balance it all. I don't know how she does it! She's a really beautiful person, both inside and out. After Andrea gets done reading it I'm probably going to mail it to my friend Craig - I know he's been dying to get his hands on it (I will also be including my selection of Ann Coulter books).

I started reading Rumspringa on the plane today. I'm hooked! I'm already almost 1/2 way done. It's so interesting and it's something that I knew next to nothing about until today. For those of you who don't know, Rumspringa is a period in an Amish person's life where they are able to live outside the bounds of the Amish rules. It starts when you turn 16 and ends when you decide to leave the church or come back into the fold through Baptism. I can't imagine going from such a sheltered life to a life where almost everything goes. The part that shocked me the most was that they have an 80-90% return rate! Call me crazy, but I just think the Amish way of life would be so much easier. Less stress, less involvement with the trails of this world. The one thing that seems unbelievable is that they stop their education at the 8th grade. That would be the hardest part to handle. I guess I love how they all take care of eachother and try everyday to live a Christ like life. I'll be interested to finish the book and see how the main people that Mr.Shachtman interviewed turned out.

Brrr....

It's so cold here!! It started snowing on Sunday morning and it's kept up intermittently since then! I think the warmest it has gotten here since Sunday has been in the teens. When I got home today my car said 7 degrees and the wind is blowing - so it really felt like the wind chill was in the negatives. So cold! I just want to stay inside and stay warm! I still had to go to work though and errands still have to be ran, they don't stop just because of the cold. I had to go to the post office - mailed off 2 presents!! 2 more things to check off my list. And the post office isn't quite a mad house yet.
You know what today is? Julie and Julia is on DVD!! Yeah!!! So I had to high tail it to Blockbuster and get a copy for tonight. I'm so excited - I loved this movie in the theater. It just makes me want to blog and cook. Ok, I already do both, but I would like to do both well! Maybe someday. :)
17 more days until Christmas!

Pretty in Pink

When we were little, one of Amy and I's favorite movies was Pretty in Pink. Along with Grease and 7 Brides for 7 Brothers. I watched Pretty in Pink again the other night and I had forgotten how much I love that movie!!! It just makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I'm sure the nostalgia has more to do with times gone by than with the actual movie - but still. That movie is great. First of all - the pink Carmengia. That is still my dream car. Every time we see one I remind Tony that some day it will be mine, oh yes, it will be mine. And I still think Molly Ringwald is one of the most beautiful actresses. What happened to her? I never realized until the other night how punk she is in this movie. And it's not necessarily her clothes or style, but it's her. It's her attitude. The places she hangs out. She stands out.
The first scene - where Steph hits on Andie - reminds me so much of Juno when Ellen Page talks about how the popular jock is supposed to like cheerleaders, but secretly wants to date the goth/the vamp/the nerd. And they know they can't get her.
Blaine wins your heart when he lets his inner nerd come out with the computer trick in the library. Ahhh, ancient IMing.
Duckie - oh Duckie. You can't talk about this movie without talking about Duckie. He's loved Andie for as long as he can remember. Maybe all of us at some point in our life can identify with a Duckie and Andie relationship. Having a platonic relationship that you want more out of - but you know the other person doesn't. I think that is why he is so relateable.

Wait...It's already December?

I'm really not sure where November went, but I can't believe it's already December. So much to do! I finished my interterm class last week, and even though it's over and that is one more class down (9 to go!) I still really wish I would not have taken it. I still have a 20 page paper due and it's probably going to hang over my head through the holidays. Although I am going to Alabama in 1 week, so maybe I'll have some time to work on it there.
Our Thanksgiving was wonderful in New Mexico. Although it's a long trek, it's always worth it. Our Thanksgiving was really nice and calm, with just me and Tony, my folks, my sister and brother-in-law, and my grandparents. Such wonderful food! We had a really great time. I had full intentions of taking lots of pics then forgot our memory card at home! I'll try to make up for it over Christmas, as we are heading back to the Land of Enchantment.
Today I cooked a turkey with all of the fixings. Tony really wanted a ton of leftovers (even though my folks sent us home with some), so I baked the bird and all the fixings. At this point I'm pretty tired of being in the kitchen. I don't know what it is, but after cooking all day the food tastes just ok. Now tomorrow I'm sure it will be so much more delicious, but after looking at it for hours today - I just really wasn't in the mood.

Christmas presents - I am slightly ahead of the game....more so than most years. I have 3 presents bought...almost 4. And I have every intention of finishing THIS week. I thought I would be able to craft some homemade gifts, but alas, my good intentions fell to the wayside. Along with my mind. Maybe next year?

Last night we went out for dinner and drinks with Amy and Brian. So much fun! It was super cold but our food was great and the drinks....the drinks. Amy and I drank White Russians and all I could think was - Where have you been all my life? So good!!! We've only been out with Amy and Brian a couple of times  - but we always have a good time and hopefully in the new year we can hang out more. Geography is our enemy in this relationship. They live downtown and we live in BFE. But logistics aside, hopefully we can all find time to hang out more.