Resolutions - Did I make it?

This is the original resolution, the update from a few months ago, followed by today's comments. Hopefully you can follow that since today is marked with "today". 2012 was a pretty amazing year, though the last month has been complete shit. I hope things turn around in the new year.

1. Write more...I've not been inspired at all this last year and I'd like to finally get something accomplished. Even if that's just a simple article on a hike. 

Well, I wrote a paragraph that could be the start to a novel. And I've blogged. But I wouldn't say this is going well at all. 


Today: Yeah this was still awful. I wrote an article on marriage which was good (very controversial, so many comments!) but I can't say writing is a priority right now. I want it to be but I just don't feel good about anything I could potentially write about. Need to do more travel writing outside of this short picture summaries I do here on the blog.

2. Be climbing 5.8s regularly. John thinks I should make my goal 5.9s since I already do 5.6s (mostly) clean and just did two 5.7s this week. But I'm being realistic. There's plenty of skills I need to develop in these higher climbs (hello crazy lunge I did Monday!) and I know 5.8 is more what I can accomplish.That's not to say i don't think I'll be doing some 5.9s by the end of the year, I just don't think I'll be doing them well. 

I just did my first 5.8 this past week. I've been doing 5.7s and some go well some suck, though I have finished every attempt. So I've been wanting to feel a little more comfortable before taking the next leap up. Then John challenged me so I tried an 8. It was really hard and I slipped twice, but I got to the top. I'll probably still stay at 7s for awhile, with 8s sprinkled in. So we'll see where I am by January.

Today: Still doing mostly 7s with some 8s. Actually I haven't climbed in 4 or 5 weeks. And may not for a while still. Got some stuff preventing me at the moment. Hopefully I'll get back to the gym before spring but I offer no guarantees. As a plus, I did do a 5.9 before I went on hiatus. It was no where near clean, but I did it. So if I get a regular schedule going again I be the 8s will come.   

3.Go on an overnight backpacking trip. We talked about this a lot last spring/summer and never actually did it. We stuck to day-hikes. So, it's time. 

Did this! Read about it here. We had a second 2-nighter all planned. The it was 110+ degrees so we decided not to go at the last minute. It's was probably a good idea to cancel, but I'm still sad. We've been unable to reschedule. Maybe in October?

Today: Never did reschedule a 2nd trip but we did go on that first one, so resolution accomplished.
 
4. Stop buying bread, bagels, buns, ect. I don't know if I'll be able to make ALL my own bread products as sometimes I get lazy and just want to run to the store and buy hamburger buns. I do want to make a good effort though. I've already made 2 loaves! I love my bread machine :) 

We still buy buns but I haven't bought sandwich bread. Still perfecting a few recipes. Just made rosemary basil white bread with herbs direct from the garden - big success. Not too 100% store-bought bread free, but having fun with it. Today: = same.

5. Try at least 3 new things (physical activity, food, hairstyle...whatever)...3 seems like a pretty low number for this, so hopefully I exceed the goal. But if I end up breaking my leg snowboarding (new thing #1!) and end up on crutches for months, I want to be able to still meet that goal. (go me and my optimism!) And I have recently done rock climbing and eaten Vegemite, so even though those happened at the end of 2011 I feel like it's part of the be adventurous goal, so I've gotten a head start.

I probably have food-wise, but I don't know what I've done. Did go hiking in the snow. Tried some new beers. And that's all I can think of right now. But I'm sure I'm doing ok here. Oh wait! I shot a gun! That counts as a huge new thing. Go me!

Today: Pigs ears, bacon ice cream, skinny jeans (tried, didn't buy, they suck), tried some new meds (does this count?), archery, yeah, let's just say I have this one under control. What will I get myself into next year?

6. Stop eating at chain restaurants. The only reason we do is that we're too lazy to cook or are on the road and not willing to drive a little longer to find something better. If we go out it should be to a good restaurant that's unique and appealing. there's no reason to eat at Applebees. It's really not good, wastes money, ect. 

Not doing as good as I'd like, but it has become less. Really need to just stop going out all together.

Today: this has been awful since I moved. There's nothing but chain restaurants. Ugg I hate my new city. Please let no one have recorded the day I said I'd rather live in the city.  

7. Summit a mountain. Maybe it's cheating since this is something I do just about every year, but here it is. It might be Old Rag again, which I know I can do. Or it'll be something wild like Mt. Rainer or Pike's Peak...depending on where we decide to go on vacation.

Went to the highest peak east of the Mississipi while in Asheville, but we drove so it doesn't really count. Done a bunch of hikes but not sure there were summits. Work on this is Sept/Oct. Or cry.

Today: Cried. Saw many overlooks but no great peaks. I can't say all the hiking I did was a fail just because they weren't peaks, but I wish I'd been more proactive on what we did. And that the one peak I had thought would happen hadn't been wrong in the book. Made it to a point where it was going to add 4 miles to go to the peak and back...and I was beat so we just took the 2 mile trail back to camp. Lame day. 


8. Activate Mission East Coast Exile. That means we'll either move to Colorado, at least actively make plans to make said move in the next few years, or decide to move elsewhere. As long as we get some better plans in place we don't actually have to leave yet, there's more to figure out still.

We've been talking about this a lot the last few weeks but aren't much closer to a plan. It'll likely be a few more years because we're trying to be realistic.  



Today: I have a loose plan, but until jobs offers start coming in the EC is home. It's really hard finding a job in another city!

9. Raise a pig. And by this we're actually going to give John's uncle a pig to raise, but we're building the shelter, the pig, and all food.We'll take care of it when we visit, but Uncle Glen will do the daily grunt work. Or we may scrap the whole pig idea and just get chickens. But we want to do something farm-y. 

So not happening. Need to get some land of our own as John's uncle is no fun. Today: same. Maybe one day, maybe not.



10. Have a pig roast. This will likely be at John's sister's wedding. Which is pretty much the best idea for a wedding reception ever...other than my own ideas, anyway. 

Sort of did this for the wedding. There was a pig roast, but the caterers took care of it. We'd like to do something ourselves. Likely won't happen this year. So we give this one a half done? Today: more of the same. But we ate a lot of pig. Done every which way.

Symphony of Lights

There's a drive-through light display right by my new place, so it was a must-do for the holiday season. Of course it was fogging and bleh that night, but it was still a good time. And yes, it says Healthy Holidays; the hospital is the big sponsor.

Holiday Music!

It seems like my holiday spirit from post Thanksgiving died. And a lot of people I know are suffering through stuff. Then there was the school shooting. It just seems like December has been a complete failure. But I'm going to this light display tonight and St. Louis is just days away so it's time to be holiday happy once and for all. And my lame idea to do this is just to post some fun holiday songs. Don't listen if you're a Grinch. Or do, it may help.

30 Days of Thanks - The End!

For my last thankful day, I'm kind of thankful to be done. I'm always thankful for things, but it's been hard expressing joy without seeming like I was bragging or searching really hard for something. Oh well. Really, today I'm thankful for it to be December and time for serious holiday crack down. Gift buying is like 95$ complete so I will wrap that up easily. We're going to try and get a tree this weekend. Stockings are up. I'm enjoying carols and lights and it's just magical.

30 Days of Thanks - Toilets and Showers

Yep, I'm thankful for toilets and showers. I'm no stranger to peeing in the woods or going days without a shower. Such is the life of an active outdoorsy gal. I really have no problem with either. I get why some ladies gripe about squatting, but really, suck it up and just go do it. Or stop hiking longer than you can hold it. Still, I can't imagine doing either for long periods of time. A weekend, or even an extended weekend, is quite long enough. Coming home after a trip you really appreciate being able to sit and pee...and a fresh shower? There's nothing better. Although the outdoors life is great, I'm glad it's not like that every day. The modern world is wonderful and convenient.

30 Days of Thanks - Baths and Internet

Day 27 - I am thankful for bubble baths. So relaxing. I haven't had a good bubble bath in years, due to really crappy bath tubs. Who knew they could suck? But yeah, too shallow, no where to lean your head. there's bad. I had a bath but I really just missed my old tub in Pasadena. It was amazing. Ahh. Sigh. Even if my legs were all stuck out weird last night, it was still peaceful. And I started a new book.

Day 28 - I am thankful for online shopping. I get to avoid the stores during holiday time, and really any time. I went to the grocery store and it was awful. Couldn't find things in the right aisles. People were making weird lines that didn't lead anywhere. None of that online. Also, it's really convenient to buy online and have it shipped to Missouri, rather than trying to shove all these gifts in a suitcase.

30 Days of Thanks - Medicine and Gatorade

Day 24 - I am thankful for flu shots. Long story short, John and I were both down with the flu from Friday afternoon through the weekend. It was awful. Poor guy had to keep me from passing out a few times, while he was also sick. I didn't get a flu shot this year because I was procrastinating. I've gotten them for free the last few years through my job. Well, not having that set date means I pretty much forgot. Never making that mistake again. It was a horrible weekend.

Day 25 - I'm thankful for Gatorade, without which I would have probably been dead by Sunday. Also, leftovers. We were finally able to enjoy a little bit of real food Sunday night and it was Thanksgiving leftovers. Normally they would have been gone already. I think I may be ready for pie now.

Day 26 - I'm thankful for my grandparents. Things haven't been the best between us in the last few years, but they're still 2 of the most important people to me. They helped my mom out a lot through the years. My grandfather was pretty much my good father figure during my life. I've had a lot of people losing grandparents this year, 2 just this weekend, so it made me thankful that mine were still around. As much as I was dreading Christmas I think I need to suck it up and be glad I still have the opportunity to make things better.

30 Days of Thanks - Turkey and friends

Happy Thanksgiving all!

I feel like I've covered the family and other normal things, though I guess not all of my family got their own post. Now, I'm starting each of these posts thinking I'll write about something less important like tennis shoes or lotion. Because that's what pops in my head. I really am thankful for more important things, I'm sure, but writing about them seems to not be working. So forgive me if I seem vain for the rest of the month. I promise, family, friends, food, shelter....it all comes way before that little stuff. But being thankful for "all the things" seems like cheating.

Day 22 - I'm cheating and writing that I'm thankful for Thanksgiving. I miss a lot of old traditions from celebrating at my grandparents' house. I miss the general warmth of the house (don't tell me it was the oven and fire place, it was naturally warmer due to love! haha). I love stepping out into the garage to get the pies and feeling the briskness I'd forgotten about. I miss burnt marshmallows and lots of wine. Even if I were home, it'd be different as I would be at Mom's, not the grandparents'. But maybe next year.... Anyway, despite missing home and it really being different, I was still with John's family. There were my favorites, plus their traditions which I've come to enjoy (best fruit salad ever!). There's laughter and fryers. Hugs and snot. Leaves and wishbones. It's a day for family to just be together and it is lovely.

Day 23 - Seeing as I didn't yet write about friends...I'm thankful for friends! Most importantly, my BFF Julie. We had a great time when she came to visit and I wish we got to hang out more often. But she's always on the other end of the phone. I could probably write a lot about our years together (kindergarten was a long time ago) but then I may cry and that's not where I want to go. We've dressed up for a tea party birthday, licked things at girl scout camp, had drunken cotton candy adventures. I'm sure there's more to come. And I'm glad we have some climbing friends to go out with because otherwise it would take way too long to set up anchors. Also, they are pretty fun people. And I'm thankful for the potential new friend I have. Ya know, making new friends at this age is too much like dating. Will she call?!?! haha

John's Birthday in Charleston, SC

Seeing as we couldn't get our act together in September, we moved our anniversary trip to John's birthday trip. Since it was just a short weekend voyage we did a lot of walking around and a lot of eating. Not much else. We now have a pretty good grasp of downtown Charleston. I may have been overly excited when we accidentally walked past Bubba Gump's. And I got my mom a Christmas present from a local artist. I was sad that we didn't go to any plantations, but it rained all day on Sunday so we were kind of limited in what we could do.

Saturday was really just exploring. We were way too hungry when we got up so I forgot there was a restaurant I wanted to go to. So we missed out on that one. We walked down to the water, saw a lot of old houses, and sat on the water front swings. It was really cold, despite it being the south. The wind off the water was awful. But thankfully the sun was shining for all of Saturday. We walked around market street but I never did find a Christmas ornament. Then we found a farmer's market/craft show and wandered around there. Complete with crazy bible lady. Then it was time to get beer! We went all local, woo! We  stopped by Amen Street (yes!) on accident for beers and raw oysters. And a nice pub for more bears. I did try the local sweet tea vodka....though it was in a mixed drink so I can't say for sure how great it was. The drink was ok. 
 
The two main restaurants were McCradys for dinner on Saturday and Husk for brunch on Sunday (the actual birthday), both by the same chef, and both wonderful. John's a pork fan and we had some kind of pig in everything. Menu at McCradys included amazing swordfish, John's beloved Berkshire pork, and a happy birthday apple something. And a really great Malbec. John's only complaint were the holier-than-thou high society pretentious folk. But that's what we get for going to a fancy restaurant in the south I guess. Oh and I got escorted to the restroom. Super fancy! John loved his pork and said he would eat the apple dessert for every meal. A happy birthday boy! When we got back to the hotel there were chocolate covered strawberries and champagne, which we had to take with us because we'd been drinking for hours.

At Husk we had the famous fried pig ear lettuce wraps (so good!) and friend green tomatoes with pimento cheese. And birthday sweet potato pie with bacon ice cream. We may have bought head chef Sean a new car, and we could barely walk after two huge meals, but it was really good food. And Husk focuses on local ingredients, so I was happy.

Again, it was raining on Sunday so we headed to the aquarium instead of a plantation or the beach. It was not as good as I remember, but still a fun afternoon. We found a giant turtle, who we at first thought was a rock. Hey, the sharks were really distracting. Also, pretty sure if there had been no glass we could have been eaten by a rattle snake. It was the most active I'd ever seen a snake in a tank.

Now we have to figure out what other random weekend adventures we can have.

30 Days of Thanks - Nieces and Nephews

Today I am thankful for our niece and future nephew. Caroline was unexpected, but she has brought so much joy to our lives. I think she's helped John realize how wonderful kids can be. And I know he'll be a good dad both from watching him with her and by our conversations about parenting that follow. Caroline is one of the sweetest girls I've ever known and she just loves life. She's recently taken to the phrase "Oh, I just love it!" And soon we'll have a little boy who is sure to be a wonderful addition to the family. It's great to be able to enjoy these little ones and pass them back to their parents. We aren't ready for our own so it's the best way to get baby/kid fixes.

30 Days of Thanks - Home

Today I'm thankful that I'll be home in St. Louis in just one month! I'm feeling really low/homesick today, I think in part due to usual ups and downs of the month, but also because I miss my family. I love John's family and enjoy spending Thanksgiving with them, but I still get homesick around this time every year because it just isn't the same as spending the holiday at home. I'm baking pies and packing a bag for tomorrow night (we stay at John's parents so we wake up there in the morning and can help prep) but I wish there were brothers, aunts, or my mom here bustling around doing the same. I wish there was punch. I wish there was Rocky. Really any kind of living creature would do - it's lonely here prepping for the holidays by myself. Tomorrow night/Thurs will be better but yeah, depressed today. So I am instead thinking about being home for Christmas and all the fun we're going to have. One Month!

30 Days of Thanks - Pork and Birthdays

Day 17 - If you would have asked me 6 years ago if I'd ever write that I'm thankful for pork, I would have laughed. See, when John and I met I wasn't eating red meat. Living with a bunch of vegetarians throughout college I slowly started to move away from it. I could never give up meat completely, but red meat kind of slipped away. I didn't care too much for pork ever so that was really easy to give up. Then I started dating a guy who spent the first 11 years of his life on a pig farm. My first dinner at his parent's house they made pork chops and I couldn't very well say no thank you. I'm too polite - and I really didn't have Scythian against eating meat. If I were a true vegetarian I would have had John tell them before, but it wasn't a huge deal. Anyway, this weekend we had a ton of pork. John's become way into Berkshire pigs, supposedly one of the best tasting. So anytime it's on a menu he goes crazy. For his birthday we went to a restaurant simply because the guy loves pork....and especially Berkshires. John was in heaven. More on that in another post. :)

Day 18 - Today's the best day of the month because I get to write about how thankful I am that John was born. *Insert a ton of sappy stuff here* Really, sometimes we drive each other crazy, and yes I already wrote about him making me laugh, so I won't get crazy here. I think everyone reading this knows what he means to me. We're incredibly happy and I can't imagine my life without him. One of the best things about him is his desire to see the world. I couldn't be happier exploring different cities with anyone else. Here's to a million more birthdays as wonderful as this one.

Day 19 - Today I'm thankful for my brother Matt. We don't talk as much as we should, but I always know that if I send him a quick text or want to complain about something he's going to be there. He doesn't think I'm weird when I text him from a foreign city asking him where I should get a beer. He's really good at understanding my frustrations with certain things. And though he's a football loving science-y man, which seems the opposite of me, we have a lot in common. No one understands Cardinals fever better. I'm looking forward to taking him and his girlfriend out for some good times when I'm back in Missouri. Guns and wine? Hopefully not at the same time. (Also grateful that he and John can find a common bond - they're probably going to talk nothing but guns and beer the entire week.)

30 Days of Thanks - Roommates and Airplanes

Day 15 - I am thankful for a cool roommate. And for a roommate I hardly see. I was a bit sad at the move since it wasn't the joint house I wanted with John. Then I had all this quiet time and hated being alone those first few days. But now it's nice. My roommate works nights so she leaves before I come home from work and gets in just about the time I'm headed to bed. I like that I can just chill and relax, get shit done. because really, if I'm not at John's or he's not at my place chances are I need to be packing or cleaning or just have an hour where I'm not preparing for the next adventure. At the same time, Jen was home last night as Thurs tend to be her night off. Her boyfriend came over but we were able to chat and chill a bit first. Then she made spiced apple cider and spiked it with rum. Though I should have been packing we had a good 2 hours.

Day 16 - I'm thankful for airplanes. I know, who ever thought I'd say that?! I hate, hate, hate flying. The lines, the people, the woozy feeling during take off, the inevitable diseases of the people, the turbulence. It's just no fun to me. But I am grateful that I can get places so quickly. All the other stuff are the necessary evils to travel. Instead of driving hours upon hours, we can be places in 2-4 hours. I'd never see so much of the world if it weren't for flights. Little weekend trips - way less cool if you spend 8 hours each way in the car.

30 Days of Thanks - Mom-in-law

We've all heard the horror stories of mothers in-law. In-laws in general, actually. People can be crazy, y'all. But John's mom is pretty great. She stays out of our business when it isn't just general how ya doin' stuff. She will sit and chat with me and we can laugh about some of John's crazy behaviors. We're not besties, but I always feel welcome and respected when I'm in her home. I think she knows we're happy and that's all that matters.

30 Days of Thanks - Food

Short and simple today - I'm thankful I have the means to eat and eat well. No reason, maybe I'm hungry, or just thinking about baking something yummy. I'm grateful my belly is full and I don't worry about where my next meal is coming from.

30 Days of Thanks Moms and more

Day 10 - My mom and I have had our ups and downs like any mother/daughter relationship. But the last few years she's been there through some tough stuff. I know I can call her any time and she's there to listen. If I'm crying for no good reason she gets it. We also share a lot of interests so I can rely on her to talk Les Miz or a multitude of other topics.

Day 11 - Strength. I'm not a very strong person, physically. I have a bad knee and a bad back. Sometimes this really gets me down. But then I have great days like today where my limitations don't get the best of me. I climbed a 5.9 at the gym today. I'm doing 5.7s well and 5.8s, some good some bad. So this was a step up. I was really tired, nearly ready to call it a day, but I felt motivated. I had to take a few times when I just couldn't get a good grip on the tiny holds that tend to make up a 5.9. But I made it up. I'm thankful that while I can't do a lot of things that other people around me can, I don't let it stop me from hiking, climbing, whatever at my own pace. I may not be the best or the fastest, but I don't let myself sit on my bum all day.

Day 12 - I'm thankful for the ability to buy those I love good gifts. I did some shopping today and am getting pretty excited about the holidays. While I can't shower everyone with new cars or the washing machine my mom needs, I can provide happiness. Mostly in the form of John and I going home for the holiday. I'm thankful that my family sees more value in spending my money on place tickets than on elaborate gifts.

30 Days of Thanks - My Job

I've been through some crazy ups and downs as far as my workplace. A low paying job I liked. A higher paying job that was too stressful. And now a stable job that's been pretty slow. But regardless of the lows I've been employed without any gaps since I finished college (well, after my summer off). I know plenty of people who have been laid off and I'm thankful for never having to go through that. Sure, I'd still like to be a famous travel writer, but as long as I continue to not actually write anything I can't be upset that it isn't my career. I have a job I'm good at and it covers all my bills. Would I like more to spend on travel a Christmas? Sure, who wouldn't? But I am certainly not struggling like others are.

30 Days of Thanks - Heat and Coats

I had to break out the winter coat yesterday. I always try to make it until Thanksgiving, I have no idea why. I am usually in denial that October/fall is over until the holidays are upon us. It seems like if I have to wait until Thanksgiving is over to get into Christmas decorating and the like, then the cold should hold off that long as well. It's pretty crazy, but my brain works in mysterious ways. Anyway, I gave in and got the coat out. I think I may go back to the lighter version tomorrow and forget these last two days happened....since it should warm up some. But regardless, it's chilly and I'm really happy I have a home and office to go to where I am not freezing, and that when I am outside I have a nice coat to keep the chill off (though really, I am always cold. Is it my coat or me lack of body fat? I don't know...it takes the edge off but I'm never super warm in winter. hmmm). I am thankful to not be one of the many displaced people in NY/NJ who are without heated home (or homes at all) or all the homeless people in Baltimore. Actually, I may buy this new coat I found which is on sale....and give my coat to a shelter. Oh wait, I'm giving another old coat away too! I forgot it made it to the giveaway pile (actually, I forgot I even still had it until the move). Hopefully the person who gets them will be thankful as well. It's a privilege to be able to buy something new that many can't afford.

30 Days of Thanks - Intelligence

Last night I needed to step away from the TV for a bit before I pulled my hair out. Watching election returns alone is so lame. At least in college I had someone to commiserate with (Oh the Bush reelection....). Unpacking wasn't enough of a distraction once I emptied the boxes in my room. The rest were downstairs in the garage and I did not feel like carrying them up. So the TV kept luring me in. John was at trivia...I became desperate. I called home, knowing I couldn't actually talk politics with anyone there. So frustrating to see so much red in Missouri. But Akin lost so there's still hope. Anyway, I called to talk no politics but just to get my mind off things. And I was pleasantly surprised.

My 15 year old brother answered the phone, did his Obama/Romney poll, and we were off on a wonderful conversation about politics! The kid watched all 3 debates, did some reading, and decided he was for Obama, a position he was struggling with due to being surrounded by the opposite side. Now he was no election scholar, but he had actual educated thoughts and it was so refreshing. I could tell him my opinion and he he understood what I was saying (mostly). Of course I would hope even if he were "voting" differently we'd still be able to have a smart conversation.

I'm so thankful that my brothers are growing up into smart members of society. In the next presidential election they'll all be able to vote! (right?? The baby will be 18 right before the election I believe. My math is flawed this am).

30 days of Thanks - Voting

It wasn't that long ago that women did not have the right to vote. Can you imagine a world where your husband made all your decisions? Luckily John and I are voting on the same side, but that's not always the case. A woman's right to vote was a long and hard battle and the right should be embraced. Men, you should also be happy to vote.

I'm still a bit nervous about the election - somehow I still have friends on the opposite side of the political spectrum and seeing the updates just makes my brain swirl. I truly will never be able to understand some of these opinions. And they probably feel the same about me. Luckily I live in a pretty Blue state now (big change from MO!). I'm sure MD will go blue, it's the rest of the country I worry about. Pretty exciting is the vote for marriage equality in MD. I can't wait!

30 Days of Thanks - Homes and Health

I never post on weekends so I have to catch up.

Day 3: I'm thankful having a roof over my head. It was moving day on Saturday and it's a nice place. So glad to be out of Virginia and closer to John. Would be even better if we didn't have to wait for our own place, but it just didn't work out. So after a hellish move, I'm glad it's done. And my new place is within walking distance of a Cheesecake Factory. Go get the limited seasonal pumpkin pecan cheesecake. So good. Must take up running to burn off the calories.

Day 4: I'm thankful for my health. I have a little infection so I went to urgent care to get antibiotics. I already feel better this morning. So while I was blah on Sunday, I'm glad I don't live in the zombie apocalypse yet, as I need time to stock up on drugs.

Day 5: I'm thankful for having a way to get around. Can you imagine being in the commuter nightmare that is NY right now? Ugg, no thanks. Today traffic was light and my car is still running. So I can't be upset on a day like that.

30 Days of Thanks - Sunshine

After 5 days of rain and clouds, some of which was hurricane rain, I'm so grateful for the sun to be out again! And it looks like I'll get a few days of sun to enjoy. It's no secret that I love a good thunderstorm when I am safe at home and can just snuggle up. The hurricane, minus the negatives, was actually enjoyable. We baked cookies, watched movies, and had lots of cuddling with my boy. Rain is nice. But when the sun comes back out I leap for job. Because too much rain can get you down.

There's also that little thing about 90% of our hobbies involving the outdoors. All of which are more fun when it's sunny. So sun means hiking and camping and climbing, without the hassle of trying to light a fire with wet wood. Yep, today it's jump for joy, it's sunny day!

Watch Out, He Bites

This past weekend John was in Vegas so I was left to entertain myself. I drove up to my friend Rob's farm. Since they have a ton of cats we had to find outdoor activities to do. We started the day with coffee on the deck to just chat and catch up. Then we headed to the pumpkin patch nearby. My experience with the pig there let me know I would have no problem raising them and then eating them. They aren't soft and cuddly. I was happy to find little pumpkins with bumps all over. Those are so cute! I didn't carve in time for Halloween, so it's time to bake them up and make pies!

Back at the farm Rob and Jamie had to do some stuff to take care of the horses. This included Rob riding around on the tractor, which was great. Despite them being huge and able to stomp me, I made friends. Then one of the horses took interest in my coat. What started in friendly licking ended with a bite of my upper arm. Arm is not food horse! It only pinched, but the next day it felt like I'd had a flu shot. I surely won't that that deter me from playing with the horses again. But I did give my carrots to the other guy.

And then I got over my fear of chickens. Still don't like other birds, but I now can't wait to raise chickens. They're warm and soft. And they make eggs! the one did flap me in the face with her wings, but that's quite alright.

Of course, I have to stay away from cats with the allergies. I was pretty sniffly the next day after even the limited exposure I had. But you can't deny kittens are cute. Except the one who tried to jump in the toilet while I peed. That one's just weird.

Oh, and at dinner we had amazing tiramisu. Mmmm. I nearly got lost on my way home since the GPS couldn't find a signal for 15 minutes. But I guess I have some sense of direction since I took all the right roads purely off memory! It was a beautiful day on the farm. I'll have to go back since Rob and Jamie shower me with farm fresh eggs and jam when I visit. Yum.

30 Days of Thanks: Hamster Wheel

Challenge accepted.

I was challenged to write every day this month about something I'm thankful for. I have a feeling I may end up 30 things I love about John, but I'll try to limit those posts. But to start off, I have to go there.

I am thankful for the Hamster Wheel. A story about who knows what led to John talking about running through space. He of course had to demonstrate what this would look like. So imagine him lying on his back moving his arms and feet in a way that looks like running on a hamster wheel. You probably had to be there to actually find this funny, and so I apologize for not getting this on camera. But trust me, it was funny. We were actually rolling in laughter. And that's the real point, I have a wonderful man who never fails to make me laugh. A lot of his humor could be seen as arrogant, obnoxious, or even downright crazy to others (I don't think anyone else would have gotten the salmon god story). But to me it's just wonderful.

Roanoke, VA

John's mom grew up outside Roanoke, in Salem. She'd been lamenting about missing the mountains so John decided we should make a trek. There's really nothing spectacular about Roanoke. It used to be a big railroad town. There was some mining. Now it's just kind of blah. Nonetheless, we had a good family weekend.

The drive down was wonderful with all the leaves changing. John's mom was already in a good mood just from being close to her roots. She kept talking about how much calmer she was and I could just tell the trip was worth it just because she was happy. On Friday night we went out to dinner at a place called Local Roots. All local foods, obviously. We had an amazing cheese plate and all the main dishes has the main meat served 3 ways. yummy stuff.

On Saturday we started off the day by driving the 5 minutes to Salem and checking out Mom's old digs. We saw her two childhood homes, her school, the minor league baseball stadium where John once got overly excited about a signed ball, ect. We also went to the farmer's market and got a bunch of local stuff - cheese, apple butter, honey....John's dad was in the mood for cider so we drove around the mountains until we found some. Then we drove up the Blue Ridge Parkway to a place called The Peaks of Otter. We were going to have lunch at the lodge there, but it was crowded. We went to the winery - a real bust as far as wine. They were all super sweet fruit wines, not very good. But we did get some more local food, including apples (better in fruit form than wine form!). That night we ventured to the "city" for dessert at a local restaurant.

Sunday was time to head home. First we stopped at the Natural Bridge for a little hike through the woods. It was a gorgeous weekend - couldn't have asked for more.