I seem to have misplaced May!

Aaaaaand, so it's been a month since I last blogged!  Obviously, I didn't take much time to do it up in Oregon for my Mother's Day trip.  This is about the time of the year, too, when resolutions are long forgotten.  It's hard to believe we're at the halfway point for 2013 already.  I want to take time by the neck and shake it so that it will SLOW DOWN.  I'm sure before I look up again, we'll be almost through summer!  But, let's not think of that now.  I'll start off with a hard look at my resolutions, only slightly curious of other who might have met or are keeping theirs.

1.  I have slowly let my blogging sag to where I update now only once or twice a month.  I really want to get on this and change it.  Sometimes after sitting at the computer for the whole day, it's hard to get back on.  But, I really want to make myself do it!
2. I feel like being active at lunch is something that's kind of stuck into a semi-habit.  I'm usually able to guilt-trip myself enough to at the very least take a walk around the block.  I've started running on Thursday's now, and hopefully that will keep up through summer.
3. May was not the best month to judge my most-activeness.  I did work out in Oregon, and continued to go to Bootcamp, but Memorial day and the teacher's vacay allowed for me to miss almost two weeks straight.  I made up for it with walks or jogs, but I don't feel like I was as active as I should have been.  Softball season has started up for my husband's law firm, and our games are on Wednesday nights now, which kills my bootcamp nights.  I really want to slim down a bit for summer, so I'm brainstorming fun ways to get tough workouts in.
4. I  honestly don't think much has changed on the junk food habits.  Maybe I've passed up on a few things, but I still feel the need to treat myself way too often.  I need healthier choices on the horizon!
5. Flossing every other night is a full-blown habit that I hope to carry with me from this day out.  Yay for healthy teeth and at least one kept resolution!
6. I haven't Yelped in a while, but I plan to head over there tonight to review the Golden Tee in Monterey.
7. I'm SO bad about these backblogs.  I need to set myself reminders, or something!

Let's take May week-by-week and I'm pressure myself into updating next week as well!  :)

May 9-15 was my trip back up to Oregon, where mom and I got to spend some quality time for a full week.  It was a really relaxing and super fun vacation.  We had a mother-daughter tea at the church where my mom works, went out to eat and shopping for Mother's day, and I got to hang out with my old crew from high school and enjoy the simple way of life in Sisters, Oregon.  I had a donut at the bakery, walked my dog behind the house, and was a tourist around Sisters for a while.  It really is amazing what you can get used to.  I go back now and am like, "wow!  I lived like that!  I went to that school and waived at those people.  I swam there and rollerbladed there and grew up with all this!"  It's so nice to have a relaxing spot as beautiful as Sisters to go and visit and call your home.  I can't believe it's been ten years since my high school graduation.  It's going to be a trip to see everyone in August!

The middle of May I don't really remember much of.  :)  Likely it was spent resting and running errands and working.  I don't think that we really even went on any trips until the end of May.  Sometimes it's really good just to have time like that, too.  My cousin did graduate from the master's program as CSULB and we're so proud to have a Master's graduate in the family!   I wish I could have been down there with her to watch, but with all the time that I took off to go to Oregon, I didn't want to miss much more work.  Hopefully, we'll have time to have a big family party for her when she comes to visit at the end of June.

The end of May was pretty jam-packed.  We went down to Monterey on the Friday before Memorial Day to hang out with my family.  Steve also had a law school friend in town from LA and invited him to play golf on Laguna Seca-- the place we got married!  We also barbequed, played some tennis, walked around the wharf and had some drinks at the Golden Tee!  We didn't get much of a break after returning to Fremont.  Tuesday, we went to Steve's law firm event at the Oakland A's game and watched the A's take on the Giants from box seats.  Wednesday I skipped out on bootcamp to join a friend from Chicago at dinner in SF with Steve and one of our friends from Steve's firm.  It was great to hang out in the city!

So, that brings us to June, which looks fairly uneventful so far, until the later portion of the month when my cousin and her husband come to visit.  It's our mission to keep June clear and cheap, though, because our last half of the summer is going to be jam-packed.  We have a wedding in Detroit (which is costing us a small fortune to attend thanks to insane plan tix from here to that part of the country!), my ten-year SHS reuinion on Labor day (Aug 3) back in Sisters (that I'm also helping to coordinate), and then a wedding in Seattle that Steven is actually in the weekend right after that.  It's going to be insane!  Luckily, September is going to be rounded off really nicely by a weekend trip to Yosemite with the whole family.  My parents and two uncles all have their birthdays within one week (almost), so we rented a few houses and are celebrating my youngest uncle's 50th in style!  Can't wait!

But we're so lucky that we live in the Bay Area.  There are honestly endless activities that we can do on the cheap side and still feel excited about them.  We have mapped out several more hikes, been invited to take advantage of a friend's cabin in Tahoe, explore more of SF (which we sadly never do), hit the beaches, and even thrown in a Trail Ride on horseback!  More on that later-- hopefully!

For this weekend, we are kicking back again and just seeing where the road takes us.  I'm into it, as I've been trying to find ways to take my mind of stress and worry, and not be anxious about more than is necessary is a nice change.  Good thing is--  the weather is impossibly nice and I'm looking forward to working on a golden, California girl tan.  :)

Here are some pics from May!

 

April Adventure Recap!

April was a pretty busy month, which kept me from blogging but also gives me a lot to catch up on.   Let's do a week-by-week recap.  :)

The weekend of April 13th took Steve and I on our next hiking adventure.  This time, we went east to Danville, CA and the mass regional park that Mt. Diablo calls home.  I had no idea there was a 3,000 foot hill in the middle of the Danville, but there as we drove up it to the summit, it's awesome views that were touted on bahiker.com presented themselves.  We went early, so as not to repeat the problem that we had in Muir Woods and found it kind of odd that you could drive all the way to the summit.  In fact, the actual highest point itself was housed under a man-made roof in the park building, which Steve thought was kind of odd.  He likes to feel a sense of accomplishment when he hikes up something and stands on the highest rock.  But, as I pointed out, we hadn't done any hiking yet.  So, we set out for our first trail, the Mary Bowerman, which was a really easy walk around the summit.  It was nice, because we could get our bearings and take some great shots of the views.  Then came our more strenuous work-- we were already at the top, which means we'd have to hike down and then back up. But, we found a great route down the Summit Trial, and back up the Juniper trail.  It was strenuous going to back up, to be sure, but the views and the wildlife (we saw a coyote!) were amazing.  It took us around three hours and really made us feel like true hikers (even though we did almost give up when we saw a misleading sign saying we had 20 miles to go to get back to our car!).  We finished our day with a sandwich and yogurt in the ritzy downtown area.  I can't wait to see where we head to next to hike!

With our Lawyer's League softball season right around the corner, Steve wanted to get some practice in with me, my dad, my brother and my grandfather.  So, we headed down to Monterey and spent the Sunday immersed in sports.  We took some batting practice and grounders at the field, and then headed up to the tennis courts at MPC to hit the ball around a bit.  The weather was perfect and it was great to get out and get moving.

Last weekend was my grandmother's 75th birthday, so we celebrated in style.  I headed down to Monterey on Friday night to join my grandmother, grandfather, uncle and great aunt on a trip to San Francisco to see Jersey Boys, which is one of my most favorite plays of all time.  It was really fun to hang out with my family in the city.  I hope we can all get back there for a baseball game again.  The show was amazing and the bus ride home was made that much more fun with wine and snacks (although-- because I was the youngest on the bus by at least 20 years, I almost didn't get any!  The lady thought I was under age!).  We had my grandmother's actual birthday at Laguna Seca Golf Ranch-- the same place as our wedding.  It was fun to do a birthday outside of the usual houses and bring our family shenanigans elsewhere.  A family trip to Yosemite is in the works for September, and I really hope that we can get everyone to head up and hang out.

This last Wednesday, we had our first softball game with the lawyers league.  Our team won 17-6 despite having only 8 players.  I didn't field the greatest, but I hit well, and Steve had a good game too.  It's really great to see everyone again-- I love the social aspect of softball and hanging out with Steve's co-workers in a casual environment.  We have a great time after the games hanging out upstairs in the bar and having beers.

In a general sense, things have been going pretty well.  Work moral was boosted considerably with our Cinco de Mayo party that I helped plan last Friday.  There have been a lot of changes in the company recently, and it was nice to see everyone take a break from worrying and hang out with friends.  Uncle Mike, his mother Trudy, and my great aunt Alice are all healing well from their respective procedures, and it was good to see them up and around and visiting last weekend.  Lastly, I'm SO looking forward to my relaxing week-long vacation coming up in this Thursday.  I'm heading back to Sisters to hang out with mom for Mother's Day and recharge my proverbial batteries a bit.  I'm also on the planning committee for our 10-year high school reunion coming up this August, so I'm hoping to get some things sorted out with that as well.  It doesn't look like Steve will be able to join, but I still fully intend to enjoy my time off.

Resolution Update:
1. I'm hoping to catch up on my blogging during my vacation next week!
2. I've still only been averagely active at lunch.  This week was busy, so I didn't get a lunch break a lot of the time.  I'm hoping to work out every day while I'm on vacation, just to get back on track.
3. This week, I did go to bootcamp on Monday, but Wednesday was softball, and while it's some exercise, it's not enough.  I hope to get outside today for even just a bit today to make up for it, since this will be the norm for the softball season.
4. I'm kind of falling off the wagon on junk food, so I need to start really trying to make healthier choices with my eating habits.
5. Flossing is still solid!
6. I still haven't really eaten anywhere to blog about, as Steve and I are trying to cook more at home.
7. I'm hoping to catch up on back-blogs while I'm on vacation!


I'll end with some pics of Mt Diablo hiking and my grandmother's birthday:

Green Household's Latest Obession: Game of Thrones

Husband and I don't often agree on things of an "entertainment" nature.  Our tastes in movies, TV and music are pretty different as far as couples go.  For me, this is the norm, and not something I put a lot of thought into growing up.  My dad's TV tastes swing to the Science Fiction persuasion, and I'm pretty sure all of his favorite movies boast someone dying in the first fifteen minutes.  My mom, when she does watch movies or TV, leans toward RomComs or mystery dramas.  They have lived in entertainment compromise since before I was born.  But, husband was a little taken aback at first, and even worried, when he discovered a few years into our coupledom that there were very few TV shows that we could agree to watch together, and perhaps even less music to listen to.  We, like my parents, have learned to compromise and on occasion, even find ourselves enjoying the others genre preferences.

I don't even remember what we were doing two weeks ago when I looked at the TV and said, "why don't I watch Game of Thrones?  It looks right up my ally."  If you don't know me well, I love period pieces, and feel that a bit of epic-ness thrown in never hurt anyone (Lord of the Rings ranks atop my all time favorite movies).  Husband, also being more of the SciFi persuasion like my dad, agreed that he had heard good things about Game of Thrones.  And so, thanks to those hit-it-and-quit-it execs at Comcast, we were able to get thoroughly addicted to the happenings of the Starks, Lanisters, and Dothraki.  This was due to Comcast's "Watch-a-thon" week, which slings HBO episodes for free, and then, after not giving you nearly enough time to watch all of them, makes you pay for your "fixes".  UNluckily, for our friends at Comcast, my dad owns both seasons of our newly beloved show.  And now, Husband and I are enjoying some quality time in front of the Tube (can you CALL it that, now that it's a flat screen?), losing ourselves in a simpler, albeit more brutal, time.  It feels good to have a show that we can both agree on, for a change.

Aside from our new addiction, there have been some happenings: 

Easter weekend was spent in Monterey, hanging out with my family with the added bonus of my two So-Cal cousins coming up for a visit.  It was a jam-packed weekend, complete with a Buffalo Wild Wings trip, Tennis, egg coloring, an Easter egg hunt, celebrating two belated Birthdays, a crazy game of Bump, a sunrise church service attempt, breakfast for 12 at Black Bear diner, Frisbee golf, enough sugar to last me for the month of April (if only), and the usual shenanigans.  SO fun. 

On a melancholy note, last week, my company decided to close it's LA office branch, and let go about 20 people, which sunk moral lower than the Titanic and put everyone on edge.  I enjoy my job and the people I work with very much, and it's hard to see people I've worked with for years have to start over.  It's even more frightening to think that one day, it could happen to me.

Last weekend, Steven and I took a hiking hiatus and went to the Tartan Day Celebration down the road at Ardenwood farms.  It was fantastic (pictures to prove it).  There was Scottish music, dancing and games.  We had a blast.

This week is just more of the same ole'-- swimming through the day's challenges and putting out (figurative) fires.  I do have a five day trip to Oregon planned for the beginning of May, which I am very much looking forward to.  No better place to relax then back home.

As for my resolutions:

1. Weekly blog is falling to a bi-monthly blog, but at least it's something! 
2. I've been averagely active at lunch.  I have trouble getting motivated when it rains, or when I'm in a bad mood-- which is honestly when I should go outside the most.
3. Last week, my instruction cancelled class both Monday and Wednesday, and it was frighteningly liberating to not have to go after work.  I did make up for it by working out in other ways, and I did just complete my second class tonight for the week!
4. Less junk food when down the drain with Easter, but I'm trying to will myself into self control.
5. Flossing has been solid-- I'd even say it's become a habit now!
6. We haven't been "out out" in a while, so no Yelp reviews, but I know I do have some to catch up on.
7. No back blogs, and this is SO bad, because summer is here, which likely means more adventures.

Until next time-- enjoy some pics of the Tartan Day Festival.

Twenty-Eight

Twenty-eight has proved to be an odd and confusing age so far.  More than any other time that I can remember in the second-half of my 20s, I feel like I’ve been asked how old I was more THIS year.  When I answer, I get a really odd mix of responses.  Most people, especially strangers (dentist, hair dresser, lady at my gym), remark on how “young” I am, or that I’m still a “baby.”  That response is SO odd to me, because, I don’t really consider myself either of those two things.  The remainder of the people (co-workers, my family), usually want to know how long I’ve been married, and when I’m planning on having kids, because that’s what’s normal or expected to them.  A remark from my gym instructor really got me the other day—she was talking to someone else about this girl who did Cross Fit at another gym and was really good.  When asked how old the cross fit girl was, my instructor said, “She’s not young.  I think she’s like, 28, or 30.  She’s not like those young girls who can just rip out a workout.”

Okay, so WHICH is it, then?  Am I young?  Am I bordering on too old?  Maybe the reason that I get a bit edgy about it is not because people ask me more about my age now, but more because I feel conflicted about it.  Comparatively, I think that 28 is still young-ish.  But not just “young” by itself, you know?  I felt “young” in college.  Now, I’ve been paying my own way for a long while, and have become a fairly accomplished adult.  I’ve been out of college for 5 years now, I JUST got married a year and a half ago.  I’ve been doing stuff, enjoying my life, seeing the sites and having adventures.  I feel good about all of it.  I don’t (often) look at my friends who got married and had kids younger and wish I could go back for a re-do to be more like them.  I’m not even close to the oldest person in my office who doesn’t have kids.  

But, it still nags at me, because 28 seems so very close to 30, and with that age comes a bunch of expectations and judgments.  Not to mention, concerning stats.  One minute I feel so free to just be able to pick up and leave and travel for work with no qualms.  Another minute, I am consumed with worry of what people will think if I don’t produce offspring in the near future, and the consequences to MY future if I don’t.  It. Is. Exhausting.  For once, I’d like someone to say “Oh, 28… that’s a fun age.”  Or, even better—don’t ask at all!  I know how old I am, I am well informed of the expectations and stats of being 28, and I’m handling it.  I got this.  Trust me.

I digress from my moody rant.  It’s been a very busy March around these parts.  We were hit with the news that Steven’s grandma had passed away (peacefully) in the second week of March.  We made the trip back to Malta to be at her funeral.  I was glad to be there for Steve and help out the family during the hard time.  I feel comforted that she had a long, full life and was loved by so many people.  I know it will be hard for the Greens not to have her to talk to anymore.  She will be very missed.

The week after we got back from Montana, I was off again for a work trip to Chicago.  It turned out to be a nice visit, aside from the FREEZING cold weather, and the massive issues that our software’s build created the weekend before.  The office was "tense" to say the least.  But, I got to visit and bond with my team, as well as see a lot of other people I usually only email, so it was a pretty productive time.  There was also a product training during that time that some other people from the remote offices flew in for, and hanging out with them in a different city was pretty cool.  I always like going back to Chicago.  The streets and way of life are so fresh in my mind and it’s easy to get swept up in the city lifestyle after being submerged in suburbia for almost three years now.  But, I SO do not miss the cold.  I’ll take my 60 degree March days over anything else.  Caligurl4eva.  ;)

As always, I’ll end this blog with a resolution update:

1. I fell behind on blogging for reasons mentioned above, but I’m completing mine for this week!
2. I’ve been doing pretty well with being active during lunch.  This week it’s been rainy and hard to get outside, but I did go for a nice walk on Tuesday and cleaned up the house Wednesday.
3. I’ve kept up with bootcamp pretty well and really only fell off the wagon in Chicago, where it's pretty tough to work out in a hotel—but I walked so much that I feel like I MUST have got some calories burnt off that I normally would not have.  Steve and I also hiked at Sunol two weekends ago, so I hope that we can keep it up.  Exploring new hiking areas around the Bay is so fun!
4. I’m trying to get back on the wagon for eating less junk food.  I’ve done pretty well this week—as long as you don’t count the frozen strawberry lemonades at McDonalds as Junk.  :)
5. I’ve still flossed pretty regularly every other night, and my dentist check up went pretty well a few weeks ago.  I only have one cavity and I think it has been there for a bit, because the dentist said it was right beside a filling they had already done last year.  I think when that happens, they should re-do your filling for free.  It must be their fault if the filling didn’t do it’s job, right? ;)
6. I’ve been to a few places that I need to Yelp about, so I’ll try to get on that next week.
7. No back-blogs yet! 

I will leave you with some pictures from our most recent hike in Sunol.  I’m really enjoying getting outside and seeing the sites of the bay at new heights!  

Welcome March!

February is over.  When I lived in Oregon and Chicago, that sentence would carry more weight than it does now, but since I lived in cold weather places most of my life, I still feel the significance of it.

February was always my least favorite month.  It’s the shortest, but when you live it a place where it’s been freezing cold and snowing for the last four months, it starts to grind on you.  I was always SO ready for the snow to be gone and the weather to change—well, let’s be real, I’m ready for snow and cold to be gone after Christmas, but February just always seems to drag on.  Here in The Bay, it’s not such a big change, as we are graced with 60 degree days frequently throughout the winter, but I think just with all the mess that’s been going on I’m ready for March and Spring to bring some change.

This week, my dad had some work in Berkeley, so he came to stay with us for a few days.  It was pretty fun having him here—cooking dinner and watching movies.  Unfortunately, some sad news also came during this time from Montana.  Steve’s grandma had taken very ill and was in the hospital.  The prognosis was not good, when we heard of this on Monday.  Through what I truly believe is the work of God, she is doing a bit better now, and we pray to hear more of the same good news in the days to come.  I know how hard it must be on Steve to be so far away during these times.  Although my heart has been heavy these last weeks for a myriad of reasons—I feel that I am in a better place to practice the Peace and Patience that I so desperately want.  When I feel worry creep up, I also feel better prepared to let it go, knowing that God is here, He is in control and He is able to lift the worry that sometimes seems too heavy for me to even drag along.  And I mean to let Him carry it.

Steve and I had an…interesting trip to Muir Woods last weekend that I hope to have time to write about soon, before it took becomes a backblog.  We all know how good I am with THOSE. :)

Quick Resolution update!

1. Weekly blog almost complete!
2. I walked or did something active at lunch every day except Wednesday.
3. Bootcamp twice and Rollerblading today.  Hopefully we’ll do something this weekend too.
4. Eh-- not so good with the junk food.  I had ice cream and a lot of those darn Girl Scout cookies!
5. Flossing teeth is still going great!
6. I actually have TWO Yelp reviews that are ready to be posted!
7. Blackblog-- this is bad, because now I’ll have another one if I don’t post again soon!

Counting Blessings

I know in my heart of hearts that I am so very, very lucky.  There are people in this world who are sick, hungry, lonely, poor and enslaved.  I know this; it is so easy to point out.  But when seemingly miniscule bad things pile up in my world, it can be hard to remember how good I have it.

Thank goodness that I don't have a *serious* tale of woe to write about, but suffice to say that 2013 has started out kinda rough, and since it's MY blog, I choose to vent about the "First World," "White People," or whatever problems that plagued me in the past few weeks.  Writing has always been therapeutic for me, so I'm hoping that getting my thoughts all down will allow my weary brain to process it better...

The same night that I wrote my last blog, I got off work and went to meet Steve in Palo Alto to have dinner, which I did in fact YELP about, thankyouverymuch.  When I went to bed that night, I noticed that my left eye was sore, but didn't think anything of it.  The next morning, I woke up with a bright red, scratchy, SO sore eye.  It hurt to even look certain ways.  I shrugged it off a bit, because I've had something like it before, and it went away with eyedrops and compresses.  Fast forward two weeks later, after two eye doctor appointments, a round of antibiotic eye goop, and added blurry vision to my symptoms listed above, and I was MISERABLE.  I honestly thought I had forgotten what it was like to have two normal eyes that didn't hurt when I blinked or looked down quick.  Finally, the third week, I, on a whim (kinda, my mom had suggested it earlier), took a Clariton for any allergies.  Miraculously, my eye felt a tiny bit better.  This prompted a visit to my internal medicine doctor, who gave me some prescription eye allergy drops, which finally, after a few days, cleared up my infection.  My blurry vision JUST went away almost completely this week.  I promised myself to never take my eye health for granted again.

To set the stage for problem two, which happened one week after I first got my eye infection, I have to back up and if possible, make you feel LESS sympathetic for me than you probably already do.  Steven and I bought our first new car in December.  It's a black, 2012 Passat and it's really, really nice.  I was devastated to sell my beloved Mustang, but the Passat is an excellent consolation prize.  I feel so fortunate that we are in a place where we could make that purchase.  We trust it to be a nice, family car for years to come.  I was so determined to keep it nice and clean, that I had even been parking it in a covered space to keep it out of the sun-- which was a bit further from work than where I usually park.  Almost two months to the day that we bought the Passat, I walked out from my eye appointment and found that someone had scratched and dented the front drivers side.  I concluded that it must have happened while I was at work, and I didn't notice it when I first drove to my appointment.  But oh, I noticed it then.  I was LIVID.  I could not believe that someone could be so thoughtless, reckless and awful.  My new car-- never, ever to be new again.  We got the dent fixed and patched up the paint as best we could-- and it looks fine to the unknowing eye.  But I KNOW, and to be honest, it still makes me a bit sick to think about it.  REALLY, Emeryville, you couldn't have let me have a nice, new car for more than two months??

Problem three involves the company that I work for, but I'm happy to say that it's not my job directly.  I got my W2 in the mail last month and handed it to Steve, who usually takes care of our taxes via Turbo Tax.  Upon looking at it, he noticed that there was an issue.  I won't go into the details here, but suffice to say that it was a BIG issue, and a mistake that should have been fixed long before we noticed it.  This has prompted us to get a professional to do our taxes this year, and for me to pray that I don't incur any INSANE charges on any account.

In other bad news during this lame span of events, the Oregon Ducks basketball team lost to Stanford in their worst game of the year-- Steve and I had bought tickets to the game and went to watch.  I wanted to blame it on bringing my bad luck, but my grounded and logical husband would have NONE of that.  :)  Also, the 49ers lost the Superbowl, but that ranks pretty low compared to the rest!

Although we can never tell what is around the next bend, I am really trying to remind myself to live in the now.  To count my blessings because the are so many.  To trust God to take my worry, show me the path, peace, and show me how I can maneuver through these next challenges that have been thrown my way.  To have patience with the questions and answers.  No doubt I will encounter things much more severe then a dent in metal.  I mean to be strong throughout.

Here's to life-- the good and the bad, the happy and the sad.  May we remember to be so very thankful for all the blessings we've been given.

Quick Resolution Update:
1. Obv, I haven't blogged in a while, I've been....unmotivated.  But I can make time, just like I did tonight.
2. I did a lot of resting during the time that my eye felt bad, and I fell off the wagon this Tuesday again, because it was raining outside and I didn't have my gym clothes.  But-- I did walk today and plan to do so tomorrow too.
3. My eye kept me down for a while, but I've been to bootcamp twice this week, and plan to do something active this weekend.
4. Meh-- I haven't done really well with this one.  When I feel bad, or wronged, I tend to reward myself with junk food a bit.  And I bought four boxes of Girl Scout cookies...which does not help.
5. I have ROCKED the flossing teeth resolution.  We'll see how well it pays off when I have my dentist visit in March.
6. The last Yelp review I wrote was before my eye infection, but I have two more on the docket, including our wonderful Valentines Day spot!
7. Back-blog has been back-burnered, but I'll try SO hard to work on it this weekend.

Love, Love and More Love,

Lindsay

Resolution Week 3

Resolution Update:

1. Completing my weekly blog today.  Yay.

2. I failed on this one a bit this week.  On Tuesday, some people from my office went out to lunch to discuss a Manager Program that I just completed.  It really fun and productive, but unless you could the really brief walk to the new burger joint, I didn't do much exercising.  AND I had a cheesebuger.  Niiiice.  Thursday, my boss was in the office giving a presentation with some other people from Cision.  So, it was more of a working lunch that required sitting around. A lot.  But, I am happy to report that I finished the week off strong by going Rollerblading at lunch today.  It finally stopped being unbearably (for NorCal) cold, and/or rainy.  So, I decided to take advantage.  Glad I did!

3. With my Rollerblading today, and Bootcamp on Monday and Wednesday, I can totally check off my vigorous exercise for three days.  I might be whoopin' this one if I get in a hike and/or Frisbee golf this weekend, too.

4. I actually think I did pretty well with avoiding junk food this week.  As far as I can remember.  I did myself a favor and loaded up on a ton of blueberries, strawberries and those Yoplait light yogurts.  Which consequently was my lunch menu today as well, thankyouverymuch.  I didn't purchase any FroYo, candy bars at checkout (in fact, I grabbed FRUIT JERKY instead one day), and I avoided Wendy's so I wouldn't be tempted with a Frosty.

5.  I flossed every other night.  Nailed it.

6. I did NOT write a Yelp review last week.  My husband and I went to SunnyBowl, which is a Korean Place by the Google HQ, and I always feel odd writing reviews about Asian food, because my favorite is Panda Express.  I don't eat Korean that much, so I feel like I don't have much to compare it to.  So eh...But this is another week.

7. Suckin' up my Backblog resolution.  This weekend....this weekend!

As for this week, it was pretty standard.  Work, and gym and sleep.  I feel kind of antsy to do something.  I guess that's what having a crazy fall will do to you.  I'm hoping to get to a play soon, or a Sharks game.  We do have a housewarming party tomorrow for friends who just bought a house, which is so awesome.  So I'm looking forward to that.  Superbowl is coming up too and wouldn'tcha know that the 49ers are in it.  I don't scream allegiance to any Pro team, really.  But, since I'm a Bay Area gal now, I think I can feel good about adopting the Niners.  Maybe when they build their new stadium and I go to a few games, I can venture to call myself a "fan".  I'm mostly pleased that the two Harbaughs are squaring off.  How much fun would THAT be?

I'm off to meet the husband for dinner and willing myself RIGHT NOW to not order dessert.  :)

Monterey Get-a-way

Another work week of 2013 in the books.  It's been pretty slow at work, compared to the pandemonium of December.  It still feels odd to have nothing planned for the forseeable future, after being out of town for almost every weekend last month.  Husband and I do plan to head down to Monterey this Sunday to celebrate my uncles B-day and hang out with the family.  I feel so fortunate that Monterey is where my family is from.  People plan destination weddings and spend tons of money on trips just to see and be in Monterey.  The fact that we have a free place to stay and can buzz down there for a weekend trip is something I take for granted until I stop and think about it.  I'm SO bias, but I think it's easily one of the most beautiful and charming places in the world.  Added bonuses include my Grandfather working for Pebble Beach, which has gotten us in, for free, to some of the best golf tournaments and events around.


With no major events taking place this week, or reflections to continue, I'll move on to how my resolutions are going:

1. Completing weekly blog now!

2. Not counting today, because I used my lunch break to drive home from work to beat the traffic, I got up and did something (substantially) active every day this week at lunch.

3. Last week Steve and I walked around Coyote Hills park, so if I can do that again this week, I'll have met my goal since I went to bootcamp Monday and Wednesday.

4. I'm happy to announce that we finally finished off the last of the junk food that we got for Christmas.  In general this week, though, I think I did a lot better.  I went to Wendy's and ordered ONLY a salad and a lemonade, and I only had FroYo on Saturday.  I did eat my fair share of the chocolate box this week, though.

5. I did floss every other day again.

6. We didn't eat out last week, but I'm heading over to Palo Alto shortly to meet Husband, so I'm sure that I'll have a least one new place to Yelp about this weekend!

7. The 2012 Rose Bowl trip backblog is complete!  I plan to get started on the next one-- our first Napa trip shortly!

And so, with that, I'll leave you with a picture of what I plan to be looking at this weekend.  :)

Let Go of the Worry

"When you are in tune with the unknown, the known is peaceful."

That little gem appeared on my Yogi teabag just now as I was getting ready to write this Blog.

Now, I know in my heart that quotes and fortunes and horoscopes such as the Yogi Tea ones are supposed to be vague and all-compassing so that those of us trying to find meaning in something can do so easily, but this really applies to my identity as a worrier.  I don't sweat the small stuff too much, usually, but the BIG stuff, I worry about constantly.  Jobs, family life, income, debt, age-- I'm constantly comparing and worrying and researching and worrying again.  I know it's has and will affect me in ways that I'm not conscious of.  I wish I could let more of it go.

We've been in Fremont two years now, and I just found a church that I really like-- Fremont Community Church.  I was pretty involved in church in my child and teen years-- my mom is a church secretary.  Since I moved from home though, I'd go every now and then, but I'm not "involved" per se.  I've never really had the "aha" moment that others have had where their life was changed forever by knowing God.  But, I've known God since I was 5; my heart knows he's with me.  I feel him in nature, in the love I have for my family and sometimes, even in the saddest of moments.  After a few months of searching, I finally found a church that I feel is close to what I knew as a kid, and feel good about going to.  I feel that I can find some answers to calm my mind, reassurance for some of my Christian doubts, and gain some inner peace of knowing that I don't have to hold it all on my own shoulders.  Learn to let some of the worry go.  It's a work in progress.  :)

Anyway, he's a look back on how I did on my resolutions this week:

I am completing my weekly blog, so YAY!

I did get up for every lunch break this week and do something active, save for today, when I finished the episode of Nashville I started last night.  But, I'm promising myself to do something active right after work.

I went to Bootcamp both Monday and Wednesday this week, so if I can finish the weekend off with a run, or hike, I'll be in businesss.

I had my fair share of junk food this week.  But, at least it was less than last month.  :)

I did, though, floss my teeth every other night.

Husband and I went to the restaurant "Town" this past weekend, and I still need to write my Yelp review about it. I WILL do it, I will.  :)

I didn't complete my first back blog of our 2012 trip to the Rose Bowl.  I need to get on that!

 All in all, not bad.  I'm so looking forward to this weekend after my first week in a month that I actually had to work 5 days in a row.  :)

-Lindz

Revival and Resolutions

Well, WELL...if it isn't my long lost BLOG.

I could sit here and type a thousand excuses or awkward reasons why I stopped blogging, but that's boring, so I won't. The fact is that I convince myself somehow that I don't have time or desire to Blog, which is totally nonsensical, because I like to write. I should MAKE time instead of planting myself in front of the TV every night when I get home. So, I'm hoping to change, starting now, in the Revival of my Blog. I'm pretty sure that the last time I actually wrote down any kind of News Year's Resolutions was in the second grade, because it was REQUIRED. Since then, I've seen them as something people think up, stick with for about a week and then forget, until the next year when the process starts all over again. I guess in a sense, that's what I'm telling myself (and you) that I'm not going to do.

But I'm serious this time. Doesn't writing a blog about it make it so? :) I just feel like this year, I have so many things that I want to do swirling around in my head that I better write them down, and hold myself accountable in a weekly blog.

2013 Resolutions:

1. Blog at least one a week. This should not be hard to do. I have plenty of time to watch TV shows at night, so a night of blogging instead should be easy. I just have to convince myself I really do want to do it.

 2. Get up during my work lunch break every day and do something active. Willpower is SO key here. Sure, there are days where a lunch break is a luxury I don't have, but there are others where I'm like...eh....what I if I just eat lunch at my desk and read or look up stuff on the internet? NO MORE! When the weather is nice, there is a great park to walk to, and when it's not, there is an office gym.

3. Do a vigorous, physical workout at least three days a week. I've already got this two times a week by going to my gym's Bootcamp on Mondays and Wednesdays after work. To get a third, I need to take up racquetball again, go to Zumba at the gym on Fridays, or be serious about hiking around Coyote Hills with Husband, and/or walking an entire Frisbee Golf course with the Fam on the weekends.

 4. Eat less Junk food.  This one is SO vague I know, but I can't really think of a way to make it more specific, because Junking Out for me is sometimes random. I HEART dessert. I would eat frozen yogurt all three meals if I could and I'm never one to pass on treats someone makes for a gathering, party, office function, etc. I don't by or make copious amounts of sweets for the house-- just a few things to satisfy, like fruit snacks or hot chocolate. But when it's available, I eat it. Like now, with gargantuan amounts of Christmas goodies in my house. Sometimes I even go out of my way to find dessert, or do something like order a salad at Wendys, but then also get Fries, or a Frosty.  If someone suggests an unhealthy food option, I dig right in, too. Since I know, I KNOW, I am never going to be one of those people who works out every single day to keep the calories of what I eat at bay, I have to cut out some of unhealthy food. I know the willpower needs to be mine alone.

5. Floss my teeth every other night. This one may seem silly, but I've had enough cavities for about three people's lifetimes (see Resolution 3). And I already use ACT wash and my Sonic Care toothbrush every day. My dentist says I need to floss, and I mean to.

6. Write a YELP review once a week (if applicable) about a new restaurant. When I was in Chicago, I LOVED doing this. I think it was because I was in a big city and felt so "in the know" and frankly, ate out a ton because of all the good places I read about. But, SO WHAT if I live in the "Suburban City to Rule Them All" now? There are still great places to eat here. I know-- I've eaten at them. And I will write about them to aid the 200,000 people of Fremont (and anyone who visits) in their dining choices.

7. Complete a Blog back-log of all the trips that Steve and I took together in 2012. I mean to get on this ASAP. I read back in my posts about New York and when people came to visit in Chicago and was just amazed at all the details that I had forgotten from my own recollection. You really do remember more when you write it down. And although I might not remember every detail from our Napa trip in Feb of 2012, but I'll remember WAY more now than 10 years from now, when I actually want to remember. The good thing is, I have pictures from most of our trips to help me along the way.

Seven resolutions. Totally doable, totally obtainable. I'm ready, 2013. Let's go...

~Lindz