i just want you to know who i am

Good morning chickadees!

And welcome to the beginning of another full week.

I’m not complaining: after a weekend of visiting with family, celebrating birthdays, doing yoga, playing soccer, and putting more of my apt in boxes, I’m feeling rested and accomplished.

I’ve also seen the forecast for this week, and it looks beautiful.

We’re moving in the right direction.

Also amazing this weekend:

The Farmers’ Market has re-opened, which essentially gives me a reason to live.

Or at least a reason to stop eating so many frozen vegetables.

Since it’s only mid-May, the offerings were limited to flowers, asparagus, cheese, and eggs, but man, I’m not complaining one bit about that.

 

I ended up with two big bundles of asparagus, a dozen eggs, and some bison jerky, up-sold to me by the delightful farmer who always manages to make me spend more money than I was anticipating.

I’m a sucker for a man who teaches the population about the importance of locally sourced meats, chickadees.

And yes, I know that sounds a little bizarre.

And with that, I’m off to start a new week with a new book (it seems I’m loving teen novels only, these days)- this is gonna be the kind of Monday that’s fully bearable, chicks.

Enjoy the sunshine if you’ve got it.

making it simple

Chickens, it is Friday.

And rainy.

And colder than it was yesterday.

But still, Friday is progress.

So we’ll take it.

And smile about it.

This has been a crazy week of running around, getting things done, and not going to yoga quite as much as I’d like to.

Also: Gene the kettlebell instructor has taken to his mother Russia for three weeks, leaving me with no swinging and lifting outlet.

When I whined to him that three weeks was a long time, he told me he had to inspire us to travel by traveling himself, and then cheerfully suggested that we simply eat less in his absence.

It’s a good thing I like him so much.

Up this weekend: JW’s parents are in, which means lots of eating and hanging, celebrating Mother’s Day, and maybe trying to pack a couple more things into boxes.

Our apartment was rented this week, so now we’ve got an end date: June 27, there’s a lot between now and you.

And because I likely won’t get myself to post this weekend among all of the goings-on, here is a lovely picture of my mom to celebrate her nearly 30 years of hanging out with me.

 

Enjoy this one chickadees, we’ve earned this weekend!

getting right into it.

Morning chickens!

And welcome to a brand new week.

Yesterday was a lovely respite in this otherwise still.pretty.bleak spring season that we’re having.

Friday is threatening snow flurries, and I’m really having a hard time wrapping my head around that one.

All this rain better make for one beautiful, green summer.

That is all I can say about that.

However, in the spirit of keeping it positive, and also, you guys, at least it’s not 25 degrees out, I give you the following:

 

It’s good advice, chickadees. And what I have is one lovely weekend complete with condo hunting, sunshine, soccer, bells, celebrations, and dinner with my mom and dad and baby brother.

Also one long, lazy afternoon in which I finished the entire first season of Girls (and yes, it’s my favorite thing), and rifled through old papers and pictures under my bed. Here’s one of the gems I found:

 

Yes, the sweatshirt is awesome.

I know it.

Also found: rules for a happy bedroom written by Jennie and I circa 1995, a letter I wrote my roommates’ when we graduated from college, and original artwork by Aus when he was eight.

Also, a note he wrote me from his second grade class. Of course, original anything by tiny Aus made me burst into tears, because when did he get so old?

In any case, chickens, I have a whole host of beautiful, amazing things that are propelling me into this week with a good attitude.

Despite the rain.

I’ve got an umbrella, after all.

Enjoy this one chicks.

spring in my step

Hey there chickadees!

Sorry I’m a little late this morning, but we’ve got the day off over here, so I slept in before packing it up and getting ready to go to MI for a few days.

Sometimes it’s best to leave the concrete jungle behind you for just a few hours.

I’m a firm believer in switching up your scenery for a change in perspective.

In other news: thanks for all the information about being gluten free yesterday, chicks. I received a whole slew of texts and messages about the pros and cons of all of this, and I’m taking it under consideration.

It seems my people know a lot more about this than I do, which honestly, is a relief.

It’s nice to have resources, you guys.

My bossy little sister has already set up a Pinterest Board for me around acceptable foods for my RA.

Check it out here.

And now, I’m off to finish packing, supervise JW’s idea of acceptable weekend wear, and hit the road for a weekend of blue skies, fresh air, and visiting family.

Not much to complain about from this angle, my friends.

Enjoy the sunshine if you’ve got it (and we’ve got it, today).

 

 

with a light step

Morning, chickadees.

And welcome to the start of a new week.

Last week was a little bit rough, but after a lovely weekend of visiting with B, taking in the sites of Chicago, hanging with the S family, relaxing on the couch, and hanging out with my family, I’ve got plans for things to go more smoothly.

On Saturday, JW, B and I headed to my all time favorite place, which is the Museum of Science and Industry.

If you haven’t been, take the day off and get there immediately.

It’s my personal favorite because it’s acceptable to touch almost everything, and also, to be as loud as you need to be.

Such a relief, if you ask me.

 

The U-505 is literally the best thing I’ve ever laid my eyes.

Nothing like a little WWII submarine story to make your afternoon better.

And now, with one hundred lovely moments under my belt from the past two days, I’m ready to make another go of a jam-packed (though short-by-one-day) week that’s filled with meetings, yoga, goodbyes, and a trip to MI towards the end of it.

Spring’s a time for new things, chickens.

We’ve just got to remember that’s actually a good thing.

 

and i can’t change, even if i tried/even if i wanted to

Morning, chickadees.

And I apologize, again, for the long pause between posts.

First, I was in New Jersey for work.

I know.

I had a lovely view of the city from my room, found out that I can fly without xanax if only I drink more than I should, and was thankful to cruise back home to JW at the end of it.

“You smell like a bar,” he noted cheerfully when he picked me up.

If only I could report that things got better from there.

Alas, I spent the weekend doing not one thing I should, but several things that I wanted to do, and so I find myself a little scatterbrained (and dehydrated) this morning.

Sometimes, what you need is another drink, a bar stool next to your pal’s, and and permission to laugh until your sides burst.

It was that kind of weekend.

Sometimes you have to roll with what it is you know that you need.

And now, it’s the kind of week where I search out every vegetable I can get my paws on, hit the yoga mat with all the intentions I have, and drink every glass of water I can.

I just ate a half Luna bar and an apple for breakfast- It’s feeling very 2006 in my home today.

I plan on bringing us forward by this time tomorrow.

I hope the sunshine’s hitting you where you are today, chickens. Enjoy the start of this one.

warm mornings and happy birthdays

Morning chickens!

I hope you’re staying warm, since it looks like my friends from Chicago are dealing with this:

 

Yikes, you guys.

Luckily, yesterday I had the opportunity to get out of dodge, and I woke up this morning first to see the sunrise (it’s hard to sleep in hotels, chickens) and next to the sight of this:

 

It’s officially February, month of gray and cold, so I’ll definitely take palm trees over slushy, icy alleys.

Although, to be fair, none have been quite so icy that I’ve tripped (yet), which puts me far ahead of where I was at this time last year.

In any case, I’m off to stretch out my limbs before two days of meetings (I basically need a warm up to get going, these days), and then, to get ready for the day.

I’ve decided, at the age of nearly 29, that maybe a note or two in preparation might not kill me.

I’m maturing so much, chickadees.

Also also also, friends, speaking of birthdays:

Today is my Grandma’s birthday.

 

Here she is with a guest appearance by Patrick, one of her six great-grandchildren.

Who are all as cute as he is.

She also has 13 grandchildren of the regular variety, plus all of our various spouses, which almost doubles us in size at this point.

We’re a big group, is what I’m getting at here.

My grandma is one of my favorite people: she’s smart, funny, and is the kind of person who makes.things.happen.

She’s also on Facebook, which we all know is the clear mark of only the coolest grandmothers.

In any case, since I know she’s on Facebook and will thus have no issues accessing this little blog, I just wanted to use the biggest platform I have to say Happy Birthday Grandma, I love you!

And now, it’s off to get this one started.

Enjoy that day, chickadees!

 

 

so here’s a hand my trusted friend/and give me a hand of thine

Chickadees- nice to meet you here at the end.

And also at the beginning.

2012 went by in a blur, chickens, and it was all kinds of things.

Good things, bad things, things in the middle.

I’m seeing a lot of posts in reference to 2012, about how great it was, and alternatively, how bad it was.

The bad ones always make me a little sad, because I think that generally, we can think of something that made us smile during this last trip around the sun.

I hang onto the light parts though.

As I rack my brain for what would make this next year better (or at least more) than last year, I’ve been taking some time to reflect on what happened these past 365 days that made my life better, worse, more interesting, or different than last year.

Here’s what I’ve come up with:

The Physical
-I finished a half marathon with a pack of my buddies. It wasn’t my first, but I trained with my pals and my husband, and also, I didn’t walk one single step of the whole thing. Races make me mentally sharper more than physically, and I’m grateful to have this one under my belt.

 

- Aside from the half marathon, I did some fun races with my family and friends this year. I love nothing more than crossing the finish line with someone for the first time:

 

- I finally, finally listened to my baby sister and took up yoga, for real, at a studio. And I learned how to do this:

 

-Last, but not least, this was the year of the Rheumatoid Arthritis, which meant that I became familiar with joint pain, specialists, lab tests, and drug allergies.

But chickens, I also learned about: having limits, listening to my body, being patient, and appreciating every single person who listened to me complain or helped me get up.

There’s good stuff all around, you guys.

The Professional

- I took a ten month class on leadership, which meant I read over 30 books I wouldn’t have picked up otherwise, met some really, really great people, and spent some actual time thinking about what being a leader looks like in my world.

Everyone should get a chance to do that.

- I did a full rotation on my clients this year, which meant two new shiny opportunities that so far have made it possible for me to meet and work with great people and to learn more than maybe I’ve learned in a long time.

Also, so much fun was had.

 

- I blogged more than I’ve ever blogged before. And I’m hoping to keep it up. I’m guest blogging for my sister when I can, and I’m just gonna keep writing, because really, that’s what I like best.

You should do what you love best, at least sometimes.

The Travel

- I made it to Philadelphia, Connecticut, Michigan, Los Angeles, Colorado, Wyoming, and New York City this year.

And that was just for fun.

I also visited Florida, Boston, Ottowa, and Anaheim- it’s fun to keep on moving, chickens.

Everything Else

There are about a million other things I can think of that are worth mentioning this year (Barack Obama’s election, spending so much time with A,KD, and Tobin, my pals C & JK both taking off for new adventures, every single time I laughed so hard I cried), and I’m so grateful that the good things come to mind so quickly.

 

So chickens, on this last day of 2012, I’ll be raising my glass to laughing, good times that made us smile, and bad times that taught us something. I hope everyone has a great time tonight, and that we start 2013 happy, healthy, and ready for a new set of adventures.

 

taking one more day.

Morning, chickadees!

I’m spending one more day over here relaxing and hanging out with my sister, and then it’s back to some pre-2013 working and cleaning for me.

Sometimes, chickens, you need a little bit of a routine.

Yesterday, my family dragged me to both Costco and the mall, where I saw the following items:

1. A store devoted to calendars only. I’ve seen them before, but for some reason (perhaps the store’s extensive collection of dog related calendars) it overwhelmed me more than usual.

I also ended up with two calendars.

If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em?

2. So many tween girls trying to buy matching items. Matching shirts. Matching shoes. I heard one girl squeal “Now we can be twinsies!” I used this as an opportunity to practice my deep breathing.

Thank you, yoga practice, for protecting me against shrill 13-year olds.

3. This. I think I could use it to get around town:

 

I just sort of feel like it was made for me.

In any case, once we finally made it through the suburban tangle of traffic (JD, my friend, I don’t know how you do it every day), we went home, where my sister and father decided to make something for dinner using only what we had in the house.

I admit, I was skeptical.

But, everything ended up being pretty much a delight.

I wish I had a good picture of the final result, but since I ate in about three seconds, it was too late before I remembered. Here’s the recipe for the chicken burgers/cakes, and the salad was kale, parsnips, radishes, and carrots.

More kale is the answer, I think, to the holiday season.

And up today: I have changed out of lounge clothes for the first time in 48 hours, and I’m ready to enjoy my sister’s last day in the Midwest.

Also, this is happening:

 

I won’t hate on a little bit of post-holiday snow, chicks.

Enjoy this Friday, everyone!

new eats and good lighting.

Morning, chickadees!

Last night, my sister, my pals MM, MC, and my family decided to do a little cooking with one of my gifts to JP, Smitten Kitchen’s new cookbook.

You guys, Smitten Kitchen is my favorite.

Except for the time we made her poptarts.

But I digress.

In any case, we settled on a kale salad and chicken milanese.

We also made roasted potatoes, for good measure.

My sister gave me a couple more camera pointers, and then let me loose with my new toy.

I would just like to note here that knowledge is power, and things are already looking less dark, blurry, and weird in my life.

Onto the food.

The recipes were fairly easy to do, especially since we had four pairs of eager hands to help out.

Glasses of wine are also good incentive for projects like this.

To make the salad, we toasted up some pecans.

 

Then we washed, de-ribbed, and julienned kale until we filled up a salad bowl.

Also, slice up four radishes (or really, however many you want).

 

At this point, throw in some dried cranberries.

Also, goat cheese, which I just now realized I never added.

Don’t be like us.

Add the goat cheese.

 

Our dressing was made of dijon mustard, rice vinegar (use what you’ve got hanging around your pantry), honey, olive oil, and some s&p. Add twice the amount of oil as you do vinegar and mustard, honey and s&p to taste, and shake it all up.

Next up, it was chicken frying time.

One of my favorite times, really.

We sliced chicken breasts and thighs lengthwise until they were about 1/4 inch thick, and then dredged them in flour, then egg white, mustard & garlic, and finally rolled them in panko.

Rinse and repeat.

Don’t actually rinse though.

Just a little joke.

Next up, we poured some more wine, and got to the frying part.

We used a half inch of olive oil, but I suspect the kind of oil is negotiable.

 

JP and I are at this point discussing the ins and out of chicken frying.

I’m skeptical, obviously.

Yes, we have matching aprons.

 

Both parts of this meal were delicious and easy- especially because of our red wine supply and the help we had in making all of it.

I don’t have too many shots of the potatoes or the OTHER salad we made (sometimes, after Christmas binge sessions, you need two salads in a meal), because the light wasn’t great and this is a thing I am learning about.

We roasted the potatoes with olive oil, s&p, and rosemary, and the salad was dandelion greens (should have been arugula, technically, but we were at an Italian market, and dandelion greens is what they had) and thinly sliced fennel.

 

This was an awesome meal and impressed pretty much everyone. The cookbook looks like it’s full of really tasty, easy-enough-to-do projects, and I’m only sorry I didn’t order myself a copy.

And now I’m off to another day of family hanging and photo taking.

Enjoy the sunshine if you’ve got it chicks.