bucket list

I stole this from my facebook from a while ago - I thought maybe I'll elaborate and put some stories under some of them. We'll see.



The Bucket List. Place an X by all the things you've done and remove the X from the ones you have not.

Things you have done during your lifetime:
( ) Seen the Taj Mahal
( ) been inside the Pyramids in Egypt
( ) been around the world by Boat
nope, but that was something my very first boyfriend and I wanted to do together.
( ) been to Jumbo the floating restaurant in Hong Kong
( ) seen the Alamo
( ) Gone on a blind date
(X) Skipped school
homeschooled. beat that.
( ) Watched someone die
(X) Been to Canada
Adam and I drove to and from Alaska, so we spent some time in Canada. We loved BC, beautiful, amazingly nice people. I liked the Yukon. We stayed at this one campground that served breakfast in the morning - hands down the best bacon I have ever had. I've had dreams about that bacon. On the way home we stopped in Vancouver to say hi to my old friend Tenay.
(X ) Been to Mexico
On a cruise with my Grandma when I was in 4th grade. I'm going back on a cruise there in May with my clients.
(X) Been to Florida
spent a week there at Walt Disney World resort before going to the Bahamas with work.
(X ) Jumped off a cliff (I'm counting the dock on Santa Barbara Island)
I'm still counting it. It was very very very high up. I did it once, I was so scared I couldn't get up to stand on the piling and Kurt (our lifeguard/photographer) had to help me. I remember how much it hurt my arms to slap the water going down. I remember being so adrenaline buzzed from it that I ran up the ladder and jumped off again before I even knew what I was doing. Kurt got a great picture of me doing that.
( ) Bungee jump
( ) para sailed
I was supposed to go Parasailing in the Bahamas but it was too windy. boo.
( ) Been to Hawaii
(X) Been on a plane
( ) Flown a plane
(X ) Been on a helicopter (I was airlifted for an earthquake prep thing once)
(X) Been lost (hah. and hah. and hah some more).
( ) Gone to Washington, DC
(X) Swam in the ocean
(X) Cried yourself to sleep
() Played cops and robbers
(X) Recently colored with crayons
(X) Sang Karaoke
(X) Paid for a meal with coins only (Marina, remember McDonalds and Mary Poppins?)
( ) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch (been under it)
( ) been to New York City at Xmas time
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
( X) Made prank phone calls
My favorite was when I was at Zac and Alex's (my cousins) house in Signal Hill, and I called one of their friends, and said nothing but the address. About an hour later, he showed up at the front door with a case of beer. It was hysterical.
( ) Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
( X) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose & elsewhere
(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(X) Danced in the rain
(X) Written a letter to Santa Claus
This was the first year I've ever done that. Adam asked me to, so I did.
( ) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(X) Watched the sunrise with someone
(X) Blown bubbles
(X) Gone ice-skating
(X) Gone to the movies
( X) Been deep sea fishing (halibut in Alaska)
(X) Driven across the United States (driven up the west coast, and trained across to the midwest so I am counting it also)
( ) Been in a hot air balloon
( ) Been sky diving
( ) Gone snowmobiling
( ) Lived in more than one country
(X) Lay down outside at night and admired the stars
(X) Seen a falling star and made a wish
( ) Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
(X ) Been on a cruise
(X) Traveled by train
( X) Traveled by motorcycle
Adam has a Harley Sportster that we took up to Santa Cruz and back. 12 hours on the back of a motorcycle sure does a number on you. It was beautiful, though. I rode with the camera strap around my neck and the camera down my shirt so that it was easy to stop the bike and take a photo.
(X) Been horse back riding
(X ) Ridden on a San Francisco CABLE CAR
(X) Been to Disney World
( ) Truly believed in the power of prayer
( ) Been in a rain forest
(X) Seen whales in the ocean
( ) Been to Niagara Falls
(X) Ridden on an elephant.
(X ) Swam with dolphins
( X) Been to the Olympics (I was sort of in my mother's stomach at the time)
( ) Walked on the Great Wall of China
( ) Saw and heard a glacier crack (ok, not exactly, but I went inside a glacier that had a sign that said "death eminent" on it. does that count?)
( ) Been spinnaker flying (lived on Spinnaker bay...can I count that? ;))
( ) Been water-skiing
( ) Been snow-skiing
( ) Been to Westminster Abbey
( ) Been to the Louvre
( ) Swam in the Mediterranean
(X ) Been to a Major League Baseball game
( ) Been to a National Football League game
( ) Been to a National Hockey League game
( X) Ever been skinny-dipping
(X ) Laugh so hard you cry
(X) Follow a map for treasure
( ) Drive a dune buggy
( X) Get lost in East L.A. after dark
( ) Got a Tattoo

busy busy busy

today - ack. Busy. Making video for grant. Adorable. Wonderful. Rushing home to clean house before boss sees the mess. Then going to The Basement for the Lightbulb Mouth Radio Hour. What am I going to wear? When will I have time to take out the dog? AH AH AH AH AH.


5 - leave work
5:45 - get home, clean coffee table, vacuum living room
6:00 - take Juno for a walk
6:30 do dishes
7:00 - put on dress, look pretty
7:15 leave

geez louise, this is never gonna work. AHHH

my garden is happening!

My garden! The back row against what looks like the house (but is an empty room we aren't allowed to use) has artichoke, green beans, and cucumbers. I will put up some strings for them to climb later.

Against the white fence closest to the garage we have zucchini and yellow squash. In front of the beans/artichoke there are tomatoes.

In the box closest to the garage there are red onions, spinach, green leaf lettuce, butter lettuce, sweet banana peppers, hot banana peppers, serrano chiles, scallions, and carrots.

In the 2nd box there are strawberries, eggplants and cauliflower. Saving room for jalapenos and other things that strike my fancy later on.

Still want to do an herb spiral, which is why I didn't plant any of my herbs yet. I started sweet pea and delphinium seeds also!

Soooo much love for my garden. Woke up early so I could go outside and stare at it some more.

Yesterday was such a good day - I borrowed Adam's truck for the day, and my dad and I went to Home Depot. I bought the lumber to build the 2nd box, some soil and compost (it kills me to buy compost, but I don't want a compost pile in my backyard this summer because of the wedding), and the peppers/eggplants/strawberries. I built the box all by myself - and spent about 6 hours in the backyard drinking lemonade and listening to harry potter while I dug and planted and tilled and watered. Can't wait to get home and putter in the garden! I need to take Juno out and finish painting the fence - there are some spots that need touching up.

garden is getting there!

I wish I had taken "before" photos of the garden-area, because it looks so dramatically different now! It WAS a corner in the back that was a mess of grape vines, rose bushes, and weeds - and is now a beautiful, weeded, TILLED lot, all ready for planting. I got home last night and Adam had spent his whole day cleaning the yard - including prepping the garden for me. I couldn't believe it. He also finished the fence!!! Now we just have to put it up! I'm SO CLOSE to being able to plant!!!

I am still debating the square foot gardening thing, or using the soil how it is. I can't decide. I'd have to build more boxes since I only have one, and the instant gratification of being able to PLANT NOW is a pretty strong force, buttt... will I be happier in the long run with the boxes? Not sure.

I want to do some "landscaping" while I plant - I want to make it pretty, in addition to fruitful. Not sure how - but maybe making some mosaic stepping stones or something. We shall see!

In any case, I have the best fiance in the whole world.


I am also about 1/3 of the way done with a granny square bag that I am making for my friend Dani. She makes beautiful jewelry, and so we are exchanging the bag for a turquoise/silver ring. This is how the world SHOULD work my friends! Bartering! Yay! I'm having fun on her bag - she took a photo of a bag she liked, and I am re-creating it. I really, really, really enjoy doing that - I did it for my mom with a beanie she saw in a store window. Cell phone cameras are a huge bonus to my work. ;)

As soon as that is done, I will be working on a dog sweater for a coworker. She gave me the dog's current favorite sweater to use as a pattern, so this should be interesting. I've never done any pet stuff before.

Tomorrow my family's coming over to celebrate some birthdays, so tonight involves housework, grocery shopping, and Juno training. Tomorrow is family party, Sunday is exercise, Juno, gardening, knitting, and prepping for the week. YAY!

I'm so glad that summer is here. Yes I said summer. It feels like it. It's warm, sunny...in fact, not even warm - but HOT. It's fantastic. I didn't realize how much the cold and dark weather was getting to me until it turned to heat and sunshine. I feel like a totally different person. Things that bothered me a week ago no longer matter. People are fantastic, interesting, beautiful creatures. I have energy! I want to do things! It's still LIGHT OUTSIDE when I get home from work!!!! I love this time of year! I am DONE with the cold, the chilly, the frigid. Bring on the tank tops, the tanning, the flip flops!

garden fences

Yesterday I spent some time painting the garden fence that Adam (and I) built. Once that's painted, we can set it up, and then I can start work on the garden without fear of dogs destroying it. It was really nice yesterday - listened to Harry Potter on my ipod and the sun shone and the dogs scampered....



A lot of my seeds are doing really well - the only one that hasn't come up at ALL are the jalapenos, which I am sad about. However, if I have to buy plants I can do that...I have always had good luck with jalapeno plans from the store.


The green beans are doing awesome.



Chris' brother, David, comes over many weekends and the boys spend the whoooole time playing computer games. It's just like Southpark - "We ARE socializing, r-tard"

who wins?

last night was a lovely night, and today has been a thoroughly enjoyable day. Last night Adam and I had plans for dinner, (all because filet mignon was on sale at ralphs and I was hungry when I went grocery shopping..whoops) but his sister got a flat and there were issues with her car, so he called around 7 to say that 8 wouldn't work for dinner, and maybe we should just do it another time.

Instead of getting resentful and not-nice, I was SO VERY HAPPY that my first reaction was "oh, that's totally fine - things happen." I almost bowled myself over with my magnanimous reaction to a change in plans. If you don't know me, I have a very hard time adjusting to change when I have a picture of how I want things to go in my head.

Anyways, when he got home, because I had been awesome, he could vent his frustrations TO me, instead of me adding to them. I know this is such basic stuff, but I want to pat myself on the back for being a supportive almost-wife. He watched some American Idol with me, then played video games with Chris while I cooked. I was low-key, low-pressure when I interrupted and asked if he wanted to take a break to come eat with me - and he did! We ate the BOMB filet that I made with baked potatoes and broccoli while watching Legend of the Seeker on netflix. He went back to his games and I went to bed - very happy, very content, very pleased with the entire night.

I was talking to my aunt julie about being married the other night - and the concept of "winning" in a relationship - whenever Adam and I argue, or if he wants to change plans or something, my reaction is to try to *win* - for myself, singularly. That's awful! I am trying very hard to adapt my thinking to winning as a couple, as a relationship - and the outcome of the specific fight tends to be very, very different when I think of it that way.

Anyways, I'm feeling good. Went to weight watchers today, lost 2.4 pounds! Had a good lunch of leftovers, and tonight is an A2A event! I finished another pair of socks I'd been knitting, have tons of wedding stuff for tomorrow, and plans to look at bridesmaid dresses with my sisters on sunday!

friendships and myers briggs tests

The executive director made us take the myers briggs test again for another meeting about our strengths. This is something like the 8th or 9th 3 hour meeting that's focused on the same topic. I liked it the first time.

Anyways, there was one line that was interesting in this analysis that I didn't catch last time:

"Face-to-face relationships are intense, personable and warm, though they may be so infrequently achieved that intimate friendships are rare."

I have a lot of people that I love, and even more than I like - and even MORE that I'm entertained by or admire. But there really have been remarkable few people that I feel have broken past the barriers to "intimate friendship." Even fewer when you take my family out of the mix. I can think of two "best friends" that I've had in my life - Tiffani and Marina. Tiffani was especially intense, since she lived so close (Marina has always been 3 hours or more away from me). I don't think I've ever had a friend quite like Tiffani - she got to a level of friendship with me that I feel almost unable to give to anyone else. I'd love to, trust me, but it just doesn't *work* - I can't force it, and I don't know how it came about to begin with. I remember the moment it happened, too. Our dog had escaped and T and I went on a walk through the neighborhood trying to find her. It was a magical walk. Then I moved to WI for a boy, and got more and more distant, and then when I came back I started CSULB and just stopped talking to her. It hurt her - and I didn't realize what I had done until much later. Now it feels like it keeps hurting me - not sharp-pain hurting, but a constant feeling that I had something that I am unable to get again. She hasn't spoken to me for years. I sent her a few apology emails, and once I got a one-line acknowledgement, but other than that - nothing. She got married to a man I'd never met. I'm getting married to a man she's never met. I had this friend and then I killed it.

I feel broken, sometimes. Inept. I like people, I like them a lot - I just have this wall when it comes to making lifelong friends. So it was kind of nice to read that sentence - that it's not that I'm broken, it's part of my personality trait. Ho hum.


okay so I felt glum for a while then went on my flickr account and looked at adorable photos of Juno when she was just a few months old. All better now.

Indiana Baby Blanket

 

A while back I made a blanket for a friend of mine at work - well, not for her, but for her unborn neice. I made it, shipped it to Indiana, and the baby was born!! I love seeing photos of the things I make being used by who they were made for. :)

slumpy dumps and snowy photos

I've been in a weird and funky place the last week or two. Nothing horrific, just, not my usual motivated self. I've lapsed into laziness. I started drinking caffeine like a fiend. I haven't taken the dog out or gone to the gym. I do one load of dishes a day and nothing feels clean.

Yesterday I bought paintings for the house and have buyers remorse. I have vague guilty remorseful feelings on the fringe of everything I do, and I can't pinpoint them. I think my overachieving tendencies are warring with my love of leisure and recreation, and this is an uncomfortable place to be in. I discovered a new series that I love to sit around and watch marathon-style, but when I'm doing that, I'm sure as hell not at the gym or walking Juno. I vacuumed yesterday. That was my big success. But I only vacuumed because I spilled garbanzo beans and parsley all over the floor.

Le sigh. I'm not terribly down in the dumps, mood-wise, just not up and pumped like I usually am. This last weekend I had all these great big project plans and did NOTHING. I stayed up til 5am drinking caffeine and eating junk while watching tv on saturday, then slept til 11on sunday and didn't do anything.

The one big accomplishment of the weekend was actually BUYING a wedding cake!!!! We have it done son! Almond cake with an almond/chocolate ganache and buttercream frosting. Soooo delicious. We met with a photographer as well. Very professional, looks great - also super expensive. I started messing around with invitations, but lacked inspiration.

Anyways - I have some great photos from our June Lake trip to post, I started tracking food again this morning, and today I will stop at the gym ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK. I will trust in that making me feel so productive that the feeling will just continue on.










June Lake was snowy, obviously. It was Juno's first time in the snow and she loved it. We spent HOURS and HOURS chasing snowballs.

templates for life

I have microsoft 2007 on my work computer now, and so I've spent the last few days playing with the new templates that are available...and I am thrilled. I have so many fun little organizational tools! One of the hardest things in the world for me to do, and one that makes my relationship with Adam better, is to keep things just - straightened. I have a habit of making messes, getting distracted, and leaving them for weeks.

I printed a great little checklist - daily stuff, weekly stuff, and monthly stuff. I put up a corkboard next to my computer at home and now keep track! It's fantastic. It helps me be more aware - and if all else fails, right before I go to sleep I do a sweep through of the house to make sure I haven't left yarn all over the place.

Also printed a grocery list organizer. Heehee. Not that I really need that, but I like using it!!!

Today I am starting training for a Sprint Triathlon. Not that I'll be doing one, but it's been a goal of mine, so I might as well start training now.

Also starting hard-core Juno training.

Allllsooo...cooking 1 weight watcher recipe, and 1 hungry girl recipe.

Will try to post photos of June Lake tomorrow. Now it's time to go!