End of January

I can't believe it's already the end of January! Seriously, where is time going?!

In other news, this weekend will mark the 100th mile of my training for the marathon. It doesn't seem like that much, but it definitely adds up! This week will be 20 miles total! I've got a 5 mile run date with the treadmill tomorrow and then a 9 mile run on the trail with Kati on Saturday. In other exciting news, she got an entry into the 1/2 marathon! So excited that she gets to run her first one! Yippee!

I'll leave you with a super cute picture of Shadow - he did not want to get out of bed today!

Sleepy Puppy

It's so hard to leave for work when I've got that face staring back at me!

Professional Bull Riding

I was lucky enough to win some tickets at work to the Professional Bull Riders Ariat Invitational. We had seats in the Rockstar box at Arco Power Balance Arena, which was a pretty fun experience. The seats were amazing - dead center and right at the perfect level.


PBR Spelled Out In Fire

I forgot my camera at home, so I apologize for the crappy iPhone pictures, but it's all I had.
Cowboys riding bulls:





The Cowboy On The Left Gets Excellent Dismount Points

Today's winner was Marco Eguche from Sao Paolo, Brazil - he had a really impressive last right on "Priceless" - earning the highest marked ride of the weekend. That bull was crazy - the whole crowd was cheering the entire time he was hanging on!
I was pretty amazed at how crazy some of these guys are. First of all, anyone willing to hang onto the back of a bucking 2,000 pound pissed off animal gets crazy points in my book. To make it worse, they have the option of wearing a helmet - something a whole bunch of them choose not to do. Now, I'm all for a good cowboy hat, but it just seems crazy to me not to wear a helmet. In fact, in one of the videos they played to introduce one of the riders he smiled, pointed at his very nice teeth and said "None of these are real". Yeah, that would be because your face slammed into the back of the head of a very angry bull. Maybe wear the helmet with face mask next time... just sayin'.

And, of course, it's not a good event without an up the nose shot:


He Really Does Love Me For This

At first I was a little hesitant at the idea of bull riding on account of the fact that I feel bad for the bulls. Obviously, they're bucking for a reason, right? I mean, who wouldn't be a little mad if someone tied a rope in their general nether regions? Then Mike pointed out something rather curious... even though some of the bulls very clearly had the opportunity to gore the riders, they would prance around, give a few bucks for show and then trot toward the gate that led "backstage". Mike thinks there was the bull equivalent of dog biscuits back there. It actually got a little funny to watch at that point... they seriously perked up once they were rid of their rider.

All in all, it was a really fun event - I'm glad we had the chance to go and I have a new found respect for these crazy cowboys!

Crabs & Wine

Last night we went to a crab feed.

I Have Crazy Eyes Because I Smell Crab

I'll leave you a few moments to ponder that thought. For those of you who don't know me that well, I have a thing against pretty much all seafood. I can't stand the taste, the smell, the texture, you name it. That said, it was for a great cause (benefiting the Pioneer Fire District) and it was held at Perry Creek Winery, so I figured I could sustain on wine and bread, if necessary. Ok, I snuck a back of Cheez-Its, just in case. We went with Sheri, Charlie, Dave and Courtney. The wine was delicious (they make a mean Zin there) and I had lots of salad, pasta and bread. They even did a strawberry sorbet on champagne as a pallet cleanser between the pasta and the crab. I ate mine and Charlie's.

The boys were super excited about the crab...

A Boy And His Tools

Courtney Helping Dave With His Bib

We participated in several of the charity parts to this crab feed - we bought a key (they had two cases of wine chained up - if your key unlocked the case, it was yours to take home) and we bought a bunch of raffle tickets. We actually won the raffle! They had a bunch of prizes to choose from - we went with the one night stay at Fitzpatrick Winery and Lodge. I'm kind of a little excited about it - we get a one night stay, breakfast and some free wine while we're there!

Patiently Waiting For Crab

It was really a fun event. They had a live band which was pretty good and people definitely started dancing early on. What I really liked the most was that they got right to it - almost as soon as we sat down the started with the raffles, auctions and music. There was no waiting around, no being bored. The food was good and there was always something going on. We had a blast!

Korean Barbecued Beef

Mike and I decided have been wanting to try this one and finally got around to it. I used all "regular" soy sauce - not sure what the difference between the light and dark is - so you may want to try that as well. I also didn't add the green onions. Once we had this all cooked up, we decided that it would probably be better as an appetizer rather than a full meal. We both ate enough to be full, but just thought it needed something else to go with it. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 1/2 pound beef tenderloin, about 5 inches thick
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp plus 1/2 tsp sugar
6 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tbsp dark soy sauce
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp Asian sesame oil
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
5 green onions, white parts only minced, green parts reserved and cut into julienne for garnish
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
2 Tsp sesame seeds
Freshly ground pepper
1 tsp Sriracha chile sauce
1 Tbsp canola oil

Cut the beef across the grain into slices 1/8 inch thick. Working on a cutting board, use the side of the blade of a chef's knife or cleaver to mash together three-fourths of the chopped garlic and the 1 Tbsp sugar, forming a paste. Place the paste in a bowl and stir in 3 Tbsp of the light soy sauce, the dark soy sauce, the 1 Tbsp sesame oil, 1 Tbsp of the vinegar, all but 1 Tbsp of the minced onions, the ginger, 1 Tbsp of the sesame seeds, 1/2 tsp pepper, and 1 Tbsp water. Place the beef in a shallow bowl and pour the marinade on top. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for 1-3 hours.

Meanwhile, make a dipping sauce. On a cutting board, use the side of the blade of a chef's knife or cleaver to mash together the remaining chopped garlic and 1/2 tsp sugar, forming a paste. Place the paste in a bowl and whisk in the remaining 3 Tbsp light soy sauce, the remaining 1 tsp sesame oil, the remaining 1 Tbsp vinegar, the reserved 1 Tbsp minced green onions, the remaining 1 Tbsp sesame seeds, the chile sauce, and 1 Tbsp water. Set aside until ready to serve.

Build a fire in a covered charcoal grill and let the coals burn until covered with white ash. Using tongs, spread the coals 2 or 3 layers deep and place the rack 3-4 inches above the coals. For a gas grill, preheat on high heat. You may also preheat a stove-top grill pan over high heat.

Oil the grill rack or pan. Remove the beef from the marinade and pat dry. Discard the marinade. Working in batches, arrange in a single layer on the rack or pan. Sear, turning once, until crisp and brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Wipe and oil the rack or pan between batches if necessary.

Transfer to a warmed platter, garnish with the julienned green onion, and serve at once with the dipping sauce.

This lovely meal came with two very different plating options:

My Plating

Mike's Plating

Things That Bug Me: Mice

Over the last year or so, Mike and I have noticed a sound coming from the attic. No, it wasn't a ghost (although that might have been a far more interesting blog post than what you're about to read). It was an occasional squeak, scratch and rustle. Both of us were pretty tolerant of it - I don't really mind harboring a critter as long as it leaves me alone.

That all ended on Wednesday night.

We both awoke at three in the morning to hear a rolling sound... it started at the top of the roof and continued all the way to the bottom... then moved back to the top, over and over again. This continued for the next two hours, at which point the mystery critter fell asleep. Unfortunately, both Mike and I had to get up for work (someone had to put a roof over the critter's head). It was the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back.

Today I called in the big guns - a local pest control company with a good reputation (a lot of the neighbors use them). There was both good news and bad news. The good news is that we have now retained the services of said pest control company who is going to help with the ants, mice and woodpeckers. Yup, they can actually do something with those suckers - apparently there's a spray that deters them from banging on the side of your house. Honestly, that was the selling point for me! Well, that and I don't have to see anymore of the creepy millipede things. Or black widows. Or any other kind of thing with too many legs.

The bad news is that the critters in the attic are mice (the climbed up there and found all sorts of "droppings"). While that would seem like an easy thing to take care of, the company was very honest with me in saying that sticking traps, baits, poisons up there is only a band aid - the biggest thing we have to do here is to find where they're getting in and close that up. The really bad news is that a mouse can get in through an opening as small as a quarter of an inch.

So, Mike and I have our work cut out for us over the next few days, but at least there's something we can do that (hopefully) works!

Lasagna Soup

Today I tried a recipe that my sister sent me... it's called lasagna soup. Yeah, I know, it sounds a little weird. It was actually pretty easy to make (I made sure to prep everything first... that makes it a lot quicker). I used the mozzarella cheese and it was delicious!

1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
2 cups onions, chopped
1 cup carrots, diced
2 Tbsp. garlic, minced
4+ cups chicken broth
1 can (14 1/2oz.) Italian-style stewed tomatoes, chopped
1 can (10 3/4oz) tomato sauce
1 cup uncooked mafalda pasta (mini lasagna noodles) - penne or fusilli OK
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1 cup provolone cheese or fresh mozzarella, diced
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
4 tsp. thinly sliced fresh basil

Brown sausage in a large soup-pot (or saucepan) over medium-high heat. Add onions and carrots; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in garlic; sauté 3 minutes.

Add broth, stewed tomatoes, and tomato sauce, bring to a boil. Drop in pasta and simmer until the pasta is done (about 10 minutes). Stir in spinach and cook until wilted

Place ¼ cup of the diced cheese into each soup bowl and pour soup on top. Garnish with Parmesan and basil shreds.

Lasagna Soup

I made this tonight because Mike is at a meeting - he's not a big fan of chunks of tomatoes or onion. That said, it all cooks down very nicely and I really think he's going to like it. I used more noodles than the recipe called for (a whole box of penne) and so I added a little more chicken broth at the end to make sure I had enough liquid. Delicious!

Rest

I am following the Hal Higdon half marathon and marathon training programs and am discovering something really interesting... the value of rest.

Here's what Hal has to say about it:

Rest: Despite my listing it at the end, rest is an important component of this or any training program. Scientists will tell you that it is during the rest period (the 24 to 72 hours between hard bouts of exercise) that the muscles actually regenerate and get stronger. Coaches also will tell you that you can't run hard unless you are well rested. And it is hard running (such as the long runs) that allows you to improve. If you're constantly fatigued, you will fail to reach your potential. This is why I include two days of rest each week for novice runners. If you need to take more rest days--because of a cold or a late night at the office or a sick child--do so. The secret to success in any training program is consistency, so as long as you are consistent with your training during the full 18 weeks of the program, you can afford--and may benefit from--extra rest.

To be honest, I've never really given rest a whole lot of thought. Sure, on those days that I'm really tired I do, but after some of these shorter runs, I've always wondered why I have to take a rest day. Now I've started trying to pay better attention to my body and I've noticed how much I really savor those days off. I've also started noticing a difference in my runs AFTER the rest days - they feel better, I feel more energized and I am not as tired. The important thing for me to remember is that rest days have to be just that - REST. No cross training, no jogging.

In other running news, I did 8 miles on the treadmill today. Various circumstances led me to this - work, an appointment for new tires and a lot of rain. Trust me, had it not been for the first two, I would have much rather run in the rain.

Too Many Laps

Yes, I did finish the last 10th of a mile. :) I do have to say, as awful as some of that felt (miles 5-6), it feels awesome to be done with it. I have a feeling that's what the marathon is going to feel like. I'm actually really proud of this run... I tend to run at an average of 10:00 per mile when I do my long runs - this one was actually at a 9:15 pace. That is one thing that's nice about the treadmill - you can force yourself to do some pacing. While 45 seconds faster doesn't seem like a lot, that adds up over time - cutting almost 7 minutes off what my normal time for 8 miles would have been!

Book Review: The Help

Well, I'm a bit behind on my book reviews - I finished this one a couple weeks ago, finished another book and am onto a third. I'll get to them, I promise.

I actually thought about posting this on MLK Day as it definitely has some good ties. I read "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett.

Synopsis: (from Barnes & Noble)

Be prepared to meet three unforgettable women:

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.

In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women-mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends-view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don't.

This is definitely a must-read book. I haven't seen the movie yet, but now really want to - I hope they did the book justice! Whenever I read a story like this, my heart breaks for how horribly humans treat other people that they perceive to be different from themselves. What really stands out to me in this book is how these women all came together to try to make a difference - even with the risk to their families and lives. I think it's beautifully written and give it two enthusiastic thumbs up. One of the best books I've read in a long time.

Mental

Today's run was pretty hard.

When I woke up at 5am to head to the gym, it was a whopping 19 degrees outside. That's not exactly inspirational weather. Add to that the fact that I was tired (it's been a busy few days) and just wanted to hibernate in bed, I knew that today wasn't looking good for my 4 mile run.

That said, I forced myself out of the warm cocoon that is my bed and did it anyway. I'm learning a lot about myself and my body with this whole marathon training thing. In fact, I think it's more mental than it is physical. I'm trying to use these days that I just don't feel like it to work through the mental part. I think that's what's going to get me from mile 25 to mile 26.2.

Anyone else have some sort of thing that they had to mentally get through? Any tricks?

Happy MLK Jr. Day!

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr Day I normally post the text of his "I Have A Dream" speech. Last year, I posted the text to "Letter from a Birmingham Jail". This year, I invite you to watch his speech at the National Mall in Washington:

What most amazes me is how true his words still are. I feel like we've made great progress as a nation, but we are still far from color blind. Beyond just color, as our world changes, we have so many different people to be more accepting of and I truly hope some day we make it past what color people are, what their sexual preference is and see who they really are. This sort of change starts with each of us...

Trips Galore!

Today I felt a whole lot like the official travel agent of the Blankenheim household. First thing this morning, I booked our trip to San Diego for the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll marathon. Hotel - check, flight - check, rental car - check. We had talked about the pros and cons of driving versus flying and decided that it was well worth the extra money to take the flight so that I don't have to endure the 9+ hour road trip.

Speaking of running, I did pretty darned well this week. My total mileage for the week was 17 miles - 10 during the week at the gym and 7 yesterday outside on a trail near our house. I'm sore and tired, but a good sore and tired.

I decided that today would be a cross train day, so I headed to the pool for the first time since our wedding. It felt so good to get back in the water and I can't think of anything that feels better to stretch out those sore joints and muscles than a good swim.

Mike and I did a ton of researching and narrowing down of what we want to do while we're in Europe for sabbatical. I think the two of us could spend decades over there exploring! We've settled on a few key things that we want to do.

We've basically decided to do a great big clockwise circle through France. We're flying into Berne, Switzerland to go visit Interlaken. Specifically, we're there to see Jungfrau, one of the highest points in Europe. The whole valley is supposed to be absolutely amazing and they have a cool little train that takes you up to the top where they have this great observatory with amazing views:

We'll spend a few days exploring the valley area before we head into France... ready to tackle the Alpe d'Huez. This is one of the most fabled climbs in the Tour de France and is something we want to tackle while we're there. I might die, so it's a good thing we're going to see something pretty before we get there.

From there we plan to head down to Southern France to watch the Col du Tourmalet stage of the Tour de France. This is one of the big mountain stages and if we can battle past the motor homes that will probably be camped out for weeks before, we might get a good spot.

After a couple days in the South, we're going to head North to Normandy. This is one of the places that Kati and I did not make during our trip a couple years ago and I'm so super excited to go see it.

Finally, we're going to end our trip in Paris - we'll spend 4 or 5 days there and are hoping to camp out to get a good spot to see the finish of the Tour.

I can't wait!!!

Conquering The Gym

A friend of mine shared this link on Facebook today - I thought it was funny. Those of you who are normal gym-goers (such as myself) will appreciate this! Click HERE to read the article in the Wall Street Journal.

This is the time of year when even people who hate the gym think about going to the gym. Many of us are still digesting whole floors of gingerbread houses, and jeans that fit comfortably in October are now a denim humiliation.

Sweating is a good way to begin 2012. Exercise, like dark chocolate and office meetings that suddenly get canceled, is a proven pathway to nirvana. But if you're going to join a gym—or returning to the gym after a long hibernation—consider the following:

1. A gym is not designed to make you feel instantly better about yourself. If a gym wanted to make you feel instantly better about yourself, it would be a bar.

2. Give yourself a goal. Maybe you want to lose 10 pounds. Maybe you want to quarterback the New York Jets into the playoffs. But be warned: Losing 10 pounds is hard.

3. Develop a gym routine. Try to go at least three times a week. Do a mix of strength training and cardiovascular conditioning. After the third week, stop carrying around that satchel of fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies.

4. No one in the history of gyms has ever lost a pound while reading "The New Yorker" and slowly pedaling a recumbent bicycle. No one.

5. Bring your iPod. Don't borrow the disgusting gym headphones, or use the sad plastic radio attachment on the treadmill, which always sounds like it's playing Kenny Loggins from a sewer.

6. Don't fall for gimmicks. The only tried-and-true method to lose 10 pounds in 48 hours is food poisoning.
7. Yes, every gym has an overenthusiastic spinning instructor who hasn't bought a record since "Walking on Sunshine."

8. There's also the Strange Guy Who is Always at the Gym. Just when you think he isn't here today...there he is, lurking by the barbells.

9. "Great job!" is trainer-speak for "It's not polite for me to laugh at you."

10. Beware a hip gym with a Wilco step class.

11. Gyms have two types of members: Members who wipe down the machines after using them, and the worst people in the universe.

12. Nope, that's not a "recovery energy bar with antioxidant dark chocolate." That's a chocolate bar.

13. Avoid Unsolicited Advice Guy, who, for the small fee of boring you to death, will explain the proper method for any exercise in 45 minutes or longer.

14. You can take 10 Minute Abs, 20 Minute Abs, and 30 Minute Abs. There is also Stop Eating Pizza and Eating Sheet Cake Abs—but that's super tough!

15. If you're motivated to buy an expensive home exercise machine, consider a "wooden coat rack." It costs $40, uses no electricity and does the exact same thing.

16. There's the yoga instructor everyone loves, and the yoga instructor everyone hates. Memorize who they are.

17. If you see an indoor rock climbing wall, you're either in a really cool gym or a romantic comedy starring Kate Hudson.

18. Be cautious about any class with the words "sunrise," "hell," or "Moby."

19. If a gym class is going to be effective, it's hard. If you're relaxed and enjoying yourself, you're at brunch.

20. If you need to bring your children, just let them loose in the silent meditation class. Nobody minds, and kids love candles.

21. Don't buy $150 sneakers, $100 yoga pants, and $4 water. Muscle shirts are for people with muscles, and rhythm guitarists.

22. Fancy gyms can be seductive, but once you get past the modern couches and fresh flowers and the water with lemon slices, you're basically paying for a boutique hotel with B.O.

23. Everyone sees you secretly racing the old people in the pool.

24. If you're at the point where you've bought biking shoes for the spinning class, you may as well go ahead and buy an actual bike. It's way more fun and it doesn't make you listen to C+C Music Factory.

25. Fact: Thinking about going to the gym burns between 0 and 0 calories.

26. A successful gym membership is like a marriage: If it's good, you show up committed and ready for hard work. If it's not good, you show up in sweatpants and watch a lot of bad TV.

27. There is no secret. Exercise and lay off the fries. The end.

Movie Review: Super

This evening, Mike and I decided to watch a movie on Showtime called "Super".

I want the last 96 minutes of my life back.

Director: James Gunn

Main Actors: Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler and Kevin Bacon

Synopsis: (from IMDb) Frank Darbo is a hapless fry cook. When his wife Sarah falls off the wagon and dumps him for Jock, a drug dealer, Frank tries to get her back by reporting her kidnapped, grabbing her from Jock's car, and wailing for her to return. After watching Christian TV and having a vision, he becomes a superhero to fight evil. He sews a costume, finds a weapon (a pipe wrench) and looks for crimes to stop. He has problems: his wrench inflicts real injury, so the cops want him for being a vigilante, his sense of boundaries is flawed, and Jock's gang has guns. Libby, a clerk at a comics store, becomes his sidekick, and it's time to go save Sarah. What chance do they have?

Rating: Don't waste your time. You would think you couldn't go wrong with a fine set of actors such as Rainn Wilson (The Office), Ellen Page, Liv Tyler, Kevin Bacon and Michael Rooker (Tombstone anyone?). Yeah, you can go very, very wrong. We started the movie saying "Kevin Bacon's in it... he doesn't do bad movies". Yeah, wrong again. It was just a really lame story line and kinda odd characters.

Running and Presents

So against much medical advice, I ran with Kati today. I figured it was in my schnoz, not my chest, and I'm on antibiotics, so how much harm could 6 little miles do? So far, so good. You know what is better than a good Saturday morning run? The Saturday afternoon nap!

In other news, my birthday presents are all finally in my possession! Mike bought me these great leg warmer type things (similar to the sleeves I bought for my arms) for when we ride our bikes. What a great invention for us hot sweaty people! Layers that easily come off!

My parents gave me this great jewelry box for my birthday to replace the one that was stolen last year. It's super pretty and I love how it looks on my dresser! I had to swap it out at pottery Barn today because the one that they actually gave me had a crack in the glass. The folks at PB were super easy to work with and had one waiting for me!

Jewelry Box On My Dresser

Round 3

Well, I finally caved and went to the doctor. I've basically been sick since the beginning of December (first a cold, then the "death virus" as Mike and I have dubbed it). My fantastic doctor pretty much thinks I never quite got better from the cold I had in December... and was unfortunately exposed to the flu while my immune system was not quite 100%. That said, the whole mess has basically turned into some sort of upper respiratory infection. Yippee. So I'm giving the antibiotics a go... fingers crossed that they and some much needed rest kick this thing! I've got too much running to do to be this sick!!!

Does anyone out there have any great cold remedies?

So Proud!

Today I had the honor of watching Mike get one of the director's awards. These are basically awards handed out by the director of CAL Fire to people who have gone above and beyond their normal job duties over the past year.

My Handsome Husband

He's super shy about these kind of things (he'll probably hate me for blogging about it), but it was really cool to go to the ceremony and see the different projects that people have been working on over the last year.

Mike's team was given the award (in a nutshell) for revamping the entire EMS program from top to bottom. It was a big undertaking and will continue to improve patient care throughout the state.

The EMS Team

Mike is the cute one that is fourth from the right. :) I'm so incredibly proud of him!

Happy Birthday To Me

Another New Years, another birthday. Yup, today I turned 31 years old.

We did my birthday dinner last night since Mike had to teach class tonight. My parents, Kati & Nate, Nicki & Tim and Ray & Nancy joined us at The Union in Volcano. It's this cool little inn and restaurant that has been around since 1880. We've been there a couple times... they're known for their burgers (they're huge!) and their fried chicken and macaroni & cheese. Needless to say, I went with the pasta dish - like I always do because I just can't turn down a good mac and cheese. They use a smoked cheddar cheese and top it with buttered bread crumbs. Yum!

I took today off from work - I don't normally do this on my birthday because I feel like it's a wasted day. I typically try to group my vacation days together so that I can take a week or more off. However, this year we had Friday off, so I basically made a four day weekend. The day started with Mike making me bacon, eggs and tater tots. We then chilled on the sofa for a bit before kicking around a few ideas for the rest of the day. We landed on working in the yard. Mike worked on finishing the retaining wall by the waterfall and I was able to prune some of my trees and oleanders. I know it probably sounds boring to most of you, but for me, this was the perfect day off. I absolutely love playing in the yard and lately have not had or made the time for it. The weather was absolutely beautiful today - overcast but warm - making it wonderful for being outside. I got a lot done, including pulling up my veggie garden and preparing the soil for some winter veggies.

Tonight I've spent the evening mellowing on the sofa... again, not something I do very often. It's been the perfect day! The one downer is that I seem to have caught some sort of cold... apparently my immune system just doesn't want to do it's job right now! Fortunately, I just have a runny nose and sneeze a bit, which I can handle. I'm hoping a few days of going to bed early helps out!

Thanks again to everyone who called, texted, emailed or Facebooked me... I feel really loved today! It was great to hear from some people that I haven't talked to in a while! I'm a lucky girl!

Happy New Year!

Well, we made it to 2012. Yippee!

Our annual New Years party was very mellow this year... we had a lot of people who couldn't make it due to illness, death in the family and prior commitments. In all honestly, with both of us being as sick as we were the last few weeks, it was nice that it was a little mellow. Even so, it was still a lot of fun... I think the best part about our pig roast is the whole part leading up to it, from the arrival of the pig through the carving. People stop by the house all day long to have a beer, pick off some pig skin and hang out.

At midnight there were a total of four of us left at our house:

Last Four Standing

The pig turned out amazingly as always. We had tons of yummy side dishes and I really think everyone had fun.

The Pig of 2012

Check out my Facebook page for the rest of the pictures!

I'm not making any resolutions this year... I'm just going to continue working on adding to and checking things off of my bucket list. I already know there are a couple big things coming - the marathon and climbing the mountains in France. I think that will probably do for now... We'll see how tired I am after those.

Did you make any resolutions this year?