Back in December 2010, one of the bloggers I've read the longest, Bella, got me into doing a series of prompts in December that were on such interesting topics.
One of the prompts in December 2010 was to write a letter to yourself going into 2011 from the year 2015. And I did it! And now, 5 years later, I'm still blogging, and it's going to be 2016 soon.
Here's my original post (and here was Bella's), I thought it would be fun to see where things stand now.
The prompt was awkwardly phrased, telling you to imagine yourself 5 years from now (in Dec. 2010) and give advice to your current self for the year ahead. I kind of blew that off, saying that I didn't really see any big changes in 2011 (other than knowing my 2 youngest brothers were getting married that year), and I was kind of hoping my life would be basically the same at the end of 2011 as it was at the end of 2010. The biggest struggle for me at the end of 2010 was that I didn't really like my job, but the rest of my life was pretty much just as I wanted it.
I chose to look at the question based on the main categories of how I define myself set out on my About Me page.
Runner. In late 2010 (almost 3 months after my first BQ), I figured that by late 2015, "I hopefully will have run Boston and requalified several times" and I'd have run several other marathons that were of interest, as well as a trail race and an ultra. And I'd still run with the same crew, and hoped 2 friends who had left our crew would be back.
Status: Well, I've run Boston and I have requalified on more than one occasion, but I'm not presently qualified, and I'm a long way from it! But running Boston and having the option to do so again was the real goal in 2010 looking toward 2015, and I've accomplished that. As to the other aspects of my 2010 running goals/predictions for 2015, I've made some progress. I have done a couple of the other marathons on my list, as well as a bunch of other marathons. But I didn't really run a trail race or an ultra -- I did a marathon that was partially on trails (the Bataan Memorial Death March Marathon) and in training for that, I did 27 miles of walking while wearing the extra 40 pounds I carried on my back for that marathon. But neither of those are really what I envisioned 5 years ago as "doing a trail race" and "running an ultra." But as predicted in 2010, I still run with the same group of people. But sadly, my 2010 dream was that two of my favorite running buddies who both moved to Cali would move back to Dallas, and neither of them has (but I'm still in touch with both, just visited the So-Cal one (and his wife and son) this past summer!). But I've met some new running friends over the last half decade and those have been great experiences too.
Wife. In late 2010, I wanted 2015 to have us as a settled and secure married couple, who know each other well and think of each other first. I knew that would be tough (not just because I'd been unmarried for the first 30+ years of life), but I wanted to always think before speaking, to make more of an effort to let the little things go and to have the word "squadra" (Italian theme for our goal marriage) at the forefront of my actions.
Status: Going stronger than ever! Feel very secure and settled, but there are definitely times we each think of ourselves first, and less like a team. But I'm better about not sweating the small stuff, and we work on being a "squadra."
Vegetarian. Five years ago, it was easy to predict that I'd still be a vegetarian. I also predicted that I'd have even gone vegan on many days. In 2015, I wanted to be an adventurous cook, always trying new recipes and relying more frequently on homemade leftovers for lunch instead of frozen meals or restaurants.
Status: Definitely still a vegetarian. More vegan days since November 1, 2015 than probably in the last 5 years combined, but still far from being a real vegan. I'd say I'm a pretty adventurous cook, but I still don't cook enough. I work a lot and we go to bed usually not too long after I get home from work, so almost all weeknights it's something in the microwave (usually something from the in-store prepared meals section from the grocery). And it's leftovers for lunch maaaaybe once a month. When I cook on the weekend, there are usually leftovers, but I use those for other dinners and still eat Amy's frozen meals for lunch most days (though now vegan meals more often).
Dallas-dweller. In 2010, I wasn't certain where we'd be living today. I knew it was most likely the same place we lived in 2010, but there were thoughts of moving back near my parents or near my in-laws, or maybe even to near my husband's family in Italy. In 2010, my husband had said he really didn't want to move until 2016 or ideally after 2020. In 2010, my immediate hope was to make progress hammering down the mortgage in 2011.
Status: Same, same! Happily living in the same condo and no plans to move on the horizon. Earlier this year, I had a strong bug to move to San Fran, and I'd still love to do that, but my husband still isn't ready to change jobs and it's not really on the radar anymore. I did refinance the mortgage at least once, maybe even twice, and I'm working on paying it off ahead of schedule.
Attorney. In 2010, I expected that right now I'd still be a a practicing attorney and that I'd love my job. In late 2010, I knew the 2015 plan was likely going to require change from where I was in 2010, either by making some changes to how my 2010 job worked, or changing jobs. I also expected that in 2015 I'd be a zealous advocate for a pro bono cause dear to my heart, and doing what I can to help children who encounter worse circumstances in their living arrangement than most people can imagine or would ever want to consider.
Status: Success! Crazily enough, I changed jobs within about 3 months of writing out these predictions in 2010 and I'm still at that job. Up until a few weeks ago, I loved it more than I thought it was possible to love a job. The last couple months have been exceptionally stressful and yielded an unmanageable caseload, but that is presently slowly resolving. The last few weeks have also added some very stressful salary negotiations, but as of last week (a call with the president of the sub for which I work, after multiple conversations with my boss, and with the president of my division), it seems like the negotiations are going well and I'm optimistic it will get worked out within the next couple weeks. If it doesn't that will leave me in an awkward spot -- I don't want to change jobs, but I also don't want to be paid less than I believe (and apparently my boss, the president of my division, and the president of our sub) I deserve, it's just a matter of working out when and how that will happen. If they don't make it happen, I don't want to leave, but I might try to make myself look. It would all just be so much easier if they could just give me what I ask for immediately, sigh!
Traveler. In 2010, I was hoping that in 2015 I'd still go overseas every year, and roughly every other one of those trips would include Italy. I wanted to get better at speaking Italian and even learn some dialect. I planned on speaking Italian at home more and going back to an Italian conversation group, but adding some actual studying outside of class. I hoped that by 2015, I'd have "been to Egypt, India and/or China." I wanted to manage my work schedule and finances as needed to allow for an overseas trip each year, knowing that big trips overseas tend to strengthen our marriage, my perspective, and my sanity.
Status: I'd say success! We have gone overseas every year for the last five years (including trips to many places I've long dreamed of going), and there's nothing like planning a wedding in an isolated non-touristy part of Italy where you pretty much can't find a wedding planner to force your Italian language skills to improve! Unfortunately, even though I was able to communicate pretty easily a couple months ago in Italy, I don't work on my Italian as much as I should. I really would like to use it more at home (though prioritizing open and clear communication is certainly more important), I really should go back to conversation group (my husband still goes weekly), and I really should study on my own. I'd say I've met my actual travel goal -- I've been to India AND China (and I would have gone to Egypt, but for that political stuff...). And, to excuse my lack of Italian studying, in my defense, I've taken Chinese class for a pretty long time (though you wouldn't really know that to hear me speak). Honestly though, "learning" is something I should put more effort into going forward. Italian, Chinese, French or something new, I should just buckle down and spend at least an hour a week on it. I usually like trying to unplug on the weekends, but it's turned into lazily watching TV lately instead of even just pulling out a language book and working on it. Guess now's the perfect time to make some kind of resolution...
There was also a bonus question in December 2010, looking back at where I was 10 years earlier (December 2000) and thinking what advice I wished I'd had then. In December 2000, I had just found out I passed the bar and was settling into my first few months of work. The main thing lacking from my life then was work-life balance, and there were lots of dinners at work that were bad for my social life and my waistline. But in December 2010, I recognized that I was quite content, and everything in December 2000 worked out just right to lead me to where I was in December 2010.
I feel that same way now, looking back at December 2010. It all worked out just right. There were lots of changes between December 2000 and December 2010 (job change, starting running, dating, meeting and marrying my husband, etc.), but there have been very few changes between December 2010 and today (the primary one being my job), and I don't really expect much to change in the next 5 years. I'm actually hoping very little will change -- I'd be very content to still be running the same mileage, still traveling, still at the same job and in the same condo with the same guy, going to visit the same relatives...
If I get motivated, maybe I should now try to look ahead to December 2020... But that would be three posts within a week, and yow, that's just unsustainable these days!
Showing posts with label reverb. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reverb. Show all posts
Friday, January 1, 2016
Friday, January 31, 2014
#Reverb13, Day 31: At the end
Throughout the month of December (not), I’ll be participating in #reverb13: Reverb is a way to reflect on the past year and project into the next year with a prompt a day for 31 days.
Day 31 – At the end:
What’s next for you?
I think I'm going to like 2014. I expect the most exciting part of the year will be our big vacation. I am insanely excited about the idea of seeing the Taj Mahal. I don't think we'll nail down our exact plan in terms of flights and countries until April or May, but I am certain it will be an interesting and memorable adventure. For me, the ideal plan will be to go straight to India, then go to Nepal, then spend a few days in the Maldives, then end the trip with a couple days in Dubai. India is the only certain stop on the plan, so the rest is subject to change, but it all sounds so fascinating.
I'm also going home more in 2014, which was something I wished I'd done more of in 2013. Right now, the plan is to go for the Fourth of July for sure, and then likely also for Mother's Day weekend and the first weekend in October. Plus, this year they're coming to visit me! My folks weren't here at all in 2013 due to a combination of them choosing to visit my brother who moved to San Fran in 2012 and my grandpa having a stroke. We've also got a trip on the books in June already to see hubby's parents for a family wedding, and it wouldn't surprise me if we add in another trip to see them.
I feel like I'm not running well right now, but a down cycle is a down cycle. My goal is going to be to take it for what it is and have fun. Even if 2014 isn't the year of the PR for me, I think I have some fun races planned. I've done two so far this year, and I expect I'll be around my average of about 16-20 races for the year. I'm most excited about going back to the Bataan Memorial Death March (but only doing the half and not wearing a military weight pack this year!) and my fall marathon (wherever that may be, likely Milwaukee). And locally, I'll enjoy my standard favorites -- the St. Pat's and Thanksgiving races, and probably the mid-summer "too hot to handle" race. The big question for me will be whether I skip San Antonio this year, as the date is being moved to December (when weekends are quite precious).
Day 31 – At the end:
What’s next for you?
I think I'm going to like 2014. I expect the most exciting part of the year will be our big vacation. I am insanely excited about the idea of seeing the Taj Mahal. I don't think we'll nail down our exact plan in terms of flights and countries until April or May, but I am certain it will be an interesting and memorable adventure. For me, the ideal plan will be to go straight to India, then go to Nepal, then spend a few days in the Maldives, then end the trip with a couple days in Dubai. India is the only certain stop on the plan, so the rest is subject to change, but it all sounds so fascinating.
I'm also going home more in 2014, which was something I wished I'd done more of in 2013. Right now, the plan is to go for the Fourth of July for sure, and then likely also for Mother's Day weekend and the first weekend in October. Plus, this year they're coming to visit me! My folks weren't here at all in 2013 due to a combination of them choosing to visit my brother who moved to San Fran in 2012 and my grandpa having a stroke. We've also got a trip on the books in June already to see hubby's parents for a family wedding, and it wouldn't surprise me if we add in another trip to see them.
I feel like I'm not running well right now, but a down cycle is a down cycle. My goal is going to be to take it for what it is and have fun. Even if 2014 isn't the year of the PR for me, I think I have some fun races planned. I've done two so far this year, and I expect I'll be around my average of about 16-20 races for the year. I'm most excited about going back to the Bataan Memorial Death March (but only doing the half and not wearing a military weight pack this year!) and my fall marathon (wherever that may be, likely Milwaukee). And locally, I'll enjoy my standard favorites -- the St. Pat's and Thanksgiving races, and probably the mid-summer "too hot to handle" race. The big question for me will be whether I skip San Antonio this year, as the date is being moved to December (when weekends are quite precious).
Thursday, January 30, 2014
#Reverb13, Day 30: Relationships
Throughout the month of December, I’ll be participating in #reverb13: Reverb is a way to reflect on the past year and project into the next year with a prompt a day for 31 days.
Day 30 – Relationships
Did you find a new best friend? Delve deeper into an existing relationship? Break up? Get back together?
Honestly, I have to say "not so much" to all of those questions.
I've got two female friends with whom I usually apply the "best friend" title -- one local, one who has moved away. And I have about 5 other women in my life who could just as easily use that title, plus of course women who were my best friends at different times in my life but whom I keep up with far too infrequently now, but love just the same. Of course my true best friend is my husband, but he has that husband title, so I usually use the best friend title with others.
As for delving deeper into existing relationships, not in any notable way. I mean, time and experiences always seem to solidify relationships with people that you're in frequent contact with. But nothing notable from 2013 strikes me as delving deeper. I feel like I try to be a good friend to my friends, and that definitely deepens relationships.
As for breaking up and getting back together, thank God, no! I actually feel like I worried more about that during the time we were dating obviously and the first few years of marriage. But now things just seem more settled. Events, arguments, problems, things that just a few years ago now could have seemed like "the end of our marriage" was next, are now just things that I know we'll get through. (As a side note, I'm kind of glad hubby was already married and divorced once, it gave him a much better sense of perspective than I had, so he would say things like, "I know you're upset, and you want to walk away because you don't see how you can fathom a lifetime of closing the cabinet doors behind me, but we will find a way together to overcome this hurdle.") We're coming up on our fifth anniversary this year, and it will also be nine years together, and honestly, it seems like now we could even handle some of the biggest obstacles -- a job loss, death of a family member, an unwanted pregnancy, a move, an accident or disability, a lawsuit, whatever.
Lucky, lucky, lucky...
Day 30 – Relationships
Did you find a new best friend? Delve deeper into an existing relationship? Break up? Get back together?
Honestly, I have to say "not so much" to all of those questions.
I've got two female friends with whom I usually apply the "best friend" title -- one local, one who has moved away. And I have about 5 other women in my life who could just as easily use that title, plus of course women who were my best friends at different times in my life but whom I keep up with far too infrequently now, but love just the same. Of course my true best friend is my husband, but he has that husband title, so I usually use the best friend title with others.
As for delving deeper into existing relationships, not in any notable way. I mean, time and experiences always seem to solidify relationships with people that you're in frequent contact with. But nothing notable from 2013 strikes me as delving deeper. I feel like I try to be a good friend to my friends, and that definitely deepens relationships.
As for breaking up and getting back together, thank God, no! I actually feel like I worried more about that during the time we were dating obviously and the first few years of marriage. But now things just seem more settled. Events, arguments, problems, things that just a few years ago now could have seemed like "the end of our marriage" was next, are now just things that I know we'll get through. (As a side note, I'm kind of glad hubby was already married and divorced once, it gave him a much better sense of perspective than I had, so he would say things like, "I know you're upset, and you want to walk away because you don't see how you can fathom a lifetime of closing the cabinet doors behind me, but we will find a way together to overcome this hurdle.") We're coming up on our fifth anniversary this year, and it will also be nine years together, and honestly, it seems like now we could even handle some of the biggest obstacles -- a job loss, death of a family member, an unwanted pregnancy, a move, an accident or disability, a lawsuit, whatever.
Lucky, lucky, lucky...
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
#Reverb13, Day 29: List it
Throughout the month of December (or January, but I am determined to finish this month), I’ll be participating in #reverb13: Reverb is a way to reflect on the past year and project into the next year with a prompt a day for 31 days.
Day 29 – List it
List posts are everywhere. Top 10 Ways to be Happier Today. Three Tips for More Energy. Seven Ideas to Stay Focused. Give us a list.
My Five Tips to PR at a Distance You've Raced Repeatedly
1. Have a training plan that you follow faithfully, ideally 4-6 days of running per week.
2. Do strength training at least twice a week.
3. Include tempo and race pace miles in your schedule.
4. Have a faster experienced friend who can be trusted to hold steady goal pace run the race with you.
5. Know exactly what your plan is for the race -- getting there, warming up, fueling if necessary, mile splits, total time that you have to beat.
It's hard to even tell you how long it has taken me to learn each of those tips. Especially the last one. I'd get to a race too late to warm up. Or I would forget the exact time that was my current PR and had to be beat. Or I wouldn't be able to figure out exactly what my per mile pace needed to be.
And since I'm feeling wild and crazy (and need to do it anyway)...
My Five Things that Should be Accomplished on Saturday
1. Donate things. 2014 is a new tax year. Donate the old Christmas tree and all the clothes and shoes that have been moved to the garage for that purpose. Photograph it all for tax records before donating. Decide if we're donating our old Mac and if so, figure out how to wipe data off.
2. Complete our Global Entry applications so we will be able to use the expedited lines at customs when we come back from vacation for the next several years.
3. Go to the mall to see a movie and shop for shampoo (Sephora and L'Occitane).
4. Deep clean kitchen (hubby) and upstairs bathroom (me).
5. Make breakfast for my local bestie and exchange Christmas gifts with her after the local five mile race, which we may or may not also run with her, depending on how late the basketball game Friday night goes and how much we drink there...
Day 29 – List it
List posts are everywhere. Top 10 Ways to be Happier Today. Three Tips for More Energy. Seven Ideas to Stay Focused. Give us a list.
My Five Tips to PR at a Distance You've Raced Repeatedly
1. Have a training plan that you follow faithfully, ideally 4-6 days of running per week.
2. Do strength training at least twice a week.
3. Include tempo and race pace miles in your schedule.
4. Have a faster experienced friend who can be trusted to hold steady goal pace run the race with you.
5. Know exactly what your plan is for the race -- getting there, warming up, fueling if necessary, mile splits, total time that you have to beat.
It's hard to even tell you how long it has taken me to learn each of those tips. Especially the last one. I'd get to a race too late to warm up. Or I would forget the exact time that was my current PR and had to be beat. Or I wouldn't be able to figure out exactly what my per mile pace needed to be.
And since I'm feeling wild and crazy (and need to do it anyway)...
My Five Things that Should be Accomplished on Saturday
1. Donate things. 2014 is a new tax year. Donate the old Christmas tree and all the clothes and shoes that have been moved to the garage for that purpose. Photograph it all for tax records before donating. Decide if we're donating our old Mac and if so, figure out how to wipe data off.
2. Complete our Global Entry applications so we will be able to use the expedited lines at customs when we come back from vacation for the next several years.
3. Go to the mall to see a movie and shop for shampoo (Sephora and L'Occitane).
4. Deep clean kitchen (hubby) and upstairs bathroom (me).
5. Make breakfast for my local bestie and exchange Christmas gifts with her after the local five mile race, which we may or may not also run with her, depending on how late the basketball game Friday night goes and how much we drink there...
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
#Reverb13, Day 28: Cry it out
Throughout the month of December, I’ll be participating in #reverb13: Reverb is a way to reflect on the past year and project into the next year with a prompt a day for 31 days.
Day 28 – Cry it out
What moment in 2013 brought tears to your eyes? Are you usually a crier? Or did tearing up take you by surprise?
I'm not usually a crier. Christmas night brought sad tears, and I kind of knew they'd be coming that night. I saw my grandpa for the first time since his stroke earlier this year.
I had thought about going home right after my dad said it happened, but my dad told me not to. And I listened. In reality, that may have been a good decision, as I don't think being there while he was in the hospital would have been beneficial for him, me, or my dad. But I wish I'd gone at some other point this year. Of course I can only blame myself for that. I didn't make time to get there to visit. I let long runs, social plans, out of town guests, and other trips serve as excuses not to go. Part of it was likely just not wanting to go -- not wanting to see my grandpa as he is now. And part of it was feeling like I didn't have to go -- having my dad assure me that he thought my grandpa will be with us for some time longer.
I'd of course heard a lot about how he was doing, but I hadn't called him since my dad said I wouldn't understand him. So in some ways I knew what to expect.
But seeing him was hard. Happy, yes, but mostly sad and hard. He is in a wheelchair and has a full-time caregiver who lives with him (a nice guy from Ukraine! I got to practice my few very rusty Russian phrases with him!). He has a feeding tube. He can't move the right side of his body. He's very hard to understand when he speaks.
All of that, I think I could deal with. But he's also very unhappy.
When we talked, he mentioned his frustration with not having the use of both arms, not being able to drive, etc. He just turned 90, but as of last year at Christmas, he was entirely self-sufficient, and he was even the go-to guy for many elderly people. My grandma died New Year's Eve 1989-1990, so he'd been on his own for more than 20 years. And being a sweet and funny older man, there were plenty of older women happy to have him help -- he drove them to the doctors', to the store, to see their families, etc. And now he's the one needing help. He also mentioned that almost all his savings have been used up in these months of full-time care, how quickly it goes. And he talked about food, and how hard it is for him not to be able to eat, and how much he misses that.
I couldn't help tearing up when we talked and during some of the Christmas festivities, I just excused myself back to my childhood bedroom, laid down on the bed and cried for a little while. It just breaks my heart to know that he's so unhappy. He doesn't deserve this. He fought in the Pacific! He lost his wife too young! He was a Teamster! He's a wonderful guy! He did so much for so many, not just our family.
Getting old is hard. This was just another reminder. And it's eye-opening in some ways. All of my other grandparents have gone very quickly -- none were in the hospital more than 2 days before they died, and all were fully self-sufficient until death/hospitalization.
Day 28 – Cry it out
What moment in 2013 brought tears to your eyes? Are you usually a crier? Or did tearing up take you by surprise?
I'm not usually a crier. Christmas night brought sad tears, and I kind of knew they'd be coming that night. I saw my grandpa for the first time since his stroke earlier this year.
I had thought about going home right after my dad said it happened, but my dad told me not to. And I listened. In reality, that may have been a good decision, as I don't think being there while he was in the hospital would have been beneficial for him, me, or my dad. But I wish I'd gone at some other point this year. Of course I can only blame myself for that. I didn't make time to get there to visit. I let long runs, social plans, out of town guests, and other trips serve as excuses not to go. Part of it was likely just not wanting to go -- not wanting to see my grandpa as he is now. And part of it was feeling like I didn't have to go -- having my dad assure me that he thought my grandpa will be with us for some time longer.
I'd of course heard a lot about how he was doing, but I hadn't called him since my dad said I wouldn't understand him. So in some ways I knew what to expect.
But seeing him was hard. Happy, yes, but mostly sad and hard. He is in a wheelchair and has a full-time caregiver who lives with him (a nice guy from Ukraine! I got to practice my few very rusty Russian phrases with him!). He has a feeding tube. He can't move the right side of his body. He's very hard to understand when he speaks.
All of that, I think I could deal with. But he's also very unhappy.
When we talked, he mentioned his frustration with not having the use of both arms, not being able to drive, etc. He just turned 90, but as of last year at Christmas, he was entirely self-sufficient, and he was even the go-to guy for many elderly people. My grandma died New Year's Eve 1989-1990, so he'd been on his own for more than 20 years. And being a sweet and funny older man, there were plenty of older women happy to have him help -- he drove them to the doctors', to the store, to see their families, etc. And now he's the one needing help. He also mentioned that almost all his savings have been used up in these months of full-time care, how quickly it goes. And he talked about food, and how hard it is for him not to be able to eat, and how much he misses that.
I couldn't help tearing up when we talked and during some of the Christmas festivities, I just excused myself back to my childhood bedroom, laid down on the bed and cried for a little while. It just breaks my heart to know that he's so unhappy. He doesn't deserve this. He fought in the Pacific! He lost his wife too young! He was a Teamster! He's a wonderful guy! He did so much for so many, not just our family.
Getting old is hard. This was just another reminder. And it's eye-opening in some ways. All of my other grandparents have gone very quickly -- none were in the hospital more than 2 days before they died, and all were fully self-sufficient until death/hospitalization.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
#Reverb13, Day 27: Pee your pants funny
Throughout the month of December (or January, actually, scheduling this to post while I'm running the Houston Marathon!), I’ll be participating in #reverb13: Reverb is a way to reflect on the past year and project into the next year with a prompt a day for 31 days.
Day 27 – Pee your pants funny
What was the funniest thing that happened this year? Was it funny when it happened? Or was it one of those things you laughed about later?
Oooh, at dinner at San Francisco one night, this happened:
We could not stop laughing. That was way too much skin for anyone to be showing, particularly a guy. And particularly a guy who apparently has a hairy @ss. So disturbing...
Just remembering that night now cracks me up. My husband and brother both had a near constant view of this guy's backside if they were engaging in conversation with the table, and they were nearly dying with laughter.
The other thing that still cracks me up from 2013 is the expression "winky face." And oddly enough, it is based on a story I heard, nothing that involved me. Somehow my husband and a coworker ended up having to read a series of texts between two of their coworkers -- one male and one female. The guy was complaining about work, saying no one cared about something. She wrote back: I care ;)
My husband's coworker read it out loud to him and said "winky face" in a funny voice. When he recounted the story for me, I also cracked up. So yeah, winky face is something recent and very funny to me (and I'd like to record it here to remember).
So San Francisco hairy back man and winky face tie for what made me laugh the hardest in 2013 that I can remember right now. I'm sure there were plenty of other things.
Day 27 – Pee your pants funny
What was the funniest thing that happened this year? Was it funny when it happened? Or was it one of those things you laughed about later?
Oooh, at dinner at San Francisco one night, this happened:
We could not stop laughing. That was way too much skin for anyone to be showing, particularly a guy. And particularly a guy who apparently has a hairy @ss. So disturbing...
Just remembering that night now cracks me up. My husband and brother both had a near constant view of this guy's backside if they were engaging in conversation with the table, and they were nearly dying with laughter.
The other thing that still cracks me up from 2013 is the expression "winky face." And oddly enough, it is based on a story I heard, nothing that involved me. Somehow my husband and a coworker ended up having to read a series of texts between two of their coworkers -- one male and one female. The guy was complaining about work, saying no one cared about something. She wrote back: I care ;)
My husband's coworker read it out loud to him and said "winky face" in a funny voice. When he recounted the story for me, I also cracked up. So yeah, winky face is something recent and very funny to me (and I'd like to record it here to remember).
So San Francisco hairy back man and winky face tie for what made me laugh the hardest in 2013 that I can remember right now. I'm sure there were plenty of other things.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
#Reverb13, Day 26: Five Moments
Throughout the month of December (loosely defined), I’ll be participating in #reverb13: Reverb is a way to reflect on the past year and project into the next year with a prompt a day for 31 days.
Day 26 – Five Moments
Tell us about five moments you don’t want to forget from 2013.
1. Dinner at The French Laundry.
2. Finishing the Berlin Marathon with a PR. And then, with a beer in my hand, getting in a pedicab with my husband for a ride back to the hotel.
3. First Christmas with one sister-in-law (they've been with her parents or she's worked before).
4. Riding in a gondola in Venice and kissing under the bridges.
5. Winning my first beer mile.
Runners up:
1. Running a hilly 5k in July with my accounting buddy and seeing her PR.
2. Winning my age group in a semi-big half-marathon.
3. Attending my 20 year high school reunion.
4. First in my age group in a 5k, not a big deal, but significant because it was witnessed by my husband and less than 30 seconds off my PR.
5. Many commutes on foot, some with my accounting buddy, some with other running friends.
I definitely enjoyed 2013!
I asked my husband his five:
1. Standing along a road in San Francisco looking at the Bay Bridge and taking pictures.
2. Riding in the gondola in Venice.
3. Standing on the bridge in Germany looking at the Neuchwanstein castle.
4. Snowmobiling over Christmas.
5. Fun lunch with his son in San Francisco.
I laughed that all his came from the last 3 months of the year. Apparently the first 9 months were just a wash for him. He listed our rehearsal dinner anniversary party in April as a contender but it didn't make his final list.
Day 26 – Five Moments
Tell us about five moments you don’t want to forget from 2013.
1. Dinner at The French Laundry.
2. Finishing the Berlin Marathon with a PR. And then, with a beer in my hand, getting in a pedicab with my husband for a ride back to the hotel.
3. First Christmas with one sister-in-law (they've been with her parents or she's worked before).
4. Riding in a gondola in Venice and kissing under the bridges.
5. Winning my first beer mile.
Runners up:
1. Running a hilly 5k in July with my accounting buddy and seeing her PR.
2. Winning my age group in a semi-big half-marathon.
3. Attending my 20 year high school reunion.
4. First in my age group in a 5k, not a big deal, but significant because it was witnessed by my husband and less than 30 seconds off my PR.
5. Many commutes on foot, some with my accounting buddy, some with other running friends.
I definitely enjoyed 2013!
I asked my husband his five:
1. Standing along a road in San Francisco looking at the Bay Bridge and taking pictures.
2. Riding in the gondola in Venice.
3. Standing on the bridge in Germany looking at the Neuchwanstein castle.
4. Snowmobiling over Christmas.
5. Fun lunch with his son in San Francisco.
I laughed that all his came from the last 3 months of the year. Apparently the first 9 months were just a wash for him. He listed our rehearsal dinner anniversary party in April as a contender but it didn't make his final list.
Friday, January 17, 2014
#Reverb13, Day 25: Covet
Throughout the month of December, I’ll be participating in #reverb13: Reverb is a way to reflect on the past year and project into the next year with a prompt a day for 31 days.
Day 25 – Covet
What did you covet this year? Are you working towards getting that, or just admiring it from afar? Is it a tangible thing, or just an idea? Tell us about what you’ve got your sights set on.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, my top "want" is travel. And I got what I wanted in 2013. A trip to Mardi Gras, visits to family in Pittsburgh, 6 days in the San Francisco area, a long weekend in Kansas City. But most of all, it was the trip to Europe. A marathon in Berlin, Oktoberfest in Munich, a short visit to Liechtenstein, a bit of time in Switzerland, time with family in Italy, a romantic trip for just the two of us to Venice, and then a stop in Amsterdam (planned primarily so we could enjoy a direct flight home!).
But in terms of "things"...
I posted a wish list in May 2013 here.
And wow, I've now gotten the top couple things that I coveted the most -- a Vera Bradley garment bag and an awesome blender (actually got a Breville for Christmas, not the Vitamix). For Christmas, I also got a dinner fork and a knife that go with our set of silver, so now we're up to service for 9 (well, fork and knife service). And we've gotten rid of our old pre-lit Christmas tree so we will have to buy a new one this year! Well, we have exactly gotten rid of it, but we will.
As for setting my sights for 2014, the primary goal will be to pay for our trip in the fall. We're still not 100% sure where we're going, but we are thinking it will be India, Nepal, Maldives and maybe a stop in Dubai on the way home.
In terms of things, the next big thing on my wishlist is a bicycle, but at the same time, I don't feel a strong desire for it. Back when I made that wishlist, I was thinking I'd get my marathon goal time in Berlin and then maybe I'd move on to triathlons or something. But I didn't get my goal, so I'm not really thinking about any other sports. I still have unfinished business with the marathon!
The other thing on the wishlist is a new Christmas tree. Ours is going to be donated (hopefully next week!) and I want a new one. Maybe not as heavy, but primarily one that has all the lights working!
Day 25 – Covet
What did you covet this year? Are you working towards getting that, or just admiring it from afar? Is it a tangible thing, or just an idea? Tell us about what you’ve got your sights set on.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, my top "want" is travel. And I got what I wanted in 2013. A trip to Mardi Gras, visits to family in Pittsburgh, 6 days in the San Francisco area, a long weekend in Kansas City. But most of all, it was the trip to Europe. A marathon in Berlin, Oktoberfest in Munich, a short visit to Liechtenstein, a bit of time in Switzerland, time with family in Italy, a romantic trip for just the two of us to Venice, and then a stop in Amsterdam (planned primarily so we could enjoy a direct flight home!).
But in terms of "things"...
I posted a wish list in May 2013 here.
And wow, I've now gotten the top couple things that I coveted the most -- a Vera Bradley garment bag and an awesome blender (actually got a Breville for Christmas, not the Vitamix). For Christmas, I also got a dinner fork and a knife that go with our set of silver, so now we're up to service for 9 (well, fork and knife service). And we've gotten rid of our old pre-lit Christmas tree so we will have to buy a new one this year! Well, we have exactly gotten rid of it, but we will.
As for setting my sights for 2014, the primary goal will be to pay for our trip in the fall. We're still not 100% sure where we're going, but we are thinking it will be India, Nepal, Maldives and maybe a stop in Dubai on the way home.
In terms of things, the next big thing on my wishlist is a bicycle, but at the same time, I don't feel a strong desire for it. Back when I made that wishlist, I was thinking I'd get my marathon goal time in Berlin and then maybe I'd move on to triathlons or something. But I didn't get my goal, so I'm not really thinking about any other sports. I still have unfinished business with the marathon!
The other thing on the wishlist is a new Christmas tree. Ours is going to be donated (hopefully next week!) and I want a new one. Maybe not as heavy, but primarily one that has all the lights working!
Thursday, January 16, 2014
#Reverb13, Day 24: Crazy
Throughout the month of December, I’ll be participating in #reverb13: Reverb is a way to reflect on the past year and project into the next year with a prompt a day for 31 days.
Day 24 – Crazy
What one little thing drove you crazy this year? Was it unique to this past year or has it been buggin’ you for a while? How do you intend to get rid of it or resolve it in 2014?
It's funny that this is the post I planned to answer today. The answer to the question was seemingly easy last week. The thorn in my side most of 2013 was my assistant at work. Technically, that thorn was there in 2011 and 2012 as well, but it felt like a sharper thorn in my side in 2013.
I started off my career in big law, where most of the secretaries were very professional and competent -- even the ones who were sleeping with attorneys. And my last two secretaries at the big firm were both spectacularly good at their jobs and worked plenty of overtime (for me and for other attorneys).
Then I went to small law, where the secretaries and legal assistants were very unprofessional and farily incompetent. But in general, I was expected to do a lot of the grunt work myself. Sure, someone would fax letters and print envelopes, but I even did most of my own reference filing.
Then I came to my current job where my assistant is best described as an idiot. In an "ugly" moment, I candidly told my husband that she epitomizes my ultimate fear for the future -- she's nearly 70 and still working, she's overweight and very unhealthy, she's financially bankrupt, she's alone, she's disliked by many, and she's incredibly stupid. Of course now I hate even admitting to saying those things, but I did.
But bottom line is that I don't even like exchanging pleasantries with her. I've learned the hard way that she's both lonely and an oversharer. If I ask her in passing (or what I think is in passing) how her weekend was, it turns into a 10 minute soliloquy that frequently seems to go back to gout, her diminishing control of her bladder/bowels, her financial problems, or something I else I just want to unhear. I'm not sure if she tells me all this because she thinks I'll understand as a woman or what, but I know she doesn't share such gruesome details with my boss (though she overshares with him too, he's heard all kinds of medical history on less disgusting topics). I've tried walking away from the conversation and she'll follow me into my office. I've tried putting my finger on words on my computer screen when she starts talking in my office so she can see I'm in the middle of WORKING. I've also tried to just turn to my computer and start typing while she talks. I've also picked up the phone and held the receiver so she can see I'm waiting to make a call. Hints don't work. I have to cut her off by actually saying something like, "that sounds painful, I'm sorry to hear it, but I have to wrap this case up right now."
In preparation for the couple audits we have each year at work, I review my files and see the mistakes she's made. And on a frequent basis, I am forced to see how far behind she is in doing her job. And all of that makes my job harder. Hence the "ugly" outburst shared with my husband.
But this week I found out that there is going to be a fairly substantial RIF here tomorrow (Friday). My boss didn't share with me who would be let go, but he made it clear that it wasn't me (whew!). But as I've voiced my frustration with her before, and knowing how others seem to feel about her, I have to think she's one on the chopping block. And it's particularly sad because I cannot imagine anyone else being willing to hire her. I certainly don't wish her any ill will, and I sincerely hope she lands on her feet -- but at the same time, I don't feel like there's any way I could give her a good reference.
So the thorn in my side may well be gone by the end of January 2014, but part of me worries that whatever comes next might make me wish I had her back. It may be a more competent but overworked assistant shared by more attorneys. Or it may be a job outsourced to India or something. For now, I'll just think positively that it will be a professional, competent, pleasant new assistant...
Day 24 – Crazy
What one little thing drove you crazy this year? Was it unique to this past year or has it been buggin’ you for a while? How do you intend to get rid of it or resolve it in 2014?
It's funny that this is the post I planned to answer today. The answer to the question was seemingly easy last week. The thorn in my side most of 2013 was my assistant at work. Technically, that thorn was there in 2011 and 2012 as well, but it felt like a sharper thorn in my side in 2013.
I started off my career in big law, where most of the secretaries were very professional and competent -- even the ones who were sleeping with attorneys. And my last two secretaries at the big firm were both spectacularly good at their jobs and worked plenty of overtime (for me and for other attorneys).
Then I went to small law, where the secretaries and legal assistants were very unprofessional and farily incompetent. But in general, I was expected to do a lot of the grunt work myself. Sure, someone would fax letters and print envelopes, but I even did most of my own reference filing.
Then I came to my current job where my assistant is best described as an idiot. In an "ugly" moment, I candidly told my husband that she epitomizes my ultimate fear for the future -- she's nearly 70 and still working, she's overweight and very unhealthy, she's financially bankrupt, she's alone, she's disliked by many, and she's incredibly stupid. Of course now I hate even admitting to saying those things, but I did.
But bottom line is that I don't even like exchanging pleasantries with her. I've learned the hard way that she's both lonely and an oversharer. If I ask her in passing (or what I think is in passing) how her weekend was, it turns into a 10 minute soliloquy that frequently seems to go back to gout, her diminishing control of her bladder/bowels, her financial problems, or something I else I just want to unhear. I'm not sure if she tells me all this because she thinks I'll understand as a woman or what, but I know she doesn't share such gruesome details with my boss (though she overshares with him too, he's heard all kinds of medical history on less disgusting topics). I've tried walking away from the conversation and she'll follow me into my office. I've tried putting my finger on words on my computer screen when she starts talking in my office so she can see I'm in the middle of WORKING. I've also tried to just turn to my computer and start typing while she talks. I've also picked up the phone and held the receiver so she can see I'm waiting to make a call. Hints don't work. I have to cut her off by actually saying something like, "that sounds painful, I'm sorry to hear it, but I have to wrap this case up right now."
In preparation for the couple audits we have each year at work, I review my files and see the mistakes she's made. And on a frequent basis, I am forced to see how far behind she is in doing her job. And all of that makes my job harder. Hence the "ugly" outburst shared with my husband.
But this week I found out that there is going to be a fairly substantial RIF here tomorrow (Friday). My boss didn't share with me who would be let go, but he made it clear that it wasn't me (whew!). But as I've voiced my frustration with her before, and knowing how others seem to feel about her, I have to think she's one on the chopping block. And it's particularly sad because I cannot imagine anyone else being willing to hire her. I certainly don't wish her any ill will, and I sincerely hope she lands on her feet -- but at the same time, I don't feel like there's any way I could give her a good reference.
So the thorn in my side may well be gone by the end of January 2014, but part of me worries that whatever comes next might make me wish I had her back. It may be a more competent but overworked assistant shared by more attorneys. Or it may be a job outsourced to India or something. For now, I'll just think positively that it will be a professional, competent, pleasant new assistant...
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
#Reverb13, Day 23: The race set out for you
Throughout the month of December (running behind, I know), I’ll be participating in #reverb13: Reverb is a way to reflect on the past year and project into the next year with a prompt a day for 31 days.
Day 23 – The race set out for you
Tell us about how you’ve been running along in 2013 and the race(s) you intend to run in 2014. These can be literal races or just the road of life. What did your path look like this year, and are you choosing the same for 2014?
Well, what a surprise, I'm going to take this question literally to think about my road races.
2013 yielded a few PRs for me -- 10k, 10 mile, half-marathon and marathon. While the year didn't feel all that impressive to me, primarily because I was more focused on my marathon goal time than a PR (and I missed that goal time), in reality, those are 3 pretty strong PRs (and one lame-o one, only my second 10 mile race ever!). Along with those PRs, I ran about a dozen races total -- two marathons, and three halves that come to mind (there might have been a fourth?). I really should be very excited with the way that 2013 shook out.
The path in 2014 will be similar I think. But it's very unlikely I'll have those kind of PRs in 2014.
Something has happened to me in the last few weeks. I've gained weight -- like a lot (more than 5% of my body weight). And I've slowed down -- like a lot. I ran two good treadmill runs right before Christmas, and then I was just out of steam. The top of my foot hurt. I've come down with some kind of cold or virus right now. I'm unmotivated. And oh yeah, I have a marathon this weekend.
I ran a 22 mile long run and it was the slowest I've done in more than 5 years I think. It was miserable. And pretty much all my runs lately have been like that. I just can't seem to find any zip. I just plod along. In reality, I guess I need a little break.
So I've worked to set up a plan for 2014 that will hopefully get me back into my groove. I'm going to do some half-marathon training until May. Hopefully that will help with some shorter distance PRs. I'd like to see a solid 15k time happen. And I need a new 5 mile PR.
Then in May, I think I'll do marathon training again -- I am pretty sure my goal race is going to be in Milwaukee in early October. I will wait to see how training goes, but I may take another shot at my dream marathon time, which would be a PR of about 9 minutes now. And I'd love to do that before I turn 40, which is going to happen soon! (Not 2014, but soon!)
I chose that race primarily because I have family in the area and the date works well on the calendar. What I think we'll do is go to Milwaukee for the race, come home, work a few more days, then head to India and our other planned exotic destinations in the middle of the following week.
So I'd like to see 2014 go down on the books with 2 marathons, 2 half-marathons, and about 5-10 other races, including my streak 5k and 8 mile races.
Day 23 – The race set out for you
Tell us about how you’ve been running along in 2013 and the race(s) you intend to run in 2014. These can be literal races or just the road of life. What did your path look like this year, and are you choosing the same for 2014?
Well, what a surprise, I'm going to take this question literally to think about my road races.
2013 yielded a few PRs for me -- 10k, 10 mile, half-marathon and marathon. While the year didn't feel all that impressive to me, primarily because I was more focused on my marathon goal time than a PR (and I missed that goal time), in reality, those are 3 pretty strong PRs (and one lame-o one, only my second 10 mile race ever!). Along with those PRs, I ran about a dozen races total -- two marathons, and three halves that come to mind (there might have been a fourth?). I really should be very excited with the way that 2013 shook out.
The path in 2014 will be similar I think. But it's very unlikely I'll have those kind of PRs in 2014.
Something has happened to me in the last few weeks. I've gained weight -- like a lot (more than 5% of my body weight). And I've slowed down -- like a lot. I ran two good treadmill runs right before Christmas, and then I was just out of steam. The top of my foot hurt. I've come down with some kind of cold or virus right now. I'm unmotivated. And oh yeah, I have a marathon this weekend.
I ran a 22 mile long run and it was the slowest I've done in more than 5 years I think. It was miserable. And pretty much all my runs lately have been like that. I just can't seem to find any zip. I just plod along. In reality, I guess I need a little break.
So I've worked to set up a plan for 2014 that will hopefully get me back into my groove. I'm going to do some half-marathon training until May. Hopefully that will help with some shorter distance PRs. I'd like to see a solid 15k time happen. And I need a new 5 mile PR.
Then in May, I think I'll do marathon training again -- I am pretty sure my goal race is going to be in Milwaukee in early October. I will wait to see how training goes, but I may take another shot at my dream marathon time, which would be a PR of about 9 minutes now. And I'd love to do that before I turn 40, which is going to happen soon! (Not 2014, but soon!)
I chose that race primarily because I have family in the area and the date works well on the calendar. What I think we'll do is go to Milwaukee for the race, come home, work a few more days, then head to India and our other planned exotic destinations in the middle of the following week.
So I'd like to see 2014 go down on the books with 2 marathons, 2 half-marathons, and about 5-10 other races, including my streak 5k and 8 mile races.
#Reverb13, Day 22: Uphill
Throughout the month of December, I’ll be participating in #reverb13: Reverb is a way to reflect on the past year and project into the next year with a prompt a day for 31 days.
Day 22 – Uphill
What uphill battle did you keep fighting and fighting in 2013? Are you going to keep fighting it or let it go? Why?
The first thing I thought of when I read this prompt was uphills -- literally. I posted earlier this year about the monumental shift I made in my training. Moving from years and years of boot camp three days per week to dropping one day of camp in favor of running hills with my buddies one day.
Living in fairly flat Dallas, I don't get a lot of opportunity to train on hills. One of the best things about training on hills is that you can quickly see your progress.
After months of weekly hill runs, I saw concrete improvements in my time. I still felt like I slowed down more on uphills than many of my friends, but I also spent significant time training for the St. George marathon about five years ago, so I worked a lot on my downhill form and those lessons aren't easily unlearned, so while they pulled ahead of me on the uphills, I'd catch up on the plateau or on the down.
But hills, like speed, are easily lost for runners if you don't keep up with them regularly.
Berlin was a very flat marathon. World record flat. I think my hill training paid off in my overall strength and fitness.
But did it help more than an extra day of cross-training would have? Who's to say?
So that's my question for 2014 that remains to be determined. Will I keep fighting that Flagpole Hill loop (I mean, that Flagpole Mountain loop)? Or will I let it go?
I think my answer will likely be that I'll wait until marathon training starts in May and then go back to it once a week for 4 months.
Day 22 – Uphill
What uphill battle did you keep fighting and fighting in 2013? Are you going to keep fighting it or let it go? Why?
The first thing I thought of when I read this prompt was uphills -- literally. I posted earlier this year about the monumental shift I made in my training. Moving from years and years of boot camp three days per week to dropping one day of camp in favor of running hills with my buddies one day.
Living in fairly flat Dallas, I don't get a lot of opportunity to train on hills. One of the best things about training on hills is that you can quickly see your progress.
After months of weekly hill runs, I saw concrete improvements in my time. I still felt like I slowed down more on uphills than many of my friends, but I also spent significant time training for the St. George marathon about five years ago, so I worked a lot on my downhill form and those lessons aren't easily unlearned, so while they pulled ahead of me on the uphills, I'd catch up on the plateau or on the down.
But hills, like speed, are easily lost for runners if you don't keep up with them regularly.
Berlin was a very flat marathon. World record flat. I think my hill training paid off in my overall strength and fitness.
But did it help more than an extra day of cross-training would have? Who's to say?
So that's my question for 2014 that remains to be determined. Will I keep fighting that Flagpole Hill loop (I mean, that Flagpole Mountain loop)? Or will I let it go?
I think my answer will likely be that I'll wait until marathon training starts in May and then go back to it once a week for 4 months.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
#Reverb13, Day 21: Encounters
Throughout the month of December (now January), I’ll be participating in #reverb13: Reverb is a way to reflect on the past year and project into the next year with a prompt a day for 31 days.
Day 21 – Encounters
What thing did you keep encountering this year over and over again? Was it something you learned from, or was it just a strange coincidence?
Nothing comes to mind for this prompt. 2013 brought similar encounters to 2012, and 2011...
I suppose the smallness of my neighborhood. We live in an area of Dallas known as uptown. We live across the steet from restaurants and are walking distance from lots of shops. We live in a condo complex and while we've known our next door neighbors since they moved in (and we actually consider them among our dearest friends), 2013 was the year I felt like I got to know more neighbors.
We had gotten to be friends with another neighbor in 2012 because her cousin was my Chinese tutor, but in 2013, my tutor had moved back to China, but we continued to spend time with that neighbor.
And we added a few other condo units to our list of friends -- at an HOA meeting in May or so, I overheard where someone had moved from and asked about it. And eventually it turned out that he works for the same company as one of my brothers. And because the company isn't huge and there is a notable fact about my brother (used to play pro ball), his name circulates and our neighbor had heard of him. So when my brother was here visiting in August, we all went out for drinks. And since then, they've had us over to their place for wine and we've started seeing each other more regularly.
I guess that's kind of cool. For the first 8 or so years I lived here, I completely kept to myself. I thought, if something ever happened to me and they interviewed my neighbors, I'd want them all to say they didn't really know me but I seemed pretty nice and normal. But now they could get all kinds of scoop!
Sorry this one's so lame. I really couldn't come up with any odd encounters in 2013.
Day 21 – Encounters
What thing did you keep encountering this year over and over again? Was it something you learned from, or was it just a strange coincidence?
Nothing comes to mind for this prompt. 2013 brought similar encounters to 2012, and 2011...
I suppose the smallness of my neighborhood. We live in an area of Dallas known as uptown. We live across the steet from restaurants and are walking distance from lots of shops. We live in a condo complex and while we've known our next door neighbors since they moved in (and we actually consider them among our dearest friends), 2013 was the year I felt like I got to know more neighbors.
We had gotten to be friends with another neighbor in 2012 because her cousin was my Chinese tutor, but in 2013, my tutor had moved back to China, but we continued to spend time with that neighbor.
And we added a few other condo units to our list of friends -- at an HOA meeting in May or so, I overheard where someone had moved from and asked about it. And eventually it turned out that he works for the same company as one of my brothers. And because the company isn't huge and there is a notable fact about my brother (used to play pro ball), his name circulates and our neighbor had heard of him. So when my brother was here visiting in August, we all went out for drinks. And since then, they've had us over to their place for wine and we've started seeing each other more regularly.
I guess that's kind of cool. For the first 8 or so years I lived here, I completely kept to myself. I thought, if something ever happened to me and they interviewed my neighbors, I'd want them all to say they didn't really know me but I seemed pretty nice and normal. But now they could get all kinds of scoop!
Sorry this one's so lame. I really couldn't come up with any odd encounters in 2013.
#Reverb13, Day 20: Gratitude
Throughout the month of December, I’ll be participating in #reverb13: Reverb is a way to reflect on the past year and project into the next year with a prompt a day for 31 days.
Day 20 – Gratitude
How did you show gratitude this year? Did you keep a gratitude journal? How do you want gratitude to play a role in your life in 2014?
I'm not a very religious person, but in some ways, I feel like I show gratitude by living my life as I do. I show gratitude for and take advantage of my health and my schedule by training for and running marathons. I show my gratitude for my job by doing it well and managing my money carefully. I show my gratitude for my sometimes better than I deserve husband by complimenting him and telling him I love him (his love language is affirmation), and by trying to be a good wife and doing things he'll appreciate. I show my gratitude for my wonderful family by staying in touch with them even though we don't live close, and spending precious time/money on visits and calls. I show my gratitude for the job done by some professional contacts by sending an email to that person's boss explaining very clearly what the person has done, how it helped me, and (most importantly) how it benefitted the boss/company.
I don't keep a gratitude journal and don't think I'll start, but it's an interesting idea. Looking toward 2014, I should make more of an effort to send the "higher up rave" emails. And while I don't do it often, those "thank you for your friendship" type notes and cards really mean a lot to at least some people, so maybe I should do that more.
Day 20 – Gratitude
How did you show gratitude this year? Did you keep a gratitude journal? How do you want gratitude to play a role in your life in 2014?
I'm not a very religious person, but in some ways, I feel like I show gratitude by living my life as I do. I show gratitude for and take advantage of my health and my schedule by training for and running marathons. I show my gratitude for my job by doing it well and managing my money carefully. I show my gratitude for my sometimes better than I deserve husband by complimenting him and telling him I love him (his love language is affirmation), and by trying to be a good wife and doing things he'll appreciate. I show my gratitude for my wonderful family by staying in touch with them even though we don't live close, and spending precious time/money on visits and calls. I show my gratitude for the job done by some professional contacts by sending an email to that person's boss explaining very clearly what the person has done, how it helped me, and (most importantly) how it benefitted the boss/company.
I don't keep a gratitude journal and don't think I'll start, but it's an interesting idea. Looking toward 2014, I should make more of an effort to send the "higher up rave" emails. And while I don't do it often, those "thank you for your friendship" type notes and cards really mean a lot to at least some people, so maybe I should do that more.
Monday, January 13, 2014
#Reverb13, Day 19: Personality
Throughout the month of December, I’ll be participating in #reverb13: Reverb is a way to reflect on the past year and project into the next year with a prompt a day for 31 days.
Day 19 – Personality
Were you an extrovert or an introvert this year? Why? Is that normal for you? Or a switch from previous years?
My personality is usually somewhat of a mix, but mostly extroverted. This is normal for me. I don't feel like many new people are added to my life in any given year with whom I have much personal interaction, but in 2013, as I posted, I actually sought out running groups in other cities and got to know people that way. It's easy to talk as you run and you can get to know some very interesting people and very interesting things about people that way. One conversation that stuck out to me in Pittsburgh was talking to the guy I fell in step with about why he thinks he got divorced. Aside from a professional therapy session, I cannot imagine any other context in my life where I'd have that conversation with someone within an hour of meeting them for the first time. But conversations like that are easy when you run. They can get very personal and at times, it's helped me tremendously -- I feel like my running buddies have basically made my last two big career decisions for me (deciding to take the job I currently have, and deciding not to leave this job when there was an interesting offer I was considering).
Day 19 – Personality
Were you an extrovert or an introvert this year? Why? Is that normal for you? Or a switch from previous years?
My personality is usually somewhat of a mix, but mostly extroverted. This is normal for me. I don't feel like many new people are added to my life in any given year with whom I have much personal interaction, but in 2013, as I posted, I actually sought out running groups in other cities and got to know people that way. It's easy to talk as you run and you can get to know some very interesting people and very interesting things about people that way. One conversation that stuck out to me in Pittsburgh was talking to the guy I fell in step with about why he thinks he got divorced. Aside from a professional therapy session, I cannot imagine any other context in my life where I'd have that conversation with someone within an hour of meeting them for the first time. But conversations like that are easy when you run. They can get very personal and at times, it's helped me tremendously -- I feel like my running buddies have basically made my last two big career decisions for me (deciding to take the job I currently have, and deciding not to leave this job when there was an interesting offer I was considering).
Sunday, January 12, 2014
#Reverb13, Day 18: Wear
Throughout the month of December ((haha), I’ll be participating in #reverb13: Reverb is a way to reflect on the past year and project into the next year with a prompt a day for 31 days.
Day 18 – Wear:
What piece of clothing did you wear again and again all throughout the year? Why? Is it all worn out? Are you going to replace it or keep wearing it?
Nothing really comes to mind for this. I have way too much stuff in my closet in general, but at times like this (when I'm on the heavy side of my usual range), I'm happy for the variety of sizes. But even my favorite clothes I try not to wear too often.
If I had to pick my signature piece of clothing for 2013, it was a pair of neon pink pants that I bought at the Gap. I wore them to work once (slightly too casual for the office on a normal day), to book club, to dinner, and a few times in Europe. Unfortunately for me, I wore them on both Christmas card picture days in Europe -- the day we went to Neuchwanstein castle in Germany, and the day we rode on the gondola in Venice. We had a third picture this year that we used in a few cards and it was from the Ponte Rialto in Venice and it was the same day as the gondola ride. So I decided to choose my second favorite Neuchwanstein picture to use in our cards since you couldn't see my pants in it.
I thought the pants were done on the day I wore them in Neuchwanstein. That night, we had dinner in Liechtenstein. The place where we ate had a big salad bar where we made plates before our pizzas came. And as I was eating my salad, a very juicy piece of beet fell off my plate, missed my napkin, and hit my light pink neon pants. Ugh. But I used stain stick on them and it worked -- I wore them again in Venice!
So they are not worn out and if I can lose about 10 pounds and it gets about 40 degrees warmer, I will go back to wearing them.
Day 18 – Wear:
What piece of clothing did you wear again and again all throughout the year? Why? Is it all worn out? Are you going to replace it or keep wearing it?
Nothing really comes to mind for this. I have way too much stuff in my closet in general, but at times like this (when I'm on the heavy side of my usual range), I'm happy for the variety of sizes. But even my favorite clothes I try not to wear too often.
If I had to pick my signature piece of clothing for 2013, it was a pair of neon pink pants that I bought at the Gap. I wore them to work once (slightly too casual for the office on a normal day), to book club, to dinner, and a few times in Europe. Unfortunately for me, I wore them on both Christmas card picture days in Europe -- the day we went to Neuchwanstein castle in Germany, and the day we rode on the gondola in Venice. We had a third picture this year that we used in a few cards and it was from the Ponte Rialto in Venice and it was the same day as the gondola ride. So I decided to choose my second favorite Neuchwanstein picture to use in our cards since you couldn't see my pants in it.
I thought the pants were done on the day I wore them in Neuchwanstein. That night, we had dinner in Liechtenstein. The place where we ate had a big salad bar where we made plates before our pizzas came. And as I was eating my salad, a very juicy piece of beet fell off my plate, missed my napkin, and hit my light pink neon pants. Ugh. But I used stain stick on them and it worked -- I wore them again in Venice!
So they are not worn out and if I can lose about 10 pounds and it gets about 40 degrees warmer, I will go back to wearing them.
Saturday, January 11, 2014
#Reverb13, Day 17: 30 Days
Throughout the month of December (errr... January), I’ll be participating in #reverb13: Reverb is a way to reflect on the past year and project into the next year with a prompt a day for 31 days.
Day 17 – 30 Days
They say it takes 30 days to make or break a habit. What did you start? What did you quit?
I'm not sure that the "30 days" rule for habits applies to something that you don't do on a daily basis, but my new 2013 habit was definitely running to work round trip about two days per week for the first 9 months of the year.
And I quit facebook for the year. That was actually a hard habit to break. During TV commercials, while sitting in my car waiting for someone, before I fell asleep, etc., my instinct was to reach for my phone and check FB (I didn't post often, but I liked to "like" and comment and just read). I still reached for my phone, but instead of FB, I played Sudoku usually, and occasionally browsed Pinterest.
But both of those were 2013 things. I haven't run to work yet this year (it doesn't help that it's bitter cold right now), and I have looked at FB twice in 2014 already (definitely nothing like the multiple times per day I was checking before).
Day 17 – 30 Days
They say it takes 30 days to make or break a habit. What did you start? What did you quit?
I'm not sure that the "30 days" rule for habits applies to something that you don't do on a daily basis, but my new 2013 habit was definitely running to work round trip about two days per week for the first 9 months of the year.
And I quit facebook for the year. That was actually a hard habit to break. During TV commercials, while sitting in my car waiting for someone, before I fell asleep, etc., my instinct was to reach for my phone and check FB (I didn't post often, but I liked to "like" and comment and just read). I still reached for my phone, but instead of FB, I played Sudoku usually, and occasionally browsed Pinterest.
But both of those were 2013 things. I haven't run to work yet this year (it doesn't help that it's bitter cold right now), and I have looked at FB twice in 2014 already (definitely nothing like the multiple times per day I was checking before).
Friday, January 10, 2014
#Reverb13, Day 16: 1000 Words
Throughout the month of December, I’ll be participating in #reverb13: Reverb is a way to reflect on the past year and project into the next year with a prompt a day for 31 days.
Uh yeah, I know it's January. I'm behind...
Day 16 – 1000 Words:
There’s the old saying that a photo is worth 1,000 words. Give us a photo with that impact that sums up some significant event of your 2013, or give us 1,000 words about a pivotal moment in 2013.
My husband had surgery in June. He basically felt like he'd been getting ongoing sinus and upper respiratory infections for a majority of the last several winters. His doctor recommended that he have balloon sinuplasty done, and that they repair a deviated septum while they were in there. It wasn't super-serious and it was scheduled in advance. So when a few friends offered to accompany us and stay with me while I waited, I said no, it was no big deal and totally unnecessary.
My husband is older than I am but not "old old" (he's in his 40s), and he works out A LOT, but he has had some heart issues before and he's my world. I mean, I know lots of people say things like that, but I really can't imagine wanting to live my life without him.
And for this surgery, there would be general anesthesia. But I still thought no big deal.
I went to the hospital with him. And being the good wife that I am, I waited until he was taken into the room to change until I ate my breakfast (he was starving).
Then they brought me back to see him one more time before the procedure and talked me through what would happen in the OR and with me (when I'd be updated, etc.). Seeing my husband in that hospital bed, wearing a gown, looking so vulnerable, it scared me. He wasn't even mildly nervous, but I was.
I returned to the waiting room, got the phone call indicating the procedure was underway, and then the waiting began. I worked for the first several hours, but then I started to get really worked up. I should have gotten the second call saying the procedure was over, he was going to recovery, and they'd call again when I could go back to see him.
Eventually, I texted a running buddy whose wife works in another department at the hospital. I told him what was going on and asked if his wife was busy. 7 minutes later a woman I've met only about twice in real life (at a couple parties with running friends). She sat with me and said she'd try to get some more information. She went back to day surgery and returned about 15 minutes later to tell me that it was taking longer than they expected but that it was going fine. She then proceeded to spend her entire lunch hour and breaks for the day sitting there with me as we waited another hour and change for the second phone call.
It finally came, the surgery was over, he was fine, he'd be in recovery and they'd call when he was awake. My running buddy's wife went back to work, and I got back to work on my laptop. When I was finally allowed to go back and see him, my heart hurt all over again. He was all disoriented, gown askew with shoulders exposed, bleeding through gauze taped under his nose, with betadine stains on his body, hooked up to tubes, wearing all kinds of sensors and monitors, with a puffy and swollen face. But he was okay. I hate to say that I cried with relief.
That day he seemed so vulnerable and it made me think about all those bad "what if"s and death and all that. If you'd asked me the week before his surgery, how I felt about him, I would have said that I loved him and in generally still felt like we were newly married. But after that surgery, as corny as it sounds, I feel like he's actually a piece of me. Like a vital organ, not an extra hand or something. It was a pivotal moment in realizing how much I've changed from the totally independent person I was 8 years ago when he was just one of a couple guys I was dating...
In some ways, I would still deny that I'm dependent on him. After all, I have a job that supports me well (and could support both of us). I have a strong family that I love. I have several really, really good girlfriends who are like sisters. And I have a pretty big network of friends that I regularly see for running or otherwise. But when I walked out of the hospital that day to go get the car and drive up to the door where they wheeled him out, there was no denying that my happiness is totally dependent on him. He's just such a big part of my life. I guess most people could say that about their spouses, but I guess his surgery is when it really hit me that he is my life, my happiness and my world.
So during his week of recovery, I worked from home. Even when he was feeling better, I wanted to be by his side, particularly if he was on pain meds. I didn't want him being alone and falling down the stairs in our house or something. And mostly, I just wanted to stay next to him in bed, cuddled close, even with my laptop there and work being done.
Uh yeah, I know it's January. I'm behind...
Day 16 – 1000 Words:
There’s the old saying that a photo is worth 1,000 words. Give us a photo with that impact that sums up some significant event of your 2013, or give us 1,000 words about a pivotal moment in 2013.
My husband had surgery in June. He basically felt like he'd been getting ongoing sinus and upper respiratory infections for a majority of the last several winters. His doctor recommended that he have balloon sinuplasty done, and that they repair a deviated septum while they were in there. It wasn't super-serious and it was scheduled in advance. So when a few friends offered to accompany us and stay with me while I waited, I said no, it was no big deal and totally unnecessary.
My husband is older than I am but not "old old" (he's in his 40s), and he works out A LOT, but he has had some heart issues before and he's my world. I mean, I know lots of people say things like that, but I really can't imagine wanting to live my life without him.
And for this surgery, there would be general anesthesia. But I still thought no big deal.
I went to the hospital with him. And being the good wife that I am, I waited until he was taken into the room to change until I ate my breakfast (he was starving).
Then they brought me back to see him one more time before the procedure and talked me through what would happen in the OR and with me (when I'd be updated, etc.). Seeing my husband in that hospital bed, wearing a gown, looking so vulnerable, it scared me. He wasn't even mildly nervous, but I was.
I returned to the waiting room, got the phone call indicating the procedure was underway, and then the waiting began. I worked for the first several hours, but then I started to get really worked up. I should have gotten the second call saying the procedure was over, he was going to recovery, and they'd call again when I could go back to see him.
Eventually, I texted a running buddy whose wife works in another department at the hospital. I told him what was going on and asked if his wife was busy. 7 minutes later a woman I've met only about twice in real life (at a couple parties with running friends). She sat with me and said she'd try to get some more information. She went back to day surgery and returned about 15 minutes later to tell me that it was taking longer than they expected but that it was going fine. She then proceeded to spend her entire lunch hour and breaks for the day sitting there with me as we waited another hour and change for the second phone call.
It finally came, the surgery was over, he was fine, he'd be in recovery and they'd call when he was awake. My running buddy's wife went back to work, and I got back to work on my laptop. When I was finally allowed to go back and see him, my heart hurt all over again. He was all disoriented, gown askew with shoulders exposed, bleeding through gauze taped under his nose, with betadine stains on his body, hooked up to tubes, wearing all kinds of sensors and monitors, with a puffy and swollen face. But he was okay. I hate to say that I cried with relief.
That day he seemed so vulnerable and it made me think about all those bad "what if"s and death and all that. If you'd asked me the week before his surgery, how I felt about him, I would have said that I loved him and in generally still felt like we were newly married. But after that surgery, as corny as it sounds, I feel like he's actually a piece of me. Like a vital organ, not an extra hand or something. It was a pivotal moment in realizing how much I've changed from the totally independent person I was 8 years ago when he was just one of a couple guys I was dating...
In some ways, I would still deny that I'm dependent on him. After all, I have a job that supports me well (and could support both of us). I have a strong family that I love. I have several really, really good girlfriends who are like sisters. And I have a pretty big network of friends that I regularly see for running or otherwise. But when I walked out of the hospital that day to go get the car and drive up to the door where they wheeled him out, there was no denying that my happiness is totally dependent on him. He's just such a big part of my life. I guess most people could say that about their spouses, but I guess his surgery is when it really hit me that he is my life, my happiness and my world.
So during his week of recovery, I worked from home. Even when he was feeling better, I wanted to be by his side, particularly if he was on pain meds. I didn't want him being alone and falling down the stairs in our house or something. And mostly, I just wanted to stay next to him in bed, cuddled close, even with my laptop there and work being done.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
#Reverb13, Day 14: Feast
Throughout the month of December, I’ll be participating in #reverb13: Reverb is a way to reflect on the past year and project into the next year with a prompt a day for 31 days.
Day 14 – Feast:
What was the best meal you had in 2013? Was it slurped standing over the kitchen counter? Was the menu written in a language you understood? Were you alone? Or at a table filled with family and friends?
This one is easy. There is a very clear winner for "meal of the year," and it also takes the title for "restaurant meal of my lifetime".
We went to the French Laundry at the end of October (or beginning of November?) when we were on vacation in Northern California.
I first heard about this restaurant in 2003 when my best friend and her husband went to Northern California for their honeymoon. I remember her telling me about trying to get reservations and how happy they were when they got in the very week they were there because of a cancellation. When she got back from their honeymoon, she raved about it. Their check had been over $500 but she said it had been the best meal of their lives. And when my husband and I got married in Italy, we had about 10-15 courses of food at our reception (typical Southern Italian style), and they said they'd now had two of those meals: The French Laundry and our wedding reception. While the food at our wedding was good, and while she didn't compare the two in any way other than shear number of courses, obviously the French Laundry would win out for quality (not to say I didn't love everything I ate at our wedding...).
In short, The French Laundry restaurant is small and takes reservations 2 months prior and always fills up on the very day reservations open. I tried calling in late August and early September to attempt to get reservations on any day we'd be there for vacation (a total of 6 days). After hundreds of phone calls each day, I'd finally connect and they'd be full already but put me on the wait list.
But a few weeks later I got a phone call indicating there had been a cancellation and asking if I was still interested. Uhhh, yeah!!!
I was glad we found out in September because it gave me time to make sure I could afford the meal. I'm totally anti-credit-card debt, and I knew our dinner check would be over $500 (little did I know, it would actually be over $1,000 for the two of us), so I was able to spend wisely in the months before our trip (unfortunately, we were in Europe for about 3 weeks of that, and I was spending money like it grew on trees!) (but the Europe money was in the budget, so it was okay, it was just a matter of being prepared for the spending spree to continue pretty much from late September until Christmas Eve!).
We planned to go to Napa and go wine tasting in the afternoon before dinner but we ended up scrapping that plan. We knew we'd be pretty dressed up for dinner, and we didn't want to wear that stuff wine tasting. We knew we'd drink a lot wine tasting, and we didn't want to be intoxicated (or buzzed) for a meal that special. And we didn't know how we'd kill the couple hours after most vineyards closed and before The French Laundry reservations.
So instead that day we did the sights of San Fran. We drove across the Bay Bridge and went to a lighthouse, we went for an awesome run, we saw the sea lions at the pier, etc. Then we drove to Yountsville for dinner.
Without further ado, photos of our meal at The French Laundry. We went with my brother and sister-in-law. For the record, both of them and my husband were appalled that I was taking photos of the food. I asked the waiter if other people did it and he said about 1/3 of their tables on any given night are taking photos of the food. So it wasn't as tacky as they thought -- well, maybe it was, but I had lots of company in my tackiness!
And feel special, this blog was about 80% of the reason I took the photos (my own bad memory is the other 20%).
Walking in:
Those little touches:
Hope you can read this, it's the menu I ordered:
And here is the menu that everyone else at our table ordered:
Not on the menu, but what we started with:
This was the "oysters and pearls", "sabayon" of pearl tapioca with island creek oysters and white sturgeon caviar, that everyone but me ordered:
The horseradish and la ratte potato "vichyssoise":
Roll 1:
What my husband and brother ordered -- musquee de provence pumpkin risotto, "castelmagno" mousse and shaved white truffles from Alba:
Jacobsen orchard persimmon salad:
The crispy garnet yam, one of my favorites:
Carmelized red fuseau sunchoke "potage" (one of the only courses that I didn't love):
Roll 2:
Sweet butter-poached Maine lobster (I believe, not something I ate):
And I think this is the "pave" of Atlantic fluke "confit a la minute" (again, not something I got so I'm not sure what it was):
I believe this is the devil's gulch ranch rabbit that everyone else got:
Hand-rolled whole milk ricotta "gnudi" (because of my nut allergy, this was my replacement for the chestnut ravioli course):
The white truffles from Alba, pre-shaving:
The all-day braised elysian fields farm lamb shank (not mine, obvs):
This was my favorite part of the meal -- the hand cut tagliatelle with shaved white truffles from Alba:
Not sure, but I think this is andante dairy "acapella", slow-roasted garden beets, young fennel, ruby beet essence, and English walnut jam (not for me):
"Terrine de bleu d'Avergne", riesling gelee, marinated grapes, garden mache, black pepper shortbread and syrah "gastrique" (insanely, insanely good, another favorite):
Wine, water, sister-in-law:
The beginning of the assortment of desserts:
Can't remember what this was, but looking at the picture now, there is a lot of extra saliva being generated -- it was amazing, another favorite:
The dessert truffle guy, showing us the options. I believe there were 7 different kinds and each person got to choose as many as they wanted to sample:
I got three kinds -- each one divine, another favorite part of the meal...:
Coffee and doughnuts, very, very good:
Some Halloween spirit, special shortbread cookies, we also got some to take home:
Apparently another coffee and doughnuts picture?:
And oh yes, the check. Because only 3 of the 4 of us ordered $175 supplement options, we decided not to split the check down the middle (plus it was a younger brother...), so I think our share was $1050.
More dessert:
There you have it. The priciest meal I ate in 2013. The priciest meal I ate in my life. The best meal I ate in 2013. The best restaurant meal I ate in my life! That's pretty much my The French Laundry review. It was quite the feast. Certainly something to experience once in a lifetime, and something we'll fondly remember.
Day 14 – Feast:
What was the best meal you had in 2013? Was it slurped standing over the kitchen counter? Was the menu written in a language you understood? Were you alone? Or at a table filled with family and friends?
This one is easy. There is a very clear winner for "meal of the year," and it also takes the title for "restaurant meal of my lifetime".
We went to the French Laundry at the end of October (or beginning of November?) when we were on vacation in Northern California.
I first heard about this restaurant in 2003 when my best friend and her husband went to Northern California for their honeymoon. I remember her telling me about trying to get reservations and how happy they were when they got in the very week they were there because of a cancellation. When she got back from their honeymoon, she raved about it. Their check had been over $500 but she said it had been the best meal of their lives. And when my husband and I got married in Italy, we had about 10-15 courses of food at our reception (typical Southern Italian style), and they said they'd now had two of those meals: The French Laundry and our wedding reception. While the food at our wedding was good, and while she didn't compare the two in any way other than shear number of courses, obviously the French Laundry would win out for quality (not to say I didn't love everything I ate at our wedding...).
In short, The French Laundry restaurant is small and takes reservations 2 months prior and always fills up on the very day reservations open. I tried calling in late August and early September to attempt to get reservations on any day we'd be there for vacation (a total of 6 days). After hundreds of phone calls each day, I'd finally connect and they'd be full already but put me on the wait list.
But a few weeks later I got a phone call indicating there had been a cancellation and asking if I was still interested. Uhhh, yeah!!!
I was glad we found out in September because it gave me time to make sure I could afford the meal. I'm totally anti-credit-card debt, and I knew our dinner check would be over $500 (little did I know, it would actually be over $1,000 for the two of us), so I was able to spend wisely in the months before our trip (unfortunately, we were in Europe for about 3 weeks of that, and I was spending money like it grew on trees!) (but the Europe money was in the budget, so it was okay, it was just a matter of being prepared for the spending spree to continue pretty much from late September until Christmas Eve!).
We planned to go to Napa and go wine tasting in the afternoon before dinner but we ended up scrapping that plan. We knew we'd be pretty dressed up for dinner, and we didn't want to wear that stuff wine tasting. We knew we'd drink a lot wine tasting, and we didn't want to be intoxicated (or buzzed) for a meal that special. And we didn't know how we'd kill the couple hours after most vineyards closed and before The French Laundry reservations.
So instead that day we did the sights of San Fran. We drove across the Bay Bridge and went to a lighthouse, we went for an awesome run, we saw the sea lions at the pier, etc. Then we drove to Yountsville for dinner.
Without further ado, photos of our meal at The French Laundry. We went with my brother and sister-in-law. For the record, both of them and my husband were appalled that I was taking photos of the food. I asked the waiter if other people did it and he said about 1/3 of their tables on any given night are taking photos of the food. So it wasn't as tacky as they thought -- well, maybe it was, but I had lots of company in my tackiness!
And feel special, this blog was about 80% of the reason I took the photos (my own bad memory is the other 20%).
Walking in:
Those little touches:
Hope you can read this, it's the menu I ordered:
And here is the menu that everyone else at our table ordered:
Not on the menu, but what we started with:
This was the "oysters and pearls", "sabayon" of pearl tapioca with island creek oysters and white sturgeon caviar, that everyone but me ordered:
The horseradish and la ratte potato "vichyssoise":
Roll 1:
What my husband and brother ordered -- musquee de provence pumpkin risotto, "castelmagno" mousse and shaved white truffles from Alba:
Jacobsen orchard persimmon salad:
The crispy garnet yam, one of my favorites:
Carmelized red fuseau sunchoke "potage" (one of the only courses that I didn't love):
Roll 2:
Sweet butter-poached Maine lobster (I believe, not something I ate):
And I think this is the "pave" of Atlantic fluke "confit a la minute" (again, not something I got so I'm not sure what it was):
Hand-rolled whole milk ricotta "gnudi" (because of my nut allergy, this was my replacement for the chestnut ravioli course):
The white truffles from Alba, pre-shaving:
The all-day braised elysian fields farm lamb shank (not mine, obvs):
This was my favorite part of the meal -- the hand cut tagliatelle with shaved white truffles from Alba:
Not sure, but I think this is andante dairy "acapella", slow-roasted garden beets, young fennel, ruby beet essence, and English walnut jam (not for me):
"Terrine de bleu d'Avergne", riesling gelee, marinated grapes, garden mache, black pepper shortbread and syrah "gastrique" (insanely, insanely good, another favorite):
Wine, water, sister-in-law:
The beginning of the assortment of desserts:
Can't remember what this was, but looking at the picture now, there is a lot of extra saliva being generated -- it was amazing, another favorite:
The dessert truffle guy, showing us the options. I believe there were 7 different kinds and each person got to choose as many as they wanted to sample:
I got three kinds -- each one divine, another favorite part of the meal...:
Coffee and doughnuts, very, very good:
Some Halloween spirit, special shortbread cookies, we also got some to take home:
Apparently another coffee and doughnuts picture?:
And oh yes, the check. Because only 3 of the 4 of us ordered $175 supplement options, we decided not to split the check down the middle (plus it was a younger brother...), so I think our share was $1050.
There you have it. The priciest meal I ate in 2013. The priciest meal I ate in my life. The best meal I ate in 2013. The best restaurant meal I ate in my life! That's pretty much my The French Laundry review. It was quite the feast. Certainly something to experience once in a lifetime, and something we'll fondly remember.
Friday, December 27, 2013
#Reverb13, Day 15: Anchor
Throughout the month of December, I’ll be participating in #reverb13: Reverb is a way to reflect on the past year and project into the next year with a prompt a day for 31 days.
Day 15 – Anchor:
What kept you tethered to 2013?
(I'm out of order here, want to do some photos for day 14...).
This one is bizarre since tethered seems to have a kind of negative connotation and I don't think there was any particularly negative thing that will keep me "tethered" to 2013 as time marches on.
If the question is more about what kept me grounded, it's the same stuff as it has been the last few years -- my husband, good friends, physically distant but emotionally close family, my job, my running and boot camp schedule.
My rock for 2013 really was the Berlin Marathon. A lot of my life revolved around that. It was a big trip with husband and with friends. It was the use of almost all my work vacation days. It was a financial focus. It was the goal I had in mind when I woke up at 5:00 or earlier 6 days a week for the vast majority of the year leading up to our late September departure for Europe.
So the Berlin Marathon was my anchor.
Day 15 – Anchor:
What kept you tethered to 2013?
(I'm out of order here, want to do some photos for day 14...).
This one is bizarre since tethered seems to have a kind of negative connotation and I don't think there was any particularly negative thing that will keep me "tethered" to 2013 as time marches on.
If the question is more about what kept me grounded, it's the same stuff as it has been the last few years -- my husband, good friends, physically distant but emotionally close family, my job, my running and boot camp schedule.
My rock for 2013 really was the Berlin Marathon. A lot of my life revolved around that. It was a big trip with husband and with friends. It was the use of almost all my work vacation days. It was a financial focus. It was the goal I had in mind when I woke up at 5:00 or earlier 6 days a week for the vast majority of the year leading up to our late September departure for Europe.
So the Berlin Marathon was my anchor.
Thursday, December 19, 2013
#Reverb13, Day 13: Favorite things
Throughout the month of December, I’ll be participating in #reverb13: Reverb is a way to reflect on the past year and project into the next year with a prompt a day for 31 days.
Day 13 – Favorite things:
Give us a list of your favorite things from 2013. Could be material items, food, people, anything!
Since I don't think people are "things", I'm kind of disregarding that part of the question, and since I'm behind on these posts, I know there is a food one coming up next, so I also will diregard the food part of this question. As to my favorite material items...
I've said it before, I'm not much of a things person. We try hard not to buy much "stuff" so that instead we can buy plane tickets to Europe and drop 120 euros on the long gondola ride for example.
So far and away, my favorite "thing" in 2013 was passport stamps. Plus, I got a new country for the first time since 2010 maybe (?) -- Liechtenstein! My second favorite "thing" was travel within the US. 2013 held non-work trips to Pittsburgh (twice), Mardi Gras in Mobile, Kansas City, San Francisco, and San Antonio. Plus the trip tonight up to Wisconsin.
But of course there were a few legitimate material "things" that really made a difference this year. While I have awesome stuff that works in my life on a daily basis -- a car, my Garmin, my workout gear, my iphone, my work calendar, etc., instead I'm going to focus on material things that were new to my life in 2013.
First and foremost (since I'm loading up my suitcase to fly home for Christmas tonight!): compression packing bags. I'd heard about these before, but I never investigated. Part of me thought you had to have a vacuum to use them, which would be totally useless in a hotel when you packed to return home. While that may be true for some, I ordered a few sets from Amazon and you just squeeze out the air. They're basically like big and durable ziplock bags with special slides to close them. And they have totally revolutionized my packing. Even for things like a business trip where my suitcase has plenty of available space, I love using the bags to keep everything separate. One bag for my dinner clothes when I land, one bag for workout clothes for the morning, one bag for work clothes the next day, etc. And it works even better for Christmas when I'll be in three separate places -- clothes for Milwaukee, clothes for up north, clothes for the couple days before we fly home. Each in its own bag! Ahhhh, it's like what I think guys experience in a wet dream. The absolute best was going to Europe and putting ALL my marathon stuff into one bag. It made it very easy to be sure I didn't forget anything race morning. And then being able to pack up dirty, smelly clothes (especially running clothes) and zip them away, wow! So nice! The one caveat is that when you use the bags, especially for a long trip where you're filling your suitcase to the brim, you can cram a lot more clothes into your suitcase and essentially it makes your suitcase feel like a brick. I've had the same suitcase for several years, so I thought I had a good sense of its weight when it was jammed to the gills. But jammed to the gills using compression bags seemed to transform it from something I could hoist into an overhead with some effort into a bag where I had to alert seated passengers below and carefully attempt to lift it in using several steps (armrest, headrest, overhead bin) (or find some nice guy to do it for me...) (blech, I hate that). But I'll gladly deal with a dense and heavy suitcase to have a huge range of stuff with me, or like I said, even without a lot of stuff, just using them for organizing. What they look like:
Second, my new Vera Bradley garment bag. I'd been using some freebie garment bags over the last year when I brought my clothes to the office on Mondays so that I could run my commute on other days. You can kind of see it in this picture (which is what the passenger seat of my car looks like on a Monday morning -- ghetto lunch grocery bag for in the fridge, regular lunch bag with frozen meals, Vera laptop bag, Vera purse, Vera bag with running clothes, Vera garment bag (over on the far right, it's a brown-based pattern with lots of different colors). The garment bag was on my wish list of things I wanted for a long time (I know I mentioned it first and foremost on a wish list I made here). I finally bought one when we were on vacation in San Francisco. Ironically, I've been running to work much less frequently since that trip, but it's been cold and lots of holiday and other events requiring a car after work. But I plan to get back into my training groove by early Feb., and I expect I'll be using it weekly then!
Third, I'm slow to the ball game, but I got silicone baking mats this year and last weekend during the Christmas cookie baking extravaganza, they were awesome. Nothing burned on the bottoms, no creepy chemical non-stick spray, no throw-away parchment paper.
And this is totally lame, but I am loving having a second wall-mounted spice rack in our pantry. I had one that looked exactly like this one, and I'd gotten it for Christmas about a decade ago. And I kept cooking spices on it (in alphabetical order, which I think is genious and saves time in a big way). But not all of them fit, so some had to stay on the shelves with baking spices. So if it wasn't there in alphabetical order, I had to root around for it on the shelves, which was a huge PITA sometimes. I've wanted a second one for years, but I finally saw one on Amazon, had a gift card, and decided to splurge and buy it for myself (well, $18 isn't really a splurge, but dear God, given how long I'd held off buying it, it felt like a splurge). It's now mounted in the pantry under the other identical one and all my spices are there in lovely alphabetical order (though I'm still struggling with pepper -- does white pepper go under W or P? and red pepper? hmm, can't seem to decide so feel free to weigh in with any thoughts!). My spice rack(s):
At least several times per week I think about how much easier my cooking life has been this year due to a Christmas present I received in 2012. During last year's reverb prompts, one of the questions was about the greatest gift I received in 2012 and I kind of hemmed and hawed on my answer, saying I loved concert tickets I'd gotten, but that I really hoped there would be an electric can opener under the tree! And indeed, last year for Christmas, I actually got TWO electric can openers. Goodness, I wanted one so much that two people bought it for me! My boss thought I was so lame when I mentioned it as one of my biggest Christmas scores. So I returned the one from hubby and picked out other things instead, and I use the one I received all the time. Ever since I fell while running and bent my finger in March 2011, it hurts to grip things like a manual can opener. Pain no more! And especially for something like a bean salad that involves opening 4 cans together or something, it's downright life-changing!
And finally, another gift that I've had for about a year now and appreciate almost daily... My husband gave me a new thing that hangs from the shower head and holds shampoo and stuff. Every now and again this year in the shower, I've remembered the old shitty one and how sometimes it used to just fall down and you'd have to shield your head and hope it didn't fall all the way down and hit your feet. I don't appreciate it daily because I don't shower at home daily, but it's just one of those things that when you lived with a piece of crap for so long, you really learn to appreciate!
There you have it, the things that were my favorite new additions in 2013!
Day 13 – Favorite things:
Give us a list of your favorite things from 2013. Could be material items, food, people, anything!
Since I don't think people are "things", I'm kind of disregarding that part of the question, and since I'm behind on these posts, I know there is a food one coming up next, so I also will diregard the food part of this question. As to my favorite material items...
I've said it before, I'm not much of a things person. We try hard not to buy much "stuff" so that instead we can buy plane tickets to Europe and drop 120 euros on the long gondola ride for example.
So far and away, my favorite "thing" in 2013 was passport stamps. Plus, I got a new country for the first time since 2010 maybe (?) -- Liechtenstein! My second favorite "thing" was travel within the US. 2013 held non-work trips to Pittsburgh (twice), Mardi Gras in Mobile, Kansas City, San Francisco, and San Antonio. Plus the trip tonight up to Wisconsin.
But of course there were a few legitimate material "things" that really made a difference this year. While I have awesome stuff that works in my life on a daily basis -- a car, my Garmin, my workout gear, my iphone, my work calendar, etc., instead I'm going to focus on material things that were new to my life in 2013.
First and foremost (since I'm loading up my suitcase to fly home for Christmas tonight!): compression packing bags. I'd heard about these before, but I never investigated. Part of me thought you had to have a vacuum to use them, which would be totally useless in a hotel when you packed to return home. While that may be true for some, I ordered a few sets from Amazon and you just squeeze out the air. They're basically like big and durable ziplock bags with special slides to close them. And they have totally revolutionized my packing. Even for things like a business trip where my suitcase has plenty of available space, I love using the bags to keep everything separate. One bag for my dinner clothes when I land, one bag for workout clothes for the morning, one bag for work clothes the next day, etc. And it works even better for Christmas when I'll be in three separate places -- clothes for Milwaukee, clothes for up north, clothes for the couple days before we fly home. Each in its own bag! Ahhhh, it's like what I think guys experience in a wet dream. The absolute best was going to Europe and putting ALL my marathon stuff into one bag. It made it very easy to be sure I didn't forget anything race morning. And then being able to pack up dirty, smelly clothes (especially running clothes) and zip them away, wow! So nice! The one caveat is that when you use the bags, especially for a long trip where you're filling your suitcase to the brim, you can cram a lot more clothes into your suitcase and essentially it makes your suitcase feel like a brick. I've had the same suitcase for several years, so I thought I had a good sense of its weight when it was jammed to the gills. But jammed to the gills using compression bags seemed to transform it from something I could hoist into an overhead with some effort into a bag where I had to alert seated passengers below and carefully attempt to lift it in using several steps (armrest, headrest, overhead bin) (or find some nice guy to do it for me...) (blech, I hate that). But I'll gladly deal with a dense and heavy suitcase to have a huge range of stuff with me, or like I said, even without a lot of stuff, just using them for organizing. What they look like:
Second, my new Vera Bradley garment bag. I'd been using some freebie garment bags over the last year when I brought my clothes to the office on Mondays so that I could run my commute on other days. You can kind of see it in this picture (which is what the passenger seat of my car looks like on a Monday morning -- ghetto lunch grocery bag for in the fridge, regular lunch bag with frozen meals, Vera laptop bag, Vera purse, Vera bag with running clothes, Vera garment bag (over on the far right, it's a brown-based pattern with lots of different colors). The garment bag was on my wish list of things I wanted for a long time (I know I mentioned it first and foremost on a wish list I made here). I finally bought one when we were on vacation in San Francisco. Ironically, I've been running to work much less frequently since that trip, but it's been cold and lots of holiday and other events requiring a car after work. But I plan to get back into my training groove by early Feb., and I expect I'll be using it weekly then!
Third, I'm slow to the ball game, but I got silicone baking mats this year and last weekend during the Christmas cookie baking extravaganza, they were awesome. Nothing burned on the bottoms, no creepy chemical non-stick spray, no throw-away parchment paper.
And this is totally lame, but I am loving having a second wall-mounted spice rack in our pantry. I had one that looked exactly like this one, and I'd gotten it for Christmas about a decade ago. And I kept cooking spices on it (in alphabetical order, which I think is genious and saves time in a big way). But not all of them fit, so some had to stay on the shelves with baking spices. So if it wasn't there in alphabetical order, I had to root around for it on the shelves, which was a huge PITA sometimes. I've wanted a second one for years, but I finally saw one on Amazon, had a gift card, and decided to splurge and buy it for myself (well, $18 isn't really a splurge, but dear God, given how long I'd held off buying it, it felt like a splurge). It's now mounted in the pantry under the other identical one and all my spices are there in lovely alphabetical order (though I'm still struggling with pepper -- does white pepper go under W or P? and red pepper? hmm, can't seem to decide so feel free to weigh in with any thoughts!). My spice rack(s):
At least several times per week I think about how much easier my cooking life has been this year due to a Christmas present I received in 2012. During last year's reverb prompts, one of the questions was about the greatest gift I received in 2012 and I kind of hemmed and hawed on my answer, saying I loved concert tickets I'd gotten, but that I really hoped there would be an electric can opener under the tree! And indeed, last year for Christmas, I actually got TWO electric can openers. Goodness, I wanted one so much that two people bought it for me! My boss thought I was so lame when I mentioned it as one of my biggest Christmas scores. So I returned the one from hubby and picked out other things instead, and I use the one I received all the time. Ever since I fell while running and bent my finger in March 2011, it hurts to grip things like a manual can opener. Pain no more! And especially for something like a bean salad that involves opening 4 cans together or something, it's downright life-changing!
And finally, another gift that I've had for about a year now and appreciate almost daily... My husband gave me a new thing that hangs from the shower head and holds shampoo and stuff. Every now and again this year in the shower, I've remembered the old shitty one and how sometimes it used to just fall down and you'd have to shield your head and hope it didn't fall all the way down and hit your feet. I don't appreciate it daily because I don't shower at home daily, but it's just one of those things that when you lived with a piece of crap for so long, you really learn to appreciate!
There you have it, the things that were my favorite new additions in 2013!
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