Summer Shenanigans

I mentioned last week that I was having a hard time adjusting to my new found summer freedom with no school. I think adjusting may be the wrong word choice here, I’m actually doing great without all that homework and required reading. The problem is I may be doing a little to great. I need some structure in my daily routine or else this summer is going to be over and I won’t have anything to show for it besides a high score in Pet Rescue Saga. Seriously, that’s what those long grey winters are for.

I have three main things that I want to focus on this summer and since I told ya’ll I would share them with you, here’s the first list.

This is also the best list, because it’s the fun list.

Super Summer Shenanigans:

1. Make boozy popsicles (this could be the best idea or worst idea ever)

2. Jam it up! Get out the mason jars and berries and make some jam! And maybe pickles.

3. Keep my Fuchsia plant alive (I thought it was dead, but then it came back. I renamed it Fuchsia zombiacea (few-she-ah zombie-acea) pictured above). 

4. Read 5 books that I choose! (1/5 completed! Great Gatsby was great.)

5. Go to a baseball game (summer=baseball)

6. Pick some berries (See #2)

7. Go camping (summer=baseball+camping)

8. Hike a new trail (summer adventure!)

9. Float the river (adult style, in the inflatable kayak. No more tubes for me)

10. Make “Bailey’s” ice cubes (this could be the best idea or the worst idea ever)

11. Swim in my new bikini (Sarah, if you’re reading this, that means you girl!)

12. Go on a picnic (romantic or not, whatevs)

13. Go to a concert outdoor concert (Already had my indoor concert experience. Time for some outdoor, blanket, sunset watching music)

14. Take an absurd amount of pictures (see link in #13)

15. Have the best summer ever (no pressure)

Have a great weekend! I’m going to get started on this list, maybe some boozy popsicles are in store for this weekend…

Wednesday Wisdom

I’m not going to lie you guys, these last few weeks days have been rough. For every good thing that has happened there  has been an equally bad thing to happen. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, right? This is why I didn’t take Physics. It’s just to real.

It’s nothing major, it’s just life. Mister and I are healthy and somehow manage to make each other laugh by the end of the day. We’re just caught in a storm of uncontrollable elements hurling their best at us. There are days when I feel like everything is fine, the water is calm and the wind is quick in my sails. Other days it feels like a hurricane and I can’t help but feel like I’m just flailing around aimlessly while I try to ride out the storm.

Okay, I’m done with the nautical references.

Happy Wednesday! Hey, the day after tomorrow is Friday.

Summer Lovin’

You guys, I am BORED! B-O-R-E-D! Like becoming a Candy Crush expert, three seasons deep into Gilmore Girls BORED. Read an entire book in one day bored. I’ve only been out of school for a month, which is pretty much the longest break from school I’ve had in almost two years and I really have no idea what to do with myself.

Even though we’ve been super busy this last month with all sorts of summer things like weddings, barbecues and concerts it doesn’t seem like I’ve been busy. I guess when you get used to having 3+ hours of homework every night when that’s gone you suddenly have what seems like a lot of free time on your hands.

We went to a wedding on the coast a few weeks ago and caught this rare sunny day. Beautiful beach day: check!

At first it was great but now I’m geting antsy.

You know what antsy means…time to write a list. Yay lists!

Here it is:

1. Plan the wedding (Only 356 days)

2. Organize and purge the house (In case we move, which we probably will)

3. Have an amazing summer (Oh right…that.)

Yeah, no big deal. Just a few things to do. Since next year will be such a huge year with so many major real life events like graduating college, getting married and moving I really need to use this time wisely. This is kind of like the calm before the storm so I really want to use this time to prepare for Hurricane Real Life (name pending, leave suggestions in the box).

I won’t bore you with one long list of all my goals at one time. Instead I’ll break them up and share them, then keep you updated on the progress. Maybe I’ll get some new tips and tricks to share!

Until then please send more lives in Candy Crush.

Please and thank you.

Wednesday Wisdom

It’s Wednesday, time for a little motivation to get through the last part of the week. I chose this quote because I always feel like I’m trying to get somewhere before I know the destination. When I want something, or I set my mind to something, I want it done then and there. I don’t have much patience with life sometimes, but that’s something I’m definitely working on. This last term, there were weeks when I couldn’t stop thinking about how I should have been graduating and why did I have to wait two more terms before I was finished? If I had finished last term, I wouldn’t have had the opportunities that I was given during that time. And I wouldn’t know now what I didn’t know then, meaning I wouldn’t have a clearer view of what I want to do when I finally do graduate. Timing is a funny thing, something that we can try our hardest to control but we probably never really will. Maybe it’s just easier to step back and enjoy the ride.

Lesson Learned..

I think there are some days where you plan ahead and think “there will be some pretty great photo opportunities so I should most definitely bring my camera because I will totally use it.” So you pack your fancy new (read: heavy) camera into your purse and lug it around with you all day until you realize that you haven’t used it once, and suddenly the day is over and all the pictures are now  just memories. Is that just me? This just recently happened and I’m still trying to get over it.

Last Sunday was one of those days, and it was so full of awesome that I’m sad I can’t share it like I want.  You see, I conspired and somehow made it so my mom, mister’s mom, my best friend and myself went to see Fleetwood Mac together in Portland. I still can’t get over the concert, it was ah-maz-ing! Stevie Nicks still has such a voice and don’t get me started on Lindsey Buckingham. Geesh!  It was such a fun girls trip and something that I will cherish forever and ever, and I hope I don’t forget all the amazingness because I don’t have any pictures. Oh wait, there’s this one:

One kinda okay photo from my phone, that had to be taken quickly before the section attendent threatened to take away my camera. So I guess I’ll have to just tell you about all the things I can’t show. Don’t worry, I’ll condense.

It was the very first time that the moms had met. Even though mister and I have been together for 8 (EIGHT!!) years, our parents have never met before. I thought that the concert would be, at the very least, a good buffer. And in case of any future mishaps we can always, “We always have Fleetwood.” They seemed to hit it off just fine and I’m glad we got all the introductions out of the way before the wedding. That would have been awkward.

After a weird dinner mishap, where the moms left us at the restaurant because our food was taking to long, my friend and I made it to the arena before they started. Unfortunately we were thirsty and got stuck at the bar level which apparently has no exits! I think we did a complete circle and missed the first song because we were stuck in some sort of Rose Garden purgatory. Somehow we managed to escape and make it to our seats.

I wore my cowboy boots and was very proud of myself that I seemed to break the curse of mischief on them. After getting ready I realized that I always seem to get into trouble when I wear those shoes. Not Fleetwood Mac night, nope, no trouble. Not like I can prove that, so you just have to take my word for it.

My friend and I had a very nice shopping day the day after the concert. My mom went home and we had breakfast with misters mom and then set off on our own adventure. We took the afternoon bus home, so we walked and shopped around downtown Portland until we had to be at the station. We had a total Almost Famous ride home on the bus, it was awesome.

It took four days for my voice to return. Mister was perfectly fine with that.

I guess I should look at this as a lesson learned. Always take pictures. Even when it will take you a few minutes, even if you have to ask a stranger. Always take a picture.

Especially when you take the time to curl your hair and wear your boots of mischief.

Summer Reading List

One thing that I miss during the school year is reading. Well, I read all the time during the school year, but it is very rare that I actually get to read for pleasure. So this summer, I’m planning on reading until my Kindle dies and my eyes get blurry. Then I’ll just plug the Kindle in and put my glasses on and pick up where I left off. Besides, is there anything more relaxing than a good book and a cocktail? 

Here are five books that I hope to finish this summer:

 1. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

 Obviously, this is a classic and unlike 90% of high school kids in this country, I did not read this during junior year English.  I don’t even remember what we read, but I know we didn’t read this. The movie was amazing, and I started reading this the night I saw it. Unfortunately it was during the middle of the term and I haven’t made it past the first chapter yet.

2. World War Z by Max Brooks

I’ve wanted to read this since I heard Max Brooks on Fresh Air with Terry Gross. We saw the movie this week and we both thought it was great. Now after hearing the movie is nothing like the book I can’t wait to read this. Zombies and politics, there are jokes there.

 3. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling

 I love Mindy Kaling, I think she is one of the funniest female comedians out there right now. I also think that I am the last one of my friends to read this. I think I’ll read this after World War Z, I may need some laughs.

4. Wild  by Cheryl Strayed

I don’t think that a summer reading list would be complete without a book about a wildlife adventure. This is the story of a young woman who hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, which by the way, runs through my state. I would love to hike the PCT, maybe one day I will.

 5. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

 Can I be honest? I couldn’t for the life of me think of a 5th book to put on this list. I immediately thought to ask my best friend Lenore but I knew that if I asked her she would most likely recommend this book. Only because it’s the one she always recommends and I have yet to read. Sorry, Nore, I’m on it!

There it is, my summer reading list. I better get my Kindle charger out.

Real Life, Real Talk.

I was planning a post about my Fall Bucket List today, but then life happened. Well actually, dairy happened. Which when you have an allergy to cows, or any food based allergy, kind of makes you stop in your tracks. Living with a food allergy changes your life, you have to be aware of everything that goes into your body. And I mean everything.

For those of you who don’t know my allergy story, I talk about it more here. It’s something I’ll be sharing more about, now that I have to change the way I cook and bake. I’ve also found some inspiration in other dairy-free blogs, so maybe there’s a little part of me that hopes to help someone with my story. Allergies are a tricky business and even though I watch a lot of Grey’s Anatomy I am not a doctor. I’m happy to share my experiences but if you think you have a food allergy it’s best to contact an allergist or your doctor so they can run some tests.

There’s another thing that I should clarify. I am allergic. Not lactose intolerant. They are two different things, and they have different symptoms. When I eat something with dairy in it sometimes it takes me up to two days to feel any symptoms. When I do I feel run-down, kind of like I have the flu, but without the fever. Other times I feel the effects almost immediately after eating, they are violent and painful and basically wipe me out for an entire day. This is what happened last night.

We hardly ever order out since it is so risky, but last night we decided to get pizza from the only pizza place that delivers and offers vegan cheese. I ordered my pizza and made my substitutions while crossing my fingers and making a wish that they would get it right. There are many things that make eating out beyond annoying and one of those is asking for ingredients to be left off or substituted on an order. I usually get a 75% accuracy rate across the board.

They didn’t get it right. When this happens I just have to weigh my options, decide how hard it would be to remove the offender or if it’s possible to pick around it. The offender in question was pesto sauce, I had substituted regular sauce but it came with pesto, something that is pretty hard to get around on a pizza. I decided to eat it anyway, since I had actually eaten it before and in my starving state could not recall any noticeable symptoms. Now I probably should have known better, pesto by most recipes, contains parmesan cheese. But I was delirious and like I said, I had eaten it before.

About 20 minutes later I started to feel sick to my stomach, which was my first warning sign. At 45 minutes my heart rate became irregular and I was extremely dizzy. Thanks to Grey’s I know that this is called anaphylaxis, and it’s no joke. I called the restaurant who confirmed that there was milk and cheese in the pesto (they also refunded my entire order) and then I started trying to calm my heart down. Honestly when I’m in the middle of an attack like that my body just kind of takes over and I don’t really know what I’m doing.

Last night was one of the worst reactions I’ve had. The nausea and abdominal pain didn’t leave until around 3 am, and when my alarm went off this morning I was exhausted. My body felt like it had just been in a rumble and even though I tried as hard as I could I had to stay home and rest. I don’t like calling into work, and this week was probably the worst timing, but I had to. I also had to miss my favorite class, and a lab. Luckily my professor, who also has a food allergy, completely understood. Mister was a great caretaker, as always when this type of thing happens, he’s always so supportive and tries his hardest to help me feel better. But really I spent whatever time I wasn’t sleeping watching day time talk shows. Did you know Ricki Lake is back? Love her!

But really I spent most of my day with this girl:

 

One thing about having a blog is that you can pick and choose which parts of your life you want to share with the internet. I had juggled sharing this type of experience, but it’s my real life and you guys deserve some real talk.

Thanks for reading.

 

Falling into you, in the least dramatic way possible

Can we make a deal? Can we gracefully move into fall? Let’s forget about Spring, and our slight obsession with Summer and just move forward into fall?

Please?

I know you may be wondering where I’ve been. And let me just say this, I have been busy. Like crazy busy, maniac-out-of-control-just-keep-the-coffee-coming-B-U-S-Y.

I really don’t know where the last half a year went. There was Spring. Then there was a small summer vacation back to Idaho for the mister and me, followed by that twelve weeks where I crammed an entire year of Chemistry into my brain. That was super fun.

And during that Chemonster fun, there were weddings, camping trips, and more time with the family. We worked hard and played hard this summer. Is my summer bucket list still staring me down, looking at me with a sad face of disappointment because I didn’t make boozy popsicles? Maybe, but there’s always next year.

Our friends Alex and Felecia got married this summer. It was a great time, and a beautiful wedding.

I spent a week with my family in western Washington. My grandmother is 91 years old and still a spitfire, it was a great time.

We’re currently experience beautiful weather here, it’s been consistently sunny and mid-to-high seventies for the last few weeks. I’m not complaining..but it’s October now, and I am ready for FALL.

I’m ready for warm drinks, scarves, boots and chilly days. I’m ready for the leaves to change, which is probably my favorite thing about fall, all those beautiful colors. I want to carve up a few pumpkins, watch some scary movies and to try new crafts and recipes. Also I really want to see this tree from one of my study spots at school…

 

I’ve started my fall bucket list, and I’m hoping to share it with you soon!

What’s your favorite part of fall?

A Little Late…but just as exciting

This post is a long time coming, about two months and one week to be exact. I meant to write this last week, but life got in the way. Sometimes that happens. Sometimes your life changes in crazy and unpredictable ways. And sometimes even though you thought you were ready for something, when the moment happens you absolutely realize that you were not ready. And then everything becomes exciting and crazy, and nerve-wracking all at once. And suddenly you look at the world slightly different, because something that you wanted for so long is finally happening and what seemed like a dream is actually coming true. And then you panic, and you call your bestie, and your mom, and everyone is excited so you’re panic subsides and you finally get excited too.

So that happened. About two months and one week ago.

Because two months and one week ago, on February 4, 2012, after 6 ½ years together….

MISTER PROPOSED!!!!!!!

I know! RIGHT?!?!?

WE’RE GETTING MARRIED!

You totally thought I was pregnant, right? I get that. But I’m not. We’re just getting married.

The whole thing was rather sweet. Well, of course it was, that was silly thing to say. It was simple and not flashy, just a simple question in our kitchen. But it’s something I will never forget. I’ll tell you the story. When I have more time, and I’m not sick. And I don’t have a mountain of homework in front of me.

Now I guess the question is, does Mister get a new name? Should he now be “Fiancee?” That seems so formal. What do you think?