Saturday Share on a Sunday

Things have been pretty stable in our corner of the world - I work, Matt works, we get days off and hang out together. That's the gist of it. I did go back to the doctor for my health concerns but he was pretty unimpressed with my lab results and told me to come back and see him when I was sick. So hopefully my body will heal itself and I am going to try and help it along with some fanciful food therapy initiatives. 


Basically, I'm going to modify my diet and journal about it to see if I can find a diet that helps me feel more energized with less daytime fatigue and less susceptibility to general illnesses (flu, common cold, etc). I am starting with increasing my vegetable and fruit intake and cutting out meat, dairy and processed foods. So far, I've been at it for five days without any noticeable results other than (and this may be TMI) better bowel movements. I've often heard it said that digestive health and a good immune system go hand in hand so maybe I'm on the right track. I'll hold off on any judgments until I get more data though.


What we're into this week:

• I am perusing several books right now, mostly about vegan diets and urban homesteading. I started another book today sent to me by the wonderful Mrs. E called The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. It's a book by the author who spent a year dedicated to increasing her happiness while still living a real life (no trips to foreign countries or leaving her day job behind) and the things she learned from her adventure. So far, I love it (and maybe I will embark on my own happiness project!). 
• I finished a fascinating memoir a few days ago called The White Masai by Corinne Hofmann who falls in love with a Masai warrior and moves to Africa to be with him. This book feels like reading her diary and she tells us so many intimate details - the good, the bad, and the ugly. Incredible.
• Matt has all but forgotten about video games and immerses himself in learning how to program in python and build web pages. It is amazing how intensely he can focus on a subject to the exclusion of everyday life (like eating and vacuuming and laundry).
• We occasionally watch the sitcom "How I Met Your Mother" and enjoy every episode, even the painfully awkward ones. I highly recommend it for the laughs it gives us as we follow the social and romantic lives of the outstanding cast of characters.

Saturday Share: Holidays, Health, & Visiting Family

So, where did we last leave off? Christmas. Yes. Christmas day Matt and I had gifts to open which was oodles of fun. Afterwards, we made breakfast together and lounged around until it was time for lunch & watching Home Alone.

Chocolate pumpkin spice cake slice
topped with homemade whipped cream!

Our Christmas Pizza - sausage
& zucchini! Yum.

It was a wonderfully relaxing day and I didn't even cry until we were in bed that night. I just couldn't stop thinking about how if we had been at my parents house, I would have been in my pajamas leaning against the stove in the kitchen watching my mother make lime jello at one in the morning after a full evening of family festivities. Matt held me while I wallowed, gently singing the chorus to "achey breaky heart" over and over again (he couldn't remember the rest of the song).

The next few days weren't so bad and passed without incident until two days before New Year's Eve. I was at the grocery store in the aisle with dried beans and condiments looking for pinto beans to cook in our crock pot when I came across a stack of black eyed peas on a nearby shelf. The first time I can remember having black eyed peas and rice on New Year's Day was with my in-laws. 

And just like that, I proceeded to bust out into tears thinking about how much I missed Matt's family and how I hated not being able to see them over the holidays. This time, Matt wasn't around to comfort me and I had to pull myself together without the his aid which was much more difficult, especially in conjunction with how loony crying in the grocery store made me feel. 

As much as I enjoyed spending time with Matt and liked the idea of doing our own thing on the holidays, I was having a really hard time adjusting to the reality of what that meant. I love reconnecting with my family through traditions and relishing the good memories associated with the things we do. As much as I didn't want to admit it, the holidays were breaking my heart and making me wish I had never moved away.

It doesn't help that I have been back and forth to the doctor lately, which always leaves me feeling anxious and vulnerable. It's nothing serious as far as anyone can tell, just vague symptoms like fatigue (which makes my work as a server extra taxing) and night sweats newly accompanied by a hard knot in my abdomen. 

Because of my past medical history, my doctor doesn't want to piddle around and wait for things to work themselves out. He ordered some tests and sent me on to a specialist who ordered some more tests. So I shell out money and act like a lab rat, all the while hoping that they won't find anything of significance but will find something to ease my mind about what my body is doing.

Anyway, after a quiet New Year's Eve in and a few more days of work, the time for Matt and I to visit our parents had arrived! We were only back home for about 5 days (2 1/2 days with each of our families), which wasn't long enough to satiate fully my need for family time but I will take what I can get! It was revitalizing to see and hug and talk with so many people I cared about. 

Our time was filled with conversation and laughter and gift giving and incredible amounts of eating...steak and bruschetta and breakfast tacos and a traditional Christmas Eve dinner and fajitas and guacamole and homemade french toast. It was an awesome and exhausting trip and I can't wait until we can go back again! Until then, we're stuck in real life.

What we're into this week:

• In Matt's free time from his heavy load at work, he is playing Dead Island and Borderlands and working on his Python skills.
• I'm in the midst of several books/series, all very enjoyable: the extremely popular Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins (set to come out on film in March), The Farseer & Tawny man triologies by Robin Hobb because my life wouldn't be mine without some fantasy/scifi, Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis which is a recommendation from my mother who has her own obsession with orphans in Africa, The Urban Homestead by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen which is filled with fascinating tips and ideas about living a more sustainable lifestyle in the middle of a city.
• Quote on my mind:  "Hugging is good medicine. It transfers energy and gives the person hugged an emotional lift. You need four hugs a day for survival, eight for maintenance, and twelve for growth. Scientists say that hugging is a form of communication because it can say things you don't have the words for. And the nicest thing about a hug is that you usually can't give one without getting one." - le-tang.tumblr.com

Alas, I've been writing this post for so long that it is no longer Saturday, which I am guessing means I should get to bed. 

Saturday Share: Thanksgiving come and gone, Wedding!, and Making Friends is Hard To Do

I've been a little neglectful of you, blog world. But my real life has felt super crazy as of late. Do not fear!, I have plenty to update you on but don't expect much insightful commentary. I just don't know if I have it in me tonight. 

Also, just to let you all know, Matthew and I lost the charger for our camera battery. So all the pictures in this post are from our camera phones. Not the most spectacular pictures, but at least they're somethin'!

Okay. So let me start with what has kept me away from you all for so long:

The enchanting wedding of Mr. & Mrs. E (officially!). This wonderful couple was married the Friday after Thanksgiving which made the holiday super hectic and extremely memorable. I felt so special and blessed to be able to share this day with my friends because it had been too long since I had seen the lovely pair AND now we we have newly wed friends! I was so excited to be in their wedding party (my very first time!) and I even did a reading during the ceremony (such a beautiful reading - click here to read). 

During my reading in the ceremony, I proceed to blush violently all over my chest, neck and face (which I didn't notice but is pretty typical for me). After the departing processional, the wedding coordinator hunted me down and gave me cortisone cream because she thought I was breaking out in hives (I'm sure most of the crowd thought so too)! But really, the wedding was amazing and I loved all the Persian dancing. What great memories for everyone to look back on!

While in Houston for the wedding, some of my family was able to drive in to visit which eased the sting of spending my first Thanksgiving away from them. I have been very diligent in requiring my thoughts to not linger on the strangeness of spending holidays without my family of origin (and I know Matt feels similarly). I am so thankful to my mom and grama for coordinating the trip and bringing along my favorite niece!

There were only two major downsides to this trip. Matthew wasn't able to come with me to see our friends and family. Obviously, getting Black Friday as your day off is impossible in the retail world. This also meant the poor boy had to spend thanksgiving by himself (playing video games and eating burritos). The second major pitfall was that there was not enough down time amidst the madness to get in as much super quality friend time that I wanted. Le sigh. You can't win 'em all, eh?

Travelling over the Thanksgiving holiday wasn't as awful as I thought it might be. However, my flight to Houston left 30 minutes later than scheduled so I nearly missed my connecting flight in DFW. I must say, I love running through airports at top speed. My flight back to Seattle was uneventful except for the fact that I forgot how long it takes to wait in line to check a bag - I almost missed this flight altogether because I didn't allot enough time before take off to get myself checked in (I was the last person to board the plane).

On the flight back, there were clear blue skies until we hit the Washington state border (I swear!). Then all I could see from my window seat was clouds and fog. Before we landed, the pilot was giving us an update on the local time and weather and said it was a "nice day" in Seattle with overcast skies and 50 degree weather!

Now it is back to work making money AND friends! Matt and I are both trying really hard to cultivate new friendships to help make us feel more at home in WA. It's not easy when all I can think about is how awesome my friends down South are. In the past, I wasn't so intensely aware of how hard it is to form friendships because school was always the perfect venue to create bonds with other people my age. But now that we have both graduated, we are having to seek other ways of building a support system.

In an attempt to follow through on this notion, we were brave little socialites last night. We were invited to a karaoke bar with a few of my co-workers from Olga's and decided to tag along. At first, things felt a little awkward but the night ended up being a lot of fun for both of us. Karaoke may not be soul searching conversation, but it was a step in the right direction.

Yesterday, I got off work annoyingly early so I had 3 hours to kill before picking Matt up from work. So I drove down to a nearby park to hike around and enjoy the partly sunny day! Here are a few pictures from my trip:

Oh the views from the Seattle Coast!

Such a pretty area!

Wild mushrooms I saw - Anyone know if they're edible?

Fern plants growing from the tree. Strange!

All bundled up in my winter coat and gloves, I hiked around the few miles of trails for about 2 hours. I enjoyed the quiet, the fall leaves under my feet, and the way the trail meandered the small plot of forest in the middle of a city. I was looking forward to stopping by the beach at the end of my hike to watch the sunset over the Puget Sound. I could already tell it was going to be a gorgeous sunset by the orange colored forest floor I was walking on.

As I got nearer to the beach, I saw a park ranger truck slowly driving around and then heard him calling into his megaphone, "Will the owner of the white Toyota please report back to their vehicle. The park is now closed and your vehicle will be locked inside." Eeeek! I panicked, flagged down the ranger, and ran back to the parking lot to collect my car. Apparently the park closed at 4pm and he had already been waiting 15 minutes for me. 

Unfortunately, in my rush to leave and not be locked inside the state park, I completely missed the sunset. I was really bummed about missing out but eagerly anticipate other trail rambling adventures (that will include better park sign reading).

Also, since I am posting pictures, here is one from a few weeks ago when we were experiencing relentless rain. The ground was so saturated that the water started to flood our back sidewalk and courtyard area.

 Another older picture we took on a walk around a nearby neighborhood. I love this mailbox made in the shape of an airplane! Too cute!

Well, I'm sorry this post wasn't more coherent or inclusive. I feel as if so much has happened in the past two weeks. I will be better in the future about updating more often, promise. I have three days off in a row next week, so expect some introspection then.

What we're into this week:

• Matt is playing Skyrim (still) and Saints Row: The Third, which I think is an absolutely ridiculous game but he is really enjoying.
• I'm reading Stephen King's The Eyes of the Dragon. This is my first time reading a Stephen King novel (not counting Duma Key that Matt and I listened to on our insanely long drive to WA) and I am enjoying the experience. King has a unique writing style.
• Here is a quote that has been roaming around in my thoughts lately, "A straight line may be the shortest distance between two points, but it is by no means the most interesting." From the show Doctor Who, stated by the Third Doctor.

Saturday Share - Why does the sun hide from me? And other life updates

I have never been more aware of the sad, sad fact that it gets dark early in the North. Last weekend was day light savings which is a time change that never much mattered to me in Texas! In Washington, the sun starts it's rise about 5:30 - 6:00am. Around 2:30pm there are looong shadows on the ground. By 3:30 the sun has officially set. By 5:00pm it is as dark as night time in the city gets which completely messes with my sense of time. And this awful scenario is a day with sunshine!

If it is cloudy all day, then the sunrise is grey, day time is light grey, and night time is extra dark because the clouds block out the moon & stars! I could have been told every single day of my childhood that this is what it was going to be like to live in WA and I never would have been able to wrap my mind around this experience without living it. Why does the sun hide from me? Is this a punishment!?

For many people, the weather directly affects their mood but when you live in a cloudy place like Seattle, you just can't be that type of person. Luckily, I don't think the weather heavily influences my moods (although the lack of sun does make me feel a little extra crazy) but I am positive that it influences my cooking and baking.

Now that the temperature is pretty regularly in the 40's I find myself craving hot foods and beverages more often that not. Baked sweets are making regular appearances in my kitchen crazes - homemade cinnamon rolls, baked apples, sweet potato muffins, banana bread. I am unsure if I am baking to warm the apartment or so that I can eat comfort foods because I am secretly upset about the lack of sunshine, but either way, it is delicious and Matt has requested that it continues!

Today at the store I bought anjou pears, pomegranates, gala apples and Wisconsin cranberries and it felt so nice to be buying seasonal produce. Hopefully we will soon become a part of the community supported agriculture movement here in the area. Maybe we could visit local farms and have farm fresh produce delivered to us! This a hope for the near future so I should probably do more research...

Anyway, work has been very work-like for both of us. We had a Veteran's Day special yesterday at Olga's so we were busy and things were hectic on my 2nd first day waiting tables. I forgot how exhausting it is to run around a restaurant but I am happy to be working! Matt's company is preparing for the Black Friday crush of patrons. Oh consumerist culture, how I dislike you yet desperately need you for my family's livelihood.

Since we only have one car for the two of us, I created a car sharing calendar to keep us organized that we have posted on our cork board wall. We both have varying weekly schedules, so I make it at the beginning of each week and plan out with Matt how to share the car. Neither of our work places are far from where we live - both are between 3 & 5 miles. The difference lies in the fact that there is a bus route directly from our apartment complex to Matt's work. Unfortunately, there isn't a bus route to my work - I would have to catch a second bus and still walk 1/2 a mile to the building.

Fairly often, I am able to drop Matt off and pick him up from work after my shift ends. Sometimes our schedules don't mix and he has to take the bus to or from work (which isn't a very cheap option - it's $2.25 a ride on the route Matt takes). Sometimes I feel guilty because I am sure one or both of us could ride our bikes to work and that would be more eco-friendly than car sharing. Call me a pansy if you like, but it is freaking cold and wet outside. I might try my bike it if it was only one or the other of those ugly weather conditions but together they make riding a no go. So far, we haven't had any glitches with this system of sharing and I hope it stays that way!
 

What we're into this week:

• Matt is playing Skyrim and enjoying most every second.
• I'm reading Dragon Haven by Robin Hobb the second in a series called the Rain Wild Chronicles. It's a pretty decent fantasy novel. Nothing to make my inner fangirl squee but I look forward to the sequel, City of Dragons, which doesn't come out until February 2012.

Well, that's what I have to share today. Keep your eyes peeled for a post celebrating our 6 month wedding anniversary soon! Much love to you all.