No, this is of no relation to my, ummm... driver's license story from 2002. And don't worry, I still can't parallel park. This actually has nothing to do with driving at all. It has to do with looking at the information on your driver's license from when you were 16 and realizing that you don't exactly, ahem, weigh that much anymore. Ok, in reality, who really does. I received some wise advice from friend and roommate Jeremy when he said that we would all look sickly if we still weighed the same amount that we did in high school. To be fair, I haven't gained an extensive amount of weight but no one likes to see casual weight gain. A casual 10, 15 pounds now will be how much when middle age hits? I'm not great at math, but by my calculation, the answer is somewhere in the neighborhood of one million pounds.
I've been holding off on posting about this for a few months because I know weight is a very touchy subject. I'm not trying to draw the ire. Especially coming from someone who has always been considered thin and probably should not be complaining about my weight. But in reality, it's really just a sign of poor eating habits, lack of exercise, and lack of concern. In other words, bad lifestyle choices.
It's time to nip things in the bud! While i'm not specifically on a diet, I've been changing my eating habits and added exercise as I can. I've never really been a big soda drinker and don't have a large taste for meat, so largely sticking with water and eating a lot of fruits, veggies, low fat dairy and whole grains comes pretty natural to me. Not eating a ton of dessert is difficult though. So is not eating a ton of delicious tasty white bread and pasta. And white bread and pasta with CHEESE. I like carbs, a lot. I'm just working on changing them all to the whole grain variety.
My preferred method of exercise has been running since it is easy, free, and more fun that using machines. I'll save that gym membership fee, thank you very much. There have been improvements on this front but it's still hard to get motivated to go for a run when I come home from work dead tired. The other day I ate a turkey sandwich in the car on my way home and it seemed to do the trick. Too bad there can't be a turkey sandwich every day.
It has been a few months since I started changing my habits and there have been results along the way. I'm already halfway to my goal, although my end goal is more of a look rather than a number. And let's be honest here, this all has a much more vain purpose. I just don't want to have to get rid of half my closet! Too many things either don't fit anymore, or fit a bit... inappropriately. If it's between buying a new wardrobe that fits or fitting into the wardrobe I already have, I think that's an easy answer.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
#4: Some Scheduled Fun
It's been almost 4 years since Alex and I started dating and we have yet to go on an actual, scheduled, just-us vacation. We've taken some weekend trips to the beach and snowboarding with friends but that is the extent of it. A combination of medical, job leave leniency, and financial issues have prevented us from doing much for the most part. I'm trying to make this year different. I want to focus more on having fun and getting rid of some of this stress. Because I am full of it and turning into a crazy person!
Our first vacation is finally planned (I'll take credit for doing all the planning, ahem.) At the end of May, we are going to Williamsburg, Virginia for a 4 day trip. I'm planning a day or two in the historical areas, a day in Busch Gardens, and maybe a day touring and tasting at some of the local vineyards. The hotel is free thanks to Alex's parents generously letting us use their timeshare credits. Although the timeshare has locations all over the country, I wanted to find a location that was driveable and accepted Saturday check-ins. (I'm still trying to use as few vacation days at work as possible. I'm stock piling for future plans.) Our options were Williamsburg or the Poconos Mountains in Pennsylvania and we ultimately chose Williamsburg because there are more options in the area. The Poconos sounds fun, but the only thing you can do there in May is hike and I don't think I can take four days of intense hiking in a row. My butt hurt enough after one afternoon of hiking. And what if it was rainy while we were there?
I'm still wishing for a week somewhere warm and tropical but I'm hoping we can do that sometime next spring. I haven't gone on a vacation like that since college! And for those who are counting, that was just about five years ago. Man, time really flies. I need some all-inclusive resort fun. We also might finally take a trip out to the San Francisco area together later in the year. If that doesn't work out, it might just be me again. Oh well, I'll just eat In-N-Out burgers for two! That would not be a problem at all.
Our first vacation is finally planned (I'll take credit for doing all the planning, ahem.) At the end of May, we are going to Williamsburg, Virginia for a 4 day trip. I'm planning a day or two in the historical areas, a day in Busch Gardens, and maybe a day touring and tasting at some of the local vineyards. The hotel is free thanks to Alex's parents generously letting us use their timeshare credits. Although the timeshare has locations all over the country, I wanted to find a location that was driveable and accepted Saturday check-ins. (I'm still trying to use as few vacation days at work as possible. I'm stock piling for future plans.) Our options were Williamsburg or the Poconos Mountains in Pennsylvania and we ultimately chose Williamsburg because there are more options in the area. The Poconos sounds fun, but the only thing you can do there in May is hike and I don't think I can take four days of intense hiking in a row. My butt hurt enough after one afternoon of hiking. And what if it was rainy while we were there?
I'm still wishing for a week somewhere warm and tropical but I'm hoping we can do that sometime next spring. I haven't gone on a vacation like that since college! And for those who are counting, that was just about five years ago. Man, time really flies. I need some all-inclusive resort fun. We also might finally take a trip out to the San Francisco area together later in the year. If that doesn't work out, it might just be me again. Oh well, I'll just eat In-N-Out burgers for two! That would not be a problem at all.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Life Lately
We've been enjoying some free time these days and it has been a welcome change from the normal busy-ness of life. Tax time is over and we're currently taking a *ahem* break from home repairs, painting, and any non-routine house work in general. We've been enjoying a lot of little things. I've been listening to a lot of Avett Brothers and Alex has been applying to a lot of jobs. Things have been going well as they are.
This weekend we finally made it out to Sugarloaf Mountain for a few hours of hiking. It was one of my first times hiking so I have no comparisons for the trip, but it was a lot of fun. Tough. We only did a three mile hike but ended up taking a few of the steeper inclined paths. It was quite a leg workout for me. Today, two days later, my legs are still killing me but Alex is completely fine. Story of my life.
Where's Waldo? I stayed safely at the bottom. Falling rocks! We made it to the top after a quick, steep scramble for some beautiful views of the farms and and hills below.
We (I) have already planned our next hiking trip on the Billy Goat Trail in Great Falls. We're definitely going all the way and doing trail A! I just have to get a little more confident in my rock climbing skills.
After the hike, we had a quiet lunch at the Comus Inn located near the bottom of the mountain. I've come back to this place a few times even though it's about an hour drive from our house. The food is good, but the hospitality, views of the mountain, and location among farms keep me coming back. On our way to the restaurant, we had to stop and wait for a chicken to cross the road. Love it!
We made one last stop for a tasting at Sugarloaf Winery and bought a few more bottles. I wouldn't say their wines are at the very top of my list, but they're decent if you stay away from the sweeter end of the spectrum. And it's nice to support local businesses. They are so inviting and encourage you find a table outside and stay for a while. I like to see friendly places being successful.
The next day we awoke bright and early with a long list of to-dos. We washed our yellowish green cars and discovered that yes, at one point they had actually been silver. Sadly they are once again covered in a yellow film. Oh well. I never really cared about the cleanliness of the exterior of my car. I just care that all that yellow stuff has also found it's way up my nose and I haven't stopped sneezing for weeks.
Summer Ale makes the work go by faster! Never mind that it was barely 10am. I spent a lot of the afternoon getting the backyard together and putting in my herb garden. I still have to get a few more plants but those are soon to come. Our neighbor recently replaced his fence and gave us a few extra inches of yard, so I'm taking advantage of it!
We closed the weekend out by making another round of flatbreads. We still had more of the same leftovers so why not? Don't judge my lack of variety! They are tasty!
This is how I now feel after such a busy weekend. And isn't this picture of my little buddy adorable?
This weekend we finally made it out to Sugarloaf Mountain for a few hours of hiking. It was one of my first times hiking so I have no comparisons for the trip, but it was a lot of fun. Tough. We only did a three mile hike but ended up taking a few of the steeper inclined paths. It was quite a leg workout for me. Today, two days later, my legs are still killing me but Alex is completely fine. Story of my life.
Where's Waldo? I stayed safely at the bottom. Falling rocks! We made it to the top after a quick, steep scramble for some beautiful views of the farms and and hills below.
We (I) have already planned our next hiking trip on the Billy Goat Trail in Great Falls. We're definitely going all the way and doing trail A! I just have to get a little more confident in my rock climbing skills.
After the hike, we had a quiet lunch at the Comus Inn located near the bottom of the mountain. I've come back to this place a few times even though it's about an hour drive from our house. The food is good, but the hospitality, views of the mountain, and location among farms keep me coming back. On our way to the restaurant, we had to stop and wait for a chicken to cross the road. Love it!
We made one last stop for a tasting at Sugarloaf Winery and bought a few more bottles. I wouldn't say their wines are at the very top of my list, but they're decent if you stay away from the sweeter end of the spectrum. And it's nice to support local businesses. They are so inviting and encourage you find a table outside and stay for a while. I like to see friendly places being successful.
The next day we awoke bright and early with a long list of to-dos. We washed our yellowish green cars and discovered that yes, at one point they had actually been silver. Sadly they are once again covered in a yellow film. Oh well. I never really cared about the cleanliness of the exterior of my car. I just care that all that yellow stuff has also found it's way up my nose and I haven't stopped sneezing for weeks.
Summer Ale makes the work go by faster! Never mind that it was barely 10am. I spent a lot of the afternoon getting the backyard together and putting in my herb garden. I still have to get a few more plants but those are soon to come. Our neighbor recently replaced his fence and gave us a few extra inches of yard, so I'm taking advantage of it!
We closed the weekend out by making another round of flatbreads. We still had more of the same leftovers so why not? Don't judge my lack of variety! They are tasty!
This is how I now feel after such a busy weekend. And isn't this picture of my little buddy adorable?
Thursday, March 29, 2012
#3, and right on time
So, I really need a doctor. I went from my pediatrician, to my university health center, to.... urgent care centers, the ER, and hope. I haven't seen a doctor for a regular check up since I was under the age of 18. Sadly, since I am now old as @*!&, that was about a decade ago. I've also had a few things that I've wanted to discuss with a doctor for a while now so this month I made it my goal to find one.
I found one! It didn't actually take a lot of work. Alex really likes the medical group he goes to (and they've been pretty good to him through all the care he has needed) so I decided to go with the same place. They have 7 doctors on staff so I selected the one with the highest rating. She's an internist, not a family practitioner, which I prefer because they specialize solely in adult care and are much better at diagnostics than family practitioners. I have some odd issues that need diagnosing so I need a good detective! Her patients seem to really like her for that reason.
So I spent some annoying hours on the phone with my health insurance company to switch over my PCP and get a new card and now I officially have a doctor! I set up my checkup but her next available appointment is in mid-May so unfortunately I can't say that I'm all set quite yet. But the wheels are in motion. I'm hoping that 10 years without a physical hasn't been a poor decision on my part. Perfect health... perfect health...
I found one! It didn't actually take a lot of work. Alex really likes the medical group he goes to (and they've been pretty good to him through all the care he has needed) so I decided to go with the same place. They have 7 doctors on staff so I selected the one with the highest rating. She's an internist, not a family practitioner, which I prefer because they specialize solely in adult care and are much better at diagnostics than family practitioners. I have some odd issues that need diagnosing so I need a good detective! Her patients seem to really like her for that reason.
So I spent some annoying hours on the phone with my health insurance company to switch over my PCP and get a new card and now I officially have a doctor! I set up my checkup but her next available appointment is in mid-May so unfortunately I can't say that I'm all set quite yet. But the wheels are in motion. I'm hoping that 10 years without a physical hasn't been a poor decision on my part. Perfect health... perfect health...
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Thing 2: Budgetized
And it feels so good! Or bad... yes, bad.
Now that I have a car loan to pay off, it is time to finally get my act together and create a realistic budget that I won't break in the first week. I did some expense tracking last year and discovered a few surprises ($500 on food in a month? On just grocery stores?? Who ate all that?) and a few not so surprises that needed to be changed. I wouldn't say I had a problem with money before, but my budgeting system was not exactly restrictive.
My goals are:
1) pay off my 5 year car loan in 3 years as I did with my BMW
2) save a set portion of my income each month through an automatic savings plan, rather than just saving whatever was left over
3) reduce my spending on clothing, eating out, and home decor related goods
4) be an all around cheap wad
My new budget is now set. I've added an additional monthly car payment on top of the minimum to pay off the loan in a tad over 3 years. I've also set up the automatic monthly savings plan. Both of those payments will be coming out of my next paycheck for the first time. Oh dear...
I've already stayed in budget on my clothing spending for the first two months of the year, and I technically wasn't on the budget yet. I think at this point I have just about everything I could need in my closet. Also, the combination of my mall hatred, hesitation to shop online, and unhappiness with the current styles at my favorite stores hasn't exactly put me in the mood to go shopping. This must be a sign of a deeper, more serious problem. When a woman loses the will to shop, something must be going on!
Now I must work on my cheap wad tendencies. Just wait until I get hit with my next fee. Even if it's legitimate, I'm fighting the hell out of it!
March 1st starts the budget tracking. Please think of me as you eat your $50 steaks and drink your $100 bottles of wine.
Now that I have a car loan to pay off, it is time to finally get my act together and create a realistic budget that I won't break in the first week. I did some expense tracking last year and discovered a few surprises ($500 on food in a month? On just grocery stores?? Who ate all that?) and a few not so surprises that needed to be changed. I wouldn't say I had a problem with money before, but my budgeting system was not exactly restrictive.
My goals are:
1) pay off my 5 year car loan in 3 years as I did with my BMW
2) save a set portion of my income each month through an automatic savings plan, rather than just saving whatever was left over
3) reduce my spending on clothing, eating out, and home decor related goods
4) be an all around cheap wad
My new budget is now set. I've added an additional monthly car payment on top of the minimum to pay off the loan in a tad over 3 years. I've also set up the automatic monthly savings plan. Both of those payments will be coming out of my next paycheck for the first time. Oh dear...
I've already stayed in budget on my clothing spending for the first two months of the year, and I technically wasn't on the budget yet. I think at this point I have just about everything I could need in my closet. Also, the combination of my mall hatred, hesitation to shop online, and unhappiness with the current styles at my favorite stores hasn't exactly put me in the mood to go shopping. This must be a sign of a deeper, more serious problem. When a woman loses the will to shop, something must be going on!
Now I must work on my cheap wad tendencies. Just wait until I get hit with my next fee. Even if it's legitimate, I'm fighting the hell out of it!
March 1st starts the budget tracking. Please think of me as you eat your $50 steaks and drink your $100 bottles of wine.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Thing 1 - Das Auto
There's a new car in my parking spot (and a lovely new car loan on my credit report.) The title of this post might be a bit misleading because in fact I did not buy a Volkswagen. I briefly considered the restyled Beetle because it looks pretty good now, but then I put that out of mind. No more German engineering for me.
I sold my car because it was a time bomb that has already gone off a few times. Don't get me wrong, I loved my BMW and it was a great car to drive when it worked. But the problem was that when something went wrong with it, I usually ended up spending my entire bonus, or several months worth of savings, to get it running again. The car fell out of warranty shortly after I purchased it so I've been on my own for the repair costs. Yes, it was no ones fault but my own for buying the car. But then again, no car should have as many problems as this one did with the amount of miles that were on it. Long story short, it was a huge headache. The final straw was when it broke down on the side of 495 in rush hour during Christmas break and required a tow across three counties. Luckily I was rolling downhill when the engine cut out so I could drift across a lane of traffic onto the left shoulder rather than stall out in the middle of the road. Fuel pump. Who knew.
Here's a little taste of why it was time to sell this car:
Front brake replacement - $844 <--- this is ok, but why so expensive?
Mysterious dealer "Inspection" - $818 <--- thanks for filling my wiper fluid though.
Rear brake replacement - $783 <--- ditto #1
Engine pulley (2) replacement - $930 <--- why did this break?!
Air intake boot replacement - $191 <--- not to bad I guess
Front bushing replacement - $601 <--- car felt like it was falling apart
Front strut replacement - $953 <--- car REALLY felt like it was falling apart
Front brake replacement - $549 <--- found a cheaper place! no longer care about quality!
I sold my car because it was a time bomb that has already gone off a few times. Don't get me wrong, I loved my BMW and it was a great car to drive when it worked. But the problem was that when something went wrong with it, I usually ended up spending my entire bonus, or several months worth of savings, to get it running again. The car fell out of warranty shortly after I purchased it so I've been on my own for the repair costs. Yes, it was no ones fault but my own for buying the car. But then again, no car should have as many problems as this one did with the amount of miles that were on it. Long story short, it was a huge headache. The final straw was when it broke down on the side of 495 in rush hour during Christmas break and required a tow across three counties. Luckily I was rolling downhill when the engine cut out so I could drift across a lane of traffic onto the left shoulder rather than stall out in the middle of the road. Fuel pump. Who knew.
Here's a little taste of why it was time to sell this car:
Front brake replacement - $844 <--- this is ok, but why so expensive?
Mysterious dealer "Inspection" - $818 <--- thanks for filling my wiper fluid though.
Rear brake replacement - $783 <--- ditto #1
Engine pulley (2) replacement - $930 <--- why did this break?!
Air intake boot replacement - $191 <--- not to bad I guess
Front bushing replacement - $601 <--- car felt like it was falling apart
Front strut replacement - $953 <--- car REALLY felt like it was falling apart
Front brake replacement - $549 <--- found a cheaper place! no longer care about quality!
Fuel pump/filter replacement - $973 <--- 3 days after the previous brake service. ugh.
This was all in two years. And doesn't include other expenses such as new tires and oil changes ($150 each, luckily just once a year) because those are expected. The car also had another rear brake replacement and battery replacement coming up this year, plus whatever else decided to pop up. It was paid off so I tried to keep it as long as I could since paying for the maintenance was less expensive than buying a new car. Lately the car hadn't been driving right again and I know there was something else related to the fuel issue that needed to be looked at. The braking and acceleration were causing problems and I didn't trust driving it.
Solution: sell sell sell!
bye bye
Well, it was actually a trade in but nevertheless, it is now in car land awaiting its unfortunate third owner. The car is essentially in the same condition it was when I bought it (appearance wise) so someone is going to think they got a great deal. Sucker!
I purchased a 2012 Nissan Altima Coupe with 101 miles on it. It has everything I wanted plus some extra features that were a bonus. I also purchased the extended bumper-to-bumper warranty so I don't have to pay any absurd maintenance costs for 6 years. That is the best thing about this car. Or it might be the bluetooth integration for my phone.
Having a reliable car with low expenses has definitely taken a load off my shoulders. It also gets much better gas mileage and takes REGULAR gas! This change definitely qualifies for my list.
12 Things
It's easy to talk about making changes, but it isn't very easy to get the momentum going to actually DO it. Even the best attempts seem to get lost in the activities of daily life, illness, tax season, you name it. Yes, I have been sick for the past month now and I'm currently on the third relapse of the same virus. This time around I was unfortunate enough to get hit with an extra severe double ear infection like none I have ever experienced before. I haven't been able to hear out of one ear for two weeks and the other seems to be working at about 50%. It's weird. I feel like I'm in my own little bubble because I have no idea what's going on around me. I have a greater appreciation for what Alex is going through having lost most of the hearing in his left ear. "At least you have hearing in one of your ears" doesn't seem like a very good response anymore. It sucks!
I've also been busy with my taxes and Alex's Federal, Maryland, AND Virginia taxes (gosh...) so I can get them out of the way before round two. I expect to prepare tax returns for five people this year and I don't want to leave them all until April. Good thing my weeknight social life is non-existent!
So anyways, I really needed to find a way to keep on top of the many things I've been putting on the back burner. This is my plan: 12 months, 12 things. This year I will focus on changing or improving 12 things in my life. I'm not saying that my life is terrible because it isn't. But couldn't everyone benefit from a little organization, a little improvement, a little cleaning up around the edges?
I'd like to try to check one off the list each month, but I don't want anything to be forced so they may come more often, or less. I don't have a list of what they will be, but I have a general direction for a few of them. I know I need a budget and a real doctor (no more Patient First for me!) and I need to solve my dietary mysteries (I think it may be gluten related. Goodbye bread.) I'm hopeful that Alex and I can take our first ever vacation together or if not, at least go on the long weekend trip I've had planned for the past few years. And of course, there's always the new job that has been the elephant in the room.
So now I have my plan, and I'm happy to say that it is already in motion! The post for Thing 1 will be coming up shortly....
I've also been busy with my taxes and Alex's Federal, Maryland, AND Virginia taxes (gosh...) so I can get them out of the way before round two. I expect to prepare tax returns for five people this year and I don't want to leave them all until April. Good thing my weeknight social life is non-existent!
So anyways, I really needed to find a way to keep on top of the many things I've been putting on the back burner. This is my plan: 12 months, 12 things. This year I will focus on changing or improving 12 things in my life. I'm not saying that my life is terrible because it isn't. But couldn't everyone benefit from a little organization, a little improvement, a little cleaning up around the edges?
I'd like to try to check one off the list each month, but I don't want anything to be forced so they may come more often, or less. I don't have a list of what they will be, but I have a general direction for a few of them. I know I need a budget and a real doctor (no more Patient First for me!) and I need to solve my dietary mysteries (I think it may be gluten related. Goodbye bread.) I'm hopeful that Alex and I can take our first ever vacation together or if not, at least go on the long weekend trip I've had planned for the past few years. And of course, there's always the new job that has been the elephant in the room.
So now I have my plan, and I'm happy to say that it is already in motion! The post for Thing 1 will be coming up shortly....
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Hello, And It's Nice to See You Again
I've been away for a while. I realize that. I guess it's a little difficult keeping up-to-date on a blog when you're busy living. Trying to keep up with the holiday craziness, working a full time job, running a house, organizing your boyfriend's life... ugh. And I don't even have any kids. Being a responsible adult sucks.
I don't know what has been wrong lately. I haven't been happy but for no good reason. Time passes and I feel more and more like I'm just wasting it. I'm not any closer to knowing what I want than I was 5 years ago. So I've decided to make some changes. Over the next few weeks, I'm going to finally get my resume together and start applying for a new job. I've been complaining about my current job for enough years now that I'm sure all my friends are tired of hearing about it. Why haven't I left already then? Because it's hard. Because it's scary and I don't really know what I'm doing. I know that I am capable of great things, I know that I can achieve my long-term goals, but I also doubt myself. And I don't know how to get back into it. This was much easier in college when I had an entire institution to assist me and network of friends going through the same thing. I feel alone in this, but I know that tons of people in their mid-20's are in the same predicament. Where do I want to go from here?
I haven't held myself to the highest of standards over the past few years. I just felt like I needed a break. I didn't want to have to think about anything too much or work on anything too hard. I have wondered often what our lives would be like if February 2009 had never happened. But that is a dangerous line of thinking. Nothing good comes out of those thoughts. We're coming up on three years now and it still clouds my mind. I think it will take a few more years to fade away. Or maybe it won't. Regardless, I can't use that as an excuse anymore and I never should have. It's time to be happy again.
Following the job, we'll see what happens. I've always wanted to go back to school but that doesn't seem to be within my reach. I just can't get $70,000 of loans to make sense without a clear plan of what I'd even do with the degree. But I do want to move forward in my career and climb the proverbial ladder. I don't need to figure that one out right now. I can take a break for just one more night :)
A lot of things have been on my mind lately. And I'm certainly very sorry if you ended up on the other side of that conversation at one point or another. I think I'm finally ready to start moving on.
Oh, and here's some pictorial updates from the past few months to make this post more exciting:
Ok, now we're about all caught up.
I don't know what has been wrong lately. I haven't been happy but for no good reason. Time passes and I feel more and more like I'm just wasting it. I'm not any closer to knowing what I want than I was 5 years ago. So I've decided to make some changes. Over the next few weeks, I'm going to finally get my resume together and start applying for a new job. I've been complaining about my current job for enough years now that I'm sure all my friends are tired of hearing about it. Why haven't I left already then? Because it's hard. Because it's scary and I don't really know what I'm doing. I know that I am capable of great things, I know that I can achieve my long-term goals, but I also doubt myself. And I don't know how to get back into it. This was much easier in college when I had an entire institution to assist me and network of friends going through the same thing. I feel alone in this, but I know that tons of people in their mid-20's are in the same predicament. Where do I want to go from here?
I haven't held myself to the highest of standards over the past few years. I just felt like I needed a break. I didn't want to have to think about anything too much or work on anything too hard. I have wondered often what our lives would be like if February 2009 had never happened. But that is a dangerous line of thinking. Nothing good comes out of those thoughts. We're coming up on three years now and it still clouds my mind. I think it will take a few more years to fade away. Or maybe it won't. Regardless, I can't use that as an excuse anymore and I never should have. It's time to be happy again.
Following the job, we'll see what happens. I've always wanted to go back to school but that doesn't seem to be within my reach. I just can't get $70,000 of loans to make sense without a clear plan of what I'd even do with the degree. But I do want to move forward in my career and climb the proverbial ladder. I don't need to figure that one out right now. I can take a break for just one more night :)
A lot of things have been on my mind lately. And I'm certainly very sorry if you ended up on the other side of that conversation at one point or another. I think I'm finally ready to start moving on.
Oh, and here's some pictorial updates from the past few months to make this post more exciting:
Ok, now we're about all caught up.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Down at the Bay
Last Saturday we packed up our crabbing gear and headed down to the Chesapeake Bay for the day. Our intentions were to catch enough crabs for a delicious dinner, but the weather had other plans for us. It was a beautiful day but the wind was against us and we lost a lot of crabs to the waves. We didn't come home with any but we had a great time outside!
Alex was kind enough to do the chicken prep (ughh) while I took pictures and organized our supplies. For anyone that doesn't know how to crab, there are a few different ways but we use the crab line method. Chicken is left out of the fridge until it's a little smelly, then you tie it onto lines and attach the lines to a pier. When the lines are tight or moving against the waves, you know that a crab is eating the chicken. Then you slowly pull in the line and scoop up the crab with a net. Usually the crabs have no idea that they're being lifted to the surface. In our case, the waves were strong enough to disturb the crabs and cause them to drop off before we could net them.
We did end up catching a few crabs. Our first crab was just a baby so we threw him back. We'll return for you in the spring, crab, so eat up! After that, we caught a huge crab. It was much larger than any of the ones we caught over the summer. There were no other people out crabbing so I guess the crabs have had time to grow since no one is out catching them. We lost a bunch of crabs in the waves for the next few hours so we decided to take a break and come back a little later. I'm the meanwhile, we headed over to the big pier to try to get a glimpse of the bay bridge in the distance. No sighting. Alex claims that it's there, but I think that's all a myth.
We went back to crabbing but after a while I got tired and we still weren't catching anything. We decided to let our lone crab go because what's the point of cooking just one? Plus, I was starting to feel a little bad for the guy. He looked so cold in that cooler. So we put him in the shallow end of the water to warm up before swimming out into the deeper water. Once he had set off, we dropped the chicken into the water and cut off our lines. As we were pulling out one of our last lines, what do you know, we caught another crab. Another HUGE crab! If only we hadn't let the other one go... but what are you gonna do. I guess it was just their lucky day.
Crab #2 was also thrown back but you better believe that we'll be back for them soon. We're hoping to be able to spend more time down by the water next year now that we have more free weekends. Once we get some work done down there, we'd love to have friends come down for a barbecue and maybe i'll also be able to serve some freshly caught crabs!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Grape Stomp!
A few weekends ago, I planned a day out in the farmland of Montgomery County and I really wanted to include a wine tasting at Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyards. Alex had never been to a real wine tasting before because he was medically not allowed to drink every time we went to vineyards over the past two years. I was a little disappointed to find out that the vineyard was hosting their annual Grape Stomp event that weekend. I prefer more intimate and in depth tastings where they don't have to rush you because of the line of people waiting. However, we decided to go anyways. I wanted to try the wine!
We had lunch beforehand at the Comus Inn restaurant right around the corner from Sugarloaf Mountain. The lunch menu at the Inn is very small and I LOVE that. Everything is done well. You don't need a lot of choices because you won't go wrong. A simple soup and grilled cheese combo was just what I was looking for, although I ended up taking half the sandwich with me. Don't get me wrong, it might just be grilled cheese and butternut squash soup, but it's special. You know they put more than just a little thought into it. I've been to the Inn a few times and I'm pretty sure I've ordered the same meal every time.
From there we headed to the vineyard and were surprised by a booth that engraved your wineglass! I've never seen that before and I thought it was pretty cool. I thought long and hard, and came up with something really creative to write on mine.
Yeah baby, that was all me. Except the grapes... that was the engraver's idea.
We did a few tastings of the red wines and I was more impressed by their offerings than I was by the Virginia wines I tasted at the Vintage Virginia Wine fest earlier this year. Maybe I chose the wrong wines at that time, but I felt like they all had too much residual sugar. If a red wine is sweet enough to chill, there is a problem. I don't enjoy sweet wine which is why I don't really drink white wine. The majority of the wines I tasted at Sugarloaf were not sweet so I was happy! We spent the rest of our tasting tickets on a glass of Evo, their premier (most expensive) red wine.
I ended up buying two bottles to take with me. The Comus, a Bordeaux mix, and the Cabernet Sauvignon. I'm definitely a cab sav person, the more flavorful the better. I think I've been a little spoiled by cabs from Napa Valley but this one is pretty drinkable at a decent price. Besides, you can't go to a vineyard without buying some bottles, right?
We finished up the afternoon with a hayride tour of the vineyard. I missed harvest season again (grr!) but there were still a few grapes left on some vines that out tour guide let us taste. I would love to do a wine tasting where they also let you taste the grape that the wine was made from. I should probably actually find out when those kinds of tastings are offered so I don't miss them next year. Do they even do them in this area?
If you look closely at that last picture, you'll see that there are some grapes on that vine!
Now we're all geared up for our trip to California in a few weeks. You can bet that we'll be visiting Napa again. Alex hasn't been there yet and it's always a must-do. If you're ever in the area, you really should do a tasting at Duckhorn up in St. Helena if you want a really long and personalized tasting. It's a bit out of the way but it's the best tasting I've ever been to. You get your own table, snacks, and perhaps a 20% discount on any purchased bottles (if your umm... wine tasting person... happens to be from Maryland as well.) They don't skimp on filling your glass and my tasting there was easily 7-8 glasses. Keep them in mind!
Now, back to what I was originally talking about. As we left the vineyard, we had to grab a cupcake! We chose the red velvet one that was dipped in the vineyard's own STOMP red wine (it's a sweet one.) It was delicious!
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