I've Got that Loovin Feelin'

I was feeling especially thankful today and decided to blog about it. (Also, I have that song stuck in my head. Who sings it?***) What else is a blog for? Venting? (Don't answer that - I know that's usually what I write about on here). Anyway, it's been a bit of a rough week, what with crazy bosses and secretaries and the IRS riding us to pay - *gasp!* - taxes, of all things! They have some nerve, let me tell you. So I decided to make a list of things I'm feelin' the love about today:

1) Running a very fast time during training today for my half marathon. Woot! Usually anything under 10 minutes/mile is Road Runneresque for me, but today I was in the eight minute time. For 4.5 miles! Yesssss. It was especially wonderful to be able to do this along a gorgeously calm lake with sun shining down.

2) I know, it makes me gag to hear others talk like this, but the hubby has just been fabulous lately. I think I've been trying to make him fight with me because I've been so miserable, but he's been acting like Valentine's Day never ended. Love! He even baked a cake last night, and served me a piece with a cold glass of milk because I was too lazy to get up and get it myself.

3) The lovely mild and very sunny winter we've been having. It's made training super easy and winter much less depressing than usual. We're going fishing tomorrow, for goodness' sake!

4) Our cute little house. Generally there are so many things about it that bother me, but honestly, it's a pretty sweet place with lots of character. And it's only a block from the lake and all the richie riches.

5) Yummy food. I've been budget cutting and re-budget cutting, and it seems like the less I have to work with, the better the meals become. Simple, but delicious! The plus side is, if I do the cooking, the hubby does the cleaning! No dishes for me = a very happy girl.

I'm sure there are many more things to be excited about, but those are the ones I can think of just now. I know people did this leading up to Thanksgiving, but what are you thankful for today?

***I've discovered, after a bit of research, that I've been wrong all these years and they are actually singing "You've Lost that Lovin' Feelin'." I think I like my version better; it's much more cheerful.

The downfalls of Facebook

This past Saturday I was in Seattle for a wedding. It was held at the Lake Union Cafe and was absolutely gorgeous. I mean, of course it was gorgeous. Have you seen the place? Amazing lakeside views, beautiful renovations, romantic lighting - the place would definitely have been out of my price range for our wedding. It's even been featured by the Knot in its Best of Weddings magazine for the past three years in a row!

Anyway, I digress. Facebook really has nothing to do with Lake Union Cafe (unless it has a facebook page. I'll have to check on that). Because this wedding was fancy-schmancy, there was a detailed seating chart, which we all know means there was a "we tried to seat you next to your friends but we have too many separated- and step-families here so there will be a few randoms at your table" effort from the bride and groom. Sure enough, six of us knew each other and the last couple were strangers. But then they looked familiar. Very, verrrrry familiar. So of course we introduce ourselves and I say, " you look, very, verrrry familiar. What do you do?" To which they respond, nothing relevant to you, mind your own business (even though they do practice law so it's kind of relevant to me because I practice law; but again. I digress).

So. They actually very kindly explained to me where they practice, which did not ring any bells. Then they said they just got married, and - it felt like slow motion here - the light goes on in my head and even as I'm starting to say the words, I want to yank them out of the air and stuff them back in my mouth: "oh! I was looking at your wedding pictures on Facebook!" Then I proceed to attempt to rescue myself from the "awkward stalker" position: "I mean, Casey (the groom) was tagged in one of those photos so I looked through the entire album, but I look through lots of random people's wedding albums on facebook. BECAUSE I CAN." Not really on that last part, but really? REALLY? I'm pretty sure I just said I'M A LOSER WEDDING ALBUM STALKER AND WILL STALK ANY WEDDING PHOTOS EVER.

I'm not sure we ever got past that defining moment in our relationship for the rest of the night. Needless to say, they left without saying goodbye or nice to meet you. Whatever. Who needs them anyway. I DO. I'M NEEDY, HELP ME.

So now, to try to make myself feel better about that moment, I've been thinking about that portion of the email that's been going around in various versions. Random Thoughts From People 25-35 Years Old or something like that: "Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!"

Am I right or am I right? What's your favorite FB stalking experience (because I know you have one!)?

I'm feelin' restless

I don't know what it is about the transition of summer to fall that makes me feel a little jittery, a little unsettled. Is it the cool air that suddenly bites at you during your morning runs, when just days ago the breeze in your face reminded you of a warm beach? Is it the shift in styles, food, or activities? Darker clothing and sweater dresses; zucchini bread and apple pie; less lounging by the lake and more end-of-season golfing? Is it that I was trained for years and years that fall meant school which meant the end of fun and laziness?

Don't get me wrong: I LOVE sweater dresses and zucchini bread. I love to watch the leaves change from green to yellow and orange and red, the gourds and squash and fall vegetables show up in endlessly vibrant colors, and the kids getting ready to go back to school. At least I don't have to go back to school anymore, I suppose.

What it really is, I think, is that fall is a reminder of the cold, long winters ahead. They're dark. And snowy. I know I'll have to go to a tanning booth to get my "sunshine" for the week. My fingers will be cold at the office, and my feet will be cold driving home. My nose will be perma-red for about five months. But every winter, after dreading and whining and complaining my way through fall, I realize winter isn't so bad, because there's this:

and this:

and this:

While those images don't necessarily calm me to the point where I can't wait for that long dark winter, at least they're a reminder that every season has its wonders and that I have much to look forward to as the months progress.

How do you feel about summer ending?

Yellow shoes and the bounty of my harvest

I just HAD to show you these adorable shoes I picked up for 50 percent off at a small shop in downtown Coeur D'Alene:

Aren't they just the cutest???! I can wear them with so many of my skirts and dresses, and they're perfect for dressing up my jeans.

Okay, here's the real subject of my post. Even though we've struggled with our garden this year, we were still able to get a few things out of it. Other than the many, many baby tomatoes we've eaten, and the lovely raspberries (of which the season is, sadly, over), and the lettuce and other random herbs, we also picked this big guy:

and these -

Kidding, kidding. We don't have a lemon tree. Can those even grow in this climate?

And this, growing on what we thought was a zucchini plant:

Any idea what it is? It's the color of an acorn squash, but not really the right shape. It has a harder shell, so definitely not anything close to a zucchini. A prize - or maybe just kudos - to whoever figures it out first!

I'm beginning again

Yes, for a second there, about a month ago, I felt on top of my game. I was blogging, I was exercising, I was meal planning, I was scoping out vacations, I was getting work done, and bam! Just like that, I fell off the wagon. I quit meal planning and eating right, I stopped exercising, and I basically just went on perma-vacation. Blogging? Too much work. Working? Too much effort.
So, this past week I've come up with some healthy meals, I went for a run tonight, and I'm making a blog entry. It's not very exciting, but it is what it is. To celebrate, here's a picture of me in my running gear cooking dinner (brown sugar glazed grilled pork chops - and I KNOW this picture is just SO flattering):

And, for your entertainment, a picture of my living room where I finally became inspired enough to hang THREE pictures up after three months of debating about what looks best. They look pretty inspired, don't they? I mean, this picture is practically oozing with inspiration...

I told y'all I needed help; this is what happens when you leave me alone to my own decorating devices. I fail. Miserably. And can hope only to have someone eventually rescue me from myself. Consider yourself forewarned; you could be THAT person.

The end.

Dinner time!

I love cooking and baking, which I know hasn't really shined through all that much on this blog. In fact, the hubby and I cook dinner together almost every night during the week, and use new recipes pretty often. Tonight I'm excited to say we'll be having Spinach stuffed shells!! We've been wanting to make them for awhile, but for some reason were having a hard time finding jumbo shells! Is that weird?? We'll be adapting from Macaroni and Cheesecake's recipe: http://macaroniandcheesecake.blogspot.com/2009/04/spinach-stuffed-shells.html

I'm thinking I'll saute up some chicken sausage and stir it in. Honestly, no recipe ever remains intact when I use it - I'm such a rebel!! But for some reason I have a serious addiction to refusing to follow a recipe TO THE LETTER. It's turned into a great habit, because for the most part I've found it improves whatever I'm making!! Becky, this excludes your recipe, of course. I'm hoping to follow dinner up - if I have the energy - with some of these; I've been wanting to make them for FOREVER!!

They're also taken from Mac and Cheese's website: http://macaroniandcheesecake.blogspot.com/2008/10/cinnamon-sugar-donut-muffins.html. I think they'd be perfect to welcome my sister, her husband, and my adorable niece (see below) when they get in to stay for a WEEK tomorrow!! Say hello to the cutest baby ever!!!

What are you making for dinner tonight and what are your plans for this weekend?

Into the Wilderness...

My brother in law and his wife were in town for this past week, so we - hubby's parents, BIL, SIL, hubby, and I - decided to go camping over Memorial Day weekend at the St Joe River, aka the "Shadowy" St Joe. It runs through an Idaho canyon (hence the "shadowy" portion of the name - I have no idea who Saint Joe was and whether he was really a saint) and empties out into Lake Coeur D'Alene. We were there Saturday and Sunday and came back Monday afternoon. Since my camera died THREE PICTURES into our mini vacay (I know, how rude!), SIL was nice enough to share her pictures (by the way, she was FASCINATED with all the water and trees, what with being from Phoenix, AZ and all).

This is SIL (below); That point MIL and I are standing on is actually pretty high and I forced her to stand that far out with me. She was FREAKED out!



















See the lime green trees?? (above) It was the coolest thing to drive past miles and miles of them.

This was our little blue friend that joined us while we were reading on the bridge; I think he's beeyooteeful.

We're both bookworms, yet neither of our husbands likes to read. Weird, huh?

We just baaarely fit.... :)

Waterfalls in the woods.

We had a LOT of fun getting out and about and away from camp!

Canyon Shot

All in all, it was a great time (other than the lack of air in the air mattress). And it wasn't as wild as it could've been, since we had a camper and pretty much everything under the sun, so even though we were surrounded by wilderness we had all the luxuries of home.

When will you go camping, and where will you go?