101 in 1001.

The other day I was cleaning out drawers and stumbled across a list I'd made back in July of 2010.

The list is titled: 101 in 1001 days.... a mini bucket list.

The idea is to write down 101 goals for yourself to be completed in 1001 days.

This was something that I had seen on another blog and felt would fit right in with what my blog is all about.... you know goals, resolutions and lists.

These goals are to be completed by April 10, 2013.

The funny thing is that I only ever made it 44 goals before I forgot about this list.... or maybe I just found it difficult to think up 101 creative/achievable goals for myself. The good thing is that I have, without consciously trying, been able check off some items! Some of the items are long-term and I wont be able to check them off until the end date, but I'm still chugging along on those as well.

I'm going to keep going with this list. And I'm also going to add to it. There are several items (mostly travel related)  that I don't think will happen within the time constraint, but many others will just take a little bit of initiative!

So here is the list:

1. Learn to shoot a handgun/shotgun (Checked off)
2. Drive across the country
3. Learn to sew
4. Have finished 300 books
5. Read the bible
6. Have a scrapbook page published
7. Learn to sail
8. Run a 5k race (checked off)
9. Write a book
10. Go wine tasting (checked off)
11. Hike Mount Si
12. Make bread from scratch (checked off)
13. Can peaches
14. Try out for Jeopardy!
15. Sing Karaoke
16. Learn to fly-fish
17. Have traveled to Ireland, Spain, Norway and France
18. Try a new recipe every week for a month (checked off)
19. Cook dinner every night for a week. No takeout.
20. Try being vegan (checked off)
21. Have photography displayed
22. Make my bed every morning
23. Be consistent with exercise
24. See the Daytona 500
25. Kiss the Blarney Stone
26. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower.
27. Made pasta from scratch
28. Visited Yosemite National Park
29. Lean all the President's names
30. Watch all the James Bond Movies.
31. Make fried green tomatoes
32. Maintain my blog
33. Invest $500 dollars a year in my IRA
34. Gone to Disneyland and Disneyworld again
35. Wash my car monthly
36. Make sleep a priority
37. Wake up every morning and do 100 sit-ups.
38. Have a successful garden every year.
39. Get out of my comfort zone more often
40. Watch more movies at home
41. Visit Scandinavia (Mostly checked off)
42. Go ice skating
43. Go on the Duck
44. Go to Seafair

Spring in to an Update.

I haven't been in the mood to write lately. Mostly because I feel like there is too much to catch up on. Too many books I've read that I need to review, too much food I've eaten that I haven't shared... too many life events that I haven't posted. So.... I guess I'll do my usual post that blurs through the past month or so and move on to the present.

I've been reading.... barely. Of my two book clubs, one died before it even got started and the other is barely crawling along. To be completely honest with you, I'm just not made for book clubs. I've tried. I've failed. I can't count on myself or others to read the books that are chosen and if everyone does read it I tend to dislike the discussion. I prefer my blog as the venue for my rambling reviews. Not that I don't appreciate other people's views on books... but I think most of the time more than an hour discussing the book is just too much. Especially if you feel differently about the read.

The type of book club I enjoy is what I like to call the, "casual encounter club." If there was one reason I worked at a coffee shop for so long.... this was it. I loved the 30 second book recommendations. I loved the old ladies who came in 4 days a week with their books ready to sit around a table and just read. I loved the girl who worked down the street who could probably read a book faster than me (not that I'm bragging, but when I put my mind to it, I can bust out a book pretty quick) and she read read lots of smutty romance novels.

That's the biggest thing I've missed since starting my new job at the restaurant. Besides a minor, hilariously unfortunate incident....I'm really liking my new job. Learning something new is always simultaneously refreshing and frustrating. Luckily I'm starting to get the hang of it now. The things I thought I would hate about my job, like working nights, are actually kinda great. I'm embracing the change.... mostly because I'm working less hours and making more money. But my heart still belongs to coffee and I look forward to filling in on random days to see my favorite customers.

The last few days have been filled with sunshine. When you mix Sunshine and the month of May the likely outcome is going to be gardening! Last year I felt like I only put half my heart into planting, but this is starting out fantastic! I've ran out of dirt twice now! I decided to focus on what I enjoy the most (flowers) and only plant minimal amounts of everything else (fruits, herbs and veggies).

Days like this that are filled with little bits of happiness are my favorite....

In other news I've been failing pretty fantastically with running. I'm just not feeling it lately. My training has dwindled. But I'm not giving up!!!! I'm just postponing. My running/racing partner has had an even worse time lately, so together we've decided to run a half-marathon in June and move our full marathon date to September. So although I'm kinda bummed I wont run my marathon in Sequim, I'll still be completing my resolution by running 26 miles while I'm 26. A pretty big part of me wants to postpone it even further and run it in January at Disney World.... but I think I'll fight that part of me ;)

In food news.... I've been eating meat..... Specifically I've been having an affair with bacon. My newest food obstacle will be trying to stay away from eating restaurant food all the time.

So here are some current goals:
Focus on eating clean.
Read, Review, Repeat.
Run. Run. Run. Run. Freaking Run.
Regularly water all those freaking plants!

So there is your quick update. Hopefully I'll be back soon!

Bitter.... Sweet.

Today's photo is of some pretty tulips given to me by my co-worker Brandy. Aren't they lovely?! They were such a nice little surprise for my Saturday morning. She gave them to me as a going-away-I've liked-working-with-you present.

Last Wednesday I put in my notice at work.

Off-and-on for the past six years I've been slinging drinks at a local coffee shop. In that time I've made great friends and learned how to make a pretty darn good cup of java. But as with most things in life, we eventually need to make some changes.

So if you want to get some excellent coffee from me.... don't waste any time.

One Week in Photographs.

Cute kid. 

Spring is playing games with my heart.

I have a wine problem. Don't worry though, I share.

Little things like this make the world go 'round.

A sunny day in Washington?! 

Blueberries.

<3

Point and Shoot.

I think I wrote down my resolutions for the year then decided to only remember one of them. Granted it was the big one. The one that causes me a so so much anxiety. The running 26.2 miles one. The other resolutions seemed to immediately go to the wayside. Perhaps this was because I spent the first few weeks of the new year in a different state and when I returned I spent three days snowed in. Then when things were finally back to normal.... I just forgot to make the effort?! I guess this is the best excuse I can come up with. I had to actually go to my resolutions page to even remember the other resolutions for 2012.

Hi, it's March.

The good thing is that I have all year to make up for lost time. I don't believe in giving up until December 31st.

The reason I was even thinking about my forgotten resolutions was because I'm feeling a little bit off. There are a few things (hobbies) that I partake in that make me feel more centered. They include (but most definitely are not limited to); reading, baking, scrapbooking, photography and gardening. I realized today that I haven't had my point-and-shoot camera in my purse in almost a week. It has just been sitting on my desk. I've actually had a few moments this week where I've thought to myself, "I should take a photo of that," only to mentally kick myself for not having my camera with me.

I was also inspired by my friend Lisa's recent blog posts (check her out).

So in the spirit of continuing resolutions from past years, I'm issuing a challenge to myself to take at least one photo a day for the next month. This really shouldn't be that difficult for me, but I need something to jump-start me back in to a more creative mind frame. The weather has been awful so there has been no gardening, the room at my Mom's house that we use for scrapbooking is currently going through a remodel, the book I'm reading is less than inspiring and there are only so many cookies one girl needs to bake. So that leaves me to the task of taking more photos. The added benefit here will be.... Posts with photos! Yay!

So here is yesterday's shot. Taken from my camera phone.... still haven't put the ole point-and-shoot in my purse!

My nephew is so cute.
Everyday I learn something new from him..
Yesterday's lesson was...
Be careful what you ask for, kisses are fine, snot nosed kisses.... not so much!

Was there snow today?

I'm tired. I'm tired of the weather. I'm tired of feeling tired.... but mostly I'm tired of feeling tired from the lack of sunshine. I'm tired of wanting to go for a run then looking outside and either seeing a monsoon or a blustery freezing day.

I want running weather.

I'm not going to pretend I'm a tough all weather kind of runner. I'm not. I've ran in the wind, the rain, the hail and the snow. The truth is I hate it. Most of those instances happened either mid-run or during a race. If I have a choice I'll almost always choose the treadmill on a crummy day.

But, I have a couple of problems with indoor running.

1. Have you ever attempted to run on a treadmill for ten miles? It sucks. Half of running is mental so after about mile three you really have to start pulling from your mental reserves. (Note: It doesn't suck half as much as it sucks to run ten miles in the sleet and wind)

2. I don't like running on the treadmill at the gym. I feel too exposed and I always sense that the person next to me is trying to race me.

3. I think I've worn out my parent's treadmill. It doesn't happen every time, but there have been a few instances where the belt starts to hesitate, it stops moving in a continual forward motion. Not enough to throw me off the machine, just enough to scare the living daylights out of me and make me grab the handrail with one hand and my heart with the other.

Don't worry though.... I'm completely aware that all of these things are just excuses. Reasons why I'm not training as hard as I need to be. There are only 81 days left until my marathon and I've been a big slacker! I need to get my head in the game here. All I'm saying is that I could use a little help from the weather to motivate me. I know training for a marathon and running one aren't supposed to be easy, I just wish that it wasn't so hard either.

Wow. Rereading that leaves me with the feeling that I don't like running. Not true I say! I just like perfect running. Magical running. I'm searching for the perfect run and the Washington weather just isn't setting the scene!

Pouty-slacker-girl rant complete.

Cluck.

Just to clarify...... my last post was not meant to incite people to be mean to me. Regardless of the fact that mean people motivate me to run, I would much rather live a very happy unyelled at existence. Comprede?

I have big news.

You can now classify my as a carnivore.  

Remember a few posts ago how I mentioned I've been considering eating meat again??

Well it happened.

Most of the people who I've told have been sort of shocked.... and well to be honest they also seem really excited.

So here are the facts: Naturally it occurred at the Nordstrom Cafe. With my Mom as the lone witness. I tried a tiny bite of rotisserie chicken.

I didn't die. I didn't vomit. I didn't get sick at all.

Since then I've tried little bites of other meats... Pepperoni on a pizza, a bite of pork and more chicken bites. For now that is all I'm comfortable with. Beef just doesn't appeal to me, especially ground beef. I don't see myself ordering or cooking a meal centered around meat. I can't say that will ever change, but I have been a vegetarian for so long that it is a completely foreign concept to order/cook meat.

I also want to say that I have not yet had the, "Oh my gosh! This is what I have been missing" experience.  There is not one part of me that has regretted my years of pescatarianism.

I stated a few months back that it is really difficult to put a title to anyone's eating habits. I've heard people tell me they've been vegetarian's for years, but eat bacon once a week. So I decided a while back that the only title I can honestly give myself is: Elisatarian. It's simple really.... I eat what I want. I like to randomly cut out foods (Lent, etc.) and no other title has ever kept up with me. So now that I'm sneaking in some meat I wont claim to be anything else.

You may be wondering why the sudden change. Fourteenish years of no meat.... why change now? Well it really comes down to the one thing I've been working for in my life recently: balance. I don't want to feel like there are things out there that I can't have, just because I decided when I was 11 that that was how I would lead my life. If I want a bite of meat I think it's ok for me to have a bite, I just don't want it to be a big deal. If I go the rest of my life without wanting another bite, well that's fine too. I don't want to limit myself anymore. I really want to be able to go over to a friend's house for dinner or a family get-together and not be the pain in the ass.

Another thing that I am factoring in to all these new food ideas... is the allergy test I took last year from my naturopath. I'm still taking this into consideration, especially since when I was young I had awful stomach issues. I was constantly sick and had to have a bunch of tests done which were all inconclusive. But all those issues went away when I stopped eating meat.

Now I feel I must say this..... I'm a woman. And what's a woman's prerogative? To change her mind. So yeah, tomorrow this could all change.

To all of you that got a big smile on your face or openly cheered when I told you, don't get too excited, my days of being a pain in your ass probably aren't over.

Book update:
It has been far too long since I've updated my book list! Annnnnnnnnd that's not going to change tonight. I have been reading! Just at an incredibly slow pace. Seriously, this is the longest it has taken me to finish a book in YEARS. Why you ask? Well I joined a book club. Remember last time?  Well this time I've gone and joined not one but two clubs! Luckily I'm not organizing either of them. But I am still feeling a strain on my reading habits. There is something about being told to read a book that makes me sort of not want to read it at all. Very reminiscent of high school for me. So I'm struggling, but powering on! We'll see how long I can keep this up, I sort of just want to read what I want to read!