Wrapping Up 2011

Around the end-ish of each year I like to go back over the goals that I set for myself the previous year, before setting new goals for the year ahead. 2011 did not quite go as planned, but by no means would I consider it a failure. It was an interesting one.


1. Do things that terrify, embarrass, startle, and otherwise freak me out. 
I'd consider this the biggest success of all time. I ended a relationship that had been my absolute rock and place of consistency and security for three years. I moved into a place on my own for the first time in my life. I asked for a bigger raise at work (and got it!), I swam with a whale shark (briefly, in six foot seas and open water, and mildly panicked the entire time). Ultimately- I completely restructured my life, stopped shying away from the unfamiliar, and learned to start trusting my own gut more than ever before. It is not the journey that I had intended for myself by any means, but it has been the most significant.

2. Learn more about the joys of yeast and fermentation.
I'd call this questionable. While I started working with sourdough fairly early on in the year- in coming to terms with my gluten intolerance as well as moving into an apartment with the most inconsistent temperature range (ever!) I really let this one slip aside. Bread baking may not be a consistent thing for me, but my love for kombucha, kimchee, and all other things vinegary and mildly terrifying has not faded. 2012 might just be the perfect year for strange fermented things.


3. Go places, take classes, and make things.
2011 was: a gyotaku class in Portland, a four-week mushroom identification class through The Puget Sound Mycological Society, a very successful mushroom hunting trip, the best cupcakes I've ever made, two types of homemade cereal (granola, and amaranth). I also took swim lessons, made recipe after recipe of mediocre gluten free cookies, and spent a whole lot of time tromping around in the woods and mud.

4. Run a full marathon and start training for a triathlon.
Hah! Oops. While I did run my second half marathon (and cut 15 minutes off my previous time!) life really got in the way of any other training. An injury in October led to me having to wear this lovely thing for three weeks, and my foot still isn't fully healed. I'm signed up for my third half marathon this coming March, and will again aim to run my first full marathon in the next year.

5. Go somewhere I've never been before.
Success! Chimacum & Point No Point, Canon Beach, Whidby Island, Guemes Island (favorite!), Port Townsend, Crystal Mountain, and most wonderfully of all- La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico!


Did 2011 throw any surprises your way?

Weekend in Photos

A ridiculous and gorgeous birthday party for my bff and love of my life, Amy; a perfect day outside planting trees at Reecer Creek in Ellensburg with some of my favorite people; and thawing my stash of summer tomatoes for a big beautiful pot of tomato basil simmer sauce. Yes, I thawed them on the floor next to my radiator. Classy!

How was your weekend?

On My Boot

Well, this happened.

I did something weird to my foot while running, and then I kept running on it. And did something else weird. So now I can't run for three weeks. Or really walk very well. My two new nicknames are "Hobbles" and "Skippy". Very endearing.

I'm trying to decide if I want to spend the next three weeks of semi-hibernation baking, reading, or contemplating adopting every single cat on the Paws website. If you have any suggestions for amazing recipes, books, or fuzzy things please share! I can handle about two days of sitting still before I start getting crazy. Watch out!

Tiny & New

Oh, hey. That's my new kitchen! It's about the size of my old bathroom, has incredibly strange lighting, and about ten square inches of counter space. But so far only wonderful things have come out of it. I made broccoli and feta pesto over gluten free pasta for dinner tonight. I have a peach and creme fraiche pie in the oven right now. My refrigerator is full of pickling cucumbers, friends are coming over for a tiny vegan feast on Friday, and I've somehow found room to store my stand mixer, ice cream maker, and canning pots. There is absolutely nothing for me to complain about.

These past three months have been the most transitional, chaotic, and challenging months that I've had in years. I'm finally settled into my new tiny home, loving what life is handing me, and working my butt off to keep myself moving forward. A lot of the things that keep me going on a day to day basis fell aside, and I can't even begin to describe how great it feels to be getting my hands dirty and making awesome messes again.

Weekend in Photos

I spent this past weekend in Portland with Brittany- mostly drinking good things, taking silly pictures of ourselves, and geeking out over Michael Pollan, who we got to see speak on Saturday night! Once home yesterday I made a quick batch of amaranth cereal and spent most of my evening on the couch with chubby Luna. Pretty darn perfect. Also- what do you think of the new layout!? My good friend Ellie designed the header for me, and I am over the moon in love with it.

Wild & Homemade

Hi loves! It's "Ask the Intern" week on Questionland- which means that there's a whole section of questions targeted just at me! I'm focusing on all things homemade and wild and would love it if any of my readers stopped on by to pester me. While Questionland is Seattle based- you definitely don't need to live in Seattle to use it. Come check out Wild and Homemade Q&A!

New Goals for the New Year: 2011

u-pick

I recently went back over my goals for 2010 and wanted to give myself a little bit of time to come up with some goals for 2011.  I prefer goals over resolutions, as they give me some direction and focus without being so dramatic.  It's no big deal if I sway in another direction halfway through the year, or if I focus on one more than any other.  The New Year coincides with my birthday, and so it really is the perfect time for me to plot out a little structure and direction.


1. Do things that terrify, embarrass, startle, and otherwise freak me out.  I can be both terribly shy and terribly calculated at times, and it doesn't really seem to do me any favors.  I'd like to get past this and be able to feel more free in my actions.  I told my entire yoga class on Wednesday night that I call myself "baby girl" in my head when I'm running as to be nicer to myself (rather than cussing myself out).  I then turned bright red and promptly shoved my water bottle in my face after I blurted it out.  It was tiny and silly, but kind of awesome.  I need more of that in my life.

2. Learn more about the joys of yeast and fermentation.  The end of 2010 had me falling in love with kimchee, falling off the kombucha homebrewing wagon, getting tired of store bought yogurt, acquiring a stand mixer with a bread hook attachment, and becoming fascinated with yeast as carbonation.  I'd also love to try my hand at making vinegar and working with sourdough, and I really think it might be time to dust off our homebrew kit and get down to making beer.

3. Go places, take classes, and make things.  Now that I'm equipped with a tiny car, a bright pink fishing pole, and a membership with the Puget Sound Mycological Society- I am unstoppable!  Well, getting there.  I've also signed up to take a gyotaku class next month in Portland, I just started a 6 week ashtanga yoga series, I'm starting swim lessons in March, and I'm really excited about the classes offered at ASUW Experimental College.  Non-stop!

 yarn heart

4. Run a full marathon and start training for a triathlon.  I ran my first half marathon in November, and my second one is coming up in March.  I've really fallen in love with running, and the fact that running a full marathon sounds insane and impossible just makes me want to do it more.  The tri training will be dependent on how well my swim lessons go!

5. Go somewhere I've never been before.  This is a bit like #3, and I'm kind of sort of cheating on this one- as I already know that I'll be spending Thanksgiving in Mexico this year (hi Mom!), but ideally I'd like to make this a semi-regular thing.  I like the idea of trying restaurants in towns I've never been to.  Adventures in the name of food!

shi shi

Have you made any goals or resolutions for 2011?

FESSup!

I realized tonight that I've never posted about the bike bags that I used to make under the name FESSup!  I say used to, because although I still make them now from time to time- it's not anything like it once was.

I started working on a bag tonight that I'm donating as an auction item for CARW's Duwamish Fundraiser this coming weekend, and it got me feeling a little nostalgic and inspired.  I've toyed with the idea of regularly making bags again, but haven't quite sold myself on it.  If I do start up again I won't be taking custom work, and will only being selling items as-is.  I've never done it for the money- so when all I was doing anymore was custom work- it took all of the creativity out of it for me as well.

I'll try to get some pictures of the bag up on my Flickr page before I send it off to its new home.  Here are some of my old favorites:
 

This was the first bag I ever put up for sale!  I ended up trading my friend Kyle for a bike wheel.

This bag is still spotted around Seattle from time to time.  If you know Ponch- you'll recognize it.  It's got to be at least three years old by now, and I can't believe it's still in one piece!

I actually cried while making this bag.  And they weren't tears of joy.  I was sick, and running out of time, and I realized right as I finished the last stitch that I had sewn one of the straps on the wrong way.  I love this bag now- but I hated it then!

Super giant custom bag for my friend Dustin- made to match his bike.

Custom bag for my friend Walker.  The checkered pocket in the front is made out material with titanium threads woven into it.  Super functional!  

Have you ever stopped doing something that you loved, only to pick it back up again years later?  Any words of wisdom? 

Hanging In, Hanging On

I am so exhausted.

I hadn't realized until last night that I haven't updated in actual WEEKS.  That wasn't supposed to happen!  Life is a little sneaky that way sometimes.  I have just been going going going non-stop for weeks on end and I really hadn't even thought about how long it had been since I'd written anything.

I'm doing what I can to get back on track, but you'll have to forgive me if posting is a little slow for a bit longer.  I have been: training for a half marathon (it's in two weeks!), trying to make it through the last month of school this quarter, still getting into the swing of my new job, fighting one crazy mess of  a head cold, celebrating lots of birthdays and baking lots of cakes and pies, hanging out with my mom for the past week eating lots of good food and drinking plenty of wine to go with it.  I haven't had time to do laundry, cook, or really even sit down and breathe.  I am completely tuckered out. 

I took this picture of myself + cat a few weeks ago to include in a silly e-mail to Brittany.  I feel like it perfectly sums up the way I feel right now.  Notice the dying plant in the background.  It's dead now.  I killed it by not blogging.

 

I need a mini-vacation.  But even that sounds like too much work right now.  Maybe I just need a nap and a bath.  Please send reinforcements in the form of tea and fleece socks.

Cougar Rock Campground, Mt. Rainier Pt. 2

Days 2 and 3!

We finished off our second day exploring a bit more of Elbe (the other side of the street haha), and driving up the mountain to Paradise- stopping a million times to take pictures. 

They had the prettiest dumpsters I've ever seen!

Our first stop on our drive up from the campground was at the Nisqually River.  Standing on this bridge made you feel incredible and tiny and sort of off balance all at once.  The river basin is so massive.  I would love to see this river in early summer when the snow is still melting.

Onward!

Can you see Paradise Lodge tucked back in there?  This area was quite developed, considering the rest of the park.  We spent a good few minutes picking up other people's trash (UGH), but were rewarded for our efforts when this little man came sneaking out of the bushes right after we got back into the car!

We finished off our second day with a short hike to a waterfall, more salmon, Carlo Rossi + Pepsi (pure class!), and an extra noisy cricket bombarding the campground (yes, just one).

Sunday morning Becca dragged me out of our tent and up the mountain on a morning run.  Yes!  I started following this 5k training program about four weeks ago now and am doing an awesome job of sticking with it.  Becca kicked my ass, and we honestly couldn't have asked for a better view.  Take that, downtown Ballard.  After our run we ate an awesome breakfast (eggs! muffins!), broke down the campsite, and headed down the mountain to Carter Falls trailhead.

Carter Falls is a fairly short and easy hike, with some great views and lots of neat things to check out along the way if you know what to look for.  It's also a great location to kick back and enjoy a fresh, cold Rainier tall-boy.  Oh yeah, we did.

Brittany the Naturalist discovered a bush of red huckleberries that had most likely been avoided by other hikers, not knowing what they were.  Score for us!

I love glacial dumps!  The woods near my dad's house growing up was full of these crazy huge boulders that had been dumped by the Mendenhall Glacier years before.  Mt. Rainier is full of these, and I really can't get enough.  They're so fascinating.

Things quickly deteriorated once we reached the falls...

 

  

We got some silly looks and some looks of envy from ladies who got it, and then headed back down to hit to road back home.

I suckered Amy into making a pit-stop with me at Copper Creek Inn to pick up pie.  Yes, pie.  Of all of the things to research before this trip- the one thing I figured out was that there was pie.  Good pie.  I actually just bought a frozen pie to bring home and bake, so that Matao might still love me a little.

All in all- a great weekend!

*Photo credits for the sly fox, and ladies w/ Rainier go to Brittany!  Thanks love!