Thursday, September 25, 2008

What keeps me awake at night.

Until 2.30AM to be exact. Here are some of the thoughts and ideas I had before getting out of bed to scribble madly into my notebook:

Central America
South America
running shoes, brand names
Hartnackshule in Berlin, 10 weeks
low GI research, building muscle mass
visas to enter South America
packing lists, moving
organizing my mail from last year, lots of it
green tea's amazing antioxidant qualities
Hal Higdon and his marathon books
nail polish, need to remove it
the Spanish language, how to more effectively learn it

Why is it that I can go through my day in such a mellow manner, but when my head hits my pillow and my lamp is switched off, my brain begins milling at warp-speed? I get really creative and motivated when it is time to turn in, but when I wake up, I'm a little sluggish and unwilling to really take full advantage of my morning hours. Pretty soon, I'm not going to be able to blame it on jet lag! :)

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

A new domestic godess?


I've watched my mom do her annual canning my whole life. I helped out when I lived at home, but never tried to learn how to do any of it myself. This process takes my mom weeks to complete--tomatoes, pickles, beans, fruits, applesauce, sauerkraut, and so on. Two days ago, I noticed that the grapes hadn't been harvested, so I picked the ripe fruit and imagined all the possible things we could make with them (my vote was wine, but there weren't enough). Mom said jelly, so jelly it is. She guided me through the process of making jelly--boiling the fruit down, stirring in the suregel and sugar, then sealing into jars. I know how to make jelly now!

Also, we picked three large containers of apples off my grandpa's tree on Saturday. While Mom worked on canning tomatoes last night, I made applesauce for the first time! It was pretty simple, but very time consuming! I cut and cleaned almost a whole 5-gallon bucket of apples and turned it into 6 jars of fresh, juicy applesauce! Here it is:

Impressive, huh? My finished product of canning products will hopefully grow a little today as I attempt another batch of applesauce unsupervised. Here is my mom's collection of canned goods for the year:

I know, I know...she beats me in quantity by a long shot!

New Stuff

These past couple of weeks have been both relaxing and a complete whirlwind! I've had long lists of things to do each day, but have allowed myself to take things as they come. I am realizing that I like not working--is it possible to get paid to not work? If so, I want in! In all reality, I would probably enjoy this for another month, but after that, I would be looking for projects to get involved with and places to spend money. For now, I'm enjoying this transition time.

I have been in the market for a car, as you know, and I am happy to say that yesterday I found one! I looked at many cars with different makes, models, colors, sizes and prices, but nothing really felt right until I stopped by a local dealer yesterday. He showed me three cars that were about in the same price range, and here is the one I decided on:



It has relatively low miles and was priced under the low end of my price range! What color would you call it? I am not sure--it isn't gold, but it isn't brown. Tan is not exactly the right description either.

I am really relieved to have a car finally--it puts me one step closer to leaving for California. Just another week or two--I am waiting on a few last things to fall into place, but I hope to get out of here before the snow starts to fall!

One more update: I think I have a place to live all lined up in Anaheim already! I am planning to move into the spare bedroom of a spunky 94-year-old lady. She and I have talked on the phone a couple of times and she is holding the spot open for me--we'll start with a temporary lease, but as long as I'm on my best behavior, maybe she will keep me! :) (The rent is REALLY low and it would be a fantastic way for me to save a little money.)

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Martin and I are learning to dance!

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Martin was here a couple of weekends ago, and in our spare time, we whipped up this little dance and made a video of it. Enjoy! :)

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

I've got the kids today! :)


I've got my niece and nephew today--I'm watching them and having some fun with my photo booth application! The images have been altered...I know you can probably see that, but just in case, I wanted to let you know!


His head isn't really that small in real life.


Isn't she cute? Her eyes are huge and blue and my teeth look like they belong to a horse! Oh well.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

A few things...


Still no job, still no car, still enjoying life for the most part...

As mentioned in a previous post, I've been filling my days with running, Spanish and lounging during this transition time. I have gotten quite a bit done, but it has been at a VERY relaxed pace. I figure that this is a rare time in my life where it is OK to do nothing. Once I get out to California, things will be different.

I researched new music yesterday, a couple of notable finds include: Laura Marling (Brit-folk), Paramore (Brit-punk), and Vampire Weekend (indie-punk-rock). Check them out if you are looking for new tunes! I think Paramore and Vampire Weekend will make great running companions.


This is such a random post!

Finally, thanks to my aunt, I've found a new time-waster that I've quickly become addicted to: solving jigsaw puzzles on the National Geographic website. It's really fun, but if you plan to only solve one puzzle, think again.

Friday, September 5, 2008

Are there mountain lions?

http://gf.nd.gov/images/photos/mtn-lion-broch-1.jpg

I have started running again. Long ago, I used to really enjoy long runs down country roads and winding streets, however, I eventually got a little bored and started to explore other forms of exercise. It has been years since I called myself a runner, but I've decided to resuscitate my running shoes and have set a new goal: finish the Napa Valley Marathon in March. Anyone want to join me? Now, before you call me crazy, it is definitely do-able and as long as you set small goals for yourself, you can finish all 26.2 miles! I get a little nervous putting this goal into cyberworld, because, frankly, I am a little unsure I will be able to complete it myself! (But, like I said, it is do-able, small steps and goals....I will be fine) I would love company, so if you are interested, let me know (we could do a nice wine tour after the race to help speed the recovery process!) :)

My daily run has been between 3 and 4 miles--not a bad start, but I have a long way to go. I take off down the driveway and try to get as far as I can before the wind starts to dry up my sinuses and blow through my ears. Then I turn around and head home.

You might be wondering why I have made a reference to mountain lions in the title. Well, let me fill you in. I have these really random, pretty ridiculous fears, here are a few examples: sharks, things falling on my head, riding horses, extreme speed, and mountain lions.

I've been running pretty regularly since getting back to the States two weekends ago, but didn't think I had anything to fear (even after I saw a black bear run into the woods not too far from here!) until my dad mentioned that the neighbor spotted a mountain lion in the field a couple of summers ago. A mountain lion in central MN, you ask? Apparently so. This past year, my friend in Korea filled my head with stories of people hiking, jogging, and biking in California and Colorado before a surprise attacker pounced from behind the bushes to gore, shred and maul the innocent victim. The thought sends shivers up my spine.

I started off on my run two days ago, and as I made my way down the driveway, I saw a small pile of droppings discretely hidden on the edge of the pavement. Immediately, alarm bells went off in my head. I tried to calm myself down--there is no way...I mean, could it really be?...a mountain lion? I have no answers at this point--only assumptions as to what species left them there for me to find. Was it one of my parent's two dogs? A deer perhaps? Maybe I should have paid closer attention when we went through the dung unit in biology class.

I guess I shouldn't always assume the worst--I mean, why would a mountain lion choose me over any of the juicy deer, rabbits, squirrels, raccoons or porcupines roaming my parents' land? Either way, I am going to keep my eyes open from now on!

Monday, September 1, 2008

I'm back...

Well folks, I'm officially back! I've been here a week--it is a little strange to transition back into American culture. I've only bowed to one person (at a store after receiving my money, of which I accepted with two hands) and haven't had too many problems with speaking English (although, people really seem to fire questions at me quickly enough that I can't always follow). Anyway, I'm thinking about the continuation of this blog (or not continuing). I am still unsure about this, so I guess I will make a decision and keep it going until a decision is made.

My adventures are far from over--I have plans to travel to and in South America for a few months next spring (anybody want to join me?), not to mention moving to the Anaheim area in a couple of weeks. My travels up to this point have only fueled my desire to continue traveling and exploring. I'm interested in lots of 'mini-retirements' throughout my life (Korea was a nice pseudo-retirement for me--lots of vacations and a totally different environment), and hope to have lots and lots of stories to tell when I am old! :)

It has been fun being home--I have had the chance to see family before they all take off for college and the Air Force. Also, my boyfriend flew in for the long weekend (a surprise!) and it was really fun to see him on my home turf! I have yet to get a cell phone and am in the market for a car (specifically a new-ish Toyota if you know anyone), but I am looking forward to seeing friends in the coming weeks!