Tag Archives: family

5gts: Young Love edition.

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1. Mat Kearney’s new CD came out today. I am going to pick it up after work today. I guess I am one of the only people who still buys physical CDs.

2. Tonight I am hanging out with these girls so we can watch Shark Week and eat Thai. It is going to be such a great night.

3. This weekend I am headed to CT to see my fam, extended and not, and my friends from the east. I cannot wait to eat seafood and hug all the newest babies.

Chatfield Hollow and Family Picnic, here I come!

4. Tomorrow is book club. We have a few new members, and some non-members visiting. It is going to be such a blast. My book club ladies (and now gentleman!) make me laugh so hard I can’t breathe, and it’s always so fun I never want to leave.

5. Today we had a fire drill at work, and as a reward for doing such a good job we’re getting free frozen lemonade. I love me some frozen sugar.

5 perfect days

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Summer is here. And to celebrate, I spent some time yesterday day dreaming about perfect days of my life, ones that have mostly happened and ones yet to come, that hopefully will happen this summer…

Perfect day 1: To start, you’re there. Of course. We’re at the beach. We have books, a volleyball, a magical supply of iced coffees, a bathroom so close by we could throw a stone at it, an umbrella, and crossword puzzles.

Perfect day 2: You and I decide to see Third Eye Blind (or insert your favorite band.) In New York City, of course. So we spend the day wandering around the city, iced coffees in hand, walk Central Park, maybe go to a museum, and then head to our concert, where we are in the front row in seats, none the less, and there are Sam Summers to be had by all.

Perfect day 3: We’re at the winery. In Malibu. All of our friends are there, east coast, west coast, middle america, southern, everyone. And our families, if you’d like it that way. Private party, winery to ourselves. Have a set list of Mat Kearney, Jason Mraz, and a DJ. Celebrate all afternoon, into the night when the twinkle lights turn on and we dance under the stars, white wine in bulk, spinning under the clear sky until we’re tired and simply must sit down and eat some birthday cupcakes.

Perfect day 4: Farmer’s market. Then yoga. Then we head home, to our sprawling backyard where we can barbecue on our outdoor built-in grill. Burgers, corn, whip up a quick potato, macaroni salad. We swing in the hammock until our friends arrive, serve sparkling lemonade and pitchers of sangria, sit at our over sized picnic table and laugh while music plays in the background. Later, we all jump in the pool, then enjoy a bonfire in our fire pit, nestled in the backyard surrounded by old couches, and our friends jam for a bit, old 90s songs everyone knows the words to.

Perfect day 5: We get a huge group of friends together, and we hike into a national park that has climbing. We climb routes we can complete for hours, and hours, music blasting on someone’s boom box, shaded from the sun but enjoying the heat, stopping only for bagged sandwich lunches, and iced tea from our water bottles. We don’t hike out, but rather find a lake to camp next to for the night, and take a long swim before cooking dinner over a camp fire and then heading to bed. The next morning we hike out slowly, taking pictures of the flora and fauna on the way.

Don’t those sound delightful? What sounds great to you?

Getting.it.together.

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Hello folks! This week is about cleaning up my act, getting back in the swing of life, and unpacking my suitcase for long enough that I actually put it away and have to pull it back out. Some random things to tell you:

1. Last night Jeff and I made mozzarella sticks from scratch. Pictures to come, obviously.

2. There are a lot of birthdays coming up: Mary’s, Katie’s, Brittany’s, Liz’s, Jeff’s…you get the idea. Looks like I have some gifts to find.

3. My dad is graduating this weekend, which is why I went home last weekend in the first place! It was nice to celebrate with him and the rest of my family when I was home, and I am ever so proud of him.

4. When I was home, I went through a lot of my old stuff in an effort to help my parents downsize. Things I got rid of? Middle school notes, high school notes, books from classes, and random bottles of sand…

5. I saw a friend this past weekend I haven’t seen since 1999. We had a lovely breakfast in Chicago and chatted all the live long day (or for two hours, I’m not sure which.) Mary, as always, it was delightful to see you.

6. Also discovered? My CD collection, which means I have new jams on my computer, including but not limited to: TLC (Fanmail), Sheryl Crow (C’mon, C’mon), Linkin Park (Hybrid Theory), and Barenaked Ladies (Stunt.)

Looks like I have some listening to do.

As the week comes down off this Wednesday high, I have the following things to look forward to: laundry to clean, recipes to make, cakes to bake, parties to attend, children to coach. Here’s to the week being half-way done.

 

Until the sun comes up over Santa Monica Boulevard

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Well, last night I went for my first 5k-training run outside. And it went fine, surprisingly, all things considered. Here’s my path:

As you can see, this is more than three miles, something I did not remember. I had made another path, but this almost-square was easier to follow. I couldn’t remember where the two mile and three mile markers were, which probably slowed me down because I didn’t really have mile-goals so I didn’t know how I was doing. Somewhere around Gower and Santa Monica, Sheryl Crow was just stuck in my head, on repeat, as I jogged down Santa Monica in sunglasses, sun setting over the Hollywood Hills.

I probably finished around 40 minutes. The run from Santa Monica to Sunset is entirely uphill, which I knew, but I didn’t know any other way to stay below Sunset. I thought that Sunset and Sycamore was the three mile marker, and at that point I was at 43:08, so I am guess I was around 40-41 at the actual three mile marker.

I did try to run the entire first mile, which did not happen. I blame this on my foot, which has been hurting on the arch, on my left shin, and on my two-week lapse. Nikki seems to think I can run a mile before slowing down to walk. I disagree. I work in short bursts. We’ll see…

Before I left for my run, Jeff made a comment about getting one of those running lanyards that you can put around your arm, so you don’t have to, you know, tie your key to your shoe. “Well, after this weekend, I don’t think I am going to be doing much running,” I said as I tried to finagle my key onto my lace.

“What? But…you can’t stop running! You’ve inspired me! You’re my hero!” he said. Now, everyone that knows Jeff can imagine the voice he was using — his half serious, half in jest voice, that usually ends up in him speaking in an accent (Spanish, Indian, etc.) But I could tell he was (somewhat) serious.

So maybe after this 5k, I’ll keep running. Or maybe I’ll take a break and do some serious swimming. I know my Dad is starting his 5K training, so it looks like I’ll need to at least keep it up to run one with him in the fall. We’ll see.

All I know is last night I had a cookie after dinner, and I didn’t feel a little bit bad. So maybe running isn’t the worst thing that’s happened (or been forced) into my life.

Un’amica Stretta

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Like, for instance, we just learned the other day that un’amica stretta means “a close friend.” But stretta literally means tight, as in clothing, like a tight skirt. So a close friend, in Italian, is one you that can wear tightly, snug against your skin, and that is what my little Swedish friend Sofie is becoming to me.

**************

I am finally back from my road trip with Corelyn. We left last Saturday, April 23, and were on the road until Sunday, May 1. It was, as any road trip, a life-changing experience. We had a lot of adventures on the road, from the Grand Canyon to the Alamo, and I wouldn’t change a second of it.

On Monday, Corelyn put me back on a plane to LA. Neither of us cried, we just said goodbye, and I headed off. “I’m not going to watch you go through security,” Cor said, as we sat waiting as each moment ticked by. “So you don’t want to watch me inch forward and waive at me every one second?” I questioned. We laughed, but knew secretly we’d stay together every moment we could.

On the plane home, I started reading Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. The above paragraph is from that novel, in her “Italy” section. As I sat on the plane, headed home, I let a few tears go reading that section. Corelyn is un’amica stretta. She is my close friend, and I will wear her tightly, cliché or not.

I will miss her as she starts a new chapter of her life back east, but I know we will always be sorelle. In New Orleans, we stopped at a house that had been left dilapidated by Hurricane Katrina. An artist has repainted one of its walls and left a section for you to answer the statement, “Before I die…” I wrote “Open a restaurant.” Corelyn wrote, “With JP.”

I believe someday, I will open a restaurant with Corelyn. It will probably be on Apple Tush Farms, the farm I plan to have with K, SS, and M. And, my friends, we will all live happily. ever. after. For now? Filling the chapters in between with my California adventures that will restart this weekend after being away for so long. Wish me luck, loves.