Just another Page in the Book of Life

Characters

2012-02-01T16:14:00.000-05:00

I've always been a bit of a voracious reader. As a child, I loved the idea that books took you to another world. Truthfully, I guess that is what I still love about books. And while I do like the idea of a book providing some sort of personal edification (like the books we read in Book Club), I think I actually read books purely for entertainment. I am not ashamed to admit that I much prefer a book with a good story to one that makes me think. I love a juicy novel, a beach read...and (shhhh!) even the occasional trashy romance. Though I have gotten pretty tired of the standard trite, trashy romance plot.

In the past few years, I've turned to audiobooks to pass the time during my commute. I've calculated that I spend roughly 10-12 hours commuting a week between Baltimore, Beltsville, and Annapolis. Audiobooks are a great way to be entertained, particularly when I'm sitting in stop and go traffic on I-95. I really love epic, sweeping sagas that involve travel, intrigue, romance, and thrills. I also listen to a lot of political thrillers.

Back in the spring of 2010, I was looking for something new to listen to, and stumbled upon Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. It was billed as a historical romance. When I read that it involved time traveling, I almost passed it over for something else. I'm usually not a fan of sci-fi romance-ish books...they are usually a bit unbelievable for me. Beautiful, independent modern woman travels back in time and falls for chauvinistic, but caring Norse warrior (or some such nonsense). Outlander is 40 hrs long...but the fact that it was one of the most highly rated audiobooks on Audible.com won me over. And I'm so glad! It's one of those books where the characters just jump off the page (or in my case out of the speakers). Over the past year and a half, I've downloaded and listened to all 7 books in the series. I thought the series had been complete for awhile, and that there were about 10 books. That is, until I did some research and realized that my current download, Echo in the Bone, is the last completed book in the series. The author is currently working on the 8th book. When I discovered this piece of information, I had about 6 hours to go in number 7 and was somewhat distraught!

As I slowly dragged out listening to the last part of the book, I realized how much I've come to regard these characters as friends. I know it sounds odd, but these are characters that I've been listening to for a year and a half. They've been with me on road trips, long commutes, and occasional middle-of-the-night insomnia attacks. And I'm distraught that it will likely be another year and a half until I will hear from them again! In this world of portable On-Demand everything...it's hard for me to accept that I can't just go download the next book to find out how my friends are doing and have them in my life again!

I guess it is because the characters are so human; and so likeable. I'm finding that my favorite type of entertainment is that which entertains me AND makes me think at the same time. Take Downton Abbey, for instance. It took me awhile to jump on the bandwagon, but once I did...I'm so there! On the outside, it seems to be a British "period soap opera", but it is truly the characters and their development that make the show so compelling. We want to find out what happens plot-wise, but also want to check in with characters that feel like real people and friends.

I hope that you have "friends" like mine that entertain you and keep you company. While I anxiously await news of Jamie, Claire, Lord John, Brianna, Roger, Jem, William, Ian, and Rachel...I guess I'll have to make do and go back in time (ha ha) with Gabaldon's Lord John series. A few of the characters are the same...and hopefully that will tide me over for awhile!

The Quiet Season

2012-01-25T11:46:00.000-05:00

I imagine I am in the minority, but I really love the "quiet" of winter that settles in during January and typically continues into February. Though, if I'm honest with myself, I really just love the seasons as they change. Except summer. I have a bias against summer...for some reason we don't really get along! In January and February, it always seems like life slows down a bit. Maybe it is just the comparison of January to December (usually the busiest month of all!), but I like having time here and there where I have nothing planned. That is a rarity in my current life.

My last 2 winters have been a bit busy (2010-just got engaged, 2011-settling into marriage and our new home), so I'm happy that this one is a bit quieter. I also tend to get a nesting instinct in January...lots of cleaning, organizing, and cooking. After a busy fall, I love looking at my calendar and seeing weekends with only one or two obligations or engagements, if any at all. Life settles back into a routine in January/February, and that is where I am most comfortable. It feels a bit like I have a chance to catch up on rest, life, and priorities.

So far this winter, our weather hasn't quite felt like winter. Though I generally complain when it is bitterly cold, this year I am missing the week or two where we have temps that don't go above freezing. Those are the times that I most enjoy hot baths, hot drinks, soup, and snuggling under a down comforter. We've had a few cold nights this year, but nothing like years past! However, I am happy to do without the snows and blizzards of the past few years. A fair trade-off, I suppose.

So while I have some social engagements, performances, and fun things planned for the next few months, you're most likely to find me somewhere in my house cooking, cleaning, or some other form of being domestic. Or watching a movie in preparation for the Oscars. We've got about 7 more left to see before the big show (and our big party). Guess I'll be preparing for that in the coming weeks, as well!

2011 Year in Review

2011-12-30T10:52:00.000-05:00

I love writing these "Year in Review" posts. They really help me remember all I've done (and left undone) in the past year. This year was definitely a challenging, wonderful, stretching, and just plain FUN year! I'm not sure how one year can be all of those adjectives, but mine was. Perhaps that is just life? So here we go, Page's 2011 Year in Review:

January- I begin my first "real" (non-wedding/honeymoon/holiday) month of marriage. We visit Chapel Hill for a wedding. We eat lots of plant-based foods. I spend most of my free time trying to get our home in order. We win a fabulous home theater system and host an awesome Super Bowl party.

February- It's cold. I learn how to adjust to my husband being at rehearsal in DC most nights. The house and doggies and I bond while I learn to feel like "our" home is also "my" home. I spend a weekend in Annapolis while performing as a nun in the Sound of Music. Which was a blast! At the end of the month, J is hospitalized with pleurisy.

March- Learn about how to live out the "in sickness" clause of my wedding vows. Perform the Monteverdi Vespers. Begin the work of readying our half-plot in the community garden.

April- Spring finally seems to be peeking its head around the corner. This was a long winter for me. We throw a few dinner parties. On Easter Sunday, I try to burn off my cornea. Ouch.

May- To Scotland we go to celebrate Eliza's wedding. And just happen to touch down in London in the midst of the Royal Wedding. Drink lots of whisky, learn some Scottish dancing, and have an overall fabulous time.

June- Life slows down. I learn what it is like to be married with my husband and I home together most nights. It's awesome. We begin receiving shares from our CSA and working in our community garden plot. Veggies a-plenty and I learn a lot of new veggie recipes!

July- We watch the Wimbledon Men's Final on the theater screen upstairs. Wow. We also host a Harry Potter Marathon in preparation for the opening of the last movie. We then see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt. 2. I finally admit that I am struggling with anxiety.

August- J's family visits for a fun-filled week of food, fun, and baseball. We visit Maine! Chorale rehearsals start back up.

September- J and I both participate in 2 performances of the Mozart Requiem for September 11th memorials (he as the tenor soloist...and me in the chorus, naturally). It's moving, beautiful, and tough. Towards the end of the month, Maureen and I travel to SC for the Navy vs. SC football game.

October- Lots of Navy football. Lots of singing. And a little wine tasting.

November- I take J on a surprise trip to a B&B in Virginia Wine Country to celebrate our first Anniversary. My parents visit for Thanksgiving. I host my first Thanksgiving meal in the Spy House. It was a success, if I do say so myself.

December- The crazy singing season begins. My half marathon training schedule is demanding more long runs. I sing 6 concerts in 10 days. My parents arrive. We celebrate a lovely Christmas...complete with J's special custom "Spy House" holiday blend of coffee.

There you have it...My Year. With its ups and downs, highs and lows, joys and struggles. All on this journey that we call "Life" that I feel quite privileged to be on!

NaBloCleanPoMo Day #13 Jeans

2011-11-15T22:25:00.000-05:00

Today's NaBloCleanPoMo project is not cleaning per se, but something I've had on my list for awhile. Hemming my jeans. I should start by stressing that I am not a seamstress. Hemming jeans made me panic because I couldn't imagine cutting the hem off. Then I found this tutorial that doesn't require cutting. So I decided to try it. And it worked like a charm!

My camera battery died, so I had to take photos on my Blackberry. My eyes hurt too much from sewing to transfer them over, but I followed the instructions in the tutorial above, but without a sewing machine.

So proud of myself!

NaBloCleanPoMo Day #12 Cashmere

2011-11-13T21:18:00.000-05:00

I learned a few years ago that instead of dry cleaning cashmere, you can hand wash it. I have to say, hand-washing at our house is made much easier by the fact that we have a utility sink in the laundry room. If that doesn't make you jealous, it should. I have never had a utility sink at all....and having one in the laundry room is awesome!

Dirty cashmere sweaters

Step 1: Soak sweaters in cold water with a hand-wash detergent (I used Woolite) for 20 minutes

Step 2: Drain the water out of the sink. Then press as much water out of the sweaters as you can (do not wring)

Step 3: Lay sweaters on a towel and use the towel to press even more water out

Step 4: Lay sweaters flat to dry

Once they dry, the cashmere sweaters will be fresh, clean, and ready to wear!

NaBloCleanPoMo Day #11 Laundry Room

2011-11-12T13:39:00.000-05:00

Today was supposed to be a "do nothing" day. However, J and I cleaned the Laundry Room since it was on my list for NaBloCleanPoMo. I don't have a good before picture of how disorganized and "linty" the room was, but here are some in progress pictures:

With the dryer moved out

Closer look

After...everything clean and organized. My main accomplishment was getting rid of the miscellaneous stack of stuff on top of the dryer.

Done!

And now, I'm ready to go watch some football.

NaBloCleanPoMo Day #10 Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend

2011-11-10T23:49:00.000-05:00

When I was but a young girl, I sometimes thought diamonds were commonplace. Everyone had diamonds! I had pearls, garnets (my birthstone), sapphires...all those other lovely gems but diamonds. Consequently, I didn't get my first pair of diamonds until the age of 30. You can read the full story here. After I got my first diamonds, I learned how to clean them on my own.

Now, I have a diamond engagement ring and I use my grandmother's diamond wedding band as my own. They are soldered together, but still need a bit of cleaning now and then as well. I often forget to clean my sets of diamonds, and they get a bit cloudy and lose some of their sparkle. Thankfully, diamonds are easy to clean!

Ring before

Earrings before

Step 1: Soak in warm, soapy water

Step 2: Clean gently with a soft-bristled toothbrush

Step 3: Finish with a quick dip in a windex/water solution

Rings...sparkly and back where they belong

And my earrings, back to their lovely, sparkly selves!

NaBloCleanPoMo Day #9 Spooky Chandelier

2011-11-09T22:50:00.000-05:00

The other morning while I was lying in bed, with the lovely fall morning sun streaming in the windows past the trees changing color, I looked up at the chandelier in our bedroom. And discovered it was covered in cobwebs. Obviously, I don't spend much time in our bedroom while it is light, or I guess I would have noticed earlier! I think the last time we cleaned the chandelier was last winter when J got on a ladder to change a bulb and gave it a quick dust. So, after a long rehearsal tonight, I decided an "easy" NaBloCleanPoMo task was in order.

See the cobwebs?

My trusty long-handled swiffer duster

After- no more cobwebs!

NaBloCleanPoMo Day #8 My Closet

2011-11-08T20:53:00.000-05:00

So tonight is one of my few nights at home during the week. I even made a crockpot meal so that I wouldn't take up my evening time cooking a meal. After I ate my pot roast, I headed upstairs to tackle switching out my summer and winter clothes and re-organizing my closet.

I hate organizing my closet. We have a number of closets in our house, but J uses the two in our bedroom. The sitting room is my "dressing room"/closet. But, there is only one small closet, so I use the closet in the 3rd floor hallway (old house...the closet is not actually in a room) as my off-season closet. To be honest, I have all of my coats and formal clothes (including my wedding dress...which still needs to be dry-cleaned...definitely a NaBloCleanPoMo project) in the guest bedroom closet, which helps with space.

Anyway, switching clothes requires going up and down the stairs multiple times. I dread it. But, tonight, I sucked it up...and even managed to organize my shoes and some of the other items in the closet.

Notice the mess of stuff on the top shelf and on the floor of the closet

In progress. My summer shoes are in the laundry basket to go upstairs

And After. Winter clothes in, shoes organized, and top shelf in order. I could probably organize the shirts, skirts, pants and dresses by color. But that is a project for another day.

NaBloCleanPoMo Day #7 Guest Room Rugs

2011-11-07T23:36:00.000-05:00

It's late. I'm exhausted. Tonight's project was on the list...but not difficult.

Our guest room floors are wood (like the rest of the floors in the house), and are cold. So in the winter, we put rugs down to "warm it up".

No rugs.

Better, no?

Time for bed.

NaBloCleanPoMo Day #6 Kitchen Table

2011-11-06T23:08:00.000-05:00

Our kitchen table seems to be a catch-all in our house. Papers, stuff, more stuff....you get the picture. Today, I ran 9 miles in the afternoon and didn't have the time or energy to undertake a big project. So I decided to organize the stuff on our kitchen table. Really boring, but needed.

Kitchen Table Before

Kitchen Table After

And there you have it.

NaBloCleanPoMo Day #5 The Gutter

2011-11-06T00:09:00.000-04:00

One project that we have to complete occasionally at our house is cleaning out the gutters. Well, I at least am in charge of the gutter on the front of our house. Most people are able to get up to clean their gutters with a ladder. We don't have a ladder tall enough to get to the gutter on our 2nd floor. So someone has to go out the bedroom window. Seeing as I am blessed with former gymnast toe-grip skills, I am the best choice for crawling out on the pitched roof to empty the gutter.

The last time we cleaned the front gutter was 10:30 at night before we were headed to Maine. A storm called Irene was headed our way, and we wanted to be sure the gutters were free to carry water away from our house. Even though it was chilly this morning, this was a much easier project during the day. Although, I could see how high up I actually am on the roof...

I think the following pictures tell the story well:

Clogged gutter

Step 1: Remove window screen

Step 2: Climb out window and scoot down pitched roof towards gutter

Step 3: Lean over and pull gunk out of gutter and throw to ground

Perch carefully (notice the car on the street below...that's how high it is!)

Unlike Felina, who laid on the floor while I was magic erasing the wall, Kyra wanted to help with the gutters. We told her that dogs and roofs don't mix.

She was sad.

Much cleaner!

I am glad this is a task we don't have to do all that often!

NaBloCleanPoMo Day #4 Marble Entry

2011-11-04T23:32:00.000-04:00

Tonight was my normal house cleaning time...bathrooms, vacuum, mop, etc. While I was in scrubbing and cleaning mode, I decided to scrub our marble entry.

The poor entry will never be back at it's former glory...as with many homes in our neighborhood, it was turned into apartments back in the 40s, and the entry was never really properly cared for.

But, a good scrub now and then does at least keep it somewhat clean.

Before

Cleaning tools: a rag, scrub brush, and soapy water

Not too much of a difference, other than that the colors are brighter

But at least I got up some of the dirt that we track in on a day to day basis.

NaBloCleanPoMo Day #3 Gift Cards

2011-11-03T21:58:00.000-04:00

Tonight I didn't have too much time to clean/blog between Church Choir and Owl Bar. So I picked an easy task...organizing the gift cards we have left over from wedding stuff, etc. Not exciting at all, but something that needed to be done.

Gift Cards before

Gift Cards after

Let the spending begin!

NaBloCleanPoMo Day #2 The Tub

2011-11-02T23:33:00.000-04:00

As I've written before, one of my favorite things about our house is the claw foot tub in the Master Bathroom. I am an avid bath taker, and this tub speaks to me! Over the past year, though...after getting lots of use, I started noticing that there was a stained "ring" around the bottom of the tub. I'm used to rings around the top, but these were stains that didn't go away with my regular lysol scrub.

So, today, I bought some soft scrub to try and get rid of the stains. It worked like a charm!

It's hard to see in this picture, but the stained ring is around the bottom of the tub.

A closer look at the stubborn stains

My scrubbing tools

After...no more stains!

After close-up

So again for comparison....

Before...

...and After!

So while not a very exciting transformation, it is great to have an easy cleaning project that only took about 10 minutes, and makes a difference in the everyday cleanliness of my life.

NaBloCleanPoMo Day #1 Magic Erase the Wall

2011-11-01T21:54:00.000-04:00

One of the things that I have had to adjust to most in our new house is having dogs. I love the dogs, don't get me wrong, but dogs are much harder to clean up after. Thankfully, J takes care of the grossest clean up (poop scooping), but vacuuming and keeping things in the house clean usually fall to me. I've mostly gotten a handle on managing dog hair in the house (by realizing that I will never win the War against dog hair...but I can win battles!), but one thing that still baffles me is the dirt on the walls. Ok, it's not too baffling, since I know Felina rubs up against the wall ALL the time.

She is an itchy dog, and I think she thinks the wall scratches her. It also deposits lovely dirt from the baseboard up to where the top of her back hits the wall. Case in point:

Of course, when I am home and see her walk back and forth rubbing on the wall, I scold her. But, I have visions that as soon as we leave the house, she spends her day walking up and down the wall. Probably not, but it sure looks like it. As I was cleaning the wall tonight, I remembered that when we were giving the dogs a bath this week, I wondered why Felina wasn't as dirty as Kyra. As I was cleaning the wall, I realized that Felina probably deposits her dirt on the wall each day!

The only thing I've found that helps get rid of the dirt is the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. It isn't perfect, but it helps. I know eventually I'll probably rub most of the paint off the wall trying to get it clean, but the walls need to be painted in a few years anyway!

Here is a wide angle view of the wall:

So I got out my trusty Magic Eraser and went to work.

Yuck!

Felina was no help. I think she was looking at me thinking, "As soon as you're done, I'm rubbing up against that wall again!"

And the finished product. It is still drying a bit in this photo, but I do think I will need to go back over it at some point. Maybe tomorrow. But, it is much better than before! For comparison again...

Before...

And after!

Thus completes NaBloCleanPoMo Day #1! Stay tuned for tomorrow's project...

November's NaBloCleanPoMo

2011-10-31T17:56:00.000-04:00

For those of you who don't know, November is National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo). The challenge is to write a blog post everyday for a month. I actually tried to complete NaBloPoMo a few years ago. Surprise... I didn't succeed! But with my recent 30 day exercise challenge success, I feel ready to tackle another "Every day for a month" challenge. Since I haven't been too successful at the yearly challenges...ahem....365 day...fail, I thought I'd try to stick with a 30 day challenge. Although, my husband has informed me that the new standard is it takes 40 days to create a habit, not 30. This as he comes to the end of his own exercise-every-day-for-30-days-challenge.

Anyway, I thought it would be helpful to put a different spin on posting everyday for a month and add a home improvement component. (In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that I stole this idea from a friend who did it a few years ago). I love reading blogs with before and after photos of house projects like Young House Love, and improve-your-house-and-life projects like the 20/20 Cure so I figured I'd try my own hand at it for a month.

However, there are not that many non-expensive projects I can complete and blog about everyday for a month. So, my projects will be cleaning projects. I have house guests coming for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, and while my house is fairly organized and clean, it could certainly be more so. And bringing out Christmas decorations has the tendency to make surfaces look more cluttered, so I'm guessing getting rid of the bits of actual clutter that are there will improve things!

I feel like I've finally gotten a handle on managing our large, lovely, old Victorian house. Old houses get dirty fast! And with so much space, clutter builds up in a heartbeat. If I don't vacuum at least weekly (and preferably twice a week), dog hair tumbleweeds start making their way down our hallways. I was used to a small 3 bedroom house...then a 1 bedroom apartment...and then a townhouse. Going from 1500 square feet with 2 people and 2 kitties (and a roommate who did most of the cleaning)...to 3300 square feet with 2 people, 2 LARGE dogs, and ME doing most of the cleaning was an adjustment.

I also really love the idea of doing a cleaning task each day. Though, it's difficult on days I have rehearsal and leave the house at 7:30 or 8 AM and arrive home at 10:45 PM. But I'm gonna do my best! I think I will always have one day a week where I do a big 2-3 hour clean of the house, but I want to get used to doing one extra task a day as well. I've made a list of every little random cleaning and organizing project in the house I could think of, and I came up with 25. I'm sure I'll come up with others as the month goes on. I have tasks like scrub our marble entrance, organize my closet, and wash my cashmere sweaters on the list.

It's gonna be fun. I'll be completing a project a day, taking pictures, and posting about the project. So tomorrow, look for the first NaBloCleanPoMo post. Anyone else want to join me?

Making Progress

2011-10-03T11:43:00.000-04:00

5. Workout everyday for a month

This was my goal for the month of September.

Frankly, this is one I didn't think I would ever complete! Some weeks I find it difficult enough to get 3 runs in...much less some form of exercise every day. But, moving into my new office and having a free gym less than 100 steps from my desk made all the difference.

My main rule was that the "exercise" had to be at least 30 minutes of some form of cardio. In order to not kill my body (and mind), I deemed that walking could count. I ran at least 3 times a week, got on the elliptical about 2 times per week, and walked the rest of the time. I tried to save walking for days that I was at my house and didn't have access to the office gym. The toughest day was the day I walked 30 minutes in the pouring rain. For some reason, it's easier for me to run in the rain than walk. Maybe because I feel more hardcore.

I'd love to say that after exercising every day for a month I've lost weight. Sadly, that is not the case. I'm about the same as I was at the beginning of September. However, I seem to have leveled out the steady gain I had been working on since this time last year. And, I have noticed other benefits to my efforts. I feel fitter, I'm sleeping better, I also feel more disciplined and happier with my body (even thought I didn't lose any weight). And, duh...my blood pressure and resting heart rate have dropped.

I have to say, some days it was really hard to go exercise, and it was only not breaking my streak that got me out there. So, while one of my goals was to create a habit of exercising every day, I think I need the freedom to occasionally say, "You know what, I just can't do it today". And that is ok. However, I'd like to maintain a habit of exercising 5 days week. Mon-Thurs at the office, and Saturday (or Sunday) long runs. J and I have bought a treadmill for our house, so that should help as well. My goal is to run my normal 3 days a week, and cross train the other 2. I think I also want to start back up with some weight training 3 of the 5 days.

So while I won't be as regimented as I was in September, I want to still reap the benefits of creating this habit!

Another Item Crossed Off the "Life" List...

2011-09-21T11:22:00.000-04:00

43. ~~Make a Great Latte~~

When I envisioned crossing off #43, I thought I would have to buy a good quality espresso machine and learn how to steam/froth milk.

NOT. SO.

My new office has many amenities...an awesome gym, unlimited candy, many "hip" places to sit, read, and work...but my favorite by far is the espresso machine. When I heard that there would be an auto-espresso machine in the Coffee Shop of our new office, I imagined it would be one of those gas station "cappucino" machines that puts out a sickly sweet mix of milk, coffee flavoring, and sugar...calling itself "French Vanilla Cappucino". Yuck.

NOT. SO.

The machine (from which we can get unlimited drinks FOR FREE) is La Cimbali Q10. One of the better auto-espresso machines out there. The price tag is on up there for this gem, but well worth it (especially when I didn't buy it!). And it makes a fabulous latte. Much better than Starbucks...and some other coffee chains. The espresso is smooth, the milk perfectly foamy...yum.

So, while all I do is press a button. I'm still "making" the latte. And as long as I'm at my current job with this machine in my life...I don't think I'll be trying to make my own latte by hand any time soon. So, I'm counting it.

End of an Era

2011-08-10T16:50:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, in a lack-of-coffee-induced AM haze, I totaled my 10 year old Blue Saturn Coupe. The accident was not that bad, but was my fault, and did more damage to my Saturn than she was worth. I made do with a rental and with J's car for 2 weeks, and then finally, after research and test driving, last night I bought a new car.

Meet my economical, somewhat sporty, environmentally responsible red Prius!

J and I had been discussing getting a new car for me for awhile, and had done some research. I had never thought about buying a Prius, but with all of the driving I do (500 miles or so a week sometimes!), it makes sense financially.

As much as I love this new car, I was really sad to see my little Saturn go. She was a great car, and even though she was worn down, a little dirty, with no shocks and a slow oil leak, I was sad to see her go. Last night, I even realized that yesterday, August 9th, was 10 years to the day that I got my Saturn. She was a college graduation gift from my parents and in a way, marked my passage into adulthood. I started thinking about what has transpired these past 10 years, and how she had been a part of it.

She took me to Spartanburg to move into my first post-college house. She transported me on countless fruitless job interviews right after 9/11, and finally to a successful one that provided my first job. She carried numerous college girls to many lunches, coffees, and dinners. Cleaning her on Saturday mornings provided something for me to do other than sit inside watching TV. She ferried my roommates and I on many ice cream outings. She safely transported me to "the Branch" on icy and snowy roads. She helped me map out the mileage for running courses during half-marathon training. She made the trip to Annapolis with me as I moved my life from SC to Maryland (while the Uhaul had most of my personal belongings, she carried the sterling and the grits!)

She got a fabulous daily workout commuting from Annapolis to the Westside of Baltimore every day. She took me to my first audition for the Chorale. She became an expert at navigating between Annapolis and SC. She experienced apartment living for the first time. Her backseat became the scene of many mid-afternoon naps. She transported me to my first date with my husband. And consequently made many trips to Baltimore over the next 2 years. And learned about Baltimore's window-breakers. She learned how to carry my bike during triathlon training. She's an expert at navigating the Chick-Fil-A Drive-thru. She became a fabulous partner on my wedding planning excursions. Her sound system kept me sane during crazy long commutes. She moved with me to Baltimore and took up residence in our tiny, one car garage. And she finally came to rest in a collision repair facility in Randallstown. Though by now, I'm guessing she is scrap metal and parts. :(

So, my attachment to my Saturn is obviously nostalgic. :) My Prius and I are getting used to each other...and I'm excited to see what my next 10 years with him/her will contain!

Laptop Lunches

2011-07-27T21:51:00.001-04:00

After stalking a friend's Blog, Facebook, and Flickr account for awhile (shout out to Kristi!), I noticed she has a lunch system she uses for her 4 kids called "Laptop Lunches". Basically, Laptop Lunches is a company that sells Bento Box style lunch boxes. A Bento Box is a Japanese type of food presentation that is typically used for sushi, tempura, etc. But there is apparently a "Bento Box" movement for making healthy lunches.

For me, lunch is one of the most difficult meals to make healthy. Mostly because all I ever want for lunch is Chick-fil-A. My bad.

Anyway, in my recent quest for healthiness, I've decided I need some kind of system for lunches. Enter Laptop Lunches. While the Bento Boxes aren't cheap, I haven't had any type of "lunch box" for awhile. I try to bring my lunch to work often, but usually I have some sort of leftovers in a Gladware container. A Bento Box style lunch is beneficial for a number of reasons.

Number #1: The Bento Box is really cute. I know, I know...a terrible reason for me to like it, but I do!

Number #2: Portions are easily controlled. One thing emphasized by the bento box is variety. Instead of bringing a large-ish portion of leftovers, I feel challenged to bring 4 different types of food in my lunch. And since the containers are not very large, I can't bring "too much" of one item.

Number #3: As mentioned above, the variety makes it easy to bring fruits, veggies, whole grains, and protein. I strive to have one container of each of those food groups in my Bento Box.

I'm in my second week of taking Bento lunches...and I love them! I feel virtuous, they taste good, and I know I am being both healthy, and environmentally friendly. I usually prep my lunches on Sunday, and then simply pack them up each night before I go to bed for easy transport in the morning (great for us non-morning folk).

Here is my first day of Laptop Lunching:

The outer insulated case

The actual Bento Box

The selection for my first week of Laptop Lunches: Homemade gazpacho (thanks, J!), Strawberries with feta and balsamic, deviled egg, and carrots

I'm hoping that making and brining healthy lunches to work will help me be healthier, lose a bit of weight, be environmentally conscious, and help me save money (Chick-fil-A gets expensive!)

365 Catch Up

2011-07-19T22:24:00.000-04:00

Dirty keyboard...still!

Oh, stopped traffic

Crab Feast Fun

Cheese Straws!

Little Italy from my room at the Marriott

Downtown Baltimore

The Inner Harbor

Chick fil A Drive Thru

Hijacking a piano (by request) on my neighborhood's Home and Garden Tour

Picking Up my Working Hubby in his Tux at the Metro

Our girls

Stupid work reports

Trolley Tours

Updated front porch

Backyard Flowers

Engineers' Club Dining Room

Crackberry

Desktop Background

Good Ole Health Insurance Claims

Doing some iTunes Work

Danger!

Preakness Silk Corks

Engineers' Club Orientals

Empty Decanters

Car still chugging along

Crew on the water

The Jesus balloon has risen!

Summer Time Warp

2011-07-19T16:20:00.000-04:00

Ever notice how the summer just goes...Poof?! Even though I haven't been in school for, oh...10 years, parts of my world still revolve on a summer schedule. J and I had lots of plans for the summer, mostly to just spend time together after our busy, busy Spring.

Sadly, in terms of free time, the summer is almost over for us. I start rehearsals for the September 11th Mozart Requiem performance on July 25th. J starts his Tosca rehearsals at the beginning of August. And things just get busier from there! Thankfully, we still have a vacation coming (Maine, oh how I love you!) and I'm excited to introduce J to one of my favorite places to relax with friends.

I do still have some pictures to upload, and despite myself, I'm determined to get them uploaded to the blog tonight! I may even have some recent ones for you...

So far this summer we've:

-Cataloged 1/4 of J's (and my) wine collection
-Gotten our house in its current state of order
-Worked in our vegetable garden
-Had a Harry Potter marathon in the home theater
-Made Chocolate Frogs
-Spent time with friends
-Cooked a lot of meals with our CSA veggies
-Spent a lot of $ fixing our HVAC unit

This summer, I'd still like to:

-Finish cataloging the wine
-Work on checking some items off the list on the right
-Continue eating healthy
-Make exercising 4 times a week a priority
-Relax

Happy Mid-July everyone!

I Should be Used to this by Now...

2011-06-28T16:21:00.000-04:00

...wimping out on a 365 Project, that is! I'm pretty frustrated at myself...I was doing well keeping up until...well, I wasn't. Life gets busy, and I forgot one day...and that was it.

The sad part is I still have about a month's worth of pictures that I did take but never posted! Since I have them, I will definitely post them.

And, I think today I will pick back up with the 365 Project. I'm learning these days about fighting my desire to be perfect, and to not give up if I'm not achieving perfection. So I think a fitting application would be to continue with the Project, but not try to make it perfect!

In any case, my goal is to get the photos I do have on the blog tonight.

Crossing something else off my list on the right

2011-05-10T10:03:00.000-04:00

~~21. Spend some time Hiking./visiting in Scotland.~~

Done.

Of course, we didn't "hike" much per se...I stumbled around a field to take a picture of a cow. And we walked A LOT.

I'm counting it.

129/365 A Clean Stove

2011-05-09T20:29:00.002-04:00

Makes me want to cook.

128/365 Clean

2011-05-09T20:28:00.000-04:00

After a good post-trip vacuum, my floors no longer have dog-hair tumbleweeds rolling down them.

127/365 Leaving Buchanan Street

2011-05-09T20:27:00.000-04:00

126/365 Glasgow Cathedral

2011-05-09T20:26:00.002-04:00

125/365 St. Andrew's Old Course

2011-05-09T20:25:00.002-04:00

124/365 Cathedral in Inverness

2011-05-09T20:24:00.003-04:00

123/365 The Highlands

2011-05-09T20:24:00.000-04:00

122/365 Edinburgh Castle

2011-05-09T20:23:00.001-04:00

121/365 A Scottish Wedding

2011-05-09T20:22:00.000-04:00

120/365 Hen Party

2011-05-09T20:21:00.002-04:00

In the park. Day 1 of fabulous Scotland weather.

118-119/365

2011-05-09T20:20:00.000-04:00

This was one never-ending 2 days...so I count this photo as two. Folks watching the Royal Wedding in London-Heathrow. Priceless.

117/365 Looking Out my Kitchen Window

2011-05-09T20:19:00.000-04:00

116/365

2011-05-09T20:17:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago we finally hung the windchimes we received as a Wedding gift. They were gently chiming tonight whne I got home.

115/365 New Look

2011-05-09T20:16:00.000-04:00

This will be my look for the next 2 weeks. I tried to burn my cornea off with peroxide contact solution.

114/365 Easter

2011-05-09T20:14:00.000-04:00

Easter Dinner spread. Yum!

113/365 A Run

2011-05-09T20:13:00.000-04:00

View of Baltimore during my run through Druid Hill Park.

112/365

2011-05-09T20:12:00.000-04:00

It's an appropriately rainy Good Friday in Annapolis.

111/365 Owling Again

2011-05-09T20:11:00.000-04:00

109/365 The end of Ribeye and Cabernet Night

2011-05-09T20:10:00.000-04:00

108/365 A week and a half...

2011-05-09T20:09:00.002-04:00

Before we go to Scotland and need to eat all of these veggies out of the fridge!

107/365 A week from Easter...

2011-05-09T20:08:00.000-04:00

I'm not doing so well with my Lenten Discipline.

106/365 Whisky Dinner

2011-05-09T20:07:00.000-04:00

A collection of some of the whiskeys we tasted.

105/365 Getting ready for the Whisk(e)y Dinner

2011-04-16T12:25:00.000-04:00

This would be part of J's "Whisk(e)y Library"

104/365

2011-04-16T12:19:00.003-04:00

The Owl Bar's updated selections.

103/365 Traffic on Main Street

2011-04-16T12:19:00.000-04:00

102/365 Almost forgot!

2011-04-16T12:17:00.000-04:00

Since I left my camera in Annapolis, I almost forgot to take a picture with my Blackberry on this day! So, here is the view of our ceiling from my side of the bed. Hey, at least I got a picture in!

101/365

2011-04-16T12:16:00.000-04:00

Even my work computer is glad it is Spring!

100/365 Spring! Finally!

2011-04-16T12:13:00.000-04:00

99/365

2011-04-16T12:12:00.000-04:00

Kray-Kray misses the mini-human visitors we had all week.

98/365

2011-04-16T12:07:00.000-04:00

I guess it takes a lot of different trumpets to make good renaissance brass music!

97/365

2011-04-16T12:05:00.002-04:00

I've been getting my runs in at the office recently.

96/365

2011-04-16T12:04:00.002-04:00

Enjoying Cain Concept at the new wine bar in town.

95/365

2011-04-16T12:03:00.000-04:00

I get kind of tired of looking out this window every day.

94/365

2011-04-16T12:01:00.000-04:00

4 wine and food lovers sure can put away a lot of wine in one evening!

93/365 Ready for a Spring-themed Dinner Party

2011-04-16T12:00:00.000-04:00

92/365 Helpful Doggies

2011-04-16T11:59:00.000-04:00

This is what happens when you carve a chicken on a smallish counter.

91/365 A Day Brightener

2011-04-16T11:58:00.000-04:00

Hoops and Yoyo + Coffee always helps brighten a morning at the office.

90/365

2011-04-16T11:56:00.000-04:00

89/365 Rainy Night on West St

2011-04-16T11:54:00.000-04:00

88/365 Just another Tuesday night at the Spy House

2011-03-29T21:30:00.000-04:00

A rather tasty wine to enjoy and toast the birth of Nora Kate!

87/365 A little "me" time

2011-03-29T21:29:00.000-04:00

86/365 Brunch with the girls after church

2011-03-29T21:28:00.002-04:00

85/365 Dinner

2011-03-29T21:27:00.000-04:00

The perfect meal to go with wine...

84/365 Matchy Matchy...and yet not

2011-03-26T15:32:00.000-04:00

When I get to the end of the day and have forgotten to take a photo, I generally find something around the house to photograph. Here are the curtains and the ceiling in our kitchen. The fabric from these curtains were the drapes in my Mom's Living Room for 30 years. She got new ones last year, and brought a lot of fabric up to make valances for our house. These worked best in the kitchen. Who would have thought that 30 year old drapes would freshen up and make great valances to match our copper ceiling? I love re-purposing...

83/365 Not posting here

2011-03-26T15:29:00.000-04:00

Due to privacy issues, I'm not going to post my Day 83 pic here. If you'd like to see it, let me know (it's not inappropriate!).

82/365 Just Barely

2011-03-26T15:28:00.000-04:00

The rental car I'm using this week while my car is in the shop just barely fits in our garage!

81/365 Spring Closer?

2011-03-26T15:26:00.000-04:00

Looks like there are a few more buds on this tree than there were last week...

80/365 Rehearsing

2011-03-26T15:25:00.000-04:00

This is my usual Monday night view.

79/365 Marcello

2011-03-26T15:24:00.000-04:00

Like most kitties, Marcello likes to be up high.

78/365 Serious Day of Domesticity ends in the Kitchen

2011-03-19T21:12:00.000-04:00

Here is where I ended my Day of Domesticity. It began in our Community Farm garden plot where I helped turn over the soil to prepare it for planting. Then, I cleaned up our back yard. Next, I cleaned the whole house. Then, I made stir fry with leftover veggies and cleaned up the kitchen. Now, I'm about to fall asleep...

77/365 Finally!

2011-03-19T21:10:00.001-04:00

Very happy that these are back on my finger. And soldered together so they will forever be symmetrical...Hallelujah!

76/365 Basketball and St. Paddy's Day

2011-03-19T21:08:00.000-04:00

Basketball on the Big Screen and Green Beer. March Madness and St. Paddy's Day meet at our house.

75/365 Marble

2011-03-19T21:07:00.000-04:00

I've heard stories of how Baltimore housewives used to scrub their marble entries everyone morning. Mine obviously needs some scrubbing..but isn't the inlaid pattern pretty? :)

74/365 Daily View

2011-03-19T21:05:00.002-04:00

Welcome to my office...

73/365 Spring?

2011-03-19T21:04:00.002-04:00

Looks like the trees are thinking about budding.

72/365 Oy vey

2011-03-19T21:03:00.000-04:00

This light is becoming the bane of my existence...

71/365 Doggie Baths

2011-03-19T21:02:00.000-04:00

Felina gets a bath. Kyra got one too...but she was moving too much to catch a picture!

70/365 Adios, Santa!

2011-03-12T11:28:00.000-05:00

Looks like Christmas at our house is dead.

69/365 A Piece of my Mind

2011-03-12T11:27:00.000-05:00

I'm working on absorbing this into the fabric of my being. It's not so easy...

68/365 Backseat

2011-03-12T11:25:00.000-05:00

I think it's time to clean out the back seat of my car...

67/365 Crash Night

2011-03-12T11:23:00.000-05:00

I spent Tuesday night in bed in front of the TV...it was fabulously relaxing!

66/365 Back at the Office

2011-03-12T11:21:00.000-05:00

Strangely, I was glad to see this view again after a week of working from home during my husband's convalescence from pleurisy.

65/365 Messy Bedside Table

2011-03-12T11:18:00.000-05:00

Time to pick up...

64/365 Standing Ovation

2011-03-12T11:16:00.000-05:00

They must have really liked the Monteverdi Vespers

63/365 The Two Towers on the "Big Screen"

2011-03-04T15:38:00.000-05:00

62/365 Behind

2011-03-04T15:36:00.000-05:00

I am quite behind on my Daily Bible reading. Time to catch up!

61/365 Chandelier

2011-03-04T15:35:00.000-05:00

To put the Home Theater in our Library/Study, we had to switch light fixtures. So now, this lovely chandelier is in our bedroom.

60/365 TV moves again

2011-03-04T15:33:00.000-05:00

I am generally against TVs in the bedroom, but decided to relent for J's convalesence

59/365 Waiting

2011-03-04T15:29:00.000-05:00

My camera battery died...so the next few pictures are with my BlackBerry. Here, Felina is waiting patiently for J to come home from the hospital...

58/365 Little Helper

2011-03-04T15:21:00.000-05:00

What do you do when your fancy coffeemaker is ailing, and the only person who can fix it is in the hospital? Invest in a little Mr. Coffee to help out...

57/365 Change of Plans...

2011-03-04T15:19:00.000-05:00

Hospital stays are nasty, nasty things. Poor J...but at this point, at lease he was not in as much pain...

56/365 Getting Ready...

2011-03-04T15:18:00.000-05:00

Our "second" TV sits ready for the Oscars Party (which, sadly, was not meant to be).

55/365 A Gift

2011-03-04T15:15:00.000-05:00

A lovely wedding gift from a dear friend. Looking up Main St in Annapolis...you can see St. Anne's.

54/365 See more of our home...

2011-03-04T15:13:00.000-05:00

I love the large plank wood floors in our home. Scratches, imperfections, and all. I think they tell an interesting story about our house.

53/365 Snow

2011-02-22T21:20:00.003-05:00

Snow on the Belvedere.