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turning a new leaf

First off, I apologize once again for the large gap between posts.  School has got me busy again, and Boeger has given me many more hours to work for the Apple Hill season. I was rewarded by my boss with a gift certificate to Asante Spa for all the long hours I have been putting in. So excited for that! I'm trying to convince my Mom to come get pampered with me- she deserves it more than I do.

So let me catch you up on me now. Last weekend was Oktoberfest, and I burned myself bad. I started out the hoping to just have 2 beers, see some wiener dog races, and go home. That didn't happen. I had 6 drinks throughout the night (wine, appletini, 2xbeers, 2xmanhattans plus sips off of some Delicious sangrita/tequila!). I actually don't remember a lot of what happened that night. Luckily, a friend's sister and her boyfriend drove me to their house so I could vomit and crash. I thought I lost my purse,which had my phone and car keys (my car was parked on main street) but it showed up in a linen closet that I didn't know they had. It is so freaky to be that wasted. Plus, I had to work the next morning and thought I was going to die. Needless to stay, since then, I have began trying to implement some changes in my life.  The most major, of course, is self control.

Filed under self control, you would find my desire to not drink soda anymore. I only drink soda at work; with the gain in hours for the season, that means I work 4 days a week. That's 4 sodas a week! Too much. I have been doing really well with that one. I also haven't really had the urge to have a beer or wine (definitely not a cocktail) since last week. I know that feeling will fade, and I will be ready to relax with some red wine after work this fall, but I can only hope that I will drink a responsible amount. That goes with smoking too.  I haven't had an inkling to have a cigarette, but that's probably because I haven't been drinking. Limit the booze, and the smoke will follow. 

I have been trying to drink 8-9 glasses of water a day. I realized that there were some days that I didn't drink water at all! So crazy, considering our bodies are 80% of the stuff. I'm sure some of my skin and stomach problems will go away with more water and less soda and junk. Of course, more vegetables and salads are on the dietary list. I also hope to cook a new recipe every month (and more often if and when I have the time). More exercise, including stretching every morning and night and trying to do something active with Eric, at least once a week! Its hard to organize anything with our opposite schedules right now.

And finally, I hope to break my longest lasting addiction- cuticle picking/biting. I gotta stop. I see girls with beautifully painted fingernails (like Maya's and the dainty squid's) and I want to have nice nails! I have been doing this for as long as I remember. In my head, I am just "fixing a cuticle," but really, I'm tearing at the flesh as a nervous tic. I gotta focus and stop this. 

To help commence change in my life, I lopped off all of my hair today. I was tired of the long hair that I can hide behind. I am going to be the change I want to see in myself.

And of course, I will be donating my hair to Locks of Love! Thanks to Emily at Bella Capelli for caving in and   giving me the cut she thought I would regret!

Anyway, I am going out tonight with some friends tonight- hopefully having a reasonable amount to drink, and hopefully sleeping in my own bed tonight with my favorite guys.

tan lines

caution- there are classy vintage nude photos below! might not be safe for work!

I got pretty sunburned a couple of weeks ago when we went for a hike at the "Enchanted Pools" above Wrights Lake. My legs have never tanned or burned in the past, so I just applied sunscreen to my face, back and arms (forgetting the chest though, of course). By the time we got home, it looked like someone had dunked me in boiling water. YIKES! It looked a lot worse than it felt, thank goodness. But now, I have some severe tan lines and peeling skin.  

But, as I was brushing my teeth in my underwear last night, looking into the mirror at the colors and curves of my body, I decided I kind of love tan lines. They are proof of your love of summer and all things outdoors. Seeing the bikini lines, striking white against the golden tones of your skin, and how silly it looks now that I can see that my cut-off shorts weren't cut equally (I have an inch lower tan line on my right leg)! I'm starting to think that tan lines are kind of sexy. It actually reminds me of the vintage Playboy collection we once had. Issues from the 60s and 70s,  before tanning booths and sunscreen were so evident as they are today. Ladies had the best tanlines! So cute.

I am not encouraging anyone to go without scunscreen by any means, and I won't make the same mistake when we go back up to camp on Sunday night either.  It just makes me appreciate my summer body- a little more fit, painted with golden memories of summer adventures.

I am definitely looking forward to my favorite season of Fall. I love the harvest season, the colors, the chill, the warm drinks, snuggly cats! My more pale, soft and curvaceous body will be back after consuming apple cider doughnuts from Rainbow Orchard every weekend....ugh! I could go on forever. Maybe I'll save it for another post...

a few of my favorite things

   I am feeling much better lately. I spent some time alone with my thoughts after reading a little on and practicing some Jain Mediation. I had a spontaneous and fun Saturday night out in Coloma with some dear friends that are moving back from San Francisco. The night started with pizza, pitchers of beer and belly-dancers at Marcos and ended with me getting to drive a slightly intoxicated Eric home from Coloma Club. It was my first time driving the new Subaru- what a mighty fine car!

Also, I loved seeing Eric cut loose, since it is such a rare occasion! I think the fact that we were just far enough away from town as to not bump into any weirdos from our past helped Eric to chill and have a good time.  Super tender, and I was happy to make that sacrifice for him for once.

So today, I have just been cleaning and appreciating our home. I wanted to share some of my favorite things around here right now.



1. Wrapping and shipping/ hand delivering pretty Etsy packages.

  Before Mallory moved back to Florida, her next door neighbor purchased a dress from us. I went down to help Mal pack and hand deliver this package and meet the buyer. She was so sweet and appreciative, and very supportive of our shop! So rad to meet the people who wear your items. Our latest purchase is by a  Portuguese-speaking man from France who is living in the UK! I love the wide world web.

2.  A recent thrift store find: "Great Brewers of California" Poster.

   I love the colors and the vintage feel of this sweet poster. Can you believe it was only a buck? Im actually pretty lucky, because it was all rolled up and sealed in plastic, but I got enough of a peak to decide it was worth the dollar. There were tons of them at the Camino thrift store. I should have just handed them out as party favors at our house...

3.  The Italian deer rug that I bought at Crimson and Clover when I went with Breanne a while back.


   This is very similar to a horse rug that I had that Eric hated so much, I ended up giving it to my 12 year old horse crazy niece. But deer, I can not resist. I have always had a strong connection with them and their quiet, graceful beauty. This is one of my most treasured possessions, and it was only $10! It is unreal how reasonably priced everything is at that shop. I bought this, a dress and a necklace and got out paying like $35. If you haven't gone yet, please go.

4. A clean house!

   Since I have the weekdays off and Eric doesn't, I usually spend a part of the day organizing a cupboard or closet, scrubbing and tidying, laundering and clothes-lining. I love the feel and smell of fresh sheets and the lack of cat hair after running the vacuum around!

5. Books that soothe the aching soul.

 As I mentioned, I got this free book at Treasures (thrift store) that is an introduction to just the meditation part of the Jain teachings. You spend a week with the first chapter before moving on, and its wonderful. Its so honest and down to Earth, and explains the proper breathing and posture, and what to do when silly thoughts come to mind when you are trying to meditate. They ask that you do it 24 minutes a day- one minute for every hour of your day dedicated on thinking about you rather than everyone and everything else. I am almost done with Tortilla Flat, which I started reading way back in Houston and never finished. I love the characters that Steinbeck writes. And Power of Myth I have begun peaking at between the other two. I know I am going to love it- the interview I saw pieces of in my anthropology class were the gateway to my Joseph Campbell adoration. I think reading all of it will help guide me through my fears of life and death.

6. Our jungle of a garden,and the fruits it promises:

   We have been eating so many cucumbers and green beans lately, which I am stoked on....but I can't wait for tomatoes and bell peppers!  Oh, and all of our pumpkins! We have a giant, minis and Cinderellas! But one of my favorite things is to go out there with a cup of coffee, turn on the drip and watch the garden change from day to day.

This is the hydrangea Eric got me for Valentine's day!  It lives!

I love this lovely Orb Weaver lady living in the tomatoes.

Pulling in the driveway and seeing sunflowers towering over our house!

7. This arrangement, and all of its components.

 
  I am loving this kitty more and more everyday (even though I hate for him to get up on the table!). I got this  apple printed runner/tea towel from Toshiko, Eric's Japanese host mother, when we saw her at the sayonara party.  The Japanese people are so sweet, and always give gifts. We came prepared, and gave her some local treasures: El Dorado honey, Annabells chocolate and tea and soap from Winterhill. The sunflowers are from the garden, of course!

8. And lastly, just Bruce in general. 

   He is so lovely, and sweet and soft and playful. Ohhhh and such a purr'er! My goodness. Sometimes he is so relaxed and purring that he lets his bottom jaw drop and purrs with his mouth open- he sounds like a little piggy. <3 In the last photo, I hope you can see why we named him after Batman...

Boo hoo.

Oh dear. Looks like I haven't blogged in a very long time...

To be honest, I have been kind of in a slump. I've been feeling down about a lot of thing. Schooling and discovering a career, if I even want a career. I feel like it's hard for me to pinpoint any passions or yearnings.  I go through these phases often, and feel like I really just float on, going through the motions in a lot of situations.  I am currently a Biology major, but I don't know why. I have no idea what I am doing, or if I even really like it, or what I would do with that degree. I might switch to nursing, but I don't feel like that feels right either. I feel like so many people I talk to know exactly what they love and why and what they plan to do in their life. So heartbreaking to be so lost and confused, left behind all the rest.

I also know I want a family someday, but I am worried that I will never be selfless enough to fulfill it. I get frustrated with my cats messing around the house when I am trying to work on the computer or cook, etc. Will I suddenly be more patient when there are toddlers instead of kittens knocking things over, digging in cupboards? Probably not. And it has now been six awesome years with Eric. By some miracle, there has been no babies yet. Maybe we can't have them naturally? That is a fear to look into down the road, but its on my mind. Also the fact that Eric works so hard, so much, everyday. I wish I could! I don't even know where to start. What can I do? He is so sweet and patient with me and my lack of direction. I wish I could be of more help.

And my very best friend, who I feel I just reconnected so strongly with, just left again back to school in Florida for a year. It isn't the furthest away she could be, and it's only for a year, but it is still a bummer. There aren't a whole lot of folks I feel really close to. True blue, honest ladies- women who aren't catty or jealous, or gossipy or manipulative are hard to come by. I would rather just hide away than pretend to be close. It did make me sad the other day when I was searching Main Street for a gift for Eric's Japanese host Mother that I had no one to call to meet me for a coffee and a stroll. Is that crazy? I do this to myself.

We are planning a trip to Japan, just as soon as we save up again. Hoping for January. The feeling of anonymity is so alluring sometimes. I feel like getting lost in a sea of foreign language, in a city I don't know, far from here and everything I know. I feel like it is so dangerous to never leave this small town. What a waste of life to never travel and see what else there is in the world, just because I am a scared, unconfident person.  I am so scared of death, but I am so scared of life. Eric recommend I start reading Joseph Campbell's The Power of Myth, which I about to go crack open in the hammock, underneath the little scrub oak tree.

I don't feel like this all the time, but I know it's all just repressed when I am distracted by something fleeting. I don't want to be so cold. But I also want to live a life I can be proud of, and say I did what I wanted and acted the way I felt was right. My next entry won't be so boo hoo, I hope. Just a little hormonal lately, and needed to put it down for the world to read, I guess.

are you ready for the country?

Hi guys!

Well, yesterday marked three weeks of both Eric and I quitting smoking! Some say that's the milestone, but I'll admit that I still miss smoking and think about it pretty often. But my lungs are still raw and congested as if I have been smoking still, so I think I made a very wise decision to quit now, and let my sweet little lungs get back to healthy. It's gross to completely run out of breath going uphill with a case of wine.

We have more healthy plans, including walking or jogging the neighborhood today (hopefully three times a week) and to eat healthier. We don't eat too badly, but we do eat a lot of cheese and things. We want to eat more vegetables and incorporate more fish into our diets! We picked up some Mahi Mahi not too long ago and hoped to make some fish tacos out of it. Well folks, last night was the night!

 I asked all my coworkers and the owners of Cafe Luna (who happened to visit the winery) if I should grill or fry the fish for my first attempt at fish tacos. Everyone said fried...so much for healthy choices? After searching Tastespotting for some good recipes (which you need to visit if you haven't already) and settled on this one: Baja Fish Tacos with Fresh Pico de Gallo (but with a few changes, as always).

Fresh pico de gallo, cilantro cream sauce, fresh cabbage and avacado!

Cornmeal crusted Mahi Mahi

It was so nice to come home from work and cook with Eric. I made the fresh salsa, Eric made the cilantro cream sauce. We chopped vegetables side by side, laughed and sang while drinking Pacifico.

We danced to Neil Young together in the middle of the kitchen, kissed and cuddled our cats and made them dance to Neil Young too.

It was such an easy meal to prepare, and it makes it so much better to cook it with your loves after a long day at work!

They ended up super delicious- we cooked two fillets of fish, but only ended up eating one between the both of us. That makes it pretty inexpensive! It was really filling, and super fresh. It's a perfect example of a meal tasting of summer! Next time, I think I will try grilling the fish and add some grilled corn for a different texture and some sweetness.

What have you guys been cookin' up lately?

xoxo

This week has felt like two!

What a whirlwind this week has been!

My birthday was on Sunday! I ended up having to work, and made Eric go to Rapid Care because his throat had white patches. Turns out he had viral pharyngitis! Not contagious, but he was ordered to rest and drink lots of fluids.

So, I got off work about six, and hung out with my coworkers and shared a bottle of wine. When I got home around 7:30, I still couldn't decide what I wanted to do.  I just wanted to feel like we did something out of the ordinary, so it would feel like I celebrated my birthday even though I was exhausted and  Eric wasn't feeling too hot.  He was supportive of going out, provided we didn't go out drinking at bars until 2am.

 I decided it would be nice if we just went to main street and had a beer in their little courtyard at the Wine Smith.  We got down there, and it was closed! Ohhhh Sundays in Placerville! You kill me! So we walked across the street to Heyday Cafe to use our giftcard on a pizza and some salad, and a couple glasses of wine. Stan and Les called and I told them we were having a bite down the street from them, so they decided to join us! 

Poor Eric! You could tell he wasn't feeling well here...

Heyday was closing up, so we walked around Main Street to see if we could grab another drink, but nothing was open except Powell's and Liars Bench, and I wasn't feeling rowdy enough for either one.  So Stan invited  us up to their place for some wine, where we sat in their sweet little patio with candles and grape vines wrapping the lattice, chatting and making plans very late into the eve. It was mellow enough for Eric to keep up, but later than we anticipated being out!

Part of the plans we made that night was for a journey to Sacramento! Stan, Phil and Les were planning on looking at houses in the afternoon down there, and I was already planning to go see Mallory so we could shop and hang since I told her not to come up for my relaxed birthday. I planned to steal Les and make her hang with Mallory and I until Stan and Phil could get down there.

So we went to a few thrift stores and got some cheap sushi lunch! Mallory mentioned that she had to give Breanne a ride to the vet at 5:30, so we kicked Lesley out to meet Stan at Crimson and Clover (lucky girl!) and took off to meet Bre and her broken leg kitty, Wario!  What a awesome surprise for Bre and I to see each other without planning on it! So fun! After the vet, we took Wario home and she lead us to a delicious ramen house called Shoki! So warm and spicy and perfect for that crisp, windy evening.

I took my niece back down to Sacramento tuesday since I was babysitting her for my folks, and Mallory offered for her to come make Jewelry since she was going to make some with Bre and walk around some more shops. Eric drove us down so he could hang with Charlie while we did girl stuffs. So we went down there, and my niece made gorgeous navy blue feather and turquoise stone earrings! I was amazed. I tried to make some myself and couldn't do it! She loved that cats, and I think really enjoyed hanging with the older girls. It helps that Breanne is a nanny and an animal lover- that went over really well!

My niece ended up staying the night at our little home tat night- we made tacos and watched Ponyo until the early morning. We hung around the house being lazy most of the next day, until we took her back to my parent's house and got to visit with my Grandmother and Aunt! I only see once every few years! It was such a nice visit- my Grandma is still so young at heart!

Which brings us to yesterday, where Eric bought a car first thing in the morning! Holy smokes, it's the newest car we have ever purchased! He test drove it and new he wanted it, bad. Its a beautiful 2002 Subaru Impreza Outback 2.5 L.  Really exciting, but that means we have to sell his Nissan Sentra asap!

 I also hosted a Clothing Swap last night at Boeger after I got off work, where there were mountains of clothes, ladies, wine and cheese everywhere! It was awesome! I think we all ended up with a lot of treasures.

We moved the party to Brick Oven Pub for Trivia night- it was a packed house! I had never seen it so busy. I think there was some sort of home-brewers meeting happening that had reserved the front room, so everyone had to squeeze into the darts/bar/jukebox everything small back room. The line to get beer was out the door when we walked in! It was a tough round, and we laughed and ate way too much! Mallory, Breanne and Tim ended up winning, which was so awesome because they had the smallest team! That means they have their prize (beer tokens) to spend, so we will have to do it again real soon!

A very busy and emotional week, yes, and now its the start of my work week. I have just had some incredible times with some awesome people, but I also spent some time in the last few days reflecting on friendship and what it means as well as what can be expected or demanded from a friend. Ultimately I realized that I do have a great group of girlfriends that I feel close to, that I can trust and turn to for anything, for the first time in my life. I never thought it would happen, growing up a tomboy and all... I feel truly blessed. 

  

PS- I'm kind of falling in love with Sacramento. I wont deny that I have been craigslisting houses down there.

Anway, I hope you guys are packing your summer as full as I am! It's almost over!