Rocks and moon

Today I went for a long walk with a friend (gorgeous weather!), met another friend for her celebration, enjoyed the company of a bunch of people I haven't seen in ages, ate huevos rancheros at the celebratory lunch, saw blooms everywhere and evidence of spring, got my hair done in DuPont (DC has so many tourists it might tip over!), was taken to a lovely anniversary dinner by friends at The Cheesecake Factory (red velvet cheesecake - nom nom!), and now am going to watch TV with My Heart's Desire, then go to bed early.

April Fools!

On this day three years ago, My Heart's Desire and I were married.

Haleakala

Hibiscus

Boats at sunset

Aloha

Still slightly jet-lagged, am back from Hawaiian vacation with My Heart's Desire.

My BFF is now Maui'd and I was there to see it. She couldn't stop smiling the whole time. I can't believe she's hitched...

A Gate at the Stairs

A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore. I listened to this meandering book in my car because I didn’t have time to go to the library and get anything else. To steal a quote, this book “drinks its own bathwater.” Nothing interesting happens for the first 80% of the book, except for tangents that are not resolved, then the end rushes up and blitzes the reader. Unsatisfying at best, overwritten at worst. 23/100

Overtime

My Heart's Desire is putting in some serious hours at the office these days. After a week of late nights, he's spending weekends at work too. So I brought over some dinner and we ate Mexican food together. Then he played a movie (New York, I Love You) and projected it onto the wall.

Grateful

Today I am grateful for getting a good night's sleep, flannel pajamas on this cold morning, fantastic eyebrow wax, Georgetown Cupcake's deliciousness (their coconut cupcakes are out of this world), seeing other people grow and thrive, new tea travel mug, keeping an open mind, and the library near my house.

Serendipity

Serendipity by Louise Shaffer. I bought this book for six quarters at the library used book sale. That's right, I'm a high roller. And this book was worth even more quarters. It reminded me in a way of Adriana Trigiani's good books (her early work) with the intriguing story, pace, and dynamic characters. Plus I'm a fool for mother-daughter stories and this book was a granddaughter-mother-grandmother tale with the charm of Old New York. I stayed up late to finish it. 22/100

Feet, don’t fail me now!

I signed up for the Earth Day 5K next month!

Late last year I started running with the Galloway method (run/walk) and this will be the first race I’ll participate in where I run, jog, and walk instead of just walk. In January I bought new running shoes and I’m ready to train!

The first 5K I ever participated in was a challenge for me and I walked the entire thing. It actually was measured wrong, 5 miles instead of 5K (3.1 miles), so I was exhausted afterwards but proud. And I came in second… to last. So any 5K that I participate in now I am bound to do better.

I made another Green Monster this morning, with a little more spinach than yesterday's. You can see I wasn't kidding about the green!

And look what I found last night at Bed, Bath & Beyond, an insulated cold cup with a locking lid (very important for me, lest I spill one morning while in tremendous hurry). Plus it's dishwasher safe (uses less water than pesky hand washing) and reusable, perfect!

Green Monster

This morning I made my first Green Monster. This definitely counts toward my goal of trying new things as I had no idea how it was going to turn out.

While I was getting the ingredients out of the fridge, all I could think was: Wow, I really want to be healthy!

I’ve read about Green Monsters on healthy living and food blogs and decided to try one to try and get more veggies in my diet. Here’s how it went:

Blended:
1 c plain light Silk
1 c raw spinach
1 frozen banana
½ cup fresh pineapple

Looked at the blender skeptically.

That spinach sure is leafy.

Can this possibly be good?

Wow, that’s green.

Tentative sip.

Wow, that’s good!

Wait, really?

Sips again.

Yes.

It’s true — you can’t even taste the spinach!

I drank the entire thing on my way to work and want to make another one tomorrow!

2010 Goals: February Progress

I set specific goals for 2010 so here's an update on February progress.

1. I read 12 books this month, raising my yearly total to 21. I'm a little ahead of where I thought I would be, particularly because February is a short month. I went to the library used book sale, which is hit or miss, and totally hit. So I've got big stack of books just waiting for me.

2. My writing group planned a meeting in February that was pushed back because one of our members is off to a writer's retreat, and we will reschedule for later in the spring. Which gives me more time read Stephen King's On Writing, which I found on my bookshelves but have not read yet. Since last month, I've started and stopped writing a few times. I'm not committed to any one project or idea right now. Which gives me lots of room to explore, but for now, those random ramblings haven't developed into anything.

3. Submit... This I still have not done yet.

4. Blog regularly — this I am doing. This is my 28th post of the month, which means I am more on my way toward my goal of 200 blog posts this year. I have been a blogging fool this month. I'm tickled when someone tells me they read my blog, or when they tell me someone else reads it.

5. This month I participated in a 3.6 mile walk to raise awareness and money for treatment for eating disorders. It was an important cause, not too far from where I live, cheap ($10), and started at 11am, so it was pretty warm outside, a February success! So I'm halfway to my goal already! I'm also thinking about putting a walking team together for Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, June 5, 2010. If you're interested, email me or leave me a note in the comments.

6. This month I ate vegetarian 87% of the time, which is below my goal of 90%. I did expand my cooking repertoire by making Indian Samosa Casserole twice. The second time I threw in half a can of chick peas for additional protein and it was very good. My Heart's Desire enjoyed this also. He made a yogurt/garlic/dill sauce and sliced cucumbers to go with it, the perfect accompaniment!

I also made Pasta Yum, which is the Hurry Up Alfredo recipe my mom shared with me, modified with only 1 tsp of mustard and broccoli and sun-dried tomatoes added in. The recipe is so strange, while I was making it I wondered if my mom was punking me. It ended up tasting incredibly good! The sauce doesn't taste like alfredo but it is so yummy! My mom promised I would not have to order a pizza after making this dinner (polenta, I'm looking at you) and she was right! My Heart's Desire worked really late that night and had his lunch leftovers for dinner at his office so he didn't try it. When I make Pasta Yum next time, he can't watch.

7. This month the only new thing I did was try the Thai Eggplant at my favorite Thai restaurant, instead of ordering one of my two favorites, Pad Thai or Chicken Panang. It was the first time I'd ordered anything different and I've been going there for years. Also, this month was the Snowpocalypse! which shut down the city and made doing anything almost impossible. Hours and hours of snow shoveling was new to me, as was the subsequent backache.

8. Seeing friends. This month I did not see friends very much and did not meet my goal of seeing friends at least once a week. Two of the weekends I was snowed in and unable to leave the house without a snow shovel. My Heart's Desire and I had also planned to babysit the cutest twins in the universe, but everyone in their house had a bug so we wisely stayed away.

9. Fun with My Heart's Desire was pretty low-profile this month. We did have several evenings of movies, popcorn (+ junior mints in mine, of course), and a roaring fire. He recently mentioned that DC has girls roller derby (three home teams, who knew?) so maybe we'll round up some people and witness a bout.

10. Photo taken of My Heart's Desire and I? Nope.

11. Bonus! It's All Relative. My dad and stepmom were in town for a day and we got to hang out. It was great to see them! Everyone in my immediate family lives 2,000 - 3,000 miles away, which means I don't get to see them very often. It also means that's very special when we do get to spend time together.

Love + Marriage

2010 is the year of getting hitched! We have already received one wedding invitation, three formal and two informal save-the-dates — and it's only February! My Heart's Desire is seriously considering buying a tuxedo. I'm very excited! I love love and I love cake!

I wanted to elope, but My Heart's Desire didn't and we ended up having a small wedding. While I eloping would have been fun, I am glad that we didn't. I have never felt as loved as I did on my wedding day. Our wedding was really us, from walking down the aisle in my pink dress to Barry White to the ceremony (started with: Marriage is what brings us together today, from my favorite movie, The Princess Bride) to his level cufflinks (they worked) to the squished pennies my BFF had made for the occasion to the things that went wrong and all the things that were right.

Attending other people's weddings witnesses their love and commitment and shares in their love. And on a wedding day, there's more than enough love to go around.

The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears

The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears by Dinaw Mengestu. This is another in a long line of books I wanted to like but didn't. I wouldn't have finished it but the narrator did such a good job I just kept listening. Until I started keeping track, I didn't realize how many books I wanted to like but didn't. And yet, I still keep reading them? 21/100.

Today I went to the gym for cardio + lifting, appreciated how much emptier my gym is in the am and how much nicer the people are, called a friend and sang "Happy Birthday" really loudly and only slightly off key, worked, appreciated the lilies in the Valentine's bouquet My Heart's Desire sent to my work last week that are still alive and making my office smell so good, realized my friend's birthday is next month!, talked to my BFF about her upcoming nuptials, came home and did chores, made yummy breakfast for dinner (eggs over medium, cheese, vegetarian maple sausage, and toast from the hippie store's super wheaty bread) for the second night in a row, read (have not been finishing a lot of books lately), and wondered how long my kibosh on Girl Scout cookies is going to last.

Be your own fairy godmother! You are the only person who can make your dreams come true.

Food Rules

Food Rules by Michael Pollan. This very slender volume expands on his famous statement: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. Basically, it's his two previous books (Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food, both books I really liked) boiled down to 64 rules.

Some of these rules are easy to follow, like #36 Don't eat breakfast cereals that change the color of the milk, because Kashi does not do that. Other rules, such as #39 Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself, would be a lot more difficult for me to practice.

I'm definitely going to work toward including these rules into my shopping guidelines. 20/100

This weekend my plans to be out of town fell through on Friday morning, which was fine. I haven't had a weekend without plans in... I don't know how long! It was really nice to just do what I wanted to do, instead of what I had to do or just knocking out chores. Yesterday was a great mix of doing some errands, cooking, and lounging.

This morning I laced up my sneakers and participated in a 3.6 mile Eating Disorders Awareness Walk. It was about 45 degrees out (warm for February!) and sunny. Since then I've been thinking about the women I know with eating disorders and how much they struggle. I'm really glad that I went. 2010 Goal #5 is to participate in two races so now I'm halfway to that goal.

I also made the vegetarian Indian samosa casserole again and it was just as good as I remembered.

Today I am grateful for: sleeping until I wake up, having no plans today, that the snow is merely a nuisance and not a serious travel impediment anymore, year-round farmer's markets, sunshine, books on CD, a vacation to look forward to, eating the enchiladas (mom's famous recipe) I made last month and froze, having splurged on Netflix, dark chocolate, practicing wanting what I have, relaxing and recharging, and a pre-heated bed courtesy of the electric blanket -- heaven!

The Girl She Used to Be

The Girl She Used to Be by David Cristofano. I wanted to like this book a lot. The beginning grabbed me and had me interested. The story was intriguing but as it went on I found the plot (particularly the end) rather unbelievable. 19/100

Books on CD killed the radio star

I moved to DC in June 2003. Today I set the presets in my car's radio. Yes, that took (almost) seven years. When I first moved here, I had satellite radio and listened to that exclusively. KIIS-FM from LA was even broadcast live on one of the satellite radio stations. Then I started listening to books on CD and got hooked and cancelled the satellite radio.

Earlier today I listened to one CD of a book that two colleagues said was good (I disagreed) and had nothing else to listen to so I ended up... listening to the radio. And I liked some of what there was and realized I needed some presets. Now, nearly seven years isn't so long, is it?

Roasted Cauliflower

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut up cauliflower into pieces about the size of your thumb.

Toss all the cauliflower, even the crumbles, in a bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp parsley flakes, 1 tsp garlic salt, 1/2 tsp salt.

Pour cauliflower on a pan (or cookie sheet) and bake in pre-heated oven.

Every 15 min, toss and stir cauliflower (tongs work best).

Bake until golden brown, about an hour.

One head of roasted cauliflower serves two — three people.

Nocturnes

Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall by Kazuo Ishiguro Kazuo Ishiguro is a collection of five short stories. If you must, read the first story standing up in the bookstore, then slide the book back on the shelf and walk away. 18/100

Still Summer

Still Summer by Jacquelyn Mitchard. I really liked her book The Deep End of the Ocean and was hoping for a book I could dive right into. With Still Summer, I dove in to a vat of Velveeta. 17/100

I'm Sorry You Feel That Way

I'm Sorry You Feel That Way: The Astonishing but True Story of a Daughter, Sister, Slut, Wife, Mother, and Friend to Man and Dog by Diana Joseph. This series of honest and thoughtful essays center around important men in the author's life and are well-written and enjoyable. She is a storyteller with a compelling voice. All of these stories center around various men (family members, lovers, her son) and her reactions to their behavior. However, little is written about her relationships with other women. She doesn't have one meaningful relationship with a woman. Lots of drinking and smoking and stories about her dog (male, of course). This collection of funny, sad, and thought-proving stories revolve around men, as does her life, abbreviating what she thinks and feels, leaving the reader detached. 16/100

Today I woke up early, listened to the icicles melt, read Real Simple, went to the gym (despite not really wanting to go), came home and made yummy breakfast sandwich (I love Morningstar Farms maple veggie sausage), picked up a friend, met up for coffee with another pal, got mani-pedi's (I'm a girl!), was glad I could actually participate in weekend plans (last few weekends plans were foiled by snow), walked the snowy sidewalks back to my car in flip-flops, went to the library and left with a pile of books, came home and read while My Heart's Desire worked, did laundry, made sun-dried tomato and artichoke pizza for dinner, watched The Hurt Locker, and am calling it a night.

One expensive night light

So the plumber came to get the night light I accidentally flushed (it slipped out of my hand!) out of the toilet, which took about an hour. It was so expensive that My Heart's Desire and I could have gone out for a fancy dinner followed by a night at a nice hotel. Sigh. The lid goes down, lesson learned.

The Postmistress

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake. I splurged on Tuesday and bought this from Target for $18. I ordinarily rarely buy hardbacks, but I was dying for a good book and had read good reviews. And since my library's been closed, it was money well spent. I found it enjoyable and solid. I'll pass it on to my honorary grandmother. 15/100

Today I accidentally flushed a nightlight (clogging the toilet), dropped my laptop (doh!), turned a bunch of white clothes pink (rookie mistake, haven't done that in years), shoveled a bit more outside (it's like we are living in a snow globe, cold, windy, and white), a bird got in our house that My Heart's Desire caught and released outside, we are down to our last wheelbarrow full of firewood, and I felt stirrings of just plain stir crazy.

The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death

The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death by Charlie Huston. Oh, let me lament that my library has been closed this week due to the snowstorm. Why, oh why, did I go to the market for eggs, milk, and bread when I could have gone to the library for real sustenance? Alas, the pickings for reads around here have been slim, otherwise I would never have finished this book. If you are considering reading The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death, read a Chuck Palahniuk book instead, rather than this weak knockoff. 14/100

What the Dog Saw

What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell. Reading this book was interesting at first, then it started to feel like homework. Also it kind of made me want to subscribe to The New Yorker. 13/100

Snowpocalypse!

Holy moly everything is covered in snow! The last time I measured we had gotten 19" of snow. We lost power late on Friday night and were without until Saturday night. Yesterday I woke up and made a fire and we spent most of the day around it. We also shoveled off the deck because the snow is so heavy, a process which took us almost 2 hours. Without electricity, and since we had a clean deck, My Heart's Desire grilled us some lunch (bratwursts, veggie burger & veggies) that was really good. Without electricity, we read, bundled up (socks! long johns! flannels! sweats!) and watched the snow. I also made "gravy" (meaty marinara sauce) from scratch, since we have gas burners and it takes hours to simmer (also made the house smell so good!). The power went back on Saturday night around 8pm, and the cable/phone/Internet was down until almost midnight. We watched a DVD of My Name is Earl with the cats, munched on popcorn made on the stove, and felt very cozy at home.

Update: I went outside for lots of shoveling and measured again - a little more than 22"!

My Little Red Book

My Little Red Book by Rachel Kauder Nalebuff. A series of essays from women aged 15 to 101 on what it was like to get their first period. Aww. 12/100

After snow last weekend and on Tuesday night, we are in for a lot more this weekend — I already cancelled my Friday night plans across town and My Heart’s Desire is going to the store for provisions.

A Reliable Wife

A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick. This book does everything right and is perfect to cozy up to. My favorite book so far! 11/100

Today I went to work, my Valentine’s present from my BFF arrived in a shiny pink box with lots of hearts! (we don’t exchange Christmas presents, we exchange Valentine’s prezzies instead, which amuses us to no end) which is sitting right on my desk, got a much-needed haircut (yes, still going to the inexpensive place), had a yummy dinner with my dad and stepmom and My Heart’s Desire at a nice restaurant which I drive by at least three times a week but have never been before, shared frozen cheesecake lollipops for dessert, watched the snow fall, did a quick load of laundry (I need more clothes), and am going to read for a bit.

Food Matters

Food Matters by Mark Bittman. It was great, though it didn't have a lot of new information for me. His food plan is interesting and I like how it also included recipes. 10/100

Indian Samosa Casserole

Last night I had another kitchen adventure. I braved a new recipe — Indian Samosa Casserole from the January 2010 issue of Vegetarian Times. I followed the directions except that I forgot to add the sweetness, it called for agave or sugar. I took it out then forgot to add it. Also, I bought a crust rather than make one from scratch. It turned out really tasty! My Heart's Desire really liked it too. I'm always surprised when I make something new and it turns out well. We both agreed we wouldn't mind if it had a little more kick, so next time I'll add the red pepper flakes the recipe said were optional (I was just out).

I served this with a side of cucumber tomato raita (Fage/cucumbers/tomatoes/garlic salt/lemon juice/dill) that was a nice, cool compliment. I had some of the leftovers for lunch today, it was just as good the second day.

Just add popcorn

Two movies I saw recently and really liked were The Visitor and Sunshine Cleaning. Worth renting. Read the synopsis but don't watch the trailers, they'll ruin the surprises.

Also, put Junior Mints in the hot popcorn - it's my favorite.

2010 Goals: January Progress

I set some pretty specific goals for 2010 so I wanted to check in with a monthly update to see progress.

1. I've read 9 books so far this year, which is right on target for the month. 100 books a year is 8.3 books a month and so far I am on the right track. In addition to the 9 books I read, I also started and didn't finish about 5 more. I didn't realize how many books I put back down.

2. I met with my awesome writing group in January and we are on track for another meeting at the end of February! It is great to connect with them and see where we all are. For our February meeting, we are assigned to read Stephen King's On Writing, which is one of my favorite writing books. I'm glad for the opportunity to revisit.

3. Submit... This I have not done yet.

4. Blog regularly — this I am doing. This is my 17th post of the month, right on target by happy coincidence. I'm always surprised when someone tells me they read my blog. An acquaintance made my fave roasted cauliflower and a colleague told me she liked the baby wipe idea.

5. I have not participated nor even signed up for any races as of yet. It's way too cold (it's snowing hard as I type!) to consider doing this now. I do get emails with information about local races and am considering several choices for spring.

6. I get an A+ for eating vegetarian 90% of the time in January. I did great on this! I definitely need to expand my cooking repertoire, I tend to make the same things over and over and am getting sick of them. I have some good cookbooks and am also considering a cooking class. On Sunday I made a clean eating tuna noodle casserole from scratch (was very impressed with myself) and it looked good. Too bad it tasted like glop! It was the second-worst thing I've ever made, though My Heart's Desire did bravely try it. I think he wanted to tell me it wasn't that bad, but really, it was.

7. Trying new things is harder for me than I thought it would be. I did go to a new restaurant with My Heart's Desire and some friends.

8. Seeing friends. This month I had coffee with a friend, brunch to celebrate my mentor, lunch with a friend, My Heart's Desire and I had dinner with couple friends, and we took friends out to dinner to celebrate their engagement. The crepes brunch was postponed due to horrible weather but I'm confident we'll see each other soon. I also took my honorary Jewish grandmother to the movies, which I love to do.

9. F-u-n was had with My Heart's Desire! I got us cheap tickets to see a comedian at a local dive, and it was fun. I haven't seen live comedy since I moved to DC, which might surprise you since I like laughing. We dinner with some couple friends (see #7 and #8) then laughed at the show. It was great to do something fun together.

10. Photo taken of My Heart's Desire and I? Not even close.

The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, & Generally Have More Fun

The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun by Gretchen Rubin. I really like The Happiness Project blog and I enjoyed the book as well. The blog is interesting and I get a kick out of it. The book provides more in-depth information and analysis/conclusions. It got me thinking about adding more happiness to my own life! 9/100

This post contains an affiliate link.

The Lacuna

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver. I listened to this book and it’s as good as it is long — which is to say, very. Beautiful storytelling. 8/100

Today I had a nice chat with my sister, went to a brunch celebrating my mentor, hit the gym (even though I was trying to talk myself out of it all the way through the parking lot), went to the fabric store and found out they do not carry yarn (almost done with a scarf I am making), came home and did laundry, found out we were not babysitting for the cutest twins ever (everyone in that house is ill), watched birds feed from my home office window, colored my hair, used all the hot water, made a meal plan and grocery list (for some reason I have been in the mood for tuna noodle casserole), watched episodes of The Shield with My Heart's Desire, had dinner delivered, watched Role Models (guess who picked that movie?), and am going to read.

A Spot of Bother

A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon. I loved his book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and was excited to get my hands on A Spot of Bother. Unfortunately, I found it to be tedious. 7/100

Today I am grateful for going to the gym this morning (I woke up ridiculously early), sunshine, not being as stubborn today as I was yesterday, working towards my 2010 goals, listening to Barbara Kingsolver's The Lacuna, and spa radio.

Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea

Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler. This book is good for laughing out loud when in a room alone (which caused My Heart’s Desire to call me a weirdo) and is mostly drinking tales. 5/100

The Scenic Route by Binnie Kirshenbaum. I couldn’t get into this post-divorce midlife crisis European road trip. 6/100

The Wednesday Sisters

The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton. I wanted to like this book - really, I did. I liked the idea of female friendship, 5 women supporting each other through changing times and their creation of an incredibly successful writing group. However, the writing was way too fluffy and the plot managed to skim only the surface. 4/100

Today I went to work, sent my BFF my bridal veil (if she wears it she will be the third lucky bride to wear it), hit the gym for cardio + lifting, came home and hung out with My Heart’s Desire, made pita/pesto/mozzarella/tomato melts (so good on the George Foreman) with veggies for dinner, watched Jersey Shore (is there a word for guilty pleasure?), and am calling it a night.

The Brightest Star In The Sky

The Brightest Star In The Sky by Marian Keyes.
Marian Keyes is one of my favorite writers and I love how she mixes serious topics with humor and real life. I pre-ordered this hardback (something this thrifty girl does maybe twice a year) and was not disappointed. I’ve liked everything Marian Keyes has written though my favorite so far is Rachel’s Holiday. 3/100

Thrifty Girl Report

Beauty
I really like using makeup removing cloths but found them to be on the pricey side, even for the store brand. I read in a magazine (can’t remember which one) that sensitive baby wipes can do the same job at a fraction of the price. It’s true, they work just as well. I can get around 300 sensitive baby wipes for around $8, while that much money wouldn’t buy me more than 30 makeup removing cloths.

Coupons
I get the Sunday paper, which I usually read most sections of, until I get to the coupons. I’m still cutting and using coupons. I even have that little coupon wallet that goes on the shopping cart. That’s right. The last time I went to the market I saved $14 just with coupons.

Cooking at Home
While I do like wearing aprons, I’m no Julia Child. I’m more Sandra Lee (she of semi-homemade fame). I’ve been cooking more at home, making meals and snack bags so I have meals at home when I’m tired, hungry, and grouchy. I recently bought another set of Pyrex so I can make two casseroles at a time (enchiladas and baked ziti with spinach are my faves) and freeze one.

Fun on the Cheap
I'm really liking services that send me weekly emails with what events are going on around town with discounted prices, like Goldstar. Cultural Tourism DC also sends me a weekly email with cultural activities, many of which are free.

Consignment Shop
I now have two favorites, which are both hit or miss. But when I hit, it’s great. I’ve purchased a large jewelry box for $15, just like the one pictured — but pink — that sells for $199 at Pottery Barn.

Look Me In The Eye

Look Me In The Eye by John Robison. Got it from the library and read it in one sitting. 2/100

2010 Goals

Read/Write/Blog
1. Read 100 books this year. I’ve never counted how many books I read in any given year but think this is doable, including the books I listen to on CD. Throw in books read during travel time and on vacation and I bet it can be done!

2. Meet with my awesome writing group more regularly. My goal is four times this year, and if we can't do in-person then we can continue electronically.

3. Submit, submit, submit. That's right — to do three submissions mailings. I need to get my writing on the door and get the rejections flowing in. I've found that I average nearly 75 rejections per acceptance. So all of the rejections just bring me that much closer to an acceptance.

4. Blog regularly. To be more specific (and to have a measurable goal), I'm aiming for 200 blog posts this year.

Healthy
5. Participate in 2 races. For one of them, raise money for a worthy cause (I’m thinking breast cancer). For the other one, go outside my comfort zone. 5Ks used to be really challenging to me, now I go that far at least once a week. Perhaps an 8K is next on the agenda. Just got new workout shoes so now I can go faster!

6. Eat vegetarian food 90% of the time. Reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, In Defense of Food, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, and Eating Animals, as well as seeing Food Inc. have made me aware of what the food choices I make mean. I have found a hippie store that sells grain-fed meat raised on pasture without drugs that I can feel better about eating that factory farmed meat. I tried to go vegetarian last summer but a few months later I went back to my flexitarian ways. This year I haven’t eaten much meat — one meal contained it, was a side dish.

Fun & Friends
7. Try 10 new things. I tend to do the things I know I like – go to restaurants I like, see the same people at the same places. I want to break out of my rut and try new things, even if they are small.

8. Show that friendship is important. Between work and working out and other commitments, sometimes seeing friends gets pushed to the back burner. So I need to schedule seeing friends at least once a week. I've learned that making plans in advance works well for me since I can almost never do anything at the last minute. (Am I a planner? Guilty as charged.) I'm already on the books for crepes with a friend I love but rarely see.

9. Have fun with My Heart’s Desire at least once a month. We spend a lot of time together and do some fun stuff (go to movies, etc) but we also do chores a lot too. It would be good if we could focus on having fun together and enjoy life, rather than just doing chores.

10. Get a decent photo taken with My Heart’s Desire. Seriously, we haven’t had a good one taken since our wedding. He hates getting his picture taken so this will take some doing.

Wish me luck! What are your 2010 goals or resolutions?

Today I slept until I woke up (isn't that the best feeling?), made an egg white/salsa scramble, exchanged a pair of running shoes, went to the gym, picked up my Rx at CVS (love drugstores but don't like CVS or Rite Aid - don't get my started on their diagonal aisles), came home and had PB&J and apple slices with My Heart's Desire, took my honorary, Jewish Grandma to the movie she wanted to see -- Precious, had my heart broken by the film, sipped green tea at Starbucks and chatted with her, came home and wanted pizza for dinner, decided to make something else and was very unsatisfied, watched a movie with My Heart's Desire, and now am going to read Body + Soul.

A Christmas Memory

A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote. A holiday gift from a colleague. Loved the book - such good writing. 1/100

2009 Commandments

My 9 2009 Commandments were helpful to me and kept me focused. While they were good things to keep in mind, it’s hard to measure the success of them. Was I kind enough? Did I prepare enough? I know I didn’t write three times a week on average. I did take to heart that everything counts and was able to apply that to many different areas of my life.

I am working on 2010 Goals. Any suggestions? Post in comments.

Today I went to work, threw out the not-so-live plant that has been on my desk, tried to get back into the swing of things, made 2 pans of baked ziti (pasta + sauce + spinach + 3 kinds of cheese), cooked one and froze one, packed my bags for tomorrow, watched The Hangover extras with My Heart's Desire, and now am going to read.