Vida

This week I was in northern Cal for work.   my excited arrival texts with Hilary (sadly I didn't get to work with her this week...but we kept in touch) While we were very busy and worked many hours, one day we worked night shifts in the morning and night so we had the afternoon to explore a bit.  We also worked in Los Gatos one day and after finishing for the day, we took a little detour to Saratoga to see some redwoods.  Pretty amazing.  The most shocking part to me was how quiet it was.  Completely not what I’m used to.  Even closing the car door sounded SO loud in the middle of the forest.   On the afternoon we had to explore we drove up to San Francisco and did a little sightseeing.  I would entitle the experience  San Francisco in 4 hours .  Which I googled before we left and didn’t have too much luck.  Here’s what we did on a rainyish day in San Francisco in 4 hours. Cliff House  for lunch.  This p...

Tomorrow is the Cardinals first game of Spring Training!  Can Not Wait. No, it is not one of my favorite days of the year (opening day & first day of summer), but it means one of the favorites is coming real close! ( via ) Never thought the day would come. #2days pic.twitter.com/2JBWcHCUK6 — Cardinal Nation™ (@STLCards_Nation) February 27, 2014

This week I was in North Carolina... Charlotte ish area. I stayed in 3 different Courtyard hotels.  One of those hotels I stayed in for 5 hours...total. I was upgraded in two of them.  One was brand new.  I was in four different hospitals.   I wore a coat outside one day.  One day they matched the record for a high.  76.  It was nice to be on the opposite side since I've been in a city setting record lows all winter.  I forgot what sunshine felt like and green grass looked like. this is what we arrived to oh, hello sunshine. | and shorts at the gym! I kept my window down and the wind on my face while my co-worker turned on the A/C. I wrote out my self assessment at 11pm.  I probably should have cared more about that.  But when they give you two days to do it and you're in the hospital all the time, when else are you supposed to do it. I got sick.  When I texted Karen about getting sick she responded: ...

Oh, how I feel so very much better today!  And I'm going to enjoy it for as long as possible! What do I attribute this to: *volunteering was particularly awesome this week *I GOT TO RIDE MY BIKE *the sun was out *uber gave my sister and I a rose! *yoga helped, as well as the stories and thoughts shared there.  I did bruise my chin attempting a chin stand & I loved it. *i made two new friends this weekend - one at the gym, one at a coffee shop *a couple dates *celebrated two friends birthdays *high quality friend catch-up time at a wedding.  As well as meeting new ones too!  One of the ladies at our table is from Barnhart and went to SEMO.  What's the first thing I asked?  Did you participate in the gum tree?  She enjoyed it.  I remember when I visited my friend Jess at SEMO freshman year I made her participate and said it was a rite of passage (even though I never heard of it until she told me ;) candy heart favo...

You may have noticed the past few months I've traveled more and more outside the midwest for work.  This is going to continue.  And it is reaffirming the fact that I am through and through a midwestern girl.  This week in Rhode Island after unit after unit continued to follow the norm and be extremely rude, I had to take a breathe between each unit to collect myself before my next beating.  Let's be real:  a person can only take so much. The only word I think comes close to explaining my frame of mind right now is overwhelmed .  Extremely.  With all parts of life:  professionally and personally.  I have my life planned out to the moment and there doesn't seem to be a moment of downtime until at least  the end of next week. The week in Long Island was the same as all the others:  twelve hour days, not very nice people (although from my experience New York takes this to another level).  All I wanted to do was go home...e...

my valentine's cards for this year. yep, i cross stitched hearts for the cards on the sides. Happy Valentine's Day!   What a lovely day to show someone you care.  So if you're single, there's no need to feel down.  There's surely someone in your life you care about!  This is a great reminder to show it! Hope everyone has a lovely day and great weekend!

Your browser does not support iframes. 8 points in the superbowl...i had 8 rbi in one inning — Fernando Tatis (@FTatis23) February 3, 2014 After the super bowl Fernando Tatis (also in the video) tweeted this.  Clearly, he's just making a joke, but he did indeed have 8 RBIs in one inning.  Dear non-baseball fans, this is a big deal!  It's actually sort-of a legend. Pitchers and catchers report today!!!  Yes, some have already been around for a bit .  But now, it's officially spring training time!  I am so excited. I loved how after the super bowl everyone was excited we get to focus on baseball now...myself included. And now......... Its time for baseball! #letsgo ! — Kolten Wong (@KoltenWong) February 3, 2014 Can't wait for another season!!!!! Good morning, pitchers. Good morning, catchers. #WeMissedYou #STLCards — St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) February 12, 2014

The past month I've been making quite a variety of dishes in this kitchen! My brother and sister-in-law gave me Vegan with a Vengeance  for Christmas and I'm pretty much in love with it.  The majority of the recipes below came from there.  One is from Veganomicon and the other from a blog. I may have mentioned that my sister, Karen, has very different tastes than I do.  One of these dishes was chosen to please her with a bit of me thrown in...so we're going to play:  Karen approved? Black Bean, Mushroom, & Quinoa Stuffed Peppers - Vegan with a Vengeance page 83 Karen liked this one, although she thought it was a bit too spicy.  (I may have gotten a bit excited with the chili powder.)  Later, when she was complaining about some other food she said, "Don't you have any stuffed peppers?"  To which I said, "I rarely make the same thing twice."  So because of that statement, we'll say this one is Karen approved! Spicy I...

I participated more in Chicago Restaurant Week this weekend than I have ever before in my life.  Seriously, I had two Chicago Restaurant Week dinners this weekend and I've only ever gone to one restaurant for Chicago Restaurant Week before in my life. Personally, I don't love it.  I hear some places give the perception you're getting a good deal, but if you don't know better they can rip you off.  (I don't know better.  I don't eat at fancy places like that.)  And they make it so difficult for vegetarians.  Yes, they post the menus online, but you have to click through every single one to see if they have a vegetarian option.  (Most of them don't.)  And I get bored and frustrated.  It's just not worth it to me.  You can select Italian, etc. you would think they could throw vegetarian in there for a sort field. So how did I go to two over the weekend you ask? #1 My friend and I had plans to hit up Chicago Diner Frid...

Before I hop into the field trip, I realize I haven't yet shared I have a temporary roommate!  My sister!  =) So Karen, my sister, moved to Chicago for work about a month ago and she's been living with me while she finds a place and gets settled.  It's pretty tight around here right now, when you think about space, and we bicker more than anyone I know, but after we finish complaining and telling each other why we're mad, we always end up picking on each other for whatever it is later...and laughing.  She picks on my for my no wasting ways.  I pick on her no cooking ways.  (Yes, Karen, I am aware you used the microwave a couple times and made grilled cheese once.) We're opposites in pretty much every way.  Example:  I reviewed what I was planning to cook this week and she turned up her nose to everything.  The same is true vice versa.  (I added in something she will eat so she'll eat something home cooked.) At the end of ...