The Waiting Game

I just got off the phone with Eric. It was nice to finally get to talk to him, and most importantly find out what the heck Germany is really like. ( well I guess I won't fully know until I am there. ) Good news is that  he loves it, and it sounds like I will too. He already found a natural food store for me and a farmer's market downtown that goes on every Saturday where I can get my fruits and veggies. The best part of all is that I won't ever have to drive because there are trains that go everywhere, or if I would rather, I could ride my bike and park it in their bike parking lots. They have parking lots for bikes! (yes only I could get so excited over this ).  sounds like my kind of city. I know there are cities in America that have bike parking lots, but they are few and far in between. I was also informed that they have Monster's-- no, not like RAWR i'm gunna get you monsters, but Monster Energy drinks..so that will keep me from slipping into a caffeine withdrawal coma.

So the bad news: I officially won't be there for at least another month and a half. AT LEAST. Something to do with paperwork and command sponsorship stuff that my brain can't completely process. All I know is that I have to e-mail the paperwork for my medical screening to FT. Leonard Wood ask for a copy with a green stamp and then they send it to Germany? Something along those lines I don't know...however, I just discovered there is a part on the forms I have to send over that the Dr. forgot to sign. Awesome. I think that month and a half just moved up to two months. *sigh* This does leave me time to practice my bread baking skills though. Considering I think I killed my starter.

Anyways... onto other news I have decided to try something new. Something on the boundaries of my comfort zone. It is called vlogging. Video Blogging. Ashley of Writing to Reach You started up a little thing called VEDA (video everyday of August ). At first I thought NO WAY. I blog in order to hide behind words and a computer screen. I like being able to type, think, delete, and re-write in my pajamas with big hair and no makeup. But after thinking about it a little bit it started to sound kind of fun. This little event called VEDA has set topics to talk about so I don't have to think about things to say and I am participating in it with about 14 other people...so I don't feel so alone in it. Video blogging does offer less of a filter than blogging though..people actually have to watch my ugly face and listen to my voice. I don't let just anyone do that, which is why I keep my mouth shut in public.

Anyways, I better get runnin!

Have a good Saturday and a great weekend!

To Buy or Not to Buy

This morning has been a little disappointing..I realized that I skipped a day in my sourdough making...basically setting me back a day. I don't think I ruined my starter but we shall see I guess...

I am seriously considering getting the book The Bread Baker's Apprentice because I have heard many many good things about it. I want to ask Eric first but I have no way of getting a hold of him. So the question is do I wait to ask him..or should I just go get it? Ah I want it!

Anyways...I may come back and edit this blog later and add more than just me wanting to buy a book but I am getting antsy and need to run. Soo TGIF!

Updates

Alright so this blog will be sort of a progress/update blog...

First things first, I found out via Facebook that my husband is now safe and sound in Germany, so this is good news. Kind of weird to only find out through Facebook like everyone else. Wife or not there is no special treatment here. I am going to assume it was his only means of communication. That is what I am telling myself for now at least.

Onto other subjects...

I decided to take my "Gorilla Shoes" for a run yesterday. At first I tried to hide in the fields but I quickly began to feel like a cavewoman and headed out in to society. I got a few strange looks, but I get a few strange looks everyday anyways..so all in all, no big deal. Here's my feet on the trail...

I love my Gorilla Shoes

I kept waiting for my feet to start hurting, or for some knarly blisters to develop but they never did. So I ran a good 5 miles in these bad boys. My feet felt so light and free. It was quite liberating. I do however, regret not stretching my calves after my run..it now feels like someone hit me in the back of the legs with bat. I am a bit sore to say the least.

Onto other good news...my German baking experience is off to a good start. I am attempting to make my first sourdough starter and so far so good...

Sourdough Starter

As you can see from the line on the side of the container, my starter has nearly doubled already.

Beautifully Bubbly Top View

For those of you that don't know much about sourdough except for that it tastes sour - Sourdough contains no yeast. So how do you get it to rise? Well you have to go through a process to make a starter. What is a starter? Lets just say you are basically making your own yeast by fermenting flour and water over a period of at least 6 or so days. You have to feed it, watch it, love it, treat it like a pet and hope for the best. I am only on the beginning of day 3 so I am about half way there. Pray for no mold. 

Welp I am off for a run have a great Thursday!

Barefoot Baking

Eric is gone, once again..the weird part this time is that I will be the one "flying home" to him next time. It will be weird to call a place in Germany home. Of course it is not my true home because well obviously I am an American but for 3 years it will be my home. 

I am curious as to how life in Germany will be, and it kills me to just sit here in anticipation. I am excited to go to Germany, but I have to remember that I will be there for 3 years so I really want to try and soak up everything around me here and enjoy the time I have left. Live in the moment right?

Anyways, I have been spending some time researching things about Germany and I have found out that they love bread as much as I do if not more. Not just any bread, but whole grain bread. Thank you Germany for believing that a good hearty bread is of no lesser value than it's fluffy white nutrient-less counterparts. Americans are so afraid of hearty dense bread and avoid it like the plague....so in honor of my anticipated trip to Germany I have decided to dedicate my usual bread baking to learning how to make German bread. This is a huge step for me because German bread consists of a lot of rye bread...and breads that are a much longer process that I have never attempted before. I am excited to learn all of these new processes. I am sure I will have many failures but it will be worth any successes. 

In order to insure that I have a higher success rate... I was thinking about getting this book. It is supposed to be like THE BOOK to buy if you are into bread baking...and to be living in bread paradise makes me all warm and tingly inside.

Anyways...onto other news I finally got my hands on, and my feet in some Vibram Five Fingers! Check out these sparklin tub notes...

My Gorilla Feet



Don't be jealous of my white legs...but be jealous of my "Gorilla Shoes" as Eric calls them. They feel like I am wearing socks. I haven't run in them yet but I think I will wear them around to break them in a bit more and then give them a try tomorrow perhaps..when I can run a little earlier while other's are still sleeping in attempt to be seen by the least amount of people possible. The neighbors are going to wonder what the hell I have on my feet or why I am running in socks. 

Wish me luck.

Happy Wednesday!

3 Years

Eric's last day is now here. He will be headed off to Germany tonight. Hopefully it won't be much longer than a month until I get to join him. I feel like I just said goodbye to him, now only to have to say it again.

It is weird to think that this is his last day in California for 3 years...it will soon be my last day in California too. It is such a strange feeling.

3 WHOLE years.

Breaking Bread

The final hours that I get to spend with Eric before he leaves for Germany are fast approaching. It is crazy how fast 4 weeks can go by. Luckily this time it should only be about a month until I get to fly over and join him...if all goes as planned of course. It is still hard to believe I will be living in Germany for three years. There will be a lot of adjustments to be made. 


Speaking of adjustments..it is Meatless Monday. Everyone keeps saying how hard it will be for me being a vegetarian in Germany however, our views of German food are a bit skewed. German food..yes, I am sure Sausage and beer come to mind but believe it or not German food has changed and modernized a bit. "Chefs trained in Switzerland, France, or Italy return to Germany to open Continental restaurants, and Italians and Turks, many of whom originally came to Germany as "guest workers," own restaurants featuring their own culinary traditions." 


Believe it or not there are fresh fruits and veggies in Germany just as there is here. It might be hard at times but it is hard here sometimes too! I am trying not to generalize German food to only sausage and beer...I wouldn't want people to generalize American food as burgers and fries..because obviously we have a bit more than that here. 


The best part about German food is the fact that they love bread as much as I do. 


"Bread is a big part of the German diet, and usually eaten for breakfast and as sandwiches in the evening, rarely as a side dish for the main meal. The importance of bread (Brot) in German cuisine is also illustrated by words such as Abendbrot (supper, literally Evening Bread) andBrotzeit (snack, literally Bread Time). In fact, one of the major complaints of German expatriates in many parts of the world is their inability to find acceptable local breads. German bakeries produce about 6,000 types of breads and approximately 1,200 different types of pastry.
Bread is served with almost every (non-main)-meal. Bread is not considered a side dish and is considered important for a healthy diet.
Germany's most popular breads are:

1. Rye-wheat ("Roggenmischbrot")
2. Toast bread ("Toastbrot")
3. Whole-grain ("Vollkornbrot")
4. Wheat-rye ("Weizenmischbrot")
5. White bread ("Weißbrot")
6. Multi-grain ("Mehrkornbrot")
7. Rye ("Roggenbrot")
8. Sunflower seed ("Sonnenblumenkernbrot")
9. Pumpkin seed ("Kürbiskernbrot")
10. Onion bread ("Zwiebelbrot")

Darker, rye-dominated breads such as Vollkornbrot or Schwarzbrot are typical of German cuisine. Pumpernickel, a steamed bread, is internationally well-known, although not representative of German black bread as a whole.
There are hundreds of different dishes and beverages many of which are typical only to some German regions. You are not likely to find many of these dishes in any other country than Germany.

I love bread baking...possibly even more than cooking. So this is a cuisine that I can find home in. 


So in this month or so that I am left here waiting to leave, my goal will be to give all 10 of these breads a go. I might fail miserably but it will be fun regardless. Looks like Rye-Wheat is first on the list.


Wish me luck.

Got The Itch

No, not that kind of itch...get your mind out of the gutter. I am getting the itch to paint again. I was overcome with a strong urge to paint the other day and it hasn't gone away. I think I might be able to actually mark a white canvas without much hesitation because I have finally come to realize that I paint for my own enjoyment and not for others. I just want to whip out a paint brush and get started. Except for the fact that my paint brushes are pretty much destroyed. I honestly didn't know if I would ever paint again so I was pretty careless with them during the move...not such a smooth move on my part.

Well since I can't find my Vibram Five Finger shoes anywhere..perhaps my 100 dollar bet would be better spent on new art supplies. It's something to think about at least. I am just afraid to turn into a deer in the headlights when I stare at a white canvas again. Really hoping that doesn't happen though.

We shall see I suppose.

Wish me luck, and happy Sunday!

The Search

I am watching an episode of Kathy Griffin my life on the D-list right now and it is the episode where she gets a public pap smear. She is "spreading awareness" for cervical cancer... Well, I will admit when I had to go through this shameful procedure a few days ago I tried to channel Kathy's energy and told myself "if Kathy can do this on TV I can do this so that I can get my ass to Germany." Okay that is about as far as I want to go on that subject..but Thanks Kathy...you made my experience a little less humiliating.

Anyways, I am still on a mission to find my Vibram Five Finger shoes. Not only are they not in stock anywhere around here, but even the company that sells them is somehow out of stock...I don't know exactly how that works but this tells me I need to explore other options. SO...I am broadening my horizons to other models of the Vibram Five Finger's...and the search continues.

I really don't have much else to blog about..and I am in the process of making bread so peace out for now. 

Have a good weekend everyone!

Rant or Run

I have scrambled thoughts today. I get that a lot in case you haven't noticed..so therefore blog organization is nearly impossible. I kind of feel like ranting but I will try to restrain myself. 

I better go run...because this rant is too strong.

Little Help?

It's Thursday...already. I really don't know where the days are going. Well as you may have read yesterday I was hoping to get my hands on..err feet in some Vibram Five Fingers but as I suspected no one had the ones I was looking for and none in my size.  So that leads me with two options.

Option #1 order online and pray I order the right size.

Option #2 Go for this instead...

The Book

this could come in handy in my pathetic attempt to become a self taught chef and have something to study since I won't have school to study for anymore, and to keep my busy while I wait to get to Germany, and something to do while in Germany.

It even has a study guide...

The Study Guide

 So I am kind of teetering on which one will be more useful for me at the moment. What do you think? Can you save me from my indecisiveness?

Barefoot and...Running

Wow, it is already July 21. Which means Eric will be leaving me again in only one week. Hopefully our time apart will be much shorter this time. As soon as I get clearance to go and receive my military passport I can join him in Germany. The only problem is that passports take 6-8 weeks and it could take a total of 190 days to actually get me to Germany. I am praying this is not the case. *Sigh*

I am trying not to think about it... how do you shut out negative thoughts?

For now I am trying to focus on a lil something more fun like...

Yesterday as I was enjoying a Veggie Burger at Mel's Diner A.K.A a Gardenburger Patty on Mel's "whole wheat bun"Eric asked me how it was. I replied, "Good, I can now get the same burger at Mimi's, Awful Annies, and Mels." - which sounds like a negative thing but if you knew how much I love the Gardenburger brand original patty you would know that this is a dream come true.

Eric- "Burger King too right?"

Me: Nope, Burger King has the Morning Star brand veggie burgers

Eric- I thought it was Gardenburger

Me: Nope, Morningstar. Trust me I know my veggie burgers.

Eric: I could of sworn I saw Gardenburger.

Me: Nope I will bet you $100 dollars that it is Morningstar.

Eric: Okay fine $100 Dollars.

Me: You will actually bet me $100 dollars that I can spend on anything I want?

Eric: Yep.

Me: I just won $100 dollars. Score.

We quickly pulled out our cell phones like we were in an old western draw, hitting the google search app at lightening speed. We both searched Burger King's Veggie Patty's and waited about 10 minutes for  everything to load. When I heard a distinct "CRAP" come from Eric's mouth I knew that I had won. I was happier than a contestant on minute to win it.

SO.. what to do with that $100? Well there is a little something I have always wanted but never wanted to spend nearly a $100 on...take a look at these beauties.

I know what the hell are those right? Well my friends, these are none other than the Vibram Five Finger "barefoot running" shoes. Ugly as sin? Yes. But these "shoes" are not for looks. They are for a more natural style of running.

If you haven't heard anything about it yet there is new research being done regarding running shoes and if they do more harm than good because of the way they make you run. For example: running in regular running shoes you tend to land more on your heels..but before there was ever such things as running shoes we ran barefoot. Do you think you would want to land on your heels while running barefoot? That could be pretty painful. SO barefoot we have more of a forefoot strike, which some people are now saying leads to less injuries because it is how we were "born to run". 

Kind of cool right?

I think so too. So, Eric said I could get a pair of these puppies. I will admit that this brightens my day a bit. Now I just have to hope that they have my size because believe it or not, stores rarely even have these in stock because of their popularity. So wish me luck for a better day and something to keep some negative thoughts at bay.

Happy Wednesday!

What are you looking forward to today?

Sugar Please

Short blog today...not because of lack of things to say, but because I don't really feel like thinking. Ever have those days? Well I do. 

Perhaps I am still getting over being violated by a woman named Gale. (um yea first time gyno exam..) And no this was not Oprah's Gale.  This was bad enough, but then I decided to reward myself with a Starbucks iced coffee with soymilk- sweetened, only to drive away with an unsweetened iced coffee. Would there be anything sweet to come out of this day? 

Fortunately yes. When I got home there was a box sitting on the front porch containing my much  anticipated chefs knife. It was everything I had expected it to be; Beautiful, and sharp as a knife. I would marry it but unfortunately I am already taken and knives are usually used to end a marriage in a bit of a violent fashion. Lucky for Eric this knife is strictly for cooking, and the only flesh it will be cutting is mine because apparently new knives are razor sharp. It was the first and last time I actually giggled when  I cut myself because I was impressed at it's ability to actually cut me..unlike the knives I had been using. I think I am starting to sound like a "cutter" so i'm gunna stop there.

Anyways, Happy Tuesday everyone!

On a Brighter Note

It's Monday. It's a new day, and a new week and I am ready to shed some negative energy. My last few posts have been more on the negative side..so lets start over shall we?

So in my quest to be a bit more joyful and look on the brighter side of things I should let you know that I saw Despicable Me yesterday and it was fabulous. This movie brought me much joy and happiness. There are many things that brought happiness into my life yesterday, and there are some joyous occasions today that I have to look forward to.

Some bright notes of yesterday

• Quiznos veggie sandwhich - sorry Subway, Quiznos veggie sandwhich kicks your veggie delights ass. 
• New running shoes at the McKlellin airforce base for $85 dollars straight up no tax. (they are usually $100 not including tax )
• Despicable Me- Super cute movie. There is no way you can leave this movie in a bad mood.
• Chevys! There is not much better than Chevys for dinner. Their Chips and salsa are hands down the best chips and salsa in...northern CA at least. Every time we eat there I inspect the salsa ever so carefully trying to see what they put in it- in hopes to re-create it at home. Still no luck. 
• Playing the newest Mario game with Eric. In Eric's terms "it is everything you always wished Mario could be". So true, and I love it. It brings back the memories of those good old Nintendo games. Minus having to blow them first.   

Some things I have to look forward to today...

• My new chef's knife should be arriving. I know it doesn't look like much but it is an award winning knife by Cook's Illustrated.

• And last but not least...It's Meatless Monday!

What are you looking forward to this week?

Ball Kicking

I have made a little observation here in the blogosphere. I could be wrong, but why does it seem like the the blogs of married bloggers never get read by their spouses? Sure, you share pretty much every second together but there is always something going on in the mind of your spouse. I am sure there are some spouses out there that do care to read what is going on in their other halves mind...but then there are those of us that can say whatever we want about our husbands/wives and they would never even know. I guess this could be used to our advantage...however it doesn't stop the sting you feel when you realize they just don't care enough to take two seconds and read your blog.

I know, blog reading is not the most exciting and I can't ever see myself in an argument using the phrase "you don't even read my blog" because that sounds ridiculous but I won't lie, it would be nice if he at least acted remotely interested in my half of his life and took a few minutes to see what was on my mind that day.

Most of the time my blogs are hardly interesting so I don't blame him, but then there are days where I think it would be nice if he read this blog, or I wonder what he thought of my last blog. I mean, it is mostly for his benefit to read my blog because then maybe he would realize that his deodorant is under the bed, that there is more going on in his wife's head, or that I am virtually kicking him in the balls right now.

Your probably wondering "well why don't you just ask him to read your blog?" Well, I have...and he may have a few times, but asking him to read my blog everyday is like asking people to follow you just so you can have a higher number of followers whether they are interested in your blog or not. I will not be a follower whore.

I realize this blog is a bit harsh, but I feel like being harsh today. I don't know why, I just do. I think this is step one of gaining confidence. Speak your mind, be yourself right? Easy to say behind a computer screen but hey, it's a step.

Happy Sunday

Confidence...whats that?

Confidence. It is something I have been searching for since the day I was born. It is still a mystery to me. Self-esteem is another thing I have been searching for...probably because the two are very closely related. I have failed to obtain either one of these important life traits. It really is a mystery to me, and I admire anyone who has been able to obtain these traits. Well, unless they are cocky because no one likes a dick head. Some people seem to be born with confidence though. I feel like I was born without it, I lost it somewhere, or it was stolen from me.

Is there some kind of secret to obtaining confidence that I don't know about?

Cracker Gnawing

If you are watching this video right now..waiting for something exciting to happen..well don't get your hopes up because this is it...however, I couldn't help myself from laughing at this morbidly obese rodent eating a graham cracker. I am pretty sure he ate the whole box right before shooting this video.

You might not have laughed, maybe you chuckled a little, or maybe you are under the influence of some sort of substance and found this freakin hilarious....all I know is that graham crackers sound really darn good right now or maybe some smores. (sp?) but vegetarian marsh mellows are hard to find. Yep marsh mellows are not vegetarian. Bet you didn't know that... They contain a little product called gelatin which comes from the bones of animals like the little big guy up there gnawing away ever so innocently at his graham cracker.

Anyways, I have some homemade pizza to get started on, but I hope you all have an awesome Friday!

Oh Dear

I don't know what happend, but somewhere between the year 2008 and 2009 I lost any artistic ability or ambition I had to paint, draw, or even doodle.

I used to draw all the time, which led to a brief stint into painting...but then suddenly those blank canvases turned into my worst nightmare. I didn't want make a mistake. Canvases are expensive and I would hate to throw away money on a jacked up painting, not only that but I hate producing anything that looks like crap. Even if I am the only one that sees it...I still hate it.

This is what my artistic ability has succumb to these days...

I know, don't be jealous. Maybe someday I will get back in touch with my inner artist, but until then I will leave you with this...

Yea?

Woah, I am cutting it close today...what can I say I like to live life on the edge...only 4 hours until it is tomorrow and I could of blown my blogging streak.

Today was one of those days where I did a lot of nothing. Well I suppose I did some stuff but nothing of huge importance..it was the.the usual run, go to the store, baked a wheat baquette, attempted to make Gnocci which wasn't a complete failure...I think I need more practice but I wouldn't serve it. Then made a dinner that was completely different than what I was originally planning...mexican flavors and french baguett's actually go together quite well.

I don't know why I am giving you the boring run down of my day. There are much more exciting things going on in the world. Like Mel Gibson's crazy ranting tendencies, or Lindsey Lohan's trendy nail polish that she may, or may not of applied herself.

Hmm I think I will go watch The Passion of The Christ followed by The Parent Trap.

Peace!

Bloggin in the P.M.

I have taken myself at gunpoint and forced myself to blog...I know this is not the ideal way to get the creative juices flowing but I have made a commitment to blogging everyday for a year and I am determined to stick to this commitment damnit. Technically I could blog about once a month to get somewhat decent quality blogs but instead I get bouts of acid reflux-like blogs that are so bad they burn my fingertips as I type up words of nonsense.

So.. in other news I got my military passport junk taken care of today. I felt like a 12 year old turning in some sort of long drawn out report that I had put together last minute. Only took me 3 tries but finally they accepted my papers and are sending it off for its 6-8 week clearance process. ( there was a minor picture problem that I am praying won't hold anything up. Cross your fingers, knock on wood, rub your rabbits foot and say a prayer ).

I made a huge mistake yesterday as well. I signed up to receive more info about the University of Phoenix since I am going to be in Germany for 3 years with nothing to do...and because you get spousal benefits I figured I would look into more schooling. Well apparently requesting more information also means "we are going to annoy the hell out of you and call you three times per hour until you pick up your phone". Yea..never give out your phone number to online schools. See they have taught me something already.

Wow, it is strange writing a blog at 3:00pm. Especially with Dr. Oz playing in the background. It is crazy how famous talking about poop, farts, vagina's, penis's, and fat can make someone. It never gets old. We will always fart. and one out of the two of us has a vagina...I could be fat, or you could be...I just drowned a little sorrow in some cookies...so what do you have to say about that Dr. Oz?

In case you haven't noticed I am nearly delusional due to lack of sleep...I think I might go try and do a little more of that.

Happy Tuesday!

Monday, Monday...

I am pretty sure I cooked for about 5 hours yesterday making the recipes from the Placer County Real Food Cookbook. It was pretty intense. I felt like I was running a marathon in the kitchen. After spending the majority of the day cooking ( which I don't mind, but others might ) I began to think...this cookbook may not actually be so ideal or convenient for the average family that does not have 5 hours to spend cooking. 

I realize the author of this cookbook created this book out of recipes she served on Monday nights to a dinner party of 8 people. The food is special, and it takes longer ( you can't rush good food ) because it is like having thanksgiving every Monday. However, both she and another chef prepared these recipes so if you prepare these recipes on your own, you have to be two people. 

The Placer County Real Food Cookbook is great, and I love cooking from it, and I learn a lot by doing so, but I think there needs to be a farmers market cookbook that can also be valuable to people who lead busier lives. I am sure there is one out there...but not in Placer County. ( Ideas are brewing )

Anyyways, It is in fact Meatless Monday and despite my long hours in the kitchen yesterday I am still up for some more... I just don't know what to make yet. 

I just got up to pee and totally lost my train of thought and desire to blog. Does that ever happen to you? It is strange how a simple bathroom break can completely distract you from whatever you were doing beforehand. Then again I don't know why I am talking about a cookbook idea either, and you probably don't care if it is Meatless Monday so perhaps it is your lucky day. 

One thing I am not looking forward to today = Going to Beale Airforce Base to get my Military Passport. There are so many things you need to take with you, or do that I am afraid I am missing something. It is like they think "hmmm, lets make these instructions as vague and confusing as possible and then only allow people to get military passports between the hours of 9am-11am." TWO HOURS?! Thats it? The office is open from 9-5 but military passports..only 9 to 11. Awesome...and yes, I learned that the hard way last Friday.

Hmm I think I am ranting now. Monday's are good Ranting days...so rant away!

What would you like to rant about?

Runners Secrets

Everyday I slip my feet into a pair of flip flops I doubt my privilege to wear them. I know...flip flop wearing is not really a privilege and more of a right, but when you are a runner you have to be careful not to let someone with a queasy stomach projectile vomit at the sight of your toes. 

There is a reason that many runners choose shoes over flip flops in public. There is a little secret that non-runners are kept in the dark about. 

So non-runners, it is time you know the truth. Runners have nasty feet. Some of you non-runners may already know this little secret if you live with a runner, or if you have a friend that is not so shy about their nasty runner's feet... ( like me for example ). 

When I slip on my flip flops I wonder if there is some sort of common courtesy to spare the general public from such a sight....well I think it is time the public finally see that I am not the only ugly toed runner...this link is not for the squeamish.

Runner's Feet

Thinking of running?

Stress?

Do you ever get stressed or anxious but can't really pinpoint one thing that is the cause? Well..I do at least...and generally they are all connected but my brain doesn't really want to sort them out. So remember in elementary school when you had to make factor trees? I didn't feel like making a list, or writing about what was making me anxious so this is what I came up with. I could of added more factors but I ran out of room. This is a start. 

What would your factor tree look like?

My Friend Gus

There is one part of my trip to Virginia that I have failed to tell. Well, on my trip I met a man, his name is Augustin ( Pronounced Ah-Gu-Steen) or "Gus" for short. He is originally from Colombia, he is 73 and he runs like the energizer bunny. 

I got the privilege of meeting Gus while out on a run one day. He ran towards me with his arms flailing  wildly from side to side in a "your hair is on fire" like fashion.  I wasn't sure if he was an old folks home escapee, a grumpy old man who hates runners, or just an old creeper. <--- I still have some suspicions about this one.

After he waved me down with his fire arms he asked me where I was from and was hoping I was from around there because he had seen me running and was intrigued. He said in his Columbian accent "I told my wife Mimi oh I see her running everyday I would like to meet her, Oh she runs so beautifully. I am a runner too!" This man had so much energy that not even his speech could be slowed down. He talked a mile a minute, but I didn't mind it made me smile. 

Gus continued to make me smile throughout my stay in Virginia. Everyday he would wave me down with his flailing limbs and ask me questions about running. He would refer to me as "the professional". Telling him what the best types of socks to wear for running doesn't quite qualify me as being a professional by any means but he thought I was quite the running guru. He would follow me home like a lost puppy sometimes and one day he had me teach him how to use his Garmin Forunner 305 ( the watch that tells you how far you run, and your pace ) only to turn it on and find out his last run was 17 miles. 

"Gus, was this your last run?"

"Oh, yes I used it few weeks ago I could run for hours ya know?"

This is Gus and I after I taught him how to use his Garmin. I was super sweaty...but he didn't care. The grossest part is that this is the shirt I changed into AFTER running. Imagine what my running shirt looked like.

I can only dream to be as healthy and in as good of shape as Gus when I am 73. Not only was he in great physical shape, but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. He said something to me that I will never forget. Not only did he call me a professional, but he told me I was beautiful. I know, this seems creepy to the outsiders perspective but if you met Gus it would sound a little more normal. ( Maria is the only one that met him ). Anyways...

I have never in my life seen myself as beautiful. Nor do I now, but I have never had anyone say these words to me with such sincerity. He continued on to tell me such uplifting words and always ended it with "don't change, don't change a thing." His words were so positive and sincere that a lump started to form in my throat. My normal thought process would first think "Yea right", "your full of sh*t", or "what do you want", but Gus had no reason to lie to me. He wasn't family so he was not obligated to make sure that my feelings were not hurt, he was not my husband so he didn't have to pretend he thought I was pretty...and the word beautiful is definitely out of my league. I just couldn't get passed his sincerity and for a moment, I felt beautiful, which is a feeling I NEVER feel, nor am I sure I will ever feel it again. 

I can only hope that I can learn to have the positive outlook on life that Gus has, and to hold onto it in my old age. I think God introduced me to him for a reason. Maybe this will be my life's "Aha" Moment. Thanks Gus.

Who is the Gus in your life?

The To Do

I don't know if you noticed but my blogs have been pretty brief lately..which could also be a positive thing for you.

I have a hard time blogging when I feel stressed out. So what am I stressed out about? All the things that I need to get done in order to get to Germany. There are so many loose ends to tie and things to get done that I am feeling overwhelmed. Unfortunately Army wives are left to do a lot of the dirty work on their own and the process can be confusing. We don't get our hands held and have to use our brains to get things done. 

I have to get a military passport and get medically cleared. I hate processes that include filling out multiple forms, obtaining I.D.'s, licenses, and driving out to east Jesus nowhere to get to the closest military installation. Then if you arrive at the base with everything you need and get it all taken care of you have to wait...and wait, and wait...until you get cleared for a military passport.

As if having to get a military passport isn't confusing enough the medical clearance requires you to have a physical..which being spread eagle in front of a doctor is not my idea of a fun time. It is just not natural to have a stranger inspecting your goods. 

Me overwhelmed = Procrastination

I must fight my strong urge to procrastinate.

Happy Thursday 

A Work In Progress

I am writing this blog to tell you I am working on a blog...I just ran out of time this morning watching cooking videos <--- um yea I know I am a dork.

So stay tuned..

I Can't Think

I can't think this morning...so you know what that means..yep VIDEO DAY! YAY! Alright so it's not that exciting but neither are my blogs. Hopefully this one will wow you though.

Enjoy!

What To Do

Today is the day after the 4th of July...which makes it the 5th of July...why am I pointing this out? You know, I have no idea. However, I had a relaxing 4th and I hope you did too.

Now that Eric and I know we are going to Germany I find that people are starting to ask me a common question. "So what are you going to do in Germany?" Well, I am not really sure. There are things that I want to do, but I question whether the things I want to do are really possible. People are telling me I could go to school, which is true.. but it would have to be for a degree that I am really interested in...which right now the only degree I would want to be chasing is one in Culinary Arts. I don't think I will be able to attend a culinary school in Germany though. ( Unless you know something I don't ).

So here is a list of possibilities in no particular order

1.  Be a personal trainer for the Army Wives
2. Try and become a self taught chef
3. Teach vegetarian cooking classes
4. Become an elite marathon runner ( ok so this is more of a dream but I would have the time to train like one lol )
5. Go to school if there is a degree I am interested in...or culinary school but that is probably a dream as well.
6. Work at Walmart <--this particular one I would prefer not to do. And yes, they have Walmart in Germany.

I can't really think of anything else at the moment. So what do you think? What should I do in Germany?

It's The 4TH

Happy 4th of July everyone! It is crazy that it is already the 4th of July...I nearly forgot. So Eric is home now as you may have read in my post yesterday. So now that I am an Army wife I better get out my American Flag and wave it proud. Perhaps I will knit myself an outfit out of an American flag...Which is illegal if you didn't know. ( yep you are not allowed to wear the flag )Yay Go Army.

Um, I don't really have much going on in my brain but my husband is in the Army...yea.

Did you know he is in the Army?

I almost forgot. Wait no I didn't.

So what are your plans for the 4th? Doing anything fun?

Almost Forgot..

So in the middle of all the excitement I almost forgot to post a blog today..which would suck exponentially seeing as it has already been 6 months of non-stop blogging...yay me. Annnways I finally have my husband back which is awesome and he also came home with this little thing called a macbook from which I am typing this right now. Ahhh welcome back Mac. How I have missed you, and Eric too :)


Happy Saturday!

Almost Home!

It is strange to think that I get to see Eric TONIGHT. Not too much longer and I will be picking him up from the airport! So until then, my brain is pretty much occupied with anticipation.

I am however especially excited that my taco recipe finally got posted on  vegweb check it out if you are in the mood for some veggie tacos.

Happy Friday!

Speedy Oatmeal

I couldn’t sit still this morning long enough to blog…it was like someone slipped a little speed into my oatmeal. I woke up at about 3:00am…but knew that even 3:00am is even too early for me. Finally I gave in at at about 3:45 and made my way to the kitchen..here is a little preview of my morning.

Make Oatmeal

Eat Oatmeal while watching top chef

Go Girl and e-mail and etc.

Blog attempt…nope mind is too busy will try later.

Watched cooking videos on knife honing and knife skills.

Honed two knives

busted out cutting board and chopped up 5 stalks of celery using the “rolling technique”.

Put away cutting knives, cutting board, and celery.

Picked up computer for blog attempt #2. Nope got nothing.

Got dressed, ran, and here I am.

My mind is on fast forward. Perhaps it has something to do with Eric coming home tomorrow. Is it weird to say that I am nervous? I mean of course I am excited..but I have a nervousness as well.