We chased the clouds out west till the salty air tickled our lips.

I took the weekend to escape to the bay area.

I just needed a break from my normal, even though I'm just trying to rediscover my normal.

I'm feeling better though.

Much better.

Slowly getting better..

Oh so slowly.

I feel like my heart has been ripped out of my chest

yet the pain is still there.


Time cannot pass fast enough.

I cut down trees, I wear high heal

Well I cannot say I cut down any trees today, but I did move some wood today with the Lumberjack teams at school.  I was thinking about Monty Python all day.  The location of the site was beautiful, and the aspen trees are the color of gold right now giving us students breathtaking views our drive.  

We worked a nine hour day, long but somehow still enjoyable.  I will have many battle wounds to remind me of today for the next week: cuts and scraps on the hands and arms, bruised thigh from dropping a log onto it, ran my ankle bone into a log, and dropped a fat long right onto my toe.  What can I say?  I'm kind of a klutz. 

I have to give myself some props for actually achieving some things on my Project Day Zero list, even though I haven't been looking over it periodically.  I've been volunteering, participating in more club activities, and jogging regularly.  Hooray!

Gym in the early morning. <3

Renewing my ambition!

I finally made it to the gym this morning!  It only took me a week.  Plus I went for a two mile jog this afternoon with a wonderful friend.

Getting back to the gym was an instant motivation buster and I'm feeling back in the game.  As well, I've been playing with 'My Fitness Pal' iphone app to track my calories (the best I can that is...) and I'm loving it.  I hope it will help me with some mild fitness goals.

The same friend (plus another lovely friend) both helped me decorate special halloween cupcakes for an elementary school's halloween fair.

Honestly, it was my first time making cupcakes from scratch and they were amazing!  (And vegan <3)

( Could someone please donate a decent camera? :[ )

I felt horrible about caving in and getting gummy worms for the decorations but everything else is vegan.  

I feel blessed to have such wonderful friends in my life.

Good news:  I survived midterms last week.

Bad news: My workouts were put on hold after wednesday, and ever since I've been slacking off with working out and becoming depressed.  I could really use a workout partner to check in with and help me stay motivated.  

Disregarding that, there was plenty of other good news.  My wonderful boyfriend took me to the art museum last Friday for my birthday.  Before that we had thai food with my dad.  Afterwards we went to a lovely little coffee shop and enjoyed some quality coffee.

Soy Pumpkin Latte!

Other news is that I've been inspired to progress in using more vegan products, such as beauty and skin care products.  I've attempted this in the past but my paychecks could not support it before.  And it makes sense to me to transition into using more of these products, if I don't consume the flesh of animals then I should not use any by-products from their bodies.  I'm still making some mistakes with eating, having cheese every now and then, but I'm still trying my best to adopt more vegan tendencies.  It just feels right to me.  Since I received a wonderful Sephora gift card from the boyfriends parents I'm going to take this opportunity to start investing in some cruelty free vegan make up.


On Sunday one of my friends and I went to the Little Truckee River for 'Truckee River Day' and put a few hours into helping the community with research projects and conservation work.  It was really great to be out there while blessed with wonderful weather and meeting lots of great people who share similar passions.  This was my first time participating and I will have to do this more often! [Pictures soon...?]

Recipe of the week: Lentil-Soup!

I forgot to add the spinach when I served myself the first bowl! (I was pretty hungry at this point.)  So the picture does not do it justice!

Studying

This has been my entire weekend...

It will pay off.

New Recipe Number One

In honor of this cold October day, I decided to make some Three Bean Vegan chili.  

What goes better with chili than cornbread?  

...

Nothing

The chili turned out to be delicious.  I tampered with the recipe, substituted the jalapeño with a can of mild green chili, added some oregano, and chopped two whole carrots and added that it. 

I was a bit disappointed with the cornbread.


I used the Bob's Red Mill package, which may have been the origin of the lack of flavor or it could have been my egg substitution (1 egg = 1 tbsp of milled flax seed simmered with 3 tbsp of water.)


Disregarding the different flavoring of the cornbread, it turned out to be a lovely, and warming fall meal.
 


Chili recipe: http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=36938.0

The practice 5K

If this was two years ago, I would not be happy waking up at six in the morning on a Sunday.  That has changed over the last few years and in particular the last month.  Yesterday was the Susan G. Komen race for the cure 5K where my aunt and two other friends were brave enough to wake up at an unholy hour to join me.

Sadly, since it was my first 5K, I signed up for the non-timed race because I'm inexperienced and mainly just cheap.  It was my misunderstanding of the situation of the race though, were I thought we would be started after the timed race with the walkers... and boy was I wrong about that!  Since my friend (the one that didn't race) and I wanted to jog we decided to try, but it was just too hard to weave through the large crowd of people.  So this 5K is not counting towards my list, since I walked most of the race and didn't exactly feel accomplished.

The whole experience was still wonderful.  The survivor ceremony was emotional and we walked around and collect free goodies (pens, bracelets, etc.)  It also feels wonderful to know that our registration is all donated to a good cause to help out the brave women who are fighting for their lives.

What lessons have I learned?  1. My endurance is low.   2. I need to remember to use my inhaler before I start jogging and not leave it in the car.  3. Start the race with the rest of the joggers.  4. Always give myself a monthly check (the hard part is remembering).

So my friend and I are committing to jog in the Halloween 5K race (I need a creative costume idea!!) and the Turkey Trot.  I'm looking for some useful and free training tips and plan on being better prepared for the next race!

Current Goals

I spent this last weekend out in the middle of Nevada (about 30 minutes away from Austin) for a class field trip.  After spending the time and money to prepare fairly healthy meals for myself, I completely lost my motivation to eat healthy.  I felt overwhelmed and jealous of all the other food my class mates have brought with them and I caved in and ended up feeling lethargic and disappointed in myself.

I know it may sound ridiculous or that I'm obsessing over what I'm eating, but I'm trying not to.  I'm just trying to be honest with myself.  I'm not saying I'm "fat" but I just want to responsible with myself and become more conscious of how food makes me feel, emotionally and physically.  An excellent example, I do not drink milk because if gives me horrible.. horrible internal pains embarrassing gas (sorry for that info...)  Or, eating seven Reeses Peanut Butter cups makes me feel horribly guilty and ultimately gives my a stomach ache.

On a more positive note, I've been keeping up with my weekly jogging goals, hooray!  As well, I've switched my gym schedule to the wee early morning hours before my 8 am classes.  It's the only time the gym isn't unbearable crowded, and I love starting my day off with a great workout.

I am planning on jogging my first 5K this sunday for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.  This feels very important for me to participate in because of a couple of reasons.  It's on my Day Zero list and I am honestly trying to work on completing at least one thing the first month of posting it.  Another reason why this race is important to me is because my grandmother is a survivor and it's genetic concern that runs in my family.  It sounds like some friends and my Aunt is interested in participating and I hope it ends up being a fun first race.

Sleepy eyes

Running on four hours of sleep and two cups of coffee, I've been awake since 3 am.  The wildlife field trip was fun, it just felt a bit drawn out.  I did learn quite a bit of new stuff today (such as about avian genitalia and diseases) and enjoyed getting to know my fellow classmates better.

Male Mallard

After the trip one of my lovely cousins and her boyfriend dropped by from travels through Yosemite.  We went and had Thai dinner with our grandmother.  Over all it was a very pleasant day, but I have to say that I am ready for bed.

<3

Progress so far...

But not with the list.  I'm too much of a slacker to have actually done anything that I have planned.  Right now I'm watching Evil Dead with the boyfriend and two good friends.  The lack of common sense the main character has makes the movie too painful to watch.

On another note, the third week of the fall semester is already over and time is flying by.  I really need to start studying...

On the high note of today I ventured into REI for my first time and invested in so Chacos!  And I am now an official REI member.  :D

Wildlife field trip in the morning (4am... gasp!) But it should be a fun adventure tagging wood ducks.

Chacos!!!

The List

So I am that person who always says I want to do something, or explore somewhere, or anything else.  Sure, I may explore somewhere, close by, and do something that is convenient, but I never really have gone that extra step.  So I'm hoping this list will help me stop procrastinating with life and finally take that extra time to do the things I want to do, and I have to thank Jessie for inspiring me to start one.

So today is day zero, September the 10th of 2011, my finally day with this list will be June the 7th of 2014.

Here it is... it's a mixture of academic, fitness, adventure, and self improvement goals that currently really inspire me.  There are some silly items along the way and financially speaking, I'm sure some of these goals won't be achievable in a time frame of less than three years, I just want this list for that reminder.

1. Experiment with being less defensive
2. Volunteer at the Washoe State Tree Nursery
3. Complete a “Couch to 5K” challenge
4. Climb on... outdoors
5. Visit Yosemite
6. Backpack through the coastal Redwoods
7. Compete and complete in a triathlon
8. Study and take the GRE
9. Visit some college campuses in the Pacific Northwest
10. Get accepted into a graduate program
11. Volunteer at the SPCA
12. Participate in a cancer fundraiser
13. Donate blood
14. Finish my bachelors degree
15. Learn Spanish
16. Visit Europe
17. Bike to school/work more often (at least once a week with weather permitting)
18. Finish reading 20 novels
19. Complete a 30 day vegan challenge
20. Visit Glacier national park
21. Complete knitting 20 items
22. Grow my hair out longer
23. Open a mutual-fund
24. Grow my own vegetable garden...
25. Take one photo a day of something interesting for one month
26. Achieve at LEAST a 3.6 GPA the last 3 semesters of my undergrad career
27. Find a different field related job for summer of 2012 to broaden my experience
28. Write down what I eat in a log
29. Consistently use a daily organizer
30. Work on my posture
31. Get a passport
32. Invest in a decent road bike
33. Study one plant a day
34. Visit my grandparents more often
35. Grow my own herbs
36. Read a new science journal article once a month
37. Spend more time with my sister (go out once a month)
38. Go rock climbing once a month
39. Read one bible verse a week (work on my faith)
40. Go jogging at least twice a week
41. Create more art (draw more)
42. Get involved with a club at school (Lumber Jack Team?)
43. Invest in an digital SLR camera
44. Visit Alaska
45. Go cross country skiing
46. Make everyone thoughtful Christmas gifts one year
47. Backpack for a week along the Pacific Coast Trail
48. Have 8 months worth of savings by the end of 1001 days
49. Go horseback riding again
50. Buy a bike rack!
51. Write a daily gratitude list for at least a week
52. Don't complain about anything for a week
53. Find a personally inspirational quote and work it into a piece of art or home décor
54. Write all my bad memories on a paper, then burn the paper afterwards
55. Attend the Art Museum (I have not done this in years... sad to say)
56. Expand my vocabulary by 100 words
57. Bring my thigh measurement down at an inch by summer of 2012 (current measurement at the thickest part is 22.5”...)
58. Make a list of 50 things I like about myself
59. Take a kayaking class
60. Try a new recipe each month
61. Don't eat extra sugar for a week
62. Invest in the stock market
63. Do not buy anything for a week
64. Have a full piggy (owl) bank once a year and stash it away
65. Put away five dollars for every goal completed
66. Bake treats for my friends and loved ones
67. Go apple picking at Apple Hill
68. Host a tea party
69. Go to an outdoor bluegrass concert
70. Use only fabric bags at the store
71. Host a dinner party
72. Purchase an apron
73. Have an at home all natural spa and pamper day
74. Stop being a pansy... go to the dentist!!!
75. Go pick wild berries
76. Start a woman's self-loving workshop
77. Buy an external hard drive
78. Move into my own apartment
79. Bike from Squaw Valley to Tahoe City
80. Go on a road trip... anywhere
81. Go barefoot for a day [One Day Without Shoes]
82. Create a budget
83. Hike to Mt. Rose Peak (never done this one :])
84. Go to a music festival
85. Have dinner by candle light
86. Don't log into facebook for at least a week
87. Have a poker night
88. Write a list of 50 places I want to visit in my lifetime
89. Take a train somewhere
90. Pick one country a week to research its history and current events
91. Participate in the Reno-Tahoe Odyssey
92. Run five 5K's
93. Reconnect with family
94. Go bird watching
95. See a symphony
96. Get more crafty
97. Clip coupons!
98. Visit the Grand Tetons
99. Try presenting an art show
100. Don't curse for a week
101. Expand my wardrobe  

Relaxing...

The second week back at school is about to start, and already I will already have a field trip tomorrow.  This is very exciting, since it is the first of many more.  Anyways, I'm slowly but surely getting back into the "good student" school mode (I've already started reading my textbooks.) 

This last weekend has been a wonderfully relaxing.  Saturday I enjoyed the day with my beautiful friend Lauren, where we caught up with each others busy lives over coffee and wondered over to the Patagonia warehouse for their Labor day sale (I couldn't resist.)  I purchased a present for another special lady friend and bought myself a base layer for when the weather cools down and some much needed new field pants... and I am proud to say that it was only $70. 

The rest of my weekend I have spent some quality time with my boyfriend and his family and relaxing each day.  Today we hiked in Tahoe Meadow for four hours and cherished the views and wildflowers blooming.  Later today I also went for a mile and a half jog, just because I have been over indulging in some junk food as of lately.  Overall, it has been a lovely weekend.

Another point I have been wanting to post about is that my friend Jessi and others have inspired me to start my own Day Zero project list.  Once I have my list finished, I will be posting that.  I have only about 15 more things to put down.  Who would have thought that writing a list of 101 things to accomplish would be so hard?

Summer night...

Catching whiffs of a fresh cigar

Listening to coyotes howl in the far deserted distance

Reading a story about love

What a lovely summer night

Weekend Escape

This weekend, my best friend Jessie and I went to San Francisco to go see my absolute favorite band perform live at the Bottom of the Hill venue.  The right down was delightful, fairly traffic free and filled with many insightful conversations.

Before the concert started, we explored and enjoyed the city with a tremendous amount of window shopping and walking to enjoy the cities beautiful architecture.  The few parts of town we chose to enjoy was Haight St. and Japan Town.  During our long stroll on Height St. we walked in a countless number of clothing stores, admired the expensive clothing that neither of us dared to purchase, and walked off to the next store.  We both did end up caving into our desires and purchased a few items we both enjoyed, where I bought a $7 dollar red stone ring at the Tibetan Gift Corner and Jessie invested into one of her gifted hobbies and bought a backpack guitar (very cute and she was able to haggle the price down!) After walking around for who knows how many hours our stomach finally caught up to us and we were starved, but luckily we were able to find an excellent Indian restaurant which wasn't crowded with people from the street.  Lunch was delicious, where I had a spinach potato dish and Jessie enjoyed a chicken curry dish and we both sipped on our FREE chai tea and devoured our garlic naan.  On our way back to the car we were stop by a young man to try to have us sign a pledge to contribute a monthly donation to the Planned Parenthood, and simply stated.. he could not handle a no.  Eventually we escaped with all limbs intact.  With this visit to The City being my first in ten years, one of the most enjoyable sites I visited was Buena Vista Park which was beautifully structure with Redwoods, Arizona Cypress' and a variety of hardwoods, ivy and flowers.

Buena Vista Park

An awkward photo of me at the park

Japan town was an interesting experience and we explored a few gift shops in the mall, but quite frankly at this point I was starting to get tired of shopping in such crowded spaces.  We trekked up and down the hills on that side of town, some sketchy areas but mostly nice, and simply enjoyed the architecture and weather.  Luckily we found another store a few blocks down from where we started our adventure and Jessie was able purchase her first pair of Toms!

Japan Town

The concert itself was spectacular... actually, it was far more than that.  The band performing was God is an Astronaut, which is classified as "post rock" and I personally find their music inspirational and beautiful.    Seeing this band perform live was an astonishing and emotional experience and I lack to words to justify their amazing performance.  It was a privilege being able to watch them preform and turn their sweat and raw energy into something so magnificent.  Energized from the show and tired from the day, we head to my aunts house to rest.

The only photo I took at the show, horrible quality but I am glad I didn't bring a better camera.

Spending time with Jessie was simply a pleasant time and I enjoyed every minute of her company.