The Pursuit of Happiness: Week in Review
"The Pursuit of Happiness" posts are changing (at least for this week, so let me know what you think). I am super proud of myself for making 267 post in a row. Considering my bedtime is equivalent to that of a 5-year-olds, remembering to post something happy each night can become a bit of a challenge. I knew the day would come when I missed that one post and things would get off track. Last Wednesday was that day, not to say I didn't have anything to write -- I have gotten in the habit of pondering my POH post throughout my day to have at least a few words to share -- but my exhaustion got the best of me, and I passed out before I realized I had not posted. The next day was an extremely late night out for me, and again, I was too exhausted to post by the time I got home. Maybe it's the late nights and somewhat early mornings, or maybe it's the 15 day streak of rainfall (almost a record) followed by unusually cold weather and then more rain, but I have not been able to shake my fatigue. Please tell me I am not alone.
Any-who, I was planning to post make a single post for those few days and then get back on track with daily posts but then I started thinking, why not just do a weekly recap. I saw no reason not to, and thus I am trying it out. This first one is a little extended, as I wanted my week to end on Friday, and I did not think to do this until last Friday was over. The recaps also allow me to potentially expand a bit, so you are not get a rushed and boring 4 word post because all I really want to do is go to sleep. Check it out. See what you think. Let me know if I should keep it or go back to the old way. Just remember:
"The only thing that is constant is change." - Heraclitus
Any-who, I was planning to post make a single post for those few days and then get back on track with daily posts but then I started thinking, why not just do a weekly recap. I saw no reason not to, and thus I am trying it out. This first one is a little extended, as I wanted my week to end on Friday, and I did not think to do this until last Friday was over. The recaps also allow me to potentially expand a bit, so you are not get a rushed and boring 4 word post because all I really want to do is go to sleep. Check it out. See what you think. Let me know if I should keep it or go back to the old way. Just remember:
"The only thing that is constant is change." - Heraclitus
Sometimes my life is a bit of a conundrum. Case in point: ramen. I love ramen. There are days I get a craving that feels like it comes from the soul and will never be quenched until I eat buckets full of ramen for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I recently discovered this super easy ramen recipe that I whip up at home. What's the problem then? Sometimes even the easiest recipes are too much for the busiest or laziest days, and traditional ramen from restaurants are pork based. I don't eat pork, which means no ramen for me, sad face. That is until I discovered my local Whole Foods now has a ramen counter with vegetarian ramen options! I am slightly in love with Whole Foods as well, so Whole Foods plus made to order vegetarian ramen. Oh my goodness. I had to try it right then (even though I had a shopping cart full of dinner stuff for the week, but that wasn't stopping me). I got a spicy vegetarian bowl to go. They made it. I went home. I devoured it. It made my whole shopping trip worth it, and pretty much my whole night.
Thursday (269)
When I found out that the Pentatonix World Tour was coming to our local concert grounds, I knew it was something Brenden had to see. He loves Pentatonix, and now so do I. A few months ago I bought us the tickets to see them as a very early birthday present for Brenden, and it was totally worth it. They sounded amazing live. So, so good; I still can't get them out of my head. The opening acts -- AJ and Us The Duo -- were great as well. It was just an all around, top notch concert. Happy very early birthday to my love.
Friday (270)
Paper Source. Because I am currently obsessed with many a things. I knew I would love this store, but I didn't realize how obsessed (read: broke from buying all the things) I would become until I set foot in the store a few weeks ago. After perusing the merchandise online time and time again, a local shop finally opened. It is literally down the road from where I work -- amazing and terrible all at once. So for the third week in a row (for me), my friend Lauren and I took a little after work trip to the store to stock up on all the things I think I am going to use but don't really need. This trip I was on a mission to purchase the new mermaid paper that I am in love with. Twenty-five dollars later, I was out the door with more crafting tools then I have room for. I was determined to make use of at least some of the things I bought the past three weeks, so I went home and made envelopes! I'm in love. (Are you tired of that phrase already...sorry not sorry. I'll look at a thesaurus later). Be prepared friends, homemade envelopes will be sent out soon. I can't promise anything will be in them, but my handiwork is the important part.
Paper Source. Because I am currently obsessed with many a things. I knew I would love this store, but I didn't realize how obsessed (read: broke from buying all the things) I would become until I set foot in the store a few weeks ago. After perusing the merchandise online time and time again, a local shop finally opened. It is literally down the road from where I work -- amazing and terrible all at once. So for the third week in a row (for me), my friend Lauren and I took a little after work trip to the store to stock up on all the things I think I am going to use but don't really need. This trip I was on a mission to purchase the new mermaid paper that I am in love with. Twenty-five dollars later, I was out the door with more crafting tools then I have room for. I was determined to make use of at least some of the things I bought the past three weeks, so I went home and made envelopes! I'm in love. (Are you tired of that phrase already...sorry not sorry. I'll look at a thesaurus later). Be prepared friends, homemade envelopes will be sent out soon. I can't promise anything will be in them, but my handiwork is the important part.
We had a reprieve from the rain. For like 12 hours, woo. And I was able to get my first outdoor bike ride of the season in with CL. And by first outdoor ride I really mean first ride because biking is my downfall, and I just have a terrible time motivating myself to ride, especially on my own. My fear of falling and getting hit by a car (again) does not mix well with my lack-of-desire to bike. But I did it, and it was great. I felt like I still had some good endurance -- we did 15 miles and I could have kept going -- even though it was a bit slow for me. Good thing it is just the start of my season.
For dinner I made some delicious salmon. Brenden loved it and even said he could eat it every week. I quote, "It just melts in your mouth." So happy. And so good. The salmon was from my earlier (see Wednesday) Whole Foods trip and the recipe was based on Buzzfeed's Salmon with Avocado Salsa. I made some seasoning and cooking adjustments and omg. Salmon is on the menu for next week for sure.
For dinner I made some delicious salmon. Brenden loved it and even said he could eat it every week. I quote, "It just melts in your mouth." So happy. And so good. The salmon was from my earlier (see Wednesday) Whole Foods trip and the recipe was based on Buzzfeed's Salmon with Avocado Salsa. I made some seasoning and cooking adjustments and omg. Salmon is on the menu for next week for sure.
Sunday (272)
In the morning I made Brenden and myself a fancy Sunday breakfast/brunch. Egg-in-the-hole grilled cheese sandwiches. So delicious. In the evening, we continued on the homemade dinner kick (because it is healthier and I have no money -- thanks Paper Source) we made our Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Pizza. Again it was so, so good. We may have eaten it all in about 5 minute. Again, sorry not sorry. The onions were caramelized almost to perfection, because there is always room to improve, for an hour and a half. The sauce was the perfect combination of tangy creaminess and rich spiciness. The cauliflower crust held up perfectly under pressure. And, the chicken and cheese were like the whipped cream and cherry on top of a sundae. Mmmm, mmmm good.
Brenden and I are really enjoying getting back into cooking. When we first started "Date Night Dinners," it was something we could do to bond and have a (sometimes) inexpensive dinner date. It was time we made sure we had to see each other that week, something we would have something to look forward to each week. At the time, we were living half an hour from each other. I was in school to get my Master's, working full time, and still living with my parents. Brenden had just moved to the MD and was getting to know the lay of the land plus working crazy hours to make ends meet. Now we live together. We see each other most mornings and nights and weekends, and we love being together all the time, even if it is just lounging on the couch. We didn't need to schedule things and we got comfortable with each other. In short, we got lazy. There was no need to do something special with dinner when we were eating together almost every night. But we are done with that. For the most part. We hope. We don't need a crazy, new recipe each meal or each week. But are remembering what we enjoyed about making dinner together and gobbling up our hard work. Maybe you will even get a few of our recipes again, once we get into the swing of things. I would say our cooking skills have improved. Our kitchen tools have certainly improved and expanded, if nothing else.
In the morning I made Brenden and myself a fancy Sunday breakfast/brunch. Egg-in-the-hole grilled cheese sandwiches. So delicious. In the evening, we continued on the homemade dinner kick (because it is healthier and I have no money -- thanks Paper Source) we made our Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Pizza. Again it was so, so good. We may have eaten it all in about 5 minute. Again, sorry not sorry. The onions were caramelized almost to perfection, because there is always room to improve, for an hour and a half. The sauce was the perfect combination of tangy creaminess and rich spiciness. The cauliflower crust held up perfectly under pressure. And, the chicken and cheese were like the whipped cream and cherry on top of a sundae. Mmmm, mmmm good.
Brenden and I are really enjoying getting back into cooking. When we first started "Date Night Dinners," it was something we could do to bond and have a (sometimes) inexpensive dinner date. It was time we made sure we had to see each other that week, something we would have something to look forward to each week. At the time, we were living half an hour from each other. I was in school to get my Master's, working full time, and still living with my parents. Brenden had just moved to the MD and was getting to know the lay of the land plus working crazy hours to make ends meet. Now we live together. We see each other most mornings and nights and weekends, and we love being together all the time, even if it is just lounging on the couch. We didn't need to schedule things and we got comfortable with each other. In short, we got lazy. There was no need to do something special with dinner when we were eating together almost every night. But we are done with that. For the most part. We hope. We don't need a crazy, new recipe each meal or each week. But are remembering what we enjoyed about making dinner together and gobbling up our hard work. Maybe you will even get a few of our recipes again, once we get into the swing of things. I would say our cooking skills have improved. Our kitchen tools have certainly improved and expanded, if nothing else.
Monday (273)
Last Monday swim practices moved outside. It was the day I dread every year -- I swear it is comes earlier each year. It has been a cold spring, and I was not ready to go outside. But I packed my bag and got my wetsuit ready on Sunday night. Monday morning came and I hit snooze...x5. I didn't make it. I didn't make it on Wednesday or Friday either. And this Monday morning came and went in the blink of an eye or in my case without even opening an eye. Between the cold, the rain, and my constant fatigue, swimming at 5:30 am just isn't happening. But it had been over a week and my inner conscious told me I had to swim. Thanks to Jeff V. I made it to the pool after work and had quite a good workout. I even had a weird urge and did some synchronized swimming laps -- eggbeater and pop-ups and ballet legs. It has been years since I've done any of those. And it made me so happy and nostalgic. It made me want to do synchro everyday and get good again. It was great, even if the swimmers stared at me like I was crazy, made it all the better.
Oh, and I finished The 100 book series! Another obsession. The books are very good, but I am soo happy I have the TV series to keep watching. Even though, they are really totally different now. And the season is almost over. How will I make it those months without it, each weekday until Thursday is hard enough. #firstworldproblems.
Tuesday (274)
Taco Tuesday with Brenden. Because we can, and he love alliterations.
Taco Tuesday with Brenden. Because we can, and he love alliterations.
Wednesday (275)
Remember how I recently stated I hadn't been brave enough to face the cold, 5:30 am outdoors for swimming? Well I finally made it. Omg. The air was cool, but the water was..."refreshing"... maybe. But I did it. I made it through my first outdoor masters practice of the year.
Remember how I recently stated I hadn't been brave enough to face the cold, 5:30 am outdoors for swimming? Well I finally made it. Omg. The air was cool, but the water was..."refreshing"... maybe. But I did it. I made it through my first outdoor masters practice of the year.
Thursday (276)
Who watched "The 100" season 3 finale??!!? Obviously I did. OMG I can't believe how in love with this show I am! And now we have to wait until next year to start season 4. I don't know if my curiosity will be able to handle it. What do you think will happen next? What did you think of the finale? **SPOILER TIME** Was ALIE telling Clarke the truth? I want to say she was lying as it seems highly improbable that any of the humans could get around something that big. Unless they somehow all go back into space and wait it out another 100 years...hmmm. What are your theories? How about Octavia and Pike? I totally understand she is mad, but come on, that was just dumb, her slicing his leg before the hundreds of chipped people attacked. They were already largely outnumbered, so let's make the odds even smaller. And then her killing him at the very end? Do you think Pike knew it was coming? Brenden and I disagreed. I thought Pike was nodding to say "good work, we hurt each other but we saved each other, now we are good..." something to that extent. Brenden said he knew it was coming because Pike's nod was signaling "okay the fight is over, you can have your revenge." Where is Indra? Did Octavia then storm off to get her off the cross, or is she still hanging up there suffering? And what about all the chipped people? Will they ever get over the horrors they remember doing while being mind controlled? Will some people be mad they were forced out of the City of Light? Will Jaha be forgiven? This whole thing was kind of his fault, right? So many things to think about. Come on "The 100" fans, let me know. I need more people to discuss it with. Kind of obsessed if you couldn't tell.
Who watched "The 100" season 3 finale??!!? Obviously I did. OMG I can't believe how in love with this show I am! And now we have to wait until next year to start season 4. I don't know if my curiosity will be able to handle it. What do you think will happen next? What did you think of the finale? **SPOILER TIME** Was ALIE telling Clarke the truth? I want to say she was lying as it seems highly improbable that any of the humans could get around something that big. Unless they somehow all go back into space and wait it out another 100 years...hmmm. What are your theories? How about Octavia and Pike? I totally understand she is mad, but come on, that was just dumb, her slicing his leg before the hundreds of chipped people attacked. They were already largely outnumbered, so let's make the odds even smaller. And then her killing him at the very end? Do you think Pike knew it was coming? Brenden and I disagreed. I thought Pike was nodding to say "good work, we hurt each other but we saved each other, now we are good..." something to that extent. Brenden said he knew it was coming because Pike's nod was signaling "okay the fight is over, you can have your revenge." Where is Indra? Did Octavia then storm off to get her off the cross, or is she still hanging up there suffering? And what about all the chipped people? Will they ever get over the horrors they remember doing while being mind controlled? Will some people be mad they were forced out of the City of Light? Will Jaha be forgiven? This whole thing was kind of his fault, right? So many things to think about. Come on "The 100" fans, let me know. I need more people to discuss it with. Kind of obsessed if you couldn't tell.
Friday (277)
Stirfriday! Hopefully the first of many, with our newish wok and Brenden's idea and enthusiasm towards this. Also I decided to create a hashtag for Brenden and myself. Because why not. It's trending, and who's to say our relationship isn't as drama filled as all the ones created from television relationships. #Trenden. Or should it be #Bracy? Or are you with Brenden on this one?
Stirfriday! Hopefully the first of many, with our newish wok and Brenden's idea and enthusiasm towards this. Also I decided to create a hashtag for Brenden and myself. Because why not. It's trending, and who's to say our relationship isn't as drama filled as all the ones created from television relationships. #Trenden. Or should it be #Bracy? Or are you with Brenden on this one?
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