Math I can actually understand...

Embracing Change

Change is a funny thing. While most of us would like to think of ourselves as flexible, adaptable beings, the reality is that the mere thought of change makes the best of us want to run and hide. Most people are creatures of habit and slight changes to our regular routines can turn us into stressed out, crabby people.

I had somewhat of a panic attack a few nights ago. I will be graduating in a few months, and I am beginning to look at job openings... editing my resume... possibly interviewing...
While lying in bed thinking about my next steps in life I was hit with the weight of doubt.

“Am I ready for all of this?”

After some reflection and tears of panic, I came to the following conclusion: I can be.

I reminded myself that I have got through this kind of change before. About four years ago (has it been that long?) I graduated from undergrad, applied, interviewed and landed a great job. I moved to a new state, a new city... adapted and survived.

Though there are some clear differences, my coping skills are the same... so here ya have it… how to: 

Super Suck Sunday

SUCKS

1. Job searching. I am getting overwhelmed and very anxious with the thought of finding my “next chapter” and the idea of interviewing. This is something I have been anticipating for over a year, and now that it has come.... I'm struggling.
2. Choosing the wrong jacket. On a day where it was pissing rain with 60 mph winds I chose to wear a down jacket without a hood. I ran all around Seattle looking like a drowned cat, and my ears nearly froze off. I'm not even being dramatic; It was miserable.
3. I will admit... I am addicted to Pinterest, and I must say: I get super annoyed when the “Fetching Pins” thing takes forever....
4. Forgetting where you put your keys. Every day this week....
5. Theo destroying another pair of shoes. BAD DOG! See his past destructions here.

SUPER

1. One more class session to go. One. More.
2. Receiving recognition for a job well done. I don't always need it, but getting a “You did great.” feels pretty damn good.
3. Having a boyfriend who will let me be a fat kid. Earlier this week I chose to have waffles smothered in Nutella for dinner. Noah looked at me and with nothing but love in his eyes said, “You know, inside that hot body of yours is a fat kid crying to get out.” Thanks, love.
4. Purging your closet. I have a garbage bag stuffed with clothes to give away, and it feels great!
5. At the risk of being a jerk for finding this utterly hilarious, this poor girl's video made me laugh.
   
   
   
   

Enjoy the Weekend

50 Things About Us....

1. We talk about owning a house and traveling almost every day.

2. We both got our undergraduate degrees in Monmouth, Oregon.

3. We are both working on our Master’s degree.

4. She is always freezing.  

5. He is always warm.

6. She leaves her clothes hanging everywhere.

7. He leaves his shoes out.

8. We are best friends.

9. He wishes she wouldn’t squeeze the toothpaste from the bottom.

10. We have a bedtime ritual.  

11. She will always have a very untidy/ messy handbag.

12. His dresser drawers will always be more organized than hers.

13. She always forgets to clean the litter box.

14. He is in charge of reminding her.

15. We like critiquing new restaurants.  

16. He can’t sleep with a crack of light in the room.

17. She is afraid of the dark.

18. We enjoy talking about and planning our future together.

19. We want to raise a family in Oregon.

20. He doesn’t like mushrooms, pickles or tomatoes.

21. She only likes foods she’s in the mood for at that very moment.

22. He dreams of owning his own business.

23. She dreams of saving the world.

24. We have our favorite Chinese place on speed dial.

25. She writes him little notes.

26. He changes her windshield wipers.

27. She gets extra moody when she’s hungry.

28. He does too

29. He opens the car door for her.

30. She calls him “love bug”

31. He calls her “baby girl”

32. We have lots of inside jokes.

33. Sometimes we dance in our kitchen.

34. He likes drinking wine.

35. She does too.

36. We used to eat tacos at least once a week. Then we got sick of tacos.

37. We still can’t agree on who kissed who first.

38. On their first date, he made her vegetarian lasagna.

39. She gets really loud when she’s telling a story.

40. He has to tell her not to yell.

41. She has a million items in the shower.

42. He has 3.

43. We have a shared obsession with anything Peanut Butter & Chocolate

44. She loves his laugh.  

45. If she’d let him, he’d have a full blown beard.

46. We’ve been known to disagree about who gets the remote.

47. We talk about our dog like he’s our child.

48. Sometimes we stay up too late talking, and then we’re super tired in the morning.

49. He likes tickling her.

50. We have done amazing things together… and look forward to doing more.  

Playing with Food

About 1 year and 4 months ago…. My boss and I decided to do a little experiment. Just like many other offices in America, the lunchroom can be a temptation room of sugary indulgences. I’ll admit, I love baking so often I am the culprit… however in October of 2011, my office had a box of store-bought donuts and mini autumn inspired cupcakes.

Both of us being a bit health conscious and knowing very well that these sweet treats were filled with fats, corn syrup and preservatives… we wondered….

How long would it take for them to decompose?

We set them on a plate with the day’s date, and put them in a spot where they wouldn’t be disturbed.  Months went by…. Months…. And then a year….

The cupcake looks fresh as it did on day ONE!

They are hard as rock, and without any sign of decay whatsoever. *

I took a nutrition class in college and if I learned anything it was to fear preservatives. Food should expire! A little lesson here….Preservatives can be categorized into three general types: antimicrobials that inhibit growth of bacteria, yeasts, or molds; antioxidants that slow air oxidation of fats and lipids, which leads to rancidity; and a third type that blocks the natural ripening and enzymatic processes that continue to occur in foodstuffs after harvest.

I think it’s safe to say that the donut and cupcake are highly preserved. Imagine what your body goes through to process this “food”. Gross. I’m not saying I won’t eat another donut in my life (maple bars call to me)… but seriously…..WTF?

**We put an end to the experiment by seeing what would happen if we put the aged treats in the microwave. I kid you not, the donut caught on fire and the cupcake morphed into a powder.

Valentine's, Birthday Flight, Pops & Downton Abbey

The long weekend was jam packed! Of course, I took photos to document.



My lovely card, roses and special present waiting for me when I walk in.



Noah's been interested in making cocktails at home, so I thought I would encourage that. :)
*Isn't the bag adorable?

 

Now, for Noah’s birthday, I had a wonderful surprise planned. Quick note here: I am terrible at keeping surprises a secret. Historically I get so anxious that I just blurt it out! I was so excited about this one and determined to keep my trap shut. Luckily, it was perfect.

Noah had no idea where we were headed, but we had coffees in hand and we were on our way. He tells me now he had a few ideas, but after passing through Seattle and the Boeing Air Museum he wasn’t so sure. It wasn't until we pulled into a tiny little airport in Renton did I say, “Yup. We’re going in a plane!”

We had 30 minutes or so.Our early arrival is a symptom of my anxiety with surprises: I rushed us. Noah used this time to mentally prepare himself for boarding a 4-seater, tinker-toy of a plane.

The flight was an hour long and we flew northeast and then back down along the Puget Sound. The pilot even let Noah take off! There was some turbulence that nearly made us lose our breakfast, but the views were incredible. Seeing the city from the air definitely gave us a different perspective of distance, and how massive some houses are!

 

After the flight. Feet safely on the ground.

The rest of the weekend was spent stomping around downtown, hanging out with my dad, eating good food and shopping.

My Pops and I being weird. Note the ass to the right who awkwardly photo bombed us.

Also, we are now completely invested in a new (to us) show. We started watching Downton Abbey on Friday, and we are already halfway through the second season. Geez! Talk about BINGE VIEWING!

I absolutely love Lady Sybil… can’t stand Mrs. O’brien and Thomas, and have fallen in love with Mr. Bates. I know the third season is nearing an end, so I am trying to avoid the internet. How have we been missing this show? I have tons of school work to do, but we MUST finish season two!



Happy Birthday, Noah!

February 14, 2009 

Happy Birthday and Happy Valentine's Day to my special guy!

He doesn't know it yet, but I've got a special surprise for him and I can't wait for the fun reveal. :)

Tonight we will be having a lovely dinner at one of our favorite places, and splurging on some Coldstone ice cream sandwiches!!

And here... a very lovely poem:

 

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

Happy Monday

A Bestie Weekend

At this very moment my bestie is on her way up to Seattle. I'm SO excited! We have shopping, wine drinking, and chatty catch-up on the agenda. We'll probably eat a lot of cheese, and watch some raunchy television too... Yes!

I'm excited to just relax and have some serious (and much needed) girl time.

Cheers! And have a fabulous weekend!

*Look, Mel. It's a photo of us!

Crossfit Victories

Recently I posted my Top 6: Crossfit Goals. Well...in just a week, I met #2 and #3!!I completed my first workout without having to use assisting bands to do the pull-ups. At some points, I doubted whether I could finish, and I considered reaching for the bands....but I didn't want to give in.

I struggled through it, and did my best to get that "kipping" motion down.
While I wasn't the most graceful in the process...and I still need a lot of practice, it felt amazing! 

Obviously the picture below isn't of me doing the pull-ups, but here's me flipping tires for the "warm-up".

Yeah, CrossFit doesn't mess around.

My other goal was to dead lift over 200 pounds. In this photo, I am lifting 203 pounds! BOOM.

I love Crossfit because you can feel yourself getting better with each workout. It's a competition with yourself, for yourself.

Product Love: Nature Box

Quick tidbit about me: I hate grocery shopping. I become completely overwhelmed by all the options, the labels, and the crowds. My anxiety levels rise when I am trying to make healthy choices, and those damn Fritos call to me.   

My solution: I have healthy foods delivered right to my door. I have posted about Full Circle before, and I swear by it. I have even gotten a few of my friends hooked. Now, I introduce to you….

Nature Box

A variety of healthy snack foods delivered once a month. No chemicals. No High Fructose Corn Syrup. No artificial ANYTHING. They are natural… and most of them are actually vegan! You can choose which snacks you'll receive or if you like the element of surprise, they can choose for you.

I received my first box yesterday, and the contents all look delicious. Dried cranberries, citrus granola, flax crisps…. Yum!

If you are interested in giving them a try…. You can use this code: REFER25You will get 25% of your first order. That’s a great deal considering a box is only $19.95/ month.

Another bonus, as if the deliciousness and the discount isn't enough.... for each box delivered, they feed a child in need.

"For every NatureBox delivered, together we’re helping to feed the hungry through our partnership with Feeding America. NatureBox donates one meal for every box to feed the over 14 million children in America who go hungry. We believe in doing good and eating well."

A Book to Read: Trauma Stewardship

As I am reaching the end of my graduate school career and will soon be crowned a social worker (holy crap), I am becoming more aware of what is happening within me as I work with clients.  To be honest, I feel I've reached a point of empathetic saturation. Every day I am a safe person for my clients to talk to about their joys, successes, difficulties, fears and traumas. I am exposed to their suffering, and I am affected by it.  I find myself leaving the office drained, overwhelmed, and carrying the weight of their heartbreaks.

I purchased the book, “Trauma Stewardship” by Laura Van Dernoot Lipsky a few quarters ago as it was highly encouraged by an instructor.  A little ambivalent, I never cracked the spine. Perhaps I was too stubborn to acknowledge a book that suggests I may experience what we in the biz like to call… “Secondary Trauma”.

My stubbornness has been overpowered with a few recent experiences, and needless to say I reached out for the book for rays of hope. Hope for what? An awakening…. Affirmations….Guidance.

I devoured this book in 3 days (this is huge considering I haven't read a book for pleasure since the first Twilight), and can’t even begin to describe my feelings of serenity. Here are just a few lines that stuck with me:

“Maintaining compassion for ourselves and others is of paramount importance as we explore our trauma exposure response. “

“If we allow our happiness and sense of success to hinge on things outside of ourselves, we will wait for our well-being indefinitely.” 

When I tell people what I am going to school for, I wince every time I get the, "Oh my goodness, you're an angel." or the "I don't know how you do it, I could never do that!" Here, Laura speaks to this: 

"The way people react towards us in response to our work makes the impact of trauma exposure more profound because it increases our sense of isolation, and isolation is one of the staples that keeps systematic oppression firmly in place."   

I recommend this book to anyone who does frontline work to ease the trauma of others. This book offers a great reminder that we can make a difference for others, without losing sight of our own self-care.  

“Checking in with yourself about why you are doing what you're doing can make all the difference in understanding that you have a choice."

Super Suck Sunday

SUCKS

• Without being at all dramatic, and in all seriousness.... I think this week was my worst...ever. A minor miscommunication at work has turned into something awful, and I received some bad (will get better with time) news from my parents. Thank goodness I have adaptive coping skills.
• Spilling coffee all over my phone and keyboard. Seriously?
• Senioritis. I have just two class sessions left, and my motivation is decreasing with each passing minute. I love the class, but I'm ready to be done!
• Not having any good music, and desperately hoping Pandora will provide something wonderful. If you have any suggestions, let me know!
• Seattle parking sucks. Period.

SUPER

• I met a CrossFit goal! I completed my first workout without using the bands when doing pull-ups. For those who may not understand...just know... this is kind of a big deal!
• My bestie comes to visit in T-Minus 5 days. At this point, girl time is imperative to my mental health.
• Received my official graduation audit, and it's perfect. This means: I am set to graduate in June!
• I finished an amazing book.... more to come on the amazingness of this book.
• With all the crap that happened this week, Noah was sweet enough to make us dinner and I came home to this gorgeous arrangement.