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  1. Quote of the Day

    Tuesday, June 14, 2011



    "In 2000, I told graduates to not be afraid to fail, and I still believe that. But today I tell you that whether you fear it or not, disappointment will come. The beauty is that through disappointment you can gain clarity, and with clarity comes conviction and true originality."
    -- Conan O'Brien

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  2. Thrill Seeking Missile

    Tuesday, June 7, 2011


    Well folks, I kicked off the Memorial Day weekend right by launching myself out of a plane with a man strapped to my back (a.k.a. tandem skydiving). My friend Michaela wanted to skydive for her 27th birthday and I cheerfully volunteered to accompany her.

    Jacob and I got on the road at about 6:30 AM so that Michaela and I could be the first jump of the day at Skydive City in Zephyrhills, FL.

    The experience was AWESOME. Packed into our lil' Cessna like sardines with several other solo jumpers, we told dirty jokes to cut the tension. I was less nervous than I expected for something like this, and to be honest, I thought bungee jumping was scarier. So, word of advice: bungee jump before skydiving -- it will make things more fun! :) At about 13,000 feet, Quinn, my tandem diving professional, and I scooted our way over to the bay door opening in the side of the plane. I lifted my chin, crossed my arms over my chest, and kept my legs tucked behind me. Then, we were air born -- hurtling toward the Earth -- and it was BEAUTIFUL. You could see all the way to St. Pete -- it was a beautifully clear day and the air was fresh and cool. At about 5500 feet, Quinn pulled the chute and we drifted slowly toward home base. Quinn pulled some spirals, had us feeling zero gravity for a few moments, and then we landed by sliding on our butts.

    I would have done it again that day -- several times over. That's what flying feels like! I almost wish I paid the extra $100 for the photos and video...ALMOST.

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  3. Doin' the Charleston

    Friday, May 20, 2011


    Hi All! Let's forget about what kind of food I eat and get back to something more fun -- travel talk!

    Some on you may know that the Mister's job has him on the road in South Carolina every week. Instead of him coming home to me in FL for the weekend, I flew up to see him in Charleston -- that beautiful Southern Belle of a city. The last time I was in Charleston I was 11 years old. April is a GREAT time to be in the Southeastern U.S. because the weather, generally, is PERFECT. The high temperatures are in the mid 70s or low 80s, the lows are in the 60s or 50s, and the humidity is low.

    I flew into town on a Thursday night, and when Jacob finished up work on Friday morning, we took off to see the H.L. Hunley, one of the first submarines ever built and which saw battle in The Civil War. It was pretty incredible seeing how men fit into such a small craft, and even more amazing thinking about how crazy these men must have been to VOLUNTEER to get in this thing. I barely want to enter a present-day submarine, much (MUCH) less think about getting into some wood and iron contraption that leaks every time you surface and open the air vent. The men volunteering to crew this thing definitely were desperate men on the fringe of society, in my mind.

    Afterward, we headed to downtown Charleston, which is just so dang CHARMING!! Horse-drawn carriages, cobblestone and brick-lined streets, wrought-iron gates leading to beautiful brick southern colonial homes and brownstones. Plus, it's spring, so all the gardens were blooming and lush with green. We headed toward the waterfront where white sailboats with colorful spinnakers were bobbing downwind on the breezy waves of the harbor.

    Jacob did his homework with his co-workers, so he had the scoop on where to go in town. We stopped up at The Rooftop for a drink and a snack. This place has a beautiful view of downtown from on high and the bar staff was really nice. From there we headed back toward our hotel for a mid-day rest, which we followed up with dinner at Los Arcos Mexican Restaurant and a movie. We saw "Hanna", which is filmed in a way that I think The Hunger Games should be filmed.

    The next morning, we blissfully slept in before deciding what to do with our day. We decided to start with brunch at Poogan's Porch, a Charleston institution and landmark. I couldn't resist the french toast, and neither of us could resist the bloody Marys or fresh-made biscuits. YUM!

    After brunch we walked around some more and we found the oldest house in Charleston, which is now The Pink House Gallery. By what other means could a structure have such longevity than by serving as a brothel and an ale house over the CENTURIES?

    We closed out our day with dinner at the Charleston River Dogs minor league baseball game.

    Sunday marked the end of my time in Charleston, and I was so sad to go. The Mister and I had SUCH a great time together and there was so much more we could have done around town. Hopefully I will have another opportunity to fly North and so some more touring around before Jacob is assigned to another job site. Summer is coming, so we'll probably have to hit the beach on Sullivan's Island as well as the Firefly Distillery!

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  4. Paleo Recipe Favorites

    Monday, May 2, 2011


    Ever since my experiment with eating like a caveman, many people have questions about where I get good recipes for paleo eating. If you don't feel like slogging through my previous posts for great places for paleo recipes, here is a quick round-up of links, which are tried and true.

    The Clothes Make the Girl: This woman knows how to make food packed with flavor! While these recipes tend to take a little longer in the prep department, they almost always pay off for my taste buds.

    The Food Lovers' Primal Palate: Not only is this site so, so pretty, the recipes are so, so yummy. Plus, these guys go heavy on the desserts ;)

    Mark's Daily Apple: A veritable cornucopia of paleo recipes.

    Everyday Paleo: Because this woman has a family, she knows how to make quick, easy dishes. This is also where I get a lot of my snack and lunch ideas because of what she packs for her kids!

    That's what makes the short list, folks. Enjoy!

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  5. West Coast Recap

    Thursday, April 28, 2011

    Farmer's Market en route to Monterey

    Jacob and I flew off to San Francisco early Monday morning after our fantastically fun wedding weekend. When we landed, we hopped in our rented Chevy Equinox and hit the road south to the Monterey Peninsula. The rental car agency was the first instance where dropping the "We're on Our Honeymoon" card paid off with an upgrade. As I type this, I think it is the ONLY instance where this paid off.

    Like many after the surge of excitement and emotion associated with a life-changing event, I succumbed to illness. A head cold slowed me down during our first week while we toured Monterey's Fisherman's Wharf, Cannery Row, and world-famous Aquarium; drove 17-mile-drive through Pebble Beach; walked our way around San Francisco; and toured the infamous Rock, otherwise known as Alcatraz.

    Alcatraz

    Monterey Bay Aquarium

    For our second week, we drove from San Francisco up CA-1 and US-101 to the Central Coast of Oregon where we couched out at my in-law's beach house. The scenery of CA-1 and US-101 is breathtaking at every twist and turn! Cliffs, rocky outcrops, waves, windblown brush and trees. It was a spectacular visual feast. Maybe the curvy roads made for slower going, but the views more than made up that (and the motion sickness). And don't worry, we didn't miss a beat of March Madness during our travels, as we caught the games on TV along the way up the coast.

    The beach house was a stroke of genius. Planning for a week at the house with no agenda made for the most relaxing time away from home. Even though it drizzled and rained 85% of our time on the West Coast, my cold cleared up by the time we made it to Oregon and we had a great time. We filled our time with sleeping, reading, napping, eating, and hiking and climbing. Yes, even in the cold, rain, and mud, we did a 5-mile hike along the coast. And we did an AMRAP (as-many-rounds-as-possible) workout climbing the Pacific City dune just north of the Pelican Brewery. Both physical efforts resulted in rewards - the hike with lunch at Tillamook Cheese and the dune climb with lunch at the Brewery. I loved the beer cheese soup at the brewery. Order it. Love it. :)

    Coastal hike in Oregon...in the rain.
    The Dune at Pacific City

    Our last outing before heading home was the amazing Rogue Ales Brewery in Newport, OR. The atmosphere and food at this place are amazing. Jacob and I sampled several delicious brews, with the Oatmeal Stout and Honey Orange Wheat being our favorites. I chowed the macaroni and cheese made with a beer cheese sauce. Do you sense a theme with my tastebuds??


    Rogue Ales sampler
    Our time on the West Coast was fantastic and way too brief. I cried when I woke up the morning after our return home. Seriously. I didn't want the vacation to end. And that is how you know it was a GREAT vacation. Now, if only I could get hundreds of microbrews, cheap produce (especially avocados - 5 for $1!!), and a ban on plastic bags wherever I go, I could be happy wherever I go.

    ------------
    TRIP STATS:
    Number of wrong turns: at least 2 dozen (even WITH a GPS and iPhones)
    Number of times I didn't know I had the hotel reservations in my name: 1 (Whoopsie!)
    Number of disagreements: 0 (of course - we're newlyweds! HA!)
    Number of free things received for being newlyweds: ZERO (WTF, people?)
    Number of times my raincoat kept me from getting soaked: A gabillion, except for the time it didn't because the coat dripped onto my legs or because I didn't time my run past the beach waves correctly. Regardless, USER ERROR.

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  6. Good Earth Friday

    Friday, April 22, 2011


    Spring has sprung, Easter is finally here, and the Earth is still hanging on. Since returning from my West Coast Honeymoon life is busy, but great. Here are some links, musings, and other sundries that have been piquing my interest lately. Plus, a pledge honoring this double whammy day.

    • We adults need to play more often, and how fun would it be to go and play here?!?!
    • I'm still holding strong on some of the healthy habits I cultivated during The Whole30 Challenge back in February after a brief break for all the celebratory festivities. I have some REALLY ripe bananas in the freezer and some unused almond flour waiting for a good recipe. I think I found it here.
    • Thanks to a good friend that mailed me a mixed CD of songs inspired by my wedding reception's dance party, I have this song stuck in my head (and it makes me happy)!
    • After reading The Hunger Games recently, I am obsessed with finding more quality young adult fiction. I'm not ashamed to admit I loved the entire Harry Potter series, the Twilight series, and I am currently re-reading that age-old beloved classic, Little Women. [Side note: Amy March is seriously the pits. I would hate having her as a little sister.] This is my new favorite place for book recommendations and literary geek-a-tude.
    • To my brother and sister-in-law living in The Big Apple, I want to go here the next time I am in town. I will have the Pumpkin Spice cupcake paired with the Mandra Rossa Pinot Grigio, please! I just might make it a double.
    • I learned how to do this Olympic lift with an actual barbell (and not a PVC or metal pipe). Three days later, I can still feel this effects of this explosive and technical maneuver.
    • One year ago, the Gulf States region was changed forever. Here's what we were looking at in the news. Today is not only Good Friday, the day Jesus was crucified, it is also Earth Day. Deepwater Horizon taught me that we all have a role in caring for our neighbors and our natural resources. Take a moment today to celebrate how far we have come in protecting our water supply, in improving our air quality, and in our awareness of the human impact on the environment. Take a moment also to recognize how far we have yet to go - individually and collectively; locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.
    In the spirit of Easter and Earth Day, I pledge to share more and waste less of the wealth of resources (running water, electricity, food, good health, time, income) with which I have been blessed. This means I pledge not to take more than I need, and I pledge to share with others the excesses.

    Easter tells us that life is to be interpreted 
    not simply in terms of things but in terms of ideals.
    ~Charles M. Crowe

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  7. March Madness

    Tuesday, April 5, 2011


    March was a busy month of basketball, family, and fun. Obviously, it included not only busted NCAA Basketball Championship Brackets (oh, UNC, I used to like you), but mawwiage, that blessed event, which made me a Mrs. I'll post more in the coming weeks with the skinny on all the fun, but after the jump you'll see the best wedding photo. EVER. Yes, yes, the one above is very elegant, but dang it, the next one is just so GOOOOOOD :)


    FOR THE RECORD: HE started it!

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