Teaching is Hard

Is it possible to be sad not to give finals? I had two great classes this semester and met some incredible people (as always). Snow days made finals difficult and I chose to give mine online. I am sad I didn't get to give them a formal goodbye. 

Teaching is hard. Teaching adjunct takes a good 10-18 extra hours out of my week, every week. Trying to reach that student who is failing but you know is so intelligent seems impossible. Motivating the student who is blowing off class and missing assignments takes more patience than I thought I was capable. I want my students to not only know how to succeed in my class, but to learn how to work hard to succeed at life. I hope I serve them well and justify the dollars they spend on the course. 

No student wants to take Public Speaking. They all walk in with slumped shoulders and jittery hands. At the beginning of the semester I give an assignment that asks, 'What do you hope to get out of this class?' The responses are always to pass, to get out alive, or to not faint/cry/throw up. 

I received a few special emails this week from students letting me know they enjoyed my class, which is extra awesome since every email started with, 'I thought I would hate this class,' or 'This is the class I dreaded for four semesters.' 

The best part is that they ended with, 'I learned more in this class for the real world than any other gen ed class I have taken.' ... 'I have always talked in front of people, but now I know how to organize what I am trying to say.' ... 'I learned about myself and how my communication changes how others think of me'... And my fave, 'I got a raise just by knowing how to put my thoughts together to ask!'

Am I bragging? Heck yes. Not about me, but my class. I could go on and on about all I think my students will achieve. They are an incredible bunch of people. Get ready world, they are coming for you. 

And to my students: I hope the road always rises to meet you. Stay on course. 

No. 19: Finish Those Stupid Antlers and Hang Them

Done.

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No. 13: Buy A Big Girl Dresser

The two places I lived prior to buying my house spoiled me. Both had huge closets. It was glorious. I loved it. However, when I moved into my house with a closet with less space than an airport lavatory (yes, I went there), I knew I had a problem. I had some old crates from college that served as my dresser for the past four years. It takes me a long time to make big decisions, especially decisions that affect the aesthetic and feel of my home. I can easily spend hundreds of dollars on clothing, but spending hundreds of dollars on something to keep those clothes in makes me anxious. 

I finally decided that I wanted a mid-century style of dresser. I love the clean lines of this period, and most of all, I love the legs. I found the most beautiful one from West Elm.

It was perfect. What was not perfect was the $999 pricetag. So with the West Elm version in mind, I started hunting.
I scoured Craigslist. The Springfield market often didn't have a good selection so I would look in STL or KC. Mid-century furniture has become quite popular lately, which has driven up the price on these pieces. Occasionally I would find one in my price range but it wouldn't work logistically.

So, I started hunting at local thrift stores. One day during my lunch break, I popped in at one of my favorites near work, Urban Flea Market. I found three possible options.

I want to remind you, it takes me forever to make any large decisions. And a dresser is large, not just in price, but size. So, I took some pictures and thought it over.

I kept on my search, both looking for new knock-offs of the style at chain stores and looking for originals at flea markets. 

One Saturday, I bumped into one of my pals at a flea market while on the hunt. I had sent her the pics of the ones I had found a few weeks earlier as she also loves the mid-century style (and has a beautiful piece). She told me that if I found a dresser she would help move a dresser if it would fit in her SUV. 

So, I went back to Urban to review my options. One of the dressers had already sold. Upon further inspection of another, the body and bones just weren't in that good of shape. However, the third was better than I remembered it. Although I did want something with knobs and pulls I could refinish, this dresser was in pristine condition. All the drawers pulled in and out with ease and there wasn't a scratch or nick on it. And the price was right. 

I called Lindsey, scheduled a time we could bring it home, pulled out my Visa and it was purchased.

After a good scrubbing with vinegar and water, it found it's proper home in my bedroom. At the thrift store I knew I liked it, but once it was in it's forever home I realized I was in love. I swoon over it daily.

Look at 'dem gams

 

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No. 7: My Hippie Life

Okay, I'm not a hippie. Not even close. However, what I am about to tell you might make you think I have went off the deep end.

I have not been washing my hair, as I alluded in my 30 in 30.

My hair (and skin) is something I have struggled with my entire life... or at least since I was around 10 and started caring about hair and skin. In the past five or so years, I have tried to conciously choose what I put in my body, and have been more selective in the past year or so. Yes, I still splurge and love me some tacos and nachos (and occasionally a McDonald's cheeseburger) but what I make at home is much more selective. Once I started paying way more attention to labels, I also started thinking about what I put on my hair, my body, and with what I clean my house. I am far from perfect. I eat and use a million 'harmful' products everyday, but here are some of my small steps, from hair to body to cleaning.

Hair
Around my birthday in July I gave up on conventionally washing my hair. I have never had luck with my fine, curly hair. I would like to eventually get away from the blow-drying and straightening routine, but have never found a way to embrace my curls. I still blow-dry and straighten, but hope to get away from it in the next year or so.

I now rely on a routine of baking soda/Apple Cider Vinegar, Chaz Dean Wen Cleansing Conditioner, and a vegan/wheat & gluten free shampoo and conditioner that excludes parabens and sulfates (it does have a million things I can't pronounce). I have never been an every-day-wash girl. I almost always go every other or every third day.

So my routine: Depending on my time, I try to stick with mainly baking soda and AVC, however, this does take more time for wash and rinse. I make a 'shampoo' with about 1/4 baking soda and 3/4 water. I massage this into my scalp and rinse very well. This is a change from the normal shampoo routine. Much harder to scrub in, as it doesn't lather and tends to sort of dry on the scalp. I just add a bit more water and give my head a good massage. Once I get it rinsed, I have a spray bottle of about 1/5 ACV and 4/5 water (maybe a bit more ACV). I spray it in my hair and let sit like conditioner. Yes, it smells like vinegar, but that goes away quickly. Then rinse. The result is super soft, shiny hair with body. Yes please.

About every third wash, I just use Wen Cleansing Conditioner, yes, like the infomercials. I bought mine from Sephora and don't have to do an automated plan. For my short hair, one $30 bottle is going strong for over 5 months now.

During this transition, I kept going back to conventional shampoo and conditioner when I was short on time. So I eventually decided to spend the money on Dessert Essence brand of shampoo and conditioner (I did just find a better deal I linked). I use it about once every week and half.

I still dye and damage my hair. I still use a hair glaze in between hair appointments. But, my hair is MUCH more healthy and growing much faster since switching to the non-conventional method.

Body
I have had EXTREMELY dry skin my entire life. I remember in 3rd grade a friend telling me that my legs looked like a reptile. My dry skin made me lucky though. I have never had a major acne problem. I can slather my face with any and every lotion and not have a problem, except flaky, dry, rough skin. I can remove my makeup with baby oil and not have a break out. In fact, I used to use baby oil after every shower to help combat dry skin, but it often made it worse and a messier shower.
About two years ago, I stumbled upon one lotion that actually worked. However, as I tried to eliminate harmful products from my body, I thought, why not my skin, the largest organ of them all.
This is a new venture, only a few weeks old. I started using coconut oil on my hands, feet and lips. I was too frugal to use it all over. I came across a post from Elizabeth Walling of The Nourished Life to whip it. Yep, just like heavy whipping cream. Throw a cup or two coconut oil (solid) in a bowl, whip it with a mixer and it become fluffy and easy to spread (and makes it go farther). I store it in a tupperware container. So far I have had luck with it making my skin soft and getting rid of redness.

Recipe HERE and Pictures Credit to The Nourished Life

 Face and Lips: For the past few months I have used a couple of treatments on my face. The first is mixing lemon juice and sugar and rubbing on my face. I take a cotton pad and squeeze with lemon liberally, then dip in sugar and rub all over my face. I have not experienced burning or tingling. My face is super soft afterwards. I will disclaim that I have never used anything except makeup remover and water on my face as most facial washes are much too harsh and further dry out my skin.
For my lips, whenever I notice them getting rough I use this treatment. I mix honey and sugar together to make a pasted and exfoliate my lips. Rinse and dab a light coating of olive oil on them.

House Cleaning

So I have a migraine problem. I get them. They are debilitating. I hate them. And the weird thing is, I almost always get them on Monday morning. I normally blame my migraines on the weather/barometric change (they also come with a bloody nose most times), however, really? The weather changes a lot more than over Sunday nights. Recently, I have been wondering about the correlation between my cleaning-ritual on Sundays to my migraines. This is by no means proven, but it got me thinking about my cleaning routine. Tons of chemicals cleaning my floors, sinks, tubs, toilets, floors and mirrors. (And yes, I realize the migraines might also be ignited by dust.). What could it hurt to get rid of these chemicals? So slowly but surely, I have tried to get rid of my household cleaners.

 

Majid's Blog about Home Cleaning Tips

 
I have always cleaned my wooden cutting boards with lemon and salt, but took it further. I continue to use lemon on surfaces, but I also add baking soda (I buy the big bags in the cleaning aisle) and white vinagar. I use this mixture for all bathroom cleaning and kitchen surface cleaning. I haven't delved too far into floor cleaning, window cleaning, etc. But again, it's a start.

So, there you go. None of these are new ideas and have been used for decades if not centuries, and have been circulating on blogs for the past few years. However, they are simple, easy changes I have made to help clean my hair, body and house that I have found much more affordable than conventional means, not to mention better for your health and the environment. Another tip is adding a few drops of essential oils to all these mixtures to give scent as well as health benefits. Again, I have a million not-good-for-me products in every drawer of my house, but I'm trying to take steps where I can. I am open to all of your tips and tricks to make your (and my) life easier, cheaper, and healthier.

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Chiefs Nation

Sundays in the fall. The day that can make or break your week. At least that is how you feel if you are a fan of the NFL. You see, if my team wins, I am on top of the world. I feel like I am more productive. I am happier. Conversely, if my team loses, the day is a normal, depressing, Sunday.

I have been a Kansas City Chiefs fan for my entire life. When I was a little girl, I was my brother's only option to tackle on Sundays. We would dress up in our Chiefs gear. Then make a dummy and dress it up in Broncos or Raiders attire. Once the teams were properly dressed, we would gather every pillow, couch cushion and bean bag in the house and swap tackles on each other. As the younger sibling, I was normally at the receiving end of these blows.

Fast forward a few decades later. I have stuck with boys in red though the good and the bad. As of recent, it felt like a lot of bad. In college, I would bond with my roommate's dad over Chiefs games. That season, we went an incredible 13-3. Since that season, we have had some average teams, but overall, it has been a rough stretch as a Chiefs fan.

Going in to the 2013 season, I hoped for average. I made the optimistic prediction in the preseason we would be 9-7 team, a lofty goal considering we had only won a measly two games the previous season and were donned the worst team in the NFL.

Now, entering week 7, we are 6-0. What? I did not expect that. But it has been an absolute blast to be winning again.

A few weeks ago, my pal Michelle called to ask if I wanted to catch a game with her. I used to make it a point to go to a game every year. I have slacked the past two years due to trying to avoid that whole depressed state. Driving 6 hours roundtrip to stare out at empty seats and watch our quarterback get sacked time after time is not my idea of a good time. You see, growing up idolizing Arrowhead stadium, feeling the energy of the crowd, and being proud to be one of the best fanbases in the NFL, it was so sad to see it gone. It was like watching a strong, capable man age into a bed-ridden, demented outcast.

However, I optimistically said yes. We were already 2-0 at that point.

The game we selected was the rival Oakland Raiders. Little did we know entering that Sunday we would be 5-0 and Chiefs' Nation would be attempting to break the record for the loudest stadium.

The game was incredible. The Chiefs had an unheard of 10 sacks (I think one was taken away later). In all of the 2011 season we only had 11 (I think... I know a lot about football for a girl, but I still don't have a brain for statistics like a boy). The stadium got almost as loud as a jet engine. Although it was loud and my ears rang, I still think I once heard it louder. In 2005, the Thanksgiving night game against the Broncos and the launch of the NFL network. This could only mean one thing, Arrowhead was back.

My brother always says it's a sad life being a fan of Missouri sports (at least on the west side of the state). This year, Mizzou is 7-0. Chiefs are undefeated. And the Cardinal's are going to the World Series. (Although I'm a Royal's fan, I am still happy for my friends who love the Cards.)

It's good to finally know that each Sunday is going to be a good day.

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Time is Not on My Side

I have been busy! And not blogging as much as I would like. I have been working a lot and having a little fun.  Here is a quick update.

My 30 in 30: Whoa! Two and half months in and I have made a small dent in my long term goals, but not as much in the tangible. 

Food: I have done a pretty good job at sticking to purchasing only foods with less than five ingredients. I did find a new vegan protein powder I like that is made from less than five. So that was a success. However, I bough flour tortillas. I have no idea why. I haven't purchased flour tortillas in like three years. I guess a moment of weakness.

Exercise: Let's just say eek! I'm running a 5K tomorrow. TOMORROW. And I have not even thought about training. Well, no, that is a lie. I thought about it, but then decided to sleep instead. As for yoga and barre: double eek. 

Others, I am still not washing my hair often (I should really write a post to explain that), avoiding shredded cheese, using lots of sunscreen and actively looking for a dresser. So I'm working on it.

Like I said, I work. A ton. I am teaching two classes which makes my life consist of grading and prepping. But I have had a few moments of fun, so here is a bit of the fun that I have been up to since my last update.

 

I went back home for the annual Chilhowee Fair. It was a fun filled weekend hanging with my niece & nephew and a bunch of old friends.

 

 

You know those Buzzfeed articles, '19 Signs You Grew Up in {Insert City}?' Well, I think if there was one on Chilhowee the first line would be: 

'You get a bit of a rush when you hear, 'Step back and toss your egg.'

 

'And get mad when the announcer does not say those exact words.' 

I got sick one weekend. After about 60 hours of being cooped up in my house, I decided I needed to paint my door. I'm not sure if I love the color. It's okay from the inside view, but it looks uninviting from the street (not that I want to invite strangers into my home). Sorry for the bad pics.

 

 

I went back to STL for Alissa's 30th Birthday Surprise Celebration. We had a super fun weekend and saw Chicago: The Musical at the Fox. And guess who was in it? Paige Davis from Trading Spaces. Remember that show? She was Roxie Hart and was in-cred-i-ble. I could hardly believe it. Also - Peterman from Seinfield was Billy Flynn, which was also cool. But I really was stoked on my favorite TLC host.

 

I went home another weekend for a wedding. 

 

Although I have been driving a ton on the weekends, which I hate, I haven't been quite as annoyed because I get to hear Mitch Holthus announcing the Chiefs' games on my drives back to Springfield. And. We. Are. Winning. I can not tell you how many times I have jumped on my couch this season, and we are only four games in. 

An Unexpected Detour

I work at a college campus. As employees, we are aware of the threat this can pose. We often see in the media of different school shootings that have recently taken place.

Today, a threat happened in Springfield. We now know, two seperate events took place at almost the same time. One involving a serious threat that the campus was made aware of from Homeland Security, and one involved a dispute that allegedly resulted in an individual showing a gun at another university campus right up the road from my college.

You can read more about the threats here. 

This resulted in my campus going on a lockdown. I was in my classroom with my class of high school students. It was speech day, so a student was at the front of the classroom. 

When we were made aware of the lockdown from a Safety & Security officer, we went to the back corner of the room, locked the door and shut out the lights. This classroom is next to the side entrance to the building, that happens to be the first building down the street from where the gun incident took place. 

There is a big window to the hall in my class, so we quickly moved into a large closet in the back of the room. 

My students were all able to text or call their parents as we looked to social media for updates. 

Thankfully, both suspects were apprehended and there was no harm to any students or individuals. 

Was it scary? Yes. At the time it was a real threat. And it rattled me. For me, the scariest part was that I was with students. I think it would not has shook me as much had I just been alone in my office. 

Even as I look back at my tweets and FB updates, I can see that some may think of these as over reactive. You see, I was in a dark, small closet with 25+ students. We were relying, thankfully, on social media updates. Social media was also a way for me to update friends, family and coworkers of the whereabouts of myself and, more importantly, my students. 

Is there a ton to learn from this? Yes. First, I must say, we did so many things right. I felt safe and secure almost immediately. We have active shooter drills on campus. We have behavioral intervention teams of counselors who work with our students. We try as best as we can to prepare, but when you have thousands of students on campus in all classrooms, you learn a bit more. 

For instance, I put my phone on 'Do not Disturb' when I go into a classroom. I had my phone right in front of me, but did not get the alert because of the setting. The classroom phone did not go off until many minutes later. I did not know to go on lockdown until an officer came in my classroom (which was very quickly). Many students in common areas were not made aware as quickly as we would like. That classroom definitely needs blinds. And maybe I'll risk the buzz of a text or call interrupting my lecture or a speech to get a Red Alert text. 

Although we can learn from this, I can not say enough about our Safety and Security team and leadership at my campus. They took the threat seriously with the information that was given and acted swiftly. Obviously, there are some threats that don't get acted on. Many campuses chose not to lock down today.  I feel much safer knowing the steps our team took to ensure the safety of our students and staff. 

Was it an overreaction? No. I think when there is a localized threat, it is better to lose an hour of class time than to jeopardize the safety of all the people we, as a college, are responsible for, who include not only out adult students, but also our high school students and daycare students. 

So THANK YOU to everyone at my college who made this girl feel a bit more safe.  

**All opinions expressed are my own and not necessarially that of my employer or any other institution. 

Why I Love My Job

The first week of classes is crazy. Like, beyond challenging. It can sometimes lead you to believe you are the crazy one and you can even have moments of weakness where you question why you chose this profession. We are all lucky to survive it. 

And then you get affirmation. 

Tonight, I stupidly checked my email. And there, in my inbox, is an email from a student sent at 9:15p on a Friday night. 

This causes heart palpitations. Thoughts race through my head about what the crisis could be, knowing I likely can't begin to trouble-shoot it until Monday. 

That is the thing about higher ed, or any job in general, you constantly fear the worst. 

I immediately think what did I do wrong. Not even what did I do wrong, but what could I have done better? How could I have better served the student? How could I have better communicated so the student didn't have a question or an issue at 9 pm on a Friday night. A million thoughts race within a millisecond. 

I open the email and it is from a student in the class that I teach.  The student would like me to review his speech (and I encourage my students to do this) five whole days before it is due. 

And it is perfect. 

Meet Me in St. Louis

A few weeks ago a few friends and I reunited in STL. Our friend Andy lives in Soulard which is always a blast, so that was our home-base for the weekend.

This trip we played tourist. We went to the Soulard Farmer's Market (hello fried mini doughnuts!), the Arch and the Budweiser factory. Super fun day (even if I had to miss out on breakfast due to papers that needed to be graded).

 

Although I forgot to get picture happy, I did get Vine happy and made a few Vines of the trip.

Once I got home, I decided to take on the loads and loads of Greene sweet corn my dad had brought me. Puttin' up sweet corn for the winter.

No. 3: Eat More Whole Foods

Since my 30 in 30 list posted, I have had a lot of responses about the 'five ingredient rule.' Mainly snide-ish comments reminding me that a lot of my own recipes have more than five ingredients.

Dudes. I know.

I want to clarify my 'five ingredient rule.'

Say for some reason I buy pico de gallo at the market. And it has seven ingredients and they are all whole foods. Would I still buy it? Yes! Of course. However, I would most likely just buy the tomato, peppers, and onions and make my own version at home.

Often, if a food product has more than five ingredients, the ingredient list includes things likes Potassium Sorbate, Maltodextrin, Fructose, Tocopherols and other ingredients equally hard to pronounce.

The five ingredient rule is more of a guideline and a reminder to eat more whole foods and less foods that have been processed in some way.

For instance, these are the ingredients in my favorite hummus:

• Chickpeas
• Water
• Tahini
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Sunflower Oil
• Lemon Juice
• Flax Oil
• Sea Salt
• White Vinegar
• Garlic Juice

That has more than five ingredients, but they are all whole ingredients, whereas another brand of hummus has these ingredients added

• Potassium Sorbate
• Natural Flavors
• Citric Acid

I'm always confused at what natural flavors actually are. If they are natural, why list them? So, the choice is clear on which one to purchase.

There are some foods that I will still purchase that have more than five not-not-so-healthy-or-whole ingredients. Those foods are almond milk (I'm toying with making my own), Fage Greek yogurt with the little sidekick of fruit (yes, it's high in sugar, but it's so convenient!), and protein powder (I'm looking for a more whole powder than the one I'm currently using - suggestions welcome!). I'm sure there will be more as I go along, but those are the ones I have purchased since the 30 in 30 challenge began and that I plan to continue to purchase.

How is the rest of the challenge going? Good so far! Nothing crazy as far as progress. I have kept up with yoga/barre. I've been bad at running. And my tres leches cake was amaze-balls.

Why Hot Yoga is a Bad Idea

Welp, I went and did something stupid. I signed up for hot yoga, which I knew would be a terrible idea, I just didn't know why.

A few years ago, a fellow PR major and classmate opened a yoga studio, Sumits Hot Yoga. I always wanted to try it, but was convinced I would pass out. I mean, I almost pass out in a hot shower. So my fear always kept me out of the studio. About a year ago, my pal Mal started pressuring me to try it out. Knowing how much I'm a slave to my calendar, she even went as far as putting invites on my calendar. Through a series of events, I finally decided I would take the plunge.

I look nothing like this - source

 And I fell in love with it. I know. I was as surprised as anyone. I really thought I would hate it. But within a week, I caught myself wanting to go every day. And then this happened.

It was a Monday. I had a cleaning at the dentist (perfect!). I had about 30 minutes between the cleaning and class. Anytime I have short snippits of time, I like to time myself doing a task that I loathe, mainly unloading the dishwasher. In my haste, I dropped the first glass I grabbed to put away. Awesome. I tip-toed out of there, put on some flippy-floppies and returned to the scene to clean. I swept. I quickly mopped. And I ran a wet towel over the area to pick up any shards left behind.

Cut to the next night and I ram a rather large piece of glass into the side of my foot. It was very apparent I did not clean the area very well. And folks, this cut was a bleeder. Within minutes my kitchen looked like a scene from CSI: Miami. It was a mess.

So you see, hot yoga is a terrible idea. Had I not been in a rush to go do something semi-healthy, I would have never unloaded my dishwasher (let alone do it under pressure). I would have never dropped a glass. I would have never sliced my foot open.

The end.

That Moment...

When you pulled out a pillow and a book to go lay on your yoga mat.

Something tells me I'm doing it wrong. 

Hillbilly Caviar

I feel a bit silly posting this recipe because I feel like everyone has their version or take on this dip. I make it a million ways depending on the crowd and what ingredients I have on hand but it's always a hit. The one ingredient that I 100% always use is roasted corn on the cob. I think it makes a huge difference. Roasting the corn pulls out the sweetness of the corn and gives it a good smokey flavor.

Ingredients

3-4 ears of fresh sweet corn (in a pinch I thaw frozen ears)

1 can of fire roasted tomatoes (juices drained)

1 can of black beans (juices drained and beans rinsed)

1 onion

1-2 bell peppers (any color)

1 poblano pepper (roasted and skins removed)

1/2 - 1 jalapeño pepper (depending on the level of spice you prefer)

Juice if 1 lime

Palmful of cumin

Salt and pepper 

Tortilla chips

Preparation

Coat a dab of oil on the ears of corn and roast them in a grill pan over medium heat. Turning occasionally. 

Roast your poblano in the grill pan or under your broiler. I sometimes will also add the jalapeño to be roasted. 

Chop onion, bell pepper and poblano and jalapeño peppers. Mix together with tomatoes and beans. Add lime juice, s&p and cumin. 

Once corn cools, cut the kernels off the cob and add to the veggie mix. 

Ta-da! You have a party pleasing dip! It's best to let sit a few hours to over night so the flavors can blend. 

I have made this dip without black beans, with cucumber, or adding cilantro. Really any veggie your heart desired. It's always delicious and very pretty. 

And when I make it, I always save a cup for myself to just eat with a fork or add on top of tacos. 

That Moment...

When you sneeze right after applying mascara.

Every. Darn. Time.

30 in 30

 

It's my birth week! And as you know, I'm embarking on not only a new year, but a new decade. And what's a new year without resolutions? I made a few, to be specific, I made 30. Thirty health, travel, house, fun, and money related resolutions I would like to accomplish this year.

I invite you to follow me as I kick this bucket(list) off.

1. Become a Runner
• Not a May-to-October Runner
• Run at least one 10K and five 5Ks
• Panther Run: 10/5/13
2. Touch my Toes
• Yes, that is correct. I can not and have not been able to touch my toes my entire life
• Attend twice-a-month yoga and twice-a-month barre classes
3. Eat More Whole Foods
• Limit grocery store food purchases to food with less than 5 ingredients (most of the time. Follow the 90%:10% rule)
4. Limit Meals out to Four Times per Week
• Not gonna lie, I'm leery of this one
5. No Purchasing of Shredded Cheese
• It goes with number 3... just more specific
6. Prevent Skin Cancer
• I spent my first (almost) 30 years avoiding this. It's time for sunblock, sunblock, sunblock
7. Continue Not Washing My Hair
• I'll explain later
8. Bi-Monthly Massage (at least)
• What? It's totally doctor prescribed
9. Visit Nisch and Natalie in NYC. Like for real.
10. Get Scuba Certified
11. Go on a Weekend Roadtrip with the Girls
12. Go Hiking at Whitaker Point
13. Buy a Big Girl Dresser
• I've been living in crates like a college-kid for my entire adult life. It's time to quit buying clothes and finally buy something to put them in.
14. Weed it Out
• Take care of my lawn and get those darn weeds (and poison) out. Sadly, I'm willing to kill it all. Muhahahaha.
15. Seal Leak in Basement
16. Get a Bookshelf
17. Finish Bedroom Basement
• Paint
• Bed frame
18. Get Internet at my House
• Well, maybe not. I'm still toying with this one.
19. Finish those Stupid Antlers AND Hang Them
20. Make a Tres Leche Cake for my Birthday
• Okay, this is a bit of a cop out... but I need something to scratch off immediately!
21. Go on a Game Show
• Even if it's a dorky Branson one.
22. Perfect the Art of Making Plantains
23. Play an Entire Round of Golf
24. Print my Instagram Prints
25. Eat At... (this list could grow)
• Iguana Roja
• Cafe Cusco
26. Make (and stick to) a Monthly Budget
27. $$$SAVE!$$$
• And not for trips! I need a new roof and a new car soon... but still put a little money away for Bali 2015
28. Decide on a Rotary Club
29. Decide on that Doctorate
30. Be More Creative
• How? I don't know. But once a month, I will do something creative. Writing, painting, drawing, crafting, etc. Look out Pinterest! Here I come! Jay slash kay. I'm not joining Pinterest.

So there she be. The KG 30 in 30. Let's kick the tires and light the fires, big daddy, it's showtime. I don't know how that applies, but it sounded better than "Time to start crossing items off the list."

What is on your list? Would you like to join me? C'mon. It's a really long list. We can divvy it in half. Okay, fine. I made this list, I guess I have to lie in it.

Or something along those lines.

Now excuse me, I'm off to buy ingredients for that cake while I can.

 

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Fajita Street Tacos

I had the most fabulous long 4th of July weekend filled with friends and family at pools and lakes getting my fill of vitamin D... and food. It was so much fun but I needed to start the week with something a bit more healthy.

I have a slight obsession with PBS and found this recipe while watching America's Test Kitchen on Saturday. This recipe is fairly healthy (although does have oil, a bit of sugar, and a bit of cream). It is also gluten free (as long as you use corn tortillas). 

A Quick Thank You Note

You know what I don't say often enough? That you people are a pretty incredible bunch of folks, and if you are reading this, you impacted my life in some way. Good or bad, I wouldn't be who I am without you. So kudos to you, you glorious person whom I love.

That Moment...

When you are too lazy to close the storm windows to turn on the a/c...

Yet keep complaining to no one within earshot, "It's too darn hot in here."

Everywhere You Look

After living the good life in Napa, we had a transition day to travel through Sonoma, down the coast and into San Francisco. 

Artesa Vineyards. If you go, I highly suggesting grabbing a glass of vino and sitting on the patio to enjoy this view.

We grabbed lunch at The Girl and the Fig (delish), and made our way over to Petaluma. It's pretty difficult for me to get wine-d out, but not everyone has an affection for fermented grapes like me, so we moved on to beer. 

Well, This Doesn't Succulent

So last year, I hopped off the plane at LAX with a dream and a cardigan. Okay, that's not really the whole truth. I hopped walked off a plane at LAX SFO with a dream deep chest cold and a cardigan scarf. See why it's more fun to bend the truth sometimes?
No but really, last year, I went to San Fran and Wine Country with my friend Adrienne and absolutely fell in love. So, when the Chilhowee gang was trying to plan a little getaway and NWCA was brought up, I gave it two giant thumbs up.
We were all arriving on Wednesday at different times, so made plans to set off to Napa early Thursday morning.

Walking to the plane in Branson

Happy Dad's Day Ronnie!

Everyone always questions me when I call my parents by their firsts names. I don't know when it started but here are my thoughts on why:

• When I was little my dad called his dad Raymond, so I just thought when you became an adult, you called your parents by their first name.
• My mom's name is Brenda Kay, and 'Hey, Brenda Kay!' had a nice little rhyme to it.
• When you say Mom or Dad either 20 parents turn and look at you or no parents turn to look at you, so using their given name was more efficient.
• All my friends call my dad Ronnie, or Captain Ron... so it just stuck. 

Whatever the name... Happy Father's Day to one heck of a dad who probably gives the best advice out there. If you've never had a talkin' to from Ronnie, you just ain't livin' right. Love you Dad.

Did We Just Become Best Friends?

In the summer of 1981, four babies were born within a month of each other in a town of about 300 people. Their parents must have thought thought it was pretty great to raise babies together because less than two years later, all four had younger siblings born within three months of each other. One of those sweet babies was me. I was literally born into built-in friendships.

Follow the doodles for relations.

A Look at the Past Decade

I made this infographic at http://piktochart.com/. Super fun. Have at it.

30

Thirty has not scared me one bit. The age 29 threw me for a loop, I even cried once. I think that is because I feel like 29 is a perpetual Sunday. And to me, Sunday is the worst day, way worse than Monday. The anxiety of waiting for something to happen is much worse than it actually happening. So 30 to me is a celebration. The beginning. I have had one heck of a decade. So many changes have happened in my life and I look back at 20 and don't even know that person. It seems so long ago. A look back at where I was, what I have done and some of the highlights:

Beginning the Detour

Welcome! This blog was birthed from my former travel blog, May the Road Rise, about my GSE experience.

Once we arrived home from the GSE I read this quote and it resonated so much:

To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the most pleasant sensations in the world

In fact, once I arrived home I often awoke with the question in my head, "Where am I?" I think it took a little while for my brain to catch up to my body. It happened more often at home than when I actually was in a foreign country.

I felt insanely happy and content doing something out of the ordinary and not settling for the easier path.  This blog will chronicle the life of Kim, from my travels to my ordinary, often mundane life.