bye bye, October

pumpkin cupcakes from Julia on my birthday

haunted corn maize on Sauvie Island

Well, this is my last October blog until next year! I've got to say that it's been a pretty nice October. We were blessed with some really magnificent weather, and I acquired a couple new yoga gigs. I also enjoyed lots of pumpkin flavored things, and even celebrated my Halloween at a haunted (and incredibly muddy) corn maize on Sauvie Island. As I type this, Keith and I are watching The Nightmare Before Christmas, which is a favorite of mine. I just love the Pumpkin King!

From here, I can officially start thinking about Christmas. I'm about half way done with my shopping, and I already know what I'm getting the folks I don't have anything for yet. Easy enough! Can't wait to go home and spend the holiday with family this year. It was pretty depressing last year staying here in Portland. I always wondered why movie theaters were open on Christmas until last year, when Keith and I went to see Avatar because we didn't have anything else to do.

Going to watch the movie now. Hope y'all had a nice October! :)

xoxo-
T

birthday

So, yesterday was my birthday. I woke up at 4:55 for yoga and then worked afterward, so by 8pm I could literally barely hold my eyes open, but it was still a decent birthday. Julia baked me pumpkin cupcakes and I had a roasted beet burger with truffled yam fries for dinner, in addition to a few highly coveted peach bellinis.

thursday

Another night of not-so-great sleep. I am getting so sick of this! Simon meows so loudly and constantly in the middle of the night sometimes that I just want to throw him out the window. It is a good thing that I am so in love with him and am able to forgive him once morning comes.

I painted my nails this morning. One hand is black and the other is orange. Birthoween nails? I got this idea (not that it's super creative or anything) from a magazine when I was flying home from Vegas. One hand was painted dark pink, and the other was painted a lighter shade of pink. I'm not sure I would do pink, but you can do it with any two colors of similar shades.

Today I will teach two classes, go to the gym, maybe get a free spray tan (coupon, woop!), maybe get my eyebrows waxed, maybe go to the bank, and I will definitely be watching It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown at 8! Can't wait!

xoxo,
T

wednesday

Well, I just woke up about an hour and a half ago and I've been in flannel pjs drinking coffee ever since. It is 3:00. What is going on with my sleep schedule? I am starting to sleep better during the day than at night.

I'm really excited because I just bought our ski bowl passes! Lifts could be open as early as this weekend, but we can't go because I don't have a snowboard yet, and more importantly (according to Keith) we can't go because the Vikings are playing on Sunday. I can't wait to start going all the time. Our passes are valid for every day but Saturday, and with the season starting this early I am hoping to go like 20 times! Most of my friends are hot weather beach people, but I don't consider myself to be in that category. First of all, I feel more comfortable in snow pants than a bikini. Also, I do not like to be hot and/or sticky (unless I am at the gym), and I'm really not interested in getting wet (like say, in the ocean or pool). I may have said this before, but my favorite weather is cold and sunny. Or if I am in the mountains, I like cold and snowy! Rain, however- I can always do without that.

So that brings me to my next topic of discussion: San Diego. Yes, I still want to move to San Diego (one day). San Diego's weather is neither cold nor snowy, but it is so beautiful! I love the desert. Sometimes I wonder if I just like anything that isn't like where I'm from? But then I go, no because I really don't think I'd like the midwest, or somewhere super hot and sticky like Florida.

Yesterday I had a really great acupuncture appointment. I fell asleep for an hour and fifteen minutes. It's so calming.

My birthday is in two days. Twenty five. I feel good with where I am in life and am happy to be having this birthday.

I am going to do some laundry now!

xoxo-
T

love

Here are a few things that I love:

• yoga
• being married
• fall foliage
• pumpkins
• Trader Joe's
• peach bellinis
• San Diego
• coffee
• boots
• nail polish
• celebrity gossip
• writing
• back to back episodes of Ellen and Oprah
• daydreaming

cousins

Just came across this photo of my cousin Tonya and me in Las Vegas right after my wedding. I like it, and want to go back. We had so much fun!

random story

See those arm warmers I'm wearing in the above photo? You can barely see them, but they're winter white and they're fingerless, so I can see where a drunk person might mistake them for a cast, if I was wearing just one of them. But why would I do that? The other night, Keith and I went on a date to the tiny bar and I was wearing a cute 3/4 sleeved top with my arm warmers. While walking up 21st, a drunk and presumably homeless man walked up to us, looked at me and said, "Awww, you broke your arm! Hey, can I borrow a cigarette?"

sunday

Why do I watch the GARBAGE I watch? I do watch some pretty tacky shows, but at the moment I'm talking about The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, which I watched last night on hulu. Not only did I watch it, but I also enjoyed it. I can't help myself, for some reason I love shows like this.

The women on the show look like plastic. They've had a lot of "work" done and they look terrible. Why would someone want to do that to themselves? I can maybe comprehend a small procedure every now and then, if you're into that kind of thing, but some women take it to a whole new level. I feel like they think they're making themselves look younger, but in reality they're making themselves look like 40 or 50 something year old women who are desperately, yet unsuccessfully, trying to make themselves look 20. And what really blows my mind is, why would you even want to look half your age?! Now I know I'm only in my mid twenties, but I have to say that the older I get, the better I feel because with each passing year I become more comfortable in my own skin. I wouldn't want to ruin that by pumping collagen into my lips and botoxing every last wrinkle off my face. Ultimately what I am saying is that I think women who do this to themselves have some deep seated insecurities. One woman on the show is so thin and artificial looking that she resembles a cartoon character. Not a good look.

So will I be watching this stupid show regularly? I don't know, that is contingent upon hulu and whether or not they post all the episodes. Who can afford cable these days?

xoxo,
T

saturday

I've been gone all day and Simon is being a real snuggle nugget right now. He is all in my face, purring up a storm. I'm glad he is so happy to see me! He isn't even meowing for food, he just wants some love!

So far I have scratched two people off my Christmas list. I meant to start earlier so I could soften the blow to my bank account, but I guess two and a half months will be early enough. I I usually think I am pretty bad at gift giving. I always want the person to like it so much that I get stressed out over it and end up getting something stupid. But the presents I have gotten so far are definitely good.

Alex and I had a late lunch at New Seasons today and post late lunch coffee at Albina Press.

I really can't finish writing this blog because Simon is rubbing all over me and it's very distracting. I will post a picture, or two.

sunday

Well good morning.

Yesterday Keith and I went to the gym and it was a lot of fun. When I go with him, I tend to stay much longer because he spends so much time with weights, plus he also runs. We went to my favorite gym (the one with the televisions on all my favorite pieces of equipment) and stayed for an hour and a half. Somewhere in recent history, I've pretty much "mastered" my headstand. I say "mastered" because it can always be better, but you know. I'm currently practicing different leg variations while I'm in the pose. Right now, I'm working on eagle legs (wrapping one leg around the other).

When we got home, we watched a documentary called Corn King. It was on Netflix Watch Instantly and I highly recommend it. I knew corn was in practically everything these days, but you really should check this out for yourself. For me, it was disturbing and even hard to watch at times. Here's a fact that really stuck with me: A piece of corn-fed beef has around 9 grams of saturated fat, whereas a piece of grass-fed beef will have only 1.5 grams of saturated fat. If you were born in the last 30 years, it's likely that you've only ever tasted corn-fed beef. So if corn-fed beef is so bad, why keep producing it? Because it's cheap, and Americans want cheap food. Here's one more thing, and then I'll stop: The use of table sugar has dropped significantly over the last 30ish years. What's taking its place? You guessed it- high fructose corn syrup.

So I know I don't often talk about Keith on my blog. Well, it is my blog, after all- and I happen to be peeved by women who get married and suddenly lose their sense of self and everything becomes "we", "I love my husband", "my hubby is amazing" and blah blah blah. (Okay, we get it, you married him.) But, I would like to say that I feel super lucky to have Keith. Thursday night, I got really sick in the middle of the night and he took supreme care of me without a single whine or complaint. And this isn't anything out of the ordinary. He always treats me like that, and it goes both ways. What's the key to a happy marriage/partnership? "We actually like each other." Well said, Mrs. Clock.

This little dingbat has thrown all of her towels in the wash and now has nothing to use when she gets out of the shower. Guess I'll have to sit here drinking coffee for a little while longer until they come out of the dryer! Oh well.

xoxo-
T

thursday night

I've been inspired to write recently. Even if it's not much, or it's not really about anything, I am still inspired to write. This is a good thing because when it comes naturally, I love to write.

Today was a hard day. I just had a whole paragraph written about my day but I deleted it. I did have a hard day but there's always tomorrow.

After I finish my peppermint chamomile tea I will hit the sack, and wake up tomorrow with a fresh perspective.

xoxo-
T

thursday

Coffee, cereal, orange juice. Yum. I can't tell yet if it's going to be nice out today? It's looking a little gray. Two minutes ago I opened the blinds thinking I'd let some sun in, and then it turned gray. I need the rain to hold off until I get my Merrell boots so I at least have something to be excited about. Waterproof boots that aren't bulky and made of rubber. That's definitely something for a Portlander to be excited about.

I'm teaching two classes today. One to a group of 8 kids at an elementary school, and the other at Adidas. I pleaded with the Universe to throw some more classes at me so I could be more on track to becoming a full time teacher, and it finally did. Om shanti to that.

For now I'm just sitting on the couch drinking coffee and orange juice, listening to The Social Network Soundtrack. I can't stand how perfectly it worked for yoga last night. It was amazing. I'm also chatting with Erica on facebook. It's 5:51 in the morning in Hawaii right now, but she is writing a paper for school. Good for her.

I am a little bummed to be missing Ellen & Oprah today. That sounds pathetic, right? Maybe I shouldn't have said it. Oh well, I did.

xoxo-
T

simon love

Simon is so happy to be my snuggle bean!

wednesday

One of the greatest things about the Social Network movie is its soundtrack. Trent Reznor scored it. Yes, it was amazing. We downloaded it and I played it tonight in class. So awesome!

I had my first acupuncture appointment this morning. It went well, I suppose, but really all I wanted to be doing while I was being poked with needles is curling up in my own bed with my sleep mask over my eyes and my husband by my side. I was so tired from waking up at 4:55 for yoga and not having slept well the night before that I think I was unable to relax. There was a time or two when I felt like I was levitating over the recliner, but I only laid there for about 30 minutes, and I had expected to lay there for two or three time as long. I think when I go back next week I will go in the middle of the day when I am well rested. It was interesting though because I felt an immediate sense of relief when my acupuncturist started putting the needles in (although the relief was temporary). It's interesting to me how you can cure one part of the body by placing a needle somewhere totally different. I am intrigued by this and will be going back consistently for six weeks.

After acupuncture I came home and went to sleep. For four more hours. I woke up at two in the afternoon, made pumpkin pancakes and coffee, watched Ellen and then Oprah, worked on a playlist for yoga, and then went to teach yoga. What a satisfying day. I can't say I wasn't productive because I went to my acupuncture appointment, taught two yoga classes and even squeezed in some cardio. Teaching yoga is the greatest job on the planet. Oh yea, and I switched my nail color today from black to brown.

I think I'll go watch an old episode of The Hills now!

xoxo-
T

birthdays

Happiest of birthdays to Erica and Ellie!

tuesday

It is such a lovely autumn morning in Portland! I woke up early and had coffee with Julia at Albina Press, then I drooled over some delicious new Merrell boots that just arrived at the store. These boots are so good I can't stand it. I've made the decision to no longer purchase shoes that aren't comfortable (no matter how cute they may be), so these babies are perfect. They're black, and they come all the way up to the bottom of my knee, which can sometimes be a hard thing to find since I've got pretty long legs. And they're 100% waterproof (perfect for PDX) and 100% comfortable. So, happy birthday to me, I just ordered a pair. Sha-bam! They should be here next week.

I made an appointment for acupuncture tomorrow morning. I'm looking forward to it. I've never tried it before, but I've heard some pretty interesting things. I hope it helps with the pain I've been dealing with. I'll be back with a full report tomorrow.

Off to teach yoga! xoxo,
T

monday part two

I would like to say that I did put a birthday card and some Sesame Street stickers in the mail today for little Ellie. When it comes to presents for my niece and my nephews, I think I have a tendency to overthink it. They are kids, and when I was a kid I was super excited by the little things. I hope Ellie will enjoy her stickers.

I don't know how I've managed this, but I had two days off in a row and they've been great. Wait, I do know how I managed it- I quit working for the Gap. I've known for quite some time that it wasn't working for me anymore and I finally mustered the strength to let go of my discount and quit. I feel like that job just wasn't serving me anymore. I wasn't making much money, I spent more than a little bit on clothes that I didn't even need, and somewhere along the line it just stopped being fun. So, I put my two weeks in two weeks ago and now I'm done with it. It feels good. And more importantly, it feels right.

Tonight, I am going to relax. I've been working so hard at the gym and my body is hurting. Not from the gym, but from these other issues I have, which I feel would be there whether I climbed 100+ floors on the Stair Master or not. (Yes, my love affair with the Stair Master continues). My right shoulder is killing me. It hurts to even get dressed. This has been an on/off issue for over a year now and I think it's my.... DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNNN... rotater cuff. Not good. Not good at all because one, it hurts, and two, it is very detrimental to my yoga practice. The second issue is my right hip, which hurts me so badly the pain sometimes even finds its way down into my knee. I've been to the chiropractor for my hip twice, the first time the issue cleared up for almost a year, and the second time it didn't really help at all. I've decided to give acupuncture a go. I don't have health insurance, so I'm willing to give anything I can afford a fair shot. It really breaks my heart and hurts my soul when these issues flare up. And now they're both bothering me at the same time. I guess the Universe is telling me I need to slow down? If that's the case, I chose not to listen, because I had planned on trying to get acupuncture tomorrow, but instead I picked up a second class for the day. Yikes. Maybe I can get acupuncture between my classes on Wednesday?

After Keith left for work today, I was sitting on the couch with nothing to do. I'd already done laundry, played on facebook for a while, gone to the gym and showered, so I was fresh out of things to do. I decided I'd walk around for a bit and I am glad that I did. It was a lovely evening. I went in a bunch of different stores just to look. It felt like Autumn. So nice! Before coming home I decided to treat myself to some orange juice. Treat? Yes, treat. I love water. It tastes so good, it's so refreshing, it has no calories and it's free. For the most part, water and coffee are all I drink. When I buy orange juice, I tend to drink it really fast. I am a thirsty girl and always have been. So not only would an orange juice habit become expensive, but I would also be taking in that many more calories each day. I am not a calorie counter, but I am conscious of what I put in my body. If I am going to ingest empty calories, it's going to be from something like a ginger cookie (which Julia and I shared today!).

Speaking of Julia, we are going to get coffee tomorrow at that goddamn shit hole also known as Stumptown on third. We both complain about this place, neither of us ever go there unless we're having a coffee date, but we still choose this place. What sense does that make? We don't know. One time Julia ordered a bagel and they forgot about it. Another time their coffee was grainy. I've since switched to Americanos when I go out for coffee. And I always get them in a tiny cup. Why would you dilute that deliciousness with water?

Tonight, in about thirty minutes, I will park my pink velour clad ass on the couch and watch Dancing With The Stars. I have never been into this show before, but this season caught my attention. The Situation, Audrina Patridge and (dare I say it) Bristol Palin are my favorites. I'm intrigued by Bristol Palin. But we won't get into that now. Where is her baby while she's doing this show though? Life is so hard as a teen mom. Especially when you're getting paid $14,000 a pop to speak about it to other teens. (Okay, so I guess I did get into it a little bit). I also liked David Hasselhoff. Perez Hilton said it right when he said The Hoff danced like that uncle at the wedding who's had a little too much to drink. He was entertaining, to say the least.

I think maybe I will go make pumpkin pancakes for dinner now? They will go nicely with my mug of orange juice.

Namaste-
T

monday

Yesterday was such a good day! Keith and I spent the whole day together. We went to the gym, then to Trader Joe's, and then to see The Social Network. It was a most fascinating story. Did you know that this college kid came up with the idea for facebook one night while he was drunk? He is now the youngest billionaire in the world.

This morning I've just been sitting around listening to good tunes, drinking coffee, and getting a load of laundry done. I also skyped with Erica for a little bit. We skype a lot. A couple times a week at least. I miss her. I recently almost bought a plane ticket to Hawaii on a random whim, but I decided against it. As much as I'd love to see her (and go to Hawaii, HELLO!), I'm glad I didn't spend the $360. Keith and I are getting passes to SkiBowl this winter so we can snowboard at least once a week, so I need to be saving money for that! Speaking of Erica, her birthday is tomorrow! Happy 28th birthday to you, Erica Lin. If you lived here, I would bake you a cake! Perhaps we could have cinnamon buns for breakfast as well? ;)

And, speaking of birthdays, tomorrow is also my niece's first. I didn't get her a present or send her a card. I don't know how to handle first birthdays from a distance? I don't know what to get a one year old, and she can't read cards yet, what do I do? Do I call her? She won't know it's me! She is so adorable. I wish I could squeeze her sweet face.

My cousin is getting married next May. She lives in Alabama and is considering a Georgia wedding or a North Carolina wedding. Last week, she officially asked me to be a bridesmaid and I happily accepted. Right now it seems like so far away, but I am sure it will be here in no time. It will especially feel like it's sneaking up on me since I will be needing to buy a dress and two plane tickets (one for me and one for Keith). I'm looking forward to it, though. I've only been to Georgia via the Atlanta airport, and North Carolina is beautiful. I wonder if it will be humid in May? Since the wedding will be outdoors, I am hoping that it won't be. I do not miss humidity one bit.

I feel like I haven't been blogging about anything good recently. In fact, I am only writing this blog right now because I want to keep my blog up to date. Hence the babbling. I think I'm done now.

xoxo-
T

birthdays

Happy birthday to three of my dearest friends: Amy, Dana & Julia! Yay for October birthdays!

oh, october

October is officially here! I love it. This, in case you didn't know, is my most favorite month out of the entire year. A couple days ago I had my ceremonial pumpkin spice latte (with an extra shot and half the syrup, of course). I say ceremonial because I really don't care much for sweet drinks, but I have to get my hands on everything pumpkin at least once each Fall. Amber is having another pumpkin carving party sometime this month, and I'm excited to have a pumpkin smoothie from Burgerville. And since I've been baking recently, I am going to practice pumpkin baking. Pumpkin no-cheese cake maybe? Oh yeah.

October is also my birth month. I am so excited I wasn't born a few days later than I was! I can't wait for peach birthday bellinis. Can. Not. Wait. And birthday hot yoga. And birthday pumpkin pancakes. And a birthday pumpkin smoothie. And I am excited about turning 25. I don't mind getting older. I already feel older than I am, I think. I don't feel like my body is old, but my soul is. In a good way. Like for example I go to bed early and can't stay out past 11 or so, even if I don't have to wake up the next day. It was a miracle that I stayed out until 1:30 am in Vegas for my bachelorette party.

Let me also share with you my new found excitement for the Stair Master. I have found that 20 minutes on that machine gets me so sweaty, and sometimes even nauseous. What a seriously intense workout. I love it. I like to go pretty fast and either grip the sides lightly for balance, or not even hold on at all. I've heard that gripping the machine (whether it be treadmill, elliptical, etc.) can reduce the amount of fat you burn by up to 30 percent. 30 percent! Yowza. For now, I am only doing 20 minutes, and hope to build up to 30 soon. At this point I really do feel like I could puke after 20, so I think I'd better not push it.

I made spaghetti squash for dinner last night. It was okay. I think I should have cooked it a little longer. Sometimes I am impatient.

xoxo-
T