Biking and brunch

The second week of work at the temporary position was followed by a busy weekend. After finally getting my federal income taxes accepted, it was pizza night w/ a friend where he introduced me to Detroit style pizza.... and upon which I quickly fell in love. Not being familiar with this style pizza, I was intrigued by the thick focaccia like crust. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture, but hope to learn how to make the pizza and will update with a picture. In the meantime, you can check out various pictures online, here.

Saturday, two representatives, Steve and Morgan, from IMBA [the international mountain biking association] held a class on trail creation and construction followed by some trail rerouting. You can check out the blog post about their visit and some pictures of the work we accomplished. It was a great experience! The class was very informative and then to be able to put the new knowledge to work rerouting a portion of an existing trail was superb.

After spending Saturday working in the woods creating a new portion of the trail and revegetating the old trail, so people would not continue to use it, a group of us gathered for brunch Sunday morning. Pancakes were the theme, but like all out friend food gatherings, everyone brought their own brunch ideas. In addition to strawberry, banana and walnut, and chocolate chip pancakes, there was fresh fruit salad, a delicious frittata, potatoes, grits, and bloody marys. It was a great way to start Sunday!

Whirlwind week & weekend rewind

This week has come and gone and I have been simply trying to keep up. Monday, started off with a meeting for the temporary position I am working at for the next few months. The remainder of the week consisted of getting things set up, settling in, and learning the ropes. After completing a full week of work, I was looking forward to Friday night friend's dinner. We went with a Mexican theme of salsa, enchiladas, Mexican rice, refried beans, and calbacitas con elote. Unbeknown to the dinner host, we surprised him with a strawberry shortbread cake for his birthday. Dinner was followed by a great regional band, Mandolin Orange, at Hannah Haus. After recovering Saturday and enjoying a repeat Mexican dinner of leftovers, Sunday was a fun filled day of mountain biking the Bicycle Post trail. Having not rode much lately, the trail definitely kicked my butt, but it was great to get out and enjoy the sunshine. I survived, mostly unscathed, and enjoyed a pleasant lunch at one of my favorite Greenville cafe's, the Tipsy Teapot. It has been a full week and I am not quite ready for Monday to come, but it will be here anyway, and I will try to be ready.

Friends' Friday Night of Food & Fun

Another week has passed and those of us that were out of town are home and an old friend is in town visiting. What better way to spend the evening than to get together for a fabulous Friday night of food and fun? This is group that likes to cook and more importantly, likes to eat. To keep thing simple we opted for a fun favorite - pizza night! We started off with an appetizer of the always awesome hummus [which I forgot to get a picture of] and then followed it up with a scrumptious salad and homemade pizzas. First, we had a pear and goat cheese pizza. Second was a tomato, mushroom, gorgonzola, and mozzarella cheese pizza. The third and last pizza had balsamic onions and goat cheese. Pizza night would not be complete without cookies; therefore, we had homemade oatmeal raisin cookies for dessert. It was a wonderful evening with good food and great people!

East Coast : West Coast

After finishing up my contract and with one day to pack and plan, I headed west for a job interview, to visit a friend, and check out the area. The flight out was early; however, watching the sunrise out the airplane window was gorgeous! The clouds looked like ocean waves and the sun glimmered off them.

It was a long day of travel, but my luggage and I touched down in SD and were quickly reunited. We were promptly picked up and whisked away to my friends little cottage where I attempted, without success, to take a nap. Perhaps it was the excitement or perhaps it was the slowing down of a hectic nonstop work week, but I was exhausted and sadly remained so during my time in SD. A few hours later, I retrieved my friend, her husband, and their luggage from the airport. They had been on holiday in Denver and were scheduled to return that evening. After a quick reunion, we headed out to get dinner and had wonderful Vietnamese food! Having not had Vietnamese, I quickly fell in love with my grilled shrimp vermicelle and even woke the next morning thinking about it.

Over the next few days I had the second interview, checked out Stone's brewery, hiked to the top of Laguna Mountain on what must have been the windiest day in California, hiked in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, ate scrumptious apple and boysenberry pie at Julian Pie Company, wondered through Balboa Park, and enjoyed a brisk sunset.

Within Balboa Park there was so much to do and see. First, we strolled through the cactus garden where I took a few too many pictures. It was hard not to as so many of the cacti were in bloom. Additionally, there was the Botanical Building, filled with gorgeous orchids, ferns, and many more beautiful plants.

The Museum of Photographic Art was a must see and had a few fabulous exhibits, including Streetwise: Masters of 60;s Photography and Imagine That!. As part of the Imagine That! exhibit, there was a place where one could take a picture with the man in the moon. I just couldn't resist!

Unfortunately, the weather turned cold and rainy during my last few days in SD. Not being a fan of the cold and especially being wet and cold, I stayed in and worked a bit. Truthfully, it was really nice to have the down time. The trip back had a few hiccups, but I made it back and was greeted by a fluffy K with hugs and sneezes. It's a long day of traveling, but I was thankful to meet some interesting people during both trips and was greatly humbled to see the sunrise on the east coast and set on the west coast in the same day!

Last day: take two

Today was officially my last day of work... and oh what a hectic day it was. It's a good thing I worked all weekend, because I was not able to get any work completed today, besides writing a few emails. Between working all weekend and the hecticness of today, I am exhausted.

Thankfully, I have all day tomorrow to pack, plan, and accomplish various tasks before heading to the west coast early Wednesday morning. Aside from the long airport time [I'm not a fan of airports... I think it's something about being the recycled air, but I find air travel really draining] I am super excited to get to visit with old an old friend and talk about potential new beginnings. I am a buzz with excitement and possibility.

In the meantime... it's time to celebrate and what better way than martini's? Although the temperatures and wind outside are brisk, I'm going to warm up with a tasty martini and celebrate the end of one chapter and the start of a new one. Although the new chapter in unknown, I do know it's going to be awesome and I'm enjoying the journey!

Friday night fun

What better way to end a week than cooking dinner with friends? It's one of my favorite things to do and I try to do it as often as possible. This collaborative effort included white bean hummus, black bean oat burgers, brussels sprouts [with your choice of bacon or parmesan cheese], pasta salad, french fries, and avocado fries. Hm... makes my mouth water just typing it.

Needless to say dinner was a hit. The white bean hummus was so good and was gone within 30 minutes. The black bean oat burgers [a new recipe I had read about and wanted to try] turned out really well, were tasty, easy to make, and freeze well. The avocado fries were a bit more challenging, but were great. The pasta salad was super yummy and the brussels sprouts were mouth watering as well! With good conversation, great food, and wonderful company the evening couldn't have been better. That is until the next time we do it!

What kind of glasses are you wearing?

It is my last day of work, I have a zillion things to do, and yet all I seem to want to do is blog. Why? I am not quite sure. Especially since I do not feel I have anything significant to say at the moment. Yet, here I am... blogging. Perhaps it is the procastinator in me, I'm not sure, but I finally decided it was better to give in than to try to resist.

So, yes it is my last official day of employment at the lab I've been working at the past 2.5+ years... and I'm ecstatic! I know unemployment has a negative connotation, but when I think about not having to come into an office, sit at a computer all day I am filled w/ excitement and see all the possibility. I know that not many people see things similarly, but I if they could only shift their perspective they would enjoy their days much more. As for myself, I cannot wait to have a few days to myself.... to paint, be active, and explore!

As much as I do want a more stable job [as opposed to soft money/contract work] where I can advance, learn, and grow w/in a company, the thought of floating for awhile is salivatingly tempting. The comfort I feel may be b/c there are some opportunities taking shape and I am not completely optionless and for this, I am extremely grateful. However, we always have opportunities... we may not like them, but they are there, and sometimes we just don't have the correct glasses on to see them.

At the moment I am enjoying this tumultuous time... something I would not have said a few months ago. I may not know where I am going to be in a month, but I know it's going to be great and I can't wait to see what happens on the journey there. In the meantime, I intend to enjoy the view through my glasses of endless possibilities and suggest you try on a few different pairs of glasses until you find one that sits just right for you!

Life is a train of moods like a string of beads, and as we pass through them they prove to be many colored lenses, which paint the world their own hue, and each shows us only what lies in its own focus.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

5 day whirlwind and back again

After a whirlwind trip from the North Carolina coast to Southeast Florida and back, I arrived to the treehouse apartment a little past midnight last night. Over the course of five days, I drove through old stomping grounds, checked out possible new ones, met some really awesome people, visited w/ old friends, enjoyed some family time, and sadly watched my home town fade in the rear view as I headed north.

Saturday morning, I left to check out a potential new job. Not being familiar with the area, I wanted to check it out, look into housing, as well as visit the facility and meet the potential new boss. The visit went great and everyone was very kind. The climate was wonderful... it felt SO great to run around barefoot, sweat, and feel the sun on my skin. The area, however, I am not so sure about...

On the return trip, I popped in on some friends. There is something priceless about relationships with history.... and the ability to pick up no matter the time that has passed. Along the way, I made a few stops at old familiar places. It was amazing to see how things have changed. As usual, there were some wonderful new additions and smiling faces.

It was great to get out, meet new people, and especially be in a warmer climate. However, it was really nice to come home as well. As I moved about the little treehouse apartment this morning, unpacking and cleaning, I could feel the excitement from experiencing new things and places fading and the comfort of the familiar settling in. It won't be long until the itch to go returns and old blue, K, and me hit the road again...

Life lesson take 1: Surrender

Ever so slowly, I am getting acquainted w/ the unexpectedness the future holds and reveling in the excitement of the unknown. Although I consider myself to be a flexible and mutable person, there are some things that have always had to be knowns for me. This recent transition time has carried with it the lesson of surrender. One would think, given some my past experiences, surrender would be something that came easily to me, but in fact those previous life experiences had the opposite effect, leaving me with the need to feel secure and in control. However, I am beginning to slowly open to, enjoy, and embrace surrendering. And I must say, it is damn nice! What a relief it is not to carry the weight of the world [at least my world] on my shoulders, not to make myself responsible for everything, especially things out of my control. It has been freeing, exhilarating, and I will admit scary, but stepping outside one's comfort zone often is.

It has been a roller coaster and the ride doesn't look like it's coming to end anytime soon. Each day, I sit a little more comfortable in my seat, accepting the things I cannot control, and taking action when I can. We always have a choice and at this time in life, I choose to sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride as much as possible... it makes the journey all that more enjoyable!

9 days!

That's right... in a mere 9 days my current position will end. It is interesting to reflect on how a few months ago this thought brought waves of fear and anxiety, but now it brings ecstasy. Sitting last night in the dimly lit apartment, paintbrush and glass of white wine in each hand, I savored the thought of the unknown, the endless possibilities that begin to take shape, and long list of things I'd like to do. A list that includes:

• cross country road trip
• NOLA visit
• extended ashram stay
• painting
• backpacking
• photography along the way

Thankfully, a temporary position is waiting in the wings and I am excited about that as well, but first a break. Ah... a break, those sweet words! I have been waiting for this time for what seems like ages. What shall this time be used for?? Oh, there are so many things. However, being that the break may only be 1 to 2 weeks, I am focusing on a trip to New Orleans, painting, a lot of asanas, and meditation. Depending on how much time is available, perhaps more can be worked in... and who knows, maybe a cross country trip will take shape as I relocate to the west coast.

The world is full of possibilities!

Orange juice and pickles

I was thinking this morning of how I think I could live off of orange juice and pickles, although not together. More so, I was contemplating how perfect each is in their own and how thankful I am to whomever decided to juice oranges and pickle cucumbers. Don't get me wrong, I love a juicy orange or a crisp cuke, but there is something more... I don't know... about orange juice and pickles compared to oranges and cucumbers.

As I am in a transitional state at the moment, changing jobs with the likelihood of moving, I have associated this time in my life to that of the process in which oranges and cucumbers evolved into the mouth watering orange juice and pickles. This time, although stressful, is filled with excitement and awe. It is a process and I am not sure exactly how it is going to end up, but I am sure it is going to be something great, just like orange juice and pickles!

Your patience please

It might be time to revive this blog and in doing so, I felt like a new look was in order. So, please bare with the trial period, as I test out a new template and figure out where this blog is going to lead us.

Thanks for your patience!

Pies and cakes

Last night was a housewarming and birthday gather, for which I prepared a peanut butter chocolate ship cheesecake and some mini key lime pies. The key lime pie recipe I used was from the bottle of Nellie and Joe's Famous Key West Lime Juice. I had been trying to determine how to make the mini key lime pies w/ a dark chocolate crust, similar to something like a Reese's peanut butter cup. However, since I could not determine how to do that, I decided to use a graham cracker crumb crust and simply dip some of the mini key lime pies in dark chocolate.



Having not made a cheesecake before, I was quite nervous to bring my first attempt to a party w/out having tried it. After searching online for a tastey cheesecake recipe, I decided to attempt a peanut butter chocolate chip cheesecake. During the creation, I had some suspicion that it may have been a failed attempt, but after further inspection the following morning, the cheesecake looked intact and edible. I decided to add a dark chocolate topping w/ some sprinkled peanuts, which gave the cake a more finished looked.



Most importantly it was well received at the party. Always the conscious baker, I was pumping people for their comments and suggestions for the cheesecake. The hint of cinnamon in the crust was mentioned to add a nice flavor to the ensemble and the cake was commented as a little rich, but nor too 'cheesecakey'. There didn't seem to be any negative comments, which is always a good sign.

Community... home

Recently, I read somewhere that what we often search for is around us, we just do not see it or want to see it. We are looking elsewhere. This thought spoke to me and I have been pondering on this...

What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured.

~Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

For some time now, since I left the town I grew up in, I have felt adrift. Not making many strong connections, I am floating through the days of life. Only within the past 5 years, have I made a conscious effort to create a home where I was living and make due w/ the limitations and benefits of the place I currently reside. However, it still seems like I cannot find or do not see the community that I long for.

Home is not where you live, but where they understand you.

~Christian Morgenstern

So, I tell myself that it is the place. It's just right for me. That I should travel, and perhaps through traveling I will find a place encompassing what I think is important, where I belong, and not a place I feel I am being put up with. Dismissively, I ponder if such a place exists, yet I feel it does. I just do not know where it is.

Quote of the week

The smallest unit of health is a community.

~Wendell Berry

Loving Actions

From Meredith Ian

Learning to love is like learning to master an instrument or an art. The following is a list of factors these acts all have in common.

Possibility—This includes having the time to devote to the art, and the physical capacity to do it. One can not very well pick up a violin if one’s hands are broken. Time, more often than not, is something that gets in the way of being able to devote oneself to loving.

Commitment—It is much easier to pronounce “I paint” or “I love you” than it is to actually master painting and to unconditionally love someone. Without the wish, will and dedication to work, it will never happen.

Goals—This includes the ultimate goal of mastering the art as well as all the stepping stones along the way. Staying focused on the present is important, yet without an idea of where one is heading it’s easy to get lost.

Instrument—Just as I can not very well master the guitar on a block of wood, I cannot love without an object for my affections. This doesn’t mean a person has to be in a romantic relationship to practice loving—we can practice loving human kind, friends, family, pets, god, and most importantly, ourselves.

Confidence—This does not mean that if you think you’re the best cellist, then you will be. It refers to accepting where you are in your practice. Expecting to be a master on your first try is unrealistic. Mastering an art takes a lifetime, and surely many mistakes will be made along the way.

Patience—Hand-in-hand with confidence, patience is needed to persevere through the low points. If martial arts were easy, everyone would do it. The same goes for love. Truly opening yourself to another, being vulnerable, and accepting the other unconditionally takes a lot of effort. It is a common misconception that “love should just come naturally.”

Model—If I took a person who has never heard music, gave him a clarinet and said, “play me some jazz,” he would not have the foggiest idea what I was talking about. In love, we model our behavior after those who influence us—whether it be from family, friends, a religious figure, mentor, therapist, or books.

Discipline—Practice makes perfect. Even when you’re tired, or when you’d rather just watch a movie, you’ve got to push through and always remember to keep at it.

Persistence—Working closely with confidence, persistence requires having faith in the process of learning. That even though you don’t get it all now, if you keep at it, eventually you will.

Environment—A safe space to learn, practice, make mistakes and try again is also needed. A ballet dancer needs a studio with a bar, and a lover needs freedom to explore and express his or her feelings.

Continuous effort, not superior strength or intelligence, is the key to unlocking our true potential.

~Winston Churchill

Ten Ways to Grow Your Spirit

By Phylameana lila Desy

1. Embrace Your Talents
Recognize and further develop your intelligence and special gifts. Our talents are signifiers that lead us toward our unique paths. Follow your passion and you will soon discover where you fit in this world. When we squelch innate yearnings we lose our way.

2. Tie Up Loose Ends
Unresolved issues eat away at us emotionally and mentally. Tackle troubling things that need dealt with and put them to rest. In the meanwhile, learn not to allow future problems to be ignored. Our wounds fester when they are not attended to in a timely manner. Realize that buried problems always surface eventually. Dealing with difficulties as they arise rather than hiding from them is the best route.

3. Be Responsible in Your Relationships
Turn away from the "blame game" when it comes to addressing problems in your relationships. Be honest about the things that you have said or done that harmed the relationship. Own up to your own failures. Focus on changing your defeating patterns rather than expecting changes from the other person.

4. Love Sometimes Means Saying Goodbye
Not all relationships are meant to last forever. We sometimes out grow our partners, or our partner goes off in a direction which makes us struggle to stay in step with. Sometimes, the most responsible thing you can do is to offer love and compassion to the person as you release the relationship.

5. Let Go of Useless Attachments
If a thing no longer serves a purpose in your life, it is clutter. Clutter can be a physical thing or a belief that blocks your path. Holding on to things that don't feed you will instead eat up your energy. Free your space and expand your energy by getting rid of unwanted gifts, broken or useless items, self-defeating mental images, etc.

6. Confront Your Inner Demons
Everyone makes mistakes or regrets past decisions. Exposing our frailties and recognizing that we are not perfect frees us from feeling stupid or "less than." Bring light to those things that you are not proud of and realize that through these experiences you have learned great lessons, and have likely become a better person for them. Keeping negative actions hidden can overshadow our spirits with shame or depression. We all deserve to live with joy regardless of our imperfections.

7. Accept Change - Go with the Flow
There is a fine line between caution and fear. We are meant to travel along a spiritual pathway. We are not meant to remain stunted in one place for very long. Yes, change can be scary. But, change is a path of learning, so why not follow it? When we resist change we can actually create chaos. Do you want to undertake a lesson down a path which you've chosen, or have lessons thrown at you down a path that was forced upon you?

8. Accept Delays
There are times when we need to be still. Impatience or frustration will not help any situation. Desired changes sometime take time to unfold. You may feel like you are ready to jump into a new arena... but wait. The situation or person that you are wanting to meet may not be ready for you just yet. It's okay to sit at the bus stop for a few more minutes, the bus will arrive eventually. What's the hurry?

9. Love and Honor Yourself
Are you taking good care of yourself? Your physical body is the vehicle that has been loaned to you to live out your life in and to assist growing your spirit with. Pamper your body, tend to your illnesses, exercise and give it the proper nutrients.

10. Dealing with Death and Illness
Physical life is a gift that comes with a variety of experiences. Suffering and illness are bundled in with that package of experiences. Although our bodies have expiration dates, our spirits don't expire. Choosing to look at illness and death in positive ways rather than negatively will help to give your life here on the planet deeper meaning.

Happy Happy Birthday!

Another year has passed... that's 365 days, 8760 hours, 525600 minutes, or 31536000 seconds. And through this past year, my 29th in existence, what occurred? Well, let's have a quick review...

• The start of my non-academic career
  
• The end of a romantic relationship
  
• The completion of my Master's Thesis and Graduate School graduation!
  
• First backpacking trip [which was hard, but great!]
  
• Made a few awesome friends [that have sadly, since moved away]
  
• Fell in love [unfortunately, it was not meant to be]
  
• Had a wonderful NOLA visit [and got to catch up w/ some old friends]
  
• Recently reacquainted w/ throwing pottery [one of my life luvs]
  

Taking the time to stop and reflect has it's benefits. It is not a time to ponder over what has not been accomplished, but what has been accomplished. And so for the next year to come, I hope to add more adventures and meaningful connections to my list.

Holiday weekends!

With this past weekend being a holiday weekend, I decided to head inland for some backpacking/camping. Since daylight is sinking earlier and earlier each day, I headed to Greenville Friday night, after work, and visited w/ JH. After seeing his new apartment and a little visit to the Wine Bar and Christy's later, I quickly fell into sleeping slumbers and groggily awoke the next morning only ready to sleep some more.

Regardless, I continued heading west and arrived at Eno River State Park late in the afternoon, after making a few stops. Luckily, I was able to get the second to last campsite. Eagerly, I headed over to the park and geared up for the 1+ mile hike into the park to find the campsite, equipped w/ a fire ring and pit toilet nearby.

The trails were short [~1-2 mile loops], with part of the trail running inland and the other half running along the river. Surprisingly, there were some steep climbs, although very short, it reminded me of a mix b/t a trail over near Hot Springs mixed w/ an area along the AT [I hiked w/ a few friends in the spring].

Although it was peacefully pleasant and very pretty, the water did not look inviting, and so I kept to the rocks. Apparently, in the spring, went there are more rains, the river is high enough to paddle, but as it was when I visited, one would be portaging more than paddling.

Sunday, K and I slept in and lounged around the campsite. We headed down to Bobbit Hole, not far from the campsite, followed by a short nap, and some reading on a rock up-river. That afternoon we set out on some hiking and explored the other Cole Mill trails. The evening was relaxing w/ some reading while K napped and we went to bed shortly after the sun went down.

I hope to explore the Fews Ford area of the park. Surprisingly, the 3.5 hour drive wasn't that bad and I would definitely like to do it again!