School + Stuff

This week's major triumph was finally figuring out my class schedule for this semester.  One of the classes I was originally enrolled in was canceled the first week due to a winter storm warning; had a whopping total of three students show up last week and was completely scrapped this last weekend, mere hours before the add/drop deadline.  There were some frantic e-mails, talks of independent studies, and a sinking feeling that my only other option was a housing policy class where I would be hundreds of pages behind in the readings before I decided to beg and plead my way into Advanced GIS to gain a few more practical skills before my impending graduation.  With that settled, all that's left to do now is the work!

Some scenes of late that are probably of more interest than the riveting story above:

1) Outside Mr. Jefferson's Rotunda one week ago.  Yesterday, it was close to 70*F and tomorrow it might snow again.  Getting dressed has been a bit of a challenge.

2) My pantry is home to quite a bit of old cereal.  During the summer when the weather is warm and berries are plentiful, cereal strikes me as an excellent breakfast choice.  I buy a big box and eat maybe four servings.  Sometimes I mix in dried fruit/nuts and take it to school as a snack, but the longer the cereal has been around, the less appetizing that is.  Two weeks ago I had the brilliant idea to coat it in honey and flax seeds, bake, smother in chocolate and save some money on granola bars!  I am now down to my last piece, and have plenty of supplies to make another batch this weekend.

3)  My kitchen project last weekend involved another item that has been in my kitchen forever: some pumpkin Christina cooked down for a pie several months ago and has been lingering in the freezer ever since.  I had a hankering for something sweet, and found this recipe for a Pumpkin Roll Cake.  This was my first time making a roll cake, and it wasn't nearly as complicated as I had feared.  The batter came together pretty easily, it baked just fine on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper and held together when I rolled it up!  I did get powdered sugar everywhere, but I don't think that had anything to do with the recipe.

After the cake had cooled in its rolled-up shape, I had to unroll it to add the cream cheese filling.  This was also less onerous than expected, and I had a wonderfully attractive and delicious accompaniment for my cup of tea.

4) My meal from a recipe this week was Chicken Tortilla Soup; tonight I ate it with a very cheesy quesadilla and a spinach salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Tasty!

Tomorrow is Friday! And the first day of February...how is that even possible?!

Better late than never...

Not exactly the most inspiring title for a post about New Year's Resolutions, but since it's somehow already January 21st (!) it's pretty appropriate.

Our handmade nengajo

The fact that it has taken me three weeks into the 2013 to write down my resolutions is something I want to work on.  I tend to over-think things, particularly small details, which in the grand scheme of things is a waste of precious time and energy.  Less thinking, more doing!

Even as I type this, I have multiple browser tabs open, re-reading other bloggers' posts about resolutions and browsing a workbook that is supposed to help you choose a word/mantra for the year.  All more distracting than actually helpful...

So, my mantra for 2013 is "back to basics" I hope it reminds me to:

• Wake up with my alarm clock (or set it later.  Really, what good is 30 extra minutes of "sleep" interrupted every 9 minutes?)
• Do the dishes and other small, annoying tasks as they arise.
• Apply "use it or lose it" to clothes, accessories and other household items.  
• Focus on one thing at time to be more productive overall.
• Plan for the "big rocks," or big tasks/goals and let the "pebbles" fill in the gaps.  Some "big rocks" for 2013 include:
• Two (or more) running events
• Spring break/Beach Week trips
• Scheduling time for paid work each week

Shoes too cool not to run in (thanks Andrew!)

In addition to the broader goals above, I will continue to keep track of the following weekly/monthly benchmarks on the color-coded calendar in my kitchen.

• Exercise 40+ minutes at least 4 times per week. (16X/month)
• Cook from a recipe at least 1 time per week. (4X/month)
• Write 1 blog post per week. (4X/month)
• Try something new once a week. (4X/month)
• Write 2+ letters per month. (2X/month)

Spaghetti squash + tomato sauce from Jan's BH&G

I started doing this last year, and found it pretty motivational, especially where exercise was concerned.  But  I didn't do anything to evaluate my progress apart from cursory visual surveys.  This year, I would like to have a simple spreadsheet of monthly totals to look back on.

I've conveniently avoided goals regarding graduation in May and finding a job because both are more than a bit terrifying and have the potential to completely take over my life, which is not what I want.  I have some soul-searching (and practical research) to do in regards to where I end up after school and I will just have to find a way to fit it all in along with my regularly scheduled programming.

Here's to fun and fulfilling 2013!

さよなら 2012: Part II

A look back at 2012, both in and out of the kitchen: Part II

7月--July

Full on summering continued through July, with the garden taking center stage.  Our backyard plot produced a crazy amount of zucchinis; so many in fact that Christina and I started naming them in the same vein as tropical storms.  We got all the way to "P," and that only includes the ones we picked and ate.  We also ignored the advice of more experienced gardeners and let our zucchinis get really big!  Working from home most of the summer, there were a lot of breaks taken out by the garden and the change in zucchini size from morning to afternoon was quite noticeable.

On the 4th, Christina and I hiked up to Monticello for the first time.  There is a really nice trail only about five minutes from where we live, and we have since hiked it several more times.  On the 4th, Monticello hosts a US citizenship ceremony, so when we arrived at the top, there were a ton of people milling about, all dressed in red, white and blue.  After our hike, we threw together an impromptu "BBQ" with another friend. We were all ready to cook the kabobs and hot dogs outside when it started to thunder and drizzle.  We cooked inside instead, and when we were done, it had cleared up and we were able to eat outside.

After our early dinner, it was back up to Monticello, this time by car for fireworks viewing from Montalto, the higher hill behind Jefferson's home.  Christina, and our other housemate, Michelle, both work for the Monticello archaeology department, and I was lucky enough to tag along on this employee event. From Montalto we could see all of the fireworks in Charlottesville and beyond; being up above them was a totally different experience.

8月--August

August included traveling, the start of my second year of grad school and a visit from President Obama!  At the end of July, I went home to Arizona for a week, and then headed to Hawaii to be a bridesmaid in my college roommate's wedding.  I spent a wonderful week in the tropical sunshine, helping Kim and her family prepare for the big event.  I also got to catch up with friends from college and have dinner with the always oshare Jamie-chan.  I am so lucky to have met such wonderful people in my early adult life; I am truly thankful for our friendships and wish it was easier to get together more often.

Post-vacation, things quickly returned to semi-normalcy in Charlottesville.  I gave my final presentation on a proposed corridor overlay zoning ordinance to the Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors, and decided to continue my internship with the bicycle and pedestrian planner in Charlottesville as an independent study.  A few days after the beginning of classes, President Obama made an appearance Downtown, encouraging everyone to get out the vote.  I went with a classmate and endured the blazing sun and large crowd to get that fantastic photo at the top right, where most of the President's face is obscured by the teleprompter.  It was fun to be a (very small) part of what turned into an impressive grassroots campaign.

After an entire summer of nary a tomato turning red on the vine, Christina and I decided to try a recipe for green tomatoes.  We made an incredible fried green tomato + pimento cheese tart and I also discovered that extra fried green tomatoes are a delicious salad topper.  But those things aside, it would have been nice to get some red tomatoes; maybe in 2013?

9月--September

I kicked off the month of September running in the Charlottesville Women's Four-Miler with four of my classmates and hundreds of other women.  This was the first event I ever ran, and I am very proud to say I came in under my goal time of 40 minutes with a time of 38:07.  I was about in the middle for my age group and just made it into the top 20% of participants overall.  I have been trying to run regularly since, and hope to do another event in 2013.

In September I also attended my first polo match at King Family Vineyards, which was a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend a Sunday afternoon.  The weather was gorgeous (as were a some of the players!) we had lawn chairs, snacks and shared a bottle of wine.  After the match, we played frisbee on the field.

Other notable September events included spending many hours on the flashy UVA bus pictured above to get to and from Appalachia, Virginia as part of my Economic Development class and turning 27.  For our joint birthday party, I made Christina these totally insane cupcakes from Joy the Baker.  Not only was each cupcake like three desserts in one (chocolate cake, peanut butter cookie and meringue) but the recipe makes two dozen of them!  

10月--October

Looking back, October is kind of a blur.  I know I was completely unprepared for Halloween and ended up not celebrating. I didn't have a costume nor the energy for a party, and thought I would compensate by carving a spectacular jack-o-lantern but waited too long and couldn't find a pumpkin.  At least I found some pumpkin beer to get me through.

October was also a fantastic month for fall foliage.  I learned about the Japanese practice of 森林浴 shinrinyoku, or "forest bathing" as a way to alleviate stress and set out on a long hike along part of the Appalachian Trail with Christina.  The leaves in the neighborhood were just as good, and biking to and from school was a treat.  I also went to the largest corn maze in Virginia (thank goodness they give you a map upon entering) and got my fall on at the Graves Mountain Harvest Festival for the second year.

11月--November

Another busy month at school, but broken up by a visit from Linda + Sergio, two friends from college.  They came all the way from California for a weekend, which we spent hiking, beer tasting and eating lots of delicious food.  Together we tried three new restaurants and explored a new hiking area.

November also meant time once again for the planning department's annual 100-mile Thanksgiving, followed by Thanksgiving with extended family in Northern Virginia a week later.  My cousin, her future sister-in-law, and I decided to join the crowds at Target for some Black Thursday (yes, Thursday) shopping.  My rookie status was quickly confirmed when I carelessly left an outdoor fire pit in the cart at the end of the steam mop aisle.  It was gone when we went back to get it just a few minutes later.  The three of us left the store empty handed, and I don't think I will ever feel the need to go shopping mere hours after Thanksgiving dinner ever again.

12月--December

There are really only about 10 days of school left after Thanksgiving break, and they seem to be simultaneously never ending, and yet not nearly long enough to get all the work done.  Through some small miracle, I turned in my last final a few hours before getting on the plane back to Arizona.  I left my apartment in shambles, but figured all the dirt that didn't get cleaned up would still be waiting for me when I get back, whereas the window for passing my classes would not.  I think I made the right choice, but have been enjoying the total separation from school so much that I haven't checked my grades.  They should still be there later as well.

I really enjoyed my time in Arizona, putting finishing touches on some homemade gifts, hiking, spending a mother-daughter day in Prescott, and catching up with friends.  My family went to see the movie Lincoln  and made sushi on Christmas Eve, enjoyed our traditional Christmas bread for breakfast and had a Thanksgiving worthy feast on Christmas before walking around the neighborhood to look at lights.  It was quiet, but really nice just to spend time together, since it doesn't happen very often these days.  Then as soon as Christmas was over, my mom went off birding and I packed up to go to Japan for New Year's.

There were many, many times during 2012 when my life felt like schoolwork day in and day out, but looking back over the year in these posts reveals a lot more than that.  I am proud of myself for trying new things and grateful for the all the time I spent with friends and family.  With graduation in May, 2013 promises to be a year of changes, many of which I hope to chronicle here.  

Thank you to my loyal readers for your patience + all of the best in 2013!

さよなら ２０１２

A look back at life in and out of the kitchen: Part I

People all over the interwebs are opining about the end of 2012 and sharing aspirations for 2013.  I am still coming to terms with the fact that another year has come to a end, and it will be a few more days before my new year's resolutions are fully formed.  One resolution--recommitting to this blog--doesn't need any more time, so without further ado, my 2012 review.

1月-January

I started the year of the dragon in Japan with Keizo, writing New Year's cards, dressing up for a fancy dinner and eating as much Japanese food as possible.  All things must come to an end, and it wasn't long before I was back in Charlottesville and fully immersed in my second semester of graduate school.

2月-February

Highlights from February included making adorable Super Bowl treats and starting the Insanity workout DVDs with my housemates.  I didn't actually attend a Super Bowl party, but I did finish the 60 days of Insanity.  While the first 15 days were difficult physically, the last 15 or so days were nearly impossible mentally.  The workouts were so repetitive and any initial weight loss was countered by muscle gain that made my jeans feel too tight.  Seriously, who works out and needs to buy larger jeans!?!  After Insanity was over, it was really nice to reintroduce some variety into my fitness routine (and have comfortable jeans again.)

3月-March

Although March was one of my busiest months at school, it was made thoroughly more enjoyable by a three week visit from Keizo.  This was his first trip to the East Coast, and despite the fact that most of the trees had yet to sprout new leaves, Keizo thought Virginia was very "natureful."  He was an excellent house guest, pitching in to help with the cooking, dishes and even cleaning the shower!  I hope our weekend adventures to DC, Monticello, Shenandoah National Park and Blue Mountain Brewery made up for some of the time I had to spend at school and doing homework.

4月-April

Another busy month at school as finals approached.  I took some time off for the planner's Easter Potluck, an event I hope we have again this year.

5月-May

May was an exciting month, in large part because I finished my first year of grad school, but also because I got to spend a long weekend in Northern Virginia with extended family to celebrate my dad's birthday.  Almost everyone from my dad's side was there, as well as two aunts and a cousin from my mom's side.  No one could recall the last time we were all together in the same place, so I am very excited to report that it will be happening again this year at my cousin Malia's wedding!

After school ended and my trip north, I had lots of time to enjoy Charlottesville sans students.  I went strawberry picking, played my first ever game of Stump, and got back into baking with some strangely delicious black sesame chocolate chip cookies.

6月-June

During June I spent my days working at my two internships, learning a lot about bicycle and pedestrian planning as well as discovering that despite a plethora of engineering specifications for all manner of roads, similar data and best practice information does not seem to exist for parking lots.  Evenings and weekends were blissfully work free, allowing me to try my hand at gardening, go to Fridays After Five and do all sorts of leisurely things.

I even got to take a whole week off when Keizo came to visit at the end of the month.  We headed east to Williamsburg and Virginia Beach, got a little sunburned then headed back to Cville where we survived the giant derecho in my basement apartment with my housemates, their co-workers and a dog.  We were without power for about 24 hours, which was annoying but nothing compared to the damage wrecked elsewhere.

Stay tuned for Part II...