Currently - October '20

Let's get right to it, shall we?

admiring - my shiny new running shoes, which I hope will inspire a shiny new running routine (or at the very least some running!)

going - last weekend we went to the Temple Hall Farm pumpkin patch and returned home with the three beauties shown above. We met up with my cousins there and then headed to Vanish Farmwoods Brewery for lunch. Both places had lots of outdoor space and it was easy to maintain social distance, making it a highly enjoyable outing.

making - crock pot tomato sauce and my favorite spicy pickled radishes to make some room in the produce drawers for this week's CSA haul. I've made the sauce with all different kinds of tomatoes and other veggies depending on what we have on hand, and it comes out a little differently each time.

scheduling - time off this Friday and next Friday. September and the first part of October have been a whirlwind at work with a ton of meetings and at least 1 presentation/webinar to prep for and deliver each week. That, plus anxiety about the upcoming election and continuing to live through a pandemic has me feeling a bit worn out. No plans for this Friday other than staying away from screens and hopefully some time outside, but next week we'll head to Delaware for 2 nights of camping.

wishing - this could be the year we just stay on daylight savings time. Do we really need it getting darker even earlier in the fall/winter? 

Currently - August '20

The calendar says it's August and the weather seems suitably sticky, so I suppose it is. 

I've been resisting the urge to take a nap all day, but the good news is that in less than 10 days I can take a nap anytime I want - we'll be on vacation! No work + rented house by the water + books + bikes + drinks + naps = yes, please!

In the meantime, you can read about what I've been up to below, and please visit Anne's blog to see what she and others have been up to 'currently.'

choosing - I started writing about my indecision related to getting a hair cut, but got annoyed by my whining and made an appointment. It's been bothering me for a while, so it's time for a refresh.

consuming - a lot of mindless iPad games this past week. Why does zoning out with a book or other non-screen activity seem so hard?

enjoying - the delicious bounty of summer fruit and vegetables. Because they are so good on their own, simple recipes are the best, and because they're so good for you, there's plenty of room for ice cream afterwards (or so I like to believe!)

ordering - having not cleaned out anything in these months at home, plus adding items to two recent online orders just to qualify for free shipping, I'm trying not to buy anything online in August. I'll make an exception for pickles and kimchi from the farmer's market though.

remembering - what it's like to devote several weeks to biking and building up endurance. We did this last year to get ready to bike across Iowa, and I need to start doing again to fulfill my desire of spending my birthday weekend in late September biking and camping along the Great Allegheny Passage.

Currently - July '20

Wow, it's hard to believe we're halfway through 2020. On one hand, the ~4 months of the pandemic have gone by really quickly (I think it's because so many days feel the same); but on the other hand, with very few signs that anywhere in the US has the virus even remotely under control, it's been a very long six months.

While the big picture leaves a lot to be desired, I'm very lucky to be able to say that things in my own little corner of the world continue on pretty similarly to the way they have been going for the past few months. Working from home, cooking and eating in a lot, taking walks around the neighborhood, and occasionally venturing beyond it on a bike.

cooking - Keizo has perfected preparing and rolling out homemade pizza dough, making pizza one of the few things worth turning on the oven for these days. Last weekend, we made fresh pesto and used it to top two pizzas. One was Japanese-inspired with imitation crab and corn, while the other had more traditional toppings of tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.

photographing - Even before staying at home, I didn't take many photos because I realized a while ago that I never did anything with them. But last week, I took an afternoon off work, we drove to a regional park about 45 minutes away, and I felt like I should document the occasion. We rented a kayak and paddled around the lake for about an hour, then had an early picnic dinner before some ominous dark clouds rolled in and sky opened up for about 30 minutes. We took shelter in the car with some Blizzards from the DQ drive through and drove home looking at the rainbow pictured above.

sharing - Probably one of the best things I did last month was gather up all the junk mail stickers I've been getting, write some notes, and mail them off to the little people in my life (ages 2-5). In return, I received a few grateful texts and one adorable, painstakingly written letter telling me about all of the 'qkumbrs' growing in the garden. :-)

trying - I'm almost half way through a two-week mind/body "reset" where I'm trying to do yoga, hit my step goal, drink 2 liters of water, and skip alcohol everyday. I'm doing the best at the yoga and water drinking and have had just one glass of wine after a long day. The step goal part is the most challenging while working from home!

wondering - Probably the same things many others are wondering about - will kids go back to school in the fall? Are we going to miss our annual trip to AZ for Thanksgiving? When will I wear work clothes again? Can we get a grip as a nation and do the right things to get the pandemic under control?

Currently - June '20

Currently, there's a lot to process and everyone has to find their own way to do it.

source

For me, part of the processing means really thinking about and discussing these questions written for white people by my colleague Tamika Butler:

1. Do I understand that not being racist isn’t the same as being anti-racist?
2. Why am I so afraid to be brave enough to confront my power and privilege?
3. What am I waiting for to de-center whiteness and realize just because I have never experienced it (or seen the research to prove it) doesn’t mean it isn’t real?
4. What am I doing every single day to force myself to think about racism and white supremacy?
5. What am I doing every single day to stop the killing of black people?

I hope you will too. 

Currently - May '20

Anyone who has read this blog in the past couple of years should be well familiar now with the usual format for these Currently posts. This one is going to be a little different though as I wanted to capture a few more details about what life is like as my county's stay-at-home order continues and spring moves towards summer.

Thanks as always to Anne for the monthly prompts!

making - While we're trying to support some of our favorite local restaurants with takeout about once per week, we are cooking the vast majority of our meals at home. I've become increasingly grateful that both Keizo and I like to cook, and that our combined years of practice mean we've gotten pretty good at adapting recipes to better suit our tastes and what we have on hand while still producing tasty results. Pictured, clockwise from top left:

• We're better cooks than we are mixologists, but that didn't stop me from concocting some blackberry mojitos with mint from the side yard.
• The early stages of the fruit filling for an 'award winning rhubarb crumble,' thanks to the first rhubarb of the season in our weekly CSA box. Seriously one of the best things to happen lately is the return of our CSA from Spiral Path Farm, giving us at least one annual spring/summer tradition that continues amid the pandemic!
• My current knitting project which is now about 4 times as big.
• The temperature hit close to 80* on Friday and made me want 'picnic food.' This spicy, curried potato salad served along side some veggie burgers filled the void nicely.

missing - Put simply, I miss in-person interactions. I miss the office chit-chat and the 90% of my co-workers I was used to seeing regularly but rarely, if ever, worked with on projects. I miss having trips or activities to look forward to, and it's sad to think about a summer without attending a concert, outdoor movie, or baseball game. And that's just me thinking about myself and a lack of entertainment - what about everyone whose jobs depended on these types of events? It's tough to comprehend.

learning - That taking things day by day and appreciating the small things are more important than ever. I'm constantly trying to figure out what I can realistically accomplish in a day or week at work as well as at home or in life in general. Other, more concrete things I've learned are (clockwise from top left):

• Putting on jeans and doing my hair are important morning routines that signal it's time for work. I put away my more serious office wear and sweaters and hung up some more spring-y, WFH appropriate outfits and was feeling oh so proud of the coordinated hanger scheme until I realized there were a few things in the laundry that would be going back in. Shucks. 
• Having a sit/stand desk (finally!) is pretty great if you remember to use it. I'm also much better about eating my lunch away from my desk while working from home. Also on the technological plus side are several successful video chats with my parents. This may not seem like it should be a big deal in 2020, but my parents both still have flip phones!
• We recently learned that a dozen eggs fit perfectly into the frame bag on Keizo's bike and can withstand the journey home through pot-holed streets intact! I feel like this is an overlooked marketing opportunity while few of us are venturing outside of our neighborhoods - how well does your 'adventure gear' perform day to day tasks?
• As we transitioned from weekly meal planning and shopping to bi-weekly, I did a big pantry clean out. Who knew what a difference sticking some labels on the vinegar bottles and putting them in an old six pack holder would make? Voila - kitchen cabinet clutter tamed!

reading - Mostly non-fiction; it's probably time to lighten up! I don't know when I got so serious as a reader, but recent books include A Bubble in the Sun about the 1920's land boom in Florida and Mother Tongue, Bill Bryson's look at the idiosyncrasies of the English language. There's also the daily perusal of the Washington Post headlines online, plus a "hard copy" of the Sunday paper (where usually only the comics and the style section get read).

loving - Though it can be hard to tell the days apart, there are still plenty of bright spots amid the sameness.

• It's hard to know if the DC region was treated to an unusually nice spring this year, or just that I noticed all of the plants a lot more on the almost daily walks around the neighborhood. Either way, my neighbors have some really nice yards to admire!
• My relatively new, bright pink yoga mat is nice to look at and has been helpful in encouraging more consistent, usually short, yoga sessions. Cole Chance and Yoga with Adriene are my go-tos when I want some direction, but I've also been doing my own thing to stretch before bed which definitely helps wind down from the day/week/month.
• I've been pleasantly surprised by how much I've enjoyed the different Zoom birthday parties I've attended. The youngest person of honor turned one and the oldest was my Dad who turned 71 at the beginning of the month. We also joined one where we all 'sang' Happy Birthday in sign language and one where the invite requested cocktail attire. It was the perfect excuse to dress up!
• On nice days after work, Keizo and I pack up water and yoga mats and head to the park for some high intensity interval training workouts. Even more fun is when we stop for takeout on the way home! 

That's more than enough for this month. If you've made it this far, you deserve a medal!

Currently - April '20

These are strange and scary times. Looking back to a month ago, I never could have imagined all of the changes that have taken place between now and then. Even between a few days ago when I started the draft of this post and now as I finish it up, things are ever shifting. Almost 20 people were laid off from my company on Friday, including a close friend and a colleague I considered my mentor, leaving me with the feeling that things will likely get worse before they get better.

Worse is certainly a relative term. All of the uncertainty and the overwhelming nature of the news are tough to deal with, but I am extremely grateful to be 'staying at home' with Keizo in a nice neighborhood with easy access to a trail. I am also thankful for all of the men and women working to keep our grocery store stocked, deliver our mail, and pick up the trash. To all of the first responders, medical personnel, and people working behind the scenes to coordinate the response, THANK YOU!

sharing - or re-sharing - My praise for Jamie Oliver's 5 Ingredients Quick & Easy Cookbook which has now become ours for as long as the library is closed. We've been eating quite well these days with the rich and flavorful Pear & Gorgonzola Farfalle taking first place among last week's recipes.

writing - Last weekend, I updated the whiteboard calendar we have outside of our kitchen and was tempted to just leave it blank (ha ha). However, I am happy to report that there's at least 1 virtual happy hour, a few birthdays, and an extended family Easter video chat on there now.

wishing - I don't even know where to start with this one, but like everyone else, I'm wishing for things to get back to normal even as that feels further and further away from now.

investigating - "Investigating" is too strong of a word, but I have been reading and knitting swatches from the book Knitting Patterns for Dummies. I finished my last project a few weeks ago, and unsure of what to start next, I've been experimenting with some basic skills like ribbing and cables.

buying - After wanting one for years, I finally bought an adjustable riser to convert my desk into a standing desk part of the time. It arrived last week and makes long conference calls so much better!

Please take a moment to visit the link up hosted by Anne in Residence to see what others are up to and be well.

Currently - March '20

We've had some gorgeous spring-like weather here lately, so some days it's hard to believe that it's only early March. Other days, I can't wait for April or May and all of the fun, outdoor activities that come with them. But before I get too far ahead of myself, here's what I've been up to lately:

fixing - Small holes in a number of clothing items - winter hat, socks, tights, more socks - one thing at a time. I always feel a bit torn between the "Happier" hack of getting rid of something as soon as it's worn out and the more environmentally-friendly 'fix it and wear it out again' ethos I was raised with, so I've started adding in a layer of Mari Kondo 'does it spark joy?' to determine what's worth the time/effort to fix.

hearing - Last week, I kicked off a new project at work with a series of meetings in a city ~2 hours away, and heard some new podcasts during the drives to and fro. I listened to a few episodes of "The War on Cars," and an old episode of "Invisibilia" about the influence of computers on our lives. I haven't really gotten into any urban planning/transportation podcasts before (too much like work), but I enjoyed the episodes of "The War on Cars" and their broader take on car culture, especially the episode where they discussed Oprah's famous car giveaway.

borrowing - Jamie Oliver's 5 Ingredients Quick & Easy cookbook from the library. A few weeks ago, we caught a few episodes of the show with the same name on TV and had our meals planned for the week with very little effort. While we wait for our CSA to start up again, it's nice to have someone else figure out the ingredients and menu!

feeling - Uncertain about making many plans and booking travel due to corona virus. The first cases in our area were reported on Friday. Other than washing my hands more and trying to take in more Vitamin C I haven't changed my routine too much, but we'll see what happens in the next few weeks.

recommending - That everyone (and especially me) spend more time outside, especially now that daylight's savings time means more light after work!

See what others are up to by stopping by the link up on Anne in Residence.

Currrently - February '20

Fun fact - it's been just over 5 years since my first "Currently" post! Rereading it, it's kinda funny how much and how little has changed. Since then, Keizo has moved to the US, we got married, and moved apartments. On the other hand, I still have the same job and look forward to trips home to sunny AZ. Only about a month to go until the next one! Meanwhile, here's what I've been up to "currently"...

loving - The drama "A Place to Call Home" set in late 1950's/early 1960's Australia. I watched my first few episodes on PBS and was resigned to waiting a week between new ones until Keizo discovered we could stream the whole series for free through our library account!

embracing - A dry, sunny day after a week of rain and hopping on the bike despite temperatures around freezing. It was just what the doctor ordered - it felt so good to be outside after being cooped up for several days.

tasting - At least one new restaurant a month. In January we tried All Purpose and Maketto; last night we met friends at El Sapo. It's a tasty motivator to actually leave the house in the evenings when it's dark and cold.

wearing - This grey blazer as many as a few times a week. It's nice to give my favorite black one a rest, plus the grey one feels a bit cozier and fits under a winter coat if necessary.

preparing - A training plan for a 10-mile run at the end of April. We'll be out of town for the St. Pat's 10K that has become something of an annual tradition at this point, so I've set my sights on something a bit bigger later in the spring. Hopefully by starting early and working up to it little by little I will avoid any injuries.

My Favorite New Year's Traditions

Happy New Year! It's 2020, which still sounds so futuristic. While ringing in the new year with lots of booze and staying up well past midnight may have been fun in the past, this year's celebration was decidedly more low-key. I had a cold and Keizo worked extra hours to cover for a number of people who called out sick.

Instead of getting together with friends, we stayed home, cooked a yummy dinner, and reflected on the year behind and the year ahead. This has become one of my favorite New Year's traditions after finding a set of prompts online a few years ago (similar). Some years, we go though them with friends, others it's just been us. For me, it's a fun way to start thinking about goals for the next year. Here are some of the 2019-2020 highlights:

2019

The best COMPLIMENT this year:
W: Being named an Associate at work.
K: Being nominated for the Anderson Award at work (for the 3rd time!)

The best ACHIEVEMENT this year:
W: Biking across Iowa! And/or biking 1,000+ miles in preparation for biking across Iowa!
K: Same!

The most INSPIRING person this year:
W: Aunt Maggie for growing all of the flower's for Jess' wedding and running what must be a commercial-scale baking operation to make all those cookies she sends around for the holiday.
K: My co-worker Justin for his calm composure while managing our team and solving problems.

The BEST MEAL this year:
W: Keizo's birthday dinner at Momo Yakitori; finally trying Red Hen; sukiyaki on Friday with Linda & Sergio
K: Sukiyaki dinner; Mr. Pork Chop (Iowa); Bruschetta at Pizzeria Paradiso

2020

This year I want to LEARN:
W: Or relearn some Japanese and Spanish
K: Spanish

This year I want to BE MORE:
W: Positive
K: Social

This year I'd like to VISIT:
W: Colorado; Claire in Europe
K: Assateague Island; onsen (hot springs)

This year I want to TRY:
W: Going to yoga classes
K: Mountain biking

Another favorite New Year's tradition is hand-making our nengajo, or New Year's cards. Although celebrated in conjunction with the Western calendar, Japan uses the animals associated with the Chinese Lunar calendar for each year, which makes 2020 the year of the rat/mouse. Since we hand-make our cards, one of the first steps is deciding on a design that can be easily replicated many times over. Sometimes this involves a stencil that we can reuse, other years it's a simple line drawing with a few embellishments. This year, for the first time, we made stamps (out of a potato)!

There was some trial and error and many practice rounds involved before we got them working just right. The mouse stamp had a low point in the center which we balanced out by stamping the cards on a folded kitchen towel; for the year, the towel was laid flat. The final design is on the plain side, but none of the additions I tested out looked quite right.

Wishing everyone a fun, happy, and healthy 2020!