Best of Q4 2023

The first Wednesdays of the last three months of 2023 have long since come and gone without me posting a single currently post. Rather than trying to catch up, I thought I would recap the last quarter or 2023 and try to return to the monthly post schedule next year.  

October

• Making Halloween houses - Early in the month we got together and made candy Halloween houses with our niece. We brought ours home with us and it graced the kitchen island all month long. 

• Japan trip - Our first trip to see Keizo's family in five years did not disappoint. We had a lovely 2 weeks getting reacquainted; Keizo's sister was able to take time off of work and served as our excellent tour guide; his mother cooked us amazing meals and showed us how to make mochi; we went to a sumo match; and Keizo's siblings joined the two of us on a ~80 mile bike adventure on the Shimanami-kaido, a bike route that crosses half a dozen islands and major bridges between Hiroshima prefecture and Ehime prefecture.

• My Zoom Halloween costume - The return of the Great British Baking Show on Netflix plus finding an old pair of plastic sunglass frames (sans lenses) in the kitchen junk drawer equaled the inspiration for my work Halloween costume. Add some grey hair spray, a giant paper chain necklace, and an on-brand video call backdrop and you get a day of great reactions from co-workers. 

• Last minute decorating and trick or treaters - I'm also glad that I wrapped up work a bit early and went to the store last minute for candy to hand out to trick-or-treaters. There were plenty of houses in the neighborhood that went all out with their decorations, and I didn't have much candy leftover at the end of the night.

November

• New trails - There was not much for me to do at work the week of Thanksgiving, so I snuck away early on Tuesday to explore a new trail with Keizo. And explore we did, quickly finding ourselves on a path that didn't even appear on the map, but thankfully looped back to the main trail eventually. Someday we'll go back and attempt the trail as shown on the map.

• Thanksgiving - My brother and sister-in-law hosted, and we had a lovely time. I was tasked with desserts and made a pumpkin roll cake and pecan bars. There was also a delicious cranberry tart and creamy pumpkin pudding.

• Finishing the coffee table and other home projects - With daytime temperatures consistently below 90 degrees and a couple of weekends where Keizo had both days off, we were finally able to stain the coffee table he made earlier this year. We also refinished some chairs we had picked up at Goodwill months before and got new pillow covers, so the whole living room looks a bit more complete now. Building on that momentum, we also built and installed a picture ledge in the dining area of the kitchen.

December

• Holiday decor / baking - I typically wait until the first weekend in December to get out the holiday decor and I like picking a theme each year. 2020 was 'cabin fever' with lots of plaid; 2021 was 'merry and bright,' and this year's is "mostly handmade." Inspired by the Thanksgiving place settings (above), I dried oranges in the oven, harvested a bunch of rosemary from my mom's garden for making mini wreaths and a centerpiece, and followed this tutorial to make some starburst ornaments out of TP rolls. I also baked different batches of cookies each week, freezing some of the results so there would be an assortment at our family Christmas gathering. Everything finally came together on Christmas Eve, when we had my parents over for dinner and a new board game.

• "Secret project" - Unfortunately, 3 out 4 people in my brother's family tested positive for covid a few days before Christmas, so we're going to have 'make-up Christmas' sometime in January. But, this delay bought us some extra time to work on our gift for the nieces. We've put in two afternoons of work so far, but need another 1/2 day or so to wrap it up. Sneak peak of the early stages below:

As 2023 winds down, I'm looking forward to:

• Making and sending our nengajo.
• Hosting friends for a long weekend and ringing in the new year together. 
• Celebrating "make-up Christmas" with the whole family sometime in January and revealing the secret project!

Currently - September '23

It seems a little unreal that it's September; July and August have really flown by! Since the August post was pretty late, the themes in this post are pretty similar, but here it goes anyway. Please stop by Jennifer's blog to see what others are up to 'currently.'

 

loving - September is birthday month! We kicked things off with my brother's on the 1st, and we'll celebrate mine on the 24th. Seems like a good opportunity to "treat yo' self" - maybe with an air fryer? Nice new pair of jeans? Fun sneakers? All of the above?

seeing - We finally saw the Barbie movie last weekend, the first movie I've seen in a theater in a loooooong time. I definitely had to get popcorn (yum), and gosh there were a lot of previews! At least going to a weekend matinee is one thing that is actually cheaper in Phoenix than in the DC metro area (I've been a little surprised that a lot of other things aren't).

dreaming - As mentioned in the last post, I'm definitely dreaming of cooler weather and spending more time outside. I'd love to do another multi-day bike adventure (or even an all-day bike adventure), and have started looking at trail maps and researching options here in AZ. Cooler weather also means we can use the oven again without making the A/C work harder than it already is, so more baking is definitely on the fall bucket list as well. 

eating - I picked up a copy of the Plant Forward Solution at the library, and after skimming most of it, I have been feeling inspired to take a more 'plant-forward' approach to meals. Basically, this means adding more fruits and veggies to every meal and swapping out some recent go-tos, like eggs for breakfast and sandwiches for lunch, for smoothies and salads. 

using to decorate - I've been trying to nurture some houseplants back from the brink (their distress mostly caused by me in the first place: overwatering, getting gnats, putting them outside to dry out where they've gotten scorched, etc.) and a couple of them are looking better. Other than that, not many decorations at the moment, but I am looking forward to figuring out a theme and putting up some Halloween things next month.

Best of August

• Finally getting dining chairs - Technically, I think they arrived in late July, but we no longer have mismatched folding chairs around our kitchen table. Eventually, we'll invite someone over to use them with us!
• More reading - We've become regulars at the library, and I've been tearing through some summer reads, including some graphic novels that Keizo introduced me to. He reads a lot of manga in Japanese, but has found some w/ English translations that I've been enjoying. 

Currently - August '23

We're currently into the second half of August, but never mind that. Here's what I've been up to of late:

Red Mountain Trail No. 159

loving - When Keizo and I have the same days off of work. After a couple of weekends where he worked both Saturday and Sunday, he had both days off this past weekend. We met friends for brunch, went to the library, checked some things off of our to-do list, and cooked dinner together. Then, on Sunday, we took a day trip to Flagstaff for some light hiking and a late lunch at Mother Road Brewing Co.

looking forward to - Cooler weather. Like in the 90s's / low 100's. Pants and sweaters seem like a real stretch, but being able to be outside more in mornings and evenings without completely overheating would be great.

starting - Fall trip planning, including our first camping trip of 2023 and a trip to see Keizo's family in Japan.

thinking - How nice it was two weeks ago when I had just 2 or 3 meetings a day, instead of > 4. I got to spend some time thinking about things and it was much easier to wrap things up at the end of the day. Working on multiple projects with multiple teams, it's hard to feel like I have a lot of control over the number of meetings on my calendar, but maybe there are some I don't really need to attend...

wearing - One of my two pairs of Birkenstocks, pretty much all of the time. I have a pair for indoors and a pair for outdoors. Then a few times a week, I put on socks and sneakers for my aerobics class or other workout. 

Best of July

• Access to a pool - We've been seeing more of my parents lately with at least weekly trips to use the pool. Gotta take advantage while swimming weather lasts (for another month or so, I'm told)!
• Surviving the hottest month - While I won't be buying the "I survived July" shirts the local NPR affiliate is selling on their website, I am taking comfort that while it will still be hot for a while, we're likely through the worst of it. In some ways, I feel like I've moved to the southern hemisphere, not just the southwestern US - summer and winter have switched! Being cooped up indoors this summer felt a lot like being cooped up inside during a DC winter, and passing the hottest days of the year feels a little like passing the winter solstice and knowing days will just get longer.
• In-person networking - After a few conflicts with previous events, I finally made it to my first large, in-person networking event at the end of July. I was certainly a bit nervous on the way, but everyone was very friendly, and I got to talk with some very interesting people in the field of transportation.

Currently - July '23

Hello July! When I look at the calendar, I can't believe you're here, but if I step outside of the cushy air conditioned confines of the house even for a few seconds, it's pretty clear you've arrived in full force.

Please stop by Jennifer's blog to see what she and others are up to currently.

Great Salt Lake

loving - being able to take multiple trips and catch up with good friends lately. We may not have a large social circle outside of my family in AZ, but it's much easier to visit friends who live on the West Coast. Added bonus that two of these trips got us out of the desert heat for a few days, which makes a big difference!

savoring - summer salads, sandwiches, and other easy meals. It's way too hot to turn on the oven, and boiling water for pasta or rice is about as much cooking as I want to do these days. I've been eating variations of the same sandwich for lunch for a couple of weeks now--turkey and cheese on sourdough w/ mayo, mustard, romaine, and some kind of pickles or tapenade. I'm calling it the Black Turtleneck after Steve Jobs' go-to outfit. 😂 

celebrating - Hoping that Keizo will be feeling back to normal (see last bullet at the end of the post) by his birthday on Friday. He even has the day the off of work, so it would be nice to be able to go out and do something.

remembering - as I stepped onto my yoga mat and started paying attention to my breathing yesterday, I remembered the outdoor yoga classes I went to last summer and how I much I enjoyed being outside and practicing in a group (mosquitos and all). It made me feel a bit nostalgic for the green grass, big leafy trees, and yes, even the humidity of a DC summer. 

trying - coffee, lots of different ways. Keizo has been getting very into coffee lately, watching a gazillion YouTube videos, acquiring new coffee making instruments, and getting serious about storing the whole beans in vacuum sealed containers (quite the departure from our large tins of the pre-ground Kirkland house blend we've been loyal to for years). I too have been learning some things along the way...maybe namely that I prefer ease and convenience of our boring old drip coffee maker over detailed experimentation. Also that espresso + milk drinks are a nice treat, but not something I want to have on a daily basis.

Best of May and June

• Las Vegas trip - Long weekend to meet up with friends and attend The Chicks concert. Stopped at the Hoover Dam and Clark County Museum (highly recommended) on the way, had a great time, but I came home with covid. Thankfully, Keizo stayed healthy and was my lifeline to the outside world even more than usual while I was housebound for almost 2 weeks. Finally leaving for dinner with my parents felt so good!
• Arrival of niece #2 - She arrived healthy a few days before her due date at the end of May. 
• Visit from DC friends - We got a surprise visit from two of our DC friends over Memorial Day weekend. We spent some time in downtown Phoenix, ate good food, took a day trip to Sedona, and hung out at my parents' pool. Super fun weekend; thanks for visiting O+S!
• Seattle trip - Our long anticipated trip to Seattle to celebrate Keizo's work award took place in the middle of June. I tagged along for the free lodging / breakfast and worked from my company's Seattle office for three days. I enjoyed being in an office again, and transportation planner that I am, kind of enjoyed the walk to the park-and-ride and bus trip to and from downtown each day. I also got to have a lovely dinner with my best friend from 3rd grade and meet up with a college friend for brunch at the end of the week. Keizo had 3 jam-packed days of activities, and while the end of the week did not turn out as planned and we came home a day early, the extra day was much appreciated, since five days later we were on our way to...
• Salt Lake City where we met up with my college roommate, her husband, and three sons (8, 5, and 1). We explored downtown a bit, went hiking, and dipped our toes into the Great Salt Lake. All in all, a very fun trip, but the dreaded covid hit again; this time Keizo came home with it and is not quite out of the woods yet, though thankfully is feeling better today than a few days ago.

Currently - April + May '23

I never got around to finishing the draft of April's post, so here's a two-fer for May! It was pretty much written in time for the first Wednesday of the month, but I just got around to adding the second image some 10 days later... You can check out other's posts on Jennifer's blog.

In early April, I was...

loving - the past two weekends where Keizo has had both Saturday and Sunday off from work. We tackled some things from the to-do list, had my parents over for dinner, found a new Asian grocery store, and more!

playing - This Surf Rock Sunshine playlist on Spotify for the beachy, everything's cool vibes. 

feeling - excited for some upcoming travel; a work + fun trip to Colorado next week and a fun trip to meet up with friends in Las Vegas in early May. The CO trip will be my first overnight work travel in many moons, and it's been 12 years (!!!) since our last trip to Vegas. 

needing - something to wear in Vegas? to bike more? to come up with some quarterly goals? <--all still true!

And now in early May, I'm...

loving - The flowering stalks on the aloes we rescued from someone's bulk trash pile shortly after we moved in. It's gratifying to see them thriving on our back patio, and very cool when a hummingbird comes by to take a drink.

picturing - Looking back at photos from the past 6 months the other day really showed how much has changed since our move. I can't believe we've been in AZ for almost 1/2 a year already, but seeing photos of our niece and how much she's changed since Christmas, plus other events etc. in early 2023 kind of blew my mind. Day to day, things can feel very much the same, but time if flying by!

craving - Working from an office a few days last week reiterated to me how much I've been missing it. I might need to look into co-working spaces or coffee shop options to help add a bit more variety to my workdays.

wishing - Sort of wishing I knew when niece #2 would arrive so I could tell our friends whether we will be camping with them over Memorial Day weekend or not. I don't want to miss either event! 

collecting - Still working on rebuilding the houseplant collection; happy to report most of them are doing pretty well, and hopefully the ones that I replanted to larger containers today will perk up in their new environments.

Best of March + April

• AZ Bike Summit - This was my first networking / conference-type event in AZ. Attendees were a mix of local government staff, consultants like me, and bicycle advocates. I got to meet a few people whose names I recognized from emails, and got out of the house for a change!
• Getting more things for the house / yard - I wonder what exactly I was referencing when I jotted this one down back in April. We did get a washer and dryer, so no more bringing our laundry over to my parent's house; and we have some new rugs brightening up the living room and back patio. 
• Aerobics class - My mom and I took a step aerobics class together my last year or two of high school. When I moved out for college, my dad started going with my mom. They're no longer regular attendees, but the instructor is still teaching, and I'm back in her class on Thursdays. The routine is largely the same, and there are even some of the same people in the class, which is pretty inspirational!
• Trip to Colorado - The trip was a very nice mix of solo / work time before Keizo joined for a few days of adventure. We had a great time, and I can't wait to go back.
• 1st pool hangout - After experiencing bit of snow in Colorado, the triple digit temperatures in Phoenix this week were a bit of a shock to the system. Brother's backyard pool to the rescue on Saturday, hopefully just the first of many dips this summer.

Currently - March '23

February is a short month anyway, but some quick burn projects at work and returning to a schedule where Keizo and I share just one day off together a week (and try to pack a lot in to that day), has made the month go by fast. In March, I'm looking forward to days continuing to get longer and maybe catching a Spring Training game. Please stop by Jennifer's blog to see what she and others have been up to "currently."

loving - The Apache Wash Trailhead, and views from the trails there (image above). It's only a 20 minute drive from our house, with hiking, biking, and spectacular views without a lot of effort. Both of my visits so far have been towards the end of the day, with gorgeous sunsets.

starting - I feel overdue to start a new a new knitting project, but I'm having a hard time picking a pattern I'm really excited about. At this point, I'm entering "letting perfect be the enemy of the good" territory and should just start something.  

finishing - We just finished watching "Full Time Wife Escapist," a Japanese dramedy on Netflix, which is much better than the oddly translated title. It focuses on gender roles, housework, and relationships, which might have felt heavy if the I hadn't found the characters so endearing. I thought the premise was interesting (though wholly predictable at times), and it definitely gave me some things to think about. 

trying - To decorate, find furniture, and figure out the style for almost every room in the house. It's part fun, part overwhelming. Everything is functional when it's just the two of us, but there aren't enough places to sit if we want to have anyone over! 

going - I need to finalize plans and make reservations soon, but we're looking at a trip to Denver, possibly Las Vegas, and going camping between now and the end of May.

Best of February

• Kitsune Brewing - We celebrated the end of Dry January with a visit to this new-ish brewery within walking distance of our house. They have a wide variety of beers on tap, including a sour that reminded me more of a carnival snow cone than of beer; probably more refreshing on a summer day than at this time of year. We will have to go back! 
• Mother / daughter time - Spending time with just my mom on two separate occasions recently - meeting up for lunch and a walk last Monday, and then getting haircuts together over the weekend. We started going to the same stylist when I was in high school, and my mom has gone to him ever since. It was fun to see him again, all get to chat together while he worked, and leave feeling lighter and refreshed. 
• Care package from Kumiko - Keizo's sister sent us a big box of snacks and other goodies from a Japan. Everything had a decidedly spring theme and the packaging / presentation is on such a different level than anything I've seen in the U.S. Arigatou Kumi-chan!

Currently - February '23

At the beginning of the week, I felt a little out of sorts when I realized the Currently link up / first Wednesday of the month was actually last week, and then yesterday I confused myself again by mentally skipping ahead to next weekend. Not sure what's going on with my internal calendar, but plenty of people, including our hostess Jennifer, have theirs together and posted on the first, so go have a look!

loving - All of the plants sprouting and growing new roots on the long windowsill above the kitchen sink. The plants are a mix of cuttings from my mom's and friend's houseplants; sprouts from a 'grow your own greens' kit we found on clearance while shopping for housewares; and some experimental food scrap cuttings. After losing all the remaining houseplants we could fit in the car to an overnight freeze on the drive to AZ, I love seeing this new growth and knowing I can keep plants alive again! 

feeling - Even though I've spent 8 years with the same company, I'm feeling a bit like a new hire these days, working in an entirely new geography and with many new people. It's exciting and fresh, but I miss my east coast colleagues!

posting - Nothing since last month's Currently post. I've started a draft post about our road trip from MD to AZ, but now that I'm back at work in front of a computer all day, I'm not sure when I'll get around to finishing it. 

receiving - We received our new AZ driver's licenses and license plate in the mail, so I guess we're official residents now. 

seeing - One of my best friends from high school for coffee last week. It had been several years since we'd gotten together, and it turns out we're neighbors! I thought we had moved into the same general area (Phoenix is big), but I was so happily surprised to learn that we're just a few streets away. 

Best of January

• Weekend trip to Las Cruces, NM - Keizo and I marked the end of our time off with a road trip to visit friends in Las Cruces. It was a nice change of scenery, and they took us hiking in the Organ Mountains and to White Sands National Park (pictured above). We got to return the favor a few weeks later when they were in Phoenix to pick up a new puppy!
• Moving in and getting back to a routine - Moving is certainly a hassle and a lot of work, but after looking at places for over a month and plenty of back and forth with our rental application, actually moving in meant all of that was behind us and marked the start of a new chapter for us. My parents came over a couple of times to help us get settled in, which was much appreciated (the perks of being close to family!), and we had a functional space set up in time for me to go back to work on January 16. 
• Playing hide and seek with our niece - The first weekend after we moved in, my brother, sister-in-law, and niece came over to see our new place and my niece enjoyed doing laps around our somewhat sparse furniture. That turned into playing hide and seek for the first time, which is she's still a big fan of a month+ later. It's so much fun to watch her toddle around to find us, see her her face light up when she spots us, and have her tell us who should go hide next. 

Currently - January '23

Happy Year of the Rabbit! I hope everyone's 2023 is getting off to a good start.

Jennifer at Overflowing with Thankfulness is continuing to host the Currently link-up this year, so please stop by and see what others are up to as well. 

loving - How our new year's cards (nengajo in Japanese) came out. Although I don't have a good record of all of them, I'm pretty sure this is the 13th year we've made them (it's definitely the 2nd rabbit design). I like the challenge of coming up with something we can hand make over and over again and I love to see them all spread out on the table while they dry. Writing a note on the back of all of them can be a bit of a chore, but I vowed to keep them pretty simple this year and was able to knock them all out on a rainy day.

resolving - For the third or fourth time, Keizo and I are doing "Dry January" as a way to reset from all of the indulgences of the holiday season. 

I've also started to outline some travel goals for the year, including going camping once per quarter, visiting Seattle and Denver, and making plans to see Keizo's family in Japan. Keizo was selected by his peers for an annual award at work, and the winners get a trip to Seattle. I'm hoping to tag along and visit friends. I'll be reporting to our Denver office for work, and I hope to get there in person at least once or twice to meet everyone, as well as explore the great outdoors that I've heard so much about in Colorado.

organizing - Next Monday is move-in day, and I'm thinking a good part of next week will be getting everything organized in our new place!

anticipating - Returning to work and establishing our routines in Arizona. 

eating - Our Christmas dinner was delicious with honey baked ham, my brother's mashed potatoes (I think his secret is equal parts butter/cream and potatoes), my sister in law's stuffing, and a yule log cake for dessert, made by yours truly. 

Best of 2022

Support - Having the finances and support from our family, employers, and co-workers to make a big life change and move from Maryland to Arizona. It means a lot.

Travel - In addition to our bike adventure and road trip west, other travel highlights included:

• Early April Cape Henlopen camping. We missed our camping buddies from the previous year, but it was still fun to go back just the two of us and explore a second time by bike. We also cooked our first Japanese food over the campfire - gyoza that we had pre-made and okonomiyaki.
• Summer getaway to the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania where it was 70-80 degrees and there were no mosquitos. Is it even summer if you're not sweating and itchy? 😆

Concerts - Closer to home, I very much enjoyed the two big outdoor concerts we went to: the Charm City Bluegrass Festival in Baltimore and the Jack Johnson concert at Merriweather. Perfect weather and great people watching at both (oh, and the music was good too)!

Creative Projects 

• Shibori - I had so much fun dying tea towels and onesies for gifts early in 2022. Never mind that Keizo's random designs often turned out better than my more carefully planned ones.
• Remade knit tank top - My first attempt in 2021 ended up being too wide and a bit short. The second attempt fits a bit better and it's a fun pattern to make - interesting without being too difficult, but I don't think the color / material I used is for me. Maybe I'll try it a third time with something different, or attempt one of the many vest patterns I've been saving to Pinterest lately. 
• Lego Christmas Village - I'm a little embarrassed by this one, but also rather proud of how it came out. Upon arriving at my parents' in late November, I had a powerful urge to get out all of the old Legos and build a Christmas Village. I covered nearly every square inch of the table, and the village included a train, park, general store, some high rise apartments, a restaurant, and giant tree. I kept getting more ideas as I worked on it, and easily lost track of time with all the pieces spread out on the floor around me. 
• Blog posts - 12 for 12 on Currently posts, and I'd like to continue the recaps of the previous month at the end of each one. 

By the numbers

• 36 books read (9 more than 2021)
• 1,180 total miles biked (sticking with what's on Garmin, which doesn't include any indoor miles, this is nearly 100 more than 2021)
• 153 times I did yoga/stretched 
• 185 days I met my daily step goal (which is just over half; hoping to improve on that this year!)