Currently - May '24

Seems impossible that we're more than halfway through May, but so it goes. I'm looking forward to a long weekend next week though!

Iconic palm trees of southern CA

loving - A new addition to our easy dinner rotation: fish tacos made with Trader Joe's fish sticks, cabbage slaw, and sriracha mayo on top. On Friday, we added some homemade pineapple salsa for a little something extra heading into the weekend.

looking forward to - Earlier this month, I was really looking forward to getting a haircut and attending an outdoor concert / picnic with my parents for Mother's Day. Both have since happened (yay), so I've shifted my sights to my younger niece's 1st birthday party next weekend. 

seeing - My colleagues in the L.A. office in person; after working together for over a year, I made the trip out for a bike ride with our clients and advisory team members. The ride went really well, I enjoyed a couple of days in the office, and getting re-oriented to the greater Los Angeles region. I used transit to get to and from the airport on both ends of my trip, which worked really well.

reading - I've just finished all of the Anne Hillerman mysteries, set in the Navajo Nation of northern AZ and NM. I'll probably go back and read some of her father's next, though maybe be a bit more intentional about requesting them in order, since my local branch library doesn't usually have them. I've also just picked up a mystery by Keigo Higashino, an author that Keizo has been enjoying lately.

wanting - To get a few more trips (away from the desert) planned for this summer. It's really not 'hot' yet, but the days of doing anything outside, other than jumping into a pool somewhere, are numbered. 

Best of April

• 1st hot yoga class - Friends invited us to join them at their fancy gym. It was very intense, but I can see why people do it. 
• Work travel - Having excellent colleagues makes traveling for work so much more fun. It was treat to be in Emporia, KS (disc golf capital of the world) with my office's resident disc golfer!
• Gravel biking in Patagonia, AZ - Awesome scenery and cute small town. Poor cell service and a missed turn led to a bit of an adventure, but everyone made it back in one piece. 

Currently - April '24

If these posts are truly meant to be monthly, I'm right on time! 😉 The actual writing of it is more important than the when right now.

loving - Several years after everyone else, we got an air fryer and we've been loving it for quickly roasting veggies. We've also made wings and crispy tofu, and I think it's going to get a lot more use during the summer when it's much too hot to want to turn on the full-size oven.

looking forward to - The end of a big project at work in about 8 weeks, and more immediately, taking Friday off for a long weekend in southern Arizona with some friends. While we're planning to do some gravel biking (and Keizo has been making some nice upgrades to our bikes in preparation), I hope we will have some quality downtime too. Work and the news have been a lot lately, and hopefully the change of scenery will make it easier to forget about all the things that need to be taken care of around the house.

buying - I picked out two new tops and a dress from ThreadUp to give me a few new options for the warmer weather ahead. I'm still on the hunt for some new casual sneakers, but having trouble finding any that aren't all white. They're just too impractical (especially the soles).

planting - We are a few weeks into an experiment to see if we can regrow a pineapple plant from the crown of one from the grocery store. As of today, there are few baby roots showing! Otherwise, a couple of houseplants are looking a little rough as it starts to warm up, but at least all of the shrubs along back wall have fully recovered from a couple of frosts.

cleaning - On the list of things to clean: the shower, the kitchen floor, a pair of leather boots and my sweaters before I tuck them away for the summer, etc. The bathroom rugs and flannel sheets got done this weekend though!

Currently - March '24

This is the third time I've opened up this draft, and I'm going to finish it! Next month's currently post will be up soon on Jennifer's blog, but she's very kind and leaves the link up open for the late ones like me. 😊

 

loving - that while I worked on this post early in the month, Keizo was making dinner. We had gone for a short walk and it was breezier and cooler than we were expecting, so the planned menu of sausage and peppers is being postponed for some warming bowls of veggie ramen instead.

looking forward to - more family celebrations this month. My mom's birthday was last Friday, and this weekend, my cousin and his family are coming to visit. I haven't yet met his twin daughters, and I can't wait to see how they interact with my nieces. 

planning - for two, weeklong trips for work has consumed nearly all of my brain space lately, and it must show because when I asked Keizo to research accommodations and bike routes for a trip to southern AZ next month, he did it! We've got a place booked and will meet up with friends for some gravel biking adventures. The work trips are going to interfere a bit with "training" - or maybe not? I'm going to places where I'm not expecting many post-work activity options, so maybe I'll get my HGTV fix in the hotel gym on a stationary bike.

wearing - some recent Goodwill finds, including a fun pink tie-dye sweatshirt on weekends and a sweater blazer that looks good on Zoom during the week. The sweater blazer has pockets and is reversible - light grey on one side and darker grey with a window pane print on the other. 

eating - I've been pretty good about sticking to my Meatless Monday goal so far this year, and then after watching the You Are What You Eat docuseries on Netflix, I/we decided to go all in for a while and see what it was like to eat vegan. Much like when we tried Whole 30 a few years ago (we like to really shake up our eating habits every once and a while; have also done Dry January several times too), there was a week or so of using up what we had on hand, and then buying only "compliant" groceries. Our grocery shopping hasn't included any meat or dairy for about 3 weeks now, but we have not been 100% strict about what was already on hand or the couple of times we've been out to eat. The toughest part so far has been no eggs in the mornings, and the plant-based meat and dairy alternatives we've tried are real hit or miss. 

Best of February

• Weather - there's a reason Arizona gets a lot of snowbirds!
• Brunch out / getting to know a friend of a friend - he moved to Phoenix a few months before we did, and we've met up a couple of times, but brunch outside in February with good company is totally great.
• Niece #1's birthday party - guests were asked to wear pink, nearly everyone complied, and there were a bunch of her friends from preschool in attendance. It was another lovely day outside (sorry folks with winter weather...don't worry, we don't get outside much in the summer), and I think everyone had a great time.

Currently - February '24

Some congestion and a sore throat are keeping me close to home this weekend, so might as well get ahead on the ol' blog. If I remember, I'll come back to link up with the other currently devotees on Jennifer's blog. Thanks for reading!

Orchids at the Denver Botanic Garden

loving - Girl Scout cookies and the fact that I know several people with daughters who are selling them. I was in Girl Scouts from 1st through 12th grade, earned a Gold Award, and worked at summer camp and for Girl Scouts Beyond Bars in my early 20's, so cookie season brings back a lot of memories and I'm so glad that girls are still participating.

looking forward to - last Friday, we thwarted our usual M.O. twice in short order by 1) acting in the spur of the moment to 2) make plans five months in advance. Usually we're (I'm?) overthinking things until it's too late or it becomes just easier to do them, and planning in advance for us is usually two weeks out, due in part to the way Keizo's work schedule gets published. Anyway, we got it together on Friday and now I have a few months to look forward to escaping the desert for several days in July!

doing to be romantic - I actually have a gift to give Keizo on Valentine's day! He does read this occasionally, so will just have to wait another week to find out what it is.  

changing - it's definitely time to change out some clothes in my wardrobe; get rid of things I haven't worn since we moved, replace a couple of pairs of jeans with nicer ones, and find new sneakers. Over the past few years, I've definitely noticed myself wearing the same things over and over, even more so than before, and several of those things are actually starting to wear out.

celebrating - keeping my fingers crossed that all three households of my immediate family will finally get to celebrate belated Christmas this month, along with the bubble-themed, 3rd birthday party for my niece.

Best of January

• Trip to Denver - Looking back at the photos, this should maybe be a post of its own. This was my second trip, and not renting a car meant meant using light rail, scooters, and walking to get around. We avoided the coldest weather by spending a long afternoon at the art museum, and got to explore some neighborhoods near downtown in search of yummy food and drink.

Currently - January '24

We're a good 2.5 weeks into the new year, and they have gone by very quickly! I've started the year off at work with a bang, getting assigned a new project with lots of moving pieces and multiple weekly, sometimes even daily, meetings. But since there's no time like the present, so here's a slightly delayed update of what I've been doing 'currently':  

First spectacular sunset of the year on 1/1

loving - That we got to celebrate New Year's Eve with good friends who came to visit from out of town. Without them, I think I would have been in bed by 10 PM and nothing very celebratory would have happened. Instead, we got to indulge in rich foods together and stayed up playing some rather competitive card games.

looking forward to - I'm looking forward to a change in scenery with a trip to Denver for a weekend of fun and two days of working from an office. I'm also looking forward to--and will be trying to take advantage of--the next few months of very nice weather in Phoenix before it gets hot!

resolving - So many goal ideas, so little time! It always takes me a while to come up with and then commit to goals for the year. I've definitely gotten away from calling them resolutions, since those tend to be forgotten about and then doomed to fail. I have a little look back at 2023 below, and based on that and some other thinking, here's what I have so far:

• More biking - this one needs some more specifics, but I'd like to plan a longer distance adventure and make it a more regular part of my exercise routine
• More activities outside of the house - finding a knitting group and some volunteer activities
• Get to know AZ better - day and weekend trips both close by and further afield

doing to stay cozy this month - No one wants to hear any whining about cold weather in Phoenix, but we did have a couple of overnight frosts last week, and the house doesn't feel like it heats up at all during the day. It's kind of embarrassing to admit, but I've been wearing puffy vests and using a blanket on my lap as I work to try and stay warm.

cooking - Another one of my too many goals for 2024 is being more mindful of our meat consumption by planning and making "Meatless Monday" dinners. There's a vegetarian section in my binder of go-to recipes, but since the sections are alphabetical, it's way in the back and I don't always make it that far when planning the meals and groceries for the week. 

2023 by the numbers

• 35 books read (almost the same as 2022)
• 198 days I met my daily step goal (13 days more than 2022!) 
• 127 times I did yoga/stretched (about one 30-day yoga challenge less than 2022)
• 402 total miles biked (a big drop from previous years)
• 5 western states visited to see family & friends (CO, NM, NV, UT, WA)

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 - 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!)

Currently - December '22

For what appears to be the first time ever, I am 12 for 12 with Currently posts this year! Just to be clear, this means there's one each month, not that they've all been posted in time for the link ups. 😜

And speaking of link ups, you can find a whole collection of Currently enthusiasts over at Jennifer's blog. Happy Reading!

Spotted in the lobby of The Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs, AR

loving - I am definitely loving my extended break from work and being able to spend plenty of time with my parents and brother's family. We've been hiking, playing board games, doing jigsaw puzzles, and are gearing up for some marathon holiday baking sessions. Keizo and I had our first unsupervised playdate with our niece yesterday at the park and I may have had more fun than she did rolling acorns down the slide. 

Some days the lack of structure makes me feel bored or a little anxious, but then I think about how worn down I'd been feeling a few months ago and remind myself that rest is important and one of the big reasons I asked for personal leave in the first place. 

gifting - We're not great gift givers in my family. For one, we are very lucky to have more than we really need; two, some of us are pretty particular; and three, we don't tend to wait for special occasions to buy things for ourselves. I do enjoy wrapping presents though, and have already told my sister-in-law that I'd be happy to do hers!

wrapping - I haven't started gift wrapping any presents yet, but I am trying to wrap up Keizo's hand-knit gift (definitely not a surprise, since he's seen me working on it) by doing a few rows a day. I've finished up the 'pattern' so to speak, so now it's just a few more inches of plain ribbing and my least favorite part of sewing in all the loose ends. 

hoping -  that Keizo and I will find our own place to live by the end of the year. We've toured a few places and have sent some additional inquiries. Some rental prices seem to be coming down which is very nice to see and makes me wonder if we shouldn't rush into anything right now.  

attending - My entire social life these days revolves around family and holiday events, but Keizo and I have made plans to attend (and interact with some new people) an "Introduction to Mountain Biking" class next weekend. 

Currently - November 2022

Welcome to the 11th Currently post of 2022! I'll give myself a little pat on the back for consistency, and then let's jump in. Please check out the other posts on Jennifer's blog as well.

View from the GAP somewhere between Frostburg and Cumberland

borrowing - these prompts (ha ha). And it's not really borrowing, but I've definitely appreciated all of the packing/moving tips and well wishes friends have been sharing with us as we prep for our move.

buying - Fresh food only. And annoyingly, some more dish soap and other essentials that we're out of but still need. We're also mentally adding things to our Christmas wish list and will be doing quite a bit of shopping on the other end of the move once we've found a place to live.

planning - With our bike adventure behind us, it's time to plan our cross-country road trip to AZ. As the amount of time before Thanksgiving gets shorter, our route has become a bit more direct than initially planned. Also trying to plan our last outings with friends and extended family in DC, which include a happy hour, my last knitting group meet-up, and visits to the Library of Congress and big Air and Space Museum out by Dulles.

prepping - For the move! We're making some progress each day, although this week we've got to ramp it up, rent a truck to donate furniture, etc.

reading - Not a whole lot I would recommend lately, though I did enjoy a break from packing with this month's Real Simple magazine. I redeemed some airline points a few years ago for a subscription and it just keeps coming; I've thought about canceling it, but I do enjoy the bit of off-screen entertainment it provides each month.

Best of October

• DC Bike Party - Something I've always wanted to do, but been a bit discouraged by the ~6 mile ride to the starting point in Dupont Circle. Thankfully this year's Halloween edition was on a Friday, and a few of Keizo's co-workers were participating, so we decided to join and had a great time. Also learned that the metro runs late on Friday nights!
• "Finals Week" at work - Working late to get things wrapped up, then spending almost 1/2 a day clearing ~8 years of papers out of my desk at the office maybe wasn't the most enjoyable in the moment, but afterwards I did feel like I'd done my best to leave things in good shape. There was also a goodbye happy hour and a separate company gathering after work that felt nearly pre-pandemic/hybrid work in terms of the number of people that came, which was really nice, though somewhat bittersweet as I will return to work in January almost fully remote.
• GAP/C&O bike ride - Stay tuned for a separate post about this, although it's hard to put into words exactly how awesome it is to spend a week riding bikes past gorgeous fall foliage on 300+ miles of trails without motor vehicle traffic.

Currently - October '22

A new month, and new Currently host! Jennifer has picked up the reins and is hosting the Currently link up on her blog; you can check it out here. I hadn't read her post before picking out this month's photo, I swear! But it's not like you can have too many fall leaves, and seeing them start to change is always magical.

anticipating - Just 9 more days of work before taking personal leave through early 2023. We'll spend the end of this month on an outdoor adventure before getting serious about packing and getting ourselves across the country in time to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family (<-- pretty big motivator right there).

admiring - Anyone who has packed and moved across the country. I know this includes me, but it feels like such a long time ago, my mom helped a lot, and there was only my stuff to deal with. It did me good to stumble on the Young House Love blog posts about downsizing and moving two years ago. We don't have a new place lined up yet, but imagining what our stuff might look like in it or could be repurposed in different ways is kind of fun.

spending/consuming - Not proud to admit it, but there's quite a bit of procrastination going on these days in the form of too much time on the couch consuming some of the many things Netflix has to offer. I've watched some good stuff though, including Junior Bake Off and Call My Agent. Another form of procrastination recently has been attempting the NYT crossword most mornings, but a couple of tricky ones over the weekend have broken my streak. 

wanting - To finish a draft report that's been two years in the making before I take leave, but it still needs a lot of work. I also want to fit in at least a few DC 'bucket list' type things before we move. Not working 5 days a week will give me more time for that, right? 

purging/deleting - The living room and both bedrooms each have bags or boxes collecting items for donations. Today I went through and purged picture frames (anything with crystal embellishments or a novelty shape got the boot), but there's still a long way to go. How did we end up with so many books!?!?

Best of September

• End of summer baking - A friend in my knitting group helps test recipes for The Washington Post, and she brought along her test batch of this blueberry poke cake to one of our meet-ups earlier this summer. When the recipe popped up in my feed a few months later, I definitely wanted to try it for myself. The results were quite good, though next time I think I might add some cream cheese to the topping to see if it cuts some of the sweetness.
• Bike rides - Keizo and I revisited a couple of our favorite MD trails for some longer rides "preparing" for our adventure in a couple of weeks. One weekend we did a 20-mile spin around College Park and Hyattsville with a stop at Streetcar 82, and another we did the loop around BWI airport and part of the BNA trail. 
• The last Thursday evening outdoor yoga class - since it's now pretty dark when class finishes at 7:30 PM. So glad I found this series earlier this summer. Even before the pandemic, it had been ages since I'd gone to an in-person yoga class. Being outdoors, this one had the added bonus of bird sounds and sweeping views of the sky and leafy green trees.
• Hyper-local professional conference - My first in-person conference in ages, it was nice to dip my toes back in with a small, local conference hosted by the Montgomery County Planning Department. Most of the sessions I attended were well done, I earned some continuing education credits, and learned about aspects of planning (environmental planning, housing) that I don't deal with often at work.

Currently - September '22

For this month's prompts, I took a look back at the prompts from September 2020, which I found in an unpublished draft. The last couple of weeks in 2022 have included a lot of soul searching, and I intentionally picked September 2020 to see what I was doing/thinking during another challenging time. Most of the 2020 responses could easily apply two years later, but I also came up with some new ones for 2022, apropos of the 'soul searching' bit above.

1st trip back to National Portrait Gallery in a long time 

appreciating - (2020) social connections. 

(2022) Still so true. I've had two recent happy hours with longtime and former colleagues, and we had friends over for dinner for the first time in a long time at the end of August. 

anticipating - (2020) The changing of the seasons and cooler fall weather. I'm sure I'll be complaining when it gets too cold and dark way too early, but for now, I'm looking forward to any changes in temperature that permit wearing something other than shorts and tank tops. 

(2022) Some big changes, like taking a sabbatical from work and using the time to move across the country and travel. Most of the details are still to be determined, but after meeting with my supervisor last Tuesday, I started telling people (including my family!) about it last week.

collecting - (2020) left blank

(2022) I'm adding to the collection of books from high school and college that I'm re-reading now, nearly 20 years later. Recent re-reads have included Fahrenheit 451 and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. The descriptions of the talking walls and constant search for distraction in Fahrenheit 451 felt eerily accurate to the social media landscape of today, and I'm trying to remember how old I was when I read Roll of Thunder for school. This time around, I was really struck by the racist violence, and it's fair to say that most of it went straight over my head back in the day. It's excellently written, and is one of the best books I've read this year.

starting - (2020) left blank

(2022) To figure out the details of taking time off work, moving across the country, traveling etc. One thing we would like to do before we leave is a week-long bikepacking/camping adventure from Pittsburgh back to DC on the Great Allegheny Passage and C&O Canal. There's not a lot of time to train, but I can definitely be more intentional about getting more rides in. 

finishing - (2020) A couple of books. After tearing through Where the Crawdads Sing on vacation, I've managed to keep the streak alive at home with a few books collected from various Little Free Libraries, including Kitchen Yarns (memoir) and Postscript (fiction). I'm also most of the way through Drinking Coffee Elsewhere (short stories).

(2022) - Finishing out summer by enjoying the bounty of produce as long as possible - peaches, corn on the cob, tomatoes, etc. We're really going to miss our weekly CSA when we move, and we will have to seek out another farmer's market after we get settled in AZ. 

Currently - August '22

Without an official 'currently' link up this month, I looked back into the archives in search of some prompts to reuse. I randomly picked August 2015, which was right before Keizo moved to the US. A very different time in our lives to say the least! 

Fast forward seven years, and here's what I've been up to in August 2022:

creating - I've started a second attempt at a haramaki (tummy warmer) for Keizo, but it's a little slow going. It's basically a large, ribbed tube, so kind of boring to work on and maybe August just isn't really the time to have a bunch of wool in your hands / on your lap, but I would like to finish it before it actually gets cold. I'm also very tempted by the new yarn and patterns I bought to make stuff for myself!

wishlisting - more vacations / travel! The photo above is from our recent getaway to Ohiopyle, PA where we rode bikes and visited Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob. Really the only thing in the way is planning them; both Keizo and I are lucky to have a bunch of vacation time stored up, but finding a time to use it can be hard.

hoping - next week at work is a little calmer than this past week. There are new projects starting without any of my other ones wrapping up, and it's really hard to keep track of everything and stay focused on any particular task long enough to make much meaningful progress. 

eating - After eating out and consuming fewer fruits and vegetables while we were on vacation at the beginning of the month, we've had a lot of salad the past few days. We got a bunch of tomatoes in this week's CSA box and the slow cooker is currently full of beets that have been piling up for weeks (dang, those things keep a long time!). I'm planning to make beet hummus and I saw a recipe for beet cupcakes. Maybe I'll have to start posting about recipes again to document how they turn out. 😉

watching - We've been pretty hooked on the dubbed episodes of the late 90's Iron Chef cooking competition on Peacock. There's some manufactured drama of course, but overall, it's very civilized and the number of dishes they're able to prepare in an hour is pretty amazing.

Best of July

• Closet clean out & finding a nice pair of earrings that I thought I had lost a long time ago. I gathered 5-6 bags of stuff we're not using anymore for a donation pick-up, which looked like a lot more stuff stacked in the living room than it did on out on the curb!
• Jack Johnson in concert - we had great weather and a fun time people watching from our seats on the lawn. 

Currently - July '22

I'm not sure which is harder to believe - that we're half way through 2022, or that this is the 7th Currently post this year! And while we've already passed by the first Wednesday of the month, I'm glad that it's not too late to link up with Anne in Residence and the other Currently devotees.

enjoying - I've really been enjoying the Ologies podcast lately as an escape from current events and a way to learn about the many interesting things way outside of my professional field.

having - We had my parents stay with us at the end of June, and it was really nice to see them and take some time off work. We got pretty lucky with the weather (80's and a bit sticky, but went up to the 90's the day they left), so we spent plenty of time outdoors, taking them to some of our favorite parks and to a crab house by the water, a summer 'tradition' we haven't done the past two years. 

hoping - for some light at the end of the tunnel at work. Things have been super busy, we're hiring a bunch of new people, and while I'm glad people are taking vacations, they seem poorly coordinated with the set schedules for certain projects. 

picking - some concerts, performances, baseball games etc. to go to, hoping that it makes it feel more like summer around here! 

We also are in the position to pick out a new (at least to us) car, which we sort of knew was coming, but is causing a fair amount of sticker shock nonetheless. Hopefully we will make a decision soon and can do a late summer road trip, perhaps?

using - this July 4 to read some chick-lit, start this post, and do a few others things around the house. Probably won't brave the crowds on the National Mall to see the fireworks later, but would like to check out the local concert and street fair right nearby.

Best of June

• New kitchen light - it felt like something of an ordeal at the time (as in 3 weeks for the landlord's handy person to get it fixed), but now that it's done, the kitchen is nice and bright!
• HH in Downtown DC - I met up with a friend after work and we grabbed some gelato, were serenaded with surprise music and bubbles at City Center, and strolled over to the newly renovated Franklin Square Park to check out the new design. 
• Friday night brews - On most Friday evenings recently Keizo and I can be found at one of the handful of local breweries within walking and biking distance. We happened onto a free concert at Streetcar 82 a few weeks ago and really enjoy the proximity and very low key vibe at 3 Stars.

Currently - June '22

Greetings from the patio on a lovely, 72-degree Sunday morning. My current view isn't quite as sweeping as the one below, but it's not too bad either. And while it's not the first Wednesday of the month, I'm not too late to link up with Anne in Residence and the other Currently devotees!

View from Bear Chase Brewing

celebrating - There's about a month to go, but I've started to think about how we can celebrate Keizo's birthday on 7/7. So far ideas include camping, getting together with friends of his we haven't seen in-person since before the pandemic, and/or a weekend in New York City. Plus birthday cake of course!

giving - Baby gifts! I gained 5 new cousins (including two sets of twins) last month, and went to a friend's baby shower last weekend. All the new arrivals are receiving a few of the tie-dyed onesies that were featured in the photo of last month's post. 

taking - Some time off towards the end of the month when my parents will be visiting! We haven't had house guests in ages, and it will be nice to do some 'touristy' things with them, or at least shake up the normal routine and have dinner together.

trying - To be more active during the long daylight hours and eat fresh foods while they're in season. My extra pandemic pounds haven't gotten the message that the world has moved on, and I'd like to fit into my shorts again.

wearing - Right now, and probably at least once a week this summer: a soft, stretchy, black and white romper. It's been hard to resist the urge to buy another one, but with returning to the office some days and my current collection of summer dresses that are just as comfy, I really don't need another romper.

Best of May

• Summer weather - Not everyone was excited for temperatures in the 90's, but I preferred it to the cool, grey, and cloudy week we had right after.
• Outdoor yoga classes - The location is well-situated between work and home, and it's been so nice to go to a class in-person, with plenty of space, the sounds of birds, and views of lush green trees. Well, except for yesterday's when the grass was being cut nearby.
• Two 3-day weekends - We didn't end up going camping in May, but did get to spend 3 days off together versus the usual 1 per week. Keizo had to work Memorial Day weekend, but I took full advantage of Monday off to get some extra reading and relaxing in.

From the Archives

What my June was like in:

• 2021 - emerging from our bubble to go to a wedding and get on a plane, 
• 2020 - the days after George Floyd was murdered,
• 2019 - getting ready for RABRAI, 
• 2018 - sharing our new favorite camp breakfast, 
• 2017 - work travel, and 
• 2016 - back when there were multiple posts per month!

Currently - April '22

Saving the photo for this month's post, it appeared as though every previous April post included a photo of cherry blossoms. Nearly every single one talked about wanting spring to fully arrive so I could pack up the coats and thick sweaters and that hasn't changed a bit this year. But I did find a few surprises among the five other cherry blossom posts. Back in 2016 and 2017 I was a much more regular runner; 2018 wasn't anything special; and I guess it's good that 2021 seems so long ago? After that little trip down memory lane, here's what I'm up to currently: 

Be sure to stop by In Residence to read other's posts.

getting - A hair cut on Thursday! My last one was in the fall (I think?), so my strands definitely need some attention.

going - Camping in Cape Henlopen, DE next weekend. We went around the same time last year, and while the weather the first night was freezing (literally), it was sunny and increasingly warm the next two days. Hoping that this year will only be a repeat of the latter part.

planning - Just starting to plan an epic bike camping adventure on the C&O Canal / Great Allegheny Passage. Step 1 is getting more miles in, and thankfully the weather and longer daylight hours are starting to make that feel possible, and even enjoyable, rather than a multi-layered torture expedition.  

posting - A belated birthday card to my high school best friend. She's always very punctual with mine, but I'm about a month late with this one. Oooops.

thinking - Too much at work these days, managing several projects with upcoming deliverables, and on top of that, attending trainings and trying to figure out our new accounting system. The old one did about 97 essential things, and we're only being trained on one thing at time in the new one. It feels like a long road ahead.

Best of March

• Arizona trip - I can't believe this was less than a month ago. I'm ready for another getaway - cue camping trip!
• Fieldwork - I had two full days of fieldwork for work this month, which were rather enjoyable for a few reasons: the weather was nice enough to be outdoors, I wasn't sitting in front of a computer all day, I could focus on just one project that day, and it made things feel a bit more "normal" after working remotely for 2 years.
• More social interactions - Between being in a "full" office a few times this past month, to get togethers and eating out with friends, it's nice to have more variety and options for things to do!