i love making the wrong decisions

CAPES [something empowering] Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same.

COFFEE [latest trend or addiction] In "An Affair to Remember", Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr drink pink champagne. I'm determined to figure out what that is exactly, and drink some myself. I submit that anything with a hint of pink is bound to taste better. Cheers!

THE COLOR ORANGE [something noteworthy] Sometimes you make the wrong decisions. Sometimes those wrong decisions are made over and over again for a length of time. And sometimes it takes a while for them to set in before you realize that you are not where you want to be. Learn. Grow. Move forward. Making incorrect decisions is part of life. We all make them. It's inevitable. And it's decisions - whether right or wrong - that shape who we are. But if you're like me, more often than not, learning from the wrong decisions end up being most beneficial.

you'd have to be dutch to understand...

CAPES [something empowering] Stop complaining and do something about it. I like to act on things, not dwell on them. Is that bad?

COFFEE [latest trend or addiction] Chatroulette: While I don't recommend this creepster site, I do recommend watching out for the Ben Folds impersonator. While visiting the south, I attended a Ben Folds show where Ben impersonated his impersonator. Awesome.

THE COLOR ORANGE [something noteworthy] The picture is the tattoo my brothers and I are getting, probably this weekend. I can't decide where - foot (not to be confused with ankle), wrist, or ribcage? I won't be swayed by your opinions, but feel free to offer them up.

a year at 29

I love lists, especially crossing things off the list. so satisfying.
here is my list of 29 things that I hope to accomplish upon entering a new year:
[in no particular order]
1) refrain from saying the word "holler"
2) go to Emerald Downs to see a dog or horse race
3) visit my grandparents more often
4) hike the enchantments
5) convince Ryan and Afton to let me take Cooper to Disneyland for his 2nd birthday
6) let courage teach me to be shy
7) talk less and listen more
8) read more of my assigned readings for graduate school, especially in ethics class
9) look into doing the "S2S" (Seattle to Spokane in one day on a bike)
10) to only take advice from those who's advice has a good track record
11) to not tell everyone my story, but to invest in a few close friends
12) to enter a karaoke contest
13) to fix the broken light in our condo I've been promising Emily I'd fix
14) the sink, too
15) to purchase tickets and plan my trip to Holland
16) to drive north to skagit valley this spring to visit the tulips
17) to wakeboard at least 5 times this summer
18) to do more encaustic art
19) take another cooking class with my mom and Afton
20) to figure out how to get a glassybaby drinker named after me
21) to commute more by bicycle
22) to find a group of cyclists to ride regularly with
23) to pay more attention to the news
24) to pay more attention to how I spend my money
25) to allow myself one more tattoo, but then no more ink after that
26) to not be so concerned with control
27) to take my vitamins and drink more water
28) run another marathon
29) hang out with my nephew and family at least once a week (okay, this one is a gimme, in case I don't get to the rest, at least I can cross this one off)

sometimes bigger is not better.

CAPES [something empowering] There's something to be said about a really well-made brownie or Whidbey Island's marionberry pie. If I was ever in a position where I would be forced to choose between either a life of singleness or never again having a brownie or slice of pie, I would be quite torn. It's questions like these that really put things in perspective. Because it's not about what you don't have, it's about taking pleasure in the small things in life that make you happy (and no, those small things are not limited to edible items...but I just ate a really good brownie, which should explain the tasty comparison).

COFFEE [latest trend or addiction] So excited for SITC 2 featuring the fabulous Carrie Bradshaw...who I occasionally pretend to be (minus the sleeping around and frivolous spending).

THE COLOR ORANGE [something noteworthy] If you're like me, you hate it when the TP runs out. For some reason, the act of changing a roll is so annoying. When I saw this super-duper-sized roll in the grocery store, I bought it thinking "I'll only have the change the roll once per month - yes!". However, do not fall victim to believing this, because like all fairy tales, it is too good to be true. The roll is big, and in this case bigger is not better. It takes going through half the roll before it even fits on the TP holder-roller-thingy and thus doubles my annoyance.

66.6% of this post is directed towards you [and you know who you are].

CAPES [something empowering] I think the UPS guy at work has a crush on me. Instead of being dodgy or rude, I take that crush to be a compliment. However, there is a fine line between taking it as a compliment and "playing" the UPS guy. I don't want to lead him on, because the only thing I have a crush on is his uniform.

COFFEE [latest trend or addiction] The next best thing to a glassybaby is a glassybaby drinker. They making drinking water that much funner (and yea, funner is a word).

THE COLOR ORANGE [something noteworthy] When animals attack!...6 months later, I think I'm finally getting my stride back. I've successfully avoided all geese, cranes, owls and deers and have held on to my promise of only running in well-trafficked areas. Speaking of running...anyone want to run the Lake Sammamish Invitational with me this spring? [You can register through me, so consider that your official invitation to this exclusive race event...and the mileage ranges between 26.2-28.2 miles]

Forgive and re-forgive

CAPES [something empowering] Q: How do you know when you've forgiven someone? A: When you can seriously wish the best for them. Sometimes this happens immediately, and sometimes it takes time. Keep on re-forgiving them until you can wish them well.

COFFEE [latest trend or addiction] I'm in love with an Irishman named James Vincent McMorrow. Look him up.

THE COLOR ORANGE [something noteworthy] I'm on day 1 of a detox cleanse. The best part about day 1 is when it's over. We'll see if I make it thru he full 10 days.

behind bars

CAPES [something empowering] There's a fine line between not settling and having hollywood-esque expectations. Learn to master that balance.

COFFEE [latest trend or addiction] Cycling season officially kicked off this past Sunday, with 6,000+ riders. I can now be found behind bars.

THE COLOR ORANGE [something noteworthy] I need my mom every now and then. The other day, I had an ear ache, so my mom came down with all her home remedies. I think it's nice for her to be needed, but to be on the receiving end is priceless. I'll spare you the details on the outcome of the home remedy...but will tell you that she found it so hilarious she said "this has got to make it in the blog". I've never been one to disappoint.