The past week has been an absolute emotional roller coaster.
Three years ago I worked for a boarding school as their medical coordinator - basically, I performed mini-triage on the students, took them to doctor's appointments, coordinated their medical care with parents, teachers, doctors, etc., and all around made sure they were taken care of. Easy enough, right? Long story short, because I followed protocol and signed my students' releases and such for their appointments, I've gotten "stuck" with 2 VERY delinquent collections on my credit report. YIKES! After a nearly-major freak out, I've been able to contact the debt collection agencies, the businesses that are owed the money, AND found supporters from my former employer to help me fix this credit snafu! Luckily for me, and through several stressful days, I've started the ball rolling and should have my credit score return to perfect in about 30 days time... but I won't believe it til I see it.
And all in the same week I have: been a "single parent" (Andy is out of town for 2 weeks) making it to the gym by 6a, hitting the trails with the dog by 7:30a, and getting to work by 10a; hosted a women's roundtable luncheon to discuss clothing and events for my bicycle shop; "narrowed" down and solidified what clothing we will be pulling in for the Spring 2013 season (at least the first half of the season); received a ton of new merchandising accessories (including mannequins! YAY!); trained my new inventory helper; fulfilled my officer duties by attending my women's cycling club/team meeting; designed/completed/sent the weekly shop email; continued to create & remind participants of upcoming events using all forms of internet marketing & social media, and...
Won one of 25 $1000 scholarships to attend the National Bike Summit in Washington, D.C. in March. Wait, what? That's right, not only do I get to attend the summit, which is amazing in itself, but I also get $1000 credit to pay for my registration, travel, lodging, food, etc. And, of course, I've devised a game to see just how thrifty I can do this thing (Do you know how expensive Washington, D.C. is?!). So far, I've registered ($375) and booked a plane ticket ($158, standby!) and secured lodging (hostel living, .5mi from the Summit, 1 block from a bike share station, walking distance to Chinatown... all for less than $150 - SCORE!)... So looks like I'll hopefully have a bit of money to play with (food, Smithsonian, bike rental...)!
Oh, and hopefully I'll finish some laundry, vacuum, and make it to the grocery store today. The low temps and threat of icy conditions, along with a belly ache (hmm... can't imagine what could have caused that... ::stress::), kept me home from work today - so I have no excuse.
1.16.2013
Adventure with Spaghetti Squash & CouchSurfing
After a friend recommended the substitution of spaghetti squash for actual spaghetti to lay off the gluten intake (we eat a LOT of gluten), I found myself picking up a couple of these mysterious squash at the grocery store a week ago. In the past I've found spaghetti squash so scary, in fact, that I was given one by my sister a couple years ago from her CSA box, and never used it... letting it literally rot in my produce bin at the bottom of the fridge :-\ So, after a week of sitting in the produce bin, I figured - now or never.
I have the "How to Cook Everything" cookbook, and it stated that the "best and easiest" way to cook the spaghetti squash was to poke a few holes in it using a thin, sharp knife and baking it at 375* for at least 45 minutes. I left mine in for about 1'20" before giving in a bringing it out of the oven. I sliced it in half, carefully scooped out the squash brains, and used a large metal spoon to scrape the meat off the peel and into a greased baking dish. By the way, if you've never heard of or used a Misto, I highly recommend visiting your local TJMaxx and picking one up. It's great - I can use my own oils (whatever you want), pressurize it by hand, and spray it into my dishes. It makes me feel better about my food & the environment.
Anyway, while the squash was roasting, I sauteed a cornucopia of vegetables (just whatever was in the fridge, really) and seasoned them with a few favorite herbs (oregano, parsley, & crushed mint - my secret ingredient... oops!) and salt & pepper. I piled all this on top of the cooked spaghetti squash, covered it in Newman's Own vodka sauce, added a layer of fresh spinach, and a bit of finely shredded mozzarella cheese (for my cheese-loving husband). I put this back in the oven at 350* for 30ish minutes (or whenever the cheese is melted).
We weren't really sure what to expect, but the outcome was... DELICIOUS. Yum. Not scary. Not hard. Perfect. I just takes awhile to roast the squash, but we have plenty left over for another meal (no cooking tomorrow, yay!). This was a simple dish, made up in my head, and I'm sure there are far more delectable ways to eat spaghetti squash - and you should definitely explore!
In other news, we hosted a CouchSurfer last night. To protect his privacy, I won't give you all the nitty gritty details, but he was a great guy and, come to find out, spent time as a child at the summer camp that we've been working for over the last few years! Sing it with me, "It's a small world after all, it's a small world after all..."
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| Yes, that is a Care Bears mug behind the Misto |
Anyway, while the squash was roasting, I sauteed a cornucopia of vegetables (just whatever was in the fridge, really) and seasoned them with a few favorite herbs (oregano, parsley, & crushed mint - my secret ingredient... oops!) and salt & pepper. I piled all this on top of the cooked spaghetti squash, covered it in Newman's Own vodka sauce, added a layer of fresh spinach, and a bit of finely shredded mozzarella cheese (for my cheese-loving husband). I put this back in the oven at 350* for 30ish minutes (or whenever the cheese is melted).
We weren't really sure what to expect, but the outcome was... DELICIOUS. Yum. Not scary. Not hard. Perfect. I just takes awhile to roast the squash, but we have plenty left over for another meal (no cooking tomorrow, yay!). This was a simple dish, made up in my head, and I'm sure there are far more delectable ways to eat spaghetti squash - and you should definitely explore!
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| MMM sooo good! |
In other news, we hosted a CouchSurfer last night. To protect his privacy, I won't give you all the nitty gritty details, but he was a great guy and, come to find out, spent time as a child at the summer camp that we've been working for over the last few years! Sing it with me, "It's a small world after all, it's a small world after all..."
1.13.2013
[Mis]adventure in Prentice Cooper
Yesterday, my husband, dog and I set out to Prentice Cooper for a mini overnight backpacking trip. Andy is getting some training in for a Grand Canyon backpacking trip that he's leading, and I just enjoy the activity, especially when it's been wet & rainy and I can't get on the bike. Anyway...
We hit the trail about 10:45a with our sight set on Hemlock Branch campsite, an easy 5.7 miles away. We reached Hemlock relatively early, ate lunch and set up camp, then hit the trail again (sans packs) to hit up a couple other overlooks.
We made it to Ransom Hollow Overlook about an hour later, enjoyed the views, and decided to try to squeeze in Raccoon Mountain Overlook before it got dark.
We hiked quickly, but were quickly running out of water, so we decided to turn around about a mile away from RMO. Pot Point loop, on which Ransom Hollow and Raccoon Mtn Overlooks are located, is not as well-traveled as Mullins Cove loop, so we felt a little more secluded, and it was awesome. We also got some pictures of an old still and a LARGE amount of scat.
Anyone know what animal made this? Consistent with bear poop, but seems a bit large, and a bit loosey-goosey to be bear... but maybe s/he had diarrhea?
So we headed back to camp, hoping our things were still there, ready to make some dinner and get some quality R&R. We had a full 7 miles of packs-off "dayhiking" added to our 5.8 miles of packs-on backpacking from earlier. We were definitely getting tired. About 5 minutes back at camp (and our things were there untouched!), a gentleman named Gary "sneaked" up on us from the other direction, sending Raider into complete decomposition. I don't know what it is, but if she feels snuck-up-on, it's go time. She was ready to take out Gary. About ready to get supper started, Andy asked about the fuel, to which I remember leaving it at the house. Whoops. Luckily it was me who forgot the fuel, because I'm sure Andy wouldn't have lived it down had it been the other way around. We were just going to sup on trail snacks, but Raider still was going berserk over Gary (who was innocently trying to enjoy a night in the woods) and we were quite hungry. So, we filled up water bottles, packed up, and began our trek back to the car in the dark. Oh wait, did I mention that Raider chases light? The first few minutes were interesting, but we turned off our lamps and decided we could see better light-less. Raider stayed behind us as we hiked about .5 mile to a gravel road (Whew! Hiking back on the trail in the dark wouldn't have been that fun), and another 50 minutes (we guessed 3 miles?) on the road back to the car. Those 50 minutes felt like forever.
Tired and hungry, 16.3 miles and 9 hours later, we got to the car, mouths watering for some Waffle House. We thought it'd be 100x more epic to say we didn't make it to Waffle House until 2a, but it was only 8:15p. Andy finished the event with pecan pie, I with coffee. We drove home, I put Raider in the shower (yes, shower) with me, and we hit the hay.
We'll just chalk this one up to a great training hike.
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| Raider is SO ready to go! |
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| Home Sweet Home. LOVE the Granite Gear White Lightnin'! |
We hiked quickly, but were quickly running out of water, so we decided to turn around about a mile away from RMO. Pot Point loop, on which Ransom Hollow and Raccoon Mtn Overlooks are located, is not as well-traveled as Mullins Cove loop, so we felt a little more secluded, and it was awesome. We also got some pictures of an old still and a LARGE amount of scat.
Anyone know what animal made this? Consistent with bear poop, but seems a bit large, and a bit loosey-goosey to be bear... but maybe s/he had diarrhea?
So we headed back to camp, hoping our things were still there, ready to make some dinner and get some quality R&R. We had a full 7 miles of packs-off "dayhiking" added to our 5.8 miles of packs-on backpacking from earlier. We were definitely getting tired. About 5 minutes back at camp (and our things were there untouched!), a gentleman named Gary "sneaked" up on us from the other direction, sending Raider into complete decomposition. I don't know what it is, but if she feels snuck-up-on, it's go time. She was ready to take out Gary. About ready to get supper started, Andy asked about the fuel, to which I remember leaving it at the house. Whoops. Luckily it was me who forgot the fuel, because I'm sure Andy wouldn't have lived it down had it been the other way around. We were just going to sup on trail snacks, but Raider still was going berserk over Gary (who was innocently trying to enjoy a night in the woods) and we were quite hungry. So, we filled up water bottles, packed up, and began our trek back to the car in the dark. Oh wait, did I mention that Raider chases light? The first few minutes were interesting, but we turned off our lamps and decided we could see better light-less. Raider stayed behind us as we hiked about .5 mile to a gravel road (Whew! Hiking back on the trail in the dark wouldn't have been that fun), and another 50 minutes (we guessed 3 miles?) on the road back to the car. Those 50 minutes felt like forever.
We'll just chalk this one up to a great training hike.
1.11.2013
Adventures in Site Development
So for the last week, I've been building a new website for Scott's Bicycle Centre. Go ahead and take a look at what
Some of you may know that I also keep the blog on Scott's Bikes: Women. While baking and crafting are really, really fun, cycling is what keeps me in shape... and I'm a much better cyclist than I am baker or crafter (you are what you spend your time doing, I suppose). Any of you gals (and guys too!) out there that enjoy cycling, you might find some good resources on the site. I've got some online tutorials about changing a flat, picking out padded shorts/chamois, fitting helmets properly, and dressing for winter riding (not that it's been "winter" around here, or anything).
In other news - got some sewing done this morning before work. Only have 2 steps left! Can anybody guess what it is yet?
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| The "stuffing" is in... |
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| Finito! |
1.10.2013
Adventuring to Get Crafty
For years I've been jealous of my friends' abilities to reach into the right side of their brains and come up with ridiculously awesome crafts... and each of them make money off of their artistic hobbies. What a life! Crystal's Etsy Shop (which is currently on hiatus due to moving, getting engaged, buying a home, and all sorts of other important life things... that I still have yet to do, besides the engaged thing... been there done that) was full of all sorts of goodies that she found time to do on road trips and in the evenings. Blaire paints, and mostly has a modestly-priced custom pet portrait line, but is also known to do ornaments, Christmas paintings, and other homey goodies. She's the ultimate animal lover. Perry is super-mom extraordinare! She paints with and on all sorts of mediums, she gardens, she cooks, she takes care of her two beautiful babies & husband... the list is endless. Once I let her borrow my sewing machine & gave her some fabric scraps, and she made a zillion "Perry's Pretty Petals" flower hair clips. Luckily I came out with a few for the sewing machine useage. Love them (and you can find them, and her artwork, on display at Local Color in Brevard, NC)!
Wait a second... did you catch that? I have a sewing machine. I have a sewing machine. Previously, I'd attempted one project (an apron) and failed miserably due to my fabric choices & inability to sew in a straight line and hold a steady pace on the pedal. Yeah, minor flaws. Well Christmas came around this year and I was without my notoriously awesome stocking stuffers. I had previously purchased from Blaire & Perry, but this year I was far, far away and stuffer-less. So, I perused the internet and came across simple sewing projects, including drawer sachets. Seemed easy enough - and alas, it was! I've now made 78 sachets for friends & family, and even made my own aromatic filling! I've started digging on the right side of the brain, and find myself getting more & more excited about arts & crafts. I have a few new projects in the works, and can't wait to share them with you!
Oh, and I've also been cooking. Most recently, I made Baked Oatmeal with Bananas & Pumpkin. Yum! My husband, who likes neither baked oatmeal nor pumpkin, thought it was delicious too. And it's a great power food for all you athletes out there!
::Edit::
Here are a couple photos of my new project. Any ideas what I could be making?
Wait a second... did you catch that? I have a sewing machine. I have a sewing machine. Previously, I'd attempted one project (an apron) and failed miserably due to my fabric choices & inability to sew in a straight line and hold a steady pace on the pedal. Yeah, minor flaws. Well Christmas came around this year and I was without my notoriously awesome stocking stuffers. I had previously purchased from Blaire & Perry, but this year I was far, far away and stuffer-less. So, I perused the internet and came across simple sewing projects, including drawer sachets. Seemed easy enough - and alas, it was! I've now made 78 sachets for friends & family, and even made my own aromatic filling! I've started digging on the right side of the brain, and find myself getting more & more excited about arts & crafts. I have a few new projects in the works, and can't wait to share them with you!
Oh, and I've also been cooking. Most recently, I made Baked Oatmeal with Bananas & Pumpkin. Yum! My husband, who likes neither baked oatmeal nor pumpkin, thought it was delicious too. And it's a great power food for all you athletes out there!
::Edit::
Here are a couple photos of my new project. Any ideas what I could be making?
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| We have a small house, so I have to use the bed as a fill-in "large flat surface"! |
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| And this is my SMALL sewing desk. It usually does the trick. |
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| Ok, now here's the actual goods. 3 fabrics sewn together... Not much of a clue, I know. |
1.06.2013
Back in Action
After visiting family and friends over the weekend, my husband, dog and I found ourselves on a busy southern interstate in drizzly conditions pondering life. A & I are nearing a major life intersection - as he is graduating graduate school in May (hooray!) and we are wishing that the world would spill the beans on what's to come for us post-graduation. Ideally, we'll find our career-minded dream jobs in our dream city, finding a dream home to rent while we dream money into savings accounts so that we can eventually leave dream rental for dream home...
Realistically, we're stuck waiting it out until the time actually comes (how boring). And worse than that, the weather has turned our training "regimen" to sour grapes.
So clearly, there's nothing left to do but bake & sew. And adventure along the way.
Realistically, we're stuck waiting it out until the time actually comes (how boring). And worse than that, the weather has turned our training "regimen" to sour grapes.
So clearly, there's nothing left to do but bake & sew. And adventure along the way.
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