Lancaster Country Ride

This morning was my first 63 mile ride of the year and it was a tough one! The wind was strong. The ride started a little after 9am then finally finished around 2:30pm, half an hour before the course would close. It has NEVER taken me that long before. Luckily the view was beautiful!! The bluebonnet (Texas State flower) was in full bloom!

Cowboy Stadium

Monahans Sandhills State Park March 29th-31st

Challenge: to bike every day in April

Just signed up for the 30 Days of Biking!! My ankle is still sore for the 15.5 mile trail run on the 6th. No biking or running since then, I am getting a little antsy. The Shiner 100 mile bike ride is May 7th. A little worried, I want to be able to do the ride. I have to ride this weekend, see how it see. My fingers are crossed.

Pets

Love Alicia Silverstone's article about Keeping "pets" and Sarma's posting about her thought process when getting her dog

Spring Cleaning

I have a box of books, two paper bags of clothes and four shoes (in boxes) going to to GoodWill. It's a slow process. I always think 'maybe one day I'll wear it'. etc - 'I'll wear it when I go to the cabin' or 'on vacation' or 'to the office'. So lately I have been wearing my 'maybe one day' shirts to work and usually I cannot wait to get home to change out of it. Why do I hang on to ill-fitting, too short or just not my taste clothing? My goal is to have at least two more paper bags full of clothes and a box of books. The plan it still to move out of Texas July 1st, probably move back to Minnesota until I find a new job.

I purchased my (pretty) laptop 1) because in less than 4 months I will not last have works' computer and 2) my goal is to get rid of my TV. As of right now my nine year old TV just sits on the floor, no cable, just movies. I am going to give myself a month to see if no TV is a good idea, if yes then bye-bye TV.

A-OK trail run

March 6th, I ran my longest distance, 15.5 miles in 2 hours 52 mins!!

the race is about to start, around 50 runner

that's me, FREEZING!! just a cold morning.

I'm done!!! GREAT run!!

goofing off with Kathy

Weekend in Dallas

I found 36 Hours in Dallas on nytimes.com, little disappointed in the article. It does not go off the beaten-path. Instead of going to the pricey Tex-Mex restaurants, why not go to the hole-in-the-wall places? Instead of 'flashier, with velvet-roped discos and bottle-service lounges', why not go to dive bars and karaoke bars? I think I am going to come up with my own list. Check out the Bishop Arts District, Deep Elm, local restaurants and cute stores. No malls or chain restaurants/stores. I am going to find my favorite Tex-Mex restauarant, shopping area, restaurant for brunch, dive bar, karaoke bar, ice cream/gelato place, area to walk around (Katy Trail or White Rock Lake), bar to watch football on Sunday and a couple others. So when people come down to visit me, I'll finally be able to take they places instead of saying 'I don't know'. I'm excited!!

The Goat is going to be on my list. The picture is of my brother and I singing (after a couple beers) on a Sunday night.

Minimalist

Lately I have been researching 'minimalist'. It's appealing. I will not be living out of a suitcase and owning only 100 things, I was thinking more along the lines of just not a lot stuff. I don't need it. Why do I have two drawers full of rarely worn pjs? Why do I have boxes and boxes of books just storaged in my closet? I think this is really 'hitting home' because I will be moving soon, December 2nd, I found out I am losing my job July 1st. First shock (they are closing down the WHOLE company) then anger (I move from Minneapolis to Dallas to keep my job and now I am still losing it) to kind of excited. I have wanted to move to Portland or Seattle, this fall would be the perfect time!! Tentatively planning on moving back up to Minneapolis July 1st, go visit Turkey and Budapest for a little over two weeks, go sailing with my Faith August 7th-15th with the co-ed Boy Scout group we are apart of then move. I am really hoping everything goes as planned (fingers crossed). It will be easier to move with less stuff. I am canceling Netflix, getting a library card and maybe getting rid of my 9 year old TV.

Below is Alison and my Christmas pictures, silly I know, but cute and fun!

>

Raw Corn Soup

I made delicious raw corn soup last night, from Ani's Raw Food Kitchen cookbook. Definitely going to make again!!