Jicama

When my sister was in town three weeks ago, we picked up a jicama to eat while camping. Never ate it. The poor abandoned jicama is now at a use it or throw it away stage. I am leaving for Minnesota on Wednesday. Decided to give myself an Iron Chef challenge, what can I do with a jicama? After cutting it up, I have about two sandwich bags full. During work, I ate a couple sticks raw. For dinner, I cut some sticks into bite size piece and put it in the oven with a cut up sweet potato. Set the oven at 400 degree then waited 45 minutes. Topped it off with some salsa, almonds & olives on the side with frozen grapes for dessert.
(sorry about the iphone picture, my brother has my camera. He wanted to take pictures while he helped fix up a Boys & Girls Club building.)

Library Book:
Just finished I'm Down by Mishna Wolff, I decided to read something a little lighter after reading The Historian (six hundred & some odd pages) by Elizabeth Kostova and A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. Great, quick, fun, summer book!

lately

Lately I have been feeling/acting like I am waiting for my life to start. I feel in limbo. Maybe I thought my life would be different. I don't know how though. My ten year high school reunion was last summer and I turned 29 in February, kind of made me think about things (mainly - how do I want to live my life?). I need to stop thinking of my bike rides and camping trips are just time waste-ers, enjoy them and use them to their fullest potential (like, trying different recipes while camping). I need to enjoy life and use it to it's fullest potential. I need to stop taking the safe way, I am adventerous but keep holding myself back. There is no one event or product that will create happily ever after, life will always have struggles but I can be happy, live and grow.

Library Book:
I just finished A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller. Part story and part self help-ish. It's about how to make the most out of your life. I recommend it.

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.