Crisp, Cool Days

With only two days left in the month of September, I clearly did not accomplish my goal to blog every day in September. Alas, upon returning from Door County, it was a rough week to re-enter reality.

Being on vacation always makes me long for living a life of leisure. Days of no worries, no schedules, doing what you want and enjoying every minute. It's how we should live every day, not jut vacation. But real life makes that a little harder. The stress of working, the politics of corporate America ... it can put a lot of weight on your shoulders.

I think that is one of the reasons I have taken so much to running and heat yoga. Pushing myself physically releases me from all the mental strain that comes from the day-to-day stresses of being the sole breadwinner for a family of four. I realize I am incredibly lucky that D can stay at home with the kids, but when you know that your family's livelihood rests on you ... well, it's a lot of stress.

And right now I feel like a lot of our physical things are falling apart. Both cars apparently have bunk oil pans. The auto shop was able to temporarily fix them both with longer oil plugs ... but who knows how long those will last. So, D wants to get a new car ... but a car payment, well, we could probably make it work ... but it means we'll definitely have to live a lot tighter. And we need a new microwave and a new garbage disposal. Just thinking of all the things we need to replace gives me the biggest pit in my stomach.

So, it looks like the remainder of 2013 will be focused on cheap living so that I can afford the things we really need. Yay.

A Day in Door County

Today was our first full day in Door County. The world was our oyster, time was our friend and adventure we were to take in. Thanks to my internal clock I woke up at 7 (I guess that would technically be really sleeping in on a Friday for me.) So, I caught up on the news, ordered another set of Warby Parker home try-on frames (I am hoping this time is the charm ... they have some cool new fall frames, that I am thinking may be the ones.) And just enjoyed a quiet morning.

First up was to pay our rental bill and head to the grocery story. Oh, and to find a towel. Because, yes, after I reminded everyone to bring towels ... I ended up leaving mine on my bed at home because I had a last minute, oh I should pack this ... nice. We settled our bill, super easy and lovely was Mr. Hasenjager chatted me up just a little with recommendations and wanted to make sure all was good. One thing I've learned from this trip ... renting is the way to go. It's super relaxing, convenient and much more affordable.

Then we were off to the grocery store. Half of us went off to the grocery store, with a list from the other half of what we should get. It was a quaint little a grocery store (that was like half a wine shop, there was so much wine everywhere.) We got some fruit, and breakfast items and stuff to make salads. Oh, and of course some wine. Then we went off to find a towel. This had us on a bit of an adventure ... seriously. Who knew that it would be hard to find a towel? So, about ninety minutes later we returned to the house. We made a lovely little breakfast:

 

After breakfast, G and I decided to go for a quick run. I now know why I run on an empty stomach. It was not good people. Stomach ache central. I could only do about a mile and quarter before having to go to a walk. blech.

After we all got ready, we began our venture. First stop: Stone Throw's Winery.

You got to try five wines for $5 and keep the souvenir glass. I was sort of amazed that they gave you a glass. Of the five wines, I decided to get two. A Pinot Verdot and one called Bucatini. Both yummy reds. I went crazy and for my last wine, I tried a sparkling almond wine. It was way too sweet. But it smelled like marzipan. If it has tasted like it smelled I would have been in heaven.

Then we were off to Bailey's Harbor to see Lake Michigan.

 Next stop was to check out a lighthouse.

The lighthouse:

 Then we made it up to the northern most point where you'd take the ferry to Washington Island:

Some bees getting busy:

Then we made our way down and stopped to take a few other pics. Here are some of my favorite of the American we found:

For dinner, we decided to have the quintessential Door County fish boil. So we went to Victory Grill, the home of the fish boil.

The restaurant was definitely a local hang out. Lot's of local color. The fish boil wasn't bad ... it just wasn't exactly culinary breakthrough.

We finished up the evening at a cute little wine bar. All-in-all, a good day.

Onward Wisconsin!

Yesterday around noonish, I embarked on a small girls' trip to Door County with my Wine Club chicas. We got slightly delayed in our departure due to a massive storm that decided to sweep through both Minne and Sconny. The storm started while I was half-way through my Heat Yoga class, and the fact that I could hear it and see the world darkening while I was in the yoga studio was a bit scary.

So about an hour later than we had originally planned we were off. We made it to the Wisconsin border and then decided we needed lunch. We didn't opt for fancy, we opted for Wendy's, as it was quick and would get us back on the road. Well, let me tell you, the Wendy's in Hudson had the most polite staff. They greeted us, treated us very well and even thanked us for coming. Halfway through the meal, they even checked up on us to make sure everything was good. It was more service than you sometimes receive at a fine dining restaurant.

We then continued on the road ... and finally made it to Green Bay ... in what felt like hours later. (okay, it was hours later, but it felt significantly longer than it should have.) We had to stop at Lambeau field, it was on one of the ladies' bucket lists, and the rest of us wanted to check it out, too. She brought a vikings hat, and we took some funny pics and posted them on Facebook. D told me when he say that I was at Lambeau he was slightly jealous. Everyone was courteous (though we got a fear stares for the vikings hat).

We then found a Mexican restaurant and had a little supper. Okay, the plates were huge ... I opted for tamales ensuring they were gluten-free, but could hardly touch the sides. The food was good. the place had $3 margaritas, but I have a hard time with Tequila, so I opted for a sangria. D totally called me on the sangria when I told him we had Mexican for dinner. (I guess after almost 10 years, I shouldn't surprised that he knows me as well as he does.)

And then an hour later, we were finally at our destination. We rented out a house for the long weekend. It's quaint and perfect for this kind of trip. It's an old house that they renovated and updated. It's decorated so festively that you can tell the owners take a lot of pride in what they do.

I'm excited to see what the rest of Door County has to offer us this weekend.

Sweat, Soccer, Shower

Today was all about the letter S. I started out by rejoining the world of Hot Yoga. I figured  I would see if my finger could handle it. It was a fairly good session. My finger could handle it, I definitely got my sweat on and I felt rejuvenated for the rest of the day. I highly recommend if you like yoga, like to sweat to do the Hot Yoga ... nothing makes me feel like I've accomplished more then after a good session.

Secondly was soccer. K had a game today and he had team pictures ... and it was cold today. I cheered on my little man, but had to leave at halftime to get to a familial shower. My cousin and his wife are having a baby at the end of October. My cousins who threw it together did a good job - they always do - so the food and games were good. It was just tough because I don't really know this family probably as well as I should. So, there were some awkward moments, but alas, I carried on.

On to a new week!

Stampeding Through the Bunker

Today marked the day of D and my September 5K. It was called the Bunker Stampede. It was a beautiful course through a nearby regional park. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. It was a smaller race (as in less than 170 competitors) but I think the maximum they let register is 300. So, we knew it would be smaller. It was nice running through the park with the crisp air. In fact, the cooler air threw us for a turn this morning when trying to decide what to wear.

Anyway, D was happy with his time ... and I shaved another 30 seconds off my time, so was very happy. I am truly living the small progress is still progress mantra when it comes to my running. I can't wait until I catch up with him. Right now he's about 8 minutes faster than me, so I have quite a lot of catching up to do. But I will get there!

We hired a babysitter while we ran the race - while I think D offered too much per hour/it was a pretty sweet deal, so it's good to know we have that option going forward.

In other news, I had my hair cut today ... and went for a bob. I had fairly long hair going in, and had been thinking about doing something different. So, I wasn't sure what I was going to do going in, but just suggested to my stylist (aka, my baby sister) to cut it off in a bob. It was fun coming home and surprising D. I knew he was thinking I'd just planned on getting a trim, but instead I came home all different and more polished.

Our dress code returns to business formal this week, so it will be fun to return on Monday with business clothes and a little more of a business-minded haircut. What do you do to celebrate the new season?

My Little Gymnast

We're looking for ways to get O involved in activities and create a social network. Yes, he's only 3, but because K was in daycare before O was born, K learned social norms differently. O is used to spending all his time with D - which is great, but it means he is not used to listening to other adults or interacting with kids other than his overly nice brother. 

We tried soccer, but realized we may have been a bit early on that one. We had to keep reminded ourselves that K was a year older when he first did soccer (and clearly that year makes a huge difference.) So, now we've signed him up for a gymnastics program. 

It's going better than soccer. O is engaged, he's involved and he's excited to show me what he learned. I guess I am just glad he's involved in something that he finds fun. He's my silly little firecracker and he definitely needs something to keep him busy!

Today he showed me how he learned to do donkey kicks. I found this somewhat humorous as it's in one of my CorePower Yoga workouts. And he does them probably better than I do.

Just Another Day at the Office

It's not every day that you can say you attended a work meeting with The Band Perry, Luke Bryan, Bruno Mars and Justin Timberlake. But today I can say that. Yes, it was the big company's annual meeting. We hear from our top leaders, get inspired for the remainder of the year and are treated to musical delights.

This year, I wrote one of the speeches being delivered. It's a strange sensation watching someone deliver the words you craft. My executive did a great job. They delivered it the way I would have wanted. I was very happy. In fact, it was a perfect day all around.

I had a great lunch with my team. We chatted, we bonded. We then went to the meeting and had a great time. Afterwards, we enjoyed a team happy hour and bonded more.

Yes, it's days like this that make you realize that you work for a great place, you have great work friends and you are inspired to do great work.

It's a shame that it's only once a year, but then again, if it were more frequent, it would not be as special. Yes, sometimes when  you work for corporate America, you realize you work for the man. But working for the man can also be pretty sweet ... and our company does lots of good, so that helps, too.

Here's to ending the evening feeling inspired.

Long Good Week

Perhaps I shouldn't have tried to commit to blog every day in a month that I knew I would be so busy ... oh, well. Yesterday, by the time I got home and unwound ... there just wasn't enough juice in me to spin a good tale.

Yesterday was rehearsal day. I got to see my c-suite exec practice their speech. It was interesting. And I don't envy the position of having to deliver a speech to 15,000 people. I wish them all the best in having a kick-arse delivery tomorrow.

Today I was able to attend a session to hear other company leaders motivate their teams. They did an excellent job. I was quite impressed with the authenticity and energy they conveyed. I also got to see a special session that a friend of mine worked on ... it was great. Of course it was, she is awesome.

And finally I got attend an event that helps you understand some of the strategies of where the company is heading. Again, marvelously executed. Lots of energy.

Yes, this week is one that always reminds me about the excitement of working for a Fortune 50 company. It also is the week that officially gets me into straight-on autumn agenda. Yay!

The Making of the Soup

  Saute garlic, onions and red pepper. 

 Take roasted tomatoes out to cool (but just a bit)

 Dice other tomatoes (smoky heirlooms)

 Add tomatoes and basil (lots of it)

Add stock and bring to boil and then simmer

Introduce immersion blender to soup and puree

Bag and freeze

Tomato Harvest and Football

Today I was a vintage housewife. I spent the day in the kitchen, doing laundry ... oh and throw in a soccer game in between.  I made some yummy tomato basil soup and caprese salad to help use some of the abundance of tomatoes that we have. I will post the photos tomorrow, as I am still technically challenge.

I also realized that while I've always been glad I'm not a fishing or hunting widow (which means, during those seasons your husband disappears and you're on your own ...) I am a Fantasy Football casuality. As D stayed in the bedroom with the TV and various electronic devices to keep track of his score.

Oh, well ... at least he was still in the house when I needed him.

A Day of Cleaning Up

Today was a humble Saturday. It was spent cleaning up both the vegetable garden (the tomatoes really flourished more than expected.)  And then it was spent saying farewell to my side garden.

Oh, the side garden. A few years go, I was quite aspirational. I wanted to create a native garden that provided a nice cottage asthetic to our yard. Small white picket fence included. I carefully selected native plants and used plans to determine the layout of the garden. I hunted for a specific bush to anchor it.

It was a good plan. Where it failed is in the execution. You see ... I am good with vegetables, but apparently not flowers. The garden basically went the way of the side of the road. Wild, chaotic and just not pretty. Not even the white picket fence could help it.

Therefore, today I pulled up all the plants and next weekend we'll be placing seed over it and turning it back into the lawn. It was therapeutic. And unfortunately a reminder of the many times I have a great plan ... and have a hard time following through. I'm a great starter ... a great ideator. I just need someone else to execute. Or force me to execute. Yes, D was the one who put his foot town and requested I get rid of the garden (or eyesore as he liked to call it.) Good call, D. Good call.

The Woman Behind the Mask

This is the post I planned today last night, to keep with my every day September posts, but by time I got home it was too late and I couldn't figure out how to get the photos uploaded from my iPad to the blog. Had to wait until I could go old school and post from the computer.

Last night, I did one of those things that always makes you go "I wonder what people do that?!" Last night, I lived the dream. (Okay, maybe not my dream ... but I am sure someone's dream. Last night, I ran in a mascot race. Yes, you read that right. I intentionally ran in a crazy hot, heavy costume. And it was hot. Like high 80s and  humid by time the game started.

The place: Target Field. Minnesota Twins vs. the Toronto Blue Jays. Each Twins game, they have a mascot race after the 4th inning.

So, me and four other willing souls suited up. got into character and had to run for our lives. well ... we just had to run a short distance. Let me tell you, you cannot see a thing in those costumes ... except for about six inches in front of you on the ground. Me ... I was the lovely Skeeta.

And the feet ... yeah, they make it a little hard to run, too. But you figure it out. And even though you get super sweaty, and you really have no idea what is going on, you have fun. The best part ... I almost won.

I ran hard, and you really can't see where the others are. So, when I saw the ribbon signifying the end, I was so exciting. But then I felt someone next to me ... and Bullseye won. Gosh darn it. But you know, it was the guy in the costumes son's second birthday and he was at the game ... so in the end, I'm glad he won. Okay, no, I still wish I won, but there's always next time!

Stage Fright

Part of my job includes writing speeches for a member of my company's C-suite. So ... y'know ... just a little pressure. But, the challenge can be exhilarating. 

Today, to help me and my peers become even better speech writers, we were given the opportunity to practice reading off a teleprompter and walking across the stage so that we could better understand the experience our speakers have when delivering their speeches. 

Ah, reading a prompter and trying to look out at the audience ... it is tough stuff. Especially when they decided to throw in some tough words like accretal to keep us on our toes. Of course, there was the added pressure of my peers watching me, so I felt like I needed to deliver the words strongly and with emotion. (And of course, they were all great, so it was important to try to at least at minimum be on par.) 

Of course, I know I pronounced one word hugely incorrectly ... but alas, no one decided to call me out on it, so I can hope they all forgot or were to focused on other things.

But I'm grateful I got the experience to see what it was like and it helped me understand how to better write for executive. How to use spacing for emphasis and to give their eyes a break. It also reinforced that I much prefer to be the behind-the-scenes person writing the inspiring words ... not the one delivering them to crowds of 15,000. 

Cheers to personal growth and development!

Hump Day

I just finished Sheryl Sandberg's book Lean In. It was a good read, a quick read. But very motivational. I found myself nodding in agreement with the things Sheryl said, like about the right way to have mentors. (Not a formal cold exchange, but in the moment, gleaning expertise.)

She also provided some thoughtful tips and advice on ways to make sure you own your success and move yourself forward. Before I read it, I had wrongly assumed it would be this tome that would have me shaking my head and saying, "well, that works in your situation." But it was highly relatable on most levels and written in a light converational tone. A reccommend for anyone looking for how to navigate the corporate world and help businesses succeed.

I hope to keep her sage words in the back of my head daily as inspiration.

First Day of School

Today was K's first day of second grade. Last night he was so excited he had a hard time falling asleep. But this morning, he work up ready to go.

I have the flexibility of being able to work from home when needed, and so today I took up that option so I could send my boy off in a grand affair. His favorite breakfast is buckwheat pancakes. I love this, because buckwheat pancakes were my favorite as a kid. I have a very simple GF recipe for buckwheat pancakes (because surprisingly, buckwheat is not actually what). So I whipped up a batch of special pancakes to start his day off right.

Then it was time to drop him off. We live less than a mile away from the school and have opted to drive K to and from school. If he rode the bus, his commute would be like mine: unnecessarily long. So, we braced ourselves for what we knew would be a busy parking lot and dropped our little man off. I actually had nerves in my stomach as I watched him walk off.

We returned home, and I worked through emails and got sporadic interruptions from O and D and then it was time to pick him up.The only mix-up of the day, the school system had him noted as a bus rider. Which I find odd since he's never ridden on the bus. However, since he's a big second grader, I guess they trusted that he would know how he was supposed to get home and they let him going during parent pick up.

He shared how his day went, that it was really great day and he liked his teacher. He even shared that there was a new kid in his class an he helped show him around (totally proud parent moment and we let him know how wonderful it was that he did that.)

While he's sad that his two best buds aren't in his class, he still gets to play with them at recess and see one of them at soccer ... and I think he realizes he will be able to widen his friend network, too.

Having kids in school makes time fly by so much faster ... it's a good reminder to cherish every moment you can with your babies!

It's Beginning to Smell Like Pumpkin

To me, the perfect food is pumpkin. Followed closely by ginger. I think one of the reasons I enjoy pumpkin so much is that I only really have it September through November. So, it's a limited time only type of treat. There's something so rich and luscious about pumpkin. It's velvety complexity, it's brightness ... it's automatic connection to my favorite season: autumn.

Today was a crisp cool day. Like a sneak peek to autumn. In fact, when I went out for my morning run in capris and a tank ... I almost turned around. (And based on what every other runner was wearing ... I was definitely under-dressed.) The coolness of the air gave me goosebumps, but in a good way. In a way that said orchard season, warm drinks and sweaters are just on the horizon. Of course, it's Minnesota, so we'll have a few more heat waves that will be sprinkled here and there ... but nothing makes me so happy as leaves changing color and the scent of spice in the air.

The boys and I made a quick trip to a local shopping area to get K some new pants for school. There was Williams-Sonoma, and of course in the window display was their pumpkin bread. I told D I wanted to hop in and see if they had a GF version. They did. I bought two bags.

I baked one this afternoon. And now I have promptly ate too much of it. But yum. Of course, I just need to find a good recipe that I can adapt, because while I will buy a bag or two, it's a bit pricey and I have a fantastic GF gingerbread recipe made with almond flour that is absolutely amazing. But I don't start baking that until December!

The other discover on our little jaunt: Whole Foods. It may be hard to believe, but it was D and my first trip to a Whole Foods. We love grocery shopping, but until recently the only locations were in Minneapolis and St. Paul ... and it was hard to justify driving to them. Since we didn't realize this location was open, we weren't prepared to do any serious grocery shopping ... but we did take a self-tour of the place and picked up a few items that I usually have to pay for at the co-op (and a much heftier price) and we found our beloved St. Croix coconut water that our Target has stopped carrying ... and it was cheaper than what Target charges. So we got two 12-packs.

It's great to know that we now have a grocery store where we can get a little more gourmet healthy options and some harder to find things. Alas, it's still a 20-minute drive away. If only they would open one up on the North or Northeast side of the suburbs!

Whoa, September!

September is the beginning of my favorite season.I kicked it off with a special pumpkin Chai latte from the coffee shop. But, upon looking at the family's calendar for September ... we have our work cut out for us. I think this may be the only day we don't something scheduled.

My finger, which is still swollen has gotten better. But I can't put any weight on the hand, which means no sweat yoga until I can. Argh, oh, well. I am still running ... I just splint it before I go. A girl's got to do something when she has a 5K each month,right?

Today's big adventure ... in search of bunk bed. We're not sure which boy will get it yet ... but D just really wants one of them to have one. I've finally broken down and decided it's fine. I'm leaning toward K since he will be the one to have possible sleepovers way before O will. Either way, we think we found one that we liked that was modern enough and won't break the bank. Now to search for the right mattresses before we commit. Oh, the joy have having kids and needing to grow up their furniture.

I'd say for the  month of September I would like to try to blog every day. We'll see. It might be tough, especially until my finger is back to normal.  Here's to all the autumnal treats in my future,