A Milestone

I have almost let the whole month fly by without a post. Crazy. Sorry. No excuses, just busy, busy. D and I ran our last 5K of the year the first weekend of the month. It was cold. Like, bloody, ice cubes in my eyebrows cold. (No joke, I pulled ice cubes out of my eyebrows.) D got first place for his age bracket. I was a very proud wife. My time wasn't that bad ... not a PR, but respectable. Can't believe we did such a grand year of races. So happy of the example we're setting.

Holidays. Where do I even begin. With the shortened period between Thanksgiving and Christmas ... definitely feeling the crunch. We have three people left to get gifts for ... and I am totally stumped at what to get two of them. Hoping inspiration will come to me in the next couple days.

And my baby turns four tomorrow. Oh, I can hardly believe it. He's such a big boy (and he will tell you that, too.) I love the little personality he's become, and I love that I can still scoop him up and snuggle him. K is getting to the point where he's almost as tall as I am, hence making it very hard for me to scoop them up.

I have the next ten days off and I am looking forward to lots of family fun and loving my boys. So if I don't get to posting ... know that that is what I am doing ... enjoying my family to bits and pieces!!

Like the Movies

Have you ever watched one of those holiday movies where the family gathers, and you think wistfully for a day where you might live that moment? Today that moment was mine. It embodied everything that makes Thanksgiving my favorite holiday.

We started the day out with both boys and did the Turkey Day 5K.

This was both boys first 5K. O got to sit back and enjoy it via a stroller ride, but K had to run it. No shock that O took a leisurely nap throughout the whole thing. We started out running all four of us together ... K made it almost the whole first mile before he decided he needed to walk. We let D and O split from us and we conquered that last two miles. It was tough on K, he told me how much he hated it and hated me for making him do it. He got encouragement from me ... and random strangers. D met up with us again for the last quarter mile and helped me cheer K in to run it home. So proud of him, even if he didn't enjoy the whole thing. It was a perfect way to start out the holiday, with 15,000 other people who wanted to give it a go.

Then it was off to home and getting the meal prepped. My youngest sister and her husband arrived first, about an hour before we planned to put out noshy food. The boys love them, and like to hang out with them. They had a good time. As the rest of the family arrived, we got our "tide you over" butternut squash soup served. Then while we waited for the food to cook, we played a rousing game of Apples to Apples. K and I have wanted to play this game for a while, we've just never had enough other people available to play it. So, fun was had by all as we enjoyed the game.

The food was fantastic ... I'll try to remember to come back and add photos later. D gets to take credit for a lot of it. (We were up yesterday prepping, prepping, preppy) but it all turned out well. We had good conversation over dinner (no TV!) and just enjoyed each others company. It was so grown up, but there were young kids at the table, too.

 Between dinner and dessert, K had the family read this Thanksgiving play from school. And everyone but me (I had dish duty) participated. This kind of thing would not have happened in the past ... it was one of those movie-kind-of-moments. Just crazy good.

Then we had delicious cheesecake and pumpkin pie for dessert. The family rested, more conversation. It was just delightful. I asked K how he felt the day went, and he said it was fantastic, amazing, wonderful! I can only hope that all his Thanksgivings are this good!

A Night of Pinot

Last night was our last Wine Club outing of the year. December is just too packed for all of us, so we agreed to take the month off an start it back up in January.

I hosted ... and it was one of my favorite red wines: Pinot Noir.

Our spread

A French bleu cheese, Pecorino, Spanish Goat Cheese and a Cranberry Cheddar

Chips and Salsa Verde and Roasted Vegetable Salsa 

Nut Thins (We sort of joke, we always serve these :))

Cranberry Bruschetta (this is sooo good)

Mixed Nuts (roasted, with yummy Brazil nuts)

Smoked salmon - three ways (plain, peppered and Gravlax)

I forgot to take a picture of the dessert, but it was a yummy pumpkin parfait. The middle layer was sour cream, maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice ... crazy how good it was.

For the wines ... we had six different wines that spanned the Old World, the New World, and the really New World of wine:

We started out with the old world and a French Burgundy. It was very mild, pleasant. For those who like bold wines, it was considered too week ... but I think it is a perfect wine when you have a lot of food and you aren't sure what to pair it with.

Our second wine, is what is considered a Bang for Your Buck. It's supposed to be reliable, cheap and drinkable. You've probably had it. 

Personally, I'd rather put my $10 toward a different bottle, but if you are in a pinch, it's a slightly bolder Pinot. 

The third wine was the second ringer. The Beaujolais Nouveau for the year. There's a lot of adieu about this wine. It is released the third Thursday of the year (so one week before Thanksgiving.) It's the fresh grapes of the year. It tends to be a bit sweet, and it's cheap. This year followed the same pattern. It's fun to have a wine tradition like this ... but definitely not one you'd bring as a hostess gift. 

The fourth one was my second favorite. And it was from the New New World of Wine. Frankly, I've just become a huge fan of South American wines (Malbec anyone?) so maybe I was partial since I knew it was from Chile. It had a slightly bolder finish, a nice aroma and was a good medium-bodied wine. Definitely one I would get again. 

The fifth wine was our other ringer. A good ol' Beaujolais that is not of the Nouveau variety. This was a pretty lively bottle. Went down smooth and represent the region well, while holding it's own against the Pinots. 

Our final wine is what I anticipated would be the favorite (and I was right) since it hailed from Oregon, and that region gets a lot of love for its Pinot. You can't go wrong when you go with a classic. 

Oh, Pinots, I still love you. But you are getting some tough company from some other reds.

Namaste, Groceries and Wine

I have waxed ecstatic already about my love for Bikram Yoga. There is something about the sweat pouring off your body, the small shakes as you hold a pose for as long as you can, and then the moment of relief when you let go of all your worries. Fortunately, for the rest of the year, I can get my hot yoga fix at least twice a week, instead of just on Sundays.

I have decided to take the brilliant action of taking every Friday off for the rest of the year. Mainly, because I have a lot of vacation banked and so I don't get too freaked out as I stress about finding holiday gifts, etc. Granted, my workaholic self will probably have a hard time with this, but I will work my way through it.

Anyway, today's class was small (since it's my first Friday class, not sure if this is normal or not) but it meant the yogi was able to ensure we all were posing optimally, etc. It was brutal, hot and delightful. I pushed myself in plank. I will look forward to starting out my Fridays like this for the rest of 2013.

After class, I met D and O at Target to do our grocery shopping. Of course, it wasn't a normal trip. We were buying our essentials for Thanksgiving and the stuff I need for Wine Club tomorrow (I'm hosting). So, I knew the bill would be bigger. But thanks to a lovely mobile coupon, Cartwheel and our frugal ways ... the pain wasn't as much as I was anticipating.

After that trip, I had to head over to Whole Foods to get the remaining items. I got to do this trip solo ... ahhh. I love grocery shopping. And I was able to find the Snickerdoodle and Pumpkin Pie Larabars. I have only tried Snickerdoodle so far ... and it is everything I could want in a delicious treat. Yum, yum. I enjoyed the solo trip (but it was so busy.) So busy, that I decided not to amble at any other area shops. I wanted to head home.

I did have to make two quick stops. Korean grocer and wine shop. Of course, I had to pick up my Beaujolais Nouveau. It will be the ringer for tomorrow. So excited to try it.

I hope the rest of my Fridays are as appealing as today was. If so, I will be ending 2013 on a high note. (P.s. it helps that I have great family, friends and co-workers who can make it all happen.)

Running Around for Two Good Reasons

I have been horrifically sick for the last week. As in, my voice sounded like Kathleen Turner after smoking a carton in one day, sick. Each day I forced myself to go to work and be productive. Hoping that playing a mental game of I will not let this get me down would work. After trying every form of medicine ... as a last attempt I tried herbal cold tea. And that is what worked the best. Oh, I am still sick, but I was "okay" enough to do this today:

Running the Unleash the SHE 5K to help fight against ovarian cancer.

My sister C ran the race with me. It was the first one she ran (and she did great, only 4 minutes behind me ... super awesome.) I did okay, not a PR, but considering I could hardly breathe, I am not disappointed in my performance. I just need to really up the ante if I plan to add longer distances in 2014.

It's hard to believe I only have two more races this year. D and I made the executive decision that the boys are going to do the Turkey Run with us. K is not so excited. O will be relaxing on a jogging stroller, so I am sure he will find it very enjoyable.

The afternoon, I ran with K to the U of M's annual Science and Math Family Fun Day. We've attended this event for a few years ... and attendance just continues to grow. This year, I think it really blew their expectations out of the water. K and I didn't get there until noon, and they were already having to break out their back-up activities on some of the more popular events.

K enjoyed it as he usually does, learning about science, but having fun and running into his best friend makes learning easy. Spending my afternoon with my little guy is always a treat and so I consider this a rather perfect day.

A Busy Few Weeks

The last few weeks have been full of a lot of love, fear, joy, angst ... so basically, they've been full of life.

My kid sister was married last weekend. The wedding events were far enough away that we stayed in a hotel for the weekend. It was kind of nice to get a weekend away with my boys, bunked out in a hotel room. It was a quaint little boutique hotel, with a nice little coffee shop (which was a huge win with D.)

The rehearsal was lovely. O was the ring bearer and we made him practice multiple times. I was reading the first scripture, so determined the route I would take to get to the microphone. We had a lovely dinner and mingled a bit. Getting the boys to bed at an at least somewhat reasonable time would be critical for the next day to be successful at all.

I started my Saturday with a lovely 4-mile run in sweet little Northfield. It was a perfect day for a run, I had a decent pace and was proud of myself for pushing to do a longer distance than I've done. The last mile was spent doing intervals, but at least it was pushing myself.

The wedding was lovely ... well, except for the part where O refused to do his duties as ring bearer. My sister has great friends and I think they all did a lovely job supporting her. I did my reading ... which was so long, and I shook quite a bit on my too high heels, but D said I did fine. My sister looked absolutely amazing, her groom looked good, too.

The food was good ... D and I had to switch entrees because the dish I ordered had breading on it so I couldn't eat it. But the fish I had was good. The cake was from Nadia's (gluten-free :)) and was great. I selfishly could have asked for another slice ... but I didn't.

The boys loved getting on the dance floor. And actually competed for the attention of the little girls on the dance floor. D and I couldn't believe what we were seeing. They just wanted to make sure they were the center of attention. It was a tad bit embarrassing. They even got the DJ to play "What does the fox say?" by Ylvis. The song d'jour. But still. They loved it. In their eyes, this wedding was the ultimate party.

About an hour or so into the dance, I was resting at our table and D brought my attention to my grandpa. He said he didn't look well. I looked over, and noticed people were surrounding him. Then I noticed the right side of his face was drooping. He was having a stroke. While I know this is the last thing anyone would want to happen at their wedding, it was fortunate that my sister did get married that night and that we were all together. It meant that he was with family when the stroke happened and we could get him medical attention quickly.

The man is the strongest fighter I know. In less than a week, he's had a good recovery. He's started to say a few words, he's getting mobility back in his right arm. I went to visit him in the hospital on Thursday. It's hard to see someone you love be so frustrated due to factors outside of their own control. He wants to talk ... but he only can form a few words right now. The frustration is so very clear in his face. I want to hold him and tell him it will be okay. The man has such a strong will. I think he's keeping up the good fight for my grandma. He doesn't want to leave her alone. I just wish for him as full a recovery as possible and that all of us do a better job giving him all the love he more than deserves.

Here's to both the joys and fears of life, may each step make us better.

Playing with Monsters

D and I ran in the Monster Dash today. It was perhaps the craziest race we've run in all year. Yes, it even beat The Color Run for crazy ... and I'm not talking the costumes. There were more than 16,500 runners. Needless to say, I think it took us almost ten minutes to get to the starting line and I think I spent another ten minutes at a bottleneck at the finish line.

There were so many people, that I probably spent more energy weaving through all the walkers/joggers than I did running straight (so, I am guessing I added at least a half mile of distance with all the weaving.) But it is another race under my belt, another monthly "health" date with my hubby, so I can't complain.

If people ever doubt the benefits of running ... I have to say ... D and I are always in a really good mood after the race. (Granted, if traffic is crazy, we may be grouchy before the race.) I don't know if it's the endorphins, the proof of our commitment to healthy living to each other, the feeling of accomplishment or just the relief another is over.

My parents came down to watch the boys at the race while we ran. It's always nice to having a cheering section ... but there were just so many people, they didn't even see me at the finish!

We then went to the pumpkin patch this afternoon to pick the perfect pumpkins ... so we'll get some carving in. The boys want to do it tonight ... but I am hoping to convince them tomorrow will be a better day :)

Wine, Books, Movies

I love the colder weather ... the warmth of wine (it's not quite fireplace time yet), the soft snuggle of a good blanket, a hot cup of tea, watching movies (and all the good fall TV). 

Yes, this is my kind of season. All though, it is going rather fast. It's already past mid-October and we haven't made it to the orchard yet. I am hoping that we can get there tomorrow morning before my ultra busy Saturday begins. 

K had MEA (okay, it's not called that anymore, but everyone still refers to it as MEA) weekend, which meant he's been out of school since Wednesday. They've all just been living the leisure life. Which gave them ample time to pick out a movie for movie night. Unfortunately, the ample time did not correlate with the quality of their choice. Which makes me grateful for the class of wine next to me to get me through the movie. 

Here's to fall!

Living It Up October Style

I love Halloween. I love cheesy, family-friendly Halloween movies (Disney channel or ABC Family, please.)

Now I have the perfect beverage to accompany one of my favorite months:

Now, this is not my typical type of wine. It's super fruity ... practically juice, really. The base wine is a Syrah, but then there is fruity plum and strawberry. It's the kind of thing that you could serve in a punch bowl and people would keep going back and refilling their cups ... and end up way more drunk than they had intended. I only purchased one bottle when I was in Door County, so I decided to open it up mid-month for Halloween. I'll have to see if it's available for purchase anywhere in Minnesota, as I think it may  have to become an annual treat.

Tonight D and I are watching World War Z. Since it's classified as a horror in the description, we can chalk it up as a good Halloween movie. I also have This is the End from Netflix, so we are getting the whole apocalyptic world thing going on.

And I just happen to be reading Help for the Haunted by John Searles. There couldn't be a better book to be reading right now during the month of October. And that was unplanned. So, while the house is only moderately decorated (can't get D aligned with a full out and out approach quite yet ...) at least I am infusing the appropriate Halloween-ness as much as I can.

The Tube

I am an apple. Yes, the blessed apple who carries all her weight around her middle. I have grown to calling this extra padding my "tube" as it sort of looks like an inner tube wrapped around my body. Granted, the tube has decreased in size in the past three years ... but it's still there.

It's funny, because while the tube resembles a life preserver if it's not a part of your body ... when it is underneath your skin, it's the exact opposite. Apples are significantly higher at risk for most things because carrying your extra fat around your waist is the worst place to carry it.

For my kids and my husband's sake, it will be important to whittle the tube down completely. This year I have taken a much more concerted effort toward my health, and the evidence is not necessarily on the scale, but it is on the fact that my body has changed a bit. So, I will carry on this path and look for even more challenges to push me to the next level. Who else is game?

A Day of Lectures

It's the first day of October ... I have lots of work to do ... and so how do I spend a portion of my day? Attending two hour-long lectures. I am lucky that this is actually considered acceptable where I work. Take some time to get inspired, motivated and go forth and all.

The first talk was by Sheryl Sandberg. Yes, the Ms. Sandberg who wrote Lean In, is COO of Facebook, and in general gives off the vibe that you'd like to hang out with her over lunch and drinks. I happened to have just read Lean In a couple weeks ago. And I ended up liking it a lot more than I was expecting. I had a few other people paint a different picture of what the book and Sheryl's philosophies were. So, I am really glad I read it on my own. I recommend it to anyone I can.

Understandably, I was a bit nervous to see Sheryl in person. What if she didn't live up to my expectations. Her talk covered some of the key themes of the book, and then she took questions from the audience. I was on the second-level and the mikes stayed on the main level, so no questions were going to come from me. In general, you left the session feeling like you could conquer the world ... if you took the accountability and initiative to do so. She also shared some thoughts on how we can help others. What can I say, I am a fan.

The second conversation I went to was with Jonathan Mildenhall, the VP of Global Advertising Strategy and Content Excellence at the Coca-Cola Company. Jonathan also happens to be working on a book ... he believes everyone is born with the same creative abilities, and as we grow ... we just tap into them differently. I immediately fell in love with that thought, as I am always trying to figure out how to tap into my creativity and as a parent, I want to encourage it in my boys. The way he talked about Coca-Cola as a company and how they push themselves to be strategic ... well, let's be frank, I sort of wanted to give him my resume (feeling all empowered from Sheryl and all that). Yes, his demeanor showed a layer of authenticity, but of someone who would challenge you in a way I don't know if I have seen every before.

I hope I can take the lessons and apply them going forward. It would be shame not to continue to cultivate the inspiration.

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,

An Injury, A Race and a Good Samaritan

I've had a bit to blog about, but due to an unfortunate incident, I've been reluctant to write. That incident is called trampoline dodge ball. You see, I've been reluctant to right because I jammed (maybe fractured) my right pinkie finger. So, since last Saturday night I have had my pinkie finger splinted to my right finger ... in essence giving me only three functioning fingers on my right hand. Yes, I'm right-handed. Yes, this sucks.

Now, I might actually gain some cool street cred when I tell people the injury is a result of trampoline dodge ball (because I am sure my appearance does not lead one to believe I would engage in such sport) but let's be real. It's due to m klutzy non-athleticism that my finger swelled to twice its size and my knuckles were black and blue. It's now Thursday and the swelling is down, the bruising is almost all gone ... but the pain still occurs more than I'd like it to. It's put a damper on me returning to hot yoga. I can't do that until the hand is healed. Boo.

I did run though. On Sunday. In crazy heat. D and I did the Milk Run at the Minnesota State Fair. At 7:45 it was already above 80 degrees. The course was a hilly beast. It made me feel better that D told me he thought it was a rough course. However, I shaved 6 seconds off my time! Now, that might not seem like much, but the course was tough and it was hot and I walked a bit. So knowing that I still shaved time ... well ... that's pretty awesome in my book.

There are definitely good Samaritans out there. This morning on my way to work, I was at an intersection, and the man in the car next to me was frantically trying to get my attention. He informed me that my taillights were out, but my brake lights were working. So, when I got home I had D investigate it. There was quite a bit of trying to explain taillights versus brake lights, because D kept telling me the lights were working (but the taillights weren't). After some google research and an initial trip to the auto shop, we discovered when D replaced my brake lights back in May ... he got the wrong kind of bulb. He had replaced them with single filaments but the car needed double filaments. This means I have been driving without taillights SINCE MAY! I cannot believe no one has said anything to me sooner. So, I am truly grateful to the man this morning ... because we all know how much I enjoyed getting pulled over back in May.

Finally, this week K and I went to his open house to meet his new teacher. He was quite nervous about second grade because his best friend has a different teacher. However, once the teacher walked him around the room to show him the other names of the kids in the class ... all was right in the world. He was so relieved to recognize many names. The teacher gave us homework already, but I appreciated the assignment. We are to write her a letter about our child. Of course, I'm an overachiever, so she'll probably get more than she bargained for with my letter, but oh well. D said it was a pretty impressive letter, so I hope she likes it, too.

Well, I've typed for about as much as my hand can take. Hard to believe summer is coming to an end. Now ... where is my Tylenol?

The End of Summer

If you've read my blog in the past, you know that one annual event I particularly look forward to is the Minnesota State Fair.

First of all, if you are even the slighted bit into people watching ... there is rarely an event that brings such a diverse array of people into one place. And it's hot and sunny, so you also know that you're going to see how the overdose of vitamin D affects said people. Kids will forgo naps, get amped up on unhealthy food, and drive their parents crazy ... yeah, it's that kind of good quality fun.

This year ... we are going to the fair twice. We went the first day, aka Thrifty Thursday. The one good thing about this day is that the entrance tickets are cheaper and so are tickets to things like the Midway. It's one of the designated Senior Days, so you have to be a little more patient for those fair goers who might be a little slower.

Everyone has their own way of doing the fair. And one thing I've learned about being married is that when you have to merge two types of fair goers ... well, it can be tricky. It's actually not so bad when it's just D, me and the boys. It's when we add our extended family that it gets a little hairy.

So, on Thursday we went with D's family. We spent a long day at the fair ... perhaps the longest we've ever spent. And I think we saw the least I've ever seen at the fair. Whereas I grew up as a go and see every building and walk through the exhibits and absorb all that is the fair. D's family was more of a hit a specific building or two, eat specific food and hang out at the Midway. (Almost the opposite of my family!) So, when we merge, it can be a bit of an interesting blend.

Therefore, I'm actually glad that we are going again, because I think even D felt like we missed out on Thursday. I think I've gotten him used to actually walking through the buildings and exhibits. I will say D did make sure we stopped at the Horticulture building on Thursday, since he knows it is my favorite building. Of course, we are starting our Sunday at the fair by running their Milk Run 5k. Now, I am not sure how thrilled I will be being at the fair in sweaty clothes, so I'll be bringing a change of attire. And hopefully, I will be able to find some place somewhat convenient to change.

My mom has graciously agreed to go to the fair with us to watch the boys (our original plan for the boys fell through, and is too complicated to even begin to go into at this point.) So, I'm grateful that she's agreed to watch them, but we'll be doing things a little different on Sunday, having learned our lesson on Thursday for certain smaller fair goers in our family.

But, back to the original point. The other reason I really love the State Fair is because it signifies the end of summer. Now, I enjoy summer as much as I can ... but I love autumn. And if it comes a little early and stays a little later ... than that is okay by me. Orchards, sweaters, pumpkin treats galore ... I mean, Caribou already has their pumpkin treats out ... I can't wait for the crisp air to begin to arrive!

It's a Sweaty World

Today I embarked on a new challenge. I did yoga outside of the comfort of my living room. As in, I took a yoga class. But, you know, you gotta add a twist, so I didn't just take any yoga class. I took a sweat yoga class. As in the room is so hot you have to remind yourself to breath and be okay that you are just dripping, dripping, dripping.

A colleague of mine sent me a link to a sweet groupon for the studio. As I've often pondered trying out a class, for the cost of three classes, I actually got 20. I wasn't sure what to expect. I read the website diligently on what to bring besides a yoga mat. A regular towel, a hand towel and a bottle of water. Post-class, I will tell you all three are really necessary.

I like sweating. It's one of those rewarding things after running that make me feel like it was worth it. I sweat pretty easily, so I think it's my body's way of reinforcing the small effort in a way to build to bigger efforts. The class was nice and quiet, so you could concentrate on your practice. The instructor was good, and guided you through. The hour went by pretty quickly. There was only one pose I really couldn't do even at the beginner level. (Very tight hamstrings or super inflexibility, I guess.)

It was fun to sweat. To be in a class with others, no judging, no competition, just knowing you'll working toward a common goal. I needed to feel like I accomplished something today, because yesterday's run was terrible. Not sure what was up, but I just couldn't get into a groove. Slightly concerning since I have a race in a week. But mentally, I'll spend the rest of the week preparing, we'll see what happens.

Namaste.

School Supplies

Today we tackled the school supply list. 

As did many others. 

Next year, I need to remind myself to tackle the list earlier. 

You see ... K needed a yellow folder ... we got the last yellow folder they had. He also needed three wide-ruled notebooks. We got the only three we could find ... unfortunately for him they all are blue. Not that that is bad, but the kid likes variety ... sort of. For all his other school supplies, he intentionally chose green or black. Green binder, green folder, green post-its. 

Now, we're on the search for a super slick lunch bag and some cool new duds. 

It's hard to believe school will be here in just a couple weeks. My baby is entering the second grade. He's an elementary school pro. He admits he's a little nervous, and says he's a little shy and that's why he's nervous. He's a lot like me there. Not the one to put themselves out there at first, but as soon as he gets comfortable ... he owns the crowd. I'm nervous and excited for him, too. 

This is also the year that his school has to prove itself. Last year we started peripherally looking at new schools for K. But if we don't see dramatic improvement and more engagement from the school, we'll be taking advantage of the state's open enrollment policy to the hilt. We didn't get in the charter school we applied for, but there are a few other options that definitely are more appealing lately. Oh, did I mention that there's just a couple weeks left and his school hasn't sent the teacher assignments. 

There's a PTO meeting next week, and I can't wait to go and find out the average time teacher assignments are sent out. I gave the principal a pass last year, since it was his first year. He's not new anymore. I expect better, I expect performance. I expect teachers who are as passionate about my child's success as I am. Yes, I will be that parent. If you show me your dedicated, I will be your best friend. I will volunteer when you need it, and will help you out ... but if I get half-assed dedication ... I'll be that parent. It's a partnership, but last year I had to deal with K's reading teacher who was clearly a half-asser. Not again. 

Okay ... that was a bit of venting. But when you're raising a genius ... you expect the best. 

Energy Monsters

As the mother of two boys, glimpses of their energy make you realizing just exactly how easy a situation like Lord of the Flies could happen. Boys have pure, solid, animal energy.

On Thursday, I took the boys with me to the Stroll for Epilepsy. We participated as part of a team for a friend of mine whose son has Infantile Spasms. She's truly one of the strongest mothers I know. So, the boys and I donned our team shirts and were set to show our spirit. My boss and another colleague (a former boss, no less) and I were there. Another fomer co-worker was also there, and she brought her girls, in a double-stroller. Alas, not I. I had my two little men and they were going to walk the two miles with me.

Good gried, did they have energy. And did they want to show it off. For the most part, they were good. There was only one time where O took off like lightening, K chased him and I had to pursue them ... only to trip, slam down the hill and get a monstrous bruise on my knee (and create a small hole in my favorite summer hoodie.)

My boss, the mother of two girls, made a comment about how much energy boys have and that she was grateful she had girls. Yes, boys are a lot of energy. But, I would never be a good mom of girls ...   so I won't complain. I treated them to fro-yo after the walk and they calmed down just a little bit.

I enjoy my little energy monsters ... and I hope they always have this much energy ... because I get to be the luckiest momma in the world to have energy monsters like them!

Real Dirty

In my quest to enjoy running, my sister convinced me to do a Mud Run, too. So, this morning, I got up bright and early to conquer the Dirty Girl Mud Run. 13 obstacles (at least that's what they said at the start of the race ... I didn't count them) spread over a 5K trail. And when I say trail ... I mean trail - it was quite rough terrain between the obstacles ... so definitely ideal for trail runners.

My sister and some girlfriends did it together last year and had a great time. So she told me I really needed to sign up for it this year. I wasn't quite sure how I felt about this. I mean ... there are obstacles. I have to climb up rope ladders and crawl under a tarp in the mud. I am so uncoordinated and while I've finally embraced running ... I still have an inner tube for a waist ... so how's this going to work?

I decided, what the hell, let's just do it. So that's why I found myself up extra early this morning to greet the team. Unfortunately, my sister, who got us all together, came down with a pretty bad virus and had to skip out. I feel really bad, because she's the one who actually made up our team shirts. But at least I was able to pick up her t-shirt and number at registration.

And then we were off. The first obstacle was climbing this bouncing pyramid. Going down it (or I should say bouncing down it actually kind of hurt. No mud on that one, just a good introduction to exerting ourselves in a new way. The second obstacle allowed us to get muddy. Here's a pic of us after the first two obstacles. (Please take special note of D's uncanny ability to make sure that he takes a photo of me with a ridiculous facial expression.)

There were some obstacles that were definitely more difficult than others ... but overall, it was just difficult enough to make you feel like you accomplished something. And you bond when you're working with others to do crazy tasks, right? Yes, it was good fun ... and a nice change of pace to my normal 5K feat. Now, I've got just a few weeks before my next one so it's time to focus on pace and endurance so that I can catch up to D!

A Barbecue Wine

I wanted to make sure I documented July's wine club adventure before July left. This month has seriously just gone so quickly and I think the boys and I are trying to savor some lazy summer days ... which tends to mean my laptop stays tucked away and off to the side.

So, when I realized that August is officially here this week, I knew I needed to get on here and share July's wine Chardonnay. Now, I am not a Chard fan. Not in the least bit. I'll pretty much take any other wine over it. I'm not sure what it is ... I just don't find it all that refreshing, but I am always optimistic that wine club will make me into a changed woman.

Chard's are supposed to be excellent picnic wines. I think this is that they can be not quite super chilled and the flavor peaks. So, the fare was like a perfect summer picnic ... including some excellent homemade gluten-free bread. Yes, GA the hostess went all out and make some amazing artisanal bread that you spread melted Brie on. I probably could have eaten the whole loaf. (That's sad, isn't it ... I just rarely get good bread anymore :))

 Fresh fruit and apple chicken sausage kabobs

 Homemade bread and grilled Brie

 Portable mini potato salads

Gluten-free shortbread cookies, caramel, pecans and chocolate

The wines for the evening ranged from California to Chile to France. 

First up was a California Chard. It had a crisp pear taste and was great when we were sipping it before we ate anything. Unfortunately, this did not pair well once you began to eat. It is definitely a "no food with this" wine. 

The second one was the Chilean beauty. This was much stronger, and permeated with peach and bold oak. It had a short finish. I didn't really love it. But D happened to go play cards with the boys later and the leftover wine was brought over and he said he loved it. So, I think we may have been drinking it a little too chilled. So, I'll give this one a second chance, because D raved about it so much. 

The third wine was the one I enjoyed the most of the evening. It was very mellow and almost butter smooth. It went well with the food and if I didn't have to drive, I would have drank my whole glass and had another. Surprisingly it was the Australian Chard ... and I wasn't expecting that one to be the one that would win me over. 

We ended our flight with the quintessential Chard ... a French Burgundy ... now this was very oaky and when you think of Chard this is definitely what comes to mind. I'm not a fan of French wines (I know, strange isn't it) so this one was just a little too much for me. 

Overall, still not a Chard fan ... but at least I know in a pinch if it comes from Chile or Australian, maybe I will at least give it a try.