A nice walk in the sunshine

Today it as over 80 degrees in Sandpoint. We've been having almost non-stop rainy weather since we arrived so today was a nice change of pace. We had some errands to run this morning then we went to the Farmer's Market and walked around town for a bit.

Then it got too hot walking in the sunshine....

So we came in and watched a movie.

I love lazy Saturdays!

It's Been A Week

First, let me say how much I don't like moving. The actual physical labor and packing and unpacking is not fun.

But now that we're here, I'm felling pretty good. I really like Sandpoint with it's small town charm. We've already got our driver's license and Kevin has his plates! We're working on setting up our office, guest bedroom, dining room, and master bedroom. I'm almost done with my kitchen. The dressing room is nothing short of awesome! An entire room dedicated to clothing and accessories (I'm in heaven).

On Memorial Day, we went on the lake with a couple of friends then the next day, Kevin started work. He's been in training and really enjoys it so far. I'm still looking for a job but I've already had some interest in Pampered Chef!

Well, I should get back to work unpacking. I'm trying to find some glass pans so I can made diner. Yet another set back to moving... finding stuff when you get there.

~Krista

Update - T-minus 7 days

So today we were able to finish the primer in the bathroom, paint and primer trim and final 2 doors for the kitchen, and hung the kitchen doors. I also was able to tape up another box of stuff. Just one, but taping it shut feels good.

We're going to get a good night's sleep and work on the bathroom (paint, flooring, molding, etc...) and do some more packing.

I took some photos of where we are today but there are so many, I'll have to create a slideshow and add that in later.

I'm off to box up a couple shelves of books then hit the hay.

Tune in tomorrow for (hopefully) more completed projects.

Packing Progress

Well, we're still working on parts of the kitchen and the bathroom. All the while only packing up bites and pieces.

We leave in a little over a week.

Let's see what there is left to do:

• Bathroom paint
• Bathroom floors
• Bathroom base molding
• 4 kitchen doors to finish painting and hanging
• Hallway wall paint
• Master bedroom paint
• Clean out storage
• ...and pack.

In a week.

Lord help us!

New Blog!

For the love of food and all things Holy, Kevin and I have started a blog on our love of food.

Eating out.

Eating in.

Making up new recipes.

Follow us.

Please.

http://foodiesontheroad.blogspot.com/

~Krista and Kevin

I'm Moving

It hasn't been officially announced to too many people yet, but I am moving. My boyfriend, Kevin, has accepted a job in Sandpoint, ID starting June 1st, so we will be loading up a moving truck and making the 16 hour drive to Northern Idaho in late May.



I'm practically every emotion over this endevour. Happy, sad, excited, anxious, nervous, worried... Packing up my life and leaving my family and friends is going to be, by far, the hardest thing I'll ever have to do in my life to date. But I am looking forward to living in a smaller community and in a part of the country that had captured my heart at a young age.

One thing I'm not looking forward to... snow.

I've never, ever, ever, driven in the snow. I can count on one hand how many times I've actually seen snow in person. Yep, I've lived less then two hours away from snow my entire life and I've been less then five times... and now I'm moving to snow country! Lord, have mercy!

I don't know, maybe I'll learn to snowboard or something... maybe...

Stay tuned for the trials and tribulations of packing up California and heading to Idaho and how well I acclimate to small town life.

~Krista

A Time For Change

I can feel it.

The weather is changing for the better.

The plans for my house improvements are coming together.

Hell, my outlook on life is getting better.

It's a time for change and I feel like something great is about to come my way.

And I didn't just get that from a fortune cookie!

I mean, really?!?

While I'd like to try and post only "happy" posts, I think this just needs to be said into the vast web of the internet...

Why does it feel like I'm stuck in the same spot without hope of every getting relief?

Same job, still in school, still barely scraping by...

I've tried changing my situation.

I've applyed for jobs only to find a rejection letter in my mailbox without so much as an interview.

One class at a time is taking forever.

Getting paid my weak paycheck only to be out of money by the 10th.

Yes, I know I'm lucky to have a job. To have a paycheck. Don't think I don't appriciate it because I do. I'm lucky to have a roof over my head, food on the table and a pillow to lay my head down at night.

I'm tired of scraping by.

Something needs to change. New job; new surroundings; new something.

Thanks for letting me rant.
~K

The Pioneer Woman: Cookbook

Okay, I'm a little obsessed right now so bear with me.

Blog Post 3 Re: Pioneer Woman.

I have to say, hands down, I love (LOVE!) this cookbook! I've already made the BBQ Jalapeno Poppers - easy and delicious!

All the recipes seem very easy and use common pantry items. Unlike some cookbooks that require japanese ingredients that can only be found in specialty stores and cost an arm and a leg.

Real ingredients = Real food

And if you don't have, say, buttermilk, she trys to give you substitutions. I love that.

The only thing you have to watch is sometimes the recipe serves a lot more then you might need to cook for. One example would be the yummy looking cinnamon rolls. There are only two of us in my house so using the recipe as-is, would yeild 40-50 rolls. Good Lord! I don't need an abundence of cinnamon rolls hanging around. My midsection is already crying for help. So I adjust.

I didn't get a chance to take pictures last night before the poppers were gone, but next time I make them, I'll try to share (at least visually).

Buy this book. Trust me, you'll thank me later.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Pioneer-Woman-Cooks/Ree-Drummond/e/9780061658198/pwb=1&

Black Heels to Tractor Wheels

I was reading Pioneer Woman's blog last week (shocker!) and I came upon a post about her book that was coming out. It's called "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels: A Love Story", the story of Pioneer Woman and Marlboro Man (pet name for her husband).

I'm only a few chapters in but I find the book hard to put down. In fact, she's such a great story teller, I've already had dreams about cowboys and wranglers. Mmmmm...

I'm already recommending this book and I'm only on chapter 6.

Go for it. Read it. You'll love it.

That is all.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/product.aspx?EAN=9780061997167

Making Peace

I have come to terms with the fact that I cannot nail down a single topic to blog about consistantly. I will be taking the advice of my new found love, Pioneer Woman, and writing about...whatever.

I've made peace with that. As much as the OCD wants things planned and orderly.

Really.

So, with that, I'm just going to write about whatever.

~Krista

One word

Zumba.

Is.


AMAZING!

I tried a Zumba class tonight and I absolutely loved it! My instructor Jen was so energetic and fun... I can't wait to go back to another class. I can see how this can get addicting.

Zumba, Do it.

Nutrimirror

A friend of mine turned me on to this free website called "Nutrimirror". It's so great! Its an electronic food journal that also breaks down the nutrition facts. In the beginning, you set goals. The goals are broken down by the website to suggest how much percentage of your diet should come from carbs, protein, fats, etc... Trying to stay "in the green" is a fun little challenge. You don't want to be deficient or over your percentages.If you're in the green, you're on target!

They've been having some technical difficulties with the website lately so I haven't gotten to explore the recipes and journals of others but once everything is running smoothly again, I'll definitely check it out!

Not feeling so great...

So yesterday, I went to Sugar Plum Vegan cafe with April (my lovely co-worker). I had a tomato, basil, vegan cheese paninni and it was delicious!!! They also have a yummy pastery case so as I was leaving I got a couple things. A vegan "hostess" cupcake and a vegan whoppee pie. I was going to eat the cupcake when I got back to the office then save the whoppee pie to share when I got home.

The cupcake was amazing! Even though it felt like it weighed about 5 pounds, it was moist and creamy...

I kept the pie out of sight so it would make it home. Knowing how good those things are, I had to take extra precausionary measures!

Needless to say, half didn't make it home.

I didn't feel too guilty knowing it was at least vegan food but by the last bite I took, I had had enough. Too much sweet food!! I was on a sugar overload. All I wanted to do was take a nap. I crashed and I crashed hard! I'm taking this opportunity to put it out there that I am officially limiting my sugar intake.

Yes, as I sit here with my non-fat white mocha latte, I am officially limiting my sugar intake.

I should probably start by looking into the sugar of my latte huh?

Running = Knee problem

So I haven't run since my 5k. Why you ask? Because my knee has been giving me problems. I know I need new shoes for the particular sport. Maybe even just some great insoles. I don't know. But my knee hurting shouldn't be an excuse to know be working out at all.

I think I need some help getting back on the wagon.

HELP!

This time it worked!

I made sure this morning to hit the Start button on my Runmeter App.

Here are my stats from this morning:

Start time - 6:03 am
Run time - 38:01 minutes
Distance - 3.16 miles
Average - 12:03/mile
Fastest Pace - 10:15/mile

Sweet! My additional side street mileage did the trick almost to the mile! I even named the little addition to my route "Squirrel!"

WTF?!? Squirrel? Really Krista?

Yep! It feels like I'm running along on this great big loop then *Squirrel!* I chase this imaginary squirrel down the street until *Squirrel!* I see another across the street and chase it back up to the main road. At that point I realize there isn't really a squirrel so I continue on my merry way.

I do have to say that today, my run felt great. I got all the apps working on my phone, had some good tunes playing to help me through it all, let my mind wander... Overall a great run. I even found that fast Viennese Waltz music is a great tempo to run to! Good stuff :o)

Now all I need are some good running shoes so my body doesn't hurt from running on concrete...

Nike Woman's Fitness 5K

My roommate and I are doing the Nike Woman's Fitness 5K in Sacramento this Sunday. I haven't really been running all winter since I like to run outside and it's cold and rainy. I like my warm bed better! But with signing up for the 5K, I realized it's time to get back into running shape.

Too bad I realized it the week before!

So last Thursday after my dance lesson, I tied my running shoes to my feet and hit the pavement. I ran a new route just to see how far it is (I have a cool app on my iPhone that tracks my distance). It's only 2.64 miles around that loop but I did it in 30 minutes. Not bad for not running in months!

I didn't have much time this weekend to run so I got up early this morning and ran before my shower. I set my app to "Go" and tuned into my iPod. I got in the zone and didn't think to much about the actual running. I just let my mind wander otherwise a few miles feels like it takes f.o.r.e.v.e.r.

I got my daily wake up call from Mom on my phone while I was running so I didn't answer it. I just kept going.

Knowing that a 5K is 3.1 miles and my new loop is only 2.64, I decided to run down one of the long housing streets I pass, turn around and come back onto my route. I figured with its length and doubling it, I could probably get closer to my 3.1 miles I want to run. Since my phone is strapped to my arm I couldn't check for sure but I figured I'd just check when I got back home.

I made my way back home and stripped off my jacket to get to my phone and I notice the screen is black. I unlock the screen to come back to the app and IT NEVER STARTED! I will have to run the whole thing again tomorrow (not that its a bad thing) to know for sure if what I added made my route a complete 5K practice run.

DAMN.

Oh well.

BodyBugg check:
Activity - running
Time in activity - 40 minutes
Calories burned - 943
Steps taken - 6499
Time completed: 7:00 a.m.

Not too shabby before breakfast!

Change of Direction

So apparently using this blog as a place to just spout random thoughts on life wasn't such a good idea (seeing as how I haevn't blogged in 5 months...). I've decided to change the direction of this blog a bit.

I'm going to focus on one topic.

One topic only.

My one and only topic of choice: My fitness (Original. I know!)

I think with a topic as broad and open as "my fitness", I can have many different sub topics such as recipes, things that work for me and things that don't, challenges I've accepted, a daily journal, the list can go on and on...

Let's keep this one going shall we (and by 'we' I mean me)...

My Obsessions

So I've decided I have a totally addicting personality. I, like most people, have some normal addictions.

• Music - check



• Shoes - check check (One for left, one for right)



• Books - check



• Clothes - check

However, I made the unfortunate realization this morning that my seemingly harmless addiction to books is a little deeper then that. I could already tell you that I had an addiction to buying books seeing as how I've got shelves upon shelves of unread books. Even still, I made a stop at Barnes and Nobles last night and purchased two new books (one on clearance, the other not - but still a good price!) and a soundtrack to a Broadway musical.

But why, may I ask, do I feel the need to carry my new books around with me after I've purchased them?

I can understand carrying the CD with me while I'm still getting used to the order of the songs and need a reference from the case. But why, when I'm already carrying around two other books I'm currently reading, do I feel the need to carry my two new books with me? It just adds to my load and makes my back hurt.

Is it me trying to justify the fact that I just bought two new books and while I've got the best of intentions, they will enevitably end up on a shelf with the rest of my unread books? Or do I seriously think I'll crack them open and start reading them?

Can anyone help me with these little questions???

Breeeeeathe!

Can I get a breath at all? Seriously?!? I don't have much on my plate at work. Or at least it doesn't seem like it! So why is it that when I'm gone for one day, it feels like the whole world wants something from me?! I don't have time to breathe in between all the project deadlines and normal busy work that needs to be done yesterday. I have a pile of stuff that I need to talk to my boss about but with our schedules both being the pits, its been piling for a week!

Am I amazing enough to get it all done? Of course I am!

But seriously... can I breathe?!?!

There is always tomorrow, I know. But I don't care for work on my desk waiting for me the next day. My mind thinks about it at night and that's just as bad as bringing work home with me that I don't get paid for.

So why am I blogging on work time?

I haven't taken a break today. Yes I took my lunch but I haven't taken a 15 minute break.

So thank you dear readers for bring my mind breathing break.

On a side note, I have a lot to update you on (the cruise, Wicked: The Musical, Merry Julianuary Cookie Exchange...). I've even got a blog started about the cruise but its not ready. I haven't had much time to update my blogs either. So please be on the look out for those. Coming to a computer screen near you soon.