29 in the 29th- a Roundup.

With a week and a half of my twenties left to go, here's where the list stands: 

1) Go see a taping of Wait Wait Don't tell me. Nope! And they even came to Baltimore, which was SUCH A BUMMER to have missed. I was pretty broke at the time though, so no Wait Wait for me. 


2) Take advantage of a Southwest sale and go somewhere with Julie that we've both never been. Sadly, nope. 


3) Redesign my website. Buy a domain name and move the blog there.

 No, not this one. Maybe if I can be a little bit more disciplined about posting, I will think about it this year.


4) Enter a cooking contest. (a real one. not one at work. With real judges and everything) 
I entered one at my last workplace (which doesn't count... I know, but it was still a contest) and.... lost. Sad Clown.

5) Buy a video camera and make and edit more videos (even if it's just a flipcam)  

No, but I did put up more video content this year! This Video is the reason I get like, 90% of my google referrals. heh. 

6) Update my blog at least once a week. I was not so successful at this, but it's going on next year's list.  I need to remember that I can't abandon things when i'm sad (the cause for this year's earlier abandonment) or busy (the reason why I haven't been updating so much this recently)


7) Plan fun things to do to show Jackie Baltimore, now that she is living here. We've done a couple of good things, but we could definitely be doing more. 

8) Go to a restaurant for restaurant week. DONE! Went to Dogwood with Jackie this summer. It was AMAZING.  I am still thinking about the chevre that they served on the salad I had there. So creamy!


9) Go tubing down the river (I don't know which river. Any river. Preferably with Paul, who suggested this list item) 

Nope! 


10) Take more pictures, post more pictures. 

I think I've taken more pictures this  year.


11) Taste 20 types of beer.

 Eh, I've decided I'm not such a huge fan of beer. my tastes tend to go to Miller High life... classy, I know. but I couldn't justify the expense of trying all those beers when I know how delicious gin and tonics are. 


12) Continue my tradition of Top Chef Wednesdays and Glee Tuesdays. 

Glee tuesdays stuck it out for much of the year! And we've started up again now that the season has started. This is really, really one of my favorite things- I look forward to it every week. 


13) Donate money to causes I believe in. 

I have!


14) Go to NYC for a weekend. 

I have not!


15) Go somewhere where there is not much ambient light, and look at the stars. 
Chincoteague, 2011. So. Many. Stars.

16) Learn how to identify more constellations than just Orion. I found The Big Dipper and Cassiopeia! 


17) Master bread baking (this guy is also going to be baking bread this year, and I want to bake some with him!) 

Nope, sadly

18) Help someone else complete a List item on their list that isn't on my list.

   I feel like I've done this one, but I can't remember. If i helped you with a list item, would you let me know via comments? I know I've helped inspire some other people to make their lists, and that's quite awesome. 


19)  Go on a picnic. 

I went on a great picnic with my sister Jackie and my cousin Kate, and Jackie even did all the cooking for it! it was really awesome. 

20)  Figure out what I'm doing with my life professionally. 

This was my big one, this year- I was really really miserable and unhappy in my last job, and I made the move to a new one- which has its own challenges, but I am so much more happy professionally that on a scale of 1-10, where 1 is my old job, I'm about at a 15. 

21) Set one weekly excersise goal every week and then meet it. (even if it's small: i.e. 3 days of wii fit a week, two long walks around the ten hills neighborhood,  walking up the giant hill in front of my house)
Uh, no. but! with the new job comes a lot more activity, and i've gone down a few pants sizes!
22) Move to a new apartment when my lease is up, with the following requirements: decent size kitchen. hardwood floors, fun area of Baltimore. (optional but would be nice: washer/dryer combo)
Nope
23) Go to one of the City Year Events in DC (or philly, or NYC, or RI- Just do one event with them)
Nope
24) Decorate a cake with fondant. 

Nope

25)  Learn how to can things.  Seriously. Making this happen. For real this time. 
Seriously, I need to get this one together. it's going on next year's list. 
26)  Go to see a drive in movie. 

Nope

27) Do one social activity that is outside my comfort zone per month. 

No, not really. 

28) Go down to Florida to visit G; make it home to visit my Grandad more often. 

I didn't get down to Florida this year, sadly. 


29) Go to some kind of food festival. Whether it is barbeuce, or Garlic, or a Pickle festival. 

I went to the Baltimore Food Truck Rally but it was waaaaaaaaaaaaay too crowded, and the lines were insane, so we ended up going to Ze Mean Bean instead. Maybe the next time they have one, it'sll be in a little bit less claustrophobic space, and I can actually get something to eat. 

So all in all, not a great year, in terms of getting things done (all told, it was a pretty horrible year all around, actually).  The one important thing that I really needed to do, #20, got done so for that I'm considering this years' list a success. 

 but I'm working on the new stuff (and keeping some of this year's stuff) and will come out with my 30/30th list next Sunday! 

29/29th #4

4) Enter a cooking contest. (a real one. not one at work. With real judges and everything) 

Done!  I entered the cookie contest that the Baltimore Sun is having.

Thanks to Julie to alerting me to the contest!

Birthday at the Beach

Portrait of the birthday girl on her 29th birthday

So my original plan for my birthday this year, was to be hanging out with my cousins Kelly and Eric, and their awesome kid Evan, but they couldn't come down to Baltimore, and have re-scheduled their trip for November (which is going to be awesome)  So I was somewhat at a loose end, trying to figure out something to do for my birthday, when my mom suggested that I come down to Chincoteague, because she, my Auntie Ange, and cousin Pauline had rented a house for the weekend.  Far be it for me to turn down a weekend at the beach, (one of the best beaches ever)  So I packed my things and drove down to the beach on Saturday morning, making the best time I've ever made- I was there in less than three hours!

 

So I got to the house, which was right on main street. put down my stuff, and just relaxed- I think it happens somewhere around Salisbury, on my way down to Chinc, I begin to  get happy  and then once I'm over the bridge, and onto the Island, it's just... peaceful.   We hung out for a while at the house, and then packed up and when to the beach- which was a little windy, but nice.  I re-read the end of Mockingjay, because I read it really fast the first time, and drank tea on the beach (which is a very my mom thing to do)  and read, and dozed  a little, and then, because I am somewhat crazy, went into the ocean with my Auntie Ange.  the water wasn't that cold, actually, but it was really rough, so we were just in for a couple of minutes.  I was about 2 seconds from getting OWNED by a wave as I was getting out of the water, but managed to stay upright and get out of the water relatively unscathed.  Auntie Ange was not so lucky- she took a little tumble and ended up with sand... all over. heh

We went back to the house and changed, and went for a walk downtown, where I managed to procure two blue Ball Jars, which are amazing!  I love ball jars, and any kind of canning jars, really- I love the way the look- they are all my drinking and juice glasses, they are my favorite system for storing leftovers, and keeping excess dry goods in.  I really like the way that candy looks in a ball jar,  or a bunch of nails and screws, or buttons.  So. Anyway. the blue ones are pretty rare, and I snagged two of them for three bucks.  If i can remember, I'll take a picture of them with my phone to put on here.  We hit the bookstore, where I got one of my favorite Babysitter's club books (I sadly, and stupidly, donated all of my BSC collection to the library when I was about 18)  and have slowly been re-collecting my favorites.  (oddly, most of my favorites are Claudia centric. I think I liked her arty style. And her junk food hidden in her room)

 We got back from our walk, hungry, and had guacamole that I made (see bottom of post for recipe)-  Guacamole is one of those things that just speaks "chincoteague"  to me-  I've made it tons of times, Year after year in Chincoteague- whenever I make it and it's not there, it just doesn't seem quite right. So we had the guac, with my aunt's nachos, and the enchiladas that my mom made.  It was quite an excellent birthday dinner,  and was topped off with some Irish Candy that Pauline brought.

 

Then on Sunday, we woke up and it was raining, and gross, so we bumbled around the house, and watched a lot of Say Yes to the Dress, which I may or may not have developed a bit of an addiction to. (don't judge. it's good) 

 

We hit a couple of stores, and then went to one of my favorite places on the Island: Woody's Beach BBQ

Auntie ange  at woody's

I love this place because it's great bbq, and it's fun.  Even though it was cold and rainy out, It was still delicious.

Mom and Pauline ordering

I got the pulled pork sandwich with the onion ring on it, and coleslaw and a side of fries. mmmmm. I wish I could be eating that right now.

And then I had banana pudding with Nilla wafers in it, and all was right with the world.

I had a really good time at the beach- It has been one of my best birthdays- relaxed, and fun.  I think it is really a great thing that as I get older, I really have realized that I have a great family- that I enjoy as people, and friends, besides the fact that fate has thrown us together. My mom and Auntie Ange and Pauline are hilarious, and awesome.

Guac Recipe (shamelessly stolen from the ingredients inside a Trader joe's Guac Kit)

 

Two avocados (make sure they are ripe)

two plum tomatoes seeded and diced

one small onion diced fine

two cloves of garlic diced fine

one jalapeno (seeded and diced fine- if you like things spicier, leave the seeds and ribs in- I prefer my guac to have just a little bite)

1/2 a lime

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Instructions: in a medium sized bowl, put diced onion, Garlic, and jalapeno and mix with a fork.  ad avocado and mash in with fork, but leaving some chunks- you don't want the avocado to be totally smooth.  mix in the tomatoes, lime juice, and stir.

 

Eat with chips.

 

(this recipe can be very easily doubled or tripled. I would suggest if you have any more than four people eating it, you make a double batch. otherwise people get a little sad at you.

29/29th # 21

21) Set one weekly excersise goal every week and then meet it. (even if it's small: i.e. 3 days of wii fit a week, two long walks around the ten hills neighborhood,  walking up the giant hill in front of my house)

So I'm reviving the Val Gets Fit blog, where I will blog about various fitness things.  If you feel so inclined, go ahead and read it, but be advised: it will be me talking about excersise, and possibly eating healthier. Read at your own risk of boredom.

29 in the 29th

Okay.  So I have been thinking a lot, and I think next year, I'm going to transition into a Mighty Life List, as opposed to yearly lists, in an effort to think a little bit longer term about where I want to be and what I want to do with my life.  But I couldn't resist coming up with one last yearly list, because this is the big one. The last year before I'm thirty. The last year of my mid to late twenties. Oh, all right, my late twenties. I have purposely made this list a lot more accessible, I want to complete EVERYTHING on it this year.

1) Go see a taping of Wait Wait Don't tell me. 


2) Take advantage of a Southwest sale and go somewhere with Julie that we've both never been.


3) Redesign my website. Buy a domain name and move the blog there.


4) Enter a cooking contest. (a real one. not one at work. With real judges and everything) 


5) Buy a video camera and make and edit more videos (even if it's just a flipcam)


6) Update my blog at least once a week


7) Plan fun things to do to show Jackie Baltimore, now that she is living here.

8) Go to a resturant for resturant week.


9) Go tubing down the river (I don't know which river. Any river. Preferably with Paul, who suggested this list item)


10) Take more pictures, post more pictures


11) Taste 20 types of beer.


12) Continue my tradition of Top Chef Wednesdays and Glee Tuesdays.


13) Donate money to causes I believe in.


14) Go to NYC for a weekend


15) Go somewhere where there is not much ambient light, and look at the stars.


16) Learn how to identify more constellations than just Orion.


17) Master bread baking (this guy is also going to be baking bread this year, and I want to bake some with him!)


18) Help somone else complete a List item on their list that isn't on my list.


19)  Go on a picnic.


20)  Figure out what I'm doing with my life professionally.


21) Set one weekly excersise goal every week and then meet it. (even if it's small: i.e. 3 days of wii fit a week, two long walks around the ten hills neighborhood,  walking up the giant hill in front of my house)


22) Move to a new apartment when my lease is up, with the following requirements: decent size kitchen. hardwood floors, fun area of Baltimore. (optional but would be nice: washer/dryer combo)


23) Go to one of the City Year Events in DCn (or philly, or NYC, or RI- Just do one event with them)


24) Decorate a cake with fondant.


25)  Learn how to can things.  Seriously. Making this happen. For real this time.


26)  Go to see a drive in movie.


27) Do one social activity that is outside my comfort zone per month


28) Go down to Florida to visit G; make it home to visit my Grandad more often.


29) Go to some kind of food festival. Whether it is barbeuce, or Garlic, or a Pickle festival.