recap

2021 | end-of-year survey

January 6, 2022 filed under: about me, recap

I saw this end-of-year survey on Stephany‘s blog, and then my friend Lisa posted her own version, and I enjoyed it so much and found this recap so intriguing that I am jumping on the bandwagon.

1) What did you do in 2021 that you’ve never done before? Ran my fastest half marathon, completed a 365 workout streak, started Power Zone Training, went to the ER (could have done without that).

2) Did anyone close to you give birth? No.

3) Did anyone close to you die? Luckily, no. Although I did hear that someone I was friend’s with as a teenager, passed shortly before Christmas. She was much too young to die.

4) What places did you visit? Ha. That sounds like a trick question – however, I know that I’ve probably stayed closer to home in 2021 than most people. I went down to SoCal (to the beach!) for 2 nights at the end of December (to see my in-laws and a friend), but that was it for 2021. Sad.

5) What would you like to have in 2022 that you didn’t have in 2021? A reunion with my family.

6) What dates from 2021 will be etched in your memory forever? Probably January 6, as we watched in horror the insurrection on the U.S. Capitol. April 7 and 28, when I got vaccinated. August 17, when my Peloton was delivered. September 9, my 20th California-versary.

7) What was your biggest achievement this year? A 365 workout streak and a new PR in the half marathon.

8) What was your biggest failure? I am not a fan of the word failure, but if there is one thing I wish I could have done better in 2021, it’s to be more assertive sometimes. I’ve gotten so much better, but still have moments where I want to actually feel more confident than I do.

9) Did you suffer from illness or injury? Luckily no, unless you count the on and off issues I’ve been having with chest pressure and (atypical) heartburn.

10) What was the best thing you bought? My Peloton. Hands down.

11) Where did most of your money go? You mean besides rent? Food. Our grocery spending is – and will forever be – one of the largest parts of our budget. I suppose, I am finally okay with it.

12) What did you get really, really excited about? Getting vaccinated. It seemed like the only sure way out of this pandemic. Alas, it hasn’t been that straightforward.

13) What authors did you discover in 2021? Isabel Wilkerson (Caste), Lisa Wingate (Before we were yours), Matt Haig (The Midnight Library).

14) What do you wish you had done more of? Reading, crafting.

15) What do you wish you had done less of? Worrying, feeling FOMO, doom-scrolling.

16) How did your spend Christmas? We spend a quiet Christmas at home again, just me and Jon.

17) What was your favorite TV program? Schitt’s Creek. It’s the only show we watched in 2021.

18) What did you want and get? I wanted my family and friends to stay healthy and everyone to get vaccinated (the only one who hasn’t been vaccinated yet is my nephew.)

19) What did you want and not get? I wanted to see my family in person really bad (thankfully, we had plenty of video face time). I had hoped that they could come visit or that I could fly home. I probably could have. I know many people who did make the overseas trip, but I didn’t feel ready to get on a plane.

20) What was your favorite film of 2021? Uff. Did I even watch any full-length movies last year? I think the only movie I watched was “A Boy called Christmas” over the holidays, which I enjoyed very much.

21) What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 45 last year (WHAT?), and I had a very low-key birthday. The biggest birthday surprise was short visit from my friend Tanja the following day.

22) What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? If people (and governments) hadn’t been so damn selfish and we would have had some consistent, sensible Covid-rules and regulations (across the globe, really) to get this goddamn pandemic under control.

23) Who kept you sane? Jon. He’s the only person I’ve really been around in 2021 (not counting virtual encounters) and I am once more thankful how we’ve weathered the pandemic together.

24) Who did you miss? Everyone else, is a pretty good description.

25) Who was the best new person you met? I did not meet anyone new in person, but I connected with a few new blogger friends (Hi Elisabeth! Hi Nicole! Hi Anne! Hi Dominique! Hi Jenny! Hi Suzanne!) that I’ve come to appreciate so much. It’s been so great to realize that there are still people with personal blogs out there who just write without an agenda, but for the sheer fun of it and to connect with others!

26) Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2021. Perspective changes everything. I had my fair share of frustrating and energy-zapping days in 2021. I am sure I have been crabby for a good amount of time (but Jon was the only one to see it and kindly ignore it), but I also know that I didn’t really have it that bad (all things considered) and I have tried to constantly put myself in other people’s shoes to redirect and change my perspective. Works 99% of the time.

27) Show us one of your favorite photos from the year.

I don’t know why, but this picture immediately popped into my head when I read the survey question. I remember this morning in September vividly, as it was the first day after a few “very smoky days” (from the wildfires) here in California, where I was able to get out early for a run and the sun was shining and I could see blue skies and breathe fresh air again. This view made me particularly happy, and it made me pause and reminded me that after a few dark days, the sun and blue skies always reappear (and look at me pulling off a nice metaphor to end this survey on a high note!).

What was your biggest achievement in 2021? What was one thing you had never done before? What valuable life lesson did you learn?

A year in review: 2021

December 31, 2021 filed under: my so-called life, recap, review

Wow, where did this year go?

Besides 2021 being much more disappointing (in many regards) as expected, it also disappeared in a blink of an eye, right? I know I say that so often that I can’t believe how fast the time goes, but this time it is really, really true. We all had such high hopes for 2021 and then… not much happened.

Well, that is not true. Things happened this year. Some good (a new president, vaccines and boosters, a Peloton!), but also some bad (an insurrection, conspirarcy theories, democracy in peril). Sigh. I am really a half-glass-full-kinda-person all the way, but sometimes it’s hard to be hopeful when the world around you seems to crumble, and when there is hope and then that hope is crushed again repeatedly.

It’s been extremely weird to live through the second year of a global pandemic, to say the least. I haven’t seen my family (and friends) in over two years, I am trying to stay safe and vigilant. I am vaccinated, boosted, and continue to mask and social distance (and sometimes feel like I am the only one), and I have only made it through this year by sweating my heart out (exercise is saving my sanity) and constantly reminding myself how lucky I am in so many regards. But you guys, I am tired and I know I am not the only one.

As per usual, I do a little round-up at the end of the year on my blog. It’s a nice way to reflect on a year, as screwed up as it might have been, and I am really, really hoping that 2022 shapes up to be everything we hope it to be (and more)!

January

In January, I recapped the things I wanted to do in 2020 and was surprised by how many things I accomplished despite the outbreak of a pandemic. I picked a new word for the year and clung desperately to it. I shared a few things that I learned about myself during the pandemic. We witnessed an insurrection on the US Capitol, but then finally inaugurated a new president and all exhaled a sigh of relief.

February

I don’t “do” New Year’s resolutions, but in February, I posted a new list of things I wanted to do in 2021. I also shared 15 things that I didn’t hate about 2020, half-glass-full-kinda-girl that I am. I showed you my new Fringe Planner, and also posted our 2020 pandemic spending report. It was interesting how spending had shifted during that first year of the pandemic.

March

In March, I celebrated my first pandemic birthday. The first lockdown in 2020 hadn’t happened until mid-March, so I got lucky. I recapped another year around the sun with my favorite moments and how I spent my birthday, the highlight being a brief visit from a dear friend. I also couldn’t help but share my thoughts on the anniversary of the day when we went into pandemic lockdown. In more exciting news, I let you in on the recipe for loaded mashed potatoes. Comfort food at its best.

April

In April, I was finally able to reveal the packages that were swapped for the 5th annual Secret Santa Mug Swap 2020. It had been a bit of a chaotic undertaking pulling this swap off during the pandemic when the postal service was seriously disrupted, but everyone eventually received something in the mail. The most exciting news in April was that Covid vaccines were finally available and that I didn’t get just my first, but also my second vaccine shot within the month.

May

In May, I posted about who I (was) at the moment. I shared some confessions, and also told you how I stay motivated during a long run. We had our first (and only) visitor (Jon’s Mom) since things felt temporarily a bit more normal. I also met up for some much needed girltime and an outdoor hike with my friend Susi. At the end of the month, Jon and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary.

June

In June, I joined – as always – into the celebration for Global Running Day by pledging some miles. I also decided to tell you about some current favorites, a feature post that had fallen by the wayside in 2020. I shared another “blogging through the Covid-crisis”-update and talked about how I felt the drop of the mask mandate (that didn’t last long, did it?). I shared a recipe for potato salad with Greek yogurt dressing & cornichons and did a mid-year (athletic) review.

July

In July, there was news of bad flooding in Germany. The devastation was not too far from where I grew up, but luckily my family and friends weren’t directly impacted (although I really felt for all the people who were!). I also shared my thoughts about the benefits of running solo, as I am a solo runner through and through. I talked a bit about hot summers, BBQs, and the California wildfires, and how I went to try out my friend’s Peloton.

August

In August, I shared my home gym with you (which is not a gym at all, but a small area in our living room where my spin bike and exercise equipment lives). And while we were at it, I told you about my favorite quick workouts. I also posted a snapshot of my day. I always find it fascinating to get a glimpse of the “day-to-day” life of other people, don’t you? I had a little staycation (as I had to use up some annual leave – which has never happened before) and later that month, I admitted that when the world goes to hell in a handbasket, you (and with “you”, I meant “I”) caved and bought a Peloton. Best decision ever!

September

In September, I posted some tips for beginner runners (as I used to be one myself!) and then proceeded to get a bit nostalgic when I reminisced about the time when I came to California, 20 years ago! This still seems crazy to me! I shared a couple of recipes for homemade Tzatziki Sauce (great for dipping!), and German Plum Streusel Cake. At the end of September, I had signed up for the (virtual) Seawheeze half marathon and I was not prepared. The wildfires and my new toy (the Peloton) had seriously thrown me off my running schedule, but since I was signed up, I attempted to run the half marathon anyway. And to my huge surprise, ended up with another sub-2-hour PR. How’s that for keeping your expectations low?

October

In October, I reminisced about the day I met Jon. I started my first Peloton Power Zone Challenge with Tanja and had a presentation at work (via Teams) that went really well (what with me being nervous and all). I posted another list of current favorites, and some tips on how to save some money on running gear & races. I took another week of staycation for Jon’s birthday week (all that “use or loose” leave that I had built up due to the pandemic), my niece turned 13 (WHAT?), and we officially started “soup season” in our house.

November

In November, I ~~participated~~ “semi-hosted” NaBloPoMo for the 15th year in a row. I have not gotten tired of this blogging challenge and got a few awesome people to join me this year. I started the month off by sharing a few things you might not know about me. I shared some of my wisdom for best practices for a successful NaBloPoMo challenge and invited people to the 6th annual Secret Santa Mug Swap (that I’ve been hosting for the last few years). I explained what Peloton’s Power Zone Training is all about, and told you about some of my most-used apps.

I talked about meal planning (which I do) vs. meal prepping (which I don’t) and my best strategies to reduce food waste. As always, I also shared a few recipes for authentic German Goulash, creamy Tuscan Argentinian Shrimps, and a traditional German pastry called Weckmann (sweet yeast man).

I wrote another Covid update, shared some pet peeves (don’t we have them all?), and a holiday wis + gift list for some holiday inspiration. Shortly before Thanksgiving, I got boostered. I also started re-reading the Outlander series, my favorite book series of all time, again.

December

In December, I posted a holiday gift guide more specific for runners. I joined my blog friend, Erin, at The Speckled Palate, for her annual The Sweetest Season Cookie Exchange and shared the recipe for German Spritz Cookies. I wrote a little holiday to-do list, and shared a few things that were happening in December. I traveled for the first (and only) time this year to see my friend Tanja when she was back in SoCal for a visit.

I was able to post the round-up of the 6th annual Secret Santa Mug Swap (as all 13 participants in three countries had received their packages on time this year!) and recapped our quiet Christmas 2021.

And now we’re ringing in yet another new year, safely from the comfort of our own couch, hoping that 2022 will turn out to be a great year, a better year. For real this time.

As always, thanks for being here. I love the blogging community so much.

RECAPS FROM PREVIOUS YEARS:

2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020.

The 6th annual Secret Santa (Mug) Swap 2021 – Reveal

December 28, 2021 filed under: recap, SecretSantaMugSwap

It’s a few days after the holidays and I can share this year’s Secret Santa Mug Swap with you, can you believe it? I am so thrilled that everybody received their package on time this year, and that you’ve all shared your swaps on social media or your blog already. Thank you all so much for being great team players and following through! You made this holiday season that much brighter for everyone.

I am so happy I expanded the swap to friends in Germany and Canada and that there was such a great turnout and new connections were made! And I was truly impressed by the thoughtfulness and generosity of all participants this year.

I received a wonderful package from my long-time blog friend Kristen this year. Not only did she send me this super-cute and festive holiday mug, but her package also included some yummy holiday coffee samples (and that adorable mini-whisk!), two lip balms, and a cute set of sticky notes. Thank you so much, Kristen, I really loved what you picked out for me!

Without further ado, here are the other mugs + goodies that were swapped. You all went above and beyond and put together some great surprise packages. Thank you so much, you’re all amazing!

I tagged the recipients of the goodies in the captions, not the senders. Maybe you’ll find a new blog or a new Instagram account you’d like to follow.

Elisabeth / Kristen
To b ia / Andrea

Stefanie / Leanne
Jenny / Kathrin

Nicole / Tanja
Carolina / Erin

I hope you all loved what you received and you had fun participating in the swap! Thanks so much to everyone who was willing to brighten someone else’s holiday season this year.

A snapshot of my day | 8/10/2021

August 11, 2021 filed under: about me, daily life, recap

I stole this idea from Stephany (who adapted it from another blog friend) because it was a fun way to write a recap “day in the life”-style, which I haven’t done in a while.

Time I woke up: 6:00 a.m. Tuesdays are my run days and I usually get out for a 4-5 mile run around 6:30 am.

First thing I did upon waking: I turned off my alarm and got dressed for my run. I usually put everything out the night before so I don’t have to make any “decisions” in the morning and can just go. This is key to a successful workout routine in my opinion. Don’t even give your brain the chance to talk you out of it on a technicality (like clothing).

Today’s weather: Hot AF. 100F.

An out-of-the-ordinary thing that happened today: My project-lead and I had really productive work meeting with some colleagues from the East Coast, who are doing the same type of remote sensing work (change detection from SfM (structure-from-motion) aerial photography and LiDAR (light-detection-and-ranging) laser scan data) that we do. (Let me know if you want me to elaborate on what I do all day in a separate post – ha!)

Sometimes people in the science community can be a bit stand-offish, but these guys were super-responsive and very excited to exchange experiences and insights on our workflows and it’s been just so exhilarating to talk about our project with them.

Last thing I read (not on the Internet): A postcard from my nephew (he’s 11). (It says “when do we see each other again?)

Last thing I read (on the Internet): A remote sensing article.

Last website I visited: Google Maps (for work). Have I mentioned that I LOVE looking at maps?

Last show I watched: Schitt’s Creek. We’re almost finished with the series and need to look for a new series to watch. Any recommendations? Must be light-hearted and funny.

Last thing I said: “Enjoy your walk” (when Jon left for his afternoon walk).

Last thing I ate: oat crunch with strawberries.

What I was doing an hour ago: I was working on a dataset in Excel.

What I will be doing an hour from now: I’ll be making dinner. It’s German potato salad and kielbasa sausage tonight.

Current whereabouts of other members of the household: Jon is on his daily walk.

One thing I crossed off my to-do list today: I was evaluating a dataset that we received last week and had to write a summary for my co-workers about my findings of completeness, inconsistencies, questionable entries, and such.

It’s a bit tedious to write this all down, but I’ve gotten into the habit of keeping very detailed notes (in a searchable word document), so that I can always go back to tasks that I’ve done in the past and understand what I was working on and what kind of problems I ran into. You wouldn’t believe how valuable this kind of thing is when someone comes at you with a question for a project that you worked on 3 years ago (yes, that happened).

What was the last thing you ate and what out-of-the-ordinary thing happened to you this week?

A year in review: 2020

December 31, 2020 filed under: my so-called life, recap, review

How do you sum up this godforsaken year?

Well, let me say first: this has by no means been the hardest year of my life. I’ve personally had more challenging years, but it’s hard to ignore the fact of what we’ve all been through collectively in 2020.

I’m writing this from a place of immense privilege and I know it. I really didn’t have much to complain about this year. I am a homebody by nature and going into lockdown and isolation hasn’t cramped my style as it has for other, more extroverted people. I transitioned nearly seamlessly to a WFH life (and actually like it!), I kept up a good running routine, I was mostly fine with not seeing people (except for my family’s canceled visit this summer), and Jon and I have been content with being around each other all the time. Even if we occasionally lamented the fact that we couldn’t go out to dinner or get away for the weekend, we both agreed that we were making the best of a shitty situation and things could be a lot worse.

The only things that matter at the end of this crazy year are that we both remained healthy, I kept my job (and income), we were able to pay our bills and feed ourselves, we could go for runs and walks, and had a private outdoor space to enjoy. We’ve been luckier than so many.

I contemplated if I wanted to recap this year as I have previous years, but for the sake of consistency and the mere fact that 2020 happened, as much as we would like to just wish it away, here’s my recap of this weird year.

JANUARY

In January, as always, we welcomed the new year with coffee and a New Year’s pretzel. I posted my list of things I wanted to do in 2020. Surprisingly, while many plans ended up being derailed, I accomplished almost all of them. The highlight of January was a women’s retreat in Tahoe with a full day of skiing over MLK weekend. I had hoped to get back on the slope last winter, but alas, that ended up not happening.

FEBRUARY

In February, I picked my word for the year. I am not sure I really lived up to it. I attended an “author’s workshop” at work, which I should have taken years ago (given the time I’ve been working at my current workplace). I met Kathrin, a fellow German living in the Bay Area, for the first time in person and also saw Ute, a fellow German living in CT, again after many years. I abandoned my bullet journal and found a new favorite planner. I started half marathon training.

MARCH

In March, I talked about why voting is so important. I celebrated my birthday, just before the whole world shut down. The new motto became “flatten the curve!“. It took me a little while to get my blogging footing back, and I started a series – blogging through the Covid-19 crisis – to document my own experience of the Covid-shutdown, not knowing that we were in for a long, wild ride.

APRIL

In April, I started to sew masks. Like so many of us. My gym shut down and I started running in the early mornings before work. It was the only thing I knew how to do. I baked zucchini bread. I settled into my work from home routine. My friend Tanja was supposed to come visit and run the American River Parkway Half Marathon with me at the end of the month. Of course, that didn’t happen. Instead, we ran the race virtually, each in our own neighborhoods, and even though it was unexpected, I finally got my (unofficial) sub-2 hour PR in the half marathon this year. Who could have seen that coming?

MAY

I started baking bread with a sourdough starter that I received from a friend in late April. It’s been the most cliché and the best ‘new’ hobby that has come from this pandemic. I have baked every weekend since. We got our outdoor space ready for the summer and Jon and I celebrated our 14th anniversary.

George Floyd died at the hand of police in Minneapolis and racial tensions flared up big time.

JUNE

In June, I celebrated Global Running Day and ran for a good cause. I tried to confront being uncomfortable, educate myself, share resources, and stand in solidarity with the black community. I know there is tons more work to do. I shared some running lessons during Corona times and also posted another update of my blogging through the Covid-19 crisis series.

JULY

In July, I had some thoughts on Independence Day. I made our own variation of a Classic Niçoise Salad. I talked about how I fit a workout into a busy day, and how I got my sister to run a half marathon (We were supposed to run the half marathon together in San Francisco this summer, but that didn’t happen and I am so proud of her that she still continued her training and ran the distance!). We spent many summer evenings barbecuing in the backyard.

AUGUST

In August, I kept up with my early morning runs and witnessed many beautiful sunrises along the river. I also shared my strength training routine. I wrote another blogging through the Covid-19 crisis update. I got my (road) bike fixed up and went on a bike ride, followed the presidential debates, and send snail mail just because.

SEPTEMBER

In September, I bought a spin bike. Probably the best pandemic purchase of the year. It arrived just before the California wildfires caused major smoke plumes and locked us into our homes for weeks. I had officially worked from home for six months. I shared all the things I baked in quarantine. Ruth Bader Ginsburg died and I wondered what else 2020 was going to throw at us. I posted the recipe for quick 4-ingredient Almond Butter Oat Cookies.

OCTOBER

In October, I talked about the importance of rest days. I urged people to vote in the presidential election. We celebrated Jon’s birthday, and I ordered Stumptown coffee for him. I wrote another Covid-19 update.

NOVEMBER

In November, I participated in NaBloPoMo for the 14th year! I blogged my way through the last few days of the election. It was finally confirmed that we elected Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. It’s most likely been the highlight of this year and gives hope to so many of us. I became an ambassador for MudLOVE and am thrilled to support such an awesome small business. For Thanksgiving, we stayed home, I ran a virtual Turkey Trot with Tanja in the morning and then prepared a ~~turkey~~ chicken with all the trimmings just for the two of us. That weekend, I also baked my family’s Spritz Cookies to start the holiday season off on the right foot.

DECEMBER

In December, I bought a bigger and nicer Christmas tree. I was set on making this holiday season great, Covid be damned, and for whatever reason, that tree made me so very happy. I also shared a holiday wish & gift list (because those are always fun!) and sent out a bunch of ~~Christmas~~ New Year’s cards.

Shortly before Christmas, Covid-19 hit closer to home than I ever wanted it to. Someone in my family tested positive, after being so vigilant for months. I understand this is bad news if your family lives around the corner, but emotionally it’s on a different level when you’re 6000 miles away. I definitely freaked out there for a second, because you never know how this virus is going to affect someone, and I am only willing to share this now because nobody else contracted the virus (thank god) and the person, who had it, never developed symptoms. We got so very lucky.

But I want to warn you that however ‘safe’ you feel and however cautious you think you are, do better. There are still no guarantees that you won’t catch it (we all have to take some risks, however small they might be) and this will only get better if we’re are all willing to make sacrifices, to stay home as much as possible, and to mask up when we’re in public.

I told you about how we spent our Christmas this year and also summed up my ten best pandemic purchases.

And now we’re ringing in a new year, safely from the comfort of our own couch, hoping that 2021 will shape up to be a much kinder year for us all.

RECAPS FROM PREVIOUS YEARS:

2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019.

Monthly Recap | February

February 29, 2020 filed under: my so-called life, recap

I feel lucky that we’re getting this extra day in February this year (every extra day is great in my book, haha!) and I am taking advantage to post my monthly recap today. Do I sound like a broken record, when I say, that February disappeared as quickly as it came? Or, is it just me?

READ

I finished ROAR: How to Match Your Food and Fitness to Your Unique Female Physiology for Optimum Performance, Great Health, and a Strong, Lean Body for Life by Stacy Sims. I thought it was very good and had a lot of valuable information and I can see myself referring back to this book a lot going forward.

COOKED

We made turkey cutlets with homemade sweet potato fries and roasted veggies quite a few times this month. So easy, so satisfying.
When we love something, we tend to make it over and over (do you do that, too?). Same goes for a heavily adapted, lighter version of Zuppa Toscana (I won’t even link to the original recipe, as we changed it quite a bit, but needless to say, it was a favorite around here). I am committed to making soup as often as I can before it gets too warm for hot soups (haha, I am typing this as our temperature hit close to 80F yesterday).

WATCHED

I watched part of the Academy Awards at the beginning of February and realized that I hadn’t seen any recent movies in, like, forever. To remedy that, I watched “Marriage Story” on Netflix and am hoping to catch up on another few that won awards. Which ones have you seen and would recommend?

LISTENED TO

I listened to a few guided runs on the Nike Run Club App. I also listened to a lot of NPR this month. They always have such good coverage of the day-to-day news. Do you listen to your local public radio station?

BOUGHT

I bought a couple of new workout clothes on sale at Old Navy, running tights and a sports bra. I also got a BlenderBottle® (as I am experimenting with some protein powders) and some underwear from Target (TMI, ha). Oh, and we got flights to go down to SoCal in March.

RAN (and cycled)

I ran 55 miles and cycled 59 miles in February. This is up from January and I am happy about it. Let’s see how March goes.

GOING-ONS

+ In case you missed it, I finally (settled on) and shared my One Little Word® for this year: Cultivate. What’s yours?

+ There was some girl time this month! I got to meet my long-time IG and blog friend Kathrin for the first time (after following each other online for quite a while) and I also got to see my friend Susi again and reunite with Ute, when she was visiting the Bay Area.

+ I mentioned in one of my Five Things Friday posts that I attended an author training class at work earlier this month and it was so, so valuable. At my work-place, publications are super-duper important and I honestly don’t know why nobody (as in, my supervisor(s)) had me take this class earlier).

+ I started half marathon training again a couple of weeks ago. I “merged” two training plans that I found online to make a plan that fits my schedule and goals. I have to admit, I am so, so happy to finally be following a training plan again. I do pretty well without a plan, but I just love the ease of not having to think about what kind of workout I’ll do on any given day, when I can simply follow a plan.

+ I enjoyed the beautiful spring weather that we had here in Northern California (although it was also one of driest Februarys in history and that’s never a good look!). I was able to run in t-shirts and get out my sandals.

+ Are you at all following the primaries? I know, some people are tuning out and I am going back and forth between trying to stay in the know and just waiting to see what happens. I am so glad we’re part of Super Tuesday voting this year. California deserved a more prominent voting spot in the primary season. I already cast my ballot, but I can’t wait to see what happens.

How was your February?

Women’s retreat at Tahoe

February 3, 2020 filed under: holidays, recap, travel, weekend

My friend Susi invited me along for a girls’ weekend with some of her mom friends from German School. We were headed to Tahoe over the MLK holiday weekend and stayed at U’s vacation home in Truckee. I was thrilled to get up to the mountains during winter time and very thankful that I was invited to come along.

It’s always a little awkward when you join a group of people that you mostly don’t know and my introverted self was a little bit anxious, but as so often, the worry was unnecessary and dissipated quickly once we had all introduced each other. We ended up having a really great time.

We arrived around 6 pm at Friday night in a winter wonderland. I couldn’t have been happier.

We had previously talked about things we wanted to do while we were there, and besides some outdoor activities during the day, we had all agreed on just hanging out at the house, cooking together, puzzling, reading, knitting/crocheting, and just enjoying each others’ company.

We also played Cards Against Humanity, which I had heard about, but had never played before. Well, let’s just say that it’s true that it’s “a party game for horrible people”, because some of the card statements made me either blush or drop my jaw. However, I am wondering what it says about me that I didn’t just win this game once, but twice over the weekend.

As J noted: still waters run deep.

Some of the women went cross country skiing on Saturday, while Susi and I and C hung out at the house. We went on a nice snow walk around the neighborhood and then started (the first of two) puzzle(s) when we got back.

The puzzle was really cool: the posters of all the U.S. National Parks.

We started a second puzzle in the evening and everybody got involved.

On Sunday, Susi and I had planned to go downhill skiing, but the week before the getaway, Susi had injured her knee and couldn’t participate in any sporting activities. As I didn’t know if anyone else wanted to go, I wasn’t sure if I was going to get to go skiing after all, but luckily, three others wanted to go and so we headed over to Homewood Mountain Resort on the western shore of Lake Tahoe in the morning.

I have my ski boots here in California, but don’t own skis anymore, so I had to rent them and I almost toppled over backwards when I heard that they wanted $99 for just the ski rental for the day. Gosh, Tahoe’s expensive. But hey, there was no backing out now.

Luckily, I had already bought the lift ticket for a discount at REI.

I was a little taken aback by the “outdatedness” of the ski resort. The ticket had to be scanned by hand (I was used to automatic scanners that read the ski ticket through your jacket) and when we got to the chair lift, it didn’t have a safety bar. I’ve never seen that in the Alps.

BUT: once I hit the slopes, it was blissful. Originally, we had planned to ski for a half day, but in the end, we spent 6 hours on the slopes. The others were beginners, so we took the easier runs most of the time, but that was fine with me. I was just happy to be skiing! The day was a little overcast, which was great because the snow stayed great the whole time.

And the views! Just amazing! We kept going back for more and spent 6 hours on the slopes!

Sunday night was for a movie, a delicious dinner, and face masks before we all headed to bed. We had planned to head back home early on Martin Luther King Jr Day to beat the holiday traffic, so the last night was an early night for all of us.

It was a really great weekend though and I am so glad I was asked to come along!

Did you do something fun over the long holiday weekend?

Monthly Recap | January

January 31, 2020 filed under: my so-called life, recap

Can you believe that January is already over? I feel like we just celebrated New Year’s Eve. Gah. I can’t be the only one. But here we are, it’s January, 31st and we’re doing the monthly recap. Let’s do this.

READ

Three books! 2020 reading is off to a pretty good start. One of the books I read was “The love prison made and unmade” by Ebony Roberts, a memoir about the toll prison takes on people and their loved ones. Powerful and heart-breaking.

COOKED

I ~~cooked~~ roasted Japanese sweet potatoes for the first time (hint: they’re purple with white flesh) and they’re a beautiful mix between a sweet potato and a normal potato. You should give them a try. We also keep making this broccoli-chicken soup that I previously recommended.

WATCHED

I watched the Academy Awards (sort of) and the News (in small doses). I also watched a German movie (“Dancing Quietly”) and a German Christmas mini-series (“Holiday Secrets“) on Netflix at the beginning of the month.

LISTENED TO

I listened to a few episodes of Pod Save America and also Michael Moore’s new podcast Rumble with Michael Moore.

BOUGHT

I bought a new planner at the beginning of this month. And I used a gift card to buy two fitness and health books at Barnes and Noble. (I forgot how much fun actual book stores are. Note to self: go more often!) I also picked up a couple of dumbbell weights to use at home for strength workouts. Oh, and not to forget: tickets for Pearl Jam in the spring. Woot!

RAN (and cycled)

I ran 35 miles and cycled 51 miles. I mentioned this week that my goal is to run 600 miles this year, which would come out to 50 miles per month. I didn’t quite hit that number this month, but I am hoping to get some higher mileage months in the spring!

GOING-ONS

+ I am so thrilled I got a VersaDesk at work. A little back story: I used to have a height-adjustable standing desk in my old office which I never really used much. I had to give it up when I moved into the cubicle, but of course, instantly regretted that I never took advantage of it when I had it. When our safety officer sent out an email at the beginning of the month that a couple of VersaDesks were available, I instantly jumped on it. It’s a little big for my cubicle, but I’ve been working standing up for a couple of hours every day and I love it.

+ As you already know, I went on a girls’ weekend retreat at Tahoe in January (yes, I am still planning to share a recap). I was nice to get away to the snow. It’s so strange because it never snows in Sacramento but you drive 1,5 hours east and we’re in a winter wonderland. I love it.

+ My friend Tanja and I set a goal to do two strength workouts at home during the week on the days when we don’t go to cycling or the gym. It’s great to have an accountability buddy to check in with and to keep each other motivated and on track!

+ I trimmed my own hair. After complaining about how expensive it is to get my ends trimmed (even at the barber shop), I took matters into my own hands last week and just chopped off 2 inches of my hair myself.

+ I finally made homemade granola again and used an adapted recipe with buckwheat. Have you ever tried it in granola? It has a nice crunch!

+ I mentioned in my Five Things Friday-post that one of our favorite restaurants has “50 Cent Wing Monday” and we didn’t only go once, but twice this month. How can you resist?

+ I’ve been trying to establish a new habit of taking more lunch break walks, especially on days when I don’t go to the gym or run outside. I work a desk job for 10+ hours a day, so it’s imperative that I get some extra steps in during the day!

+ Is anyone following the Impeachment Trial? Of course, I am not watching the full day coverage, but what I see in the evenings is enough to want to pull my hair out. I cannot believe some of the arguments that are made! Is the president really above the law? How can a lawyer argue that if it’s in the interest of the country for the president to be re-elected, he can pretty much do anything? (I want to see that precedent stand when a Democrat is president again, which by the way, I think shouldn’t!) So yeah, as always, things are frustrating as hell on the political front.

How was your January?