Let's Have An Adventure Shall We?

When I think about 2016 - I have a hard time verbalizing my thoughts on it. 2015 was a rollercoaster on a few different levels - but it was definitely a good year.  Honestly, I think that the older you get, the more you realize that life just IS a rollercoaster - at least if you're doing it right.  That means that you are taking the chances that you need to open yourself up to failure and torment - but also taking the chances on the the really awesome things that make you insanely happy. Thus leading to the highs and lows that make up the Thunder Mountain Railroad of Life.  (Wow... that sounded deep, huh?)

2015 had some pretty awesome experiences, but also included a lot of lessons that I had to learn.  Seriously - I thought that by 31, I'd be done learning life lessons. Nope. Apparently that isn't a thing that ever stops. And I am by no means saying that all of these lessons were bad - to the contrary, most of them were good.

So what about 2016?  What's going to be different?  Well... I don't really believe in resolutions.  But I do believe in changing your life for the better.  So that's my goal - to do little things that change my life for the better.  I mean, my life is pretty good (despite all my complaints to the contrary) so we aren't talking a total life overhaul here.  And while many of these goals are private (please... I am NOT sharing all my dirty little secrets with the world) - there are a few that I can share:

• Think less. Turns out that anyone who knows me even a little bit, knows that I am an over thinker.  Seriously.  I can turn almost any situation into a life-ending tragedy in my brain. My brain is the supreme pessimist. I don't know when I stopped trusting my instincts and started overanalyzing. So... 2016 is the year to stop it. Breathe. Trust. Let go. And just see what happens.
• Disconnect from social media. Let's call this more of a social experiment than a goal for the year.  For the month of January - I am deleting Facebook from my phone (I'll still have access to it via computer and/or iPad - so I won't go totally off the grid.).  I've read several articles about how social media affects the way we see ourselves - and I feel like having it at my fingertips 24/7 is just too much. So... I'm giving it up for January.  Maybe for longer.  We'll see how I do.  So far, I'm on day four and I haven't caved yet.  Stay tuned.
• Travel more.  I don't care if it's a day trip to the coast or a weekend trip to eastern WA or a weeklong trip to Central America.  I just want to get out of the city more. Seattle is bustling and I think is probably a top contributor to what makes me anxious sometimes.  Sitting in traffic and dealing with being surrounded by people all that time can be exhausting and I am just not built like that. I love the city, I really do - but I find that I'm happier when I can get away from it all.
• Make my bed every day. Why? Discipline, that's why.  Don't worry that the last two days - Grace has totally removed the throw pillows from it when she wants to snuggle up - but at least I can say that I've tried.  (And to clarify, it's not like I was a delinquent before who never made the bed - I usually do. I'm just making the concentrated effort to take the extra minute before work to do it correctly, throw pillows and all. I know... I'm weird. Whatever. I'm okay with it.)

And so here we go.  Let's have an adventure.    

And on to 2014!

Do you ever have one of those moments where you look around and think 'Holy Crap!!! It's 2014?!?! When did that happen?!?!?!'.  Ummmm... No?  Hmmm... 

Well.  I did.  Yesterday and today I've been pretty darn shocked that it's 2014 already.  And I'm pretty excited about it.  2014 is going to be my year.  It's totally in the bag.  I saw this yesterday and yes... just yes... 

It's going to be a good year.  I refuse to settle for anything less.  

So... what's up on the priority list for 2014?  I don't really do resolutions - that just seems to set me up for failure.  But I do have priorities for this year... most are private (as they should be!) but here are a few that I'm willing to share: 

• Call my grandpa more often.  There will come a time when he won't be around to talk to - I want to make sure I take advantage of him while he's just a phone call away.
• Be more organized and keep my house clean.  It's so easy for me to get cluttery (is that a word?!) - time to be a real adult... with an organization system. 
• Spend more time in the kitchen.  In 2013, this came in waves - but since I've moved into my house - I really haven't cooked a whole lot.  I'm doing this in 2014!
• Blog more.  You are welcome. 

Okay... enough about my 2014 goals.  I wish that I had something awesome else to say... but I don't.  It's been a slow couple of weeks. I did do the Polar Bear Plunge yesterday - that was awesome.  Even though I'll be the first to admit that I chickened out and didn't put my head under.  I learned two important lessons of polar bear plunges: 1) Wear shoes, and 2) Don't stop moving when you hit the water.  Next year, I'm going all in. 

Merry Christmas Y'All!

Merry Christmas y'all! Tis the season - the presents have been unwrapped, the annual Molle Mexican food fiesta is in the oven, 'A Christmas Story' has been watched at least twice, and I'm drinking my 2pm glass of wine (don't judge me - it's a holiday). 

This time of year can be incredibly stressful for some people - myself included (hence the 2pm glass of wine).  I think it's very easy for people to review the last year and start to panic about all the things left undone, messed up, or not yet started.  It's even easier when you start to add massive amounts of family time into that and all the inevitable questions that come from great aunt Shirley, like - why aren't you married?  how is your job?  why can't you deadlift 300 pounds yet? yada, yada, yada.  (For the record, I don't have a great Aunt Shirley - but I do picture the voice in my head sometimes.  And if I did have a great Aunt Shirley - she'd probably not ask me about my deadlift.)

So... instead of thinking of the unfinished, questionable, and bad things from 2013 - I've decided to take a minute to review what went well.  So... here are some of the highlights of 2013:

• Started the year with friends in Tahoe. Fabulous trip.  Got back to Seattle just in time to do my first CrossFit competition.  Didn't do well but had an awesome time.  Also, didn't die.  Victory!
• Became a CrossFit coach.  Scary but fabulous.  So glad I did it.  
• Ran Tough Mudder Whistler.  Okay... by ran, I really mean ran/walked/complained for 13 miles.  But didn't die. Victory!  (And now that I've forgotten how badly it hurt, I would totally do it again.) 
• Bought a house and rescued a dog.  Pretty much turned my life upside down.
• Competed in my first solo CrossFit competition (Bacon Beatdown).  Didn't do bad.  Didn't do well.  But didn't die.  Came in right in the middle.  Victory!
• Competed in my third CrossFit competition with a team of friends - did well!  Didn't win. Didn't even feel close to dying.  Victory!
• Left my job.  Am taking early retirement.  (Just kidding.  I'm totally looking for another job.)

So... instead of being stressed about all your 2013 to-dos that have been left undone - how about you take a minute to make your own highlight list?  Look forward to 2014 and a chance to get it all done.  That's what I'm doing anyways. 

What Are You Thankful For?

Happy Thanksgiving y'all!  Today's the day when we gather with our family and friends to salivate in the kitchen for hours and then eat ourselves into a tryptophan-induced coma while watching too much football and drinking too many cocktails. (What? That's not the norm for you?)

Check it.  I made a turkey.  It's a mini turkey.  But a turkey nonetheless.

While you are spending your time overindulging, I hope that you are also able to take a second to be thankful (after all - that is the reason for the day.  Contrary to popular belief, it's not just the day before Black Friday.). Today, we will eat more food than some people get to see in a month and we are safe and warm in our homes surrounded by loved ones.  There are a lot of things that aren't perfect - but today, instead of complaining, try to embrace the things that are pretty darn good. 

Today, I'm thankful for a lot.  My parents are here to share the holiday with me and help me with things around the house which is much appreciated.  They brought their adorable puppy who makes everything just a little bit better (I mean, really, EVERYTHING is better with a puppy).  The Cowboys are losing (scratch that, the Cowboys won. Damnit.).  I've managed to not burn down my house while cooking Thanksgiving dinner (although it was touch and go for a bit). I have the best friends in the world (you know who you are!) - you keep me sane, you deal with my neurosis and you are just generally the best.  I'm pretty much just thankful to have the life that I have.  No, it's not always perfect (it's actually usually a hot mess) but it is what it is and I'm making the best of it!

So... what are you thankful for? 

A CrossFit Girl's Guide to Surviving the Holidays

Tis the season. For crazy food consumption, lots and lots of drinking, sequins and sparkles, and mistletoe (oh please, let there be mistletoe!). From tomorrow (Thanksgiving) until the second weekend in January, I will eat approximately my body weight in food (and not healthy food) and drink at least that many holiday themed beverages - come'on, red wine is totally holiday themed.  Red?  Duh. 

How is a girl to manage all the food and crazy holiday party business without putting on 10lbs of sugar/bready/non-paleo diet weight?  Good freaking question.  For the next two months, here are my general life goals:

• Make time to workout at least three times a week. 
• Pass on the bread bowl.  I'm definitely not going to skip on all of the next two months of sweets/breads/holiday goodness - that's torture.  But... I can pass on the breadbowl.  
• Social drinking only!  There are enough social events for the next two months that I'm literally running around several days a week.  (Just for clarification sake - 'social' only has to entail one other person. I don't want to set the standard too high.)

In other words - try not to do what I do every other year - gorge on sweets, drink too much, and abstain from athletic activity. (I say this as I am making candied yams.  Pretty much my favorite dish ever with only three ingredients - yams, brown sugar and butter.  Delicious.  And awful for me.  AND... I didn't go to the gym today. Winning!) 

I'm also hosting Thanksgiving this year.  First Thanksgiving in my new house.  My folks are here from MT and they brought their adorable, 8-week old puppy.  She's really so ridiculously cute and is having a blast jumping all over my dogs head.  If anyone wants to join the chaos - we'll have plenty of food (and I've got enough booze to survive the zombie apocalypse) and I can bribe you with an adorable puppy to play with. 

See?  Who can say no to this face?!