*insert heart emojis*

Pic of the Week

Another beautiful view from a hike.  This is actually the start of this hike.  It winds up into the mountains, crisscrossing a charming little stream, to the opening of an abandoned gold mine.  The city you see in the picture is Altadena, just north of Pasadena.

What's going on?

Happy Valentine's Day!  Whether the love of your life is a person, or a dessert, I hope you find a reason to celebrate love today.  

What an exciting week around these parts.  I finished and framed a puzzle, potted some baby spider plants, bought some produce at the farmer's market, got lectured by my 22-yr-old roommate via text about how and why to be a good roommate (yes, I later let her know that I didn't need to be lectured about such things), and booked myself a few days away in Morro Bay for next weekend.  Just a thrill a minute.  

At the beginning of the year I signed up for a running/walking challenge.  500 miles during 2021.  So far I'm already up to about 150, so I think I'll be reaching that goal this year.  Yesterday's hike alone was nearly 9 miles.

Along those lines, I took a couple of nice long bike rides this week.  I think I've written before about the bike path near my apartment that goes down to the beach.  I did a little reading and learned that while riding my bike like I normally do, I burn about 10 calories a minute.  So a 90-min bike ride burns 900 calories!  I did that twice this week, but the second time happened to be on a windy day.  I didn't realize how windy it was until I turned around to come home.  I was biking directly into the wind for at least a good half hour.  Killed me.  But then I ate a bunch of delicious things because I could.  😂

Another week of pandemic life down, hopefully not too many of these left.

What I'm watching

A sobering look at the history of voting rights in America.  Highly recommended.  It even has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.

What I'm reading

This book is great.  It basically shows how the world we're living in - while still beset with plenty of problems to solve - has vastly improved in nearly every measurable way (crime, education, infant mortality, poverty, etc.) since we started paying attention to such things.  The author makes a point of saying that this isn't a reason to stop improving things, but perhaps it is a reason to take a breath and realize that things have been improving and will continue to do so, so we can keep working on those problems with a brighter outlook.  

 

What I'm listening to

A Thoughtful Faith, Episode 354: The Spiritual Practice of Earth Care. A conversation about how taking care of the Earth is something we should care about as Christians, along with a few practical suggestions about how to do that better.  This is something I have long felt, and I am often confused when Christians are not only indifferent about, but sometimes actively against environmentalism/conservation/etc.

Febrrerarrirriary

Pic of the Week

Beautiful weather for a hike today, so I took advantage.  Always love some nature church.  Another stunning view looking out over the pacific ocean - though it's covered in clouds here. 

What's going on?

Happy first week of February!  This year seems to be flying by already. And every day closer to normalcy.  

I got my second dose of vaccine this week.  I got the Pfizer vaccine, and my second dose was entirely uneventful. I know lots of people who have been knocked out by their second dose, but other than a slightly sore arm, I didn't have any side effects whatsoever.  So I guess if you get a choice, go for Pfizer. 

Other than that, just a regular old regular week. I got to see some friends for park picnics, and it was great to get some social interaction. 

What I'm watching

 

Wasn't necessarily super jazzed about this show, but I heard good things from friends, so I checked it out.  It's pretty clever and lots of fun to watch.

What I'm reading

28 Days of Black History.  "A virtual exhibition of 28 works that celebrate Black legacy in the U.S."  Artwork, plays, literature, poetry, etc. delivered to your inbox daily to give some much-needed perspective to our history. 

 

What I'm cooking

Quick mole sauce. Mole sauce (pronounced mo-lay) is a Oaxacan (wuh-HA-cuh) thing, and it's delicious.  Just put it on everything.  This recipe makes a full quart of sauce, so maybe cut it down.  I adjusted it to have no jalapeno - cuz I don't like spicy food - I added an extra tablespoon of cocoa powder and added in some honey.  So far I've put it on chicken, couscous, meatballs, and potatoes.  Lovely all around.

Yer all wet.

Pic of the Week

It was raining on Friday and it made me really want to be at Disneyland.  *sigh* One day we may be able to return.  Until then, I'll cozy up in my Disneyland sweatshirt.

What's going on?

Copy, paste, repeat.  But this week, add some rain.  In all seriousness, though, time is an illusion and everything is always the same.  I did take advantage of the colder weather and make some soup this week.  :)

AND hard to believe January is over.  One month closer to getting back to normal.

I've been trying to be more mindful of what I'm eating the last month or so - paying attention to calorie intake, making sure to get tons of vegetables in my meals, avoiding treats etc.  It's been really great.  Yesterday I did the long bike ride again - it's 36 miles round trip - with a friend.  With my calorie goals for the day, and the expenditure of calories on the bike ride (I burned somewhere around 1,500), I had 4,000 calories to play with for the day.  That's a lot of food!  I went a little wild, and my body was like..."What are you doing?!" and gave me heartburn in the middle of the night.  Super fun.  Anyway, it's nice to know that my body is responding positively to the healthier lifestyle.  Let's keep it up, y'all!

What I'm watching

Haven't seen the original Avengers in a hot minute.  It was fun to revisit it. 

What I'm cooking

Crispy gnocchi salad with spring vegetables.  This recipe was SO good.  Especially the fennel seed lemon dressing that you put on it.  TASTY.  I will say that cutting the zucchini into ribbons was a bit of an unnecessary pain in the butt, and if I make it again - which I almost certainly will - I'll just chop them up like I would when sauteing or roasting them.  

15-min mushroom and tarragon stroganoff.  If you like mushrooms, this was quick and super delicious.  If you don't like mushrooms, it's still quick!  I added some bacon on top just for fun.

Hail to the Chief

Pic of the Week

The end of the bike path.  Took a little ride this morning and it was a perfect day.  There is a bike path along the beach and this is where it ends.  It's about a 36-mile round trip from my apartment.  Took me about 3 and a half hours with a snack break here.  

What's going on?

We have a new president!  Cue the collective sigh of relief. I know not everyone agrees with his politics, or even thinks he's a decent human being, but you have to admit it's nice to have someone in the white house who at the very least believes in science. 

These pandemic weeks are all starting to blend together.  Ya know?  Since Monday was a holiday, the weather was unbeatable, and I had nothing going on, I decided to take the ol' paddle board out again.  This time I went for a good couple of hours and it was a delight.  

The rest of the week was...entirely uneventful. I did find out that I qualified for unemployment, so that'll be nice until the work opportunities pick up again. Other than that, I'm trying to get outside, not stare at a screen too much, and continue to wear a mask.

What I'm watching

Can't necessarily recommend this one to everyone, but it was delightful fun. Kind of a mish-mash of 80's over-the-top horror, power rangers, and bizarre comedy. 

What I'm listening to

This week's episode of the Criminal podcast features Sister Helen, a well-known nun who has found herself at the forefront of the death penalty.  She shares some incredible perspective here.

What I'm reading

This is the second book in the Shadowshaper series.  It's about a girl in the Bronx who can put the spirits of the dead into artwork.  Pretty good read.

What I'm cooking

Couple of recipes caught my eye this week:

Broccoli Soup with Mac and Cheese.  This was actually really tasty.  And a much healthier option than just a giant bowl of mac and cheese, while still delivering that comfort food feeling.  I made enough soup for two meals, but only enough mac and cheese for one.  The next day I added sauteed mushrooms and zucchini and a little chicken apple sausage to the soup and it was equally delicious.

Rice Cooker Pancake.  Stumbled on this beauty on Instagram. Basically, you make pancake batter and put it in the rice cooker, then set the timer and go about your business.  I did mine in my Instant Pot and it was a little smaller, both because I have the Instant Pot Mini and because I did a smaller recipe, but it was tasty.  It does take 45 minutes to cook, so for me just making a stack of pancakes would be a lot faster, but it is nice to set it and forget it.  I think I might try a bigger one this week.

A decade!

Pic of the Week

I went paddle boarding yesterday because it was 80 degrees and, though you can't see him very well, I ran into a giant bull harbor seal.  I didn't want to get much closer because I'm all about not disturbing animals and what not.  

What's going on?

Can't believe I forgot to write about this last week, but I have now officially been in Los Angeles for 10 years!  10!!!  That is bananas to me.  I don't know what I imagined long-term when moving to LA, but the last 10 years has certainly been an adventure.  😂 I have never lived anywhere longer.  Consecutively, at least.  Technically I lived in Salt Lake for 11 years, but that was split between two very different times in my life. And what a decade it's been.  In the last ten years I:

Lived in 4 different apartments with 7 different roommates.

Bought a scooter.

Put nearly 70,000 miles on that scooter.

Was on 3 TV shows.

Was in 14 commercials, that I remember.

Worked 14 part-time jobs, that I remember.

Auditioned for hundreds of projects.

Had 4 different primary care physicians.

Crashed my scooter twice.

Broke one bone.

Worked with a Goonie.

Lost my mom.

Learned to paddle board.

Discovered SO MANY places to get a good cookie.

Gained 25 pounds.

Stopped going to church.

Visited 9 countries outside the US.

Rode the world's largest rope swing.

Rode a boat on the Nile.

Rode a camel around the pyramids.

Watched flamenco dancers in Spain.

Pet a tiger.

Swam in the Indian Ocean.

Saw the sun rise over Machu Picchu.

Lived through a pandemic.

Landed and shortly thereafter lost the job of my dreams.

Toured to 9 states with Story Pirates.

Built furniture.

Voted in 3 presidential elections.

Created and performed a show with the Utah Symphony.

Watched Elton John in a private concert in a random back yard in Beverly Hills.

Bought a Movie Pass and milked it for all it was worth before the company went belly-up.

Volunteered with 6 different non-profit organizations.

Got SO MANY gray hairs.

Grew a handle-bar mustache.

Discovered that I do not like coffee.

Slept in a hammock for 5 years.

Had 8 birthday beach bonfires (I think).

Had my first root canal.

Ran a half marathon.

Got into house plants.

Had three sets of head shots.

Got two celebrity phone numbers (Elizabeth Berkeley, and Don Swayze).

Sold my condo.

Established some new traditions.

Pretty much continuously had an annual pass to Disneyland.

Performed in 5 plays.

Joined the Screen Actors Guild.

Entered my 30s.

Got into podcasts.

Made a bunch of friends.

Built a life.

And oh so very much more.  

Only other event of note this week is that I got vaccinated!  I technically work for the UCLA medical school (in one of those numerous part-time jobs I have) and somehow that got me in line, and who am I to say no?

What I'm watching

This was VERY good, but not for the faint of heart.  There's a twist ending, and the film doesn't go in the direction you think it will, and they don't pull any punches, but I think it's going to start some important conversations.  

What I'm listening to

Jameela Jamil is a POWERHOUSE and I cannot get enough of her.  Even though I hate her just a little bit because she's one of those people who just sort of feel into a successful acting career with essentially no pavement pounding.  She decided to move to US from London for a change of scenery and her very first audition in LA was for The Good Place.  Regardless, she is changing the world.  I highly recommend following her on Instagram if you're not already.  Anyway, her podcast deals with body image issues, diet culture, societal expectations etc.  This week's episode is with Celeste Barber who has one of the funniest Instagram accounts around.  She parodies photos and videos of models.  Language warning for this one.  Regardless, it's worth a listen.

Emerging like a butterfly

Pic of the Week

Discovered this little guy while out for a walk.  Nature's pretty cool.

What's going on?

Honestly?  Nothing.  I currently have one tutoring student, and the kid I nanny and that's about it for work. Outside of that, I'm reading, watching TV, exercising, and trying to stay away from people as much as possible because Southern California is apparently THE COVID hot spot at the moment.  They say 1 in 10 Angelenos has now tested positive for COVID. What a dream. 

And how about that unrest in the capitol, eh?  If only we could have seen that coming. What a time to be alive.  

What I'm watching

This was entertaining, but not very good.  

What I'm reading

This is like, mystery, crime, and a little sci-fi all rolled into one.  Intriguing premise that I don't want to spoil because of how it unfolds in the story.  But if you're into crime novels or podcasts or TV shows, check it out!

And a happy new year!

Pic of the Week

Just a little trip to the beach.  That means something entirely different in the winter in Oregon.  😂

Quote of the Week

GREG IS AWESOME!

-Parent of a kid who was attending the New Year's Eve camp I was teaching with Story Pirates.  Always nice to get positive feedback.  :)

What's going on?

We did it! We survived 2020!  Let's all take a collective breath.

I spent the week in Oregon playing games, reading, enjoying the view, watching movies, and eating WAY too much.  It was perfect. 

I'm back in LA where COVID is running RAMPANT, so I will be spending almost all of my time at home.  Hopefully I can find some good shows to watch.  Any suggestions?

No goals or resolutions for the new year, really.  Partly because so much is still up in the air, so it's hard to plan anything, ya know?  I wanna eat a little healthier, and maybe get serious about picking up guitar, do more hiking, but we'll see.  

What I'm watching

Honestly, the British just know what they're doing when it comes to TV.  Aunt Melissa turned me on to this one and I'm hooked.  In the season I watched, that blue-eyed ginger up there had a mustache and I think I prefer it.  

What I'm reading

Aunt Melissa also turned me on to this one, though a couple of other people have recommended it as well.  It's BEAUTIFUL.  Had me in tears several times.  Tender, magical, hopeful, funny, a true delight.  Now I guess I'll have to dive in to all of his other books.