2 out of 7

lust and gluttony. i have perfected these 2 deadly sins, just in the last 48 hours. however i think 2 new sins should be added to the mix. cancer and exhusbands. how can 2 things that bring so much pain not be on a list somewhere? well i'm starting the list, and they're at the top.

onto lust . . . my lust is 2-fold. i lust boxing, not just love, but i lust it. i also lust over my trainer. my friend e calls my lust at the boxing gym foreplay. she's right. sister s has suggested that i use an updated "do you like me, check yes or no" version of a lust note.

then there's gluttony. champagne on a nice san francisco day, followed by this little slice of heaven described in 2 words: s'mores nachos

happy feet

i love my new cupcake wellies that have been keeping me dry and happy on gray, rainy days in san francisco. at $20 from target, what could make a person happier?
these puppies could possibly make me happier, but over 11 times the cost of my wellies, i'll be making deposits to my piggy bank for a long while. i am in love though. maybe more than my valentines crush.

viking jello shake and bake

raspberry oatmeal bars
peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies
coconut macaroons (pre-chocolate)
rainy days in san francisco means lot's of free time inside and what better hobby than to bake, bake and bake! i made raspberry oatmeal bars and macaroons for my friend johnny's birthday on saturday night, and decided to bake some more cookies and macaroons on sunday. everything turned out great thanks to using unsalted butter in the cookies, parchment paper, and applesauce in place of some of the butter. i am hoping to figure out more tricks of the trade as i become a better baker.

i also slipped in a batch of jello shots, which i served on a sword, for the viking themed birthday party.

back on the horse

two years ago i began my road to recovery via knee surgery (x5) after injuring my knee snowboarding. eighteen months of rehab later, the surgery had been a success and i finally had a healthy knee.
fast forward to the end of 2007, my acl had stretched (aka failed) and i have newly torn cartilage. despite the disappointment, my doctor gave me the go ahead to press on for the next 6 months, using my knee brace as my acl in what my friend C likes to call "the livin' it up liver transplant theory." it's based on, if you need a new liver and you are next on the list to receive one, you drink your face off in the meantime, since you are getting a new liver and all. i will eventually have to have another knee surgery for the cartilage, so might as well go balls out in the meantime, right?
this past weekend i got back on the horse and clicked into my bindings. my brother, sister-in-law, and friends were in tahoe skiing which gave me the perfect reason to give snowboarding another try. it must have been that competitiveness with my older brother that runs so deeply which was part of my goal. there was no way i was going to chicken out, or at the very least i was going to put on all of the gear, get myself to the top of the mountain and chicken out.
i did it. i snowboarded all day saturday. my quads, calves, knees, hips, feet, ankles, neck, lower back, and wrists ached at little, thankfully not all at the same time.
saturday night as i was going to sleep, getting ready for day 2 of snowboarding i thought about ways to remedy my aching muscles. i thought about how sore i was going to be the next morning. i also thought of the great review i had read for a nearby spa.
i did it. i got a massage, relaxed in the steamroom and sauna, ate my favorite fish tacos for lunch, browsed the candy apples at the rocky mountain chocolate factory, settled in for a big bucket of popcorn at the movies smiling the whole time watching step up 2, and had a beer with my friend C overlooking lake tahoe.
youth tells us to get back on the horse that bucks you off. being 30 gives us the tiny amount of wisdom needed to feel accomplished after sitting on the saddle, going for a short ride, and retiring from riding completely so we can instead enjoy relaxing back at the saloon. only one beer though, i don't want to put the liver transplant theory to use again anytime soon.

be my valentine

i wonder if this is subtle enough to keep my secret crush undercover?

demo derby

i dropped my car off at the body shop today to get the repairs done from last week's accident. holy demolition derby! there were banged up cars everywhere, a warehouse type building full of prius', golfs, camry's . . . it was interesting to walk around and see how various types of cars held up in an accident, and which cars i wouldn't have wanted to be in at the time of impact. i'm grateful that the poor deer didn't end up in my passenger seat as my copilot.
on a different note, i get my tattoo completed tomorrow. i'm still trying to decide if i should add 5 or 6 more triangles on the lower part of the tat, who would of thought that this is the hardest decision of the whole project, how to keep my polynesian design from looking like that warehouse mess i saw today, but with triangles and shapes.

brownie points

i am not sure how the food bloggers take such beautiful photos of their food, because my kitchen never looks that clean after i bake and i've never taken a digital photography class on food lighting. this is my best shot at a brownie bake off that i held tonight, comparing two recipes in search of the world's best brownie.
i had time to do a dress rehearsal for the brownies that i plan on baking for my new crush for this upcoming valentine's day. i'm not sure that he knows that he's my valentine, but he will after these brownie points.
maybe things will unfold as described in the "fight to him, kiss to him" poetry from this scene in million dollar baby.

self-pity time management

i played tourist today in my own city by heading down to golden gate park for a hike and bike ride in the 60 degree sunshine. i started at stow lake and hiked up strawberry hill for a gorgeous view of the city, including the transamerica building, golden gate bridge and pacific ocean. after dodging all of the brownie troops out getting their wilderness badge, and passing the turtles on the lake, i selected a bright blue cruiser bike that took me to ocean beach and back. i think it's the "active" and "relax" aspect that i love in a cruiser.

i slid into the gates of the japanese tea garden just in time to enjoy a pot of green tea and to eat my fortune cookie. i strolled around the gardens after my tea and just as i was about to go down some steps to my favorite part of the garden, i noticed a woman in a wheelchair and looked around for the ramp, letting her down to the koi pond. there wasn't a ramp and no possible way for her to get down to the water, or stone zen garden, or cherry blossom looking tree that was so colorful. i thought how much that sucks, and felt how lucky i am to be able to walk and enjoy a day like this.

i've been complaining a little in the last week about having to undergo another knee surgery, getting doctor's opinions, weighing my options, being fearful about snowboarding next weekend, wondering if i should snowboard, feeling sick of the knee brace that i wear to boxing already. in that moment i decided, "i will never complain about my knee or my physical abilities again." to say "never complain" is a big promise to uphold with myself, but i will certainly try to think of that moment in the tea garden before spending any length of time feeling sorry for myself.

speaking of time management, i laughed at this article while waiting for my bus ride home. coincidence maybe.

Go-Getter Eliminates Two Steps From Grieving Process

phys ed

i wasn't sure if it was possible to find a boxing gym that i love more than eddie and the guys down at undisputed boxing gym in san carlos. how would i find someone that balances old and new school hip hop and rap, with heavy bags and hand wraps, as well as eddie? i set out to find out in a boxing gym exploration in my new city.
ed at titanium boxing gym in san francisco has been kicking my ass since last tuesday, and i am realizing that you can have two loves in your life. ed gave a good first impression, wearing his bandana and greeting me the first day. no waivers to be signed, just get in the ring and show me your left hook kinda attitude. yes, that's right, i finally have set foot in the ring! and taking shots to the body! ed promised real bodyshots late this week, and not the kind that i took in college. he told us to get a mouthpiece and be prepared to wear headgear, and even groin gear for the lady, we are beginners afterall. in a million dollar baby sort of way, i didn't ask any questions.
there's only 2 other dudes, max, in my midday boxing conditioning class so being the only chick, ed watches out for me but no special treatment from him or ernie, who is also great. ernie is also a no-nonsense, "you rest when you die," sorta trainer.
p.e. always was my favorite class

oh deer

deja vu or intuition? people describe it for me all of the time through my work, the seconds or minute that they think about something bad happening, like a car accident, and then WHAM! it happens.
i was driving home tonight (actually early this morning) after a hellish night at work, and a pretty sucky day in general, when this thought came across my mind at 2:55 a.m. . . . "i wonder if there are a lot of deer out at this hour. i think deer are nocturnal. i'm nocturnal. maybe i should add that to my match.com profile because it's interesting. nah, that's silly, no guy would want to date a nocturnal chick. i'd better pay close attention for deer on the road." about 30 seconds later, as if it was all new to me, a deer, right in front of my car running. i slammed on the brakes but of course it was too late. oh deer.
i called the highway patrol because i was worried about my deer friend, as well as other motorists coming upon an unsuspecting injured (maybe it was just a stinger?!?) animal. i pulled over, my car was a bit bent out of shape. i cried for 30 seconds, waited. i cried for a few minutes, waited.
two highway patrol officers pull up, ask me if i am okay. i ask about the deer. they said, "it's on the roadway, we have to go back and pull it off." i gulp and ask, "is the deer deceased?" they respond, "we think so." oh deer god! go back and check to make sure it's not suffering!
i had to tell the tow truck driver, the insurance claims phone person, the toyota roadside assistance person and the sheriff's officer that pulled off to checkin with me in that next 45 minutes that the deer, was deceased. oh deer. i'm so sorry about the accident. may you rest in peace.