The Best of 2011

I don't guess I've ever gotten to the end of a year and thought, "What a crock! That year sucked!" In fact, while the days may sometimes be longer than I'd like, the years are getting quicker and better. A lot quicker, and a lot better.

This year, however...this year has been extra special. Without further ado, here are the highlights (in order of how they come to my memory, which might be in order of importance, or impact...I don't know):

1. My first marathon

2. Going to Alaska

3. Post-Run Brunches

4. Meeting my 323 girls

5. Monthly Book Clubs

6. Going to Canada a couple times (pre-return to blogging)

7. Running with Kenyan Way

8. Having more time for these guys:

9. Going on some dates with a couple really cool guys...and deciding potential relationships aren't what I'm interested in right now.

10. All the fun people I've met by choosing single life

11. Finally getting my windshield fixed after, like, 2 years

12. Returning to the blogosphere

13. Having time for books. Lots and lots of glorious books

14. Getting a juicer

15. Getting into grad school (Oh yeah! I keep forgetting!)

16. Meeting my new therapist, Carole. So, so thankful for her!

17. My kindle

18. Bridesmaids

18. Breaking Bad, American Horror Story, Big Bang Theory and New Girl

19. Learning more and more and more about Houston

20. And last but not least...

                                                                             ....All the froyos in the world!

I hope your year has been everything and more you wished for, and I'll be wishing all the best for you in the new year!

Absences

Hello, friends and family!

Has everyone enjoyed the holidays? I've spent mine doing all my favorite things - hanging out with friends, reading, watching movies, cooking, journaling, napping, running, spending time with Jillian, prepping for 2012 and being with family.

In the spirit of soaking it all in, I haven't taken too many pictures, but I'd like to share with you some of the things I've been up to over the break...

First.

Okay, where to start? I haven't read the books. I don't plan to. I haven't seen the swedish versions. I don't plan to. And I probably won't see any of the sequels, especially not if they're 3 hours long too.

But good heavens, what an intense movie! There were a handful of scenes that I honestly couldn't handle, but in spite of myself I guess I really liked this movie. The hardest part of this franchise for me is knowing that really gruesome, grotesque stuff actually happens to people in real life. It's hard enough to watch in a fictional setting, but it's even harder knowing that that stuff really goes on. It's a little different watching Mission Impossible 4 or The Descendants (at least for me); I guess sexual crimes are just so appalling and on-another-level that I had a really hard time passively watching this film.

Um, and it was 3 hours.

Also, I really liked Rooney Mara's hair. I think I'm just getting way overly antsy for this Locks of Love do-goodery to come to an end. Chop, chop!

I also finished our book club book:

Loving Frank by Nancy Horan

A note about book club: I love it. It's been one of my favorite parts of 2011. But we do not read books I enjoy. If they're not about Nazi's, they're about medical minutia; if they're not about military history, they're about adultery (insert Loving Frank). That being said, I read this book like a champ because Ninja reminded me that book club serves as a horizon-expander, a culture-provider, a...reason for us girls to get together and drink wine. So I read through the adultery, through the abandonment of children, through to the ending of the book which astonishingly blew. my. mind. I hate to recommend a book based on the very, very end alone, but the conclusion of Frank Lloyd Wright's affair with Mamah was unusual to say the least. And the fact that it's historical makes it even more compelling. Good stuff, book club. You pull through again.

I've spent a good deal of time running, at the gym, and with this woman:

I love it when you're angry, Jill! Grrrr!

I spent Christmas eve at the San Marcos outlets in New Braunfels, Christmas day in San Antonio, and then we high-tailed it back to Houston. I'm just soaking up these next five days of freedom. I hope you've enjoyed the holidays as well!

Movie Weekend

I saw two movies this weekend.

I'll skip the niceties. Sherlock Holmes 2 was not for me. There was zero romance, and it wasn't that funny. Sherlock Holmes was not an action figure. He was brainy and clever; he wasn't James freakin' Bond. Anyway.

Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead was quite intriguing. It wasn't the highest quality documentary I've ever seen, but it piqued my interest, especially the idea of doing a 10 day "Reboot" fruit and vegetable juice fast. There were three main "characters" in the film: Joe Cross - the guy who decided he was tired of being fat, sick and nearly dead so he went on a vegetable juice fast and lost over 80 pounds, a woman who does the Reboot for 10 days, and Phil Riverstone - who went from 430 pounds to 220 pounds starting with a juice fast then switching to a totally micronutrient diet.

Looking very good, Joe Cross!

The movie has me seriously contemplating doing the 10 day Reboot. The documentary made it seem like the first three days are Hell but then you start to feel amazing and incredibly energetic.

...I could go for that. There's nothing better than a little torture with a great payoff at the end.

Speaking of which, I'm off for a date with Jillian!

Terrify me some more! You're scary!

Planet Earth

I might be jumping the gun on this, but I figured I made it 11 months and 16 days with this guy before spilling a whole Nalgene full of water all over it. Today, a tsunami hit Planet Earth. Time to retire my 2011 calendar.

Of all calendar years, 2011 has seen the most action, the most highs and lows, the most losses and successes. I'm thankful for all the life experience and thicker skin and strength and tenderness, but I'm pretty happy to chuck the day-by-day reminders of every twist and turn.

On another note, book review time!

I'm obsessed.

Then Again by Diane Keaton

There are some books you want to read slowly so they don't end, but you can't help yourself because they're so good! To me, this is one of those books. I limit myself to tiny morsels every night.

It's part- her mother's journal entries, part- her own writing. She's so unabashedly honest, and I admire her for that. She writes very candidly about how much she loved and still loves Woody Allen.

You're so beautiful!

I've pretty much decided to take the Diane Keaton approach to life until otherwise inclined. She's been a bachelorette her entire life and then adopted kids at age 50. She clearly loved immensely and has had an amazing, adventurous, fulfilled, love-filled life. She's so eccentric and esteemed for her eccentricities.

I hope she writes a sequel. And I'm definitely watching Something's Gotta Give tonight. 

There Really is No Place Like Homer (AK)

Well, tomorrow is my last day in Alaska. Insert heavy sighs and frowny faces.

We made a beautiful trek to Anchorage today, and the views were truly breath-taking. If a jaunt to Alaska is not on your bucket list, please add it immediately (and I am very particular about bucket lists, so I would not lead you astray on this matter)!

Here are some random photos from the trip...

Sophiedog, mascot of my adventure!

Lauren and her furry love. A match made in doggy heaven!

Hahaha love it!

Have YOU ever been to a frozen beach?

I have. (Sidenote: before this trip I had full intentions of joining the polar bear club while here. See all my winter garb? That stayed on practically 24/7. There was no polar bear clubbin'.)

Love you, adventurous friend!

The trip was not without some unexpected excitement.

This was taken off highway AK1. The whole trip was dreamy.

Thanks for hosting me, beautiful girl!

This vacation has been the least stressful, most relaxing trip I've taken all year. We've watched movies, slept no less than 10 hours each night, declared our loves for Seth Meyers (Lauren) and Kermit the Frog (Me) (booze may have been involved), tooled around a freezing cold town and eaten ridiculously amazing food. A girl could used to this! Save me a place on your couch, Lauren!

I'm flying out Tuesday at 1 am, back to my little boys, back to balmy Houston...

and then...

it's MARATHON TIME, BABYYYY!!!!

A Down Homer Thanksgiving

What do you bring to Thanksgiving when you're in Alaska and don't have an oven? Truffles, DUH!

Lauren workin her magic, makin truffles!



Me workin my muscles, makin a mess!

These were the bomb. The Thanksgiving, chocolate-covered-oreo+cream cheese bomb.

Last night we had a blast at a Displaced Thanksgiving potluck, and Lauren made her most amazing Oreo truffles. I ate more than my fair share...a few times over.

Homer continues to blow my mind. Fortunately the internet is hella slow so I can't even upload all the pictures I've taken that would make everyone want to move up here stat. It's unreal, fo real. I love it!

Oops gotta go. Elf is on TV. Hey, Thanksgiving's over, and it gets dark at 5 pm here. Let the Christmas flicks roll!

Kindly remember:

1. Treat everyday like Christmas.

2. There's room for everyone on the nice list.

3. The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!

3 sticks of butter and some sausage balls later...

Well, Thanksgiving is in full swing. I decided four Thanksgivings would be just about right for me this year: work, church, family and Lauren.

This little gem from Nothing Bundt Cakes was the crowning glory of Worksgiving. Don't get me wrong, there was a whole conference room of food, but this little cake cutie with its icing toupe just stole my heart.

Who's the cutest little lemon bundt cake? You are! You are!

Seriously, it was stupid delicious. First Thanksgiving: success.

This morning, I ran a dreaded 10 miler. At this point, little runs like this are so mentally draining, I consider running more just to make it worth my while. Every step sucked.

Consequently, I learned how much I operate on rewards-based systems. For example, this was my 10 mile reward:

Pizzafest at 8:30 in the morning, followed by a healthy dose of Kindle action....

...With these two squishies by my side. (Ummm we keep a stepladder in our kitchen because it turns out really tall kitchen cabinets are kind of a pain for short people).

Two naps and a PBJ later, it was time to get to work on my contribution to Thanksgiving #2: church.

Pumpkin pie bites that admittedly do not look delicious but that definitely delivered to the t-buds

And blurry chocolate chip cheesecake cups. (I AM NOT A FOOD BLOGGER.)

I baked, and sampled, and baked, and melted butter, and popped chocolate chips, and baked all afternoon. Roger and Benny loved it. I loved it. We turned on this movie:

And then we almost immediately turned it off. Super sucked. I HATE seeing boobs in movies. I'll spare you my rant on modesty and stuff; suffice it to say, I have strong feelings on the subject. Movie, off.

So, then it was time to leave.

Insert puggy guilt.

Oh, but before I left, I dropped the entire platter of mini pumpkin pie bites FTW. Thanksgiving curses and bah-humbugging ensued.

Thankschurching was legit. I was almost never without a sausage ball the entire time I was there. That's when you know something beautiful is going down. Speaking of beautiful...

Inger C - Capitan of the ladies of 323. Rockin' the specs!

Sauuuusaageee Baaaalllls (bottom right). Works of art.

Crystal M. Resident athletic badass.

Just making ourselves at home! What? It's THANKSGIVING for pete's sake! (Hey, fellas, lookin' for two hot dates?)

Yayyy Bible study girls!

Dear Monica, with your cute haircut and your brand spankin new 20 miler, you make me laugh. Or whatever this is.

Thanksgiving #2: even better than the first. I have high hopes for tomorrow and next week.

Austin with the family for T#3.

Alaska with Lauren for T#4.

Go holiday or go home. I'm goin' holiday all the way, behbeh!