Sunday, August 25, 2013

#1 Attend a UU service in Salem

With the invitation from a new friend we went to the service this morning. It was nice to go, and be a part of a service and it made me think more about wanting kids and wanting to take them to church and be a part of a community. I feel like I yearn for community... I had trouble finding it in NYC because it was just such a big city and it seemed like in order to get involved in things I always had to travel. I want community in my back yard. Well the church is only about a 15 minute drive from where I live now, so that's really not that bad.

The service was done by a visiting minister, I believe that is a tradition in the UU church over the summer. I would like to go again when the minister of the church is speaking. I really enjoy sermons and how they give me something to think about. I think I would enjoy getting that on a weekly basis - as well as a place to practice singing, though it will take some time to learn the songs of this new church that are not the same as the church I grew up in.

That's one more thing I can cross off the bucket list for the Year of 30, but like anything, it is leading to more  thoughts/ambitions/etc. for me to do in the future. I've only been 30 for about a week though so I don't want to add anything else to my already long list! We'll just see where my time/journey takes me!
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Saturday, August 24, 2013

#44 Attend a beerfest in Portland

I just found a full on list of beer fests in Portland so I can begin to figure out which one I'll go to.. there are so many options!

Portlandbeer.org
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Tuesday, August 20, 2013

#17 Voice Lessons

I just returned home from my first voice lesson. It's been suggested a few times from friends who have heard me sing (mainly at church camp) to get voice lessons. I had done it once before with a friend for trade; she gave me a voice lesson and I made dinner, but our lives got in the way of making it a weekly thing.

I found a guy on craigslist with 14 years of experience teaching, high schoolers, in public schools as well as private lessons. My first lesson, and first several lessons, will mostly be vocal exercises. The shape of the mouth, breathing, etc. From doing a few scales he said he could hear that I have/can use my "Head Voice" as well as my "Chest Voice". He also said that (insert probably famous musician's name here) divided the human population into two vocal styles. "Brass" and "Wood" as in brass and wood instruments. And he was excited that my natural range falls into "brass". They tend to have more power in their voice than the "wood" vocals (which I could see, I'm pretty sure my mom has a "wood" voice).

I told him how I've found "my voice" a few times, but don't know how to purposefully achieve it. He asked how old I am and when I told him my birthday was yesterday and this is part of my "Year of 30 Bucketlist", he told me that the vocal chords are one of the last parts of your body to develop fully. And that most opera singers don't hit their prime vocals until their 30s, so I'm starting at the right time!

For now I've agreed to weekly lessons, it's only $20 a week and I can spend that going out to lunch in 2-3 days so I'll just make a swap. Bring food from home for lunch and get a weekly voice lesson!

Now I'm off to play with my puppy, and maybe sing a few scales before Le Boyfriend gets home :)
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Saturday, August 17, 2013

Year of 30 bucket list

I'm turning 30 on Monday. My bucket list for my life tends to get filled up with things that I'm nowhere close to being able to accomplish (Ice Hotel... someday... likely in the very distant future). I decided that I would make a list of things that I will do when I am 30. So here is my list. I think it's very doable, I put it in financial order because finances are my main hurdles

$
  1. Attend a UU service in Salem (completed 8/25/2013)
  2. Go apple picking
  3. Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity
  4. Grind my own flour
  6. Make cheese (need to get the kit)
  8. Run a 10K, Goal time: 1:20 (train with Laura?)
  9. Camp at Silver Falls State Park
  10. Hike at Drift Creek Falls
  11. Go to Multnomah Falls, hike all the way to the top
  12. Kayak or Canoe on a lake (with Charlotte? Mom?)
  13. Do the Portland Bridge Pedal, August second weekend, with B&C and Judy & Bob (train longer bike rides!)
  14. Visit The Oregon Garden
  16. Write a letter to/from my future self. Imagine who I am 10 years from now, what my life is like. What I am like, mentally, physically, what do I enjoy, where am I living?
  17. Get a voice lesson (completed 8/20/2013)
  18. Make a homemade dinner for my mom
  19. Go to rock climbing gym in Portland (got Bouldering coupon, expires in November)
  20. Sew a dress for myself, one I can wear to work (meetings)
  21. Finish (3) paintings (owl, ___, ___ )
  22. Peacock Lane or Zoolights
  23. Go to Buffalo Wild Wings with Nitin and Tyler & Matt
  24. Go to Saturday Market in Portland
  25. Go strawberry picking and make freezer jam
  26. Send a letter to Grandpa, Mom, Dad, Kayanna, Erin, Marissa, Laura, Aimee, Dan & Deb, Mark & Ali
  27. Design a “dream” small (tiny) house and build a physical model of it
  28. Visit Pringle Creek, potentially get involved
  29. Go to a Salem Food Swap
  30. Attend a Toastmasters meeting - possibly get involved
  31. Build a self watering container garden or plant things in a community garden
  32. Bake something fresh for breakfast and bring to work (bagels maybe?)
  33. Take an Archery Lesson http://pacificcrestarchery.com/contact/ (Keizer) Saturdays at 9 or 9:30am $25 for 30min
  34. Make and decorate sugar cookies (royal icing with patterns, details)
  35. Spend a weekend in Springfield helping out with B&C’s garden
$$
  1. Go snowboarding on Mt. Hood or with B&C at Willamette Pass
  2. Paint a serving bowl at Create-a-Memory (can take my time with it)
  3. Go snowboarding at Mt. Bachelor#11 Camp at Champoeg State Park
  4. Do a Whole 30 (one month, whole food, no sugar, no booze) (started Sept 3)(FAILED TO COMPLETE!)
  5. Go to Chocolate Fest in January! Bring cash, a good amount, so I can buy lots!
  6. Host a holiday (Christmas or Thanksgiving or Easter just cause?)
  7. Go shooting with Matt
  8. Visit the Portland Zoo
  9. Attend a Beer festival in Portland
  10. Have a Lord of the Rings marathon party with LOTR inspired food! (do when it’s cold out)
  11. Get haircut from Heidi (11-19-2013 edit: Heidi is in Portland most of the time and it's too hard to get up there on weekdays)
  12. Get legs waxed for the first time
  13. Send a care package to Kayanna (Sent Oct 1st, she posted pictures of her opening it to Facebook!)
  14. Buy and try out food grade silicone mold making for chocolates
  15. Make chocolates and send to: Farm, Kayanna, Mark & Ali, Dan & Deb, Jeff & Dayna,
  16. Buy all new socks and underwear (got some from my mom for my birthday 8/16/2013, still need to throw out the old ones and take an inventory!)
  17. Get something lasercut at Ponoko (possibly cards?)
$$$


  1. Get $1000 in online savings account for emergency fund (no touching!)
  2. Take SPD & SD exams, (retake) PPP (Jan/Feb)
  3. Do chocolate making Kickstarter, develop a look, Kickstarter specials, early bird specials (edited 8/25/2013) (Launched 10/15/2103)(Successful! 11/14/2013)
  4. Road trip to Vancouver BC with Laura & Matt
  5. Roast a Heritage Turkey (brine it!) Great success 11/28/2013
  6. Go to Breitenbush Hot Springs (http://www.breitenbush.com/)
  7. Treat myself to a spa day
  8. Hotel for a night or weekend in Portland with Matt, walking to restaurants and museums (be tourists!) Ace Hotel, or Jupiter Hotel
  9. Take a class (OCAC? Chemeketa? UO? Willamette? ADX?)
  10. Get “Happy Camper” tattoo
  11. Buy a pair of quality running shoes
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Things to do in Salem Oregon

Growing up we weren't allowed to be bored, that seems to have stuck with me! This doesn't even take into consideration all the things you could be learning/doing on your own which I won't get into cause everyone has different interests :) I've lived here for getting close to 2 years. I moved here from NYC (though I grew up in Beaverton) my main frustration has been finding things to do... so I've been assembling a list and decided to share my findings/ideas. I will update it when I find out about new things!

RESOURCES
VOLUNTEERING

 ACTIVE

 ARTS

 COMMUNITY

 DIY
  • U-pick some fruit during the summer/fall
  • Swap some homemade jam at the Cherry City Food Swap
  • Paint a ceramic or try your hand at glass fusing at Create-a-Memory My favorite part is that you can leave unfinished things for up to 6 months and come back again and again to work on it. So if you want to take your time and do something intricate you won't have a time cut off!
  • Take a pottery class at Willamette Art Center
  • Get creative at DIY Studio

 ENTERTAINMENT

 FOOD AND DRINK

 LEARNING

 MINGLE-ING

 SHOPPING




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Monday, July 29, 2013

Weight loss

I made a deal with my mom to help encourage my weight loss journey. 5# a month, 50,000 steps a week and she'll give me $200. Well it's month one and I reached my step goal but not my weight goal. I've been doing calorie counting but I must be going over and my fitbit "earned" calories can not possibly be correct.


Watching "Hungry for Change", notes while watching
      "Breads, pasta, cereal, pancakes... your body treats these as sugar as soon as it enters your body. "

      "Sugar is a drug just like alcohol is a drug."

      Healthy for Life author - "diets don't work"

      Go from I want that but I CAN'T have it to I CAN have it but I don't want it, massive paradigm shift.

      Juicing... but I prefer smoothies, in part because I already have a blender! I was wanting to make bread, but then it got really hot out so turning the oven on was pretty much not gonna happen.

     We equate love with safety.

     We talk to ourselves in ways we would never let someone else. The concept of loving yourself is the only way to make it sustainable.

Where does my food come from
What went into my food interms of attitude, care compassion
What is my intention with my food?

Thoughts....
I really look forward to having a house with a yard for a garden. I was never really into gardening when I was a kid - I usually stayed inside - but as I've gotten older and thought more about my food and where it comes from.

Green foods, berries, legumes. You can't be overweight even if you over eat on these foods. GREEN, not just veggies, GREEN veggies. I need to make changes, lifestyle changes. Perhaps I'll start with a 30 day cleanse? Or... until my birthday on the 19th? I can do that. I have candy and ice cream in the fridge/freezer, but that doesn't mean I need to eat it. I just need to have more fruit and veg. More veg and fruit. Veg being the key item here. I could even go out to eat if I wanted to... just get the SALAD except I don't really like lettuce. I have to do this on my own, no one else can change my eating habits for me! And if I feel like someone is sabotaging me then I'm gonna tell them to STFU and stop sabotaging me because I'm trying to get healthy!

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Camping

I went camping for the first time since moving back to Oregon. It has clearly been way too long since I went camping because I forgot so much stuff!

We went to Odell Lake, the turn off for Trapper Creek Campground is off Hwy 58 just East of Willamette Pass ski resort. I left work a little early on Friday so I could pack and we could arrive before it got too late. It was only about a 2.5 hour drive from Salem however with the puppy we always have to make sure to stop to let him pee :)

We joined M's friend's family who has been going to this lake in the summer annually since about 1965 and now they have a 4th generation there with the grand kids. It's pretty cool to have that kind of tradition. I feel like our family never developed many traditions, and especially once my parents got divorced and married into other families most traditions went out the window. Except Christmas stockings... that's the one thing we've managed to keep and whenever my brother I and I go meet my mom somewhere she always brings them along. Last year I made stockings for everyone that was coming over for Christmas, this year I'll need to make one for the puppy!

I was pretty excited about this camping trip for a few reasons. My first camping trip since moving back, my first camping trip with M, our first camping trip with the puppy, and I got a fishing license for one day and was going to try fishing for the first time! I had fished off a dock once before at camp, and caught some seaweed, but that's about it!

We arrived Friday evening and set up camp, then went over to M's friends' camp to say hi and hang out by the fire. I brought homemade marshamallows but we were too tired to break them out after dinner. Though my chocolate covered grapes were a hit!

Saturday morning we woke up at 5:30, took the puppy over to the friends' camp and loaded up in the boat! He did really well on the boat and it was really funny when he started licking the tail of the fish we caught and had to go past him to put in the live well at the front of the boat! We had 3 poles and there were 4 of us. I learned how to bait the hook using white corn with a little bit of anise liquid on it (apparently licorice corn is a delicasy for Kokanee Salmon!). We took turns reeling them in and catching them with the net to bring into the boat. I reeled in a couple fish, including the biggest one of the trip! I actually really enjoyed grabbing them with the net though. We lost several fish which sucks because sometimes you pull them in most of the way and you can SEE them, RIGHT THERE! And then a few more wriggles and they are gone. It's almost better when you don't see them when they get away cause you don't know what size fish you just lost!

We went back to camp after being out on the water (with a little stop on the shore for me and the puppy to go to the bathroom) and we were crazy tired and went back to the tent where all 3 of us took a 3 hour nap. Howland (puppy) was amazingly good in the tent! I think he liked getting to sleep with us and when it got chilly at night he'd lay between us or curled up in the nook of my bent knees). After our nap we walked up to the train track to put some change down on the rails. We set down our change and then one of those trucks with train wheels came by and knocked it all off! We walked back and replaced what change we could find. When we got back to camp Howland was SO tired. We think we over worked him so we took it easy and took him to bed early. Sunday morning when we woke up M's back was seriously hurting and the puppy was still super tired and didn't even eat all of his breakfast. We took it easy the whole morning, M and his friend went up to go collect the change, the puppy and I stayed at camp where he just wanted to sleep in the tent, poor little guy. Around 1pm we were kinda napping and chilling with the puppy and decided that it would probably be best for M's back and the puppy if we went home that night instead of Monday morning as originally planned. So we packed up and drove home, I slept a good chunk of the way while M drove (Howland slept too).

It was a pretty good trip, it was nice to be up there with some other people though I was looking forward to potential alone time in the forest with M. I'll just have to wait until we can go camping again (which won't be until we pick up some foam mats to sleep on, we're getting old!). Howland felt right at home sleeping in the tent for the first time. He picked up that it was his den and he slept pretty well each night. It was cold so I kept getting up to pee and he'd walk with me not because he wanted to (he wanted sleep) but because I got up. It's pretty cute how he just wants to follow us when we leave, even one of us. When M went to go collect the change from the train tracks, Howland started crying a little. Poor little guy!

Now we are back home, with piles of things to unpack. I took today off because we were planning to return this morning but since we came back early I decided to keep my day off and relax at home with time to put things away and hopefully catch a matinee showing of the new Wolverine movie! Our new-ish philosophy on movies is to just go see what we want, or what's been recommended, without looking up trailers or reviews first. It makes it easier to enjoy a movie when you aren't thinking about what all these other people thought about it. Who cares if critics say it's bad or good!

Feels good to write again, though there is something to be said for writing by hand as well, but I feel like I need to be journaling more, in some sense. It helps to think about projects and things you are doing/making in a way to chronicle. Journaling gives things order, helps create goals and even deadlines. We'll see if I can keep it going, while also trying to keep busy and spend less time on the internet and computer in general. It's already 10:30am and all I've accomplished is taking care of the puppy! There's so much to do and that movie we wanted to see is in 2 hours!
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