I’ve not really posted on the whole “xange is shutting down” drama that is going on.  I’ll be sad to see this blog go (if it goes), but I understand that running these things can’t be cheap.  I already pay for premium, so I can’t really justify spending more money on it, so I guess I’ll just see where the chips fall.

If, in fact, xanga does shut down, you all will be able to still find me.  I have two blogs on WordPress that I write on.  One is a travel blog, and one was sort of journaling my move to being a vegetarian.  I think that one will become more of just a lifestyle blog, and take over where this one leaves off.

If you want to find here, here I am:

Nutella And Dreams

The Aspiring Herbivore

So, I’ve been debating on whether to do a post on our Hawaii vacation or not.  To be honest, it was disappointing.  We had gone to Maui for our honeymoon, and it was so amazing.  And that probably led to our unrealistic expectations that this vacation would be as amazing as the last…when in reality, nothing stays the same.  I mean, let’s be honest…it was still 12 days in Hawaii…how bad could it be?  But, there were a lot of disappointments, which was also frustrating.

It rained.  Every day.  And not just tiny rains…oh no…DOWNPOURS.  Like…flooding rains.  So…it rained out our luau one night, and prevented us from scuba diving as much as we would haved liked (the storms created some nasty swells, so scuba diving in that would have been a problem.  The surfers loved it, however.)  On top of the rain, it was also overcast every night…so the only clear night we were able to go up to the top of the volcano to do stargazing, was also the night of the full moon…so all the stars were practically obliterated by the light pollution from the moon.  Our second accommodations was sort of a hot mess…it was very secluded (which was fine), but it was a 2-hour drive from anything we wanted to do…so several days we spent entire days in the car, driving from one spot to another.  All this stuff (and several other things), taken separately would be no big deal.  But…when it’s one thing after another, it really sort of puts a damper on the relaxating part of the holiday.  So…yeah…it was disappointing.  But that’s ok!  Because it was still 12 uninterrupted days with my husband, and we still weren’t at work…and we had a good time together, which is all that really matters.

And now…I’m back at work.  In my new job.  Which is chock full of time sensitive projects and pressure cooker attitudes.  But I think I’m going to love it.  It is stressful, to be sure, but I feel really valued and needed in this position, and I really enjoy the people I work with.  Plus…I’m learning something new everyday, which is fantastic.

So…that’s been my life the past few weeks.  We have both the 4th and 5th of July off, so that will be our next vacation.  I’m not sure where we’re going yet, so if you have any suggestions, I’d love to hear them!

XOXOXO,
K. 

#ShamrockLover did a post, referencing #TheTheologiansCafe post, asking readers to describe them in one word.  So…I’m curious!  What is one word you would use to describe me (based on my blog, or if you know me in real life)?

XOXOXO,
K.

A few of you asked some questions on my last post, so I wanted to be sure that I came back with some answers before we left for vacation!  That’s right…as of this time tomorrow, I will be on my way to sunny, beautiful Hawaii for 12 glorious days!  I am so excited I can barely think…I can’t wait to let all the stress from work and the move just float away.  It’s going to be awesome!

Vegetarian Lifestyle.  How are things going, you ask?  Surprisingly easy, surprisingly well.  At first, I really thought it would be difficult to not eat meat…especially considering that I really enjoy meat!  I love the taste…it’s delicious!  So yeah, I was actually expecting it to be quite difficult.  But, it hasn’t been.  At all, really.  I have had meat once in the three weeks I’ve moved to the vegetarian lifestyle, but that was only because there was literally NO other options there (it is a local joint we agreed to take friends from the UK to, prior to becoming a vegetarian, so I couldn’t back out).  But, other than that…it’s been super easy.  I eat a lot of beans, a LOT of vegetables, and some grains/rice (primarily quinoa, which is amazingly delicious).  Oh…and lentils.  Love me some lentils.  I also find myself cooking a lot of mexican, probably because it’s so easy to make meat-free and still make it tasty.  I need to venture into the Indian food realm…I used to cook lots of indian in Europe, but haven’t made any since we’ve gotten back.  That is also super easy to make meat-free.  As for how I feel, I feel a lot better.  I don’t get sluggish after meals, and I feel a lot less bloated.  Unfortunately, I haven’t really lost any weight or anything, but I also contribute that to the fact that I am basically unable to do any sort of working out other than walking (and some modified weight lifting).  So, the weight loss has, unfortunately, taken a back seat.  Right now, I’m just focused on eating healthier and making changes that way, and so far it seems to be working out well!  I would definitely recommend it for anyone considering it, as it’s much easier to do, compared to 10 years ago where there weren’t a whole lot of vegetarian options out there in restaurants and such).  Plus, the “fake meat” options out there are getting better by the day (I don’t eat a lot of fake meat, but it is good in a pinch). 

Jamie and our relationship.  It’s fitting that this was asked on the last post, as we’re gearing up for our 5th year anniversary.  Our anniversary is the 16th, so we’ll be in Hawaii for it (the reason for our trip).  Things are good!  I mean…like any relationship, we have our arguments (i.e. last night while packing for our trip…sigh…the stress of travel always causes an argument with us, without fail), but overall, 95% of the time we are incredibly happy with our relationship.  Sure, there are always things to work on (we could have sex more, but then again, who couldn’t!), and there are times when we have communication failures, but we are usually able to really talk them through.  I don’t really know what else to say, which seems weird.  We’ve been together 7 years total, and I honestly can’t imagine my life without him!  If you have specific questions though, feel free to ask!

Sports Fasting.  I never really did a follow-up post on the Sports Fasting.  Overall, I was quite pleased.  I lost 11 pounds total, and probably would have continued to lose more, had we not moved right after.  Unfortunately, with all the stress of the move, the lack of exercise, and the eating out…I probably lost the majority of the benefits.  Plus, it wasn’t really tailored for vegetarianism, which I would have had to talk to my “coach” about, since it talked about eating lots of meat proteins.  I think it’s really great though, for anyone who wants to try it, but I also think you could probably get similar results from a cleanse or juicing.  I think, overall, I’m weary of anything promising a “miracle” and while this didn’t promise you that, I did feel that some of the benefits weren’t realistic to maintain (but, I can’t really say that definitively, since I didn’t follow the plan after the 10 day program).  I would totally do it again though, and report back, because overall it wasn’t bad at all!  That said…if you hate fruit juice, you will hate this program, because good lord, you drink a LOT of it!

So, I think that’s all!  We’re leaving for a hotel near the airport tonight after work, because our flight out is early tomorrow morning.  I’ll try to update at least once while I’m in Hawaii, but if I don’t, I hope you all have a wonderful few weeks!

XOXOXO,
K.

Maybe it’s the weather, maybe it’s because I’m lazy, or maybe it’s because my every waking moment has been consumed by either a) work, or b) vacation.  (And let’s be honest here, it’s not like it’s a 50/50 split.  More like 80/20 in favor of work, which sucks.)  But basically, I have had nothing really to blog about, which makes me feel bad for the 2.7 people out there that actually read my blog and care.  So…sorry guys…I suck.

I am excited for vacation, tremendously so.  I’m also consumed by work right now, namely because I’m still in new hire orientation (even though I’m not technically a “new hire”…but that’s another issue altogether) and I’m still trying to keep up with my other work and not fall completely behind. 

Otherwise, just muddling through.  I’m super tired, and trying to make it to Friday.  I’ll try to post more, but if anyone has any sort of ideas about what you want to hear about, shoot me some ideas!  I’d love to post on something new, and I’m seriously coming up empty.

XOXOXO,
K.

I realized I haven’t posted in awhile…my bad!  Totally wasn’t planned, but just haven’t really had a whole lot to talk about.  Last week, I somehow managed to interview for a position I hadn’t sent in a resume for, then was offered the position, all on the same day I received an offer for ANOTHER position that I interviewed for.  So, at that point, I was in the very advantageous position of getting to choose which job I’d like to take.  Talk about an ego boost! 

So, I had the weekend to think it over.  I talked to some people on both sides on Friday, tried to figure out which would be the best fit for me.  By the time the day was over on Friday, I had pretty much made up my mind, but decided to wait until Monday so I could tell both bosses in person (email just felt really impersonal).  This morning, I’ve spoken with the guy who’s job I declined, I spoke with HR, and I just now got back from speaking with the guy who will be my new boss.  I’m very excited for this new job and really can’t wait to start!  My new position is “Program Manager” and basically, I’ll be doing exactly what it sounds like…managing a program.  Basically, we have development cycles where we develop new technology.  These individual technologies are called “programs”…so I’ll be managing that.  From the very conception through to the launch of the product.  It’s really intensive work, and somewhat high stress, but I’m ready!  I’m so excited ot be starting something new!

In other news…9 days until Hawaii!!  I have booked a hotel for the night before we fly out, and another for our trip back (we have an overnight layover in LAX), and I really cannot wait to just hang out on the beach and celebrate our anniversary!  It’s going to be awesome, I’ll be sure to take plenty of photos!  Just need to get through the rest of this week, and then Monday/Tuesday of next, and it’s smooth sailing for 12 glorious days!

XOXOXO,
K. 

Well, it’s been a week since I’ve cut meat out from my diet.  So far…I’ve lost 2.6 pounds, just from cutting out meat!  I know it has nothing to do with exercise, because I am pretty much benched until I have my knee surgery…I can walk and that’s seriously about it.  Right now, I’m going to the gym and walking on the treadmill, then doing a ton of upper body strength work…but its hard not having any cardio.  I’m still very happy with how things are going…I feel much more energetic, which is always nice.  Plus…no guilt every time I eat meat!

In other news…still no word on the jobs.  I’m going to follow up today to see if anyone has made a decision.  At this point, I just want to know…things go slow here, so I’m really not surprised there’s been no word.  And, since I am still in my current position, there’s really no rush, if that makes sense.  At least, from my perspective.  I’m sure the people doing the hiring are anxious to get people into the jobs, but I’m just sort of hanging out.

I’m officially in the countdown for Hawaii.  I can’t believe Wednesday is the 1st of May!  The time is absolutely flying this year (though I’m sure part of it had to do with the move back home, etc.)…but as of today, we are T-16 days until we leave!!  I am so excited to celebrate our anniversary there…it has been a whirlwind five years, and incredibly hard to believe that we’ve been married that long!  We’re spending the first half of our time in Oahu, in Waikiki, then midway through we’re flying over to the big island and spending the rest of our time in Kona/Captain Cook area.  The second half of our trip we’ll spend doing a lot of diving (though I’m sure we’ll dive our first half too), because the owner of the rental we’re renting is a Master Diver and takes his guests out for diving if they want!  Free dive tours…awesome!!!  Otherwise, I plan on soaking up the warm weather, the ocean breezes, and the food.  And then coming home and having surgery…arg.

That’s about it for now…not ready to start the week, but I don’t really get a choice in that.  Hope you all have a good week!

XOXOXO,
K.

I am so glad today is Friday!  I feel like this week has gone by so slowly, and I’m always exhausted come Friday afternoons.  I don’t think we have anything planned for tonight, which is nice.  We’re going to go home, hopefully go for a walk outside (the weather is gorgeous today), make some dinner, and pass out.  I love Friday evenings…it’s like you have a world of possibilities in front of you with the upcoming weekend…you can do ANYTHING and there’s so much time!  Once Saturday rolls around, it’s the countdown to the end of your weekend and the minutes just tick past at rapid speed.  But Friday after work?  Oh yeah, the world is your oyster on Friday’s after work.

I’m three days into a meat free diet, and so far it’s been great!  I feel like I have increased energy levels, I never have that “overfull” feeling from eating, and I’m overall happy with the options available (both to cook on my own and when eating out).  I even managed to find something to eat at McDonald’s last evening when we had a last minute dinner prior to another commitment.  I recognized pretty early on, however, that it does require a bit more planning to execute…at least in the early stages.  I don’t feel like I can leave dinner plans to the last minute, because there is less chance that I’ll be able to find something I can eat.  But, I did get my Martha Stewart cookbook “Meatless” in the mail yesterday, and I’m excited to try out all sorts of new recipes!

Still working on potential jobs, at the moment.  I am hoping to hear back from two of the positions that I applied for…soon, hopefully.  Probably next week, if I’m lucky.  But, another position came open and I was approached about it…it’s right up my alley.  I’m not sure if that makes my decision easier or harder, so I’m just sort of playing it by ear to see how things go.  I honestly just wish a decision was being made, regardless of what it is…I’m tired of the indecision.  I really hope to have more info by this time next week, or else I might just pull out my hair.

That’s all for now, really.  Things are good!  Our house is unpacked (though not completely put away) and things are moving along!  I need to start picking paint for the spare rooms and downstairs, but we still have time for that.  I’m excited to be finished with the inside, though, and to start really enjoying our house!  I’m ready for BBQs and having friends over for dinner/drinks, and not feeling like I have to apologize when we give a tour because the rooms are a disaster.  Hopefully in a few more months it’ll be more presentable…but for now I just need to deal with it as best I can, and move through the clutter one thing at a time.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

XOXOXO,
K.

Today’s “Letter of the Day” is brought to you by the letter V.  A few “V” things going on in my life right now…and no “virginity” isn’t one of them.

First…volunteering.  Our company is really big on volunteering, and every year we have a goal of 100% of our employees doing 4 EEEC hours (Every Employee, Every Community).  Now, four hours isn’t much, and we can even take the time off during the work week, and you’d be surprised how many people DON’T do this!  I find it so weird…it’s free time off work, to go help others!  How is that a non-win?!  During undergrad, I was member of a Service Fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega, and had an amazing time!  I volunteered at some amazing places, and met friends that will last me a lifetime, not to mention, I gained memories to last a lifetime.  So, when we went to the NL and I discovered that volunteering wasn’t really a big thing there, I was super disappointed.  We finally, towards the end of our time there, gained some insider knowledge on how to volunteer.  We were able to volunteer a few times, but that was it…and then we moved home.  But, here at least, volunteer opportunities are around every corner!

So…I picked my first one today.  I have filled out the application to be a “Book Buddy” in the fall.  This is basically a school program where adults come in and help children with their reading skills for one hour a week, during the school day.  Most of the time its during our lunch hour, so I don’t have to miss work, and it’s something that is ongoing throughout the entire school year.  I’m so excited!  Reading and literacy is one of my biggest passions, and I really hope I can inspire kids to love reading as much as I do!  I won’t find out where I’m placed until July timeframe, and the program starts in August, so hopefully things with the move home and life will be all sorted by then. 

On top of this, I would really like to be a Girl Scout leader.  I contacted the organization while we were in the NL, and never heard back from them, so I’m going to try again now that I’m back in the States.  Hopefully I’ll be able to start something up with that as well, once the school year starts.  I love these sorts of projects!  Working with kids makes me super happy.

My other “V” news is vegetarianism.  I’ve been toying with going veggie for awhile now…even though I freaking LOVE meat.  But, even though I love it, I feel like shit eating animals (huge animal lover here), so I’ve decided that, if I can’t stand to kill it myself (hypothetically), then i’m not going to eat it.  I’ve started another blog about this, so if you want to check it out, it’s over here.  I’m honestly not sure how it’s going to go…I feel very committed, but I also realize that in some of the places we travel, it’s not very realistic.  I don’t want to get to the point where having something made with beef broth is going to make me vomit everywhere, so odds are I’ll probably eat meat eventually…who knows.  For right now, though…I’m very happy with my decision.  I’m just playing it by ear and doing my best to stick to my values…while recognizing that nothing is perfect.

So yeah…that’s about it for now!  Hope you all are having a wonderful day!

XOXOXO,
K.

I should have known it wouldn’t last forever.  A few days ago my knee started hurting.  And not just “eh, it’s sore” hurting…like, agonizing hurt.  I have struggling to go up and down stairs, and I’m living on a steady stream of Aleve and Excedrin.  I went to the orthopedic doctor today and he was like, “Look…I know you don’t want surgery, but it’s time.”  And so…surgery it is.

I did manage to get a reprieve until after Hawaii.  I refuse to be all stitched up for our anniversary trip, and if I take it easy, I should be able to keep the pain at bay until then.  After that though…it’s on.  Thankfully, it’s a super easy procedure, outpatient, and I’ll be walking that night.  It’s not a big deal, but I really didn’t want to go through it again (I had knee surgery on the other knee done when I was 18…same procedure).  I’ll probably take a few days off work (or better yet, have it done on a Friday so that I’m back in work on Monday), but otherwise, I’m good to go.  Just frustrating.  I wish I had good joints, that I was able to do the same things other people are doing my age.  Damn body.

Hope you all are having a better day than me! 

XOXOXO,
K.