Doogie Howser Endings

Sometimes I wish that people would pay close attention to what I type just like we all did at the end of each Doogie Howser episode. I feel like he was lucky enough to be able to summarize all of his thoughts in such a succinct and insightful way (clearly I'm a child of the 80's).

What's even more interesting is that after searching YouTube for Doogie endings, this is the only one I could find. I always overstretch everything. Pretty sure this can be applied to me and how so many thoughts & feelings can happen in such a short period of time whether we like it or not.

Now listening to: "Swing Life Away" by Rise Against

Out of Sorts on a Sunday in the Fall

Sunday is my day to catch up on things. I get the chance to be lazy while still accomplishing much more than I accomplish throughout the whole week. Today was nothing different. I got a good workout in, had a great breakfast, got my car washed, went to the post office, found a dress to wear to a wedding this weekend, and got all my Halloween supply shopping complete. All of that took place before noon. I’m pretty much a rock star of productivity if I do say so myself. Well, after the morning. I proceed to have a lazy Sunday sitting around on the couch and watching some football. So much for having a productive day, but at least it started out well.


I’ve been feeling out of sorts lately. Out of sorts is a term that I coined with the assistance of a great high school friend. It means that you are not sure how you are feeling. You know that something’s not right, but that there’s nothing wrong either. It’s neither good nor bad, it just is. It could be that you are stuck in a rut or that you are totally out of whack because you haven’t been doing your usual routine. There is no cure to get “back in sorts”. It just happens. I usually deal with it by listening to music, working out, talking to people I haven’t been in touch with in a long time, immersing myself in work, dancing it out, or any number of other things. Since there is no known cure, it’s just something that you have to work through.

I decided I needed to get out of the house for a bit this evening. Definitely a good choice. One of my favorite things about living in Boulder is my proximity to so many great things. Whenever I need to clear my head, I throw on my headphones and go on a walk throughout the city. I usually end up at a local coffee shop or bar and spend a couple hours reading or writing. It gives me the chance to rejuvenate and find myself again. Wow… sounds deep. Something that struck me this evening on my walk was how amazing the city looked. The crisp fall air is starting to set in again, but it’s not too cold yet, so you can stroll around and really enjoy all the amazing things around you. The first thing I notice is the crescent moon over the Flat Irons. It is so bright that its light reflects off the snow stuck in the crevices of the rocks and provides definition to the mountainside. The moon is identical to the one on the South Carolina flag. It gives me flashbacks to the warm days in the South where we would sit out on the patio at Salty Nut drinking beers (with koozies obviously), eating peanuts and throwing the shells on the ground. I can hear the rambunctious sounds of college students walking up and down Five Points looking for the next adventure while we would shoot the breeze and talk about our dreams. It was such a strange juxtaposition to feel those memories while looking in to the shop windows on Pearl Street. Those memories seem so recent and tangible. I feel like I could head back there tonight and nothing would have changed, but I know that’s not the case at all. Everything has changed, as it is supposed to. Rather than continue thinking about it, I duck in to a bar to grab a beer and do some work so I don’t dwell on it.

Listening to: An Horse

Baby Showers, Public Restrooms, and Neil Young

So I've noticed that I tend to make lists of things that I feel the need to talk about. That's pretty much how I organize most of my life, so that makes sense. I may not be the most poetic when writing and I certainly don't have the most profound things to say, but that's cool. So things that have been on my mind lately...

1. Baby Showers. Question- This person is pregnant, I only talk with them once a year and live over 1000 miles away from them. Am I required to send them a baby shower gift? Would the answer change if said person was my step sister? Ugg. That's what I thought. So I received a baby shower invitation today for my step sister's shower. I am 100% certain that this invite was sent purely for the gift that I am now obligated to send. The event is 2 weeks away. I'm almost tempted to get a flight home just to attend and tell her that her present is my presence. I think that would be awesome. I would just show up and let her know that I spent so much on the plane ticket that I couldn't afford a gift for her or the new kiddo. Don't worry, I'm not horribly insensitive. I'll make sure to get the baby a gift for Christmas. It is the one time of year that I'll see it anyway...

2. Public Bathrooms. Yes, I know that this is a ridiculous thing to write about, but it's been driving me crazy lately. Every woman walks in to the restroom and goes in to the second stall. I don't know how things work in the men's room, but here's how things SHOULD work in the women's restroom. A women who is the first one in the bathroom should go to the first or third stall. Why you ask? Well in case someone comes in of course! As the second one walking in to the bathroom, you have to choose to either go in to a stall next to the selfish person that chose the second stall or walk all the way to the fourth stall... which is annoying. What's two more steps? Well, nothing really. But you know what would be better? Taking two less steps and going only to the third stall.

3. I was driving in to work this evening and Heart of Gold by Neil Young came on the radio. It's funny to think how music can invoke such big memories and feelings in a person. Growing up, I hated any music with a harmonica in it. It was the "horrible" music my mom would always play and it drove me crazy. I didn't want to think that my mom had any clue what good music was. Now that I look back at things, I am sure she has some great taste in music. Whenever I hear Heart of Gold, I get flashbacks of when I was a young child helping my mom clean the house. She would put the Neil Young record on and pull out the lemon pledge. I still can hear the crackling of the record before the song would begin. We'd dance around to the music on the burnt orange carpet and dust off all the antique furniture. After all the cleaning was done, I remember laying on the floor and soaking up the sun coming through the large window. I would look at the rainbows created by the sun shining through the prisms and daydream. Songs can transport you to a completely different time and place. Maybe that's why I love working with music so much....

Listening to Alexi Murdoch.

Delightfully Difficult

I saw this today right after having an argument with someone that pointed out that it was just easier to agree with me and move on... fitting.

Running, engagements, pot roast & pregnancy pictures

Well back to some poor grammar and run on sentences describing some of the things that are crossing my mind today…


1. I should probably start training soon. I’ve finally convinced my sister to run a half with me. The main thing that convinced her was that it was going to take place in Disneyland, but that’s a start. So we are set to run and it should be really fun. I injured myself in the early spring and have taken a running hiatus. I don’t really have the desire to start running again, but I would really like to support her and our plans to do this together. Don’t get me wrong, I think it will be a lot of fun, I’m just really working on getting my motivation back running. I will… and if I don’t, I will look like an idiot, so I know that I will. I’m also in charge of coming up with what we will wear for the adventure, so that will be an exciting part to the whole thing as well.

2. In the past week I have had 2 friends get engaged. I know I’ve posted about this before, but I think it freaks me out even more. Both are completely different stories and I know both of them are incredible happy, so that is what is important, but it stresses me out. What a big step/commitment. Not that I can really say this out loud, but I wonder if they realize that this is really long term? Clearly I have commitment issues. It stressed me out to decide what I’m doing two weeks from now and I’m certainly not ready to buy a house… that would mean that I would have to stay in the same place for an extended period of time. It was stressful enough buying a car. After all my hard work and research, I bought one and about a year and a half later, it is certainly not the car that I want. Sure, it was a great choice and worked for where I was, but only 1.5 years later and my life changed enough that it no longer works for me. Think about that. Just think. If I can’t even handle committing to a car for more than 2 years, how could I ever think it’s a good idea to commit to a person for a lifetime?!? Analyze me all you want for this. Point out my mistrust in men and my daddy issues all you want. I’m sure I’ve covered all of them as I’ve manalyzed (no, not a typo. Analyzing men= manalyze) with my friends.

3. Everything can be fixed with a good cup of coffee and some great music. Fact. I know I’ve previously mentioned that ice cream and wine can fix everything. That’s still true, it’s just less socially acceptable to eat ice cream and drink wine in the morning, so depending on the time of day, that’s how you will figure out which pairing you need to solve your problems.

4. I’m getting really excited for winter. Today was the first day that I have used my crock pot this season. I ventured to make Pioneer Woman’s pot roast recipe. Not only do I love her blog, now that she has a tv show, which is awesome. She’s pretty hilarious and her instructions are really easy. I love winter comfort foods and the amazing smells of my slow cooker meals throughout my house. Can’t wait to keep making more. I do wish that I were more culinary, but I feel like using my slow cooker is a safe way to get more in to the cooking world. Coming up on my list: crock pot lasagna, meatloaf, and pork chops. Awesome. I do realize that saying that makes me sound like a homemaker, but let’s be honest, it would probably be pretty awesome to be a homemaker.

5. Pregnancy photos. Why do people have to come up with the most awkward/oversharing poses for their pregnancy photos?!? The other day, an acquaintance posted some photos on his FB profile of him and preggo wife. One picture had her leaning on a fence and her bare stomach poking through the fence, and he’s on the other side of the fence poking her stomach. WHO thought that was a good idea? Not only is the picture horrible, he then made the choice to post that picture for the world to see. I can understand that a photographer talks people in to weird poses and people play along with it, but posting them takes that to a whole new level. The more disturbing part: someone commented “cute” on the picture. Was that supposed to be a joke? My next step: unfriend that character AND quickly.

Listening to: Anya Marina

Catching up or something along those lines...

Alright, well first things first- I haven't visited this place in awhile, but in the past week, I've had 4 people tell me that I should write. I agree with that, so that's why I'm back. This probably means that I'll be back for one or two posts and then move on. I feel like I need to wait to write some sort of epic post that people will find engaging and hilarious and awesome. That's a lot of pressure... especially since no one reads this.

Clearly I haven't written for awhile. I realized this because I got back here and it looks like all my pictures that were on previous posts have turned in to black boxes. The combination of me being technologically illiterate combined with my lack of desire to correct this situation means that my amazing pictures (yeah, if you didn't see them, you missed out) will no longer be on my earlier blogs. I'm pretty sure that won't change my lack of readership, so I'm not too worried. 

So moving on.

Things on my mind today:
1. I can't wait for the weekend. This has been a super long week and I'm over it. Do I have amazing plans for the weekend? No. It will probably involve good food, good beer and some college football. Sounds simple yet amazing. Why am I single again? I'm pretty sure I should be every man's dream...


2. Ski season is around the corner. A-Basin opens tomorrow. Yes, it's October. Am I stoked? You bet. Am I saving my vacation days so I can hit the slopes all winter? Without a doubt. 


3. If I'm writing on this blog with the title of Awkward Encounters, I should probably talk about another one of my awkward encounters. Ugh. I'll get back on this soon... I feel like I've had so many that I don't even know where to begin. 


4. Pinterest. So the website is super addictive. I look around at all the great ideas for food and fashion and think how I will take those ideas and use them. I'll be the adorable/hip girl that makes awesome food and has an amazingly decorated house. Totally realistic right? Then I wake up the next morning, eat my cheerios and look in the mirror and try to figure out where I went wrong. I'm pretty sure the website was set up by people that are trying to make the average person feel inadequate. Well Pinterest, it's working. You know what would be better? If you sent a personal shopper, chef and decorator to my house. That would save me some shame.


What I'm listening to now: The Black Keys