tri harder.

In high school, I finished a triathlon so I could cross it off my bucket list. For the next six years, through high school and college I focused on competitive running and my triathlon past fell by the wayside. However, after an injury last December, I returned to my roots, so to speak, and began biking and swimming a little more, all in combination with running. I forgot how much fun I used to have biking (swimming, less so...), and how good it felt to ride over the rolling hills on a sunny day. More than anything, I love how balanced I feel when doing these three sports together. Thus, I decided to sign up for a triathlon just to see how it went. Thankfully, I did not die and I had an absolute blast and I even walked away with the award for first place in my age group.

While there were some slipups (a mismarked bike course, and me forgetting you can't dive into the pool - I did an awkward side flop instead), but it was wonderful, and I plan on doing one in the spring.

born happy.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting a ten-week old shih-tzu named Patches. While undeniably adorable, what struck me about Patches is at his young age, not even three months, he knew something that most humans spend their lives chasing after. He was so happy. Sure, maybe it is in the nature of dogs to be happy, but why can't it be in our nature as well? That isn't to say we shouldn't be satisfied with mediocrity, but in our pursuits to better ourselves, we can also find happiness in each step rather than leaving it as the ultimate end goal. A goal of mine is to bake something gluten-free that tastes as if is not. Although I have had some stumbles, I have learned to be happy with the results each time that taste a little better. No, it is not perfect, but it is still a good place. So, my lesson learned is to be a little more like Patches and a little less like my perfectionist self, and love where you are and what you have done, without ever forgetting where you want to go.

the pantyhose conundrum.

I really, really like my jobs. Working in an art collection is really great, and I love getting to learn so much while managing an entire collection by myself. I also adore teaching debate. I never really fancied myself the teacher type, but helping out with the debate team at my high school is oftentimes the highlight of my Tuesdays and Thursdays (and many a weekend in far-off locales like Dallas and Minneapolis). Unfortunately, as much as I love this part of graduating college and getting a real person job, I cannot get into pantyhose, which are often de rigueur in chilly winter months.

 I wish I could make pantyhose look this cute...
http://bit.ly/wDEUYy

I've got a solution for winter. I just wear lots of cute stockings from Anthropologie and Wolford with summer dresses and sweaters and call it a day. My big problem comes in the warmer days, a couple of which we have been having lately. Of course I just want to wear dresses and more dresses because it honestly feels like spring. Well, sundresses sans legwear are not exactly appropriate for high school teachers and grad students in a semi-professional position. And wearing hose in spring is just not cool. I would rather be skipping around in a field or walking on a beach, or even just walking to class, and none of these activities should involve hose. So, please let me know if you have any solutions to make dresses work-appropriate, and in the meantime, I will be rocking many a maxi dress.

getaways: los poblanos historic inn and organic farm.

So I meant to write about this several weeks ago seeing as I visited this inn in November, but I figured it was still worth posting about, especially for those of you in Albuquerque and nearby. Los Poblanos Historic Inn and Organic Farm is located in the North Valley of Albuquerque, amongst many beautiful farms, homes, and even a winery! Since my boyfriend was up, we decided we should take a little romantic escape, ya know, away from my house and my parents. Even though it was a short drive, it felt like we were in a different city because of the John Gaw Meem pueblo revival architecture, and the charming rooms and restaurant. I wish I had taken a picture of our room, but alas, I didn't, but it was complete with wood-burning fireplace and earplugs to block out the cawing of the peacocks. Yes, peacocks! Absolutely beautiful and wondering around the large property. In addition to suites and cottages, Los Poblanos also has a locally-renowned restaurant which serves breakfast with the overnight stays, but also serves dinner to anyone who cares to stop by. While we unfortunately missed dinner, we had a wonderful breakfast. The quinoa stuffed rellenos were different but incredible, and my boyfriend said he liked the waffles quite a bit. This is a wonderful getaway for anyone in Albuquerque, and anyone who wants to travel here, which you should (hint, hint). Even if you don't want to stay for a night, just go for the food. You may never want to leave. 

The entrance to Los Poblanos. 

My boyfriend was too big for the door...

A peacock! Photo by Kevin Regan. 

Breakfast of quinoa stuffed rellenos and fried eggs over hard. 

recipes: peach salsa

This past week I went to a speech and debate holiday party with all of my students and the other coaches. It was snowing like crazy outside, but a ton of people ending up making it to a really entertaining party. Everyone brought a dish and a gift for a round of white elephant. But to the main event, the food. Instead of dividing up the appetizers, entrees, and desserts by last name, as is usually done with potluck-type events, we did it by debate/speech event. So the LDers and Policy kids (if you did debate, you'll know what this means), and their coach (me) brought in appetizers. I really wanted to try something different and fun, so I looked around for some new recipes. I found this great peach salsa on Big Girls Small Kitchen. It is such a fun and different recipe that you can make to your own tastes, prepare super fast, and it's a nice way to spice up a chilly winter party. The citrusy-sweet-spicy taste really makes this recipe stand out.

Mint and Cilantro Peach Salsa

adapted from Big Girls Small Kitchen

Makes 4 cups, or 1 large bowl 

Ingredients:

 

4 cups of peeled peaches, in a quarter inch dice (I threw in some canned peaches to make up the difference since there are not a ton of good peaches around here this time of year)

3 tablespoons of chopped cilantro

3 tablespoons of chopped mint leaves 

juice of 1 lemon

a sprinkling (or a handful) of red chili flakes (vary amount depending upon how spicy you want it)

3 tablespoons of sugar

additional sugar to taste

Steps: 

1. Dice your peaches. Pretty self-explanatory. Also, the most laborious part of this recipe. Put them in a bowl!

2. Chop cilantro and mint leaves into a half-inch dice and add on top of peaches in bowl. 

3. Add the juice of the whole lemon. I squeezed it right in the bowl. Just make sure you don't get the seeds in the bowl. Ew!

4. Add the red chili flakes. A little bit does really go a long way, so add sparingly. Being a spicy food  addict, I put in quite a bit, but even a pinch adds a lot of flavor. 

5. Put in a little sweetness. You can add more later on if you would like it a little sweeter. 

6. Stir! And you're done! I would recommend tasting a bit so you can add more sugar or chili flakes to adjust. 

I think this will be a favorite at parties, as well as a great side to fish, tacos, or Tex-Mex dishes. I like to think my debaters enjoyed it, or at least they told me it was so that I wouldn't make them read awful articles on philosophy. By the end of the evening, I was also the proud owner of Mensa Mind Bender cards from the white elephant gift exchange. Now I can entertain myself and my cats over winter break!

pilates is good for you? ummm, ok.

I've been very dedicated to yoga for almost four years now and I can hardly go two days without spending some time in downward dog and various other awkward positions. I am obsessed with a certain studio and certain teachers at that studio, and I do not care much to change my routine. That is, until, one of the teachers suggested I try a Pilates class because she said, "I think it will be good for you. You can't spend your whole life doing yoga and running!" While I disagree with the last part, I took the first sentence of these sage words of wisdom to heart and went to a Pilates class this weekend. I showed up at 10 am on a Saturday morning, yoga mat in hand, ready to conquer a new activity. Conquer it, I did not.

I have several problems that prevent me from doing Pilates properly. I am not in touch enough with my "arm bones" to move them properly and I have an excessively tight rib cage. How to fix either of those things, I am not sure, but I was dealing with bigger problems than those. In Pilates, you often curve your back for certain moves. This is very confusing to me because god forbid you not have a straight back in yoga, and my mother had been yelling at me for years to stand up straight. I wasn't really sure what I was doing during "back curving" exercises, so I'm pretty sure I just looked like a turtle stuck upside-down in its shell. I also gained several new injuries for myself during this class. I now have a bruised shoulder, a broken toe, a pulled hip flexor, and a highly damaged ego, all from this class. While I did learn several things, I'm uncertain if this is something I should try again. Do I just have to learn the moves and lingo, like I did with yoga, or am I destined to be a committed yogi for life?