This Post is Brought to You by the Letter S

Because S stands for:

Spectator Signs and Science Show and Tell, duh.

It's been a busy week over here in Gal Land, and I've been dying to share my thoughts on my first time spectating a race, but first I had to make brains.

Yes. I said, make brains. Behold:

 Just a little mixy-mixy- with some boiling water,  a trip overnight in the fridge in an oiled mold and voila! I give thee brains! Muahahahah.

The heart one didn't firm up. Turns out the recipe on the mold calls for more water than the recipe on the jello box. Lesson learned. I got both the brain and heart molds from PerpetualKid.com which is one of my favorite  "stores!" It is jam packed with all kinds of quirky items which make great gifts and as a teacher, fun pranks for my kids!

I wish I had a picture of my biology student's faces when I took a bite of "the brain" after telling them all about Kuru! (a nervous system disorder like Mad Cow Syndrome that has been observed in Papua New Guinea after ritual brain consumption) I had convinced the class that the brain was real; that I had gotten it on loan from UF so it was pretty priceless. Ahhh, Science Show and Tell.

Now, about that race spectating. 

See, in the races I've done so far I've had some amazing spectators:

But I'd never actually been a spectator myself. However, last Saturday both Anni (who came to my first tri and took up running afterwards, she was so inspired by all the competitors) and my bestie Christine with her boyfriend Ross, were running the 5 Points of Life 5K, which is a part of the 5 Points of Life Marathon Weekend, one of the biggest racing weekends in Gville. Needless to say, I was pumped to test out my spectator skillz. 

And we all know that a good spectator comes with fun signs. So, fun signs we made! (we being my Mum and I...Anni is her best friend. No worries, friends. I don't just talk in third person like a crazy royal!)

 Mom, showing off our handiwork.

We finally found our racers and all three of them were super pumped to get this party race started! (and no we didn't have to stand around in the chilly pre 8am air for an extra 35mins before finding them because I super over estimated how long it would take to find parking. I don't know what you could possibly be referring to.)

I really enjoyed this experience because I got to see some of the "behind the scenes" of the race.

Like the start, with the bike leader:

 

And how fast the starters are:

                                                  

I missed getting a good shot of Christine and Ross at the start...they were really flying and I wasn't prepared, but I love this one of Anni. She was so happy!

 This course was essentially a loop through UF's campus and the finish line was a mere 1000 meters from the start, so I got off really easy in my first spectating job. Operation stay-in-the-same-spot commence!

A mere 17 minutes later the winner came flying by.

And then at ~29 minutes into the race a familiar couple came into sight.

 Christine really powered through the finish line and accomplished her goal of finishing under 30 minutes with a time of 29:56! I'm so proud and totally inspired to pick up my own running game!

Just over 10 minutes later Anni came into sight, making that nasty little hill up to the finish look like cake!

 

 

Anni, celebrating her super awesome finish! What an amazing first 5k!

Christine, myself and Ross. Hungry for that breakfast! 

 Mission accomplished! Thanks 43rd Street Deli!

My first spectator experience earns a score of "super!" Just another letter S to add to the day!

Love to all,

~the science-y spectator gal, Jess

PS. Speaking of signs, check out what my Mom snuck down to hang up in my apartment, since she couldn't make it down for my first 1/2 marathon in person. So sweet!

Pretty Things in a Gloomy Month

I don't know about you guys, but January can seem a bit gloomy.  The lights and other fancy decorations of the holidays have been packed away (ok, ok, I still have mine out-I'm pushing it as "winter decor") and those glittery days and nights of holiday parties have faded. Let's not forget the crazy weather that we are having all over the country! A never ending deluge of snow, rain, wind and over-cast grey is enough to make any month seem gloomy.

Here are three things I've acquired this month that are keeping my days bright and shiny, even when the Mother Nature isn't so accommodating.

1- New Running Shoes! 

These Brooks Adrenalines are only my second pair of running shoes. I bought my first pair way back in the spring of 2009, when I was still living in St. Pete. Um, yeah, totally time for a new pair. 

2- Beautiful Heirloom Hothouse Tomatoes

These beauties were a bit of a splurge at Fresh Market, but considering I was supporting Florida farmers, I'm cool with that, especially since these babies were some of the best tomatoes I've ever eaten, season be damned!

3-Charming Grocery Store Tulips

When I "rescued" these cute pink tulips from Publix for a mere $6 "adoption fee" last night they were droopy and closed. Less than 12 hours later in fresh water they have stood up and opened to display lovely orange pollen inside. I adore fresh flowers, especially in the wintertime.

So kick the gloom of January and find something pretty to show off in your life.

Love to all,
~the "I'm always in search of something cheerful" gal, Jess

Perplexingly, but Utterly, Happy

One again I have a confession to make to you, my friends of the internet.

It's something that has been weighing on my mind.

I just have to get it off my chest.

I am 100%, undeniably, happy with every aspect of my life.

There. I said it. I'm crazytown happy and in love with life.

Wait. WAIT. Don't click away just yet. I promise I'm not just boasting, bragging or bluffing here.

See that oddly placed word in my title? Yes, I said "perplexingly" happy. What the heck does that mean, you may be wondering. Well, see I was wondering too.

Let me lay out some of my life facts for you and perhaps you will see the source of my confusion.

I am teacher at a rural school, where my ideas are not appreciated and usually ignored, in spite of my experience and proven successes. (oh and don't forget that teachers in FLA-particularly my district- get paid diddly squat)

I live in my hometown.  A hometown that I ran kicking and screaming away from after graduating high school.  (Frankly I am still a bit "embarrassed" to have returned to teach after acting such a "big shot" about how I was "getting out" all through school)

My hometown is an hour away from civilization. (And by civilization I mean, Gainesville, which many could question it's worthiness of the label "civilized")

I rent from my parents. On their property. (As in I see the back of their house from my front porch.)

I'm a good 15 lbs away from my ideal weight.

My dog has cancer.

I'm single. 

As a girl I always thought I'd date my husband to be for ~5 years before we got married. I thought I'd be married before I turned 30. (Note, these weren't "goals" just these concepts I've had for a long time.)

I'm closer to the age of 26 these days then 25. You do the math.

So, overall it looks like the cards should be against me. I mean all the points above do not really sound like the ideal life for a fabulous 25 year old foodie and wannabe fashionista. But for reasons I still don't quite understand none of the above is getting me down. (ok, not 100% true, Chubby having cancer is really, really, really shitty, but it's also part of life, so I'm dealing with it.)

I love my little abarnment. I love my students and seeing their eyes light up when we do something "cool" in class. I love my wardrobe of clothes, so 15 lbs be damned, I look good. And luckily I love my parents dearly and enjoy seeing them everyday.

If you too would like to have this feeling of being geninely "high on life" I have only two suggestions for you.

1- Revel in the little things.
        
Little things like random flowers blooming in the dead of winter. (see my silly bromeliad above for an example) Little things like receiving a complementary cup of coffee at Starbucks just for returning an empty bean bag. Little things like encouraging a shy student to share their opinion in class. Little things like a brisk winter walk with a friend.

Those kinds of little things in life. Things that are mostly free and always worth keeping your eyes open for.

2- Play the smile game.

This one is simple. Just smile at someone until they smile back. (make sure your smile is genuine, otherwise you just come off as a creep or mentally unstable, ok?) You both will feel instantly happier. I love the smile game. I made it up last year and it's the best thing about my day sometimes.

I don't know if those two things are really the cause of my ridiculous feelings of happiness (hell, my hormones may just be bonkers out of balance from copious amounts of Christmas Sugar), but they do seem like some good guidelines for life, don't you agree?

Phew, thanks for listening to all that mushy happy stuff, guys. I'll do my best to return to my snarky gal self as soon as possible, because honestly one of the things that makes me most happy is all my "imaginary friends" on the internet!

Love to all,
~the happy gal, Jess

Keeping It Real: Holiday Edition

Only during the "holidays" would I be up at 4:30am making cookie dough dip for my school of employment's "3 days of Christmas Cheer"

But let's keep it real here:

Cookie Dough Dip? Get real, Jess! This "snack" is just another excuse to eat cream cheese icing with chocolate chips on gram crackers.

And 4:30am? Don't try to pull the martyr card. This is your fault, princess. Because this gal? She fell asleep on the couch last night, laptop precariously balanced on chest at 9:30pm (after getting home from three hours of elementary science fair judging-be still my heart-not) and didn't wake up again until 1:30am. Who cares if the cream cheese and butter sat out on the counter all night...the recipe said "softened." And trust me, it was real soft this morning.

Health hazard? Goodness no, I'm just keeping it real!

Love to all,
~the, "do I look like a happy holiday elf to you?" gal, Jess

PS. Don't answer that question in my signature. Also, be glad I decided to spare you the picture of myself making said cookie dough dip this morning. I want to keep it real around here, not scar you for life!

Food Dare Fail

It started off so well.

Cutie little leeks, beautiful romaine and sweet, if frosty, peas. Plus soup. Who doesn't love soup? And this gal loves soup. So, what could be so awful about Lettuce Soup?

But as the greens began to simmer down in chicken stock, with an overly generous portion of mint, I began to have my doubts. (I was following a food dare recipe from Everyday by Rachel Ray) The aromas coming off this (ginormous) pot of green stuff wasn't making my mouth water. It was more of a "dirty socks nose wrinkle" reaction.

I should have known better. I don't "do" dares. When playing truth or dare at slumber parties as a child "truth" was my go to answer. No freezing of my best friend's brother's undies for this gal.

However, while I have no shame in being a cautious wallflower at times, I am very stubborn. So, I pressed on.

The lovely green and white vegetables became a baby vomit green after their trip to the blender...which I then tried to "richen" up with some 1/2 and 1/2 that hand been hanging out in my fridge. Still fooling myself, obviously.

Nope. Not even garlic croutons couldn't turn this whale of a fail around. I knew I should have stuck with my truth safety zone. Because no matter how pretty it all started, even when you blend up dirty socks with cream and mint, it still isn't going to be winner, much less a chicken dinner.

Now, does anyone want to come clean out all the leftover lettuce soup from my fridge? I never was a fan of dirty socks. Or mint. ugh.

Love to all,
~the, "hey, I can embrace a failure now and then" gal, Jess

Friday Fun Fact: Competive Eating

Source: Daily Infographic

If Only Sundays (and Pickles)

I really shouldn't allow myself to go on Facebook on Sundays.

See, everyone seems to be out to Brunch, having a Sunday Funday or lazing by the pool.

But not me. Because I had this crazy idea to become a teacher three years ago.

So, instead of savoring bloody mary's lake side with my pals, most of my Sundays are consumed by lesson planing, grading and prepping for labs for the upcoming week.

And yes, I do love my job, because I love my students. But I won't lie, I get a little mopy, and resentful on Sundays.

Because I would rather be reading, or writing a hundred other blog posts, or sunning by the pool, or testing a new recipe or out riding my bike-training for my upcoming triathlon in October.

Wait, maybe I do have time to test a new recipe after all, and if you have about 15 minutes to spare on your Sunday Funday, you can make these Quick Apple Cider Pickles too.

I've been reading a bit about pickling recently and figured no time better to venture into the world of salt and vinegar than the present. That and I had some cucumbers and other veggies on their way out in my crisper drawer. 


What You'll Need:

The Brine:
1 1/2 cups apple cider
1/2 cup water
~1/4 cup sugar
~1 tablespoon coarse salt
~2 teaspoons mustard powder
1 clove garlic, peeled and split open (just whack it with the flat of your knife)

The Veggies:
2 sliced salad cucumbers
4 sliced radishes
~1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
1 bay leaf

First, bring the contents of the brine to a simmer in a small sauce pot, stirring occasionally to ensure all the salt, sugar and mustard powder are dissolved.

Meanwhile, toss the veggies in a nonreactive, heatproof bowl, with the dill and bay leaf.

Remove the brine from the heat and pour into the veggie bowl, ensuring all the contents are covered with the brine. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour before enjoying. Store in a covered container with the brine for up to 2 weeks, if they last that long!

So there you have it; Sunday pickles in a snap! If only my lesson plans came together so neatly.

Love to all,
~the "I don't love being a teacher on Sundays" gal, Jess

Practice for Summer

A Saturday spent floating on the Santa Fe River/Ginnie Springs....

....followed by an amazing Jerk Burger at the Great Outdoors Restaurant?

House ground pork, smoky bacon, Vermont cheddar, apple slaw, served with sweet potato fries.

It's going to be a good summer.

Love to all,
~the "summer is so close I can taste it" gal, Jess

Brain Dump

That's what I've been doing the last week. I had a huge certification exam on Saturday and spent practically every night for the past 14 days with my nose crammed in a textbook. I guess my theory was if I crammed my nose in it, it would somehow get crammed in my brain? Yeah. Moving on.

Regardless, my meals haven't been uber creative or lovely. A little too much take out from my Beloved Akins BBQ; this study machine runs on sweet tea! That and my infamous trashcan salads.

 Bright, colorful, random, fresh and beyond all delicious! This one was no exception.

Base layer: one romaine heart, chopped.
Next: farm fresh (literally-there are some perks to working in the boonies) cucumber and tomato.
And: not at all local but so damn wonderful Hass avocado. (I don't know what crack Del Monte is putting in their 'cados this season, but they rock my world!)
Finally: Roasted baby Yukon Gold potatoes and zucchini, smoked salmon, and feta cheese. (yes, I got tired of taking a picture of each layer. What? I was hungry!).

Oh and folks, don't be deceived. That is not my usual dinner bowl (I have one that looks just like it, but only holds about 1/3 the volume), oh no, I was eating this "dump it all in salad" in the serving bowl. Licked that sucker clean.

Oh, and how did the brain dump go? Well, bowls aren't the only things I can "lick" around here. I took a hard couple of licks at that exam and passed it. Thank you Jesus. Or roasted veggies. Or giant trashy salads.

Love to all,
~the, "it's ok to be trashy and dump on it sometimes*, but only if you are colorful and classy about it" gal, Jess

PS. *Did anyone else get my Nicki Minaj reference there? Obsessed.

If you didn't get enough sugar on Easter...

...here's a way to choose your second (six hundredth?) helping of the sweet stuff.

Honesty time: I stole this off my "sister in law's" (my "adoptive" brother's-we grew up together-wife) facebook and posted it because I am doing a research project on PKU right now. Ahh, life and work connections...ain't they grand?

Love to all,
~the "you can call me sugar and you can call me honey just don't call me late to dessert" gal,  Jess

Off the Grid

It's my bestie's wedding in t-minus 1.5 days, so yes I will be off the grid for a while.

Have a wonderful weekend in my absence, as I will be drinking, dancing and bridesmaiding it up!

Love to all,
~ the "I really can't believe that my best friend is getting married!" gal, Jess

You Tease.....

Details coming later....

Until then, this Irish Lassie is wishing you a very Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Love to all,
~the "I will pinch you mercilessly if you are not wearing green" gal, Jess

Thought you should know...

....that the TLC's What Not to Wear episode tonight is about a blogger!

A blogger who is a lazy dresser.

Not be be confused by this lazy blogger, who actually dresses pretty well.

Speaking of lazy, I'm going to bed to spend some quality time with The Help.

Love to all,
~the "lazy little blogger" gal, Jess

A Picture is Worth One Thousand Words?

Sorry Mr. Barnyard, I don't have any pictures to share from my fabulous weekend, however I promise to keep this under 1000 words!

Why My Weekend Was Wonderful (aka WMWWW)

5 hour long drives (2x) are a breeze with the right company: one Chubby Checkers mutt plus the crooning voices of Mumford, Janelle and Florence.

My best friends are the strongest people I know, both physically and emotionally.

Checking out the cuties at the NAGA contest, while supporting said friends.

Going out with said friends for a night on the town.

Free drinks and no cover during the night on the town.

Great outdoor benches (if wobbly) and cider, also found on our night out.

Whole Foods salad bar and corn bread for breakfast. wahhhhh, why is the closest WF 2.5 hours away?

Wedding hair.

Gossiping about being young, fabulous, fun teachers over soup, salad and sandwiches.

Shopping, even if unsuccessful.

Speed dog walking.

Spending time with my "big brother" and having my childhood and adult friends meet to share a beer and some crazy "junkyard" fries!

Using a 3 day weekend to my best advantage....if only every weekend was 3 days long.

Happy President's Day!

Love to all,
~the "I sure hope that was under 1000 words, I hate to break a promise" gal, Jess

With a Little Bit of Luck

Welcome to another round of Let's Set Some Semi-Abnormal Goals, 2011 edition.

But first, for those of you who were concerned that I was going to have an "unlucky" year, since I had swordfish for my NYE supper, instead of black eyed peas and greens, I got my luck in tonight. 

 So tasty. So southern. So lucky. 

 And now with that luck for 2011 tucked in my back pocket, here are my goals for the New Year. Goals in categories, cause my life is multifaceted like that. Semi-Abnormal Gal, at your service.

Blog

Use my words- Hello thesaurus, you sexy thang, I've missed you. I've been using a pretty small vocab in text, and am pretty much sick of calling my food, wine, and novels "beautiful."  Deep down inside I have a writer that is waiting to bust out, she just needs some tools. 

Make a move- To wordpress and possibly self-hosting. But not until this summer, cause everyone loves to move in the summer and (hopefully) I won't be physically moving, for the first time in 7 (seven!) years. 

Up my photography skills- Acquiring Rosie P (my new/used D-SLR) is just the start. I have the tools, I have the eye, I need the skill to unite these two. I now pronounce you a better photographer, you may hang your prints.

Food and Cooking

Keep cooking at least one new meal a week- this was a goal I established for myself when I moved into the abarnment back in September, and it's been a fun challenge that I want to continue.

Buy even more organic and local items- I already buy organic, free range eggs and meats, but I need to spread this idea over to my dairy and I really want to invest in a CSA or other local produce this spring when most of our fresh veggies come back around. 

Bake more bread- I love fresh bread. I love kneading. Yeast doesn't scare this gal. 

Heath and Fitness

Be more consistent with my workouts- I have a gym membership, I'm not a resolutionary, but I haven't been to the gym in 5 months. Whoops. So I guess I'm going to look like a resolutionary. I posted on YourNutritionista's facebook today that my SMART goal is to use my existing gym membership at least once a week, as well as attending 1-2 classes at Big Ron's yoga studio each month for the rest of the school year (through May 2011).

Master the 5k- I really liked my 1/2 marathon relay and want to race more, but I ended up walking (as fast as my short little legs would carry me!) three plus of the five miles, and that kind of performance doesn't scream "runner" to me. Yes, I completed a race, but I didn't run one.  So, I'm going to start with the 5k for this year. Because one day a half marathon will be mine, but not yet.

Control my portions- I like the way I eat, I like what I eat. But sister, can I pack away some food. I eat like a teenage boy, but sadly I don't have the metabolism of one. And I don't need that volume of food. So, here is my tactic (cause honey, I didn't start over-eating in 2010...I started about when I was 10!), when I am serving my plate, I will put back one "scoop" of each item on my plate (or push it off to the side, if putting it back is not appropriate). It's just like the rule for accessorizing: before you leave the door, take one item off! 

Consistently floss and whiten my teeth- So, confession time. I hate brushing my teeth. I think it's because I don't like the taste of mint. Don't worry, I do brush my teeth, with great resistance, twice a day. Sigh. And I floss, sometimes. But I'll tell you what, getting my wisdom teeth removed has made my mouth so much more comfortable, I never really realized how crowded it was in there, and now it feels good to floss, and brush my teeth. Crazy. Now I just need some white strips. (Yes, this is random, but I need to put it out there, so I'll follow through, like my nails goal last year)

Personal/Random

Take responsibility of my check book- I'm old fashioned. I keep a resister and all that jazz. But I don't balance my checkbook. My mom does. Yes, I'm 24 years old and my mother still balances my checkbook, once a year. Yes, once a year. And it takes her almost 2 days. Ridiculous. So, this year I vow to balance my checkbook every month. (Thanks, Mommy). 

Save 10% of my income- I'm pretty good at saving money, but until now I've never had stable monthly bill to income ratio. I just chucked what ever "extra" money I had in my checking account at the end of each month into my savings.  Thankfully I am much more financially stable now, so I set up a repeating auto transfer for the first of each month. Very excited about this one, and it's totally mindless...as long as I keep up with the above goal. Double pressure!

Watch less mindless tv- I'm a tv junkie...I've been guilty of "scheduling" my evening around my favorite program. Shameful, but true. Sorry, I'm not sorry.  What I am sorry about is watching mindless tv. Hello reruns of MvF that I can quote? yeah, not cool Jess. So I'm vowing to turn the tv off at least one night a week, unplug from the 'net, and just read, like I'm a kid again. If I need background noise that's what the stereo is for. 

Brush my dog twice a week- My dog has really itchy skin, and even using conditioner on him doesn't seem to help. Then I realized, that as much as I pet, scratch and love on him, I don't really ever brush him (he has a short, tangle free, coat). This one is for you, Chubby-Wubby. 

Travel, hardcore- I already have trips planned to DC in the spring, Germany, Scotland, Ireland, Spain and France this summer, and who knows beyond that! Greece for Christmas? (Jenna....I'm talking to you, baby!).

So, there you have it. With a little bit of luck (and some hard work!) I'll succeed with these goals, and accomplish even more fabulousity in this coming year!

Love to all,

~the lucky little gal, Jess