Awkward and Awesome: the short and short of it

This week has ended up being a bit crazy. I have only eaten one or two meals at home so far, if that says anything.

Due to that, this is only post #2 for the week. But I do have three more days to get another post up to meet my goal.

But before I have to head off to work (my coverage today changed from 6am to 3pm--a little different) I'd like to at least share my awkward and awesome moments from the week.

Awkward:
- 6:30 feeling like sleeping in.
- The amount of money Starbucks getting from me now that I have to be at work at 6am.
- Waiting until today, the day before the registration deadline, to sign up for classes (which start Monday)
- Injuries have decimated my fantasy football team.
- Having a whole bullet about fantasy football.
- Approximately 10 half finished blog posts. It's not that I don't have ideas or enjoy blogging. It's that other stuff seems to get in the way. Like playing solitaire. (Mostly kidding about the solitaire.)
- It's been cold in the mornings but hot by the afternoons. Basically, I have to make an outfit change most days. I'm such a diva.

Awesome:
- Catching up with a number of different friends. Plus the friend dates included brunch, lunch, and happy hour. So wonderful!
- Getting a comp ticket to a beer/food pairing event. 11 stations filled with local restaurants and breweries. So delicious.
- Having my work shift change for two days. I'm enjoying "sleeping in."
- Being able to use my old laptop so I can get work AND watch all the episodes of West Wing. Plus, once I finish I get into all the shows starting back up this fall.
- Freshly painted nails, that haven't chipped (yet).

So, what's been awkward and awesome about your week?

Monday (not-so-morning) Intentions

I'm not exactly back on the treadmill of posting regularly, but I'm trying to get there. A couple weeks ago I restarted my weekly intentions post, and I want to keep it going (albeit intermittently).
But first, before I get to it, I wanted to share this little song with you. It's been my pick-me-up tune recently. Tyrone Wells is one of my favorite artists. I've been following him since I first saw him perform in college. He's funny, talented, and you should check out more of his stuff. (If you're into singer-songerwriters, that is.)

I was going to recap my last set of intentions, but I really can't remember what happened that week so it would be kind pointless to go back over them. I can tell you this, though, I accomplished some but not all of what I set out to do.
What I hope to do this week: 1) Go for one run, or two. 2) Cook at least one meal (I have a lot of things going on this week, so I won't actually be home for many). 3) Write three posts. I need some sort of accountability. 4) Take advantage of the beautiful weather we're still enjoying. It's supposed to be in the 70s and 80s for the next week or so, which is not normal this time of year. 5) Actually register for class since it starts next week. 6) Get all my clothes hung up. The closet is packed, so I have to sort of wedge everything in.
That's all I'm doing for now. Life is running itself pretty well right now, so I'm just trying to stick along for the ride.
What do you hope to accomplish this week? Is there anything you've been putting off?

Awkward and Awesome: Catching Up

It's been a busy couple weeks with a lot of free time (I'll leave you to decipher that one). I thought I'd use my awkward and awesome post to catch up on what's been going on.  Just in case I don't actually get everything posted that I've been meaning to.

Awkward:
- The amount of time I've spent watching West Wing recently. This wouldn't be bad except that I watch with my computer hooked to my TV, so I get absolutely nothing done while it's happening.
- Getting up at 5am. I am not and never have been a morning person. Case closed. Also, I fell asleep at 9:15pm Tuesday. And it still wasn't a full night's sleep.
- I planned to go grocery shopping on Sunday and still haven't made it. Although I'm a little bit proud of myself for successfully creating meals from what I had on hand all week (even if most of them weren't much to write home about).
- The size of my closet. It's tiny. My stuff is just wedged in there. Over the past year or so, I've gone from big to regular to small. I have purged and haven't really shopped much. I think I'll just have to keep jamming stuff in.

Awesome:
- The new job. I'm learning a lot and now about any current event that matters, all before 10am. And I know I complained about the wake up time (because it's not fun), but having my day to get stuff done, whether or not that happens, is pretty awesome.
- The weather here. We're set to be in the 70s for the next week. I'm not quite ready to let summer go, so I appreciate this.
- The West Wing. I love this show. And it's free to stream via Amazon Prime. I'm getting my money's worth on that one, just in the last week. (Seriously, I'm almost through season three.)
- The G-Whizz! app. I love it because I'm able to keep up with my blog reading on the bus, waiting somewhere, or while West Wing is playing. :)
- The number of new computer programs/systems I'm figuring out. I'm definitely going to learn a ton over the course of the internship.

So, what's been awkward or awesome about your week?

Whistler Recap

Finally, I'm here with pictures from Whistler. At this rate, I'll have shared all the pictures from my summer by the new year. So that's something to look forward to.

When my friend, Kacee, started planning her visit and mentioned Whistler as an option, I said, "heck yes." Just like I had never been up to Mt. Baker before this summer, neither had I been to Whistler.

(What? I'm not a mountain sport person.)

We gave ourselves about a day and a half up there, which wasn't nearly enough time, but we still managed to fit a lot in.

The first stop on our drive up was at Shannon Falls, which is just an hour south of Whistler. The falls drop almost 1,100 feet. To contrast that, Niagara is 165 feet (though it has a little more water pouring over it).

From there, we had an aborted attempt at lunch nearby. After waiting half an hour without anyone even offering a glass of water, we chose the drive thru at McDonald's and headed north.

We stayed at Aava Hotel in Whistler Village, just 5 minutes walking from all the shops and restaurants. As a bonus, parking was free because I drive a hybrid. That saved us about $20 a day. Score!

After checking out the options, we decided to purchase a two-day lift pass to be able to go up the mountains.

(As a handy tip, if you ever head up, you can purchase a two-day pass online for the price of one day. I'm assuming this is only true in the summer, but still.)

We headed up the Wizard Express to Blackcomb Mountain. We didn't really plan well before setting out for the day, and Kacee didn't have long sleeves with her. Spoiler: mountain tops are very warm, even in the summer.

After picking up a sweatshirt, we took the gondola over to Whistler Mountain, and took the ski lift to the top. The views the whole way were amazing and while in the gondola, we were 1,000 from the valley floor (a little scary).


We decided to take a shorter hike around the peak and then headed back down to the village for dinner.

The second day we went up the Whistler side, it was closer to our hotel, and took the big gondola over to Blackcomb for an even shorter hike. It was a gorgeous sunny day and the hike was a little more protected than the previous day.

I would definitely love to head back next year for some longer hiking trips. There are some four hours options that would be great, especially with a picnic along the way.

And if you haven't been up to Whistler, I definitely recommend it. It's breath taking, with a variety of activities, and small--the perfect getaway combination.

P.S. It also has a lot of activities for kids.

Weekly Intentions: Back in Business

I'm laying in bed getting ready for the week. Or relaxing before it starts. Or just being lazy. The jury is still out.

(Confession: I'm actually watching The West Wing. One of the best shows ever.)

It's been a busy but wonderful weekend. Thursday I drove up to my parents' so I could do laundry and run errands. Friday evening, my mom and I headed out to San Juan Island to spend two days with my uncle (more on that later). And today I got my room in order and cleaned (almost entirely).i also got groceries. Woman cannot live on Trader Jo Jos alone.

I wanted to start the week with a few things I want to accomplish. Give myself some goals, especially as I start work tomorrow.

Weekly Intentions:
1. Get up at 7am and shower each weekday.
2. Get a shelf cut for the closet.
3. Research custom frames for a print (suggestions welcome!).
4. Only eat out once...okay, maybe twice.
5. Go for a run, walk, something at least twice.
6. Put together my Shutterfly photo book.
7. Decide what class I'm taking.
8. Process photos from this past weekend.
9. Eat some vegetables.
10. Discover new, fun music (suggestions also welcome).

What do you intend to do this week?

Awkward and Awesome: End of Summer

This year, Labor Day weekend is actually marking the end of my summer. School doesn't start for a couple weeks but I am starting an internship (more on that later) on Tuesday. So I am soaking up the last few days of freedom with a visit out to the islands.

Also, I just had the realization that this could be my last real summer. I mean, I have stretched it out for 27 years, but that doesn't make it any easier to stomach.

Anyways, onto the awesome and awkward moments of late.

Awkward:
- The amount of stuff you realize you have when moving (something anyone who has ever moved has probably said). I am so ready to downsize. But I am also trying not to go overboard since the closet at my new place is tiny and also has to fit my coats.
- Scaring my downstairs neighbor--the one I haven't met yet. I was opening my door right as he was coming out. He literally jumped. And then basically ran away.
- Having no clue what class to take to finish out my degree. I'm really unsure.
- Not actually getting this posted on Thursday. But it is getting posted.

Awesome:
- One last summer getaway this weekend. I'm headed out to the islands with the fam. My uncle is hosting us and we're bringing him some essentials.
- I got an internship!! I'll be working on the digital team at a local TV station starting Tuesday. So excited!!
- I'm at my parents' house for the night and the puppy is cuddled up next to me. He's in a bit of a hellion stage right now (we'll call it puberty), but he's so dang cute.
- I finally saw Dark Knight Rises and really enjoyed it. Also, I basically drove into town, changed into yoga pants in the parking lot (classy!), and walked in to see the first preview. Perfect!
- Officially only having one apartment. Bliss!

So, what has been awkward or awesome about your week?

Blogging Besties

I'm busy sorting through photos and stuff around here. While I get organized, I wanted to pop in with a quick post on a recent blog swap I took part in.

Krysten, over at Why Girls are Weird, hosted the Blogging Besties Swap. Each participant filled out a little survey and Krysten matched us up based on our answers. Then we sent little packages in the mail to our partner.

I was matched up with Hena, a Pakistani photographer who lives in New Jersey. She shares her gorgeous photography and little pieces of her life over on her blog. I highly recommend checking it out!

My package is on its way to Hena right now, but I received hers just a couple days ago. I wanted to share the goodies she sent my way.

Hena definitely got my tastes with this little package. I love peacocks because of all the colors in their feathers--pretty much every color I love is there. Peanut butter and chocolate is definitely one of the best combinations ever. And that wall hanging will be the perfect addition to my new home.

I had a blast taking part in this swap and getting to know Hena. So much fun!