Nom, Nom, Nom

I've been cooking more lately---yay! Actually, I'm trying to save money and in doing so I'm working through all the leftovers in my freezer. This means a lot of frozen meat. I mean, a lot of meat. I don't eat nearly as much meat as I used to, so this is kind of hard for me. In fact, I'm typically a "weekday vegetarian" in which I don't eat meat during the week and at work. On weekends though, it's fair game!

So in working through my freezer this past week, I have conquered two lovely new creations:

First: Spicy Italian Meatballs

Meatballs!

These are my lovely little spicy Italian meatballs. Perfect for that leftover hamburger meat in the freezer and it makes a boring, old pasta disk soooooo much more exciting. I never knew what a dash of red pepper flakes could to to instantly spice things up. I got the recipe from here.

Heating up some spaghetti and meatballs in the amazing All-Clad pan that I got for my b-day.

I know you're supposed to use regular spaghetti noodles with meatballs, but I had penne on hand. So deal with it. And one day I'm going to have a giant kitchen filled entirely with All-Clad utensils. (I'll keep dreaming in the meantime.)

Second (and definitely a keeper): Homemade Pizza with Carmelized Onions and Grilled Chicken

Get in my belly!

Pioneer Woman kept broadcasting a version of this recipe, so I've been craving it for weeks. Honestly, weeks. I only substituted chicken for the proccuitto (because that's what I had in my freezer) and used a tomato sauce under the toppings. The carmelized onions are to die for.  I typically don't like onions but I'm drooling just thinking about it now.

Strangely enough, I think that working meat back into my diet is helping me both perform better in soccer and (gasp!) lose some weight. Usually by mid-week, I'd feel so protien deprived that I'd instinctively reach for the nearest candy bar just to eat something. But then again, this is probably just an excuse. No matter what I eat, I'm going to be reaching for the candy bars.

A note on the fitness side of things. In the past 4 days I have done a sunrise climb up Mount Quandary and have played four soccer games in a local tournament. AND I had a stellar goal in the tournament! It was a set play across the box---I brought it down with my head and 5-holed the goalie. Goosebumps, baby.

Mount Quandary double-rainbow

Justin & I at the summit

And, because I'm obsessed with my Kindle I took a picture of it while reading in the park on Saturday.

Dear Kindle, I heart you.

I’m a Grumpy Mo-Fo Today

I have to admit that I hate blog/Facebook/Twitter venting. But today I’m a grumpy mo-fo.

It’s been forever since I posted and I’m sorry! (Not that I have any readers, but the whole point of a blog is to keep up with it.)

So, a brief highlight of my last few months---which, despite my grumpiness today, have been pretty stellar.

May:

Soccer, soccer, and more soccer.

We sent off one of my good friends, Abe, to his medical residency in New York. I already miss you, dude!

Abe and I

I did a kettlebell session with my friend, Scott. I was sore for days. As in, more sore than I remember being for a long, long time. It was amazing.

Ran the BolderBoulder with my newly-engaged friend, Amber. We were slow, but we finally caught up with every minute detail of our lives. Girl talk while running is the best. thing. ever.

June:

Soccer, soccer, and more soccer.

My birthday month! It all seemed to fly by.

My best friend Christy and her husband Josh stopped into town on their way to moving to Texas. They bought a ginormous house for the cost of a one-bedroom condo here in Boulder. I can't wait to go visit!

World Cup! Despite the fact that I'm a player myself, I know nothing about international soccer. I choose teams by how cute their players are. True story. It's like choosing wine by its label or judging a book by its cover. All infallible methods.

Went to a “Cooking While Camping” course/session/whatever. This man made the most amazing Thai Green Curry off a freakin’ camp stove. I can’t even do that in my kitchen at home.

Signed up and started training for my first triathlon ever. Biking and running? No problem. Swimming? I’m going to drown. By the way, this shiz is still expensive.

Won the co-ed Crested Butte soccer tournament. Had a great time with good friends!

Champions!

July:

Soccer, soccer, and more soccer.

Went hiking with my amazing friend from Australia, whom I affectionately call Baby. It’s been two years since he’s left us. I miss him.

First camping trip and first 14-er of the year---my ninth ascent total. A great weekend with friends, the outdoors, and lots of good food.

View from the top of Mount Bierstadt (14,060 feet)

Emily and I at Guanella Pass

This past weekend consisted of Guns and Garters and fishing with my amazing family. I’ve never shot skeet with shotguns before and it was surprisingly a lot of fun! My shoulder is a little bruised from the kickback but it also makes me feel like a badass. And a day spent on the boat is always good for the soul.


So that’s the quick and dirty of my life right now. All-in-all it has been amazing. So my grumpiness is totally out of line. Maybe I just needed to spew this all out so that I’d realize how lucky I am.

Maybe we all just need a day to pout and then get over ourselves.

Probably both.

Harrumph. Grump. Poop. Frown.

I’m Getting an Edumacation

No, not the kind with books and chalk and teachers. (Who uses chalk anymore?) Been there, done that. I think my degree is buried somewhere at home. Instead, I’m getting edumacated about life.

With my time off from soccer, I’ve been able to hunt down some awesome informational sessions and courses in  Boulder—all of which are free. Hurrah! Where have I found these goodies? Full Cycle and REI. They are both the bomb-diggity.

(Confession: Now that I can play soccer again, I don't want to go back. I've been having too much fun off the field...)

Some of the things I have learned:

1. Triathlons. Wow. Where to begin? The most important thing I got from this session is that triathlons are expensive. You could show up with just your Wal-Mart Huffy mountain bike (but that would be frowned upon by the elites); or you could start racing with a "simple," beginner road bike (with a starting price tag of $1,000). It just goes up from there—specialized wheels, tri bars, carbon fiber... you name it. Then there’s the rest of the gear. A decent tri suit is at least $100, and then you need a wet suit for open-water swims at another couple hundo. And then there’s the entrance fee and required insurance for the actual race. See the progression here? It’s expensive. It makes sense why you never see young people in triathlons—they can’t afford it! However, for a 40-something that’s established and has some extra money to burn, triathlons and most importantly the cool gadgets are definitely a plus.

I think I’ll stick to my $200 commuter bike and cheap and cheery running races for the time being.

I'd be the person drowning

2. Bike Maintenance. I’m not gonna lie, I’m spoiled by my mechanic father and two older brothers. They’re so efficient in fixing things that I happily whine and complain until everything is taken care of. This, of course, means that I know nothing about maintenence myself. Even my little $200 bike leaves me baffled. It seriously took me 15-minutes to figure out how to put air in my tires the other day. Sad, but true. So, off to bike maintenance class! The course was also very informative. The most important thing I learned: A clean bike is a happy bike! So, my bike and I are going to have a pool party this weekend. Chain grease (dry, not wet!) and spare tire tubes will be involved. Care to join? Speedos and Bikinis required. Banana Hammocks preferred.

See the pump? I now know how to use that. Everything else is gibberish.

3. Nutrition. I went to a women’s nutritional course hosted by Megan Forbes and Full Cycle. It was fascinating! To sum it all up—eat lots of fruits, veggies, and foods without additives and preservatives. I pretty much know all of this, but it was really helpful just to see it specifically discussed and analyzed. I also found out that my daily multivitamin, of all things, was making me sick and nauseus. Yay for scientific coding. Oh yeah, we also feasted on catered duck confit sandwiches. Yum.

Mixed drinks contain juice so they're healthy, right? Right?

I’m also getting educated in the fact that I’m not young and invincible anymore. I am still sore. I may cry. I played indoor for the first time in months on Tuesday, I lifted legs, back, and biceps on Wednesday morning, and I’ve been close to tears ever since. It’s bad enough that I couldn’t sleep so I gave up and went to the gym at 4 am just to soak in the hot tub and sauna. Brutal.

Finally, I have to share my recent cooking conquests. As always, I get far too excited any time a new recipe is successful. My new favorite is the gem I cooked last night:

Helloooo, lover!

Homemade wheat pasta with cooked asparagus, roma tomatoes, and proscuitto

 
The homemade pasta was very time consuming. Not too hard, per say, but the time involved is questionable when you can easily buy a huge package at the grocery store for a couple bucks. I'm still glad I figured out how to make it!
 
I can barely draw in a straight line, much less cut noodles! Seriously, it's like squiggle play pasta in there.
 

Straight lines? P-shaw!

 
Other fun times in the kitchen:
 

Tomato soup with white wine

Skillet cornbread with hot chilis and cheddar cheese

Soup and cornbread---yum!

Exhausted and bored from reading yet? I am. And I'm sore.

Exciting... Not Really

I haven’t posted anything lately because, honestly, I don’t have any new and exciting news. And you know what? I love it.

I feel like I’ve been running around like a chicken with my head cut off for years. Sometimes I love the packed schedule, the friends, and the excitement. Sometimes I hate it.

Though I guess this "mini-break" is forced. I sprained my knee (MCL) a couple weeks ago and so I have to lay low for a while. The doc said 6- to 8-weeks. I have to admit that it’s hard to take a break when my life is so active. I can’t play soccer, run, or ski, and even going to the gym is hard at this point. Stick me on a recumbent bike with little to no resistance and tell me that I can’t run or lift (or break a sweat, really) = very unhappy Claire. So, I haven’t been working out speak of because it’s just torture.

On a good note, my awesome and stylish friend, Emily, and I went shopping to update my wardrobe! Never having seriously shopped at Nordstrom’s before, I have to say that I’m now in love. With some digging around, we were able to find some classy and affordable outfits that are work-appropriate and that I feel comfortable wearing. As a habit of buying larger sizes from when I had put on my Freshman 15 in college, most of my clothes were far too big for me. It's nice to wear clothes that actually fit! (I'm a size 4---wha??)

But trust me, most everything new is still made of cotton. If I’m allowed to wear jeans at work then I’m going to take full advantage of that, damnit! This has also forced me to branch out and get items that have color. Yes, color. Can you believe it? But don’t fret, I still have enough black and grey in my wardrobe to last a while.

Below is the casual, classic style that I am trying to embody. Well-tailored jeans, a nice, structured top or jacket, and generally a put-together look that's still comfortable and classy. Easy, right?

As the saying goes, dress for the position you want, not the position you currently hold.

I am the first to admit that I’m genetically challenged in the style department but I'm working on it. Shopping takes a hell of a lot of time (ugh!) but with my friends’ help I think I can make it happen.

To further my education, I’m actually going to a Runway Show this week in Boulder. Can you believe it? I’d much rather be at a car show, but like I said I’m branching out. I’m getting edumacated. On the downside, I’ll be surrounded by fussy, high-maintenance women all evening and I hate women. Patience, Claire. Patience.

Be Careful What You Wish For

I’m going to be honest: I have always wanted a black eye. Seriously. It’s been a life goal of mine… until I got one.

Kyle (my roomie) had a black eye last Tuesday. I came home, saw it, and instantly exclaimed my jealousy. He offered to punch me in the face for one but I declined. (In retrospect, I should've taken him up on the offer.) Then that Friday at my soccer game I took a header to the perfect spot in the face and the fun started.

The progression:

See, usually I'm kinda cute and, well, normal looking.

Then I got hit at indoor soccer. I had plans to go out that night for my friend's birthday so despite the eye I had to go.

Hamming it up for the camera. My eye is so swollen I can barely see.

Love these girls! Happy b-day, Em.

Just your average one-eyed pool shark.

By Monday, the bruising had fully colored into this.

And by Wednesday (today) it is now various colors of the rainbow---and can be spotted from a half mile away.

Not only that, but the blood has drained into my eye so I now look demonic. (And my apologies for looking so awful. My boss is out of town which means I'm lucky if I change out of my sweats in the morning.)

Despite all the stares, the most fun is seeing everyone's reactions. It's a sociological study. Some of my favorite responses:

• I was walking outside the building to go for a run when a man saw me and literally crossed himself. Apparently I'm the devil.
• A coworker walked up and asked, very seriously, "Claire, is everything okay at home?"
• Another coworker suggested this book to me: Men Who Hate Women and the Women Who Love Them. Thanks, but I won't be needing that on my shelf.
• Our receptionist thought that if the bruising didn't go below my eye, it'd be a helluva makeup job.
• Our UPS man, however, instantly figured out that it was soccer and starting diving into war stories of his own.

The best part of this? Hearing everyone else's war stories. The worst part? Constant pity looks. I can't go to the grocery store or the gym without "the look." So I guess I have to run outside, with sunglasses on, and eat pasta for the next week. Fun times.

It's a little vision into our culture:

Guys' injuries=badass

Girls' injuries=domestic violence

Be careful what you wish for.

Professional Friendships vs. THAT Guy

Where’s the line?

Specifically, where’s the line when it comes to your personal and professional relationships with other people? Can you make personal friends in a professional setting or should you keep the two firmly separate?

I have a good friend at my office. I helped plan her wedding and even threw her bachelorette party. The party was a damn good night!

There should be nothing wrong with friends in the workplace!!

The women at my company constantly exchange new family pictures or briefly talk about our weekends. We’re all friendly and cordial, but there is a professional line. No one is showing up at each other’s doors uninvited.

But then this happened....

Our janitor came to my indoor soccer game last night. Seriously. This man, though he owns his own company and is obviously successful, can best be described as “creepy.” While I was working late and he was cleaning up, he started asking about soccer and the next thing I knew I had told him where the indoor place was. I honestly thought that he was interested in joining a team himself or something of that sort.

Stupid on my part, I know. And naïve.

So now what? Should I be concerned that this 60-year-old creepster (who has also confessed that he wants to ask out my boss… and he’s married!) is a problem or is this just a one-time experience?

I’ve been asking around and these are the responses I’ve received:

1. It’s my fault for speaking with him about any aspect my personal life in the first place. This is obviously an untrustworthy man looking for information.
     - They’re right.

2. I should inform my boss that he came to the game, uninvited, and make sure that this doesn’t happen again.
     - But, I’m no longer playing on Tuesday nights for a while—is it worth getting my boss involved? I feel like this whole situation was preventable if I had paid more attention.

3. Make sure that I don’t work late when he’s supposed to clean (on Tuesday and Saturday nights). And, especially, don’t be here alone.
     - Yes, this all makes sense, but doesn’t it seem a little drastic? He’s not a stalker… yet.

Is all this worry and hooplah necessary? Even on my own part? It’s all creepy and slightly disconcerting, yes, but I made the mistake of giving him even the slightest amount of information. Besides, I don’t feel like his actions are specifically geared towards me. He’s just THAT guy.

Then again, maybe I should tell my boss… he does a crap-ass job of cleaning as it is.

Priorities

I’m trying to figure some things out. Like, you know, life...

First of all, I’m determined to have more free time. Determined. And yet, if I have too much time on my hands I get bored. Last night I went home early, blissfully read an entire book and then went to bed. And now I feel guilty for being so unproductive.

So today I’m asking myself one question:

How do you prioritize and still not worry about the small things?

Here are the things I want to focus on, in no particular order. The point is, as a matter of fact, to actually get these things in some kind of order:

- Work
Ugh. No comment.

- Soccer
I’m giving up two of my three indoor teams. Decision made. I’m doing it. I’m not playing well and I just need a break. And yes, it will be that hard to walk away, even for a season or two.

- Running
My goal is to run another half marathon this summer and even, ideally, a full marathon. To be honest, a dream of mine is to take a trip to Montana and run in the gorgeous scenery. How cool would that be?
Montana marathons
Colorado marathons
Marathon training (gulp!)

- Reading and Studying
I work in publishing, yes, but I could always improve my grammar and copyediting skills. I’d also like to seriously study for the GRE (even though I can’t afford grad school and the thought of taking on loans scares me to death).

- Yoga, Skiing, Hiking... Anything Outdoors
I can’t sit cross-legged and I’m better at water skiing than I am at snow skiing, but still. I live in the mecca of outdoor sports and I love them!

- Cooking
I’m slowly getting better at cooking as I try new recipes, but it takes time, commitment, and money.

As you can see, I love hobbies. I support hobbies. They keep you sane and stable.

So how do I find the balance again? Where do I prioritize?

Where do I even begin?

*****

Update on “The Goal”:
I’m off target this week and it’s only Tuesday. I’m having trouble concentrating (obviously) so we'll see how things develop.