Bonne Nuit 2013

Well 2013, it's come to this. Just a few hours left until the clock hits midnight and you'll be nothing but a distant memory. To be honest, I'm kind of relieved to see you go. I'm ready for a fresh start, even if the new year is just an arbitrary date on a calendar.

You know how every few years, a year comes down the pike that just feels incongruous? Where you meet with "square peg, round hole" issues at seemingly every turn? Where the harder you push, the more you feel like you're spinning your wheels? Yeah, 2013 just never really happened for me. I have vague memories of 2006 kind of being like this too and I suppose, every seven years or so you're due for a year that's not really bad, but certainly not great either.

Aren't you happy you swung by to spend some time with Debbie Downer this New Year's Eve? ;)

But while I might not have been thrilled with 2013 on a whole, that only motivates me to make 2014 a really super year. And there were moments of 2013 that really sparkled and sang. I mean, how could a year that started off like this be all bad?

NYE 2012

 Without further ado, some favorite memories of 2013:

Season tickets for Broadway Across America at the Orpheum in Minneapolis with Sarah.

The advent of homemade bagels. The advent of a Ankarsrum mixer for Christmas so I don't have to incorporate all of that blankity blank flour into the stiff dough by hand has been much celebrated.

A trip to the lower peninsula of Michigan with Mom to visit brother and girlfriend.

 

This is kind of a lowlight really, but let's not forget this cheery little picture from, oh, April 19th. I was talking to my dad today about hoping that 2014 would be a better weather year. "Yeah, but that's kind of a low hanging fruit," he said. I mean, how could 2014 not be better. Honestly, it's been so blasted cold for so blasted long now that I catch myself thinking that's the end of January. Today, we're a destined for a high of about -12. You guys, I'm not sure how much more of this I can take.

 

I probably spent more time in running shoes in 2013 then I had for the entire rest of my life. Watch out world, because Santa brought me some high tech running tights and a Garmin Forerunner, so I can really nerd out with split times and all sorts of other details you never wanted to know about my runs. Happily, my test of Garmin proved that I'd been pretty accurately calculating my distance, which is a relief because I'd hate to find out what I thought was a mile was actually 6/10s of a mile or something and also because on Sunday I signed up for my first half marathon. Gettin' crazy.

Whenever I have a not so good day, I just have to think back to the Baby Crafting Weekend Shower back at the end of June to reaffirm that all is right with the world. Did I mention that this very weekend is New Year's Crafting Weekend?! And that I get to meet the crafting babies, Princess Grace and C. Liam Neeson, in just a few short days?!? (Spoiler alert: not the babies' real names.)

2013 was also the year of the mitten. Every time I turned around, I was knitting more mittens. Every time I finished a pair, I vowed I would never knit a mitten again. Surprise, surprise, I just cast on another pair of mittens last night.

It was the year of the snowmobile too. At long last, Andy purchased his dream machine. Who knows what adventures await in 2014?

What were your favorite moments of 2013?
 

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Throwback Thursday: London 2003

Ten years ago today I was flying home from my first trip ever overseas. I'd just spent 12 glorious days in London with a group of my peers who were participating in cultural immersion course for college credit. (The group was made up of six high school seniors, one high school junior, one adult learner, one retired school teacher, and two chaperones.) We enjoyed a delicious itinerary crammed full of British culture including, visits to the St. Paul's Cathedral, the Tower of London, the V&A, four (count 'em - four!) theatre performances, a bus trip to Windsor, train rides to Canterbury and Salisbury (plus bus to Stonehenge), and more. I'm simultaneously exhausted and exhilarated now just thinking about it. 

It was such an important trip for me that helped define the next five years of my life. Without this experience, I doubt I would have spent a (very important in so many ways) semester in Ireland or spent a winter working in London after graduating from college. Although I haven't been abroad since returning home from working in London in spring 2008, and even though my passport actually expired this past December (sooooo bad - must renew sometime this year, must renew sometime this year) I still identify as a traveler. Hopefully some time soon, money and schedules will make it possible for another trip overseas.

This is me with some costumed reenactors at the Tower of London. This is why I will never fit into my prom dress ever again - because I was a waif in high school . . . a waif! Also, obviously the London humidity did not react with my hair at all. Ha.Bahahahahaha.

During this trip, we were each working on a special project for our course work. My project focused on English costume/dress from the Norman Invasion - the coronation of Elizabeth II - aka, the focus of the trip for me was to look at all the pretty dresses. Oh to be at Kensington Palace or the V&A again, notebook in hand, furiously scribbling notes about design features. Such happy memories.

In the green behind the House of Parliament.

In front of Stonehenge.

Travel's a pretty amazing thing. It brings out our best and bravest and also exposes our worst (especially in the face of being: tired, cranky, hungry, etc. We keep the lessons we learn from our travels our entire life and our wanders help us become thoughtful and informed participants in society. As Edna St. Vincent Millay so wisely wrote, "And sure this isn't a train I wouldn't take, no matter where it's going."

Source: fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net via Ada on Pinterest

 

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From Sea to Shining Sea

We've been keeping ourselves busy. Yesterday we took the subway (metro? I'm not sure what they call it in these parts, especially for the bits of track that are above ground) all the way out to Coney Island in the south of Brooklyn where we ate hot dogs and went to the New York Aquarium (The Seattle Aquarium is better, with considerable less school children.) The trip to beach in Brooklyn made it official: I've been from sea to shining sea this month.

We came back into Manhattan to get Broadway tickets, then stopped by Grand Central Terminal and the lobby of the Chrysler building, then grabbed a bite to eat and squeezed in some souvenir shopping before the evening's show.  I've developed an unnatural affinity for Magnolia Bakery cupcakes and as such, am beginning to look like one. 

We saw In the Heights on Broadway -- it was fine, not my favorite musical. I found some knowledge of the Spanish language necessary to full appreciate it. Unfortunately, I opted to take French in high school and college. In hindsight, that really wasn't my best choice, especially since my handle of French is so poor, I can barely understand a word of the French dialogue that swirls around me whenever we're at the hostel. 

The hostel is fine. Now that all the Europeans stranded by the volcano have gotten to go home, we have a fresh influx of French to take their place.

Today is the Sex and the City tour, then the Met, Central Park, and maybe some shopping. I have a dinner date with a hometown friend tonight as well.

The weather has been gorgeous. I think we're all a little sunburnt. It's been a great adventure so far. I fear the travel bug may be biting me again, hard.

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Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

No time for a bonafide blog entry, but wanted to wish everyone the best of St. Patrick's Day. My mother and I went out for lunch today and had Guinness Stout cake and Bailey's cheesecake respectively. It brought back lovely memories of the Queen of Tarts bakery in Dublin. To celebrate the Irishness of the day, here are some pictures from St. Paddy's Days past as well as some lovely Irish scenery. Erin Go Braugh!

 

St. Patrick's Day, Louisburgh, Co. Mayo, Ireland. 2005.

County Mayo Countryside, 2005. 

Looking towards the Holy Mountain Croagh Patrick, the highest point in Ireland. Westport, Co. Mayo, Ireland. 2008

Carrowmore Beach, Louisburgh, Co. Mayo, Ireland. 2008

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