A Clean, Well-Lighted Place

From the cockroach exhibit at the Caldwell Zoo. This photo still gives me the creeps! Also, not what we're looking for in a house, just in case you were wondering.

Now that it's finally starting to sink in that we are, indeed, moving to North Carolina and I am, actually, about to start my long awaited MFA program, I have begun to freak out about finding a place to rent in earnest. Yay for me?

Here is the problem (besides the fact that we are going to just drive on up there and find a place upon our arrival): I am (almost) 29 years old. Nathan is 30. I want to live in a pretty house, on a nice street, far away from raucous college kids but close enough that I can bike to school and walk to the grocery store. But! Despite being of adult age, I am also going to be a full time graduate student making very few dollars. My desire to live comfortably and my plan to follow my starving-artist dream do not exactly jive.

So far, I've stalked Craigslist and clicked through many homes that I would never set foot in, let alone rent. While there have been a few gems, they tend to be further away from the university. It's clear that we're going to have to make some sacrifices and I'm trying to decide which ones are the deal breakers. Here is what my ideal home would have:

• A house where dogs are welcome. Not an apartment, not a condo, not a duplex. I am tired of having my living space attached to someone else's. And obviously I'm not willing to ditch my dogs in order to expand my options. You know me better than that.
• A fenced in yard. The bigger, the better. We want room for the dogs to play as well as space to have a garden and maybe even a little chicken coop. 
• A decent neighborhood. By "nice" I mean a street that I'd feel safe running on early in the mornings and walking my dogs in the evenings. It would be a bonus if our neighbors kept their yards neat and didn't pile garbage on the curb for weeks at a time. (cough*currentneighbors*cough)
• Within five or six miles from campus. Closer would be better, but this is about as far as I can imagine living without feeling stranded or alienated.
• At least two bedrooms. Preferably three. I would like a small office and a guest room, but I could also make do with an office/guest room. 
• Hardwood floors. Because carpet is gross.

Those are the main things I'm looking for and I'm willing to be flexible on some of them. Other things I'd like are a washer and dryer, a mud room or laundry room, a front porch, a back porch, an attached garage (or at least a car port) and a little personality - I'd love a unique place that isn't a mirror image of every other house on the block. If we were planning to buy a house or had more time, I'd probably be able to find something that satisfied most of my desires. But the fact that we'll have two days before we'll have to return our U-Haul, a tight budget, two huge dogs and a temporary lack of employment is going to narrow our options quite a bit.

It's going to be okay. I know that Nathan and I are about to embark on a huge adventure and that no matter what, we'll have each other (and Seamus, and Calvin). We can be happy anywhere.

But I'm still crossing my fingers for a big backyard.

Celebrations, Dinner and 30 Days

This weekend was my dear friend Amy's birthday. I've known Amy since I moved to Nacogdoches nearly seven years ago - we first met in a yoga class at the college and bonded over a home practice and bottles of wine. Since then I've had a lot of friends and been a part of a lot of groups, but Amy has been one of my most treasured constants. When we say goodbye to Texas in just four short weeks, Amy will be one of the biggest reasons that I sob half way to North Carolina. But this weekend was not about goodbyes. This weekend was about birthdays!

Even though Amy's birthday was Sunday, we did most of our celebrating on Saturday. A bunch of the ladies headed to a friend's backyard, where he graciously allowed us to take over his beautiful pool and drink all the mimosas we wanted. Later, the guys showed up and there was beer, snacks, volleyball and a dip in the hot tub. I don't have a lot of photos to post, because my lady friends are modest and my friend is private about his home, but just know this: it was a perfect day, in a perfect place. And because I'm not modest, here is how I enjoyed it:

Drinking a(nother) mimosa and smiling big, toothy grins. Perfect.

Despite the swimming, the sun and the beverages, we all managed to meet up at 8:30 the next morning for our newest tradition - a birthday tribute of sun salutations, one of for each year of the birthday person's life + one to grow on. This meant that for Amy, we had to do 34 salutations. That is a lot of sun salutations, but we made it through them and by the time we reached the 20's, it became strangely effortless and magical. I'll already be in Wilmington for my 29th birthday in August, but my friends have promised to do salutations in my honor from afar. The best part is, I know that they will.

The birthday girl is in the center, in black. I'm on the far right, in brown pants and a gray tank. Just in case you were wondering.

After our yoga tribute, we had coffee and vegan blueberry banana muffins (baked by yours truly) before finally parting ways. I love birthdays so hard! 

Saturday, while not quite as exciting, was no less satisfying. I was finally able to clean out our fridge (a terrifying process which I'd been putting off for way too long) which allowed me to plan our weekly dinners and restock the kitchen with fresh, healthy things that I will actually prepare and eat. Summer this year has been tough - the onslaught of 100 degree days came early, and any desire I had to cook went out the window. Because eating out in East Texas is expensive and unsatisfying, this needed to change. I scoured my cookbooks and found some lighter recipes that don't require much oven time and yet seem tasty and filling. Last night, I made portobello mushroom sandwiches and spicy sweet potato fries, and friends - success! I have high hopes for the rest of the week.

And last but not least, I decided to try out the 30 Day Shred. In case you don't read way too many healthy living blogs, the 30 Day Shred is a DVD program that features three, 20 minute workouts. You do level one for ten days straight, then level two for ten days straight and then finally level three for - you guessed it! - ten days straight. It's supposed to deliver great results and after reading a few testimonials last year, I purchased a copy and placed it on my bookshelf, where it sat until this weekend.

So why now? Since I'm quitting my job in July I'm also quitting my gym, as my membership is linked to my status as a university employee. For the last few weeks, I've been strength training twice a week on lunch breaks and I don't want to lose the progress I've made while I'm between gyms. I also have almost exactly 30 days before I move, which fits nicely with the whole "30 Day Shred" concept. Basically, the universe has aligned in such a way that the time to shred is very clearly now.

So far, I've completed two days of the challenge at level one. And y'all - it's hard! 20 minutes might not seem like enough time to complete a decent workout, but my thighs and chest would beg to differ. While I shred this month, I also plan to continue practicing yoga and running as usual. While I won't follow the eating plan that the shred recommends, I've been trying to clean up my diet a bit. Less beer and more greens, mostly - that's the extent of my "dieting" and it usually works. I took measurements of myself this weekend so I can chart my progress and will definitely report back in a month and let you know if the shred is worth it. Conducting experiments on yourself is fun.

And that sums up my weekend. How was yours?

Friday +/-

I haven't done a Friday +/- post in a while, but Rose-Anne did one on Thursday, reminding me how much I enjoy looking back on my week in list form. Thank you, Rose-Anne!

First, the not-so-good: 

- Running has been so hard lately. The heat and humidity are a soul-crushing combination. Today, I finally broke four miles by clocking five, except I had to take multiple walking breaks. Hard to believe that just a few months ago I was running a marathon at a faster pace than my recent short runs. Summer: you suck.

- I really can't think of any downsides to this week. That is a very nice feeling.

Amy takes the best photos of me!

And now for the perfectly lovely: 

+ We appear to have a buyer for our apartment! One person offered the asking price, which was firm. We showed the apartment to another person last night anyway, just in case. This second person liked the place so much that she offered to pay more than the asking price, and in cash! We couldn't really say no to that - the closing will happen much faster, which means we won't have to put off our move date to Wilmington. AND because we've been paying the mortgage for six years, we stand to make a nice chunk of change off the sale. Now I understand why people prefer to buy instead of rent - when you move, you can get some of your money back. (Of course, selling an apartment is much easier than selling a house. People selling homes right now are not quite as lucky as we are.) Our buyer is going to try to get the inspection done today and since there's nothing wrong with our place, I expect it to go well. I won't feel completely at ease until all the paperwork is done and the sale is final, but I'm feeling a hundred times better about the process than I was. Whew!

+ On Wednesday night, some friends decided to host the inaugural Backyard Happy Hour. Cheaper than going out for drinks and just as fun! We enjoyed the evening air, snacked on guacamole and chips (which turned soggy from the humidity in about fifteen minutes), and generally had a great time. I can't wait to do it again, every week until we leave.

+ Even though my five miles were terrible and awful and painful and slow, I still finished them. You know who's going to be an awesome runner come fall? This girl!

+ I'm taking the afternoon off so I can have a long lunch with my lady friends, get a much needed hair cut, buy a birthday gift for one of my favorite people, and get my weekend started early. All in all, I'd say it's been an excellent week. How was yours?

Change for the Better

Earlier in the month, I made some goals. They did not seem especially lofty at the time but, as the month wears on, I am beginning to realize that I might have been aiming a little high. The two goals I'm thinking of right now are my plans to write and read for 30 minutes a day, each.

These goals don't sound very difficult, but the truth is that the way I currently live is not conducive to creative pursuits. This is the main reason that I'm planning to uproot my life in order to get an MFA in creative writing. A more driven, ambitious and disciplined writer would not need to take such drastic measures to get her writing done. Alas, it turns out I am not (yet!) that writer. The truth is that I'm mildly drive, slightly ambitious and disciplined only in starts and spurts. I fizz out quickly and lose momentum faster than you can pour a glass of wine and get sucked into three episodes of True Blood after a long day of boring, soul-crushing work at your full time job.

Here is the main problem, as I see it: I do my best writing and thinking from 8 in the morning until about noon. If I have those hours to myself, I can get so much work done - writing, revising, reading, and researching. My brain synapses are snapping! My creative juices are flowing! My fingers are flying across the keyboard and ideas and words are pouring out of me and on to the screen! It's magical and I love it and I can't think of a time when I feel more alive.

Do you know what I'm usually doing from 8 in the morning until noon? Sitting at my desk, in a small office, in a tall building, in the middle of a university, in the heart of East Texas. I am doing work for other people instead of work for myself. I am wasting the best part of my day in pursuit of someone else's goals. This is not my strategic plan. This is not where I want to be in five years.

Which is convenient, because in less than a month I will no longer be at this desk. In less than two months, I will be in a classroom, writing stories and talking about literature and getting to know a cohort of other writers who are just as crazy as I am. An MFA? In creative writing? Really? Okay. In two months, my life will be so completely different from it's current version. My classes will be in the afternoons and evenings. My mornings will be mine. I will be living near the ocean and running on the coast and spending my time - 8 in the morning until about noon, specifically - writing, revising, reading and researching. The truth is I am driven, ambitious and dedicated, if not completely disciplined, when it comes to writing. My current life is not conducive to creative pursuits, and so I am changing my life.

Thus, my revised June goals: finish drafts of two new short stories (one is done; the other I started this morning) and finish reading White Teeth. These thing should be manageable, no matter what my life currently looks like.

Homebodies

This weekend was mostly spent in and around our apartment, as we cleaned it from top to bottom in preparation for the showings we had scheduled for Sunday. And I am happy to say that our apartment is currently beautiful.

We washed the windows. We swept the porch. We packed up and/or sold our clutter at a yard sale (and turned a bunch of garbage into $125!). We mopped, dusted and vacuumed. Twice. And on Sunday, we showed potential buyers around our condo and crossed our fingers. No one bought it on the spot (that would be too easy, I guess) but I think we did a good job of extolling it's virtues and drumming up interest. We have three more showings this week, which is great and awful. Great, because the more people who look at it, the better our chances of finding a buyer. Awful, because the longer people are looking at it, the longer we have to keep it this clean and tidy. We'll manage, and who knows - maybe we'll end up cleaner, tidier people when this is all over. A girl can dream, right?

This weekend was not all work and no play, however. We found time to bottle our latest batch of beer (a red ale) and finally sampled our previous batch (a cream ale, pictured above). The cream ale was pretty tasty. I thought it could have been more carbonated, but since it wasn't flat I'm not complaining. It's a nice, light beer - perfect for a summer day. I'm looking forward to winter this year because stouts are my favorite but they're definitely a cool weather brew.

There was also a Sunday evening bike ride with the new bike gang in town (literally - there were about 20 of us and the event is basically a weekly joy ride - lots of fun!), beers and conversation on Amy and David's porch, and a super sweaty four mile run with Nathan. But mostly? The apartment. Convincing someone to buy it is our main goal right now.

And now it's Monday and I'm back in my office, at my desk, with a giant to-do list in front of me and a beautiful pine tree outside my window. Things could be worse. I'm glad they're not. I hope the same is true for you.


* My apologies for the gratuitous use of the Instagram app, but my camera is too bulky to carry around in the Texas heat and Instagram makes iPhone photos look so nice. Free, too!

Friday Four

Friends! It's been a crazy week. Lots of things have been happening behind the scenes, but I didn't want to greet the weekend without first saying hello to you. Thus: a blog post, in list form.

For Sale!

1. After distributing a nifty flier touting the finer aspects of our for-sale-apartment, we have no less than four people coming to see it this Sunday. Which means we have no less than two days to clean the heck out of our apartment until it's shiny, welcoming and practically sells itself. It's really important that we sell our place as soon as possible, otherwise we'll have to push back our move date, which will cause me to stress about the possibility of all the good rentals in Wilmington being snatched up before we get there. I guess moving is stressful no matter how you do it, but the whole having to sell a place/find a place/not be homeless when school starts thing is a concern.

2. Yesterday I took Calvin to the vet so he could get some blood work done. When he was neutered a few months ago, they were only able to find one testicle so now, they are testing him for the presence of testosterone. If he has any in his blood, then there is another testicle that must be found and removed. If there's no testosterone, then he only had one to begin with. I'm hoping he was a uniballer, because a second surgery will be painful for the pup, not to mention for my wallet. We get his results back in a week, so fingers crossed! Also, my little puppy officially weights 101 pounds. So that's two 100+ pound mutts. How did I get so lucky?! (I'm serious! Big dogs are awesome!)

The campus where I work.

3. I'm so busy at work! I only have four weeks left at my desk (huzzah!) and instead of falling prey to short-timer's syndrome, I am falling to prey to must-finish-everything-before-I-go-because-I feel-so terribly-guilty-for-leaving syndrome. Hence, only three posts this week. (But 10,000 tweets! Surely that counts for something?)

4. We're deep in the third season of Breaking Bad. Have you seen this show? It is excellent, addictive and highly recommended by Nathan and myself. I am a huge fan of not having cable and instead watching things on DVD and Netflix. Instant gratification! No waiting for more episodes! Goodbye, commercials! Next on our list: season three of True Blood. This is an exciting summer, y'all!

And I think that brings you up to date. Have a lovely weekend!

The Season for Leaving

A day at the lake with yoga friends. It was a good day. Photo by Amy.

Yesterday morning I came in late to work because I had a very important appointment. It was my friend Chip's last day in town (he's in the Navy and will be stationed in Virginia for the next few years) as well as his birthday, and since he is a core member of the NacoYogis we had to send him off with a 7:15 am yoga class followed by 32 sun salutations in the park - a salutation for each year of his life, plus one to grow on. It was a bittersweet occasion and I will not lie - the final oms we chanted in class were shaky. I don't think there was a dry eye in the studio.

Last night we had a last minute goodbye dinner for George and Elma, who are moving to Montana on Friday. George got a summer job as a ranger in Glacier National Park and Elma does graphic design work online, so it's a great opportunity and an exciting adventure for the both of them. We had a vaguely Tex-Mex themed dinner, complete with guacamole, salsa, roasted vegetables, stuffed peppers and Mexican Chocolate Cake. It was a feast and we finished the night by kicking balloons, taking shots of a suspect tequila straight from Mexico and, at the end of the evening, saying goodbye as fast as we could.

I like making a fuss over people, and I like people making a fuss over me. Pageantry, traditions, any excuse to dress up or make a speech or cook a fancy meal - I live for these moments. But when it comes to goodbyes, I fall apart. I love adventure and I love change, but I despise the necessary casualties. The farewells. The friends that will no longer live a half a mile away, the impromptu nights on porches drinking beers and watching the dogs chase each other through the yard. As I say goodbye to so many people this month (and we're not done yet!) I can't help but think of my own impending move. And when I consider the lovely life I'm leaving behind, I feel wracked with guilt.

This is what happens when you follow your dreams. I know that at the end of the road there will be a thousand new hellos waiting for me and when I think about them, I'm happy and excited and eager to start the next phase of my life. And yet, all the excitement in the world doesn't make the goodbyes any easier to bear.

Houston Beer Fest

This past weekend, Nathan and I traveled to Houston to attend the first annual Houston Beer Festival. A lot of things went wrong and this weekend could have been terrible but, through the power of friends and alcohol, we managed to have a pretty great time. Allow me to explain.

1. Waiting in line to get in. 

The Festival started at 2pm. Nathan and I arrived with our friends Vicki and Jeromy at about 3:30 and were greeted by a huge line that was three blocks long. This was for prepaid tickets. We were told by other people in line that it was at least a two hour wait. Two hours... in 95 degree weather... with no beer. This was not a good situation. Luckily, Jeromy is magic and managed to get us through the line and in the door in about 45 minutes. He may have convinced some folks to let us cut, but I won't can't say for sure. Once we got to the front, we realized what had happened - there were about three volunteers checking in the thousands of people that had purchased their tickets via a Groupon deal (including us). Seriously poor planning. Once we were in we managed to put that experience behind us, get some beers, find our friends and start celebrating in earnest.

2.  Waiting in line to get beer.

In order to get beer, you had to purchase tickets. One ticket got you a two ounce taste; four tickets got you a 12 ounce pour. I had originally planned to go around to all the booths and taste everything before committing to a full cup, but the beer lines were also ridiculously long. The park was too crowded and it was hard to move around. It took about 30 minutes to get to the front of the beer line, which meant that I quickly tasted what they had and then got a full cup for my trouble. While this resulted in being able to taste less beers than I wanted, I did get tipsy very quickly. (Forgetting to eat dinner didn't help.) We stuck to brewing companies we weren't familiar with and were able to try some new things, so it wasn't a total loss.

3. Running out of everything.

For the first two hours, things were going well. We had to wait for our beers but once we got them they were delicious. We found some of the people we were meeting and were texting the rest of our group who were still in line. Two of our friends made it in at about 6pm. Our other two friends, after waiting in line for nearly two hours, finally made it to the front - only to be told there were no tickets left. Which actually wasn't too bad, because inside the festival the beer tents were already beginning to run out of 12 ounce cups AND beer! Apparently, the event organizers had planned for 10,000 people and were not prepared when 20,000 people showed up. I understand that this was their first event, but come on. They sold pre-paid tickets and had a Groupon deal that thousands of people bought. If they only had resources for 10,000 people, then they should have sold 10,000 tickets. It's not exactly rocket science.

4. Stop complaining, keep drinking.

As I said earlier, we could have had a horrible time. The lines were long, some of our friends didn't make it in, it was hot and crowded and a huge mess. And yet - we did have fun! We drank an obscene amount of beer, we sat on a hill in the sun, Nathan tired to rob an ice-cream truck, my toe got stomped and my nail bled all over the grass, we made fools of ourselves while making friends with all the drunk people around us, and we got to drink some fine beers. Will I go to the Houston Beer Fest again? Probably not. Do I regret going this year? Hell, no. I had a great time and the brutal hangover to prove it. We have a bunch of new stories and hazy memories. We had an adventure, even if it wasn't the adventure we planned. Even the Houston Beer Fest couldn't ruin that.

For some fun commentary, check out the Houston Beer Fest's twitter account and the replies they got this weekend. I heard their Facebook was also full of irate comments but they seemed to have deleted the page. Social media fail. 

Summer Fun Running

I haven't blogged much about running lately. I will give you a hint as to why.

Yes, it's that time of year again. Despite the fact that I have lived in East Texas for nearly seven years, the onslaught of summer never fails to smack me in the face and make me beg for mercy. And it's not just the triple degree temperatures (because it may say 98 but, as the local weatherperson likes to gleefully inform us, that's before the heat index). In my part of Texas, we also have to contend with the rampant humidity. Lovely.

Despite the challenges of the weather, I have been averaging about three runs a week. Since I'm not training for anything and will be moving in a few weeks, my summer goals are to maintain my running fitness while establishing my strength training routine. (You can lift weights indoors! A major plus.) This has been going swimmingly the last few weeks and, speaking of swimmingly (because running outside feels closer to swimming at this point), I have established three golden rules for Summer Fun Running which may be of interest to you.

1. The earlier you run, the better. The streets are cooler in the morning because they've been under the cover of darkness all night, and your body temperature is lowest when you first wake up. I like to start my runs at 6am at the absolute latest.Warning: running in the morning is still hot and humid and hard, but it's not impossible.
2. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Also, hydrate. I can't stress this enough. Lots of people like fancy sports drinks full of electrolytes and vitamins; I prefer plain, honest water. I always carry a bottle of water on my runs and I drink about two liters a day. (My Nalgene bottle is never far from my side.) 
3. Now is the time to practice acceptance. It is a known fact that when the temperatures rise and the humidity thickens, my pace will drop... and drop... and drop. My former easy, recovery pace is my new speed workout. Struggling through a slow three miler can be demoralizing - it feels like I'm going backward in my training - but everything is relative. As long as my heart rate is up and my legs are working hard, my pace is irrelevant. At least until fall, anyway. 

On the bright side, here's the ten day forecast for Wilmington: 

A full fifteen degrees cooler on most days, and look! Actual rain! That will be a nice change from the three year drought in which Texas is currently languishing. I already have my eye on two races in North Carolina (a half marathon in November and a full in March) but I'll wait until I get there and see what my new schedule looks like before making any firm commitments. Knowing the summer will be slightly more forgiving and my days a little more flexible, however, makes me hopeful.

How do you handle exercising in extreme weather? I could always use more tips!

A Favor, My Friends!

My sister Susan is an awesome photographer. She studied photography at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City and is currently the Assistant Photo Editor for Family Circle Magazine. She loves taking all kinds of photos, but her favorite subject by far is musicians. I can't tell you how many shows she's been to and how many bands she's helped by capturing their energy and passion with her camera. I mean, just look at this photo!

She is currently in the running to photograph Soundgarden during their summer tour, which would be a truly amazing opportunity creatively, professionally and personally. And because I love, support and believe in my sister I'm asking you to vote for her. Voting is easy - no registration required and you only have to do it once. The deadline is Monday, June 13. She - and I - would really appreciate your help!

To vote, you can either follow this link and vote through Facebook or Twitter. You can also vote through text message by sending the message TH T826JJ to the number 66337. Feel free to forward it on to any friends you have - she's doing well but the competition is steep!

Thanks so much for reading this - and for voting! Now let's go and make Susan's dreams come true! 

CSA Slow Spring Soup

I'm a huge fan of our CSA - I love getting big baskets of fresh produce every week, including things I've never heard of and have no idea how to prepare. (Kohlrabi, anyone?) Our CSA membership, however, has not been without it's challenges. The main issue we have? Traveling a lot on the weekends and watching as our bounty wilts in the refrigerator. Last week I had a lot of things taking up space and going soft - mainly potatoes, carrots and one big, beautiful, green cabbage. I knew I had to act quickly in order to save this treasure.

After mulling over my produce for a few minutes, the answer was clear: soup. Simple, easy, and the best way I know to cram a ton of vegetables into one bowl. I decided to make this soup in the crockpot which is ridiculously easy - saute some veggies, place in crockpot, cook on low while you're slaving away at work and voila - dinner is ready and waiting! Most crockpot recipes I've seen recommend eight hours of cooking but I've found that results in a more bland meal. I think six hours is just right - you can still taste the individual veggies and there's a little bite to the soup, which is just the way I like it.

I used what I had on hand to make this springy soup, but you can really throw whatever veggies you have into the pot. I wish I had used more garlic, but that's because I'm a garlic fiend. Four cloves is probably fine for normal people.

CSA Slow Spring Soup

You will need:
1 head of cabbage, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 large potatoes, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups of vegetable broth
1 tsp thyme
1 can white beans

Directions: 
In a pan over medium-high heat, saute the onions, carrots, garlic and thyme until slightly softened and fragrant - about five minutes.

Put everything in the crock pot, turn on low, and cook for 6-8 hours.

Enjoy!

A Haphazard Moving Plan

First things first: thank you for all your kind, sweet comments on my last post! I was blown away by how many of you took the time to congratulate me and express how excited you are on my behalf. The truth is, I'm more than a little nervous about being in an MFA program. What if I get there and can't write anything? What if I turn in my first story and everyone thinks it sucks? What if no one wants to be my friend? But your comments helped ease those fears, at least for now. Thank you - I appreciate each of you more than I can express. I hope I'll make you all proud. Also, we will have a guest bed and plan to register with CouchSurfing, so come on down (or up, or over, whatever the case may be).

In the meantime, we still have roughly seven weeks left in Texas and my plan is to take advantage of every possible moment. Is there a party tonight? I will see you there. Someone is going to the lake? I'll get my bathing suit. Do want to have beers on the porch? Ha! I'm already outside your front door! I'm not exaggerating when I say that the friends I have made in Nacogdoches are irreplaceable and that the thought of leaving them breaks my heart. My main goal for the next two months is to spend as much quality time with them as possible. That, and pack.

It begins...

Our current moving plan goes like this: slowly sort through every worldly possession we own. Figure out what we're bringing, what we're selling at our yard sale, and what we're donating. Have a yard sale and get rid of just about all our furniture (most of it acquired for free or found on the side of the road). Rent a moving truck and fill it with whatever is left.

When we leave town (*sob*) Nathan will drive the truck and the dogs and I will follow in the car. It will take us two days to get to Wilmington, at which point we will sleep (in a tent? in a hotel? who knows!) and then in the morning, we will find a place to live. I'm crossing my fingers, toes and eyes that we'll find a place by the end of the day. Mostly because we'll have to return the moving truck and it's hard to be homeless when you have all your worldly possessions and two giant dogs to worry about.

Seamus is concerned.

If this sounds like a haphazard plan that relies an awful lot on luck and karma and the universe's goodwill, that's because it most definitely is. I am a Planner - I like to know what we'll have for dinner by breakfast. The idea of not knowing where we'll be sleeping or how long it will take us to find a place is unnerving, to say the least. I am, however, a generally lucky person. Things work out for me. I trust the universe. I'm still keeping everything crossed, of course, but deep down I have a feeling that it will all work out just fine.

But if you want to cross your fingers too, I'd be grateful.

The Big Reveal!

Earlier this week I hinted that I had some exciting news to share. Today, I can finally tell you the secret I've been keeping for the last few weeks.

At the end of July, Nathan and I are moving to North Carolina, where I will be a full time student in the MFA program at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington for the next three years! 

photo credit: aaron

photo credit: farmerchris

As many of you know, I've been applying to MFA programs for two years now. Last year, I turned down an acceptance because it didn't come with a teaching position or a stipend and I already have too much student debt to consider taking on even more. This year, I applied to nine schools and was openly blogging about the process when I remembered things like the fact that Nathan and I are currently employed, and I probably didn't want our bosses or co-workers stumbling across our plans to quit our jobs and move far, far away. So I quietly ceased blogging the application adventures, even as the acceptances started rolling in, even as it killed me to keep a secret this big from my blog. Yesterday, I finally gave my notice at my job - my last day will be July 15 and we're aiming to move on July 25 - and everything is out in the open. Can I get a WHEW?

And now for the long version:

After submitting my applications at the end of December and twiddling my thumbs for months, on March 1 I finally got my first bit of good news - UNCW was accepting me into their MFA program! "But do you have any money?" I asked. "Maybe," they replied. "But we won't know until early April." That was a very long time to wait, but I had no choice. I thanked them and did my best to keep from sending daily emails begging for updates.

While I waited on funding, more news came, both good and bad. Waitlisted at Hollins; rejected from Iowa; accepted to the University of Missouri-St. Louis; rejected from Virginia Tech; accepted to George Mason; rejected from University of Virginia; rejected from Penn State; accepted to Colorado State University.

UNCW was still working on the teaching assistantship. St. Louis seemed fairly confident that they could get me a research job in the library, which would have been acceptable but not ideal. Colorado was very tempting (Fort Collins! New Belgium Brewery!) but they also didn't know their funding situation. So frustrating! And yet, I was holding out for UNCW. I knew that I wanted to be back on the East coast; I wanted to be in a three year program; I wanted to study both fiction and creative nonfiction; and last but not least, everyone I'd spoken to from the program had been so welcoming and helpful. At work, on runs, in yoga classes, I silently chanted, "UNCW, UNCW." For over five weeks, it was my mantra.

And then, I got the email. A teaching assistantship had opened up. It was mine if I wanted it. And oh, I wanted it! I couldn't say yes fast enough and immediately let the other schools know that they could give my place to someone else. I knew too well what it feels like to wait for that call and I didn't want to drag the process out for my fellow MFA draftees.

So that's the big news! Not quite as exciting as an engagement or a pregnancy, perhaps, but I personally can't think of a life event more thrilling. I have been working towards this goal for years - writing, submitting, studying, reading, taking classes, and dreaming of the day when I could quit my job, go back to school, and make writing my life. It's hard to believe that day is almost here. Somebody, pinch me.

I'll write more soon - more about moving, packing, the terrifying reality of slashing our income in half (no one, it turns out, gets rich on stipends) and the thing I am avoiding the most - saying goodbye to Texas and all my wonderful friends here. But we can deal with all that later. For now, I'm just going to be glad that everything is in the open and that I can celebrate in full view of the world.

North Carolina, here we come!

June 2011 Goals

I haven't made monthly goals in a while. I also haven't been productive in a while. Coincidence? Maybe. After seeing the awesome goals some of my favorite bloggers have been making, I decided to jump back on the goal-setting wagon. My plan for June is as follows:

• Write for at least 30 minutes every day. Write something new or work on revisions - both will count towards this goal.
• Read for at least 30 minutes every day. Books, journals and magazines count. The Internet does not.
• Post one recipe per week on my blog. Cooking rut, be gone!
• Continue to weight train with Sonnie twice a week on our lunch break. I pay for a membership to the Rec Center, so I really should be using it. Also, muscles. But mostly? I want to unlock the Gym Rat badge on foursquare. (Shut up.)
• Finish cleaning, de-cluttering and organizing all our wordly possessions and material goods. Didn't you hear? Summer Cleaning is the new Spring Cleaning.
• Finally put together my damn roller derby scrapbook. I have a ton of newspaper clippings, bout programs and other assorted memorabilia from my derby days. I'm not much of a scrapbooker but I'd like to organize this box of stuff to better relieve my glory days.
• Make an appointment with the lady doctor and convince him to give me an IUD. I will blog more about this later, I'm sure. Consider yourself warned. 

Getting all those things done will make me feel pretty awesome about June. Oh, and for the first two goals I am stealing/adapting an idea from Raquelita (aka Historiadora on the Run). I made a new Google Calendar named "Goals" and at the end of each day I will enter how much time I spent writing and reading. It's not quite a gold sticker, but it should get the job done. Accountability, ahoy!  

Three Things and One Teaser

One. Last week, I wrote a guest post for the kind and inspiring Rose-Anne of Life, Love and Food. She's hosting a Vegetarian Bootcamp series, full of interesting posts and thoughtful musings about the what, why and how of vegetarianism. I've enjoyed reading along and I was honored to offer a contribution - my story of discovering the meat-free life, and my reasons for sticking with it for over a decade and counting. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Two. I finally decided to add a little personality to my scooter. It's small and subtle, but it sure makes me happy. There's nothing like the little things.

Three. If you like photos (and who doesn't!) then you should know that my younger sister (Susan, the middle child) has started up a tumblr account showcasing her awesome photography. I'm especially loving her food photography and I think you would, too.

Teaser: I am sitting on some pretty exciting news that I plan to reveal later this week. Suspense! Intrigue! Mystery! But first: life, duties, responsibilities and all that other not-so-fun stuff. At least there's something exciting to look forward to. :)

Summer Vegetable Loaf

Even in my pre-vegetarian days, I was never a huge fan of meatloaf. Seriously - a loaf? Of meat? No thank you. And because I've never liked meatloaf, I was never interested in the vegetarian alternatives - wheatloaf, neatloaf, and whatever other cutesy names I came across in my cookbooks. I stuck to stir fries and casseroles and veggie burgers, and I was happy.

So why a vegetarian loaf now? Because I'm bored. I eat a stir fry every week. It's way too hot to eat a casserole. Salad is growing on me, but I can't consider salad alone a meal. And so, in an effort to expand my cooking horizons, I was browsing through Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian (which is huge and wonderful and also slightly intimidating) when I came across the section on veggie burgers.

That's right. This loaf is actually a veggie burger recipe - in the little box next to the directions, he listed the loaf as an option. And for some reason, it sounded like the right option for dinner. I ended up making a ton of changes to the original recipe - I added more veggies than he called for because I had them, my food processor broke so I grated everything instead of pureeing it, and I subbed vital wheat gluten for the binding agent (Mark recommended flour; I think a little gluten goes a longer way). In the end, I liked my version a lot. The cornmeal gave it a pleasant crunch (Nathan said it reminded him of polenta) and the mix of summer vegetables was perfect. It was a little on the dry side, but I think next time I'll top it with a light miso gravy. And believe me - there will be a next time.

Summer Vegetable Loaf
(adapted from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian)  

You will need:
1/2 zucchini, grated
1/2 yellow squash, grated
1/2 carrot, grated
1/2 red onion, grated
1 cup corn kernals
2 tsp olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup cornmeal
1 Tbsp vital wheat gluten
salt and pepper to taste
dash of cayenne pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat the oil in a large pan. In a large bowl, combine the zucchini, squash, carrot, onion, corn and garlic. Saute for 10 minutes, until the veggies dry out and the moisture evaporates. Remove from heat, cover with a lid and let rest for ten minutes. While it's resting, preheat your oven to 350F.

Add the cornmeal and stir in the pan to coat everything. Add the gluten and knead with a wooden spoon (the mixture will be too hot to knead with your hands) until it binds and resembles a ball of dough. Shape into a loaf and place in a greased loaf pan.

Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes and then remove the foil and bake for another 20-30 minutes, until the top is browned and crusty. Remove from the oven and let cool for ten minutes before slicing and serving.