One year ago today, I married my best friend.  Our wedding was a beautiful and wonderful thing.  We were on the beach in Destin with our closest friends and family.  It was elegant yet relaxed and we loved every second.

Mr. M and I met at a Halloween party 4 years ago.  He was Slash and I was Jareth the Goblin King.  We danced all night.  By danced I mean we talked about nerd culture; things like Supernatural, photography, comics and graphic novels, movies.  And by all night, I mean until about 1am.  After a couple weeks of exchanging facebook messages and playing Saints Row 2 online together, we decided to go on a photography adventure to Allerton Park. 

Fast forward a couple of years.  I knew Mr. M was going to propose, and I was pretty sure I knew when.  He surprised me by doing it two weeks earlier than I thought!  We were, appropriately, hiking at Allerton Park when all of a sudden he was on one knee, holding out a sparkling something and asking me to marry him.  I don't remember if I said "Yes!" or "Of course!" or "Heck yes, let's DO THIS."  But I do remember thinking, holy wow that just happened!

Last year we stood on the beach with our favorite people and vowed to spend the rest of ever adventuring together.  He's my favorite everything. 

Thanks to our friends and family that celebrated with us, in Florida, Illinois or from afar.  You all helped make our special day(s) Freaking EPIC. 

Election Day!

I wrote a blog post about Election Day...for work.  But I thought it was pretty good so here ya know, check it out!

http://parklandcollegelibrary.blogspot.com/2014/11/i-voted-did-you.html

If you go back further in the Library's blog you can see another post I'm rather fond of, "An Imperfect Science" where I talk about a 3D printing project I worked on a few weeks ago.

In other news, I've also committed to NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month.  So far I'm sitting at 305 words on day 4, so I do need to step it up a bit.  I honestly don't know if I'll hit 50,000 but 305 is a lot better than 0.  I may be biased, but I think Berlin Noisewater's story will be fun.  She's a powerful witch with a knack for love spells and a terrible memory.  Let's hope I can do her justice.

What did I tell you?

Didn't I say in my first blog post (of this blog...and every other blog I've ever had) that I'm awful at remembering?  How long as it been since my last blog?

Forgive me Blogger, for I have sinned.  It has been 6 weeks since my last post.

Which reminds me, my friend Lisa and I were lamenting the end of summer this morning.  Her brightside to this is that Elf marathons and Christmas music are right around the corner. 

...

Everybody has these friends.  The ones who love Christmas so thoroughly that they start listening to Christmas music in August.  Who know the words to every Christmas movie ever made.  Whose homes look like Clark Griswold's wildest fantasy. 

I am not this friend.  A combination of one year of high school chorus (in which we rehearsed the same 10 Christmas songs for 6 months in preparation for a CD recording) and working in retail for so many years has caused me to be a little grinch-like around the holidays.  I'm growing out of that, but I do have a list of dates that come before Christmas festivities can begin.  It looks something like this:

School starts

My birthday

Halloween

Wedding anniversary

Thanksgiving

(NOW Christmas music can start and people can remind me that there are only 29 shopping days until Christmas.  I still won't start until December 21st.)

Mom's birthday

Christmas.

Then we have 12 more years of winter until we can start our gardens, which we will subsequently ignore.  

 

 And as you probably know - school has started and the cycle has begun.  Please forgive any grinchiness I may exhibit between now and...well, ever.  I promise I don't mean it.

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens" - Ecclesiastes 3:1

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

I've just discovered that it was 7 years ago TODAY that Harry Potter and the Dealthy Hallows was released.  I went to the WalMart in Urbana because I heard that it would be far less crowded than the local booksellers and by that time, I wasn't interested in dressing up - I just wanted to read it.  I picked up my copy, went home, locked the doors, turned my phone off and read all night.  I finished the book sometime after noon. 

Prior to this, I would reread the Harry Potter series habitually.  Probably a couple of times a year, if not more.  After this, I put the books down for nearly 7 years.  4-6 weeks ago I picked them up again.

The magic never died, I just walked away for a while.  When I picked the series up again, it was incredible.  I keep having these OMG moments, where I suddenly understand why Snape was SO mean to Neville.  And I keep having these wonderful moments where I see something in a new light.  For example, I'm curious if "sunshine, daisies; butter, mellow; turn this stupid fat rat yellow," is actually a made-up spell OR is it a legit spell but just didn't work because Scabbers wasn't actually a rat? 

I'm picking up on things I never saw before.  Neville's abilities improve immensely in the latter books.  In Order of the Phoenix, Neville's wand is broken and he admits to Harry that it was his fathers.  Perhaps Neville wasn't very good at spells because the wand belonged to his father and not to him.  The wand picks the wizard after all, and Neville's wand didn't choose him. 

FURTHERMORE (and please don't call blasphemy on this because I'm just merely curious) was Dumbledore the "greatest wizard of all time" because his wand was in fact, the elder wand - the most powerful wand of all time?  Or was his natural ability simply enhanced even further by this great wand. 

I'm not going to finish the books before we get to Universal on Thursday, like I was originally hoping.  But we only have one movie left to go and I think we can knock that out tonight and tomorrow night.  I'll definitely finish the series though.  I absolutely cannot believe I only read the last book ONE TIME.  What is wrong with me?  I can feel the anticipation growing again, but this time I can just dive right in.  I simultaneously can't wait to devour the book and want to take my time with it, savor every word.

Simplify

I saw a Bruce Lee quote this morning and it struck a chord with me. 

"It's not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential." 

 

This is more or less what I've been attempting to do for a while now.   Decrease the debt (paid off the car loan), decrease the clutter (clean out the closet and get rid of old clothes), decrease the worry (stop working towards a "goal weight" and start working towards "feeling healthy.")

I came across this image on Pinterest.  I was shocked when I read it and realized...IT'S ALL MAKE UP.  I thought this was somebody's morning routine: wake up, shower, blow dry, etc.  It is not.  This is a single day's make up routine.  And if I had to guess, I'd say it's a normal day.  Not a wedding, photo shoot, or party. 

I am still quite astonished that women spend so much time putting on massive amounts of make up to "highlight their features" or "hide blemishes."  I've never been a heavy make up wearer, even on my wedding day I think my make up took 20 minutes.  And that felt like an eternity!  

About 6 weeks ago, I quit wearing make up altogether.  I didn't wear much to begin with, but I wondered if my skin would clear up if I stopped covering it up.  I wish I could say that was the outcome, but sadly it was not.  I still break out, but that's completely normal.  I have yet to meet a person my age who can say, "Oh I never break out.  Ever."  And the acne I get does seem to clear up faster than when I was covering it up with foundation or powder, so that's something.

What I did find however, was that my morning routine became significantly shorter.  I stopped obsessing over the puffy eyelids, weird lines, or acne.  Because everybody experiences those things and I am my own worst critic.  Nobody else even notices 90% of the things you see on your own face.  As a matter of fact, I'm wearing brand new glasses today!  They feel incredibly obvious to me, having worn contacts pretty regularly since I was 12.   It's mid afternoon and 3 people have noticed them. 

Along with quitting make up, I have also been on a quest since January to stop abusing my hair.  I went from washing it every day, to washing it every 2-3 days.  It feels generally healthier and more natural now, which is pretty cool.  Not to mention when your hair gets long, it takes FOREVER.  So that's another extra 15 minutes I get every other day.  I've also been attempting to blow dry it less, less heat damage means healthier right?  Right.  I still curl it most days, but I do it in large chunks and fairly quickly.  Just enough to give it a bit of shape.  

My point here is that the upside to being more natural and simple in my "beauty regime" is twofold.  One benefit is I save myself about 2 hours a week on average.  That's two extra hours to read a book or watch Netflix, my favorite relaxation activities.  The other benefit is realizing that most other people are so wrapped up in their own lives, they're unlikely to notice the little things about yours.  Your work colleagues probably didn't notice that your eyes are a little puffy today.  If they did notice that little zit on your chin, I sincerely doubt that they care very much about it. 

What motivates you?

What motivates me?  Food.  I used to say this half-jokingly, but recently I've come to realize - it's completely true.  Food is a major motivating factor is basically everything I do.  As my Grandpa Baker says "Us Bakers are always thinking about our next meal." 

Friends and colleagues of mine always tell me how impressed they are that I work out so much.  I'll be honest, part of it was finding a form of exercise that I really enjoy.  Gymnastics was something I always wanted to do as a child, but for various reasons never did aside for 6 months in kindergarten.  About a year and a half ago, I found an adult gymnastics class and was basically hooked.  Furthermore I found that supplementing the technical skills with strength and endurance training, I got better!  So yes, I go to the gymnastics gym twice a week.  I also go to a regular gym about twice a week to jog or lift weights.  Cool story, bro.

Lots of people will say, "you have to find something you love," or "it helps to have a workout buddy."  And while yes, both of those things are true, it also helps to have motivation.  Such as, "If I go to the gym, I can have a bacon cheeseburger, fried cheese curds, and ice cream for dinner."  People laugh when I tell them this, but they don't realize just how serious I am. 

Denying yourself the things you love is not healthy.  And if you love food, then who's to say you can't enjoy that?  Now, I don't eat cheeseburgers all the time.  I have a carefully structured diet plan.  I call it the Two-Thirds Rule.  Ready?  It's pretty complex....

As long as I'm eating healthy for two-thirds of my meals, I allow myself to eat the things I crave for that last third.  Also - MOVE.  Walk, bike ride, run, lift weights, dance, gymnastics, whatever it takes to get you moving for 30-60 minutes 3-5 times a week. 

That's it.  That's truly it.  Some days my husband and I will ride our bikes to dinner.  We'll choose somewhere that's a couple of miles away so we don't feel bad about eating out for dinner because we had to work to get there. 

What's amusing to me is realizing that good food has been a motivator for me all my life.  When I accepted my current position in the Library, I requested a start date 3 weeks in the future.  My previous job was a check-in clerk at a clinic, so the two week standard would have been sufficient.  I said I wanted to give three weeks notice so they would have more time to fill my position because we were really busy at that time...while that wasn't entirely untrue, it wasn't the real reason either.  There was an annual company breakfast in 2.5 weeks and I wanted the free bacon. 

Going back even further, when I was probably 6 years old the daycare I attended had some sort of 8 week challenge.  The details are fuzzy, but basically it was for 8 weeks you have to try a new food each week.  If you try all 8 new foods, you get a giant cookie at the end.  I wanted that giant cookie.  REALLY BAD.  I loved chocolate chip cookies, and everybody knows giant cookies are only made from the best chocolate chip cookie dough.  I was also a very picky eater.  But I gagged my way through 8 new, foreign foods.  If I remember correctly, my body actually rejected one of the items.  It might have been cucumber or brussel sprouts, I don't remember.  Luckily I got points for TRYING.  And at the end of the 8 weeks, I got my cookie.

So yes, find something you love and pursue your passion.  My passion happens to be food. 

This neighborhood is for the birds...

We have a bird problem.  Specifically, a territorial robin. 

I'm sure the neighbors think I'm relatively unstable since I've shouted into the backyard "Eff you!  You don't pay rent!  This is MY house!" on more than one occasion. 

It started a few years ago.  We noticed a birds nest on the back patio porch light, immediately adjacent to the back door and next to the grill.  I'm sure the bird thinks she's quite genius, securing a primo nest location that's covered by a bit of roof and kept warm by a 60W light bulb that is on intermittently.

We've attempted to set blocks on wood on top of the light, to ward off the birds.  They just build on top of the blocks.  We tried setting one block at an angle on top of the other block.  They knocked down the angled block and built the nest anyway.  We tried moving the nest, but guilt made us put it back.

This year, either Momma bird is more territorial or I've noticed it more now that I have a garden.  My garden is conveniently located 3 feet away from the area in question.  We knew there were eggs in the nest, as we tried to grill out a few weeks ago and were subsequently squawked at and dive-bombed by Momma bird.  Since then, we have more or less left her alone.  As much as I hate this bird, I can't hate babies who didn't ask to be born into this feud between Momma bird and me.  I took the long way around the house to water the garden.  I pulled weeds while Jon was mowing, safety in numbers...and noise. 

But when we returned Monday evening from a 3 day camping trip, the situation escalated.  Momma bird was dive bombing us with a noticeable malice, squawking the whole time.  Like everyone else this winter, she must've been getting busy because there were no less than 4 tiny, baby robins peeking out of the nest.  Crap.  I could have dealt with it, had I not seen her feeding her babies that evening.  The feels overcame me.  I resigned to giving up my backyard until these babies had flown the nest.  I even did some research on robins (I learned they were indeed robins) and found out the babies take an extra few days on the ground before they fly away.

Last night, tragedy struck.  I came home to discover that the nest, block of wood and all, had tumbled 6 feet from the light and onto the concrete patio.  It was a grizzly sight, which made me feel sad and nauseous.  I didn't want them to die, I just wanted them to let me tend to my yard without being attacked.  Jon came home shortly thereafter and we were discussing what to do with the nest.  Momma bird was surprisingly still and quiet as we assessed the scene.  Then one of the tiny, baby robins moved.  Out of four, one of them survived the crash and was pinned beneath the nest and block of wood.  It would be heartless to ignore it, so Jon put some gloves on and used a spade to put the block of wood inside a plastic crate, place the nest back on top of it (as it had been on the light) and gently move baby into the nest.  The others we placed in a planter nearby...the reasoning was that I thought Momma bird might think we stole the others or need to mourn a little longer.  I don't know, it felt cruel to just toss them in the trash.

The baby bird (who I accidentally named Herbert and from here on, I shall refer to him as such) chirped a few times to let Momma bird know he was okay.  Momma bird immediately began chirping back and dive bombing us away.  So we went back inside and took a bike ride to get dinner.  I checked on them again when we returned and Momma bird was perched nearby, observing the situation with caution. 

This morning when I checked on the nest, Momma bird was nestled in keeping Herbert warm.  She squawked and put up a bit of a fuss when she noticed me watching from the window, but she never went far.  Later I watched as Papa bird fed a worm to Herbert, then Momma came back and nestled into the nest again before I finally left for work.  Oh and I really wanted to do something for the bird family...so I tossed a few raisins out onto the patio quickly before they could fly into the house and peck my eyes out. 

I just want to state for the record, I DIDN'T KNOCK THE NEST DOWN.  I wasn't even there and I'm pretty sure it was probably one of you not understanding how physics works.  Please stop attacking me, I don't hate you quite as much as I did before and rest assured I will do my best to make sure little Herbert survives into birdhood.  However, I warn you that once that day comes - you will be evicted.  Chicken wire, blocks of wood with nails coming out, pepper spray, whatever it takes. 

For now you have my sympathy, and a temporary truce.  But this IS my house, my garden, and my (okay, my husbands...) grill and I WILL NOT be terrorized by a cocky, jerkoff robin. 

"The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heaven," Genesis 9:2