Bowling Night

Bowling
Originally uploaded by sierra.hovdey

Bowling at Emerald Lanes with friends. I bowled an 87!! Believe it or not, that is actually good for me. My bowling name was Slow Pin. Fitting....

Christmas Day

Christmas Day
Originally uploaded by sierra.hovdey

Well, it was a doozy, we had family visits all day long, and friends in the evening. I have to admit, I am glad the holidays are nearly through, though it is always an adjustment once the traffic dies down again....

I--Da--Ho

Yep, we went to Idaho. To Nampa, just outside of Boise to be exact. We watched the Duck/Broncos game there. With a bunch of Idaho fans. Brutal. But we're related to them, so we're still friends. Here's a shot from before the game:

After the game:

After Nampa, we ventured a bit further up north to McCall, which is definitely in the top 5 of most beautiful small towns in the Northwest. Also in that list would be Lorane and Sisters in Oregon, Whitefish in Montana (Dan's suggestion), and La Connor in Washington.

Em Cat Burrito

Bandon Dunes

The weekend after the big 3-0 camping excursion, Dan's Aunt and Uncle (Patty and Dean) offered to take us on a weekend getaway to Bandon Dunes as a belated wedding gift . It was a beautiful resort, and though the trip was only a day and one night, Dan and I both agreed that we felt as though we had been in a dream land for a week!Dan putting on the 18th hole at Bandon Dunes. He and Dean played Bandon Dunes on Sunday, and Pacific Dunes on Saturday. The weather (as you can see) could not have been more perfect for a weekend of golf!

Urban Craft Uprising

Ok, this post is really late, but since I have posted maybe twice this whole summer, maybe I will be forgiven. Definitely the most inspiring thing I did this summer was drive up to Seattle for Urban Craft Uprising. I signed up to volunteer with the project, and ended up embroidering with Becky at Jenny Hart's booth for most of the day.
As ecstatic as I was to be there, I was also a wee smidge hung over because Becky and I had been up the night before. It was amazing to meet another person in the world (aside from my beloved Becky) who loves embroidering as much as I do....

Ode to The Avett Brothers

The Avett Brothers. Not much more to say except I enjoy them and listen to them so much it seemed only appropriate that I should embroider while I do. I hope to give it to them when we see them at ACL. I'm thinking bribery may be our only hope in a venue that size. That, or an after hours show. Crossing my fingers from now until October. I am such a groopie. :)

Turning 30 in the Woods

Allison organized the best 30th camping trip celebration ever. We all went up to Brice Creek and spent 3 days indulging ourselves. It was heavenly. Especially good to see good friends that I haven't seen enough in recent years, but love with all my heart!

Dan builds a fence

After he took the fence apart this is what was left: framing:
constructing panels:
staining:
finished:
Wow. I'm impressed :)

Building a new raised bed

Dan's friend Jeb helped him with the construction of the bed.
Dan oiling the boards with linseed oil to stain them naturally.
Throwing the boxes together.
Healthy debates.
Positioning.
Anchoring it down.
Bring in the dirt. This was fun, we went to Lane Forest Products, and brought our one shovel to transport dirt to the truck, not knowing that they just dump it neatly into the back of the truck bed. It took 3 minutes. It was amazing.
And apply the finishing step.
Done. Sweet. Now there are only 3 more other beds to remove. The work continues.

Full Stop.

Lately everything is spinning around 3 feet above my head: school, house, love, work, family, friends, it all swirls just above my skull, just out of reach. With one week to go, its to soon to have done the full stop that I am in smack dab in the middle of. But I keep telling myself it will be fine, and that I need a break to touch my plants. I do, right? Well, whether or not I deserve a break, I took one, so here's picks:
Two weekends ago we bought a couple of half wine barrels so I could try out gardening on a somewhat contained space, before I try and attack the backyard:
I planted red leaf lettuce, arugula, rainbow Swiss chard, dill, rosemary, and basil in these little half barrels (the white buckets are tomato plants, and the center plant is a cucumber):
Needless to say, I planted rather a lot for those small barrels, and now they are packed to the edges with salad fixins:
So, Dan decided we needed to tear out the old flower beds and make me a garden box so my plants would have room to grow:
Now, he and his friend are out shopping for material to build the new box, I'll post pics of it once its done. Have a great weekend!

Whoa, talk about a hiatus! I guess that's what Nursing school does to a person. Oh well, its summer now (almost) and I am starting to feel the tugging of life outside of school again. It's about time... :)

Movie Recommendation

Dan and I just watched "When Did You Last See Your Father." I know, long title. It was a fantastic movie. It was the type of movie that sucks you in to the lives of the characters, and simultaneously makes you think about your own family experiences. We ended up discussing our families for a good 45 minutes after the movie ended. Rarely do we get to purge emotions quite like we did tonight, and what a good feeling it is! Anyhow, strongly recommend the movie, its a good one.

Happy New Pres-ie Day!

This morning I arrived at work and almost immediately took a break to watch the inauguration with other Staffers. It was the first time in a a decade that I felt like I was witnessing a moment that will forever be etched in my mind as one of inspiration, hope, and renewal. The golden pedastel that the New Pres is stuck on right now will surely get chipped away throughout his term, but I feel like everything that makes each of us a dynamic and connected human race is present now in the White House, where previously it was not. I feel a connection to his goals as though they were my own, I feel represented, like my voice has been heard. I am grateful to America, for the collective choice made. I am eager to see what the future holds.
(Dramatic? Me? Never, but....I can't help it today)... :)

Starting the week with Horror

This wonderful Martin Luther King, Jr. day I decided to start off my morning with watching not one, but two horror movies. The first was pretty good, "Backwoods" with Gary Oldman, and the second was pretty bad, "American Psycho 2" with Jackie from "That 70's Show." (I can never remember her real name, she will always be Jackie to me.) Starting the week with Horror is such a luxury.
I also started the week with a sore throat, which is not a luxury, but is currently being tolerated rather well by yours truly. (Usually I moan, whine, and cry my way through any hint of a minor illness.)

Instead of studying....

Dan and I are catching up on last season's episodes of Flight of the Conchords. I can't imagine what it would be like if I actually used my time productively and effectively.

New Shoes

Right before Christmas, Dan rediscovered Kangaroos.
Kangaroos are sneakers that have tiny pockets designed to hold keys or crack rocks depending on what mood you're in. Very versatile.
Dan decided to buy a pair of these for his brother and 2 different designs for himself for (here and here). My husband is a shoe junkie.
Needless to say, the Holidays are always expensive for us due to all the online shopping for others.
Added Bonus: Yesterday I came home and there was a box for me with these inside.
I live in Heaven.

What to do, what to do....

I feel like my thoughts are constipated. For 2 days now, I just can't seem to muster a well articulated, linear train of thought that is worth posting. I wonder if anyone has invented a laxative for the mind, or perhaps it could be my claim to fame? If only I could master the chemistry behind creating a product like that. That would be sweet.

Eat your heart out!

Frank's Red Hot cayanne pepper sauce and melted butter tossed over baked chicken wings is the greatest way to indulge! We followed the recipe suggestion on the bottle, and it was amazing.
Melted butter, hot sauce, wings. Simple. Next time, I need more crunch though - perhaps breading or frying. I was so inspired by Frank's Red Hot, that I decided to do a series of drawings of Hot Sauce bottles. Drawing #1: Drawing #2 will be of my beloved Sriracha, or Bird Sauce as a friend calls it. I'll post it soon. I know you are on the edge of your seat. Patience.

show and tell

K'Naan
Tuesday morning I was driving to work listening to NPR when I heard hip hop. I love it when NPR profiles music that I haven't heard, wouldn't normally be drawn to, and is totally great. And he's a smarty pants! I love hip hop with a brain.

AC Newman
Someone burned me this dude's album about 4 years ago, and it took me until this summer (while watching this) to search out that CD and give it a listen. So glad I did.

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia
I am not quite sure where to start with this. A couple of months ago Dan and I caught the end of the 4th Season as it aired. I'm not sure when things shifted for us, but we found ourselves turned into degenerates who spew lines from the show and giggle maniacally. For hours. I think that this may be the best 30 minute show ever brought to television. Warning: Not P-G. This show is a complete assault against anything politically correct. If you don't like it, don't hold it against me. I am a good person. Even though I laugh at dumpster babies, glue-huffing, illiteracy, and human exploitation in general.

dinosaur

In addition to his Massive Bone, Tucker also got a small squeaky chameleon for Christmas.
I used to have a small Jackson chameleon named Bubba, so it broke my heart a little to see him play with this toy, but he loved it sooo much. It was his first experience with a squeaky type toy, and initially he was unsure if it was alive or a toy. And so he was gentle. It would squeak when he touched it, and we would watch as he recoiled in horror as though thinking "Omigod, I hurt it!" Then he would very tentatively approach it again, nudge it, and recoil when it squeaked at him. He is a pitbull, however, and so shortly after the initial introduction, he tore the thing apart. Like a good pitbull does.Now, sadly, all that is left of the little sweet chameleon toy is a single pair of feet we confiscated once we realized he was swallowing rubber that will surely lodge in his intestines and cost us $1k we don't have.
Thanks Grandma.

Mind games

Our dog sits on the picnic table outside the back door. He sits there and faces the house and stares in the window, like "Pleeeeeease let me inside." For what feels like hours. We usually wait until the other person really can't stand the look of tortured neglect, and then one of us jumps up and says, "I'll get him," as though we are doing the other person a favor. Once the better spouse goes to let the shivering dog in, he bolts. He often looks back at the house like, "You are not getting me back in that hell-hole, no matter what." The scene usually ends with the now defeated better spouse cursing the dog, and threatening a return to the pound. Within seconds, Tucker is back outside the window staring at us. You can practically hear him thinking "I wonder how long it will take them to get up this time." He is a manipulator and a liar.

What will I do different this year?

Realistically, the answer is probably, "Nothing."

But if I had to come up with 3 New Years Resolutions, I would go with my standard 3 that I do every year:

1. Exercise a minimum of once a month (that's each month).
2. Eat a vegetable and a fruit every week.
3. Watch more TV.

This last one is my freebie (so I don't feel like a complete failure at the end of the year- I can say I accomplished at least one of my 3 Resolutions).

It's a tough list, but I feel like this is going to be the year.