It's the little things

The first two months of my 30s have been completely hectic, exhausting, and stressful. Some things I saw coming, others I didn't, but a lot of things just seem to be happening all at once. Life is just really overwhelming right now. But, instead of caving in to the desire to bury my head under my pillow and sleep until life is easier to handle, something in me is telling me to focus and to keep pushing through. Something in me is telling me that things can only get better from here.

One thing I can focus on is my list. Checking one small thing off has given me a boost over the past couple weeks. I'm happy to say that I've finally started recycling. It's pretty embarrassing, though, that it took me this long to do it when it's so simple. I had in my mind that it would be a long, annoying process of signing up for pick-up, buying the proper sorting receptacles, etc. I called for information and learned that it costs $8.25 a month for curbside pick-up. Ben didn't love the idea of spending $100 a year to recycle, so I looked into drop-off locations and there is one at the Kroger right by my house. I never noticed it before, because it's behind the building, but there are a ton of huge containers there, and it's easy and convenient to just drop everything off. I also realized that I didn't even need to spend time and money looking for containers. Nothing needs to be sorted, and I can use empty containers I already had in my garage. I dropped my first "load" off a couple weeks ago, and it made me feel so happy! A completely free and painless accomplishment from my list!

The only way to get a poem out of my head is to post it on my blog

The night has a thousand eyes

And the day but one;

Yet the light of the bright world dies

With the dying sun. 

The mind has a thousand eyes, 

And the heart but one:

Yet the light of a whole life dies

When love is done.

- F.W. Bourdillon

Food Obsession: Guacamole

Forget the banana- I think the avocado just might be the world's most perfect food. I can't believe I spent over 25 years of my life not liking it. Now, slicing up a gorgeous, ripe avocado makes me so happy. My avocado appreciation started a few years ago in Spain. Ben & I had just arrived in Barcelona, and I was absolutely starving. We had no idea where to eat, so we decided to grab a bite at our hotel (which, off the subject, was the weirdest hotel I've ever been in- it was just like those SNL sketches with all the crazy furniture that no one can figure out how to sit in. The shower in this hotel was glass-encased with no curtains and stood smack dab in the middle of the room. I couldn't figure out how to turn it on. When Ben came over to try to help me, he walked into a glass wall so hard it knocked him backwards several feet. Then all the sudden the shower turned on and sprayed him in the face and got water all over the room).

Anyway, back to the avocado. I ordered a club sandwich at this hotel and it came with slices of hard-boiled egg and avocado on it. It was heavenly. I don't know, maybe it was because I was so hungry and so sick of strange European foods (like black cherry soup, ugh), but whatever the reason, it tasted so good. Thus began my love affair with the avocado.

My favorite use for the avocado is fresh guacamole. I love making guacamole, and I make it a little bit different every time. A few avocados, some fresh lime juice (don't even bother with lime juice if it's not fresh, seriously), a little fresh cilantro (sometimes yes, sometimes no), some salt and pepper, a couple spoonfuls of sour cream, occasionally a little salsa (my favorite is Newman's Own black bean & corn), and lots and lots of Penzey's salsa salad seasoning (or any type of taco seasoning you have handy). I pop it all in a bowl and stir it around with a fork. I don't think there's any real reason to put guacamole in the food processor. The chunkier the better as far as I'm concerned. I love making things that don't require the same ingredients each time and don't require exact proportions. (Sorry, Courtney!) I'm sure that I get this from my dad, who cooks this way and is one of my biggest kitchen inspirations.

So this post actually does have a little bit to do with my 30 in my 30s list. One of the items on it is to Try at least 300 new recipes. I will plan to keep track of them here, but I'll try my best not to turn this into a food blog or a list of recipes. Like reading, I think cooking is about the experience- where you were, what you learned, how you remember it. We can't live without food, so we might as well make it fun.

so a story is life that makes sense

I decided that I wanted to write reviews for all the books I read in my 30s. My dilemma is that I've never really written book reviews before, and most of the time, I don't even like reading them. The main thing I don't like about reading book reviews is that they're too long. Also, they're rarely personal, and I like to know how a book resonates with the reader or what it meant to him/her at the particular time in life that s/he was reading it. With that in mind, I'm going to attempt writing short, personal reviews for the books I've read, no more than a paragraph long. I hope these will help my bookworm friends when deciding whether or not to add a read to their personal lists.

Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel. I was anxious to read this book since I loved Life of Pi so much. I read Life of Pi the last time we went to Cabo, so I thought Cabo would be a great place to read Martel's newest work. Wrong. There is no great place to read this book because it's terrible. In short, Martel attempts to address the Holocaust through a strange, rambling story in which a disillusioned novelist meets a crazy, old taxidermist who reads him a play about a donkey and a monkey. It winds up reading like a bunch of depressing, philosophical nonsense. None of the characters are endearing, and in the end, you don't really care what happens. Thankfully, it was a short read. Definitely one to skip. Very disappointing since his last book was so good. The one thing I do like about Martel, though, is his way of turning some philosophical thoughts into great prose. This line from the book really struck me, and I wrote it down:

"Just as music is noise that makes sense, a painting is colour that makes sense, so a story is life that makes sense."

I couldn't agree more. This statement sums up why I love literature so much. Just too bad it came from such a disappointment of a book. 

Catching Up

I've made it through the first month of my 30s. So far, so good. I meant to post before we left on our vacation, but time just slipped away from me. Vacation is always wonderful, but at this point in my life I truly believe that the prep work to go and the catching up when coming back cancels out all the rest and relaxation. We are travelers, though. We love to go places, try new things, eat new foods, etc. This was a trip to Cabo San Lucas for just Ben and me. Ben turned 30 on June 12, and this was our big celebration for both our birthdays. This was our second trip to Cabo, and we love it there. The beach is beautiful, the weather is perfect, and the restaurants are great. When we went a few years ago, we said we would definitely go back. This is one of the million reasons I love Ben so much- a lot of people would say they're going back someday to a place that they love, but he makes sure that it really happens. I love you, Ben, and happy birthday!

I will post vacation pictures on Facebook soon. I haven't gotten them uploaded yet. I did make some progress on my book list on the trip, though. I finished three books, and I'll write reviews for them soon. 3 down, 117 to go.

I will also reveal one more thing on my 30 in my 30s list since it is somewhat related to the subject of travel and has become a joke amongst our family and friends. We have never gotten bedroom furniture since we've been married. That's right, for the past 6.5 years, our bedroom has consisted of a mattress/box spring on the floor and a few college odds and ends to put a lamp or an alarm clock on. No bed frame, no dressers, no nightstands, nothing. My closet is a constant mess because I have no drawers. Every time we have the extra money to buy furniture, we take a trip instead. So when I look at our empty room, I think of Cabo, or New York City, or Croatia, or Spain. We've both been fine with this for a long time, but I suppose now that I am 30, it's time to grow up and stop living in a dorm room. Therefore, Buy bedroom furniture is officially added to the list. Who knows when this will happen...probably not this year...maybe not next...but definitely before we're 40. Unless we take that trip to Amsterdam...