Time

Do you ever get that feeling that you're giving too much time away to things that you don't really care about ...or you feel like you aren't protecting your time enough from people who don't seem to appreciate it.

I feel that way these days.

I know people say time is money, but I think time is worth more than money.  As my sister says, you can always earn money, but you can't get back time.

The good thing is that for the most part, time allocation is something that I can control. Maybe this year, I'll practice the art of saying No.

Whole 30 + West Wing (January thoughts I can't let go of)

My January consisted of two things:

 watching lots and lots of West Wing and the Whole 30 Diet!

West Wing

For one thing, I was on bed rest for the first half of January.  So I couldn't really do much but watch tv, read, and putter around the apartment drinking delicious boxed apple juice.  They gave me boxed apple juice at the hospital, and for some reason I found it comforting and delicious and continued to drink it while I was recovering. 

I watched 6 seasons for West Wing! SIX seasons!!!  There are 22 episodes in each season, each episode about 45 minutes long. Netflix became my best friend.  I had only seen Season 1 before, so I was super excited to have the time to watch it nd you know what, it's so nice to just lay in bed and lose yourself in the fake world of an idealistic presidency (or what you'd imagine would be a good presidency) and not feel lazy about it. I enjoyed bed rest.  I still have Season 7 left...and now that I'm out and about, I can't find the time to watch it. 

West Wing reminds you of what could be today's government. It's such a stark contrast that it's sad. I was also momentarily obsessed with the corresponding podcast, the West Wing Weekly. Ah...President Bartlett! I wish you weren't fictional!

Whole 30 Diet

A friend of mine bought me the Whole 30 book for my birthday. She and I, and another friend decided to try this diet ...well more like this philosophy I suppose for 30 days and we figured January was the best month to do this.   Once I was able to walk around and start cooking, I embarked on Whole 30 with a very reluctant and skeptical scientist husband in tow.  He only agreed if I cooked all meals. 

Week One: a lot of bad and bland food, a lot of chopping (Chris is usually the one in the kitchen), over-eating meat, and a lot of less than satisfactory taste buds.  

Chris every morning: "I have no joy in life" 

Week Two:  I discovered Nom Nom Paleo and online recipes that are more flavorful yet whole 30 compliant. And I finally learn how to use my Instant Pot pressure cooker!  Week two foods are much more delicious (I think the Whole 30 book recipes are for White people!) I need more flavor...more umami.  I'm inviting people over to eat dinner at our place because let's get real, eating out is tempting fate. 

Chris quits at the end of Week Two ...enticed by a barista at Starbucks to try the new smoked caramel latte! He also reads two pages of Whole 30 book and refuses to believe in these theories without peer- reviewed articles written by scientists! 

I go it alone...it is difficult, but hey, I made it half way already, I can't give up now. Plus, my friends are counting on me.

Week Three:  I have my go to breakfast down : Spicy Tuna Cakes!  Chris also likes these. I have a few recipes that I love!!  And so far so good. I'm getting a little bored though...and I am gearing up for a difficult weekend with Chinese New Years and several house parties...as well as a good friend visiting from DC.  

I notice I don't snack anymore and I'm happy without sugar in my life.  But I miss Asian food!! 

* The weekend was a shit show. Because of traffic and time constraints, I wasn't able to prepare meals or snacks before I went to my weekend events. I basically found myself starving all weekend and was extremely irritable. Seriously...this diet is too restrictive and I'm exhausted and annoyed come Monday. The weekend was not a weekend. 

Week Four: Home stretch!!  I'm basically furious all week because I'm still mad about the weekend! 

Funny how that was.  In any case, I finish the week- and this time realize I can eat Mediterranean foods that are Whole 30 compliant. This is awesome! I was really missing some strong flavors and getting sick of eating salads or plain burger patties when eating out with friends. 

Post Whole 30 Lessons 

1) I lost 1 inch off my waist, 1.5 inches off my hips! YAY!!!

2) I don't need to snack and I don't miss sugar

3) I NEED Korean food and other Asian foods in my life! They provide me with so much joy and comfort, and I don't think there is anything wrong with feeling that way.

4) I should stay away from gluten--especially pasta and poor quality bread. 

5) Food isn't as life/death/emotional to me as it was before...and for that I'm glad, but also sad. 

6) I'm happier when I eat more cleanly...whole foods, but this is very difficult to do when socializing! 

7) I would not have succeeded if my friends weren't also participating. We traded recipes and sent encouraging messages daily.  

8) I'm glad I tried this, it did change my relationship with food in ways I couldn't have imagined. But not eating soy sauce for 30 days a real challenge for me! I had a hard time accepting that such a small amount of soy sauce mattered. 

Chris and I have adopted some Whole 30 recipes into our regular meal rotations: 

- Pork and Cabbage Soup -so yummy and easy.

- Slow Cooker Kaula Pig -we made some adjustments here, but this is so versatile. 

- Pressure Cooker Crispy Potatoes - I rarely eat potatoes at home, but this recipe is yummy.

- and a new found love for Sweet Potatoes! 

and of course the Spicy Tuna Cakes!

And that was my January! 

2016 Round up!

Hello!

I'm back! There are so many things I missed writing about that I found myself paralyzed with uncertainty of where to start.  A vicious cycle that I'm putting an end to now! There will be some catch up involved.

So here we go---let's just jump right in!  I had actually started most of this blog post about looking back on 2016 back in November, but I never finished it.  So I want to highlight some important events, in order of importance!

IMPORTANT EVENTS

1. Wedding! - Chris and I finally hosted a wedding celebration with family and friends on June 25, 2016. I will have to dedicate a full post to this soon with some highlights and low-lights, but this was a huge accomplishment for us! I'm glad we did it.

2. Family visits - I got to see my family twice this year!!! It is so difficult for us to get together, but this year we managed to spend a week together in Chiang Mai, Thailand and we all came together in LA for our wedding.  Chiang Mai, Thailand was also a big deal because it was Chris' first time travelling to a "developing" country and I was excited to share that experience with him.  This definitely deserves a follow up post.  This is me and my sister at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep.

3. Politics - A lot of people said they couldn't wait for the elections to be over in 2016...but now we see comedians reminiscing about how great 2016 was. I think now that I'm in my 30s, I have a better sense of how policies can affect my day-to-day, and if not MY day-to-day, how it affects my neighbors...and how important it is to show up, be informed, read history, and to stand up for your neighbors.

4. Surgery - I've been fortunate in my life to never have had to have surgery. Last December- I had my first medical procedure that required me to be on bed-rest for 2-3 weeks. It was not a serious medical issue- I had a very large fibroid in my uterus that needed to be taken out. It was a simple out-patient surgery, but it took all day. I'm thankful to Chris who waited in the hospital all day and spent the next week or so responding to all of my requests (including...helping me sit up) with patience. I'm fully recovered now! But I do marvel in medical technology and am grateful for the thoughtful inquiries of friends and family. I'm also thankful to have a job that allows me to take 2-3 weeks off, I recognize that it is not a given in this country and not everyone has that luxury.

5. Loans - Them student loans. Last year Chris and I were at our HEIGHT of paying them loans back and we did an amazing job. They are still with me, mind you...but it is a much more manageable amount. I'm proud of what we were able to do last year! Yay team!

Aside from events, some stories, sounds, and sights I take away with me...

2016's most memorable podcasts:

I love listening to podcasts. My favorites are the ones that force me to change how I think about something or are about life lessons that we tend to forget and  someone is able to miraculously present it in a simple story.  Below are my favorites from this year that I keep coming back to! In no particular order:

1. Larry Kushner and Eileen Kushner- short and sweet. I love how kind they are to each other.

2. The Buried Bodies Case - this one BLEW my mind away. I felt so much sympathy for the lawyer in a way that I would've never thought.  I don't know what I would've done in his situation. Reminded me not to judge, for I don't know what challenges people are faced with.

3. K-Poparazzi - I loved this one because it was about modern Korea and about K-pop, which I'm not a fan of, but Chris is. I also loved it because it was a story about decency, which I feel is something we as a society value less and less these days.

4.  Maurice Sendak - It wasn't until this podcast, that I grasped the extent to which Maurice Sendak's books were part of my childhood. I loved the little books he wrote about chicken soup and the alphabet. I read them over and over again when I was little.  This one makes me cry. I think this is one of my favorite podcasts of all time..and I 100% agree with what he says:

"I am in love with the world...it is a blessing to get old"

5. NYC police - This year was no different from previous years in terms of disproportionate police violence against Black citizens. But this podcast helped me better understand the challenges of being part of law enforcement and I was thankful to broaden my understanding of the problems, the complexities, and those who work to solve it.

6. Yellowstone National Park - Chris and I both have a deep appreciation for nature and National Parks. We both grew up visiting them as children and one of the most memorable parks to me as a child was Yellowstone National Park. I remember seeing bison, a black bear, and those miracle geysers. Last year I put money behind my love and have finally started donating to the national parks. This is a fascinating story of how this beautiful park is being loved to death.

7. Michelle Obama's speech at the DNC - Do I need to say more? She is such an amazing orator and her incredibly talented speech writer deserves just as much credit.

8. Spanx -  This is about a hardworking, resourceful, and courageous business woman! I found myself laughing, sympathizing, and being in complete awe at how amazing this person is.

9. LGBT older adults - okay, this is definitely not a favorite podcast, but it is the first time that I was a guest on a radio show and it was very exciting!! It's hard to talk on radio when you're very nervous--I also felt super self-conscious talking about LGBT older adults when I clearly am not one. In any case, I did learn that I say "umm..." too much and it made me want to practice public speaking.

Books I take with me from 2016:

 My goal in 2016 was to read 10 books. Low bar right?  Well...I ended up reading 2-3 books a month and rekindling my love for fiction.  I don't remember all of the books I read, but have a short list of the books I sometimes find myself thinking back to:

1. Little Bee - Sometimes I really miss working in international development...and this book reminded me of how connected we all are in this world.

2. Fluries and Flories - I thought the writing was so beautiful and vivid.

3. Where'd You Go Bernadette - I couldn't put this book down, it is so funny and so thoughtful.

4. Sick in the Head - I often think back to the interview Judd Appatow does with Jim Carrey and Ben Stiller about the movie the Cable Guy. Mainly because I remember watching that as a kid and thinking this is the WORST movie ever...and then reading about the thought process these guys went through to make the movie and the after effects (momentarily ruined their careers) is fascinating to me.

5. Norwegian Wood - I haven't picked up a Murakami book since I read Kafka on the Shore...that was book was so strange so I wasn't sure how I'd feel about this one. I had heard such great reviews about it...and I'm still on the fence as to whether I liked the book or not, but it made me think a lot about growing up.

Music I have discovered and love this past year: 

 I don't proactively search out new music...but this year I really fell in love with some new sounds.

1. Oh Wonder - especially Livewire

2. Anderson Paak - especially Celebrate

3. Jon Batiste and Stay Human - I really just love his energy on the Late Show with Colbert!

Images I take with me from 2016:

I can't even describe the feeling of being up close and personal with an elephant. In Chaing Mai we visited an elephant sanctuary for the day...these gentle giants are majestic. I think this one was blind and my heart started racing and it moved closer and closer to me.  

How cute are my parents?!! I miss them everyday. 

That time the three of us went surfing at Venice beach...and I remember thinking...see having three wetsuits makes a lot of sense! and it was good we are all around the same size.

Nature is amazing. You can't make this shit up...Joshua Trees at Joshua Tree National Park.

Every time I walk around the beach...I'm thankful for having the opportunity to live here. This is two of my DIS friends and I riding bikes along Santa Monica in December. December! I hope this wonder and appreciation never goes away.

Overlooking Yosemite Park with my parents. They were so excited to go to Yosemite Park, the one park my dad never had a chance to go to when they lived here back in our Utah days. I think my parents loved that they weren't in charge anymore and that they just could sit back and relax and I was happy we were able to do that for them!