Going Green

I don't know if many/any of you know that I am passionate about recycling and composting, but I thought I would do a little blog about something I think is vital. The reason this topic came up is that I was sitting in the recovery room at work the other day talking to my co-worker, Ruth, and telling her how excited I was for my new ECOmposter from Costco to arrive in the mail. Anyways, Ruth started asking me if you just make dirt out of it and what you can put in it. We then had a wonderful conversation about what you can put in the composter, making dirt and the purchasing of earthworms. She thought that part was very gross! I love the feeling that recycling and composting gives me and how I feel that I'm giving back to the earth. Now that most areas are really focusing on reducing waste and increasing their recycling/composting programs there are numerous resources available. You can usually visit your local waste management website and find out the recycling/composting guidlines for your area. I know it's hard to recycle in rural areas as the programs and pick-up aren't always readily available, however you usually can compost fairly easily. You can buy composter's through many local hardware stores or you can build one yourself. Just do a quick search of the internet for compost containers. I was surprised at how much stuff I could compost and the items vary widely depending on what your goals are. If you want to make soil quickly you want to use items that are small and break down quickly. If you aren't in a rush you can broaden your compost item list. Here are just a few things you can compost:

*Yard trimmings (leaves, grass, plant trimmings, etc.) *Food scraps (fruit vegetables, bread, pasta, grains, meat, dairy, eggshells, coffee filters, tea bags and more). On this one be careful - if you don't want increased smell, rot, vermin and such leave out the meat and dairy products. *Food soiled paper (paper towels, napkins, greasy pizza boxes, shredded paper, etc.) Recycling is even broader, but some places do have restrictions depending on how much ability they have to sort their recycling.

For those of us living the Pacific NW, check out the waste management website for tons of information on what waste management is doing in your area. I must admit that I love it when the girls at work tell me that every time they go to throw something in the trash (at home or work) they hear my voice saying, "Remember to recycle!". It feels good to know that one person can make a difference in how we impact our earth and what we can do to make it healthier and better for generations to come. So think for just a second the next time you go to put those lovely food scraps, junk mail or milk carton in your trash bag and think of the impact it has on the earth and if you could do something to give back.

Genesis 2:15

"The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it."

Weekend Labors

Nick and I had another very productive weekend filled with some relaxation and some work. I decided I'd show this blog post in pictures so here's the pictorial scoop...
Saturday:

Broccoli, crookneck, zucchini, green onions, Walla Walla sweet onions, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, tomatoes, cilantro, plums & green bell peppers.
Sunday:

A. Azalea's get some breathing room & a new home.
B. The camilla's get some space & breathing room.
C. Last section of the backyard rototilled in.

The best type of gardening shoes!

We definitely enjoyed reaping the fruits of our labors this weekend! :-)

Weekend Guilty Pleasures

Yes, I know it's Thursday, but our blog was looking lonely and I decided I should write something about last weekend before this next weekend hits! Nick and I spent this last weekend indulging in some guilty pleasures:

1. Buying the Guitar Hero World Tour complete with drums, bass guitar and microphone. Good, clean fun!
2. Ordering a half dozen specialty donuts from our local donut shop - Frost. I think the pecan, caramel donut is the bomb! Nick is in love with all their new cherry flavors.
3. Sleeping in until 11 a.m. and then laying in bed until noon reading a good book.
4. Ordering my favorite salad from Boston's Pizza - the Santa Fe.
5. Picking a bag/basket of our own produce at Jubilee Farm. We have the privilege of picking up Tim & Lindsay's produce for the next 2 weeks - lucky us! This Saturday we picked tomatoes, basil, parsley, a bunch of different types of green beans, summer squash, onions and flowers.

6. Watching Adam Sandler's Bedtime Stories movie - very cute, silly and sweet.
7. Sitting outside, drinking a hazelnut cowppuccino (Spotted Cow's version of a cappuccino) while reading a good book, The Time Traveler's Wife.
8. Completing one more step of our backyard - I planted two trees!

9. Nick enjoyed getting a hot towel and haircut at Weldon Barber.
10. Enjoying a weekend filled with relaxation, no obligations and lots of treats.

A More Focused Life

I was on my way home from work today and I passed by a house. There was an edger (one of those little lawnmower like devices with a blade at a 90 degree angle to the ground used to trim the edge of a lawn next to a sidewalk) sitting on the sidewalk, and a car being washed in the drive way. I thought it was humorous. The home owner started out by edging his yard, then as he was cleaning off his edger decided that the car needed cleaning, but rather than putting the edger away he just went straight to washing the car and left the edger where it was. It made me think about a book I had read recently and one of the principles the author talks about. The author wrote about something he called a Hedgehog diagram (the image above, also known as a Venn diagram). The author applies this diagram to businesses and the three things that each business has focused on to achieve greatness as an organization. Since I've always kind of been a "jack-of-all-trades" kind of person the use of the diagram in my personal life intrigued me. In the current job market it seems that person who has expertise in a specific area is the one that gets rewarded. The Hedgehog diagram looked like a good way to focus my attention on a few interests and get much better at a few things. What I didn’t realize was that those three circles were one of the most difficult things I have faced in a long time. The idea behind the diagram appears to be very simple. The author explains it a bit differently but here are my modified rules for the diagram: 1. Choose the three that you want to focus on, 2. Those three things are all you focus on, nothing else, 3. The diagram encompasses all aspects of your life including work and family. Now I'm sure some of you already have your three and I'm sure they are excellent, but let me explain a few things. This diagram takes all of the things you do already and cuts out all but three. If you chose to add your profession and family then you already have two filled. A few of you may have circles already filled due to various obligations, but most will have at least one circle free. So in all the other things that you do what is the one thing that you want to focus on? Not a fun question to answer is it? If you have seen my resume or know me even a little, then you know that I have a fairly wide range of skills and interests: programming, my Jeep, photography, computer games, soccer, cycling, and the list goes on. How do you choose? Why would you want to? One word… Focus. It’s not about becoming the absolute best at something (although it can lead to that). It’s about evaluating choices based on the hedgehog diagram. It keeps you from going out into the yard to edge the driveway and end up washing the car while leaving the edger in the street, metaphorically speaking. I used to own a web design business and I loved the name I chose, Driven Web. I don’t know that many people understood why I chose it, but if you look up the definition of driven in a dictionary it says, “to strive vigorously toward a goal or objective; to work, play, or try wholeheartedly and with determination.” Many of us choose to be pulled in an infinite number of directions. We don’t ever "strive vigorously" toward anything. We end up good at so many things that we never experience greatness at any one thing. What three things could you focus on? If you have to think about it in reverse, how much extra “stuff” could be cut out if you chose to focus only on three things? If you’re interested in the book I read it’s called “Good to Great” by Jim Collins. It’s a business book, but if you have any interest in understanding the move from good to great many of the principles he talks about can be applied to everyday life.

Weekending

After perusing several friends' blogs I have decided to change my weekend blogging format; trying to make it more succinct, sweet and to the point without making people read through a whole story! Here it goes... The best of Weekending...

1. Saturday - sleeping in and eating waffles with homemade plum sauce (thanks Lindsay!!)
2. Spending an obscene amount of time blogging; becoming frustrated with being able to figure out how to apply a new background template without losing all my data; feeling sad that my blog is not as "neato" as some of my friends'; eventually putting everything back the way it was. Aarrgg!!
3. Reading my friends' blogs and learning new ideas and such. Check out this link from Sierra's blog (http://www.the350project.net/home.html); such an awesome idea and Nick & I are in total agreement. We sat down instantly and thought of several places we couldn't live without - Spotted Cow (the best coffee and ice cream ever!); Redmond Farmer's Market (yummy local veggies, fruit, flowers and the best crepes ever); Computer Concepts (a lovely local, little group of computer wizards who help keep Nick's and my computer needs satisfied); and Flower World (my best source for making our backyard gorgeous with lots of beautiful plants, trees, fruit/veggie stand and advice). We encourage you to think locally and go out there and support your local businesses!
4. Watching 14 episodes of the best western/sci-fi show ever - Firefly. Took us 2 days to finish it though and I think my brain was starting to fry by the end!
5. Debating with Nick why Firefly wasn't successful and picked up for a second season.
6. Ending our Firefly extravaganza with the movie, Serenity.
7. Watching another cheesy, yet fabulous comic book movie - G.I. Joe. I know it's lame, but Channing Tatum is so very hot! Plus, it makes for good movie conversation with my hubby.
8. Eating fantastic, greasy Chinese food from our new fav local Chinese joint - Zen Garden
9. Working outside and the sense of accomplishment as our backyard "remodel" progresses. I worked my behind off pruning, weeding, mowing and starting digging the first hole for one of our new trees. Can't wait to get them in the ground, however, the rain is thwarting our best laid plans!
10. I know it sounds weird, but I love the way Jack smells after coming home from our favorite groomer, Tia. He looks so pretty!
11. Two hour massage, by one of my favorite massage therapists - Miss April at Massage Envy, after working in the backyard.
12. Most of all, a wonderful weekend relaxing and spending time with my fantastic hubby!

Annual St. Maries, ID, family vacation

Almost every year my family joins our longtime friends, the Maxteds, in a journey to the St. Joe River in St. Maries, ID. We've been going there as long as I can remember and the place holds a very special spot in my heart. I have fond memories and sad memories of this spot. We try to be there every year to celebrate my sister, Sarah's, birthday and this year was no different. We stay at Wendy Maxted's brothers place that is several acres along the St. Joe River. Bud & Sonya have a house/shop on the upper part of the property and the lower part has docks, river beach, river access, boat tie ups, a gazebo to hang out in and a large grassy area to park our campers and pitch our tents. The weather was hot this year - 90's on average and so the river felt fantastic! We arrived on Thursday, July 30th, and got to spend the evening setting up our campsite, swimming in the river and relaxing after our 6 hour drive from Seattle. This year it was so much fun to have our friends, Tim & Lindsay, join us for the craziness. On Friday, the activities started. We did some swimming; Tim, Lindsay, Sarah & I did some inner tubing; Tim wakeboarded, as did Sarah and Lance (one of the Maxted's); and we spent so much time in the river I think I had permanent prune fingers. Friday evening my mom arrived from spending 2 weeks in Canada taking a massage speciality class and we celebrated Sarah's birthday (24!!). On Saturday we completed our annual trip of boating up the St. Joe River until it essentially "ends" or at least the water becomes so shallow we can't go any farther. It was freezing up there compared to the water down by our campsite! We braved the temperature though and floated down the river as a group with a few people following in the boat. The river was freezing, but so clear you could see the bottom - although not touch it. We ended our trek with lunch at a pullout spot and then some of us traded spots by going back in the cars versus the boat. Saturday evening we played games, read, sang to the strumming of Glen's guitar and were terrified by the biggest bug ever!! It looked like a giant cockroach, but I think it was just a big cicada. Very disgusting as us girls went running off screaming. Sunday we had to load up the Jeep and get ready to head back to Seattle. We did get to spend some time swimming and taking people out on the innertubes before we left though and that was a lot of fun. On our way home we stopped and met with our friends, Aaron & Connie, for a burger in Spokane. Tim & Nick shared the driving home and we got back to Seattle at about 9 p.m. Sunday evening.

We're home - sunburned, exhausted, sore and filled with another year of memories. Each time we go to St. Maries, it makes me wish more and more that I had the ability to just live on a river somewhere and bask in the beauty without the worries of work and life. Maybe someday...

The 56 Mile Half Century

Well it was hot, long, tiring, and AWESOME! I finished the 50 mile route (+6 due to a wrong turn) of the Seattle Century. I got to ride with some really fun people. Everyone seemed like they were having a good time, even though the road directions didn't match the map and a few of us got lost (I saw more than one person checking the ride map which wasn't very accurate). I was 3 minutes under my goal time of 4 hours. I was completely exhausted when it was over, it still hurts to walk up or down stairs. To give everyone a rough idea of the course. It started in Magnuson Park (near the University of Washingtion), went north west through Bothell, east into Woodinville, south into Redmond, then Bellevue, I took a wrong turn here and went east into Issaquah, then west along I-90 along the water over Mercer Island (horrible hills), and finally back into Seattle and north back to Magnuson Park. Whew! Here are the stats that I tracked (since I'm a data nerd):

• Total Ride Distance: 56 miles
• Total Ride Time: Just under 4 hours
• Average Pace: 14.1 mph
• Max Speed: 29 mph
• Approximate Number of Calories Burned (calculated): 3,000 (I'm still hungry)
• Starting Temp: 72
• Ending Temp: 89ish (felt like 110)

Overall it was a great experience and I'm going to start training harder for the next event. More distance riding and faster time. Oh, pictures will be coming at some time, I haven't even seen them yet.