Where did winter go? And other year end's thoughts.

I tried to make myself a goal to blog more often. However, I admit that I haven't been doing a good job of this.

In my last post, I expressed my happiness that the long brutal winter of 2014-2015 was done.

Now I am wondering where winter is. Don't get me wrong, sunshine and warmth are great things. But I believe in moderation :) Also, I want to go skiing. Badly.

No real major trips this year after the Salt Lake City trip which I talked about in March. I spent some time in the Adirondacks with Ben's family. Thanks to the lack of internet and phone service, I was able to disconnect completely and forget about the outside world.

(Note: I did not take any of these photos in the Adirondacks)

 

Calm, peaceful mornings on Fourth Lake

Had some tubing action. I asked for Ben's dad (boat captain) to increase the intensity. He did.

Roasting marshmallows over the campfire one evening

The only other major trip of note was visiting Ben's parents in Asheville, NC for Thanksgiving. What a great town - yes, it may be almost too hipster for me... but the beer... the food... and the great scenery. There is a lot to love.

A whole site dedicated to sour/barrel aged beers? Awesome. I love the Funkatorium.

Asheville is nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, right along the scenic and twisty Blue Ridge Parkway (although we did get carsick)

Took a short "hike" to the peak of Craggy Gardens, at 5892' elevation. Great view, and great weather for Thanksgiving Day!

Since it is the end of the year and almost the start of the New Year, I feel it is appropriate to keep talking about my goals for the next year and reflect upon where I have done well this year.

Of all the nerdy activities I do (which is pretty much everything, considering I work as an engineer full time, and then do more nerdy things are home), I decided that I need an external source of motivation to achieve my goals. This external source of motivation came in the form of fake "gold" and XP in an online RPG community called Habitica, in which users can gain experience, buy equipment, and gain gold by completing daily tasks, checking things off their to-do lists, or engaging in good habits.

I started using Habitica sometime in the spring, and it has really helped me feel more motivated to get things done so I can buy imaginary equipment or gain random foods to feed my pets. Why does having fake pets, fake gold, and fake armor and equipment motivate me? I have no idea, but it seems to work, so I don't question it further.

So as a result, I have been going to the gym much more regularly. When I go to the gym now, I actively have a plan of which muscles I would like to focus on. Although I still look pretty much the same (skinny), I feel stronger and there may be a small hint of a bump on my upper arms, where my biceps should be :)

Some of my goals for 2016:

1. Continue to exercise, but do it with some goals:
- I want to ski moguls and trees this year. I may not be an expert overnight, but I do want to gain the confidence to be able to take on a good number of mogul trails and glade runs at any given resort.
- I want to ski for longer with less fatigue. I think doing more leg exercises at the gym and more cardio will help me in this effort. I certainly need this when I head for Alta and Snowbird this coming February!
- I need to rock climb more often. Sadly I am perpetually stuck at the 5.9 level and would like to progress to climbing 5.10s regularly. However, I think that because I am becoming more serious about weight lifting, I can focus on muscles and strength that can help me.
- Continue to go to the gym on a regular basis. Help my tight muscles relax with the use of a foam roller.

2. Make plans to have fun.
This was on my goal list for 2015, and it will remain on my goal list this year. I have felt as though I have become closer with some friends and found some people that I really like and do hang out on a regular basis. They enjoy similar activities and so we invite each other to various activities. I like that and would like to continue the trend.

That's it. Two goals. Make it short and simple. And attainable. I thought about adding some goals about being ambitious in work, but then again... it's work. Let's enjoy life!

Warming up after a long winter...

Finally it's nice and warm... 40 degrees. This has been a brutal winter, and although Boston got more snow than we did (not that we didn't get enough here...), we sure got cold. Several days of -20 degrees Fahrenheit or more.

Got snowshoes from Ben as part of my Christmas presents. Used them on February 2nd to go urban snowshoeing (basically just walking outside my front door and around my neighborhood). While we were snowshoeing, saw several cars spin out, and we walked over and offered our assistance, but she didn't take it.  :-(

My roommate and I went urban snowshoeing around our neighborhood.

Some days were too cold to go skiing. But we still went, when we could. So far for the season (I hesitate to call it over, but I am frankly a bit weary of cold weather and snow), I have racked up a vertical of 125,622.6 ft and about 141.4 miles. Not too bad, considering I can't make it out as often as I'd like. Did have some ski trips - one to Sugarloaf, Maine, and another to Salt Lake City, Utah. Sugarloaf is really far away, so we stopped over in Boston for the night. But I have to say, I really enjoyed the resort. If it weren't so far away, I would definitely like to explore it more.

We took a trip to Salt Lake City earlier this month. Kind of crazy to see the West without their usual snowfall, while having some great conditions in the East. However, the trip was still a lot of fun, and I really appreciated having 40 degree temps while skiing, as opposed to the -25 with windchill while at Sugarloaf just a few weeks earlier.

Nice warm spring day at Park City Mountain Resort. 

Got 17 runs in that day at PCMR, which is pretty good for me.

Top of the Strawberry Express Gondola at Snowbasin - great views and awesome runs. Hit my personal record of 45.4 mph from one of these runs.

In non-winter sports news, I've been trying to start rock climbing more often again. Been learning to do more overhang ones, and getting better at hanging with my arms straight, so I don't get them all tired out. So making some progress on fitness, I think. My arms are still sore from climbing yesterday.

Food-wise, haven't been religiously taking photos of food like I used to. However, we did make a delicious triple-berry pie for Pi Day (Ed's birthday). It was really good. I like it even more than apple pie.

Might have overdone the egg wash, but the purple berry mix pops out from beneath the Greek letter pi.

Continuing the MyFitnessPal tracking, trying to make sure Kevin keeps up as well. I feel that it does help me control my portions (aka, make me feel guilty when I eat too much or eat crappy food). 

That's all I really have for the first three months of this year. I hope that warms up even more, and then I hope to do some cycling, hiking, and maybe even venture outside for some climbing!

2014... was ok

And now another end of year/beginning of year post. I've failed miserably on posting much at all this past year. In fact, I had 2 drafts saved from the summer which I failed to post and now it's just too late.

2014 was ok. Ups and downs as there are every year. Nothing super exciting but nothing super bad either. Just trying to think of what I did in 2014, and I can't really think of much. Is that good or bad?

Went to Hong Kong and Thailand. Skied some more. Bought new skis. Got into rock climbing. Went to a friend's wedding in Saratoga Springs. Parents came to visit me in Albany. Went to Montreal and finally ate at Au Pied de Cochon. Went to New York City and visited my girl friends. Went to visit Ben's parents and sister in Asheville and ate some awesome food, drank some delicious beer, and went to a spa. Visited some guy friends in DC. Went to Hong Kong (again) during Thanksgiving. Got in two days of skiing in December before the big thaw and rainstorms came in at the end of December. Had a relaxing Christmas and New Years in Boston and Albany.

Some obligatory photos:

Beautiful flowers this summer at Ben's house

 

Some delicious food that we cooked up this past year

Beautiful Robert Treman State Park in Ithaca

Let's see how I did compared to my goals last year: 

2014 Goals:

• Be less judgmental of people, talk less shit about people behind their back - Ehh... I don't think I achieved this goal. D
• Have better relations with family, both immediate and distant - I think I did okay at this. B
• Be more appreciative of what I have, not be jealous of others - Uh, not really. C
• Be more financially aware - I've been managing my stocks, IRA accounts, and been quite good at saving money. A
• More personal reflection of my own goals & interests - Nope. F

Now, the 2015 goals:

1. Get stronger, build endurance. This means hitting the gym. I signed up for gym membership and I'm paying each month, so I better drag my ass there. Also, strength would help me improve my rock climbing, and I want to build endurance so I can ski for longer. Since I enjoy skiing and rock climbing, I need to remind myself of these goals every time so I can motivate myself to go to the gym.

2. Blog 3-4 times a year. Personal reflection is a good thing and I should do it more often. Since I failed this personal reflection goal last year, it's back.

3. Cook & eat healthy. With the exception of the holiday season, I've been doing pretty good at this. I would like to keep it up. Starting to track my calories/macros with MyFitnessPal this year, I think that it helps keep me aware of how much I am eating and adjust portion sizes accordingly.

4. Start drawing again. I don't think I'm terrible at drawing, and I started to get into it again last year but then didn't keep doing it this year. I would like to draw on a regular basis and maybe even have some worthy enough of framing up at art in the house.

5. Plan to have fun. Sometimes I get lazy and don't plan things, and then when things get boring or I feel like it's all work and no play, I get sad. I am a planner through and through, I love making to-do lists and checking things off. So I need to plan fun things to do every weekend, doesn't have to be big, but stuff that I can look forward to so that I can balance work and play in a better way.

Flying by

And it is already the end of February! Already, a sixth of the year has gone by so quickly.

I did spend a good 2 weeks in the very beginning of this year traveling to Hong Kong and Thailand. We were very overdue on visiting relatives in Hong Kong. And since we had flown all the way over there (16 direct flight, ftw), we figured we mind as well take a short side trip to Thailand as well. Below are some photos from Thailand and Hong Kong:

Thai bird chilies in a street market in Bankok

Gold covered building at the Grand Palace in Bangkok

Some cool bird statues on the facade of a building in the Grand Palace

Rahul and I at The Peak, with a view of (cloudy) Hong Kong

Been making some pretty awesome food already as I work to improve my culinary skills. For Valentine's day, we made an awesome filet mignon wrapped in bacon with seared scallops in Manhattan sauce, with lemon drizzled asparagus over a bed of smoked gouda mashed potatoes. It was really damn good!

This was an awesome dish. And plating didn't look too bad either, although it could still be improved.

Then, we made some deviled crab cakes with a jalapeno cilantro tartar sauce, and had it with the leftover asparagus and smoked gouda mashed potatoes. Very heavy, but absolutely delicious! And with tons more crab than what you would get in a restaurant.

Not quite Maryland fresh, but still pretty delicious.

Been trying to get outside as much as I could, as this has been a snowy and cold winter! Been skiing a bit, not nearly as much as last year in Oregon, but hoping to go as often as possible. I got to say, I kind of miss the softer stuff in the West. But if I am to be a good skier, I must learn to handle all conditions!

Got a new ski tracking app - gives tons of stats, as well as a visual placed on top of Google Maps so you can see your runs and where the lifts are!

Also wanted to go snowshoeing, but the state park guy lied to me and told me they would be open when they weren't. So we couldn't rent snowshoes, but decided to take a hike around Moreau Lake State Park anyway. Snowshoes would have helped in some areas, but due to the warmth it was already pretty packed down so it wasn't too bad going around in hiking boots.

 Walking through the trails at Moreau Lake State Park on a warm (40 degree) day. 

 As part of my attempt to get more exercise, I am trying new things - for example, learning how to rock climb (in a gym - The Edge in Clifton Park). So far, I've only gone twice but it has been quite fun! The only problem is that the cost adds up so if I am to go more often, it would make sense for me to invest in gear - shoes, harness, and the belay device & carabiner. After an hour and a half of climbing the easy walls, I am tired! I clearly lack the upper body strength needed to progress with harder walls, and my grip is pretty awful.

So, life has been busy and good. Still want to get outdoors more. Although I love winter, and I love having seasons, there are a few things I can't wait to do when it gets warmer:

• Wash my car! My rubber mats are crazy dirty with the endless salt and dirt from the roads. 
• Give my car an oil change - I don't want to go anywhere since I invested money in the jacks and stands, but my garage is still uncomfortable to work in when it is a few degrees outside.
• Bike. My poor bike is just sitting in the garage. The wheels are probably deflated as hell. I should have bought a trainer in the beginning of winter, but at this point I'd rather just wait for it to warm up.
• Hike. Without trudging through the snow. Otherwise, it may be time to invest in some snowshoes. 

Reflections & Resolutions

Made it. What a year! 2013 has certainly been a year that has been both exhilarating and stressful at times, but it has been a year that has shaped me, so I will be very open about reflecting upon my year and my goals for the future. I feel that I've grown a lot from my experiences this year. Maybe now I'm a real adult (just kidding).

2013 Lows:

• Surviving boredom in Oregon 
• Having to go to Canada every other week to work out issues with suppliers
• Stress of uncertainty of post-program full-time job attainment
• Relationship issues
• Self-esteem issues
• Family issues

2013 Highs:

• Got the off-program role I wanted, been busy in my new job, feeling like I have some importance to my team
• Getting much more into cooking (this is my domestic instincts coming out)

Spicy garlic miso udon with shiitake mushrooms. Om nom. I love noodles.


• Worked through relationship issues
• Started to invest in stock market (no real results so far as it was very recent)
• Did my own 30,000 mile car maintenance (and did not destroy my car)
• Bought new ski boots and ski jacket, they are awesome
• Seattle trip in Feburary with good friends
• Washington, DC trip in September with good friends
• Various New York City trips to catch up with old friends

Went to another hockey game at Madison Square Garden. Every time I watch these, we lose.

• Went on a few hikes in the Adirondacks and Catskills, getting to know this area better
• Muse concert in Boston with friends
• Real snowfall in Albany. I live in upstate NY, I expect real winters!

Ben is shoveling while I take this photo. About 15" of snow on the ground there!

Phew, what a year. But it turned out to be a great one, and one that I will remember for a while to come. And now, looking forward to the future!

2014 Goals:

In addition to the goals from last year (which I still need work on), here are some additional ones:

• Be less judgmental of people, talk less shit about people behind their back
• Have better relations with family, both immediate and distant
• Be more appreciative of what I have, not be jealous of others
• Be more financially aware 
• More personal reflection of my own goals & interests

And life goes on...

And life continues to be dynamic, ever-changing, and surprising. Since last post, I have transitioned to a new position, and I enjoy the work very much. Long story short, Ben and I are back together, but making sure that we are still happy internally. I've met up with friends that I haven't seen since graduation (or even before), as well as friends that I just don't see very often.  I'm still on my quest to see what makes me happy inside and to learn and become a better person!

1. Eat healthier
While I doubt that I have been eating healthier (I blame Halloween and all the candy that I have left over, as well as the awesomeness of fall desserts) but I have been cooking a lot more. I really enjoy cooking and I would say that it is one of my hobbies now. We tried to restart having 2-3 Fresh 20 meals every week, but it was hard coordinating our schedules, so we kind of went back to cooking for ourselves. I try to still plan about 2 meals per week for myself though so that I can have plenty of leftovers to bring to work.

And it is fall! The leaves are falling, there is a cool chill in the air, and it is time for all the delicious fall cooking. Ben and I went apple picking at Indian Ladder Farms (and bought cider and cider donuts as well...), and brought home 2 bags full of McIntoshes, Cortlands, and Galas.

Delicious McIntosh apple, ready to be picked!

The result of this apple picking was a dinner for 4 of a roasted sausage, apple, butternut squash combo that just screamed of fall flavors, and 2 homemade apple pies, one of which was brought to work the next day and eaten up very quickly!

I've just started to learn to cook Korean food as well. Made Kimchi Pancakes and Beef Doenjang Jjigae for a board game night with Kelsey and Ben (I dominated at Ticket to Ride, again). Then, used more of the kimchi to incorporate into mashed potatoes, for a very fusion-y dinner.

European, Asian, and American flavors in one dinner: Northwoods Fire seasoned strip steak, caprese salad, and kimchi mashed potatoes. My tastebuds were astounded from all the flavors!

The last of the kimchi went into making kimchi fried rice, which was good for 1 dinner and 2 lunches! Just yesterday, Ben and I steamed some mussels in a Thai red curry broth. It wasn't as spicy as we'd like, so next time we'll have to double up on the curry! 

I cut up a whole bunch of cilantro to top off these mussels. Mmm, but I do love cilantro.

So it looks like I am cooking plenty, the question now is if it's healthy. Well, I will certainly try to cook healthier, but keep it tasty! ;) 

2. Exercise more

Oh boy, I definitely have been failing this one. And I really have no excuses. So all I'm going to do is post some photos of a hike that we took to Newman's Ledge in the Catskills. It's funny because after these 1.5 years of living in this area, I have yet to hike the Catskills, I've only been going north. Well, this was my first time, and I have to say that it was gorgeous! Also a fun drive on the way there as I took some winding mountain roads next to Kaaterskill Falls.

Foggy day, so when we reached the ledge, we were above the clouds!

The other form of "exercise" that I have engaged in is walking... a lot. Thanks to my new Birkenstocks (yes, I am a hippie now), my feet did not hurt and I had no blisters after walking for 12 straight miles. Walked about 12 miles in a day around Washington D.C. with Hans, Kevin, and Sebastian. We saw all the monuments just a few days before the government shutdown.

Sitting on the back side of the Lincoln Memorial.

Watching the beautiful colors of the sunset on the pier of National Harbor.

 Also made a few trips down to New York City to catch up with some friends, some of which I haven't seen since graduation. Went to a showing of the Daily Show, sampled beer at the Brooklyn Brewery, visited the extreme-hipsterness of Williamsburg, had a fancy but delicious brunch at the Petrossian, and engaged in a sushi eating contest (I didn't win, but I tried pretty damn hard). Walked 8 to 11 miles each day! (Thanks Fitbit, for the info.)

Caught a viewing of the Daily Show, John Oliver's last show!

Friends since freshman year.

 3. Read more books
This is another place in which I am lagging behind. I'm still reading World War Z, embarrassingly enough. Also I have been reading a lot about finance recently as I'm starting to invest my money, and trying to be financially savvy! I've also downloaded Wool, a recommendation from Hans, on my Kindle, but have yet to begin... more to come...

4. Learn new things/develop hobbies
Ah, I can definitively say that I am improving in this aspect! I signed up for a drawing class called "The Human Figure Given Life" at a local middle school. I have wanted to take a drawing class for a while, because as a child, I doodled a lot and was also sketching, but sadly never took any formal art classes or continued to draw after middle school. I was looking for an introductory general drawing class, but none of them really fit my schedule as I was traveling a lot for recruiting. However, this class is only 5 weeks long and also very cheap! And human figures is something I am not accustomed to in my drawings, so it is definitely a challenge for me! Here are some sketches that I am proud of so far:

A lot of times, we are given a photograph to draw from.

In this particular class we are concentrating on hands and feet, as they are detailed and lots of attention need to be put on them so that they look right!

After focusing on just hands and feet, we were given photographs of full human figures in which the hands and/or feet are displayed prominently.

I chose this figure because I thought the pose was interesting (also because I did not have to deal with the face, which I currently suck at).

I've also been better about taking more photos and uploading them into Flickr. Even if not everyday is the most interesting day, sometimes it is nice to just take a photo as a memory of a point in time. Even if it was very simple, just a reminder of the everyday things in life, fleeting moments, and memories of things I've done, places I've been. And of course, food that I've eaten.

Been back a few times now for recruiting, and I still miss the place dearly.

Well, that ties it off for this time. Definitely happy to have re-discovered how much I love to draw, and how much I love to cook. But still need work on exercising, eating healthier, and reading more books!

Until next time!

Back to the Beginning

Well. It is time to restart the blog.

My time in Oregon helped me focus on myself and discover ways to keep myself busy by setting personal goals. But once I came back, I neglected to follow up on my goals. It has been a difficult spring and summer. Once I came back from Oregon, work became very busy as I was traveling to Canada every other week or so. Things just weren't the same as when I left. As spring transitioned into summer, work took another turn and I actually had many weeks in which I had nothing to do at work. I was also worried about the off-program transition as the process was painfully show, and there wasn't a lot of communication about what was going on, so I felt very stuck. I hadn't been very happy in my relationships either. I felt as though I didn't have a lot of friends in this area, and was not very good about staying in touch with friends from college (and definitely not grade school). Then in July, Ben and I took a brief 2 week break in our relationship, and then he broke things off about a week and a half ago. So it has been a rough time and I am learning to recover and rediscover myself.

I will now try to keep myself busy with the same goals I outlined when I moved to Oregon, because I realize that I have been failing at them ever since I've returned. I hope that by working on these goals, I can boost my self-confidence and be a healthier, smarter, stronger person!

1. Eat healthier
Gave up the Fresh 20 ever since we came back, even though Lauren and I still live together. The problem is that once we returned, everybody had their own schedule. Lauren was often out during the weekends to visit her boyfriend, and I was often out during the week to be in Canada, and therefore did not want to buy groceries that would spoil in the fridge when I was out.

Lauren and I would like to restart the Fresh 20, because it felt good to eat, we didn't have to think about which groceries to buy, and cooking was therapeutic to us. Because I will be transitioning to my off-program role soon, I will no longer have the crazy travels to Canada or elsewhere, and I can settle down a bit and get into a good routine.

2. Exercise more
I had the intention to keep up a regular exercise schedule. I wanted to start out cycling at least twice a week. Of course I regularly found excuses not to - to spend time with the (now ex) boyfriend, not feeling like it, was going to Canada and couldn't, etc.

Went clipless with some Shimano SPD pedals and Garneau Monte Womens' MTB shoes.

Decided to go with MTB pedals so that it would be easier to walk around in MTB shoes. I'm not quite hardcore enough for road biking pedals/shoes yet.

There was one point where I did manage to go cycling on a somewhat regular basis and I could actually see improvement by tracking my route, average speed, mileage on Endomondo. But I tried biking this week for the first time in a month and I did not feel well. Not only was I out of shape, but I was actually getting sick - I lost my voice yesterday.

Been hiking only a few times ever since I returned. Not sure how I managed to do the 12 mile hike while in Oregon, because I get weak after only a few miles. During the break in our relationship, I went hiking with a coworker friend to Sleeping Beauty, near Lake George. Some gorgeous views from there. This weekend we are planning to go on a small hike closer to the Catskills.

The view from the ledge of Sleeping Beauty, overlooking Lake George. 

It was an extremely beautiful, clear day with a nice breeze and wisps of clouds.

I really have not taken advantage of the fact that I live in an incredibly scenic area, with lots of outdoor activities only a short drive away. I haven't been to the Catskills before, so now is the time to explore!

3. Read more books
Ever since I returned from Oregon, I have meant to read into how to invest my money, but I have been stalling and reading Ben's personal finance book very slowly. Now that I have plenty of time to myself, I bought a few finance books and also bought World War Z, which has been very interesting so far (I never saw the movie, so I have no preconceptions of what the book is about). Looking forward to reading more books!

4. Learn new things/develop hobbies
Going to sign up for a drawing human figures class at a local high school. I used to draw so much as a kid and always doodled during class. I feel that I need to explore my creative side, as nothing I am doing right now involves the left side of my brain. I bought a sketchbook and some pens when I returned so that I could draw things when I was bored in Canada, but I never really was motivated enough to do it. I hope that I will find things worth drawing now, and perhaps I can create some beautiful art that is worth framing and hanging in the apartment!

Although I don't have fancy photography equipment, I would like to start to take more photos again and put them on my Flickr. There is something nice about taking a good photo, doing some minor touch-ups in Photoshop, and then putting it online on Flickr, which is kind of like a photo journal. Memories are memories - the good, the bad, it will always be there but it is a good reminder of what life is like!

It's been a rollercoaster ride, lots of ups and downs, and right now in the rough ever since I came back from Oregon, but I am looking forward to focusing and working on myself, and accomplishing things I thought I would never do!