There aren't really any pictures worth posting from yesterday's BBQ, but I took pickled radish pictures because I am obsessed.

Lawn Eater

Right now I have radishes being pickled in the fridge. And turnip greens simmering on the stove. Both are from the yard. I love my life.

I don't think I've mentioned yet that I'm super budgeting. And also saving. And also not using my credit card. Needless to say its a lot harder that I thought, but I have been doing really well and I have a lot of motivation.

I don't know if talking about my finances is inappropriate or not, so if you are uncomfortable with those sorts of things, you have been warned...

I have decided that I hate my student loans with a passion.
I just decided to up my monthly payment for them to 333.33 a month.
20% of each paycheck is going towards savings for our next trip.
60 a month goes towards my credit card payment.
Bills (phone, internet, electric, water/garbage).
375 rent.
Which gives me 65 dollars a week to feed myself/entertain/shop/whatever a week. I took out that amount in cash and have it on me and am not using my cards.

This is a lot harder than I thought it would be. Apparently it is a lot more expensive to feed yourself than I thought, even if it is just groceries. So to make sure that I learn about how and where I spend my money I have been incredibly stingy this week (as in, only spending money on grocery shopping). I will see if I have any money left over and adjust accordingly. It is stressing me out in a good way:)

I am really really glad that I happend to budget how I have right when we can eat a lot of garden food. For example, the other day I made a spinach salad with dinner. I am going to a BBQ today and we are supposed to bring something, so I am bringing pickled radishes. My lunch right now is delicious turnip greens steamed in vegetable broth. Thank god for our garden.

Day off!

Today is one of the random days off. It is normally random day off plus Friday. But since Nolan's schedule changed, I was able to kind of change my availability. Apparently there is a huge demand for Sundays and Fridays at work, and I wanted to always have Sundays off and work Fridays (as part of my new availability). That way, I could hang out with Nolan at least one day, aaaaaaaaand accomodate football season. It turns out that the schedule maker (Bob) said that the best he could do was alternate with those days off. Thats fine with me. Also, I decided to post my weekly work schedule on here. I have talked to several family members who say that they don't know if they should call me or not because they don't know if I'm working. So now, no more excuses!

Thursday, June 25 1p - 9p
Friday, June 26 X
Saturday, June 27 4p - 12a
Sunday, June 28 4p - 12a

Monday, June 29 4p - 12a
Tuesday, June 30 X (I am currently trying to switch this off day to a different one)
Wednesday, July 1 4p - 12a
Thursday, July 2 1p - 9p
Friday, July 3 X
Saturday, July 4 12p - 7p (we close at 5 on the 4th, how amazing is that?)
Sunday, July 5 4p - 12a

I started writing this blog three hours ago and left it open and did stuff and thangs. We pulled out 6 of many radishes and they are literally the size of beets. They have all of these gnarly beautiful roots too. YUM. I transplanted some things and I'm pretty dirty right now.

Mackenzie got home last night, and I texted her circa 2am as I was going to bed and welcomed her home, and she texted me back asking why I was up so late, and so I immediately called her. We talked for like 45 minutes and it was spontaneous and lovely.

A day with Kate

Katie Costello is one of the girls I lived with when we first moved to Seattle two years ago. She and I hit it off before we even met in real life. It's probably because we are both Virgos. No but really, we are a lot a like. And also very different. She makes incredible music. That is a link to her myspace music page. So you can listen while you continue to read :)






Today I hung out/(am still hanging out) with her. We went to breakfast at arguably the best breakfast place on the hill. Glo's is becoming our new spot (on an irregular basis). Afterwards, since we both have today off, we decided to extend our time together but didn't know what to do. So we did something practical and went grocery shopping. Then we came back to my house and played computers and budgeting, since we are both starting to budget. Its kind of exciting, is that weird?







Then we played garden, and I pulled up the first harvest! I only pulled one radish, since when you pull them up they are gone and I dont want them to be gone yet. They are ENORMOUS and bulging out of the soil now. The one I pulled wasn't as big (but still a good size) but I pulled it because it was splitting. Katie took pictures with her phone:








We deicded that we were hungry again at 7ish. Since we are on a budget, we couldn't go out and get food. Instead, we went to Grocery Outlet. To load up on grocery junk food at extremely low prices. I bought a frozen pizza, a box of microwavable popcorn, two Butterfinger Buzz bars, and two cans of pop. Awesome, I know. I was originally going to buy one Butterfinger (or so I thought) but then Katie screechingly warned me against what I was about to do. I had had the Buzz bar in my hand and was informed that it is equal to one energy drink. Energy drinks are disgusting. So I bought two buzz bars instead. You never know, right? :)




We came home and made pizza and Katie made guacamole and we ate it with chips and drank sody pops. Its been a semi-gluttonous day for me. Im ok with it.

Achey Muscles

There hasn't been a point since I lived here when I haven't been sore. I am so much more active here than I have been living anywhere else. First of all this city is built on hills. I have my feet and my bicycle to take me to places (I rarely ride the bus). Second of all, leaving our house requires going up a hill, theres no escaping it. I work at Trader Joes where we move around a lot, and lift a lot of things. I don't feel like I look any different, but I just feel the strongest I've been in my adult life. It feels good to be sore. Mmmm.

Madelyn Elizabeth Delster was born yesterday. She is beautiful:

Mike and Emily, I am so happy for you both. Congratulations!

Tonight my friend Kristie,

who works in the wine department at the store, is starting her second job as a bartender. The Lookout has its grand opening tonight. Tim and I and some other people from the store are going to go. It willl be fun. (Also, remember when I captured Danae's essence in that awesome picture of her? Well, this is me capturing Kristie's essence.)

Bainbridge Trip

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.

Our trip to Bainbridge was really nice. We had a few hiccups there, however.On Wednesday night, we changed my tire tube because it was flat.

1. Thursday morning, we had a really fun bike ride down to the ferry terminal downtown.

2. We got coffee last minute and found the way to the ferry entrance.

3. Seattle being perfect from any angle.

4. We were so excited and acting like such goofballs on the way there!

5. I got a flat and had to take a cab back into town on Bainbridge. And since we couldn't fit both bikes in the taxi, Nolan sunned and read.

6. It ended up taking a lot longer to get there than we planned (due to my flat) and we were pretty burnt out by the time we'd gotten there. We made pasta, lounged in the jacuzzi, and played my new favorite game, Scribbage.

The next day we woke up, ate oatmeal and went to the vineyard that was less than a mile away from our cabin. Bainbridge Island Vineyard and Winery was so charming. It was our first winery experience and such a good one.

Afterwards, we rode back to the cabin, packed some snacks and rode to Faye Bainbridge State Park, which is an amazing beach where you can camp and enjoy the best things in life.

7. HUGE driftwood at the beach!

8. Playing with critters

9. Acting a goof

10. Water was squirting out from the sand! Nolan had to investigate.

11 & 12. I love the Northwest. And Nolan.

13. After the beach, we came back home and Nolan made Nolan's Famous Rice and Beans meal for us. Also, Trader Joe's got my favorite wine back in (after having sold out of it) Chariot Gypsy, so we brought some of that, too. Also, its 5.99.

The next day we headed out around 10.45 and guess whhaaaaaaaaaaat! I got another flat before we got to the main road. Just my luck. So, I took another cab to the ferry terminal while Nolan rode. Once we got back to Seattle, I took the bus home and Nolan rode. Sad.

Josh is in a group called the Bicycle Belles which is a dancing bicycle group. Its pretty rad. Last night they organized a huge ride/party/dance that went from downtown to Georgetown. There were about a hundered people on the ride, it was a really good time. We rode to three different stops, where they would do a dance at each one. There was also a grill on bycicle wheels and they were making veggie dogs (for free/donation!). Incredible.

Thats all for now. I have to go to work now. Sad face.

Oh! Also, I need to take updated picture of the garden, because I was looking at the old pictures and everything is SO MUCH BIGGER now! I'm obsessed. And we have tomato flowers! And I planted peanuts a couple weeks ago that are sprouting! And a bunch of other cool stuff.

1st Anniversary!

Wow, it has almost been one year since we got married! So much has happened in the last year, its crazy to think about.

Tomorrow we are going to Bainbridge Island and staying in a cabin for 3 days/2 nights. We decided that we wanted to go somewhere that wasn't going to be too expensive, and where we wouldn't need a car. So we are going to ride our bikes to the ferry terminal tomorrow (which is downtown) and take a 35 minute ferry! I am very excited. I am going to pick up some groceries for us this afternoon and see if we can avoid going to the grocery store there. However, our cabin is 5 miles from the ferry terminal and 3 miles from a grocery store, and we have to carry everything on our backs. We will probably wind up having to go to the store. Our cabin can be found at that link. If you sort by price and it should be the fifth one down, its called Cabin Fever. Its gonna be soooo fun! Eeeee!

Oh! Also, Mackenzie went to New Zealand to studay abroad for a month. She's gone May 22 - June 22. She sent us a card before she left that says on the envelope "Do not open until June 14". So sweet. I am excited to open it. Also, yesterday we got something from Grandma Lori: a card and a 25 dollar check for our first anniversary. So adorable.

So you won't hear from me until Saturday night/Sunday morning.

G'morning, amy

Sorry there have been a lack of posts. I was literally obsessed with the garden for a while, and just really busy in general.

I've been running the past couple of days and really love it.However, I've had really terrible shoes to do it in. Ted, a friend from work and I have been talking about running together lately and I told him that the shoes I was running in were terrible. He told me to go to the Seattle Running Company which I've seen a bunch (its right on the hill). And I always wrote it off as being expensive and ridiculous. He just got his shoes there, and (the link directs you right to what I'm talking about). They video tape your bare feet running on a treadmill for 10 seconds and tell you what problem you have (if you have one). And I do. I'm really flat footed and run on the insides of my feet (especially my right foot) it was so interesting to watch, the guy was so helpful in answering my questions. So he recommended 3 shoes for me to try and videoed me running in the shoe. And the one I ended up choosing (because it felt the best) was the one that most visibly corrected my goof leg. Crazy. It was expensive. Well, for me. Anna would tell me that getting a perfect fitting pair has no cost :) so I feel good about it.

I'm trying to force my body into somewhat of a daily routine lately, which I enjoy. Its hard working so late and not having school or some other task to get me up early. But it includes waking up around 9 with our laptop acting as my coffee for about 30 minutes. It also seems that listening to Boyz II Men and other 90s hip hop has been included in my routine, because I have been aaaaaaall about that being brought in my life. Then I go outside and water/weed/look at plants/plant seeds/move transplants till around noonish. I meticulously wash my hands after gardening because, after hearing a story from my friend (about her childhood), I am freaked out on high of getting pinworms. Mostly little kids get it but you get it from playing in the dirt. Anyways, hand washing is a funny part of my routine.

Run! Running after gardening. I am definitely not saying that I go on a huge run. Because I don't. 20 minutes maybe. I want to work up to longer times, but its so hard where we live because every direction you are going to be running up or down (and then subsequently up again) a hill. Its nutty. I love it though.

Then 4 days a week I work 4-midnight (the fifth I normally work 1-9, which is nice). I want to start going to bed by one instead of like 3.30. Its ok every once in a while but I just hate sleeping in.

So, there are the boring details of my life :)

Seedlings

This first set is the front garden, the massive one.

1. Garden from front porch
2. North side of the garden
3. Cantaloupe seedlings (that have taken so long to come up!)
4. Tomato plants that our landlord brought over (south side)
5. Cilantro seedlings (south side)
6. North side
7. Spinach seedlings! (I thought it was grass at first, but waited and looked it up online!) (north side)
8. Radish seedlings! They were the first to come up and are doing really well (south end of north side)
9. Bad picture, but definitely carrot seedlings (north end of south side)
10. Beet seedlings! (north side)
11. Dill seedlings (south side)
12. View facing north
13. View facing south




This set is from the planter box that we brought up from Portland. I planted these before the front garden.
1. Whole box
2. Whole box
3. Broccoli seedlings! (north side)
4. Zucchini seedling - I am obsessed with these fat leaves. (south side)
5. Turnip seedlings! I got lazy and just threw a lot of seeds into each spot, and I definitely didn't plan any spacing and this is what I got. I transplanted some, which are still alive but they didnt like it, and are a lot smaller than these ones now. So I am just going to let them compete, I think.



These are inspired by my new book! I am going to be buying a lot of fruit to eat, and saving their seeds, crowns, eyes, etc to plant. So far I have cut up two mealy organic Fuji apples (one of which already had seeds sprouted inside!) and removed the seeds. The rectangular tray (which is a plastic cherry tomato tray) has the sprouted ones. The soup can has the ones not yet sprouted. Tha avocado in the water trick that everyone knows (I have to buy tooth picks) and old garlic that I have to do something with.

I AM SO EXCITED.

Also, I went to Lowe's again today? I can't help it. Daniel paid me to get a Ziptruck so he can get a mattress (finally!) and i used the remainder of the reserved hour to get a thing to wind up the hose, peat moss (I'll explain later!), rocks (I know, weird), and more soil.

I have to go to worrrrrrrk!

Blogout.

Don't throw it, Grow it!

I really do love having a zipcar account. Yesterday morning I reserved a car last minute so I could go to Lowe's [again]. Me and zipcar love Lowe's. I also love zipcar because I have driven three vehicles that I have never driven before. A Toyota Tacoma, Honda Civic (hybrid), and yesterday I drove a Prius. Which, if someone said....I am going to buy you a car today, what do you want? It would definitely be a Prius. I had so much fun driving in it. I decided that I am DEFINITELY a small car person.

My mother can vouch for this. I don't what it is about me being sick, but even when I was younger, that is when I had the most motivation to do things. I would stay home sick from school, and wind up re-arranging my bedroom....in 6th grade. Well, I am sick now, and I have been getting up early (probably because I am coughing) and gardening, running errands, etc. Yesterday I got the zipcar at 9.46 and went to Lowe's to get a sprinkler. I didnt think watering the garden would be as huge of a proiority as it has been, but there hasn't been any rain here. I also picked up some pots and a better hose nozzle head.

The other day, I rode down to Broadway and got Pho and went to Bailey/Coy bookstore and bought Don't Throw it, Grow it! Which is kind of a silly book but its about not tossing seeds that you eat, but turning them into decorative house plants and harvesting food from them (if possible, ie pineapple is difficult). Anyhow I've really enjoyed reading it. Its also fun to remember things from my trees and shrubs course from ASU and compare such things as Wow, I didn't know that roses and almonds were in the same family. Im glad I remember some scientific plant names.



I started reading after I went to Lowe's, or else I would have bought more stuff. Hah. I am really feeling inspired to grow lots of house plants now. I had tomato soup yesterday and saved its can for seedlings. Plus, we have so many glass jars from sauces and jams. I really want to start this, but I am also hesitant because I don't want to be overwhelmed from the front and back gardens on top of that.

Yesterday I meticulously pulled out blades of grass and their roots from the front garden and there are still soooo many. Dana mentioned that a good way to get rid of weeds was to spray them with salt water. Which I want to do, but will have to wait until all of the seeds sprout (or don't sprout) so I don't kill them off as well.

Hmmm.