Year In Pictures:Week 9

56:365 Ice

The outdoor skating rink is now open. I celebrated by skating by myself. It's amazing how difficult it is to find someone to meet you at the skating rink at 6 AM.

57:365 Dinner with Mom & Dad

My Dad and Mom were in town for dinner on Saturday night. We went to Cafe Di Scala where we enjoyed ourselves greatly.

58:365 Puzzle

While skating on Friday morning I won a gift basket that included a puzzle. I had been trying to put it together all weekend. John sat down and completed it in his first try. I was more than a little jealous.

59:365 Plans

60:365 Tacos

It was 29 degrees last Tuesday night. I drove to taco night. John rode his bike. He's a little crazy.

61:365 Pumpkin Pie

I tried a new recipe for pumpkin pie this year. It was delicious.

62:365 Whipped Cream

Whipped cream and a Star Wars guy. How can you beat that?

Year In Pictures:Week 8

49:365 Pondering

I went to the eye doctor on Friday and decided to look into LASIK surgery. I'm nervous and excited about the possibility of not needing glasses.

50:365 Invent

I didn't go out to eat all weekend, which is a rarity. On Saturday I invented a new recipe - butternut squash and barley risotto. I almost always use a recipe to cook, so this was quite the stretch for me. It turned out great. I have been enjoying the leftovers all week.

51:365 Brunch

I really love brunch. It's a shame there aren't more days where it makes sense to eat a big meal at 9:30 in the morning.

52:365 Addict

There is a Starbucks across the street from my office. I go there a lot. This week I got my gold card in the mail.

53:365 Bird is the Word

Now that I dabble in eating meat I have discovered my love for roasted organic chicken. I'm still not very good at getting the meat off the bone.

54:365 Glasses

Part of the check to make sure I am a candidate for lasik is to not wear contacts for 2 weeks prior to my first exam. Contacts can change the shape of your cornea. It's pretty traumatic for me to have to wear my glasses because they are thick and I cannot see well enough to put make up on. I feel unprofessional without mascara on at work.

55:365 Eggcellent

I normally bring cold cereal to work to munch on for breakfast. Today was different. I decided to take advantage of a workout free morning and enjoy a scrambled egg on toast with salsa. I could get used to a breakfast that tasty.

Year In Pictures:Week 7

42:365 Friends

On Friday night Ivy, Hot Toddy and I met at Trader Joe's to pick up some snacks. After that we headed to my house where John met us for wine and cheese. We meant for it to be happy hour but we were at the table talking until 11. I'm lucky to have such great friends.

43:365 Fall

Hot Toddy and I went for a hike on Sunday. After searching for our first destination for over an hour we gave up and headed to Minburn to hike at the Voas Nature Area. We have never hiked there before and I was surprised at how beautiful it was.

44:365 State Fair 5k

On Sunday Ivy and I walked the Fairgrounds 5k. It was weird walking around the fair when it isn't fair time. I had never noticed how beautiful the buildings and grounds are.

45:365 Missed. I cannot believe how hard it is to remember to take a photo every day.

46:365 What now?

After finishing the BBAC I'm not sure what to bake next. I've been leaving through the book trying to decide what to make next.

47:365 Brioche

I decided on brioche this week. I compared Peter Reinhart's versions with the Baking Illustrated version. I liked the Baking Illustrated book better, so I decided to stick with that one.

48:365 Missed

Year In Pictures:Week 6

35:365 Party Time

On Friday I neglected to take a photo of anything other than the party.

36:365 Donuts

I'm really going to miss the donuts at the market.

37:365 Garden

I finally pulled out the herbs from my front garden. I am not looking forward to buying basil until May.

38:365 This American Life Junkie

One of my favorite programs on NPR is This American Life. On Monday I went to see Sarah Vowell, one of my favorite authors and a This American Life contributor speak. A few weeks ago I went to hear David Sedaris, also one of my favorite authors and a This American Life Contributor speak. It's a good time in Des Moines to be a radio nerd.

39:365 Vote

I may not be happy with the results of the election, but I am happy that I don't have to watch political ads for a year.

40:365 Feed the Barm

I keep a sourdough starter in the refrigerator. I don't make sourdoughs very often, so when I do I need to refresh the barm so that is fresh and ready to go. It looks very gross when I pull it out of the fridge.

41:365 Drugs

On Thursday I finally went to the doctor for my neck. Coincidently, on Thursday night I discovered that muscle relaxers make me a zombie.

Year In Pictures:Week 5

28:365 Ourtoberfest

This is the fifth year my friends and I have taken an afternoon in October off for a bar crawl. Stacey and Sarah were kind enough to humor me for a photo.

29:365 Sisters

OK, so technically this photo doesn't count, as I didn't take it. I like it so much more than any of the photos I took, so I decided it doesn't matter.

30:365 Sit a Spell

I spent a good portion of the week preparing for my Halloween Party. On Sunday Mary-Claire and I spent hours preparing. We went to the fabric store and made chair decorations.

31:365 Ribbon

On Monday I ran to Hobby Lobby before crochet class to pick up some party supplies.

32:365 Halloween Weather

On Tuesday it finally started to feel like rain.

33:365 Wine Charms

If you ever decide to throw a party I strongly suggest asking Mary-Claire for decorating advice. Not only did she come up with some great chair decorations, she also suggested using ribbon for wine charms. I looked up monster names and wrote the names on the ribbon. It was a fun way to keep the glasses straight.

34:365 Waiting

By Thursday I was ready for the party. It was hard to wait for Friday night for the fun to begin.

Year In Pictures:Week 4

21:365 Chicago

On Friday John and I walked downtown from Mary-Claire's apartment. The coolest part was seeing the bean. John tried to eat it.

22:365 Wine and Couches

On Saturday night Mary-Claire and I left John at the apartment and got some wine at the wine store by her house. We were able to enjoy some wine in the fancy wine room with couches. It was a wonderful time.

23:365 Goose Island

We went on a brewery tour at Goose Island. The brewer was drunk. Mary-Claire and I entertained ourselves.

24:365 Coffee

Every night before I go to bed I get my coffee ready for the morning. At the moment coffee is a real treat - I have Fair Trade Organic Chocolate Almond Toffee coffee from Cup of Joe in Cedar Falls.

25:365 Blurry Delicious

This picture does not do my dinner justice. Sauteed vegetables in a spicy peanut sauce over brown rice. Hearty and warm.

26:365 Time Suck

Yesterday I got sucked into watching Andy Rooney on YouTube for longer than I care to admit.

27:365 Last Run

Tonight I ran in my summer running visor for what is probably the last time for several months. It's getting colder and darker after work, I don't need the wicking and sun shielding properties as much. I have my winter hat ready to wear, but I hope I get to use the visor a few more times.

Year In Pictures:Week 3

14:365 Crab Rangoon Pizza

This is pizza so good I was delighted to capture Jen's first taste of it. This delicious pizza is so rich I only get it about once a quarter (unless Mary-Claire is in town).

15:365 Jen meets Des Moines

I spent last weekend showing Mary-Claire's friend around Des Moines. I had a great time and hope she moves here soon.

16:365 Decorations

On Sunday I finally got around to decorating my house for Halloween. Well, at least I started too. The week got away from me and I still have few more decorations to put out.

17:365 Crochet

On Monday nights Sarah and I have crochet class. Now that we are in the fourth week it isn't as frustrating. I've even learned that middle aged church ladies have filthy senses of humor.

18:365 Vegan Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

I decided to make some healthy cookies to take to Chicago. They are chewy, cake like cookies. I like them a lot, but they are not as good as chocolate and are not a suitable substitute.

19:365 OUCH!

I threw my neck out in the middle of the night on Tuesday. I spent most of Wednesday on the couch with a heating pad high on Vicodin. How I remembered to take a photo is beyond me. My neck is doing better, but still hurts a lot. I probably shouldn't drive until I can check my blind spot without yelping.

20:365 Daisies

Yesterday John came over and made me dinner and brought me flowers. I love it when he brings me daisies because I get to spend the next week being reminded of how sweet he is each time I see the flowers. It also helps to distract from the mess that is my dining room table.

Year In Pictures:Week 2

7:365 Tacos

Friday night was a bonus taco night at the Cumming Tap. John and I biked out for dinner. It was a great way to start the weekend.

8:365 Burning Bush

The burning bush in my front yard is just starting to turn. It is so beautiful in the fall.

9:365 Fall

On Sunday John, Emily, Jeff and I went to the Farm Crawl south of Knoxville. It was a beautiful day and I took a lot of pictures.

10:365 Guilty Pleasure

On Monday I finally made it to the grocery store. I was in a rush and hungry when I got there. I could not pass up one of my favorite cereals.

11:365 Late Night

On Tuesday I didn't get home until 8:30. I'm glad my Tuesday night class is now over so I can have a little bit more time at home.

12:365 Friends

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Once a month I get together for dinner with friends from my old gym. We met through a running group. When I signed up to train for my first 5k I had no idea I was going to make three of the best friends I've ever had.

13:365 No Touchy

I was able to meet my Mom and Aunt Kathy for lunch on Thursday. After lunch we headed to Java Joe's for coffee. They humored me and posed for a photo. Kathy and Mom are always good sports about posing for photos.