Hayley: Senior Year

Today I had the pleasure (?) of sitting in a classroom, looking around at all the people I know, and realizing that some of them are people I know…. intimately.

Ahhh.. CU. Always full of surprises.

There’s always going to be that guy from that party who also happens to be taking Animals, Philosophy, and Identity in a Multicultural Context from 1900-1950, or whatever other awkwardly titled class I’m in. That’s understandable, I believe, but it gets under my skin a little bit if the count is more than one.

So I haven’t taken a math class since high school. Doesn’t mean I can’t count.

Today was the first time this has happened in a classroom setting (parties and bars are a slightly different story). It’s not that I wish I had gone the chastity belt route, but I’m taking it as a confirmation that I am a college senior, I have “experienced” my college town, and it’s probably time to move to greener pastures come May.

(source)

Although I don’t need much additional support for my (tentative) California decision, this article offers some. West coast, west coast!

Hayley: Bad Combo

Some combinations- of food, people, activities, you name it- just work. Some don’t. As I learned a few days ago, one that decidedly does not is yoga in a 90 degree room, followed by lunch, followed by moving a bike into a car.

Yoga was hard, but I managed. I fully knew I would be sweaty and tired afterward.

I knew I needed to move my broken bike while I was still dirty. If I did it later after I cleaned myself up, I would run the risk of needing to shower twice in one day. What a waste of time.

I pushed, pulled, grunted, shoved, hoisted, and moved seats around unsuccessfully, then successfully. I cursed both the Colorado heat and my leaky bike tire, and then I just cursed. I think I actually overexerted myself, because once the bike was finally in the car, these guys really didn’t want to be in my stomach anymore:

They stayed there, but it was not a good situation.

And now I can’t imagine ever eating tofu again, because even that picture is triggering a gag reflex.

At least I’ll be able to ride my bike again?

Rebecca: Dear San Francisco, I love you.

Earlier this month I spent the weekend visiting my sister and my man in the bay area.  I’m in love with San Francisco and hope to be living there by this time next year.

I strive to live among the other lost 20-somethings post graduation.  Surviving off farmers markets and fresh fish right out of the ocean.  Nothing sounds more perfect to me.

Hopefully, I will live on top of this street:

**Note:  My ass was sore for approximately 3 days after walking up the steepest streets I’ve ever seen in order to capture this photo.

But, alas, I will probably live in a small shack with Hayley and our kitty.

The trip consisted of meeting the man’s family (who are the best!) and spending time with my family (who are the best too!!).

Even though I was raised almost entirely in the rousing city of Littleton, Colorado, in a way moving to San Francisco will be a homecoming in itself.

Since I’ve gotten back I’ve been eating lots and lots of fresh garden vegetables.  This is thanks to my boss who grows his own garden and allows me to pick whatever I like.  This is almost like being a kid in a candy store, only I’m an adult in a vegetable, herb, and fruit garden.

Hense, I have made lots of salads and wraps like this one:

This wrap had mixed greens, grilled chicken, cucumbers, and pepper jack cheese.  I put on oil and vinegar for dressing.

Since coming back to Boulder, I’ve been very busy.

But it is all more then worth it, because, Monday marks my favorite day in the world.

It is finally time to go…

I’m already practically peeing my pants with joy.

Hayley: Colorado Pride

There’s something about having relatives in town that makes me really proud of the state I live in. Last week, showing my aunt and cousins everything I love to do here made me extra appreciative of my day-to-day life.

We hiked.

It is perfectly okay to lay down during a hike, as my aunt and I are demonstrating above. I felt like Ariel from The Little Mermaid, sans ocean and forks for brushing hair. Although at that point, I’m sure my hair could have used a fork or two. No one said being in nature was glamorous.

Despite our frequent breaks for photography, the hike was pretty challenging. It definitely got steep, but the views were worth it.

That’s my aunt and cousin on a fun and rocky part of the trail. The uneven surface is what makes hiking a good crosstraining workout for runners or bikers. All sorts of little muscles are engaging–ones people don’t even realize they have! It’s just like the women and their babies on I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant.

Another highlight from our explorations of the outdoors is this, which we found near Boulder Creek:

See the rock towers? I love. I want to meditate in this every day for forever. I’m pretty sure I would be unbelievably zen.

To please my other cousin, who went unpictured in the photos above, we had to find an activity that didn’t involve getting down and dirty with a hiking trail or a creek path. Some people aren’t into it, which is so fine. Luckily, my hobbies have variety and cross genres and bridge gaps.

Cheers!

Hayley: The Best Thing I Ate All Week

Grilled carrots.

Grilled onions.

Avocado.

Corn OFF the cob. Not grilled.

(Try it raw. It’s sweet and crunchy and not too squishy and doesn’t leave corn “shells” in your teeth.)

LIME JUICE. Freshly squeezed.

–A poem*

*Shrimp and kale not included because they were not important enough.

Hayley: Anticipation

Um…. Shouldn’t our blog be a little more yoga? I’m not a fan of doing things because I “should”, but the name is Breath of Fire, a yoga term.

So let’s get started!

The only thing better than doing yoga, if we’re not counting between the sheets yoga (an entirely separate category), is doing yoga next to a guy who’s crunchy.

The term basically means dirty hippie, but less dirt and more…well, for lack of a better word…crunch. Think tattoos, long hair, jewelry made of hemp, faded t-shirts. Ideally he works at a coffee shop, plays a musical instrument, and does yoga all the time. He would never vote Republican.

If you’re lucky they can be also be found at bars. That’s Rebecca, me, Emily conducting the search on Saturday night.

You never know when you’ll have a yoga class with crunch. Many times, the only males in sight are older men who come to class to ease their lower back pain. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing fun about that.

Today I finally did crow pose and held it for a solid 5 (mississippi!) seconds or so. My previous record was about .0003 seconds, so this was a huge improvement. However, I didn’t go into class anticipating this as a goal. It just happened, like a surprise.

Goal-setting is great, but sometimes getting rid of that mindset can bring wonderful results.

Please share: any surprises lately?