5 Things I’ve Learned…

Let’s all do a Friday happy dance!  Ready?  Go!

Ok, good, I’m glad we’ve got that out of our systems, and now it’s time for the weekend!  Anyone have any fun plans?  I think that John, Max, and I might be hitting the trail for some day hiking tomorrow.  Keep your fingers crossed that Mother Nature doesn’t thwart our plans.  It will be our last chance for awhile.  John is about to start a two-month firefighter training so his Saturdays are going to be spoken for.  Who knows?  Max and I might just strike out by ourselves!

Today, I’m starting a new series that I plan on making a weekly or bi-weekly occurrence here on Free Range Human.  Heather started a “5 Things I’ve Learned” series on her blog a few months ago, and I thought it was such a neat idea.  It’s the perfect combination of reflection and insight into a few of the things that make me tick.  Each installment will be a list of 5 things I’ve learned from different areas of my life.  Some will be serious, some will be silly, but I hope all will be fun for you to read!

Today, because it’s Friday, because it’s going to be a beautiful weekend, and because we all need to be a little silly once in awhile, I present you with……..

5 THINGS I’VE LEARNED FROM WATCHING THE BIG BANG THEORY

(source)

1.  Schrodinger’s Cat is an appropriate way to solve all dilemas.

2.  No matter how attached I am to my mother, it could always be worse.

3.  If I wasn’t married and in need of a date, the comic book store would be a gold mine.  Of course, I probably wouldn’t want to date the men I’d find there.

(source)

4.  With enough start-up capital, I could be Batman.

5.  It is much more fun to say coitus than sex.

So there’s a little sillyness to brighten up your day.  Have a great weekend everyone!  As Sheldon would say:  “Live long and prosper!”

(source)

Tell me what you’ve learned recently.  Is anyone else addicted to The Big Bang Theory?

Food For Thought

Hello all!  I’m back!  John and I made it off the trail around 11:30 yesterday morning.  Guess what?  We didn’t beat the rain.  The last mile or so was done in a downpour which definitely challenged my positive attitude, but the after trail meal and ice cream we enjoyed put everything back in perspective!  I plan on giving you all a full recap tomorrow, but, in the mean time, here’s a little sneak peek of the adventure we had.  And let me assure you-it was definitely an adventure 😉

I hope you’re intrigued 😉

Before I move on to the best part of any Monday, I wanted to thank you guys for the outpouring of love and support I got from my post on Saturday.  Everyone’s comments were so wonderful and thoughtful.  Writing that post was so cathartic for me, and I was really proud of the result.  I’m so glad you all loved it too.

Now on to Friend Makin’ Monday!  Kenlee has provided us a pretty interesting topic.  This week is all about what’s hanging out in the fridge.  Since food is one of my very favorite things to talk about, I love the idea of telling you all about the staples that keep me going on a daily basis so let’s get started, shall we?

What’s in Your Fridge?

1. List a few common items that can always be found in your fridge.  Chobani, cheese, sandwich meat, salad, carrots, apples

2. What kind of milk do you drink? I actually don’t drink milk.  I’ve never liked it although I can stomach it with a bowl of cereal occasionally.  John on the other hand could do his own Got Milk? commercial.  I’ve seriously never seen a human being consume it like he does so we always have a gallon of 1% Braums milk on hand.  (Yes, it has to be Braums.)
3. Do you prefer fresh or frozen vegetables?  I love fresh, but I’m definitely not opposed to frozen.  Sometimes I find frozen broccoli a little bit easier to cook!
4. What do you currently have to drink in the fridge? Milk, water, and tea.  There is ALWAYS tea in my fridge! (Except apparently in the above picture because I just finished off the pitcher!)

5. How often do you clean out your refrigerator? Usually I clean it out once a week, but I have been known to let things sit just a wee bit too long.

6. What’s the healthiest thing in it right now? Hmm…this is difficult.  Most of the stuff I keep in there is healthy.  I’m going to go with the veggies or the Chobani. 

7. What’s the most unhealthy thing in it right now? There is currently a Tupperware dish of frozen wedding cake in the freezer.  I try to forget it’s there!

8. What do you wish you had in it that you don’t have now? Right now, I wish there was some leftover rotisserie chicken.  I’ve been craving chicken salad the last few days!

9. How often do you shop for groceries? I do the majority of my shopping once a week, but I inevitably have to pop into the store once or twice during the week for one or two things.

10. What’s the weirdest thing in your fridge right now? I think it would have to be the bottle of peach wine.  John and I are not big drinkers, but about two and a half years ago we flirted with the idea of becoming wine drinkers and bought this on a whim.  It has never been opened.

Bonus:  If you could choose one thing to put in the fridge and make it calorie-free what would it be?  Ice cream!  It would be on every shelf as far back as I could stack it with pints in the door 🙂

What’s one thing that is always in your fridge?  Answer the bonus question.  I’m curious!
 

It’s Never Too Early

Happy Monday!  I hope that extra hour made getting up this morning a little easier.  Between that and the fact that John and I were asleep by 8:30 last night, I felt full of energy when the alarm went off this morning!  I love this time of year.  I am one of those rare people who doesn’t mind the extra darkness.  Mostly because it gives me an excuse to go lay in my bed by 7:00 every night 😉  Yes, I am internally 75 years old!

I’m so glad you guys enjoyed the pictures from our hike.  I can’t stress enough how beautiful the colors were this weekend.  It really made my desire to be out on the trail 98% of the time go through the roof!  We’re planning on doing our much anticipated backpacking trip this weekend.  There is a small chance for rain so everyone keep your fingers crossed that it doesn’t cancel our plans for the third time!  I haven’t been backpacking since I started this blog, and I’m itching to show you what it’s all about.

I’m actually really glad it’s Monday because it’s been two weeks since I’ve participated in Friend Makin’ Monday!  I love these informal surveys that allow me to tell you all a little about me and the tidbits I learn about you in the comment section.  Please go check out Kenlee’s blog and find a few more new friends today 🙂

Instead of ten questions, the theme of today’s Friend Makin’ Monday is Thankfulness.  In honor of the start of Thanksgiving month, I’m going to list ten things that I’m thankful for.  Even though Thanksgiving is a few weeks away, I hope this reminds everyone that being thankful is something we should remember to be all year long.

1.  There is nothing in this life I’m more thankful for than my husband.  Even though I don’t necessary believe in “meant to be” or fate, I do believe that there is not a person on the planet that would make a better match for me.  You know I don’t like being overly emotional so let’s just say that this is something I never forget to be thankful for.

2.  Of course my family runs a close second on this list.  I come from a very close-knit family, and they are, quite simply, the best people I know.  One of the reasons why it’s hard for me to make friends is because I’d rather hang out with them than just about anyone.  I struggle with living away from them because I truly don’t feel quite right unless they’re around!

3.  This is going to sound silly and cliche, but I am so grateful for the beautiful world we live in.  The hike this weekend is just one of many opportunities I’ve had to be out in nature, but I’m amazed each time by the joy it evokes in me.

4.  On a similar note, I’m thankful for a strong body that allows me to do what I love.  I am brutal to it at times, and I often don’t talk about it very nicely but it continues to perform in ways I never thought possible.

5.  I am thankful that I worry about the scale being too high even if it is just 3 or 4 pounds.  It means that I am safe, taken care of, and have plenty to eat.  So many people are not so fortunate.

6.  My parents always made travel a priority, and, although I often took it for granted, it’s something I have thanked them for many times since I’ve become an adult.  Travel has allowed me to broaden my worldview, and make me the person I am.  Never underestimate the power of getting out of your bubble and experiencing the world!

7.  On a related note, I’m thankful that John and I have the ability to travel.  It’s something we both love, and something we’ve committed to making a priority in our marriage.  In the three years we’ve been married, we’ve already had the opportunity to travel to Washington D.C., Vail, Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion National Park, the Grand Canyon, Memphis, Colorado several times, and Glacier National Park.  We’ve already got big plans for 2013 as well!

8.  I am thankful that this little face is a part of my life everyday.  He makes me laugh about twenty times more a day than I would otherwise!

9.  Blogging!  This endeavor as been a wonderful creative outlet for me, and it’s beginning to open doors that I wouldn’t have imagined.  I can’t wait to see where it takes me, but, mostly, I am thankful for the new friends it has given me.  You guys make me smile everyday, and have filled a little something that was missing!

10.  I am so thankful that I live in a country where what I think matters.  As an American, I have a voice and a vote, and I am ever mindful that it is not a right everyone in the world enjoys.

On that note, John and I are off to get in line for early voting!  Have a great evening everyone!

What are you most thankful for today?

Teddy Roosevelt Is A Rock Star

We survived!  How was Halloween for all of you?  I spent the evening watching Mr. Fireman pass out candy to all the kiddos.

Unfortunately, he had to shed the suit right after I took this picture because he had an actual fire yesterday so he was filthy!  He still had a blast running back and forth to the door.  I think it really might be his favorite time of the year.  We even had a visit from two of our favorite trick or treaters.

My sister-in-law always brings our niece and nephew by, and seeing them in their costumes is my favorite part of Halloween. Check out that pirate costume!  I was super impressed.  Apparently, the eye patch didn’t last until this portion of the evening, though. 😉  Perhaps I’m biased, but I think that may be the prettiest Sleeping Beauty around!  Another Halloween is in the books which means my favorite time of year is just a bit closer.  Do you think I can start listening to the Christmas station on Pandora?  Too soon?

Here’s a small little tidbit about me.  Teddy Roosevelt is my favorite president.  A lot of people are shocked when I tell them that, but Teddy was a man after my own heart.  He did a lot of things that are to be admired, but my favorite has to be that he is one of the main reasons we have so many national parks to enjoy in this country.  John and I have had the opportunity to hike in just a few of them, and I wanted to highlight some of these parks as well as give you a few that are on our “must see” list.

Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park is located in Northern Montana.  We visited this past summer, and it’s the first National Park we’ve had the opportunity to backpack in.  I don’t feel like I’m exaggerating when I tell you that it’s truly one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen.  Glacier is known as the “Crown of the Continent”, and it fully earns that name.  It has over 700 miles of hiking trails that include both day hikes for beginners and longer backpacking trips for experienced hikers.  I plan on doing an entire post about our trip sometime soon so for now take a look at a sneak peek of some our pictures.  I think you’ll understand why I say it’s so beautiful, and the pictures don’t even do it justice!

 

Was I lying?

Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park is located in southern Utah, and is probably the most unusual landscape you can imagine.  The park is famous for it’s hoodoos which are huge rock spires that stick up out of the canyon.  It’s really gorgeous in its own unique way.  We did a few different day hikes here.  This park is located in the high desert so you definitely need plenty of water on these hikes!  Most of you probably know that I am not a fan of hot weather, and the temperatures in Bryce reached into the 100s during the day.  In is a testament to how much I liked the park that I was willing to hike in that!

Zion National Park

Zion National Park is not far from Bryce in southern Utah, but the landscape is completely different.  The park has huge sheer rock faces, and, we were told while there, it gives Yosemite a run for its money in terms of rock climbers.  We did two awesome trails while we were there.  The first was Angel’s Landing.  This trail is a steep climb to the top of a really high peak.  The last few miles of it sports chains to hold on to because of the sheer drop offs at either side.  Full disclosure:  My mom and I stopped before this point while John and Joel continued up.  I was going to attempt it, but I put my hand on the chain and started to climb and I immediately froze up.  I knew continuing up would put me and the rest of my family is a dangerous position so I opted out.

The second hike we did was so unique.  It’s called The Narrows, and it’s one of a kind because you are literally hiking through the river to get back to some beautiful rock formations.  It was such a different and interesting trek, and, despite the fact it was only 6 miles, one of the most strenuous day hikes I’ve ever done.

That’s the list of a few of the national parks I’ve been fortunate enough to visit.  I’ll be back with a part two to highlight some of the parks that I hope will be in my near future!

Have you ever been to a National Park?  Which one would you like to visit?