December 31, 2010

Resolutions In No Particular Order

  1. Attempt one new culinary feat each month that must be made from scratch
  2. Go through the entire 90 days of P90X at least once
  3. Go running for a mile or longer at least three times a week
  4. Travel outside of California on a vacation with Parker (the goal right now is New York City)
  5. Spend time playing the piano at least once a week
  6. Read one new book a month
  7. Become proficient in German so I can have another reason to go back and visit in 2012
I have a feeling it's going to be a great year! Welcome 2011!

~VP~

Two Thousand Ten in Numbers

1: Beautiful Wedding
2: Cuddly, fluffy, goofy pups
3: Jobs
4: Letters received and sent so far from Calvin (our World Vision child)
10+: trips to Disneyland with Mr. Parker
12: Pairs of new shoes (yes, I counted)
21: An amazing birthday
26: A special birthday for my honey
80: Miles of commuting a day (made completely enjoyable by beautiful California scenery)
1,000,000: Reasons I love my life

Now that homage has been paid to 2010, it's time to make some resolutions for 2011!

~VP~

December 30, 2010

Shocking Plot Twist of the Year

Well, it's certainly been a while since I've last written. I've been so busy at work that by the time I arrive back at Casa de Parker, all I want to do is snuggle with the pups and just relax. Right now my man and I have completely different schedules, so we don't usually see each other until he gets home, by which time I am usually asleep so I can look fresh and alert in San Luis Obispo at 6:30 the next morning!
We've been helping each other in the pursuit of fitness by going on a mile run every other day, and it's been nice. I don't feel as stressed and it's nice to get out in the crisp winter air together. You may be surprised that I'm running at all, and I completely agree with you as I myself am more than a little shocked at this development in the life of Veralynn. You see, I hate running. Hate. But recently my friend and co-worker Lacey asked me to go on a run with her, and unfortunately for her I agreed. We decided to go running at Pismo Beach, on the sand, for two miles. In my mind, I was freaking out- on the outside, I was like, "Yeah, no biggie..." As a person who never runs, I started out pretty nicely, keeping up with Lacey as we ran along the ocean. By about 0.8 miles I was blubbering like baby and started lagging behind. Lacey had her headphones in, and by the time she noticed I wasn't next to her anymore, I was actually quite a ways back, huffing and puffing. Lacey (who's in the Army and is all business when it comes to working out) shouted, "Come on! You're killing me- stop being a little baby [note: she didn't say baby] and just do it!" And even though I took longer than she did to finish the two miles, I did finish. I felt great afterwards, and decided that maybe this wasn't so bad after all. Plus, I've finally found a shoe that doesn't hurt my feet and allows them to feel natural and free just as nature intended.
In other news: Grandpa John, Grandma Joyce, and Uncle Rob came out from Nashville for Christmas and I loved having them here, even if I didn't get to see them as much as I would've liked. They indulged in many a California delicacy- Del Taco, Klondike's Pizza, Coffee & Company and Chef Rick's- and enjoyed visiting with their favorite oldest granddaughter/niece. Grandpa enjoyed making fun of my Vibrams, and everyone got to meet my dear pups!
I would have to say the highlight of the Christmas holiday was giving my little sisters their first pair of UGG boots. Since the beginning of fall, all they've talked about is boots and I decided that it would be the perfect gift since I work for a company who just happens to sell the boots they love! I could hardly wait to see their faces- and neither they nor I were disappointed. Every day since Christmas that I've seen them, they've had those boots on. They're just like their big sister- they love shoes.
Last but not least, I bought myself a Kindle. I have to say, it's pretty much the essence of me- literary, compact, and lightweight (ha). I splurged a little bit on a Kate Spade cover, which is just the icing on the cake.
I'll write more soon- gotta post those New Year's Resolutions!
~VP~