Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Confessions of a Baker Runner

When my child was born, I discovered that I didn't have to fight in the corporate world any longer and I could do what I enjoyed: Baking (hence the pen-name). I've mostly been a black-market baker, baking and selling out of my home kitchen, but I've also worked in a cafe. I have a less-than-healthy relationship with Sugar, Flour and, most of all, Butter. As I always say: I love baking, so I've learned how to love running.

Now that I've settled into a new town, I don't have the connections I once did. Besides, baking in my rental home with an inconsistent oven is much more difficult. So, I've found a proper job in a proper kitchen.

Here's where reality has turned itself on its head. Now, it's no longer "I love baking, so I've learned to love running." Now it's, "I love running and is baking going to get in the way of this?"

Now that I'll be working out of the home for 4 days, in the wee-running-hours-of-the-morning, will I be able to keep up with my training, have enough energy for my 3 1/2 year old,...oh, and remember what my husband looks like? Do you see how crazy my priorities are?!? I'm actually trying to figure out if I'll have enough time to commute to work on foot.

I'm a cookie monster!!!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

New Town - New Look - Same Dullness

After a few months on not posting here (instead only here), I'm starting over with a new look.
Sweet.

Twitter

I've added twitter...really so I can log my workouts better.  
Because I'm enjoy tracking them more than I should.... especially for a middle of the packer.
Don't expect wit.
Then again, I might actually say more if I'm restricted to just a few words.

Ta ta

Monday, November 10, 2008

101 in 1001 - An Update

Okay - It's been nearly 500 days now since I posted my 101 in 1001. I've crossed quite a few off, also realized that I was getting kind of desperate to come up with things while making the list (see #38). So, to read this, understand that the first phrase is what I need to do, and then if comments are in red, I'm done; if comments are in blue, it's a work in progress.

Turns out I've got approx 43 out of 1001 101 done. Some seem impossible (see #15, 28, 37), some impractical (see #29,32, 53) and others I need to get a move on it (see# 4, 71, 77, 85).

Of course, I think this list would look entirely different if written today. I'd probably still have #3 on there, though.

b>The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on your part).


1. Start my own blog and learn the "code."
2. Sell a cake I make I don't think I can count my son's school bakesale - Sold Cookies in Dec 07, Sold an actual cake March 08; Got a REAL job as a Baker :)
3. Do a comedic spit take 8/27/07 at Wine Tasting Party - damn that's fun to do
4. Have a 2nd child- en route
5. Speak Spanish well enough that someone thinks it's my first language
6. Make the inside of my car look new again 8/6/07, but I'm sure it will quickly undo itself
7. Visit a college friend saw lots of them at Ben's wedding in July 08
8. Run a half marathon in 2:11:00 -2:15, so close! 11/16/08 = 2:12 DAMN IT!
9. Grow something in my yard and eat it Been growing basil & rosemary, but I don't think I should count them
10. Make Dad happy and become a member of DAR done enough for my tastes
11. Find a doctor I'm comfortable enough that I'll actually see him/her when I'm sick
12. Preserve Dad's journal
13. Fix the dining room chairs and re-cover them - or just move and leave them behind
14. Write and print a children's book
15. Raft a class IV rapid again
16. Write 30 days in a row.
17. Host a dinner party where I actually cook everything
18. Finish an entire pack of Whitening strips
19. Go back to place I met my husband totally worth it
20. Visit (out of state) Mom 3 times per year. Oct 07, May 08, Oct 08
21. Take husband on picnic, with food he'd actually like
22. Do a 5K in less than 9 minutes per mile Tax Run 08 in 27:30 WHILE PUSHING 45 lb KID IN STROLLER ON A WINDY DAY!!!!!! HOORAH!
23. Get wedding album professionally printed
24. Finish a book that has nothing to do with parenting "C.C. Pyle's Amazing Foot Race" by Geoff Williams (and I will never complain about a training run again)
25. Create slideshow/movie for Brother's weddingmay 08
26. Spend time alone with each of my 3 sister-in-lawsOct, Thanksgiving, x-mas -that's enough
27. Complete Stand up For Kids training and volunteer at least 5 times with youth.moved - must replace this with something
28. Go 7 days without dessert. Made it 3 days....damn hard for a baker to do; On day 4, thanks to the Master Cleanse (June 11); I think it's impossible!Hoorah for Morning Sickness! 21 days, no problem! ;) March 09
29. See a live taping of John Stewart's Daily Show
30. Take Mom on Vacation
31. Take Mom to bury her mother's ashes.
32. Teach son to throw a pot on a a potter's wheel Started Nov 07, 2 1/2 is a bit too young
33. Do to a dermatologist to check out "freckles"
34. Write my will. We're mostly done
35. Take the family camping where there aren't alligators or crocodiles
36. Learn the difference between wine grapes
37. Teach husband how to put the car seat in his car Totally and Utterly a losing battle
38. Make a hat
39. Get a bikini wax (yikes!) 5/12/08 not as bad as I feared
40. Figure out our health insurance (real) costs been trying, but it seems to keep changing
41. Sell something on Ebay June 1, 08!
42. Visit Eugene, Oregon with family In July 08- boy even got to go to the Country Fair and roam with real-live hippies :)
43. Throw a party for Mom
44. Beat husband at a game of Scrabble
45. Finish the NY Sunday Crossword without help 8/5/07All but a few spaces, that's as good as it's ever going to get!
46. Clean the blue room 9/15/07
47. Organize a midnight 10 miler while it wasn't 10 miles, I organized a 5 mile Hash Run and hope to continue it bi-monthly - 10 miles would be too unrealistic to gather enough folks for an informal race...and too long to be drinking beer at
48. Edit home videos 3/4 done
49. Edit vacation video for dad
50. Carve "casa d" sign
51. Finish before that 64 year old woman in the sprint Triathlon, the one whose killed me twice Key Biscayne Sprint Triathlon #3 August 26th, 2007....As I'm getting out of the water, I see her on the beach already, but I catch up. I leave on my bike and get close to the bridge, she blows me away, I start to lose hope. On the last mile of the run, I see her ahead...I muster every last speck of energy and pass her, coming in 3 minutes ahead. I shaved 3 minutes off my last races time. I (barely) beat the woman over twice my age, oh what a proud moment. I later find out she had a really bad day, 6 minutes slower than her usual. It took the gods slowing her down for me to beat her. I'll take it.
52 Make at least one homemade gift for those on my x-mas list between baking and ceramics, I've got this covered 2007
53. Make Mom's house suitable to bring family to stay everytime I go, it gets a little better
54. Host cooking party
55. Host charitable cooking session, preparing meals for others
56. Host wine tasting party 8/27/07
57. Deal with "the ring" situation, either come clean about it disappearing or find a brilliant replacement i still feel sick
58. Buy a nice piece of art for home violet alligator - no really, it's beautiful
59. Fix the rocking chair 2007
60. Potty train the boy before he turns 3 i think he did all the hard work, though
61. Bring my own bags to the grocery store for at least 15 times in a row, start over if I forget. try to make it a habit day 1: 8/15/07 - going really well Take 2: 8/21/07 September 07
62. Use my bike for transportation any distance under 2 miles, unless weather doesn't permit - until 1001 ends Doing so around 75% of time - times I don't include: the boy throws crazy tantrums getting on bike and "dear god, it's 105 degrees out"
63. Run 600 miles this year (starting 4/22/07 - 4/22/08) 8/15/07 200 miles, 10/10/07 310 miles, 12/16/07 460, 2/4/08 584, February 11th 2008 I reached 601 miles!!!!!!!!! Final Tally for year: 758.25!
64. Oil each of the 5 teak benches/chairs/table we have Jan 08
65. Steam clean the rugs once per year 07
66. Liquid fast for 3 days -Day 1 of Juice Fast: 8/22/07 36 hours...seemed like a lifetime - June 8, 08
67. Learn to play a song on the accordion I'm counting Happy Birthday
68. Write and record a song on guitar
69. Take son to Orlando we only went to Downtown Disney and it was ENOUGH for a 3 year old
70. Run 3 half marathons 11/25/07 Space Coast Half (2:31), 1/27/08 ING Miami (2:29), Ft. Lauderdale A1A 2/17/08 (2:16)
71. Take a 3 day, kid-free vacation with husband
72. Take son to volunteer 3 times per year 12/16/07 Bread Delivery, Feb 08 cake delivery
73. Teach son to brush his teeth twice a day harder than first imagined - at the age of 3
74. Track my every cent for a month (keeping all receipts) Wow- I spend like a diva!
75. Have a decent family photo taken
76. Host a haunted house for Halloween
77. Girls weekend at Beach house again - May be tough with the move
78. Type up my prose - turns out, it kind of sucks. not sure I should follow through
79. STOP buying bottled water (except in hurricane situations- and recycle those)doing great
80. Calculate how much each of the baked goods I make costs - begun, WOW Vanilla is expensive! Judging by prices, I think I'll stay in the cookie/bread business rather than cakes
81. Use only ONE glass per day at home 1 month in a row why is this so hard!?!?!
82. Make a windchime
83. Donate blood made attempt in Nov 07, but denied for having a cold
84. Sign up to be an organ donor - put in will
85. See the sunrise with husband
86. Learn to rollerblade
87. Reconnect with at least one person from each of my phases of life (highschool, college, camp/VA, street artist, ORC) (1/5) Catherine, Tom/Joel, saw J in P-town, Matt S, Mike! - hoorah facebook!
88. Finish tattoo on back you wus.
89. Use my juice machine everyday for 2 weeks
90. Take my son to play in real snow
91. Send something to Postsecret . -turns out, I can't do it via computer - must actually MAIL something
92. Clean and return borrowed baby supplies to friend for her new baby (before August 28, 2007) 8/26/07 just barely
93. Organize the boy's closet - yikes 9/15/07
94. Sort through baby supplies, would I really use some of that stuff again?2007
95. Read something by DeLillo...finish it even
96. Have a campfire in backyard...even when we have power Jan 08
97. Get the Los Angeles City Limits sign from mom's garage - population 1 million
98. Recognize someone famous BEFORE the husband does12/07 Saw Cody Gifford - Kathy Lee's son, I recognized him in public because I used to work in the community where they live.
99. Redesign Pantry, making baking supplies for accessible and cleaner September 07
100. Learn to play and perform a song with husband falling slowly "Once"
101. Laugh so hard I pee myself. (hum, really?)

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Really? You break your Blogging Fast with this?

I'm in a new town and job hunting on Craig's List. This is by far my favorite posting. I mean, what is this? A joke? A movie casting call? Renegade bank robbers? A-Coup-Team? I don't care! I want to be a part of it!

Need a few good men ( NOT MARINES) (austin and beyond!!!)

Reply to: gigs-907522802@craigslist.org [?]
Date: 2008-11-05, 8:07PM CST


Looking for a few good men or women to complete action/rescue/adventure team. Must be a team player and have skills. NO AMATURES!! We currently have a mechanic/rigger (Macguyver stuff) and a strong man with martial arts skills and a station wagon where we will execute our operations incognito style. We are looking for someone with computer/ hacking skills, that also has other skills, like martial arts training. Must be physically fit and able to follow orders. We are also looking for a man or women with good looks that can charm the pants off someone, but must also be smart, quick witted, and have other skills..like communications or something beneficial to the team...like picking locks, carpentry,welding, sewing, a master of disguise...bilingual a plus!! Military training a plus!! Must have lots of connections. If you make the team you will be paid after jobs are finished. Some of the jobs we do will be pro-bono (not in favor of the U2 guy)...but certain jobs we take will be for free...but they will be for a good cause and we will get hugs from people we've helped..and probably a home cooked meal...hopefully some apple pie or something. Also we will be volunteering at the Food Bank this Holiday Season. Having you own tools is also a plus like grappling hooks, crossbows, night vision goggles, nextel 2 ways, binoculars, repeling gear, hearing devices, bug spray, life jackets. We also will be offering a dental and vision plan. Sign on bonus for the right candidates! Thank you!


Location: austin and beyond!!!
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
Compensation: $1000 based on experience
PostingID: 907522802