How to cook a really damn good piece of meat

I'm standing in my kitchen, letting the smell of my first cup of coffee lull me into consciousness. My two-year-old is bringing me Spot it! cards (to play? who knows with a 2-yo?). I notice he's taking the longest route from where I'm standing to where the box sits on the coffee table in the adjacent living room, over and under the baby's 'stim gym.' He calls me to help him on the potty and I'm grateful he does a little dance to put his pants back on, instead of getting upset that I flushed the toilet before he had a chance to do it himself. He is, after all, two.

This post is not about potty-training, although I'll humble brag that he's not even 26 months old and pretty solid all day. It took his sister an additional... long-ass time to get to this point. It was different with her, I was working when she was this age and, now, I've been home for at least 12 weeks. I can't believe the baby is almost three months old. I'll write up his birth story, I promise.

The real purpose of this post is to share the method I used to make the London Broil we had for dinner last night.

I found a link to a piece called "How to Cook a Steak and Influence People" a couple of months ago. The steak cooking method and the link to the very different "How to Cook a Fucking Steak" intrigued me. I fell in love, over the summer, with the simplicity of the little Weber charcoal grill we acquired from our former neighbors. Fire, salt, pepper, a little garlic powder, and we had amazing meat. It didn't matter if it was pork tenderloin or steak or venison or chicken legs, it all disappeared to a melody of nummy noises. So, I think, maybe there's just as simple a way to accomplish the burning of meat inside, in the winter? I've experimented with a combination of the methods on various pieces of meat and I'm going to go out on a limb and say:

THIS IS THE WAY, Y'ALL.

I put a frying pan on medium heat and generously sprinkle Kosher Salt into the pan. A cast iron skillet works but I'm cooking for four and usually cooking enough meat for extra meals, so I'm using my 13" All-Clad French Skillet. Once the pan is hot, I place the meat of choice (seriously, chicken breasts, pork tenderloin, London broil, doesn't matter), fattier side down, Sprinkle the top with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Let it sear for 3-5 minutes, depending on thickness and intended doneness. Place a couple of pats of butter on top and flip, so the butter ends up under the meat when you flip it. It isn't magic, you just want to flavor that top side a little more and make sure it doesn't stick to the still very hot pan. The salt took care of the first side, but some of that will stick to the meat when you flip it. Cook an additional 3-5 minutes to sear the bottom, again depending on thickness and doneness.

For steak, that's it. We like it rare to medium rare (yes, even the kids) and a 2-pound London Broil was perfect after 5 minutes on the first side and 3 on the second. I turned off the heat and flipped it again, so the remaining melted butter and steak juices could coat the first side. Then I moved it to a cutting board (and poured remaining butter and juices over the top) to rest for 5-10 minutes.

For chicken, I turn the heat down a bit and put a lid on it, letting it cook through, for at least another 10 or 15 minutes. I want the flavor of the seared outside and I want it super tender inside. I'm usually cooking about 2 pounds of chicken breasts at a time, so we're only eating one that first meal. The rest (2# is usually 3 pieces of meat) is going to stay in the warm pan until we're done eating, then it will be put away and either sliced or pulled apart for future meals. Salads, tacos, in soup, or with sauce and pasta.

For pork tenderloin I want to cook it a little more thoroughly than steak, to medium-rare or medium doneness. Pork can be served almost as rare as steak with no ill effects, so make your own decisions, folks. I'm definitely going the full 5 minutes, per side, and then I put a lid on it to 'bake.' Typically, I will pull one of the tenderloins (they come in packages of two, at least from Harris Teeter) and let it rest. Again, I want it super tender and moist inside, but this one will be closer to medium-rare in the thicker part and we like it that way. Whether I'm putting the rest in the actual oven, or not, depends on how much time I have. Either way, it gets more done and will pull apart for 'barbecue' leftovers or taco meat.

This method is easy, it is fast, it is delicious. I promise, it really is as easy as it sounds and will make anyone seem like a rockstar cook. More involved stuff is completely ok, too, but when you're beat from fighting toddlers who won't nap or traffic or commercial developers, steam some frozen vegetable, add butter, salt, and pepper, and serve it along side your lovely meaty goodness. Enjoy with your favorite beverage and your favorite people.

Dude.

Wehadababyit'saboy.

 More later...

Seven Months Later

It's been a little over seven months since DH and I set a new 'course.' He brought it up the other day and so I thought I'd take stock of our progress.

Mentally, I feel like I've made some headway. I'm much more thoughtful when it comes to 'stuff,' both in terms of getting rid of excess possessions and the acquisition of new ones. Yes, I bought four pair of stretchy pants at Target two weeks ago, but that's because I read jeans are bad for your alignment (and, therefore, overall well-being). They also look pretty good and are comfortable as hell for sitting in the floor (also better for you than chairs), playing blocks or trains or reading with my 2-year-old.

I forgot to mention that DD turned two, two weeks ago. That's for another post but I'll just say that "play witt me" are my favorite three words right now.

26#, 9.9oz. of T.R.O.U.B.L.E

I made her an 'Easter bunny' cake. I dyed coconut and then put a chocolate bunny and a couple of peeps to hold the candles on top. It was adorable, as was the look on her face.

Anyway, now that we've moved back home (and twice in 4 months), we've definitely gotten rid of a lot of excess stuff. There's still more but we're down to the potentially interesting/valuable stuff and will sort through and try to sell whatever we decide we can't display. We do have some room in the attic to store stuff but it really needs to be reigned in, as well. If we can keep it to seasonal and necessary, as opposed to mountains of yarn and fabric I'll never make into anything or boxes of old and never 'might need it' computer parts, we'll be able to breathe easier.

Did you notice my new kitchen in the cake photo above?!?

It's so nice to have something, well, nice. It's just a house but hopefully one we'll really get to enjoy, as long as we're here. Then, if and when the time comes to sell, hopefully it will be one that will make a nice return on our investment.

We've talked about some sailing classes but I'm back working part-time and we're just trying to get through the final bit of unpacking and returning to 'normal.'

Working part-time means my parents keep DD and DS, part-time. DS has taken his time getting used to taking a bottle (although he does fine for me and for DH), so it's been a little stressful for my folks. This is only the fourth week, though, so I'm sure things will settle down. DS has the best smile, not to mention the dimples! His eyes are still just barely hazel but are heading toward brown. They're the biggest, brightest, smiling-est eyes. We even had to trim his hair to keep it out of them. He's working on rolling over and makes the most interesting noises. He's a big fan of his hands and feet and he thinks his sister is pretty cool, too.

3 and 23 (months, that is)

Last week DD turned 23 months old and DS, 3 months old. They grow and change so fast, as anyone with kids knows or anyone, period, has probably heard from people with kids!

DD's vocabulary continues to grow and she's hit the parrot stage big time in the past week or so. The funny thing, is she'll repeat anything. The scary thing is, she'll repeat anything. Definite points for NOT baby-talking or using 'baby' words for things. She's getting way better at saying real words which, in turn, makes it easier to understand what she's trying to say more often. Nothing frustrates a toddler more than not getting what they need (or want) or a toddler parent like not knowing WTH they want or why they're screaming. Sometimes we have to ask her to repeat herself, but at least (I think) she knows we're trying.

She received a box of Lego Duplo blocks from DH's parents for Christmas and was only vaguely interested in them for two whole months. Then, pretty suddenly, she drug them from her room to the living room and started playing. Assembling and disassembling them over and over, then showing us what she built (most structures are called "big car" but that may be partly my fault for asking) . Sometimes she asks for help to put pieces on top, since she mostly stacks them as high as she can reach. It is definitely fun to watch her level of concentration expand.

She still loves DS and gives him hugs and kisses and pats all the time. She frets when he cries and tells him "it's okay." She likes to lie on the play mat with him and she brings him her toys. She tries (maybe too often) to feed him her snacks and give him drinks from her milk or water cup, "Baby need that?!?"

DS is the sweetest baby. He's focused and alert, as all babies are as they start to clue in to the world around them. He smiles and coos and he has, in fact, farted and then laughed. Maybe DD did it, too, but I had to tell DH that this was definitely his boy. DS wants to get moving so bad, you can see the frustration building sometimes. He can grab my thumbs and pull himself up to sitting and then to standing (I don't pull him up, just hold him steady), he can roll on his side, he can wiggle his way around his bassinet or anywhere else you put him down. It is only a matter of time before he's rolling over and then, next thing I know, I'm chasing two.

I'm really enjoying my time with them.* Getting to see DS develop has been just as much fun as it was the first time around with DD. Getting to spend the time with DD has been priceless. She may not remember (once she's older) me being home with her, coloring her 'house' or in her color book with her, playing with her blocks or reading with her, but seeing her grow and change every day is something I will remember and cherish.

Our first two 'babies.' Almost 6 and 10 years old.

*As you can tell, by the month-long posting delay. I really did have this all ready to go and never hit 'publish.' 

A Birth Story

Happy belated 11 weeks birthday to my baby boy...

This is his birth story.

I had a couple of light contractions, but felt they were 'stronger' than Braxton Hicks, around 7:30pm on Wednesday, December 5th. I decided to track them, since they seemed to be fairly regular. Easy with a smart phone, although DH and I decided we didn't like the first 'free' app I found and ended up using a different one later.

Almost 37 weeks, DD 19.5 months

We went to walk the dogs, which always got the B-H contractions going, so things were all over the place. We got home, got DD to bed (none the wiser), and then tracked contractions for about an hour while we watched 'The Office' or something. They were definitely early labor contractions, 5 minutes apart but only about 45 seconds long. We called the Birth Center and spoke with the midwife on call, Sarah. She suggested a bath and trying to rest, basically "wait and see."

At around 10:30pm the contractions became more intense but with the same duration/spacing. I was able to sleep until about 12:30am, when I woke up to even more intense contractions. I was really having to focus on relaxing through them with several deep breaths. I timed them for about 45 minutes, then decided I had to wake up DH and tell him that we should probably go in to the Birth Center.

DH was a little skeptical that it was that urgent, especially after they'd told us labor with the second would be about half the first (11 hours vs. 22). He'd figured we would have time to sleep, get up early, and beat traffic to Chapel Hill to have a baby around 8am. Fortunately for him, he didn't argue with me, just took a shower and helped me pack. LOL The contractions were about the same duration (45 seconds), but getting a little closer together and I could tell my body was really working. We called Sarah again and then called my parents to come stay with DD.

We left around 2am and arrived at the BC at 2:35am... I won't tell you how long the drive actually/usually takes. DH was timing contractions as he drove and said he could predict the start, they were so regular... by then about 2 minutes apart and 45 seconds long. When we arrived, I had one contraction in the hall, where Sarah came out to meet us when she heard me. She showed us into the green room, the same on where DD was born, and I had two more contractions while Sarah was trying to get us in and check me. By the time I was on the bed and Sarah was trying to see where things were, I had a "pushy" contraction. I was at +2 and 10cm! Our dear boy was born at 2:50am!

Our DS! 9# 15oz, 20.75" on 12-6-12

DH was able to determine that we had a little boy and then they waited for the cord to stop pulsing so DH could cut it. They commented about how big he was but I was shocked when the nurse weighed him. It all happened so fast, it seemed "easy" compared to my long labor with DD. Having him positioned better (DD was facing the wrong way) definitely helped!

We got to know each other and then slept for a couple of hours there at the Birth Center. We were up and paperworked and out of there by 9:15am.

My parents had taken DD to their house when she woke up, so we got home and then DH went to get her. First thing she did upon seeing her new baby brother was pat him and kiss him. It's been that way ever since! She definitely wants her Momma time and will ask her Daddy to hold the baby so I can hold her, but she smothers him with hugs and kisses. The dogs like the new puppy, too. ;)

It's a Boy!

December 6, 2012 at 2:50am. 9lb, 15oz, 20.75"

Mom and son are doing great! DD loves her baby brother, too. More later...

(yes, that's a 10-pound baby)

Demolition continues

Demolition continued last Friday, part of Saturday, and yesterday (Tuesday). The masonry chimney came down, which was pretty dramatic to us. It had once served an oil furnace, not a fireplace... and the placement wouldn't have worked for a wood stove, which we did consider.   

 Getting rid of the chimney and related framing gave us an additional 10 sf of space in the kitchen for cabinets and appliances. Of course we changed the kitchen layout on Saturday, almost immediately upon seeing the emptied space. I met with our contractor on Monday to look at everything and go over the changes, which is why there was no demolition work that day. The refrigerator will now go in the corner, there, instead of on the opposite side of that doorway into the living room.

One major bummer was the discovery that the pine flooring (underneath a couple of layers of vinyl) that we'd hoped to save and have finished... was full of nail holes and there were chunks missing in spots. I'd have been ok with some dings and holes... you know, "character," but we opted to have it pulled up and will have them put down oak to match the rest.

We cut most of the bathroom scope, but decided to go ahead with redoing the tile shower surround, which was of superb quality...








 



The previous owner (it could have been one of several, but we tend to blame the one before us) had green board installed on top of the plaster, then had tile installed over that. It's been uneven and terrible to try to clean ever since. The contractor removed everything, down to the framing, and will install new, "water-durable, mold-resistant," cement board and tile.

We still have to decide exactly how to deal with the window in the shower. Our contractor suggested replacing it with glass block or just blocking it from the inside. We'd rather leave it or take it out completely. I'm not a fan of the glass block or the high 'clerestory' windows in bathrooms because they make me think of bad cookie-cutter housing developments... "oh, look, there's the bathroom!"

For ten years we kept it covered with a translucent shower curtain (along with the awesome 'stained glass' blobs that are now disintegrating), which seems to have kept out the water. You can see the evidence of past repairs for water damage to the framing below the sill. We might still need to repair some of this old damage, but I hope better tile work and making sure everything is clean and sealed will help... I can deal with the shower curtain.

The only other thing we're doing in the bathroom is replacing the tub & shower valve. The existing diverter (from tub to shower) quit working years ago, which wasn't a problem when it was just adults taking showers. Now that we need to use the actual tub, we figured we need to get something that doesn't fall off in your hand. ;)












The contractor is getting the revised cabinets re-quoted and the additional flooring quoted. I'm waiting to hear on a window quote. I think they're going to start work on replacing the roofing soon.

We're more or less settled in the rental house, even with a couple of boxes to sort, consolidate, and put away. We even put up and decorated the Christmas tree (and two wreaths!) and DH put lights on the outside, along the roof.

DD turned 20 months old on Friday. She was keeping the hounds company in 'time out' while my MIL was making cookies. Both of ours are on the left, in a pile, and that's my in-laws' dog on the right.

It didn't hurt that he had a ball to chew, but our boy is SO awesome with DD... he lets her sit on him, pull his collar and tail (although we nip that in the bud as quickly as we can)... it probably also helps that she frequently shares food with him. He'll do anything for food, even her favorite bananas and clementines ('babee' oranges, she says). She has tried, at least once, to throw her leg over him and climb on while he was standing... I'll keep y'all posted on how that goes.






Tomorrow is my due date and I'm trying not to get impatient for this new baby to get here. The weather had been pretty cold and we even burned fires in the fireplace at the rental, but it turned downright spring-like over the weekend. I'll take 60s and 70s in December!

Progress! (exhausting progress)

First and foremost, demolition started today!

We applied for the refinance on our house on a Friday in mid-October and had the appraisal scheduled for the following Monday morning, so spent the whole weekend furiously cleaning and finishing up as many almost-completed projects as we could. Not the easiest task, especially with a toddler who wants to be involved and won't really nap. With great weather, and a little help from our favorite neighbors, we got a LOT done and the house was looking pretty good.

The appraisal didn't come in quite where we'd have liked, though, so we had to look at our quotes and figure out what to do next. Between the project, moving and almost doubling our living expenses for a few months, and my pending maternity leave (only partially paid), it adds up fast. We don't want to spend all our savings to make up the difference, either. Our contractor has been great and was more than happy to talk with us about some ideas and then rework his quote to cut some things.

We closed on the refi 30 days after we applied and then moved to the rental house the weekend before Thanksgiving. Technically, we just emptied what was left out of our house last night. We've been living at the rental for almost two weeks now and feel fairly settled in. Most of what's left to unpack is stuff to go through and mostly toss. Architecture students collect an amazing amount of paper and other materials, but the value of most of it is significantly diminished by our current lack of need for balsa wood and chip board. We can only save so much for DD to color on.

We picked up our awesome FLOR carpet (that we designed and still love) and will put it in the den at the rental. It's held up pretty well for 5+ years of daily vacuuming and steam cleaning several times a year, not to mention the wear and tear of two 60# dogs and now DD. We'll definitely have to replace some tiles before we move it back to our house, but I'm sure the dogs will like having more space to stretch out and shed at the rental.

I stopped by our house on my lunch break to see what's going on... there's a dumpster in the driveway and the kitchen cabinets are in the living room and the den/office/dining room (we used it as an office before, but will probably make it more of a dining area/den when we move back.)

Note the poor Bronco and the sad driveway...

No more cabinets!


You don't want to know what it looks like under/behind your cabinets.

It has been an exhausting and sometimes stressful process to design, draw, price and sort out all the details... but I'm really excited about it, now. The reality is we're not even done, we still have to finalize the cabinets and a few other details... and it will be weird not doing the work ourselves like we have for so long. I'm also 39 weeks pregnant today, so I have good reason to be tired... but I actually feel pretty good!

I will try to go by fairly regularly and take progress photos... maybe even with the DSLR instead of my phone... and soon with a newborn in tow!

Doing it Right!

Our good friend, Berne, who I credit with "If you’ve got the ability and opportunity… and you’re NOT doing it… then you’re doing it wrong," is racing in the 45th Baja 1000 today! He'll be co-driving the second leg (of four) in the #401 Shaffer Motorsports car.

B, driving down to King of the Hammers 2010

He and his wife drove down from Portland, picking up a photographer, a spare transmission and who knows what else before crossing the border into Ensenada. They spent the weekend and the earlier part of the week pre-running and getting set up. This year, the race will start in Ensenada and zig-zag down the peninsula, covering 1,121.55 miles before it reaches the finish line in La Paz. Hurricane Paul did severe damage in Baja Sur only a few weeks ago, so flooding, washouts and wind damage caused some re-routing of the course.

B and John Cantrell in the race car

Lighting up the night in Baja

He's hanging out near Guerrero Negro (according to his SPOT tracker), waiting for his turn to go fast. I may talk DH into taking me for chilaquiles on Saturday, just so I can have my little taste of Baja. ;)

19 Months - The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

DD is now 19 months old. Our sweet girl is growing like a weed, she was 21# 11.5oz and 32.5" tall at her 18-month check up, right on track for her personal growth curve. The doctor said 75th percentile for height, but that was actually the first time he's ever mentioned statistics. It has always been obvious, on the graph, that she's taller than average and that her weight is slightly below average but I really like that he's focused on how she's growing and developing based on her own track record, not just some random numbers. She still has her daddy's noggin (not a pinhead like me) and she's always been lanky.

She is her daddy's girl. I was the same way so I'm not surprised but, man, that girl loves her dad. There was a long while, when she was teeny, where she pretty much only wanted me and it definitely bothered him. He said he only kept her (barely) entertained long enough for me to do whatever it was I couldn't do while holding her. She still likes to hang with her mama but she thinks her dad is a fun guy and I can't help but agree. She likes to hang out with him while he works on the Jeep (she loves the Jeep) and he's had the majority of bedtime duty lately, too.

New words are coming, basically, daily and some of the phrases really crack us up. She'll get tripped up (on toys or dogs) and fall; I'll ask if she's ok and she'll respond, "Iiiii ooookaaay." She will take the keys (to anything) and say "bye" as she walks to the front door. "Bye-bye, Dogs," is a daily thing now. She can sort of say their names, but also calls them "good girl" and "good boy." Her "dogs" is also more like "dowgs." Really cute. She knows most body parts, lots of animals (and their noises), other objects, and is learning colors.

She's very independent and wants to not only do things herself but can get really upset (especially if also tired or hungry) if we don't know what it is she wants right away. We've been working on talking about how she feels and why she's mad or upset... trying to help her get to the point of using her words (or anything, really) to cope. She'll flail her arms occasionally and has actually bitten me a couple of times. The other morning she said, "I mad," after DH held her still long enough for me to get her hair in a ponytail and out of her face.


She doesn't like to go to sleep and talks in her sleep. She might even sleep walk, although she doesn't get far in the crib. Unfortunately, all her sleep habits are just. like. me. Which means, I guess, this is payback for whatever I put my parents through. I, still being the light sleeper, am the one who is up to settle her back down at 4am when she's standing in her crib and talking (but not awake, not even a little). Even if I wasn't 35 weeks pregnant, I'd be exhausted. Some nights are better than others, between teething and other developmental milestones that can contribute to a crappy night's sleep. She'll sleep for 5 or even 7 hours, uninterrupted, some nights and then there are the nights she wakes up for no reason at 2am and it takes 2.5 hours to get her back to sleep. She's been intermittently dropping her afternoon nap, also, and then she is melting down right after dinner. This is not for wimps.

I'm not complaining, these things are just reality. We roll with it as best we can, try to tag team different activities, and mostly try to let her be her. She's always interested in what we're doing, so we try to let DD "help" by holding something (and hopefully not losing it), or just get her occupied nearby while we talk about what we're doing. We did a quick landscaping project a couple of weekends ago and she helped DH replant some bulbs (another funny word for her to repeat) and we just let her cover herself in dirt and mulch. She was happy and we got something done in a timely fashion. DH did a couple of things to our Jeep one night and so I'd take her to find some random tool he realized he needed and let her carry it back to him. Did I mention that she loves the Jeep.

She's actually been working on using the potty for almost three weeks now. She will say "pee pee" and we'll either hold her on the toilet or let her sit on the little kiddie one some friends passed down. No where near done with diapers, and it is a whole new thing to deal with when we're traveling or doing anything else, but we cheer and clap when she does it and she grins really big, so that's fun.

To be sure I end on a positive note, I'll say again that my girl is an awesome kid. Smart, sweet, and super observant. She studies people, smiles easily, and has a great laugh. She likes to give hugs and kisses, she likes when we wrestle and tickle her, and she love it when we jump out at her and say "boo!" She is always on the move, walking, running, and climbing. She likes to pull things apart and empty out boxes, bags, shelves, and kitchen drawers. Sounds exhausting, just reading it.

We have about 5-7 weeks until she's a big sister and, although I don't think she understands it, I think DD will be great with the new baby. She loves kids, we're working on 'gentle,' and we will just have to hope this little one is a bulletproof tiger like DD.

A Bump...

I mentioned before that we were planning to have some work done on our house, to make it a little 'nicer' so we can enjoy the next 5-ish years there before we go live on a sailboat. I've had two hiccups come up, just this week, but I'm feeling better about them already.

The contractor who seemed very interested is suddenly very busy and has declined the project. We spent a bunch of time in the last two months revising our plan for the house work and then waiting on the contractor to return from a 2-3 week trip to the UK. We were a little distracted by our 5-year plan and I'll take responsibility for dropping the ball (since I've been the one communicating with him). It sucks because it means we definitely won't get finished until after the new baby is born, but we should still be able to move back in before my maternity leave (I'm planning on 12 weeks) is over. As easily as we have been distracted and continued to put this off, we just want it done... there are some aspects to our cute, quaint, shabby little house that we are just tired of dealing with after 10 years. We're more than capable of doing most of the work ourselves, we finished a renovation of our own bedroom two weeks before DD was born, but we're at the point of just wanting to pay someone else to fix it. We will probably do a lot of the demo ourselves, but if I don't have to lay tile or finish drywall evar again, I'll be happy. So, as of this week, we had to start over talking to more contractors. I've met with two and a third is coming by early next week. Two others, that I'd talked with earlier in the summer, are slowing down and are also semi-interested. This may actually get competitive.

I got in touch with the bank guy to refinance and the good news is the rates are great! The bad news is that everyone agrees and, so, closing will take 60-75 days. Crap. Fortunately, our neighbor has another mortgage contact and he has a much better outlook on closing, 30 days. Whew.

We celebrated DD's 18-month birthday last weekend. I'll gush more on how awesome she is later.

Setting a Course - Part 2

So we haven't completely let the cat out of the bag about our big plans, but I'm talking about it here and with some other friends... not to mention our friends (& neighbor), C and G, who now also appear to have live-aboard fever (sorry guys!). We've, collectively, come across a few books, more sailing blogs, several with kids, and even got a couple of links from the Schultes... I've also expanded my research to include several 'working abroad' blogs. Some people work remotely/online and others are making their living writing travel articles or even documentaries. It's fun to glean ideas or little tidbits of information, about the traveling part, the working/financial part, and the family part.

As it turns out, a good friend is restoring a 33' sailboat from the late 70s that he bought for a song. He's still not completely certain what he's gotten himself into, as far as the boat's condition, but it sounds like the project is going ok and we can't wait to make a trip down to check it out in person. We got together with some friends for dinner Monday night and DH and I both got to spend time talking to him about the project and what he's learned about boats and sailing. We only joked him a little that he got out of amateur off-road racing to get into boat restoration and sailing.

Last week I got to have lunch with my favorite cousin, who was going to spend most of this past spring and summer helping a friend sail his 42' ketch (Swedish made, that's all he told me) from Deltaville, VA, back to Sweden. I think it was originally planned for the summer of 2011, but the weather and other things forced them to put it off not only once but now twice. They're planning on doing a loop of the Caribbean this fall and winter. My cousin is in his late 60s or so, and a complete nut. I mean that in a good way... he's always up for a challenge and stays busy with a business (or maybe two), working on his 1740s house in Virginia, or visiting Hawaii and hiking all over to check out old haunts from his Army days. He basically drove 2 hours out of his way because he was passing through "close enough" to warrant a quick visit. He was excited by our scheme and promised to send me links to people he knows who are sailing, especially with kids.

Right now, I think we're leaning toward a catamaran. As much as anything for the stability, because they don't heel like monohulls (look at the terminology use!) and we'll have small children and dogs on board. I don't know, for sure, though because I've seen several blogs with kids and dogs on monohulls and everyone seems to do ok. There may be more critical things to consider, such as boats actually out there for sale and their available space, condition, equipment, and holding tank space for things like gas and water. DH suggested we name whatever boat "Your Boat Name is Dumb," but then realized we'd probably end up with the nickname "The Dumbs." You can't always get what you want.

We do have a ways to go before we are actually in shopping for a boat mode. Some of the boat questions will require some actual experience (or at least stepping aboard a craft or two) to sort out and we'll have to have at least a half-assed plan for how on earth will we finance this lifestyle to which we'd like to become accustomed. There are some debts to be paid off, money to save, a few ongoing house projects to be completed, stuff to unload, and a family to continue to raise. We need to refinance our house, because the rates are just too good not to. We're looking at having a contractor come in and do some work, including probably finishing some things we haven't. Several friends and family members have told us (more than once) that the 10 years we have spent working on our house have been tedious and unnecessary, but we've learned a lot about construction and ourselves along the way. DH and I know we make a good team; we know how to split up projects and tasks, we know our strengths and weaknesses.

   

We're bulletproof tigers, dude.

You're Doing it Wrong

I read an interesting post on being afraid to fail over at The Fearful Adventurer. It talks about projects that remain unfinished and dreams that are never realized, all to avoid failure; about being "unpleasantly distracted for an entire lifetime." I think we're all guilty of doing that at least occasionally; that's the essence of procrastination. To choose to sit still as opposed to accepting an offer to do anything? To continue in a crap job or a crap life all to avoid the possibility that what lies around the corner might be difficult? I've frequently thought, while in the middle of doing something new or even a little risky, "I don't like this," or "I'll never do this again," but rarely have I arrived at the other side and not been glad I'd given it a shot.

The other side of the failure coin is the fear of judgement. This is one that nags even after the deed is done... "what does so-and-so think of me or of what I said/did?" Will it matter in five years? Will it matter in one year? In most cases, probably not, most other people are far too concerned with their own lives and problems. And, really, a friend wouldn't berate you over little failures and one who does is a friend not worth keeping. Then there's self-judgement... but the chance of being awful at something is a risk worth taking if it turns out to be untrue, or to lead to the discovery of an actual talent.

As a good friend put it, "If you've got the ability and the opportunity and you're NOT doing it... you're doing it wrong." I try to remind myself of these things whenever hesitation creeps in unnecessarily...

A recent example is that I finally feel comfortable driving a manual transmission vehicle, as of two weeks ago. I know, it's silly. I should have learned and been proficient long ago, especially considering I've spent the better part of the last 15 years with an avowed automatic hater. DH has only ever owned manuals and complains every time he drives my grocery getter. In my own defense, DH isn't always the most patient teacher and my early learning experiences weren't helped by the quirkiness of the 1990 Bronco... I'd get ridiculously nervous with the whole proposition and would come up with plenty of excuses for why I didn't feel like it or didn't need to deal with it. In his defense, DH is a great driver and has a lot of experience with a wider variety of vehicles and even with some sticky situations... and my best excuse was always that he liked driving and was better prepared to handle sticky situations.

Jeep, Dodge, and camper set up last fall in TN

Out of necessity (moving two vehicles at once) I had to drive our Dodge pickup a couple of times in the past few months and then, a couple of weeks ago, the 1998 TJ. I did fairly well (considering the quirkiness of four angry squirrels and no torque) and decided I HAD to drive it to work that week, no more excuses. Sure, I still stalled it a few (dozen) times, but I got way more comfortable with it and got rid of the hesitation and nervousness. Am I as smooth as DH, not yet, but he's been doing it for over half his life. Yay, me.

So we continue to make plans and work our way through realizing a few little dreams we've had, like having a more modern kitchen in our tiny 1940s house. We continue to work through getting rid of some of our stuff, or at least wrapping our brains around going from 880 square feet (that doesn't include the attic and garage/shed) to probably something like 450 square feet on a sailboat. I have given myself a deadline to photograph more items to post on CL today. Photos are done, just need to get things listed tonight. No hits on what I posted last week, although DH did have some interest in our older DSLR that he posted on our forum. We haven't started on bigger stuff and some of that may depend on whether or not we end up keeping the house and renting it out while we're gone...  but I'm hoping I can get DH in the garage to start planning an attack on the stuff that needs to go to the scrap yard or the dump or get posted on the forum... this weekend.

Weekend recap and a survey

We had the best weekend! Friday was a little rough. I left work a little early and picked up DD, who has been dropping her second nap and gets pretty cranky in the evenings as a result. I was unusually exhausted (even for 29.5 weeks pregnant) and, when DH got home a little early too, took a nap for about an hour. He took DD outside to play and pick up sticks in the yard (it's not child labor when she loves to help, right?) and then I made dinner after I woke up. She was just not satisfied, no matter what. Hungry? Maybe, but that still didn't fix it. Teething pain? Maybe, but a little something cold or even rubbing the gums didn't fix it. She finally gave it up about 8:30pm, but then woke up at 4am and didn't fall back asleep until at least 5:15. Ugh.

Saturday was beautiful and we spent the morning and most of the afternoon doing little chores around the house and spending time in the yard. DD caught an anole!

It was the funniest thing, and I still don't know how it got in the house much less how she caught it. He was a teeny baby, less than an inch-and-a-half from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail. I was moving laundry from the washer to the dryer and she was toddling around the adjacent office/sunroom. She was kind of quiet, so I peeked around the corner of the door to see what she was up to. She came from behind a chair, in front of the windows in one corner, with something in her hand, holding it palm up but with her fingers closed into her palm (not quite a fist). It looked greenish and my first thought was leaf or bug. Nope, she had this tiny anole by the tail! I was able to catch him from her and call for DH to see before we took it outside and set him free on the patio to watch him scurry away. We even saw an adult later, on the side of the house, so I could show DD the 'mama' lizard.

We even got DD to take two naps, the second one on our way to the stadium to tailgate with family and friends and then watch three quarters of a very one-sided football game. She is so not shy (at least most of the time), and had a blast clapping, dancing and waving at everyone around us. She slept better that night, too. What is it about more nap time and sleeping better? The better rested they are, the better they rest or something, I think I've heard.

Sunday (yesterday) was even nicer... a little cool and definitely fall-like. We started off early at our favorite country breakfast place. DD ate like a linebacker and I ate more than I should have. I mean, the pancakes are huge (11" diameter!) and I usually eat maybe half of one, including sharing a few bites with DD. Between the two of us, we ate at least 2/3 of it. We ran a couple of errands and got DD to fall asleep on the way back home. I'd hoped for a repeat performance of the afternoon nap in the car, since we were leaving for a mid-afternoon wedding a little over an hour away, but no such luck. She powered through the outdoor ceremony (my dad did take her around back of everyone so she didn't have to sit still), cocktail hour, dinner, and she danced to the saxophone music during cocktail hour and the DJ after dinner. She gave hugs and kisses 'bye' before passing out as soon as we were in the car to leave, at about 8:15. Stirred once around 11 and then nothing until 6 this morning. If you don't have kids, you have no idea how awesome that is.

Speaking of this wedding... it was the absolute cutest, most fun event and it was really a great reflection of the bride, groom, and their families. My cousin, the bride, grew up showing cows for her grandparents' dairy farm and now she's a veterinarian. The groom also grew up on a farm and, with degrees in Human Resources, Science, and Agricultural Business Management, he helps run the family farm in western NC. The ceremony and reception took place in a 1940s dairy barn that has been refurbished into an events facility with a catering kitchen and space for dinner and dancing. The ceremony was out behind the hayloft, on the lawn overlooking fields of soybeans and recently cut corn stalks. The sky was completely clear except for the visible moon. The cocktail hour consisted of local wines & beers and meat, cheese, and fruit hors d'oeuvres passed on trays with little cards containing agricultural facts. The place cards were printed on labels attached to bright pink (the bride's favorite color) ear tags and the tables were labeled with farm animals and farm equipment. The dinner was good southern food... barbeque pork, grilled chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, macaroni & cheese and deviled eggs. The cake was beautiful and delicious. 

Even if I wasn't pregnant, I'd still talk about the food.

I found this survey some time ago and held on to the list of questions, for fun... The sun is shining and some of these made me smiles that much more.

Hometown? the tiny community of Timberlake, NC
Parents still together? well... it's complicated... and not just on Facebook.
Siblings? two brothers, this one and this one
Pets? two very spoiled labrador retriever mixes... both rescues

Smoker? nope
Drinker? I like good beer but it tastes funny when I'm pregnant and, well, I'm pregnant
Favorite Color? Black. Ok, you know I'm lying... it's orange.
Favorite Flower? Daffodils. There were tons in my grandmother's yard and we'd pick and fill the house with them.

Favorite Candy? That's a tough one, because I love candy, especially the old-school penny candy variety. I'll go with Hot Tamales... or Mary Janes... or...
Collect anything? I used to collect little clocks, 3 is considered a 'collection' and DH cut me off at 5 or 6. I've given a couple away, now that we're getting rid of clutter.
Biggest Fear? That's a tough question... it pains me to think of my loved ones suffering, but I'm fairly content with the concept that life happens and shit happens...
Biggest Weakness? DH or DD's laugh, definitely. Cures all sorts of ills. Doggie kisses from my two favorite bad dogs are good, too.

Oh, and we had to find DH a new pair of slacks and a shirt to wear to the wedding. Yes it was adding to the stuff, but it was a good excuse to cull at least one pair of slacks and 4 or 5 shirts from his closet to donate.

The Ball is Rolling

We're still both very excited about the idea of sailing and living aboard (or something) and have found a couple more interesting blogs and articles by people living aboard with kids. Our main 'planning' task is figuring out how to support ourselves. The idea we have is to take a 'shotgun' approach, and identify or develop several marketable skills and see what works and what works well. I read last night that the Schultes are writing a book on not only their choices to pursue passions and dreams but also how they fund their lifestyle and, specifically, Pat's experiences in trading stocks. Should be interesting reading! I can also confirm that they do reply to every email, as Ali was kind enough to help me with my question about concrete criteria for paring down. She confirmed that you do the best you can to clear out the excess and then you'll quickly figure out what works and doesn't once you shove off... either finding things you need or shedding things you don't. Her main piece of advice was basically to "get rid of everything you are not using now." It was really cool to hear back and it gave us an extra boost of enthusiasm.

I've taken even more stuff to Goodwill and I have a load to take to the Salvation Army (each takes donations of different types of things). I also posted a few things on craigslist last night and DH posted our older Nikon DSLR on the forum we run (which will also go on CL if no one on the forum bites). I have lots more to photograph and post, but it feels good to start the next step in our "clearing-out" process. The more we unload, the more motivated I think we'll be to keep it up.

DH and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary last week. It was actually the same day as my midwife appointment. Even though I knew they were the same day and we spent several hours and had lunch together, neither of us remembered until the middle of the afternoon. Our celebratory dinner consisted of sandwiches and chips. We did go back to the beach for the weekend, near where we were married on the Outer Banks of NC, and had some yummy fresh shrimp for dinner. The dogs had a blast playing on the beach and in the sound and we had great weather.

I've posted this photo before, of us the morning after our wedding... we were tired, a little hungover and DH had no grey hair then.


I'm 29 weeks pregnant today, which means I'm into the third trimester. That blows my mind. I had a midwife appointment last week where they did the Glucose Tolerance Test (no news is good news so I apparently passed) and also tested my iron/hemoglobin. That was a little low so even though I eat pretty well/healthy, I need to try to get the number back up before 36 weeks. I'll go in every 2-3 weeks, for now, but they won't check until 36. It dipped and went back up with DD, so fingers crossed. Everything else was good, though, as far as weight and the measurements they take. The midwife did seem somewhat incredulous that I'm working full-time, have a toddler who doesn't always sleep well, AND I'm almost seven months pregnant. DD is sleeping better, but she has eye teeth coming in and they're the worst so far. In other 'baby' news, we're proving to be just as slack (if not more so) with belly progress pics. We've taken some, but have yet to post any. I'll try to work on that.

Speaking of DD... this photo is a couple of weeks old now, but get a load of this kid... such a wallflower. New words are coming almost daily now, although there is still lots of 'nonsense' talk... but she will repeat entire phrases (that we can't understand at all) and we figure she just thinks we're dumb. Still climbing everything, trying all sorts of new feats of strength, agility, and parental nerve-wrecking. We're going to my cousin's wedding this weekend, it will be her second but first since she's been truly mobile (we were both in my first cousin's wedding last November). She's going to be a hit on the dance floor, I guarantee.

Stuff - Part 2

Knowing the reasons behind the piles (and not just of clothes) is one thing. Dealing with them is another. It is a process but one that has been underway for some time, due to space limitations of our 880 square foot house. We're kicking it into high gear because, as DH said, "Let's get on with it."

You can search "How to pare down..." and find lots of ideas and tips that say to evaluate your stuff and determine how important it is to your life. That's great... but I find it to be, on the one hand, a little incomplete when dealing with the reasons why I hold on to stuff. I need more concrete criteria.

On the other hand... what/how much do you really need on a sailboat or in a VW bus for four years? My biggest problem, with clothing especially, is nostalgia... in the form of screen-printed t-shirts that I don't want to give up, or that DH says I cannot give away. Well... I can only hold onto so much stuff to fit DD "later", but as long as it fits, it has a chance. I'm well-practiced at relinquishing older items when I find new ones, just due to lack of closet space and not wanting to be bothered with changing out for the seasons.

I've been offloading bags of "stuff" to the local Goodwill almost weekly, between outgrown baby clothes (much has gone to a couple of friends with daughters a year younger than DD, because some stuff just won't work with this December baby, no matter the gender), stuff I haven't worn in two years and will probably never wear again, old cds we never listen to because we have the mp3s, and kitchen clutter we don't use (no one needs THREE Pyrex pie pans). I've identified several items worth posting on ebay or craigslist, including some accessories and collectibles I usually see listed.

I found yet another travel blog called Life Remotely that does a great job of listing out their gear and personal belongings... super critical with three adults in a Toyota Forerunner! Their best quote, "Travel isn’t about stuff. Get over it. Stuff is stuff. It is replaceable. Travel is about people and places and experiences. The less stuff you have to worry about, the more you will be able to enjoy the present."

You can probably replace "travel" with "life" in that quote. Food for thought... more later.

Stuff - Part 1

OK, yes, I know... I'm busy making plans. Ha. Remember, this is an alternative to the "deferred life plan," as I think Tim Ferriss calls it.

First order of business in preparing for our 'around the world cruise' is getting rid of the clutter that's holding us back...

Now, I don't care how much "stuff" anyone else has. Hoarders are weird, but there is definite evidence of bigger (mental?) issues involved there. I don't begrudge anyone their iThingies or anything like that. It isn't political and it isn't environmental. Eat all the pie, smoke all the cigs and collect all the what-nots you want. For me, personally, I get frustrated by the mess.

I'm no minimalist, by any stretch, and I don't have time to be very organized... if you looked around, you would say I'm full of crap. You'd be partly right. My house is full of crap, my desk is full of crap. There are lots of memories and nice things, too... and I have a weakness for anything made by hand.

My frustration is with organizing the stuff and keeping it so I can find things when I need to... without having to move piles of other stuff. It is my lack of control over the stuff and the lack of knowing what to do with most of it... you know, in the 15 minutes I have, most days, after walking the dogs at lunch before heading back to the office, and the other 15 minutes I have, most days, after the baby goes to sleep and before I crash.

Part of my problem is the "gonna have to have/need it" that has a couple of sources:

The Great Depression.
Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents who grew up in the 19-teens and '20s. They were farmers who worked hard and didn't have a lot extra. I loved them immensely and miss them terribly. Their property had several outbuildings in which you could find all manner of parts and pieces to things... they had the room and it wasn't a bad idea to keep it around. They put up food for the winter. All good habits, until you apply them to the trappings of a more modern life and then things tend to get out of hand.

The trappings of modern life and enough financial freedom to hang myself.
Going to college, getting a little autonomy, getting a credit card, getting part-time jobs... having free time and no real way to spend it other than going to the mall with friends. I'm very fortunate to have never run up crazy credit card debt. Meeting DH sophomore year probably helped, because I had also stopped hanging out with some serious shopaholics and he hates to shop. I'm almost equally fortunate for being just as (if not more) interested in the 'deal' than the label... but those deals still add up. If not on the monthly statement, they add up in the closet. Clothing is self-expression and I'm cool with that. Maybe I just need to figure out exactly who/what it is I'm expressing. LOL

(Updated after sleeping on it) Gift Guilt.
I think this related to 'the trappings,' but is different enough of an issue to deserve its own heading. I think a lot of the stuff I have trouble giving up is gifts I've received. They're modern life-related because it is knick-knacky stuff, mostly. Candles, pottery, and other things that people give you when they a.) find out you like that sort of thing or have several items already, or b.) don't know what else to get you (especially if you are a girl). Nothing is wrong with these gifts, it is truly the thought that counts. I think, though, that if you are not the kind of person to ever burn a candle that smells of fir trees or do anything other than dust a pair of votive holders in the shape of squirrels... maybe they need to find a home with someone who will enjoy them more.

Part 2 will be me trying to come up with ways to evaluate what to toss and then how to toss it... I've never used ebay, but I had an idea to reactivate my etsy account and maybe try to sell some things that way.

Setting a Course

John Lennon sang, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."

Maybe it isn't the most profound statement, but it's one that I like. I try to live in the moment, try to not get dragged down by the past and try not to get too distracted by what lies around the corner. Sure, I think about the future... especially now that I'm a mom, although kids definitely force you to live in the moment, because everything changes SO quickly. I just feel like life is too short to spend so much time planning and preparing that you either forget what it is you're planning and preparing for... or you just never get "prepared" and miss out on that thing and every other opportunity that you passed up in the meantime.

That's a lot of BS to get around to saying that DH and I have decided to set (or change) a course... we're not waiting until we're 65 to go on adventures. I mean, we've had lots of little adventures in the almost 15 years since we first met, but we're not going to wait for "retirement" to really go out on a limb. Yes, we have a 17-month-old and we'll have another baby before the end of the year, but we've never thought we had to wait 18 years to do anything "fun" again, either.

We haven't figured out exactly what or exactly how, but we've got some pretty interesting and compelling examples in folks like Brad and Sheena and Pat and Ali Schulte.

It all started when our buddy in Portland sent DH a link to a guy who is driving the Pan Am Highway with his girlfriend in an old Toyota Forerunner... that led him to Drive Nacho Drive which then led him to Bumfuzzle. He sent me the link where Brad and Sheena met up with the Schultes and I read from there... and climbed right on board (yeah, pun intended). The sailboat is compelling, the life in Mexico maybe even more-so since our PDX buddy competes in the SCORE races on the peninsula and has begged us to come for years. Doing all of it with kids is what is most interesting to us. Our daughter is 17 months old and will be about 20 months when the new baby arrives, just like the Schulte kids.

We've been on lots of road trips in the almost-15 years since we started dating, camping out of a 1990 Ford Bronco, sometimes with my brother tagging along, lots of times with one or two dogs tagging along, not to mention following along with our friends and all camping out together and helping each other through mechanical failures and other mishaps. We've driven from the east coast to Colorado and Utah and we've roughed it on the Rubicon Trail. We've done a lot of backpacking, even. We've done 'nicer' trips to Key West and San Francisco (if you can call youth hostels nice)... Now we have a jeep and still get in lots of long weekend practice runs... but we miss the longer (although only really 2 weeks or so) trips.

We think it will be like a mini-retirement. We're setting our 'start' date about 5 years (+/- 2) out, to give us time to figure some things out... and then we figure the duration will be 1-5 years. I guess it all depends, we're ok with that. We just like the option to change course and not be stuck anywhere doing anything. I think we've both been feeling a little "stuck", professionally, for a while and this has been a bit of a light bulb moment... not only can we get out of a rut, we can rid ourselves of the clutter and BS that drags you into them in the first place.

I've never sold anything on ebay, but I'm finding things I think will sell, along with things to offload to charities or friends (can you say way too much pink and purple baby/kid clothes?).

So, tell me your best adventure story, tell me how to best photograph stuff to sell on ebay, tell me I'm insane. Whatever. ;) I think, sometimes, you just gotta take chances.