A Little Frustrated « A Leaner Me

I can tell I'm winding down the process again and able to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Why? Because I'm antsy to be in the kitchen cooking and/or baking. I have another list of recipes I'm anxious to cook (some more healthy than others, of course). The first recipe is for brown rice with black beans and cilantro… mmm. Doesn't that just sound so tasty? Mexican food is high on my list. I'd eat the rice as a side dish to Mom's Enchiladas. I've had a bit of a craving for those for a few weeks now, but I've been a really good girl and haven't had any. I'm also tasting Jackie's Crack Pork.

Basically, I'm just in the mood to putter around the kitchen. But I can't. At least not for another few weeks. Grrr. To add insult to injury, I went to a warehouse sale for a kitchen/cooking store this morning. Granted I got some good deals (a silicone baking mat for $15.00 (regularly $30.00), three rubber spatulas for $1.00 each (you know those suckers cost between $10.00 and $20.00 each), and an OXO Mandoline Slicer for $25.00 (because it had been returned–like I care… I wash everything before using it anyway)). Then I came home and read for a while and watched a little television.

I should've gone into the office today, but my make up time from my doctor's appointment on Wednesday would've been hijacked as everyone was ordered onto the phones for the weekend. No thanks. If I'm going in on a Saturday it will not involve being on the phone! I get enough of that five days a week!

Oh, I also spent a little bit of time surfing the internet trying to figure out which of the National Parks in Colorado (that I've not already visited) could be done in a day trip on a Saturday now that the weather is warming up (sort of, it was in the 40s today). I kind of like taking field trips every now and again… with my camera and National Parks Passport. Oh yes, I'm absolutely this nerdy. Julie, Ethan, and Adri got me the deluxe edition for my birthday after our joint trip to Washington, D.C. and I still have the old one from when we were growing up. I still put the cancellation stamps in them, verifying when I was there. It's dorky, but fun! And I still get a kick out of it at my age. And yes, if I hit a park this year, I will buy the 2011 Passport Stamp Set, a.k.a. stickers (I only get them when I travel).

I even got my bestest friend hooked on it after we traveled all the way from Orange County, California to Vancouver, British Columbia and back in a car quite a few years ago. I got stamps for a lot of stuff on that trip… Olympic National Park, Mt. Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument (fascinating!), Redwood National Park, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and Presidio of San Francisco. She and I visited the latter two on another trip as well. And yes, I have stamps in my passport for all of them along with a multitude of other parks, monuments, historic sites, and recreation areas across this country. Anyway, there are a couple of things within driving distance that I can go visit with warmer weather. So, why not? It would be nice to have a wingman for the adventures, though. We'll see who I can persuade to come with me. I'll keep ya'll posted on that one.

I will get to see Rocky Mountain National Park for the umpteenth time when my cousin, his wife, and their kids are out in July. His parents and my sister are also planning to come into town at the same time. Looks like that'll be a day trip because he wants to go see what there is to see up there. It's quite beautiful and should be a nice drive. And though the tentative plan is scheduled for the second week of July, there could still be snow up there… fun! And before you think to yourself that we're all crazy, the park is a two-hour drive from Denver International Airport (assuming one obeys the traffic laws). That means it's about 2.5 hours from my house. Totally doable in a day.

Well, we have successfully distracted me from baking/cooking for a little while. Thanks for the help! Have a superb weekend! Share this: Email Print Facebook