A Year??

So, happy blog-a-versary to me.  This Sunday it'll be a year since I started yammering on to whoever feels like tuning in to my weekly inconsequential chatter.  But, hopefully mildly entertaining inconsequential chatter.

It's funny how time passing can feel both drawn-out and quick at the same time.  It doesn't
make any sense, but that's exactly how this past year has felt.  You'd think it would be one or the other. -  Ooozing along like molasses, or zipping by in a blur like most years seem to do the older I get.  But, it's a weird blending of both.

Packing up the truck at our house in Key West,
and our almost empty house - May, 2013

I think it's because we did a lot of living over the year.  An almost 8,500 mile, month long road trip from one corner of the country to the other has the tendency to shake things up a little.  When I think about what we were up to around this time last year, I get predictably nostalgic.

Remembering back to what it felt like being right on the brink of a massive change in lifestyle, geography, everyday routines...it's one of those indelible memories.  Anytime there's a hefty change coming in life, there's that inescapable, heightened sense of anticipation.  That unshakeable feeling of being right on the doorstep of the next chapter.  There's nothing like it.  Reflecting on this time last year reminds me of all those emotions.

We're almost one year in, but I've been constantly taking stock of what our first year in Alaska has been like in my posts over the year.  The re-cap posts I wrote are the short and sweet sum-ups of our Alaska, year one experience.  You can check them out here and here if you're feeling it.

So while I'm in a New Year's-esque "take stock of things" mind-set,  I've decided to take a breather from drinking any alcohol for a while.  My goal is an arbitrary 7 weeks.  (Well, it's not really arbitrary - it just so happened that when I decided to swear off the hooch, I was seven weeks away from a trip down to FL. - A little vacation down south is as good a time as any to jump back off the wagon!)

Right now I'm at the end of week 3.  I've done this before, but this will be my longest alcohol-free stretch.  It's always harder than I expect.  I think that's the case anytime you're voluntarily denying yourself something that's part of your regular routines.

Habits get ingrained pretty deeply, and a glass or two of vino after work & the weekend beer indulgence is probably a good habit to churn up and clear on out every once in a while.  Can't hurt, right?  Plus, the tendency to over-booze is a bit of a family trait.  I need to remind that stubborn little booze-hound that lives inside of me who's in charge here.  He's an ornery little hellion.  And hey, I bet I'll shed a few pounds while I'm at it.  Win-win.

And on top of that, I've started juicing.  I know, I know...what in the hell is going on up in Alaska?  Next thing you know, I'll be following the Phish tour around the country with a tent and some Sandalwood incense.

♪ ♫ "Your hands and feet are mangoes...You're gonna be a genius anyway..."  ♪ ♫

(You either get it or you don't)

Just trying to healthy it up a little more.  What I've done is replace my morning snack with a green smoothie, and holy hell do I feel GREAT.  I ordered a Nutri-Bullet and a few juicing/green smoothie recipe books from Amazon a few weeks ago and I've been at it ever since.  Technically, it's not really juicing because I'm blending the fruits and greens altogether, not extracting the juice from the fruits while leaving the solids behind.  So...I'm smoothie-ing?  Either way, I'm digging it.

Sunday morning  banana, mango, strawberry, rainbow
chard concoction. - Looks wacky, but tastes great

I've been rotating through all different combinations using kale, swiss chard, spinach, and banana, strawberry, blueberry, mango, pear, orange, etc.  I also add in a little plain Greek yogurt, flax seed, skim milk or water, and sometimes another nut or seed like sunflower, walnut, or almond if the flavors go together.  The combinations are endless, and they're pretty damn tasty. You can't even taste the greens, the flavors are completely dominated by whatever fruits are added. 

I'm tip toeing in starting with fruit, and maybe eventually I'll evolve into the more hard core smoothies.  Some of the recipes are a little much for a newbie.  I'm pretty sure I'll need to work up to drinking potatoes or beets.  Actually, I don't think I'll go that far.  I'll stick with fruit and greens combinations!

Voluntary departure from alcohol and green smoothies...I have to wonder what I'll be up to at blog-a-versary number two.

Ta-ta for now.


Photo Credit:  By Dzenanz (Own Work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons