Birthday

Thirty-one

by Jessica on March 7, 2013

in Birthday, Crossfit, Food, Jessica

So I turned thirty-one yesterday. Where does time go? The past year has absolutely flown by! I always laughed when people said I would enjoy my thirties more than my twenties, but they were absolutely right. Life is so good right now.

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I’m pretty low-key with my birthdays so most of the day was spent working and in my normal routine. But I did get some relaxation in. I went to the library and perused, I read a book (literally, a whole book — it was heaven), and took a nap, which rarely happens. Neil and I went to dinner with one of my friends, and I hope to catch a movie with my girlfriends this weekend. All in all, a lovely day.

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As for gifts, you saw my amazing orchid from my parents. Neil kept up his new tradition of Lululemon on every holiday with a new pair of Groovy Run Shorts that I’m so excited to wear to CrossFit for the first Open WOD. I always swore I’d never be one of those Lulu freaks, but the clothes are amazing. Lightweight, perfectly fitting — nothing comes close. And as I pretty much live in workout clothes, I feel like I can say that with some authority now.

I also bought myself this:

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A little Le Creuset bean pot for Kenny. Next week, after I dole out little sections of him to family and friends, he’ll be refrigerator ready. I’ve kept him on the counter and fed daily (sometimes twice) for nearly 60 days, and he’s well fermented. This little bean pot will allow me to store several cups of him, which is plenty for on-the-spot baking, and if I need more I can put some in a separate jar for growing. Such an adorable little pot, and it matches my dutch oven!

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So, definitely a good day. I was surprised by so many nice messages, phone calls and well wishes, it was so heartwarming. Thank you so much for thinking of me. Last year was amazing, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store this year!

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I’m there man.

by Jessica on March 7, 2012

in Birthday, Food, Meat, Paleo

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I’m 30. I still can’t believe it. I’m sorry for the sweaty post-workout pic and I swear my hair does not really appear that red in person. I made Neil take this to commemorate the day, is that strange?

The day was a little bittersweet, as you might expect a minor milestone to be. People kept asking me what my plans were throughout the day, and I just didn’t have an answer. I couldn’t gauge what they were really getting at. Did I have dinner plans? Am I hoping to get my doctorate in five years? It felt like any other day to me, because it was, but some part of me felt like it was detaching and being left behind. I don’t know, I’m not prophetic so I won’t try to be. I jokingly answered each inquiry with “well I’m leaving my twenties better than I found them.” At least that’s true, and for that I’m so grateful.

Our plans for the day were fairly routine: dentist appointments, work and a CrossFit WOD. The weather was absolutely amazing. Sunny, breezy and in the 70s! We decided to travel by bike and take the trail to the dentist and work. Traffic aside, it was so relaxing. The sun was up, there were deer on the trail. Total trip was just shy of 7 miles for me and 12 for Neil.

After all the biking, a 900m shuttle-run WOD, and another mile and a half with the dogs (I’m pretty sure I broke my PR for max daily fitness) we were absolutely starving when we got home. We went to work immediately on dinner, two oven-baked pork chops and a bunch of asparagus. The marinade we made was fantastic:

2 bone-in pork chops (about 4 ounces each) plus…

4 garlic cloves, halved
2 tablespoons Braggs Liquid Aminos
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
1 tablespoon coconut oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

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I pulsed everything in the food processor, poured it over the chops and baked them at 350 F for about 45 minutes. Enjoyed them with a few special drinks and it was lovely. I can’t imagine marking the day any other way than comparing hamstring soreness with my husband and protecting my dinner from four ravenous pets.

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And just because it was my birthday, and there were just a few hours left to do whatever I wanted, I got a “magic” soda and Twizzlers. They’re magic because you can customize the flavors and add more flavor. All sugar and syrup, totally terrible.

I’m contemplating a bucket list, but I’m still not sure. For now, I’m still enjoying the vagueness of what the next ten years could have in store.

If you could celebrate your birthday any way you want, how would you spend the day?

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Neil enters the thirtysomethings…

by Jessica on July 23, 2011

in Birthday, Neil

Neil at Apgar Lookout

In all honesty, Neil’s 30th birthday was actually last Saturday, but since we were floating on the river to celebrate, I didn’t get a chance to write him a proper birthday post. So here is my pictorial ode to Neil, replete with some random things you may not know about him.

Neil in High School

Neil was in a band in high school. They weren’t around long enough to have a name, but I’m pretty sure Nirvana was their biggest inspiration — in both music and appearance. PS – He’s growing his hair out!

Watching Neil work...

Neil has been working in IT since he was 15! While most of us were slinging burgers and fries or manning the cash register, he was already working for a bonafide IT department with people twice his age.

Christmas Eve 2010

Neil grew up mostly vegetarian. His mom was health conscious before it was the cool thing to do. They had livestock, including goats, and produced nearly all their own food. He literally did not taste chocolate or red meat until he was in his teens. The result? He loves red meat, but hates chocolate. If you were ever wondering why there aren’t a lot of sweets or decadent chocolate desserts on this blog, it’s because Neil won’t eat them. Want to ruin his birthday? Bake him a chocolate cake. Lesson learned.

Deviled Eggs

Neil often says that if he owned a restaurant, it would serve nothing but deviled eggs and hot wings. He insists it’s a solid business model — I’m not so sure.

Neil as Vince

And finally, Neil is obsessed with memes. He latches on to these little bits of pop culture far before they hit the mainstream. He is constantly on Reddit and every night even though we are sitting right next to one another, he messages them to me like he did when we were dating long distance. Speaking of which…

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Can you believe it’s been two years!? I definitely married my best friend and partner in everything. I can’t wait to spend our thirties together!

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Happy Birthday to Neil and My Dad

July 16, 2010

So Neil and my Dad share the same birthday. Too much awesome for one day? Possibly. Neil is turning 29 and my dad is turning 62. They are so similar that it seems almost too perfect that they also share the same birthday. For one, they are the funniest people you will ever meet. Both [...]

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