Pisgah National Forest

So about them hikin' bewts?

This past weekend I went "for serious" camping - no electricity, water, the whole nine - for the first time and I never want to do anything else ever. I can't believe we are headed into Winter and that I am about to start job number two because I HAVE ROCKS TO SLEEP ON AND FIRES TO MAKE.

We hiked to our camping location in the dark Saturday night which provided a beautiful surprise when we woke Sunday. I opened my morning eyes to see tall yellow trees shedding their leaves across the sky. True to personality, Jethro had already been up for two hours, jumping rocks down the creek and taking hundreds of photographs.

We roasted little smokies over the fire for breakfast and had a quiet, chill morning until logic bit me in the ass.

It turns out running shoes and hiking boots do not have equivalent traction when it comes to wet rocks. Science. I trusted myself to hoist my body but my right foot slipped and then my left and then I was on my stomach sliding backwards down this little waterfall.

Yeah. Nice one. And when Jethro ran over to my rescue, spewing serious questions and trying not to laugh, all I could say was, "I'm just COLD." and maybe some cursing.

I'm really lucky I did not end up in the pond. (There's always next time.)

So yeah, about them hikin' bewts?

we'll all float on

Income, you ask?

The details of my job are quite simple. I make coffee, smoothies and yummy food. The more I learn the more this job seems to fit. What do you know, a college degree and I'm making smoothies.

Also, despite being horrendously late and flipping spilling coffee on my sweater, I've officially been hired at job number 2! I mean, I probably set myself up for this failure. If you're drinking coffee on the way to an interview, it will end up on your sweater. It's like logic. Psh. Or perhaps the universe saying, "Off with your head!"

Long term, I'm plan-less. We're going camping this weekend with our neighbors and their friends. Alas, this town is wearing off on me. I want to trade a third of my clothes for hiking boots, a three season sleeping bag, long johns and a new pack. I'm thankful I have these jobs to fill my bank account through the winter. I'm still unsure how/if I want to put my hard earned degree to work. I don't want to let that piece of paper define me, but it was no easy venture and there is certainly something to say for the individual with a "title."

evencleveland writes so perfectly on her blog, "I look at online job listings with a vague sense of panic and dread, unconvinced of my ability to be the person they are looking for, and yet unwilling to give up the idea that somehow I can fit into this marvelous machine of regulated human effort and toil, that I can find a job - a definition - that provides a pat answer at parties and a steady stream of income."

To beat a dead bird with a stick, I guess that's life. Finding where you belong and then diving naked into a pool of certainty. If I'm supposed to be grown, I don't feel so. Yes, a "typical" American youth--unprepared for the real world with a basket of dreams and pocket full of expectations. But I'm at the beginning of the road again - free and thrilled - similar to how I felt when I moved into my first apartment. When I don't want to be here I'll find somewhere else, but this is a great place to float.

HOT DRINKS

Hot Chocolate (Photo: J, obv.)

Pumpkin spice latte. It's not Starbucks, but it's not $4 either. I use soy milk and drip coffee because, you know, an espresso machine is not in my budget in the moment.

And in case you were wondering, I've only had about 27 of these in the past month.

contraction city

Considering I awoke to my alarm going off before the sun had wiped its eyes from a sleepy slumber AND considering when I half-consciously reached for the snooze I knocked a glass of water onto the electric strip filled with all our chargers AND considering I was forced to get out of bed a good NINE minutes early to fix said problem and discovered it had dropped into the 40's over night...

today has been a nice day.

I worked all morning, went to take a drug test for part time job number two (which I should hopefully be starting next week!!), came home to a happy dog and boyfriend, took the papasan outside for an afternoon snooze in the sun, and THEN our Pentax gear sold THEN our Pentax gear "sold" to a scammer on eBay and we went to get the Canon.

And we got the Canon. I remembered that when you change your address, USPS offers a Best Buy coupon that is sent to your e-mail immediately. For whatever reason, Jethro had yet to change his, qualifying us for this deal.

And dinner. Mmm. We had bang, bang shrimp, bread with pesto olive oil and swordfish with feta and sage with pumpkin stuffed ravioli and roasted vegetables with Parmesan. I wish I could say I cooked this, but Bonefish Grill definitely made it happen this evening.

It's 8:30 and I'm exhausted. We've got some friends visiting tomorrow so I'd expect nine million photos from J.

she's 8x10 and she's mine

I went on an etsy binge this evening. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, don't worry about it.)

After hours of searching I fell head over heals for this lovely lady.

Beautiful. Immaculate. Yum. Yum. Yum.
Check out this bag of gems.

the visitor

Jessica visited over the weekend which gave us the perfect excuse to take a few days off work and school. We ventured around Asheville eating scrumptious food, drinking yummy local beers, browsing the shops and embracing the perhaps last hot weekend of the year.

We also climbed Mt. Mitchell, the highest point East of the Mississippi. Ya hear?

And perhaps the most fun event of the weekend, Jess and I participated in the Asheville Zombie Walk.  We threw our costumes together rather last minute and we looked amazing.

with love.

I'm not sure about the rest of the country but it just went from about 85 degrees to 65 in a matter of days. I did not sign up for a midday temperature of 52 in October. I require a slow transition between the seasons. Baby steps, Asheville.

I was messing around with the camera this afternoon and found these bits of happiness.

ONE. A man in earth tones. (AND folded laundry.)

TWO. Rune, the ultimate whiner when it comes to comfort, often sleeps with his head on the hard floor while the rest of his body lays comfortably atop his three layer bed.

THREE. A new collage above the sink.

FOUR. New-to-me vintage suitcases stuffed with summer clothes and other unneeded items. $2 each.

pretty failure.

I had my first upset this evening. Too much curry powder? Too much pepper? Or maybe it was the mango chutney. I don't know. But the aftertaste was... intense, with a hint of bleck. (Perhaps learning to cook will blossom my ability to describe food.)

It's worth sharing though, because the dish was so pretty.

Crappy Curry Chicken Salad

[And just for the record, I intend to always list where I get my recipes from but no use calling anyone out. However, her name is an example of alliteration and one of my favorite people says "MOOO" when she comes on the television.]

heaven.

Let's talk about it, Martha.

Except,  I really refuse to bake anything that calls for a STICK of butter. You can bet I'll be on the look out for a healthier version of these babies.

FRIDAY:

one. this magnificent 180 sq. foot cabin in the woods is a dream.
two. I've recently decided that if I tell myself I like doing the dishes, it works. I'm even thinking of making a "dishes mix" in iTunes.

three. Apple Pecan Streusel Muffins.

four.  I got a JOB.