Category Archives: Fact.

Planting Time

Posted on 03.27.2012 | 7 Comments

What you’re seeing here is the first (and likely only) action shot ever on The Blog.

Fact: When you’re busy taking a picture in the middle of pouring water into your seedling flat, you’re also busy pouring water down the front of your cabinetry.

Blogging mysteries, unveiled.

As I was helter-skelter scattering seed packets into their respective bits of earth, I realized that over the winter I actually missed le jardin.

Despite my best efforts at procrastinating, as of Sunday it is planted.

The first year that we planted Le Jardin, I didn’t really think to label it properly.  I just figured that the cilantro, basil, tarragon, parsley and oregano would start to differentiate themselves.  Which they did.

This year?  My choice of plants is not-so-different as that first planting.  So this go-round, I decided to label them from the beginning.

What we’re doing: Genovese Basil, Lettuce Leaf Basil, Purple Basil, Sage.

Apparently Sage is like the Panda of the plant-world.  Whereas my Basil will only take 5-10 days to germinate, Sage apparently takes 10-20.

WHO KNEW THAT I WOULD BE HELD HOSTAGE TO THE SEED THAT REFUSES TO SPROUT?

I planted 18 pellets of each plant (there are 72 in the kit), hoping that I would get four strong plants of each kind.

The rest of the survivors?  Mother’s Day gifts.  Obviously.

What have you planted this spring?

Flowers-wise, what goes well in full-sun planters?

I’m still going to have a few extra planters leftover and the deck could always use more beauty!

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Posted in Fact., le jardin

Le jardin lives again!

Posted on 03.21.2012 | 7 Comments

Fact: I’ve spent the last week or so fretting about le jardin because I haven’t planted my herbs yet.  I have no one to blame but myself (let’s be serious…Marcus isn’t going to plant a garden on his own) and I know that I really just need to get over the total non-time commitment and do it already.

Non-issue.  Novelty deck herb gardens are a first-world problem.  End of story.

A phone exchange at 2:59  PM with my mother-in-law.

Sue: I want to drop something by.

Me: Promise me it’s not a Tomato Plant.  Never again.

Sue: Well, it’s not that.  But it’s sort of like that.  If you’re not going to be home, I’ll just leave it on the step.

What it actually was?

Absolutely, 100% NOT a tomato plant.

I adore it.

Her response when I told her I had received it?  Le jardin lives again!

Truth or truth?  This is 100% how and why I know that we can be related.

Have you done your planting yet?

Are there any spring blossoms where you live?

I definitely saw some forsythia in bloom on my run today and it was absolutely AMAZING.

→ 7 Comments

Posted in Fact., le jardin

A Total 180

Posted on 03.18.2012 | 7 Comments

Fact: Yesterday was one of the more epic St. Patrick’s Days in recent memory.

After the service portion of the Bar Mitzvah, Michelle shepherded us over to Surdyk’s for a wine tasting that ended up lasting for three hours.

The best way to describe a complimentary nine-vendor sampling is that once the lid has been removed from Pandora’s Box, there’s no way you’re going to get it back on.

The things that transpired while we were there: I was declared the first sibling that ever “fought” for Michelle (we had a moment).

I listened to one 50-year-old teacher from Rochester “preach it” and tell me all about the places she visited in Germany before she and her husband had children.  We almost hugged in the Ports/Cordials aisle.

In the same aisle, I lied to another teacher from Bloomington who wanted to sign me up for her internet-sales business.  I just couldn’t do it, but a straight “no” was the answer that eluded me.  So instead I prattled off that I was part of the 10% of Americans who do not own a cell phone.

I do not know what the real statistic for cell phone-ownership in America is, but I do know that she congratulated me for “standing up for myself.”

And for the Grand Finale, leaving with Breckenridge Vanilla Porter, New Holland Dragon’s Milk, and a few bottles of Castle Rock.  Which is to say nothing that we sampled.

Or, as Marcus so succinctly put it, I didn’t know where you had disappeared to until I saw you at the register.

Someone, please save me from myself.

Today, though totally devoid of rainbow sprinkles, a total 180.

Running long, a change of sheets, a long-awaited afternoon with girlfriends.

Laundry.  Open windows. Napping.

Four meals.  Fending off runger.  Compression tights.

What was the best part of your day?

→ 7 Comments

Posted in Fact., Family, Holidays, It Only Happens Once a Year

The Honeymoon: The Corinth Canal and Sicily

Posted on 08.17.2011 | 9 Comments

Are you tired yet?

Me too.

But in a life imitates art (or is it art imitates life?)-moment, y’all should know that by this point in the trip, we were basically chomping at the bit because we were So Ready to start adventuring on dry land.

There is no rest for the weary.

The Corinth Canal

Fact: I didn’t even know the Corinth Canal EXISTED until we booked this trip.  Which is made all the more hilarious by the fact that basically all of the British passengers on our ship booked the trip specifically because we would be passing-through it.

So for all of you wondering, WTH is the Corinth Canal?   You are not alone.

But you had better believe that once Marcus and were in-the-know, we got busy working on our OMG WE’RE SO EXCITED TO BE GOING THROUGH THE CANAL-faces really quickly.

So we’re all on the same page, brief geography lesson: The Corinth Canal cuts through the middle of the Peloponnesian Peninsula.  It was dug in the late 1800′s and was meant to be ideally situated for ease of trade and travel.  Except for the fact that around that time, boats started to get…bigger.

FAIL.

So instead of being used for trade and travel, it was re-purposed for tourists.

There is no trade and really no travel, either.

Most cruise ships can’t fit through the canal.  But since we were on the smallest ship ever, we could do it.

Just barely.

For a size-comparison, The Corinth Canal is 21.3 meters wide and 7.3 meters deep.  Our ship only had a meter clearance on the bottom and a half meter clearance on either side.  So it wasn’t like some sort of JV, Panama Canal-type thing.  There was no waving to other ships.  We were really in.the.canal.

See?  Not kidding.

Since it takes about an hour and a half to go through the canal (and you know…it’s a sight), to keep them masses occupied, they threw a party above-decks where we lounged and guzzled drank copious amounts of champagne.

Obviously I didn’t have any qualms with this situation.  With the amount of champagne they had on board, the ship could have stayed in-port the entire time and I would have been happy as a clam.

Sicily

Since Mount Etna was the thing I was THE MOST EXCITED to see on our entire Mediterranean adventure, naturally it was the last place we stopped.

Like everything else on this trip of ours, getting there was a bit of an ordeal.

You see, it’s a two-hour drive from the port to get to the volcano.

How convenient.

The first hour we spent weaving through colorful coastal villages, and the second was dedicated to climbing up to 2000 meters.

Even though I’m not usually one for confining myself to a vehicle on vacation, I can’t even tell you how thankful I was for that coach ride.  We saw so much of the island that we never would have seen otherwise, and by the time we got to our final destination we were 100% positive that we wanted to return.

I would like nothing more than to spend a week in one of the Sicily’s many brightly-colored houses, with a jungle of a garden in the back.

Not really the point of the excursion, but fine.

So two hours later, as promised, we made it to 2000 meters.

In keeping with the theme of Don’t Open A Guide Book On Penalty Of Death, we weren’t exactly sure what we would find when we got there.  I mean, when you climb to the top of Diamond Head, your reward is having to slither out of a bunker.  It’s good to have realistic expectations.

Where we stopped was a “base camp” of sorts.  There were scenic vistas, one of the many smaller craters (there are four “main craters” but the thing erupts just about anywhere) and a few little restaurants.  We made the most of the hour we had up there by scampering around the crater (it’s kind of The Thing To Do), enjoying the beautiful view of the sea, and actioning a mini-date complete with wine and dessert.

And yes, that was steam/smoke you saw coming from one of the main craters in that last snap.

It was absolutely perfect.  Though of course with my luck, the volcano started spewing lava like it was a calling just a little bit over a week after we sailed away.

You can’t win them all ;)

Have you ever visited an active volcano?

What’s one slightly weird place that you’ve always wanted to visit/see?

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Posted in Fact., Kat in White, vacation

A Proper Tailfeather

Posted on 07.24.2011 | 13 Comments

I wish I could say that this weekend was SO relaxing, but the reality is that I’ve spent the better part of two days running around town and checking things off of To Do lists.

Lest, you get the impression that To Do lists are a bad thing, you should know that crossing things off of them might qualify as a pastime in my book.

Maybe.

So where we left-off, I was getting ready to hustle out the door to a wedding.  Because it’s summer and that’s what we do these days.

We Wed.

Nina looked just gorgeous.  I think she might officially be The Happiest Bride I’ve Ever Seen.

Fact: When she and Matt were sharing their vows, she promised to be “The best mother ever to all of the sparkles in my eye,” and it took every ounce of self-control I had in me to keep from bursting out into big, ugly sobs.

They had a beautiful ketubah.  She showed us a sneak-peek of it a while back, so I was really looking forward to seeing what the finished product looked like!

I’m not 100% positive, but I think that the little peacock might be my favorite part.  I’m always a fan of a proper Tailfeather.

And their tablescapes were so effortlessly chic.  I’ll be the first to say it: Pastels can be Tricky.  But the way they popped in the middle of all of the cream, and contrasted with their bolder, place card-counterparts was just 11/10.

The macarons?  Were DEFINITELY 11/10.

Confession: I had six.  The rundown?  Three Salted Caramel, two Mocha and one Raspberry Lemon.

I couldn’t even help myself.  I blame it on the running.  Or it might have just been The Universe directing me to Fortify Myself.

Because, when I got home from the reception, The Spirit of Productivity took me.

Sometimes it’s just best to stop thinking and start acting, you know?

By the time I was ready to tuck myself-in to bed, I had a complete set of addressed thank you notes (!).  The only thing I have left to do tomorrow is stamp them and toss them in the mail.

Catharsis.

What’s the last “big” project you had to tackle?  How long did it take you to finish it?

Wedding desserts: cake, cupcake or other?

I’ll be honest, as long as it’s delicious I don’t discriminate.  There was a time where I was a cake-purist, but having eaten enough bad wedding cake, I’d really rather pass in favor of something fantastic.

→ 13 Comments

Posted in Fact., Weddings

A Body for Life

Posted on 07.18.2011 | 21 Comments

It has been a while since I’ve blogged about healthy living, which is 90% because I’ve been otherwise occupied and 10% because I just haven’t been exactly sure about what I want to say.

So, in the spirit of body image, wellness and feasting, here we are.

Fact: I did not weigh myself on my wedding weekend.  I didn’t weigh myself post-Honeymoon.

There was not point, really.

Quite simply, I want my bridal-bod to be my lifetime-bod.

Instead of fixating on what I weighed as I walked down the aisle and how much weight I gained during the Honeymoon (and yes, I definitely gained some…such is the way of an all-inclusive alcohol package that includes champagne and All-You-Can-Eat Baguettes), I decided that I wanted to live presently.

How novel.

I also decided that when I got home, I wanted to make a very concerted effort over the course of the month of July to whip this body of mine back into the shape that it was in before The Big Day.

Why a month?  Because I just had this inkling that transitioning from a mildly sedentary, carbohydrate and alcohol-laden lifestyle to one involving copious amounts of tea, raw vegetables, and running would probably flip the switch on Change like nobody’s business.

So far, I’ve been proven right.

With all of this in-mind, I’m completely comfortable with telling y’all that despite the odd foray into the freezer for another dosing of buttercream frosting, for the past three weeks I’ve been at war with my body.

I know.  I KNOW.

“War” is such a strong term.  I don’t mean that I’ve been filled with self-loathing for the better part of the past month.  I do mean that getting back on-track isn’t always the most glamorous thing to do, and that I’ve been extremely focused on making the best choices possible for my body.

There has been meal planning.  And nutrient balancing.  And calorie counting.  While I don’t keep a dedicated food journal anymore (and probably haven’t for a year and a half now), I do keep a running count in my head.

It’s funny how those things become second-nature.

I do hope that someday, I won’t do that anymore, consciously or not.  But right now, that’s just how things are.

And three weeks in?

I can finally hear my body again.  I have specific cravings that go beyond SPICY, Not European and Beer.  I wake up hungry in the morning.

The first few days of running post-Honeymoon?  Were exhilarating.  I was SO happy to be moving my body.

But they were also hell.

I could just feel how weighed-down I was.  My feet hitting the pavement.  My breathing.  How un-prepared my muscles were for honest-to-goodness “work.”

I know that because of the marathon in October, I spent a fair amount of time pre-wedding fixating on my training schedule, and what mileage I wanted to nail down prior to my two week “break”.

I will say for all of that crazy, the proof is in the pudding.  The early training I did has definitely smoothed the path for The Real Deal.

Training-wise, I just wrapped up Week 5 of training.  Right now I’m on-track to follow the Intermediate plan I found somewhere on the Runners’ World website.

Obvious question: Why am I following the intermediate training plan instead of the beginner training plan for my first marathon?

Answer: WIGGLE ROOM.  Since I’ve maintained a rather substantial mileage “base” since last summer, I knew that my body would be physically be able to do the work that the more challenging plan requires.

In Week 5 on the intermediate plan?  You do 10 miles for your long run.  In Week 5 on the beginner plan?  You do 6-8 miles.  I know there are going to be weeks where I have incredible amounts of energy.  I know there will be weeks where I fall a mile or two short.  But from everything I’ve read about other runners’ experiences, missing a long run when you’re already working off of lower mileage could be a race-killer.  By aiming high, I’m essentially attempting to fail-proof the entire operation.

You know, trying to thwart Murphy’s Law and all of that.

Do you have any healthy living/lifestyle goals you’re challenging yourself with right now?

I have a few habits that I’m working on “getting into”/changing…

  1. Stop saving dessert until after 9:00 PM
  2. Eat protein at every meal
  3. Don’t consume more than one alcoholic drink on weeknights
  4. Continue to make yoga non-negotiable

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Posted in Fact., Living The Skinny, Running

Dive Bar Date

Posted on 07.09.2011 | 11 Comments

This weekend we had a bit of a dilemma.  We knew we would be going on a double date with Chaz + Katie tonight, but we didn’t want to spend Friday night  sitting at home.  I had to wake up early this morning for my long run and we didn’t want to spend a ton of money since we would be going out tonight.

Our Final Plan?  Three words: Dive Bar Date.

And before you ask, yes we will absolutely be doing this again and hopefully sooner than later.

Stop 1: Grumpy’s 

I LOVE NE Minneapolis 11/10, but the hipsters make it hard to deal.  Not two blocks away from this bar, I saw a man wearing skinny white jeans, white shoes and a straw fedora.  It was a low moment where things went from being hip to being totally contrived.

Grumpy’s?  Is just not that kind of place.

Rather, we took our seats with a healthy handful of members from the Minneapolis biking community (think road, not cycle) and sipped our craft brews in peace.

I know.  I KNOW.  I slay myself.  Dive bars and craft brews don’t belong in the same sentence.

A Two Brothers Ebelweiss for him, a Surly Coffee Bender for her.

I was really enjoying the tiki-cans they had dangling above the bar. Completely new design concept to me.

Apparently on Thursday night they offer 2-for-1 glasses of wine and “spin vinyl” that fellow patrons bring in.  Since this was never on ANY list of life experiences that I was hoping to have, it has officially been moved to the top.

Stop 2: El Taco Riendo

Fact: I have been craving tacos, Mexican food and spicy things in the most profound way since we came back from Europe.  So I may or may not have spent a fair amount of time at work on Friday cruising Yelp to compile a list of such places in the Twin Cities.

All signs pointed to this for our first foray into the Taco Shop scene, so we did as we were told and hit it.

Minneapolis readers, run, don’t walk.

They have refried black beans.

And, in case you didn’t catch that one the first time…

THEY HAVE REFRIED BLACK BEANS.

I don’t know what kind of dark art you have to practice in order to offer those at your restaurant, but eating them?  Was basically a spiritual experience.

They had a ton of specials. So we didn't order any of them.

Clockwise from Left: Barbacoa and Tinga Tacos, Nachos with Carne Asada, and a Chimichanga (yes, seriously, that's what that smothered burrito is) with Pollo Verde. Our total bill including tip? $24.

The only chimichanga I’ve ever had was a footlong, inch thick monstrosity from Rock Bottom Brewery, so this chimichanga?  Was a revelation.  Cheesy, crunchy, creamy, and stuffed with all of the pollo verde you could ever hope for…and then some.

I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that I was thisclose to making Marcus go back there with me for lunch today.

Stop 3: Jimmy’s

Since the taco shop didn’t have a liquor license, we needed to source a post-dinner drink.  And a bit of post-dinner people watching.  You know, more is more and all of that.

I mean, there are dives…

…and then there are DIVES.

Welcome, Jimmy’s!

Picks and sticks.

When I saw a sign on the wall peddling Beer Sticks for $1.25, I knew I HAD to have one. What we passed up: The $3 shrimp cocktail, the $1 microwave popcorn and the $6 TV dinner. It was amazing.

Truth: I don’t even know what Old Style is, but the tap choices were that and Michelob, so I figured that it was worth a shot.  Our commentary?  That it was extremely…drinkable.

Our grand total for the night?  $45.  Not too bad, but I like to think that it’s a goal to beat for next time. ;)

Do you have a favorite dive bar/hole in the wall that you’re a “regular” at?

Where’s your favorite spot to go for delicious, cheap, authentic eats?

→ 11 Comments

Posted in Dive Bar Date, Fact., Foodies, Going Out

Napping and News-ing

Posted on 04.03.2011 | 12 Comments

Story of my life: This weekend has been Nap Central.

Fact: Today I realized that over the past five months, I had completely forgotten how exhausting long runs are.

When I’m actually making them happen?  I’m the picture of perkiness and energy.  They feel great!  I’m in the zone!

But afterward?  I’m ready to curl up into a ball, channel a hibernating grizzly and sleep for an entire day.  To the point where I actually have to schedule a naptime for myself in order to make sure that I can survive the evening hours.

If you’re looking for a comparison, it’s like being…mono tired.  I literally have to fling my body into bed.

Yesterday?  There was napping.  Today?  There was napping.

Tomorrow?  No napping.  You have to get over it and move on at some point.

But in the here and the now, it is just rough.

Let’s play a fun game, shall we?

It’s called, WTF is wrong with this picture?

Begin.

Before snapping this picture, Marcus made sure to find out whether or not I wanted my feet to be included.

No, it’s not the fact that I STILL haven’t gotten my hair did.

At this point, I like to think that I’m rocking the ombre-hair trend…in reverse.

So classy, I know.

But not really the point.

If your answer was: Kat, why do you have an actual print-copy of the newspaper? then you win.

The New York Times’ paywall went up on March 28th, right?  And I made it a whole two days reading section fronts and Playing By The Rules until I was informed that I had to pay up or give up.

At which point I sucked it up, paid for my Sunday-only subscription, and chuckled to myself about the fact that in order to enjoy unlimited online usage I was actually helping their circulation numbers.

So today, I dedicated a portion of my afternoon to enjoying a good old-fashioned flip through the paper.  Yes, perusing it with my morning coffee would have made more sense, but I completely forgot that it was coming until we were pulling away from the house to go grocery shopping.

Timing aside, it was actually quite lovely, and a Sunday activity I’d be more than happy to make a habit.  Especially since newspapers aren’t as good for hoarding as magazines are. ;)

When is the last time that you picked up an honest-to-goodness newspaper?

Honestly, before this, I think that the last time would have been when I was in college working at The Minnesota Daily.

Are you a napper-by-nature?

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Posted in cozy, Fact., Newsies, WORK IT

An Unplanned Snow Day

Posted on 02.21.2011 | 16 Comments

My wake-up call this morning came at 3:20 AM.  It would have been nicer to wake up a bit later, but on days where it’s plausible that you could be trapped at the airport for nine hours, showering is always The Best Decision.

And in keeping with Murphy’s Law, since I had showered, I made it in to good old MSP at 11:00 AM.

A half-day at work would have been plausible if I hadn’t snarfed an anxiety pill for my first flight thanks to a ride on the world’s smallest plane and another round of ridiculous turbulence on my second flight.

I was basically walking sideways in the St. Louis airport, which I think we can all agree was NOT the ideal situation.

I mean, sometimes I debate whether or not a pill is really necessary (FYI: I have flight anxiety).

Today, there was no thinking, only inhaling.

So instead, Marcus brought me home and I proceeded to make the most of my unplanned snow day/second shot at Sunday/first-ever Adult Observance of the President’s Day Holiday.

There was running and laundry and lunching and napping.

When I say napping, I mean I tried to be one of THOSE people who can power nap for 20-40 minutes and call it good.  But when I heard the garage door opening, I realized that my original plans alarm had been foiled by a good hour and a half.

Consider it intuitive sleeping.

Or something like that.

And most importantly, in the middle of all this, there was the glorious discovery that Marcus CAN survive for a weekend on his own.

You see, since I wasn’t home yesterday for our regular grocery store-jaunt, I just told Marcus to go.  On his own.  Which had at last count, had happened never.

When I got the chance to examine the kitchen, I was 11/10 excited to see that he had managed to find every grocery that was on The List.

To his credit, nothing says I Love You quite like sourcing a can of Chipotle Peppers in Adobo.  Fact.

Are you a nervous flyer?

Seriously, if flying makes you anxious, it’s time for pills kittens.  It turns the terrifying into the tolerable.  Consider that your PSA of the day.

Readers with significant others: Would you/do you trust them to navigate the grocery store on their own?

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Posted in Fact., Grocery Shopping, PSA, vacation, Zen

One Short Day…

Posted on 02.19.2011 | 15 Comments

Kittens, consider this a hit and run, or a Very Concerted Effort on My Behalf to avoid the absolutely ridiculous wind that’s going on ’round these parts.  Linds had warned me that it would be Windy Times here, but I mean, we’re talking BRAID YOUR HAIR-windy, which is not a weather condition I’m particularly familiar with.

SO, Besides the part where I waited in a security line for 50 minutes and had to run to my gate to board for my flight (did I mention this was my first flight by myself…ever?) and then experienced turbulence so horrible that the flight attendants couldn’t (or wouldn’t) even pretend that everything was okay (I nearly ended up holding hands with my seatmate, Francisco), I made it to D.C.

And then proceeded to live the remainder of the day in One Short Day in the Emerald City-style.

I picnicked in front of the Washington Monument.  At this point the only thing I am certain of is that I will never be able to eat another salad as long as I live, because it will never be as tasty or as beautiful.

I did a bit of dabbling at the Smithsonian.  I may or may not have done a little hop of glee (read: both feet left the ground) when I got into the Museum of Natural History and saw the giant Elephant.

Fact: It is impossible NOT to act like you’re five when you walk into a room full of dinosaur skeletons. 

It was, The Best.

I visited the National Gallery.

Miss Peachy Keen inspired me with her snaps of doors in London.

As an added delight, I managed to accidentally (for reals – I don’t roll with Museum maps these days) find the Medieval art collection.  Replete with peacocks.

Gorgeous.

Linds humored me and we bolted to Georgetown Cupcake.  I’ve never actually watched the show on TLC, but y’all know me and cupcakes.

We go together like…This and That…Polka and Dots…Stars and Stripes.  You know, the kind of love you can’t just tear apart.

So I was just going to order the Vanilla II, but then that little, cupcake-y voice in my head said You’re never doing this again. and with that, I ordered the Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip as well.

It was the appetizer of the century.

What’s the craziest thing that ever happened to you on an airplane?

When you go sight-seeing, is there a method to your madness?

→ 15 Comments

Posted in Fact., love life, vacation