Keep the Energy Alive

Okay so I was a little tipsy when I thought of this blog subject today, so at the time it sounded brilliant. Well I'll just give it to you and you can come up with your own opinion:

You have to continue to 'keep the energy alive'. Staying young is about feeling young and the first way to feel young is by keeping active and motivated in your day to day life. It's so easy to become lazy and believe me you can tell by many of my blog entries that being lazy is one of my specialties. We just shouldn't be lazy all the time and the older you get the less and less lazy you should be. Continue to keep your body in shape and healthy by exercising, joining sport leagues, hiking, biking, volunteering, or just whatever interests you. It's also great to keep stimulating your mind throughout your life by things like reading, going to cultural shows, or by starting a new hobby like making crafts. I have decided that I feel strongly about this. People start feeling old and depressed when they decide to shut out the world more and more, thinking there's no more life to live when there's always something new to learn and experience.

These thoughts came to me today when we were at my uncle Don's for his annual 'Brunch before Thanksgiving party'. One of Don's co-workers, Timmy, at the station was talking about how Don runs circles around him when he's hard at work. Timmy is maybe 20 years younger than my uncle so it just amazes him how energized Don is on a daily basis. Don also reads a tremendous amount and just surrounds himself with stimulating conversation. It's just something to admire and strive to be when I am his age and older. I hope I can hold onto this new found attitude.

I'm about to go into a complete food coma. I need to seriously lay horizontal.

Good night and I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving. And remember to KEEP THE ENERGY ALIVE.

Yummy Family Traditions

I'm making one of my families Polish recipes tonight, Golabkis. This is one of the recipes that was passed down from my dad's dad's family that came over from Poland. I remember loving Golabkis when I was a child and I hope to make them just as good. For anyone who doesn't know, Golabkis are ground meat, onion, rice, and tomato sauce combined and rolled up in cabbage leaves.

I love making food from my heritage. My grandfather, when he was still around, would also make homemade Polish sausage (kielbasa). My uncle Don and Allen, my brother-in-law, have both started making homemade kielbasa from the original recipe. Jason and I would love to start making it ourselves. We would need to purchase a sausage maker, but one day we'll make the investment. It's so good in the morning with beets, eggs, and home fries.

My Birthday Cheer

I just want to thank the small but amazing group of people that contributed to my awesome birthday yesterday. It was a perfect day of fun, art, music, yummy food, wine, and especially laughter. I love you Lauren, Don, and Jason.

Also want to thank all the birthday shout outs I got through email, phone calls, and Facebook.

Now to continue the fun we're off to The Ren Fest and then Ocean City.

Conquering my Fear

I've always been afraid to dive head first into a body of water. It has just always scared me. Well when we were at my Uncle Don's last pool party I decided it was time. I'd had a couple of beers so I was feeling pretty good. I got to the edge of the deep end and without thinking too hard about it, dove right in. Jason was so proud and shocked that I had finally done it. It was easy and not crazy scary. The idea of breaking my neck was always a fear I guess, for this reason a diving board might still be out of the question. To prove that I could finally do it off the side of the pool and went up and did it a second time. It was such a great feeling of relief that I'd finally conquered my fear. It was also so funny that I dove for the first time at the pool I learned to swim in as a child. Crazy how life brings you back to those familiar locations. Everything has come full circle.

Finally I have achieved diving, now onto jumping out of a plane. Go me!

Thursday Night Dinners at Don's

Most every Thursday night, at least during the summer, Kate's uncle Don hosts a big group dinner over at his house. The rules change from week to week. Sometimes everyone brings a dish. Sometimes Don just gets hot dogs and hamburgers. It's loose, which is great. We've attended three dinners this summer I think, and it's a tradition we're getting attached to.

It's just a good group of people. An amalgam of many different social circles, brought together with Don as the glue. Kate, and now I, have known some of the people for years, just from random gatherings at Don's. But some are new, and there's probably at least one new person each week. Thursday Night Dinners are a great opportunity to get out of the house, socialize, and take a well-deserved dip in the pool.

Thanks for having us, Don.

Freedom Trip

I'm taking a trip next week that will inevitably be bringing back some fond memories of my old adventurous life. As you all know Jason is now away with his sis and I'm staying here and will get to experience a weekend without Jae (the first in many many moons). I don't necessarily know how fun the weekend will be, I'll probably do very little outside the home, but the idea that I'll be living the single life again is both exciting and scary. I'm going to a party for a very long time family (the Parker's) friend's daughter's college graduation. So crazy how time is flying so fast for us all, I remember when Kathleen just started college and now 4 years later and she's done. It should be fun hanging with old family friends. And if I get overwhelmed with too many unknown faces I can always walk to my Uncle Don's house, since I'll be around the corner. We'll see, either way I'm making my own decisions today.

What was the point of this entry? Oh yea, I'm going to drive to NJ to see my friend Brooke (who's in town from Utah), drop my car off at her parents house, hopefully get to visit with her family for a little bit and then go into NYC by train or Brooke's car. She is doing a comedy act at Caroline's in Times Square. She's been performing for a while, but I've never got to see her live. I'm very excited for her and to see the performance. We're then probably hangin out in the city, drinks, good times, etc. I'm staying with Jill Monday, so it will be great to see her as well. Then staying with Lauren (another great friend from college) both Tuesday and Wednesday night. All other plans are up in the air, hopefully I get to have quality city town with Brooke. Either way I'm doing my own thing with my girlfriends in the city I hold dear to my heart. It's been so long and I've missed the energy terribly. Even if Brooke's not around the whole time (BTW Jill and Lauren will have to work during the day hours, so I'll only be hanging with them in the evenings.) I'll have my camera and a beautiful city in my mist. I will hopefully find a lot of amazing inspiration. And don't worry I'm spending as little money as humanly possible. It will be difficult in such a expensive and tempting city.

I love you Jason, have a wonderful time with Steph. Get your drink on at the wedding and have fun. I can't wait to see you on Thursday!! Love you babe!

Mr Don

My uncle Don is an awesome guy. He was the relative I moved in with when I came to Baltimore 5 years ago. He is a genuinely nice guy. We've always been pretty close, but in these past 5 years we've grown to be great friends as well. It's great having a relative on the same wave length as you. He is very smart just like my dad. We have a lot in common and relate on many levels. It's hard to get him out of his neighborhood, but finally yesterday he showed up at our 2nd movie night. It was great to hang with him and I think he had such a good time that he might even come again. Thanks Don for being a great uncle and friend, I love you very much!

Freedom of Swimming

Swimming feels so amazing.  I don't care if I'm swimming in a lake, the ocean, or a pool, I just love the feeling it gives you. It makes you feel so fresh and alive.  It seems this love for swimming grows stronger and stronger as I get older.  

I used to be somewhat afraid of the water.  Even through my family had a pool in my earlier years it took me a while to learn to swim.  I still have some hang-ups with swimming.  I have a fear of diving, but really that does not stop me from loving the water.  

Jason is also a big fan of swimming. Anytime we go on vacation where there's a pool we can hang out in it for hours.  It's a great common interest we have.  I can't wait till it gets warmer outside to swim in my Uncle Don's pool, which ironically is the same pool I learned to swim in years ago. It's going to be a great summer.