Another week enduring Mercury Retrograde and I was this close to making it through unscathed. A few weeks ago I noticed my phone was restarting itself, a lot and then it would freeze but this week I got the blue screen of death and then a white screen of hell-NO! (read Yes Girl post) Did I ever write about my experience with the red screen of death? I absolutely cried walking out of a 2-hour appointment thinking I had lost my photos and videos from Dave’s birthday (and by Dave I mean Dave “God” Grohl) turned out in the last breath of my iPhone it was able to beam the album to the cloud and all was saved. Lesson to us all. Back up. Back up. Back up. ESPECIALLY during a Mercury Retrograde. OK? If you need help with solutions let me know in the comments and I will tell you my set up.

Technology failures aside it was a productive week, my calendar was full with a little bit of everything. This is my biggest challenge, keeping all the balls in the air and not on the floor, no one wants there balls on the floor. I moved into my new calendars plural, doesn’t everyone have more than one calendar? Oh c’mon I know I’m not the only one. Every year I buy the same calendar from Leather Gallery, I think I have blogged about it before, back in 2010 I played dump that bag you can see my 2010/2011 calendar there, I still have that calendar. What you don’t keep your calendar? Those are my journal stand ins. calendar. Two years ago I tried Day Designer (see Week 9) that was a flail and then last summer I ordered the first round of the Get To Work Book which I’m using buuuut I’m finding its only good when it revolves around one area/project, lets say the blog, or photography, so that’s now my Get Your Sh*t Together Book. If I keep at this weekly thing, its bound to make its way back onto this blog.

Here’s the tiny corner of my 2016 calendar. I had bought another gold one, then I realized it was my third year of using gold and that just didn’t feel right so when I saw a red I moved right in on that. Plus, its Year of the (Fire) Monkey and since I’m a Monkey, I need all the help I can get to survive the year and according to my Chinese Astrology sources the color red is a protector. I told my sister that I needed red stuff to wear this year but the catch was the red items had to be a GIFT, no run down to Target to buy out all the red socks or underwear.

Yeah not doing gold for the third year in a row.

Mental Health Day

I did it, I spent most of Wednesday doing nothing, well not nothing, not working, not balancing my checkbook, not answering email none of it. I’m thankful for the job that I have that allows me to be able to say you know what, today is a day that I’m going to settle into that couch and not get off until either my back starts spasming or I have to go get Super A from school. It was a glorious thing. I was able to start my next book The Prime (Prepare and Repair Your Body for Spontaneous Weight Loss) and do my 2016 tarot spread. I am partial to the Voyager deck if you’re curious. I pulled the Integrity card and saw the WTC and it took me a minute to move pass that.

Have you spotted the twin towers in a movie and found yourself gasping a little?

Me too.

I jumped on the scale and it hasn’t really changed, my midsection however is another story. Whadup late 40’s and no exercise.

Nothing fits the same anymore.

I’m going to get back into my practice of showing up on my mat.

I just need to figure out how that ball needs to be added.

Weekend shenanigans were made up of …

C1 Yoga, forgot mat and my sticky blanket had to “borrow” and spent the hour trying not to make full body contact with mat o’ germs

Healed myself my soul baking Crunchy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread (recipe of my own, will share soon)

Hit up Urban Outfitters & Anthro because shopping always makes me feel so shiny and new.

Looks at these Cassette Tape Cards from fracas studios – real tapes rescued and upcycled into a snail mail gift. Only problem better make sure your recipient also has a walkman.  Hum.

and I am looking for some new vinyl so I can redo my wall …

They have great poster art – go all the way to the back and you’ll find tubes and cello wrapped prints. Just add fame.

One of my favorite photographers Kevin Russ is a UO featured artist I see, I found his infamous photo “Street Walker.” I have this photo on my wall, you might have spotted it last week. I have three of his prints, but Street Walker remains a favorite, it will forever remind me of this space in time when Instagram ruled my world, if you use the photo editing App Afterlight you might remember when using a “Guest” filter it was Russ’ bison that was the tiny sample photo for all the filter samples.

Keeping a visual  diary of some inspiration of the interior kind like this lumbar pillow, not only was it overstuffed you could flip to reveal a metallic gold pattern on the other side. I think I’d like to redo my bedroom and add a touch of Bohemian. Who is this girl?

I discovered Trader Joe’s Raw Shelled Hemp Seeds – delish, all the nut meat no shell. So here is my typical breakfast, Coach’s Oats, Opal apples (non GMO, resist oxidation so guess what !? NO BROWNING – hello apples I can finally send to school that actually get eaten), walnuts and a dash of McCormick Apple Pie Spice.

I like big crusts and I can not lie

I made my first review on *Yelp, I have been avoiding it because it can be a real whine fest and although I do appreciate an honest review I think everyone sees things differently and objectivity may be on short order. But that said when a business is new and does a great job what better way to give it a bolster than a nice positive review.

…tried a new pizza place, Pizza 900 it was a little bit of a trek but this place was receiving 5 star reviews on *Yelp and the owner was personally replying back to each and every one of the reviews. For my local readers this place is REALLY good , wood fired Neapolitan pizza is their specialty. If you are a newby they will all cheer and yell “FIRST TIMER!!!” as the owner greets you. Super friendly staff and sparkly clean. My margherita pizza was mouthwatering delicious, the sauce so fresh, clearly made from scratch with a handful of ingredients. The owner will tell you they fly in the flour from Italy as well as the salt, and make there own mozzarella. All the fresh ingredients really shine in the unfussiness of their pizza and garlic bread, which is like a big toppingless pizza smothered in olive oil, garlic and spices and served with marinara or tomato basil for which I asked for seconds after wiping the first cup dry with my bread. I have only two issues with this place one, I would add some flavor (namely salt) to their crust, I was jonesing for a salt shaker. The crust texture is a great combo of crunch and chew although personally I like a touch of char with BIG ol’ crust bubbles. Second, the lighting, those overhead LEDs are harsh, I’d take then down 50% and consider a little redesigning of the dining area to give it a softer, more inviting feel to help it feel less cafeteria-ish. The upside to all that light, you can instagram your food easily.

The rest of the week just rolled right into the next and I am so far behind and late for work so lets just leave it at that.

Oh and Portlandia is back on, another thing I finally got on board with, I may have experienced my first ever Netflix & Chill with Fred & Carrie… this may have been me and my husband over New Years …

PS I’m headed to PDX in search of a good cup of coffee and a local sourced, organic, grass fed, free range, hand raised chicken with my Tofino group.

Did you see this video on Facebook this week?

bookmarked, tabs open and other stuff to read later

• Coaches Oats Cereal Cups
• 12 Signs Health Problems Actually Mean Magnesium Deficiency Symptoms
• David Maisel’s aerial photography book Oblivion
• Dax and Kristen Do Africa Toto Video  (and get fined for dancing on a reserve)
• Afterlight App for Windows PC
• Try Potato Chowder recipe by 101 cookbooks posted by @heidijswanson