10 Reasons To Be Glad It’s Spring

Did you know yesterday was the first day of spring?

I did and if I had been planning ahead, I would have posted this yesterday.  Planning ahead instead of say, Googling chronic tiredness and then trying to convince everyone that I have a rare condition where I dream too much and all the energy my brain is using to create such vivid dreams is making me tired instead of allowing sleep to be restorative.  Oh dear, I’ve said too much.

Anyways.  It’s now spring!  And I don’t know if it was my trip to the sunny and eternally summer-like state of Arizona or the two days of 70 degree weather we had a couple of weeks ago, but I am ready for spring and here’s 10 reasons why.

1. The return of hiking season.

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My sister and I were just lamenting about the fact that last St. Patrick’s Day we were out on a hike in Boulder.  This year, it’s a week past St. Patrick’s Day and there’s snow in the forecast.  I’m ready to feel the pain and exhaustion of a good hike, which always feels like I’ve never exercised in my life.  I want that feeling.

2. Baseball!

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Rockies Opening Day is so soon.  They put out their new commercials yesterday and they just made me want to be friends with the whole team.  Fingers crossed for a better season than last year.

3. Spring birthdays.

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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.  I love other peoples’ birthdays!  All the celebrating but none of the center of attention-ness.

4. Fresh spring flavors and meals.

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And by that I specifically mean tacos.  Oh so many tacos.  But also fresh asparagus, light salads and sweet fruit.  Warm hearty comfort foods make winter taste oh so delicious, but I’m so ready for something a little brighter.

5. Trips to the Farmers’ Market.

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And all the expensive produce that I am suddenly convinced I need when I am there.  In similar but not-exactly-related news, I really want to sign up for a spring/summer/early autumn CSA this year!  I spent some time yesterday doing some farm research and have a few picked out that I need to debate over and then that part where I convince Joey to shell out a big lump sum for vegetables.

6. Spring blossoms.

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Apart from turning leaves, is there anything more breathtaking than freshly blossoming trees?  Not to mention that sweet delicious smell they produce.  The white ones are beautiful but the pinkish purple ones?  My favorite!

7. Easter.

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And all the brunching, family bonding and Easter egg hunting that comes with it.

8. The arrival of the Bolder Boulder. 

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Actually I am terrified for “America’s Best 10K” because I feel I might die every time I’m done running 3 miles, which is in fact only half the distance of a 10K.  Thank goodness it’s a race where walking, keg-standing and slip-n-sliding is highly encouraged.

9. Our family trip to Vegas. 

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This is not a picture of Vegas.  This is a picture of alcohol, which we will consume in Vegas.  And my sister will finally be able to do this legally.  Because she’s turning 21 in April.  Yay!

10. It’s not winter! 

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And I will celebrate any season that isn’t winter.

Happy 2nd Day of Spring!

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What part of spring are you most excited about?

What’s your favorite spring meal?

Have you ever self-diagnosed yourself with a rare condition after doing too much Googling?  Still just me on that one?

St. Patrick’s Day Weekend Things

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

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Right now, I am so full of corned beef and cabbage, green beer and marbled cheesecake brownies that I don’t think I can move from my couch.  Good thing blogging requires me to do just that; sit on the couch and not move.  Other than eating too much green and Irish food, I can’t say my St. Patrick’s Day hasn’t been too wild or crazy.  It’s actually been more productive than anything.  Checking things off my to-do list left and right.

Celebrate the arrival of a new Cooking Light magazine by reading it cover to cover.  Check!

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Who else is excited for fresh spring food?

Have a successful driving lesson.  Check!

Confession: I can’t drive stick.  Which I feel is such a basic skill and something I should know how to do.  Especially since Joey drives a stick shift and if I ever had to I wouldn’t be able to drive us in it.  I only drove around the neighborhood, but I actually did pretty good.  The real test is when someone is behind me — pressure is on then.

Watch Beetlejuice because a certain someone has never seen it.  Check!

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Dayo, daaaaaayo.  I hadn’t seen this movie in years but 1. Alec Baldwin is so young! 2. What happened to Michael Keaton?  He is awesome in this movie! 3. What is with the plot of this movie?  It is so all over the place!  Okay, enough exclamation points.

Finish up some vacation reading.  Check!

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I had no idea The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was a short story.  I never liked the movie, but I have newfound appreciation for it, now that I’ve read the original.  Whoever came up with the storyline for that film really had to expand from what Fitzgerald gave them.  I just wish they had expanded it quite so much.  Longest movie ever.

See a late night 3D Imax movie for $16 a piece.  Check!

Movie prices these days are crazy!  Oz (or whatever it’s called) wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t really worth that much money either.

Refill our super sad and empty fridge.  Check!

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If only beer was food, huh?

File my taxes.

My mom likes to baby me and has always done it for me (I swear I really did try to do it myself last year and she took over!) but I actually sat down and did it start to finish all by myself this year.  Turns out it’s super easy and it feels like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

Bottle beer #4.  Check!

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We’re slowly but surely getting a handle on the brewing/bottling thing and basically flew through it on Saturday.  Basically.  It still takes some time and cleaning a carboy that had beer sitting in it for two weeks isn’t on my list of favorite things to do, but that’s why I leave that part to Joey.

Deep clean entire apartment.  Check!

I feel that my hands may never be clean again.

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day the traditional way.  Check!

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Feel super full all night long.  Uh, I think we covered that one.

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Did you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?

Have you filed your taxes yet?

Can you drive a stick shift?