Ramble about Marvel, Hiking, Bruises, Tumblr, and More

Hello Beautiful People!
How are you doing on this fantastic day?
I am feeling very ramble-y right now and I don't feel like packing, so I'm going to ramble at you.

I've been watching Marvel's Agent's of SHIELD since it began in the fall. Can I take a moment to point out how frustrating it is to never know if it is going to be on when you want it to be? I love the show. All of the characters have grown on me as the show has progressed, even Ward. I absolutely adore Agent Coulson (He is the reason for the show IMHO) and I think there should be more about Fury and the Agency in general. I get so frustrated when I turn on my TV on Tuesday nights and... it's the bachelor?!? Say what? Where's my Marvel fix? I need it! Last night I ended up watching The Avengers (again) and loved it (again), but I was really looking forward to a re-run, if not a new episode. Next week there is a new episode, and I can't wait to find out what happened to Skye. Coulson is so quietly kick-butt and suit ninja that he should get awards for being so awesomely non-descript.

On a completely unrelated note: I have a bruise on my left knee from hitting it on the seat in front of me on the plane ride back to New Orleans. Seriously! And, because I'm a klutz and our dishwasher door hinge is broken, I totally dropped the door on my left shin, so I look like I have fallen down a staircase or something. Also, it is not ok to ask people if they realize they have bruises all over their legs. Yes, I noticed. Yes, they have been there for a while. Yes, they are going away. No, I don't have a blood problem. No, it's not because I'm a vegan. I have always bruised easily and darkly because my skin is very pale. I get really frustrated when people comment on my bruises. I run into tables, chairs, doors, car doors, bath tubs, and (apparently) dishwashers on a regular basis. I am super distractible. I don't always watch where I'm going. This is why I keep twisting and spraining my ankles. So, please stop commenting on my bruised legs. I know they are there. I don't need reminding.

I am heading up to North Carolina over Mardi Gras and I'm super excited about finally getting to drive my own car again instead of my Dad's. While I'm up there, I hope to do some hiking, so don't be surprised if I am walking more in the next few Walk to Mordor updates. I also will try to take more pictures and post them. I love taking pictures of nature. It is one of the things I absolutely adore about being in North Carolina. Our house is pretty far away from town and it is nice to listen to the frogs, crickets, cicadas, deer, and raccoons as they go about their daily lives. It is super scary when you hear coyotes, wolves, and bears going about their lives, so I try not to listen too hard for them. Or maybe listen hard and make a hasty retreat in the other direction. I love taking pictures of flowers and trees up close. I love the textures and they way light dapples on organic matter through a tree canopy. I hope one day to get a nice camera and take pictures with that, but at the moment, I just have my camera phone and an old camera from a few years ago that drains batteries in an hour.

Hiking is something my family does together and has done for as long as I can remember. I'm not very good at it, and I don't always find it particularly fun, but I do enjoy the view from the top of a mountain. And nothing feels better than sucking cold crisp mountain air into your lungs after a steep hike up a rocky slope with the wind at your back and the sun on your face. I hope to get in better shape in the summer to be able to hike some day hikes on the Appalachian trail. We have done some short stints before, but not in recent years, and I would greatly enjoy trying them again. The two things that can make a nice hike turn into a nightmare are blisters and thunderstorms. Anything else you encounter is just a blip in the bigger scheme of things. Blisters can absolutely destroy a hike. They are usually caused by 3 things:
1. New shoes. Always make sure you have broken in your shoes around the house and on shorter walks before taking them on a 7 mile hike.
2. Ill fitting shoes/ socks. If your foot moves up and down in your shoe against the heel, you will get a blister, no matter how thick your hiking socks may be. The same goes with socks. If they are loose enough to cause material to wad up at the toe or heel, you will get blisters. Wear a double layer of socks to prevent blisters: thin close to your foot, thick as an outer sock. (this is what I do for ballet instead of taping my toes).
3. Walking too much without proper preparation. If you decide one day to walk 25 miles when you have only ever walk 5 miles in a day prior to this decision, you will have blisters by the end of the day (if you make it to the end of the day... 25 miles is tough). In ballet, we rub our toes with rubbing alcohol to create a tougher skin barrier on places that would normally get blisters. These tough skin patches are not pretty to look at, but they also aren't a bloody mess when you take your shoes off at the end of the day.
Ways to help if you have blisters on a hike: band aids, moleskin, and pain killer.

Thunderstorms. They will kill your hike. You don't want to be on an exposed cliff when lightning and 50 mph winds are scaring you to death. Try to hike early in the day during the summer so you won't get caught in daily afternoon storms. Carry a poncho with you or a tarp to cover your pack. Carry extra socks and shoes and a change of clothes and towels in your car for when you return. You don't want to be driving an hour with squelchy shoes and mud seeping into your car's leather seats. Also, those with lower body fat percentages need to make sure they regulate their body temperature so as not to get hypothermic.

So. I am excited about being in North Carolina this next week. I'm a little sad that I'll be missing my time at the gym with Meagan, but I will be back soon enough. Talking about Meagan... Meagan started a blog everybody! Go check it out here! She is going to chronicle her journey to her black belt. I can't wait to read more!

Also, I started a tumblr. I usually reblog things about veganism and recipes. Feel free to check it out. I have found some fun pictures of animals and trees on there as well. Maybe I'll post some of my own!

That's it for now. I really do have to go pack for my trip. Let me know what you think about my rambles and blog posts in general. I would love some feedback so I know what to talk about in the future.

Trip to New York

Visiting New York and my friend Sara.
(Warning! Picture heavy at the end!)

 

As I said in my last post about Mordor, I was in New York City for a few days. My good friend Sara, whom I have mentioned several times on this blog, invited me to be a witness in her wedding. I was honored to go and see my friend (it had been over 2.5 years since we had last seen each other!) and witness her wedding.

 

While in New York, we ate. A LOT. And it was wonderful good food. Here are my reviews of the foods I got at several restaurants:

 

Peacefood Café:

 

I went to Peacefood Café twice on my trip. The first night, Sara and I walked there to meet Euntaek, her then fiancée, and his friend Christine. It is a fun, small, vegan restaurant on Amsterdam Ave at 82nd street. Sara and I both had the raw lasagna. I had the other Caesar salad and Sara had the quinoa salad. The lasagna was layers of beautiful flavored mushrooms, zucchini, and tomatoes with a kick of basil and nutty walnut cheese. The salad was crisp and light with just the right amount of dressing: enough to cover the leaves, but not enough that it would run or drip when eaten. The smoked tempeh tasted just like the turkey bacon I used to eat in high school and the croutons were delightfully crunchy. Euntaek had the Mushroom Panini and Christine had the Roasted Japanese Pumpkin Sandwich and they both seemed to like them a great deal. We all split a side of chickpea fries with a very rich dipping sauce.

The second trip was on Saturday morning. Sara, Euntaek, and I went around 10:30 and it wasn't nearly as packed as Thursday night. We all ordered the Scrambled Tofu with Home Fries, (which also came with lettuce that tasted super great paired with the tofu). The fries were seasoned with rosemary and salt and everything was served at a fantastic temperature. I also ordered a mango lassi that had the perfect combination of soy yogurt and cardamom that blended with the mango seamlessly. I hadn't had a mango lassi in years, and I was so excited to receive such a wonderful vegan one! Euntaek also drank a smoothie, but I don't remember which one (it was purple). Lastly we ordered cookies. I really wanted an oatmeal raisin cookie, but they were out, so I got the double chocolate cookie. It was a little dry for my tastes, but was wonderfully chocolaty.

In all, I would highly recommend this restaurant and I hope to go back and try more foods on their menu.

 

Blossom (in Chelsea):

 

Blossom is a vegan restaurant that we went to after Sara and Euntaek's wedding. The menu was varied and had many options I wanted to try, so it was hard to make a decision. Sara and I ended up sharing a spinach mushroom and pine nut ravioli in cashew cream and a BLT with fried tofu and tempeh bacon with a side green salad. The ravioli was a dream. Cheese is the one non-vegan thing I still get massive cravings for. The cashew cream on this ravioli was so thick and delectable that it satisfied any craving I'll probably have for at least a month. It came with four ravioli the size of my palm and a little cherry tomato on top. It was really spectacular. The BLT was good, but could have used more of the chipotle aioli because the bread was a little dry. The green salad was a pretty basic green salad, but nice. What really sold me on this place was the desert. I had the chocolate ganache that came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of peanut butter sauce. It was heaven on a plate. This super filling desert was rich, dense, creamy, and cold; just what I wanted. The service was a little slow at times, but overall it was a fantastic experience.

 

Café Grumpy (W 20th Street):

 

This little coffee shop was super crowded when we headed there before we ventured on to lunch at Blossom. It was a little cramped for  five of us in the back room, but we managed to fit around a tiny table and have a nice chat. I didn't have any of the pastries because I didn't want to ruin my appetite for lunch, but I did have a white peach blossom tea which was lovely. The front room of the café had a lot of character with the exposed pipes and brick walls. The back room was a little more sterile with different styles of artwork arranged around the room.

 

Grom (On Broadway):

 

Grom is an Italian based gelato company. Pear Sorbet is probably one of the best sorbets I have ever tasted. I tend to get sorbets at all the restaurants I go to because they are usually the only vegan deserts that I can order. Not many places serve pear sorbet though, and this was one of the best sorbet's I've ever had. (The best was a blood orange sorbet I got at this awesome place in Freiburg, Germany.) I loved that the vegan options had a little (v) next to them, so I was able to easily choose the foods I could eat. It is very filling and satisfying. The small is perfect for a snack.

 

Hummus Place (On Amsterdam):

 

This was another great place to eat! I had the falafel sandwich. Euntaek and Sara had this really cool looking tomato egg cheese dish and we shared baba ganoush, hummus, and grapeleaves. Falafel is yummy! It was a great atmosphere even though it was a little crowded. 

 

We did do somethings besides eating. That included shopping!  We went shopping in Sephora and sara got and awesome lipstick/lip stain that was a beautiful bright red that went well with her skin tone. I didn't get anything because I'm trying to use up all the makeup I already own. I did however end up buying done henna and we put it in my hair.That was an adventure. It took several tries, but we finally got the right color. I really love it!  

 

We also went on a walk through central park and by the Met.

At the Met

Looking at the beautiful rainbow

It's the Bifrost!

Me in Central Park. Look at my new skinny jeans!

In Central Park

Sara and I love to be out in the sun!

Totally looking like a dancer in that fifth position

Yay! The Met again!

After the first application of Henna

After second application of henna

I love this new color

It even goes well with my glasses

close up of the color



We walked around town so much while we were there. I walked almost 10 miles on Friday! I was so glad that I had my fitbit so I was able to see how much I actually walked. I also lost a few pounds just from walking around so much. I can't imagine anyone being really overweight in NYC if you end up walking around as much as we did. I did end up having to go back home. (ugh, flying is not so fun... so cramped in those seats) but I'm super glad that I was able to see my friend and have a great trip!

Sara with her flowers

The buffalo tofu I got at La Guardia. It was super tasty but upset my tummy... curse you buffalo sauce of doom!

Update Walk to Mordor 20 and 21

Update: Walk to Mordor Weeks 20 and 21

Week #___20___ Day ___7-8____ WTR Goals: Mileage__10____ Weight _less_____

Starting Weight	Current Weight	Goal Weight	Projected Goal Date	Day
270	270.7	175	2017	7-8

Date	Activity	Duration Miles	Beginning Mileage	Ending Mileage	Location*
2/9	walk	1.94	117.34	119.28	Ride north through a gap.
2/10	walk	4.70	119.28	123.98	Reach dike and hedge. Former boundary of Cardolan, part of the North Kingdom of Arnor.
2/11	walk	9.09	123.98	133.07	Return to Great East Road (ca.5:30). Tom departs. Strider sees them, but hides.
2/12	Walk	3.13	133.07	136.2	Reach Bree. Stay at The Prancing Pony. Meet Strider. Ponies stolen during night. Day 8 (first from Bree) Leave Bree on East Road (ca. 9:30 a.m.).
2/13	Walk	1.26	136.2	137.46
2/14	Walk	3.19	137.46	140.65	Leave road and head north into Chetwood. No living things all day.
2/15	walk	.84	140.65	141.49
Totals	This week:	24.15	Total:	141.49

Week #___21___ Day __8-10_____ WTR Goals: Mileage___30___ Weight __?____

Starting Weight	Current Weight	Goal Weight	Projected Goal Date	Day
270	270.8	175	2017	8-10

Date	Activity	Duration Miles	Beginning Mileage	Ending Mileage	Location*
2/16/2014	walk	4.95	141.49	146.44
2/17	walk	3.96	146.44	150.4	Camp in Chetwood, east of Archet. Day 9 Head east. Ground dropping slowly. Quiet and peaceful.
2/18	walk	2.14	150.4	152.54
2/19	walk	2.35	152.54	154.89
2/20	walk	4.78	154.89	159.67
2/21	walk	9.82	159.67	169.49	Camp in eastern Chetwood. Day 10 Come out of the Chetwood.
2/22	walk	8.00	169.49	177.49	Ground becomes damp. Entering western edge of Midgewater Marshes.
Totals	This week:	36	Total:	177.49

Hey everybody! I just got back from a wonderful trip to New York City to see my wonderful friend Sara! I'm going to post later about the wonderful time I had there, but I wanted to mention it because you can see that I walked almost 10 miles on the 21st and I usually don't walk that much on the weekends. I really don't like walking on pavement. Walking on dirt is fine. Walking on grass is fine. Walking on tree roots is fine if I watch where I'm going. Pavement, on the other hand, makes my back feel horrible when I'm trying to go to sleep.

 

Anywho... I haven't been going to the gym as much as I should (only once or twice a week) and I need to do that more. I'm heading up to North Carolina over Mardi Gras and I want to be able to hike with my dad. My ballet teacher broke her leg last week and I'm not sure if I'm going to have class this week or not. I don't think she is supposed to be doing too much on her leg, but I know she goes nuts when she can't teach.

 

I'm super excited that I have made it to day 10 of my journey with Frodo. I have now parted ways with Tom Bombadil, which is sad, and met Strider in Bree. I feel so accomplished having walked over 175 miles in just a few months. I am very glad that I got my fitbit Flex so I can track how much I am really walking compared to how far I thought I was walking.

 

I will try to post sometime in the next few days about my trip to NYC! Until then:

Be Strong. Be Healthy. Go Vegan!