Birthday weekend

Friday! My actual birthday

After getting off of work, I met up with Jenny for breakfast at Teavolve. Super good food and awesome company! 

And tea. which would be awesome except for the fact I always go there after work and before bedtime for me! So I had a mimosa (not pictured)

A good perk of working nights is being able to have awesome breakfasts. I never was a morning person ... but I love breakfast food so much! now I can get it for my dinner :)

 I was so annoyed and trying to make the glasses glare go away! ha! And spent a while playing with the white balance on my camera. 

 Jenny got me some awesome sunflowers! And yummie chocolate (not pictured). Discussed was our dislike of roses, tulips and daffodils, though we can't really picture them, and it may just be the name.

 Then we discussed cutting my hair and Jenny talked me into booking a haircut at sprouts!!! For that day! I always loved short hair - and the main reason I haven't cut it since I grew it out is because it was such a pain in the ass to grow out. It took me two years of living without owning a mirror to do it. However, I never was in love with my long hair like I love having short hair. but i kept forgetting that.

ah instagram, making awkward phone self portraits look good and artsy

Part of a resolution for my 32nd year of existence is to cook more and eat healthier. I did this through nursing school, and for the most part up until I switched to my new unit at work ... where working was more stressful, and I don't often get a chance to sit down and eat. I started eating more things like chips and salsa, popcorn, and generally easily prepared crap food, even when I got home from work. And by healthy I don't mean 'low fat blahblahblah' just more home cooked, balanced meals. To start this out I cooked a bunch for my birthday picnic i was having the next day! I made Mango Lassis, potato salad, some sort of asian noodle salad - which was a combo/mix and match of two recipes, kale chips, and a cucumber radish salad with a carrot yogurt dill sauce (this was the only one that turned out not awesome).  

Saturday! Birthday Picnic day!

So, I was so excited to have a picnic ... and then it was 103 with a heat index of A BAZILLION (ok probably not a bazillion, but it felt like it and i don't know the actual number)

 Sooo ... we had an indoor picnic! hurray! same good company and even capalanas on the floor, and good food! A lot of conversations about nursing, health care, and peace corps ensued.

 and vegetation.

 CAKE! made by jenny

 I don't think anything that anyone prepared was hot.

This produced a happy birthday girl (ie. the tiny lady)!

Reflections

Besides the food thing, what are my goals for my 32nd year? I want to continue improving my nursing skills at work. I feel like I've come a long way, but am still learning a lot. Besides that, I need to improve leaving work at work. Coming home and stressing about what I could have done differently, what I missed, what I forgot to pass on, etc. never helps me. And those days i just veg out once i get home, and unhappy. This past week I have been awesome at leaving work where it belongs. I've been productive once I got home, and happy. Of course, the work load has been lighter, and the true challenge of my resolve will be when I have those stressful days/weeks at work.

Today (sunday) I bought a lot of plants (yay!) that will hopefully live a long time - I have a new plant stand that I got from a consignment shop in Hamden. And when it is winter I now have a good plant room, that can be cat free! when I put the new plants in my house briefly while unloading then parking my car, the cats proceeded to eat several leaves and then throw up ... this was in roughly TEN minutes of having the plants unguarded.

But, I so have to start saving up! I've been spending a lot in the past month. I'm doing pretty well overall, but my rent just doubled (still very affordable though) since my roommate left, and I should start thinking about replacing my car in the next couple of years.

That's all for now I believe. Sala kwatsi