Good Times Had by All

July 8, 20112 Comments

What a week!

There is just SO much that I could tell you. Unfortunately, only about 10% of it might be of interest. The rest would leave you scared, annoyed and maybe a little bit hostile.

Cutting to the chase:

1.) Bryan’s brother Corbin arrived Monday morning!

Bryan and Corbin in Hawaii

Since it was the 4th of July, naturally we had made some plans including raftin and q-in. I had procured three spots for us on Matt’s boat and it was a BLAST. Our group included 5 boats, at least 2 cases of brews, tons of food, a platypus full a wine (pictured below) and of course, Holly brought her flask. I knew I was friends with her for a reason!

We Call it "The Platty"

After a thrilling day on the Hoback River, we came home and fired up the Q.

Bryan also prepared his delicious guacamole.

The candy dishes and glow sticks were courtesy of yours truly :-).

We grilled kabobs and hamburgers, had plenty of chips and dip, drank beers and OF COURSE ended the night with s’mores.

P.S Glow sticks from the Dollar Store suck.

Other haps of the week (unpictured unfortunately) were:

Floating Flat Creek with Bryan and Corbin intertube-style, mine popping on a rusty nail and being dragged downstream until I realized that I could stand up. #blondemoment.
Dinner at Trio. I had:

Enjoying Bryan’s delicious homemade pizza while watching “Due Date”. BTW, Robert Downey Jr. is getting cuter and cuter with age.
Drinks + Dinner at the Caddy and Nikai. So. Effing. Good.
Making this awesome girl’s Cake Batter Pizzert. Vegan, using spelt flour. How granola-ey of me huh?

Today is my day off! So I celebrated by making this for breakfast:

Bluebs, Organic Cinnamon Toast Cruch, Puffed Wheat and Almond Milk

Then I went up Snow King!

For all you who don’t live in Jackson Hole (most of you), Snow King is a ski resort but also the name of the mountain it sits on. It is located about 1 mile from town and makes for an excellent workout in the summer. The mountain starts at 6,237 feet and the summit is at 7,808. This means that hikers gain 1,571 feet of elevation in anywhere from 25-75 minutes. it takes me about 38-45 minutes to hike up (longer if I forget my ipod).

Today was so beautiful outside that I smartly remembered to grab my camera to show y’all what it looks like out there.

View from the bottom

Harses, harses, harses, harses…Anyone?

Heading Up

Wildflowers, 1/3 of the way up

Breaking a Sweat

Awesome Wyoming Fanny Pack

Taking the chair lift down

Purty

Wind on My Face

This hike always rocks my world a little bit. It’s short, but intense on the stems. To power through, I listened to hits from Glee and Mamma Mia! On the way down, I slowed things down a bit with Phoebe Snow (look her up) and also this song.

I’m such a Ringie.

Now, I am relaxing with a delicious Life Water, graham crackers and an Amanda Bynes movie (obv), while I mentally prepare for our kickball game at 6:30. Perhaps I shall bring along the camera tonight and capture the Kicking Mules (our team name) striving for victory? I vote yes.

June is Bustin Out All Over!

June 12, 2011October 1, 20152 Comments

All over the meadows and the hills!

Yes, I was in a musical review of Carousel at Spokane Falls Community College. “June is Busting Out All Over” depicts the amazing month of June and all the wonder it has to offer. Birds chirping, green meadows, flowers a’bloomin. However, this is not the case for poor Jackson Hole. This is the weather I have to look forward to next week:

Poopy, to say the least.

In order to overcome the scattered and isolated t-storms (such ugly words) you must either follow these rules or hike up yer skinny jeans, throw on the galoshes and say “bring it on June!”. This weekend was no exception.

Technically, my “weekend” began on Thursday since I’ve undergone a couple career changes and will now be full time at Elevated Grounds Coffee House. So freakin awesome, right?! What did I do to celebrate? Made cupcakes of course!! I was gifted this amazing mix a while back and decided to give it a try:

Sprinkles Cupcakes Mix

Not without my favorite apron of course:

For the mix, all you do is add eggs, milk, salt and vinegar. The kit also gives you a super easy recipe for cream cheese buttercream frosting and the signature Sprinkles adornments. The frosting contained cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, salt and vanilla. Here’s a shot of the naked cupcake:

Next, I put all the frosting into a Ziploc bag, snipped one corner and piped the frosting on. I’m such a pro ;-).

I’m Trying the Natural Light Thing!

I served these cupcakes with chicken souvlaki pitas and tzatziki. They were BOMB.

Homeade tzatsiki

We also enjoyed this bottle of wine given to me by Stacey and Zack, the lovely owners of Elevated Grounds. Notice the blend? SO fitting right?!

Friday:
I didn’t have to work and it was raining which meant doing hoards of laundry while watching The Price is Right. I was the epitome of a housewife, even though I am not married and consider dogs to be babies. I basked in my cliche.

After the laundry was folded, the floors were mopped and the vodka was gone, I decided it was time for exercise. So I threw on my stretchy pants and…watched a Lifetime Movie. Those things are pure danger. After “Deadly Whispers” (totes amazing) I hiked up High School Butte while listening to the Sweeney Todd Soundtrack and Justin Bieber. I was a hot + sweaty mess of a girl.

Then, Bry informed me that we had our first kick-ball game of the season. It’s true, B and I joined a kickball team for the summer. After you stop laughing, know this: people in The Hole, take their kickball UBER serious. Despite the fact that most participants are holding a PBR in a “Frankie Say Relax” beer coozy, folks can get seriously verklemped over this so-called P.E game.

Since I tend to take sports a little more lightly than most, it was easy for me to laugh and distribute high-5’s despite our pathetic 15-3 loss. The good news? I got on base, ran to third, wore cute pink sparkly knee socks and totally intimidated the other team like this:

Saturday:

Bryan had to work which meant another deliciously housewivey day. I kicked it off by doing sit ups while watching House Hunters in my jammies and socks. Does anyone else do this? I love the show but do tire of comments such as “This room would be great for entertaining” and “I was really hoping for granite counter-tops with an island”. Come on people! Old and funky is making a comeback. Along with coolots and stirrup pants (I promise).

After the rained cleared up a bit, I completed a 4 mile run along flat creek at an embarrassingly slow pace. But I’m trying not to focus on that :-). Again, I returned home a sweaty beast:

I ran in my fairly new Nike Lunar Lites.

These babies are great. I also wear custom orthotics since I have (and I quote from my P.T) “ridiculously flat feet” and they help enormously as well. Another cool aspect of this shoe is that it has the slot in the sole for the Nike+ chip.

From Nike:

How it Works

Simply place the Nike+ Sensor under the sockliner of your left Nike+ ready shoe and start running to sync it with your Nike+ SportWatch GPS, iPhone 3GS ® or other Nike+ tracking device. The sensor measures your pace, distance, time elapsed and calories burned. This information is transmitted wirelessly to your device for real-time feedback while you train.

I have the wristband and I love it.You can also create an account at Nike+ and see all your runs, challenge others and achieve goals by running more miles or faster paces. While the Nike+ may not be as accurate or as fancy as the popular Garmin, it is a huge motivator for anyone out there like me, who isn’t a “natural” runner and doesn’t want to spend $350 on the Garmin.

Wristband and Chip

After my epic run, I cooled off and waited for B to get off work.

Ice water + lemonade. Ignore the skis in the background.

After B got off, we ran some errands and then made the clutch decision to concoct mojitos. YUM.

Enjoyed on the Porch

A few were consumed:

Must re-paint nails

After 2 3 mojitos, a couple of Bryan’s friends arrived so I went inside, pounded a red velvet and watched “Bad Santa” on TV until I fell asleep with my mouth open. I hope they didn’t see me…

Sunday:

This morning we awoke to more rain so we promptly hit up the Red Box and got two movies (True Grit and Love and Other Drugs). We returned home and Bryan got to work making huevos rancheros. Seriously, best I’ve ever had.

Then we went down to the gym where I completed 20 minutes on the elliptical and a 20 minute interval workout on the dreadmill while watching “Hungry Girl” on the cooking channel.

I’m off to paint my nails teal.

So until next time – eat cupcakes, drink rum and have an awesome day!

A Spring in the Hole

May 26, 2011May 31, 201112 Comments

Is worth two in the bush! Am I right?!

Famous Pic of JH

The weather in Jackson is truly an anomaly. One day I find myself pulling out rainboots and a coat and the next I’m sparkling (because I DON’T sweat, I sparkle) at work in jeans and a tee. Then there are the days when it could go either way and I presumptuously opt for a more “springy” outfit and wind up walking around with snow in my ballet flats. My advice: Don’t force it people. If the weather looks sketch, sway towards practical instead of hopeful.

How do Jacksonites get through it?

1.) Drink. Whiskey.

Maybe out of a shotski, maybe not.

Shotski in Action

Carrie Underwood once said, “Right now, he’s prolly buyin her some fruity-little-drink cuz she can’t shoot the whiskey”. The girl she’s talking about? That’s me. I love m’gimmies. AND fruity-little-drinks.

*A shotski is basically an old ski that has shot glasses glued to it, allowing multiple people to take shots at the same time. The one pictured is made by Holly’s boyfriend Matt – this one is fold-able, has squishy cups AND a backstrap. Holla.

2.) Be active.

Me at a 5K in Richland, WA

People in Jackson are fit-beings. Of course, the occasional trailoricious person will sneak up on ya in the Browse n’ Buy (the thrift store I frequent), but they about as elusive as a college grad on Jersey Shore. By and large, a typical Saturday in the life of many Jacksonites reads something like this:

Wake up at 7 am.
Do not shower. Put on outfit consisting of Patagonia, Prana and Smart Wool.
If a man – trim beard. If a woman – trim beard. Hehe, jk.
Drink organic, sustainable, free trade coffee with steamed almond milk.
Purchase gourmet dog treats (also organic). Place treats in re-useable tote.
Consume Tram Bar. Fill Sigg.
Pack a modest bagged lunch purchased at Backcountry Provisions in Gregory backpack.
Be active WITH dog for 8 hours solid.
Meet friends for brews and re-live experiences of the day.
Shots of whiskey and subsequently consume a Billy’s Burger.
Pass out in your house with other 4 roommates and their dogs.

I don’t feel too bad about this one since I am an active gal myself. As Bryan once described it, my fantasy out-doors day would consist of “a long pancake hike (meaning no elevation gain) where we sleep in a quaint little cabin with a fireplace, hoards of candy, small dogs and a FULLY-stocked bar. The next day we make S-Bux Pike Place Roast and hike back out.” NAILED it honey. Sassafras for sheeez.

3.) Work y’ass off.

Since moving to Jackson, I’ve had more than my fair share of jobs. Cough-five-cough. In less than a year. What?! Gimme a break – None have involved flipping burgers, telemarketing or turning tricks – that’s the good news. However, I hate to inform you that I have partook in the following:

Re-filled enough iced teas to fill Oprah’s swimming pool.
Woke up at 5 am 5 out 7 days and worked for a horror of a human being (who shall remain nameless) and POOLED TIPS. I peaced the eff out of that hot mess after 1 month.
Tried to seat dozens of ravenous, horrible, snooty skiers who smelled like ham and cheese at a restaurant on a ski resort.

Holly and I Slaying Some Glassware

World's WORST uniforms - Hello Star Trek

And YES – Holly and I have worked at all the same places since we’ve moved here. Two peas in a pod, we are.

4.) Take a vaca.

Probably the smartest and most obvious way to avoid the Jackson-Spring-Blues is to travel. Most locals flee this town in the off-seasons and for good reason, taking trips all over the world. Between Bry and I – we’ve been to Costa Rica, Hawaii, Panama, Africa and Argentina during these off seasons. Traveling lends itself well to people who work F&B or hospitality jobs. Lots of people make oodles of dough during the busy tourist seasons and then live off those funds while abroad.

In Kroger National Park, South Africa

Bryan at Basecamp of Aconcagua

5.) HOPE

It’s a four letter word far more powerful than some of it’s relatives…well sometimes . Jacksonites hold out hope for summer for many reasons.

– Rafting on the Snake River. Cue whiskey and PBR.

White Wata

– Sitting on the balcony of the Town Square Tavern and making fun of tourists sporting cowboy hats and fanny packs watching the “shootout” on the town square.

So. Cheese.

– Targhee Bluegrass Fest, the Chicken Fry and THE FAIR.

Git It

– Climbing the Grand.

Bryan on the Summit of The Grand - Elevation 13,770 feet

– Hiking the many gorgeous trails.

Nice Face

– Watching Old Faithful shoot off in 60-70 minute increments (yes, that’s how often it goes off).

Mom and I with Yellowstone Park Rangers at Old Faithful

So there you have it. The perfect formula to persevere through the Jackson-Spring-Blues.

How do you get through gross Spring weather?

My First Jackson Hole Hike

April 10, 2011April 16, 2011Leave a comment

I moved to Jackson, Wyoming on May 30th of 2010 with my bestie Holly J. Coleman. People call it Jackson “Hole”. At first I totally made fun of living in “the hole”. How gross does that sound? Truth be told – it’s called Jackson Hole, because it is literally situated in a valley or a “hole”. Bible. Both of us had been living and working the career-gal life in Spokane but were ready to mix it up a bit. We were both just two average career-gals, sick of silly water-cooler banter, high heels, lattes, “Hang in There” kitten posters and were looking for a change of pace.

Holly & Me

We had visited Jackson in April, 2010 with our other bestie, Carey who had lived there for a few years and really loved it. She even opened a sweet coffee shop called Elevated Grounds, which both Holly and I now work at.

Elevated Grounds Coffee House

As soon as we returned home to Spokane, we knew for sure…we were moving to Jackson. Gimme mountains. Gimme green grass. Gimme gimme gimme a man after midnight, won’t somebody help me chase the shadows away? Whoops, that was ABBA – but you get the idea.

One month later we had done it! We landed safely in a little apartment, had jobs and were ready for the summer. Well, first I bought Chacos, then I was ready for the summer. Then Holly and I promptly went for a few shorter “baby” hikes to get to know the area.