Pinterest, huh?

  An interesting way to post pics and info of stuff that I covet dig?  Why, yes!  Methinks I will, please and thank you.  Like I need another mindless interweb thing to play with...  Oh, well.  I gave up a couple other sites, so this I can fit in.  'Tis fun.

Weekend warriors!

That's some kick-ass terrain to run on!

We've had some busy productive weekends lately!  Running, beer brewing and bottling, chopping down trees, construction, and school functions...to the point that I'm craving a few hours to just  snuggle on the couch with the cats and a good book on my Nook.  But I'm NOT complaining!!!!  A couple weeks ago, I challenged myself to running 8.5 miles on our hilly road (see photo above).  I'm training to run a 5k, a 1/2 marathon, and possibly a full marathon this summer.  The most I've run on these hills is 6 miles and i wanted to see if I could take it up a notch.  Miles joined me on the run and had planned to head back home after a few miles while I finished the run.  He ran the 8.5 with me and  at that point I was still feeling pretty strong so I decided to tack on an extra route.  We kissed goodbye and I started down a hill...it wasn't more than 10 ten seconds before Miles yelled out, "wait up!  I'm gonna do it, too!"  Being the stronger runner, I was SO happy and proud that he pushed himself with me on that last leg of the run!  By the end of it I was definitely ready to be done!  When we got home I hopped in the car to track to mileage of our run.  It turned out that we ran 11.5 miles that day!  My longest run yet!  I'm feeling pretty happy with my endurance and will... and confident in my ability to run a half marathon right now!
Now might be a good time to update folks on how things have been going for me over the last year running in minimalist shoes.  I am still LOVING my Vibram 5 Finger toe shoes...but it's been a rocky transition.  I'm going to just cut and paste a message I sent to a knowledgeable runner that I admire, detailing my experience these last months with the VFFs- as well as what I felt on this 11.5 mile run.  But I will use this in a second post today so that this one isn't so long.

Miles going up...

Dana going down....

Ewwwwwwwww!!!!

Previous night's
healthy fuel

Previous night's
healthy fuel
 made not so healthy! 

After months at a standstill, we finally started up work on the new addition again and got our main interior wall finished! I was MANICALLY happy to be out there pounding nails! Next weekend we'll be erecting the last 2 small walls and then it's on to powering up the room with electrical.  Slow progress is better then NO progress and I am filled with glee when I get to don my manly tool belt!

Workin on that wall...

BREW-A-THON 2012!

Our brew...mmmmmm hops.....

...And I was sick.  :(
Yesterday was  National Homebrew Day-  "Brew-A-Thon" for the Anchorage area Great Northern Homebrewers.  At 8 am in the morning many nutters brewers hauled their brewing rigs to a fellow member's property and set up stations to commence concocting mucho batches of tasty beers.  Together outside in the Alaska spring (overcast, breezy, 40-ish degrees).   Miles and I brewed a Black Imperial IPA. Our second shot at improving the first one we brewed a while back.  It was a friendly festive climate with food, instruction for newbies and most folks brought homebrews to share throughout the day.  All we needed was some live music!  The gig was fun, I think, but...poor 'ol me...I woke up with rocks stuffed in my chest, a headache and a scratchy throat.  I spent the time just trying to stay warm.  I was so chilled and feelin' sucky that I wound up zonking out in the truck like a homeless person.  I was pretty useless....sorry, Hunny.  And I was very NOT into tasting much beer.  Not happy, me.  And looks like running is out for the weekend.  Meeeeeeeeeeehhhhh....
But here's some pics of the brew fest...

The 8 am GNBC toast

This guy is a sweetheart!

One of the nifty all-grain set ups!

Our rig

Ginger for their honey-ginger ale

Willa grooving on the Iodophor funkiness!

One way to cool your wort...

Tasting table

A week-ish in Facebook posts

April 13

~Um.....Miles made burgers for dinner. With chopped up bacon in them. Mucho delish! But.......I think I'm gonna puke noW......

April 14

~Early run with Miles to work off those greasy, heinous, puke-worthy burgers we ate last night!!!! SO not worth it, the way my body feels today. Looking forward to a glorious salad later....

~Ahhhh....blessed, blessed coffee.... Run done, now heading out to retrieve the Great Northern Brewer's Club Brew Russian Imperial Stout that we helped brew. Aged in both brandy and oak barrels...we'll be bringing home 5 gallons!!!!!!!!

April 19

~"I don't run away from a challenge because I am afraid. Instead, I run toward it because the only way to escape fear is to trample it beneath your feet." -Nadia Comaneci

April 20

~I'VE GOT WOOD!!!! But the idiots delivered it to the WRONG house... Guess we'll be getting a workout tonight by hauling it all back to our driveway by hand. FINALLY getting the interior wall started! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Delivered to the WRONG fucking property, of course.  Hello? Some ass-hat enjoying 4:20 apparently felt this yet to be poured foundation was ready for framing?!? What did he think this wee pile of INTERIOR wood was going to become?!?!?  Rant over.

~Taste testing the 49er Brown.....Oh, day-um!!! Clean, dry...no overwhelming malt coating the tongue...wonderfully balanced! up next? The Renaissance Trappist Ale! ........

Here's my Chocolate bock .  We finally taste tested it against the Sam Adams version. Mine is better(The lighter colored beer), methinks! Lighter, happier on the tongue, and more of the chocolate and vanilla coming through..without the coated tongue feel. 'Taint a bad beer!

~Oh, LAWS, yes!!!!! Seductive elixer!!! We decided to brew another batch just on the nose alone! haden't even had a sip yet!The Trappist RAWKS!!!! A bit green, but...... A delightful dance of flavors on the tongue....nice loooooooong finish! Some sweet overtones yet dry overall. This stuff is gonna KILL once it ages and mellows. Down into the crawl space with ye, demon drink!!!!!

~

Sunday April 23

~Sweet day! Hours of photo editing done...FAST run as the sky was clearing....AND WE GOT THE FRAMING OF OUR INTERIOR WALL ALMOST DONE!!!!!! Finally, PROGRESS on the new addition! We are imbibing in the porter and brown beers Miles unearthed from the bowels of the crawl space. The porter is over 10 years old and the brown, 12!!!! The porter that we HATED 10 years ago has aged AMAZINGLY! Shit is the BAwLS!!!!!

~Blend of reds in the glass....rack-o-lamb on the grill, roasted po-tay-toes Bitches!!!!!!

Monday April 24

~Tacked on a "little extra" to my run today and realized it was about 2 more miles! That makes a 7 miler for me today! Calves are a bit sore...we'll see how they feel in the morn. Mojito chicken tonight!

WHAT ABOUT PROM?!?!?!

I always think about Molly Ringwald screaming at Blane about prom in Pretty In Pink when I hear the word "prom".  Random, I know.
Anyhoo!
Our little girl had her Junior Prom on Saturday: "Silver Screen Sensations".  She and the other student government kids worked tirelessly to make this a fabulous night for the juniors and seniors.  While she was critical of how it went down, the feedback has been great!  Wish I could have seen it for myself-hopefully some photos will be coming in.
Dylan and her friend Katie let me tag along with them to the salon and later to their friends houses to take some prom "group" shots.  It was a lot of fun watching this excited bunch getting ready.  Everyone looked so grown up.....~sniff~....it all goes by SO fast.....it hurts.

Our amazing stylist had the girls looking so classy and gorgeous!  (Well, they already are gorgeous!)

OMG!!!  FINALLY the tallest in the bunch!!!!  ;P

Rant:  HATING on the straight brim hats!!!!!

I LOVE YOU, GIRLIE!!!!!   Silly spirit....

My contribution to the prom's decor:  Two 3x4 ft canvases showcasing the 2 stars of the day