Chuki has really really dry skin. We all do actually because there's just about no moisture here in the air in the Andes. In the past we've given him oatmeal baths to help but this time he's just itching himself raw. We've checked with the vet and it's not fleas or ticks or anything, it's just dry skin. So my mission today is to find a remedy that we can do here at home, that's cheap and that's safe! I'll let you know what I find out!
MULUB,
Taylor
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Project Number 2 - Day 22 (Wednesday)
So my morning class has been canceled since Wednesday until Monday. It's kind of nice to be able to lounge around in bed all morning. And by kind of nice I mean really nice. As I write this I'm laying in bed, window open, sun shining, Chuki sleeping. The only thing that would make this better would be breakfast in bed, but alas. I'll have to get up to make that happen.
Yesterday Ryan and I enjoyed our last breakfast at the table on the deck. It was our last at the table because last night we sold it! That's right, the actual selling of things has begun. WOW! We still have two chairs and I'm going to bring one of the end tables out there so we can still enjoy meals outside during the ever-getting-better weather. For breakfast we both had yogurt, granola, strawberries, 1/2 of a banana and peanut butter. SO SO GOOD! I know some people love oatmeal every morning but for me oatmeal is heavy. It's best on a cold, grey day. But yogurt, that's what you eat for breakfast when the sun is shining! We both also had a cup of coffee. I'm trying to cut back, hoping that will help with these blasted headaches. I'll keep you posted.
I ate lunch in two parts yesterday. Part one - soup before I left for class. Part two - an egg sandwich when I got home from class. We LOVE egg sandwiches. On mine I had mayo, tomato, greens (a mix of cabbage, swiss chard and spinach), mozzarella cheese, and 2 scrambled eggs. Ryan had the same except 2 fried eggs and he added sausage to his. Weird, I know.
For dinner we made together (it's been a long time since we've cooked together!) fried rice. We've got tons of veggies for some reason and fried rice is a great way to use em up. We sauteed onions, peppers, cabbage, peas, garlic and ginger. Added the rice. Added some asian sauces (soy sauce and oyster sauce, I think). Cracked two eggs over it and cooked on high heat until it started to get crunchy. SO SO GOOD!
I noticed that because I ate three square meals, perfectly sized and full of protein, I wasn't hungry at all! It was fabulous! Especially because I ran sprints again yesterday which really takes it out of me!
I have an addition to what I ate on Tuesday - I completely forgot that Ryan and I had ice cream on our way home from the immigration office.
Yesterday Ryan and I enjoyed our last breakfast at the table on the deck. It was our last at the table because last night we sold it! That's right, the actual selling of things has begun. WOW! We still have two chairs and I'm going to bring one of the end tables out there so we can still enjoy meals outside during the ever-getting-better weather. For breakfast we both had yogurt, granola, strawberries, 1/2 of a banana and peanut butter. SO SO GOOD! I know some people love oatmeal every morning but for me oatmeal is heavy. It's best on a cold, grey day. But yogurt, that's what you eat for breakfast when the sun is shining! We both also had a cup of coffee. I'm trying to cut back, hoping that will help with these blasted headaches. I'll keep you posted.
I ate lunch in two parts yesterday. Part one - soup before I left for class. Part two - an egg sandwich when I got home from class. We LOVE egg sandwiches. On mine I had mayo, tomato, greens (a mix of cabbage, swiss chard and spinach), mozzarella cheese, and 2 scrambled eggs. Ryan had the same except 2 fried eggs and he added sausage to his. Weird, I know.
For dinner we made together (it's been a long time since we've cooked together!) fried rice. We've got tons of veggies for some reason and fried rice is a great way to use em up. We sauteed onions, peppers, cabbage, peas, garlic and ginger. Added the rice. Added some asian sauces (soy sauce and oyster sauce, I think). Cracked two eggs over it and cooked on high heat until it started to get crunchy. SO SO GOOD!
I noticed that because I ate three square meals, perfectly sized and full of protein, I wasn't hungry at all! It was fabulous! Especially because I ran sprints again yesterday which really takes it out of me!
I have an addition to what I ate on Tuesday - I completely forgot that Ryan and I had ice cream on our way home from the immigration office.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Project Number 2 - Day 21 (Tuesday)
Yesterday...
Breakfast - Coffee and a piece of bread
Lunch - Almuerzo which included shrimp soup, rice, a tiny salad, and chicken. Plus some very yummy juice.
Snack - Yogurt with oatmeal, strawberries, a banana and peanut butter.
Dinner - Curry Rice Salad. If you've never had rice salad I suggest you make it soon. Last night our rice salad was served over a bed of spinach, swiss chard and cabbage. Drizzled with oil and vinegar, salt and pepper. In the rice salad I put peas, green beans, onions, green peppers and dried cranberries. Combine that with the rice and whatever dressing you like (I used a curry dressing, similar to chicken curry salad). And eat! It's super filling and a good way to get rid of some of the veggies that might be on the verge of going bad.
For dessert we each had a bowl of yogurt, strawberries and granola (and mine had peanut butter) while we watched a couple episodes of LOST.
Breakfast - Coffee and a piece of bread
Lunch - Almuerzo which included shrimp soup, rice, a tiny salad, and chicken. Plus some very yummy juice.
Snack - Yogurt with oatmeal, strawberries, a banana and peanut butter.
Dinner - Curry Rice Salad. If you've never had rice salad I suggest you make it soon. Last night our rice salad was served over a bed of spinach, swiss chard and cabbage. Drizzled with oil and vinegar, salt and pepper. In the rice salad I put peas, green beans, onions, green peppers and dried cranberries. Combine that with the rice and whatever dressing you like (I used a curry dressing, similar to chicken curry salad). And eat! It's super filling and a good way to get rid of some of the veggies that might be on the verge of going bad.
For dessert we each had a bowl of yogurt, strawberries and granola (and mine had peanut butter) while we watched a couple episodes of LOST.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Project Number 2 - Day 20 (Monday)
Alright yesterday...
For breakfast I ate a banana and coffee.
For lunch I ate soup and a piece of bread.
For snack I ate 3 candies on the bus because I was dying! And then 3 chocolate (from my students).
For dinner Ryan made this amazing chicken and rice with mango chutney! He's a really great cook!
For breakfast I ate a banana and coffee.
For lunch I ate soup and a piece of bread.
For snack I ate 3 candies on the bus because I was dying! And then 3 chocolate (from my students).
For dinner Ryan made this amazing chicken and rice with mango chutney! He's a really great cook!
Project Number 2 - Day 19 (Sunday)
I realize this is a day late but I told you what I ate already... Here it is just in recap mode...
Breakfast - coffee
Lunch - Juice, cevichochos, 1/2 of a pincho
Dinner - Coconut and passionfruit chicken over rice
Breakfast - coffee
Lunch - Juice, cevichochos, 1/2 of a pincho
Dinner - Coconut and passionfruit chicken over rice
What a day...
So no visa! We have to return on Friday miraculously with $1000 in a bank account for each of us. From what I understand we'll be canceling our student visas and extending our original tourist visas. Who really knows?! All I know is that it's always frustrating to wait for 3 hours and not have anything to show for it. Also, um I have $32 in my bank account. That might be a slight problem. We're working on a solution hopefully with inlingua, and if that doesn't work, we'll be knocking on some familiar doors =). Oh the joys of living abroad. I must say I hate these sort of things. Visas, rent agreements, moving, importing a dog, etc. I love the living abroad but I hate the arranging to live or leave. Its just too stressful for me. So hopefully, we'll return on Friday and we'll get our visas and we'll be on our merry little way to tackle whatever it is that may be waiting to stress me out next.
Side note - After having a year to decompress, I don't know how I worked in such a stressful job for over a year. I really don't know. In college I used to wait to the last minute for EVERYTHING! My friend and I had a joke about doing 'the printer dance' because I would wait to the absolute last minute to write a paper that I had to dance around the printer hoping it would print faster so that I could run out of my dorm to hand in the paper. Oh youth!
Anyways, I was feeling awful after we left the immigration office. I hadn't eaten, except for too much coffee and a little bread roll. We popped into a restaurant for almuerzo and I felt worse. I decided to cancel my classes for the afternoon and come home and nurse this headache. Remember how a couple of days ago I said there was a migraine just brewing in my head? Well it's still brewing. I'm having more and more blurred vision and more and more general cloudiness of sight and this constant headache. I came home and laid down with a damp towel over my eyes (courtesy of the best boyfriend ever). This was at around 1:45. I just woke up about 45 minutes ago, which means I slept for 3 hours straight. I feel so much better but my headache isn't gone. It's less intense, but still present. URGH!
So no visa and no Chuki tag, but hopefully still spending time with the Matson's tonight! I'm looking forward to it!
MULUB,
Taylor
Side note - After having a year to decompress, I don't know how I worked in such a stressful job for over a year. I really don't know. In college I used to wait to the last minute for EVERYTHING! My friend and I had a joke about doing 'the printer dance' because I would wait to the absolute last minute to write a paper that I had to dance around the printer hoping it would print faster so that I could run out of my dorm to hand in the paper. Oh youth!
Anyways, I was feeling awful after we left the immigration office. I hadn't eaten, except for too much coffee and a little bread roll. We popped into a restaurant for almuerzo and I felt worse. I decided to cancel my classes for the afternoon and come home and nurse this headache. Remember how a couple of days ago I said there was a migraine just brewing in my head? Well it's still brewing. I'm having more and more blurred vision and more and more general cloudiness of sight and this constant headache. I came home and laid down with a damp towel over my eyes (courtesy of the best boyfriend ever). This was at around 1:45. I just woke up about 45 minutes ago, which means I slept for 3 hours straight. I feel so much better but my headache isn't gone. It's less intense, but still present. URGH!
So no visa and no Chuki tag, but hopefully still spending time with the Matson's tonight! I'm looking forward to it!
MULUB,
Taylor
Busy Busy Day
Today is a very busy day. I have to leave for class in 7 minutes. 2 classes back to back. Then we're going to attempt to sort out our visa situation. Pray for us. Then 3 more classes back to back. Plus a very long bus ride and a very annoying cab driver. 3 highlights of the day: 1. possibly crossing visa off the to do list 2. picking up Chuki's traveling tags 3. 'seeing' Mark and Toby tonight via skype
I'll write more later, hopefully! Send us all the good vibes and prayers you can! We'll need them today!
I'll write more later, hopefully! Send us all the good vibes and prayers you can! We'll need them today!
Monday, March 28, 2011
No Cleaning Sunday
Ryan and I have a strict rule on Sundays: No Cleaning! We abide by in whole heartedly. And it's fantastic. The rule is really for me, mostly. I would always feel behind or guilty for not cleaning the house up on Sundays. A clean house is a really great way to start the week. But guess what... cleaning takes time and we decided that Sundays are fundays; the last day of the weekend for us to spend time together. So the decision was simple, there will be no cleaning on Sundays so that we have more time to spend together.
Yesterday I started the day with a nice swim in the pool. I've never thought of the pool as exercise before but goodness gracious it sure is. I always feel so tired, out of breath and sore after swimming laps in the pool. Ryan started the morning by sleeping in! To each his own =) Then we skyped with my parents. Which was good, except for one tiny part which involved my extraordinary emotional side. Oh well, it's certainly a part of me, so I guess I should, and everyone else should, just accept it!
Then we took Chuki to the park (Metropolitano). It's good for all of our souls to spend time outside of the city. It's refreshing and relaxing and rejuvinating all in one. Plus after an hour running around in the sun, Chuki literally sleeps ALL DAY, only getting up to eat and to change rooms when we change rooms.
After the park we left Chuki at home and went to drop off our towels at the laundry mat. Can I tell you what a treat it is to have our towels washed in a machine by someone else! Best $5 I spent all day! Then Ryan and I headed to the park (Carolina) for lunch. It was gorgeous out yesterday. I wore a tank top without a sweater! Ryan wore shorts! It was perfect! We started with juices at the juice stand. Pineapple, orange, strawberry for me. Orange, strawberry and naranjilla for Ryan. Delicious! Then we moved to one of the restaurants in the park because we had heard that there was great fish, but we decided it was too expensive. So we went over to the cevichocho area. Ryan had a large, I had a medium! It was great, except I always forget to ask for no tostado. So I end up having to pick it out. Then we split a pincho (like a kebab with sausage, a potato and a chicken piece). SO SO GOOD.
It started to rain while we were eating our pincho so we hung out under a tree and finished it. Then we ran across the street to the pet store to buy Chuki's water bottle for his cage, pee pads and a new ID tag. They didn't have the pee pads so were going to have to buy regular diapers to line the bottom of his crate with. Should be interesting. This week we'll get the diapers, the tag engraved and buy a new collar (one that snaps shut).
We picked up our laundry and headed home. We wanted to take a nap and watch a movie but we ended up watching LOST Season 2 disks 1 and 2. Needless to say we didn't fall asleep. Ryan made an amazing dinner of coconut and passionfruit chicken over rice! While it was cooking we slipped outside to watch one of the best sunsets we've seen in Quito in a while! Then we came back in to eat. Seriously, it was SO SO SO good! Kind of spicy, very tangy... mmm!
Then we went to bed. All in all a great Sunday, but certainly no time for cleaning. That's what we'll do today in between classes. I've already swept and picked everything up. All that needs to be done is dishes and laundry. YIKES!
MULUB,
Taylor
Yesterday I started the day with a nice swim in the pool. I've never thought of the pool as exercise before but goodness gracious it sure is. I always feel so tired, out of breath and sore after swimming laps in the pool. Ryan started the morning by sleeping in! To each his own =) Then we skyped with my parents. Which was good, except for one tiny part which involved my extraordinary emotional side. Oh well, it's certainly a part of me, so I guess I should, and everyone else should, just accept it!
Then we took Chuki to the park (Metropolitano). It's good for all of our souls to spend time outside of the city. It's refreshing and relaxing and rejuvinating all in one. Plus after an hour running around in the sun, Chuki literally sleeps ALL DAY, only getting up to eat and to change rooms when we change rooms.
It started to rain while we were eating our pincho so we hung out under a tree and finished it. Then we ran across the street to the pet store to buy Chuki's water bottle for his cage, pee pads and a new ID tag. They didn't have the pee pads so were going to have to buy regular diapers to line the bottom of his crate with. Should be interesting. This week we'll get the diapers, the tag engraved and buy a new collar (one that snaps shut).
We picked up our laundry and headed home. We wanted to take a nap and watch a movie but we ended up watching LOST Season 2 disks 1 and 2. Needless to say we didn't fall asleep. Ryan made an amazing dinner of coconut and passionfruit chicken over rice! While it was cooking we slipped outside to watch one of the best sunsets we've seen in Quito in a while! Then we came back in to eat. Seriously, it was SO SO SO good! Kind of spicy, very tangy... mmm!
Then we went to bed. All in all a great Sunday, but certainly no time for cleaning. That's what we'll do today in between classes. I've already swept and picked everything up. All that needs to be done is dishes and laundry. YIKES!
MULUB,
Taylor
Sunday, March 27, 2011
$$$
I often wonder how other people live abroad. Maybe that's ironic, but I am fascinated by it. I understand study abroad and now I understand teaching abroad but if you're not doing one of those two things, I don't get it. It got me thinking about if people wonder about how we live abroad. I just want to clarify to anyone that is thinking, 'oh I wish I could do that' that you can! We quit our jobs and came here with about 2 paychecks worth of money. We had arranged jobs ahead of time, which I would recommend. We didn't have a place to live. We didn't have a ton of money. Less than $5,000 for sure, significantly less. And we just committed to living within our means, for the most part. Our parents and grandparents have been very generous whenever we've been in a bind here and for that we'll forever be grateful. But we're not here living off of an inheritance or a free ride or a huge savings. We're just making it work. And if you want to, you can too. You should.
MULUB,
Taylor
MULUB,
Taylor
Project Number 2 - Day 18 (Saturday)
Yesterday somehow flew by without a trace. I remember being up, being crabby, leaving the house for a bit and then somehow it was dinner time. Who knows?! What I do know is that I ate A LOT of coffee cake yesterday. Like 1/2 the tray, save the 3 pieces that Ryan ate.
Saturdays are days that I like to bake in the morning. Eat something yummy and sugary. Yesterday was no exception. So I made coffee cake. Toby's 2nd Best Coffee Cake. It's good. Really good. Hence why I ate so much of it. Plus I had coffee.
Then we went for a run and took Chuki to the park. It was around 1:30 when we got home. We cleaned and googled things. Isn't it funny how that's become a hobby. We just checked things out online. Like how much a Land Rover costs; are there plans for a hybrid Rover; what model we would want in our dreams! We talked about living in California and buying a vacation home first, because we don't know where we want to settle. Anyways... There wasn't really lunch to be eaten. We split the left over soup from Gus and the left over chicken breast, back and wing. That was lunch, I suppose, plus coffee cake.
Then we watched The Kids Are All Right. Have you seen it? You should! It was good, really really good. Like maybe moved into my top 10. There are some graphic scenes, so consider this the disclaimer if you can't look past that. For dinner I was inspired by a dish I had seen on KERF for clams and linguine. I cooked some fettucine (apparently they don't sell linguine at Supermaxi). I boiled some green beans for 10 minutes, leaving them crunchy. I cut up two tomatoes, one for Ryan and one for me. Then I heated up the extra tomato sauce I had made for the lasagna. I added a big handful of spinach and a big handful of swiss chard to the sauce. Let them wilt and then added onion chopped onion at the very end after I had turned off the heat. When the pasta was done I added the tinned mussels to the sauce. Into each bowl went noodles, a tomato, green beans and the sauce (with spinach, swiss chard, onion and mussels). It was DELICIOUS! Seriously so good. We both loved it! The perfect pasta dish for spring and summer, not too heavy but still very filling.
Then I got into bed and read some more of The Penguin History of Latin America.
It's actually really interesting now that we've moved out of the colonial days and into nation building.
Today is a beautiful day in Quito. I want to make the most of it. The only thing that we have to do is go to Mascotas and buy the water bottle, pee pads and dog tags for Chuki's American Adventure. Then... who knows!?!
Saturdays are days that I like to bake in the morning. Eat something yummy and sugary. Yesterday was no exception. So I made coffee cake. Toby's 2nd Best Coffee Cake. It's good. Really good. Hence why I ate so much of it. Plus I had coffee.
Then we went for a run and took Chuki to the park. It was around 1:30 when we got home. We cleaned and googled things. Isn't it funny how that's become a hobby. We just checked things out online. Like how much a Land Rover costs; are there plans for a hybrid Rover; what model we would want in our dreams! We talked about living in California and buying a vacation home first, because we don't know where we want to settle. Anyways... There wasn't really lunch to be eaten. We split the left over soup from Gus and the left over chicken breast, back and wing. That was lunch, I suppose, plus coffee cake.
Then we watched The Kids Are All Right. Have you seen it? You should! It was good, really really good. Like maybe moved into my top 10. There are some graphic scenes, so consider this the disclaimer if you can't look past that. For dinner I was inspired by a dish I had seen on KERF for clams and linguine. I cooked some fettucine (apparently they don't sell linguine at Supermaxi). I boiled some green beans for 10 minutes, leaving them crunchy. I cut up two tomatoes, one for Ryan and one for me. Then I heated up the extra tomato sauce I had made for the lasagna. I added a big handful of spinach and a big handful of swiss chard to the sauce. Let them wilt and then added onion chopped onion at the very end after I had turned off the heat. When the pasta was done I added the tinned mussels to the sauce. Into each bowl went noodles, a tomato, green beans and the sauce (with spinach, swiss chard, onion and mussels). It was DELICIOUS! Seriously so good. We both loved it! The perfect pasta dish for spring and summer, not too heavy but still very filling.
Then I got into bed and read some more of The Penguin History of Latin America.
It's actually really interesting now that we've moved out of the colonial days and into nation building.Today is a beautiful day in Quito. I want to make the most of it. The only thing that we have to do is go to Mascotas and buy the water bottle, pee pads and dog tags for Chuki's American Adventure. Then... who knows!?!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
To the park
We went to the park today for the first time since Chuki's accident. Needless to say, he didn't come off of the leash except for a couple of minutes. Because of his lack of exercise lately this hour at the park really wore him out.
He's been here most of the day... Fine by us!
Also, a big congrats to Elliott, my brother, for a great hockey season this year! His first with The Rockford Icemen. Everyone is at my parents' house right now celebrating the season and we wish we were there too! To celebrate of course, well and to eat and drink for free like kings!
MULUB,
Taylor
MULUB,
Taylor
He's been here most of the day... Fine by us!
Also, a big congrats to Elliott, my brother, for a great hockey season this year! His first with The Rockford Icemen. Everyone is at my parents' house right now celebrating the season and we wish we were there too! To celebrate of course, well and to eat and drink for free like kings!
MULUB,
Taylor
MULUB,
Taylor
Project Number 2 - Day 17 (Friday)
Thank God For Fridays is seriously something I do. I, in a very healthy, very adult, way look forward to the weekend SO MUCH! Anyways here's what I ate yesterday, the beginning of the weekend...
Breakfast - I got up before class and made coffee. Then I had a banana on the way to class.
Lunch - I remembered to pack left over lasagna (if you've been counting - that's my 5th meal that's been comprised of lasagna). I heated it up at inlingua, which was way better than eating it cold.
Snack - I tried really hard, and succeeded, in not buying any bread or any snacks on the way to my afternoon class. It was hard, but I felt much better for it!
Dinner - I was starving, because I hadn't eaten since noon and so when Ryan, Sebas and I went to Megamaxi we bought a small bag of chifles to share. They held us over until dinner, dinner. We ended up getting GUS chicken. Ryan and I LOVE Gus but haven't had it much since we moved out of our 1st apartment (it was right down the street then). We got the SUPER FAMILY combo which for under $15 you get a whole roasted chicken, a big salad, rice, a 2 liter pop, french fries, and 4 soups. I ended up eating a chicken breast, most of the salad and my soup. Plus a handful of french fries. With dinner I enjoyed a rum and coke!
We then went to Theatre Sucre to celebrate Grant's acceptance to the LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS! Ryan, Sebas and I continued the rum and coke action throughout the concert, almost getting kicked out at one point (not really, but there were mean looks). And after that we went to La Ronda for dinner. Since we had already eaten dinner, Ryan and I got a beer to split. But Ryan of course, decided he needed more food and so ordered choclo con queso (corn on the cob and cheese) and an empanada de morocho (a fried dough thing with some sort of corn in it). I had a few bites of each. Then we came home!
That was that! It was super fun and we're super proud of Grant. Seriously, I just can't get over it. The London School of Economics, seriously?!
Breakfast - I got up before class and made coffee. Then I had a banana on the way to class.
Lunch - I remembered to pack left over lasagna (if you've been counting - that's my 5th meal that's been comprised of lasagna). I heated it up at inlingua, which was way better than eating it cold.
Snack - I tried really hard, and succeeded, in not buying any bread or any snacks on the way to my afternoon class. It was hard, but I felt much better for it!
Dinner - I was starving, because I hadn't eaten since noon and so when Ryan, Sebas and I went to Megamaxi we bought a small bag of chifles to share. They held us over until dinner, dinner. We ended up getting GUS chicken. Ryan and I LOVE Gus but haven't had it much since we moved out of our 1st apartment (it was right down the street then). We got the SUPER FAMILY combo which for under $15 you get a whole roasted chicken, a big salad, rice, a 2 liter pop, french fries, and 4 soups. I ended up eating a chicken breast, most of the salad and my soup. Plus a handful of french fries. With dinner I enjoyed a rum and coke!
 |
| Salud a Grant!!!! |
That was that! It was super fun and we're super proud of Grant. Seriously, I just can't get over it. The London School of Economics, seriously?!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Project Number 2 - Day 16 (Thursday)
So yesterday I was in a weird mood. I didn't sleep well the night before, I ran in the morning and my body was really sore, and I didn't feel satisfied from breakfast, lunch or dinner. It got me all to thinking... I think it's safe to say that I eat for comfort. I didn't feel hungry yesterday and I didn't feel full but I kept thinking to myself 'I should probably eat something, that would make me feel better.' Which is oh so wrong on oh so many levels. Why does my brain equate the two things? I feel sad, well eat something. I feel stressed, well eat something. I feel nervous, anxious, or scared, well eat something. I feel like celebrating, well eat something! Now, don't get me wrong... I love food. It was a big part of my childhood and it's a big part of my adulthood but when does a love of cooking, sharing, and eating together turn into something dangerous. I'm pretty sure that comfort eating is the disease that people that are 1000 lbs have. They eat to make themselves feel better. With all of that said, I don't really have any more. I'm not sure what the next step is. Does one replace eating with something else, like, say, running? Or does one deal with the emotions in a different way? More on that when I come to it...
Yesterday I did my best to not buy something from every food vendor on the street in hopes of getting out of my funk. I finally just accepted that I was in a funk and that a good nights sleep was probably all I needed.
So for breakfast... I had gone on another run before work and was expecting to be famished by the time I started class at 9:30. I wasn't, so I had some coffee while I blogged and then grabbed a banana to eat after class. I was fine. Not full, but my stomach wasn't sending hungry signals.
For lunch I didn't think I was going to be able to go home, but I also didn't remember to pack a lunch. I decided I should sit down and eat something hardy instead of snacking all afternoon. I got a medium sized salad with chicken from Fruteria Montserrat. But then my class was canceled and so I was able to go home. Once home, I had a small piece of cold lasagna (not very good cold) and a banana with peanut butter.
For dinner, we had left over lasagna. I fell asleep reading SUPER early and slept until about 5:30. This morning I feel rested and refreshed. Not at all in the mood I was in yesterday.
Yesterday I did my best to not buy something from every food vendor on the street in hopes of getting out of my funk. I finally just accepted that I was in a funk and that a good nights sleep was probably all I needed.
So for breakfast... I had gone on another run before work and was expecting to be famished by the time I started class at 9:30. I wasn't, so I had some coffee while I blogged and then grabbed a banana to eat after class. I was fine. Not full, but my stomach wasn't sending hungry signals.
For lunch I didn't think I was going to be able to go home, but I also didn't remember to pack a lunch. I decided I should sit down and eat something hardy instead of snacking all afternoon. I got a medium sized salad with chicken from Fruteria Montserrat. But then my class was canceled and so I was able to go home. Once home, I had a small piece of cold lasagna (not very good cold) and a banana with peanut butter.
For dinner, we had left over lasagna. I fell asleep reading SUPER early and slept until about 5:30. This morning I feel rested and refreshed. Not at all in the mood I was in yesterday.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Megamaxi - What our bill looks like
This might be more for me to look back on, than it is for you. But it's certainly interesting!
Guanabana Yogurt - 4.10
Natural Yogurt - 2.50
2 containers of Strawberries - 2.16
Green beans - .53
4 Grapefruits - .90
Basil - .54
Carrots - .73
Green Peppers - 1.46
Spinach - .25
Fettucini Noodles - 1.02
Mote - .75
Choclo - .83
Onions - 1.06
Bananas - .68
Cilantro - .36
Parsley - .36
2 Boxes of Chocolate Milk - 2.40
Jalepenos - .62
Passionfruit - .50
Mozzerella Cheese - 3.33
La Chonta Cheese - 3.39
Black Pepper Kernels - .68
Onions - 1.28
Ketchup - 1.08
Tinned Mussels - 2.62
Peanut Butter - 4.95
Toilet Paper - 6.71
Cotton Swabs (for cleaning ears) - 3.06
Peas - .66
Swiss Chard - .32
Paw Cleaning Pads - 2.11
Sponges for dishes - 2.11
Ground Beef - 2.93
Chocolate Bar - 2.04
Total - 58.51
Guanabana Yogurt - 4.10
Natural Yogurt - 2.50
2 containers of Strawberries - 2.16
Green beans - .53
4 Grapefruits - .90
Basil - .54
Carrots - .73
Green Peppers - 1.46
Spinach - .25
Fettucini Noodles - 1.02
Mote - .75
Choclo - .83
Onions - 1.06
Bananas - .68
Cilantro - .36
Parsley - .36
2 Boxes of Chocolate Milk - 2.40
Jalepenos - .62
Passionfruit - .50
Mozzerella Cheese - 3.33
La Chonta Cheese - 3.39
Black Pepper Kernels - .68
Onions - 1.28
Ketchup - 1.08
Tinned Mussels - 2.62
Peanut Butter - 4.95
Toilet Paper - 6.71
Cotton Swabs (for cleaning ears) - 3.06
Peas - .66
Swiss Chard - .32
Paw Cleaning Pads - 2.11
Sponges for dishes - 2.11
Ground Beef - 2.93
Chocolate Bar - 2.04
Total - 58.51
Project Number 2 - Day 15 (Wednesday)
I felt like it was Thursday all day yesterday and so now that today actually is Thursday I feel like it should be Friday. But alas, it's not. Thursdays are my longest day. I start class in an hour and I dont get home until 8pm. It's not really all that fun, but you gotta do what you gotta do!
Yesterday morning I went for a run (remember my 3 run/week goal). We're also training to climb Cotopaxi, one of the highest active volcanoes in the world. So I'm combining my three run/week goal with the training which produces something very ugly... sprints. My legs haven't felt this weak since the last time I swam for my workout. But oh well, it feels good to break a sweat before breakfast!
Speaking of, I made oatmeal yesterday for breakfast. KERF oatmeal, the one with the banana whipped into it to make it extra light and fluffy. Plus coffee, of course. In the oatmeal I put some strawberries, honey and walnuts. It was super good and filling.
For lunch I was able to come home again, strangely, because my student never showed up for class. We took Chuki to the vet again yesterday because of his paw infection and on the way home we picked up some street food. I had cevichochos and Ryan had hornado. I don't really know how to explain them but cevichochos is a combination of chochos (which is a bean), onions, tomatoes, tostado (dried corn), chifles (banana chips), and aji (hot sauce). Hornado... well why don't we wait till I eat it the next time to explain it.
But that didn't quite fill me up because of the run in the morning. So after that I ate a chicken wing and bbq sauce and a banana. Plus Chuki had a banana for being so good at the vet!
For dinner, I decided I would make lasagna. I don't know why I am so bad at this task. But it NEVER turns out. Last time I didn't have enough sauce, this time I had too much sauce. This is something I will master eventually, just like baking bread! Our "lasagna" was comprised of noodles, roasted eggplant, wilted swiss chard and spinach, cabbage (weird, yes, but delicious!), some sort of homemade cheese spread because the ricotta here is terrible (mozzarella, la chonta - which is similar to brie, fresh herbs, salt, pepper, garlic, eggs), caramelized onions, and homemade sauce. The appeal of lasagna to me is that you can make it with anything. Who know! Someday I will produce an actual lasagna! I had two pieces. Despite it's lack of proper lasagna-ness, it was delicious! Plus, we bought a bottle of wine. That's right a BOTTLE not a box. So we shared some wine together as well.
And that's it!
Yesterday morning I went for a run (remember my 3 run/week goal). We're also training to climb Cotopaxi, one of the highest active volcanoes in the world. So I'm combining my three run/week goal with the training which produces something very ugly... sprints. My legs haven't felt this weak since the last time I swam for my workout. But oh well, it feels good to break a sweat before breakfast!
Speaking of, I made oatmeal yesterday for breakfast. KERF oatmeal, the one with the banana whipped into it to make it extra light and fluffy. Plus coffee, of course. In the oatmeal I put some strawberries, honey and walnuts. It was super good and filling.
For lunch I was able to come home again, strangely, because my student never showed up for class. We took Chuki to the vet again yesterday because of his paw infection and on the way home we picked up some street food. I had cevichochos and Ryan had hornado. I don't really know how to explain them but cevichochos is a combination of chochos (which is a bean), onions, tomatoes, tostado (dried corn), chifles (banana chips), and aji (hot sauce). Hornado... well why don't we wait till I eat it the next time to explain it.
But that didn't quite fill me up because of the run in the morning. So after that I ate a chicken wing and bbq sauce and a banana. Plus Chuki had a banana for being so good at the vet!
For dinner, I decided I would make lasagna. I don't know why I am so bad at this task. But it NEVER turns out. Last time I didn't have enough sauce, this time I had too much sauce. This is something I will master eventually, just like baking bread! Our "lasagna" was comprised of noodles, roasted eggplant, wilted swiss chard and spinach, cabbage (weird, yes, but delicious!), some sort of homemade cheese spread because the ricotta here is terrible (mozzarella, la chonta - which is similar to brie, fresh herbs, salt, pepper, garlic, eggs), caramelized onions, and homemade sauce. The appeal of lasagna to me is that you can make it with anything. Who know! Someday I will produce an actual lasagna! I had two pieces. Despite it's lack of proper lasagna-ness, it was delicious! Plus, we bought a bottle of wine. That's right a BOTTLE not a box. So we shared some wine together as well.
And that's it!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Sunny IL = Chuki sleeping all day?!
Chuki is so tired today because it's finally hot out again. I'm hoping that this is a glimpse of things to come in IL. Lots of sleeping in the sun (for both dogs and humans). We went back to the vet today, for like the 100th time in the last couple of weeks. He has some inflamation in his paws from walking in all of the rain. Or something like that, I really couldn't understand. Just when we could stop cleaning his ears twice a day and then applying cream, we have to start cleaning his paws twice a day. It's one thing after another with this dog!
But he's cute, so we'll keep him.
But he's cute, so we'll keep him.
Our Vet
We loved our vet in the beginning but now it's safe for me to say that I dread going there. A lot of the vets are afraid of Chuki which makes him afraid of being there. It's just not a pleasant place to be. But yesterday we had this doctor, who we actually thought didn't work there anymore. And he was an absolute dear. He wasn't afraid of Chuki at all. He spent time petting him and calming him down. And he was thorough. Usually the doctors just do what we ask and send us on our way. But this guy gave him an exam and answered all of our questions about flying with him. He was actually knowledgeable and helpful! We thought we had to sacrifice one for the other. So thank you doctor whatever your name is. It really meant a lot to me that you didn't just assume Chuki is a mean or bad dog.
With that said, I can't wait to be in IL and find a vet for Chuki that is both helpful, knowledgeable, good with big dogs. And most importantly, that I can fully communicate with.
If you're in the Rockford/Rockton/Roscoe area and have a vet that you just LOVE, we're looking for recommendations. Send them our way via facebook, email or just leave a comment!
MULUB,
Taylor
With that said, I can't wait to be in IL and find a vet for Chuki that is both helpful, knowledgeable, good with big dogs. And most importantly, that I can fully communicate with.
If you're in the Rockford/Rockton/Roscoe area and have a vet that you just LOVE, we're looking for recommendations. Send them our way via facebook, email or just leave a comment!
MULUB,
Taylor
Project Number 2 - Day 14 (Tuesday)
Yesterday we FINALLY got Chuki's shot! He can now legally come into the USA. Thanks the Lord! Also AMAZING news was shared (or more like facebook stalked) this morning by our dear friend Grant! He's going to grad school... IN LONDON... IN THE FALL! Listen to his program (and if you're like me, swoon) Masters of Public Administration and International Development! YES PLEASE! What I'm most jealous of is that he'll be by Sarah and Corine! NOT FAIR!
Anyways, this is supposed to be about what I ate yesterday.
For breakfast - I had a cup of coffee and milk at my class. Coffee is used lightly here. Then I came home and had a pot of coffee and a bowl of yogurt with a banana.
For lunch - I remembered to pack my lunch, only to not really need it. My class was canceled and so I could come home for lunch instead of eat it at inlingua. I had rice, choclos, a chicken thigh and half of a tomato. It was left overs but delicious.
I didn't have any snacks, because I had eaten a big lunch. But I was feeling a headache coming on and so I got a little Coke to drink on the bus, hoping the caffein would help. It didn't really. I think I'm going to get a massive migraine one of these days. I can just feel it.
For dinner - We had left overs. I had a chicken leg with pasta sauce, smashed potatoes, and green beans. PLUS the most delicious juice! Ryan made orange, passion fruit, pineapple juice! Oh. my. word. It was delicious. I usually tend to over season everything and try to get fancy but Ryan often remembers that simple flavors on such fresh ingredients are WAY better. Dinner was fantastic but I was still hungry an hour later. So in a bowl I put some rice, pasta sauce, choclos and a tomato in a bowl and ate that. Then I was full.
Anyways, this is supposed to be about what I ate yesterday.
For breakfast - I had a cup of coffee and milk at my class. Coffee is used lightly here. Then I came home and had a pot of coffee and a bowl of yogurt with a banana.
For lunch - I remembered to pack my lunch, only to not really need it. My class was canceled and so I could come home for lunch instead of eat it at inlingua. I had rice, choclos, a chicken thigh and half of a tomato. It was left overs but delicious.
I didn't have any snacks, because I had eaten a big lunch. But I was feeling a headache coming on and so I got a little Coke to drink on the bus, hoping the caffein would help. It didn't really. I think I'm going to get a massive migraine one of these days. I can just feel it.
For dinner - We had left overs. I had a chicken leg with pasta sauce, smashed potatoes, and green beans. PLUS the most delicious juice! Ryan made orange, passion fruit, pineapple juice! Oh. my. word. It was delicious. I usually tend to over season everything and try to get fancy but Ryan often remembers that simple flavors on such fresh ingredients are WAY better. Dinner was fantastic but I was still hungry an hour later. So in a bowl I put some rice, pasta sauce, choclos and a tomato in a bowl and ate that. Then I was full.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
If you had the choice...
Alright so Ryan and I are now deciding which jungle tour to do. We need your help. Here are the two descriptions, which would you chose?
3.- Enjoy the jungle. We leave our camp after a hearty breakfast. The walk back to the cabañas is shorter and more level than the first hike. On our way, we can stop for fishing. Back at the cabañas, we have lunch and then some time to relax. The afternoon is spent with activities of your choice, like making handicrafts or chocolate, bathing in the river, or a guided tour of the various plants cultivated around the cabañas. Enjoy your last dinner and night in the jungle.
Samona Lodge - Cuyabeno
The Samona Lodge is nestled deep in the primary forest of the Amazon Jungle. For those looking for a wildlife adventure at a reasonable price than look no further. The people at Samona lodge deliver time and time again. With fully bilingual naturalist guides, activites ranging from: Piranha fishing, hikes in the rainforest, caiman spotting, night walks and heading out at dusk to watch the sunset against the backdrop of the Aguarico river makes your stay at this lodge one to remember.
Sample Itineraries
Itinerary 4 days / 3 nights: Price - $210
1.-Quito - Lago Agrio - El Puente . Flight 06:15 a.m. or bus journey (one day before - 8 hours) to Lago Agrio. Drive from Lago Agrio to el Puente. Canoe trip down on Cuyabeno river to Samona Lodge. Exciting night walk.
2.-Cuyabeno River. After breakfast we paddle by traditional dug-out canoe on the Caiman-cocha lake (Laguna del Caiman) where we will enjoy the nature uniqueness, lunch, hike in the primary forest including lessons in the use of plants for survival. Before we go back to our camp, we’ll have a relaxing time to swim and enjoy the sunset on the magnificent Laguna Grande.
3.- Cuyabeno river. In the morning, visit to the Kichwa Community, our naturalist guide will explain about the culture and traditions of the native people. Piranha fishing in the afternoon Back to our camp. Night canoe trip in search of caimans (alligators).
4.- El Puente-Lago Agrio-Quito. Early morning bird watching. After breakfast journey up Cuyabeno river to El Puente. Drive back to Lago Agrio at 16:00. Flight or bus journey back to Quito.
Itinerary 4 days / 3 nights: Price - $ 150
1.-Quito - Papallacta – Tena. After meeting up at the Secret garden hostel at 8:00am, we catch the bus at Terminal Terrestre at 8:50am. If you wish, we can stop in Papallacta to enjoy the hot springs and have a fresh trout for lunch. Depending on your choice, we arrive in Tena either by 3:00pm or around 6:00pm. Our local guide picks us up and drives us approx. 30min out of Tena, from where it is a walk of 30-40min to the cabañas. There we will have dinner, followed by a traditional dance performed by the guides’ children and a Shamanic spiritual ceremony.
1.-Quito - Papallacta – Tena. After meeting up at the Secret garden hostel at 8:00am, we catch the bus at Terminal Terrestre at 8:50am. If you wish, we can stop in Papallacta to enjoy the hot springs and have a fresh trout for lunch. Depending on your choice, we arrive in Tena either by 3:00pm or around 6:00pm. Our local guide picks us up and drives us approx. 30min out of Tena, from where it is a walk of 30-40min to the cabañas. There we will have dinner, followed by a traditional dance performed by the guides’ children and a Shamanic spiritual ceremony.
2.-Into the wild. After breakfast we start our hike deeper into the jungle. Make sure you bring enough drinking water and your headlight. All you don’t need for the second night in the jungle can be left behind and locked in the cabañas. Depending on the conditions, the trek will take 3 to 4 hours. We will stop regularly for explanations of the flora and fauna, as well as Kichwa traditions. After we arrive at our camping site around 2:00 to 3:00pm, you can take a shower in the nearby waterfall and relax until we have dinner. You will sleep in a cave, in hammocks or on sleeping mats, with nothing but a mosquito net between you and the nightly forest.
3.- Enjoy the jungle. We leave our camp after a hearty breakfast. The walk back to the cabañas is shorter and more level than the first hike. On our way, we can stop for fishing. Back at the cabañas, we have lunch and then some time to relax. The afternoon is spent with activities of your choice, like making handicrafts or chocolate, bathing in the river, or a guided tour of the various plants cultivated around the cabañas. Enjoy your last dinner and night in the jungle.
4.- Tena – Amazoonico – Quito. It’s a quick breakfast before packing up and trekking 30-40min back to the nearest road. A pickup takes us to the point at which we board the motorised canoe for the ride down the main river to “Amazoonico” animal refuge and rehabilitation center. A compulsory donation of $ 2.50 (to be paid there) includes a tour in English and helps support this excellent project. We will stop for a swim in the river, or floating down the river on tree trunks (wearing a life jacket is compulsory for this activity). After lunch on the riverside we will be back in Tena around 3:00pm. Catching a bus at the terminal at 3:30pm, we will arrive in Quito around 9:30pm.
Optional: White water rafting on Day 4
If you like, we can organise a white water rafting on the last day of your trip (instead of the visit to Amazoonico). Depending on the length and difficulty of the ride, the rafting is charged $ 30 to $ 40 extra.
After our hike back to the road, the rafting company picks us up and takes us to the starting point. Life jackets and helmets will be provided, and the guides give you security instructions before we start. Good sun protection and insect repellent are highly recommended for a day on the river. We will stop for lunch on a beach and be back in Tena around 3:30pm. Catching a bus at the terminal at 4:00pm, we will arrive in Quito around 10:00pm.
Optional: White water rafting on Day 4
If you like, we can organise a white water rafting on the last day of your trip (instead of the visit to Amazoonico). Depending on the length and difficulty of the ride, the rafting is charged $ 30 to $ 40 extra.
After our hike back to the road, the rafting company picks us up and takes us to the starting point. Life jackets and helmets will be provided, and the guides give you security instructions before we start. Good sun protection and insect repellent are highly recommended for a day on the river. We will stop for lunch on a beach and be back in Tena around 3:30pm. Catching a bus at the terminal at 4:00pm, we will arrive in Quito around 10:00pm.
or
The Samona Lodge is nestled deep in the primary forest of the Amazon Jungle. For those looking for a wildlife adventure at a reasonable price than look no further. The people at Samona lodge deliver time and time again. With fully bilingual naturalist guides, activites ranging from: Piranha fishing, hikes in the rainforest, caiman spotting, night walks and heading out at dusk to watch the sunset against the backdrop of the Aguarico river makes your stay at this lodge one to remember.
Sample Itineraries
Itinerary 4 days / 3 nights: Price - $210
1.-Quito - Lago Agrio - El Puente . Flight 06:15 a.m. or bus journey (one day before - 8 hours) to Lago Agrio. Drive from Lago Agrio to el Puente. Canoe trip down on Cuyabeno river to Samona Lodge. Exciting night walk.
2.-Cuyabeno River. After breakfast we paddle by traditional dug-out canoe on the Caiman-cocha lake (Laguna del Caiman) where we will enjoy the nature uniqueness, lunch, hike in the primary forest including lessons in the use of plants for survival. Before we go back to our camp, we’ll have a relaxing time to swim and enjoy the sunset on the magnificent Laguna Grande.
3.- Cuyabeno river. In the morning, visit to the Kichwa Community, our naturalist guide will explain about the culture and traditions of the native people. Piranha fishing in the afternoon Back to our camp. Night canoe trip in search of caimans (alligators).
4.- El Puente-Lago Agrio-Quito. Early morning bird watching. After breakfast journey up Cuyabeno river to El Puente. Drive back to Lago Agrio at 16:00. Flight or bus journey back to Quito.
.......last.weekend.in.quito.......
I had a bit of a panic yesterday while walking to class. I realized that this weekend is our last full weekend in Quito before we leave. WHAT? How did that happen? Next weekend we'll be climbing Pichincha, which I realize is in Quito but it will take like all of Saturday. The weekend after that we're climbing Cayambe. I'm not sure of the deal with that one, but I know it will also take all day. The next weekend we're climbing Cotopaxi which will be an overnight trip. Then the weekend after that we leave on our big trip, which will include the jungle! We'll probably get back into Quito on Sunday or Monday and then leave on Wednesday!
WHAT?
WHAT?
Project Number 2 - Day 13 (Monday)
I just realized the possible funniness of the title of this project. No pun intended, folks!
Yesterday, lets see...
Breakfast - Banana and coffee
Lunch - 3 left over tomato halves from dinner last night
Snack - Banana, a terrible, terrible, terrible cheese empanada, and a tiny bag of coated peanuts. Plus when I got home I was so hungry that I had a bowl with a little bit of rice, a tomato, some choclos and cheese.
Dinner - Chicken breast, smashed potatoes and green beans!
I'm realizing how important a big lunch is for me. The problem is I'm never home anymore and I always forget. I think this weekend calls for a big batch of soup to be made, so I have something to take with me for lunch.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Project Pichincha - Day 8 (Monday)
I know, I'm not very good at this one photo per day thing... Here's today's!
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| 21 March 2011 at 7:30am |
Long Over Due Book Review
I'm still powering through The Penguin History of Latin America but lately I've needed a break. Two breaks actually. Today's review is on The Secret Life of Evie Hamilton
by Catherine Alliott.
but lately I've needed a break. Two breaks actually. Today's review is on The Secret Life of Evie Hamilton by Catherine Alliott.The book was a super easy, light read. I started it this week on Tuesday, reading in between classes and such, and I finished it yesterday. It's long but fast. It's supremely girly. It is about Evie and her family, immediate and extended. She finds out that her husband has a daughter by another woman (don't worry I haven't just ruined the story for you) and it's about how she deals with this news. At some times it's unnervingly insightful into how phschiatic a woman's brain can be. But mostly it's just fun to read.
This isn't anything that will challenge how you view the world. Although, I did find myself asking 'What would I do?' But its certainly something to read if you're waiting in an airport or if you have lots of free time.
ENJOY
To Jungle or Not to Jungle? That is the question
So we're coming down to our last few unaccounted for weekends here in Ecuador. Which is pretty crazy! We've been doing ok on cash. Living it up a little but trying to save as well... this is not my area of expertise. I always try but I usually fail. I think, especially being abroad, I just don't want to miss anything. Now, if you're my father, you'd say 'You can't do everything. Sometimes you have to say no.' To which I would say, 'I know, I know, I know.' I just don't really like this option. My thought process going something like this... Well, we'll get jobs when we're home and then we'll have some money to live off of. And we're only here in Ecuador for 6 more weekends. So doesn't it make more sense to really live up those six more weekends while we're here... doing things we cant do at home. Like going to the jungle, and climbing mountains and seeing ancient ruins and surfing lessons? If left to my own devices, I'd probably never have a savings account bigger than I do now (a whopping $30 some) but I'd really live it up a long the way.
Anywho all of this relates back to our current question... do we go to the jungle or not? And if so how do we do it? Most of our friends have done the same tour with Happy Gringo. It's four days and everything is included, except the bus ticket there ($8/person/way). The cost is right around $200/person. So that'd be about $450 when all is said and done. Which we might be able to scrape together. The things is this month we also have to renew our visas (cost = $90/person) because we need an extra 30 days on them.
The other option is for us to just take the bus one weekend to Tena or Lagra Agrio and arrange it from there ourselves. We think this would be cheaper but we're not quite sure because well we've never done it before.
What would you do? Just say 'ok, let's do it,' and come back to the States with a very small amount of cash and eat soup for the next month so that you could spend 4 days in THE Amazon. or be responsible and save your money so that when you come back home you'll have cash to spend.
MULUB,
Taylor
Anywho all of this relates back to our current question... do we go to the jungle or not? And if so how do we do it? Most of our friends have done the same tour with Happy Gringo. It's four days and everything is included, except the bus ticket there ($8/person/way). The cost is right around $200/person. So that'd be about $450 when all is said and done. Which we might be able to scrape together. The things is this month we also have to renew our visas (cost = $90/person) because we need an extra 30 days on them.
The other option is for us to just take the bus one weekend to Tena or Lagra Agrio and arrange it from there ourselves. We think this would be cheaper but we're not quite sure because well we've never done it before.
What would you do? Just say 'ok, let's do it,' and come back to the States with a very small amount of cash and eat soup for the next month so that you could spend 4 days in THE Amazon. or be responsible and save your money so that when you come back home you'll have cash to spend.
MULUB,
Taylor
Project Number 2 - Day 12 (Sunday)
So yesterday was a nice and relaxing day. Ryan went to Fin McCool's to watch the Chelsea game with Sebas which gave me lots of time to catch up on emails, blogs, facebook, etc! We've been working to try and get things sold. We're doing pretty well. Ryan's going to put the bigger items on Mercado Libre today. We've got a few other ideas, but hopefully we'll get everything claimed by the end of this month!
As far as what I ate yesterday...
Breakfast - Ryan brought me the Irish Breakfast from Fin McCools! YUMMY! I seriously would order a whole hotel pan full of just the tomatoes. The breakfast comes with sausages, bacon, eggs, beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, and toast. Plus, of course I had some coffee and a banana.
Lunch - Because I didn't eat my breakfast until about 1:30, I wasn't really hungry again until like 5 or so. I made us big snack salads that ended up being really earthy. They had spinach, kale, brocoli, tomatoes, green pepper, cheese, a little teeny tiny bit of ground beef and mote (Ryan's) or choclo (mine). Plus I made a little dressing with sour cream, oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and spanish paprika.
Dinner - Because we're out of gas... (bane of my existence in Ecuador) we had to eat raw again or use the toaster oven. We cut some tomatoes in half, sprinkled them with oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and some fresh rosemary and thyme. Then popped them in the toaster over for about an hour. 10 minutes before they were done we topped them with a little bit of La Chonta cheese. YUM YUM YUM!
As far as what I ate yesterday...
Breakfast - Ryan brought me the Irish Breakfast from Fin McCools! YUMMY! I seriously would order a whole hotel pan full of just the tomatoes. The breakfast comes with sausages, bacon, eggs, beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, and toast. Plus, of course I had some coffee and a banana.
Lunch - Because I didn't eat my breakfast until about 1:30, I wasn't really hungry again until like 5 or so. I made us big snack salads that ended up being really earthy. They had spinach, kale, brocoli, tomatoes, green pepper, cheese, a little teeny tiny bit of ground beef and mote (Ryan's) or choclo (mine). Plus I made a little dressing with sour cream, oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and spanish paprika.
Dinner - Because we're out of gas... (bane of my existence in Ecuador) we had to eat raw again or use the toaster oven. We cut some tomatoes in half, sprinkled them with oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and some fresh rosemary and thyme. Then popped them in the toaster over for about an hour. 10 minutes before they were done we topped them with a little bit of La Chonta cheese. YUM YUM YUM!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Project Pichincha - Day 7 (Saturday)
So I forgot to take a photo of Pichincha on Thursday, which is actually Day 7, so I'm substituting for a photo from Saturday. I had originally planned not to do photos on the weekend, but here ya go!
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| 19 March 2011 at 6:30pm |
In 12 months we'll have...
Three Months -
- climb three mountains
- run a race together
- sell and pack up all of our things
- take a 10 day vacation
- stop teaching
- say goodbye to everything that's been home for the last year and a half
- fly with Chuki
- move to the USA
- live with my parents
- get new jobs
- get settled in IL
- start marathon training
- Ryan will turn 25
Six Months -
- take a road trip out west
- I'll turn 26
- spend lots of time with friends and family
- go to Edward's
Twelve Months -
- run a marathon
- go on an epic cruise
- pack up our lives again
- move to S Korea
We've got a lot to look forward to and a lot to be thankful for.
- climb three mountains
- run a race together
- sell and pack up all of our things
- take a 10 day vacation
- stop teaching
- say goodbye to everything that's been home for the last year and a half
- fly with Chuki
- move to the USA
- live with my parents
- get new jobs
- get settled in IL
- start marathon training
- Ryan will turn 25
Six Months -
- take a road trip out west
- I'll turn 26
- spend lots of time with friends and family
- go to Edward's
Twelve Months -
- run a marathon
- go on an epic cruise
- pack up our lives again
- move to S Korea
We've got a lot to look forward to and a lot to be thankful for.
Cone of Shame and other updates
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| At the vet with the cone and the bandage... |
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| Bandage off and getting a look at the cut |
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| Cone only and no bandage |
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| Happily napping in his crate, cone and bandage free. |
We still need to go and buy pee pads and a water dispenser for his crate. Plus we need to find extra big and extra strong zip ties to secure his crate door shut. And decorate the outside of the crate. But after tonight, he should be all ready to fly! YAY! YAY! YAY!
MULUB,
Taylor
A Busy Day in Old Town
Yesterday Ryan and I had a fantastic time in Old Town. It had been ages since we were last down there. I think since Fiestas de Quito when we went to La Ronda with a big group of people. But yesterday it was just us and it was so much fun. We didn't really have a plan. We've been wanting to see the water museum for quite some time but there wasn't an address in any of our guide books. We looked it up online, but like all online information in Ecuador, you never really know! So with an address, some cash and our rain coats, we were off.
The address that we had was, of course, wrong. It was the address for the city museum. Which we'd already been to. So we looked around a bit, bought some nuts, and popped into the city museum to ask directions. They gave us the correct address but said it's best to take a cab because it's quite far and all up hill. So while we were walking around looking for a cab, we happened into Plaza Grande. There was a que outside the Presidential Palace and I asked what was going on. It was tour time!!! I've been wanting to take a tour for ages and so we showed our censos and got our wrist bands for the 3pm tour. We had about 40 minutes to kill... So we popped into the cultural center and had a proper look around. We'd only ever been in the first exhibit room on the ground floor. But yesterday we checked out all of the three floors, the terraces, the art exhibits, the library. Good stuff! Then we had about 15 more minutes, so we hopped next door to the chapel next to the big cathedral. It's usually always been closed. It was good to see that.
Then the tour of the palace. It was in spanish so I didn't catch everything. But we saw a big mural by Guayasamin, the cabinet room, the banquet hall and the yellow room, which is similar to the mural room maybe. Where the President makes addresses to the press occasionally, gives out honors and accolades, etc. We also got to see a lot of the gifts that he's been given over the years that are on display. Interesting fact - the President doesn't actually live in the Palace, never has. It's kind of like Bush jetting off to Texas all of the time, but not really.
Then after the tour we hopped in a cab and visited the water museum. It was really cool. You forget, living in the USA, that water isn't always readily available and clean for you. It was also really interesting to me that water education was such an important topic to the Ecuadorian government. The museum was funded by the government and geared towards kids. Very interactive, kind of like the Discovery Center or the Children's Museum but all about protecting and conserving the water of Ecuador.
Then we walked back into town and got some lunch/dinner. And hopped on the Ecovia back home. We got home around 6:30, which according to Chuki, 6 hours was far too long to be gone. Which he loudly told us by taking just about every book off of our desk, and eating about 1/2 of them. Great!
Ryan and I laid down and read for a bit. Then we moved to the couch and watched The King's Speech. Great movie! Great day!
Hope everyone is enjoying their weekends! I'm jealous of my mom and brother right now. They're in Florida at Cindy and Chuck's new house! Lucky ducks!
MULUB,
Taylor
The address that we had was, of course, wrong. It was the address for the city museum. Which we'd already been to. So we looked around a bit, bought some nuts, and popped into the city museum to ask directions. They gave us the correct address but said it's best to take a cab because it's quite far and all up hill. So while we were walking around looking for a cab, we happened into Plaza Grande. There was a que outside the Presidential Palace and I asked what was going on. It was tour time!!! I've been wanting to take a tour for ages and so we showed our censos and got our wrist bands for the 3pm tour. We had about 40 minutes to kill... So we popped into the cultural center and had a proper look around. We'd only ever been in the first exhibit room on the ground floor. But yesterday we checked out all of the three floors, the terraces, the art exhibits, the library. Good stuff! Then we had about 15 more minutes, so we hopped next door to the chapel next to the big cathedral. It's usually always been closed. It was good to see that.
Then the tour of the palace. It was in spanish so I didn't catch everything. But we saw a big mural by Guayasamin, the cabinet room, the banquet hall and the yellow room, which is similar to the mural room maybe. Where the President makes addresses to the press occasionally, gives out honors and accolades, etc. We also got to see a lot of the gifts that he's been given over the years that are on display. Interesting fact - the President doesn't actually live in the Palace, never has. It's kind of like Bush jetting off to Texas all of the time, but not really.
Then after the tour we hopped in a cab and visited the water museum. It was really cool. You forget, living in the USA, that water isn't always readily available and clean for you. It was also really interesting to me that water education was such an important topic to the Ecuadorian government. The museum was funded by the government and geared towards kids. Very interactive, kind of like the Discovery Center or the Children's Museum but all about protecting and conserving the water of Ecuador.
Then we walked back into town and got some lunch/dinner. And hopped on the Ecovia back home. We got home around 6:30, which according to Chuki, 6 hours was far too long to be gone. Which he loudly told us by taking just about every book off of our desk, and eating about 1/2 of them. Great!
Ryan and I laid down and read for a bit. Then we moved to the couch and watched The King's Speech. Great movie! Great day!
Hope everyone is enjoying their weekends! I'm jealous of my mom and brother right now. They're in Florida at Cindy and Chuck's new house! Lucky ducks!
MULUB,
Taylor
Project Number 2 - Day 11 (Saturday)
Yesterday, Saturday, Ryan and I had a very fun day in the old part of Quito. For breakfast I had a carafe of coffee and a banana.
For lunch we had breakfast pizza. (We were a little slow moving). We had one extra portion of pizza dough left over from our pizza dinner on Friday. I topped it with a little bit of oil, salt and pepper. Plus tomatoes, onions, ham, scrambled eggs and cheese. It was delicious.
For a snack as we wandered around Old Town I had a little bag of candy covered peanuts. MMMM MMM MMM.
For dinner we ate in Old Town (although it was more like lunch/dinner) around 5:30. I had chuleta, which wasn't really that great. Chuleta is a meal served with rice, salad, french fries (usually), a piece of beef pounded out real thin, an egg and an avacado. Usually it's something I love. Yesterday it was just blah. Plus I had a Coke.
When we got home I wasn't hungry but I wanted something sweet, so I had a nice big glass of chocolate milk.
Project Number 2 - Day 8 (Wednesday)
Breakfast - I had a banana and some yogurt with a little bit of granola!
Lunch - Ryan and I went out for lunch together today. There's this Columbian restaurant next to Merck (where we both have classes) and so we finally got around to eating lunch there. It was DELICIOUS! The almuerzo for the day was a really hearty bean soup, chuleta (which is beef, served with an egg and avacado), rice and a little salad. Plus juice and chocolate flan. All for $3! Then at the end we split the most amazing dessert. It was a pastry dough, similar to mille fois in the shape of a turn over, topped with manjar. Lots and lots of manjar. It was sooo good.
Dinner - I made pasta for dinner on Wednesday. Just something really simple but delicious. This is actually my current favorite way to eat pasta: Boil the noodles. While that's going put about 3 tomatoes and a head (not a clove) of garlic, some salt, pepper and chili flakes in the pressure cooker. Let the sauce cook for about 10 minutes. Then while the pasta is boiling and the sauce is cooking, take all of the veggies that you have in the house and cut them up and saute them for a couple of minutes, till warm and not super crunchy. Combine the pasta, the sauce, the veggies, a little bit of cheese, some more salt and pepper, and if you're feeling up for it a splash of vinegar. YUM YUM YUM.
Lunch - Ryan and I went out for lunch together today. There's this Columbian restaurant next to Merck (where we both have classes) and so we finally got around to eating lunch there. It was DELICIOUS! The almuerzo for the day was a really hearty bean soup, chuleta (which is beef, served with an egg and avacado), rice and a little salad. Plus juice and chocolate flan. All for $3! Then at the end we split the most amazing dessert. It was a pastry dough, similar to mille fois in the shape of a turn over, topped with manjar. Lots and lots of manjar. It was sooo good.
Dinner - I made pasta for dinner on Wednesday. Just something really simple but delicious. This is actually my current favorite way to eat pasta: Boil the noodles. While that's going put about 3 tomatoes and a head (not a clove) of garlic, some salt, pepper and chili flakes in the pressure cooker. Let the sauce cook for about 10 minutes. Then while the pasta is boiling and the sauce is cooking, take all of the veggies that you have in the house and cut them up and saute them for a couple of minutes, till warm and not super crunchy. Combine the pasta, the sauce, the veggies, a little bit of cheese, some more salt and pepper, and if you're feeling up for it a splash of vinegar. YUM YUM YUM.
Project Number 2 - Day 9 (Thursday)
Breakfast - I grabbed a banana on my way out the door.
Lunch - I had some left over pasta from Wednesday night's dinner.
Dinner - I had a tomato and cheese sandwich at my students house. With a glass of drinkable peach yogurt. And then in the evening we went over to our friend Jo's house and had some snacks (chips, salsa, cheese dip and cookies) for St Patties Day. Plus we had a whole lot of beer, green beer to be exact! And then at the end of the night I ate 1/2 of a cheeseburger.
Lunch - I had some left over pasta from Wednesday night's dinner.
Dinner - I had a tomato and cheese sandwich at my students house. With a glass of drinkable peach yogurt. And then in the evening we went over to our friend Jo's house and had some snacks (chips, salsa, cheese dip and cookies) for St Patties Day. Plus we had a whole lot of beer, green beer to be exact! And then at the end of the night I ate 1/2 of a cheeseburger.
Project Number 2 - Day 10 (Friday)
Friday was a rough day, seeing that Thursday was St. Patrick's Day. Rough might be an understatement. I woke up and had a banana and some coffee during my first class. Then on the way to my second class I had a sandwich. Then after my second class I had some pasta and another banana. This was all before noon.
I came home and took a nap. Then I went to my last class. I cam home and ate the rest of the pasta and laid in bed while Ryan made pizzas. He served me mine in bed, as I had been teaching all day and he had been recovering at home. Plus I had a delicious glass of homemade orange and passionfruit juice!
Then I slept. A LOT.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Things for Sale
I know, I know... Expect an onslaught of back-logged posts this afternoon. But for now, here are some photos of some of the things we're selling.
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| $100 for the bed, 2 night stands, mattress, and linens (if you want them) |
 |
| $20 for the desk and hutch |
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| $5 for the scale |
 |
| $25 for this small desk that fits a computer and a notebook perfectly |
 |
| $5 for this one and one just like it |
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| $10 for the table $50 for 5 chairs |
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| $35 for the bed frame (mattress is free) |
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| $30 for the dresser |
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| $200 for the 17' flat screen tv with built in dvd player |
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Project Number 2 - Day 7 (Tuesday)
Yesterday I ate... A LOT! I went for a run for the first time in a while and I was really hungry all day after that. I'm committing myself to run 3 times per week between now and when we're home. Because as soon as I get home, marathon training will start. Since we got back to Ecuador in January, I've been on a run-as-you-please schedule. Let me tell you something, if I'm not training for something I actually want to run only about once or twice a week, or sometimes never! That's just not cutting it. So... 3 times a week and at least once a week in the pool! Hopefully that will help with these 10 lbs I'd like to loose before coming home. Also, I should probably start eating better. This project has actually really helped me become more concious of what I'm eating. Knowing that I have to write every single thing on here helps curb some of my decisions. But it also is helping me identify patterns. Like... If I don't eat a big lunch, I usually just eat unhealthy snacks all afternoon. And like, I eat a lot of bananas.
For breakfast: Guabana yogurt, 1/2 a banana and some strawberry jam.
For lunch: A avocado, tomato and cheese sandwich on focaccia. AND left over dal. Plus I snacked on a little bit of lunch meat and some cheese.
For dinner: Some chifles (banana chips), a tomato and some boiled potatoes.
For breakfast: Guabana yogurt, 1/2 a banana and some strawberry jam.
For lunch: A avocado, tomato and cheese sandwich on focaccia. AND left over dal. Plus I snacked on a little bit of lunch meat and some cheese.
For dinner: Some chifles (banana chips), a tomato and some boiled potatoes.
WOAH 200th Post
I just looked and realized that the last post, about Things I'm Looking Forward to at Home, was our 200th post! That's kind of exciting! I realize that it's taken us over a year to get there, but still... YAY us!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
I'm looking forward to...
Lately I've been thinking a lot about the things that I'm looking forward to back in the States. Here are my top 5...
1. A laundry machine for both washing and drying! I seriously can't wait!
2. A vacuum. Do you understand how hard, time consuming and ineffective sweeping carpet is, especially when you have a dog?
3. Having friends and family near by to be able to hang out with.
4. Fixed prices. You think that it'd be nice to be able to bargain. It's not really; it's actually more stressful. I want to walk into a store and know that apples cost $1/pound for me, for the guy next to me, for the homeless guy, for everyone.
5. English. I'm ready to be able to fully express myself. While I've learned a lot of spanish and I like to think that I'm pretty decent at it, it's not my native tongue and it's frustrating when I can't really be able to say how I feel or what I think. Especially when the lady at the market is trying to charge me $5/pound of apples just because I'm white.
See you in 50 days!
MULUB,
Taylor
1. A laundry machine for both washing and drying! I seriously can't wait!
2. A vacuum. Do you understand how hard, time consuming and ineffective sweeping carpet is, especially when you have a dog?
3. Having friends and family near by to be able to hang out with.
4. Fixed prices. You think that it'd be nice to be able to bargain. It's not really; it's actually more stressful. I want to walk into a store and know that apples cost $1/pound for me, for the guy next to me, for the homeless guy, for everyone.
5. English. I'm ready to be able to fully express myself. While I've learned a lot of spanish and I like to think that I'm pretty decent at it, it's not my native tongue and it's frustrating when I can't really be able to say how I feel or what I think. Especially when the lady at the market is trying to charge me $5/pound of apples just because I'm white.
See you in 50 days!
MULUB,
Taylor
Project Number 2 - Day 6
Yesterday for breakfast I ate an egg sandwich, a cup of coffee and a banana.
For lunch I had some more guacamole rice and a piece of focaccia.
For dinner we had dal and a lot of focaccia bread. Plus a little cola manzana.
For lunch I had some more guacamole rice and a piece of focaccia.
For dinner we had dal and a lot of focaccia bread. Plus a little cola manzana.
Monday, March 14, 2011
We're Selling Stuff.
Hey Everyone -
We're leaving soon and we're starting to sell all of our stuff. Most of the prices in here are negotiable. We'll have most things, except the bare essentials, available for pick-up the second to last week in April. Everything is first-come first-serve, so get your bids in fast! We truly have to sell everything, so if you know of a friend of a friend that needs something we're selling please spread the word!
Cost Item
$100.00 Bed, 2 night stands, matress
$5.00 2 bedside lamps
$5.00 Full length mirror
$20.00 Desk and hutch
$5.00 2 plastic shelves
$25.00 Small desk
$20.00 Couch
$10.00 Side table
$20.00 TV Stand
$200.00 TV
$10.00 Dining room table
$50.00 5 dining chairs
$50.00 Small bed and matress
$30.00 5 drawer dresser
$10.00 Patio Table
$25.00 4 Patio chairs
$5.00 Clothes drying rack
$5.00 Scale
$10.00 Digital scale
$15.00 Square set of dishes
$15.00 Round set of dishes
$5.00 Set of glasses
$10.00 Small coffee pot
$10.00 Glass containers (for rice, flour, etc)
$20.00 Toaster oven
$5.00 Fruit basket
$100.00 Oven
$400.00 Refrigerator
$15.00 Baking trays
$10.00 Mis match of mixing and serving bowls
$1.00 Cutting boards
$15.00 2 large pots
$15.00 Mix match of smaller pots
$15.00 3 frying pans
$5.00 Garbage cans, laundry bucket and mop bucket
$5.00 Silverware set and seperator
$5.00 Kitchen utensils
$2.00 Flower vase
$100.00 Guitar
$3.00 Plastic pitcher
$10.00 Tupperware
Let me know here on the blog, on facebook or email if you're interested!
taylor.bogdan@gmail.com
Project Number 2 - Day 5
For breakfast I had a banana and 2 cups of coffee.
For lunch I had another banana.
For dinner I had a pork chop, potatoes and rice and guacamole salad. Plus I had another banana.
For lunch I had another banana.
For dinner I had a pork chop, potatoes and rice and guacamole salad. Plus I had another banana.
Project Number 2 - Day 4
Over the course of the day I ate 3 bananas half of a roasted chicken and a handful of french fries.
Project Number 2 - Day 3
For breakfast today I had a glass of fresh squeezed OJ and a banana on my way to training.
I didn't eat any lunch because we didn't really have time.
For dinner, we ate at Megamaxi. I made the unfortunate decision of ordering quiche. Not good! Just not good! I still ate it, of course! Plus Ryan and I shared a bag of picante chifles and a tres leches cake. Then we went to Grants where I snacked on a variety of crisps with toppings and a few rum and cokes.
I didn't eat any lunch because we didn't really have time.
For dinner, we ate at Megamaxi. I made the unfortunate decision of ordering quiche. Not good! Just not good! I still ate it, of course! Plus Ryan and I shared a bag of picante chifles and a tres leches cake. Then we went to Grants where I snacked on a variety of crisps with toppings and a few rum and cokes.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Days
An apology for falling off the bandwagon with my Lenten projects! This weekend we did something we haven't done in quite a while... nothing! And it was fabulous! We've taken to calling these types of days 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory days' or 'Grandpa Joe days' (Grandpa Jo from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, not my actual Grandpa Jo). Remember how in the movie the grandparents just laid in bed all day and talked and slept and ate, then repeated the whole process. Well, that's basically what a 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory day' includes for us, plus a whole lot of movies! On Friday we finally picked up Season 1 of Glee and a couple of the Oscar winning movies. Then Saturday morning we got up and did nothing but watch Glee! (That's not entirely true, we also took Chuki to the vet. Hello double ear infection. Poor pup.) On the way home from the vet we picked up a roasted chicken to there was not even any cooking! Anyways, it was exactly what we needed. Just time to relax and rest. Time to drift in between consciousness and napping for a whole day. Then on Sunday we had a half Charlie and the Chocolate Factory day (we had to finish Glee, of course). And spent the rest of the day cleaning the apartment (it needed it BADLY), cooking dinner and having some good conversation.
The only bad thing about doing nothing all weekend is that there are still volcanoes to be climbed and museums to be visited. Maybe this week sometime? Who knows?!
I promise you'll get my Friday and Monday projects just after this. I usually don't blog on the weekends, so no photos from Saturday and Sunday!
The only bad thing about doing nothing all weekend is that there are still volcanoes to be climbed and museums to be visited. Maybe this week sometime? Who knows?!
I promise you'll get my Friday and Monday projects just after this. I usually don't blog on the weekends, so no photos from Saturday and Sunday!
'Wanna List'
When I was young we had this saying, someone 'has a case of the wannas.' It came from a Beirenstien Bears book when Lisa went to the store with Momma Bear and she wanted to buy everything in the store. Well a lot has changed since my days of reading Berinstein Bears but every so often I still get a 'case of the wannas.' And I've got them now, bad. I don't know what it is... If it's the proximitey of returning to the USA, the land of materialism and consumerism. If you remember, I had a bad case of the wannas right before we came back in December. Or if it's that, save those three weeks of being in the USA in December, we haven't bought anything that can be found at a grocery store or a market. Whatever it is, I figured I'd at least let everyone know what's on my 'Wanna List.'
1. A new Mac Book Pro
and back up drive
2. This tent
3. These
shoes (and these
and these
and these
and these
)
4. Luggage, similar to these
5. A set of knives similar to this one
6. A good set of pots and pans, maybe from this collection
7. A new day pack
8. Two of these
sleep mats
9. This
camera, or something like it. I don't really know!
1. A new Mac Book Pro
and back up drive2. This tent
3. These
shoes (and these and these and these and these)4. Luggage, similar to these
5. A set of knives similar to this one
6. A good set of pots and pans, maybe from this collection
7. A new day pack
8. Two of these
sleep mats9. This
camera, or something like it. I don't really know!
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