Comments Issue Fixed?

Ok, so I think I've worked a way around the comments problem.  Apparently, some readers' comments don't show up after they're entered.  I'm not sure how I stumbled upon I Blog 4 Me, but I'm glad I did because they address this issue in their blogging tips:  "Try switching to POP UP in your comments settings because there is a glitch with embed below the post comments..."

That is exactly what was happening to me, so I switched from embedded to pop-up window for comments.  Let me know if it's working, so leave some love and comment! (Vivi, that means you.) Thank you :)

Moonlight Fantasy

Movie Date was AWESOME!! It lasted over 24 hours! We saw Brave, which was a really cute movie and I'm seriously considering dyeing my hair orange and adopting a Scottish accent.  Both Cody and I thought it was a nice movie and it reaffirmed our love for bears :)  I also realized that most of the movies we've seen together have been animated: Puss in Boots, Arrietty, Ratatouille, How to Train Your Dragon, and Brave.  Not animated: Prometheus, The Others, Earthlings.  But we have another movie date planned for tomorrow, so we'll be able to add to our non-animated list: Safety Not Guaranteed.

After the movie, we had a few drinks- we were bar hopping!  Ok, only 2 different bars, but it was still something I had never done before.  The Shady Lady is pretty on the inside but dark, their food didn't seem too appetizing and I was hungry.  So at Sapporo, we definitely  ordered food- non-vegan fried rice- and it was DELICIOUS!!!!



And then, because neither of us wanted to go home and Cody didn't have to work the next day, we decided to go to a dark place with no city lights in order to look at the night sky.  The moon was sooo pretty and illuminated everything in an ethereal glow.

The following morning, we took care of some school obligations together :)  and then the plan was to go see Safety Not Guaranteed, but it turned out to not be playing at the time we wanted, so, in a spontaneous decision, we decided to go swimming in the river!  But not just the Sacramento river, not even here in Sacramento.  Cody took me to Auburn where there's a delightful swimming spot. I felt so free swimming there.



On the way to the river we shared a veggie-patty Subway sandwich with avocado. Hmmm....So good! Not quite as good as the fried rice from the night before but that's only because it didn't taste like Brother Pig.  Besides, it was super hot, so a cold sandwich hit the spot perfectly.

After swimming, the surprises just kept on coming!  Cody decided to break Veganism for 1 day in order to eat pizza from Chicago Fire with me.  And it was one of the best pizzas I've ever eaten!  Also, the thickest!



We shared our pizza at McKinley Park in Sacramento next to the duck pond until we were chased away by a giant goose.  HONK!

I love my Cody :)


P.S.  Sorry I don't have my own pictures, forgot to take any. Google Image Search is awesome :P

Butterflies

Sunnie & David  in Orange, CA

Still recuperating from that super long week, and I have the bruises and sore muscles to prove it. But it was oh, so much fun. David & Sunnie's wedding was charming, romantic, and wild all rolled into one; in short, it was awesome- not just for being part of their special day, but because I got to see lots of old friends too.  I do wish Cody could one day meet all of them, so they can all see for themselves how nice he is and he can get to know me a little more. 

Ashley & Heather in Tomales State Park

Besides the wedding, I also got to spend some time with even "older" friends, Ashley and Heather, when we went hiking at Tomales Park.   And of course, Super Long Week included lots of bouldering with Cody, both in Berkeley and Castle Rock, along with Mike and Katie. All that physical activity really made it a "wild" week.  

Mike, Katie & Cody @ Castle Rock

Cody helping me @ Castle Rock

Cody on top of rock @ Berkeley, CA

Cody walking Khajit & Nala

Yet, despite all the amazing trips Cody and I have done, it is the simple things that I cherish the most.  For example, walking the cats.  Just calling him to ask if he wanted to help, gave me butterflies in my stomach.  I was afraid he'd say no, which would have been understandable since its such a silly idea, but when he said yes, i felt as if we were going on one of those tentative first few dates.  We are going to to go on a movie date in a few days and I'm giddy with anticipation.  After all this time, he still makes me as nervous as the first time we met.  

However long this lasts, I will enjoy the moment. 

Cody & me @ Berkeley Farmers' Market

Backyard Fun

Tomorrow marks the start of long weekend for me.  I'll be visiting SoCal for Sunnie & David's wedding, yay! But that also means 4 whole days without Cody.  Woe is me! But alas, we will survive somehow.


Ok, enough with the theatrics. I've been procrastinating on updating because a recent message from a friend got me thinking.  He's going through some relationship troubles and that made me realize that Cody and I still  haven't had a big disagreement. And no, the breakup doesn't count.  I'm talking about an actual hardcore disagreement that challenges our believes in ourselves, each other, and our relationship.  Don't misunderstand me, I'm not looking for one, nor do I ever want to have one.  But aren't those types of things always present in relationships? Even in non-romantic ones.  I suppose couples work through it though. "Relationships need work, not just passion and love." And I think we all know this on some level; I mean, aren't we always hearing it? But we don't really know this in practice; not until we're challenged into practicing it.  Many times, our values aren't defined until they're tested, like in a relationship.  So perhaps, another thing that relationships require is for each person to know themselves.  Cody and I haven't yet clashed on core values and this is quite scary to me because I would not want to break up with him just because we couldn't find a way around it.  I'd like to think that our open mindedness and willingness to compromise would carry us through, but until the real moment when we disagree comes up, I won't know.


So yes, I am scared, but like I said before, never again will I let my fear get in the way of my relationship with Cody.  I love you, Cody, so very very much.
That and the fun we can have just hanging out in the backyard makes me feel at home whenever I'm with him.  So now, on to the title of this post: Last week, Cody and I had a very simple day. We started off the morning by going to the farmer's market in downtown Sac and look at all the things we bought!

This is perfect for a still life painting, don't you think?  Hahaha, I wish I could draw.   Anyway, later in the day, we baked some bread- FROM SCRATCH. 

Some cups of white flour (so that the loaf doesn't come out heavy like a brick), Some more cups whole wheat flour, Maple Syrup, Yeast, ummm.....I forgot the rest.  As you can see, Cody is the cook in this relationship.  But I do remember that we mixed in Poppy Seed, Flax Seed, and Pumpkin Seed, both in the dough and also sprinkled some, along with oats, on top.

And here is the final product, Ta-Da!  And we plan on making many more in the future.  I love how he wants to be more self-reliant.  He enables me to become my ideal image of my own self.

And while we were waiting for the bread to cook, we watered the garden and played fetch with Dallas.  Doesn't she look like the happiest dog?  We also played tag in his backyard.  Yes, tag. Albeit, it was kiss tag- but still, quite childlike and of course, fun.

Cody lets me indulge in most of my silly whims; just a few days ago, I had an ice cream social.  Only my brother and Cody came, but it was still very fun!  And best of all, they let me pin silly paper candy on them. I love my brother, and I love Cody, and I love my family, and I love my cats :)

Yellow Candy!

Peppermint Bowtie with wannabe chocolate ice cream!

Meat for the carnivore!

Veggie Tostada!

Berkeley Bouldering Trip

Last Friday, Cody and I went to Berkeley to boulder with some friends (David, Sunnie, and Viqui.) As always, Berkeley is beautiful and any trip with Cody is super fun, even when we are just driving.  Especially when we are just driving, listening to radiolabs and having conversations on science-y topics. When we got to Indian Rock Park, I was surprised that I never knew how such a big rock was smack in the middle of the Berkeley area surrounded by houses.There are lots of other rocks like that scattered around. David and Cody really got into bouldering and were helping each other, while I just played around on the rocks.  David and Sunnie are really good and I only wish Cody and I could have gotten together with them a lot earlier because I think we could really learn from them.  I've noticed that climbers tend to be really friendly and helpful, so I'm sure we'll encounter other climbers that we can learn from.


After climbing, we went to Berkeley Bowl and bought lots of bulk food.  We are planning on making vegan pumpkin and poppy seed wheat bread. Sounds good, right?  We are also going to make veggie tamales (we might need help from my mom for this), and tofu stuffed bell peppers.  Yum!  We bought a pint of vegan curry lentil soup and ate it on top of a look out point overlooking the bay.  After eating, we climbed some more! It was a really secluded little park with a beautiful view of the sunset.  There was a small playground there and we played in it as if we were little kids.  




The following Sunday, we drove up to Yuba City to watch the annular eclipse. I made a pinjole projection box, but a man with his children who saw us on the side of the road, gave us a plastic film that helped us see the eclipse better. It was a very nice afternoon eating cherries while watching the eclipse, and I'm glad to have shared it with Cody.

Happy 6 Months!

Yesterday was our 6 month mensiversary! Half way there to a year, and it has been a marvelous six months. I am so lucky to have such a compassionate and caring human being who actually loves me. He has such a beautiful soul and is so down to earth, that I always feel so relaxed next to him.  So, what did we do to celebrate?  We went to Whole Earth Festival at UC Davis!  It was a very relaxing afternoon sitting on the grass with Cody's head on my lap, gently caressing his hair and music all around us.  Lots of hippies!  But also, lots of vendors :/  I got a beetle painted on my chest. It was really pretty, but I think that next time, I'll paint my own beetle at home. 

There were informational booths too, like SAVE THE FROGS, but by the time we got there, only the vendors were left.  And the food was so expensive too!  Imagine a mango on a stick for 5 bucks! absurd! Still, it was a nice ambiance and we were there with friends too (Christina, Luna, Mike, and Robyn).  AND Cody and I got FREE plants! Yay! More babies for our garden!

Afterwards, some of us went to eat, but we all met again later in the park where we played with Mike's glow pois. And that's it! We went home.  

Cody on the left, Mike on the right.

Here's a poem I recently got from Codybear:  

There once was a man, gazing fondly at his lover with delight.

She gave him love, fidelity, and respite… He’d do absolutely anything for her in a fight.

At her he frequently stared, but it couldn’t be helped.

In a moment he might feel her pinch, and give a yelp.

For he had feelings hard to bear, for her gift to him had been more than fair,

Her passion, her stare, her gentle and loving care.  

To pleasure, to cherish, to warm inside and out,

He loved her more day by day, there could be no doubt.

Her hair a gorgeous pink, so much more beautiful than she might think

A squeaky bra and a pouty lip, both do nothing to shake his grip

of the love he feels, the desire he has, the hopes he carries

For her and he to one day marry.

And for all that may come, the ups and downs are sure to follow.

But in each other's arms nothing felt is hollow,

for there always awaits an even greater tomorrow.

Worry and fear, do take heed,

with them together you will not feed.

While little in this world is certain, indeed,

it is beyond true, Nahdxyeli, that you are all Cody needs.

Yay! I love my Cody :)  And speaking of "one day marry," big ol' CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! to Viqui for getting engaged!!! I am sooo happy for you!  

And another Congratulations! to Karina!  for getting into UC Davis Med School.  Knew you could do it, girl!

Fairy Puppy

P.S. Don't know why that text is boxed in/highlighted like that.

Earth Date 4-22-12

Happy Cinco de Mayo!  Yesterday was a horrible allergy day for me, but Cody came to the rescue by providing me with Benadryl and a ride home for me and my bike.  I've learned my lesson and will be taking allergy meds every morning even if it doesn't look like it's going to be a bad allergy day, which will come in handy when I work on the garden tomorrow (er, should I say later today).  The garden is doing well. Since Cody and I planted our Indigo Apple Tomato, it's grown into a promising food resource and it all started with EARTH DAY! about 2 weeks ago.

To celebrate Earth, we decided to spend the day out in nature and tending to our garden.  In the morning, we rode our bikes in Folsom on a beautiful trail.  I made this "Happy Earth Day" sign and attached it to the back of my bike.  I did get a few cheerful reactions from passerby's.  Then we had lunch in Old Folsom, which neither of us had ever been despite living so close to it. 
 




 I really liked our beans and corn lunch but apparently, Cody didn't.  No worries, he was just objecting to his picture being taken- but he looks so cute! Afterwards, we picked out our babies at the nursery and took them home, where we planted them in our garden. Eggplant, squashes, cucumber, more tomatoes, and beans, oh my! We are sure to have a feast this summer.  

Later that evening, I noticed that I got sunburned, which doesn't happen very often, so I was surprised.  After gardening, I gave Cody an Earth Day present. They are rock owls- an idea I got from pinterest.  I think I will continue to do this every year and make it a tradition, unless I forget- I tend to be forgetful >_<

                                            
If you want to continue reading about our garden, you can check out his blog at Stay! Weird for a week by week update. Plus, he gets more into the maintenance and details of not just the plants, but the soil too. He just bought worms to add to the worm bin with compost.  Hehehe, squirmy!