Quite a day!

Though it's late for dinner right now {it's European!}, I'm anxiously awaiting some spinach/Oaxacan cheese {procured on yesterday's sojourn} enchiladas from the oven. I'm also drying off a bit because I got stuck in this :

...we don't get downpours like this in San Jose. Nor do we walk or take the bus very often.

Lessons learned.

After mass this morning I puttered around our neighborhood and ran a few errands until it was time to take the bus downtown. I had wanted to stop at the main library to look up a few tomes before going to wait in line for Sleep Walk With Me. 

I knew there would be a line because one of the producers would be answering questions from the audience after the show. Not just any producer, I suppose, since it was Ira Glass. 

If you're not familiar with This American Life {the NPR radio show} then his name won't ring a bell and you might not be too interested but I certainly was!

I had never seen a picture of him {or the real-life-him} before the show {I try not to look up what radio personalities actually look like, it ruins the mystique for me} so I was pretty rapt not only because of what he had to say {interesting!} but mostly by my reconciling his looks with the voice I've known for several years now {and several hundred miles since it's the radio show I listen to the most as I log my miles}.

In other news, Mikey and his brother are in Philadelphia {how weird for us west-coasters that this is now a day trip!} to see a Pearl Jam concert so it's just Guinness and I enjoying enchiladas and the rain {from inside}. As an aside, I crumbled some of this

on top of these puppies. Is there anything more delicious that a thick slice of this cheese at the bottom of a mug of Colombian hot chocolate? No, I didn't think so.

Oh. Another thing. Today is our official 365 day wedding anniversary {it was a leap year!}. Tomorrow is our real anniversary {date/HEART-wise}. 

I'm so excited and happy and all sorts of good things. I love this man SO MUCH. I'll be back with our paper gift reveal and other ruminations soon enough I'm sure.
Love to you all.
xoxo, natty ♥

My how she gets ahead of herself...

This is what I'm reading right now...but really, you should take note of the stack behind the book. I ventured over to the library today. It was the most productive part of my day. Running close to 15 miles in the past two days and over an hour of yoga last night apparently took a toll on me so I was pretty pooped today. I enjoyed the crosswords and chatted with Mr. M's dad (Hi!) and decided it was time to break out the bike for the first time this year. The tires were still nicely inflated and after a winter in the garage ms ruby (my bike from M ☺) needed only a quick wipe down from a towel.  The sun was out and it was warm and beautiful out, so the bike ride was very pleasant.

What I mean by getting ahead of myself (see: Post Title) is that when I get to the library I get so excited about what there is. Even though this is just spring break for me, since it's so late in the season it's feeling a bit too much like summer. Consequently, I checked out more than I could possibly get in this week, but it just felt soooo good. I usually check out a nice stack to kick off summer for me and I just couldn't help myself today.

The main book, the one that I'm starting with, is a book I saw a coworker reading about Mary Winchester. If you grew up in the bay area then you know about the Winchester Mystery House. If not, then just clock on the linked name of the house in the last sentence. My good friend and I growing up were terrified by it but fascinated at the same time (at least I was!). Anyway, once I saw the book I decided that I must che andck it out and so far it's pretty interesting and informative, though please don't worry, I won't give a blow-by-blow account, I'll leave it to you.

I also checked out this book:

which is all about "one pot" meals for two to six that you can make in a Dutch oven in about an hour; how cool is that? You layer your veggies and grains and proteins in a certain way and cooking them in a Dutch oven does the magic that cooks it all up perfectly...recipe fun! You can read more about it HERE. Confession: I'd already checkout out this book several months back but never took note of any recipes and ended up turning it in late; fail there, but this time will be different!

Anyway, another relaxing day of break has passed and I think that tomorrow might have to bring some actual work doing (cringe!)...nighty night =)

xoxo, natty ♥


Post Script: YUM!