We know that everyone has been on the edge of their seats anxiously waiting to hear about the latest adventures of Jules and Alex. And waiting, and waiting, and waiting....
And now at last we finally have adventures to share. Here are some assorted highlights (and lowlights) of our lives.
California
Jules took a well-deserved break from work to fly (or flee) to California in March. It was one of the best vacations she has had in recent memory, and here is a summary of her time there.
Lydia provided fitness advice when working out together at the nearby gym. Jules probably need it more than she realized when several days later she had a bad case of DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness- occasionally Jules learns some useful information since she lives with an athletic trainer) and had trouble walking straight from Thursday through Saturday. Jules also enjoyed cooking with Lydia and going with her to her ladies Bible study.
Ryan took a couple days off, so one day he took me to Ikea (it's a Swedish company that makes quality, inexpensive furniture), REI (a very cool sporting goods store), and a restaurant supply store (I saw some of the largest spoons and whisks I have ever seen. I think one of them was three feet long).
I also had some culinary adventures eating sushi for the first time and Vietnamese. It was some of the best soup I have ever had and now desperately want to try to find a good Vietnamese restaurant here in KC (Alex was joking during a phone conversation that I had eaten Japanese and Vietnamese, while she savored her Mac and Cheese.)
On Saturday, Ryan, Lydia, and I drove up into the mountains and went sledding. We had fun throwing snowballs and screaming (to clarify, I did, and Lydia may have) as we careened down the hill. The mountains were gorgeous with all the mounds of snow, and I have never seen so much of it in my life!
Ryan took a couple days off, so one day he took me to Ikea (it's a Swedish company that makes quality, inexpensive furniture), REI (a very cool sporting goods store), and a restaurant supply store (I saw some of the largest spoons and whisks I have ever seen. I think one of them was three feet long).
I also had some culinary adventures eating sushi for the first time and Vietnamese. It was some of the best soup I have ever had and now desperately want to try to find a good Vietnamese restaurant here in KC (Alex was joking during a phone conversation that I had eaten Japanese and Vietnamese, while she savored her Mac and Cheese.)
On Saturday, Ryan, Lydia, and I drove up into the mountains and went sledding. We had fun throwing snowballs and screaming (to clarify, I did, and Lydia may have) as we careened down the hill. The mountains were gorgeous with all the mounds of snow, and I have never seen so much of it in my life!
The next day we all went to the beach and sat on the rocks for a while. We then went to see the redwoods, and that experience just made me feel awestruck. It brought to mind that verse in Psalms "What is man that you are mindful of him?" It is so humbling and encouraging all at once to stand by those immense trees and be reminded that God cares about me.
The last day I enjoyed worshiping with my family at church. We then hit a restaurant called In and Out, grabbed some frozen yogurt (what Alex and her family refer to as fro yo), and dashed to the airport.
It was a wonderful time away from work and cold weather, and thanks to my wonderful brother and sister-in law for providing a relaxing and fun week.
Kitchen Calamities
While Jules enjoyed the flavors of California, we must not overlook some of our cooking mishaps. While talking to each other over the phone, Alex expressed relief that Jules was not there to witness the kitchen filled with smoke, the smoke detector going off, and the fire department driving up (well, maybe that last one didn’t happen). The cause of all this chaos was a package of frozen chicken instructing the user to microwave chicken tenders for a time exceeding what was needed.
Alex: since Julianna was not here, she didn’t get the story straight. One of the goals of this blog is accurate reporting, so we will get the right facts. Yes, the smoke alarm went off but that was it—no kitchen filled with smoke or fire trucks. The package said to heat in a microwave for 16 minutes or when able to be pierced by a fork. After 4 minutes I checked the chicken and that’s when the smoke alarm went off. I tried to poke a fork in the chicken and it literally shattered- it’s probably not a good sign if dinner shatters.
Jules has herself been frustrated with cooking instructions while baking a chicken pot pie. The ingredients called for 1 ¾ cups of chicken broth from a 32 oz container. Does that even make sense? Jules only realized her mistake after mixing the entire container with the other ingredients. After some quick calculations (see, there are some reasons to have a calculator handy in the kitchen, Alex) she doubled the recipe and asked her roommate to watch the stove while she made a mad dash to the grocery store for the needed ingredients. Thankfully, the entrée was salvaged, although there may have been some problems with the pot pie overflowing in the oven.....but let’s just end on a positive note.
The Park
Do you ever have those terribly embarrassing moments that only seem funny months or years later? Well, Jules finally got to that point where she can share about her most recent calamity (or comedy).
Alex has been training for a half-marathon, and she decided that she needed a partner while braving the wilds of the nearby Johnson County park. Since Alex knows her roommate dislikes running, she suggested taking the bike with so that Jules could ride alongside her. Jules was rather excited about it, and rashly agreed.
Alex may have realized this was not such a grand idea after Jules asked how to use the breaks on the handlebars and how to adjust the speed. Did Jules fail to mention she had not ridden a bike in over ten years, and she had never used a ten-speed (Jules didn’t need more than 3 or 4)?
After trying to nonchalantly walk the bike past other people in the parking lot, Jules had a hard time finding her balance on the bike and almost crashed. Fortunately Alex was gracious enough to slow down and let her walk down the winding hill until they got to a flatter section where Jules could get used to the contraption. Thankfully she was able to stay on the bike and managed not to collide with any other park visitors. (Note from Alex: Jules was a great sport to help me in my training and rode the bike for over an hour to keep me company and well-hydrated—Thanks!)
Kitchen Quotes
Here is even more evidence that Alex should keep her mouth shut in the kitchen because sometimes it is better if her strange thoughts remain in her own head where they belong.
~While eating our blue corn tortilla hips, Alex remarked, “Doesn’t this look like India?”
Jules’s response: “See this one (a very small piece)? That’s Monaco.”
Alex scooped the last fragments out of the bag: “I just ate the Aleutian Islands.”
~ After doing the dishes which had been used to cook granola and peanut butter Thai chicken, Alex said: “If you condensed the dishwater, you would have a peanut butter granola bar.”
So if you have made it to the end of this blog you did better than Alex who fell asleep on the couch while Jules typed away writing this entry.
