Clint's birthday surprise

This year I surprised Clint for his birthday by having him thrown out of a plane, aren't I the best?

Skydiving is something he has talked about wanting to do for a while now (and it's always been on my bucket list), so I thought his 35th birthday would be a good opportunity to take him and make it a surprise.

A few weeks before, I emailed all his friends to see if I could convince anyone to risk their lives and join us. I had two takers, Matt and Duane. As it got closer to Saturday, the nerves started to hit and the three of us exchanged emails that probably psyched us out even more. Duane was having night terrors and dreaming about free falling that kept him up at night, and we all couldn't help but look up videos of skydiving. We all agreed that Clint had it the best since he didn't even know what was coming.

All I told Clint was to be ready to leave the house at 9am on Saturday, so he really was left in the dark. We left the house and the first stop was to pick up Duane. Clint knew right away something was up. We picked up Matt from Kirkland next, and headed north up to Snohomish Skydive. As we got closer, he put it together and realized we weren't just gonna go for a nice hot air balloon ride.

As we pulled in the parking lot, Clint let me know that yes he had talked about wanting to skydive, but actually going through with it was another story. Regardless, he was excited and I could tell he was impressed with my surprise.

We sat through our 30 minute training, signed the 10 page front and back waiver (last will and testament basically), and that was it. We were ready to skydive. We went outside to get suited up and were paired with our instructor's. I would be jumping with Jesse (yes, I was Jesse's girl). Clint's instructor had a camera to take still photos of his skydiving experience, so he was able to get some good shots of all of us right up until we all jumped.

training video

learning the arch position

signing our lives away

I understand the bajillion facts above

not yet sure what we're in for

perfect day for jumping out of a plane

We all boarded the plane, and there was no turning back. The plane slowly climbed up to 13,000 feet as our instructors went over the procedure with us again. As we finally reached our altitude, I was the first to go. Thinking back, this was probably a good idea since I didn't have to watch anyone before me as they disappeared out of sight.

We scooted our way to the edge of the door, and dangled over the edge with the wind flapping on our legs. We pushed off and then we were free falling for 60 seconds. The feeling is pretty indescribable. Definitely not natural. I actually remember being a little uncomfortable. It was cold, the harness was tight, and the air is rushing up your nose and down your throat at 120 mph. But the adrenaline and being up in the clouds is pretty amazing.

The instructor pulled the chute, and I was able to relax a little bit (only a little bit though, we still weren't on solid ground). Instantly, it felt like we were just hovering in place compared to the speed we were going before. You're able to see a lot from up there...Mt. Rainier, Seattle, Mt. Baker. Plus, we couldn't have asked for a better day weather wise, so we really lucked out. Jesse then gave me control of the reins and I was able to turn us from side to side and do a few spiral turns. We could even see Clint and the other guys sailing down around us.

We finally came in for a landing, and we were all grinning from ear to ear. It really was such a rush. We got our flight suits and harnesses off, bought some souvenir tee shirts, and headed straight to the Buzz Inn for some celebratory drinks.

celebrating with shots of fireball

having lunch and watching the other
skydivers land from the Buzz Inn

A few pics (yes this is considered a few compared to the 500 he received on a disc) from Clint's instructor...

boarding the plane

laughing at ourselves...who skydives?

Duane and his instructor

Matt still looking unsure

above the clouds

scooting up to the front

I don't wanna look

there I go

Clint's face after I fell out of the plane...

there goes Duane

nice knowing you

there goes Matt

last but not least

oh crap

forgetting to breath

there you go...also notice the plane nose diving

feelin good

phew, the chute opens

steering

a little too close to Matt

so happy to be on solid ground

adrenaline rush

hugs

we all made it!

Adventures in g-free

So far my gluten-free diet has been a success. It's been 3 weeks, and no stomach issues! I'm also feeling healthier in general. I don't get sleepy after lunch at work, and just overall feel like I have more energy.

It has been difficult though. There seems to be gluten in everything! Going out to eat is a challenge, so I usually just stick with a salad. Grocery shopping can be tricky, too. I downloaded an app for my phone that scans the bar code of food and lets you know if it contains gluten. This has come in really handy. For instance, the regular canned black beans at Trader Joe's contain gluten, but not the organic kind.

For the most part, my diet has become healthier. I've been eating more veggies and fruits, lots of chicken, fish and salads, and am actually incorporating breakfast into my morning routine now. It's a strange feeling to not be starving by lunch and scarf down an entire pizza. But, I have found ways to splurge. Turns out gluten-free doesn't necessarily mean healthy. Potatoes, cheese, ice cream, bacon, Cheetos...all gluten-free. In fact, you can still eat fast food! Some of the best places are Wendy's (nearly all their salads, baked potatoes, french fries, chili, even frosties!), Chipotle (everything but the flour tortilla), Arby's and Burger King fries (but steer clear of McDonald's), and even In n' Out (they serve burgers wrapped in lettuce and the fries are safe, good news for trips down to PD).

I've even found quite a few gluten-free alternatives at the grocery store for things like flour tortillas, pasta, pizza crust, flour, beer and bread. So far I haven't found anything that compares to the real thing, and they aren't even really healthy. They are still processed foods, so they are high in both calories and fat. I think my next plan will be to try and cut out foods that are highly processed, this will also be a challenge!

gluten-free junk food

gluten free beer and pizza - just not the same

I have also found myself cooking more. I tried a couple yummy quinoa recipes. One for mini turkey meatloafs and another with black beans and corn. Both delicious and easy to bring to work for lunch.

perfect size for snacking or small meal

I've also been on a salad kick. The BLT chop still remains a favorite, as well as taco salad, yum!

never get sick of this one

Here's another fun recipe I came across for a snack, roasted chick peas. Easy to make and you can season them however you want.

And finally, I gave Trader Joe's gluten-free flour a shot (made from rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca flour) and made the recipe for blueberry muffins they had on the back. They turned out delicious and moist right out of the oven, but by morning they were super dry and almost impossible to eat without washing them down with water.

After my first gluten-free baking experience didn't turn out so well, I downloaded the Wheat Belly cookbook and am planning to give their baked goods a shot (tortillas, biscuits, bread, pizza dough). Hopefully they will turn out to be a hit since I think cutting back on my gluten intake will become a more permanent diet after seeing the benefits so far.

Pot problem

Looks like I've inherited my mom's pot problem as the trips to Home Depot, Lowes, Fred Meyer, and various nurseries continue. I just can't get enough! Here are some pics of my potting projects.

new herbs and flowers for my balcony

pots from Fred Meyer

hanging pots gifted by mom

purchased my own Japanese maple for
the pot from Flower World - added some
Dollar Store rocks and some hens & chicks

And some non-pot related pics. The tree I bought to replace the icky plum tree I had removed, and a new kitty friend.

Blue Atlas Cedar tree

Chloe the Cat

Chloe happened to be in the driveway when my mom stopped by and waltzed right in the front door. We led her out through the back, and she stuck around awhile as we gardened. After smacking my plastic flamingo once in the head, she hopped the fence and left. Sassy little thing. Here's hoping she makes her way back!