11 Questions

Nora and Stephany both did this post recently, so I thought I'd play along and post my answers!

1.   What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? 

Check my emails/whatsapp messages/texts and look at my sleep ap stats to see how high or low my sleep quality was.

2. What do you eat for breakfast? 

On week days I usually have GF oatmeal with a banana in it and coffee.  On a weekend I will make scrambled eggs with salsa if I have time for a bigger breakfast.

3. What’s your go-to weeknight meal?

In the summer I tend to grill a chicken breast or pork chop and usually zucchini or some other vegetable.  In the winter I eat leftovers or microwave a baked potato.  A lot of times I do not even cook during the week, though, as I try to make a couple of big meals on the weekends and eat the leftovers during the week.

4. Do you do any kind of journaling or memory keeping? 

I try to journal when I am on vacations but for the most part, my blog is my tool for keeping track of memories.

5. How do you fix your coffee, or do you prefer tea (or neither)? 

I make my coffee at home 6 days a week and treat myself to a skinny vanilla latte on Fridays.  I am picky about my coffee and will only buy whole bean coffee so I can grind it myself.  I like my coffee with International Delights Fat Free French Vanilla creamer, but will drink whatever flavored creamer that is available.  I am sure flavored creamers are full of chemicals but it's one of the few processed foods I eat.

6. What’s the last good book you read?  

The last book I read that I gave 5 stars to was Burial Rites by Hannah Kent.  It's pretty dark and kind of intense but so well-written.  

7. If you had a day all to yourself with no schedule, how would you spend it?

I'd start my day with a long run along the chain of lakes/Minehaha Parkway trail in Minneapolis.  After showering, I'd walk across the river to get brunch at Wilde Roast Cafe where I'd have an omelet and a latte.  Then I'd wander through the farmer's market by my condo and pick up some veggies to grill for dinner later that night.  The afternoon would be spent reading on my patio or on a bench in a local park and I'd snack on some macarons.  In the evening, I'd grill dinner, play a couple of games of cribbage with Phil and we'd watch an episode of House of Cards.

8. What are three things on your life list? 

Be completely debt free, take a month long trip to France, and climb Machu Picchu.

9. When you really need to relax or de-stress, where do you go and what do you do? 

Go for a long run, preferably by water, read a good book, take a long hot shower, talk to a friend, or go to my parents' lake home.

10. What’s on your nightstand?

My glasses, sleep mask, ear plugs (yes I am a high maintenance sleeper), hand lotion and nook or latest book I am reading.

11. What’s the last thing you do before you go to sleep? 

Check my email one last time and set my sleep ap alarm.

Ok - your turn!  Answer some or all of these questions in the comments or on your blog.  I'm particularly interested in hearing what 3 things are on everyone's life list!