2026 Resolutions

 I accidentally skipped resolutions last year because I was on an airplane on NYE, flying home with my new dog Leila. I accomplished a lot last year, such as running two marathons and taking about 39 minutes off my time (4:43 => 4:28 => 4:04). I also lost another 12 pounds and found another new job. (Long story, don't ask.)

This year, I've got several goals.

1. VISA!!! For real this time. It's been on my annual to do list since 2022 now.

2. Investment strategy. Since moving to London I am not sure what is a legal and tax-efficient way to invest, so my money has stayed in cash. We sold the house on December 31, so I have some cash in my US bank account that is going to depreciate if I don't do anything with it.

3. Buy a flat, or at least make a plan for doing so. Step 1 is meeting with a realtor. Viola has a referral for me.

4. Run my first ultramarathon. I'm signed up to a 55k in the alps in September. Scary and exciting!

5. Work harder, not smarter. A perpetual goal for me, but at this point with my current job, NOT doing it is going to make this job miserable to keep up with. I'd like to have the time and mental energy to do other things besides work. This means saying no to some things, being more focused when I'm at work, and getting better at being disciplined about checking in a lot with myself and team, and acting more as a consultant and architect, rather than indulging in long, uninterrupted, often inefficient focus blocks.

6. Make a new friend. I made some new running friends in 2023/2024, but I'd like to find at least one more so I have someone to do more things with and talk to. Maybe doing things that involve more proximity to other people, like guided trips or a club of some kind?

7. Strength training twice a week. I was SO good from ~May 2023 to August 2025. Then I started this new job and completely stopped. If I want to progress and not get injured running, this is way too important to ignore.

8. Skincare routine. I have spent a lot of money on treatments and expensive skincare, but I use the latter really inconsistently. 

Things I'm considering adding:

9. Swim lessons. I am torn on this one because I don't love swimming but I'd like to be more prepared for Croatia this summer. I think I should commit to at least a 3-pack of lessons and see if I can get into it. Alternatively, learning a martial art or how to dance have always been goals of mine.

10. Potty-train Leila. It would be so helpful to keeping my house clean, being able to have people over, and travel with her. But realistically, being at work all day, I'm not sure how I can accomplish this. 

11. Relax more. I don't have any TV/movie subscriptions right now, and I barely crocheted this year. Being single makes indulging feel less acceptable, and the dogs need a lot of monitoring so I can't crochet easily. Maybe I should have a weekly TV goal? Or podcasts? It sounds counterintuitive but the default downtime activity is now scrolling Instagram or using ChatGPT which both feel a little self-destructive sometimes.

12. Build my startup idea. I'm not committed to this one mostly because I feel so tired all the time, and this is trading free time now hoping for early retirement. I'm 39 so the next five years actually seems a bit better having more personal time and letting work be a 9-5 thing working for someone else (if I can achieve that, see point 5). But also the AI era rising, now is kinda the time to strike. So we'll see.

2024 Resolutions

I saw an article that said people who write New Year's Resolutions are 10 times more likely to reach their goals! I would have written resolutions anyway, but I thought that was an encouraging fact.

Here goes! 

1. Get my British driver's license
2. Take a trip to Spain
3. Hike in the Alps (France or Switzerland)
4. Hike in the Scottish Highlands
5. Read three professional development books (eg. Radical Candor)
6. Read three personal development books (eg. Manifest)
7. Do a fitness activity every day (365 streak on Strava)
8. Take a dance class
9. Lose five pounds (maintain at 135 lbs)
10. Run a marathon 

 My 2023 resolutions were:

• Find a new job
• Get through level ten guitar on Yousician
• Read 12 books
• Run a marathon

I actually only completed one of them, finding a new job, but it was certainly the most important! I'm pretty happy with how my year went anyway.

Health and fitness

By April, it was pretty clear I was not on track for running a marathon in May. I spent January and February studying for interviews, and felt too distracted (and cold) to make time for training. However, I have been seeing a personal trainer twice a week since May, and feel great. I also completed a six-month daily yoga streak! I had to break the streak in November because of a surgery, sadly. Most significantly, I lost about 12 pounds over the summer by doing intermittent fasting, and waking up to do a fasted walk every morning (a 2.5 mile loop around Primrose Hill and Regent's Park). I hit <140 in September and have maintained it the last few months.

Hobbies 

After an Easter trip to Lisbon where we met several bi/trilingual people on a walking tour, I felt very motivated to learn another language. Since then I have been studying Spanish. I currently have a 233 day streak on Duolingo, and I started working with a Spanish tutor twice a week back in August!

I have also kept up crochet, though I've been trying to limit how much time I spend crocheting. It seems like it is a bit of a time warp, and I usually crochet in the evening. By limiting how often I "indulge" in crochet, I've found I have a lot more free time, and have been filling it with things like walking, yoga, and playing with Freya. That being said, I did finish some projects I'm proud of, including a Padme doll for my friend, and a sampler blanket for Fallyn (which she took to school for show and tell!).

Self improvement

I did a few professional development workshops at work, about 6 weeks each, including one on giving feedback and another on being a team lead. I also sought out opportunties to work in PHP, and feel a lot more confident in my full-stack abilities, at least at Tumblr. I am hoping to step up at work even more this year to increase my job security. I really like this company and want to stay as long as possible.

Lastly, I spent a lot of time and money on my skin in 2023. With my age and recent weight loss, I noticed some new signs of aging. I did painful, expensive appointments all year, including a mix of micro needling, Sculptra, Sunekos, and fusion and IPL facials. I also invested in some at home skincare products like VO/Obagi moisturizers and an LED eye mask, and have been taking collagen supplements since August. I believe my skin has improved, so I plan to keep up with my new routines in 2024

2023 Crochet Projects

• Vera - Doodle and blanket
• Amber - Cable blanket and green sweater
• Chance - Fibonacci granny blanket
• Katie - Padme
• Aimee - Husky
• Jade - Bunny and blanket
• Mom - Sunflowers bag

Pesto Salmon Recipe

Ingredients

for 1 serving

• 10 asparagus spears
• olive oil, to taste
• kosher salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 6 oz skinless salmon fillet(170 g)
• 2 tablespoons pesto
• 10 cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. Fold a sheet of parchment paper in half crosswise, then open up.
3. Set the green beans on one half of the parchment. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
4. Lay the salmon on top of the green beans, then spread the pesto over the salmon. Top with the tomatoes.
5. Fold the other half of the parchment paper over the salmon, then crimp the edges to seal the parchment packet.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the salmon reaches 145˚F (63˚C).

2023 Books

1.  The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
2.  The Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan (book 8)
3.  Winter's Heart by Robert Jordan (book 9)
4.  Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan (book 10)

In progress

1. Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention by Johann Hari

2023 Resolutions

• Find a new job
• Get through level ten guitar on Yousician
• Read 12 books
• Run a marathon

Mocha Slices

 Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon instant coffee crystals
• 1 teaspoon water
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flower
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 12-ounce package (2 cups) semi-sweet chocolate pieces
• 1/4 cup shortening

Directions

In a small cup, stir together coffee crystals and water until dissolved. In a large mixing bowl, beat 1/2 cup shortening and butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed about 30 seconds or until softened.

Add about half the flour and all of the sugar, cocoa powder, egg, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, baking soda and salt to the shortening mixture. Add the coffee mixture. Beat until thoroughly combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat or stir in remaining flour. Shape dough into two 8-inch rolls. Wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap. Chill for 4 to 24 hours.

Cut dough into 1/8 inch thick slices. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake ina  375 degree oven for 7-9 minutes, or until tops look dry (don't over bake). Remove cookies and cool on a wire rack.

In a heavy saucepan, heat chocolate pieces and 1/4 cup shortening over low heat until just melted, stirring occasionally. Dip half of each cookie into chocolate mixture. Place on waxed paper and let stand until chocolate is set. Makes about 108 cookies.

2022 Books

• The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan (book 1)
• The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan (book 2)
• The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan (book 3)
• The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan (book 4)
• The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan (book 5)
• Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan (book 6)
• A Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan (book 7)

Wonderful things about Yoshi

Yoshi as a baby

• I knew from his picture that "Oliver" was the boston terrier I wanted. He had two brothers,  Tucker and Maverick, but I liked Oliver best. As fate would have it, by the time we picked him up in Ravenna, OH, he was the only sibling left. 
• The day we got him, Riddick was excited to meet him. But when we packed Yoshi into the car with us, and he got to sit up front on my lap, Riddick was not so happy.
• We have some pictures of that day, including one at the adoption home, where he is shorter than the blades of grass, and two of him on my lap on a towel in the car.
• At our first apartment, Spicetree, we would let him walk off-leash around the apartment complex because he was so unadventurous. He would just plod along behind us, and if we got too far ahead he'd get scared and run to catch up. 
• Once we were walking around the apartment and a toddler stopped to pet him, but the baby and his mom didn't realize he was peeing while they pet him.
• There was about one week where Yoshi had the strongest jaw. He would clamp down on a bone and you could pick up the bone and have Yoshi dangling off the end by his teeth, his body totally limp.
• For the first few months, Yoshi had a yellow stuffed toy we called "duckie" which he would hump to no end. We have since tried to find duckie replacements, but he never found another he liked.

Yoshi peeing

• For the first couple years, Yoshi only peed girl-style, never lifting his leg. 
• At around 6 months, we took him camping and canoeing the first time. He had the craziest projectile pee for the first time, and it pretty much stayed that way the rest of his life. Hence his nickname "pee paw", because he peed so far it always got on his front feet.
• He was about two when he lifted his leg the first time, at bird hills, and I was sad because my baby was all grown up.

Yoshi sleeping

• As a puppy, we tried crating Yoshi because he would have accidents in the house otherwise. I don't think we made it even one night because his crying was so sad and cute, we'd always let him out. For a few weeks we would start him in the crate and move him to bed after he woke and started crying.
• Yoshi used to sleep on our pillows by our faces. Eventually he preferred "twixt" -- sleeping between my legs. In the last year or two, he began to love spooning. He would walk up to our faces and wait for us to lift the covers, then he'd circle in and fall into spooning position.

Yoshi with the zoomies

• Yoshi loves to play. He especially loves to be chased. When he was very young, and Riddick still played fetch, Yoshi would steal the ball just to get chased by him and other dogs.
• Later, Yoshi loved to be chased in circles around the house. He will make eye contact and then run away, or come bark at us until we stand up and he runs away. 
• Around mid-life, maybe sometime after we moved to San Francisco, he started play biting. He loves to be shoved around a little, or tapped on the cheek or head, and then he'll chomp his teeth at me. Sometimes he catches my fingers and bites but his underbite means it doesn't usually hurt too bad. We tell him he bites like a fish.

Yoshi loving Riddick

• Yoshi loved Riddick from day 1. He follows him around, and always tries to give him kisses.
• For years we hoped that one day Riddick and Yoshi would spoon. It eventually happened, and then happened somewhat consistently for ~the last several years. I hope to one day get a tattoo of their silhouettes sitting together.
• Yoshi loves to give and receive ear baths. He'll stand with his shoulders by Riddick's face and press into him, or just go wild on Riddick's ears. We always have to stop Riddick from kissing Yoshi too much because he's prone to ear infections.
• Riddick also "flea bites" Yoshi, which causes Yoshi to get so relaxed and lean into him, eyes half closed. Sometimes Riddick gets sick of Yoshi's zoomies and tries to flea bite him to get him to stop.

Yoshi cuddles

• We coined the term back-it-up butt because of the way Yoshi cuddles in closer by backing up his bottom.
• Yoshi is not super cuddly during the day, but in the evening he demands cuddles. He has jumped onto family and friends laps in the evenings while we're watching TV. Eventually he gets hot and jumps down and flops onto a nearby human's foot.
• Yoshi sleeps so hard that he can be moved all around. If he's asleep in bed and we want to change the sheets, I can set him in a beanbag or on the sofa and then bring him back when we're ready. Sometimes I get stiff spooning him, so I'll move him twixt, and then back spooning again when I miss him.

Yoshi and his dad

• I call Yoshi and Jon the morning men, because they spend long mornings cuddling in bed, often til 12 or 1pm. 
• Later in life, maybe the last two years, Yoshi stopped sleeping in so late and would come follow me around. So we developed a routine where I would pee him, feed him, poop him, then give him a bully stick. After all of that, he would finally be prepped for cuddles with Jon. 
• Yoshi loves to have his face bitten, and Jon does it to calm him down sometimes.
• Jon picks Yoshi up to dance sometimes, and says "Relax relax relax" to get him to lower his feet so they can have their bellies pressed together.
• Yo-yoshi, Yo-yoshi is a call Jon reserves for the most desperate occasions, so Yoshi almost always comes when Jon calls him like that.

2020 Books

1. We Should all be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 
2. Running Your First Ultra by Krissy Moehl
3. Whistle Blower by Susan Fowler
4. Turtles all the Way Down by John Green

Curry chicken salad

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tbsp yellow curry powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cooked crockpot chicken breasts cut into bite-size chunks*
• 1 tart apple, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces**
• 2/3 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup roasted salted cashews
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup sliced chives

Katie's dessert recipes

Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened 2 sticks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar packed
2 large eggs
2 1/2 tsp. real vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups Gold Medal unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. sea salt or kosher salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 12-oz. bags semi-sweet chocolate chips (or 18-oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter, sugars, eggs, vanilla, salt, baking powder and baking soda with an electric mixer until smooth.

Stir in flour and chocolate chips with a wooden spoon to combine.

Shape dough with hands into golf ball-sized dough balls and place a couple inches apart on un-greased cookie sheets.

Bake for exactly 9-13 minutes or until edges are light brown.


Makes 36 cookies, 166 calories, 2.2P, 26c, 6.8f

Handle the Heat Class Brownies

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) plain cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into six pieces
2 1/4 cups (15 3/4 ounces) sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoons vanilla extract

Instructions

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position; preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 13x9-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Line baking pan with parchment paper or foil and spray with nonstick spray again.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder together until combined. Set aside.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl over a saucepan of almost-simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Alternatively, in a microwave, heat the butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl on high for 45 seconds, then stir and heat for 30 seconds more. Stir again, and, if necessary, repeat in 15-second increments until melted. When the chocolate mixture is completely smooth, remove the bowl from the saucepan and gradually whisk in the sugar. Add the eggs, on at a time, whisking after each addition until combined. Whisk in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, folding with a rubber spatula until the batter is smooth.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan; using a spatula, spread the batter into the corners of the pan and smooth the surface. Bake until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 30-35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature, then remove the brownies from the pan. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve. Brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

2019 Books

1. Cracking the CrossFit Open by Oliver Norris
2. How I Became the Fittest Woman on Earth by Tia-Clair Toomey
3. Learning to Breathe Fire by J.C. Herz
4. Chasing Excellence by Ben Bergeron
5. Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan
6. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
7. The Book on Rental Property Investing by Brandon Turner
8. The Definitive Step-by-Step Guide to Making Money on Airbnb by Evian Gutman
9. Chasing Waves by Amy Waeschle
10. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
11. The Cactus by Sarah Haywood
12. The Rise of the Ultra Runners by Adharanan Finn

2019 Resolutions

1. Lift weights 5x/week for three months
2. Finish a Spartan super
3. Take a photography class
4. Read 12 books
5. Visit Yosemite National Park
6. Reach 22% body fat
7. Learn to do handstands
8. Find a good investment for my savings
9. Take a sabbatical
10. Do a triathlon

Cornbread Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 cups buttermilk baking mix
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine baking mix, sugar, baking powder and cornmeal.
3. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, milk and melted butter; beat until creamy. Stir in flour mixture until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Serve warm.

Pumpkin Protein Pancakes

Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (Bob's Red Mill)
1 tsp baking powder
1 scoop or one packet vanilla egg white protein powder (100-120 cal)
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
½ tsp cinnamon

1 cup almond milk
½ cup plain non-fat greek yogurt
1 egg
¾ cup canned pumpkin

Directions
Mix dry ingredients and moist ingredients separately. Combine and fry on stovetop. Makes 10-12 pancakes.

2018 Resolutions

1. Travel somewhere new abroad (Scotland)
2. Read 20 books
3. Run a half marathon
4. Get a motorcycle license
5. Complete Italian levels 3-4
6. Take dance lessons
7. Learn to do handstands
8. Do a strict pull-up
9. Reach < 20% body fat
10. Scuba diving certification
11. Visit three national parks (Petrified Forest, Grand Canyon, Sequoia)
12. Meditate daily for one month

2018 Books

1. Reset by Ellen Pao
2. Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes
3. Embrace the Suck by Stephen Madden
4. Mindset by Carol Dweck
5. All the Light we Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
7. We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter
8. The Word is Murder by Anthony Horrowitz

In Progress:
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling
Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown
Running with the Mind of Meditation by Sakyong Mipham
Born to Run by Christopher McDougall
On Managing Yourself by Harvard Business Review

Melting Moments

Cookies

• 1 cup butter at room temperature
• ⅓ cup confectioner's sugar
• ⅛ tsp salt
• ¾ cup corn starch
• 1 cup flour

Icing

• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 2 tbsp half-and-half

Directions

In a medium mixing bowl, cream the butter until light, then gradually add the confectioners' sugar and salt. Beat this mixture thoroughly, about 3 minutes; gradually add the cornstarch and flour and blend well. Form the dough into walnut-sized balls and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Transfer the balls to an ungreased cookie sheet and let stand for 20 minutes or until soft, then make a thumbprint on top of each to flatten the cookies. Bake for 15-16 minutes, or until the cookies are golden on the bottom. Remove to a rack to cool.

While the cookies cool, make the icing: In a small bowl, combine the butter, confectioners' sugar, almond extract, and half-and-half until creamy. (This may be tinted with food coloring.) Ice the cookies when they are completely cooled. Store in tins, in layers separated by plastic wrap.