BFF Friday!

This is my friend Ruthie. I met her in Lake Tahoe, where I lived and worked for a few summers. Famous for her cheetah print onesie bathing suit and matching beach towel(*editors note, its tiger not cheetah), you can find Ruth hanging out on the pier at Tahoe Park Beach with a PBR in hand, or by the Juke-Box at Pete & Peter's in Tahoe City rocking out to the best of Tina Turner. I saw her on the wall at the Apple store the other day when I went in to get a new battery for my MacBook. I called her to ask why she was indeed in a life sized poster on the wall of my local Mac store riding her cruiser bike. She nonchalantly said, "Oh yah, I did some modeling for them once" No big deal...Just another day at the Lake. A lover of the outdoors, Ruth is a rad skier, loves biking, hiking, water-sports, you name it she'll try it. One time I met up with Ruth and her boyfriend JT Holmes at a bar in Squaw Valley. We all had a drink together then Ruth and JT decide to head home at a early 12:00 at night. Her reasoning for having to leave? "Gotta get up early to go jump outta' planes tomorrow"...Another NBD moment, and that is why Ruth Selby you are awesome. Recently Ruth has started a blog called Ruthie Writes, a blog about her passion for cooking. After getting her Masters, Ruth has recently decided to head back to school, but this time at the Culinary Institute of America in the beautiful St. Helena California. I am so excited to go visit her and frolic through the Napa Valley Vineyards & eat all the delish food she learns to cook!

Q & A With Ruth Selby:

Q: Best/Worst thing you have ever cooked?

A: The best thing I have ever cooked...? I don't know. I am never really 100% satisfied with the things I make, like I am always tweaking and thinking about next time and how I can make them better, because I don't think I am that good at cooking yet. French Onion Soup. Made some at home a month or so ago, using rich beef stock from beef bones at Soupa. It was one of the few times i've ever really nailed something ;-)

Worst thing I ever cooked is a tie:

1. This tomato sauce in which I used dried, ground thyme and oregano instead of fresh herbs. The amounts are way different when you used dried stuff because the herbs are so much more potent. It was not edible.

2. When my brother and I were younger, we tried to bake oatmeal raisin cookies. We added everything but the oatmeal. Somehow, the cookies came out tasting like fish oil. My dad loves telling that story.

Q: Most Thrilling thing you have ever done?

A: It's a cliché but I have to say skydiving and BASE jumping.  I have 92 skydives and 7 BASE jumps, and there is no feeling like jumping out of a plane or jumping off a bridge, no feeling like freefall. I haven't done too much jumping recently, but I would like to get back out there. I miss it!

Q: Snow Ski or Water Ski?

A: BOTH! Just depends on the time of year! I love them both. I suck at waterskiing (like it's not always a sure thing that I'll get up!) but I started to go more last summer and I love it.

Q: My Favorite article of clothing/accessory in my closet is:

A: Clothing: An oversized cashmere cardigan sweater I stole from my dad. It's so warm and comfy but still looks really good with leggings and boots. Accessory: My grandmother's engagement ring. I wear it on a chain as a necklace; it's got this old-school classic setting that makes it way cooler than other, bigger diamonds.

Q: Id never date a guy who didn't:

A: Like my cooking! ;-) But seriously, I couldn't date a guy who didn't love the outdoors as much as I do. If you're going to watch TV or play video games all day, it would never work.

Q: My ritual to help calm my nerves is:

A: Brushing my teeth. Don't know why, but with a fresh and clean mouth I feel like I can do anything. 

Q: My idea of comfort food is:

A: Mac and cheese and biscuits!

Q: Favorite Restaurant in Lake Tahoe is:

A: Fiamma for food, Sunnyside for location. 

Q: My Guilty Pleasure would have to be:

A: Facebooking. I'll find myself looking at pictures of people I barely remember or hardly know, it's midnight, my eyes are bleary and my back hurts and yet I still want to know how your vacation in Costa Rica was or your semester abroad. It's such a time-drain but I am addicted!

Q: Times you have fallen off your cruiser bike after 2AM :

A: I'm so glad you should mention this: NEVER. When I face-planted off my cruiser, in front of cops, hard into the asphalt, and shattered my jaw, it was only 1 a.m.

Q: High Heels or Miller High Life?

A: High Heels without a doubt. 

Q: Blog’s I follow are:

A: Yours! Soooooo Gigi. I always love reading yours. And I'm so jealous of your blog skills, like you are way better than I am at incorporating photographs and visual stuff. My friend Lis writes a blog called -----smith (like blank-smith) because she's a word-smith, a blacksmith, etc. Ok she's not a blacksmith but she makes stuff and her blog always highlights something cultural and cool around Tahoe that I would otherwise miss.

Q: Most memorable day/night/adventure you had living in Lake Tahoe?

A: Really? I cannot narrow it down... can I just list some?

This past New Year's Eve: by memorable, I mean I don't remember all of it, but it sure was a blast. Boating back from South Lake in the dark after a long night of partying. Every five minutes we thought we were home, when really we had pulled into Rubicon Bay thinking it just HAD to be Tahoe Tavern. Mtn Biking and Camping the Downieville Downhill. I am not good at Mtn biking but that trip got me more into it and camping is always awesome. It's not a big deal to others skiers, but my first season in Tahoe I skied Main Chute three times in one day. We just kept hiking for the exercise and Main was the only thing I'd try. It made me feel like I was pushing myself, and I think it's good to scare yourself a little. Riding cruiser bikes to the top of Barker Pass, up Blackwood Canyon. No gears and no brakes on the way down, our chains and rear tires were smoking by the time we got down.

Thanks for picking me for BFF Friday's! Your persistence in writing inspires me and makes me realize I need to write more on my blog too!

Big Squeeze,

Ruthie