So, as you saw from the pictures, Leslie and I went snowshoeing on Mt. Bachelor today, and it was awesome! I would definitely love to go back again, rent some snowshoes, and just hike around with friends and cause some trouble. I love exercise that doesn't seem like exercise, and snowshoeing totally falls under that category. It's basically just walking in a majestic environment. I must say it would have been even more enjoyable if I would invest in some snow boots. Rain boots make my toes feel like popsicles!
Do you want to know what I noticed about the group of 30 or so people that we went snowshoeing with? There were several people wearing sunglasses, but I was the only person wearing eyeglasses. I just thought it was interesting that in a group so large I would be the only one. Also, little girls commenting on blood, pee, and poo stained snow are hilarious.
Yay, we completed NaBloPoMo for the month of January! I'm so excited!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Snowshoeing: not for the uncoordinated
It turns out that I am not the ideal snowshoer--mainly due to my penchant for falling down. I nearly faceplanted so many times that towards the end of the adventure, as we approached a small hill and I said "Oh gosh!" in terror, a stranger turned around to offer assistance. Also, I was very slow.
The Forest Service hosts free snowshoeing tours twice daily every weekend on Mt. Bachelor during ski season... how awesome is that? A group of volunteers led us through the forest on a 90-minute interpretive hike. It was pretty cool, and a unique method of exercising. Please enjoy the following photos of our adventure, complete with photographic evidence of Shawna needing help into her snowshoes from a forest ranger to her awesome polka dot rain boots... still water proof, but not nearly as thermal as is necessary, it turns out. Yay winter activities!
These people were pros:
The Forest Service hosts free snowshoeing tours twice daily every weekend on Mt. Bachelor during ski season... how awesome is that? A group of volunteers led us through the forest on a 90-minute interpretive hike. It was pretty cool, and a unique method of exercising. Please enjoy the following photos of our adventure, complete with photographic evidence of Shawna needing help into her snowshoes from a forest ranger to her awesome polka dot rain boots... still water proof, but not nearly as thermal as is necessary, it turns out. Yay winter activities!
These people were pros:
Friday, January 30, 2009
200th post! Just kidding...
Happy 200th post, everyone! I actually just realized that it was the 200th as I was sitting here trying to brainstorm what to write for this evening. That's pretty impressive, eh, folks?
It's been a pretty terrible week for Leslie and for myself vicariously, so I'm happy to say that I'm spending this lovely Friday evening hanging out with my mommy-licious friends. The majority of these friends are gluten intolerant, and so we partook in some delicious "Super Nachos," gluten-free chocolate cake, and champagne. We spent the majority of our time stalking people on MySpace and Facebook as is socially accepted as a worthwhile activity.
I'm having fun, and I love these girls, but I'm going to miss Leslie like crazy when she moves away. The majority of my friends are married and have kids, and I'm always sort of the odd duck out. Of course I love spending time with them, but it's always something special and indentifiable to have my adventures with Leslie on the weekends.
We don't need to feel responsible to husbands or babies, and we can make spur of the moment plans to go eat crepes, get lost in a corn maze, or freeze our toes off snowshoeing. I love having someone to do those things with, and I feel like I'm losing that. I'm going to pray and pray and pray that she finds a job back in the area, so I can keep having my face to face Leslie time, because I'm surely going to be lost without it.
I'll miss you, come back soon, and I'm so glad we have this blog to stay connected in the meantime.
Updated to include: Wow. That was only the 195th post. I'm kind of feeling let-down now.
It's been a pretty terrible week for Leslie and for myself vicariously, so I'm happy to say that I'm spending this lovely Friday evening hanging out with my mommy-licious friends. The majority of these friends are gluten intolerant, and so we partook in some delicious "Super Nachos," gluten-free chocolate cake, and champagne. We spent the majority of our time stalking people on MySpace and Facebook as is socially accepted as a worthwhile activity.
I'm having fun, and I love these girls, but I'm going to miss Leslie like crazy when she moves away. The majority of my friends are married and have kids, and I'm always sort of the odd duck out. Of course I love spending time with them, but it's always something special and indentifiable to have my adventures with Leslie on the weekends.
We don't need to feel responsible to husbands or babies, and we can make spur of the moment plans to go eat crepes, get lost in a corn maze, or freeze our toes off snowshoeing. I love having someone to do those things with, and I feel like I'm losing that. I'm going to pray and pray and pray that she finds a job back in the area, so I can keep having my face to face Leslie time, because I'm surely going to be lost without it.
I'll miss you, come back soon, and I'm so glad we have this blog to stay connected in the meantime.
Updated to include: Wow. That was only the 195th post. I'm kind of feeling let-down now.
Life's a bitch.
I quit my job today...the job I've held for nearly three years, the job I love, the job I wasn't planning to leave particularly soon. Within the next week or so, it is my plan to move in with my parents until I figure out what I'm going to do next.
They were okay with the fact that I didn't give them two weeks notice--probably because they understand that I feel like my life is in danger. In fact, everyone has seemed very supportive and told me I'm making the right decision.
How is it that in a matter of two days I can go from having a career, cute little house, steady income, and no troubles, to having to quit my job and move in with my parents? As a result of all this, I've been doing lots of crying and not a lot of running or other workouts. It happens. I have learned so many interesting things though: like how to file a restraining order, and that the police can patrol by my house all weekend! I never knew that. I start crying any time I think about leaving this place that I've made my home, but who knows, maybe I'll find a new job in the area and be back. Until then, the authors of Pink Spandex will be separated...but still gloriously awesome, obviously.
They were okay with the fact that I didn't give them two weeks notice--probably because they understand that I feel like my life is in danger. In fact, everyone has seemed very supportive and told me I'm making the right decision.
How is it that in a matter of two days I can go from having a career, cute little house, steady income, and no troubles, to having to quit my job and move in with my parents? As a result of all this, I've been doing lots of crying and not a lot of running or other workouts. It happens. I have learned so many interesting things though: like how to file a restraining order, and that the police can patrol by my house all weekend! I never knew that. I start crying any time I think about leaving this place that I've made my home, but who knows, maybe I'll find a new job in the area and be back. Until then, the authors of Pink Spandex will be separated...but still gloriously awesome, obviously.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Darn it, Back To The Future!
Back To The Future, you raised my expectations for how technology should currently be, and I was inevitably let down by reality. We do not have hover boards. We do not have time machines. We do not have a human way to replicate Doc's hair. But you would think that the internet could at least be fast enough these days for me to catch up on re-runs of The Biggest Loser. But no, here I am waiting for the video to load like it's the year 2000, and I still have dial-up. This is very cruel, so I'm eating a brownie and drinking iced tea while I wait for the little red line to be big enough for me to feel confident that the video will play without pausing. We should be past this by now.
Stupid internet.
Stupid internet.
Good morning, sunshine.
I am officially a morning runner... starting tomorrow.
Until now I've resisted and chose to do my workouts in the evening. It gives me quality time to enjoy the sunset, I can take as long as I want, etc. But I've had a couple scary experiences in the past, and due to the events of my day yesterday I am a little freaked out about being by myself.
I was sitting in my office looking up places to buy pepper spray (by the way, Shawna, want to go buy pepper spray with me on Saturday?) and found a list of tips for carrying it with you while running. They also had tips for runners to avoid danger, and the site pointed out that running in the early morning is safest cause most of the crazies are asleep at that hour. Good point!
So I'm going to force myself out of bed in the morning and become a morning runner. I realized that I'll feel much safer when everyone else is inside. I'm not going to let the fact that I'm afraid to leave my house stop me from doing something I love--I have grown to love running, I really want to keep running (I have my run-iversary to celebrate on April 5!) and I refuse to stop. So suck it, crazies, and please sleep in late enough for me to feel safe.
Probably I'll go back to my old ways at some point, when I'm over the trauma of yesterday. Who knows, maybe I'll like morning workouts even more!
Until now I've resisted and chose to do my workouts in the evening. It gives me quality time to enjoy the sunset, I can take as long as I want, etc. But I've had a couple scary experiences in the past, and due to the events of my day yesterday I am a little freaked out about being by myself.
I was sitting in my office looking up places to buy pepper spray (by the way, Shawna, want to go buy pepper spray with me on Saturday?) and found a list of tips for carrying it with you while running. They also had tips for runners to avoid danger, and the site pointed out that running in the early morning is safest cause most of the crazies are asleep at that hour. Good point!
So I'm going to force myself out of bed in the morning and become a morning runner. I realized that I'll feel much safer when everyone else is inside. I'm not going to let the fact that I'm afraid to leave my house stop me from doing something I love--I have grown to love running, I really want to keep running (I have my run-iversary to celebrate on April 5!) and I refuse to stop. So suck it, crazies, and please sleep in late enough for me to feel safe.
Probably I'll go back to my old ways at some point, when I'm over the trauma of yesterday. Who knows, maybe I'll like morning workouts even more!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Goodnight.
I don't have some amazing topic for today's post. My day wasn't nearly as eventful and frightening as Leslie's. It was just a Wednesday, and I'm happy to be halfway to the weekend. Leslie, another friend, and I are going snowshoeing on Saturday, and we are very excited about that. I'm reading The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl book, and it's pretty hilarious. You should read Dietgirl's weight loss tips. Lost was on tonight and was intriguing as always. The Rocker makes me giggle. Still waiting for my Nike+ and iPod to arrive. Two more days of work. Goodnight.
Hello new readers!
I noticed that our readership nearly doubled overnight... that isn't saying much, cause it's not like we had a ton of readers in the first place. (We love the ones we do have, though! You rock!)
So hello, new readers, and welcome! I am Leslie and my collaborator Shawna and I like to write about basically whatever we feel like. Sometimes it is about health/fitness and the like, but sometimes it is about completely random things. That's the beauty of the internet.
Also, neither of us own pink spandex, despite the title. We should fix that.
So hello, new readers, and welcome! I am Leslie and my collaborator Shawna and I like to write about basically whatever we feel like. Sometimes it is about health/fitness and the like, but sometimes it is about completely random things. That's the beauty of the internet.
Also, neither of us own pink spandex, despite the title. We should fix that.
Wednesday
Something happened at work today, and it was something that shook me to the very core. I won't go into details, but I was afraid in a way that I am not often afraid. Basically, it led to much of my day being spent filling out paperwork and crying in front of people I don't know. I'm not trying to sound dramatic, I promise, its just not something I feel I should detail on the internet.
As a result, I am scared. Scared to live alone, scared to be at work, scared to do the things in life that I normally do. I never realized before today how completely free I feel most of the time, and how unafraid I am during my daily life. I go running in the dark without a second thought, I leave my door unlocked, and I do things that I probably shouldn't just because I live in a small town and don't think anything can happen.
Today I learned that despite what I may often think, I am probably not immortal. Nothing truly horrible happened, I was just placed in a situation where I felt extremely unsafe and it left me shaking and in tears. Of course, I tried to downplay it, telling people I was fine and making jokes about how I lived in a trailer park so I can handle way worse than this.
Except now I'm afraid of what might happen. I am worried about going for a run by myself, out in the wide open countryside where anything could happen to me. I'm terrified of what I would do if I'm placed in the same situation again--because let's face it, I'm 5'2" and probably couldn't do damage to someone if I tried. I'm feisty, but I doubt I could hold my own against a grown man.
That scares me. I'm not sure what to do about any of this. For the first time I regret that I live alone, or that I don't have anyone to make me feel safe. I honestly never thought that would happen.
So that was my Wednesday, how was yours?
As a result, I am scared. Scared to live alone, scared to be at work, scared to do the things in life that I normally do. I never realized before today how completely free I feel most of the time, and how unafraid I am during my daily life. I go running in the dark without a second thought, I leave my door unlocked, and I do things that I probably shouldn't just because I live in a small town and don't think anything can happen.
Today I learned that despite what I may often think, I am probably not immortal. Nothing truly horrible happened, I was just placed in a situation where I felt extremely unsafe and it left me shaking and in tears. Of course, I tried to downplay it, telling people I was fine and making jokes about how I lived in a trailer park so I can handle way worse than this.
Except now I'm afraid of what might happen. I am worried about going for a run by myself, out in the wide open countryside where anything could happen to me. I'm terrified of what I would do if I'm placed in the same situation again--because let's face it, I'm 5'2" and probably couldn't do damage to someone if I tried. I'm feisty, but I doubt I could hold my own against a grown man.
That scares me. I'm not sure what to do about any of this. For the first time I regret that I live alone, or that I don't have anyone to make me feel safe. I honestly never thought that would happen.
So that was my Wednesday, how was yours?
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Podcasts to run by (or walk or bike)
I've been searching iTunes for podcasts that I can run and walk to once I get my Nike+ in the mail, and it turns out I've already been subscribed to those that I'm actually interested in. I did find one called Podrunner, and it included the BPM of the music so that you can match the podcast to your chosen activity. But, it's techno. So, if techno doesn't totally make you want to rip your ears off like it does to me, then go ahead and search for that.
A few of my favorite podcasts to listen to while walking are:
Indie Soup Runner
This podcast only comes out once a month, but it's a total joy to listen to. It's just fun, upbeat music that makes you want to dance around your house in your underwear. And it's not techno, so that's good. Seriously. I hate techno. What is the point of it except to drive me crazy? I'm finding that by listening to this podcast that I'm also discovering new artists that I want to check out, so this can also broaden your musical horizons.
This American Life
Oh, Ira glass, you magnificent hunk of man. I find This American Life to be thoroughly entertaining, and listening to it makes me feel like I'm gaining knowledge while improving my body. Double awesome! I don't know if people would like this to run to, but walking to it sure is nice.
Jillian Michaels
Oh yes, we've mentioned Jillian's podcast before, but that's just because it's AWESOME! She is totally motivational, and I love listening to her tips and conversations with callers. Check her out. She's a hoot.
Podcasts for Running
I haven't actually listened to this podcast for fun, but I think it would be useful as this man has synched up music with weekly Couch to 5k plans. This way you don't need to check your watch every few minutes to know when to walk or run! Very convenient.
The JogTunes Indie Podcast
I haven't spent much time with this one, but it seems promising. There's quite an archive of shows, and the music ranges several genres.
Well, that's all I've got. Please comment if you have any favorite podcasts you like to exercise to so that I can check it out.
I really should go do something productive now. Hasta luego!
A few of my favorite podcasts to listen to while walking are:
Indie Soup Runner
This podcast only comes out once a month, but it's a total joy to listen to. It's just fun, upbeat music that makes you want to dance around your house in your underwear. And it's not techno, so that's good. Seriously. I hate techno. What is the point of it except to drive me crazy? I'm finding that by listening to this podcast that I'm also discovering new artists that I want to check out, so this can also broaden your musical horizons.
This American Life
Oh, Ira glass, you magnificent hunk of man. I find This American Life to be thoroughly entertaining, and listening to it makes me feel like I'm gaining knowledge while improving my body. Double awesome! I don't know if people would like this to run to, but walking to it sure is nice.
Jillian Michaels
Oh yes, we've mentioned Jillian's podcast before, but that's just because it's AWESOME! She is totally motivational, and I love listening to her tips and conversations with callers. Check her out. She's a hoot.
Podcasts for Running
I haven't actually listened to this podcast for fun, but I think it would be useful as this man has synched up music with weekly Couch to 5k plans. This way you don't need to check your watch every few minutes to know when to walk or run! Very convenient.
The JogTunes Indie Podcast
I haven't spent much time with this one, but it seems promising. There's quite an archive of shows, and the music ranges several genres.
Well, that's all I've got. Please comment if you have any favorite podcasts you like to exercise to so that I can check it out.
I really should go do something productive now. Hasta luego!
My newfound love affair
I love my Nike+ after only using it once. Like I kind of want to marry it and have little Nike+ babies that can all track their mileage and average time per mile with ease. That was creepy, wasn’t it?
Anyway, the ground was still covered in snow yesterday, but the sun was out and so I decided to brave the 20-degree weather for a run. I got some weird looks, but really, people in this town should be used to me doing things like this by now, am I right? It’s not like this is strange behavior for me, and I live in a town of 800 people so odds are most of them have seen me out and about before. Still, I felt very hardcore. I should have taken a picture of my winter running awesomeness.
I didn’t realize that each time I hit the button to hear spoken feedback, it left a little mark on my summary. Also, each time I made it play my power song it left a little red sound mark on my summary. Ha. I guess that means everyone will now know exactly how much I like Kelly Clarkson’s new song—I’m not ashamed, its an awesome song! I hit the feedback button so much cause I was trying to figure out if it was accurate or not… I’m going with not, since it told me that I was running a 9-ish minute mile. That, my friends, is surely a lie. Basically that means that I can’t get away without calibrating it, so as soon as the snow melts I’ll be making my way to the high school track to do exactly that. Shawna and I are totally going to have a calibrating party with another friend, woo hoo! It’s like a Nike+ cult.
After I loaded my run I made sure to check and see what Mini Leslie was up to in the Pink Spandex sidebar… holy crap, she got excited about running! She was dancing around and punching the air and whatnot. It amused me even more because Shawna called me just because she noticed Mini Leslie’s newfound enthusiasm. My sister also noticed that she had stepped it up and was no longer playing video games and talking about her .03 mile run. Oh, the joys of technology…
Speaking of which, if any of you lovely readers has a Nike+ and wants to join our team on their website, you totally should!!! It’s Team Pink Spandex. Right now it consists of Shawna, myself, and two people we don’t know. It’s very hardcore.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Lalalala. Yummy yummy yummy.
Much like Marshall of HIMYM, I like to sing out loud about what I'm doing. Sometimes I burst out a tune when I'm dancing with my dog ("Beesly is my pretty bee, and he loves to dance with me!") or cooking in the kitchen ("Making a sandwich! Lalalala. I'll put some cheese on this sandwich! Lalalala. Maybe a pickle might also be nice! About that goodness I needn't think twice.").
It turns out that I also like to sing to cookbooks while reading them. After seeing on Jenna Fischer's blog that she recommends The Most Decadent Diet Ever! cookbook, I decided that it would be wise to check it out from the library to see what the hullabaloo is about. Well, all of the the recipes look fan-freaking-tastic and are made in a healthy lower calorie manner, and I'm not sure I'll want to return the book when the due date is up. I was perusing the book this evening, and I realized that I was singing a little ditty to the images of mouth-watering food, "Yum yum yummy yummy yummy. I would like you in my tummy! You look good, too. And you and you and you. And you're healthy so I know that you love me!"
I found recipes for a banana colada smoothie, spinach salad with warm bacon dressing (reminiscent of my favorite spinach and shrimp salad at Applebee's and only 108 calories!), chicken quesadilla, Italian seasoned fries, and oh so many more things. My mouth is seriously salivating as I flip through the pages, and I'm trying to think of why it wouldn't be a good idea to cook one of these items up at 10:30 at night. Please please please go find this book, and I know you won't be sorry. I cannot wait to dig into this more and actually make something. YUM!
Jenna is in love with the 88 calorie brownies from the book, and she's mentioned them on her blog and in multiple interviews. So I'm pretty sure we ought to try them out and see how we rate them. Here's the recipe!
It turns out that I also like to sing to cookbooks while reading them. After seeing on Jenna Fischer's blog that she recommends The Most Decadent Diet Ever! cookbook, I decided that it would be wise to check it out from the library to see what the hullabaloo is about. Well, all of the the recipes look fan-freaking-tastic and are made in a healthy lower calorie manner, and I'm not sure I'll want to return the book when the due date is up. I was perusing the book this evening, and I realized that I was singing a little ditty to the images of mouth-watering food, "Yum yum yummy yummy yummy. I would like you in my tummy! You look good, too. And you and you and you. And you're healthy so I know that you love me!"I found recipes for a banana colada smoothie, spinach salad with warm bacon dressing (reminiscent of my favorite spinach and shrimp salad at Applebee's and only 108 calories!), chicken quesadilla, Italian seasoned fries, and oh so many more things. My mouth is seriously salivating as I flip through the pages, and I'm trying to think of why it wouldn't be a good idea to cook one of these items up at 10:30 at night. Please please please go find this book, and I know you won't be sorry. I cannot wait to dig into this more and actually make something. YUM!
Jenna is in love with the 88 calorie brownies from the book, and she's mentioned them on her blog and in multiple interviews. So I'm pretty sure we ought to try them out and see how we rate them. Here's the recipe!
Ingredients
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder (note: I couldn't find this and my brownies came out fine without it)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (semi-sweet)
Butter-flavored cooking spray
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 inch non-stick cake pan with spray.
In a medium mixing bowl, using a sturdy whisk or spatula, mix the applesauce, vanilla, egg whites and sugar until they are well combined.
Add the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir the mixture until it is just combined and no lumps remain. Pour it into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the chips evenly over the top. Bake the brownies for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry (a few crumbs are okay).
Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and allow them to cool 5 minutes. Cut into 12 equal brownies. Makes 12 (1 brownie) servings.
Each brownie has: 88 calories, 2 g protein, 19 g carbohydrates, 1 g fat, less than 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 133 mg sodium
Shop till I drop...
I truly have no idea about the current size of my body. I realized this while shopping the other day. I picked up a few things, size medium, as I have been known to fit into a medium in a few other stores. But as I found myself surprised in the dressing room (because the items fit just fine) I realized I expected them not to fit. This is pretty much a conundrum. I am not sure how to fix this problem in my head.
My brain thinks I still weigh over 200 pounds. My ass does not agree. It’s all very strange and I wish I could just look at myself and say, “Hey, I’m a size medium, so I know exactly how big or how small my body is.” Instead, I find myself surprised pretty often. Back in the day I used to try things on, and fully expect them to fit, only to discover that they were too small. Now I appear to have the opposite problem, and I’m without a clue as to how to make sense of it all. I can recall countless dressing room experiences where I thought I was one size, only to discover that I was a size bigger—and hey, a lot of that depends on the store, but it still happened. Just recently my size 12 jeans were too big, so I went to try on a size 10 and they didn’t fit either. I think that’s why when the size 10 jeans finally did fit, I thought they must be lying to me. The same goes for a size medium article of clothing. Apparently I was convinced that while I fit into a particular size medium item, I was still very much not a size medium.
Except it would appear that for the most part, I am. In high school I remember having to try on prom dresses (vomit) and literally getting stuck and having to have my friends help pry me out of a couple. I can’t lie: there is even a picture of me, stuck in a purple prom dress, with a friend helping to pull it over my head. It was kind of a joke at the time… “Hey, Leslie is stuck in another dress!” But really, it wasn’t funny, and I probably should refrain from using humor when I am self-conscious. Note to self: when stuck in clothing, do not make a joke, because people will laugh, and you will be the girl unable to remove a too-small article of clothing without the aid of the laughing people. Being half-naked in a dressing room makes this even more awkward. You can’t hide your fat from people when you’re in your underwear.
At that point in my life, I wished to be a size medium: average, unnoticeable, and forever without a need to be pried free from clothing with a helping hand and/or the Jaws of Life. Now that I am this size (and have been this size for some time now) I find that I still have days where I feel fat—except now I don’t know if that’s just my head being messed up, if I’m just a little bloated, or if I actually have gained weight. It makes shopping really, really difficult. Lots of people wish for a magic pill to aid weight loss, but I wish for a magic pill to help me figure out how to view my body correctly.
Not to mention, the other day I tried on a dress and still had to have my sister help pry me free. Those things are damn tricky.
My brain thinks I still weigh over 200 pounds. My ass does not agree. It’s all very strange and I wish I could just look at myself and say, “Hey, I’m a size medium, so I know exactly how big or how small my body is.” Instead, I find myself surprised pretty often. Back in the day I used to try things on, and fully expect them to fit, only to discover that they were too small. Now I appear to have the opposite problem, and I’m without a clue as to how to make sense of it all. I can recall countless dressing room experiences where I thought I was one size, only to discover that I was a size bigger—and hey, a lot of that depends on the store, but it still happened. Just recently my size 12 jeans were too big, so I went to try on a size 10 and they didn’t fit either. I think that’s why when the size 10 jeans finally did fit, I thought they must be lying to me. The same goes for a size medium article of clothing. Apparently I was convinced that while I fit into a particular size medium item, I was still very much not a size medium.
Except it would appear that for the most part, I am. In high school I remember having to try on prom dresses (vomit) and literally getting stuck and having to have my friends help pry me out of a couple. I can’t lie: there is even a picture of me, stuck in a purple prom dress, with a friend helping to pull it over my head. It was kind of a joke at the time… “Hey, Leslie is stuck in another dress!” But really, it wasn’t funny, and I probably should refrain from using humor when I am self-conscious. Note to self: when stuck in clothing, do not make a joke, because people will laugh, and you will be the girl unable to remove a too-small article of clothing without the aid of the laughing people. Being half-naked in a dressing room makes this even more awkward. You can’t hide your fat from people when you’re in your underwear.
At that point in my life, I wished to be a size medium: average, unnoticeable, and forever without a need to be pried free from clothing with a helping hand and/or the Jaws of Life. Now that I am this size (and have been this size for some time now) I find that I still have days where I feel fat—except now I don’t know if that’s just my head being messed up, if I’m just a little bloated, or if I actually have gained weight. It makes shopping really, really difficult. Lots of people wish for a magic pill to aid weight loss, but I wish for a magic pill to help me figure out how to view my body correctly.
Not to mention, the other day I tried on a dress and still had to have my sister help pry me free. Those things are damn tricky.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Copycat Sunday
Today I was a total Leslie copycat. After her post on making bread, I thought it would be fun to drag out our old bread machine and whip up some of my own homemade goodness. It turns out I have no idea how to actually work that machine, and my 2-lb cheesy, italian bread turned into this doughy brick.
Mmm... I also became obsessed with Ebay today and spent way too much time trying to bid on my own cheap iPod Nano and Nike Plus. Seriously. Way. Too. Much. Time. After calling Leslie to tell her about this, I decided it would be wise to just give in and buy from the Apple Store in lieu of wasting even more of my weekend.
I ordered the green 8gb version. See, pretty! Yes, yes, I know I was going to get the cheaper, silver one, Leslie, but I'd be sad not buying the green!
Of course, I am not a runner so this may have been a total waste of money, but let's all hope I have the strength to feel the burn. Now, I need to go prepare myself for the fun toy by making playlists in iTunes!
Mmm... I also became obsessed with Ebay today and spent way too much time trying to bid on my own cheap iPod Nano and Nike Plus. Seriously. Way. Too. Much. Time. After calling Leslie to tell her about this, I decided it would be wise to just give in and buy from the Apple Store in lieu of wasting even more of my weekend.I ordered the green 8gb version. See, pretty! Yes, yes, I know I was going to get the cheaper, silver one, Leslie, but I'd be sad not buying the green!
Of course, I am not a runner so this may have been a total waste of money, but let's all hope I have the strength to feel the burn. Now, I need to go prepare myself for the fun toy by making playlists in iTunes!
Homemade deliciousness
I woke up this morning with the intention of driving to the high school track to calibrate my Nike+ and then going for a 3 or 4 mile run. That never happened, as apparently it decided to snow a whole bunch since yesterday. Luckily it is supposed to warm up and melt this darn stuff.
Instead I spent my morning inside baking bread! The one good thing to come out of my broken water heater was the re-discovery of my bread maker. The water heater is behind the shelves in a closet in my kitchen (weird) so in order to get to it I had to take everything out, and that led to me saying, "Hey, I forgot I had a bread maker!" My older sister gave it to me when she moved, and I kind of love it a lot.
For the cost of some yeast and a bag of whole wheat flour, I've already made all kinds of things. There is whole wheat pizza dough in my freezer for future nights when I don't feel like cooking, and a loaf of bread in the oven right now. Rock on! I dig it especially cause I can make perfectly healthy things and none of it contains weird preservatives or anything. I hate reading labels of food I buy in the store that list things I can't read. This way is much more preferable: water, olive oil, salt, yeast, flour, etc. Plus, it's pretty darn good if I don't say so myself.
So yeah, I didn't go running. I'll probably do the elliptical in awhile, but that doesn't involve playing with fun things like a new Nike+. Conveniently, I have the bread maker to amuse me.
Edited to add: I almost forgot that baking bread gives me a chance to use my super spectacular pot holder... that's right, it's a fish.
My mom made it for me for Christmas. It's kind of my most favorite thing ever, basically.
Instead I spent my morning inside baking bread! The one good thing to come out of my broken water heater was the re-discovery of my bread maker. The water heater is behind the shelves in a closet in my kitchen (weird) so in order to get to it I had to take everything out, and that led to me saying, "Hey, I forgot I had a bread maker!" My older sister gave it to me when she moved, and I kind of love it a lot.
For the cost of some yeast and a bag of whole wheat flour, I've already made all kinds of things. There is whole wheat pizza dough in my freezer for future nights when I don't feel like cooking, and a loaf of bread in the oven right now. Rock on! I dig it especially cause I can make perfectly healthy things and none of it contains weird preservatives or anything. I hate reading labels of food I buy in the store that list things I can't read. This way is much more preferable: water, olive oil, salt, yeast, flour, etc. Plus, it's pretty darn good if I don't say so myself.
So yeah, I didn't go running. I'll probably do the elliptical in awhile, but that doesn't involve playing with fun things like a new Nike+. Conveniently, I have the bread maker to amuse me.
Edited to add: I almost forgot that baking bread gives me a chance to use my super spectacular pot holder... that's right, it's a fish.
My mom made it for me for Christmas. It's kind of my most favorite thing ever, basically.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Howdy, partners!
How would you like to travel back in time and experience the history, wildlife, and artifacts of Central Oregon, all without the aid of an expensive DeLorean? Well, that is exactly what I did today when our local museum provided the public with a day of free entry! I went with 3 friends and 2 babies, and although the weather outside was gloomy I had a nice time. I've actually been to this museum several times since I was a kid, and it was interesting to see how the place has changed since my previous visit.
Many exciting things happened including:
At one point I wandered into a model town square with saloon, bank, and stores to find this:
Sheriff (actor): (to a little girl) We've got to watch out for trouble around these here parts. One time a man came to down, robbed the bank, and I had to shoot him dead. He bled to death right where you're standing. (My friend and I cracked up so hard when we heard him saying this to a little girl! Maybe that's not the right response, but we thought it was darn funny.)
Outside there was also a homestead with a family working and tending to their ranch. Here are a few conversational gems of our time there:
Uncle Hycum (actor): Don't go throwing rocks at any of my chickens. That what I've got my pistol for. Each chicken cost 4 dollars!
Random kid: (excited) 4 dollars! Mom, can I have one?
Grandma (actress): That pastor never comes down from (a local town) anymore.
Uncle Hycum (actor): He's 40 miles away, Grandma! It takes him a long time to get here.
Grandma (actress): He'll come when I'm dead. And you'll all be having a party.
Oh, 1880s Grandma, you are a sassy one, aren't you?
Many exciting things happened including:
- Meeting a goat named Donut
- Waiting in line to see a teenaged otter who's apparently very moody and did nothing but sleep
- Looking at the world through the eyes of a bug
- Catching an earful of a fun band
- Petting a wolf pelt
- Meandering through a saw mill
- Wandering through a spooky mine shaft
At one point I wandered into a model town square with saloon, bank, and stores to find this:
Sheriff (actor): (to a little girl) We've got to watch out for trouble around these here parts. One time a man came to down, robbed the bank, and I had to shoot him dead. He bled to death right where you're standing. (My friend and I cracked up so hard when we heard him saying this to a little girl! Maybe that's not the right response, but we thought it was darn funny.)
Outside there was also a homestead with a family working and tending to their ranch. Here are a few conversational gems of our time there:
Uncle Hycum (actor): Don't go throwing rocks at any of my chickens. That what I've got my pistol for. Each chicken cost 4 dollars!
Random kid: (excited) 4 dollars! Mom, can I have one?
Grandma (actress): That pastor never comes down from (a local town) anymore.
Uncle Hycum (actor): He's 40 miles away, Grandma! It takes him a long time to get here.
Grandma (actress): He'll come when I'm dead. And you'll all be having a party.
Oh, 1880s Grandma, you are a sassy one, aren't you?
Bargains!
Shawna and I happened by Target last night, just cause we could, and discovered that they are having a most glorious sale--things are like a million percent off! If by a million you think I mean anywhere from 30 to 75 percent off.
The best part is that a lot of what is on sale is active wear! I lovelovelove Target workout clothes. That's where I found my magic pants, and ever since then I've discovered other glorious items as well. I ended up buying two moisture-wicking sweatshirts, a pair of running pants, a spandex-y tank top, and an argyle sweater (that's not for working out) all for $28 total! Please observe the awesomeness, with a cameo by Suzy who was curious as to what the heck I was doing:
The tank top and one of the sweatshirts cost a whopping $3.74. None of the items cost more than $7! I heart Target. If anyone is in need of workout attire I highly recommend them. Now I have new workout clothes, a new iPod and Nike+ to play with, and a healed foot... and it snowed. Of course. That's hilarious. I have to work this morning and I'm hoping it melts by the time I get home!
I should mention that last night I found myself running around my living room in my pj's, wearing only one shoe (the one with the Nike+ sensor), with an ear bud in one ear and the phone up to the other. After I went to bed and was half asleep, I called Shawna (at nearly midnight) to ask her what Julia Roberts' character's name was on "Pretty Woman." My life is kind of random sometimes. Happy weekend! Go to Target!
The best part is that a lot of what is on sale is active wear! I lovelovelove Target workout clothes. That's where I found my magic pants, and ever since then I've discovered other glorious items as well. I ended up buying two moisture-wicking sweatshirts, a pair of running pants, a spandex-y tank top, and an argyle sweater (that's not for working out) all for $28 total! Please observe the awesomeness, with a cameo by Suzy who was curious as to what the heck I was doing:
The tank top and one of the sweatshirts cost a whopping $3.74. None of the items cost more than $7! I heart Target. If anyone is in need of workout attire I highly recommend them. Now I have new workout clothes, a new iPod and Nike+ to play with, and a healed foot... and it snowed. Of course. That's hilarious. I have to work this morning and I'm hoping it melts by the time I get home!
I should mention that last night I found myself running around my living room in my pj's, wearing only one shoe (the one with the Nike+ sensor), with an ear bud in one ear and the phone up to the other. After I went to bed and was half asleep, I called Shawna (at nearly midnight) to ask her what Julia Roberts' character's name was on "Pretty Woman." My life is kind of random sometimes. Happy weekend! Go to Target!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Girls who wear glasses
So, I am proud to be Ms. 4-eyes. I've worn glasses since the tender age of 5, and so they are quite a big part of who I am and how I see (ha) myself. I did go through that one experimental phase during the end of high school and the beginning of college where I tried out contacts, but who hasn't tested those waters? I ended up deserting contacts after they provided me with nothing but heartache and blurry, chapped eyes.
Yes, you read that correctly, chapped eyes. You may laugh now. Of course, there was some awfully technical medical term for my condition, but the gist of it was that contacts dried out my eyes to such an extent that I couldn't see 10 feet in front of me or read my textbooks comfortably and I looked like I belonged in the crowd at a Bob Marley concert. I gave those up quickly and returned to my beloved spectacles and haven't looked back since.
Leslie is a very good friend and accompanied today for my hunt to purchase new glasses, since it had been 4 years since I got my last pair. We spent probably 1.5 hours snatching pairs up and trying them on, only to return them to their rightful homes and then try them on again once we forgot about them. During this whole process Leslie discovered some rather fashionable large, black plastic frames that made her look like a New York fashionista. I eventually discovered a pair of brown frames that were pretty cute and didn't want to sit on my face properly. This is how I realized that one of my ears is higher than the other, and I am pretty much a freak of nature. I ended up ordering those glasses and now I'm going to begin my ear stretching exercises of pulling one ear up and one ear down in an attempt to balance out my face. I will look very not lame doing this indeed.
Yes, you read that correctly, chapped eyes. You may laugh now. Of course, there was some awfully technical medical term for my condition, but the gist of it was that contacts dried out my eyes to such an extent that I couldn't see 10 feet in front of me or read my textbooks comfortably and I looked like I belonged in the crowd at a Bob Marley concert. I gave those up quickly and returned to my beloved spectacles and haven't looked back since.
Leslie is a very good friend and accompanied today for my hunt to purchase new glasses, since it had been 4 years since I got my last pair. We spent probably 1.5 hours snatching pairs up and trying them on, only to return them to their rightful homes and then try them on again once we forgot about them. During this whole process Leslie discovered some rather fashionable large, black plastic frames that made her look like a New York fashionista. I eventually discovered a pair of brown frames that were pretty cute and didn't want to sit on my face properly. This is how I realized that one of my ears is higher than the other, and I am pretty much a freak of nature. I ended up ordering those glasses and now I'm going to begin my ear stretching exercises of pulling one ear up and one ear down in an attempt to balance out my face. I will look very not lame doing this indeed.
Mini Leslie
I created my own "mini" as part of the Nike+ thing, and you can now observe her in the sidebar. It will tell you what my last run was, my average pace, etc, etc. Anyhow, currently the only thing registered on there are the 30 seconds I spent jogging around my living room while on the phone with Shawna in order to test the thing out. Apparently that equaled 0.03 miles.
I have to tell you that it really amused me, cause I just checked to see if the 30 seconds did, in fact, show up on Mini Leslie's little icon, and I saw the little cartoon saying, "There's plenty more where that 0.03 miles came from!"
Oh, Mini Leslie, you're so full of irony and amusement...
I have to tell you that it really amused me, cause I just checked to see if the 30 seconds did, in fact, show up on Mini Leslie's little icon, and I saw the little cartoon saying, "There's plenty more where that 0.03 miles came from!"
Oh, Mini Leslie, you're so full of irony and amusement...
Seven guilty pleasures
I'm kind of a stereotypical girl when it comes to some things, and I really wish that were different. I love trashy magazines, getting my nails done, eating cheesecake with my three roommates... wait, that's "The Golden Girls." I love them too. I wish I were one of those women who watched the nature channel and cured world hunger or something, but sometimes I catch a random episode of The Real World instead and feel myself feeling terribly guilty. Quite often I fail at being exceptionally worldly and intelligent, and for that I feel I should apologize to my fellow women. It is no secret that certain things in life are bad influences—whether it be in terms of health, mental stability or something else. I was thinking today about all the things I enjoy that are terrible for me, and have compiled the following list. Below are the things I should remove from my life, but in most cases probably won’t:
1. Diet soda: I’ve tried to break the habit, really I have, and I even succeeded for several months. Slowly but surely, the addictive carbonated goodness has made its way back into my life—that is, until a friend was telling me about how it has arsenic in it, and I learned that artificial sweeteners are essentially bleached sugar. Gross. This one is going to be crossed off my list ASAP.
2. Television: I mentioned that my sister told me that you burn more calories sleeping than you do while watching television. Conveniently, I also love sleeping. Television shows with which I am currently obsessed include: Lost, How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, Friday Night Lights, Chuck, Bones, The Office, Kath and Kim, and Psych. That is ten, and wow I thought it would be less. Perhaps I should cut my list down a bit? Maybe I’ll take up smart people activities like reading. It still counts as reading if I have the television on in the background, right? At least I can always rationalize it by working out while watching tv—now that’s multitasking at its best.
3. Cheesy reality shows: I may not watch them regularly as I do the forementioned television shows, but cheesy reality television has a fond place in my heart sometimes. That’s right, “The Bachelor,” I’m looking at you. Have you ever watched the reality shows on Vh1? Hilarious. I’m pretty sure my brain is rotting just thinking about them.
4. Damaging hair styling products and/or makeup: A girl does come to love her curling iron and ceramic flat iron. I have a feeling my hair would be much happier if I didn’t have such affection for such items. Also, I have a “makeup drawer” full of products I rarely use, but for some reason still have cluttering up space. But hey, at least I look good.
5. Two well-known men named Ben and Jerry: This relationship began during my freshman year in college. We broke up several years later, but sometimes I cheat on my current love (herbal tea) and have a passionate fling with the fellows. I’m not proud of it. Luckily herbal tea takes me back every time. Ben and Jerry just make me feel dirty, those cads.
6. Shopping: My bank account would love me more if I didn’t have such love for shopping. I can remedy this situation by becoming a millionaire, so my plan is to work on making that scenario become a reality. Of course, to become a millionaire I’d probably have to save money and not shop, so really it is just a vicious cycle.
7. Fitness gadgetry: This includes buying new workout attire, and I suppose could fall under the shopping category except I feel it deserves its own category. Most of the gadgets I buy are totally useful, and I certainly have used every bit of workout wear that I’ve purchased, but sometimes my love for new gadgets leads to weird impulse purchases. For instance, why buy a jump rope when you have crazy low ceilings? I never figured that one out. At least it only cost $3—and my love of new gadgets or workout clothing typically does lead to me working out more. Hey, bribery works for me!
So there we have it. Clearly this list needs some work, but everyone needs a few guilty pleasures, right? I dare you to name a more interesting list! Did I mention that today is National Pie Day?
1. Diet soda: I’ve tried to break the habit, really I have, and I even succeeded for several months. Slowly but surely, the addictive carbonated goodness has made its way back into my life—that is, until a friend was telling me about how it has arsenic in it, and I learned that artificial sweeteners are essentially bleached sugar. Gross. This one is going to be crossed off my list ASAP.
2. Television: I mentioned that my sister told me that you burn more calories sleeping than you do while watching television. Conveniently, I also love sleeping. Television shows with which I am currently obsessed include: Lost, How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, Friday Night Lights, Chuck, Bones, The Office, Kath and Kim, and Psych. That is ten, and wow I thought it would be less. Perhaps I should cut my list down a bit? Maybe I’ll take up smart people activities like reading. It still counts as reading if I have the television on in the background, right? At least I can always rationalize it by working out while watching tv—now that’s multitasking at its best.
3. Cheesy reality shows: I may not watch them regularly as I do the forementioned television shows, but cheesy reality television has a fond place in my heart sometimes. That’s right, “The Bachelor,” I’m looking at you. Have you ever watched the reality shows on Vh1? Hilarious. I’m pretty sure my brain is rotting just thinking about them.
4. Damaging hair styling products and/or makeup: A girl does come to love her curling iron and ceramic flat iron. I have a feeling my hair would be much happier if I didn’t have such affection for such items. Also, I have a “makeup drawer” full of products I rarely use, but for some reason still have cluttering up space. But hey, at least I look good.
5. Two well-known men named Ben and Jerry: This relationship began during my freshman year in college. We broke up several years later, but sometimes I cheat on my current love (herbal tea) and have a passionate fling with the fellows. I’m not proud of it. Luckily herbal tea takes me back every time. Ben and Jerry just make me feel dirty, those cads.
6. Shopping: My bank account would love me more if I didn’t have such love for shopping. I can remedy this situation by becoming a millionaire, so my plan is to work on making that scenario become a reality. Of course, to become a millionaire I’d probably have to save money and not shop, so really it is just a vicious cycle.
7. Fitness gadgetry: This includes buying new workout attire, and I suppose could fall under the shopping category except I feel it deserves its own category. Most of the gadgets I buy are totally useful, and I certainly have used every bit of workout wear that I’ve purchased, but sometimes my love for new gadgets leads to weird impulse purchases. For instance, why buy a jump rope when you have crazy low ceilings? I never figured that one out. At least it only cost $3—and my love of new gadgets or workout clothing typically does lead to me working out more. Hey, bribery works for me!
So there we have it. Clearly this list needs some work, but everyone needs a few guilty pleasures, right? I dare you to name a more interesting list! Did I mention that today is National Pie Day?
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Haaave you met Jenna?
Oh my gosh, my "stories" are on in fifteen minutes, and I haven't written my blog post yet! What to do, what to do...
Do you want to know what's pretty much AWESOME and I get to watch tonight? THE OFFICE! That and Buffy are my favorite shows, and it's especially awesome when the two cross paths. I'm sure you all remember the episode of The Office that Joss Whedon directed in which a bat is let loose and and then trapped (flapping) against Meredith's head. Nice. I loved Jim pretending to turn into a vampire, especially at the end of the episode when he flips up his jacket collar, looks over his shoulder, and quietly says, "Bye, Dwight." Too awesome.
Jenna Fischer is also pretty great, and I think I've mentioned before that I named my dog, Beesly, after her character on The Office. I regularly follow her blog, and it's fun to see that she's just a regular gal who likes shopping at Target and baking brownies.
Jenna has also been in a couple of fitness magazines lately, including Self and Health... In Self, she recounts her 2-week adventure in adopting some new healthy goals for herself like giving up hoodies and jogging 20 minutes per day. Also, we find out that she likes working out to Britney Spears, just like our dear Leslie. Now Leslie can have Mathew Fox AND Jenna Fischer run a marathon with her! I call dibs on their sweaty towels afterwards.
Um, that's actually pretty gross.
Do you want to know what's pretty much AWESOME and I get to watch tonight? THE OFFICE! That and Buffy are my favorite shows, and it's especially awesome when the two cross paths. I'm sure you all remember the episode of The Office that Joss Whedon directed in which a bat is let loose and and then trapped (flapping) against Meredith's head. Nice. I loved Jim pretending to turn into a vampire, especially at the end of the episode when he flips up his jacket collar, looks over his shoulder, and quietly says, "Bye, Dwight." Too awesome.
Jenna Fischer is also pretty great, and I think I've mentioned before that I named my dog, Beesly, after her character on The Office. I regularly follow her blog, and it's fun to see that she's just a regular gal who likes shopping at Target and baking brownies.Jenna has also been in a couple of fitness magazines lately, including Self and Health... In Self, she recounts her 2-week adventure in adopting some new healthy goals for herself like giving up hoodies and jogging 20 minutes per day. Also, we find out that she likes working out to Britney Spears, just like our dear Leslie. Now Leslie can have Mathew Fox AND Jenna Fischer run a marathon with her! I call dibs on their sweaty towels afterwards.
Um, that's actually pretty gross.
New toy!
After I started running I realized that music was most definitely necessary. Time alone with your thoughts is one thing, but running (and running… and running) when you aren’t actually running away from something can get kind of monotonous. I considered finding someone (or something) to chase me, but buying a cheap mp3 player seemed like a better option. Now I can run to my heart’s content all while having peppy tunes to amuse me. I would probably dance and sing along if I weren’t torturing myself while listening to such glorious music.
My mp3 player was bright pink, cost something like $20, and held plenty of music for shorter runs. When I started to run ridiculous amounts of miles in preparation for the half marathon in November I had to repeat all the songs once or twice, but it was still effective. Except now the mp3 player has suffered a horrible, untimely death after just about a year. It lived a good life, really. Plus I put the darn thing through hell—it survived being dropped almost daily, being sat on by the dog multiple times, my face plant into a ditch adventure, rain, snow, excessive summer heat, sprinklers, sweat, and probably more. I carried it in my hand while training for two 5Ks, a 10K, and a half marathon (I’m not sure why I never bought an arm band). The thing that finally did it in was a run through the snow following by an unfortunate incident that involved me dropping it on my kitchen floor and somehow launching it across the room. Still, I’m pretty sure I got my $20 worth.
As a result, I decided to upgrade a little and joined the world of people with iPods. This is a big step for me—I’m not kidding when I tell you that a mere three or so years ago I turned to a friend and said, “What’s an mp3 player?” Technology and me, we aren’t friends. I bought a refurbished iPod so that when I destroy it due to my constant abuse I won’t feel as guilty. Also, I bought an arm band so that I hopefully won’t cause it as much damage. It’s blue, tiny, and very cute. And I had to call my younger sister and ask her how the hell to work such a tiny and cute device. I think I have it figured out now, luckily.
Guess what else I bought? A Nike+!!!!! I’m probably more excited about this than I am about the iPod. A few months ago, Shawna and I were discussing our mutual love of fitness gadgetry, and she pointed this little gem out to me… it’s a thing that you plug into your iPod (and put a sensor in your shoe… ideally, a Nike shoe, but I’m totally going to rebel and make it work with some Velcro, I think) and it tells you how far you ran, what your average mile pace was, etc, etc. There’s a similar item (much like a watch) that you can purchase if you don’t own an iPod. Pretty much, I’m really excited. I’m guessing I’ll be even more excited when I can run again (I’m keeping my fingers crossed for this weekend).
Rest in peace, bright pink mp3 player… I would feel guilty about replacing you so soon if I didn’t have interesting new things to play with.
My mp3 player was bright pink, cost something like $20, and held plenty of music for shorter runs. When I started to run ridiculous amounts of miles in preparation for the half marathon in November I had to repeat all the songs once or twice, but it was still effective. Except now the mp3 player has suffered a horrible, untimely death after just about a year. It lived a good life, really. Plus I put the darn thing through hell—it survived being dropped almost daily, being sat on by the dog multiple times, my face plant into a ditch adventure, rain, snow, excessive summer heat, sprinklers, sweat, and probably more. I carried it in my hand while training for two 5Ks, a 10K, and a half marathon (I’m not sure why I never bought an arm band). The thing that finally did it in was a run through the snow following by an unfortunate incident that involved me dropping it on my kitchen floor and somehow launching it across the room. Still, I’m pretty sure I got my $20 worth.
As a result, I decided to upgrade a little and joined the world of people with iPods. This is a big step for me—I’m not kidding when I tell you that a mere three or so years ago I turned to a friend and said, “What’s an mp3 player?” Technology and me, we aren’t friends. I bought a refurbished iPod so that when I destroy it due to my constant abuse I won’t feel as guilty. Also, I bought an arm band so that I hopefully won’t cause it as much damage. It’s blue, tiny, and very cute. And I had to call my younger sister and ask her how the hell to work such a tiny and cute device. I think I have it figured out now, luckily.
Guess what else I bought? A Nike+!!!!! I’m probably more excited about this than I am about the iPod. A few months ago, Shawna and I were discussing our mutual love of fitness gadgetry, and she pointed this little gem out to me… it’s a thing that you plug into your iPod (and put a sensor in your shoe… ideally, a Nike shoe, but I’m totally going to rebel and make it work with some Velcro, I think) and it tells you how far you ran, what your average mile pace was, etc, etc. There’s a similar item (much like a watch) that you can purchase if you don’t own an iPod. Pretty much, I’m really excited. I’m guessing I’ll be even more excited when I can run again (I’m keeping my fingers crossed for this weekend).
Rest in peace, bright pink mp3 player… I would feel guilty about replacing you so soon if I didn’t have interesting new things to play with.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Feast of love (Obviously I really like using tv and movie references for my titles.)
Today, as I was driving to work, I was listening to NPR/OPB's "Think Out Loud." The hosts were talking to contributors of Hunger and Thirst, an anthology about food and our relationship with it. I had a great time, listening to a few of the poems and story excerpts, and I was especially excited when poet Carlos Reyes came on the air.I actually attended one of his poetry workshops back in high school, and I recall that he was quite a character. Today he spoke of visiting a small island (I think... I missed out on the beginning.) and having to eat fly larvae. According to him, eating the larvae seemed like eating freeze-dried caviar. Mmm...
Another woman (I wish I could remember which one!) read a poem she wrote about her cousin's wake. Apparently her heritage is that of Scottish descent, and when her cousin committed suicide she wanted to bring foods that reminded everyone of their beloved grandmother to bring comfort to the gathering: shortbread and whiskey.
I suppose the food that most reminds me of my family are my mother's rolls that she has baked at Christmas and Thanksgiving since before I was born. They look like the Pillsbury crescent rolls, but they are so much more than that. Mom painstakingly makes the dough and chills it over night, rolls it out, rolls up, and cuts dozens of these little stinkers to be devoured. This is love, because I know my mother can think of plenty of "better" ways to spend her time and yet she makes these for me because she knows it wouldn't be the holiday without them. My favorite time to capture one of these treasures is right of the oven, when I will unroll it carefully so that it says in on piece. I will then tear out the soft parts, squish them together into a tight disc, and eat it while thinking about world peace and such.
What is a food that is special to your family and so ingrained into who you are that you would be lost without it? I'm curious.
Okay, who is with me?!?!?!
I was just reading part of a rather hilarious book: "The Non-Runner's Marathon Guide for Women: Get Off Your Butt and on With Your Training" and a particular tip struck me as interesting.
The author recommends that people striving to run a marathon find a friend to accompany them. Because misery loves company? Probably. Anyway, she says:
...
So who wants to run a marathon with me? Apparently I need someone to chafe with!!!!
The author recommends that people striving to run a marathon find a friend to accompany them. Because misery loves company? Probably. Anyway, she says:
"I'm sure there are people who decide to train, read a how-to book, and a few months later cross the finish line. These people are not normal. Normal human beings are not equipped to endure chafing without the moral support of a fellow blistered being. Its just not in our nature."
...
So who wants to run a marathon with me? Apparently I need someone to chafe with!!!!
Ten things I have done so far today
1.Woke up and tried to revive my right arm, as it was completely dead due to the fact that I fell asleep with my head cutting off the circulation.
2. Ate breakfast. It was pretty delicious.
3. Cleaned up the house a little before work so that I didn’t have to do it when I get home. Awesome.
4. Rough housed with the dog for a little bit before work because we’ve just discovered that her new favorite game is “try to attack the human while she thwarts my advances with her cunning ninja-like moves and brute force.” I keep trying to remind her that this game is not appropriate to play when the human is sleeping soundly. Waking up because a chubby beagle pounces on your head is unpleasant. Also, this would probably be an inappropriate game and would teach a dog to be aggressive, but my dog is 15 years old and her version of “aggressive” is like another dog’s version of napping, I would imagine.
5. Went to the dentist for a cleaning and received a new toothbrush. It’s blue.
6. Came to work and did some work-related things.
7. Donated money to Pasta Queen’s weekend stair climbing venture. You can go to that link and help her fund raising efforts, if you want. (Sometimes I decide I’m rich and can donate money to such things and then I remember that oh yeah, my job doesn’t pay worth crap. But I donated anyway.)
8. Realized that “Lost” premiers for the season tonight and became far too happy than is normal for a person. Then I remembered that I have to tell Shawna that the guy who plays Jack on Lost is building a house in Central Oregon and that’s interesting. I also contemplated how my sister told me that you burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television, but that isn’t going to stop me from watching two hours of “Lost” tonight.
9. Thought about writing a blog post about how Erik, winner of season whatever-it-was of Biggest Loser, was on Oprah to admit that he regained over 100 pounds of the 214 he lost on the show. I feel badly for him, and hope that he figures things out.
10. Wrote a random blog post in list form to get out of actually writing my daily post. Ha.
2. Ate breakfast. It was pretty delicious.
3. Cleaned up the house a little before work so that I didn’t have to do it when I get home. Awesome.
4. Rough housed with the dog for a little bit before work because we’ve just discovered that her new favorite game is “try to attack the human while she thwarts my advances with her cunning ninja-like moves and brute force.” I keep trying to remind her that this game is not appropriate to play when the human is sleeping soundly. Waking up because a chubby beagle pounces on your head is unpleasant. Also, this would probably be an inappropriate game and would teach a dog to be aggressive, but my dog is 15 years old and her version of “aggressive” is like another dog’s version of napping, I would imagine.
5. Went to the dentist for a cleaning and received a new toothbrush. It’s blue.
6. Came to work and did some work-related things.
7. Donated money to Pasta Queen’s weekend stair climbing venture. You can go to that link and help her fund raising efforts, if you want. (Sometimes I decide I’m rich and can donate money to such things and then I remember that oh yeah, my job doesn’t pay worth crap. But I donated anyway.)
8. Realized that “Lost” premiers for the season tonight and became far too happy than is normal for a person. Then I remembered that I have to tell Shawna that the guy who plays Jack on Lost is building a house in Central Oregon and that’s interesting. I also contemplated how my sister told me that you burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television, but that isn’t going to stop me from watching two hours of “Lost” tonight.
9. Thought about writing a blog post about how Erik, winner of season whatever-it-was of Biggest Loser, was on Oprah to admit that he regained over 100 pounds of the 214 he lost on the show. I feel badly for him, and hope that he figures things out.
10. Wrote a random blog post in list form to get out of actually writing my daily post. Ha.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Hope, hope, glorious hope...
I watched the inauguration this morning in my office via live feeds on the Internet, all while instant messaging my older sister who was doing the same thing in England. It was pretty awesome. I am keeping my fingers crossed for Obama to do spectacular things while in office! Watching him speak about the state of our country always leaves me very hopeful.
I’m also hopeful about my foot finally healing… and as a result, I registered for another half marathon! When I did my first 5k in April of last year it was at an annual fundraising event in Portland—each year they host a 5K and a half marathon. So I figured what better way to celebrate my run-iversary than to run the half marathon at the same race? So that’s my plan. It’s on April 5, which means I shall start training ASAP. After that I should be in good shape to train throughout the summer for the Portland marathon in the fall. I love registering for things early cause if I’ve already paid my registration fee it motivates me more, for some reason. Nothing will get me out the door for a run during the remaining months of winter like having already spent money, I guess.
At first I was calling it my running-iversary, but then I realized that run-iversary sounded better. Don’t lie to yourself; we all know it’s a lovely new term. Happy inauguration day! Yay, America!
I’m also hopeful about my foot finally healing… and as a result, I registered for another half marathon! When I did my first 5k in April of last year it was at an annual fundraising event in Portland—each year they host a 5K and a half marathon. So I figured what better way to celebrate my run-iversary than to run the half marathon at the same race? So that’s my plan. It’s on April 5, which means I shall start training ASAP. After that I should be in good shape to train throughout the summer for the Portland marathon in the fall. I love registering for things early cause if I’ve already paid my registration fee it motivates me more, for some reason. Nothing will get me out the door for a run during the remaining months of winter like having already spent money, I guess.
At first I was calling it my running-iversary, but then I realized that run-iversary sounded better. Don’t lie to yourself; we all know it’s a lovely new term. Happy inauguration day! Yay, America!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Lazy Monday
I did 4 things today.
I finished reading New Moon, the 2nd book in the Twilight series.
I watched an episode of Psych and 2 episodes of Grey's Anatomy online (BTW, the internet is being super annoying right now.)
I took a shower.
I enlarged and printed a couple of photos for the neighbor.
I feel very unaccomplished. Tomorrow will be a good day though, because it is Inauguration Day! Yay! And I will work, so I won't feel like such a bum.
And now I have a discovery to share will all of you: my new favorite salad dressing. It is Pomegranate & Blueberry from Eating Right (Safeway's brand). Eat it now. It is most delicious and only 30 calories per serving! Yum yum yum...
I finished reading New Moon, the 2nd book in the Twilight series.
I watched an episode of Psych and 2 episodes of Grey's Anatomy online (BTW, the internet is being super annoying right now.)
I took a shower.
I enlarged and printed a couple of photos for the neighbor.
I feel very unaccomplished. Tomorrow will be a good day though, because it is Inauguration Day! Yay! And I will work, so I won't feel like such a bum.
And now I have a discovery to share will all of you: my new favorite salad dressing. It is Pomegranate & Blueberry from Eating Right (Safeway's brand). Eat it now. It is most delicious and only 30 calories per serving! Yum yum yum...
My night with the Chippendales
In reference to my evening last night, I just said something along the lines of the following to my older sister: “Seriously, I can't really find words to tell you how funny it was to watch a large, muscular man grab my younger sister's head and thrust it upon his groin.”
That should tell you about how hilarious the Chippendales experience was. Conveniently my sister and I spent quality time together at the Laundromat earlier that day, so we had some ones in our wallets in case we needed more quarters. We didn’t need more quarters, but we did need to wave some singles in the air in order to have half-naked men gyrate in front of us. Yes, yes we did.
At the end of the evening the younger sister had received lap dances from all seven of the travelling Chippendales, had her ass grabbed while dancing with one, and had been humped both in the face and on other parts of her body. Strippers, it turns out, make me shy so one of them laughed at my method of gingerly placing a dollar bill in his undies and instructed me to “do this!” That led to my hand making far too much contact with his singles-filled groin area. Holy uncomfortable. Strippers, it turns out, make my younger sister hilarious enthusiastic. A good time was had by all.
And yes, we did pay far too much money to take a Polaroid with two Chippendales. Photo to follow at a later date… I shall miss the younger sister because today she is heading back to school. But I’ll always have memories of our evening with the all-male revue…
That should tell you about how hilarious the Chippendales experience was. Conveniently my sister and I spent quality time together at the Laundromat earlier that day, so we had some ones in our wallets in case we needed more quarters. We didn’t need more quarters, but we did need to wave some singles in the air in order to have half-naked men gyrate in front of us. Yes, yes we did.
At the end of the evening the younger sister had received lap dances from all seven of the travelling Chippendales, had her ass grabbed while dancing with one, and had been humped both in the face and on other parts of her body. Strippers, it turns out, make me shy so one of them laughed at my method of gingerly placing a dollar bill in his undies and instructed me to “do this!” That led to my hand making far too much contact with his singles-filled groin area. Holy uncomfortable. Strippers, it turns out, make my younger sister hilarious enthusiastic. A good time was had by all.
And yes, we did pay far too much money to take a Polaroid with two Chippendales. Photo to follow at a later date… I shall miss the younger sister because today she is heading back to school. But I’ll always have memories of our evening with the all-male revue…
Sunday, January 18, 2009
He loves me, he loves me not...
Okay, I'm kind of creeped out right now. I just got finished watching a disturbing French film called "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not," and I am not happy. This flick stars Audrey Tatou of Amelie fame, and she plays a crazy woman who is obsessed with a married man and basically ruins his life. Ech.
I need to think of happy thoughts now. Calvin and Hobbes. Smelly Cat. Camping. Beer. Karaoke. Gilmore Girls.
Capucine also makes me happy, but she's French and so that makes me think of the movie again. No, no, no, she's a cute little girl who eats too much candy and tells fabulous stories. HAPPY!
Six things... and my breakfast!
Can I just say that I'm really intrigued by Shawna's shampoo bottle tossing ability? Also, I just tried for several minutes to do that with my thumb. No luck. I'm not tagging anyone cause Shawna already did! Also, I have working hot water (and cold water) and a cell phone that functions... and my foot is making great strides! Okay, on with the six things, which shall include a photo of my breakfast:
Six random things about me:
1. When I type I often tilt my head to one side. It really only happens when I'm concentrating, but I sometimes find my head tilted so much that my ear is almost touching my shoulder. My older sister used to walk by the computer in our house and straighten it because she found it very bizarre.
2. While eating I fold my napkin into fourths absentmindedly. Even if I try not to, I often find that I do without noticing. In fact, I didn't even notice I did this until someone pointed it out to me.
3. When I'm home (and alone, which is convenient cause I live alone) I frequently dance around in my underwear, just cause I can. Last night I danced around in my underwear cause I bought new underwear and wanted to show my sister. She appreciated it, pretty much.
4. If I'm ever on Jeopardy and don't know the final question, I would totally write, "Who is your mom?" Mainly because I want to hear the host read it.
5. I cannot do a cartwheel and it is one of my life's goals to figure out how.
6. Alarm clocks make me crazy, and as a result I've totally trained myself to wake up two minutes before the alarm goes off. Even if I wake up at different times of day I still manage it and have no idea how. If I am super sleepy and actually sleep till the alarm it makes me cranky and I have to go back to sleep for five minutes so that my day will start correctly with a lack of alarm.
Six random things I like:
1. Cupcakes
2. Hugs
3. Sunshine
4. Running (now I feel like a weird freak who likes running all of a sudden... back in the day I made fun of people like me)
5. New shoes and yoga pants
6. Breakfast, which leads us to a photo of my breakfast this morning:
I made french toast, at around 500 calories total. The bread is whole wheat (made from scratch, go me), soaked in milk, vanilla, and egg--and it features a drizzle of syrup, a banana, pomegranate seeds. Also, it was delicious. I got bored while a bunch of random men were fixing my water heater so I baked bread. Logical, I know.
Six random things I don't like:
1. Mean and/or judgmental people
2. Papaya
3. People who feel the need to yell things out their car window as they pass by runners and/or walkers. That makes me nuts.
4. Irresponsible landlords who have to be stalked in order to get them to fix something
5. Being without water for two days
6. Ummm... I'm having the hardest time with this section! Oh, winter! We have very strong feelings of dislike for one another.
Six random things about me:
1. When I type I often tilt my head to one side. It really only happens when I'm concentrating, but I sometimes find my head tilted so much that my ear is almost touching my shoulder. My older sister used to walk by the computer in our house and straighten it because she found it very bizarre.
2. While eating I fold my napkin into fourths absentmindedly. Even if I try not to, I often find that I do without noticing. In fact, I didn't even notice I did this until someone pointed it out to me.
3. When I'm home (and alone, which is convenient cause I live alone) I frequently dance around in my underwear, just cause I can. Last night I danced around in my underwear cause I bought new underwear and wanted to show my sister. She appreciated it, pretty much.
4. If I'm ever on Jeopardy and don't know the final question, I would totally write, "Who is your mom?" Mainly because I want to hear the host read it.
5. I cannot do a cartwheel and it is one of my life's goals to figure out how.
6. Alarm clocks make me crazy, and as a result I've totally trained myself to wake up two minutes before the alarm goes off. Even if I wake up at different times of day I still manage it and have no idea how. If I am super sleepy and actually sleep till the alarm it makes me cranky and I have to go back to sleep for five minutes so that my day will start correctly with a lack of alarm.
Six random things I like:
1. Cupcakes
2. Hugs
3. Sunshine
4. Running (now I feel like a weird freak who likes running all of a sudden... back in the day I made fun of people like me)
5. New shoes and yoga pants
6. Breakfast, which leads us to a photo of my breakfast this morning:
I made french toast, at around 500 calories total. The bread is whole wheat (made from scratch, go me), soaked in milk, vanilla, and egg--and it features a drizzle of syrup, a banana, pomegranate seeds. Also, it was delicious. I got bored while a bunch of random men were fixing my water heater so I baked bread. Logical, I know.
Six random things I don't like:
1. Mean and/or judgmental people
2. Papaya
3. People who feel the need to yell things out their car window as they pass by runners and/or walkers. That makes me nuts.
4. Irresponsible landlords who have to be stalked in order to get them to fix something
5. Being without water for two days
6. Ummm... I'm having the hardest time with this section! Oh, winter! We have very strong feelings of dislike for one another.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Six random things
I'm super duper in love with memes and making lists. Although I wasn't tagged for this one, I found it here and want to pick up the game.
- More often than not, I can toss empty shampoo bottles over the top of the shower and make them in the trash can on the other side without even really trying. It's my one true gift, and I hope I'm not jinxing it by telling the world.
- I am in love with the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale. Red has been my Halloween costume for two years in a row, and I think my velvet-esque cape is the most in fashion (I'm seriously considering wearing it in public on a regular basis.) I find the imagery of the story to be beautiful and magical, and I love to find different editions of the book and flip through the illustrations. Yesterday I read Little Red by Lynn Roberts, and in this edition the story is about a little boy and set in late 18th century America. It has very interesting illustrations, and I recommend to anyone who is interested.
- Coffee ice-cream is my absolute favorite flavor ever. And it must be Haagen Daz. Period. This stuff is freaking delicious.
- When I was a kid I wanted to swim in the Olympics and be an author when I grew up. I would practice holding my breath underwater in our pool out back, and I'd type short stories on my mom's word processor stocked with neon green and pink paper.
- I have only owned male dogs (6) and female cats (3). At one point I thought our sheltie, Muffy, was a girl, but sadly he just had a really pathetic name.
- I can do this with my hand, which apparently is disgusting and/or awesome.
Six random things I like:
- The smell of rain on pavement.
- Removing pomegranate seeds from the white skin.
- Treehouses. I've always wanted to live in one like in Swiss Family Robinson.
- Stoop sitting and watching the sun set with friends(especially during my college days and with a cheap, cold beer in hand)
- The smell of baby hair.
- New notebooks and pens.
Six random things I don't like:
- When I fall asleep in the car and the driver has to slam on the brakes for some reason. It makes me feel like I'm going to have a heart attack.
- Loud noises and yelling.
- Racism.
- Trying on a clothing item that I'm sure is going to fit in a dressing room, but then finding out it doesn't.
- SPIDERS. They are so rude and gross and scary.
- Techno music. I guess that goes hand in hand with number 2.
Six blogs I will tag:
- Pink Spandex (okay, okay, so I just want Leslie to answer)
- Small Town Girl
- Delicious Ambiguity
- The Pink Flamingo
- Maria Ink
- Vulgar Moon
Four cups of coffee...
...is apparently too much caffeine for me, cause I'm all jittery. Long story short, after wasting an entire day off having to let the landlord and/or handyman in and out of my house, I had to get up at 7 a.m. on a Saturday to let the handyman in again. But allegedly I'll have hot water by this afternoon--which is good, cause right now I don't have ANY water. It's very unpleasant.
My sister is visiting this weekend (and asleep in my bedroom, even though I considered making her get up at 7 just to keep me company, haha) and our weekend shall be filled with glorious things like seeing a movie and watching the Chippendales tomorrow. I'm sure that's a totally normal way to spend a Sunday evening, right?
On the plus side, all of this fuss over my water situation has distracted me from the fact that I should be resting my foot. That's pretty much all I've been doing! Happy weekend, everyone...
My sister is visiting this weekend (and asleep in my bedroom, even though I considered making her get up at 7 just to keep me company, haha) and our weekend shall be filled with glorious things like seeing a movie and watching the Chippendales tomorrow. I'm sure that's a totally normal way to spend a Sunday evening, right?
On the plus side, all of this fuss over my water situation has distracted me from the fact that I should be resting my foot. That's pretty much all I've been doing! Happy weekend, everyone...
Friday, January 16, 2009
Like, how hard can you throw?
Why oh why do I find it necessary to wait an hour before midnight to write my blog post? Seriously. I wonder if all of you think I'm dumber than I actually am since I write these at such a late hour with a mind full of sleepy gibberish.
What am I thinking about today? It's Friday! And I just had the most wonderful girls' night in with a friend of mine and her cute dimply cheeked baby boy. We got Mexican takeout, drank chocolate milkshakes spiked with peppermint schnapps, and watched deliciously silly and sappy chick flicks, those being "The House Bunny" and "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2." I am so over going out to a stinky bar on a Friday night. This is the life.
BTW, I am hearing a lot about hula hooping as an exercise lately, and it sounds like a lot of fun! Have any of you tried a class, video, or just hooping at home to some music? Is there some special sort of hula hoop I should get? I totally love activities that bring me back to my childhood, including jumping rope, swimming, and riding my bike. Oh my gosh, did any of you have a "Skip It" when you were a kid? I did, and it was AWESOME! I was the envy of the neighborhood as I showed off my sweet skipping skills.
What am I thinking about today? It's Friday! And I just had the most wonderful girls' night in with a friend of mine and her cute dimply cheeked baby boy. We got Mexican takeout, drank chocolate milkshakes spiked with peppermint schnapps, and watched deliciously silly and sappy chick flicks, those being "The House Bunny" and "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2." I am so over going out to a stinky bar on a Friday night. This is the life.
BTW, I am hearing a lot about hula hooping as an exercise lately, and it sounds like a lot of fun! Have any of you tried a class, video, or just hooping at home to some music? Is there some special sort of hula hoop I should get? I totally love activities that bring me back to my childhood, including jumping rope, swimming, and riding my bike. Oh my gosh, did any of you have a "Skip It" when you were a kid? I did, and it was AWESOME! I was the envy of the neighborhood as I showed off my sweet skipping skills.
Here's a question...
Over the past year running has become my form of stress relief and at times even entertainment. Going for a run always clears my head, relaxes me, and keeps me busy when I'm worried about something.
So what, I ask you, am I supposed to do when an injury makes it impossible to run for a period of time?
So lame. The elliptical and I just don't have the same feelings for each other.
And that, friends, is my lame excuse for today's post.
So what, I ask you, am I supposed to do when an injury makes it impossible to run for a period of time?
So lame. The elliptical and I just don't have the same feelings for each other.
And that, friends, is my lame excuse for today's post.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Bagels: the breakfast of champions.
I love salmon cream cheese. Now, most people I express that sentiment to seem to think the concept is quite disgusting, but I must disagree. It is DELICIOUS, and I am somewhat embarrassed to say that I could eat it with a spoon. But today I didn't do that and I spread it on one of the approximately two bagels I ate during the day. Yes, I ate two bagels, and I know that is quite a lot.
Michel (of the Gilmore Girls) would be appalled by my desire for the delicious squishy circles. As he once said, "I don't eat bagels. Bagels are like glue in your intestines and ensure that everything that enters your body will remain there until you die." What a horrifying thought.
I've never been a morning person, or a breakfast person as a result, so it always seems like kind of miracle when I actually eat something more substantial than a chocolate SlimFast. Now granted, when going out to breakfast my choices usually come down to either the eggs benedict or chicken fried steak. So, should I go with no breakfast or one of my meals of doom?
If I were smart (and the results of that poll are still being tallied), I would go with the miracle food that is oatmeal. Yeah, you can make a face mask out of it and probably plaster together a broken bumper when you don't have any classy duct tape, but does it really hold a candle to a fried mystery meat (that is NOT chicken) soaked in gravy. I think not, my friends.
Michel (of the Gilmore Girls) would be appalled by my desire for the delicious squishy circles. As he once said, "I don't eat bagels. Bagels are like glue in your intestines and ensure that everything that enters your body will remain there until you die." What a horrifying thought.
I've never been a morning person, or a breakfast person as a result, so it always seems like kind of miracle when I actually eat something more substantial than a chocolate SlimFast. Now granted, when going out to breakfast my choices usually come down to either the eggs benedict or chicken fried steak. So, should I go with no breakfast or one of my meals of doom?
If I were smart (and the results of that poll are still being tallied), I would go with the miracle food that is oatmeal. Yeah, you can make a face mask out of it and probably plaster together a broken bumper when you don't have any classy duct tape, but does it really hold a candle to a fried mystery meat (that is NOT chicken) soaked in gravy. I think not, my friends.
Why I love surgically enhanced country music stars.
“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” –Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton is kind of my hero. For some reason I’ve always loved her, and if you don’t agree you should google her immediately and learn about all the charitable things she’s done for people in the area of the South where she grew up. She’s a kickass lady, really. It was my plan today to just post a random quote from her with no explanation as a way to get out of my daily post, but I discovered that quote and found it appropriate to my crazy bad mood today.
Yesterday evening involved a broken water heater, missing landlord, being bitten by a neighbors dog, mean stranger, broken cell phone, crawling through tumbleweeds, and all around unpleasantness (which was previously detailed but I decided to edit this and delete all my whining). Basically, it’s stupid, but it made me really grumpy. I thought working out would make me better, so I tried the elliptical but my foot was still hurting and I ended up quitting after only a mediocre workout. All in all I just ended the day in quite a horrible mood for a variety of reasons. But hey, as I told my sister, “It’s just a broken water heater, it’s not like I have cancer or anything.”
So then I find this random quote from Dolly Parton and think to myself, “Self, that’s very true. This experience will just make it all the more enjoyable when you manage to track down the landlord and have hot water again. Also, some people don’t have fresh water at all, so shut up and quit whining.”
Another reason I love Dolly Parton? She also said, "It's a good thing I was born a girl, otherwise I'd be a drag queen." That Dolly Parton, she’s a smart lady.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Oink oink!
Hey all! This is kind of lame but my post today is just checking in since I am currently playing an animal game in which I shout "Moo" and "Oink oink" at everyone. It is very frightening and yet exhilarating. Are you being so awesome? I really doubt it.
Oops.
Um, I went running yesterday. I know I was going to wait until this weekend but I felt like my foot was okay enough to go for a run. It would have been, too, had I stuck to my original plan to just go for a quick two-mile jaunt.
The weather was lovely (about 55), sunny and gorgeous, and it felt like spring time in January. Thank you, global warming. I set off and discovered that while a few weeks ago my body was like a finely tuned machine, it did not remain so. Yesterday I felt more like a really junky, old pickup truck that starts up roughly and clatters down the road squeaking and groaning the entire time. Still, once I got going I was feeling pretty good. Two miles would have been a lovely test for my foot. And then a stray dog showed up…
I thought it belonged to a woman walking, but she told me it had been following her down the road for quite a ways, and she had no idea where it came from. It looked like some type of Corgi mix (NOT the ideal dog to run with, obviously) but the little guy was just having a grand old time running alongside me. I turned onto another road and it followed me, so I turned back instead in attempt to get it to find its home.
That didn’t happen. Eventually it got distracted and left me alone though. Still, I kind of “accidentally” ran six miles instead of two because of my detour in attempt to not have a strange little dog follow me home.
Today my foot hurts a little (just a little). But hey, I can still run six miles and that is something I was worried about. Good to know! Now I shall rest my foot. Really, I will.
The weather was lovely (about 55), sunny and gorgeous, and it felt like spring time in January. Thank you, global warming. I set off and discovered that while a few weeks ago my body was like a finely tuned machine, it did not remain so. Yesterday I felt more like a really junky, old pickup truck that starts up roughly and clatters down the road squeaking and groaning the entire time. Still, once I got going I was feeling pretty good. Two miles would have been a lovely test for my foot. And then a stray dog showed up…
I thought it belonged to a woman walking, but she told me it had been following her down the road for quite a ways, and she had no idea where it came from. It looked like some type of Corgi mix (NOT the ideal dog to run with, obviously) but the little guy was just having a grand old time running alongside me. I turned onto another road and it followed me, so I turned back instead in attempt to get it to find its home.
That didn’t happen. Eventually it got distracted and left me alone though. Still, I kind of “accidentally” ran six miles instead of two because of my detour in attempt to not have a strange little dog follow me home.
Today my foot hurts a little (just a little). But hey, I can still run six miles and that is something I was worried about. Good to know! Now I shall rest my foot. Really, I will.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
What the heck, MySpace?
Why are you so obsessed with trying to make me thin? What business is that of yours and your strategically placed and judgmental advertisement?Why do you pretend to know me and what I want? Just because I told you my birthday once upon a time I am not going to be impressed by you targeting my age and other stats.
What's worse is that I know you are showing these images of semi-anorexic looking bodies to impressionable teenagers who want nothing more than to have friends and fit in. You are promising extreme results through severely unhealthy means, and I kind of hate you for that because I believe some will trust you and fall for your tricks.
No diet, no exercise, easy and convenient. Who wouldn't want to believe that's true? Please stop trying to sell us pills and potions and just let us live our lives and find our own ways to help ourselves.
And no, I am not interested in joining ChristianMingle.com, thank you very much. Just leave me in peace so I can continue stalking my friends like usual and not feel like I have you looking over my shoulder, too.
I didn't know I could be thin without even trying...
As I did my morning perusing of various news sites, I came across an interesting article on MSN: “Ten secrets of the effortlessly thin.”
Really? People can just be thin, effortlessly? I clicked through the slide show and saw things like “they exercise regularly” and “they don’t diet” or that effortlessly thin people don’t deprive themselves but also don’t surround themselves with temptation.
Well, MSN, I do all of the things you listed, but I sure as heck don’t feel that I do so without trying really hard…so this article can just suck it. But make sure to do so with some damn effort.
Really? People can just be thin, effortlessly? I clicked through the slide show and saw things like “they exercise regularly” and “they don’t diet” or that effortlessly thin people don’t deprive themselves but also don’t surround themselves with temptation.
Well, MSN, I do all of the things you listed, but I sure as heck don’t feel that I do so without trying really hard…so this article can just suck it. But make sure to do so with some damn effort.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Adventures in babysitting
I spent today playing Auntie Shawna to my friend's daughter starting with a 6:30 arrival to my still sleeping body. Girl Child was not happy with having to part with Mommy, but fell asleep after about 20 minutes or so of crying. I slept a couple of hours longer, took a shower, and then waited for GC to wake up around 10:30.
We had many adventures today, including:
We had many adventures today, including:
- Eating bananas and Malt-O-Meal
- Watching 101 Dalmations (and thoroughly enjoying how awesome Cruella DeVille is)
- Throwing ball for Beesly
- Letting Beesly jump on us
- Exercising and working up a sweat
- "Borrowing" toys from baby boy pal
- Smooshing PB&J sandwiches up our noses
- Drinking goat milk
- Staring at kitties
My Sunday evening plans
Seriously, I just mentioned how random my conversations with my younger sister can be… well just today, something along the lines of the following took place:
Me: Hey, the Chippendales dancers are coming here on Sunday. Huh? Huh?
Sister: Why aren’t we going?
Me: I don’t even know! Why aren’t you coming to visit me?
Sister: I’ll come visit you! Let’s buy tickets!
Me: I can’t call to reserve them. I’m too embarrassed. I mean, I have to work here! I know these people!
Sister: I’ll call!
So, yes, it looks like this Sunday I’ll be watching half naked men gyrate their shiny, muscled bodies. Awkward. I would document it for you all, but cameras aren’t allowed.
Did I mention I totally just told my boss what my weekend plans are? He laughed. I invited Shawna but she somehow resisted the temptation… I know, right?
Me: Hey, the Chippendales dancers are coming here on Sunday. Huh? Huh?
Sister: Why aren’t we going?
Me: I don’t even know! Why aren’t you coming to visit me?
Sister: I’ll come visit you! Let’s buy tickets!
Me: I can’t call to reserve them. I’m too embarrassed. I mean, I have to work here! I know these people!
Sister: I’ll call!
So, yes, it looks like this Sunday I’ll be watching half naked men gyrate their shiny, muscled bodies. Awkward. I would document it for you all, but cameras aren’t allowed.
Did I mention I totally just told my boss what my weekend plans are? He laughed. I invited Shawna but she somehow resisted the temptation… I know, right?
Going stir crazy
It’s been two weeks since I injured my foot. I am freaking out, a little, even though my foot is essentially better and I can now go ahead with some low-impact stuff. It turns out I’m just kind of a high impact girl. I love me some running, some jumping around, some doing things that challenge me. My foot… not so much, right now. I am hoping beyond hope that I can go for a run this weekend cause it is perfect running weather outside. For the past few days it has been sunny and right around 60 degrees, and all of me (except my foot) is itching to get my butt outside for a run. Why must my foot argue with such things? Back in the days of gym class I used to dread running days with undying passion, and now I’m stressing out because I’m unable to run for two weeks. Seriously, when did that happen?
Today I asked a friend (a longtime runner) if I were going to lose all my ability within two weeks. “This is the longest I’ve gone without running since I started!” I told her. “I’m kind of freaking out, basically.” She told me it will be fine, and to rest my foot. Why do people keep saying that?
So very many times I have lost weight and been determined to keep it off. So very many times I have had one little thing happen that prompts me to just give up and gain it all back (never to the tune of 75 pounds, however… more like 10 or 15 in those situations). My head has a default setting to freak out any time something happens that is beyond my control. I used to be a little OCD (seriously), which really shouldn’t surprise anyone. Turns out I can’t control how quickly my foot heals, but I can control what I eat and I can still do a lot of strength/ab exercises. I shouldn’t freak out. The logical side of me knows this. The crazy side of me is just a little bit more powerful, right now. I haven’t gained weight—in fact I am just the same weight I was before the Christmas holidays, and my clothes fit exactly the same. So shut it, inner fat girl, and rest your foot.
Yesterday I built a nest out of blankets and pillows on my couch, and sat around surrounded by fluffy things with the dog on my lap. I seem to remember wishing for time to do just that not too long ago… so why can’t I just chill out and appreciate it now that I have it? I have a problem with being told I can’t do something—its like when I said I was going to run a 5K I got the feeling that a lot of people didn’t think I could. That, of course, motivated me. I’m a very stubborn individual. So now that my foot is telling me I can’t do anything that will prevent it from healing that is all I want to do. Seriously, the crazy side just needs to calm the heck down.
I’m guessing it won’t until my foot allows me to go for a run, however. That darn inner fat girl is meaner than ever during an injury. I wish I could punch her.
Today I asked a friend (a longtime runner) if I were going to lose all my ability within two weeks. “This is the longest I’ve gone without running since I started!” I told her. “I’m kind of freaking out, basically.” She told me it will be fine, and to rest my foot. Why do people keep saying that?
So very many times I have lost weight and been determined to keep it off. So very many times I have had one little thing happen that prompts me to just give up and gain it all back (never to the tune of 75 pounds, however… more like 10 or 15 in those situations). My head has a default setting to freak out any time something happens that is beyond my control. I used to be a little OCD (seriously), which really shouldn’t surprise anyone. Turns out I can’t control how quickly my foot heals, but I can control what I eat and I can still do a lot of strength/ab exercises. I shouldn’t freak out. The logical side of me knows this. The crazy side of me is just a little bit more powerful, right now. I haven’t gained weight—in fact I am just the same weight I was before the Christmas holidays, and my clothes fit exactly the same. So shut it, inner fat girl, and rest your foot.
Yesterday I built a nest out of blankets and pillows on my couch, and sat around surrounded by fluffy things with the dog on my lap. I seem to remember wishing for time to do just that not too long ago… so why can’t I just chill out and appreciate it now that I have it? I have a problem with being told I can’t do something—its like when I said I was going to run a 5K I got the feeling that a lot of people didn’t think I could. That, of course, motivated me. I’m a very stubborn individual. So now that my foot is telling me I can’t do anything that will prevent it from healing that is all I want to do. Seriously, the crazy side just needs to calm the heck down.
I’m guessing it won’t until my foot allows me to go for a run, however. That darn inner fat girl is meaner than ever during an injury. I wish I could punch her.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
This is totally going in my blog!
So, I'm sure all of you know that I'm pretty much in the middle of my How I Met Your Mother obsession right now as I'm catching up with all of the episodes online at various Japanese video websites. And my love of Neil Patrick Harris is in full force, and I want to share some great finds from YouTube that will deepen your love for this fella', too. Am I the YouTube girl? I think so. I love sharing videos!
Both NPH and Jason Segal of HIMYM singing "Confrontation" from Les Miserables.
NPH singing "Take Me or Leave Me," my favorite song from Rent! The full audio can be heard here. (1st part)
(2nd part)
NPH in a hilarious Old Spice commercial.
NPH talking about prank calling Mekhi Phifer with Ellen.
I can't embed it, but NPH was on Sesame Street as the shoe fairy!
Also, I'm totally going to start listening to NPH reading The Bro Code on Tuesday's commute.
Both NPH and Jason Segal of HIMYM singing "Confrontation" from Les Miserables.
NPH singing "Take Me or Leave Me," my favorite song from Rent! The full audio can be heard here. (1st part)
(2nd part)
NPH in a hilarious Old Spice commercial.
NPH talking about prank calling Mekhi Phifer with Ellen.
I can't embed it, but NPH was on Sesame Street as the shoe fairy!
Also, I'm totally going to start listening to NPH reading The Bro Code on Tuesday's commute.
Impatience
It struck me yesterday how many random conversations I've been having with my younger sister lately. If someone were to read her incoming text messages from me I have a feeling they'd really wonder about me. Our phone conversations are pretty amusing too--for instance, last night the following conversation took place:
Sister: I'm going to go get my nose pierced!
Me: Shut up! Take pictures!
Sister: What are you doing?
Me: Buying garbage bags.
Sister: Wow, your life is really exciting lately.
She doesn't lie. Later that evening:
Sister: I'm going to go see "Bride Wars!" What are you doing?
Me: Organizing my kitchen. I know, I know, my life is exciting. Try not to be jealous.
Other highlights from my recent comments to her include:
Me: I'm so glad that since my foot is injured and I have to sit on my ass so much that I'm doing super productive things like watching every episode of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians."
She seemed especially impressed with me at that moment. In my defense, that show is actually hilarious. Seriously, go watch it! Anyone who is a member of a group of three sisters can probably totally relate (as I can).
My point? My foot is still not completely healed, and I am getting impatient. Yesterday my version of resting and icing my foot turned into completely reorganizing my kitchen. Heh. Whoops! I stopped myself before I rearranged the furniture though. It was a consideration at one point. Today it feels tons better so I'm thinking I'll take the dog for a walk and try the elliptical and see if it can handle it...at which point my contributions to this blog should become a lot less boring. You can see for yourselves how exciting I am lately, however.
You know how some people view injuries as their body telling them to slow down? I tend to be the opposite. Perhaps that's a problem. But hey, my kitchen looks AWESOME!
Sister: I'm going to go get my nose pierced!
Me: Shut up! Take pictures!
Sister: What are you doing?
Me: Buying garbage bags.
Sister: Wow, your life is really exciting lately.
She doesn't lie. Later that evening:
Sister: I'm going to go see "Bride Wars!" What are you doing?
Me: Organizing my kitchen. I know, I know, my life is exciting. Try not to be jealous.
Other highlights from my recent comments to her include:
Me: I'm so glad that since my foot is injured and I have to sit on my ass so much that I'm doing super productive things like watching every episode of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians."
She seemed especially impressed with me at that moment. In my defense, that show is actually hilarious. Seriously, go watch it! Anyone who is a member of a group of three sisters can probably totally relate (as I can).
My point? My foot is still not completely healed, and I am getting impatient. Yesterday my version of resting and icing my foot turned into completely reorganizing my kitchen. Heh. Whoops! I stopped myself before I rearranged the furniture though. It was a consideration at one point. Today it feels tons better so I'm thinking I'll take the dog for a walk and try the elliptical and see if it can handle it...at which point my contributions to this blog should become a lot less boring. You can see for yourselves how exciting I am lately, however.
You know how some people view injuries as their body telling them to slow down? I tend to be the opposite. Perhaps that's a problem. But hey, my kitchen looks AWESOME!
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