Splurgy Saturday!

Wow today was BUSY.
Mike and I both woke up around 8:30a, I made myself a quick version of Julie's favorite egg sandwich with what I had in the fridge... Whole wheat thin, one fried egg, strawberry preserves, and a Monterrey jack slice of cheese... it was good, but I'm betting her version is tastier.

We left to begin our mattress shopping adventure right before 10a. We definitely did not buy the first place we stopped. After visiting 9 different furniture and mattress stores, we found the perfect set for us! A little over what we wanted to spend, but it is COMFORTABLE. I'm happy super with our purchase...

While searching for the mattress we were also looking for a bed, but ended up buying an entire bedroom suite... and it is from IKEA. Ikea has such a bad rap for being "cheap" and "not well made", and this is true in some cases. But if you spend the little bit more - their "expensive" pieces seem to be pretty decent quality. I have bought a few items from there and not been let down.
After walking through Ashley, Rooms to Go, Havertys, American Signature, Kane's, and Broyhill we didn't see anything that really caught our eye design wise, and what was more disappointing is that the prices were so high for such low quality, and if it was a quality made piece be ready to give up your first born. Disregarding the price, we were really hoping to just come across something we loved.

We bought the solid wood Hemnes bed, large 8 drawer dresser, 3 drawer large chest, and a night stand for the same price as what we would have spent at one of the other stores for only 1 or 2 pieces of manufactured/particle board laminated pieces that felt to be the same or worse construction as the Ikea pieces we picked up. So, as of this moment, the living room looks like this now!


They say that putting together furniture or road tripping in a car is the true test of patience between a couple - I guess this will be ours!

I can't wait to get the bedroom put together and decorated. Since we aren't 100% sure how many years we will be in this house, most things are not permanent. However, I want it to feel like home.



I still had to grocery shop and pick up food for Claire at PetSmart after we got home and unloaded from furniture shopping.

At PetSmart I couldn't resist from buying Claire a new water bowl, since she is now strong enough to tip over a regular Corelle bowl. I think it fits her perfectly!

Thanks to my place of employment, I was able to get a Free Publix Greenwise Frozen pizza. I picked up the Spinach and Feta while running the grocery list today and had this for dinner. I brightened it up by adding some diced red pepper and tomato.












There was also the obligatory drowning of said pizza in tons of hot sauce. If you're wondering whether I ate the whole thing, why yes, this tubby girl did.



Off to karaoke night at my favorite little bar!

Three Miles to Midnight....

Up at 8:30am, ate a quick breakfast of whole wheat sandwich thin, strawberry preserves and a sliced banana. Quite tasty.

Today's mid morning run was one of those runs where I got done, pissed off(again) at my performance and almost wanted to go run another just to make up for it... but I didn't. I sat in the drive way and pouted. Somehow, after walking probably half of my run, I still made 3.2 miles back right on 30 minutes. I was hoping to push my pace a little today, but I think I started incredibly too fast and winded myself at 1.5 in... ugh. Secondly, I have confirmed that I despise having ANYTHING in my hands while running.

Lunch was a salad I threw together of spring mix, feta cheese, tomato, red pepper, walnuts, and balsamic dressing. I finished up the last bit of spicy hummus on half of a wheat thin.

Highlight of my day: Today is a day that I like that Florida is flat as a board. My drive to work was awesome. When I was a kid, I L-O-V-E-D jets. I wanted to be a Blue Angels pilot until I was about 12, and then I decided I hated math. This weekend they are having an air show in Lakeland called Sun N' Fun and I was able to watch the USAF Thunderbirds, a four jet formation, put on a show and a couple of old fighter planes fly over all the way to work.

Second Highlight of my day: I was able to eat dinner with Mike since he is working late at work tonight, too. We went to Moe's! I had a green pepper and grilled mushroom quesadilla (no meat on Fridays- lent).  They were out of tomatillo sauce(the green stuff) and Rock N Roll sauce - my favorite. I dealt with guac and salsa.

Speaking of lent- there is only one more week left until I can continue my coffee crush aka infatuation aka obsession aka intense desire to finally buy a keurig for ALL THAT IS MAN!!! I was twice as good this year and gave up alcohol and coffee. I hope I haven't been too horrible to deal with for the past month!

Not so highlight of my day: I'm slowly intoxicating/killing myself here in my cubicle. I ate onions. It was an accident. Number one work no-no is do not eat onions. I had only one piece of gum left, and it didn't do anything to cure the horrible taste in my mouth that feels like it is corroding the backside of my teeth.  I am not a fan of onions. I try to NOT eat them whenever possible. I will not take a sample bite of Mike's burrito any more.

Because I am awesome, I brought a pear and greek yogurt for a snack later in the evening. I pray it cures this funky mouth.

Fridays are my time to catch up on writing my blog, online shopping, pay bills, and apparently now it is my prime time to register for races, since I signed up for one tonight and plan on signing up for a second tomorrow. I work the 3p-midnight shift, and usually I have a bit of down time.I do all of this of course that is when the grocery biz isn't up in flames.

... 2 hours later:
Ironically as I wrote the previous sentence, I had my hands full with back to back problems!

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Tomorrow is mattress shopping day! I am soooooo excited! (which is kinda sad if you think about just how excited I am to buy a new bed)


I would like to get my readers involved in commenting, as I see that you are reading, but not leaving any interaction which is most likely my fault. I noticed a lot of other bloggers propose questions at the end. Here are a couple for this post:

What do you do to get over a bad running week?
- I pout hardcore today and come back stronger tomorrow.

What were your favorite things as a kid?
- Blue Angels, summer trips to the beach, my stubborn donkey-pony, drawing, and being able to have the freedom to go out at dawn and come back at dusk and play all day all over the countryside

What did you give up for lent, if anything?
- Alcohol and my beloved coffee

Onions vs no onions?
- NONE! I'd be A-ok if onions did not exist!

Do you have any planned races coming up the month of April?
- Two 5k's (April 14 and prospectively 22)

Falling off the bandwagon...

I attempted the green smoothie again and it came out brown and chocolaty even though I added way more spinach and way more cherries since I added too much protein powder again! I'll get it one of these times!

One of my faves

Lunch this week was a return to the yummy hummus, red pepper, tomato, and cucumber wheat thin sammich, a couple of hb eggs, and granola. Snacks are always fruit or veggies. I have really enjoyed my lunches lately since the weather has been so perfect I have the opportunity to sit out on the loading dock and enjoy outside. I have mentioned before that there are zero windows to even know what the time or forecast is like. Thankfully, I usually have my phone to avoid those creepy awkward moments when the little old guy from the mail room sits across from me mute and stares for 15 minutes.... eep.

Sharing Rachel's sentiments, I'm having an off week. I feel like I have taken a motivational step backwards this week with exercise, running, and even work. I think it's mostly in relation to all of the BBQ up to my eyelids and laziness I am guilty of this past weekend... My run last night was weak. I felt like a beginner again. So thirsty at mile 2 and feeling a bit worn out.

On a happier note - Other than strawberries, pears are one of my absolute favorite fruits. It is now pear season and they have been on sale at Publix for $1.29/lb for the past three weeks. Score for me!

Dinners have been protein shakes or a quick veggie plate to tie me over as I've been getting in late this week and I don't want to eat heavy after 8p.

Tonight's was a Green Giant rice pilaf with some added diced red pepper and a handful of spinach and a crap load of  Sriracha. Always tasty!

I have discovered many new blogs for runners and healthy living cohorts like myself this past week or two. There are quite a few in the Tampa area, which I hope to meet sometime in the future.
My blog itself is still very new, so I have a long way to go. I will get an About Me page with some fun tidbits up soon. Also, I added a Daily Mile tracker, which gives me a little boost of confidence every time I see it go up!

And now I'm off to the bowling alley for league night and to see friends!

LONG Weekend Wrap Up!

Friday
Luckily, I finished everything relatively early at work in time to leave my office around 2:30p to drive the hour or so(anticipated) to Tampa International airport to catch our 5p flight to my hometown Memphis, TN. I was hoping to stop at a Walmart or Target and pick up Catching Fire (the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy) to read on the plane, but do you think that Tampa roads would allow me one smooth, cuss word-less drive? 'Scuse me, but heck no of course not. Traffic was HORRIBLE. I was just a little frantic by the time we arrived at TPA, but with plenty of time to spare I was more determined to run in and hit up every terminal book store to find Catching Fire!

Favorite airport snacks - passion tea and nuts and dried fruit

And then... the security line... was by the graces of God, SHORT! Mike and I were about tenth in line when I hear a voice behind me "Aren't you supposed to be at work?" Jokingly, one of my department bosses, and his wife, who is the CIO of our entire company were standing behind us! I was a little flushed, and slightly embarrassed. I'm still very new at the company and haven't quite fallen into a comfortable groove with everyone yet.

So why am I rambling on? Who else out of the tiny group of people waddling through the body scanners gets pulled aside for one of the oh-so-thorough pat downs? me. duh... in front of my boss and the CIO.

I'd like to take a moment to mention that this is not the first time he has caught me in a less than becoming situation. I mentioned a while ago, that our coke machines are "green" and have sensors to turn on when someone walks in the room or in front to purchase an item... I am sadly TOO SHORT for them to detect me. While I am jumping up and down waving my arms looking like I'm having some crazy spasm to turn on the machine, who else would walk in the room... same department boss... yup.

Memphis from the plane

In the end, I snagged the last copy in the entire airport, for a hefty $19, ouch.... but completely worth it! I read over half in the ride there and back! I just ordered the third in the series Mockingjay a la Amazon for $9 hardback.

When we arrived, the B-terminal of Memphis Int Airport smells so delicious with the bbq restaurants in the airport, reminded me that it was past my normal dinner time! First stop on the way home - Corky's BBQ. My favorite.



Mike and I shared a "Big Daddy Plate" of pulled pork bbq, half slab of dry rub ribs, smoked sausage, fries, baked beans, and an order of bbq pork nachos for the table.

Dry rub slab of ribs

demolished nachos, fries, baked beans, and what was left of my half of the smoked sausage

Saturday
Can you believe after that dinner I woke up at 6:30am and went for a run around 7:30a? I took the dog and Mike and we went for a nice scenic 3.5 mile run. I forgot what hills and really crisp fresh air was like. I felt great! I know the pup loved going. This was, however, the death of my exercise over the weekend.

Post Office Bar-B-Q

saddle outside

decorations inside

Of course day #2 had to include bbq. For dinner we met my brother, sister in law, and their two daughters for dinner at this little place in a small town called Atoka (northeast of Memphis) called the Post Office. It is a different style bbq than Corky's above, the sauce is mustard based vs molasses based.



This place is so quaint, decorated with old log cabin/western style decor that I'm sure were random pieces handed down through family generations.
I decided to be a little "healthier" and ordered a bbq salad, which was way better than I was expecting. And I definitely could not pass up fried pickles, one of my favorite "southern" foods! I didn't even use the ranch on the side. No need, and a good thing - just that much "healthier"?

bbq salad with sweet mild and hot sauces, hard boiled egg, and a fried pickle

To left: Mike enjoying his bbq

To right: My adorable niece Lexi smiling big!

Beautiful sunset after dinner

After dinner, I had arranged a meet up for a large group of my friends at Flying Saucer. I used to spend a lot of time there just hanging out and delving into the world of craft beers before I moved to Florida. It's casual and relaxed and they are always accommodating for large parties. 30 people turned out, which was much more than I expected and we all had to get quite cozy to fit at my three long tables! I loved seeing everyone! It makes me feel really awesome when I consistently have such amazing friends make time to see me when I am visiting. But being the old lady I am I was in bed by midnight, which included the 30 minute drive home!

Flying Saucer Cordova, TN meet up with friends

Sunday
Sunday I managed to sleep in one more hour meaning I was still up at 7:30am. No exercise today! :( But I wanted to help my mom with prep work for the big family and friends cookout we planned at her house. Also, mom and dad babysat my new, sweetest 2.5 mo old niece Alyssa so that my brother and sister in law could spend time out with us at Flying Saucer. I got to take care of her all morning. No poopy diaper changes for me though - thank the lawd!

What do you think was on the menu for today's cookout?  BAR-B-QUE! I was pretty sure I was going to start smelling like mud and oinking soon... but after being let down by the "attempts" at bbq in FL (with one exception - First Choice in Brandon), I was definitely up for eating bbq EVERY DAY. So was Mike. I snacked non stop for hours on all kinds of appetizers, finger foods, sweets, dips, and then ultimately ate my plate below, plus a hot dog later. I have no idea where I fit it all - hollow legs?

home made smoked ribs, deviled eggs, and baked beans

Mike and I had a great time playing badminton, corn-hole, horse shoes, fishing, and relaxing at my parent's place with everyone.

Monday
The weekend was over and it was time to return home to our sweet little kitty, but not without ONE MORE SCRUMPTIOUS, DRIPPY, PLATE OF TENDER JUICY BBQ!

I had planned to go to a well-known place, but instead ended up going somewhere quite surprising upon my dad's recommendation.

Guy Fieri likes!

Tom's BBQ is very close to the airport, and a couple of my dad's coworkers also mentioned how good this place was. Upon arrival, I found that this dive is Triple D approved!! I watch this show ALL THE TIME, so I was secretly excited to re-make my own DDD seal of approval.

This place is so tiny and almost unnoticeable from the pretty drab and junky area it is in, despite the fact it is a bright yellow building. When you enter, you order from a deli counter, they write the order on a brown paper bag in which it comes out to you in.

Menu board

Me being the picture hog I am immediately took a picture of the menu when we walked in. The manager (Adam) saw and inquired all about where we were from and ironically his brother has a bbq food truck around Tampa and uses his recipe/style of cooking, which excites my tummy beyond normality.

I ordered the Jumbo Beef bbq sandwich and Mike went for the same, but pork. M-E-S-S-Y! If messy = taste, then this is right on off the charts! We devoured our sandwiches so quickly I ALMOST forgot to take a picture!

Tom and his staff were very appreciative and gave Mike and I a sampling of "Tennessee Round Steak"(aka pan fried seasoned bologna) and two baby back ribs on the side to try!

Jumbo Beef bbq sandwich, fries - Can you please pass the wet wipes?

After that delicious sandwich, I had plenty of bbq juiciness under my fingernails to keep me happy the whole trip home. Jk jk. But sloppy yumminess it was!

Vanilla skinny frap, no whip.

After lunch we headed to the airport and of course I had to go to Starbucks. After all of that savory food, we both had a sweet tooth.
This was more than satisfying.

Crossword puzzles,my book, an ipod, a couple rounds of perverted hangman, and priceless conversation with Mike, who loves the window and I love the aisle, the flights were easy peasy! The cherry on top was the mid flight snack of nothing other than one of my favorites - Biscoff cookies!

I have been trying to sell our current bed on Craigslist - two twins pushed to make a king, but one is an electric adjustable bed. Right before we boarded, I received an offer we couldn't refuse! We got home just in time for the buyers to pick it up.... but now we're "camping" on a blow up mattress until the weekend! My week is full of mattress research!

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Fast forward to today - I pressed restart on the diet as of this morning and ran 4.5 miles after work. I felt a billion times better than I did on Sunday after eating so heavy. Only 32 days until the cruise!

When sweet is just a little too sweet...

Could it be?

After eating Greek yogurt the past week or so, my all time favorite yogurt just didn't taste so great for lunch today. In fact, I could barely finish it, it was so sweet it made my teeth hurt! I was craving salt on my hard boiled eggs after such a sugary treat. I love sweet and salty foods


Anyway, no desire to eat this anymore, I guess I'm a greek yogurt convert now!







Mike and I leave tomorrow to embark on BBQ BONANZA 2012. (aka visit my hometown Memphis) I already have our entire weekend planned, in which we "intend" to visit at least 4 of the best bbq spots in town. Oh the IRONY that this was my calendar for tomorrow! I never knew there were spies taking pictures of me and putting me on calendars!

haha jk. good thing I packed my running shoes... 

I am the biggest procrastinator. It is 9:30p, I just started to halfway pack. If I could be paid to be lazy, I'd be filthy rich, but just not today... I got off work, drove across town and swapped a pair of sandals at DSW, did my first Body Pump class as I was dying to get one more workout in this week, cleaned the house, and fed Ms. Claire. Finally getting a chance to sit.

All of the above doesn't sound like much, but let me break it down for ya.

• Driving across town at 5pm = 1 hour from my workplace to the mall
• Best DSW experience ever- no receipt, no box - I called this morning because my 28 days old sandals I bought and have worn no lie, maybe 10 times, broke. The elastic came apart on both shoes. Cute, but quality is not so high. I walked in took the shoes off my feet, and the girls told me to go pick out any other shoe I wanted. JACKPOT! I bought these for $free99
• 6:30pm - BodyPump was pretty awesome, but next time I will definitely up the weights. Not knowing what to expect I took it pretty light. I felt the burn, but I didn't break a sweat = not a good workout unless I'm stanky and soaked
• 7:45 to now- Cleaned - duh. We all hate it unless it's one of those freak "I feel like I could clean for hours" rare occurrences in which the house will look as if a team of Merry Maids just did spring cleaning

I'd also be filthy rich if I could pack FOR people. I have more than mastered that art. I NEVER take more than a carry-on and my purse, no matter how long the trip... 10 days in the middle of winter with 4 pairs of shoes and boots? No problem... I got this. There is at least six days worth of clothes (I need options!), three pairs of shoes, a big walmart sack of mardi gras beads for my nieces, and PLENTY of room left over.

MASTER PACKER

Least I bought direct flight, no layover, and aisle seats.

Holy shniee-kees, it's pouring!

Donut Determination!

My workplace is the WORST place to be good on a diet. This morning I walked in to this deathly sight...

Donut holes, mixed sugar and cream filled donuts, and chocolate mint brownies

I looked like a massive d-bag donut stalker peeking around the corner of my cubicle to get this shot, hoping I wouldn't get caught by my coworkers! It took every bit of will power I have (about the equivalent of a scared mouse) to not eat one. I succeeded; thank god I work with 10 other guys who devoured them all like ravished dogs. I was worried that if something was left, that 3p afternoon craving might be my fail point. They are aware of my no junk eating, and even teased me and taunted me with chocolate cake donut holes.... bunch of *-holes themselves! >:}


Wednesday's vittles:
Breakfast - bowl of Oatmeal Squares and skim milk
Mid morning snack - strawberries and almonds
Lunch - honey Oikos greek yogurt, granola, carrots, 2 hb eggs
Afternoon snack - perfectly ripe bartlett pear, 1 wheat thin with spicy pepper hummus
Dinner - wild rice and broccoli/carrots steam fresh bag with a little reduced sodium soy and of course a crap ton of sriracha. Because I like to sweat while I eat...




Ran 3 miles today; didn't leave any burn marks on the sidewalks, but I was in more of a relaxed run mood. I'm in dire need of a new playlist.

 So far this is the best pic of me running (which is not saying a whole lot!),  from the Brandon Shamrock Classic 10k this past weekend.  I've only run 3 races, so I will have plenty more over time :) >>

FYI peeps, you can click on the pics and make them bigger! (Not that this one is the one to do that on, you don't want to see my sweat dripping around...ewww)

Does this make me a 'cowgirl'?

I don't know about anyone else and their odd likes, but I have been sniffing my purse since I bought it since it is all leather, it has that new leather smell. I love it! It reminds me of growing up. Yes, I had a horse (more like a blonde stubborn donkey)... and wore a brown leather bracelet with my name stamped in it for a number of years... was in 4H and went to "Farm Fest" when I was in 6th grade... yikes!

I absolutely adore strawberry season here in FL. I have downed at least 2 cartons of strawberries on my own in the past week and a half. I can't get enough of the sweet juicy yumminess. Strawberry Festival, held each year for around 10 days in March in a tiny little town- Plant City, which is where most of all the country's strawberries come from(learn something new everyday), has now taken a giant spot in my heart. Forget the gianormous amount of fair garbage-guts foods that they also have, I was bee-lining for the $3.50 sponsored by St. Clement-something or another, I really didn't care to ask, "build your own" strawberry shortcake in a dixie foam bowl. I must emphasize 'build your own' because if you know me, I'm a bottomless pit when it comes to buffets/make your own type of places.

1. Pick your base - a buttermilk biscuit (if you're old school) or a shortcake (I went with shortcake)...

2. Top with as many strawberries and strawberry goo stuff they are swimming in...

3. Top with a mountain of fresh whipped cream...

4. The lady dressed up like a 1900s mormon tops your overflowing bowl of sugar with a whole fresh strawberry and gives you a sticker!

You even get to sit at the stereotypical red plaid tables.

Sadly, my tummy was still a bit upset from the Gasparilla half, but I still forced myself to eat a good 3/4 of my 400lb strawberry shortcake, which could have easily fed 4 people... there was barely a bowl under there.

And THEN we watched piglet races! ... they were really cute, but man I felt slightly a lot like a redneck.





And in other news, I know it's "frowned upon" to weigh yourself frequently, but I was glad to see that I have dropped another whole pound since last update. Weighed myself at the gym tonight.

I split my upper body workout into two days this week since I had a late work night on Monday.
My ankle is bugging me, and I can't decide if I want to keep running through it or take a break. I've been doing just 10-15 minute treadmill work for a good warm up before weights. Details here.

<--Another Chobani win for lunch today - Apple cinnamon flavor with added granola - scrump-diddly-licious!

When I got home from the gym tonight, I tried a green smoothie concoction that I read on Meghann's blog.

• big handful of spinach
• small handful of granola
• a few frozen cherries
• scoop of chocolate protein  powder
• little bit of milk
• little bit of ice

My parents bought me an awesome commercial style Cuisinart food processor that does almost everything under the sun for my past birthday, and it makes awesome smoothies.

I really liked it! But mine tasted pretty much like a chocolate protein shake... next time, less protein powder, more spinach and cherries!

excuse my messy pouring skills.

Gods and a 10k...

Well, this weekend came and went way too quickly!

Saturday
Morning was filled with typical errands - groceries, cleaning, and playing with Claire. I did make a pretty scrumptious egg scramble with some ingredients I needed to use up before hitting up the grocery.

To make enough for two:

• 6 eggs
• a bunch of spinach
• 1 half of a green pepper
• 1 diced tomato
• 1 slice of monterrey jack cheese melted into mix

I sauteed the peppers and tomatos with a little bit of Tony Romo season salt before throwing the rest in.
I of course top mine with copious amounts of HOT SAUCE. I have an obsession with hot sauce. I eat it on pretty much almost anything. Sometime soon I will make an entire new post about my affinity for spicy foods and sauces.

Every Saturday evening I get a little "time to myself" as Mike goes bowling for league. I love to shop alone, so I make a round through the mall and the sporting goods stores. I was bummed to find out that neither Sports Authority or Dicks Sporting Goods carry GPS/HRM other than Timex and a couple other much cheaper models. I was really hoping to take a look at a Garmin in person and see how I like it. I did manage to make a rather hefty donation to Sports Authority for a new Nike sports bra, UA tank and shorts, and some new Thorlo running socks...none was on sale. Oops.

Saturday was a rest day for running or working out since I had a 10k in the morning. However, I kept my meals in check. Dinner was pretty tasty

Publix 6" Tuna salad on wheat with lettuce, tomato, and pickles, celery with Publix Deli Jalapeno and Cilantro hummus, and a new ICE sparkling/flavored water with no calories or sugar and added vitamins in kiwi strawberry (it  took me two days to drink this small bottle because it was so sweet!)

My second run in with Greek Yogurt was a huge success and I am now hooked! I could eat this everyday!

I bought a bag of BareNaked Vanilla almond granola earlier on the grocery run and added a serving into my vanilla Oikos. I gobbled the entire container and had saved my last spoonful for Mike. He loved it too!









Sunday
The morning of the race, I was not feeling so hot. I tried to think myself over it, but I couldn't shake it. I was hoping this 10k was going to be easy peasy, but it ended up being pretty awful, albeit I did finish pretty well!

For light breakfast, I had a Lemon Zest Luna bar, which was DELCIOUS! It tasted like a mix between a lemon bar and a rice krispy treat(texture). Potty gods were smiling down on me today (Unlike Gasparilla race...) which I was mega thankful for.

The second the race started, I accidentally hit to the next song, which was definitely not what I was looking for. I am still new to this running gig and I have no pace perception yet so I tend to pace myself with bpm podcasts and it took me almost the first 5 minutes of the race to find the one I wanted.

My 5K mark was 27:xx minutes and I knew I ran my first half faster than my normal pace. I was already wishing I could have quit then. It made for a pretty rotten second half, as you can tell by the look on my face. I had to walk quite a few times for a few steps from being winded and crampy.

I was major wimpy yesterday. Being my first 10k, I hope to knock the next one out by a lot less time.

Thanks to my friend Jonathan who captured this great pic of me finishing.

I found that not too many females in my age group run 10ks around here. I still won 3rd in my age group!

Mike, who is light years faster than I am won first in his age group and came in around 45 minutes.

Here's a pic with our awards... mmkay!


Mike and I also peer pressured our friend Jon into running the 5k, his first race, to help jump start his motivation with his goals. It worked! He did great! And now says he's hooked on running mwuahahahaa....

How's my 'blue steel' look?

After the race and washing cars, I somehow managed to talk Mike into driving across town to go to a mall I don't frequent very often. It is the nicer mall, International Plaza, with all of the luxury brand shoppes. I feel super money conscious there since I don't indulge on many luxury items. I was only interested in going to Fossil on a hope and prayer that they had my purse I was dying for. I checked the mall near me on my Saturday night rounds, and they had every color except the one I wanted.

Shopping gods were smiling down on me! Not only did they have it, it was marked off to outlet price since they were shipping the collection to the outlet store the next day!

...Well I guess it all started the first time I went through the second grade. I caught my reflection in a spoon while I was eating my cereal, and I remember thinking "wow, you're ridiculously good looking, maybe you could do that for a career." 

Ahhhh Zoolander...




After a traditional Irish corned beef, cabbage, mashed potatoes, biscuits, and carrots dinner with Key Lime pie for dessert at Mike's parents, Mike and I watched another god I wouldn't mind shining down on me either... hot damn! The movie was OK, I liked Chris Hemsworth! I'm a sucker for blonde hair and blue eyes (a la Mike :) )

Sorry for the long post, but that was my whole weekend wrap up.
I was a ding dong and woke up, ate breakfast, got ready, made my lunch, and then realized I had another 3 hours to go before I had to go in to work... and ta-da this is what you get!

Jiggle in my wiggle...

Completed a 4.2 mi run this morning, but it was not pretty!! Ever since Gasparilla I have taken a major break from running and I can tell. I was pretty sure that the cars going down the road got a giggle out of my jiggle. After, I felt pretty good and it was just the thing my legs needed.

This picture is awesome in every sense of the word.

why does hummus have to look like vomit but taste so nom-licious?

Brunch for today consists of sliced cucumbers, carrots, hummus and 2 hard boiled eggs


I'm sure most of you are pulling you nose up and 'ewwing' to yourself, but it was quite satisfying as I really didn't have an appetite after running this morning. FYI, eating a greasy reuben sandwich and potato chips from the bowling alley the night before is not a good idea after being on the clean type of diet I have been.


Claire has reached the "teenage" kitten age where all she wants to do is play. And if you ignore her, she gets angry and has "kitty crazies". Lately, while I'm on the computer, she will sneak up behind me and reach through the back of the chair and bat at me, claws out, to surprise me and then lay on the floor in "surrender mode". Win for her. If you ignore her further, she goes into the kitchen and dumps out her water bowl. Mike and I have decided to buy her a new style bowl (that is more like a dog bowl) so that she can't get her paw under it. Little punk. Secondly, she loves water. She plays in the spilled water. One day I was so mad at her third dumped water bowl I poured the rest on her head and it didn't even phase her! I see little kitty paws all over the kitchen floor after she's been in her water. And don't forget to put the toilet seats down. She dives in head first for toilet water. Sick. But she also licks her butt daily, so I guess I'm over expectant on that one.


I have been following quite a few other runners/fitness blogs and it's definitely given me a good boost of motivation. I also even had the FLEETING thought of whether or not I would want to run a marathon in 2013.... *aahhh!* 

Gadget wants: 

iPad2

Forerunner405cx 

• Now that they have released the most current version of the iPad3, I am keeping my eye out for good deals on the iPad2
• I've been doing some research on the GPS/HRM watches, and the one I like most due to reviews and currently the price is the newer Garmin Forerunner 405cx (in green please). A lot of runners like the older 305 better, but the difference in price (surprisingly MORE) and peoples' complaints are regarding things that are negligible to me. They didn't like the smaller display, and instead of two buttons, you get a touch bezel that is not sensitive to touch if your fingers are wet or the bezel is wet.  Well, my eyes work just fine and I don't sweat like a pig in a bacon factory on my wrists.

I'm also thinking about renaming my blog... the name is a little lengthy. I'm open to suggestions and ideas from friends, maybe you will even get a little thank you prize! :)

And here is my thought for the day-

Off to my 3p-midnight shift at work. I'm such a PARTY ANIMAL!