Worth a Tri

Saturday

2012-02-09T18:43:00.000-05:00

Many of you know the story of Sherry Arnold. She was a woman. A runner. A teacher. A mother. A wife. She went for a run, and tragically never came back. Two men have been arrested, but unfortunately a life has been lost.

Beth over at Shut Up and Run is Sherry's cousin. She has organized a virtual run/walk/rollerblade/skate/DO SOMETHING in Sherry's memory for this coming Saturday. I encourage you to get out there and do something in Sherry's memory. Take tragedy and turn it into love and support aimed at those who have lost someone far too soon.

It's cheesy, but many days I mentally try to be an energy changer. Take bad energy and turn it into good. Like a magical machine that eats pollution and turns it into rainbows, only with energy coming from people. Please help to do just that on Saturday. It will never be enough, but it is something. Blogland is awesome. Let's show Sherry's family how it's done.

Memory

2012-02-06T20:13:00.002-05:00

This is a rambly post because I'm sick and took Nyquil. Enjoy.

Shaz's post reminded me of a time when I went three days without power. Wasn't camping either. Hurricane Juan hit Halifax in the fall of 2003. It coincided with the death of my grandfather which was a difficult time for my whole family. There was no power anywhere for days. Things you don't think about: they had to ship his body out of town because there was no power at the morgue to keep him cold. Crazy. Never would have occurred to me to even think about. Morbid, but interesting? That storm destroyed my favourite park in Halifax (Point Pleasant Park). They opened the park to the public after it was safe, but before they cleared all of the pine trees. It looked like a giant had come in and stomped all of the trees down. I was so proud--the park was FULL of people just wanting to look at what mother nature had done. People got out from behind their computers and interacted with each other, completely in awe of what happened. Made me happy. Maybe it was a last lesson from my Poppy :)

Pic from above via: http://www.mcuniverse.com

Another pic showing all the trees just laying down from http://www.ec.gc.ca

That was followed by White Juan in Halifax, February 2004. We had a meter of snow fall in one dump. Whole city shut down. Was still living with my parents. We had power for most of it, but we ran out of booze and couldn't get out of the house. Stranded 4 days. With my parents. I moved out shortly after. Ha!

I have a great photo of me with the snow over my head, but can't find the album. I hope it turns up.

That's my memory for the day, brought to you by Nyquil!

Odds n Sods

2012-02-05T12:32:00.001-05:00

There have been a lot of book posts lately. Here is what I have read so far this year. Note the total cheese/trashy theme. It gets me through.

1. Dead Beautiful *I stopped this one because it got too scary for me. Yes, it is a kids book
2. Life's Golden Ticket*This was a moral book with an interesting "life lesson." It was enjoyable, and rated G for adult audiences (nothing dirty really in this book)
3. First Love Cookie Club*This was a smutty read that I absolutely loved. A perfect love story.
4. Matched*I really enjoyed this. If you liked Hunger Games, you will like this. I'm waiting for Crossed to come in to the library (I'm on the wait list)
5. A trashy book that I can't remember the title. I'll see if I can dig it up. It was about some faery land.

Not bad. I'm averaging one light read per week. I think that's good. I need to read nonsense to keep me laughing.

***************now that my record keeping is out of the way*******************

I had a great visit with Hubs this weekend. We both had to work, but it was generally just awesome to be with him. And then I wrecked our last night (as per usual). We went for dinner with some friends. I had ordered lasagna with a Cesar salad. I don't like Cesar salad. I took 2 bites, and traded with a friend for his house salad. 2 bites. And then when we got home, I proceeded to be violently ill from every orifice in my body for 4 hours. It was AWFUL.

I'm an idiot. MEG-Cesar dressing is made from raw eggs. D'UH! I know that, and just didn't clue in. I googled what happened, and it looks like I was in anaphylactic shock, but without the breathing problems. I didn't know that could happen??? I'm okay, just feeling crappy today.

I will never eat lasagna again in the foreseeable future. Try puking stringy cheese. I knew you'd appreciate that visual....

Hubs has asked me to do this before, and now I will listen. I should really have a medic-alert bracelet. I carry an epi-pen, but I clearly am not responsible enough for knowing what my allergies are, and knowing what foods contain my allergens. If I was at home, I would have known immediately that the dressing wouldn't work. I have ingredient lists, and generally make my stuff from scratch anyway. I'm frustrated that it is getting harder and harder for me to eat out :( I love cooking, but HATE the dishes afterwards. I'm going to have to find a new way to "treat" us if eating out is becoming a no-go.

I once tried giving a restaurant my list of allergens so I could be sure I wasn't getting something bad...they refused to serve me. I 100% understand their position. It has resulted in me never doing that again though...I love my eats!

Okay, enough of a bummer post. Enjoy your long runs and SuperBowl parties! Catch you on the flip side.

I am...

2012-02-04T15:06:00.002-05:00

I am:

In the land of Timmies and Toonies
Sick and coughing a lot
Loving time with friends
Making huge progress on a work project
Excited for Vegas
Really tired (there is a lot of good going on!)

Happy weekend!

Late night picture show

2012-01-31T23:06:00.002-05:00

Las Vegas Roll at Ka

Beach at Del Coronado

Working beside the hotel pool (fab)

Ran the San Diego sea wall (also fab)

Hiked a mountain in Elfin Forest. HOLY ENERGY in this place. Loved it.

Ran at Torrey Pines. My heart belongs there.

No wonder Californians are happier than the rest of the US population. They live in paradise!!

Will post more later. WIPED! Have a big week ahead again. Every day I'm shufflin'..*jams*

I'm back: Virtual Run

2012-01-30T19:08:00.001-05:00

I'm back from an amazing trip which I will post all about later tonight.

For now, here is info about the virtual run/hike/move your body for Sherry Arnold

It will take place on Saturday, February 11. Let's change the world with good energy.

My Suppah!

2012-01-22T21:01:00.000-05:00

As planned, I hit the gym for a 60 minute run. HUZZAH. 20 minutes in my heart was hammering. I clearly need a lot more training. I'm on it.

Tonight's supper was awesome. Here is my process in pictures with some notes along the way...

*NOTE* Pictures are missing. My EFFING PIECE OF CRAP phone has seemingly deleted all of my photos. I hate this phone so much....as you know. DO NOT buy a Driod 2. I regret not getting the iPhone. I tried to be "beyond-the-brand" and buy what they said was better. Eff that. You know I'm mad because I'm saying eff. Anyway, onto supper.

*NOTE 2* After a reset, my pictures came back. I still want an iPhone. This caused me to pour a second glass of wine. Could be worse...

Step 1: Cleaned my disaster of a kitchen and poured a glass of red.

Step 2: Grab some fresh garlic and ginger. Peel and grate it into a pan.

Step 3: Add some butter, and cook it a wee bit. Be careful not to burn it.

Step 4: Add some extra lean ground turkey. Cook it until it's brown and then add curry paste and light coconut milk.

Step 5: Once it simmers for a bit, and you're almost ready to serve, add a box of organic spinach (you didn't think I'd have no veggies, did you??). Spinach cooks down a LOT so you can load it up.

Step 6: I served my curry concoction over top of Archer Farms whole grain medley. SO GOOD!

I ate it in my fave Asian-style bowl with chopsticks. I once heard that chopsticks are never made of metal because you shouldn't bring weaponry to the table (metal = weapons). As a result, I often eat using chopsticks. Whether it's true or not, it makes me happy.

While I was cooking for me, I also whipped up a big batch of dog food. I've made Bear's food for her for almost 2 years now. Tonight's batch was wild caught Salmon (cheap, on sale), with some cheap imitation crab meat *don't usually use this but had less salmon than I thought*. With it she got brown rice, some of the same whole grains I had, spinach, broccoli, peas and will get some Greek yogurt thrown in there too. Dog eats better than I do most days. I know, it's bad.

SO, at the end of the night, these were my easy dishes.

I also had 3 big pots (one was Bear's). Two are done, Bear's is soaking. Blogging this took a whole lot more work than cooking it. NOW I am enjoying the second glass of wine. It's my cholesterol medicine. Right? :)

Have a good week, y'all. :)

MEEP MEEP MEEP!

2012-01-22T15:06:00.000-05:00

That's the color I had put on my toes, Muppets style :)

Not taking a picture of my hair right now. Loving the color, but she asked if I wanted her to curl it to see what it would look like. It looks WHOREiffic, so there will be no posting yet. LOL The cut is great though, and I really like this stylist.

I am currently frustrated. There are more tornado warnings for tonight. I'm north of where they're most likely, but still in a range of possibility. I hate this tornado thing. I thought they would be a risk once in awhile, but last week I was in the bathroom at 3am because the wind and hail was so bad. I wish we had a basement with a spare bedroom in it--that would make it at least a bit better. I VERY MUCH dislike tornadoes. Give me hurricanes any day over this. Anywho, if you are in the midwest, check your forecast. They're supposed to hit overnight, after 9pm.

Naptime, cleaning time (especially the bathroom floors in case I need a place to sleep...), and then run time!

BLOGWORLD: Give me ideas

2012-01-22T10:32:00.002-05:00

S'up?

My dilemma: I like to eat at home. I like to cook. I HATE DISHES. My cooking revolves around using the fewest dishes possible.

I don't have enough clean recipes to get me through!

My solution: If you send me a recipe that only uses a few dishes, I will cook it and post the process in photos.

I'm traveling a lot over the next few weeks, but I will cook these meals tonight, tomorrow and next Monday if some come in. C'mon. You know you wanna! Either post the recipe in the comments section, or email them to a hotmail account that has the stem worthatri. Take that spammers. Ha!

*************Transitioning into real post here*************

Yesterday I did some good things.

1. I went shopping. I lent my mom a suitcase last time she was here. No probs. But then I think I gave one to hubs too. I went to start packing and "AHHHH" no suitcase that will fit my needs! Pas de probleme. I bought a new one that I LOVE. It has the 4 wheels that move in all directions. I can't lie--this makes my life. I'm SO EXCITED about a stupid suitcase! I also got it 50% off which makes me happy. It looks like this--and is the 2nd biggest one.

2. I bought some shirts from Gordman's that were all under $9. I bought one fuchsia button-up 3/4 length sleeved cardigan that has a little belt. I bought one black, no buttons cardigan thing to keep at work for when I a) freeze or b) wear a plain, uber casual shirt and get thrown into a meeting with bigups. Win. I also got an off the shoulder long sleeve black knit sweater which I anticipate being perfect with jeans and heels which should be perfect for heading out for a beer. Right??

3. I need jeans. Fingers are crossed for Vegas on that one. I also really need a cross-shoulder purse. My current Matt-and-Nat (which I LOVE) is killing my back because it's too heavy and just on one shoulder. Need something more comfortable. I *love* Ross' down there. It's way better than Winners/TJ Maxx. I predict a huge win (Ha-no pun intended....Vegas? Win? Okay, maybe intended).

4. Oh, nothing big...but I managed a 90 minute trainer ride last night! WHOOOHOOOOO. That was my longest trainer ride ever. I'm pretty happy with it. I'm NOT happy with my aero bars though. They are not comfortable at all. Here's the problem: I feel WAY too stretched out in them, but can't pull them in. I tried! I could move my seat forward, but then I'm guessing I won't be comfortable sitting up. I know I "should" be in aero more, but I'm a chicken on the road and am guessing I'll be on the hoods more. So what should I do??

4. Today I am headed to get a pedi and my hair did. I'm excited to bring my Nook with me. I'm currently reading this which isn't too bad....

BUT I have *THIS* waiting in the cue and I can't wait!

Seriously. I didn't want to get one, but I LOOOVE my e-Reader. The library is at my fingertips, only better because I can get everything from home. I haven't paid for a single book all year, but I am supporting my local library. The Nook has already paid for itself if I had bought all of the books (which is what I was doing). LOVES. I also love that if I'm reading an embarrassing book no one can tell. HAHAHA! Black Dagger Brotherhood series anyone? OH MY!!!

4. After I get my hair done all pretty like, and toes painted up nice, I am hitting the treadmill for 60. Why do I always get myself prettied up before a run? Seems like a waste. I'm not even going to the gym where I can show off. Just using the complex treadmill (no time restrictions). And there are no mirrors for me to admire myself (which you know I would). Ha! Maybe I'll bring a pocket mirror and balance it on the treadmill. No, I won't...but the idea doesn't seem half bad.

Happy Sunday, y'alls! Don't forget to send me recipes that have only a few (one-two??) dishes!!!

Tagged: 11 Randoms

2012-01-21T11:28:00.001-05:00

Nicole over at Haute Runner tagged me in this ages ago, but I've been blog slackin'. But, I'm here now! Thanks for the tag! Heeere we go!

Here are the rules:

1. Post these rules
2, You must post 11 random things about yourself
3. Answer the questions set for you in their post
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer
5. Go to their blog and tell them you've tagged them
6. No stuff in the tagging section about you are tagged if you are reading this. You legitimately have to tag 11 people!

11 Random Things about Me:

1. My outside Christmas lights are still up. Oops!
2. I used to be an early riser, now I love to sleep in.
3. Massage therapy is like a drug for me. I love it.
4. I'm currently too lazy to walk across the street to get my mail.
5. I long for a training group, but I prefer to train solo.
6. I'm a new Pinterest addict. And Words with Friends on FB.
7. I LOVE MY NOOK! I just started reading "Life's Golden Ticket" (which is actually not bad! It was a library find), and Matched *JUST* came in. Can't wait to start it. Having a Nook has significantly jumped my reading. I've already read 4 books since I got it. This is because I can get books free from the library!
8. I'm excited to see my mom in a few weeks!! It will have been over 6 months since I've seen her. I don't think I've ever gone that long before.
9. Hubs made me chili and froze it before he left last time. I ate it last night and it made my heart (and belly) happy.
10. I won't weigh in unless I have a number 2. For realz.
11. I love tracking food on MyFitnessPal.com. It saves me many times a day.

Answering The Questions!

1. How many languages do you speak? What are they?: I speak English well on most days. It is my first, and "only" language. I could survive in a French speaking place, but native French speakers ALWAYS make fun of me. I survived fairly well in a Spanish place, but all I knew was "Cerveza por favor" and "Banos??"

2. What side of the bed do you sleep on? The right, but I prefer the left. Weird. Hubs thinks I just want whatever side he is on. Ha!

3. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Morning (see above?). An ideal day for me would be: 6am wake-up, 9pm bed. Yes, I like 9 hours of sleep. I think my problem is that I can never get to bed by 9, which throws off my mornings.

4. What's your biggest time waster? Facebook.

5. Mac or PC? PC. But I am STRONGLY tempted to get an iPhone...which might lead to me being a Mac convert. I do like MAC make-up...

6. Can you drive a standard transmission car? Yep, but not that well. I panic on hills which is a problem. I've only driven one a handful of times.

7. Where did you go on your last trip? Nashville! San Diego and Vegas are coming up.

8. What's your favourite game (board or video)? I love Trivial Pursuit! Apples to Apples is also fun. As is anything Super Mario.

9. Did you play any sports growing up? I played soccer competitively until I was 15, and then switched to rowing. I also had appearances in badminton and volleyball I think, but soccer and rowing were my bread and butter.

10. What's your favourite number and why? My favourite number has always been 11. No idea why :)

11. If you could live anywhere, where would it be? This is a HARD question. Somewhere on the East Coast for sure. Either near Boston, Prince Edward Island, or Halifax I think. I would say Fiji, but that is too far from family.

11 Questions for YOU to answer!

1. What is your favourite "thing" that you own/have in your possession? (people/pets don't count)
2. Post a photo of your favourite shoes.
3. What is your favourite trip that you've ever been on?
4. What is your favourite food?
5. What is the best thing to do after work?
6. Best book you've ever read?
7. Most important lesson you've ever learned?
8. Do you like winter?
9. If you could live ONE big dream, what would it be?
10. What is your favourite store?
11. What are you going to do today to make it a better day?

TAG
I tag everyone!!! I want to see all y'alls answers! :)

pops in

2012-01-19T08:24:00.000-05:00

Hey Y'all,

Okay, I seriously love "Y'all." I much prefer it to "Hey You Guuuuyzz" (said in Boonies voice). I know I'm Canadian, and probably say it funny, but I am adopting it regardless.

Chuck (my bike) has his aero bars on. I won't post about what I said they look like. I will say that Chuck is VERY happy with them on though.

Being in aero physically hurts me. First, I really need a new saddle. Ouch ouch ouch. The problem is that I have the stock saddle. The plastic mold on the bottom comes out beyond the padding. When I'm sitting up, the mold doesn't seem to bother me. When I'm down in aero, it digs into me and is SO PAINFUL. I then sit funny to get off of it and my already-bad form goes to pieces. Yes, new piece for my behind is necessary. BUT--I know nothing about saddles. Can anyone give me some pointers on things to consider?

Second, I need to swing my pads in closer to me. I think I am stretched out too far. Both my back and shoulders hurt in aero. I know it's something I'll get more used to, but I definitely need an adjustment.

I sent an email about 1) hooking up with a 21.1 training group and 2) getting some tri-coaching and a training plan set up that is tailored to me. Will let you know if either turn out.

That's it from me today. Sorry to not be more exciting. This week is craaaazy busy for me. ~~Hopefully~~ there will be a picture post coming soon!!

Can someone please explain...

2012-01-16T09:44:00.001-05:00

WHY I am I up so much? Here is what I did last week. It's not perfect, but it's pretty good based on what I have been doing:

Sunday: 45 minute run, 60 minute BodyFlow
Monday: Spin
Tuesday: nothing-quuaaads
Wednesday: 60 minutes Body Pump
Thursday: Okay, skipped my workout here
Friday: Okay, skipped my workout here
Saturday: 60 minute bike
Sunday: 60 minute run

Okay fine. I can see why my weight is THROUGH THE ROOF right now. It's still frustrating though. I'm also not getting in my swims, and that needs to change. My eating has also not been stellar, but I don't think it's worthy of massive gains. What gives? I'm going for a perfect day today to see if it helps.

WHY I RUN: My colleague lost her dog. Well, she didn't lose the dog. A dog-walker did. I can't even tell you the emotions that come to me when I think about it. Poor Bear has been squished to the point of no return. Anyway, I got a call about it yesterday. Many people were out driving, searching. I know dogs. I've had dogs take off before. I laced up and, rather than drive (in the cold), I hit the pavement. I was huffing and puffing due to some major slacking, but I was able to cover some decent terrain in an hour, both pavement and trails/parks. No sign of him yet though. :( It's been very cold here. We're hopeful someone took him in, and that when things open up tomorrow (today is Martin Luther King, Jr Day), someone will report that they have him. So run. Not because you want to. I RARELY "want" to. But because some day you might need to. And you'll thank yourself.

TODAY I am getting some serious work done from home in the morning. Errm...after I post this blog...and check facebook. THEN I am rewarding myself with shopping. I really need some new jeans and work clothes since it's so cold (dresses/skirts in this suck). BUT I don't want to buy new clothes because I feel huge, and this WILL go back down. I also don't want to buy too much because I foresee some major shopping happening in Vegas next week. I might settle with a pair of jeans and leave the rest for later. We shall see (I'll post pics).

After shopping, I'm going to swing by the Y to see if it's open. If not, I'll hit our complex gym and log some miles on the treadmill. I prefer running at the Y though. It's boring running in a small room by yourself.

Saturday Night de de da da da da da da da

2012-01-14T10:54:00.002-05:00

Not really Saturday night. I'm lame, remember? But my day is shaping up.

I GET MY BIKE FIT DONE TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHOOOOHOOOO! Fingers crossed I don't need a new stem or anything too expensive. I'll definitely need a new seat, but I can handle that. Aero bars go on too.
Whoot! So excited.

I'm CLEANING OUR HOUSE today! That's not so exciting, but will feel awesome when done.

I am doing a LONG RIDE tonight (once my bike is set up). I have The Middle and Modern Family ready and waiting On Demand. I'll have to search for one or two more shows to get me to a decent length, but I am excited!

Problem: I don't think I brought my YakTrax with me when we moved. There's ice down here. Crapola. Hello, treadmill!

That's all. I'm still pretty boring.

Today...

2012-01-11T22:04:00.003-05:00

I'm super boring lately. Sorry!

I managed to get to BodyPump today which was faboosh. No run though because the dreadmills were jammed after class. BOOOO.

BUT I found fresh lobster stuffed tortellini on sale. I cooked it with vine ripened tomatoes and fresh parsley. Heck yes! I had half for supper, and packed the rest for lunch tomorrow.

I had a very successful grocery trip tonight. I went to Target. In addition to regular good foods, I got some Lara Bars and Annie's Organic Fruit Snacks. Perfect for stashing at work and in my gym bag!

I also got some new lunch containers. These one have measurements on them so I can make sure I'm getting appropriate serving sizes.

Umm, yeah. See? Boring.

On a less boring/more upsetting note...

I've been thinking a lot about SUAR's cousin who has gone missing. Please have a read, and say a prayer (or send energy, whatever). I can't even imagine. When I have a spare second, I find my thoughts drift to her and Matthew Huszar who is missing from British Columbia. I feel for their families, but mostly just send hope and energy that they aren't in any pain. The sad this is that these tragedies occur every day somewhere in the world. Some days I wish I could just give the planet a big hug. I don't have words :( If you are connected to these cases in any way, know that people are thinking of you, and hopefully both cases will see positive outcomes. That sounds so lame...I really don't have the words. Wishing everyone peace.

When I'm on, I'm on

2012-01-09T21:45:00.000-05:00

Breakfast: coffee, smoothie
Lunch: Left over x-lean ground beef/bean chili, apple sauce
Snack: orange
Supper: Crackers and hummus (okay not great)

Got in my fruits and veggies. Topped it off with a spin class followed by yoga.

Meg-1, Monday-0

For the record...

2012-01-09T07:59:00.002-05:00

I love my Nook. I was hesitant to get one...and now I am in love.

Back with more after spin tonight :)

Destiny

2012-01-08T17:49:00.001-05:00

My schedule said to run today. I mentioned yesterday that I was scrapping it in favour of Pump and Flow. I went to Pump 20 minutes early to be sure I got a spot. Well....20 minutes early was actually 10 minutes late! I had the time wrong! I went into the cardio room expecting it to be JAMMED. It wasn't even half full. A treadmill was calling my name....

....so I fulfilled my ~~destiny~~ training plan and banged out 45 minutes. I went slow, but it felt good. I followed it up with an hour of BodyFlow as planned.

I then finally did what I said I would do for over 2 years. I went to get a library card. Great, right???

Maybe.

I asked about the borrowing of ebooks. Someone told me you still had to go in to download the books, which I thought was stupid. Turns out that person was wrong. I can borrow from home! HOLLAA. They have the book I want available, so I ran out and tried out the readers. Errmmm...impusle much? I didn't want an e-reader that could check email, etc. I don't want to affiliate books with work or facebook, or anything. I want to be able to disconnect while being connected I guess? I was SO TEMPTED to ask for opinions before I bought, but I knew which one *I* prefered in-store and didn't want to be swayed. The Kindle was cheaper, but I MUCH preferred the Nook, so bought it (and a pretty cover). Yay! Now to get it set up...

:D Tonight I shall be reading Matched (Author: Condie, young adult novel)

Me with gym hair/face and my Nook :)

Weird things that make me happy

2012-01-08T11:41:00.000-05:00

1. I make coffee every morning (that's not weird). I only drink the first half of the cup though, dump the rest, rinse my mug and repour. I hate the bottom half. Whaa?

2. I really don't like hazelnut creamer. Hubs does so I have some on hand (but also have vanilla which is my go-to). I've been drinking the hazelnut because it reminds me of Nanny. She put that sh*t in everything. Pretty sure the Franks Red Hot commercials are mimicked from her hazelnut obsession. For realz. Muffins, rice pudding, oatmeal, blueberry cobbler...everything had hazelnut coffee creamer. Made me gag. Still makes me gag, but also gives me funny memories. Whack.

3.I drive super close to a library every day and didn't know it. Will go today and get my card. They open at 1. Gym classes are at 2. Perfection.

4. Now that Mexico is out, I really want to get my boat. I can't justify the cost though which BLOWS. But really, that just means that it's not really *MY* boat, and I'll get my dream boat one day. Right? It's just SUCH a good price (kind of), and SUCH a beater that I won't care if I hit a tree branch and poke a hole through it on the river. BUT, it weighs a tonne and would be difficult to get in and out of the water on my own.

5. Every day that Hubs was here I asked him to rub my neck. I've been in a lot of back pain. He did so each and every time with no complaints (this is weird...maybe this is a pro to commuter marriages...back rubs with no complaints LOL). ANYWHO, he agreed that I should buy this. So I did. I named him Rico Suave. If you hear buzzing while talking to me...it's Rico.

6. Although I desperately (DESPERATELY) miss the ocean, I really love the bright blue skies of the midwest. You don't get this crisp clear blue very often on the coast (you get fog). I love it.

7. I am craving an adventure. I guess 70.3 counts as that. I'll be honest, I had dreams about it last night and I woke up not wanting to do it at all. Seriously, running a half marathon after a huge swim and bike? What was I thinking? In other moments I am SO EXCITED at the possibility. I think I have multiple-tri-personality disorder. It may be more accurate that I want a non-exhausting adventure LOL

8. The dog misses Hubs as much (more?) than I do. She is freaking at every noise thinking it's him. Poor dog.

9. I feel like I have to get to 10. I like multiples of 5 I think. I also like multiples of 2 and 3 which means I could stop here. But I won't.

10. I don't really like the idea of e-readers. BUT, I do like that I could get one for $70 and get e-library books. I'd have it paid for in 3-4 reads (I always buy my books...it's stupid financially). Does this logic make sense? Thoughts?

Yesterday

2012-01-04T12:06:00.001-05:00

I managed to pull out a shred. SO yesterday's HBBC points were:

1-dog walk
2.5-shred
0-f/v

I have something in my house that NEEDS TO GO. Kahlua. It is my freaking weakness. I LOVE IT. We also have alcohol infused chocolate whipped cream (my brother-in-law discovered it). It goes perfectly on top of Kahlua and milk. GET IT OUT OF HERE. Late at night, especially after a tense hockey game, it tastes TOO GOOD and has WAY TOO MANY CALORIES.

Okay, there, I posted it and owned it.

Today is a run day. Watch me go.

HBBC Update?

2012-01-03T18:27:00.000-05:00

Like woah. When I fall off the horse, I fall hard.

Today I managed to get 1 point for walking the dog. I'm working on getting 1 F/V too. I'm thinking I might do an easy spin or maybe some yoga...or go to the gym, or turbo jam. I want to do SOMETHING. Actually, that's a huge lie. I don't WANT to do anything. I *should* do something. I *will* do something. ...just not sure what. I put away the bag of spicy thai kettle chips...does that count?

Today I'm grateful for my hubs who made a really good lunch: peas with some whole wheat macaroni noodles, chicken bacon and onions. Sounds boring, but sooo delicious (especially once loaded with pepper). The key was having a 2:1 pea:pasta ratio.

Taking suggestions for a workout that I'll actually do tonight. It has to be done by 8:30pm (HOCKEY, Y'ALL! GO CANADA!!!)

How is that for a random post?

Alright, stop. Collaborate and listen. Meg is back with a brand new invention...

2012-01-02T19:02:00.000-05:00

Sorry. I couldn't resist the first post of the year starting with a little Vanilla Ice. It will be the foreshadowing to my year.

Wait, wait. I don't want to get ahead of myself.

FIRST let me tell you about my holiday (in pictures with very little text).

I was in NASHVILLE where I danced on tables and had a whole lot of fun partying down with family. Who knew country bands would play Metallica and Alanis? Awesome.

While in Nashville, we hit the Grand Ole Opry which was at the Ryman

I ate at White Castle for the first time ever. It wasn't as bad as I was expecting...

Checked out the Opryland hotel (SO NICE)

And saw Lynyrd Skynyrd play on New Years Eve! (photo taken from LuckyCowboy.com)

I also got my hockey fix. HOLLAAAA. I'm a Sens fan but cheered for the Flames this game. We beat the Flames the other night so I was okay cheering for them. I will say that I'm a Tootoo fan, and I'm glad I got to see him have a great game!

So now I'm back (with a brand new invention?). I'm up FIVE freaking pounds after indulging in way too much BBQ and fried food. I'm back on track. I have to be. 2012 is going to be stellar. I mean STELLAR. How do I know? Because I'm going to make it that way!

Here is a brief overview of what I know to be coming...most of this I think I already posted about...but it makes me happy, so here you go! :)

San Diego (pic from http://www.sandiegojobmap)

Vegas

My second 21.1

Sporting Life 10k the weekend that Nolan is scheduled to finish his cancer treatment! HECK TO THE YES!!!! EPIC!

MUNCIE 70.3 (Me registering is quite the story...it happened over a month ago...I've been keeping it a secret. I'll tell it in another post).

BC! (photo from http://landscapephoto.us)

A trip HOME to Halifax! (photo from http://www.halifaxcap.ca)

Here is what I *HOPE* to happen

A trip south with Hubs! (photo from travelise.com)

Can you tell I'm missing the ocean? The worst part of living in the midwest is no water. I have a "river," but I grew up on the ocean. I MISS SALT WATER!!!

Sounds like a pretty solid year, right? I'm owning it. Hubs and I have worked our tails off to have an AWESOME year, and after two years of slogging with some rough patches, we're taking it.

RESOLUTION TIME: Life is short. When I look back at life I want to say that I *DID* it. Every day I did something to either make the world better, or to truly enjoy it. So my resolution for this year: Every day I will either A) be able to tell you one thing that I did to make the world better. This could be as simple as helping someone with a door. Positive ripples, or B) be able to tell you what I truly enjoyed about being on the planet that day. Maybe it will be smelling a flower, or maybe it will be swimming with sea turtles.

My hope is to blog it every day, but let's be real, I'm not that good. LOL

Happy 2012!

"Will it ever stop? Yo, I don't know

Turn off the lights and I'll glow
To the extreme I rock a mic like a vandal
Light-up a stage and wax a chump like a candle

Dance, go rush the speaker that booms
I'm killing your brain like a poisonous mushroom
Deadly when I play a dope melody
Anything less than the best is a felony

Love it or leave it, you better gang way
You better hit bull's eye, the kid don't play
If there was a problem, yo, I'll solve it
Check out the hook while my DJ revolves it

Meg, Meg baby"

A Year in Review (pic post)

2011-12-28T12:20:00.000-05:00

I start every year with a mantra. 2011 was "Let's Rumble." I knew it would be a big year, and I decided to go for it, and take some (big?) risks. I don't think the photo recap captures what this year was for me, but here it is none-the-less.

January: Got Smurfette, went to San Antonio

February: A HILARIOUS Valentine's, MEXICO

March: I blew my trainer (ahahah) and got the new Mag. March was the Cupcake virtual marathon

April: I told hubs I would do a 70.3 in 2012. ahahaha Good thing no registrations were open. Not much else happened in April...it was a tough slog-through month.

May: May was full with both happy and sad. Nanny died. I miss her a lot, it especially hard over Christmas. In the happy, saw our rental house for the first time! (We rented it before we saw it...scary). It was our first wedding anniversary, it was Sporting Life 10k, spent some time in Chicago.

June: My first sprint tri! I became a doctor (of philosophy)! Doesn't sound like a lot, but both took a lot of work. Bear also was VERY sick at the end of June which made things even more stressful. She's okay now though :)

July: THE ORIGINAL GOOSE EPISODE, got my Timex GPS

August: It was my birthday. I moved to a new country. I started a new job. Hubs and I entered into the long-distance thing for much of the time. Pooch and I found new running trails, got chased by mean dogs, and fell in love with Target.

September: I struggled with finding a dress. A lot. Bahaha I got back into training.

October: A wedding (I've got a mean dance floor swagger), quinoa cookin', St. Louis...

November: A trip to Ontario (that maybe involved a bit too much red wine?), and finally registered back up at the Y! Also did some sweet hot yoga, and made a friend in the new city! The idea was planted to buy a boat...

December: Lots of greatness this month! I also found a boat, but am still not sure if I'm going to get it. It's a serious beater, and a lot of money (but boats ARE a lot of money). If it came with some accessories (oars, slings, a roofrack), I'd do it. But it doesn't. And those things cost money...but MAN it's a real dream of mine. We'll see.

I have a whole slew of posts coming...

2011-12-28T11:35:00.001-05:00

1. A Year in Review
2. My plans for next year
3. What I've been doing :)

For now, I managed a quickie run Christmas day. I was back at work yesterday, and have to work today a bit. Heading to Nashville tomorrow. HOLLLA! Will get A Year in Review up today.

For now...here was the pooch on our Christmas Day run. I hope to do another one today. I am dying to get my aero bars on, but can't set up the bike because of company. Apparently it's rude to stick your butt up in the middle of the livingroom with guests? bahaha OOOH and I want to get a bike fit next week too. I AM SO EXCITED.

Oh yes...and there will be a HUGE BIG post coming...in January. :P

Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-25T14:28:00.000-05:00

Santa came to my house. How about yours?

Wishing you moments of peace and joy today :)

A "Christmas" Song for Dani

2011-12-23T11:31:00.002-05:00

I love this song especially because no where does it say anything about "Christmas." It's just a story and you can impart whatever meaning to it that you choose. I love it. I also love Chris De Burgh.

Here it is with lyrics :)

Here comes the sun! NA NA NA NA

2011-12-22T10:00:00.001-05:00

HAPPY SOLSTICE! The days will once again get longer, and I am breathing a sigh of relief. I hate going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark. YAY SUN!

Secret Santa-who are you? Are you allowed to say? The pull buoy is under our tree!

Speaking of tree...bahaha this is our tacky tree for 2011. We have pretty glass ornaments, but caught the dog with one in her mouth. Umm, no. We went on a search last night for dog-friendly(ish) ornaments. This is what our tree now looks like:

LOL!

If I had any talent, our Christmas table would look like this.

I grabbed this photo from HERE. Loves it!

HBBC update: Tuesday: 1 point, Wednesday (yesterday): NO POINTS and I loved it. Today: we shall see.

I have been trying to spend some QT with Hubs and the dog this week. It's blissful. I made an error last night though. We went for BBQ. I thought I ordered beef. It was pork. And I was sick last night. I HATE FOOD ALLERGIES. Anyway, I'm back on track (ish). I had quinoa with crab and spinach for breakky. YUM! I'm nothing if not bizarre.

Hubs asked me for my Christmas list. I gave him the following suggestions:
-boat (bahaha)
-aero bars
-Lulu Scuba hoodie
-Lulu groove pants
-Tiffany's necklace (he laughed at me)
-bike fit
-Rubino tires for my bike

QUIIICK, can you think of anything else I should put on the list? Under $100 please (and good things in the $50 and under category would be awesome). Thanks, Peeps! :D

Boat update coming soon.

UPDATE :)

2011-12-19T23:24:00.001-05:00

HBBC:
Sunday: 2 points (2 mile run)
Monday: 1 point walk with dog

Tomorrow will involve another 2 mile run, and then frantic cleaning. Hubs comes home!! YAAAAAAY. He is under the impression that any mess in the house is either due to him or the dog (heh) so that means this place has to be spotless so that I can continue to deflect any mess on to them. Makes sense, right? :P I'm sneaky like that.

So...I found a boat. It's a beater, but it's relatively cheap. The problem is that I need roof racks and oars to go with it. That gets pricey. And really, I don't have the money for even a relatively cheap boat right now...but it's a dream...and it's RIGHT THERE for the taking, in a price bracket I can afford. The boat is only a 4 hour drive away...

I'm waiting on a sign to decide whether I go for it or not.

And with that...here is one of my fave songs. The original is Lyle Lovett, but I love the Dave Matthews version.

I love DMB in general. Off to YouTube some oldies but goodies :)

Positive ripples

2011-12-18T19:23:00.003-05:00

I tend to live in a bubble. I have a great job and work with well off people. It's easy to forget that there are people in my city who don't have what I take 100% for granted.

Every holiday (and usually in the spring) I gather what I take for granted, and bring it to someone who needs it. I'm talking soap, tooth brushes, toothpaste, maxi pads, razors, band aids. I have a GOOD job, and buying these things makes me gawk at the price some days when I do my shopping. But I buy them, because I can. Some people can't.

I'm not posting this to guilt others into donating goods like this. It would be great if you can do this, but that's not my intention. I'm posting this to hopefully bring awareness to the fact that we have people in our backyards who need a bit of luck. People who work HARD. Who have dreams. Who serve coffee at midnight for minimum wage and then who try and go home to raise a family/support their parents/pay for school. And who really just need a bit of luck. Heck, we've all been unlucky despite hard work. Next time you see someone, rather than judge, remember what it feels like to have an unlucky spell. THAT is the purpose of this post.

Every day you have a choice: You can send positive ripples, or you can make someone's day worse. That choice is 100% yours. Every. Day.

Forgot One!

2011-12-18T16:08:00.001-05:00

My favourite new running purchase of the year, hands down.

Spibelt. It holds my phone, keys, AND a Gu. It doesn't bounce. If you are debating, do it. No regrets (and I was really hesitant to pay $20 for one).

A few more of my favorite things...

2011-12-18T12:08:00.002-05:00

Since posting my want list before went over so well (THANKS AGAIN, Secret Santa!) I figured I'd post more :P Mostly these are things I have used/have older versions of. Kind of like Oprah's Favorite Things list, only cooler because it's Meg's Favorite Things. I receive nothing for posting this, and sadly unlike Oprah I cannot give these to you for free. Sorry, y'all.

First up: Wool running socks. Don't freak. I swear, these are AMAZING. I think they were first recommended to me by Mommy Running Through a few years ago. Smart Wool makes my favourite wool socks. My feet often get cold, and if my feet are cold I am MISERABLE. If I have these on, I'm golden. They aren't itchy at all. They're STELLAR if you are running in the rain. Nothing beats them (if you are cold), for realz.

If you aren't cold, my favorite sock suggestion is still the Wright ankle dippies. Their official name is the Silver Elite Tabs.

Next up, Lulu Lemon's Groove Pant. I'm still upset from a negative experience with Lulu Lemon a few years ago and a brutal running skirt, but I will give them props for these pants. I only have one pair that are at least 4 years old. I will invest in another pair at some point (mine are all pilled up now).
Another shout out to Lulu Lemon: Their Scuba Sweater is the bomb. BOMB! I have two. One is 5 years old and the sleeves are shredded to crap. It's my black sweater so I can't throw it out. It goes with everything! My second one is 4 years old and the sleeves are starting to go on that one too. It's bright pink. I will invest in another black one eventually too.
Next up, some bling. I don't have this, but love it. :)

Now, I don't know about this one. I have a Driod2. It was my first smart phone, and I really like it in some ways. Being able to get my email and facebook is stellar. I only use a few apps (My Fitness Pal, FB and Twitter), so I'm not a huge app girl. I kind of wish it was an iPhone though so I could sync my tunes with it. I also find that my Driod freezes up. A lot. It's unreliable as to whether I can even get a call out when it freezes. My plan is to give it to hubs when he's here full time, and I'll upgrade (hehehe shhhhhh! He doesn't read my blog so I'm in the clear unless one of you rats me out LOL). That said, I'm not a fan of iTunes so maybe I should just get a different music program and I'd be okay? Any thoughts on this??

My next favorite thing is not a thing at all, but an experience. I LOVE HOT YOGA! Oh my gosh. I love it. I am a hot weather girl, and it makes my mind/body/spirit be blissful. Try it.

Last winter I went on my first All Inclusive Vacation to Cozumel. Holy smokes, All Inclusives also make my favorite things list. I spent my days on the beach reading, drinking Banana Mamas, and snorkeling. I'm trying to find time/money to go again. My travel schedule is JAMMED for the next 8 months though, so not sure if it will happen.

What are said travel plans, you ask? WELL, I will be traveling to the following places (not in this order) over the next 8 months: San Diego, Vegas, Nashville, Vancouver, Halifax, Toronto, and possibly Saskatoon. There are a few other possibilities floating out there as well, but nothing concrete enough that I would put it out there yet. These trips are all relatively short, and many are work based. I really hope I can get a true VACATION in there at some point. (*cough*IwanttogobacktoCoz*cough*). If you are in the USA, what travel sites do you find best for all inclusive vacation deals? Where is the best place to go from here? I know Cuba is out which is generally a default for many Canadians.

What are some of your favourite things?

HBBC

2011-12-16T21:38:00.001-05:00

2 points today (eek) 1 veggies, 1 dog.

Back with a bigger update tomorrow. For now, trashy tv and bed.

Thank you Secret Santa!!!

2011-12-15T21:24:00.004-05:00

It MADE MY DAY to come home and find this on my front step. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! :) :)

Wednesday Whaaaa?

2011-12-14T21:22:00.002-05:00

1. I have a migraine so this will be fast.

2. I am having a crazy challenging week on a number of fronts.

3. I haven't been cooking/prepping food and have been eating crap

4. I haven't been exercising. Except I remember doing a 30 minute spin. That might have been yesterday?

...*checks mfp* Oops, didn't log. I did say something on facebook.

SO..I had 1 point Sunday

1 point Monday (walk dog)

4 points yesterday (30 min spin, 1 dog)

ZERO points today.

Total this week: 6

This is pathetic! My focus isn't on points this week. I'll try to get back at it tomorrow. If I have 2 good days I can hit 20 which will be aiight.

Posse out. Head feels like it is imploding. I think it is from new glasses and it suddenly being WARM again outside. What is this weather?

My weekend

2011-12-12T08:28:00.003-05:00

Involved reading this....

Buying this for Hubs....(I even brought it in from the car all by myself *flexes muscles* It's not that heavy, but holy awkward. Also, please note that the handles make scary faces. We'll have to replace those (mostly because they're hideous gold, but the freaky face shape has not gone unnoticed).

Walking this....and then taking care of her last night when she was sick :(

And not much else (besides groceries, making supper/lunches, cleaning...)

HBBC: 1 point. Woah.

My Christmas List

2011-12-11T13:20:00.003-05:00

1. Since the year 2000(?) Oakley Minutes have been my sunglasses of ~~choice~~ need. I mean this for real. I've tried other sunglasses, but these are the only ones that are comfortable and do what I need them to. This is especially true if I'm on the water. I'd love a pair with my prescription in them. If not that, my "new" ones (the ones pictured below) are starting to chip. They're 4 years old so they've definitely earned their keep, and are still functional, but a new pair will be needed soon. My first pair were powder blue. The arm snapped when they were about 6 years old. I still have them. Broken. Because I love them. Love. 2. I really want some aero bars. I've decided that I don't want a triathlon bike. I want a boat more. BUT, I want to be comfortable doing long roads on my road bike. Aero bars would be rad.

3. I want my own pull buoy. It grosses me out swimming with the public ones. They're only $9 from Amazon. I should just get one myself. I'll wait until after Christmas in case someone reads my blog *cough*HUBS*cough*AAAAAND just in case someone wins the lottery and REALLY loves me, here is my one true desire: A Hudson Lightweight 1x. I'd either like an old wooden one (they feel SO GOOD in the water), or one where I can choose the paint colors. I think I'd go with lime green and silver, or lime green and navy. I'd have her name stenciled onto the side. I'd get a pair of Croker blades to go with her...although I'd also be happy with a set of Concept 2s.

The heart's desire would be possible for under 10k (Don't forget I'd need a speed coach and wiring). Swoon.

Delish

2011-12-10T18:41:00.001-05:00

Veggies with jalapeno hummus. Win.

HBBC: 1 for the dog.

I slept ALL afternoon. Perfect.

I vacuumed. Feels great.

Kitchen is clean. Awesome.

Headed to see pretty lights tonight. Winning.

Hope your weekend is delish too :)

HBBC Recap

2011-12-09T21:25:00.002-05:00

Thursday: 1 point dog walk

Friday (Today): 6 points Body Pump, 1 point dog walk, .5 on the treadmill

This week's total: 27.5

I had intentions of yoga-ing tonight to hit 30 but due to unforeseen circumstances, it didn't happen.

I still made a big improvement, and I'm going to focus on that.

My mission for this week: Focus on the positive. Every day there is negative and positive. We can choose how much weight we assign to each. This week, I've been letting the negative be worth more. It's not. Life is not a dress rehearsal, so live it up while you can. I got 6.5 more points this week than I did last week. Win.

That said, next week I want 33.5 to make up for it. I'm stubborn like that.

Umm...3TT

2011-12-08T08:16:00.002-05:00

Wow. That last post had a lot of typos, even for me. I was clearly exhausted. I'm up and at 'em after a decent sleep. Huzzah.

3TT:

-I took the dog out for her morning walk and FROZE. When did winter really get here?

-I dream of going back for an AI vacation. I need sun and beach.

-I need beach more than sun. I'm not used to living in a landlocked place, and I'm a wee bit claustrophobic about it. I miss going for Christmas Day walks along the ocean all bundled up. This is only my SECOND Christmas away from the Maritimes ever. It's going to be a great Christmas, but I'd prefer if the ocean was here along with my family.

HUGE HUGE HUGE props to Saucony!!!

2011-12-07T21:41:00.004-05:00

I really hope Saucony reads this. I was not paid or encouraged in any way to write this post.

I wanted a pair of Saucony Triumphs. They're my fave kick, and I'm hanging on desperately to the pair I bought in 2009. My new Asics and Reebok just aren't what my foot needs for running on cement. I couldn't find them in stores anywhere. I finally smartened up, went online, and found a pair on their website on sale (the color is atrocious, but they're my shoe!). They were on for $35 off (I think?). Score.

TWO *amazing* things happened.

First, the right shoe was shipped. I know this seems like a no-brainer, but sometimes I feel like no company is competent. Saucony, thank you for sending me the right product. Seriously, this alone is enough to impress me.

Second, they came SO SO SO FAST! I thought they'd

take a week or two given the holidays. It was less than a week! THANK YOU!!!!

HUGE, HUGE Props. I'm a big fan.

Not only was I mega impressed, but I also loved the box they came in.

On that note, no HBBC today. I did not sleep at all last night...well, I did sleep some but when I was asleep I had some pretty awful nightmares. I blame it on holiday stress? I'm hoping for a better sleep tonight. FX.

With that, night!!

Everyday I'm shufflin'

2011-12-06T19:24:00.002-05:00

Rock out.

Got a HUGE amount of work done today. Tore myself away to actually go to spin. This is HUGE. I hate leaving a task when it's not totally finished. I DID IT. And I feel awesome.

HBBC: 5 Spin (50 mins)

I'm at 6 F/V, but am at my calorie limit so I won't get the 7th today.

1 point mile doggy

SIX today! HOLLLAAAA

TOTAL THIS WEEK: 19. HOLLLLAAA EN ROUTE to 30 this week. HECK yes!

Word Spew

2011-12-05T18:38:00.003-05:00

-I have photos to upload. Blogger needs an app.

-I am SO SORE from Pump, and my hammies are still sore (in a good way) from hot yoga. I'm in love with both. LOVE

-My scheduled swim practice was moved so I couldn't go. I'm going to do a light spin at home instead. I need to flush.

-My house is a disaster. I need to clean it.

-I bathed Bear tonight. That's progress, right?

-I love Christmas lights. I'm okay if we call them Solstice lights. I like that during the darkest days people light the way for each other. If you light up your house, know that someone (like me) appreciates it.

-I paid US swim fees to swim with the coached group ($49) on top of my fees to swim. Now I'm supposed to pay another $49 for fee renewal by the end of December. I'm kind of cheesed, I'm not impressed with the structure of the group, I feel like I'm not getting feedback...so I think I might switch fully to the Y. I don't want to waste money on a program that is REALLY far, *and* that doesn't really help me at all.

-I desperately want a massage and pedicure. And a hair cut.

-I've been trying to eat more red meat. It grosses me out.

K, your turn.

HBBC: 1.5 spin, 1 (mile walk), 1 F/V

Total this week: 13.5

Superb Sunday

2011-12-04T18:51:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I was feeling pretty crummy. I think the winter blues are hitting. I need more light! (Mexico, anyone?)

But that was yesterday! Today I got up early and put in a solid 6 hours of work before taking my afternoon break. What was my break you might ask?

WELL! I did Body Pump for the first time! I LOVE THIS CLASS. It was *made* for me! I never did it before for fear of my back. I did some modifications (bar on chest rather than neck for squats, etc) and it was BLISSFUL! OH MY I LOVED IT! This has been a week for trying new activities and I am in loooooove. The class is a weight lifting class. Lots and lots and lots of reps to wicked jams. Squats, lunges, bench press, rows, deadlifts, tricep and bicep curls...*swoon* I will be going. Often. 1 point per 10 mins? KILLER

Following Pump, I stayed for Body Flow. Flow is an old tried and true for me. I love the music and I love the vegged out vibe. This is NOT an active yoga class (in contrast to the hot yoga I was at Friday night). It is a pure feel good class.

:) I got my veggie point today which just makes everything that much sweeter (but not sugar sweet :P)

Off to work for another hour or so and then I am making my bed with clean sheets, taking a HOT shower, and snuggling in to read more of The Host! (Thanks, Shazz for the recommendation!)

HBBC: 6 for Pump, 3 for yoga, 1 for veggies. HOLLA FOR A TEN POINT DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I feel *awesome*. That's a good way to start my week.

AAAAALSO Amanda (HBBC Guru Extraordinaire) is having a headband giveaway. Head on over!

Ahhhhhhmazing

2011-12-03T10:09:00.004-05:00

I did something last night for the first time.

It was hot. It involved rhythmic breathing. I began to sweat as I twisted my body...

...k, I'll stop. I did hot yoga!!! 90 degrees of BLISS. I walked in and went "ahhhh." AMAZING I TELL YOU! I was sweating LIKE A CHAMP, and it felt SO SO SO GOOD. I'm still reliving it. Honestly, you should try it (if you like heat). I don't think I would like the 120 degree rooms though, 90 was perfect.

I was fortunate to have some friends come over and help me move furniture last night. We bought another guest bed so we can have enough sleeping room for our guests for our first Christmas here! Yay! Unfortunately it means we had to move our futon to the living room and it feels REALLY cluttered to me. I'm no good with furniture placement so I am hoping that inspiration will strike me so that I can make things feel more open and airy :) I'm pretty minimalist in my living preferences. If I could have ALL white everything I would. I would then change pillows with the seasons for splashes of colour :) *day dreams*

Yesterday HBBC: 1 veggies, 1 mile walk, 4 points hot yoga (I know it's supposed to be 1 point per 20 with yoga, but hot power yoga was HARD compared to regular ashtanga which is mo'fo hard compared to regular yoga). If you think this is an unfair characterization, please let me know :)

Total yesterday: 6

Total points for this week: 21. Meh. I want to be in the 30s for the next 2 weeks. Watch me go!

Musicians I Love

2011-12-01T21:52:00.003-05:00

I have a number of favourites that I have neglected lately. I need to share them so that others can love them too.

David Gray

Jack Johnson

Damien Rice

Van Morrison

Cat Stevens

Barenaked Ladies (old stuff--> YouTube Ed's Bathroom Series. AMAZING)

Right now I am listening to every David Gray song I can find. I wish he had a Christmas album. I know he's an atheist, but OH MAN his voice on some Christmas classics would melt my soul.

HBBC: 2 (veggies, 1 mile walk with Bear)

Day 30: Three wonderful things that happened this month

2011-11-30T18:43:00.002-05:00

1. I won an award. (Okay it was at the end of October, but I'm still excited about it)

2. I was able to spend Thanksgiving in Canada

3. I had a fun night with Marlene and Erin last weekend (despite the puking)

Pics. Rambling. Wednesday.

2011-11-30T18:34:00.002-05:00

I have a migraine coming on, and a dog that needs another walk before I crash-n-burn. Here are a few photoz to show you my evening.

Salad. Booya.
Pretty clementines on our new kitchen table. I love my crystal candle holders. I just need candle sticks :)
HBBC: 2 (veggies, dog walk)

Kicked today in the heiny (mostly)

2011-11-29T13:24:00.006-05:00

1. Booked dentist and eye appointments for this week. I really need both. (Just for check-ups, but I desperately need new glasses)

2. I got some tedious work done.

3. I Turbo Jammed at lunch

4. I ate leftover veggie stew for lunch (delicious)

5. I did 25 minutes of Spinervals. It's a 60 minute workout, but my tires aren't holding air, my cadence sensor is not working, and my bike is making a weird clicking sound (but it's not my cadence sensor hitting the frame...?). I gave up, satisfied with a hard 25 minutes. HOLY SMOKES that will be one of my favourite DVDs.

6. I didn't eat junk. HOLLA!

HBBC: 4.5 Turbo Jam, 2.5 Spinervals, 1 dog walk = 8 for today. I'll take it.

Total so far this week: 11

Day 29: Some place I'd like to visit

2011-11-29T10:30:00.002-05:00

For a few years now, my heart has been telling me to go to Thailand. I'd like to see Singapore and the Philippines too, but Thailand is a need.Image from visitingthailand.com

I also would really like to visit India at some point.

Day 28: A skill I'd like to learn

2011-11-28T19:24:00.002-05:00

I have two:

1. Change the oil in my car

2. Properly pump my bike tire (I throw myself onto the pump but can never get it to the recommended pressure).

Bloggift Exchange

2011-11-28T19:13:00.002-05:00

Jill over at Run with Jill is doing a blogger gift exchange. FUN!

I needed a pick me up today, and this totally did the trick. $10 gift to brighten someone else's day! AND yours gets brightened too! WIN WIN, baby!

To follow up on HBBC points: I *did* eat some veggies for supper last night, but not enough to get my servings.

I don't think I posted this.....In point form:

-I got bumped from my flight last night. Stayed an extra night in T-dot.

-Met up with a family member for dinner so it wasn't so bad.

-Up at 4:30am today to make my flight.

-Flying out of Toronto Island so I had to catch a shuttle and a ferry to get to the airport.

-I didn't want to miss my flight...which ended up being 2 hours late. *groan*

-I then had to drive the 3 hours from my airport to my work.

-Oh, and my credit card has a massive hold on it from the free hotel room so it was declined when I stopped for gas.

-OH, and I was healthy and got Subway for lunch (a kids meal), and they didn't put the apple slices in my bag.

Bottom line: I am a CRANK POT. Actually, that is not the word I would use to describe myself right now, but I swore in a recent post and I'm trying to cut back. *sigh*

On a plus (reframe reframe reframe), TODAY I did get a veggie point. I'm also giving myself one point for walking through airports, taking shuttles, walking the dog, and lugging my 47 pound suit case around (HOLLA 3 under! Take the positives where ever you can). SO, 2 points today. I could likely justify this as 3, but I won't. Feels like cheating if it's not meant to be exercise.

Tomorrow is a run and bike day (but not a brick). I'll make some progress then.

So yeah *gets back to the point*, I really needed something like a gift exchange to give me a boost. Thanks, Jill!

Day 27: Myself, one year ago

2011-11-27T16:48:00.001-05:00

One year ago today I posted this. I was interviewing for my current job :)

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2010

I started this year....

...with this mantra: BRING. IT. ON.

Well, friends, I'm about to bring it. Maybe I'll make my goal, maybe I won't. All I can do is my best, and make sure I leave everything on the playing field at the end of the day.

Sorry this is cryptic, hopefully I can post more soon.

*jams* Here I go again on my own. Going down the only road I've ever known.

(except thankfully I don't walk alone--I've got the best husband, pooch, friends and family supporting me along the way). (except the pooch--she's being a brat lately LOL *stop eating my stuffff!*)

HBBC Quickie

2011-11-27T16:39:00.002-05:00

Yesterday: 1 point veggies

Today: ZERO. I'm traveling today. I did an unwise thing last night. I drank red wine with some girlfriends. And then we kept drinking. Confession: I puked this morning.

So far today, this is what I have eaten:

-Chicken broth

-Cheeseburger Happy Meal

-Poutine

Classy.

Now I'm in an airport and my flight has been delayed. I've been flying Porter and this trip I have been VERY disappointed. Both of my flights will have delays of over an hour (the one on the way here was THREE hours). The first flight was so incredibly bumpy that they couldn't even bring the drinks around. They can't go as high as other airlines so we were in the clouds the whole way. I normally have a good stomach so was okay, but tonight I don't think I could handle it. As I sit here now (cranky) there are no snacks or coffee left in the lounge. What the heck? I thought this was supposed to be "flying refined?" Give me multiple delays AND take away my free snacks?? My first few Porter trips were great. This one has been so bad that I will think twice before I book with them again. Bummer. We had a good thing going on.

Day 26: Something I'm looking forward to

2011-11-26T10:35:00.002-05:00

Decorating for Christmas!! :D :D

I *love* Christmas Eve. It's my favourite day of the year. This year I'm going to make Nanny's lobster newburg recipe. HOORAY!

I'm excited to have a tree. I'm excited to put lights in our window. I'm excited to turn the fireplace on for the first time. I'm excited to drink "princess coffees" in my pjs (coffee, Kahlua, whipped cream).

OH BLISS I love the holidays!

Today I am off to see Erin and Marlene for some girl fun. Wahoo! Trying to plan my HBBC points for the day. My quads are pretty sore. I was planning to go for a run, but I might just go for a quickie 2-3k to flush things out before hopping on the train. Any other good ideas? Can't swim today (no bathing suit with me).

Day 25: The contents of my purse

2011-11-25T17:36:00.002-05:00

I was going to dump it and take a picture, but it would be a disaster to clean up.

I have a George Costanza wallet. I replace it every couple of years to try and shrink it, but it's bad.

My purse is filled with receipts and loose change, no matter how often I clean it out.

Lipgloss.

2 epi-pens (apparently 1 dose is not likely to be enough for me?)

A puffer

My vaccination records (??)

An old name tag

A new name tag

Cell phone

House keys

Office keys

Gum

Cacaw!: Round 2 and 2a

2011-11-25T16:52:00.006-05:00

Do you remember my goose encounter? The terrifying one on the bike? If not, you can learn about it here.

You're about to join me on another journey. Grab a drink if you so choose (recommended, this is a long one).

As you know, I'm toying with the idea of Muncie 70.3. I've committed to an upcoming 5k, and a 21.1k in the spring. I've not been running a whole lot though. My goal this week was to change that. I'm in Canada in a city I know well. I won't be back here for quite some time, so decided to do a "goodbye" run this afternoon. My plan was to do 3-4k. I haven't run more than 3k since August, so really, that was my upper limit.

I suited up, THANKFULLY grabbed my bigger Nathan handheld water bottle, my iPod and my Timex GPS, and hit the pavement.

Things started out nice enough. I was moving at a decent clip. I was at 1.1km at 7 minutes. This is super speedy for me. I was pretty pumped. When I hit 10 minutes (I do 10:1s), I pulled out my phone to take some snapshots. A street runners know well in this city is King Street. It's a nice long hill. I was excited to see it.

I then looked up the hill. Crap. Construction. I had a decision to make. Turn around and run downtown (a nice route, no hills, but lots of shopping and people), or go around the construction with the cars.

I took the cars.

At the top of King Street I had another decision to make. My left foot was numb and almost felt out of joint. I could turn right and be home in about 1.5k (likely less), or I could keep going.

I kept going.

I ran by the lake, soaking up the water and the sun. There are no lakes like this near our new home. I grew up on the ocean, and desperately miss the water. I'd never thought I'd be so happy to see the lake. It stinks, and the lake "seagulls" are all wrong. But, things change, and my heart was happy.

The MidWest lacks the hills of the Canadian shield. I was working hard. I'll admit it, I was definitely doing more walking than 1 minute. I didn't care. I was loving it, and taking pictures. Screw the watch, ENJOY the run.

Stop. What's that? I was near the same site as the CACAW! incident, and I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. Geese. F@#$. One moved. I grabbed my camera. These ones would be reported if they killed me (you know, finish the job they failed at last time).

I refused to be bullied. I puffed my chest up, and ploughed on. HA! Take that geese! I made it by you, and the sun is still shining.

I took a few more pictures and just enjoyed the moment...

....until I looked at my watch. I was 4k from home. What the heck was I thinking? This was the MAX I've run since August (except for one treadmill run which really doesn't count). I texted a friend just in case I collapsed somewhere on the way home. They would know to search a 4k radius.

I'll be honest. My thought here was actually "Heeeckkk yeah HBBC!" It was also "Oh crap, I have to go by the geese again."

I turned and shook my bootie up the hill I had just come down. The geese had moved on. I was elated and picked up the pace.

Until I stopped.

I stopped dead. If I had my HRM monitor on, I don't know if it would have registered 220 or 22. My body went into shock.

The fuckers brought friends.

And then it happened. I cracked. Standing on the side of the road in spandex (the top of which was lime green) I cracked. Hysterical laughter came out of me. I had tears in my eyes. I stood taking pictures for a solid 3-4 minutes (I swear, catching my breath from the hill was just a side bonus). The geese were having their own "occupy" movement. Right in the shortcut to home.

So clearly running through the field was out for me, although I did debate running through it yelling "CACAW!!!" I questioned whether they would flee or attack. It wasn't worth the risk. Crossing the street to that side was therefore also out, so I plodded on my long way around. Plodded really is the appropriate word. I'm sure I looked like a walrus running. I was at 5.5-ishk here, and my quads were on fire. This doesn't bode well for my 5k next weekend, but whatever.

The rest of the run (walk) was fairly uneventful. It was a slow mosey back to my old homestead. I smiled as I passed all of my well-loved "almost there" landmarks.
As I hit the last 800m I saw the Canadian flag and felt warm in my heart. I then questioned whether that was patriotism, or just my heart starting to beat again after intense fear. I'm going with patriotism.

I miss the True North Strong and Free....but I don't miss the geese.

I managed to make it 8km (5 miles) in total. Walking down the stairs when I got in was a painful experience. Know what makes it worth it? Having a 6 point HBBC day. Although I really think I should get a bonus one for the geese. No??

Blackjack (21 Things)

2011-11-24T16:22:00.002-05:00

Ms. Marlene tagged me to play along and share 21 random bits & pieces that you may not know about me.

1. The only card game I've ever played in a casino was blackjack. Funny given the title of this post. It was at the casino in Gananoque, Ontario. I've been to Vegas, but only played the penny slots, and it was only to get the free drinks. I'm not a gambler, but I do love me a glass of red.

2. I have lived in 4 cities (kind of), and 2 countries in my life. The two cities are now amalgamated into one so it doesn't really count. Funny enough, I only lived in two houses until I was 20. This means I've moved way too much in the last 10 years. I hate moving.

3. I weighed in this morning. It was bad. I'm not going to comment further.

4. I was supposed to run today. I'm technically on vacation, so I should have had time. I was doing enjoyable work things though, and now it's too dark to go. I'm not too upset. I had a great day.

5. I'm about to make my first American Thanksgiving dinner. Only I'm visiting in Canada. #whateverworks

6. I just realized I didn't get stuff to make stuffing. That's my favourite part. #doh

7. I made apple crisp for hubs last night. I added some cheddar. AMAZING.

8. I've always wanted to own a standard vehicle. I have no idea why. I could drive one if I *had* to (I know how), but I'm not very good at it.

9. I'm always drawn to sparkly jewelry. Some friends call me a "megpie." bahaha

10. In Canada we use British English. That means we add "u's" to many words. Examples include favour, neighbour, behaviour...you get the idea. When I moved down to the USA, there was a road sign that said "Sholder closed ahead." As a result, I thought that in the US they didn't spell it "shoulder," and dropped the U. Turns out it was a spelling mistake in the sign. I find this rule very confusing.

11. I love USA college football. Love. Marching bands aren't cool in Canada. The USA does this thing right!

12. In grade 3, I entered a draw to win a desk. I told my dad "I'm going to win it!!" I was so convinced that he became concerned. He talked to me mom, and the two of them sat me down, talked to me about probabilities and told me I wouldn't win it. I called him the next day from the office and said "So...I won the desk. Can you come to pick it up for me?" hahaha! I love this story.

13. I really like my family. As in we can get together, party, laugh and have fun. I didn't realize that this was weird until recently (is it really that weird?!)

14. The first time I tried a cigarette I was by myself. There was no peer pressure. I took one from my mom's friend (undetected). I wanted to see what all the fuss was about without anyone influencing me. I didn't get what the big deal was.

15. I don't smoke. At most, I smoked sporadically in undergrad while at bars (this was still legal back then). I hate second hand smoke, but I *loved* black cherry thin cigars (cigarellos?). I don't ever buy them or smoke them because I worry I would like it too much. Plus they cause cancer, and stink afterwards. But if they were healthy, if I didn't have asthma (or if it was 25 years ago) I would likely be a smoker (just the black cherry things though). Thank goodness I grew up in an environment where I learned better.

16. Hubs and I met in a graduate statistics class. We fell in love over discussions of getting beta tattoos...because beta can represent power (statistical power). How cool would that be? #geeklove

17. Point 16 is a half lie. We fell in love while drinking Caesars (vodka, clamato juice, tobasco and Worcestershire for the Americans). We did talk about power tattoos though :P

18. When I got my first smart phone a few months ago, I would wake up and check my emails in the middle of the night. I had to move it out of my room to get a decent night's sleep.

19. I love coffee, but only with flavoured creamer in it.

20. I hate Easter.

21. I need to get my dinner on the go! ACK!

Now your turn!! :D

HBBC Update

2011-11-24T15:56:00.002-05:00

Yesterday's points: ZERO. I ate leftover thai food for breakfast, bread and pb for lunch, and Harvey's for supper. I did make homemade (relatively healthy) apple crisp. This was offset by the wine and ice cream....

I *could* have exercise points if scrubbing the house top to bottom counted, but I don't think it does. Oh well.

TODAY: On track for 4 points. I walked 5k (3 miles) for meetings. I was supposed to run...but it's almost dark out so that's scrapped (got home late). I am on track for 7 veggies. Not a great day, but better than yesterday!

:) How's about you?

Day 24: Something that means a lot to me

2011-11-24T15:51:00.002-05:00

This is going to sound cheesy, but it's something that I didn't *truly* appreciate until the last 5 years.

I have amazing friends. When life hits a speed bump, I have people who are there. They don't care that I can be OCD/crazy/embarrassing/frustrating. Well, maybe they care, but they forgive me for it.

Many people do not have this in their friends. I am forever thankful for this.

And on that note, Happy (American) Thanksgiving! I have decided to make a Thanksgiving feast up here in Canada today. :)

Wishing you a peaceful day, wherever you may be, and whatever you may be doing :)

Day 23: Eight things you didn't know about me

2011-11-23T10:42:00.003-05:00

This is hard because I'm pretty open. It's too hard to NOT be open.

1-I once (accidentally) went through a glass coffee table and have a scar from it. THAT's a story to tell over a drink.

2-I really want to learn to knit.

3-My life plans were nothing like my life has turned out. That said, I'm incredibly happy where I am right now.

4-This one surprises me. I'm excited to spend a few days cleaning and cooking.

5-I hate running (but you might know that)

6-I search for trips down south almost every other day.

7-I have a World of Warcraft character. She dances and cheers like I do. She's a gnome. bahaha

8-I am done ALL of my Christmas shopping, AND everything is wrapped.

I suck at taking pictures

2011-11-22T15:28:00.003-05:00

I'm bad at these photo things. In addition to what I posted I've eaten:

Latte (drank?)

Potato salad

Mini roast beast sandwich

I'm going to be over on my planned calories, but whateves. I'm ONE point away from my 7 veggies (HBBC) and I'm going to get it come heck or high water.

My flight was cancelled and I got bumped to the next one (3 hours later). I had a train to catch to get me from the airport to my destination. I made it with SIX minutes to spare. I'm on the train now thoroughly enjoying free wifi.

I boogied in my boots to make it on time. I'm pretty disappointed with Porter Airlines, but I'll leave that for another post. For now, I am going to work on lowering my HR. Does it count if you get it up from stress (not exercise)? LOL :P

Day 22: Some place I’ve traveled

2011-11-22T15:23:00.001-05:00

Went to Mexico with some wagons.

lunch

2011-11-22T10:36:00.004-05:00

Flight cancelled. Mechanical failure. Glad for safety...annoyed that I might miss my nontransferable train on the other side. Went with a salad trio for lunch rather than McDs. My only hope for an HBBC point is veggies it looks like.

Travel eats

2011-11-22T07:42:00.003-05:00

Today I am on the fly. Literally. I'm heading to Ontario :) For fun, I'm going to post my eats along the way. It sucks to eat takeout ALL the time so it seemed like an interesting adventure.

Here is breakfast. Yogurt, a fruit cup and juice. $10.50!!! Pancakes, eggs and toast would have been$ 5.99. No HBBC points that way though. No wonder we have a problem with keeping healthy.

Oh! Thought of my something can't get enough of. Massage. I had a TWO HOUR session before and still wanted more time.

Day 21: Something I could never tire of

2011-11-21T21:33:00.001-05:00

This is HARD.

Looking at bikes? Looking at boats? Hiking? Eating fries?

Twilight?

I HAVE NO IDEA!

My evening in pictures

2011-11-21T21:24:00.005-05:00

I'm at a hotel. I sucked up my back pain, and hit the hotel gym. 30 minutes elliptical. 15 minutes treadmill. Weights. Some sun salutations. I only ran 10 of the 15 minutes on the treadmill...my back isn't up for the impact still. BUT, I managed to get my heart rate up on the elliptical so it was worth it. Then I came back to my room and ordered a custom salad in hopes of hitting my veggie goal today. Sadly, I only got 6 of 7 servings. Darn.
With my salad came the cutest little tobasco sauce! I put it on my salad. I like spicy :)
Aaand I'm capping it off with a glass of cab sav.
I didn't eat great earlier today. I ate more calories than I wanted, but am not HORRIFICALLY over.

SO, for HBBC points today:

.5 points weights (10 minutes)

4 points low impact cardio (3o mins elliptical + 15 mins treadmill + yoga = 60 minutes and it is 1 point per 15 minutes)

0 points veggies. SIX servings! If I was at home I would scarf some more spinach.

SO, 4.5 for today. Not too bad.

HBBC Day 2

2011-11-20T21:06:00.001-05:00

Veggies:

2 cups spinach

baby carrots

...

So no veggie points.

No real exercise due to back pain, but I did take the dog for 2 walks, and moved furniture (not a smart thing to do with a sore back).

SO today earned a whopping ONE point.

Crap.

Good news...and bad news

2011-11-20T17:09:00.002-05:00

GOOD NEWS: I found a kitchen dining set AND a china hutch at a local antique/used furniture/craft sale place.

BAD NEWS: My back hurts from yoga last night, and moving furniture today.

HELP ME: Find something non-impact (and not neck moving) that can earn me HBBC points!!

Furniture being delivered any minute. Will post pics :)

Day 20: A childhood anecdote

2011-11-20T10:24:00.002-05:00

When I was in grade 2, a button fell off of my yellow shirt. It didn't pop off, it just fell off.

My teacher said something about me being fat and it popping off in front of the whole class. I was mortified. I never told anyone this story until just now.

Day 19:A silly self-portrait

2011-11-19T20:22:00.004-05:00

Hows 'bout a little corpse pose? What is silly is that YES, those are still boxes from the move. They have all of our china in them. We need a china cabinet. I really want something second hand. I'm on a "will not create new junk" kick. Hoping to hit an antique shop tomorrow :)

HBBC KICK OFF!

2011-11-19T17:49:00.004-05:00

WOAH! It's TODAY!

I just remembered. Phew! Here is the link for full info.

In short:

1 Point per mile (run/walk)
1 Point per 3 miles biked
1 Point per 20 minutes of weight lifting, Pilates, yoga, stretching or abs
1 Point per 15 minutes of low impact cardio (i.e. low impact aerobics, easy biking, skiing, skating, water aerobics, snow shoeing)
1 Point per 10 minutes of high impact cardio (i.e.spinning, kickboxing, lap swimming)
1 Per day where you reach a minimum of 7 servings of fruits and veggies (here are details on what is a serving)

Here is my day 1: 4 points

-I walked a mile (at least...probably more). Wanted to do a proper run, but my back is out and my hands are numb. Probably not a smart idea. (1 point)

-60 minutes of yoga to try and loosen up (3 points)

-NO veggie points. I forgot, and only managed to get 4 of the needed 7.

I LOVE HBBC! Thanks Amanda! :)

Day 18: What I wore today.

2011-11-18T21:59:00.002-05:00

Denim skirt (not this exact one)

Black turtle neck. (not this exact one...but these all look the same)

Black tights. (not pictured)

Black riding-ish boots (that is the exact pair).

I forgot to take a picture. Oops.

Pain in the neck

2011-11-17T09:14:00.002-05:00

No, really. I moved funny the night before last and am all jigged up.

I got in to see a massage therapist yesterday and it helped, but I am still in a LOT of pain. I can't get full ROM turning my head to the left. I HATE MY BACK (cervical spine to be specific).

Here's the thing (and my huge beef with sport medicine/regular medicine). When I'm in acute pain (i.e., now), I do NOT need physio. I need relief. I need help. BUT, some doctors refuse to write you scripts for acute care. When I was in BAD spasms 2 summers ago, my GP refused to write me a script for an RMT or an Osteo. She would only give me physio. I pretty much told her off, and got a new doctor. I'm not lifting shit or strengthening anything when I'm in tears from pain sitting in a chair. BUT, AFTER I'm through the acute pain, I *should* be going to be physio. When I have some functional movement, THEN help me get stronger.

I'm so frustrated. I'm hoping in this new system I'll have a bit more control over my health care. It helps that I have a pay cheque for once. I don't think I need a referral for physio here so I'm going to try to find someone. I also might even get brave and try acupuncture again. I'm not down with this. It's a huge pain in the neck.

I'm trying to decide if I should try for an easy swim tonight?

Day 17: My family

2011-11-17T09:13:00.002-05:00

The last post was kind of about my family. I like to largely keep them out of blogland. Suffice it to say they are pretty awesome :) And I miss them. I'm used to being closer to family physically. It's weird to be so far away.

Day 16: Someone who inspires me

2011-11-17T08:58:00.002-05:00

I posted not so long ago about my Nanny and about my experiences with her death. Let me tell you, for a 5'1, 105lb woman, she inspired (inspires?) the crap out of me.

She didn't run races (although she did play basketball once, and broke/sprained/did something to her knee...she was 76 I think). She didn't do science (...although I guess her kids and grandkids were somewhat of an experiment?). She didn't even ready trashy books (Nanny, if you now read blogs, I don't read trashy books either! I swear!).

But Nanny DID play a mean game of RumeyKub. She shopped like nobody's business. She danced. She sang. She played with her kids and grandkids. She drank wine and strawberry daiquiris (less so as she got older). She played pranks. OH did she play pranks! She baked with love...although much was inedible LOL <3

And when her time came, she was ready. I have NEVER seen someone so "ready" to go. She wasn't afraid. It didn't mean she wanted to leave us, but she was just ready. Sometimes I'm not so high on the "faithometer." On those days, I borrow some of Nanny's. She had enough faith for all of us.

When bad days strike (and Seuss tells us that they will!), I borrow some of Nanny's Nannyisms. "Bloom where you're planted, go where you're sent" seems to be a big one lately. These random saying just pop out, and I roar with laughter. She had a saying for EVERYTHING. EVERY. LITTLE. THING. It got to a point where you just had to laugh, because a Nannyism was bound to come. I'm sitting here laughing now thinking about them. I should start commenting on your blogs with them. If you see random sayings, you know why :)

And finally, Nanny was a darn good friend. She had cards ready months in advance for special days. She bought gifts early. She called people. Friends came over for tea and alleybash (how do you spell it correctly?). I can only hope to be as good of a friend as she was.

So, my inspiration is my Nanny. <3

Blog fame going to your head?

2011-11-15T20:25:00.003-05:00

I'm sure we all have blogs we like. Blogs that started small, but then hit "fame." Sometimes it's rad. People stay classy and awesome. Other times, you worry. Is blog fame going to their head?

I'm sad. I have a blog that I love(d). I won't list it...but I'm so disappointed with who the blogger has become. This person went from awesome to not-so-nice. On the blog! What is that?

It makes me sad. So...stay classy. I don't want to lose another blog.

Yes. I am shopping for a boat :) Not sure if it will happen (there are some big ticket items that need to be purchased first), but I am looking. If the doors open, I'll do it.

Day 15: Some style inspiration for the season.

2011-11-15T19:56:00.002-05:00

Bought this. Sequined top from The Limited.I like sparkles.

Day 14: A favourite movie.

2011-11-15T19:55:00.000-05:00

Labyrinth. David Bowie. Holla.

Real Update: Possibilities?

2011-11-13T10:43:00.004-05:00

HOLLA: Yesterday I was at a Big Ten football game. My team won. *cheers wildly*

So, I'm not sure if you guys know this. I used to be a "real" athlete. I trained 14-16 hours a week for rowing (and coached another 40 on top of that at times). I competed. I won some, I lost some. It was who I was. 5:30am I was at the boathouse. Real life hit and I fell away from it. I haven't been in a boat in...over 6 years. I've struggled with this. How can you go from being SO MUCH of something, to not at all? Am I still a rower? No, I'm a has been. That hurts.

I met someone last week. She's from Canada and a paddler (if you know anything, that means we should be enemies LOL). BUT she was so nice and is showing me the boathouse today. OMG OMG BOATS BOATS BOATS! I did this once before. I need to be careful. I get visions of myself on the water, and then life kicks me back down because I have no time, and I am no longer a 5:30am early bird. I realize that I don't have what it takes to be a rower anymore.

But...what if I *could* make it work? Once or twice per week on the water? It's killer cross training. And I *LOVE* it. The hard part about rowing is that I don't like doing it alone. Blame years of coaching. Lakes alone are not my thing. I'm hoping to learn about a rec crew that goes out. I would want a single, and could just go along with them for safety.

This is going to sound incredibly hokey: I'm landlocked in the prairies, and my ocean girl self yearns for water. I might come to love this incredible nasty looking river after all.

The banks told me I need to build credit. What if I build credit by buying a boat?? LMFAO!!!

Day 13: Something I'm proud of

2011-11-13T10:39:00.002-05:00

I'm proud that I often take the road less traveled. Sometimes it's hard. Sometimes I regret it. Sometimes I learn more than I bargained for. It makes me happy, that when it comes to life decisions, I have kahones.

That said, the wind is howling right now and it made me jump. LOL

Day 12: Three blogs I can’t get enough of

2011-11-13T10:36:00.003-05:00

I read tonnes of blogs! How could I choose just 3?

I read lots in my "reader" but I primarily hit the ones in my list --> over yonder.

The blog I am most excited about RIGHT NOW is Leana's since she is back on the tri circuit after taking time off to get married and enjoy life. No more fun, get back to training! LOL :P (jk, training *is* fun).

Day 11: Something I’ve been craving

2011-11-13T10:35:00.000-05:00

Edward Cullen (the book one, not the movie one).

Day 10: What I love about my job

2011-11-10T09:28:00.001-05:00

Every day I am guaranteed to learn something new. Either about research, a new field, a new technology, or about myself. Every. Day. My job will never be boring for me.

Day 9: A close-up of my day

2011-11-10T09:23:00.002-05:00

In case you wonder what I'm doing...it's 30 Days Hath November.

I missed yesterday. It was "A close-up of my day"

I forgot to take a picture. But here is a visual snapshot.

"It was cold. So cold. Her stubbornness was rock steady. Meg would not cave and turn her heat on. Instead, she put on ugly, but oh so comfy, flannel pjs. She found an Archer Farms frozen pizza in the depths of her freezer and tossed it in the oven. As it baked, she grabbed her favourite Mikasa wine goblet, and poured a glass of red. When the timer beeped, with her crumby pizza and delicious deep red, she jumped into a bed topped with a thick duvet. The dog curled up at her feet as she feasted and continued to read Eclipse. She chuckled to herself...one plus of her Hubs being away: no getting in trouble for crumbs in the bed." ;)

Day 08: The last item I purchased

2011-11-08T09:36:00.002-05:00

The last THING I purchased was a Jimmy John's sandwich. So far Jimmy John's has been my greatest discovery in this new place. They really are FREAKY fast!!! They taste better than Subway, and if you hold the mayo they have reasonable calories. Also affordable. HOLLA

The last ITEM I purchased was the 3 Twilight movies. :P

Happy Tuesday!

S**t Happens

2011-11-07T19:30:00.002-05:00

SNOT!

Know what's totally hot? Getting out of the pool after a 60 minute swim and talking to people with snot on your forehead.

LOL!

Day 07: A song for the day: My song for today is this. It was on the radio on my way to work and I BLASTED it! I love me some Spin Doctors!

Guess what I am doing RIGHT NOW

2011-11-06T10:56:00.002-05:00

Don't say writing a blog post. Because I am SIMULTANEOUSLY.....

...laying out my training plan from now-July.

...whether or not I do Muncie, I am doing the 70.3 training. I'm going to add more strength training in than most plans though. My back is killing me from sitting like crap at work. I see this as more of a health improvement thing than a training thing. I'd rather be upright than finish the race.

Stay tuned.

Day 06: A book I'm reading (or 3...)

2011-11-06T10:40:00.002-05:00

Right now I am re-reading THIS series (and re-watching the movies).

QUESTION: If you are a Twilight BOOK fan, chances are you are like me and think Edward was cast poorly (maybe?). If so, WHO would you cast as Edward? I can't think of anyone PERFECT. Is he just that much better in an imagination world? The closest I could come is a dark and broody Luke Perry (back in the olden days...)

I also have these two books on the go. I like to switch up as I'm reading. I'm weird like that. I read a lot for my job that requires me to *think*, so I prefer easy/trashy reads at home. When I read "thinking" novels, I need to break them up. My brain is finished by the time I finish working.

Day 5: Three years ago today

2011-11-05T10:10:00.002-04:00

November 5, 2008: Hmm, not sure about 2008, but according to my blog, in 2009 I wasn't in the best spot. My car had broken down (I remember this...), Hub's grandmother had just died, and stress was high.

I was also about 15 pounds heavier.

Life is much better now. Much.

It's a beautiful day. I'm working a bit and then hitting the pavement for a quickie run. I might make it a long run and just take Bear for the first few k. Not sure yet. But it's sure to be glorious! :)

Day 4: A friend I adore

2011-11-05T09:55:00.005-04:00

I categorically reject this blog-topic day. Do you know how many friends I adore? I REFUSE to pick just one. REEEFUUSSE.

Instead, I am uploading faceless pictures of amazing times shared with these people. Do you remember any of these? :P

Oops, there is an eye in this one...

Bear makes an appearance in a few of these. She apparently was around for a lot of shenanegans.

Safety first!

Day 3: + 3TT

2011-11-03T16:39:00.001-04:00

Something I never leave my house without: CELL PHONE! Especially now that it is a smart phone. LOVE. No idea how I functioned without it.

3TT:

Busy

Catch you on the flip. xo

Day 2: Some Inspiration this Hump Day Morning

2011-11-02T08:24:00.002-04:00

Three inspirational quotes. These aren't so much stand alone quotes as some of my favourite parts from larger works.

"You have brains in your head.You have feet in your shoes.You can steer yourself any direction you choose.You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go." -Seuss, piece from Oh! The Places You'll Go

^^This was actually my first Tweet ever.

"Therefore, be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams; it is still a beautiful world."-Max Ehrmann, piece of Desiderata

"I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference." -Robert Frost, piece from The Road Not Taken

30 Days Hath November!

2011-11-02T08:19:00.003-04:00

Stealing this from Dani. Pretend I started this yesterday ;)

Day 01: A self-portrait.
Day 02: Three inspirational quotes.
Day 03: Something I never leave the house without.
Day 04: A friend I adore.
Day 05: Three years ago today.
Day 06: A book I'm reading.
Day 07: A song for the day.
Day 08: The last item I purchased.
Day 09: A close-up of my day.
Day 10: What I love about my job.
Day 11: Something I’ve been craving.
Day 12: Three blogs I can’t get enough of.
Day 13: Something I'm proud of.
Day 14: A favourite movie.
Day 15: Some style inspiration for the season.
Day 16: Someone who inspires me.
Day 17: My family.
Day 18: What I wore today.
Day 19: A silly self-portrait.
Day 20: A childhood anecdote.
Day 21: Something I could never tire of.
Day 22: Some place I’ve traveled.
Day 23: Eight things you didn't know about me.
Day 24: Something that means a lot to me.
Day 25: The contents of my purse.
Day 26: Something I'm looking forward to.
Day 27: Myself, one year ago.
Day 28: A skill I'd like to learn.
Day 29: Some place I'd like to visit.
Day 30: Three wonderful things that happened this month.

SO, Day 1: A Self-Portrait

This picture is ANCIENT. It is the first night Hubs and I went from being "friends" to being "more than friends." I think we both look pretty happy about it :) And I swear, it wasn't all due to beverages. Despite being blurry, and not having all of us in it, this is one of my favourite pictures of us :)

Note: Look how fat my face is! LOL

Word Spew!

2011-11-01T19:59:00.003-04:00

Committed to it. Went and paid my Y registration, and spun the crap out of spin.

Craving meat HARD. Does that correlate with low iron? Don't want to grab a bloody burger (in the literal sense) if I don't need one. But HOLY CRAP I FEEL LIKE I NEED ONE.

Signed up for a 5k on Dec. 3.

I am *this close* to running for a burger.

Re-reading Twilight for the 7th time. I won't lie. I am head over heels in love with Edward and I cannot help it. What is wrong with me? Meat and fictional vampires?

Three weeks until I see the hubs again. This stretch is long.

Did I mention I need meat?

Where it's at!

2011-10-30T18:44:00.003-04:00

I got two turn tables and a microphone...*jams*

1. I'm on track.

2. I have almost all of my Christmas shopping finished, and everything I have is wrapped. Three boxes will be heading to Canada shortly.

3. My face is broken out worse than a 15 year old's. I've learned it's because the water here is SO HARD. I shelled out over $100 on face products last night. Fingers crossed it helps. I went back to Clinique. I used to use them but switched away because I wanted SPF in my moisturizer. Back then, they only had SPF in their foundations, and I don't wear foundation. Turns out they have some now! I got a full set of 2 products (liquid face soap, toner, Dramatically Different for nights), and got the SPF for day.

Funny story. They woman at the counter didn't believe me when she asked my age. She then asked what I did for a living and nearly fell over when I told her. She thought I lied about my age LOL! I said "Thank you very much! Maybe no zits will help me look older than 19." Although, truth be told, I never wanted to get older than 21. As long as I can legally drink all over Earth, I am happy. LOL!

4. Mr. Clean Magic Erasers are gods' gift to those who clean their house. Seriously. They'll clean almost anything. Not the hard water stains in my shower, but everything else.

5. I had a really good (short) run yesterday. I'm still on a runner's high from it.

6. For supper I made Thai-esque tilapia. I put Greek yogurt, ginger, lemongrass and sriracha on the fish, baked for 30. Had mashed sweet potato on the side. DELISH! And way healthier than coconut milk. Right??

7. I have 2 chores standing in between me and bliss. Emptying the dishwasher, and putting away laundry. I happily vacuumed and cleaned the bathrooms and kitchen earlier. I HATE these two chores though. My reward will be a bubble bath, red wine, and Twilight (for the 6th time).

Okay, here I go...

This is a big deal...

2011-10-29T11:03:00.001-04:00

The iPod and Timex GPS are charging for the first time in over a month.

I love this song.

2011-10-28T22:11:00.003-04:00

I loved our wedding song. It brings tears to my eyes, even though it wasn't a traditional "wedding" song. But I always rediscover songs and think "MAAAAN!!"

This is one of them. Although it's also kind of sad, I love it nonetheless.

Enjoy.

Goods and Bads

2011-10-26T12:59:00.002-04:00

I am sick, and had to come home (bad)
I found a package filled with Canadian candy in my mailbox (AWESOME)
The package made my bad/sick day much better (good)
The package made me feel less loney (good)
I ate a Coffee Crisp (....whatever, this is AWESOME)
I ate a box of Smarties (this is bad. I didn't want or need them...just ate because I feel gross...now I feel worse).

I'm excited to share my new stash with colleagues tomorrow. I was sent Rockets, Smarties, Coffee Crisps, Aeros, and KitKats. I've been told that our KitKats are different from the US ones. I'm excited to see what everyone thinks!! Coffee Crisps are my fave.

Off to bed...my stomach is churny and I'm so stiff with a sore throat. I feel like the flu is coming on...smart to eat chocolate on a day when my stomach is acting up, no? Maybe it will create an aversion which would be good.

Night.

Supper

2011-10-25T18:41:00.003-04:00

I dislike new blogger. It keeps screwing with my picture. Anyway...

Here is supper. Veggies, hummus, 16 crackers, jalapeno cheese, smoked salmon and wine. How bad is it?

A new adventure

2011-10-23T18:45:00.003-04:00

I did it. Finally. For the first time. I made QUINOA!!! And it was SO EASY and SO GOOD. Move over brown rice!

Supper: Red wine, quinoa, spinach, imitation crab meat, lots of garlic, lemongrass, and a touch of olive oil. Winning.

Actions speak louder than blog words.

2011-10-23T18:07:00.000-04:00

Worth a Tri

Saturday

Memory

Odds n Sods

I am...

Late night picture show

I'm back: Virtual Run

My Suppah!

MEEP MEEP MEEP!

BLOGWORLD: Give me ideas

Tagged: 11 Randoms

*pops in*

Can someone please explain...

Saturday Night de de da da da da da da da

Today...

When I'm on, I'm on

For the record...

Destiny

Weird things that make me happy

Yesterday

HBBC Update?

Alright, stop. Collaborate and listen. Meg is back with a brand new invention...

A Year in Review (pic post)

I have a whole slew of posts coming...

Merry Christmas!!

A "Christmas" Song for Dani

Here comes the sun! NA NA NA NA

UPDATE :)

Positive ripples

Forgot One!

A few more of my favorite things...

HBBC

Thank you Secret Santa!!!

Wednesday Whaaaa?

My weekend

My Christmas List

Delish

HBBC Recap

Umm...3TT

HUGE HUGE HUGE props to Saucony!!!

Everyday I'm shufflin'

Word Spew

Superb Sunday

Ahhhhhhmazing

Musicians I Love

Day 30: Three wonderful things that happened this month

Pics. Rambling. Wednesday.

Kicked today in the heiny (mostly)

Day 29: Some place I'd like to visit

Day 28: A skill I'd like to learn

Bloggift Exchange

Day 27: Myself, one year ago

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2010

I started this year....

HBBC Quickie

Day 26: Something I'm looking forward to

Day 25: The contents of my purse

Cacaw!: Round 2 and 2a

Blackjack (21 Things)

HBBC Update

Day 24: Something that means a lot to me

Day 23: Eight things you didn't know about me

I suck at taking pictures

Day 22: Some place I’ve traveled

lunch

Travel eats

Day 21: Something I could never tire of

My evening in pictures

HBBC Day 2

Good news...and bad news

Day 20: A childhood anecdote

Day 19:A silly self-portrait

HBBC KICK OFF!

Day 18: What I wore today.

Pain in the neck

Day 17: My family

Day 16: Someone who inspires me

Blog fame going to your head?

Day 15: Some style inspiration for the season.

Day 14: A favourite movie.

pops in