Another Monday?

I'm not sure how it happened (goodness knows you can't plan this kind of thing), but this weekend turned out to be the perfect mix of busy and relaxing, fun and boring, accomplishment and... well, sleep. It wasn't jam-packed with excitement (although there were very exciting parts, we'll get to those), but the phrase "I'm bored" certainly never crossed my mind, either. For the first time in recent memory, the days didn't dart by at the speed of light, but seemed to linger long enough to savor the best parts. It was the kind of weekend that makes you wonder why you ever bother to plan weekends, if the unplanned could always yield such wonderful results.

Friday night, I headed back to our amazing local bridal shop to visit the two dresses that had been pulling me in different directions all week. I tried on one, tried on another, and then tried on the first one again, but after a lot of thought, many twirls to see a certain angle in the mirror, and an agreement about a few alterations that will really make the dress "mine," I made a decision. It was incredibly hard to give up on the other possibility, but the best part is that we are (hopefully) going to incorporate a part of that dress into the one I did choose. And unfortunately, those are all the details you get, since my sweet hubby also happens to read this blog... hi, dear! Afterward, my mom, stepmom, and I headed out for a drink to celebrate the purchase. We talked about wedding details forever and ironed out a few details. It's so hard to believe we are down to almost 4 months... exciting with a rather large touch of terrifying, because I know those four are going to zip right by.

Saturday poor hubs had to go to work, although luckily his shift didn't start until 10 so we were able to sleep a little late. Since I was up, I headed out for a short, hot run before braving the local university's graduation crowds to get new running shoes and pick up a well-earned recovery bagel. I spent the afternoon taking advantage of the gorgeous day by the pool, browsing through bridal magazines and even sneaking a short nap. Dan picked up dinner on his way home and we had a quiet evening in... so quiet that I may or may not have fallen asleep on the couch super early... no regrets here.

Yesterday, I hit my snooze button about a billion times before finally dragging myself out of bed and facing the reality of the day: a long run. I knew there was no way out of it, because just days ago I pledged that I would get better at following through with these dreaded weekend miles, so I laced up my new shoes and headed out. My goal for the day was 9 miles, and I made it through 6.5 before the heat got to be too much and I sought refuge in the air-conditioned gym. I finished my last 2.5 miles on the treadmill (which has never felt so wonderful), and threw in an extra mile since I know that treadmill running isn't the best substitute for pounding it out on the road. I was pretty relieved to have finished and even technically exceeded my goal, although I'm a bit nervous about the race coming up in a few weekends -- it's only a 5k, but the warmer temperatures are tough to get used to.

We were invited to dinner with Dan's family last night, so I spent yesterday afternoon in the kitchen, whipping up a new recipe to share: cookies and cream cheesecake bars. They were relatively easy to make and turned out pretty well -- not the most exciting dessert I've ever had, but everyone else seemed to really like them. Not a bad way to use up that package of Oreos that has been tempting me from the pantry for days now. I also made egg salad and spent what seemed like forever washing a sink full of dishes. It was so nice to have clear countertops before going to bed last night!

Unfortunately, that phrase "all good things must come to an end" continues to ring true. This morning came rather quickly for my tastes, and getting out of bed was even harder thanks to the rain. I would have paid good money to stay in bed, but today is a crazy day at work so I did the right thing and got myself to the gym so that I would actually be awake when I made it to work. I have a sneaking suspicion that I will be hitting the pillow early tonight, though -- despite the extra sleep this weekend, I still seem to be coming up a bit short.

   Love,

    Meg