Ho Ho Ho and... Stuff...

(2:10)

I keep starting to write, getting frustrated, and deleting it all, only to start the cycle over. That's how the past few days have been: at times I've been super-productive, getting things done that have been wasting away on my to-do list for weeks, but then suddenly a fog bank moves in and I'm sleepy, unmotivated, and crabby. I haven't slept well at night, but I'm pretty sure if I lay down to take a nap I might snooze for days. I've accomplished so much in little short spurts, but then I show up at the gym and after 10 minutes on the treadmill I'm ready to call it a day. I'm trying to indulge myself a little, reasoning that it's better to have an off week this week instead of the week before Christmas, but I'm also eager to snap out of it. In the meantime, here are a few non-life-altering tidbits:

For the first time in forever, I have now skipped two morning workouts in a row. I used to have such a tough time getting up and getting my butt to the gym in the mornings, but lately I've been so good about getting there pretty much every morning. Occasionally (once or maybe twice a month) I'll skip a day, so I wasn't overly concerned when I woke up not feeling great yesterday and decided to roll over and go back to sleep. I didn't even feel too terribly guilty during the day yesterday... and that's clearly where I made a mistake. This morning, all I could think was "skipping one day didn't kill me... skipping two wouldn't be so bad... maybe I'll just stay in bed again... I could just declare it a stepback week... Zzzzzz......" I actually did feel guilty and get up at one point, but when I looked at the time I knew that I'd never have time to get there for a decent workout before I'd have to get ready for work... so of course I went back to sleep. Tonight I'm planning to wear my mizunos to bed.

(another terrible food picture for your pleasure)

 It only took me two tries to figure out the easiest and most delicious cookie ever. My first batch was an awful mess, but with a little bit of tweaking (which made the simple recipe even easier), the second try worked like a charm. Try this on for size:
    1. melt one bag of chocolate chips in a double boiler (or the microwave, if you're brave)
    2. stir in a can of chow mein noodles
    3. as best you can, transfer in clumps onto a piece of parchment paper
    4. let sit for an hour or two (or pop in the fridge) to cool and harden... legitimately the hardest part of the whole process
(I can't for the life of me remember where I found this recipe first, but there are so many different versions all over the internet. Most include shortening, peanuts, butterscotch chips, etc., but after the first disaster I decided to try it with just these two ingredients and was pretty darn happy with how it turned out.)

Someone must have heard my cries when Panera made the terrible decision to serve their lemon chicken orzo soup only seasonally. Thanks, Progresso!

In one of my bursts of energy last night, I busted out a fork and tried this tutorial that has been floating around the internet. Even though my sweet husband said he kind of liked the result, I wasn't thrilled -- the finished product was not quite round/symmetrical and just didn't look like the pictures. I may string them on a garland, but wouldn't tie them to a gift or display them where someone could take a good hard look at one.

Although I'm rocking (and loving) the seasonal Pandora stations, I can't make the jump to all Christmas music all the time, because I'd miss this guy too much. Time for a holiday album, Peter?

There are so many books on my bedside table, movies in my netflix queue, and tv shows that I'd like to catch up on. How does one work full time, squeeze in a workout, cook meals, maintain a clean house, keep two furry creatures alive, and still find time to stay up to date with these things? I'm a little concerned that when I add a college class to the mix in January, I'll have to give up sleeping at night completely...

And what's a blog post without a picture of one of the furballs that we love so much?

   Love,

    Meg

Drying Out

I apologize in advance, as it seems that all the rain and high winds around here have swept away any ability to write an exciting or meaningful blog post. I think there must be flooding in my head, because it feels much heavier than normal, and all I really want to do is snuggle up in sweatpants, drink coffee, watch Hocus Pocus, and nap. It has become winter rather suddenly here -- yesterday morning I drove to the gym in shorts (chilly, but not miserable), but by the time I left work at 5:00 I wouldn't have been surprised to see a polar bear walk by. My office and the gym have remained open through the storm, so my days haven't been greatly affected, besides arriving everywhere wet and shivering (and the aforementioned yearning for sweatpants and napping... but really, that's not much of a change from the usual).
We were lucky enough to get lots of snuggling in with our favorite newborn this weekend, and even glimpsed a smile or two:

(with a little sticking-her-tongue-out-at-Dan action)

So sweet! We had a blast watching her big sister loving this new development and hanging out with her mama while her dad headed north for hurricane duty (unfortunately).
Friday night we were so lucky to get out before the storm to meet up with our wedding photographer again for a few extra pictures, since our wedding day was cloudy and it got dark so quickly. It was perfect timing, as the mountains were filled with beautiful colors and the leaves in the vineyard had turned a beautiful yellow. It was kind of fun to wear my dress again for a third and final time, but I'm not sorry that it will be the last time in a long while... having it on is so stressful! I can't wait to see the rest of our pics, and hopefully will get some of the first round loaded onto my computer soon to share.
Although I'm kind of sad that I didn't manage to score a hurrication day like so many of my friends, I can't complain because work has been super busy and the last thing I needed was a day out of the office. Tonight, I have some serious cooking to do, and also need to piece together some semblance of a halloween costume from what exists in my closet... perhaps a slightly fashion-impaired 24-year-old? It's either that or a runner (I know, how original), but I doubt that anyone at the office wants to sit around and smell my sweaty shoes all day...

   Love,

    Meg

Humph

Someone was not too happy about getting up this morning... someone seems to take after his mother. 

If we're being honest, this has been a tough week so far. Monday was a high-stakes day at work -- not just for me, but the company in general. Luckily, everything related to my position went smoothly, and the rest I think went as well as anyone could have hoped. I am still, however, coming down from that rather dramatic spike in my stress level. I am also currently powering through day 3 of Monday's leftover stress headache. Lovely.

In addition, I discovered yesterday morning that my very favorite necklace, my "deployment gift" from Dan and most valued piece of jewelry besides my engagement and wedding rings, had mysteriously disappeared. I have turned the apartment inside out looking for it, but am afraid that there is more to it than "it fell off the hook where I always hang it and I'll find it soon." While I know that in the grand scheme of things, it is a relatively small loss and can even eventually be replaced (at a cost, of course), I am honestly devastated. The sentimental value is something that certainly can't be recovered: this is the necklace Dan gave me the night I flew into Indiana to see him, the one I wore almost every day while he was gone, the one that came to be a symbol of my strength and the strength of our relationship (the piece itself is was a tiny infinity knot, hence the cheesy symbolism). I am still hoping that it will miraculously turn up, but unfortunately circumstances make this seem unlikely.

On top of all that, the week has piled on lots of little annoyances: a sliced open and painful finger, an increasingly annoying coworker (luckily a holdover from my old position with whom I shouldn't have to deal much longer), and a dreary rain that makes things like running, dog park trips, and venturing outside with anything resembling straight hair rather difficult. There have been new shoes that don't fit, toilets that aspire to be rushing rivers, a car that seems to fall apart a bit more every day, and a few painful deductions from my wallet for those pesky necessities like electricity and gas. Dan also started his new work schedule this week, which means that Tues-Thurs he works late and I'm left rather lonely in the evenings. I know it's even harder on him, too, when he has to drive home at 10:30 after a long afternoon/evening of work.

So it's been a crummy week so far. Luckily, there's a bright and shiny three day weekend waiting for me at the end, if it would just hurry up. Meanwhile, I'm going to combat the rain clouds (the ones outside as well as the one that seems to be stuck over my head) by doing a little research...

Here's hoping the back half of this week is happier than the front!

   Love,

    Meg

Spring Sprang Sprung

I'm a little a lot baffled by the fact that it is already April. It seems like we just ushered out that rather rotund, red-suited old man to hunker down up north and work on next years' naughty/nice lists, and now all of a sudden there's an oversized bunny breathing down our necks, tempting us with chocolate we know we shouldn't have. Spring break has come and gone (and once again this year forgotten to take me), and before we know it we are going to be planning Fourth of July barbeques and complaining about the heat... except we seem to be doing that already. Springtime weather showed up for approximately 24 hours a few weeks ago, and then rolled right on into summer. By August, if I haven't melted, you'll find me standing in front of the freezer by day and running only between the hours of midnight and 4AM.

I may or may not be silently counting down the days until Thanksgiving (who am I kidding, I started that the day after last Turkey Day), but this spring is going to be busy and exciting and stressful and is likely to zip by on its own. There are certain things I'm really looking forward to, but several other things I am not ready for at all...

I am absolutely ready for grilling and eating outside. Nothing says summer like burgers, grilled chicken, or veggies straight off the grill. I am lucky to have a hubby who loves to grill.... and I suppose he is lucky to have a wife who loves to eat everything he grills. Yum. My favorite part about eating in the summer, though, is dining outside at all of our favorite restaurants. There is nothing better than enjoying a fantastic meal, a great glass of wine, and a good dose of people watching, and then going for a walk to burn off a few calories... or just to get to the closest frozen yogurt.

I am absolutely NOT ready to give up those meals out in the interest of our poor bank account. The thing that stinks about saving for a wedding? And paying rent? And having precious little disposable income in the first place? It kind of cuts down on fun things... like going out to eat. The frozen yogurt budget. Replacing the sad, broken heels I wear to work every day. Grocery shopping without sweating bullets about how much it's all going to cost. No fun.

I am absolutely ready to get back to building my long run mileage outside on gorgeous days. I covered 8 miles on Saturday, which wouldn't have been anything to sneeze at months ago when 8 miles was a mid-week, medium-length run, but with all the injury fun I've had this winter, I was pretty satisfied. It felt good and strong and happy, and I am definitely looking forward to more runs like that as I get back into shape.

I am absolutely NOT ready to get back to racing... I think. I'm pretty sure it's more mental than physical, but I'm kind of freaking out at the thought of getting back into a little healthy competition. I know my legs can cover the distance, but I'm plagued with fears about pacing. I don't want to spend a ton of money on a race that I can't run well and end with a time I'm happy about. There's an 8k in town this weekend that I've been stressing over for weeks, and I'm still driving myself crazy over it.

I am absolutely ready for sundress season. My closet is full of dresses that have been wasting away from neglect all winter. I am more than ready to break them out... I am a big fan of throwing on a dress in the mornings and avoiding the whole "do I match?" debacle.

I am absolutely NOT ready for swimsuit season. Despite what seemed like thousands of situps this winter, my midsection is not quite ready for the light of day.

I am absolutely ready for days spent lounging by the pool. Besides the aforementioned tummy insecurity, I am extremely excited for a few naps by our gorgeous neighborhood pool in the near future. I have missed the sun and the relaxation that comes with a cold drink, cool water, and nothing more to accomplish than a good book on the Kindle.

I am absolutely NOT ready for days spent working inside when the weather is beautiful. Oh, how I miss college in the spring: the freedom to spend any and all non-class hours (and even a few very-much-class-hours) outside in the sun, drinking coffee and "studying" with friends. Those certainly were the days.

I am absolutely ready to spend lots more time with friends. The craziness at work for the past few months has meant that I've fallen out of touch with lots of wonderful girls, a fact which I hate. I am more than ready to catch up with these ladies, and to spend more time with those who are close enough to visit.

I am absolutely NOT ready for the weddings coming up in my life. May 5: still need to buy a dress. July 28: still need to plan and host a shower/luncheon. September 28: (oh hey, that's my wedding!) still need to choose/book/purchase/send/taste/pay for about a thousand things. Ack.

I am ABSOLUTELY SO VERY READY to start a NEW JOB!!! I've been hinting at it for weeks now, but it's finally official at the office and so I can finally feel comfortable talking about it here: I start working in a new position on April 30, and I am practically beside myself with excitement and anticipation. I am staying with the same company, but I'll be moving to a job that is much more in tune with my skills, my interests, and my ambition. Especially considering the recent huge, awful work project that threatened to overtake my entire life, this change could not have come at a better time. 

So there you have it: spring = equal parts incredibly excited and terrifyingly unprepared. Ready, set, go!

   Love,

    Meg

 

(Nearly) Wordless Wednesday

[look at all those things crossed off!]

+

[not thrilled with the pace, but the last 3-4 miles were pretty dark, so I had to concentrate
pretty hard to stay on my feet]


+

one extremely clean bedroom and three loads of laundry folded and put away

=
a seriously productive day... and a seriously tired girl. Is it Friday yet?


Love,

Meg

TGIF

Somehow, the past six days, spent crammed into a tiny hospital room with a constant rotation of nurses, PCAs, students, family members, friends, and the occasional crazy food services worker, have left me slightly less than energized. Somewhere under the cover of beeping IVs and whirring blood pressure cuffs, or along the lengthy trip between parking garage and top floor, far corner, or possibly while I was trying desperately not to pass out at every mention of needles, my sanity executed a perfect "ditch-and-run." And despite the fact that my dad is finally home and resting, I am still left searching for it, checking under the rather large stacks of work on my desk, peering into the precariously balanced sink full of dishes, and poking around the dusty corners of this neglected blog. I've been trying desperately to lure it back with long runs and generous amounts of coffee, and I'm hoping that it has the good sense to return home at some point during this long-anticipated three-day weekend... we will see.

It has certainly been a trying week, but thankfully, we have all somehow limped across the finish line. Some of us are a bit worse for the wear, but we're all still pushing forward, thrilled to have made it through this first stretch, and trying not to think to hard about the second starting line, looming in the distance. Luckily, my dad will have the rest of the month to recover before heading back in for round two.

Thanks for bearing with me as I attempt to get back to blogging as quickly as my sleepy little brain will allow. And just in case your weekend needs a little happy...

... we've got you covered.

  Love,

    Meg

The Day of Two Pumpkin Iced Coffees

Hey, sometimes you have to do what you have to do, you know? Today required a little bravery, a good deal of suck-it-up-and-be-a-grownup, an inordinate amount of patience, quite a bit of determination, and two iced coffees. Who am I to argue with my cravings on such a stressful day?
To start, no day that starts with a doctor's appointment can ever be truly recoverable. I am an absolute wimp when it comes to doctors: they make me nervous and nauseous and I typically go to great lengths to avoid them. Today's appointment was with a doctor I'd never met before, and thankfully she was extremely sweet and quite efficient without being rushed. I wouldn't call it a wonderful experience, but it wasn't a terrible one either... and the best part is that it's over. On the way back for a long day at work, I celebrated by picking up my first cup of liquid strength: a pumpkin spice frappuccino from Starbucks.
For the rest of the afternoon, I sat at my desk trying really hard (and generally failing) to concentrate on work. Finally, my dad called to let me know that his biopsy had gone well and he would be headed home soon. It will be a while before we hear any results, of course, but I was so relieved that the procedure had gone well and he was one step closer to treatment. I am not very good at the waiting part of all of this, so I'm really eager to get him on the road to medicine and recovery... I know it's easy for me to say, when I won't be the one experiencing the sickness that goes along with treatment, but I'm enough like my dad to know that he is also looking forward to getting things started. For now, though, all we can do is cross our fingers and cool our heels for a few days.
After work, despite knowing that I hadn't fueled well today at all, I headed out for my normal mid-week mid-distance run. I knew there was a good chance that this would blow up in my face, but just couldn't face the guilt I knew I'd feel if I headed home to collapse into my couch like I really wanted to. Luckily it was cloudy outside -- still awfully humid but at least the sun wasn't beating down on my shoulders. I had to stop once or twice to work past some stomach issues, but was able to run pretty hard otherwise and was generally happy with the results. My average pace has been dropping quite a bit lately, thanks partially to the cooler weather and hopefully in part to my hard training. This week I've completely failed at getting out in the mornings before work, but I've fit in several great afternoon runs and am feeling good about my progress. Or is it just that I have bigger things to worry about right now? Either way, running has been, as always, an ideal escape from the perils of real life right now.
Before heading home, I just couldn't resist my second seasonal beverage: a pumpkin iced coffee from Dunkin' Donuts. So the real question:

Honestly, I never guessed that this might be a hard choice to make. In years past, I've been sorely disappointed by Starbucks' pumpkin drinks, and when I discovered DD's pumpkin iced coffee last year, I was sure I had found my coffee soulmate. It was the perfect fall drink and I've been looking forward to its re-introduction in stores for months. Shockingly, though, I was pleasantly surprised this morning by my frappuccino. I think Dunkin Donuts will always be my first choice, but I certainly didn't hate the frappuccino either... both made me smile today, and that's certainly all I can ask for.

   Love,

    Meg

Lagging

I am so very behind... on everything. I'm behind on laundry. I'm behind on dishes. I'm behind on the constant battle to prevent our apartment from being overtaken by clutter and cat hair. I'm so behind on work that I doubt I'll be able to catch up even this week. I'm behind on magazines and my Netflix queue and reading all of your wonderful blogs. I'm behind on all the errands that need to be run, as evidenced by my woefully empty refrigerator and the fact that Toby enjoyed real tuna for dinner because he finished the last of the cat food this morning. I'm behind on staying in touch with people -- I owe so many friends phone calls and facebook messages that it makes me a little shaky to think about it. And, of course, I am inexcusably behind on blogging.
Lest you get the impression that I've been sitting around with my feet up, letting the world pass me by and my responsibilities simply pile up, here's a little snapshot of what I've been up to in the past week-ish:
 -- I've worked a ton of overtime. This is pretty normal for some jobs, but not at all for mine. This week has been absolutely crazy, to put it mildly. Not exactly fun, but woohoo paycheck! On the other hand, I don't think my cat recognizes me anymore...
 -- I've run two races -- the half and then a 5k this past weekend. Both were tough in their own special way, but I was really happy with my times and pretty excited to get into racing after months of training. Now, I'm lengthening my daily runs a bit, adding in a few more structured workouts (think tempo runs and speedwork), and looking forward to a 10k in about a month.
 -- I've listened to about a million hours of Pandora... thank goodness for the year's subscription I got for Christmas last year. Thanks dad, and don't worry -- I'm getting your money's worth!
 -- I've eaten lots of meals with my family. That's what you do when you have an awesome family. And also when you're broke and grocery-less. But mainly just when you have really nice parents.
 -- I've cooked a lot of vegetables. My new favorite dinner consists of chopped garlic and onion, olive oil, a little white wine, some lemon juice, and whatever veggies I can find in my fridge (typically okra, mushroom, squash of some variety, etc.) It's the easiest meal ever and I don't feel quite as guilty as I do on nights I make that other thing I love to cook (pasta, of course). 
 -- I've gotten very little sleep. It seems like every night when I get home from work/dinner/running, there are a billion things to around the apartment. Last night I found myself scrubbing the microwave at 11:00. The rest of the kitchen may be a mess, but this morning I appreciated my sparkling clean microwave.... as I yawned and poured myself a large cup of coffee.
Tonight, however, I am sitting in bed and it is only 9:30. I am minutes away from a wonderfully long night's sleep, which will hopefully be enough to get me through another long day at work tomorrow, a long run tomorrow afternoon, and maybe even a quick run to the grocery store. And one of these days, just maybe, I'll get ahead. Or even just a little less behind. Honestly, I'll take what I can get.

   Love,

    Meg

Friday Favorites: Better Together

It's been a crazy-frustrating-annoying day so far. But that's (thankfully) not what we're here to talk about. Because frankly, Fridays can be as crazy-frustrating-annoying as they'd like, and they're still about a billion times better than certain other days of the week (that's right, Tuesday... I'm looking at you).

Interestingly enough, my favorite things this week have fit neatly into little pairs, so here we go: an Ernie and Bert/coffee and chocolate/hugs and kisses edition of Friday Favorites:

After this week, I have a newly discovered appreciation for these two lovely services. USPS mailed me free boxes to send overseas, picked up Dan's first care package from my doorstep, and delivered it to him halfway across the world, all in a surprisingly timely manner. I was so relieved to hear that he received it yesterday, because filling out those customs forms took more brainpower than any college final I ever took. I was pretty worried that I might leave the apartment one morning only to be arrested by the customs police for checking the wrong box somewhere on step 16C...

Also, thank goodness for Skype! Hubby and I were able to chat for a while on Wednesday evening and it was absolutely wonderful. I'm so glad we have all kinds of incredible technology to help us communicate, even though I still write him a letter almost every night!

This pair is twelve kinds of adorable in the movie Crazy Stupid Love. It's a very well-written film and Steve Carell is wonderfully funny, but these two really make the movie. Miss Emma Stone is gorgeous in that "I have no idea how good I look" way, and adorably nerdy in a way I can only hope to be when I am studying for the bar myself in a few years. I'm a little late to jump on the Ryan Gosling bandwagon (I cried at The Notebook as much as the next 17-year-old girl, but never thought he was that great), but I think he has really hit his stride as a serious actor. Blue Valentine was fantastic, and The Ides of March looks like it's going to be excellent as well. The best part, though, was how perfect these two seemed for each other, which apparently wasn't just acting: Gosling apparently told an interviewer "Show me someone that wouldn't give it all up for Emma Stone, and I'll show you a liar."

This lovely little pair is directly responsible for the fact that I didn't throw up my hands, put my phone on Do Not Disturb, and crawl under my desk today. I'm currently in love with Pandora's custom mix feature: today's playlist has included Mumford and Sons alongside Eric Church, Lady Antebellum with David Grey, Adele and the Spring Awakening soundtrack. No complaints here. 

In other news, I am physically incapable of stopping by Wendy's for a quick and cheap lunch without also purchasing a frosty. Does anyone else have this disorder? I'm not sure if I want to be cured.

Thankfully, these two little indulgences have gotten me through the workday, because my post-5:00 plans are truly exciting:

Yep, that's right -- grocery shopping and a post-grocery-shopping coma. There is so little food in the house that even the poor mice in the pantry are getting thin (this is a joke, thank goodness... if there were actually mice in the pantry I'd be packing my bags for somewhere far, far away instead of restocking their snacks). Last night's dinner was a bowl of cereal, and I like cereal so I'm not complaining... except that bowl included the last of the milk, so really, it's time. I'm kind of excited to get some real food so that I can stop wondering how bad cat food really could taste every time I open the refrigerator door and find nothing there. 

After all of that excitement, I'm pretty sure I'll be ready for a little nap... or a long nap, whichever I have time for before going to bed for the night. Hopefully the rest of the weekend will be slightly more exciting. If not, unfortunately you'll probably hear about it on Monday. Sorry about that.

Happy Friday, everyone!

   Love,

    Meg

Daily Thrills

It's rather incredible how you can go to bed on a Friday night and wake up and allofasudden it's Wednesday morning. Sort of fascinating how that happens.

Ok, ok... in all honesty, I only wish I'd been able to sleep for a full 5 days. For some reason, my place of employment just isn't ok with that. Something about meeting deadlines and being conscious enough to answer the phones. Humph.

Actually, the past week has been full, which is why it has (thankfully) gone quickly and I've lost track of time just a bit. Looking back, though, life has been mostly kind of... boring. I've been doing a lot, but nothing very thrilling. Here's a quick snapshot of what I've been up to:

Quite a bit of running (don't I look thrilled?). I've logged over 28 miles just in the last 5 days, not including some cross training and lots and lots of crunches. I'm feeling good about the race in a few weeks and seriously contemplating registering for three more between then and November, one of which is another half marathon. Can you spell addicting? Or crazy? I sure can...

Saturday I spent a nice afternoon with my friend N (whose hubby is a gazillion miles away with mine) and one of her friends. We went out for lunch, enjoyed awesome pedicures, and even splurged and finished our girls' date with the best frozen yogurt in town. My toes and my tummy were quite happy, and it was fun to spend some time with friends!

Unfortunately (or fortunately?) I don't have any actual pictures of me napping, and even if I did I doubt they'd be that cute. The furball and I have, however, been spending some quality time napping lately:

... and I might not be lying if I told you that one night this week, I actually slept for 11 hours. I certainly wouldn't be lying if I told you that those were the most blissful 11 hours I've experienced lately.

I've been writing so many letters that I'm pretty sure my poor hubby is getting sick of reading the same things over and over. One can only say "I miss you," "The cat misses you too," "I love you," and "are you freaking home yet???" in so many ways....

I've been reading this, which is one of the best but also one of the saddest books I've read in quite a while. Definitely recommended, but not if you're looking for a light read. The next book on my list is Eric Larson's In the Garden of Beasts, which doesn't look like it's going to be any happier, so after that I will be actively seeking out some fluff to finish my summer on a high note.

So that's what I've been doing lately: all very exciting and blogworthy, certainly. Maybe one of these days I'll have something a little more fun and exciting to share? Although after a quiet night at home last night, eating leftovers in my finally-clean apartment and watching Teen Mom (don't judge) while writing a letter to Dan, I suppose that maybe boring is quite alright with me for now.

Hope you are all enjoying the excitement in your own lives right now -- or relishing the calm!

   Love,

    Meg

In Which I Appear To Be A Boring 50-Something

(no offense to all of the 50-somethings out there who actually have exciting lives. You all put me to shame.)

Happy.... Tuesday? I think? Three days weekends always throw me off so badly... although certainly not so badly that I couldn't use one every other weekend or so. This week's only saving grace, so far, is that it will only last for four days. And that one of those days is almost over. Have I mentioned that my coworkers are driving me a little crazy? 5:00 can never come fast enough these days.

My weekend was surprisingly quiet for a holiday one, which I did appreciate. In fact, the past three days really bordered on boring. Not that I'm complaining: I was able to catch up on sleep and a few magazines, lounge around, clean the apartment, and knit myself a sweater vest (ok so I'm kidding on the last one, but I sort of feel that old....) 

Friday evening I stopped to purchase my first ever stick of bodyglide on the way home from work -- thrilling, I know. I read by the pool for a little while, ate a bowl of pasta, and went to bed super early. Really, I'm just a blast when I'm all alone in the apartment... I think even the cat has a more exciting life.

Saturday I got up super early and headed out for my very first double digit run. I had 10 miles on the calendar, and while it wasn't exactly easy, it was a lot less horrific than I expected. I was dripping from the heat when I finished and left little puddles everywhere I went (especially the floor of the Starbucks where I stopped for water... you know they appreciated that), but I made it through 10.27 miles. I am seriously amazed that in the past few months I've gone from struggling through two or three miles to running 10 without wanting to just fall into a ditch somewhere. This is definitely a good sign, considering (drumroll please) I registered for my very first half marathon this weekend. I've been considering this race for several months now, but finally got up the courage this weekend to make it official. My goal is simply to get through it in one piece, I'm not concerned about times or negative splits or anything technical. If I'm still able to smile at the finish line, I'll call that a victory. The race is two months from yesterday, so I still have several weeks to run long, and I'm hoping to build up to at least 14 miles a few weeks out so that I know I can make it the whole way. Any advice for first time half-marathoners? I could definitely use it!

After a nice long shower, I headed up to Washington DC to see my brother-in-law and spend some quality time with my sister-in-law, who flew in for the weekend. It was so great to get to hang out with her and my newest little nephew again. He is just the cutest! After a long day at the hospital, we grabbed dinner at a surprisingly good little mexican restaurant and headed back to the hotel where Dan's family has been staying.

Sunday morning I did a quick little recovery run on one of the hotel treadmills that looked like it was already outdated by the 1980's. I was just thankful I made it 3 miles without it flying apart! We made a dunkin' donuts run and went back to the hospital for the morning, and then I left for home around 2 and drove through a few crazy storms on my way back. After a quick stop to pick up a new sports bra (on sale!) I spent the evening being lazy, doing a little laundry, hiding from yet another huge storm, and generally loving the idea that I didn't have to get up for work the next morning. I could get used to that!

Yesterday I made myself get up at a reasonable hour (ie before noon) and headed out for a run. I was shocked at the difference in temperature between 6:30 (when I usually run before work) and 10:00. I was miserable and after only about 4 miles decided to pack it in and head for home. Of course, once I figured I'd take advantage of the heat and head down to the pool for a little while, the clouds came out and it got much cooler. Story of my life... but at least I had the pool to myself! Last night Toby and I went over to my dad's for an excellent dinner that I've been craving for quite a while -- nothing says 4th of July like hamburgers, hot dogs, corn, and strawberry pie! I ate so much but it was all worth it. I caught a couple flashes on my way home, but otherwise didn't do the fireworks thing this year -- Dan and I usually go together, and I just wasn't interested in doing it without him. Instead I headed home and finished up the laundry.... too exciting, right?

This evening is also going to be a wild party: I'll be hitting up the gym, getting groceries, and then curling up in bed with a good movie. Exactly what all 23-year-olds dream of, right? Luckily, I don't mind being boring... I just wish my hubby was here to be boring with me! I hope that all of you had much more exciting things to do this weekend! Hopefully you were able to eat some great grilled food, catch a few fireworks, or maybe even relax on a river (that's what Dan and I did last year for the 4th -- lots of fun and sunburns!). And here's to hoping that something will happen this week to infuse a little excitement into my life... just not too much!

   Love,

    Meg

Things I Learned Today*

*Actually, yesterday. Thanks for the maintenance, Blogger. Hope you got a lot done in that 20.5 hours. [Ok, it was annoying, but it's hard to be mad after this.]

Today was a learning experience... all 17.5 (waking) hours of it. Lest you all think I'm selfish, I decided to share some of these lessons with you. Don't repeat my mistakes, people.

 -- When a business meeting starts at 12:30 and the ending time is quoted as simply "long," eat lunch before it begins. Otherwise you will likely find yourself still sitting there at 5:10, fielding judgmental glances every time your stomach makes a sound like it might be considering eating itself. And really, the guy sitting just outside the board room window snacking on pretzels doesn't deserve your dirty looks.

 -- Always ask that question -- the one you're worried might be stupid but could be of consequential importance. Chances are, everyone around you is concerned too, but they're also too terrified of looking dumb in front of their colleagues. Either that, or no one else has thought of it, and speaking up could mean the difference between success and imminent disaster.

 -- No little wild bunny will let you sneak up on them with the intention to kidnap and force them to be best friends with your cat. They will tease you, letting you get just close enough to actually reach down, and then they will hop like lightning. Not fair. But true.

Toby, as you can see, is devastated.

 -- Just because one grocery store in town does not have canned pumpkin and "has been trying to get some in," but "cannot find it anywhere," and "will probably not be able to restock for a long, long time," does NOT mean that the other grocery store in town doesn't have two shelves filled with it. Thank goodness. My mental well-being is directly correlated to the number of cans of pumpkin in my pantry at any given moment.

 -- There is a (relatively bumpy) learning curve to quinoa. I attempted this popular new grain (it is a grain, right?) last night for the first time, and it's not for the easily frustrated. I followed the instructions carefully and ended up with a whole cup of uncooked, bone dry, stuck-to-the-pan mess. I immediately added lots more water and put it on the heat again, and this time it cooked but the finished product resembled soup. Do you know how difficult it is to drain something that is only slightly larger than a grain of sand?

 -- Garlic sprouts quickly. Almost -- almost -- as quickly as it burns. Keep an eye on it at all times... it's 7:00, do you know what your garlic is doing?

 -- Mushrooms saute much faster than onions. Add them to the pan only when the onion is almost done, unless mushy is your style.

 -- Creativity in the kitchen only gets you so far. Sometimes, even the most logical flavor combinations don't actually taste like you think they should.

 -- Dessert is always the best part of any meal. No exceptions.

Clearly I've had my fill of life lessons for a while. Has anyone else learned anything important this week?

   Love,

    Meg

Faster than the Speed of Life

I keep waiting for life to slow down. And waiting.... and waiting. At this rate, I'm pretty sure I'll still be waiting 20 years from now. These days, the weeks are as busy as the weekends, the days as busy as the nights, and my google calendar is starting to look like it used to in college. Runs have to be scheduled and prioritized, meals quick and simple, and sleep? I'm sorry, I don't think I know what that is. Let me find a dictionary and get back to you. 
For now, though, I'm actually trying to take on as much as I can and welcome all the craziness, because I know that once Dan leaves, staying busy will help the time go a little bit faster. The only problem is that often I run out of time for many of the things that I love: when my schedule starts to fill up, among the first things to get dropped are baking, reading, catching up with friends, and blogging... and cleaning, but who am I to complain about that? Today, though, I am determined to make some time for at least a few of these things (I have a date with a cup of coffee and my kindle tonight), especially after all the craziness of the past weekend/week:
Friday morning before work I headed off to the gym (at the same time I always do) and watched the lovely royal wedding from the treadmill. I was so engrossed in the crazy hats and Kate's gorgeous dress that I got through 5 miles without even noticing. I'm thinking the royals should get married more often. (Also, as a note of clarification from Friday: I do know that Kate is a common nickname for Katherine, but every Catherine I know goes by Cate. Thoughts?) Friday was a super-productive day at work and afterwards I headed out for a little quality shopping. When I got home, I crashed from the week and slept. Hard.
Saturday I went running on my newly discovered running trail. I intended to get in at least 7 miles, but my body definitely wasn't feeling it and the hills just about killed me, so I took it slowly and ended up heading for home after only about 5. Last week was pretty great week of running, so I was a little bummed to end on a low note. I did, however, explore the neighborhood a little more and discovered three new trails through some light woods that were well marked and seemed pretty safe. I will definitely be heading back to them before too long!
When I got home, I made a quick grocery run and then Saturday evening, we had Dan's father, his brother and his girlfriend, and our friend C over for dinner. Dan grilled burgers, chicken, and corn and I made baked beans, pasta salad, and these yummy carrot cake cupcakes. C brought some fantastic wine and we all had a great time.
Sunday was a little bit lazy -- Dan and I ran errands around town during the day and had planned to go out to dinner that night, but went home to change and decided we were both too tired. We ended up staying in, ordering food, and watching one of my favorite movies:

Dear Zachary: A letter to a Son about his Father

I've wanted Dan to watch this with me since I saw it almost a year ago. It is heartbreaking, astounding, horrific, and inspiring all at the same time -- definitely not a happy movie, but one that I think everyone should see. Watch it with someone you can cry sob in front of (even the 3rd time around): you've been warned.
Monday and Tuesday were both ridiculous days at work, filled with big meetings, deadlines, and major to-do lists. Two of the huge projects I've been unceremoniously dropped into (mid-way through the planning) are going into their testing phase next week, so stress levels are running high... and patience levels low. I will be truly surprised (but thrilled) if everyone in my department makes it through the next month without exploding... especially myself. I get overwhelmed just thinking about it, but at least I'll be too busy to think about the fact that Dan won't be welcoming me home from work anytime soon. Luckily, Monday and Tuesday evenings more than made up for the rest of the day: Monday Dan and I went out for a great date night, and yesterday I went for a fantastic run and then met up with C for dinner, wine, and some girl time.
As you can tell, none of this leaves a whole lot of time for relaxing, so the next few days are all about catching up on the little things. I went for a long run this afternoon and spent almost an hour on the phone with my bestie. I'm also hoping to finish the book I'm reading, cook some mexican for Cinco de Mayo tomorrow, and catch up a little on sleep.
Hope that you all are also finding time for the little things that are so essential to sanity. Luckily, the weekend will be here again before we know it!

   Love,

    Meg

Terrible Tuesdays

It's official: Tuesday has become the new Monday. With Dan still home from the weekend (why can't I work 4 day weeks?), Mondays are much more bearable because I know that I'm not coming home to an empty apartment. Tuesday, on the other hand...  

Dan woke up this morning around 4:30 and left by 5, meaning that I didn't get back to sleep until at least 5:30. My alarm went off at 6 (and then again at 6:05) to drag me out of bed and to the gym. Since my neighborhood lacks in the "providing a safe place to run" department, I am relegated to the treadmill for any early morning workouts, since there is just no way that I am going to get up early enough to drive somewhere to run and then drive home to shower. 6:00 6:05 is already pushing it, really.

I got to work and my stress level got another little jolt when I started to have weird, blurry tunnel vision. I sat at my computer for about 20 minutes but was barely able to focus on the screen, an unnerving feeling in itself, but one that I knew was only foreshadowing the big event: a monster of a headache that was sure to follow. Eventually the vision corrected itself, and the headache certainly did make itself known right on schedule, but luckily it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. A little caffeine (best excuse to drink a cherry coke I've ever heard) and a few Tylenol kept it at bay enough for me to focus on my to-do list... which was lucky, because I was ever-so-graciously handed another big project at work today. Lovely. My desk looks like a cyclone blew through and my calendar has gone from empty to booked solid in about three days. The office used to be so low-stress, but now my morning runs are a cakewalk compared to the hours between 8:30 and 5.

Now, to end such a fabulous day, I'm sitting in Panera, having resorted to a strategy I perfected in my college days: when your living space is a mess, relocate. After a weekend of too much baking and too little cleaning, the chaos of my kitchen has begun to creep into the rest of our apartment, and I am now in full avoidance mode. Also, there's that thing about the apartment being empty. Which, recently, comes with the added reminder that it is going to be empty a lot in the next year and a half. Panera is loud and busy, so here I am. The best part though? It was sunny and gorgeous when I walked in, and now it is absolutely pouring. We're talking inches per second here. And my umbrella? In the car, at least 100 yards away. Where else?

Lest you feel too bad for me, though, there were a few little bits of happiness that saved today: a pretty pink scarf to match the (formerly) gorgeous weather, leftover pizza from a great night last night (which included wine and a good friend), an extra long run this morning that was felt easy and good, and the promise of my warm bed on the other side of this horrific rain. Sometimes you just have to focus on the little things, right?

Here's hoping that all of your Tuesdays were... more Tuesday than Monday!

   Love,

    Meg