Inchoate Debate

5 Things I've Learned as IT Backup

2011-08-27T10:18:00.000-07:00

I majored in English in college. If you'd have told me freshman year in school I'd one day be a Web Editor, I wouldn't have believed you.

I stumbled into web work through a "Writing for the Web" class my junior year. It was 10% writing and 90% learning how to design and manage websites. It was one of the best classes I took in college, which is saying a lot considering I also took an "Intro to Detective Fiction" and a wine tasting class.

After the web class I went on to design and run a site for the English Students Society at my university. Through that experience my love for the web was solidified. I got out of school with two clear goals on mind: I want to work on the web and I want to write.

Through the miracle of good timing and preparation I found a job that was just what I was looking for. Little did I know it would teach me and challenge me in so many ways. One of these ways was my new role as backup IT support.

When you work on a small office you have to support and help each other out. So when my boss, the IT manager, was unavailable (either busy or away) he'd sometimes ask me to help with backup IT support: solving Microsoft Word issues, searching out and fixing broken code, and investigating all sorts of computer mysteries. Through this I've learned many things, and I just wanted to share a few:

1. Try to fix the problem. It's amazing how often people don't even try to solve a problem. They just realize there's a problem, stop, and ask for help. Sure, problems are scary, but trust yourself. You know more than you think and you can often figure it out. Give it a shot. The solution may turn out to be easier than you think, and it's a great feeling to find a solution to a problem. These little victories give you confidence and prepare you for future bigger and harder problems.

2. Try again. Is a password, section of code, or process that should be working, not working? Type it again. Erase, relax, and type it again. If it should work, it probably does. You may have just typed wrong or left something out. Try a few times, take a break, and try again.

3. Google it. Weird error message come up on your screen? Google it. Anchors not working in HTML emails? Google it. The internet is an amazing place, full of people who have experienced your problem and written down a solution. Sometimes when you Google something the first result will solve your problem. More often than not, even if the first results don't give you an answer, they will lead you to resources that will. Once you solve your problem, give back. Leave your solution somewhere, most likely on a forum.

4. Listen. Computer issues are frustrating. The person experiencing them needs to express their frustration. Listen to them. Commiserate. No matter how simple the fix is, be sensitive to how stressful it has been for them. Then, even if you can't fix the problem, they may still thank you for listening.

5. Restart. I really shouldn't share this secret. Even though everyone knows the magical "Ctrl Alt delete" technique, it still amazes people when you use it and it fixes their problem. Restarting fixes issues more often than you would think. Add this to your arsenal and you're ready to be backup IT.

It's Alright

2011-08-10T16:47:00.000-07:00

I love NPR's All Songs Considered Podcast. They put up a new show about once a week, but it's never enough. I always want more, and I always eagerly await the next show.

Recently they put together a show on the theme of "Songs that make you cry." The songs were pulled from suggestions made by listeners, who also contributed their stories about why these songs make them cry (because one man's sad song could be another's inspirational tune, depending on context). There were lots of depressing tales: breakups, natural disasters, and death.

In fact, as a result of this show, I'll now probably always think of the poor family that talked about losing their daughter in a car accident whenever I hear Sufjan Stevens' To Be Alone With You, a song I've loved since the first time I heard it.

It was a pretty depressing show.

To counterbalance this sob fest, All Songs is now putting together a Songs That Cheer You Up show, and again asking for reader contributions and stories. I've submitted my pick and the story behind it, but since there are already about 250 other submissions and they'll probably pick about 10 for the show, I thought I'd post it here too.

I chose "Little Dawn" by Ted Leo and The Pharmacists. Here's my story:

------------

I heard "Little Dawn" by Ted Leo and The Pharmacists on a treadmill at the gym. Suddenly it was streaming through my headphones, a serendipitous Pandora moment.

I love how the song ramps up at the beginning, the fast-paced guitar elevating the suspense until Ted Leo's voice bursts in. It's a great song to run to. I felt my pace quickening, and my legs stretching out for a longer stride. Even now, every time I hear it I just have to move, dance around.

But it's not the catchiness of this song that grabbed me the first time I heard it, it was the lyrics.

I was in a funk, a transitional period where I felt lost and full of self doubt. And suddenly Ted Leo was singing to me: "Stretch out your weary hand to me, it's alriiiiight. Stretch out your legs and dance with me, it's alriiiiiight." He goes on and the song gets to a part where he's almost whispering, just repeating a sort of mantra: "It's alright, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright," over and over again. In fact, he repeats it so much that the words changed for me. I started to hear them as "it's your life, it's your life, it's your life" and then back to the original, "it's alright, it's alright, it's alight."

My feet picked, my spirits rose, and I smiled.

It was alright. It was going to be alright. It was going to be amazing.

--------------

Why I’m a Kindle Convert... Sort of

2011-08-08T09:35:00.000-07:00

When Kindles first came out, I thought, “that’s stupid.” I couldn’t understand shelling out hundreds of dollars for a device that let’s you do only one thing. iPads immediately made more sense to me. You could read books, surf the web, write emails, etc.

Light and Compact

Then, my family and I went on vacation. It was a week at the beach in Hawaii, so I knew I’d be doing a lot of reading. I stuffed four books in my bag (two in my carry on and two in my checked luggage) and hit the road. The two books in my bag quickly weighed me down. Plus, they took up a lot of room. When I went to shove a sweatshirt and some snacks I bought at the airport into my bag, there was no space. I look over at my mom, happily reading her Kindle by a sunny window, easily slipping some papers into her not-over-stuffed bag, and I felt a twinge of jealousy.

Instant Downloads

Then, while on vacation, I finished the first book in a trilogy. I had other books to read, but I really wanted to continue the trilogy. I could have tracked down a bookstore, but it would have been out of the way from where we were. Mom on the other hand was intrigued by a book I was telling her about one night, punched it into her Kindle and downloaded it immediately. “Ah ha,” I thought, “now that’s cool.”

My New Kindle

Fast forward about a year. My birthday is approaching and Scott is really excited to give me my present. Finally, a few days before my birthday, he cracks, can’t wait any longer. He passes me my present and I open it and find a Kindle. I’m surprised, but pleased, especially when he lets it slip that he got it for a great deal at Woot.com (we love that site). A Kindle was a great gift for me, because it’s something I’d never buy myself but that I could get a lot of use out of.

Drawbacks

It did take me a few weeks to get used to the Kindle. I was already reading a paperback (Neuromancer), so I traded off reading that and a new book on my Kindle. As I switched back and forth I couldn’t help but compare the experiences. Reading the paperback led to a fellow commuter starting up a conversation with me (“Oh, I love that book, what do you think?”), something that would never have happened if I was reading the Kindle. I also liked that I could tell exactly where I was in the book (instead of the Kindle display that told me I was 13% of the way through). And flipping back and forth from earlier pages to where I last read in the book, was easier too. Plus, I will forever love the feel of a book in my hands, even the smell.

Perks

But over the past few months the Kindle has absolutely grown on me. I got a great case (pictured above) that fits nicely in my hand and protects my Kindle well. I love how when I’m riding the metro, I can stand, holding onto a pole with one hand and holding my Kindle with the other using my thumb to hit the button that advances to the next page. That’s awesome. I also like the search function, which allows me to quickly find all the references to a character or a phrase in a book. Perhaps the best and most dangerous feature is that I can instantly buy a new book and read it right away. I’ve already purchased 3 books this month, way more that I normally spend on books (which I usually borrow from friends). I need to do a better job of finding free Kindle books, or at least ones on sale.

Overall, I’m totally enjoying my Kindle now, and definitely understand what all the fuss is about. Do I now think the Kindle is better than the iPad? Not at all. Rather, I feel that they’re too different to compare. And in all honesty, I’d like to own them both. This is the route my mom took. She owns both a Kindle and an iPad, and uses them both regularly but very differently. How come she’s more on the forefront of technology than me? I’ve got some catching up to do.

Writing Elsewhere

2010-05-21T09:06:00.000-07:00

At least once a day I think about a topic I'd like to write about here on Inchoate Debate. There are fun web sites online I'd like to detail for you, recipes of amazing dishes I'd like to talk about, and a million other totally bloggable thoughts. But most of my blogging time is being spent elsewhere. I am not lamenting this at all, blogging elsewhere is fantastic. But it does leave this blog neglected. By the time I've written posts for other blogs I'm usually ready to partake in non-writing activities like exercising, walking with Max and Scott, reading, or just hanging out. To prove to you that I'm not slacking off in the writing realm, check out some of my recent posts elsewhere:

The Glass Hammer

Telling Amy’s Story: A Call to Action
Mariska Hargitay (Detective Olivia Benson on Law and Order: SVU), Penn State, and the Verizon Foundation came together at the Newseum this past Tuesday to talk about domestic violence. I went and this is what I wrote.

DCist

Taste of Arlington a Great Deal, as Long as You're Choosy
My brother, Dad, and I checked this food fest out last weekend, stuffed ourselves silly, and had a great time. I think I even got a little bit of a tan.

I'm writing other posts here and there, like Art, It's What's for Dinner on a very interesting sounding art/eating event and Calling All Lifeguards on a noble profession that is near and dear to my heart.

About Tonight
Finally, I'm continuing to write the "About Tonight" roundup of fun stuff to do after work Monday through Thursday for DCist. Perhaps it doesn't sound like fun to scour websites and newspaper for weekly events, but to me, it's such fun.

I promise I have not fallen off the face of the blogosphere. I'm just exploring different areas.

My First Indian Suit

2010-05-10T07:46:00.000-07:00

Scott and I are going to our friends Eena and Thomas's wedding this June, and I got a new fancy outfit to wear yesterday. Eena is Indian and said if any of us girls coming to the wedding wanted to wear an Indian suit we could borrow one of hers or she could take us shopping for one. Playing dress-up and borrowing clothes, followed by shopping?! She didn't have to ask me twice.

Yesterday a group of us ladies made our way to Eena's to go through her beautiful collection of Indian suits. "Indian suits?" you ask, "Not saris?" That's right, not saris. Indian suits are a pants and long shirt combination (see example) whereas a sari is a draped fabric (that can be upwards of 10 feet long according to wikipedia) that you wear over pants and a top. Eena said we'd be more comfortable in the suits (we'll be on the beach), and that saris are a little more complicated.

Eena had beautiful collection of suits. She had every color and they were all intricately beaded and delicately detailed. We had a lot of fun trying them on.

While we found lots of great options at Eena's, we decided to check out the Indian sari and suit shop as well. Turned out they sold electronics too!

The store had some amazing outfits in it. We looked through Indian suits that were heavy with sequins and beads, costing up into the $300s. Then we steered clear to the sale rack. While I had an option or two from Eena's house that I could wear to the wedding I decided to try on some selections at the store anyway. For one, there was a pink suit. Not that I like that color or anything.

My first mistake was trying it on. Once I had the pink suit on I was a goner. Totally sold, and it totally came home with me. Check out my very first Indian suit:

It fits really well, the color is great, and I've already been pondering ways to alter it for the future. The top part is long enough that if I closed the slits up the side a bit I could wear it on its own as a dress. I'm pretty pumped. It's a little under a month till I get to wear this at the wedding, but I have a feeling I'm going to try it on again at home a few dozen times before that.

Update: Eena let me know that the suits are also called "salwar kameez."

Back in the Swim of Things

2010-04-06T12:49:00.001-07:00

Last night I hit the pool for the first time in... I don't know...FOREVER? My goal was mainly to do some recon. I'd like to start swimming regularly again, so I wanted to check out a nearby rec center to see what the lap lane situation was like. I've also told a couple of friends I'd give them some swim lessons before we all head to Mexico this summer so I wanted to see if this pool would be a good place for that too.

One of the friends who wants lessons came along and we were able to easily get a lane to ourselves, after paying the $6.85 entrance fee. Ouch. I know $6.85 isn't insane (it's cheaper than Bikram yoga, which is like $12 or $16 a session), but it adds up.

The minute we hit the deck I was giddy from the chlorine smells. Mmmm, chlorine. It reminds me of childhood, summer, swim team, lifeguarding, sunshine, and happiness. I quickly hopped in the water and swam a 50 free.

I love gliding through the water. I love diving down deep to the bottom and butterfly kicking for as long as my lungs will hold out. But most of all I love that deeply relaxed feeling you have after swimming laps in the pool. I'd really forgotten how much I love to swim.

Besides swimming a few laps I also started to work with my friend on some swimming techniques. I taught adult swim lessons at college but it's been nearly six years since then (sheesh!) and I'm a little rusty. It can be hard to articulate to someone what exactly it is that you do to move yourself through the water. I've been swimming since before I can remember, and competitively swimming since I was six, so it's sort of an unconscious process for me now.

We're meeting again on Thursday to really do some lessons so I'm going to study up on some adult swimming lesson plans. I also stopped by Target last night for some supplies. I bought these awesome diving balls that you can twist so that they float or sinks different amounts. Diving items are a good way to teach someone to get comfortable submerging their entire face and head. I also grabbed a kickboard. Unfortunately Target didn't have any adult size kickboards so the one I purchased is a little small and a little too cute, so I'm planning on flipping it to the blue side for the lesson:

I'm definitely planning on making swimming a consistent part of my workout in the future. I think its going to be an diverse-exercise kind of summer. A little swimming one day, run another, hike, bike, kayak, frolic. Maybe attempt to do multiple activities a day. And I can't wait to do most of this outside.

Tonight, Tonight

2010-04-05T07:05:00.000-07:00

I have a new writing gig! A mere 3 years ago I wrote a couple of articles for DCist ("Attack of the Pumpkin Flavor" and "Lunch on Capitol Hill for $5 or Less"), and now I'm back with them, putting together the About Tonight feature.

So far I've done about a week's worth of About Tonight posts and I'm looking forward to lots more weeks in the future. Check it out, and feel free to send me news of upcoming events in the DC area. There's always something cool going on, but it's good to hear about things we may have missed.

8K Accomplished!

2010-03-24T13:10:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I ran my very first race: an 8K in the Shamrock Marathon, Half-marathon, and 8K event. We got to Virginia Beach on Friday, the night before my 8K and two nights before Scott's half marathon, and we headed over to pick up our bibs (those sheets that have your name and number on them that you pin to your shirt for the race), chips (to track our times), t-shirts, and other goodies. Check it out:

Our stuff came in this sweet little backpack (can you see my bib peeking through?

Once we had our loot we headed out to dinner. Mmmm cheese and carbs:

My race started the next morning at 8 a.m. Scott and I got to the starting line about 7 a.m. to hang out, watch the sunrise, and move around to keep warm in the morning chill.

Up with the sun, ready to run!

Okay, that makes it sound like I was pretty calm and collected. I wasn't. I was nervous, worried about the sudden onset of some dull pain in my left knee, and going over scenarios in my mind where I'd epically fail.

Had I trained enough? Could I finish? If I did finish could I finish with a good time? What if I tripped? What if my calves cramped? What if I had to walk part of it? There was a lot running through my head. Luckily Scott was an awesome calming influence and was able to hang out by my corral until the start of my race.

The announcer for the event had been on the mic all morning, and as the start time drew closer he kept letting us know. 15 minutes till the start! 5 minutes! Count it down with me! 10...9...8...

And we're off!

And by off I mean slowly walking to the start. There were 6,938 finishers in my event so it takes a little while to get to the starting line. Luckily they give you these cool chips to put on your shoe (kind of looks like a hospital bracelet. Here's someone's picture of it on Flickr) that track when you cross the start and the finish so you can get an accurate time.

Once I crossed the start everyone around me had started to jog. It's a really strange feeling running with a huge pack of people. People are passing you and you're passing them. It's hard to get a sense of your own pace at first, and I had to kind of shut everything out for a second and concentrate on how fast I was running. I quickly got into a groove and settled into my run.

As I ran I watched the people around me. Lots of people wear costumes at this event, so that was fun to look at, but I also noticed what kinds of running gear people were wearing, what their form looked like, and how old they were. With so much to take in I realized this race wasn't going to get boring like running on a treadmill.

Before I knew it we were at the one mile mark. They had a clock set up and I checked out the time. It was around 10 minutes, 28 seconds. It was an instant boost. I was running a decent pace and it was feeling good. Not everyone felt the same though. Right as we passed the clock I noticed a runner near me stop and start walking. I was a little shocked. We still had 3.97 miles to go.

The weather was fantastic on Saturday and the Virginia Beach course was perfectly flat. For the first two miles we ran down Atlantic Avenue, but then turned and doubled back to return on the boardwalk. I loved running on the boardwalk. The sun shone down on us, a breeze came up off the water, and I felt my spirits lift even more. I picked up my pace.

After about a mile on the boardwalk we turned back onto Atlantic Avenue, to cross back over the starting line. There was a huge crowd here, smiling, cheering, and encouraging us on. They made me smile, and when I saw 40 minutes on the 4 mile mark, I smiled even wider.

We turned yet again at about the last half mile to run back on the board walk and down to the finish. I was feeling strong and happy and as I came closer to the end I saw Scott on the sidelines. I saw him before he saw me and I started smiling and waving. I caught his eye and he started jumping up and down, yelling for me. It was pretty awesome. I dug deep and moved my legs even faster. I could see the clock next to the finish line. It was ticking past 48 minutes, into 49. I focused in on that clock. I wanted to finish before it hit 50 minutes. I made it, but just barely.

My initial feelings as I crossed the finish were of wooziness. I took a few deep breaths and willed myself not to pass out or throw-up. But I recovered relatively quickly and walked down the line of volunteers who handed me snacks (a banana, pretzels, a sugar cookie), water (I grabbed two, one of the volunteers opened one for me), and my medal. Check it out:

My medal (the little one) is on the left, and Scott's half marathon medal is on the right.

I felt great after the race. Exhilarated. Accomplished. Strong. It was a great success. One of my first thoughts was how I couldn't wait to run another.

Finished!

Soon after the race they uploaded all the stats online that had been recorded by the chips. Here was my info:

Race time: 48 minutes, 41 seconds
Overall place: 2,322 out of 6,938
Female place: 944 out of 4,238

It was a perfect day. After that I could relax, but Scott still had his half marathon ahead of him. His race started Sunday at 7 a.m., so we were up at 5. YAWN. He definitely had some of the nervousness I'd had the day before, which is totally understandable considering I only ran 4.97 miles and he was about to run 13.1. But he ended up having an excellent race as well, finishing in 2 hours, 7 minutes. I also got to put my cheering hat on and yelled my super loudest. Go Scott go!!!

Coming in for the finish:

Done!

Rain boot Rant

2010-03-15T08:51:00.000-07:00

It's happened again folks, I've destroyed another pair of rain boots. That's right, the rain boots I purchased a mere 5 months ago have succumbed to weather and wear and have accumulated cracks. Here is one:

Interestingly, the rainboots are lined with a thin layer of fabric. Unfortunately, this fabric is not waterproof, so the issue still stands.

Where is the craftmanship these days?! Why can't a rain boot last for a reasonable amount of time?! If I dish out more money, say for a Hunter rain boot, will I have better luck?! Argh, the frustration! I love rain boots on rainy days, but I hate their lifespan. How much more money should I invest in disposable boots?

Learing to Run: Treadmill Malfunction

2010-03-15T08:09:00.001-07:00

Scott and I went to the gym last night to get in a Sunday run. Neither of us accomplished what the training program told us to (10 miles for him, 4 miles for me), but I'm giving us credit nonetheless. Actually, I'm giving us extra credit since neither of us really wanted to go, but we gathered up the will power somehow to anyway. Scott contributed by saying, "Okay let's go," and I contributed by NOT saying "But I don't wanna."

We found some treadmills and I started off by a minute of walking at a speed of 3.0. After feeling somewhat warmed up I pressed the up arrow for the speed to increase it to 5.8, since I thought that would be a decent starting pace for my run. But I couldn't get the treadmill to go to 5.8. I pressed the up arrow but once it got to 4.2 it wouldn't go any higher and told me something like, "Speeds over 4.0 mph are not recommended when holding the heart rate bars." Oookay, I'm not holding onto the heart rate bars, treadmill, so we shouldn't have a problem.

Scott noticed my issue and in panting breaths suggested I use the keypad to punch my speed in. I tried that, put in 5.8, and it worked, though the warning message from the treadmill stayed up. About ten minutes into my run I was feeling pretty good, my music was pumping, and I felt like increasing my speed. So I pressed the up arrows for speed and... nothing happened. So I pressed the down arrows for speed and... nothing happened. I tried the keypad method again, but that too had stopped responding! I was trapped!

I had a pretty good rhythm going so I didn't want to stop and move to a different, hopefully working, treadmill. So if I wanted to continue I was just gonna have to live with 5.8. So I did. 31 minutes and three miles later I finished my run. I could have run farther or faster, but the treadmill malfunction prevented it. But, perhaps this was a good thing. I decided to look at this as an unexpected practice in pacing. I know sometimes I gas it and use up my energy too quickly. Last night was an opportunity to live in "moderate and steady" mode, probably something I'll need for my 8k on Saturday.

Oh man, my 8k is this Saturday!! It feels like just yesterday that it seemed like a million years away...

Dinner Experiment: Lettuce Wrap Tacos!

2010-03-09T17:44:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago a bunch of us went out to P.F. Chang's for our friend Patrick's birthday. I'd been once or twice before, but this was the first time I'd been introduced to... The Lettuce Wraps. The folks at the table were touting their deliciousness, but I wasn't getting it. Lettuce wraps? Can they be that exciting? How exactly does that work? Oh man. I had no idea. Until they arrived.

Lettuce Wraps in all their awesomeness:

Oh my yumminess. You get a plate of the chicken filling accompanied by leaves of iceburg lettuce. According to P.F. Chang's it's their "signature appetizer - often copied, never equaled." It's great, and Scott said the vegan version (which has tofu instead of chicken) is even better.

It was great, and I've thought of it a few times after...including tonight. As I walked to the grocery store after work it suddenly hit me: "Lettuce wraps would be so yummy right now!" I whipped out the Droid and found some online recipes that claim to recreate the P.F. Chang's lettuce wrap experience. This one from Recipe Zaar looked pretty good.

But, as I read over the ingredients and the cooking instructions, I was like, "Man, that sounds delicious, but there's so much...cooking involved." So I modified. A new plan formed: Vegetarian lettuce wrap tacos! Super easy. All I'd need was some vegetarian ground beef, iceburg lettuce, and taco toppings. Heat up the meat, put it all together, and voila! Nom time. It was decided.

Here's how it went down.

All the ingredients:

Iceburg lettuce, fake ground beef, sour cream, cheese, taco seasoning, tomatoes, and fritos (to crumble on top).

Really, the only "cooking" involved was the "ground beef." You could really just microwave it, but Rachel and I decided to cook it on the stove (made it easier to add the taco seasoning in).

This stuff is pretty good (especially when you add taco seasoning).

Once everything was cooked up we built our lettuce wraps.

Step 1: Put fake meat in lettuce.

Step 2: Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese!

Step 3: Sour Cream

Step 4: Tomatoes!

Step 5: Crumble up fritos! I like this part a lot. It makes the taco inside out. Lettuce on the outside, crunchy stuff on the inside!

Step 6: All done!

Step 7: Nom time.

I was pretty happy with how they turned out, and they were so easy!

New Take on Exercise: The 10 Minute Method

2010-03-05T06:30:00.000-08:00

I've recently started writing for The Glass Hammer, a blog targeted for successful business women (and those who'd like to become successful business women). I'd written two pieces for them, one on women in senior executive positions being 3 times more likely to lose their jobs than men in the same positions and another on recent Catalyst award winners (these awards are given to businesses that create initiatives to support women in the workplace).

And today my third piece went up: 10-Minute Workouts for Busy Women.

I'm particularly excited about the 10-minute workouts piece. As you can probably tell from the copious posts on running, exercise had become a passion for me in the last few years. I've experienced firsthand its all the positives that can come from it: losing weight, feeling better, having fun. So I was excited to look at exercise from a different angle, that of a woman with an 80 hour workweek, and try to come up with a plan that would work for her.

The result: 10-minute workouts 3 times a day. There are actually a bunch of these available online (from Oprah, Lance Armstrong's trainer, and About.com).

In the article I also go into how to rethink about your workout, so that you look forward to it (most of the time) rather than dread it.

I'm excited to be writing for The Glass Hammer. Hopefully more to come in the future!

Learning to Run: Challenges

2010-03-03T08:10:00.000-08:00

My 8k race is just two and a half weeks away (GASP!) and I'm feeling anxious. This training program has been mentally difficult for a number of reasons:

1. Guilt - I haven't been following the program as closely as I feel I should. This has led to me feeling guilty on the days I don't do what I'm "supposed" to do. I'm constantly feeling behind now. Everyday I think, "Do I catch up on the part of the plan that I've skipped, or do I just move on to the next part?"

I am trying to re-frame this mentally though. For instance, last night I was planning on running 3 to 4 miles but only ended up doing 2.5. How come? My shins and feet were bothering me (partly I think because the treadmill was set to -1 incline, which I didn't realize till about 10 minutes in) and I just wasn't feeling it. I started to feel guilty and down about the 2.5, but then rethought it. First of all, hey! I went to the gym and did 2.5 miles. Also, I was doing them in intervals, which research continues to show can be more effective in short bursts than traditional exercise done in long periods of time.

2. Flexibility and spontaneity - Even though I originally thought this plan would get me into doing more of a variety of workouts, it's actually making me focus more on running all the time. I'm looking forward to getting back to doing what I feel like each time I work out. On the future schedule: more classes, yoga, weights, intervals, and stair climbing.

3. Running Inside - I fell in love with running outside. Whether Scott and I went for runs in the morning or at dusk there was something magical about being outside in nature, exercising and just looking around. I know its still possible to run outside right now (Scott and Rachel do it often), but I'm not a fan of the cold, or the ice, or the dark. I really look forward to the spring and to getting back out on the trails.

While exercise and running have really become a part of my life there are still times (like now) when I find them challenging. When this happens I find motivation in reading other people's exercise escapades, reading online fitness blogs, and shaking up my routine.

The 8k is looming! Wish me luck (on the journey and the event).

(The picture in this post is me on the treadmill. Do not try at home. Treadmill photography should be left to the professionals.)

This IS the droid you're looking for

2010-02-18T18:45:00.001-08:00

I got a robot. It has a little robot voice and makes little robot sounds (beep boop beep). It also lets me connect to the internet while on the go, upload silly pictures to Facebook, and identify songs on the fly (Shazam!). That's right, I got a Droid (cue angelic voices):

Yeah, so taking a picture of your Droid with your Droid is... hard. Here is what it looks like from the front (thanks internets!).

You'll notice in that picture that it has a little slide out keyboard. I pretty much never use that. In my case that keyboard functions purely as extra weight and width (downside). There is an on-screen touch keyboard that I like much better.

I know what you're thinking, "that's not an iPhone." And you would be correct. But! The Droid has all kinds of apps, just like the iPhone, and the service (Verizon) is waaaay better (I can use it throughout the metro).

More importantly than not being the iPhone, the Droid is also not my old phone, which was a) old, b) cracked, c) lame. It was inferior in pretty much every way. One example, pictures.

Here are some old phone pics:

(Cap Ale in Richmond)

(Mom and Dad dancing at Crystal's wedding)

And here are some Droid pics (5 megapixel camera say what!):

(New friend. Cheeeeeese!)

(Whitlows on Wilson. Or Wow. Just like World of Warcraft. Coincidence? I don't think so!)

(Home office)

(Buzz Bakery Cupcake)

The Droid is going to make "my life in phone pics" posts way more fun.

The only downside to the camera on the Droid is it has a crazy flash. A blinding, seeing spots inducing, unnecessarily bright flash. A flash that is so powerful it turns animals (and sometimes loved ones) into zombies.

(Zombie Ron)

(Crazy flash)

The camera has even come in handy recently. I tried to make it to work Friday of last week (after we were out due to all the snow), but metro was a complete mess. I took a picture and almost sent it to my bosses (it ended up being unnecessary, they had just as much trouble as me). I sent it to my roommate too in case he needed evidence for his work too.

(Metro fail)

Of course there's way more to this phone than it's camera. The Google Maps navigation on it is awesome (no need to buy a GPS anymore!), I can check my email any time, and surfing the web is easy peasy. And while there aren't nearly as many apps as the iPhone, it still has most of the really good ones (not to mention a metal detector!).

I'm not gonna lie, at first the super connectedness was a little overwhelming. I kept getting emails, and tweets, and texts, and notifications. My head almost exploded a little. But then I turned some settings off, put my phone on silent, and set some boundaries. I love my robot and all, but I don't want it to rule my life (more R2D2 and less Hal).

Learning to Run: Training for an 8k

2010-01-26T09:06:00.001-08:00

I have signed up for my first race! It's an 8k in March. Scott is also going to be running too, but he'll be pushing it a little harder with a half marathon. To help us thoroughly prepare for our races Scott found a couple of training programs online. He sent me two: a novice program and an intermediate program. I'm probably going to end up doing a program that is sort of in the middle of the two.

At first I wasn't sure I'd follow any sort of training program. An 8k isn't all that long, so I figured I could probably just continue to workout consistently and be okay on race day. This thought was backed up by the first sentence of the novice program page, where the author says, "Some individuals who possess a reasonably good level of fitness (because they bicycle or swim or participate in other sports) could probably go out and run 5-6 miles on very little training. They might be sore the week after a race at one of those distances, but they still could finish."

But after looking at the training schedule, I changed my mind. Why? For a few reasons.

1. I love a plan - I'm big on schedules and routines. They add order to my life and sometimes save brain energy. I really enjoyed the 8-week Beginning Runner's Training Program partly because it clearly told me what to do. No need to come up with your own workout plan, just follow the directions. Designing my own workout plan has become a bit of a challenge, and can be a motivation deterrent, so it's nice to get back on a clearly set plan.

2. It encourages strengthening and stretching - I used to go to body flow (which is pretty much the same as PiYo) all the time. But once I got more into running I began to feel like maybe body flow was a cop-out. If I wasn't running, was I working out to my full potential? This plan gives me permission to incorporate body flow and yoga and things like that. So last night I went to my first body flow class in months and it was fantastic. I had no idea how much I'd missed it, especially the relaxation part at the end. I felt so good afterward, I can't wait to go next Monday.

3. Mental preparation - I think this plan is also going to keep me focused on the upcoming 8k goal. If I'm just going to the gym like usual, running sometimes, stair climbing sometimes, doing yoga sometimes, I feel like I won't be adequately mentally preparing myself for a real life RACE. If I'm following a program that makes me think about the upcoming race every day, I feel like that's an important part of training.

So yesterday I did body flow and today I'm going to run 2 miles. Or maybe 2.5 miles. Or maybe I'll just run for 30 minutes. I'm following the plan, but I'm making it my own.

This is what my week's gonna look like:

Monday: Body Flow

Tuesday: 2 mile run (or 2.5 mile, or 30 min)

Wednesday: 30 minutes of cross training. For me this will probably be stair climbing, Body Pump (aerobic weightlifting), light jogging, or yoga/Body Flow again.

Thursday: 2 mile run + strength. The strength portion will probably be lifting weights (maybe this workout or maybe I'll consult Kelly for some other suggestions.

Friday: Rest. I'm super excited that Friday is scheduled as the rest day. I have a big aversion to working out on Friday. It's the end of the workweek, there's usually something fun going on that night, it just feels good to not be at the gym.

Saturday: 30 minutes of cross training. On Saturdays it could be good to just go on a hike, or walk from my house into DC (at least 5 miles).

Sunday: 2 mile run. This is going to be a challenge. I have a similar aversion to working out on Sundays that I have on Fridays. But I'm up for a challenge.

Let the training begin!

It's What's on the Inside that Counts?

2010-01-23T12:20:00.001-08:00

I realized the other day that I have a bit of a complex. An "it's what's on the inside that counts" complex. I realized that I've been buying things that have their best features on the inside.

Exhibit A: My new yellow bag.

I saw this bag at the store, and I thought, "Oh, that's cute, I could work with that." But then, I looked inside and my like turned to love. Cause apparently with me, it's all about the lining.

Bag outside

Bag inside

After bringing the bag home, I began to think about the fact that I bought it mostly cause I liked the inside. And it dawned on me that this has happened before...

Exhibit B: Hawaii backpack

Backpack outside

Backpack inside!

I loved the stripes on the outside, but I totally bought this backpack for the polka dots on the inside. I hardly ever say no to a polka dot.

I'm pretty sure this all began with this jacket though.

Exhibit C: The jacket

Jacket outside

Jacket inside!

This jacket is pretty fun to put on and take off, and to drape on a chair, cause then it shows off its best qualities. Don't get me wrong, I like the way it looks on the outside too, but its that special touch on the inside that really makes me like it.

I'm not sure what this says about me, but I kinda like it.

A Second Year of Sweat

2010-01-14T20:51:00.000-08:00

I'm back! Did you miss me? A trip to Hawaii to see the lovely Crystal and the fabulous Devin get married immediately followed by a week-long business convention have kept me away from blogging, but I'm back now, and ready to talk about sweating. Maybe I should ask, "Did you miss me?" again.

Almost exactly a year ago I pulled down my old calendar and evaluated all my red exercise x's (actually they started as black check marks, but they eventually evolved into the clearer and more triumphant red x form). I think its good to recognize your accomplishments and note where there is room for improvement, so again this year I have pulled down my calendar and am ready to analyze my second year of sweat.

I gave myself a red x this year whenever I felt I'd completed a decent workout. Like a half hour on the treadmill or an hour of yoga. There was also some grey area and Scott and I would talk things out like, "Was that hike today worthy of a red x?" Sometimes it was, and sometimes it wasn't. For a short time I gave myself mini red x's for 8 minute workouts (see March). But I scrapped this after a month. Didn't feel like I was being honest with myself.

There is a kind of beauty in the simplicity of the red x system (though some may also see it as a shortcoming). The beauty is there is no variation in the red x's. You either get a red x for working out or don't get a red x cause you didn't workout. Some workouts are going to be better than others, but this system doesn't recognize that. It just says, "Hey! Look at you! You got to the gym and you did something. You deserve credit for that." It's a good motivator.

Anywho, let's look at the calendar:

January
8 days

February
12 days

March
12 days. The half x's are for days I just did 8 minute workouts, but let's not count those, shall we? I didn't for the rest of the year.

April
20 days

May
14 days

June
14 days

July
16 days

August
8 days

September
16 days

October
14 days

November
12 days

December
7 days

And one to grow on... January, 2010

This is my new Dooce calendar by the way!

Best month: April. 20 days! Woooooo! Workout maniac! (Last year my best month was October)

Worst month: December with just 7 days. Though August was a close runner up with only 8 days of working out. It's the holidays. It happens. (Last year my worst month was June)

Average: This year I averaged about 12.75 days of exercise a month. Last year my average was 10.66. That's an improvement! And a decent one, if you ask me.

Last year I thanked Christine for being the first person to introduce me to this thing called a gym. This year I have to thank Scott for teaching me how to run. He pointed me to the Runner's World 8-Week Beginning Runner's Training Program, he got up at 6 am many many days to run with me, and he's continued to encourage me to keep running (in March we're signed up for a run--8k for me, half marathon for him). And I am now faster, stronger, and in better shape because of this. Thank you Scott!!

So far January has just two red x's on it. But it is a start. Happy New Year for sweating!

Texting to Give

2009-12-23T09:44:00.000-08:00

This American Life is one of my most favorite podcasts. I stream old episodes (for free) while I do data entry at work. I subscribe to the podcast on iTunes so it automatically downloads every week. And I generally just listen to this show all the time.

And yet, had I ever donated to help keep this free podcast alive? Alas, no. Until now. Why now. Because This American Life has made it so freakin easy to donate, that I found myself unable to refuse.

Here's how you do it.
1. Text LIFE to 25383.
2. You receive a confirmation text back asking if you'd like to donate $5.
3. Reply YES.
4. $5 is automatically added that month's cell phone bill for you, and it goes to This American Life.

Easy peasy.

I believe you can send these texts up to five times. I've done it twice so far, and I have the sneaking suspicion that when Ira Glass starts off the next podcast by asking me to donate, I'll probably do it again. I love this program and I want it to continue.

Pondering Pandas

2009-12-17T12:37:00.000-08:00

Pandas are the topic of the month, what with Butterstick leaving. It's a sad thing, but the Daily Show has a solution.

Pandsom:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

You're Welcome - Debt Ceiling

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Health Care Crisis

I on the other hand find comfort in gazing at random panda pictures online. Like these gems (click the picture for more):

And this guy. Even though I think he's a special breed of panda...

Clean Plate Club!

2009-12-17T07:16:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid my parents made certificates for the "Clean Plate Club" that could be filled out with our names and the date, and which featured a picture of our family.

My brother and I pretty much never got these.

We were not big eaters. Our friends caught on to this pretty quickly and it became a known quality of our family. Jonathan's friends would compete for "Dibs on whatever Jon doesn't eat!" when they went out for fast food or to restaurants. Our eating arch-nemesi became our friends Christine and Andrew, who lived up the street. They could out eat my brother and I by seconds and thirds (their metabolism was fantastic).

Well folks, I've grown up. The tables have turned. Last night, while out to dinner, I demolished my food.

I would like my certificate please:

That cup of chili and side Caesar salad never stood a chance.

:)

A Gift Guide... Guide!

2009-12-15T17:49:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: The following post features a bunch of gifts. These are not gifts I'd like people to buy me. The greatest gift is the five of you who read this blog. :) I present these gifts in order to share some things I found that I think are awesome. Sort of like when my brother tries a new beer and offers it around for everyone else to try it too. I hope that when you read this guide you'll get some ideas for gift giving this season, or just find a few new cool things. K, that said, now onto the gifts!

I looooove gift guides. They're like having a personal shopper go scour the internet and find you the most adorable, most interesting, and most unique present options. I don't know if I'm just reading more blogs, or am just more aware, but it seems like gift guides are even more abundant this year than in the past. So, because I know you're so busy, here I am to bring you a guide to gift guides!

I've looked through a number of gift guides and culled what I think is the best gift (or gifts) from each guide. Isn't that meta... or something? Let's begin.

1. D.C. Gift Guide
Oh, why look here, it's a guide to D.C. themed gifts on ProjecTravel. What a lovely idea. I wonder what talented blogger thought of and wrote about that... cough... cough.

This is a hard guide to pick from (seriously!), cause I genuinely am a big fan of everything included (oh imagine that). But, if I must chose, the highlight from the D.C. Gift Guide is...

Cookie Cutters in the shape of D.C. and the Capitol from Hill's Kitchen!!
Designed and commissioned by the lovely owner of Hill's Kitchen, Leah Daniels!! I think these are seriously cute. Good for a D.C. themed gift, or to be used to make Christmas cookies that you can decorate and give out. Leah also has cookie cutters in the shapes of all the other states as well.

2. Etsy Gift Guide
There are so many beautiful and amazing things on Etsy it gets a little overwhelming. Luckily (and smartly), Etsy is here to help, with a collection of gift guides. They have gift guides for the home chef, the bibliophile, the environmentally friendly friend, and dozens more.

I can, and have spent wayyyyy too much time looking through these guides. So here are a couple of things I've found that I think are extra cool.

Fibonacci Sequence Sterling Silver and Jasper Ring
This one did really well and the seller can't sell any more. I'm not surprised it sold out. This ring is super pretty, it's only $15, and it's inspired by the Fibonacci sequence (I just had a Mathnet flashback)!

Blue Iris Kay Dee Vintage Remix Apron
Prettiest. Apron. Ever. I love this, but at the same time, a) would want to wear it out like a dress (totally socially unacceptable) and b) would probably be really sad if food got on it. Probably not the best way to feel about an apron. And yet... sooo pretty!

Olive Mist - Freeform Crochet Handbag
This bag is fabulous, and a bit on the pricey side. But it's kind of quintessential Etsy, so I had to include it.

4. Dooce
Dooce/Heather Armstrong is my favorite blogger. And besides being an entertaining writer, she also has an excellent sense of style. She's been going gift guide crazy this year, releasing guides of: baby gifts, accessories for ladies, gifts for the home, and more. Here are a couple of things she found that I like:

Monster pants!
They look all cute and innocent, and then they turn around! Ah! I'm not gonna lie, I kind of wish they made these in adult sizes. Though, that might actually be scary.

Haiku shirt
I kinda want to get this for Scott, cause he'd appreciate this. If you can't read it, the shirt says:
Haikus are easy
But sometimes they don't make sense
Refrigerator

B. Poetic Silk Shoe Clips in Rust
How clever is this? Have a fancy event, but not a fancy enough shoe? Clip a pretty silk flower to it. I really like this.

5. Serious Eats Gift Guides
I love food. I love food so much I even like to read about it on blogs. One of my favorite food related blogs is Serious Eats, and guess what? They too have put together a number of gift guides. Gifts for the baking mix lover, the meat lover, the graphic t-shirt lover, the healthy eater, the gluten-free eater, and MORE. And here's some more stuff I like:

Wanna Eat T-Shirt
This is a portrait of me when I'm hungry.

Beer Hot Sauce
Darn! I wish I'd seen this earlier. This has my brother's name written all over it.

6. Fit Sugar Gift Guides
Everyone in my family has jumped on the exercise train, and so gift guides for sporty people are right up our alley. Fit Sugar, a fitness blog, has also put together multiple guides, yogis, Bohemians, newly weds, and everyone in between. This is my favorite item from their roundups:

Yoga gingerbread!
How cute are these?

Well, that's it for now. Good luck with your holiday shopping!

YouTube Roundup

2009-12-14T19:17:00.000-08:00

I watch YouTube, so you don't have to. Here are some of my current favs. If you're on the interwebs a lot you've probably come across at least one of these. And if you haven't, then you're welcome. :D

Surprise Kitty
This little kitty is way past its fifteen minutes of fame, but I still love it so. Tickle, tickle, surprise!

Ninja Cat
This cat can freeze frame like no other. Here are two videos showing off its skills.

My fav:

Ninja Cat the Original:

The Orangutan and the Hound
Everyone needs a best friend. The adorableness starts about 30 seconds in.

It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas...

2009-12-14T09:50:00.000-08:00

I love internet shopping.

There are so many perks! Let's add them up:

1. Not leaving the house. Some days one does not want to change out of pajamas. Some days it's rainy/snowing/windy. Some days your car gets a big fat flat tire. These are the days when I thank the internet for allowing me to not leave the house and still get things done.

2. 7 birds with one stone. Most of the packages in the above picture came from one purchase on Amazon. One purchase! I went click, click, add to cart, pay, and done. Amazon works with other sellers so even though I was on Amazon's site, I was actually buying from a bunch of different people (hence the separate shipments).

3. Mail! I kind of love getting mail. And so ordering all this stuff online guarantees me that the postman will be stopping by. And it just never gets old.

My Christmas shopping is almost done (I just have to stop by one or two "real" stores to tie up some loose ends) and I have to admit, I'm starting to get very excited about Christmas!

Incognito

2009-12-07T07:30:00.000-08:00

I've been on the lookout for a new keychain bottle opener since my Dogfish Head one died this summer. To be fair, I really just wanted a replacement Dogfish Head one, but that didn't really work out. So, I've been keeping my eyes peeled from something new. Something lightweight but durable, cute but not too "hey look at me I'm a bottle opener." And this weekend, whilst in New York, I came across the perfect solution (via Urban Outfitters).

Introducing, the Key Bottle Opener:

And the package it came in:

It's so understated (like my new rain boots!). It's all, "Don't mind me, I'm just a key. Here to open things... like beer! Muh hahaha." And it's made of steel. Strong, dependable steel.

It kind of makes me want to buy other things that aren't what they seem. Like Dr. Pepper can safes, camera ties, and MP3 player pens.

That's right folks, a key bottle opener is a gateway gift into the dark, mysterious world of being a spy... museum shopper.

Liz Got a Puppy!

2009-12-03T07:09:00.001-08:00

No, I didn't spell my own name wrong, and no, I didn't get a puppy. Alas and sigh. But my friend Liz did!!

Liz has adopted into her family an ADORABLE Jack Russell Terrier/Beagle mix (and there might be another breed thrown in there) named Ginger that she found through a shelter. I got to meet Ginger last night and we are in love. She even nibbled on my ear to prove it.

So, here for your viewing pleasure, in CuteOverload style, I present: GINGER!

Ta da!

Ginger smiles for the camera

NOMS! Everything is delicious: pizza crusts, squishy soft things, your hand, your face...

Guys! Glee is on!!!

Seriously! Countdown to watching time!

I love Glee almost as much as my Christmas lobster, but not as much as sleeping on Liz's face.

Learning to Run: Intervals on the Treadmill

2009-12-01T17:49:00.001-08:00

I was reading FitSugar, an exercise/nutrition/healthy living blog, the other day and came across this article about interval training on the treadmill. I use interval training every time I use the stair climber, alternating between a few minutes of a speed of 8 and then down for a minute or so to a speed of 5 or 6, but I'd never tried it on the treadmill. I tend to just set the treadmill at 5.2 and go for 30 minutes or so. But if interval training works for the stair climber, why not the treadmill?

So yesterday I decided to give it a whirl. Here was what my workout was meant to look like:

Things got off to a rough start. I tried to run at the 3.5 speed. 3.5 is not a running speed, it is very obviously a walking speed. This became clear to me after about a minute and a half (so I guess it wasn't that obvious? No... it was).

Once I started walking I got antsy. Want to run! Want to run! But I was giving the interval training a shot so I stuck it out.

At the five minute mark I sped up to 4 and increased the incline to 2.0. Even though it wasn't a huge speed increase, combined with the incline I really started to feel warmed up. I started to get into this.

At ten minutes I took the incline back to 1.0 and ramped up the speed to 6.5.

WHOAH.

I'd never been on the treadmill at a speed past 5.2, so 6.5 was terrifying. Images of me being swept off the end of the treadmill and hurled into the elliptical brigade behind me flashed before my eyes. But I held fast and made it through my 2 minutes, then took it back down to 3.5.

It was nice to walk again. Kind of took me back to my first days of learning to run. But one minute is short! So it seemed like I immediately had to run again. I was still reeling from my 6.5 experience so I didn't increase the speed to 6.6 like I was supposed to, but rather just increased it to 6.5 again. This time 6.5 wasn't quite as bad, I was a little more prepared for it.

I solidered on through the rest of the intervals: alternating between super fast minutes at 3.5 and the amazingly long two minutes at 6.5 or 6.6. I quit at 30 minutes, not using the last ten minutes to walk. I was pretty spent, but happy with the interval experience (despite the fact that I didn't increase from 6.5 all the way up to 7.1 like I was supposed to).

Scott was with me at the gym too and I told him about how I liked the intervals but how I didn't think I could follow how fast this plan had me going. He suggested that I leave the 3.5 interval speed the same but decrease the faster speeds by .3. Brilliant!

So today I attempted the new, slightly modified interval plan. It looked like this:

Things went much better today. I knew to walk at the 3.5 starting speed, the 6.2 to 6.8 increments were much more manageable, and I had The Ting Tings.

I highly recommend listening to The Ting Tings when you work out. They're all "Yeah, alright, we're British," and you're all "Wooo let's run!" and they're all "That's not my name!" and you're all "Bring it intervals," and they're all, "We Walk!" and you're all "I run!"

Just like that.

Anywho, intervals. I like them. A lot actually. But while they feel like a really great workout, I do worry a little. If you add it up its only 14 minutes of running. To be fair, this is all out, breathing hard, sweating like its 90 in the summer, stomping away on the treadmill running. But does that match 30 minutes of consistent running? I'm going to have to look into this. I foresee several hours of Google searching in my future...

Mmm Tiny Cakes

2009-11-24T09:58:00.001-08:00

Today I put up a new blog post at ProjecTravel about Hello Cupcake. I aptly (I think) titled it: "Hello Cupcake!" ProjecTravel has recently tweaked its design. Now black text appears on a white background for your reading pleasure.

The blog post features a true story, wherein I try to metro past Hello Cupcake and make it home, but fail miserably and end up buying a box of cupcakes.

In said box o' cupcakes was one of the Pumpkin Spice variety. Quite good if you ask me (and I even ate it a few days too late when it was already slipping into stale-dom). The Caramel Apple on the other hand, meh. The third was "You Tart" a lemon cupcake with lemon icing and that continues to be my fav. The fourth was a Peanut Butter Blossom bought specially for Scott (a peanut butter fanatic).

I'm not gonna lie, Hello Cupcake is not my favorite cupcakery. Georgetown Cupcake is. But you can't easily metro to Georgetown Cupcake on your way home from work. You have to either drive or walk to Georgetown and that can be a pain and a half. Then again, I'd probably swim the Potomac to get my hands on their September Caramel Apple special cupcake. Maybe that's why I didn't care much for Hello Cupcake's Caramel Apple attempt. I'd already experienced greatness with Georgetown Cupcake's version. It had a piece of caramel in the middle for goondess sakes people!

I'm loving the cupcake craze and I hope it continues.

Now if only I could track down the Cupcake Mobile. Well, track down is easy, what I mean is get it come to me. Here cupcake cupcake.

I got my new boots on...

2009-11-19T10:00:00.000-08:00

Introducing...drumroll please... my new rain boots!!

Ta-da!

It is actually bittersweet, because I wasn't really ready to get rid of my old rain boots. And that was the case the last time I had to switch rain boots too. You fall in love, you have a splashy time together, and then they fall apart. It is the circle of rain boot life and it is heartbreaking.

But I guess nothing lasts forever, and its good to update one's wardrobe. I wonder what my rain boot evolution says about me. Let's examine this for a moment:

My first rain boots (as an adult at least)

I bought these pink polka-dot rain boots in college for traipsing across the drillfield on miserable days. They held up remarkably well and I had them for maybe like 3 years.

And then one day my feet just weren't staying dry in them anymore, and I realized they were goners.

I went through all the stages. I tried to deny it, but my soggy feet wouldn't play along. I got angry. "Why rain boots?! Why?" And finally I resigned myself to acceptance and went out and bought my 2nd pair of rain boots:

I loved these boots from the moment we met. They had a class and style that my former boots didn't have, and they eased the pain of my other boots' passing. I also spent more on these new boots than the pink polka dot ones, thinking that would ensure higher quality construction and resulting longevity. I was wrong. These boots lasted not nearly as long as the first ones (though to be fair, I probably walked more often and longer distances than in the pink ones). Unfortunately the quick demise of these boots (I've had them, what, a year and a half?) accentuated the stages I went through. I held onto denial longer, I was angrier (these were expensive!), and finally I just gave up. Considering turning my back on rain boots forever.

But then, last weekend, during a marathon shopping session I came across these black ones with a pink trim. And while they're understated and simple, I thought, hey, I like these. They also cost half of what the last pair was, so that was a plus as well. Let's see how long these hold up.

Until then, I got my new ~~shoes~~ boots on and suddenly everything is right.

Eggnog Milkshake from McDonalds - The Verdict

2009-11-18T07:31:00.000-08:00

As we move out of pumpkin season (though really, I could, and do, eat pumpkin flavored things all year long) more Christmasy flavors are appearing around town. Mainly, we're talking your peppermints and eggnog.

McDonalds' seasonal options often come in shake-form. First there was the Shamrock Shake, then the Pumpkin Shake, and now... the Eggnog Shake.

It appears (from 30 seconds of Google searching that I just did) that this Eggnog Shake has been around at least a few years. But, it's new to me. So last night, at the milkshake hour (you know, like 9:30 pm), Scott, Rachel, and I went on a quest to try it.

We debated the chances of it being delicious. Kelly and I split a Pumpkin Shake about a month ago, but after about two sips each we both abandoned it. It tasted like what a pumpkin candle smells like. And while pumpkin candles smell delicious, you probably wouldn't want to drink one.

So how was it gonna go with the Eggnog Shake? Amazing new deliciousness? Or disaster?

By the time we got to the drive through, I was the only one interested in purchasing the Eggnog shake. Scott and Rachel were game to try it, but didn't want to invest in an entire cup of a possible milkshake fail, and instead opted for two tried and true selections: an ice cream sundae and a strawberry milkshake. I on the other hand said, "I'm all in. Go big or go home."

So we proceed through the line and soon enough I am presented with my very own Eggnog Shake. I take a sip... let it linger... and say, "Yeah, its okay."

It's not awful like the Pumpkin Shake, but not as good as the strawberry shake, and not as amazing as I can only dream the Cadbury Creme Egg Shake is.

I moderately enjoyed my purchase but I don't think I'll get it again. McDonalds, the ball is in your court. What seasonal specialty will you come out with next? Candied yam milkshake complete with marshmellow topping? Candy cane milkshake with stripey candy bits? Gingerbread milkshake with gum drops?

I will wait patiently. Please wow me.

Feel the Burn

2009-11-13T12:04:00.000-08:00

The other day one of my roommates said, "I'm going to do my best Lis impression and go work out." Then he went for a run.

I have to admit I was both taken aback and really flattered. I love that now people associate me not only with a love of puppy pictures and a fascination with food, but also with being fit. A few years ago this would never have been the case, but exercise has now become part of my routine.

I've been really lucky to have people in my life introduce me to a range of exercise programs (I'm looking at you Christine, Kelly, and Scott), and encourage me to keep it up. Now, I hit the gym as I walk home from work, and if I miss too many days in a row I just don't feel good.

It's funny how the exercise lifestyle can suck you in in other ways too. Like "fashion." I've also started to think more about ways to exercise throughout the day, almost passively. Things like standing up at work (I don't actually stand at my desk for long periods of time but I do regularly get up and walk up and down the stairs) and taking a walk at lunch.

And this passive exercise trend has me very enamored with these: The Reebok Easytone shoes.

I know what you're thinking, "You just like these cause they're pink." And while, yes, that's part of it, the majority of my like comes from the fact that my mile-or-more walks a day two and from the office could be put to better use. Plus, I think this will totally solidify my reputation as the girl who works out a lot.

Blogging for Another

2009-11-12T11:43:00.000-08:00

Whoah, how are we almost halfway through November? I hope you don't feel too neglected dear blog. But I've been busy doing stuff. Stuff like camping, playing my new favorite game Dominion, and, well, blogging other places...

That's right, I'm getting most of my writing fix over at ProjecTravel recently. My most recent posts being:

Touring the U.S. Capitol

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month in D.C.

Walking for a Cause in D.C.

There are a bunch of topics I've been meaning to write about here (daily yoga, potential 8k, delicious recipes, cute puppies, recent podcast inspiration), but have not had a chance. The days are just too short, the time at the gym is much to necessary, and company of Scott and friends is just too much fun to resist. But please come back soon. There are posts in the works that I want to share.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-02T09:44:00.001-08:00

There's nothing better than Halloween falling on a weekend. And the fact that it was on Saturday this year, was even better: perfect excuse to dress up on both Friday and Saturday. And if you're going to dress up twice, why not have two costumes? Scott and I embraced this notion and partook in two separate personas this Halloween.

On Friday we went as a belly dancer and a skeleton. Costumes that were decided on and created only a few days earlier. Check out my abs! Told you I go to the gym:

Abs of steel, man. Scott carefully crafted them for me with his sharpie skills. Then, he painted himself this shirt (I think its good enough to wear around on non-Halloween occasions).

Then, for the main event on Wednesday we wore our Sookie and Bill (from True Blood) costumes.

I think we got pretty close, if I do say so myself.

The real Sookie:

The Lis Sookie:

The real Bill Compton:

The Scott Bill Compton and the Lis Sookie:

We were pretty pleased with how the costumes came out (though not everyone had seen the show). Halloween accomplished!

Pumpkin Love

2009-10-26T09:10:00.000-07:00

I said it before, and I'll say it again: "I love pumpkin flavored things." From pumpkin beer with my pumpkin pie to pumpkin spice lattes, I love it all.

This time of year the pumpkin concoctions come out of the woodwork. I've been collecting recipes to drool over, but I might actually attempt one of these sometime soon. Thought I would share in case you're looking to make some pumpkin delicacies of your own.

1. Pumpkin Pie Milkshake
I can not get enough of Kevin from Toronto's "Closet Cooking" blog. I am enamored with 9 out of 10 things he posts on there. Recently he posted this Pumpkin Pie Milkshake recipe, essentially marrying my obsession with pumpkin flavor to my infatuation with milkshakes. This is very high on the "potentially will try" list. Though, if the laziness kicks in I may just head over to Jamba Juice for a Pumpkin splash smoothie.

2. Pumpkin Soups
The only thing that can make soup better on a cold, blustery, fall evening is if it tastes like pumpkin. Another recipe from Closet Cooking: Pumpkin and Black Bean soup. What a fabulously interesting sounding soup. Yes please! Or, for the pumpkin-lover on a tight schedule, just add water to Maggie & Mary's Creamy Pumpkin Soup.

3. Pumpkin Bread
There's a little cafe near my work that has a pumpkin gingerbread I've yet to try. And while I'm at it maybe I'll attempt these other pumpkin + starch sides. First off, cheesy pumpkin biscuits. I love cheese. I love pumpkin. I love biscuits. Cheesy biscuits I get. Even pumpkin biscuits I get. But cheesy pumpkin biscuits? It's so crazy it just might work. Next up is another interesting/awesome sounding combination: olive oil pumpkin bread. I think I've had olive oil bread before, and I can totally see the pumpkin twist working.

4. Dessert
Pumpkin is obviously delicious in dessert form, but it's fun to try it out in something other than a pie shape. Enter Paula Deen's (queen of butter)Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes. One needs only the read the name of that recipe to be sold on the idea. This is another I'd really like to try.

5. Breakfast
Finally, we end with breakfast (I guess that was an odd way to organize this) and two more recipes from closet cooking (perhaps I should have just put a link to his site instead of writing out this post): Pumpkin pie pancakes and Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal. Sounds like two fantastic ways to start the day to me.

Belly Dance the Night Away

2009-10-22T12:13:00.000-07:00

Check out my sweet new hip scarf (to the right) I got last night at my first belly dancing class at Saffron Dance. Scott's roommate (and dare I say, my friend as well) Rachel found a deal through Groupon that gave you 4 belly dancing classes and a free hip scarf for about the price of a restaurant week dinner (before you order any alcohol). It was a sweet deal, so even though I've never really thought about trying belly dancing before, I decided to sign up.

I'm not the only one who thought it was a great deal. We chatted with a member of the staff last night and she said they were expecting to get maybe 90 or so responses from the Groupon and ended up getting over 300! Wow. They ended up having to add a bunch of classes to accommodate everyone. I think you'd have to call that a success.

After signing in and carefully picking out our hip scarves (I went for the one with the pink fringe. Surprise, surprise) we hung out for a little bit until the class before us was out. I thought it was cool that such a wide variety of ladies had shown up. Ages probably ranged from early twenties to late forties, every body type was there, and numerous ethnicities were represented. We were all ladies though. No men had shown up to shake their bums, but that's not surprising. I'm pretty sure belly dancing is traditionally a female thing.

Soon enough it was our turn to belly dance. We ushered in and were immediately struck by how warm the room was (bikram belly dance!). Dots on the floor marked where we should each stand to be spaced evenly. Throughout the class they rotated the rows so that every one had the chance to be in the front, middle, and back. Overall, I really liked the teachers. They were professional, friendly, and kept us moving the whole time.

During this first class we learned how to hold our hands, how to use our knees to drive our hips, how to shimmy, and how to move. It was way more of a workout than I expected. I definitely got an ab workout, but I was surprised at how much it worked my legs and arms as well.

One of the things I liked best about my first belly dancing experience was the jingling. A room full of hip scarves creates a musical, rhythmic, bell-like sound. I pretty much hopped my way out of class cause I didn't want to stop jingling.

I don't think this is something I'm going to really get into, but I have to admit, I'm looking forward to my next classes.

Ryan Gosling and Dead Man's Bones

2009-10-20T09:24:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday Ryan Gosling's (yes! from The Notebook!) band Dead Man's Bones played at the Sixth and I Street Synagogue in DC.

Read all about it here: Rockin’ Out at the Sixth and I Street Synagogue.

I'll admit it, I went to the show to ogle Ryan Gosling (and I have a suspicion that most of the audience went for that reason. There were multiple instances of "WE LOVE YOU RYAN!" interjections). He (or at least his character in The Notebook) is so dreamy. The fact that his band ended up being really really good was an added bonus.

But you don't have to take my word for it, they have a bunch of songs on YouTube, so check them out and decide for yourself:

In the Room Where You Sleep

My Body's a Zombie for You

Name in Stone

Cookie!

2009-10-19T09:18:00.000-07:00

She's done it again. Kelly, creator of bacon delights, impromptu pies, peanut butter decadence (last pic), has gifted me with a handful of her newest baking creations:

Behold, chocolate cookie dough/oatmeal cookie dough cookies with butterscotch chips (catchy name, no?).

I swear it tastes better than it looks.

I gave one to my roommate yesterday and watching him eat it was hilarious. First of all, he ate it with two hands like a chipmunk. And between each bite he commented on it. It went something like this:

*Nom nom nom*

"Wow, I haven't had something from scratch like this in a while."

*Nibble nom nibble*

"This is no chips ahoy"

*Munch munch hom nom*

"Does Kelly go for short balding men?" [That is a quote!]

*Yum yum nom*

"Mmmmm"

*Nibble nibble licks fingers*

"Wow, that was great."

Carry on Kelly! You are a master baker.

UPDATE: Kelly has informed me that there is a name for these bits of deliciousness: "Oatmeal Scotchies." And they are actually a "Nestle Tollhouse Classic." :)

I Heart Free

2009-10-12T20:40:00.000-07:00

I love free stuff. Free food. Free concerts. Free hugs. Free is great. If something is bad, but it's free, it's often not so bad.

Luckily, there's a lot of free stuff to do around D.C. This makes me happy and I wanted to share this joy. So, my newest post at ProjecTravel is Free Fun in D.C. (much of it written on the new lappie! Which I've nicknamed PolkaDot).

I have to admit, I learned a few things writing this post. I learned of the Monday night concerts at the National Theater and I found this awesome blog (added to my RSS feeder faster than you can say "FREE!) called Free in D.C.

Ah writing, an adventure around every turn. :)

New Toy!

2009-10-07T08:15:00.000-07:00

I ordered a new toy online last night and I'm so excited. Unfortunately it probably won't ship till next week and the anticipation is killing me! What did I get? An adorable little netbook!

At 10.3 inches across its so cute I want to pinch its cheeks. But don't be fooled by it's size on the outside, the hard drive is a huge 170 gigs (bigger than my current Godzilla sized laptop).

I can't wait till it gets here. I'm going to put it in my purse and take it everywhere (like a Maltese!). That way the moment I have a new blog post idea (oh, like this one), BAM! I can just type it out.

This is going to be awesome... and/or make me completely powerless in separating myself from the internet. Only time will tell. Can't wait! :)

Now at ProjecTravel!

2009-10-06T06:31:00.000-07:00

Your favorite blogger (hint, hint, that's me) is now blogging for the new Washington, D.C. section of ProjecTravel. Check out my first post about this weekend's Crafty Bastards Arts and Crafts Fair in Adams Morgan.

I'm so excited to have a new writing project! Plus, it's an excellent excuse to take on some adventures I've been wanting to partake in in D.C. No worries, I'll still write here at inchoate. I don't think ProjecTravel readers are interested in what I'm eating, how much pink I have on, or my latest obsession with something cute. That's right, gems like those will be kept here for your reading pleasure. :D

Starbucks Via Ready Brew Verdict: Not Too Shabby

2009-10-01T11:37:00.001-07:00

Not too shabby, not too shabby at all. The new Starbucks instant coffee is actually quite drinkable.

It's no illy (aka coffee nectar of the gods), but it's on par with if not better than work coffee (tainted by a carafe that just never seems to be clean enough).

I'll definitely drink the other two, probably on afternoons when lunch hits me just a little bit too heavily and I need a quick and easy pick-me-up.

Not bad Starbucks. I'd call this venture a success. I'm interested to see how the rest of your public responds.

Challenge! Starbucks Via Ready Brew

2009-10-01T11:12:00.000-07:00

Starbucks unleashed a new product today: Starbucks Via Ready Brew. Or in simpler (and less snazzy) terms: instant coffee.

They've been heralding the coming of this new venture for weeks now. The Starbucks near my work has even been having a days till Via arrives countdown. And I will admit, I was intrigued. I've dabbled in instant coffee in the past, drawn in by its easy, portable, and single-serving nature. But every time I've tried instant coffee I've been disappointed, and more than once grossed out.

Could this time be different? Has Starbucks really transcended the instant coffee stigma? Is their new product justified in separating itself into a new category of "instant brew"? Or will this be again an experience of instant letdown?

I purchased a three pack of the Colombia variety of this ready brew this afternoon. And at $2.95 (less than $1 a cup), I may call "sort of drinkable" a success. Hooray for cheapness! Also, the packaging is pretty cute. See below:

The first look

Opening up

Single serving

Directions:
1. Pour contents in a mug.
2. Add 8 fl. oz. hot water
3. Stir

But, the burning question, the most important question, still remains. How does it taste? Check back soon...

Nutricious and Delicious

2009-09-25T08:13:00.000-07:00

For a while now people in my life (including, but not limited to, my Dr. and a certain boy with four names who I'm beginning to suspect has stocks in the vitamin industry) have been encouraging me to take a multivitamin and calcium supplement.

I've actually owned a bottle of One-a-Day multivitamins for a few years now, but have probably only consumed about a handful of them over that period of time. Why? Good question. I think it's a combination of laziness/forgetfulness and an aversion to taking pills.

Then, the other day I saw a commercial for adult gummy vitamins (sigh, advertising does work). I sort of already knew these existed but I'd forgotten about them. With a newly perked awareness I headed down the vitamin aisle at Target last night.

And low and behold, I must not be the only adult who's not a huge fan of swallowing vitamins. I kid you not, there were no less that eight different varieties of adult gummy vitamins (there are only like 3 kid gummy vitamin options!). The One-a-Day ones even came in gummy sours (which I hope means they taste like sour patch kids). I would have gone for the One-a-Day ones but they contained 20 fewer gummies in the bottle than all the other brands (I'm partaking in a new activity these days, it's called "Reading the labels").

After spending waaaay too long looking at my options (Target ones are cheap! But are they crap? Do I want essential vitamins or vitamins for bone strength? Ahhh too many choices), I opted for VitaFusion's Essential Daily Vitamins gummies along with Viactiv's chocolate calcium chews (cause I've had those before and knew they're freakin delicious).

Once I got home I immediately indulged in multivitamin nomming. The VitaFusion gummies are fine, though their flavor isn't as good as Flintstone vitamins or real gummy bears. The Viactiv chews lived up to my memory of their deliciousness and I seriously considered way over fortifying myself with calcium (5 chews can't hurt right??), but practiced some will power.

I'm feeling pretty good about my new adventure into taking vitamins. It means I pretty much get to eat nutritious candy every day. Health for the win!

Dust Storm in Sydney

2009-09-24T07:27:00.000-07:00

Have you heard about the dust storm sweeping across Australia? It blanketed Sydney this week in a reddish haze. And while I can't imagine how awful it must have been to have to walk through all that, it has generated some amazing pictures. I visited my favorite Aussie in Sydney in 2005, and it's crazy to compare what I saw to the dusty pictures being posted. Here are some comparisons.

My photo of the opera house:

A very dusty opera house:

Sydney skyline:

Dusty skyline (the opera house is to the left if you look very closely):

The fabulously creepy Luna Park entrance:

The now even creepier Luna Park entrance:

Luckily for my friend Sorrel (pictured in the Luna Park photo), she's in Hong Kong now watching a High School Musical performance at Disney. Awesome, and way preferable to choking on dust at home.

Cooking with Quinoa

2009-09-21T09:19:00.000-07:00

Last week I was poking around the internet looking for something good to cook for dinner, and I came across this: Zucchini and Corn Taco Seasoned Quinoa Salad. I've had a box of quinoa sitting in my pantry for like 6 months now so I was glad for the opportunity to use it.

My friend Sian introduced me to quinoa a while back and calls it a "super-grain," but according to wikipedia it is actually a grain-like pseudo cereal. Whatever it is, its good, and good for you. In one cup of quinoa you get 8g of protein, 5g of fiber, and assorted vitamins and minerals. To me the texture is cous-cous like, though it looks very different. I think it could be easily substituted in places where you'd use rice or cous cous.

So after I hit the gym last Thursday, I swung by the grocery store, picked up the ingredients, and set to work on my Zucchini and Corn Taco Seasoned Quinoa Salad.

The recipe's ingredients included:

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1 batch taco seasoning
1 ear corn (grilled and kernels cut from cob)
1 cup zucchini (grated)
1 cup black beans
1 jalapeno (sliced)
1 green onion (sliced)
1/4 cup cilantro (chopped)
1 tablespoon oil
1 lime (juice)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup cotija (crumbled)

I mixed things up a little. For one I just got canned corn. I know grilled corn on the cob would have been much much better, but canned corn was easier. I passed on the jalapeno because I'm not into super spicy stuff. But in retrospect a little more spice would have been a plus. I was going to add cilantro but what we had in the fridge was a little sad looking, so I left it out. And I couldn't find cotija anywhere at the grocery store, so I opted for a crumbled goat cheese instead.

Once I had all my ingredients lined up the cooking began:

I measured out the quinoa, which looks very grain-like indeed:

Then I added the taco seasoning and cooked it on the stove:

Once the quinoa was cooked I threw it in a bowl and mixed in the veggies and beans. In a separate bowl I made the dressing and then added that in too:

And finally I finished it off with cheese:

Dinner accomplished:

The recipe made two servings and I'm currently enjoying the leftovers right now. It was a tasty little recipe, but if I do it again in the future I'm going to going to do a few things differently: 1) Add in the cilantro 2) Track down some cotija cheese 3) Add something, like chicken or tofu 4) Use this as a side dish to another meal, or make it a stuffing (like for peppers)

Homph

2009-09-16T06:45:00.000-07:00

This was on my daily calendar this morning and it brought me joy.

Homph.

Hom nom nom nom nom.

I love how the kitty is not freaking out at all. As if he's resigned to it cause it happens all the time.

And the dog is all like, "You're my favorite! I love you so much I want to hug you with my mouth!"

And the cat is like, "Whatevs. I know where you sleep. Your time will come."

A Steaming Mug of Inspiration

2009-09-08T06:36:00.000-07:00

During my last two years at Virginia Tech I lifeguarded at the university's pools. It was an awesome job. It paid well (by Blacksburg standards), there was sufficient downtime to get school work done, and most of the swimmers were pretty skilled (which kept things relatively stress free). My only regret was that I hadn't started lifeguarding there when I first began my college career.

There was also a decent community feel between the lifeguards, and even the lifeguarding management. The management put together a program to give out stars for good work, and said stars could then be redeemed for VT lifeguarding gear (which is how I have the complete VT lifeguarding beach set - towels, shorts, shirt, etc.)

They also made a point to recognize outgoing Seniors. Toward the end of my senior year they gifted me (and the other lifeguards in my class) with mugs. Inspirational mugs. And they didn't do this ironically. Nevertheless, I appreciated the gift, and this morning as I drink out of my senior year mug, I can't help but taste a little inspiration.

ACHIEVEMENT
Unless you try to do
Something beyond what
You have already
Mastered, You will
Never grow.

And now for another take on achievement. :)

Mini Paper Dolls

2009-09-02T09:55:00.001-07:00

Sometimes the crossword puzzle isn't working out. Sometimes you left your book at home. Sometimes that little scrap of post-it note beckons, and that's when magic happens. Like paper dolls. Super mini paper dolls. And by super I mean they have powers...okay, maybe not.

Gingerbread men

Shooting Stars

Cupcakes (work with me here)

Post-it Notes (it's meta... or something)

Ode to Aladdin's

2009-09-01T09:24:00.000-07:00

This blog has become all food, all the time! But hey, who doesn't like to eat? Today's gastronomical post centers on Aladdin's Eatery, a chain Lebanese restaurant that's my go-to when I want cheap, delicious food. My friend Liz and I hit it up last night and after 1 smoothie, 2 main courses, and 2 large desserts our bill came in under $30. Not too shabby.

Whenever I go to Aladdin's I pretty much stick to the same menu: hummus or baba appetizer, maybe a smoothie, and always for the main course the Mujadara plate. Mmmmm happiness. The Mujadara plate is a heaping serving of "steamed lentils and rice topped with Lebanese Salata, and garnished with toasted onions." I'm not gonna lie, the toasted onions are my favorite part. This meal is cheap, delicious, and best of all, I can get two meals out of it (I'm eating the second half of it right this moment... mmm). Check it out:

Mujadara plate(image from Aladdin's Eatery web site menu)

Restaurant Week August 2009 - Taberna del Alabardero

2009-08-31T09:37:00.000-07:00

Another wonderful Restaurant Week has come and gone. And Scott and I enjoyed it thoroughly at the Taberna del Alabardero restaurant.

Instead of spreading ourselves waaay too thin on fancy meals this Restaurant Week (in years past I've hit 3 or 4 places), we partook in just one $35 three course meal this go round (and we made it count).

A few weeks before Restaurant Week reservations opened up Scott and I perused the choices on the Open Table Restaurant Week list, noting numbers of $, descriptions of food, and online reviews. It was Scott who found Taberna del Alabardero, which claims to have been labeled the "Best Spanish restaurant outside of Spain" by the Spanish government. Besides that weighty endorsement, it was also marked as four dollar signs ($$$$), and had a wide variety of vegetarian and seafood dishes on its menu. I prefer to hit the restaurants with three or four dollar signs (rather than one or two) for Restaurant Week, because those are places that are normally prohibitively expensive for me, so to be able to go there for three courses for $35 is quite a deal.

After deciding on Taberna del Alabardero we unfortunately had to wait. I double checked nearly every day to see if reservations were open yet, and when they finally were the Taberna del Alabardero ones went quick. I first tried for a 7pm reservation on Saturday. Nothing available then, or two hours earlier or later. So I tried a 7pm Friday reservation. Same result. I kept adjusting times and dates until finally landing on an opening: 8:30pm on Sunday evening (yesterday). Despite the late dining hour and the fact that it was on a Sunday, Scott was still game so we signed up.

Even though we'd both glanced at the Restaurant Week menu at Taberna del Alabardero, neither of us really decided until we got there. This is what I had:

Starter: Gazpacho Andaluz - Traditional Gazpacho from Andalusia

Main Course: Pez Espada con Ragú Fresco de Verduras y Quínoa -
Swordfish, Fresh Vegetables and Quinoa Ragout

Dessert: Brownie de Chocolote Blanco con Crema de Baileys y Helado de Chocolate - White Chocolate Brownie, Baileys Cream and Dark Chocolate Ice-Cream

Dessert 2 (explanation below): Arroz con leche - Rice pudding

Here is the full menu of options.

The gazpacho dish caught my eye when we first sat down, and since Scott was getting the Calamares a la Plancha con Pisto de Verduras Locales (Grilled Squid, Local Farm Vegetables Ragout), it seemed like a good pick (over a house salad or another squid option).

When it came out I was so happy I'd made that decision. The two or three times I've had gazpacho in the past it has been very chunky. Almost a salsa rather than a soup. but Taberna del Alabardero's gazpacho was finely pureed, and at first glance looked like a pinkish tomato soup. One bite and I was in heaven. The taste was freshness. Garden. Summer. Despite looking completely uniform the gazpacho had many layers of flavor. Strongest was perhaps the taste of fresh tomatoes, but it was nicely balanced with the tastes of a number of other fresh vegetables. It was a nice way to begin.

Scott's squid was quite good as well (though I wouldn't have traded my gazpacho for it). The squid was perfectly cooked (not chewy at all), untouched by breading, accompanied by its own ink, and laid on a bed of very finely chopped veggies. Tasty city.

Next up was the main course. Scott and I both opted for fish dishes. He went for the Lubina con arroz Cremoso de Setas Silvestres (Rockfish with Wild Mushroom Creamy Rice and Morels Sauce) and I chose the Pez Espada con Ragú Fresco de Verduras y Quínoa (Swordfish, Fresh Vegetables and Quinoa Ragout). It's funny cause each of the dishes we chose contained one ingredient the other doesn't like. For me it was the mushrooms in Scott's rice, for Scott it was the chorizo in my veggies and quinoa (Pescetarians aren't big fans of pig products).

My Swordfish was divine. Again, cooked to perfection (simultaneously miles away from being overcooked or undercooked). And while the chorizo was mixed in with the vegetables and quiona, the flavor of it permeated the swordfish, enhancing a smokey flavor. I love quiona and was delighted it was a part of my dish.

Finally, dessert. Scott ordered the flan and I went for the white chocolate brownie. I'd been so impressed by the starter and the main course that I looked forward to an exceptional, decadent ending. It came out shortly and was presented as prettily as the dishes before. The brownie looked different than I'd expected, a circular shape (like the crust of a tart) rather than a rectangle. But that doesn't really matter, what did matter was that it tasted different than I'd expected too. I'd imagined a moist, even fudgey consistency but was met with a dry, cakey-bread texture. I took a few bites, tried to stay positive ("Well, at least the main dishes were good"), and finally just gave up. There was no pleasure in eating it, and I felt a bit let down.

After Scott had finished his flan (which was very nice, I'm just not a huge fan of flans in general) our waiter came by and asked if I didn't like my dessert. I said honestly, in the least-rude way I could, "Well, it was a little dry." Without skipping a beat, he said, "I will get you something else. Would you like the flan, or the rice pudding?" Having already sampled Scott's flan I opted for the rice pudding (though it would never have been my first choice).

Shortly after the waiter appeared with what looked like a shallow cereal bowl of rice pudding and two spoons (smart man). Half of the surface had been dusted with cinnamon. Scott and I wasted no time in dipping into the milky, cinnamony goodness. Once the first bite hit my lips I looked up at Scott, smiled, and said "Mmmmm."

It was wonderful. It looked and tasted just like very soft rice in milk though I'm sure there was much more involved. It didn't have the pudding consistency I was expecting (and that was actually a very nice thing). The milk or cream involved was sweet and smooth, and the topping of cinnamon brought the whole dessert to a crescendo. A few spoonfuls in I was quite full (from that and all the food before), but Scott and I found it impossible to leave a drop in the bowl.

The waiter soon came back to check on us, inquired about how we liked it (as if the empty dish didn't speak volumes) and I replied, "It was wonderful." He seemed pleased, and asked if we would care for coffee. Despite the late hour we said yes, and our cups of illy coffee were well worth any trouble finding zzz's later.

Our experience was lovely (the ambiance, the service, the FOOD), and we've already talked about going back to try the paella and vegetarian dishes. Oh yes, restaurant week strikes again.

Cupcake Cookies?!

2009-08-28T08:51:00.000-07:00

We're having a dessert party at work today (random, but AWESOME), and my first thought, when the invite was sent out, was, "Ooo, I'll make cookies!". Then my second thought, a few days ago, was "Ooo I'll go to a bakery and buy cookies!". Then this morning, as I'm sitting at my desk thinking about the fact that I neither made cookies nor went to a bakery, was "Let's see what's at the Corner Store!".

Luckily we have a fun little Corner Store near work, and they sometimes carry neat products like... Cupcake Cookies!!

I'll admit, I've wandered past these in this store before and was intrigued. But I didn't really have a reason to get them... until now.

They had two varieties, so I picked up both. They include:

Black and White Cupcake Cookies - "A rich, bite-size Dutch chocolate cookie with cream cheese frosting flavored sugar topping"

Birthday Cake Cupcake Cookies - "A crunchy, bite-size yellow cookie with chocolate cream cheese flavored sugar topping"

The descriptions sound great, and I'm particularly interested in the Birthday Cake ones (I'm on quite the birthday cake flavor kick these days. Any time I go to an ice cream shop and that's a option, I go for it). I remain dubious though, it's quite a statement to say that your cookies are like cupcakes. I'm not so sure that "sugar topping" will come anywhere close to rivaling or even mimicking for-real frosting. But, I'm trying to keep an open mind. Check back to see how it turns out...

(Yes, I did just put up two consecutive posts about cookies. I think this guy would be proud.)

UPDATE: Meh. These cookies are no cupcakes. These cookies aren't even very good cookies. They're not even in the same league as the dunkers. I'd even say I like 'Nilla Wafers better. Sigh. Oh well. Sometimes we must experience failure for the sake of science. And today was one of those days.

Trader Joe's Oatmeal Cranberry Dunkers

2009-08-27T09:46:00.000-07:00

I love Trader Joe's. The food there is affordable, delicious, and interesting, and I always leave excited to go home and eat. You may have read my past passions from Trader Joe's, which include a certain cookie that tastes like Christmas and a soup with the works. While I still heart those yummy edibles, I have a new Trader Joe's obsession.

Trader Joe's Oatmeal Cranberry Dunkers!

Check out the white fudge drizzle:

Last time I bought these at the store the clerk that was checking me out said, "Ooooh these are soooo good." (That's another thing I like about Trader Joe's, the staff is way nice and they are very knowledgeable about the food). I told him that last time they were out of them. He was like, "Oh no! That's terrible."

And it was. It was terrible. But no worries, cause they were there the next time. And now I have a whole tub of them in my pantry. Mmmm nom nom nom nom.

More Fun with the Camera Phone

2009-08-26T09:22:00.000-07:00

It's been a little while since I've shared my camera phone photography skills with you, so I thought it was about time. Check out the previous series of pic posts here: 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Michelle at Good Stuff
You're going to have to take my word on this, but I swear this is a picture of Michelle Obama leaving Good Stuff Eatery... or at least it's a picture of her entourage. They zoom her (understandbly) crazy quick out of places and I just wasn't fast/skilled enough to get a good shot. But I did see her and Malia, and that was pretty cool.

Lunch salads
I've posted photos a couple of times of some of my sad and bland lunches (see here and here) so I had to capture a more respectable (and colorful) lunch.

Adorable Pups
Between Scott and his folks there are 3 adorable dogs. From left to right to below: Annie, Ursa, and Max.

(Max is a little blurry cause he's not a professional model like Ursa and Annie)

Sweet new bike
Check out my new ride. Due to a busy schedule and a back ache I have not gotten to ride this nearly as much as I've wanted to (i.e. every day for hours and hours). Thanks Dad!

Bánh mì!
My new Vietnamese sandwich obsession (one of Scott's excellent influences). I highly recommend the Banh Mi DC Sandwich establishment.

Pink kayak!
Even though it was far from the fanciest kayak in the shop, I totally fell in love with this pink kayak. It didn't hurt that it also supports breast cancer research.

The beach!
No summer quite feels complete without a trip to the beach. Scott and I made it down to Kitty Hawk this year and it was AWESOME.

On my Reading List

2009-08-19T09:04:00.000-07:00

I have a quite a stack of to-be-read books next to my bed right now, and I'm anxious and excited to read every single one of them. Here are a few selections on my current summer reading list (in no particular order):

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

By Haruki Murakami

I love Murakami's fiction writing style. He weaves strange complex tales with complicated (sometimes frustrating) characters. Some of my favs of his are The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and Sputnik Sweetheart.

But What I Talk About When I Talk About Running isn't fiction. It's about his own experiences as a runner. I have no idea how this will play out, or how different his writing style may be in this book. But I'm eager to find out.

It's funny how parts of your life can intersect. Now that I've gotten into running I find reading about running really interesting. Scott and I both recently read Born to Run by Christopher McDougall and it turned out to be really inspiring and encouraging. For instance, one of the runners in the book mentioned how she changed her mindset about hills (embracing the challenge rather than trudging through it negatively) and I've found myself trying to incorporate that into how I run. And the stories of runners in Nevada shoe-melting heat has given me a new view of humid Virginia days (i.e. at least it's not 115 out here! Get a move on!). So I hope this Murakami book will offer more for me to learn when it comes to running.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

By Jane Austen (and Seth Grahame-Smith)

Okay, I'm totally falling for the hype on this one. This creative and ridiculous reworking of the classic Pride and Prejudice to include zombies has me very curious. So while at a bookstore (I should never go to those, I always buy things) I grabbed it (oooh impulse buys). I'll let you know if it's any good. If it is, I may be convinced to buy the similar Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters.

Speak, Memory

By Vladimir Nabokov

This is another example of a fiction writer dabbling in another genre. This time Lolita author Vladimir Nabokov tackles the art of the autobiography.

I've heard this is a wonderful read, and I'm really really looking forward to it. The reason Lolita is one of my favorite books is about 80% writing style and 20% story.

Currently I'm finishing up Dune by Frank Herbert (which may seem lame to non-Science Fiction fans, but I'm really enjoying it). I have a bit left in Dune but I'm already itching to start one of these other books. The hard part is going to be deciding which gets read first.

Big Brother - Zoo Style

2009-08-07T11:07:00.000-07:00

Being all locked up in cages and all I'm sure the animals at the zoo always feel like they're being watched. But I wonder if some of them have recently felt like they're being watched extra closely, by millions of eyes! If they do feel this way, it may be legit. The National Zoo now has nearly 20 live animal web cams. Check them out (they're usually about halfway down the page, so if you don't see it at first then scroll down a bit):

Amazon River Cam

Asian small-clawed Otter Cam

Cheetah Cam

Clouded Leopards Cam

Ferret Cam

Fishing Cats Cam

Flamingo Cam

Gharial Cam

Golden Lion Tamarin Cam (which appears to be down at the moment)

Gorilla Cam

Kiwi Cam

Lion Cam

Microscope Cam

Naked Mole-Rat Cam

Octopus Cam

Orangutan Cam

Panda Cam

Slothbear Cam
Tiger Cam

Since the cameras are live shots sometimes they're filming empty cages (kind of reminds me of the beginning of Jurassic Park). My personal favorite live cam usually has a decent amount of action. It's the ferret cam.

These ferrets are awesome. They attack the camera (creating that even more adorable fisheye ferret look), they chomp each other's ears, step on each other's faces, and generally scurry about all day. Sometimes you'll tune in to see everyone all passed out, but give it a minute and someone will be up and ready to play again.

I've really gotten sucked into the ferret cam and have found myself checking in at least once or twice a day for the past week now. I've enjoyed the cam so much that I wrote a email to the zoo today telling them that I think Puppy Bowl should be replaced with Ferret Bowl this year, and that I'd be happy to start a petition to get the ball rolling on this.

Ferrets are great, people. Great. Now back to the ferret cam.

Learning to Run: UFC Style

2009-08-04T16:41:00.000-07:00

I really wanted to run yesterday. But at noon a migraine hit, and when I rejoined the living world around 7pm even thinking about doing anything that might slightly jiggle my brain made me cringe. I was totally bummed out. But I resolved to make sure I definitely ran tonight, with extra enthusiasm for yesterday's failed run.

After a couple of errands and wandering around my house I donned my running clothes (the outfits are totally part of the fun) and hit the trail. It felt good, and I hit a groove pretty quickly. About twenty minutes into the run I hit the part of the trail that splits off three ways. We always go one way, but I was curious about a second way. So I turned to the right and jogged up to explore.

The trail went on for a bit but then tapered down into a much smaller walking path, and eventually disintegrated all together. New route fail. But at least I know where that way goes now.

I made my way back home through a couple of neighborhoods and then back onto the main drag. It's definitely August now, and the heat and humidity had me fully in their smothering grasp. I stopped running about five minutes from my house, opting to walk the rest of the way and recover. As soon as I stopped running I felt my shoulders slouch, my head fall forward, and my steps start to drag. I looked like the run had defeated me, and that wasn't going to fly.

Through my extensive (as well as totally academic and very very serious) watching of the UFC Ultimate Fighter series I've learned that unless you've been K0'd or TKO'd, you never leave the ring with your head down. If you're leaving the decision up to the judges you want to give them evidence through to the end that you're the stronger competitor.

With this on my mind on my walk back tonight, I straightened my shoulders, lifted my head, and walked with a purpose. I owned that run. No contest. And I'm going to walk home strong to prove it.

Meaza - Ethiopian Extravaganza

2009-08-03T06:18:00.001-07:00

Last week Scott's roommate Rachel had friends in town, and she wanted to take them out to try Ethiopian. I've had Ethiopian twice, once in Philly and once in New York, but I haven't tried any in the area so I didn't know what to recommend. So I turned to this crazy, ridiculously long list of good ethnic dining in the area, and found in the "Places you must try" section an Ethiopian place called Meaza. Scott and I doubled checked its reviews on Yelp and the Washington Post, and we decided to give it a shot.

When we arrived at Meaza it looked different that I expected it to. It's newish, has a dance floor and stage, and an extra room for banquets and events. I guess I just figured that with all the good food reviews it was getting they were probably spending more time on their food and less on their appearance (kind of like Lebanese Butcher style, where the sketchiness adds to the charm).

We were seated promptly and we started perusing the menu. Scott had already looked online and asked if I was interested in sharing the whole fried fish and the sides that came with it. It wouldn't have been my first choice, but I'm up for new things, so I said I was in.

We placed our orders, and while we waited we sniffed the food as it was whisked by to the other tables. Everything smelled wonderful.

Soon into our wait a live band set up a keyboard and some sort of stringed instrument (maybe a Masenqo?) The band member not on the keyboard also sang. They were shortly joined by two traditional dancers, who were not only excellent, but also seemed to be genuinely enjoying themselves. It was really great to watch.

But the best part, as it should be, was when our food came out. Check out our whole fried fish!

Whole fried fish (with injera and other deliciousness to the left):

I've never had a whole fried fish before, but now when I go back I don't know that I'll ever be able to order anything else. It was soooo good. Not to mention really fun to eat (you just pull it apart piece by piece with your fingers). We devoured it.

Whole fried fish, wholly enjoyed:

Check Meaza out. Two thumbs up.

Are Dogfish Head's Standards Slipping?

2009-07-30T09:58:00.000-07:00

Last night I hit up the Dogfish Head Alehouse for a reason entirely unrelated to my brother's birthday tomorrow... I swear (should I have said spoiler alert? maybe ear muffs?). And since my favorite Dogfish Head key chain bottle opener recently broke (though I haven't had the heart to actually take it off of my key ring yet) I decided that since I was there I'd get a new one.

I headed to the host counter, requested a key chain, noted the $4 pricetag, groaned, but decided to purchase one anyway.

Even though I decided to buy one, when I was in the restaurant I had immediately noticed a difference in quality from my first Dogfish Head key chain and this new one. The new key chain is noticeably lighter and much much thinner than the original one. Check out the comparison side by side:

Exhibit 1: My old Dogfish Head key chain. Well worn, and well loved. The bottom part of the shark's mouth recently bent off, rendering my favorite beverage opening device completely useless.

Exhibit 2: My new Dogfish Head key chain. At first glance it looks comparable (and even shinier) than the old key chain.

Exhibit 3: The side comparison (old opener on the left, new opener on the right). The minute you hold both of the key chains you notice a significant weight and quality difference. And here in this picture you can see how much thinner and flimsier this new key chain is. It's what, a third of the width of the old one?

Exhibit 4: The old and the new. The real and the fraud.

I should have gone with my gut in the store and not purchased such a sub-standard bottle opener. But, with my purchase complete, I tried to give the device the benefit of the doubt, and I tried it out in an effort to open a tasty beverage last night. The result?

UTTER FAILURE.

The lower part of the shark's mouth became immediately scratched and chewed up, but, more importantly, I was unable to open my bottle. You know, not a big deal, except for the fact that that one function is the entire reason this item exists.

What's up Dogfish Head? Is it the economy? A run on whatever metal you used in the original shark bottle openers? In someway an attempt at "going green"?

Or is this an indication that your standards are slipping across the board? Will your hosts now ignore customers and apathetically wave them toward open seating when they enter the restaurant? Will your beers utilize less hops, wane in flavor, and drop in quality? Will people soon respond, when asked if they'd like a Dogfish Head brew, "Nah, I'll just have a Bud Light?"

What is the next step in this slippery slope of diminished quality?

I guess that remains to be seen. My next step on the other hand is clear. I'm going to make my way back to tonight or tomorrow to demand a full refund.

Update: I did indeed return to the Dogfish Head Alehouse and request a refund. And while the quality of the bottle openers may be slipping, the quality of their customer service is not. The members of staff that I spoke with were polite and sympathetic and offered me the option of a replacement bottle opener (though one that won't fit on my key chain) or my $4 back. I opted for the bottle opener, cause it was neat, and probably the easiest solution. It's not a key chain, but it has been traveling around with me in my purse (mainly cause I keep forgetting to take it out). Behold the replacement:

Eat the Rainbow

2009-07-28T12:29:00.000-07:00

I know the picture below isn't very good, and I know that it's pretty lame to have two post about your lunch one after another. But! I wanted to show that I am capable of preparing a lunch that consists of more than one color. Look at all the colors in this one! Celery, and pineapple, and kiwi, and strawberry, oh my! Baby steps people, baby steps.

Lunch Fail #2

2009-07-23T09:25:00.000-07:00

My lunch is way too orange today:

Along with some yogurt and cookies I have carrots, a cheese stick, and Trader Joe's cheese crunchies. I can't imagine this is really any better than my beige lunch.

Sigh. Gotta work on this...

Fried Green Tomatoes

2009-07-23T06:40:00.000-07:00

Last night I enjoyed my first experience with fried green tomatoes!

And these weren't just any fried green tomatoes, these were green tomatoes from the garden, grown and prepared by Chef Scott, and served with a side of pasta and broccoli.

They were AMAZING. They brought together two things I love: garden tomatoes (they always taste better than store bought ones) and fried. And let me tell you, it's a match made in heaven. He battered them lightly, so there was a nice balance of crisp outside and soft, juicy inside. I ate like four before collapsing on the couch holding my belly, but still kind of wanting more.

I sort of helped in the cooking process. Sort of... Last night I went to a local music store and had my cello tuned. Wohoo! And while I was there I bought a book of pop songs arranged for the cello. We're talking songs like "Don't Speak" by Gwen Stefani, "Stacy's Mom" by Fountains of Wayne, and "She Will be Loved" by Maroon Five. There were also some random, but fun to play songs like "Puff the Magic Dragon," "Ave Maria," "My Heart will go on."

So while Scott chopped, fried, and boiled, I played. And man did it feel good. My fingers found their positions, my vibrato came back, and it felt like I'd only put the cello down for a few weeks (rather than a few years). Don't get me wrong, I'm still pretty rusty. I need to work on my scales and pacing, and my cello needs a few touch-ups as well (new strings wouldn't hurt, and I need to get my bow re-haired). But despite all this it felt good to play, and I look forward to getting back into it, and maybe taking some lessons (maybe even playing in a group?).

The animals in the house seemed fascinated with my playing (which I'm not entirely sure meant it sounded good). Ron (the cat) kept circling around, sniffing my cello and trying to sit next to me. Max (the dog) wasted no time in howling along, which totally cracked me up.

I forsee much more cello playing (and hopefully fried green tomatoes too) in my future.

Then Sings my Soul...

2009-07-21T08:57:00.000-07:00

It's been a tough week, and it's only Tuesday.

Sunday night, around 9:30 pm, my Nana (my Dad's mom) passed away. She'd had a stroke about a week before. This loss is made harder I think, by that fact that we so recently lost my Grandma (my Mom's mom), and are still recovering from that.

They were both very special, and very different ladies. My Nana was from the South, and when I heard her speak (she was a woman of few words) she always had a bit of that Southern twang. She raised five children in a small two bedroom house (which she still lived in up until her death, thanks to the care of my Uncle Steve). She was a tall woman, at least in comparison to my Pop-pop (his nickname was "Shorty" to be fair), and a constant uncomplaining caretaker (always making sure everyone was fed before she herself sat down and ate).

While, like I said, she wasn't a big talker, she was quick to smile, and it was always sweet and genuine. Even though she lived a long life, she was 87 when she died, its still hard to lose her.

Yesterday my family spent the day together, enjoying each other's company and support. But last night I spent some hours alone, and realized I was grieving more than I had really acknowledged.

I've recently reclaimed my cello from my parents' house and last night all I wanted to do was play. Unfortunately 4 years of sitting in a basement has made my cello nearly impossible to tune, and I haven't yet taken it to a shop to get it checked out and tuned up (this is on the schedule for this week). So I tuned to the next best option: listening to music. And through my Pandora Duhks station, I came across a collaboration between Bela Fleck and Edgar Meyer. The combination of Bela Fleck on the banjo and Edgar Meyer on the bass really grabbed me, and I found myself able to sink into the music and nourish my soul...

Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness. ~Maya Angelou, Gather Together in My Name

Listenin' to my stories

2009-07-15T08:47:00.000-07:00

So I've recently discovered this newfangled media called... podcasts! Okay, just kidding, I'm not that far behind the times. But it has only been recently that I've started downloading them to my iTouch to take them with me on the go. They're great for car trips, metro rides, and other iPod-able moments.

While I've dabbled in numerous NPR podcasts (Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me; Story of the Week; Car Talk; All Things Considered; etc.), podcast columns (Savage Love), and other randomness (Travel with Rick Steeves!), my favorite podcasts are ones that tell stories. And so I thought I'd share.

This American Life
I love This American Life so much that I will take it in any form that I can get it. I stream archived episodes while I do data entry, I went to the movie theater to see the live broadcast of the show, and now I download the podcasts.

I love this show for a myriad of reasons:

1. Ira Glass is wonderful (his voice, his tone, his glasses)
2. The music and formatting is quirky and fun
3. The stories are excellent

It's cliche to say that truth is stranger than fiction, but man oh man is it true in the case of this show. Babies switched at birth, out of control sleep walking, kidnapped kids, seriously, you couldn't make this stuff up.

Other stuff is less ridiculous, and more heartwarming, funny, or poignant. These are a few of my (current) favorites:

1. Break-Up - Thoughts on losing love, and an awesome section where Starlee Kine consults Phil Collins on how to write a break-up song.

2. What I Learned from Television - Which at one point brings together two things I heart: Ira Glass (as mentioned before) and the OC.

3. Classifieds - Exploring the real people behind classified ads. I particularly liked the band bit and the section on people and their dogs.

The Moth
I first heard about The Moth through This American Life, which featured one of their stories (I think it was the one with Bill Clinton's press secretary). The Moth is a "not-for-profit storytelling organization." Their podcasts feature live performances of people telling real stories without written notes.

So far, most of the stories I've heard through The Moth are really funny. They are so good for car trips. I think I like them because they're complete stories told by one person (who is usually the main character in their story) and they last about twenty minutes or so on average. You can listen to some of the stories on The Moth website, or get them through iTunes.

Story Corps
I heard about Story Corps through NPR, which features them on their website and in weekly broadcasts.

I was first drawn to Story Corps cause I thought it was such a cool organization. They have these booths in a couple of cities and a traveling airstream trailer where people can go in with a loved one and record stories and memories. Story Corps has loved ones and friends interview each other (rather than have a stranger doing the interview) because it helps them connect, its an act of love, and it can allow stories to delve deeper.

The stories featured in the Story Corps podcast tend to be very short (usually less than 10 minutes), but sometimes that's all you need. I especially like the stories from their Memory Loss Initiative, a program that encourages people with memory loss (often caused by Alzheimer's or dementia) to share their stories.

Less Pants, More Fun

2009-07-09T18:52:00.000-07:00

This weekend on our 4th of July camping extravaganza Sian wore the cutest pair of sweat-shorts. I commented on how much I liked them and she let me in on a little secret... they were cut offs!

With the temps higher and frolicking to be done there's just no need for full length sweatpants. Sweat-shorts on the other hand are just what summer ordered.

I know it's not a novel idea, the whole cutoffs thing, but for some reason I hadn't really thought about it for my own wardrobe until Sian mentioned it. And ever since then I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. I've been making a mental list of pants and capris I never wear cause I don't like their lengths, and tonight I did something about it. I had a bit of a pants party*.

The minute I thought about pants with length issues I thought about these striped linen pants. I think I've worn them maybe twice (if that) due to their unfortunate length. They're just oddly too long. I haven't gotten rid of them though cause they're so darn comfortable. Cutting them down was the perfect solution. And now I think I may just have a new favorite pair of Bermuda shorts (I'm even wearing them now whilst typing this). Check em' out:

Here's a close-up so you can get the full-on striped experience. Loooove these:

Next on the chopping block were a pair of red capri sweatpants that I used in my Lobster costume two Halloweens ago. They've always fit oddly so I never wear them. But now, they're excellent sweat shorts!

Before (booooo):

After (yay!!):

And finally, the last pair, blue sweatpant high waters. That's right, high waters. These pants were far too long to be called capris and far too short to be called pants. They didn't look the best, but they are seriously the most comfortable sweat high waters ever. Now they're the most comfortable sweat shorts ever! I may have to wear them every day (if I'm not wearing the stripey linen cutoffs that is).

Before:

After!:

I'm done for now, but I have to admit that was pretty fun. I kinda want to make some more. I think all the pants in my closet are trembling in fear, worried they'll fall victim to cut-off crazed Lis.

*Brick Tamland: I would like to extend to you an invitation to the pants party.
Veronica Corningstone: Excuse me?
Brick Tamland: [struggling] The... party. With the... with the pants. Party with pants?
Veronica Corningstone: Brick, are you saying that there's a party in your pants and that I'm invited?
Brick Tamland: That's it.

Overloaded by Cuteness, One day at a time

2009-07-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

Every year for Christmas my Mom gives my brother and I each a daily calendar for our desks at work. She picks them based on each of our interests and then goes through and writes us little notes and inspirational quotes. Things like:

Thursday, January 1, 2009: So what are your dreams for 2009?

Saturday, Februrary 14, 2009: Mom and Dad love you lots! Happy Valentine's Day!

Friday, April 24, 2009: "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." - Helen Keller

Tuesday, April 7, 2009: "Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says: 'Make me feel important.' Not only will you succeed in sales, you will succeed in life." - Mary Kay Ash

Thursday, November 12, 2009 (that's right, I looked into the future): "Of course there is no formula for success except perhaps an unconditional acceptance of life and what it brings." - Arthur Rubenstein.

It's her way of sending us notes now that we're in our late (gasp!) twenties and she doesn't pack our lunches anymore (though to be fair I think that stopped in 6th grade). Just before this past Christmas, knowing that a daily calendar was probably in the cards, I put in a request for the most coolest, greatest, CUTEST calendar out there: The Cute Overload Calendar. Apparently I was pretty good last year, cause my wish was granted.

And let me tell you, this calendar is awesome. Every morning I'm greeted with a color photo of some adorable (often baby) animal. And I have to admit, it makes my day a little brighter. The only problem is, I have trouble throwing each day's photo away, and so I've been collecting my favorites...though I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with them (cute paper airplanes? adorable wrapping paper? snuggleable note paper?).

Some of the pages feature the Rules of Cuteness. These very scientifically proven rules explain actions and elements that are always cute. For example, #5: Fisheye lens + baby animals is always cute. Or, #8: If you can eat your furniture, you're cute. Or, #10: If you haven't grown into your feet yet, it's cute. So far on the daily calendar I've gotten to Rule #25: Dangling paws are cute.

My collection of the Rules of Cuteness:

I have to admit, the dog pictures tend to be my favorites. Here are a few I particularly liked:

Puppy!!

Cute or sad? Both! Sute!

Corgies rock my world.

I also tend to have a soft spot for rodents:

Awwww.

Hedgehog fail for the (cute) win!

And who doesn't love a panda?

Pretty much its the greatest one-a-day calendar ever. They should totally hire me as their spokesperson. I could be the Billy Mays (may he rest in peace) of cuteness. "Hi! Cute calendar spokesperson here."

Learning to Run: Fireflies

2009-07-08T06:21:00.001-07:00

Last night was busy. There were errands to run, laundry to wash, and groceries to buy. And by the time they were all done it was already 8 pm and the sun was beginning to set. But time of night be damned, I still wanted to run. And so did Scott.

We threw on our running clothes and hit the road, in the direction of our new favorite route. This route follows a couple of connecting path and cuts through a park, forming a satisfying circular loop (I really enjoy not having to turn around and double back). Even though the route parallels a major highway for a bit there's still a sense of isolation and disconnectedness. Despite the background lull of passing cars there's a stillness and quiet that's especially present at night.

Our run began at dusk, and the night gathered around us with every subsequent step. And with every degree of light we lost, another handful of fireflies would emerge. Two thirds of the way through the run the woods, bushes, and sky around us were filled with swarms of fireflies. Like sparkles of light dancing on a lake, or stars twinkling in the sky.

I ran without music last night, and found it easy to sink into my thoughts and just watch the light show the fireflies were putting on. It was peaceful and spiritual, and I found myself full of thank yous and gratitude. Grateful for strong legs, grateful for a beautiful place to run, grateful for Scott introducing me to running and helping me keep it up.

It was an excellent run; not only beautiful but fast and challenging. Scott estimates we ran 3 to 4 miles in 37 minutes. It left me wonderfully tired and relaxed, ready to grab a good dinner and wander off to bed.

Update: We mapped it. 3.4 miles!

Thriller - Lego Style

2009-06-26T12:27:00.000-07:00

The music world (and maybe even the lego world) will never be the same. Michael Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009).

Learning to Run: Sprints

2009-06-24T08:32:00.000-07:00

Despite feeling the beginnings of a cold coming on, I went for a run with Scott yesterday. I've heard that germs can't hit a moving target, and that sweating is good for you, so even though I wasn't feeling in top form, I got myself out there.

Surprisingly, it felt really good to run. Scott and I decided to take it somewhat easy and aim for just a twenty minute run. I fully embraced the "taking it easy" approach, while Scott on the other hand surged ahead after about the first 10 minutes of running together. That's kind of become our running method: start out together but then each find our own pace. I don't want to hold him back, so I don't mind it when he goes running ahead.

Scott has also embraced the running ahead then doubling back routine. He runs ahead maybe twenty feet then turns around and heads back toward me. After a few words of encouragement and running with me for maybe 30 seconds he surges ahead again. This repeats multiple times during the run, so he's probably running double the distance I am.

Yesterday I was feeling a little silly (perhaps caused by somewhat-sickness), and so after about the third time of Scott looping back, I changed things up. As he was turning around to run beside me I surged ahead, kicking it into high gear and leaving him in my dust. I laughed evilly ("Mu hahahahah") but he quickly caught up again, and I began to get winded and had to slow down. After I caught my breath I decided to play around again. "Look over there!" I said and left him behind again. We kept this up for the rest of our run, gassing it then slowing down again and again.

We finished on our final hill and I was pretty out of breath at this point, and happy to slow down and go back to walking. "That was fun," I said, to which he replied, "You know, we were pretty much doing sprinting drills." I of course refused to acknowledge that. I didn't want my fun tainted by the possibility that we were doing actual training. :)

This morning I can really feel last night's run in the backs of my legs. It's been a while since I've really been sore the day after a work out (which probably means I'm not working out hard enough). Might have to incorporate these "sprints" more in the future.

June 22nd DC Metro Crash

2009-06-23T09:06:00.000-07:00

You've probably heard by now about the horrible DC metro crash that happened last night. I heard about it when I was walking home from the gym; my roommate texted me to see if I was okay (he didn't realize I don't ride the red line to work).

It was a pretty terrifying crash, with the fatality number continuing to creep up (so far nine people have been killed). For me this tragedy hits close to home because I commute on the metro every single weekday and often on the weekends. I know that metro is ridiculously safer than driving (the last major accident metro had was in 2004), but its still frightening to think about.

I've been following the coverage on the Washington Post, but also on DCist (which I prefer). DCist has updates that are easier to follow, and also a more intimate tone. It's like your friend is telling you the news while saying, "Can you believe this happened in our neighborhood?"

Here are some of the recent updates from DCist:

- FEMS, Metro Trade Barbs on Crash Communication

- Death Toll Back Up to Nine, Five Bodies Removed From Wreckage

- NTSB Points Finger at Metro

- METRO eAlerts Not Well Equipped to Deal With Fatal Crashes

- Obama Statement on Deadly Metro Crash

- Morning Roundup: Deadliest Crash in Metro History

But for as frightening as this story is, it's tempered by the beautiful stories of courage and decency that this crisis elicited. Like from this one man the Post interviewed:

Martin Griffith, a civilian employee at the Pentagon, also was inside the train that was struck. Afterward, he said, "I looked out the window. I looked up. I could see the wreckage hanging over the door. There was a woman there, too, trying to hang on."

He hit the emergency release and opened the door out onto the track. "That's when I realized people had been ejected out. They were lying on the ground next to the car," Griffith said.

He said he helped one woman who had fallen near the electrified third rail, collecting other passenger's T-shirts to stanch her bleeding.

After the power to the live rail was turned off and rescuers reached her, Griffith said, he found a teenage girl. He said it wasn't clear whether she had been ejected from the train that hit his or had climbed out on her own. Her legs looked broken, Griffith said, and he sat with her while firefighters used the jaws of life to open the doors on a nearby train so she could be taken to an ambulance.

"She said, 'Tell my boyfriend . . .' " Griffith said, and then he cut her off. "You tell him yourself. You're breathing. You can see me. You don't need to give me any last messages."

He then used her cellphone to call her mother. Ernice Beasly picked up: The injured girl was her daughter Lanice, 14. Later, she said that her daughter was at the hospital, unconscious and badly cut but alive. She said of Griffith: "Thank the Lord for him."

Griffith then walked to the Fort Totten Station and took the Metro home to Northern Virginia, still wearing the black pants and white dress shirt he'd had on at the crash scene.

"People were looking at me strange," he said. "I had blood all over me, none of it my own."

It's always inspiring to hear about people who rise to the occasion when dealing with catastrophes and life threatening situations. I follow a blog by Amanda Ripley, author of The Unthinkable, a book that looks at human behavior in extreme situations. When talking about the DC metro crash she says, "As is so often the case in disasters, people did remarkable things for one another. Survivors [of the DC crash] report fear, confusion and kindness--but not panic."

My heart goes out to the families of those who were killed, and for all of those who had to experience this yesterday.

Mistaken Identity

2009-06-19T14:35:00.000-07:00

Oh wrong numbers. They're funny, sometimes awkward, and often disconcerting. Who is this stranger calling me? And why do they seem annoyed when I'm not the person they meant to call? Not my fault!

I had a really random wrong number experience the other day. A call came in from a number I didn't recognize, but for some reason I decided to pick it up. The conversation went something like this:

Me: Hello?

Caller: Has Jason been by?

Me: Um, excuse me? Who's calling?

Caller: Has Jason been by?

Me: I'm sorry, I don't know who you're talking about.

Caller: Lis?

Me: Yes.

Caller: Liz Jackson?

Me: No.

Caller: Oh. Sorry. Wrong number.

I know there are a lot of Lis/zes out there (I used to hang out only with Lizes), but this was still strange. To have someone call you by your name, but then it still be a wrong call. I kept wondering if I was being pranked (though, least interesting prank ever).

Of course these days not only do you get the pleasure of people calling you accidentally, you also get them texting you accidentally. Here is a for real text conversation I had no less than 30 minutes ago. I present it exactly as I received it (and exactly as I sent it back), with no changes in spelling or CAPITALIZATION:

Texter: KEVIN Y U ACTIN LIK DAT 4?! DIS IS ISIS

Me: I think you have the wrong number

Texter: Who dis?

Me: Not kevin

Now I'm thinking I played that wrong. I should have played the part of Kevin, kept the conversation going and making a better story. Maybe I could have responded with something like:

U no how I roll. Sk8er boyz 4eva!!!!

Happy Thoughts

2009-06-18T06:52:00.001-07:00

Raindrops on roses, and whiskers on kittens are all well and good, but sometimes it's all about the videos of cute animals. Here are two of my favs that aren't new, but never seem to get old (to me).

Sneezing Panda

Tickled Slow Loris

If you need more of a cute fix, go to Cuteoverload.com Grandma loved cute and furry animals in any form: real animals, stuffed animals, digital animals (all made her smile).

To Grandma, July 29, 1923 - June 16, 2009

2009-06-17T08:45:00.000-07:00

My grandma passed away yesterday at 10:55 am. She leaves behind her only child (my mom), son-in-law (my dad), my brother and I, her sister Bea, her nephew Jeffrey, extended family, and many loving friends.

After going to see her one last time yesterday, my parents, brother and I spent the day together. We cried, we ate (and later ate again), we told stories both funny and sad, and we went through dozens of photo albums looking back on my grandma's life.

While I've always loved and respected her, the older I've gotten the more this love and respect has grown. She was a really interesting and classy lady. I've always been impressed by her poise and style. Over the past few years she's changed, losing memories and forgetting faces. But through all of this the core of her stayed the same: sweet, nurturing, easy going. I feel blessed to have known her and to have spent the time we had with her.

Yesterday, after going through pictures we uploaded them to the computer, and I'd like to share a few.

Grandma and her younger sister Bea and older sister Betty.

A beautiful woman, who loved my grandfather very much .

The woman who taught my mom to be such a great mom.

Three generations. From the left: Aunt Bea, my great-grandma, Aunt Betty, and Grandma. And of course, my mom seated in front.

When my brother and I came along my grandmother spent time with us, sharing in some of our mutual favorite things, like:

Reading

Naps

And being silly

Thanks grandma for being a great part of my life. I love you and will think of you when I hear the 1812 overture (which always made her cry), participate in tea parties, or meet anyone as nurturing and kind as you.

Cranking Up the Nom-o-meter

2009-06-11T07:30:00.000-07:00

Have you ever eaten something and thought, how did someone come up with this recipe? Sometimes I think that one ingredient must have just fallen into another, and someone went with it. Like bacon pancakes.

I could see it happening. You're making pancakes one Saturday, as one does, and you've made a side of bacon. Maybe you're on the phone, maybe you're still sleepy, maybe you have twitchy hands that accidentally punch things, and suddenly, WHOOPS! You knock your bacon into your pancake batter. At first you're distraught, and then... it dawns on you. THIS IS BRILLIANT.

I believe this is also how frickles, fried candy bars, and the assortment of other fried delights came about out there. One clumsy cook plus one deep fryer equals happy hungry carnival goers.

But okay, sometimes things don't fall into other things. Sometimes things sit next to one another and you think, "Well, that's right next to that, let's combine." I believe this may have been how Christine started eating french fries dipped in McFlurries, and it's definitely how I came up with this last night:

Tortilla chips

Cool Whip

YUM

Seriously. Try it.

Learning to Run: Adventures on the Treadmill

2009-06-08T18:15:00.000-07:00

Yes, dear readers, I've changed the "Learning to Run" title format yet again. So many weeks! So hard to remember which one we're on! I believe it's week 11 at this point, but now that the 8 week program is complete, what week we're on seems less important.

As mentioned in the last running entry though, running post-8 week plan has been a little challenging. Without that strict schedule, it's been easier to say, "Oh, I'll just run tomorrow."

But I'm turning over a new leaf, and reigning in my role as a "we're run later" bad influence. Last week I only ran twice, but this week I plan on doing twice that (Dear Scott, please hold me to that, and get me to push it on those hills!). Also helping my motivation are people who were originally motivated by me (like Alex's friend Erik! Hi Erik!). Hearing that they're excited about running reignites my excitement, creating an endless loop of running enthusiasm (everybody wins!). Oh, I totally planned it this way (cough, cough, tooootally). I even wrote out a step-by-step plan...

Step 1: Blog about running.
Step 2: Motivate others with said running.
Step 3: Be motivated by those who've been motivated.
Step 4: Take over the world.

So what's new in my running world (besides taking Scott down with me in my laziness)? The treadmill. I've tried it twice now, and I've concluded that it is weird.

I understand the benefits: no getting rained on, no dodging traffic, all your exercise needs in one place. But it's weird. Maybe I'm doing it wrong. I definitely know that regular punching of the console probably isn't recommended, but that seems to be an issue for me. And then today my flailing hands did one better and hit the emergency button. This resulted in the treadmill shutting off completely and coming to a moderately abrupt stop. I didn't know what had happened at first, and I looked around, expecting the power to be out or something (that did happen at my gym once before). But no, I looked around to see all the other runners near me were doing just fine, their emergency buttons entirely untouched. I nervously laughed to myself, started the treadmill up again, and tried to keep my fists of fury to myself.

It is good to know that I can manage on the treadmill for the most part (I'd been nervous about trying it for a while), but I much prefer hitting the trails with Scott. I'm a fan of the company, the scenery, and the feel of real ground beneath my feet. So while the treadmill is a good option, it's definitely in second place to running outside.

In other exercise news, I'm trying to set myself on a daily 8 minute arms and abs schedule. Ideally I'd like to do these 8 minute workouts every day, but I'm going to try and not be too hard on myself if I miss a day here or there. It's just like being fiscally responsible. You're gonna get off your budget plan once and a while (just like you'll get your workout plan once and a while), but just cause you have a misstep doesn't mean you have to scrap the whole plan. Ah, wise words. Okay, they're not totally mine, check out this really good article from Get Rich Slowly, where the author compares the mental toughness you need for running (or any exercise plan) to the mental toughness you need to get out of debt: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Debtor.

Alright then. Till next time, keep up the running plans, and lend me some of your motivation when you get the chance!

Birthday Brinner!

2009-06-02T12:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, June 1st, was Kelly's birthday! And what better way to celebrate then with breakfast for dinner and movies in the backyard? Thank you camera phone for capturing it all.

First, for the food:

We started off with a delightful appetizer of peanut butter Capn' Crunch:

Also in the pre-made/manufactured category, was an excellent selection of donuts (does the box with the Christmas theme bother anyone else? Or is it just me?):

To keep the meal well-rounded we did have fruit:

And things stayed in balance with two types of bacon (turkey and ~~awesome~~regular), with a side of coffeecake:

Of course there were pancakes, and these were special crepe-like ones, designed for maximum shove-them-in-your-pie-hole ability:

In the baked category, Miriam supplied baked French toast. Mmmm:

For dessert there was the customary cake (this one with funfetti icing!!!) and Sian's famous peach bellinis. Unfortunately, I was in such a food coma at this point that I neglected to photograph any of this (though I did not neglect to eat any of it).

Everyone ate and was merry:

Including the birthday girl, of course:

And what's the best way to finish off an evening full of breakfast foods and champagne? By collapsing on the grass and watching a movie.

Will and Miriam set up the screen:

And once it was dark enough the show began:

I'm pretty sure everyone had a good time. Thanks for existing Kelly!

Learning to Run: Week 9

2009-05-27T08:45:00.001-07:00

We did it! We finished the Runner's World 8-Week Beginning Runner's Training Program!! Copious amounts of applause!!

It didn't go down exactly as I'd planned in the last post. We actually ended up completing the final 30 minute run on Wednesday of last week, a full three days ahead of schedule. Bonus points anyone? Ya for us! Hooray hooray! We'd definitely gotten to the point were the difference between running 28 minutes and running 30 minutes was so minute it seemed silly to stop. Also, Scott (controller of the stop watch) tricked me, but in a "you didn't think you could do it and you totally just did it" kind of way. Which was awesome. I'm pretty sure I did a victory lap.

But then... we stopped. Tsk tsk. In very "the goal has been completed" style we stopped running the rest of the week and all of Memorial Day weekend. I don't think it was a conscious decision, it just happened. The running plan was over and without a strict running schedule the days sans running just kind of slipped by.

Luckily we didn't let it go too long. Last night we hit the trail again, despite the gross misty rain. We even took Max out with us, and by the end of the run his little furry legs were dragging ("You gassed it too soon Max! Beginner's mistake!").

Scott's been talking about signing up for a 5k and getting us on a 5k training plan. I think that so soon in my running journey I really need concrete running plans and goals. No slacking allowed! I'll keep you updated.

Side note: the picture accompanying this post is of Scott and me at his folks' camp in the woods. We hit the open road and amused the cows.

I think my cereal likes me...

2009-05-26T07:15:00.000-07:00

Is it just me, or...

...does that freeze-dried strawberry look like a heart? Aww, I <3 you too Kelloggs Red Berries.

Learning to Run: Week 8!!!

2009-05-20T09:27:00.001-07:00

Whoah, how did it get to be week 8 of the 8 week running plan? We're in the home stretch!

I'm excited, but also kinda sad. Like when you're reading a long novel and you near the end. You're ready to see the conclusion, but a bit down that your go-to won't be there anymore. Now of course my running journey is far from over. I still consider myself a beginner/faker right now. It's going to take a long time (and probably a race or two) before I really feel like I can call myself a runner.

Here is the schedule for this week:

Monday (check!): Run 27 minutes, walk 1, run 2
Our run on Monday was fantastic. We were both feeling strong in good shape. Also, I got some new running shorts from Target and I love them. I've joked about going back and buying six more pairs. Actually, I'm not joking, I'm going to go back and buy six more pairs. I have yet to try the running skirt (maybe tonight).

Tuesday (check!): Run 20 minutes, walk 1, run 9
No rest for the weary! Scott has been a good sport about the run/walk set up, but I think he was a little disappointed that we were taking a step back from the previous day's 27 minute run. He finds the mid-run stopping a little disruptive. But I can understand why Runner's World set the work out up like this. They want to keep up your momentum, but not burn out you the second day of week 8. To be fair, we didn't actually do this whole thing. We ran about 20 minutes and then ended up walking and chatting the rest. But I'm counting it anyway. It was a run/rest hybrid day, and I think it's good to stay flexible.

Wednesday (tonight!): Run 28 minutes, walk 1, run 1
We finally have another kickball game tonight, but I think instead of hitting the bar after we're going to hit the trail. I want to go out with a bang this week, no slacking off! I'm looking forward to tonight's run. I think that last minute of running is going to be really fun.

Thursday: Rest day! Whew.

Friday: Run 29 minutes, walk 1
Is that last "walk 1 minute" even necessary? It seems kinda silly. If they didn't put that would people stop at 29 minutes and then just collapse on the ground?

Saturday (the finish line): Run 30 minutes
The final day of the plan. So bittersweet. I know running for 30 minutes seems like nothing to a lot of people, but it's huge for me. Me! The non-runner! Running for 30 minutes straight! I'm looking forward to this. I might have to do a victory lap after.

I've definitely seen changes over this 8 weeks of training. I have more endurance, speed, and for the most part my body hurts less when I run (except for some lingering pain in my left foot). I haven't lost a significant amount of weight, but that's not a big deal for me. I want to get in shape and get strong, the pounds aren't as huge of a concern. Nontheless, I have dropped a few, and my clothes are definitely fitting differently (I think I may have actually dropped a dress size).

I'm also seeing myself tone up, especially in my legs. I have a ways to go before I hit my ideal body image (if it's even attainable), but that is good motivation to keep on going. I know this isn't going to be a temporary thing. If I'm serious about running it will be come a part of my lifestyle. I've definitely found this experience to be more than just getting fit. It's also been about being outside, spending quality time with Scott, and challenging myself with something I thought I could never do.

Anyway, thanks for taking this journey with me. One of the best parts of this series of posts is having friends read it and then say "I'm going to do that plan too" or "I've been meaning to start running again, I think I will." I'd like to be a positive influence on those around me, so I'm excited about helping to motivate.

Wonderific Weekend

2009-05-18T08:44:00.000-07:00

I had a super busy schedule this past weekend. We hit Palace of Wonders, Sticky Rice, The Continental, and finally went to Baltimore to see The Ting Tings. It was all go-go-go, and it was kind of great. Though I have to admit, I'm now way looking forward to the long weekend coming up for Memorial Day. All I have planned so far is a BBQ Sunday night (at my house, so I might show up in my pjs), beyond that I plan to sleep a lot, maybe soak up some sun, and catch up on Let the Right One In for the book club.

So we hit Palace of Wonders Friday night (see my past NFT post on the place), and it's always a good time. This show was kind of a variety show, with a magician, fire eater, strong man, a woman who walked on glass, and a burlesque dancer at the end. It wasn't as awesome as the last show we saw there, but it was still worth the $10 cover charge. I snapped a few shots, and wanted to share:

Hypnosis - Don't try this at home
Scott got "hypnotized" and then coerced into making a human coffee table. The Swami/MC also helped him out by "holding" Scott's glasses... in his nose.

Fire Eater!
This woman was way impressive. I watched from the balcony and had to shy back a few times when the heat got too intense.

Strong Man
Though this guy was probably about 5 foot 4, and 125 pounds, he fancied himself a strong man, and proved it by having a bowling ball dropped on a glass plate on his stomach while he lay on a bed of nails. Not too shabby.

Sticky Rice and the Continental (which now has skee ball!) were also excellent times, but those pictures really can't follow a fire eater and a strong man.

The Ting Tings also put on a great show (and it was over by 10pm! Made this old lady happy), but I was so enthralled I didn't take any pictures.

Overall, weekend accomplished.

The Circle of (Shoe) Life

2009-05-15T06:51:00.000-07:00

This past Wednesday I did a very hard thing: I threw out my most very favorite shoes. They were in such terrible condition that I actually hadn't worn them in a while, and I'll admit that part of the reason I threw them out was I was afraid I might actually put them on my feet again. These shoes and I had a lot of good times. They stomped around with me to work, to hang out with friends, probably even out of state. I took a few pictures before I threw them in the trash, to document how well I'd loved them to death:

I last time I wrote about my favorite shoes and how I was destroying them was in a post in 2007! It has taken me that long to get rid of them! What changed? Well, first off they got worse, and secondly wear and tear was now clearly showing in the toes of the shoes rather than just on the heels. So when I wore them the flaws would be right there looking up at me when I looked down.

However, it's not all sad. My grief was slightly assuaged by the arrival of new shoes! They're not a replacement per se, because they're a) sneakers, b) more casual, and c) not the same color scheme, but they're fun and eco friendly! They're Simple Shoes and so are made out of sustainable and recycled materials (including silk and former car tires). I've never bought any shoes from Simple Shoes before so it was a bit of a risk. Luckily it turned out well: the shoes fit, they have fantastic cushioning and arch support, and they're just as polka-dotty as I'd hoped they'd be. Maybe they will become my new favorite shoes, and one day be destroyed as well.

Learning to Run: Week Seven

2009-05-13T07:05:00.001-07:00

That's right, we've hit week seven of our eight week beginning runner's training program. Things ramp up this week with Tuesday being a running rather than a rest day. Here's the schedule for week 7:

Monday (check!) - Ran 20 minutes, walked 1 minute, ran 12 minutes.
We were actually supposed to run 9 minutes at the end after the 1 minute walk, but we were feeling ambitious and tacked on 3 more minutes. It just seemed silly to stop halfway up that final hill. Take that hill!

Tuesday (check!) - Ran 20 minutes, walked 1 minute, ran 9 minutes.
This run felt awesome yesterday. Scott and I were in lock step the whole time, and the run felt challenging but in a good way (not an is-it-time-to-walk-yet way).

Wednesday (tonight!) - Run 22 minutes, walk 1 minute, run 7 minutes.
Yeah, forget running 21 minutes, we're skipping right to 22 minutes, cause I'm almost a not-beginner now, and not-beginners push it!

Thursday - Oh yay, there is one rest day.

Friday (back to work!) - Run 24 minutes, walk 1 minute, run 5 minutes.
There we go skipping minutes again. Not-beginners only believe in even numbers... ignore that 5 I guess.

Saturday (then on to week 8!) - Run 26 minutes, walk 1 minute, run 3 minutes.

In week six and now in week seven I've definitely noticed a change in enthusiasm in myself for running. While before I was giddy about the next run, I now just generally look forward to them. I think the novelty has worn off a bit, and now the more sustainable "Yes, I'd like to run, it makes me feel good" feeling has set in. I had the same experience when I first started working out at the gym. In the beginning few weeks I would get excited about the elliptical. I'd be at work and think, "Man, I wish I was on the elliptical right now." And you know what? That's not exactly healthy. But eventually that wore off, and going to the gym was less like ice cream and more like broccoli; good for me, made me feel good, but not something to indulge in.

Week seven has also brought about a slightly troubling bit of foot pain. The top of my foot has started bothering me, and through my friend Sian and Google's help I'm tentatively self diagnosing the problem as extensor tendonitis. I'm hoping that it was just caused by me tying my laces too tight. In my mind tight means secure, stable, strong (like having tight ski boots or skates) but in running tight is bad (guess who's still a beginner?!). The more my foot has hurt the tighter I've tied my shoes, probably exacerbating the problem.

Now that I know that my shoes need to be looser hopefully my foot will stop hurting. That's how I fix health problems: try to stop making it worse, then ignore it till it goes away. Luckily, Scott knows a little bit more about what he's doing and has prescribed we stick to fewer hills and that I ice my foot after we run. "If you don't take care of this and be careful you could be out for weeks," him and his voice of reason said. I plan to take his advice.

In final running news, I've bought more running clothes (I do admit, the outfits are a fun bonus in this experience). More specifically, I've bought a trendy new running skirt (see picture above). It's a skort, but made in running material. I'll admit I don't exactly get it. Yes, it's kind of a cuter look, but won't it look ridiculous to run in a skirt? Hard to say. I bought one anyway. If they start pointing and laughing at me on the trails I may have to rethink this decision. I'll keep you updated.

Who's on First? The Nursing Home Show

2009-05-12T08:21:00.000-07:00

My mom and I went to visit my grandma on Sunday, for a regular visit with a Mother's Day flair. We arrived at dinner time since we've found her to be the most awake and communicative at that time. She was already seated at her table with her two compatriots Ms. M and Ms. S.

We came in, said hi to her, gave her a kiss on the cheek and pulled up some chairs. She looked really good this Sunday. Her hair was nicely done, she was very alert, and responded well to us being there. Through my mom's research of dementia and Alzheimer's she's come across a lot of ways to understand this memory loss and deterioration and how it fluctuates. Some people talk of it being like Swiss cheese: some days they're all there, some days they're in the hole. Others use the popular rollercoaster analogy, which seems so appropriate for Grandma right now. Two weeks ago she was at a low valley on the rollercoaster, but on Sunday she seemed back at the top.

The ladies were all chatting (sort of) when we got there, and we were soon pulled into a conversation that I can only describe as "Nursing Home Improv." They bounced off each other, but in other ways everyone was conducting their own conversation. I will try to recreate some of it below.

Mom and I sit down at the table.

Ms. S: Oh, I can move for you.

Me: No, no, there's plenty of room, don't you worry.

Ms. S: No, it's okay, I was just leaving anyway. I wonder where they put my car.

Me: No no, stay, they're about to serve dinner. [I turn to Grandma] Are you hungry?

Ms. S: I need to find my car, I don't know where they put it. Is the man coming back?

Grandma: [Leans forward] Hmmm?

Me: Are you hungry?

Grandma: [Smiles and nods]

My mom: Happy Mother's Day, mom. [Turns to ladies] I'm her daughter and this is her granddaughter.

Ms. M: [Turns to Grandma] Did you know that?

Grandma: [Leans forward] Hmmm?

Ms. M: Did you know this was your granddaughter?

Grandma: [Smiles and nods.]

Ms. M: Well you need to tell us, we have to prepare for these things.

Ms. S: [Now has her dinner] I'm just going to have a bite, I'm not that hungry. I have to leave very soon. [Turns to Grandma] Do you have to leave?

Grandma: [Leans forward] Hmm?

Ms. S: Do you have to go?

Grandma: [Shakes her head no, looks contented]

Ms. M: That's just the thing they don't tell you about. There's all that stuff happening that's not good.

Ms. S: Here you can have this [Tries to push her plate to me]

Me: Oh, no, I'm fine, I've already eaten.

Ms. M: [Reaches for Ms. S's plate] We'll have them take this away. She'll bring another one.

Grandma: [To me] Well that's what's just so confusing.

Me: Yeah?

Grandma: [Unintelligible]

Me: [Smiles]

Grandma: [Smiles too, laughs a little]

Ms. M: Those people, you know those people.

Ms. S: I need to be going now. [Tries to get up from her wheelchair].

Ms. M: What time is your party?

Me: You haven't touched your food, I hear the chicken is very good. Oh, it's coconut chicken.

Ms. S: I'm not very hungry, you can have it.

Me: It's okay, I've already eaten.

Ms. M: No carryouts allowed here.

Me: [Rubbing Grandma's back] I hear you're getting ice cream soon.

Ms. S: [Seeing me rub Grandma's back] Can you get me right here? [Points to her left shoulder].

Me: [Laughing] Oh, sure. [Rub her shoulder].

Ms. S: A little lower, you can press harder.

Grandma: [Unintelligible]

Me: [Smiles]

The conversation pretty much went in loops the whole time. Grandma didn't say much, and when she did it was hard to understand. Ms. M seemed pretty with it, very aware of what was going on around her and what people were saying. Even if they said something off topic she'd respond to it appropriately. Whenever Ms. S would push away her food Ms. M would try and help her clear it away.

Ms. S kept trying to leave the whole time we were there and wouldn't eat much. She also kept putting her hand on my arm and despite the balmy temperature of the dining room they felt like ice. Every time she touched my arm I'd gasp, say, "You have the coldest hands!" and try to warm them up between my hands. She seemed to like this and find it funny, and I started to wonder if she was repeating it on purpose.

It's hard to adequately portray what hanging out at dinner in the Nursing home is like. It's controlled chaos (people getting up from their chairs, people yelling at the nurses, people falling asleep). And while sometimes is sad and sometimes its scary, a lot of times its just funny. The loops of conversations are funny. The way the ladies bug each other and then forget that they were bugged is funny. And its always funny when a resident recognizes that another resident (or even nurse) is acting odd. For instance, the other day one of the orderlies was trying to lighten things up so she started dancing around the room and singing. Ms. S looked up at her and said "I don't think you should drive." Hilarious.

I really enjoy going down there and visiting (even on the holes in the Swiss cheese days) and I'm going to try and make it a point to go regularly. I'm also considering spending some time at a nursing home nearer to me. I have a little time to give, and I enjoy the older crowd. They have stories to tell, enjoy the company, and often crack me up.

Basement Exploration: Unearthing Trash and Treasure

2009-05-08T08:46:00.000-07:00

My parents' neighborhood is having a community yard sale tomorrow and so my mom asked me to help her clean out the basement yesterday to see what we could sell and get rid of. It ended up being way fun and seriously daunting. The memories! In everything! "Awww look at this lone doll shoe, I remember this. It's totally useless but can we really just toss it?" Actually, I wasn't too bad, and there were only a few things I couldn't bear (he he see below), to get rid of.

We probably would have gotten more done, but I had to stop every three items and take a picture. I couldn't help it, it was just such a bloggable activity.

So now, in a post I'm sure I will regret, please join me in an picture-ific journey through my parents basement and my past.

First up! The Berenstain Bears:

I remember us having the son and daughter bears too, but didn't see them when we were going through the basement. The minute I saw these two, I was like, "Oh man, we can't get rid of them!" My mom found a Berenstain Bear book too and promised to save it all.

Ribbons

What will twelve years of competitive swimming get you? An appreciation of team sports, love for the smell of chlorine, and hundreds of ribbons. Third places were my specialty. I threw a few out yesterday, but admittedly tucked a small box of them away to decide on in the future.

Barbies

Ah Barbies. The older I get the creepier they seem. But man did I have a lot of good times with these gals growing up. I would play with them for hours! And yet, I feel no real need to keep them. Into the yard sale bin they went.

Trolls

You know those memories from your childhood you surpress? My troll collecting was one of them. Yep, I'm owning up to it. I collected trolls. And some lucky boy/girl/grandma tomorrow can now be the proud owner of a Christmas troll, Dewey beach troll, and random naked troll.

Whistle collection

Every well-seasoned lifeguard knows that you always need a backup whistle on hand (for when you whip the first one into the pool when the twirling gets out of hand).

Washer/Dryer, Salt/Pepper

I realized yesterday that the washer and dryer in my dollhouse growing up were actually kitshy salt and pepper shakers.

Porcelain Doll

Doesn't every basement need a creepy doll or two? I love how my cell phone captured the especially creepy lighting on the doll's face. I love you grandma, but you definitely owned a number of creepy things.

Glamour Shots

Yep, I totally just shared this on the internet. My mom and I in a Glamour Shot. I showed these to my roommates who responded "Wait, like in Napoleon Dynamite?" and "Oh. My. God. I want a copy of this."

Honeymoon panorama

My Dad took these pictures of my mom and him when they were on their honeymoon (put them together and they make a panorama). They have these prints but have never framed them. I stole them and intend on framing them sometime soon (they took them almost 35 years ago, what's another 6 months?)

Jackpot
The best part of the evening was finding a large plastic ~~treasure chest~~ bin of high school memories. Boxes of notes (that went unintercepted in class), overflowing journals/scrapbooks, and a sweeeet collection of mix tapes. When I opened the lid to this bin, I swear I heard some angels singing. My mom suggested I take this collection with me (to free up another corner in the basement), but I was wary to do that. A) These are way too valuable to leave vulnerable in my house and B) Oh my lord if my roomies got a hold of some of these dairies, it would be all over. Check it out:

Diary 1 (of 15?). Decorated in the Lis style (i.e. Decoupaged in uber girly ads and phrases from magazines). This one covered a few years in high school, so it was about the size and weight of a phone book (I had a lot to say... about not very much):

Mixtape Box (also decorated in the Lis style):

Bjork Mixtape from Sean. I know it's hard to tell here, but he carpeted the case. If you know Sean, this totally makes sense.

A mixtape from Crystal. Seriously, I can't ever get rid of these, even if I no longer have a way to listen to them.

I could go on. I took a handful of other pictures (of trophies, and dolls, and stuffed animals), but I think this is a good enough representation of what I found. We're definitely going to have to do this again in the future. Who knows what else lays unearthed?

Learning to Run: Week 6

2009-05-07T09:01:00.000-07:00

We've hit some snags in the running schedule this week. Due to wanting to do some way more fun things (like sleeping in and camping) the normally scheduled Saturday run was pushed back to Monday and the Monday run was pushed to Tuesday (which is usually a non-running day).

The Monday and Tuesday runs were completed and yesterday's run was supposed to have us back on track. But, due to celebrations of a Cinco de Mayo nature, neither of us could be bothered to wake up early enough to run on Wednesday morning. No problem, right? We'll just run after work at a more reasonable, non-6am hour. Oh wait, it won't stop raining. I like DCist's frustration with this fact in the title of their morning roundup post: We Were Promised May Flowers.

So now we're off schedule again. Crap. I'm a big fan of routine and instructions (which can be a good and bad thing), so it bugs me to not be following this plan to a t. But, it is good that this minor derailment is happening now, instead of right when we started. Because the jump to 1 minute of running to 3 minutes of running was way more dramatic than the jump from 15 minutes of running to 17 minutes of running.

I think now our plan is to forget about yesterday (a wash... literally) and today (too busy for me to run tonight) and just start up again this Friday with run 19 min, walk 1 min, run 10 min. And if we hit another snag, I'll probably blame it on the rain.

Of Things and Remembering

2009-04-30T09:44:00.001-07:00

My grandmother made this ring:

It's big, and wacky, and I love it because she made it. She made a lot of jewelry. She made my parents' wedding rings. She made her own necklace chains. She made earrings, and pins, and pendants.

She had an artist's eye for jewelry, and other things as well. In college she was a fashion major, and once when I was younger she showed me some dresses she'd designed and sewn. They were beautiful, with intricate beading and delicate stitches. When my mom got married my grandma made her wedding dress, as well as all the bridesmaids' gowns.

My grandma's style encompassed all her life. She dressed impeccably, collected beautiful things (my favorite being the colored glass--vases, plates, rabbit figurines--she collected in her bay window), and held herself with class and grace.

Over the past few years she's changed, dementia gradually transforming her from who she was. Changing her style, stealing her memory, taking her further from us.

She's not doing very well right now, and we don't know how much longer she'll be with us. And while its the memories I will cherish the most (the weeks at Rehoboth every year, the Christmases gathered in the sun room, her telling me I was growing into a beautiful young lady), I'm also grateful for the little things we have that she made. Like the ring I'm wearing. These little pieces are just tiny examples of her talent and style. Things I hope to share with my children one day. Things they can touch and hold while they hear stories about their great-grandmother and what a cool lady she was.

I love you grandma.

My Lunch is Beige

2009-04-23T09:03:00.000-07:00

Behold, my colorless lunch:

My lunch of questionable nutrition consists of a pb & j sandwich, a mozerella stick, popcorn, and vanilla wafers.

It came as a little bit of a shock to me today when I realized my lunch is made up strictly of beige-hued foods. Creating unintentional themes has happened to me a couple of times before. Like once in high school when a friend asked me if I had trouble chewing because I'd brought yogurt, jello, apple sauce, and pudding for lunch (my jaw was fine, I'd just grabbed things out of the fridge that I didn't have to make). Or like a little while back when I was on the way to the gym and realized I was decked out in pink.

My lunch today is the product of the fact that I haven't gone to the grocery store in while and therefore am out of veggies and other colorful edibles. I probably shouldn't share this... it's kind of embarassing.

It's Not Easy Being Green

2009-04-22T09:19:00.000-07:00

It's Earth Day today, and I have a confession. I'm not the best at "being green." I use disposable cutlery and cups, I sometimes buy bottled water, and I always forget to bring my own bag when I go grocery shopping. Luckily, other people in my life are way greener, and I'm hoping their examples (and death stares) will help motivate me to do better. I'm also finding eco-friendly tips, tricks, and articles on blogs, which are encouraging and fun.

From Daily Candy's recent post I found these really sweet "lunch skins":

It's such a good idea. I use plastic baggies for my sandwich and chips everyday, and this would be so much better. You can even throw them in the dishwasher!!

Of course being more environmentally friendly is certainly not about running out and buying new "green" stuff. Being green is often about being frugal too, which is something I can really get behind because I'm trying to spend less and save more. Check out today's blog post about this on at Get Rich Slowly.

Vegetarians are also quick to talk about how much better off the world would be if we ate less meat. A recent NPR article pulled a quote from a U.N. study that said: "18 percent of greenhouse gases come from industrialized livestock production."

Luckily, while I'm not a vegetarian, I'm a big fan of veggies and only eat meat a few times a week (if that). That kind of makes me feel a little better about my impact on the Earth. Actually, I do a few other things as well. I take public transit so I only drive my car on the weekends, I recycle, and I use cold water when I do my laundry.

Still, there is major room for improvement, and I'm going to make a concerted effort to make a few changes. First up: no more disposable drinking cups at the office. If everyone at the office did that maybe we could stop buying them and even save a few bucks.

Happy Earth Day everybody.

Learning to Run: Day... Week 4

2009-04-21T09:07:00.000-07:00

Now that we're into the fourth week of the running program, I'm abandoning the "Learning to Run: Day X" format. Now that I'm a full month in I'm really feeling like this is something I can stick with, and Scott (my aforementioned running partner/guru extraordinaire) and I already have visions of future 5Ks and triathlons dancing in our heads.

I have to admit, I think we've even surprised ourselves with how hardcore we've been about this lately; sticking to the running plan (4 times a week), and not even letting rain or chilly weather deter us.

I've also been surprised with how inspired some of our friends have been. After reading the blog one friend told me she's running again, and trying the run/walk method. Encouraging friends like this was totally unanticipated, but a very positive turn of events. I'm now hoping that if Scott or I find our enthusiasm waning we can turn to these newly inspired friends for some encouragement.

Yay running! Here's what the plan looks like for this week:

Monday - Run 8 min, Walk 1 min, Repeat 3X, Run 3 min
Sidenote: So this jumped up from 6 min run, 1 min walk last Saturday, and we um... got confused and did 7 min run, 1 min walk yesterday. Oh well, we'll be back on track Wednesday

Wednesday - Run 9 min, Walk 1 min, Repeat 3X

Friday - Run 10 min, Walk 1 min, Repeat 2X, Run 8 min

Saturday - Run 11 min, Walk 1 min, Repeat 2X, Run 6 min

It's really starting to ramp up. Bring it on!

This is What 220 Calories Looks Like

2009-04-16T17:40:00.000-07:00

Yep, this is 220 calories:

I was at the grocery store tonight post-gym, gathering ingredients for my fantastic dinner salad (I inspired myself with my last post), when I suddenly found myself in the ice cream section. Oh my! However did I end up here? As I perused all the nomables I noticed these adorable mini ice cream cartons. They looked bite sized and cute, and were a buck twenty-five each so I decided to grab a couple. What a nice little sweet treat for after dinner. Then I turned them over to discover they were 220 calories each! While that's not terrible, it does make me shudder when I think of the portions I've received from Cold Stone Creamery.

For other gasp inducing revelations, see "What Does 200 Calories Look Like" (just keep scrolling). My friend Kristin passed that along. I think the peanut butter portion was most shocking to me.

Who's Hungry?

2009-04-16T09:23:00.000-07:00

I think it's pretty apparent from this blog that I'm a big fan of good food, a gourmand even. For me food is more than nourishment. It can be an activity with friends, entertainment for the night, or a pick-me-up on a bad day.

Recently I've become completely obsessed with cooking blogs online. I read Serious Eats, Slashfood, $5 Dinners, and Bakerella, on a consistent basis.

Whenever I find something cupcake or peep related I send it to Kelly, and whenever I find something I'd really really like to make I send it to Scott. Correction, by want to "make" I really mean "want to eat." Luckily, Scott is an excellent cook, so when I send him recipes I'm just hoping he'll cook for me.

Here are a few things I'm dying to "make." After I find them online and send them to the appropriate parties I then paste them into a Google Doc for safe keeping:

Salads
I love salads. And I love how many ways you can tweak them:

Kumquat Salad - The picture on the site looks gross, but it sounds delicious.

Bread Salad with Speck, Parmesan, and Poached Egg - Hom nom nom nom nom.

Spinach and Sweet Potato Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing - I love spinach salads.

Fava Bean, Asparagus, and Green Bean Salad - Most of these recipes are from Serious Eats. It's an awesome blog.

Frittatas
I've recently become obsessed with frittata recipes. And after I sent about the tenth one to Scott he replied: "I have a secret. Frittatas...they're all egg with crap in them. That's the recipe." This is what separates the novice from the master. :)

Potato Frittata - From Runner's World

Broccoli and Cheddar Frittata - Cause broccoli and cheddar anything is good.

Spinach Frittata - There's that spinach again. Hu-guh-guh-gugh!

Randomness

Egyptian Lentils - Pretty sure I could make this one.

Blueberry Crumb Cake - For sweeties who like blueberries. :)

Leblon Ice Tea - Gorgeous, refreshing, alcoholic!

Stay tuned for possible future dinner documentation.

Albert the Running Bear

2009-04-14T09:12:00.000-07:00

While at my parents' house for Easter this past weekend, my brother emerged from the basement holding the little fella pictured to the right. His name? Albert the Running Bear.

Jonathan said something to the effect of, "You're running now, I think you need this guy."

He is pretty freakin cute, despite getting a little stained over the years (juice? or vomit? ... only Albert knows the truth), so I took him home with me. He's now propped up on my bed, ready to run and ready to motivate. I have to admit, I am a little jealous of his 70's style matching track suit, complete with hood with ear holes (which can be removed he gets overheated during longer jogs). I guess we both feel that running is a little more fun if you're wearing a fancy outfit.

It wasn't till I Googled Albert that I realized he was the subject of a book I liked when I was a kid: The Adventures of Albert the Running Bear. In the story Albert gets fed too much junk food from visitors at the zoo and he gets fat (I believe the illustrations featured a chubby bear tummy peeking out from his bear clothing). To get back in shape Albert runs a marathon. I can't remember if he wins or not, but I'd assume he did. If you were in a race with a bear, wouldn't you get out of the way?

Apparently Albert went on to bigger and better things, and even produced his own exercise book, aptly named: Albert the Running Bear's Exercise Book

Maybe I'll get my own hooded jogging suit (complete with ear holes of course) and we'll run together.

Learning to Run: Day 12

2009-04-10T07:14:00.000-07:00

The running continues! This morning (and tomorrow) the plan said to run 4 minutes, then walk 1 minute and repeat this 6 times. Again, adding the extra time to the running part made it feel significantly longer than I expected it to. But also again, it was nice to get into sort of a running groove. It felt good this morning. My new shoes felt GREAT, the weather was nice, and, it's Friday (which makes everything, including running, better).

The only negative was my throat felt a little sore this morning (hopefully just due to allergies). I pondered the not-allergy possibility (spring cold perhaps) and actually caught myself saying this:

"I can't get sick, it might mess up my run schedule"

And the moment those words were out of my mouth I thought: WHO AM I?

Is it possible that just two weeks into my first serious attempt at running I'm already catching the running bug? I think it's too early to tell, especially since I've only worked up to running in 4 minute spurts. But if things keep going as well as they've been going, I'm sure the bug will get me sooner than I think.

Stay tuned...

Word of the Day: Intertwingled

2009-04-09T07:43:00.000-07:00

Intertwingled

adj. [Invented by Theodor Holm Nelson, prob. a blend of
"mingled" and "intertwined".] Connected together in a complex way;
specifically, composed of one another's components.

Remember what to do when you hear this word. SCREAM REAL LOUD!!

:D

Yoga on the Go!

2009-04-08T10:13:00.001-07:00

I'm a big yoga fan. I started in 7th grade with a yoga workout in an issue of Seventeen. As the years have passed I've continued to dabble in the bendy art. I've bought books, found an awesome DVD, gone to classes, and even turned up the heat. I'm in no ways an expert, but can hold my own, and enjoy it immensely.

This year for Christmas, Kelly added to my yoga repertoire by gifting me with Yoga on the Go by Ursula Karven. It's a really cute little book with adorable illustrations of yoga moves adapted into daily situations; like when you're on the elevator, in front of the TV, in the supermarket, around the house. But so far, I think one move is my favorite:

The Desk Chair Sun Salutation

I've done this numerous times at work. It feels soooo good, it's totally worth the awkward risk of getting caught by my coworkers.

"I was just... um... picking up my pen... and raising it toward the ceiling. Yeah! That's it..."

Learning to Run: Day 10

2009-04-08T09:40:00.000-07:00

I'm halfway through week two of the Runner's World 8-Week Beginner's Training Program and things are starting to ramp up. This morning we ran 3 minutes, walked 1 minute and repeated it 7 times (then added 2 minutes of running on the end to fill out the 30 minutes).

The difference between running for 1 minute at a time and running for 3 minutes at a time is MASSIVE. I swear, 3 minutes is way more that 3 times longer than 1 minute (its gotta be an exception in the laws of physics). But while the longer bouts of running were definitely harder, they were also really good. With 1 minute of running I would just be getting into it and then would abruptly have to stop. With 3 minutes of running I get a little more into a groove before the walking break.

The whole running experience this morning was made infinitely better by yesterday's purchase of these: NEW RUNNING SHOES!!!

Aren't they glorious? I'm in luuuuve with them.

Since I haven't ever really bought actual running shoes to do actual running in, I decided I needed to consult a professional. Last night I headed over to Pacer's and asked to be fitted and advised. They have a really friendly and helpful staff over there. No one made me feel excluded cause I was new to the running club, instead were supportive and nice (probably even more than some friends might be).

The girl who helped me out measured my feet (like they do in regular shoe stores), and whoah man, they're even bigger than I realized. 9 1/2!! She then had me take my own shoes off, roll up my pant legs, and walk the catwalk. I walked, then I ran, and she watched how I placed my feet. The verdict - I have arches that need some support (you're a unique snowflake, arch. you can reach for the stars).

She went to the back, grabbed three pairs, and we were off. First up, Asics. My initial reaction was: "Whoah, these are way better than my current shoes." But really, almost anything is better than what I was wearing. The Asics were decent, but they were pretty high on my heel and it pinched a little, so I moved on to the next one: Nikes.

I swear the presence of the Nikes was a test. Because they were pink. And we all know how I feel about pink. I slipped them on, and crossed my fingers. The heels were definitely better than the Asics but the support felt weird, and they pressed oddly on the tops of my toes. It was looking like no pink for me. Sad.

The final pair she brought out were Saucony's, and, as if it wasn't already obvious, they are the ones pictured above. I've had luck with Sauconys in the past, so I wasn't surprised when they felt really good. I mean really good. Like something was hugging and cuddling my feet while lifting them up on a cloud of air.

I tried on the pink Nikes one more time... juuuuust in case, but the choice was clear. It was all about the Sauconys.

And this morning, while running those 3 minute bursts, I could tell a huge difference. Hurray for new running shoes!

Muffin Tops

2009-04-02T10:14:00.000-07:00

Commonly known as the best part of the muffin, muffin tops are a celebrated part of American culture. Seinfeld devoted an entire episode to them. Sookie uses them on Gilmore Girls to cheer up Lorelai after Christopher leaves. They're even lovingly used as a term for your midsection (hmm, maybe lovingly isn't quite right).

But did you know, they actually exist in their pure bottomless form?

Behold, muffin tops, available at your nearest grocery store!

But that's not the weird bit. What's odd is that these VitaTops muffin tops are supposed to be only 100 calories each, and chock full of nutrition. What will they think of next?

Learning to Run: Day 3

2009-04-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

The first day wasn't just a fluke! I was able to drag myself out of bed at 6 am again this morning to go for a run. Crazy, I know. I also know that I'm in the honeymoon period of this, and everyday won't be so easy. But going to the gym has prepared me for that fact. Plus, my wise friend Bethany once told me her philosophy that, "If you go to the gym when you don't want to, it totally counts more," and I chose to agree with her on that.

This morning was just like the first morning: 1 minute running followed by 2 minutes walking, repeated 10 times. I felt it a bit more, with my muscles still recovering from the first day plus the other exercise I've been doing. Monday I ran in the morning, and then took a "Body Flow" class at the gym. I thought the combination of Tai Chi, Yoga, and Pilates would do me good and stretch me out, and while it definitely did both those things, I think it also worked my muscles a bit more than I had expected. Tuesday was my 30 minute walk day (according to my 8 week plan) and I took care of that during lunch. It was soooo nice to get out of the office and wander around. I suddenly realized that even though I've been working at this job for nearly 4 years now, I stick to a relatively small area when I walk around on my lunch break. Well, this shall have to be remedied. Time to take advantage and explore!

One thing I noticed both on Monday and Tuesday was that I was starving all day. I've always been a pretty small eater, but I think with all of this new found activity I'm going to have to consume more. Which, is kind of great. Just because I don't eat a lot doesn't mean I don't enjoy eating. If you read this blog you know that.

Even though I'm only 3 days in, I'm feeling pretty positive about this program and sticking to it. So positive in fact that I think next week I'm going to a running store to get fitted for fancy running shoes. I hope they have something in pink. :)

Happy April Fools'!

2009-04-01T06:06:00.000-07:00

April Fools' Day isn't my favorite day by a long stretch. I'm just way too gullible. However, I did pick up on Google's gmail joke this morning: They've added a new feature! Auto-reply! Save time and respond appropriately. See screenshots below.

Well played Google. You managed a clever and silly April Fools' Day that won't send your users into a panic or get you sued. I salute you.

Update: More fun with April Fools'

The Guardian embraces Twitter.

Freaking Huge URLs- Anyone can get on board the "make URLs shorter" bandwagon, but it takes a rebel to embrace HUGE URLs!

Tech Crunch April Fools' Roundup - Including "3D version of Google Chrome, since '81% of households had red/blue 3D glasses lying around.'"