Protein? What protein?

So, I say I'm back into training mode. Well... apparently not quite.

Today was a scheduled 40-minute tempo run. Started out fine, but about midway I felt like complete crap. At first I thought it was because I've been working out pretty hard and my body was just tired. But... I feel really, really crappy. Hmmm.... For some reason, I started to think back through the day and what I ate (or didn't).

Breakfast: oatmeal, banana and yogurt
Lunch: had a lunch meeting and lunch was ordered in. I had two little (like appetizer size) veggie roll-ups (spinach wrap, a little bit of hummus, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber), fruit and a cookie
Pre-workout snack: noodles and a piece of bread (found some yummy garlic Italian bread -- crusty on the outside and soft in the inside) -- I know, not the best pre-workout snack but I ran home first and was looking for something to grab quickly.

Hmmm... lack of protein anyone? Definitely not what I normally eat! Usually when I'm training I'm very dedicated on my meals. Even if I have lunch meetings, dinner out, happy hour, etc. I'm pretty good about sticking to a "training" diet. And, lots of time I'll make sure I have appropriate snacks to supplement just in case. Not this time. The part that bothers me -- I never even thought about it ahead of time. Thus, I felt like CRAP during my workout.

I left the gym feeling very disappointed, like I totally wasted a workout and kicking myself for not eating appropriately. Lunch meeting tomorrow, too, but guess what? Not making that same mistake!

Dedication

Since I'm officially training for a race, my dedication level has risen immensely.

Sunday morning, I got up early so I could head to the gym before a packed day. Ran a nice 3 miles to stretch out my legs and enjoyed some good stretching. (The day was then filled with breakfast with JP's family, doing a few errands and then heading to my parent's house for my dad's birthday party.)

Last night, I met up with one of my old college roommates for dinner. We tried out this relatively new place. I think it would be a good, low-key, happy hour meeting place, but not really for dinner. It was a good place for young professionals to kick back, loosen up the tie and have a pomagrante martini (Have I mentioned this is my new fav?). The lobster mac and cheese was good, but nearly what I was expecting after reading all the rave reviews.

Afterwards, I trucked it to the gym and got in a really good weight session in. I haven't hit the weights in a LOOOONG time, so I took it slow and easy so I wouldn't be so sore I wouldn't be able to reach up and wash my hair in the morning. It felt so good!

Tonight is 4 miles and it's going to have to be in the gym. We got a lot of snow last night and it's still coming down!

Oh, and Tori... this is for you. I tapped into my domestic side and baked some banana bread on Friday night...

"... snowflakes on my nose and eyelashes..."

... make that FROST on my hat, clothes, nose, eyelashes, hair... Passing guys with facial hair was pretty funny because everything was all white!

It was COLD out there today! After my run, my car said it was 9-degrees. That was 1 1/2 hours AFTER I started. Brrr.... A co-worker convinced me to join her local running club this morning. We met at a nearby metro park at 7:30 a.m. Now, I'm not really against running clubs -- I think it's great -- but I never thought it was something for me. I enjoy running by myself and doing my own thing. But, I went out on a limb and decided to try it.

The people were great and really, really nice. Everyone kinda did their own thing and little packs broke off. I was with one group for a little while, but they started to fall back so I ran a majority of my run by myself. I was pleased with my splits though, especially considering I still feel like I'm in the "getting in shape" part of the training. Splits were:

Mile 1: 9:55
Mile 2: 9:57
Mile 3: 9:57
Mile 4: 9:40
Mile 5: 9:46
Mile 6: 9:59
Mile 7: 10:07
Mile 8: 10:08

I must say the scenery was beautiful. The pretty white snow was glistening in the sunlight and the birds singing was the only sound that early in the morning. Afterwards, the group met at a nearby Starbucks to warm up a little bit. I went and enjoyed everyone's company. I think I'll go again and maybe I'll even become a running club member... :)

The "D"

Well... this isn't what you like to see on the front page of MSN.com ...





HOWEVER, Detroit is really working hard to turn things around and show others that there are lots of great things going for the city. We are turning things around and hopefully all will see that in the (near?) future. I'm proud to say I'm from The "D" (okay, really live in the burbs, but I work downtown)!


P.S. If you ever wanted to know what my office looks like... here you go. The big one on the right. Isn't it beautiful!?!?! It's a great view of the river, into Canada and southern Michigan.

TGIF!!!

I tore up the repeat workout yesterday. 7 x 400 -- wasn't nearly as painful as I thought it was going to be. And, since the track is 1/11 of a mile, I actually did a little bit more than a quarter mile.

My dumb watch isn't working properly, so I can only recall two of the seven times:

Set 1: 2:04:66
Set 2: 2:01:45

If my memory serves me correctly, I was pretty consistent with my times. It was suppose to be my 5k pace, but this is a bit faster. Oh well... it felt good and I'm all about letting myself go and just run. This way I can push myself and see what I can really do.

Easy 3 miles tonight and an 8 mile run on Saturday. I'm starting to feel stronger, which is such a great feeling. And... thank goodness it's Friday!!!

Tech Running

It's been a month since I got the Nike iPod thing, but I finally ordered the holder for my non-Nike shoe. And... a new armband case since my old one isn't made to hold the little extension thing. I'm a techie runner in the making. :)

Quick random thoughts

* I'm ready for spring -- it's too cold out.

* Yesterday I wore my knee high, high-heeled boots (could be deemed slutty or fashionable -- all depends on how you wear it ... or so I would like to believe) to work yesterday. Sometimes, shoes are power (or at least make you feel more powerful and adds a little more confidence to your day).

* JP went to price out kitchen appliances yesterday. Apart from being expensive, the funniest part was when he was explaining his discussion with the sales guy on washer/dryers. He asked JP if he was planning on having kids. He said not for a few years. In the back of his head he was thinking, "Is this guy trying to scare me into buying a bigger, and thus more expensive, machine? I mean, how big can kid clothes be?" It was so freaking funny! I tried to bite my lip since he was serious and just continued explaining the shopping trip, but I couldn't help but bust out laughing.

* Didn't get out of the office until after 7 p.m. last night, so my run/weight training didn't happen. Repeat workout tonight... could either be a blast or a huge pain... only time will tell.

* It's only Wednesday and I've been wishing it was Friday since I woke up on Monday morning. I keep telling myself not to wish time away.

* The sun is shining, which means spring has to be on the way. Life is good. :)

After an icy start, yesterday was a pretty busy day. The parking lot (and my car) was completely covered in ice! Is it spring yet?

After church, I headed out to meet the girls for lunch. There's a few of us from college that try to get togther once a month or so. One girl just got engaged so, of course, we had to see the ring and hear all about the wedding plans! We met at this cute little place named, "Toast". It was standing room only for 30-45 minutes, but well worth it. The food was really good and I loved the egg white, goat cheese, green pepper and sun-dried tomato omlete. Plus, marble rye toast... SO FREAKING GOOD. Plus, that isn't something you can find anywhere. YUM! I'm getting hungry just thinking about it again. I've always heard good things about this place, but this is the first time I've been there.

Afterward, I headed to the gym for a nice and easy 3 mile run. I was on the treadmill for about 1 1/2 miles, but was about to scream it was so boring. So, I jumped off and finished on the track. Uggg.. I hate counting laps, but not nearly as much as I hate running in place on the treadmill. Did some arms and core work and was sore by evening.

Well, better get some work done. Hope everyone has a great day!

brisk morning run

I'm baaack....

As much as I wanted to hit snooze when my alarm went off at 7 a.m., I sucked it up and got ready for my 7 mile run. Last night I checked the weather and it said 6-degrees for 6 a.m. yeah... I'm thinking another boring run on the treadmill. As I was getting dressed, I looked at the temp and it said 18-degrees. Okay, if I layer (A LOT) that's a doable, plus it looks like it's going to be sunny. Convinced myself that this was a better option and started to layer up.

I'm so glad I did. It was a clear, brisk, quiet morning and I really enjoyed the run. I thought to myself, "oh yeah. You're back. This is the tough, look-forward-to-early-morning-long-runs-no-matter-the-conditions girl. This is the dedicated and focused girl that I missed." It was a good feeling. Apparently the mile markers weren't quite where I thought they were (did venture off the beaten path a bit) -- some "miles" were 7 minutes and some were 13 minutes. All in all, I probably averaged around 10:00 pace. Took a little icy spill when I was about half mile from home, but no serious injuries. Plus, it was cold so I couldn't really tell if I banged my knee or not. :) Can I just shout it again... "I'M SO GLAD TO BE TRAINING AGAIN!!!!!!"

When I got home, I huried up to shower and eat breakfast before we had to head out to see some more houses. None compared to the one we saw last weekend. i think that says a lot. We're going to look a few more and then figure it out from there. It's pretty overwhelming, very scary but really exciting.

Lunch with the girls tomorrow and then an easy run and some weight training tomorrow. Hope everyone had a great run today!

I love vacation days!

After working an insane amount the past few months, I had a couple of v2007 acations days that I needed to use this month. Today was the lucky day I got to sleep in ... a little bit.

I slept in a bit this morning, but had to get ready for my girl doctor appointment. Oh how I dread the girl doctor annual. I assure you, laying spread eagle in a cold room isn't my idea of the perfect day off. However, it's important and I'm glad to say it's over for yet another year. Hopefully 2008 will be the year I don't become a lab speciman again and have more doctors than I can count fooling around down there. Wait... that didn't sound right. What I meant was.... Oh hell -- here's to a healthy and as-pain-free-as-possible year!

After all the fun, I went to the gym for an easy 3 mile run. Friday is usually my rest day, but since I missed a few runs due to weather this week I thought I'd better get my butt in there. My splits were:

Mile 1: 9:11
Mile 2: 9:20
Mile 3: 9:35

Ouch -- miss those negative split days. They'll be back... just gotta stick to my training plan. Seven miles scheduled for tomorrow morning. I'm so excited!

Oh, I got some beautiful flowers from JP yesterday. Forgot to take a picture to post. He had them on the table when I got to his house, loaded down with groceries to make a nice dinner for two. After some yummy crab legs, mashed potatoes and sweet corn, we settled down to watch Lipstick Jungle. What a great guy :)

Seeing more houses tomorrow and hopefully dinner with friends. Looking forward to a great weekend. Stay warm on those long runs everyone (and if you live somewhere warm, send it this way!).

Happy Valentine's Day

I saw this on Google this morning, and LOVE it. I don't think you can sum it up any better than this:

Hope everyone has a great day filled with love and happiness!

So much going on!

Lots going on lately --

First, I'm really disappointed that I couldn't go to a special cocktail hour tonight. It was with the fashion director of Elle magazine. Due to the stupid snow I couldn't get there on time. I kept driving towards home and it took me 3 hours to get there. Is it spring yet!?!?!?! Seriously. How often does an opportunity like this happen? I'm really bummed I missed it, since I was really looking forward to it.

Let's see... lots of other stuff going on. Saturday I ran 6 miles on the dreaded treadmill. I figured if I was going to do a half marathon this spring, I better get on some sort of plan. The last 1 1/2 miles were a little tough, but it felt good after I was done. It was an accomplishment that I haven't done in quite a long time. Afterwards, I decided on an April 6 half marathon. It's a little close, but I think I have a strong enough foundation that I'll be okay. I'm so excited! I have a race and a training plan!

Later in the day, JP and I went to see a house that he really likes. It's beautiful, brand new and almost perfect. The downer? There's water in the basement. So... we just have to decide if it's something we can easily (and not too costly) fix and then we're done. We're not up for dealing with water issues for the next few years. Yep... we're moving forward and really thinking about our future together. It's such a fun and exciting stage of our relationship!

Sunday, we went to a farewell luncheon for a young girl from Haiti that one of JP's co-workers church sponsored to get some medical care she badly needed. She has been in the US for a few months, and actually living with JP's co-worker. It was so touching to see everyone (including the doctors who operated on her) come together to celebrate the successful operation and to hear from her (through a translater) her thankfulness for the awesome experience she had ... made possible from strangers, in a different country, speaking a language she doesn't know. It was quite powerful, to say the least. She will be returning home at the end of the month, so we were happy to be a part of the big send-off celebration.

Later that afternoon, we went to the Detroit Piston's game. Floor seats, 4th row. It was such a fun game!!!!!! Good people watching, too. Like the lip-injected, huge ass diamond ring, we think cheating on her husband with a much younger man, woman in front of us. You know, the usual... :)

Yesterday, I found out one of my best friends since elementary school is having a baby!!!!! She's due in September. Her husband is keeping his fingers crossed for a boy but regardless, it'll be fun to meet the little peanut.

Okay, I gave blood earlier today so I wasn't able to workout. So, I think it's time to get ready for bed and turn in early. Yay for warm flannel sheets!!!

mmmm.... cheeeese....

Last night I was totally PMS-ing and was CRAVING cheese sticks. It was late, so running out to get a snack wasn't really an option. I'm surprised I didn't dream about fried cheese; that's how much I wanted it!

I was suppose to have an appointment this afternoon, but it got cancelled on my way there. Since I was almost home, I opted to work the rest of the day from home. Somehow, my car just steered itself to the grocery store and a box of frozen cheese sticks jumped into my shopping basket. Awful for you (I won't even say how many grams of fat were in one serving), but tasted damn good.

Working the rest of the afternoon and then to the gym for a run (hmm... how many miles will I have to run to work off 9 cheese sticks...? Why there were 9 in the box is beyond me.)

Yesterday I ran outside and nearly broke my neck on the ice. It felt good to be out there and I'm really looking forward to a good run tonight.

Rain, snow, sleet...

Yesterday afternoon we pretty much had rain, snow and sleet -- sometimes one at a time and sometimes all three at once. It made for a long commute home.

As I'm inching home, I'm trying to decide if I'm still going to the gym. Do you ever question the line of craziness and dedication? Really, I'm not being sarcastic. On one hand, I'm running inside and the gym isn't far from my house. Not a big deal. On the other hand, isn't it smart to just get home, off the roads and stay inside when they're calling for a winter storm advisory? Hmm... sad when something like this isn't more clear cut.

I opted to go to the gym and was actually surprised by the amount of vehicles in the parking lot. However, when I got into the locker room I realized I had forgotten to pack a sports bra. No working out without that (although, aparently some girls thinks it's okay as my previous gym workout proved...), so I packed up, turned around and went home. Thank goodness for my Women's Health DVD. I did cardio, arms, legs and stretching and am actually a little sore this morning. It wasn't a run, but I'm glad I did something. Looking forward to my run tonight!

Are you kidding me??

Before I begin my rant, let me put a disclaimer that I'm majorly PMS-ing.

Okay. That said...

I left work a little early tonight and was super excited that I was going to get home early enough to run outside. It was (notice, I said was) warm earlier today -- low 40-degrees -- and I got a taste of running the roads this past weekend. (It's now raining/snowing and a big slushy mess outside now, just 5 hours later). On the way home, one of my clients called and needed something. No problem. I'll get home, check my email quickly and then get out for my run.

Sounds good in theory. My dumb wireless wasn't working and I couldn't get online. Grrrr... by the time it kicked in it was completely dark outside and I was pissed.

I changed my clothes and drove to the gym. I was really worked up and took it out on the treadmill. I turned up my iPod, banged out 4 miles and didn't really calm down until about 3.5 miles in. Also got in some good arm and core work. I think part of the reason why it took me so long to get it all out, was that I was completely surrounded by idiots. (I promise I'm a nice person and only think these bitchy thoughts on occasion!)

Idiot #1. Girl "walking" on the treadmill next to me. Get. Off. The. Cell. Phone. I don't care if the girl on the other side is skinner than you. If she insists you are, don't argue. Oh, and by the way. I think I walk faster through my house than you were working out at the gym.

Idiot #2. Old guy that jumps on a treadmill with an incline of about 45-degrees. There's a button that allows you to level it out a bit. It was pretty funny though. I thought at any second his feet were going to jump out behind him and he'd look like Superman as he was hanging onto the handle.

Idiot #3. Girl whose workout clothes pretty much look like what I wear to bed. A little tank (without a bra) that looks like a camisole and short, tight boy shorts that look like my underwear. Both were black and made of some shiny material. Seriously. What were you thinking. And no bra... at all... while you're running... Are you kidding me? (She probably should have been #1, but I'm doing in order of stupid incounter.)

Idiot #4. Guy doing kung-fu kicks around the track. Stop it. You're not even doing it right.

Idiot #5. Person behind me... when the machine makes a loud, clanking noise that I can hear over my music.... GET OFF THE MACHINE. It obviously isn't working correctly and the noise is annoying to the rest of us trying to work out our frustrations.

Okay. Those were just the highlights. Seriously, one of the above would have been bad enough, but all of them combined? Way too much for me to handle tonight. My frustration is gone now, and I'm just glad I got a good workout in. Watching more coverage on Super Tuesday and then I'm ready for bed. Can't wait to see what's in the gym tomorrow. :)

Official race results are in

Well... I did a little better than I thought. It was a 9:20 pace, with a final time of 28:57. I was 42/88 in my age group, so at least it was in the (barely) top half.

Again, it was so fun and last night I think I decided to do a half in the summer and a full in the fall. It just felt so great being out there and I love training for something. Oh boy -- the race calendar is filling up! :)

This is why I run

What a fun kick-off to the racing season. A brisk (almost 30-degree) morning run to get the blood flowing the the metabolism racing so you can drink all the beer and eat all the muchies you want during the game. :)

Really, I had a great time. It's been awhile since I've done a 5k, and it was a perfect way to ease back into the running world. I was about a 9:30 pace. Not awesome, but I was shooting for under 10:00 pace so I reached my goal. The roads were cleared and it was an easy loop around a small shopping area. However, there were two hills (ie. two small inclines that I otherwise wouldn't have even noticed as inclines, but my badly out of shape legs were feeling it), which made me realize, "hey, you need to get your butt in shape."

Afterwards, there was pizza, subs and pint glasses. I caught up with a few friends and chatted for a bit. It was so nice just hanging out after a race... gosh, I really missed it! Can't wait for some sort of St. Patty's Day race, I just have to figure out which one I'm doing. It feels good to be back!

Last night, we went to a friend's house to watch the game. His basement is every guy's dream. Movie screen, theater seating (3 levels) with cushy, reclining chairs that even have a cup holder in the arm so you can have your beer close, fuse ball table, bar, popcorn machine, video game systems galore... he has it all. It was beautiful and every 10 minutes JP leaned over to tell me this is what his basement is going to look like. I told him it would be okay as long as I get a room to build a gym for me. :)

Well... better get back to work... Hope everyone is having a good Monday!

Financial Fitness

I've always been Jekell and Hyde when it comes to financial matter. Balancing a check book? Nope. Never done it. Investing? Bought my first stocks when I was 18-years-old and opened a Roth IRA about 5 years ago. Polar opposites... I know.

JP has always been very disciplined about keeping everything balanced and knowing were he spent every dime. Enter me. He got out of the habit, computer crashed, townhouse exploded and boom, here we are today. We've been saying for about a year that we need to both get in the habit of being more diciplined. We decided every Friday night we would be boring and do our finances. JP got on board again and I decided I needed to do it. Tonight, we finally did it.

We grabbed a quick dinner and, instead of going to the movies like we wanted to do, sat down in front of the computer and dove into the numbers. I learned how to balance my checking account and set it up so I can see my total net worth. It sounds nerdy, but I'm so proud of us. We did it. Together. We figured this is something we need to:

a) be better disciplined, and

b) learn how to do this (semi) together.

No worries -- no merging of accounts now, but we're setting up the foundation for our future. Wow. Sounds pretty grown-up... :)

Hope everyone is having a fun Friday night (or enjoying balancing their spending/saving for the week).

Let it snow, let it snow and let snow

I don't think we got the 10-inches of snow yet, but the snow was heavy enough and the roads were bad enough this morning that I opted to work from home today. Thankfully, this is an option.

Didn't get my workout in last night (again) because JP's flights home kept getting cancelled/changed/etc., that I needed to stay close to a computer. Plus, with the storm coming, I wanted to stock up the fridge and pantry. Seriously, by the looks of my fridge you'd think I was a bachelor -- barely anything in there.

Hoping the weather clears up at some point today so I can head to the gym. I just got a note about the 5k and it's still on. No whimps allowed! What have I gotten myself into? I'm not a big hero when it comes to running in the cold! :)

Brrr...

... it's cold! Last night there were crazy high winds and (with the wind chill) it was like -15 degrees, or something crazy like that. The winds caused my electricity to go out for a little while and my car doors were frozen shut. I HATE not having a garage!!!!! I was so spoiled before and now I HATE brushing snow, scraping ice and fighting to get the door open. Grrr... why can't it be spring yet?

Anyway, I skipped my workout tonight. I had a meeting tonight after work (yeah, I'm one of those "joiners" who get involved and decide it's a good idea to be a part of committees) that finished around 7:30p.m. Now, if you've had on CNN lately you'll know all about the Detroit mayor scandal. Technically, he's not my mayor since I'm a 'burbs girl, but I'm still proud to be from the "D". Tonight he had his apology on live TV and we turned it on after our meeting. One perk in my industry, there's always a TV close by. Not that I had high expectations, but it was worse than I thought. His wife was by his side and even spoke to the city. Good grief - no signs of a big apology diamond on her finger, but I'm sure it took some major persuasion for her to be there.

By the time I got home, it was after 8 p.m. and I was hungry. The snack in my bag wasn't going to sustain me through a workout, so I declared it a rest day and went home. I'm getting fearful for the 5k -- the weather, not the actual race. Last year it was 5-degrees and I'm going to bet this year is going to give it a run for its money. What was I thinking? Oh well, it'll be fun and it got me moving again.

Better get going to I can get ready for tomorrow. Geez... is it the weekend yet?

Sticking with it

I totally was not feeling the gym tonight on my way home. But, the 5k looms before me so somehow my car steered itself over to the gym. Earlier today I was kinda hoping to get an outside run in since it's been warmer (a whole 45*). Unfortunately, it's raining like crazy and it gets dark too darn soon. So, the gym it was.

I started running on the track and, for some reason, was just in a pissy mood. Knowing that I needed to just keep going and my mood would mostly likely change, I turned on some Kid Rock on my iPod and kept going. I can't say I was in the best mood ever when I finished my 3 miles (about 9:30 pace), but I wasn't quite as grumpy. I finshed with some ab, arm and core work on the mat. I'd like to get some weight training in, but I decided it would probably be best to focus on cardio, do the 5k and then incorporate weights back into my workouts. Honestly, I was afraid I'd be way to sore and the race wouldn't be as fun.

Anway, gonna turn off the computer and read for a bit before heading to bed. Night!

Don't anger the travel gods

On Sunday, JP left for his company off-site in Lake Tahoe. He just got there this afternoon. Poor guy, he's convinced the travel gods don't want him there!

His plane was delayed in Detroit, so they (he's traveling with a bunch of guys from his office) automatically missed the connecting flight in LA to Reno. They can't get another flight until 5 p.m. The weather wasn't that great, and the wind was brutal. He said at one point, the wind took the plane and when he looked out the window he was looking at the ground. Now, he travels a lot, so when he says he was scared, I know it was bad.

They finally arrived in Reno and rented an SUV to drive the rest of the way to Lake Tahoe. Suddently they had to turn around because the road simply disappeared. They missed an avalanche by approximately 1 minute. They turned around to head back to Reno and just missed a second avalanche. Not able to be on the roads, they called it a day and stayed in Reno.

This morning, they attempted again to head to Lake Tahoe. And, again, they had to turn around. The SUV was too light and couldn't make it through the snow. They went back to Reno to purchase some chains for the tires. He was amazed at how much snow there wasy -- the most he's ever seen in his life! I read online today that the area got about 3 feet of snow yesterday.

Finally, this afternoon they made it. Okay, the excitedment should be over, right? Nope. Halfway through a business meeting the ground starts to shake. All of the Calif.-based guys' cell phone start to beep. Why? Because they get earthquake alerts on their phones like we get Detroit Piston's updated scores. There was a brief, 3.5 quake.

Everyone is safe so it's okay for me to say, this is kinda funny. I mean, come on, that much on one trip? Needless to say he can't wait to get home!

Anyway... back to my normal life. I had a cross-training day today - 45 minutes on the ellipitcal and a few laps to loosen up/cool down on the track. Lots of stretching and some push-ups/crunches yet before bed. I have a lot of work to do before I'm back to my old self, but I'm trying not to get frustrated. On the bright side, it's suppose to be warming up this week so hopefully the 5k won't be too bitter cold! Keep your fingers crossed!

The Perfect Week

It's been busy since I last got a chance to (okay, the last time I willingly sat down on my laptop if I didn't have to) blog. The Detroit Auto Show was my life after getting back from Vegas. It all went well and the pre-party event was a blast! JP has pictures on his camera, so I'll have to post those later. Rock stars, famous designers, sweet cars, open bar... sometimes going to work isn't too bad... :)

This week, I only worked one day and fully enjoyed the time off. I didn't even think about work! Not looking forward to reality tomorrow morning. Here's some highlights of the week:

Monday -- Off for MLK Day. These are my initials, so I always joke that this is my special day. Relaxed around the house and did some laundry, tidied up, went to the gym (that 5k is creeping up quickly) and made dinner for JP who wasn't as fortunate as others and had to work.

Tuesday -- My birthday! I did go into the office, but wasn't very motivated. Had lunch with co-workers and left early. Hey, this really is my day. JP and I went to a nice, romantic dinner. My gift 1 of 2 was the Nike/Ipod thing so I can become a high-tech runner. I always thought it was cool, but my geek gadget boyfriend has been dying to get this for me. It's super cool, I just need to get a holder for it since I'm not a fan of Nike running shoes. I tried it out one day at the gym, but I'm afraid to lose it. It worked great and I'm super excited about it. More bragging about it to come!

p.s. Gift 2 of 2? A diamond necklace ... I just picked out which one I want, so it is on the way. I figured this way my birthday celebration gets extended. :)

Wednesday -- Slept in, went to the gym, took a nap, went out for drinks and dinner with a college roommate. Shouldn't everyday be like this?

Thursday -- Had a doctor's appointment and then my mom and I went shopping. Two thumbs up for post-Christmas sales. I always loved that my birthday fell about a month after Christmas. I always got so much more stuff because my mom could get it all for super-cheap.

Friday -- Went to the gym, took a nap, had a birthday dinner with JP's family. Cheers to my new found favorite (although I was working like a dog in Vegas, I did find time to experiment with some new cocktails) -- pomagranate martini's.

Saturday -- Absolutely nothing. Isn't that what Saturday's are for?

Sunday -- Took JP to the airport, went to the gym, went shopping. I "need" a dress for JP's brother's wedding and couldn't find anything today. Bought some truffles at a new candy store in the mall, totally negating the work I did at the gym earlier.

All in all, it was a great week. Nothing special, but it was perfect for me nd something I really needed before my head exploded. My Christmas tree is still up but I'm not feeling the motivation to take it down yet. I'm just proud of myself for getting some laundry in the machine.

Hope everyone had a great weekend -- enjoy the last few hours!

Working Hard in Vegas

I've been working hard since I got to Vegas on Thursday and I'm glad to say I'm just about finished. The events for tonight are finished and I only have a few small things to do tomorrow before I head home. What have I been doing since I got here? Well...

Just kidding! I'm in Vegas for the Consumer Electronic Show. The largest trade show in the world! I wish I could tell all about the cool, up and coming gadgets but the truth is I never had time to walk the floor. In fact, since I arrived on Thursday morning, I've only been outside of my hotel twice. I know that's very sad, but it's the truth. We were based in the Venetian and another site outside of the Las Vegas convention center, which other people worried about while I worried about everything at the hotel. It'll be nice to see real daylight tomorrow, instead of the fake sky in the casino! :)

The "other convention" as it's affectionately named, was always at the same time as CES. However, the geeks apparently weren't comfortable with it and complained so it was moved to another location (plus, the hotel space wasn't large enough to handle the ever growing expo) and pushed back a few days. Now, it only overlaps the last few days of CES.

I asked a bartender what the craziest thing he's seen during AEE. He smiled and said it was too vulgar to repeat. I also was talking about it with a hotel manager and he said that some things are a little out there, but some things aren't that crazy. They do have robes at the enterances of their hotel so those without enough clothing in the appropriate places can enter. Hmmm... can you imagine being told that you are too scantly clad to walk through a Vegas hotel and casino!

Well, it's only 8 p.m. here, but I think I'm going to pack up my stuff and go to bed! I'm sleep deprived and over caffinated. Good night!!!

The Price to Workout...

Rarely while I'm on the road do I work out -- unless I'm training for a marathon. But, I thought since I was going to be in Vegas for so long and over the weekend I'd have time. I crammed all of my workout gear into my bag (I actually managed to get everything into a carry-on).

I'll pumped and guess what. At the Venetian, where I'm staying, it costs $35/day to use the gym. Seriously, what the heck! While my client is expensing his gym costs, I just don't feel comfortable doing it. While it's not my ideal workout, a lot of walking is easy to do in Vegas... guess I'll just strap on my shoes and go for a walk.

Well, gotta get back to work. Happy Saturday!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Hope everyone had a fun and safe holiday season!

We rang in the new year in Chicago with JP's family. We went to a great seafood house and were treated to a four-course dinner. It snowed like crazy which looked beautiful from the cozy inside. However, it was a bit much for JP's dad and his dad's girlfriend who are use to the gentle island breeze. :)

Our week in Chicago consisted of lots of shopping (the tradition is the ladies go shopping and the guys go do other stuff...), eating, drinking fabulous wines and lots of laughing. My French speaking skills were put to the test and I was given until July for my "test". My French consists of a few words and basically no phrases so I have a lot of work to do.

This morning, JP went with me so I could fly out to Vegas. We were little (pretending) city dwellers taking the train to the airport. I do have to admit that I was okay with leaving the FREEZING cold of Chicago (and eventually getting back to Detroit where I can drive my car around as much as I want to...) to the approx. 50-degree weather in Vegas. While I'd like to say that I'm enjoying the sights and sins of Vegas, I've been working almost non-stop since landing.

Anyway, I'm going to wrap up so I can get to bed. I'm feeling a little cold coming on and I refuse to let it get out of control. Goodnight from Vegas!

The blur...

That pretty much sums up my life lately. One big blur.

Last week was absolutely insane. In addition to preparing for Christmas, I was working an insane amount of hours. Last week also included a quick, in and out trip to Las Vegas. It was all work and I was on the ground for approx. 26 hours. Of those 26 hours, I think I only slept for 4 hours. Friday was my last day in the office and I was hoping to get out early afternoon. I finally left around 6:30 p.m. and I think I was the last one left in the entire building!

Friday night we had two Christmas parties to go to. The first one was a friend of JP's. JP has had a few rough weeks at work too and was ready to unwind. I told him I would drive so he could enjoy the night. :) After the first party, we headed to his sister's house for a friends/family get together since we weren't all going to be together for Christmas. His brothers from Chicago get in around 1 a.m. and we didn't leave until I was pretty much falling asleep at 3 a.m.

Saturday we had a get togther with my high school friends. JP drove so I could enjoy the night, but since I've been so stressed out lately and really don't drink much anymore, two beers in I was feeling it. Sad, I know. I'm a cheap date.

During the rest of the weekend we finished getting ready for Christmas. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day was spent with both of our families and we put in plenty of miles driving between the two. It was a nice holiday and it was great to see family we don't see very often. Of course we all ate too much and spoiled each other crazy. I think our favorite gift (me, my brother and JP) was a quilt or blanket that my mom made for each of us. Every year we get a special gift from "Mrs. Clause" and every year she amazes me even more. She's such a super mom!

The last few days have been busy for me on the work front. I'm frantically trying to get things pulled together for an event shortly after the first of the year. We're way behind and I'm stressing out just thinking about it!!!!! And... we're leaving for Chicago tomorrow to spend some time with his family. JP's dad is coming into town and we're all meeting up there. I'm looking forward to it, but it kinda crept up on me.

For instance, I should be packing right now but I'm not. I hate packing. And, to make things even more overwhelming, I need to pack for two back-to-back trips. From Dec. 28-Jan. 3 I'll be in Chicago for vacation. On Jan. 3, I'm flying out of Chicago to head to Las Vegas for work. I'll finally be home on Jan. 9. That's a long time to be gone.

Anyway... I need to get back and start packing. We're shooting to hit the road between 9-10 a.m. and I'm hoping to get some sleep in tonight. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a safe and happy New Year!

I LOVE the weekends

The end of the week got a bit hairy and I was pretty much living in the office. JP was also, so we were both exhausted by the time we got home last night.

Too tired to cook, we finally made it to dinner by 9:30 p.m. last night. We went to Bravo -- yum! Sadly, we were pretty tired and filling our stomachs only made it worse. After we finished our soup, we were pretty much down for the count. We opted not to go to the movies, and instead called it a night. Ah yes, the days of heading to the bar after work and not getting home until 2 a.m. are LONG past.

Today, I went to the gym and ran 3 miles at approx. 9 minute miles. I felt fine to do more, but honestly, I just wasn't feeling like running. So, I did some core work and got in some good stretching. I knew I should take advantage of having time to run, but I think the main reason for the slugishness was that I was running low on fuel. I ate before going to the gym, but not enough. Can you tell I'm not in "training" mode yet... :)

We have two Christmas gatherings tonight, but will only be able to make one. I hate not being able to do everything, but it gets so busy during the holidays. We may get a snowstorm tonight, too, so it should make for an interesting night.

5k, here I come

We all need goals. Big goals, little goals, it doesn't matter. I decided that I was going to do a 5k in February, so I've been getting back into shape and into running mode.

Monday, I went to the gym and ran 3 miles on the indoor track. It felt so good and I was in such a great mood after I left. JP even commented that he could tell I was running again. I wasn't stressed out from work when I got home and I wasn't nearly as tired as I normally am at the end of the day.

But... by the end of the night I was feeling the soreness creep into my legs.

Last night, I ran 3 miles again. It felt good to be out there, but my legs were heavy and it wasn't quite the blissful run it was the night before. Stretched out a ton!! And, man was I tired last night. I sat down on the couch after dinner and quickly got back up. I knew if I didn't, I'd be down for the count.

At least I know I can run 3 miles and will be able to get through the race. :)

Getting my hair cut tonight (finally!) so I may have to rely on my Women's Health 10 minute workouts DVD in my living room.

Work is crazy busy so I better get back!

NY Times running article

Something I'm sure lots of runners have been doing for a long time, but the article is still interesting:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/06/health/nutrition/06Best.html?em&ex=1197176400&en=ca0897ba66f87fcf&ei=5087%0A

Sometimes, my disassociation method is to write my blog entry in my head about the great run I just went on... :)

This week's excuses

Here are my many reasons for not getting back to the gym this week, as I thought I would...

Tuesday's excuse
It was day 2 back in the office and I was so freaking tired. I went home, ate dinner and was in bed and asleep by 9:30 p.m. I didn't even stay up to watchc the VS fashion show on TV... :) I don't think JP noticed though, as his "wife" Adriana Lima apparently opened the show. Scantily clad, beautiful women... yeah, I'm sure it's easy to forget about your girlfriend! :)

Wednesday's excuse
We had dinner with one of my old college roommates and her boyfriend. My friend moved to the same town about a year ago and we get together occassionally. We definitely need to get together more often, and we had a great time! Our boyfriends are very similar and get along great (which is always very helpful), so hopefully we'll see more of each other.

Thursday's excuse
I had a dentist appointment (one tiny cavity and my wisdom teeth are coming in and I need to have them removed -- yuck!). It was a new dentist for me, and I LOVE him! A co-worker referred him to me and he's a great guy. He even gives his patients his home number so if you have a dental emergency at 1 a.m., you can call him. My appointment wasn't until 7 p.m., and JP worked late last night. We ended up heading home around the same time and meet up at Olive Garden for dinner. I hate when we're the couple that eats out/gets take-out in the middle of the week. My mom is a total Betty Crocker and we always had homemade dinners at 6 p.m. everynight. Whenever I'm super tired and I end up making JP hot dogs or something, I cry to him that I feel like I'm going to be the bad mom with obese children! Guess I can't help that we both work long hours and sometimes that's just the way it goes. I try to plan our dinners so we can have healthy, homecooked meals everynight, but I need to work on it!

Friday's excuse
To early to tell....

TGIF!!!! Hope everyone has a great day and kick-off to the weekend!

I'm pooped!

Well, I knew I'd be tired and I am. Actually, I was exhausted by 11 a.m. But... the good thing is I'm healthy enough to be back and everyone was so nice. Lots of hugs, smiles and well-wishes today.

It only took me about 4 hours to get through my 300+ emails. Most were irrelevant by now, but you still have to read them to stay in the loop. I feel so out of it and really have no idea what's going on around here. I'm sure it'll be back to normal in no time, and I actually enjoyed the quiet day of email, mail, voicemail, etc.

As I said, no gym tonight but I'm still planning on getting there tomorrow night! I'm anxious to get back into the training mode -- even if it's for a 5k race. I love being in shape and the dedication of training. Plus, I noticed the other night how non-muscular my legs are becoming. Come on, those running legs are my trademark! :) (Plus, we have a wedding in the Florida Keys in April and I will look smokin' hot in my bikini! If that's not incentive, I don't know what is!)

Doesn't anyone want to interview me?

Yes, sometimes celebrities have things appear in print that they would like to keep private, or things that really shouldn't interest others (like getting coffee, fueling your vehicle, etc.). Why aren't they interested in things that normal people incounter? For instance, Mary-Kate Olsen reportedly was in the hospital last week for ... wait for it... a kidney infection. I scrolled though the entire article, but no where did they mention that I was in the hospital for a kidney infection as well. Hey, maybe it's the newest trend... I'm a Hollywood trend setter! :)

Here's the article: http://tv.msn.com/tv/hotgossip/11-29-07_4

Anyway, today was a belated Thanksgiving for my family. Since my parents went to my brother's in Kansas for Thanksgiving and I was sick anyway and we didn't go to JP's family for dinner, we thought we'd declare today our Thanksgiving. Thankfully the roads weren't too bad from the storm we got last night. My mom made a feast and invited family and friends to celebrate. She had quite a houseful (there were 12 of us!), and we had a good time.

My parents were so thankful that JP took such good care of me while they were out of town (sick daughter on one hand, son they never see and hasn't been with family for Thanksgiving for a couple of years on the other other hand -- tough decision), my mom thought the least she could do was cook for him.

Back to work tomorrow. It'll be a little weird since I haven't been there for 2 weeks, but I'm sure it'll feel like I never left... Since I'm sure I'm going to be beat after work tomorrow, I'm not planning on hitting the gym, but I'm planning on getting back there on Tuesday. I have a 5k on my schedule for February, so I better get myself into some sort of physical readiness.

Hope eveyone has a happy Monday!

Go! Fire Up Chips!

Go! Fire Up Chips! Today my alma mater -- Central Michigan University -- won its second MAC championship! I was hoping to go to the game (they were playing on Ford Field in downtown Detroit), but with the whole hospital visit thing, I didn't get a chance to buy tickets.

When I was there, our football team wasn't very good. Over the years, we've gotten better and better, which always makes Homecoming more fun... I was there in spirit though, wearing my school sweatshirt today. :)

Today, I braved the mall to get my mom a belated birthday present. In addition to getting some great stuff from The Body Shop for her (I LOVE that place! Plus, it's enviornmentally freindly.), I scored some sweet jeans from The Limeted for $15. Yes, $15!!!! I almost bought two pairs. They fit perfectly and I even found a "short" size.

And... I picked up two more Christmas gifts. That makes my count thus far to four gifts. It's only December 1. Sadly, I admit that I've been one of those crazys running around on Christmas Eve day still trying to find that "perfect gift." Yay me. :)

Well, better get going. JP is on his way over and I have a fun dinner planned. We're under a winter strom advisory, so we're planning on camping out inside tonight. I made a bunch of picnic foods -- french bread, an assortment of yummy cheeses, meatballs (for him), grapes, rasberries and melted chocolate, etc. Unfortunately, no wine since I'm still on antibiotics, but I thought it would be fun and something a little different.

Humor me...

I'm bored at home, nothing on TV and I'm tired of word find puzzles. Humor me and take a look at this... too funny!


Hey, I just made a total elf of myself. Check it out by clicking the link: http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9632604287

This elfin' greeting brought to you by OfficeMax®.

Sick? Mom's always make it better

Yesterday my mom called and asked if I wanted some company. I was so happy to have here visit me and... help me with my laundry. Okay, I'm not proud. I'll have my (willing) mom help me with my laundry, even though I'm a grown woman. Isn't that what mom's are for?

Feeling better and stronger every day, but I decided not to go back to work until Monday. I want to be 100% before I join the rat race again. I've even decided to not look at email until then. I'm sure my inbox is exploding, but I'm not worrying about it.

Earlier today, I had a nice little ego boost. I ran to Target to return something and looked like crap. I hadn't showered, my hair was in pigtails and not a single bit of make-up. I basically don't care what I look like when I run errands. However, when I was checking out, the clerk commented on how pretty I was. Hmm... if she was lying that's okay, I'll take it. ;)

Well, more laundry to do yet so I better get to it.

"Pretty wimpy"? My ass!

I had my follow up appointment with my PCP today. It was pretty much a waste of my time. They took my temp (normal!), blood pressure and he pounded on my back a little bit. Yes, that is the technical way to check kidneys. He asked which antibiotic they put me on. When I told him amoxicillian, he said, "oh, you had a pretty wimpy bacteria then." Hmm. Didn't seem to wimpy to me, as it promptly knocked me on my ass for a week. They don't want to do any tests until after I'm done with the antibiotic, so I have to go back in a couple of weeks.

These things gross me out, but at the same time intrigues me. Here's a picture of what E. Coli looks like under a microscope. YUCK!!!

My latest adventure

And, no, I'm not talking about my LA adventure. I worked my ass off and was happy to get home around 1 a.m. on Thursday. I was so happy to finally sleep in my own bed and was looking forward to a relaxing weekend.

Thursday afternoon, JP and I went to run a couple of errands. Whle we were out, I started feeling, "weird." About 35 minutes later, I was sick in bed with a high fever and feeling like a truck hit me. Ugh. The flu. Why didn't I remember to take my Airborne before getting on the plane.

I had all the classic signs of the flu -- body aches, high fever, chills, can't keep anything down, etc. By Sunday afternoon, JP was really worried and wanted to take me to urgent care. I kept telling him that it's just the flu and it just needs to run its course. Plus, his sister who is a doctor did say there was a flu going around. (Later learned that it was her idea to get me to urgent care since I wasn't getting any better several days later.)

By this time, I hadn't eaten in a few days, I coulnd't even keep water or juice down, and my fever was still really high. Sunday night, I finally asked JP to take me to the ER. If they could just give me a shot or something to get rid of this horrible, horrible flu.

Yeah. Not the flu. I learned that I had a serious bacterial infection and needed to be admitted to the hospital. Are you kidding me!?!?! A few hours (? -- I have had no sense of time over the last week or so) later, JP and I were headed to the hospital, where a bed was waiting for me. It ended up that I scored a nice corner suite -- literally. It was a nice, big private room and they allowed JP to stay with me.

It ended up that I had a strain of E. Coli. It usually starts with a UTI, then it moves to the bladder, the kidney and then the liver. It wasn't anything I ate or drank, and they only said that women are more prone to kidney infection because of anatomy and all the stuff that goes on down there. I was much sicker than I realized at the time. Kidney infection is very serious, but if it had gone on without being treated, it would have moved to my liver, which would then allow the bacteria to get into my blood stream. If that happens, it is very serious and it can be fatal. (Note to self: always listen to JP when he wants to take you to the ER)

When I got into the hospital, they put me on an antibiotic. It helped, but I was still pretty out of it. The test takes time to identify the bacteria and then test which antibiotic it is most senstive to. Once they identified that exact strain of E Coli and gave me the exact antibiotic, I started to perk up.

However, with my luck, that couldn't be all. I was finally starting to feel better and something happened with my IV. Somehow it was no longer going into my vein and was now going into the tissue. All of a sudden I noticed that my hand was twice the normal size. It took 1 1/2 days for it to go back down to normal. So, they had to poke and prod me again in the other hand to start a new IV line. Ugh. I HATE needles and this nurse wasn't the best at it...

Wednesday, I was finally ready to try solid foods. Oatmeal for breakfast. Check. All I wanted for lunch was corn flakes. Those were the best damn corn flakes I have ever eaten in my life! Since I was able to hold down food, I had the option of being released that night or wait until Thanksgiving. I opted to go home.

I don't remember much, but one thing I do know is how amazing JP was while I was sick. He only left my side to get food, grab a shower and get some clean clothes from home. He totally took care of me and I really realized how much he means to me and is a huge part of my life.

Still not 100% and I'm taking a few days off before heading back to work. Everyday I get a bit stronger and I'm looking forward to getting back to myself!!

Random thoughts from LA

Have a little down time right now. Since I've been in LA:

1. Had a $60 cab ride to my hotel. Apparently this is normal.

2. I saw a taping of CSI: NY. Look out for a future episode with (I'm guessing) a body in a dumpster. Didn't recognize the actors, but hey, I saw an episode being filmed.

3. Almost got into an accident. Caddy vs. Suburban. I was merely a passenger, but it was my driver's fault.

4. I love how eco-friendly (most) everything is in LA. Resturants are all organic, recycled materials are the norm, etc. (Okay, minus the above mentioned Caddy and Suburban.)

5. I had the opportunity to sit outside for a few minutes of fresh air. It's high 70's, sunny and beautiful. I love it and, to my surprise, could totally see myself living here.

6. Starbucks has the holiday-themed drinks and cups, but it's so strange to me. How can you possible think of Christmas (= snow in my mind) when there are palm trees everywhere?

Well, better get back to work... it's only 2:15 p.m. here...

Food with a Face

Made it safely to LA... We took off about 2 hours late, but at least I was able to sleep on the plane for a bit.

This is random, but kinda funny. Saturday night JP and I picked up Jamaican food for dinner -- we were having dinner with a friend and her mother, who are also from Haiti. This little place is not in the best area of Detroit. I've only been there one other time, but it scares me to go. It isn't the worst place, more of a place were most people would be uncomfortable. However, it scares me. Any place that has bars on the windows is a place where I don't want to be. I said that I knew I was being a snob, but I was okay with it in this case. Give me the west side burbs anyday!

The first time we went, JP parked in front, on the street, so I stayed in (his freaking BMW) while he ran inside to get the food. Right. I thought for sure someone was going to steal me!

Anyway... this place has some unusual items on the menu. Ox tail, goat, etc...

I'm not a true vegetarian. I forget the name that describes me, but I eat seafood and eat/drink dairy. (FYI: chicken and turkey are M-E-A-T). That said, I ordered fish for dinner. Now, the first time I ordered, it was normal fish. Like anyone would get from a resturant. Yeah. Not this time.

I am now totally on board with the vegetarians that won't eat anything with a face. Literally. I opened up my food and there was a, well, fish. Head, tail, everything. I was a little freaked out, but was trying not to let it show because of our friend's mother. I didn't want her to think I was a baby. (It's bad enough she doesn't speak much English and I can't speak any French.)

Everyone was laughing, and JP took my food and cut the head off. He brought it back to the table, but it still had the tail on it. I didn't know how to get the actual food off and must have been looking at it strangely. Finally, our friend's mother came around to my side of the table, and proceeded to cut my food for me. I felt like I was five years old. She was laughing, but I still felt dumb. But... come on. Can you blame me? My food was staring at me!

I love seafood too much, so I don't think this will turn me into a, "no food with a face" diet.

Sunday Night: Sitting in the airport

Hard to believe it's Sunday night already. The weekend went by way to fast!

Friday night, I worked longer than expected. JP landed right at 5 p.m. (he now claims the only way to fly is corporate jet). We were scrambling a little bit to get to the Palace for the 8 p.m. tip-off. In fact, we were a little late. The game was a total blow out, but it was still fun. We went with one of my college roommates and her boyfriend. Unfortunately, on the way home, I got pulled over about 1/4 mile from my house. Apparently I was going 45 mph through "town" where it is posted at 30 mph. I was so tired and the cop was kinda a jerk. He told me he didn't know why I was in such a hurry. I'm thinking, well it's 12:30 a.m., I've worked a ton this week and I'm ready to go to bed. He gave me a ticket for 5 mph over but I won't get points on my record. Okay. As if my city (the richest county in the state) need my money... grrr... not a good way to end the night.

Yesterday, I finally went to the gym! It had been so long!!!! It felt good to get all my frustrations from the week out. It also made me really miss working out and hopefully I'll make more of an effort to get there more often. There were these little, annoying high school girls in the room where they have classes. Apparently, they were practicing their dance line or something. First of all, put some clothes on. Second of all, you're not Brittany Spears. You're dancing at a football game. No need for the pouty lips and sexy dancing. Seriously. Not having a daughter! :)

Right now, I'm sitting at the airport waiting for my hour-delayed plane. I'm heading to LA tonight. I'll be there for the LA Auto Show, and will get back Thursday morning. I thought about heading to the bar for a drink, but I think I'd fall asleep and miss my flight. Instead, opted for a coffee. One thing I'll enjoy for sure is the warm weather. It's getting too cold in Michigan and I'm not ready for the cold. :)

Keep your fingers crossed this plane gets here soon so I can get on my way.

Falling in love all over again

Picking up where I last left off...

I finally left the office on Wednesday night at 8 p.m. Tired and praying that I had hot water, an hour long commute later I was home. Thankfully, JP removed the battery from my smoke detector so the incessant beeping had stopped and I had hot water. What more can a girl ask for?

The next morning, however, no hot water. Ugh. Treked over to JP's to get ready for work. Good thing we live so close to each other.

While that sounds horrible, it was still the best morning ever. Why? Because I fell in love with JP all over again. No, really. You see, I'm super anal about a clean bathroom. Since I've been so busy lately, I haven't had a chance to clean it this week and it was really, really bothering me. Before I went to bed, I thought about cleaning at least the sink but I was too tired and didn't have the energy to even reach for the sponge, let alone clean with it. When I got up in the morning I walked into the bathroom and ... it was clean!!! JP came over to check on everything after I went to bed and he cleaned my bathroom for me! Is he the best boyfriend ever or what.

Last night I left the office around 7 p.m. after a very hectic day. I had a really late lunch (3 p.m.) so I wasn't too hungry for dinner. We both needed to eat, but nothing sounded good. And... we didn't want to leave the house. JP finally decided he would cook some ramen noodles (hi, are we in college again) so we'd at least have something in our belly. (Again, best boyfriend ever. I'm too tired so he volunteers to make food.) He went to boil water and ... the gas stove top wouldn't light. Apparently the pilot light went out, but we couldn't find it and we were both, frankly, not that interested in working to hard in looking for it. Ended up getting some Middle Eastern take-out (mmm... hummus...) and calling it a night.

We couldn't help but laugh. Between the two of us we have an apartment... I don't have hot water and he doesn't have a functioning stove. Geez.

I AM getting out of here at a reasonable time tonight because we have tickets to the Piston's game tonight. Yay! Well, better get back to work so I can get out of here. Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

I have to ask... seriously?

Someone told me today that it's the "belly-button day of the week." Funny. Always thought it was considered "hump day." Anway...

It's 7:17 p.m.

I got to work at 8 a.m.

I'm not done yet.

JP ran over to my house to check something for me and found
1) my smoke alarm is in fact beeping -- I couldn't remove the battery last night so the beeping drove me absolutely insane (and I forgot to call the office to have maintenance change it for me... of course...)
2) I don't have any hot water. Apparently a neighbor told him there hasn't been hot water all day (which brings me to why the hell aren't you at work like, well, me.)

While I'm toiling away (you know, in between blogging), JP is at a Red Wings game. He told me he wouldn't go, but I'm not the kind of girl that gets upset about this type of thing. Go! Have fun! Why should you wait at home while I'm at the office.

Anyway, I need to finish up and get the f*^# out of here... out.

Did you see me on TV?

I have lots to share, but I'm so tired and really could do without being on the computer.

We had a good weekend. Everyone's response at work on Monday was, "it was such a good sports weekend." We had the Michigan/Michigan State game, Detroit Lions blew Denver out of the water, and the Piston's won their home opener.

Saturday, we spent a majority of the day at my parents so JP could help them with their computer. We watched part of the Michigan/Michigan State game, then hurried up so we could watch the rest at home. It was a long day, but we still went out to our friend's bar for a drink that night. We just needed to get out of the house. JP had to celebrate his school winning the cross-state rivalery game.

Sunday, we watched part of the Lion's game and then got ready for the Piston's game. We had THE MOST AMAZING TICKETS EVER!!!! Did you see me on TV? Because our seats were 4th room on the floor, about 5 seats right of center court. I have never been that close!!!! I was so excited and loved every minute of it. I was so close, I could hear what they were saying on the court, could see everything and sometimes the ref was in my way!!!! :) JP took so great pictures, but they're on his camera. We won by 1 point, so it was a great game to have those kickass seats!!!!!!

Back to reality now, and this week is going to be a hectic one. Heck, I just sent my last email of the day and it's almost 10 p.m. I'm flying out to LA for the auto show on Sunday, so there's a lot to get done between now and then. At least it'll be warmer there -- it's threatening snow here in the "D"... :)

Today's Horoscope

I don't usually check my horoscope, and don't really believe it in. Just more like a fun time-waster. Anyway, I'm still at work on a Friday afternoon/evening so I thought I'd check it out. (I know it's only 5-ish, but I've been trying to leave for about 4 hours now...) Ironically enough, here's mine for today:

Aquarius
November 2, 2007
Junk mail and a few telephone solicitations would almost be a welcome relief from the intense communications you've been having with people lately. All this intensity is interesting, to be sure, but also more time-consuming than you'd like. You barely have time to handle your own affairs, much less those of others. If you begin to feel yourself at the bursting point, call your own personal time-out. A mineral bath would do you a world of good, dear Aquarius.

So true!

Should be a good weekend. Dinner with friends, visit to my parent's, Michigan/Michigan State game (Go Blue!) and suite tickets for the Piston's game. Hoping to get some good workouts in there as well.

Happy Friday to all and have a great weekend!

Happy Halloween!

Last night, JP had his first experience of carving pumpkins. We had tons of fun and, as you can see by the pictures below, his first try was pretty impressive. Obviously, he has far more artistic ability than I do... (mine is on the left -- as if I needed to note that... ).

Here are a few moments we captured. Actually, throughout the entire process he kept saying, "why aren't you taking my picture?" Such a little kid! In the end, I'm glad we documented the first pumpkin carving night.

Hope everyone one with little ones enjoys tonight -- be safe and have fun!

Drinking for the kids

It's 11:30 p.m. I'm still working. Didn't get my workout in today. Enough said.

Last night, I didn't workout either but for a good reason. I was drinking for the kids, and on a weekday to boot. A girlfriend of mine was a guest bartender at a local bar to raise funds for a children's charity. I hadn't been to this bar in a long time, and I haven't been out on a weeknight to drink in an even longer time. It was a ton of fun! The morning alarm came early, but it was well worth it. After all, I was doing it for the kids! :)

Gotta get back to work...

Pumpkin Patch Fun

I really want to post pictures from the costume party JP and I went to this past weekend, but they need to be "pre-approved" by him. It was an 80's theme and I convinced JP to be Michael Jackson -- he looked so good! :)

Anyway, on Sunday afternoon it was a beautiful day and we went to a nearby apple orchard. After eating donuts and drinking cider (YUM!), we went to pick out our pumpkins. You see, my dear boyfriend has never carved pumpkins for Halloween. Granted, he didn't grow up here so they didn't have this time-honored tradition. I made it my mission to give him the opportunity to experience scooping goop out of a big pumpkin, making a mess, roasting the seeds and watching your scary face droop after being outside for 2 days. Great memories.

He was so excited, and picked out a 22-pound pumpkin. He wanted his own, so I picked out a smaller one for myself. I'm sure the actual carving will garner some great stories... Until then, here's a look at our pumpking-picking experience.

Greatest workout DVD!

Real quick while I'm eating my lunch (busy, busy day)...

I've been frustrated lately because I haven't been able to get my workouts in. Morning is out because I'm not a morning person and it would be cutting it close getting to work even if I'm at the gym by 5:30 a.m. when it opens. I've been working late and by the time I'm on my way home, it's at least 7 p.m. so I'm hungry and my oatmeal I usually eat before my workout just won't cut it. By the time I get home, eat, let it digest a bit it's about 9-9:30 p.m. And, the gym closes at 10 p.m. Since it's so dark so early, I can't do a later run either.

The solution - I read about this workout DVD -- Women's Health: Total Workout in Ten! -- in my Women's Health magazine. Finally broke down and bought it (only $12 at Best buy). It features four 10-minute sessions that focus on: cardio, arms, legs, stability/core control. Tuesday night was a crazy night (pretty much exactly like the description above), so I gave the DVD a try.

Since I had time, I did all of the session, plus the bonus stability ball workout as well. I was sweating my butt off!!! Since each session is only 10 minutes, the "trainer to the stars" who runs the workout makes sure you get your bang for the buck. My legs and butt were sore when I woke up the next morning and my abs slowly started to feel the burn throughout the day. It was a great workout, and I'm glad to have an alternative that I can do at a time that works for me.

I'm a little burnt out on running, so this is a great way for me to mix up my workouts a little bit. Hopefully this will help me get through the cold winter months, when going to the gym just doesn't sound that great. And, then I'll be all ready to pound the pavement in the spring. :)

When I grow up...

I wish I could report my vacation from a sunny beach with a warm breeze and a cold drink. However. I'm in Michigan. Where the weather is turning cold and it rained this afternoon. Oh well. I'm still on vacation!

Unfortunately, I was wide awake at 7:30 a.m. I struggled to stay asleep, but then my mind started racing. Work. Again. Instead of fighting it, I made a pot of coffee, turned on the Today Show and opened up my laptop for a few hours. I know vacations aren't supposed to involve working, but I didn't mind it so much since I was in my PJ's, the Today Show was on and I was sipping coffee.

It was an uneventfuly day, but I got so much done. I did laundry, finished some things I've been wanting to do since I moved into my apartment 6 months ago, got my hair cut, cleaned, worked out. You know, caught up on life.

This is a much needed vacation, but after 2 days I'm still stressed. Perhaps because I haven't totally disconnected, but usually I can relax faster than this time around. I've been having a difficult time lately with work. I am good at what I do, and I've always enjoyed my line of work. But lately, I've been wondering "what I want to do when I grow up." I chalked it up to needing a vacation (which could still be it...), but lately I've caught myself wondering what I would be doing if I could make any changes in the world. Would I stay with my job? Would I stay in Michigan? If I left my job, what do I want to do? I've come to realize that whenever I start getting this way, a change is in the works. Part of me really hates change, but another part of me thrives on it. Weird combo, I know.

Anyway, we'll see what happens and if what I really needed was some time away from the office. Tomorrow is our annual mother/daughter bonding day. Every October, we go shopping in Frankenmuth (If you live in Michigan, this little German town is something everyone goes to at least once in their life) one day in the middle of the week. Here's a little picture -- cheesy, I know, but they have cute little shops, an awesome bakery and a wine cellar that sells a New York wine that I love and can't find anywhere.

The weather is usually still nice and since it's mid-week it isn't crowded. Oh, and of course what would a trip to Frankenmuth be without stopping at the world's largest Christmas store. I faintly remember the first time my parents took my brother and me to Bronner's. We thought for sure we were right at Santa's house! Since we were young, my mom gives us an ornament every year for Christmas. If you're going to find a unique or special ornament, this is the place to shop.

There's also an outlet mall nearby, so we head over there to do some damage as well. We've done it every year since I've been out of college and in the working world. My mom really is my best friend, and it's something we both look forward to every year!

To those that ran Chicago:

To those that ran Chicago, I hope you're safe and recovering quickly. To my friend, Jason, congrats on getting to mile 22 before having to walk the last 4.2 miles. And to the family of the Michigan police officer, my condolences to you and your family.

On non-Chicago, but marathon-related props. Congrats to my friend Linds for her BQ this weekend in a Pa. race!

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The golf outing went fine. I was really nervous, but ended up having a really good time. The weather was BEAUTIFUL, the beer was cold and the team was loads of fun. Although... 18-holes is a lot of ground to cover. I wasn't good, but I definitely improved as the day went on, so what more could you ask for, right? Admittedly, there were a few times being out there was extremely painful and I would be happy anywhere but there at the time. I'm hoping to get out on a couple of 9-holes yet before it gets too cold. If not, at least get to the driving range a few more times.

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Day 1 of vacation today -- kinda. I had an 8 a.m. conference call and I'm sitting in on one right now. It's just a really busy time, and I didn't feel comfortable getting too far out of the loop. Between calls, I went out for a nice approx. 5 mile run. It was so nice, mid-morning run in the nice, cool, crisp air. I could totally do the work from home thing! :)

Hope all is well and everyone is enjoy the beautiful fall weather!

Sheer Dread

I don't want to do it. I really don't want to do it. Today is the, now dreaded, golf outing. I know it's all in good fun, but I really just don't want to do it. First of all, this woman who already intimidates me is on my team. Secondly, I heard she's really good and is really competitive. I've never played a full 18-holes before. What the hell was I thinking!?!?!!?! I'm trying to figure out a way to get out of this. Should I call in sick... to golf? But then I'd screw my team for being a player short. Well, actually, it may help them. It's not just that I'm not good, it's that I really don't think this is even going to be fun. I mean seriously, there's not good and then there's me. My team is made up of seasoned golfers. I just took lessons this spring and have only gone to the driving range a few times since. What do I do!?!?!!? Think I can come down with the 24-hour flu right now?

What a day...

Brief recap of my day:

1. 5 a.m. - alarm goes off so I can attempt to go to the gym
2. 5:00:30 a.m. - promptly hit snooze... some how end up turning it off in my sleep
3. Begin dreaming about work
4. Wake up late
5. Get stuck in major traffic
6. Badge doesn't work in the parking garage
7. 9 a.m. - finally get into the office
8. 8 p.m. - finally leave the office
9. Decide not to go to the gym, kick myself all the way home for not going to the gym, stomach growling like crazy
10. 9 p.m. - finally get home
11. 9:45 p.m. - eating tofu for dinner while thinking about the mint chocolate chip ice cream in the freezer

Tomorrow I'm looking forward to meeting up with a friend for dinner after work. My gym bag is still in the car, so I'm fully intending to hit the gym afterwards. You know, after a healthy dinner and, perhaps, a healthy glass of wine.

Oh, and Friday I'm looking forward to making a complete fool of myself. I allowed myself to get talked into participating in a work golf outing. At first, I allowed myself to think, "This is why I learned to golf. It will be fun and a good networking opportunity." I'm on a team with people that I don't know well, and I'm not sure if that is a good think or a bad thing. Now I'm thinking, "What was I thinking? I'm going to make a complete jack ass out of myself. It's not going to be fun, it's going to be a painful, embarassing afternoon for me. What was I thinking!?!?!"

Anyway... looking forward to another great day. Just living the dream. :)

Glad to be home

I think I've recovered from the trip. I took today off and slept most of the day. All in all, it was good and I'm looking forward to go into the next one with a broader knowledge base. My plan was to go for a nice easy run, just to stretch out a bit and get some fresh air. Yeah. That plan didn't really go into effect. It's 5 p.m. and I'm still in my PJ's. :)

JP and I have reservations for dinner tonight. He's been stressed out, I've been stressed out, and we have a gift card to use up. So, tonight we are having a nice dinner out (and I don't have to cook!) :)

Tomorrow we're heading up to my college Homecoming! It's nice to be back on campus, catch up with old friends and show JP a part of my past. Last year it was really cold, so I think we'll both enjoy this year much better. Fire Up Chips!!!

Howdy from Texas

I'm in Texas. It's f-ing hot and muggy. Working long hours. I'm still up working and need to be back up in a few hours. It's a new job and I feel like I don't know what I'm doing. I don't think the Starbucks in my hotel will be open at 5 a.m. I'm tired. JP's sick and I can't be home with him. Tomorrow is going to be a long ass day and I won't land until late. And, I have a bad feeling my flight is going to be delayd. (Yup. NWA.. how'd you guess.)

Okay, that's all the negative thoughts out. Really, this is a good learning experience and since it's my first show, I'm obviously not going to know how things work. I knew going into it there would be some long hours, but it's been awhile since I've had to travel for work and forgot how late the night can go. Well, I'd better be off to bed so I can function tomorrow. No working out on this trip. Usually I'm pretty good about it (especially if I'm training) but I didn't even bring my gear this time. Ugh. Can't wait to get home and back to a more normal schedule. Good night.

Update!

I've been waiting to post so I could throw up some pictures, but I just keep delaying it longer and longer. Anyway, here's a quick (personal pictureless) update on me.

Last weekend, JP and I went up to Petosky, MI for a friend's wedding. It was really cold, but the wedding was beautiful and our friends were the happiest couple in the world. We spent two nights there and then went over to Traverse City so I could show JP some of my childhood vacation spots. We climbed the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes, about 3 miles round trip, and played on the beach of Lake Michigan. It wasn't exactly what JP was expecting (climbing mountains of sand for 3 hours), but we had a really good time. I'll add our pictures soon. Seriously, see how little all those people look! It's quite a hike, but I think well worth it. Oh yeah, wondering how JP's ankle held up? Well, he decided this was the weekend he was taking himself off of the walking cast. I was nervous, but he did fine and it didn't hurt... anymore than usual. :) During our 3 hour hike, we had plenty of time to talk. We both thought when we first started dating that we were going to be the adventure couple -- running, soccer, cycling, etc. since we were both big into those types of things. We haven't really become that, but we both want to. So, we rededicated our relationship to be the fun, adventurous type. Can you just decided that? We'll see. :)

I've been running and actually decided to join a relay team for the Detroit Marathon. I was super excited and thought this would be really good for me. But... the girl pulling together the team didn't realize registration had closed for relay teams. She proposed we all run the half together, but I haven't been training and I know I wouldn't be happy to do it "just for fun." Come on, running races isn't for fun! :) Anyway, still working out on my own, but I realized I need to pick at least a 5k to work towards.

This weekend was low-key but nice. We went to a really great resturant with some friends on Saturday night. It's an old mansion turned Japanese and French resturant. What a combo, huh? I've been wanting to try it out for a few years, but I never think of it when we are trying to find a place for dinner. Excelent atmosphere, pretty good sushi and fun with friends. That was really the highlight, but I don't mind after a few crazy busy weekends.

Heading to Dallas tomorrow night for work.... here I come Texas State Fair! :)

Day 1

I did it. I went to the gym after work. Yay me. :)

Did 30 minutes on the elliptical, ran for a little bit to stretch out my legs, and lifted. I didn't get home until around 8 p.m., and JP waited for me to eat dinner. I've decided that I really need to just get up in the morning and get my workout done and over with. Not ideal for me, but that way we can eat dinner before 9 p.m.

So, we'll see how day 2 goes. Good night!

"Miss Out-of-control bachlorette"

That was what the the nice sash my girlfriend from college was wearing this weekend at her bachlorette party. Good times had by all.

We met at the maid of honor's condo in downtown Detroit. I've always admired these beautiful and trendy condo's, but never knew anyone that (dared) to leave there. It's right near the baseball stadium, so not a bad part of town, but no one really lives in downtown Detroit yet. Anyway, games and drinks flowed freely before we hoped our shuttle bus that was ours for the night. We headed over to an awesome Cuban resturant. There were about 20 of us, all decked out, so we attracted plenty of attention as we walked in. The food was great, I had my first Mojitos ever and there were authentic dancers halfway through our meal.

We headed over to the bar, where we had VIP access. We ended up hanging out with a bachlor party and our groups kinda merged together. I haven't been out dancing for a long time! Since I had to drive home, I ended up only having one drink at the bar. Still had a good time, but liquid courage always makes things just a little better... :) A few of my friends, with longer commutes home, headed out around 1 a.m. and caught a cab back to our cars. I hadn't been drinking that much, but on the way home all I kept doing was burping up those darn Mojitos. It was so gross and I felt like I had been drinking all night. Got home, took off all the glowering jewelry, male-anatomy straws and other incriminating materials, showered and crawled into bed. I was so hungry, but I was trying to wait for JP to return from his night at the bar so he could go get food for both of us. I fall asleep in about 2.6 seconds on a regular basis, so why I thought this night was any different is beyond me. Fell asleep with my tummy rumbling for food. Tonight was not a night to close the bar and stay up until 4 a.m. eating greasy post-bar food. :)

We spent the day with my parents yesterday and some family friends from out of town. Had a nice time, but I was so tired!

Heading to the gym tonight! I'm getting back on track. Hope everyone had a great weekend and a good week to come.

Fog Delay

Not that we have work fog delays, but today was the exception. The fog was so thick this morning, I couldn't see the flowers on my balcony. I made the executive decision to wait it out a little before getting on the road. I'll probably get to the office the same time as I would if I left the normal time.

The holiday weekend was great. We went to the Detroit Jazz Festival, and the Arts, Beats and Eats festival. In other words, lots of good music and lots of really good food! The weather was so nice, our main goal was just to be outside as much as possible.

The weekend (and into this week) also included running. It's nice to be out on the roads again, but it's not as much fun to, "go for a nice easy run," when you're not in that great of shape. Remeber when banging out a 12-miler was an easy run? I've been trying to mix things up a bit by going to the track, running bleachers, etc. I really want to start lifting again, but I can't bring myself to go inside the gym when our nice days are becoming limited.

Work has been getting busy, hence my sporatic blogging and my non-existent visits to your blogs... I promise I'll get back into it soon! Hope everyone had a fun and safe holiday weekend and that this week goes well!