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!

Buckets of Beer!

Great weekend!

Friday night, we met up with one of JP's college friends. She wanted to meet me and JP wanted to meet her boyfriend. We had a great dinner and since the evening was going well, we decided to take in a movie. We saw Super Bad. OMG - It was SO freaking funny! It wasn't one that I would ever choose to see, but it was much funnier than I thought it would be. I wasn't a fan of Arrested Development, but after the performance of ... forget his name... I wish I would have watched it. He is such a great young actor, and he played his part so well.

Saturday night was the long awaited German Park. I've been going every summer for the last few years, and this weekend was the last one of the summer. It's basically a bunch of picnic tables out in a field with BUCKETS OF (German) BEER, German food and polka music. It doesn't get much better than that. :) We had a ton of friends there and we played cards and some sort of dice game. I don't know... I was drinking my bucket of beer. My truck looked like we'd gone off-roading though. With all of the rain we've been getting, the parking area was a muddy mess.

Yesterday, I thought about going for a run and decided not to do it. JP and I went up to a nearby outlet mall and went shopping. We walked forever, so I'd like to think of it as an easy workout. :) Hitting the gym tonight though. I have to get back into it.

So, here is is Monday morning and I have a ton to do. Better get back to work. More later about my great workout that I'm going to have tonight.

Master of the Wii

You know you've been dating for a while when you stay up all night... playing video games. (what were you thinking?) JP bought me a new game for my Wii and we were up until 1 a.m. playing it. There are about 10 different games on the disk and, of course, we had to try them all. They're just short little games and I basically got my butt kicked. I think my record was 4-11. I love the Wii and it's nice that there's actually a video game system we can play together.

I've been trying to get some runs in this week, but I've been in a lot of pain. Ugh. When I don't feel like running, I feel fine. When I want to go running, I hurt. Ironic isn't it.

Well, better get back to work!

Sick Day

Ugg. I'm home sick. This morning when the alarm went off, my body was not cooperating with me. At first, I thought I was just tired (like every Monday morning) and hit snooze. My body was sore and my legs felt "weird" and I knew that I wasn't going to make it into the office. Around 7:30 a.m., I called in and went back to bed. Fast forward to 1:45 p.m., when I finally woke up and got out of bed.

Now, since I'm like most of the world, even though I'm not feeling well and my head feels like it's going to explode, I dragged out my laptop and jumped online. Why do we do this? I'm all about new technology, but when did it become acceptable to constantly email, check voicemail, call into meetings when we're on vacation or sick? Anyway, that's another post all togeher. I did a few emails, but my client yelled at me and told me I better not be on our 2:30 p.m. call. I've already looked ahead to tomorrow and it's going to be a monster of a day!

Quick recap on the weekend. Saturday, JP went to Cedar Point and I enjoyed the day to myself. I went running and did a ball workout, went shopping, cleaned, read a magazine and just relaxed. Sunday was pretty low-key. JP and I went grocery shopping and made dinner for his family. I don't get freaked out like I used to, cooking for a party of seven. I'm getting better and everyone seemed to enjoy it. I may not freak out, but I still get nervous as everyone is taking the first bit. It's especially challenging since I don't eat meat, so I can't taste test the food before serving. :) It's always a good ego boost when people request seconds.

Well, my head is about to explode so I better turn off the computer to get some rest. Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

Why I love my job

10:24 a.m.
Grab a latte at the coffee shop downstairs (great office building -- everything from Starbucks to a dry cleaner to a Hallmark to clothing stores to the post office)

10:37 a.m.
Run into Borders and buy a stack of magazines

10:52 a.m.
Return upstairs, settle in and start reading.

Yep, part of my job entails that I'm familiar with a wide variety of media outlets. No, this isn't what I do all day everyday, but it's a part that I enjoy. My profession isn't brain surgery, but I just want to stress that it isn't a cake walk either. Now, I better get back to it. :)

Perfect Saturday Night

I went for a nice, easy run this evening. I know, shocking isn't it! About 20 minutes into it, I started to feel it a little bit. About 30 mintues into it, I really noticed how not in shape I am. Ended up going for about 50 mintues, and actually enjoyed it. With no pressure, I think running will become enjoyable again. I even went as crazy as thinking that I should do a couple of 5k races this summer yet. I know come fall I'm really going to wish I would've trained for a marathon but there's always next year.

JP's out with the boys tonight and I thought about making it a girls night at the bar but decided against it. Sitting at home watching TV and drinking a glass of wine just sounded good to me. Not a wild and crazy Saturday night, but it sure sounded perfect... :)

TGIF!

I received a phone call from my doctor's office this morning. Apparently the crazy shrink and my pain doctor had their weekly meeting and my case was on the agenda. The crazy doctor recommended to the pain doctor that he thinks I should continue treatment with him since, "I seem to have a lot of stress in my life." Who doesn't? No thanks. I think I'll try something else that does not involve someone telling my the source of my chronic pain is that I'm a perfectionist.

TGIF! Can't wait for the weekend to begin in a couple of hours. Should be low-key. Although, my family reunion is on Sunday, so JP will get a chnace to meet a bunch of the extended family. Should prove to be entertaining. Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Here I Am!

Well, after a brief stint of being MIA I thought I'd better do a quick entry to say that I'm alive. (And no, David, I haven't left you all behind to become a card carrying memeber of the BPC!) I've recently been assigned two new accounts at work, which is like learning two new jobs at the same time, which has been the main culprit. I'm so mentally exhausted after work, logging on the computer at home is about the last thing I want to do.

Also, I think I've been avoiding facing the fact that I'm not training for Detroit. It's hard to face it, but now just isn't the right time. Partly, I think I'm a little burnt out with running. The thought of running for four hours (really, even 2 hours sounds absolutely horrible to me right now) just doesn't do it for me and if you're going to run that long you should enjoy it. (Right, Mendy!?!) The other part, as you all know, physically I think it's too taxing on my body right now. I managed to do it last year, but I think I really pushed it and I need to let my body take its time to heal.

There. I've said it. I'm not training. I still feel a little bit like a failure, but as JP kindly reminded me, running does soley definine me.

Anyway, need to get back to work and I promise I'll be better about posting. Here's a quick picture of our one year anniversary date. JP suprised me and we did a beautiful, sunset dinner cruise on the Detroit River. Thanks to everyone for being there for me! Missed you all, too.