Connected!

Social media is a HUGE factor in our lives, whether we like it or not. It's also an important part of my industry and I've been dabbling in it for awhile.

Obviously, I blog (although it's my super secret blog), I'm ADDICTED to Facebook and today, I finally got a better idea of how to Tweet. Through the professional organization I am a part of, there was a professional development session on Twitter this morning.

I opened a Twitter account a few months ago, just so I had a better idea of what the heck people were talking about in meetings. Didn't really get it, so I thought this class would be helpful. Especially since I'm job hunting, I need to be on the cutting edge (or at least know what the cutting edge is!).

It's kind of a lot to handle -- blogging, FBing and Tweeting... But, it's fun and a great way to be connected.

On a different note, I had a killer workout last night. I did a Brick workout... kinda. It wasn't intentional, but just ended up that way so I went with it. I wanted to test out running, so I ran 1 mile (9:15 pace) and felt great. My foot wasn't hurting, but I didn't want to push it. A mile run isn't enough of a workout and the thought of the eliptical just wasn't jiving with my mood. So, I jumped on the bike for some spinning. I did that for 30 minutes and thought, Hmmm... I should follow up with a little run. So, I ran another 1/2 mile. I felt like I could go more, but again, didn't want to push it too much. It's an odd feeling, but felt pretty cool doing it. ;) Cheesy, I know.

After some good quality stretching, I headed to the weights and lifted. Concentration on my arms. Gosh, I love a great workout!!!!!!

Busy weekend coming up and I can't wait. My goal this weekend is to NOT be a slacker and get a lot accomplished. I really feel that I need to keep busy to keep my mood elevated. So... be ready for some great weekend updates! TGIF everyone!

Better :)

Thanks, everyone, for putting up with my venting. I appreciate the kind words and all the great support.

Today's a new day. The sun is out, it's 40-degrees and I'm trying to have a better outlook today. I ended up not going to the gym last night. Instead, JP and I headed to church for Ash Wednesday. We both needed a little spirtitual muscle flex, so we were in high spirits when we left last night.

However, tonight will be a kick-butt workout. Can't wait! Gym bag is in the car and my body is screaming to get back into it. With the spring weather just around the corner (seriously, it has to be here soon or I'm gonna go crazy), I need to figure out my race calander. Yay!

Pity Party

I know I've been complaining a lot, but it's my blog and I can do what I want to do.

Last night ended up being a big pity party for myself. I didn't workout and indulged myself in carbs... the really good kind. Olive Garden breadsticks.

My last meeting of the day was a planning meeting. Planning for programs in the future. The future, where I will not be doing this job. The fact that I'm going to be unemployed sucks, but seeing dates and projects on paper and realizing that I'm not going to be involved past page one, struck me in the face like a ton of bricks. Shit. I'm not going to be working on all of these great projects. The projects that are what make my job fun and what we've all ben looking to while we're in the limbo state. Wow. This blows.

Heading home, I called JP to give him a status update (on the road, heading to the gym, what do you want for dinner call). Instead, I ended up bawling. With tears streaming down my face, I just went home.

He's the greatest and didn't want me to have to cook. So, I could pick anywhere I wanted to go. (Which started a whole other round of crying since I felt guilty for not cooking when we (really, I) shouldn't be spending any money unless absolutely necessary). I was ready to eat my weight in breadsticks, so Olive Garden it was.

I find comfort in food, so this gorge was just what I needed. Now, I know emotional eating isn't healthy -- mentally or physcially -- but I couldn't have cared less at the moment. This morning I felt blah for not going to the gym, but quickly stopped beating myself up about it.

Meetings this morning were just as bad, and I actually had to discreetly wipe away a tear as we were talking about some future stuff. Seriously, I should have just stayed in bed. (Not that that is healthy either...).

Currently, I'm drinking a diet Coke (which I never do) and wishing it were a beer. (Which is actually my FB status right now! Ha!) Hoping to get to the gym tonight, but might not make it if we're going to make it to church tonight for Ash Wednesday. Guess I'll have to decide which needs more attention - my soul or my muscles. ;)

Holy sore muscles!

Ahhhh. That's how I felt after my workout last night. It felt so good to be in the gym, sweat pouring off of me and just feeling my muscles being pushed to the limit. You all know... it's like going home.

My foot has been okay, but I'm still very hesitant to run. I had a lot of energy (some of it negative) to get out of my system, so I turned up the iPod to some crazy, loud workout music and jumped on the eliptical. About 45-minutes later, my mind was ready to crank out some more miles, but my foot... well, not so much. It was starting to get sore and, like I said, I'm ultra-sensative to it right now.

Jumped off, stretched really well and headed to the weights. Holy crap! My legs were trembling like crazy, but it was the good, tired feeling. Stretched some more and headed home.

Spent the rest of the night job searching. YUCK! Hopefully something will come up before my April deadline.

My body is sore today, but I'm looking forward to another kick-butt workout and our push up/sit up challenges tonight.

Winter Blahs

I'm in that end-of-winter, spring is right around the corner, but not quite funk. Blah!

It was a long weekend since I had Friday off, and I'd like to say I accomplished a bunch of stuff, worked out like a madwoman and feel totally rejuvenated. Instead, I feel blah and looking forward to the weekend so I can do all the stuff I didn't do this weekend.

On a good note, JP is totally in the "get healthier" mindset and I love it. He still needs to have surgery on his ankle, so a lot of activities are off the counter. But, he's rededicated himself to doing as much as he can and eating better. So happy that he's doing it. I push as much as I can, but that's something you really have to make your own decision about. So...

1. He's doing fruit every morning for breakfast. (Small step. He's not a breakfast person. Hope to get him to a little protein mixed in soon.)

2. We've rededicated ourselves to do the 100 push-up challenge and the 200 sit-up challenge. It helps when we can do it together. Once the weather gets nice, I have a feeling we'll be on the mountain bikes a lot. Can't wait!

3. Reducing food intake. We're working on portion control and trying to do more lean proteins and veggies. I have more control on content since I'm the cook in the relationship, but he's in the drivers seat when it comes to how much he eats. He was always skinny skinny, no matter how much he ate. His metabolism is changing a bit and since he's not as active as before, it's starting to show a little.

4. After dinner, we try to run errands or something so we MOVE and help our food digest. It's cold out, so after-dinner walks aren't an option. But, doing a quick Meijer run to cross off our to-do list gets us MOVING.

5. Reducing soda intake. I put the clamp down on a lot of his pop intake since we started dating. He down to 1 can a day now and is working to not have one everyday. And, he is making a conscious decision to drink more water. Everyday.

6. Lunch. His office used to be bad about going out for lunch everyday. A few months ago, in an effort to eat healthier and save money, I convinced him to take his lunch to work. More work for me, since I'm the lunch packer in the relationship, but well worth it.

These are just small steps, but I'm so proud of him for being proactive about it. Can't wait until it gets warmer so we can be outside!

I was a lazy bum this weekend, so I'm anxious to head to the gym tonight for a solid workout!

Grrrrr

Just wrote a post and lost it due to something wrong with Blogger. Grrrr...

I'm heading to bed so you'll just have to hear about my sweet ass seats at the Buddy Guy and BB King concert last night. :)

Hi...

... it's been awhile, but I'm still alive and kicking.

Let's see... in the last two months I've been up and down. I was a little down, and as much as I wanted to blog to get it off my chest, I just wasn't really ready to see all of my frustrations in print. I'm excited to get caught up in your lives and all the great things you've all been doing.

Christmas and New Year's: A little stressful since the countdown was on for losing my job. On the bright side, it was a reminder that spending lots of money on the "perfect" gift really isn't necessary. The important thing is spending time with your loved ones.

North American International Auto Show: Busy, busy, busy. I worked nine days straight, moved into the hotel inside my office building for 4 of those days, and worked nearly 135 hours. I was EXHAUSTED and could barely see straight, but proud of the work I had accomplished.

My Job: The best part of 2009, so far, is that my contract at GM got extended for a few more months. So... my new last day is April 15. It's still a last day, but at least it buys me some more time. (And, a few more paychecks). I'm in job-searching mode and, frankly, it sucks. Time consuming, stressful and overwhelming about sums it up.

My 29th Birthday: Holy crap! My last year to say I'm in my 20's. It was a good day... cake, lunches out with co-workers, sushi with JP that night, parents dinner (mom's homemade mac & cheese... yum!). JP got me a gift card for a manicure and hot stone massage. I'm a little intimidated by it, but looking forward to trying it. I'll let you know if it's weird, heavenly or a little bit of both. I'm working on my list of things I want to accomplish before I turn 30.

Travel: Last two weeks have been on the road. Last week, I was in DC for the DC Auto Show for a few days. This past week, I was in Chicago for the Chicago Auto Show. Spent the week there for work and the weekend for play. JP came in on Friday night and we had a great time with his family.

Running: Been doing a lot of working out. I was up to 5 miles (about 9:30 pace) and then... my foot started hurting. Instead of packing it up and heading home, like in the past, I starting jumping on the eliptical and bike, hitting the weights and a tone of core work. Thinking of jumping in the pool next.

Life in General: Things, overall, are good. At times, it may feel like the walls are caving in, but what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.

Hope all of you are well and looking forward to getting back in the mix!

Sore!

I'm happy to say I've gotten off of my duff and worked out two days in a row. Geez. How sad is that. Especially since not too long ago I was complaining that I couldn't work out!

Anyway, Saturday I busted out the Women's Health 10 minute DVD and did all 5 workouts -- cardio, upper body, lower body, core, stretching. Yikes! My body is still sore!

Yesterday, I went to the gym and tried out my new Nike iPod earphones. LOVE THEM! Anyway... I ran about 1 1/2 miles, but my body just wasn't in synch. So I stopped the torture and jumped on the ellipitcal for an hour. Running wasn't on the agenda for my body, but working out in general was right at the top of the list. I worked up quite a sweat during that hour! :)

My reward afterwards was some popcorn at the theater. :) JP took me to see Marley & Me. So cute, but made me a little thankful I didn't get that puppy I wanted for Christmas. :)

Back in the grind today, but not feeling the motivation at all. Think I'll head out in a bit -- it's pretty quiet in the office. Plus, my parents and brother are coming up for dinner tonight. I planned ahead though and made it last night. Now, all I have to do is heat it up. I made seafood gumbo, so the flavors should be quite nice tonight after setting all night. Now all I have to do tonight is make the side dish. Plantains. YUM!!!

Hope everyone is having a happy Monday.

Merry Christmas

Merry (belated) Christmas, everyone!

It was a wonderful holiday. Busy, but wonderful.

Christmas Eve, JP and I headed down to be with my family. Our tradition is everyone goes to church together and everyone has Christmas Eve with grandma. This year she had 7 of her 11 grandkids there, plus a new wife and a boyfriend (which she said counts as family!). It was a housefull, but it's one tradition that I love. We aren't always together throughout the year, but everyone knows they better be with grandma on Christmas Eve.

After gifts there, we drove up (about an hour) to be with JP's sisters. Their tradition is to open gifts at midnight. There was a little miscommunication, so we ended up just going home and spending the rest of Christmas Eve together. It was a little weird not to be with his brother's. They opted to stay in Chicago this year because of the crazy weather. But, it was kinda nice just being together to exchange our gifts.

Christmas morning we headed back down to my parent's house for gifts and dinner. It was nice to spend the day with my parents, aunts/uncles and my brother was in town from Dallas. I haven't seen him since May, so it was great to see him. After a quick nap, we hit the roads again and did gifts and dinner with his family.

Today, I spent the day recovering from all of the festivities. Well... recovering my staying in my PJs and rocking out with a little gift Santa left me and JP -- Guitar Hero for the Wii. :)

Hope everyone enjoyed their holiday and had a safe and merry Christmas!!!

Keepin' the faith

Admitedly, I've been pretty grouchy lately. Either I'm stressed about work (Detroit auto show is quickly approaching and plans are changing by the hour), overwhelmed by the job search, unsure about the future (which, being type-A isn't how I like to operate), or just trying to get things ready for the holidays.

Lately, I haven't been running because I've needed the time to look for jobs. I really only get 2-3 hours a night, which isn't that much time. Looking for a job really is a full time job. Found a few things I'm interested in, so keep your fingers crossed.

Last night, I was feeling yucky from not working out in forever. My gym bag was in the car, so I made myself stop and go in for a workout. Apparently I had lots of pent up energy because I ran 8:03 minute miles (3 miles). The first 1 1/2 miles I felt like I was in a complete fog, but after that it was like an old shell broke away and this runner came out. :) I knew I was in there somewhere!

I did some serious stretching - my body is just so stressed and tense, I really needed it. I opted not to take the time to lift. I know I should, but it was getting late and I was getting hungry.

Feeling better this morning and ready to take on the world. Although, I'm sure I'll feel the weight of the world on my shoulders by noon. :) Just gotta pray and keep the faith that there is something better out there for me.

Highlights and lowlights

It's been a little while, so I won't bore you to death with the details of the past two weeks. Here's quick look at the highlights (and... lowlights).

Highlight: Thanksgiving Dinner
What's not to love. Food, wine, family and friends!

Higlight: New running buddy
On Thanksgiving, JP's 11-year-old nephew asked me if I would run with him the next day - totally on his own and out of the blue. He wanted to get in better shape for soccer and figured I was his best bet to run outside in the cold. So, the morning after Thanksgiving I picked him up and we went to a nearby park. He did great and we got in about 2 miles. I was a little nervous because we had never spent time alone, just the two of us. It went fine and we chatted away during the entire run. Looking forward to the next run!

Highlight: Running/Working out
I've been doing fairly well with my running. I even got out the morning of Thanksgiving! I'm up to about 3.5 miles and starting to get consistent with weight training.

Lowlight: Running
Yesterday, during my run, my foot started to become sore. Yikes! Fearing I was doing too much on my ex-stress fractured foot, I finished up the mile and jumped on a spinning bike. Not taking any chances.

Highlight: Grandma K's 85th birthday
We celebrated my grandma's 85th birthday Friday night. Her memory isn't that great, but she's still got spunk!

Lowlight: It's winter. Brrr....
It's winter. In Michigan. Read: lots of snow and COLD temps. This weekend ended up in single digits, with windchill. I was all set to run outside Saturday morning, but after opening the door and getting one foot out, I quickly decided perhaps the gym was a better option.

Highlight: Christmas Parties
Our first Christmas party was Saturday night. GREAT food, lots of laughs, little bit of wine (well... maybe a bit more than a little), and you're never too old for gift exchanges.

Lowlight: Auto industry and state of the economy
Combine these two and there are a lot of people anxiously awaiting what the future will bring. Mine became a reality on Friday. My on-site contract with GM ends Jan. 15. My PR agency is trying to find accounts for me to work on, back at our agency office. IF that doesn't work out (our bread and butter has long been GM. We're not getting as much work, which means less revenue coming in, which means tough business decisions need to be made... You know the cycle.) my last day will be Jan. 16. It wasn't a surprise, but hearing it out loud makes it real and just kinda blows. The agency and my clients are doing all they can to help me, which is encouraging and makes me very grateful. No one wishes this upon anyone, it's just how things are right now. I know I have a lot to offer and if it is going to happen, while I'm young, single and mobile, it may as well happen now. This is just God's way of telling me He has other things in store for me. I know there is a great future out ahead of me. It will be tough, but I have to be open for the ride and know that I'll end up in a great place.

Highlight: Haircut!
I'm getting a much needed haircut tonight. Whoo Hooo! It really is the small things... :)

Wedding #7 ... check

Well, I'm proud to say I continued my quest to get back into shape this weekend.

Saturday morning, I got out of bed, had a small breakfast and headed to the gym. I didn't have a lot of time because wedding #7 was at 1 pm and it was about an hour away. I did 2.5 miles on the track (can I say again how much I LOVE my lap counter) in approx. 9:10 pace. The first 2 miles were awesome, the last half... not so much. It was tough, but I kept pushing myself to just finish it. Building the foundation back is never easy. I didn't have time for extra cardio or lifting, but I figured getting in my run could count as a success.

Wedding #7 was beautiful. The reception looked like a Winter Wonderland and was complete with a martini bar, ice cream station, soft pretzels for the late night snack, and photo booth. The photo booth was the most fun! It took a series of four pictures and you got to keep one and the other copy went into a scrapbook for the new couple. As the night progressed, I'm sure the photos become more and more, eh, creative. The bride and groom also surprised us all with a very fun first dance. They started with the traditional love song, which quickly broke into a choreographed old-school montage. It was a fun night and JP is happy that we don't have anymore weddings to go to this year.

Sunday was cold (about 30-degrees), but sunny. So, I made the most of it and headed outside for a "long run" of 3 miles. It felt great to be outside, my legs were responding well and my foot was able to take the mileage. I opted to go without my iPod (I desperately need to upload some new songs), and it was really nice to just think and enjoy the scenery.

The gym bag is in the car and I'm ready for another great workout tonight!

Shoeless Joe (or Joanne)...

Okay, so I've been going to the same gym for nearly 2 years now. And, there's usually this one woman that I always notice. I've tried to keep my mouth shut, but it's Friday and I feel like letting my hair down a little and being a tad snarky. (I'm really a nice person. I promise.)

She's a middle-aged woman, that seems to work out all the time. She always wears baggy sweats and a zip up sweatshirt, with the sleeves pushed up over her elbows (that alone drives me crazy for some reason). Since she's in baggy workout gear, I can't really see her body but she doesn't seem to have the killer body you would expect from someone that works out all the time. She's thin, but that's about it. Okay, so why do I notice her? Because she always wears these black socks, that are so worn thin on the bottom they have huge holes in them. How do I know that? BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T WEAR SHOES WHILE WORKING OUT!

Go ahead and call me a gym snob, but it drives me insane and I have to let it out. The folks that wear the canvas shoes to work out in bug me, but this pushes me over the edge. She does classes, with her shoes neatly lined up next to her mat. She rides the bike, WITH NO SHOES ON. She runs (well, shuffles really) WITH NO SHOES ON. I've never seen her lift weights, but I'm guessing she'd do that with no shoes on either. I don't know why none of the trainers have said anything to her. I mean, it really isn't that safe to be working out without proper shoes on.

Admitedly, I've gone running without shoes... When I've done workouts on the beach or sprint drills on the football field. You know, in safe environmenets where the workout is geared to help you improve. Grrrr.... It probably bothers me way more than it should, but what can I say? It apparently is a hot button with me.

Okay, I feel better.... :)

I had a good workout last night. Another 2 miles (about 9:10 pace), some time on the eliptical and an ab workout. Felt good and my body is responding well. Plus, my foot is doing really well. Still taking it slow, but I'm so happy that it looks like I've made a full recovery. Rest day today and I'm planning on a 2.5-3 mile run on Saturday. Yay for the first week of my comeback. :)

The tough choices in life... gym or bar?

Last night I was faced with a big dilema: Go to the gym or go to the bar. Now, before you tell me this is a no-brainer, let me explain.

Getting back into shape is at the top of my priority list. I love the feeling of being not only in shape, but being in kick-butt, what's a 15-mile run, I look freaking awesome shape. I feel like I haven't been in that condition since right before my unexpected surgery a few years ago. Looking back at pics during my marathon a few weeks before "the incident", I have to admit I looked great. Plus, I just felt so great being in the best shape of my life. So, dedication I must have.

But... being a CMU alum, the big MAC game between Central and Ball State was last night. One of my friends called to say a bunch of folks were meeting up at the bar to watch the game. Hmmm... what to do.

I'm proud to say I was dedicated and did my workout at the gym, with the thought that I could possibly catch the second half of the game afterwards.

So, I got my 2 miles in (approx. 9 minute miles - felt much better than Monday's run) and then jumped on the elipitcal for another 45 minutes. I just felt like I needed to get some more cardio in, but didn't want to risk putting too much stress on my foot. Then, I hit the weights and got a good lower body workout in. My quads were SCREAMING on the leg extension bench, but I just took that energy in and turned it into more determination to get back those killer legs. :)

Afterwards, I quickly ran home for a shower and made it over to the bar. My former trainer would be proud - I only had ONE beer. Didn't want to totally undo what I had just worked on for nearly 2 hours. It felt good to be out and among friends, kicking back with a cold one. (Life has been more stressful than I could ever imagine right now. I'm directly tied to the auto industry. There's a long, insightful post coming in the near future, I'm sure...). I got to bed much later than I would have liked, but it was totally worth it.

Looking forward to another great workout tonight. Ab/core work tonight... wish me luck!

Lots of Laps

Last night, after work, I went to the gym determined to get a killer workout in. It's been a little while since I've been able to workout so I need to get back into the swing of things.

It was a little sad that I couldn't run outside, but it was dark, cold and snowing. On the bright side, I finally got to use my little lap counter that I bought this summer. I HATE having to count laps and usually forget which number I'm on. Then, to make sure I dont' slack, I run more just to ensure that I get in the desired distance. Grrr.... Anyway, it worked great! I forgot to start my watch to time my goal of 2 miles, but I guess it's better that way. I'm working on getting back into shape, not speed ... yet...

The 2 miles were a little tough, and I sadly realized how out of shape I really am now. In the past, when I didn't work out for one reason or another, I was at least still active. With that dumb stress fracture, I literally sat all summer. Slow and steady. I'll get there.

After my 2 miles, I did an upper body lifting workout. A little sore this morning, so I know I'll be hurting by tonight. But, looking forward to a great workout tonight!

St. Louis

Super delayed, but here's some photos of St. Louis. We had such a great time... so much that our bodies rebelled against all of the fun we had that we both got sick upon arrival back at home. I'm feeling much better now and JP is just getting back on his feet.

We left last Thursday night and got in a little late. Just enough time to grab a late, late dinner at the bar and head to bed.

Friday morning, we meet the groom and his family (who I've known for years) and went to the famous Blueberry Hill resturant for lunch. Not sure why it's famous, but it is. From there, we went to see how Bud Light is made. Excellent tour and the tasting afterwards was obviously the best part. I tried this holiday ale that doesn't hit store shelves until Dec. 1. Can't remember the name of it, but if you see it, I highly recommend it!

That night, we went to the rehersal dinner in the suburb, Clayton. If you haven't heard of it, I can sum it up in a few words. Gated streets... filled with beautiful mansions. Yep, I said mansions. To put it in perspective: Dinner was served, buffet style, in the front, formal dinning room. We then walked to the back of the house where several long tables were set up. On the indoor basketeball court. Yeah... The people were super nice, the bar was well stocked and we had a wonderful meal. Afterwards, tons of us headed to a local bar. Thankfully it was within walking distance of the hotel. :)

After dancing our butts off, catching up with old friends and making new ones, we walked back to the hotel. We were starving and I was put in charge of ordering pizza. There were about 8 of us, so I just asked for the biggest pizza they have. Apparently, I ordered the biggest pizza in the world. Seriously, look at it! It was nearly the size of a small bar table!!! It was so good!!

Saturday, JP and I went to the Gateway Arch and went up for the view. JP had never been there before, so he can now check off one more thing on his "Tourist Spots Across the U.S." list. (NOTE: I look a little rough... we didn't get much sleep the night before...)

The wedding that evening was beautiful and the reception was at a lovely country club. We had a great time -- again, the bar was well stocked, danced our butts off, caught up with old friends and got to know our new ones better. Of course, after the reception, the party moved to the hotel bar. Not sure what time we finally made it back to the room but 7 a.m. came pretty early for us to get up and catch our flight. It was pretty brutal, but we had a wonderful trip!

This weekend was pretty low-key in comparison. Thank goodness!! One more wedding of the season... on Saturday... This one is in town and JP has limited me to 3 weddings next year. :)

Heading to the gym tonight! Yay!!!!

sick

feel like crap. working from home. will have to update you all on my kick-butt weekend in St. Louis later. (I know you're all anxiously waiting...)

more hot tea, OJ and vitamins in my future...

1.5 miles down...

... and a walk during lunch and yoga. Holy cow! Yay, me! :)

Monday, I was very ambitous and happy to be in the land of the running. I gathered the girls with I was walking with during the summer and we put on our running shoes and had a great power walk during lunch. Note: I am not one of those unstylish gals walking around in a skirt, tights, bright white socks and tennis shoes. :) We walked for about 45 minutes and I felt so great. I was never big into walking, but I have to tell you I could tell a HUGE difference this summer. I just felt better and I was more productive in the afternoon. It was nice to be at it again, plus the catching up with friends that I'd been missing out on.

After work, it was way too nice to go to the gym. It's going to be cold and snowy soon enough, so I took advantage of the unseasonably warm weather to do my 1.5 miles outside. It felt great!

Afterwards, while dinner was cooking on the stove, I decided to do the yoga session I had snoozed through earlier that morning. (Always sounds like a great plan the night before, but when taht alarm goes off I'm wondering what posessed me to set my alark any earlier than absolutley necessary!). My flexibility has sadly reduced, but a little bit at a time and soon enough I'll be crushing those downward facing dogs!

Yep, it was a lot to do in one day and yep, my foot was a little sore that night. Good news is that I was great the next morning so I can continue to build my mileage. The doctor said as long as it was okay the next day, I was free to continue going (cautiously).

Yesterday, I got up at 5:30 a.m. and rushed to get ready so I could be at the polls early. I was in line by 6:20 a.m., had my registration checked by 6:35 a.m. and ready to rock and roll promptly at 7 a.m. I was #34 in line to vote and the process was so smooth. Props to the volunteers in my area! I was out by 7:35 a.m. and waiting for my mom to come over. I had the day off, so we decided to stimulate the economy by doing our annual mother/daughter shopping trip. Had a fabulous time and the weather was PERFECT!!!! Lots of walking, so I consider that my exercise for the day.

Looking forward to a good run outside again today before it snows this weekend! Yikes! :)

1 mile down...

The doctor gave me the okay a bit ago to start running, but life took over and I haven't had a chance to get out and run. This weekend was beautiful and we actually didn't have a ton of things planned. So, I got up early Saturday morning and went for my prescribed 1 mile run.

It felt so great to be out there! It was only a mile, but I was given strict instructions that the first run was to be 1 mile, the second run 1.5, etc. Sadly, I was a little sore the next day, but still smiling for being out there.

Didn't get my 1.5 in yesterday, but my gym bag is packed and waiting for me in the car. No excuses -- I am going to the gym tonight!

Hello, body... I'm back! :)

Quick Trips: Austin and San Antonio... y'all!

Last week, I was in Austin and San Antonio. It was for work, but I did get to sneak in a few fun lunches.


Austin boasts the mothership of Whole Foods. I was super excited and was told it was several stories high, had resturants inside, a clothing area, etc. This is not your typical Whole Foods. Thankfully my co-worker are cool and went along with my craziness.

I took a picture inside the store and promptly got jumped on by an employee. I guess pictures are not allowed. I didn't argure, since she didn't ask me to delete it. So... here's just a quick look at the inside, looking at all the cafe area.


Isn't it awesome! I opted to do the "salad bar" style lunch, that way I could try lots of different thing. I don't get this type of food often, so I was going to take full advantage!




This is my delish lunch! Complete with the 100% recycleable box I put all the organic food into. I'm such a nerd, but at least a healthy one!





That's about all I got to see of Austin, but it seemed like a nice place.


From Austin, our crew drove to San Antonio for the next stop. Again, didn't get to see too much of the city, but my great co-workers offered to take me to the Riverwalk for lunch. I've only seen it on TV (Pistons v. San Antonio Spurs), and was super excited to see the sights. We had an authentic Mexican feast!



So cool! Wish we would have had time to do some shopping, but we were, after all, there for business. It would have been cool to see it at night, with all of the lights, but I'm just happy to have been able to see it at all. It was a little chilly that day, but nice enough that we were able to sit outside.


I've been MIA since last week... just a tough week. Thankfully, I've been home, but been working too much and have had something going on every night. More on that later...


Hope everyone has a happy halloween!