10.31.2008
10.29.2008
My Productive Weekend and Why I'm Never Eating Fried Chicken Again
I baked chocolate chip cookies yesterday. They turned out a little burnt, but overall delicious.
Today, I rearranged my apartment. I can't say I like it anymore than I liked it yesterday, but it's nice to just change things up now and again. Plus, my dining table is much closer to my TV, which makes it far more likely I'll use it.
I also took Reagan into the shop today. About a month ago, I was going along and a squirrel tried to commit suicide... death by bike tire. I "slammed" on my brakes, and one of them made a little pop sound. After that, it didn't work quite right.
So I finally got a free day to take Reagan into my local bike shop, Shosie's Cyclery. And I'd like to say they are awesome.
Shop Owner: "Oh, yeah... that's no problem. It looks like the cable slipped. I can fix that right up."
"Oh... your tires are really low. Lemme fill those up while we're at it."
"You know, this bag in the front here is really meant for underneath the seat. I can move your reflector so it fits."
"It appears one of the spokes on the chain gear is bent. I'll just fix that real quick."
"Your brakes are a little crooked. I can adjust that."
... And on it went. Where I was expecting to have to leave Reagan overnight and pay for that one brake problem, I got 5 times the service completely free and super fast.
The owner even gave me some tire advice for my triathlons.
And that's why I'm totally loving them. So, if you live in or are visiting the Stateline, go to Shosie's Cyclery. Shosie's Cyclery. Shosie's Cyclery. Shosie's Cyclery. That should just about do it.
When I got home, I was supposed to go run, but Reagan just looked so good and her tires were all filled and waiting. Plus, I just can't resist those puppy eyes of hers. So I took her for a spin. The "spin" was supposed to be long, but about 2 minutes into our ride, I thought, Man, I am the stupidest person alive for riding my bike without gloves on. I don't remember the last time I rode my bike in cold(er) weather, so I was not expecting my hands to completely freeze at 15 mph.
____________________________________
My evening has been spent cooking myself dinner. I'm not the greatest cook, which is why I don't do it that often (plus, I don't like to clean up afterwards).
So, before I had even washed my chocolate chip cookie dishes,
I was making oven-fried chicken.
This was a more daunting task than I had anticipated. First off, I couldn't find any skinless chicken legs, so I bought the skinned kind and figured it wouldn't be that hard to skin them.
... Boy was I wrong. Who knew a seemingly simple task could be so gross and smelly?! (Yes, smelly. It kinda smelled like a wet dog. Blehhh).
Halfway through one of the legs, my hand was bleeding. Oh my God, I cut myself!
Oh wait... that's not ME bleeding, it's the chicken. MY DINNER IS BLEEDING. This just totally turned me off to chicken. Even if I manage to make this, will I even want to eat it?!
I never seemed able to get the skin completely off the leg, so I would pull it down as far as possible and just cut off the extra. Oh well, I tried.
The biggest problem, however, didn't come about until the chicken had been in the oven for 15 minutes.
A) My kitchen started to fill with smoke. Apparently you canNOT replace parchment paper with wax paper. Woops.
B) My chicken legs were burning and looking funky.
I could NOT figure out what I did wrong... until I reread the recipe. That's when I realized you cannot replace buttermilk with powdered buttermilk (at least not when you're making a buttermilk marinade).
So I threw out my legs.
And every bad chef knows that at this point in the cooking process... you give up and order pizza.
Next time I cook something, maybe I'll just skip over the "effort" and "mess" parts and go straight to the delicious cheesy ending.
PS: My lovely boyfriend points out that powdered buttermilk can be made into liquid buttermilk simply by adding water (it even says so on the box!). This makes me an even BIGGER idiot!
...I was marinading chicken legs in POWDER.
Today, I rearranged my apartment. I can't say I like it anymore than I liked it yesterday, but it's nice to just change things up now and again. Plus, my dining table is much closer to my TV, which makes it far more likely I'll use it.
I also took Reagan into the shop today. About a month ago, I was going along and a squirrel tried to commit suicide... death by bike tire. I "slammed" on my brakes, and one of them made a little pop sound. After that, it didn't work quite right.
So I finally got a free day to take Reagan into my local bike shop, Shosie's Cyclery. And I'd like to say they are awesome.
Shop Owner: "Oh, yeah... that's no problem. It looks like the cable slipped. I can fix that right up."
"Oh... your tires are really low. Lemme fill those up while we're at it."
"You know, this bag in the front here is really meant for underneath the seat. I can move your reflector so it fits."
"It appears one of the spokes on the chain gear is bent. I'll just fix that real quick."
"Your brakes are a little crooked. I can adjust that."
... And on it went. Where I was expecting to have to leave Reagan overnight and pay for that one brake problem, I got 5 times the service completely free and super fast.
The owner even gave me some tire advice for my triathlons.
And that's why I'm totally loving them. So, if you live in or are visiting the Stateline, go to Shosie's Cyclery. Shosie's Cyclery. Shosie's Cyclery. Shosie's Cyclery. That should just about do it.
When I got home, I was supposed to go run, but Reagan just looked so good and her tires were all filled and waiting. Plus, I just can't resist those puppy eyes of hers. So I took her for a spin. The "spin" was supposed to be long, but about 2 minutes into our ride, I thought, Man, I am the stupidest person alive for riding my bike without gloves on. I don't remember the last time I rode my bike in cold(er) weather, so I was not expecting my hands to completely freeze at 15 mph.
____________________________________
My evening has been spent cooking myself dinner. I'm not the greatest cook, which is why I don't do it that often (plus, I don't like to clean up afterwards).
So, before I had even washed my chocolate chip cookie dishes,
I was making oven-fried chicken.
This was a more daunting task than I had anticipated. First off, I couldn't find any skinless chicken legs, so I bought the skinned kind and figured it wouldn't be that hard to skin them.
... Boy was I wrong. Who knew a seemingly simple task could be so gross and smelly?! (Yes, smelly. It kinda smelled like a wet dog. Blehhh).
Halfway through one of the legs, my hand was bleeding. Oh my God, I cut myself!
Oh wait... that's not ME bleeding, it's the chicken. MY DINNER IS BLEEDING. This just totally turned me off to chicken. Even if I manage to make this, will I even want to eat it?!
I never seemed able to get the skin completely off the leg, so I would pull it down as far as possible and just cut off the extra. Oh well, I tried.
The biggest problem, however, didn't come about until the chicken had been in the oven for 15 minutes.
A) My kitchen started to fill with smoke. Apparently you canNOT replace parchment paper with wax paper. Woops.
B) My chicken legs were burning and looking funky.
I could NOT figure out what I did wrong... until I reread the recipe. That's when I realized you cannot replace buttermilk with powdered buttermilk (at least not when you're making a buttermilk marinade).
So I threw out my legs.
And every bad chef knows that at this point in the cooking process... you give up and order pizza.
Next time I cook something, maybe I'll just skip over the "effort" and "mess" parts and go straight to the delicious cheesy ending.
PS: My lovely boyfriend points out that powdered buttermilk can be made into liquid buttermilk simply by adding water (it even says so on the box!). This makes me an even BIGGER idiot!
...I was marinading chicken legs in POWDER.
10.25.2008
My 5 Best Halloween Costumes
I went to the Y the other day and ran on the treadmill. When I was finished, I came out and found myself in the middle of a YMCA Halloween event. This involved lots of small children dressed up and ready to trick-or-treat (where? around the building? I dunno).
I saw Batman hanging out with Robin and Spiderman.
I saw 2 groovy 70s chicks who came seperately, but dressed exactly the same (how embarrassing for them!). I couldn't help but wonder if these 6-year-olds even knew what they were dressed as.
I saw a pirate cheerleader and couldn't figure out what on earth that is.
And I saw tons of adults dressed up as runners and weightlifters (a joke... HA! Get it?!).
I think the winner was a baby dressed up as a lion. Awwwwwwwww.
As for me, you all know what I'm going as for Halloween this year. Ooo... maybe I'll even dress up for work that day!
So all this got me to thinking about past costumes... which ones worked and which ones didn't. So I present you with my 5 BEST halloween costumes (in no particular order)...
1) Poison Ivy
My senior year in college, my nerdy friends dressed up as superheros. Since there are very few cool women superheros (and Wonder Woman was taken), I went as a villain... Batman's sexy rival known as Poison Ivy. It was a great costume because I was actually able to pull it off (you have NO IDEA how hard it is to find all those green clothes!).
Plus I spray-dyed my hair red (which I actually got a lot of compliments on).
2) Dinosaur
In preschool, I borrowed a totally sweet costume from some family friends. When all the other girls were going as princesses (seriously... like, ALL of them), I came dressed in a full-body dinosaur costume with a tail that was about as long as I was tall. I have to say... they really just don't make costumes like this anymore. I think this was some major foreshadowing to my out-of-the-box costume choices in the future.
3) Strongbad
In case you don't know who Strongbad is, he's a character from a website (a sign of the times, right?).
It's kind of nerd-chic to know who he is, so I knew my college classmates and friends would appreciate it. My costume was totally handmade and thrown together in a week (and I couldn't find any boxing gloves, so I just stuffed some red mittens).
Through all the sweatiness of the night, I had SO many people come and take a photograph with me (who knew face paint could be that recognizable!).
4) Egyptian
It's a pretty ordinary costume, but my mom and I went all out. In sixth grade, our entire class had an "Egyptian Day." I had one of the best 3 costumes in our entire grade. I was drapped in gold lamay with a snake wrapped around my arm, gold sandals, and a necklace shaped into a scarab. If you peek into the spare bedroom closet at my parents house, you'll find it still hanging in there.
5) Duffman
This is definitely my favorite costume of all time. Being an avid Simpsons fan, I couldn't believe this idea had never come to me before.
I worked on the costume for MONTHS before Halloween. All the clothes were bought at Walmart. What makes me most proud was my ingenuity... I had no white boots, so I covered my black boots with white stockings. I had no Duff beer cans, so I spraypainted regular cans and covered them in Duff stickers. Even my cape was velcrowed on in case any drunk college kids decided to pull on it.
So I hope that's gotten all of you in the Halloween spirit (with all these Christmas decorations popping up in stores, it's important we sit back and remember it's only October).
I saw Batman hanging out with Robin and Spiderman.
I saw 2 groovy 70s chicks who came seperately, but dressed exactly the same (how embarrassing for them!). I couldn't help but wonder if these 6-year-olds even knew what they were dressed as.
I saw a pirate cheerleader and couldn't figure out what on earth that is.
And I saw tons of adults dressed up as runners and weightlifters (a joke... HA! Get it?!).
I think the winner was a baby dressed up as a lion. Awwwwwwwww.
As for me, you all know what I'm going as for Halloween this year. Ooo... maybe I'll even dress up for work that day!
So all this got me to thinking about past costumes... which ones worked and which ones didn't. So I present you with my 5 BEST halloween costumes (in no particular order)...
1) Poison Ivy
My senior year in college, my nerdy friends dressed up as superheros. Since there are very few cool women superheros (and Wonder Woman was taken), I went as a villain... Batman's sexy rival known as Poison Ivy. It was a great costume because I was actually able to pull it off (you have NO IDEA how hard it is to find all those green clothes!).
Plus I spray-dyed my hair red (which I actually got a lot of compliments on).
2) Dinosaur
In preschool, I borrowed a totally sweet costume from some family friends. When all the other girls were going as princesses (seriously... like, ALL of them), I came dressed in a full-body dinosaur costume with a tail that was about as long as I was tall. I have to say... they really just don't make costumes like this anymore. I think this was some major foreshadowing to my out-of-the-box costume choices in the future.
3) Strongbad
In case you don't know who Strongbad is, he's a character from a website (a sign of the times, right?).
It's kind of nerd-chic to know who he is, so I knew my college classmates and friends would appreciate it. My costume was totally handmade and thrown together in a week (and I couldn't find any boxing gloves, so I just stuffed some red mittens).
Through all the sweatiness of the night, I had SO many people come and take a photograph with me (who knew face paint could be that recognizable!).
4) Egyptian
It's a pretty ordinary costume, but my mom and I went all out. In sixth grade, our entire class had an "Egyptian Day." I had one of the best 3 costumes in our entire grade. I was drapped in gold lamay with a snake wrapped around my arm, gold sandals, and a necklace shaped into a scarab. If you peek into the spare bedroom closet at my parents house, you'll find it still hanging in there.
5) Duffman
This is definitely my favorite costume of all time. Being an avid Simpsons fan, I couldn't believe this idea had never come to me before.
I worked on the costume for MONTHS before Halloween. All the clothes were bought at Walmart. What makes me most proud was my ingenuity... I had no white boots, so I covered my black boots with white stockings. I had no Duff beer cans, so I spraypainted regular cans and covered them in Duff stickers. Even my cape was velcrowed on in case any drunk college kids decided to pull on it.
So I hope that's gotten all of you in the Halloween spirit (with all these Christmas decorations popping up in stores, it's important we sit back and remember it's only October).
10.24.2008
College Flashbacks
I have always been really close with my roommates. I lived with the same two girls for the first three years of college. After that, I lived with 5 girls in the world's smallest and most roach infested ghetto house on earth (I'm not saying the house is ghetto... that's just what we call the student neighborhood at my school).
And through all that, you tend to develop a pretty deep bond.
Except for one.
She was one of my best friends when we made the decision to live together. But over a course of a few months, things came between us (mostly a boy), and by the time fall, and move-in day came, we were barely speaking.
Barely speaking turned into not speaking which turned into being intentionally mean to eachother.
We lived like that for an entire year, and then we graduated.
Now, of course I'm not the type of person to find happiness in this situation, but I'm also not the type of person to make the effort to fix it (I don't like confrontation or when someone says "we need to talk").
Time passes and I figured it would always go down in the books as just "one of those things." I figured I would remember her and perhaps remember the good times we had fondly, but I would also never be able to forget what she did to me.
But then...
One average day, I log into my email, and there is a message from her.
I didn't even read it for about an hour. I was too nervous about what it would say... I don't like these things being rehashed.
So when I finally took a look, I found out it was an apology. A very long, seemingly sincere apology for everything that went down during that year and the months leading up to it.
And now that message has sat in my Inbox for almost a month. I keep meaning to write her back, but I'm not quite sure what to say.
I penned a rough draft and let our other 4 roommates read it (they are also not on speaking terms with her). I wanted to come across as grateful, yet I didn't want to convey any sort of apology on my half. But I was told I was being too nice... saying things like "I hope all is well with you."
I want to write back something, because I don't want her to think I'm ignoring the message (I appreciate what that must've taken for her). However, I don't necessarily want to restart our friendship (so I can't give her that idea in my wording).
Has anyone been in this situation before? Any advice?
And through all that, you tend to develop a pretty deep bond.
Except for one.
She was one of my best friends when we made the decision to live together. But over a course of a few months, things came between us (mostly a boy), and by the time fall, and move-in day came, we were barely speaking.
Barely speaking turned into not speaking which turned into being intentionally mean to eachother.
We lived like that for an entire year, and then we graduated.
Now, of course I'm not the type of person to find happiness in this situation, but I'm also not the type of person to make the effort to fix it (I don't like confrontation or when someone says "we need to talk").
Time passes and I figured it would always go down in the books as just "one of those things." I figured I would remember her and perhaps remember the good times we had fondly, but I would also never be able to forget what she did to me.
But then...
One average day, I log into my email, and there is a message from her.
I didn't even read it for about an hour. I was too nervous about what it would say... I don't like these things being rehashed.
So when I finally took a look, I found out it was an apology. A very long, seemingly sincere apology for everything that went down during that year and the months leading up to it.
And now that message has sat in my Inbox for almost a month. I keep meaning to write her back, but I'm not quite sure what to say.
I penned a rough draft and let our other 4 roommates read it (they are also not on speaking terms with her). I wanted to come across as grateful, yet I didn't want to convey any sort of apology on my half. But I was told I was being too nice... saying things like "I hope all is well with you."
I want to write back something, because I don't want her to think I'm ignoring the message (I appreciate what that must've taken for her). However, I don't necessarily want to restart our friendship (so I can't give her that idea in my wording).
Has anyone been in this situation before? Any advice?
10.23.2008
Fall is Officially Here
Actually... maybe fall has already come and gone? Because it's starting to feel a lot more like winter right now (our meteorologist was talking about a chance of SNOW this weekend).
Either way, I am so NOT prepared.
Things I need to do to get ready for the changing seasons...
-Clean my Bike
Poor Reagan hasn't even been taken for a ride since my last triathlon (almost a month ago!). In fact, she's still in TWO PIECES in my living room. Poor girl. So, I need to put her back together and give her a good cleaning (I gave her some pretty decent romps through mud puddles over the summer months). If anyone has any tips for cleaning your bike, those would be helpful... especially if they DON'T involve going out and buying special bike-cleaning supplies.
-Remove the Bike Rack from my Car
It also hasn't been used in in a while, so I'm not sure why it's still there (other than the fact that it was the recent home to a spider... so I had to wait for the spider to die before I would even go near it).
-Pretend that I Don't Still have this Horrible Suntan
-Rearrange my Wardrobe
Nothing is worse than looking for a sweater or a pair of boots and coming face-to-face with a tanktop and a pair of flipflops. That's just utterly depressing. So those items must be hidden from plain view so I can pretend that the wonderful season of Summer never existed.
-Start Doing Clipless Pedal Research
My lovely Reagan is currently outfitted with a pair of insets...
She came with clipless pedals, but I was too nervous (and broke) to try them (and buy special shoes). But with my first year of triathloning behind me (YES, that's a word), it's time to start thinking about riding like a big girl. Upgrading my pedals will be like taking the figurative training wheels off. I know this doesn't need to be done immediately, but I have all winter to do my research and figure it all out.
-Rearrange my Living Room
While it's still early, winter IS coming, and that means Christmas is coming (yayyyy!). I have a tree, but my apartment is pretty tightly packed, so some rearranging needs to be done before I can squeeze it in there. This is kind of what my dining/living room looks like now...
Nice, isn't it? hehe. My apartment building has floor-to-ceiling windows on every floor, and most tenants leave their blinds up permanently. I can't wait to see all the apartments lit up during the holiday season.
The last thing I need to do to ring in the new season?
-Celebrate the Migrating of the Geese
Devil birds.
Either way, I am so NOT prepared.
Things I need to do to get ready for the changing seasons...
-Clean my Bike
Poor Reagan hasn't even been taken for a ride since my last triathlon (almost a month ago!). In fact, she's still in TWO PIECES in my living room. Poor girl. So, I need to put her back together and give her a good cleaning (I gave her some pretty decent romps through mud puddles over the summer months). If anyone has any tips for cleaning your bike, those would be helpful... especially if they DON'T involve going out and buying special bike-cleaning supplies.
-Remove the Bike Rack from my Car
It also hasn't been used in in a while, so I'm not sure why it's still there (other than the fact that it was the recent home to a spider... so I had to wait for the spider to die before I would even go near it).
-Pretend that I Don't Still have this Horrible Suntan
-Rearrange my Wardrobe
Nothing is worse than looking for a sweater or a pair of boots and coming face-to-face with a tanktop and a pair of flipflops. That's just utterly depressing. So those items must be hidden from plain view so I can pretend that the wonderful season of Summer never existed.
-Start Doing Clipless Pedal Research
My lovely Reagan is currently outfitted with a pair of insets...
She came with clipless pedals, but I was too nervous (and broke) to try them (and buy special shoes). But with my first year of triathloning behind me (YES, that's a word), it's time to start thinking about riding like a big girl. Upgrading my pedals will be like taking the figurative training wheels off. I know this doesn't need to be done immediately, but I have all winter to do my research and figure it all out.
-Rearrange my Living Room
While it's still early, winter IS coming, and that means Christmas is coming (yayyyy!). I have a tree, but my apartment is pretty tightly packed, so some rearranging needs to be done before I can squeeze it in there. This is kind of what my dining/living room looks like now...
Nice, isn't it? hehe. My apartment building has floor-to-ceiling windows on every floor, and most tenants leave their blinds up permanently. I can't wait to see all the apartments lit up during the holiday season.
The last thing I need to do to ring in the new season?
-Celebrate the Migrating of the Geese
Devil birds.
Pictures Galore
Happy 100th post. Hurrah!
Things are still crazy. I had yesterday off (my first and only day off in over a week). Since all of my "housework" piled up during my crazy work scheduling, I spent all day cleaning and doing laundry and running errands... and I STILL didn't get through it all.
But one of the things on my to do list was to unload pictures from my camera. When I opened up the folder, I found all the photos I took at the Regatta (which I had completely forgotten about).
So... for your viewing and boating pleasure, I present you with Regatta picture (only about half):
That's my apartment building in the background...
And when I opened it...
Candy!!!
He said it was to help with the stressful work week. At least 3 of my coworkers told me, "he's a keeper." Awwww.
Our vacation plans are coming along. We think we're going to go with a 4-day trip to the bahamas on Norwegian (cause we don't like the thought of having to eat our meals with strangers).
__________________________________
One of the errands I had to run yesterday was to the camera store. See, I had five undeveloped rolls of film that had been sitting around my apartment for who knows how long. Problem was, they were special black and white photography film that you normally develop in a darkroom. Regular developing places won't do it because their machines can ruin the film. So without any darkroom access, I was left with no choice but to cave in and have them sent out to Kodak.
2 weeks and SEVENTY FIVE DOLLARS later, I had them back.
I couldn't believe how old some of the photos were. I had an entire roll that was shot in NYC. My first thought was, When on earth was I in NYC? Oh yeah... that's right... 3 1/2 years ago.
So here are a few of my personal favorites (ignore the fact that they are photos of photos... I don't have a scanner):
My training has officially started up again. I went to the Y and ran 2 miles this morning. My goal is to run at least 2 3-milers before the race (3 weeks from now). Oh, and my mom is OFFICIALLY signed up... HA! It's too late to back out now! She told me she is running/walking almost every day (better than I'm doing!).
Things are still crazy. I had yesterday off (my first and only day off in over a week). Since all of my "housework" piled up during my crazy work scheduling, I spent all day cleaning and doing laundry and running errands... and I STILL didn't get through it all.
But one of the things on my to do list was to unload pictures from my camera. When I opened up the folder, I found all the photos I took at the Regatta (which I had completely forgotten about).
So... for your viewing and boating pleasure, I present you with Regatta picture (only about half):
That's my apartment building in the background...
Now that that's out of the way, we can move on to more relevent topics... like how my boyfriend is awesome.
I got to work on Monday and found this...
And when I opened it...
Candy!!!
He said it was to help with the stressful work week. At least 3 of my coworkers told me, "he's a keeper." Awwww.
Our vacation plans are coming along. We think we're going to go with a 4-day trip to the bahamas on Norwegian (cause we don't like the thought of having to eat our meals with strangers).
__________________________________
One of the errands I had to run yesterday was to the camera store. See, I had five undeveloped rolls of film that had been sitting around my apartment for who knows how long. Problem was, they were special black and white photography film that you normally develop in a darkroom. Regular developing places won't do it because their machines can ruin the film. So without any darkroom access, I was left with no choice but to cave in and have them sent out to Kodak.
2 weeks and SEVENTY FIVE DOLLARS later, I had them back.
I couldn't believe how old some of the photos were. I had an entire roll that was shot in NYC. My first thought was, When on earth was I in NYC? Oh yeah... that's right... 3 1/2 years ago.
So here are a few of my personal favorites (ignore the fact that they are photos of photos... I don't have a scanner):
My training has officially started up again. I went to the Y and ran 2 miles this morning. My goal is to run at least 2 3-milers before the race (3 weeks from now). Oh, and my mom is OFFICIALLY signed up... HA! It's too late to back out now! She told me she is running/walking almost every day (better than I'm doing!).
10.19.2008
Bogged
Bogged, not blogged. As in, I won't be blogging more than this little bit.
No list today... work has been craaazy long and annoying. I'm super sick of working until 11pm and then having to be back at work by 8:30am.
Switching systems is such a pain. I can't wait til it's all over.
On a different, happier note, my boyfriend and I are in the process of planning a vacation. We were originally debating between Disneyworld (my idea since he'd never been) and a cruise (his idea, and neither of us have been). But time has passed and research has been done and I think we're leaning towards the cruise.
Problem is, we're clueless. We don't know anyone who has gone on a cruise, and we have no idea what to expect. We have done a lot of reading online and scowered over review after review, but still aren't sure.
Have any of you gone on a cruise? What cruise line did you use? What did you think of the experience?
No list today... work has been craaazy long and annoying. I'm super sick of working until 11pm and then having to be back at work by 8:30am.
Switching systems is such a pain. I can't wait til it's all over.
On a different, happier note, my boyfriend and I are in the process of planning a vacation. We were originally debating between Disneyworld (my idea since he'd never been) and a cruise (his idea, and neither of us have been). But time has passed and research has been done and I think we're leaning towards the cruise.
Problem is, we're clueless. We don't know anyone who has gone on a cruise, and we have no idea what to expect. We have done a lot of reading online and scowered over review after review, but still aren't sure.
Have any of you gone on a cruise? What cruise line did you use? What did you think of the experience?
10.15.2008
Oh, What a Week
This work week has barely just begun, and it's already wearing me out. We have a whole new system going in at work, but before it can be hooked up and used, all the directors need to train on it. So starting tomorrow, I will be working morning AND evening shifts. 8:30a - 12:30p, then 3p - 10:30p.
::Clapping:: yayyy!
So, I would like to set a goal. Next week (specifically, Wednesday), once the work training ends, my athletic training will resume.
Today is October 15th, and exactly one month from now is our local 2008 Jingle Bell Run/Walk. It's a national 5k event which raises money for Arthritis. Although she doesn't know this yet, my mom has agreed to do this race with me (it will be her first race ever!).
I'm in a surprisingly good mood today. Even though our work computers crashed and I have a long long week ahead of me, I think I can thank the construction men for my mood. Why them? Because they decided to take the day off. This means I slept... and I mean SLEPT (10+ hours).
What a difference a few hours makes.
::Clapping:: yayyy!
So, I would like to set a goal. Next week (specifically, Wednesday), once the work training ends, my athletic training will resume.
Today is October 15th, and exactly one month from now is our local 2008 Jingle Bell Run/Walk. It's a national 5k event which raises money for Arthritis. Although she doesn't know this yet, my mom has agreed to do this race with me (it will be her first race ever!).
I'm in a surprisingly good mood today. Even though our work computers crashed and I have a long long week ahead of me, I think I can thank the construction men for my mood. Why them? Because they decided to take the day off. This means I slept... and I mean SLEPT (10+ hours).
What a difference a few hours makes.
10.14.2008
My Name is Kelly and I Have a Problem
I'm here tonight to admit it to the world... I'm a picky eater.
I'm saying this because I'm trying to improve my eating habits, and through this process, I've found that time and time again, this is the one thing that constantly stands in my way.
It's one of those things you develop when you're 3 and unfortunately for me, I never grew out of it.
Foods I Enjoy Eating: Cheese, Bread, Pasta, Chocolate, Potatos, Corn, Cereal, Rice, Chips, Pancakes, Strawberries, Apples, Coke, Fries, Crackers, Popcorn, Bacon.
Besides that, all other foods fall into one of two categories... foods I hate and foods I choke down cause I know I should.
I'm sure you noticed that my list consists of mostly breads/starches/carbs. Yum. This is what prevents me from getting all of the protein, fruits, and vegetables that my body needs.
I found out recently that there is a whole group of adults with the same problem as me. The interesting part, is they all enjoy and dislike pretty much the same foods as I do. This gets you to thinking.... is it possible that this problem isn't environmental? As much as people like to think that we're just being difficult, maybe there is more to it than that.
In fact, there are quite a few studies that suggest maybe "picky eaters" just have ultrasensative senses (taste in particular). Picky eaters have been clinically known to rate sweet foods as sweeter and sour foods as more sour.
On a related note, texture seems to be one of the biggest turn-offs for picky eaters when they're choosing their foods. For instance, most picky eaters hate tomatoes because their texture is inconsistent all around... slimey outer skin, mushy inside, hard seeds dispersed throughout. Along the same line, picky eaters don't like their food to be mixed. We might like muffins and we might like blueberries, but we might hate blueberry muffins. Stir-fry, stew, soup... all just too much.
So I'm curious... to anyone who reads this, what foods do you hate? And is it the taste or the texture?
I'm saying this because I'm trying to improve my eating habits, and through this process, I've found that time and time again, this is the one thing that constantly stands in my way.
It's one of those things you develop when you're 3 and unfortunately for me, I never grew out of it.
Foods I Enjoy Eating: Cheese, Bread, Pasta, Chocolate, Potatos, Corn, Cereal, Rice, Chips, Pancakes, Strawberries, Apples, Coke, Fries, Crackers, Popcorn, Bacon.
Besides that, all other foods fall into one of two categories... foods I hate and foods I choke down cause I know I should.
I'm sure you noticed that my list consists of mostly breads/starches/carbs. Yum. This is what prevents me from getting all of the protein, fruits, and vegetables that my body needs.
I found out recently that there is a whole group of adults with the same problem as me. The interesting part, is they all enjoy and dislike pretty much the same foods as I do. This gets you to thinking.... is it possible that this problem isn't environmental? As much as people like to think that we're just being difficult, maybe there is more to it than that.
In fact, there are quite a few studies that suggest maybe "picky eaters" just have ultrasensative senses (taste in particular). Picky eaters have been clinically known to rate sweet foods as sweeter and sour foods as more sour.
On a related note, texture seems to be one of the biggest turn-offs for picky eaters when they're choosing their foods. For instance, most picky eaters hate tomatoes because their texture is inconsistent all around... slimey outer skin, mushy inside, hard seeds dispersed throughout. Along the same line, picky eaters don't like their food to be mixed. We might like muffins and we might like blueberries, but we might hate blueberry muffins. Stir-fry, stew, soup... all just too much.
So I'm curious... to anyone who reads this, what foods do you hate? And is it the taste or the texture?
10.13.2008
The 5 Most Played Songs on My ITunes
I couldn't think of anything to write yesterday, so here it is (late and super condensed).
1) John Cougar Mellancamp - I'm On My Way
The perfect driving song. JCM's sweet sweet voice mixed with bongos = awesome
2) Relient K - Must've Done Something Right
Super duper poppy, but there is no way you can listen to this song and not become instantly happy.
3) Taking Back Sunday - Makedamnsure
The lyrics don't make very much sense, but it reminds me of my last summer at college (and working at American Eagle).
4) Blink 182 - Feeling This
This is my college experience boiled down to one song. You know... that one song where, for one reason or another, ALL of your friends know ALL the words to, and you like to sing along in the middle of a party with your arms wrapped around eachother.
5) All American Rejects - Swing Swing
A song that has never gotten too far from my 'most played' list. It's just really catchy one of those songs that is impossible to overplay.
The interesting thing about this list is that it really doesn't reflect my music taste all too well. My favorite bands, Green Day and Weezer, don't even grace the top 50. It's good to know that even though we have our specific tastes and genres, it take something much deeper to cause a song to become a favorite.
1) John Cougar Mellancamp - I'm On My Way
The perfect driving song. JCM's sweet sweet voice mixed with bongos = awesome
2) Relient K - Must've Done Something Right
Super duper poppy, but there is no way you can listen to this song and not become instantly happy.
3) Taking Back Sunday - Makedamnsure
The lyrics don't make very much sense, but it reminds me of my last summer at college (and working at American Eagle).
4) Blink 182 - Feeling This
This is my college experience boiled down to one song. You know... that one song where, for one reason or another, ALL of your friends know ALL the words to, and you like to sing along in the middle of a party with your arms wrapped around eachother.
5) All American Rejects - Swing Swing
A song that has never gotten too far from my 'most played' list. It's just really catchy one of those songs that is impossible to overplay.
The interesting thing about this list is that it really doesn't reflect my music taste all too well. My favorite bands, Green Day and Weezer, don't even grace the top 50. It's good to know that even though we have our specific tastes and genres, it take something much deeper to cause a song to become a favorite.
10.11.2008
Woops, My Bad
Posts have been spotty recently because I don't want to admit I've only had two workouts since my last triathlon. Taking a few days off turned into taking a week off, which then turned into way too much time off.
On monday, I ran 2 miles. I had intentions of working out tuesday, but I was sore. I had intentions of working out wednesday, but construction noises woke me up at 7:30 and I was too tired. I had intentions of working out on thursday, but I was crazy dizzy and felt like I was gonna pass out. Friday? construction again.
So there are my pile of excuses.
Although that construction really is annoying. It has constantly been one thing or another since I moved into this building... new kitchens, new carpet, new cable... the list goes on. And now it's new windows, which is super loud and takes way too long. Next time I move into an apartment, my number one question will be, "Are you planning any construction projects within the next year?"
My fan on high, my earplugs in as far as they will go, and a pillow over my head combined won't drown out the sawing and hammering. Plus, they start right at 7:30 am every day (I work until 11pm every night). Overall, I expect a lot of sleepless mornings in the next month or so.
Does anyone have any tips for blocking out noise while you sleep?
___________________________________
So enough complaining. Here are a few more pictures from the Jay-Hawk triathlon...
The pool:
On monday, I ran 2 miles. I had intentions of working out tuesday, but I was sore. I had intentions of working out wednesday, but construction noises woke me up at 7:30 and I was too tired. I had intentions of working out on thursday, but I was crazy dizzy and felt like I was gonna pass out. Friday? construction again.
So there are my pile of excuses.
Although that construction really is annoying. It has constantly been one thing or another since I moved into this building... new kitchens, new carpet, new cable... the list goes on. And now it's new windows, which is super loud and takes way too long. Next time I move into an apartment, my number one question will be, "Are you planning any construction projects within the next year?"
My fan on high, my earplugs in as far as they will go, and a pillow over my head combined won't drown out the sawing and hammering. Plus, they start right at 7:30 am every day (I work until 11pm every night). Overall, I expect a lot of sleepless mornings in the next month or so.
Does anyone have any tips for blocking out noise while you sleep?
___________________________________
So enough complaining. Here are a few more pictures from the Jay-Hawk triathlon...
The pool:
Pre-race talk:
Preparing myself:
Swim swim swim:
Transition 1:
All done:
So as for my workouts... I'm well aware I need to step it up. I don't want winter to become this black hole for my training.
This morning, the construction noises were suprisingly quiet. I caught up on sleep with a whopping 10 1/2 hours. After that, I went to the Y for a short trist with the Elliptical.
I know the one thing that will keep me in line this fall is having something to shoot for. This means I need to find a race asap. My mom wants me to do the Jingle Bell 5K in december. There is also an indoor triathlon which I want to do in january. All that is fine, but I think I need something before that. Time to start looking.
PS Tomorrow, there is a HUGE regatta taking place outside my building. And since it's supposed to be 75 degrees and sunny, I think I will spend my morning watching that.
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