I joined the gym, ran six miles, and couldn't walk. Felt like I ripped my knee into shreds. Meh. Its better now, but I've been off two days, so, we'll see what happens. I'm off to the gym today to meet with a personal trainer. Maybe she'll be nice and take it easy on me....
in other news, I hear my shirtless friend with his long beautiful hair has cut it all off. I hope its not true, I haven't seen him in a few weeks.....
and as it is August 21st and my favorite time of the year is drawing to a close, I thought I'd share this:
i never run anymore. I mean, thats not true. I do run. rarely.
I ran a few times on my two week vacation, but there weren't any sidewalks and I was running on country roads, and I kept looking over my shoulder like i was being chased by a werewolf. so I didn't run. I ran once in the rain, and it got in my eyes, and I didn't like it.
then I slammed the bathroom door over my toe, ripped off part of my toenail, and had a lovely time with that, and as it was swollen, and sliced open, not really in running shape, I gave it a week off.
Then yesterday I joined the gym. So, if my ipod ever finishes synching, I'm going there. Its hot today.
I did on vacation run my fastest 10k thus far, and seeing as how it was so hot, and I was still looking out for the werewolf I mentioned earlier, I'm pretty happy with it.
oh, and i dug through my arkansas vacation pictures and found this:
the top is down, the pool is open, and my library card is getting a workout. those are the sweet smells of summer... along with that ever present dr. pepper and french fries covered in ketchup. when the whistle blows for adult swim, i always smell it. oh, those sweet summer afternoons at the pool. under those big trees at the wooden picnic tables. crinkle cut fries and ice pops.
i love you summer. i love everything about you. the heat and the sun and the clouds and the rain. i love everything about you. beach chairs and towels and wet bathing suits hanging over railings. sunscreen and ice tea, sweet corn, peaches and tomatoes.
i will love you forever summer. you carry sweet memories and hot sand and happiness.
you also carry mosquitoes. and i hate you mosquitoes. but you know what, i'll take you, if I get all those other things too. anyday.
i see you out there with all your brown hair blowing around like adonis walking around with your eighteen year old flat stomach and cute smile.
stop waving at me.
when you're in your jeep with the top down and all your hair is blowing in the breeze and you have your feet on the dashboard and no shirt on.
stop waving at me.
when you're walking your dogs and wandering around the neighborhood barefoot while i'm running and i'm hot and sweaty and almost done with this last 400 meters and i'd love to make the whole run in under 30 minutes and you're still shirtless.
stop waving at me.
i might run off the road. i might twist an ankle. i do not see the likes of your hair or stomach anywhere these days but on television.
all i see are beer bellies of drunk forty somethings who love football and hot wings.
your hair is distracting and your stomach is too flat.
There is my sweet little Lu Lu. Sweet-nasty-doesn't want to be held-but does want to be pet all the time-and will claw you if you don't constantly touch her-little Lu Lu.
Lu's interests include chatting on the internet, sending cryptic messages through g-chat, and hogging the keyboard. Lu's diet consists of straight from the farm milk and rotisserie chicken (white meat only, please). She also enjoys terrorizing her friend Satchel, and sleeping on plastic bags....
I love little Lu. I've lived with her for a few years, but she's been my responsibility since September, and I love her. I love the way she smells.
She smells like baby powder and spring mornings. How can a little kitty smell so good? I febreez-ed her once, but it was by accident, and it couldn't have possibly stuck. She smells like freshly cut grass and new flowers.
I am the grim-reaper.
I cannot sentence this nasty, clawing, sweet smelling, chicken eating sweet funny kitty.
She is a tired old girl. So tired. It is so hard for her to breathe, and to eat, and to walk around this house. She curls up against the dishwasher, the refrigerator, under lamps, and up against bodies. She is in a constant quest to stay warm. And I am in a constant quest to keep her alive.
I am selfish.
I love this little kitty, and I cannot let her go. I demand she live forever. Those bright green eyes are full of evil and mischief, and I love them. Her little white toes peek out against her black body, and I love them. I love this little kitty too much.
I hope her heaven is full of chicken and milk and warm fluffy clouds and an internet connection.
I have been absent, and I have no real excuse. Other than the following:
-this is the last week of my semester and two group papers and all these written assignments are totally bogging down my writing. -i have been taking my photography class and I bought this sweet new lens, the Nikkor 50mm 1.4D lens, and a remote control, and some other sweet accessories -ive been applying to community college and fretting over my admissions: turns out, everyone is admitted. So, I'll be starting the photography masters certificate in the fall. -running has taken over my life. Only slightly. I love my treadmill, andI love the outdoors, and I have been running 3-4 times a week. Maybe only 20 minutes on the treadmill, but it is a hard 20 minutes. -i've been making flat biscuits. so i guess i've been making crackers. -i've been walking my dog at least once a day first thing when i get up despite all the gloominess and puddles that seem to be never ending around here.
other than all of that, I have been doing nothing but keeping up with the joneses.
Oh, yeah, and my dog bit me. He has no remorse because I swear, he's been chewing on that kong for like, two hours now. I put more treats in it because its keeping him away from me. And believe me, he's not my favorite friend right now.
None of this is his fault.
He just hates the mailman. I mean, REALLY. Especially this one mailman we have. Its the mailman's fault anyways... for banging the door, and waving his arms in the windows. I mean, seriously, do i really need to go outside and say, HEY BUDDY DO NOT TORMENT MY DOG! Oh, and do you know who to call if you have a complaint about your mail person? I do. I've CALLED. THREE TIMES.
So he hates this mail man. And I was walking him, and my leg got in the way, and one of those sharp teeth went through the soft spot in my knee next to my knee cap. and I bought myself a tetanus shot, a two hour stay in the ER, and some vicodin. That I'm scared to take. I mean, whatever.
I'll spare you the picture.
Anyways, i'm off the running, so no lovely notes about long runs in the springtime for a while. I'll just be here, watching movies, and laying around with my leg up for a bit. And eating flat biscuits, and taking pictures. and you know, all that.
Here is my Hula Man. I've had him for eight (8!) years! That is a while people, let me tell you. Hula Man even wobbles when you touch him. Under his skirt, right above his naked bottom, (yes, he has a bottom), he has a spring. So he wobbles and hula-s and does his little dance. And his one eye is kinda creepy. I don't know if it is a lazy eye or what.... Well, anyways...
I'm taking another photography class, Intermediate Digital Camera. Our first assignment is on white balance, and we are to take an object that is brightly colored and take various pictures of it in different lighting. I own only things that are black, white, grey, and brown because I refuse to allow color into my life (only a bit true). Enter Hula Man. I pulled him off the shelf, gave him a nice dusting off, and now, here he is, in all his hunky hula glory, running around my house getting his picture taken. Here he is napping on my pillow: Here he is shakin' it in the kitchen:
Hula Man gets around people, he even hopped up on the new end-tables, and checked out the spring time sun: Hula Man even took a tragic fall, which left him in multiple pieces. He was rushed to emergency surgery and the liquid nails saved him from a life of no-hula-ing and having no feet. I did shed a few tears. Hula Man has really been there for me, and I let him down. I let him just fall to the ground. Shattered. Well, Hula Man, I put you back together, so that has to count for something.
So, this isn't just a story about Hula Man. Although I probably could write a good one (and creepily enough, i'm feeling very attached to Hula Man and feel like I should carry him with me everywhere. He's peeking over my lap top as I write this now, and he might even come outside when I get to building my flower beds in a bit. Just kidding, or kind of kidding.
The whole deal is about white balance, and how digital cameras aren't so smart afterall. They are not smart. ok? not. smart.
Light travels in wavelengths, which are various colors, right? We all know this, Roy.G.Biv, and the visible spectrum and all, right? All right. So, your digital camera has this sensor, that is a total idiot, well, not a total idiot, only when it comes to white balance. The sensor measures the color based on temperature. Alright? so flourescent lights come out green in your pictures because that is the wavelength that flourescent light lives on, ok? So, see, your soft white light bulbs, they come out all yellow-y because thats where the live. Cloudly light is blue, and blah blah blah. So, your camera has this really hard time finding what white is in various lighting, due to all these various sources of light emitting various wavelengths of light that your camera reads. So, you have to tell it. And the settings on your camera say, oh, ok, well, here, they say this is what white should be, so let us make it white! The pre-sets are hard. Aren't they? Because dude, seriously, I can't decide if I'm in the clouds or in the shade. And what about halogen lights? or this energy saver lights, what kind of light is that? So I'm using the pre-set white balance option, and I'm telling my camera what white is. I take this picture of a blank sheet of paper in whatever light i'm in, and say, here camera, base your scale on this being White! and ta-da!!! My pictures are coming out pretty accurate. If I were to say, oh in photo shop, drag the mouse over a single pixel that I think is white, the red, blue, and yellow levels would all be about equal.
So, this is why Hula Man is running around shakin' it all over the place. Because I'm not so obsessed with white balance, I've taken two hundred pictures just because dude, my camera is an idiot. and I bet yours is too.
well people, you'll be happy to know I've run my 250th mile with nike+, which means, somewhere along the line I passed the 300 mile marker. Thats not remarkable for a little less than a year, but its alright. it'll do.
my ipod was having a break down on tuesday during my run, so I can't prove this actually happened, but it did... : I ran all the way to georgetown on the capital crescent and back on the canal. Thats long people. I get on the Capital Crescent at the 6.5, and made it all the way to 10.5. I missed the 9.5, and 10. those markers weren't visible really. thats 4 miles out. I wanted to cab it back, but, I didn't. I hopped on the canal and ran it home. Ive never been so happy to see fletcher's boat house ( still 2.5 miles from home). i also talked to myself like a crazy person on that last mile. I made myself not quit, and I felt pretty good about it. I even managed to spring the last 200 yds. total: about 9.5 miles. without my ipod, which stinks, because I've really been digging some new running music... like ccr, and black mountain, and even a little eric clapton (mostly "reptile").
last week I pulled off a 5 mile run, and seriously, I managed to keep the tears in check, until "Long as I Can See the Light" popped up... I've found that this type of music is good for my long, steady runs. and maybe for my psyche too... my psyche though is a little screwed up these days... i mean, its lonely here, you know? in this spot. this house here on ridge drive, with all its nothing-ness, and memories, and all the bad and good. how the coke still tastes different here, and so do egg noodles, and the dressers still seem like they hold magical treasures, and how its all really the same but not at all, you know? and I don't care what anyone says, no one can live in a big house all alone. they can't. now accepting applications for "move-ins." I'll be easy on your wallet, and I like to cook things, ok? So you can have all sorts of yummy breakfast things, and lunch things, and delicious dinners in exchange for just BEING here, you don't even need to talk to me, i mean, you can't NOT talk to me, but you don't have to talk to me...
I am cheery though people. because rent-live on broadway made it to my door via netflix, and because of this:
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(sorry its not a video or anything, its just the song, and the rest is pretty damn good too.... thank you shooter jennings for the sweet recommendation, and oh, canada, our lovely northern neighbors for producing such a wonderful place to create such wonderful things like, oh, you know, all of alberta, ontario, and british columbia... also, for icewine, the calgary stampede, the toronto maple leafs (for having the sweetest socks in the nhl), for the route 40 soup company, and everything else in turner valley (um, hello, longview beef jerky, who can't ship to the united states, but does produce the best beef jerky ever, even though i may NEVER get it again...), the toronto islands and the incredible view of the CN Tower from the ferry after sunset:
alright, i'll give it a rest on canada.... i'm just saying, it makes me happy, and it produces great things that get a bunch of good vibes going, alright? like, Black Mountain
since the cheese, I've made a couple of grocery store appearances that I wasn't supposed to. I bought some stuff for spaghetti sauce, I bought a chicken (for lulu, I swear). You know, I have learned a few things though. Like only buying what I need, and not buying two because they are on sale.... and that it doesn't matter what shape the pasta is in, it is still pasta, I don't need a new box because I didn't feel like elbows tonight...
anyways, can you feel the sunshine today people? I can. It makes me all happy and sun-shiny myself...
I'm going for a run later, but only if I can put down pride and prejudice... which I've already read, at least once, and maybe seen the movie at least twice, but I still can't put it down, and I think about it when I'm not thinking about other things... like school, and running, and what am I going to eat, and why people say, "but mine is!" when I yell, MY DOG IS NOT FRIENDLY. as in, my dog is not friendly and will bite your cute little pug's head right off its cute little shoulders and you're breaking the law by not having him on a leash you know, so if my dog were to bite your dogs head off, even though I already warned you HE IS NOT FRIENDLY, it would be entirely your problem because you're breaking the law, and I've done everything to constrain my dog who is NOT FRIENDLY especially to your cute little whatever kind of dog that is anyway who only weighs like ten pounds. Alright? Alright.
this is my first time participating, although I've been trying to come up with something good to contribute for a few weeks now. Breakfast over here is usually just some cereal or a carnation instant breakfast. B-o-r-i-n-g.
Yesterday, I grabbed some polenta, added some milk, brown sugar, and vanilla, and spooned it into a bowl! After the recipe, I'll tell you what I did with the leftovers for breakfast this morning:
1 cup polenta 3 cups cold water 2 cups milk pinch or two of salt 1/3 cup or palm-full of brown sugar 2 or so dashes of vanilla (you can add as little or much as you like). cinnamon, nutmeg, chopped pecans (add any you like (or don't) to taste).
In a small bowl, add 1 cup of polenta and 1 cup of cold water and stir. In a medium saucepan, add 1 cup of cold water and 2 cups of milk. Bring to a low boil, add salt and stir. Add the polenta and water mixture and whisk to stir out lumps. Turn the flame to low, and simmer, stirring frequnetly until polenta is thick. Add sugar and vanilla, and other additions once thickened.
I put mine in a little bowl and ate it with a spoon, like ceral. You can sprinkle some brown sugar or cinnamon on top, add a dolop of whipped cream, a little evaporated milk, or regular milk on top too!
With the leftover polenta, I made polenta pancakes! I spooned out two heaping spoonfuls of polenta from the leftovers, and formed them into balls, adding a little bit of flower to help them stick together. I put them on the griddle pan with a little slice of butter and let them brown. As they brown, they get easier to turn, so try not to turn them too early. Turn them as they get golden brown and start to bubble on the edges (sort of like regular pancakes do!).
I topped mine with a little bit of butter and some apple preserves, and it was delicious! Add any jellies, jams, or syrup if you'd like! A sprinkle of brown sugar and cinnamon, or nothing at all. It is all up to your personal preferences!
i'm good at giving clothes away. i don't mind giving them away. sometimes i buy them because i think i'll like them and it turns out i dont. sometimes i give them away because they don't fit, and i can't return them because 1. too much time has passed while i decide if it fits and/or i like it, and 2. because it was a final sale/no-return item. lots of people have profited from this. from my inability to control my online shopping. americus's husbands, little-sister is the most fortunate, and has been given at least three pairs of very nice denim, treasures from banana republic, jcrew, calvin klein, and even a few things picked up at neiman marcus. others have been given great things too, friends, co-workers, sisters, salvation army, churches... i even like to give away food. (which is what i did right before eating out of the pantry, emptying it of cans of beans, corn, anchovies (YUCK YUCK YUCK), and like fifteen different salad dressings and jellies/jams.)
(note to self: only buy it if fits, and if its black, white, or grey. everything else, KEEP MOVING.)
well people.
i've recently become a member of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase chapter of Freecyle and i am obsessed. and it feels soooooo good. Yesterday, my second day as a member, I gave away a TIVO. A working tivo, with all its parts. It went so fast. 15 people wanted my tivo. I gave it to the guy who emailed me first. I figured that was fair. I also posted two coffee grinders. BROKEN coffee grinders. Neither of which work at all. 10 minutes after, a guy says, i'll take them. and he did. Later that afternoon. And, I gave away a bag of clothes. Things that don't fit, etc... and I'm ashamed to say that I didn't give them to the first person who emailed me. Why you ask? Because this was the first email:
"Want these." and I go, "Want subject?" how about, "I want these."
"Can take." you mean, "I can take." and then you really mean, "I can take them home."
i'm judging these people's emails, their pleas for my free things. I gave them to a nice lady who said, "Thank you so much for offering these. I can really use them, and will be able to pick them up any time this afternoon. Thanks, C." and not " I am a single mom, and I really could use these clothes for my new state job." That way plays a little on my heart strings, and makes me feel like its a little desperate.
Today I gave away 15 gallons of paint. Not full, not empty. In various colors. and some stain. Same guy who took my two broken coffee grinders. What a small world.
Also, I gave away two 5-gallon buckets of joint compound. He wanted the paint too, but I'd already given it away. Poor guy.
In other news, I ran 5 miles and had creamy brown sugar polenta for breakfast, and I feel good.
i can't wait to see what i find to give away tomorrow.
things i'm trying to find always show themselves after I've bought a new one. It always happens.
Sunday I returned home from a long, slow day at work to find a box sitting on my dining room table. It is a gold box, a gold Nikon D70s outfit box. I just new it would have magical things in it. And it did.
It has two lens caps I've been looking the world over for, but haven't purchased new. a digital flash and a digital NK module. neither of which were being purchased or in my budget for that matter. a few random instruction booklets. a case for the lens on the D70s.
AND A UV filter. a UV filter. i just bought one of these on FRIDAY. WHY PEOPLE. I know it doesn't hurt to have two. But, you see, its just how things go for me. I figured all the treasures in my lovely home had been found. I was wrong. Needless to say, I now am the proud owner of two UV filters for my camera (as well as a polarizing filter, neutral density, and warming).
and now that I have all these things, I need a little camera god to explain this whole flash thing to me... not the mathematical equations to determine the appropriate distance, not the angels of illumination. I am a math genius people, ok? I can do complicated equations in my HEAD. I don't even own a calculator! (Total lie. I own one to help me do risk calculations, only because I don't crystal ball software, ok?). Point is, how do you make this damn thing fire its bright little light!!
Oh, and while I'm hoping and wishing there are more magical boxes like this one hidden, I'm hoping there is one with a 100mm macro lens as well. Ok? Ok.
I bought cheese. i bought grueyre. I bought pecorino romano. It was an accident. Its all whole foods' fault. I went there to buy fresh vegetables, and fruit, and that is it. but. I was hungry. so I went over to the cheese. I just wanted a sample. and I know, this goes against my whole the people who go to barnes and noble and just read the magazines and put them back on the shelf without buying anything makes me crazy, and the whole watching PBS but not donating during the donation marathons. i know. this goes against all my angst of free-rider economics. but people. I was buying groceries. I was buying fruits and vegetables. I just wanted to TASTE the cheese.
today, whole foods didn't have any samples out. not in the cheese. not in the desserts. so. i bought cheese. but people, its CHEESE. i mean, seriously.
so, there you have it. I confess. I bought cheese. delicious, yummy, wonderful CHEESE. and i only feel a little bit bad about it because it was expensive. but all good things are expensive. and i love good things.
so thats what they call it... whoever "they" is. They call this the running blues. I've been officially diagnosed. I guess in some ways I have redeemed myself... with my few moments of running. one beautiful saturday about two weeks ago, I managed to pull out 4 miles from some where... yesterday, I ran two in the am and two later in the afternoon.... today, I did a swift 4.26 out on the canal. I could have made it under 40 minutes if it weren't for the 40 mph wind gusts we're having...
after 2.26, I found the source of my running blues. i can get through the first twenty minutes, the first two or so miles, and then it all starts in, and I want to go home. after fifteen minutes, i've released enough stress to stop thinking about how fast i'm going, how many miles I'm going to do, what I should be doing instead, what ive been slacking on. and then the real thinking comes. the sunshine starts feeling good, my legs start moving, and my mind starts drifting.... drifting to things i've lost, and that my friends is why i can make it through the first two miles and then want to turn home. i subconsciously know this run is going to hurt.... not always in a bad way, but just hurt.
so there you have it. needless to say, i'm trying to get over the running blues, and I think spring is going to really help me out there...
in other news, i still have managed to avoid the grocery store for the most part. i've purchased nothing but staples and fresh fruit and veggies.... its been over a month, and i'm still eating things from the kitchen....
my only complaint? I've eaten more eggs in the last month then I have in my entire life... unless you count the ones in un-cooked brownie or cake batter.... in that case, i'll have to re-assess my egg consumption over my lifetime.
i'm the worst. don't count on me to return your phone calls, your messages, your emails, or to post on my blog. clearly i'm a loner. checking voicemails gives me anxiety. i dont want to hear what they say. i don't know why that is, but it is. so, sorry. ok? for not returning your call from a month ago. i don't know whats wrong with me. maybe i talk to enough idiots at work 33 hours a week that on my off time, i want to hibernate. that i want to hide from people. i don't want to see them, talk to them, touch them, smile at them, or call them on the phone. i'm sorry. but i you did what i do for your cash, you would probably feel the same way some days.
which is why i'm happy to be here for a few days, despite poppy being laid up for a few days. i don't have to talk to anyone really. i just sit around, and smile, and i nod and i laugh and i keep up the conversation with TWO people only. i dunno, its kind of like I don't exist here. which is a good thing. i'm connected, but invisible all at once, and i don't feel bad about it.
i do feel bad about not running, considering its 70 degrees here. but i did run 3 times last week. thanks to nick and grace and one beautiful saturday out in the woods. that 4 mile run gave me a little pain in my knees, and it felt good. thats what i missed. i missed the pain i guess. i mean, the physical pain makes me feel like i'm doing something right, and it gets rid of the mental pain. so maybe its just transferring, but i don't mind the knee aches, the way the muscle feels like its pulling away from my bones. i'm anxious to give the pavement another pounding.
much like Life, Period i too am anxious to move to somewhere with some sunshine. but its coming. its coming to MD, and we're going to go get in Key West. Oh, by the way, speaking of key west. I heard through the grapevine at work, or from the horse's mouth that my newest not-friend is also going to key west. driving it seems, and flying home. who knows when that vacation was planned, as my newest not-friend has decided not to speak to me in the last couple weeks. all i have to say is HA, not-friend. HA HA HA! I already bought my plane tickets, my motel is patiently waiting arrival, and i might just splurge on a convertible for the drive i'm ready for. my photography class is giving me AWESOME skills to take INCREDIBLE pictures you couldn't even dream of. oh, and not-friend, I'm relieved you gave me back my curling iron. i'm relieved you have nothing to nice to say to me. I feel better. I'm tired of pretending to be your friend, and going out of my way, and being walked on by you. and how everything around me is just the same old stuff, and everything is so predictable, and all the same, and i feel like a character in a book i don't like and i hate the author that makes me do all these things that don't make me the least bit happy? well, you know what, not-friend, i'm not feeling like that anymore, and you're just another step. I hope that makes you feel as good as it makes me feel, not-friend. You are another step in editing this stupid book, with this stupid author, who forgot about exactly what things it is exactly that make me happy.
oh, and not-friend?
you aren't a step on the list of things i'm adding.
you are the step on the list of things i'm getting rid of.
Last week i mentioned iTrain. Shortely after, I downloaded iTread Set 25 Top 40 workout. The work out is 40 minutes long and its an interval training workout on the treadmill. and it.kicked.my.butt. iTrain labels it as "Beginner/Not too Hard", but clearly thats all up for our own personal interpretation. I mean, if you think setting your treadmill at a pace of 5.0 is "Beginner/Not too Hard" then we should be labeling this workout as "HARD, VERY HARD".
I mean, I was all ok and stuff with starting the short run out at a 5.6 and going along for a few minutes. Heck, I was even ok with the 3% grade hill at a 5.4 for 3 minutes, or whatever. And to be honest, I was pretty ok at setting an 8% grade hill at a 5.0 for however long (no more than 2 or 3 minutes i dont think). I'm even ok with the coaching and gentle guidance given to you by the Grace (the voice over the earbuds). You know what i'm not ok with? The sprint (but not all-out sprint, mind you) for the final four minutes. Grace says, pick a number you can run at steadily for the final 4 minutes. I pick a nice, easy 5.4. Grace says, joggers, your number should between a 6.4 and 6.8. OH YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME. my legs are JELLO. J-E-L-L-O. I've been running harder than I think I've ever run before for the last THIRTY SIX MINUTES on STEEP hills. and now you want me to run the final four minutes at LEAST a 6.4 PACE?! you've got to be kidding me.
but
i'm not a wuss. and i'm not going to be running up there on the treadmill at my little leisurly 5.4 when good ole Gracey says I need to be at a 6.4. So people, I pushed that speed up. I pushed it up to a 6.6 and I ran the last four minutes home.
it kicked my butt, i was exhausted, my legs were jello, and i ran faster for 40 minutes than I ever have before.
and i bought two more iTrain workouts today. must not have been so bad afterall.
but don't be offended, I've been neglecting everything. and by everything, I mean, everything...
the good news: I've been keeping up with the pantry challenge!! Yay! Things are slowly disappearing over here, and my milk is still coming on a perfect schedule. man, that stuff is REALLY delicious. the bad news: I'm eating a LOT of pasta. I made a noodle dish with some rice noodles and a flank steak that was delicious, but it was noodles. I made a big pot of beef-a-roni, not nearly as good as mom's or Americus', but mom made a pot too and gifted it to me. I tried out a Dan Dan noodles recipe, that was delicious, but I made the whole thing of noodles. Its not going away anytime soon. I'm thinking of offering a bowl of Dan Dan noodles in exchange for my walk being shoveled. I bet you all that offer is not taken up any time soon....
Satchel is moving along quite nicely I'm proud to say. Although he still wants to kill the new puppy nextdoor, it could be worse I imagine. We spent a lovely hour Tuesday afternoon romping through the snow, following fresh deer and fox tracks. He was a happy pup. As it turns out though, he's more of a muddy tan color than white. He didn't look so nice against all that white snow and ice. Our last class is today. We have a lot to work on, and I'm not always a good doggy mommy. I just can't help it.
As for me, school is back in session. thats all there is to say for that. but I hope it explains some of my absence.
I'm also back in the saddle, thanks to a lovely little girl I work with. I'm now having dreams of expensive, well-trained horses and perfect, shiny black boots.... So, instead of purchasing a big, well-trained, expensive horse, I've signed myself up for a digital photography class!
As being a new owner of a Nikon D70s I figured I might as well. It starts early people, 9:30am for the next three fridays! Maybe not early for you, but early for me. I hope to bring you some exciting images, but don't count on it. Much like my Dan Dan noodles, I'm sure they aren't in high demand.
Have I mentioned Key West yet?
As for the running? Its slow going people. It is hard to get motivated in this winter weather. I've hopped up there on the treadmill a few times. I even tried out a workout where I increase and decrease the incline every minute. It was sweet and it passed the time. I'm just not motivated. I want to be motivated. I'm trying new music, new workouts, new times, and less lofty goals. I'm also reading this for motivation. But lets all be honest, if you're able to live and run in Hawaii, we would all be marathon runners. But this is not Hawaii, and its cold. So I'm in search of motivation. A lot of motivation. And maybe even someone to yell at me while I'm running on the treadmill. Someone to say, Stop being such a quitter you big baby, seriously, you big baby. I'm just mad, because I worked so hard last Winter/Spring/Summer/Fall. I worked so hard. I was running 9 miles like it was nothing. And now, 3 miles feels like an eternity.
man it is cold out! I'm getting a little taste of what it would be like to move to the Canadian Rockies. although today would be warm for them out there this time of the year. oh, but I bet it is beautiful. I bet you too can only imagine what the Canadian Rockies look like right now.... I bet Peyto Lake (see picture to the right) is surrounded by snow covered mountains, and that beautiful glacier fed lake is still that unreal blue. I miss Banff. I'd go back. Right now. Even if it is only 28 F there. oh hey, that is about what it is here too. I bet I could get a flight in no time at all.... Cheap too. I could leave on Monday. I bet round trip is only about $500.
Anyways.
Breakfast yesterday was Kashi Heart - to - Heart Honey Toasted cereal and milk. Lunch was beef-a-roni (which I am almost done with, finally). Dinner was Gordon Beirsch! Thank you Capitals for making me get to have a dinner out again!
Today I had a delicious farm fresh breakfast: A poached egg, slice of toast with creamery butter, and milk (all straight from the farm!). Lunch will be steamed shrimp dumplings. I imagine after work I'll have beef-a-roni. B-o-r-i-n-g.
Tomorrow I have Soupergirl soup! I bet I'll have that for lunch with a grilled cheese!!
Took the treadmill for another spin last night. 4 miles. or 3.67 according to the treadmill. The t-mill says I burned 543 calores, Nike+ says 377. How do I even know which is right....
I'm going to go stare at photos from Alberta while I wait for these dumplings to cook up.... oh canada, our home and native land, true patriot love in all thy sons command. With glowing hearts, we see the rise, the true north strong and free!!!!
We're trying. We are doing the best we can. I love Satchel. He can be an incredible dog. He's also frustrating and sometimes I just hate him. His playfulness and need to be loved are sweet and endearing. His angry barking, aggression towards almost all things, and his inability to snap out of his zone are not. I want to talk to him. I want to ask him what is wrong and what I can do. I want to know what happened to him in those first five months of his life to make him like this. I want to know what I can do to make it better.
Obedience is not our problem. He sits, he stays, he lays down, he bows, he plays dead. Our problems are deeper than that. People cannot come to my house unless he has an established relationship with them, and still, I'm on guard. I cannot let people or other dogs approach him, I do not know what he will do. His separation anxiety is heart-breaking. I am coming home, I tell him. I will be back. I will not leave you, I am not abandoning you. I love this dog. He lays his head next to mine on my pillow, he puts the weight of his body against me. He keeps me warm, he keeps me company.
But this behavior, it is not okay. It is unnerving, and frustrating, and it leaves me in a constant state of turmoil. I do not let my fear show, I do not let my anxiety feed to him. I stay calm, I stay in control, I stay his leader. He does not trust me in that position, this I know. He does not trust my decisions. He does not trust me on those long walks to return home safely. I tell him I do know the way home. I do know what is safe. I tell him his protection is needed and keeps me safe, but I do know what is right:
The treadmill is up and running!!! Yay!! It took us another 5 hours and probably we could have used a third person, but such is life. It is up and running and I too am up and running. I took a quick jog on it after it was completed mostly to make sure it didn't fall apart, and it didn't.... yet.... I even managed to get Satchel up on it a few times. Not exactly while it was moving, but he did stand on it, so that is progress. When I turn it on, he jumps off the side. I think its the noise, not the movement. Its a cheap treadmill and it sounds like it, too.
Saturday I went for a 4 mile run, or so I thought. I set my Nike+ for 4 miles and hopped on the treadmill. The treadmill and the sensor are not in agreement about time, distance, pace, or calories. So, I'm not sure who to believe. I've chosen to believe the treadmill on calories because it said I burnt 450 calories as opposed to 366 as the Nike+ claims. I've chosen the Nike+ on distance as it said I ran 4 miles unlike the treadmill which claims 3.43 miles. I've calibrated the sensor, so I'm not sure who to believe on this really, but I'm taking the sensor. As for pace, I'm ignoring both. The sensor is never accurate on pace when I run on a treadmill. I was running with the same effort I would outside, if not more, and the sensor claimed I was running a 13 minute pace, but I know i run about a 9:25 pace. Needless to say, I ran. It was 4 miles, and it felt good, and I am a bit out of shape. The Saturday run was only the second in about 5 weeks. Christmas and the New Year held me back, but all it takes is getting back out there just one time. I already feel stronger, swifter, and more focused.
Great Pantry Challenge of 2009 Starts Today!!!
And here you have it people. Day 1 of the pantry challenge. This morning for breakfast, I had half of an "Apple Orchard" English Muffin, some cream cheese, and a big glass of milk!! Lunch will most likely be soup (Pumpkin Bisque) from Soupergirl and some vegetable type thing. Dinner is a date with Americus!!
Monday's are wonderful around here for many reasons. Mostly because its my Saturday, and following closely behind that is my milk delivery every other week!! Satchel wakes me up with his angry barking, which any other day would make me crazy when I'm trying to get some sleep but not every other Monday! That angry bark my friends is the sound of the milk man!
good news. the treadmill will be put together friday evening. I am off of work for a hockey game and will have an additional person ready and willing to help lifting and holding and tightening all things that need to be lifted and held and tightened. yay! First Great Pantry Challenge of 2009 Update!
I am getting a little excited about this people! I think it will be quite fun! I plan on posting little blurbs about my failures and successes. So far, lots of successes (even though it hasn't started yet!!!)! 2 half gallons of milk, 1 dozen farm fresh eggs, 1 loaf of honey wheat bread, and 2 half gallons of apple cider are on their way from South Mountain Creamery!! I have a large package of chicken breasts I purchased on Monday at a GREAT price and they have been frozen individually to assist with dinner from the pantry plans. I also have a pound of ground beef, three-quarters pound of ground pork, a pound of frozen already cooked shrimp, a pound of frozen ready-to-peel, de-veined shrimp all ready to go!!!!
There is lots of pasta, rice, and quinoa. Black beans, great northern beans, re-fried beans. Pasta in many shapes and sizes! Rice, quinoa, and oats! Plenty of ingredients to make granola when I run out of cereal, carnation instant breakfast, and english muffins from Wolferman's. So, things are looking pretty good for the pantry challenge. There is also a plentiful amount of frozen vegetables and potatoes: Ore-Ida Ready-Mash in two flavors, Sour-cream and chive baked potatoes, creamed spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, and green bean casserole.
I've also taken to purchasing soup from Soupergirl so that is an added bonus for my lunches!
I'm getting excited peoples. In about two weeks, Im going to start reaching out for some help. Be prepared.
well people, christmas is offically over at ridge drive. although i've heard a little rumor there may be one more present arriving by mail! also, there are a few gift cards waiting to be spent on things for me and others here at ridge drive. there are also multiple gift cards to multiple very yummy resturants to be used and movie tickets galore.
but
nonetheless, the tree is down. there is a big empty spot where it used to be, and i have to say, it makes me feel a little lonely. when the tree was up, it almost seemed like time stood still. like nothing was progressing. and now its gone. and the big empty hole that is left is just reminding me off all the emptiness everywhere else over here on ridge drive. time passes, doesn't it? you think you can make it stop, that if things just stay the same, if you maybe hold your breath, or do something, it just WILL NOT MOVE. but it does. doesn't it? and it doesn't stop.
The treadmill was brought home last night (thanks to a pick-up that has been living in my driveway!) and lugged upstairs by one small person and one little larger person. fyi, the "heavy-end" of the treadmill out-weighed me. I found this out on the first flight of steps and proved it for sure on the second. Man thought that he could push the treadmill up, if i guided it. Gravity took over when we got to the top of the steps. I leaned all my weight on the box, feet off the floor, and still couldn't tip the box in my favor.
Oh, and my dear friends, when the instructions say "REQUIRES TWO PEOPLE" they mean it. ok? because no matter how strong-willed or stubborn you are and I'm sure you are no match for me, assembly still REQUIRES TWO PEOPLE. My other person today: a stack of books. yes my dear friends, I used a stack of books as leverage for tightening screws and greasing spacers and all that. Despite being so savvy, I have officially reached the point where another person is absolutely, REQUIRED. I cannot stand the treadmill up on its end and hold it, and tighten all the bolts at once.
Ladies and gentelmen, I am here today to bring you very exciting news!!!
First and foremost, I've purchased this. Now isn't that exciting!! It is something I have been wanting for a while and according to Americus a very worthwhile purchase for many reasons. Better than a membership to the Y. All though a co-worker says of the Y: "You get to hang around and you know, exercise and hang out with all the old biddies." Well, I give gym memberships a big, huge thumbs down and treadmills in your own home a big, huge thumbs up!! Needless to say, I'm not running today. I am thinkingabout running though. Isn't it the thought that counts?
As for the next announcement (which I also find very exciting!!):
Along with all the interesting news of how far I ran (or not), how long it took, or how long I thought about actually running but didn't, I plan to bring you some other fun things. Of course there will be much talk of my entourage:
I am also bringing you news from what I am calling The First Great Pantry Challenge of 2009!!!
Here's how it will go:
Starting Monday, January 12th I am going to see how long I can eat from the food already in my house without going to the grocery store.
Here are the rules:
1. The Challenge begins on Monday, January 12th at breakfast. 2. Milk, eggs, butter, and bread are allowed to be purchased. 3. Fresh vegetables are allowed to be purchased as well, but only in small quantities and from a farmer's market. 4. Everything else must come from my pantry, refrigerator, or freezer. 5. The Challenge ends when I purchase something that is not allowed.
Everyone else is doing it. And I'm sure we all agree that its a little less stalker-ish if I post all the details of my life instead of just reading about yours and then acting like I don't know anything about you while I wait for you to tell me all the things I already know because I read it in your blog.
The main point of this was to keep track of my running. But in all honesty, that is pretty boring. Both to read and to write. So I hope to bring you news of things much more exciting then how I told myself I'd run 15 miles this week or 10 that week and end up doing nothing but sitting at home watching movies and eating ice cream out of the carton.
Lu's interests include chatting on the internet, sending cryptic messages through g-chat, and hogging the keyboard. Lu's diet consists of straight from the farm milk and rotisserie chicken (white meat only, please). She also enjoys terrorizing her friend Satchel, and sleeping on plastic bags....
She smells like baby powder and spring mornings. How can a little kitty smell so good? I febreez-ed her once, but it was by accident, and it couldn't have possibly stuck. She smells like freshly cut grass and new flowers.
Hello Hula Man!
Hula Man gets around people, he even hopped up on the new end-tables, and checked out the spring time sun:
monday dairy delivery?
