Untraditional

Being as how I don’t go home for Thanksgiving, due to logistics, my Thanksgiving has become a little untraditional by nature. I now spend it with families of friends that have taken me in as one of their own.

Which maybe happens because I promise to bring dessert. I bake so people will love me.

Cookies are my favorite. It only makes sense I find a way to sneak them into a fancier dessert…

But I like to think it also happens because I am a very fortunate girl who has surrounded herself with wonderful people.

And this year, it just so happens these wonderful people don’t really enjoy turkey. So we had Thanksgiving ham. And being as how I’m not a ham eater, I did what anyone else would do- load up on stuffing and wine.

Cream cheese often makes people giddy. It’s not so much my thing, but here… enjoy the food porn…

A bit untraditional without the turkey, but whatever. The food was delicious.

I often bring dessert that is of a pecan pie variety. Like pecan pie cupcakes. Or pecan pie bars. Or really just whatever I can find that involves copious amounts of sugar and pecans.

Pretty sure the recipe called for 12 full-sized peanut butter cups. But I snuck into the bag early. Don’t tell the people I baked this for…

However, being as how the hostess this year was deathly allergic to tree nuts, and killing her would have been a total party foul, I also stepped away from tradition.

And even though cheesecake isn’t my most favorite thing in the world, it tends to be a party pleaser.

It’s always scary making a recipe for the first time. But really- it’s hard to go wrong with the stupid amount of butter, chocolate and sugar. Thank goodness…

The great compromise was adding chocolate and peanut butter. Who knew?

The remainder of the cookie dough and mini peanut butter cups across the top. Because presentation is half the battle.

One traditional holiday activity that I DID participate in?

Eating and drinking more than enough and spending an hour or two in a half coma with the rest of the fam while watching a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.

I always suggest cutting them up into individual bars before the party. Because you need to have one… or three… before you go. Obvi.

Some things never change.

And if you feel like being the coolest kid at the holiday party this year, make the peanut butter cookie cheesecake by Peabody. Or really, just go to her recipe page and make anything on it. She knows her stuff.

BOOM.

Now excuse me. We’re still in Sunday of the holiday weekend and there’s football to be watched. Mizzou has officially fallen off my radar, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still have the Bears to keep my hopes up.

Bear Down, kids.

And just so my mom knows I ate my vegetables, here’s my Thanksgiving meal (sans ham, naturally). The second helping I had surely counterbalances the cheesecake… yep…

Enjoy the last few moments of Thanksgiving. After this, Christmas is gonna hit us hard. Brace yourselves.

On Being Thankful…

It is THAT time of year again.

To give thanks.

Because apparently it’s not important to do so except for this one day out of the year. Which is tomorrow. In case the name didn’t give it away.

Which is fine. It gives me a year to think about a list of things I should probably say “thank you” for.

And aren’t you so lucky? Here it is!

1. Warming stations at the train stop. It’s getting cold out there, peeps.
2. Lady GaGa chillin’ out on producing more singles. Overplayed. Overhyped. That’s all I have to say about that. Adele- please take note.
3. My new job. Not only do I love being in the health industry, I spend about 4 hours less on the phone every day. This lessens the threat of dealing with the complete jerks and the chin zits haven’t been around for ages. Double win!
4. Jason Segel. I know you’re dating someone. So am I. Oh what could have been… But my heart will go on. Much like Celine Dion’s.
5. Trader Joe’s selling boxed wines. My Friday nights at home with the roomie just got UPGRADED.
6. Google. So my mom doesn’t have to ask a million questions about the guy I’m dating. She can now figure it out in super creepy and devious ways on her own time. Also, let’s do a special shout out to Google Maps/Transit as we discuss the miracle of modern technology. Without you, I’d be lost 3 times a week at a minimum.
7. Victoria’s Secret. Keeping my girls in check since 2004. Why I didn’t switch over sooner, I’ll never know.
8. Chicagoland. Thank you, dear city and surrounding suburbs, for introducing me to many things I love: friends, people who are practically family, a wonderful job, running, BYOB restaurants, and 3-5am bars.  Also, it’s important to note here, Chicago has also made me that much more appreciative of the time I do get to spend with family and friends back in Missouri. This is my big ball of love” part of the list.

Let’s hold a minute… I think I heard people gagging/vomiting…

Ok… we ready to continue?  Cool.

9. Cookies. Why do you have to always be so delicious?
10. Michael Kors. You make every day a little more pretty. How do you do it?
11. Pandora. You get me through runs. You get me through the weirdest of commutes on the el/metra. You keep me from listening to people hack relentlessly or eat abnormally loudly in the cubes. You. Are. Wonderful.
12. Whoever came up with Static Guard.
13. World Peace.

Oh wait… we’re still working on that one?

Ok. Maybe next year…

That’s all I’ve got for now. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Please stop and enjoy the time with family and friends. It’s much more limited than we’ll ever realize.

Also, travel safe. Eat your weight in stuffing. And maybe hug a few people.

It is the holidays, after all.

Almost Made It…

Oh right… this is a pic of my new hair color, if you’re still interested…

My friend Laura came to visit this weekend.

On Saturday, while getting ready to go to a party, she made mention of how she enjoys Chicago visits because she knows it’ll be a relatively healthy weekend when she spends it with me.

I patted myself on the back for that one.

Veggies and humus were the snacks on hand.

After spending Friday night in, we got up early to workout.

Laura may or may not have wanted to work on building her mileage for a destination half marathon we hope to do together next summer.

I may or many not have just really wanted to look good in my skinny jeans that night.

To each their own.

We did everything else right, too.

Chicken and veggies for lunch.

A long walk along Michigan Avenue to take in the Christmas light festivities.

Choosing to eat in vs. deep-fried bar food.

Drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated between drinks at the bar on Saturday night.

Club soda as a mixer instead of sugar-filled soda.

All smart choices.

We did so well.

I even skipped out on the late night 2am chow time. Which is a rare occurrence, if we’re being completely honest.

After Laura left, I continued the long walk trend in the nice weather for a couple of hours.

But then…

I guess it was food envy from when the rest of the crazy kids got mexican the night before.

That styrofoam carry out container was licked clean.

Skinny jeans be damned.

Not Thinking

As my personal and work lives both continue to be a whirlwind of activity, when I finally am left to myself, it seems I prefer doing things that don’t require any actual brain activity.

Like catching up on my DVR. The long list of unwatched shows gives me serious anxiety.

Or when working out. I’ve been dull. Jillian has guided me along the process once or twice a week, which is greatly appreciated. And after discussing all the joys of running outside, I’ve surrendered to the Chicago weather and have been a zombie on the treadmill/stairs/elliptical all week.

This morning I actively tried to combat boredom with speed intervals, but it’s clear there are no races in my near future. Which is a good thing. My heaving after approximately 4 miles of speedwork is disturbing.

Mental note: add race searches to the list of things to look into next week during Thanksgiving break.

That and cooking.

Wait… what’s that again?

Don’t fret- I’m still eating well. This boy I know keeps acting like he enjoys my company around dinner time. Which reminds me- I think there should always be mirrors in booths of places that serve ribs.

Just sayin’.

And even if I’m still picking dried BBQ sauce out from under my fingernails, it’s good this is happening, other than the immediate benefit of my mood being elevated when he’s around. I mean… if we weren’t going out, every meal I have would look like this:

Which is similar to every other meal I’ve had for the last… uh… two weeks?

I swear even the people working at the grocery store have recognized and are now smirking at either my disgusting “grocery shopping” sweats, or my recent eating habits.

Which I personally find offensive. What’s so wrong with wanting to be comfy while being a responsible consumer and purchasing wine and deli sandwiches… everyday…?

Nevermind. Answered my own question.

Let’s pretend I’m just making room for Thanksgiving.

And just so my mother isn’t nervous I’m spending Thanksgiving in front of the television by myself with a turkey lean cuisine…

Apparently the shindig I’m attending is a big deal. I even have my own customized name plate for the occasion.

Fancy!

And until then… moooooore deli!

Happy Friday, kids. Get silly. And have the pizza delivery number in your phone before heading out to the bars. It’s easier that way.

KBYE!

30 Degree Swings

Seriously kids… how gorgeous was it where you were this weekend?

Yesterday, November 10th, it was almost 70 degrees.

And here I thought I wouldn’t get to run outside again until March.

After passing out on the sofa at maybe 10pm Saturday night (party animal!), my neck was completely screwed, but the rest of me felt more refreshed than I’ve felt in a long time on a Sunday morning.

Out the door I went.

Running through the neighborhoods and the lakefront is way better than my routine during the week in the winter months when I usually take to the treadmill. Because instead of just staring stupidly at the crappy videos playing on one of the generic music stations at the gym, I’m actually thinking about stuff.

Important stuff. Like recent news headlines. Or what to wear next weekend.

Or today, where I did think about the two things mentioned above (I’m so indecisive on boot decisions…), but also what I’ll miss as it slowly becomes frozen and buried under snow.

Ok… so I won’t miss the random homeless guy peeing in a bush at an intersection. But the other things- like how pretty the lake is, the amazing skyline that slowly unfolds before me, or the random art that shows up around every other turn.

Ooooohhhhhh prettttyyy colorrrrsssss….

4 miles done. 4 miles that reminded me I’ve slacked since the last half marathon and I’m already somewhat ruined by my lazy treadmill runs. But 4 miles, nonetheless.

Today is supposed to be approximately 30 degrees cooler than the weekend. I’ve prepared by breaking out the extra comforter and sexy sweatpants. The roommate and I have reclaimed our crock pot after it being held hostage for 8 months at a friend’s house (still bitter). We’ve stocked up on pasta and wine.

We’ve entered hibernation mode. But that’s ok. I’m ready for it. There’s always the liquor store down the street in case I run out of wine.

Bring it on, Chicago.

Thursday Randomness

Ok, I know it’s been a while. Let’s not be all awkward about it.

But don’t think of it as a decrease in blogging. Think of it as an increase in my social calendar activity.

Glass half full, yes?

And as proof that I haven’t just been super lazy (ok, so there’s that, too), here’s what’s been going on around my ‘hood:

Dinner with my friend Annie:

Seasons 52 is a neat place in the suburbs where every menu item is under 475 calories.

Cool concept. And you’d be amazed how expansive the menu is for such a restriction in calories for typical restaurant fare.

We needed the girl talk session and I personally needed a pretty low-key night due to the volunteering experience I was signed up for the next morning.

I think we all remember how I felt about that.

Afterwards, I went straight to Oz Park- a destination on my list of things to do that I was finally able to drag someone along to see.

An old coworker humored me as we walked through the spot in Lincoln Park and caught up on each other’s lives.

The 8-year-old in me nerded out.

Ok fine, the 27-year-old in me did, too.

We also swung through the zoo.

Because you can’t be that close to the zoo and not go. Don’t be silly.

Then there’s always more dinner to be had with even more friends.  And being as how I seem to have a friend who’s a boy who happens to live next to some of my girlfriends, I get to see them all at once.

And also become very familiar with the metra.

Which can get weird when you’re one of maybe 2-3 people left in the car (or, as seen above, the last person) and one guy across the aisle seems to be taking pictures of you on his phone.

But it beats being crammed onto the el and smelling the coffee breath of the 5-6 people you’re surrounded by.

Anyway… something shiny… what?

Mon joined me Monday night at a hole in the wall near our old apartment complex.

It’s maddening we never went there before I moved. I had a sandwich, fries, and a bit of a buzz for just over $10.

Yeah. $10.

Which is good. Because I had to fit painting my hair into the budget.

Processing…

The summer sun did a number on the color of my hair. And I was bored and feeling impulsive.

So yeah… it’s not you. It’s me. I’ve been busy.

Let’s try to make this work. We’ve come this far. And I love you. I just need some space sometimes.

Please cue some Al Green, “Let’s Stay Together”.

Happy Thursday, kids.

Hot Chocolate Chicago 15k: From the Other Side

Being up at 4:00 on a Sunday morning was rough. But since my presence was necessary at 5:30 down in Grant Park, you do what you’ve got to do.

It’s all for the runners.

And the chocolate. If we’re being honest.

I was volunteering at the Hot Chocolate 15k/5k, and what do you know? They put my group in the fondue tent.

Dream. Come. True. Or so I thought.

This was a 15k I’ve ran the last two years. And to be honest, I didn’t particularly enjoy it either time. Simply put, I’m not a cold weather runner and the race is way too big for my liking.

Or for anyone’s liking, from what it sounds like. Races that grow beyond their capacity quickly become disorganized disasters. But because I’m a fan of chocolate and everything it stands for, why not take myself out of the equation and be part of the solution by volunteering for it?

Well. Here’s why.

It all started when Google told me the brown line would be running at 4:30 in the morning. It wasn’t. So I had no choice but to run the mile to the red line train in hopes of not being late.

The red line runs all night, which is quite obvious. Because it smells like pee.

Funny thing about that, though- I made it to the stop just in time to witness last call at the 5:00 bars. This means I took the red line, which smells like pee, with a bunch of drunken club-goers who got an additional hour of party time due to daylight savings.

Serenity now.

When I finally made it downtown. I’ve been to races early. But this was just eerie.

Got to the volunteer race tent easily enough. Could not find where to go after that. Asked around. Waited. Asked some more. Finally found a girl who was also working in the fondue tent and we realized the rest of those volunteers had managed to group up without being announced and walk away without us.

So we get to the tent and get our assignments. And do nothing for an hour until the race ends.

The crowds came. In masses. People shouting. No one knows where things should go. Shortages of everything- help, food, containers…

Then, the unthinkable happens. I was in the first line to run out of fondue.

When the name of the race is the “Hot Chocolate” race, DO NOT be in the line that runs out of chocolate. Just don’t.

People raged. Which is fair. I would have, too. But I can’t make more appear out of thin air, either. I was not the one in charge to go pick up the chocolate. I believe RAM Racing was. BIG FAIL.

It may be time to disassociate myself from this race from here on out. Not impressive on either side of the spectrum. I love a lot of RAM events (Bucktown… still cool in my book). But this one is officially too big. A shame, too, because it’s a “first race” for a lot of people. Not a great introduction into the racing community.

And no… I didn’t walk away with any chocolate.

Instead, I just walked away tired. And lacking caffeine.

Win some, lose some.

It’s always interesting to be on the other side of a race. And for the runners who thanked us for being there? It’s very much appreciated.

But man… that sucked.

Moving on…

In all honesty, I’m glad it’s Monday. Rarely is that said. But when I have dinner plans and movie night. Not with the same person.

What can I say? I’m popular…