Late To The Party

Some days, it really is all about ME.

No really… it is. Because Jess totally tagged me with this lil’ blogger award that asks me to write about my favorite thing… myself!Actually, my favorite thing to write about is baking, chocolate and sugar. Or any combination of the three. But being allowed some bragging/storytelling? Why not… I can surely tell you 10 random things:

1. My nose flairs an obnoxious amount. I blame it on playing clarinet when I was in junior high. Don’t try to convince me otherwise.

2. I get up an extra 15 minutes early so I can watch the news in the morning during breakfast (current obsession being coffee and a scrambled egg wrap). Yes. At approximately 6:00 in the morning. Like an old person. Only thing missing is the bifocals. Because I already shake my head to all the reports of violence and car accidents. Crazy kids…

3. I like drinking soda every once in a while, but am very picky about how I have it. I will drink Sprite or Diet Coke out of a can- as cold as you can get it without getting that gross layer of ice on top- or only Sprite out of a soda fountain. Soda in plastic bottles don’t exist in my world*.

*This excludes how adult beverages are prepared. Vodka makes me a little more flexible with such matters…

4. Sometimes I’m very quiet in public settings. That’s not so much because of shyness, but because I’m very content spending my time people watching. Or “observing my surroundings” if that makes it any less rude-sounding.

5. I hate pedicures. HATE them. But see them as an occasional necessary evil as to have healthier, happier feet. I say occasional because it’s hard to justify shelling out good money for an hour of pure torture.

6. On the topic of things I dislike, let’s also list off kiss cams at sporting events. PDA is gross and I do not need to see it enlarged for an entire stadium of people. Possibly one of the reasons why I enjoy Wrigley Field so much: No jumbo tron = No kiss cam = I sit in contentment.

And clearly it’s all about me.

7. I heart pictures, but am awful at posing for them. This last Sunday afternoon was spent with Annie and Mon and Mon’s friend who is trying to expand his portfolio. Free photo shoot? Why not? But for real. I’m cheesy and awkward in front of a camera. It’s totally wince-worthy. And don’t get me started about how horrific my “serious face” is…This is my one in a million that is “serious” without looking like I have digestive issues or something of equal awfulness.

Patrick was awesome with us three girls. He shot all of us individually and then the three of us together. Poor thing didn’t know how weird/kooky/excitable/gossipy we’d get when together that long…. You don’t want to know what we were talking about during this picture…

After a long and exhausting day of model behavior (cocaine and cigarettes excluded), we decided to bring ourselves back down to normalcy with a trip to Sweet Tomatoes salad bar:Ok fine, we had mid-sized salads in order to keep room for dessert. Ice cream and salted caramel pumpkin cake. Sigh…

Oh yeah… there was a list going on or something, wasn’t there?

8. I think Uggs are ugly and refuse to buy them or anything similar to them. They look quite comfy- I won’t lie. But they’re still ugly. And I could have bought 2 pairs of cute shoes for the money you threw down the drain for the one ugly pair. #HarshReality

9. My favorite Christmas song is “All I Want for Christmas” by Mariah Carey. There’s a radio station I always seem to find on the drive back to Missouri for the holidays that will play that song for an hour straight. I see nothing wrong with tuning in for the entire hour.

10. If introduced at a party, I’ll remember your face, but not remember your name until the 2nd or 3rd time around. This can lead to really awkward social situations.

Then again, name a moment where I’m not awkward…

You can’t.

Aaaaaannnnnddddd….. The End.

Good luck with your Tuesday.

Peace out.

A Trip To The Dentist

Can I just say I’m really glad I’m not the only one out there who can’t do a pull-up?  For a minute there, I was afraid I’d have to start practicing.

Or not.  Like I said, it doesn’t bother me so much. 

What does bother me is that some peeps are trying to tell me my zodiac sign has changed whereas others tell me it’s staying the same.  Screw that noise.  Leo for life, biatches.

Whatever.  It’s FRIDAY!

It’s my rest day. And the girlies have a movie night in the works.  All good things, yes?

Well.  It will be after another hour or so for me.  As this gets published, I’m probably heading to the dentist.

I hate the dentist.  Hence the reason I put off this appointment for so long. Even if it’s just a cleaning. I chew a lot of gum, eat candy, and slack majorly at flossing.  Mr. Dentist and I might as well be enemies.

Anyways, to keep you entertained, I thought I’d bring up the fact that Chef Katelyn was so kind as to tag with me a blogger award…

Anyways, the rules include listing a few random things about yourself.  I’ve done this a few times, but who am I to not add a little more randomness to your day? 

1. I hold writing utensils wrong.  Not sure why this was never corrected?  My mom totally blames my kindergarten teacher.  This is yet another one of those things (like the ability to do a pull-up) that doesn’t bother me.  Because seriously… how much work do I not do on the computer?

2. Even though I feel fine speaking in front of a crowd, sometimes my hand still shakes like crazy.  It’s like all the hidden anxiety gets channeled through it.  Weird.

3. When I was little, I wanted to grow up to be a marine biologist.  Just like every other kid in the world.  Because we all wanted to swim with the dolphins.  Don’t lie- you wanted to be one, too.

4. My first kiss happened when I was 15.  It was in the school play.  We had stopped right before “the big kiss” every single time before, but on this particular run-through, the kid dipped and laid one on me with no warning.  Romantic, I know.  Funny thing is, I had just acquired my first boyfriend and got my first *real* kiss on opening night of that play (after being accosted multiple times by the original non-boyfriend kiss offender).

5. I’ve never been to Vegas.  But it seems this year I’ll be going twice in a three-month span. Go big or go home, right?  Holla’.

Question of the day:  Does anyone actually know someone who ended up actually being a marine biologist?  And do they swim with dolphins?

Just Five Minutes

 Good Morning!  And thank you so much for the song recommendations for my race!  I love them- so keep ‘em coming!

And thank goodness Tuesday is OVER… am I right?

Actually, this Tuesday wasn’t so bad (knock on wood).  I even made it out of bed at 5:15 for a morning workout. 

Had you seen me struggle to comprehend why the alarm was going off and then spend a considerable amount of time pondering another hour of sleep, you would have been impressed, too.

While walking to my apartment’s workout room, I noticed the heavy frost on my car.  Note to myself:  leave my place a couple minutes earlier to deal with this.

I didn’t.  And was reminded of how much of a time suck scraping your car can be- even if it’s just a frost. 

But let’s focus- back to the morning run.  Four miles happened.  I averaged at about 8:28.  All of my runs lately have hovered in the 8:20′s and low 8:30′s.  Hopefully this means a pace of 8:30ish can be kept for the 15k on Saturday.  I’m not holding my breath, but it’s a goal to have in the back of my head. 

I know it sounds like a forced workout.  But it’s really not (sort of).  I’ve got a rule I try to follow.  I always tell myself “just go for 5 minutes”.  If after 5 minutes I still don’t want to keep going, I’ll stop.  More often than not, I’ll keep going because I start to gain my momentum as I’m running/ellipticizing (is that a real word?). 

Don’t get me wrong- there are definitely times that I’ve gone and quit after 5.  Just stopped and said “well this totally isn’t going to happen today”.   But usually all that is required is a little kick in the butt to get started.

That’s my philosophy, anyways.  What do you do for workout motivation?

My friend Jaime over at Rabit Stew gave me a little blogger award over the weekend.

As the rules go, I need to tell you 7 random things you probably don’t already know.  Hmmm… am I that mysterious to even have that many secrets?

1. I get pretty bad anxiety when it comes to being on time.  I blame my dad on this one.  He’d give my brother and I a specific leave time.  20 minutes before said leave time, he’d have the car running and would be honking the horn.  I’m still learning how to not stress out over Chicago traffic for that very reason.

2. I grew up with cats, but after careful consideration, I think I’m more of a dog person.  Either way, I refuse to have a pet while still living on my own.  I’m still trying to learn how to take care of myself.  Or maybe when I’ve officially kept a plant alive for longer than a year, we’ll consider it.

3. I used to hate mexican food.  Hated it.  My friends loved this mexican restaurant in high school that we would always go to.  I’d end up getting a really basic taco and even then didn’t really like it.  Not sure what happened- my tastes expanded, an introduction to guacamole, learning to try new things, etc.  Whatever it was, I grew to LOVE mexican food.  And it now is one of my biggest food cravings.  As documented by last night’s nacho dinner:Lovely.

4. I hate discussing politics.  I do vote, but rarely will you find me in a heated debate.  So you can imagine my joy in the disappearance of political ads this week.

5. I can flare my nose really quickly. 

6. I played the clarinet when in middle school and was pretty good at it.  Then my friend Erica and I got kicked out of band.  Seriously- who gets kicked out of band???

7. When I was little, I used to LOVE Sesame Street.  Elmo, Bert, and Ernie were my homies.  Then, I remember watching one of the Big Bird movies.  Big Bird got lost and turned blue. That gave me nightmares and, ever since, I’ve been ridiculously creeped out by the show.  Come on- it’s a gigantic yellow bird that talks and hangs out with Count Dracula and monsters that live in the trash.  How do 4-year-olds not find that terrifying?

What was your favorite show growing up?  I really miss Doug.  I used to watch that on Saturday mornings all the time.  Does Nickelodeon even play it anymore??!?!

Don’t forget- you still have another day to enter my Adora Giveaway.  Seriously- it’s chocolate that’s good for you.  Get on it!

Chocolate Granola

Hola!  Happy Wednesday everyone!

Yesterday came and went without too much trouble- with exception of the crazy storm that just had to hit when I was in the middle of the interstate.  We’re going to pretend that didn’t extend my commute home by at least 15 minutes. 

Other than that, I was in a good mood.  And in an even better mood when I acquired this package from Annelies at Attune Foods:She asked if I’d like to try Uncle Sam cereal and I’ll have to say I was quite envious of all you kids who have already.  So I said of course!  Many of you already know about my mild cereal obsession, so it should come as no surprise that I’d be willing to try a new one to eventually add to the collection…

This one is probably one of, if not the most, healthy cereals I’ve tried.  It’s a whole-wheat flake cereal with flax seed.  That means it’s 10 grams of fiber per serving.  10 grams.  That will keep your insides clean…

I didn’t waste any time using it.  First thing’s first- the sweet stuff. 

I made chocolate granola!

After looking over a few different recipes, I just decided to throw together my own.  Seriously- granola may be the easiest thing to make ever.  Because you can’t really screw it up.  You just throw in whatever your preferences are.In my case, I went with a pretty sweet mixture:

- 2 cups rolled oats

- 1 cup Uncle Sam Original

- 1 cup Kashi Go Lean

- 1 cup sliced almonds

- 6 oz of chocolate chips (in my case, half the bag)

- 1/2 cup coconut (a last minute edition)

So while you’ve got all that chillin’ in a big bowl, heat on medium low about a 1/2 cup of brown rice syrup and a heaping tablespoon of brown sugar. After the sugar’s dissolved, add around 3/4 cup of peanut butter (I didn’t measure so much as guesstimate on it) and take off the heat.  Once it’s all melty melty, dump it into the big bowl of yumminess.  And mix.  A lot.  Don’t be too good to use your hands if you have to.  The chocolate’s going to start to melt.  And just let it- because it’s supposed to. 

If it’s not the right consistency (really, that’s up to you), continue to add more cereal/oats.  Since I was mostly winging it, I ended up having to add more cereal.Spread out onto a foil-lined cookie sheet and throw it in the refrigerator.  It won’t look overly pleasing to the eye- but no worries.  After it’s chilled an hour or so, just stick it in tupperware and keep in the refrigerator.  Try not to sneak handfuls.  It’s like crack.  Once you start, you won’t stop.

I’m sure if you wanted, you could just press it all tightly together to make bars, but I prefer to keep it in crumbly and add to my breakfast: Fab. It honestly reminds me of a version of “no bake” cookies.  I’d imagine it would be tasty with ice cream, too.  Probably a good thing I don’t have any in the house at the moment.

Tonight I’m using it with my dinner.  Get excited. 

And before I forget…

I was passed on a few awards over the last week or so that I have yet to post on!  The first was from Genesis and Megan- thanks ladies! One of the rules is to answer the question: If you had the chance to go back and change one thing in your life, would you and what would it be?

That, for me, is a pretty simple answer.  There are a few things I regret- but I would never change what I did.  Because no matter how you look at it, every decision I’ve made up to this point has made me who I am.  Every selfish or bad choice, every hesitation or missed opportunity, each thing I should have or would have said… etc.  As much as every one of these things have sucked, they’ve still contributed to shaping the person I am today.  And I happen to like who I am now.  I guess for every downside to the things I’ve done, there’s also an upside?

I think I’ll send that paragraph in for the plot of a Hallmark Channel made-for-tv movie.  It’s golden.

Secondly, I got tagged with this little sucker by Shanna:So now I’m supposed to talk about a few things that make me happy.  Which would probably be a nice change of pace since I’ve been known to rant.

*And to spare you, none of these will be workout/food related.  I’m throwing that little twist into it…

1.  A new pair of high heels.  Yes, this is severely materialistic.  But I’m not huge into accessories.  I’m not overly trendy.  I shop the sales/clearance rack first before even looking at the rest of a store.  Rarely do I buy anything without a coupon or promotion code if I can swing it.  The mall stresses me out.  So please excuse my vanity when it comes to a gorgeous pair of stilettos that elongate my disproportionately short legs.  Trying on the perfect fit makes me squeal like a little girl. Just ask my friends.

2. A good neighborhood bar.  Sure, I like my dressy nights out with the girls every once in a while (where else will I wear my new sassy heels I just mentioned?).  And sometimes I just need a place where I can dance my unrhythmatic booty off.  But more often than not, I am found most comfortable and happy dressed down, sitting at a table, surrounded by my friends, beer and sports highlights.

3. Movie nights in.  As I type this, I realize all my happy things contradict each other.  Weird.  Either way, when I’m not feeling overly social and don’t want to wear my new sassy heels, I like to dress up in my finest pair of sweats and check out the newest red box selections.  Preferably, I’m sharing this experience with another person, but solo is cool, too.  It’s rare for this to happen at any time other than the weekend- during the week I always feel like I have to be doing something.  So when I get to (or want to stop moving), it’s just fabulous.

Whew.  That was a long one.  Hopefully I didn’t keep you too long from something important… like work or something…   But you totally deserved the break anyways.  Totally.

Have a good one!

Early Flight

Ok.  Who booked this flight?!?!  It surely wasn’t me.  Mom…. I know it was you…

Yes, it’s 4:15.  AM.  Yes, it’s vacation and I’m up way earlier than I would have been if I had been working today. I guess that’s just how it goes. 

A nap will be necessary.

But I digress…

Last night was packed.  (Get it??  One of the things I had to do was pack… no?  I’m going to pretend it’s just too early for you yet, because that’s funny!)  Anyways, I raced home and headed straight to my apartment’s workout room.  I didn’t know how long I was going to have the desire to workout, giving the tiny bit of lingering soreness, but wanted to make sure I had plenty of time to go as long as I please.  I ended up just sticking to 25 minutes on the elliptical followed by some free weights and abs.  It felt pretty good- so I’ll be back into full swing again soon!

Dinner was an egg and spinach scramble.Loaded with spinach.  Because my timing really sucked with grocery shopping last weekend and I didn’t want to the spinach to go to waste while I am gone.  Popeye would have been proud.  There was a ton of it.  Of course I had to have toast.  And maaaay have put almond butter on half for dessert. 

Packing is always a chore.  I’m awful at it because I’m the world’s worst overpacker.  The idea of only taking a carry-on for three days worth of stuff makes me want to hyperventilate.  A girl needs her shoes!  And I have this awful habit of overpacking stuff like underwear.  Seriously… what is that about?  Have I ever needed 3 or 4 pair for each night I’m staying somewhere?  No.  But I’ll pack it anyways.  Every time.  guaranteed.  How about you?  What do you always overpack?

On a happy note, the lovely ladies over at She’s a Fit Chick and RunRettaRun passed along the Versatile Blogger award to me!  Thanks girls!

To accept, you’re supposed to list off 7 random things about yourself.  I’ve done this a few times, and I’m really not that interesting, but here are a couple more for you to ponder for fun:

- I am one of over 30 cousins.  On one side of my family.  I really can’t give you the exact number without sitting and thinking about it because inevitably I’ll accidently skip someone.  My mom comes from a HUGE family of 13.  So I guess that many cousins is close to an appropriate average?  I’m somewhere in the upper middle of the group.  Family gatherings are full-blown ordeals.  And can be overwhelming if you’re unprepared.

- Of all the places I haven’t been and want to visit, I think I’d choose New York City.  The city fascinates me (as did Chicago before I visited it).  And if the exciting hustle and bustle isn’t enough to entice me, I want to see and experience the culture, history and landmarks, restaurants, bars, shopping… the list goes on.  Oh New York… one day!

- I enjoy romantic dinners and long walks on the beach…. oh wait… just kidding.  When it comes to dating, I’m not huge in the romance.  My ideal date would allow me to wear jeans, laugh over drinks and a casual dinner, and do something random (think bowling, sight seeing, hiking).  One time, a guy I dated insisted (after I protested) on a candle lit dinner and a carriage ride.  One time, I broke it off with a guy after the second date.  Shoulda listened.

So that’s all I have for now.  I hope you all have a wonderful day!

Not Ideal

I’m not happy with the way the weekend has been going.  Sure, I’ve been relaxing.  I enjoyed going to celebrate a friend’s birthday on Friday night in the city at LaSalle Power Company.  Didn’t really drink, but still had fun catching up with some lovely ladies I hadn’t seen in awhile.

I made a point of making it a one-drink night.  Why?  Because I had a long run scheduled for Saturday morning.

That didn’t so much happen…

This is what did:

I haven’t had a pain the last week, but it was an “off” feeling.  Then, on Friday night while doing my cross training session, I decided to include a mile on the treadmill between weights.  It didn’t feel so hot.  So I made an executive decision to pass up my long run and push it to a different day.  I cross trained again yesterday.  No running.  I think what almost bugged me more was that my training plan is all thrown out of whack- after two solid months of following it religiously!  Ahhh… the ocd in me kicks in…

It was fine that I didn’t do the long run for another reason- I was tired.  Friday night did not include much sleep.

Sure, I got a nap in.  But apparently I was looking rough during my trip to Trader Joe’s.  I’ve noticed they always like to carry a conversation- usually about food choice and what you’re making.  After a brief and vague conversation, the cashier adds, “oh yeah, asparagus is definitely one of the best things for a hangover.”

What?  It’s 7:00.  On Saturday night.  Do I still look that rough? I had one drink.  I’m just sleepy, I swear! Ouch…

Clearly I need a little pick-me-up.I don’t know how many times I’ve used McDonald’s $1.00 large iced tea as my go-to beverage.  Starbucks needs to recognize…How… um… classy.  The salad was amazing- topped with green beans, edamame, orange pepper, mushrooms and peanuts.  Or in other words, everything but the kitchen sink.

So yeah… I’m freaking out just a bit.  I’m nervous that I have the beginnings of shin splints.  High impact is really the only thing I’m having trouble with.  I can ellipticize (is that a word?  if not, I’m claiming it as my own) all day.  I can climb stairs forever.  But the running might take a backseat.  Being as how we’re exactly three weeks away from the Rock ‘n Roll Half, I’m not happy about this.  But I guess there’s not much I can do.  It’s not severe, so we’ll just keep testing the waters out until I’m back on the trail…

If you’ve got any helpful advice, I’m all ears.  Seriously.  I don’t want the schedule being thrown off to completely take down my motivation for the race.

On a happy note- Sarena The Non-Dairy Queen passed along the Sugar Doll Award to me the other day!  I love Sarena, by the way- she’s got a sense of humor that keeps me cracking up every day!  So here’s a few more random things for my peeps to ponder:

1. Heath Ledger was my most prominent celeb crush I had in high school after I watched 10 Things I Hate About You.  I adored him enough to even sport the big poster of him from A Knight’s Tale through my freshman year.  I believe my roommate and my boyfriend at the time both despised it.  Brandon Boyd from Incubus was a close 2nd in this category.  What can I say?  I went through a phase of digging the shaggy hair…  Who was your high school celeb crush?  No judgements will be made… or at least not out loud…

2. My favorite Bath & Body Works scent is WarmVanilla Sugar.  Because that was the scent of the lotion my aunt gave me for Christmas before she passed away.  It still reminds me of her every time I smell it.  And I search it out if I happen to come upon one of their regular clearance sales. 

3. I can still rap Lisa “Left Eye” Lopez’s rap intersession in “Waterfalls” by TLC.  I learned it around the age of 10 and had no idea what it meant.  Ah the young and clueless.  But I can still do it… holla’.

Anyhoo, I’ve just had breakfast this morning.  I’m waking up a little and hopefully hitting the trail.  We’re going to test it out.  So I’ll either be doing a solid run or a warm-up walk followed by some gym time.  Wish me luck! 

Take it eeeeaaaaasssssyyyyy….

Ok, so I got my ticket for the Healthy Living Summit!  Hooray!  I’m really excited about going!  Drop me an email if you think you’ll be in attendance- I look forward to meeting you. 

Today is awesome (and yeah, it’s a little early to say that).  But that’s because it’s a day off for me.  Sometimes a mental health day is necessary, you know?  Plus, I have hours of baking ahead of me… so it’s an excuse to get started on that…

No baking can be possible without a healthy breakfast, right?  Otherwise, I’ll be spooning that cake badder into my mouth like it’s a smoothie.  Not pretty.  And kind of disgusting.My attempt at baked oatmeal that I adapted from The Running Rabbit.  It’s topped with unsweetened coconut, peanut butter, and a little honey.  Quite a few of you were surprised with my thing I have against most fruit (of course I like the less traditional ones, such as avocado and coconut)- I wish I understood it, but I don’t.  So my adaption naturally didn’t include the mashed up banana.  It was good- but I didn’t find it that much different than my regular stuff.  Maybe a little more creamy?

Gotta love the throwback 70′s ramekins, right?  Not pretty, but they do the job.

Today is a rest day, so I’ll be taking it easy.  I’m probably going to do a walking loop on the trail just to get a little movement into my day.  And let’s not lie- it’s a last effort to get some color before the wedding I’m attending this weekend.  I’d been hitting up the Jergen’s Natural Glo, but then realized I should chill out a little when I noticed some streaks on my hands and elbows.  I should have known better.  I can’t paint between the lines, what makes me think I can tan myself evenly?  I need a helmet…

Last night, however, was not a rest day and I got in a quick 3.1 after work at an 8:23 pace.  I may have done more of a cool down if I hadn’t of been in a rush to make sure I’d get a spot at the Summit.  Running after work on my later days (when I don’t leave the office until after 6:00) is going to be rough.  Hence the reason I’m considering switching to morning runs on these days.  But until then, I’ve been at least enjoying the nice weather we’re having.  Sure it’s a little cooler than it  usually is this time of year, but whatevs.

Oh and because I don’t get out on the trail until that perfect time where the sun is setting, and the bugs are starting to stir, I had the pleasure of inhaling a few bugs.  Through my nose and my mouth.  So that leads me to the ask the question- which is worse?  A bug up the nose or in the mouth?  I believe the nose thing is a pretty gruesome experience.  The one I swallowed quickly went…uh… down.  I’ve also had one fly into my eye before- which is why I almost always try to wear sunglasses.  Sure, I didn’t need them last night and ran in a lot of shade.  But I’m not taking any chances when it’s that hour within sunset and it’s bug city… blah!

Genesis tagged me for a blogger award yesterday and I just wanted to say thank you, my dear!

So you’re supposed to list some random things about yourself.  Let’s see if I can…

1. My favorite tv show is Big Bang Theory.  Mostly due to Sheldon.  He’s my nerd crush.  (What’s  yours?  This could be fun…)

2. I snuck into the Justified/Stripped tour when I was on a school trip in high school when we traveled to Dallas.  Two friends and I found ourselves in a suite for the entire Justin Timberlake performance!  Our supervisors probably should have been mad, but they just laughed because they couldn’t believe we successfully got in.  And found our way there.  In Dallas.  All by ourselves.  What were we thinking???

3. My dream job would have something to do with event promotions for either the city of Chicago or a sports club.  So you can imagine my disappointment when Chicago didn’t get the 2016 Olympics.  Seriously.

4. I know how to knit.  And have a blanket that has been in the works for over four years still in my closet.  I should finish that…

I’m horrible about tagging people for these things, so consider yourselves tagged! 

Wow… this post is kind of a hodge-podge of sorts.  But really- what’s new?  That’s just how I do things.  Well I’m off.  I have a quick trip to the grocery store to get some last minute things before Baking Bonanza 2010 happens in my little bitty kitchen.  Wish me luck.  More so that I don’t pass out in a sugar coma and let the cakes burn than anything else.  If we’re being completely truthful about it- that’s my only real concern.    So yeah… my goal is to get the shopping done and be back to my place in time for Regis and Kelly.  Think I can?  Annnnnnnd…. go!

(Oh and the title is a clear reference to the Eagles.  They kinda rock.  That is all.)