A Slow Down

I am not a hypochondriac.

Nor am I a big doctor person in general.

Mostly because I think I’m much like Super Woman. Or maybe Catwoman. Her outfit is way hotter.

Either way, I often refuse to think there’s every anything wrong with me. I’ve had nasty sinus issues take me down once or twice in the last few years, but other than that? Healthy. The epitome of it.

But there’s one thing I’ll be an overprotective mother about ALL DAY. And that would be my legs.

Ever since my incident with crutches and an overuse injury a few years back, I’m horribly paranoid.

So any weird ache feeling that can’t be pinpointed? Time off. Throw in my incident on Saturday?

This girl has no desire to get back on the treadmill before she has to.

So I lied yesterday.

Still went to the elliptical for 25 minutes last night. But I didn’t run this morning and opted for more elliptical and cross training in the form of Jillian Michaels dvds. For a girl who enjoys her title of “cardio queen”, you know there’s a little bit of resentment there.

But there’s a slight ache. And there’s no need to push myself right now. Less stress on the legs now means better results in the long run. No pun intended.

A few days of ”low key” won’t kill me. I’m just bitter. And overly dramatic. I realize this. Thanks for not minding too much.

Because really… the last thing I want is to almost possibly fly off the treadmill again. Whether it be from passing out or my leg falling off.

Either/or.

Happy Hump Day, friends!

Double Date

Sometimes I’m a player.

I know. Hard core Amy up in these parts. Love ‘em and leave ‘em. But what’s a girl like me supposed to do? I love them both and they both know what I like. We got all sweaty at one date. The other was spent refueling with cheap drinks.

Weirdly enough, they know about each other. And are totally cool with it.

Clearly they know there’s enough Amy to go around.

Of course they do. Because they’re two of my friends. And going out on dates with them is way easier than actual dating. Because they don’t really care what I look like and there’s no awkward end of the night involved. Win.

The first was with Annie as a guest at her gym. She called last week after a new class she attended called R.I.P.P.E.D.. I’m not sure what all the abbreviations are, but it involves 50 minutes of stretching, plyometrics, cardio, kickboxing, arms, and whatever else will get your heart rate up.

This is my summary of events:

1. It’s quite obvious I haven’t been in a group exercise class for at least 5 years. Awkward.
2. I can’t kickbox to save my life. Or really do any move that involves more than 4 or 5 steps. The calorie burn during that section was pretty low because I was too busy laughing at myself in the mirror. Again- awkward.
3. My triceps have been super ignored. This was already known, but when the instructor kept making us “pulse” at ever move during the arms section? It’s a wonder my entire arm didn’t just fall off completely. Which, looking back, may have hurt less.

All in all, even with my awkward ways, it was fun to do my cross training with Annie. Definitely a switch-up in the routine- which was welcomed. Yay for date night at the gym!

Afterwards, I drove my tired butt over to Gatsby’s Pub- one of the hole-in-the-walls Mon and I frequented when we were still neighbors. Cheap beer, cheap food, and quiet enough on a Monday night for us to freely conversate about everything we’ve been up to in the last month (Wait- month? We really need to start hanging out more. What have I been doing?!?!).

Maybe it was the cheap beer, or the mindless gossip, or the hour of strength training that just happened, but I was just as surprised as Mon was when it was time to order and I blurted out “steak quesadilla please!”What?

Here’s the thing. I went through a phase in high school where I wouldn’t eat beef. Really ironic, considering my dad is a cattle farmer. Maybe this was my way of rebelling as a teenager? Strange on all accounts.

Anyway, I warmed back up to the idea of hamburgers and such (who wouldn’t?), but steak was something I never developed a craving for again. Probably a texture thing?

And I don’t see myself ever really ordering a big t-bone anytime soon. But sometimes strips of it in a dish like this with cheese and guac? You’d do it, too…

Alright kids, wish me luck on my journey home tonight. Rain/snow/freezing rain is happening all day. Sounds about right. It is Tuesday, afterall…

Tuesday Turnaround

Nothing ever goes as planned. I’ve come to *almost* accept this as just a part of my life.

Because, until I can control things like fate and the weather, I’m just gonna have to suck it up.

One of these days, man… One of these days…

Anyway, due to problematic weather, my lunchtime run date was cancelled. By me. He still wanted to go. Boys are weird.

Then, my friend Mon decided to cancel her dinner plans. She was too worked up after a stressful day of work.

So what did we do in attempts to turn around yet another stupid Tuesday?

I drove my exercise-starved booty to her place and we worked out in her apartment complex gym- my old workout room. Like the good ol’ days.

We also had a fantastic vent session while doing so. Like the good ol’ days.

We also scared other patrons of the gym.

Like the good ol’ days… 

Considering I’m between free gym passes in the epic hunt for a new place to workout, I appreciated the excuse to crosstrain a little with the elliptical and stairmill. And unlike the sweatshop of a gym I was trying out for free by my house, it wasn’t too intimidating to flex my teeny tiny muscles on the weight machines.

As we huffed and puffed away, one of the girls who works in the management office came in. She happens to be the one who hated me (seriously- what did I ever do to her???), so she went on and on and on with Mon the entire time. Turns out that along with getting state-of-the-art new treadmills, they’re also closing the gym for a couple of days to redo the entire floor and have the springy rubbery floor (that IS a technical term).

LOVE that they’re doing this finally (insert sarcasm here). Because when I signed my lease over two years ago, they were discussing it then. Guess they had to wait until they drained me of all my money to be able to fund the project…

Nah, I’m not bitter that I had to deal with mediocre/crap gym equipment the entire time I lived there. Not at all…

When I got home, there was a little somethin’ somethin’ waiting for me from Miss Kelly. Being as how I hate Tuesdays, the surprise package was welcomed with open arms.I freaked out a little.  7 For All Mankind jeans!

It’s like the sisterhood of the traveling pants all up in here. She said she hasn’t worn them in a while and decided to share the love.

Usually I have the worst time finding good jeans, but these fit like a glove. Seriously. I am so happy! Given that Kelly has legs that go forever and I’m a little disproportionate when it comes to my torso/leg ration, they’re a wee bit long. Minor details I can figure out. Because they make my booty look fabulous. And that’s the important thing.

Also, she sent two transit cards she and her bf used last time they visited that still had a little extra cash on them.

So not only did she provide me the gift of a nice-looking butt, she also gave me the ability to afford to ride the el to a bar to show it off.

YES! Thank you, Kelly!

The attempt to turnaround my yucky Tuesday was a success.

Thank goodness.

Semi-Normal

Well I don’t know about you, but I’m in a much better mood today than I was 24 hours ago.

My AC is fixed (for now- let’s not hold our breath) and my makeup didn’t sweat off before I walked out the door. Instead, I made it all the way to my car before that happened.  Holla’!

Sorry that I’m super perky today because of that and also maybe a lil’ of this:Yesterday, because the idea of brewing coffee at home in my sauna apartment made me cry, I stopped by Panera on the way to work because showing up to work uncaffeinaited would have been a horrifying experience for everyone involved.

Panera had alerted me of a “free coffee” on my Panera Rewards card (which surprised me- I rarely ever go) literally the day before. It was fate. Then, the lovely girl informed me I also had a free espresso drink on my card from God knows how long ago that would expire TODAY of all days. So heck yes I went back for it.

Because I believe in fate. And I hate letting free things like a skinny caramel latte go to waste. Especially when they havve a little whipped cream on top.

Plus, a sugar rush at 7:30 in the morning is kind of fun. A crash at around noon is expected. You’ve been warned.

Anyway.

It’s no secret that I’m MOVING this weekend, but with all the packing and moving random stuff (the furniture is all going on Saturday) from one place to the other, it was nice to have last night as a semi-normal night. I even made it to the gym- something I wasn’t sure would happen this week!

Nothing crazy- 21 minutes on the elliptical (I like odd numbers) and 10 on the stairmill (I shall miss you when I move). Then I did a little walkity walk on the treadmill while complaining to other crazies in the gym about the heat and moving and yada yada yada.

The actual gym time was short because I am scheduled to move carload #2 today after work and needed to finish packing boxes and making the 15ish trips up and down three flights of stairs to pack my car like it was tetris.

Randoms kept asking me if I needed help and I said “NO! This is my strength workout for the day! I’ve got it!”

By the end of this move, I’ll be kicking myself for saying that.

Another semi-normal thing I did while home was cook…

This week has been “Operation Slim Down the Freezer”. My new roomie is a big fan of frozen pizza and the sorts, so I’m trying to make sure we won’t have issues combining the two households. Defrosted chicken it is!Also, Kraft Foods First Taste sent a coupon to try this cooking creme from Kraft brands. And the container of Santa Fe blend was just sort of staring at me every time the refrigerator door was opened.

Because rarely do I make a huge performance for dinner during the week, I skimmed the recipes that came with the container and just did my own thing by throwing a couple spoonfuls on top of the chicken I had cooked on the stovetop. And added cheese. Only because the recipes all said to… It all combined together nicely. I didn’t really want to drown it in the cooking creme, so I used much less than what the label suggested. Plus, it still is “cream”, so the calories are a little higher than how I normally prepare chicken. Checkin’ myself before I wreck myself…

At the end I threw in some jalapenos. Then put it all on a little bed of spinach.Gotta get the greens in. At second glance, I notice how many jalapenos were consumed during my dinner. Daaaaang girl…

Pretty sure I’m in love with this stuff. It coats the chicken in a ridiculously good sauce that has flavor but isn’t overpowering. And as of this morning, I’m happy to report you can also whisk it into your scrambled eggs and get a fab outcome. An ex-boyfriend’s mom was the first to introduce me to cream cheese in your eggs to get a more fluffy outcome. Her wisdom is spot on- because I surely gained 10 pounds while in that relationship. After we parted ways, I dropped the excess baggage (referring specifically to the extra inches in the middle, not the boy) and switched to fat-free milk on most occasions.

Either way, I’m wondering how good this cooking creme would be in pasta? Actually I know how good it would be. Pasta needs to be put back on the grocery list.

Stay cool, kids!

Sheldon Cooper

Thanks for all the suggestions to help spice up the cornbread quiche.  Glad you guys have a flair for the heat, too. 

Won’t lie- definitely had to google “white pepper” because I had no idea such a thing existed and was quite intrigued. Ahhhh the things I’ve learned as a blogger…

Anyway, yesterday was a day full of ups and downs.

Clearly, I don’t ever enjoy Tuesdays. Especially the morning- because there’s still the entire day to get through.Breakfast at work when I have to be there early is still pretty awesome. I use it as my “chill time” to ease into my day.

Plus, people tend to leave me alone until the plate is empty. Must be because they know my mood otherwise…

The day just seemed to drag. And drag. And drag.

Needless to say, I came home exhausted and feeling like “blah”. Really “blah”.

What helps?  Mail that isn’t a bill.

Especially when it comes from a dear friend. Who loves all the same things I do. And thought I should have this:I may have jumped up and down a little when I first saw the shirt.  I LOVE Big Bang Theory. Especially Sheldon. Oh Sheldon Cooper… you have my heart…

Ashlee is awesome. And when I thanked her for it, she said she and the husband were shopping and ran across the shirts in the men’s department. She grabbed one for herself and it was her husband who said she should probably get a matching one for me and send it my way.  Fantastic. Now we’re twins.

Best thing you’ve gotten in the mail recently?

That put me in an instant good mood- is it a coincidence the package arrived on a dreaded Tuesday or did she plan it? I’ll never know… But after that I might as well have skipped out of my apartment (which would have been dangerous given there are stairs).  Off to the gym!

It was a crosstraining day, so I did 28 minutes on the elliptical and a solid session of arm weights. And because I am chillin’ off the stairmill (oh hey- I’m still getting over climbing a skyscraper!) I just decided to hop on the treadmill for a mile.  When was the last time I just up and ran a mile?  Don’t remember. Even when I’m not training, it’s usually at least 2 or 3 before I move on to something else. It was nice.  That’s how an 8:20 mile at the end of my workout happened.  Not bad.

After getting home and a quick shower, you know I threw my Sheldon shirt back on. 

Do you think it’d be tacky to wear to work, too? Even if I wore a collared shirt underneath? (sexy sexy)

Bazinga!!!

A New Twist

More often than not, I end up buying the same things at the grocery store.  They are my staples. They make me happy. And until they don’t, I’ll continue to buy them.

That’s just how I roll.

However, I do like to mix up how they end up on my plate. It at least makes me feel like I’m doing something different…

So say hello to veggie flatbread:The differences between this and pizza are minimal. But still exist.

For one, it’s a new shape. Woooaaaahhh… way outside the comfort zone!

Also, it includes broccoli and chickpeas but not cheese. And I don’t care what people say. You may even like it. But I just don’t really feel right putting broccoli/chickpeas on pizza. Or ever calling it pizza if it doesn’t include cheese.  So that’s why this definitely couldn’t be called pizza… right?

The crust was yet again the pizza dough crust made with beer that Holly created. I made a half recipe. It still gave me 3 good-sized flatbreads.  Plus, on a Tuesday (yuck!), I didn’t mind being able to finish the other half of the beer. ;)

And yes, for those of you who asked yesterday, a Tuesday is still a Tuesday. Even if you have Monday off.  It just may not be the most “extreme” of the yucky Tuesdays… Tuesday Light?

Either way, the drunken flatbread (oooh… maybe that’s a good name for it?) hit the spot after a long day. After Monday’s long run and 5 hours of running errands, I was less than enthusiastic about getting up early to hit the gym. But as usual, I would have just been upset with myself if I really had to trudge to the gym after getting home from work late. And I felt great after the workout.  21 minutes on the elliptical- had only planned to go to 20, but when I checked the time, I had already passed it (weird!).

Then 20 minutes on the stairs. I will have to say, after the Hustle Up the Hancock, I’ll be ready to give the stairs a rest. Or at least back off of them a little. 

That was yesterday’s workout. This morning’s workout? The 4 miles I was supposed to run? Um….

I didn’t sleep in or anything. Made it to the gym. Stepped on the treadmill. And thought, “woah, this really isn’t going to happen today.”

Have you had a moment like that recently?  Had I started running, it wouldn’t have gone for very long. So I walked- for 30 minutes (2 miles) and did some serious ab work for the rest of the time there. I haven’t focused solely on that area lately. And there was no reason to waste my time since I was already up.

So now I have this 4 miles to make up at some point. A new twist got thrown into my normal routine! Not sure if I’ll work them in when I get home?  Or maybe I’ll call this my “relaxed” day for the week and do it tomorrow morning (my actual rest day) instead? Decisions, decisions…

Smell The Burn

Well, Tuesday is over.

(Source)

Did you make it?

Just barely?  Me too.

 Sigh. Another day another dolla’.

Holla’.

There was, however, one casualty.At the time of the incident, I was  done with work. Done with my workout. (45 minutes of cross training if you’re interested- 25 on elliptical and 20 on stairs to really feel the burn…) And so I was cleaning away in my kitchen. Almost content with my evening. Would have been whistling if I knew how.

I really don’t know how to whistle- I’m aware it’s weird.

Something started smelling hot. Did I leave the burner on from dinner?  Oh wait… didn’t use it.  Where is that coming from? 

Turn around, Amy.

Oh. There’s smoke coming from my dishwasher.  Hmmm.

Oh crap!  There’s smoke coming from my dishwasher!!!

Even after opening the door and letting the awful burning plastic smell be released into my entire apartment, it took a minute to spot the tiny little tupperware container that had lodged itself in the bottom of the dish washer. Under the extremely hot coil. Meeeeelting…

Sadness.  Goodbye mini Ikea tupperware container.  You were good to me. The perfect size for toting veggies and snacks to work. And oh the good times! We traveled together. We dined together. And now look at you…

I promise you will not die in vain.

Because I recycle. Duh.

Yes, that could be the most noteworthy part of yesterday for me. Sorry.

Just gotta remember the exciting extended weekend I’ve got coming up (hooray for President’s Day!).  Eye on the prize… eye on the prize.

Because yeah- yesterday was lackluster. Let’s hope today gets a wee bit more exciting, yes?  I mean… how can it not?  I’m rocking out tights at work.  If that doesn’t say sassy and exciting, I don’t know what does.

I’d Rather Buy The Box

I’m not sure if it’s the weather, stress, my love of baking, or a combo of the three, but I’m on a bit of a roll.

Not sweets, but the carbs have been calling my name!After a little phase of being obnoxiously obsessed with sun dried tomato wheat thins, I figured there was surely some way to recreate them?

There is! There is!

Although I won’t say it was super easy.  I followed the recipe (from The Fresh Loaf) as closely as I could. But ended up adding more water in the mixing process because the dough wasn’t coming together very well.

And then the rolling. Oh the rolling…According to the recipe, you roll it out as thin as you possibly can. I decided halfway through rolling of the first round of dough that my crackers would end up thicker than regular wheat thins.

The recipe says you’ll yield approximately 13 dozen “wheat thins”.

Um… yeah…

I’d say my crackers were at least twice as thick (if not 3x!). And I cut them a little bigger. Soooo…After all was said and done, I had about 3 dozen crackers. Not 13, but 3. But I’m cool with that- I like that they’re a little thicker with just a light crisp (by the way, I baked them closer to 10-11 minutes because they were much thicker).

I also added a little chili powder to see if I could create a spicy cracker.  Surprisingly, it didn’t make much of a difference. Still good nonetheless. But even when I enjoy baking, I think in this case, I’d rather just grab a box of wheat thins. That sun dried tomato flavor drives me wild and it’s worth the $2-3 to just throw the box in the cart instead of the 45 minutes in the kitchen.

Plus, let’s be honest- I’d rather be baking cookies.

When’s the last time you decided store-bought was better?

Hopefully my seeking comfort in ridiculous amounts of baked goods will slow down as we Chicagoans creep out of this single-degree weather?  As the temps reach the 30′s this weekend (woo hoo?), we shall see…

This morning I braved said temps to hit the workout room. 26 minutes on the elliptical and 16 on the stairs (apparently “6″ is the number of the day- creepy). It felt good after having a rest day- fresh legs.  Tomorrow I’m gearing up for a long run and am kind of looking forward to it. Long runs happen on Saturdays for a reason. I have ample amounts of time, can zone without worrying, and did I mention my love for the weekend?

Oh and the crazy early workout girl wasn’t there today. And I may just agree with some of you that commented yesterday- maybe she can’t sleep?  Now that I think about it, not that long ago I was the one who gave up on sleep and went to the gym at 4:00 in the morning.  Remember that one?  Yeah- it still pains me a little.  Gross!

Even though I’ll admit I have oatmeal *almost* everyday, sometimes it’s necessary to switch it up.A semi-success of an omelet.

I wasn’t feeling the oatmeal or peanut butter toast because I had the need for a little more protein in my life.  Plus the mushrooms, onion, spinach, and feta were a welcome change of pace to the AM. And sometimes change is good. No matter how small. 

Time for the Friday dance…

Adventures With Cecil

It’s safe to say my humor is nothing short of quirky. Maybe even a tad eccentric eclectic.

I think we all remember Psycho Pete and his shenanigans last month.

So imagine my joy when Jaime and I received a gift from our downtown office! Say hello to Cecil. I thought long and hard about that name and am quite proud of it. He’s quite the menace (check out that grin), but when the day is over, he’s still a dear old man. Threatening to run you over.  

Cecil was a promotional thing someone in our other office had a few extra of (don’t ask).  So some of the girls stashed and sent him our way! Anyhoo, we got to know each other over coffee.  He likes World War II documentaries and hasn’t lost a game of Yahtzee since 1987 (the year arthritis set in- he learned to adjust).

Cecil likes to talk.  I told him to chill for a bit so I could get some work done, but invited him to lunch.I was hoping he’d have a Werther’s Original for me as a nice dessert, but was sadly mistaken.  What gives???Since he held on on sharing the candy, I didn’t share my ice cream one of my coworkers brought in for everyone. Yeah, that’s right old man- it’s all mine.

Besides, I’m concerned about your hypoglycemic levels.

He got a little upset and drove away for a bit. But it was all good. We made amends once he realized we shared a common love of baseball.Because clearly we’re done with football for the year.  Time to start thinking towards the future… am I right?

Cecil and I had a fun day together.  And I’m glad he’s gonna be hanging out. Until he starts getting Metamucil all over my desk.  Or the office starts smelling like old man. Then we may have issues…

Once I made sure Cecil’s scooter was well charged, I went home to do my thing. Tonight, my “thing” was laundry and the gym. Typical.

On the workout front, it was a cross training day, aka Amy gets let loose in the gym day. I did 28 minutes on the elliptical. An odd number because I meant to do 25, but Mon came in and was telling stories. I don’t see a downside to this. Also spent 15 minutes on the stair mill and did a 10-minute walk to cool down. A solid crosstraining session in my book.

It’s all about being well-rounded.

And before I forget, it seems in the Big Macaroni Debate of 2011 (yeah, I officially named it), Kraft won out. In case you were wondering. I think it was the variety of pasta shapes.  I know that’s what always made me happy. 

Announcements

Thursday!  It’s here already!

I celebrated by another morning workout.  I know- kinda lame.  But that’s sometimes how I roll in the middle (ish) of the week.  Just go with it. 

Yesterday I did elliptical, but I wanted to get one more decent run in before Saturday’s race. So today, I strolled into the workout room and it was empty.  Again.  I sort of love it.  The only other people I’d ever see in the morning is the woman who refused to acknowledge my existence and the old man running around in his super tiny swimming trunks after chillin’ in the hot tub (I’m still weirded out at why he’s doing this at 5 in the morning?).  So I welcome the alone time.

I did 4 miles at almost exactly an 8:30 pace.  I’m not wearing anything to track mileage for Saturday’s race, so I’m hoping this is my natural pace that I’ll fall into (considering I’ve been hovering around it for the last month).  I’ve worn my Nike+ for a couple races, but end up just driving myself mad by looking at it over and over.  I’m sure they’ll have clocks at the mile markers.  That’s all I need.

Now for a few announcement of sorts…

I got a haircut last night!  It’s like I’m a new woman. 

Actually, it was just a trim.  And that’s a lame announcement.

Surely I can think of something better?

I am signed up to do the Hustle Up the Hancock!

For all of ya’ll who have been reading for a while (seriously- I can’t believe you’ve made it this far!), I went to support my friend Mon as she attempted it.  That didn’t work out so well- but I’m going to let her tell you that story in her words eventually.    Anyways, Mon refuses to do it this year, so when her friend started to get the team together, she asked if I’d consider it.

Heck yes I will! 

At first I wanted time to think about it (it’s a bit pricey for me when it comes to events), but it was sort of a ”need to know in less than a week” sort of thing.  For the last couple of years it has sold out within an hour or two of registration opening.  For real- I had to double check that I wasn’t accidentally signing up for the Boston Marathon or something… it’s crazy how many people want to do this!

So on February 27th, yours truly will be climbing the 94-floor stairwell of the John Hancock Building.  I even have a partner in crime to participate in the insanity…  I bribed convinced asked Megan if she’d want to do it, too. 

I’m not sure, but she may be just as crazy as I am- because she totally said she would!  So watch out friends- there’s training that will need to go down and we may be coming to a stairwell near you!

That did not sound creepy in the slightest.

I’m hoping that training for this will be just the thing I need to change up my workout routine.  Not gonna lie- I’m on the brink of running burn out.  Some serious cross training will do me good. 

And finally… I guess it’s time I tell you about who won the Adora Giveaway, huh?

Congrats Lindsey!

Please email me your mailing address so I can pass the info along and get your chocolate to you! 

Oh and thanks for all the comments on my random things.  I can’t believe how many of us loved Doug!!!  Hilarious.  And the getting kicked out of band story isn’t nearly as cool as I wish it were.  The new teacher didn’t really care for my friend and I (probably because the old teacher loved us).  As soon as he found an excuse to get rid of us, he did.  We were late.  Once.  Got the boot.  Lame.

I’d like to think I’m over it and moved on, though. And it’s just fun to say it happened. 

Ok kids, it’s time to get to work. Later!