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.

100 Words- Thanksgiving Edition

Happy Thanksgiving!

At this very moment, I’m very thankful to have gotten to sleep in today.

Mostly because I was thankful to stay up late and watch red box and drink red wine and be all lazy.I’m also thankful for Vince Vaughn. FYI.

And to be able to leave work early yesterday in order to sneak in a decent gym session before said laziness.

It’s nice to always try to balance yourself out, right?

Well I’m gonna go and watch some parade action. While being thankful for coffee and anticipating a feast of all feasts later on.

Enjoy your holiday!

My Friend Stuart

I had this friend.  His name was Stuart.  Or at least that’s what I call him.

He started randomly showing up to my house on Thursday nights when I was trying to sleep.  There was always his love of noise, but I never really got mad at Stuart because it seemed he wasn’t making a mess or doing anything wrong.  So I let it go. 

Yes, he only bothered me on Thursdays.  At 2:00 in the morning.  Silly boys…

Anyways, he decided to show up Friday night at my apartment and make quite a racket.  Again, I couldn’t figure out what he was up to, but whatever.  That’s just Stuart being Stuart.

Everyone knows that on my weekends, I often make pancakes because I have the time.  So I had looked up a few recipes to try cornmeal pancakes for the first time.  You have no idea how excited I was. 

Then I opened my cabinet where I keep all my baking stuff.

Stuart made a mess.I thought Stuart was a friendly ghost.  And I’m sort of serious.  I thought he was a figment of my imagination- creaking in the building… squirrels in the walls… etc.

Nope.  Stuart turned into an actual mouse.

A mouse who took out my entire “baking pantry” where I keep EVERYTHING.  Whole wheat flour, white flour, sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, cornmeal, etc.  Ruined.

And Stuart has been getting his fiber.  This was evident with how he shit all over the shelf.  ALL OVER.

Awesome.

I’m working with the apartment complex to get rid of Stuart.

We were good until he messed with my baking shelf.  You don’t mess with Amy’s baking shelf.

Stuart and I are no longer friends.  He has GOT TO GO.

And because Stuart’s a punk, I ended up with oatmeal instead of pancakes.Oh well.  I’m pretty sure I can deal.

After cleaning up Stuart’s mess (and the one I’ve made by myself over the last few days), I made it to the gym for a couple miles and then spent some quality holiday time with Jillian and The Shred.

I’m sad the end of Thanksgiving break is near.  It’s been a great extended weekend and I’m just not ready to go back to the five-day workweek. 

Who do I need to talk to around here to extend the weekend until Tuesday?

Lucky 13

It’s cold out there, man.

I assume you’ve noticed.

I did after getting home from Thanksgiving dinner.  Great, I thought.  Just one more thing to count against me and my race tomorrow.  As we’ve noticed, and sadly accepted, I am no cold weather runner.  Wimpy?  Yes.  Do we remember how badly I took it during the Hot Chocolate 15k?  Yeah- not a fan.

So why did I decided to do this race again?  Oh yeah- redemption.

And maybe because I knew I’d be going back for more stuffing.

Either way, I didn’t have high expectations.  The weather, the large meal, the multiple desserts, the little I’ve pushed my speed in recent runs.  On the way to the race, I decided to just treat it like any other run.  Go whatever pace I felt like- no pushing required.

Then I picked up my bib number.Are you kidding me?

It was a smaller race held by the highschool and forest preserve behind it.  All the participants stayed in their running cars until about 5 minutes before the start.  Truth.

Totally a gunshot start.  And we were off.  Into the forest preserve we go… 

I had done a warmup lap before, so surprisingly, it didn’t take nearly as long as I thought it would to get into a good rhythm.  By mile 2, I was starting to wonder if this would actually turn out to be a decent race.  I seemed to be getting faster.  And the trail wasn’t bothering me as much as I thought it would (this girl is more of a street runner).

My feet were frozen.  But at that point I was in the middle of a forest preserve- what was I supposed to do?

Did I mention I hate cold weather running?

But it does work- the last half-mile was speedy because I was DONE with all this cold weather noise.  Only to be passed at the end by a stupid little 14-year-old.  She got me in the last 10 feet.  Blah.  Stupid little blue bow was all I saw at the finish line.  Taunting me.  Grrrr….

Shouldn’t she have been doing the kid’s dash or something?

Sorry.  I’m bitter.

But either way, the race went better than planned.  And for that, I was happy. 

Then it was a matter of waiting around to find out the results.  I really wanted coffee, but all they had was hot apple cider.  Which makes me want to gag.  So I patiently waited in the cold with my ice water. 

4 miles in 32:29. (8:07 pace)  Yea!  That was even enough to put me first in my division!I even got a medal for my efforts.  No matter that the race was so small it seemed like they were handing them out like candy… 

In the end, I was happy with the race.  Maybe 13 really isn’t so bad.  Once home, I realized not only was 13 my bib number, but this was my 13th race.  oooooohhhhh…. creepy….

The rest of the day was pretty much wasted relaxing.

So relaxing that, when Marie from Cheaper than Therapy texted me last night, she sort of caught me asleep on the couch (lame- I know!).  I woke up a little groggy, but was determined to make it out and grab a beer with this chica.The more of you people I meet, the more I realize how weirdly tall I am.  Just sayin’.

Anyway, I had so much fun meeting Marie and now know someone to crash with and mooch off of when I travel through Indiana.  Wait… maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned that last part just yet… 

Have a good Saturday, everyone!  Not sure what the day will bring, but I imagine productivity should happen at some point.  Later!

The Day After

Holidays away from the family can be hard.  My family is very important to me and I wish I could see them more often.I mean, come on.  Who wouldn’t want to spend the holidays with a group of characters like us?  We’re fun.

But sometimes that can’t always happen. I’ve spent the last two Thanksgivings in Chicago for various reasons, and it’s ok.  This year I’m taking an extra day or so off of work so I can go back to Missouri and give it the proper attention it deserves over Christmas. 

I think the first year I did this, my mom was terrified I’d be sitting alone with a turkey tv dinner in my apartment.  This couldn’t be further from the truth.

I’m a very lucky girl.

Take this year, for example. I spent my Thanksgiving Eve celebrating with good friends.Oh and yes, my hair is very tasty.  Thanks for asking.

We went to Durty Nellie’s to see Rod Tuffcurls and the Bench Press again.  Clearly we’re making this a regular thing.  It’s good music.  Entertaining.  And sometimes I just want to dance.  It works.

I’m also lucky enough to have families here in Chicagoland that have taken me in.

Last year, I was lucky enough to spend time with Jaime’s family.  This year, I went with Annie to hers.

I know Annie’s in-laws pretty well.  They’ve been wonderful to me.  And I could not be more thankful for that.I’m also thankful they feed me really good food.Seriously.  Good food.

I took the pecan pie cupcakes as another dessert option.

Believe it or not, I had overdone it a little on them by eating one every chance I got, but everyone else approved. (Shout out to Mark on this one- he made sure to let me know with every bite how good they are.  Thanks, sir!)

I also learned the finer points of the game “Bananagrams”This game was new to me. My family usually sticks to Scrabble and Scattergories.  Any favorite family games?

I’m proud to report I won one game.  Especially since the competition is so intense!  Whew…

By the end of the night, I was in food coma/exhaustion mode.  Bed time came early.  But that was fine- this girl had enough excitement and a race this morning (not talking about it now, but it went well!).

All in all, a good holiday! 

Pecan Pie Remix

There are certain staples in any Thanksgiving dinner that you come to expect.  Hence the term “staple”.

Turkey.  Pumpkin pie.  A potato of some sort.

Pecan pie is a staple for me.  I have to have it.  There’s something about that sugar-infested filling that I can’t keep away from.  It’s a holiday must-have.

But I don’t do well with baking pie.  It intimidates me.  The crust burns.  The filling doesn’t “set”.  There are too many variables that can go wrong.  So when I said I’d take something to Thanksgiving dinner at my friend’s family gathering, I played it safe and went into my comfort zone – cupcakes.

Cupcakes are fun.  Because, like cookies I make, they become obnoxious and over-the-top.  It’s just how I roll.

I searched high and low for a cupcake recipe that included a filling- not just pecan cupcakes.  For a while, it looked like I’d be experimenting.  Which is not the best thing to do right before a big dinner.  But I found one at Tastebook (finally-whew!).

Like any recipe I tackle, this one came in steps, too.  Quite a challenge when you’re coordinating all this baking with a Friends-giving dinner.

Anyhoo, first goes the filling.  This was the first little bump in the road I encountered.  Because I had used more semi-sweet chocolate on the Chubby Hubby cookies the day before, I was completely out of semi-sweet chocolate chips.  Milk chocolate chips were on hand.  I wasn’t going back out to the grocery store.  It would have to work.Nom nom nom… I could eat this filling with a spoon.

Then come the brown sugar cupcakes.  After tasting these, I would tell you just to make them on your own if you wanted- they’re delicious.  But that’s for another time.  For now, I’m putting a scoop of filling on top of each one.  The recipe says to do it gently, but I have no idea why.  The batter isn’t runny, and either way, it comes out looking like poo sitting on your cupcake.See?  Poo.  And don’t overfill the liners- the cupcake rises A LOT. 

They come out looking like this:Still pretty stupid-looking.  Serious doubts started to set in.  But at least the filling sunk in.  I was concerned it would just be a layer over the actual cupcake.  So that made me feel better.

Still holding on to hope these will turn out. 

And then comes the icing.Ooooohhhh yeah….  I heart cool whip.  I used to get mad at my brother because he’d eat it ALL.  With a spoon.  Out of the container.  That’s right, bro- I’m calling you out on that one.

Anyhoo, these days I can’t say “cool whip” without giving it a little flair.

Thanks Stewie.  I can’t even remember how to say it normal anymore.

This is another place where I was forced to switch it up.  As in, I had to buy more cool whip.  If you just spread on a thin layer of cool whip icing with a knife, you’re fine.  But if you’re like me and really pipe the crap out of some cupcakes, you will need a second container of it. 

Because wouldn’t you much rather have cupcakes that look like this:That’s what I thought.  Don’t hold back.  It’s the holidays.  Cool whip it up!

One more time for the kids in the back…Not to brag, but these are probably my favorite thing I’ve ever made.  Yeah.  I said that.  Even better than the chubby hubby cookies.  The filling is NUTS. (get it?  pecan pie… nuts…?)

Now I’m starting to sweat a little because I’ve got to figure out a new Christmas dessert…. Gah!

Oh and um… Happy Thanksgiving, kids!  It’s been yet another fantastic year and am so lucky to be able to share it with so many wonderful people.  I assume that if I were to write it all out, my list of things to be thankful for would be similar to the same one I had last year.

Enjoy celebrating the season! 

Make sure you’ve located your stretchy pants before dinner.  It makes for a quicker change after…

Happy Thanksgiving!

Friends-giving!

Thanks for all the comments on the cookies, guys!

I’ve gotten the thumbs up from everyone so far, so it looks like this recipe is a keeper.

I baked last night, too.  But as to not put my readers in sugar coma, that story will come later.

I’d rather make everyone feel “well-balanced” and discuss the lasagna I made:Well.  Technically I didn’t make it.  My mom did.  And froze it.  Then sent it home with me once.  It’s been chillin’ (ahahaha) in my freezer ever since and finally it seemed like last night would be a good night to break it out for a little impromptu “Friends-giving”.

What’s the best thing your ‘rental units make for you when you go home?  Anyone?

All this week, I made Mon come over again to monitor my sweets intake while baking.  Seriously guys, bake in front of people- it works.  And being as how I forced her to sit there and watch me make glorious food, I figured feeding her something more substantial than sugar and butter might be a good idea. 

My friend (and neighbor) Bailey also came over for dinner with good news about her job- so there was need to celebrate all around!

And feeding friends is generally a nice thing to do as a human being.  Or so I’ve been told.

Either way, my mom makes a mean lasagna.  Thanks, mom!  Us girlies really appreciated it and had quite the little feast. Last year this time, I barely knew Mon, and Bailey still hadn’t moved up yet.  Now I can’t imagine living at my apartment complex without them- who else would I run around getting into trouble with?!?!  Some of the coolest and sweetest neighbors of all time! 

Anyways, don’t think all this cooking and baking went down without any exercise of sorts.

There’s been plenty of that.  Which includes more running.  I’m aware I was going to cut back on running to focus on other things.  But that just hasn’t happened.  Maybe I enjoy it more because there’s less of a forced feeling to do it without the training?  hmmm….

Either way, on Monday it was 4 miles at 8:31 pace.  Not too shabby for being after a long day at work.  

Still not sure how Friday’s race is going to go.  According to the news, it’s supposed to be the coldest day of the week with a high of 31 degrees.  Awesome, right?  The thought is I’ll run super speedy as to get inside that much quicker… yeah… 

Last night, I switched it up by doing the elliptical and getting some stairmaster action.  Wild.

I spent 25 minutes on the elliptical.  Which is pretty much my standard.  And my breaking point.  For those of you who elliptical it up, how do you keep entertained for any longer than that???

All in all, it’s been a good couple of days.  A nice way to start of the holiday weekend.  And it’s only going to get better because today is my last day of work for the week!  Hooray!

For all those who are traveling in the next couple of days, have safe travels!

And for everyone else, enjoy the holiday!

And for all you kids outside of the United States, have a great Wednesday!  You have no idea how disappointed my heart was when I missed the Thanksgiving special.  Here’s hoping I’ll actually remember to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas.  Don’t judge if I set an alarm for this…

How To Attack Black Friday

Ok kids, say hello to Danielle- a friend of mine who consistently cracks me up with her sarcasm and is an awesome girl that I’ve gotten to know over the last year.  This girl is THE expert on all things Black Friday.  So, being as how it’s officially a week away, here is a game plan that may get even me out to the stores.  Or keep me at home because I’m terrified Danielle will plow me over…  Either/or.

Amy asked me to write a guest blog sharing my Black Friday tips, tricks, and survival strategies. I’m not a blogger (this is actually the first blog I’ve ever written) but I love Amy’s blog and I’m excited to contribute!

Black Friday is my favorite Holiday of the year. As a kick off to the most wonderful time of year, there is no other shopping day like it.  Football fans have the Super Bowl, baseball fans have the World Series, hockey fans have the Stanley cup, Michael Phelps has the Olympics, and shoppers, well, we have Black Friday. You do not have to be “Pro” to participate in this event. However, I firmly believe there should be an application process to shop on this day. Unfortunately there isn’t, so dodging the “minor league” players is all part of the fun!

I have shopped on Black Friday every year since I can remember. I “trained” with my mom until I was old enough to drive and go by myself. Mom taught me that Black Friday requires preparation. Just like a marathon runner would not run a race without a training plan, you must also prepare if you want to be successful. You need a clearly identified goal and plan of execution.  And though mom was my teacher, I do highly suggest going it alone on Black Friday. Friends and family members will only hold you back. All the Christmas decorations will be on display and shiny items only prove distracting for the inexperienced shoppers. Don’t let their lack of commitment to the plan effect your success. On Black Friday…YOU control your destiny.

I assure you, hold true to these tips and you will not be left crying in your car in the Macy’s parking lot at 5:45 a.m. because you missed a sale. You will not be one of the sad souls holding up the line because you can’t find your coupons. You will not be aimlessly wandering each store, randomly grabbing things. You are on a money saving mission. Your patience will be tested. Your desires questioned. Follow my simple rules and YOU WILL be one of the few champions who can proudly claim, “I conquered Black Friday and purchased every single item on my list with minimal stress!” You will be so on your A-game that when a sales person questions your ability to utilize a coupon, you will quickly educate them on exactly what the rules of engagement are and SAVE EVEN MORE MONEY!

Early Research and Budgeting. Every year I research any websites that are able to get any of the ads early (bfads.net is my favorite). This can be more fun than anything else. Remember to keep in mind that fake ads are sometimes released by stores, but the real ads come out in the paper on Thanksgiving Day. This step leads me to my first “official” tradition: Before Thanksgiving day, I make a list of each person I need to buy gifts for and then the amount I have budgeted to spend on them. This helps me not overspend or go into debt for Christmas. Next to their name I write down 5 or 6 gift ideas for each of them that fit into my budget.

Official Ads and Sorting. First thing I do on Thanksgiving morning is to throw on my slippers and run to the closest 7-11 and buy 2 or 3 newspapers and coffee.  I get multiple papers because sometimes not all of the ads get into each paper. As soon as I get home, I grab all the ads and put them into a big pile. I sort through the pile and pick out all the ads I want, throwing out everything else so nothing is mixed up. Once I’ve narrowed down my pile, I sort through it and circle any of the items I want.

Selections and Time of Sale. I take a Post-It and write down all the items I want from a particular store, making certain to write down the hours those items are on sale. I highlight the time because it’s VERY important. The BEST Black Friday sales are only good until a certain time; sometimes before 6:00 or 7:00 A.M, sometimes as late as 1:00 or 2:00.

Order of Attack. Once I’ve figured out the stores I want to go to, I figure out what order to go in. The order is determined by what time the sale ends and how big of a priority the item is (this year I have one major mission; all other items will have to wait until after I get the item…and I WILL get it).  

Thanksgiving Dinner. Since this is a food blog, here is where the food part comes in. I try not to over-indulge so that I’m not in a food coma the next day. I taste everything (I like) and take bigger portions of my one or two favorites. I really try to eat as normal of proportions as possible. I tell myself I’m doing it to be on my A-Game Friday morning, but I’m also trying to make healthy decisions and not gain 10 pounds in one day. My belly does not need to be jiggling more than Santa’s on Christmas morning. It’s much easier to resist the temptation of over-eating when you have a bigger goal in mind. Trust me; nothing sucks more than shopping on Black Friday with a hangover (alcohol or food). By exercising a bit of self control, I have a huge advantage. Only one GPS left for the early bird sale? No problem. I can leap over shopping carts and snatch it before food coma chic even realizes it’s there. Only one last past pair of boots left at Macys for the coupon special? Done. I’m paying for them as hangover dude is trying to figure out if Macy’s sells bottled water.

Master List and Coupons. Thanksgiving evening, as I watch Christmas Vacation (or whatever Christmas movie everyone decides to watch together as a family), I grab a zip lock bag, scissors, and the ads. Once those things have been gathered, this is what I do:

-Make a master check-list of the stores I need to go to and the items needed at each store. I write the list in the order that I’m going to the stores which is based on the times of the sales (this is where the Post-It’s come in handy).

-Clip any coupons necessary and place them in individual baggies segregated for each store. Ensure to READ THE FINE PRINT on each coupon. Most have restrictions and you want to make sure you can use them.

-Put a Sharpie in the gallon-sized Zip-Lock bag along with the master list and baggies containing the coupons. The Sharpie is used to check off items as they are purchased (or to draw a mustache on the sleeping husband passed out in the chair at Macy’s….JK…maybe).

-Carefully pick out my clothes for the next morning. Clothes usually include yoga pants, Reebok easy tones (might as well tone my butt as I shop), a tank top and a zippered hoodie. Stores can get super hot and you don’t want to have to carry around a jacket and all of your bags. Picking out my clothes the evening before saves valuable time in the morning.

-Sort through my purse and remove all the junk. I don’t want to lug around a 20-lb purse along with my shopping bags.  I keep only essentials which includes:  a bottle of water, energy bar and almonds for snacks throughout the morning (bonus tip…If you’re running low on cash, sell your snacks to other people who are waiting in line with you…it’s amazing how much you can get for a bag of fruit snacks at 4 in the morning). Finally, I get out two big reusable shopping bags and then set my alarm and try to get a good night’s sleep (I usually feel like the kid in the Disney commercial).

Day Of. After my alarm goes off, I take a quick shower, add some simple makeup (this is the day you will run into someone you don’t want to see at the store), grab my stuff and GO. In the car I listen to Christmas music (from a carefully selected Christmas shopping playlist) and execute the plan I designed the day before. I go in each store, grab the specific items I need, check them off the list, and get to the next store as quickly (and safely) as possible. I try to stay focused on my goal and ignore all the craziness around me. If I have to wait in a line, I play on my phone or look at my list and plot my next conquest. I try not to impulsively buy anything that is not on the Master List unless it’s an amazing deal I somehow missed while going through the ads.

Success! Once I’m done shopping (usually by noon or 1), I come home, warm up some leftovers and take a nap. Nothing tops sleeping in the sweet satisfaction of shopping success!

Easy, right?

What are your shopping tips for Black Friday???

A Lot on the Mind…

We made it to Friday!

Here’s to the weekend and the short work week ahead of us!  YES!

Look at all the exclamation points.  Clearly I feel much better than I did last Friday…

Probably because I didn’t do a thing last night.  I had done the Shred again in the morning and planned to keep it a low key night.  Which I did.  I even had time to read before my Thursday night line-up.  And that never happens…We can talk about my latest obsession with Michael Ian Black later.  And yeah, that’s tuna from a can.  I like tuna, but (and I may have mentioned this before) I have issues when it comes to preparing fish.  It intimidates me.  Add that to my list of other things that intimidate me in the kitchen.  So now it’s fish, using yeast, and full-sized potatoes. 

And yes- I KNOW you can do potatoes in the microwave.  Punch a few holes in them and let them go.  Yada yada yada.  I’ve tried.  Over and over.  It just doesn’t work for me.  Ah baked potato… you win!

Anyways, so I use tuna in a can.  I’m also a real snot when it come to what kind of tuna I use.  I go to Trader Joe’s and use their Albacore.  Why, you ask?  Well I used to go for the cheaper stuff.  Or whatever was on sale at the grocery store.  Light tuna is sometimes under 70 cents a can- crazy right? Anyways, it happened more than once (so I think my fear is legit), to where I’ve bitten into something hard and crunchy before.  

I repeat- it was crunchy and shouldn’t have been there.  So I did the classy thing and pull it with my mouth full of food.  I don’t know if it was a scale or something- don’t care to know either way.  I do know I’ve started only buying it at TJ’s (after a hiatus from tuna altogether) and am happy to report I have not had any instances since.  Yuck.

But I have things of greater importance to worry about other than tuna in a can. Or at least I think so.

I’m baking two things (possibly three) next week.  I want them to be as fresh as possible on Thursday, need one done by Wednesday, and am going out Wednesday night.  Both things require multiple steps.  I feel like I made need some paper and a schedule for this. Possibly some highlighters.  Or email alerts.  Either way, it’s going to be hectic.

What am I getting myself into?

Thank God I never paid attention long enough to be able to offer to make the turkey…

I’ve also got my race to think about.  I’m not worried about the mileage.  It’s four miles.  I do it often enough.  I even did it this morning at an 8:30 pace (exactly).  Yeah- I actually made it outside of my apartment to get to the workout room this morning.  It was dark.  And cold.  And quiet- I was the only one there.  But the workout is done for the day and it makes me happy. 

And finally, holiday shopping is starting to enter the brain. 

Yeah.  I said it.  I’m bringing up holiday shopping.  Has anyone started?  Or even better- does anyone participate in Black Friday?

I never have.  As a retail worker in college, I’ve experienced it from the other side.  And it… is… terrifying.  For two years I worked in the lingerie department of a big department store.  I wasn’t there for the actual opening, but two hours later, people were still running through the store.  Underwear everywhere.  Kids running around unsupervised, pulling down the panties on all the mannequins.  Cash register lines wrapped around the store.

Even the seasoned retail worker would have been tempted to cry in the corner behind a rack of clothes.

Some people are INTENSE.

My friend Danielle is one of those people.  She is a chick with a plan.  And after asking nicely, she agreed to share her secrets with everyone by doing a guest post for me.  So look for that later today. 

At first I was nervous she was going to be like this chick:

I showed her this video.  And she said no way- she could take this chick.

I have awesome friends.

Happy Friday!

Eye Candy

Good Morning!

This will probably be short because I’ve been busy “reading up” on Ryan Reynolds and his election to Sexiest Man Alive by People Magazine.

About time, People. Where was this nomination after Van Wilder?  I would have already given it to him back then…

Sigh. 

Speaking of candy (he he he), one of the guys I work with brought in leftover Halloween candy his kids hadn’t gotten through yet.  Two plastic bags of it.  What?

First off, thank you. 

Secondly, where do you live so that I may trick or treat there next year???

It’s easy to assume that I spent the morning slowly transitioning the candy from the break room to my desk.The chocolate now resides next to green tea and packet of cream of wheat in my snack drawer.  That negates some of the calories, yes?

It’s funny that if this happened at home, I would be in serious trouble.  Or at least my stomach would be, because I have a habit of sneaking it until it’s gone.  Yes, I sneak it even though I live by myself.  The sugar content makes me revert to child-like behavior.  But when at work, I kind of forget it’s there.  There’s no real logic to that.  You’d think that I’d mindlessly snack more because of boredom. It’s a freak accident for sure. 

Hopefully my supply will last.  But between Jaime being preggers and my love of chocolate?

Let’s be honest- it doesn’t stand a chance.

Oh and I officially signed up for my last race (that’s what I say now) of the year:I’ve decided to make it my last race of the season for a few reasons:

1. I need to save money for holiday spending.

2. I need to save money in general. 

3. Since I’m clearly not the biggest fan of running in the freezing cold, it seems logical to not pay to run in it.

“But Amy- why would you do a turkey trot that’s not on Thanksgiving?”

Well, my dear reader, let me tell you.

I go out on Thanksgiving Eve.  No matter where I spend Thanksgiving, it seems to happen.  A tradition, if you will.  Just like watching the Thanksgiving Day parade in the comfort of my own home with a cup of coffee and makeup from the night before.

Who am I to break tradition?

Any good random traditions you have for Thanksgiving that others may find interesting?

While you figure out your favorite tradition, I’m going to go back to my Ryan Reynolds research…

Happy Thursday!