Bowling for Christmas

So you liked the peppermint bark, huh?

Me too.    Although I will say- I only had one piece of it before sending it all off and bringing some to work.  This week, my heart was mainly with the samoas…

Last night my work’s Holiday Party.

Come along for the ride…

We got out of work a little early to go get ready at Jaime’s house because she was sober driving (helloooooo baby bump) and I also wanted to say hello to two of my favorite ladies:I’ve most likely stated it before, but I’m not really a pet person right now.  I’m still learning how to keep plants alive, and don’t really have the time or money right now.  For the time being, I’ll settle for being a runner-up “mom” for Princess and Hazel.  If you remember, I took care of these two little things last April for two weeks and we had a blast.Hazel and I are best buds.  Jaime still gives me a hard time when Hazel flips out as soon as I walk into the door.

What can I say?  I’m like the crazy aunt who spoils the kids.

After getting ready (aka changing into jeans), we went to Lucky Strike downtown to celebrate with two of our other offices.  Food, more food, wine and beer, more food…

I don’t care what anyone says, fried mac and cheese takes any party to the next level.

Oh… and there was bowling.  Which means my right thumb nail was torn to shit right away.  I haven’t been bowling since last February, so my excuse is that I was VERY out of practice.Obviously, my form needs work. Or maybe I’m just setting people up for the next time when I kick ass at bowling?

I’m a hustler, baby…It was a lot of fun (HUGE sigh of relief since I’ve spent a lot of work hours planning). The night ended decently early (hi- it’s Thursday and I still have to be at work at 9:00 this morning), so I didn’t wake up too tired or hungover. 

Sometimes I’m a good girl like that. And I had plans to get up and do my last day of trying to fit in a workout before work to round off my “workout every morning this week”.

Um…

Well…

My bed was just so comfy.

Crap.

But 4 out of 5 isn’t bad.

Vince raised an eyebrow.You’re so judgemental, Vince!  Stop it! I’ll skip a workout when I want to.  Deal with it, buddy.

I’ll also have coffee instead of green tea if I want.  Usually I don’t drink coffee until I get to the office.  So there’s no one to blame but myself when I hit that “wired” feeling by about 11:00.

Do you have work-related holiday parties?  Our company parties used to be MUCH different (think black cocktail dress and 4-course dinners).  But the last few years (stupid economy) have been pretty rough.  We’re lucky to be having a party of any sort.  And that is fine- I think last year’s potluck and this year’s bowling outting make for a fun, laid-back atmosphere that allows for easier conversation.

Anyhoo… it’s FRIDAY! 

Time for my happy dance.  Oh crap… the caffeine overload is already kicking in…

The Club Can’t Even Handle Me Right Now…

Yes.  I’ve fallen victim to Flo Rida’s new song.  Oh top 40 you got me again!  It will inevitably be the next song I play to an untimely death as I run and run and run…  And by the time I’m done playing it over and over and over, the radio will start to do so.  So expect me to make a snarky remark in about six months on how much I hate this song. 

What’s the last song you’ve had to retire off the ipod or turn the station when it plays on the radio?  Sitting in rush hour every day makes my list a pretty long one…

But for now, I love it.  And I rock it OUT.  Because of the iffy weather, I even jammed out with it on the treadmill.  Though the AC was functioning at a very low level of acceptable.  But not even weight slammer dude could annoy me when I’m in my zone….

Ok that’s a lie, he still very much annoyed me last night.  But there’s really nothing I can do short of throwing a free weight in his general direction and telling him to cut it out.  And I think that’s grounds for assault.  And possibly eviction.  But I digress.

Five miles?  Um.  This was the first time I think in my training that I didn’t hit my goal distance.    I only did 4.5 and it was at an 8:37 average pace.  But I believe it was for my own safety.  My ponytail kept sticking to the sweat on my back and then whipping around and smacking me in the face.  True story.  I was startled the first time it happened. I’m calling about the air conditioning today.  Because someone needs to fix it.  Or possibly give me the name of a good lawyer when I slip on my own sweat on the ‘mill and break my face. 

As soon as I was done, I walked outside and realized I would have had a much easier time running the trail.  It rained.  And I have no problem with a little rain.  But that lightning bolt in the forecast intimidates me…

And that lightning never showed up.  You got me again, Mr. Weatherman!

I swear you won’t hear me complain about working out tomorrow.  Because today is a rest day. 

And as we all know, rest days still need a good breakfast:Yeah, Vince- that is a sweet plate of scrambled eggs with feta and toast with almond butter.  What’s that, you ask?  Oh yes, thanks for pointing that out, Vince- there’s a bit of honey, too. 

No, Vince.  You can’t have any.  But I will wish you a good Thursday. 

Sa-weet!

So here I sit… waiting for my furniture to come…  It’s been giving me some serious anxiety, so I’ll be glad to have today over.  And be able to eat at my new table and curl up to watch tv after.  Sa-weet! 

As I sit to write, I’m sitting in the middle of my living room floor.  No more college futon!  Mon and I destroyed it last night.  We thought it’d be easier to carry out (probably quite the “duh” moment) if we took the whole thing apart.  It was quite a liberating experience.  Good bye squeaky uncomfortable futon!  I will not miss you!  And thank  you Mon for helping!  She’s so sweet!  Don’t worry- I paid her in wine.  And we watched my Red Box selection for the weekend- Couples Retreat.  Considering how huge of a Vince Vaughn fan I am, it’s amazing to me I haven’t watched it yet!  It was fun and cute.  Kinda typical ending, but that’s why peeps love the rom com’s right?

So yesterday I worked the early shift.  A couple of the guys were already there by 8:00 and when I walked in the break room, I was surprised.  Cheesecake for breakfast anyone?  This is what I have a hard time with.  Not so much the cheesecake specifically, but when you’re having “a morning”, the sugar high goes well with a cup of coffee.  Is this an issue with anyone else who works in an office?  A few weeks ago, there were THREE of these babies chillin’ on the table.  I resisted the early morning munchies, but mostly because I knew these were coming in the afternoon:One of our office supply guys came by and dropped them off.  I think most of the vendors we deal with have realized they can woo Jaime and I with sweets.  I love free stuff… especially when the said free stuff is cookies. 

To continue with my sweet streak, I had a decadent breakfast.  I seriously just started with wanting oatmeal and coconut pancakes.  I had been craving the pancakes…. badly.  But then I found the peanut butter.  And at that point, I was like, “why not?” and threw on the white chocolate.  Decadent.  For reals…  And I think I finally hit that point where I’m done with sweets for a bit.  After yesterday and this morning, I’ve had plenty.

Besides, I hit the grocery store and have some more greens and asparagus that are just waiting to give me urine issues.

I’ve slowly started getting back into workout mode (if you haven’t already noticed).  I spent a lot of time scared of putting too much strain on the leg, but it’s getting to that point where I’m getting more comfortable again.  Yesterday, however, was a mistake and I apologize to my poor arms.  We moved the futon later, so I had plenty of time to do what I wanted exercise-wise.  I decided on The Shred and Yoga Meltdown.  Jillian and I are starting to get very close…

It was an awesomely sweet workout.  But uh… by the end of yoga meltdown, my arms were throwing in the towel.  Sideplanks usually are not too difficult for me, but I was shaking like CRAZY.  And then I still had to move a futon!  Whew…  Either way- lesson of the day?  Stick to one Jillian workout.  She’s nuts.

Ok, I need to get back to waiting patiently as I stretch out in the middle of my living room…  Ahhhhh…… and My Best Friend’s Wedding is on TBS.  Holla’.  Do you have movies that give you a little Deja Vu?  I specifically remember watching this movie at a sleepover in junior high.  Most likely we didn’t get the whole movie.  But we did enjoy the dance and song at the beginning.  And later recreated it in highschool for a lip synching contest during Spirit Week.  No pictures (ah… the time before digital pictures ruled the world)- but I rocked out the “bride” part.  And hell yes we won.  Sweeeeet….

Love my early days…

The rest of the week consists of going in and leaving work early.  I am SO glad it’s like this.  Yesterday was gorgeous.  I had my running gear smashed into my work bag and was determined to get straight to the trail as soon as I left work.  And I did.  And it was crowded.  But that worked to my advantage.  I started with some squats.  Sort of.  Really, it was me pulling the hover move because I really had to pee before I started and the restrooms were still closed for the season.  So all that was left was a lone porta potty that had pee all over the seat.  Not ideal.  But like I said, the hover move warmed up some of the quad muscles. 

Anyways, I decided to stick with just one loop around the track.  I ended up running 2.8 miles with an 8:11 average pace.  Not bad!  I probably have a guy to thank for that.  I was doing my thing when he passed me.  I watched him slowly creep ahead and then said, “screw it, I know I could keep his pace.”  So I did. For about a mile.  Then I said, “screw it, I could totally pass him.”  So I did.  And then I said, “screw it, I could totally kick his ass.”  So I did.    Thanks for making me pick up my feet a little more, Mr. Random Running Dude.

And now I have a bone to pick.  I was the one to run out during lunch to run errands and pick up the cake for my boss’s birthday.  So I decided to grab a salad at the building next door (they have a cafeteria, too- which I consider better than the one in our building).Love their salad bar options.  LOVE them.  I was all about carrots, squash, garbanzo beans and some sunflower seeds.  My problem?  My problem that also occurs at my building’s cafeteria?  The salad dressing.  The options blow.  They blow hard.  It’s all creamy dressings.  And it’s not like it’s “low fat”.  It’s the serious stuff.  Unless you want olive oil.  And I don’t like plain olive oil on salad.  Sometimes I remember to bring in my own dressing.  But I don’t think that should be necessary if I’m already paying to eat their salad.  Don’t get me wrong- I don’t have anything against creamy dressing.  I love me some ranch.  And caesar.  And I’ll use them from time to time(which I did today).  But sometimes, I’d just like to have a simple vinaigrette.  Or lower fat option of any kind.  It might be a wise option to throw in there.  Because there’s still those people out there that load up on all this veggie goodness and then drown it in ranch.  And I mean DROWN it.  But think because it’s “salad”, it has to be healthy- no matter what.  I know a lot of people like this.  And it just bugs me.  Sometimes I just want to say, “dude, you would have been better off with the burger”.

It’s the little things that irk me sometimes.  Like I said, I’m totally ok with having it in moderation.  I just want another option.  Gah.  Stepping off my soap box now.  Because I’m pretty sure I fit a few little “irklings” in there to vent about when I only met to discuss one.

Oh the places where my mind goes…

I finished my Michael Pollan book.  The last section of “food rules” (more like guidelines to follow if you choose) was my favorite.  Some of the things he had to say were an interesting thing to think about.  Such as “avoid foods that make health claims” because of how processed this food could be.  I was also a fan of “don’t get your fuel from the same place your car does”.  That’s pretty self-explanatory.  I think I’ve said it before, but I really enjoyed his writing style more than anything.  Totally recommend the book- it can open your eyes to some new things.

Next on the list?  Pure entertainment.  I have a desire to read Chelsea Handler’s new book.  I was talking about it at work and one girl said she had the second book and let me borrow it.  So I’ll be reading Are You There, Vodka?  It’s Me, Chelsea.  I love her humor, so I figured I’d give it a shot.

And yeah, I still had a piece of cake.  After we all crowded into the break room- Office Space style.  It had green icing on it.  My tongue turned green.  Bright green.  Which was concerning.  Happy St. Patrick’s Day…And now the holiday is over and we’re already a day away from the weekend!  Getting up today was a little easier than yesterday.  Part of that was due to the fact I went to bed a little earlier (a little after 10:00).  Just call me grandma.

Coffee habit is still in place.  Don’t worry, I’m working on it… tomorrow.Even Vince is concerned about my recent increase in caffeine intake.  Oh dear…

Don’t worry, Vince.  I won two of those Love mugs in my gift basket from Jaime’s shower.  We can have matching cups of coffee tomorrow if you’d like…

Have a good one- we’re almost to the weekend!

Let’s try this again

This morning needs a do over.

Apparently there was an earthquake at 4:00 this morning and the Chicago area could feel it.  I slept through it.  Good to know how aware my body is.  But that’s not the only thing I slept through.  I woke up wondering how it could be so light in my room.  Oh- it’s 7:30, that’s why.  Wait- 7:30?!?!  OMG.  I’ve never jumped so quickly out of bed in my life.  Well, that’s a lie- but I was up in a flash, nonetheless.  Somehow the earthquake must have turned my alarm clock off and made me sleep in 45 minutes later than normal.  That must have been it.

Then came breakfast.  So after my first oats in a jar fail, I decided to try again.  Because I’m not a quitter! 

Ignore my super dry hands- this winter has been a rough one for my delicate skin…

And yes, I got through my almond butter in lightening speed.  Don’t judge.  So I got it all  in the jar and threw it in the microwave…  I wasn’t really watching it.  It didn’t explode like last time, but there was a bit that escaped from the jar and all over the bottom of my microwave.  Awesome. I ate it anyways. 

Back off Vince, this one’s mine.  Make your own.

Yes, I was able to sit down to enjoy it because I had made up a considerable amount of time (or so I thought).  On my later week, I wake up earlier than I actually have to so I can watch the news and piddle a little bit.  This morning was not as relaxing, but I was still able to listen to the news and have a word or two with Vince as I checked my email really quickly. 

So when I walked out the door, I was only about five minutes behind schedule.  Not bad.  And then I get outside and see my car.  Damn.  That is my car, right?  I think so, I’ll just start digging…  Yep- my car!  Good… that only took 15 minutes… blah.

Luckily, I still beat my boss in because he got stuck in his alley and had to recruit people to push him out. 

Moving on to a happier note… Happy Hump Day!  Not to rub it in- but yesterday was hump day for me.  Ok, maybe I am just a little…  Today is like my Friday- last day of work for the week!  So yes, the Friday dance will be happening as soon as I get home.  But not for too long- I have 2 1/2 miles to  pound out at the gym along with my fav new 20-minute work out, The Shred.

Then what, you ask?  The baking madness begins.  I originally was just going to make the Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes.  But then realized how many people I had promised to bring them to.  And since I’m making the majority of them for boys with bottomless pits for stomachs, I figured I might as well throw something else in there.  So I’m revisiting the blondies I made with Snickers and Reeses Pieces.  Just to make sure they don’t go hungry.  I love to bake.  And I love having people to bake for.  So even if I’m going to enjoy them in moderation (of course), I want to make sure I’m not the only one…  Adam’s hosting quite a few guys at his place over the weekend.  And he may be able to cook up a few mean dishes, but I think he’s pretty much lost to what the inside of his oven can do.  So hopefully they’ll all appreciate it a little to have something to munch on as we all party it up in St. Louis. 

My parents and brother are coming up on Thursday to hang out with me my first night in St. Louis.  Which is really nice because I haven’t seen them since Christmas.  We’re staying at a casino.  Yes, my parents have a hobby they enjoy so much that they get free rooms on occasion.  I don’t mind.  It’s also nice when they actually win a considerable amount- I get a little cut of it in the mail. 

I’m really not a gambler- can’t say I enjoy it at all really.  But I won’t stop them from doing it so I may reap the benefits from time to time.

Have a good day!  Hopefully my streak of luck won’t get much worse.  Knock on wood…

My Offer for Vince Vaughn

The Sun Times ran a little article about Vince Vaughn last week and how he is renting his River North townhome for $9,500 a month. This seems like quite the steal to me- and seriously, who wouldn’t want to have Vince as a landlord?

I’m not a big fan of numbers, but I am slightly intrigued and did just a bit of math to figure this situation out. For the month of April, $9,500 comes out to be about $316.67 per day. If you break it down a little further, it’s about $13.19 per hour. I like the looks of that a little better- this is a number I can work with.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Vince, but the economy has pretty much gone down the toilet. Commercial real estate has just recently caught up with the rest of the economy and is just now beginning it’s decent into the toilet as well. Vacancies and drops in rent have become quite common. It has turned into a buyer’s market. So I have a deal for you.

I would like to rent your townhome for 3 hours for $35. This is only about $5 less than your asking price (if you think about it). I feel like this is a more than generous offer. This would give me enough time to run around the unit screaming for a few minutes, call my friends from your phone (no long distance), jump on the beds, shower off (from the intense 10 or 15 minutes of running around) and dive in under the sheets of your master bedroom and take a nap for the remaining amount of time. You won’t even have to wash the sheets because I’ll have showered before I dive in. I’m a very considerate and low maintenance renter.  I do not own pets, nor do I smoke, and my credit score is quite good.

$9,500 is pretty steep for a city that is looking at an unemployment rate of over 7 percent. It is very possible that your apartment may sit vacant for awhile before someone will sign a lease. So, instead of it sitting there empty, my offer will provide a small amount of positive cash flow during that time- which I believe only improves the value and demand of the townhome over time.

Think about it. I am willing to sit and negociate this offer further if absolutely necessary.  Preferrably in person.  Maybe over lunch.  Or dinner.  Whatever is more convenient for your schedule.