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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Jessica goes to the chiro

Happy Tuesday!  It's so lovely that it's not Monday.  I hope you enjoyed the long weekend!

My week started out with a 7:15a chiropractor appointment.  I've never been, but since my neck/back pain has now been around for about 2 months, I figured it was worth a try.  I didn't feel that it was an injury as a result of something, so I thought maybe a chiro was a good idea.  I did an informal poll on facebook and got VERY mixed results, but I decided to give it a try.

Based upon this morning's appointment, he thinks I have a nerve issue which is showing itself in one of the muscles in my back.  He did some poking and prodding to find the pain, then took two quick x-rays and sent me off for some electro stimulation (if that's what it's called) and icing.  I felt it but am not sure what it did, if anything.  He'd like me to go back 3 times in the next week, which is easier said than done, but I will try.  I'm a bit nervous since my insurance likes to not cover things but I guess I need the treatment.

I was freaked out by the thought of an alignment or any cracking so I guess this was better.  While it does hurt, at least it doesn't impede me from doing anything.

Now on a COMPLETELY different note, I'm going to take back my endorsement of the OPI Axium gel.  Or maybe just throw out a buyer beware.  I'm not sure if it's because I removed them myself, but these took a huge toll on my nails.  They're now super weak, uneven, and brittle.  I got a pedicure on Friday and the woman actually advised me to only use the gel on occasion and never more than once a month.  Interesting.  Maybe my nails would be in better shape if a salon removed them, but I don't know.  As much as I loved the way it looked, I probably won't do it again any time soon.

Well, things to get done.  Have a great day!!

Friday, May 27, 2011

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

I'm mixed on Memorial Day and Labor Day.  Yes, it's wonderful to get the day off from work, but I do feel that most Americans pay no attention to the meaning behind the holiday.  So please, take a few moments to reflect on the people who fight for us and our country.

OK, now I'll hop off the soapbox. :)

I'm going camping this weekend.  I used to love camping so I'm not worried about that.  however I am worried about the massive amounts of food and drink that will be consumed.  I'm OK with the food, I just know that I can't hang like I used to in terms of drinking, so we'll see how this goes over.

But first I'm going to teach tomorrow morning, so it will be good to get a workout in prior to the overindulging that is to follow.

I taught last night, my last class at a certain location and it was a bit bittersweet, especially because there were some new faces.  One girl actually said she was sad it was my last day since she just found my class.  Awww.  Oh well, it is what it is.

Silly me left my ipod at home though so I had to use a ride off CD.  I ended up choosing a ride with the creative title of 9/1/09.  And yes, it was actually from September of 2009.  The music was fine but I had to mix things up a bit with the ride since when I was just getting started I didn't mix things up too much.  I'll try to post it later on, but it was good and we sweated our butts off (which I love).

Well, off to a lunch time mani/pedi (yay Opi Axium) and then happy hour drinks on the water tonight.

Have a fabulous long weekend, be active, and stay safe! xo

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Online purchases

I just wanted to highlight a few recent purchases.

For my sister's birthday, I bought her a ROAD ID.  She runs a ton and I wanted her to be able to have some form of ID with her at all times.

I bought her this style, but in purple.  They have a few styles to choose from and also have data that can be stored online.  They're only available at http://www.roadid.com/.

If you end up purchasing, here is a code to save $1. ThanksJessica5300763

Today I did a little damage on netrition.com.  Thanks to PB Fingers I was inspired to purchase some smoothie ingredients.  A google search put me on the Netrition website.

I purchased PB2 which is apparently a powdered peanut butter with less fat, and some Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Double Rich Chocolate protein powder. Both of which were recommendations from Julie at PB Fingers.  I'll let you know how it goes.

OPI Oh My

Good morning!

Totally random quick post this morning.

Pay no real attention to my chubby fingers
I wanted to endorse a product I used pre-vacation.  I did the usual manicure/pedicure prior to the trip, however I decided to splurge on a UV Gel manicure.  I went with the OPI Axium brand.  It was way more than a normal manicure ($35) but is supposed to last about 2 weeks.

This manicure knocked my socks off.  First of all, it dries under UV light and it takes minutes and then you're good to go.  Second, it lasted like nobody's business.

In the past, my vacation manicures either chip, discolor, or both. I usually end up having to bring nail polish remover with me and come home with no polish on my nails.

This manicure held up to sand, sun, water, and sunscreen.  It's been just shy of 2 weeks and it's totally hanging in there.  Had I not been forced to do manual labor and cleaning at home, it would probably be even better.

At my sister's suggestion, I went with a light color to avoid making the nail regrowth even more noticeable.  and it's still a bit noticeable, but only if you know to look for it.  Overall I think it still looks pretty great.

It requires soaking to remove, but I've heard that it doesn't weaken your nails like acrylics, which is what i'm hoping for.  I'm definitely going to do it again and am going to make an appointment for next week. 

Let me know if you've tried it or plan to and what you think.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

lunch

I just finished lunch, which made me think of this post I wrote on veggie burgers almost a year ago.

I've strayed from my usual veggie burger lunch but am now starting it up again since it's so easy.  My go-to was the Dr. Praeger's California veggie burger which they sell at Trader Joe's.

At the supermarket this weekend I was excited to see that Gardenburgers were on sale for $2.99.  However when I got to the frozen section, they only had the portabella variety, which I've never had.


I wasn't really sure if I'd like it, but I figured it was worth a try.

I had forgotten just how much more substantial a Gardenburger feels and tastes.  I think it's the addition of brown rice.

It was good and according to my boss, it smelled great.  He was actually disappointed to learn it was a veggie burger.

I enjoyed it with Trader Joe's Guacamole Hummus which was mentioned on the Fitnessista yesterday.  It's like your mouth isn't sure if it's eating hummus or really smooth guac.  Yum!


On the side I had Trader Joe's beets.

Thing is, I love beets, but I'm not in love with these.  I've had them twice now.  The first time I had them hot, this time I ate them cold.  Both times I put a little Asian vinaigrette on them, but both times the beets themselves weren't really sweet.  Sometimes beets can have a slightly bitter flavor, and this is what I found.  I think it might be time to give up on the TJ's Baby Beets.

In case you couldn't tell, there's a Trader Joe's right down the road. :)

Grab somebody sexy tell them hey....

Do you know that song?  It's called "Give Me Everything" by Pitbull.  I LOVE it!  It will definitely be in my next spin ride. :)

It seems to me that Pitbull can do no wrong.  I find every one of his songs to be upbeat and catchy.  Guess I'm a dog lover in many ways (and a dork!).

Last night I managed to squeeze in my latest workout...unpacking.  It really is a bit of a workout, especially considering that I have two large flights of stairs between the storage room and the bedroom.  Yesterday (or maybe the day before), my biceps were seriously sore.  As in more sore than I can get them from a bicep workout.  I don't know what caused it, but whatever it was, I'd like to do it more.

While I hate that I'm not able to get to the gym, at least I'm not just sitting at home on the couch.  To do that, you would need a couch, and I currently do not have one.

I'm really hoping to hit the gym tonight, but we'll see what actually happens.

Happy hump day!!

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

I love food

I'm not one of those people who takes pictures of everything I eat, but based upon some recent meals, I just may have to start.  As I've probably eluded to in the past, Don Juan is an AMAZING cook (and I get to reap the benefits!).  I seriously think I've cooked dinner for us once since we started dating (it was risotto in case you were wondering).

Last night we had crabcakes over lettuce with fresh corn, real bacon bits, and light ranch dressing.  Yum!  On the side was a yummy shrimp salad that he makes using pico de gallo from a local store and avocado.  So simple yet so tasty.  I have the shrimp salad for lunch today, yay leftovers!

It was such a simple dinner but the flavors just worked SO well.  Plus I liked being able to eat a lot without feeling too stuffed.

It made me feel better to eat a lighter dinner since I didn't make it to the gym.  Instead I spent the evening at Home Depot.  I pray that the frequency of these visits starts to slow down.  Last night I got all new doors as well as a new bathroom light.  Then a quick stop at Walmizzle (aka Walmart) for some towels/rugs/etc.

I really want to go to the gym tonight but unfortunately my laundry pile is UGLY and i'm starting to run low on undies.  Plus, my dryer is apparently broken, so doing laundry means a trip to the laundromat which is just slightly less convenient than doing laundry at home.  Ha!

One day I will get back to a normal routine and it will be amazing.

In the meantime, I'm dealing with pesky neck/back pain.  I've had this for about 2 months on and off and thought it was just stress or tension.  It seemed to go away when condo stuff slowed so I expected it to be totally better while I was on vacation.  While it was a bit better, it was still present.  Now that I'm home it's worse.  It's my upper back and neck/shoulder area and really just feels tight/stiff.  It hurts most when I try to look all the way up or all the way down.  Any similar experiences?  I'm putting off going to the doctor because I still want to believe that it's just tension.  Help.

OK, time to be productive!

Monday, May 23, 2011

Yeah mon!


Hello there!

I am back from the gorgeous Jamaica.  The picture above was the beach at our hotel.  Amazing!  It was a fabulous six nights and was just as relaxing as I wanted it to be.

The resort was all inclusive which means a lot of food and drink.  Towards the end, the food got a bit repetitive and I actually looked forward to getting home and resuming a normal diet.  Not to say i didn't love having Nutella with every breakfast, but still...

The hotel was nice, aside from the fact that there was no hot water for the first few days.  I was not a happy camper having to take washcloth showers and hang my head over the tub to wash my hair.  We worked out a bunch too, although I started to slack towards the end of the trip.  The gym at the resort was bad.  This hotel has over 800 rooms, so it's big.  The gym however, had the following:  2 treadmills (one was broken), 2 stairmasters (1 was broken), 1 elliptical, 1 rower (shoe straps were broken), 2 recumbent bikes (I think they both worked), 1 spin bike (no shoe cages and no resistance knob), a few free weights (5 lbs was the heaviest), and some weight machines.  I was not impressed AT ALL.  So we took our workouts outside, did some running, some intervals, that sort of thing.  But I got bored with doing something similar each day so I bailed.

Last minute condo stuff is once again taking a toll on my schedule, so the gym may get skipped tonight, but I feel OK knowing it's just temporary and the end is in sight.

I'm working on getting used to having to go to work, but I'll be OK.

So just a quick post checking in.  I'll be back.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Yolks and watermelon

Blogger was down most of the day today hence the delayed blog post.

I'm feeling super random today, so many thoughts are bouncing around my head right now, so why not share them?

  • I took a 6a spin class this morning and I just was NOT feeling it.  This can usually pass if the instructor/music/ride combo is good.  This instructor is good, but the ride didn't do it for me and neither did the music. 
  • After class I was ravenous so I decided to treat myself to breakfast.  I ordered a wrap with egg whites, low fat swiss, and tomato.  And you know what I learned, I'm not really a fan of egg whites.  I'm definitely a yolk girl!
  • I had some of Bethenny's Skinny Girl Margarita last night and unintentionally ended up a bit tipsy for my trip to Walmart (I was not driving).  Oops!
  • I have to pack, but I also have to do soooo many other things.
  • My car service is picking us up at 2:30a, is it worth going to sleep?  What should I do?
  • I kind of wish I had gone to the mall so I could hit up Forever 21 and H&M.  Am trying to figure out if it's stupid to try and go tonight.
  • Will work do what it usually does and be super quiet all day and then boom, the sh*t hits the fan at 4pm?  I hope not!
  • When will my counter top installers call?
  • I bought a pint of pre-cut watermelon and can't wait to eat it!
Random enough for you?

In summary, even with all this internal chaos, I am SUPER DUPER happy that today is Friday and even more excited that vacation is so soon.

The lil' blog will be in hibernation mode this week, so I'll wake it up when I return.

Have a great weekend and upcoming week!  :)

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Reno woes

I figured it was time to clue you guys in to what has been making me so crazy...

Bring on the photos...

First, the KITCHEN

This is the old kitchen, pre-demo, looks better in the photo than it did in person


Bye bye kitchen


Another shot of the demo'ed kitchen (and my friend who's a plumber)


Nice new walls
And now, the BATHROOM

Existing bathroom, pretty, eh?


No more walls, but a few things still hanging around


Almost fully gutted


Gutted, new sub floor, new tub
And that's all for now.  Did you think you were going to see the finished product?  Sorry, not yet.  I'm having a housewarming party on June 4th and need to keep the results a secret, so hang tight.

Did we break up?

No, not completely.  We're currently giving it another slow go and seeing what will happen.

Bet you thought I was talking about my boyfriend, right?  Well, I'm not.
I'm a dork, so I'm talking about oatmeal. :)

I had mentioned previously that I had a long term love affair with oatmeal.  I ate it almost every morning. A few months ago it just didn't do it for me anymore and I found myself enjoying it less and less each day, so I gave it up.

Last week I came across a package of Quaker Instant Oatmeal with less sugar, and decided I'd have that for breakfast one morning.  I prepared it, ate two bites, declared it disgusting, and threw the rest out.  Things were not looking good for my relationship.

Today however, things are looking up a bit.  In a fit of desperation, I stopped at McDonalds after the gym and picked up their Fruit & Maple Oatmeal.  It was good and hit the spot.  So maybe we're not permanently broken up, but we'll just see how things play out.  If it's meant to be it will be.... :)

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Ugh

I'm just going to vent for a quick minute...

Had great plans to leave work, hit the gym, shower there (still no shower at home) then go to Home Depot to quickly pick up a few things.

Until Don Juan called me and told me I have to meet the painter at 6:30p.

Maybe I can get all that done and be home by 6:30 but most likely not.  So once again, there goes the gym because of condo crap.

I think I'm really beginning to resent this whole process.  I feel gross, my stress level is at an all time high, and I'm frustrated.  The one thing that will make it all better is suddenly not an option.  WTF??

This stinks.

Achoo!

It seems like allergies are hitting everyone really hard this year.  People are sneezing and coughing everywhere and our cars all have that lovely yellow/green film on them.

I suffer from allergies year round, but they change.  In the fall I wheeze, in the winter I get an itchy throat, and lately, I just seem to have a persistent headache.  It's totally bearable, but still a bit unpleasant.

When allergy season would hit, I'd usually workout solely at the gym with the AC being a welcome treat to my lungs.  Right now I can't imagine going for a run outside, which is wickedly ironic since this is a wonderful time to run outside.  But it will pass.  This is apparently tree pollen, and while it's high now, it's on the outs.  Next comes mold I think.  Nice, right?

So when you must workout inside, what do you do?

For me, Spinning is the best.  However, I haven't taken someone else's class in ages.  There's always the treadmill, or the stair climber (not the stairmaster), or another favorite is the arc trainer.

I used to use the arc trainer on occasion, keeping it a somewhat high resistance and not going overly fast.  Then one day a trainer was working out next to me and he told me I should back off on the resistance, keep the incline low, and focus more on the cardio aspect.  He was right.  I now keep resistance around 15-20 (out of 100) but strive to keep my strokes per minute (or whatever the measurement is) no lower than 160.  This results in calorie burning of over 10/minute, which rivals running with less impact.

If you've never tried this machine, I'd encourage it.  Some have moving arms, others don't, that's your preference.  I prefer the moving, but if I'm stuck with a no-arm machine, I try to pump my arms on my own.

My only issue with this machine is that my feet tend to creep forward and if I'm not careful, my toes get jammed in to the front of the foot compartments, so I just make sure to pull my feet back a bit if they're about to be crunched.

Other suggestions?

Monday, May 9, 2011

Who has the Mondays?

I'm happy to say that I don't.  Don't get me wrong, I could have used another weekend day, but I'm OK with it being Monday.  Without Monday, we can't get to Friday, right?

Happy belated Mother's Day to any mothers out there! :)

My family doesn't do much for Mother's day or Father's day, but we did get together and just hang out, which was great.  We've all been so busy lately that it's been hard to get together, so it was perfect.  However now I won't be seeing my parents or sister until the first weekend in June, which just seems strange.

I taught my Saturday class only to tell them that I won't be there next week.  Why's that?  Well, because it's vacation time!!  I leave in 5 days and am slowly getting excited.  Don't get me wrong, I am excited, it's just that there's so much else going on at the same time.  But it's exciting to try and book mani/pedis and fun vaca related stuff like that.

Sorry to disappoint but I will not be having any guest bloggers since only 3 people read this blog.  I'm definitely not big time yet.

My workouts have been suffering again due to condo (and now vacation) syndrome.  I've pretty much come to terms with this, so hopefully it won't be too bad.  I do plan to workout while I'm away and hopefully then there won't be any distractions.

Maybe I can turn my daily visits to Home Depot into a workout. :)  But the good news is that stuff is really coming together and I love it all.  Woo hoo!

Happy Monday!!!

Friday, May 6, 2011

Black and white

Makes gray.

Gray is apparently destined to be my new hair color.  Argh!

For the past couple of years, I've had some gray hairs.  Not a ton, but more than a few.  As a result, I've been dying my hair for quite some time now.  Blame the poor lighting in my bathroom at home but I didn't really know just how bad the situation was.

On one visit to my parent's house, I encountered the mirror in what used to be my bathroom.  Natural light and bright lights.  A quick look at my head and I was horrified!  My head is being attacked by pale creatures!

But once back at my apartment I managed to forget just how bad it was, thanks again to the poor lighting.

Carlos has started making fun of me, which is mean.  But it's OK because he also booked me an appointment to get my hair dyed...professionally.  I guess he didn't like the whole do-it-yourself method.  So tonight I'm saying goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Gray.  Good riddance!  (too bad it's not a one-time permanent fix)

After that I have a dinner date with my friend T.  We're trying out a new restaurant that participates on restaurant.com.  Are you familiar with restaurant.com?  If not, you buy $25 gift certificates for a max of $10, which while a good deal, is not the deal I go nuts over.  Frequently they have an 80% special which means you get $25 off for just $2!  Depending on where you live, there can be quite a few local restaurants on there, however, read the small print as many won't accept the certificates on weekends.

The rest of the weekend will be busy, but it's still time away from work, so I'll take it.  Plus vaca is in one week from tomorrow!!

So have fabulous weekends and to all the mothers out there, have a very happy mother's day!  xo

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Confession

I just ate pure sugar for lunch.

Well, not really, but that's what it tasted like.

This is the at-home version
(didn't even know it existed)
I swung by Boston Market since I'm never on that side of town around lunch and picked up some chicken noodle soup.  Since I wasn't sure that would tide me over for the rest of the day, I needed something else.  Took a look at the sides and went with the sweet potatoes. 

Holy sugar.  They may have even been too sweet for me.  But rest assured, I still ate the whole thing.  It was a small side, I'll get over it.

But that's my confession.  Right now I feel gross and my stomach hates me, but hopefully that will pass shortly.

Anything to share?

Unhealthy deliciousness

Good morning!

I figured I'd get the day off to a start with an unhealthy but amazingly delicious recipe.  A few years ago I worked for a publishing company and this recipe came from their magazine Fine Cooking.

It's the perfect summer dessert to bring to a BBQ or picnic.  It makes a lot of squares (especially if you cut them on the smaller side).  They're really sweet, so smaller is OK.  Plus I think it's fun to make since you see a little bit of a chemical reaction between the sweetened condensed milk and the lemon juice.

Source
So without further ado...

Blueberry Streusel Bars with Lemon-Cream Filling


Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, softened; more for the pan
3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick oats)
1-1/3 cups packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. table salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 large egg, separated
14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
2-1/2 cups room-temperature blueberries, washed and drained on paper towels

Directions

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch metal baking pan with foil, leaving a 1-inch overhang on the ends. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of the foil.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Using your fingers, blend the butter completely into the flour mixture. Transfer 2 cups of crumb mixture to another bowl and reserve for the topping. Blend the egg white into the remaining crumbs and then press the mixture into the bottom of the pan to form a level crust. You can tamp it with the bottom of a measuring cup to even it out. Bake the crust until it starts to form a dry top, 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and egg yolk. Let this mixture stand for 5 minutes; it will begin to thicken.

Sprinkle the blueberries evenly over the hot crust and then drop spoonfuls of the lemon mixture over the blueberries. Spread gently with a spatula to distribute a little more evenly, but take care not to crush the berries; it’s fine if the lemon mixture isn’t perfectly even. Bake until the lemon mixture just begins to form a shiny skin, 7 to 8 minutes.

Sprinkle the reserved topping over the lemon-blueberry layer, pressing the streusel between your fingers into small lumps as you sprinkle. Bake until the filling is bubbling at the edges and the topping is brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

Let the bars cool in the pan on a rack until just warm, about an hour. Carefully lift them out of the pan using the foil overhang and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Remove the foil and cut into 24 bars (or more) when cool. The bars may be stored at room temperature for a few hours but otherwise should be kept in the refrigerator.

Final step...ENJOY!!  Share them with friends and watch as they enjoy them.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Anybody there???

A while ago I put up a post saying that when I got 10 comments (I think) I'd give something away.

Well, that hasn't happened yet, but in the meantime, I'm kind of curious as to who is out there.

So if you're reading this, write a quick comment to say hey.  It's OK to keep it anonymous.

And just for fun so you have some direction...tell me your favorite food (healthy or indulgent).  I'll even get things started in the comment section.

Thanks!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Really?

Months ago I had submitted an online application to teach spin at another gym.  A friend of mine teaches there and he suggested I do it.

A couple weeks ago I received a call to audition.  Clearly this gym has no sense of urgency.  I barely even remembered applying.  But anyway...

My audition was on Sunday and it was seriously the biggest joke ever.

Here's how it went...

Walked in to the room.  The hiring manager (or whatever she was) asked me to set up the bike for myself but talk to her like I was setting it up for her.  Fine.  Once that was done, she asked to see my form (seated, run, climb).  Then we were done.  Seriously!??!

How in the world do you know if someone is going to be a good instructor from that?  I could have excellent form and be the lowest energy humdrum person in the world and you'd NEVER know.  I could play Kenny G and Yanni all the livelong day (nothing against either of them).

Plus, one other thing she said rubbed me the wrong way.  Fellow spin instructors, tell me if you agree/disagree.  During the set up, I indicated that I'd ask a new rider (or any rider asking for help) if they had any back problems or knee problems so I could be sensitive to that.  She told me to NEVER ask that as once I do, I become their doctor, and if they hurt themselves they'll try to sue and blame me.  Really?  Not only does Spinning teach you to ask these things, but it puts the well being of the rider first.

From what I've heard, this club does not have the best instructors and I can see why.  However, the gym is close, so if they offer, I will probably take a class.  These members deserve good instructors, so I'll do my best to help them out. :)

Monday, May 2, 2011

April re-cap

I've noticed that many bloggers are doing monthly recaps, so I figured I'd follow suit.

Oh April...
I am OK with April being done with, it was a stressful month for me and all about messing up my routine; not good for a creature of habit.
  • Construction at the condo started (as did the progression of my gray hairs)
  • My lovely medical issue popped up
  • Mid month celebration of my parents anniversary and family time
  • Mets game on Easter
  • Pack up and move
  • And finally, run my first 5K
Upcoming in May...
  • My sister's birthday (today) - Happy 29th Owl!
  • Renovations to (hopefully) be completed
  • VACATION!
  • 10 year college reunion
  • Memorial day (plans TBA)
  • Resume some sense of normalcy in my personal life and gym habits
Should be a busy month but hopefully all good things!  What's coming up for you?

What a weekend!

The good stuff first...


Saturday was my first ever 5K!  As you saw, I had training plans and everything, only to get derailed with a medical issue and first time homeowner stresses.  Going in to the run, I had gone on one 3.28 mile run in the past several months.

The good news...I finished it without a problem!  Since it was a fun run, the timing wasn't exact, but I finished somewhere around 30-32 minutes which I'm happy with.  I did it with my friend C and we were able to chat for most of it, which showed me that I wasn't pushing too hard.  I actually felt so good during the last mile that I think I probably could have run it again.  Woo hoo!!

As my first "race" experience, it was quite interesting.  I loved seeing other people run (their forms, what they were wearing).  I loved having people pass me, but then passing others.  It was fun to say "OK, we're going to pass that lady in the blue" and then work towards doing it.  What was a bit challenging was the fact that both the runners and the walkers started at the same time, so there was quite a bit of weaving involved.

Plus since it was at the Bronx zoo to benefit the penguins, I loved seeing the penguin costumes, themed shirts, hats, etc.  It was great!  Then I spent the day at the zoo with my family and a few friends.  It was a perfect Saturday.

Taking just a moment to reflect, the fact that I completed a 5K is pretty significant.  I was a girl who was never able to run.  I think I've shared this before, but prior to 2006 or so, I couldn't even run a 1/4 mile.  Last Saturday I told my class that I'd be subbing it out for the 5K, I told them that I was nervous because I haven't had the time to train.  So many of them said something along the lines of "don't worry, you'll be fine, you're in great shape".  Which really meant so much to me knowing where I've come from.  Plus their faith in me meant alot too!

So back to the weekend... on both sides of Saturday, the rest of the weekend was STRESSFUL!  Friday was moving day (not fun!), then Saturday afternoon was more moving/cleaning, and then Sunday was some unpacking.  I'm nowhere near done but at least everything is finally at the new place.  Sadly I'm not living there yet because I only have a half bath and the place is full of contruction dust.  yuck!  Hopefully I'll be in by next week.  In a nutshell, I think it's safe to say that I've been stressed since March 18th when I closed on the condo.