Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Weekend Review

Spring-like weather arrived in Minnesota this past weekend - I think the entire state might have breathed a collective sign of relief.  Friday was our first day above freezing since February 9th!  Isn't that crazy?  You've definitely gotta be a tough/hearty person to live in Minnesota in the winter!!

I had a fun, full weekend.  Here's how I kept myself busy!

On Friday night I had dinner with coworkers from my first job out of college.  A manager I had worked with that I hadn't seen in nearly 8 years was able to attend so it was so great to catch up with her.  It was kind of crazy to tell her about everything that had happened in the last 8 year.  Between getting my MBA, becoming a CFA charter holder, relocating, working for three different companies, and all the other career changes, it made me realize that I've been through a lot career-wise in the last 8 years.  I knew I'd been through a lot but when you sit there and list it all out at one time, it's almost overwhelming to think about. 

After dinner I headed to Phil's to keep him company for a bit.  He has been pet sitting for a cat for the last 14 months and on Friday night he said goodbye to Ted the cat for the last time.  Ted's owner had been working in California for the last 14 months in a contract position but she accepted a full time job and is moving there this week.  Phil has probably had Ted about 80% of the time over the last 14 months so he really felt like "our cat."  He was the coolest, cuddliest cat so we are very sad to see him go but this means that Phil will probably be getting a kitty of his own which is exciting.  Nonetheless, goodbyes are always tough but Phil handled it really well.

We are really going to miss this cuddly cat
As you know from yesterday's post, I had my 10 mile race on Saturday morning.  It didn't start until 9 so I got to wake up without an alarm and take my time getting ready.  I was up way earlier than I need to be (thanks, body, for not letting me sleep in) so I stayed in bed and finished the book "Everything I Never Told You" (which was really good).  Most mornings I'm rushing off to one thing or another so it was delightful to wake up and read in bed for a bit! 

Saturday afternoon was spent doing laundry, reading, video chatting with Mandy, and relaxing.  I was pretty tired after my race so I gave myself permission to spend a couple of hours on the couch.  I also made a lentil and black bean soup that turned out pretty good despite the fact that I accidentally doubled the amount of cumin the recipe called for.  Good thing I love cumin.  :)

This looks unappetizing but was actually really good.
On Saturday night Phil and I met up with our group of friends to celebrate a friend's birthday.  We went out for BBQ and went bowling.  It was a really fun night!  My score was over 100 for both games which NEVER happens, and two of the guys in our group bowled over 200 in the second game which was fun to watch!

Phil going in for a strike

Sunday morning was spent puttering around the house and getting some chores done.  The weather was gorgeous so I was able to open up the windows - it felt awesome to get some fresh air in my home.  On Sunday afternoon I went over to a friend's house for a knitting/tea date.  I'd only seen her once since I moved home so it was great to spend a couple of hours catching up on our lives.

When I got home from my knitting date, I needed a little snack to hold me over until dinner so I decided to use the blender I just bought on Friday.  I've been wanting a blender for awhile and decided to buy one when I saw that they were 40% off at Macy's!  I went with a Ninja as it was in the right price range and got awesome reviews.  I used this smoothie recipe which was so refreshing and good!  I'm going to be making lots of smoothies now that I've got a great gadget.  One of my goals for 2015 was to have a 'buy one give one away' approach to clothing and kitchen gadgets, so the purchase of this blender means I'm getting rid of my magic bullet.  I'm hoping Phil will want it but if not I might try to sell it on craigslist.


On Sunday evening I picked up Allison and we went out for dinner. The place we had originally planned to go was closed on Sunday night (whoops, planning fail) but we easily figured a plan B and went to a Thai restaurant in the area instead.  I hadn't seen Allison since the fall so it was good to catch up over some yummy Thai food!

All in all it was a great weekend.  It was a little bit on the busy side as I didn't have as much downtime as I like to have on a weekend but I was able to connect with a lot of friends so I really can't complain!  Next weekend *should* be slower paced!

What was the highlight of your weekend?  My weekend contained lots of highs but if I had to choose one highlight, I'd say PR'ing at my 10 mile race!

16 comments:

The Many Thoughts of a Reader said...

SUN!! Sun and 40s were my highlight. I didn't wear my winter coat all weekend. It was glorious. Not to say that I coat wasn't needed but dang. Sun, I missed you!!! I also had fun deciding that we are going to Savannah next year for Spring Break, so I started planning a trip. It was a good weekend.

Kyria @ Travel Spot said...

Woof, another busy weekend for you! I was wondering when you said, "Spring has returned" what you meant by that, but above freezing is good!! It was perfect timing for your race.

I actually made a bean stew/soup this weekend as well; it was kind of a "veggie" chili, with pinto, navy and black beans as well as a few lentils to thicken things up. It turned out really good, especially since I used a couple of cups of homemade salsa in it, which gave it a big kick!

My weekend was good; I went to spectate a race and took a ton of photos and even got a sunburn! On Sunday, I did a long run, a very small hike and a bit of lazing around watching Hunger Games. It was perfect!

Courtney K. said...

Lisa,
I really like reading your blog. You have a nice way of writing. I am hopeful you will take the one suggestion I have...Being born and raised in Charlotte, NC, I just cringe when I read your negativity towards the Queen City. I am not saying you needed to enjoy living there or even like the city, but the picture you paint is pretty terrible. Albeit, it your blog and your are entitled to your opinions, but I feel as if you are making some unfair generalizations. We all do not love NASCAR down here (I don't...) and not everyone smokes outside of hospitals and on nature. In fact, we have a lot of outdoor groups, running clubs, etc. I get that Minneapolis will always be home to you, and you love it there. I spent some time in Maplewood, and find it beautiful myself. Could I make some criticisms? Sure, but I think taking the high road is better. I do also realize you were going through some tough, tough time while living in Charlotte, and I am so sorry. Our city has a lot to offer, and I am disappointed you did not see any of that. I actually thought you were done with Charlotte, but it always seems to creep back in how much you hated living there. You blog is really genuine, but you do not strike me as the kind of person that thrives on this type of negativity. Thanks for listening.
Andrea

Jeanie said...

Oh Lisa, I'm so sorry the cat's owner really decided to take him to California -- I can see why, but that's a long time to love an animal and have him gone.

It does sound like a great weekend. Mine was sort of laid back -- a memorial service, then a visit from a friend who was in Michigan to mourn his grieving sister, so not without some sad tones. But the memorial was healing and in many ways uplifting, so that was good.

Marlys said...

That smoothie really looks good, and I've heard great things about that blender.
Your weekend was full but sounded like fun!
The highlight of my weekend was seeing two of our grandsons and their parents and also the great sunny weather! We took the ranger out on the lake for the last time and it was so beautiful and peaceful! With the warm weather we are having, the snow on the ice will turn to water and it will not be safe to be out there.

Nilsa @ SoMi Speaks said...

I love how even during a busy weekend, you manage to get stuff done. During our busy weekends, cooking and laundry are completely forgotten!

My highlight this past weekend was going to candlelight yoga on Friday night followed by going out for tea and dessert with a girlfriend.

Lauren @ Sassy Molassy said...

Ah, poor Phil. I know he'll miss Ted! My favorite part of the weekend was our little hiking/Oregon Coast adventure and the sun that accompanied it.

Emilie said...

I'm so sad Ted had to go to CA! I would be a wreck. At least Phil can look into getting a new kitty. If you love friendly, cuddly cats definitely look into a Maine Coon cat. Milo is a MC and he has the best personality - many of your Ted stories reminded me of Milo! I am a terrible bowler and also get excited about anything over 100 points. I am very jealous of your weather although the 40's we are getting feels so nice. I can't wait for 60 degrees and sun!

Amber said...

So sad about Ted!! It will be strange to not have him around I'm sure. It will be nice for Phil to adopt his own cat though.

Sounds like you had a really awesome weekend -- yay for opening the windows again. It feels so much fresher in our house when we can open windows. I always take advantage of it in the spring and fall as the winter is obviously too cold and it's too stifling hot here in the summer to open them much.

Your smoothie looks super yummy! I can't wait till I'm good enough at knitting to have knitting dates, right now I feel like I have to focus too much on my stitchs/pattern to really talk to someone ;)

Leigh said...

I'm sad for Phil that he had to give Ted back :( it's crazy how long he looked after him for. I haven't been bowling since the summer. It's lots of fun though!

Kelly (She Wears a Red Sox Cap) said...

Aw, the cat is cute :) I hope Phil gets his own cat!

I have not been bowling in so long. This post reminds me I want to go, ha ha.

You definitely fit a lot into this weekend. Congrats on the PR!

Abby said...

You had a REALLY busy weekend! Awesome! And WAY TO GO on that PR! That is so cool how fast you keep getting! That's fun! Especially when you weren't expecting much out of this race, since you felt "undertrained".

Awww that is such a cute cat! A new kitten will be fun :)

That smoothie looks delicious! I love smoothies...

Highlight of my weekend was my picnic brunch with my friend Heather and Michelle. It was 70 degrees out, and we sprawled on a blanket at a park and had cinnamon rolls, fruit, and fresh grapefruit juice -- and just caught up on life. It was wonderful.

Stephany said...

Oh, having to say goodbye to Ted must have been really difficult. I'm also LOVING that you are excited about Phil getting a cat. :) I know you are not a huge animal lover, but as one myself, this makes me immensely happy.

I love bowling so much! I'm always happy, too, when I can score about 100! :)

The highlight of my weekend was Dutch getting a clean bill of health during his exam (always scary for me - he's such an old dog, so I just hold my breath everything is ok) and finding out his limping problem was due to a pinched nerve, and not a fracture or spine problem. Huge sigh of relief!

Nora said...

Bummer on saying goodbye to Ted but hooray for getting a kitty of his own someday soon!

Nice job on your bowling score, too. I haven't been bowling since the holidays and my scores were all over the place. Dad & Knight keep trying to get me to go more so I can join the bowling league in the fall but I don't think I'm good enough for that.

I wish I could have smoothies as they always look so yummy to me. I guess I could make one with yogurt and peanut butter but I don't know if that is considered a smoothie since it can't have fruit in it!

Becky said...

Holy cow you did a lot last weekend! (And I'm still thinking about it as "this weekend" even though it's Wednesday night...whomp whomp!)

Hooray for a fabulous run and sad to see an adorable kitty go but yes to maybe a new one soon - maybe a kitten?

Ben LOVES making smoothies and while we don't have a Ninja he's used one and loves it!

I think my highlight from last weekend was how little plans we had - we got our taxes done and ended up making an unexpected trip to labor and delivery but I've really been trying not to plan away our time so we can just be lazy in bed and enjoy this time with the two of us before Lemon arrives!

Jolene - EverydayFoodie said...

It's been spring-like here too!! We're absolutely loving it :-) Hopefully, if the snow keeps melting like it is, we can BBQ this week.

That would be so hard to say goodbye to such a lovely pet :-(