Monday, March 24, 2014

Virtual Coffee Date

It's Monday so we all need some caffeine right?  If we had a coffee date today, here's what I'd fill you in on.


If we were having coffee today...

- I'd tell you that this whole job search process feels so foreign to me.  Aside from 6 months that I spent working at another company (which was a hellacious experience) I have only worked for my current employer which means I've worked for my current employer, in various roles, for about 10 years.  Internal job searches are so much easier because I know who the hiring manager is and the salary range.  I will be very relieved when this job search is over for multiple reasons.

- I'd tell you that I am nervous about the month of April because I don't have any weekend trips planned which means I'll be in Charlotte a lot.  However, I have work trips to Houston, Denver, and Charleston so hopefully those trips will give me a enough of a break from Charlotte to make the month tolerable.

- I'd tell you how I have very few running path options here in Charlotte because there is no water in this city.  And then I'd tell you how the one running path that it is close to me goes by a hospital and how much is pisses me off that hospital workers walk down to the path for their smoke break.  I already judge people who smoke (sorry I'm not sorry, it's a disgusting habit) so people who smoke on a running/biking path?  I have the very lowest opinion of them.  I should not have to run through a cloud of smoke.

- I'd switch the conversation to something positive and tell you that I am really excited for my trip to Savannah this weekend.  I don't have much planned; I really just want to walk and walk and walk as I have heard it's such a cute city with neat parks and gardens.

- I'd also tell you how great it is that my joints are healing well enough for me to start taking some strength training classes.  Besides not running from mid-April to mid-January, I also wasn't able to do any upper body strength training from early-June to mid-March as my joints hurt so much.  But the medications seem to be doing their job as I've added low-weight strength training in and it's gone well so far.  It's fun to be able to take more classes at the gym!

- Lastly, I'd tell you that I gave up sweets and chocolate for Lent and how I've been surrounded by temptation (I mean at one point I walked through a crowd of people eating delicious home made ice cream) but that it's felt good to exercise the muscles of self-restraint.  I'd tell you that I am unsure how I will celebrate Easter but that the day will certainly include macarons!

If we were having coffee today, what would you fill me in on?

21 comments:

  1. Ugh the smoking thing - especially when you're running, gross indeed!

    If we were having coffee this morning I'd tell you:

    *I went to a surprise 30th birthday party for a friend (and fellow knitter) Saturday evening at the yarn store we love and it was so much fun!
    *I am headed to NYC this weekend and I hope this four-day week flies by!
    *I would like to still be sleeping right now and not have to go to work today. For real.

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  2. Um...seriously? smoking on a bike/running path- you have got to be joking. Charlotte really is terrible, no? Adding to your list of reasons to come be my nanny- I have an awesome bike trail (though it's not near water- but there are plenty of those options as well both in Boston and at the Cape) a 3 minute walk from my house. Never seen anyone smoke on it, thankfully!

    I'm glad you are able to strength train again- and run! It's great that all the medicine is actually working I'm sure that makes it easier to restrict your wine intake haha.

    If we were having coffee this morning I'd complain about this dumb work thing I have to do before I go back to work (well I could wait til I go back to work but I won't have time then) and I'd explain to you how they kept calling "evidence" "EDVIDENCE" and I thought it was a typo but no it's a stupid EDUCATION EVIDENCE thing... really? We are not 5. Or maybe I'm just bitter because the whole thing is a waste of time lol.

    I would also tell you Max slept from 10-4 last night and then 5-8. Probably the most sleep I've got in almost 10 weeks. Yay.

    I'd also tell you about my barre class in case you ever go to one :)

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  3. Ooooh NO to the smoking on a running/bike path. If I were in a particularly moody mood I'd probably say something to them, or at least cough pointedly. There aren't a whole lot of running options in Pittsburgh either, which means I run on city streets and have to deal with a lot of exhaust and stoplights. It makes me miss the Chicago lakefront path even more!!

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  4. I have to agree on the smoking situation and would definitely start coughing when I ran past them! They know it is disgusting, so that makes it doubly stupid!
    I, too, gave up sweets and find it a great challenge but then feel so strong when I pass it up! I love the exercise of self-denial!
    If we had coffee this morning I would tell you that seeing my granddaughter baptized on Saturday gave me great joy! A priest once said that if we could see the soul of a child who was about to be baptized, their soul would be jumping with excitement!
    I would also tell you that we are excited about our upcoming trip to FL for some sun and warmth and family time which we so yearn for!

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  5. Smoking on the running path? From hospital workers? Insane!

    If I were having coffee I'd tell you, tea please! I'd tell you had we had a great time tasting wine with our friends and I've been making crackers like a crazy person and finally got some that worked!

    I'd say I took a couple of road trips this past week to IKEA and Ann Arbor and also to Grand Rapids where I visited a great new artisan market and pottery factory.

    AND, I'd tell you I've been spinning pretty regularly and that this week I am doing my taxes no matter what!

    Hang in there, Lisa. It'll happen. Till it does, max out the south -- I'm thinking you might not want to get down there again soon, once you get back north!

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  6. Smoking on a running path? Really gross. As if smoking isn't bad enough. Ugh.

    On my list of things I'd tell you this morning:

    * I'd like to be a professional reader. Seriously. This whole corporate/dressing up situation is for the birds.

    * I got to work at 7:15 this morning and I'm already dragging. I'm not a morning person!

    * I'm ready for REAL spring. The sun is warm but the outside temps are not.

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  7. I have totally ran or walked past people smoking before and I HATE IT. So nasty.

    While it's not nearly as long of a time I am going to give up sweets/treats for my 4-week DietBet. I may allow myself a small treat on Easter (especially if it's some kind of homemade dessert my grandma makes since we will be home) but other than that I am going to work on practicing REALLY clean eating. I think telling myself that I can indulge all I want once we get to Ireland will help with the self-restraint!

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  8. If we were to have coffee today, I'd remind you that I'm not a coffee drinker, but boy do I need one today. So sleepy ... coming back to work after a vacation is so hard. =)

    I'm totally with you re. running by smokers. I don't even tolerate them very well when I'm running through the city (not even on a path) ... and tend to wildly wave my arms and cough loudly. I'm sure they roll their eyes at me, but I'm not sorry, either.

    Speaking of running ... I ran almost 5 miles on one of my runs in Florida. I about died (it was hot and there was no shade), but felt great and am excited to turn this summer into one of training.

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  9. Ugh, smoking is something I have no tolerance for. It's just stupid! Especially on a bike/run path. That's just not okay!

    I'm sorry about the job search. It is really NOT fun at all. And I'm sure it's doubly (triply? quadruply?) so with your hatred toward Charlotte. Ugh, ugh, ugh.

    Let's see, if we were having a coffee date (hey! We just had one, how cool is that?!), I would probably admit my Lenten challenge of giving up soda and chocolate is NOT going smoothly, but I'm not giving up. Even if I don't resist it for the full 40 days, at least I'm trying. (Or that's what I keep telling myself!) I'd also tell you how much I'm enjoying doing Jillian Michaels workout videos since they are SUCH a hard workout and make me feel so awesome at the end.

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  10. You need to watch Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil this week to get ready for the trip to Savannah. While you won't accidentally stumble into a garden party with John Cusak, the rest of the movie is pretty accurate.

    You should plan enough to take a tour that goes through Bonaventure Cemetary. Start with http://www.savannahheritagetour.com/bonaventure-cemetery.html, we took the Midnight Book tour a few years ago and it was amazing. I've been going down to Sav my whole life and was still blown away by the tour.

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  11. I'm so glad you're able to run again!! I'd probably tell you I don't need coffee since I drink so much at work, but that wouldn't stop me. I'd talk about what it's like to start over in a new place versus starting over in the same place (something I'm thinking a lot about lately). Have a great week!

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  12. Oh my gosh, I have often given up sweets for lent and it is HARD, so props to you. I really hate having to run through smoke and on an exercise path no less.

    Well, you know my exciting news, but I'm also happy to actually be reading a book for fun this week and excited to head out for a run in the 60s tonight. Shorts and tank, here I come! Your Savannah weekend sounds really nice. I have heard a lot of good things about it.

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  13. Ugh, the smoking on the bike path ... that is annoying. And gross.

    I saw you texted tonight after I got done with Zumba and just realized I didn't reply! I will reply in the morning instead of now so I hopefully do not wake you! :)

    I also gave up sweets/chocolate/any candy for Lent! I'm not Catholic, but I think it has been great for me to participate. Bill and I have been going to church more and it feels great. It also feels great to have given up sweets for a period of time! It was getting bad ...

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  14. Don't even get me started on smokers! Worst habit ever. My dad and his wife smoke and that's the number one reason I don't enjoy spending time at their house. It just gets into all of your clothes and your hair. So gross! Take lots of pictures in Savannah so I can live through you. Another place I've always wanted to go :)

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  15. I get SO angry with people who smoke nearly parks, trails, etc! There was a spectator at the race the other day! I feel like it was intentional. I yelled at him....

    I'm sorry that your running trails are so limited. We have a lot of trails - but absolutely not a drip of water! It's sad.

    Wow! Great willpower on walking pat the home made ice cream eaters!!

    If we were having coffee today I'd talk about me and Ryan's recent revelation that we wish we had done more fun and adventurous things in college - studied abroad, gone on a long backpacking trip. We were so focused in getting our degrees, the jobs, the house - now we can't just take a month off to go backpack Europe. It's not the end of the world - but that is definitely some advice I'd give my 20 year old self....

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  16. Ooooooh, a trip to Houston!!! I'd love to go there and eat some epic BBQ :-)

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  17. Also, I'd tell you that I am so excited to go to Mexico in exactly 25 days!! Still a bit away, but I seriously want to start packing!!!!

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  18. First let me say it is 2:25am----so I can guarantee you would not be happy if I requested a coffee date at this hour :) Luckily, a virtual coffee date can be had at any time without fear of upsetting your company :)

    So---what would I tell you?

    I would say that I'm somewhat relieved that my two doctor appointments resulted in the (good?!?!?) news that nothing truly appears to be wrong with my ear---but I am still frustrated that I have all this pain! The suggestion of "eliminating stress" to help heal me just makes me laugh. I defn would like to be stress free, but it's not like I can just flip and switch and say "Bye, bye stress!"

    I would also tell you how happy I am that you have been able to enjoy running again and how annoyed I am that these smokers are clouding up your "happy place" with their nicotine. Smoking is a habit I just cannot understand. Jason and I were just discussing this and I told him it just baffles me that people want to do this--especially after all of the many warnings and verified reports that it can ruin your health!

    Okay---one more thing. I would tell you that I will be thinking extra good thoughts for you as you continue to navigate life in Charlotte in April. I really wish I could just hop on a plane and visit for a weekend. Please know I am always a phone call or text away. :)

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  19. It makes me so angry when I see workers from companies go use greenspace where people are out being healthy to go smoke. I mean, yes, you have to go away from the building, but how about you just freaking quit. I could go on an all day rant about smoking. The smokers at my office actually avoid walking past my cube because I will boo and hiss them. True story.

    Hooray for strength training!

    I would tell you that I'm feeling pretty good about my upcoming half, even though I need to adjust my time goals. It's amazing how injury really changes your perspective on what's really important: enjoying the journey and finishing.

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  20. We have the race on the 12th, I got my 5 miles in this past Monday. Then if you want to do the skyline 5K that is 4/26. We need to set up a sushi night too :) My schedule is crazy but let's figure some things out for the calendar.

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  21. Oh man and here I was going to suggest getting ice cream in Savannah! One thing that I really wanted to do last time I was there but I didn't (but this might be a great time to do it weather wise) is kayak through the marshy areas at at Tybee Island. There are a couple of rental sites. But there are definitely LOTS of walking options. They have a great farmers market on Saturday and there is so much history there! I hope you have a great trip this weekend. SO glad to read that the medication is working and you're getting back to some of the things that you love!!

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