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!