Five Things Friday

Guess who isn't working today?

Me!

As you read this, I will be at the cabin with my family. My brother from Chicago is there this week so I headed up a day early to get some extra time with him. I can't wait to hang out with my little nephew, Kolin! I wonder if he'll know my name or call me Abby! The boys have a bit of a tough time telling us apart sometimes!

Since my brain is a bit scattered this week, here's my miscellany in "Five Things Friday" form..

1. Tator Tot Hotdish - You can get this on a stick at the state fair. I was explaining the concept to the ladies last week at the fair and - GASP - they didn't know what Tator Tot Hotdish is!!! What? I had no idea this was a regional dish! It really wasn't something my mom made very often (if at all...) but I remember having it at school and loving it. Since it has cream of mushroom soup in it... which has gluten in it... I can't have it now... But really, it's something I think everyone should experience... And yes, I realize that most of the nation says "casserole", not "hotdish" but I am a North Dakota girl and that's how we role.

2. A Labor of Love - So that crochet project I have been working on for 3+ months? It's done! Well, besides the finishing work... I know I sort of whined about how difficult/frustrating it was, but the project turned out beautifully. I can't wait to reveal it to you, but you'll have to wait a while as it's a gift for a friend that reads this blog.

3. The Dark - This week I noticed that it is way darker at 5 am when I do my morning runs. Like I can see the stars. On Wednesday, it was dark for 5 of my 8 miles, some of which were ran on a trail that is not very well lit. I live in a safe neighborhood, so I know I am safe. What does make me nervous is tripping over a curb or crack in the side walk (I am a total klutz) or running into the deer or something like that (not out of the realm of possibilities...)! I am pretty sure these 5 am runs will have to be phased out soon...

4. Cool Weather - it's been in the low 60s in the morning this week, which does make those early morning runs quite glorious. I am SO over summer. Seriously. Go away. I want these 60 degree temps to stay around. I am ready for sleeping with the windows open. I'm ready to wear sweaters and scarves as accessories. I'm jonesing to drink a pumpkin spice latte.

5. Another short long run - I switched up my marathon training schedule so instead of doing 20 this weekend, I will do 12. I switched it so that a) I wouldn't have to run 20 miles at the cabin (long runs at the cabin suck since I have limited roads to run on), and b) I'll be running an organized 20 mile race next weekend. I obviously will treat this as a training run and not a 'race'. Even though I won't know anyone else running it, it will be nice to have some company on that long run! I did this same race when I was training for the Twin Cities Marathon in 2006 and it was so well ran so I am really looking forward to it!

Have a fabulous weekend long weekend, everyone! I'll catch you on the flip side - and will likely have a picture-heavy post next week as I get to see ALL 4 of my nephews!!

Fill-in Friday

Happy Friday! This week flew by for me! Work has been crazy busy. Interest rates dropped again this week, and since I work in an industry that is very impacted by interest rates, that means we are busy, busy, busy. They are having some late nights next week and management just told us that they have 14 iPads to give away! I'm definitely crossing my fingers that I win one!!

I thought it would be fun to finish off the week by learning a little more about each other. Here are 5 "Fill-In the Blank" Questions. I'd love it if you answered in the comments!

1. I wish I had more time during the day to __________.

2. I feel most confident when I am __________.

3. I am more of a _________ brain person. (left or right)

4. I was born in the month of __________.

5. I like my eggs __________.

Here are my answers:

1. Crochet/Knit
2. Wearing heels and a flattering dress
3. Left
4. February
5. scrambled with some cheese and chopped veggies, like peppers and onion.

Have a fabulous weekend, everyone! After being out of town last weekend, I am looking forward to a weekend in Minneapolis!

Friday Confessions

Nora did a Confessions post last Friday. They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so here is my version!

• I learned how to make scrambled eggs at the age of 27... Embarrassing, I know. I think a 5 year old could master that. I was having a friend over for brunch and decided to make breakfast burritos. Then I panicked and realized that I had never made scrambled eggs. So I called my mom (who couldn't believe I had never made them) because I had no idea how much milk to put in, or if I needed to add milk at all.
• I have never seen a single episode of American Idol or So You Think You Can Dance.
• I have also never seen a single Star Wars movie - and probably never will.
• I have a life-size crush on a fictional character, Adam Braverman. He's a character on Parenthood, a new favorite show of mine. I think he is downright dreamy - and get this, he's a Minnesotan! He grew up in Alexandria which is 30 minutes from my parents' lake cabin! I should totally start a fan club if one doesn't exist!
• When I walk on sidewalks or tiles, I try not to step on the cracks. It has nothing to do with the "don't step on the crack or you'll break your mother's back" mantra. It's one of many OCD things I do.
• I have done solo karaoke once in my life. My brother sang a Johnny Cash song at a townie bar in Maple Grove, MN (total suburbia). He dared me to sing a song... I'm not one to turn down a dare. I sang a song by Eminem (I won't admit which one. The lyrics are TERRIBLE). It wasn't one of my finer moments. My brother's song selection was much more appropriate. What can I say, I was a stupid 22 year old who had consumed a few too many vodka crans. It was a really fun night, though.
• You know how I told you yesterday that I work 6 cubes from my ex-boyfriend? I also work 2 floors below my ex-boyfriend. Yes, I dated 2 co-workers. I dated the one who works 6 cubes away in 2005/06, and dated the one who works 2 floors above in 2007/2008. * hangs head * I didn't technically work with either of them while we dated, but we were employed by the same company. However, in my defense, The Chariot has 300k+ employees and there are plenty of successful Chariot marriages - so it works for some. Just probably not for me.

Anything you'd like to confess on this wonderful Friday?

Three Things Friday

Hello, friends! Happy Friday! Today caps off my first week back with The Chariot. Ahh, it is good to be back. This first week has kind of felt like an on-going high school reunion... err, in a world were high school reunions are a good thing - they aren't in mine... Anyways, I have seen so many familiar faces. When all these changes started happening in my life, I was really questioning if I had made the right choice when leaving The Psych Experiment; after this week, I feel absolutely confident that I am where I should be!

But today's post isn't about that.

Today, I'd like to get to know you, my readers, a little bit better. I'm fastly approaching my 2 year Blogoversary - which is June 3rd! It's hard to believe I've been at this for nearly 2 years. Over those 2 years, I've really grown as an individual, and as a writer. When I started out, my only faithful commenters were my mom and my aunt Barb!

I've gotten to know most of you pretty well by reading your blogs, but I think it's always fun to learn a little more about each other.

So today, I will share 3 things about you, and then maybe you can share 3 things about yourself in my comments! And yes, I am also talking to the lurkers who don't comment (Wink, wink, Pat, that includes you).

Here are my 3 things:

1. I am a total Francophile. I really became a Francophile when I spent 3 weeks in France during the summer of 2008 (chronicled on my first blog), but I think I was always destined to be a Francophile. When I was in 4th grade, we had to write a report about a composer for our music class. I insisted that the teacher assign me a French composer as I had French Ancestry (Totally not true. I am German/Scottish/Swedish). When it came time to give our reports, I delivered mine in a "French accent" - or at least a 4th grader's interpretation of a French accent. What can I say, I had have a flare for the dramatic. And a healthy imagination.

2. My favorite color is pink. In college, I wore so much pink clothing, I would do an entire load of pink laundry!

3. My first job, besides babysitting, was teaching piano. I taught piano during my Junior and Senior year of high school. I had about 10 students, including my little sister! That was interesting... I always thought that maybe someday my life would mirror my piano teacher's life and that I'd get married, be a stay at home mom, and teach lessons out of my home. That's looking pretty darn unlikely, but we'll see what the future holds!

Alright, your turn! Please make my day by sharing three things about yourself!

What's Your Color?

According to this quiz, found via Nicole's blog, mine is yellow:

You are quite the powerful thinker. It’s this talent that allows you to overcome a plethora of great obstacles. Luckily, this doesn’t affect your ego and you give off a pretty easy-going appearance. You enjoy the finer things in life and also have an attraction to art. If you can help it, you try not to rock the boat. But you also can’t stop yourself from searching for new ideas, methods or styles.

I would say that is fairly accurate - except the easy-going appearance. I think most people who know me well would say I am quite high strung...

But I have been quite fond of yellow lately. It makes me think of the sun. And lemons. Both of which I will see this weekend when I am in PHOENIX!!

I leave tomorrow and absolutely can't wait.

What's your favorite color? If you take this quiz, tell me the results in your comment!

Going Bananas!

I came home on Monday night, opened my mail, and had a package!

Oo, a package - really, is there anything more fabulous that getting an unexpected package in the mail? The package was from Mandy of Knowing the Difference - she had sent me this:



I can't tell you how excited I was! I see this book at Target each week and have had the toughest time resisting the urge to purchase it! I am such a huge fan of this game, I knew I'd love this little book of puzzles!

Let me tell you, it has made my bus commutes fly by! Plus, I had been struggling to stay awake on my bus rides in so then I would get to work and feel all groggy. Not anymore! These puzzles require so much concentration, I no longer feel like I could fall asleep standing up when I arrive at work.

At the beginning of the book, there are some fun, interesting, and somewhat shocking facts about bananas. I just had to share a couple of them. I mean, who doesn't love fun, random facts!

• Bananas are technically classified as berries
• Contrary to popular belief, bananas do not grow on trees. They're actually the fruit of a giant herb plant which can grow to be 20 feet high
• Americans eat an average of 28 POUNDS of bananas per person each year. That breaks down to about 112 bananas for every person!

So thanks again, Mandy! It was incredibly sweet of you to send this book to me!! I hope we can eventually meet up and play Bananagrams!!

Oh, and if you want to hear me talk about something besides banana, check out Mandy's blog - I am guess posting over there today!

Ok, were you as shocked about the 28 pounds statistic as I was? When they broke it down to 112 bananas/person/year, it sounds pretty reasonable. But initially I was like - holy. cannasta.

Random Act of Kindness

Happy Friday y'all! What a week it has been. I am really looking forward to a plan-free weekend. It's great to have fun things planned, but sometimes I need a weekend where I have nothing going on so I can just be a bit of a hermit. I plan on running, reading, knitting, and watching the first 2 discs of Season 1 of Arrested Development. Everyone who watches it raves about it so I am hoping I love it, too. I have a huge crush on Michael Cera so I am sure I'll love it! I just love how awkward Michael Cera is - makes him even more endearing in my opinion!

Oh, and do you want to put in your two cents on the next Blogger Book Club Book? If so, go here and make a suggestion! We'll vote towards the end of the month! Is anyone reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo? I read it this fall & really enjoyed it so it's definitely worth checking out!

Anyways, I was all set to share my Potato Soup recipe today, but that will have to wait until Monday (I'm sure my old co-worker Pat is happy to read that. He hates my recipes posts. Do you?).

Instead I have a little story to share with you.

Yesterday, we had this lovely freezing drizzle. I mean, who doesn't love freezing rain? I don't love snow, but I will say I would prefer that to freezing rain.

It had been a long day at work and I was really not looking forward to scraping the windows of my car. The bus dropped me off at the parking lot where I park and I saw the layer of ice gleaming from other people's cars, but when I saw my car from afar, it didn't look like it had that lovely layer of ice. Hmm, very puzzling.

Well, folks, that is because it didn't.

Someone scraped my windows for me. And they didn't do a half-arse job, either. They scraped the entire windshield and both the front & back driver- & passenger-side windows. They actually did a better job than I would have.

I have NO idea who did this. Even though I have rode the bus for nearly 3 years, I have not made any friends. I get on the bus around 6:45 in the am and I am just not in a chit chat kind of mood. I get back on the bus at 5:50 pm and, once again, am really not in the chit chat mood. So it's not like I have a bus buddy who decided to do me a favor.

And I highly doubt I have a secret admirer!

So I can only assume it was a random act of kindness! Maybe someone else is working on a 30 by 30 or 101 in 1001 list or something and wanted to check "perform random act of kindness" off their list!

Let me just say - it made my day. Totally.

So tell me - have you ever been on the receiving end of a random act of kindness? Have you ever performed a random act of kindness for a stranger? If so, do tell!

Midweek Miscellany

My brain is kind of doing flip-flops right now, for no apparent reason, and after struggling to put together a cohesive post, you get a little bit of miscellany.

• On Monday night, I had a bad dream. I dreamed that I left my coffee thermos on my kitchen counter - in my dream, I walked by a Starbucks and wanted to cry because I knew it was going to be a coffee-free day since I have committed to only having lattes on Fridays (and I have been successful so far!). Seriously, who has bad dreams about forgetting their coffee. I have this little thing called an extreme addiction to caffeine.
• At the gym last night, I pounded out 4 miles next to a complete psycho. He kept talking to himself and saying, 'we're alone' or something like that. Um, no, you aren't. Every freaking treadmill is currently in use. You are not alone and I don't want to listen to your chanting. Then, after the chanting, he started grunting like he was delivering a child or practicing lamaze. It was the weirdest thing I have ever seen. I wanted to tell him to shut up but I was afraid that might set off some sort of 'roid rage and he'd punch me or something. Dude, don't go to my Y anymore. You are scaring people.
• I went to a going away party yesterday for a friend & former co-worker whose position is being eliminated. Guess what her boss brought in for treats? A couple of bags of popcorn (which tasted like crap) and some fudge. My friend is the one who always planned everyone else's going away parties or special events and put so much time and thought into them. And she gets popcorn as her parting gift?
• We are experiencing a heat wave in this part of the country. What does a heat wave mean to us in January? 20 degrees baby! In celebration of the fact that we are no longer hovering in subzero temps, I am wearing a dress or skirt to work every day this week. It's really funny how what you consider 'cold' changes throughout the year. In November, I would have whined about 20 degree temps. Now I am celebrating by wearing dresses (with tights, I'm not THAT hard core).

That's all I've got for you.

What's new in your world these days? Any miscellany to share with me?

Very Superstitious

First things first - Happy Friday! Another week has come and gone. Are any of you reading Pride & Prejudice for the blogging book club? If so - hop over here and read my guest post! I am about half ways through it and am enjoying it even more than I did the first time I read it!

Today is Friday the 13th (cue scary dun, dun, dun music), so let's talk about superstitions. I have to say I am not at all superstitious. I do have rituals, like laying out my race outfit the night before a race, but I don't link that ritual with my performance the next day. I just do it because I know I am going to be so groggy the morning of the race.

I will tell you what country/culture has a lot of superstitions, though - Russia! Last fall I went out to dinner with a co-worker, and her 2 friends. They were all from Russia. Here are a couple of things I did over the course of the evening that sparked a lot of Russian chatter:

#1 - On the car ride to the restaurant, they were all chatting in Russian, so I started whistling. (Yep, I whistle sometimes, sort of subconsciously. This is what happens when you live alone for 6 years.) I was quickly informed that in Russia (or at least the region where these girls are from) no one whistles because it means you are going to lose all of your money.

#2 - We got to the restaurant and I put my purse down on the floor. Turns out if you put your purse on the floor, you will also lose all of your money.

#3 - We were eating at a Russian restaurant (Moscow on the Hill for any locals that read this) and good Lord their portions were enormous. So I didn't even come close to finishing everything on my plate. Turns out that leaving food on your plate means you are going to also lose your health.

It was kind of funny because I just couldn't seem to do anything right. Every time I'd break one of their traditions/superstitions, the girls would start talking excitedly in Russian, and I'd know right away that I had once again done something wrong!

Anyways, I am intrigued by the practices and traditions of different cultures, so this was an interesting and fun experience to go out to eat with Yulia and her friends! Now let's just hope their superstitions are not true!!

Would you consider yourself a superstitious person? Do you think of Friday the 13th any differently from other Fridays?

My weekend in bullet points

How was your weekend? I hope it was fabulous and relaxing, like mine was. Apparently all I had to do was post about crappy cold weather - mother nature must have read the whiny first paragraph of that post and decided I deserved some nice fall weather. She came through big time - it was sunny and gorgeous on Saturday and got up into the 60s! I wanted to do a little happy dance when I woke up to such perfect weather on Saturday!

So here's what I did this weekend, in bullet point form:

• Went on a lovely 7 mile run around 2 of my favorite local lakes, Calhoun & Harriet. It was really nice to run as far as I dang well pleased - I have been 'on the training grid' for the last 12 weeks so it's nice to do whatever I feel like doing now. I am sure I'll be antsy for another Higdon grid soon, though!
  
• Went to my local knitting shop and learned how to 'block' a scarf - which is basically steaming the scarf while it's skewered on wires to help the pattern open up. I love my local knitting shop, Bella Lana. I love wandering around, checking out all the cool patterns and yarns. I picked up a couple of new patterns this weekend and can't wait to get started on them. I think I might actually make something for MYSELF for a change. My last 6-8 projects have been gifts for people.
• Met up with my aunt, 3 cousins, and my cousin's wife for dinner on Saturday night. It was so fun catching up with them and seeing their kids. I grew up 7 miles from my aunt & cousins so am very close to them. I'm so glad we've stayed close as we've all moved away from our home town, grown up, and started careers and families!
• Cooked a real meal for the first time in about, oh, 4-5 weeks. I made home-made vegetable beef stew!! Recipe to come later this week!

That's about everything! All in all it was a pretty quiet and largely unscheduled weekend, which was just what I needed.

My days are so scheduled out these days - I tend to have about 4-5 hours of meetings every day at work, and then I schedule in work outs, so by the time the weekend comes, I kind of want to collapse (which I do on Friday night) and then do whatever I dang well please at whatever time I want to do it! This also means I am really not seeing a lot of friends during the week or weekends because I just can't handle scheduling more things into my schedule. I kind of feel guilty about this. But I know I need to take care of myself or I will run myself down and be in a mood where no one in their right mind will want to be around me!

I am sure that once I adjust to my new schedule, I'll be back to scheduling things to the hilt and seeing lots of people on the weekends, but I think for the rest of the year, I'll keep scheduled plans on the weekend to the minimum!

How was your weekend? Do anything exciting? Or were you low key like me?

Four Things Friday

My mind is, once again, mush. By the time Friday rolls around, I am just dog tired. My Friday night schedule usually involves working out and then spending the night on the couch either reading or watching a movie. And that is what I intend to do tonight. Sometimes I wonder where my Mr. Right is and I think - well, he's probably also a homebody, sitting on his couch watching movies. How in the heck are we ever going to find each other!

Anyways, here are 4 things that are on my mind right now:

1. When the Starbucks Barrista greets me by name, I kind of want to jump over the counter and hug him. It's nice to have someone great me with a smile and a coffee at 7:15 am each day.

2. I'm starting to formulate my Christmas present shopping strategy. It takes a lot of thought to come up with the perfect gift for everyone on my list! And given how fast October flew by, Christmas is going to be here before we know it!

3. I'm so excited to see my aunt & cousins this weekend - they are coming to the cities to shop while their husbands hunt. I can't wait to see my cousin who is now almost 20 weeks pregnant (I think?). She sent me the picture from her ultrasound and I instantly thought - it's a girl. I wonder if I will be right!!!

4. Lately I feel like I could completely give up TV. I have pretty much zero interest in it and have been deleting stuff off my DVR right and left. I am getting so much reading done, though, so I kind of hope my disinterest continues!

What's on your mind? Any fun plans for the weekend?

Ten on Thursday (v. 3)

First of all, thank you for all of your sweet, supportive comments yesterday. They were all so thoughtful & kind - so thank you for that. I am feeling much better - the worst part is getting over the initial disappointment. Now that I've cleared that hurdle, it's onwards & upwards from here!

Alright, now for something lighter! I'm back again with the 3rd edition of Ten on Tuesday, brought to you by the lovely Chelsea.

1. What are you going to be for Halloween?
Um, I kind of hate Halloween. I love seeing kids dressed up, but I do not enjoy partaking in that tradition as an adult. Go ahead, call me a fun hater. This year I am running a 1/2 marathon in the a.m. & then going to a 3 year old's birthday party in the afternoon. So I told my friend (the mom) that I will either show up as a) a beat up, very sore runner, or b) a librarian.

Because neither 'costume' would require me to wear anything out of the ordinary.

2. Have you ever been on television?
Nope.

3. Do you have a toilet paper preference?
I'm definitely an over v. under girl. I have to resist the urge to 'correct' the roll when at other people's houses. I'm not as picky with the brand but prefer something like Quilted Northern.

4. When you’re pregnant, will you find out the sex of the baby? (Or if you’ve already had babies, did you find out the sex?) Why or why not?
Nope and this is so out of character for me because I do not like surprises. Even when they are fantastic, fabulous surprises. But when it comes to finding out the sex of my child, I will not (unless my husband feels really strong about this - then maybe). It's just the way it's done in my family. No one has found out, and I feel like I would be the person who would be told she's having a girl, then paints her nursery pink, only to be surprised by a boy.

5. What are three items that every kitchen must have?
A saute pan, a good knife, and a cutting board.

6. Do you enjoy Christmas shopping?
Yes, I really do. It's the best feeling when you pick out that perfect gift for someone. I actually enjoy the shopping & giving more than the receiving. Don't get me wrong - I love the gifts I receive each year, it's just more fulfilling picking out gifts for others. I guess this means I am 'growing up'.

7. What is your go-to recipe? (The thing you cook more than anything else because it’s easy and mindless.) Please share the recipe.
Um, this is bad but I don't have one. It used to be this lasagna recipe of my mom's, but then I went gluten free and I am afraid to try it w/ GF noodles. But if I was having people over for dinner, I would probably make this recipe (assuming they liked mushrooms).

8. Do you sleep on your back, belly, or side?
I sleep on my side, cradling a body pillow. I used to sleep on my stomach, but it was causing arthritis in my neck... so the doctor said no more stomach sleeping. So I trained myself to sleep on my side. It was NOT easy!

9. How do you feel about Tom Cruise?
I don't care for him. I think he's very odd. And he's brain washed Katie Holmes, in my opinion.

That said - I'd love it for a guy to be so excited about me, he jumped up and down on a couch... even though that might not have been genuine and might have been a publicity stunt. But let's just all pretend for a moment that it was completely sincere. That must feel pretty awesome to have a guy THAT excited about you.

10. What books are in your “books to read” stack?
Oo, good question. Let me show you...


Yep, those 2 shelves. 2 freaking shelves. And yet, I continue to buy books. Why? I don't know. But I have been much better about not buying books lately. I have maybe bought one book each month - which is pretty good. Here's a random selection of some books on those shelves:

Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
Marathon by Hal Higdon
The Red Scarf by Kate Funrivall

You all know the drill - answer some, answer all, post them on your blog!

Over the Top

I received this lovely little award from Becky at Love Everyday Life and I think one other person might have also awarded it to me, but I can't seem to remember who... sorry... my brain is fried these days!

In order to accept this award I have to answer the following questions and then pass the love onto six other bloggers, so here goes.

By the way, I've answered these before but was restricted to answering w/ one word, so I am re-answering them since I can now expound on answers if need be!

1. here is your cell phone: on the coffee table
   
2. Your hair: in need of hair dye
   
3. Your mother: compassionate
   
4. Your father: a proxy for the kind of man I would like to marry
   
5. Your favorite food: pickles
   
6. Your dream from last night: I dreamed I was going to grad school in Cuba... Bizarre, I know.
   
7. Your favorite drink: water with cucumbers
   
8. Your dream/goal: to have a family some day
   
9. What room are you in: living room
   
10. What is your hobby: reading
11. What is your fear: Not living up to expectations at work
    
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years: in a house in SW Minneapolis
    
13. Where were you last night: at home
    
14. Something you are not: patient
    
15. Muffins: Blueberry
    
16. Wish list items: GPS - I get lost ALL THE TIME
    
17. Where did you grow up: North Dakota
    
18. Last thing you did: Sent a text message
    
19. What are you wearing: a t-shirt and pajama pants
    
20. Your TV: in use at the moment
    
21. Your pets: None - I can't keep a plant alive, probably not a good idea for me to have a pet.
    
22. Your friends: irreplaceable
    
23. Your life: busy
    
24. Your mood: tense
    
25. Missing someone: friends & family
    
26. Vehicle: silver Honda Accord
    
27. Something you're not wearing: socks
    
28. Your favorite store: Banana Republic
    
29. Your favorite color: pink
    
30. When's the last time you laughed: At work on Monday
    
31. When's the last time you cried: Sunday
    
32. Your best friend: Caring
    
33. One place you go over and over: Target
    
34. One person who emails me regularly: Heidi
    
35. Favorite place to eat: My mom's

Here's my 6 - it's so tough to pick because I definitely read & love more than 6 blogs!

Roots & Rings
My Life with a Crazy Puppy
Walking Through the Rain
This Girl...
Suburban Euphoria
Cherry Blossoms

Ten on Thursday - Take 2

I am experiencing major brain drain. I'm still adjusting to my new schedule. It goes something like this:

-Get up at 5:15
-Take 6:48 bus to work
-Work, work, work. Try to catch on to everything. Try not to feel like the village idiot.
-Take the 5:08 bus home.
-Run
-Eat
-Read blogs/comment
-crash

I typically get home around 7:30 - 8 and I go to bed at 10 so my nights feel extremely short!

So yah, I am a little exhausted. But yesterday I was in the best mood all day long - because I had a haircut & color scheduled that night. I hadn't seen my usual girl since March (she called in sick when I went in before my sister's wedding). So I was so pumped to see her, catch up on her life, and have her work her magic on my hair. Which was in desperate need of a clean up & color. Because, good Lord, the gray hairs are infiltrating like crazy. Hi, I am 28. Why do I need to have tons of gray hair? Thank you God for these fantastic genes I apparently have. It could be worse, I guess. At least I have hair.

Anyways, I drove into work v. taking the bus, and rushed out of work to get there on time - only to find out that something went wrong in their scheduling system so my appt had been deleted. I really wanted to cry. Ok - I didn't, but I'm not going to lie - I was a bit on the salty side. They can't get me in w/ my gal until 11/4 so I have to put up my hair for another 2 weeks. Le sigh.

Oh, and I almost forgot. I got some soup at lunch from a local deli and it was SO HOT it burned the roof of my mouth to the extent where some of the skin is now peeling off. Ok - tmi and gross, but it drives home the point of how freaking hot the soup was!

So let's do something fun to get my mind off my crankiness from yesterday/last night. What would be fun? Borrowing from Chelsea and doing Ten on Thursday again.

1. What's your favorite late night talk show?
- I don't have one because I can't even stay up late enough to watch the freaking news. 5:15 comes really fricking fast people.

2. If you got an all expense paid week-long trip for two, where would you go and who would you take?
- I would take my mom to Italy - specifically to the Vatican and Assissi because we are both Catholic and there is so much to see and do related to Catholicism there!

3. What's your stance on Botox?
- To each their own but personally I think it's very vain and unnecessary. I think wrinkles are part of the aging process.

4. I have to read a few classics for my 101 in 1001. Do you have any recommendations?
- Pride & Prejudice. Sort of tough to get into initially since the language isn't super pedestrian, but if you can get past that, it is such a lovely story.

5. Have you ever broken any bones?
- In 3rd grade a boy fell on my arm when we were playing flag football and I got a hairline fracture. Hurt like crazy. But I didn't get to get a cast since it was just a fracture and I was PISSED. I thought it would be so cool to have a cast. How lame am I? I also thought having crutches would be really fun...

6. What are your top five favorite television shows?
- Project Runway, Private Practice, Top Chef, How I Met Your Mother, Brothers & Sisters.

7. What is something you are embarassed to admit?
- Um, I own a webkinz. Do you not know what that is? Oh, that is ok because it's marketed to elementary age children. In my defense, I do not play any of the games anymore - I did 2 years ago when I had apparently had no life, but I can honestly say I haven't logged in since maybe last December?

8. Best movie line ever?
- "After all... I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her." - Notting Hill

9. Cupcakes, cakes, or brownies?
- Definitely cupcakes.

10. Can someone PUH-LEASE help me find a dress to wear to a few weddings this winter?
- Ooo, I suck at figuring out dresses for winter weddings. Oh, but wait, Chelsea lives in Texas - not the frozen tundra that is Minnesota.

Ok, totally failed on the budget aspect ($40) but I think this is a cute gray dress: http://www.shabbyapple.com/p-247-slate.aspx

I love Shabby Apple. I have wanted many things off their website but am always nervous they won't fit right. I know I should just order something and see how it works out.

Alright - your turn. Answer any/all in your comments or do this on your blog!

Ten on Thursday

Chelsea did this over on her blog so I thought I'd borrow her idea and do this today. Here are 10 random questions:

1. If you won the lottery, what would be your one random, off-the-wall purchase?
A black baby grand piano.

2. What is popular now that you just don’t get?
Sorry to get political on you, but I have to say Barack Obama. And leggings. They look horrible on me.

3. What would your last meal, you know, if you were ever about to be executed and you got to choose that sort of thing?
Hmmm, that is hard to answer. I would probably eat an entire bowl of guacamole as an appetizer. Then I would switch cuisines and have a huge bowl of pasta with shrimp and some sort of red sauce. I would have lots of dark chocolate for dessert. Mmmm...

4. When is it okay to start listening to Christmas music?
The day after Thanksgiving.

5. How do you feel about facial hair on men?
Not a fan. I know very few people who can actually pull it off.

6. McDonald’s or Burger King?
Not a fan of either, really, but I'd probably pick McD's over BK.

7. What kind of soap do you use?
Dove

8. What movie can you watch over and over and never get tired of?
You've Got Mail, When Harry Met Sally, The Holiday

9. Favorite beverage?
NA: water with cucumbers (don't knock it until you try it).
Alcohol: a well-made margarita or glass of white wine

10. What do you want for Christmas?
Those books I blogged about yesterday. Some yarn for my knitting projects. B&N gift cards. A GPS.

Ok - your turn. Answer any/all of them in your comment or answer them on your blog!

Comfort Foods

Last night I felt, in a word, pukey. No idea what my deal is. I have kind of felt like this for the past day or so. It's getting old. I am hoping today is a better health day for me. It's draining to feel nauseated all day!

Now that I am gluten free, my good old stand by comfort foods aren't an option anymore.

If I wasn't gluten free, I'd eat:

Some Chicken Noodle Soup

Or some saltines

or maybe a bowl of boiled macoroni

I am pretty sure there are GF options for 2 of these 3 items. I just don't feel like going to a grocery store and shopping for them.

So instead I ate a baked potato last night since I figured it would probably be easy on my tummy.

I don't have time to be sick so am hoping this little bug goes away very quickly!!

What are your go to comfort foods?

Honest Scrap

I was tagged by OH of OH! BOOKS...PAPER...REAL LIFE. The rules? I have to list "10 things others don't know about me".

Hmm. 10. That's alot - especially for someone like me that is sort of an open book. Here goes.

1. I have been told that I should never play poker. I do not have a poker face. You can easily tell when I am happy, sad, mad, frustrated, etc. It totally shows in my eyes and my facial expressions.

2. I used to have trouble with insomnia. Then it went away. Well, it's back with avengeance. Not fun. I kind of want to take a Benadryl every night - but I won't because I don't want to have to rely on something to help me fall asleep. I am hoping this is a passing phase.

3. I am really anal/OCD about the randomest things. Like towels. I have purple and gray towels in my bathroom - I will only use purple towels in the morning and gray towels in the evening. Bizarre, I know.

4. When I talk on the phone, I often stand in my kitchen and step on every other tile. Back and forth. Back and forth. See #3 - yes, I have OCD tendencies.

5. I love to sing along to songs when I am driving - but if I pull up next to someone in traffic or at a stop light, I will either stop singing or I will stop moving my lips because I don't want it to look like I am talking to myself!

6. I kind of hate Halloween - at least as an adult. I love celebrating it with my nephews. But you will never be able to talk me into going to a costume party. I will boycott it and show up in my usual clothing and say I am a librarian or something like that.

7. I have a twin! Kidding. I don't. But I feel like my little sister is my twin. We've been told we look alike, our nephews have trouble telling us apart, and we have a lot in common. I think out of the 5 kids in my family, we are the most similar!

8. I used to be a sun godess and layed out for hours. Not anymore. I am diligent about applying sunscreen because Skin Cancer freaks me out!

9. I can't stand ticking clocks. If I can hear one when I am falling asleep, I have to get up and take the batteries out because that ticking will drive me crazy!!

10. I adore knitting! It's one of my favorite hobbies.

So there you have it - still want to read my blog after reading about all my quirks?

I am supposed to tag people, but I am going to break the rules (for a change) and ask any of you that are interested to do this on your blog. I LOVE reading random facts about people!

It all started with a book shelf

It all started with a bookshelf.

I wanted it to go from looking like this:


To looking like this:


Much better, right? So on Friday, I went into my storage unit to retrieve the bookshelf. It's important to note that my condo and storage unit are both on the 2nd floor. I walked into my storage unit and had a super delayed response. My brain said:

"Self, are we starting in about a 1/2 inch of water?"

Yes, indeed I was. Now I am used to dealing with flooding because I grew up in the Red River Valley and our basement flooded a few times. I'll never forget the morning my mom came down to wake us up for school and discovered that our carpet was floating on inches upon inches of water.

But, stupidly, I thought I had left those flooding days behind. Especially since I live on the 2nd floor. Wrongo batman. Apparently when they turned the heat on yesterday, something went wrong, which resulted in lots o' water in my storage unit.

Fan-freaking-tastic. Luckily most of my stuff was in plastic bins, but I did have a box of books and a box of sheets/mattress pads that were sitting in the water. 2 books were damaged and I had to throw out a mattress pad. Not terrible - it could have been much worse. But still super annoying.

So my condo went from looking super clean and spacious, to looking like this:

That's the majority of what is in storage. The building manager kept telling other residents that he hoped they didn't have 'that much stuff' in their storage units. I personally don't think that is alot. 3 of those bins have Christmas stuff, and most of the boxes are actually empty, just waiting for the day that I can sell this place and start to pack up.

So yah, this little fiasco threw a curve ball at me so I didn't get the rest of my to do list done - it took quite a while to move all those boxes (and some other boxes that aren't in the picture) from my storage unit into my condo.

And I was already in an epically bad mood to start with since my Home Depot shopping experience that morning was 'pleasant', as usual. I walked in, asked where I could find the laminate floor putty, and was given a 10 minute pitch on how I should remodel my kitchen. Um, yah. I own a depreciating asset that has tanked in value so much as it is, I really don't feel like putting even more money into it. Oh, and the person delivering the pitch was like a toned down version of Micheal Scott. He got uber excited when he described how I could have glass doors on one of my cupboard to display - wait for it - wine glasses!! I wanted to say - calm the hell down, sir. No one is that excited about a glass display door on a cabinet.

Oh, and when I said no thanks, he walked away and didn't answer my initial question. And then I finally found what I was looking for, but they didn't have the color of putty that I needed, so I had to go to a 2nd Home Depot store.

So yah, Friday was pretty craptastic.

But I am lucky that I went into my storage unit on Friday because more damage would have been done if my stuff had sat in the water for days, weeks, etc.

So that was the conclusion of my stay-cation. Today is my first day back at work and I am so excited! I kind of feel like it's my first day of school - I have been thinking about my outfit selection for days now!

I'm sure I'll be back tomorrow to let you know how it goes!!

So tell me about your weekend! Did you do anything fun!

Vacation Recap

Well, here we are on the final day of my vacation. Sure, I've got the weekend, but I know that is going to fly by! I can't believe how fast my 2 weeks have gone. I kind of thought that the time would go by a little more slowly! I have gotten quite a bit of stuff done, though. I've seen lots of friends - I basically had a dinner or lunch w/ someone every day during my vacation.

And I've done so-so on the to do list.

I've crossed off quite a bit - mostly cleaning tasks. Most of the stuff I have left to do requires a trip to Home Depot. Can I just say how much I hate going to that place. First off, I can NEVER find anyone to help me, and when I do manage to track someone down, they treat me like a complete moron. I hate it. I usually try to seek out some retirement-age employee because they are usually the most knowledgeable and helpful. *sigh* But I have decided to go to Home Depot today so wish me luck.

I haven't solved my book problem yet.

Houston, we have a problem. Do you see all the stacks of books on the shelves - my cup runneth over. I already have 2 other bookshelves that are packed to the max. So I either need to pack these books away, or I need to swap out my bedside stand with yet another bookshelf. Let me remind you that my condo is a whopping 720 square feet. I buy books like I live in a mansion. You know the whole "old woman who lived her in shoes" rhyme? Yah, I am going to be the old woman who lived in a house made of books. I think I am going to end up swapping out my bedside stand... I just can't bare the thought of packing these books away!

Oh, and when I was cleaning my closet out, I discovered that I own 6 black cardigans. No joke. In addition to hoarding books, I apparently hoard cardigans. Let's not even talk about how many cardigans I own in total. Yikes. You know those people who store like jars of water in case the end of the world comes so they are prepared? I guess I am doing that, but I'm preparing for J. Crew and Banana Republic to close down their operations (which would be a really, really sad day in my world).

Alright, enough about my hoarding habits. I am fully expecting an email diagnosis from my cousin Suzanne who is in med school and has done some psych rotations.

The Twin Cities 10 mile is on Sunday so that is kind of the focus of my weekend. This will be the first time I will be 'carb loading' gluten free. I am going to make some quinoa pasta so I guess I'm not quite off my quinoa kick just yet.

Oh, and for you runners out there, you will appreciate this. I was talking to my best friend that works for the company sponsoring this weekend's marathon/10 Mile (Medtronic). She said she had to volunteer and I asked what she'd be doing. She said, 'oh, I have to escort this guy around.' I asked who. She said Hal Higdon!! She didn't even know who he was! I used Hal's books & training plan when I trained for the marathon, I am using his 1/2 marathon training plan for my 10/31 half, and I am currently reading his book, "Run Fast" - so I am kind of fan.

So yah, I might be the dork that tries to get his autograph. Or Brooke might snag it for me if I can't stalk him track him down at the expo on Saturday night.

What are you all up to this weekend? Is there anything you buy excessive amounts of - like black cardigans? Come on - share and make me feel more normal!

September Re-Cap

Nory does this over on her blog each month, so with her permission, I'll be doing a similar re-cap every month!

Current Book(s):
Finished - And Sometimes Why (hated it), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (loved it), Beat the Reaper (meh. Little too vulgar for me), Best Friends Forever (so-so), Olive Kitteridge (loved it).

Currently Reading - Firefly Lane

Current Music:
Tyrone Wells & Brandi Carlile are two artists I'm listening to quite a bit. I kind of want to email Tyrone Wells and ask him to marry to me. Or at least take me on a date. Ha!

Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure:
Jalapeno Baby Dills. I consume way too many! I've started buying 2 jars at a time since I go through them so fast!! Mmm, I love pickles! And don't be grossed out, but sometimes I drink a little bit of the juice when I finish off a jar!!

Current Colors:
I love that mustard yellow color!

Current Obsessions:
My 1/2 marathon training grid
The library
Cherry Pomegranate Crystal Light

Current Drink:
Cherry Pomegranate Crystal Light - it's awesome and I go through 2 quarts of it every 2-3 days! Which is kind of a lot for a person that lives by herself!

Current Song:
Ok, I hate Chris Brown, but I love running to 'Forever'.

Current Movie:
My fave of the month was Julie & Julia. Meryl Streep rocked!

Current TV Shows:
I love Mad Men and wish: a) that I looked like Betty Draper, and b) that I had her entire wardrobe. I am hoping that one of my friends will host a Mad Men themed party this fall. I would but my condo is way too tiny to host such an event!

Current Wish-List:
Lots and lots of books.

Current Needs:
A paycheck. I'm sort of between paychecks now until I start my new job on the 5th! Thank God for savings! :)

Current Triumph:
I'm starting a new job that I am so excited about in just a few days! Woot woot!

Current Bane of my Existence:
My to do list that I made for this stay-cation. I swear to God, I am the busiest unemployed person. Ever. I have 5 days to get the list done.

Current Goal:
Maintaining a 10 minute/mile pace on Sunday when I do the Twin Cities 10 mile. It's a hilly course so that might be a challenge. Wish me luck!

Current Indulgence:
Those dill pickles I mentioned above! If I ate them in front of my mom, she'd shake her head and warn me about the sodium levels!

Current Blessings:
Family. Friends. A cozy condo. A job I am super excited about.

Current Slang or Saying:
Saying "whatever - I'm on vacay". I am seriously so laid back right now - I am usually high strung, but this whole stay-cation has been so good for me and has resulted in a much more easy going Lisa.

Current (Fav) Outfit:
I'm super excited about this dress that I bought for work. I plan on pairing it with some black tights and a cardigan of some sort.

Current Excitement:
I am taking my nephew Andrew out for a "Lisa and Andrew Afternoon" today. I am picking him up after preschool. We'll get lunch, go to this awesome bookstore called Wild Rumpus where they have real, live animals, and then get ice cream! I took him here last year and he loved it so hopefully it is as big of a hit this time around!

Current Mood:
Relaxed! I'm on vacay, afterall!