The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly... and a guest post

Hello, friends! Happy Friday! It's been a wonderful week in my world. Here is how it all breaks down in terms of the good, the bad, and the ugly!

The Good...

- I have been running 8:30 to 8:45 mile splits this week. Holy Hannah, where did this speed come from? That is quick for me! A year ago I was struggling to run 10 to 10:30 miles. This fall I worked my way up to the 9:15. Now I am sub-9 minute? Can I get a hell ya?

- Last Saturday I got to meet my cousin's beautiful baby boy, Odin Erick. He is a spitting image of his father but has his mom's eyes and lips. Oh he is a beauty. See for yourself!

Holding Odin for the first time! Is there anything more therapeutic than holding a sleeping baby?

Julie, Odin, and I

Baby Odin by his adorable cake

The Bad...

- I forgot to put on my mineral veil layer when putting on my make up Saturday morning. Hence the lovely shiny complexion in the photos above. I am actually not a total grease ball - because I wear mineral make-up, the light reflects back when you use a flash, so I look super greasy. Ish. Had I worn the mineral veil, this wouldn't have happened. Or at least this is what the person who does my facials told me... And I am going to choose to believe that over believing I could possibly look that greasy...

The Ugly...

- The gasps of pain and the accompanying look of torture on my face when I stretch my quads and ITB with my foam roller. Oh. Em. Gee. It hurts. But it's a 'hurts so good' type of hurt and so necessary. I want to go back to my running store and kiss the guy who told me I absolutely had to start using one as it would help my Femoral Patella Syndrome issues. It totally has. Are you wondering what a foam roller is? Go read Kelly's post here - she has photos to show you! If you are a runner and don't own one, go get one. It's the best $12 I've spent in a long time! But I will warm you - you too will be gasping in pain!

And a guest post...

Hop on over to my friend Mandy's blog, Knowing the Difference.

I wrote a post for her "Lasting Impressions" series! It's a wonderful series of posts about friendship. I had a really hard time choosing which friendship to focus on, but in the end, I ended up picking someone who has been a best friend since the early days of my childhood. We met when I was about 11 months old, and she's been with me every step of the way since then. Sometimes we go a month or two without talking, but it doesn't impact our relationship; we pick up right where we left off. I am so thrilled that summer is upon us because my parents' lake cabin is a quick 30 minutes from where her & her husband and my new faux nephew live, so I will get to see her on a monthly or maybe even bi-weekly basis come June!

What was the good, the bad, and the ugly of your week?

Ten on Thursday

1. Think back a decade, do you remember what your first cellphone was? Was it as cool as Zack Morris’s phone?

Um, I haven't had a phone for a decade. I didn't get my first cell phone until I was 21. GASP. Can you believe it? Someone call social services and report my mom. I mean, that is essentially child abuse because apparently kids need phones at the age of like 8 these days.

* Excuse me as I step off my soap box. *

Ok, back to the phone. Since I was a late adopter of the technology, it was a pretty normal looking phone. My mom, on the other hand, totally had a Zack Morris-esq bag phone!!

2. What is the first children’s book you remember being read to you?

The Sorcerer's Apprentice. I was obsessed with this book, so much so that I memorized it. Gosh I loved that book.

3. What was your first car? Did you love it or hate it?

My first car was a 1987 Toyota Celica. I really, really loved it. When my dad went to pick my car out, he asked if I had any requirements. I asked that he try to find me one that is red and had a working radio. He totally delivered on it! Oy vey I really loved that car and was so proud of it.

4. Who was your hero growing up?

My parents. They still are my heroes!

5. Think back to your first kiss. Was it everything you dreamed of?

*laughs out loud* Um, I don't know. The fact that I am giggling while typing this means it probably wasn't everything I dreamed of! My first kiss was with a boy whose name is Justin. We were acting in a play and played a young couple who got engaged. I guess when you pretend to love someone every night for a couple of months, you start to confuse reality with make believe. My parents were VERY happy when that relationship ended.

6. What was your first BAD hairstyle choice? (Extra points for embarrassing photos)

Maybe the boy-short hair I had for most of my childhood. God I was ugly. I remember being mistaken for a boy a couple of times. The funny thing is that my mom still thinks I look good with short hair. She just can't let it go and I am sure she'd love it if I chopped my long hair off. Don't deny it, Mom - you know you'd be thrilled!

I'd share photos if I had them, but they are all at my parents' house.

7. What was your first realistic dream? (One where you had to think “Oh dang, was that a dream?”)

I vividly remember dreaming that I got an overdraft shortly after I got my first checkbook. I woke up scared sh*tless, wondering how I could have possibly made this irresponsible mistake. And how I was going to explain it to my parents.

Then I realized it was just a bad dream.

Seriously, who dreams about getting overdrafts?

8. What was the first phobia you remember developing?

I had an intense fear of escalators. I was so sure I was going to be sucked up by them... I remember my mom trying really hard to get me over the fear. To this day, I can't say I am crazy about them...

9. Which character on Sesame Street do you most identify with?

Sometimes I can be grouchy and want to shut out the world, which makes me like Oscar.

Sometimes I want to consume an unhealthy amount of peanut butter cups, which makes me sort of like the Cookie Monster.

Sometimes I let my silly/hyper side show which makes me like Elmo.

10. What was the hardest goal you ever accomplished?

Finishing my first marathon. I said a whole lot of Hail Marys. It was painful. The sense of accomplishment as I stepped across the finish line made it all worth it, though. And I'll be doing it all over again this fall! Can't wait!

A guest post, 4.28, and other deal breakers

Happy Wednesday, everyone.

First things first - have you ever wondered why I fell head over heels for Paris? If so, then head over to my friend Amber's blog - I did a guest post about Paris over there today! Amber arrives in Paris today. Oo la la I am so envious! I told her to give my love to the city that captured my heart!

Today is a day on my calendar filled with many celebrations. It's my oldest brother & his wife's 9th Wedding Anniversary! I tried to find some pictures to scan in from their wedding but the photos must be tucked away in storage! Today is also one of my college friend's 30th birthday's. I'll be joining her tonight to raise a drink in celebration! That will be me in just under a year. Yikes! Time to get going on that 30 before 30 list! I'll be posting an update on it around the 3 month mark, which is just over a week away!

Click here for a little refresher on how I feel about the date, April 28th. Long story short - me and men born on April 28th are just not compatible. 2 of my significant ex-boyfriends were born on 4/28/81. What are the chances?

Everyone seems to have a 'deal breaker' list of some sort. Well, having a Birthday on 4/28 is sort of a deal breaker. Ok, maybe I would make an exception if I really, really liked the guy. But most likely, if I find out he was born on 4/28 - syonara, nice to know you. Let's skip all the heart ache and just go our separate ways.

It's a unique date screening strategy, don't you think?

What are/were some of your dating deal breakers? In addition to the 4/28 birthday thing, smoking and treating the wait staff poorly are all on my deal breaker list...

The Music of Your Life

Good Morning and Happy Tuesday, readers! I am interrupting my usual "10 on Tuesdays" post to participate in the Blogger Book Club "Music of Your Life" post. My 10 on Tuesday will become 10 on Thursday this week. Look at how flexible I am! Ha (side note - I am sort of not a very flexible person when it comes to schedules)

Music has always been a big part of my life. I started taking piano lessons at age 6 - although at that point my older brother had already started to sort of teach me. He also taught me how to read. And drive. Maybe he can teach me write html code? He's a computer genius, I am a computer moron. But that's a topic for a whole other post.

Do you remember my "Song Remembers When" post? As I said in that post, hearing a song from my past really triggers memories and brings me back to a certain phase of my life - be it high school, college, a relationship, or a friendship. In Firefly Lane, each section of the book was titled with a popular song in Tully & Kate's life.

If I were to make a "Music of My Life" CD, here is what would be included:

Elementary/Junior High Years:
1. I think We're Alone Now by Tiffany

2. To Be With You by Mr. Big

3. Straight Up by Paula Abdul

* These 3 songs remind me of afternoons spent sitting on the floor of my grade school best friend's bedroom, listening to songs we had recorded on tapes off of the radio. I also remember awkwardly slow dancing to To Be With You at a 4H dance with a boy that I had a crush on from 1st grade through senior year. Yes, I was in 4H.

High School Years:
4. All My Life by K-C and Jo Jo - Prom song, junior year

5. A Long December by Counting Crows

6. Black Balloon by Goo Goo Dolls

7. Great Balls of Fire by Jerry Lee Lewis - my High School boyfriend got up on stage and played the keyboard part of this song the night of our junior prom. There is a great keyboard solo in that song & Brian ROCKED it. He was and still is a very talented musician!

College Years:
8. Like a Prayer by Madonna - This is a Delta Gamma theme song!

9. #41 by Dave Matthew Band

10. Murder on the Dance Floor by Sophie Ellis Bextor - this song was HUGE in Australia when I studied abroad. Never really seemed to take off in the US.

Post-Collegiate Years:
11. Shoot the Moon by Norah Jones - I remember listening to this song while waiting for my plane in the Santiago, DR airport with tears rolling down my face, knowing I was going to be breaking up with my 6-cubicles-away ex-boyfriend (who will now be referred to as The Charioteer) in the next week. 10 days away from him had given me clarity. We broke up 3 days later.

12. Resolution by Nick Lachey - I ran many, many laps around Lake Harriet listening to this song (and the entire album) when I was trying to get over The Charioteer. Nick wrote this post-Jessica so it might be the most depressing music. Ever. Perfect for wallowing. Did you know you can wallow AND run at the same time?

13. Careful by Guster - 2-floors-above-me ex-boyfriend (who will now be referred to as Deux) loved this band. I think Guster was playing every time he came to pick me up for a date. He also could play this song on this guitar.

14. The Luckiest by Ben Folds - I adore this song. If I ever get married, I would possibly have this as my first dance with my husband. You know, if he didn't hate it. But how could you? It's lovely.




I could go on and on, but I'll stop with 14. What songs would you include on the soundtrack of your life?

Book Review: Firefly Lane

The April book club selection for the blogger book club was Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah. I read this book back in October so my memory of the book is a bit foggy. I will sometimes re-read a book if a book I've read gets chosen for a book club, but this book just did not warrant a re-read. I have to really like a book to re-read it, or the story line needs to be complex enough that a re-read will help me understand the story a little better. That was not the case for this book. It was a light, easy read, but not a book I would highly recommend. I think I am kind of in the minority on that. Many people had raved about the book and some of you noticed it on the side bar of my blog and commented that you really loved this book. It fell a bit flat for me.

In Firefly Lane we meet two best friend - Kate and Tully. Kate comes from a loving middle class family, Tully was raised by a mother who was a bit of a train wreck so sort of becomes an extension of Kate's family. The book follows their friendship as the two women grow and mature. The two women choose completely different paths in like; Kate chooses love over her career and Tully chooses her career over love.

I tend to love books that examine the friendship between women, but parts of this book just annoyed me and to be quite honest - pissed me off. I hated how Tully swept onto the scene and drove a wedge between Kate and her teenage daughter by being the 'cool aunt'. If Tully was truly Kate's best friend, she wouldn't have caused even more problems during the tenuous teenage years. I know that none of my best friends would undermine my parenting choices and rules.

If you'd like to hear another person's perspective on this book, click over to Emily's blog. She'll also be posting her review today! Additionally, tomorrow we'll both be posting about the "Music of Your Life". Each section of Firefly Lane was named after a song that Tully & Kate were loving at that time. So tomorrow I'll be sharing a selection of songs that bring me back to certain phases of my life.

Have you read this book? If so, did you like it more than I did? What are you all reading these days?

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?

The Ex Files

Earlier this week, I was reading a post written by Rachel of MWF Seeking BFF about finding friendships in the work place. It got me thinking about relationships in the work place.

Here's the thing. I work 6 cubes away from my ex boyfriend.

Yep, 6 cubes. That is close. Really freaking close.

We met when working together back in 2005, started dating when he moved onto a new department, and broke up in the spring of 2006.

Aside from a few Happy Birthday emails, we hadn't spoken for 3 years - until I started my job in his department last week.

Since it had been so long since we'd spoken, I wasn't sure what to expect. But we actually had a really great conversation. We've both grown and changed over the 4 years so I think a friendship of some sort is possible. At a minimum, we'll be mature adults, put our past behind us, and have a proper working relationship.

I've learned my lesson - dating in the work place usually isn't a good idea.

So I have sworn off of it.

But my best friend Brooke thinks otherwise. Last week at book club, she bet me a mani and a pedi that I will marry a fellow Chariot employee.

We'll see who wins! I'm very confident that I will!

Have you ever dated a co-worker? How did it work out for you?