Thursday, April 28, 2011

my dog thinks he's my running coach

Since getting back into running I've been taking our dog, Finn, with me. He's a shepherd breed and he needs a lot of exercise, so it really works out. Especially since he's a year old now and the vet gave us the go ahead for bringing the pup out for a run... apparently the risks of joint problems for him is much lower now than when he was a puppy.

Finn is thrilled about this. You know how I can tell? He has two harnesses, one for regular walks to go potty and etc. and another one specifically for when we go running (one of the no-pull harnesses that goes under his front legs). Since we started running he will immediately go for his running harness if it looks like I'm going outside... for any reason. When I take him to go potty he always turns toward the path we run on and looks at me with this super excited face that makes me feel so bad when I have to tell him no... like at 11pm when it's time for bed.

The days when we do run you would think I was showering him with treats or something. He just trots along in front of me with a huge puppy grin on his face the whole time. Heaven forbid I take a walk break too. If we slow down to the point that he has to walk instead of his little trot, he pouts. For those who were not aware that dogs could pout, I am here to tell you... they can... really well. Finn has also been known to whine at me when I slow my pace or walk.

It's atually a good thing though. Seeing him have so much fun makes me push myself so I don't have to see the puppy pout or hear the whining. Today we did three miles straight running. A HUGE personal victory for me.

Now I just need to get fitted for new running shoes so that the little twinges I'm feeling in my knees and ankles near the end of my runs don't turn into anything more painful.

On a completely different note... a public service announcement from me to you:

For the love of all that is holy... FLOSS!

I admit that I slacked off and just brushed my teeth at bedtime.. no flossing, no mouthwash... nothing but Crest for quite a while. Gross, I know. I'm paying for it now though! Quite literally. I shelled out a decent chunk of change this morning for a deep cleaning at the dentist because I had developed periodontal disease. It wasn't pretty. Just imagine a regular cleaning, but with boiling water being injected underneath your gums for a full hour while someone is stabbing every part of yoru mouth with sharp sticks. Ouch!

The dentist said it can all be prevented with proper daily care. From now on I will be a faithful flosser... you should be too!

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

do not adjust your monitor

I made some changes around the blog... clearly. They're pretty black and white (sorry, I couldn't resist lol).

As much as I liked the way things were before, I felt like the black background was a bit depressing. And let's all admit that it was a bit hard on the eyes. Now the text should be a bit easier to read and the whole bloggy experience should be a bit brighter... a bit more positive... while also remaining true to who I am and what the blog has always been.

As a side note, how about this crazy weather around the country? I am currently in a tornado watch and I know a lot of my friends have been dealing with some insane weather conditions this week. Please stay safe everyone and pray that these spring weather systems will cut it out soon!

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Easter... the good, the bad and the ugly

Happy Easter! I hope everyone was able to celebrate in a way that was special and meaningful to them.

Steve and I spent this Easter doing our own thing for the first time since we started dating. We always go to his family's reunion/Easter celebration in Savannah, but this year we chose to stay home for various reasons. Mostly because I have finals next week and didn't want to chance being exhausted from the drive.

Since it was just us, we decided to start a tradition of getting a Honey Baked Ham for Easter dinner. Well, we got a mini ham and a turkey breast since I was wary of the ham. I caved at dinner however and went for the ham anyway.

Bad idea.

I have been so sick all evening! In all possible ways one can be sick regarding food. Not exactly the fun and relaxing Easter night I had planned.

The whole thing has got me thinking though... it may be time to just cut out meat again completely. Red meat is already out (except when I cave and grab some lamb, but that is a different story. I'll happily endure the sick feeling for some lamb) and I really don't see myself having any pork products again any time soon. That leaves chicken and fish, which are fine and haven't given me any issues yet, but it's not like I'm super attached to them.

I guess I'm just tired of my food launching counter attacks and making me sick. I'll leave the cute little pigs and cows alone and only eat things that don't have central nervous systems.

Friday, April 22, 2011

GLITTER (not the Mariah Carey movie)

I finally tried out the lotion I got in my perfume gift set back in February and guess what? It's full of big fat pieces of glitter. By the time I finished rubbing it in I looked like I was thirteen all over again.

Who decided it was a good idea to put that kind of glitter in grown up perfume lotion? This wasn't some cheap crap from Claire's. This was Marc Jacobs perfume from Macy's.

It didn't really matter. I actually like glitter (as long as it's not a suprise glitter attack like this morning) and I needed to get to school so I just went with it.

However, I did go for a run after I got back home from class and I think the glitter acted like my own personal version of popeye's spinach. I'm usually a run/walker, but today I pretty much killed those 2.5 miles of hills. I walked maybe 1/8 of a mile. Finn had a hard time keeping up, which is saying a lot since he's a 1 year old shepherd breed.

Maybe Mr. Jacobs knows something I don't about magical fitness powers of glitter. If so, I may need to find me some glitter running shoes for my next 5K.

Monday, April 18, 2011

the best weekend ever

This weekend was the best one I've had in a very long time.

It started with Steve and I both having Friday off together. We got a blue ray player and the new Harry Potter movie to watch then headed to Columbus for a bridal shower and a formal. But, we ended up forgetting our formalwear at home and not remembering until it was too late to turn around and get it. So we spent the evening with our old college crew hanging out and catching up Saturday night instead.

Steve met our friends' new baby, we had a couple beers, and we made plans to all go on a cruise together for Steve's 30th birthday next summer.

Sunday we came home and went into downtown for a Braves game! It was Steve's first one ever and my first one since about middle school. We had incredible seats:

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See? Closest I have ever been to the field for a game. It was awesome!

The Braves lost, but we really didn't care. The experience itself was pure win... except for Steve's crazy sunburn. How a person gets burned while sitting in the shade wearing a hat, I have no idea.

We picked Finn up from hs new daycare where he got to play with friends all weekend and spent the rest of the night relaxing with chinese food. YUM!

Sunday, April 10, 2011

They're going to take away my membership card

I finished my paper for Women's Studies this afternoon. It's pretty good if I do say so myself.

However, the fact that I finished the paper Sunday when it isn't due until 9:30am on Thursday is a clear violation of the college kid rule book. It feels so strange knowing that, if I wanted to, I could revise and edit a few more times over a couple of days and still turn it in on time.

This situation is a drastic departure from my previous method of completing final papers which involved pulling an honest to god all-nighter and cranking out twenty pages of poetry criticisms and research at 3am.

I may even turn this paper in early. *gasp*

Just because I can.

This is not to say I'm done for the semester... or even with this particular class. I've still got to present my paper to the class and there are other things due in other classes. Still, I feel incredibly accomplished for being on top of this paper and ahead of the game.

Two weeks and I am done with the semester!

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

you should see my bed right now

It's a hot mess. I wish I were kidding.

I do my best paper writing when I am in pajamas and cuddled up on my bed. Considering I have two papers due tomorrow and another two major ones due next Thursday, it's no great mystery why my bed is covered in research and notes.

The biggest flaw in all of this is that there is no option of leaving everything spread out to work on late. I also can't work super late because Steve and Finn get cranky when they can't get to sleep because my reading lamp is on.

Eh... they'll survive two more weeks.

That's right, only two weeks left in the semester! I'm in the home stretch and then it's a month off from classes before summer session starts.

If any of you readers think of it between now and then, please send up some prayers that Georgia State decides to add the last class I need before teacher education to the schedule for fall. I REALLY woudl appreciate it. :)