So obviously I read a bunch of SSSM yesterday. Sorry Jane Austen fans, but even an narwhal attaching Sub Marine Station Beta (aka London on the bottom of the ocean) couldn't make me care any more about lame-o Edward Ferrars and the rest of the crew. At least with PPandZ I was engaged in the actual story line, but I just don't see it ending very well for anyone in SSSM. Poor Dashwood sisters... sigh.
In other news, I had a good 10 mi run on the treadmill. I think this is going to be my new long run distance for a little while. It was enough that I was feeling fatigued at the end but not so much that I struggled to keep a good pace. The gym was busy yesterday but there was just enough turn over that no one kicked me off. I think I might try to do my long run on Thursday or Friday next week so it's less crowded. Hopefully after that our treadmill will be fixed, and I won't have to worry about jockeying for a treadmill at the crowded gym (which is the whole point of having our own).
So this brings the weekly workout totals to:
Run: 34 mi
Spin: 1x
Yoga: 5x (planning to do it today)
Pushups: 3x
Otherwise I got everything done on my list except yoga yesterday, but I decided I needed a nap instead. The concert last night was good. We saw Jim Hurst, who I guess you would call a folk guitarist, play at a tiny coffee shop on the East Side. We were the youngest people there by 30 years (since when is that new?), but the music was good, and it was nice to get out and do something different.
Today is another church-filled day. I also need to practice piano and do some yoga, but otherwise all the urgent chores have been finished.
Hope you all have a relaxing Sunday.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Happy Birthday
I don't think he reads this, but just in case, here's a Happy Birthday shout out to my little brother. He's 24 now- and 6'4" - so I guess he's not so little. This picture was taken before my wedding, but it's one of my favorites of us from the "modern era".
Last night's dinner was very good. The surprise hit of the evening: escargot. Neither one of us had eaten it before, but it was really good. I expected it to have a chewier, grittier texture more like some shellfish, but it was very tender. It really tasted like a mushroom more than anything else (D called it a cross between shrimp and a mushroom). So ceviche and escargot have both been moved from the "slightly scary" food list to the "very tasty" food list.
Today will be busy. Starting with getting ready to go so I can hit the grocery store when it opens at 8. Then I'm running 10mi at 9 on the gym treadmill (hoping our treadmill parts get here soon!). After that is family phone calls, dust/vacuum/mop, dealing with the mail and paying bills, practicing piano, hopefully going to hot yoga (or doing it here), and going to a concert this evening. Actually, now that I have it all written out, it doesn't seem like that much. Plus many of the things (running, piano, phone calls, yoga, going to the concert) are things I want to do rather than have to do. And the things I have to do are not that bad (i.e. not laundry).
Well, I guess I better get moving here. I love being the only customer at Trader Joe's when it opens. No stress about getting all your stuff bagged AND swiping your card by the time the cashier is done ringing you up. Ah, so nice. Have a good Saturday, all.
Last night's dinner was very good. The surprise hit of the evening: escargot. Neither one of us had eaten it before, but it was really good. I expected it to have a chewier, grittier texture more like some shellfish, but it was very tender. It really tasted like a mushroom more than anything else (D called it a cross between shrimp and a mushroom). So ceviche and escargot have both been moved from the "slightly scary" food list to the "very tasty" food list.
Today will be busy. Starting with getting ready to go so I can hit the grocery store when it opens at 8. Then I'm running 10mi at 9 on the gym treadmill (hoping our treadmill parts get here soon!). After that is family phone calls, dust/vacuum/mop, dealing with the mail and paying bills, practicing piano, hopefully going to hot yoga (or doing it here), and going to a concert this evening. Actually, now that I have it all written out, it doesn't seem like that much. Plus many of the things (running, piano, phone calls, yoga, going to the concert) are things I want to do rather than have to do. And the things I have to do are not that bad (i.e. not laundry).
Well, I guess I better get moving here. I love being the only customer at Trader Joe's when it opens. No stress about getting all your stuff bagged AND swiping your card by the time the cashier is done ringing you up. Ah, so nice. Have a good Saturday, all.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Brrrrrrr
I'm not trying to *complain* about winter because I said this year I wasn't going to *complain*, but I am going to state that it was really cold out yesterday and it's really cold out today (-2 air temperature) and I would prefer that not to be the case.
Yesterday I had to go to the computer science building to get some paperwork signed with D, and when I tried to take the bus back, it was so packed with lazy undergrads (the ones who just take the bus up the hill- you know who you are) that I had to walk all the way back to my building. Yeah it was only a mile or so, but a mile or so when it's 4 degrees out (or whatever) is a long way to walk. I spent the rest of the day at work chilled, and when I got home I had to get in the shower with the hot water cranked up until I could thaw out enough to put on my yoga clothes. Okay, okay, rant over.
Despite having a darn good week of running so far, I'm planning to do the elliptical today. I really want to run, but I'm really paranoid about doing too much too soon (especially since I'm trying to more speed work) and getting hurt. So elliptical it is. (BTW, when I did my "speedy" session at the end of my run yesterday, I got all the way up to 7.9. Maybe one of these days I'll venture into the "8s", haha. Definitely uncharted territory.)
Tonight's restaurant week dinner is at Ocean's Grill. I've been there once before for a restaurant week lunch, and it was very good, so I'm looking forward to going back and trying something different. I've been cooking, too, but nothing very photogenic. We made a hash brown/egg casserole on Monday evening (needed to use up eggs and potatoes) that would have been better if I'd used packaged hash browns rather than trying to make my own like the recipe suggested. Wednesday we had pizza, and last night we had chicken tamale casserole.
I got my abstract okay-ed at work, and I hope to get it submitted today. The submission deadline is Monday, but I like to do it a little early just in case something weirdo happens. This turned out to be both good and bad. I'm super glad to have it done, but my brain got that "I'm done" signal and wanted to start the weekend yesterday. Not good. I still have a lot of stuff to get done today, and I want to feel the happy "done" feeling on all that as I go into the weekend.
TGIF, everyone!
Yesterday I had to go to the computer science building to get some paperwork signed with D, and when I tried to take the bus back, it was so packed with lazy undergrads (the ones who just take the bus up the hill- you know who you are) that I had to walk all the way back to my building. Yeah it was only a mile or so, but a mile or so when it's 4 degrees out (or whatever) is a long way to walk. I spent the rest of the day at work chilled, and when I got home I had to get in the shower with the hot water cranked up until I could thaw out enough to put on my yoga clothes. Okay, okay, rant over.
Despite having a darn good week of running so far, I'm planning to do the elliptical today. I really want to run, but I'm really paranoid about doing too much too soon (especially since I'm trying to more speed work) and getting hurt. So elliptical it is. (BTW, when I did my "speedy" session at the end of my run yesterday, I got all the way up to 7.9. Maybe one of these days I'll venture into the "8s", haha. Definitely uncharted territory.)
Tonight's restaurant week dinner is at Ocean's Grill. I've been there once before for a restaurant week lunch, and it was very good, so I'm looking forward to going back and trying something different. I've been cooking, too, but nothing very photogenic. We made a hash brown/egg casserole on Monday evening (needed to use up eggs and potatoes) that would have been better if I'd used packaged hash browns rather than trying to make my own like the recipe suggested. Wednesday we had pizza, and last night we had chicken tamale casserole.
I got my abstract okay-ed at work, and I hope to get it submitted today. The submission deadline is Monday, but I like to do it a little early just in case something weirdo happens. This turned out to be both good and bad. I'm super glad to have it done, but my brain got that "I'm done" signal and wanted to start the weekend yesterday. Not good. I still have a lot of stuff to get done today, and I want to feel the happy "done" feeling on all that as I go into the weekend.
TGIF, everyone!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Guess I need to pull out my warmer pants
Because it's "feels like" -13. So obviously it's another treadmill morning. I'm planning to do 5.75 (yeah, goofy, but I did 6.75 on Tuesday and I want a round number for the week) with a little fast stuff thrown in at the end. Spinning yesterday was great. So so so nice to do something different. The workout wasn't too hard, but I'm sure it will get there soon.
I'm feeling much better about my two big projects at work, too. Today should *hopefully* be about finishing up the details and getting things approved for the final (or second to final) time. If all goes well and those things are finished today, I have a couple easy routine things that I need to do that will be slated for tomorrow so I can have a brain chillout day.
My first piano lesson was good. We talked about my music background and my goals for the lessons. The teacher didn't have any music picked out for me to start practicing (we are going to do a lot of left hand stuff) so we just started with scales and good playing technique. I think it will give me plenty to do because it's been a long time since I've played a B scale.
This should be a pretty chill evening filled with yoga, piano practice, and trying a new recipe for a chicken tamale casserole-type dish. Oh yeah... and Bones and 30 Rock! Although maybe I need to stop watching Bones. The rerun we saw last night was so scary I made D go get the last of the laundry because I was too afraid to go back down to the basement, haha. Yep, I'm a wimp... and lazy.
Have a good Thursday, everyone. Stay warm out there.
I'm feeling much better about my two big projects at work, too. Today should *hopefully* be about finishing up the details and getting things approved for the final (or second to final) time. If all goes well and those things are finished today, I have a couple easy routine things that I need to do that will be slated for tomorrow so I can have a brain chillout day.
My first piano lesson was good. We talked about my music background and my goals for the lessons. The teacher didn't have any music picked out for me to start practicing (we are going to do a lot of left hand stuff) so we just started with scales and good playing technique. I think it will give me plenty to do because it's been a long time since I've played a B scale.
This should be a pretty chill evening filled with yoga, piano practice, and trying a new recipe for a chicken tamale casserole-type dish. Oh yeah... and Bones and 30 Rock! Although maybe I need to stop watching Bones. The rerun we saw last night was so scary I made D go get the last of the laundry because I was too afraid to go back down to the basement, haha. Yep, I'm a wimp... and lazy.
Have a good Thursday, everyone. Stay warm out there.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
I need something to warm my heart
Because it is 6 degrees air temperature (-8 with windchill) right now. And in 25 minutes I get to stand out and wait for the bus. I got spoiled by the balmy spell in the 30's over the weekend, but this is a helpful reminder that we still have a lot of winter left to go.
And that something to warm my heart is that it has been confirmed that we have spinning! today. YAY! I do the spinning workout with the triathlon club so it's always HARD. And it will be especially hard today because I haven't done it in probably 6 weeks. One thing you can say about Wisconsin is that they/we are experts at making outside activities fun inside. My run went well yesterday. I did 6.75 mi with 20 min of faster running at the end. I'm always scared to move the treadmill up into the 7s, but lately I've been pleasantly surprised that "scary" paces aren't actually that bad after all. Hopefully this will translate to faster running outside when that day finally comes.
Last night's dinner at Inka Heritage was really really good. I had ceviche for my appetizer, a lasagna dish with yellow pepper sauce for the entree, and a churro with chocolate sauce and lucuma ice cream. Lucuma, which I had never heard of before, has a maple/nut flavor and was maybe the highlight of the meal. Unfortunately it only grows in subtropical climates so there goes my idea to add a tree to the garden this summer. So good. So looking forward to our other restaurant week dinner on Friday. So worth blowing 2 months worth of dining out budget on two meals, haha.
Work is kind of stressful right now, although I'm trying not to let it get to me. I have two big projects that have to be finished by Monday (and Friday would be better), and little things keep getting dropped in my lap. Plus I'm having problems with an Excel file that gets corrupted every time I try to open it with SAS. Fun stuff. But I'm making a deal with myself that I'll get as much done as I can during normal hours today and tomorrow, and if I have to stay late to finish tomorrow evening, I'll do it.
I can't stay late today because it's my first piano lesson! So excited about that. I played the oboe for about 10 years (6th grade - senior in college) and I miss playing music. The problem is that I'm in a weird place for learning to play. I'm great at all the "right hand" stuff and can read treble clef really well, but I can't read bass clef at all (actually I usually start reading it as treble clef, which obviously sounds horrible). So I'm hoping some lessons will help me figure out what to do to balance things out and give me some inspiration to practice.
And that something to warm my heart is that it has been confirmed that we have spinning! today. YAY! I do the spinning workout with the triathlon club so it's always HARD. And it will be especially hard today because I haven't done it in probably 6 weeks. One thing you can say about Wisconsin is that they/we are experts at making outside activities fun inside. My run went well yesterday. I did 6.75 mi with 20 min of faster running at the end. I'm always scared to move the treadmill up into the 7s, but lately I've been pleasantly surprised that "scary" paces aren't actually that bad after all. Hopefully this will translate to faster running outside when that day finally comes.
Last night's dinner at Inka Heritage was really really good. I had ceviche for my appetizer, a lasagna dish with yellow pepper sauce for the entree, and a churro with chocolate sauce and lucuma ice cream. Lucuma, which I had never heard of before, has a maple/nut flavor and was maybe the highlight of the meal. Unfortunately it only grows in subtropical climates so there goes my idea to add a tree to the garden this summer. So good. So looking forward to our other restaurant week dinner on Friday. So worth blowing 2 months worth of dining out budget on two meals, haha.
Work is kind of stressful right now, although I'm trying not to let it get to me. I have two big projects that have to be finished by Monday (and Friday would be better), and little things keep getting dropped in my lap. Plus I'm having problems with an Excel file that gets corrupted every time I try to open it with SAS. Fun stuff. But I'm making a deal with myself that I'll get as much done as I can during normal hours today and tomorrow, and if I have to stay late to finish tomorrow evening, I'll do it.
I can't stay late today because it's my first piano lesson! So excited about that. I played the oboe for about 10 years (6th grade - senior in college) and I miss playing music. The problem is that I'm in a weird place for learning to play. I'm great at all the "right hand" stuff and can read treble clef really well, but I can't read bass clef at all (actually I usually start reading it as treble clef, which obviously sounds horrible). So I'm hoping some lessons will help me figure out what to do to balance things out and give me some inspiration to practice.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Still with the 'mill
Sorry MarathonMaiden, I didn't run outside yesterday. I probably should/could have- especially since it's going to get COLD again later this week- but my love of being warm and my (somewhat) irrational fear of black ice won out. Is it really that bad if I don't run outside again until March or April?
I feel like I've handled this winter much better than last year, but still I'm getting pretty sick of it. One of my co-workers said she considers Feb 1. the be the middle of winter and every day after is a day closer to spring. In that case I guess it's not so bad. We only have a few more days left in January, and I remember there being a few nice days sprinkled in March.
This morning will be 6.5 on the treadmill and tomorrow is (hopefully) spinning!!! again. Woohoo!
This evening is our first restaurant week dinner at Inka Heritage. I went there for lunch during restaurant week last year, and it was tasty and very different from normal Madison restaurant fare. Not sure what I'm going to order yet, but I'm looking forward to it!
I feel like I've handled this winter much better than last year, but still I'm getting pretty sick of it. One of my co-workers said she considers Feb 1. the be the middle of winter and every day after is a day closer to spring. In that case I guess it's not so bad. We only have a few more days left in January, and I remember there being a few nice days sprinkled in March.
This morning will be 6.5 on the treadmill and tomorrow is (hopefully) spinning!!! again. Woohoo!
This evening is our first restaurant week dinner at Inka Heritage. I went there for lunch during restaurant week last year, and it was tasty and very different from normal Madison restaurant fare. Not sure what I'm going to order yet, but I'm looking forward to it!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Monday
I spent a good 45 seconds trying to come up with a better title that, but there you have it.
I don't have much to report. Between membership class and youth group and actually going to church there wasn't time for much else. I did get up and do a 5 mi run on the treadmill, but that was it for me exercise-wise. I was going to do yoga, but instead I took an hour-long nap.
I'm having a mental debate about running outside this morning. It's not super cold out, but we had a big melt yesterday, and it froze overnight, so I'm not sure what the conditions are like. So it will either be 6.5 outside or on the treadmill.
I've also given myself a deadline of noon today to finish my abstract so I can get co-author approval. I ended up having to change around my idea at the end of last week, and I'm still not exaaaaactly sure what I want to do, but I'm a lot closer than I was. Just when I think I know what I'm doing, I get a nice reminder like this that I'm still clueless about a lot of things. Oh well.
Have a good Monday, all.
I don't have much to report. Between membership class and youth group and actually going to church there wasn't time for much else. I did get up and do a 5 mi run on the treadmill, but that was it for me exercise-wise. I was going to do yoga, but instead I took an hour-long nap.
I'm having a mental debate about running outside this morning. It's not super cold out, but we had a big melt yesterday, and it froze overnight, so I'm not sure what the conditions are like. So it will either be 6.5 outside or on the treadmill.
I've also given myself a deadline of noon today to finish my abstract so I can get co-author approval. I ended up having to change around my idea at the end of last week, and I'm still not exaaaaactly sure what I want to do, but I'm a lot closer than I was. Just when I think I know what I'm doing, I get a nice reminder like this that I'm still clueless about a lot of things. Oh well.
Have a good Monday, all.
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