Let's Try This Again

Running, that is.

For reasons still unknown to me, I started running again last week. Shawna and I were training (and I use that word loosely) for the 5K-that-wasn't-meant-to-be last fall. The week before the run, we finally got up to three miles straight. But car troubles on the day of the 5K led to us stuffing our faces at Golden Corral in Midwest City instead of running three miles in Pink, Oklahoma, that day. We took that as a sign, and after that, we pretty much let the whole running thing go.

Since Shawna moved to England several days ago and all my free time isn't spent at Target anymore, I decided I needed something productive to fill my afternoons. And since 2012 is the Year of the Better Me (I plan to lose a few stubborn pounds and pick up twelve good habits), running is what I chose. In fact, running at least three times a week is one of my monthly goals. I have yet to assign it to a month, but more on that later.

Last Tuesday was the first day I ran in months. I honestly expected to die. I voiced this concern to my brother. "You can take some of that C4," he said. "And when I say you can take it, I mean take it." (C4 is a pre-workout something or other. It's supposed to give you more energy during a workout. I have no idea if it's safe or not, and if it's not, I don't want to know.)

The kind Chance has is blue raspberry flavored and didn't taste as bad as I expected, so I downed a glass before heading to the gym. My first indication that it had entered my system and was preparing to give me the workout of a lifetime was a strange tingly sensation in my arms when I pulled up to the gym, as if the C4 was saying, "We're here. Are you ready for this?!"

I walked up to the track above the basketball courts, got my music situated, and stretched my already-protesting legs. After walking one lap, just to get my shoes used to the feel of the track (I didn't want them to freak out on unfamiliar surface), I broke into a run. I experienced the odd tingly sensation a couple more times during the run, but that was the only adverse side effect. I guess the C4 worked, because I ran a mile relatively easily, and it only took me ten minutes.

I did the same thing Thursday, minus the C4. This run was a bit more difficult, but the reason for that is because I was feeling sickly. I'm pretty proud of myself for making myself run a mile and go to Zumba rather than doing what I wanted to do, which was go home after work and sleep until Friday.

I think I'll stick with a mile a day this week---and might even squeeze in a run on Wednesday---but will up my distance to a mile and a half next week. At the rate I'm going, maybe I'll be able to run a marathon by the time I'm thirty-seven.

Fabulous Friday #15: Vacations

In light of the fact that I'll be heading to Houston for a mini vacation in one week's time, this week's Fab Friday post is devoted to vacations.
My family didn't really go on vacations when I was younger. My mom was a single mom of three, so it wasn't like we had money to spend on a Disneyland vacation. We did go on a few weekend and day trips with my grandparents, though, and even drove to Michigan to visit family with them a couple times. These were great times, but we didn't do this every summer or holiday.
Because my travels have been limited to a handful of states, I'm eager to begin taking a few vacations in my adult life.
Thus, next Friday, my good friend Laura and I are road-tripping to Houston to visit another good friend of ours, Aubrey, who moved there several months ago. I haven't been on vacation in a year (pretty much to the day), so this will be a welcome and much-needed break from work and reality. I'm excited for my second road trip, can't wait to see Aubrey, my Criminal Minds bud, and am looking forward to forgetting all about my responsibilities for a few days.
Last year around this time, Laura, Shawna, and I were embarking on my first road trip. We went to Louisiana, specifically Mardi Gras, and had a blast. Our few days there were spent getting to know Shawna's sweet family, getting acquainted with N'awlins food, such as beignets, jambalaya, and seafood of all kinds, and of course, collecting beads. Good times.
I'm also saving up for a trip to England to visit my dear Shawna in the fall. This will be the first time I've been on a plane, which means it will be my first time leaving the country, which means I'll need a passport. This trip is going to require a bit more preparation than driving to Houston will, but it will be well worth it.
Getting away with friends, whether for a week, an extended weekend, or just a day, is my saving grace. Without vacations and girls' nights to look forward to, my days would be pretty bleak. That's not to say my life isn't fulfilled in other areas. I have an amazing family, a wonderful and caring boyfriend, a dog who can make me laugh with just a look, a rewarding job, and most other things I need in life. But what would a girl do without her friends and the vacations from life's worries that they provide?

Big Bang Theory Thursday: The Pancake Batter Anomaly

Since my immune system decided to shut down yesterday---for the second time this year, I might add---I thought the first introduction of "Soft Kitty" was incredibly appropriate.
In the episode "The Pancake Batter Anomaly," Penny returns from a visit to her home state of Nebraska and mentions to Leonard and Sheldon that she was sick while she was away. This prompts Sheldon to back away quickly, demand she leave the apartment, and start furiously Lysoling as soon as she leaves. Leonard thinks he's being ridiculous (who wouldn't?), but Sheldon does end up getting sick the next day. And I thought I was a baby when I'm sick. Nope. I ain't got nothin' on Dr. Cooper.
"Leonard! Leonard, I'm sick!" Sheldon calls out in the middle of the night, after a cough wakes him up. Next thing you know, Leonard is stumbling out of the apartment in a state of undress, desperately trying to make his escape before he is forced into taking care of sick Sheldon.
Leonard calls Howard with a Code Milky Green (trust me, you do not want to know what that means), tells Howard to relay the message to Koothrappali, and they decide to meet up for a ten-hour Planet of the Apes marathon so as to be unavailable for milky-green Sheldon.
This leaves Penny to nurse Sheldon back to health. Penny firmly refuses to give Sheldon a sponge bath or an enema, but she reluctantly agrees to rub VapoRub on his chest and sing "Soft Kitty" to him, the song his mom used to sing when he was sick.

Although Sheldon is a bit more over the top than I get when I'm under the weather, I certainly sympathize.

It's So Hard to Say Good-bye...

...to Shawna. But the time has come. Shawna, one of my best friends, has moved to England to live out her fairytale. Yesterday she boarded a plane with her wonderful fiance and will soon be marrying him. If she were leaving for any other reason than to marry Karl, I would kidnap her.
Laura, Shawna, and I shared an emotional good-bye Wednesday night, full of many laughs (always), tears, and hugs. We were able to make one last Chik-fil-A run for old times' sake. We came away with good food, great memories, and lots of our favorite free mints. You're probably not supposed to take seventeen, but they are free...
It still hasn't quite sunk in that my Zumba partner in crime is gone, that random trips to Target (eating popcorn and drinking Pepsi) are no more, and most of all, that I won't see Shawna every day.
I still get teary-eyed thinking about these things. At first it felt like a breakup, but I have now come to think of it as a long-distance relationship. We'll keep in touch via gchat, Skype, letter writing, and annual visits. Even so, there are many things I'm going to miss about that girl:

1. the aforementioned random Target trips: Whether it was Monday night after Zumba, a lazy Saturday afternoon, or any other day of the week really, Shawna and I could often be found perusing the Target aisles with bags of popcorn and cardboard cups of Pepsi in hand.
2. having a build-in mind reader: Shawna and I have the ability to finish one another's sentences, start singing random songs at the same time, and know exactly what the other is thinking. It has not been scientifically proven (yet), but we're convinced we share a brain. Case in point, take this conversation from Wednesday night:
Shawna: "Wait...I thought that was a woman..." (in reference to Colin Powell)
Me: "Um...no. That's definitely a man."
Shawna: "Then who...?"
Me: "You were thinking of Condoleezza Rice, weren't you?"
At this point, we both burst into laughter because yes, she was indeed thinking of Condoleezza Rice. Don't judge, though. I'm sure your brain would be a bit scattered too if you were soon moving to another country.
3. shakin' it with Shawna at Zumba: While shakin' our tailfeathers and droppin' it like it's hot, Shawna and I have only to glance at each other in the mirror to dissolve into uncontrollable fits of giggles.
4. hula-hooping at Walmart: We have made fools of ourselves countless times by hula-hooping in the toy aisle at Walmart. As you can imagine, there are always many laughs when this happens.
5. absolutely everything else about Shawna: There are too many others to name individually, so I'll just say that I'll miss everything. I'm excited for this new phase of her life, though, and look forward to making new memories that we'll share for a lifetime.

And now it's picture time!

Shawna helping me onto a tree during our Mardi Gras vacation.

We made it! And aren't nearly as high up as I thought we were...

Shawna and me at our first Mardi Gras parade!

Refueling at On the Border after a Zumbathon

Halloween costumes: bowl of cereal and Mrs. Pac-Man

Battling it out at Zumba

Taking a break after a day of walking around Bricktown

I'll miss Shawna terribly, but her move will give me a chance to brush up on my letter-writing skills and a free place to stay when I visit England! So cheerio, my dear Shawna. I'll see you in a few months!

Big Bang Theory Thursday: The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis

Last night I shared an emotional good-bye with my dear friend Shawna, who moved to England today. There were many tears and hugs, so today's BBT clip is especially appropriate.
You BBT watchers will know what scene I'll be showing today, but for those of you who still haven't jumped on the BBT bandwagon, here's a bit of setup: Sheldon learns that Penny is getting him a Christmas gift, so he has to decide what to get her. He's upset at having to shop for someone he barely tolerates and doesn't understand. He overthinks this, of course, and decides that the gift he gives her has to be the same price as the gift she's getting him. He has no way of knowing what she's getting him, so he ends up buying her several bath gift sets of varying prices and stores them in his room. His plan is to feign a bathroom emergency and dash to his room to retrieve the appropriately priced gift set after receiving his gift and determining how much it probably cost. The result is Sheldon buried under baskets of bath salts and bubble bath and an amazingly awkward hug from Sheldon to Penny. Sheldon does not give hugs (he's a germaphobe), so this is a big moment.
Enjoy!

Books a Million...or Twelve

I think I'm obsessed with/addicted to reading. Remember, I do have an addictive personality... I suppose reading isn't the worst addiction to have, though. Unless I get in a car wreck because I'm reading while driving, read so many books that I develop a rare eye disorder, or suffer a fatal paper cut, I don't think this addiction is life threatening. So fear not, faithful readers. The lean, *mean reading machine is here to stay.
[*Don't worry; I'm actually a very nice person.]

Since I set a goal to read 52 books this year, I have spent all of my free time curled up on the couch or in my bed with a book...the free time that's not spent watching Ellen or BBT or The Bachelor or Teen Mom or...well, you get the point. I'm not really sure why I set this goal, though. Do I want to enrich my mind? Of course. But that's why I am a faithful watcher of Ellen. Am I anticipating a strong sense of pride and accomplishment upon attaining my goal? Yes. I also feel that same sense of accomplishment when I open a can of biscuits without screaming like I just encountered a masked murderer in my house.

So all that is to say I have no real reason for making this my goal, besides my utter love of books. I consider myself fortunate that I still enjoy reading even though it's what I do all day at work. When reading for pleasure is no longer fun for me, I'll know it's time for a change.
But until then, I'm going to keep marking books off my to-read list like nobody's business. I'm at twelve so far (which is 11% ahead of schedule, according to the nifty Goodreads reading challenge tracker) and am about a third of the way through the thirteenth, Janet Evanovich's Two for the Dough.

These are the books I've read so far:
1. The Happiness Project
2. The Magician's Nephew
3. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
4. The Horse and His Boy
5. Prince Caspian
6. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (my favorite of the Chronicles of Narnia series)
7. The Silver Chair
8. The Last Battle
9. Voyager
10. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
11. One for the Money
12. 11/22/63 (my favorite so far; seriously, go read this, like, yesterday)

I revised my master list of 52 books this morning, based on suggestions from friends, work book clubs, and a change in taste, so this year I'll be reading more nonfiction, lots of John Grisham, and hope to finish the Outlander series. Wish me luck!

Fabulous Friday #14: Weekly Date Night

In a world where you hear the phrase "there aren't enough hours in the day" nearly every day, it's nice to be able to carve out a few hours during the work week to spend with my love, Randel. We've had a weekly date night pretty much ever since we started dating about 16 months ago. It was his idea, and for that I love him even more. Our night has changed a couple times due to school and work schedules, but it's currently on Tuesday.
Now, we don't do anything fancy on these date nights. We take turns going to each others' houses and usually just sit at home and watch TV after eating dinner. And that's okay with me because watching "The Big Bang Theory" and "Teen Mom" with Randel beats just about anything, especially when dessert is involved.

Big Bang Theory Thursday

I hereby declare Thursdays devoted to The Big Bang Theory. In all honesty, most days of my life lately have been devoted to this hilarious show featuring a startling amount of Roseanne characters. But I figured I should limit myself to just one day a week here---well, that or rename my blog "Bazinga!" Which, come to think of it, might not be a bad idea...
So without further ado, here is a clip of one of my favorite TBBT episodes, "The Einstein Approximation." (To set the scene for you poor unfortunate souls who have not discovered/do not appreciate the awesomeness that is TBBT, Dr. Sheldon Cooper is stumped by a physics problem that drives him so mad he eventually turns to a ball pit such as one you'd see at Chuck E. Cheese to solve the problem.)

And for that, my friends, you are welcome.

Resolutions Update

So apparently it's already February, which means my January resolution--sleep every night without the TV on--is over. I'm happy to report that I stuck to my resolution all but two days in January and have been keeping it every day this month as well. I no longer need the TV's glow and sound to lull me to sleep at night...except when Chance is gone. That's why I cheated and slept with the TV on twice in January. I'm working on weaning myself off that security blanket, though. I should be able to accomplish this fairly easily since I lived by myself before Chance moved in with me.
My February resolution is to make my bed every morning. Not very exciting, I know, but it's (hopefully) making me more disciplined, and not just in this area of my life. My plan is to force myself to take the time to do this small task that doesn't take much time sooner rather than later. Ultimately, this discipline should work its way into other small tasks, such as loading the dishwasher right after dinner, folding my clothes as soon as the dryer goes off, and putting the mail away when I bring it in. As you can probably tell from the nature of the aspects in which I need more discipline, housekeeping is not one of my favorite things to do. So when I do finally get around to cleaning my house, I end up needing a couple hours to do it. I have much better things to do with my Saturdays than dust, vacuum, and mop--things like read.
Which brings me to another of my resolutions for 2012: read 52 books. I'm happy to report that I'm ahead of schedule and have read 8 books so far. I have read The Happiness Project; The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants; Voyager, the third book in the Outlander series; and the first five books of the Chronicles of Narnia series. I'm currently reading Janet Evanovich's One for the Money and will soon start The Silver Chair, the sixth Chronicles of Narnia book. And probably next week I will start (and possibly finish, if it's as good as everyone says it is) 11/22/63, a Stephen King book about a man who goes back in time in an attempt to prevent JFK's assassination. I'm pretty excited about it. So if you do the math, in February I should have read at least four books (because I'll also read the last Chronicles of Narnia book, The Last Battle), bringing my total for the year up to 12 books, which is four ahead of schedule. I'm pretty sure the only way I'll be able to stick to this pace is if I allow myself some smaller and/or chick-lit books to read in amongst the almost-1,000-page books like 11/22/63, those in the Outlander series, and George R.R. Martin's acclaimed A Song of Ice and Fire series. So don't judge me for reading chick-lit thriller books, juvy books, and books that aren't as thick as the Bible.
All in all, 2012 is off to a good start resolutions-wise, and I'm still excited to see how it progresses.