My favorite episode of How I Met Your Mother is called "The Murtaugh List", named after Danny Glover's character, Roger Murtaugh, of Lethal Weapon fame. In this episode, Ted recounts all of the things he's too old to do (a la "I'm too old for this sh*t").
I think I can add rotating around from couch to couch/inflatable bed to my Murtaugh List.
Each day, I'm waking up with more and more aches and pains (not helped by the fact I also lifted on Tuesday, taking my shoulders out of commission for three days - who's bright idea was THAT). I am so transient, that I've started leaving my huge suitcase at work each night and only bringing what I need to survive overnight until I return to work again. My hands are blistered from pulling the suitcase and I'm in serious need of a back massage.
Even worse, I woke up this morning and realized I was searching for Cholly, thinking she had just fallen off the side of the bed. It was when I realized I had left her in Denver. My mom once asked if I brought Cholly on work travel with me. I said no, as I was too afraid airport security would want to search the luggage of a 26-year old that traveled with a rattle doll and that it would be super awkward to explain to co-workers why I was hauled in for a full pat-down.
But today is my last day in the DC office. In what can only be termed as my best decision ever in life, I have taken Friday off to spend in Baltimore at Lauren's. I have already warned her that I don't plan on vacating my pajamas for the entire day, probably while watching How I Met Your Mother. I can't wait!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
The right decision
After being back in DC for five days now, I can definitely say that moving to Denver was the right decision. It hasn't been easy, but I don't regret it.
A day or two after landing, my sister asked how it felt to be back. It feels good. It feels familiar. But I really notice how unfriendly the east coast is. People don't smile and are pretty much in a hurry all the time. I already miss the pace of Denver.
But other than missing Denver (and my bed), I am enjoying my time in DC! The wedding in Leesburg this weekend was a blast, if not tiring, as all weddings are. I had planned on running Saturday afternoon, but time was limited. I had a great workout Thursday after work, but have been a beer-filled sloth ever since. My pants, which were loose in Denver, are now quite snug and my legs are begging for the treadmill (or possibly a run through Georgetown if it doesn't rain). While I was used to drinking upwards to 5 nalgene bottles of water each day in Denver, I have only had two in five days. And I apparently didn't need to pack the 17 moisturizers that I need out west, as the east coast humidity has my skin begging for dryness again.
I've had a wonderful time catching up with my friends and I'm REALLY looking forward to seeing Katie tomorrow, after my practicum presentation is over and done with. After tonight, I resume my nomadic life, rotating sleeping locations until I end up in Baltimore at Lauren's. We both took Friday off and I cannot wait!!
A day or two after landing, my sister asked how it felt to be back. It feels good. It feels familiar. But I really notice how unfriendly the east coast is. People don't smile and are pretty much in a hurry all the time. I already miss the pace of Denver.
But other than missing Denver (and my bed), I am enjoying my time in DC! The wedding in Leesburg this weekend was a blast, if not tiring, as all weddings are. I had planned on running Saturday afternoon, but time was limited. I had a great workout Thursday after work, but have been a beer-filled sloth ever since. My pants, which were loose in Denver, are now quite snug and my legs are begging for the treadmill (or possibly a run through Georgetown if it doesn't rain). While I was used to drinking upwards to 5 nalgene bottles of water each day in Denver, I have only had two in five days. And I apparently didn't need to pack the 17 moisturizers that I need out west, as the east coast humidity has my skin begging for dryness again.
I've had a wonderful time catching up with my friends and I'm REALLY looking forward to seeing Katie tomorrow, after my practicum presentation is over and done with. After tonight, I resume my nomadic life, rotating sleeping locations until I end up in Baltimore at Lauren's. We both took Friday off and I cannot wait!!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Three Things Thursday
1.) I'm in DC!
2.) I'm exhausted. My day started 4 am, followed quickly by a breakdown, as I realized my shuttle to the airport was definitely not coming for me (they called at 6:15, an hour and a half late, to tell me they were there). Thankfully I called a cab and made it to the airport on time, and am thankful I can charge the $73 to my company.
3.) Tonight begins my first night of couch-shuffle roulette. I will be staying with Beth (you may recognize her from the many bucket list posts in the spring) at her new place in Courthouse! How I Met Your Mother, brie, wine, and french bread await!
2.) I'm exhausted. My day started 4 am, followed quickly by a breakdown, as I realized my shuttle to the airport was definitely not coming for me (they called at 6:15, an hour and a half late, to tell me they were there). Thankfully I called a cab and made it to the airport on time, and am thankful I can charge the $73 to my company. 3.) Tonight begins my first night of couch-shuffle roulette. I will be staying with Beth (you may recognize her from the many bucket list posts in the spring) at her new place in Courthouse! How I Met Your Mother, brie, wine, and french bread await!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Weekend Recap
I had a fun-filled weekend!
After a relaxing night-in on Friday, I woke up early and schlepped myself onto a spin bike for 45 minutes. After a quick gym shower, I headed to my co-worker Megan's house and we headed off for Dinosaur Ridge, a neat 1.5 mile walk that features fossils and dinosaur prints that were discovered in 1937. Forgot my camera, so no pics of Dino!
Then we drove out into the mountains. The pretty, snowy mountains.
We went fishing at the Dillon Reservoir, about an hour and half away from Denver. After two hours of fishing, I caught the only fish of the day! I'm told its a pretty fish, but they very well could be lying to me.
Proud fisherwoman!Then we headed back into town for a corn maze and a healthy Chick-Fil-A dinner. Yum!
Sunday morning, I was up bright and early and headed to Mile High Stadium. I got to the Bronco Barn a little after the Eagles game had started, and happily watched the Iggles thump the Falcons.
Sunday morning, I was up bright and early and headed to Mile High Stadium. I got to the Bronco Barn a little after the Eagles game had started, and happily watched the Iggles thump the Falcons.
Broncos Barn Tailgate!
Lone eagles fan watching the game
Smiling fans, before the loss.Thursday, October 14, 2010
Three Things Thursday
1.) Last night I bought my one day fishing license from the Colorado Department of Wildlife, via Sports Authority. They wanted more information than I ever thought would be relevant (excuse me, do you REALLY need to know how much I weigh?? Are you going to bring a scale out to the pond and arrest me if I'm lying??). But the $9 was worth it and now I'm fully set to go fishing with my friend Megan on Saturday (minus that whole bit about not having a rod and reel or actual knowledge of how to fish...). We're headed up into the mountains (the same mountains that received 7 inches of snow this week) and out towards Breckenridge. I'm excited!
2.) I have officially bought my first broncos gear and I hang my head in shame to admit where I bought it: Victoria's Secret. wait, what? I knew the one back in DC had UMD gear, so I wasn't all that surprised to find some really cute tee shirts there. I still defend that this is not as bad as having a pink jersey, but concede its not that much of a step up. I am also borrowing a friend's Dawkins jersey, but my friend is a dude and I'm pretty sure that its going to be enormous. As shown in yesterday's post - I'm going to the game on Sunday!!!
3.) Raise your hand if you bought jeans in your old size yesterday! *raises hand* While at Gap, I went for broke and tried on the size 6 jeans - just to see how bad they would be. To my surprise, and delight, they fit! I expected to get them mid thigh and then just begin openly weeping in the dressing room. True, there is a hint of a muffin top - but that is something I have always had in almost all my jeans anyhow (thank you, genetics). I got a pair in size 8 as well, that are less painted on and probably more work-appropriate. Denver bars, look out! Me and my size 6's are a'comin'!
2.) I have officially bought my first broncos gear and I hang my head in shame to admit where I bought it: Victoria's Secret. wait, what? I knew the one back in DC had UMD gear, so I wasn't all that surprised to find some really cute tee shirts there. I still defend that this is not as bad as having a pink jersey, but concede its not that much of a step up. I am also borrowing a friend's Dawkins jersey, but my friend is a dude and I'm pretty sure that its going to be enormous. As shown in yesterday's post - I'm going to the game on Sunday!!!
3.) Raise your hand if you bought jeans in your old size yesterday! *raises hand* While at Gap, I went for broke and tried on the size 6 jeans - just to see how bad they would be. To my surprise, and delight, they fit! I expected to get them mid thigh and then just begin openly weeping in the dressing room. True, there is a hint of a muffin top - but that is something I have always had in almost all my jeans anyhow (thank you, genetics). I got a pair in size 8 as well, that are less painted on and probably more work-appropriate. Denver bars, look out! Me and my size 6's are a'comin'!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
Five Miles.
For the first time probably since last winter, I ran five miles. I was planning on walking a bit each mile, but never really felt the need to. I went on www.usatf.org to map my run before leaving the house, and added on two miles to the end of my normal 3 mile Sunday run.
After I pushed through the aches and pains of the first two miles (where I normally would have stopped, pre-Katie), and by the 3rd mile, I was still feeling strong. I stopped for a minute or two to stretch my calves, and kept on going.
And, with the help of my ipod playing "Uprising" by Muse for the last mile, I finished strong and felt like I probably could have gone a little farther. I toyed with the idea of running a 6th mile, but will save that for next week instead.
Overall, I had a great weekend of workouts (including a spin class saturday AM with a SUPER hot instructor - talk about motivation to go back!), and stuck to my goal of no alcohol.
After I pushed through the aches and pains of the first two miles (where I normally would have stopped, pre-Katie), and by the 3rd mile, I was still feeling strong. I stopped for a minute or two to stretch my calves, and kept on going.
And, with the help of my ipod playing "Uprising" by Muse for the last mile, I finished strong and felt like I probably could have gone a little farther. I toyed with the idea of running a 6th mile, but will save that for next week instead.
Overall, I had a great weekend of workouts (including a spin class saturday AM with a SUPER hot instructor - talk about motivation to go back!), and stuck to my goal of no alcohol.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Happy Birthday!
Today is Katie's 30th birthday, so this blog is for her. Whether you know her or not, this blog is worth sitting down and reading today - a letter from present Katie to past Katie.
I'm not quite sure she knows how much a positive influence she has been on me. Katie and I grew up together back in PA, although she was closer with my older sister and I pal'd around with her younger sister. We all went to the same church, but different high schools and as we all grew up, didn't really see too much of each other.
Seriously. We've known each other a long time.
Then, in the fall of 2008, we reconnected over Facebook and realized we both lived in Northern Virginia. She somehow convinced me to run the Jingle All the Way 10k with her, and being the sucker for Christmas that I am, I decided to go for it, having never run more than 3.1 miles in my life.
Our first race together - I survived!
I was a little nervous the first time I drove over to her house for a training run. I couldn't even remember the last time I'd seen her. Would it be awkward? Would it be 4 miles of silence? Would I be so slow that she would hate running with me and leave me to fend for myself on the Mt Vernon Trail? And how many freakin' Glebe roads are there???
Any nervousness disappeared right away, as she opened the door, while half hiding behind it, in her sports bra, half dancing back and forth and then running back to her room, yelling that she had to finish getting dressed. It was the beginning of a great friendship filled with karaoke, yelling at the TV during football season, ill-advised cheese and mimosas, long winter runs in the snow, weeknights spent on a military base - wanting to stay in the warm car instead of running sprints along the barracks, the quiet stillness as we ran past Arlington Cemetery, and lots and lots of miles.
Cherry Blossom Run - March 2009
I think I complained at the beginning of almost every run (especially early morning races). It became kind of a tradition. But by the end of whatever miles she was dragging me along for, I was so much happier. Even those 10.5 miles she lied to me for (knowing I'd never agree to more than 8), when I was so sore the next day I had to call out of work. Its still the longest I've ever run and far more than I ever thought I could do.
Evidence of the Infamous training run. DC has never looked so peaceful. All 10.5 miles of it.
Katie has the amazing ability to do that: to quietly (and sometimes loudly) push me farther than I ever thought I could go. We're 1,500 miles apart now, but she still influences me to do more, try a longer distance, set new goals, and even has me still toying with the idea of running a destination half marathon, if only so that we could run together in some new exciting city. And I'm still running - something I'd never thought I'd be able to do on my own for any great distance.
Run 4 miles in the cold rain on NYE without training? Sure!
So happy 30th birthday, Katie! You are loved and I'm sad I can't be there to celebrate in the big way you deserve!
Our last race together - can't wait to update this with a new race!
I'm not quite sure she knows how much a positive influence she has been on me. Katie and I grew up together back in PA, although she was closer with my older sister and I pal'd around with her younger sister. We all went to the same church, but different high schools and as we all grew up, didn't really see too much of each other.
Seriously. We've known each other a long time.
Our first race together - I survived!I was a little nervous the first time I drove over to her house for a training run. I couldn't even remember the last time I'd seen her. Would it be awkward? Would it be 4 miles of silence? Would I be so slow that she would hate running with me and leave me to fend for myself on the Mt Vernon Trail? And how many freakin' Glebe roads are there???
Any nervousness disappeared right away, as she opened the door, while half hiding behind it, in her sports bra, half dancing back and forth and then running back to her room, yelling that she had to finish getting dressed. It was the beginning of a great friendship filled with karaoke, yelling at the TV during football season, ill-advised cheese and mimosas, long winter runs in the snow, weeknights spent on a military base - wanting to stay in the warm car instead of running sprints along the barracks, the quiet stillness as we ran past Arlington Cemetery, and lots and lots of miles.
Cherry Blossom Run - March 2009I think I complained at the beginning of almost every run (especially early morning races). It became kind of a tradition. But by the end of whatever miles she was dragging me along for, I was so much happier. Even those 10.5 miles she lied to me for (knowing I'd never agree to more than 8), when I was so sore the next day I had to call out of work. Its still the longest I've ever run and far more than I ever thought I could do.
Evidence of the Infamous training run. DC has never looked so peaceful. All 10.5 miles of it.Katie has the amazing ability to do that: to quietly (and sometimes loudly) push me farther than I ever thought I could go. We're 1,500 miles apart now, but she still influences me to do more, try a longer distance, set new goals, and even has me still toying with the idea of running a destination half marathon, if only so that we could run together in some new exciting city. And I'm still running - something I'd never thought I'd be able to do on my own for any great distance.
Run 4 miles in the cold rain on NYE without training? Sure!So happy 30th birthday, Katie! You are loved and I'm sad I can't be there to celebrate in the big way you deserve!
Our last race together - can't wait to update this with a new race!Thursday, October 7, 2010
Three Things Thursday
1.) Tonight I try spinning at my gym for the first time since I moved. My goal is pretty much just to finish the hour without puking.
2.) I have really bad hearing, which I think is a family trait. When on the phone, I compensate not being able to hear by talking extra loud. Makes sense, no? I do my best to be conscious of the decibel level I speak at, but I don't know how successful I am. When my office moves to downtown Denver in November, we are basically all getting cubes. As I am pretty sure I'm not important enough for an office, I already feel badly for my coworkers whenever I am on a conference call.
3.) I wish the Eagles were half as good as the Phillies.
2.) I have really bad hearing, which I think is a family trait. When on the phone, I compensate not being able to hear by talking extra loud. Makes sense, no? I do my best to be conscious of the decibel level I speak at, but I don't know how successful I am. When my office moves to downtown Denver in November, we are basically all getting cubes. As I am pretty sure I'm not important enough for an office, I already feel badly for my coworkers whenever I am on a conference call.
3.) I wish the Eagles were half as good as the Phillies.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Fare Thee Well, Dear Friend
I have officially given up alcohol...for at least a week. What started as a goal to not drink during the week morphed into a challenge of willpower to survive a whole weekend (and one during football season, to boot) without beer or wine. Last night was trivia night, so it was my first attempt at abstaining.
Happily, I was surprised by how easy it was! About an hour in, Kyle realized I wasn't drinking and tried to get me to order a beer, but it really wasn't hard at all to say no! And instead of beer, I had two or three waters, so I went home fully hydrated. I am planning on laying low on Friday night, but will miss my normal glass or two of red while watching a netflix (which I have been sorely neglecting in recent weeks). Saturday will be spent out with my coworker Dara, but she knows I'm aiming to not drink and will be a good support system, I think. Sunday is a surprise party for another coworker, so we'll voyage down to Littleton where his wife has promised "designer" mimosas. I don't know exactly what that means, but I'm pretty sure they will be hard to resist! But with the Eagles on TV for the Sunday night game, I should be able to make it through the weekend unscathed.
I was toying with the idea of giving up alcohol completely until the night of the rehearsal dinner back in DC, but a wine night has been scheduled with my boss and her group of friends for the 14th, and its kind of hard to attend a wine tasting outing without actually having some wine. These events are a ton of fun, usually scheduled for when a restaurant has a half price bottle night, so I get to try a myriad of different wines that I would never get to experience otherwise.
So, faithful blog readers, hold me accountable!
Happily, I was surprised by how easy it was! About an hour in, Kyle realized I wasn't drinking and tried to get me to order a beer, but it really wasn't hard at all to say no! And instead of beer, I had two or three waters, so I went home fully hydrated. I am planning on laying low on Friday night, but will miss my normal glass or two of red while watching a netflix (which I have been sorely neglecting in recent weeks). Saturday will be spent out with my coworker Dara, but she knows I'm aiming to not drink and will be a good support system, I think. Sunday is a surprise party for another coworker, so we'll voyage down to Littleton where his wife has promised "designer" mimosas. I don't know exactly what that means, but I'm pretty sure they will be hard to resist! But with the Eagles on TV for the Sunday night game, I should be able to make it through the weekend unscathed.
I was toying with the idea of giving up alcohol completely until the night of the rehearsal dinner back in DC, but a wine night has been scheduled with my boss and her group of friends for the 14th, and its kind of hard to attend a wine tasting outing without actually having some wine. These events are a ton of fun, usually scheduled for when a restaurant has a half price bottle night, so I get to try a myriad of different wines that I would never get to experience otherwise.
So, faithful blog readers, hold me accountable!
Monday, October 4, 2010
Monday Funday
Compliments of the terrible Eagles game (and obnoxious Redskins fans), I left the bar early and watched the second half from the comfort of my couch. On Saturday and Sunday, I did fairly well on accomplishing my goal of drinking less. Three beers at a party on Saturday night, two on Sunday. Not bad, but could be better.
Its funny that no matter where you are, terrible Redskins fans seem to follow. These fans were so bad that once Vick was injured and removed from the game, they yelled "Now lets fix Kolb, too!" at the screen. I don't care what team you root for, hoping for injuries is just in poor taste. After listening to them hoot and holler for the first half, I headed for home, thankful that the game was on TV.
But other than that, my weekend went quite well. I didn't exercise, though, which needs improvement. I am gaining friends in Denver and am able to fill my weekends with various social events.
My Sunday took a turn for the worse, however, after receiving an email from my grad school adviser that my practicum project (the capstone to my graduate degree), is not what she expected and I would be unable to present as planned on October 26th. While I definitely broke down after reading that, I'm coming at the situation with a bit more perspective and I'm glad I waited until this morning to email her back. I proposed another way to complete the practicum and, although my weekends may now be spent back here sitting at my desk at work, furiously writing, I requested to still be able to present in October. Hopefully she will agree and I can continue on as planned, but it was definitely upsetting. As my dad says, some days are better than others.
I am very ready to be done with grad school, but all I can do is move forward each day, which is one more day closer to December.
Another date with my main man Ronnie tonight - eager to fuel this workout with the grad school frustrations!
Its funny that no matter where you are, terrible Redskins fans seem to follow. These fans were so bad that once Vick was injured and removed from the game, they yelled "Now lets fix Kolb, too!" at the screen. I don't care what team you root for, hoping for injuries is just in poor taste. After listening to them hoot and holler for the first half, I headed for home, thankful that the game was on TV.
But other than that, my weekend went quite well. I didn't exercise, though, which needs improvement. I am gaining friends in Denver and am able to fill my weekends with various social events.
My Sunday took a turn for the worse, however, after receiving an email from my grad school adviser that my practicum project (the capstone to my graduate degree), is not what she expected and I would be unable to present as planned on October 26th. While I definitely broke down after reading that, I'm coming at the situation with a bit more perspective and I'm glad I waited until this morning to email her back. I proposed another way to complete the practicum and, although my weekends may now be spent back here sitting at my desk at work, furiously writing, I requested to still be able to present in October. Hopefully she will agree and I can continue on as planned, but it was definitely upsetting. As my dad says, some days are better than others.
I am very ready to be done with grad school, but all I can do is move forward each day, which is one more day closer to December.
Another date with my main man Ronnie tonight - eager to fuel this workout with the grad school frustrations!
Friday, October 1, 2010
Reality Check Update
Since seeing pictures from Labor Day and this oh-so-flattering shot, I have been far more dedicated to getting back into shape. While my food choices haven't necessarily been the best, I've been faithfully logging them into MFD, the online food diary my sister and I both subscribe to. Even the one very bad Friday when, after an absolutely horrible day, I skipped the gym, went home, ordered pizza hut with some wine, then had 4 delicious Denver brews with some friends. When I logged all of that, MFD pretty much just shook its head at me in shame and disgust.
But with addition of Ronnie and Sunday morning long runs, I have been making some headway. So here's a look back:
Sept 10th:
Weight: 148.2
Body Fat %: 1000 (approximate)
Pant size: 8/10 (I'm in an 8 today, but its not pretty)
Avg Mile pace: 10:30 (5.5 mph)
Oct 1st:
Weight: 145.8
Body Fat: Ronnie officially measured. And I'm keeping that number to myself.
Pant size: 8/10 (10s today, what can I say? This booty requires a lot of fabric)
Avg Mile Pace: Not getting much faster, but I'm running around 4.5 miles on my long runs.
Not the most dramatic drop in history, but I'll take it. I no longer feel like a sausage in my work clothes and I am starting to see muscle definition back in my legs. Ronnie is kicking my butt on a regular basis. I wanted to vomit again yesterday. We were doing cardio workouts in between lifting sets. I still find it somewhat pathetic that I can run 4 miles yet can barely eek out 15 burpies.
So my next self-imposed goal is to start taming my weekends. I eat and drink well more than I should and a few minor alterations could really make a difference. I am also trying my hardest to avoid drinking on weeknights (I'm looking at you, delicious glasses of red wine...). So with adding in those changes and continuing to train with my boy Ronnie, I'm aiming to kick October's butt all the way back to the lower 140s!
But with addition of Ronnie and Sunday morning long runs, I have been making some headway. So here's a look back:
Sept 10th:
Weight: 148.2
Body Fat %: 1000 (approximate)
Pant size: 8/10 (I'm in an 8 today, but its not pretty)
Avg Mile pace: 10:30 (5.5 mph)
Oct 1st:
Weight: 145.8
Body Fat: Ronnie officially measured. And I'm keeping that number to myself.
Pant size: 8/10 (10s today, what can I say? This booty requires a lot of fabric)
Avg Mile Pace: Not getting much faster, but I'm running around 4.5 miles on my long runs.
Not the most dramatic drop in history, but I'll take it. I no longer feel like a sausage in my work clothes and I am starting to see muscle definition back in my legs. Ronnie is kicking my butt on a regular basis. I wanted to vomit again yesterday. We were doing cardio workouts in between lifting sets. I still find it somewhat pathetic that I can run 4 miles yet can barely eek out 15 burpies.
So my next self-imposed goal is to start taming my weekends. I eat and drink well more than I should and a few minor alterations could really make a difference. I am also trying my hardest to avoid drinking on weeknights (I'm looking at you, delicious glasses of red wine...). So with adding in those changes and continuing to train with my boy Ronnie, I'm aiming to kick October's butt all the way back to the lower 140s!
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