Tonight, I'm Sad

Yeah that's right. I'm sad but in a super happy way. Here's the deal....

I don't have anything really sad going on. In fact, all of my sadness has a reverse/flip side that makes me realize just how fortunate I am.

Like this....

I'm sad because I don't have any money to go shopping with....but I've taken an 8-month "vacation" by choice.

I'm sad because I can't run due to right leg pain....but I have an excuse not to exercise.

I'm sad because the husband and I gave our sweet girl puppy a butchered hairdo tonight....but she's still cute and she seems to like it.

I'm sad because I have to THOROUGHLY clean the house tomorrow....but that's because mom and dad are coming to visit.

I'm sad because I missed ww this week and feel like I have gained weight....but the husband took me out to 2 amazing restaurants to celebrate our anniversary.

I'm sad because I haven't found my dream job yet....but I have turned down two job offers.

I'm sad because I've lost a good friend...and there's no "but" about this one.

OK...time to get over it.

Feminine Hygiene

The husband and I had lunch at the grocery store today. I know that sounds weird, but Reasor's is our go-to spot when we can't agree on anything else, so we usually eat there around 3 times a week. Anyway, it worked out perfectly that we ate there today since I needed to pick up some feminine products...that way we could actually kill two birds with one stone.

Here is the conversation between the husband and I that ensued from the Tampon aisle....

him: Are you scared to buy tampons?

me: No. I'm 31 years old.

him: Well, do not get that (generic) brand. They might make you sick.

me: K. Fine. I'll get the expensive ones.

him: K. Let's go.

me: No, hang on. I'm not done yet.

him: What? You need maxi pads too? I thought only 80-year-olds wear maxi pads.

me: No. These are panty liners.

him: What are they for?

me: Protection.

him: Oh for overflow?

me: Sure.

him: Do you need a plastic shoe-box to keep all of these in? (I gave him a look). Are you gonna put some of your new tampons and maxi pads in your purse?

me: Probably, but they're not maxi pads. (I opened the box to show him how thin they are).

me: You can't say that's "maxi" anything.

him: Flat screen tvs are getting thinner and thinner too aren't they?

I'm not sure I understand the logic there, but I always think it's funny to hear guys talk about "that time of the month."

Hope you had a great weekend, everyone!

Friday Fragments

Let's face it, cooking scares me and cookbooks are not my friend- they stress me out. If a recipe has more than 4 ingredients, forget it. And if I have to make a trip to the grocery store, nevermind. But, I have been wanting to try out some of the food from the latest Hungry Girl cookbook (Mac & Cheese and Smores Sundae, anybody?), and I figured the only way I would get my chance was to buy it and cook it up myself. So, I picked up a copy at Best Buy yesterday when I went in to get an ab workout DVD.

Anyway, to say that I am excited about this book is an understatement. Some of these recipes look incredible and they are all low calorie, low fat and low point. I made the Mac and Cheese today, and while the cauliflower in it isn't my favorite thing in the world, I got a huge bowl of food for only 4 points. I was stuffed, and it will definitely do the trick for a Mac & Cheese craving! Next on the list, maybe some HG French Toast or a Sundae!

In other news, I bought a pair of white jeans last night, and even though I am excited about the pants themselves, I am most excited about the fact that they are a size 6! Two months ago, I was trying on 10s and 12s.
And sadly, I have had a pain in the butt this week. Literally. I don't know what I did differently, but ever since my 6.71 mile run on Saturday, I have been babying a pain that extends from my right buttock to my right knee. And I am so frustrated. I want to run. I need to run. Of course I am no doctor, but I'm pretty sure this is piriformis syndrome/ sciatica. Anyone know how to fix it? Should I just run through it? Help!

That's all I know today.

Happy Friday and have a great weekend!

A New Favorite

I'm not really gonna go into all of the details of what makes up my new favorite non-alcoholic beverage. Frankly, I don't know and I don't care. What I do know is that it is AWESOME! I found this drink at 7-11 after my (just under) 7 mile run on Saturday, and it was surprisingly refreshing in my wind-blown, sweaty state. Honestly, I was looking for low-cal Gatorade, but they didn't have any, and I am so glad they didn't. This drink was a substitute for water, which I don't particularly care for, it has ZERO calories and it tastes great. It is a little expensive...I think it was $1.59/bottle, but it is now my go-to convenience store treat. And, if you're in the mood to try it, check out the Pear flavor; it's my favorite of the 3 that I've tried so far.

Have a great Tuesday!

Running, Snakes and Dead Bodies. Oh My.

According to my 1/2 marathon training schedule, I was supposed to run 8 miles on Saturday- "supposed to" are the operative words here, as I didn't even come close. I think I was able to run something like 2.5 miles, cursing at the cars, the grass, the hills, and my new hydration system the whole way. It was miserable.

So, after our weigh-in last night, I decided I would partially make up the miles that I missed on Saturday and run 5 instead of the 3 that were scheduled. Again, I was cussing the cars, the people, the hills and everything that crossed my path, especially the broken water fountain at mile 4.

And here is a sampling of the other things going through my head during this 5 Mile Run of Turture...

-Man, that guy is totally creepy. Why is he walking around down here by himself. I should have brought my mace, but that might make my arm tired. Where would I keep it?

-What would I do if a snake crossed my path? Probably run really fast. Or have a heart attack and die and then the creepy guy would try to give me mouth-to-mouth.

-I wonder if there are any dead bodies over there.

-This sucks. I'm miserable. I'm gonna die. Who said I could run 5 miles anyway? Who's stupid idea is it for ME to train for a 1/2 marathon. I'm gonna die. I have to walk or I'm gonna die.

Sounds fun right? My psyche and I are at odds and I need some serious help/encouragement. Please. Runner's how do you get through it? How do you motivate yourself when you want nothing more than to quit?

So, I guess Karma's a bitch and she came for me today (probably for all of these negative thoughts) because look what I stepped on....

And I didn't even have a heart attack and die.

By the way, in case you have been following or even care, I lost a little over 2 lbs this week, making my total weight loss so far 21.2 lbs!

The Games People Play

My family is full of traditions, and we have some for every holiday. Christmas morning stockings, brunch and pickle hunting, huge birthday celebrations, 4th of July at the lake and Easter games. And because the grown adult children (my brothers and myself) have no kids of our own, we still get to play the games, and they are always a blast.

So my super-creative mom comes up with the games each year and they always vary. Last year, we had a balloon animal-making contest, for which my brother made a car and my husband made a sweater vest....yes, they made these out of those long clown balloons. We have hunted Easter eggs, played relay games and dice games, but this year, our golf game took the cake.

My mom bought these toy golf sets at Wal-Mart- one for each of us- and set up a 9-hole golf course around the lake house. It was complete with pins, hazards and pars and we spent a good few hours outside completing all nine holes of golf in our first mini tournament. Needless to say, we spent the afternoon laughing, and it certainly helped my golfing case that the boys had already played 18 holes of real golf and had come home less than sober.

So, with a score of 47, yours truly was the winner (against 3 boys) and took home the incredible cash prize of $10, which may just go toward a manicure!

Here's to traditions and a very Happy Easter!