We're at the grocery store at 11:30. It closes in half an hour. We are there because our regular grocery store has unexpectedly stopped carrying everything we buy. Okay, not everything, but some items that are of such importance we decided to go to the fancy grocery store to buy them. And something called tapenade which looks gross but sounds delicious. I'll let you know how that turns out in our new polenta lasagna recipe later on this week.
So, the story is that there are four things on our list. We find the first three, but can't find the Craisins (yes, in case you are wondering, something soooo important we can't live without it - shut up). We wander up and down the aisles of this unfamiliar grocery store for awhile. I get impatient and find a person stocking shelves and ask him where the Craisins are. The boy keeps wandering up and down the aisles.
By the time the stock person delivers me to the Craisins, the boy is already there, putting a bag of Craisins in our basket.
This is the finest examples of boy versus girl behavior and adaptations I can think of in our recent adventures. And, damn it, why was he rewarded for not asking for help by getting there faster?
Friday, October 31, 2008
45 x 365 #5
5/365 - JM
You would throw your plastic beer bottles across the room, laughing maniacally. You told us your secret while walking home one night. I never got to tell you that I think you're more beautiful than Vanessa Williams. I wish I knew where you are now.
You would throw your plastic beer bottles across the room, laughing maniacally. You told us your secret while walking home one night. I never got to tell you that I think you're more beautiful than Vanessa Williams. I wish I knew where you are now.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
45 x 365 #4
4/365 - MP
You fell down the stairs that winter and that mean, awful eighth grader helped you to the main office. The stairs got those non-stick runners on them to prevent more falls and you got lots of jokes about your age. I am your age now.
You fell down the stairs that winter and that mean, awful eighth grader helped you to the main office. The stairs got those non-stick runners on them to prevent more falls and you got lots of jokes about your age. I am your age now.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
45 x 365 - #3
3/365 - LK
The long white skirt with the purple flowers on it was your favorite and you often threatened to steal it. I wondered what a woman who shopped on Rodeo Drive would want with a skirt I bought at the Salvation Army for under five dollars.
The long white skirt with the purple flowers on it was your favorite and you often threatened to steal it. I wondered what a woman who shopped on Rodeo Drive would want with a skirt I bought at the Salvation Army for under five dollars.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
There was much shopping
I warned you here that Bluefly was going to win on this dress if it kept up its super special sale. The purple dress is currently on its way to visit my closet. (Sleeves! On a dress! Whoo hoo!)
These are not the precise boots I wanted, but they are darn near perfect. It turns out that the biking and running have made my calves HUGE and I require extra room. I ordered them LAST NIGHT and I have them on my feet right now. They are still too tight in the calf area and I'm contemplating whether or not it's bad enough to return them.
What? I swear I don't have enough black dresses in my closet. Oh...wait. (Sleeves! On a dress! Whoo hoo!)
I couldn't help it. Last night I went crazy with the credit card.
45 x 365 - #2
2/365 - ML
I remember you in junior high making movies filled with cheesy cliches and the promises of greatness. I remember the demanding questions you asked, stumping teachers on a regular basis. But, sadly, I remember you delivering your speech at high school graduation stoned even more.
I remember you in junior high making movies filled with cheesy cliches and the promises of greatness. I remember the demanding questions you asked, stumping teachers on a regular basis. But, sadly, I remember you delivering your speech at high school graduation stoned even more.
Monday, October 27, 2008
45 x 365 - #1
So, I feel like I'm the last one to hear about this (he wrote exactly 40 words each day for a year describing someone he knew - someone he knew by name). I think I'm going to do something like this. I think I'm going to do 45 words or less and I'll try and post every day, but, you know, sometimes we go out of town and are not wired. During those times we go out of town, I'll make it up when we come back. I'll maintain the privacy of those being written about by using initials and pseudonyms. I have a list of 365 folks and I'm going to try really hard to stick to it.
1/365 - PBD
Every day you picked me up, you gave me a smile, a wave, and a sense of security. Children are hard, especially children with big, sad eyes, but you always knew the right words to say and years later I remember you and your kindness.*
*45 words on the nose!
1/365 - PBD
Every day you picked me up, you gave me a smile, a wave, and a sense of security. Children are hard, especially children with big, sad eyes, but you always knew the right words to say and years later I remember you and your kindness.*
*45 words on the nose!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Topics at the dinner table tonight
1) Our major topic was Colin Powell's endorsement of Obama on Meet the Press this weekend. I have not always been the most ardent supporter of the Obama campaign, but Powell's defense of his position in supporting the candidate was one of the most well-articulated arguments I have bothered myself to read (which is my way of saying that in this election, I have become a bit gun shy about reading editorials and blogs related to the campaign because four years ago I almost became a raving lunatic when Kerry lost).
"I’m also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the party say. And it is permitted to be said such things as, “Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim.” Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he’s a Christian. He’s always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer’s no, that’s not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president?" Entire transcript here if you want to read it.
2) Sarah Palin was not a smart choice for the veep nomination. To be honest, I was on the fence until the RNC. The extreme direction of the party, as typified by this nomination, combined with the chanting of "drill, baby, drill" made me anxious about four more years of this type of administration. I think, after seeing Powell's interview on Meet the Press, that I am not the only one who was turned off by Palin.
I found it patronizing that anyone would think Palin was some sort of replacement for Clinton voters. I found it disrespectful when Palin, who lives in rural Alaska, would claim to be more representative of America and Americans, than Barack Obama, a man from an urban area in the Midwest. I found it disrespectful when she called Sentaor Biden "Joe" at the debates when Biden respected her position and called her Governor.
I am scared of her extreme positions on civil rights, abortion, terrorism, and the environment. Her lack of experience in foreign policy (but Alaska's right next to Russia!) is not necessarily a point in her disfavor (Obama doesn't have a ton of experience, either), but her lack of intellectual interest in pursuing alternative strategies in foreign relations is.
3) My laryngitis and constant sickness since the school year has begun is a problem. I've made jokes about my allergies on this site before, but it's getting to be an issue. My body is constantly battling to breathe because of the allergens it is fighting. This leaves me unable to withstand the barrage of germs and other ickiness (technical term) floating around my workplace. And apparently has led to me not having a voice for three days. It is looking less and less likely that I will ever be able to have a pet of the furry kind, hypo-allergenic or not. I must start doing some research on fish that will live for ten years and cuddle with me at night.
4) This article by Stanley Fish on the right for professors to deliberately show their political leanings in the classroom got a few minutes of our dinner conversation. BB and I, not surprisingly, do not agree. Or maybe we do. It's hard to say. I think it's easier for folks in math and engineering to stay out of the political tangle. (Although with the somewhat ubiquitous topics of cloning and stem cell research out there, it's hard to believe that even some of these disciplines remain unscathed of political murmurings in the classroom.) But if you're teaching a book in an English class and gays are mentioned or minorities are mentioned, is it fair to say nothing for fear your own personal views may leech out? If you are teaching a political theory class on citizenship and democracy and you start talking about how the crackdown on illegal immigrants in small towns in Iowa is destroying those towns, should you stay quiet because the students might figure you out?
I think BB and I agree on this: we don't wear our political affiliations on our sleeves, but we aren't going to silence ourselves, any more than we would silence our students. Oftentimes, we play the devil's advocate in front of the classroom, taking the unpopular position no one in the class is willing to defend. It's possible that students honestly don't know where we stand. But should I be ashamed or hide my views just because I'm in front of a classroom? I don't think so. And I'm not sure how Fish, a former English professor, avoided this in his classroom.
5) I made chocolate chip cookies over the weekend. The boy ate about half of them today. I guess he likes them. Yay! A new successful cookie recipe!! When we first started dating, I never imagined the day would come when I would be able to rave about how much we love eating. And I love baking.
I followed the Toll House recipe:
"I’m also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the party say. And it is permitted to be said such things as, “Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim.” Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he’s a Christian. He’s always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer’s no, that’s not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president?" Entire transcript here if you want to read it.
2) Sarah Palin was not a smart choice for the veep nomination. To be honest, I was on the fence until the RNC. The extreme direction of the party, as typified by this nomination, combined with the chanting of "drill, baby, drill" made me anxious about four more years of this type of administration. I think, after seeing Powell's interview on Meet the Press, that I am not the only one who was turned off by Palin.
I found it patronizing that anyone would think Palin was some sort of replacement for Clinton voters. I found it disrespectful when Palin, who lives in rural Alaska, would claim to be more representative of America and Americans, than Barack Obama, a man from an urban area in the Midwest. I found it disrespectful when she called Sentaor Biden "Joe" at the debates when Biden respected her position and called her Governor.
I am scared of her extreme positions on civil rights, abortion, terrorism, and the environment. Her lack of experience in foreign policy (but Alaska's right next to Russia!) is not necessarily a point in her disfavor (Obama doesn't have a ton of experience, either), but her lack of intellectual interest in pursuing alternative strategies in foreign relations is.
3) My laryngitis and constant sickness since the school year has begun is a problem. I've made jokes about my allergies on this site before, but it's getting to be an issue. My body is constantly battling to breathe because of the allergens it is fighting. This leaves me unable to withstand the barrage of germs and other ickiness (technical term) floating around my workplace. And apparently has led to me not having a voice for three days. It is looking less and less likely that I will ever be able to have a pet of the furry kind, hypo-allergenic or not. I must start doing some research on fish that will live for ten years and cuddle with me at night.
4) This article by Stanley Fish on the right for professors to deliberately show their political leanings in the classroom got a few minutes of our dinner conversation. BB and I, not surprisingly, do not agree. Or maybe we do. It's hard to say. I think it's easier for folks in math and engineering to stay out of the political tangle. (Although with the somewhat ubiquitous topics of cloning and stem cell research out there, it's hard to believe that even some of these disciplines remain unscathed of political murmurings in the classroom.) But if you're teaching a book in an English class and gays are mentioned or minorities are mentioned, is it fair to say nothing for fear your own personal views may leech out? If you are teaching a political theory class on citizenship and democracy and you start talking about how the crackdown on illegal immigrants in small towns in Iowa is destroying those towns, should you stay quiet because the students might figure you out?
I think BB and I agree on this: we don't wear our political affiliations on our sleeves, but we aren't going to silence ourselves, any more than we would silence our students. Oftentimes, we play the devil's advocate in front of the classroom, taking the unpopular position no one in the class is willing to defend. It's possible that students honestly don't know where we stand. But should I be ashamed or hide my views just because I'm in front of a classroom? I don't think so. And I'm not sure how Fish, a former English professor, avoided this in his classroom.
5) I made chocolate chip cookies over the weekend. The boy ate about half of them today. I guess he likes them. Yay! A new successful cookie recipe!! When we first started dating, I never imagined the day would come when I would be able to rave about how much we love eating. And I love baking.
I followed the Toll House recipe:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup chopped nuts
- One package of semi-sweet chocolate morsels (12 oz)
6 Cups White Rice Flour
1 Cup Tapioca Flour
1 Cup Potato Starch
1 Cup Corn Starch
1 Tbs. Xanthan Gum
Obviously, this makes about 9 cups of flour, which is way more than called for here, so I store the extra flour in an airtight container for the next time I want to bake cookies. We went to the brand new Container Store last week for the sole purpose of getting these airtight canisters and I must say - it was totally worth it!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Awkward (times two)
I was in Iowa for the weekend! (Look how I faked excitement for that one.) Actually, it was pretty awesome. I had someone sub for me on Friday and we took the whole day to drive down. We went across to Wisconsin and down highway 61 instead of interstate to interstate. The fall colors are just starting to turn and the trees were gorgeous. The occasion for the trip was Grandma and Grandpa's 65th wedding anniversary. 65! People! That is more than twice as long as I've been alive! 65!
Okay, it was a lovely event and did I mention that Grandma and Grandpa are like the hippest 80-somethings I know? (Our wedding photographer LOVED them. I feel like our pictures should have been entitled NGS and BB's wedding featuring Grandma and Grandpa.) We got to go to a high school football game that I enjoyed a ton! But, there were some awkward moments with the in laws.
1) I had to go to Catholic mass on Saturday before the big celebration dinner. I hate the going to church part. Seriously. It makes me want to throw up when I think about having to go again soon. I think I'm going to opt out of masses from here on out (unless it involves a wedding, I guess). Anyway, first of all, the priest (a cousin!) read this parable that essentially said if you haven't been baptized and confirmed and whatnot, you're going to get stoned. I was. . . displeased. The giving of communion is always awkward, too, as I stand up, walk to the end of the pew, let everyone else go, then sit back down. I swear I heard whispering behind us about the fact that BB and I stayed behind. (Even more confusing for me is that I believe BB would go get communion if the wafer wouldn't make him sick. Just to avoid the shit with his family.)
Then, if you haven't been to a Catholic mass before, you will not have experienced the phenomenon of the exchange of peace. Everyone in the pews nearby shakes hands and KISSES and says, "peace be with you," and "and also with you." I, not wanting to make waves, shake hands and mumble. But, what? Participation? Touching strangers? Kissing strangers? Argh. I don't mind the standing and sitting and standing and sitting and whatnot, but the peace thing? It gets me every time.
And the being told I should be stoned? Not pleased at all. As we left the church, BB said, "I owe you big for that one." And he does. Maybe even an entire trip to visit my family.
The kicker is that as we got into the car, Biker Boy's mom and dad and little sister all commented on what a great mass it was as the two of us sat there in stony silence. If we have ever come close to a fight, like a real-life fight, it was over me going to this damn mass, and the end result did nothing to diminish my discomfort with the entire experience. BB and I discussed it later that night and we both said that in all likelihood no one in the family actually listened to the mass, had no idea how insulting it would be to me (and any other non-Catholics there), and what they meant by "good mass" was that the whole thing was relatively short and the place didn't burn down during the ceremony.
Here's the deal. I know that it was pretty unlikely that there were non-Catholics in the church. But shouldn't the church be trying to reach out to potential members and not completely turn them off? Or am I taking this whole thing way too personally?
2) The fiance of one of BB's cousin was recently diagnosed with Celiac's, the same disorder BB has that means he can't eat gluten. We were warned ahead of time that there would be lots of questions for us at the dinner extravaganza. I ignored the warnings because I thought, for sure these people have better things to do than make me bust out recipes at a dinner someone else is cooking.
Alas, BB and I watched in alarm as they carted in a cooler with them to dinner. At a restaurant. With a gluten-free menu. This restaurant has a gluten-free menu. They brought a cooler.
They came over to us, as if they were magnetically drawn to us and said, "hey! we brought a gluten-free cake. It's the cake we're going to use at our wedding. We want you to try it. Tell us how it is. You know, since you're both going to be eating it."
Ummmmm...huh.
I try to laugh it off. "Oh, no. I'm on the wheat train." I joked.
They stared at me.
"We're going to have special meals for the four of us made at the wedding," the cousin (who has not be diagnosed with anything) says.
BB and I exchange looks that could best be described as horrified. I know we're both thinking the same thing - our wedding was gluten-free the entire way around. No one got special meals because we all ate the same damn thing. If anyone missed the croutons on their salad, no one said anything to me about it. More than anything, BB hates having attention drawn to his food peculiarities. And, just as a side note, I don't have to eat gluten-free.
"Oh, no need to do anything special for us," I say, speaking for both of us because suddenly my husband has been struck mute.
"Well, try this cake. It's the most heavenly chocolate cake you'll ever taste."
"Oh, well, Biker Boy will try it. I'm not big on chocolate." And I'm not eating anything out of your special cooler. That you brought inside a restaurant. A restaurant with gluten-free options. No wonder more restaurants don't offer gluten-free menus if shit like this happens all the time.
For the rest of the night, everyone joked with me about how I didn't support BB by eating gluten-free. I defended myself. Most of the time I do eat GF. I eat exactly what he does. But if I'm out to eat, there's no reason to deny myself bread. If I was making him sick by eating gluten, I would stop in a heartbeat. But he's not that sensitive. There was never an expectation from him that I would eat his diet and I think it's ridiculous to assume I would. It would make him uncomfortable and that's the last thing I want. Drawing attention to his "special food needs" makes him super uncomfortable. I joke about it here on this site, but it's not a laughing matter. Anything that makes him stand out is unnecessary. His diet is hard enough and people knowing about it makes it that much more of a pain in the ass. I know that some people believe everyone should know and that it's OUR JOB to make people more aware, but frankly, not at the cost to my husband's pride.
So.
How was your weekend?
Okay, it was a lovely event and did I mention that Grandma and Grandpa are like the hippest 80-somethings I know? (Our wedding photographer LOVED them. I feel like our pictures should have been entitled NGS and BB's wedding featuring Grandma and Grandpa.) We got to go to a high school football game that I enjoyed a ton! But, there were some awkward moments with the in laws.
1) I had to go to Catholic mass on Saturday before the big celebration dinner. I hate the going to church part. Seriously. It makes me want to throw up when I think about having to go again soon. I think I'm going to opt out of masses from here on out (unless it involves a wedding, I guess). Anyway, first of all, the priest (a cousin!) read this parable that essentially said if you haven't been baptized and confirmed and whatnot, you're going to get stoned. I was. . . displeased. The giving of communion is always awkward, too, as I stand up, walk to the end of the pew, let everyone else go, then sit back down. I swear I heard whispering behind us about the fact that BB and I stayed behind. (Even more confusing for me is that I believe BB would go get communion if the wafer wouldn't make him sick. Just to avoid the shit with his family.)
Then, if you haven't been to a Catholic mass before, you will not have experienced the phenomenon of the exchange of peace. Everyone in the pews nearby shakes hands and KISSES and says, "peace be with you," and "and also with you." I, not wanting to make waves, shake hands and mumble. But, what? Participation? Touching strangers? Kissing strangers? Argh. I don't mind the standing and sitting and standing and sitting and whatnot, but the peace thing? It gets me every time.
And the being told I should be stoned? Not pleased at all. As we left the church, BB said, "I owe you big for that one." And he does. Maybe even an entire trip to visit my family.
The kicker is that as we got into the car, Biker Boy's mom and dad and little sister all commented on what a great mass it was as the two of us sat there in stony silence. If we have ever come close to a fight, like a real-life fight, it was over me going to this damn mass, and the end result did nothing to diminish my discomfort with the entire experience. BB and I discussed it later that night and we both said that in all likelihood no one in the family actually listened to the mass, had no idea how insulting it would be to me (and any other non-Catholics there), and what they meant by "good mass" was that the whole thing was relatively short and the place didn't burn down during the ceremony.
Here's the deal. I know that it was pretty unlikely that there were non-Catholics in the church. But shouldn't the church be trying to reach out to potential members and not completely turn them off? Or am I taking this whole thing way too personally?
2) The fiance of one of BB's cousin was recently diagnosed with Celiac's, the same disorder BB has that means he can't eat gluten. We were warned ahead of time that there would be lots of questions for us at the dinner extravaganza. I ignored the warnings because I thought, for sure these people have better things to do than make me bust out recipes at a dinner someone else is cooking.
Alas, BB and I watched in alarm as they carted in a cooler with them to dinner. At a restaurant. With a gluten-free menu. This restaurant has a gluten-free menu. They brought a cooler.
They came over to us, as if they were magnetically drawn to us and said, "hey! we brought a gluten-free cake. It's the cake we're going to use at our wedding. We want you to try it. Tell us how it is. You know, since you're both going to be eating it."
Ummmmm...huh.
I try to laugh it off. "Oh, no. I'm on the wheat train." I joked.
They stared at me.
"We're going to have special meals for the four of us made at the wedding," the cousin (who has not be diagnosed with anything) says.
BB and I exchange looks that could best be described as horrified. I know we're both thinking the same thing - our wedding was gluten-free the entire way around. No one got special meals because we all ate the same damn thing. If anyone missed the croutons on their salad, no one said anything to me about it. More than anything, BB hates having attention drawn to his food peculiarities. And, just as a side note, I don't have to eat gluten-free.
"Oh, no need to do anything special for us," I say, speaking for both of us because suddenly my husband has been struck mute.
"Well, try this cake. It's the most heavenly chocolate cake you'll ever taste."
"Oh, well, Biker Boy will try it. I'm not big on chocolate." And I'm not eating anything out of your special cooler. That you brought inside a restaurant. A restaurant with gluten-free options. No wonder more restaurants don't offer gluten-free menus if shit like this happens all the time.
For the rest of the night, everyone joked with me about how I didn't support BB by eating gluten-free. I defended myself. Most of the time I do eat GF. I eat exactly what he does. But if I'm out to eat, there's no reason to deny myself bread. If I was making him sick by eating gluten, I would stop in a heartbeat. But he's not that sensitive. There was never an expectation from him that I would eat his diet and I think it's ridiculous to assume I would. It would make him uncomfortable and that's the last thing I want. Drawing attention to his "special food needs" makes him super uncomfortable. I joke about it here on this site, but it's not a laughing matter. Anything that makes him stand out is unnecessary. His diet is hard enough and people knowing about it makes it that much more of a pain in the ass. I know that some people believe everyone should know and that it's OUR JOB to make people more aware, but frankly, not at the cost to my husband's pride.
So.
How was your weekend?
Thursday, October 09, 2008
C25K - All done
Okay, here's the last installment of the Couch to 5K program I have been babbling about for the last few months (see here, here, here, here, here, and here for the whole ordeal if you like).
We are all done with the program! Biker Boy and I are officially that couple who run for 30 minutes a day three days a week. As I wrote in an email to someone who asked, "I absolutely, positively, suck at running. But I do it. I do it slowly and painfully. But I can tell that my legs and lungs are much stronger than they were when we started."
We are not the fastest joggers on the block. Sometimes I think the walkers are going to pass us. We are not the most fashionable joggers on the block. I frequently find myself in Bowling Green State University sweatshirts that are well over a decade old. We are not the most dedicated joggers on the block. Yesterday we skipped our run because, well, there is no good reason, I must admit. It was only the second time we have skipped since we started, so it's not like we're frequent skippers, but it does go to show you that we don't really have this motivation thing down to a science.
I highly recommend this program to people who want to start running, but just don't know how to start. Get yourself a good pair of running shoes* and follow this program. If you need to repeat a week because you're not ready to move on, that's totally doable. The program even encourages you to do so.
And move on. You have to do it. Sometimes I thought I couldn't go on. I thought that the program was INSANE in week 5 when I first looked at what we had to do, but I was able to do it. When I was able to do it, I felt encouraged by how much progress I was making and looked forward to doing more. I guess this is no different than any other type of exercise, but running has been so much harder for me than all those other things - cycling, aerobics, yoga, whatever.
So, yay for the Couch to 5K!!
*We each invested in ugly running shoes (about $65/each) that we had a person at a specialty store pick out for us. Our store is called The Running Room and it has people who are trained to fit you with the correct shoes depending on how your feet rotate (pronate, overpronate, blah, blah, blah, sports terms). The saleswoman helping us had us run up and down the aisles of the store while she watched. Then she went into the back room and came out with three pairs of shoes for each of us to try on. We tried them on and picked the ones that were the most comfortable. They are hideously ugly shoes, but since we've had no joint and/or foot pain, I think it was worth the embarrassment of the shoes. We also invested in an ugly wristwatch that has a timer/stopwatch function on it to help us keep track of time because, frankly, I have no idea what a quarter of a mile is, running or not. That's it in terms of equipment. What other form of exercise requires so little equipment, I ask you?
We are all done with the program! Biker Boy and I are officially that couple who run for 30 minutes a day three days a week. As I wrote in an email to someone who asked, "I absolutely, positively, suck at running. But I do it. I do it slowly and painfully. But I can tell that my legs and lungs are much stronger than they were when we started."
We are not the fastest joggers on the block. Sometimes I think the walkers are going to pass us. We are not the most fashionable joggers on the block. I frequently find myself in Bowling Green State University sweatshirts that are well over a decade old. We are not the most dedicated joggers on the block. Yesterday we skipped our run because, well, there is no good reason, I must admit. It was only the second time we have skipped since we started, so it's not like we're frequent skippers, but it does go to show you that we don't really have this motivation thing down to a science.
I highly recommend this program to people who want to start running, but just don't know how to start. Get yourself a good pair of running shoes* and follow this program. If you need to repeat a week because you're not ready to move on, that's totally doable. The program even encourages you to do so.
And move on. You have to do it. Sometimes I thought I couldn't go on. I thought that the program was INSANE in week 5 when I first looked at what we had to do, but I was able to do it. When I was able to do it, I felt encouraged by how much progress I was making and looked forward to doing more. I guess this is no different than any other type of exercise, but running has been so much harder for me than all those other things - cycling, aerobics, yoga, whatever.
So, yay for the Couch to 5K!!
*We each invested in ugly running shoes (about $65/each) that we had a person at a specialty store pick out for us. Our store is called The Running Room and it has people who are trained to fit you with the correct shoes depending on how your feet rotate (pronate, overpronate, blah, blah, blah, sports terms). The saleswoman helping us had us run up and down the aisles of the store while she watched. Then she went into the back room and came out with three pairs of shoes for each of us to try on. We tried them on and picked the ones that were the most comfortable. They are hideously ugly shoes, but since we've had no joint and/or foot pain, I think it was worth the embarrassment of the shoes. We also invested in an ugly wristwatch that has a timer/stopwatch function on it to help us keep track of time because, frankly, I have no idea what a quarter of a mile is, running or not. That's it in terms of equipment. What other form of exercise requires so little equipment, I ask you?
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Cookie Snatcher
I made cookies on Sunday night. I have had this incredible cookie craving recently and I think it's cruel to go to the store and just buy some because the boy can't eat them. I could buy some gluten-free cookies (Pamela's makes some that are pretty good), but they are expensive and I feel it is my wifely duty to cook dessert. I don't feel any wifely compunction to actually cook a meal, but dessert? Dessert should be made from scratch! Of course?
So, I made cookies while I watched the Steelers beat the Jaguars.
(Dear Steelers Offensive Line,
Look, you gotta step up and do your jobs NOW. Ben Roethlisberger is hurt and you let him get sacked and pushed around and now he's all cradling his arm like it's about to fall off. So, I know you technically won that game, but seriously? Are you proud of yourselves? Your QB's about to keel over and without him, who do you have? Leftwich? Some dude named Dixon I've never heard of? Get it together!!
Thanks! NGS)
Now, making cookies isn't as easy as you might think. First I have to mix up a batch of gluten-free flour. This involves a precise combination of white rice flour, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, salt, and potato starch. Then I get to use my wonderful KitchenAid mixer to do the rest. Then I can only make about six cookies at a time. So, it took all Sunday evening.
On Monday, I come home and BB is rooting around in the cupboards for a snack.
"Hey," I yell from the other room. "You should eat those cookies. They need to be all gone before we leave on Friday."
He walks into the room holding a popsicle. "Oh, yeah. I don't think that'll be a problem," he sneers at me.
Later that night, after dinner, I think I would like a cookie for dessert. I open up the cookie tin. There are only three cookies left!
"You ate two dozen cookies TODAY?"
And still he is as thin as a rail.
So, I made cookies while I watched the Steelers beat the Jaguars.
(Dear Steelers Offensive Line,
Look, you gotta step up and do your jobs NOW. Ben Roethlisberger is hurt and you let him get sacked and pushed around and now he's all cradling his arm like it's about to fall off. So, I know you technically won that game, but seriously? Are you proud of yourselves? Your QB's about to keel over and without him, who do you have? Leftwich? Some dude named Dixon I've never heard of? Get it together!!
Thanks! NGS)
Now, making cookies isn't as easy as you might think. First I have to mix up a batch of gluten-free flour. This involves a precise combination of white rice flour, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, salt, and potato starch. Then I get to use my wonderful KitchenAid mixer to do the rest. Then I can only make about six cookies at a time. So, it took all Sunday evening.
On Monday, I come home and BB is rooting around in the cupboards for a snack.
"Hey," I yell from the other room. "You should eat those cookies. They need to be all gone before we leave on Friday."
He walks into the room holding a popsicle. "Oh, yeah. I don't think that'll be a problem," he sneers at me.
Later that night, after dinner, I think I would like a cookie for dessert. I open up the cookie tin. There are only three cookies left!
"You ate two dozen cookies TODAY?"
And still he is as thin as a rail.
Monday, October 06, 2008
A System of Checks and Balances
As a couple, we know several other couples with complicated bookkeeping systems to keep track of their finances. These systems involve multiple checking and savings accounts, spreadsheets, and a variety of other organizational techniques that Biker Boy and I . . . don't get.
I am almost embarrassed to admit it, but our system is half a sheet of notebook paper we have on the fridge, held there by a magnet with the picture of a Labrador retriever on it. It looks like this:
NGS
rent $x
Comcast $x
water $x
BB
rent $x
Excel $x
car insurance $x
I just went out to the kitchen to double check and there's some arithmetic notations off to the side of the sheet for our one-time, yearly payment of renter's insurance, but that's all. Those are our bills. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. How do we get to be adults who have only five regular monthly bills?
ANYWAY, when we had our discussion about the bills, we sort of did an accounting of where the rest of our money went. Biker Boy tends to hoard his money and then buy large items (like the custom made bike frame that has a new home on the wall in our living room). I save a bit each month (but, oh how I am scared to actually go look at those balances now), pay for gas in Monster, pay for groceries, and buy gifts. And occasionally I buy things on Etsy. Because I am crazy obsessed with Etsy.
I went to a bachelorette party this weekend for a woman I know. She holds a responsible job and is a very capable lady, but she doesn't know what her own wedding budget is. Her fiance, a man who is super duper wonderful and kind, doesn't want her to know because he doesn't trust her to not go crazy with the money and spend it all. I was appalled as she was telling me this because, let me tell you, when we got married, every damn cent spent was on the spreadsheet. And every time a change was made to the spreadsheet, it was sent to the other person. On the morning of the wedding, the boy had to run to the flower store to buy more flowers and as we were going to sleep that night, I kid you not, on our wedding night, I asked him if added those flowers to the spreadsheet.
I am just fascinated by this look into other people's lives. I know that what works for us will not work for all couples. And I know that what works for others won't work for us. But every time I peek into someone's life and there's something that just doesn't quite mesh with my own personal values, I see myself turning into a judgmental brat.
So...when this woman told me that she didn't know her wedding budget, I clamped my lips shut and ordered another Sprite. No judgment here.
I am almost embarrassed to admit it, but our system is half a sheet of notebook paper we have on the fridge, held there by a magnet with the picture of a Labrador retriever on it. It looks like this:
NGS
rent $x
Comcast $x
water $x
BB
rent $x
Excel $x
car insurance $x
I just went out to the kitchen to double check and there's some arithmetic notations off to the side of the sheet for our one-time, yearly payment of renter's insurance, but that's all. Those are our bills. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. How do we get to be adults who have only five regular monthly bills?
ANYWAY, when we had our discussion about the bills, we sort of did an accounting of where the rest of our money went. Biker Boy tends to hoard his money and then buy large items (like the custom made bike frame that has a new home on the wall in our living room). I save a bit each month (but, oh how I am scared to actually go look at those balances now), pay for gas in Monster, pay for groceries, and buy gifts. And occasionally I buy things on Etsy. Because I am crazy obsessed with Etsy.
I went to a bachelorette party this weekend for a woman I know. She holds a responsible job and is a very capable lady, but she doesn't know what her own wedding budget is. Her fiance, a man who is super duper wonderful and kind, doesn't want her to know because he doesn't trust her to not go crazy with the money and spend it all. I was appalled as she was telling me this because, let me tell you, when we got married, every damn cent spent was on the spreadsheet. And every time a change was made to the spreadsheet, it was sent to the other person. On the morning of the wedding, the boy had to run to the flower store to buy more flowers and as we were going to sleep that night, I kid you not, on our wedding night, I asked him if added those flowers to the spreadsheet.
I am just fascinated by this look into other people's lives. I know that what works for us will not work for all couples. And I know that what works for others won't work for us. But every time I peek into someone's life and there's something that just doesn't quite mesh with my own personal values, I see myself turning into a judgmental brat.
So...when this woman told me that she didn't know her wedding budget, I clamped my lips shut and ordered another Sprite. No judgment here.
Friday, October 03, 2008
10 Things I Would Buy
The following is a list of ten things I would buy if I, you know, had money. Or wasn't such a miser. You decide where the truth lies. As I put together this list, it became apparent to me that I better go dress shopping or soon the perils of online shopping will become evident in the large number of boxes arriving at our doorstep!
Hi! Let's start off big, shall we? I'm a beautiful Marc Jacobs calfskin Alfred bag. I am gorgeous. Don't you want to touch my soft leather right now through the computer screen? I'm at Bluefly right now for just over $1000. I don't think NGS is going to get me ever in her lifetime, but still. A girl can dream. I am a perfect bag. I am the perfect size. I don't have logos and letters all over me. I am versatile. I am beautiful.
Hi! I'm a plum dress. With LONG SLEEVES. Dresses with sleeves aren't popular these days. But Bluefly is running a special on me and I'm only $60. NGS is pretty sure she's going to cave on this dress sale they're having. Oh, Bluefly, don't treat me bad.
Hi! I'm a Dyson DC25 Ball All-Floors Upright Vacuum cleaner. NGS wants me more than anything in the world because she has to deal with hardwood floors AND rugs in her apartment. I am great on both! One machine! Two jobs! Currently she has a crappy stick vacuum and this oh so sexy Dyson gets super duper reviews on amazon.com. NGS has bad allergies and is a vacuuming nut, but she currently hates the chore. Maybe if she had me, I would make it fun! and exciting! and she would be a vacuuming fool. Alas, at $499.49, this purchase may never be made. NGS is saving up all her amazon.com gift cards, though!
Hi! I'm a little green dress with ruching along the bustline. I'm adorable. You can buy me at Ann Taylor on clearance for $89. You could probably wear me during all four seasons if you wanted to. I'm versatile and awesome. And sleeved!
Hi! I'm an adorable tweed skirt from Gap. I beg to be worn with something other than these boots, but wouldn't I look adorable paired with a jewel-colored sweater? Think emerald or sapphire or ruby with some kicky tights and heels. Oh, yeah. I cost $64, which is ridiculous, but I'm hoping to go on clearance soon.
Hi, I'm bookmarked and everything. White House Black Market has awesome clothes and you can find me there. I'm $168, though, and that seems ridiculous since I'm made of polyester. Plus, NGS has about a million little black dresses and even though I'm super cute and just the right length and look at that brilliant neckline, I will probably not be purchased. Unless I go on massive clearance and cost about a quarter of what I do right now. Unlikely, I guess.
Hi! I'm an owl pillow from the Lolley Land Etsy shop. I make NGS coo every single time she checks her Etsy favorites page and there I am. I might be purchased as a holiday gift for a certain family member. I am $28 and there are other owl pillows in different colors who would also like to get a new home during the holidays!
Hi! I'm an adorable pig print. I come from Constant Dreamer's Etsy shop ($20) and can't tell you how much NGS really wants me. However, I am impractical and NGS can't actual come up with a genuine place to put me. It is sad, however, I will persevere and maybe a certain Biker Boy will pony up for Christmas. Or just because he can't stand how adorable I am!
Hi! I'm boots! Kenneth Cole Reaction boots, to be specific ($193). NGS has a pair of Nine West boots that look similar to this, but, sadly, they have been resoled approximately eighty million times (okay, three) in the two years she has owned them and they make her angry with their constant resoling neediness after only being worn for about two hours. So, the Nine West boots are going to hit the road and I will be their replacements. Someday. When NGS can talk herself into half a rent payment for shoes . Or maybe I will go on sale. I am bookmarked, too! So NGS can check on my status at all times of the night or day.
Hi! I'm truly too decadent to imagine. I'm a fantastic set of greeting cards from smackofjellyfish's Etsy shop. I have 26 cards, each one with the collective noun of a particular animal, from a to z. A bloat of hippopotamuses, a parliament of owls, and crash of rhinoceroses are some of my personal favorites. I cost $65 and that's not too bad for 26 cards. I mean $2.50 per handmade card is a bargain, right?
Hi! Let's start off big, shall we? I'm a beautiful Marc Jacobs calfskin Alfred bag. I am gorgeous. Don't you want to touch my soft leather right now through the computer screen? I'm at Bluefly right now for just over $1000. I don't think NGS is going to get me ever in her lifetime, but still. A girl can dream. I am a perfect bag. I am the perfect size. I don't have logos and letters all over me. I am versatile. I am beautiful.
Hi! I'm a plum dress. With LONG SLEEVES. Dresses with sleeves aren't popular these days. But Bluefly is running a special on me and I'm only $60. NGS is pretty sure she's going to cave on this dress sale they're having. Oh, Bluefly, don't treat me bad.
Hi! I'm a Dyson DC25 Ball All-Floors Upright Vacuum cleaner. NGS wants me more than anything in the world because she has to deal with hardwood floors AND rugs in her apartment. I am great on both! One machine! Two jobs! Currently she has a crappy stick vacuum and this oh so sexy Dyson gets super duper reviews on amazon.com. NGS has bad allergies and is a vacuuming nut, but she currently hates the chore. Maybe if she had me, I would make it fun! and exciting! and she would be a vacuuming fool. Alas, at $499.49, this purchase may never be made. NGS is saving up all her amazon.com gift cards, though!
Hi! I'm a little green dress with ruching along the bustline. I'm adorable. You can buy me at Ann Taylor on clearance for $89. You could probably wear me during all four seasons if you wanted to. I'm versatile and awesome. And sleeved!
Hi! I'm an adorable tweed skirt from Gap. I beg to be worn with something other than these boots, but wouldn't I look adorable paired with a jewel-colored sweater? Think emerald or sapphire or ruby with some kicky tights and heels. Oh, yeah. I cost $64, which is ridiculous, but I'm hoping to go on clearance soon.
Hi, I'm bookmarked and everything. White House Black Market has awesome clothes and you can find me there. I'm $168, though, and that seems ridiculous since I'm made of polyester. Plus, NGS has about a million little black dresses and even though I'm super cute and just the right length and look at that brilliant neckline, I will probably not be purchased. Unless I go on massive clearance and cost about a quarter of what I do right now. Unlikely, I guess.
Hi! I'm an owl pillow from the Lolley Land Etsy shop. I make NGS coo every single time she checks her Etsy favorites page and there I am. I might be purchased as a holiday gift for a certain family member. I am $28 and there are other owl pillows in different colors who would also like to get a new home during the holidays!
Hi! I'm an adorable pig print. I come from Constant Dreamer's Etsy shop ($20) and can't tell you how much NGS really wants me. However, I am impractical and NGS can't actual come up with a genuine place to put me. It is sad, however, I will persevere and maybe a certain Biker Boy will pony up for Christmas. Or just because he can't stand how adorable I am!
Hi! I'm boots! Kenneth Cole Reaction boots, to be specific ($193). NGS has a pair of Nine West boots that look similar to this, but, sadly, they have been resoled approximately eighty million times (okay, three) in the two years she has owned them and they make her angry with their constant resoling neediness after only being worn for about two hours. So, the Nine West boots are going to hit the road and I will be their replacements. Someday. When NGS can talk herself into half a rent payment for shoes . Or maybe I will go on sale. I am bookmarked, too! So NGS can check on my status at all times of the night or day.
Hi! I'm truly too decadent to imagine. I'm a fantastic set of greeting cards from smackofjellyfish's Etsy shop. I have 26 cards, each one with the collective noun of a particular animal, from a to z. A bloat of hippopotamuses, a parliament of owls, and crash of rhinoceroses are some of my personal favorites. I cost $65 and that's not too bad for 26 cards. I mean $2.50 per handmade card is a bargain, right?
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