Toby.

Yesterday when I was leaving the office, I got on the elevator down and one of my colleagues from the marketing dept was on there, so I said hi and stepped on. As soon as the doors closed, I realized that the elevator reeked strongly of alcohol. Like not a faint odor but a full on "someone just had a drunken rave on this elevator" kind of a stench. I glance at my colleague and her eyes widen as she says, "I swear that wasn't me!" and then, "MAN. I thought this elevator would be empty, but of course HR gets on! Of all the floors for it to stop on." Okay obviously it wasn't her, but who drinks that much alcohol on an afternoon at work that it would smell up the elevator?

Today Sarah and I did our 5 mile run, and I am proud to say we kept our miles to about a 10 minute mile pace. We're on our way! And all the running articles are right; every week it gets a little bit easier and more fun!

Hello, wine.

It should be a crime to have such a luxurious Friday night alone. Apple-walnut topped cheese ravioli with parmesan flakes, grilled San Francisco sourdough, freshly cracked open bottle of Akin wine, and flamenco music playing while I sit here slowly and focus on the food. I feel like I'm single! Mostly because the house is clean, I can listen to foreign music if I want to and not be mocked, and focus on only entertaining (or not!) myself. All this chiefly because Nolan is visiting a friend in the East Bay. Smmmhhhh!

None of this isn't to say I'm not desperately looking forward to waking up late with him tomorrow morning and devouring some coffee and blueberry muffins. I <3 him.

Also I feel like I deserve it after such a long and taxing (boring) week. And trying to smuggle my groceries home on the muni during a rainstorm. Do you KNOW what it's like to try and get a loaf of French bread home unsoaked, in the rain with no umbrella? It isn't easy, I'll tell you that. And as I barged onto the muni and heat and dryness, I slammed my grocery bags down on the ground and unzipped my jacket and the ancient guy in the seat next to me stared at me open-mouthed like I just had committed a crime by bringing bags-a-plenty on the muni. But I was okay with the staring, because I wasn't the one wearing a plastic bag on my head.

Last night I was trying to hurriedly do a scrapbook page while Nolan was showering before we hit the hay, and as I was walking away, I realized that I had skipped two days' worth of material. Crrrrap. So now I am hoping the wine as well as a streaming movie from Netflix will help me sort the mess out.

Milo's also reaping the benefits of my meal, and enjoyin' him some SF sourdough:

He's also growling at me in this picture, like "what the HELL are you doing looking at my bread!" He gets very possessive with anything that makes it with him to the rug...probably because most things don't make it that far.

State of the Union

"President Obama is taking questions on YouTube."

That, my friends, is on the Google homepage during tonight's State of the Union. Who would have imagined that technology would be such a forerunner in today's world, that it is prevalent in more than just the living rooms of the Gen Y'ers, but also the Oval Office. To quote my mom, who was quoting a movie, "Oh, what a world, what a world."

Pretentious.

Today at the gym, I put on my running clothes, and realized that instead of grabbing my size XS Turkey Trot shirt, I had grabbed Nolan's size XL one. Oh the shame of putting that on and realizing that I shouldn't care about something like how I look at the gym, if I truly am there to work out (and not "work IT" as one of my facebook groups states).

I have a friend who recently moved to a big city, and was unprepared for the differences between that and living in a small town. She got a bit caught up in the "fashion" of it all and things like having to drink only certain liquids because an aesthetician told her so. It's easy to get a bit pretentious when you're surrounded by celebrities and socialites and wealth. At times I've started to feel like because I live in one of the centers of the universe, maybe I should drink only Voss and wear only Hermes scarves and spend my Friday nights at Ruby Skye...but then I remember that really, I am just the sweaty white girl on the treadmill who should go back to 1986 because that is the only time it was cool to wear a shirt that's 5 times too big.



This weekend while I was doing laundry I discovered something that made laundry a little better; a hope that I might someday have cause to carefully heed #1 on this list:

Yes, it would be awesome to find a tiny child hiding in my dryer.

Lost

The telethon was a success--not only was a lot of money raised for Haiti, and several impressive performances given, but also I got to talk to a celebrity on the phone! woo! Too bad I have only seen like 2 episodes of Lost, or I may have been more thrilled about giving Matthew Fox my credit card information.

This weekend was packed full of sleeping and running, and to be honest, I feel a bit sad to not be doing either of those right now. Plus it is STILL RAINING outside, and I'm getting a little sick of being wet. My runs this weekend were in the pouring rain, and now I'm ready to go back to Mexico. Cancun, take me back!

Drop me a line!

Tonight, as many of you know, is the Hope for Haiti Telethon at 8pm. Not only would I like to donate some funds to help out Haiti, but I also will have the chance to talk to a celebrity! Now out of the 50 or more who will be answering phones, it is just a matter of who I will get. Here's hoping it's Robert Pattinson over someone like Peewee Herman.

What an exhausting week. Between dodging wind and rain and trying to clean our disastrous house and work, I'm about ready for a nice long nap. Or sleeping in. Also tomorrow is my 4-mile run, so I've gotta be rested and stretched out. But that will have to wait until after the Telethon and watching Doubt and having Tuttimelon with Ash U. Our first movie in the mail from Netflix, wooo! After all this time, Nolan finally said to me the other day, "If you happened to sign up for Netflix, I wouldn't complain." A not-so-subtle hint, methinks.

The mango of my dreams, made by the man of my dreams.

You'll be pleased to know that Nolan did in fact hold up his end of our dinner bargain last night, and made the dessert for the Becks--thai mango sticky rice! And now I'm just stuck nursing my empty stomach and wishing for more and wondering how I can bribe him to make dessert more often. Oh these hidden talents he has!

peanuts!

With El Nino continuing to soak my normally drought-ridden city, my mood has suffered along with it. Generally I find that walking/running in the rain or even sitting inside or sleeping to the sounds of the rain is relaxing and calming. Unless there's wind. And then my hair goes flying in my eyes and my umbrella turns inside out and I get soaked and my makeup runs and did I mention the hair in my eyes! So maybe an easier statement would have been that I hate the wind in every capacity, but especially in the rain. Thank goodness I grew out my bangs and no longer have to deal with those sticking in my eyes or heads would roll.

For the last 5 days, I have been eagerly looking forward to tonight. Not because the Becks are coming over for dinner (well okay I'm excited about that too) but because we're having satay chicken and peanut sauce, and OHMYGOSH I LOVE SATAY CHICKEN WITH PEANUT SAUCE. I'll post the recipe here but ONLY if you promise to not think less of me for loving a recipe I found online. Click here to see the recipe, but know that I make some changes to it. Like...adding 1/16-1/8 cup of red curry paste instead of the ground red pepper (makes it a little bit spicier like Nolan likes it!), and I don't add the onions, because to me that ruins it. I also don't add cilantro because to me cilantro = salsa, and those don't mesh. Also cilantro is disgusting. Oh and I add crushed peanuts, just a few, to give it some crunch and texture, which I love. Let me also just say that the lime juice is practically the most important part because it gives such a delicious kick to everything and now my mouth is starting to water again.

Running update: going well, but would be going a lot better if I a.) remembered to stretch my lower legs before running and b.) didn't have to wait in line 30 minutes after work for a free treadmill on those rainy days. Note to self: hit gym on lunch break.

The art of running in the rain.

This weekend I went up to Placerville to have a boy-free few days with my mom. So we went to the movies, went shopping, watched movies at home (while I scrapbooked and FINALLY finished the London leg of our Europe scrapbook), etc. Somehow I managed to stay motivated enough to fit in my runs too, and tried out my new running shoes and running belt and jacket, to make sure they're race-worthy! So far so good. This Saturday the distance goes to 4 miles, and then keeps going up from there, yikes. But hey at least now I've got the right equipment!

So after a luxurious weekend of relaxing and sleeping in and eating good food (and with good company!), I'm back in the cold city, ready for a new workweek, and of course the El Nino rain that's around all week. Good news is that it's always good to be home with my boys, no matter where that is.

the mysterious ticking sound

I'm starting to think Sarah was right about the cursed 3rd run. Because after the suffering through that I did, and the fact that I didn't get to my run on Tuesday, I was shocked at how amazing I felt after today's. Especially considering I tacked on another half a mile to the workout and did it with an incline. I was reading these articles online about how some marathon runners do their training on treadmills, and the way they get the same amount of effort out of it as an outside run is to add a 1% - 2% incline to it. Good to know.

It's hard to imagine that 3 weeks ago, I was in a totally different spot. Literally:

(sorry it's dark--the dazzlingly bright light and the not-so-great iPhone camera didn't mesh)

Quote of the day:*if you don't get it, you probably haven't seen this*
Sarah: jedi would totally be a goth kid
me: yeah i know. with long, greasy and black snape hair
Sarah: EEEW
me: snape, snape, severus snape
Sarah: DUMBELDORE
me: hahaha, I WAS HOPING YOU'D WRITE THAT <3

no-go

Week 2 (official week 1) of training: Didn't run today for multiple reasons out of my control. Or just a lot of excuses. Just burnt my thumb on Nolan's hot-dog. This is starting out to be a bad week.

I dreamed a dream

Don't you hate those dreams that are so convincing, you think they're real? Especially when they play with your emotions? The dream I had this morning was that I woke up early naturally, had a big breakfast, LOTS of coffee (I stopped at Starbucks twice on my way to work), and then sat at my desk and sipped coffee and enjoyed the fact that it was Thursday and OH THE COFFEE. And then I woke up and I was late and it was Tuesday (DANGIT) and there was no coffee. A real-life nightmare. Word on the street is that tomorrow isn't Thursday either, and therefore my workweek isn't even halfway done yet.

Thanks, Chels, for pointing out exactly the picture I had in my head while writing yesterday's post. And now I feel SUPER cool (go to 1:51 in the video):

Real runners probably don't use treadmills.

On Saturday, Nolan and I went on a movie and shopping date downtown, and saw "Invictus". I had wanted to wait and see that one at home, because it looked kind of intense and I just can't do that in the theater, but as it turns out, there isn't a shred of torture or violence or anything in the entire film. And it's really good. And I forgot it was Morgan Freeman and not actually Nelson Mandela. And I love South African accents <3 Message here is that it's totally worth seeing. And ps-I still have no desire to see Avatar. Go ahead. Convince me.

Confession: I have been doing my training thus far on the treadmills at the gym. Seriously: if I have to run a few miles each day, why not do it somewhere warm and dry that streams Oprah straight to my personal screen? In my defense, I do run a bit further to compensate for the fact that I know treadmills don't make you work as hard as solid earth. This weekend, Nolan joined me for my run, and we ran the trail through the park with it's hills and rough terrain and even sand in some spots. And let me tell you: I am not as in shape as I thought I was. Resolution: train outside. I've also noticed a softening of the muscle in my core I worked so hard to build up. So, until I somehow figure out how to squeeze more strength-training into my workout schedule, I'll just be sitting at my desk doing subtle (or not-so-subtle) ab workouts at my desk. Yes,I'm THAT person. I'm looking into swapping my office chair out for a giant rubber ball.

Maybe that's why I wore soft boots today.

So it's been a rough week already: first week of training for a half-marathon, sick husband, trashed house, first week back from vacation, and I'm tired all the time. And then this morning:
-the muni took forever to come
-once on it, the girl next to me passed out ON TOP of me.
-I let her use my boots as a pillow, and then helped her into a seat when she said she was fine.
-she passed out again while I was holding her up, and had a seizure.
-ambulance took a long time to come, and then finally when I got to work I was almost an hour later than normal.
-I didn't have Starbucks this morning.

So overall, I am slightly traumatized, tired and sore, and starving all the time, and my running shoes are starting to get holes in the heels.

This afternoon, for the third time, I found a tiny pool of bright yellow, thick liquid on my desk. Like, in the middle of nowhere, under nothing but the roof tiles, which were definitely not leaking. I had just cleaned up another puddle in the exact same spot 30 minutes earlier, and STILL had no idea where it was coming from or what it was. My thought process was something like this:
-Ugh, gross. What IS that. Where did it come from?
-What. Again. SERIOUSLY.
-Where is it coming from?
-Those roof tiles really do look like styrofoam.
-Man, I could use a coffee.
-Am I going crazy? WHAT IS THIS.
-Maybe David knows what that is. Hmm. Maybe he's been secretly dripping stuff all over my cube when I wasn't looking. How dare he!
-Oh. My cabinet has too much lube on it. It's thick and bright yellow and drips in that spot when I open it. Oh.

When we finally went out for a walk (and maybe some coffee, heh), I also witnessed what potentially could have been the most awesome thing I have ever seen, when a bird went careening straight into my coworker. Unfortunately, he changed course (BARELY) at the last minute, and my coworker ducked in time. But he reached out after the bird to catch it and teach it a lesson and he was THIS.CLOSE. to grabbing it. His response? "no way, those birds are so delicate. but i kind of wish i had grabbed it, spun 360, and let it fly!"

It's been an interesting day.

Feelin' myself

Well, proof that I am not in great shape: my quads are KILLING ME after my run yesterday. And it wasn't even that long! I have runs and crosstraining for the next 4 consecutive days, so here's to hoping they feel better! Also, I have been ridiculously tired lately and had serious muchies, so I'm just waiting for my body to readjust to being actually in shape again, haha.

Our house is finally going back to normal. We destroyed it this weekend while unpacking our Mexico bags, and thought we'd do some early spring cleaning at the same time. Nolan was incredulous at the amount of cat hair behind his dresser ("this is like, an entire cat!"), and personally I was amazed at how much trash we threw out and clothes we got rid of. After a few trips to Goodwill, the lady wasn't laughing anymore and said, "Do you have any clothes LEFT?" I looked at her like "lady, you don't know my husband", but I'm pretty sure she interpreted it as "...DO I have any clothes left?" Needless to say, the house looks exactly the same, but WE know there is more space and less junk. Plus more room in closets and drawers! Woo! Nolan's most innovative idea was to start storing our shoes (the ones we wear the most frequently, including our work ones) in a container under the bed. Already the new bane of my day is stooping down to pull that cursed container out from under the bed, dig around in it for my shoes, and try to make them all fit back in and then shove it back under the bed. And guess what! I get to do it all again at the end of the day! We'll see how long I last with that one.

Quote of the day:
*Discussing marathon-friendly running pants*
Ash: "That is totally not going to work unless they're like, plastic. Or steel. Anything that breathes, oozes."

And it begins, like a lamb before the slaughter...

Day 1 of half-marathon training: CHECK.

I felt so good about myself afterwards too, until I realized that although running 2 miles without stopping is pretty good (considering it's the first workout since the holidays!), in a matter of weeks that number is going to say 12 miles without stopping. Talk about a buzz-kill! I've also consumed more than enough chocolate today, and that makes me feel a little less good about myself, heh.

Today I tried our new coffeemaker in the kitchen for the first time. To be honest, it's the same machine, but instead of the hellishly foul old coffee they used to brew, we're now serving Peet's and Starbucks, with fancy creamers and milk to boot! So far I've had two frothy cups, and I ain't goin' back.

Since the winter months set in, not only are chilblains an unwelcome friend in my life (hello, misery!), but my terrible cuticles are running wild. I once saw a girl in my old small group picking at her cuticle AGAINST THE GRAIN and I almost barfed. Instead, I deal with stray cuticles by smearing gobs of petroleum jelly on them all day at work, since I don't have my manicure kit (thanks, Mom!) here with me. So here I sit, with wet hair, petroleum-covered fingers, and empty chocolate wrappers.

Oh the weather outside is delightful...

I am back from vacation, and back in the real world...which means a return from my 2-week blogging hiatus. Nothing says vacation like sunshine, swimming, pina coladas and staying off a computer for a couple weeks...ahhh!

We spent our holidays in Cancun, Mexico, celebrating my in-laws' 30th anniversary (Here's to 30 more, you two!)! So naturally, you have to brace yourself for an onslaught of pictures. I'll keep it to a minimum since my mother-in-law did a wonderful job of summarizing the trip, and I just can't find the energy to do so in an equally graceful manner. See her blog here for a synopsis, and let me sum it up for you the best I can as follows:
As you see from the pictures, it was beautiful weather. We swam a lot, travelled to interesting places a lot, ate way too many tacos, and generally lounged around. If I had to pick a highlight, I really couldn't decide which I liked best: my 90-minute massage in the rain, swimming with the dolphins, exploring the Mayan pyramids, or sipping a pina colada on the beach. All in all, it was a hoot, and it reminded me why I decided to major in Spanish...which also leads me to my resolutions for this year.

Ahem:
1. To quantitatively improve my language skills in at least Spanish and German. I am woefully out of practice (especially with my German!), and my aim is to get back to a place of being very comfortable speaking it without having to stop and think.
2. To cook more at home. We are both generally so busy (and I have a new thing to keep me busy that I'll mention shortly!), that we like fast meals...like soups. Nothing wrong with a good soup, but I love cooking, and Nolan loves helping :) Time for me to start loving on those new cookbooks I got!

As for my new activity? I am pleased to announce that I will be running a half-marathon on April 11 of this year! I've been wanting to do this for awhile now, and just recently got up the guts (I hope to do a full-length marathon someday!), and am training with Sarah to do this together in Santa Cruz...along with a couple 10Ks along the way in February and March (for practice!). We got our training schedule, and the first day is tomorrow! 3 months of training and many miles: here we come! Here is the link to the race if you want to see what we'll be doing and/or cheer us on!

And now the Mexico pictures...I chose just a few that I thought would sum up the trip nicely:


















And of course I HAD to include a picture of Senor Milo with his souvenir that we brought him! Viva Mexico!