spendin' money

the night finally came. and then went. the night I had been saving up money for, for months. making my own lunch. not making any large purchases. not going out to dinner. and all for what? a joke of a shopping-spree-night-with-girlfriends that got me 2 shirts which cost a whopping $27 total that I need to return and one pair of The Limited pants that were 40% off anyway.

what the hell.

I guess all that money will just go to Christmas gifts. such greed.

today was also an exciting day... only it was an exciting day with a good ending. my trip to Cost Plus yielded two chair cushions for tender butts and a large tin full of.... GINGER SNAPS! that's right. the larger than life, never empty, red tin of the thinnest ginger snaps ever have now made it in to our living space. the official welcome for the holidays. all we need now, is Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. mmmm.

in other news...
...fake plants may be expensive but hey, they are immortal. how can we even put a price on that?
...taking a shower is overrated. it should take me.
...Ginger Pumpkin Cheesecake. I'll get back to you on that after Thursday.

sweet potato me

one more week.. before family, friends, and turkeys make their way to the table. what's YOUR favorite dish?
I have to go with sweet potatoes and candied yams - east coast style. it is so dangerous I no longer make it. if you're in to danger, ask me for the recipe.


another portrait session is done and over with. while they are happy with the photos I of course have my list of things-I-need-to-work-on. these will be typed, printed, laminated, and stapled to my subjects foreheads in order for me to remember (photoshopped out later of course).


I have another family and a couple + dog in the near future. I am so excited for both of them but not so excited about the upcoming weather that may be a detriment... or a rare opportunity??


in other news...
...the PERMANENT PRESS setting on the washing machine does not get rid of dog fur.
...never ever EVER sit on the benches in a locker room. you wouldn't believe all the naked butts that have touched it before your clothed one.
...snoop dogg and martha stewart are friends. fo shizzle.

bull

Monday began with me ordering a sall toy latte. but I ended up getting a tall soy latte. what were they thinking.

Sunol Wilderness was the hiking location of choice this past weekend. after climbing uphill for 1.5 miles we enjoyed views of mountains, vultures, and bull testees. that's right. bulls, cows, and calves decorated the downhill of the mountain. Nick reminded us to run in circles if they decided to attack... "thats what rodeo clowns do and they seem to be ok most of the time". I, however, knew I would be ok - all I had to do was stay away from the guy wearing the bright red shirt (that would be Nick).

after surviving the run in with the bulls, I charged my battery and mentally prepared myself to make my parents look like they were in love again.

in other news...

...'salads' from Chipotle are not salads. and I am never having one again.

...it is possible for food to fall from one's mouth and in to one's shoe.. while it's on one's foot.

...if you have lost your favorite brown tight long-sleeved shirt, check under your bed. because that's where they go.

...how does a photo turn out while trying to take one of a scarey bull without making eye contact?

brain rot

word of the week?

lunatic

I have found myself either running outdoors or sweating in the gym 5 days this week. thinking I might have endometriosis? 2 days. singing Justin Timberlake in my head? 4 days. up way too late? 4 days. snoozing my alarm 5 times in a row? 4 days. forgetting where I am going while driving? every day of my life.
lunatic.

in spite of it all I have managed to end up with some happy products of my lunacy. a family portrait session with a friend and a buddy needing photos of his personal training sessions for his up and coming website have kept the left side of my brain occupied while my right side just.. well, rots.

in other news...
...owning a dog that needs to take a shit at 2am is very inconvenient.
...if one goes to a high school football game to feel like one is young again, remember to not wear a sweatshirt that says STATE CUP SOCCER 1996.
...I knew Madonna wasn't British.

enjoy!

this week's reward same as next week's

8 miles of running and an hour's worth of cycling is what I've put up for this week. it is deceiving how a little distance every day can actually add up to something that sounds decent. at least for me.

all the weight on that leg press I lifted this week as well as all those single leg squats made my run yesterday a little difficult. I was expecting my left bum to explode in to a hernia at any moment. but I ended up surviving. I need to remember that. no matter how hard things may feel, I'm going to live through it.

so tonight is a night of leisure. it will involve a trip to pick up a bottle of Chimay Grand Reserve, as well as the TOP PICKS music channel on Direct TV, and dance moves. I recommend everyone take this combination at least once a month.

in other news...

...annoying people are less annoying the further away they are.

...Kids who have lived on the same Block for 15 years are no longer New.

...my dog loves me AND my dance moves. and that's all that matters.

foxy

yesterday a woman on a run in Prescott AZ was attacked by a rabid fox that decided to latch on to her arm and camp out for a while. 'a while' being the mile distance between her and her car - which she ran to with her new decorative accessory in tow.
after prying it off of her arm, she tossed it in her trunk and drove to the hospital. they were able to test the fox to show it was in fact rabid and then proceed to give the woman the proper medical care.

while I am now re-thinking my outdoor adventure runs at the local natural preserve, I also am in awe at the stupidity level of the animal control officer who, when told there was a crazy and possible rabid fox in the trunk of the car, opened the trunk and also was attacked.

um, preventative measure maybe?

in other news...
...I am all for letting animals stretch before I eat them but, come on. marriage between all sorts of couples is a bigger right to fight for than that.
...oh boy o bama.
...running shorts are so much shorter when everyone else is wearing pants.

pants? CHECK

sometimes I leave the bathroom at work feeling like I forgot to put my pants back on despite the fact I never took them off in the first place. but nonetheless, the first 20 foot walk out of the bathroom back to my desk feels like an OH SHIT I FORGOT MY PANTS kind of walk.

just another something to get used to I guess.

I ventured outside today for my first solo, outdoor, rainy, new neighborhood run. I would also consider it another SCREW THIS WATCH run as well as a IS THAT POOP OR A WET LEAF? run. my brain couldn't stop calculating where to go next, which side of the street was safer, which streets were better lit, and how long would it take my husband to find my body if something happened to me right now.

don't get me wrong. our street is safe. it's the streets that aren't ours that make my heart race. but I made it home ok and my dog was anxiously waiting my return.

in other news...

...I miss Napa. and really great expensive food.

...only buy Halloween candy that you dislike. like those nasty almond joy's. because no one ever goes trick-or-treating anymore. no matter what the weather is, OR the day of the week.

...a 20lb dog is able to leave no room for a single human being on a queen size mattress if he / she so wishes.

...watching leaves break off tiny limbs and dwindle to the ground by way of wind, rain, or even simple weight is like hearing my grandma hum me a song as I fight sleep 25 years ago.