Tag: run

A Christmas 4

Merry Christmas Everyone!  I hope you and yours are having a truly wonderful day!

Christmas day is the one day a year that I usually take my Slacker-ness to a whole new level.   Like stay in my pajamas all day, Slacker,  But that’s ok right?  Christmas is one day of the year that it’s acceptable to wear matching pajamas, right?  That was my plan for today.  However things changed a bit after opening presents this morning.  My amazing parents sprung for a Garmin for Christmas!! So I had to test it out right?

So shiny!
So shiny!

After a yummy breakfast and gift opening, we relaxed watching movies.  Choice for the morning- Red 2.    I then joined my mom and Zoey for an early afternoon walk.  Well it was supposed to be a walk, but I really wanted to play with my new toy.   So I would run ahead and then double back.   I only almost lost them once.  I threw in a hill loop and it took me longer to catch back up.  It upped an easy run into a temporary tempo, ha! I ran with the Garmin and the Nike App, just to compare.  They were pretty dead on to each other.  4.25 miles to 4.23.  I love being able to check my pace as I am running.  This may make me more neurotic than ever, haha.

So much information!!!
So much information!!!

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Then it was time for an amazing dinner of Beef Stroganoff and the previously mentioned matching pajamas.  Fleece ones this year, so much better than flannel.  Then it was time for the Doctor Who Christmas special, a tradition these past few years.  I won’t lie, I may get a little misty eyed this time around.

Hope everyone has had a great day!!

How many of you got running gear for Christmas?

~Christmas Parties and Randomness~

Happy Monday!!!!

Yesterday was our office Christmas party.   So we all put on our party duds and met at a local steakhouse.  For once I had the shorter drive, woo hoo!!  After some reservation confusion (if you have 3 locations but all phone lines ring the same place, you think they would ask where you wanted to eat!), we were finally seated.

I live less than 10 minutes from this particular restaurant but I don’t think I have been there in almost 20 years.  I was super excited when we chose to eat there because I have been craving a good Filet.  Even better when I don’t have to pay 🙂  There were 11 to our party and I was rockin’ the single life at the head of the table, ha!  Or was that the bottom? Hmmmmm.  Either way it was still a blast.  We started out by exchanging our secret Santa gifts.  Mine knew me pretty well, a Barnes & Noble gift card, sweet!

This restaurant is big on the real steakhouse, cowboy theme.   And the food was amazing.  There is no such thing as diet, when you eat here.  Every meal comes with beans, soups and salsa.  Then salad, garlic bread, rice pilaf and potato spuds.  Then you chose your entree.  It was then followed by desert of a root beer float or after dinner licqour.   Like I said, all included, so yummy.  I chose the Filet Mignon, with Shrimp Scampi on the side.  Up until that night I had never tried seafood.  And yes, I know exactly what facial expression you are making right now.   The Filet was amazing and the shrimp was, ehhh.  I ate one and passed the rest around the table.     Still not my thing but at least I tried it. 🙂   I topped everything off with a Root Beer float.  I can’t remember the last time I had one, and they are just as good as I remember.

After all that calorie loaded goodness, I really should have gone for a run tonight, but nah.  After a good day at work, I finished up the last bit of my final while watching a cheesy  Christmas movie.  It was filmed in my town, I had to watch!  Tomorrow, I have a date with the bore-mill, oops, sorry- the treadmill.

So I leave you with a little random-ness inspired by my morning commute and Christmas music.    Apologies in advance for the cheesiness.  Oh, and please no on sue me, I have no money, but you are more than welcome to all my bills!

Santa Sweetie

And some more festive pictures from Saturday-

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Anyone else Secret Santa’ing this year?

Any good Christmas parties?

It’s beginning to look a lot like…

Normally I like Friday the 13th, and I can still say that even after my first car accident years ago that was on Friday the 13th.  But yesterday was rough.   It started out good, but then a very important piece of equipment broke.  Customers were stressed, I was stressed.  We called in a tech, then the back office, then the network provider and all 4 of us had a lovely little conference call trying to figure out what the heck went wrong and how to fix it.   This felt like it took forever but I think it was about an hour and a half.  We finally got it running but still have no idea why it went cuckoo.   😦  I’m saying trickster elves.

We’ve been running a toy and food drive since thanksgiving and look how amazing our customers are-

Look at all the toys!!!!
Look at all the toys!!!!

And this is the third time it has been emptied.   It’s been this awesome at all of our locations too. 🙂

Last week, my doctor suggested (ha!) a new diet to see if it helped.   I waited to start until this last Monday because I had good food in my fridge and cabinet that I refused to let go bad.  Like apples!  I will so miss those honeycrisp. 😦    I have been so hungry all week, and after the stress of yesterday, I just wanted pizza, so I picked one up on the way home.  🙂  Yummy.  And the ingredients are not on my bad list so I can lie to myself that way right?

Today was spent errand running with a little bit of Christmas shopping.  Prior to the shopping lunch was pizza again, but this time it was Red Brick, so totally acceptable. 🙂   After a little procrastinating of the presentation that I need to work on, it was over 60° so I went for a run.   I was slow (oops pizza) but it felt good.    I even threw in a couple of hills.   When I hit the bottom of my driveway, I was close to 5 miles so I did what us crazy runners do and ran another block and back.  Finished at 5.26.    While I was adding in that little bit extra, i ran passed a house that had an inflatable Santa in the yard.  There was also a girl with a bow and arrow.  No, Katniss, no!!!  Hehe, luckily the Santa was still standing on the return trip.

Tonight was a local holiday tradition, the Vine St Victorian Showcase.  It’s also always been a family tradition to go, but tonight it was just me and my mother.  We were able to walk there also, so yeah for extra miles.  Granted, these ones were a lot colder.  The street is blocked off, the houses are decorated, there are carolers and dancers and cotton candy, hot chocolate vendor’s, lots of fun.   So to finish out this post, here is what I saw tonight. Hope you enjoy them!

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This house is my favorite! I love how the ornaments float between the trees 🙂

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Any local or family traditions of your own?

Anyone else get a warmer day?

The Slacker in the Sisterhood ~

It’s Monday!! And the first one back from vacation.   Note to self, never go back on a Monday.  Overall it wasn’t bad, one person called in sick but we made it work.  After work, we all hung out and ate pizza and decorated for Christmas.  We hung so many lights, going up and down the ladder felt like a workout.  There are garlands wrapped around the beams and lovely silver bells hanging down as well.   Snowflakes and lights fill the windows.  There is a little more to finish up tomorrow and then the tree comes on Friday!!  It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!  Well as long as you don’t go outside, it was a lovely 70+ degrees today with a bright shining sun.

Today was also my mother’s birthday so I then rushed home with flowers for her.  She wanted a cake…oops. Tomorrow the plan is to take her and my pops to dinner for their birthdays (his is Wednesday).

There is a decided lack of running in my schedule right now but I have chosen no to stress about it.  I am calling it a rest period.   I am going on day 5, let’s see how long til I get twitchy.   After the last race, I was tired, so I figured a little rest won’t hurt.   But it will only be a little one!!!!!  I promise, help hold me accountable people!!

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In brighter news, I was recently nominated for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award.  Say that 5 times fast.   The nomination came from the wonderful TIA and the awesome Tartan Jogger.  Thanks Ladies!  I won’t lie, sometimes these awards confuse me.  They are amazing to get, don’t get me wrong, they sometimes bring back memories of signing yearbooks and never knowing what to write.  “Have a bitchin’ summer” anyone?

So the rules are as follows (I think)- Thank the blogger who nominated you, answer some questions, nominate 10-12 other bloggers and notify them on their blogs.  Easy enough right?  So Q&A time-

Favorite color– Alternates between purple and grey, depends on my mood.

Favorite animal- Cats-  they are self-sufficient enough for my admittedly Slacker self, and slightly anti-social like me, ha!

Favorite non-alcoholic drink– Diet Coke, seriously I’m addicted.

Facebook or Twitter– I’m still working out Twitter (17 followers, woo hoo 😦 ), so Facebook.

Favorite pattern–  Ummm, help?  Chevron?

Favorite number– 394, anyone know why?

Favorite Flower– Rose, is it narcissistic if that’s also my middle name?

What is your passion–  Still looking for it, but when I do, I will shout it from the rooftops.

So next- my nominees in no particular order-

Running From it all

Attempted Runner

Bayrunner Jamie

Princess and the Jog

Don’t Blink. Just Run

I Thought they said RUM

See This Girl Run

Lucy on the Lookout

Hmmm, just noticed a lack of female bloggers I follow.  I need to find more!!!!   Any suggestions?  I would have nominated TIA and Tartan Jogger, but someone beat me to it!  🙂

Ok, I totally admit that I am a Slacker, and I am going to do my best to notify everyone on their blogs, (yearbooks again) however, if I do not in the next 24 hours, and any of my nominees read this before I do, please don’t wait for me, enjoy your shout out!!!!!  Also if you have previously been nominated just use this as confirmation that you rock.

Hope everyone had a good Monday!

Any Reindeer or Jingle Runs in the future?

Fun Times ( and a little running)

I tried to start this post last night but the kitten decided she wanted to join me on the comfy chair.  I was cold so I had the big blanket out.  She made it very hard to type.  Not sure if it was her purring or just me but I totally fell asleep in the chair.  It’s a good thing I didn’t drop the laptop.

ok, maybe bigger than a kitten
ok, maybe bigger than a kitten

Thursday saw a successful girl’s night out.  We lost one before it even started (missed you A!) but picked up another.  🙂   We hit Chili’s for yummy food and drinks and then were off to an early showing of Catching Fire.  And it was amazing.  I got a little teary eyed and I knew what was coming.  Could have done without the guy a few rows down getting trashed and shattering his wine glass, but the movie was great.

The only real downside to the night came when I realized I had left my hat in the theater.    😦 It was my favorite hat!  It had been a little misty when I picked up my friends, so I had been wearing it to and from dinner and into the theater, I hate umbrellas (and cause more harm than good with them) so for years I have been wearing an old fedora.  I tried calling and emailing the theater but no luck.  Ugh! Otherwise, it was a great night!

Today marked the 1st of 9 days off.  I’m on vacation.  Part of me is excited and part is anxious.  I have not had that many days off in… well ever.  But work gives me no choice, so here I am.   If I had my way, I would just have a 4 day weekend every once in awhile.  But no such luck.  So much time and so little to do.

My first morning of vacation started off with a very slow 5.5 mile run.  And it was so cold, and I apparently thought I didn’t need gloves or ear warmers.  Stupid.  It was cold and I was slow but whatever, I still made it a happen.   I even ran halfway up 2 hills I have always walked before.  One of which was my driveway- when my shin splints were really bad, I would drive to the bottom and park before running.  So to even make it partway up was cool.  This run may have been slow but I met my weekly goal for the Pile on the Miles challenge.  Woo hoo!

Saw this online and loved it!
Saw this online and loved it!

My run was cold and early because nerdily enough I had a date with my tv at 11:50.  Today was the 50th anniversary special for Doctor Who and I was too impatient to watch it later.  It was awesome!  Between this and Catching Fire, it has been like nerd-vana for me this week.  Now if I can just go get my book that came out this week, it would be a trifecta of awesome-ness.

Tomorrow my goal is to get in some track time and maybe do a little speed work.   Now let’s see if I follow through or let this vacation thing go to my head.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

Anyone else see Catching Fire or The Day of the Doctor?

Anyone racing?