SUPER SIZED Weekend Wrap Up!

Happy Monday! Is there such a thing? I want to share with you a wonderful quote I read over the weekend.

"When it seems that we never get what we deserve, 

we need to remember that we seldom deserve what we get."

I will leave you to ponder that on your own...

And now, onto the Weekend Wrap Up! 

(I'm going to make this a SUPER SIZED wrap up since 
I didn't give you a "real" one last week!)

Friday

My husband and I have seemed to switch places. He is getting up super early in the morning and I am sleeping in. Maybe I have a lot of sleep to catch up on? I had a pretty lazy morning. It was lunchtime before we knew it, and my hubby went out with his friend, which enabled me to steal an hour for myself and get in a workout at Planet Fitness. Planet Fitness at 1:00pm is bliss. It's mostly older people that are just really chill and smiley... It's WAY better than going at 4:30pm!!

When I got back from the gym, I made a yummy protein shake...

... and a bowl of Cheerios! (Actually, Crispy Oats. Aldi brand. I'm not paying $5 for a box of Cheerios!!!!)

Then I cleaned the whole house. In the process, there was an unfortunate accident in which my phone drowned and it now dead. I am really sad about it.

You see, they don't make this phone anymore. It's a Samsung Alias 2. It's a flip phone that flipped two different ways. It would flip one way to talk on the phone and another way for a keyboard to text. Also, I had an AWESOME solitaire game on there that I play before going to bed. I guess I have to go to the stupid Verizon store and get a "free" upgrade for $30. (They charge for their "free" upgrades now, did you know that?)

Now that Paul is feeling a lot better, we actual WENT somewhere for the first time in two weeks! I had a 30% Kohl's coupon, so you know what that means... A SHOPPING EXCURSION.

But I messed up. I accidentally threw away the coupon part that said my percentage of savings and saved the part of the coupon that said "Save 15%, 20%, or 30%!!". I realized my mistake two minutes before we were going to leave for Kohl's. I looked through the kitchen trash (complete with coffee grounds and old cantaloupe shells) for the coupon but realized it was probably in the previous bag that already got picked up by the trash truck on Wednesday. IT WAS A TRAVESTY!

We pressed our luck and went to Kohl's anyway. We found a really nice cashier, explained the situation, and she honored the 30% coupon I accidentally threw away. I love Kohl's. They have always been good to me!

For dinner, we went to Wegman's. I had the most delicious butternut squash and another dish of roasted cauliflower. I also had sushi, but it was just so-so. You know what sushi was delicious? The sushi in the cafeteria at Johns Hopkins. Seriously. I had two crab rolls there. It only cost $8.99 for TWO rolls, and they were HUGE and DELICIOUS. The best sushi in Baltimore is in the hospital cafeteria. Who knew!?

Before going to bed, I like to say goodnight to all my kitties.

Goodnight, Baser!

Goodnight, Jelly!

Goodnight, Kissy!

Instead of playing solitaire on my phone, I had to kick it old school and do crossword puzzles in bed. Real crossword puzzles. With an actual pencil and crossword puzzle book.

#notthesame


Saturday

Once again, Paul beat me Saturday morning by getting up at 6:30am! I clearly needed my beauty sleep and didn't get up until 9:30am. Guess what he was doing all that time??? Transferring all my contacts/pictures/videos from my old drowned phone TO ANOTHER PHONE EXACTLY LIKE IT! Where did this phone come from, you ask? Well, about a year or so ago, Paul bought me two of the exact same phone. I think he bought one, then found one a lot cheaper and bought it, planning to return the more expensive one. But he never returned it. And he never told me he didn't return it. (Because of course I would have probably flipped out.) Well, his error turned into a good thing because now I have a phone that works! (Except the keypad doesn't light up, which doesn't really matter because I text so much that I have excellent muscle memory as to wear the letters are.)

GO PAUL!!!!!

I spent the morning doing some studying, and then did a killer circuit in the music room which included...

-Almost 150 push ups

-Lots of ass glute work

-Over 10 minutes of plank action

-Some old school Tae Bo moves

Then more studying.... I really lost my mojo to study there for awhile. I went two whole weeks without picking up my ACE books or flipping through flash cards. With everything that was going on, I just did not have the focus or drive to care about anything except the day at hand. I am still lacking some motivation, but I am making myself persevere. One of the cool things about studying is that as I learn things, it inspires blog posts. Stay tuned for a post about training your fast twitch and slow twitch muscles fibers!

That afternoon, a friend from work dropped off a huge care package for Paula and I. I knew the people I work with are generous, but they really took it up a notch! Paul and I are so thankful for how generous they are!

Who doesn't need kitty cat salt and pepper shakers??

Les Mes. These characters have WAY bigger problems than we do!

A fun gift from a friend whom I often have CRAZY dreams about!

Protein powder! Hey, we all need our strength to get through tough times!

GROCERIES! WOOHOO!!!

Some easy reading.

This is what I had for lunch.... YUMMMMM! It is another version of my "Power Bowl". Diced tomatoes, chopped chicken breast, and some shredded cheddar cheese warmed up in the microwave. Oh, and some salt and pepper too!!

Later on in the afternoon it was time for our BIG DATE! First, we drove to Scott's Farm and did a very short walk on the Appalachian Trail. We did a section that goes between the creek and the road, and the terrain was very easy. Boy did it make me miss trail running! I haven't run trail since I wrote this post back in June.

It was a gorgeous walk!

You can do incline push ups ANYWHERE!

Where's Debby Dabbles when you need her???

After our AT adventure, we hit up Wegmans. Apparently, the gift cards were burning a hole in our pockets. Actually, Paul was excited to get some food for himself. His appetite has been sort of weird lately, and Wegmans is a great place to peruse and get ideas.

While we were there, I found these frozen pieces of spinach in the shape of Sponge Bob characters! They were $4.99. Clearly, they're for rich people who don't have the time to just FORCE their kids to eat spinach like normal people do.

We got dinner there, too! I got and amazing assortment of fancy vegetables!

Don't worry, I already had like 10oz of chicken breast that day. 

Update: Yes, I ate all those veggies, and yes my tummy hurt!!

Paul got his favorite- CHICKEN PARM!!!! And 'taters and 'auliflower.

And Paul got a great stash of yummy foods for himself!

And paper towels.

We gave them up, but now we buy them again. I would like to give them up again soon.

I also bought the ingredients for that yummy butternut squash concoction I had Friday night at Wegmans. Basting oil, red onion, butternut squash, and cranberries (not pictured).

I guess I better start Googling how to cut up a butternut squash, as I have no freaking clue!

QUESTION OF THE EVENING: WHY IS THERE A TRAIN IN WEGMANS?

Oh, when we got back from Wegmans, we realized we had a huge problem. Our house smelled like CAT PEE. I mean, really bad. It smelled like there were just puddles EVERYWHERE. I did not know what was causing this. I got out my trail flashlight and looked for puddles and spray spots on the wall but came up with nothing. Even as I sit here in my sun room typing this post, I am getting whiffs of cat pee. BUT I CAN'T FIND IT!!! Did Christmas pee on the ceiling just to mess with us? I mean that's the ONE place I didn't check... Augh. Well I have a fun job tomorrow. Clean all the floors and the bottom foot and a half of each wall with vinegar. BLAH.

YES!!!!!!

Later that night, we tried out the new show Hostages with Toni Collette and Dylan McDermott. I like both of the actors but I'm not sure about the show... It had too many of those moments where you exclaim at the TV, "That wouldn't REALLY happen," or "They wouldn't do it THAT way." I don't know if we'll make it through the whole season. But hey, if we could make it through this past season of Big Brother, we can make it through anything!

Saturday night was super exciting because we were finally letting the cats in our room to sleep with us again! It's hasn't been the same without them.

Baser couldn't wait for us to come to bed!

Sunday

Well, the past few days have taught me that if I sleep in long enough, Paul takes care of all of my problems! Yesterday, it was my phone. Today, it was the cat pee problem. Yup- he found the cat pee!! Christmas must of peed on my workout towel I had in a little tub behind the couch. My stability ball was on top of it, yet somehow the stability ball did not have an ounce of pee on it but the towel was SOAKED. That's why the smell wafted all over the house- because it was on cotton. And we had the fans going, so the smell just went all over the house. I had a little talk with Chrissy and explained to him that if he's going to pee somewhere, to please let it be a place that we can find it very quickly.

Chrissy needs a nap. It's exhausting peeing all over the house.

Paul must have had a lot of energy, because look at the EPIC breakfast he made!!

Omelette, leftover Wegmans potatoes, English muffin w/ peanut butter, milk, and cranberry juice.

In case you are wondering what's in that omelet.... 2 eggs, red onion, leftover cauliflowery goodness from Wegmans last night, and a crap-ton of mozzarella cheese!

Look at the cutie who is blogging with me me this morning.
She has been ALL. OVER. ME.

Sunday was my Lift Like A Dude Day at Planet Fitness, and going at noon on a Sunday was GLORIOUS. There was practically no one there. There was one person there though, who I haven't seen in awhile. He's probably the coolest person at Planet Fitness. I call him Forward Roll Guy. What he does is sort of winds up, then dives down on the mat and does a forward roll and pops up real quick. Then, he's back down on the ground and does 5 quick sit ups, 5 quick scissor kicks, then rolls onto his belly. While on his belly, he bends his feet up to his butt and grabs them with his hands. Then he starts rocking forward and backward. Then he stands up and starts the whole thing all over again. It is fascinating to watch. I have no clue what he is doing, but who am I to judge his fitness goals!? If his goal is to do a really bad ass dive into a forward roll, then he is doing an awesome job!

Sunday afternoon was spent on the couch. Paul watched football and I studied. When he decided to take a nap, I took a break from studying and watched some old episodes of Sex and the City that I had on the DVR. While watching, I saw a commercial for EZ Pockets and now I really want one!

Think of all the possibilities!

I was getting hungry, so my break from studying turned into me being DONE studying in order to focus on dinner. It was time to try making the delicious butternut squash I had at Wegmans on Friday night. This is the recipe I used. And this is how I learned how to cut a butternut squash. Thank goodness people blog about cutting vegetables!!!

UPDATE: I WILL NEVER CUT UP A BUTTERNUT SQUASH AGAIN. THIS WAS THE WORST EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE. OUR KNIVES ARE SHITTY AND CUTTING UP THAT BAD BOY TOOK ME 40 MIN. IT WASN'T EVEN A BIG ONE. 

However, the results were delish...

I have some leftover cut up squash. Tomorrow when I go to Giant, I'm going to get an apple and make a squash-apple concoction. Squapple.

After dinner, Paul and I went on a nighttime neighborhood walk, which we are going to make a tradition. I like running in the dark, and apparently I also like walking in the dark. It's a good after dinner way to spend time together and talk.

My friends, I hope you have enjoyed this SUPER SIZED edition of my Weekend Wrap Up. If you actually read this whole thing, you deserve a prize. Do not count on these SUPER SIZED editions often, as it takes up a lot of time and I get yelled at for taking so many pictures... hehe. Next weekend you will get a normal wrap up. And since Paul has been doing so well, we'll probably actually do some fun things next weekend... so stay tuned!!!


What did you do this weekend????

Do you find it as hard as I do to cut up butternut squash????

Upper Body/Core-centric Deck of Cards Workout!

Since my dumb knee has been bothering me, I have been coming up with ways to train around it. Normally my Deck of Cards Workouts feature kettle bell swings, mountain climbers, jump squats, burpees, lunge switches, and lots of other knee-angering-exercises. A few days ago, I got a little creative and came up with a Deck of Cards Workout that focused on mainly the upper body and core. (I threw in some squats because as long as I focus on using my glutes, squats don't bother my knees.)

This workout will engage your glutes, core, 

shoulders, chest, and triceps!

I thought I would go through the deck twice, but I only made it through once! I was pretty darn tired and I'm sure I'm going to regret doing 100 push ups...


Any other suggestions for exercises to incorporate into my upper boy/core-centric Deck of Cards Workouts???

Dear Megan,

Please do not stress/worry about stupid things anymore. Do not worry if your grass is mowed. Do not worry if your knee hurts. Do not stress about getting the right amount of protein/carbs/fat in your daily diet. Do not complain about getting up super early. Do not complain about being tired from teaching all day. There are a million other things in your life to be thankful for.

Sincerely,

Megan

10 random things about the past 3 days...

1. I did 175 push ups! The good part about taking it easy on my knee is that my upper body is going to start looking like The Incredible Hulk.

2. I got a SUPER CUTE pair of sandals on SUPER SALE at Sears. I will not be able to wear them until next year, but it will be fun to save them and then break them out next summer!

Excuse my runners feet!!!

3. I had a delicious bowl of Autumn Squash soup at Panera Bread. I suggest you try it. I can't attest to the healthfulness of it, as it is one of those creamy soups, but just grab a cup and figure it into your food plan for the day.

4. Paul and I are now watchers of Survivor. Since Big Brother is over, we need another cheesy reality show to watch, and Survivor fits the bill!

5. Ever since we got back from Baltimore, Basic has not left me alone. Every chance she gets, she curls up on my lap to sleep. I'm not complaining, except when she bites me!

6. I am looking for a pair of brown-ish ankle boots with a heel, but they have to look right and they have to be the right price. I'm not even sure what I would wear them with other than skinny jeans... and I don't even own any skinny jeans. Oh well, I will keep my eye out for the perfect deal!

7. I drained my car battery while waiting for my husband at his doctor appointment and had to call my Daddio to save us! He jumped my car for me and all was good. That's the thing about Dads... they're always there for you, and they're always your Dad, no matter how old you are!

8. We killed 4 thousand leggers in our house within the past 3 days. I am DISGUSTED! I just killed one that ran under the couch in the music room. Christmas thinks it's still under there and has not moved  his furry butt for awhile. Pretty soon he'll get bored and do something else I supposed!


9. Speaking of pesky insects, I have been getting eaten alive by mosquitoes this summer. I can't workout in my backyard unless it's the morning. Otherwise, they get me. Yesterday, one even flew in my car and bit me on the ankle! There was blood! These mosquitoes this year are NUTS.

10. I've been falling asleep with the bedroom window open and it's glorious!

Tell me something random about your week!

Planet Fitness at 4:30pm suuuuuucks!

Ooooooh I miss Planet Fitness at 6am! That's when all the chill people go. Today (well, yesterday technically) I went to Planet Fitness at 4:30pm. I knew it was going to be bad, but it was the only time I could get to the gym. (Had to make sure someone could chill at home with my hubby. Still don't want him home alone!)

The benches, free weights, smith machines, and cable machines were jam packed and it was hard to work in and get done what I needed to. I didn't get to bench because there was simply no room, but that's okay. Next time.

I get annoyed pretty easily when the gym is crowded. Luckily, I didn't flip out on anyone, but there were a few annoying things about my experience at Planet Fitness during this particular 4 o'clock rush hour....


1. There was an 18 year old boy who was HOGGING the 20lb dumbbells for at least ten minutes straight. He wasn't using them, he just had them hoarded by his protein shake in the corner so they'd be ready to use at his convenience. I was too much of a wuss to ask to use them.

2. Also, why do people carry protein shakes around the gym? Just properly fuel yourself BEFORE your workout and refuel AFTER. You don't need to bring your dumb GNC protein shaker all over the gym with you.


3. Then there was the guy that smelled like an Italian sub. GROSS! Put on some deodorant, Dude. I shouldn't smell you as you walk past.

4. All the mats were being used so I had to do my planks and side planks right on the gym floor. Ow! My arms are sure to be bruised tomorrow.

Somehow, I still managed to get a great upper body workout!


Here's what a did!

Pull Up (Singular. Still can only do 1!)

Assisted Pull Ups

Dumbbell Chest Press

Cable Row

Push Ups

Stability Ball Pass

Shoulder Press

Dumbell Bicep Curl

Cable Tricep Push Down

Planks

Side Planks

I wanted to do some pull up practice at the end but there were a bunch of brawny men at the pull up machine and I didn't feel like waiting, so I washed my hands (a must!) and flew out of there.

I had a hot Survivor date with my hubby that I did not want to miss!

What are your favorite upper body exercises?

My Dumb Knee

Well, I'm finally going to and out what's wrong with my dumb knee on Monday. Hopefully. We will see.

Here's the deal. My left knee has bothered me on and off ever since I ran the Bull Run 50 Miler in 2010 It was likely an overuse injury. I rested it for 2 months. I did a TON of swimming at the YMCA. I eased back into running. Things have been sort of smooth since then. However, from time to time, it still flares up and bothers me. When that happens, I go to Olivetti Chiropractic to get Active Release Technique. That usually does the trick.

Not this time! My knee has been bothering me for about two months and nothing seems to make it feel better. It used to only hurt when chilling on the couch or driving. Then it started to hurt AFTER a workout- whatever that may be... running, plyos, spinning, lifting, sprinting... At this point, it hurts while I workout.

I have an appointment for an X-Ray at OIP on Monday. I'm really excited to find out once and for all what the hell is wrong with it so I can treat it and get back to my normal routine. My normal routine doesn't even involve running a whole lot. (I think I've only been running like 20-25 miles a week. I know people who run that in a DAY!) But I want to be able to do squats and burpees and mountain climbers and all that "fun" stuff.

My chiropractor thinks I may have a small tear in my meniscus. It can't be a bad tear because if it was, I wouldn't be able to bend my knee, stand on it, or run on it. If it's a tear, it's probably small and requires a few weeks of rest. Sounds good to me!

I'm going to be "good" and neglect my lower body today at the gym today. My lifting workout will consist of upper body only. I'll "lift like a dude", too. Low reps and high weight! Tomorrow I will fill you in on how that went!

As for yesterday, I did some fun circuits that focused more on core and upper body. I will share it with you to prove that it is easy to train around an injury. Just because I have a bum knee doesn't mean I have to stop working out and lay around all day!

These circuits started in my backyard but I had to transfer to inside my house because I was getting ANNIHILATED by mosquitoes! I don't get it! I was covered in bug spray. Yet I had 4 mosquito bites within 10 minutes. They love me.

Okay, Here are my circuits!

It took me exactly 48 minutes to complete. This morning, my abs are sooooo sore! 

How have you had to train around an injury?

Any suggestions for other knee friendly exercises I can throw into my circuits?

8 Things I'm Loving RIGHT NOW!

1. What Does the Fox Say? I don't even know what this IS or what it MEANS but it is HILARIOUS!!!

2. Dabby Dabbles! My sister-in-law makes beautiful jewelry and photo blocks from her own photography. She has an Etsy Shop and does craft shows. I love her products! And if you're on my Christmas list this year, it's possible you're getting a Debby Dabbles!

Debby Dabbles

3. Katy Perry's Roar. I don't know why I like this song so much, but I do. The melody is simple. The words are dumb. It's a typical pop song. BUT I LIKE IT, OKAY????

4. Meg's Ground Turkey Green Bean Casserole. It's my famous green bean casserole (made with french cut green beans, fresh tomatoes, a wee bit of cream of mushroom soup, and mozzarella cheese) with ground turkey mixed in. It is SO YUMMY and SO PROTEIN-Y!

5. REAL vanilla ice cream... by Green's. It was on sale for $1.99 so I bought it on a whim. (Usually we get a huge tub of vanilla fudge swirl from Aldi. It's SUPER cheap.) After trying the Green's kind, I said to Paul, "That Aldi vanilla is SHIT!" Paul says, "Well, you tried some real vanilla ice cream, that's where you went wrong." So no more Aldi ice cream for me. We have a whole unopened tub in our freezer. Who wants it? I'm serious, it's yours!

Green's Ice Cream

6. The shirt pictured below. I love it. I love the running connotation it has, but I think it also has meaning in the fact that I can NEVER RELAX... My thoughts are always churning and I always have to be doing SOMETHING. You can get the shirt here. But, a question for my grammar friends... is "everyday" correct here? Or should it be "every day". I don't want a shirt with improper grammar!

I am Not Your Average Shirt

7. Andy winning Big Brother 15. Out of the Final 3, he is the most deserving winner. I have no problem with his game play. He was a rat, but guess what? IT'S BIG BROTHER! You're allowed to lie, rat out people, change loyalties, whatever it takes. However, he said HATEFUL things about some of the other house guests, which I do NOT agree with. Unfortunately, from a game standpoint, he was the clear winner.

Source

8. The doctors and nurses at Johns Hopkins Hospital. I am in awe of what they can do and I am so thankful for all they have done for my husband!

Previous Things I'm Loving Posts

8 Things I'm Loving RIGHT NOW! 8-30-13
8 Things I'm Loving RIGHT NOW! 8-11-13
8 Things I'm Loving RIGHT NOW! 7-20-13
8 Things I'm Loving RIGHT NOW! 7-5-13


What are you loving right now?