Sex and the City

Sex and the City is a mindless show I love to hate to watch. I love to hate Carrie's clothes. I love to hate how immature a bunch of 30 something (and one 40 something) women can act. I love to hate the cheesy dialogue and the cheesy sex and all the stuff that I'm sure was cutting edge 15 years ago, but it isn't anymore.

I didn't watch Sex and the City when it originally aired. I was WAY too young. Plus we didn't get HBO. These were the days before On Demand, Redbox, Netflix, and Amazon Prime...


So now, Sex and the City is a guilty pleasure I have been DVRing and half watching while I blog, unwind from the work day, or when I'm just plain bored.


I find myself fast forwarding any story arc that involves Miranda, as her stories are usually boring to me (especially after she had her kid) and her boyfriend Steve is super gross (in my opinion).


I fast forward half of Charlotte's story arcs because even though I think she is lovely and not annoying at all, a lot of her arcs are boring or just plain silly.

Now Samantha... I LOVE Samantha! I honestly think she is the most mature out of all of them.

And now for Carrie. I HATE CARRIE!!!! She is immature, self absorbed, selfish, and a cheater. Oh, and she's a horrible dresser.

Let's delve deeper into why I cannot STAND Carrie Bradshaw. Why? Because it's my blog, and I love complaining about frivolous things... like a TV show that ended 11 years ago. (Wow, it seems longer!!)

Reasons I cannot STAND Carrie:


1. She acted extremely immature in her relationship with Big. Actually, she acted immature in practically all of her relationships.


2. Her stupid, self serving apology to Natasha after getting caught sleeping with Big. First of all, the only reason she apologized was to make herself feel better. Second, she tracked down Natasha at lunch to deliver the pathetic apology in that highly inappropriate newspaper dress.

3. Bullying Charlotte and making her feel bad for not giving Carrie her engagement ring so Carrie could pay for her apartment. Hmmm... let's see... Carrie saves no money, wastes it on $500 shoes, and then can't afford to buy her apartment? Nope. Don't feel bad for you. But I do feel bad for Charlotte. It is not Charlotte's responsibility to fix Carrie's financial problems.

4. Making everything about HER. It doesn't matter what sort of problem one of her friends has. Carrie finds a way to put the spotlight back onto her.

5. Inviting Big to Aiden's country home. Carrie complained the whole time she was there, then the second her ex-boyfriend calls and needs someone to talk to, she invites him up to AIDEN'S house so they can talk. (Oh, this is after Carrie already cheated on Aiden with Big.)


I'm sure there's a lot more I could add to the list.

But I shall continue mindlessly watching Sex and the City. I like getting annoyed by Carrie. She's like my Mr. Big... I keep going back for more!


Who is your favorite character on Sex and the City?

Tell me about an episode when Carrie annoyed the crap out of you!

Compression Socks & My UGLY Running Gear!

I've recently started scouring the net and checking out A LOT of running blogs. These running bloggers run A LOT (way more than me!) and they take LOTS of pictures (way more than me!). Anyhoo, in a lot of these pictures, I notice runners wearing compression socks. They're usually super bright and colorful. 

I think they are SO ugly! (I am sorry if you wear these socks and I have offended you. I just think they look stupid!) Apparently, I'm the only one who thinks so, though, because EVERYONE is wearing them!

**Note: I am not the most fashionable runner. (See pictures below.) Sometimes I look like a hot mess when I run. I realize I have NO BUSINESS denouncing these socks as being ugly!! But I'm saying it anyway!**

I guess I'm pretty slow on the uptake of running gear/fashion, because I had to go to Google to figure out exactly what these socks were for. I knew patients in the hospital wore compression socks to they wouldn't get blood clots when laying in a hospital bed.

Compression socks for runners have pretty much the same purpose. The socks stimulate blood flow to help your legs recover faster from a run. Some runners wear them during their workouts. Some wear them after. From what I read, they are meant to be worn after a run, but most people attest that wearing them during a run helps too. I will have to take their word for it, as I don't own a pair!

Compression socks run in the $20-$60 range, depending on the kind you get. That's a lot of money! Because you figure, if you wear compression socks on all of your runs, you're going to need like 2-3 pairs so you're not doing laundry every night.

I guess I shouldn't knock these puppies until I try them! Although I do not see myself buying a pair in the near future. Running shoes are expensive to begin with. I don't want to get in the habit of buying expensive SOCKS too!

Anyway, since I told you I sometimes look like a hot mess when I run, I should show you some ugly running clothes I own... and wear.

These were capris. I cut them off into shorts.

My winter running cap.

If you look closely, you'll see it's covered in cat hair!

Yup, they don't match!

This was a camisole. Now it's a sports bra.

Notice how the bottom rolls up because it was cut.

It's also uneven.

Bandanna!!

I'm not a fan of white running shoes, but these

were the cheapest I could find online!

I'll wear ugly shoes if they're $40 cheaper!

Do you wear compression socks? How do they help your runs?

What's the ugliest thing you have worn on a run?

Shit Streak 2.0 (Literally!!!!)

Trouble Sleeping...

Last night (Sunday night) I woke up when Paul crawled into bed... a little after 1:00am. After that, I just could not fall back asleep. I laid there for what seemed like forever. Finally I looked at the clock. It was 3:56am.

5:15am was going to come fast and hard.

When I can't sleep, my mind wanders to the most horrible thoughts you can ever imagine. Think of all the terrible things that can happen or DID happen, and that's what I think of when I lay in bed. I'm sure I'm not alone. I've had insomnia before (just situational, not full-blown legit insomnia), and it is NOT fun.

I ended up falling asleep, and I made it through a full body workout at Planet Fitness, and then another full body workout at school (I'm a music teacher- every day at work is a full body workout!), and then a vet visit of epic proportions.

Don't worry, the cats are fine. Christmas and Jelly just needed their annual check up and vaccinations. But they are a handful. We left for the vet at 4:45pm and didn't get home until 6:30pm. Ugh. That's too long for them to be there.

According to Chrissy, anyway...

Shit Streak 2.0

So Chrissy got very stressed out at the vet, and apparently when cats get stressed, they puhp. Yah, he puhped A LOT. All over the vet tech and the doctor. It also got all over his new carrying bag we got him. It was bad. When we got home,  he dragged his butt across our hard wood floors in hopes to get the puhp off his butt.

Hence, the shit streak.

Yup, we thought it was over, but life had one more ACTUAL shit streak for us to clean up. A shit streak that went from the entry way of our music room all the way into the dining room and under the table.... and then into the kitchen and onto the mat in front of the sink. (Which is currently in the washing machine getting de-puhped.)

I love my cats, so I cleaned it up gladly while Paul gave Chrissy a bath.

Buuuuuuuuuuuut that didn't work. Now there was wet puhp on his butt. And it got under the guestroom bed (cause that's where he hid), on the front bay window (easy to wipe off) on the BACK bay window (ON THE FREAKING CUSHION!), on the music room couch (WHERE PIANO STUDENT'S PARENTS SIT!!!!) and on his BRAND NEW DOUBLE WIDE SCRATCH PAD THAT WAS $9.99 AT WAL-MART!!!!

So Paul gave him one more bath.

The night will now forever be known as "Puhpfest Twenty Thirteen".

Welp, I'm never gonna sleep again... (aka my cats are on a diet)

I was very much looking forward to getting a good night sleep tonight (Monday night) but that is not going to happen. In fact, I'm not going to get a good night's sleep for awhile. Everything checked out fine at the vet except for one thing... my cats are a little... hefty. And since I want my cats to live FOREVER, there's only one thing that can be done to remedy this:

Christmas and Jelly are on a diet.

They are accustomed to a dry food bowl out 24/7. If it's empty, they cry, meow, scratch the closet door, scratch the bedroom door, sit on our face... WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET MORE FOOD.

This is why Christmas is 19.2lbs and Jelly is 15.6lbs. Because they OWN us.

THEY'VE NEVER WEIGHED THIS MUCH, EVER!!!!

Dr. Davis says Christmas should weight 15lbs and Jelly should weigh 12lbs. So I calculated how many calories they should eat per day, figured out how many calories are in their wet and dry food, and have devised a diet for them. They WILL reach their goal weight so they can live forever.

I am so ashamed I let them get so big!!! I count my own calories but don't count the calories ow the loves of my life!!! I am not going to win the Mom of the Year award, but in 2 months, when my kitties are strutting their Bangin' Bikini Bods, I may win the award!!!

Maybe I should become a personal trainer for cats!!!!!!

It's Do Or Die!!!!

So tonight is the night! There will be no dry food out tonight!!! (Monday night) I am sure I won't get any sleep at all. So come check on me in my classroom tomorrow (Tuesday) morning. If I'm laying on the floor, kick me. That should wake me up.

Also, I know I have been posting a lot about the cats. I promise I will get back to talking about running one of these days... I just had to tell you about this (hopefully) last shit streak.

Has your pet ever been overweight???

Share your shit streak stories with me! Can you outdo mine!?

Weekend Wrap Up!

Friday

By the time Friday rolled around, I was so ready for the weekend! Work was work. I won't bore you with the details of that!

After work, Paul and I went shopping for Halloween costumes. We have a wedding rehearsal dinner on Halloween Night and we're supposed to dress in costume. I won't tell you what we're going to as, but here is a hint...

Can you guess what we're going to be!?

Then we headed to Wal-Mart to stock up on some essentials... cat litter, cleaning supplies, and cauliflower. (The 3 Cs!!) Wal-Mart has increasingly become our Friday night dating hot spot.

We got Chrissy a double wide scratch pad.

He actually fits on this one!

By the time we got home form Wal-Mart, we were STARVING, so we ordered some pizza by the slice from Nikoli's and I made some yummy roasted cauliflower.

It was DIVINE!!

Then we tried out Freaks and Geeks on Netflix. It's good, but I'm not in love with it yet. James Franco is in it, who's always interesting. Seth Rogen is in it, who I can't stand! My favorite character so far is Sam.

What a cutie!

Saturday

I won't tell you how long I slept in on Saturday because it is absolutely shameful.

We had lunch at my brother's house with his family and my mom and dad.

Warning: Cute baby pictures ahead!!!

Ellie and Grandpa!

Ellie and Uncle Paul!

Grandpa got tired...

Ellie and her Daddy!

When I got home, I fueled up with some Honey Nut Cherrios (my new favorite pre-run food!!!) and managed to run 4 miles before I decided to stop. My groin was feeling better but it wasn't 100%. I finished up my workout with...

90 Push Ups

100 Burpees

100 Mountain Climbers

100 Jump Squats

200 Bicycles

900 Jump Rope Rotations

Yes, it was pretty terrible! But I am thankful my body could do it!

After my workout, I had just enough time to help Paul clean the house and make my world famous pumpkin cookies before Emily and Jake came over for a fun game night. It's always nice to have a fun excuse to clean the house!

Games out, ready to roll!

Fuel for game night!

Jake won every game. Except Catchphrase, which the gals dominated!

Emily has a blog called House in the Heights. It's a home improvement/decor focused blog. You should check it out!

The cats apparently wanted to show off for our guests. Christmas kept jumping up on the counters, Jelly power puked in the basement, and then ran through the dining room with a huge piece of puhp on his butt. There is no shame in their game!!!

Sunday

Sunday morning was glorious. I fiddled on my computer and a kitty cat came on my lap to visit me. I really needed that. The last kitty cat who was on my lap was Basic, and that was about a week and a half ago.

Jelly knew I needed some lovin'.

Chrissy is a piece of work.

Then I ran 5 miles and FINALLY MOWED THE LAWN! Just the front yard, though. I wasn't ready to commit to the backyard yet.

That afternoon, I met my friend Bree and her lovely daughter for what turned out to be a two hour walk through New Cumberland. I don't understand how we were gone that long because time just FLEW by! Oh well, I guess we are endurance athletes.

On the way home I stopped by Dollar General. They had Christmas decorations out!! Wahoo!!

Don't worry, I didn't buy any. I was there to get some powder. I got the generic kind for $2. Some sacrifices must be made for Hawaii!!

L.A. Colors hahaha! It ain't Cover Girl!

I get pretty mopey on Sundays, which is funny because Paul LOVES Sundays (due to football). Luckily, we have DVR, so we do get to spend some time together on Sundays, and he just finishes football when I go to bed. We watched two episodes of Freaks and Geeks while we ate dinner.

Welp, I'm hitting the hay early tonight. It's going to be a busy week. Tomorrow (Monday) am, I am determined to get back on a legit training schedule. That means:

Mon-Wed-Fri = Lifting

Tue-Thurs-Sat-Sun = Running, Arc Trainer, or HIIT

It's not a super strict schedule but the important part is the lifting. As long as that is on track, I'm pretty lenient on the other four days of the week.

I hope you had a great weekend!!!

Asshole Drivers

I went on a run yesterday afternoon. It was clear and sunny. I was wearing a bright green shirt- very visible to drivers. I approached an intersection in my neighborhood at the same time as a big truck. The truck slowed down, and I stared at the driver. It was an older man. It seemed like he was going to stop at the stop sign, so I continued running through the intersection.

Well, he didn't stop at the stop sign, and apparently he didn't see me, or he saw me and he just didn't care. He did a "roll through", which forced me to stop VERY abruptly, or else he would have run into me. I was very aware, and very prepared to stop, so there was no way I was going to get hit. Not because of anything he did, but because I was paying attention.

Well, he stopped abruptly too, then waved me through. He looked annoyed. I put my hands up in a way that conveyed "What the hell!?", then kept running. "It's a stop sign, you're supposed to stop." I said  as I ran by him.

I don't think he knew what I said because his windows were rolled up, but he got pretty mad anyway. I saw him roll his window down, but I didn't look back at him because I figured whatever was coming out of his mouth wasn't going to be good. And I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing I heard what he said. (Shout out to my friend, Maren! We hate giving people satisfaction!)

"Hey, I stopped! You don't have to be such a BITCH about it!" he yelled at me. I pretended I didn't hear him.

WHAT AN ASSHOLE!!!!!!

Maybe I shouldn't have said anything, or put my hands up in the air. Maybe I just should have smiled and waved. Was I asking to be cursed at?

What right does an old guy who DIDN'T STOP AT A STOP SIGN have to call me a bitch!!!???

He made me so mad.


Have drivers ever been assholes to you when you're running or biking on the road?

Confessions

Confession: Over the past week, I have consumed approximately a can and a half of Diet Mountain Dew and 16 oz of Crystal Light Pomtini. Yes, these drinks are loaded with fake sugar. Yes, I gave up fake sugar. My excuse for cracking? I was sad. I was stressed. But I don't want to crack when life isn't going as planned. I need to be stronger. I'll try again. Next time I'm down in the dumps, I am going to try NOT to to reach for the sucralose and aspartame.


Confession: Ever since mid September, my workouts have had very little focus. I'm on no schedule and no regimen. I just do whatever I feel like doing and whatever my body can handle for the day. I look forward to getting back in a weekly schedule, but first, my body must cooperate.

Confession: Yesterday, I searched my pillowcase, hoping to find some little grey Basic hairs. I did not find any. 

Confession: I haven't logged my calories all week. I guess when I'm sad, it lowers my anal retentive tendencies.

Confession: We haven't mowed our lawn in weeks. It doesn't look too bad. But it's time. I'll still probably wait another week or two to do it.

Tell me one of your confessions!

The Best Pumpkin Cookies You Will Ever Eat!!! (Updated- can be Gluten Free!!)

Note: This recipe can be made w/ Gluten Free flour and still tastes divine. It was tested, and approved, by a fabulous baker I know! (aka, a friend who is really good at baking and likes sweets just as much as I do!!!)

The following is a recipe for the Best Pumpkin Cookies You Will Ever Eat. I do not know where I got this recipe. If you think I got it from you, let me know, and I will give you all the credit you deserve. Because these cookies are the SHIT!

They are soooooooooooooo soft.

And soooooooooooooooo moist.

I hate the word moist, but I will use to to describe these cookies.

I'm not a baker or a cook. I like easy recipes. I am used to dessert from a box. (The ones you add 1/3 c. of water to, maybe an egg, and call it a day.) I don't like 50 billion steps. I don't like lots of ingredients. There are actual ingredients I even stay away from because I either don't know what they are or they sound like a bitch to manage. (Shortening and heavy whipping cream etc...)

This recipe is the opposite kind of recipe I like. There are several steps. You have to melt butter. You have to get out your mixer. There is icing involved. And while they aren't scary, the recipe does have a ton of ingredients. But dragging all of these items out of your pantry is WORTH it!

Ingredients:

2.5 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon (I always add more)

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

1.5 c. sugar

1/2 c. softened butter

1 c. pumpkin puree

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

ps. This makes A LOT of cookies. I've halved the recipe and it's plenty!

Besides the pumpkin puree, I have the rest of the ingredients on hand

since they're pretty much staples.

Yummmmm pumpkin puree!!!

Bowl #1. Dry ingredients minus the sugar.

Bowl #2. Melted butter.

Bowl #3. Wet ingredients plus sugar.

I always use a whole can of pumpkin puree rather than measure out a cup.

The cookies just taste more pumpkin-y this way!

Are you counting? I had to use 3 bowls so far.

That's 2 bowls too many.

It's worth it. Trust me.

Mix up the wet! (Bowl #2 + Bowl #3)

Then gradually mix in the dry ingredients from Bowl #1 into the wet ingredients.

Grease a baking sheet and plop those pumpkin puppies on!

They will cook at 350 for 10-15 minutes.

Get them out when they are still soft! 

While they're cooking, you can make the icing...

I hope you have a lot of powdered sugar!

Icing:

Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and 1 tsp vanilla.

I don't have exact measurements for you.

But just know, you don't need much milk at ALL.

If you overdo the milk (and you'll know because it's really runny), just

add in more powdered sugar to even things out.

I don't have any fancy kitchen items, but I did want to show off

my Pampered Chef whisk I got at my bridal shower. 

Your icing should be as thick as... chocolate syrup?

Not too thick- still runny.

'

Pour the icing on the first layer of cookies.

Keep adding layers of cookies and layers of icing!

The cool part is the icing pools at the bottom so when you finally eat the cookies

at the bottom of the bowl, they are SUPER sugary and moist due to the excess icing!

And there ya go! These are the best pumpkin cookies you will ever eat!!!

A Running Survey

I took this running survey that I saw on a new blog I follow- Runner Girl Eats. If you are looking for a new blog to read, it's worth checking out!

Anyway, here is the survey!

But first, a funny marathon sign!

What is your favorite type of cross training?

The arc trainer is no joke. This would be my favorite because I feel like it very closely resembles running... just without picking up your feet!


What is your favorite song to run to?

I actually don't listen to music when I run. Although, during the last 6 miles of the 2012 Harrisburg marathon I did listen to some music. I thought it would help me keep my mojo going- and it DID! I finished to the Indiana Jones Theme. I know, so cheesy, but it inspired me to KEEP GOING.


What brand of shoes do you wear?

Mizuno Wave Riders size 7.5. (In case you need a present for me...)


Do you wear a hat when you run?

No, but I usually wear a bandanna.

Beginning of the Flying Pig Marathon. Bandanna'd up and ready to roll!

But apparently I wore a hat during my first marathon- Harrisburg 2005.

What temperature is your favorite for running?

Anything between 20 degrees and 80 degrees is fine by me, as long as I am dressed properly. I'll run in hotter or cooler temps, but it's obviously not as enjoyable!


Do you run solo or with a buddy?

Mostly alone. An occasional long run with a buddy or group on the weekend. But these days, I really must stress the word occasional.

Just a few crazy people I have run with!

Do you see yourself in this picture???

Are you a morning, noon, or evening runner?

Morning fo sho.


Do you have any big races coming up?

Just Boston in April.

Boston 2009

What is your favorite post run snack?

I eat a MEAL after I run. Cereal and Greek yogurt is always good. Or cereal w/ a banana. Or an egg sandwich! As long as it's heavy on the carbs, I'm good.


What is your favorite distance?

My standard neighborhood route is 7 miles.


What is your favorite race?

That's hard because they're all so different! The Keystone Vermont City Marathon is one of my favorite marathons. The two legs I ran at the Laurel Highlands was beautiful, as well as the course for the Bull Run 50 miler.

Me and Anne, happy at the end of the Bull Run!

Do you wear a Garmin? If not, how do you track your distance?

Yes, but I ran for YEARS without a Garmin and tracked my routes on MapMyRun.

Paul has been getting very good with presents.

What is your least favorite race?

The second Warrior Dash I did SUCKED. The actual race was fine, but the overall lack of organization at the place ruined it for me.

Happy times at our 1st Warrior Dash.

Who is your running idol?

Anyone who works hard for something- I admire that!


How long have you been running?

At some point during college, I don't really remember exactly when! I didn't become serious until about 2005.


Do you wear your engagement/wedding ring when you run?

I wear my wedding ring. I'm not afraid of it falling off because it only falls off when it's really cold and my fingers shrink. And if it's THAT cold, I have gloves on, so it's not going anywhere!


What is your favorite type of run? Tempo? Long? Repeat? Fartleks?

I like me a good long run!


What do you drink to stay hydrated?

Water.


Where is your favorite place to run?

I went on some gorgeous runs when I was in San Francisco! I ran on the Dipsea Trail, up and down the San Francisco Hills overlooking the bay, and along the waterfront in Monterey. It doesn't get much better than that!

Oh, just running on the beach in Monterey.

Can you see Alcatraz???

What do you take on a run? Does it vary by distance?

If it's 10 miles or less and it's around my neighborhood, I don't take anything except my mp3 player. If it's more than 10 miles or I'm not close to home, I take water, TP, and my phone. When I used to run reeeeeally long, I took food.

If I don't have it, I will surely need it.

Please comment below with your own answer to one of the questions on the running survey!