Tonight, I spent longer than I care to admit steaming some of the clothes in my closet. That's right, steaming. With a steamer. I felt like Jennifer Lopez in the beginning of the Wedding Planner when she was vacuuming her curtains.
Which is worse? Owning your own steamer or referencing J.Lo movies from 2001 with wreckless abandon?
I spent quite a few hours in bed this weekend starting and finishing a summer beach read.
Finally got the three piles of clothing put away from my room after them being arranged and rearranged more times than I care to count since May. Having a great friend chatting with you makes even the worst tasks manageable.
My Gram is the queen of three minute phone calls. Today, she talked my ear off for thirteen. It. Was. Awesome.
Kendall and Josh's engagment photos. They're just so adorable. Both sets; here and here.
Our ward met in our permanent temporary (1-year) home for the first time today. The meeting rooms are quite lovely; here's hoping we can get the sound working right in the chapel soon! (Kudos for the forethought to sit in the third row.)
After church, Linda and I somehow managed to throw quite the spread together to host a handful of people watching the French Open's championship game. I think we were both surprised by the supplies we had in the fridge. Including shrimp! Gosh I love shrimp. Ask my family; I (unsuccessfully) request it for most events.
I'm obsessed with frozen yogurt now. Obsessed. With strawberries and coconut on top. (Kudos to the forethought to purchase extra on Saturday so I could eat it on Sunday.)
Three people told me they like the shaggy mullet.
One person told me I've lost weight. Not asked, but told.
I finally wrote and launched the first ward newsletter (Boom! Magnified!). Also finished the 2008 Ward History (Boom! Magnified!). Taking a break to blog before I read the Relief Society lesson I'm teaching on Sunday.
I caught up on some TV shows this weekend that are too embarrassing to admit on this blog; but I loved every second of watching. Any guesses as to what show? Most of you probably know actually.
Linda and I spent quite a bit of time lounging on one or the other of our beds chit-chatting and catching up on the happenings. We do really get along so well; it's most helpful.
If this is the most boring blog I've ever written, good. I'm supposed to be delighting in the joy of the mundane--the lines between the dots. It was a good, productive, non-eventful (but very fulfilling) weekend.
I'm not quite sure how, but the song "Don't Stop Believin" has become a song I'll always associate with my time in Boston. I have countless memories with this song--from Christmas Galas to secular outings at the bar, to a recent going away dinner for one of my besties. This song always makes people happy.
How can I not be completely enamored with the version below? A song I love--the memories and feelings it provokes complete with a High School Musical-ness setting? (For the record, this is from the show Glee on Fox) I can't get enough. This song makes me feel like anything is possible.
Now whoooooooooo has a "Don't Stop Believin" story they'd like to share?
I'm not going to lie--I cried a bit in the month of May. The high points of my life were punctuated with a few chaotic bits of drama that got me down. When it rains in my life, it tends to pour--and I let my rain boots fill with water this month.
I received two bolts of lightening once I hit the bottom of the last valley--and I'd like to share them both with you. A tad more serious than my standard fare, but my readership has dwindled to the people closest to me, and subsequently those who will love me just as much for writing serious matters of the heart. (I can't flood the bathroom at work every day, I'm sorry!)
My first bolt of lightening came by way of email. I'd written a quick plea to a friend, seeking a bit of advice and comfort. The response that she sent wasn't what I explicitly asked for, but rather a piece of sage wisdom I haven't stopped thinking about since:
it seems in this age of technology, our lives are transforming from slow burning, relational coals to 30 second highlight reels. we see the best and brightest through facebook, blogs, twitter, and so forth. we make instantaneous musical likes/dislikes from a few seconds off of itunes or the spin of the radio dial. how many people enjoy the previews of movies more than that movie itself? and more and more, i'm finding that this mentality is not solely applicable to our technological interactions. it's becoming a way of everyday life and increasingly a stained perspective as it spills over from how we make judgements to how we view ourselves in general. i'll admit that as i read friends blogs (especially couple's blogs) i can't help but to think "John and i need to do more, why can't we be more like them?" a virtual 'keeping up with the Jones'. i have to remind myself that this is just a glimpse into someone else's live - a few of the peaks congregated together making their life seem like a constant high point. missing are the average moments, the un-picture worthy moments that although undocumented, are still very much apart of their lives. i of course see those moments hundreds of times a day in my life to the point where it seems they far out weigh the peaks, obviously.
lately, however, i've started to mentally log the moments that although would not make it in a facebook album, still indicate a great and satisfying life. driving with the windows down and the heater on, sitting at Rubios on dollar fish taco night with some friends laughing at a joke we took too far, chasing down a frisbee, watching Duel II with john and a rootbeer. i know you have as many of these moments as i do throughout the week and none of them seem to be anything outstanding, unique, or really obscure - they are just average moments that are good and that connect the dots - sometimes even outweighing the dots... i think being around people who can find the good in the ordinary or joy in the everyday is much more appealing than obscurity and i think you are a great example of this. it's easy to get down and feel like you are the only piece that is sitting still in some complex motor system with everything changing and soon there will be no use for you, but it just doesn't work like that. you can never be fully aware of just how needed you really are or how you affect others. but you can become irrelevant if you refuse to see yourself otherwise.
Zap. I had to read it several times over the course of the next day or so to pan for all the gold nuggets. I've taken the advice to heart and have been mining for the small and insignificant acts that won't ever hit my blog or Twitter stream, but are imprinting themselves upon a happy heart.
Barely a day after the email exchange above, my Visiting Teachers came over. They've been consistently coming on the last Wednesday of each month, 9:00 (my kind of visits!!). This is the first set of VTers who come regularly, and are actively involved in my life. I made the decision when they were assigned more than 9 months ago to be open and honest with them--and we've subsequently all felt engaged and committed to our relationship. I look up to and admire these women; they've challenged me many times to be better, and to do better. This month, I was expressing some of the high level drama of my month, but how I was certain I was coming out of it (thanks in part to the advice above). I may very well have had the same Visiting Teachers for the last 9 months for this next exchange alone--
"But look at what you have done this year Natalie! You decided you wanted to go to the temple, so you prepared and went. You decided you wanted to train for and run the Half Marathon, and did it. You decided you wanted to be a better scripture reader and are working on that. You've done so much this year in terms of bettering yourself!"
Zap. I'll be the first to admit that I've always shrugged my shoulders in church when they talk about being to hard on yourself. If anything, I feel like I'm probably not hard enough on myself. But in hindsight, maybe I need to give myself a break and cut myself some slack. Things haven't been perfect, but I've been making significant growth. I've never really considered myself a goal-maker, but it looks like 2009 might be the year I actually become an adult.
Don't think my life is a highlight reel, because I've cut out all the bloopers; believe me folks, there are more than enough to go around. The trick is to learn to squarely face them and then laugh. America's Funniest Home Video isn't an international sensation for nothing. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I willingly give myself a C+ for the organization of this article, it's no where near my finest. But this stuff has been rattling around in my brain for several days; and frankly, it's now or never. I feel like I need to write the thoughts down; maybe one day I'll rearrange, but for now, it's good enough. I'm good enough.
Warning: No funny here. Business only. Party later.
Yesterday, I was over the pond using money with complicated exchange rates and creepy photos, eating chocolate spread on croissants, and taking a boat ride on Zurich Lake. Today, I'm eating frosted mini-wheats and sorting through a work inbox bursting at the seams. Without pain, we can't experience joy, right? Obviously, I took hundreds of photos. I'm taking some time today to compile and organize and decide which stories to tell or what kind of lists to make. In the meantime, I thought I'd pass along this gem I took on the failed attempt at attending church:
And this is another quick win to show you. When visitors come to Boston*, they love seeing the cobblestone streets. Folks, you want to see cobblestones, you head to Prague. I can hardly think of a single place we walked in the city that didn't have cobblestones--and these stones were probably an inch by inch square (tiny!). The patterns were different all over the city and a challenge to navigate in thin sandals, but well worth the view!
* I'm wondering if Boston was once a Communist country if we'd have prettier streets. FDR put the CCC to work building roads after the Great Depression, did Czechoslovakia "employ" a workforce to build its streets? Surely it did.
I'll be posting more in the coming days of the wonderful weekend you can have in Prague and Switzerland in four short days. I hope you all had a great Memorial Day!
I'm long past due for a brain dump. Considering I'm leaving the country in T-minus 18 hours, I figured it'd be good to put the proverbial pen to the paper and leave some parting words with you in case they're my last. (FYI: I have Aflac Accident Insurance. If my life ends on any form of public transit [including a plane], there's a massive payout coming someone's way. Make sure to cash in on that, okay?)
I've been such an infrequent blogger I haven't even shared my thoughts on American Idol!!! My first two years of blogging centered heavily on my opinions of Idol; I'm regretting the fact I never even called out how much I loved Kris "with a K" Allen. I've been singing his praises since the Semis, so I felt pretty good when he took the crown tonight. Spoiler Alert: Kris won.
Last week wasn't the best week of my life. My church burned down, I got a terrible haircut, the Celtics lost in the Playoffs, I worked a million hours and some other non-blog-appropriate drama made me a bit edgy last week. The silver lining was my week was too stressful to get super worked up about my hair (or lack of). If you ever envied my hair, don't worry! It's gone now.
Last week is over! Wahoo!
I'm going to Prague! Thurs night to Monday night. A super quick trip with my best co-worker, we're doing the bulk of time in Prague and then a day/night in Zurich, Switzerland. My friend Heather has done the bulk of the logistics as I've been buried in work--it's a double edged sword! If you've traveled with me before, you know how much I love doing the logistical planning! This time I haven't done a spot of it. I should probably look at a map at least so I have some general idea of where I am.
I don't speak a single word of Czech,. I realized today. Not "yes," not "no", not "hello", not "please don't throw me in a prison." And Czech isn't a romance language so I can't fake it til I make it. Annnnnnnnd I haven't really had the time to think about it until tonight. It's going to be an adventure, let me tell you what.
I had to Google how to spell "Czech" just now. This is how out of my league I'm going to be. Also, the money currency is like 17 kl to 1 USD. That should be some fun math. But other country money always feels like toy money. Spend at will!
The gal I'm traveling with is probably the most fashionable person I know. This makes trip outfit planning even more high-stress. I think (hope) I've put together some appropriate selections. I am a little nervous as I don't even know what we'll be doing in Prague (besides not working that is), let alone if my clothes are right. But I'm trying not to worry! Here's the hotel we're staying in though, it looks pretty fancy. I'm determined not to wear a shirt and cardigan every day. Stay tuned for an update.
I haven't been on a run since the Half--it's been almost two weeks. When I get back from my trip I'll have to get back on the proverbial horse (treadmill) to salvage my weight alone. Since the race I've pretty much taken it upon myself to eat like I ran a Half every day. Will have to kick it into high gear once I get back. I've got two hot weddings to attend in August!
If you happen to be LDS, be a good visiting or home teacher. And allow yourself to be visited. Good things come when you stop feeling obligated and start looking forward to it.
The weather here is spectacular. 60's-70's every day. Glorious. We've been eating outside quite a bit, and it's easy to refall in love with Boston all over again. Come visit me! My day was cured today driving with the window open, looking at the most beautiful sunset. (It also helped I was on my way to pick up Texas Roadhouse to-go!)
Other than Prague, I don't have any big summer travel plans. In fact, I dont' have any. I have, however, been making an effort to plan little get-away trips to close-by places. Last weekend, I found a pretty great hotel on the Cape for $80. The weather was gorgeous, the company was better, and the area wasn't clogged with tourists just yet. We ate a lot of food and laughed a ridiculous amount. Being an adult is awesome.
I know it's just a building, but the Longfellow Park Chapel was one of the reasons I knew Boston was my home. For at least the first six months I lived in Boston, my heart was full of comfort and a general feeling of "rightness" when I entered that building every Sunday.
Far from the hub of church activity out West, chapels in this area are hard to come by. The Longfellow Park chapel was the oldest in Massachusetts, boasting a rather unusual history and design. All of that's gone now -- the roof collapsed, windows broken, and a charred brick shell a ghost of the lively activity historically housed within the walls. So many many unknowns for the members of our wards--where we'll meet, if our wards can stay together, if we'll be disbanded during the rebuilding--and the magnitude of the situation is still surreal and hard to fathom.
The fire today has destroyed the physical facade, but for hundreds of members of the Church, the Spirit of what we felt within those walls will now be spiritually housed within each of us, as a physical facility no longer exists. Maybe this is the chance for us individually to help rebuild the building that rebuilt so many of us.
Well crap you guys. I did it. I ran the Half Marathon. It took me not one, not two, but three tries to train and run it. Instead of simply posting a photo collage as I'm wont to do, I figured I'll actually share some words about the race. Once upon a time, that was the rule; not the exception.
Our Half was in New Hampshire, so not only did we have to get up early for an 8AM race time, but we had to get up at the crack of dawn (seriously, 4:40AM what?!) and drive two hours to run 13 miles. And then drive 2 hours home. If you looked up "Dedication to proving a point" in the dictionary, you'd see my photo. Sweaty and ugly, but my photo nonetheless.
So Brenda and I ran the race together. Slow and steady, but I have no regrets in hindsight. We made a goal around mile 2 to run at least to mile 4 without taking a break. Just one more crest of the hill we'd say. Again. And then again. We were in mile 8 before we took a quick walk break, and then they were sporadic and short through the rest of the race. In 13 miles of the race, we probably walked less than 1 of the miles combined. We both felt mighty good about that, I'll tell you what. My favorite part of the race were the 13 high-fives we shared at every mile marker.
B and I decided during mile 1 that we'd conserve energy 1) for race photographers and 2) to make sure we were running in front of people we knew. Check and check. Every photographer we saw got a jumping photo. New hardest jumping photo scenario now discovered.
*Yes, I wore Celtics gear. **Yes, I was one of the only "runners" wearing cotton. ***Yes, I'm not very smart, but We beat LA!!!
Due to a majorly long line at the port-o-potties, we missed the actual race start. Again, in hindsight--it was a major advantage to us. We picked our pace and didn't have to bob and weave around people we passed or who passed us. We ran a really steady pace on a terribly hilly course. Here's the elevation of one of the hillier Half courses (that felt perpetually on an incline):
So there it was. I trained, I ran, I conquered. Check out my bloody reward to the right there. That bleeding started about mile 6 (or at least is when I first noticed it). It definitely looks worse than it felt, but if you feel the need to send me some "get well" Skittles or cookies, I wouldn't turn them away.
In conclusion, for having run a total of 5 outdoor miles this year pre-race, I feel really solid about my time and the sense of accomplishment I feel. Minimal pain when the race was over, and now I can either quit running all together or just take a few weeks off. Decisions decisions....
So it's the first warm and sunny Saturday in six months. What to do, what to do. The answer, dear readers, is to take some of your favorite people and head to the North Shore for an afternoon of fresh seafood, charming seaside villages, chowder "bread bowls" (i.e. flirt your way into a hot dog bun to dip in your soup), and of course, a photo shoot. Because it's who you are and what you do.
I have blogged 17 times since the beginning of the year. A new low.
I just got off the phone with a pre-screener for a candy focus group. Don't you worry, of course I was qualified for the study. It was probably all of the "I never feel guilty for eating candy..." answers that sealed the deal. I'm part of the "Mounds" study later this month. Thank you free $100.
Half of our office is traveling this week, so the other half of us decided to make it "Work from home Wednesday." It's 6:22pm and I'm still in my pajamas. Grand.
Not only is it obnoxious to have adult acne, but having to pay for prescription drugs to treat adult acne is adding insult to injury. I thought we were getting free prescription drugs in January...
Are you eating baked Cheetos yet? OH so good.
I did my first outdoor run yesterday. I hate it. 25 days til the marathon, 26 days until I give up running.
I really can't stop watching this video of an unexpected singer with an unexpected voice. I tear up nearly every time. It's so rare to see something so humanizing on TV--in an unexpected place, and starring everyone's favorite crankypants Simon Cowell!
Today, I felt the need to do something completely drastic--in times past this meant putting a blue streak in my hair, moving to Boston, dying my hair red, etc. Today, it meant signing up for a Candy focus group. (Am I getting lame?)
Some out-of-my-control things going on in my life right now. This song has become my anthem of late. It's worth a listen.
Last week I left my keys in Portland, misplaced my wallet, and had my email hacked and all my work folks spammed. I had to rely on my roommate to let me into the house and I couldn't bide time away from the house because I had no where to spend money. It was kind of dramatic. Luckily, it's all been sorted out. This week is already a +5 over last week's drama rama.
In my yearly pilgrammage to Mecca (aka Utah), my lovely sister Alaina does a photoshoot. Let's call this my 316-month-old shoot. (That's right calculator: (26 x 12) + 4. I don't do complex math on my own.) To promote her business, here's the link to my shoot. If you have photo needs in Utah, give her a buzz. She's amazing. She'll also be shooting the bestie's wedding in Boston in August, so if you're local and need something done, let her or I know! I inadvertantly rocked some major 80's fashion and hair, but it was all in good fun.
We're all facebook friends, right? I mean I don't have to post all the photos from my Salt Lake/Portland Extravaganza, do I? Okay, just a few.
MUST GO. VTee I've been trying to reach forever just called wanting to do dinner. Time to get OUT of jams...
Hi. I'm still alive. Forthcoming recaps of my wonderful weekend in Salt Lake City for the Holla House Reunion /First of the Summer Wedding Travels.
Until then, I'm busy busy busy at work. In fact, the busiest Project Manager on staff. It's good to be employed! I've hidden my actual job names for legal reasons, but wanted to give you a snapshot of what on earth is keeping me so busy (and why I had to log hours while I was on "vacation.") Each vertical line is a week--100% allocation would be a 40 hour week. As you'll kindly see to the right, I'm a tad bit busier than 40 hours a week.
Good thing the Diet Coke and Skittles at the office are free! I tear through quite a few.
In days of yore, I was a 5x a week blogger. Oh the good old days. Now, I have a job that keeps me too busy to be odd on a regular basis.
Many of you know I work in the Internet community--so my ear is to the ground on Web 2.0 3.0 and trends in the industry. In fact, my job encourages staying active in the community.
Without too much of a push, I've taken to micro-blogging; 140 characters--no more. Quicker, more convenient (via text? heck yes!), and less stress. I've blogged about it before, I know, but I've evolved into a full-fledged, multiple times a day Twitterer.
Working in the community (and being "followed" by all my coworkers) provides a little bit of stress about my tweets and what to include/not include. (Do I want the people I work with to know I'm seeing HSM3 in the theater for the 2nd time? That I was in my pajamas until 5PM on Saturday?) I decided however, to keep them professional, but tweet about whatever I want. (The answer was YES to both)
Today I received some validation. Best comment ever this morning from my creative director: "i love your twitters. 'cause they are not always about the damn internet." (No caps within an instant message is acceptable in web land.)
To the right is a visual represenation about my last week's worth of tweets. My favorite stream is definitely the "Skittles" thread. One of these days, I'll grow up and be a real adult.
Fantastically funny people I follow on Twitter that you might also know: @mal_pal, @KLaa27, @replikate, @wlau, @colleenita, @dlicia, @RyanSeacrest. There are plenty of people you know and love. Full-fledged blogging might have stressed you out, but this is low commitment. Join us!
The good: I've been following my self created running schedule. I run when I plan to run. The bad: Does success count if it's only been 10 days?
The good: I haven't had to rely on my personal DVD player yet to entertain me on the treadmill. The bad: Somehow I always get to the gym right when halftime is starting so one of my favorite past times (watching basketball) is mostly analysis I can't hear. Bummer.
The good: I get to run on a treadmill for two more weeks. The bad: Once April hits, I promised myself I'd start running outside. Need to learn to work the wind.
The good: My office is right on the Charles river (my new desk has a river view, woot!) so I have easy access to beautiful runs. This should dull the sting of being forced out of my comfort zone. The bad: None here. (Other then that comfort zone thing)
The good: My gym stays open until midnight. I've finished runs as late as 11 this week--I like when the gym is empty. The bad: I don't think you're supposed to exercise after 8pm, it keeps you up at night!
Is it better to give the good or bad news first? Discuss.
The bad: I am a sweater. Like a serious, serious, sweater. Like my whole body glistens and my shirt is patchy. The good: I get to rock my Celtics sweatband.
The bad: There are so so so so so many gym rats pumping iron every time I'm there. A little intimidating (hence running late at night) and a touch creepy. The good: The townie gym rats provide me an inner dialogue I think yall would find rather enjoyable. (A future blog to come?)
The bad: IF you eat KFC an hour before you attend the gym, you're destined to see nothing but KFC ads on the TV right in front of your face for the next 70 minutes. It's called karma. The good: You still rocked that treadmill.
The bad: I'm still a pretty slow (can we call it "steady"? ) runner. The good: Tonight it just seemed to click. I shaved a minute off each of my miles and felt stronger than I did even two days ago. I remember this happening last time I trained; one day it just seemed to click.
The bad: I didn't start training for the Half marathon until last Tuesday. The good: I ran six miles tonight and felt GREAT.
West Side Story has always been my favorite musical. When I heard they were reviving the musical on Broadway, my heart didn't merely beat faster, I think it actually started snapping.
I've been in New York City this weekend to celebrate the upcoming nuptials of Melissa in the form of a bridal shower brunch (and to visit some of my other favorite people of course). She and I have been talking about trying to win tickets to see WWS (she loves it as much as I do) for months now. Long story short, Melissa won the lottery. This was a big deal, because in its second week of previews (the show is still in soft rehersals, it doesn't officially open until the end of March) the lottery pool was already almost as large as Wickeds. (Joe, Jamar and I tried to win on Friday night but didn't) For the girl who says she never wins anything, she really won the big prize. She and I were literally floating on air during dinner.
When you win lottery tickets, you pay $26.50 to sit in the front row with somewhat obstructed view (in this case, we couldn't see the dancers feet too much). NO BIG DEAL. Being so close to the 30 person orchestra, and seeing all the actors' faces and true sweat... the show whas phen.om.enal. Words will not do it justice, but I'll try.
Things I love love loved about this West Side Story revival (in no particular order):
The dancing was the original choreography from the original show recreated and restaged. High kicks, jumps and all. Seeing it from the front row was surreal; and completely all encompassing.
Being so close to the stage allowed us to keep a close eye on the conductor and how good he was at his job--especially keeping the music and snaps on count.
During the large group dances (the Mambo at the gym, the opening scene, "Cool") there was so much to see and movement from all corners that it was overwhelming to watch and decide where to focus.
The color palattes for the Jets and Sharks were unbelievable. The Jets wore green, mellow orange and khacki while the Sharks wore purple and black. The costumes blew my mind, because the styles were all so different, but the colors clearly identified what gang each character belonged to.
They used actual Latins for the Sharks. The Sharks spoke and sang in Spanish. While I missed hearing the words to some classic songs ("I Feel Pretty"), hearing them in Spanish was this amazing combination of old and new.
The Anita in this show should win a Tony hands down. Any.time. she was on the stage I literally could not take my eyes off of her. She absolutely sold her part -- more so than any character I have ever seen on stage (Elphaba in Wicked included).
Have I mentioned how amazing the dancing was?
Tony was a hunk. Riff too. Bernardo tambien. In fact, all the male characters on this show were strong.
Singing check. Dancing check. Acting? Superb. You felt the honest emotion; the show was incredibly raw. The tension was there from start to finish. I know the ins and outs of the story but was still shocked and surprised by the plot. It's easy to get carried away when a show is just that good.
Alright, alright, I'll stop raving now. Just know this--the show was so beautiful at times that it was almost too much to take in. I didn't cry, but felt moved to tears on several occasions. There's a possibility this might be the best Broadway show I've ever seen. I'm still trying to mull it over in my head, but this is a must see in NYC if you're a fan of the big singing and dancing musicals. I promise you won't be sorry. Then, cross your fingers and say your prayers you don't get an Anita understudy.
Is that a common saying? (A cliche? An idiosyncrasy? WHAT is the word I'm looking for? I'm watching Idol and trying to blog and my brain is idoled. I mean idled. I mean that's not the word I was looking for. Scrambled. My brain is scrambled. End side tangent of side tangent. Side note? Oh Ryan Seacrest, why is my brain distracted by your white white teeth?)
BACK TO FAILING. I'm sure I've failed at a host of things (see above paragraph for proof). In my head, there stands out one goal I actively tried to pursue twice but was unable to achieve due to a series of ridiculously unfortunate events. I'm talking, of course, about the half marathon.
Remember? I got the furthest in my training in 2007, my first year in Boston. I got as far as a ten mile run before the plague of unknown persuasion took hold of my life the three weeks before the run. The doctor said no to the run. I rebelled by dying my hair red. Last year, I was ready to try again. Remember what happened? Sigh.
GUESS WHO'S GOING TO GIVE IT ANOTHER GO? (Guess who's mom said that if something freakish happens again this year I have to give up the dream?) I've put off training for weeks and weeks. So much so, that my inner panic levels were on red hot red. Tonight was the official kick off.
Less than 10 weeks to train for 13.1 miles.
Wouldn't you be stressed out? Haven't been to the gym since I broke my leg. Oye. Alright, so tonight wasn't the greatest run, but miles are miles, and I started with 4.5. (Don't you worry your pretty little head about how long it took me to do so. Miles are miles.) 35% of the way there! (Equal parts encouraged and terrified am I right now.) I promptly celebrated by eating 200-calories worth of chocolate covered pretzels. (Check out the 100 calorie packs. They'll rock your world.)
So here I go, wish me luck. I'm sure I'll have much to say. (In fact, some of my best material came from run recaps.) 10 weeks and stressing counting...
Good morning friends, frenemies, and good old fashioned enemies! Today is Monday, March 2nd, and Boston has received a foot of snow in the last two days. And here I thought it was past... bummer. On a day like today, I'd typically work from home, but considering our modem bit the dust this weekend and the Internet is my living, WFH isn't really an option, now is it? And the greatest irony of all is the fact we're presenting to the City's Department of Public Works (aka: "The Snow Patrol). So I walked to work in mid-shin deep snow. Big start to the day.
I have other updates to give, and perchance I'll give them later, but I need to get hoppin'. Until then, enjoy the 1:30 video below. I promise promise promise it's worth your time. I couldn't stop giggling and am still not sure which is my favorite--and which would get the coveted blog title. I think my true favorite might be "I'm her mother." "No she's not." Too late to change now. What's your favorite?
I had quite the bout with illness the last seven days. I'm amazed by how many of you reached out via comments, f-book, chat, texts, calls, etc. I appreciate the outpouring of support and offers to help--so sweet on all of your parts! There were a few dicey days in there, but I'm happy to say I'm definitely on the up and up. Swallowing (and in turn breathing, drinking, eating, yawning, talking, etc.) is no longer too much of a burden and I'm regaining some strength.
But when it rains, why does it always seem to pour? Do our downcast spirits have a heightened awareness and sensitivity to the other crummy things we have going on in our lives? Or do bad things really come in threes?
I'm not too sure of the answer to that question, but I do know I finally became a police statistic. Someone smashed in my driver's side front window sometime between Tuesday and Friday (how little I drive my car when I commute to work and fall into bed immediately after getting home) and stole my GPS and the bulk of the rip-away $1 bills (in a pack of 100) my Gram gives us for Christmas every year. As annoying as it is to lose $200+ of goods from my car, the true annoyance comes from actually having to deal with this kind of situation. The glass was every where in my car -- I couldn't even move my car off the street before I swept most of the glass off the seat. Then comes the perpetual worry of your now open-to-the-world car getting stolen outright because it's perma-open to the world. The glass needs to be vacuumed, insurance and police reports filed, oh yeah, and not having a window in February in Boston. Awesome.
The silver lining to the icing on the top of a dramatic week was a) my car hasn't been stolen yet, b) it wasn't my house that got broken into, c) i didn't get my face smashed in and d) those greedy theives didn't steal my Tammy Taylor sunglasses. Right?
To celebrate the end of a craptastic week, I decided to spend the afternoon at the multi-plex. I bus and T'd myself downtown in record time (pretty sure divine intervention was making up for the fact my car was parked in the wrong place at the wrong time) and enjoyed a double feature of Slumdog Millionaire with a hotdog followed by Confessions of a Shopaholic with popcorn. Both features had a large Coke Zero. Talk about heaaaaaaaaaaven. HEAVEN. That's right folks, I travel alone and I go to movies alone.
Dinner and dessert with two of my favorite people provided another umbrella from the rain, and Saturday cemented itself as the best day of this week.
Having a car with three windows still kind of makes me nervous. But it's late and I'll have to deal with that another day!
There's nothing like feeling crummy to start feeling like the world is falling apart, right? It's an odd-numbered year, so it's time I got the flu. I've spent the better part of yesterday and today avoiding movement of any kind lest it aggravate my tired, sore, achy body. Wah wah wahhhh.
I think it's been about a hundred years since I did a brain dump. Far past time, and a good excuse to remember that the world isn't caving in because I've been in the same clothes too long, am wearing my glasses, and in general look like a monochromatic witch.
I spent several hours a few weeks ago hanging photos in my room. There's something magical about actually printing photos from Costco, framing them, and hanging them. I now have a wall arranged with some of my favorite photos -- my favorite piece being a 3x3 frame filled with me and nine of my besties. I kind of love that my Grandpa is the only male in that frame.
I went to Paris in December and as previously mentioned, I haven't stopped thinking about it since. My bathroom has kind of a Parisian theme, and my bedroom has several Eiffel towers in it now. I really do need to go back.
A year ago this week, my girlfriends and I went to Ireland and London. Somehow in a short year's span, I became a fairly well traveled person. No international travel for me this year sadly as I'll be spending all my vacation days attending weddings.
Holy weddings people! I haven't had a good friend get married in quite some time, and now they're just stacking up. How happy I am that the people I love are finding people to love.
I'm not the kind that loves having my schedule well planned, but I have a strange obsession with travel scheduling. I'm desperately trying to get all my flights for 2009 bought--including Christmas.
My country station has been playing non-stop on Pandora for the last week. I love the fact I very rarely have to even skip a song.
My fascination with awards shows continues. The Grammys were a few weeks ago and I tuned in with zest. The Oscars are this weekend and despite the fact I have only seen 4% of any of the nominations, I'm eagerly counting down until Sunday night. I might actually be the last person on earth who digs award shows.
Knock on wood, but I think we're done with snow this year. I know that's in no way true, but a girl can hope, right? The snow has all melted, and it's been in the 30's. Nothing too unmanageable, though I'm ready to shed the New England paste.
One of my absolute biggest pet peeves in life might be when people are only your friend when they need something. Seriously?
I crafted some pretty beautiful Valentines this year. I might not be the best at Christmas, birthday or Mother's/Father's day cards, but I try to do V's every year.
Thanks to a well gifted food processor and an excellent recipe by Mal Pal, I can now make a mean homemade salsa.
I'm going to be in Portland the end of March and am conducting a lunchtime workshop "brown bag" on cupcakes at work. A few people special requested it, and I normally make cupcakes when I go to the PDX office anyway... everyone wins this way. And I live for these kind of random things.
I'm on my fourth Blackberry in two years. I had a wild, wild, wild ten days of Phone issues last week. Suffice it to say I now have a phone with 12 numbers in it. I've realized this is about all I talk to, so I'm not crying over the loss of all those misplaced numbers. If you haven't heard from me, it's because I don't have your number -- if I need it I'll reach out, otherwise ping me.
If you can't come to something I plan or invite you to, a simple "sorry Nat, I can't attend" goes a looooooooooong way. Otherwise I'm just crossing you off my future invite list.
Linda and I live in the most beautiful home. There's not much other place I'd rather be than in my room (now that it's clean and packing bin-less!) or on the couch.
I did my taxes a month ago and have long since received my tax refund. The money is now sitting in savings earning interest that I can be taxed on again next year. Huzzah!
I'm serious about going abroad next March or April and am interested in finding a travel partner. If you're at all interested, let me know -- let's chat it out.
Okay! I still feel crummy on the inside, but feel slightly better having given yall a few minutes to procrastinate the work or school you should be doing. Be thankful for non-flu-ed bodies!
But when these three films were on the $5 rack at Target, it was a chance for me to reclaim my childhood summers. Late 80's viewing party at my house this weekend. Who's in?
23. Steve Nash He's the Jennifer Aniston of the NBA: A sympathetic figure who brings a ton to the table and just wanted to have kids (or in Nash's case, win one title), only now his window is closing and he's considering the sperm donor route (or in Nash's case, a mercy trade to a contender with a better chance of winning, like Portland). By the way, Sarver is absolutely Angelina Jolie in this analogy -- he ruined everything and doesn't even feel bad about it. The Shaq trade equals the time Jennifer's wasting by dating John Mayer -- ultimately, it's a wasted year for her ovaries. Amare Stoudemire was Brad Pitt, the guy who should have made it happen and didn't. And I think Marc Stein was Us Weekly.
--Bill Simmons, ESPN
If you don't get this, don't worry. I think the Sports Guy, Whitney W.L. and I are the only people that might fully understand this analogy, but it cracked me right up. Is it sad that I feel glee?
"You look elfin today. Like a Lord of the Rings elf. But in a good way."
These were the words I first heard when I got to work this morning. To her credit, I guess my long, straight blonde hair, single skinny braid pinned behind my ear, and turquoise cowl necked sweater lent itself to a rather ethereal look.
Six hours later I'm realizing she might have meant I look like Orlando Bloom.
Considering how much I absolutely adored Paris, it's a true shame it has taken two months to blog photos. I wasn't expecting to love the City of Lights as much as I did -- but given my brief time there, I honestly can't wait to go back. Maybe in the Spring or Fall next go round!
I arrived into the city at 7AM local time on a flight from Barcelona. G&G and Alaina had flown home to Salt Lake and I was alone for the first time in a city whose language I knew less than a handful of words. It was snowing when the bus dropped me off in the Opera District; cold, tired, and weighed down with a cruise-worth's of luggage, I'll admit that I was a bit overwhelmed. Wonder of wonders, my hotel room was ready for me and the front desk clerk didn't think twice about letting me check in. Unbelievable. So I had a place to dump my stuff, gather my strength, and take off walking.
It was the first day of December and oh so amazing being in the City with all the Christmas (Noel) decorations and shoppers. Sunday mornings must be slow; I had the city practically to myself until after noon. The hotel had supplied a map and I walked and walked and walked until my hip and knee joints ached from avoiding puddles and speed walking. I knew I'd walked an exhorbitant distance, but once I got home I realized I'd gone 15+ miles. (Now my belief that a half marathon is doable has been proven.) I saw the Louve, the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, walked the Champs Elysees--and the Eiffel Tower was visible from nearly every spot in the City. (I'll admit the first time I spotted it, the upper portion was encased in fog, and I nearly cried. I must have been tired.) I bopped along to a playlist of Adele and Duffy and loved every second of being there.
Traveling alone was definitely an experience. To be honest, I really loved it. Having a French speaker would have made things easier, and I definitely want to go back to Paris with people I love, but there's was something so empowering about being there on my own; making my own decisions--turning left without telling anyone I was going to do so--and pushing myself to go and do and see more than I might have otherwise. Silly as it may seem, I was on top of the world--I felt like nothing was out of reach while I was wandering around. My senses and brain were hyper alert and firing on all cylinders. If I could navigate being alone in a foreign country, I could navigate my own life with ease. Like I said, it was an experience.
Scene: A typical Boston apartment--hardwood floors, slip-covered sofa, half-eaten treat on the coffee table. A wintry Sunday evening with two close girlfriends giving the general life update.
GF#1 - Uses the word "slacks" instead of trousers.
GF#2- Uses the word "silly" instead of goofy.
Both are convinced she committed the more grievous error. Both can agree she should have been more careful in word selection, but maintains her word was the poorer choice.
I've been wanting to craft for six months. Tonight, on a whim, I gave it a go. I'm always satisfied to see the things my own hands make--and the output is based on the creative decisions my brain makes as I don't have patterns or follow pictures directly. (This is the way I bake too.)
Needless to say, a well spent evening with my ipod (listening to a playlist ironically named "Because I Can"), sitting on my bed and feeling productive.Fun productive. (Cleaning the toilet makes me feel productive. This feeling is not the same.)
I like this side of me. The end.
*Isn't it awful when C's are replaced with K's? Do you think there's evidence that supports shoppers frequent establishments with kitschy spelling?
HI FRIENDS! Instead of doing the standard apologizing for taking so long between posts, I'm going to jump right in with my favorite memories from my twenty-seven days at home. I won't post a ton of photos because if we're real friends (and you're not just some random creeper), you've seen the majority of these photos on Facebook. That being said, in no particular order (except the order that these appear in my brain) here we goooooooo!
Though snowed in the first 8 of 9 days, my mom had enough forethought to add grenadine to the emergency supply. Nothing like a Diet Cherry Coke in the ale glasses.
We turned into a family of board game players. Well, if board games include Ticket to Ride and sometimes Harry Potter Clue.
The homemade treats. Cookies, cupcakes, caramel corn, hot fudge sauce, rolls, guacamole.
Once the roads cleared, my dad and I carpooled to and from downtown Portland each day. Kind of fun to compare work stories or situations and anything else striking one of our fancies.
The parents and sisters 3 and 4 all got picture and unlimited texting. Most days at work I'd get an unexpected text from Mom saying she missed me or what the plan for the evening was.
The teams I manage are all in Portland, so it was nice to be in the office with them for a few weeks and getting to know their personalities. I also got to show a bit more of mine. I'm honestly, oh so very amazed at both the quality of genius, industry-smart people employed at my agency. Not only are they intelligent, they're wicked funny and amazingly kind. I'm honest when I say I've never seen a company like this.
My hand-crafted Christmas sweater was more greatly understood this year. Had a fun time posing for Olan Mills style holiday photos with some coworkers.
Spent so long in Portland I slept multiple nights in three separate beds.
Ju Ju Julie came to visit. It was amazing. Par for the course, we took limited photos--which is good considering we spent most of the time in our pajamas. That gal picked up Ticket to Ride much too quickly. And we stayed up OH so late talking.
On New Year's Eve, all four of us sisters were home doing our own thing. (Parents already sleeping.) Two minutes before midnight, we turned the TV on to watch the ball drop, did a quick NY hug and kiss and went back to what we were doing before. It was honestly one of my favorite New Year's yet.
Mal and I started watching The City and I'm obsessed with analyzing Whitney's hair. Tried a middle part several days and a few of her other stylings.
We got a sitter for the baby and went to see Twilight. Sat in the fourth row, and took a self portrait. I really didn't think we'd be able to get all six of us in it.
Thought a lot about my goals for the New Year. I'm pleased to announce they've been integrated. To make a long story short, 2009 is going to be the best year ever.
Frequented a few bars with coworkers on several evenings. Smoking was legal in bars until the 1st of the year. The one night I went out before the 1st, my coat had to sit in the garage for a week for the smell to fade. I was much happier to go out once January hit.
The baby! Adrie is a few months over 2 now and really quite fun. She still doesn't love me too much, but she redeemed herself by wearing the horse I gave her for Christmas and kissing on command.
Due to snow, our Christmas church was canceled. Of all the weeks..! We watched the 2-hour motion picture Nativity Story that came out last year (it has the main girl from Whalerider in it) and it was actually more than lovely. Highly recommended to anyone trying to get into the Christmas spirit. That movie surely did it for me.
Though our numbers were small, we held a Christmas program/talent show. I'm the poorest singer of the 4 of us and was happy to accompany on the piano. I'm grateful I haven't completely forgotten how to play!
I was able to have Albertson's donuts a few mornings!
My dad's company has Blazers season tickets in the 14th row. My dad's boss's mom died (boo) so we got the seats for the Blazers/Celtics game (yay). The view was amazing (yay), but the Celtics lost (boo). STILL such a fun time. Even with the ribbing I had to take at work the next day.
Probably my most favorite gift of the year was the glass heart necklace given to me by my parents. My dad gave it to my mom as the first major piece of jewelry after her wedding ring in the 80's; it was the first of many glass heart necklaces. My mom told me I'd get a comment on it every time I wore it -- sure enough, the 2nd person I saw at work the next day had something nice to say.
My other favorite gift (sometimes having a list pays off) was my Mickey Mouse waffle iron. In addition to the griddle and food processer gifted to me, I'm ready to roll as far as breakfast is concerned. Sometimes I wonder when I'll run out of nostalgic gifts to request.
According to the sweatshirt and pants I borrowed all holiday break, I was part of the rugby team that played in the high school nationals. Goooooooo me.
I also got to wear a Valkyrie (that's right, the Tom Cruise eyepatch movie) shirt Mallory won. Everytime she or I would see the shirt, we'd yell out VALKYRIE. Sounds dumb, but after 3.5 weeks, it got kind of funny.
One night, it was waaaaay too quiet in the room Kendall and I were sharing. I decided to serenade her with a little Lion King. (Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahm savaaaaaaaaagnya.) We slept with the bathroom fan on every night after that.
Oddly enough, Adrie was watching the Lion King a few days later. We were playing Ticket to Ride and would all randomly pipe in song lyrics or movie quotes when they fit.
We watched Ironman with the surround sound so loud that it knocked several shelves and various items off the wall unit. (That's right, we like things louuuuuud.)
Mallory and I had an obsession with Beyonce's "Single Ladies" video and the Top 25 Mashup. Genius to both counts.
SANTA BROUGHT THREE DVR'S TO THE WMS HOUSE. I can guarantee you're no more shocked than I am. The conversations and tutorials about said units are some of the funnier memories. ("Hey! What you record on YOUR dvr is your own business!")
Our work holiday party was January 9th and the rest of the Boston office came out to celebrate. It was a 40's-theme and it started to feel a bit like prom. The questions about who was going to wear what, if we wanted to get ready at so-and-so's hotel room, etc. Everyone was my best friend after dinner once they realized I had drink tickets to spare...
I've never been called "Boston" so much in my life. Especially when I was with my two gal pal coworkers (also from the Boston office). I thought those kind of nicknames only happened on TV shows.
Oh! My other favorite gift--I tend to forget it was a Christmas gift because it was given in the snowed-in-bored-days before Christmas is a handwritten recipie book my mom put together of all our family favorites. I can't imagine the hours it put together -- and I'm determined to start using it this year!
I changed my return ticket twice. Once was a 10 day extension, the next a 1 day.
27 days at home, 0 days of vacation time taken. That's what I'm talkin' bout.
I flew home on a 100% uneventful trip -- only worth mentioning because when are trips uneventful these days? I was picked up by Linda and wisked to an incredibly fun dinner party. It helped curb any feelings of remorse I felt in leaving the Pac-Nor homeland.
I've been on a lot--a lot--of trips in my 26 years. And had a lot of Christmases. Every year Mallory says it was the Best Christmas Ever. I'm here and on board to tell you (and agree with her) that this was in fact, the BEST. CHRISTMAS. EVER. And one of the BEST. TRIPS. EVER. We had very few quarells, very few harsh words, and I left with very few regrets. My batteries were in sore need of charging--and now I'm ready to meet life face on again.
I'm not dead. Still in Portland, Day 21 of 26. Having your office headquartered in your family's town is about the best gift you can ever receive. In fact, count it my greatest gratitude gift of 2008.
I'm having an amazing time. Seriously, best trip home ever. Best Christmas ever. Best New Year's ever. Best job ever. Best coworkers ever. Best snow-in ever. Best sisters ever. Best never-ending supply of Diet Cherry Cokes ever. Best ______ ever.
21 days never went so fast.
I'll be back soon, I'm just busy playing Ticket to Ride, baking, furiously trying to get through book 5 of TW&TG, baking, eating, and one of these days I'll have to repack. I kind of forgot what my Boston apartment looks like.
While we were out shoveling, the neighbors across the way came out and asked us if we needed anything at the store. Considering we're still housebound, we asked for the essentials:
Sugar
Diet Coke
Skittles
M&Ms
Laundry Detergent
You know, just the essentials. We made sure to add that anything on the list could be forgotten except the Diet Coke. Gosh I love being home.
Update: We had to shovel today. 6 inches snow, 1 inch ice, 8 more inches snow. (photos below)
Dear reader(s),
I'm not sure where your location is this time of the year, but let me tell you a little bit about mine. Snow. Portland, Oreg. rarely gets snow, but the heavens have decided to remain open for eight days and counting. The universe righted itself this year and let me fly home without major incident. I threaded the needle between Boston and Portland storms and arrived Tuesday evening.
Due to inclement conditions, I've left the house only twice in the last six days. The snow is really coming down! Yesterday, after eight inches of snow, it rained for awhile--creating ice an inch thick. Now it's snowing again with no dry day in the forecast until the 1st of the year.
I haven't grown bored or stir crazy... yet. This is when the true home-body in me is clearly evident. I'm happy being at home relaxing and wearing the same clothes. We're trying to ration the Diet Cokes with little success.
So far we're healthy, happy and enjoying the time to laze about and watch movies or play board games. Here we are, Saturday at 1pm, still in our pajamas and ratty hair playing Ticket to Ride. It's rather heavenly.
Now we need the heavens to close for just a few minutes to get our final guests in on Tuesday and Friday.
Someone left me a voicemail Tuesday night while I was en route to Portland. My phone was off, ergo I (sadly) can't tell who left the VM. Hands down one of the best voicemails of the year -- 45 seconds of my birthday/favorite Christmas song, and some kind of hard to hear best travel wishes message.
Honestly, I have no idea who it came from--and I wish I did. Reveal yourself!
And for the rest of you, check out what's become into quite the birthday tradition...
I'm on some kind of blogging sprint. The most wonderful time of the year has inspired me I guess. Or I had a really great December (remember how I love it so much?) and am wanting to brag about my beautiful friends. The answer is F) all of the above.
Last Saturday was the annual Christmas Gala. It was exactly two years ago this night that I had my first experience in B-Town; I was flown in for an interview, attended the dance and met 30 people whose names I remembered. (That may have been the only time those people ever spoke to me--even though we've been living in the same place for 700+ days)
I brushed off the oldie, but goodie As-Is $7 red dress (as seen with red hair at last year's birthday), spent more time on Linda's hair than my own (totally worth it!), and bundled up for an evening of dancing and gallivanting about with friends. The highlight of the sponsored dance was definitely the 1, 2 punch of "Livin' on a Prayer" and "Don't Stop Believin'." It must be the apostraphes and dropping of the g's.
After the dance we had a somewhat impromptu (planned at noon that day) fondue and pumpkin pie post- gathering at our place. One of the greatest nights of the year was born from jovial attitudes, fantastic attire, and the variety of music stations courtesy of Comcast. Insert one or two people dancing in the middle of the room the entire night (including a special solo dance of 'We Didn't Start the Fire" that you never saw coming), and it was nearly 3AM before anyone noticed.
