Comments (15)

By kilax, August 31, 2009 6:48 pm

I am traveling to Washington D.C. (for the first time!) soon for a work trip. I will be there a whole week, but will only have evenings free, and the Friday afternoon until Saturday afternoon that I am there.

Does anyone have any recommendations for “must-sees”* during my very short and limited trip? I have already contacted my senator to ask for tickets to visit the Capitol, and would like to go to the top of the Washington Monument, and perhaps visit the Holocaust Memorial Museum… but that’s it. Okay, that’s a lot.

But, Steven will be there too, and he doesn’t have to be in training all day, so you can give some recommendations for him (his brother is adamant that he visit the Air and Space Museum)!

Thanks!

*Or “must-dos,” but please keep in mind that I am not the partying type.

Comments (16)

By kilax, August 29, 2009 8:40 am

I’ve been craving a new wardrobe lately. I think this is a fall thing. Yeah, it’s not “fall,” but we’re definitely having fall weather here. Plus, I am going to Washington D.C. soon for a work trip. I’ll be in a conference all week, and my logic is – “I NEED A NEW OUTFIT FOR EACH DAY!” Uh… these are people I have never met*. How would they know if my outfit was new or not?

The bummer is, I am on a total spending freeze and have been for a few months. I’m only spending money when it’s in gift card form.

But, that doesn’t mean I can’t look! Here are some of the tops that have caught my eye lately. They all seem to have a fun detail to them – which probably means they will be dated in a few years. Oh, and they all seem to be somewhat similar to clothes I have NOW – another reason I don’t need them!

From New York & Company:

Looks like the mustard color is still in style!

From Ann Taylor:

From Banana Republic:
(actually have a large gift card to here, but need to lose weight – their clothes are too expensive to buy in a bigger size – I’ve gotten burned that way before)

Actual Gift Card Buys:

And here are my actual gift card buys. The first one is from JCPenney. I got that top in that design (but in purple, not blue) and in black. The second two tops are from Kohl’s. I bought those with a pair of pants. I didn’t like the top at first, but then saw that the mannequin had it on with the flyaway cardigan, and it looks really cute together.

What are you lusting after these days?

*Except for the one coworker I am going with.

Comments (10)

By kilax, August 28, 2009 11:22 pm

Data has his own answer to today’s Friday Question. His favorite pillow is… my foot.

He cleans it almost daily, but doesn’t take it with him when he travels.

And he also wants to share his sleeping habits – he sometimes sleeps upside down:

Like those jelly rolls?

Comments (15)

By kilax, August 28, 2009 8:34 am

What kind of pillow do you like to use? How often do you get a new pillow? Do you bring a pillow when you travel?

Another strange question, right? Well, this came to mind because I have two people in my family who are very peculiar about pillows (hello Mom and Steven), but I will let them tell their own story.

I like soft pillows, but not so soft that your head sinks right through them to the mattress. I have been using this cheap-o memory foam contour pillow from Target for about four years now. I like to put a flat pillow underneath it, then let the front of the contour pillow slide off a little bit. The only time I’ve replaced it is when I came back from Rome, because it got stinky.

Data really likes this pillow too. If I leave him alone in the bedroom, I will come back to find lots of tiny teeth marks in it, and in my pillowcase. Thanks Data!

I always bring a pillow with me when I travel, unless I am going on an airplane (too inconvenient) or to my Aunt Sue’s house (because I really like her pillows).

Comments (22)

By kilax, August 25, 2009 8:13 pm

Does it make anyone else CRAZY when you walk up to your car* in a parking lot and find some random flier under the windshield wiper?

This drives me absolutely mad, but I’ve talked to a few people who it doesn’t seem to bother at all. Take my crazy mother for example. She actually said, “I like it when people put fliers on my car. It makes me feel special.” But then after I argued with her for a bit about it she said it would upset her if she had a new car like me (My mom is still driving some car she won in the 80s).

And someone else told me it doesn’t bother them – they just take it off and put it on the car next to theirs, hoping they will recycle it. (Who said this to me?! Please reveal yourself! I cannot remember!)

I think it bothers me so much because it is a HUGE waste of paper, and results in a lot of littering. AND, I am very VERY unlikely to use the services of someone if their method of advertisement is a flier on my CAR.

And, I don’t like the idea of anyone touching my car. The lot I park my car in to ride the train is in a pretty shady area. My old car got keyed there, and last year I arrived to find someone’s glass busted out of their car. I made sure to have special vandalism insurance on my new car. I am just waiting for the day I walk out to it and find something wrong with it.

Anyway, if there is someone out there who is not annoyed by finding fliers under their car windshield wiper, please feel free to argue with me! Or agree if it makes you crazy too!

*Or your theoretical car, if you don’t have one.

Comments (20)

By kilax, August 24, 2009 7:04 pm

Yesterday my sister told me she couldn’t wait for school to start (today) because she was bored and sick of summer.

My sister is popular and in a sorority. I think she is looking forward to seeing all of her friends (and all of that exciting school work, of course!).

But wow. I never looked forward to the start of school and I never got sick of summer. Summer was my freedom. I had a somewhat reliable schedule that I could plan around. I knew when I would get to see Steven (we were in a long-distance relationship for four years). I knew I would get enough sleep. I knew I would feel sane.

College was the opposite*. My schedule meant nothing. Everything was up in the air. I had no stability. Teachers would slam us with ridiculous assignments. I felt like I had no control over my schedule. I felt like I had no free-time, until my (first) senior year.

I felt extremely anxious ALL THE TIME.

So now, when it’s “back to school” time, I think about how lucky I am to work somewhere where I get paid salary and don’t have to work overtime, and have all of my weekends off. My schedule is respected. I am in control – even if me being in control means I still overbook myself.

But that doesn’t mean I am not excited for everyone who is going back! I am. I wish I wouldn’t have let anxiety be such a huge part of my life then.

*I feel it is necessary to mention that I was in the architecture program, which practically requires marrying your projects if you want to be successful. Most students end up spending most of their free time in the studio, getting by on 3 hours of sleep or less for days and days on end. I had to cancel weekend plans a lot because I had so much to do.

Comments (19)

By kilax, August 23, 2009 9:37 pm

Welcome to week 10 of marathon training! If you click on the activity link after the dates, it will take you to the Garmin connect website for full stats.

Day 64 | Monday, August 17: Rest Cross-Train

Wow – this must have been a tough workout, because I felt dizzy and weak when I was done!

I ordered a shin brace on Monday night (thanks for the suggestion, Holly!). I am excited to see if that helps.

Bike Time: 30 min | Distance: 8.8 miles

Day 65 | Tuesday, August 18: Run 4 miles Cross-Train

I wanted to run on Tuesday, but figured since my shin was bothering me laying in bed Monday night, and it hurt when I woke up, I better NOT.

I feel really bummed out when my running friends at work ask me how training is going, and I have to tell my sad story. But, telling them at least got me a referral to a doctor a lot of them use at the UIC Sports Medicine Center.

I called my regular doctor asking him for a referral on Tuesday morning, and he said he could give me a name, but all I was going to hear was “rest and physical therapy.” He told me to take two weeks off from running, do low intensity workouts, then come back to running slowly. I asked him if this meant I could still run two times a week… and he kind of said “no.”

He told me there is no reason to see a doctor, because there is nothing there (in your shin) to hurt majorly. Yeah, not sure what he meant about that. BUT, there actually is a small bump in my leg where it hurts. I can feel it when I massage my leg.

So, I hope this UIC guy can give me some pointers (my appointment is 9/3). I don’t expect a miracle.

Elliptical Time: 30 min |Distance: 2.9 miles

Day 66 | Wednesday, August 19: Run 8 miles Rest

Woke up limping. Why?! Why would I be limping?! I haven’t been running!

Day 67 | Thursday, August 20: Run 4 miles Cross-Train

I had a lunch-time run scheduled with Erin, but she had to cancel (She forgot her work computer at home and didn’t realize until she got to the office! So she went  home and worked from there). I was sad I didn’t get to see Erin, but it’s probably better that I took another day off from running. It was down to the office gym for the third time this week…

Bike Time: 30 min | Distance: 8.9 miles

Day 68 | Friday, August 21: Rest

Day 69 | Saturday, August 22: Run 17 miles Run 2 miles

I left to run at 11:00 am. It was about 68°F. In August! This is wrong! I keep saying, “Why wasn’t it this cool last Saturday…?”

Anyway, my goal was to run 2 miles. I got out to the park and thought, “Ooo, maybe I can do 3 or 4!” Yeah. I ran 1 mile and walked 1 mile (plus warm-up and cool-down).

During the first .25 miles of my run, my gait was SO OFF. It was like I forgot how to run. It felt unnatural and uncomfortable. I got in to it after the first .25 miles, but my shin started to ache at about .75 miles. So I called it quits at 1 mile. LAME-O. And I probably shouldn’t have even walked a whole mile after that, because my shin was throbbing a bit. I iced it when I got home. I ice it a lot now. I don’t think it does much anymore.

Distance: 2.00 | Time: 26:01 | 1: 9:57 | 2: 16:04

Day 70 | Sunday, August 23: Cross-Train

Steven got my bike ready on Saturday, so I could take my first “real” bike ride on Sunday! And, since my awesome-o car can fit TWO bikes in it, he decided to come with me!

Love my car.

We went back to the Rollins Savanna for an easy 12 miles, which is two times around the path.

I know nothing about biking.

I like this Forest Preserve because it feels like it’s in the middle of nowhere. Once you get on the trail, there are only a few times you see the highway or houses.

We saw four deer together and stopped to take some photos. A man rode by on his bike and said to us, “that’s what it’s all about!” He’s right. Life IS all about enjoying these small things. Life isn’t about worrying about your crappy shin and how you can’t run.

There is a place to stop and look through binoculars over the savanna. We were spying on some people who were letting their dog play in the swamp. The entire lower half of his body was covered in mud!

Later we saw a hot air balloon (you’ll have to click on the image to make it larger).

We enjoyed our bike ride. I still felt like I got somewhat of a workout (I made sure to use a high gear when we were riding so I could feel it in my quads), but had fun while doing it.

My shin brace came on Saturday, so I wore it most of the day, and on our bike ride. It feels good to wear it. It distracts from the pain, but my shin still ached when we were done with our ride.

Bike Time: 1:07:12 | Distance: 11.81 miles

Week Summary:

Thank you to everyone who has been sticking around for the pathetic-ness my “marathon” training has become. I am not even really sure if I can call this “marathon training” anymore. It may become “half-marathon training,” or just, “training.” I did change the name of the category to Running/Training.

I am not terribly upset that I may not be able to run this marathon. If my body wants me to wait, I’ll wait. It’s just that now, I have to decide what to do. Should I try to run the half instead? Not run at all? I don’t really feel like going to Kansas City just to run 13.1 miles. Especially since Steven’s 10-year reunion is about two weeks later and we might go down there for that.

Comments (9)

By kilax, August 22, 2009 4:21 pm

Well, this is QUITE overdue! I started this draft exactly a month ago. Oops.

Anyway, a month ago, we received free passes to see Food Inc., and since we hadn’t gone to the movies in quite some time, we thought it would be fun to go. Of course, I was worried about how graphic the movie would be.

It was a bit graphic. I saw things I didn’t want to see*. BUT, it was nothing I hadn’t seen before. If anything, it was just reinforced my decision to become vegan. However, I don’t think the purpose of the film is to persuade people to become vegan or vegetarian – it is just to get people to THINK about where their food is coming from, and the decisions they are making about what they eat/buy.

After thinking about the movie for some time, I really think one of the major points of it was to expose the greed in the food industry. I really think the desire to cut costs, become more efficient, and make a larger profit has gotten us where we are – cheap and unhealthy food, unsafe conditions for workers, a mostly overweight society, increased foodborne illness and so on. The film was set up with a few small segments around these sorts of topics.

I didn’t think this information was presented in a new or alarming fashion though. Like I said, it was all information I have seen before. BUT, I think that is because this is a topic I take interest in. For someone who doesn’t, this film would probably be shocking.

Either way, I recommend it, for a refresher or eye-opener, whichever applies to you!

*Chicken coops where the chickens NEVER see natural daylight and are forced to become so fat that they can barely walk a few steps. A natural farmer killing chickens by putting them upside down in a cone-like contraption with an opening in the end then pulling them through the opening and break their necks while they scream and the other chickens watch in crates nearby awaiting their fate

Comments (24)

By kilax, August 21, 2009 6:45 am

What is your favorite (cold) cereal?

You know, the one you could just eat bowls and bowls of*?

I really like Barbara’s Bakery Shredded Oats. They are simple, crunchy little oat nuggets. I like to let them soak in the soy milk just a little bit, then bite into them when they are half crunchy/half soggy. Nom Nom Nom!

The unfortunate thing about this cereal is that it is EXPENSIVE, and somewhat hard to find. They used to sell it at Target, and would have it on sale from time to time… but you know how our Target is. They took it away.

Now I usually get it from my Grandma, who buys it in bulk through a co-op. I don’t think it is that much more cost effective for her, but it is for me – she gives it to me for free**! Too bad I only see her a few times a year.

*I apologize for ending a sentence in a preposition. Sometimes, I don’t know how to get away from it.
**I keep trying to pay her for it, but you know how grandmas are…

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By kilax, August 19, 2009 6:37 am

How ironic that this story came on the news yesterday while I was working out in the gym*:

Exercise fanatics ‘suffer withdrawal like drug addicts’

Check out this paragraph:

They reported: “Although exercise is good for your health, extreme exercise may be physically addictive. Excessive running shares similarities with drug-taking behaviour. As with food intake and other parts of life, moderation seems to be the key. “Exercise, as long as it doesn’t interfere with other aspects of one’s life, is a good thing with respect to both physical and mental health.”

The news story I saw talked about how they are not sure if this is true, because it has only been tested on rats**, not humans. Uh, yeah. I am pretty sure this is true, based on experience. What do you think?

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The last time I saw my therapist, she told me to come up with a few things I could do instead of run, while my shin heals. I still haven’t come up with anything. Sleep in? That isn’t really a hobby.

I was thinking about biking. That involves (Steven) getting my bike ready and purchasing a helmet. I do have a giftcard to Dick’s Sporting Goods…

*A few months ago, I was working out on treadmill and a news story came out about the dangers of the treadmill. I think it was after someone famous’s daughter died from a treadmill?
**Which I do not support.