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By kilax, January 31, 2013 6:29 am

• Check out this Vegan “Chicken” Noodle Soup how-to video that Steven made for FakeMeats.com (share it from our facebook page if you’d like)! This is one of our favorite recipes to make, and is super simple. All you need is water, Seitenbacher Vegetable Broth and Seasoning, veggies, noodles and soy curls (oh, and salt and pepper if you want it)! Also, see the image below the video for a behind-the-scenes look at the filming process. 

• We went to the movies last night…

• Steven just figured out we can watch Downton Abbey season 3 on Demand through our cable provider! Hells yes! We just have to finish the rewatching the last two episodes of season 2 then we can start!!!
• Steven’s been loving his new camera. He just got a new lens (50 1.8) and hood that really blurs out the background. He’ll mostly use it for taking food pics, but here are some examples of Data (click to see larger). And don’t worry guys. I will continue to take crappy iPhone pics for the blog. I won’t get all fancy pants on ya. 

• I made one of those images as the background for my phone and it dissected Data! Scary!!! Sorry, Data!

• Awhile ago I wanted to see how many blogs I typically comment on in a day so I started keeping track on a notepad. YES, I am that lame. The first day, it was over 50. It seems to average between 20-30 a day though. How many blogs do you think you comment on in a day?

• Also, speaking of blogging, I have been trying to reply to comments here more often, rather than all at once. I think it encourages more conversation. Do you care/notice when I reply to your comments?
• How’s your memory recall? I am excellent at remembering dates, when people tell me what their favorite flavor of ice cream is, where they are from… all those little personal facts. But I don’t have much of a memory recall of things I was supposed to learn in school, like the real name of the collar bone (clavicle). Steven, however, has excellent recall for that sort of thing.  

Other Random Thoughts Thursday Posts: XXX, XXIX, XVIII, XXVII, XXVI, XXV, XXIV, XXIII, XXII, XXI, XX, XIX, XVIII, XVII, XVI, XV, XIV, XIII, XII, XI, X, IX, VIII, VII, VI, V, IV, III, II, I.

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By kilax, January 30, 2013 5:55 am

I had a long “blah blah blah” post all ready for today, but I think I’d rather post something simple.

My grandma got me this skirt* for the holiday. I tried it on in December and it didn’t fit. This morning was the first time I tried it on again.

Encouraged!

Now, I just need to work on these fun tights fitting before it’s too late in the season to wear them.

I try to avoid talking about weight on my blog, because I feel that it triggers comparison, when weight is so personal, and depends a lot on someone’s background/body style.

But, I have been trying to eat healthier and it is encouraging for me to have my clothes fit better. And more importantly, to feel better! So I’ll share that.

If I’m being honest though, my real reason for eating healthier is just to make running easier. That’s my top priority. Not looks, feeling better, clothes fitting… so that stuff is all a bonus.

Do you like reading about weight loss/gain on blogs?

I quite enjoy reading about Anne‘s success on her blog. She’s a major inspiration for me!

*All I put on my wish list was a “one color, solid print skirt.” She nailed it.

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By kilax, January 29, 2013 4:38 am

… how much do they mean? And does it make more of a difference at work or with friends?

This is sort of a continuation on yesterday’s post pointing out my flaws… should this be my “flaw” week?

image from here

Hypocrite alert! Last Thursday I was telling Anne how I wished I had trusted my instinct after a first impression left me thinking someone was quite negative. I hung out with that person a second and third time and they turned out just to be just as negative as the first encounter. Bummer. It killed my mood both times. I was telling myself “they must have just been having a bad day before…” Lesson learned!

But! On Saturday, Bobbi and I were having a conversation about how someone we thought we wouldn’t really click with turns out to be hilarious and one of our favorite people to hang with! So! Which is it, Kim?! Do you want to go with your first impressions, or not?! Lesson not learned?

Well, it’s not fair to judge someone based on meeting them once when they might just be having an awful (or off) day, right? And, everyone deserves a second chance?

But gah, sometimes people do leave such bad first impressions! And I feel like sometimes you just know, based on a first impression,  if you are really going to click with someone… or if you wouldn’t care if you crossed paths with them ever again. It’s so interesting, how you just know. Hmm. Maybe this has something to do with being a good judge of character? Or just knowing the type of people you like to be around. Maybe someone likes having a really negative friend… uh…

What kind of first impression do you think you leave with someone?

In my personal life – probably loud and obnoxious. At work, uh, loud and obnoxious to my internal team. Maybe quiet to those who don’t know me well!

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By kilax, January 28, 2013 6:28 am

I felt like I might appear to be a bit of a phony in last week’s post about envy on Facebook… when I said I am not an envious person. I’m really not an envious person. But I thought I would tell you about a childish feeling that I do sometimes struggle with – holding grudges/not being able to forgive and forget.

Data, you really need to quit holding a grudge against that feather! What did it ever do to you?!

Of course, I could share a lot of delicious examples of my childish behavior, but I don’t think the best ones, or even the one that made me think of writing this, are blog appropriate. So let’s journey back in time… to high school! AHH!!!

In high school, I lent a friend money to buy something. Bad idea, I know. I think maybe it was a couple thousand dollars. Not that much. You all know where this story is going – friend never paid me back, stopped returning my calls, skipped town… I went to college and tried to forget about it. But damn! I could have used that money for living expenses, architectural supplies, and food! I was quite upset about it. And was holding a bit of a grudge against that person. I even went to their place one time when I was visiting my home town and pounded on their door, to demand SOMETHING, only to find someone else living there. 

I finally got over it though. Money is just money (and not meant to be lent!). I found out the friend was struggling with some bigger issues and was happy to hear they were doing better. 

Hmm. That might not be a very good example. I am sure a lot of you will be like, “Wtf, Kim, they deserved that grudge.” Okay, let’s try something else…

I’ve had a really close friend hook up with my ex-boyfriend and not tell me about it, and tell everyone to keep it from me. It killed our friendship and the fact that she wanted to keep it from me made me hold a bit of a grudge, for a very short while. I was not upset about the guy – but more that she felt she couldn’t tell me. And that being with him was more important than being my friend. 

I’ve also had instances where I have gone out of my way to accommodate someone’s specific request at an event… only to have them stand me up at said event. Time and time again. That made me hold a grudge. 

Sorry for all the super childish examples. They unfortunately make me sound even more immature, but like I said, I can’t really write about my few examples from adult-life, ha ha. 

What they say about holding grudges is true – it only hurts you (and I particularly liked this quote – “holding a grudge is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die”)! I didn’t even realize how deep of a grudge I was holding against someone until I let it go a few years ago, and all of a sudden, my relationship with that person was no longer tense. They probably just thought I was being a biznatch all those years. They probably didn’t even realize why I was upset. And that is the problem with grudges – they seem to be so one-sided! They usually only harm one person. 

Anyway. I am getting a lot better at letting things go. Because I have learned my lesson on how toxic grudges are when you hold on to them. But I obviously have not completely cured myself, because a conversation happened this weekend that made me think of how annoyed I still was at someone for something they did almost a YEAR ago! And it was something really stupid! All of a sudden a little feeling of a grudge snuck up on me… ahh! Go away!!!

Are you a bad grudge holder like me? Or are you able to let things go?

I found a article with guides on how to forgive people. And I also found one on when you SHOULD hold a grudge. Ha!

Oh! And I don’t think I am perfect. I do wonder if anyone is holding a grudge against me for something I am clueless on. That seems to be how these things work!

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By kilax, January 27, 2013 12:38 pm

Highlight of the Week: Feeling so great during my speedwork Saturday night (must have been the low winds) that I added a few more repeats in!

Monday | January 21, 2013: 9 m run
Loc: Millennium Trail to Nippersink FP, Temp: 9°/9°, Time: 1:35:29, Pace: 10:36 avg, Difficulty: medium, Felt: irrationally angry re: the wind
Tuesday | January 22, 2013: 6 m run
Loc: ‘hood, Temp: 9°/9°, Time: 1:02:23, Pace: 10:23 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: annoyed breathing through hood
Wednesday | January 23, 2013: strength class
Strength: circuit, plyo and boxing, Difficulty: easy/medium, Felt: strong/focused (well, somewhat – I am a goof off)
Thursday | January 24, 2013: 4.6 m run (w/Anne)
Loc: Anne’s hood, Temp: 21°/19°, Time: 55:28, Pace: 12:00 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: so happy to be running with a friend
Friday | January 25, 2013: rest
Saturday | January 26, 2013: cycling class + 5 m run incl. 6 x 3:00
Loc: Essential Fitness LLC Multisport Club, Time: 50 mins, Difficulty: medium/hard, Felt: challenged
Loc: hood, Temp: 24°/21°, Time: 46:01, Pace: 9:12 avg, Difficulty: medium, Felt: great
Sunday | January 27, 2013: 14 m run
Loc: hood, Temp: 26°/30°, Time: 2:45:36, Pace: 11:50 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: lost in my scattered thoughts

Notes:

• I keep pushing my speedwork back, later and later in the week. That just goes to show you how much I look forward to it. Ha ha. 
• On that note, it is probably not a good idea to do biking and running intervals on the same day. 
• 80% of my runs were solo this week. The one with Anne was definitely the running highlight!
• I had licorice and a GU during Sunday’s long run and that worked well! I also ran the whole thing on snow covered sidewalks. I would like to think that makes me a stronger runner? Uh…

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By kilax, January 25, 2013 6:57 am

What dreams do you have over and over? Do you think they mean anything?

Like Sara, I quite often dream that I break or lose teeth. 

The most current thing though, that has been ongoing for the past two weeks, and making me wake up A LOT throughout the night, are dreams about people not being ready to do things on time, and about me breaking my phone. So, I knew I was a schedule freak before, and hate it when people are not ready to go on time, and when I am late… but apparently it bothers me so much that I am dreaming about it. Every. Single. Night. And the phone thing, well, let’s just say I was happy when I woke up at 3:30 am today and saw my phone did not have a big crack down the face of it. 

I have these books… maybe I should actually use them?! Anyone else have a book about what your dreams mean?*

*I must have written about this before, because I recall Erin saying she learned about dreams in college and used to have a cool book or some notes on it or something. 

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By kilax, January 24, 2013 5:52 am

Oh, look! Another study that points out how evil Facebook is! 

(Oh, look, Kim writing about Facebook again… as if all these times were not enough.)

I am not sure why these Facebook articles interest me so much. I think I read them and am like, “Huh?! Why would a social media site affect someone that much?!”

Anyway, this latest study, conducted by two German Universities*, found that “1 in 3 people felt worse after visiting the site and more dissatisfied with their lives, while people who browsed without contributing were affected the most.” People felt most envious seeing other’s vacation photos, and secondly, by comparing how many “likes” or comments are made on their photos and posts. These comparisons made people feel “lonely, frustrated or angry,” and made them more likely to leave Facebook. 

Okay. So we’ve all talked about our online identities and putting our best self out there (and how that may give others a false perception of how fab our lives are).  And we’ve talked about FOMO, and how Facebook can make you feel like you are missing out (and again, give you a false perception of how much fun others are having). But, how envious does Facebook make you feel? Do you think the amount of envy may have to do with how envious (secure) of a person you already are?

I rarely feel envy – I cannot remember the last time I have. When I see something good happen to a friend on Facebook (or in real life), I am genuinely happy for them. I love seeing my friend’s vacation photos. Sure, I might comment, “I am so jelly you got to go there!” but really, I am just saying that. I am not feeling lonely or frustrated or angry by it. Seriously. Maybe I should quit claiming I am so “jelly.” Oops. What I should say is, “I am so happy you got to go there! It looks like a place I would like to visit someday.” Because I could probably swing some travel if I planned it out. But I don’t. So why be envious?

All that being said, there are definitely things I have seen and read on Facebook that I wish I could un-see/read. Like photos of dead animals. Really negative status updates. Mean status updates. I just hide those things and try to forget them. And Facebook does make me feel annoyed from time to time – which is a sign I need to log off. But where are the studies on how people use Facebook in a way that works for them? So they don’t feel envious/left out/like a loser/frustrated/annoyed?

*Are we to assume this study was only on people in these two German universities? I wonder how culture plays in. 

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By kilax, January 23, 2013 11:56 am

My little secret.

Grumpy Cat, why you gotta hate?

Ha ha ha. Kelly supports my little t-rex obsession and got me this shirt! I love it! Poor T and his short little arms. Heh. Maybe he should use those pushup bars.

I had to find a way to wear the shirt to work to show fave coworker. Now I just need to find one for her… or get her this one.

As silly as they can be, inside jokes with coworkers make the day a lot better! Do you have any ridic inside jokes with your coworkers/fam?

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By kilax, January 23, 2013 4:48 am

My normal therapy – running – has not been cutting it the past few days (because of the first item on the list below). I need to VENT! Sure, I could make a much longer list of things I am happy about – and there are a ton – but right now, I just need a vent. Pass this post if you want to!

I’m sick of…

• the wind
• my misaligned passions
• hypocrites
• meetings that last much longer than they should
• having only one reliable car
• being made to do things I don’t want to do
• misinterpreted online personas
• me making my schedule stupid full
• people who cannot make a decision
• my impatience
• trying to remain positive around negative people
• my nasty hair
• repeatedly public displays of a lack of self-worth
• not having the chance to speak/being talked over
• losing sleep over highly anxious dreams
• how obnoxious I am
• people who park over the sidewalk

Ahh. Much better. And I even spot a few things on that list I have the power to change!

Can you relate to any of those? Want to add your own?

Since every post is incomplete without a picture (and I didn’t want to post a picture of a car parked over the sidewalk), can anyone guess what this is (click to make larger)?

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By kilax, January 22, 2013 6:22 am

Confession – I totally wrote this post over four years ago. But I have some newer readers now, so I am allowed to post something similar again, right? Maybe I will get different feedback?

When I haven’t seen someone in awhile, and they ask “What’s new with you?” I totally draw a blank. Suddenly, the days that seemed so frantic and busy have left me with nothing to report back on. “Uh, um… you know, just working, working out and helping Steven with Fake Meats!”

Sigh. 

This is funny to me. I write this blog first* and foremost, so that I have a place to be heard. I don’t always feel like I get to say the things I want to say out loud… so I say it (what I can) here! So you would think when someone asks me what is new, they wouldn’t be able to get me to shut up. But I typically cannot think of anything. Then I end up focusing on some crazy story of a thing that has happened to me lately, and, well, that makes me look crazy. 

When someone asks “What’s new with you?” do you draw a blank? Do you ask people “What’s new with you?”? Do you ever expect them to report back on certain things?

When it’s someone I don’t know very well, I try to ask a specific question about something we talked about** the last time we were together, rather than “what’s new.” When it’s my close friends, I do ask “what’s new” because chances are, I know what they’ve been up to until that moment. So really, what could be new? Ha ha. 

But, I’d like to become better at answering this question, and not sounding like a bore. What do people want to hear about?

Food? We’ve been cooking a lot…

Exercise? Doubtful.

My latest puzzle? Ha!

The inevitable, most recent trip to NYC?

This book I started reading that makes me dislike the author?

Data? Now we’re talking…

If I was really good, I would answer the “what’s new” question with something that interests the person asking… which would probably be none of these things. Ha ha ha.

And I realize this post makes me sound like a bad conversationalist. I’m not. I just don’t know how to answer this question. What do people want to hear?!

*And secondly, to make connections and meet new peeps!
**Or I read on their blog recently.