House

By kilax, November 25, 2017 2:07 pm

Literally.

Last year, we bought a lovely tree skirt. It was kind of expensive, but we figured we’d use it for years to come.

Last year’s tree and skirt

Data had other plans for it.

For whatever reason, he was drawn to it when he needed to throw up, or go number two. We kept cleaning up the spots, but it was of no use – the spots were horrible and wouldn’t come out. And the skirt couldn’t be put in the washer or dry cleaned. So when we recycled the tree at the end of the year, we got rid of the tree skirt too.

Grr. I was so mad.

We bought two tree skirts on sale after Christmas, liking neither as much as the first, but not wanting to make an investment at the peak of the season again, just to have it ruined.

The strange thing is, Data doesn’t do stuff like that anymore. Sure, he has throw up accidents, but he doesn’t do hate turds around the house. Ever since Khali moved in, he’s been on his best behavior!

So maybe there is hope for the new tree skirt?!

Maybe?!

We’ll see when we put it out!

But I am sure Data (and Khali!) will find some other way to get in to trouble!

Life

By kilax, November 24, 2017 3:07 pm

Thanksgiving was lovely!

I mean, how could it not be, with all those rolls?! Fifty rolls for ten people… we got that ratio right!

I was anxious about getting the house set up for hosting, but I kept reminding myself that our friends coming over had seen our house at its messiest during our August 2016 construction project, so anything’s an improvement over that! Ha.

And, really, friends don’t care about stuff like that. Especially on Thanksgiving – when it’s all about togetherness and FOOOOOOOOOD. But I still get in my head sometimes.

Anyway! I was really happy with how the set-up turned out! We rearranged our living space to put the dining table in there (there’s no way ten people would fit in our dining room).

And we still had open circulation on the first floor so the kids could run circles! <— priorities! I got out my old toys out for the kids to play with, and it was fun to see the toys being used and enjoyed.

The food turned out great! On the menu was tofurky roasts and veggies, mashed potatoes, dressing, GBC (green bean casserole), sweet potato casserole, cranberries, and rolls. Our guests brought a turkey, wine, brownies, and pies. (We had the last two items, and ice cream and vegan cheesecake for dessert).

And apps, of course.

Steven did all the planning and cooking, and I did the sous-chefing

NOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMZ

We ate lunch just before 2:00 pm. We like to have the big meal earlier in the day so that we can eat Thanksgiving leftovers for dinner! Yaaaaaaaaaaaasssssssssss.

The only bad thing that happened was I got the nosebleed from hell and missed about twenty minutes of conversation. And the weird thing about the nosebleed is I got it immediately after talking about the character Eleven, from Stranger Things – who gets a nosebleed on the show whenever she uses her powers! (No, I didn’t move anything telepathically before I got the nosebleed, ha!). Annoying.

After the meal, the adults visited (while the kids played), then we all had dessert, then took family photos outside (I wish I would have gotten a photo of me and Steven!), then the kids ran around, then we came back in for a fire and more chatting. Data hung around the whole time (and particularly enjoyed swatting at the youngest kid while they ran around the first floor). Khali hid under the bed the whole time, but was super sweet after everyone left. Snow hung around the house and appreciated the turkey!

It was such an enjoyable day! I’m grateful we have these friends in our lives. I think it’s a special thing when one couple hits it off so well with another couple. And then especially when you introduce your friends to each other and they hit it off, too (the husbands had met before, during said August 2016 construction project, but not the wives).

At the end of the day, our guests helped us clean up and rearrange the living room back to its original state – gotta make room for our Christmas tree!!!

Life

By kilax, November 22, 2017 12:21 pm

Every year, I get questions about why we don’t see our families for Thanksgiving. Every year, I say the same thing – my husband owns a small business and runs major sales Friday-Monday. We stay close to home (both of our families are out of state) so he can go to the warehouse and work. It’s a nutso weekend for him.

(And the truth is, I am fine with staying home for this holiday.)

I’m getting even more questions this year, because I am on a new team at work, and people don’t know my story (and would probably forget anyway, which is fine). The questions don’t bother me, but some people do ask rather bluntly “Why don’t you see your family?”

So. A reminder: the holidays are hard for some people! If you feel the need to ask them about their family relationships, be gentle about it! And if you don’t know them well, maybe don’t go there? Ha ha. (Again, it doesn’t bother me, just made me think about this!)

This is the first year in a while that we are hosting Friendsgiving! We are hosting two families. Tonight we are going to rearrange the house to fit everyone. I am anxious to see how it all turns out, and excited about visiting AND EATING!!!! with everyone tomorrow.

Old photo, but accurate representation of what I plan to do tomorrow

House

By kilax, November 20, 2017 6:23 am

Snow gets in to his house through this “sliding glass door” that is left open all the time:

Which is fine in the warmer months, but not in the colder ones! Too much cold air is getting in, and too much of the heated air is getting out.

So we temporarily hung a towel over the enclosure to try to block some of the air exchange. Classy. But you know Steven had something better planned!

Steven used flashing and bent it to the shape of the flashing over Snow’s entryway.

Then tested it to make sure it fit.

After it did, he added copper snaps.

Then cut up a moving blanket and added the snaps to it as well:

Then attached the blanket to the flashing and slid it on top of the door (it only covers half the glass so we can still see if Snow is in there)!

Snow approves!

And thankfully, he figured out how to get in and out (I always worry he’ll think we’re blocking him out).

Snow likes to come in our house for cuddles from time to time, but he very much wants to go back outside when he’s had enough! So we want to make sure he’s comfortable outside!

Running + Training

By kilax, November 19, 2017 6:05 pm

Highlight of the Week: Running and visiting with Rachel!

Monday | November 13, 2017: 4 m run (incl. 6 hill repeats)
Loc: hood, Temp: 34°/38°, Time: 42:46, Pace: 10:41 avg, Difficulty: easy/medium, Felt: great (overdressed at times though!)
Tuesday | November 14, 2017: 3 m run
Loc: Lake Andrea, Temp: 47°/47°, Time: 30:04, Pace: 10:01 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: fantastic
Wednesday | November 15, 2017: rest
Thursday | November 16, 2017: 4.5 m run (incl. 10×1:00)
Loc: Lake Andrea, Temp: 34°/34°, Time: 47:57, Pace: 10:40 avg, Difficulty: easy-ish until the last few repeats, Felt: okay!
Friday | November 17, 2017: teaching strength class + 1,008 yd swim + 7 m run
Strength: ankle bands, Difficulty: easy/medium, Felt: good! worked hard
Loc: FitNation, Time: 22:03, Pace: 2:11 min/100 yd, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, relaxed
Loc: Kilbourne/DPRT loop, Temp: 42°/40°, Time: 1:15:44, Pace: 10:49 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: awesome
Saturday | November 18, 2017: teaching fitness boxing + 3.3 m run
Strength: body weight moves & boxing gloves, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Loc: VP Woods, Temp: 39°/37°, Time: 37:02, Pace: 11:14 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: a bit tired
Sunday | November 19, 2017: 8 m run (w/Rachel)
Loc: Burlington, Temp: 25°/27°, Time: 1:25:13, Pace: 10:39 avg, Difficulty: easy-ish, Felt: good, but a bit tired

Notes:

• I didn’t get to exercise much in the beginning of the week because work was so absolutely INSANE this week (didn’t take lunch breaks and worked late). Gah. Friday was a bit quieter and I hope next week is more normal.
• I thought my hill work and healthier eating was paying off because the inclines felt easy on my Friday run. Then a hill got to me at the end of my Sunday run. Ha! I’ll keep at it.
• On Sunday I got to run with Rachel!!!!! What a treat. We just chatted the whole time. I hope we can do that again soon.
• I am considering doing a 5K next Saturday to gauge my fitness. I’ll decide on Thursday (when I do or don’t do my speedwork that day!).

Link to Training Week 421

Life, Rants, Raves

By kilax, November 16, 2017 6:15 am

• Gah, it’s hard to believe all of the holiday celebrations start so soon! Who else has something going on every week until the end of the year?
• Speaking of holiday celebrations, remember when I said I hate looking for restaurants? Guess who got voluntold to plan a party for thirty-five people? SO not happy about that. Especially that I have to get all the options together by end of the day tomorrow. And was just told to do it yesterday.
• When Mom and I were at NeoCon, we didn’t have time to see everything, so we only went to showrooms I needed to visit for work, and showrooms with awesome giveaways (ha). Mom insisted on going in to one that didn’t interest me, but then came out with this lunch bag and I decided to get one too. And… I freaking love it. It’s the only lunch bag I’ve ever had that fits all my food in it. So, thank you, Mom, for going in to that small showroom I said “no” to. Ha ha.

• Blah. Garmin Connect changed the “last 12 months” display from a line chart showing number of activities to a bar chart showing overall mileage by activity and me no likely. I referenced the line chart often to compare the amount of my current month’s activities to the previous month’s (I used it as motivation!). I can’t see that information anymore, since it’s in miles. And swimming basically disappears!

Before

After

• Ha ha ha, look what found its way back to my house! The MBP Bracelet went back and forth between mom and Christina, and then came my way. I was NOT surprised to see it in this package. Heh, package. (Isn’t that an adorable cat bed it’s resting on though?!)

Link to Random Thoughts Thursday 155

Fashion + Beauty, Health + Fitness, Life

By kilax, November 14, 2017 8:56 pm

I was at the salon getting my eyebrows waxed and sat in the beautician’s chair after so she could show me some eyebrow makeup.

But first:

What kind of foundation do you use?

I don’t use any.

Oh! What kind of moisturizer do you use then?

Uh… none.

Do you use a lotion?

Um, not really.

What do you use to wash your face?

Sometimes soap, in the shower (but not that often).

So yeah, probably not the best audience for that $78 bottle of moisturizer (even though it felt amazing). But I would like to try something new for my brows!

Similar to Monday’s sentiment, there are probably a whole lot of things I could be doing to take better care of myself. Eek!

I have been eating healthier. Yay! As a result, I have more energy (duh). But I also have a lot of work to do before some of my clothes fit again, and until I can run faster. I’ll get there. (But will I stay there? Muah ha ha. Ugh.)

Mentioning my diet reminds me of a conversation with a coworker. We were talking on the phone around lunch time and both of us were finishing up our meals. I told her I was having a peanut butter cup. She goes “I bet it’s some healthy, organic peanut butter cup!” It’s hilarious to me that people assume I eat über healthy because I am vegan.

It’s also hilarious to me that this brand of peanut butter cups actually is organic. That’s not something I shop for!

Speaking of work, I had more dreams last night about missing the train, then not being able to figure out the train schedule so that I could get on a later train to work (then somehow I ended up in a wedding dress). Is this better or worse than the dream I woke up to Monday, about a fatality I witnessed at an amusement park?

Ahh, commuting. Today’s train was late, and it was raining a bit. Whenever I commute to the office in rain/snow/bad weather, I think about a coworker who doesn’t come in anymore and how they often contact the people who do come in on days like this to say things like “the weather is so crappy this morning!” and “how was the commute?!” Annoying. And unnecessary.

Life

By kilax, November 14, 2017 6:21 am

Two days.

Sigh.

Two days – that is all I lasted from buying something for Steven for his stocking, to giving it to him. (Note: it’s not Christmas morning ha.)

Ugh. And I thought I was trying so hard. I really wasn’t, leaving it on my desk and thinking about it each time I saw it.

Everything I buy from now on goes in to the guest bedroom – out of sight, out of mind!

The item (it’s an inside joke for a couple of reasons)

At least I was able to wait to post this – I actually wrote it yesterday! Woo hoo! Baby steps.

Life, Running + Training

By kilax, November 13, 2017 12:20 pm

It amazes me how creaky my body sometimes feels when I wake in the morning. Come on, body! You just got many hours of sleep! You should be raring to go!

Ha, the logical part of my brain knows that some of my muscles tense up at night and need to be stretched out to feel good. And another logical part of me knows that as I get older, that feeling is probably only going to get worse.

You know, unless I take care of myself, like by stretching every day…

At least I do a good job with a monthly massage!

Wouldn’t it be amazing to be a sponsored elite athlete and get a massage every day? And have someone cook for you? And take naps every day? And only have to focus on running and not work…? Ha ha ha – I got a bit off track there.

Running + Training

By kilax, November 12, 2017 5:45 pm

Highlight of the Week: Getting all my runs in, and finishing off the week with a run with Jen!

Monday | November 6, 2017: 10 m ride + 4.5 m run (incl. 4 hill repeats) + teaching strength class
Indoor Ride Time: 38:27, Pace: 15.6 mph avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: fine, just not positioned right (sore butt!)
Loc: hood, Temp: 39°/39°, Time: 11:06, Pace: 49:57 avg, Difficulty: easy-ish, Felt: good!
Strength: BOSU and two dumbbells, Difficulty: easy-ish, Felt: good, sweaty
Tuesday | November 7, 2017: 3 m run
Loc: Chicago Lakefront Trail, Temp: 47°/46°, Time: 30:08, Pace: 10:02 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: great, just hungry
Wednesday | November 8, 2017: rest
Thursday | November 9, 2017: 4 m run (incl. 3×800)
Loc: Lake Andrea, Temp: 33°/33°, Time: 41:18, Pace: 10:20 avg, Difficulty: medium, Felt: pushed back by the wind
Friday | November 10, 2017: teaching strength class + 1,134 yd swim + 5 m run
Strength: BOSU and two dumbbells, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, but hard on the hips!
Loc: FitNation, Time: 25:00, Pace: 2:12 min/100 yd, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Loc: Van Patten Woods, Temp: 28°/28°, Time: 55:05, Pace: 11:01 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: amazing
Saturday | November 11, 2017: 10 m run
Loc: DPRT/Kilbourne loop, Temp: 28°/30°, Time: 1:59:17, Pace: 11:56 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: sluggish (didn’t sleep well)
Sunday | November 12, 2017: 12 m ride + 7 m run (w/Jen)
Indoor Ride Time: 47:40, Pace: 15.1 mph avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Loc: DPRT, Temp: 36°/37°, Time: 1:28:54, Pace: 12:42 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good

Notes:

• I love that I work close to the Lakefront Trail and can run there during lunch break but MAN, there are so many stop lights just to get out there. That would make me nuts if I had to do it every day!
• It was cold enough Thursday that my phone died during my run. Time to put that thing in a glove! (I remembered for Friday and Saturday’s runs, which were even colder.)
• The BOSU workout we’re doing in class is challenging my hips. We’ve been doing a curtsy lunge (aka skaters) with two dumbbells down to the BOSU and I feel it immediately!
• We had our first snowfall of the season Friday, and I had a peaceful, calm run on it on the trails. What a treat! The day before was warmer but windy, and felt a lot colder, so this lovely run was especially appreciated.
• Then I ran again on the snow Saturday. It rained for all of Sunday’s run. ‘Tis the season!

Link to Training Week 420

Thanks to everyone who entered the 11 Year Runniversary Amazon giftcard giveaway! Random.org picked #8 (each entry and favorite movie counted as two), which was Christina!