Well I just can’t….

::sleep without the covers on. Even if it is 80º in the apt and our AC is broken (whyyyyy is it still 80 outside?!).

::resist a Reese’s peanut butter cup. Cause they are just.So.good.

::make myself start packing early. Despite the hard efforts. But, there is a list. Always start with a list.

::stop running. At the end of a race, I think “Holy F. I’m so tired, why do I do this to myself!?!”. Two days later, I’m looking up races…

::make it seem real that my parents are coming. NEXT WEEK. Yesss. Hello family!

::get myself to cook a nice fresh meal, when there are frozen ones in the freezer. They pull me in, every time.

::go one day without my Wild Cherry Diet Pepsi. Yumm.

::figure out why they would plan the last Presidential debate on the same night as the Project Runway Finale. gah!

::stop listening to Pandora. Or my OneRepublic radio station. Love it.

::get over how amazing Penn State is doing right now. #3!!!! So proud to be a Nittany Lion.

::Wait! for Jack to get here! on Thursday!!!!!!

::be done with this list.

oh, there we go.

An unusual morning craving

Last night I was asleep for about 15 minutes before being jolted awake by that annoying “You have a text message!!” noise. thanks phooone.

It was from the Sis, who was doing her usual thing, baking! She sent me a picture that looked a liiiittle somethin like this…

The tradition in our house is making holiday-themed sugar cookies. Multiple cookie cutter shapes for each holiday, food dye into the frosting, sprinkles, the works. Lauren is certainly doing her job to keep that goin, and I’m way over here trying to sleep and now thinking of nothing but sugar cookies (and how delicious the dough is!! um, and how good they are baked….and frosted….oh.so.gooood.).

Since I was basically half asleep, all I could do was stare at my phone confusingly, looking at a picture of cookie cutouts on a cookie sheet and think “yummm”….and go back to sleep.

And let me just say, it’s very strange to wake up in the morning with a craving for halloween-themed sugar cookies. That could be part of a balanced breakfast, right?

I was well behaved, considering…

Considering we were at an Outlet mall.

Considering I went into TJ Maxx for the first time in a whiiiile.

Considering said mall is only about 15 minutes from the apt. This is dangerous….

Considering we were among stores like Banana Republic, H&M, J. Crew, Guess, Nine West…..yah, you get it.

In search for some shoes that I need for this weekend, I had to look up the closest mall in the area. It was a little strange to realize I’ve lived here for almost 2 months and have not even thought about where a mall might be. Or bought a new pair of shoes!! Whoa.

Well, today we did a little shopping. I may have bought some jewelry, a few shirts, and a pair of silver shoes for the wedding. But thats where it ends. I avoided some stores, knowing very well what would happen upon entering. Like, um, Nine West? No way. Yup, self-control is winning over here.

I almost forgot how great it is to buy things without paying for shipping & handling. No online shoppin necessary here! Yet another reason to love how close things are on this crazy East Coast. It might not always be ‘budget friendly’, but what can ya do.

just a few things

Oh aaand yes I survived the race. It was a gorgeous 75º, not a cloud in the sky. The course is pretty hilly, but lined with some amaaaazing supporters (Favorite: guy in a Tiger suit…dancing, car windows/doors open, stereo blasting “eye of the tiger”. good stuff). Not even sure I could’ve heard the iPod if I did have it on (which some ppl totally did, cheaters). Also not sure I’m in love with the “big” race concept, but it was an experience, and the after-partyyyy is definitely much more exciting. More like a mini-carnival to celebrate the fact that your legs are about to fall off. But yay running!

(pics courtesy of the roomie! the second is obviously a cropped version, but ya know what…post-13.1 miles is not glamorous. I just love the medal, it has a crab!! sweeet.)

17,500 runners.

Lovin the Baltimore Crab Medal. And being done with the race.

Always excited with the pumpkin socks

As I’m moving in…..the conversation went a little something like this…..

Mom: “I guess I don’t need to send you holiday packages anymore, since you aren’t ‘technically’ still in college….”
Me:”Um…whaaat?? I’m kind of still in college…. I’m not making money, soooo thats like ’student’-ish! No. You definitely still have to send me holiday packages. I will have nothing else to look forward to! I’ll only get cable bills, and electrical bills, and grocery adds for the 100000 stores that surround me but cost $$$$, and the occasional Kraft magazine. But then my (always Super EARLY) holiday packages will come, and I’ll be excited.”
Mom: “………(whoa). Ha, okay. Okayyy. Maybe you’ll still get them. We’ll see….” (such a tease)
Me: “(*sigh*) Good. I really love my collection of holiday socks. That cannot be discontinued…yet.”

Yess!! I loooove me some Mom-mail. This package was on my doorstep after our “class day” on Monday. Could not have been more perfect timing. Coming out of two 3 hr lectures, traffic, a day that nearly killed my feet (see below:heels. gah.) Seriously, I am constantly amazed at how early these show up. And there’s absolutely no way I’m waiting until ‘halloween’ to open it. Psh. There’s candy in there. Which I know will include peanut m&ms (it’s just her styyyle). Not. Happening.

What else is always included in these little packages? Socks. Holiday themed socks. Who needs holiday socks? Nobody. But I love them. I have socks with pumpkins, easter eggs, hearts, more pumpkins, purple butterflies (might have been easter? not sure….)…..umm, yah.

You also see a dishtowel (another collection in the works….), oven mitts, Flips!!, gum, and……

Look closely, in the right corner, out pokes a brand new Toothbrush. Yup, she knows that candy is goin fast.*yum*

Yet another thing I’ve learned

On Monday, despite knowing we’d be walking around, I wore 4 inch heels. For class Day. I’m still wondering what the heck I was thinking.

We had to stop by Target on the way home (yesss), and I um, ‘had’, to look at shoes. Somehow I escaped blisters, but my feet were dying a slow death, wondering why I was torturing them now…yet expecting them to be in perfect shape for Saturday. And I was starting to walk like a hunchback. Not. Good. Target has all these new fancy fall shoes out. Very. Good.

Luckily I’m so well-behaved. I restrained myself. Still not quite sure how that happened….

Monday night my back hurt so bad I had to lay a pillow length-wise and sleep on top of it. Something about that just isn’t right.

Luckily, I’ve rebounded. Wearing flats and comfortable shoes for the last two days. My body was tiiiired last weekend, so I’m just hangin out. Resting, and doing what you’re supposed to do in preparation for a race (a few short runs, and a few “off” days). Which I’m now positive does Not include wearing four-inch heels and pretty  much demanding blisters and pain.

I’ve been so nervous about this race. I can’t pinpoint why. Maybe its the idea of a “big” race, maybe it’s the idea of racing in a big city, maybe it’s the pressure I always put on myself to do better. The competitor in me just can’t resist. I keep thinking; this one will be so different than the last two, I want to run it and just enjoy it for the experience. But I know me. I know that if I don’t push myself, and at least try for that PR, I’ll be just a little bit disappointed.

It really is amazing how each race can be/has been (for me) So.Very.Different. Spring, Summer…now Fall. Training at school, training at home….training in some crazy neighborhood off of a huge interstate (scaryyy). My race times vary by 6 minutes (faster the second time), which is huuge. Not sure how it happened, but wow thats one way to spoil your competitive mind. I know there’s not a chance that can happen every time, but I’m itching for something even a little bit faster. Gahhhh.

I’m still working on my ‘routine’, and don’t have anything set in stone. Some things work great, and others fail badly (i.e. wearing 4 inch heels for an 8 hour day. not smart).

After this one I want a little break, and maybe I’ll use that time to figure things out.

Countdowns are taking over!

This month is a little on the ‘crazy’ side, and I loooove it.

I also love countdowns. And thats about all I can think about right now. Many many countdowns to many many exciting things!! October, you’re spoiling me. Nice work.

::Race::4 days!!!

still a little upset about the no-music thing. but after run#2 sans iPod, I know I’ll survive. and there are much worse things they could force upon me. Like rain, or really hott weather, or not having water stations (well, thats probably illegal, but you know, thatd suck).

::Jack::8 days!!

Pickin him up from the airport right after ‘work’ on Thursday. Yesss.
There are few things that could make the end of a work day better than an airport reunion. Followed by a dinner date. And Jack. Here. Looove it.

::Wedding time::10 days!!!

I’ll be a bridesmaid for the first time, in a veryyyy special wedding.
A weekend trip to Philly, a rehearsal dinner followed by a night of a few drinks with gooood friends, a classy hotel room, and what will most definitely be an amazing reception. Yum.

::Parentals visit::16 days!

They’ll be here from Wednesday-Sunday. Exploring the area while I’m at work, hopefully picking out delicious places to eat and fabulous things they want to buy me. Just kiddinnn. Not about eating though. My Mom keeps saying she wants to ride the “train” into DC. Which we’ll definitely do, as long as we can get her to call it the “metro”. She loves trains, its cute.

::Halloween…..in HAPPY VALLEY!!!::23 days!!!!!!

I have not been to that wonderful place since May. There are no words. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They’ll stop the music

Rihanna is probably upset. I am too.

Who was it that said “Silence is golden”?

That person has clearly never ran 13.1 miles without music. Or even 5, for that matter. Just sayin….

I received my Race Packet in the mail on Friday (thanks to “first class mail” and the Madre!), and found some info that would’ve been nice to have about 2 months ago. I knew there would be ~17,000 runners (whoa!!!), and can’t really prepare for that. Other than to show up knowing I’m not alone. Gotcha. I did not know about this little rule: No headphones. Of any kind. For any reason.

Which obviously means…..No iPod. My reaction……Uhh, WHAAAT?!????

In their defense, I have heard of this rule. More in the sense that races aren’t supposed to allow headphones/music devices/etc, but most of them do anyway. Up to this point, I’ve done what are considered “small” races (~1,000 runners). Now I’m in the big leagues. Baltimore: big city. Baltimore half-marathon: big race. I guess it’s the “big” ones that follow the rules. Whats that about?! Dangit.

So I maybe freaked out a little bit in my head, and thought “Wow, this won’t be very fun.” And realized that all I can really do is run without my music for this week. Because the race is on Saturday. Yup, doin’ some real preparation over here. Ehhh.

Without my music, I’m a little lost. I haven’t run without music since high school. I’ve never trained for a race without an iPod.  Today broke that streak. I did a whole 5 miles in complete silence. I felt weird even walking out the door without the arm-band on. Completely dragging my feet and not motivated.

Well…I survived. But it’s definitely a different kind of run. All I could hear was myself. My feet hitting the pavement and my breathing. And the occasional car that whipped by, with the occasional jackass that whistled (drives.me.Crazy.). I can’t decide if it will be better, or worse, when I’m completely surrounded by runners and their outside noise. But, I am pumped for the Live band at the starting line. Yesss, music! Please!

I want to be the girl in that really old iPod commercial (I think it was for iPods??). She was running and had somebody driving along next to her playing music really loudly out of the car. It was great. Not so much for the driver…..but um, anybody willing to run along the half-marathon course with a personal boom-box on Saturday….go ahead and let me knowww.  If nothing else, how awesome will you feel carrying a boom-box on your shoulder? Yah. Think about it.

In the meantime, I’ll be hiding my iPod and armband so as to avoid temptation. And I’ll be running in silence.

Life in Candy land

Not the kind that involves Mr. Plumpy, Grandma Nutt or Princess Lolly…..

(but I definitely Love that game. I just hated having to go all the way back to that stupid Plum man)

I’m not talkin games here. This is serious. For the last three works I have been working in an office FILLED with candy. Literally. Boxes of candy take up an entire corner. Think of the bulk you can buy at Sam’s Club (or Cosco), that have like 38 Reese’s in them. Then think of the Box that contains all of those boxes. You with me? The office is filled with those. Basically we’re talkin’ like 1,000 Reese’s. Like I said, this is serious.

Apparently, about a month ago, some manger did a “training” activity, and decided to buy $3,000 worth of candy (~25 boxes, of a wide variety) to go along with it. Perhaps on the assumption that her employees were obese and/or each had a school of children to feed come Halloween. Who knows. But the leftovers, 18 boxes, are sitting in this office. That we work in. Every day. And I may have single handedly taken care of the mini-Reese’s. Um, oops? No. Yummmm.

Well, three weeks later we’ve gone through a bag of Yorks, working on the second. M&Ms, and Kisses (pb & dark chocolate. Yesss). Not to mention what we snack on every day. Hershey nuggets, mini-snickers (yes everything is snack-sized. that doesn’t negate anything. not in these proportions. Dangit), Tootsie roll pops, and more M&Ms. It’s getting a little out of hand.

And now here’s October. Tempting me with its Halloween peanut M&Ms (um, might already have a bag of those. they’re just soooo gooood), double-stuffed orange Oreos, and candy corn!!!!!

Jack’s theory on candy corn is this (in a nutshell):

About 100 years ago, they created, and made a Lot of, candy corn. Tons.
And everybody went, “Omg you are slowly killing us with crayon wax thats coated in sugar!!!!!”
and nobody ate it. So, every halloween, they continue their attempts at getting rid of this ‘candy’.
There are people like me, who love it and only buy it in October. Yet I still manage to over-do it, get sick of it….and then get really excited when it’s October again.
And there are people like Jack, who will probably live longer because he never eats it. Therefore, his stomach isn’t slowly being clogged with sugar-coated crayon wax.

I hope you’re with me.

As long as we don’t have birds in the ceiling again

I unlocked the door today, looked up, and saw something slightly out of place. A bird’s nest….forming on the top of our door frame. Ehhhhhh.

We were at work, in a warehouse, making salads & sandwiches today….by 7 a.m. And while you might think that traffic wouldn’t be as bad around 6:30 a.m., you’re wrong. As was I. Veryyyy wrong. And these drivers aren’t only taking up my morning road space, but they’re craaazzzyyyy. Cutting people off, no turning signals, getting off the exit ramp past the point where it has separated from the highway. Not good.  Really makes for a bad start to the day….

Being all efficient and super productive after lunch meant we might have gotten out of there early. Except that the world of food service was against us, and the one thing we had left to do was stalled by about half an hour. Instead, we ended up leaving about 15 minutes late. Gahhhh.

After being almost run off the road, getting a little lost on our way to a craft store (must buy materials for final project on Friday. whooooo….), and then finally making it back home about an hour later, it would be pretty safe to say I was grumpy. And a little hungry. And pretty much falling asleep in the passenger seat. All of this by 4:30 in the afternoon. Awesome.

So back to where we started. To top off the day, it looks like a small flying animal is creating it’s abode on top of our door. Which can only mean bad things. Things like….. we’ll be stepping in bird sh*t every time we go in/out the door….we will hear birds chirping. all.the.time……and if we’re really lucky, they’ll find some tiny hole and climb into the space between our ceiling and the roof. Which, I know from previous experience, is the most obnoxious/annoying/frustrating noise EVERRRRR. When it sounds like the pigeons are bowling small eggs while simultaneously pecking their way through your ceiling (which is probably paper thin), you might as well greet the world of insomnia with a big ol’ grin. Cause you’re gonna be greeeat friends.

At least this time I’ve been warned.