forget face masks - will need an oxygen mask come sunday

So you're probably thinking that when I've decided not to make this blog all about myself anymore that I suddenly have nothing to say, haha. Let's just say I have been hugely busy and nothing to show for it!! At least it feels that way, highly frustrating.  Don't worry, I haven't dropped off due to a Swine Flu infection, haha. ew.

What have I been doing worth sharing? Well I have been trying to launch my project all last week but hitting hiccups along the way, as all projects do. We did a "soft launch" (sorry for the industry speak) on Tuesday. Aiming for full launch early next week. I will blog more specifically about this mysterious project at that point!

The weather in Boston over the last seven days has been monumentally higher than avg April temps. Tuesday we hit 94 deg!! Back to normal for the next week I think, though. This is good because a 10 mi race in 90 deg weather isn't going to cut it!

Speaking of the race. It is a mere 3 days away...eek! I might die but I am uber excited just the same. The one and only Mike Prible has signed up to run with me. Thank you Mike, please let the EMS people know that I have no known allergies and no prior heart conditions.

This does mean I'm coming home to PA but unfortunately I am only going to be home for .2 seconds, running for 1 hour and then in hospital for 2 days. No but seriously, flying in Sat afternoon and leaving Monday afternoon. Apologies in advance if I don't get to see all my fam and faves. :)

Has anyone reading this ran the Broad Street Run before and have any good tips or tricks???

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26% of you don't know what i'm talking about

Most of you know (or can only surmise) that I am an only child. For this I can be very selfish (and bratty) at times. But most learn to love me in the end, I think. I bring this up because my blog has a tendency to be all about me. Coincidental?

I don't think I could truly resist telling you all the stories that make my life interesting but I ought to switch it up now and again!! So tell me what you'd like to hear about!! There is a survey on the top right of this page. Dooooo ittttttt!! ;)

In the meantime I leave you with my favorite commercial at the moment... 

It's apparently promoting the new Palm Pre Web OS... pretty cool.  We all know I love Palm. Just wish Sprint was as cheap as T-Mo!  Anyway the commercial kind of speaks to all the nerdy things I concern myself with on a daily basis... and leaving cell phones in cabs - that's some of my friends' favorite hobby. haha.

The weekend weather here is going to be GORGEOUS!!  Although I hope it cools down just a tad before next weekend. 10 mi in 90 degree weather doesn't appeal much to me!! Ambulance will have to be called at mile 2. Kidding :)

So let me know what it is you wanna hear more about!!!

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how much do mud huts cost?

Sooo... I want to buy a house. No big deal. Unfortunately I think a bank would laugh in my face at this point.  I mean, to be honest, I could use a bailout right about now... debt be gone.

It is hugely depressing to think about how I will be in debt until I'm dead. It gets a little overwhelming to think about mortgages and my future children's college education. Is anyone really ever fully out of debt? If they are, where do they live and do they adopt 24 year old blonde girls?

I browsed through my roommate's US Weekly on Friday night for the hell of it and there was a bit on celebs feeling the pinch in this ecomomy. Freaking Ed McMann, OF ALL PEOPLE, went into foreclosure. Guess he's done turning up on doorsteps with giant million dollar checks. Nicholas Cage had to sell the castle in Germany he owns. There were more... huge $10 million dollar mortgages in forclosure... don't celebs hire people to make sure things like this don't happen? I don't know whether to take pitty or just call them idiots. Idiots.

Anyway, I got on this rant because I actually went condo shopping with Steph this weekend.  We spent Saturday perusing 2 bed 2 baths in Southie.  I liked the second place we saw the best, GORGEOUSSSS.  Sunday we went to two places in Brighton and three in Charlestown.  All very cute but the one in Southie is still my favorite - and Steph's too!

If all goes well and she settles on a place before September, I am going to move in. So, needless to say I was having lots of fun looking at these places.  It will certainly help Christian and I get on our feet without killing ourselves in rent while still helping Steph out tremendously with the mortgage payment. I am pretty sure, however, that many realtors thought that Steph and I were significant others, HAHA.  OMG! Hysterical!

The only other thing worth noting is that I can't really walk down stairs or sit down without excruciating pain, thank you running.  But all is worth it in the end when I actually cross the finish line on Broad Street!!!

Broad Street - are you ready for this?

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confession time

I feel like I need to be a little honest here.  If not just to my readers, to myself.  I've always felt that I'm quick to make excuses for quitting many endeavors before reaching my goal.  I know it's a personality fault and I really am unsure how to fix this.

This issue has been plaguing me for as long as I can remember.  For example, I quit the viola one year after starting to play it in third grade.  The following year I decided to play the trumpet... and quickly quit that mid year.  I think I also quit the mile run of the Presidential Physical Fitness test half way through on a yearly basis until middle school. HAHA.  Does anyone remember that stupid test?  I couldn't do pull ups/flex arm hang, either!!!  Always got National...

Anyway, I set these really ambitious and lofty goals and then find about 100 excuses (on average) as to why I am unable to fully accomplish these goals.  The one major exception here is of course graduating college. 

I just decided that running a half marathon on Memorial Day weekend does not appeal to me so have decided to go to LA with Gail to visit Libby instead. [INSERT HERE: you nodding your head in disappointment and making noises that resemble gasps and mumbles like "jillian michelle"] However, my crappy excuses are as follows:

• At $179 total round trip (and nonstop!) I'd be crazy to pass it up
  
• No one will really be around Memorial Day weekend in Boston
  
• LA with two friends is more fun then running 13.1 miles
  
• I'm running 10 mi on May 3rd - what's the difference, really?
  
• I can run a half marathon pretty much whenever, there are always some to choose from
  
• I don't feel adequately prepared, my training has regressed a bit
  
• I'm getting my wisdom teeth out the weekend beforehand
  

Unfortunately, there really is no excuse other than that I got lazy about keeping on top of the training schedule because I probably partied a little too hard in the last month.

UGH.  If you ever worry about me being nonchalant or indifferent, you can rest assure that I get really down on myself all the time for all my underachievement.  Which... I'm pretty sure just makes things worse.

So... plan of action for the next couple weeks.  Getting healthier by eating right (no more eating out), drinking more water (and less booze for sure) and getting my selfish 8 hours of sleep I love so much.  Also need to make sure I'm putting in my "short" runs, even if they seem trivial - they help!!!  Will also buy new trainers - I have logged enough miles on my shoes I blogged about many moons ago.

I leave you with my all-time favorite poem that will most likely remind you of me!

Sick
by Shel Silverstein

"I cannot go to school today,"

Said little Peggy Ann McKay.

"I have the measles and the mumps,

A gash, a rash and purple bumps.

My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,

I'm going blind in my right eye.

My tonsils are as big as rocks,

I've counted sixteen chicken pox

And there's one more--that's seventeen,

And don't you think my face looks green?

My leg is cut--my eyes are blue--

It might be instamatic flu.

I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,

I'm sure that my left leg is broke--

My hip hurts when I move my chin,

My belly button's caving in,

My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,

My 'pendix pains each time it rains.

My nose is cold, my toes are numb.

I have a sliver in my thumb.

My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,

I hardly whisper when I speak.

My tongue is filling up my mouth,

I think my hair is falling out.

My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,

My temperature is one-o-eight.

My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,

There is a hole inside my ear.

I have a hangnail, and my heart is--what?

What's that? What's that you say?

You say today is. . .Saturday?

G'bye, I'm going out to play!"

....haha!  To this day... love this poem.  

For me, it's a never ending battle trying to learn that sometimes you need to sacrifice "the fun" to do something extraordinary.

i will never be able to run for president

Daddy I'm so sorry I'm so so so sorry yeah. We just like party like to pa pa pa party yeah.

Well yet again another sh*tstorm of a week has gone by. Excuse my french but I'm so worn out and it's now Monday again. :) Lady G is getting me through my morning commute at the mo. Where is the T already....

Worth speaking about my weekend which started last Thursday in many ways. Thursday was Brookline family game night. After a small sojourn of get togethers the boys of LP invited us to the palace for pasta dinner and a classic drunken game of Apples to Apples. This is a small run down of events:

1. Yumm yumm food and a couple bottles of red
   
2. Rules of the game explained
   
3. Girls quickly learn that boys scew the spectrum of judging when MAdler deems Womens Soccer more tragic than The Challenger
   
4. Jess gets very mad and all crumbled cards may now be associated with her
   
5. Suddenly a 2 gallon (vat) of red wine is also gone
   
6. 11:30 pm Jess decides we ought to play flip cup and I decide it's time to leave
7. Kayte passes out and wakes up at 6am on the couch and has to be at work by 9

Hilarious.

Friday was company day for me at work which celebrates the past financial year and the year ahead. This looks like everyone massively hungover in suits at the Sheraton listening to presentations all morning through mid afternoon. Enter bowling shirts. Commence bowling and open bar. This equates to a 104 score, 3 unanswered bruises, inebriation by 7pm and dancing on benches at GameOn to Lady G at 11pm.

That paragraph is missing massive details but I'm beginning to worry about the trend of my blogposts and that my family will have me committed.

On a more serious note, I've scheduled my wisdom teeth extraction. Should be a blast, I can't wait.  It also severely interferes with my half marathon training.  So might have to look to do a different half marathon a little later.

Another more serious thing, I actually went to Mass on Easter (yesterday).  I went in honor of my mom-mom who would probably be rolling in her grave to know that I'm the least religious person ever these days.  I wanted to light a candle for her, anyway.  St. Mary of the Assumption is on the corner of my street and so I really had no excuse not to go.  The church is GORGEOUS inside!!

Well, better get to work.  I am promising myself right now that I will restrain from excessive alcohol in take for the next week - need to cleanse and hit the road more.  Last week was an awful week in terms of running, and I'm not happy about it.  Here's to many miles and limited partying this week!

spreadable feta - that's brilliant!

Happy Monday everybody! Well apologies for no Monday morning update to keep your head afloat during the worst morning of the week. But if you're like me you're so busy on Monday mornings in meetings that by noon you're not sure if it's time for lunch or for dinner.

So anyhoot. I ran in a 5 mi race yesterday!!! My first official road race with a number pinned to me and all (yes I saved the number and hung it on my wall, clearly). Friday afternoon I was trying to come up with a plan for Sunday Funday as not to be sucked into working at Cactus. There in my research was a shining 5 mile race in Cambridge with day-of registration available. Ca-ching! Gchat to Gail and ta-daaa a running buddy to join!

The sequence of events that followed are best told in a "day-in-the-life" format.

The following events occured between 10:30 am Saturday April 4th and 7:30 pm Sunday April 5th. The events and people in this story are real.

Saturday April 4th

10:30 am - Working at Cactus for a double
4:00 pm - Take my break and already my legs are wondering what this vaguely familiar waitressing thing was all about.
9:00 pm - My legs try to give out in the opposite direction legs typically fold. Please god let this night be over.
11:00 pm - I'm cut and have to do side work. Squatting down to clean the reach-in proves very painful for lower legs.
11:30 pm - 2 Advil PM, text to Gail complaining about no where to put our stuff in some lame attempt to get out of going to the race and promptly fall asleep.

Sunday April 5th

7:17 am - Gail texts back with remedy for no place for our belongings. My legs remind me they're still attached to my body with slightly burning sensations.
7:48 am - Get out of bed and drink 1 gallon water
8:14 am - Gail arrives with friend Micah and we shove english muffings with peanutbutter and bananas on them. I start to get nervous about running with a male.
9:30 am - We've arrived and registered. Numbers 1186 (me), 1187 (Gail) & 1188 (Micah). We sit in Micah's car to avoid the freezing cold temps and watch YouTube video of a guy who can impeccably imitate Ray Romano, Nicholas Cage, Bill Cosby and more. Hysterical.
10:00 am - We're standing around waiting to start. We all see people we know. Oh great, even more anxiety to perform well.
10:30 am - The gun snaps
10:32 am - We're being trampled by fast runners
10:39 am - Mile 1 down - feeling good, lots of weaving to find a spot at the right pace
10:48 am - Mile 2 down - water station here, Gail proceeds to take one sip and throw cup in bin but accidentally throws a full cup of water on one of the volunteers, HILARIOUS.
10:58 am - Mile 3 down - still feeling great - on the lake at this point. We're encountering lots of thug like inter-city high school kids doing the 3 mi walk. Makes maneuvering difficult.
11:01 am - We're over taken by a 70 year old grandpa with a jogging stroller, awesome.
11:02 am - We over take the woman in the neon green - Gail you know who I'm referring to, haha!
11:08 am - Mile 4 down - I feel like this mile should have been done two songs ago. Back to blaring Lady Gaga to get through Mile 5.
11:10 am - F**k! The last 3/4 of Mile 5 are uphill - WTF?! Sun is beaming, my long sleeved shirt is saturated.
11:14 am - Seeing stars. Woman stops directly in front of me and I nearly tackle her. I get separated from Gail and Micah. I walk up the rest of the hill feeling extremely guilty but light headed.
11:15 am - I think that the finish line is a mere 100 feet away. I run 100 feet, there is another hill. WTF thoughts again...
11:18 am - I see the finish line and sprint sprint sprint.
11:19 am - I finish at 49:21, under 50 minutes - not bad for this girl!!
12:30 pm - 3:00 pm - We went into the city and sat on Cactus Club's patio and drank a margarita and corona light and ate fresh salads YUMMM. walked down to Marathon Sports to get Gail a more proper pair of running shoes. Then a nice walk around Back Bay in which we got free samples of new President Cheese products. "Spreadable Feta - that's brilliant!"
3:38 pm - I am home and laying on my bed in gross running clothes.
5:23 pm - I wake up face planted into my pillows spread out like a starfish wondering where I am... other than in a pile of drool and still in my gross running clothes HAHA.
7:34 pm - I make myself good old fashioned Velveta Macaroni & Cheese as a reward for a job well done. YUM!!!

Who wants to do the next road race with this girl? I'm obviously not very fast but what better way to make yourself feel better than run with a slowski?! :)

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haus of gaga (tornado part 2)

We live for the fame fame fame baby the fame.  Well it is official.  I have what seems like a middle school obsession with Lady Gaga!!!  It's sick... really. 

The Lady Gaga concert was amazing... Gail and I had so much fun.  If you don't know any other Lady Gaga songs other than hits Pokerface or Just Dance, I highly recommend you check a few others out.  My current obsessions are Beautiful Dirty Rich | Money Honey | I Like it Rough | The Fame.  Oh well, it's pretty much her whole first album.  They're all just unique in their beats and they all seem to put me in a really good mood.

You'll see in the pictures that we dressed extravagantly in her honor.  But you'll see in other pictures that Lady Gaga dressed even more extravagantly for us! :)

So lets talk about how my liver is mighty mad at me, and rightfully so.  bottle of red wine + vodka red bull + shot of tequila + vodka soda + shot of tequila = getting in a fight and walking home barefoot from fenway park. HAHA.  No but there was just serious mob mentality going on. Long story short if a girl pushes me and I'm wearing sunglasses indoors I will most likely push back. ...oh the bits my family probably doesn't want to know.  Anyhow it was a mere blip on the radar of the night!

We have some AWESOME photo's of the lady herself thanks to Gail's uncle who is a photographer for the Boston Globe.  So those pictures that look professional, are.  And they were from the show we were at!

After having the time of my life at her concert I decided to research Lady Gags as an individual a little more. Turns out she's only recently 23 and from NY despite her frequent foreign accents when talking. Anyhow, Wikipedia (as always) sums it up well if you're interested.  Sounds like she's wannabe Euro andddd well I don't think I'm in a position to judge! ;)  Right, Sarah?  .... I'm known as a wannabe European at work, even before Lady Gaga rose to fame.

Can't wait for new songs and another concert!  What will I wear next?? 

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tornado part 1

Well I feel like I just went through this last week like a tornado. A million miles an hour and totally unrelenting until 9am this morning. Not that it wasn't SUPER worth it! :)

Where do I begin... so many fun things but I feel a little guilty trying to smush them into one post.  I guess what is logical is chronological. Tongue twister.

Dinner in the North End for Kayte’s birthday was a lot of fun!! Food was delicious and the company delightful. (Who says that?) Well let's just say it was bomb.com and Kayte the great who did not turn 28 had a lot of fun!!

On Saturday, Steph picked me up and we drove down to Long Island. We made such good time getting down there which was nice. We promptly met the new love of Deanna's life, Oliver. Oliver is a spunky 6 mo old (?) Shiatsu puppy that loves attention and he got plenty of it from me! ;)

The Gala was SO MUCH FUN!! We got dressed up and danced the night away. Dee's faculty was a friggen riot dancing up a storm. I actually caught the director of her program when he fell trying to do god knows what and some guy taps me on the shoulder - "good catch." Come to hear later that Steph and I became legends as that guy's son was giving a lecture on Monday and wanted to know who's friends were the ones to catch Paul. Dee had to raise her hand for that one!

Anyhow it was a lot of fun and so great to see Deanna. We miss her! We drove home on Sunday and I already was starting not to feel so well.

Monday comes and sure as sh*t I put my party heels back on for the LADY GAGA CONCERT! I have just decided that she deserves and will get her own post. I will keep you in limbo until tonight when I have proper time to write about the greatest night ever haha.

Last night was year end for our company and they rented out the top floor of Kitty O'Shea's. Too bad this economy meant that the open bar lasted like not even an hour.  Got my boss to buy Sarah and I a glass of wine then we left. Greatest part is that we have a 10am start today and I didn't waste it nursing a hangover as it was probably intended. Just sleptttt and after my lady gaga post you'll know how badly I needed it!

Time to go to work!

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