Girls' Night Out!

Went out to celebrate my friend and coworker, Tonya's, birthday. Had a blast as you can see from the pics...Nothing else new these days, looking forward to my Marywood Reunion in 3 weeks!

My New Goal!

I don't know how I got roped into this (ok, it's all Chrissie's fault!) but I am training to run my first half-marathon in August. She's put me on a twenty week training program, and I think I'm now certifiable. I hated running "Superlaps" in junior high, and by high school, I always had "cramps" the days we were supposed to run in PE, so why the heck am I willingly doing this? Maybe it's because I saw Madonna's ripped body, who, by the way, is 50 (!!). Actually, I just want to be able to accomplish something in my life that I know not many of my friends have done. Something that will stand out, just a little. And I want to feel good about that accomplishment. So here it is, in writing. No turning back now...

St' Pat's Dash

Today my friend Dawn and I did the St. Pat's Dash, or the St. Pat's Shuffle, as her boyfriend likes to call it, since we were in the walking/crawling group! It was a lot of fun, and the weather really cooperated, which is not true of Seattle most of the Spring! It was a 3.5 mi. walk and a lot of fun. I've included pics above!

Tilly and the Wall!

I got the chance to check out this fabulous band in person last Wed., and they were fantastic. I was first turned onto Tilly and the Wall, by, of all things, NPR. They happened to be showcased in one of NPR's podcasts. So here's their stats: they're an indie band based out of Omaha, Nebraska, and their most important claim to fame is that the percussion is provided by your standard drummer, but also by a tap dancer! That's right! Jamie Pressman is their tap dancer, and she taps along on an amplified platform that provides most of their percussion. Sounds crazy, right? Well, it is, but also a lot of fun!

Here are some pics from the show, unfortunately I couldn't get a clear shot of Jamie and her platform. I forgot to mention that this show was all-ages, and listening to some of the high-schoolers conversations was comical, at best! Thank god there was an over-21 area so I could hang with some grownups :). And check out Kianna's (one of the lead singers) shirt...don't you just miss those old spray-painted bikini shirts??

I do urge you to listen to some of their music if you haven't before...my favorites are "Beat Control" and "The Freest Man", both available on iTunes.

Yoga At Work!

I've been in my new (old) position for 2 weeks now, and it's going great! For those not in the know, I had been working part-time nights (and always picking up extra shifts) at Evergreen, and working about 2 dayshifts a month at Swedish. Well, Swedish posted some positions, and I got a part time day position there! I'm so happy to be off of nights. It was really starting to wear me down. I have worked at Swedish about 2 shifts/mo. for 5 years, on and off, and it's so nice to be a "full-fledged employee" now.

One of the perks of working at Swedish is AM Yoga. Everyone goes out in the hallway at the beginning of the shift to do about 2 minutes of stretching, and I just had to capture it on camera. Enjoy!

Much Better!

The Plague has left the building! Yay, I am officially sick-free! I started feeling better about 3 days ago, and worked yesterday and the day before without dire consequences. It's nice to be feeling better again, although taking the bus to work yesterday and the day before, there were people hacking up lungs all around me, with my paranoia being that I didn't want to get sick all over again. If I had a mask, I would have worn it!

It's a quiet weekend, just enjoying being better. Will probably hit up the farmer's market (gotta love a year-round farmer's market) and the gym tomorrow. Hope everyone is well!

Sick!

Well, I've officially succumbed to the winter illness. Sunday night at work, when I went to take my nap, I was just shaking. And I thought, "oh no, this can't be good". Went to bed Monday AM after getting off work, and waking up that afternoon, I knew a dreaded bug had hit. Alternating chills/hot flashes, constant coughing, throat on fire, and intermittent dizziness. So I had to call off work Monday night (don't want to expose those fragile newborns to nasty bugs) and have been feeling like crap ever since. I'm a pretty healthy person, so when I get sick, it's a big deal...and not ashamed to admit I become a big baby! It's Day 4 of the Plague (or upper respiratory infection, as most would call it) and I am no better. The one good spot is that I've had no appetite, and with a throat on fire, have been unwilling to swallow anything, so I've lost 5 pounds in 4 days :). I have no doubt that weight and more will return once I'm feeling better, unfortunately! Today I was actually feeling the need to eat something, just to get some energy, so it was Sprite and sugar-free fudgesicles. Tried Minestrone soup but the stomach is definitely not ready for that. Sometimes it stinks to live on your own. I want my mom! The cat is of no use, of course, even giving me the cold shoulder because I don't have it in me to get up and get her treats. Oh well...

Healthy Decadence, Indeed!

You may or may not have heard of her - Devin Alexander. She was a chef on "The BIggest Loser" and currently has 2 cookbooks out, with a third on the way. She also hosts her own show on tv, called "Healthy Decadence with Devin Alexander". If you haven't checked her out yet, I strongly encourage you to do so! Her recipes are healthy, easy to make, and, best of all, delicious! I made her "Chocolate Chocolate Zucchini Cake" (google for recipe!) and it was absolutely awesome! And 3 points for one piece! That's a bargain in my book. The best part of all, I emailed her last night to tell her how much I enjoyed her Chocolate Chocolate Zucchini Cake, and she emailed me back - personally - 2 hours later! What a sweet, down-to-earth person. Hope you enjoy her recipes as much as I do!

New Year's Eve...at Work!

I'm afraid my New Year's Eve wasn't terribly exciting...I spent it working, but at least I was making time and a half pay! In the picture above, I'm in the middle, with Linda to the left and Monica to the right...it seems we've worked a lot of New Year's Eves together, so I wanted to capture a photo of us!

While I'm resolving to not make any resolutions this year, I do have some "initiatives" that I want to put in place. They include:

Eating healthier (more fruits/veggies)
More green (using more sustainable resources)
More active (actually using my gym membership more than 2x/month)
Learning new activities (I really want to learn how to knit this year)
Being more budget-conscious (just because I have the money doesn't mean I need to spend it, and it would be nice to finally purchase a house)
And lastly, not taking anything for granted

May everyone have the happiest and healthiest New Year yet!