Why Spring Break Rocked

1. I got to sleep in multiple days. Like, until 8:00! Once even until 8:30!!

2. I got to run outside, in the daylight! Not indoors on a machine while it's still dark , or outside at night when it's getting dark (which I only do once a week because it freaks me out to run in the dark. I try to run fast so I'm home before it's fully dark. I get nervous.).

3. I got to go hiking. Twice!

4. I got to go shopping. Twice!

5. I got to see my nieces and my goddaughters, who are, like, the cutest, sweetest girls in the whole wide world. I am not exaggerating. ( I mean, my 5 year old goddaughter called me last night to make sure I knew about Earth Hour. "Turn out all of your lights at 8:30! For one whole hour! We're saving the earth!" How cute is that? Not to mention completely awesome that she's environmentally aware at age 5.)

6. I read 4 books. Yes, all children's books. But it's the school year. I only read grown up books in the summer. And if you want to read cool book, get Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman. It's written as a journal, but to get the whole story, you have to go online for the main character's best friend's video posts. And it's totally creepy. The videos actually really freaked me out. (But I'm a total wuss, too.) Way, way cool. And I also really loved they second and third Allie Finkle books, but they're by Meg Cabot, who is my best friend (she just doesn't know it), and pretty much everything she writes just rocks (even the grown up books, which I only read in the summer).

7. I got to eat at my three favorite restaurants on three consecutive days, even though they happen to be in three different states. Those were some good eatin' days, let me tell you. In fact, I had one of the greatest sandwiches I've ever eaten in my life. Drool is forming as I sit here thinking about it. (And, yes, I did stick to my no chocolate for Lent thing, even though four different varieties of chcolate cake were staring at me from the dessert case. And yes, the lemon blackberry raw cheesecake was very good. But I'm thinking Hubby's chocolate coconut raw cheesecake was probably better. I'm just saying.)

8. I got a kicky new haircut.

9. The tax refund came!

10. I got U2 tickets! (Not sure if I mentioned that....)

So, all in all, it was just about a perfect week. It makes me happy to think about it.

I'm Going 360

Tuesday is a good day.

This morning, for the first time since I've been working with this whole Chi Running thing, I felt it. Some pieces got put together and I really felt it working. My posture was good. I was picking up my feet, kicking back, relaxing my legs, focusing on my center. I felt like I could have kept running forever. I haven't felt that good running in a long time. And this was in drizzle and crazy strong winds!

I had a lovely lunch with Work Friend. We did a little shopping (not for us, though).

I went for a totally gratuitous walk in the middle of the afternoon sunshine.

But most importantly, I got my U2 360 tickets today! YEA! Actually, Hubby was in charge of getting them. I get very nervous (what DON'T I get nervous about?), so he took the job. Even though we debated getting general admission (because of this whole 360 concept in a football stadium, we have no real idea of what to expect, and with U2, closeness is very important to me), what won out is that I'm old. I don't want to have to fight for position and spend the night getting crushed, elbowing drunken college kids out of my way, and unable to pee for 7 hours because if I leave the exact spot I'm standing in I'll never ever get it back. I want a seat. To sit down in while I wait through the opening act (please don't let them suck) for U2 to play. That will still be there when I get back from the bathroom (because I will have to go to the bathroom - probably a few times- because I'm aged.). That will be waiting for me when I get to the stadium so that I don't have to be waiting in the GA line at 9:00 in the morning, ensuring I can go out for a nice dinner first and eat something that isn't a PBJ packed the night before and shoved in a backpack that I will be living out of for a full day of waiting in the GA line. I have done those things before. But I was young then. It was fun then. Now, I'm, physically, an old person who wants a nice meal and a chair to sit in while I wait to spend 2 hours acting like the 15 year old that I am, mentally, singing and screaming and crying (because there will be crying involved - there always is) for U2.

Long story short. I'm really happy that, not only am I seeing U2 live, but I will have real, actual seats from which to do it. Seats are good. (Although, truthfully, I'd hang from a rafter if that's what I had to do to see my boys.)

Long story even shorter. I'M SO HAPPY!

You Capture - Reflection

I had fun, again, with Beth's challenge. I couldn't decide what to post, so I just did several.

I always get so excited in the produce section of the grocery store. I think it's so beautiful there. This wasn't the first time I'd thought about taking pictures.

This is what I saw hiking this past weekend. The second one is my favorite. It really is a reflection. The water was like glass.

Random Sunday

So this morning I realized that when I'm done blow drying my hair, I look like Rosanna Rosannadanna. And not in a good way. It takes a lot of product and heated metal devices to tame that down.

I also realized that the marathon might really be out of my system. I looked at the schedule as I was heading out the door to run this morning and it said 18 miles. I laughed and told it "I don't think so." I proceeded to run 12 at a nice, easy pace and was quite happy with that.

I am SO HAPPY that I don't have to go to work next week! Spring Break ROCKS! You have no idea.

I apparently provided a great deal of entertainment at the grocery store Friday night (at least one fellow shopper informed me of this). My singing and dancing seemed to amuse my fellow shoppers. But the store was playing such fabulous music! I It was, like, Oldies Night or something. And when there's great songs playing, how do you not sing and dance along? I mean, Have I the Right by the Honeycombs? Come on! You HAVE to sing along! Although I do tend to treat the grocery store as kind of my own personal dance party. But everyone is invited to join along whenever they want! It makes grocery shopping that much more fun. (Because I am one of those dorks who LIKES to go grocery shopping. I mean, they have FOOD there!)

I'm trying a new recipe for dinner tonight. It's a variation on burritos. (Hubby loves Mexican food, but, really, how many tacos can one person eat? At least me.) I'm using potatoes, avocado, and fake chicken. I stole the idea from an online menu from this awesome vegetarian restaurant. I do that kind of a lot.

I also got the supplies for vegan "milkshakes." That might have to happen tonight, too. Or I could have some leftover birthday cake. Or both.

The shirt I'm wearing right now was a birthday present from Best Friend. It is the exact color of Oscar the Grouch. That makes me oh so happy.

Best Friend and I once had a phone conversation that went like this:
Me: Hello.
Her: (singing) I love a rainy night. I love a rainy night.
Me: Eddie Rabbit.
Her: Thank you!
Click.

My hands are very, very dry. I must go apply lotion now.

Enjoy your day!

You Capture - Shadow

I had fun with Beth's challenge this week. I took a ton of pictures. The first photo is my favorite.

Spring?

My alarm went off at the regular time this morning. (That would be 3:30. AM. Don't ask.) I did all my morning things, stumbled into the meditation room about 4:20, and settled for prayer. Next thing I know, it's 4:45 and an odd sound has startled me. I do a quick assessment and figure out the sound is definitely not in the house. It must be outside.

So I focus in on this sound. It's uncommon, but familiar. I slowly realize it's birds. Birds singing. Birds! Singing! Outside! At 4:45 in the morning there were birds singing outside! Can you believe it?!

When I left for work, I only needed a jacket. Not a coat. A jacket. And I didn't even have to wear that when I left work this afternoon!

I wore a cotton shirt today. Not a turtleneck sweater. A cotton shirt. With a v-neck, even!

The capri pants I ordered (Because my old ones don't fit any more. Shut up.) came today. Do you know when you wear capri pants? When it's warm!

I went for a walk after work. Outside. With no jacket. Just my cotton v-neck shirt. And I wasn't cold!

Do you know what I saw when on my walk? Buds! On the trees! For real!

I could sooooo get used to this......

Hubby

Right now, Hubby is messing around with the television. He has been for about half an hour now. I know he doesn't really want to. He doesn't watch much television. He's doing this for me. Which may seem odd since I pretty much don't watch television. But, Hubby watches Lost every Wednesday. And I can hear it, quite loudly, though the wall while I'm trying to fall asleep. Which makes it really hard to fall asleep, you know? So Hubby bought headphones for the television so that he can watch Lost and I can fall asleep. And he's trying to get them hooked up and working now. How sweet is that?

He’s a good guy. A really good guy.

In the summer, every weekend, he mows the grass and pulls the weeds and generally takes care of the yard so as to lower my risk of encountering any snakes or frogs or other things that greatly upset me. Once when there was a snake in my path to the garage, he carried me all the way to the garge door, without once complaining that I am a complete sissy or heavy.

On winter weekends, he dusts and vaccums the house, and cleans the bathroom. Since he’s not outside dealing with the yard, that time is open. So that’s how he uses it. Really.

After dinner, he does the dishes. Because I cooked the meal. So he cleans it up. I swear he does this.

Sometimes, when I have aches and pains from running or life or whatever, he’ll rub my shoulders/legs/feet/whatever hurts. And sometimes I don't even have to ask.

He understands that when U2 tours, it is necessary to be at every show that I can get to. And he comes with me. And doesn't say a word when I scream at Adam like a 15 year old. This will come in handy this year.

Sometimes he buys me a gift for no reason. Last week he saw the yogurt that I like was on sale and stocked up for me.

He writes me poems and emails them to me at work. I am so not making that up.

He’s really, really, really cute. Really.

Granted, sometimes he’s a moron. And life has given him a million reasons to just settle for being a moron. But he doesn’t. Okay, so sometimes he does for a little bit, but he figures it out eventually.

He’s a good man. He wants to be a better man. Which makes him an amazing man.

You Capture - Texture

Beth's challenge this week was texture. So, I have:


My favorite little cafe.....

And peanut butter cookie dough.....

My Song

I've been loving all of the U2 I've been getting this week. Every night on Letterman, Friday on Good Morning, America. So awesome.

What it's helped me to do is find "my song" on the new album, No Line On the Horizon. See, you may not know this, but U2 write a lot of songs for me. Really. I'm pretty sure they spy on me and then write about what they see. How else do you explain songs like A Sort of Homecoming, Bad, Where the Streets Have No Name, or Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of? They're for me. (REM does this, too, just so you know.) Well, this time, it's I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight. Only this one is a little different, and I think that's why it too me a week to figure it out. Most of the songs they write for me are just speaking directly to me. This one was written as a conversation between me and God. For example:

Me: It's not a hill, it's a mountain
God: Listen for me, I'll be shouting that we're going to make it all the way to the light

Me: I know I'm not alone
God: Shout into the darkness and squeeze out sparks of light

Cool, huh? Now, the thing is I figured this out Friday morning while watching U2 perform the song on Good Morning, America. And I had a little breakdown as I realized what it was all about. With the tears and the big smile and the singing and all. Which would have been all good and well, but I was at work. With 30 twelve year olds staring at me like I was a complete freak of nature. (Which, let's face it, they already knew. Now they just have proof to point to.) But it was all worth it.

When the song shuffled in during my run this morning, I couldn't help smiling a little more and picking up the pace just a little.

Now I just can't wait to hear it live!

And just as a little side note, at work yesterday, someone I've been working quite closely with for the last 7 years told me that his friend is friends with Bono. In seven years, he's never mentioned this! My U2 love is no secret. Why has this not come up before? He thought my question, "Why have I not met Bono?" was funny. I did not see the humor. I mean, I'm not crazy or anything. I don't want to marry Bono (that's Adam). I'd just love to have the opportunity to say thank you, you know (or scream like a teenager, whichever comes first. But I swear I could keep it on the inside. I think.). I'm going to keep working on this one.....

You Capture - Perspective

This week I couldn't decide between these two photos.....

Hubby doing yoga:


Buffet:

Detox

So, I decided to give up chocolate for Lent. There is no denying that this is a sacrifice for me. But I feel it's a necessary one at this point. I mean, there've been days where I'm just counting the seconds until I can have some chocolate. Okay, so every day, but whatever. I've just not felt myself in quite awhile, and I know my hideous eating habits over the past few weeks (okay, months) are a big part of it. So, out goes chocolate until April 12.

Then I figured while I was at it, why not try a detox? I've played with the idea before, but never actually done it. I've always kind of associated it with drinking lots of water and not eating. But! As I was pondering this, and how I could make it through without killing anyone, I read an article (in Yoga Journal, of all places) about a three day detox. It did involve drinking lots of water (lemon water, to be exact), but it also involved eating. Like, actual meals. And snacks. Granted, not necessarily meals or snacks that would be my first choices, but meals and snacks nonetheless. Then, I read on the Gwyneth Paltrow website (Because I have a girl crush on her. Plus she gives really good advice about important things, like where to eat when you're in Paris. Which I am ALL the time.) about her detox plan. And that involved food, too. Again, not food I really wanted to eat, but food. (Her food actually sounded even more gross than Yoga Journal. Some things should just never be put in a juicer together.) So I kind of combined the two and went for it.

Here is what I learned. Ingesting nothing but lemon water, herbal tea, fruit, steamed vegetables, and oatmeal leaves you hungry, kind of weak, and a little loopy (throw in the caffeine headache from the lack of chocolate, and I was one fun person!). But, I also felt a lot better after the fact. (Although I seriously doubt I could ever do Gwyneth's "Master Cleanse." It didn't give the details, but they can't be good.)

Turns out, that method of eating works a lot better for my system than what I've been doing for, like, ever. Now I'm trying to work the basic principles of my little detox into my every day life. Along with, you know, greater amounts of food (And some protein, iron, and B vitamins since I'm lacking in those and all). Lemon Water Monday isn't so bad. Mainly Soup Wednesday won't be so bad either. I'm working on spacing various foods out. Making dinner very vegetable based. It's a work in progress, but it's a good thing.

But maybe keep the sharp objects hidden, just as a precaution, until I settle in to this.....