My apologies in advance...er, just slightly belated.

At the very beginning of the month I decided to participate in the
NaNoWriMo challenge, which is "an annual (November) novel writing project that brings together professional and amateur writers from all over the world." To win the challenge, you have to write 50000 words of a novel within the 30 days of November and anyone who fulfills the requirement wins. In the past I have written poems, short stories and started a play or two, but I have never undertaken such a grand task of attempting to write a novel so I felt this would be a fantastic project to take on and stretch my writing skills.

With an average of 1667 words a day needed to meet the deadline, you are forced to write with almost a reckless abandon; going back to edit what you have already written has the potential to decrease your word count and increase the hours that you have to dedicate to the piece.

Unfortunately, making time to blog in between work, running and writing has been progressively more troublesome and honestly, I don't feel I have the capacity to dedicate my words to both. Please pardon my absence and understand that when I return I will do so with a vengeance.

Fine. Be that way.

My Mom is pretty rad. Prime example:

Last night I did my run, showered and got into my super comfy robe, turned the lights down and popped the "Char Reading '06" tape into my stereo. Hmmmmm - the tape deck wasn't working right and wouldn't play it. I went to try the other deck but the door was jammed shut, so I gently forced it open ANNNNNND ending up breaking the door mechanism. So now my tape player doesn't work and the door won't stay shut. Way ghetto and it will need to be replaced a to the sap.

My first instinct? Call my Mom. Even if I am totally frustrated, I know I can call her and make her laugh at my silly stories of misfortune, which inevitably cheers me up. It's always nice to have an outside perspective and she can usually turn any of my grumpiness around pretty quickly.

After talking to her I resolved myself to being patient and calling it an early night; I haven't been sleeping well but the run had me in a lovely state of healthy fatigue I haven't felt for a little while.

As soon as I settled on my couch to dash off a quick post, one of my bffs called me up and I got sucked into actually using some of my minutes (I'm a textoholic and usually barely use 200 minutes out of my 1000 per month). I finished up with him as my battery died, but no sooner had I plugged it in than I was getting yet another call, this time from Nat.

My evening wasn't going as planned, but I still ended up having some lovely conversations with friends and family that I probably would have missed if that damned tape player hadn't broken. So, fine - be that way.

As for the originally intended content of this post, I'm hijacking the radio/tape player from work in hopes that it actually functions and at some point this weekend I can make time to listen to the tape. Wish me luck.

Sloth and balance.

I haven't run in two weeks. TWO WHOLE WEEKS. This is unacceptable.

Alright, so I was trying to be available for the occasional emotional breakdown and I was sick, but still - Not Okay.

I had dropped all but 2 pounds of the 8 I wanted to lose and those bad boys are steadily creeping back on - Not Okay.

Basically, until the end of the month I will not be taking on any additional social obligations during the week on days that I am scheduled to train. No more rearranging, no more pushing back a week, no more slacking.

Come to think of it, this seems to be an obvious example of how easily I lose balance in my life when I find myself in more stressful situations (or start dating someone). My running suffers, my blog is ignored, my apartment gets dirty, and my diet becomes atrocious. All of it - Not Okay.

2009 has been a year of growth and education about life, and I guess this is one of the lessons I desperately need to learn.

Tonight I will make myself a little dinner, run, then come back here to start busting out some content as promised.

It's time to find the balance.

The psychic reading, almost 4 years later. Do I want to know?

For Christmas of 2005, my boss at the time (a pretty, young, yet practically bat-shit crazy Capital Hill salon owner) arranged for me to have a reading with a well reknowned psychic friend of hers - Char Sundust. At the time I had a lot of things going on in my life and a lot of changes and I have always been far from anti-"woowoo" so it was a really thoughtful gift, despite the fact we barely liked each other at the time.

Over the past month or two I've had a few really amazing things hit me (as in, "holy shit, that's what she said would happen!")from my vague recollections of the reading, and I found myself very curious about what I may have forgotten since my reading in early 2006. Lucky me, the session was taped and I believed I still had a copy. After distractedly searching my place the other day when Nat was there and not finding it, I assumed I had packed it into one of my storage boxes and it was going to take some serious motivation to locate it.

Yesterday while doin' my usual Sunday ritual thang, I opened a drawer on my livingroom table and there it was atop a few random DVDs and CD cleaning kit. Hmmmm.....Could've sworn I looked there. Lately I find myself questioning/noticing the timing of the universe and wondering why things are presented to us at certain times in our lives, so I am going to chalk this one up to it somehow being the right time (and apparently better than the last time I searched a few days ago) to give it another listen.

So, my domicile is clean and it's been a mellow day even though I was super busy at work after being sick last week (seriously, I am so tired of stress negatively affecting my health), I think I will make myself a nice healthy dinner, do a bit of meditation in a bubble bath, get comfy in some pjs and then sit down to listen to my reading. This time I take notes and report back here. I don't care if you believe or not, it's sure to be surprising and probably even a little creepy...

Shameless Plug Sunday - my laundry favorites.

We now interrupt your (less than) regularly scheduled programming for a moment of consumer love.

I may hate ironing and folding and hanging things up, but I'll be damned if I don't love doing my laundry. I love it when my clothes and linens are soft and smell fresh and clean - there is nothing like the feeling of slipping into newly laundered sheets and gathering the softness around you as you drift into cozy slumber.

For me, a big part of my laundry experience comes from the scent in my detergent and dryer sheets. A while back I found Tide Pure Essentials in White Lilac. It's absolutely girly but not creepily fake like some of the aromas that are on the market these days.

The smell has longevity, and I will find myself catching subtle whiffs of it off of my clothing as I move around throughout the day.

There has been the occasional problem finding it in stores, though I'm not sure if it is an issue of discontinuation or just being in specific markets. I have grown to rely on the Target near me for the stock, since it hasn't been found in any other nearby discount stores for some time.

Bounce offers a coordinating dryer sheet with the additional hint of aloe and typically I would use it, but I recently found a new dryer sheet that was screaming for me give it a try - Snuggle Creme in Sweet Almond Essence.

I recently discovered my love for the almond essence when I found Estrella Soaps and I find the fragrance makes me feel cozy and peaceful and even sexy, I guess.

I got to use these for the first time today when I laundered my sheets and I can tell you that I am enjoying the hell out of my bed right now. This seems to be the perfect warm bouquet to comfort me through the cool fall season.

This is not for the faint of heart.

http://www.kirotv.com/news/20386598/detail.html

Read the article. Feel free to watch the video. Take moment and let it all sink in.

That man has been in my life since I was 16 years old. He was one of my best friends and is one of the only men I ever considered marrying. He is also one of the only men who has ever hurt me more than I imagined I could be hurt. I kicked him out of my home and my life and hoped that would be the end of it.

A few days after the break-up with B, out of the blue he sent me a brief email that said:

"Hello Alyson I am sorry it has been so long since the last time we talked but you may have heard what has happened to me. I would love to talk to you you can call me if you want. I would call you but I have lost your number so this is my number call anytime please 206 ***-**** you are one of the neatest people I know and I miss my friend so there it is take care and i hope to hear from you. Nathaniel "

I had no idea what the hell he was talking about (since I hadn't talked to him or his family for months, if not a year plus) and sent him a terse reply telling him that I didn't think I had it in me to be a good friend to him. He was understanding - we have a past that involves a lot of pain as well as a lot of love.

A few weeks later a friend (who is a pathological liar and in hindsight completely unreliable as a source of information) told me at a party that he had done a certain illegal drug (that disgusts the hell out of me) with Nat. I was piiiiiiissssssed - that was one bind I was not willing to help him "out of" nor am I willing to have friends that are involved with that shit. So, I tracked down the number he had sent me a fired off a text essentially telling him to fuck off.

Then he called me. Like, immediately. After he calmed me down and told me that the drug thing was untrue he told me to google that article.

If there is one thing that I want to leave this life with, it's the knowledge that I was a good friend and I did everything I could to help the wonderful people I've surrounded myself with when they needed me, and the thought I improved their lives by doing so. He reached out for my support and though it was hard to deal with my emotions and our past starting at that very first phone call, I knew it wasn't in me to turn my back on him.

This story may seem sad, but it's a story of love and loss, growth and grief, and we all come out the other side as better people when we experience these things.

Major Life Distraction Alert!

Wow - the past few weeks I have totally sucked as a blogger and I must offer my apologies to anyone who does actually like to read my posts (or at least likes to come here and figure out what I'm up to lately/stalk me).

The absence was truly unintentional and will most likely be thoroughly explained here over the next few weeks as I take time to catch up and take a mini-break from my somewhat over-burdened social calendar, but I will say this now: things at the O'Holic household have been shaken up.

You'll be reading about things that will make you giggle, chuckle, and hopefully even solicit a hearty guffaw as well as sh*t that will smack you in the face with a big "WTF?" and may even make you cry, but stick with me Dear Reader - you might just learn something about the human condition and how to deal with life with a smirk and a sense of hope.

Bruised fingers AND bloody knees.

I have discovered that my running stats just aren't that interesting to anyone but myself and other runners, so I won't be posting them here unless for some reason they are extraordinary - if you are that curious, may I refer you to my nikeplus "mini" over there in the side bar? Alright
now.

Lately I have been messaging back and forth on Facebook with one of the Turkish musicians I met through my Bass Player friend a few weeks ago and somehow ended up volunteering to learn a song on my guitar by the time he returns from Istanbul. At the same time that I am kicking myself for suggesting such an idea, I find myself fired up by the challenge and motivation it presents. Not to mention I love my guitar and it's about damn time.

See her over there? I call her Madeleine. She's kind of sexy but in a classy sort of way, and for those of you who like details - she's an acoustic-electric Yamaha Compass Series XP in the violin sunburst finish. When I bought her I needed a smaller sized guitar to fit my frame, and I wanted something that was of decent quality, but knew I shouldn't bother with buying something super expensive as a beginner. Now I feel like she and I could be together forever, you know? Okay, this is just getting weirder by the moment.

What I was getting at is that I started practicing after work the other night, checking out tabs and trying to find a song that I like to sing along with but isn't too old or booooring. It took me a little while to refresh my memory as to "top" and "bottom" strings and then I started working out the notes with my little, so non-nimble fingers. I'm sure there's a proper way to place your fingers for the specific notes, but right now I have to do it any way I can make it work. I started around 5 PM and by the time I knew it 8 PM had rolled around and I had a few of the notes worked out and was trying to get better with the transitions through first four/five notes of the verse. My fingertips were bruised and sore when I finally called it quits for a run.

I actually took a week or so off from running while I was sick with THE FREAKIN' PLAGUE that is sweeping through Seattle, so it felt awesome to finally get out on the pavement again until about 2 minutes into my run when I caught my toe on the sidewalk and biffed it. I fell onto my "bad" knee and knew I had scraped it up but decided it wasn't bad enough to stop the session. Even more awesome - there were people walking towards me on the sidewalk, so despite the minor embarrassment I quickly got back on my feet and got back into my pace. When I got home I found this:
Which two days later looks like this:



I had to cover up the scrape with a band aid yesterday, since it kept rubbing on my pants and stinging like all-get-out, but the whole kneecap is bruised and there's no getting around that. Oddly enough, my normal knee pain doesn't seem as bad, so maybe I broke up some of the tissue that was causing the problem in the first place...Who knows?

I do know that no bruised fingers or bloody knees are going to keep this girl down, so tonight I'm back at it. No rest for the wicked, right?

The new way to end a Sunday.

The past few weeks I have found myself concluding my weekends in a similar way, and I realized that I've started something that equates to a new ritual, I suppose.

I sleep in, spend a little extra time snuggling with Gizmo and Wilson who are inevitably flanking me in the form of warm furry balls when I wake up, put on some comfy pjs and set to cleaning my apartment. I'll usually queue up episodes of Mad Men and Dexter from my laptop to my TV and occasionally throw in a new release or an old favorite to have something interesting I can be distracted by as I pick up around my place.

I may walk/drive to the shopping center down the street for coffee or groceries or stuff for the house, I may run or do yoga, but when the sun goes down I start the relaxatin'.

I make sure my bed is made up, turn down the lights in my apartment then in my nice clean bathroom, light some fantastic smelling candles, brew up a cup of Yogi Bedtime tea or pour a glass of champagne, roll one up, bring in my laptop with Mad Men queued up, set up my bath pillow and run a hot bubble bath. After I am all set up, I proceed to enjoy the remainder of my weekend.

When I am ready to start easing myself out of the warm coziness I grab my favorite soap to get myself spic and span, then I get out of the tub and into my super fluffy robe. I head for my vanity, where I schmear my face with beauty products, ditch my robe to get some lotion on my skin (especially important after a hot bath AND in the fall/winter) then I take the laptop to my bed and slip in between the luscious sheets for a bit of mindless Facebooking and maybe a little bit of reading.

God, I love my life.

need.coffee.now.

I was never a coffee drinker; I always thought it tasted pretty much like what I imagine poop tastes like. I could handle a frappuccino, but only because it really tasted like chocolate. Then B introduced me to coffee with booze on the weekends (and I developed an admiration for the Nancy Botwin character on Weeds, always sipping her iced latte), which led to many interesting mornings at his place. Eventually, we started grabbing coffee when we were out wandering and running low on energy and it is a habit that has stuck quite firmly. It doesn't seem to have the same effect as when I first started drinking it, but I've grown to enjoy it.

Now, despite my likely ulcer, I've become almost a "regular" addict though I typically only drink it on the weekends. On Friday or Saturday nights I'll grab a Double Shot to ensure that I can make it farther into the evening than I normally would; on Sunday mornings it's a nice pick me up to get me through my domestic rituals. Occasionally during the week when I don't get enough sleep (or my office HVAC is torturing me with AC in the winter) I will grab a cup from work, but the stuff they brew up there is "truck-stop" strong.

I'm still no coffee connoisseur and I don't even own a coffee maker, let alone a French press. Though it would be nice to be able to make my own (and cheaper!), having constant access would probably mean ultimate disaster for my stomach. Maybe it all evens out considering my newly restricted fast food intake? *fingers crossed* And maybe I just don't care, dammit.

Guilty pleasures.

Little Boots - New In Town

Perfect wardrobe editing music.

My last phone call of the day and my first lewd one EVER.

This post will include language and content that may bother more sensitive readers, please skip this post if you are easily offended by descriptions of sexual situations.

Just a few days ago, the phone rang about 15 minutes before the place I work was going to close for the day. Since I was essentially the last person there, I was the only one available to answer the phone and boy, did I ever get lucky that day! (/sarcasm)

I work in a rather industrial area and we rent monthly parking spaces to truck drivers who need a place to leave their trucks overnight. As far as I know, none of our customers sleep in their trucks, but even though I sometime stop at the gas station next door during non-work hours I've never bothered to actually check. The gentleman who called me apparently wasn't aware that as far as I know those trucks are vacant in the evenings and the possibility of the situation he presented to me actually occurring is highly unlikely in this specific area.

Here is how the phone call went after I answered the phone:

Polite sounding "Truck Driver": I was in my truck last night and I noticed a really cute young lady with a very nice butt wandering around the parking lot. It turns out that she was actually a young boy, but she was going from truck to truck giving favors. If she didn't charge anything for her services, was it illegal?

Me: Huh. Well, I suppose it's not illegal if she was doing it for free, though it is kind of disgusting.

Truck Driver: Hey, I didn't mind, I just wanted to check.

Me: Okay, I guess truck drivers need love too? Let me check with our VP to see how he would like to handle this.
(he holds, but I get no answer at the VP's extension)
Alright, I obviously can't do anything about the situation that occurred last night but if she wasn't asking for money, then I can't specifically say what she was doing was against the law, though it is private property and it could be considered trespassing or loitering.

Truck Driver: I really didn't mind, she stopped my my truck and it actually was a boy with a really nice ass, but she was pretty cute and I took her up on her offer.

Me: Okay, well...(he interrupts me)

Truck Driver: Honestly, I've never sucked a dick like that before, but she was really cute and had a nice, big, 7 inch cock.

Me: Hang on, let me get my VP. (when I put him on hold to ask my boss to handle it, the caller hung up)

Why, I NEVER...The VP is pretty sure that it was one of our competitors harrassing us to get a good laugh since we've never really had an issue with "lot lizards" due to the fact that the drivers that park in our spots typically leave their cars there during the day and drive home after they park the big rigs. Either way, it was the most interesting conclusion to my day in the 3 1/2 years I've worked here. I can't imagine it will happen again, but next time I'm prepared to perv right back at them to really blow their minds. My goal is to get them to hang up first.

I hung out with rockstars this weekend.

No, it's true! Though, they are admittedly Turkish rockstars, and in general my friends rock pretty hard (in addition to a few actually being involved in the industry in one way or another) so it's not much of a stretch.

Earlier in the week, I had made plans with my favorite bass player/good friend to get together and hang out on Friday. Nothing specific, just "hey let's meet up and we'll figure out something to do" since both of us are pretty social and mostly stay on top of interesting stuff that may be going on in Seattle. As the day approached, he asked me if I would be okay with at some point meeting up with the manager/members of this band in the Belltown neighborhood so he could propose a show to them that he's coordinating in December. Apparently the same night City Hostel was having an open house and since one of my artist friends had painted a room there I was totally agreeable to starting our evening off in that 'hood. In the meantime, another mutual friend invited us to meet up with him in Ballard and I invited my gorgeous single bff to meet up with us as well, since the U-District (where she lives) isn't too far from the 'Lard.

Bass Player and I ran a little late so we missed the open house (I mean, shit, it ended at 9PM and who even goes out that early?), but we waited at Shorty's (one of the only places I can handle in a neighborhood typically filled with bleached blondes, mini skirts, gel and popped collars on the weekends) having hot dogs and boozy smoothies until we decided to give up on the Turks for the moment and head to our Northern destination. We met up with our friends at a dive bar for a drink and shortly after that found out the Turks were just down the street from us at King's Hardware (a less divey, more popular bar) and we all decided to wander that way.

They are some of my new favorite people, y'all. Fun, good-looking, interesting AND nice...I've got me a big ol' crush on their keyboard player now. Time flew by and before I even realized it, they were turning the lights on and kicking everyone out of King's. If you know me, you know I haven't stayed out until past closing time at a bar OR a party for a verrrrry long time, but I actually still had energy to spare. Thank goodness for that, because by that time one of our friends was WASTED and we took on the task of getting his abnormally tall, extremely uncoordinated ass home. We kept asking him where he lived, but at that point he was apparently too drunk to tell us - so getting him to his doorstep was quite an adventure. Gorgeous single bff and I didn't even get to my place until well after 3 AM, but we spent some time giggling about the evening and crashed out soon enough.

I went out in flats and a t-shirt (more my work attire than going out attire), went to neighborhoods I typically avoid as much as possible, uncharacteristically stayed out until the wee hours of the morning and every time I think of that night, I break out in a smile. I may have been almost ruined energy-wise for the rest of the weekend but I still managed to squeeze in a barbeque and movie night pre-funk at the GBF's on Saturday then cleaned my place and started up a new Sunday ritual to finish out the weekend.

Shameless Plug Sunday - Tea-zer Tea Tumbler

Happy Birthday to me! My awesome co-worker gave me one of these for my birthday and I can tell you that I have used it practically non-stop at work since then despite the fact I don't have any loose tea to brew right now - it works just as well with tea bags even if that isn't it's intended use. It's great for me, since I have a tendency to knock over almost anything that is filled with liquid and spill it all over my desk.

So, here's how it works: you put the loose tea in the strainer/infuser, put it into the tumbler, pour hot water to about the halfway point of the strainer, cover and let it brew. Then you take out the strainer and dump it, pop in the sipper top and you're good to go. I have a feeling those last two steps might be quite difficult if you were actually "on the go" and the holes seem to be a little large to keep out many types of leaves, but for my purposes it works perfectly AND it keeps my tea warmer for much longer than a regular cup/mug.

Really, it's a great gift for tea lovers and from what I can find online they are very reasonably priced as well, ranging from $10-$20. I think you should be able to find them at sporting goods stores and here on Amazon. Happy brewing, y'all!

Work it, make it, do it, makes us harder, better, faster, stronger.

Since the breakup, I've been feeling different. I spent a few days very sad about the whole thing, but I quickly realized that it was the best thing for me right now, even if it wasn't pleasant. I had become complacent with myself and my life and now I see this as a wonderful opportunity for positive change.

Not to say I haven't been a happy person; I love a lot of aspects of my life - I have great friends and family, a job working with a number of people who make me laugh and learn on a daily basis, and a nice comfortable place to call home. It's more than many people can say they have right now and I know I'm blessed and therefore have a deep appreciation for what I've got.

Many people would tackle one thing at a time, but I'm confident I can put my energy into a fresh approach towards a few key aspects of my life, starting with my health and budget.

As I mentioned before, I am intent on losing at least 8 pounds before Halloween. The overall goal is to be healthier when I turn 30 than I was at 20, but one has to start somewhere. I picked up the shorts for my costume yesterday and I think even if I lose 5 pounds I'll be in fine enough shape to pull it off without any embarrassment or being too self-conscious. That aside, people who lose weight successfully and keep it off know that changing your lifestyle is imperative to staying in shape. Thankfully, I have ample time to jog a few miles at least 3 days a week and the benefits to my body and my mental well-being are immediately obvious when I stick to it. But that's not enough - I need more (and my knee pain agrees).

When I trained for the Half Marathon, the training schedule had cross-training built in, which unfortunately the Couch to 5K program does not, and the difference has been obvious. I *need* the stretching that Yoga provides and the core strength that Pilates builds. At this point I can barely afford to take actual classes, so that's where another change in my life comes in: I need to better manage my budget.

I guess that may not be the right way to say it - I need to use my expendable income in a more useful manner. I've been blowing too much on yummy and horrible food from the deli next door to my work or fast food when I am being lazy and not only is it not helping my waistline, it's a total waste of money. So I signed up for Mint.com (B was the one who told me about the site, but I had no clue how it would be useful to me since I already have the budget for my bills/rent/necessities laid out months in advance) and I can track and restrict how much I allow myself to spend on certain unnecessary things like fast food/restaurants/cigarettes. That way I can spend my money on things that enhance my life, like EXPERIENCES. Why did it take so freakin' long to figure this out? *shakes head* It all ties back into my aspirations for improved health, since I typically eat better when I cook for myself.

And that brings me to "Me," I imagine. I've been feeling different. Inspired. Focused. A deep desire for improvement on my own. Alone. I know from my past that I can't do the things I need to do for myself if I am worried about dating/men, etc. My home is cleaner, my motivation is higher, my relationships with people who mean the most to me are more satisfying when I am single, and I am loving it far too much to consider giving it up for anyone else. I don't necessarily feel "new," but I most assuredly feel "improved" and I am going to hold on tightly to everything that has recently been propelling me towards being a more exceptional human being.

"Those who actually solve problems spend very little time complaining about them."

Thanks to Rev Run from Run DMC for that bit of inspiration this morning and I couldn't have said it better myself, I'll bet.

So I guess I need to catch up here somehow, but I could go on and on about everything I've done in the past week without getting to the real meat of the story (and I'm kind of anxious to share my revelations) so I'll quickly update on the less interesting sh*t:

1) The running!

I made my 100 mile "milestone" last week and got back on schedule for my training this week, which feels amazing (except for my knees, which is why I'm pretty darn intent on starting Bikram/Hot Yoga A to the SAP), especially since I'm down to a 12:30 pace and moving in the right direction.

2) Guitar practice...I think this is going to have to take a back seat to everything else at the moment. I'm going to be pretty busy, so I'm not sure how regularly I'm going to be able to pick 'er up.

3) My birthday: I welcomed twentyfine with open arms. I hadn't planned on doing much of anything, but B sent me a cheesecake AND a chocolate cake and I obviously couldn't eat them both myself. I texted a few of my close friends and invited them over for cake, which turned into cake and wine (that's how we do) and good times at my casa. I had a lovely day and really enjoyed how mellow it was compared to a few of the parties from previous years.

Which leads us to the content of my next post - The New and Improved Alyson. I've been feeling really focused in the past few weeks and am taking my life in a fresh direction that I'm overwhelmingly excited for. I'll tell you more about it very soon.

Oops.

Please pardon my major slackage in the blogosphere, between Labor Day weekend festivities and my birthday I seem to have gotten a bit distracted. All will be updated and back to normal ASAP!

Shameless Plug Sunday - the FURminator®

This is a picture of the hair I FURminated off of Wilson in the span of 15 minutes (and Gizmo for some perspective on size):

'Nuff said.

Actually, there is one other thing - DO NOT PAY RETAIL for these brushes! Though it obviously does the job it is intended to (pretty much - I can't vouch for it's allergen reduction), there is no way I can justify paying $25-$50 for a glorified comb. They come in Small, Medium, Large, Cat and Equine sizes, ranging from 1.75 inches to 5 inches wide (the cat and small versions seem to differ only in color). I managed to find the medium sized FURminator® (2.75 inch edge) on ebay for a much more reasonable price and find that it suits my needs with 2 larger cats perfectly. I can't necessarily say I've seen a reduction in shedding, but the bottom line is that all the fur that was pulled off definitely isn't going on my furniture and *that* is a good thing.

Do your research at their web-site: http://www.furminator.com/ and then check ebay for a better deal.

So, I got a little sidetracked.

I'm going to start off with a little rant about one of my pet peeves - the "tramp stamp" stereotype. Listen, people - just because someone has a tattoo on their lower back does not mean you have the right to presume that they are promiscuous. I mean, c'mon, what are we - 15 years old? So yeah, I have a tattoo on my lower back and so do many other women (and men). That just happens to be a very beautiful part of the female form, why wouldn't someone interested in adorning their body with inked art want to put it in a pretty place? Though some days I feel like society has really progressed and come to accept tattoos as another expression of self, others I realize that some stereotypes will likely never go away; there will always be those who judge a book by it's cover. The best I can do is try not to judge them for their ignorance. (Btw, that is *not* my tattoo, though I have gotten a wild urge to get my back piece worked on soon.)

Anywhoo.

After my frustration the other day, I convinced a cute EMT friend of mine who happens to also know how to play the guitar to come over and see if he could help me with my form and a bit of music theory and surprisingly enough he managed to answer all my questions and show me how to use tabs. I still need to get more strength in my fingers, so I'll definitely be sticking with the exercises for a while. Unfortunately, I was kind of wiped after his visit and never made it out for my run.

Yesterday I got slammed by all the typical "I got paid and need to buy stuff" errands and after dragging 9 bags full of groceries up 3 flights of stairs I decided I deserved a break and would push my run to the morning...Yeahhhhh, so couldn't get to sleep until after midnight and there was no way I was going to cut even further into my 7 precious hours, so I've got training today and tomorrow, but I'll finally be reaching 100 miles!

Time for serious business, y'all - I've got 8 pounds to lose by Halloween and I am fiercely determined. No more excuses!

Eyes on 100 and bruises on my fingers. 2.14 miles/26:53

I think teaching myself how to play guitar may be harder than I anticipated, y'all. I understood I would have to ditch the longer nails and would have to develop calluses, but my main struggle is finding instruction that clicks with the way I like to learn. I guess until I find something I can work with I'll just be going through a few simple exercises I found OnDemand to strengthen and limber up my fingers, but I'm thinking I should probably get a metronome soon either way.

And speaking of strengthening:

99.61 miles. Not even four-tenths of a mile until I hit 100 total since I began running in January. I'm so close I can feel it.

I woke up too early this morning after a pretty heinous nightmare; a vivid one like those that I typically experience when I get back on the nicotine patches regularly (which I have). Add to that a long session on the People You Will See In Hell website right before bed and you've got yourself some really effed up dreams. I won't name names since I actually like these folks, but let's just say I was given the task of disposing of the bodies. Yes, "bodies," plural.

At 6 AM, after barely 6 hours of sleep (I need 8 hours, people. I don't call it "beauty sleep," I call it "preventing me from going postal sleep.") I was already mentally rearranging my training schedule for the week. Since I had postponed my run on Sunday, that would leave me running 2 days in a row and I'm not sure my energy levels or knee can handle it today and I could space them out through the rest of the week, no problems. BUT, jeez, I only have 4/10 of a mile until I hit 100 and it's hard to just "sit" on that number.

I think I'll coffee up and reconsider.

Yessssss. 2.01 miles/25:43

A little Miike Snow "Animal" to start off a foggy Seattle morning:

Holy eff, what a productive weekend.

Thursday's Yelp event was fun and pretty mellow; I have to say I prefer only having one or two drinks at their soirees these days since a) they're always during the week and b) it's more entertaining to watch other people get buzzed up and do embarrassing things.

All day Friday at work I was sleepy and distracted and decided I would just take a nap as soon as I got home then run afterward. By the time 6 PM rolled around with no nap, I seriously thought about just pushing the run to Saturday. Then I sat in front of my blog being mocked by my nike+ mini for a good 45 minutes before I succumbed to the pressure - I had to run. My pace is off since I experienced a bit of "user error" and pushed the wrong button on my ipod at both the beginning AND end of my run; I can't wait to see what kind of time I can pull off when I start this next week of training and don't bungle my tracking.

Saturday and Sunday were devoted to cleaning my apartment and were a total effin' success. I passed up on a trip to the Woodland Park Zoo to literally hole myself up and watch most of Dexter Season 2, Mad Men Season 1 and a few movies while vacuuming, dusting, doing laundry/dishes, taking items to my storage closet/recycling/garbage, etc. I still have a few small tasks to wrap up, but I finished the weekend off with a long candle-lit bubble bath and a glass of champagne.

Today when I woke up to a fresh and tidy abode it felt really rewarding; now the whole point is to continually keep it clean - something I find much easier to do when I am single. Since the rest of my week is mostly free of any social obligations, I'm going to finish the last few cleaning tasks then focus on enjoying my hobbies (training, learning how to play the guitar) and taking care of a few more projects (washing my car, taking crap to Goodwill, sewing).

I turn twentyFINE in 8 days. I'm going to use this time to make sure that I'm starting the next year of my life (and the last year of my 20s) with a clear head, a comfortable and clean home and a healthy outlook for the future.

Shameless Plug Sunday - Dave Sheely Designs (plastic is the new gold)

I am definitely not the first to find a great deal of humor in the slogan for Dave Sheely Designs :

"Handmade, Industrial-Grade Resin Jewelry That Won't Warp in Sun, Won't Shatter on Impact, Resists Scratches and Will Last Long After You Are Lowered Deep In Your Grave."

They explain: "Unlike the resin that most ring makers use, Dave Sheely Designs rings are cast in industrial urethane. They will not yellow with time, will not become soft or warp in the sun or due to body heat, and they are much stronger than resin. Though of course you won't want to place one on a railroad track as a test, you won't have to worry that the band will shatter or the ring will nick if you actually use your hands. Every piece sold here is handmade, hand-colored, and one-of-a-kind."

I was introduced to Dave's rings through his fantastic wife Mary and can proudly assure you that I personally own two of his rings and will probably be taking a few more to the beyond with me (apparently).

My favorite is similar to the one shown above right, a clear matte ring with a sneaky glow-in-the-dark elephant encapsulated inside.
Dave has many very creative and beautiful themes to his work, including a line with fossils and shells showcased in clear plastic, a line with bold colors and striking shapes shiny and matte, as well as a dreamy set that resemble clouds in many soft hues.

Not only are Dave's rings beautiful, they are quite affordable as well (considering how much time can go into polishing just one piece), typically ranging from $30 to $50. One of these days I will get my paws on a coveted "Esther" ring, inspired by and named after a "fashionista" who convinced him to merge one of his large tiki pendants onto a ring for her to wear.

Recently they expanded into bangles and earrings and I must say that they are just as fun as the rest of his work. Check out his Etsy shop: davesheelydesigns.esty.com and his flickr page here.

Baby steps. 2 miles/25:35

(UPDATE: obviously I am training alone this cycle, but this weekend was a wash so I restarted the schedule at Day 1)

It feels so weird to be doing these 2 mile runs after I spent so many weeks increasing my distances pretty briskly when I was training for the Half... Not to say it's super easy, but it doesn't feel like I am accomplishing as much, I guess (part of this has to be how close I am to logging 100 total miles and how looooong it seems to be taking to get there compared to my last cycle). Thankfully, I can see the physical results almost immediately, I definitely feel the lift in my spirits/energy and my goal for this round of training was to get my pace up so I could set a PR (personal record) for my third go-round at the Jingle Run in December so I'm certainly on track for that.

Wilson is doing better! It appears that he isn't passing blood anymore, though he's still not moving the amounts of urine I had hoped at least there's currently no blockage. We're not out of the woods, but with temporary meds and permanent dietary changes (blargh) I have faith we'll get through it.

Tonight is going to be...interesting. I'm going to my first Yelp event in months and really don't want to have to discuss my newly single status; I really don't have much to say about it other than it didn't work out and I'll be okay and I know he will be too. Unfortunately, to a few select Yelp bitches this will probably mean that I am considered a threat to the men of Yelp again (soooo not true - I am not even on the market). Thankfully at least one of my bffs will be there and if it comes down to it I can spend my time catching up with her while indulging in a few free drinks and be perfectly happy with my evening. I'll be sporting my favorite Dave Sheely Designs ring, some sexy ass shoes and will be doing my best to stay cool-ish for a few hours in a warehouse in Georgetown - considering the past week, it could be a hell of a lot worse.

When it rains, it pours, but then a sunny day will eventually follow.

Things can't always work out the way you'd like them to, such as in the case with B and I. It's been good, it's been rough and it's just not meant to be for us. It didn't end as I had hoped or expected, but things like this rarely do.

It's had a pretty rocky beginning, but today is the day I turn the page and start the next chapter of my life (thanks for the analogy, Miss Lora). I'm broke after last night's trip to the vet, I've got a sick kitty at home and will probably be doing laundry daily for the next week to try to keep up with his accidents and have yet another ex who decided now was the best time to get back in touch with me...Double Yoo Tee EFF, Cosmos? I'm taking it as a clear sign to step back for a minute and get happy and healthy again. For myself. By myself.

Thankfully, I am supremely adept at perseverance in the face of adversity. I look at it this way:

1) Wilson is a great cat, and pays back every penny I expend with his cuddling skills and that cute coo that gets me every time.

2) Being single again means that I will have abundant time to focus on my 5k training and side gigs. Maybe I can finally teach myself to play my guitar and get my orchids to bloom.

3) I may not be going to Disney Land, but that doesn't mean my vacation is blown - I've got a new car and free gas and I'm sure something will work out.

4) I can catch up on Dexter and never have to watch another Top Chef ever again. Amen and hallelujah.

Weekend O' FAIL.

That right over there is Vitamin Water in the Revive flavor. It's a taste I have become very familiar with in the past week and that is totally saving my ass today.

Man, my weekend sucked. So badly, I don't even want to think about it anymore. Suffice it to say, when you skip all your runs and plans with friends and spend a good chunk of your Sunday crying alone or on the phone to your Mother (which happens on an average of twice a year) it has probably not been an awesome few days.

Okay, I take part of that back - Friday was the suck, but I was pretty productive at home on Saturday and having a decent day cleaning and reorganzing until I realized that my cat Wilson was camping out in the litter box for extended amounts of time trying to pee and then decided that if he couldn't do it there, my freshly cleaned bedding was the next best option. Right before I wanted to go to sleep. No bueno. But I can't get mad at this face, even when he's grumpy.

B wasn't feeling well, but wanted to try to make up for Friday so he asked if he could come make me breakfast in bed on Sunday morning - who is going to say no to that?

Instead of the typical bacon, eggs, and hashbrowns he brought me my favorites: fancy cheeses, a baguette, grapes and champagne. Unfortunately, he was obviously sick and seemed pretty miserable so it was really hard to enjoy the morning. Add to that Wilson's problems and B's fretting over them (Wilson loves him some B even though B is allergic and I think it's quietly mutual) and I was quickly getting stressed out. We hit Petco to pick up some urinary supplements for Wilson and the afternoon went downhill from there, culminating in my phone call to the Madre after B left.
_{(Honestly, I wish more people had a relationship with their parents like I have with Ma - I get so sad when I talk to friends and they tell me they practically hate their parental units. It's really a shame.)}

The rest of my day consisted of the following: tears, pizza delivery, bad movies and general sullenness.

Cut to today: I'm tired despite getting plenty of sleep, still puffy from crying and not 100% back to my "holy crap, my life is blessed" self.
That being said, Wilson peed in the catbox this morning and happily munched down more supplements before I left for work so I'm hoping that tonight won't call for a trip to the vet (fingers crossed). Also, I got good news on an ongoing side project that had stalled, had an idea at work that earned me kudos from one of the vendors I was working with, and the day passed fairly fast so I'm home early enough to catch up on Hung, do more laundry and hopefully a little Yoga to get my spirits further lifted.

I'm determined not to have an entire Week O' FAIL, dammit.

Shameless Plug Sunday - Estrella Soaps!

Look at these soaps, people.

Each one is like a little piece of ridiculously awesome smelling art. And they aren't even that little, really.

B and I came across Estrella Soaps at Urban Craft Uprising and since then I have developed a fast addiction to their Almond soap...And their Peppermint Oatmeal soap...And I am currently perusing their website trying to narrow down my order to 3 or 4 out of 29 amazing scents (including Pink Grapefruit, Chamomile Lavender, Cinnamon Clove, and Lemon Poppy Seed). Yes, I am that addicted.

I typically have two prerequisites for soap - that it smell good and that it get me clean. Estrella soaps are two for two AND they are local, made in small batches with high quality natural ingredients, not to mention vegan! $5 gets you a nice big chunk of happiness without a lot of guilt.

Get clean, smell good, be nice to the planet and yourself. http://www.estrellasoap.com/

(This post is the first in my series of Shameless Plug Sundays where I will profile products/places/things I love. Vendors/proprietors/etc. may be my friends, they may be complete strangers, but the bottom line will be that I love what ever they have to offer and think at the very least they are worth some props in my little part of the blogosphere.)

It's a start! 2.02 miles/26:09

I don't understand how it could have been so easy to forget how much I enjoy running. Like, really really enjoy.

Okaaaaay, maybe I can - the last 3 miles of the Rock N Roll Half were practically excruciating; mentally and physically it took everything I had to finish the race. As a matter of fact, during training last night I finally lost the nail from the black toenail I acquired from that run. That was lovely.
:-/

Today the delicious feel of slightly fatigued and tightened muscles is making me smile.

I ended up having to run alone (which was no shocker to me) since B ordered his shoes online and won't receive them until probably early next week. If at that point they are the wrong size or something else comes up I'm going to have to restart the schedule, but at least I'll have three extra runs under my belt. *shrug*

It was in the mid 80s and I had essentially already talked myself into going to bed and waking up early to hold out for those lower morning temperatures (shyeah right - I am so not a morning person) when I got the hint of a second wind for the day. It felt cooler outside my apartment than in, so I jumped into my running gear and went for it. It wasn't as easy as I had hoped it would be, but it sure wasn't as hard as the very first run I did for the Half training.

I'm not too sore or worn out and I'm actually super tempted to supplement my running with a bit of yoga tonight since I definitely need to work on my core. Either way, I think I'll warm up some spaghetti leftovers, bake up some Texas Toast, catch up on Weeds and do some dishes.

Oh, hello Motivation! So nice to see you again.

Some things never change/don't call me Aly.

The day after a friendly, albeit odd message exchange on Yelp with an ex from about a year and a half ago (in which he repeatedly asked me to dinner and then ended up "mistakenly" blocking me from replying to his messages) this conversation occured via email:

From: Jesse Rock
To: alysonholic
Sent: Aug 18, 2009 11:11 AM
Subject: Re: It's doing it to me too. No idea why.
Allison. What fuck doing?

On Tue, Aug 18, 2009 at 11:10 AM, alysonoholic wrote:
It's Alyson. Do you even remember my last name?

From: Jesse Rock Date: Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:19:23
No, but I apparently miss-spelled the fuck out of your first name. Geezus I'm an idiot. I was just going over "glorious results of a misspent youth". Lol. You're "wordy". I also don't have your phone number anymore.

On Tue, Aug 18, 2009 at 11:20 AM, alysonoholic wrote:
Don't be jealous that it's more entertaining then your blog. And it's mostly just big fonts.

On Tue, Aug 18, 2009 at 11:31 AM, Jesse Rock wrote:
My blog is a repository of photographs that I took with my phone (pre-Blackberry. I still haven't figured this shit out).

From: Jesse Rock Date: Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:03:46
So, uh. Number?

On Tue, Aug 18, 2009 at 12:04 PM, alysonoholic wrote:
Awww, you haven't changed at all! Which is exactly why I think we should stick with non-phone communication for now.

From: Jesse Rock Date: Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:17:47
I'm guessing it's more don't want sk84 to know you're having this conversation, but that's just guessing.

On Tue, Aug 18, 2009 at 12:21 PM, alysonoholic wrote:
You guess wrong. I love this guy. A lot. He treats me very well. And he is is fully aware of the situation. I don't consider this to be anything I would need to hide from him and he isn't threatened at all.
So....No number for now.

From: Jesse Rock Date: Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:30:45
I thrive on consistency. I'm starving.

On Tue, Aug 18, 2009 at 12:33 PM, alysonoholic wrote:
Then you should have Val_{(his ex-fiancee)}somewhere waiting in the wings, right? I have to assume her threshold for your BS must be infinitely higher than mine.
Give Luciano's a break already.

From: Jesse Rock Date: Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:51:48
Listen: I take full responsibility for being an asshole. That's who I was, I'm not proud of it and if I could take it back I would. Believe me, most of my life right now is back-tracking. It's not fun but I made my bed and now I have to deal with it. You didn't get the best of me because I was fresh out of an engagement. I apologize. I was hurt, angry and didn't think women were good for me.
You were sweet to me Ally and I wasn't sweet back. You did nothing to deserve my wrath, and I feel ridiculous when I look back on it (although I did make you delicious Salmon).

On Tue, Aug 18, 2009 at 1:03 PM, alysonoholic wrote:
I appreciate the apology.

From: Jesse Rock Date: Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:10:13
Let me take you to dinner.

On Tue, Aug 18, 2009 at 1:16 PM, alysonoholic wrote:
No.
If you're interested in pursuing a friendship I won't shoot that down and would consider meeting up with you at some point in the future, but no half assed apology is going to change the shitty things you said or did to me. I can be nice, but there's not much else to be done when you've destroyed someone's trust and respect.

From: Jesse Rock Date: Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:37:34
Wow. That, ummm. That totally blows my "is a bj out of the question" question out of the water.


Yes folks, that is just how classy the majority of my exes are.

Everything hits at once.

It's very rare that I have days that I find myself bored out of my mind; I actually have always been quite independent and as an only child can easily find ways to entertain myself. Lucky me - most of the time I am not afforded the option, such as in the case of the next few days.

Tonight is Bitch Feed (weekly/semi-monthly dinner party with some of the most amazing women I know and our GBF) and I have to hit the door running once I leave work to insure that I can have a dish ready by 7 PM. Tomorrow, training resumes and considering it will most likely be ridiculously hot in Seattle, I'll be hitting the grocery store and killing some time tidying up before it cools down enough to hit the pavement.

Though the rest of my week seems mostly free, I can think of business I need to take care of, errands I have to run and people I need to visit...On top of that I have a million things buzzing through my head this week (crazy exes coming out of the woodwork, birthday presents for Ma, impending road trip, side business issues). Just contemplating trying to tackle all the things I want to accomplish gives me a headache and makes me yearn for a vacation.

Well, guess what lovelies? I'm going to Disney Land!
_{Okay, so I have 6 weeks and my own birthday to contend with before we're on our way, but dammit - I'm ready.}

How to repair your weekend after a sh*tty Friday:

Well, maybe you just don't, but you can try real hard.

I feel completely foolish (or as I prefer to say: retarded), since after my lovely blog entry somehow B and I managed to get in a ridiculous fight and I stomped out after getting totally fed up with his crap. Not to say my threshold can't be pretty low sometimes, but when a girl is PMSing, of course she's probably going to be a little more testy - can I get an "amen?"

Anywhoo, so my Friday night was kind of blown but my friends were determined not to let me grump through the entire weekend. Thankfully, sleeping in Saturday morning was a definite mood-booster, then Saturday afternoon (for a long overdue brunch) I met up at Mecca with one of my gorgeous and sassy bffs. Over cheap mimosas and hashbrowns we vented our frustrations for a few hours, then I took her home so she could get ready to see her beloved Yankees play at Safeco. My "gay boyfriend" and I had made plans to hang out on Saturday afternoon, but I had some difficulty getting ahold of him so I just set to cleaning my apartment again. Annnnnnd once again stalled at the kitchen. So, I headed for the store to pick up a frozen pizza and some salad and prepared for a quiet evening alone.

Early Saturday evening my hard-partyin' homo woke up and called to confirm that we were still a go for a night of hanging out, so after first floating the option of a raincheck, I told him if he could handle the mess and a spicy chicken supreme pizza I was still up to host. Bless his little unicorn & rainbow filled-heart, he rode the bus all the way to/from West Seattle from the Central District to hang out with my pouting ass. He's a Cancer, like B, so it's always nice to get his perspective when I'm having problems communicating effectively with someone who is clearly more sensitive than I am. This time he had some strong opinions for me, but thank goodness I didn't have to spend my Saturday evening alone watching The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

Either way, those crazy bitches make me want to shop, so when Sunday rolled around and brought with it some of the worst cramps EVER, it was clearly time for some girly time and good ol' retail therapy. Unfortunately, I don't work with a budget as large as theirs, so when I feel the need I don't head for Louis Vuitton or Chanel - I head for Marshall's. After failing to find that one perfect pair of shoes to cheer me up, I settled on some cute new panties (black, in honor of "that time of the month"). Honestly, I couldn't spend much time on my feet without a pretty good amount of pain radiating from my uteral area (side note: yes, sometimes I just make words up as I go for entertainment value), so only $20 into damaging my pocketbook I had to head home for a muscle relaxer. I gave myself a pedicure, enjoyed the sunset, scooped up the kitties and crawled into bed to call it an early night.

Was anything fixed? No. Not at all.
Did I enjoy a weekend similar to those I used to love so much in my single days? Yes. That I did.
Did I miss my boyfriend anyway? Duh. And I bet now he's wondering about those cute new panties.

Ain't that the truth?

I’ve had a lot of failed relationships. Plennnnnty. I failed with nice guys, assholes, crazy boys and boring boys. In some instances I tried my hardest, in others I know I was a total pain in the ass.

These days, stories of the myriad of ways B spoils the hell out of me typically inspire twinges of jealousy from my girlfriends (and some of my best gays too), and we both generally feel really lucky. He’s my partner in crime, one of my biggest supporters and one of my best friends. And to be totally honest, sometimes he drives me up the wall, and I know conversely he occasionally feels the same way.

My favorite coworker (and the only other chick who works in the office full time) has been dating her boyfriend for a few years now, and in the past 3 that she and I have worked together she’s heard of all of my dating escapades and obviously been there from the beginning with B. We’ve both seen each other’s tears and anger and ultimately, the happiness that these boys have brought us. She’s talked me down when I’m riled up; I do my best to raise her spirits when she’s down. We share our “boys are dumb” days and I know I take a bit of joy from those days when she shares a story of something sweet he did for her. Her strength in some really tough spots in their relationship has inspired me and sometimes gives me a damn good reason to put myself in check when I may be a little unreasonable.

We’ve come to the obvious conclusion together that our boys just think completely differently than us in so many ways. SO VERY MANY. Oy. Today is just “one of those days” for she and I (and honestly, I feel like she deals with a lot more than I do), but then that “yay, I’m not the only one” feeling settles in and I realize that there are people all over the planet who are in this very same struggle to be with another person. The circumstances, the sexes, the locations may be different, but the goal is the same.

So - we laugh, we cry, we throw our hands up in exasperation, we swoon; we pray that we learn and grow enough to make it through this crazy thing the kids like to call love and that our dudes share that same dedication and desire. What else can you do?

"I'm bakin' cookies muthaf*cker - whatchoo think about that?"

Cooler nights have returned to Seattle and before we briefly head back into the upper 80s again next week (right as we're beginning our training - wheeeee), I'm going to take the opportunity to do some baking. Ahhh, the way of the kitchen - you clean it and the next moment/meal it's dirty all over again.

I'm thinking tonight should be cookie night and that means I need to play my cooking-makin' theme song.

The Mighty Delaware crack my shit up.

No, my apartment was not hit by a bomb.

Today I realized I am tired of being a lazy bum. My apartment is a mess, my car needs to be washed and I really just need to get back into the mindset of being more active in general. During training for the Half Marathon, even if I was sore or injured I would find myself tidying my apartment and organizing to kill some time before my evening run; now I’ve gotten into a routine where (when I am home) I end up watching my favorite shows or getting sucked into my favorite blogs and end up spending most of the evening on the couch.

Tonight I buckle down.

First step – clean the casa. Since my training will only call for 3 pretty short (considering the mileage I did put in for the Half) runs a week, the plan is to supplement a few days with yoga or pilates or some other form of cross training at home, which is not fun to do in an untidy living room. Also, I’m going to need my kitchen in tip top shape since I’ll actually be cooking for myself again, my bathroom spotless for the times that I may need a bath to soothe my muscles, and my bedroom needs to be a GD sanctuary for those nights when I need the best sleep I can get.

It’s going to take me a few days, but by the end of the week I am determined to have my place sparkle . The ipod is charged, Weeds and Hung are queued up, and the rain is giving me the perfect excuse (for now) to stay in – consider the mess tackled.

My cottage cheese needs bacon salt.

I sit here on a Monday morning – a morning where I chose cottage cheese to eat instead of the bagel with cream cheese or greasy (lovely) breakfast sandwich that I have become so fond of from the deli next door. The “why?” behind this denial of delicious food in my face will become easier to understand over the next few weeks, but here is the back story to give you a better idea of where it started:

A number of months ago, and just weeks before I started dating my current boyfriend, I started training for the Seattle Rock N Roll Half Marathon. I had recently given up cigarettes and thought that it would be a grand idea to start getting in better shape overall – when I heard about the Inaugural RnR race it immediately struck me as something that sounded challenging and fun….And who doesn’t love being one of the first to do something, right?
You’ll hear very few excuses from me past this point, but let’s just say I didn’t prepare for the man of my dreams to be a smoking skater dude who is also a total foodie/amazing cook and incredibly fun to laze around with so when I fell off the training bandwagon I fell hard.

In the end, the race was incredibly difficult but it felt amazing to finish even if my time was practically abysmal. My boyfriend (who we will call “B” for the purposes of this blog), was totally supportive throughout, even spending the day driving near the course with my Madre trying to track my progress throughout the run and take pictures of me.

Apparently, in those months he watched me “prepare,” he was also somehow bitten by the running bug and now instead of just volunteering himself as a skater companion, he has been talking about buying some shoes and hitting the sidewalks with me. Being the loving and crazy girlfriend that I am, I’ve held him to his word and next payday we find him some shoes; next week we start our Couch to 5k training (hey, I’d like to think there’s more “love” than “crazy” in my equation – I’m not trying to kill the poor dude.)

So, though I doubt this blog will be a linear description of our training I have a feeling that our progress and the inevitable escapades will be fodder for a quite few interesting posts and that, dear reader, is where this all begins - bagel-less me, sitting here on a Monday morning wondering what I have gotten myself into.