the waiting game

I'm sitting here, trying to think of something to blog about, which is never a good sign. One should only blog when one feels moved to blog. I think Shakespeare said that. At any rate, while sitting here and thinking, I realized my life has been reduced to three things.

The first is graduate school. I have applied to four schools and so far, I've only heard back from one (and have since decided that Wisconsin is simply too cold for me, so it really is for the best). From stalking the MFA weblog (which receives at least 2,000 comments per post, most of which are people reporting acceptances, rejections, and the more general signs of nervous breakdowns) I have gathered that this whole waiting-to-hear, life-in-limbo thing is not pleasant for anyone. I will say that I have received one promising email from the Director of a program (known as a Good News Email on the MFA weblog, or GNE for short) and while it has made me hopeful, it has also made me afraid, as a rejection now would devastate that much more. So please, MFA programs - make your decisions and send me my letters. For better or for worse, I need to get on with my life.

When not thinking about MFA's, I am exercising. I don't want to turn The New Me into a fitness blog (that's why I have dailymile) but training takes up a lot of my time and it's fun, and I like sharing fun, time consuming things with you. For example, today was my second day of swim practice, and I'm already improving! I used a kick board to work on form and I got down the mechanics of breathing. Now I just need to remember to actually take a breath. I also started training for the half marathon in April, which demands shorter runs at higher speeds. So far, so good!

The third thing is Battlestar Galactica. We just finished season 2.5, which - for a so-so season - had an AMAZING final episode. Like, crazy, ridiculously good. And now I want to rush out and buy season 3 but we're holding off. Why? I don't know. Because I'm not waiting for enough things right now and I enjoy torturing myself, I guess.

Yoga tonight, and not a moment too soon.

introducing... the tiger snakes!

Official mascot of my unofficial swim team - The Tiger Snakes! 
Rawr!

Today, I learned to swim.

Let me clarify. I have known how to swim since I was a kid, but only in the sense that I could get from one end of the public pool to the other, spent most of my youth at the beach, paddling around the shallow part of the Atlantic ocean, and would probably make it to shore if thrown over the side of a boat. Swimming, technically, but not swimming. And friends, I want to be a swimmer.

So, at 6:30 this morning, I found myself jumping into the university's indoor pool. With the help of my fellow Tiger Snakes (Nathan and Katie) I was able to get down the basic mechanics of the freestyle. Not too shabby for a beginner! Of course, there's still a lot of work to be done. My endurance is lacking, to say the least (I had to take a break after each lap), I need to work on breathing (you have to time it just right or you end up with mouth and lungs full of cholorinated water - not pleasant), and I need to get better at keeping my body level in the water, my butt closer to the surface, and remember to kick from my knees and not my hips. That list might seem pretty long and trust me - it is. But I'm not in any rush. Swimming is a new challenge, and we all know how much I love challenges. Plus, should I become decent enough at swimming, a triathlon would actually be feasible. Triathlete. I like the sound of that.

But I'll swim across that bridge when I come to it. First things first - swimming AND breathing without choking on water. Once I've got that down, the rest will surely follow.

weekend recap

As usual, this past weekend was a winner. Why don't I tell you about it? ;)

Friday! Nathan went out of town to race in the Heartbreak Duathlon. It's a fun race - a 2.5 mile trail run, followed by a 10 mile mountain bike ride, followed by a second 2.5 mile trail run. We did it together last year, but as this year's was taking place six days after the marathon I decided to pass. Nathan, on the other hand, came in 8th place over all! He is a machine.

Instead of racing, I stayed in, made vegan mac and cheeze, drank one expensive beer, and read Bonk, which is fascinating and hysterical. Highly recommended.

Saturday! I've been lazy lately, but it's hard to be lazy when you don't have a car. Because of this, Saturday morning provided the perfect opportunity to break my lazy streak. I woke up early and walked the dog, drank coffee and wrote 500 words, and then biked to yoga class - all before 9:00 am! I was very proud of myself. Nathan returned home in the afternoon, and in the evening we headed to Amy's, who had graciously offered to host Nathan's birthday party. Together, Amy and I decorated the yard, made fajitas to feed 20, and gathered together some of our nearest and dearest. It was a very fun time and a very good party, if I do say so myself. Happy birthday to Nathan!

Sunday! Despite staying up late and co-hosting a birthday party, I woke up at a decent hour with no hangover whatsoever. Oh, moderation. You are amazing! I was also super productive - I cleaned the apartment, spent some time in the kitchen, wrote and organized my desk at home, and went to the gym for a run and weights session. It was my first run since the marathon and I opted for the treadmill since I didn't know how I'd feel or how far I'd be able to go. I ended up running 4 miles just fine and it felt great to do some strength training. All in all, a very successful day and a very successful weekend!

I hope your weekend was just as nice. :)

friday +/-

 

The Vegan Breakfast Platter at Kerbey Lane Cafe in Austin. 

A very good thing! 

I've barely posted at all this week! After the marathon, I marveled at how quickly my body recovered but, as the week wore on, I started to notice little pains and pockets of soreness. Two nights ago, I woke up at 4am with a killer leg cramp that left me achy the whole next day. The blister on top of a blister made my big toe throb painfully until I finally popped it. And while I'd love to go for a short, easy run, my body seems to want the rest more, so I'm giving my body a restful week. My body has earned it.

Outside of marathon recovery, this has actually been a really great week. In fact, I think I have nothing but +'s to share with you. Don't you love weeks like that?

+ I won't lie. Everyone has been so congratulatory and proud of my marathon that I kind of feel like a rock star. It's a nice feeling. :)

+ I convinced Amy to run a half marathon with me in April and yesterday, I printed up our training schedule. We have 7 weeks to train and I really want to run a sub-two hour race. (And by sub-two hours, I mean 1:59:59 would be just fine.) 
+ Nathan and I are now super obsessed owners of shiny new iPhones. I am all about apps right now. I found one called "Is Your Beer Vegan?" which has already come in handy (much to my disappointment - RIP Sam Adams Cherry Wheat!).
+ Yesterday was Nathan's 29th birthday. I am so glad that Nathan was born!
+ Yesterday I also found out that my travel has been approved for the WebWise conference in Denver. I've been to this conference the last two years and it's my favorite. The fact that I am going is a welcome surprise!
+ Also yesterday - it really was a banner day - I received news that a short story I submitted to LIT Magazine had been accepted for publication! This was pretty much the best news ever - especially after so many disappointments at work, and the rejection from Madison, and the waiting waiting waiting to hear from other MFA programs. I'm really excited and honored by this opportunity and cannot WAIT to see my words in print!
+ And, since I was on such a roll, I went ahead and purchased two tickets to Oregon for Spring Break so that Nathan and I can visit Kealy. I haven't seen Kealy in over two years (tragic!) and am looking forward to remedying that in less than a month(!).

I hope that you have had an equally good week, and I hope this trend continues! Happy Friday!

race report: austin marathon 2010!

Pinned up and ready to race!

As I am sure you are all well, well aware, this past weekend Nathan and I competed in - and completed! - our very first marathon. After eight months of training, many blisters, sore muscles, and the sacrifice of toenails, evenings with friends, and lazy afternoons, it's over. We have our medals, our memories and - yes - a few more sore muscles. Was it worth it? Absolutely. Below you will find a mile by mile recap of the race, complete with photos. The photos were all taken by my amazing friend Jen. Not only did Jen and her husband Matt host us for the weekend, but they also drove us to the start of the race, cheered us on (along with a few other friends) at key points during the race, took us out to lunch afterwards, bought us a congratulatory six-pack, and made sure we had everything we needed at every moment of our stay. And all of this on Valentines' Day, no less! I don't think we would have had nearly as fun a time running the marathon without their support. So thank you for everything, Jen and Matt! You are both amazing! 

And now for the recap! 

Race morning! I woke up at 4:15 but made myself stay in bed until 5:00 am. As soon as the alarm went off I jumped out of bed and pulled on my running clothes, which I'd laid out the night before. I had a bagel with peanut butter and a cup of coffee (which our hosts had brewed and waiting for us in the kitchen). Then we loaded into their car and made our way to downtown Austin. Jen and Matt were able to drop us off just a few blocks from the start line and we half ran, half walked the rest of the way. It was 35 degrees when we started, which I worried would be too cold, but the day's temperatures proved to be perfect for marathon running. Ten minutes before the start of the race, Nathan and I hugged, kissed and wished each other good luck. He made his way to the 4 hour pace group and I joined up with the 4:30, which would be running 10:18 miles for the duration. Until that moment, I'd planned to shoot for an 11 minute mile but the promise of a 4:30 lured me in. This decision would prove to be unwise, but not for a while. :)

Miles 1-5. The first few miles of the race were a gentle uphill. I actually like running on hills, and these were not so big. I was right up front with my pace group and holding steady, enjoying the sites and sounds of Congress Avenue and thinking, "Oh my god. I cannot believe this is actually happening." The crowd was supportive, there were a few bands playing along the sidelines, and I passed two college kids cheering us on while drinking PBR's at 8 in the morning. Nice! 

Miles 6-10. This was the best part of the race for me. I was feeling so strong, so great, that I had to slow myself down so as not to pass the pace leaders! We ran over a bridge and this was the first time I saw my friends - Jen, Jo, Shannon and Anne looked so happy to see me and I did a flying leap as I passed them. This was the best day of my life! 

 

Miles 11-15. And then things went downhill. Not literally, though. Literally, they went up... and up... and up. That's right. Hills. Remember when I said I actually liked hills? Apparently, I lied. The 4:30 pace group, with which I had been running since the start, began inching away from me and I couldn't close the distance. Goodbye, 4:30 marathon! At the top of one of the steepest hills, I saw the turn off for the half marathoners. I thought about following them, but quickly pushed the idea out of my head and thought instead about all the people who had donated to Doctors Without Borders in our name. I paid attention to the spectators and read their signs - "Trust Your Trainining," "You Can Do It!," "Toenails are Overrated." I kept moving. 

Miles 16-20. This is where I hit rock bottom. I had just stopped to stretch out a side stitch and eat an energy gel, and was thinking mournfully about how far I still had to go, when I heard a voice behind me calling my name. It was a girl from SFA, who I'd seen briefly at the beginning of the race. We ran together for about half a mile, chatting about how close we were to the end (!). Then she put her buds back in her ears and pulled ahead, but it was just the distraction I needed. I could do this. I would do this! I kept moving. 

 

Miles 21-25. The 4:30 pace group was nowhere to be seen, and I was okay with that. I hadn't been passed by the 4:45 group yet, so I knew I'd finish in less than 5 hours - which was my ultimate goal. At mile 24, I passed a person who was cheering. "Go 4:45's!" she said. "Looking good!" 4:45's? I glanced over my shoulder and there they were, right behind me - the 4:45 pace group! I could hear their pace setter talking to the group. "We're almost there," she said. "We need to keep this pace, but if you feel like you can run faster now is the time to break away and finish!" So what if she wasn't talking to me? It still applied! I picked up my pace and left the 4:45s behind. I was so close! 

 

Miles 26-26.2. I knew that the race would end at the Capitol, and when I turned the last corner and saw it, I nearly cried. I ran straight for it, rounding a never ending bend, passing people who were limping for the finish line, ignoring the pain in my knees and ankles. And then I was crossing the finish line! I slowed down. Someone handed me a medal. Someone else gave me a bottle of Gatorade. I saw Nathan behind a fence and held back a sob - but barely. I was done. I was a marathoner! 

  

Overall, it was a great day, a great race, and I'm very happy with my time - 4:43:44. The Austin Marathon was definitely the hardest thing I've ever done and I'm so glad it's over. I have more reflections - lessons learned and plans for the future, mostly - but I'll save those for another post. For now, I plan on resting my legs and enjoying my achievement. Thanks so much for reading along, and for all the comments, the well wishes, the congratulatory tweets, and the donations to Doctors Without Borders. I am not kidding when I say that this would not have been possible without your support! This medal is yours as much as it's mine - but if you don't mind, I think I'll hold on to it for the both of us! ;)

xoxoxox

snow day in texas

Last night, Nathan and I went to see the movie 2012 at the student theater because we were pretty sure it wasn't worth more than a dollar, and we were right. When the movie ended and we walked outside, we were greeted by an inch of snow that was still falling steadily. The snow continued to fall until morning and all in all, East Texas was covered with between four and six inches. This may not seem like a snowpocalyse to you, but for a place that gets a light dusting every three years or so, this is huge! Classes were canceled and the campus shut down, so I get a snow day from work. That's right. A snow day. In Texas. We celebrated by drinking coffee in bed and then having blueberry pancakes for breakfast. Reader, it doesn't get much better than this.

 

  

  

  

 

Happy Friday!

links! for clicking!

I signed up for a formspring account. You can ask me questions - anonymously or not - and I will answer them. I may post the results here, I may not. It all depends on you!

Nathan started up a blog called Amateur Adventure Racing. (I helped with the design!) He plans to write reviews of all the races in which he competes, post information about upcoming events, and review racing gear and other cool stuff. He already had a number of race reviews up now, so check them out and tell your friends!

Speaking of races, our marathon is in FOUR DAYS! We are so close to our fundraising goal for Doctors Without Borders. If you can help us reach $1000, I'll send you something nice in the mail!

And on the topic of raising funds, I just learned about Kickstarter.This is a website for artists and creators of every stripe to raise funds for specific projects. You can learn more about the site at it's FAQ, but consider poking around and maybe throwing a few dollars at an idea you think is awesome. Who knows? You could help the next artistic genius get off the ground!

That's all I've got. How about you?

recipe: healthier vegan brownies

Since I went vegan for the last time, a year and a half ago (!), I have grown to love baking things from scratch. I have mastered cakes, cookies and pies. And yet, when hit with the craving for a brownie, without fail, I reached for a box of Duncan Hines Chewy Brownie mix, replaced the eggs with applesauce, and called it a day.

This method was hit or miss, and my last four or five attempts have been definite misses. I decided to throw down my brownie crutch and begin a quest - the quest for the Perfect Vegan Brownie. I'm so serious about this quest that I'm going to make it a feature on my blog, and post recipes, experiments, failures and (hopefully) successes. Naturally, there are a few ground rules for this quest. The first is that the recipe must exist online. It would be cruel to find the perfect recipe and then not share it with you, loyal Reader. The second is that the ingredients must be relatively easy to find. If I can find them in East Texas, you can find them where ever you are. The third and final rule is that more than one person must taste and rate the brownies. This will usually be Nathan (he is so selfless!) but be prepared, friends - if I bring brownies to your home or party, I expect a full review which I will post here.

Today, I bring you Recipe #1: Scrum-Diddly-Umptious Vegan Brownies.

First, the ingredients. 

 

 Flour, sugar, walnuts, cocoa powder, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, applesauce, chocolate chips, and walnuts. Nothing too out of the ordinary here, and best of all? I had everything I needed on hand. 

Mixed, poured and ready for the oven. 

The finished product. 

 

The verdict? 

These brownies were easy to make and, according to the nutritional facts listed with the recipe, are surprisingly healthy (you know, for a brownie). They use no oil at all, which I appreciate. I do not like oily brownies and these brownies did not disappoint in that regard. That said, there is a fine line between "oily" and "fudgey" and these brownies, while firm, fluffy, and chocolaty, were a little on the dry side. Their saving grace came in the addition of chocolate chips, which melted in such a way as to mimic that fudgey consistency in a reasonable fashion. Nathan agreed with me on all accounts, and added that the walnuts gave them a more interesting texture. He also woke up in the middle of the night and ate three more, so I guess that's a thumbs up. 

Overall verdict: On a scale from 1-10, I rate these a 7. The quest continues!

weekend recap - happy homebodies

We had a long and relaxing weekend, which was so refreshing, so rewarding, that I sort of feel like a whole new person this morning. Since this is going to be a busy week, I'm glad to be starting it off on the right foot!

Friday: As you might have been able to tell by my Friday night post, I decided to eschew all the fun things offered to me in favor of staying home and reading a book. I did not regret this decision in the slightest.

Saturday: A busy-ish day. I went to yoga in the morning, and in the afternoon I set out for a 15 mile run - my last long run before the marathon! I was feeling really good until mile 12, at which point my right knee started to bother me. I decided to call off the run at 14, because that last mile had the potential to do little good, but a whole lot of bad. Later, my knee felt fine by my left quad was sore. Go figure. This week, I am planning to do two or three short runs - no more than seven miles at a time. I think I'm ready for the marathon. Even though my training and preparation has been less than ideal, I've run an 18 miler and two 20's and everything I've read for first-timers says this should be adequate. Fingers crossed!

Saturday night: Nathan and I headed to Amy and David's with Baja-Style Tempeh Tacos in hand for the season premiere of LOST. We gorged ourselves on good food and then settled in for three hours of mind-blowing entertainment. I love LOST and the first episode answered absolutely no questions. I have no idea how they're going to wrap up this crazy show, but I can't wait to find out!

Sunday: We have a new Sunday morning tradition, and it is to wake up whenever, make coffee, and spend the first two hours of the day reading in bed while Seamus snuggles up in between us. Seamus helped me read Finn's novel - she wrote it during NaNoWriMo last year, and then edited and printed it herself. This is incredibly impressive, as all my NaNo novels are hidden away in some deep dark place. I'm half way through it now, and really enjoying it. Seamus feels the same.

 

  

Also on Sunday: a donation yoga class to raise money for Haiti (we raised $505); filing our taxes; cleaning the house (dog included); Rashamon; and homemade soup and this bread recipe, which was delicious (even if mine wasn't quite as pretty as the one pictured). 

 

All in all, an excellent weekend! I hope yours was just as nice. 

oh social life, where art thou?

An alternate title for this post would be, "Hello, Hermitude!"

Yes, it's true. I've been scarce these last few weeks. Not scarce on the Internet, mind you. Not scarce on my couch, where I've been devouring episodes of Battlestar Galactica. And not scarce in my bed, where I have, until this evening, curled up with a copy of Middlesex and read until my eyelids drooped and my chin dropped down to my chest. I finally finished the book and as I laid it down beside me, still in that hazy half world between literature and life, I realized - I have not gone out in a while.

Sure, we went to the bar last weekend for MRT's birthday. And last night, we went to a literary reading at the college (which was awesome). But outside of those things, a perfect storm of distractions has kept me mostly inside. They are as follows: Battlestar Galactica; training for the marathon; Middlesex; cold and gray weather; bronchitis; and a general feeling of laziness, which is probably brought on by 10-20 mile runs two to three times a week and, oh yeah, bronchitis.

It's been a rough time for my social life. And for that, my friends, I apologize.

Listen. I just finished Middlesex. We're almost done with our current season of Battlestar. I think it might just be getting warmer. I took my last antibiotic today. And in nine days, the marathon will be over. Done with. Complete. No more early nights because we have to run in the morning. No more canceled evenings because we can barely walk. Starting next week, the New Me will be ready and raring to come to your writers' group, watch a film even if it starts after 8pm, drink a beer while playing a board game, and watching LOST in a timely fashion. You'll see. It's going to be awesome.

Until then, I have two more discs of a certain season left, a 20 mile run scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, and it's already 8:22pm. Time to get a move on!

a good habit is hard to find

This morning I woke up at 6:00 AM with the goal of writing at least 500 words. That might not seem like a lot of words, especially when you think about NaNoWriMo - during which you average 1,1667 words per day - and the few times when, during certain Novembers, I wrote 10,000 words during one very long sitting. Compared to all that 500 is nothing, and that is precisely the point. If I can take the time to write 500 words, then I'll probably keep going. It's the sitting down that is the hardest part. Today I wrote about 700 and when I was done, I put a check mark on the calendar hanging over my desk. I'm going to see how long I can keep the chain going, which is a productivity trick I learned from Jerry Seinfeld, and the only good thing that ever came from that man as far as I'm concerned. (Sorry, Seinfeld die-hards. I've never been a fan.)

I posted my plan and subsequent success in a status update on Facebook (because people always hit the "like" button for stuff like that, and I'm a sucker for positive reinforcement) and a friend told me that this 500-words-a-day rule was one by which Hemingway claimed to live. Hemingway! I love Hemingway! And I would much rather emulate this habit than some of his others.

Which got me thinking of other writers, and what kind of habits they swore by. A brief and unverified Google search revealed the following:

• Ernest Hemingway wrote 500 words a day, usually in the morning. He claimed to have never written while drunk. (We're two peas in a pod!) 
• In his book On Writing, Stephen King says that he writes 10 pages a day without fail, even on holidays. (Beginning to feel a little like an underachiever.)
• William Faulkner drank whiskey while writing. (Wine or beer sounds better, except I like to write in the mornings and alcohol is not exactly a healthy breakfast.)
• Truman Capote had to write lying down, in bed or on a couch, with a cigarette and coffee. The coffee would switch to tea, then sherry, then martinis, as the day wore on. (I like Capote's method! Except I think it would kill me.)
• Junot Diaz writes in the bathroom, sitting on the edge of the bathtub, when he's stuck. (I don't think this would work for me. I'm very partial to my desk.)
• Margaret Atwood moves back and forth between writing longhand and on the computer. When a narrative arc starts to take shape, she prints out chapters and arranges them in piles on the floor, and plays with the order by moving piles around.(I love Atwood! Plus, her approach sounds very crafty. I might try this!)
• Anne Rice writes a chapter a day to make sure each section is consistent in its tone and style, and often works for eight or nine hours straight when she's in the middle of a novel. (Damn my full time job!) 

Moral of the story: a good habit is hard to find. Also, don't break the chain! 

Sources found here and here and here.

are you a warrior?

I might be. I just signed up for the Warrior Dash which, I have gathered from their website, is a 3.51 mile long race that features 14 "obstacles." From the site:

"Warrior Dash is the ultimate event for thrill-seeking athletes. This running series is held on some of the nation's most demanding and unique terrain. Participants will conquer extreme obstacles and celebrate their feat with music, beer, warrior helmets and muddy shorts." Yeah, that sounds pretty awesome to me. Here are some more gems from the FAQ:

What do I get?

1. Free beer.  
2. Warrior helmet.
3. Bad-ass Warrior Dash t-shirt.
4. Custom Warrior finisher medal.
5. Live music.
6. Post-race food and water.
7. The pride that comes along with being a Warrior.
8. Warrior race bib.
9. Steel warrior helmet age division prizes.
10. The craziest frickin’ day of your life.

Why do we get warrior helmets?
They’re awesome.

How do I train for Warrior Dash?

1. Day one: run as far as you can. Go home. Day two: do the same thing.
2. Find the dirtiest pond in your neighborhood and snorkel in it - in your slippers, without goggles.
3. Practice your climbing and crawling skills at your local jungle gym.  Ignore the small children and parental glares.
4. Do not shower or shave for weeks in order to obtain a true Warrior look.
   
   Seriously though, your best bet is to do plenty of running leading up to the race.

I'm pretty pumped! The race isn't until May 2nd, but I'm posting it here in case any other Texans want to get in on this action. Slots are filling up fast - they had to add a second day to the event, and we made it into the 9:30am wave on Sunday.

Races! I love them!

weekend recap - racing to relaxation!

I went to the doctor this morning and discovered that I do, indeed, have bronchitis. I was prescribed an inhaler (for the wheezing) and antibiotics. My doctor said that normally, she would not be one to push antibiotics (especially since I seem to slowly be getting better on my own) but since I have a marathon to run in two weeks, the antibiotics would ensure a speedier recovery and it was up to me. I decided to go with the antibiotics. This will be the second time in my whole life that I've taken them, so I think it'll be okay. Also: marathon. Needless to say, I am relieved and looking forward to breathing deeply again!

As for my weekend: you would not have guessed that I am a woman battling bronchitis! On Friday, I left work early because my coughing was out of hand. Nathan and I abandoned our plans in favor of staying home and nursing my cold with multiple episodes of Battlestar Galactica and cups of hot tea. It was a nice evening and made me feel a little better.

On Saturday we got up early, loaded the bikes in the car, and drove to campus. Nathan, Amy and I (aka PINK WHISKEY!) were taking part in SFA's first ever Lumberjack Sprint Adventure Race. Despite the fact that I had to suck on a cough drop through the whole race and take hacking breaks, we had an awesome time - and came in first place! (That is, first place out of four teams, one of which dropped out half way through. But still. First place!) We had to run, bike, swim, solve puzzles and complete an obstacle course - all while finding checkpoints hidden around campus. There were some memorable moments (like my 15 attempts to run uphill on an oil-slicked slip-n-slide) and some moments of glory (like, uh, COMING IN FIRST PLACE!). I have been promised photos from the organizers, which should be posted some time this week. I plan to snag the best of the bunch and tell some more stories from the race then, so check back later!

After the race, we had falafel and hummus and tried desperately to warm up (it was cold!). Nathan and I spent the rest of the afternoon watching Alfred Hitchcock Presents on Hulu while drinking coffee and cuddling with the dog. Then we were off to the bar to celebrate Mr. MRT's 31st birthday. I had not been to the bar since October or November, and it was nice to see a bunch of my friends in one place. The older we get, the busier we become, and impromptu gatherings don't happen as often as they once did. This is one of the reasons I love birthdays so much! (That, and presents.)

On Sunday Nathan and I awoke sans hangovers, which was nice. We read in bed, walked the dog and tidied the house. In the late afternoon we went for a leisurely run, and before I knew it I had gone ten of the nicest miles of my life. Because of my now-diagnosed bronchitis, I've been keeping my runs slow and easy. My heart rate stays low, my breathing is even, and my legs do all the work. While I miss the exhilaration of a hard workout, I am quite enjoying the laid back nature of recovery. Highly recommended.

Also spent a lot of time waiting for a certain baby to show her much anticipated face. Still waiting... ;)

No photos this weekend, which is disappointing. I need to get better at actually taking photos! That will be my goal for this week. How about you?