Camp, Coffee, Hike, Repeat

This past weekend Nathan and I, along with Calvin and Seamus, spent the weekend camping with some friends at Martin Dies, Jr. State Park, located about 90 minutes south of Nacogdoches. It was our first time visiting this particular park and we liked it. Our site was near two trail heads, the water in the distance made for some nice scenery (though the signs warning of alligators kept the dogs on dry land) and the weather was perfect.

Here's the thing about camping: it's kind of boring. Sure, sleeping outside and cooking over a fire is fun, and it's really the only acceptable time to have a beer at ten in the morning, but generally nothing really happens. Some hiking. Lots of coffee. Reading and board games. Sitting by the fire after the sun goes down. That's pretty much it. And, as someone who has a hard time slowing down and living in the moment, it's pretty much awesome. How awesome, you ask? See for yourself.

The dogs were very excited as we loaded up the car and kept trying to run out the front door and onto the front seats. Once we were finally on the road they spent the majority of the drive staring out the windows and panting with excitement.

When we're car camping, I like to make coffee in the French press. It's a touch of civilization in an uncivilized world. (Also: delicious!)

This was Calvin's second camping trip (the first was during Thanksgiving break). He settled in to the new routine pretty quickly. Our friend John suggested using rope to make a dog run that we could attach Calvin's leash to, which was a brilliant idea. He couldn't run away, but he had enough freedom to run around the camp site, pee on things (including John's bag... oops!) and wrestle with Seamus. Seamus, of course, was off leash the entire time because he's perfect. I wish I had a photo of Seamus lying by the fire while the rest of us played Settlers of Catan on the picnic bench, but I didn't think to snap one. Trust me when I say it was adorable.

On Saturday we did an easy four mile hike along both the trails pictured above. I took tons of photos of mushrooms and trees, many of which made it on to my flickr account. Below are some of my favorites.

Pardon my appearance. I hadn't showered in three days and had been living on Shiner Bock.

Possum Living. Review coming soon!

All in all, an excellent weekend of camping. It makes Monday rush by just a little bit slower.

Spring is the Season for Races

A start line in Pecan Park. On your marks...

Since the marathon I have completed five runs. My longest run was five miles and it wasn't exactly pleasant. This isn't to say I haven't been exercising - I'm still working out an average of five times a week (five is the magic number!) but I've been choosing swimming, yoga and rock climbing over running. This is all fine. After months of marathon training I needed a break, mentally and physically.

But breaks cannot go on forever, especially when you love running and you have a bunch of spring races on the horizon. April and May are going to be busy and I need to be ready - ready to race, ready to PR, and ready to run my heart out before it's 100 degrees and any pace under nine minute miles is but a wistful memory. Here's my current race calendar which is, as always, subject to change:

March 26: Texas Quest Adventure Race (12 hours)
April 9: Davy Crockett Bear Chase Half Marathon
April 16: Mighty San Gabriel Adventure Race (12 hours)
April 30: Bark-o-thon 5K
May 7: Lake Tejas Triathlon
May 28: Spread Your Wings Adventure Race (18 hours)
June 11: Houston Beer Fest

First, a word about adventure races. If you haven't done one I recommend starting with a shorter race - four hours is pretty nice for beginners. I've done two adventure races so far and they're a fun challenge. Truly, adventure racing is Nathan's passion and I am on his adventure racing team because 1. he loves me and 2. he needed warm bodies with which to race. I'll blog more about those races as we complete them, but all you really need to know for now is that they include biking, running, rowing and special challenges. As long as I continue running and cross training I should be in fine shape for these races. (For more information, check out my recap of the New Orleans Urban Adventure Race, the Lumberjack Sprint, and Nathan's blog which he seriously needs to update, Amateur Adventure Racing.)

The Lake Tejas Triathlon is a brand new event. It's close to where I live and it's a sprint distance so I think I'll be able to handle it without getting overwhelmed (as I did last summer, when I trained for an Olympic distance triathlon that I never actually raced.). I've been working hard on my swimming but I'll have to find time to get back on the bike. Luckily, the weather is getting nicer so that should be easy to accomplish.

As for running races, the Bark-o-thon 5K benefits the local animal shelter and I'm really looking forward to it. I love 5K's and think they're one of the hardest distances to race. I'm also really excited about the Bear Chase. My half marathon PR is from last year's race and I'm hoping to beat it. Maybe I can run a 1:55 half marathon? We'll find out! I've convinced my good friend and yoga instructor Amy to run the Bear Chase with me once again. She's faster than me and I always run my best when I'm secretly competing with her.  

Amy and I after the 2010 Bear Chase. RAWR!

Naturally, I made a training plan for us to diligently follow. It starts this Sunday, which makes me feel better about the fact that I skipped the run I planned for this morning. Come Sunday, there will be no more skipping!

Click to enlarge.

Six weeks seems very short when it's laid out like that, but I'm certain it can be done. Also: wow. This post ended up being way longer than I'd originally planned. Thanks for reading until the end, and have a very happy Friday.

Coffee Break

I have a few blog posts up my sleeves (a half marathon training plan, a camping trip, and the best recipe for carrot cake in the world) but work has been busy and my Internet has been out at home. (Turns out that if you forget to pay the bill for three months, they shut off your connection. Who knew?) While I'm busy taking care of those things, let's shift gears and talk about coffee.

I love coffee and I'm never without my trusty travel mug, due to the intense guilt I feel when throwing anything away. My previous mug was an ugly stainless steel cup who's lid was impossible to clean and was forever caked with gunk. Not very appetizing. When I saw the cute mug pictured above at Old Navy - white, with a pink sleeve, and only $4.99 - I had to have it. And I love it! It's adorable and functional, super easy to clean and makes drinking my morning coffee the joy that it was meant to be. Cheers! 

Occasionally, I come across bloggers who are in the midst of "cutting back" or "giving up" coffee. You will never find that listed among my goals. I love coffee and coffee loves me. During the week, I usually have one 12 oz travel mug of coffee in the morning (3/4 coffee, 1/4 almond milk). If it's a particularly hard day (or I haven't slept well, or I'm looking forward to a late evening, or I hit the box of wine a little too hard the night before) I will resort to a second cup in the afternoon. On the weekends I drink coffee all day, but I also up the almond milk so I don't have a heart attack. This method has worked well so far.

Are you a coffee drinker? If so, how to you like your cup of Joe prepared?

Review: I Am Charlotte Simmons

This post is full of spoilers, so if you haven't read I Am Charlotte Simmons yet, consider yourself warned!

Summary: In I Am Charlotte Simmons, Tom Wolfe tells the story of our eponymous heroine, a small town and sheltered girl from the mountains of Sparta, North Carolina, who finds herself attending the prestigious Dupont University as an innocent and morally self-righteous freshman. Determined to prove her self-worth and brilliance, but caving under the pressures of wanting to finally be accepted by the cool kids, Charlotte's first semester showcases an epic fall from promising young genius to average shallow student who counts becoming the girlfriend of a college basketball superstar the greatest success of her academic career.

My Thoughts: Oh, Tom Wolfe. You started this book with such promise, such interest, giving us characters who were interesting, flawed, and rife with so much potential. And then, about half way though the book, you gave up. I can understand giving up - this book is over 750 pages long, and the first half is pretty good. But as Charlotte experiences the terrible turning point that leads to her downfall - getting drunk for the first time and then losing her virginity to a snake-like frat boy in a graphic scene that borders on date rape - so does the book. I get that sex is important. Life changing, even. And I understand that Charlotte is devastated and ashamed by her experience. But she spirals into such a deep depression, and for so many pages, that Wolfe began to lose me. I found his constant generalizations of "girls who are depressed" to be overwrought and presumptuous, and I had a hard time relating to Charlotte's despair. I wanted to shake her and tell her to move on, stop throwing away her college career on a bad sexual experience, and get some professional help for her depression. This is not to minimize Charlotte's rape - because I do view her experience as a rape - but I wanted her to understand that it wasn't her fault and that she is not ruined because of it. That she never comes to this conclusion, never rises above this terrible thing, upset me. That Tom Wolfe, the author, seems to agree that this degradation is something Charlotte could never overcome just made me angry.

Characterization, or lack thereof: While Wolfe started the book with promising characters and somewhat interesting conflicts, he throws it all away in favor of two-dimensional caricatures that merely represent what he sees as "typical college students." Charlotte is the most interesting, and that isn't saying much. She recognizes and condemns the shallow views of her peers because they look down on her for the way she dresses, her Southern accent, and her country upbringing. But then Charlotte turns around and looks down on her one true friend, Adam, who comes to her rescue in his darkest moment (mostly because he's in love with her and wants to sleep with her) because she doesn't think he is cool enough. Charlotte recognizes this conflict and struggles with it, but ultimately seems to think that it's okay for her to judge others, and not for others to judge her.

The other characters - Charlotte's roommate Beverly, her friends Bettina and Mimi, Adam, the evil frat boy Hoyt, and her eventual boyfriend, Jojo - are little more than representations of what Tom Wolfe sees as typical college students. In the acknowledgments of the book, Wolfe thanks his sons for helping him get the language and slang of the youth "just right." I wish he hadn't done this. It made the slang seem all the more forced and awkward. I realize this book takes place in the 90's and that some of the language is and should be dated, but Wolfe swings from using the words Fuck and Shit 75 times on one page, to having Adam lust for Charlotte's "loamy loins." I'm not even kidding. That's a direct quote. The inconsistencies were distracting and just plain embarrassing.


Who is Charlotte Simmons? I was most disappointed with the end of the book. After breaking through her depression and receiving the grades from her disastrous first semester, Charlotte has a decision to make. She can confess what really happened to her mother (or not) and move on, working hard to reclaim her role as brilliant young genius, or she can... find fulfillment and acceptance as Jojo's girlfriend? She chooses the latter, and I still don't understand why. I mean, I understand that longs to be accepted but I also understood (or thought I did) how much value she placed on intellectualism and academic success. Her transformation is so complete that it rings false, despite the fact that it is documented in grueling detail. By the end of the book, I don't feel like I know Charlotte Simmons. Considering she's the title character, this is not a good thing.

One last thing. Has Tom Wolfe ever heard of feminism? I'm not saying that every book needs to pass the Feminist Board of Approval, but when you have a scene where Adam, a man, literally attempts to shake some sense into the very depressed Charlotte, it is not okay to write something about how all women desire a man to take control and tell them what to do. (I am summarizing the passage, but barely.) When I read that particular paragraph I nearly threw the book across the room. Really, Tom? Tell me some more what I want, what I like, how I act when I'm depressed, what all college students are like, etc. Stereotypes are bad enough, but lazy writing is unforgivable.

Verdict: Two out of Five Stars. I shall quote reviewer Jacob Weiserg, because I agree completely: "You may never put down a Tom Wolfe novel. But you never reread one, either."

So! Who out there as read I Am Charlotte Simmons? I've had my chance to review, discuss and criticize. Now it's your turn!

Birthday Weekend and Beer Brewing

We spent this past weekend doing the natural thing - celebrating Nathan's 30th birthday the whole time. Yes, we do birthdays right.

We started after work on Friday by meeting a bunch of our friends at Auntie Pasta's, the only really "nice" restaurant in Nacogdoches. I had expected about 10 people to show up, and was pleasantly surprised to see nearly twice that many of our friends. Everyone loves birthdays! After eating and drinking, some of us went to another friend's home for more drinking, a dance party and the best cake I've ever made. (Carrot - recipe coming soon, mostly because I want to bake it again ASAP!)

The next morning, Nathan and I got up bright and early. I had played the role of designated driver and felt rested and chipper. Nathan was not quite so lucky. Nevertheless, we dropped the dogs off at Amy's for a day of playing in their huge yard with their three dogs and then drove on to Houston. Our first stop was Delfalco's Home Wine and Beer Supplies. 

We've been wanting to get into beer brewing for years now - it's made an appearance on at least three of my New Year's resolutions lists, and it's always the thing that we put off for another month or another year. This weekend, we finally bit the bullet and purchased a deluxe starter kit - all the equipment we need to brew to our hearts' content! I can't wait to start. I love cooking, I love crafting, and I love beer - I'm pretty that beer brewing and I are soul mates.

I'm also excited to document a new project on The New Me - beer brewing for beginners! Stay tuned for tales of our adventures and mishaps as we attempt to craft the perfect beverage.

Besides beer supplies, our other main goal for our Houston trip was two fold: see a play and eat dinner. We chose to see August: Osage County at the Alley Theatre. The play was about a dysfunctional family and was described over and over as quintessentially "American" in it's subject matter and style. While I have a hard time with anything described as "American" - how can you sum up the experience of a country that is so diverse and varied, with countless stories to tell? - I did enjoy the play. It was dark and funny and sad, and live theater done well is always a magical experience.

You can see Nathan and me in the reflection of the glass.

I wish I could have taken photos of the set - it was amazing! - but alas. No photos allowed.

After the play, we had dinner with our friend Vicki at Van Loc, another Houston favorite, and we got some sweet outdoor gear at REI, which I'm sure I'll blog about in more detail later. Overall, it was a great time and even though our trip to Houston only took a day, it felt like a week.

How as your weekend? Any fun trips, adventures in the kitchen, or races run? Link them up in the comments! I could use some reading material for the long week ahead.

Happy Birthday Nathan!

Nathan hates when I post photos of him. Happy birthday!

Today is Nathan's 30th birthday! It's hard to believe he's entered a new decade, especially since he was just 21 when we met and started dating. Seems like yesterday! He appears to be taking the change pretty well and is mostly excited to be the youngest person in a new age group for races. I, on the other hand, am having a slight existential crisis. If Nathan is 30, that means I'll be 30 in just a year and a half. 18 months! I always thought I would have accomplished something huge by my third decade - a best selling novel! my own business! land and a house to call my own! a year spent backpacking abroad and collecting material for my memoir! - and time is running out. I need to get moving, like yesterday. Sigh.

But enough about me. This is Nathan's day, and I don't need to tell you how glad I am that Nathan was born, exists, and shares a life with me. Happy birthday, my love!

Besides the birth of Nathan 30 years ago, this has not been the best week. Calvin has been really disobedient - he ran away twice (I should have had him on a leash...), he destroyed two pairs of flip flops, and he went through our laundry and scattered it across the bedroom floor. I'm not sure what's gotten into him, but I suspect it has something to do with us being busy this week and not taking the dogs on as many walks as they (very clearly) need. Let's make a deal, Calvin - if we try harder next week, will you return the favor?

I'm also nervous about hearing from MFA programs. Some schools have started to notify but this process will go on (and on, and on) until April. I'm trying my best to stay distant and distracted, but it's hard. I didn't follow my weekly cooking plan at all and we even succumbed to ordering a pizza last night. And I've just been feeling a little down and funky in a non-dance-party way. It seems to be going around, so at least I'm not alone in my winter blues. But still. Still.

On the bright side, it's Nathan's birthday and that means dinner and drinks out on the town. Tomorrow we're going to Houston for the day, where we will eat good food, see a play and pop in our favorite haunts. Which are all fun and exciting things, which means this funk is about to be nothing but a faded memory.Whew!

I hope you had a good weekend and are looking ahead to an even better weekend. See you Monday!

A Brief History of Employment

First of all, I want to thank everyone who commented on my last post. Posting political and/or controversial topics is always a little bit terrifying. In real life, I shy away from confrontation and avoid arguments at all costs. However, when something is really important to me I feel it's my duty to be open about it. I'm glad we could have an informative and respectful conversation, even when we have differing views. My readers are definitely the best ones on the whole Internet!

Moving on! (For now, anyway.) I had hoped to have a recipe to post today but I've been in a major cooking rut and have resorted to pasta, stir fry or veggie burgers almost every night this week. Instead of regaling you with photos of those delicious but boring meals, I thought we could take a walk down memory lane and look back on all the jobs I've worked since the age of 16.

Off topic? Perhaps. But when you spend 40 hours a week at a desk job, it's hard to not think about work. (Trust me, I've tried.) Below is a brief history of my life as a productive member of society.

The Bagel Shop
I worked at a bagel shop on Long Island when I was 15 years old. I was basically a short order cook, bagel slicer, coffee maker and cashier. It was very hectic and I was very bad at it - I broke the coffee maker and sliced open my fingers on a regular basis. Also, I only knew one way to cook eggs so everyone got them scrambled no matter what they ordered. The job lasted approximately three weeks and culminated with the owner of the shop asking if perhaps I would like a job sweeping the floors after hours. I declined, saying that I would rather find a job that I was actually good at.

The Public Library
At the end of the Summer of Bagels, I turned 16 and got a job shelving books at the public library. This was definitely my best job ever - I met great people, read a million books, and had a good time. I even dated one of my co-workers (a fellow page!) AND discovered vegetarianism in the stacks. Pretty awesome. I worked there for two years, until I graduated high school and left Long Island for college.

The Registrar's Office
I was a student assistant in the Registrar's Office for three years while in college. It was an easy job (mostly filing and mailing out transcripts for students). I made my own hours, often showed up hungover, and got to register for classes weeks before registration even started. I never got shut out of anything! And I still get free transcripts to this day.

Borders
While working at the Registrar's Office, I also had a part time job at Borders as a book assistant. Yes, I worked two jobs while going to college full time and STILL graduated with honors! Boo yah. This was a good job, but I don't remember it that well. Oh, college.

The Beach
During college (I had a lot of jobs in college) I went home each summer and lived with my parents. Two of those summers included working at the beach near our home in the permit office. This job was super awesome. Everyone got their permits during the first two weeks of June and then weeks went by where I sat in my office and helped absolutely no one. I started drinking coffee the second summer, spiked with Bailey's of course, and read Anna Karenina. Those two things combined made the slow days go by a lot faster.

Hastings
After college and one final summer at the beach, I moved to Nacogdoches and got a job working in the book section of Hastings. I actually liked this job. If we are all born with one super power, then mine is shelving books. Seriously. I can dismantle and put away a towering cart of books so quickly, it would make your head spin. The only downsides of this job were: drama (so much drama!) and salary. I got paid $5.95 an hour, and that was only because I had a college degree. I worked here for almost two years (and accrued the majority of my credit card debt making up the difference in pay) until I finally found a better job. Good jobs in Nacogdoches are hard to come by and I was very lucky.

The SFA Library
I worked at the library for almost three years, but during that time I had four positions. I started as a library associate in the East Texas Research Center, which was pretty boring. When I graduated with my MLS, I was promoted to Actual Librarian, and I got to work in the Digital Projects department, which I loved! And then I was promoted again, to head of Digital Projects, which was just amazing! Until my department was dissolved and I was moved back to the ETRC, as the university archives librarian. Wah, wah, wah. I didn't like the archives and I didn't like the work I was doing (plus drama! So much drama!) so when I saw another opening across campus, I jumped at it.

Which brings us to today, and the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
Today, I am a Research Development Specialist, which means I help faculty find and apply for grants. It's a lot of paperwork but there are some creative aspects to it as well (like reading and editing proposals and making websites). I really like my office-mates and I'm glad for all the new skills I'm learning. Will I work in grants forever? I doubt it. I'm only 28 and retirement is a long way off. Until then, I'll keep working, paying my bills, and doing my best to enjoy whatever it is that takes up 40 hours of my week.

What's the best job you've ever had? How about the worst? I love hearing about other people's experiences, so please leave them in the comments!

Run for the Right Reasons

Healthy Nacogdoches is the local organization sponsoring the 5K series that I've been taking part in. I'd run the first two races and was looking forward to completing the challenge this month. That was before I realized that the beneficiary of the final 5K is the Heartbeat Pregnancy Center - a crisis pregnancy center with a pro-life and anti-choice agenda whose website is full of misinformation and manipulative efforts to shame women away from abortion. Here's a great example from their website:

After an abortion, women will often go into denial making it difficult for them to identify post-abortion stress in their lives. Systems such as acute sadness, long-term grief, anger, guilt, shame, flashbacks of the abortion, memory repression, increased use of alcohol and drugs, difficulty keeping close relationships, difficulty bonding with children, and a sense of loneliness are all a symptom of post-abortion stress. Abortion is a secret that is buried deep inside and eats away at your heart. (Emphasis mine.)

They also go over all the physical and emotional risks of abortion, without once mentioning the physical and emotional risks of pregnancy, childbirth and/or adoption - all of which are far greater than an abortion, especially in the first trimester (when the majority of abortions occur). Not to say that no one should get pregnant because it's dangerous, but it's imperative to have all the facts before making such a huge and life-changing decision. Basically, crisis pregnancy centers are single-minded and agenda driven centers who put their own interests ahead of the well being of the women they are claiming to help. As a pro-choice woman who strongly believes that every woman deserves the information, support and autonomy to make the decision that is best for her, I will not be supporting this organization or running this 5K.

I love races. I love the community of running together, the excitement of a race, and the purpose that comes from running for a cause. But before I register and fork over my money, I have to make sure the cause is one that I support. Even if the run benefited Planned Parenthood, I would still find it odd and unfair for those with differing views and I'm disappointed that Healthy Nacogdoches chose to make a political organization part of their 5K series. I've tried to contact the organizers to let them know my feelings on this, and will keep y'all updated when and if I hear back.

Luckily, the Barkothon 5K is at the end of April, and the proceeds from that event will go to the Nacogdoches Animal Shelter - one of my favorite local charities and a cause that just about anyone can get behind. I hope Healthy Nacogdoches is taking notes.

A Day of (No) Rest and Going Bare

We had a busy weekend - babysat for our friends on Friday, Saturday morning yoga, a trip to Lufkin, dinner with friends - but Sunday? Sunday was about as busy at they get - and in a good way!

Sunday started with Nathan and I sleeping until almost 8:30am! I read in bed until 10 and now I'm almost done with I Am Charlotte Simmons. (At 688 pages I consider this quite an accomplishment. I also have THOUGHTS about this book, which you will soon hear all about.)

After breakfast, we finally took the dogs on a long walk down to the trails and the field where we let them run around off leash and roll in the grass until they're so tired we have to drag them home. The most exciting part of this particular walk was not that it was a sunny 63 degrees (though that was pretty great) but that I wore my Vibram FiveFingers for the very first time. Oh, yes. I'm beginning the transition to barefoot running. 

Like 95% of the running community, I read the book Born to Run and fell in love with the idea of barefoot running. While research is split and the topic is hotly contested, I think there's enough evidence backing the benefits of going barefoot that it's worth a try. From what I've read, the transition can be painful (Vibrams make you use muscles in different ways which can cause soreness, especially in the calves) so I'm starting out by walking the dogs in them. On Sunday, I probably walked about two miles and did some light running in the grass with the dogs. Today my legs feel a little tight but nothing out of the ordinary, so I guess I'm doing it right! 

A question for my Vibram wearing friends: How tight should Vibrams be? Mine feel very snug and I'm wondering if I need a size up, or if they will stretch out a bit the more I wear them. How tight is too tight?

In addition to walking in Vibrams, I also ran 3.4 miles and then spent two hours at the rec center, bouldering on the rock wall. Bouldering is when you climb lower, without a harness, above a crash pad (you fall a lot while bouldering. If you're me, anyway.). Bouldering is a great way to build strength and practice technique, both of which I need desperately. It was fun and I found some new problems to work on. Our goal of climbing twice a week is going well!

Mothership Wit

All that exercise called for a massive stir fry with quinoa and tofu, as well as a quality six pack. We went with Mothership Wit from the New Belgium Brewing Company. It's their organic wheat beer - very light and pleasant. Nathan didn't like it but I think it would be great on a hot summer day. As is, it was pretty good on a warm winter night.

Gratuitous photo of Seamus.

Gratuitous photo of Calvin

As for the dogs, by the end of the weekend they, too, were totally exhausted. I think a pair of tired pups is one of the best indicators of a weekend well spent. 

And just in case you thought I forgot that today is Valentine's Day, I have not! I'm even wearing a seasonally appropriate shirt to prove it.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I know that Valentine's Day was created by the greeting card companies and that chocolate and roses are trite, cliche, etc. But that's not how I do V-Day. Today, I celebrate all kinds of love, including but not limited to the love I feel for Nathan, my family, my dogs, my friends, my co-workers, 70 degree days in Texas in February, plans to drink wine in the park after work, and warm vegan brownies topped with vanilla coconut milk ice-cream. There are a lot of reasons to love. What are yours?

Weekly +/- and a Winner!

First, the moment for which you've all been waiting. The winner of the Good Mood Giveaway is...

Eliz from The Sweet Life, who said "Laughing with my husband before bed puts me in a good mood."

Thanks to everyone who entered my little contest. Just so you know, I assigned a number to each person who commented or tweeted (some folks got two numbers if they did both things) and then used the fancy number generator to choose a winner. Very scientific and I thought some of you might appreciate that. ;)  I like hosting contest and I hope to have more in the future, mostly so I can give more things away to my lovely readers!


In other news, this week has been a long one. Here's the run down: 

-  I've been very congested the last two days, even though I feel fine otherwise. Not sure if it's allergies or the chlorine from the pool, but it's definitely annoying.

- Yesterday I came home for lunch and found that someone had taken most of my shoes from my closet and placed them in the middle of the bedroom floor. And by "someone," I mean "Calvin."

- Between my faux-cold, the literally freezing weather (seriously, Texas, where's my average of 60F for the winter months?) and adding new exercises to my workout routine, running has taken a back seat this week. Not a huge deal since I don't have any races coming up, but April and May will be here before you know it and then it will RACE CENTRAL! I will run more next week.

That was the list of not-so-good. Now, for the list of much-much-better! 

Photo credit: Aprile C

+ My sister Susan (the middle one) is the assistant photo editor for Family Circle magazine and her job gave her a press trip - four days and three nights on Florida's Emerald Coast, most expenses paid. She is able to bring one guest and she has chosen... me! All I had to do was buy my own plane ticket, which I did, immediately. We are getting our itinerary in a few days and we'll have to do some "family friendly activities" while we're there, which is 100% fine with me. My first choice is yoga on the beach; her's is a dolphin cruise. No matter how we spend our time, though, we'll be on the beach and - more importantly - together. I love my family (even though they drive me crazy) and the biggest tragedy in my life is that I do not live closer to them.

+ This was the week I started rock climbing AND swimming again. It feels so good to expand my fitness horizons - especially in the pool. I didn't realize how much I liked swimming and how much I missed it. I'm excited to get better and maybe even learn a second stroke!

+ I finally finished and submitted my last grad school application. Whew! I'm glad that's over. I don't know when I'll start to hear back from schools, but it probably won't be until the end of February at the earliest. Which is a lot sooner than it seems. Eek!

+ Weekend plans include: an annual game of flag football, late afternoon runs, long yoga classes, banana bread, letting the dogs off-leash, and finally submitting two stories to literary journals. It's a weekend I'm looking forward to, and I hope the same can be said for yours. Happy Friday!

Adventures in Cross-Training

I love having a blog, mostly because if there is an ever an argument about when something happened or I need to reference how long I've been doing something, a simple search through my archives will reveal the answers. For example, it was almost a year ago exactly that I attempted my first real "swim" - that is, moving through a body of water using some method other than the doggie paddle. For a while I was training for a triathlon but couldn't keep up with the schedule. I decided to scrap three sports in order to focus on running and yoga - a wise decision, considering my performance in the Houston Marathon!

In the last few weeks of training for Houston, I started to daydream about other sports, other hobbies. Running 25-30 miles a week will do that to a person. And since the marathon (which was just ten days ago - seems like much longer than that!) I've dipped my toe in two of those hobbies - rock climbing and swimming.

The indoor pool on campus. AKA WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS!

Today was my first time back in the pool since... oh... June? I can't remember, but it's definitely been a long time. I was afraid I wouldn't remember how to swim, that all the work I put into perfecting my stroke months and months ago would be lost. Not so! As soon as I got into the  pool it was like I'd never left. Well, except for a little thing called "endurance." But that will come back eventually. In the meantime, I'm glad that I can still do a decent freestyle, that I remembered how to breath on both sides, and that I could find my swimming cap.

Calvin demonstrates the doggie paddle.

I ended up swimming a mile this morning - not too shabby, and not all at once. I did the following workout four times in a row, with lots of breaks in between laps. Katie, my friend, swimming buddy and fellow TIGER SNAKE suggested this. It was a good suggestion! (Oh, and if you want a laugh, check out her recap of this morning's swim - so funny and so true!)

100 meter freestyle swim
100 meter kick (with kickboard)
100 meter pull (with buoy thing)
100 meter freestyle swim

And as if one milestone wasn't enough, I also managed to conquer a long held fear - showering at the gym. The pool is open from 6:30am to 8:00. If I swam for an hour, there's no way I could go home, shower, change and be back on campus by 8am for work. So last night I packed up everything I would need to make myself presentable and used the locker room to shower and clean up. And guess what? It wasn't so bad. Our rec center is still shiny and new and because it's on a college campus, the gym is pretty empty before 7am. Which means I was the first person to use the shower and it had been freshly cleaned. Such a relief!

How do you feel about public showers? Grossed out or an old pro? Personally, I have a thing about bathtubs. I hate taking baths and always prefer showers. I'm glad I'm getting over my fear, though - it makes working out in the morning a whole lot easier!

Vegan Black Bean and Tofu Enchiladas

I'm overdue for a recipe post, mostly because I've been making really quick and simple things for the last few weeks. Then I realized that quick and simple is just as important as fancy and complicated, and that the recipes that can be made on a Tuesday night, after a full day of work and a challenging yoga class, are the very best kind.

This recipe is that kind - a small list of ingredients, minimal prep work, a full 25 minutes in the oven so you have time to clean the kitchen while dinner cooks, and then sit down for a hot, delicious, filling and healthy meal, which will provide plenty of leftovers for lunches later in the week. If that is not Tuesday night recipe perfection, than I don't know what is.

This recipe is a conglomerate of every vegetarian enchilada recipe I skimmed through on the Internet and was also inspired by the vegan tacos I had at the Cosmic Cup Cafe in Dallas a few weeks ago. Even though the ingredients are mostly cooked before they go into the oven, I like to bake it until the tortillas are crispy. Those who are avoiding gluten could easily sub corn tortillas for flour (just check your labels!), and feel free to add in whatever veggies you have lying around. This recipe is very adaptable, which is why it's one of my favorites.

Vegan Black Bean and Tofu Enchiladas

You will need:
1 block of extra firm tofu, cubed
1 yellow squash, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 small red onion, diced
1 cup frozen corn
2 cups of black beans (or 1 can)
1 can of enchilada sauce (I usually need about 15-20 ounces)
10-12 tortillas
1 Tbsp olive oil
cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat (cast iron is my favorite, but a regular frying pan will do). Add the olive oil and then the tofu, squash, zucchini, onion and corn. Cook for about ten minutes, stirring frequently, until everything begins to soften and brown. Mostly, you're trying to dry out the tofu by cooking away the water to avoid soggy enchiladas.

Add the black beans and enough enchilada sauce to lightly coat everything in the pan. Mix thoroughly and remove from heat.(If you like spicy food, this is a good time to add some chili powder for an extra bang.)

Lightly spray a glass casserole dish with cooking spray. Hold a tortilla in your hand and spoon in a generous amount of filling from the pan. Fold the tortilla in half, so the edges overlap. Plan in the casserole dish and spear with a toothpick (to keep the enchilada closed). Repeat until the casserole dish is filled and the cast iron pan is empty. (Sometimes I end up with an overflow of enchiladas and have to stick the extras in a glass pie plate.) Poor the rest of the sauce over the enchiladas. Place the whole shebang in the oven and cook for 25 minutes, until the edges of the tortillas are crispy. Cool on the counter for five minutes before serving.

Top with salt and pepper, vegan or non-vegan sour cream, and/or diced avocados, or just devour them as is. Most of all, enjoy!

A Good Mood Giveaway

If you've been reading for a few months, you might remember my weeks-long campaign to become the next SAM-e Good Mood Blogger. Because of your votes, I made it to the second round, filmed a great video with my good friend Jeromy, and held my own during the second round of voting. Sadly, I didn't win the contest and am not currently a professional, full time blogger. Last week, I received a box in the mail from SAM-e, full of gifts to thank me for participating in the contest. I thought this was a very nice thing for the company to do. And then I thought it would be even nicer if I payed it forward and gave the goodies to one of you.

The only reason I made it so far in this contest was because of you. Your votes, tweets, posts on Facebook, and daily clicks allowed me - a small-time blogger who posts in her spare time - to rub shoulders with people who have tens of thousands of subscribers. I think that's pretty awesome and this is just one small way for me to say thank you.

The winner of this giveaway will receive the following: 

One box of SAM-e Complete, a SAM-e notebook, a SAM-e reusable water bottle and - most exciting! - a yoga mat in a handy SAM-e yoga bag!

(When the company emailed me to confirm my address, they also asked me if I had any fun New Year's Resolutions. Rather than regale them with my 2011 Plan of Attack, I said that I was hoping to finally master the handstand in my yoga class. I thought it was very thoughtful that they sent me a yoga mat to help out! However, I already have two mats - one at the studio and one at home - so it's extra important that someone else get this one!)

There are two ways to enter, and if you do both you get TWO entries. 

1. Leave a comment on this post and tell me something that puts you in a good mood.

2. If you're on Twitter, copy, paste and tweet the following: I entered to win a yoga mat and other good mood goodies from @TheNewChrissy and so can you! http://tinyurl.com/47cujlb

I'll choose a random winner by Friday afternoon, which is February 11th Good luck!

A Rocking Weekend

I saw this snow man in a friend's neighborhood during Ice Day 2011. Gotta love Texas!

I had a great, busy, fun and fulfilling three day weekend, thanks to our surprise snow day on Friday. Here are the things I accomplished: 

• Nathan and I cleaned the house from top to bottom, which it so desperately needed. 
• Went out for sushi on Friday night, which we did not need but did anyway. 
• Attended a 90 minute yoga class on Saturday morning, which was excellent. First exercise since the marathon and my body held up wonderfully. 
• Ran four miles on Sunday (first run since the marathon!) and felt awesome. I missed running this last week, but the rest was necessary. After my run, I did a few sets of stomach crunches and felt the burn in my poor, neglected core.
• Took the dogs on a long walk yesterday and even let Calvin off leash when we got to a field. He did pretty well and was not lured away from our sight by smells and/or squirrels. Good dog! 
• Had a meeting with Elma to discuss swapping our skills. She's going to help me redesign some of the elements on my blog and I'm going to help her with content for her art website. Yay for bartering!
• Hosted a game night and came in second in Scattergories. Next time I shall crush the competition!

This also happened:

Now that the marathon is behind us, Nathan and I are getting back to some of the other sports and activities we put on hold during the peak of training. First on the list was rock climbing. When I first met Nathan, he was an avid rock climber and one of the first times we hung out, he invited me to come along on a trip to a cliff near our campus for a day of climbing. Even though I barely knew him and had never climbed in my life, I let him strap me into a harness and trusted him to not drop me on my head. Risky, but isn't that the nature of love?  I didn't break my head, I enjoyed the feeling of chalk under my nails, and I got an eight year (and counting!) relationship out of the deal. Works for me!

I fell in love with Nathan and climbing at the same time, so getting back into the sport is a little romantic - or as romantic as you can be while wearing a harness that feels like a diaper. Luckily, love is blind! The rec center on the campus where I work has a pretty nice wall and we headed there Sunday afternoon with Elma and George - talented climbers and a big motivating factor when it comes to making time for the wall. I am very much out of shape as far as climbing goes - I could only make it to the top of three "easy" routes and totally cheated my way up the last one. Also, I always remember half way up the wall that I'm afraid of heights. The more I climb, the less afraid I become, so I guess the answer is to climb more often. A good plan! We're going to try to climb one week night and once on the weekend and then, when the weather warms up, take a weekend trip and do some outdoor climbing, which is the best kind.

And even though I got a lot done over the weekend, there is still a long list of things I need to do ASAP. Pay the bills, finish the yoga newsletter, submit my last grad school application, figure out what to get Nathan for his birthday (he'll be 30 in just 11 days!), and keep up with my February goal of writing 1000 words a day (so far, so good!). I hope you had a great weekend and that your Monday is off to a painless and productive start. See y'all on the other side of my to do list!

Ice, Ice, Baby!

Today I got my second ever snow day as a Texan! We don't get snow often, but when we do less than an inch and some ice is enough to shut down the whole town... which is exactly what happened today! I checked my email at 6am, and sure enough the University had shut down for the day and I didn't have to go to work. The funny thing is, it didn't actually start snowing until mid-morning but we had freezing rain in the middle of the night and the roads were deemed too icy for travel. Works for me!

So far today, we've read in bed, eaten vegan blueberry corn pancakes for breakfast, drank a whole pot of coffee, watched one episode of Breaking Bad, and cleaned the house. I'm spending the afternoon working on a few writing projects (a brochure for my running club and the yoga studio's monthly newsletter). We did take one break from our relaxing/productive day in order to introduce Calvin to the snow and let Seamus frolic through the falling flakes. (Seamus mostly tried to eat the snow, but Calvin was into it.) Seamus is in green, Calvin is in blue. They're almost the same size these days and can be hard to tell apart!

I hope that where ever you are, you're warm and dry. Happy Friday!