My Current Wish List

Not sure why, probably because vacation is still months away, but I've been thinking about THINGS that I really want.

A Vera Bradley garment bag (plain brown to match my other pieces, or any pattern).  I'd use it every single week to take my clothes to work for the week so I can run on the remaining days.  This will probably be on my Christmas list. 

A Vitamix blender.  I would use this every day for my breakfast smoothie.

A bike (preferably one that I can use for Ironman training if/when I go down that road).

A new pre-lit Christmas tree, at least 8.5 feet tall, multi colored lights.

New floormats for my car.

A new warm dress coat.  I rarely need it in Dallas, but those days I'm wearing a suit and working up north in the winter, brrrr...

A Tofu Xpress.

A metronome to wear while I commute.  Might as well try to get my cadence in check!

An exit-only deadbolt for the bottom of our front door.

A griddle.  How do I not have one?  I never make pancakes and I'd like to.

More sterling silver silverware.  We currently have a setting for 8 that we inherited from my grandma, and I'd like to, piece by piece, get to the point where we have service for 12.

Well, there you have it.  Not sure why I was thinking about all this.  I may have to do a little shopping.  I got a $100 gift card to Amazon for Christmas and somehow I still haven't used it.  But of course the goal is really to save my pennies for our trip to Germany and Italy (actually, hubby is financing that), or for our trip to San Fran (which I am financing, and is hopefully going to include one mind-blowingly expensive meal).  But sometimes it's fun to day-dream...

FMM: Getting To Know You

I had a busy weekend including a rest day not by choice (i.e., the bad kind).  We didn't really do much Friday night.  The big adventure was actually driving to the suburb where we'd left my car parked after my big victory as first overall female in the beer mile on Thursday night.

Saturday was a 5k -- I stopped along the route to kiss my husband and got passed by a woman!  And I couldn't catch her.  Ugh.  It was a warm and humid morning and I didn't pace well.  I managed an AG award and actually very good placement (huge field, many of whom walked), but it was about 15 seconds slower than my other two 5ks in the last month.  It felt a lot slower than that.  But as soon as I finished, I went back for my accounting buddy who was doing her second 5k ever. 

After the first one, we made sure the logistics were better on this one.  We met up very early, well in advance of the race.   As soon as I finished running, I doubled back for her.  She was having an amazing race.  We ran most of the last 3/4 of a mile together, just a couple short walk breaks.  And I was a bit disappointed to see her run hard for the last minute or so of the race.  I told her afterward that she shouldn't have done that -- it meant I knew she had more left in the tank and we should have skipped some of those walk breaks and picked up the pace earlier!  Haha.  She was like, "oh no..."  I'm so excited at how much she's improving.  She finished the 5k in about 42 minutes, and given the large field, she ended up around the 50% mark of her AG, which I think was very encouraging for her.  So proud of her!!! 

After the race, we hung out for a while, eating and drinking, waiting for the AG awards and listening to music.  I finally got home after 10:00 (maybe after 11) and then it was all work, no play.  I had to get cleaned up and feed myself.  Then I was volunteering from 2-4, and after that I went straight to a northern suburb for hubby's godson's first communion and confirmation (I know they are usually separate, but he is a special needs child and the bishop allowed him and a girl with Down's Syndrome to do them both together).  It meant a lot to his parents, I could tell, and I was so happy that we were able to be there with them.  It came together on short notice and they don't have any family in the US, so I think the extra support for them was nice.  Afterward, we went out for a pizza dinner at the communicant's choice of restaurants.  Unfortunately, that was not good -- he was mostly excited about the soda fountain, and his parents let him get all the refills he wanted.  The pizza was not great, the restaurant's AC wasn't working, so the temp was in the low 80s in the restaurant, but the company was good and hubby's godson was very happy (particularly with his soda, he didn't really eat much pizza). 

By Saturday night, I was starting to feel some serious pain in my left leg, in the upper inside part of my calf (probably gastroc again? same thing I had in '07).  So I decided to take off on Sunday morning.  It was the first official day of marathon training, but it was just a prediction run to determine pace groups.  Since I know what group I'm training with, the run wasn't necessary, so I took the extra day of rest.  Unfortunately, it still hurts today.  I went to boot camp and took it easy, but it makes me nervous...

I spent the day Sunday after I got up cooking, I had an elaborate menu for book club at our house that night, and it went well.  My next door neighbor came over to help me cook, and I ended up sending hubby over there for dinner to eat with them and I just made extra portions to send with her.  So both our houses had the same meal for dinner.  The meal was good and the company was wonderful.  Lots of time talking and laughing. 

And now.... Monday.  The agenda for today (to the extent I get to control it):  interviewing two candidates for open positions, and finishing a draft of a report.  And paying bills!  And icing my calf! 

If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section here at: www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

Getting To Know You

 

1. Have you ever been skinny dipping? No, I don't think so (at least not after about age 5). 

2. If you could choose an exotic vacation destination today, where would you go?  I blame Kenlie for this since her post mentioned the Dalai Lama, but I think I'd like to go somewhere like Nepal, Bhutan or Tibet right now.  Mountains, clear air, different culture, something to engage me mentally and physically.  Someplace with countless things to see and do, and where I could also relax and just soak up everything around me. 

3. Do you prefer to live in the city or the suburbs? The city 100%.  Second choice would be the country (somewhere like where my folks live, many miles from "the city" of 4,000 people, totally remote).  And then third choice would be anything else, and last choice would be the suburbs.  Saturday night with hubby's godson was a good example -- we had to drive to a restaurant because there is nothing in walking distance of their house, it was in a strip mall, and it was a chain.  That is pretty much the opposite of what I like. 

4. If you could paint, draw or illustrate any masterpiece in the world, what would it be? I would love to capture something like the night market in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where there is a dynamic that would so hard to portray in an image. 

5. What is your favorite dish to cook when you’re cooking for one?  I pretty much never cook for one, but I guess I sometimes make quiche or boxed mac and cheese for lunch if I'm home alone -- the quiche can last for several other meals, which is nice. 

6. Who has recently influenced you in a spectacular way?  No one comes to mind, is that sad?  I guess maybe a running friend who just had a PR that makes me very jealous.  I'm trying to tell myself that if she can do it, I can do it. 

7. Have you ever considered dating a person who’s younger than you? If so, how young would you go?  I didn't start dating my husband until I was 29, and at that time, I think I would have gone as young as about 24 or so.  And it's hard to think in the abstract now since obviously I'm not dating, but at age 37, in theory if I had to date again, I could see going as young as about 27.  It would obviously depend on the guy, but it seems many guys grow up in their mid-20s, and as long as you're both pretty grown up, I don't think an age difference matters too much. 

8. What do you typically wear when you’re at home with no plans to go out? I usually stay in whatever I was last wearing.  On a day like Friday when I work from home, I spend all day in my workout clothes after I get home from boot camp.  On a day like Monday, when I get home from work and have no plans to do anything else, I stay in my work clothes.  On a day like yesterday where I'm not working out or going anywhere, I'd probably stay in the t-shirt and shorts I pull on when I wake up. 

9. Do you prefer a shower or a bath? I prefer showers.  We have a nice tub with jets and everything, but I mostly just use it after long runs if I need an ice bath. 

10. When you meet strangers are you outgoing or more introverted?  It seems to largely depend on the circumstance and my mood, but I guess I'm generally more introverted.  Sometimes I just want to do my thing and be done, but if I'm going to have to be around people for a while, sometimes I'll try to reach out.  But where there's a reason I'm there, I usually like to focus on that -- there are always people who seem to give less than 100% at boot camp and seem to enjoy commisserating more than working.  I'm the opposite, and even when hubby wants to say something during camp, my general thought is, "less talk, more action."  I'm fine with not knowing anyone's name or chatting with anyone, I just want to go and get my work out done, and then get home to get ready for work.  It's rare that I feel like I'm with strangers without a purpose -- like on a plane?  But then I guess I also like to keep to myself, though I've chatted with more strangers on planes in the last year than maybe in my whole life until this year combined.  If someone talks to me, I'll respond, but generally I do my own thing.  So I guess that makes me introverted?  But if I'm just interacting with a sales person or something, I'm happy to make some conversation. 

Now it’s your turn to answer this week’s questions. Don’t forget to come back and link up in the comments! Say hi to someone new this week, and have a happy Monday!

Weekend Menu for Book Club

I'm hosting book club this month -- our book choice was Lean In, which I need to finish reading TODAY but has been very interesting.  Particularly for a woman who was also called "bossy" as a child -- funny how that term is never used with boys.  It's also been interesting to read in view of my experiences both at a big law firm, and now more in the corporate world -- how women are perceived, how their careers are managed, how my friends (most of whom are also lawyers) manage household labor in their own relationships, etc. 

When I finish the book, I'll have to write more about it.  Anyway, right now for my own sanity, I want to make a menu list so I can be focused when I cook up a storm tomorrow.

Appetizers:

Gouda and apple stuffed mushrooms
Crostini with taleggio, apple, and thyme honey
Veggies and tortilla chips with creamy avocado dip

Cocktail:
Raspberry beer lemonade

Dinner:
Black bean corn salad
Field greens strawberries red onion goat cheese salad
Orzo with roasted eggplant and cinnamon-cumin dressing

Dessert:
Strawberry brownie tort, which will look just like this in theory:

First Overall Female!

For the second time in my life, actually, the second time in 15 months, I have won overall female at a race.  Woot!

Last night I competed in our local beer mile. 

The idea of this race has intrigued me since I first read about it in 2009 when Amy competed and won it in Tennessee.  I'd never heard of it before, and I thought pretty much the same thing she did -- hmm, I'm a pretty good runner, and I'm a pretty good drinker, maybe I should do that!  So I have been searching for a local one ever since.  And encouraging the right people to organize one. 

It's not a typical race.  First, there are no bibs and no paid registration -- for obvious liability reasons.  Second, your chugging skills are at least as important as your running skills.  Third, if you vomit, you have to run an extra penalty lap (for a total of 1.25 miles, but you still only have to do 4 beers). 

Basically, the way it works is a track is marked for a little "drinking zone."  Not sure how long it was.  Maybe 8 feet long?  Everyone competing lined up their 4 beers (we all used cans) in that zone.  The rules are that it cannot be a wide-mouth can, it cannot already be opened, it must be at least 5% alcohol

When the official time started, we were all in the little drinking zone.  We each chugged one beer, and then ran a lap, back to the drinking zone again.  Then another beer, another lap.  Another beer, another lap.  A last beer and a last lap through the end of the drinking zone. 

So the grand total is 4 beers and 1 mile. 

I was totally intimidated by the group.  There were guys of varying levels (including several I know to be sub-5:30 milers) and only about 5 women? 4?  Either way, I knew at least two of them to be significantly faster than me.  Including one who was the winner last year (I was already home for Christmas, so I missed it).

But she assured me that I could beat her.  She admitted that she's faster than me, but only by about a minute (maybe less) for a mile.  She said that if I could chug even a bit faster than her, the running wouldn't make a difference. 

And while I am not a huge alcohol drinker in general, and when I drink it's not usually beer, I can chug almost anything.  I think it's because I'm used to drinking so much water.  When it's time to leave work, I hate leaving water in my bottle overnight, and I'm too lazy to go dump it in the sink, so even if it's full (24 oz.), I'll just chug it.  But I also have experience with beer chugging.  In law school, we had a game that we'd play at parties when it was time to go.  Whoever wanted to leave would get the others to chug -- they'd say, okay, ready? 1-2-3-you chug! 

So I figured I had a shot. 

The race started and a couple of the guys chugged really quickly and took off.  Then a bit later, another bunch of us finished and took off.  And about half the group was still chugging the first beer.  I was the first woman to start running, but after about 200 meters I got passed by one of the faster women.  And I was nervous.  I was burping and felt pretty horrid already.  I couldn't imagine how I'd feel after more beer.  And right as I was finishing my first lap, I was passed by last year's female winner. 

So into the drinking zone with 2 women just ahead of me.  But on lap two, I was again, first woman out of the gate after my second beer.  And I would say I didn't feel significantly worse than on the first lap.  I was burping a lot and it was audible.  I joked with one of the guys running near me that my brothers would have been proud to hear me. 

I did not get passed by any woman on lap 2, but the 2 that had been ahead of me weren't far behind. 

Chug 3 was where it made the difference.  That beer went down much more easily and my confidence built.  During lap 3, I felt like I was spinning a little bit, but I remember being about 200 meters into the run and realizing that the other 2 women were still chugging beer 3. 

And before I finished lap 3, I passed another woman.  And right before I finished lap 3, I got passed by the two guys who were first to finish.  First place guy was 6:15:99 and second place was 6:19:71 -- but I was only one lap (and one beer) behind.  I got into the drinking zone for beer 4, and I figured I had it made.  I was actually not sure I was really on beer 4, it seemed to be going so fast.  But I checked my watch and saw that indeed, I only had about .25 miles to go.  I figured it had to be less than 3 more minutes and I'd be done.  60-90 seconds drinking, 90-120 seconds running. 

At that point, my sole focus was on not vomiting.  I thought the only way that I'd screw it up would be to have to run an extra lap. 

And I managed to do it!  Three of us finished within 10 seconds of each other, all between 8:40 and 8:50 (me and two guys).  My husband has hilarious video of the finish line -- I became quite uncertain I'd been the first woman because there were other women standing around -- but then I finally realized they had beers in their hands.  They still had a lap to go!  But then after I understood, I still kept asking people -- mostly just because I wanted to hear it again and again.  I'd won! 

But eventually that got old and I started feeling really dizzy.  I was pretty sure I'd get sick, so I went over to part of the fence around the track.  I ended up keeping it all down but it felt very touch and go. 

It felt like forever before the prior female title holder crossed the line, more than 3 minutes behind me.  And then nearly 2 more minutes before another 2 women. 

I felt compelled to keep high-5ing everyone.  And doing so repeatedly, until I felt like we'd gotten a solid one.  And instructing people on how best to do it -- they put their hand up and hold still and I aim for it.  And it was awful how many times I missed.

We all left the track and went back to the organizer's house for ... beer!  That sealed the deal, I couldn't drive home.  Initially, I'd thought if I hung out at least 2.5 hours after my last beer, I'd be okay to drive, but when I had another at the house, it was going to be too late before I could drive, so I rode home with hubby and will have to go get my car today.