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holidays

The 12 Days of Gazelle-mas: Day 7 (Three Things Thursday!)

Dec 29th, 2011
by gazelle.
2 comments

Oh, blog readers – I am sleepy! Not sure why. I have not done enough to actually make me tired. Maybe that’s the problem – too much lounging. Nope – that can’t be it. I wonder how long it would take for me to really start missing my job? I’d love to find out. Too bad about that pesky mortgage and the need to eat.

1. I had a grand ambition to put together a puzzle on my holiday. So far, I have most of the border together. I think I was too ambitious. I probably should’ve started with 200 pieces instead of 2000.

2. One of my 2011 goals (the “secret” goal) did not meet fruition this year, due to a confluence of events (job changes + pregnancy), and I am wondering if I can realistically make it happen in 2012. I’m thinking not, but that I could, at least, lay the ground work so that I’m ready to go in 2013. There are a few steps necessary to make the goal attemptable (not even attainable), and I need to define those steps with milestones and timelines, and then get started. I think it will make a huge difference to my overall health and mental well-being….of course, there are times that I really get excited about my current job and the opportunities there-in. It’s hard to figure out what I really, really want AND be realistic at the same time (I do so much enjoy money….)

3. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to feeling something move around inside of me. It still startles me. And delights me. And freaks me out just a little. Of course, I know that it will eventually stop – since Alvie will have to come out at some point. I am getting a wee bit excited when I think about meeting him. Of course that excitement is tempered by the terror I also feel at the thought of being responsible for a baby. (I couldn’t even get a onesie on the cat, how am I going to care for an infant?) (Of course it might actually be easier to dress an infant than a cat, and hopefully less dangerous for my face.)

 

On the 7th day of gazellemas, Amy gave to me:

Seven cycling miles,

Six yogis posing,

FIVE PAIRS OF SHOES!

four pancakes,

three lazy cats,

two empty boxes, and

A Pooh Bear outfit, adorable and twee!

Weekend in Review – a bit late

Dec 20th, 2011
by gazelle.
2 comments

Yeah – this usually happens on Monday. As it happens, I spent Monday on the couch, moaning dramatically (which did not seem to impress the cats, at least not enough for them to fetch me important things like cocoa or the remote).

I had a great weekend. Really awesome. BUT – I may have overdone it a bit. This is something I struggle with ALWAYS, and especially now.

Anyways – on to the fun!

Friday, I hit the Hatha 2 yoga class with my friend & fellow preggo Emily. It was pretty awesome, although I totally tipped over once. I’d like to blame my balance issues on pregnancy, but am pretty sure that they’ve always been with me. After yoga, we did a 5-mile hike in Forest Park (in 90 minutes, bitches!), and then refueld with brunch at Besaw’s. Yum.

Then I shopped at the Nike Employee Store (Yay!) and picked up gifties for the architect. I also really had to resist buying tiny UO onesies for Alvie. CUTE.

By the time I got home Friday, I was wiped out.

Saturday, I planned on going to the prenatal yoga class, and got up and dressed in my yoga finery. I knew the class was at noon, but just before 10, decided to check to ensure it really was noon and not 11:30 or 12:15 or something. Yeah. It was at 10. I didn’t so much make it. :(   The Wednesday prenatal class that I’d previously attended is at noon. Not so much the weekend one. Oops!

Instead I went grocery shopping and then made a delivery to east Vancouver before heading home to collapse in a pile of sore and mentally prepare for Zoolights! I have never been to Zoolights, even though I actually worked at the Zoo for the first couple of years I lived in Portland AND have been a Zoo member for the entire time. I have worked at the opening night of Zoolights, but never actually went in.

The architect & I met up with friends, and we rode MAX over to the Zoo. It was fun – and I’m glad we went. However, now we know that we ride the train FIRST, and not after walking around. Due to the 1 hr and 20 min wait for the train, we decided to just leave. We went to Mellow Mushroom for dinner (the architect was likely reminded of home, as this is a pizza chain common in the South) and then home to bed.

Sunday was naked santa nut brunch day!  (hee.) Some friends and I got together for brunch (delicious french toast bake, bacon, chocolate croissants, mimosas, OJ, toffee), then a naked lady exchange, then secret santa gift exchange, then the Nutcracker! So fun. (There was no actual nudity – sorry!)

Again, I was totally wiped out, and spent the rest of the day doing….nothing? I don’t even remember. I made chili and cornbread (which was delicious), but am not sure I did anything else.

 

We clean up nice, don’t we? Also, I am short. And blueberry-esque.

Anyways – I have all of next week off, and am planning on sleeping and working on my capstone, and sleeping. I cannot wait. I just need to get through this week of crazy work, and then 11 days in a row of no work! YAY!

 

Happy week! AND Happy Chanukah to all who will begin celebrating tonight!

Post Holiday Check-in

Dec 26th, 2009
by gazelle.
6 comments

I am ready for the new year! And some serious sugar detoxing. January is a month of clean eating & fitness (rebuilding my base), and I just feel that 2010 is going to be a fantastic year.

I am working on the things I want to do for myself in 2010 (sounds so much better than resolutions, doesn’t it?) and am feeling pretty good about my list. 2010 is going to be all about making a happier healthier smarter gazelle.

–

I am pretty much taking this week & most of next week off from my fitness goals. I went to the doctor on Wednesday, and although my cough isn’t anything BAD (like bronchitis, or pneumonia, or consumption), she did say (more than once) that she would suggest taking it easy cardio-wise until the cough is completely gone. So, I’ve canceled my runs for the week, and will start back slowly next week. I have plenty of time in January to rebuild my base, and it will be easier to do if I’m healthy.

The other thing I learned is that I’m apparently protein deficient, and my vitamin D levels are on the low side of normal (which is not unusual for Pacific NW residents in December). So, I need to get more protein, and am trying to figure out how I’m going to add that in – I’m thinking more eggs for breakfast, more green smoothies supplemented with protein powder, and that occasional burger (like today). I also am going to try to figure out more delicious tofu recipes.

Protein deficiency can cause anxiety, depression, and the need to eat a lot (and think about food a LOT), it can also cause muscles to heal at a slower pace (check!), kidney stones/infection (check!), hair thinning (check! fortunately I have a LOT of hair), sore & aching muscles (check! especially today – I hurt so bad from Thursday’s workout), headache (check!), cardiac issues (check!), weight gain & lean muscle loss (check!). All of those symptoms that I have are mild, as is my deficiency, but I’m pretty excited to know that with a little extra vitamin D & upping my protein intake, I will have be both physically & mentally healthier for the new year! (Protein deficiencies are pretty rare for people from the US, even vegetarians, but athletes do tend to have higher protein needs than other people, and as long as I’m conscious of getting the recommended allowance of protein, I should be able to reverse this pretty quickly.)

***

I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday, whichever one you celebrate!

The Last Day

Dec 31st, 2008
by gazelle.
11 comments

I can’t say I’ll be sad to see 2008 go. It’s been a rollercoaster of a year.

There was some good:

  • New job
  • Paid off my car
  • Ran 1/2 marathon

There was some bad:

  • Architect laid off
  • Hurt my knee, did not run marathon

But overall, I think that I’ll just look forward to the exciting things that 2009 has in store for me. I have some goals for the next year. 

  1. Run (at least one) marathon 
  2. Run 1,000 miles
  3. Think seriously about actually doing a sprint tri-athlon
  4. Master that intuitive eating thing 
  5. Drop some more (10) pounds before getting into the longer distances in my marathon training
  6. Gain no weight DURING the marathon training
  7. Continue my excellent workout schedule
  8. Continue to exercise at least 26 days/month
  9. Keep up with my knee strength & stretching
  10. Drink 64 oz+ of water each day

Since I do 5 small monthly goals, I will continue with those -these are all health & fitness goals. I have others, too, of course, but don’t necessarily feel like sharing them at this time. I probably will in the future, though. I can’t keep secrets from you guys!

Tomorrow, I’ll have my January 5 goals & an account of how I did with December. I will also do an overview of how my $200/month grocery budget worked in the first month. Oooooh…..exciting!

I am planning on running 4-5 miles tomorrow, and then 3-4 on Friday. Sunday the Ambitious One will be back & I think we’re meeting at 10 AM for our Sunday run. 

I made it to the gym again this morning for 30 minutes on the stationary bike & 30 minutes of strength training. 

Happy New Year’s!

Woo! Snow Day!

Dec 22nd, 2008
by gazelle.
25 comments

Except with 80% less woo. Seriously. This is insane!

The architect and I walked to the grocery store today, because we are hardy! And out of coffee! The store is not so far away (about a mile round trip).

We bought many groceries, put them all in backpacks, and carried them all home. It was heavy, and it’s hard to walk in slippery snow.

Just in case you cannot truly appreciate how much snow we’ve gotten (perhaps a record), I have photos:

In case you can’t tell, that’s about a foot of snow covering my herb garden.  (The architect removed it all with a garden spade, by the way – who has a snow shovel in Portland?)

And here’s the backyard – wheelbarrow full to overflowing, car cold & covered….craziness everywhere!

And because the snow is not only annoying, but also kinda pretty, here’s a photo the architect took yesterday on his 4 hour cross-country ski adventure through the streets of North Portland:

So pretty, don’t you think?

This week, I’m only supposed to work Tuesday & Friday – and I REALLY want to go to work tomorrow. I have things! That need to be done! This week!

BUT, last time I checked, the buses weren’t running in North Portland, and not only that, the bus that takes me up the hill to my work is also not going up the hill. I’m not sure what tomorrow will bring. The city ran out of de-icer, so things are a little crazy here. The airport is closed, and although my parents aren’t scheduled to leave until Wednesday, there is some concern that they may not get to go then (I’m keeping my fingers crossed).

Today, once again, I was unable to run outside – probably not tomorrow, either. This is a little crazy-making, and since my gym is not walking distance, I can’t even go get on a treadmill. I may break down tomorrow (if I’m stuck at home again) and walk to the nearest gym (1.5 blocks away) and beg them to take my money & let me run on one of their treadmills. I did a 90-minute yoga DVD today, and my walk. Yesterday I shoveled (and then it sleeted & snowed & basically erased all evidence of my hard work), and Saturday I ellipticalled, but I need to RUN! I wish I had some of those nifty Yaktrax that I’ve seen the cool kids sporting lately.

No pictures of me all dressed up pretty – we didn’t make it to the holiday party. I understand it was fairly well attended, but I bet most of the attendees were close-in, and not may from outlying areas made it in – it was nasty.

The Ambitious One suggested that we do a winter cocktail party with wine & hors d’oeuvres & fancy dresses – so now we just need to con someone into hosting (I’m perfectly willing to have people over, but not sure that many people WANT to come to North Portland).

I hope everyone’s getting in some good runs & not succumbing to cabin fever yet! (Send wine!)

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