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wine

I hope that light at the end of the tunnel isn’t a train.

Sep 22nd, 2009
by gazelle.
3 comments

Of the four projects that I have due starting Thursday 9/24 & ending Wednesday 9/30, one is 95% complete. One is 80% complete. the other two are 50% or less, but are the smaller, more familiar projects, and ones that I worry about much, much less.

In other news, there is still wine left in North Portland, so maybe my stress management tools have improved since last January.

In other other news, it’s a damn good thing that there’s going to be a fun party this weekend. Thanks, Emily, for planning your wedding for the very weekend I would need it most! You’re the best!

Winos…back at it…sadness…and some happies

Jun 17th, 2009
by gazelle.
7 comments

Last night, I walked for about 30 minutes before heading over to my friend’s to drink my uber-expensive bottle of wine…..

We drank the bottle, chatted, and she gave me clothes. I think I owe her a lot more $9.99 bottles of wine. And this was actually pretty damn good! Much better than my usual $6.99 wine!

—

My ITB is feeling a lot better today. I think the stretching & rest has been good. I’m going to try really hard to remember to stretch & rest & use the foam roller after all vigorous workouts. Better to take a few  minutes to stretch & roll than have to take 2 days off, right?

Tonight after work, I’m headed to the gym for weights & a swim (and maybe a bit o’ bike if I get all inspired). Tomorrow – yoga. I’m running Friday & Saturday, which means I won’t run tomorrow morning (I just can’t do three days in a row), and I’m going to try to get another bike in on Sunday. Sunday is the North Portland Sunday Parkways, when they close some streets & you can just pedal freely without having to worry about cars. There’s entertainment & food vendors, and it looks fun. It’s a ways away from where I live, but not so far that I couldn’t bike there.

—

The sadness referred to in my post title is that my kick-ass neighbors, whom I haven’t talked about on this blog for a week and a half (maybe causing you to wonder if they’d suddenly become less kick-ass – perhaps they admitted to being closet Cheney fans, or tried to convert me to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or something) are gone. GONE! They say they’re coming back, but who knows….. They actually left for Spain about a week and half ago, and are supposed to come back this Friday, I think. BUT HOW COULD THEY LEAVE ME FOR SO LONG??? (Hey kick-ass neighbors – I’m just kidding. I promise I haven’t become a creepy stalker neighbor.) It’s so weird – we’ve only been neighbors for about a month or so, but already it’s like we’ve known each other for much, much longer. In a good way, really! I’m just glad they’re going to be back in time to party with us this weekend.

—

And, since this is the most disjointed post in a long time, I just want to do some anniversary shout-outs!

6/15 – my maternal grandparents celebrated 66 years of marriage

6/16 – my parents celebrated 34 years of marriage

6/17 – my friend Dr. Marcy & her husband celebrate 3 years of marriage.

ETA

6/18 – fellow runner Aron & her hubs celebrate 4 years of marriage

6/23 – workout buddy & runner The Ambitious one & Mr. Pi celebrate some marriage. Maybe 2 years. I didn’t get specific before I added it. oops.

Congrats everyone! It’s a good week for weddings, apparently. Although Marcy has a ways to go before she catches up with the others!

Morning Run FAIL

Jun 16th, 2009
by gazelle.
9 comments

I was still really sore from the crazy workout the Ambitious One put me through on Sunday (1,000 yds in the pool followed by a 10.4 mile walk/run), so I skipped my weights last night, knowing I’d already committed to a weight workout Wednesday, so I’d get my minimum 1 time in this week.

This morning, I had my alarm set for 5:35 AM to get up & do some hill repeats before work. But I was up all night with a tight, tight chest and nasty cough. I could hardly breathe. I remember telling the architect I couldn’t run because the cold was in my chest. When the alarm went off this morning, I told the architect I felt like crap & was going to have to skip my run. When my alarm went off again one hour later, I was so confused. People, I think I dreamed the sick. I feel fine. The architect says I was not up all night coughing & wheezing, and he’s a light sleeper, so he would remember.

However, it was probably best that I skipped the run for another day of rest. My right ITB is painfully sore, and I’m trying to remember that although I can exercise through aches I should not exercise through pains. That way lies madness, and injury, and having to take three months off of running and missing my marathon again.

So – I’m going for a quick post-work walk before heading over to a friend’s to drink wine. I totally ditched her with no phone call a couple of weeks ago, which is lame & inexcusable. She consented to forgive me, but I am totally going to bribe her into more forgiveness. Last night, I purchased the most expensive bottle of wine at my corner store. Oh yeah, people. I am a big spender!

How did it get to be Monday again?

Mar 30th, 2009
by gazelle.
14 comments

It’s weird – this Monday thing just keeps happening!  I don’t understand.

After the long run on Saturday, I was very productive for the rest of the day. I showered. And then I did……hmmmm….nothing? I was going to make some food for the wine party, but I didn’t. So I bought cheese & crackers, because who doesn’t love cheese & crackers? Crazy people, that’s who!

The wine party was pretty damn awesome. Thanks again to Emily for hosting us – your place is pretty amazing! There was wine. And food. And wine, I think. We had our tasting contest.

Rating the Wines

Rating the Wines

Jen & Zach totally kicked all our asses with their wine.

Jen for the Win!

Jen for the Win!

The rules were: bring 2 [identical] bottles of red under $10, the person who brought the highest rated bottle of wine got to keep all the duplicate bottles.  I’m not sure how that worked out  – I think the duplicate bottles ended up getting donated back to the party!

The $10 Wines

The $10 Wines

There was, as of course you’d expect at any classy wine party, a push-up challenge.

Look at those arms!

Look at those arms!

All-in-all, a good time was had.

A few of the ladies of PB&J (Portland Bloggers & Joggers): Sarah, Alisa, Amy, Jen & Emily

Sunday, I didn’t do much. I wasn’t hungover, just lazy! I did my menu planning for the next 2 weeks and then went grocery shopping so that my menus wouldn’t go to waste. After I returned home from the market, the architect & I had a beer & surveyed our property. I pulled eleventy-hundred weeds out of my flower/herb garden in front, and now there are only eleventy-hundred more to go!  Woo!

Mondays are usually my [workout] day off, but since I took yesterday off, I need to run tonight. If I run just 7.25 miles, I will hit 90 for the month. So, that’s probably what I’ll do :)

Now, it’s lunch time (finally). Have a good week!

What I did last week….

Mar 9th, 2009
by gazelle.
22 comments

Last week kinda went by in a blur – probably all that having to ‘set an alarm’ and ‘get up and shower’ and ‘go to work’ stuff. It was hard.

I had thought things were going to slow down for a bit, but I was wrong.

However, many things happened – like how I didn’t work out all week. Seriously – between my crap run on 3/1 (the last time I can remember seeing my Garmin *sob*) and my completely kick-ass awesome trail run on Friday, I did nothing. Also, Saturday? nothing.

Wednesday, after an exciting day in the juror room, I met up with some friends & after a drink at South Park, we headed out to see Kathy Griffin. I thought she was hilarious – I really enjoyed the show, and would like to thank my friend that doesn’t yet have a cool nickname for my blog for the tickets. Good times!

Friday, I had a morning meeting (not primary job related) and then a couple of hours later, I headed to the hills! I met a former co-worker (you may remember me mentioning the Cheetah) for a Washington Park run. It was nice – I got to stop by my former place of employment & say hi to all my friends from the old job!

We had a great run -the weather was perfect, and although the trails were a little muddy in places, muddy legs are a badge of honor, right?  I can’t believe how much I’ve missed those runs – I used to do them 2-3 times a week on my lunch hour. I’m definitely going to be there every Friday! Such a good workout & so pretty. In about three weeks, the cherry trees will be blooming & then it’s like running through a magical fairy land!

After our run, we went and had a couple of drinks & caught up.

Saturday I did nothing all day but read. It was nice.

Yesterday was my 12 mile run. I woke up a bit later than I intended (I have a rule about no alarm clocks on weekends) and couldn’t make it downtown by 10 to meet my running partners (2/3 of whom were sleeping in, anyways), so I knew I was on my own for my 12-miler.

The architect said he’d run a ways with me (he did the first 1.5 miles with me before turning around), but then I was alone with my iPod. And without my Garmin. We looked EVERYWHERE, but it was not to be found. I wore my old watch, so I could at least time my run, but I really prefer to know my splits for a run like this so I can make sure I’m staying on target. I know I hit mile 1 at 10:16 (because mile one is when I run under a bridge, it’s easy to remember), but since I’d mapped out a new route (this is the furthest I’ve ever run from home), I didn’t know where my mile points were.

I ended up going possibly 12 miles (I think it was a bit further, but can’t confirm with anything buy Map My Run, which insists it was 12 miles) in 2:22:56, which is about 11:54 pace – and way slower than I thought. I really wanted to average 11 minute miles, so I’m disappointed a bit. Also, so sad about my Garmin. How long do I wait before replacing? Next weekend is a race, so if I figure out how to used the lap button on my watch, I’m sure the mile markers will be clearly marked – but I’ll have a 14-miler the weekend after that.

Anyways, after the drama of my ridiculously slow run, I iced my knee (which is still a bit sore today – I think I’ll do my Bikram at home tonight (thanks yoga downloads!) because that helped so much last time), did my 200 crunches for the SB in SD challenge, and showered. I couldn’t bring myself to take an ice bath, although today I wish I would’ve.

The architect & I headed out to Trader Joe’s to stock up on wine (I got a $50 gift card for my bday from my super-fantastic sister-in-law), and then after some more quality reading time, I had dinner & then went to bed. Today I am tired & sore (mostly the knee, but the ankle a bit, too.)

I was a bit angry this morning when I woke up to snow, but it seems to have stopped, and the rest of the week looks nicer.

So- I probably left some stuff out, and will be have to fill you in later, but that’s what I’ve been up to lately!

Happy week! (and if you find a lost Garmin, please send it home!)