random friday: alpha, bravo and ugly art

I've decided Fridays are my lazy blogging, sharing links with you, saying whatever I want days. Hopefully you don't get lost in my ramblings.

Can you recite the ICAO alphabet? Try it out here.  I got four. I take issue with Sierra for S. There are multiple ways that could be spelled and not all would involve S.

I want to see Ramona and Beezus. But I have no little girls to steal and I love Shea enough to not put him through that torture. Though I am not sure how anyone could not LOVE Ramona. So I will wait. The next movies I want to see is Eat, Pray, Love and The Social Network. Yes, a Facebook movie. But it's co-written by Aaron Sorkin (hello, West Wing) meaning failure is unlikely.

I'm really excited to go to this store next week. It's only open once a month, which probably means good things. And we really need something to store our overflow of kitchen items. Oh and overflow of books, clothes, linens, camping equipment. Who knew a girl could lust after storage space?

This is one of my new favorite sites: Awkward Stock Photos. It will brighten your day. Especially if you are feeling suffocated by your lack of storage.

Last night I made Chilaquiles Casserole for my 70-year-old neighbor. It's super delicious and really low calorie. Tonight I'm making barbecued pulled chicken for friends and then banana muffins to take home this weekend. I cannot let black bananas go to waste.

This weekend I am attempting to mat pictures so we can continue on with the bedroom decorating adventure. So far it's involved me holding up old framed paintings and saying "Pleeeeeease can we give this to the poor people?" Followed by me lamenting about how expensive it is to have someone else frame and mat pictures how I want them. I shall take matters into my own (and mother's) hands.

Shea asked me to start a project list otherwise known as honey-do list.

Shea: I want you to make me a project list!

Me: Um. I've got nothing.

Mark this day down in history. You will probably never again hear those words out of either of our mouths. After much thought, I've got this.

Shea's Project List

1. Remove ugly art from apartment and move to storage space.

2. Realize we have no storage and give art to the poor people.

sometimes my legs don't work

I unintentionally took this week off from running.

Monday I planned as a rest day after running a combined 12 miles over the weekend. Tuesday I forced my tired self out of bed, started running and it quickly became clear that my body was rejecting the idea. Ah the trials of  being a female runner - certain weeks just don't work. I ran to the gym, did weights and ran back home. Wednesday I was tired from a baseball game that lasted til 11 p.m. (grr) and sore from doing weights. Also, I was a whiner.

Today, FINALLY, I ran for real. Kansas City streets welcomed me back with 90 percent humidity. Blast. I am still determined to get my long run in this weekend.

Other running news:

I signed up for the Susan Komen Race for a Cure on August 8, and paid $5 more for chip-timing mostly so I don't have to run with people who have strollers. Plus, I can put on my bib that I am running for my grandma who is a recent breast cancer survivor!

I have had a lot of GI problems after I run over five miles. I've read every article under the sun and have decided my biggest problems are 1.) My habit of eating ice cream the night before a run. 2.) My habit of not eating immediately after my long runs. So I've stopped consuming dairy past dinner time. And right after a run I have half a cup of this goodness.

I get the dark chocolate kind. And oh. my. goodness. It's heavenly. Plus, more calcium than cow milk, lots of antioxidants and the carbs and fat my muscles need to function again. Down side is the non-dairy also means almost no protein. (1g vs 8g in skim milk) It works after a run though, the experts even say so. The true test will be this weekend. You should go buy it. Now.

I bought this Nathan fuel belt. I didn't want to. But it's super hot, and it's not even the dreaded steamy month of August yet. I know of only two water fountains on my routes and neither is in a great place for my long runs. 

It's all 90s and up in the forecast for the next 10 days. Plus humidity. Whine, whine.

stop, drop and roll

{Not my actual kitchen}

Remember when the fire trucks pulled up to your school, and you had to listen to boring lectures for Fire Prevention Week? Well, maybe I should have paid closer attention.

Last night I'm making sweet and sour chicken like any good wife would, and suddenly my pan of oil bursts into flames. Like two-feet high, burn your face off flames.

Me: UHHHHHH.....................
Shea: Haha, is it supposed to do that?
Me: No! This is not a fancy restaurant! Help me!

So Shea tries to be a good husband. And grabs the pan and yells at me to turn the water on. As I am doing it, I am starting to have flashbacks to fire prevention week. Water feels wrong for this situation. But instead all I can remember is covering my ears as they tested out the sirens. And those cute dalmatians.

I turn on the water against my own instincts while simultaneously saying "I am not sure..." BAM! Water hits the pan, and now there are flames high enough to reach our cabinets.

Me: "Ahhhhh! I knew water was bad. We don't even have a fire extinguisher! Is there one in the building? How do we not know this stuff?!"

We got it out by hitting two pans together. And then frantically holding the smoking pan out the window - a show for the neighbors I'm sure. Crisis averted. Though, we are a bit concerned that not once during this fiasco did our fire alarm go off.

I would be amiss if I did not tell you what to do when your canola oil catches on fire. So here it goes.

How to put out a grease fire:
1. Place a metal lid over the flame.
2. Dump an entire box of baking soda on the flames.
3. Spray a dry chemical fire extinguisher at base of flames.
4. Start collecting your family heirlooms and call 911.







This weekend my to do list will include: 1.) Find apartment fire extinguisher, 2.) Buy small extinguisher for under the sink, 3.) Put baking soda in easily accessible location.

introducing ink

We got the kitten. And we rejected your votes and named her Ink. She's black and white, it's newspaper-related, it works. Don't be offended, we're just not big on alliteration in names. Or in general life either. (Damn you, Karen's Klassy Kanines)

She's been adjusting quite well. So well in fact she's conquered our corn plant, removed my toothbrush from its holder, opened a tightly-sealed bucket of cat food and dumped over a cup of water. She's also met her siblings. At first Pica, the resident queen bee, was unimpressed. Not intimidated but not really interested. Now they are like those friends that are only good in small doses.

Our high-anxiety Jack Russell terrier, Mac, loves her. Upon first meeting, he just jumped on the couch and screamed in her face. (Yes, we do in fact have a screaming dog). Over and over, like a pacing zoo animal.

A couple of nights ago we had ice cream with our friend, Johanna. Mac taught Inky what to do when faced with such a lucky situation.

{See, this is good stuff. If you're quiet, they won't notice.}

She caught on quickly.

{OK, OK, I think I've got this!}

And then she wanted it all for herself.

{Seriously, back off. This ice cream is mine.}

weekend of food, dreams

I think I accomplished all of my weekend goals, which makes my Monday far less grumpier than normal. It also helped that our power was out for two hours, and I got to sit in my chair and read.

I recovered from Friday's long run only to do a 5.6-miler Sunday. I was only planning on three miles but the weather was about 20 degrees cooler than my normal runs, and the difference is amazing. Still dealing with a lot of stomach problems when I run so stocked up on chocolate milk at the grocery store.

Saturday morning we got all this at the City Market for $8.

{The bag is fresh basil just to be clear}

Though I forgot to snap a picture, we determined that Danny Edwards barbecue is good, but does not beat out Oklahoma Joe's. Our quest continues.

Saturday night we were too hot to do anything but rent Brooklyn's Finest which was entertaining but it's most redeeming quality is we rented it for $1. Rent only if it's your only viable option, which there's not a whole lot at Redbox we haven't seen. For dinner, we had root beer floats and popcorn. Yum.

Sunday we redeemed a Groupon  and had a post-run breakfast at Succotash. The highlight of my entire weekend was ingesting these crepes with brandy-soaked peaches and mascarpone cheese.

Seriously one of the best things I've tasted in years. I'm still dreaming about them. Unfortunately they were on special, not the regular menu, so I'm considering stalking the owner for the recipe. Though I have trouble finding feta cheese at my grocery store, let alone mascarpone.

We did finally see Inception. ($4 matinées, who knew such a thing existed. Win!) Unfortunately the coffee and waters caught up to me and I had to pee so bad I could barely concentrate on the complicated plot. The pregnant lady next to me was doing better than I was! I thought the movie was OK during it, but after much post-film hypothesizing, I realized how complex the story really was. Then I liked it more.

Highly recommended, but please remember to pee first because if you allow three minutes of bathroom time, you'll lose significant plot details.

hello weekend!

{Ahh, to be young and in the Smurf pool again...}

Weekend goals

Recover from the effects of a hot, 6.5 mile run (read: cramping and nausea)

Get Chris some Danny Edwards BBQ before he moves to Baltimore. We'll see if it compares to OK Joes.

Improve on my peach-selecting skills at the City Market.

Survive the 105+ heat index.

Organize our important and not so important papers.

Laundry. Blech.

Make some progress on decorating the bedroom. Hobby Lobby, here I come!

Watch some disgusting, mind-numbing episodes of Bones.

Read one of the four books I have started.

Fall asleep on hubby's chest. It's my ambien.

oh hello there, crazy

I convinced the hubs to run four miles with me Tuesday. He hasn't been the same ever since - hobbling up stairs and moaning on the couch. In all fairness to him, it was probably not wise to take him on such a long, hilly route on a first run (in awhile).

I neglected to hydrate because I am too lazy to get up from my desk and fill my cup. So I couldn't run until 6 p.m. last night. When I left the house it was a heat index of 100. Bad choice.

Not only was I dying from the sun, which I swear was beating its rays into my soul, but the crazies were out in full force. One man, who probably still has one foot in the jail yard, stopped to watch me cross an intersection and then covered his mouth to make an odd hissing noise. Not the you're-super-adorable-and- have-toned-legs hiss but the if-there-weren't-so-many-people-around-i-would-cut-you-up-in-pieces-and-eat-you hiss. Or maybe I just watch too much Dexter.

I saw four very large stomachs baring their skin to the world and got called "sweetie" twice. I ran past a group of folks with dreads, baggy pants and LOUD rap music who looked me up and down, then past a group of cigar-smoking gay men, who did not. All in three miles. My neighborhood is a much friendlier place at 6 a.m.

It was the hardest run I think I've had yet even though it was short, and I came home panting and soaked.

Thirty-eight ounces of SmartWater later, I made this zucchini and ricotta galette for dinner. It was super delicious even though mine never look as pretty as they look on other websites.

{Ignore the burned parchment paper}

Ten more miles to go this week and two more new recipes planned. Summertime can be so motivating. And crazy.

bribing the unchurched

Would you go to church if it meant free tickets to a baseball game? What about if the church paid your utility bills? Or gave you a free car, house or flashy electronics just for playing along and filling their pews.

A church in Minneapolis is giving away free Twins tickets to first-time visitors to promote an "epic" sermon series with the "epicness" of baseball tickets. But this church is only following a trend. This church in Jacksonville, Florida paid the electricity bill for four visitors who attended their Easter services. But the king of all bribes, this church gave away 16 cars, 250 bicycles, 15,000 prize packs worth hundreds of dollars. electronics and furniture.

I both applaud the creativity and recoil at the thought. On one hand, it's probably effective marketing if your goal is to fill seats. And if someone who wouldn't normally step foot in a church door does because he loves the Twins, I believe God can use that to reach his heart. But realistically, how many new visitors come expecting to find God and develop a weekly habit of church attendance?

When we first looked for churches after our move to KC, one church handed out chips and salsa to its visitors followed up by a $5 gas card in the mail. I don't get salsa. The gas card was for our next visit. But instead of visiting again, I wondered if the money I put in the offering plate would be used for another visitor's gas budget or to help support the children's programs, printing of the programs or outreach to those who need it.

The church we attend now followed up after our first Sunday with a visit to our apartment complete with canvas bag and brochures. The difference is I didn't go to church expecting something in exchange, though who wouldn't give up a Sunday for a new canvas bag?! One day our pastor gave us Popsicles to "feed his sheep" during a sermon because our church has zero air conditioning. And if you haven't caught on from previous blog posts, it's hot here. But no one came there expecting them as a reward.

Even though we're all adults and capable of making informed, responsible choices, we still need bribes. Get a free pedometer if you promise to stop sitting around and use your feet! Win a trip to Hawaii if you lose weight and reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes! Get paid cash to stop smoking - as if the chance to live a long life free of lung cancer isn't enough incentive.

Wouldn't it be great if we made choices based on wanting a healthy, fulfilling life with a perspective on something other than ourselves and this world?

If you win church members' hearts in exchange for material goods, are they then committed more to God or more to materialism?

field of dreams

Back in May, Shea, the self-appointed biggest Twins fan in the world, was already upset that people had already been to the new stadium - Target Field - and he had not.

On Sunday afternoon he was redeemed. Big time.

 {He is containing his urge to jump up and down like a little boy at the circus}

We got to the game two hours early so that we could take in all the stadium features without rushing. The Metrodome has clearly been put to shame. For example, what could be more Minnesota than an entire concession stand dedicated to fried food on sticks?

And then we made it to our seats, which were a nice cushy leather. We even had our own personal lounge with concession stands and bathrooms.

{Shea's head pretty much exploded when realizing row five was the dugout box}

 

Here is our view. I can confirm that Joe Mauer's hips and thighs are as large as they appear on TV.

We got numerous texts from people who saw us on TV every time there was a left-handed batter, which is kind of a lot of pressure for me to be smiling when the Twins are down by three. And then, ninth inning, the Twins score four and win. Hopefully WGN caught us hands in the air, jumping up and down like super fans.

We had an AMAZING time.

Thanks to Gene at Gittleson's Jewelers for the tickets! Can we make this an annual tradition?

a minnesota reunion

Sometimes friends are developed over a long period of time. There are other friends that a more instant connection develops because your personalities complement each other, you share a faith, and your lives are on similar paths.

Three months before we found out we were moving to Kansas City, we met four amazing couples, two of which we got to spend time with this weekend - Aften, Brandon, Becca and Stefan.

Mac even got to spend time with his friend, Millie. He is still recovering from all the humping  playing.

We started off with an afternoon playing Kubb, sitting by the beach next to the St. Croix river eating grapes and cheese and catching up on each other's lives.

And as my complete lack of skill in throwing wooden sticks was revealed, the rain began. So we frantically gathered our coolers and raced to the car. We grilled at home and ate way too much only to head to Nelson's for ice cream. As we entered the tiny ice cream shop, the tornado sirens blared. We confirmed that the tornado touchdown was 30 minutes away so naturally we stood in line because what goes better with 80 mph winds than a little ice cream?

 {This is the kid's cone. I'm still digesting two days later.}

As we drove home, our ice cream eating and laughing slowly turned to a lot of "uh..." and pointing at the sky. Aften floored her truck, and we raced home and into the basement. Note: we have not had one tornado touchdown in Wizard of Oz country yet we go to Minnesota and this happens.

When Shea and I talked that night, we realized for the first time in six months we missed Minnesota. These people were not at our graduations. They weren't there when we got engaged or at our wedding. But they are closer to us than many of the friends that we've known for a decade. They understand our fears, our struggles and our hearts. And we miss them.

Hopefully our visits will be frequent and continue for years to come. Thanks for overdue laughs and much-needed fun!

hot, chubby and tired

Here's a little preview of my weekend. Real update coming soon when I locate my camera charger.

In other news:

•  I haven't run since Friday. Instead I ate a lot of ice cream, burgers, bacon, and did I mention ice cream? Today I feel weighed down and bloated. Luckily I wore a big skirt.

• I want to run after work. But the heat index is close to 150,000 degrees (or 110). And it was 93 percent humidity when I left for work. I don't even know why I bother brushing my hair. It just becomes a ridiculously frizzy event.

• Also, I am tired. We drove 6.5 hours last night, returning at midnight, so today I am drinking coffee like it's my job. I'll use the exhaustion and coffee-induced dehydration as more excuses as to why I didn't run.

I'll stop whining. Stay tuned for fun posts!

fridays without work are the best kind

We're headed to Minnesota for a weekend with friends and a visit to the new Twins stadium. I took the whole day off and am enjoying a morning sans work. Or at least work I am choosing to do.

I ran my long run today to get it out of the way - all 5.5 miles of it with 84 percent humidity. It was fairly uneventful except for a slight detour to avoid about 50 geese of which I have a gigantic fear. Now my legs and feet (ok and lower back, butt..) are sore. Really sore. I am afraid this 13 weeks of training ahead of me is going to be long.

I'm also doing laundry because not only is my apartment super entertaining during the day but the washers are all free. This my friends is not something to take for granted. As I got in the elevator, the cleaning guy asked me a few generic questions and then commented I have a strong accent. Then he asked if I was from Nebraska. I said, "well maybe it's a little leftover Minnesota." But really, Nebraska?

Now it's off to make these strawberry scones and loading up the car. I'm not sure when my life flipped and a day off no longer included Starbucks, sleeping in til noon and a movie. Probably the same time a budget, half marathon and some sort of consistent body clock disease entered. Lame.

Happy summer weekend!

it's all in the name

We've decided to get the kitten. Mostly because we realized that we were in too deep, and it was hard to back out. Also, I was having indecision anxiety and it was affecting by ability to ... be normal.

{Seriously, could you resist this?}

The kitten will be vaccinated, de-wormed and uterus-free when we pick her up Tuesday evening. My hope is that her arrival will not anger current cat Pica but will give her a sense of purpose other than waking me up at 5 a.m. meowing or lying on top of my face. Also that Mac the resident dog does not eat her. You should probably pray for us.

For those of you that thought I named my first cat after the disease that causes women to eat dirt and chalk, think again. Pica was named after my love of newspapers and typography. Fun fact: A pica is a typographic unit of measure corresponding to 1/72nd of its respective foot and therefore to 1/6th of an inch. The pica contains 12 points of measure. I have a pica pole engraved with my name. You can commence judging me. I'm comfortable with being a journalism nerd.

Naturally the second cat needs to fit into our  my journalism obsession. Help us choose! Feel free to submit something we didn't think of in the comments. (Note: I know that the name of Richard Gere's cat in Runaway Bride was Italics. But considering he married the source of his story, his connection to journalism is voided.)

What should we name little kitten?

• Strikethru
• Caption
• Pixel
• Fonts
• Italics
• Quotes

it's all relative, plus some greek yogurt

A heat advisory was issued for Kansas City today until 10 p.m. By mid-morning that was downgraded to an "excessive heat warning." During my run this morning, it was 80 degrees with an 88 percent humidity. (Yes, it sucked. Big time.) And currently:

{In Kansas City}

It's not hot enough for a heat advisory even though it feels like "running through warm butter" as someone on dailymile  put it.

However in Minnesota, a heat advisory was also issued. At our condo in Minneapolis right now, it's 84 degrees and humidty in the 70s. Feels like 94. And that heat advisory is going no where.

Do Minnesotan's bodies actually experience heat worse than those of us who are conditioned to experience it more months out of the year? I think not.

Also today, I am trying out Greek yogurt. After the last few days of feeling STARVING, I have determined I need more protein. Greek yogurt has more protein, less salt and less carbs than regular yogurt. 

For my weight and being a regular runner, I need 53 to 74 grams of protein a day. (Find out how much you need here.) This is hard to achieve since I am not a ravenous meat eater. So far today:

1.5 tablespoons peanut butter = 6 grams

small banana = 2 grams

1/3 cup chicken breast (in salad) = 14 grams

1/4 cup cannellini beans (in salad) = 4 grams

1 cup of romaine + 1 peach = 1 gram (ouch)

6 oz. Greek yogurt = 12 grams

Total: 39 grams 

My current plan for dinner is homemade mac and cheese. Shockingly, cheese actually has more protein than you think so I might even meet my goal as long as I have a glass of milk with it.

Other high protein foods include:

• beans
• peanut butter
• eggs
• milk
• cheese
• yogurt
• nuts
• meat, of course.

How do you get your protein?

a little art, a little gelato

This weekend one of our favorite people visited. Even though Ashley's left us for college in California, we're happy a very important person in the extended family is back for the summer.

We had a dinner and  a little wine, which ended up more on the ceiling and less in our glasses.

After a quick stop at the dog park, we headed to Balsano's Gelato Cafe, which had a 20-minute line. The half wedding cake-half mint chocolate chip was well worth the wait.

We spent the rest of Friday night sitting on a bench guessing the relationships between people standing on the balcony of a bar. Turns out, Ashley's a pro at body language psychology.

Saturday morning Shea made the girls breakfast before heading to City Market for fruit and loose leaf tea. We stopped by KC Juice for our favorite smoothies (watermelon juice!) and then finally made it to the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art. Who could resist picture taking with sculptures followed by a little skipping?

Less than two years to convince Ashley that Kansas City is a great place to be post-graduation. We need talented costume designers here, too!

should have checked the weather channel

This weekend I was supposed to run five miles, which is not much longer than I am running on weekday mornings. I left the house at 8 a.m. with a gray sky but nothing menacing. As I started running south, the clouds behind me seemed to get thicker. And darker. And then, menacing. Thinking I could just outrun the rain, stop at my turnaround, wait for it to pass and continue on my way I figured I had a pretty good plan.

I ran, turned around at my halfway point, and it started to sprinkle. And then rain. And then downpour. I ran to a shopping center overhang and waited it out while watching the cars. I figured Shea would definitely roll over in bed, hear the thunder and rain, and come get me. False. The rain stopped, so I figured if I ran fast, I could at least make it home even if I got a little wet.

I made it a half mile when the lightning started. The kind that you see and then the following crack is earth shattering. The lightning kept coming and I remembered that someone from my hometown died while walking during lightning. Thinking death is less desirable than a good running time, I took shelter in Starbucks (only nine blocks from home) just as the sheets of rain began.

After lurking near the doorway, I finally got in line and pitifully asked if I, a wet and sweaty mess, could use their phone. After alerting Shea that I needed rescued, I stood huddled in a corner sweating and shaking from cold all the same. A very nice man approached me and said his girlfriend mentioned she heard I got caught in the rain while running, and could he buy me a cup of coffee. I declined, but still smile when I think about his kindness.

Shea arrived, and we quickly realized we were now stuck in the parking lot due to a completely flooded street. This was happening just a few blocks away:

http://www.kctv5.com/slideshow/news/24215045/detail.html

So we scrapped together change and ordered a short coffee (note: there is a size smaller than "tall" at Starbucks, they just don't advertise it.  But if you tell them you're paying with the coins you found underneath your car seats, they reveal their secrets.)

We made it home without floating away. Moral of the story: You cannot outrun a storm. Between flash flooding and dog bites, it's been a hard training week.

another happy friday

{I made it. Pretty right?}

Fridays always call for lazy blogging because when I am wearing jeans at work nothing good ever gets done. Instead, here are some random thoughts.

This link made me physically shake at my desk because I was trying to not laugh out loud/pee my pants. If your Friday isn't already perfect, this will help.

Obama got my very favorite barbecue catered on his trip to KC yesterday. Good taste, man. I was hoping he would invite me to eat it with him. He did not.

The reply all feature on Facebook messages is EVIL. I did not loose my phone and do not need your phone number. I should sell your number to insurance companies.

I want the following running gear: FuelBelt, Garmin Forerunner and Body Glide with the latter being the most important. Seriously. It's humid.

I have made spinach salad with mandarin oranges, strawberries, feta cheese and pecans several times this week. I like it with this dressing. I also made the fruit pizza pictured above and learned that trying to do healthy fruit pizza crust is futile. Suck it up and use the cookie dough.

Have a super fun summer weekend!

kitten anxiety

This kitten needs a home.

A friend of a friend found this itty bitty guy in a drain near her house. And then sent pictures that were very hard to resist. So for the last 24 hours we've been filled with kitten anxiety.

In general, I struggle to make decisions - haunted by the "but what ifs." We think we may have a route to get reduced costs with getting kitten fixed and vaccinated which was initially our biggest concern. But the next problem is this ball of grumpiness:

Pica loves me. And this love is fairly exclusive. In Pica's ideal world, she'd always be safely two inches from my face without anyone to compete with like a husband or a dog. But Pica did adjust to her new brother, Mac.

The two siblings chase each other in circles around the couch. Mac frequently grooms Pica's ears. When they first met, Pica spent most of her time underneath the bed. Now, they've been known to share a bed, couch and even a lap.

Then there is the problem of our 900 square foot apartment that doesn't even have a bedroom door. So with the two of us, three pets and maybe a baby someday, it seems rather naive to think we'd all have enough space to ourselves. And maybe we don't even want another cat and just are getting baby fever. 

But, then there is the possibility that kitten would make Pica motherly and keep her company when we leave her for the weekend. Or she might get territorial and rip its face off. 

Cats are pretty low maintenance but do I really want two cats trying to drink out of my water glass, sleep on top of my face, dirty the litter box and fur up the couch?

But it is SO ADORABLE.