happy trails to you

Many people run, yes? Yes. Me? No. I don't run. Ever. I am not a runner. At all. No. Not me.

In high school, I played field hockey. Yes, this required running. However, because I had a big stick in my hands and was chasing a small ball around a large field in a short plaid skirt, I didn't think about the running. I thought about getting the ball past the big bad goalie.

Throughout the four years of high school field hockey, I wore a brace on my knee, because of knee pain when running. This was/is not uncommon. I even saw a doctor who told me that surgery was really my best option. I declined this option, realizing that I wasn't going to be making a career of field hockey or be recruited to play field hockey for a D-1 school. I stuck to wearing the brace and taking a lot of advil before practices and games.

Now, several years after high school has ended, so has my field hockey "career" and I use the term career very loosely there. Since then, I don't think I've run. Seriously. I don't run. I always blamed it on my knees, more specifically my right knee.

This weekend, I had lunch with a few lady friends and the conversation turned to new sneakers and running. One mentioned that when picking out her new sneakers recently, the sales guy asked her to run around the store. I asked why, and she said that by doing that, he could tell what sort of runner she was and what sneakers would be best for her.

Maybe my problem all these years were bad sneakers! Maybe it's not my knee(s) after all, and I was just wearing poor footwear. Ironically, my aunt used to work for Nike, so I got free Nikes for years, but she worked in the office, having nothing to do with the actual sneakers.

Maybe I should go and find this place and do a run around, and have the sales guy tell me which sneaks might be best for me. Then I could buy some cute running shorts. Then maybe you'd want to go for a run with me.

more dinner

I just ran down to Whole Foods with the intention of grabbing sushi for lunch. While I walked by the seafood section, I saw a lovely piece of salmon that was just the perfect size for my dinner tonight. Steve's in Indianapolis, so it's just me.

If you were me, how would you cook the salmon? I've cooked salmon many times before, I'm just looking for new inspiration :)

dinner anyone?

Last night I got home from work and all I wanted was blueberry muffins...so logically, I baked! Yum!

le sigh

Why is it when this dress is finally on sale, they don't have my size?

Boooo to the Gap! I've been stalking this dress for WEEKS, literally!!!

Oh hello! How might you be?


My busy weekend has come to an end...quick recap in bullets---

• Friday night Steve offered to take me to see The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants 2!!! I was shocked, but quickly agreed, before he changed his mind! It was cute! Each girl had their own separate story line, but of course, they were intertwined by the pants. I liked it a lot. There were some interesting things I wasn't expecting that seemed slightly forced, but overall, very enjoyable. Once again, it made me want to go to Greece! I'm excited to see it again this weekend with the girls.



• On Saturday we went to Mount Vernon which is one of my top five favorite places in DC. I'm seriously in love with Washington's estate, I can't help it! They were having Whiskey Rebellion festivities, so we thought it would be fun to go to. Turns out, there was no whiskey! They had people walking around in the period costumes, and a woman making corn bread with homemade butter, which was delish, by the way, but no whiskey! Boooo!



• After leaving Mount Vernon, sans whiskey, we found a winery! It was called Potomac Point Winery (http://www.potomacpointwinery.com/) and if you are in the DC area, I highly recommend a visit. It was about an hour or so away (same exit as Quantico off 395), so it wasn't bad. The place is GORGEOUS! We tried about 15 kinds of wine there. The La Belle Vie was my favorite- La Belle Vie (2007) - Smooth and refreshing white wine that is perfect for sipping on the patio. This slightly sweet white has hints of citrus and melons. (see photo at top of page...) They have an outdoor bistro, where we enjoyed a bottle with our dinner. I had lentil soup and pita with hummus. Random combination? Perhaps? So worth it? Absolutely! Steve may have purchased about 6 bottles too! Now I may join one of their wine clubs....


• Sunday we looked at houses! We went to two open houses. Both were adorable, but smaller then what we are looking for. We saw a third that Steve had seen once before, but I hadn't. It's really nice, and Steve may put an offer in. Exciting!

How was your weekend?

dilemma!

Okay, so on Tuesday, I mentioned that I had to clean out my cabinets because pest control was coming through my building to spray for mice. Ugh, yes.

When I got home from work, I found a note from the fumigator (is that a word?) saying that he had partially sprayed, but not completely, because I hadn't emptied one of my cabinets. The cabinet I didn't clear out is one I rarely use. There are about four things in there. The reason I don't use it is because it's at the base of this built-into-the wall cabinet, and the door sticks, and it nearly impossible to open, so its not worth the struggle. Apparently it needed to be sprayed too though.

I left my cabinets empty, assuming they'd return on Wednesday to finish the job. I was wrong. I got home from work last night and nothing had been touched. Booo. I just called the management office and the fumigator only comes on Tuesdays. So he'll be back next week. He wants to spray again, since he missed parts.

So the question is. Do I put everything back in the cabinets until Monday and then remove it again? Or, keep the cabinets empty, saving myself the task of putting away-emptying-putting away again?

What would you do?

question du jour

Hmmm, so I have a reply card for a wedding invite that I need to send in. I can't go to the wedding, it's the same day as a good friend of Steve's in Iowa. The wedding is an old high school friend that I've barely seen since, and we talk mostly thru facebook/myspace, so frankly, even if we didn't have Steve's wedding, I probably wouldn't go. I was quite surprised I was invited, to be honest.

When sending back the card, I marked "decline with regrets" but wanted to write a little note to the bride. Should I say "wish I could come, but we have another wedding" or is that rude to say, making it sound like hers is less important? I just don't want her to think I am blowing off the wedding or anything! Is there a nice way to say I'll be out of town? Can I just say that I have a family event?

too many groceries?

One day last week, I came home and found a note on my door. It was from the management office of my building, letting me know that they'd be entering apartments on my floor beginning today. Apparently there has been a mouse problem (eww, I know), so they are planning to come into every apartment and look for and then seal off the places where the mice are entering (I totally wrote mouses there, without thinking about it!).

The note asked us to be sure that kitchen cabinets are empty. Right.

I live in a Capitol Hill efficiency. I have a galley kitchen. I don't even have a kitchen table, because there is no room for one! I have exactly two cabinets above the sink, and then a built in shelf thingie across from it where my dishes live.

Last night when I got home, I began to clean out the cabinets. While doing so, I decided it would be a good idea to throw away food that may be past its sell/use by date.

I threw away about 1/3 of my food! Seriously! Apparently I buy food and then don't use it, which I knew, but I didn't think I was that bad! Sure, sometimes I will have a brilliant idea to make a new recipe, so I buy the needed ingredients and then lose interest by the time I get home (haha), but I found a box of pasta, that was unopened, but the date on the box was November 2004! I didn't even live in this apartment in 2004! That means that when I moved in there in June 2005, I took expired food with me from my old house up by CUA!

I felt awful; I had to throw away unopened boxes of pasta, cake and brownie mixes, several canned goods. Normally I would have just donated them to a local soup kitchen or the like, but some of them were so old, I didn't think they'd take them!

Am I an awful person?

What is the oldest thing you've found in your cabinet?

um, yum!

have you tried the new blueberry muffin frosted mini wheats?

no? please rush out to the nearest grocery store and pick up a box. it's well worth the trip.

delish!

book review anyone?

I recieved the following in an email, and thought I'd pass it along in case anyone was interested!

Want to be an early reviewer of a great new book from Springboard Press?

THE SHINIEST JEWEL is new funny and touching graphic memoir from Marian Henley that tells the story of adopting a baby at age 50, and all of the waiting, heartbreak, and ultimately love that came from it.
Everyone who reads the book, loves it, and I know you will too. Already Publisher's Weekly has called the book: "near perfect."
E-mail us at Springboard Press with "Shiniest Jewel" in the subject. We'll send you an advance copy of the book with information on how to submit your review. Be sure to include your name, address, e-mail address, and blog address if you have one.

ughhhh

Right. So last Friday I got a call back about my resume. I had sent it earlier in the week, so I was pretty psyched that they called just a few days later. It was for a job that it pretty much perfect for me. It would be moving in the direction of the things I want to be doing.

He told me a bit about it, it was sounding better and better. I was excited.

The kicker came.

It's a part-time position, three days a week, three hours a day.

It pays $11 an hour.

Booooooooo.

etsy!

Am I the only one who has just realized how amazing etsy is? I'd been hearing about, everyone talks about it, and I had looked at it here and there, but never too much. Why? I don't know!

Yesterday Jamie posted about this shop which has some extremly adorable things. So I went and checked it out, and found something fabulous that I ordered for Steve for his birthday! I can't post the pic, in the extreme off-chance that he looks at this (I don't think he reads this regularly, but I think he has in the past), so you will have to wait until after 13 September! In the meanwhile, go check out Megan's shop and see what amazing things she has.

I wish I was so talented...

First Book

I love this! First Book is such a great organization- they donate books to children in need. Please go take a look at this page, and let them know 'what book got you hooked' on reading as a child. Then, please pass the link on to others! You can also vote for where you'd like to see 50,000 books donated to...


http://www2.firstbook.org/whatbook/index.php

something new?

Would you be willing to try this? Have you already?

Let's discuss.

jobs!

My sister has a job interview this morning!

So, send happy thoughts and good karma to Bethany in Boston :)