My currents

LI was really dreading this week because I had a Chem lab final and then a grantee meeting for three long days in DC.  I had to get up extra early to catch an early bus and I didn't get to work from home like normal.  However, it's Friday and I have almost made it.  I see a small light at the end of the tunnel. It's not a big light because next week I have a Chem lecture final and it's moving week, but the fact that I made it through this week is a huge relief.  

And now that I said that, I have nothing else to say.  Haha.  Oh, I snapped this picture on my way to the meeting yesterday.

The US Capital.  For some reason I find this building sitting on top of Capital Hill to be so beautiful.  I don't normally get to the mall area unless I am running and when I am running I am not enjoying sights.  So it's been fun walking around the mall these last few days.  Today is the lighting of the White House Christmas tree, something I've never seen either.  Maybe next week I'll take a walk down and see it.

Here's another picture from this morning.  You can't tell as much but it was actually dark when I got off the bus. That's how early it was.

And you can see the flag at half-mast for the passing of Nelson Mandela.  I was so sad when I heard -what an amazing man he was.  Truly an inspiration.  When I heard the news, my first thought was that I had to make sure I taught Evan about him and how he changed the life of so many people.

And now let's do some Fill in the Blanks, reminiscent of Fridays past.  The theme will be currents.

I am currently reading The Good Soldiers by David Finkel and Ellis Island by Kate Kerrigan.  I've already read Ellis Island but I was re-reading it for family book club.  The Good Soldiers is a true account of soldier life during the surge of Iraq.  It's written by a reporter and is a bit depressing, but I'm finding it interesting.

I am currently watching Parenthood and NCIS.  I had been watching Friday Night Lights, but I don't really like that series too much so I haven't watched it for a while.

I currently subscribe to Runner's World, Cooking Light, Vegetarian Times, Parents, and Kiwi.  My mom bought me Kiwi and I love it.  I also love Runner's World.  If you couldn't tell, I love magazines!

I currently feel exhausted.  Getting up at 4am and not getting home from work until 7:30pm just wears me out!  I am really looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow.

Ok, I'm falling asleep on the bus! 

Happy Friday!!

Early mornings, late nights

I think my jaw would feel better if I didn't clench it all night long.  I woke up this morning and got in the shower and didn't remember to unclench my jaw until I actually got into the water.  And then it kind of hurt.  I never used to clench my jaw but the last time I went to the dentist she mentioned that it looked like I had started.  And when she mentioned it, I recalled waking up a few times with my mouth clenched tight.  Grrr.  I'm gonna blame it on stress.  I'm telling you, my life is gonna be way less stressful after the new year, it's gonna be my resolution.

The rest of the week is going to be a doozy though.  I have a three-day grantee meeting, which means I have to go into DC the rest of the week.  This is no fun, especially since last night I had class and normally I get to sleep in a little this morning but I actually had to get up earlier because I had to catch a different bus that would bring me closer to the Capital, instead of the White House (not that I work in either of those places, but my office is a few blocks from the White House).  So, I went to bed at 11:45pm and woke up at 4:20am.  Fun times in my household.  And on top of that I probably have to pump in the bathroom again.  And I have to eat a cold lunch each day because we can't afford for me to eat out every lunch.  

Yesterday was a very productive day though.  I was able to get my Verizon Fios switched, my address switched with the post office, my BGE switched, and my renter's insurance switched.  I also did my Chemistry homework and studied a tiny bit for my lab exam today.  And packed a box or two.

Yeah, I know.  It's so much fun to pack.  I can't believe I have things in boxes already.  I'm ahead of the game.

And since it's been chilly recently I started drinking hot chocolate instead of coffee.  

Hot chocolate is awesome.  It's my favorite thing to drink after a hard run.  Not that I've had any of those recently.  I don't really know what a hard run is.  Or a run at all.  But I do know what hot chocolate is and I'm thoroughly enjoying it!

Ok, off to snooze.  Let's hope this route is nice and fast and I don't sleep through my stop, since I don't know where it is!

Monthly Mailers!

I wasn't going to blog today because I am not working - and we all know that the only time I find to blog is on my bus ride into work.  However, I wanted to post about my monthly mailer for this past month.  Just in case you can't remember what monthly mailers are and you don't feel like clicking back and seeing my last monthly mailer (I totally understand), I'll just re-explain it really quickly.  Monthly mailers is Sarah's project over at Creating a Better Tomorrow.  You sign up and then get matched with a partner and then you send that partner some snail mail.  Nothing big, no gift, no big pricey item - just a card with some motivational words and maybe a little something special.  This was my second time participating and I got a lovely card from Jane.

It was my first Christmas card of the season!!!  Yay!!  I love getting Christmas cards.  I know so many people are choosing not to do them anymore but I refuse to give it up.  I love selecting the pictures, selecting the background, writing a little note in them, and then mailing them out.  I look forward to it all year and actually bought my cards back in January.  So, you know I was happy when I received this lovely card from Jane.  My husband was even more happy when he saw that Yankee candle car scent.  He loves car scents (probably because he makes the car stink with all his work clothes) and we'll make sure we put it in right before our ten hour drive to Vermont.  Then we can smell fresh laundry the entire drive there.

I know my blog has been such a soul-sucker these days with bad news and gloomy thoughts and stress and the like - but I am really trying to pull myself up by the bootstraps and be more positive.  I talked to a lawyer yesterday (did you know that the District Court has an online chat feature where you can chat with a lawyer about certain issues - like renter/landlord conflicts???)  and also with the local Consumer Protection Agency and I am now fully aware of my rights with regard to my security deposit.  It made me feel better to take control of the situation and I'm sure that since I'm fully prepared and versed in the law I won't need any of this information - but just in case, I'll be ready.

And the best news ever is that I was talking to my best friend (for FOUR HOURS on Saturday, which is what happens when your best friend moves four hours away and you hate the telephone and so haven't actually talked to each other since Feb) and she is actually going to drive up here on Sunday and help me pack and then she's going to drive back the following Saturday and help us move.  I was completely shocked by her generosity.  Those are her only two days off during the week and she's going to drive all the way here just to help us out.  Bad times suck, that's for sure, but it also reminds you who your real friends are and how many people out there truly care for you.  I have such wonderful friends and I must have been much more thoughtful in my younger days - because these people continuously amaze me with their friendship and dedication.  I feel like I haven't been a good friend for a long time because I'm so busy with work, school, golf, family, etc. (which I know is not a good excuse), but I am determined to improve on my friend qualities in the New Year.  Like actually call my friend Sarah and not let ten months pass without talking.

Thank you for sticking around through this depressing time in my life.  I promise I won't continue to throw myself pity-parties for the rest of my life!

Catch-up and Foodie Reveal Day

Yes, I am probably the only blogger who didn't post about Thanksgiving.  We had a good one, but I didn't take any pictures.  It was overshadowed by an email from my landlord that indicates he wants to keep my security deposit.  And pain in my shoulder, neck, back, and head from coughing for three weeks.  It's not to say that my turkey day wasn't special, it was.  It's just to say that I was emotionally exhausted and worn out from anger, coughing, and not sleeping well.  However, on turkey day we went to some golf friends' house and enjoyed an afternoon of yummy food and conversation.  The morning was relaxing as I cooked up some sides and watched the parade.  Good all around.

The rest of the weekend was a bit stressed money-wise as I worked out our budget for how we are going to get through the month with $2000 less and whether we can pay all our bills and still buy food and gas.  I am keeping my fingers crossed that it works out, but it will be a less festive Christmas as we don't have extra money for decorations or a tree or even a wreath...let alone presents.  Luckily Evan is only 1 and doesn't understand presents.

Ivan and I did do our first date of Christmas though!  I had saved some money and we used it to go to the movies.  We went to an 11:05am movie so it was only $6.50 a ticket.  We went and saw Catching Fire and I LOVED it.  Ivan liked it too, because of all the fighting.  The only downside was that Ivan hadn't eaten lunch so he ordered chicken fingers and fries and the total was $18.95.  He thought the guy said $8.95 so we both almost cried when we realized how expensive that small amount of food was.  It was like highway robbery!

This past weekend was also November Foodie Reveal Day for the Foodie Pen Pal exchange I like to participate in.  In case you can't remember what it is, you get a pen pal and exchange a few emails to get to know them and then mail them a box of fun food items.  I've done it for a few months now and I love it.  I won't do it this month because of the money thing mentioned above, but I'll definitely resume when things settle down a bit more.

My partner this month was Alan.  We exchanged a lot of emails and he was a fabulous partner.  He mentioned that he loved spices so I was secretly hoping he'd send me a few in my box.  Well, he did not disappoint!  I got a lovely box from him filled with all kinds of goodies.

Look at all that fun stuff!  And it was nicely packaged in tissue paper and ribbons, to look even more fun.  Let's take a look at some of the fun stuff in there.

Here are the spices.  The Vietnamese cinnamon is amazing.  I use it every day in my coffee and oatmeal and I used it in my pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving.  It's got a stronger flavor that regular cinnamon, but that makes it even better.  The other spice is Sumac Berries.  I think that will taste great on a chicken dish, but I haven't tried it yet.  It smells amazing though.

Then there was this chocolate bar.  You can never go wrong with chocolate.  I was a bit hesitant about crystallized ginger in chocolate because I don't like ginger (except in Asian dishes), but it was fantastic.  The crystallized ginger mixed really well with the dark chocolate and this bar was devoured in no time at all.  

And lastly, these Lara bars.  I love Lara bars and I had never tried these kinds before.  They were tasty though!  I brought them to class to help curb my hunger and I really liked them.  The pecan flavor was my favorite, but they both had a fun and festive fall flavor.  The box also had a delicious chili mix and lots and lots of milk duds.  Yum!  I haven't made the chili yet but it sounded fantastic, and it even suggests putting it on top of spaghetti.  I'm not sure if I'll do that or not, but I can't wait to try the mix.

So that was my box!  It was so great and I really had fun this month putting Alan's box together and then getting his in the mail.  It was a bright spot in a stressful month!

Hope your December is off to a great start!!

Those feelings

The good news is we are about to sign a lease on a new place.  I am very thankful that we found a place to live that wasn't too expensive and that allowed dogs.  It's a bit nerve-wracking renting from someone I don't know and the lease always seems so complicated and binding.  And we somehow have to come up with $2000 for the security deposit, which normally wouldn't be the end of the world because we could save for a few months...but on top of the holidays and extra expenses like $300 electricity bills and $200 payments for my Chemistry class, extra money is few and far between.  It's gonna be a really sparse holiday season.  And a really un-festive one too.  Who wants to decorate when we are going to move and who wants to decorate after we move when the new place looks like a disaster?  And we'll probably not do our 12 Dates of Christmas because we won't have any extra money or time, since we'll be either packing or unpacking.  Usually I am overly excited about the holiday but this year I just can't wait for it to be January.

And on top of that, I have one of those feelings.  You know that pit in your stomach that tells you something bad is going to happen or that you are making a very bad decision? Have you ever had that feeling?  The problem is I don't know what's going to happen or what decision is a bad one.  Is it the apartment?  School? Nursing applications? Work? Evan/Ivan/family? Running?  I have no inclination as to what it might be but I am walking around with a whole in my stomach and I don't really want to be around when thr truth comes to light.  Of course I will be because it's my life, but you know what I mean.

Ok, enough feeling sorry for myself.  

We are supposed to get a ton of snow these next couple of days.  I'm not sure it's actually gonna happen but maybe it will.  If it does I hope I'm at home and not stuck in DC.  A snowy Thanksgiving sounds nice as long as I can pick my turkey up from the farm.  Did I mention I ordered my turkey from a farm?  Yup.  It'll be fresh and organic and free range and all that.  I hope it also tastes good!  

And I did not get a run in yesterday and I won't get one in today either.  I just have too much stuff to get done before the four day weekend that I can't find the time.  Yesterday I didn't even eat lunch until 2pm and then when I looked up again it was 4:30 and I had to run out the door to catch the bus.  It's nice when work flies by but it also usually means that it's been a crazy, exhausting day.  And it was!

I don't really have anything else to say and I don't have any pictures to share with you except that my friend found this fruit and gave it me to.  It's a zapote, a fruit that was common in Honduras.  I've never found it in the US so hubs and I were excited to eat it.  I did look up the nutritional value and found it is about 300 calories!  Yikes, no wonder it is so creamy and delicious!

Hope you are having a great week so far!

Talk about cold!!

I wrote a post on Thursday but somehow it disappeared.  I have no idea what happened, except that maybe I pressed cancel instead of save.  I didn't have time to write it again, so you just didn't get a Thursday post from me. It was probably really hard for you, but hopefully you all survived.  I don't even remember what the post was about, but I'm sure it was fabulous.

What has been vey un-fabulous these days is my running.  I went on Monday and then didn't have a chance to go again.  And I was going to go today but I hardly slept last night so I decided it was a bad idea.  I guess I'll go tomorrow, but still, it's kind of sad how pathetic my training plan is shaping up to be.  Chemistry is almost over and I will try much harder when that is out of the way.  I hope.

It has also been really cold.  Yesterday I went grocery shopping and the temperature said 29 degrees.  In the middle of the day.  This morning it was 21 degrees out while waiting for the bus.  Yes, that is cold, but it's even colder when you are standing around doing nothing but waiting.  It felt miserable, like I needed long johns on under my pants.  I am thankful for my nice winter coat though, it at least keeps the top half of me warm.

The cold doesn't stop me from taking Evan and the dog for a walk.  I don't really have a bunting (is that the right word) for him any more but I found this REI thing that looked warm so I put it on him.

As you can see, he wasn't overly thrilled with it.  He especially hated that he couldn't take his hand out.  This REI outfit came from a co-worker who had it from when her kids were little...and they are in college now.  So it is really old.  It worked though because he was nice and warm when we got back home.

He even still wanted to swing.  Apparently it's never to cold to swing.

He doesn't look happy in this picture but I swear he was laughing like normal.  He was just mad that I stopped him so I could take a non-blurry photo.

I surprisingly got a lot of cooking done this weekend.  I was just in the mood.  When I woke up I made pumpkin spice muffins to freeze for Evan.  These are super yummy muffins and Evan loves them.  I found them on Pinterest and they turned out to be really good.  I have a bunch of things on Pinterest that I'd like to make, but haven't gotten around to it - but this is the second time I've made these yummy muffins.  I also make Easiest Crock Pot Salsa Verde Chicken so I could put a little chicken on my lunch salad and then I made Turkey Pastelon for Ivan for lunch this week.  Except he decided he didn't like it - figures.  I think it's really good though - the sweet plantain flavor plus the salty ground turkey flavor is a delicious combination.  Evan loved it too.  So, I packed some up to give to my sisters instead.  It made a lot and had multiple steps (cooking the meat, frying up the plantains, layering the "lasagna", pouring egg whites over top of it, and baking it) so I didn't want all that work to go to waste.

While I was doing this cooking, Evan was entertaining himself by filling up grocery bags with anything he could pull out of the kitchen drawers.

Don't mind the dirty floors - I have decided I'm not cleaning again
until we move.

When he tired of that, he played with the magnets on the fridge.  All he does and push then all the way down so they fall off and then he puts them back up.  I only put out 9 magnets for fear we'd lose them all - and we've already lost one.  I thought we had lost three but I found some hidden inside some pots.  So, who knows where this lost one is (I'm just hoping it's not inside Dolce's belly).

I hope you had a great weekend!  Just a few days until Thanksgiving holiday - yay!!! 

I got in my run, but I took no photos

I am a tad bit proud of myself for getting in my run yesterday.  I had a long, two hour phone call in the morning and after that I felt a bit lethargic and unmotivated.  Plus, I felt like I had a lot of work to do.  However, it was 70 degrees out and it seemed almost a crime to not go for a run in such nice weather, especially because the nice weather was only going to last a day.  So, I dragged my unmotivated bum out of my office chair and put my running clothes on.  I figured if I at least had my clothes on I would be a lot more likely to go for a run.  I probably should have drank more than a cup of coffee, but it was too late to down a jug of water.

As I headed out the door I ran into some coworkers who were headed downstairs for flu shots.  I guess they were giving out free flu shots in the building.  I don't normally get a flu shot, the only time I've ever had one was when I was in the Peace Corps and they made us get them.  I just don't think it really works that well and I've never been compelled to get it.  I know the government spouts it's amazingness but a lot of the research I've read does not support that amazingness.  However, I'm not against the flu shot and I don't think it's bad...so I wasn't going to make it a point to refuse a free vaccine with no line that would only take five seconds.  So I got it.

And then I went for a run.  I was going to do six miles but felt that was a bit long, especially since I still had a lot to do that day and I hadn't had much to drink.  So I did 4.5 miles instead.  It's a good thing too because this was not my best run.  I felt really tired and like my legs weighed 50 pounds.  And it was super windy!  I hate wind and for a good 1/3 of the run the wind was in my face forcing me to exert myself even more.  And I think I would have felt better with a bit more to drink and more than 4.5 hours of sleep.  But I finished it and it was good to be done.

Then I ate lunch.  And it was a delicious lunch.  It included my favorite English muffin: cranberry.  It is so yummy, especially with loads of butter and toasted.  It's only seasonal item so I won't get to eat it forever, but for now, I'm on a enjoy it.

Doesn't that look so good!!!  All that yummy butter is making me hungry just looking at it.  Have I mentioned on this blog how much I love butter?

My other favorite part of my lunch is this salad:

What makes that salad so goods??  The dressing!!  It's Brianna's Rich Poppyseed.  It is divine.  I am so excited every day for this salad because the dressing is that good.  It's not exactly "good for me" but then again, neither is all that butter on my English muffin - but sometimes you just have to sacrifice your health for a bit of butter and salad dressing.  I've eaten this lunch every day for three weeks now and I'm not tired of it.  I also have an apple (you can see it in the side of the picture), and if I'm still hungry I also have pretzals and greek yogurt...but the highlights are the English muffin and salad dressing.

I have an exam today in Chemistry so I'm gonna try and stay awake on the bus to study rather than nodding off - but I'm not sure if that will work out.  I am slowly nodding off as I write this already.  I tried to study yesterday evening but there were no lights on the bus and since it's DARK when I leave work already, I was forced to listen to music the entire time.  And you know it's a bad commute day when your playlist ends and you are STILL not home yet.

Ok - happy Tuesday and wish me luck on my last exam before the final.  I can see the end of Chemistry and I think I might make it!