Weekly Therapy: OK, really vacation therapy this time.

- Mel

the week:
Two weekends ago already was my Florida trip. Wut?! But THIS weekend is actually, really our little getaway.
SERENITY NOW!

ft. lauderdale florida harbor boats
Ft. Lauderdale is pretty.

It’s been a week since my birthday so unceremoniously passed… huh. I should write about that. HUGE emotional difference from last year.

ft lauderdale brunch spots beach
A nice spot for brunch, eh?

weekend:
There will be relaxation. And none of that looking at next week’s school assignments.

scavenger hunt florida
High fives, Florida!

seven things, seven days:
1. Developed a stress management/development project for my Psych class this trimester, and currently putting the plan into motion. Maybe I’ll post about that here too?
2. In any event: STRAIGHT A grades this semester!!!
3. And a week off between semesters. Hooray!
4. New hair, don’t care. I went shorter and lighter for the warmer weather and feel GREAT.
5. Reading: Gluten Freedom. Intending to read every week NOT just for school — or at the very least, a complement to coursework that is NOT the textbook.
6. Continuing the stress talk: 6 Strategies that Surprisingly Don’t Shrink Stress (I wasn’t surprised… but maybe you will be!)
7. And there ARE benefits to stress! No, really!

Vacation Therapy: mid-80s and humidity and rain… UGH, said the pessimist.

- Mel

the week:
Traveling to Florida for a weekend derby tournament. I hate the weather already. And my traveling anxiety is at full out-of-control levels. And I have so. much. homework. this week.

And OMG who’s great idea was it to take a 7:30am flight?!

weekend:
Florida! (yay?) OK, YAY!

seven things, seven days:
1. Homemade banana bread granola — gluten free and guten awesome!
2. Harlem: The Unmaking of a Ghetto – the stories behind these images are so powerful.
3. I have to travel with my laptop. SIGH.
4. And totally overpacked… Whatever.
5. Can you *really* get addicted to potato chips? (yep!)
6. I like pink — even my derby skates are hot pink! What of it?
7. How is my birthday already a week away? SIGH.

{date night} Root Beer Tasting

- Mel

Saturday night was fun. Since it was such a nice day (which I spent mostly indoors, working), I hurried to change after my shift ended, so we could walk around Sewickley: the location of our later plans. This was also our first time in Sewickley, but I knew there were cute little boutiques to pop in-and-out (LOVED the House store!), while we enjoyed the weather. A pop-up store even gave us a to-go glass of champagne! And then we found the fun DIY yogurt place. Yes, please, dessert before dinner.

yogurt and champagne

That said, it was difficult to “kill” a half hour of time between all the shops closing and the start of our event at Village Candy, but we managed on account of just finally being outside.

ON TO THE ROOT BEER TASTING!

root beer, village candy, pittsburgh, sewickley

In its fifth year, Village Candy introduced the crowd to seven root beers:
Barrel Brothers Creamy Vanilla
Dang Butterscotch
Capt’n Eli’s
Olde Rhode Island Molasses
Red Ribbon
Johnnie Ryan
Saranac
Sprecher Fire-brewed

(I was able to confirm that all, but one, were gluten free; that remaining sample was Barrel Brothers — I couldn’t confirm one way or another — but I didn’t seem to have a reaction to it.)

I am a sucker for root beer and sweets. Circling around the dizzying selection of CANDY, proprietor Doug Alpern and his employees were in really good spirits (sugar high?), which really added to atmosphere of the tasting event for the all-ages crowd. Village Candy has an assorted mix of old-school sweets, candy-related merchandise, sodas and unique chocolate bars. And a Jelly Belly filling station, natch, which I also noticed they carried the new Draft Beer flavor. My favorite root brews were the Saranac, Johnnie Ryan and the Olde Rhode Island Molasses (and if I’m remembering my ballot correctly, in that order). We really enjoyed the event, and look forward to visiting the candy shop — and Sewickley — again. Note: Village Candy is also doing a cream soda tasting soon. Sign up for their newsletter!

We even took home a 4-pack of ginger and root beers — Village Candy has an impressive selection of bottled sodas! Something fun, something different, something tasty.

Something… kitty piddle.

kitty piddle

Wut.

Weekly Therapy: my life is prioritized around homework assignments.

- Mel

the week:
The problem with motivation is that when you’re doing too much of one thing, you lose the will or passion to do anything resembling it. I’ve been conscious of how much time I devote to doing school work — and how fried my brain is (and how it doesn’t quite work as well) when I don’t take breaks. I made sure to schedule several fun things this week to prevent my motivation from crumbling (two more weeks in the semester!). Because you can only stare at the same paper for so many hours before your brain is just NOT going to compute any new information.

three dudes

Plus: I miss my friends!

weekend:
Date night Root Beer Tasting at Village Candy! A helluva lot different than last year’s celebrations. I’ve also never been to Sewickley. (Is that weird? Or normal for a Pittsburgher? Is it normal that I had to google the spelling of “Sewickley”? The boyfriend thought it was “Swickley” lolz)

seven things, seven days:
1. I went to the Toadies concert, and they rocked my face off. Generally, I hate live shows, but Rubberneck is my favorite album of all time — and HOLY ROCK GODS, THEY PERFORMED EVERY SINGLE SONG. #recharged
2. I also finally purchased Rubberneck on vinyl.
3. Another successful shipment from Blue Apron! This service is, dare I say, making meals fun again. (And yes, since the service doesn’t specifically cater to food sensitivities, I have to swap some items out.)
4. Coffee with old friends. I really want to make this a weekly habit.
5. Creative mornings: SEX. Finally, a topic that speaks to me AND a free Friday to participate! … and I slept in. *cries*
6. 6 Psych experiments that shed light on your eating and drinking habits.
7. (just because it’s so ridiculous) 8 Most Absurd Lessons Americans Teach Kids About Sex (woof).

Day fifty-five.

- Mel

A number seemingly insignificant for journaling, let alone blogging, but it’s Day fifty-five of my “new life” — or rather, a portion of it. I’ve been feeling like crap for the better part of two years, and then when my depression slowly subsided last year, I was still feeling… not myself. My body still felt wrong.

Fifty-five days ago I finally went to see a naturopath-slash-nutrition coach to get tested for food sensitivity — after my primary doctor wanted to put me on yet another prescription supplement (that my body wasn’t absorbing) and my gyno couldn’t definitively provide any answers to what’s going on with my old-lady parts either.

I’ve been on a gluten-free, no nightshades elimination diet since. I went all out on Day One, and yeah, I didn’t know what a nightshade was either. I did know that bell peppers were not my friend, and I had already given them up. The storm was greater than bell peppers and a little indigestion, however, and that is what makes this diet so. hard. sometimes (pick up anything pre-packaged and see the words “natural flavors” or “spices” — even if organic — and throw it away… because, nope).

BUT IT’S WORTH IT. I have energy. I don’t feel 20 years older. My joints no longer ache endlessly. I don’t feel lethargic. My productivity is up; my anxiety is down. My undereye circles don’t require eight layers of concealer. I am still dealing with some other mental things, but this diet change was a really important first step. Aside from being glutened something horrendous yesterday, I’ve been feeling really. really. good.

Myself.

Just without all the ketchup.

Weekly Therapy: back and better (educated) than ever!

- Mel

the week:
Hey there, missed you. I’ll catch you up in another long-winded post, but for now… Riding high off a big derby win last weekend.
Life is not parallel though with wins-and-losses. And I can no longer find comfort in my favorite comfort foods.

hammock relaxation
All the relaxation.

weekend:
Went to the hockey game last night (boo!), and I had to work all Easter (whatever, double pay — woo!). Going home to lots of homework and hrutka.

seven things, seven days:
1. No biopsies at my yearly skin cancer screening! What a relief. I got an ugly mole removed just for shits-and-giggles…
2. Received my first Blue Apron shipment, and I’m so excited about the service — especially when the boyfriend is traveling!
3. Two weeks left to go in my first semester back to school. LET’S DO THIS.
4. Disappointingly, I couldn’t have the gluten-free meatball at the new Meatball restaurant. I was *so* looking forward to its open. SIGH.
5. Random LOFT sale: 50% off everything?! I love spring shopping.
6. The Crossroads of Should and Must really spoke to me. On that note I’m really enjoying finding heartfelt essays like this on medium.
7. The irrationality of irrationality: The paradox of popular psychology. Ooooh, where was this article when I was doing an assignment a couple weeks ago???

2014 Resolutions & Intentions

- Mel

IN WITH THE NEW

The big BUT: take the word “but” out of the conversation; replace with “and” when necessary. Work on everyday conversational language skills.

Procrastination, full stop: I need to get my shit together. And I need to stop overdrawing my checking account. I mean, I HAVE the money in my other account, and I just have to transfer it over, but… well, I’ve just felt like an irresponsible mess. It’s bad enough that I’m making nowhere near the salary that I did five years ago… ugh, just GET IT TOGETHER.

30-something problems: My self confidence has taken a nose dive this year on account of aging (and its associated havoc wrecked on my face) and not being able to find a job. Both have seriously made me feel worthless — as a woman and as a partner. I’M TRYING SO HARD, and I basically feel like a failure at life. The job market is tough right now — especially for someone at my age without a completed bachelors degree. School was obviously the next step, and I’m enrolled, and I have a plan, and graduation is within a two-year reach. So… breathe? I’m also meeting with a friend in a couple weeks who works with dermatologists to discuss some options (she seemingly knows everything about skincare and she’s a fantastic make-up artist) AND was referred a new dermatologist office (one that has all the new technology for face fixin’). It’s not like I don’t have plans, but lack of full-time income really does hold me back.

Let’s get cooking: Stop making excuses in the kitchen. Oh, I have many: I don’t know how, everything I make tastes like crap, I have no time, bones are gross, I hate doing dishes (I really just hate messes in general — even when the boyfriend is cooking)… I just don’t want to cook. Welp, this is going nowhere fast, see? Then I read about Feast from Summer Tomato. The 30-day “cooking bootcamp” with Feast includes online classes that teach the fundamentals and how to enjoy being in the kitchen. Yes, this will be one of my 30-day Challenges for 2014!

Me Time: Get more massages. Seriously. I need to start taking care of ME. My body is just miserable with knots and sore muscles — it truly is much needed therapy when you play a sport like I do.

In pants we trust: Find a pair of pants that fit. Last fall I had a complete breakdown in my closet, and subsequently had to rid it of at least 15 pairs of bottoms. As my glutes and hams continue to grow (I’m not mad!), I’m now busting out of the pants that remained. I have a problem with tights too, so generally dresses are out, at least for this time of year. The last 5 skirts I purchased needed serious tailoring to fit my shape (short, muscular people problems?). Regardless, I’m just a pants person. So help me, I’ll find a tailor and have pants made for me, if I have to!

What goals or resolutions are you setting for yourself this year?

Weekly Therapy: back. back in the new year groove.

- Mel

the week:
Oh HIIII! Are you also still recovering from the holidays? Yeah, I think I’m still recovering from being on vacation the week before Christmast too. Anyway, it’s a new year, with a new car! Yeeeeep. Oh, and I’m also not drinking again this January, so bear with me.

weekend:
Getting in a couple CrossFit workouts and a small meet up to say goodbye to one of our coaches. Then, I’m going to attempt a Girls’ Night Out pending the progression of this cold.

We have an info meeting about travel team tryouts — can you believe this is already happening in two weeks?!

seven things, seven days:
1. Finally hit 10,000 steps for the first time on my Fitbit Flex. AT THE CAR DEALERSHIP. Freaked me right out when the thing started buzzing.
2. I received my first book for school — starts on Monday. Shit’s getting real.
3. I probably don’t need to vent here about the recent fraud alerts, right? But how frustrating right at the holidays.
4. Received the new Dan Savage book for Christmas, and I’m ready to dive into that. (But first, school.)
5. Beyond obsessed with this M.I.A. song. And my new car’s Sirius system. MUSIC THERAPY.
6. You know what happens when you skip laundry for two weeks? LAUNDRY MARATHON. hashtag: ugh.
7. From the Neurocritic: Men are map readers, women are intuitive, but bloggers are fast.

A 30-something with some resolutions

- Mel

ID-100146843

OUT WITH THE OLD
My Resolutions for 2013 (in addition to my 30-day challenges)included the following:

  • Financial: Pay off my credit card debt before starting school next Fall. Pay off old school debt to get my transcripts released.
  • Education: Apply to an additional college (not one I was originally anticipating attending, but would be proud to “get in”.) Finish all application and registration requirements. GO BACK TO SCHOOL! (yay!)
  • Diet & Exercise: Make A-level travel team. Train for my relay leg in the marathon. Get stronger. Lift more. Find easy, healthy meals that I can make on my own.
  • Work: Better business tracking: time spent on projects, job app-to-hire percentage, all business expenses. Continue to look for work that is new and challenging. Pitch more.
  • Relaxation: Shut down the phone and read once per day. If I’m on my phone every day, I can have my nose in a book everyday. Even if it’s just for 20 minutes.
  • Home: Finish house projects. Complete paint remodel of the first level. Decorate my master bathroom.
  • Love: Love and support the boyfriend in all aspects of his life (including his high-stress job and travel). Stop being so bitchy and expecting to suddenly live with a mind reader (ie: tell him what’s on my mind instead of being defensive upfront). More date nights.
  • Friendships: Send one handwritten letter to a long-distance friend or family per month. Make the time to visit and reconnect with long-time friends in Ohio. Connect and hang out more with my team/league-mates.
  • Do Good: Continue to volunteer and donate time and money to my favorite charities and causes. Be emotionally available for friends and family in need.

To say I failed a whole lot is… well, a sucky thing to swallow. Good thing I’m OK with failure.

I did NOT pay off my credit card debt; in fact, my debt-income ration is WORSE. But my old school debt was paid in full ($2600!).
I did NOT go back to school (yet), but I have all my transcripts submitted and ready to register for winter!
I made the A-team for derby. I did NOT run the marathon relay. I started CrossFit, and I’m lifting! I’m getting stronger!
I probably cooked for myself three times in one year. Ugh, horrible.
I’m giving up the dream of freelancing full time . Because, well… it’s really, really hard being self-employed. It’s apparently hard being employed by someone else too, as I’ve been looking for a full-time job for nearly two years.
I read almost every day. Almost. But sometimes that’s on my phone. I made a good effort in my 52 Books in 52 Weeks challenge, but reading that at that pace all the time is difficult — especially when I want to enjoy reading. For what it’s worth, I still can NOT relax.
We painted! Well, the professionals painted. And I guess I decorated my master bath (even though now we’re planning a gut remodel job). Still hate that space immensely. But yeah, there have been a LOT of house projects both completed and half-assed this year.
*sigh* Love is tough, y’all, and relationships are really difficult when one person in the relationship spent the better part of 2013 in a slight depression. Relationships are work, regardless of what any magazine will tell you; and mine is worth working on. And WORKING ON IT, is becoming fun again.
While I connected with old friends back home, I did NOT write letters. I still want to write letters! I did hang out with my teammates more, which makes me happy because they are all wonderful, fun friends — and we have a MAJOR passion in common.
I stopped volunteering this year because of personal conflicts, and I felt that I needed to make *myself* first, given my circumstances. Hoping to give my time and support to another local organization in 2014.

How did you do on your resolutions this year?

Up next: IN WITH THE NEW

Photo credit: from Stuart Miles via FreeDigitalPhotos.

Weekly Therapy: ho Ho HO

- Mel

the week:
We had our Christmas tree delivered, and while tall and beautiful, I don’t know what to do with it. I hate the white LED lights we had on our tree last year (the boyfriend put them on anyway), and I don’t want to put bulbs up knowing that I’m leaving the cats alone for a couple days (especially given that half of them are vintage… the ornaments, not the felines). The cats have been mostly ignoring the tree, but I’m convinced (even from last year) that our smallest cat hides up in it somehow. She’s sneaky! The boyfriend (lazily) put up lights and garland outside, which looked like a six-year-old threw them up… and the lack of vision or thoughtful end result really irritates me (especially when asked for my opinion, and the response is all “it looks fine!”). He’s in such a rush to decorate and wrap presents all the sudden, and… I JUST WANT TO GO ON VACATION.

MERRY CHRISTMAS.

We definitely decorate with completely different styles in mind.

weekend:
Pittsburgh Ballet’s Nutcracker on Friday night marks the beginning of my ballet season package (amazing birthday gift from the boyfriend). We’ll probably have dinner at Proper Brick Oven & Tap Room again too. NOM.
Saturday, work. Meh. But then we can hang out with our out-of-town friends who are visiting Pittsburgh for the football game.
And SUNDAY is our annual Toys for Tots charity scrimmage. #teamGrinch

seven things, seven days:
1. Malley’s Pumpkin Pie Truffles. Mmm-hmm, that’s right.
2. My Ortho follow-up was uneventful. No MRI needed at this time, since my foot seems better.
3. Reading The Wolf of Wall Street in anticipation of its Christmas Day movie release! There’s a lot of eye rolling on my behalf, but it’s a quick, fun read.
4. Started receiving my Graze snack boxes*. First one was mostly uninteresting; second shipment was SO much better! RIP: Foodzie and SprigBox.
5. Packing for a vacation that is more winter than current winter IS HARD.
6. Cat sitting for friends is fun. I just can’t resist the fur babies! See also: CAT KARMA.
7. The 13 Best Psychology and Philosophy Books of 2013 {via brainpickings}

*My Graze friend code is: MELIND3TP — use this to get your first box free!