Weekly Therapy: So. Windy.

April 8, 2016 - Mel 3 Comments

the week:
SUPER stressful week, but I got some great news: I got a new job! So, I’ll be wrapping up my contract work with my Pittsburgh company. I have Iowa plates for my car. We also finally finished the transfer of our house in the Burgh, so we’re back to owning just one house (ha!) and I guess that officially completes our Pittsburgh chapter. Now, I just need to update my driver’s license.

mel_pappajohn statue des moines — Last weekend, we finally visited the sculpture park in downtown Des Moines.

weekend:
I’ve let a lot of things lapse since moving: sleep, my diet, exercise…

So, this weekend, I will REST (and probably hang some shit up on my walls). And NO GLUTEN. I cheated last weekend (BRUNCH!) for only the 2nd time in a little over 2 years, and have slept more hours in a week than I did for the entire last year [end hyperbole, BUT STILL — like, 9pm complete crash times every night]. My body completely and totally rejected my lapse in judgment on my diet. And gave me my first awful canker sore in 2 years, too. I’m sure it’s no coincidence. If I get an eczema outbreak, I’m going to be so mad at myself.

Ok, Ok, so we’re going to do ONE event this weekend: There’s a roller derby bout in West Des Moines that we’re going to check out!

seven things, seven days:
1. I keep putting too much trust in myself, not using GPS when I’m driving around. And welp… I’m LOST. Seriously. From the same parking lot three times this week.
2. One of my cats started recently begging for food at his feeding time and OMG the ADORBS mews on him.
3. I took one of those wine subscription quizzes that results in suggestions to purchase — and answered differently each time to get unique picks. Wellll, NOPE. Same.exact.selections. That’s some bullshit.
4. Do you ever buy furniture online? I’ve purchased our sectional online at a discount outlet, our sofa on Amazon (yes, really!), a large corner chair on Wayfair, and two side chairs from Home Decorators online (only those last two items I’m still waiting to be delivered). We were looking for budget pieces because of the cats, but I’ve been incredibly impressed with the quality!
5. ahhhhhhhhhh! I just realized that my birthday is a month away. :-/
6. I got my treadmill delivered this morning! Now, NO EXCUSES to get a couple short runs in per week.
7. 10 reasons why you should run the IMT Des Moines Marathon! (I’m signed up for the half!)

Weekly Therapy: National “Bring a sweater to the office (because they haven’t turned off the a/c)” Week!

October 2, 2015 - Mel

the week:
Oh, it turned October when I wasn’t paying attention. That means it’s marathon month. But also my favorite time of year — COLD WEATHER AND LAYERS. YAAAAAS. I’m not a PSL drinker, but I do love some pumpkin roll. Which I plan to make a gluten-free version of this year!

weekend:
20-miler long run weekend! I’ll be running Sunday morning with a few ladies from my 16-mile group a couple weeks ago, and completing the Lemiuex 6.6k race as part of the “course.” I won’t lie: I am terrified.

I have a massage scheduled for Saturday, which is TOTALLY IN THE WRONG ORDER OF THINGS.

52 books in 52 weeks:
I’m 6 books behind right now so I’m going to need some quick, easy, fun reads to catch up. Any recommendations? (I’m halfway through a 400-page book and about a quarter through another 400-page book.)

seven things, seven days:
1. I had brunch last weekend at the Blue Door Cafe in Akron (Cuyahoga Falls), and they had the most amazing breakfast-sandwich-in-a-gluten-free-wrap. And individual french press coffee. I can’t wait to return when we’re back in town!
2. Went to my first graduate school open house… and my good feelings about this school and program grew stronger. I only have a month though until the application deadline, so I need to start thinking about my personal statement.
3. Being in love with The Moth podcast, I was so excited to attend the Pittsburgh live tour stop of their story slam.
4. Admittedly, I lied about never wanting to run another marathon. Because one day, I’d like to run this.
5. Why is it so hard to catch your own typos?
6. This research on weight vs diet and exercise in different generations is super fascinating. {via The Atlantic}
7. I initially published this with only 6 things. That’s a first!

Race Recap: Rock n’ Roll 5K in DC

March 17, 2015 - Mel

5K DC

My first 5K since October, and well… I’m disappointed. My PR time at that point was 30:50 for the Harvest Moon race, and I definitely felt I could finish in less than 30 minutes. While there were several elements out of my control (hello, weather), I’m mostly disappointed with the race experience overall, rather than my performance. Unfortunately for us 5K-er, I was left feeling like an after-thought, whereas my friends who ran the half really loved the race.

First off, there were no corrals for the 5K, and it felt as though everyone was an amateur — walkers crowded the front (yes, strollers too), so that when the race started there was a log-jam. At this point, I wasn’t sure it was the actual start of the race because everyone just STOPPED. When we walked a little further, I realized half the start “chute” was covered by a gigantic puddle and everyone stopped to walk around it. Had I known that going in, I would have stomped right through it. Instead, I stopped my watch and restarted after the puddle because I saw another inflatable ahead and though maybe THAT was the start line. THIS ADDED NEARLY A MINUTE TO MY TIME.

A minute that I desperately needed to PR this race. And the exit out of the parking lot was no better; people were already IN THE RAIN, but stopping in front of runners to track around puddles. Maddening!

Needless to say, my watch said 30 minutes when I crossed the finish line; RnR official results report 31:43. To top it off, I was shivering, wet, and miserable, and we decided to leave before Better Than Ezra played. There was nowhere nearby to hang out and dry off/warm up (or have a drink other than Michelob Ultra, blech). And seriously, why did we need at start at 7:30 a.m. when the post-concert entertainment headliner was at 11? I think it was a huge oversight on behalf of RnR to not have any large tents set up considering the weather, even if just to change clothes and stay dry for a minute. And, you know, stick around for other runners and the live music.

Registration and Cost: I registered late (don’t do that), and this race cost me, like, $50. This was a mini-vacation, so we also dropped a little dough on gas, hotel rooms, etc.

Bag Check: This was actually one of the highlights of the experience. Really easy to find and figure out, and the lines moved quickly. I liked the touch of the UPS trucks.

Course: Out-and-back that started in RFK Stadium parking lot, went out a freeway ramp and back down the freeway ramp. This race was the WORST. Nothing to see, and I kicked a dang hubcab trying to squeeze past walkers on the raised shoulder. I mean, there wasn’t even positioning for anyone to stand along the course. And bears repeating: that start line was a giant joke.

Weather: Total CRAP — wet, little chillier than what I planned. I really wanted my fleece jacket, but that would have been terrible to wear when wet.

Expo and Packet Pick-up: There was no day-of packet pick-up, so I had to send my friend with a copy of my ID and signed confirmation letter to pick up on my behalf. The expo closed at 7 p.m. Friday, so it was impossible to travel to DC in time to check it out (I need to remind myself of that when registering for Saturday morning races).

Fans and Experience: Nope. This race was boring and mostly uneventful for me.

Medals: Can’t lie, this was a big reason to select this race — I didn’t have a 5K medal. This one just so happens to be pretty sweet too.

Swag: RnR drawstring bag and a short-sleeve green Brooks shirt (definitely not ladies sizes and totally huge for a small). The merch booth had some great tops though — I picked myself up a gray pull-over hoodie with the RnR DC logo on the front.

Bonus: Having uniformed military members providing medals at the finish line was a beautiful touch to a crappy day. I appreciated this over everything that day.

Notable 30-somethings: the 30s were split in half for their respective 30-34 and 35-39 divisions. The top lady in my division ran the 5K in 22 minutes. NICE JOB!

After party: We took the Metro back into town near our hotel and had an amazing brunch — and MANY MIMOSAS! — at Old Ebbbitt. Cool place!

Overall: The experience was bad enough that I don’t think I’ll ever run a R n’ R 5K again. Good thing that I’m conditioning myself to run longer distances, since everyone seems to rave about their longer courses.

RnR DC 5K results page

Weekend Therapy: traveling for something other than roller derby feels weird.

October 4, 2013 - Mel

the week:
Holy crap, THE SORENESS. Good sore, but still. I’m working out with the regular athletes and doing real WODs now, and O.M.G. But my post-workout exclamations go something like this: I JUST PRESSED A BAR! I JUST SQUATTED WITH WEIGHT ON THE BAR! I JUST DEADLIFTED 50 POUNDS! I JUST CLEARED A 30″ BOX JUMP!

Drinking the kool-aid, and loving every drop.

Also, how about them Pirates?!

Living near the stadiums, we could hear the roars of the fans stream through the windows during the wild card game. IT’S SO AWESOME! Though I’m an Indians fan at heart (sad trombone), it’s hard not to rally behind the Bucs and their success.

weekend:
Road trip to Columbus for friends and fun! (and the President’s Cup) I have plans for dinners, plans for brunches… and I’m looking forward to some room service (and possibly an in-room massage) too. FOR REAL.

52 Books in 52 Weeks:
Definitely not meeting the goal this year, as I started around Thanksgiving last year… and have only finished, like, 20 books. DO BETTER. But no time like the present to start again!
#1. Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert

seven things, seven days:
1. I signed up for two upcoming 5Ks. *gulp* The one next weekend ends in HOT APPLE CRISP, which… I’m so easy.
2. Scored a couple items from Poshmark this week. I am obsessed with window shopping the app (and have been finding some amazing deals).
3. See also, it was time to do a closet and makeup drawer purge — soooo, I finally purchased the Naked 2 palette.
4. A carafe-less coffee pot is the answer to all my coffee-making prayers!
5. My left pinky finger still hurts from two weeks ago (derby injury, natch). It hasn’t really impacted my workouts, but when I set my hand down or smash it into something… YEOWCH. Putting a timeline on it for healing before seeking our urgent care.
6. Our neighbor invited us to a Sundays meatballs dinner (they’re rumored to be award winning). One of the guests was the contractor who remodeled their BEAUTIFUL home… and built their amazing rooftop deck. WANT.
7. Gender as non-fiction in The Atlantic {shared via Dan Savage (*swoon*)}

Positively Awesome Cleveland Trip: Day Three

September 26, 2013 - Mel

Day Three, and the last, in the series of my Positively Awesome trip to Cleveland. Check out day one and day two before reading on.

Day Three was a much shorter itinerary than the previous two: breakfast, activity, then released to explore on our own (most of us had to return home; I had to go back to Akron to pick up the boyfriend). I started my day with another incredible Americano at Erie Island coffee. Ooh, first check out my new jacket from Stitch Fix [affiliate link!] — totally a winner for this crisp, late-summer day in Cleveland!

jacket stitch fix delivery box

Our group breakfast was at Bon Bon Bakery in the Ohio City neighborhood, and the brunch was FANTASTIC. The table shared an “appetizer” of doughnuts. For my breakfast, I went the sweet route with French toast (that had sweet corn on it; weird, but oddly delicious!).

french toast

Afterward, we went back over to University Circle/Uptown to visit MOCA — a place that I was really hoping the fans of Positively Cleveland would recommend! We may have offset the actual decision of going to the Rock Hall, since most of us had already been there. MOCA did not disappoint! Not only is the building itself a stunner, but the collections were impressive.

MOCA cle

I was mesmerized by the Norton Furniture guy video installation… and finding penises in the artwork — which is, naturally, my forte (I may be 14 at heart, but joke’s on you… I found one!). The postcard exhibit was one of my favorites, anywhere; and the iTunes hallway a close second (we entered the stairwell to a full-on rave dance party, apparently, which was a total sensory overload of awesomeness).

MOCA bloggers

Another fun thing: in various locations around this part of Cleveland are themed pianos — available to play! — as part of the Play Me, I’m Yours series. This one was one outside MOCA on the sidewalk. I love interactive art, and this was something very unique to see (and hear). An older gentlemen stepped up and played some ragtime music by heart, just as we were walking into the museum. That’s the stuff.

play me piano moca

While I would have spent the entire afternoon at MOCA, there was a second activity planned — a visit to the Cleveland Botanical Gardens (there were signs for a Sunday sundae bar, which we didn’t stay for… but OMG that sounds amazing). Walking around, was a good time to unwind and get to know my fellow Pittsburgh blogger on the trip, The Steel Trap. And erase all the terrible memories I already had of the CBG (no fault of theirs; I attended a wedding there several years ago that I wish I could scrub from my brain — again, nothing to do with the location itself!).

Alas…

sensory bed BOTANICAL GARD

And then, in exhaustion and contentedness, our blogger trip was complete. I stopped into CLE clothing on my way out for a couple books and CLE/browns-colors t-shirts (conveniently located at the corner of Euclid and East 4th downtown). Thanks again to Positively Cleveland for the amazing trip — I really had a blast — and I can’t wait to return to explore even more Cleveland awesomeness.

Random shout out to the Sound 87.7, which kept me entertained with an awesome mix of music on my travels into/out of the city.

Disclosure: Positively Cleveland provided accommodations, meals and admission prices for my participation in this socially-driven trip. All opinions herein are my own.

Weekend Therapy: don’t get bit

August 2, 2013 - Mel

the week:
Did you hear about these Asian tiger striped mosquitos in Pitsburgh?! Yeech. I made it out of Costa Rica without getting eaten alive, and now I have to worry about these buggers at home.

Meanwhile, as I walked to work the other day, I felt something biting the back of my knee FROM UNDERNEATH MY PANTS. I had to shake out my pant leg once I arrived, and some bastard bit me, like, 8 times. My luck, it seems, is the worst. Or I need to find another place to store my work pants.

Side note about bugs: How the hell do you get rid of moths? We have a problem in this house. I have cedar bags, chips and blocks in every closet, shelf and drawer, but I’m still finding them everywhere.

And now I present you, LARGEST ZUCCHINI EVER:

That came from our garden. So proud.

weekend:
Date night with the boyfriend — seeing Defending the Caveman, and having dinner downtown at place-to-be-determined. I tell you what, I’m determined to just eat my way around cheese plates this evening.

And then I have brunch plans at Kaya with a friend visiting from Ohio.

seven things, seven days:
1. Our fireplace is just about done! Pics coming soon.
2. But now our roof is leaking again… SIGH.
3. What is it about a mani-pedi combo that makes you feel SO GOOD?
4. Also, how the heck did that only cost me $40?! I’m definitely doing that again next month.
5. I’m seriously applying to 10 open job postings on my days off. I’m motivated to find work, but not having much luck.
6. Boy is this article timely: 10 Essential Tips for Surviving Houseguests {via Remodelista}
7. 9 Famous Women Who Have Spoken Out About Therapy {via HuffPost}