In Des Moines

Weekly Therapy: A week full of Mondays

- Mel

the week:
Well, it’s the last week of July — I started training for my Fall half marathon this week, and I just saw my first back-to-school commercial. Which means we can almost put this awful humidity-heavy weather past us in a few more weeks. AND we’re SO CLOSE to Iowa State Fair time! The week felt like it was running repeats of Monday-ish moments, and WHEW am I glad it’s the weekend.

weekend:
We are invited to a dinner party Saturday night and got a last-minute invitation to see Jim Gaffigan on Sunday night. And after having some happy hour fun last night after work, I’m going to feel pretty Monday come Monday.

seven things, seven days:
1. Watching the DNC speeches, feeling pretty pumped up about being a woman right now. *fist bump*
2. OMG I love my new running watch!!!
3. The growth mindset in children and how it affects academic achievement {via Pacific Standard}
4. Stumbled across this article when looking at OTHER articles about paying down my student loan debt (I KNOW, RIGHT?): 4 keys to ambition.
5. You can’t keep competing with your younger self. *SIGH* Kind of depressing. {via Science of Us}
6. How exhaustion became a status symbol {via New Republic}
7. A psychologist worked with Spotify to create a playlist of the best songs to wake up to.

Weekly Therapy: YOU ARE LOVED.

- Mel 1 Comment

the week:
So Pittsburgh won a thing. The thing that they won the season just before we moved there… and now, just after we’ve left. I’M SO MAD THAT I MISSED THAT CELEBRATION!

Cleveland’s also on its way to (possibly) win a thing. And, WHY CAN’T WE EVER LIVE IN A CITY WHEN A TEAM WINS A CHAMPIONSHIP?!

weekend:
Tomorrow is BACCoon RIDE TRES — a day full of biking, bacon, and booze!

I’m also super excited about my spa pedicure on Sunday. I haven’t had one since before I was marathon training last year (and my weird toenail from Gasparilla has finally grown out). o_O

seven things, seven days:
1. This article about biphobia and bi-erasure really hit me in the gut this week — my gut churns and my heart hurts for what happened in Orlando:

Bisexual people, pansexual people, polysexual people, any non monosexual people, when you worry that you aren’t gay enough, when your identity is erased, when you feel like you don’t fit anywhere… you are not alone.

2. I found out this week that the Cheese Society is having its annual conference in Des Moines next month. And with it, hosting a FESTIVAL OF CHEESE. We already have plans that night and I could just SCREAM.
3. I did Side Crow at yoga!
4. It’s still 90 degrees here all week.
5. Did you hear the one about a $6 Wal-mart wine winning a top award IN THE WORLD? LOLZ
6. I love Brutalist architecture. *swoon* {via aeon}
7. DELIBERATE PRACTICE: The expert (and one of my psychology idols) on being an expert. {via Business Insider}

Weekly Therapy: A fine wine, I’m 39.

- Mel

the week:
YOU GUYS. MY PINK CHAIRS WERE DELIVERED. The ones that I just ordered on Monday from Wayfair. On top of all my birthday surprises from the boyfriend (and my furbabies), this was seriously the BEST WEEK.

grumpy cat bday older

But if we’re being super serious, despite some of the shitty and sad stuff, this has really been a good year. And I’m happy that you are here to celebrate all these memories of my 30s with me.

weekend:
Hey, I’m volunteering at the 80/35 Invitational this weekend — a tournament hosted by Team United in Des Moines. You should come out and watch some roller derby!

Birthday week is coming to a close, but here’s the run-down of my week of surprises, aka:
seven things, seven days:
1. My boyfriend special-ordered a gluten-free carrot cake from Sweet Rewards (and even got some candles, so that I could make a wish).
2. An emerald necklace (from the cats, ahem)
3. A gift card to LifeSpa (boy, do I need a massage!)
4. WINE CLUB MEMBERSHIP to Plonk (ALL THE CABS!)
5. This hilarious t-shirt from Raygun
6. This hilarious t-shirt from Raygun (from the cats)
7. And this hilarious t-shirt from Raygun (he’s so silly that he individually gave me one each day, for the last 3 days. I love punny localized t-shirts!)

Bonus: My mom sent me flowers that arrived on my birthday.

Weekly Therapy: So. Windy.

- 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!)