go dig a ditch, days many of 55

So many tech difficulties over the past couple days so here is the wrap-up:



Tues day 2 of 55-Fartleks were the name of the game today. Or shall I say Swedish speed play. Regardless of how you slice it, it hurt. 5X400 with a 200m rest in between. I can equate the feeling I felt as bologna thighs. Honestly, trying to run with legs of mixed up meat is not easy, but I prevailed. N0t gracefully, but that doesn't matter.



I namsted my way through lunch, om, and checked out the Chick on the way home.



Wed day 3 of 55- ~3.6 opposite way of Monday. Slower time then Monday, which can be attributed to the aftermath of bologna thighs, concrete feet.



Thurs day 4 of 55- Rest, from running at least, and hot, Bikram, yoga. "I have never look death in the eye and lived until I took Bikram yoga." "By taking Bikram yoga once a week I've totally eliminated the need to urinate." These are actual statement made by exiting yogis.



Friday day 5 0f 55- I have decided that if I am to take Dana's class on Saturday, a mix of ass kicking and nail eating, I will forgo one day of running. But why miss out on the lovely 5 miler on Saturday? So we will do it on Friday. The 5miler. Mild pace, one quick walk, ended with a sprint. Lovely idea for the day after lunch with the grim reaper, see day 4 of 55.



Saturday day 6 of 55- CAKA (cardio ass kickers anonymous). BopBop and Eddie's, say it ain't your 70th birthday, surprise bash. Scary Latin Catholic wedding and then back to BopBop's.



Sunday day 7 of 55- Rest, slate moving, cat whispering.



Monday day 8 of 55- 3.5 miler with the long legged wonder, Bobbie Hartman. Moderate pace, ~32min



Tuesday day 9 of 55- Aaahhh...and finally today. 30 min tempo run on treadmill. 10min warm up, 15 min faster run, mean ~6.5mph, 5 min cool down. Yoga for lunch with a side of holy shit I really fucked up my arm doing that jump through, possibly aggravated further by an all day mousing extravaganza.



So after all that, here are pictures of the garden progress, minus a finished one. You'll get the idea.

The beginning

viola! the big box is done, well almost. Nice outfit trucker Kate

and then there were almost three

sanding away

Marks lovely picture. Katie's carpenter crack. It makes me more qualified.

almost finished project. Just missing the tops to the boxes.

the 8 week 5K challenge day 1 of 55

The Heart of the Highlands 5K, http://www.active.com/page/Event_Details.htm?event_id=1692517&assetId=a7dce2d5-663d-4f08-9436-9a4ba83e94a8 , is 8weeks away (exactly 55 days). I will be following Hal Higdon's 8 week training program, altered slightly due to the fact that the race is on a Saturday not a Sunday. I have been on again off again running, although I did just finish a 1/2 marathon on July 19, I am definitely not in the shape I would like to be.

My good friend MaryRose and I ran this race since its inception in 2007 and we plan to run it every year.




Here is my training schedule:









So where have I been since the last post in November? Nowhere really. I did get married and, as stated before, ran a 1/2 marathon. I think my time was something like 2hr 22min. The race was in Napa CA and I ran it with my two friends Kate and Keri. We ran the race through Team challenge which raises money for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America.




Today is day one and the program called for 3miles. I wound up doing 3.6 in 34min. That equates to a 9.4min/mile. I definitely wasn't going for speed today, not that the run was easy by any means.



I am gearing this training program towards one thing and that is getting in better shape. I will not weigh myself, although I could stand to drop a couple lbs. I will focus on how I feel, eating awesome and being a more relaxed, centered person. By the way I have been vegetarian for over a month now and I feel great. I will touch on this and other things in future posts. For now I just wanted to get back online. So hello again! I leave you with a picture after this morning's run. God doesn't running make you look gorgeous? Is that a camel toe? Um Hm thats right, um hm oh no. Fix yourself girl you got a camel toe. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3I64m0x6wI

Nov 26, 2008

Photography 101


My first exposure to real photography was when I was about 17. A boyfriend's family had a wedding photography and video business. I had expressed my interest in photography and they happily showed me the ropes. Although I was only still in training when we broke up, which of course resulted in me losing my job, I learned a great deal none the less. But I jump ahead. This boyfriend was a complete ass to put in mildly. Not only was he a drunk, redneck, racist, loser idiot we was violent and did I mention a drunk, redneck, racist loser idiot? I mean this guy would not let me listen to rap music in my own car. I wasn't allowed to smoke pot, but he drank himself sick every night, and yes I was 17, he might have been a couple years older. Great things will come of this I can feel it. Anyway, thankfully it was this, amongst other life experiences, that have guaranteed I would never date an ass like this again. I learn from my mistakes, one redeeming quality I possess.


Now I digress. Bottom line I loved that job. I cried at every wedding and I really enjoyed crafting beautiful pictures. But Little Dick couldn't handle me still working for his parents, even though we would have never crossed paths. See he didn't work for them anymore in that sense. When we started dating his full time job was driving over there, he lived with his biological father, and getting money off of his mom. End of story he wound up marry his brothers longtime girlfriend. And yes I live in a semi-rural area. And no these are not the only redneck, hillbilly people I know. Wait there will be more.


Photography did not really enter my life again until senior year in college when I took an introductory class. This class was great, it really got my creative juices flowing. We had to take totally manual pictures, develop them and then present them to the class. I really got into taking the pictures and when I presented them to the class I got a great response. I remember it was the last project of the class the the topic was perception. I set out with my camera, and unlike every other project, I had no preconceived ideas as to how or what I was going to photograph. I shot up trees and down banisters but nothing felt right. One day, about a week before the pictures where due, I was home alone and didn't need to be to class for many hours. I took a shower and while I was getting dressed I felt a little hint of the sexy. Lets just say this is why I should never be left alone with a camera and a libido. What resulted could have went either way and I wouldn't know until I had developed the roll, in the presence of a class full of students.

The pictures I have attached are the actual ones I displayed that day. And oh my rational was this was my "perception" of myself, with possibly the help of a little pot and some wine midday. Hey I was a college student remember. There were a couple more risque, shall we say topless ones, that still remain in negative form. With that, thanks for reading my mouth diarrhea and hope you enjoy.

Nov 25, 2008

The Douche Hat


The Douche hat is a special hat that allows you to say and write douchy things while wearing it. An example of this would be stupid terms and catch phrases that companies come up with like shape strategy, champion change and build talent, blah blah, blah. One must then use these phrases to describe oneself and what has been accomplished for the past year lets say. For mere mortals it is quite hard to be so douchy so this is where the Douche hat comes in and saves the day. Once on phrases like "I collaborated with courage and stood in the face of diversity to champion the change needed to build talent and optimize strategy that achieved the results needed to deliver customer value" flow like the Nile after a monsoon.


Other uses for the Douche hat would been when someone tells you they just found out their parents cat, Jamba, that you raised since he was a baby and traveled cross country with you, and is so great and quirky and big and beautiful and only 6 years old, has cancer and 3-6 months to live and you respond with "so I got a call back for a second interview". Thanks Mark. Nothing like writing a whole lovey blog about you yesterday and then douching me right in the face the next day. Rock on with you self-consumed ass.


The Douche Hat in action

Jamba-Lamba-Ding-Dong, Elvis cat. You'll always be the "King" to me

Nov 24, 2008

So happy together

Today was one of those days that I really loved Mark. I mean I always love him but there are some days it is so strong I can taste it. Today was one of those days. I started my day by getting the shit kicked out of me by my new personal trainer. I think I might be limping tomorrow. Then as I was leaving Amanda, the front desk girl extraordinaire, said I think Mark is downstairs in the lobby. I was like no way, but way, there he was. His stupid truck was pulling some stupid shit, as always. See this man will buy crappy car after crappy car just to save a buck when in reality I think it would cost the same if he purchased a newer vehicle, at least when you take into consideration the time and annoyance this process costs. Anyway long story short, since I am still not that good at typing yet, a skill I am trying to teach myself, I talked him into buying a "new" vehicle. We discussed payment and such and it was like we were already a well oiled married machine. I said I would help out with the payments if he needed it and he agreed that a 4 door vehicle was the best choice considering children were inevitable. We talked as if there was nothing wrong with adding this new expense into the pot of "our expenses" and you know what if felt right, very right. We even discussed other aspects that only married people would think to discuss. It was just a short while ago that we were both questioning whether we should stay together and now there is no doubt in my mind that we should. It is so true that a relationship requires work, lots of work. And when you find that one person all that work will be worth the calluses and bruises that it causes.

Mark I love you with all my heart. Even when you drive me nuts I wouldn't trade you for the world. I have never been more ready than I am right now to take your hand in marriage and share the rest of my life with you.

Here's a pic of us this spring at Ladies View in Killarney, Ireland when Mark had come out to visit me on my job rotation. And this is a sunny day in Ireland. I still managed to get sunburned while I was out there, so pastey.

Nov 22, 2008

I gotta say today was a good day

Started off the day the best way one can, sweating and grunting. Exercising of course, get your mind out of the gutter! I took Dana's cardio defense and group power. Then I bit the bullet and joined Evolution. Now I have two gym memberships. Doesn't that automatically make you thinner? I also bought 5 training sessions. My first session will be Monday with Brenna. The same trainer who is currently training my sister Sarah.

I have attached a pic of my sister and I and my parents dogs, Cole and Samson aka bolognese, that she wanted taken for a blanket she had made for our parents last Christmas. It was a very nice idea but let me tell you how scary it is to see your face about a foot long on a blanket thrown over the back of the couch.

Lets just say we didn't just take one picture that day or the next for that matter. It was her and I, the dogs and a tripod. It was windy and cold and the dogs were very uncooperative. I don't have a remote shutter so each picture consisted of me running over to the camera hitting the shutter button and trying to run back over grab the dogs and make the photo look as relaxed as possible in the allotted time. Here are a few examples if you need a good laugh today.

Why do I looked so confused and Sarah so happy? And Sampson, you fat bastard, stop pretending you are eating a cheeseburger.

Again what is going on with my face and why is Sarah so pissed? I think this is when my father came down to "help out" with his criticism, ahem I mean really good ideas.

OK now PETA will be after us. I swear he deserved it officer. And just look how happy she is to me man-handling him.

Oh here she goes again now using the dreaded Vogel eye poke technique.

We suck.

Nov 21, 2008- The Beginning

Holey crap I am blogging!!

I can't believe I have actually entered the blog world. Well welcome to my blog. It is what it is, thanks Aunt Wendy. I wanted to start a blog to have somewhere to bitch, share my triumphs and show my photography.

Currently I am in the last semester of my masters degree in chemistry, training for a marathon, working as an analytical chemist and planning a wedding. I know, I know what do I do with all the spare time.

I am also a crazy cat lady and just love animals in general. I have two cats, Mr MewMew and Cookie, and one brain damaged cocker spaniel Philly, aka Brain.

Oh and I also forgot to mention that I am also trying to become a figure competetor. My inspirations are currently Maggie Diubaldo and Monica Brant. I am also very into clean eating and I follow Tosca Reno religiously. I have lost some weight recently and have documented in photographically. Maybe if I get brave one day I will post those pics.

Below are pics of the animal crew. MewMew is extra mushy and likes licking earlobes. Cookie is a total spaz still and Brain is good dog other than liking to roll in shit.