Halloween's Coming!

Halloween is almost here and Jared is really excited about trick-or-treating. He's going to be the Dark Knight and Mia is going as a Ladybug. Really cute. Jared, Uncle Julian and Daddy all helped carve a really simple, and angry looking Jack-o-lantern last night.

Jed's friend has been staying with us since last week... he's in the Army and about to embark on his first tour in Iraq. He'll be stationed in Mossul. I'm pretty sure Jed has been enjoying the visit. They've gone goKart racing and hung out... we all went to the beach... relaxed a lot -- and we had a really nice dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. A piece of meat from there is always a real treat!



I've had that cold for 15 days now -- yep, 15 days! So I've barely been exercising at all -- which I really miss. I think I'll be able to get back into the swing of things by week's end. Jed's friend, Julian, has been staying in the room where my treadmill is so I haven't had the optio of jumping on in the mornings. He leaves on Thursday, so Friday I can hop back on. Yay!

I got to an old friend's Art Opening this weekend and see a bunch of people I haven't seen in years. Marina Kappos' show, Politicus, was inspired by the upcoming elections. It was really beautiful, incredibly clean and tidy work; she's extremely talented. Here's a link to an older show at the same gallery called "A Murder Of Crows." I saw an old schoolmate, Eric... he's doing well, successful and was as nice as ever. Then there was Becky Cox, who managed to exude the same smug disdain for all aura that made me dislike her back in Jr. High. Some people never change I guess.

I also got to see Marina's twin, Ronni... who not only is an accomplished artist herself (check out her beautiful jewelry) she also just got married in ana amazing wedding ceremony in Africa! I'm envious of the trip she got to take... there's a video of part of the experience, which I will try to add soon.. and it looks just amazing!

Getting Sick Was Just the Pick-Me-Up I Needed

It helped me lose a couple of those extra pounds I have gained since returning to a desk job!

Of course, I have felt like crap all week so I am SO glad it is Friday!

Update: It's Not My Fault

It is not my fault that I am gaining weight... there are forces acting against me.

At this very moment, the In-N-Out truck is stationed below my office window -- where it has been spewing out the hypnotic smell of double-doubles for the past hour.

It is only getting worse... the fumes having an opiate-like effect on me. If only I could have a cheeseburger I could go through the afternoon with little or no pain!

Maybe It Isn't My Job, Maybe It's Me

So now I have gained a total of 5 pounds... it's not just the job... it's partly me. I really don;t like getting up in the dark to exercise. My eyes are still so bleary I'm afraid I'll make a disastrous misstep on the treadmill... and in the evenings, I still feel tied to my evening wine and snacking after 8 p.m.

What's a working girl to do? I know, get a little willpower.

I sure do miss my regular 6 mile runs... ache for them... yearn for them. I have a day off on Monday (Columbus Day, yes it kind of rules working at a school). I'm going to use this day to go for a nice long leisurely 9 mile run and then run a bunch of errands (massive Target shopping and some shoe shopping).

We missed or tip to my dad's lake house last weekend because there was a 90% chance of rain. It didn't rain there, but it did rain here. Nice. So we're going to try and head up this weekend.

I went out on Wednesday night with my old friend Beth. We went to the York. It bills itself as "Highland Park's Neighborhood Gastropub."

It is pretty cool too. It used to be a place called the Wild Hare.... dark inside and out with bog booths you and ten friends could crawl into and hide. Now it has aged brick walls, a cool wood bar with a natural edge (with the bark and everything, but polished up), and the ceiling is all open and exposed, the bar is all glass. The menus are big chalkboards up on the walls (that's actually kind of annoying because you pretty much have to stand in front of someone else's table to read it) and you have to order at the bar -- which I HATE! The biggest -- and best -- change is that the restaurant front is now all glass windows, so you don't feel like you're in a cave anymore... it's much more urban hip.


Here's a much better description of how cool the actual space is.

But anyway, we ran into another friend there and he made a great dinner recommendation. We got the blackened catfish with corn remoulade and man was it tasty! I also asked the bartender to whip us up some little lemon drop shots that we could drink real quick before sitting down with our drinks to wait for dinner -- they tasted like candy! Yum.

Here's a review.

We had a fun, relaxing time... and I wasn't distracted by a preschooler tugging at my clothes and a baby tugging at my nipple! Unfortunately, both of my kids were crying when I left... and they were still crying 15 minutes later when I called to check-in. So I made sure to make it home in time to put them to bed.

My New Job is Making Me Fat

I've gained 3 or 4 pounds since I started this job.

I had managed to keep below -- just barely below sometimes, but always below -- the 130 mark for as long as I can remember... but since I started working and now sit at a desk all day... the numbers have been creeping up. I was 133 this morning.

I have been wanting to lose the same 5 pounds for as long as I can remember -- now it's closer to 10 then it is to 5.

My old routine (running with the stroller 15+ miles per week, 2 hours of spinning, plus lots of hiking and running after the kids all the time) kept me from gaining weight PLUS I could eat whatever I wanted. Now I find myself editing what I want to eat... but it doesn't seem to be helping.

I actually need to -- drumroll please: DIET. The nasty four-letter word. But what to so, what to do? It's been a long time since I last dieted successfully... and teh blow job diet was a huge failure.

A Day in the Life

"What? You're going to bed?! It's like 9 o'clock!?" explained/complained my husband last night.

I was tired. I needed sleep.

"Aren't you going to watch 'How I Met Your Mother' with me?"

I consider this, and agree... "Yes, in bed."

He's happy about this and massages my shoulders and back throughout the show. Clearly, he's looking for some action.

As a stay-at-home, my days were busy and crazy -- but they were fun. They were also quite varied. Now my day follows an almost unbreakable pattern. Here was yesterday:

5:50 am Alarm goes off

6:15 am Finally awake enough to start exercising

7:00 am Take shower, get dressed, nurse baby, help get kids ready

7:35 am Out the door with Mia... drop her off at babysitters... speed on to work

8:00 am at desk

noon still at desk

3:55 pm still at desk

4:00 pm Bolt out door, rush to pick-up kids... at two different locations... Jared is having a playdate at our house and I have to get Mia by 4:30 pm

4:45 pm Back at home, try to get everyone settled... no one can agree what to have for snack, what to play (Jared demands to watch TV even though he knows he isn't allowed to during the day AND he has a friend over)

6:00 pm start making dinner while simultaneously trying to watch the three kids play

6:30 pm Jared's playdate pal doesn't eat shrimp... so I prepare Cheesy Shells from scratch and mix the rest of the pasta with our shrimp. I go outside and discover that they have turned the sandbox into a beach -- it is full of water. Bathe both the kids (picture day is the next morning after all) AND get all the kids fed.

7:30 pm Spend a half-hour ushering playdate out the door and trying to calm Jared down over the devastation of the playdate being over.

8:00 - 8:30 pm The rest of the evening is a blur of packing lunches, prepping coffee, playing, brushing teeth, nursing the baby, singing songs and getting the kids settled into bed.

8:45 pm I'm brushing my teeth and getting ready for bed... having decided that my usual bed time of 11 p.m. just won't do.

9:30 p.m. I give in to the hubby and after, sleep like a baby straight through until 5 a.m. Then I stay in bed until 6:30 a.m. forgoing my morning workout in favor of nursing and snuggling baby Mia in bed.

Then it's right back to the routine.

It's Hot! And Not So Hot

It got hot again. It was so hot we slept with the air conditioning on. It is October.

Not So Hot
Work and the home routine are moving along. No time for date nights so my husband has become boring to me. I have no interest in his days... I only care if he has had the time to help with dishes and laundry. I feel annoyed when he hasn't showered before I get in and I have to share the space. I don't have time to enjoy the steamy confines of our predicament.

The weekends are still as fun as ever. This past weekend I got to go running twice. We went to a dog show where my niece was showing a dog... surreal, but surprisingly fun. The kids loved it.

We also did the usual birthday party scene and visiting with the family -- even a bit of swimming.

Mia had her first sleepover. She stayed at my mom's house Saturday night. Mia had a great time, but it was essentially a wasted night for me. Jed blew the possibility of anything romantic with his "bug patrol" (don't ask.) I didn't even get a dinner out.

Not so hot.