A Healthy and Balanced Weekend brings me smiles.

Looking back on the whirlwind of a weekend, I am feeling pleased. We didn't make any plans this weekend, as Ryan has his check ride coming up (this is basically a "test" where he flies, and the instructor critiques him, and if he makes any big mistakes he fails and gets set home...No pressure!). So we had to make sure a good chunk of study time was set aside each day.

So here's my break down of what we did (again, this is my little dream that newby to SA will stumble upon this blog and find out some neat spots in the area!)

Noteworthy food we enjoyed

• Friday night after I got off work, we tried out a placed called "The Lion and the Rose Pub". This is an Irish/English eatery. I would almost consider it a gastropub, because it had a few pieces on the menu that were a little different. Like the Curry Hummus. Ryan got the "Tour of Britain" which had sheppards pie, parmesan broiled tomatoes, bangers sausage, and a filet of fish. It was a ridiculous amount of food! Neat way to try a little of everything! Washed our meals down with a crisp IPA. (I had the Club Sandwich. I'm kind of boring sometimes)
• We indulged Saturday morning after our run at Starbucks (so Ryan could study) in some Skinny Vanilla lattes. I had the bright idea to add an extra shot of espresso. I'm not the kind of girl that needs an extra shot of espresso. But they were thoroughly enjoyed.
• Since most all our meals were enjoyed out this weekend, I slow cooked a Shredded BBQ Chicken wraps, served up with Broccoli Slaw. It was a keeper of a recipe!

Fun things we did

• After studying Saturday morning, we did a little window shopping in an area called Stone Oak Village Shopping Center. It's the most picturesque area. The Starbucks is shaped like The Alamo, too. (below is a photo from the area)
• We hit up a library in the area, and spent time researching our trip to Europe next year! So many options....(and Ryan studied some more)
• From the library, we headed to Massage Envy for our monthly massages. Last year for our anniversary we bought memberships, and it was one of the best purchases!  
• Went to the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema (the movie theater that serves drinks and food) and saw "We Are the Millers". I have to say it was hilarious! I laughed until I had tears at points.

Workouts

• Yesterday we ran here at Randolph Airforce Base (where we reside). They have a really cool running path that goes through the golf course, and then around the flight line. It actually goes 10 miles total. It's pretty fun to run on during the week, because you can watch the T-38 jets taking off. Quite a majestic site!
• Our run consisted of a 4 miles out loop. The 1st 2 miles out, we took a moderate pace. On our 2 miles back, we would sprint 40 seconds, jog 20 sec, sprint 30 sec, jog 10 sec - and repeated that until we hit our cooldown at 3.5 miles. It kicked our butts, but helped make the run go faster!
• Today I did another speed workout on the track. 1 mile warm-up, 400 sprint/400 jog x3, 200 spint/200 jog x 6. Total miles = 4 miles! It's easier for me to do speed workouts when it's hot out for some reasons. Keeps my mind off how hot and miserable I feel.
• We were supposed to do 20 miles on the bike tonight - but decided to veg out, eat skittles (I blame the 30 minute wait in line @ the self check out today to urge me to make an impulse purchase) , and watch tv instead. No regrets! Sometimes you have to eat skittles and put your feet up.

In addition to the fun - I had a big chunk of time today to do laundry, grocery shop, and cut up fresh fruit and vegetables for the upcoming week! I have such a love for weekends like this that just restore your balance. It leaves me feeling refreshed and happy.

What brought smiles to your face this weekend?