Rants, Recipes, and Running

I'm two weeks into marathon training. This is my third marathon I have trained for. Inconspicuously, I've only ran in one marathon. Hm.... How is that possible? Oh, I know! * BEWARE, SHE'S IN RANT MODE * Once upon a time I had a boss. When I set up my work schedule for my 1st job, I told him I NEEDED that day off as I was running a marathon. His response, "Welcome to nursing, sweetie. You're working that day. In fact, I'm switching you to night shift that day. So you may want to reconsider your little race."   Yep. I had completed the entire Hal Higdon training program by that point, did my 3 20-mile runs, and was told I had to stop. Anyone who's ever trained for a marathon would understand the utter slap in the face this was. I think I stopped running for about 2 months after that meeting.   Want to know the real "kicker"?! My schedule ended up getting switched around, and I didn't even end up working that day. **Insert blood cu...

Well, if you read my blog 2 posts ago , you would have found out that I'm accompanying Ryan on the next move to California. That has since changed. I'm going to be honest and say that I really feel at peace with my decision. For if life has taught me anything over the years, if you're going to make a decision, do it with all your heart and don't look back!  Why the sudden change? I learned that finding an apartment that offers a 5 month lease is nearly impossible. I researched about 12 different apartment complexes in the area, narrowed it down to 5 in the Riverside area that didn't worry me that I'd get shot while walking out to my car at night . (Riverside has some shady areas...) I finally found one place that offered a 5 month lease, as they try to cater to military residents. But here's what almost made me laugh. When I asked if they offer furnished apartments, they said "Yes, but your problem will be that we only rent out furniture fo...

I like to do these "Currently" posts every once in awhile. Especially because it's interesting to look back and see how I change my "likings". Maybe I'll do this monthly? We'll see. I may not change my hottest happenings that frequently. 1. Current Book Every Last One - Anna Quindlen. This was on the book list my sister sent me, and I highly recommend it. It's one of those books, where you will be reading it in a public place, and you have your moments where you become offended that the rest of the world is just going on with their lives as normal. ;) 2. Current Excitement That in 25 days we will be on our way home! Planning our "We're Home" BBQ. Planning the girls trip to Charleston/Myrtle Beach with my Mom & Sisters in October! 3. Current Fashion It is still awfully hot to be "fashion forward" here in San Antonio! I am just really digging sundresses! 4. Current Drink I am really digging IPA (Indian P...

Last night we celebrated a ceremony called "Drop Night". It's a military pilot school tradition that when they finish their  final "weed out course", they have a ceremony where the Airmen find out which aircraft they will be flying and where they will be stationed! Now that is the standard for Active Duty members, but because Ryan is Air National Guard -- we stay in Tucson. ( Think of "guard" as being for the state, active duty orders are delegated is for the nation ). When they find out their assignment, they stand up on stage, their assignment is announced, they have to say old saying, and everyone in the audience cheers them and says "Here, here!", and they have to take a shot of cheap whiskey, and say "Smooooth" and then turn the shot glass upside down on their head to prove that they drank it all. It is really fun. It was exciting to see the looks on the faces of the Active Duty guys when they got their assignment. Everyo...

Life just got a little more fun. :) So as you know, Ryan had his check ride last Wednesday. This means that the first portion of the San Antonio school is done, which also means I get my husband back! No more studying every waking hour that he's in class. Since we set foot in Texas, we've been dreaming of taking a weekend trip to Austin. Ryan used to travel here a lot for his job at Raytheon, and has always talked about taking me there. I now see why he knew I'd love it so . It is most definitely the most fit city I've seen! So many running trails, biking, paddle boarding, and just fun! Great food. Great music. It's my kind of city. I could probably write about book professing my love-at-first-sight I experienced this weekend. But I'll spare "y'all", and do my best breaking it down. Friday : It was Ryan's 1st half day off in a since June 14, so I didn't allow us to make any itinerary . It was all about spontaneous fun! We c...

It's been a good 48 hours for this little Nastase family! As I write this blog, I am sipping a celebratory glass of Canelo Hills Cabernet (the best wine on the planet - seriously), as Ryan creates/edits his class video for his "Drop Night" next Friday. (More to come on "drop night" next week). We have a few happy things to thank God for today. First and foremost, I have to make a big shout-out to my husband, Ryan. He passed his check ride yesterday. Heck, he didn't just pass it, he got rated an 'Excellent' on it (which is the highest you can get). I can't even begin to describe how hard he's worked. Being a rated pilot for the Air Force is a dream Ryan has held since he was a little man, and passing this check ride means he will be getting his wings on October 4. The second awesome piece of news is I got offered a contract today with a hospital for the rest of my time here in San Antonio! I've tried keeping quiet about this in my b...

One thing cooking trick that's become a ritual in our Hotel Habitat is shredded chicken. In fact, this is my favorite way to eat chicken! Have you ever made a bomb-tastastic chicken soup/stew, but been disappointed that it was a tad too dry? SHRED IT! More surface area to marry the juices and herbs = more flavor! A few variations of shredded chicken I've made over the past few weeks: Hot-wing style shredded chicken (hot wing sauce + shredded chicken + salad = serious party in your mouth) Shredded chicken tacos BBQ shredded chicken wraps (shredded chicken + BBQ sauce + honey, wrap in tortilla with spinach and jack cheese -- delicious!) Shredded chicken with carrots, celery, and chicken broth for a noodle-less chicken soup You get the point. But my most winning recipe is my Chicken Tortilla Soup. It is hands-down Ryan's favorite thing I make. (It's probably my favorite thing I make, too). It is our favorite comfort food. Also, a staple on camping trips! Th...