Rants, Recipes, and Running

So we've been home for a week, and boy, what a week it has been! Got the house cleaned and in order Helped Ryan assemble a 350 lb smoker - and trial run it before our party Returned to work after my leave and got to read about 300 emails. (I think 5 were worth reading) Had a mini dinner party Friday night - made grilled filet mignon, asparagus, & butternut squash risotto Ran 10 miles to resume my marathon training Prepped and threw a party Saturday night with approximately 45 guests Sunday after cleaning up, scrubbing the floors, and getting the house back in order - I will admit I fell asleep with my feet danging in the pool. When I set up this party, I wanted to do something easy. "Let's grill some burgers, have a big salad, and call it a day!" Somehow that transformed into a menu of...... Smoke Pulled pork Pulled pork flatbreads 4-cheese bacon Mac'N'Cheese North Carolina-style Slaw Smoked Beer Can Chickens So Saturday morning Rya...

The strongest part of my body in this moment is ......I'd have to say my legs. Even after basically taking a 3 week break from running (with a few intermittent jogs in the middle) - I am clear to resume training. I went for a 10 mile run yesterday, and worried that I wouldn't be able to carry though. But to be honest, my legs didn't even feel a hint of soreness. I have all the strength training and biking to thank for that! Even after a rough day at work, the things I'm most grateful for are .....This answer is very evident for me right now! My coworkers. After working at different hospitals in a different state this summer, I gained a serious appreciation for my coworkers. I honestly think my ER is the dream team of ER's. No matter how busy it is, everyone helps each other out. People always have your back, and that energy is contagious. We all work as a cohesive team, and we find things to laugh and smile about throughout the day. It makes even the worse days e...

Last Friday, Ryan got his wings pinned. He is now officially a military rated pilot. Pretty cool. When he was 17 years old, he signed up for the Air National Guard. He had one goal: to become a pilot for the Air Force. From there, every decision he made had that goal in sight. He chose electrical engineer, he got an internship (and then a job) in the defense industry, he worked as an Avionics technician on F-16's, we moved to Tucson to get to a different base where there were more opportunities.....9 years later, those wings were pinned on! 9 years of some amazing experiences. I've been a part of it for 6. The amazing part is...this is only the beginning! So many years lie ahead of us, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds. The weekend went perfect. Everything from our time spent with his family to the ceremonies was just perfect. It was wonderful to have both his parents there. It was also really cool to see his Dad give him his "blood wings". A little...

I am making a point of savoring a little "me time" before it gets busy. Starting this afternoon, then next few weeks I will be going 100 mph at life. So many exciting things I look forward to coming up. But I'm also a little stressed, as our house has sat vacant for 4 months (ahhh!) -- and we have a party hosting about 30-40 people just 6 days after we get home! So this is my moment to breath. Okay, okay, I lied. I'm procrastinating . All the luggage bags and totes are nicely laid out, I'm supposed to be packing, and then going to the gym, and then packing more, and then picking up Ryan's family at the airport. But I am avoiding packing like the plague. So decided, "I really should drink my coffee and play on the computer...." I'm not going to be able to do my 30 days of Gratitude post tomorrow, as tomorrow is going to be a very busy day with Ryan's pinning ceremony starting at 9 am! I have major butterflies in my stomach thinking about...

Here are my confessions...... I have not cooked a dinner in 2 weeks. I did so well all summer long - using the crockpot in such creative ways. Some fuse in me has burnt out, and my care and dedication to being a great "hotel"maker has vanished.  I never thought this day would come, but I think I'm sick of the Oven Roasted Chicken Breast sub at Subway. (I consume this about 3 meals/week). Yet, I'm too much of a creature of habit to just... order a different sandwich! Part of me feels guilty that I won't be accompanying Ryan to his next school in California. Especially after I was visiting with one of the wives last week at a bbq, who is accompanying her husband in a kitchenless hotel room for 5 months with their 3 month-old . (the hotel room at the next school doesn't even have a kitchen sink!) I felt even worse when she said, "Hey, we're a family. We stick together!"  I got to run today! I've had no pain in my toe all week. I was all ...

Well, I'm into week 4 of marathon training. Supposed to be doing a 10 mile run this week, actually! Guess how many miles I have mapped out in my training schedule this week? Zero. Awesome, right?! No. It's not awesome, but I'm keeping a smile on my face and a positive attitude here. Let me recap week 3. At the end of week 2, I had my 9 mile run. Then I worked the weekend. Well, while at work that Saturday I felt a strange discomfort in my L great toe. So I took the rest of the weekend off. All weekend at work, I proceeded with caution. I decided to cross train and rest until I feel better.  Monday -30 minutes spin bike, 20 minutes eliptical - 30 minutes shoulder workout. Barely any foot pain! Tuesday - 40 minutes spin bike - 10 minutes elipitcal - 30 minutes back/bicep. No foot pain at all! Wednesday - 5 mile run (easy pace 8:35/mile) - leg work out. New running shoes, no foot pain, I hit the ground running! Thursday - 4 mile run with speed work (40 sec hard,...

I'm stealing this idea from my sister, Lisa , as I think this is a great way to "refocus". We have so many great things to be thankful for. This summer adventure has put light on that. From the bad moments to the best moments ever -- if I've learned anything it's that m y life is very full and my husband and family are rockstars. So here it goes! 1.  I'm most thankful for my ability to adapt . I feel like I am a very "adaptable" person. In fact, my old manager (you know, the guy that didn't let me run the marathon) once described me as a cat . And that I could be throw from any height, and will find a way to land on my feet. I've moved to new cities twice now where I knew no one, and had no idea how to get around...and I've found my way. I learned to work at 2 new hospitals this summer, with completely new charting systems, department flow, etc. Back in AZ, I was the Nursing House Supervisor, as basically a new grad, googling poli...