Rants, Recipes, and Running

I've been "challenged" twice on facebook to list 10 books that stuck with me. I had to really think about this one, but I think I have my official list. This list cannot be posted without me thanking my sister, and prodigious librarian, Lisa . She has opened me up to so many books - and most of the books on this list were recommended by her! This list is in no specific order. Each book affected me in different ways or was enjoyed for different reasons.... Orphan Train, Christina Baker Kline . Incredibly saddening book about the story of an orphan from the 1920's and a foster child in the modern world. I enjoyed this book, because half of it was set in Minnesota - which is very close to "home" for me. Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn . This was not a book I related to - it was just a good book and kept me so engaged the whole time. It's one of those books, where I kept saying to myself "This author has a dark mind!!". Movie is coming out this fa...

Well, Hello September 8. The rest of the country is sipping Pumpkin Spice Latte's, pulling out their jeans and sweaters, and enjoy the crisp change of seasons. Over here in Arizona, we are sweltering in the heat. 100 degree days continue to persist. This morning at 4:50 am as I drove to swim practice, it was 80 degrees with 68% humidity (according to my weather app). All I could say to that is " wtf ". This is the time of the year where I start looking at Zillow for houses in Grand Forks, ND. Or Fairbanks, Alaska. Or perhaps Antarctica. Which I fantasized about on my run yesterday where even my teeth were sweating, I believe.   Okay, okay, enough of my ranting about Arizona. Don't worry, in 3 months I will be all "high on love" for the Sonoran Desert.   I chose to boycott summer yesterday. I even went as far as closing the blinds, so I could think it was cold and cloudy outside. My husband had 2 long days of work this weekend where was fl...

All I'm going to preface this post with, is that living on opposite shifts has been difficult for Ryan and I lately. Ryan working from 3 pm-1 am, me waking up at 4 am and working until 6 causes us to not see each other multiple days. "Living among each other" - has been way harder than merely living in opposite states. I know that sounds crazy, but it's true. My reflections have come up with a conclusion for why this has been so challenging. When we lived in different state, we each were kind of doing our own thing. We'd talk in the evenings a few nights a week, and catch up. When we did see each other, we dedicated that time 100% to each other. We had a "rhythm" to our relationship. Lately we live in the same house, but we "live" in opposite worlds. Much of the week, the only contact we have, is me being too loud when he's trying to sleep, and vice versa. Add sleep deprivation to the whole equation? And you have what I like to call ...

So I've tried a few new old wives tales "remedies". Not sure exactly what inspired me. Possibly a casual trip to Spouts? A focus on getting good nutrients in my body to keep me energized? I also started looking into some natural remedies, because about 1 month ago I has having a lot heartburn/upset stomach. I felt like there was constantly a bad taste in my mouth (despite the fact that I brush my teeth religiously 4-5 times daily!). I won't say I've done these consistently, therefore my analysis may be skewed. But this is what I've tried, and here's what I've found! 1 1/2 oz Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar orally, on an empty stomach daily. I tried this a few times, and decided I can't quite "stomach it" (ha.). Even this vinegar lover couldn't take this burn. I tried mixing it with water and honey, and still couldn't tolerate it. But I know that taking cider vinegar orally helps balance the pH levels in your body. So inste...

I must admit....I've been rocking some serious new dishes in the kitchen lately! From our pesto party last weekend to this weekend. I'm feeling "one with the food". I made 3 new recipes over the weekend, and I have to say all are keepers! Especially the Chicken Enchilada Dip - which I will share below.... What a great Labor Day weekend! It had the perfect balance of fun and productivity! Friday night Ryan worked until 1 am, so I had a girls' night. Went to dinner with my girlfriends Michelle and Heather, and then we went to the movie "If I Stay" -- which was the 1st book we read in our book club! Loved the movie. Most crying I've ever heard in a movie theater! I love my "date nights" with these girls, and we never seem to run out of things to talk about! Saturday morning I was up bright and early at 4:30 for a Bike/Run brick workout. This was the biggest workout to date with this 70.3 training. We did 31.5 miles on the bike and 8...

The subject of this post may lead one to think something adventurous has occurred in my life recently. Maybe I tried rock climbing? (Which my crazy husband is trying to convince me to do. He's crazy. I don't even climb past the 3rd rung on the ladder.) Maybe I've signed up to go sky diving? Or base jumping? Or maybe I'm stepping into a jumping castle full of a large group of wild children during flu season. (another persistent fear of mine...bouncing, germs)   How about........     Connor Jaeger in the Olympics?   No...he doesn't scare me.   It's what he's perched on!   Swimming blocks .      Let us all take a moment to let our heart rate come down. Wipe the sweat beds off our face.    I don't know about you all, but the pure thought of diving off a platform that is whopping 1-2 feet above the a pool of water sends shear terror through my spine!!!   I have swam my entire life, but...

A few months have managed to pass since I did my last post like this. So here are my current "Currently's"  :) Current Book : "Me Before You" by Jojo Moyes. It's about a women taking care of a quadriplegic. It sounds like a sad book, but it's actually quite funny at times - as the character has a funny and dry sense of humor. It also really opens my eyes to things I've never really thought about with being w/c-bound. Current Excitement : My Friday night date with 2 of my girlfriends. We are having dinner and going to a movie based of a book we read --  "If I Stay". Excited to see it! Fully prepared for tears, since I cried during the book! Current Fashion : Well, In 4 days I will begin wear jeans again. (September 1) Even if it's 100+ degrees out. It's September. I'm ready to boycott summer! I miss jean and sweaters so much....... Current Drink : I am currently drinking a lot of Bigelow Green tea with Mint. I made a...