Oh God, what have i done?

I am not an athlete.

Sure, i've finally learned that frequent exercise is the key to healthy living. And sure, I'd like to live a long, healthy life.

But exercise isn't something i generally look forward to. It's something i do because i need to.

And yet, if you looked at my calendar for the next week, you'd think exercise.was.my.life.
Seriously, you'd think i eat, sleep, and breathe workouts. Check it:

• Tomorrow morning (at SIX am!): Couch to 5k-week 5, workout 2
• Tomorrow night: Adult Kickball League
• Friday evening at 6pm: Couch to 5k- week 5, workout 3
• Sunday morning: Hot yoga
  
• Monday midday: couch to 5k- start week 6! (fingers crossed)
• Monday evening: Pole Dancing Class (groupon...my parents will be so proud)
• Tuesday night: Beach Volleyball League
• Wednesday night: Couch to 5k
• Thursday night: Kickball
• Friday night: Couch to 5k

AAAAAAHHHHHHH!

I seriously have no idea how i'm going to survive this! If you've got tips, i'm all ears*

*hopefully, i'll finally start seeing some RESULTS! i mean, i have to. clearly there's no time for me to eat in between!

• 
  

follicles.

Here's a factual statement: I used to have great hair.

I'm serious. It was soft, voluminous, and unique. Women paid $$$ to replicate it, and it turned the most glorious shade of copper in the sunlight.

Sigh, but that is a past tense statement.

You see, my tresses were born and raised in The South. Unlike most woman, it absolutely thrived in humidity. It kept it moisturized, and -rather than being frizzy- made it just poofy enough.

My hair absolutely sucks at living in The Midwest. It's flat, it's stringy, and it's unwilling to cooperate in anyway. (g'ah, it's such a woman sometimes!)

There is a mop on my head, posing as my hairstyle.

I'm fed-up, and i've tried almost everything i can think of.

I'm close to waiving the white flag of surrender. I'll just live in the glory days of my past, and remind you all that, I used to have great hair.

(moment of silence for the hair. I think i hear Taps playing in the far-off distance)

c25k

I've been doing the Couch to 5k- a training program that ideally changes lazy-admirers like me into runners. In nine weeks, you should go from a non-runner, to successfully running a 5k.

I'm not an athlete, but the idea of running a 5k has always appealed to me. I might not enjoy running, but i do enjoy teeshirts. So signing up for a 5k seems like the perfect way to fuel my addiction.

I've been doing it for 6 weeks. In theory, i should be 2/3 of the way done, but i'm not.

Not even close.

Turns out, i am terrible at running. I mean, awful. When you start this program, you think: "i only have to run for 60 seconds. Even i can do that!"
But for me, it's not true. I'm must have missed a very essential day in P.E. where we were taught how to run.

Here's how my workout has broken down:
(realtime:workout)

• week 1: week 1
• week 2: skipped (out of town)
• week 3: week 2....poorly
• week 4: repeat week 2....slightly better
• week 5: week 3....poorly
• week 6: repeat week 3, but outside!

At this rate, i'll hopefully be done with the 2 month program before 2011 ends.

But i recently learned that i prefer running outside. Who knew? I mean, granted my "run" is probably slower than an average person's "walk", but... it's babysteps* people!

I'll keep you posted on how i do...but i'm pretty sure that by the time i'm finished the internet will have been replaced by cooler technology, so i'm not sure how i'll contact you; but we'll cross that bridge when i run across it!

*which, ironically, is a very accurate description of what my run looks like.

To trim or not to trim?

last November, i decided to throw caution to the wind, get a little bit naughty, and get BANGS!

that's right, legitimate, honest to gosh, bangs. the kind i hadn't rocked since i was 12.

i had thought about it for a while, and i decided that since i could embrace skinny leg jeans, why not go all in and embrace bangs too.

I've been home-trimming them for awhile now, but they're back to that awkward over-the-eyes stage.

And i'm not certain that i want them to be a permanent fixture in my life. They've been lots of fun, but I can't decide if i want to trim or grow.

So interwebs, what's the answer?

let's not take into account the fact that i am obviously heftier in the current photos. I'm working on it! it's alot easier to gain weight than it is to lose it, who knew?

before bangs:

with bangs:

current, side swept bangs:

Alright people, you be the judge!

Ouchie.

As promised, here's the details about my car.

It was parked on the side of the road, quietly minding it's own business, when a mean ol' semi decided to bully it.

The semi didn't realize it hit me, and drove away. Thank GOD the postman saw it happen and called it in. They found the guy who hit me, and [after a week of run around] he took full responsibility for the accident and is paying for the repairs.

For now, i'm rockin this little gal. She's nice and all, but she's not mine.

It's been a month, i miss my car.

Umm.

What the hell is wrong with the people who created this commercial?

We WILL NOT stand for this...

forget unions and paycuts, I've found the real problem

Intolerable. Who will stand with me? #solidarity

Have You Heard about This?

The Protests in Wisconsin

I'm curious as to what the rest of the country has heard.

I know we finally broke CNN, and was on the cover of the New York Times; but have you guys really heard anything about this?

I work exactly 20 ft from the protests, so I am fully immersed in it.

the protesters are riding the bus with me to work.

I am hearing the marches from my office window.

It's allover the news.

and, like cairo, twitter's spurring most of the movement.

And it's quite exhilarating.

Here's my very (ill)informed breakdown:

1) walker gets elected gov on a ballot of getting out of debt, starts position last month
2) last week, walker announcing sweeping legislation for this year's budget:

• state employees would have to start paying into their benefits, essentially a 6% paycut per person.
• the main reason people are upset, is it completely negates any unions bargaining rights

3)this week has seen over 30,000 protesters visit the capital.

• a large number of those being teachers
• schools have been closed for the past 3 days

4)The vote was supposed to take place yesterday

• it passed the joint finance committee and was sent to the senate floor
  
• the democrat senators knew they didn't have enough "no" votes, so instead, they refused to attend. the vote couldn't be held because the there weren't enough senators to hold a vote.
• the madison capital police went to round up the dem. senators and require them to vote, but they had fled the state and were hiding in an undisclosed location in Illinois.
• It's basically a way to buy time, the vote will still be held.

exciting stuff, no? it's playing out like a movie.

I'm not going to get into any of my opinions here.
But as someone who adored poli sci in college, it's been very exciting for me to bear witness to the events unfolding.

and the signs have been pretty entertaining too

my personal favorite was, "100% of teachers protesting here have a higher education than governor walker"

So tell me, what have you guys heard?

Snail's Speed

So my car got hit on Monday. My parked car. Apparently a semi was making a left, and the back corner of his trailer wanted to stab a huge gash from tip to tip of my car. awesome.

But that's not what this post is about.

No, that post will come later, because I'm currently in limbo with the driver's insurance co. My poor baby is parked on the side of the street, freezing, shivering, scared and alone with a giant hole in her paneling. Poor Girl.

This post is about something else. This post is about what my life has succumb to because my car is currently dormant.

I don't live far from downtown. A mere 3.5 miles from the capital. But in the winter time, it may as well be 2 states away, because there's no way in hell that I'm walking or biking in zero degree weather.

When the temperature drops below 20, and the snow accumulation rises about 6", my car becomes my lifeline.

Sure, i still ride the bus to work --i mean, i work downtown after all....and am wickedly poor-- but beyond that, my world gets big. Everything becomes a car ride away.

Gone are the days where i walk 11 miles in a day, pick restaurants for their proximity to my apartment (i.e. intoxicated walks home), or bike the the grocery store.

So when my car became unavailable, my world suddenly came to a hault.

All week long, i've come home and been at the mercy of people giving me rides.

They'd invite me places, and i'd respond "i'd love to go...if you don't mind picking me up"

God bless them, they have been picking me up. they've been beyond wonderful, but the thing is we've always been heading in the same direction.

Now, i need to run my errands, and I'm not the kind of person to ever ask someone to cart me around.

So today was a new experience for me. I knew all the things i needed to get, and i knew all the places i wanted to get them....all on the westside, a 15+ minute drive away.

Clearly, me walking down the beltline is not an option, so it was time for me to get creative.

I'm lucky to live near monroe street, and I'm no stranger to trader joes.
I'm also no stranger to the many amazing restaurants by me.

What i am a stranger to, embarrassingly, are all the little local shops in my section of town.

I'd always strolled past them, thinking they were cute, but never bothered to stop in.

Today, all that changed.

I was able to check off everything on my shopping list, as well as find cute new things i didn't even know i needed, and all with the peace of mind of supporting local business.

The stores were adorable. The employees were far more friendly, caring, and attentive than their big chain competitors.

I found myself stopping in almost every store i walked by, just for the fun of experiencing them.

It took me 90 minutes to walk 11 blocks. And it was utterly enjoyable.

And I could kick myself for not having done this sooner.

As someone who always spews the phrase "support your local restaurants. i guarantee you, any chain you like, i can find you a better, local alternative"; it's about time i focused on the importance of supporting my local stores too.

My world has finally gotten smaller again.

....and i can't wait for warmer weather (sorry, just needed to get that off my chest too)

I won't even pretend this post has a theme (or title)

I wanted to let you all know that i've done something drastic...

I've left facebook.

I realize this might come as a shock to some of you, given that i've been on it at least once a day (usually, several more) since 2004, the year it started.

I was due for a cleanse. A facebook colonic, if you will.*

In this, the month of actually sticking to new year's resolutions, i decided it was time for a detox.

It needed to be cold turkey. I'm not one who's able to simply ignore it's presence, we needed to break-up.

I've been facebook free for a week now, and I'm starting to like it.

at first, like all good addicts, i was obsessive. I had the shakes and kept day dreaming of getting to login.

But now, now i am liberated. I honestly don't spend that many evenings at home, but the ones that i have, have been super productive.

And that was the whole reason for getting off facebook. I still love social media, but there are quite a few aspects of my personal life that have needed attention. My to-do list has been piling-up, and I've been able to procrastinate for months by wasting hours online.

Since i've been off facebook-only for a week, mind you- it's amazing what i've already accomplished.

don't worry, this isn't a permanent fixture. I'll sign back in eventually, but i have a couple personal goals that i need to accomplish before i "treat" myself to that.

So there you go, the truth's out. In other news:

This is what my dinner looked like.

spinach, celery, and cucumber

Speaking of detox, my body has been screaming at me for all the crap i've loaded it with since thanksgiving. We're going on a but of a cleanse too, eh.

and finally, since i was kind enough to update you on the upstairs bathroom. here's what the 1/2 bath now looks like.

Pretty!

*you're all welcome for that visual.

pretty!

It's finished, and it's glorious.