best part of my day.

Last night, the guy wearing, I kid you not, corduroy pants, an argyle sweater and Crocs ON THE ELLIPTICAL. He sure was just swishing his heart out. It was spectacular.

The second best part was when our whiter than white weather guy referred to snow as "snizzle" last night during the newscast. Overall, as you might be able to tell, yesterday was just generally quite spectacular.

Today's spectacular comes in the form of some Starbucks and fresh snow--or snizzle, if you will--this morning. YAY!

Well kids, if you have visited my actual blog page, you might have noticed the new list of races I have up, four so far--including a New Years Eve Beer Run 5K, a New Years Day 5K, the Groundhog 10K and OKC.

Guess who starts running and training again in two days???!!!!!

best part of my day.

Disclaimer, this is totally a chick-centric post: As you may recall from last year, the Robinson household always lets Christmas come early. Even though I have been a scrooge this year, somehow, today my mood was changed. Maybe it's the fact that I don't have to work for the next four days.

Regardless. After the gym and some dinner, Edder and I went ahead and participated in the Robinson household tradition and started opening gifts. Let me preface this. I am easily amused. And I am totally a full fledged member of my paternal family at heart (read: I have a hard time with change, warming up to things/people, and letting go of something I'm attached to). So. I've had this wallet, that I bought at Old Navy proudly for $2 back in summer 2006. It's probably the ugliest thing I've ever purchased. BUT IT WAS TWO DOLLARS.

Moving on, I'm a professional (and therefore very busy and important). Married to a fellow professional (who is more busy, less important, and quite more ridiculous). And there is a certain point in life (coughahem, like hitting 30) when you have to step up and graduate from the $2, ink-covered and stained heinous looking wallet from Old Navy.

*my old wallet*

Enter my favorite Running Lawyers (yes both of them), who both have this magnificent wallet (a/k/a "clutch") I've been drooling over for years now. I will have lunch with them, and instead of salivating over the sushi, I salivate over their wallets, because they have matching ones. And they are fantastic, and pretty and shiny. Preface complete.

Back to tonight, where the Robinsons proceed to act like eight-year-olds, all amped up and excited to open Christmas gifts a few days early....hey, there is something to be said about your own traditions, right? And me reacting more strongly to any gift than I ever have in the history of Ed and I being together....even Ed said it. I got more excited about my gift tonight that I did about my engagement ring.

I GOT THE WALLET. The coveted beautiful flat clutch I've been salivating over for three years. I have it. It's mine.... all mine. My precious. THAT, was the best part of my day.

*new wallet, the black one, milo is already guarding it for me*

Also. My cat Frank. Who I've written about but never posted a picture of. He's what I like to call "husky"... and he likes him some treats. Even if they are the dog's treats. And he is so darn cute I couldn't help but take a picture of him trying to pilfer the dog treats and post it. So here you go:

a new level of awesome?

First. 60 Minutes. The show, not the time. Yes it's something I totally remember watching as a kid at my grandparents every Sunday night while eating popcorn. So the fact that I realize that show isn't something most 30 year old's watch yet I still do, sets me apart in nerd city off the bat. It sure does TiVo at my house every Sunday night. That said, I don't usually watch it, Ed does. But once in awhile something on it interests me.

However, last night? LAST NIGHT, the show was pretty much dedicated to Alec Baldwin. It was about 9:30p when I discovered that fact and Ed refused to let me watch, because he knew I would have to pause and back it up a bajillion times to not miss a single second (oh, because in case you haven't heard yet, i have a thing for alec). The good news is, besides going to spin class, I have nothing to do (since I'm being a scrooge this year) tonight. So I sure am setting aside an hour and a half of my evening (just in case i need to pause and rewind 80 times) for some quality time with Mr. Baldwin. And yes, I am very aware he is a total a-hole in real life. I just don't care.

Second. I had to have had the most horrendous experience today involving my gym bag. I went to yoga over my lunch break and since I was in a huge hurry, I threw my car keys randomly into my bag, instead of putting them in a pocket (yes this is relevant). I go to yoga, go back to the locker room and change and have the frightening thought that I didn't get my keys from my car (if you know me at all, it has happened maybe once or twice in my life....chirp.....). So I stopped at the entrance of the gym, plopped my gym bag down on a chair in front of a huge glass window in front of the 'family' area where kids are enjoying some Foosball and start digging through my bag to find my keys. First off, my sports bra flies out landing smack on the chair, the man sitting in the chair next to me enjoyed that I'm sure.

That was nothing. So I reach down to the bottom of my bag and feel something wet and squishy. Gross. So being the brilliant person I am, instead of moving on and grabbing my keys I'm all....ohhhh what's that? Thinking maybe somehow my swim cap that's in there got wet. Well.... it wasn't my swim cap. After shoving my hand down full force and feeling my fingers mame some squishy mass, I pull it out, and it's a banana. Yeah, doesn't seem so gross right? Well. It was 100% black. And the fact that I didn't KNOW at first it was a banana, should tell you how old it was.

PEOPLE. I KNOW I haven't put a banana in my gym bag for at least a month, probably more like two. That means I squished my hand into a two month old smelly black banana, in front of about 20 people. I can't even begin to describe how disgusting it looked and smelled. And clearly I have no shame since I'm sharing this story on my blog. Because gross. Who leaves a banana in their gym bag for two months?!

The lesson here is this, if you are going to put a banana in your gym bag, I highly suggest writing all over your arm in a black sharpie that you have a banana in your bag. I now don't even have an appetite. The smell of that alone is going to stay with me for about two days. How am I supposed to eat delicious beef for dinner if I don't have an appetite? This is very tragic.

Merry Christmas Week!

best part of my day.

Hands down had to be the huge box of Omaha Steaks sitting on my front porch when I got home from work tonight. Merry Christmas from the in-laws! I haven't been in the Christmas spirit very much this year. LAME. I know. I'm a huge Christmas fail this year. Although, now that I have a freezer full of beef, I'm pretty sure I am now ready to join the ranks of fellow Christmas spiriters. It's like a shiny Christmas elf covered in rhinestones and syrup, that box of beef.

Also, today was my office Christmas party. We had secret santa all week, and the stuff I was getting all week? Yeah, well it's the best secret santa experience I've ever had. We all opened our last gift today after lunch and the santa's revealed themselves. My secret santa ended up being my boss! He did a stellar job! In fact I'm enjoying my last gift right now, a deliciously cozy, soft and fuzzy K-State hoodie, DELIGHTFUL. It makes me realize that despite any frustrations at work, I love what I do, and my bosses (who are all amazing) and co-workers, and I'm really happy with my job. It made a not so great week really, really good.

In other news I am 100% back into 'get in shape' mode. I've been consistently going to the gym, amping up to start running again in January. I think I'm going to be ready. I better be since there is a little Kansas-blahggie-race-show-down happening in Kansas City January 31! It will be my first race since August (which i can hardly believe). I can't go and embarrass myself. So IT. IS. ON. I'm just excited I can finally join my fellow Kansas blahggie buddies IN a race. EIEEIEIAIAI! YAY for 2010.

best part of my day. and what not.

Well, week really, it's been a pretty productive one. For example, I am officially finished with teaching for 2009, I can now say I have been a college instructor for an entire year. I feel so grown up. How the heck did THAT happen? Crazy. I have a few months to roll around all happy as can be in that fact until I start up with Spring 2010.

In addition to that monumental occasion, I started walking this week. On the treadmill, 20 whole minutes. Plus I jumped back on the workout and eating healthy wagon, it's been a few months. I've been a bit disappointed in my weight and eating habits lately. It's a bit of an unfortunate situation. Because when you aren't training for a marathon, or any race or running period? You can't eat like you are. Ummm, someone should have told me that back in April. To prove my point, so far this week I've walked once, hit up some yoga, two spin classes and am a few pounds closer to being at the weight at which I feel best. And it's only Wednesday!

Speaking of weight, just because I'm trying to eat better, doesn't mean I will give up a celebratory beer. Ed got some good news at his job today, so yay Ed. He has worked his butt off for the past four years and made some really tough decisions, and it's finally starting to pay off for him.

To the beer, the best part of my day:

*please note the beer bottle matches the glass, both Goose Island, of Chicago. awwww takes me back to our trip there in October, good times*

Really this was just a catch up post more than anything. Just like everyone, I've been busy, and the holidays and what not make it that much more busy. But I still wanted to ramble on and on, and prove that I can still post two days in a row. Mission accomplished.

giblet jog challenge 2009.

Ummmm, despite the fact that this was more than two weeks ago--the Giblet Jog Challenge '09 that is--and after announcing it I never posted about it again, your ever faithful and procrastinating FWR is going to post about it anyway.

To remind you, the GGC '09 was something the Running Lawyer, Running Worm and I devised back in September or so. It involved three girls, two cities and a 10 miler and 1/2 marathon. The best laid plans. In the end the Running Lawyer was the only one who could hack the full challenge, clearly she wins. The worm did a mini-challenge (which she PRd in both races, a 2-miler and a 5k) and yours truly, well... I was an athletic supporter. And a darn good one at that.

The Turkey Trot in the big Dub was the first race of the GGC '09. So the Worm drove down from KC and she, the Lawyer and I had dinner at my place... it was a darn good night full of too much food and wine. The next morning was the race so I bundled up, grabbed a searing hot mocha and my ever faithful spectating buddy Milo and headed to the race. Kristen did fabulously in her 10 miler and Ashley was so fast I didn't have time to snap her picture at the finish line, she got a hefty PR.

*it was like magic, us united all in one spot*

*me, the running worm, and faithful spectating champion of the universe, milo, at the turkey trot watching kristen after ashley's PR*

After the race we went our separate ways to get cleaned up, met for brunch and then all headed to KC for another night of fun, oh and of course for the Gobbler Grind which was the next day. We met up with our friends Indi and Trevor, saw New Moon (yes total guilty pleasure, don't judge) then went to dinner and gelato after.

*indi, myself, kristen and ashley at california pizza kitchen after watching new moon, poor trevor was "dragged" along--shhh i don't think he minded--it was a good night*

We all met the next morning bright and early, the Lawyer was running the 1/2 marathon and the Worm did the 5K. We had two additions to the group at the GG though, Indi ran the 5K and RunnurMark (i.e. running chicken, or any other related name you can think of....coughahem) was running the 1/2. So we all met up and I was again the athletic supporter (but this time i had good company in indi's husband trevor) holding stuff, taking pictures, and again drinking searing hot coffee.

*being the model spectator/supporter scouting viewing locations on the phone with the lawyers mom who was there as well, that bag on my back is full of everyones stuff, my hair was clearly enjoying the day as well*

Being the fabulous athletic supporters that we are, after Indi and Ashley finished the 5k we hopped in the car to drive the course and find the Lawyer, and find her we did. We were even sweet enough to drive alongside her while she chugged up a big hill all the while screaming and cheering at her, similar to a drunk at Mardi Gras. SHE LOVED IT. Maybe she didn't show it at the time, but we all know she did.

*point of fact, we were indeed yelling out the window, can you tell kristen is pretending she doesn't know us? well...she is*

Unfortunately, since we had only met RunnurMark for all of two minutes before the race, we didn't know him well enough to freak him out by yelling out of the car window at him....too bad for Mark. In addition to yelling for Kristen, since everyone around her was looking at us like we were lunatics, we started yelling random names. The best part? At one point we drove by some girl and I was all, GO LINDSAY (i had no idea who she was or what her name was) and she looked over and smiled at us, then kept giving us the thumbs up and waving. Who knew?! So congrats to random running Lindsay!

It looked like it was a fun race, it was a lot of fun spectating. Mark hit an amazing time, you can read about HERE, we missed his finish by just a few minutes, bummer. Kristen had a great 1/2 and Ashley (you can read her report HERE) and Indi PRd in the 5K.

*post race group shot, doesn't mark look petrified? we are terrifying. a bunch of kansas blahggy running nerds all in one spot isn't something to be taken lightly after all*

*post race jazz hands. no race is complete without them. too bad mark bailed on us early and missed this pricelessness*

After the race it was time for more food, so the fabulous GGC '09 weekend finished up with Chipotle and hugs. We are doing this again next year, the weekend was a huge success, we had so much fun. Hopefully next year I will actually be running that thing! If not, I'm so just getting a bull horn and chasing everyone around the course being ridiculously obnoxious. And maybe I'll dress as a chicken. Or a squirrel.