Progress!

Over the last two weeks I:

-Finished my first marathon hand in hand with my big sis
-Reconnected with an old friend.
-Joined a softball league (I stink).
-Practiced catch with DH and improved vastly, but got three bruises.
-Spent two hours writing, and several more thinking about my storyline.
-Biked to work twice (RAIN RAIN RAIN).
-Called and wrote my senators and congressman for the first time.
-Made many plans for the future

I’m grateful for comfort food

What’s fast become one of my favorite go-to meals when I’m exhausted and ravenous, and all by myseelllff –

Spinach Power Skillet

Heat a skillet on medium-high (drizzle with olive oil if it’s not nonstick)

Sautee 1 small onion until it starts to brown

Add 1 clove garlic, minced

Add handful of mushrooms, sliced

Add a serving or two of protein (any kind of beans–great northern are scrumptious!-, leftover seitan, half a block of tofu, some tempeh… whatever you’re in the mood for!)

Add gobs of spinach to taste (I usually add several handfuls of baby spinach — about half a bag) and sautee until it’s just wilted.

Season according to your mood — I generally use a good sprinkling of tumeric, and sometimes curry powder… and often eat it with ketchup .

Yuuuummm

Accomplishments!

This weekend — DH and I actually got stuff done.

Most awesome — we bought bikes yesterday. We ended up going to the Wheelbase (http://wheelbasebikes.com/) even though we probably could have saved by getting used bikes from somewhere else… but we know we’re going to ride the heck out of them, so we wanted to go somewhere local and knowledgeable. HAPPY. Resisting the urge to ride to work today so I can scope out bike rack situations at work and the gym (horrible that I haven’t quite done that yet!), and run some errands (including getting seat cushions, because even after light riding yesterday we were SORE!!).  So excited to have more exercise/outside time built into my day!

Second-most awesome — we bought a bed! No more air mattress! We made three stops — Mattress Warehouse, Frederick Bedrooms, and Mattress Discounters.  We ended up getting a $3,200 bed + frame + cover for $600 at MD. Frederick Bedrooms (soon to be re-named and located on 85) had some beautiful items, but couldn’t beat that.  Mattress Warehouse had a pretty sorry selection/deals compared to the other two.

Time to start the day — but I promise, we did do a lot of things that didn’t involve shopping. It’s just, shopping is the thing we usually put off and off and off. I feel so good going into this week (even with all the things I didn’t get done), I hope to remember this feeling and have it many Monday mornings in the future!

Happy Monday everyone

Oh so overwhelmed (I’m grateful for my opportunities)

So many pieces spinning in my head, make it hard to choose/think/breath/focus.  That’s why my notebook is for if only I could remember where I put it –

I’ve been very sick for the last four years, struggling with chronic lyme disease. I’m about 95% recovered now (training for the Frederick Marathon, which is now in two weeks!!), and would like to become more active in the movement to get lyme patients the help they deserve. And more active in getting myself the rest of the way better – it seems recovering from lyme is almost like losing weight, the last little push is the hardest. I’m terrible about taking ALL my vitamins, getting enough sleep, not pushing too hard… Where to start? What to do? How to get myself to choke down ALL THOSE PILLS?

I’ve been trying to lose weight (10 – 20 lbs) for what feels like FOREVER now. I want to be in great shape — but when I exercise, I have more trouble controlling my eating, and I loop and loop and loop…

I want to go back to school to study engineering (I think). I don’t want to pay so much tuition (again). I need to apply for scholarships.

I want to succeed in my current position. I’ve been putting in so much overtime, joining professional organizations, attending conferences… but I need to do more reading and strategizing.

I want to become a fiction author. I need free time.

I’m taking groundschool, but I can’t pass the medical needed to become a pilot (probably). I need to investigate my options.

I finally have a decent place to live, but I don’t have decent furniture (organization!) and I don’t keep it in decent shape.

I have a wonderful husband, but we need to work on our relationship. We don’t see each other much, and then when we do it’s awkward (time) (sleep) (happy) (silly).

I want to compete in a triathlon, I find a training group (Team in Training), but their cause conflicts with my beliefs (they do animal testing), though I lost a friend to leukemia as a child. Which outweighs what?

I need to get outside.

I need to see my mother/brother/sister/grandparents/friends.

I need to read the classics.

I need to practice my French.

I need to practice piano.

Is what I’m losing counteracting what I’m gaining?

Mostly, I need sleep.

Not ready to be a parent (I’m grateful for my cat)

Of a dog, that is.

We’re getting closer and closer to that point — and it seems like every few months I think we’re there, look up pictures of puppies in shelters (www.petfinder.com), start filling out the application, decide to sleep on it, and then a few minutes later come to the realization (again) that we’re just not stable enough. We’re pretty much past the dicey financial stage of our lives, but there are so many other aspects to consider:

RIGHT NOW, someone is home most of the time.

RIGHT NOW, our landlord would probably let us get away with it.

RIGHT NOW, we live in a great area for dogs – lots of parks, dog-friendly restaurants, etc.

But before too long, all that will (hopefully, in terms of our careers/educations) change.

In the meantime, I’m grateful for our cat Perdy, also known as puppy/kitty. She is far more dependent and friendly than many of the cats I had growing up, and she’s good company when DH is working odd shifts.

I’m sorry, Alfie .

I hope someone else takes you home.