to dream the KIMpossible dream

Whirlwind Recap

2012-01-25T08:34:00.001-06:00

What would Christmas be without a decorated goose?

I know I keep disappearing. Don't take it too personally. It seems when I first started blogging I looked at any and all opportunities to find some great "story" to share and now it's about finding the time/energy to share whatever few great "stories" happen my way. The longer I go without blogging, the more annoyed I get with the prospect of trying to catch up on my blog. Does that make sense?

So, with that I do a quick recap of events.

Christmas
As some of you know, for 33 years, I have spent Christmas in Chicago. With the upcoming arrival of the first grandchild to my parents, our family opted out this year because we couldn't stomach the idea of younger sister Linda having the baby without us being around and we also couldn't stomach the idea of spending Christmas sans Linda and Craig.

We all gathered to my parent's house on Christmas Eve and ate too much food and watched Christmas movies. Older sister Cathy, brother-in-law Jay, and I all decided to stay at my parent's house for the long weekend.

We all gathered again at my parent's house on Christmas Day and ate too much food, watched Christmas movies, and opened up presents from my parents. Normally we would have exchanged our sibling "Secret Santa" presents, but we decided to wait until New Year's Eve so that brother Eddie and sister-in-law April would be able to join us.

I lost our competition because my door knob was disproportionate to the door and house. But I'm not bitter...oh no.

The whole line-up - Jay's, mine, my mom's, and Cathy's. Cathy won. Whatever.

Linda, Craig, and Coco just a few days before Ethan's arrival.

My cute mom and dad.

Nephew time
My nephew, Ethan Edward, was born on December 28th. He was a whopping 10 lbs, 4 oz and measured 21" in length. Linda and Ethan remained in the hospital until New Year's Eve day. Linda started her own blog, so for more info go here.

Sweet Ethan on his birth day.

too cute for words

It's hard work being this adorable.

New Year's
What a great way to bring in the New Year! We got to enjoy our little Ethan and we had Eddie, April, my aunt, my uncle, and my two double cousins - Nicole and Danielle all in from out of town to share in the excitement and anticipation of a brand new year filled with wonderful opportunities! We also had our sibling "Secret Santa" gift exchange, ate too much, watched my dad play Bejeweled, and brought in the New Year in the Spa sipping on champagne.

Freebirding
While my two double cousins, Nicole and Danielle, were in town, I made sure they experienced a burrito the right way - a la Freebirds (vs. the wrong way - a la Chipotle's which they do have at home back in Chicago). Danielle opted for the daintier "Hybird" while Nicole and I want all hungry-hungry hippos and ordered "Monsters". The verdict: those cRaZy girls prefer Chipotle. Whatever.

Nicole with her spinach Monster

Danielle with her wheat Hybird

A toast to the New Year - Freebirds style!

Wedding
What does a year look like without a family wedding? I don't remember. We have had one every 1 to 1.5 years in our family for the past 5 years. This year, we all gathered in Springfield, IL for my cousin Anna's wedding to her new bride, Nicol, on Jan. 14th. I have two words for you: Photo Booth! Have you ever been to an event with one of these things? OMG - soooo fun! My cousin Rachel and I kept going in there - sometimes by ourselves and sometimes with a group and laughed the night away.

Chicago
I was supposed to drive back with my family to St. Louis to grab our flight back to Houston, but work duties called me to Chicago instead, so I caught a ride with double cousin Nicole and her boyfriend Justin back to Chicago. I spent the next 3 days in meetings designed to improve the operations of our company. Have you ever spent 3 full days in meetings? Wow - it was really hard for this girl with A.D.D. who is used to multi-tasking the days away.

Now what?
Those of you who "listen" to me FB or Twitter, know that I like My Fit Foods. I'm just sooo not in a cooking mode right now. I haven't been for quite a while, actually. My Fit Foods has fresh prepared meals you can just pick-up, warm-up, and eat. I've gained back a lot of the weight I had lost. I'm not happy about this, but not being happy about it doesn't change the situation. I've tried to restart South Beach time and time again and I keep failing. My mom thinks this is because I enjoy life's challenges and I already conquered South Beach (um...before the weight gain) so now I need a new challenge. Younger sister Linda and her hubby, Craig, have started Weight Watchers Online. I've decided to follow in their footsteps - so basically I'm food tracking and I'm eating most of my meals via My Fit Foods. I'm kinda squashing most of my racing for now because I've not been training and it's becoming a bit of a joke (that isn't funny). I have plans to get back into the groove, one mile at a time.

So...please forgive me for getting behind in my blogging and blog reading. I will make a concerted effort to stay on top of such things moving forward!

Cheers to a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Three Things (x 2) Thursday

2011-12-08T22:49:00.001-06:00

Totally random. No pictures. So sorry....

#1 - If a medication warns "may cause drowsiness" or *insert side-effect here*, my body is all up on it. In other words, I'm the worst kind of mcwimpy.

#2 - I have never ever never in my entire life pressed the infamous "snooze" button on any alarm. I just flat out reset it for another time if it is inconvenient for me to wake up at the time of the unwelcomed interruption of my sleep.

#3 - I REFUSE to eat clam chowder. No, I've never tried it...or even clams all by their lonesome...but the very idea grosses me out.

#4 - With the exception of Target, Z-Gallerie, and Hobby Lobby, I prefer to avoid stores and shop on-line.

#5 - I appear to be a Groupon junkie. In under 2 weeks, I have purchased 6 Groupons. Um...all purchases were made with the intention of pampering myself or providing me with entertainment. I'm selfish like that...

#6 - I have an obsession with the show Gossip Girl. I feel like a cougar for being ridiculously intrigued by one of the actors who is *only* 10 years my junior. In 3 weeks time, I have watched all 4 1/2 seasons. Don't judge...

Okay, that's all I can come up with.

M.I.A.

2011-11-28T18:55:00.001-06:00

Apparently I went missing again. Not from the real world, but I've been relatively quiet on the social media front. I think, as a whole, I'm not very happy with this year. That makes me sound like a spoiled brat when you read what I've been up to in my absence, but doing things and feeling things are sometimes two VERY different things. Does that make sense?

October 18th was the last time I blogged. 6 weeks ago. Bad Blogger. Here are the highlights of things that happened during my disappearing act...

Painting Class
I bought a Groupon for one of those painting classes at Merlot to Masterpiece a while ago. It took a bit of coordination to get some friends and fellow bloggers (Kim, Amanda, Marg, and Britt) together, but we finally managed to swing it. Here is what the "goal" was supposed to look like:

Here was my finished (and framed) product:

The group shot:

Top Row - Amanda, Me, Kim
Bottom Row - Marg, Britt

Vacation
I headed to Chicago at the end of October to hang with family and participate in The Monster Dash. My cousin Courtney and I walked 13.1 decked out in Angry Birds gear. It was Courtney's first (and I'm told last) half and I promised her we would stay together. I never left her side and we finished it.

While in Chicago, I made sure to eat all my favorite foods. I hit up Portillo's twice - the first time for Italian beef and the second time for hot dogs. We may or may not have managed to get the car towed while on our hot dog run during rush hour traffic downtown. =/

I managed to pick-up some of my favorite candies from Fannie May - most notably Trinidads.

The beauty of a Trinidad lies in its decadent layers of rich, creamy real dark chocolate,
covered in a golden toasted coconut shell.

Of course, the best breakfast in the world can be found at Walker Bros. Pancake House. Carbo-loading at its finest.

Post race, Courtney and I indulged on the BEST Chicago-style pizza EVER - Lou Malnati's.

Although it's hard to beat the BBQ of the South, Famous Dave's is quite delicious especially when hanging out with some wonderful cousins!

While downtown, I got to experience Chicago from the tourist perspective instead of my usual in and out of our designated commitments routine. It was a nice change of pace. I saw the famous Forever Marilyn statue (26 feet tall) and the Cloud Gate.

Management Meetings
Not even 2 weeks after my Chicago vacation, I set-off for Chicago again for my company's annual Management Meetings and Award Banquet. Every year a book serves as the theme for the meetings and the upcoming year. This year, Ubuntu! was the chosen one. The basic concept is that "I am because we are" and that "we are all in this together". In short...teamwork. I have to say that some of my disgruntlement regarding work this past year has been as a result of a lack of teamwork, so this book and theme were much needed and appreciated (and will hopefully pay off).

After arriving in Chicago on Thursday, 11/10, all the managers (traveling from 12 Service Centers located nationwide) were whisked away to check into our hotel and then managed a caravan downtown to meet up with all the management of our headquarters to the Signature Lounge at the 96th Floor of the John Hancock building for a marvelous dinner (and an open bar).

Friday was filled with various meetings and followed-up with our Award Banquet. Upper management has been really great about giving us monthly and quarterly statistics so most of us had a basic idea of our rankings in each category, but there is always one award whose recipient is always a mystery - the Service Center (SC) of the year award. This award originated 8 years ago. My SC won it for the first time in 2008. We won it for the second time in 2009 becoming the 2nd SC to manage a repeat. Then came 2010...we had dreamed of a 3-peat just to end up in 6th place (boo!). I had a plan to win it back. I can honestly say I worked the hardest I ever have in all my 12 1/2 years with this same company. It paid off! Now the only problem with being #1 is that there is a large target on your back! =)

On Saturday we spent half a day finishing up our meetings and then it was off to my aunt and uncle's house to hang with family for the evening. Wouldn't you know we managed to get our happy Lou Malnati's pizza for dinner!

Thanksgiving
Apparently I like to fly every 2 weeks. =/ I only get sick EVERY time, but no big deal. So we decided to resume our annual Thanksgiving trip to Vegas despite the fact that younger sister Linda and brother-in-law Craig were not going to be able to join us because of the upcoming arrival of their first child. Older sister Cathy figured out that this was our 15th Thanksgiving in Vegas. We spent 14 of them in a row, but detoured to Orlando last year for a fun-filled week in Disney and Universal Studios.

My parents stayed at the Venetian while the "kids" resided in my grandmother's condo located a couple of miles from The Strip. This year was a bit different, though. Normally we manage a movie or two walking from The Venetian all the way down to the Showcase movie theater by the MGM. This year, we didn't see a single flick. I also normally hang out at Casino Royale, but...not this time. I mostly gambled away at The Venetian, the Palazzo, and the Las Vegas Hilton (because it was located across the street from our condo).

We did swing a show - taking in Sting at Caesar's Palace. It was in the Celine Dion theater, so a more intimate setting. I loved listening to the background story of how his songs were conceived and I have mad appreciation for his violinist who made amazing music!

The ladies swung a spa day! My mom treated older sister Cathy, sister-in-law April, and me to a spa treatment at the Canyon Ranch Spa located in The Venetian. I chose a European facial and experienced rejuvenation in my skin! I literally felt my skin glowing the rest of the day. Upon completion of our respective services, we spent over 2 hours in the wonderment that is the spa-experience...the Hot Tub, Steam Room, Sauna, Herbal Laconium, the Igloo (yes, as cold as it sounds) Salt Grotto, and Wave Room while sipping on orange-infused water and delicious herbal teas.

Though I pretty much came home a big loser, I had some really nice hits throughout my gaming that kept the days fun and entertaining. My favorite slot machines this year were Quick Hits and Hot Shots. I will definitely be revisiting them next year!

And that's about it in a nutshell. Hopefully I will be posting more frequently since it is now "the most wonderful time of the year!" I leave you with this pretty dress displayed at The Venetian:

display dress made entirely of paper and ribbons

Losing someone...

2011-10-18T21:21:00.001-05:00

Someone near and dear to me passed away today. Had I known death was on the table, I would have done things differently. I would have called him. I would have visited him. I would have made sure he knew how much I cared.

Death really puts things in perspective. It's sad that it comes down to that, though. It really is.

I woke up this morning and thought I better call this person.

I grew more and more frustrated as the day progressed and I kept coming up empty-eared as I tried to contact him. At first, I called his hospital room directly just for another man to answer the phone telling me he must have been moved. Then I called the hospital to reach him, growing more anxious as the seconds ticked by before my call was transferred. I was then told his line was busy and asked if I wanted to speak to the nurse's station or if I wanted to call back. I opted to call back. This was the routine for 3 additional calls placed today. I finally gave up at the end of my work day, vowing to reach him tomorrow.

Only problem is that there is no tomorrow. As soon as I drove into my garage this evening, I received a phone call that he had passed away this afternoon.

Had I known? Maybe, in the back of my mind. Was it still shocking to me? Yes, yes it was.

Who was this man? He was one of my employees, a team member. He always managed to put a smile on my face. I knew him long before I became his "boss lady" (as he liked to call me) because my father hired him about 8 years before I joined that very same team. He helped move me into my dorm room in college. Then he helped move me out. He always asked me how my monsters were doing and how my training and races were going. He came to me when I was doing well with my weight loss so that I could help him do the same. He called me while on the road just to check in and see how everything was going. Many a tall tales this man spun, much to my delight. He had a booming voice that would announce his presence long before he was seen. He had a way with words that was both funny and endearing. He had great respect for my family and a genuine love for our company, always taking pride in his work.

We may not like all of our employees or co-workers, in fact we probably just tolerate the vast majority of them. That was not the case for me with this guy. I loved him and will miss him terribly. He may no longer be on this earth, but he will never be forgotten. RIP Big Papa.

Baby Shower!!!

2011-10-17T09:33:00.001-05:00

Saturday evening was the baby shower for Linda and Craig! Isn't Linda a cute preggo?

Linda at almost 30 weeks

Our mom put a lot of thought into the decorations. Here are just some of them:

front view of the "diaper cake" motorcyle my mom made

side view

rear view

other side view

Linda and Craig's "baby" board

Baby Craig - couldn't get the pic to rotate. =/

Baby Linda

pouting Linda? nah...it's a pouting Kimpossible that was put up on the board in error. no worries, it was later removed.

Games were played, but not your typical baby shower fare. Ever seen the show Minute to Win it? 5 games were chosen from the tv show, but instead of having 1 minute to complete the task, the guests were competing against each other.

We played "Hanky Panky" which had the players empting Kleenex boxes one tissue at a time as fast as they could go.

We played "Baby Blockin'" which had the players stacking 5 baby blocks on top of each other upon a paper plate placed on their respective heads.

We played "Baby Bottles" which had the players drinking 4 oz. of beer or soda (their choice) out of a baby bottle.

Hey lookie there...it's Melissa from beerrunner - she represented the girls!

We played "Separation Anxiety" which had the players sorting M&Ms by color in a specific order one by one.

And...last, but not least, we played "Jingle in the Trunk" which had the players wiggling their bodies to displace 5 jingle bells from inside a Kleenex box tied to their wastes.

It was fun to see so much participation - from both the guys and the girls!!!

We had appetizers of jalapeno poppers, taquitos, fruit salsa with pita chips, chips & queso, and of course a fruit salad.

carved with love by Kimpossible!

My parents ordered fajitas and all the fixins' from Rico's Grill for dinner.

Of course it wouldn't be a party without cake. We had a caramel tres leches cake and a chocolate tres leches cake courtesy of Rao's Bakery.

And...let us not forget the party favors:

candy "bar" party favors

Oh and Linda told me she had it all figured out what presents our other siblings and I bought for them for the shower because of my anti-BabiesRUs post a few days ago. Turns out she was wrong! That will show her that there is only one true Nancy Drew in this family (yours truly)!

Here is what they received courtesy of me, Cathy, Jay, Eddie and April:

Beaba Babycook

Graco Lovin' Hug Swing

All and all, it was a wonderful baby shower! Congrats to Linda and Craig on the upcoming arrival of their baby boy!

Seven Random Things

2011-10-13T21:21:00.001-05:00

I received a nomination for a blogger award! This makes me happy! =)

Heidi from The Sweet Life was so thoughtful to include me in her post. Thanks, Heidi!!!

Here's how it works...in order to "claim" the award, I have to handle some business.

The rules of this nomination are:

I get to tell you seven random things about myself as well as pass on the award to seven other great bloggers (see below).

Nominees, in order to accept this award you must:

-Thank and link back to the person who awarded you

-Write seven random things about yourself.

-Award seven other awesome and inspiring bloggers.

My Random Facts:

1. More often than not, while watching a television program I recorded on my DVR I don't actually forward through the commercials. I use that time to do "other things".

2. I use the NeilMed Sinus Rinse twice a day, every day. The neti pot scares me.

3. While at a movie with younger sister Linda, I constantly turn to look at her reaction to whatever is going on. I know this seems weird, but weirder still is her lack of reaction to things. She doesn't laugh at hilarious happenings. She doesn't jump at the sight of spooky stuff. She doesn't cry during catastrophic events. She has forbidden me from sitting next to her, but sometimes I plot to make it happen anyway.

4. I get really annoyed when anyone ~~interrupts~~ calls me while I'm driving in my car listening to an audio book.

5. I am a "crack" addict. Not in the way you are thinking. I just like to crack things on my body - my knuckles, my back, my neck, my feet, my toes, etc. Yes, I am aware this is not a good thing.

6. I never reapply my make-up during the day UNLESS I have some specific event I'm going to that evening - a date (haha...rarely that happens), a celebration of sorts, a business thingy, etc...

7. Who rides on her exercise bike without wearing shoes? This girl.

And the Nominees are (In no particular order):

1. That Pink Girl
2. Click. The Good News
3. (Just) Trying is for Little Girls
4. Everyday Ramblings from an Everyday Girl
5. Ginger's Junket
6. See Anna Run
7. Tales From the Back of the Pack

Venting...

2011-10-11T15:20:00.001-05:00

My sister's baby shower is this weekend. It's gonna be so fun (even though it's a couples shower and I'm not part of a couple). I had to throw that in there - ha!

My siblings and I like to group our money together to buy presents for whatever gift bearing occassion is coming our way - it's just how we roll. The baby shower is no different. We decided how much we were wanting to spend so that I could pick out the gifts accordingly.

Strategically I stalked the registry to determine the best use of our combined money. I settled on 3 things, but I can't tell you which 3 things in the off-chance younger sister Linda is reading this (sometimes she gets bored, you see).

I headed on over to BabiesRUs during my lunch break to purchase the items. Well, wouldn't you know that first and foremost the store didn't even have one of the items despite the registry claiming it did. Second hit was that if they did have it, they were selling it for $23 (plus tax) more in-store than on-line. WHAT?! WHY?! Obnoxious. I then went to the second item I planned on purchasing and discovered it, too, was more expensive in-store than on-line - by $14 (plus tax) this time. I asked an employee what the deal was and she said that sometimes there are sales on-line. Oh, okay. Obnoxious.

My strategerie was for the purchase of those three items because of their combined cost. I like to maximize the funds. So, I felt compelled to stick with those items in lieu of switching up the gifts to meet the money-goal, if that makes sense. I have no doubt I would have encountered similar issues with other products anyway.

I then went back to my office...and purchased those 2 items on-line for a savings of $40 (this time including tax). One of them I can even pick up at the very same store I visited during lunch. What's the point of any of this other than just to annoy your customers?

Oh and in case you are so very worried about the 3rd item, I bought that through other means altogether. Don't ask. Just trust me...it was the right way to go. And...no, there is no danger of someone buying it off the registry, so we are cool. Promise.

UGH...and now they sent me an automatic email with the shipping address for the one item directly to my sister. I don't want it sent to her house - I specified my work address for shipping. I've had it with BabiesRUs!!!

I will post pics and all that jazz from the baby shower on Monday!

Kim versus The Race That Wasn't

2011-10-10T08:45:00.001-05:00

A long time ago I signed up for See Jane Run. It would be my first all women's half and it would be in Austin. I honestly can't recall the last time I was in Austin. It was quite possibly my freshman year in college...uh...a long long time ago.

I decided to make a whole weekend of it, though probably I should have dropped the race all together given my ridiculous lack of training. Someone asked me why I was even going through with it. I said that dropping from it gave me a license to continue along on the bad path I've been traveling. Facing what would no doubt be yet another humbling/painful experience (see Kim versus The Half Marathon - Hottest Half) would hopefully be just what I need to once and for all get back on the right track.

I booked myself a room on Hotwire conveniently located a half a mile away from the "recommended hotel" (for significantly cheaper) and planned to leave after work on Friday. I was really looking forward to the escape.

As I drove into Austin on the same street as my hotel, dread began building in my very being for the road leading to my hotel was extremely hilly. I'm not dumb...I know Austin and the surrounding cities are called "the hill country", but seeing it was another story. My only race with true hills to date was the Orange County half I did back in May and those hills were brutal. Something told me this was going to be even worse!
I valet parked my car, lugged all my belongings to the lobby, and checked in. My room was lovely, really. A very comfy bed, a nice tv, and a strong cold blowing A/C. I didn't have any real set-in-stone plans other than hitting up the Expo the next morning and visiting with a friend from college who I had not seen since those good ol' days.

I woke up on Saturday morning and read a bit, played my FB games, showered, dressed, went down to the lame continental breakfast, back up to my room to do my hair, and headed out to the hotel the Expo was being held at - just a half mile away.

sCaRy pic of me - hahaha!

I got there early, so stopped at Starbucks for my non-fat lite salted caramel mocha frappacino (no whip) and played around on my phone until it was time.

I always find it awkward to do a race alone...especially out of town. I felt...lonely. I got my bib (no pins - rar), my t-shirt, and my goodie bag. I perused the vendors and got myself a free sample of Pinot Grigio courtesy of Barefoot and my free Luna bar sample, and then headed back to my hotel to examine my swag.

I read some more of my book and decided I should go find food. The night before, That Pink Girl recommended I go to Kirbey Lane for a meal. They are several around town, so I decided upon the original.

What a lovely atmosphere, a delicious menu, a nice waitstaff, and next to me sat a friendly woman who chatted with me throughout our respective meals. I ordered the Kirbey chicken which was a marinated grilled chicken breast stuffed with cream cheese mixed with kalamata olives and mushrooms. It was served with mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. I also had a mimosa and loads of iced tea. Seriously delicious meal! Seriously.

After lunch, I left out to go find my friend who lives in Round Rock. She hadn't changed a bit in appearance and we chatted and caught up while her nearly 2 year old napped. Right before he woke up, her parents arrived in town - visiting from Houston, as well. We had the most wonderful visit and they even took me to dinner at Fuddruckers that evening. After dinner, Monica took me to Academy so I could buy a hand-held for my race. I didn't want to bring my Camelbak - thinking it wasn't as hot as The Hottest Half and therefore a bit overkill for the race, but I also didn't want to only rely on the hydration stations as that as lead me to dehydration (cramping) in the past.

We said our goodbyes and I headed back to my hotel - hoping for a good night's rest. I never really sleep well before a race, by the way. Before I went to bed, I discovered an email from See Jane Run letting us know the medals had been lost by Fed-Ex, so that we would not be receiving one upon completion of the race, but once they were found they would mail them to us. This saddened me. It's nice to have that medal once you cross the finish line. Ah well...

I knew the forecast screamed rain, but that was the way the cookie crumbled, I supposed. I worried a bit about that and went to sleep waking up twice in the night. I never really sleep well before a race.

I woke up on Sunday morning, hopped in the shower, got dressed, geared up, threw back breakfast, and headed out in the rain. I was very confused while trying to park. There were no signs...just a bunch of fellow confused participants. I ended up riding around in circles for a half hour and then rolled down my window and asked someone once I noticed cars leaving. Turns out the race was canceled - no reschedule, no refunds. I felt somewhat relieved - again...wasn't prepared...wasn't happy about walking in the rain, but then I felt somewhat sad. I mean wasn't this the reason why I left town - spent money?! Didn't I want that pain and suffering to get me on task?! Wouldn't it have been awesome to start off my week with a 2,000 calorie burn?! What about my chocolate and champagne?!

These were posters at the Expo - there were more, but here are my faves:

I returned back to my hotel, crawled back into bed and read for a bit before dozing back to sleep for a bit. I then collected all my belongings and checked out - riding back home to Houston in a whole bunch of much needed rain.

It was a nice get-away in that I was able to visit with an old friend, but really...the whole trip just left me feeling lonely. It could be that it's "that time of year" or the rain. It could be many things. Maybe I was just missing the camaraderie I would have felt on that race course.

So, I have no race to report, no finishing song...BUT, I do have a next stop! It's the Monster Dash in Chicago on October 29th. Costumes are encouraged and I'm working on mine. Right now I feel motivated to battle the bulge and train for the race, so cheers to a fresh start and 3 weeks to get ready!

Spoiled

2011-10-06T08:38:00.000-05:00

I am spoiled rotten. The good news is that I'm the one doing the spoiling. The bad news is that 2 out of 3 people agree I don't deserve it (and I'm one of the peeps).

I decided I needed a pedicure...and a manicure BADLY. I really can't even say for sure when my last pedi was. All I know is that my toes (pre-pedi) look like this:

UGH!

My nails...well that's another horror story. I decided to stop getting refills a long time ago...I took the acrylic off myself. Awful! They went through their ridiculously flimsy/splitting cycle...and now they are stronger, but still ugly. I knew that I should totally get a mani so that other people wouldn't have to suffer at the sight of them, BUT...that would mean one of two things. Either I would have to let one ladybug work on my toes while another worked on my nails leaving me no hands to read a book OR I would have to be at the salon twice as long. No thanks to either...or um that was my thought process when I walked into the establishment. Upon completion of my pedi, I just knew I couldn't leave the premises until my nails looked presentable.

Onto the massage. I just develop such tension in my body - primarily my upper back, shoulders, and neck. I have a membership at Massage Envy - one that provides me with a massage a month for a very reasonable cost. More often than not, I go twice a month. I wonder how people go without...are they secretly suffering and don't know it? Do they have someone to provide this service free of charge (husband, boyfriend, etc)? Are they stress/tension free? Do tell! I decided I should get one before I go embarrass myself at yet another race ... you know ... to relaxi taxi my body before it goes through (deserved) hell.

I also stalk Groupon and Living Social deals for spa-type services in the Houston area on a daily basis. So far, I've purchased a hot stone massage (haven't used YET) and a facial.

So, yes...I'm spoiled and yes, I don't deserve it, but that's how my cookie crumbles.

Oh and here are my toes post-pedi:

MUCH better, eh?! =)

sigh ... another "Kim"

2011-10-05T14:46:00.001-05:00

I pulled another "Kim" today. What is a "Kim"? Well...usually it's when I do dumb things seemingly for other people's amusement, an Aggie moment kinda thing. In this case, my "Kim" made my dudes at work sad. I feel a little guilty about that, I really do.

Work decided this year that they wanted all of our service centers to provide a breakfast or lunch or ice-cream kinda shindig once a month or so in appreciation of our employees. This is relatively easy for most of our service centers as their head counts are significantly lower than mine. So, I am faced with the challenge of coming up with a shindig that will benefit as many of my dudes as possible without being too pricey.

My father and I decided to do a lunch this go-around. At first I thought about ordering a honey baked ham and then making baked beans, buying some potato salad, bread, and condiments. Then I saw the cost of a 1 1/2 hams and freaked out! For the same amount of money, I could go to Rudy's BBQ and get 15 lbs of meat, potato salad, beans, bread, pickles, onions, jalapenos, and iced tea. Oh...and the best part - no work on my behalf.

I ordered up the goods on Monday for pick-up today. My father and one of my dudes went to get the grub. I decided to serve it since the dudes have little to no control when it comes to food and I needed to make sure there were enough leftovers for those out on jobs today. They asked about the onions and jalapenos and I looked at everything we had and surmised Rudy's forgot to send it. Silly Rudy's. The guys were sooo disappointed. Poor dudes!

After everyone ate, I went to put away the leftovers and couldn't believe I had a whole pan left of potato salad. Those on jobs will be so excited. I decided to put the little bit of remnants from the other pan of potato salad into the full one to consolidate and imagine my shock when this:

turned out to be this:

Instead of more of this:

My "Kim" was that I assumed POJ was really POT and meant "potato salad" instead of "pickles, onions, jalapenos".

Poor dudes indeed.

The ones out on jobs will have a plethora of POJ, but hardly any POT. =/

*sigh* I need to keep my "Kims" in check.

Where in the World is KIMpossible?

2011-10-03T13:10:00.001-05:00

I know, I know...I've pulled a disappearing act. I'm back, though. So that's what matters, right?

This is gonna be a hodgepodge of stuff. Bear with me.

I know I owe y'all (and me) a checkpoint, but well...big shocker here...I haven't been quite as dedicated and diligent as I planned. Back on the wagon, though, so I guess it can be said that at least I don't give up. =/

My brother and sister-in-law planned a vacation to Jamaica. A flight from Los Angeles (where they live) means a necessary lay-over. They were able to manage an overnight one on Friday, 9/30, which allowed for my entire family to celebrate older sister Cathy's birthday. We went to Perry's Steakhouse and had a most wonderful meal followed by this:

and maybe a little bit of:

Afterwards, Cathy opened up her presents. My siblings went in on the gift thing with me, so we were able to get her some Brighton jewelry that she wanted and perfume. Here is my cute packaging:

Oh and in other news, I chopped off all my hair.

I decided this hairstyle looks better straight than curly, so I've been straightening it daily. There is the fast way - round brush - and then there is the slow way - Chi. Nine times out of 10, I do it the fast way.

Oh...and I'm embarrassed to say I blew off my first race. I did not end up doing the Beach Palooza 5K obstacle course on 9/24. I woke up that morning and was just not feeling it....the drive all the way to Galveston by myself...the fact that the only friend I knew who was racing it had a time slot a couple of hours before mine...and finally that I want to be able to run a 5K outright again before I sign up for another.

I have my See Jane Run half coming up on Sunday. My training has, of course, not been as I had hoped for, but I am still excited. I will be leaving on Friday after work to enjoy a nice leisurely Saturday meeting up with friends from days gone by (college) and perhaps even a blogger meet-up later that day. My father's birthday is also on Sunday, so I will high tail it home after my race to celebrate with my family.

I had some Chinese food at family lunch and this was my fortune:

Can I substitute "dogs" in place of "children" since I don't have kiddos yet? No? That's okay cuz I don't think I would ever call my dogs the most wonderful - haha! I do love them dearly, though.

This past Saturday, we all ended up hanging out at my parent's house - swimming, eating, and watching the dogs play. On Sunday, my dogs were both dead to the world. Besides breakfast at 6am and a prompt return to bed, Penelope didn't join the world of the living until 3:30pm. Yikes!

I have a slight obessesion with Tai Pei's wonton soup. I eat it almost every day for lunch and I buy it in the frozen section at Walmart. Don't judge me.

Another slight obsession I have is with dystopian and/or post-apocalyptic novels. I just can't get enough!

We are planning young sister Linda's baby shower. It's going to be so fun. My mom has made a motorcycle "diaper cake". Wait until you see it! I've been commissioned to make a watermelon carriage like I did for Melissa's baby shower and I'm also making fruit salsa to be eaten with cinnamon & sugar pita chips. I love party planning/preparation! So fun!

I've been watching Medium on my Netflix. Oh my goodness, it's so very good. I'm half way thru with season 6 (out of 7 seasons). I've picked out my next show once I finish. It's gonna be Friday Night Lights cuz my parent's swear by it. Have you seen it?

Okay, that's all I have for you for now. I better start catching up on reading all the blogs I've been neglecting!

Good golly, Ollie

2011-09-07T11:53:00.001-05:00

(good thing my parents don't read my blog...)

My parentals are quite convinced they have the perfect "child" in Oliver. He can do no wrong in their eyes. He is the child they always wanted.

In my father's office, there is a picture of the 4 of us kids hanging on the wall. Beside this picture is a picture of just Oliver. There appears to be an imbalance in the world...

OLD picture...we all look much better now!

We all know that whenever the parentals go out of town, I stay at their house. We like to keep Oliver in his environment, after all (and he is way too much dog to reside in my home with me and my own two monsters).

This past weekend, Oliver demonstrated just how far he would take his only-child mentality/status.
Older sister Cathy and brother-in-law Jay brought home two cutie patootie puppies about 6 weeks ago. Oliver was the first dog to meet the new additions and my mother thought he was so great with them. She said he was gentle. She said when they were sparring he would get in there and break it up. All this changed when toys were introduced into the picture. Oliver is a toy-hoarder. He has many, many toys and they are all his. Even when my precious blind Penelope is over and goes to retrieve the one toy she fondly remembers and still loves - a little blue football (she doesn't too much care for the red one and how she tells them apart is beyond me considering her...um...blindness), he will steal it from her. Even when all the dogs are given brand new bones to chew, Oliver will want one that someone else is chewing on. When we are outside with the dogs, he will want only the toy being tossed for another dog.

My mom is in the process of making some decorative items for younger sister Linda's baby shower. She bought a cute baby toy - a stuffed giraffe that sings his A-B-Cs. Somehow, one afternoon, when my mom left Oliver free to roam the house while she went for a walk, Oliver ended up discovering this toy up on the table and stole it (she claims it must have fallen on the floor and that he was confused). She had to buy a second toy to hide for later. Um...me thinks later Ollie will discover this hidden treasure and once again claim it as his own.

Cathy came up with a brilliant idea of buying a puppy mini monkey toy and then a grown-up matching monkey guy for Ollie. She thought this would break him of the habit of having to have what anyone else had so that her puppies could enjoy their toys and so that baby-to-be Ethan (Linda's little bun in the oven) would be able to enjoy his toys in the future. This plan didn't work. Ollie only wanted the mini monkey toy.

Jay captured Ollie hoarding mini monkey.

Later, Ollie would put toys and/or bones into one of the puppy's beds to tempt them...and then, when they got curious as to what new and exciting item awaited them, he would attack (by way of growling/barking at them meanly and lunging forward).

Ollie tauning a sweet innocent puppy.

About the only time Ollie was sweet was when he was sleeping. I don't know if I've ever mentioned this before, but Oliver likes to rest his chin high up on some body part of mine (or my mom's when she is home with him). Usually he chooses my hip or my leg. Well, on Sunday during our scheduled nap (yes, it was me and 3 dogs in a bed - yikes), Ollie rested his chin upon Penelope. I couldn't resist taking this picture.

that's a pretty hefty head to have on top of you!

And just for good measure, here's another cute picture...this one of how my Penelli and Delilah sometime sleep - side by side - so sweet!

of course this is at the foot of the side of the bed where I sleep...

So yeah...Oliver was a bad boy this weekend. We texted my parents pictures of him being a bully (no pun intended) and they accused us of posing him and/or setting him up (or even being jealous of him). *Sigh* how come I didn't get this whole "benefit of the doubt" thing when I was growing up???

One Week Check Point

2011-09-05T20:53:00.001-05:00

As I stated previously in my Goals - Short Term/Long Term post, I'm going to maintain accountability by posting my goals and then following up on my progress on the ol' blog.

1 week = 8 lbs lost; work-out 6 days a week for a minimum of 30 minutes/day; track all calories, water, sleep, and exercise

Let's evaluate the week, shall we?

Diet
By "diet", I mean counting my calories. For the most part, I'm still following South Beach principles as far as food choices go, but I'm upping the ante by paying attention to specifically how much I'm putting in my body. The biggest struggle I encountered was recognizing I needed to establish a "NET" calorie goal because the more I work out, the more I'm going to need to fuel. I set a 1200 NET calories per day target and with the exception of eating too few calories the first two days, I did well. I also became VERY lax over the weekend which is something I don't want to make a habit.

Exercise
I set a target of working out 6 days of the week for a minimum of 30 minutes per day. That didn't quite happen, BUT considering I went from VERY minimal exercise to a 4-day workout, I feel pretty good about the week. I spent 2 days walking (with incorporating a bit of running at the end of each walk) and I spent 2 days riding my exercise bike. I managed to burn a total of 1366 calories with an average of over 40 minutes per workout.

Hydration
This is an on-going struggle. I hit over 100 oz of water each day, BUT my target is 144 oz, so I have a lot to work out in this category.

Sleep
My goal is to hit 7 hours of sleep per night. Out of 7 days, I hit this goal 5 nights. Still a work in progress, but I'm getting there.

Weight loss goal = 8 pounds
Actual weight loss = 7 pounds

Thoughts: I am pleased with the results, but I do see where improvement can be made. As I mentioned above, I became a bit too lax over the weekend. Even though I went to restaurants with a plan, it was easy to stick to the ordering plan, but difficult to pass up table freebies - bread, etc.

Next check point (1 month) will be on September 26th!

Off to a great start!

(Chocolate) PB2 Review

2011-09-02T11:39:00.000-05:00

Have you heard of PB2? I hadn't until recently and when I did, well you bet your bottom dollar I had to get me some.

We all know how amazing peanut butter tastes (or any nut butter, for that matter). We love it, but we don't love the calories and fat that comes with it.

I typically eat Simply Jif. It has 190 calories and 16 grams of fat per every 2 TBSPs. Yikes!

Now let's look at PB2:

Yes, that's only 45 calories and 1 gram of fat per 2 TBSPs. Wowsers!!! Now a warning, though...it only has about 1/2 of the protein. My Simply Jif has 8 grams and as you can see PB2 has only 4 grams.

How do they make this happen?

Bell Plantation removes 85% of the fat calories by a special process without the use of chemicals. There are also no preservatives/additives in this baby! PB2 comes in a jar and is powdered in appearance. You mix 2 TBSPs of the powder with 1 TBSP of water and VOILA! Instant PB!

I tried the chocolate PB2 on a Sara Lee 90 calorie English muffin and combined it with Sugar Free Polaner Blackberry Preserves (yes, raspberry or strawberry would have been better, but I didn't either of these with me).

I purchased my PB2 via Amazon.com because I only wanted to try it - as opposed to committing to a 4-jar pack on the Bell Plantation website without knowing whether or not I would like it. The price does come out to be cheaper per jar (even with shipping charges) if you want to buy it in bulk through Bell Plantation. It comes in chocolate and regular.

I thought it tasted delicious and I, for one, am thankful to have a less caloric PB on hand since I'm counting my calories and every one is precious to me.

Has anyone else tried this? Thoughts?

It's all starting to come together!

2011-09-01T09:23:00.000-05:00

I know I've had the RunGirl 13.1 half mary on my sidebar for quite some time now, but I officially registered for it this morning.

I remember being super excited last year when I found out about this race. It would have been my 3rd half and it was especially exciting because it was a female-only run AND in December. This practicially guaranteed decent (read: coolish) weather.

I was so bummed when my pelvic stress fracture kept me from racing. I vowed to register for the race again this year...AND...to actually participate in it.

I let life conquer me for a bit...hence the weight gain and the lack of training as evident in my Hottest Half race, BUT it's not going to conquer me any longer.

As discussed in my GOALS - SHORT TERM/LONG TERM post, I'm back on the wagon and feeling fierce!

I can already see the fruits of my labor. I have decided to ease back into running by incorporating small (increasing) runs at the end of my walks. I tested this out on Monday night...walked 2 miles and then ran 0.23. My average pace was 16:27. This was not great, BUT I was out there doing it and that is what matters. Tuesday was a cross-training day, so I hit up my stationary bike for 50 minutes. Wednesday was another walk/run. I managed 3 miles in total and I ran the last 0.4 mile. I lowered my average pace to 15:43. What does that tell me? With dedication and determination...I'm gonna hit my goals!

I would love to run my last three half marathons for the year, but realistically I'm just not going to be able to accomplish that. What I can do, however, is establish goals for each one based on my current (at the time of the race) fitness level.

For now, I will focus on See Jane Run (another all female half). This half is in Austin on October 9th. I have no way of knowing what to expect temperature wise (please God let it be cooler outside). The elevation chart hasn't been posted yet either, so I don't know what to expect regarding hills. We all know Austin has them. =/ So, I'm just going to focus on hitting all my training walks/runs and lowering my average pace to allow me to finish my race with a 15:45 pace. This means 3:26:19 will be my goal.

On a side note...I just booked my hotel for See Jane Run using Hotwire.com. My dad swears by this website as he uses it for all of his business travel (and even some personal trips). I went "pot luck" instead of choosing the specific hotel and I got the La Quinta Inn hotel downtown for $78.00 per night (which includes breakfast each morning). I looked up the published price per night and it's $99.00. Yay for saving $42.00 in total! =)

Ahhhh....it's all starting to come together and that makes me happy!

Tagged: 7 Links

2011-08-31T18:38:00.000-05:00

I was recently tagged in Rachael's (from Happy Healthy Runner) 7 Links post. Because I'm a special kind of girl (read: Aggie), it took me a few minutes to figure out how to play. Yeah, it's like that.

It looks like I'm supposed to pick out a specific blog to go with each "category"...and yes, there are 7 of them.

Most Beautiful
I don't think I have a blog that screams...or even whispers..."beautiful". Is that sad? I guess (since I'm required to pick one) the closest thing would be High tAcKy Texas Tea. Just kidding...it's not beautiful at all, but it was special and fun, so I thought I'd share.

Most Popular
Oddly enough, my most popular post is part of my 30-Day Challenge (which...yeah...I never finished). Day 18 - Believe it or not. A lot of peeps have done varying searches on phrases including the word "believe" which apparently graced them with my blog. Lucky ducky them.

Most Controversial
For the most part, I prefer to keep my posts on the down-low. I'm not out there to gain viewership by posting controversial matter...I'm just writing about me. My life is way too boring to cause controversy. The best I can come up with is this post: Day 04 - Religion. See...I was following a Challenge, so it really wasn't original thought provoking material on my behalf.

Most Helpful
Just cause I was curious on how to fix the issue I have been having with cramping in my calves, I did a bit of research and it actually had some significant viewership. Potassium, Magnesium, Sodium OH MY!

Surprise Successes
I guess everyone likes to read about my lame love life (or lack there of). These posts were apparently quite amusing to the masses (or...the few peeps who actually read my blog):
adventures? in speed dating
Oh eHarmony

Not Enough Attention
I sometimes have Kimisms happen and the result is amusing to me. I guess that's all that should matter, but....well sometimes it's nice for my Kimisms to be appreciated. Um...sorry Rue

There you have it. Tagged and Answered. I hate to cop out by not specifically tagging fellow bloggie buddies, BUT...well....if you wanna play please do so! =)

GOALS - SHORT TERM/LONG TERM

2011-08-30T11:09:00.002-05:00

A wise person I know suggested that I not overwhelm myself with how "lost" I've become in my weight loss journey. She thought it best to break my ultimate GOAL into smaller, more attainable check points.

With that in mind, I've come up with my 1 week, 1 month, 3 month, 6 month, 9 month, and 12 month check points. Seems a lot less daunting that way.

I figured to keep myself accountable, I would go ahead and publish these check points to my blog and then follow up on my progress when appropriate.

1 week = 8 lbs lost; work-out 6 days a week for a minimum of 30 minutes/day; track all calories, water, sleep, and exercise

my fitness pal

1 month = 20 lbs lost, run/walk 4 days/week for a minimum of 45 minute; cross train 2 days/week for a minimum of 45 minutes; be able to run 2 miles non-stop (@ 14 min/mile pace); track all calories, water, sleep, and exercise; reevaluate daily calorie target

Daily Mile

3 months = 40 lbs lost, run/walk 4 days/week for a minimum of 60 minutes; cross train 2 days/week for a minimum of 60 minutes; be able to run 6 miles non-stop (@ 13:30 min/mile pace); track all calories, water, sleep, and exercise; reevaluate daily calorie target

sleep bot

6 months = 70 lbs lost; run 4 days/week for a minimum of 60 minutes;, cross train 2 days/week for a minimum of 60 minutes; be able to run 10 miles non-stop (@ 13 min/mile pace); track all calories, water, sleep, and exercise; reevaluate daily calorie target

24 Hour Fitness

9 months = 100 lbs lost (GOAL); run 4 days/week for a minimum of 60 minutes; cross train 2 days/week for a minimum of 60 minutes; be able to run a half marathon non-stop (@ 12:30 min/mile pace); track all calories, water, sleep, and exercise; reevaluate daily calorie target

The Woodlands Marathon (half for me)

12 months = maintain weight loss; begin full marathon training; run 4 days/week for a minimum of 60 minutes; cross train 2 days/week for a minimum of 60 minutes; track all calories, water, sleep, and exercise; reevaluate daily calorie target

Since I offiically got back on my wagon (for real this time) on Monday, 8/29, I will check back in on my first check point on Monday, 9/6.

Vacation Planning

2011-08-29T10:10:00.001-05:00

Have I ever mentioned how much I love vacations? Oh I do, it's quite true! It can even be said that I live for them. To me, vacations are the reward for...life.

I know I've spoken of my love for Playa del Carmen, but alas...Mexico can't be in the cards for me. You see, I have to plan my vacation with the thought process that I will be "all by myself" (sing it Celine). I don't know for a fact that I will have anyone to go with me and so I have to choose a vacation spot that would be safe for me to travel to alone.

One of the huge appeals of Playa for me...or any beach, for that matter...is that it's AWAY and it's peaceful. I can choose to do everything or nothing. This got me wondering what it is that I could do here in the states that would give me that same sense of utopia. Then it dawned on me. I can choose a hot springs resort and spa escape.

I then began my research. My requirements were - hot natural springs, adventurous activities nearby, and of course...a spa.

No matter how many different search options I Googled, I kept coming back to this place - Bonneville Hot Springs Resort & Spa in N. Bonneville, WA. The only downside I can think of is that the high temp will be around 56 and the low 31 (ye gads!) while I'm there (early May 2012). Oh...and brother-in-law Jay wanted to point it out to me that I might not be safe in the Pacific Northwest because there are a lot of serial killers from around those parts. WHAT?! Well you know that lead me to serial killer research! I'm morbid like that.

source here

Within 30 minutes of the resort, I will have the opportunity to do a zipline course, white water rapids, hike waterfalls, see Mount St. Helens, and tour wineries (with wine tastings).

The resort also has a lovely restaurant with wonderful meal offerings, but if I wanted to eat off-campus, so to speak, Portland Oregon is only 35 minutes away with some great offerings like Veritable Quandary and Salvador Molly's.

The spa menu is superb. I've already picked out several services I want such as:

Ultimate Relaxation Bath, Wrap & Massage

Our Chamomile bath and wrap or our Lavender bath and wrap followed by a relaxing 80-minute massage is perfect for those days when you just want to relax. This ultimate treatment also includes a foot massage followed by a warm towel foot wrap and a warm towel face wrap.

140 minutes

Just for Women Bath, Wrap & Facial

Enjoy a bath in YonKa Phyto Bain bath oil followed by a warm wrap and an

80 minute European Facial.

140 minutes

Rock N’ Rain Signature Massage

Try our Bonneville Hot Springs Spa Signature Massage. Six therapeutic essential oils are delivered down the spine in the Raindrop Technique, and then massaged in with warm basalt rocks followed by a full body massage.

80 minutes

Having something relatively planned for the future gives me the motivation to commit (fully) to getting to my goals. Now, unfortunatley I have a bit more ground to cover than initially because I went wayward, but the point is I'm back on track.

Speaking of track...I decided this is going to be key in transforming me into the girl I want to be. Starting today, I am tracking EVERYTHING. I have Daily Mile to track my exercise. I have Myfitnesspal.com to track my calories and water consumption. I have Sleep Bot (an app on my phone) to track my sleep.

If only I could mentally get beyond this ridiculous weather. I'm sure you are sick and tired of hearing me (and every other Texan) complain about the heat this summer, but I can honestly say that in all my 24 years of living here, this is by far the hottest summer. Yesterday around 3:30pm, I took this picture (and no, my car had not been sitting in direct sunlight...this was after I had been driving for over 20 minutes).

So, what kind of vacation are you planning OR do you prefer?

Oh my...Tomato Pie!

2011-08-26T11:56:00.002-05:00

I couldn't wait to get home last night...to make Tomato Pie...again.

No, I'm not a gluttonous monster. Well...maybe I am, but THIS particular situation deems the title unnecessary.

You see, I received my daily recipes from Allrecipes.com the other day and what to my wandering eyes should appear, but a recipe for Tomato Pie. I wondered what in the world it is, so then I clicked on the happy link and found out. It's made of all things wonderful - tomatoes, green onion, fresh basil, bacon, and cheese. Truth be told, I wasn't too keen on the bacon part, but brother-in-law Jay told me I had to follow the recipe (I have a problem following directions, you see), so I did with the slight modification of using lean turkey bacon instead of the real deal.

I heated a pot of water to help strip my tomatoes of their skin. I preheated the oven for my pie crust. I got my skillet all hot and bothered ready for the bacon...and then I placed 6 strips of bacon in said skillet because I don't like to fry up too much at a time. I went out to my car to get something I forgot and when I returned, I found my once-upon-a-time sweet Delilah guiltily licking her chops over a tasty meal of 3/4 of a pound of RAW turkey bacon. That can't be good. I was soooo mad as my Tomato Pie would now be slightly naked with only 1/2 of the bacon I intended for it to have. =/ Needless to say, Delilah went outside until the storm came to get us.

don't trust this innocent face

I then proceeded to chop up my basil and slice my green onions. The crust went into the oven for a few minutes to avoid sogginess as I crumbled my bacon.

I then began to layer sliced tomatoes, basil, green onion, bacon, seasonings (garlic powder, crushed red pepper, and oregano). I did a second layer and then a third. Next, I topped my pie with a mixture of 1.5 cups of 2% shredded cheese mixed with 3 TBSP of light mayo.

In the oven it went - loosely covered with tin foil - for 45 minutes. After 45, I took off the tin foil for another 15. I ain't gonna lie, my house smelled heavenly.

I took my masterpiece out of the oven and pushed it far back on my island to cool. Now, I had no intentions of eating it for dinner that night. It was meant for dinner for the next several nights.

A little while later, I went to the bathroom just to come out and discover Delilah (remember her?) had tipped the pie off the counter and it was now laying face down on my kitchen floor. I could have killed her. BUT, I didn't. Instead...she was banished outside and my Tomato Pie went in the trash. sigh.

I do not give up easily, however. The next day I went back to the grocery store and bought more turkey bacon, cheese, and basil to do it all over again. Oye.

It was worth making twice...it's that good.

Recipe:
4 large tomatoes - peeled and sliced
1 pie crust
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
3 green onions sliced thinly
12 strips of cooked bacon - crumbled
3 TBSP light mayo
1/5 cups of 2% shredded cheddar

Directions:
Preheat over to 375 degrees. Boil a pot of water. Fry bacon. Chop basil. Slice onion. Put two tomatoes at a time in the boiling water. Stick pie crust in oven for a few minutes and then remove. Let tomatoes sit for a minute or two in the water, then carefully remove them and put them under cold water to remove the skin. Repeat for next two tomatoes. Slice tomatoes. Layer tomatoes, green onion, basil, bacon, and seasonings. Top with cheese/mayo mixture. Loosely cover pie with tin foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove tin foil and bake for another 15. Let sit for 5 minutes or so before slicing pie.

If you make 6 servings out of your pie, it's around 313 calories per slice.

***Note: next time I make it, I would probably choose to chop the tomato***

Lesson learned: NEVER ever trust Delilah around food

Weekend Recap

2011-08-22T12:13:00.001-05:00

I had a lovely weekend. I didn't want it to end, actually. I've been thinking lately that it would be a really great plan to make the work week 4 days and the weekend 3. Who's with me?!

I started out Saturday morning by making myself a peanut butter, banana, and honey wrap. I didn't want the bulk of bread weighing me down when I headed out for my long WALK, so I used a whole wheat "homemade" tortilla from H.E.B. It was perfect.

I opted not to carry water with me for my WALK because I wasn't planning on doing a whole lot of miles and because I truly do hate carrying anything more than I need with me. I did pop a Powerade Zero in the mailbox so that I could stop on by the house without actually going in the house to hydrate.

I decided to count the change I came across as I've noticed a lot of coinage lately on the ground. I found a penny, but no...I didn't pick it up. Then I happened across a dollar bill. Eureka! I surely did pick that puppy up (but only after looking around me to make sure nobody was watching as if I was doing something wrong). Later I happened across another penny. So, the dollar made my long WALK profitable, I'd say!

this is a dramatic reenactment since I didn't have my camera with me at the time of discovery

Around mile 3, I returned to the ol' mailbox for a drink. I then continued on my merry way. My left knee started giving me a bit of trouble - complaining, I guess you could say. It was kinda popping a little bit here and there as I rounded corners. I made it back to the house around 5.5 miles and decided I should ice it. Good thing I did, too, as there was definitely a bit of fluid in there. =/

We didn't have family lunch this weekend because my dad was flying in from San Fran later in the afternoon and we didn't want him to feel left out. I did, however, go with my mom to IHOP for a second breakfast of sorts. Hey...when you burn 800 calories so early in the day, you get HUNGRY!

After IHOP, I hung out with my mom for a while, then we ran errands, then picked up my dad from the airport and went to BJs for a late lunch.

I dropped them off at home and then headed to my own place to chill with my doggies until it was dinner time.

I had purchased a Groupon a few weeks ago for The Brownstone Cafe and my friend Kim and I decided we needed one of our infamous KNOs (Kim Nights Out - it originated when we were in college together). We had a most wonderful time enjoying our respective meals, catching up on our respective lives, and sharing a Nutella crepe for dessert. Since we all know I'm terrible about remembering to take pics, this is one I found on Google that closely resembles the deliciousness that melted in my mouth!

source here

Sunday, I decided to not set my alarm. The dogs woke me up at 6:56am because they were STARVING. I swear you would think I never feed them. Shortly after they ate, Penelope decided to put herself back to bed (she never leaves my side, so this was weird). Delilah and I decided to join her and we slept for another 3 hours. Bliss.

My parents and I then went to see The Help. I loved it, though I wish there were a few things they had included in the movie that I thought were pivotal parts of the storyline. I then went back to their house to enjoy the new puppies as older sister Cathy and brother-in-law Jay brought them by for the afternoon. Later younger sister Linda and brother-in-law Craig joined us and we had a wonderful family feast!

I tracked my food all weekend long, I started reading a new book (The Murderer's Daughters by Randy Susan Meyers) that is quite good, I hung out with some of my fave peeps, and I rested up.

Now let's just get to another weekend, shall we?!

Weekend Getaway

2011-08-16T15:20:00.000-05:00

I know I just took my vacation back during the first week of May, but oye...it seems like eons ago. Sadly, I don't take my second vacation until October.

I find that weekend getaways are sometimes just what the doctor ordered to refresh/renew a girl, you know?!

I headed to Dallas on Friday after work. I played the whole silly game of trying to get out at 4pm which in my head meant I would really be gone by 5:00. Unfortunately, I didn't end up leaving until 5:30. =/ Since I had gone home at lunch time to pick-up my dogs and take them to my mom's house for the weekend (thanks mom!), I was home free once I got out that door.

The drive to Dallas from Houston is pretty boring. I find myself looking for landmarks. The first one is always the Sam Houston statue in Huntsville. The second is Buc-ee's...I think it's in Madisonville. I guess that's about it. I had an audio book I was listening to that I finished pretty early on in my jaunt. I switched it out for another one and just couldn't get into it, so I ended up listening to the radio for the rest of my ride.

That Pink Girl so gratiously offered for me to stay at her house for the weekend. Last time I went to Dallas for a race (Dallas RnR back in March), I stayed with a friend of mine in Fort Worth. I didn't realize FW was soooo far away and it was really a nuisance to drive all the way out there, so TPG's offer was awesome!

My mom had asked for her info because...for all intense purposes, TPG is a stranger. I laughed it off and was like, "Mom, we've hung out twice before....she's totally normal, I swear." It didn't dawn on me until I was about 30 minutes from her house that it could be totally awkward. It wasn't...like at all...cuz TPG is that kinda awesome, sweet, and fun!

We stayed up late on Friday talking. When I went to bed in her delightfully pink guest room, I saw she left me out a care package of sorts - her favorite running socks, NUUN, some bottled water, snacks, a magazine, and my race shirt and bib she picked up for me. Soooo sweet and thoughtful is That Pink Girl!

Saturday morning, I talked her ear off while she prepped food for the brunch/party she was hosting. How fun to combine all her groups of friends - she had work friends, running buddies, and bloggies all intermingling. I ate soy sausage for the first time ever - guess what guys? It tastes just like regular sausage. Weird, right?!

You know what's funny? I actually ended up having a vegetarian weekend. It wasn't even intentional!

After the party, we went to some shops about town - Run On, a bike shop, and some of those little cute boutiques. We then landed at Ulta. Oh how I love me some Ulta and it was perfect timing because I had been scraping the bottom of my make-up compacts/bottles for the past 3 weeks! Next was Academy (another fave store) and then we went home to relax for a bit before dinner.

We went to this really great Italian restaurant named Scalini's for a carbo-loading dinner. I have said it before that I have a tendency to prefer a more vegetarian approach to my pizza. Mine had black olives, green olives, onion, yellow squash, zucchini, and mushrooms on it. It was delicious!

Later we organized our race gear and then I assisted TPG in making her first vlog. You really need to check it out here. It's pretty funny! We were having way too much fun as the hours crept up on us. I think we finally made it to our respective beds around 12:30am and I had set my alarm for 5:30. Yikes! Once my head hit the pillow, I figured out I wasn't tired, so I tossed and turned for probably a half hour or so before I finally slept.

Sunday was race day. Here is my race recap if you missed it.

After the race, TPG took me to one of her fave sandwich shops called The Great Outdoors because she had remembered me saying in this heat, sandwiches are often the only thing that sound good. Again...how thoughtful! I ordered their Summer Sub on wheat. Oh wow was it yummy. It had cream cheese and meunster cheese on it along with mushrooms, cucumbers, avocado, lettuce, tomato, and red wine vinegar. Be still my heart! I have since purchased all these ingredients to recreate that sub at home!!!

After lunch, we headed back to TPG's house. I already had my bags packed, so I just needed to shower and put on some comfy attire for the 3 1/2 hour trip back home.

Although my body was stiff and my very existence was tired, I felt...at peace.

Thanks to That Pink Girl for a wonderful weekend getaway!

Oh and sorry I'm such an awful blogger that I have no pics to share from the entire weekend. What in the world is wrong with me?!

Kim versus the Half Marathon - The Hottest Half

2011-08-15T13:10:00.002-05:00

Well...it was a personal worst, but I did it.

13.1 is far, y'all. For reals. 13.54 is even further! I don't know about you, but there is nothing that agitates me more than seeing the distance I truly traveled in a race you only get credited for 13.1. Usually I can look back and see where I did some weaving (or...um...getting lost), but since I put myself at the very back and walked The Hottest Half, well...there wasn't much weaving at all. =/

So, it would be VERY easy for me to tear myself apart with regard to this race. I mean I hadn't trained for it except for a few longish walks and a couple of weekday jaunts - none of which ever attained my goal pace and none of which lasted more than 8 miles. As I've mentioned before, I've gained some weight back and I just haven't been eating as well as I should and I haven't been moving as much as I should. To bottom-line it, I'm out of shape. I thought about opting out of the race altogether and/or knocking my registration down to the 10K (which also would have granted me a medal upon completion), BUT I decided I was to be punished for my wayward lifestyle as of late and that come hell or highwater (in Houston? in Dallas? in this drought?) I needed to complete this race and use the blood, sweat, tears, and pain to catapult me into getting back on the right track.

I will say that this was one of my most humbling experiences of all time.

After splitting a peanut butter and honey sandwich with That Pink Girl, we headed out to White Rock for our race. On a side note, I think I liked the PB&H over oatmeal as a pre-race breakfast. This was a smallish race in that there were 1375 finishers. My goal was to not be last. haha! Well I had more goals - although I wanted to finish in legal time, I knew my lack of training would probably not allow it. I was right. So my other goals were to not dehydrate and just to finish. Pretty simple, right?!

I had a hydration plan. I was going to take water from all 6 hydration stations on the way out (it was an out and back course) and then drink from my Camelbak (filled with G2) on the way back. It became clear pretty early on that this plan wasn't going to work for me. It was hot y'all AND I'm one sweaty girl AND seeing as I was walking the course (not in the best shape), I knew early on to avoid cramping calves and other symptoms of dehydration, I needed a new plan. I ended up grabbing a water from all 6 hydration stations on the way out while sipping on my Camelbak in the interim. On the way back, I alternated between water and Powerade at the stations. This all paid off - by 10.5 miles, I had drained my Camelbak. By mile 11.5, the twinges started in my left calf. Some volunteer had offered to let me re-fill my Camelbak around 9 miles, but silly me thought I still had plenty left. =/

Mile 1 was pretty smooth sailing save for the bridge located around 0.5. Now, I'm not one of those chickies afraid of a bridge, but I am a chickie with some equilibrium issues and many runners/walkers and bike riders trampling over a bridge makes for quite a bouncy experience. Can you believe there was another bridge around 1.5 miles? In my head there were two more, though I might be mistaken. The one that was located right before mile 5 (and mile 8 on the way back) was by far the worst. Coming off that cRaZy bridge was a hill. We all know how much I love to hate hills. My legs felt disoriented from the bridge and it was just a bad feeling all the way around.

I still felt strong Miles 2-5 as there was quite a bit of shade along the course. During Miles 4-5 I practically had my own cheer squad. As the runners on their way back passed me, many of them would high 5 me or clap or shout out encouragement. It truly brought both a smile to my face and some tears to my eyes. It was extremely heartwarming that people were so awesome to take the energy out of their own race to help motivate mine.

Miles 6-8 were okay. At some point, I made a friend. He was walking the race, as well, and we just chatted along for a couple of miles.

Miles 9-11 were rough. I wanted to quit half a dozen times, but I reminded myself that punishment isn't supposed to feel good. I wasn't hurt, mind you, so there was really no reason to stop...I was just tired (well except for that stupid left calf that started acting up right past mile 11).

Miles 12-13 felt like they took an eternity. The aid vehicles kept passing me and the girl in front of me. She was struggling with a hurt leg, so they asked her a time or two if she needed help, but she declined. We both just wanted to be done.

Around 12.9 miles, TPG came from around the corner and I swear to you that she was the best thing I'd seen all day. She instantly put a huge smile on my face before she put her coach face on told me to start running to the finish line. I tried for a few hundredths of a mile, but that lame calf was threatening me. I started walking again and I was telling TPG about a dude who almost knocked me over around mile 4. He was coming in the opposite direction of me and stopped to tie his shoe - without pulling to the side. Some girl told him to get off the course and without looking, he scooted over onto my side of the course. I girl-screamed in fear of falling over and somehow managed to avoid him and the ground. TPG pointed out that if I had enough energy to tell a story, I had enough energy to run the rest of the course (I love when she goes all coach on me), so I started running and as I neared the finish line, the MC shouted my name and where I was from. A fairly large group of spectators cheered for me as I crossed the finish line.

The Hottest Half peeps handed me a medal and I thanked them for allowing me to finish and giving me the medal even though I didn't finish in legal time. She laughed, congratulated me, and told me she was proud of me.

Nice people rock my world!

After some much needed water, TPG and I headed towards the car. A nice aid guy stopped us and offered us a ride. I didn't want to take him up on it because of pride issues, but then he said if we didn't let him take us, he was going to have to go back and become part of the clean-up crew. We laughed and thanked him for the ride.

I will say that this was one of my favorite races as far as organization, staffing, and hydration stations go. It was the absolute best race as far as my fellow racers go. AND if I could ever get my act together...despite the heat...I would consider doing it again (the right way).

I will leave you with a couple of pics and my stats.

This is a pic of my fingers after the race (no, they were not painful, but definitely uncomfortable)...

These were my fingers 24 hours later...

This was my post race AWFUL pic, but hey...it's me with my medal and TPG was kind enough to take it...

Time - 3:57:57
Calories Burned - 1989
Finishing Song - Lady Gaga's Paparazzi
Next Stop - Beach Palooza (5K obstacle course) in Galveston on September 24th.

what defines me

2011-08-11T22:36:00.002-05:00

I have been working for the same company for 12+ years. I started out as the Office Manager, then I became the Operations Manager, and finally the General Manager. Did you know that I'm the only girl at my job? True story. I'm surrounded by too much testosterone on a daily basis. The company I work for has 12 Service Centers in addition to our corporate headquarters. Mine is the largest.

I've discussed my position before...only in that the term "General" is way too...encompassing. It is difficult to manage everything, especially when you have as many people to manage as I do. I still have a long way to go to be the best manager I can be, but I think I'm getting there - through trial and error and most of all...experience.

All of the general managers bring their own "thing" to the table, so to speak. We all have different issues determinate on our location, labor pool, proximity to one another, etc. We all have our short comings and we all have our talents.

My talent is in logistics. It's really laughable because I have the worst sense of direction of anyone I know and I still have to look at the U.S. map to get a feel for where everything is located. I think I am successful because I'm not afraid to be creative, to explore all my options, and to verify the efficiency of my decisions by way of using all my resources.

I have often said that it is a good thing I have A.D.D. because if I were one of those anal retentive types who are not flexible, I would be a failure at what I do. This is to say that my ability to jump from task to task and accept constant interruption prevents me from going completely crazy while still being productive.

I can look back at this summer...actually this whole year...and say that I have worked harder than I have the other 11 years I have been employed with my company. I have worked more hours. I have managed my resources BETTER. I have taken on additional tasks. The more work that has been loaded upon me, the better I have performed. I know this.

What sucks is that I can also say that in all my 12 years, I have never ever felt this stressed, this attacked, and this resentful.

It's weird to think that on one hand I am so proud of what I have accomplished and yet on the other hand I am angry and frustrated that I have been treated poorly by many as a result of my hard work and dedication.

That doesn't make sense, right?! Exactly. Hence the frustration.

Ever since I had my first "real" job - working at H.E.B. as a cashier - I have demonstrated my loyalty, my work ethic, my desire to excel at what I do. One could go so far as to say I define myself by way of my work. At H.E.B. we were given produce tests every month. We were also scored on how many items we could scan per minute. I was competitive with these things because at that time, in that place, those things mattered. I wanted to be the best...and sometimes I was. Other times, my friend Stephanie beat me. =/ No worries, it was a friendly competition. We could get more money by cross-training in other departments. I did this. I did everything that was asked of me and more because that was what was expected of me and that was how I was raised.

I know that when you get knocked down, you are supposed to get up again. What I don't know is why people feel it necessary to knock down the girl who is good at her job. Since when did it become bad to be smart? Since when did it become bad to be efficient? Since when did it become bad to problem-solve when issues arise instead of pushing it off on someone else? Since when did it become bad to ask questions that need to be asked AND to expect answers...or even just a response.. in a reasonable amount of time? Since when did it become bad to work hard and expect appreciation for your efforts?

In the world I want to live in, people are rewarded for their efforts and not criticized. In the world I want to live in, people who are good at their jobs get to keep them and people who are not either get put in a position more suitable to their skill level OR they get let go. In the world I want to live in, problems are addressed and not ignored. In the world I want to live in, I can go home each night with peace in my soul.

Tonight, I am not at peace. Tonight I am hurt, I am angry, I am mad, and I am sad. I am torn between wanting to scream and wanting to cry. I put all my energy, time, heart, and soul into my work. Why?

My work shouldn't define me anymore. It should just be a job...one I can leave at the door when I go home each night. I don't want to continue to waste so much of me on something that doesn't give back what is put into it. It's a mental, physical, and emotional drain. All that for no return on my investment. If only Calgon could take it all away...even if it were just for today.

cRaZed Hitchhiker on the Loose...or just me hitting the streets at 5am

2011-08-04T08:57:00.001-05:00

I went through all the motions of yesterday in anticipation of heading out to do 6 miles once I got home. Yeah, that didn't happen. I just could not make myself get out the door...probably because I didn't leave work until 7 and my car was still registering 104 degrees. =/

I vowed to go to bed early so that I could wake up early to get my 6 miles in.

Yeah...bed didn't come early. I got this wild and crazy idea to download an audio book onto my iTunes account. No, sillies...I didn't pay for it. It was a "book" from the library, so I suppose I was really "ripping" it (my brother-in-law told me that was the right word). I chose James Dashner's The Maze Runner. I then replaced my iPod Shuffle music with the book. Quite proud of myself, I headed to bed at 11pm. I still dutifully set my alarm for 4am and hoped for the best.

My alarm went off at 4am and I did what I usually do...I reset it for 6am, BUT...then...I felt soooo guilty. I just knew there was an imbalance in the world and that only I could solve it by hitting the pavement. Apparently at 4am I have a whole lot of self-importance going on.

I don't know what it is with me and crack-of-dawn wake-ups, but it takes me FOREVER to get out the door. So, this translates to I started my WALK (yes, still walking it out vs. running) at 5am. No 6 miles for me with that late start. =/

So, I geared up like a superstar - you know with my tunes, my Camelbak (overkill, yes, BUT I'm trying to get used to it for my upcoming The Hottest Half), my Road I.D., my Garmin, etc. I'm pretty sure I looked like a crazed hitchhiker (who recently escaped from the circus or an assylum - whatever) to anyone who had the pleasure of seeing me. I pressed PLAY and Chapter 1 started as I struggled through my first mile.

Something weird happened...apparently I didn't turn the shuffle function off, so the book started jumping from this to that. I pulled over to try to fix the problem, but I couldn't, SO...I turned the whole thing off. It made me a sad girl to have no entertainment. =(

My first mile was wretched. I keep having issues with tight calves no matter how much stretching I do. I powered through it and eventually gained my momentum. It's peaceful out there in the dark with very few peeps and very few cars. I even saw a deer (or a cheetah, it was dark out) in the distance, so that kind of made my day.

When I made it back to my house, I was .10 mile shy of 4.75 miles, so I bypassed home to the end of the street and then came back. 4.75 miles / burned 696 calories / 15:48 pace. I want to...need to go faster, so I'm hoping practice will make perfect before race day (8/14).

I do not recommend procrastination, by the way. It is not paying off.

Oh and one last thing. I HATE when the "terrain" I'm running or walking on changes. It really messes with my head. I'm talking dead grass in the street, pine needles, dirt, or just a change in materials - black top to cement. Am I alone in this? Please tell me I'm not! I would be terrible at trail running!

After 4.75 miles (note: same wardrobe as Sunday, but I promise it was clean when I started and that this is a new pic):

After a shower and some much needed makeup:

Happy Thursday to you all!

Sweaty Sunday and the rest of the weekend

2011-08-01T09:33:00.002-05:00

My road is always paved with good intentions. I was so drained on Friday after work, y'all. I mean like the life was sucked out of me. I didn't even get home until 8:15pm. That's a long a$$ day. I had planned on doing a 4-mile walk or heck...I would have even been satisfied with hitting my new exercise bike, but alas...I was burned out, so I went to bed at 9pm with no exercise.

I had thought to surprise myself by getting up at 5am to go ahead and get my long WALK in. When I woke up and put the dogs out, it had already started drizzling. By the time I let them back in - it was a storm. Ugh.

I went back to bed.

When I finally did get back up, it was HOT, HUMID, STEAMY, and every other adjective you can think of to describe miserable conditions for outdoor training. I decided to do my missed 4 miles. I only ended up doing 3 and the last mile was just awful. I felt defeated. I then hit my exercise bike for 30 minutes before showering and dressing for family lunch at BJ's Brewhouse.

After our lunch, I went to get a facial at Visage Salon and Day Spa. I had purchased a Groupon for a 50% discount a couple of months ago and was excited to use it. I really loved the relaxing music playing in the room and the fact that my esthetician didn't try to sell me the products that I knew I wouldn't buy. Once my massage was over, I did something I've never done. I cheated on my hair stylist. I've been going to Leena for 13 years now, but I just couldn't deal with my overgrown bushy mop-top any longer. Visage also had a hair salon, so I asked if they could squeeze me in and I only had to wait 15 minutes to become publically acceptable once again. I don't have a picture, so sorry, but really I didn't do anything extreme - just cut a couple of awful inches off and then had my layers "tuned up".

I wanted to get up at 5am again on Sunday for my long WALK, but I stayed up too late on Saturday night (bad Kim) and managed to head out for my WALK around 7:15am. It was already ridiculously hot and humid, but so what? I mean it's going to be this kind of weather for The Hottest Half on 8/14, so I might as well get used to it. This was the first time I used my new camelbak. The night before I filled the bladder with water and added 3 Nuun tablets and then put it in the freezer. Maybe I should have put it in the pack first because it was a real struggle on Sunday morning to get the frozen bladder in the pack. =/

I looked ridiculous....overkill for a walker, but whatever, I mean the camelbak prevented me from having to hit home for additional hydration before my 8 miles were through AND this is imperative for me because I have a bad habit of hitting home and not resuming my mileage.

The first mile was ROUGH. I was having some major issues with my calves being super tight. I had even foam rolled and stretched before going out. 1/3 of the way through my first mile, I pulled over to stretch my calves against the curb. They still hurt, but I kept on going. They loosened up during my second mile and I could finally speed up. I did really well until I hit the 6th mile and then I struggled for the last two, but not because I was hurting...it was because of a lack of fuel. I just wasn't hungry in the morning before I headed out, so I choked down half a Clif's bar. I didn't bring anything with me, so I ended up burning 1157 calories only having had 120 in my system before I left out. I know for this coming Sunday's 10-miler that I will need to plan out my fueling better - in other words, make arrangements to eat something halfway through my WALK. Oh...and in case you were wondering, I did drink the entire 72 oz out of my camelbak by the time I hit my front door. I was kinda bummed about this because I had hoped the 72 oz would be enough for the entire half marathon, but...apparently that won't work.

I immediately took off my shoes and socks once I got inside...RELIEF! I then noticed chafing! CHAFING! I didn't think about my arm hitting the strap from my camelbak. Doh! I will know where to Vaseline it up next time! I took this picture of myself with my phone cuz the battery was dead in my camera. There was one small area on my shirt dry. Weird. The rest of me was soaking wet. I couldn't wait to hit the shower and use my minty wash to cool me down.

After I was all clean, I got dressed for my MUCH needed massage. It could not have come at a better time. I went ahead and made an appointment for another one after this coming Sunday's 10-miler!

I grabbed lunch at Lenny's Subs. I was ravenous at this point. Then I took my lunch to my parent's house and hung out with them until later when my mom and I met older sister Cathy and brother-in-law Jay at the movie theater to see Friends with Benefits. Probably not the most appropriate movie to watch with one's mother, but it was hilarious!

All in all, it was a lovely weekend - once again rejuvenating me for the week ahead.

Hope y'all had a lovely weekend, as well! =)