Peas and Love and Life

How to Spend Money

2014-05-08T20:03:00.002-05:00

Like most Americans, you have a lot of extra money to spend. If you're like me, you get paid way too much money for the work you put in at the office (or restaurant or coal mine or cruise ship or wherever you actually do work). You've probably also found that the cost of living is incredibly low nowadays. Mortgage and rent payments are practically nonexistent. Healthcare is nearly free. Groceries almost pay you to take food off the shelves.

Or maybe not any of those things. But maybe you have a few extra dollars to put toward a good cause anyway? I, for one, am a sucker for a good cause. Show me 30 seconds of sad cat and dog faces set to sad Sarah McLachlan music and my wallet practically opens itself. Allow me to present you with a good cause: The A-T Children's Project. I'm running a couple back-to-back races in August (a 10k on Saturday and half marathon on Sunday) in partnership with the organization and have committed to raising money to support research and the search for a cure for ataxia-telangiectasia.

Perhaps you're not convinced that you should put your hard earned dough towards this endeavor. Well, my friend, I scoured the internet today and have compiled a list of things that you could buy that are worse than donating to charity. Without further ado:

1. Baby Mop
2. Crafting with Cat Hair
3. Canned Unicorn Meat
4. Mildew Perfume
5. Tortoise Cozy

It's not that I disagree in theory with putting your baby to work or making sure your turtle is ensconced in something that does not look like a turtle. It's just that I think you can put those things on a birthday wish list or christmas list so your loved ones know what to get you on those special days.

On a more serious note, if you're still unconvinced, take a second to peruse these blogs. They are written by parents of children with A-T. It's an illness that few people have heard of so if you are interested in connecting with the cause, I'd urge you to read a little so you know what the kiddos (and their families) are dealing with. It's a pretty raw deal. Your donations would mean a lot. The blogs I've linked to below are not affiliated with A-T Children's Project, which is the charity I'm supporting via your donations. I'm just including them because they helped me put faces on a disease I had never heard of before partnering with A-T Children's Project for my races.

Bradenwinks
Ameliasproject
Jillshope

Here's one last link and it's an important one... the link to my fundraising page. I appreciate anything and everything. I'm hoping to raise quite a bit of money and am pretty far from my goal but I'm still optimistic. Click here to go to Erica's A-T Children's Project Personal Fundraising Page.

Peas and Love,

Erica

For Rent

2013-07-01T17:41:00.000-05:00

I'm moving in two months. Where to has yet to be decided so I turned to the only safe place I know of for an answer to that question. Craigslist.

Typically, I only use Craigslist to post in the Missed Encounters section. For example... "You were working the drive-thru at McDonalds. When I pulled up to pay, you said I had pretty eyes. Then you gave me two free apple pies. "Pies for eyes" is what you said. If you're still interested in these eyes, we should hook up sometime."

But recently, I've also been using it to look at apartments in different areas to figure out what might work for me. Over the past week or so, I've developed some thoughts and I'm going to share them with you.

First, I'm curious about my ability to live comfortably in a studio apartment the size of a shoebox. I fear that my stuff will cause the walls to burst at the seams and overflow out of the windows, much like Fish's fur and muscle used to do when he sat inside of a shoebox. I have a lot of stuff. None of it is worth anything though, Potential Robbers, so don't even think about it. I do have an owl-shaped vase that's pretty cute though. Anyways, it'd be great if I could pay less rent and utilities and a shoebox studio appears to be the only way to do it. The upside of this is that I like cooking and I like laying on my bed and in this scenario, I'd be able to do both at the same time b/c my bed will basically be in the kitchen. Convenience!

Second, where should I go? I adore Soulard but it's not convenient to any single important thing/person in my life... not work, not school, not family, not friends, not boyfriend, etc. I heart Tower Grove but that's not exactly much closer. It is, however, convenient to my new favorite dessert from Treehouse, and that ranks pretty high. I probably need to eat the Lemon Rhubarb Parfait every day of my life so accessibility to it is fairly important. U. City and the Delmar Loop is probably my favorite portion of the city so maybe I could go back there? For the third time? Last time I moved out of U. City, my mattress flew out of the back of my Dad's truck on Delmar so perhaps we could reenact the whole scenario, only coming back in? Decisions, decisions.

Today though, in an effort to keep an open mind about all of my options, I decided to look in the rooms for rent section. Maybe I could live with a roommate again? Let me tell you... some human beings are diamonds and Craigslist is a diamond mine. Here are my favorite options that I'm considering:

The first one I clicked on had "FREE WEEKLY BINGO" in the headline. I'm in! I LOVE Bingo! B12! N32! I could practically hear it in my head. I'm just not sure how to get past the age 62+ requirement. If I go to a tanning bed every day for the next two months, do you think I can get my skin leathery-looking enough to pass for a tiny bit more than twice my age?

One guy is "seeking female to to a beach area (midwest)". This one caught my eye b/c Midwest beaches are the best. His ad was a little confusing though b/c he's never met a punctuation mark that he liked, I guess. I'd say it was one run-on sentence but it didn't appear to be a sentence so much as just words typed one after another. But I saw "beach", "movie location", and "I need you to have a vehicle" so that's pretty much all I needed to know. I sent that link to my boyfriend to see what he thought and I'm pretty sure he wants me to keep looking. I don't know why. The man looked very trustworthy (if a little rage-full) in the included picture.

Lots of male posters seemed to be looking for a housekeeper, among other things. "Will lower rent if you clean and provide female companionship" and "Looking for a friends with benefits type of situation" were fairly common. Unfortunately, I don't really like to clean. I would however go halfsies on a Roomba if you want! Let the robot clean. But still cut my rent in half please. As far as female companionship goes, we can name the Roomba "Sally" or "Trixie" if you want. And I'm not sure what to do about the friends with benefits proposition. Presumably, this guy is looking for health benefits, right? I might be able to kick in on that but not dental and definitely not vision. I've never heard of a friendship requiring those things but I don't know what else he could mean.

There was one female poster who was looking for a roommate and a friend. I want to be her friend! Should I send her an email asking to meet? We could rent a movie, like "Single White Female" and learn all about each other.

Lastly, some places don't allow pets. I already have a cat named Chips and she's nonnegotiable. If I put a sweater and a hat and glasses on her, do you think I could pass her off as a baby? People might think it's a weird-looking baby but if there's one thing I know about humanity, it's that a person will never tell a mom that her baby is ugly or weird-looking. At least not to her face.

Peas and Love, Movers and Shakers

P.S. I called you Movers and Shakers b/c I want all of you to help me move my crap in two months so I thought you should get used to the term "Movers". I only used "Shakers" b/c it's catchy. I do not want you to shake my stuff.

My Best Friend

2013-06-08T16:01:00.000-05:00

Eight and a half years ago, I adopted my best friend... my favorite little companion... my best decision ever... my Fish. I am heartbroken as I write this because he is no longer with me. I type freely on this laptop keyboard without him climbing on top of it and sitting in front of the screen demanding the attention that he deserves and I hate it.

Fish did not like the show "Supernatural" but he did love me so he put up with it.

I rescued him from a horrible state-run facility in the city when he was a kitten. I remember every detail of that day, the bars on the windows, the gloomy weather. I remember seeing him sitting in his cage, with dogs barking all around, so tiny and scared. And I remember falling in love with him in an instant. I filled out the adoption paperwork that day. A few days later, I was able to pick him up from the vet where he was neutered and vaccinated to take him home. When the vet brought him out to me, she remarked that she had never seen such a handsome little guy, all fluffy gray fur with perfect white lining around his eyes and a white puff at the tip of his tail. I agreed happily. She said that he was handsome enough to be a cat model. He was adorable enough to be on the cover of a cat magazine or at least on those Cuddly Cuties folders that little girls get for school. I laughed and agreed again. Well I never got him into modeling and so to make up for it, I'm going to share some pictures and memories with all of you instead.

Fish liked to take up as much room on the bed as kittenly possible. This was a trend that never stopped. And he deserved every inch of space he wanted.

My tiny baby. This was before he started growing his massive bones.

When I adopted my little babers, I didn't have a name picked out yet. A friend of mine at work, Scott, suggested Fish. See, the landlord of the apartment I was renting with two of my sorority sisters didn't allow any pets, except for fish. I went ahead and got the kitten anyway b/c we all agreed we needed some furry love in our lives. And then, by naming him Fish, if the landlords ever asked if we got any pets, I could answer "Fish" and not be lying. Unfortunately our trickery was uncovered a week or two after getting the little guy when the landlord stopped by unexpectedly to check batteries in the fire detectors. I put Fish in my closet and asked him politely but frantically to be quiet while he was there. I guess Fish didn't understand plain English (I don't hold it against him) because he started scratching at the door and meowing. Luckily, the guy took one look at Fish's adorable mug and agreed to let me keep him as long as I didn't tell his wife.

One of my sorority sisters got me this turtle raft (the turtle was DZ's mascot) and Fish LOVED it. He loved it to death when his claws poked many holes into the poor turtle's back. But it was too funny walking into the room and seeing him jumping around on it or taking a nap.

The fur around Fish's mouth was white. My sister and I used to joke that he ate a lot of powdered sugar donuts to keep it that way. She would tell me, in the deep voice we gave to him, that he had several boxes delivered that day.

This is one of my favorite pics. Such a personality.

He helped me with laundry.

Fish was definitely a playful guy as a kitten. In that first apartment, we had a long hallway with wooden floors. He'd start at one end of the hallway, sprint down it and slide into the wall at the other end. His toy of choice was sparkly balls, though any balled up piece of paper would do in a pinch. I'd throw them down the steps or into another room and he'd chase after them and bring them back. It was not uncommon for him to put them in his water dish either. I thought it was very responsible of him to clean his toys. I appreciated it less though when he would put it in his water, take it out of his water and leave it in my bed.

His favorite possession of all time though (besides my heart) was his pole toy. It was a pole with two cords dangling off of it and at the end of each cord was a sparkly ball with a reindeer on it. Technically, this toy was given to my family's cat Puck for Christmas one year but Fish sort of commandeered it. Puck was kind enough to let him have it without a fight. Fish would pick up one of the sparkly balls in his mouth and drag that pole around behind him. He'd meow and drag it up and down the steps, through the different rooms of my house, onto my bed, etc. That toy was like his safety blanket. Eventually one ball fell off and the other had to be sewn on several times. He had that pole toy until the very end and it is now one of my favorite possessions.

Fish walked through the handle of this bag and it got caught around his stomach. When he realized he was stuck, he tore through the apartment like his tail was on fire. I think his biggest aggravation was at being laughed at when Cassie and I untangled him. No one laughs at Fish (in Fish's opinion).

This was his bag swing. He climbed inside and when Cassie picked it up by the handles, he popped his head out. She swung him back and forth and he seemed to enjoy it. I actually have a video of this that I just watched and, as with many things Fish did, I laughed hysterically.

As a kitten, Fish was a narrow size 5...

As an adult, he was more like a size 9, wide...

But I tell you what... if every box of Puma shoes actually had this guy inside, I bet they'd sell a lot more shoes.

One time, when I was living at my parents' house, I looked out on the porch and saw a gray cat. I thought it was Fish and freaked b/c he was an indoor cat and wasn't allowed outdoors. I went outside to get him and the cat tore down the sidewalk and up the street. I ran inside frantically, calling to my sister Emily to get flashlights. My dad woke up and asked what was wrong. I explained that Fish had run away so he put his shoes on and was going to get in the car to drive around and look for him. I was crying, Emily was freaking out. I turned around and looked up the steps (inside the house) and Fish was standing right there, staring at me. You could tell he was wondering what all the fuss was about. I started laughing, I was so relieved. Turns out, the neighbors had a gray outdoors cat. I'd see him from time to time and always laugh at the memory.

I love this face.

Fish supported my veganism by playing with this catnip carrot. He loved this carrot.

In the picture above, you might be thinking, "Wow, that is one portly cat.". But you would be wrong. He was not fat or chubby. He was big-boned. He had a large frame. And really fluffy fur. And sometimes the combination of those things made him seem fat. But he wasn't.

But he did love treats. Man, oh man, did he love treats. Anytime I went in the kitchen, he'd trot along beside me, or ahead of me, and he'd stare at the drawer I kept his treats in until he had a pile of them to enjoy. And it was impossible to deny the little guy his treats when he looked up at you with his big green eyes. Even my boyfriend, who was never a "cat person" gave in to him and would get the treats out within minutes of being at my place. Fish had everyone wrapped around his massive paw. He was that fantastic.

Fish LOVED being under the Christmas tree when I plugged the lights in. It has been one of my favorite parts of the holiday for years.

And so that's a little glimpse at my little guy. Just a few of the memories we've had over the past eight and a half years. It's hard to imagine not having him around. Every time I walk into my apartment, I want to see him there, waiting for me at the door like he did every single day, without fail. And I know I won't and that's not fair. But at least I got to have him for the short time I did. And I hope that he knows I loved him every single second that he was here. Every. Single. Second.

There was no better feeling that having him curl up on my chest when I was laying down. He'd purr and his eyes would close and I'd know that he was content. And so I was content. He will always be my Babers, my Bommers, my Fisherman, my Fishcakes, my buddy and piece of my heart. I'll never replace him and I'll never forget him. I love you Fish.

They Say It's Your Birthday

2013-01-22T07:14:00.000-06:00

Twenty-something years ago, one of my favorite people ever was born. It's been pointed out by multiple people that I throw the word "favorite" around willy-nilly but I really mean it in this context. It's my sister Emily's birthday today and I want to take a second to wish her a good one and to let you all know why she's the best.

I am the Sil(ly) to her Bil(ly) and there are few people that make me laugh as much as this girl. Her sense of humor is beyond and laughing with her about random things is one of my favorite pastimes. Once, when we were in Chicago, we were on one of the Lake Michigan beaches. There was this seagull walking past us and for whatever reason, we both decided to take a picture. But then we couldn't stop taking pictures. We were laughing hysterically and telling the seagull to pose for us as though we were professional photographers. Who tells a seagull to "Work it, Baby!" except the two of us? And who actually thinks it's hilarious enough to recount every year when we see more seagulls?

In fairness though, we scouted a pretty good-looking bird, right? This gull is the next Karlie Kloss of the bird modeling world.

But she's not just hilarious. She's loyal and loving and smart and witty and creative and beautiful (even more beautiful than that gull).

And I'm lucky that she's not just my sister but one of my closest friends.

So here's to you, Bil. May your day and year be filled to the brim with all good things. You deserve all of them and more.

Peas and Love Birdies,

Erica

New Year's Wishes for You

2012-12-31T15:27:00.000-06:00

I'm not really a huge New Year's celebrating kind of girl. I mean, I like any excuse to wear sparkly clothes and be with people I love (mostly the sparkly clothes thing though) but New Year's just isn't my thing. Plus, I HATE the song Auld Lang Syne.

That being said, I do hope that each and every one of you has a SAFE and wonderful evening and that your new year is full of glorious things. But rather than wish for you the typical generic things (health, wealth, happiness, blah, blah, blah), I hope that your 2013 is filled to the brim with the following:

The occasional lazy Sunday morning spent lounging in bed, only eventually getting up to eat pancakes or waffles drenched in maple syrup
The ability to find a working pen in that moment when you need one
Dry socks and shoes even when it's raining or snowing and you walk through a ginormous puddle (because if you're anything like me, ginormous puddles leap into your path and are unavoidable)
Friends who will eat large amounts of unhealthy chinese food with you when you are sad
Friends who curse the name of the person or event that made you sad in the first place (EDITOR'S NOTE: Evidently this worried a few people. This was a general statement of things my friends have done for me in the past, not a current thing. No need to break out the chopsticks or curse anyone's name in the current moment. I am currently a very, very happy girl.)
A perfect night of sleep on freshly laundered sheets and pillowcases that still smell like detergent and fabric softeners.
That when you turn on the TV to a repeat of your favorite old television show (Friends maybe? Or perhaps Full House?), it's one of your absolute favorite episodes.
Laughter so intense that you can't breathe or you get tears in your eyes. It doesn't matter if you can't remember what was so funny when you think about it a few days later. It matters that you remember that feeling of pure joy and that you seek it out on a daily basis.
Mail that is not bills, catalogs or junk
That on one of these snowy days, you walk out to your car to find that someone mysteriously cleared the snow/ice off for you. I hope you pass along the good deed to someone else too.
Family members who know all of the silly and ridiculous things you've done and still love you anyways (or maybe even more so b/c of those things).
The feeling of accomplishment when you reach your goal
A year without a single paper cut
Kisses and cuddles from a furry friend
The perfect reply when someone says something infuriating to you
Flowers given to you for no reason. And if you're a guy, instead of flowers, maybe tools or video games or something. And if you're a girl and you'd rather have tools, then that's great too.
Cupcakes with a lot of frosting on them... but not that crappy whipped cream frosting.
So much love and happiness in your life that you wake up on a daily basis and think about how lucky you are to be you.

Thank you all for filling my 2012 with good things. The best I could ever hope to do is to return the favor to you in 2013.

Peas and Love Firecrackers!

Erica

Ewww... So Gross!

2012-12-03T08:45:00.005-06:00

Mostly, I think this world is full of beautiful things. I know that sounds corny, but it’s true. Unfortunately, those beautiful things that make me smile are not what I’m writing about today. Today, I want to tell you about the things that I think are gross.

Bugs/Spiders. I especially detest cockroaches, daddy long-legs, crickets and grasshoppers. They terrify me and I will run in the opposite direction if I see one (or if it, god forbid, is in my apartment, I’ll trap it under a container and call someone to dispose of it). But if you look at them, even if you’re not scared, from an objective point of view, they are gross. Of course, I realize that I can’t actually use the word “objective” here because I am anything but, but c’mon. I’m right, right? And why do you need such long legs anyways, Spider? You look stupid and gangly. Do you think you’re a model? Do you think that other spiders will be attracted to you because you have such long legs? No, they are not. They think you look ridiculous. Of course, they aren’t anything to write home to mom about either, but you’re the worst of the worst. I’m sorry if that sounds mean*.

* I'm not.

The Situation from Jersey Shore. Now I really try not to be judgmental (about people… I still judge spiders), but he really creeps me out. I understand that he works out all the time, but why does he have to lift his shirt up all the time and point to his abs? It’s weird and gross. I think I have a pretty decent set of peepers, but do I point to my eyes all the time? No, I do not. I’m normal. And most of the time, when he opens his mouth and words come out, my ears are grossed out. They wish they could un-hear everything that was just said. They wish they could hear gross crickets chirping instead. They wish for anything that is not related to The Situation.

Talking about bodily functions. I know that bodily functions are a natural part of life, but why do we have to talk about them? Why do we have to announce certain things to the general public in detail? Why can’t we pretend like these things don’t happen? That’s the kind of world I want to live in. I guess my Mom never read this book to me as a child and quite frankly, I’m okay with that.

On a semi-related note, I just read on another blog that when you flush the toilet, some particles are ejected through the air in your bathroom. Obviously they have to land somewhere. So now, I have to get one of those fancy schmancy toothbrush cleaners that cleans it with supersonic waves or something. In the meantime, I’m now going to store my toothbrush in a case or in my cabinet. It’s the only way.

Food in containers that I forget about in the back of my fridge. This one is my own fault. I realize that. But sometimes, I don’t remember that I have a leftover bowl of soup or a smoothie in my to-go cup. And then, when I do remember, I’m too scared to touch it, so I ignore it for another week. But the offending container never removes itself from my fridge, so I am forced to reckon with it. But I am still a coward, so regardless of how much I like that Tupperware container or insulated bottle, it’s going in the trash. I’m not even going to take the lid off to look inside. It’s a terrible habit but one that will likely never change, unless I start putting all of my leftovers in gold-plated bowls and diamond encrusted cups. The value of that might be worth hiring someone to come over and rinse it out for me. Plus, while that person is there, they can kill that cricket that’s trapped under that box.

Spitting. This is probably a really common thing to be grossed out by. Actually, I think every human being should have this on their list, but clearly they don’t because it still happens. My question is this… Do you just have so much saliva in your mouth that you can’t contain it anymore and you therefore must spit, right there in the Target parking lot? Is that really what happens? Are you going to choke on it if you don’t get it out immediately? Unacceptable.

So that's it for now. I'm posting this at about 9 in the morning. Is there a better way to have started your day than by reading a blog about blech kind of things? Answer: No. No, there is not.

Peas and Love my Guys and Dolls,

Erica

Walking Disaster

2012-11-23T17:05:00.001-06:00

I have an uncanny knack for attracting calamities. Things happen to me that would never happen to the average person. The upside is that I've developed an excellent sense of humor and ability to (usually) roll with the punches. Typically, I can laugh things off and find the funny in the awkward, stressful, or just plain weird moments that find me. As my Thanksgiving gift to you, dear readers, let give you an account of two such instances that happened yesterday.

My family has a tradition of going to the St. Louis Zoo on Thanksgiving morning. My Grandpa used to take my Dad and his brothers and sister every year and it's something that my Dad started doing with me and my sisters. I was lucky enough to be off work this year to partake in the tradition. I love going because there's always so much laughing and if you know me, you know that laughing is one of my favorite things. So I spent two hours wandering the zoo and it was awesome. As an aside, have you guys been to the new sea lion habitat? It's pretty fantastic. I was going to dive into the pool with them because my sister assured me that you could but I accidently forgot to wear my swimming suit that day, which is weird b/c I almost always wear it under my clothes. You never know when a swim will sound refreshing and it's always good to be prepared.

This Sea Lion looks suspicious to me. The way he's looking at me out of the corner of his eye like that makes me think he's guilty. Something is definitely fishy here, besides his breakfast.

They were playing with frisbees that had a marriage proposal on them. How cute is that? No word yet as to whether the sea lions were then invited to the wedding.

I want to challenge these sea lions to a swim race.

But I digress... So I parted ways with my family around 11 and was walking through the Living World when I reached in my pocket to get my keys and only pulled out one keychain, no keys. So I calmly speed-walked to the penguin habitat where my family was and asked them not to leave, just in case I couldn't find my keys, though in that moment, I was pretty confident that I knew where they were. I'm going to try to explain this next part to you while still maintaining some level of dignity but it's going to be hard.

At one point, while in the sea lion area, my dad took a picture of me and my sisters imitating sea lions. That's not the embarrassing part. He then sent the picture to one of my uncles who replied, "Now you just have to get one of them to roll down the hill." Evidently, when my dad and uncles and aunt were little, they would log roll down the hill near the big cats area. So after he got that text, he read it out loud and (now I don't know what this says about me) but he and my two sisters all immediately said I would probably do it. The even sadder part is that I was thinking internally that I would do it. Have I no shame? So then, of course, I had to do it. I laid down on the ground at the top of the hill, while two employees looked on in wonderment. This is what happened next...

This was even more fun than it looks. That's a promise. It's hard to roll in a straight line though.

As a personal trainer, I'm actually pretty proud of this picture. I have clients do a movement similar to this to gain core strength. Nailed it!

I'm sure you're shaking your head right now, in dismay and sadness, at the things I do, but I think it's important to note that those two employees said that seeing this made working on a holiday worth it. Like I said on Facebook, I like to brighten people's days, one log roll at a time.

But I digress again... As it relates to the original story, I assumed that my keys fell out of my pocket while I was doing this. So I calmly ran to that hill and searched up and down and along the sides, but to no avail. No keys. At that point, I started to freak out b/c it was 11:20a and I had to be in St. Charles by 1:45 at the latest. To add a little extra pressure to the situation, my Thanksgiving plans included meeting the boyfriend's family for the first time. Nothing like making a great first impression by either:

A) Being two hours late
OR
B) Showing up unshowered, in a sweatshirt and jeans and possibly with leaves in your hair from rolling down hills like a small child.

So when I didn't see them there, I ran to the other spot in the zoo where I got a little rambunctious... The Children's Zoo. See below.

This dude is definitely a hungry, hungry hippo.

A friend told me after I posted this on Facebook that Hippos are the leading cause of animal-related deaths in Africa. She described it as a fun fact and we later decided it seemed weird to consider anything about murderous hippos being fun. Although, I do look happy enough to be eaten by this guy.

I thought maybe that when I was climbing in and out of this Hippo's mouth (like any 29 year old woman does inside a CHILDREN'S zoo), my keys fell out of my pocket. Alas, no such luck. No keys.

At this point, it was about 11:40a or so and I was a mess. The zoo Rangers hadn't had anything turned in, so we left and I rode home with my family to get my spare car key from their house and my spare apartment key from my friend. I'll spare you the rest of the details because this is getting long and I'm tired of typing. Needless to say, the boyfriend was so awesome about the whole thing. Unfortunately for him, this kind of weirdness happens on an almost daily basis to me so he should prepare for future shenanigans. No need to tell him that though.

The story ends with me eventually ending up at his family's house (only one hour late!) and I hopefully made up for my tardiness with my charm or more likely, my homemade peanut butter cups. As a bonus, my keys were turned in which makes me happy b/c I really like the heart keychain that I had on there.

The second shenanigan of the day was on my way back to my apartment in the evening. I'll attempt to make this story shorter since this is turning into an epic novel of a blog post. Earlier in the day, at the zoo, I left my purse in the car and just stuck my keys, debit card and phone in my pocket. When I got home from the zoo, I forgot to take my debit card out of my jeans to put back in my wallet. So on the way home from the boyfriend's family yesterday evening, I needed to stop for gas. I pulled up to the pump, opened my wallet and only then remembered that I didn't have my debit card with me. I also didn't have my checkbook, credit card and I don't ever carry cash. I literally had maybe a quarter of a tank of gas left and there was no way I'd make it home without putting anything in. I managed to scrounge up $1.55 in change from my car and the bottom of my purse.

So I went in to pay before I pumped that gas. I felt like I owed the cashier an explanation as to why I was dumping all of this change on the counter to I told her what happened. For grins, and to give context as to the kind of day I was having, I also explained the key story from earlier in the day. She was not so amused but the gentleman next to me in line was delighted by the story and took pity on me. He offered to put a little gas in my car, which I declined. He then more authoritatively told the cashier to put $10 on the pump that I was at when I didn't accept his original offer. He said it would make him feel better knowing that I'd definitely be able to get home. This my friends, is a good guy. This is exactly the type of thing that makes the world a better place. I'm always inspired when people perform random acts of kindness for strangers. That is what life is about. So now, I'm inspired to pass it on. I try to do good things and spread kindness anyways but I could be better. You never know how much one little thing can mean to someone. So do me a favor and pass it on too?

So that was a little glimpse into part of my Thanksgiving. I'm a very lucky, blessed, happy girl. I hope you all enjoyed your holiday as well.

Peas and Love Pilgrims,

Erica

A Non-Exhaustive List of Good Stuff

2012-11-09T19:06:00.002-06:00

People on Facebook are doing this thing in November where you list something you're thankful about each day. I'm not doing that b/c I only use Facebook for serious discussions about serious things... like today's posts about cat hiccups and the horrible song "Barbie Girl" from the 90s.

So I'm going to use this blog instead. The following is a non-exhaustive list, in no particular order, of things that I'm thankful for and things that make me happy.

My Family... THE BEST EVER
My Friends... Also THE BEST EVER
Water... so clean and refreshing
Mint Chocolate Chip gum
Post-Its... I really love post-its. At any given moment, there are 3-4 pads of post-its on my desk. It's important to have a variety of sizes and colors available at a moment's notice, for all your posting needs.
Fall weather... brisk, jacket weather but not freezing cold air is perfection.
Different personalities... I really heart how different (and sometimes weird) people are. I think it's beautiful and fantastic.
Cupcakes... There is a place called SweetArt around here that reportedly makes some of the best cupcakes around AND they have vegan options. Holy yum. I'm afraid that if I go there, I will want to move in and eat cupcakes all day.
Men's Cologne... not for me, per se, but I really like the smell of some of them.
Flowers... especially tulips. But really any and all kinds are beautiful.
Laughter... there's nothing better than laughing until you can't breathe. Best feeling ever.
Multi-Color Pens... You know the pens that have multiple color choices within one pen? I have two and each has a red, blue, green and black ink choice. My affection for these pens is really nerdy. I thought I lost them both today but I've recovered them. They are now safely tucked in my purse.
My Body... Even when it's not cooperating, I still love it and am thankful for it every single day. Every. Single. Day.
Cell Phones... even though mine doesn't work in the black hole of my office.
Text Messaging... b/c I really hate talking on aforementioned phone.
Jorts
Mapquest... b/c I am a hopeless mess if left to find my own way to places.
Fruit... I love fruit of all kinds and eat multiple servings of fresh fruit every day. But I really, really love apples when they're covered in caramel and strawberries when they're covered in dark chocolate.
"That's What She Said" jokes... Yes, I know I'm better than that. But they still make me laugh. I said one today, in fact.
Reruns of Friends, Boy Meets World and Saved by the Bell.
Dr. Oz
When people do random, nice, thoughtful things for strangers
Fish, the cat
Kombucha tea... an acquired taste. But now that I have acquired it, I'm totally addicted.
Candid Pictures
The song "Rollin'" by Limp Bizkit
Cocoa Butter
Hockey... This is a sore subject for me right now, but I still love it. Instead of watching the NHL this season, I will be forced to watch The Mighty Ducks on repeat.
Candles
BOSU balls... This is literally my favorite piece of gym equipment. If you've never used one, allow me to change that for you. Come see me at any Club Fitness and I will show you the light.
Weekends... especially when you get to spend them with the awesome people in your life.
Soulard Farmer's Market... one of my favorite parts of the weekend.
Young Adult R.L Stine books... not the Goosebump ones, but the Fear Street ones. I was obsessed with these when I was a kid and thanks to a FB post from a friend, I'm reminded of how much I loved them. Thanks Michelle! I kinda wish I hadn't given all mine away in garage sales over the years. I would totally nerd out and read them all weekend.

That's what I've got for right now. I'm pretty lucky and blessed though so be aware that there might be a second list forthcoming.

Peas and Love, Pumpkins!

Erica

Thursday Thoughts

2012-11-08T20:10:00.002-06:00

1. You know that you are dating an awesome guy when you randomly mention on Facebook that you are craving a caramel apple and then, lo and behold, there is a caramel apple waiting for you later that night. I realize this might seem like a small gesture to many people but not to a girl with a mouth full of sweet teeth.

Also, in regards to caramel apples, I saw an episode of Iron Chef years ago, where the challenger made mini caramel apples by using a melon baller to scoop out little tiny balls from apples and then coating them in caramel. I've wanted to make these ever since (literally, recreating these is on my bucket list) but haven't had success. The caramel slides off the apple b/c there is no skin for it to stick to. Any culinary geniuses out there with any suggestions? The chef was able to do it by flash-freezing the delicious mini apples or something. A million bucks to whomever helps me figure it out. And by a million bucks, I mean I'll give you a mini caramel apple... with your choice of topping! Whatever your little heart desires. As long as it's in my kitchen pantry already.

2. I am OBSESSED with the show Portlandia. It seriously makes me laugh with all of its randomness and quirkiness. If I was a television show, I would like to be Portlandia. If you have never seen it, get thee to Hulu and start watching clips from it immediately. But only if you have a sense of humor. If you don't have a sense of humor, go watch Law & Order: SVU. Although, Munch and Ice T have some good comedic one-liners... sometimes not even on purpose.

3. You know how sometimes you could be having a stressful day or you could be upset about something, but then you have a positive interaction with someone and it really helps to mellow you out? Any time that happens to me (and I really try to keep my stressful days to a minimum), I always try to remember how much that one interaction changes things. And that helps me to always be upbeat and positive and friendly to other people, b/c you never know... you could be the one to turn that person's day around. Just food for thought, I guess.

4. I'm wearing a headband right now and it's causing me to think that my head is abnormally shaped because it's not staying on. I see other women walking around wearing headbands and they seem to stay on fine. This leads me to believe there's something odd about my own head. I'm not really complaining. I like my head and everything. It's just a little irritating.

5. Can you believe there's only two weeks until Thanksgiving? WTF? Where has this year gone? It's almost time to break out the Tofurkey. I'm just kidding. I don't really eat Tofurkey. Probably because feet gross me out and the first syllable sounds like "toe" and I can't support that. Also probably because it doesn't taste good. That being said though, it's almost the anniversary of my veganhood. The day after Thanksgiving this year will be 6 years as a vegan. Anyways, back to Thanksgiving stuff. I was thinking about attempting to make a pumpkin pie sometime this year because I have still never actually tried pumpkin pie. In fact, I only tried pumpkin for the first time about a year ago. And while I didn't love it, I also didn't hate it. But I don't really understand all you weirdos (I say that with love) who think pumpkin-flavored everything is the second coming.

6. Did you know that there is a show on CMT about the making of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleading team? And did you know that yours truly is sadly addicted to it? I think it's because I have all the rhythm and grace of an elephant and so watching people who can actually dance or at least move with some level of coordination is rather fascinating to me. I can basically do the "YMCA", the Macarena, the Sprinkler, the Swim and the Grocery Shop. Hit me up if you need dance lessons on these moves, especially if you're going out and are gonna "hit the clubs" so they say*. Sometimes, when I'm dancing around my bedroom in the morning and "Crazy in Love" by Beyonce and Jay-Z comes on, I attempt to bounce my booty like Ms. B., but it's a pretty embarrassing attempt and usually ends in laughter b/c I watch myself in the mirror while I do it. Why am I admitting this to the public? God only knows. It's pretty mortifying.

* No one says that.

7. The areas hit by Hurricane Sandy could still use your help. If you find yourself in a generous mood, please visit The Red Cross to make a donation. You can also visit FEMA's website for more information on how to donate and volunteer in the most beneficial ways possible. Regardless of politics, race, gender, income, etc., we're all in this together. We're all human beings and our only real responsibility in this life is to treat each other love, respect and compassion. Everything else is just a bi product of how well we accomplish that one task.

8. About four months ago, I randomly started writing in all caps. I'm not really sure why it started but when I'm writing at work, it's all caps. When I write notes to people, all caps. What does this mean? I'm certainly not yelling at everyone, which is supposedly how you yell at people, via email. Any handwriting analysts out there? I actually like my handwriting better this way, (it's much neater), but it takes me longer to write things.

This was a horrible blog guys and I apologize for making you read it. You probably kept plugging along, thinking it would be funny at some point, and then it never got there, and now it's over. It's like a horrible movie where you just keep hoping it gets better, but it never does and then you walk out of the theater, irritated that you just wasted $10 on a ticket. The bright side is that I only wasted your time, not your money, since I'm not charging. Yet. Mostly, I just needed a stress relief for myself and writing does that for me. So here we are. We can both pretend like this never happened. Next time will be better, I promise. Maybe. Actually, I don't promise that at all.

Peas and Love, Sugars!

Erica

Less Body-Shaming, More Love People!

2012-10-23T20:05:00.001-05:00

If you’ve been following my blog from the beginning, you may recall some posts about my “journey” for lack of a better term towards losing weight and getting healthier. If you know me personally, you know how big of a deal this has been for me… an actual life-changer, if you will. Obviously, a huge part of the process is the physical change… actually losing the weight, being able to do things like run or lift weights that I couldn’t before.

But equally as important is the mental portion of the process. This part is really hard for me to write, so bear with me. Usually when I write a blog post, I type whatever comes to mind b/c most of the time, I’m just being silly. When I write about cereal or birds or childhood crushes on candlesticks, I know that I’m putting a small part of myself out there b/c it’s my own personal writing but those individual posts are not part of my heart. They reflect the goofy, fun part of my personality but it’s light, airy writing, aimed at entertaining people. This topic is personal and meaningful and sensitive so be please be respectful if you respond via comments or email or facebook. Honest, but respectful.

So back to the mental portion… I used to have horrible self-esteem. I was uncomfortable in my own skin and would have been hard-pressed to come up with a list of my good qualities. I just didn’t place a lot of value on what I brought to the table. It’s a horrible, horrible feeling and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy and I truly mean that.

That’s in the past now, though. To be honest, today, I kind of think I’m pretty awesome. I think I’m fun and witty and smart and cute (except for maybe when I first roll out of bed in the morning). But as it relates to the article I’m about to talk about, my body confidence is exponentially greater than it used to be. I still have moments of insecurity and certainly there are things I want to work on and change, but in a healthy, girl-who-always-has-goals kind of way. I can appreciate that I will never be rail thin, nor is that my goal. I will always, always have curves and this is a good thing, because to be honest, I kind of like them. And to be really honest, I don't think I'm the only one. But this increase in body confidence is still a new feeling and a sensitive topic for me, which is why, when I hear/see/read things like what I’m about to post the link to, it crushes me. And so, without further ado, here’s a link to what I deemed on facebook to be the most infuriating piece of writing I have ever read.

Kate Upton is Well-Marbled

There are so many things wrong with this trashy, poorly written (squishy brick... what does that mean???) piece. I almost can’t even gather my thoughts enough to coherently express my feelings. I guess my first and foremost question is this: Why in the world would anyone think that it’s okay to put that out into the universe? How horrible it must be to be the kind of human being who thinks that it’s okay to publicly attack another human being like that and say such hurtful things. I think that it would be my worst nightmare if I ever became that kind of person. I guess you could argue that I’m “attacking” the writer of this piece but I can’t really muster up any sympathy for her so I’m giving myself a pass.

Secondly, Kate Upton is absolutely gorgeous. If I had that smokin’ bod, I’d be stomping up and down runways too like I owned them. And if I wanted to eat a ginormous (veggie) burger, I’d do that too. And if I wanted to pose in sexy lingerie, guess what? I’d do that too. I’m completely thrown that there is a person on this Earth who would look at a picture of Kate Upton and see a cow. It seems so ludicrous to me that it’d be funny if it didn’t hurt my heart so badly. She’s a real person, you know? And maybe she doesn’t care (and she shouldn’t care what one random, dare I say, bitchy woman thinks) but what happened to treating people with respect? And how are other women (or even worse, teenage girls) supposed to feel when they see Kate and read that post? If a woman like Kate is a cow, then what am I? Answer: Actually we are actually both fantastic.

I’m starting to ramble which is really unfortunate b/c I think that words have power and I’d like for this post to be powerful & eloquent and I’m pretty sure I’m not quite getting there. But I guess my point is that it’s hard enough to maintain some level of confidence in our society without tearing each other down as well. Who stands to gain anything from that? And weight-wise, it goes both ways. A few weeks ago, I was reading a fashion blog and of the 400 or so comments, at least 200 of them were other women telling the model to “eat a sandwich” or some other “clever” insult for someone who is thin. Because I can’t ever really keep my mouth shut when I’m fired up, I commented, asking the others to be kinder and to consider the fact that the model in the picture is a real person who can read what is being written about her. A few people replied asking me if I’d want my daughter (if I had one) to look at pictures of that model and think that’s a normal body. My response is that yes, I’d rather have her look at pictures of that body and Kate Upton’s body and the bodies of a hundred other women so that she knows that they are all beautiful and normal before I’d want her to read such vicious and mean comments from the peanut gallery.

Maybe let's stop with the body-shaming and start with the love? What do you think?

So to sum it up, I think Kate Upton is beautiful. And I think I’m beautiful. And I think you are beautiful. And I’m never wrong.

Peas and Love My Loves!

Erica

Trick or Treat

2012-10-17T17:29:00.002-05:00

Oh Candy... I love you. You are so sweet to me. But dear, delicious Candy... I also hate you. You allegedly rot my teeth and definitely force me to do more squats, burpees and sprints than I ever really want to do. I blame our sick love affair on the fact that my first real job* was in a candy store called Mr. Bulky's. If you are surrounded by candy 4-5 days a week, how can you not become infatuated? Chocolate-Covered Gummy Bears, Sour Patch Kids, Candy Buttons**, Chewy Gobstoppers... Sigh.

Anyways, Halloween is coming up. Of course, the superstars of this holiday are Dracula, Frankenstein and all their buddies but let us not forget the pounds and pounds of sugary goodness that will exchange hands on October 31st. I lived in a pretty excellent trick-or-treating neighborhood when I was growing up. It was a nice suburban area with lots of families and nice older people. My mom would usually stay at home to hand out candy and my dad (whose attempt at a costume was to put on the same frog mask every year) would take us out for hours to bring in enough candy to feed a small, hyper army of children.

So let's chit chat about this candy. If the best part of trick-or-treating is the actual gathering of junk food, the second best is coming home and making trades. My siblings and I would dump all of our candy out and trade a Snickers for M&Ms or a pack of Starburst for a bag of Skittles. The key is to know the value of the goods. For instance, when I was a small, ignorant child, I thought that I hated peanut butter. WTF was I thinking? But I digress. However, my older brother LOVED Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and I knew this. So one peanut butter cup to him had the value of a bag of Skittles plus a Tootsie Roll Pop. Things like Tootsie Rolls, Jolly Ranchers and Smarties were like added bonuses to sweeten up the pot. These bartering skills would have really come in handy if I had grown up to be a hostage negotiator.

The following candy items were persona non grata in my book:

Almond Joys and Mounds - I always gave these to my Mom.
Necco Wafers - I always gave these to the trash can.
Milk Duds - I'm sorry but anything with the word "dud" in the name is bound to be self-fulfilling on some level.
Boxes of raisins - Are you kidding me?
Dots - If all the sugar doesn't rot your teeth out, trying to chew one of these should take care of those pesky chompers.
Good & Plenty - Seriously? I'm a small child, not a 94 year old man.

The last candy item up for discussion is of the corn variety. As a kiddo, I hated candy corn. As a semi-adult, I still don't love it but it's tolerable if it's mixed into a bowl with peanuts. But my real problem is the pumpkins that are like candy corn but are so much more adorable. Something about those pumpkins makes me want to try them every year. Every year, I am disappointed when I remember that I am chewing something that I really don't want to be chewing. Why are you so deceptive, miniature gross pumpkins? Why?

This year, I've managed to curb my sugar addiction (or at least funneled it into an addiction to Frankenberry, Boo Berry and Count Chocula cereal) so I intend to avoid all of these fun size delicacies like the plague, lest I go on a binge, which would lead to a sugar coma that I may or may not ever wake up from. But that being said, if you go out trick or treating this year and you get any of those flavored tootsie rolls, swing by my apartment. I'll trade you a protein bar for them or something.

Peas and Love KitKats,

Erica

* Technically, my first job was at McDonald's but I only took that job b/c my Mom forced me to apply and accept when I was hired on the spot, approximately 4 minutes after turning in the application. I don't consider it a real job though b/c when I took my break two hours into my first shift, I left and never went back. Who wants to smell like french fries all the time?

** Does anyone actually like candy buttons? I mean, it's impossible to not eat a fair amount of paper along with the small dot of sugar.

Vote! Please.

2012-10-16T20:43:00.004-05:00

Geez Louise, I am cranking out the blog posts this week. This is what happens when I am bored at work. Typically, I aim to entertain with this blog. Occasionally, I post about something personal and even more occasionally, I post something informative or educational. Tonight's post leans less towards the funny and more towards the serious so I won't blame you if you stop reading right now. If you are looking for something entertaining, I hear there are a lot of "cats doing funny things" videos on YouTube. I wouldn't know though. I have never wasted time watching videos like that for hours.

Tonight, I want to write about politics. Don't worry though... I'm not going to go on a one-sided political rant. I'm not going to tell you who I'm voting for and why he/she should be your candidate of choice as well. I'm not going to tell you what issues I care about and why you should care about them too. I'm simply going to tell you to vote for someone and to care about something.

At the risk of sounding like I'm running for office myself, voting is a privilege and a responsibility. When you turn 18, you are given the opportunity to affect change in the world. Why in the world would you not want to take advantage of that? You may not think your vote is important but you're wrong. Your vote is your voice so speak up people.

Figure out which issues are important to you. Do you get hot and bothered about healthcare? Is equality your bag? Do you lay awake at night thinking about our country's deficit? Are you passionate about education? Make politics interesting for you by focusing on topics that get you all riled up. Think critically and think for yourself. Be open-minded and do your research. It's cool to be intelligent and informed nowadays.

I wish that I could find the right words to inspire all of you to take advantage of your opportunity to make this country better... to make the lives of your loved ones better. It's a privilege that people have died for.

Plus, you get that sticker that says "I Voted".

Peas and Love Fellow Voters,

Erica

P.S. Here's a video of cats doing something funny. It's your reward for reading this whole thing.

Music to my Ears

2012-10-15T19:07:00.002-05:00

Music is definitely one of the best things ever. It doesn't really matter what mood you might be in, there's a song that fits it. I have a bajillion (or 25) playlists in my iTunes account. There's one that I play when I'm having trouble drifting off to sleep. I've got one that contains almost 400 upbeat songs that I work out to. There's a playlist full of songs that are my favorite ones to sing along with whenever I want to belt out a number or two.

Also in my iTunes account are many, many, many embarrassing songs that a grown woman should not admit to ever listening to. But I have no shame so here goes...

- Making Love Out of Nothing At All by Air Supply... I freaking love this song. It is not the only Air Supply song that I have but it is by far the best. Some people may not think this is embarrassing but trust me, when you see me singing along to it, it gets weird real fast. I've got videos posted for the rest of my embarrassing songs but not for this one b/c unless someone has a video of me karaoke-ing to this song, it wouldn't do it justice.

- Bed Intruder Song by Antoine Dodson & The Gregory Brothers... Do you guys remember this video that went viral...

Obviously, I do not think the situation of a woman being attacked is even remotely funny. But the interview with this guy makes me laugh. Anyways, The Gregory Brothers are fantastic and they took this news clip and made it into a song. Look it up on iTunes. It's not normal and yet, it's fantastic.

- Fish Heads by Barnes and Barnes... Why do I know all of the lyrics to this song? And why, when I sing along, do I mimic the voices they use? And why do I still laugh every time I hear it? So many unanswered questions.

Fair warning, this video is odd and makes me uncomfortable. It's creepy to the point that I might have nightmares tonight. I wish I could unsee it. It's also super long so if all you want is to hear the song, skip the video ahead to the 2:15 mark.

- Summer Girls by LFO... This song is just ridiculous. Any great writer would be appalled by the lyrics of this song. This is why I know I am not a "great writer" b/c I think they are hilarious. I acknowledge that few things about this song make sense but nothing says summer love like boogaloo shrimp and pogo sticks.

- Forever by Uncle Jesse & The Rippers... This is potentially the most embarrassing thing I will ever admit to liking but to anyone out there who grew up watching Full House, I dare you to tell me you don't love this song. Sure, maybe it's shameful to think it's such a pretty song but if you listen to it objectively, w/o knowing that it's from a 90s sitcom, I think you would find that the lyrics are quite nice. Insanely cheesy but nice. Also, John Stamos is crazy attractive even though I don't typically go for guys who are more into their hair than I am into mine.

To make up for these egregious crimes against musicality, here is a list of songs that I am currently obsessed with that everyone must download and listen to immediately. I mean it. I was going to say that I'll know if you don't do it but that makes me sound like a crazy stalker and since I've already been accused of that once today (jokingly! I promise you are not reading the blog of a crazy person), I decided against saying that. So I won't know but if you do it, a little hole in your heart that you didn't know was missing will fill up. That's how good these songs are.

1. Linger by The Cranberries... The Cranberries are awesome and I will not tolerate any opinion otherwise.

2. Amber by 311... Another fantastic band but this song is probably tops.

3. O Children by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds... but listen to anything by Nick Cave. He's my current musical obsession.

4. Crush by Dave Matthews... I'm usually not a huge DMB fan but this song just has a cool and sexy vibe to it.

5. Bootylicious by Destiny's Child... This is not something I've chosen b/c I love it but b/c this song has evidently chosen me. Every day for the past week, when I put my iPod on shuffle, this song comes up. I think the universe is trying to tell me something and that something is that I am in fact, bootylicious.

6. No Sound But the Wind by Editors... This song has been on my iPod for over a year and I just listened to it for the first time a couple weeks ago. I'm in love.

7. The Divide by Grace Potter & the Nocturnals... If you've never listened to this band, you are in for a treat. So great. I have no words for how great.

8. The Fighter by Gym Class Heroes... This song has been on my faves list for months but I cannot get enough of it. It's the song that was playing on my iPod when I was crossing the Finish Line for my half marathon so I think it has a permanent spot.

9. In Bloom by Nirvana... I'm probably going to try to bring "Grunge" back. I love me some flannel and moroseness.

10. Bohemian Like You by The Dandy Warhols... If you decide to listen to only one thing on this list, make it this one. It's so fantastic. My commute to work is about 20 minutes and I listened to it 5 times on the way. I was 3 minutes late b/c I wanted to finish the 5th time. Vegan food gets a shout out so maybe that's why I'm partial.

Peas and Love Music Lovers,

Erica

P.S. This has nothing to do with music but I felt it needed to be put out into the universe so that I am not the only one with this knowledge. While I was driving today, I was behind a car that had a vanity license plate that said "Mr Fame." I'm not comfortable with this level of d-baggery. That may seem harsh but I take a pretty hard line when it comes to vanity plates. If Mr Fame happens to be one of my four readers, please don't be offended. Unless you taking offense means you'll change your plates.

Kitchen Reorganization

2012-10-10T23:42:00.000-05:00

For my birthday, my mom got me dinnerware. They have peacocks on them and they are fantastic. I've been using a collection of plastic plates for years which basically made me feel like I was in a dorm room at college. Clearly, I am gradually becoming an adult. Obviously I don't want to rush the process, given that I'm only 29 years old but real place settings seem like a step in the right direction.

Anyways, what started as a simple task to put away the new dishes has turned into an epic reorganization of my entire kitchen. My thoughts on the whole process and what I found...
1. Why, when I only drink alcohol approximately 4x/year, do I have 17 wineglasses, 10 shot glasses, 6 margarita glasses and 4 martini glasses w/ a shaker? It's taking up valuable cabinet real estate that I need for my tupperware!

2. Speaking of tupperware, why do I have nine lids for a specific type of container, but only one actual container?
3. Blender, Juicer, Food Processor, Dehydrator, Mini Food Processor, Spiralizer... I have an addiction to kitchen appliances. Is there a support group for that? Just kidding... I wouldn't go. I don't actually have a problem. I need all of them and it doesn't count as an addiction if it's an essential part of your life. Right?

4. Of all of those appliances, you'll note that I do not list a microwave, which is arguably the most common of all kitchen appliances, after the toaster maybe. Some people find this shocking but I've been living without one for 2 years now and think nothing of it. The only time it really irritated me was when I was craving popcorn. I don't really like popcorn that much but a couple times a year, it sounds good. So I went to the grocery store for that one specific item, bought a box of microwaveable popcorn, got home, unwrapped the package and then and only then, did I remember I didn't have a microwave. That box was still sitting in my cabinets until approximately 20 minutes ago when I pitched it.

5. My toaster has a setting for PopTarts on it. The little knob literally goes from light toasting to PopTarts instead of light toasting to dark toasting. Surely I'm not the only one who thinks that is awesome.

6. I found my pitcher in the shape of the Kool-Aid Man. I don't really drink Kool-Aid anymore* but I kind of want to fill it with water and put it in my fridge b/c it makes me laugh.

* I should clarify that I don't drink Kool-Aid not b/c I am an adult but b/c I might as well be drinking the liquid form of an illicit drug. So much sugary goodness. In fact, I fear that much sugar might make me go nuts to the point where I start thinking I am the Kool-Aid Man and I really don't think that my landlord would appreciate me busting through the walls of my apartment, screaming "Oh yeah!". I would probably lose my deposit.

7. Remember when I said I was gradually becoming an adult? I was lying. I have alphabet letter magnets on my refrigerator. I'm pretty sure they are supposed to be for little kids to use when learning to spell. And yes, I already know how to spell.

8. Where is all my silverware? I have 3 forks, 2 knives and oddly, 5 spoons. A few weeks ago, I got home from work and my apartment smelled like fried chicken. I have not eaten fried chicken in six years so now, I'm pretty convinced that someone broke into my apartment, ate fried chicken, stole 1 fork and two knives from me but left me an extra spoon, probably b/c they felt guilty or something. Not cool Burglar. Not cool.

9. Recall, if you will, that this whole process started because I was going to put my new dishes away. They are still sitting on my table. By the time I reorganized everything, I was too lazy to wash, dry and put them away. My laziness is a win for you though, because I wrote this blog instead. You're welcome!

Peas and Love, PopTarts!

Erica

Editor's Note: Toaster Strudels are the far superior breakfast pastry but PopTarts will do in a pinch.

When I Grow Up

2012-09-23T14:53:00.003-05:00

When I was little, like most kiddos, I always had ideas about what I wanted to be when I grew up. For a while, I wanted to be an archaeologist. I imagined traveling to Egypt and digging around in the sand with pyramids and sphinxes behind me. I thought every day would be like a treasure hunt. I went so far as to bury little things in my backyard, in the hopes that I would forget what I buried there so that when I went back to dig it up a few months later, it would be like uncovering an ancient artifact. And if a McDonald's Happy Meal toy or a Barbie hairbrush isn't considered an artifact or treasure, I don't know what is.

I also wanted to be a pediatrician, which is laughable given that my own pediatrician scared the living daylights out of me. There was a phase when I wanted to be a teacher, which is slightly less laughable but I'm still not sure America's youth should really be entrusted in my hands. And then came the lawyer years. This came about because I really like the show "The Practice." It seemed so exciting... lots of debating, some death threats and romance, all in a day's work! But then I realized that in real life, it's probably less like "The Practice" and more like a Brown & Crouppen commercial so I nixed that.

Obviously, I'm already (kind of) a grown-up and have a career plus a side career in the making but there's still a bajillion other things I want to be...

I'd like to own a bookstore. I want it to be one of those adorable little shops with a mixture of old and new books. There will be comfy chairs and potentially a fire place but only if people promise not to throw books in there just because they don't like the ending. I'll have my "regulars" like old Joe, who will browse through the history books and Crazy Cat Lady who comes in wearing her cat-shaped slippers and browses through the pets section. And let's not forget about Lonely Linda who buys a new self-help book every other week. But of course, people of all walks of life will gather here for a read and a coffee or green tea. Hipsters? Sure. Come on by in your skinny jeans. Little kids? Absolutely. Saturday story hour, here we come. Health nuts? Are you kidding me? I'll hang out in that section with you while we drink our green juices. Budding chefs? Stop by and peruse my wonderful selection of cookbooks. And then after you make something from the cookbook, stop by again and drop off a little sample for me... especially if you are a baker and what you just made was a cupcake.

I'd also like to own a gym. Not a big huge fancy gym but a smaller one so I can give more personal service. I want it to be a place where anyone would feel comfortable b/c I think that part of the problem for a lot of people is that they are intimidated by gyms and they compare themselves to all the smoking hot people walking around that in reality, really only make up approx. 5% of the people I see on a daily basis at my current gym. Of course, I'm one of the 5%. Just kidding... I'm the girl wearing the t-shirt and capris and sloppy ponytail. Anyways, my gym will be a place to build confidence as well as muscle... to lose the self doubt as well as the weight. But be forewarned, while I consider myself to be a really sweet girl, there is a slight shift when I lace up my tennis shoes so be prepared to work. If you're slowly meandering on the treadmill, I will be forced to kick it up a notch or 12 for you. If you're swinging around a 5lb weight, I reserve the right to replace it with 10. Trust me, it's for your own good. :-)

I want to be a writer too. Now you might be thinking, Erica, you already are a writer b/c I'm reading your blog right now. Technically, you would be correct. But I kind of want to write a book. I don't really know what kind of book but something fantastic. Something funny and witty and unique. I not-so-secretly hold out hope that someone in the book business will discover this blog and offer me a $10 million advance to write the next bestseller. My only problem is that I really don't want to have to take a picture for the book jacket (I take weird pictures) and I really, really don't want to have to write a short biographical blurb about myself. I'll hire a ghostwriter to do that part. But I will say one thing, if my book ever ends up in the bargain bin, sandwiched between Sarah Palin's and a book on origami, I will cry.

So those are just a few of the things I want to be when I grow up. I've got more but my laptop is running out of juice. Also, I'm starved to death and a hungry writer is a cranky writer so I'll leave the rest for another day.

Peas and Love, Pumpkins!

Erica

Ten Things

2012-09-15T16:30:00.001-05:00

1. Vanilla Greek Yogurt tastes like frosting.

2. Monster Mash is one of the greatest songs ever created.

3. My massive crush on Dr. Oz has resurfaced.

4. If I could live in a bookstore, I would. Someday, I'd like to own one (as well as a food truck and a gym).

5. A guy in the aisle next to me has a ringtone of chickens clucking the Mission Impossible theme song.

6. A really old guy proposed to me in an elevator this week. I graciously declined but it was a tough decision.

7. It took me two full years, but I finally have all my pictures hung in my living room. In total, I only made 4 accidental holes in the wall, which is pretty good considering my indecisive nature and disdain for measuring and using levels.

8. I rode my bicycle for the first time in about 15 years last week. I only ran into a giant recycling bin once.

9. I'm typing this at a bookstore and the person sitting here before me left a book on the table: Salt... A World History. It appears to be a New York Times Bestseller. Anthony Bourdain says it's "fascinating and indispensable" but since I think Anthony Bourdain is a pretentious D-Bag, I'll probably continue living my life without knowing the whole salty history. I'll take this post down if I ever go on Top Chef though b/c sometimes, he's a judge and I might need him on my side, in case Tom and Padma turn against me.

10. A cafe person just asked me if I wanted to sample a Salted Caramel Latte. I declined and he looked incredulous and asked if I was sure. Yes I am sure. I hate the taste of coffee, I'm not a huge fan of caramel and now I equate salt with Anthony Bourdain. Three strikes and you're out, free sample distributor.

Peas and Love Sugars!

Erica

Chew On This

2012-08-06T20:52:00.001-05:00

I love gum. I love gum so much that if I were going to buy stock in anything, I'd probably buy stock in Wrigley or Extra. And if things don't work out between me and Lumierre the Candlestick, or Mr. Peanut, I might look up Bazooka Joe to see if he's single and ready to mingle. It's become a pack-a-day habit. Certainly there are worse habits to have but even I will admit that it's a little ridiculous. I've tried quitting cold turkey but only lasted 4 days before I was back on the sticks. I'm not sure there are any treatment programs for gum addiction and quite frankly, I'm not sure I even want help. So instead, let's celebrate the various types of gum on the market.

Extra Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream - Yes, this sounds kind of weird and gross but let me assure you, as a gum connoisseur, it's excellent. Will it cure a craving for real ice cream? Don't be silly. It's just a piece of gum. But it will cure a craving for awesomeness.

Big Red - Cinnamon gum is tricky. Occasionally, I'll see it sitting on the shelf, nestled between spearmint and wintergreen, and I grab it b/c I'm feeling spicy. But after one piece, I'm pretty much over it.

Fruit Stripe - Please tell me you guys remember this gum. It's the one with the wrapper that has a fake tattoo of a zebra on it. Usually the zebra was playing some kind of sport... ice skating, basketball, badminton... he was a regular Olympian, that zebra. He was also the ambassador of a delightful gum. The problem is that the gum only had flavor for approximately 12 seconds. I am not exaggerating and in fact, might be being generous with 12 seconds. It's probably more like 8. But man oh man, what a delicious 8 seconds. The aliens in this commercial seem a little random but it was the 90s so it works.

Wintergreen - Curses to you Wintergreen! You are horrible and disgusting. I wouldn't chew you if you were the last piece of gum on earth. One time, it was the only kind left in a vending machine and I went 6 hours without chewing gum b/c I'd rather go through gum detox before I'd suffer through a piece of wintergreen. BTW... gum detox consists of shakes, sweating, seizures, heart palpitations and hallucinations.

Bubblicious Grape - I don't really ever chew this gum anymore because I like to think I'm an adult and would feel ridiculous blowing grape bubbles while I sit at my desk in my office. Why I don't feel ridiculous writing a post dedicated to gum is a mystery we'll probably never unravel. However, I will say that it's my favorite of all the fruity kinds of gum and I am now craving it. If you are reading this and you happen to be in the area, please feel free to drop off some grape gum so I can chew it and blow bubbles in the privacy of my own home.

Big League Chew - Do any baseball players actually chew this gum? Was Big League Chew the secret weapon behind the Cardinals win in the World Series last season? I wouldn't be surprised.

Juicy Fruit - Here's the thing with Juicy Fruit. It tastes absolutely horrendous (not so fast, Wintergreen... you're still the worst). However, some Juicy Fruit commercials are hilarious to me. I particularly love the one where the pinata detaches from the ceiling and chases the kids at a birthday party. Kudos, J. Fruit, for making me almost want to buy your product.

Why is this so funny to me? Am I a horrible person for laughing at children being terrorized by a colorful donkey filled with candy and treats?

5 - On the flip side, the commercials for this gum are ridiculous to me. Chewing 5 gum does not make me feel like I am diving into an icy/fiery pond. It also does not make me feel like I am laying on millions of tiny silver balls that are vibrating because some creepy strangers behind a glass wall are bumping the bass. If it did make me feel like that, I probably would not chew it. Or I would think that I was having the hallucinations I mentioned earlier.

Bubblegum - I'm talking the good old fashioned pink glob of sugar that is perfect for blowing bubbles. Bazooka, Double Bubble, Bubble Yum... so classic. Not necessarily tasty, nevertheless, sometimes a girl just wants a piece of pink bubblegum. It reminds me of the 4th of July because that was one thing you could always count on getting at the parade. Nothing says let's celebrate America more than throwing tiny, sometimes rock-hard pieces of goodness at children.

There's an old wives tale that if you swallow a piece of gum, it stays in your stomach for four years. Yikes! However, my source (wikipedia, which from what I understand is always correct and is typically where scholars go to verify their information for important research papers) tells me that that is a lie. Your body treats it like anything else. Unless you are the girl who swallowed a piece of gum and four coins. Then you'll need medical attention when the coins stick to the gum and block your esophagus. Moral of the story is to eat your gum and then allow a proper amount of time for digestion before you eat your coins.

Peas and Love Chiclets!

Erica

Elephants, Owls and Parallel Parking

2012-08-02T17:52:00.004-05:00

Please enjoy this little photo montage of random moments in my life. It's a visual glimpse into my daily goings-on. Don't pretend like you're not going to enjoy being a voyeur for the next few minutes. Just don't get creepy about it, okay? I don't want to think you are staying up at night, staring at these pics. And refrain from printing them out and creating an Erica shrine in your bedroom or cave or wherever you set up weird things like that.

My boyfriend... I can never get him to put on a shirt but who can blame him with that six pack?

Funny story about this statue. My sister and I stopped here on our way to Chicago a couple years ago too. That time, we asked a random man to take our picture together with this shirtless, ice-cream loving guy. The stranger agreed so I gave him my camera and we posed like the cute chickadees that we are. Here's where it gets weird. He held the camera up, made a clicking noise with his mouth, pulled the camera away as though he was looking at the picture and said that it turned out good. We said thanks and he walked away. I pulled up my photo gallery a minute later and discovered that the guy did not even take the picture. He just pretended to do it! How weird is that? And why in the world did he pretend to look at it and then say we looked great? Bil and I almost died laughing, we thought it was so funny. People can be such weirdos and I love them for it.

Don't worry... this is not a real elephant busting out of that brick wall.

If you see a hot pink elephant and you don't try to give it a kiss, there's something seriously wrong with you.

Clearly, I have a way with elephants. I'd work for a circus if I didn't think they were horrible and cruel, which would leave me no choice but to try to sneak all of the animals out of their cages and trailers. I'm not really very sly and feel guilty sneaking Twizzlers into a movie theater in my purse so I'm not sure how I'd sneak tigers, lions and elephants out of a circus. I would find a way though. Maybe a large duffel bag or something?

As someone who has a pretty serious sweet tooth, I can say this little place is like a dream home for me.

Does this owl look Jewish to anyone else? It's his acorn hat, I think.

If looks could kill, I'd be dead. I'm pretty sure Fish is pissed b/c I caught him with a carrot toy and he's worried that I'm gonna make him a vegetarian now. Also, can we take a minute to acknowledge just how ginormous this cat is?

You have not tasted a better cookie than this. That's a promise.

Ummm... thanks?

So creepy to me. This bumper sticker has a very "Silence of the Lambs/Put the lotion in the basket" kind of feel to it.

On the menu that day was wine. And wine. And an apple. And wine.

This is what my fridge looked like when I got back from vacation. It's also what it looked like for the following week b/c I was too busy (and by that, I mean lazy) to go to the grocery store or Farmer's Market. Some would say that this makes me look like an alcoholic but I say nay! If I were an alcoholic, there would be no wine left in the fridge. Right?

Also, when I said this is what it looked like for the following week, I meant this is what it still looks like. Someone please make me go to the grocery store. I might starve to death soon.

The first and only time I've ever parallel parked.

I don't parallel park. I never practiced before getting my license when I was 16. When it came to that part of the test, I pulled up to the cones and told the dude that I had never even attempted to parallel park and asked if I could pass without it. He said yes, so I didn't even try. However, the day that this was taken, I was at Forest Park. I was about to put myself through a heinous workout and wanted to park really close to the workout location so that in case my legs fell off by the end, whatever kind stranger that picked my torso up off the ground, wouldn't have to walk me very far back to my car. I imagine a torso is an awkward thing to carry so I was trying to be thoughtful. Anyways, I saw this spot and knew that I had to try for it. Not only was I in, but it was almost like poetry the way I managed to slide my little Mazda into that space. I high-fived a guy that walked past me while I was taking this picture to celebrate my achievement. BTW... no one high-fives anymore. Can we bring that back?

The heinous workout that required the aforementioned parallel parking.

This is the World's Fair Pavilion. If you look along the sides, you will see many, many, many steps. The workout was to run up the steps, sprint across the top and then run down the steps... ten times with a minute and thirty second plank in between each set. You can see why one might think her legs would fall off. I posted on Facebook that I wanted someone at the top to play the Rocky music from when he runs up all those steps in the movie. I've done this workout many times since then and no one has ever shown up with a boombox to do so. C'mon people! Maybe Forest Park officials could at least install some speakers and a button I can push myself when I reach the top that would play the song? Help a girl out. I just ran up 7000 steps.

So that's it for now friends. Remember what I said about the Erica shrine. But if you do set one up anyways, send me a pic of it. It would be kind of ironic or something to include it next time I do a photo montage post.

Peas and Love Peanuts!

Erica

Fears, a Candlestick and a Peanut Wearing a Monocle

2012-06-05T18:54:00.002-05:00

Sorry guys! I kind of fell off the face of the planet for a minute there. I have not posted anything on this blog in For. Ev. Er. Have you been feeling like something was missing in your life recently but you just couldn't figure out what it was? Well, it was me and my blog. We were missing but we're back! Yea!

As per usual, I have only things of the highest importance to chat about today... random thoughts I have and things you never knew you wanted to know about me.

First up, let's chat about irrational fears. I have two that I am going to share with you. As some of you may know, I'm training for a half marathon right now and every time I do my long runs outside on Sunday, I think about these two things.

Irrational Fear #1: When I'm running across an overpass, I am terrified that someone is going to come from behind and push me over the edge. When I'm nearing the overpass, I make sure no one else is around before I cross. I also look over my shoulder multiple times till I'm on the other side. I know it's totally weird. But there are some crazy people out there.

Irrational Fear #2: When I run across grates in the sidewalks, I always think that it's going to give out underneath me and I will plummet to my death. I try to dodge them but then my run turns into an obstacle course.

If either of these things happen, I will be very annoyed because it will really affect my ability to stay on pace. Hopefully there will be enough time during the fall to stop my stopwatch b/c I don't think fall-time should count as far as my total run-time. I will restart my watch when I land on my feet at the bottom.

Next, let's talk about childhood crushes. Of course, I had crushes on some random boys in grade school but I'm also going to let you in on two other secret crushes that I had way back when.

Weird Crush #1: Lumierre, the Candlestick in Beauty & the Beast. Not Lumierre when the curse was broken but Lumierre while he was actually a candlestick. I'm pretty sure it was the accent. I would have been more than happy to be his guest.

Weird Crush #2: Mr. Peanut. So classy, with his monocle and cane and top hat. He probably rides around in a tiny limo too. It's probably made out of walnut shells or something. I'm eating sunflower kernels right now and he's staring at me from the package. It's like he's winking at me. Perhaps this is why I love peanut butter so much?

Don't judge me about these things. I know I'm a weirdo but you love me anyway.

Peas and Love Sugars!

Erica

P.S. If you haven't bookmarked my new blog - www.brighteyedtrainergirl.com - you should do so immediately. It's still in the beginning stages but it will be solely devoted to health and fitness. There's also a link to "like" the Bright Eyed Trainer Girl Facebook page. I will love you forever if you click it. Who am I kidding? I will love you forever regardless but I would still appreciate it.

$1,000,000

2012-04-05T00:05:00.000-05:00

Well, I didn't win the Mega Millions Lottery last week. I'm pretty surprised because I thought I had a really good chance. Plus, I just had a feeling that I was going to win the jackpot. Something must have been messing with my mojo though because I actually only won $3. I double-checked my ticket b/c I thought there was an error, but nope, just $3. I'm not complaining or anything (I bought 2 packs of gum with it), I'm just surprised, you know? It's a good thing I didn't go on a spending spree in anticipation of my winnings (like buying 5 packs of gum or something). I'd be up a creek without a paddle in that case... but I would have minty fresh breath, which is always nice.

Anyways, I got to thinking about what I would do if I became when I become a millionaire. When I was younger (before I became jaded by work), I used to say that I wouldn't quit my job. LIAR! I would totally quit my job but I would at least give 2 weeks notice b/c I like my coworkers. The following is what I would do with my newfound wealth. Don't keep track of how much I'm spending. It's quite likely

1. The very first thing I would do is call my parents and offer them as much money as they would need in order to quit their jobs and live comfortably for the rest of their lives. I have the best parents in the world and they deserve it. My bratty, sullen teenage years alone should have earned them millions.

2. I'd pay off all my bills (student loans and car payment). This sounds totally boring but man, oh man, would it be awesome to not have any bills come in the mail. Then, I wouldn't have to open my mailbox in fear. I could be excited about mail, knowing that there was only going to be magazines, catalogs and the occasional greeting card waiting for me. I LOVE catalogs and magazines. I also love greeting cards but people don't send them very often anymore. I get a birthday card from my grandma and grandpa (one year, they sent me one with a half-naked cowboy on it... awesome and hilarious) and I get a bunch of Christmas cards but it would be cool if people sent out random cards throughout the year. Shoot me a message if you want my address to send me a card. But please don't use that information to stalk me. I don't want anyone lurking around in the bushes outside of my home.

3. I love my little apartment but I guess it would make sense to buy a house, if only for the investment. Mostly though, I would want a house so that I could install a doggy door so that I could get a dog. I don't think my current landlord would want me to drill a hole into the door of my apartment. So I guess I'd get a house. I don't want anything too ostentatious though. It only needs to have 3 pools and 2 tennis courts.

4. I'm gonna save some animals! I would donate some moolah to Five Acres Animal Shelter, which is in St. Charles. It's a no-kill shelter that provides care and helps find homes for thousands of animals that need some love. My wonderful sister-in-law is the Director and I'm not lying when I say she does amazing things for our furry friends.
* Side note: If you don't have a million dollars to donate, you can still help save animals by voting for Five Acres in Monsanto's "Grow St. Louis" contest. I have no technology skills (bad blogger!) so I don't know how to make a fancy link that you can click on to go the page so I don't know if what I pasted below will work. If it doesn't, please just go to Monsanto's website and click on the link to the contest. You can vote once every day. Please vote guys. I will love you forever for it. And I will owe you one. One what? I don't know but I will owe it to you.

Monsanto - Grow St. Louis - Five Acres Animal Shelter

5. Now that I've done all kinds of responsible things with this money, I think it's prudent for me to go on a shopping spree. I don't think I'm materialistic but I do like pretty things. Shoes... clothes... home decor. I'm not even saying I want to go to Rodeo Drive. I'd be happy at Target, Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters and Home Goods. I'm a simple girl, with simple-ish tastes. I think style is important b/c it is an expression of who you are. I'd also like to go into a bookstore and go nuts. I'm a bookworm. I say things like "Words are awesome" and "Books smell good."

6. I would set up a recurring delivery for the following items each month so that I never run out of them: PB2 (the most wonderful creation since the creation of the original PB), SunWarrior Protein Powder (chocolate), a case of gum (I'm a pack-a-day kind of girl) and cat treats (Fish gets angry and semi-violent when he runs out. A happy Fish makes for a happy and unscratched Erica).

7. I wanna go back to school so I'd enroll in SLU's Nutrition & Dietetics program. I know I said I would quit my job (and I totally will) but that doesn't mean I don't wanna be productive. I just want to do what I actually love which is help people get their arms around healthy nutrition. Then I will start my own business for nutrition and personal training and since those services can be expensive sometimes, I'll be able to offer them for cheap b/c I wouldn't need the money as much. Also, I'd kind of like to start a healthy cafe or at least be able to offer my healthy baked goods. Or have a food truck!

8. I would travel for at least 3 months. I wanna go to London, France, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Italy and Africa. I'd also bring someone with me for portions of those trips so get your passports ready. But we are not always going to stay in really nice hotels. I wanna backpack it for parts of the trip, even though I've seen the movie Hostel and I don't want to be abducted so that rich people can torture me. New Zealand is evidently known for some of its extreme sports types of activities so get ready to jump off some buildings with me. I've also heard that there are a lot of spiders in Australia and New Zealand so be prepared to be my official spider trapper. You don't need to kill them but you will need to get them away from me before I pass out in fear. I still remember some French from high school and college (Banana = anana, I think. I've taken bananas out of my current diet so I don't know how helpful that is but I guess I could order them for you and I will eat something else. How do you say Kale en francais?). In Africa, we are going to go on a safari. I'm going to wear a khaki vest and safari hat. I'm also going to try to race cheetahs. I'll probably let them win. I wouldn't want to ruin their reputation as the fastest animals but we will both know the real truth.

9. Lastly, I would buy you the following: a house, furniture for your house, a car, love, a tree fort with a refrigerator, a faux fur coat, a llama or emu, a green dress, some art and a monkey. Coincidently, these are the same things that the Barenaked Ladies would buy you if they had a million dollars. #90smusicalreference

Peas and Love Fellow Millionaires!
Erica

Training

2012-04-02T19:09:00.003-05:00

I promise* after this post that I will stop going on about this half marathon business. It's just that I'm super-excited and I can't really contain it. Plus, if I capture this excitement that I have right now, I have something to go back and look at on days when I don't want to run 700 miles or do 9 billion squats.

* Actually, I make no guarantees about this. But I do promise to talk about other things too. My next post will be something non-fitness related, for all of you who could care less about this kind of stuff.

Today was the first official day of half marathon training. The Chicago Rock n Roll marathon is on July 22nd so I have 16 weeks to prepare. The typical training program is 12 weeks so I'm pretty excited to have an extra 4 weeks to build into the program. Just in case you are curious, this is what my weekly training program looks like:

Monday: Sprints and strength training
Tuesday: 3 mile run for speed
Wednesday: Strength training and probably sprints
Thursday: Run at race pace - Distance starts at 3 miles and goes up to 5.5 miles throughout the program.
Friday: Cross-training (most likely spin classes and core work)
Saturday: Rest day!
Sunday: Long run - Week 1 starts at 4 miles and by week 11, I'll be at 12 miles.

This is the basic outline. If there comes a week when I'm just exhausted, I'll throw in a second rest day. The key is to be on point with the long runs. Everything else, I can mix around a little bit, but I feel better knowing I have some kind of plan in place.

I feel like I'm off to a good start, though to be fair, today is probably the easiest day. I did 20 minutes on the stairclimber to warm up. Then 3 Tabata-style sprints at 8.5 (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, for 4 minutes and then repeated for a total of 3 cycles). Then I did 4 rounds of the following: 21 Sumo Deadlift High-Pulls with kettlebell; 15 Supine Rows; 9 Burpees. Then, I finished up with 3 more Tabata sprints. When your arms feel like they might detach from your body in protest, you know you are killing it. Let me just tell you, I earned my chocolate almond milk protein drink today. :-)

Also, just as an update on my recent struggle/obsession with the scale, I'd like to point out that it has been 1 full week and I have not weighed myself or freaked out about whether or not I am losing weight. I know a week doesn't seem like that big of a deal but it definitely is for someone who was weighing themselves on a daily basis, which was totally me. The best part is that I haven't even felt a strong pull to do it. I'm loving this freedom from that ridiculous piece of plastic and metal. I know that I'm making healthy choices and that's all that matters. This half marathon training is just what the doctor ordered to get the focus back on what matters.

Mantra of the Week:
Respect the Training.
Honor the Commitment.
Cherish the Results.

I think these are inspiring words for anyone, whether you are training for a race, a bodybuilding competition or just trying to get healthier.

Lastly, I have a couple ideas to float by you guys. I kind of want to give back right now. I don't actually have any free time so I don't know how I think I'm going to do either of these things but I'm feeling a strong pull so maybe I can finagle something. I want to either follow through on my goal to start a weekly email/newsletter for anyone interested in health/wellness/workout tips OR start some kind of group to get kids interested in fitness, like a kids running group or something. Thoughts? I don't know why I feel like I need to add more to my plate but I really want to do it.

Peas and Love, Dreamers and Doers!

Erica

Shifting My Focus

2012-03-28T22:42:00.003-05:00

All right guys, I know that my attempts at humorous posts are probably more appreciated and enjoyable to read than the more "serious" or "heartfelt" ones but I'm going to post this one anyway. A big part of my life and this blog is my health/fitness/weight loss journey and I like to record each phase, for posterity's sake and also so that people who are having a tough time know that everyone goes through tough phases. It's another hard one for me to put out there so who knows, I may delete it. Read it while you can!

So I've lost 100 lbs, give or take, since changing my lifestyle from sedentary couch potato to active gym rat. I'm proud of this and I don't want any of what I'm about to say make you believe that I am not. I know it's an accomplishment and I know it's not something that people do every day. But here's the thing. I've been stuck at the same weight for about 4 months now. Part of that is attributed to being more relaxed over the holidays but a large part of it is just being stuck in an awful, seemingly never-ending plateau. I've changed what I eat a million times it feels like... adding more protein, adding more calories, adding less calories, eating different foods, etc. Nothing really seemed to be making the scale move in the right direction. I know that other positive things were happening, such as my ability to do push-ups better, or lift more or run longer but I was pretty focused on the weight thing. I kept thinking that I should be in a smaller size of pants by now or at a different weight. I was so frustrated and was getting upset with myself, wondering what was wrong with me that I couldn't make it happen anymore. I felt like I wasn't doing enough. I must be slacking or something. I felt like I lost it... that whatever I had been doing right for a year is something I would never find again. For the record, my goal is to lose about 30 more pounds, give or take. Let me also say that I know I have been building muscle and that you can't rely solely on the scale to tell if you are losing weight, but since my pants weren't getting any looser, I could tell that I wasn't losing.

Anyways, I think I've said all that before in a different blog so here's the actual confession for this blog. For the past month or two, when I look in the mirror, I have been seeing the same chubby girl of a year and a half ago. When I compare "Before" and "After" pictures, I don't really see much of a difference, except in my face. Intellectually, I know this isn't true. I know there is a HUGE difference, but I don't see it anymore and it's been kind of freaking me out. Obviously I know that I am wearing a smaller size than I was back then (my pants/dress size is over half of what it was before) but I don't feel like that's a big deal or like it's enough. I don't know how to explain it. I'm having a hard time putting it into words. Needless to say, this thought process and these feelings are terribly flawed. I recognize this. This process has not just been physical. It's a mental thing too and while for the most part, I am happier than I ever thought possible and sooooo proud of myself, the past month has been hard. My flawed body image of the past month has been fueling my borderline-obsession with losing pounds and vice versa. It's making me a little sick to my stomach to put this stuff out there because I really don't want anyone to think that I'm unhappy with myself (I'm truly not) or that I'm not proud (I truly am) or that I am incapable of getting past this little hurdle (I'm already working through it). The only reason I'm posting is because, like I said, you never know who this might help and if it helps even one person with any body image problems they might have, then it's worth a little humiliation on my part.

So let me get to the bright side now. I know these thoughts are flawed. I recognize it and being the problem-solver that I am, I'm determined to fix it. I'm much better at being a happy, proactive, positive person than I am at being frustrated and anxious and stressed. So here's my solution. I'm taking all thoughts and talk of weight and measurements off the table. They are no longer part of my process right now, at least not for the next month or so. I needed something else to focus on, something healthy and something that I could work on that could only bring positivity. I needed a fitness goal. You may recall that one of my goals for 2012 is to run a half marathon. I was originally just going to do the St. Louis Rock n Roll one in October but after consideration, that felt too far away. I wanted something sooner, something that I would have to push for. So... I signed up for the Chicago Rock n Roll Half Marathon, taking place on July 22nd. I've got just under 4 months to get ready to rock my way through 13.1 glorious miles of pure athletic glory.

I can't put into words how good I feel right now after shifting my focus off of weight loss... how good it feels to have given myself permission to not care about what the scale says anymore... to only care about how strong I'm getting... to care about how I'm going to feel when I'm crossing that finish line, not how I feel when I stand on top of a square of insignificant plastic that tells me how much I weigh.... how good it feels to get back to a simpler way of eating that works for me (heavy on fresh produce, lean protein and healthy fats), rather than tracking the nutritional profile of every single bite of food that goes into my mouth... how good it feels to enjoy being "in the moment" during my workouts, feeling how strong I am and how far I've come, rather than how skinny I'm not. I felt myself getting happier with every single footfall during my sprints today. It feels like the weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders. I'm confident the rest of this weight will come off as a byproduct of my training and eating habits but that doesn't matter right now. What matters right now is that I am confident that I am going to cross that finish line in Chicago on July 22nd.

And do you know what I saw when I looked in the mirror at the gym today? I didn't see the chubby girl from a year and a half ago. I saw an athlete. I saw a woman who was going after her goal with a vengeance. I saw pride and determination and strength and happiness and beauty. That's the me that I know and love.

So, this has been a pretty long post and I thank all of you who actually made it to the end of it. Like I said, this has been hard for me to write so don't be too hard on me, okay dear readers? I'm not even going back to proofread this before posting as I fear I will delete it all, so forgive any grammatical errors that you come across. And, as always, if you feel so inclined, feel free to shoot me a message if you feel at all impacted or inspired by this particular post.

Peas and Love Peeps! (I have Peeps on the brain ever since seeing vegan marshmallow Peeps in Whole Foods a few days ago)

Erica

* Edit: Hopefully this did not come across as a "woe is me" kind of thing. I only meant for it to be commentary about how important it is to have healthy goals and body image.

* Second Edit: I know I posted a month or so ago about being frustrated about being in a plateau and that I was going to focus on what I could do (strength-wise) instead so this may seem repetitive. But what I had been feeling like recently was different than frustration and more intense. Before, even when frustrated or stuck in a plateau, I always saw the positive changes and I was no longer seeing that recently, if that makes sense.

Some Mundane Anecdotes

2012-03-25T19:24:00.000-05:00

I was browsing in Aldo, drooling over a pair of colorful heels, when a salesman came up and asked if I needed help. I was trying to decide if I needed to try on these little wearable pieces of art when he said "That's the kind of shoe you'll wear around the pool with your swimming suit, strutting your stuff." I stared at him, wondering what about me said that that I am the kind of girl who could actually do that and look cool. A. I wear flip-flops to the pool. B. I don't actually go to a pool. C. I'm pretty sure that if I tried to strut my stuff, I might break something and/or fall into the pool.

A few days ago, I was eating chocolate chia pudding at work. The following exchange occurred:
Coworker, making a face: "What is that?"
Me: "Chocolate Pudding."
Coworker, still making grossed out face: "Normal pudding?"
Two other coworkers nearby: "No!" This was said emphatically and with a bit of laughter.
Me: "No." This was said with a sigh.
I bring up this conversation only because I do sometimes eat odd things and the fact that I have a reputation for it makes me laugh a little bit. Normal is overrated anyways. Chocolate pudding is useless and junky. Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Pudding is delicious and nutritious and energizing and awesome.

I was doing laundry today at the Laundromat and there was a dad there with 3 adorable kids with him. There are 25 cent candy dispensers inside and the dad told one of the little boys that he was going to buy him some candy. The kid looked at him and said, "No! That candy has been in there for 100 years!" Dad laughed and asked who told him that. The little boy said Aiden told him that. I looked up and another little boy was standing nearby, nodding his head yes and looking so serious about the whole thing. I'm not sure why this made me laugh so much. I noticed later that Aiden eventually gave in to the lure of the Skittles. Can't say I blamed him. Skittles are kind of delicious, even if they are 100 years old.

I was doing a Health/Wellness workshop this past Saturday and the topic was sugar. For visual aids, I brought a Ziplock bag of 22.2 grams of sugar (the average American's daily consumption). I also wanted to bring a can of coke so I stopped by a gas station to buy one. After I bought it, I was tempted to ask them to put in a paper bag. It seemed shameful for a Health and Wellness Instructor to be carrying something like that around in broad daylight.

Random Questions: Is anyone watching "Once Upon a Time?" How awesome is this show? I am watching it while I write this and I am completely obsessed.

Peas and Love Dreamers!
Erica

Shut Up and Just Do It

2012-03-14T13:39:00.004-05:00

Just wanted to pop in and write a quick post about what I learned in the gym today.

Today's Lesson: Shut up and just do it.

Let me explain. Today's workout consisted of a quarter mile run, 21 V-Sits w/ kettlebell, half mile run, 21 knees to elbows, quarter mile run, 21 ball slams and then repeating the cycle as many times as possible. No problem, right? Except that I hate V-Sits and have always hated V-Sits. I've never been comfortable with them and have struggled with them. If I'm being honest though, I stopped making myself do them because they were so darn frustrating to me which is clearly a problem. Anyways, so the wonderful and brilliant Marlo (trainer) tells me I have to do 21 of these today and I stare at her like she has 3 heads and then promptly say "I can't do V-Sits." Ugh! It pains me to type that. I can not believe I said I couldn't do something. Can't is no longer supposed to be in my vocabulary. So she said, "Yes you can. I promise you can." So I tried a couple times and yes, it was hard, but I was kind of doing them. But then, like a dumbass, I stopped and again, looked at her like she was nuts and said it was not physically possible for me to do them. I give her credit at this point for not strangling me b/c people saying they can't do something is one of my biggest pet peeves. Understand that part of my struggle with this is that I am a bit of a perfectionist in the gym and I absolutely HATE feeling like I am struggling with something. Usually I tell myself that the only way to get better is to keep doing it and I truly believe that. But I have some kind of mental block with these ridiculous V-Sits. So Marlo told me to keep going and that I obviously can do it b/c I just did some and that it will get easier each time. So I set myself in position, pick up the kettlebell and start doing them, all the while telling her that I couldn't. While I'm doing them. Did you get that? Yes, I was doing V-Sits while telling her that I clearly was never going to be able to do them. I'm ridiculous. By the end of the 21 (in a row w/o stopping or breaking position), I realized that I just did them and felt so foolish for saying I couldn't do it. We had a good laugh at the end of the workout about it.

Anyways, moral of the story... Shut up and just do it.

Peas and Love, Muscle Men and Women!
Erica

***Editor's Note*** In my defense, I should mention that every single muscle in my body is sore from the 3 workouts I did yesterday. I like to think that contributed to my thought process of feeling like I couldn't do something. It was almost hard enough just to swing my legs off of my bed this morning when I woke up.

Randomness

2012-03-04T20:39:00.006-06:00

It’s been approximately 72 years since I last posted. Sorry about that! I have been so insanely busy lately. It feel like I don’t have enough time to breathe, let alone blog, which is a shame because I like writing this blog almost as much as I like breathing. I have a bunch of different things that I’d like to post but tonight I am going to just share some random thoughts and tidbits.

Every morning when I go down to the kitchen to make my breakfast, I also give Fish some treats. If I don’t, he will meow constantly while I am making my smoothie or juice. Sometimes he gets a little loud and I’m worried that the neighbors will call me in for animal abuse. How embarrassing would it be if I opened the door to police or whoever arrests people for animal abuse and I happened to be wearing one of my animal rights t-shirts? Awkward. Anyways, the point is that every morning, there is a terrifying moment when I think I might not get his treats bag open fast enough and he is going to maul me. It’s not that he is a mean cat; it’s just that he completely loses control in the presence of treats. If here even hears a bag that sounds like his treats bag, he comes running from upstairs. He has supersonic hearing when it comes to his treats. His hearing seems to go out however, when he is doing something bad like climbing on the counter. Or eating my arm.

I am typing this at the Laundromat and the guy using a machine a few down from me just opened his laundry bag and said “Oh, gross.” I don’t even want to know but if that is your reaction when you see your laundry, you should probably do laundry more often.

A vegan cupcake wars is on TV right now. I now want a cupcake almost as badly as Fish probably wants a treat. I won’t maul anyone for it though so don’t worry. I’ll drink this huge bottle of water instead.

I tried to give up chewing gum this week. I lasted 4 days. That’s actually pretty good but I’m up to a pack a day again. We all have our vices right?

The dude with the gross laundry is staring at me creepily. Perhaps it was not laundry in his bag, but was a dead body instead and he is contemplating me as his next victim. Hopefully he doesn’t sneak up behind me and read this otherwise, I’m probably really going to be in trouble.

I’ve been studying to get my Personal Training certification. Holy smokes! I forgot how complicated science stuff is. Sometimes I find myself having to stop reading because I am in complete awe of how amazing the human body is. I feel terrible that I mistreated it for so long. My body really is a temple and should be treated accordingly. This puts the kibosh on my eating 15 different kinds of cupcakes though so I guess I will give up the dream of being a vegan Cupcake Wars judge tonight.

Pinterest is awesome. It’s not like I needed another thing to waste time doing but man oh man, is that site a timesuck! But it’s so fabulous. I now finally have an awesome idea for my living room wall that does not require me to be on a ladder for any length of time, but it’s still colorful and so totally me! Not only did I get some décor ideas this week, I also learned how to make a feather skirt, which I am totally going to make next weekend. I might not be cool enough to pull it off but I don’t particularly care. People should dress with personality, otherwise what’s the point.

Actually the point of wearing clothes is to not get arrested for indecent exposure, but you get my drift.

Speaking of indecent exposure, I don’t like when older men wear really, really short shorts at the gym. I always fear that I’m going to see something I really don’t want to see.

Creepy Dirty Laundry Guy Update: Still staring. Uncomfortable.

I bought a Groupon yesterday for hot yoga. I’m nervous that I am going to puke. It should be fun. Hot yoga is supposed to be pretty intense but I like a challenge. The FAQs page of the studio said that many people experience a clarity of mind, which I could totally use right now… feeling a little overwhelmed. One of my goals for this year was to try one new fitness activity each month. In January, I became obsessed with spinning. In March, I shall be a hot yogi. I accidently missed February though so I have to do two this month. I haven’t decided yet what the other one is. Any suggestions?

I’ve been really into organizing and decorating my apartment lately. I’ve read that pregnant women go through a “nesting” phase sometimes to prepare for the new kiddo. Don’t worry, I’m not pregnant, but I have been thinking about getting a second cat. Perhaps I am “nesting” in preparation for a brother or sister for Fish.

Creepy Dirty Laundry Guy Update #2: He just walked past and glanced at my computer. He also moved a chair nearby. If nobody hears from me within the next 24 hours, I’ve probably been made into this guy’s next load of “laundry.”

That’s all I’ve got for now. I really need to study. And by study, I mean get my textbook out and open it to the next chapter but secretly be drooling over cupcakes on TV out of the corner of my eye.

Peas and Love Sweet Things!

Erica