October 30, 2011

Today was intended to be full of rest and relaxation, coupled with celebratory champagne and Jameson Irish Whiskey.  Although rest was the star of the show all day, and while I did indulge in three mimosas over brunch, my body simply refused to allow me to stay awake long enough even to eyeball the bottle of Jameson Ben bought me to celebrate the finish.  After brunch, the day was spent dozing off, wrapped in a comforter on the couch or on the floor, with football on in the background.  Later in the afternoon, Dominoes was called in for sustenance although, interestingly, I wasn't the least bit hungry.  After a sad but decidedly uneventful movie, it was my turn to be supportive for Ben's last volleyball game of the season.  A few hours later, I was back in bed, barely able to keep my eyes open long enough to utter the most overused phrase of the day: "I'm so tired."  Finally, my pathetic and whiny day off hobbling around was over.  Jameson will have to wait until tomorrow, but it will be well worth the painful and groggy wait.

October 29, 2011

At 5 a.m. this morning, I began what would be a nearly 19 hour day.  With fifty miles of running ahead of me, I could get through it only by breaking it into five mile sections.  The first ten miles were spent running in the dark, which I love as it allows me to get lost in the joy of running.  Starting out from mile 10, the sun began to rise and the most beautiful part of the course lay ahead of me.  Making my way to the top of peak after peak, I lost my breath, not from the climb, but from the incredibly gorgeous views of the Texas hill country; I kept stammering to people: "We live here!  This is our state!  This is so amazing!"  Keeping my feet moving, I made it to mile 15, gulped some Dr. Pepper and scarfed a PB&J, and was off to tackle the most difficult terrain of the course.  My pace slowed considerably, but I came in to mile 20 with my mind focused on my goal for the day; a few minutes to take in more calories, refill my water, and pop some Advil and off I went.  I crossed the mat at mile 25 strong, smiling, and ready to head back out.  By the time I got to mile 30, my feet were screaming; I had to change into thicker soled shoes.  After seemingly endless climbs and descents, coupled with scraping sotol cacti, mile 35 was more than welcome:  I'd finished the hardest 20 miles of the entire day.  The rest should be a piece of cake, I thought to myself.  I began shuffling off to mile 40 with snacks in my pocket and a can of Dr. Pepper to keep me company.  When I came into mile 40, I found I'd made better pace than I had over the past fifteen or twenty miles, which bumped my confidence for the last ten.  Thankfully, Ben accompanied me for those last miles.  I began with a brisk pace, although not full speed, and was focused on continued movement.  However, about two miles or so into the final ten, my left ilotial band siezed and refused to allow me to move forward without significant pain.  We tried to stretch it without much success; thus, the only option was to hustle with a limp into the last aid station prior to the finish.  With the sun long since set, the temperatures had plummeted.  At the final aid station, I was given hot soup and cocoa for warmth, but they quickly cooled due to the freezing air.  A veteran endurance and trail runner, Olga, verbally coached me through the last five miles after giving me another jacket and an IT band strap:  "Those valleys are going to be freezing.  Don't stop moving and don't start feeling sorry for yourself.  Eye of the tiger.  Now go."  We were off on the final four and a half miles.  I significantly picked up the pace, refusing to think about how cold I was, how much pain I was in, and how far left we had to go.  All I knew was I was going to finish my first fifty mile race, one way or another.  Ascents were relatively simple, but descents were precarious, painful, and long.  Finally, I saw the loop split, where runners going out on additional loops for either the 50 mile race or the 100 mile race went left or right, which meant we were no more than a stone's throw from the finish.  At each curve of the path, I looked for lights through the trees, the finish line.  Within a few minutes, we saw some red lights through the trees.  We debated what they were: the photographer's gear?  Back lights of a car?  Reflectors?  As we got closer, I realized it was the clock at the finish line.  "Let's run," I said.  "Run" was a loose term, but I did pick up the pace, hobbling with my stiff left leg.  As I crossed the mat, I heard the multiple dings from the chip timing machine:  the multiple dings meant I was a finisher.  I let the phrase roll around in my head: a finisher.  I'd finished my first fifty mile race.  Although I'd planned on staying around for a bit to chat, commiserate, and celebrate, the cold was too biting, my knee was in too much pain, and my eyelids were too heavy.  We collected the rest of my gear, I popped some Tylenol PM, and off we sped to a warm shower and bed in Austin.  

October 28, 2011

With less than twenty four hours before the start of my first fifty mile race, I spent today in a frenzy of preparation, checking, double checking, and triple checking my gear, drop bags, and strategy.  After yet another hearty breakfast, I spent some time at Target making decisions on aid station nutrition and the like.  I settled on Smucker's Uncrustable PB&J sandwiches, chocolate chip cookie dough Lara Bars, trail mix, and small cans of Dr. Pepper.  After picking up a few other things necessary for the trip, packing and repacking commenced.  After organizing my drop bags for each aid station with food, caffeine, and a medley of salt pills, acetaminophen, and electrolyte tabs, I strategically packed my duffle bag and prepared my water pack, knowing I'd be too anxious and sleepy at 4 a.m. to be sure to get everything I would need for the day.  As the afternoon dwindled, I built a bed in the back of Brutus, tucked away my drop bags, my duffle, and other odds and ends, and waited for the first leg of this precarious adventure to begin.  

October 27, 2011

Some things seem daunting to cook:  enchiladas, any meal involving meat and a grill (as a non-meat cooking vegetarian, that is), and crab cakes, among other things.  I'm sure I'll tackle enchiladas one of these days, but crab cakes were on the bill this evening.  Everyone seems to have a different special ingredient or unique strategy to making the perfect crab cake.  Personally, I prefer thinner crab cakes, with more crunch on the outside, and in-tact lump for a meatier texture, paired with a spicy remoulade-type sauce.  Surprisingly, throwing these cakes together was much easier than I'd imagined.  I found a recipe to have a base from which to start, and added spices and flavors as I thought might work well with the crab.  Within about 30 minutes, I had a delicious crab cake sandwich, which paired nicely with red wine, hummus, and pita chips.  Up next: vegetarian enchiladas!

October 26, 2011

On any normal day I could say I've never met a carbohydrate I didn't like.  During the week leading up to a race, however, this phrase begins to mock me.  I've quickly grown tired of bagels, cereal, sandwiches, pastas, and sweets over the past few days.  From the last article I read on the topic, and there have been many, in the final days before a race the best approach is to eat the same number of calories you would on a regular day with 90-95% of these being some form of a carbohydrate, which really takes the fun out of indulging in carbs I would say.  Although I was planning on keeping my diet as "clean" as possible this week, the tacos and french fries haven't really fit that particular bill.  Thus, I decided to indulge in a wheat beer this evening as part of happy hour, Austin Beer Week, and carb-loading.  This particular beer was the Maui Mana Wheat, which was delicious and a bit more intoxicating than I'd anticipated.  A delicious change of pace from the rest of the carbs I've had this week, too! 

October 25, 2011

There Will Be Blood has reached the end of its journey with a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of Strict Flyability.  For whatever reason, we simply were not on the field this evening.  It would be easy to explain away the loss by pointing to our opponent's skill, but the fact is we weren't on our game and it showed.  To our credit, the final score was 6-0, indicating a game of incredible defense on both sides.  Our mistakes from this evening aside, I'm proud of There Will Be Blood's determination this season and am happy to have gotten as far as we did.  One thing we did flawlessly all season?  We lived up to our name every single game:  there was blood.  A few illegal contacts, some blocked passes, hidden sand traps, and one unintended tackle later, Team There Will Be Blood ends the season with much to be proud of and a challenge to live up to. 

October 24, 2011

You know that part of the day when a warning light on your dash signals and you know your wallet is about to spontaneously combust?  I love those moments; the fine folks at Midas also love those moments.  After asking the long list of questions I believe ensures I'm not being taken advantage of, I cut the estimated cost of repairs by sixty percent, which means my wallet is only smoldering.  Thankfully, the repairs are guaranteed by a lifetime warranty, so this was a one-time payment.  However, I was mostly looking forward to Brutus no longer 'pinging' me to check my brake pads.  Every few minutes for the past week, I've heard a 'ping!' with a message directing me to take my truck to a mechanic.  Having finally done so, I was perturbed to hear the same 'ping!' with the same message after driving away from Midas this morning.  After a short visit with them again late this afternoon, I've been told to call if the problem persists as it must be due to a faulty sensor.  Wonderful.

October 23, 2011

The newest addition to my Apple family of products:  an orange iPod Shuffle.  As with many things I own, he has a name: Mack.  I've been thinking about getting one for a while, as my iPhone is a bit bulky and runs through battery faster than necessary.  With Cactus Rose and many hours of running ahead of me this weekend, the need to decide either way was upon me.  Unfortunately, Brutus decided to act up and landed himself at the shop for the weekend, basically requiring me to set my wallet on fire.  I let my thoughts of an iPod Shuffle fade away, although I remained wistful, envisioning myself traipsing around the wilderness of Bandera with a snazzy orange iPod Shuffle.  My resignation was a bit premature, however.  Despite being an ardent anti-Apple consumer, in an act of super sweetness, and also slightly on the premise of saving me some unnecessarily expended calories while running for hours on end, Ben bought me my newest running tool.  Just like the Barney sandals my parents got me when I was little, it will be difficult to get me to take this accessory off for the foreseeable future!  

October 22, 2011

Should I happen to purchase a pumpkin around this time of year, I tend to develop a strange and largely irrational affection for said pumpkin.  My excitement to carve pumpkins grows until the moment arrives, at which point I quickly become bored and I end up with a rather generically carved pumpkin.  This year, I named my pumpkin "Steve."  Steve was a perfectly plump pumpkin, with a slight lean to his posture, allowing him to look up at passersby with his creepy grin.  Thankfully, my interest in carving did not wane as quickly as usual; thus, Steve was graced with spooky eyes, a flame nose, and curled smile.  If I can compliment my own work, I must say this is the best pumpkin I've ever carved. 

October 21, 2011

For the past few Fridays in a row, I've been glued to my bed working on my seminar paper.  I'd be in my pajamas with a cup of cinnamon tea, a bowl of granola and yogurt in my stomach, and some classical tunes playing softly; in short, I was in the zone.  When I'm in said zone, I almost always skip lunch.  I have just one more thought to get on paper; one more article to read; one more citation to fix.  Before I know it, the clock ticks over to 5 p.m. and I realize my stomach is screaming at me.  As I start to clean up the damage I've done from sifting through papers, thumbing through books, and the like, I realize I'm much too light headed, my throat is much too dry, and I'm ready for my weekend to begin.  This Friday, although I was working on my seminar paper, there was little work to be done and I was finished in time for a late lunch.  Taking advantage of the broken trend, I took my time over a sandwich and smoked mozzarella pasta salad at Whole Foods, enjoying the sun, breeze, and fantastic people watching.  A lovely Friday!

October 20, 2011

This statement may not be true for most men, but I think women sometimes just need a good tear jerking movie.  When I saw the preview for 50/50, I knew this was the movie for the occasion.  Because there were no late showings at the Alamo, we put off a three mile run until later in the evening to catch the movie and eat some dinner.  Despite the commentary coming from a table over my left shoulder ("You tell her!  Way to go!"), the movie was incredible; one of those where you find yourself nodding your head in answer to a character's question; or leaning forward in your seat with your mouth hanging open; or, as in my case, tears suddenly falling out of your eyes as if a waterfall.  All of the acting was incredible; although the message was typical, it was still a strong one; and the delivery of the entire story was spot on.  I'll definitely be buying this one on DVD, just for those days when a girl needs a good cry! 

October 19, 2011

With a busy finals season, and a busier summer for everyone, my visits with Kyle, Brittany, and Campbell have fallen off quite a bit in the past few months.  So when the opportunity came to spend the night at their house so I could take them to the airport on Thursdays morning, I jumped on the opportunity.  We always have a good time, even just hanging out on the couch.  Brittany and I caught up on our girl talk; Kyle argued with his iPad and tried to convince us looking like Aaron Rodgers was a good thing; and Campbell was a sweetheart.  However, after watching an episode of FX's American Horror Story, it was a tad difficult falling asleep in the living room, surrounded by windows, with the wind causing the leaves to rustle ominously, and a 4 a.m. wake up call.  All in all, worth it! 

October 18, 2011

The University of Texas seems to be trying its hardest to alienate me lately.  First, the Texas football team seems to be crumbling as the season progresses.  Second, the University has imposed countless training requirements on me, Hannah, and Georgia, as well as the rest of the Journal staff, without any basis in necessity for said training.  Finally, today I was slapped with a parking ticket in the garage for which I paid good money for a daily permit.  Despite being an inch away from the cables at the front of the parking space, I was cited for being "extended into traffic," as Brutus's rear end was beyond the rear line.  Now, perhaps my ire is a necessary byproduct of owning a larger than necessary vehicle, but how does the University suggest I park Brutus if none of the spaces are long enough for him to fit?  Am I to hope each daily parking attendant doesn't give me a ticket to pay for this extra space I require (a $35 fine, mind you), on top of the hundreds I have already paid for the permit itself?  It makes little sense and is yet another ticket I intend to appeal.

October 17, 2011

This pizza fail is an entirely accurate illustration of how the entirety of today proceeded.  Seemingly innocuous inattention to small and seemingly insignificant details led to broken, splattered, cheesy, pizza messes throughout the day.  For example, my inattention to the warnings on medications (here, Sudafed) led me to be dehydrated and groggy throughout most of the day.  On the other hand, at least I was no longer sneezy and sniffing incessantly.  As for this particular mess, I was looking forward to making myself a personal pizza for dinner all day, promptly to be followed by a short, early evening nap.  I took care in preparing the pizza with seasonings, different cheeses, the ideal amount of sauce, and even some pesto.  Unfortunately, as I pulled the perfectly baked pizza out of the oven, it began sliding off the foil, broke in half, and wound up in my oven mitt drawer.  Twenty minutes later, I was sulking over a less well-made pizza, knowing I had a really disgusting mess to clean.  So much for my much needed nap.

October 16, 2011

A day full of sunshine, the outdoors, and beautiful weather is my idea of perfection.  Today was one of those days:  a hike through the Greenbelt, a patio brunch downtown, and some meandering on South Congress, all in great company.  All of it should speak for itself for one to be able to conclude this was one of those idyllic Sundays, right?  Unfortunately, I was visited upon by some unknown allergens in the air, leaving me sniffling, sneezing, and rubbing my eyes all day.  I so wish I had been able to focus on how fantastic the day was, rather than pulling strange faces to avoid yet another sneeze and its incidences.  My apologies to those in my company yesterday, I know it wasn't a pleasant sight.  Near the end of the day, I decided to reduce it all to a party of one with the task of choosing the correct medication to allow me to somehow breathe and sleep at the same time:  Vick's VapoRub to the rescue.  Again, apologies to Sunday & Co. for my pathetic appearance and my inability to full appreciate the day.

October 15, 2011

Another weekend of gorgeous, albeit rain-free, weather required another trip to a vineyard.  Today, we headed west on Highway 71 to the Stone House Vineyard for lunch, a wine tasting, and general relaxation.  Although I liked the tempranillo best on our last visit, my tastes seem to have shifted toward a preference for the Claros.  While the tempranillo was sharp, almost spicy, the Claros was smooth and understated.  After deciding to share a bottle, we spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing under the warmth of the sun, in the way of a perfectly cool breeze.  After the nearly nap-inducing drive back,  more relaxation commenced over perfectly warming coffee on Lake Austin at Mozart's.  Finally, and naturally, dinner was capped off with another glass or two of the Claros while playing a seriously addicting version of solitaire.  As if they weren't already, today simply proved yet again that Saturdays are my favorite days of any given week.

October 14, 2011

Hockey is an interesting sport.  About half a dozen huge men per team, with sharp blades strapped to their feet, wrapped in pads, and carrying a big stick, chase one another on a slab of ice after a disc they are also trying to slap into a net, which is guarded by a masked and heavily padded man.  These men also throw elbows and check one another into glass panels surrounding this slab of ice.  It's great fun, I presume.  Considering the cat-and-mouse nature of the game, coupled with the ice skating, one would think it would be fast paced and quickly finished.  Interestingly, however, each play lasts a handful of seconds due to penalties and random game stoppage, although this may be different in higher levels of the sport.  Thus, it seems there was a greater amount of standing around rather than actual game time.  Regardless, I got to see a good ole hockey fight, so the night was perfectly entertaining! 

October 13, 2011

To claim you're a Texan and not be a fan of George Strait is an impossible combination.  By virtue of being born in this State, one is inhered with a natural affinity for and devotion to the man (or rather, The Man).  By no means would I describe myself as a fan of country music, but I would stop traffic to cross the street, shake George Strait's hand, and thank him for his immense contributions to music and to the State of Texas.  All of the above being said, it should come as little surprise that I drove around for an extra thirty minutes on my way home from campus in order to catch KVET's Strait Shot: two George Strait songs in a row beginning at 6 p.m.  You're correct, I do have almost almost all of his songs on my iPhone; hearing them on the radio, however, just makes the experience much sweeter as I listen to each song with thousands throughout central Texas.  Today's Strait Shot included two classics: "Check Yes or No" and "Oceanfront Property."  With my windows rolled down and the volume cranked up, I meandered through my neighborhood, contentedly singing along to both.

October 12, 2011

Although Wednesday nights have been reserved for flag football for the past few weeks, I could not resist forgoing our pre-playoffs scrimmage in favor of spending the evening with Campbell at a Halloween carnival.  I challenge you to say "no" to any one of this child's entreaties; should you prevail, I'll buy you dinner.  Thus, when Campbell, through my sister-in-law, asked me to come with her, the only available answer was "of course!"  Saving her pink cowgirl costume for Halloween weekend, Campbell opted for a Halloween headband, pigtails, a Hello Kitty Halloween shirt, butterfly wings, a pink tutu, Halloween socks, and pink Converse; in other words, the picture of adorable.  I tried not to allow my heart to melt when I heard her say, "now I can fly everywhere," emphasis on "everywhere," once she slipped on her butterfly wings.  It was nearly impossible, I can assure you.  By the end of the evening, Campbell was nearly visibly buzzing from all of the excitement (and sugar), having played every single game, winning a pumpkin pie at the cake walk, and hiding in her daddy's shoulder out of fear of the life-sized Scooby Doo and unpredictable bunnies and ducklings in the petting zoo. 

October 11, 2011

New Balance has won my heart and devotion over the last year; its performance today only solidified that love.  I'm on my third pair of New Balance shoes, two of which are the same model (WT 101s).  Having gotten over my wistful hope for a pair of running shoes that doesn't make my feet look like they belong to a clown, I succumbed to the notion of buying a pair of shoes for their utility and whatnot.  New Balance really has excelled in this area and, as a fantastic bonus, the WT 101s don't make my feet look at all like a clown's.  Before lacing up today, I found a rock embedded in the sole of one of my shoes.  Expecting it to pop out easily, I was surprised it was hard pressed (pun intended?) to even budge, as if it had been cemented (again, pun intended?) in place.  After prying it out with some office supplies, I found it was actually a rock about a half inch long, sharply pointed at the end, lodged deep into my shoe.  I'm not sure where I picked up this clinger, but I'm glad New Balance was there to save my heel from some serious pain.

October 10, 2011

After over 700 miles of driving over the course of four days, my energy levels are in an interesting state of flux today.  A weekend of football, exploring, and a Monday of interviews, a midday cup of coffee was very much in order.  On my way back to Austin today, I kept scanning the road for a Starbucks to no avail.  To be fair, there was one in Brenham, but construction and closed exits made stopping impossible.  As I pulled up to a gas station shortly after the missed Starbucks, I saw this sign:  "Must.  Have.  Coffee.  Now."  Truer words have yet to be spoken today.  I didn't watch the clock, but I'd estimate I drank 16 ounces of very caffeinated coffee in the span of about five minutes.  I wouldn't recommend this in the face of another stretch of mind numbing driving ahead of you; the jitters became a bit too much for the confines of even the enormous Brutus.  At the same time, I'm not sure how I would have survived the drive without it.  

October 9, 2011

Waking up to puddles, gloomy clouds, and the promise of more rain has never been more welcome.  Texas has been suffering a prolonged drought and has badly needed the rain the skies dumped on it last night and over the course of today.  Although we'd originally planned to explore downtown Dallas before heading back to Austin, we happily changed our plans on account of the rain.  In lieu of the traditional bowl of soup and stack of movies on this rainy day, we opted for the Dallas Museum of Art.  The museum was huge and offered exhibits ranging from contemporary modern to ancient Hindu art, and everything in between.  We saw a few Jackson Pollock pieces, a Mark Rothko, an interesting Matisse, and a handful of Monet's works.  The diversity of the exhibits was interesting, as it made it easier to see the leaps between form, trends, eras, and the preoccupations of a given period.  Two hours later, we'd traversed thousands of years of art and culture . . . an efficient, relaxing, and wonderful use of a rainy Sunday, I'd say.

October 8, 2011

The Red River Rivalry is one of the biggest games of the season between the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners.  The game is played at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, a point about halfway between Austin and Norman and considered a neutral field.  With a 4-0 record behind them, Texas' young starting line, led by both Case McCoy and David Ash, met the seasoned Sooner team with Landry Jones at its helm.  Although the Longhorns have played a surprising season, the momentum was insufficient to stand up against Coach Stoops and the Sooners.  Mistake after mistake plagued the team:  fumbles at the line of scrimmage, predictable interceptions, and missed catches.  Our offensive line's inability to convert possessions or stay on the field longer than a few minutes led to a haggard defensive line, the energy of which quickly dwindled over the course of each quarter.  At the end of the day, Texas' record against OU (59-42-5) will withstand the 55-17 defeat.  My pride, however, is less forgiving.  Regardless:  Hook 'em.

October 7, 2011

I'm not a big fan of stopping during a road trip, whether a long or short one.  I'd rather just get to wherever it is I am going so I can relax and put the miles behind me.  After a busy afternoon, one I wasn't expecting, I found myself starving on I-35 on our way to Dallas as I hadn't had an opportunity to eat lunch, or at all really, before leaving.  While restaurants off of major highways rarely offer healthy fare, the Iron Skillet takes first in the "Our business model is to kill you" category.  I've never had a meal quite this greasy in my entire life.  Compared to the rest of the menu, breakfast seemed the most innocuous.  As I noticed grease circling the ketchup for my hash browns, I almost missed another drop of grease fall from my fork.  By the time we got to Dallas, the grease had made itself at home in a vice-like grip around my heart.  Thank you, Iron Skillet.  If I ever need to feel entirely useless for a few hours, I'll stop by again.  

October 6, 2011

The best way to end any day is with a frozen banana from Bananarchy.  Considering when Arrested Development first came out, I'm going to assume it predates Bananarchy.  Assuming this is the case, one thing I love about this particular banana stand, besides its frozen bananas, is its total embrace of Arrested Development references.  They offer a frozen banana concoction named "The Gob," for example.  Each reference I come across always makes me giggle and makes me love Bananarchy even more than before.  To avoid getting jaded about this delicious treat, I try to ignore the too-common cravings.  Tonight was a perfect occasion to indulge, however, after a delicious meal made by Kate and Kevin. 

October 5, 2011

Under the bright lights, on the not-so-immaculate Whitaker Fields, There Will Be Blood dominated, yet again.  Out of the four touchdowns comprising our 29-0 victory, two were converted interceptions, one was thrown by yours truly, and another was thrown by one of our stellar go-to quarterbacks.  We played the advertising graduate students again, who seemed more prepared than they did during our scrimmage a few weeks ago.  Unfortunately, they were no match for There Will Be Blood.  Our defense kept them from getting into the red zone throughout the game, while our offense marched down the field with drives of two or three plays, maximum.  With a 3-1 record, next week will be a scrimmage or practice to prepare for the playoffs.  For now, I'm off to nurse a wicked concussion.  Being tackled (literally) as quarterback and thrown to the ground by a run-in with my own teammate?  And here I thought this was flag football . . .

October 4, 2011

Strangely, after I returned from my summer in Moscow, I began to get incredibly sick at least once a year.  These bouts of illness were the "my-hair-hurts-I-can't-move-and-don't-even-think-about-bringing-those-tacos-near-me" kind of sick.  I never got a defined diagnosis, but they always cleared up in about a week's time with the aid of some trusty antibiotics.  When I started law school, I decided I wasn't going to take any chances on getting sick and began getting a flu shot annually.  I haven't been as sick as I used to get since.  Keeping in my new tradition, I got my flu shot this morning.  The pharmacist told me I might feel some flu-like symptoms after the shot, but he didn't tell me how severe they would be.  Over the course of the day, it was as if my body started to turn on itself and make me completely miserable in the process.  Even considering my perpetual state of being cold, I felt even colder than usual and was incredibly achey.  These symptoms just progressed through the evening, leaving me exhausted but barely able to sleep from the pain of the aches.  I suppose it remains a good investment, though, considering one day of feeling sick is better than a full week.  

October 3, 2011

Although I don't like to run with music on the trails for a number of reasons, I can't get through a workout at the gym without doing so.  In fact, most everyone I see at the gym is listening to their iPod or whatnot.  I'm always curious what they're listening to.  Giving in to stereotypes as we all invariably do (thankfully these stereotypes aren't as harmful as others), I imagine the men are listening to hip hop or faster rhythm rock music to get their adrenaline pumping and the women are listening to the likes of Lady Gaga, Britney, or something similar.  These assumptions are terrible, I know, but I can't always help where my mind will take me.  I also can't help but be totally jazzed and ready for a tough workout with the aid of . . . John Mayer?  Inexplicable, but also inescapable.  So, if you ever see me in the gym, you'll know who is crooning in my ear to get me through the minutes.

October 2, 2011

After months of temperatures well over 100 degrees, today was something out of my recent day dreams about fall weather.  Although there wasn't a cloud in the sky, the sun was just strong enough to warm your skin, countering the gentle and cool breeze meandering through the city.  After brunch downtown, there was absolutely no justification for not taking full advantage of this beautiful weather.  After walking up and down Second Street, we took a familiar stroll around Town Lake, testing the limits of my bold assertion regarding my most comfortable heels.  Next up was a brief visit at Mozart's, where we enjoyed a cupcake, apple cider, and my new favorite drink, a pumpkin spiced latte.  It was a perfectly relaxing way to spend a wonderfully lazy Sunday.  If only the entire week could work this way! 

October 1, 2011

Wearing a pair of boots signifies you don't intend to fade into the background.  In fact, there is little in the way of going about one's day in an understated manner when boots are involved.  They are bold, tend to be loud, and almost always make for a classic appearance.  With these attributes, it is no surprise they are my footwear of choice on Longhorn football game days.  Coupled with my No. 12 Jersey, a pair of dark wash jeans, and a Shiner Bock, they complete my  game day attire with a punch of a reserved, yet distinctly competitive, attitude.  Whether it's the consistent thud of the wooden heels on the ground as I walk into the stadium, or the pounding of those same heels as I celebrate a particular play, my boots make themselves as vocal during game day as I tend to be.

September 30, 2011

This is the result of me cooking, plus an old apartment, plus an absurdly tiny, and even more absurdly hot, oven.  I'm no stranger to grazing the top wall of my oven as I cook.  Never, though, have I actually been burned.  As I pulled out a pan of the best rendition of my manicotti shells I've ever made, my wrists, almost deliberately, pushed into the top wall of the oven, conveniently preheated to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.  Not realizing the extent of the burn quite yet, likely due to my tendency toward stubbornness about pain, I went about final preparations for dinner.  As each moment passed, my wrists lent themselves to searing pain and blistering.  At this point, I stood down and accepted an ice pack to soothe my poor wrists.  Naturally, however, I added insult to injury by pulling the garlic bread out of the oven with my bare hands (how hot could the bread really get in three minutes?) and eating a bite of dinner before it had enough time to cool (credit this one to pure impatience).  I suppose if I end up with a scar, I'll just think of it as a reminder of one delicious meal.