Dysfunctional Family Dining

To celebrate our out of town visitors Drew whipped up her legendary BBQ tofu (recipe found here: BBQ Tofu Recipe). Once again it was a huge hit preceded by plenty of silliness and funny family photo taking. 

Memorable quotes from the weekend:

"It's not a weekend until you have an avocado." 

"I'm not really passionate about anything. Well I guess I'm passionate about cats, but then they fall asleep and I get bored."

"What if you had reallllllly pointy fingers and could knit without needles?"

"I need to ice my knee. Do you guys mind if I take off my pants?"

"Wow you got chased by two giant bananas today!?"

Confession

This is actually how I dress on Sunday evenings. 

Eat, Drink and be Merry.

First we drank.

Then we ate.

Then we ate some more.

And then we took a nap. 

Boston by Bridge

Before: "Check out that color coordination"

                                    

After: "Foam rolling is so good, but hurts so much!"

Even though it was a bit chilly this morning I decided to head out on a long-ish run in preparation for the half marathon next weekend in Providence! I planned a rough route of 10 miles through the Southwest Corridor, by the Charles River, and back through the Emerald Necklace. I took it pretty easy as the race is next weekend and was able to stop and snap some great shots of the Boston skyline along the way. It's on runs like today when it's not too hot with clear skies that I remember why I love to run, and also why I love living in this great city.

Made it!

It's finally Fridayyyyyyyyyy! I could not be more excited. This week has been non - stop class, work, overtime, tutoring, running, more overtime, more work, with much less sleep than is required for a fully functional and happy Jamie. Luckily the weekend is almost here!

Happenings from the busy, busy week:

1. Drew and Colin have returned! Our apartment is full of life again. Good for the soul, bad for getting to bed on time.

2. Dark chocolate covered strawberries and burritos to celebrate Administrative Professionals week! (I may have had one too many of those strawberries, I will admit)

3. Successfully being a scientist for a whole 2 hours on Monday night. Organic chemistry is my jam, no pun intended.

4. 12:30 am fire across the street. Thank you fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars for waking me up from my precious sleep. Good news is, only the porch was on fire, and only one floor board was lost.

5. Discovering the plethora of running blogs out there. Hello inspiration, goodbye daily productivity.

Have a great weekend! Get out there and DO something.

Some butts and some gutts

Shirt: LOFT, Pants: J Crew (thrifted), Belt: Target, Bag: Anne Klein (TJ MAXX)

Guys, I am SORE. In an effort to switch up my workouts (I've been on the cardio, lifting, abs train for a few months and felt the need to add something new and challenging to my regimen) I decided to take advantage of the free classes at my gym and attended BUTTS & GUTTS on Tuesday followed by BOOT CAMP on Wednesday this week.

I had been to BUTTS & GUTTS before and knew what to expect but BOOT CAMP was quite a surprise. I expected lots of running in place and burpees, but what ensued was a vivid flashback to basketball practice in high school (suicides, jump shots, push ups, some more push ups, followed by some more push ups). At one point we were throwing imaginary footballs! Complete with pivots and drop steps. And then I was reminded exactly why I quit basketball in high school - because I hate suicides and jump shots (maybe because mine never went in). After leaving the class a big sweaty mess, I was really glad I stuck it out the whole time (the girl next to me actually left halfway through, after she spent the first half hour giggling and not doing much, but I try not to judge). I am really feeling it in my glutes this morning but will definitely be going back next week!

oh and HAPPY ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONALS week! Today I will be the best administrative professional I can be! Today I will answer the phone, and send faxes with purpose! And not just because our office is having celebratory burritos for lunch, but because that is how a great administrative professional does it! (I apologize for the extra exclamation points. Can you tell I am excited about the burritos?)

Rise & Shine: Get Fit.

One of the questions that I am asked most often when discussing fitness is "How do you get up at 5:15 am and go to the gym EVERYDAY?!" My response is always a little bit different but it generally sounds like "I just do," or "it just happens," and on not so good days "I really don't know, that seems crazy, I should probably stop."

 For those of you who wish you could be pumping iron at 6 AM (I'm not sure anyone actually wishes  this), or would rather spend your evening time enjoying a long and relaxing dinner, but instead have to squeeze in some time on the treadmill before a rushed dinner here are my tips for you to BECOME A MORNING GYM GO'ER!

1. Workout with a friend/roommate/spouse/or complete stranger. Most days Drew and I go to the gym together. Knowing that someone is relying on you to get out of bed, lace up those shoes, and meet them by the door by 5:28 am really helps. If you don't have someone who will commit to the early morning elliptical sessions, then I recommend pretending (or asking someone who you regularly see at the gym in the am to be your workout buddy).

2. Have a strictly enforced bedtime. In our apartment we have a 10 pm "strictly enforced" bedtime. Incidentally I'm typing this at 9:55 and know I won't be in my bed for at least 20 minutes. Making sure you go to bed at a reasonable time will make getting up THAT much easier. I promise.

3. Make it a habit. Try going to the gym in the AM for one or two weeks. After a while it will start to feel very normal and you'll feel as if part of your daily routine is missing if you DON'T make it to the gym in the AM.

4. Make plans for the evening. Schedule dinner with a friend, shopping trip,  studying, or errands for the evening. That way when your alarm goes off you don't even have the option of saying "I'll just go to the gym tonight after work."

5. Organize the night before. I always try to make my lunch the night before. This way there is one less thing to do in the morning and I can just focus on getting up and getting out the door. I like to stack my lunch box with my breakfast, lunch, and snacks for the day all in one place.

6. Get to know the regulars. The thing about people who go to the gym RIGHT when it opens is that they are very dedicated. I could give a very detailed description of the 15 people who are at the gym 4/5 mornings a week, what their cardio equipment of choice is, and who has been slacking lately. If you can become a morning regular, people will begin to notice when you don't show up, and at least for me, I feel as though I'm letting them down by skipping too many mornings in a row.


If none of these tips work, check out the video below. If you don't want to go for a run after watching this, then I'm not sure you're human.

My 120 lb journey

Or... get some super sweet spandex (see below). And yes, this is actually what I wear to the gym regularly, and no, I'm only slightly embarrassed about it.

Birthdays Galore!

A VERY happy birthday to all these GREAT people who are celebrating their birthdays all over the world today!

Sara

Happy Birthday to a great friend, neighbor, scientist, and fruit enthusiast! Thank you for including me in your birthday celebrations this year, I look forward to many more sushi dinners and walks around the Pond (birthdays or not) in our future.

Colin 

Happy Birthday to the greatest roommate, cribbage opponent, vegan, cyclist, adventurer, and cousin I could've asked to experience Boston with. Sorry I have class tonight and can't make you a vegan feast. We will have celebratory scotch when I get home!

Margaret

A very happy birthday to the world's greatest traveler, master of mathematics, cousin, and story teller. I look forward to your return state-side, whenever that may be!

Sarah 

Happy Birthday to the most amazing chef, cousin, linguist, and Portland-ier I know! 

Have a great day and enjoy the extra 3 hours of birthday you get this year by living on the west coast (is that how it works?)!

And last but not least...

Michelle

Happy birthday to the most easy going, funny, spontaneous, Kiswahili speaking woman I had the pleasure of laughing with for so many months. I hope you're having the best time in the Peace Corps and hopefully our paths will cross again sooner rather than later!