I'm Back (Maybe), Baby!

Perhaps I am back in the saddle.  With running, that is.  (Haven't been on a horse in about 8 years)  I don't want to get overly excited about what may have been a fluke, or two...but I kind of can't help myself!  I ran 9.5 miles on Monday, and in just under 1 hour 30 minutes.  And then I ran 10 MILES today!  In 1 hour 42 minutes.  Both of those are HUGE for me.  Since my knee has been causing me trouble for the past 2 months, I think the farthest I've run at once is about 2 miles.  And then I've had to switch to walking because of an unbearable pain in my right knee.

Also, that is the first time in my whole life that I have run 10 miles at once.

I felt fantastic at the conclusion of that run on Monday, and actually could have kept going if I hadn't been out of time and needed to get back to work.  Today, I'm feeling a little less amazing after the 10 miles.  I felt a little like I was going to throw up at the end.  Possibly because I hadn't eaten enough today, and didn't even bring water or anything with me on the run.  Probably not smart.

I am also feeling it in my legs a little bit now.  So while I want nothing more than to get up and do a happy dance, I'm waiting for the Aleve to kick in...and then maybe I'll do a sitting version of it.  (Go ahead and laugh at that image in your head...it would be pretty ridiculous, I'm aware)

My first half marathon is just 24 days away now.  If my knee doesn't change its mind again before then, I'm definitely running it.  I figure the absolute worst case scenario is that I'll have to bail at some point during the race for my knee and I won't finish.  It would be sad, but not the end of the world.  More likely?  That I'll run as much as I'm able but might need to do some walking somewhere in there.  I could live with that.  I just really want to cross that finish line.

So I'll take a little break now, and let my body recover a bit.  And I'll keep running/training for St. Patty's Day.  And we'll see what happens...

Side note - seriously, where is winter?!  I ended up stripped down to my tshirt on my run today.  It's February 22.  In Chicago.  That s*#! ain't right!

This is what the lakeshore path looks like here:

A little wet from some rain, but that's it.  Dear winter...where are you?!  I don't really miss you at all, but I also don't want you to hold out and then appear with a vengeance in May or June.  So please don't do that.  Thanks.

Two Thumbs Up...and One Full Belly

I should have written my review of Girl & The Goat a couple of days ago, but to be honest...I've still been recovering from the experience.  Yes.  It was THAT good.  And I left barely being able to walk because I was so full and happy.

Girl & The Goat is a fabulous restaurant here in Chicago that opened in 2010.  It is the baby of Stephanie Izard, winner of the 4th season of Top Chef.  They frequently change the menu, and are known for having some kind of crazy things on there.  Here is the not-great-quality Blackberry picture I took of it:

Upon being seated there and talking to others, I decided I would be brave and not pass on trying at least a small taste of everything.  It's not everyday one gets to eat at that place...especially considering that the earliest you can get reservations there is 2 months out.  That's insane!  So would you like to know exactly what I ate while there?  Alrighty...here goes:

* Some sort of cheesy bread
* Roasted Cauliflower
* Roasted Beets
* Grilled Baby Octopus
* Steamed Mussels
* Wood Oven Roasted Pig Face (yes, you read that right)
* Crisp Braised Pork Shank
* Goat Belly

Girl Scout's honor...I ate every one of those things.  And they were all delicious.  There's something I never thought I'd say about "pig face"...

Here are a couple of other shots I snuck throughout the meal:

Crisp braised pork shank...best dish we had!

Look at that mussel...I made sure my thumb was in the shot so the enormity of that sucker was visible.  Best mussels I've ever had, in my whole life.  I'm pretty sure they fed other mussels to these mussels to get them that big...

So yeah...the whole "vegetarian" thing has gone to the wayside a bit.  I guess a lot bit, if I'm gnawing on a giant pig bone...JK looks so jealous here, because his bone is so much smaller.

Desserts too?  That's what put me into uncomfortable territory.  But they were totally worth it.

 I'm thinking about calling G & TG right now to make a reservation...and I'll hope that this meal will hold me over until I can go back in 2 months.  Well, unless I can score another invite before then...

Cupid's Birthday

Aaaaaaahhhhh, Valentine's Day.  A fairly silly day that so many people struggle with...and I can't figure out why.  It is pretty much just another day, in my opinion.  Or at the most, it's just a day for men to make amends for not-so-great things they've done.  (Am I right, ladies?)  I have never been a big Valentine's Day person, and I don't think I ever will be.  I mean, I'm not going to NOT be smiley when a dear friend sends me this valentine:

(Thanks, SZ!)  And I'm only going to be happy and flattered when I wake up to a "Happy Valentine's Day, Linds!" text from a not-so-secret admirer...that he sent me at 12:04am...just minutes into the day.  That's adorable.  (I will protect his identity here though)  I can't help but like that.  BUT, that doesn't mean that I ultimately love the day overall.  There are just too many weird and huge expectations around the day.  What may have been cute and sweet, at one time, has become this beast of a task that some people (mostly men, I would guess) feel that they can't ever really conquer.

So how did I spend my Valentine's evening last night?  I got a little sucked into the hype and went to see "Titanic in 3D" with a couple pals.  It was a free advanced screening of the upcoming release, with free food and drinks too, so I would have been crazy not to do it!  But I did feel a little silly going to see such a lovey-dovey movie (with a little disaster in there too) on Valentine's Day.  Especially one where almost everyone in the theater cries.  Including me.  You would think that after seeing the movie approximately 24 times in my life, the ending would no longer make me shed tears.  Well, if you think that then you would be wrong.  I still cried.  I tried really hard not to, but lost the battle.  The good news?  The gold 3D glasses hid it pretty well. 

Fun fact about the evening?  I found a popcorn kernel in my bra when I was putting my pajamas on last night.  Apparently I was so engrossed in the film, yet again, that I didn't even notice that fall down my dress.  Classy.

We had a good time though.  We also got free posters and tshirts, played "Titanic" trivia (yes, I got every question correct, thank you very much), and played some roulette (sponsored by a radio station)...and we even got this very official picture taken:

The guy in the middle is B...I don't know him, but met him in the theater lobby....so he made his way in there...okee dokee.  But M and S are so very wonderful (nice pose in the back there, M).  I was happy to get to spend my Valentine's with them!  I guess I can do something a LITTLE commercial on the day and still have a great time.

My favorite moment of the whole night though?  A woman behind us in the theater going "Oh! No way...she had it the whole time!" when 100 year old Rose reveals that she has the Heart of the Ocean diamond from the Titanic.  Um....seriously?  One of the biggest movies of all time.  It's been out for 15 years.  You didn't know yet that she had the necklace?  Ma'am, I suggest checking Craigslist for available apartments you can apply for...they have many these days that are NOT located under a rock.

We'll Still Always Sing Your Songs, Whitney

What horribly sad news this weekend that Whitney Houston passed away.  I know she's been in rough shape for awhile, but it was still surprising to me.  I, like most other girls anywhere near my age group, grew up belting out her songs.  Most notably "I Will Always Love You"...partly because I think it was her best, and partly because I loved The Bodyguard so very much.  (Great movie, but I also was under the assumption at that time that I actually had a chance of marrying Kevin Costner)

I actually teared up a few times during the Grammys last night.  I know that sounds silly, but at least I wasn't alone...I saw many celebrities there doing the same.  I also think I was a little extra emotional because of another death I had heard about just 2 days before.

Also very sadly, a man in my building killed himself late last week.  Apparently he was found in our boiler room.  I think knowing that has contributed at least partially to my lack of sleep over the last few days.  I know it wasn't someone else that brought that on him, but it is still very disturbing to know it happened just 14 floors down from where I live.  I hope he has found peace wherever he is now, but I just can't fathom a person getting to that point.

He very literally took his own life, but I feel as if Whitney Houston, more figuratively, took her own as well.  It's hard to picture being at a point in life where such self-destructive behavior seems like the best decision for oneself.  And did the people around them know?  It scares me to think that it could be possible that someone close to me is in a scary situation like that but I may not know it.  I would obviously want to do anything for a person that I could, but if you don't know, you're just about powerless.

I hope there aren't any more deaths to come soon, but I do kind of believe in the "happens in threes" stigma.  If that is, in fact, true...then there should be one more to come.  I don't like that situation.

Hallelujah...Love For All

Wearing my t-shirt finally worked!

Okay, I'm not actually going to pretend that one little person wearing a t-shirt had anything to do with this, but I still wear it proudly.  But thank you, American Apparel, for making such an important article of clothing.

Prop 8 was finally rejected today in California.  And it's about darn time.  It should not have taken this long, but I guess we can be happy that we got here.  Next up is a trip to the US Supreme Court.  So it's not like we're completely out of the water yet.  But in a ridiculous manner, we have to take baby steps for changes like this to be made.

What is wrong with our country that this debate is STILL going on?  Give me one good reason that two human beings who happen to be the same gender cannot get married.  Go ahead and try.  There isn't one.

I have an incredible friend, who happens to be gay, who doesn't always get excited about attending a wedding...because it's a bit sensitive.  Because he's not free to have that celebration when he wants.  That breaks my heart.  But can you blame him?  I adore weddings, and attend pretty much every one I'm invited to, and have a blast at each.  Yeah.  I'm a girl, who likes guys.  So I can have a wedding any old time I want to...and as many as I want.  Heck, I can fly to Vegas tonight, grab any old guy off the street, and marry him right then and there.  How is THAT allowed but gay marriage is such a debate?  Being heterosexual should NOT be a qualification for marriage.  Being a smart, caring, trustworthy, responsible, loving, and loyal individual should be.  But I guess it would be a lot harder to determine that instead of whether two people have the same or differing body parts, huh?

We have so many other things to be worried about in this country.  We should not be expending time, energy, and money on such a topic.  Land of the free?  Not until this gets taken care of, once and for all.  Come on, America.  We're better than this.

And if we need a visual reminder, look no further:

Yeah, two people really shouldn't be allowed to look this happy and full of life, love, and excitement, should they?  Wrong.  Let's worry about theft, and murder, and wars, and debt...and just let love live already.

(Ellen and Portia - I hope you don't mind me using you as my visual...I just couldn't help it.  Man, woman, it doesn't matter.  I just hope everyone can look that happy on their big day.  Everyone sure deserves to.)

Foreshadowing Dream?

I really, really hope not.  Really.

I often contemplate if dreams can foreshadow things to come.  And I can't really decide where I stand on the issue.  It seems too "out there" to be true...but I've also had quite a few dreams in my life that have dealt with a situation (or a person) that soon after presents itself (or himself/herself) in my life.  And being that that has happened to me more than once, the dream I had last night freaks....me...out.

At around 2:30am this morning, I sprung awake with tears running down my face.  I didn't immediately know why, but I knew that I felt sad.  After shaking the sleep out of my brain for a minute, I remembered what I had been dreaming about and why I felt the way I did.  And then I was genuinely upset and very bothered.

Here's how the dream played out in my brain:

I was walking around on some college campus (not familiar to me though) with a friend.  We walked up to a crowd of people, and after pushing our way through saw what everyone was looking at.  It was a picture of a person's Facebook profile page.  But the person's name was now listed as "Remembering _________ ______" instead of just the name.  And there were flowers all around it and people were pretty upset.  Now, I don't want to name this person, but I will say that the person and I used to be extremely close.  The person isn't really a part of my life right now, so it was all the more disturbing that my brain picked that one.

As my friend and I walked closer to the display, I ran into the person's brother in front.  He was an absolute wreck.  I asked him what was going on, and he told me that his sibling had died in a freak accident.  It took not even 2 seconds for me to drop to my knees and start crying as well.  Uncontrollably so.  The brother and I leaned into each other, sharing our sorrow.

That's when I woke up, crying.  And a little confused.

I have many dreams, and often about pretty crazy things that could never really happen.  So a dream that could very well happen is upsetting.  And I don't often remember dreams this vividly, which makes it worse.  It probably doesn't mean anything, but because I've had dreams come true multiple times in my life, and especially when they involve people I know personally, I can't quite let this one go.

Are the other ones all coincidences?  Is this one too?  I don't know, but I'm a little freaked out.

My Sick Room

I was caged up today.  All day.  Which means I was restless...whenever I was awake anyway.

This girl woke up pretty sick this morning, and in a hotel room, no less.  I really dislike being sick while in hotels.  The job I have means that happens to me more than most people though, so it's not the first time.  I guess the silver lining is that I am currently in a very sweet suite (I had to do it) in a cool old hotel in downtown Boston.  Check this place out:

I spent a lot of time here today.  Too much.

One of the best benefits of being caged up in a suite is that I have multiple rooms to spend time in while stuck here.  I can roam from my separate bedroom to the living room and back again.  So much freedom!  Okay, not really.  But it sure beats being in a regular hotel room with zero options.  I'll take what I can get.

I haven't caught up on here in awhile because my schedule has been too ridiculously packed, with work and an impossible social line-up.  While I've been thoroughly enjoying myself (so much fun to be had in this life!), I also think that all probably put me in the spot I'm in.  I have been forgetting to get enough sleep and drink enough water and just take care of myself.  One's body will only put up with so much of that.

I started to get sick last Thursday, but felt quite a bit better by Friday afternoon.  So obviously I was all better then, right?  WRONG.  But I interpreted that as me being fine, so cram-packed my social calendar for the weekend.  (And was already coming off of a couple of late nights from during the work week!)

Thursday - Book Club with 10 fabulous ladies.  Wonderful time.  Excellent company, good food, and yummy wine.  (Perhaps a tad too much...)

Friday - Dinner and drinks with my dear MD, who was in Chicago staying with me for Friday night.  We had so incredibly much to catch up on that we (accidentally?) went through 3 bottles of wine at dinner.  Just the 2 of us.  Annnnnnnd then went out after that.  I probably don't need to say much more about that.

Saturday - Got out of bed for good finally at 5:00pm.  Yup.  That happened.  Then got showered and ready, and headed back out for dinner with 2 of my favorite guys, MH and JB.  Love them so much that dinner spilled right into going out for the rest of the night.  Had a blast, and then finally went to bed at....4:30am.  Oops.

Sunday - Finally got moving around 2:00pm.  Showered, cleaned, packed for the week on the road, etc.  Then went to a bar to watch football with some people around 5:30pm.  Stuck with it until the Giants kicked that OT field goal to clinch their Superbowl spot.  And then celebrated the win for awhile after.

Now, don't get me wrong.  This is NOT my life every weekend, but I do enjoy at least a portion of that every weekend.  Notice the lack of sleep in there, and physical activity (blah), and consumption of vegetables.  Okay, the vegetables wasn't spelled out clearly, but trust me...there were almost none involved.

I opted out of New Year's resolutions this year (on purpose), but since it's still January, and I'm yucky sick....I think maybe I should still sneak one in there.  To take better care of myself.  Plain and simple.  I just get so caught up in my job, my travels, and my social life that I forget to include certain healthy things in my life.  Namely sleep, but others too.  I owe myself better than that!  So in 2012 I need to find a balance of all those things in my life.  Because you know what?  Being sick in a hotel room in a city you don't know (but want to explore more) while your coworkers are all together (and bowling tonight...I'm missing bowling!) is the pits.

I'm going to pop some NyQuil and hope for a better day tomorrow.

One Month Later...

My sweet puppy dog, Farley, moved on to Doggy Heaven exactly one month ago today.  And I still miss him.  Very much.  It was especially hard being home with my parents in Richmond over Christmas, and then with them in the new house in Florida last week...and not having him around in either place.  His presence was so much bigger than his little body.

We'll always miss him, but I think the last month has given us time to really accept that it was his time.  Though we wanted him with us forever, his quality of life was deteriorating rapidly.  And we wouldn't want him to be anything but happy and comfortable.

I've also had a lot of time to think back about his life, and my favorite memories of him, and also to dig up some old pictures.  I can't resist sharing them here, especially because I know that many of you who read here actually knew Farley in his hey-day, or at least have had the distinct pleasure of meeting him.  So here are some of my favorites of Farley-boy.

I think he weighed about 3 pounds when this was taken.

Our little puffy statue.

Too cute to NOT put in a box.  Sorry, Farley.

Before he was house-trained, he spent a good amount of time in a play pen.  Adorable.

He wanted to cuddle with me, even with my ugly bangs.

Such a little love-bug.

I spent a lot of time talking to you, little brother.  You were the best listener in the world.

I never saw him more pissed off than this.  Never.

Good Wisconsin dogs drink beer.

Being carried in a jacket was one of his favorite things.

I decided to wear the stupid antlers instead of putting them on him.  For once.

The cocked head.  Melted my heart every, single time.

He weirdly loved to watch the rain.  From a dry spot, of course.

He didn't like to be bothered when napping under the Christmas tree.

Coordinating fleece jackets.  Precious.

Napping at the dinner table.  Bad manners, but with a face that cute, we didn't care.

One of the very last pictures taken of him.  So sweet and cute all the way to the end...


We'll miss you forever, Farley.  I hope you're having a grand, old time up there.  Just know that I'll still talk to you from time to time.  I can't help that.  I've done it for almost 16 years.  I can't stop now.  I just hope you'll still listen as patiently as always.  Love you, buddy.

The Importance (and Entertainment) of Family

As previously mentioned, I was lucky enough to get to spend last week in Southern Florida at my parents' new house, with them and my brother.  Unfortunately, my brother had to fly out a day ahead of me.  We all drove him to the airport together, said our goodbyes, and started talking about our next visit as he was walking away to print his boarding pass (though it's a lovely airport, Sarasota-Bradenton Int'l Airport doesn't seem to be anywhere near ready for mobile boarding passes).

My parents and I spent most of the drive back from the airport talking about how great it had been to all get to do the move down to FL together and then spend the week at the new house as a team.  This apparently inspired my dad to pop in the home movies (now all on DVDs, thanks to my brother's tech savvy) once we were home, because as my mom and I were making dinner in the kitchen, I heard none other than myself on the TV, jabbering while eating a piece of rye bread in front of the Christmas tree as a 15-month old.  I could never mistake that sound for anything else, as I've seen those videos multiple times throughout my life.

My mom and I joined my dad in the living room, and we spent the next 2 and 1/2 hours watching some of those classic movies...and laughing (lots)...and even crying a bit at points.  The last time I had seen any of those was over 5 years ago, so even though it wasn't new to me, it hit me harder than it had in the past.  I'm so glad we spent that time watching those, as it reminded me of many important things (and maybe even taught me a new thing or two).

1. Fashion was waaaaaay different in the 1980s...almost unfathomably so.
2. Kicking over somebody else's meticulously organized Matchbox car race tracks will get you pummeled, just a little bit.
3. Footie-pajamas are one of the absolute greatest (and cutest) inventions ever.  Especially when adorned with Winnie the Pooh.
4. Little kids are never interested in the actual present they are receiving.  Just the packaging.  (And my only concern every Christmas morning when I was little was the cookie plate we had left for Santa.  I'm not sure if it was because I didn't understand where the cookies had gone, because I wanted some cookies, or for some other who-knows-what reason, but I hovered around that thing like it was gold everytime.)
5. As my dad put it, I was not "much for pants" when I was young.  Nevermind if everyone else in the video was in sweaters and flannel-lined pants and thick socks...I was running around in my underwear.  All the time. Luckily, I was classy enough to pair them with a shirt at least.
6. My parents had the patience of saints.
7. My brother was so persuasive that he apparently could convince me that there was a switch to turn off the wind outside just under our play table.  I just had to go under there and find it.
8. I was a total bookworm even before I had learned to read by myself.  I often took books and told myself the story as I paged through.  I didn't care about any of my toys half as much as I cared about my books.  I guess not much has changed there.
9. I have an antique rocking chair in my bedroom here in Chicago that my paternal grandmother rocked and cuddled me in on Christmas in 1983.  She died when I was quite young, but being able to watch that scene on video, and then sit in that very same rocking chair today somehow makes me feel close to her.
10. My brother and I were a perfect pair pretty much from the day I showed up.  He was fiercely protective of me, and I idolized him.  We could fight like we were on opposing sides of WWIII when needed, but we were also the best of buddies. Nothing has changed there.  We are a match made in Heaven.
11. I have the best parents for which a child could ever hope.  I often take for granted just how much my parents love my brother and me, and how much their worlds revolved around us when we were young (and still do to some degree, I like to think), and how they created the most incredible home environment for us when we were growing up.  I feel so lucky not just to have that, but also to be able to watch it actually happening on hours and hours of video.
12. Maybe, just maybe, there is some tiny part of me that MIGHT want to be a mom someday.  (A day far, far away though, obviously)  I always swear I never want to have kids, but watching the happy little family that I grew up a part of, and the way my parents and brother were my absolute everything makes me think it may be nice to replicate that environment for a little family of my own someday.  But with no perms or acid-wash jeans involved.

My dear family, I love you more than I'll ever be able to say.  Thanks for getting me to where I am today, and for making me the person I am...the good, the bad, the sassy...all of it.

What I've Been Up To...

I had quite the end to 2011...my computer died.  As in, it just gave up on life and I couldn't even get it to turn on.  That happened on New Year's Eve around noon.  I just got my brand new one yesterday afternoon.  So I was extremely disconnected for about 4 days.  While I'm sure it was good for me, I did not like it.  Not one bit.  If I could marry my laptop, I probably would.

Anyway, it was quite an exciting end to 2011 and beginning to 2012 for me!  I was back in Chicago for New Year's Eve, which I got to spend with 8 fabulous people.

Including my "running coach" CB:

I liked her glasses so much (and need new ones for myself anyway) that I decided to try them on and see if they gave me that 'sexy librarian' look I'm always going for:

Anyway, our little gang had a great night.  We started with a little pre-party at this fabulous couple's place:

We had apps and drinks for a couple hours while enjoying the amazing city views from their 37th floor pad - love it.  Then we headed off to a restaurant in Millenium Park for a 5 course dinner, including lots of wine and champagne.  We toasted in 2012 there, as the 5 courses took us from 9:30pm to about 12:45am.  Totally worth it though.  It was de-li-cious. 

Then we headed back to the trendy bar at the Blu hotel for a few more drinks to round out the night.  And there may or may not have been some ice skate-less ice skating on the Millenium Park ice rink on the way.  That's all I'll say.  It was the perfect end to 2011 and welcome to 2012!  I've never been too much of a fan of the big, crazy, party New Year's Eve celebrations.  I'd rather spend it with good friends, good food and drink, and in a place where we can actually hear each other speak.  Mission accomplished.

Unfortunately, 2012 began as most years begin...with a bit of a hangover.  But that was too bad.  This girl had to get up, get ready and packed, and head to the airport to fly to Virginia.  I was exhausted from serious lack of sleep from Friday night and NYE, so I was pretty much running on fumes.  The good news is that there was really nothing for me to do while the movers loaded up the truck.  So what did I do?  I hauled some pillows and blankets into this location, and took a nap:

Yup.  That's a closet.  I took a nap in a closet.  And I'm not ashamed.  It was gooooooood.  I passed right out in my little cave.  (it even made me feel a little like Harry Potter, since it's under the stairs...)

My brother and I both flew in to help our parents move down to their new home in Florida.  Nothing like an Olson family roadtrip....with 2 vehicles...one being a 26 foot moving truck:

It was boys vs. girls.  Boys in the big, manly moving truck (obviously) and girls in the car.  Since cell phones would be annoying between the two, calling back and forth and what-not, we used walkie-talkies instead.  Yes, seriously.  And it was awesome.  The Biebs came too.  Here he is before we left with the girls' walkie-talkie:

The walkie-talkies belong to my brother, but I almost want to buy my own now.  Having those made the journey so much more fun!  We got to use trucker speak ("Breaker, breaker," "Roger that," "10-4"), code names (Screaming Eagle, Ghostrider, and some other less appropriate ones), and talk to the other vehicle at any moment about anything (for example, "Come in...do you know how many miles it is from here to Savannah?"..."Yes, I saw the sign...it's 69 miles away"..."Hahahaha")

We had a great 900 mile trip, I have to say.  As great as it can be anyway.  Aside from leg cramps, butts falling asleep, not enough bathroom breaks, too much coffee, and dealing with idiot drivers on the road, it was a good time.  I'm really glad all 4 of us got to do it together.

And now we've spent the rest of the week in the new digs!  I have to say....having my parents now live in southern Florida is a pretty great thing.  I can pretty much have a beach vacation whenever I want.  And escape the Chicago winter when I think I can't take anymore.  The only problem is that I'm afraid of both sharks and alligators (one of the two inhabit every natural body of water around here).  But I think I can handle that if I get to spend a bunch of time here.

Congratulations Mom and Dad!  Excellent choice.