Resolution: to be more awesome than last year

Well, my friends, good news for me but bad news for all who guessed...not one person asked me about dating anyone or having a boyfriend while I was home for Christmas! That's really an unheard of number. To be fair, I only actually saw about half the family members I was expecting to see; including only two of my four grandparents. Sorry friends, no winners this time.

And now, one of the things I loathe this time of year: that nagging question about a resolution for the new year. What do I resolve to do in 2012? Set goals instead of resolutions.

My least favorite time at the gym is January. Why? I can only assume it's because the majority of America resolves to "get in shape" or "lose weight" in the new year. Because of this, the gym is always packed for the first two to three weeks of the year while everyone is gung-ho and then, for whatever reason, by February the crowd thins out. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for people getting in shape and being healthier, but isn't a resolution supposed to be a year-long thing instead of a January-long thing?

So anyhow, I've given some thought to my running/workout goals for the coming year. Since I can't afford to register for many more races but I want to keep up my training, I've set a goal to run 700 miles in 2012. I've also set a "strength" goal of being able to do a pull-up. How it's possible that someone who works out so much cannot do a pull-up is a mystery to me. 2012 is the year. I will do it!

I will conquer you, evil bar of my nightmares.

In other news, have you checked out the new products in the shop? Among them, we have...sparkles :)

What goals do you have for 2012?
(Not resolutions!)

Do you have a Little Slice of Awesome wish list?

A real contest

Let's make some fun of my misery, shall we?

How many times while I'm home for Christmas do you think I'll either be asked if I have a boyfriend, why I don't have a boyfriend, and/or just someone asking if I'm dating anyone.

The person who guesses the closest number without going over will win a prize.

Some background: this subject always comes up. ALWAYS.


Who needs a boyfriend when you have US?

A shout out

Remember that dreaded race, and the car magnet I designed and ordered to commemorate the fact that we came, we (finally) ran, we... survived?

In case you need a refresher, here she is

I had decided that, since I couldn't find a "15k" magnet in any stores or even online, I'd make my own. This idea skyrocketed into what you see above.

After doing some research on where I could order custom car magnets, I stumbled upon StickyLife.com. They have a ton of options for products you can customize and order, from car magnets in all different shapes, sizes, colors, and themes (hello dog bone); to window monogram decals; and even yard signs and key chains. Really, that's just a small sampling of items they offer. Using their simple online design tool, I added the text I wanted and voila! You can also add clipart and/or upload an image from your computer. Super simple.

Without further ado, *ta da*...the magnets in action.

Please excuse my dirty bumper. And also notice three states represented on
the back of my Jeep :)

Kari was a brave soul and braved the rain for a picture of hers.

One hindrance/bonus (depending on your needs) I noticed about ordering from StickyLife.com is that, in order to keep your cost low, you need to order in bulk. The more you order, the less items cost per piece. I will also add that their customer service is awesome. The next time I need to order products for work, I'm definitely going to keep them in mind.

You should, too! If you plan on ordering any personalized or custom products and would like to save 15%, use the code inthebetween at checkout (through March 1, 2012).


Bob the owl says "DO IT".

In other news, I'm keeping up with my new training plan. Today is cross-training. My legs are freaking thrilled. Tomorrow I'm heading to VA for Christmas; my first time with a dog. I feel like I may need a drink once I get there. Wish me luck!

Scaring myself on purpose

This will totally make your day better. I just know it. I want one.

Yesterday afternoon I set out on a four-mile run around 4:45pm. By the time I got home it was dark out and I was seriously frightened. First, I thought maybe it had taken me way longer than it should have and it was now 8pm, but my Willy was telling me that it had not been 40 minutes. I'm so looking forward to the days getting longer. This is garbage.

I was especially frightened because, for some reason, I've had the show Wicked Attraction on Netflix in the background the last couple of days while I get work done. In case you have never heard of the show, here's the rundown

Little is known about the chemistry between two people that sparks a killing rampage. Forensic Psychologists and Criminal Profilers uncover horrifying clues and reveal the true stories of people driven by love to commit murder. Wicked Attraction investigates some of the most terrifying crimes in recent history and delves inside the criminal mind to explore the roots of these deadly murders and the psychological motivations behind deadly duos.

...and now I am a lot less afraid of being attacked by a rogue wild boar on my run than I am of being attacked by some psycho rapist killer and his deranged wife. It's a good thing I'm sticking to my training plan like glue and, as Alyssa put it, "A doctor's note is the only acceptable excuse".

On a lighter note, have you ever looked up your name on UrbanDictionary.com? My brother turned me onto this yesterday.

This one made me laugh:

What does UrbanDictionary.com say your name means?

Are you afraid of running in the dark?

Another new training plan?

What does Pippi think of all this Christmas preparation?

(this picture was taken before the squirt bottles and the
"no dogs on the couch" rule).

After again skipping out on my long run this weekend due to the nagging to-do list in my head, I've decided I need a new training plan. (Yes, again).

The idea that I run three days a week and cross-train twice and I will just figure out the days when they come just doesn't work for me. I need more structure. I guess if I didn't need the cross training to break up the running days, it would be easier. But I need the variety. This week and next are a little weird because I had to plan them around travel and Christmas vacation, but I plan to stick to this plan like it's my job. I kind of wish it was my  job. How awesome would that be? Oh, and I'll be adding weight training to the running days, too. I miss my killer arms and abs :)

On Saturday I made a cake for my brother, sister-in-law, and me for our birthdays. I knew it had to be artsy. And delicious.

I can tell you from experience that there are way more orange and blue m&ms in a pack than any other color. I ran out of yellow the fastest. Dessert/science experiment.

Jeremy was surprised that I didn't either have all the "m"s
facing up or facing down. Apparently I'm not OCD enough.

Did you bake anything delicious this weekend?

Does your dog (or other pet) sleep in strange positions?

If you are following a training plan, how did you decide which one to use?

Turning point

I'm totally going to kick myself for admitting this, as it's going to come back to bite me in the ass, but I feel like this week Pippi's behavior took a turn for the better. She's never been a bad dog, by any means, but her puppy antics have seemed a little less IN YOUR FACE. (Of course I say this now, and this morning she got into my lip gloss again. But I can blame that on myself for not learning from last time and leaving my purse within her reach).

I have no evidence that this has any part in this behavior shift, but I bought my friend's baby a Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Soothe and Glow Seahorse for Christmas, and I fell in love with it. It plays the most soothing music and sea "bubbling" sounds and its belly lights up. Ok, so my favorite part is the music. I could've used this thing last night when I was trying to fall asleep but couldn't.

I decided to see what would happen if I showed it to the dogs. I expected them to go nuts and want to rip it out of my hands, but they were seriously mesmerized! Like, I've never seen them like this, mesmerized.

I've been told this thing is like "baby crack", but I never
expected this.

Mine?

I added it to my Amazon wish list. No, I'm not kidding.

Speaking of Pippi, I've decided all her adorable jumping on me and scratching and bruising me has got to stop. I understand that she's a puppy, but dude! I decided to follow Kara's example and try Squirt Bottle Training (yes, I made up that very technical term). I know it's a controversial topic, but my findings are this: IT WORKS. I got the squirt bottles yesterday and Pippi only had to be squirted once for jumping and once for getting on the counter. She didn't do it again. All we had to do after that was pick up the spray bottle and she sat down instead.

And now, in case that put a bee in your bonnet, another cute dog picture for you. This is my friend's dog the day I was at her house for my birthday.

Notice all the rawhides beside her bed. She kept going to her toy basket and getting one and then laying down, and then after a while she'd get up and get another. Proof dogs have a sense of humor.

...as do baby Halloween costume makers.

This weekend I'm getting back on track with a long run, because, as Kara reminded me, "half marathons don't run themselves". Cripes.


Have you tried any controversial pet training techniques?

Do you have friends who make you feel guilty when you slack on working out?

My family thinks I'm psychic

I'm beginning to think I need a vacation from life. Things are driving me nuts. Yes, things.

I'd give valuable things to be that person right now.

One thing is: trying to plan a celebration/party for your 30th birthday... in December. Everyone already has plans! It's ridiculous. To be fair, this time last year, a certain person said she was going to plan a really awesome party...with out-of-town family, renting out a room at a nice restaurant, the whole shebang. I asked several times throughout the year if she needed help planning and was turned down because, "I'm going to plan it". And now here we are, birthday week, and I'm stuck trying to plan something last-minute because someone didn't do their job. This is why I'd rather just plan things. At least I know they'll get done. A little livid? Yes. A little.

(And again, to be fair, this person's birthday is three days after mine, so it would be a celebration of her birthday, too).

The next thing is: My family thinks I'm psychic. "What does so-and-so want for Christmas?" "When are So-and-So coming up to visit?" "How does so-and-so like his job?" I don't effing know. Ask SO-AND-SO!

While I know that neither of these things is earth shattering and it's like "Dude, could your problems be any more First World?", I'm still annoyed. It's my right as a person.


In other news, for my birthday yesterday, Lee sent me the most unique and amazing thing ever.

I cannot wait to try some of these recipes! Most of them sound delicious, like Capitol-Grade Dark Chocolate Cake and District 3 Dinner Rolls, and then there are a few that are...questionable, like Small Critter Casserole and Grilled Tree Rat with Peanut Butter Dipping Sauce.

This Friday is our Holiday Luncheon at work, and I'm thinking of trying out one of the desserts. I'll definitely be posting about it when I do. I also told Lee that I'd send him some of the baked goods that I try. So. Excited.

What's one of the most memorable gifts you've received?

Is there something your family does that drives you insane?

Sex in March should be off limits

My family likes to make December way more stressful than it already is.

How so? The December birthdays in my family are as follows:

13th - brother, me
16th - dad, sister-in-law
17th - cousin
23rd - mom
24th - cousin
Total: 7

Pippi literally missed the list by days.

To be fair, Jeremy and I were born six weeks early, so had we not been premature, we'd have been born in January. Growing up, my family had one rule...that we don't marry someone born in December. Luckily this wasn't a "if you do it, we will disown you" sort of rule or my brother would currently be blacklisted.

In other news: Happy Birthday today to my twin brother (and me) :)

There's no question this one was taken in the early 80's.

I'd be done shopping for December by now if it weren't for all these dang birthdays! I only have one gift left: one for my mom. Any ideas??

Slacker

I didn't run this weekend. Yeah, I know, what a slacker! What did I do?

Saturday I spent four hours cleaning the house and doing laundry, all the while trying not to lose my mind tripping over dogs; filled out all my Christmas cards; ran to Target for gift wrapping supplies and toiletries; and got mad at myself for forgetting to pick up beer. Yes, beer. When did I become a beer drinker?

Sunday I wrapped gifts for three hours (impossible to do in the same room as the dogs, unless you are trying to go insane); ran to the grocery story; made banana bread (which NEVER turns out as good as Kari's); did some more cleaning and laundry; and packed.

What did Pippi do this weekend when she wasn't annoying the crap out of me?

Just clean around me. I'm keeping this sunbeam occupied.

Tomorrow is the big day...my brother and I turn THIRTY!

Apparently my brother is taking it pretty hard, which I just don't understand. He's married, owns his own house, and is doing pretty well for himself. I...have a dog? And yet, it really doesn't bother me. I just love my birthday. Bring on the cake! And the celebrations! It's just a freakin number. You can't make yourself any younger, so you might as well just go with it.

So anyway, I'm going to get back on track this week with running. I will I will I will! I've decided I need to work on my training plan again, balancing out running and cross-training better. Today is spinning. Wee!

After spin tonight I'm going to my friend's until tomorrow. She's got some crazy awesome surprise planned and I can't wait!

Thirty is going to be good. I can feel it in my bones.

Friday, random Friday

The tree I erected (heh) in my office. From this picture you almost can't even
tell it's only 2 feet tall.

This morning I used my free birthday drink coupon from Starbucks to get a decaf peppermint mocha. The barista lady tried to get me to go for the venti since it's free for any size, but I'm pretty sure if I finished 20 ounces, I'd be having major issues.

I want these tights, but as thermal running tights. How awesome would that be? I'd definitely earn all those extra strange looks from the neighbors I'd receive.

Who didn't love this show? Also, who else suspected Ruthie was adopted? I mean, come on.

I want to win the lottery if for no other reason, so that Pattie can score me a husband. Millionaire Matchmaker is now on while I'm getting ready for work in the morning. Best thing ever. If you've never seen it, you must.

For the rest of my life, I won't be able to keep a straight face when talking about any kind of food -balls. Cake balls, meat balls....

cheeseballs. ha.

This came up on my Pinterest feed and I laughed out loud. Kudos, Pinterest. Kudos.

Not the same thing...

baklava

balaclava

On a whim at the grocery store this morning, I bought whole wheat spinach spaghetti to make for dinner. Hopefully this experiment doesn't turn out badly. I've got a lot of things planned for this weekend.

I'm glad I'll be adding marinara sauce. This just looks like a bowl of green worms.

Is that enough random for one day? Can you tell I wasn't feeling much like creating a full thought? 

Happy Random Friday.

A virtual 5k and things that should be outlawed

Before I get into the meat of the post, I want to tell you about running my first virtual 5k yesterday.

Courtney held the virtual 5k in remembrance of her daughter, Ashlyn. I've never done a virtual race, and this one could have gone better, but knowing that I had committed to doing it for a good cause and was already a day late on completing it, I kept going. I really wanted to run outside, but it was pouring out so I took a detour and hopped on the treadmill at my gym. I'm pretty sure those treadmills are pieces of junk sent to earth to destroy my ankles, but I got it done in 30 minutes.


And now onto the meat...Things I just don't "get"
(or where my brain goes when I have too much time to think.)

• Some of the deals for my area (central North Carolina) on Groupon and LivingSocial:
  • $899 for Six Zerona Laser Body-Contouring Treatments (Up to $2,370 Value)
    Painless lasers shine through outer skin layers to liquefy subcutaneous fat & create inch reduction through natural waste systems
    No, I don't live in Beverly Hills. And no, I don't actually believe this would work. And no, I don't understand the explanation either. Shockingly enough, 42 people have currently bought this.
     
  • Up to 78% Off Haircut or Extensions
    For $199, you get a hair-extension package (up to a $475 total value) that includes:
    
    • Malaysian micro-link hair extensions (up to a $275 value)
    • $200 toward other hair extensions
      Hair...extensions? Really?

• Detoxing/Cleansing
  Every day I poop and I pee and that's pretty much the way my body handles the food and drink and excess vitamins and things that I put into it. If I feel my pants fitting a bit too tight, I cut back on the junky food and up my workouts. When I feel grimy, I take a shower. Why why why are detoxing/cleansing plans so popular?!
  

  

  I like food...and bathing.

• The minidress + cowboy boots look
  

  

  Whenever I see someone in this getup, I can't help
  but think how stinky her feet must be.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• 

  Enough said.

•  People considering pictures like this to be inspiration:
  

  

  There's nothing inspiring about looking like you may have an
  eating disorder.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• People who only need three hours of sleep a night.
  Try to give me only three hours of sleep a night and see how long I let you live.
  
  
• Not liking peanut butterTHE greatest food ever invented! Where do these peanut butter haters come from?! That place should be outlawed.

 
 What did I miss? Is there anything that you just don't "get" that you'd add to this list?
 

Internet boy-finding: a recap

Look who's been added to my bib hanger

I have a hard time calling it the "hot chocolate race" since I
didn't get any.

In other news, I've been asked to discuss my online dating experience. Apparently all my horrible ex-boyfriend stories haven't scared you all enough (find them here, here, here, and here in case you need a refresher).

About a year ago, I had a friend talk me into joining one of those online dating sites. I honestly can't tell you which one I joined now, but I'm single, so that's how awesome it was. After paying the fee for the three-month "membership," I went to town. I ended up talking to a guy via email a couple of times daily for a couple of weeks, until he finally asked about going out.

The date went really well, and was followed by a few others. I felt that we had a pretty good connection and on date 5-ish, he asked me if I had gone out on a date with any of the other guys I'd met through the site. I told him no, that I'm not a "date multiple guys at a time" kind of person. He let me know that he had gone out with some other girls and he hoped that didn't bother me. Is it just me, or does this seems like a really awkward thing to ask/say on a date? Because I'm awkward and don't have witty comebacks to serious situations, I just changed the subject. We ended up going out one more time, and after that all contact ceased as quickly as it began. I think I tried contacting him twice with no response before I decided he's just like all the others and I moved on.

Side story: After a couple of dates, I decided to ask him to be my friend on Facebook (horrible idea), and he hadn't accepted. After he quit communicating with me, I decided to cancel the friend request because I just didn't care anymore. When I did, I noticed his relationship status went from "single" to "in a relationship" with her name and everything.

After that I talked to a couple of other guys on the site, but wasn't wowed enough to want to date any of them. I have a strict "I won't date you if you're creepy" rule now, and none of them didn't fit that bill.

Moral of the story (from my experience): I can get jacked over on my own, in real life, without spending $30 a month for it.

...so I adopted a dog who gets diarrhea every time I leave for more than a day. I win!

Don't you dare get a boyfriend. That bed is MINE!

Any online dating stories to share? Good or bad....go!

Never too old for a sleepover

On Friday I drove up to Tysons Corner, VA early to meet and pick up Kari. After getting lost on the cluster that is 95/495/295/hell these days, I finally realized that she was working, literally, right next door to Tysons Corner mall. Such a bad influence! I resisted buying anything for a long time and then I found the Coach store. I normally just walk in and wonder in amazement over the fancy purses and then walk out, wondering whether the clerks think I'm going to steal something the entire time.

This Coach store, however, had jewelry. There's a Coach ring I've been eyeing up for a while...

and they had it there. I was trying it on and putting it down and trying on all the others and it occurred to me that my birthday is in a couple of weeks and I hadn't bought anything for myself yet, so why not buy a ring? (By "buy," I really mean "put on my credit card"). I ended up choosing a different one than the one pictured, but I won't wear it until my birthday, so stay tuned for a picture :)

When Kari was done working, I drove over and picked her up and she presented me with a seriously awesome early birthday gift.

How cool he?!

We got to Kara's house way earlier than we'd planned and she was on her way home from the doctor with her daughter. When she got there and opened up the door and let Peanut (her dog) out, I was in love! She has the same energy as Pippi but doesn't jump incessantly. I wanted to take her home and Kara kept offering her to me. Why she did not come home with me, I'm not sure.

Literally the next thing that happened was, Kara got me a glass of water and I proceeded to spill it all over the floor. I was prohibited from being around anything else that could potentially spill the rest of the night. Showing my true colors a little too soon.

While her daughter was eating her dinner, I tried to get her to say "cookie" because she pronounces it "cock". I got a couple of "caaahk"s out of her and it was enough.

She eats her Oreos in three layers. So ahead of her age.

When Alyssa and Amanda got there, Kara made us homemade pizzas. Like, she created the dough out of flour and oil and some other things. So fancy!

And then came the team shirt painting. I'd already painted the front of the shirts with "Team Bitch"

With our powers combined...

Alyssa painted the back of her shirt: Chocolate Loving Bitch

I was given the task of painting the others: Crazy Bitch for Kara, Nasty Bitch for Kari, Sexy Bitch for me, and Notta Bitch for Amanda.

You ain't cool unless you wear your Noodle Hugger like Rambo.

And then, Kara presented me with a surprise early birthday cake!

I love surprises. And fire!

Don't worry, I made a really good wish.

Purple flowers! Kara said the lady at the cake place thought it was for her
daughter so she made it extra special.

Before bed, we had some laughs over watching TLC's Say Yes to the Dress and previews for Virgin Diaries. And then, you know, pillow-fighting in our underwear. I also snuggled with Peanut for a little while before bed. I wanted her to come sleep in the bed, but she needed her space.


These ladies are seriously amazing. Thanks again for the fun times!

Have you ever met someone in real life that you'd previously only talked to online?
This was a million times more successful than that time I unsuccessfully tried online dating.