Where's the Beach?

Today will be my final installment of my Boston Recap posts. If you missed the previous two, you can catch up on The Food and The Enjoying . Today's post is about the running . If you're a runner, you cannot go to Boston and not run. I think it's some sort of law in fact. And quite frankly, I think even non-runners might be inspired to run in Boston. When we had left Little Rock, we were enjoying heat indices of 100+ with humidity and dew points that created a fantastic sauna effect. Definitely ideal running weather right? Boston was the complete opposite for weather. The air felt crisp like fall. It was in the 50s when Jason set out with me to run Friday morning, almost chill-bump inducing. In other words, I was downright giddy to run.  Jason hasn't been running much lately, so not only was I getting to run in much better weather, getting to enjoy some fantastic new views, but also getting to do so with him. I was a happy runner for certain.  Our hotel was less ...

I won't even begin to lament on how hard it is to get back to reality after a vacation. Everyone knows that feeling. It's even harder when you had an amazing, whirlwind of a trip. I feel like it just flew by in a blur upon reflection. Of course, at the time, we were fully immersed in just enjoying. Thursday morning we were up super early for a 6:45 am flight to Boston. The upside of an early flight is that you have most of the day to still enjoy your destination. We landed in Boston just after 1 and were checked into the hotel by 2. The trip involved staying Boston Thursday night, sightseeing most of Friday, then moving on to our friends' house in Peabody for the remainder of the trip. We ended up staying at the  Copely Square Hotel , which was a wonderful choice for us. They were very accommodating as well by letting us check in early and also holding our luggage on Friday after we had to check out. During the day, they have an area with lemonade and flavored water s...

Well hello Friday, nice to see you again! It's been a long week around here. I let myself get stressed out and overly anxious. So much for the Slow Down Challenge huh? But, I made myself regroup last night and tried to remember that it's ok if things are left undone. Do what you can, try to enjoy rather than worry. I mean honestly, who cares if the laundry isn't put away? It's at least washed, and so are the crazy dogs now as well. I'm super excited this particular Friday. I mean, I love most all Fridays, but this one is going to be pretty darn amazing. This evening I finally get to meet my dear friend Lindsay (Cotter Crunch). Her hubby is doing the Rev3 Triathlon in Branson, MO on Sunday. But that's not where I live you're saying to yourself. Oh, but Branson is only about 2 1/2 hours away and my dad and step-mother have a timeshare there. See where I'm going with this now? Yep, got us a timeshare and Lindsay and James are staying in one of th...

I want to, again, thank both Jessica and Sarena for their guest posts while I was in California. If you missed the posts, please check them out! Beauty in Blogging Inspiration Verses Motivation While I was in Long Beach, I only got online twice. There was no wifi in our room, and I refused to pay 10 bucks for it. I also didn't want to spend my time sitting in the lobby on the computer. Sometimes not having easy internet access is a good thing. It makes you focus on being present.  I did, of course, share some Instagram pictures. But that was about it. I do feel like I missed out on hearing what's up with everyone. I guess that's the lure of social media. But, I'm glad I was disconnected. It meant focussing on having fun with my sister and friend and enjoying vacation time.  I'll do a full recap next week, most likely a recap in pictures because those are much more fun I think. But, it happens to be Fun Facts/For Friday , so I thought ...

Right about now I'm trying not to completely stress myself out about the fact that I have not packed for my trip to Long Beach. I have pulled out what I'll sleep in/lounge in, my lifting gloves, iPod, and oatmeal. That has to count for something right? Because I have travel on the brain, I almost went with travel/vacation for Fun for Friday . But I thought I'd probably end up repeating myself from previous pre-travel posts. Mostly rambling about anxieties and silliness like that. You know, things I can't control and should let go of.  I decided to use Friday as my inspiration. As in the letters. So here is my week in FRIDAY. F oodie - While I didn't take time to take pictures other than on my phone for Instagram, we had some really good eats this week. Concoctions thrown together mostly because I haven't had time to make it to the store - like roasted veggies baked with homemade red sauce, quinoa, tofu ricotta, and Daiya. Ugly but tasty! An...

Packing Woes I don't know why, but this week is feeling crazy long. Anyone else feel that way? I am leaving Saturday for Long Beach, CA, so maybe the impending travel is making the week seem sort of off kilter. I'll admit that I've already been stressing about what to pack, which includes food. The room doesn't have a microwave or mini-fridge. I know I can heat up oatmeal with water from the coffee pot, but I don't see that helping me out with any protein sources. Being a vegetarian, I am often limited when I go to restaurants. So I almost always bring my own protein source to add to meager salads and sad piles of steamed veggies. When I travel, this can get trickier though. How do I store an open can of beans or tofu? How can I heat it up if needed? I know that Laura at Sprint 2 the Table is a pro when it comes to food and traveling. I may be scouring her blog for some better ideas, and may be investing in a super cheap, throwawayable cooler for our room. ...

Spring always makes me feel itchy to travel. Maybe it's the warming of the weather, the desire to explore, the need for a break, but I always start dreaming of vacations this time of year. I have a couple of trips lined up soon. But I have so many other places I'd love to visit. If only travelling didn't require so much time off from work, oh, and money. Yep, that too. California In a few short weeks, my first vacation of the year will take me back to California. My first trip to California was San Diego back in October. I certainly didn't imagine I'd be returning again so soon. But, I am! I'll be travelling with my sister and bestie to visit Long Beach. I'm super excited, but also clueless as to what we need to do there, what we "must" see. Other than the beach of course. And it just so happens that a good friend, Jolene , will be there at the same time. Talk about luck! I haven't seen this girlie in nearly 3 years - since the Cathe Ro...

Last night we were planning on having dinner with my dad and step-mother, but she wasn't feeling great after the drive up. She wanted to just crawl into PJs and relax on the couch. Jason and I thought we would go find a Sushi place. I love wakame. That was a big disaster. Apparently his internal GPS was off and we ended up lost. By the time it was said and done, we ordered pizza from Domino's at the condo and shared with my dad while watching the Olympics. Thank goodness I had a healthy salad lunch! Today would typically have been weights, but the gym at the condo isn't exactly a full gym, so I just did cardio. I was going to run 30 minutes, but after 22 minutes, my hip flexors simple would not allow it. This is what happens when you go on a running hiatus and then run 4.5 miles. So I hopped on the elliptical and tacked on 30 pushups and called it quits. I did stretch out, but I am definitely going to have to stretch more tomorrow. We're about to head out to do just ...

Friday Night In Branson I've been hearing a lot about Popchips . I had not seen them in the stores yet, not that I was searching really hard for them to be honest. But, I saw these bad boys at my new favorite service station last night in Branson, MO. White Oak Station at 3200 Green Mountain Drive. I seriously don't have favorite gas/service stations, but this one my friends, is my favorite. Wine, Beer, Liquor, Popchips, and a sections of gourmet cheeses and crackers to go with the wines! HELLO! How fun is that? I am a chipaholic. I rarely buy them because I'll eat the whole bag. I used to eat Baked Cheetos for lunch every single day, every single folks. I was afraid they'd go out of business when I stopped buying them. So when there is a chip that's supposed to be healthier, I feel that it's my duty to give it a try. These were sooooo flavorful. I loved the light, airy, but super crunchy factor. They are apparently popped (hence the name) and not fried is why t...

Friday = Workout Fail Well, this morning was a Workout Fail. I had every intention of getting up and doing Shock Cardio Athletic Step. I had my step set up, alarm set, ready to go. Unfortunately, insomnia struck along with an achy back. Yesterday my back felt a little tweaked. Not sure if if twas from weights or the way I had slept. It worked itself out throughout the day, and I completely forgot about it. However, at 3:15 am when my eyes popped open and I rolled over, ouch. Then my mind started working over time planning what needed to be done for today to get ready for our trip to Branson, MO. I finally dozed off around 4:40 only to wake again at 5:07. I started to go ahead and get up, but my back was really not feeling right. Better safe than sorry when it comes to the back I think. So I just tried to lie flat on my back (I'm a stomach sleeper so this was not easy) until I finally got up just after 6. I tried though. The condo we're staying at does have a gym, so I can get...