blackberrypie

2011-11-01T18:38:00.000-07:00

2011-11-01T18:23:00.000-07:00

2010-10-03T10:11:00.000-07:00

2010-10-03T10:10:00.000-07:00

2010-04-10T18:14:00.000-07:00

2010-04-10T18:13:00.000-07:00

2010-04-10T17:50:00.000-07:00

2010-04-08T14:21:00.001-07:00

Early rise today to get to the gym for an hour before work. I used to think I could never get up at 515am to go to the gym, now it is my second favorite time of day. I did about 35 minutes on the elliptical then stretched the muscles a bit on the machines. I could hardly lift my gym bag when I left. Must have lifted with the biceps a little TOO much.

4/7/10

2010-04-08T14:18:00.000-07:00

Four mile run early this am before work. Wish I could have wore my swisher skort, but not quite warm enough. Tried to run before the pollen really started blowing around. I guess I need to do it more often....my patients said I looked radiant today. Go figure.

4/6/10

2010-04-08T14:16:00.000-07:00

17 miles=1 hour on the bike today. Don't get me wrong, this isn't level 1 with no hills. This is the random track, starting at level 4 and going up to level 8 for the last 20 minutes. Also did 2o minutes on the elliptical trainer. My quads ache.

4/5/10

2010-04-08T14:15:00.001-07:00

Missed a few days because of my Easter break. Did 45 minutes on the elliptical today at the gym. My hip is bothering me again, which worries me. Going to try to do more elliptical this week and see how it goes.

3/30

2010-03-30T17:30:00.000-07:00

Back to the grind today. Not only work, but the gym too. Rode the bike about 50 minutes, which was about 14 1/2 miles today. Also lifted weights on the machines and was oggled by muscle bound men who I guess think I shouldn't be lifting weights. Why do men at the gym do that? I am not a piece of meat on the market! The other thing that amazes me is the way people watch TV when they are at the gym. For instance, the guys on the weight machines will finish their sets, get up, and stand there and watch the news like it is the Second coming. My goal when I go to the gym is get 'er done. I don't have time to watch the news...I can do that at home while I eat my supper.

3/29

2010-03-30T17:26:00.000-07:00

Took the day off of work, cause I felt so shitty. I hate missing work. I just feel like if I miss a day of work the whole week is off. The DH convinced me to stay home. I haven't called in once since working for this group, and that has been three years. I really did feel better, sleeping and dozing throughout the day under my favorite quilt.

3/28

2010-03-30T17:24:00.000-07:00

Ok, so yesterday was a fluke. I woke up with a nose that felt like a football it was so stuffed up. My eyes were watering and my nose ran like it was in a 5k. Claritin was cutting it so ended up taking a zyrtec. Also broke down and started the Zpack the doc gave me on Friday. The chest congestion is still there and I ache all over. My bed is calling...

3/27

2010-03-30T17:22:00.000-07:00

Got my second wind today. Cleaned the house, did about 10 loads of laundry( I really have no idea how the two of us makes so much), fussed around and did some knitting. Not too bad of a day, but stayed away from the gym, much to my chagrin.

3/26

2010-03-26T15:54:00.003-07:00

Confirmed today at the doctor. Got a combination flu with bronchitis. Was told to REST. How does a type a personality do that? It is killing me not going to the gym today.

3/25

2010-03-26T15:54:00.001-07:00

No exercise today. Spiked a fever of 100.5 at work and felt like I got ran over by a Mack truck. I better not be sick.

3/24

2010-03-26T15:52:00.000-07:00

Busy day, so only had time to do 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer and lift for about 15 minutes. Felt more tired than usual...hope I am not getting sick.

3/23

2010-03-23T17:00:00.000-07:00

Did 18.5 miles on the exercise bike. Took about an hour. My left hip is still hurting from the Sunday 5 miler. Jumped on the elliptical for 10 minutes after the bike. Felt better. Felt empowered. Felt GOOD.

One Foot

2010-03-23T16:49:00.001-07:00

Haven't been on here much lately. Things are quite busy...work keeps us busy, then all our little things that need done, plus other things that I will talk about in other posts.
One thing that is keeping me busy is exercise, ie hitting the gym, riding the bike, running, and swimming just to name a few of my actitvities. Yes, part of the New Years resolution, but also because I entered a triathlon to compete in May. No, not an Ironman (Thank goodness), but a sprint triathlon. 250 yards swim, 9 mile bike, and 2 mile run. Doesn't seem like much does it? But, try to do it all together without rest is totally different. I have been at it since January, and I have to say, I am probably in the best shape of my life. Really. I ran 5 miles on Sunday. Go figure.

Unfortunately, I am hitting the wall and still have 2 mos. to the day to go. So, I decided to use this blog as a little record of each workout, if I didn't work out etc. What I am hoping is that posting will keep it real for me, as well as make me accountable. Maybe even encourage someone else to break out and do a race. Did I mention I already registered for the OBX Half-Marathon in November?

37?!?

2010-02-22T16:44:00.000-08:00

Today is my birthday. I am 37 years old. I woke up today and swore to myself that I wouldn't think of my age as a number, but this has proven difficult. I think it is because I am training for a mini tri, and the body just isn't bouncing back from the 4 mile runs like it once did. Even though it is 3 years away, I find myself looking down the pike to 40. Egads. One of my patients today guessed my age at 27. I laughed out loud. When I told her my real age, she said "I would never put you past 35." I try to think back 10 years at a time to what I was doing on my 27th birthday, my 17th birthday....don't really have much of memory of those. I think it was probably due to the fact that I have nothing to correlate it with. So tonight I will drink a glass of wine, eat some mint chocolate chip ice cream, and wonder where the next year will take me.

2010-01-31T14:44:00.000-08:00

I am an avid Calvin and Hobbes fan. I think I first started reading them when I was in high school, followed them into the college years and was in despair when he stopped producing it. I still have my Calvin and Hobbes books, as well as all my favorite strips cut from the newspaper glued into a book. Of course, my favorite ones are definitely the snowman strips, with Calvin posing snowmen in bizarre scenes in his front yard.

Thus, when I found out that he that he had authorized certain one to be made into postage stamps, I was elated. There is also a new book coming out about the elusive cartoonist and a display of some of his strips at the Toonseum in Pittsburgh PA. Wish I had time to make the trip to see them.

2010!

2010-01-11T16:43:00.000-08:00

January 12 already? Again, another record of roughly one month without posting. I could make excuses, lie, beg, borrow and cheat, but the fact of the matter is that I just haven't had anything interesting or enticing to say or show. Yes, this duldrum life of mine is a bit like Groundhog Day, which we watched and laughed at this weekend. Of course, I don't try to kill or bodily injure myself, although I sometimes turn that thought over in my mind with the true insanity that I deal with everyday....

The start of the new year brings everyone new resolutions, goals or whatever you want to call them. I just want to make it to each weekend without losing my cell phone or my sanity. I am goint to try to post at LEAST twice a week here, as well as take part in the 365 project, which I will either fail miserably at or succeed magnificently. The link mine is here, or can be found on my blog roll under Just a Glimpse-365 Project.

Have a spectacular week!

5 things.......

2009-12-10T18:30:00.001-08:00

1. I miss the snowy days when we could just curl up on the couch under an old quilt and watch movies. Makes me want to move back to PA. It really does.

2. Why do people blame me for their problems? I don't blame anyone for mine. I deal with it and move on. Why can't they?

3. I love the feeling of running in cold weather. Totally invigorating.

4. Flannel sheets.

5. I wish we had a snowblower.

Happy December!

2009-12-03T19:04:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe we are at the end of another year. It is difficult to get in the Christmas /winter mood when our yard is green, the temperatures in the upper 50-60 degrees, and no inkling of snow in the forecast.

We just returned from a trip up north to visit family for Thanksgiving. It was easy to feel like Christmas is only 21 days away up there. Winter coats, long underwear, and lots of hot tea. It is a shock to the system to return to this balmy weather. I love to visit home, but it is so hard to get back into the swing of things. We always bring back a lot of stuff, clothes from the outlet stores, great finds from the thrift store, and various Christmas gifts. Now the rush is on to finish shopping, decorating and everything else completed before December 24!

Autumn in Pisgah

2009-11-01T16:22:00.000-08:00

Looking Glass Falls

Looking Glass Rock

View from the top of Looking Glass Rock

The Fly Fisherman.

I conquered Looking Glass Trail

2009-10-25T19:00:00.000-07:00

So, the DH and I went back to Looking Glass Rock today to climb it. We misunderstood the Forest Ranger at the visitor station. You can see Looking Glass Rock from the Blue Ridge Parkway, but when you climb the trail, you CLIMB Looking Glass Rock, to a very amazing and breathtaking view. You actually end up the granite rock face that faces the Blue Ridge Parkway. We saw the windshields glinting in the sun when we were up there today. Words cannot even describe the beauty that we saw. When I post pics I will give more background on the climb, etc. You will be astounded.

My toes hurt...

2009-10-24T04:57:00.000-07:00

Hi.

I have failed miserably over the past couple of weeks in keeping this blog updated. I wish I knew where the time went, but as they say time flys when you're having fun. And that is truest sense of the word for me this October. Every weekend has had something going on, with the drone of work doing the week. Plus, it seems like we got back from FL, unpacked, did laundry, worked, went to knitting class, worked some more, and off we were here.

We are taking some much needed down time this weekend. As luck would have it, we timed the changing of the leaves perfectly. At least that is what I like to think. It really has more to do with the fact that they have had some very dry weather out here, which is making the leaves turn quickly.

I attended SAFF yesterday (another post on the goodies garnered there forthcoming). The DH hired a guide and went fly fishing on the Davidson River while I was yarn oogling. We had never been to the Pisgah National Forest, and are kicking ourselves for NOT finding it last year. The Pisgah has a wealth of waterfalls, plus...it is just darn beautiful. We attempted yesterday, and I mean attempted, to climb the Looking Glass Trailhead to view Looking Glass Rock. We did this in the rain, rain, rain...and started much to0 late in the day to finish it. It is about a 3 mile trek up a meandering mountain trail. Oh, forgot to mention it was about a 10% grade. It was actually a beautiful trail, we just underestimated the difficulty. We also doubted we could see the rock anyways, because it was so foggy. We are going to reattempt it tomorrow when the weather will be better.

Today we are going to go back to Pisgah, and I am going to watch the DH fly fish. We also want to look at Sliding Rock Falls, and just meander around that area. Who knows what we will find?

Slacker I AM!

2009-10-03T08:56:00.000-07:00

Ugh. I cannot believe it has been a month since I last posted. I am a slacker. I admit to it. Things have been just a bit hectic here, and October promises be that and more. And the craziness starts today.

Going to the U2 concert tonight. First time they have been in Raleigh since '96 I think. From what I have heard, this tour is better than the Vertigo tour. Not that I have anything to compare it to, since I have never seen U2 in concert. This is what I call a "lifer" concert for me. One of the groups that I swore to myself if they every came around again, I was going to see them. Plus, both the DH and I are U2 fans. So, the tailgating starts at 3pm today with friends prior to the concert. Opening act is Muse, which is a very up and coming British band.

My goal is to attempt to post everyday for the month of October. Don't know if I will have enough to blog about, but it will definitely get the creative juices going. Have a spectacular Saturday!

Go Mad Men Yourself!

2009-09-04T16:50:00.001-07:00

By now, everyone has heard of the show Mad Men on A&E. Go to this link get your own Mad Men avatar. It's FUN!

Hello Fall...

2009-09-01T16:17:00.000-07:00

"How softly summer shuts, without the creaking of a door." - Emily Dickinson

Fall is Upon Us

2009-08-31T15:10:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that it is the last day of August. It never ceases to amaze me that one day it can be 91 degrees and the next only 69. It is a drizzly day in North Carolina today, and we have traded in the shorts for jeans. This type of weather makes me think of falling leaves, trips to the mountains, cooler nights and hot tea with biscotti in the evening out on the porch.

Fall also brings a longing for comfort food. I love a good pot of beef stew with homemade bread, mushroom soup, cabbage rolls, chili and macaroni and cheese. Apple season is also not far around the corner, with memories of picking apples and the smell of apple cake filling the house.

I can't believe tomorrow is September. Where does the time go?

The Wooden Hen

2009-08-30T10:17:00.000-07:00

While I was on vacation in PA, my aunt and I visited the Shaker Woods Festival in Columbiana OH. One of the premises of why we choose to go to PA at this time in August was just so I could visit Shaker Woods.

Shaker Woods is just that...it is an area of trees in the middle of about 10 acres in OH. Inside this grove of trees is a small village of craftspeople, who make things by hand and then sell them on certain weekends in August. There are blacksmiths, furniture makers, glass blowers among them. One of my favorite proprieters though is the Wooden Hen. These are handcrafted wooden pieces made by a couple located in OH.

Last summer I was unable to go to Shaker Woods. We didn't not time our vacation correctly in order for me to go. Instead, my aunts purchased an Americana Angel for me. Well, it was love at first sight. I just love this stuff. Thus, much better planning was made this year.

Everything I purchased at Shaker Woods was from Brian and Marina, the owners of the Wooden Hen. Not that I didn't walk around and look at the other wares, I am just totally in love with their stuff. Just can't explain it. I love antiques and primitive crafts, so these fit right into my decor. My favorite purchase has to be Uncle Sam. He is about 6 feet long and is holding a firecracker. Fortunately, we have very high ceilings in our house, and I have a great spot picked to hang him. I also got an angel who is almost six feet long to take his space in the winter and spring months. I couldn't pass up the witch either. I figure she is going to look awesome on the front door. Oh, and I can't forget the pumpkin that will stand alone. How cool is he? I understand that she also has flying Santas, and I am scheming about having my aunts get me one of those when they go to the Shaker Woods Christmas Festival.

Now my feet won't touch the ground...

2009-08-27T15:30:00.000-07:00

The DH and I have had a busy August. Work, vacation (more on that in a later post), and of course, what I consider to be the highlight of August....the Coldplay concert in Raleigh on 8/6.

My husband has been a fan of Coldplay for a long time. Thus, when tickets went on sale for this concert in FEBRUARY, we immediately purchased them. It couldn't have been better timing, as it was the night before we started a 10 day vacation. We tailgated before the concert with two friends of ours, enjoying a refreshing alcoholic beverage or two before heading into the show.

Let me just say that I have never sang so much in my life! The concert was AWESOME! Much better than I expected. Yellow was awesome, with the pavilion dark until that beginning chord was hit, lights on and yellow balloons all over the place. What really rocked was when they came out and played in the crowd. If we would have had any idea, we would have sat much closer to that area. Will singing Death Will Never Conquer with Chris on the harmonica was really cool. It really is hard to pick out just one song, but Vive La Vida was probably my favorite.

The total concert lasted about two hours, which is more than you get from some bands. We also got a free CD as we left the concert. Want to download it? Click here, and it is at the top of their homepage.

Now to get psyched up for U2. Only 38 days....

I Moved!

2009-08-24T15:51:00.000-07:00

I decided to make a little jump with the ol' blog. The lease was up with wordpress, and after much discussion with other users, I decided Blogger was better for me. Look for many different and exciting posts to come!