House Party, Number Munchers & My Inner Hippie

Posted on March 11, 2010 by Nora

I want to blog. No, really, I do! About…

… me giggling and giggling when I told my dad a story about my college days involving me, a house party, my date who had a tongue ring, the cops, hiding in a bathroom and discovering that everyone, including our ride, quickly fled the scene.

… how I won’t ever be able to look at a breakfast burrito the same way again courtesy of the Motley Crue antics explained in “The Dirt.” (Fortunately I never really liked breakfast burritos.)

… almost getting up early this morning to go run four miles before work, at the ungodly hour of 5:30 am but then decided sleep and puppy cuddles were more important. I also realized that would be a boring blog post.

… the fact that I’m actually quite terrified of my classes, which start tomorrow, because, well, the last time numbers and I got along we were in elementary school playing “Number Munchers,” on the computer. (I’m taking finance & management econ. I think econ and I will get along alright.)

… how much I’d love to go running from my office building directly to a beach or a pool. The 72 degree weather we are experiencing is literally making me antsy for the real thing.

…. the fact that I got my best night of sleep in a long time last night simply because it was raining. Best. Sleeping. Weather. Ever.

…. my ongoing fascination and surprises I have as a result of being in this community. The emails and comments I received on my last post about the “something missing” made me realize that I’m not alone and for that I thank you. I also thank you for the encouragement on school & my running.

… craving a new look and style for myself. Maybe it should start with my hair. Or maybe I should finally start dressing like my inner hippie. Or inner Connecticut preppy self. If only I had the amazing fashionistas I idolize closer to help me!

… baby fever. I have it.

but alas, life has other plans for me. I’m in corporate mayhem, pleasing customers, taking deep breaths and sadly ignoring my corner of the interwebs.

If you had more time today, what would you blog about?

Tidbit Tuesday

Posted on March 9, 2010 by Nora

* I spent the weekend visiting my brother at school, traipsing around campus, stocking up on college gear, finding new restaurants and cafes that I wish I had existed when I was there, having drinks with my brothers friends (a few whom I used to baby sit!), laughing, talking, sharing, confiding, bonding. My brother is an excellent host: he made me brunch after my long run on Saturday, bought me a few rounds of drinks on Saturday night, and always introduced me by saying “this is my sister, she used to go here.” For some reason that just made me super happy. When it was time to leave on Sunday I held in the tears until I was 30 miles away. I’m fortunate that we’ve grown so close over the last few years but it makes it *that* much harder to leave him each time. I’m turning into quite the softy in my rip old age of 26.

* Last week was the first “official,” training week for the 10 mile race I’ve got coming up in May. I logged 17 miles for the week in just four runs; I have to say that I’m glad I started increasing my base miles in January and February because the 5 miler (first long run) on Saturday really wasn’t so bad and I really think I could have kept going. The idea of a fresh made brunch courtesy of my brother was reason enough to stop. I’m thrilled with my running shoes (Ariel from Brooks), love my various running playlists, and the high I get from running makes me feel invincible. I know I have a long way to go but I feel good about it so far.

* School. As I mentioned last week I have only four little classes left to finish my MBA. Two of them start this Friday. They are both (thankfully) online classes so I don’t have to endure four hour classes after a nine hour work day but that does also mean they are a bit more intense. I’m up for the challenge, have the books ready to go and only need to purchase my favorite notebooks because, well, I’m that girl who takes notes even if she’s not going to a lecture. I’m so ready for school to be done and a thing of the past because as much as I like learning, I like my freedom a little bit more.

* Lately I feel like something is missing, like a piece of me perhaps, which is odd because everything is on the up & up. I’m doing things I want to do. I’m reconnecting with old friends and trying to make new ones. I’m running, reading, baking, socializing, writing. But every other week or so I feel lonely and a little bit lost. I know I don’t need a man to make me whole and yet I miss having a special someone in my life. Someone to rely on. Someone to hug me after a rough day. Someone who will be coming home to me (and I to him) every day, day after day, after day. Someone who is always on Team Nora. Someone to share this amazing journey with. I know I’m young and have plenty of time but that doesn’t change what the heart wants and the soul craves. All I can do is keep on this path I’ve created for myself and hope that someday my path will intersect with someone else who’s ready for the journey of a lifetime.

* I seem to have lost my reading mojo the last few weeks. I’m reading two books that I really enjoy but by the time I have a chance to read them (the whole reading during lunch thing I mentioned a week or two ago hasn’t been happening thanks to a crazy work schedule) I’m usually asleep after a few paragraphs. This weekend is so far relatively low-key so I hope the weather continues to be gorgeous so I can take Jack for a walk, sit outside and read the fabulousness that is “The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rockband… Motley Crue.” I think I just need a few hours to really get involved in a book again and I’ll be back.

Lastly, I confess I marked “all as read,” in my reader the other day. I tried to read at least one post from each of the blogs I subscribe to so that I’d feel a bit caught up so if I missed anything big, no matter what it is, let me know. Now, fill me in on a few of your tidbits from the last few days!

Weekend Recommendation

Posted on March 5, 2010 by Nora

My fingers are itching to blog, to pound out stories laced with imagery and interesting analogies, to read and feel connected to my fellow bloglings but alas, life happened this week. Nothing bad. Nothing good. Just happened. Some weeks are like that. I stumbled across this today when looking for a “moment of zen” photograph to share, but this seems more suitable after a long week:

{via}

Go. Live. Be.

Love/Hate: Chocolate, Spring and Overachieving

Posted on March 3, 2010 by Nora

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted some of my Love/Hate Relationships I’ve got swirling around in my head…
(See previous Love/Hates here, here, here and here)

Love: That I’m likely five months away from finally finishing my Masters.
Hate: That suddenly it’s all I can think about and anxiety creeps into my brain, my stomach, my heart so quickly. I have to remind myself it’s just school and I don’t have to score perfectly on all exams and quizzes.

Love: That it’s so sunny outside this week.
Hate: That it’s not very spring like… yet.

Love: Daylight Savings is coming up! More time after work to run outside and feel productive.
Hate: Losing an hour of sleep. Seriously, it takes me a week to adjust.

Love: Having about 10 different ideas for blog posts.
Hate: Not really having the time to sit down and write them.

Love: Pandora during the work day. Best invention ever especially since I can’t use my MP3 player & headphones during the day.
Hate: That I get only 40 hours a month; that’s one work week! I’m learning to limit my usage so that it’s only one during super tedious projects when I really need the extra oomph.

Love: Getting involved with local charities and donation drives. My favorite one right now is a drive that collects shoes and turns the proceeds from the shoes into water pumps & filtration systems to provide clean water to Haiti.
Hate: That it never feels like enough.

Love: With Easter coming up, my favorite candy ever is in the stores: Cadbury Milk Chocolate Mini Eggs.
Hate: I can’t resist popping a handful into my mouth if they are in the house. However, I feel the need to stock up on them because in about a month, I won’t see them again until Christmas. It’s a slippery slope.

Slice of Life

Posted on March 1, 2010 by Nora

I had planned on one of those well-deserved relaxing Sunday evenings after a full weekend which was filled with friends, errands, checking things off the to-do list, lots of laughs, running, baking amazing cupcakes, real conversations, nerves over the earthquakes and tsunami warnings, but overall, positivity.

The Sunday evening would have been full of blog writing (which I hope to get to this evening) and reading, watching Boston Legal, putting my feet up and enjoying the weekend’s accomplishments.

Alas, life has other plans for you when you make your own.

Like, say, a flooded basement at your parents house which quickly throws everyone into crisis mode, making phone calls, assessing damage (thankfully the actual stuff that was seriously damaged was limited to one room; the carpet did not fare so well and there’s a good chance that part of the walls will have to be removed and treated to prevent any mold growth), staying calm and pulling together. I passed out cupcakes to the servicemen who came out on a cold Sunday night, helped with dinner, handled the dogs, and got us blankets when the lack of heat (we had to turn off the furnace for safety reasons) started to chill us to the bone, offered whatever I could to my parents feeling suddenly like a helpless five year old.

We wandered from room to room while the water restoration people did their thing: tear up carpet, rid of carpet, disinfect, repeat. Instead of doing the 1,000 things we had planned on doing last night, we were all shell-shocked, saddened and a bit frustrated. (Really, a tree root in the sewer line? Really?) At the same time, we know we are incredibly fortunate: blessed that it wasn’t worse especially during many international crises, to have amazing homeowner’s insurance, to have each other, neighbors who check in on us to see if they can help.

I feel a little disoriented, sleep-deprived, guilty (for what I don’t know) but all we can do is forge onward, be thankful for what we have, give what we can to those less fortunate than us, and move forward, to the next adventure, to the next slice of life.