Walking With Nora

In no particular order, my must-haves (or must-dos) for the last 30 days:

* Ignore life at least one day a week. I’m talking a poolside chaise lounge, Beach Boys on the stereo, ice cold drinks, strong SPF, books, trashy magazines, and relaxation. Leave the phone inside, stash the computer, and just breathe in the smells of summer.

* Reconnect with friends. It’s probably due to the weather, but the social scene heats up for me big time during the summer months. Between phone calls, happy hours, dinners, breakfasts, parties and etc, now through Labor Day will be a blur of swapping stories with friends, catching up over Mexican and enjoying every second of it.

* My bed. With the way I run myself ragged during the day, it’s a pure joy to be able to slip into a comfortable bed each night. Bonus points for hugging the pillow and extra hour or two on the weekend.

* Rescue Me. If you haven’t watched it yet, do it. I promise boys and girls alike will love this show. The writing is amazing, the cast does a stellar job every single show and the plot twists keep you guessing each week. Season Six premiered last night and in true Leary form it was intense.

* Nintendo Wii Games. I think I’m slowly but surely becoming an addict. I recently started playing Super Mario Galaxy 2 and I love it mostly because it’s a game I can easily play.  

* Biodegradable doggie waste bags. I bought a mini clip-on waste bag carrier to take on my walks with Jack thus ensuring I never run over bags. Sounds totally silly but I love that they are eco-friendly and from a local company: two birds, one stone.

* Ann Taylor Loft. How I ever lived without this store, I’ll never know. 100% of my clothing fund goes straight into their pockets. Bless them for their cute dresses, summery tops, need-to-have jewelry and a staff that is so kind every single time, there’s no shopping experience that rivals it for me.

* Purusing the housing options in StL. I can’t wait to really start looking at condos in the next few months. The fact that I could have a house that is mine, all mine, to paint, to decorate, to do as I please? Makes me giddy with excitement.

* Eminem. His bad boy charms still appeal to me, even to this day. Oh, and Charlie Bewley from Twilight. Just. Plain. YUM.

What were your must-haves/must-do’s for the last 30 days?

First of all, thanks to everyone who entered the Nintendo Points Card Giveaway! There were a total of 33 valid entries and thanks to random.org, number 16 was the winner which happens to be the lovely Erin. While we are on the Nintendo subject, a big shoutout and thanks to Rebekah for putting together this little video from the party in which you will see me and KH furiously boxing, Liz bowling, the famed Heracles Chariot Racing, as well as the other party goers and witness some of Rebekah’s awesome video-editing skills.

If you’re jonesing for another giveaway, be sure to check out last Friday’s post for the chance to win “Swimming,” a novel I recently read for one of my book clubs.

And now, for Nora’s Mish Mash:

* I do not have a green thumb. I was recently gifted some beautiful parade roses and I think I killed them. Or at least it looks I tried to kill them. Fortunately Darling is better at gardening than I, so she’s helping me nurse them back to health. I hope it works because they are beautiful!

* From Barnes & Noble to the Library. It’s no secret I’m a book addict but now it’s even worse since I can check books out of the library for FREE at any time, renew them online at any time and etc. I wrote about my library obsession last week so I won’t bore you with it again, but you would think I’d take out one, maybe two books out at a time but it’s not the case. I went Saturday afternoon and walked out with four books, once of which is a 1,000 page book. No way I’ll be able to finish it in the two week allotted period.

* Billionaire & Sookie Stackhouse love. I’m probably late to both of these things, but I’m kind of decided that Travie McCoy’s “Billionaire” is going to be my summer song (sorry, Katie Perry, I hear you’re up for best summer song with California Gurls but I don’t dig it).

And Snopp Dogg’s tribute to Sookie Stackhouse? I was dying from laughter and even made my parents watch/listen to it:

* Fireworks! I have a three-day weekend, possibly four-day weekend coming up and I literally can’t wait. Ignoring the fact that part of the weekend will be spent working on a finance midterm, my brother is coming into town which means the nose piercing just might finally happen (he’s my courage for these kinds of things), I’ll be poolside, reading, getting ready for my trip to DC and just mellowing out as much as possible.

So, tell me, am I the only one who kills plants and is in love with poptrashy music?

I recently finished “Swimming,” by Nicola Keegan for one of the book clubs I’m a part of. At first, I admit, I had no idea where this book was going. It seemed depressing, random and a bit scatterbrained but after about 75 pages, I started rooting for the main character, Mena or Pip as her teammates call her. I guess what they say is true: give a book 100 pages before you judge it.

This story is about a young woman who finds solace through swimming, pushing herself day in and day out, searching for a way out of her family situation which was incredibly difficult. Through her tenacity she becomes an Olympic swimmer. This entire book is her story as she struggles with loss, addiction to sugar, lack of friends and awkwardness around men, daily workouts and training regimes for swimmers, pride and glory and much more. I can’t relate to Mena very well but the author did a good job of making me feel the way Mena must have felt throughout most of this book, which to me is indicative of a good story teller (whether or not you like the story).

If you’re looking for a new book to read, a change of pace, a different style of writing, then you’re in luck because I’m giving away my copy of this book!

Rules for Entering:

* You must love books and reading.
* You can live anywhere; (this means you my fabulous friends in foreign countries! I’ll figure out a way to get it to you!)
* Entries must be received by Thursday, July 1st at midnight.

How to Enter:

* For one entry, leave a comment telling me about the best book you’ve ever read over the summer.
* For a second entry, blog about this giveaway. Be sure to come back and leave the link to your blog in a separate entry.

A most random list of things that I can’t quite comprehend this week…

* Why my professor decided that group work in an online setting would be a good idea. My “groupmates” are spread out across time zones and cities, rarely check the discussion board and I’m thus far I’m left doing most of the work.

* Is it really necessary to send an email to me, then call to confirm that I’ve received it?

* This whole BP oil spill thing. We have some of the most talented minds in the world residing within our nation’s borders and we can’t figure out how to effectively cap this thing (without losing more lives)?

* Why we can’t have three months of summer even once we’ve graduated college.

* Calories. I’m counting calories again (it helps keep me accountable) and even eating the healthiest of foods they rack up in a blink of an eye. At least I know I’m getting a lot of my fiber, protein and vitamins through what I’m eating but it’s still kind of sad.

* People who still text while driving. And who put their make-up on while driving. Or read the paper while driving. I’ve seen all these things in the last few weeks. Makes me stabby.

* Waking up with a start at 3am for no apparent reason.

* The never-ending pile of laundry that seems to take over my room these days.

Anything going on in your world that “doesn’t compute” for you?

It seems like just the other day that I was in school with three month long summer vacations full of lazy afternoons, sleepovers, silly phone calls to boys, popsicles and of course books. An endless supply of books.

I took the suggested summer reading list very seriously, stockpiling as many books from the library as they would allow me. Late fees didn’t exist in my world then because I’d read by the pool, while eating breakfast, in the car, sometimes finishing a book inside a 24-hour period. I guess I was a bit of a dork back then…
 

A few weeks ago when I went to the library (in an attempt to study at a place other than Barnes & Noble so at least I wouldn’t be tempted to buy more books, only borrow them), I discovered that they are hosting a reading challenge for adults.

All we have to do is read 10 books or 50 hours from May 25th to August 14th, track our progress, and turn in the sheet. All sorts of prizes are up for grabs at each branch including Starbucks and Panera gift cards, tickets to Cardinal games, Nordstrom gift certificates and more. Although my reading is limited I’ve managed to get in four books already and have the next six stacked neatly next my bedside. This challenge has helped me to rediscover the library (DVDs to rent for free? Audio Books?  A special “teen only” section with video games and computers? When did the library get to be so cool!? And let’s not forget the self-checkout machines that seem to magically read which books you’ve placed on top of it) and has forced me to slow down a bit more during these hot summer days.

(Would love it if I had a reading room like the one above some day)

Are you a library fan? Any fun “summer reads” you recommend I add to my ever-growing list of books?

This past Saturday I was fortunate enough to host a Netflix/Nintendo Wii Party thanks to Justine and Brand About Town.

Eight of my closest friends came over for the afternoon to nosh on some amazing wraps, cheese and pink lemonade from Jason’s Deli while we watched Monsters Inc. (I’m on a bit of a Disney kick lately), gabbed about our weeks, and took a look at the other movies available via the Netflix Streaming capability on the Wii.

After we substantially stuffed ourselves, I brought snacks into the room (some of the best popcorn we’ve ever had, M&Ms, Twizzlers, Junior Mints and other fun candy) so that we could settle in for a good old-fashioned game session. I got so into watching people play and playing myself that I forgot to take a lot of pictures and video, so you’ll have to make do with the few that were snapped.

Thanks to my Nintendo Points Card, I downloaded a few party games via the Wii Channel before my guests arrived. We played TV Show King 2 for several rounds and then Chariots of Heracles which is a classic racing game except you’re in chariots and can be fun characters like Medusa, Hearcles, Beesy and other period-characters. Whether it’s a battle or a championship race, this game is hilarious and so much fun.  After we’d all had a turn and laughed ourselves to sore stomachs, we went with the Wii Classic: Wii Sports since a few of my guests had yet to experience Wii Bowling and Wii Boxing. More hilarity ensued as we tried different spins on the bowling ball, managed to knock each other out at the *same time* on boxing, and getting into tennis with full arm swings.

Each of my guests received, thanks to Brand About Town, a 2,000 Nintendo Points Card which is good for both the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DSi so that they can download games of their own to their systems when they get home.

Pictured from Left to Right: Rebekah, Christy, me, KH, Liz, Jen.
Not Pictured: Darling (who took this picture), RW (who had to leave early) and two  of my other friends who work retail and got called into work.

Thanks to all my friends, Netflix, Nintendo and Brand About Town for making this party a success!

And now, for the giveaway…

I have one Nintendo Points Card worth 2,000 points for one lucky reader allowing you to download anywhere from two to three games (maybe even four if you’re a point miser!) for your Nintendo Wii or DSi through the Wii/DSi Shop Channel. Don’t have a Nintendo system? Makes a great present for friends and kids who have one.

How To enter (earn up to three entries!)

First Entry: leave me a comment letting me know what your favorite video game of all time is.

Second Entry: blog about this giveaway (remember to leave a comment on this post with the link to your blog).

Third Entry: Mention this giveaway on Twitter (remember to leave a comment with the link to your tweet. Please reference #nintendoenthused when tweeting!)

Contest open until June 25th at midnight CDT. Contest open only to residents of USA and Canada; winner will be posted on Monday June 28th and notified via email.

FTC Disclosure:
With the exception of the Netflix subscription, all food, drink, Nintendo Points Cards and a Flip Video Camera were supplied to me by Brand About Town. The opinions in this blog, however, are my own; I was not paid or otherwise compensated to provide a reveiw of the products or party.

… is for:

Watching Sunsets.  Wishing for a palm tree and pina colada. Impromptu late night chats on the patio. Dining al fresco. Sidewalk chalk.  Blowing bubbles.

Lazy walks with the dog. Flip-flops and maincured toes. Sunscreen and shades. Mainpulating a few extra days vacation out of your boss. Getting to the ocean.

Visiting the penguins at the zoo. Rediscovering your city.  Street fairs and farmer’s markets. Concerts and baseball games.

 Float trips. Standing in the rain during a thunderstorm. Afternoon naps. Planning an old-fashioned sleepover.  Ice cream cones.

Splashing in the pool. Loud music, windows down, wind in your hair. Flowy dresses. Renewed hope.

What are your summers for?

I’m feeling a bit lazy today thanks to sitting in traffic for two hours post Dave Matthews Band concert (You’re lucky I love you, Dave, because that was seriously annoying!) so you get bullet points on the most random tidbits from my life…

* I CAN RUN. Yes, that’s right. I’m allowed to start running again as per my physical therapist. My range of motion has greatly improved, my muscles that support my knee are in nearly tip-top shape, and I’ve mastered the technique and awareness that the PT was looking for. I have to restrict my runs to the track/treadmill for now (no concrete for a few more months) but I’ll take what I can get. I plan to go get my first run in this week. I’m not expecting it to be awesome since it’s been so long but I can’t wait. Should be able to run a 5k later this year if all goes well!

* Finance Whiz. Okay, well maybe I’m not a finance whiz but this is my second semester in the trenches that is the world of finance. (To my readers who live in the finance world: I salute you. Seriously.) I think I’ve finally figured out how the book asks questions, I’ve nailed down some great online tutorials who show me how to do the problems step-by-step and I’m learning the concepts. I’m not ever going to take a finance class again but it’s a start. I also am a firm beliver in the fact that graduate school is 90% learning how to study and find resources to help you and 10% what you actually learn. (Also a huge THANK YOU to Lisa and OG for the encouragement and willingness to help point me in the right direction from time to time!)

* Rain, rain, rain. Seriously, Mother Nature. I know we have done you wrong a lot but wow, this rain? It’s intense. A river has literally formed in my parents backyard which while annoying is also kind of cool because we get a lot of deer, ducks (well, we did until my neighbor decided to be rude and put up attack duck wire. I hope they just left and didn’t get caught/tangled) and bunnies along the edge of the “river.”

* Time IS relative. Einstein was right (of course). Time is going so quickly these days. I don’t know if it’s the long work days or the busy weekends or what but I feel like this entire year is just zooming by. I need it to slow down because at this rate summer will be over before I’ve had even one pool day and that’s just not okay.

* Audio Books Rock. I’ve not listened to one since I was in college when I borrowed the Devil Wears Prada from the lady I nannied (that’s probaby not a word but oh well) and I didn’t like it. As part of the book challenge my library has this summer I thought I’d give it a try and wow, I’m in love. It makes the commute to work so much better. I actually look forward to getting in my car at the buttcrack of dawn. I’m going back for another one tonight.

* 30 before 30. I don’t have an official 30 before 30 list… yet. I know have a few years yet before the 30 but some of the items I want to accomplish are kind of huge in terms of time and resources (trip to Italy, for example). After the DMB concert last night I’ve decided that I must see him perform at The Gorge before I’m 30. He’s not touring next year so it will have to be 2012. Anyone else in?

(Also, a huge thank you to everyone who commented on yesterday’s post. I was floored by the lovely responses I got, the shared points of view, the understanding and more. This community continues to rock my world on a regular basis!)

(This post was written earlier this year during the prime recovery of the break-up.While I’m healed from the transformation from duo to uno, making new friendships still proves to be tough which is why I chose to share this. I’ve learned much over the last few months and hope that by sharing this that perhaps someone else out there will have solace and know they aren’t alone in navigating the waters of Single Girldom .)

It starts when you say you’re single. They listen to the story of the break-up, taking your cues and either cursing him or saying he’ll rue the day he left you. They hand you tissues, offer ice cream and drunken nights on the town, offer up a rolodex of men they know who are single and are dying to meet you. It’s too early, so you say no. In retrospect you should have said yes to the nights on the town.

You need time. Time to heal. To get back on your feet. To jump back into your life. The new single life. One that is suddenly void of double dates on weekends, dinner parties, game nights, sporting events and any other coupled event. At first you keep a distance from couples because the love and the schmoopiness and the cuddling is tough to see. After awhile though? It seems that you’re no longer part of the group because you’re not a couple. Where do you put a single gal at a dinner party? Suddenly there’s a huge divide between the two of you, making it harder for you to attend the party full of couples. You’re honest with your friends but honesty only seems to make the divide grow.

Girls nights are tough to arrange because weekends are sacred which of course you recall from your days as a duo but still, there’s an aching desire to go dancing, twirl around while sipping on some ridiculously strong alcoholic drink, to laugh into the wee hours of the night, discuss fond memories, and just be girls. Saturday night rolls around and the night looms over you, hours slowly ticking away.  You feel a little bit lost, miss the camaraderie of days past. You’re alone in a sea of marrieds.*

You find that a few of your friends are single and you cling to each other like a life jacket during a hurricane. It’s hard when you receive invites to weddings despite the joy you have for your friends (you thought that it would be you sometime in the next year or two). It’s difficult when people ask you why you aren’t dating (evidently being single is a bit of a crime but after awhile, you kind of love being single. It can be incredibly fabulous and freeing.)

Over time you’ve learned to carve out a new life for yourself. Be thankful for the time that you have with your friends, married or single. You navigate the new unchartered waters; you’ve never before been single when your best friends have been married or near married. You tackle it as a challenge, determined not to let the friendships die. You care too much for these ladies who have been a part of your life for so long; you’ve stood by them through thick and thin and will continue to do so. Your true friends will always be there whether it’s been one week or one year since you’ve last spoken.  

As these friendships evolve, you take solace in the fact that someday it will be your turn. And that if it’s not the case for you have plenty of back-up plans (travel the world, adopt children, volunteer for many organizations, be the best Faux Aunt possible to all your friends’ children and the best Dog Mamma you can possibly be.)

Editor’s Update: I am by no means trying to say that only single people have hardships in their circle of friends or that I believe married people have an easier time of it than I do; this is merely my experience. I’m sure I’m partially to blame for the difficulties I face in this area of my life and I’m working to improve it. I have also been the girl in a relationship when everyone else is single so I do understand at least partially the loneliness that has been mentioned in the comments thus far.

* Though it may not seem so, I’m incredibly happy for all of my friends who are married and have found their happy ending. They are all more than deserving and I wish them nothing but the best, am thankful to have been in many of their weddings and to call them all friends. This post is not about jealousy  or envy but an honest look at how my friendship world has changed over time.

As I mentioned yesterday, I joined forces with thousands of other St. Louisians, Missourians and Illinois-ians to raise money for breast cancer. Here’s a few of my favorite moments from the walk this past weekend…

Favorite Team Name of the day: Hakuna MaTATAS. (Seriously clever.)

Biggest Tear Inducing Moment of the day: Happening upon this couple for a good portion of the walk. They held hands the entire walk, kissing each other from time to time, and enjoying each other’s company. (His shirt says “In Celebration of Mary, 5 Years!” and Hers says “In Celebration of ME! Cancer free for Five Years June 1st 2010.”)

Favorite Moment of Feeling United: Looking ahead of us and seeing this crowd, feeling like a part of something that matters, something bigger, something that could help save lives. We all pushed our differences aside to join for a common goal: That’s the power of the human spirit.

Favorite Photo pre-walk, minus the squinty eyes (I think I’ll be wearing my sunglasses outside at all times this summer):

I walked for my Great Aunt. I walked for the time I found a lump a year ago; though it was nothing the terror that ran through my body and my mind will never escape me. I walked for women all across the world, those with insurance and without. I walked for the commonality of women, the bond that we all inexplicably share. I walked for you. I walked for me. I walked for women (and men) everywhere.

Do you have a charity of choice that sponsors a walk/run or other type of event?