let there be light

Doug has been working putting up the drywall in the bathroom, and this last weekend he installed our new light fixture.

I really liked these clear seeded glass shades, except you could see some 3-4 inches of the lighting element, so I didn't really like that look

so we took those back to Lowes and got different shades, let there be different light!

(apparently I have different wattage bulbs in there)

I'm almost done with the repainting of the bathroom cabinets and we got a new top for our vanity. I had planned on saving the old one, but when we put it on the newly painted white vanity, the top looked really off-white, creamy colored and it had some dings that were bugging me anyway. So we found a new top at Menards.

The next step is the mudding and sanding of the drywall, we are planning to follow this YHL blog post, but let me just say I am not looking forward to it!

Other things around here, Doug and I went with some friends to the dream cruise this weekend, it was a HOT day! But we had fun with friends.

I have a sunflower bloom at last!

So tall! (our fence is about 6 ft and it is still taller than that) It actually looks a little droopy now though, hang in there sunflower!

I picked this cucumber, I had been waiting weeks to see if it would get bigger. Then I cut it up for Doug and I and it was so disgusting, I think those weeks I waited for it to get bigger it was just slowly rotting inside. It tasted sour and rancid, EW!

It finally is growing some more little friends, so this time I will pick them asap.

I had some time to relax in the hammock this weekend with this fancy chocolate Liz got me for my birthday. I finished my book club book, The Historian. It was good in the way that I did want to read and see what would happen, but when I was done I wasn't super happy that I'd invested all that time reading a 600+ page meh book. Not worth it.

Also for my birthday I got a new Jillian kickbox DVD and I did it this morning. Mixed feelings... I liked the music, I liked that Jillian wasn't super annoying and yelling as she is in her other videos, I liked that this time a "20 minute workout" was actually 20 minutes instead of 5 mins warm up, 20 mins workout, 3 min cool down. Plus one of her other dvds makes you watch this unskippable intro EVERYTIME. So that was good. I didn't love that it was only 20 minutes. I am a half hour exercise kinda girl. So I did 2 out of the 3 workouts together. I also didn't like that there are 8 some extra girls in the background. All I need is Jillian, and a beginner modifier girl and advanced modifier girl. I don't need all these extra back ups who are sometimes doing things wrong and just yelling and shouting unnecessarily. The last thing I didn't like about this dvd is that she doesn't switch legs at all! She does 2 sets of exercises so it seems like set 1 should be right leg, set 2 left. But she does both sets on the same leg. I hate that. Overall, the workout seemed pretty decent, seriously, how hot does she keep that room that those poor girls are dripping in sweat?! But I did feel a good hammy burn after all the kicks, and it was ok cardio.

(found those ratings online)

around the house

I am feeling very Susie Homemaker, I made my own laundry washing powder. Some blog recipes call for 3 ingredients, but I followed this blog post. I'm not sure what my motivation was. This gal says the cost gets down to $0.04 a load, but she is comparing to Tide. I love the smell of Tide, but it is very expensive so I've used cheaper stuff for years now. Anyway, it is free of a lot of the dyes and chemical stuff, so that's probably good.

all the ingredients

the soap was jamming up my blend tec so I had to hand grate, that was the hardest part!

And then I mixed it all with my rubber gloves in a trash bag lined bucket and then I was done

And I just use the scoop that was in the oxi-clean. It doesn't suds, at all, but the clothes seem to be coming out clean and fresh smelling. So that's good. I'm going to try those plastic dryer balls next as soon as my box of dryer sheets runs out. We don't have any skin issues or allergies, but less chemicals can't be a bad thing!

my sunflower has grown! Maybe not the best pic for an illustration, but I'm standing pointing up and it was still taller than my fingers! I remember planting it and seeing it would grow 10-12 feet and not believing it. But no lie!

Doug and Dad put up 2 walls of the shower liner, and then we did the last wall:

Doug pretends to shave his pits with the tile edger for some reason...

putting up a couple quarts of adhesive

looking good, hang in there tape!

new shower head

This bathroom, oh my gosh, so many things going wrong. Little annoying things. Doug said he and Dad spent 5 hours just figuring out a leak problem. The pipe sticking out of the wall doesn't stick out far enough to attach to our new faucet thing. Now there is the old caulk all around the rim of the tub that needs to be scraped off and it's been glued on there for like 20 years. He's off at Lowes buying razor blades right now. The next step (for the tub) is caulking it. Hopefully that will go ok. We still have to finish hanging the drywall, tile and grout the floor, install the new toilet, mud & sand the drywall, then paint, build an "addition" onto the upper cabinet, paint both cabinets, switch out the sink faucet, get a new light fixture, paint the walls, install the hardware, put up new trim, and find a less cheap looking door on CraigsList. How can people do this in those 3 day makeover shows!?!

Anyway.

The other home thing I'm happy about is we can finally use the treadmill we bought in June! We got a Nordic Track incline hiker in June, new on ebay, and it gets here and there was a clanking. After several phone calls we find out it's a common issue and there is a kit you can get to fix it and have a technician install. So we're talking to the ebay guy who ordered the part for us, and reimbursed us for the technician. But it was back ordered forever, and we're wondering if the ebay guy was lying, and anyway, finally it got here, and the technician came yesterday. The lady I used to babysit for had one and I always liked it and wanted one. But you can't even buy that old school model anymore, this one has all these bells and whistles, but then right out of the box was broken!? We were pretty disappointed in Nordic Track. The tech also told me I was going to have to buy some lube kit and do that every couple months and to expect to replace the belt in 2 years. The gift that keeps on giving! I was surprised, but maybe the lady I babysat for was doing all this stuff too and I just never knew. Anyway, I'm hoping that we will have no further problems and it will be worth the investment.

the lube part was easy

one thing I also liked about her treadmill was it was just so easy to use and user friendly. This thing has a built in computer screen (read= more to go wrong), and the worst part is that Jillian Micheals is the spokesperson now so I have to hear her voice everytime I go on there. I just wished I could have bought a new- old model! I don't like when people "improve" and then it's worse than before. But alas, that wasn't an option, so this one will have to do!

fish soup and Krav Maga

I may be just about done with one of my blog girl's recipes. The pictures are always amazing and so convincing, but then the product, meh. I saw this apparently irresistable bowl of soup and wanted to make it so bad that I bought these:

I have a hate relationship with fish in a can (well, besides tuna) after I bought a can of salmon and inside I saw an entire vertebrae. And when I went to pick it out, it went ppfftt between my fingers and disintegrated. SOOO disgusting. I could see the anchovies in the jar and it looked like they were de-spined, so I bought a can. Anyway, when I opened it up, I could see something that looked like little white hairs, and they were teeny rib bones. Added calcium apparently.

Finest quality, really?

By then the other stuff was already cooking in the pan so I forged ahead. But it was not a good experience, they smelled like cat food, and there were bits of scales and grey skin. Ew.

Anyway, my soup didn't ever get as thick as hers, and I was afraid to try it, so trusty guinea pigs Doug and Jill tried it. It pretty much tasted just like bean soup, but a bit of a fishy taste every other bite. Will not be making again. I just don't know if I should give up on this blog girl or not, this is like the 6th time of trying something that always asks for exotic ingredients of some sort, and then to have it not be mind-blowing, is frustrating. And of course when I went on there again today to get the soup link, I see something else that reels me in. So maybe one more try!

After dinner Doug and I went to our first Krav Maga class. I got him a groupon for Christmas, and then bought one for myself too thinking it'd be something fun we could do together. We get there and next thing I know I'm doing a "warm up" of minute after minute of high knees and burpees. I was really wishing I hadn't already exercised for the day! I guess it's not really going to be something we do together though, Doug said he doesn't really want to be punching and attacking me, haha. So next we paired off and got into some grappling. Which is apparently a person you just met 5 minutes ago pretends they're going to rape and choke you, and is straddled over you while you lay helplessly on your back. Then you wrap your legs around their body and thrust up your hips to get them off your neck, and bar their arms, twist your legs around till their head is like right by your butt, and then you break their elbow joint. "It was nice to meet you!" Very awkward, but pretty cool too, it actually works. Another very awkward part is when your back makes a fart noise on the ground and you have to explain it to your partner- not like I would know or anything- like it wasn't already uncomfortable enough with all the straddling!

So Doug was off practicing with some guy and he told me on the way home that the guy was asking him who he came with, and he says 'my girlfriend' and points me out, and he said the guy was like 'good job'. So we were joking around about that response, and then he made some joke about pointing me out to the guy, 'my girlfriend's the one over there... farting with her back'. Lol, he's so funny. But it was pretty cool and I'm excited for our next class!

Run

So I either need to get stronger glasses or not run at dusk... (or maybe both)... I went running yesterday evening and as I was getting to this part on the trail I could see up ahead what appeared to be 2 hoodlums standing by the edge of the trail and I started to get nervous and wished for my mace. Anyway, as I get closer I see it's just 2 posts. Lol. Heart rate back to normal. What a close one!, jk, but you never know, it could have been 2 tall skinny hoodlums!

note to self

delicious lentil soup made by my friend Rachel

+

delicious flamin' hot cheetos I was unable to resist at the grocery store today

+

going for a run shortly after

=

having a really hard run and feeling nauseous.

lesson learned!

Plus maybe I need to start wearing a visor or something, half an hour outside and my freckles are multiplying already! :(

Today is a big 'catch up' day. This weekend I had clinical on Friday night, spent most of Saturday helping my friends with a landscape project and hanging out with them, and Sunday all I did was go to church, watch Les Mis with Jill and try to read about respiratory diseases. But during reading one chapter I ended up taking 2(!) naps and then decided to go read The Hunger Games for the fourth time instead of my homework. So now I have to buckle down! Only 2 weeks left!

Weekend Review

Another busy weekend. Clinical on Friday night. I had another good patient and I watched my nurse share her faith with the patient, I thought that was really cool.

Made some eats

Bean and rice enchiladas with green beanies

Next day roasted peppers, onions and garlic and sweet potato fries

made a favorite: tostados. A corn tortilla with refried beans, roasted veggies, cheese, salsa, avocado.. so good

Ate this feast and watched me some Notebook. Good times.

My classmates eat dinner together as a clinical group and this one girl asked me if I was Indian because I was eating a lot of curry that week. (the week of the Daniel fast of course). But I'm surprised she doesn't ask me if I'm Mexican (or Tex-Mexican) because I eat like 90% that way. LOVE IT. I did think that was kind of funny though, I clearly do not look at all Indian, what should I be eating to proclaim my Americanism, hot dogs and cherry pie??

This weekend my cousin had her wedding shower and I drove out there with my mom. It was far away, and we ended up having some really good conversations. It's always good talks with my mom, but these ones seemed especially needed. I had had another hard day about the divorce stuff and it helped to cry to her and talk about it. She continues to point me back to Jesus and remind me that this divorce, although it still confuses me a lot, served a purpose and taught me lessons that I needed to learn. She was like "you're not perfect, I know that for sure, boy I know that..." Then we laughed, okaaaaayyy - I get it! But it's true, I'm not perfect, and will never be - but I am thankful that God doesn't leave us where we are at. And He can use a terrible thing for His good. And I'm thankful for continued healing. Anyway, it was a good weekend and good to spend time with my mom, and my cousins, and aunts. So many women I love and respect.

We played this fun shower game of making wedding dresses out of the used wrapping paper. My group's won, oh yeah. Alas no one posted any pics on facebook for me to steal and post, but it was a work of art.

We talked about marriages and our grandparents and what a beautiful thing love is. For 70 years my grandma took care of my grandpa, and now that she is suffering from dementia it is beautiful to see him cooking for her, giving her breathing treatments, taking care of her. I'll never forget how I watched him lean over and kiss her and hold her hand when she was going in for her leg surgery in December and calling her sweetheart. So sweet. At the shower they read a letter from my cousin's future husband describing how he fell in love with her and their story and you could tell how much he loved her. And even my patient the other day told me his wife of 50 years was now in a nursing home and he said, "I miss that ol' bat." Also sweet :)

Jill went to a women's conference this weekend and we talked for awhile when she came home. I definitely still believe in marriage and love, and I still want that for my life, but we talked about how that is not God's biggest plan for us. We were created not just to be wives and mothers, but for a bigger purpose to love and serve Him. It was real encouraging just to keep walking with Him, keep reading His word, keep seeing what He has for me day by day. What a privilege to figure out what that bigger purpose is!

And in other completely unrelated news, another new year's goal will come true this year - I officially signed up for the Detroit half-marathon! I hope they don't change the route because of that bomb stuff because right now it is so awesome, you run to Canada and back over the bridge and thru the tunnel. What makes me think I can run 13.1 miles I don't know, I've never run furher than 6 miles, but I'm excited to try!!

AND I was reading a blog on Friday with this cool yoga pose and I wondered if I could do it, so I tried at my desk when no one was around, and practiced some more this weekend. Fun! I would totally do more yoga if it was cool poses not just stretching. Yawn!

Great Weekend

Wow, what a weekend! Over way too soon.

Friday after work the girls at work took me out for drinks, it was pretty fun. Then I met up with some friends for dinner and our Captivating book study, and then went over to another friends to watch the end of the opening ceremony of the Olympics.

Saturday had to run down to Belle Isle to pick up my triathalon race packet, did some errands, cleaned my grandparents house and went out to dinner with them, then went over to a friend's, and finally back home where my friend Liz slept over so we'd be ready for our race Sunday morning.

Sunday - race day!

Woke up at 5am, put our bikes in her truck and headed back down to Belle Isle for the SheROX triathlon. It was our first triathalon and it was really fun. The race was all women and it was a .5 mile swim, 12.4 mile bike and 3.1 mile run. And the course was on Belle Isle which is one of my favorite parks anyway.

Pre-race

The race started at 7 with the swim in the Detroit River. The bottom was kind of mucky and neither of us are fantastic swimmers but we didn't drown! Yay :) Then we ran back to the bikes and took off. Two loops around Belle Isle later, and a couple stops to raise my ever-lowering bike seat!, then we started the run. My brother had warned me to do a couple bike/run practices, which I never did, and it was such a strange feeling to transition into running. Kind of like that feeling of trying to walk after jumping on a trampoline. But anyway, we finished! Our time wasn't that great- but we weren't dead last- and we felt that was pretty good for our first try. And also considering I've swam 2x, haven't biked at all, and ran only 4x in all of 2012. So I was pleased with my 1:57 time.

The finishers!

It was great to do it together and we're already thinking of next either one of those obstacle course runs or a half marathon. We'll see!

After the run we went to a vegan/raw resteraunt for some buffet and hung out with some friends. Then I went to another friends' house for dinner. My friend Rachel is a wonderful cook and always stuffs me full of deliciousness. And makes me a to-go bag! This time she made Indian: tandoori chicken, cucumber riata, vegetable biriyani, watermelon, and peach/cherry cobblers with icecream for dessert. I was stuffed! They even gave me a birthday present, a pretty green teakettle. I was so spoiled.

After dinner we went to the Michael W. Smith/Jeremy Camp concert. It was great. We spread out blankets on the lawn and listened to a great concert.

So then came the not so good part of the weekend. On the way home around midnight I got gas and filled up my tires so I wouldn't be late to work if I had to do it in the morning. But then my car wouldn't start up again. Not more car troubles!! I'm so close to my goal of a quarter million miles, but apparently that is too much to ask the ol' saturn. Anyway. I was pushing it out of the alley and some guy helped me move it and offered me a ride home. I didn't take it, but thought it'd probably be safe. What are the odds of a murderer just waiting at the gas station for people's cars to break down?? So instead I had an extremely fast walk home. Luckily I only live a half mile away.

This morning rescuer dad drove down and we went to check out the car. We tried jumping it, he checked the battery, it was fine, and a couple other things and then we thought if we could just get it started he could drive it home and work on it. So we attempted a push start. I've only done this when there is a giant hill because you need to get it going pretty fast - but we only had a flat gas station parking lot. So I kicked off my heels and rolled up my dress work pants and started pushing; some guy saw us and came over and offered to help so he and I pushed while dad popped the clutch - and it worked!

My dad is a rockstar.

So dad traded me cars, I got to go to work and he's taking my car home to probably install a new starter or something like that.

Thank you God for such a good weekend: amazing fun friends, a healthy body, kind helpful people, my awesome dad, and being such a good God that loves me and provides.

First Run

Yesterday after work the sun was shining, and I had slept in and missed my morning workout, so I decided to go for a run. I'm not that crazy about where we live for running, no park trails, or anything interesting to look at, but off I went. I think I ran about 25 minutes and it was good! I'm not actually sure because my watch broke, but I survived the first run of the year :)

Loins

Do girls have loins? If it's the area I'm imagining, that upper inside thigh area, and if that's what they are, my loins are killing me.

On Saturday, 3 days ago mind you, I did a bunch of kettlebell swings. It seems I did a bunch too many because my loins are so sore. But what a good workout, and that is definitely a trouble zone!

work it out

I feel like I've been the laziest slug lately. I used to be so good about exercising everyday. Although in my defense, this is my first time working full-time, but regardless, busy Anne = lazy exercise Anne.

The fact that it's now darker when it's time to get up isn't helping, want to stay in bed!

Anyway, the past couple days I've been forcing myself out of bed and doing one of my old videos. I'm liking it better this time around so far.

I'm still not crazy about her personality. And as someone who has a minor in exercise science, I was taught to give your muscles a day of rest - where this video has you do the same workout every day all week - that I don't agree with. So I do her video and alternate days 1, 2, and 3. So everyday a muscle is being worked, but just not the same exact muscle for 5 days straight.

Anyway, it is a pretty good workout. My shoulders are in pain right now. But it's good. A friend says she has another one by Ms. Micheals and I'm excited to do a video trade. I like the variety and the fact that I can try another video without spending $15 :)

Exercise

I tried a new video this morning:

I've heard a lot of good stuff about this workout on this fitness girl's blog so I asked for a dvd for my bday and tried it this morning. Instantly the lady bugged me 'look how good your thighs look,' a rediculous looking 'thigh dance', and personally I prefer the word 'butt' to 'seat', but it did seem like a good workout. Now the only trouble is to figure out when to do it. You'd think as someone with a minor in exercise science I would have no problem designing myself an exercise program, but it's actually tricky. Hubbs has said he would run with me, so we are planning on 3x a week, and so on the other 2 days I would like to strength train, but then what about this workout? I'd like to do it more than once, but I still need one day off a week. So I'm not sure... I only got the 30 min dvd b/c I don't have an hour in the morning, but I'm thinking if I like it, maybe I'll get the hour long one for Saturdays. The 30 mins today just flew by. So far I think I'll like this dvd, it was expensive though- $25 a pop and by the time tax and S & H are added it was $35. Luckily I didn't pay cause it was a present, but if I get anymore it seems it'd be better to buy them 2 at a time, or a set.

Anyway, on to the best news of all, Andrew got a job!!! Remember the suit? It worked its magic (and Andrew is awesome anyway). He was offered the position yesterday and he is very excited. We are very thankful.