Finish Line of the Wedding Season

Our wedding season has come to a triumphant end, and, I have to say, I'm a little bit disappointed that I don't have another wedding to look forward to in a few weeks!  This weekend, Trey, Dan's swimming buddy from high school, and his now-wife Ashley got married, and it was, in a word, wonderful.  The reception was at the same golf club where Dan's friend Molly married her husband Weathers earlier this summer, and it was really fun to be back.  Trey and Ashley did some things differently that made it seem as though we were at another venue, so hooray for them for accomplishing that feat!  There was a palpable amount of love in that room, and that, I think, is what makes for the best weddings.  I always enjoy spending time with Dan and his friends, and there was an added bonus at this wedding of his parents and some close family friends being there, so I enjoyed talking to them as well.  As usual, Dan's mom sent us home with several pounds of snacks, which we love her for!!

While I took the doc's advice and wore my boot at the wedding {and was complimented on my commitment to dancing despite the boot, thank you very much}, I definitely overdid it this weekend, between dancing and walking more than I should have.  My body is definitely telling me to slow down this week, so how convenient that I will be going to Winnipesaukee on Thursday, where I will do nothing BUT relax!!

Dan was very sweet and protective of me all weekend as I hobbled around the various wedding weekend events, whether it was helping me down flights of stairs or running back to the car for me to grab things that I had forgotten.  He is a keeper, that one :)  There's a funny thing about weddings, too, that you always fall more deeply in love with your significant other.  The hopeless romantic in me loves that about weddings...so, bring on the next wedding season!!!!!! We've already got three lined up for next summer {one of Dan's friends, one of my friends and two mutual friends}, so I'm sure the promise of those summer celebrations will get us through the dreariness of winter.

Hobbling

I was able to go see a sports medicine specialist yesterday, because my foot pain had been getting progressively worse over the three weeks since it first started.  The doc ordered a second set of X-rays in an attempt to rule out a stress fracture, which he was able to do.  He is now convinced that the pain is tendon-related, mostly because of the location and type of pain I was experiencing when he examined me.  His main concern was that I would rupture the tendon in question, which would have required surgery and what would likely have been a long recovery process.

So...for the next three weeks, I have this fancy shmancy accessory:

This will look lovely with the cocktail dress that I'm wearing to a wedding this weekend ;)

I'm not going to pretend that I wasn't upset about the diagnosis and course of treatment {and yes, I did cry in the doctor's office}, but I had largely gotten all of my tears out of the way over the past week-and-a-half.  For those of you who know me, the order to not exercise, or do any sort of physical activity, is about the equivalent of a death sentence.  I am an incredibly active person, so it is nearly impossible to go from a high level of activity to nothing at all.

Never fear, though, I have developed, with the help of a good friend who broke her foot IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR MARATHON AND FINISHED {seriously, so many street cred points for Lindsay!}, a lifting and stretching routine that will at least make me feel as though I'm doing something other than sitting around and eating bon-bins.  I joked to Dan that I will have my best abs ever at the end of three weeks {highly unlikely, but I'm all about goal-setting here}, and I just did my first day of the routine this morning.  I can essentially work my arms, back and core, so I spent probably 40-45 minutes doing that.  Let me just say that trying to lift that sucker to do bicycle crunches requires a tremendous amount of exertion.  It's heavy!

I'm really trying to take it all in stride, because I would rather follow the doc's orders now and hopefully be out of this boot in three weeks.  Dan and I have even started calling it Das Boot!  But that's not to say that it has all been rainbows and roses.  For one thing, I live in an incredibly hilly neighborhood, so there is no way to avoid one when walking to and from the Metro.  The boot is awkward to walk in, but any unevenness of surface is even more uncomfortable.  I am trying to be very deliberate with how I walk on those surfaces so I don't inadvertently put too much strain on another part of my body.  Secondly, having to rely on creaky, slow-ass Metro elevators is far from ideal.  Thirdly, the psychological component of this injury has probably been the worst.  I exercise daily to keep myself in great cardiovascular shape, but I can't say that I don't enjoy the benefits of having a fit physique.  The thought of losing that has been a lot to handle, but I think that, if I am diligent about my workouts, I'll hopefully be back in fighting shape before I know it.  I am already imagining the moment when I go on my first run, and I can't wait.  I get jealous watching each successive runner file into our gym in the morning! I want to be the one running!!!

Shameless shout-out to Dan for dealing with the crying, depressing mess that I have been over the past couple of weeks.  He is truly the best, and has been so supportive and encouraging as he has witnessed my emotional struggle over this injury.  I can't wait to run together, hopefully sooner rather than later, once Das Boot comes off!!

No Excuses

Hello there, folks! It's me, returned from the land of long-lost bloggers!  It has been an inexcusable amount of time since I blogged, but hopefully, once I summarize my summer for you, you'll forgive me.  The one excuse that I will attempt to give is that this summer has been so jam-packed with activity that, every time I have considered blogging, I have opted not to in the end.  If I'm not feeling it, I'm just not feeling it, and you wouldn't want me to feel burdened by what I'm writing for all of you, right?!?  So, in summary, my summer to date:

• So, Dan and I moved.  Over two months ago.  I love our little apartment {which our friends are seeing for the first time tonight...total fail on our part}, and, more than anything, I love living with my best friend.  Coming home to him is, quite literally, the highlight of every day for me, and moving in together was one of the best decisions we have made.
• As a side note, as much as I LOVE living with Dan, leaving Molly after our time living together was nothing short of excruciating. Sure, we have two fun places that we can now hang out in, but it isn't the same when you can't poke your head in your roomie's room and have girl time with them.  Also, although he insists otherwise, I can feel Dan's eyes of judgment as I nom on cookie dough, cake batter, or the raw form of whatever I happen to be cooking.  Now Molly, that girl doesn't judge and, in fact, sometimes partook in my gluttonous ways with me.
• A week after the move, Dan took, and aced {!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!} the GMAT!  I am so immensely proud of him, and can't to see where this journey takes us next!
• A week after the GMAT, we went to our first of four weddings for the summer, and, the deeper we got in the wedding season, the more I discovered that I just don't have the stamina for that many weddings!  The first was in Pittsburgh for Dan's friend from high school, and it was a wonderful {not to mention beautiful and classy in every way} wedding.  It was a great time, and I enjoyed spending time with Dan's HS friends.  Three weeks later, we were off on a jet plane to Chicago, and holy moley, did we ever fall in love with that city by the lake!  Obviously, I was on Cloud 9 all weekend, because Kristin and Kevin were getting married, and my love was there, AND my favorite ladies were there for our first reunion in two years.  I can't overstate how fantastic this wedding was, and it was such a wonderful experience to be a bridesmaid for my gorgeous Kristin.  It was an absolutely gorgeous wedding in a fabulous city.  Wedding #3 was for my cousin in NY in July, and it didn't disappoint.  It was a blast to see my family, and it was the first time that Dan was meeting many family members.  The wedding, again, was beautiful, and we remarked on the fact that all three weddings have been so DIFFERENT {or, as different as weddings can be}!  Our final wedding of the season is back in Pittsburgh next weekend {actually, at the same venue as the first wedding} for another of Dan's HS friends, and I am so excited.  He is also a groomsman, which, despite the fact that he begrudgingly has to wear a tux, will be so fun for him.  I'll be hanging out with his parents, who will be at the wedding, and all of the other significant others of the groomsmen :)
• I think I deserve a medal for how little I wrote about four weddings. Period.
• After 2.5 years in a job that I was beyond miserable in, I transitioned into a new role in July!  The new job is a similar type of office, and will afford me more opportunities to travel and utilize what I consider to be my best skills.  I am really enjoying the job so far, and will be traveling to my region- the Plains states and parts of Texas!- for a few weeks in September, followed by a week in New England in October. {Sidebar: when they asked me if I was okay with going to New England for a week, I almost laughed in their faces. My beloved New England. In the fall. Foliage. Cold weather.  NO-BRAINER}
• We have watched a lot of baseball this summer, from a trip to Baltimore to watch the Red Sox, to two back-to-back Bucs-Nats games {now THAT, I did not have the stamina for.  I was comatose midway through the second game as a result of still-lingering exhaustion from the previous night, so I had no chance the day after the second game}, to two Bucs games at PNC {with the second likely to come next weekend}.
• I have really been rolling up my sleeves and getting creative with cooking {read: baking with some cooking sprinkled in} this summer.  All I have to say is, thank God for Pinterest.  That is all.  And so, my "food bragger" tendencies have been stretched to the limit, as I document nearly every new item that I make.  Some highlights included homemade gnocchi {and yes, Dan was an excellent co-chef!}, and his recent birthday cake, which I made for his 26th birthday {!!!} last week.
• I had an interesting tubing trip to Harpers Ferry in July, during which we lost a person.  We did not literally lose him {meaning, he did not perish}, but he did have to swim to shore and faced a several-mile, shoeless walk.  I'll leave it at that. It was an interesting day.
• There have been way too many goodbyes this summer, with several good friends leaving DC for grad school opportunities.  Isn't it the rule that, if you lose people, you should get at least that many close friends back in your city???
• My friend Kate was doing a law school internship here in DC for the summer, so I suppose she counts as a temporary transplant to DC :-) It was a blast to have her here, especially since one of her M.O. is exploring new restaurants.  Kate, thank you for your foodie ways!
• Last weekend, Dan and I went to Kings Dominion, and I officially conquered my fear of roller coasters!!! I went on three upside-down roller coasters, thank you very much :p
• Two weeks from now, I am going to the LAKE!  Now, because of some obligations with my new job, I am not able to take a full week off, but I will get a long weekend.  Plus, Dan has signed on to come with me, which I am thrilled about.  Since we started dating {almost 2.5 years ago- yikes!}, it has been my dream to have him come to the Lake.  I swear, if the weather is crummy, I will be one cranky lady.
• I am sure that there are many major things that I am forgetting, but the moments that have stuck with me the most about the summer have been the little moments with family, friends and Dan.  To be surrounded by the people you love, man, there's nothing better!  I sure am a lucky girl :-)
• My summer obviously would not have been complete without yet another scintillating season of The Bachelorette.  I hate myself for watching it, but I literally can't stop.  Oh well.

Lastly, I am waiting for X-ray results, which will tell me if I have a broken foot {the probable result of overuse during my 40+ mile/week running binge of this summer}.  Keep your fingers crossed, friends, because those of you who know me will can attest to the fact that I am a cranky pain in the ass when I can't exercise.  I'm hoping it's something like tendonitis {plantar fasciitis, which would be only somewhat less acceptable, would be more expensive, as it would require that I purchase orthodics worth hundreds of dollars for my running shoes. No thank you}.  Also, I am registered for the Army Ten-Miler in late October, and it is my goal to run that race.  Just throwing that out there.

Anywho, I sincerely hope that I will blog sooner than two months from now, but, what with my work and personal travel schedule, I can't make any promised.  At some point, I will post some pictures that encapsulate my summer, but hopefully you enjoyed this longer-than-necessary post!