Laughter

Dan: What are you up to tonight?

Me: I'm just making your surprise!

Dan: Oh man, I'm excited.  Is it cake? Cookies? Cupcakes? Pie?

Me: Oh, it's all of the above.  After some careful research, I've managed to create a hybrid of those four.

Dan: A piecakie?

And THAT is why I love him :-)

Embracing Your Imperfections {and seeing yourself for the person you truly are}

I'm sure you have all been hearing a lot about the Dove Real Beauty sketch video over the past few months. I have been doing a lot of thinking about how to challenge my self-image, those descriptors that, if I uttered them, would probably cause the artist in the video {who is very talented, by the way} to sketch an image of me that is far from being true-to-life. I am certainly guilty of caving to body insecurity, and, being that it was something that I struggled with as a teenager and throughout college, it is difficult to break that terrible habit of self-scrutiny.  However, for every perceived "flaw" that I have identified, I have tried to come up with a challenge, a benefit of that seemingly imperfect feature.  To give a few examples:

• Perceived flaw: I have inherited unfortunately large thighs. BENEFIT: I would not have been able to run 26.2 miles on tiny little thighs.  Large runners' thighs are a symbol of my strength.
• Perceived flaw: My hair is voluminous and unruly. BENEFIT: There are so many women with thinning hair who would kill to have the kind of volume that I have.  I have natural volume without using volumizing shampoos or serums.  Also, I am convinced that whoever created straighteners did it just for me and my naturally wavy locks :)
• Perceived flaw: The fact that I have to wear glasses is not that fun.  BENEFIT: However, I have learned from my dear Dan that my eyes actually change color from blue to green depending on the day, which I think is pretty darned awesome.  So even though I may begrudge my eyes for not being able to see very well or tolerate contacts all the time, I still think they're pretty cool.
• Perceived flaw: I have enormous feet {I typically wear size 11, but have to bump it up to 12 for my running shoes}.  BENEFIT: Okay, I can't spin this one haha.  It sucks to have feet this big {even though they are proportional to my height}, especially when trying to find cute, fashionable shoes.

So what am I trying to say here?  I am telling you to challenge those negative statements, voiced or not, about your own appearance.  I'm not going to lie, on more days than not, I hate those thighs, but this was the body that I was given, so I might as well accept it {while still exercising and trying to eat healthy foods, of course!}.  My favorite part of the Dove video was when the women compared the images of themselves, the one based on their own description of themselves and the other as they actually appear to others.  After witnessing the internal struggle of each of the women beating herself up for a perceived flaw, it was so heartwarming for them to see how others view them {and, in all of the cases, they were significantly more beautiful!}. 

Also, while flat-chestedness might be in that "flaw" category for most people, I have always seen it as a benefit. I can fit into anything without spilling out of it, and I can run without serious discomfort {or multiple sports bras}! Win!  So ladies and gents, remember, despite all of those ads that tell you that you need to change something {or many somethings} about yourself, try to love the body you were born with.  

Everybody's Working for the Weekend

I am at work today, supervising some interviews, and thought I would share some quick thoughts from this week:

• Now that I'm back on gluten, my stomach has been going haywire.  I have done my best to limit my gluten intake, so I can't tell if the stomach discomfort has been due to my poor little stomach not being starved anymore or whether I may actually have a gluten intolerance.  Stay tuned, folks...
• I had my first Rent the Runway experience this week.  We received an invitation to Dan's friend's wedding in June and it is black-tie, so I knew I needed to buy a long dress.  My cousin Ashley works at RTR, so I had it in the back of my mind as a possibility.  I was able to find this GORGEOUS {and totally fierce} Trina Turk dress that I am beyond excited to wear for the wedding!  Plus, it was only $85 to rent, so that was a major win!
• My baby brother is graduating from college in two weeks, and I am a wreck.  I can't believe he won't be able to pop in to my office unannounced {not that he did that very often anyway haha} or grab lunch with me, and, while I'm so excited for him to go out into the world, I'm beyond bummed that he's heading to New York the first chance that he gets.
• Finally, last night was a very exciting night, because Dan's and my parents got to meet for the first time!  You may be asking yourself why it took over two years for them to meet, but the truth is that there was never an ideal time.  Now that Dan's parents are living down here, I hope we'll all be able to get together more often.  The dinner was really wonderful, everyone got along great {just like I knew they would}, and I even spied our moms exchanging numbers! I was so excited, mostly because I think they could both really use someone to pal around with, and go on walks and museums with.  It warmed my heart to see everyone together last night :)

I hope everyone has a splendid weekend! I wish I could be outside enjoying this gorgeous day!

The Fast is Over!

My darling readers, I am happy to announce that, as of today, I can eat gluten again!!!!!! I have not actually eaten any gluten yet, because I still have about four boxes of Cinnamon Chex left, and will force myself to eat them until they're gone, and a bowl of homemade, gluten-free veg chili seemed like the perfect lunch.  However, I fully plan on noshing on either pizza or pasta for dinner :-) Luckily, Dan is more than willing to be my accomplice in breaking my gluten-free fast diet.

If you're doing the mental math an are thinking to yourself that it has been a mere month, rather than six weeks, since I went off of gluten, I decided that I was miserable enough that a month was going to be sufficient for me.  I gave it my all, but the gluten-free lifestyle isn't for me.  I am your classic type-A, routine-driven, slightly obsessive-compulsive gal, so giving up on things is never an option for me.  However, I felt like this diet was jeopardizing my health and happiness, so, once I made it past the month marker, I had to make the decision that was the best for my mental and physical health.  Maybe someday I will make a career out of concocting gluten-free recipes that are actually tasty {and, in particular, developing palatable gluten-free alternatives to things like pizza and pasta}.  But, for now, I am back on the stuff.

That being said, the one lesson that I am taking away from this monthlong adventure is that I do want to be more conscious of the amount of gluten that I am ingesting, because I think that there can be too much of a good thing {especially since my metabolism will eventually slow down}.  While this gluten-free diet was NEVER about losing weight and, on the contrary, aimed to find a solution to some long-undiagnosed stomach issues, it did make me take pause to consider my food choices. I want to make a more conscious effort to build better lifelong eating habits {i.e. not binge-eating sugar as frequently, cooking more, hydrating} so that, when combined with my love for exercise, I never feel like I need to go on a crash diet.  When we first discussed the realities of living together, I told Dan that it was my sincere goal that living together would drive us to cook more often.  While it may be difficult to find recipes that appeal to both my beloved omnivore and myself, the veg-head, I am committed to doing that.  That's what Pinterest is for, people!!!

I am already about 1,000 times happier now that I will not spend my days wanting to eat my own fist- can you tell?!? ;)

1 MONTH!!

That would be one month until our big move!!! I have begun the process of securing the paperwork to move out of my current apartment, and have already reserved the elevators at the new place for our move-in weekend.  It is finally starting to feel real, and both Dan and I are counting down the days until we get to see each other every day!! Dan is also terrified by excited about the Google spreadsheet I put together that has a rough outline of what we have/what we need for the apartment, obviously broken out by room.  And yes, funny you ask, we did spend about five minutes last night debating the pros and cons of one DC-themed poster versus another...

In other news, screechhhhhh, slow down, because, a weekend before we move, my baby brother is graduating from college.  I have been in a deep depression about this fact for some time now, and that sentiment was deepened on Tuesday when we had our "Lake Family Dinner," which includes all five of the kids who go up to the Lake every year {all of us go/went to Georgetown, which, I admit, is rather cultish}.  Anyway, Tim, Jack and Patrick, all of whom are graduating this year {along with Alexa, Jack's girlfriend, who was also at dinner with us} were so depressing at dinner, because all of them were starting to get really nostalgic, with just a few weeks remaining in their college careers.  Suddenly, I was the "sage older sister," dispensing my advice after nearly three years in the workforce, and damn, was it tough for me to burst their fragile little bubbles.  I can still remember all of the optimism that I felt upon graduating, but that optimism soon turned to pessimism, and I haven't talked to a single person my age who didn't have the exact same experience.  The realization that you cannot change the world is a pretty depressing one.  Anyway, I'm hoping we'll have the chance to get the entire group together once more before the boys go their separate ways!

Finally, I am on the fence on a daily basis about whether or not to continue with the gluten-free thing.  I have yet to crack, but I'm getting pretty sick of the now-constant feeling that my stomach may be eating itself, and the lightheadedness that accompanies it.  Why people do this as a method of losing weight, I have no idea, because it is quite the miserable existence.  I want to make it at least a month {just to say that I did}, so that would put us at Tuesday.  I haven't made up my mind, though, because, by that point, I will have less than two weeks left.  I think it will depend on my state of misery that day.  He has been a trooper, but I think Dan will be relieved once this whole experiment is over because the incessant hangry {hungry + angry} whining will come to an end.  I'm taking suggestions for what my first meal back should be.  My frontrunners so far?  French Toast from Metro 29, pizza from District of Pie/Mellow Mushroom/2 Amy's, any kind of baked good, pasta {I've had a craving for Maggiano's gnocchi for a few weeks}.  I know that I won't be able to go too crazy right away, both for the sanity of my stomach and in the interest of fitting in to the dresses I am wearing to the four weddings we're going to this summer.

On the road again...

Since I have been so busy over the last few weeks, I have {shocker} been a delinquent blogger, but I have a few really fun weekend trips to catch all of you up on!

Two weekends ago, Dan and I did an overnight in lovely Sperryville, Virginia, at a really cute B&B near the base of Old Rag.  Despite the fact that they strangely did not have us down for a reservation {I was sitting next to Dan when he made the reservation online, so I could fully attest to the fact that he had made one}, they luckily still had the space to accommodate us, and offered us one of their cabin rooms adjacent to the house, which suited us just fine.  We were up at an ungodly hour for a Saturday {6:15, because we know how crowded these trail parking lots tend to get the later you depart} but were luckily able to have a farm-fresh breakfast before we left.  The hike through White Oak Canyon was difficult {5 hours long and very rocky, not to mention lots of steep uphill climbing} but beautiful, with several picturesque waterfalls along the way.  It was such a romantic getaway, and I appreciated all of the thought that Dan had put into it, from finding the B&B to zeroing in on a hike that he thought I would love.

This past weekend, we traveled back to Pittsburgh, where we hadn't been together in over a year.  Dan's parents were actually at home that weekend for a gala that they were attending, so we got to spend quality time with them.  Dan's mom absolutely spoiled me with gluten-free goodies, which is just one example of how thoughtful she is.  We were all kind of still reeling from the events in Boston, especially given the fact that the second suspect had been apprehended while we were driving, so we all stayed up watching the news.

On Saturday, we got to sleep in a little bit, which we both sorely needed, and then, along with Leslie, met up with Dan's grandparents for lunch.  It was my first time meeting them, and I had been excited to do so for quite some time.  They were so sweet, and it was such a treat for me to finally get to meet Grammy and Grandpa.  Afterward, we gave Mt. Washington another try {if you will remember, it hailed on us when we tried to get a panoramic view of the city from atop the mountain when we were in the 'burgh last year}, this time with a much more favorable result, and then wandered around the very impressive Andy Warhol Museum for the remainder of the afternoon.  I was threatening to break my gluten-free diet because of how badly I wanted to go to Dan's favorite Italian restaurant, but, in the end, I held fast and we settled for a delicious seafood dinner.  Then, we came home, immediately put on our pajamas, and kicked back with some drinks and cookies to watch the Pens game.  When Dan's parents arrived home from the gala, they found us watching home movies from when Dan was a baby.  Seriously, my heart was melting...he was such a cutie pie, and such a sweet little boy {not much has changed, since he's still handsome and sweet}.  Pete rolled his eyes, and Leslie was both shocked and impressed that I had convinced Dan to let me watch the videos.  

On Sunday morning, we went to the gym and then had a delicious frittata breakfast before heading to the Bucs game.  It was my first game at PNC, and it was so much fun! Dan's family has a share in season tickets, and the seats are incredible, seven rows behind the Pirate dugout, and with a great view of the city skyline.  We all got a little bit sunburned, a sure sign that we have our work cut out for us this summer by the pool, what with our pale, pale winter skin.

I could not have asked for a better weekend.  There is nothing better than a quiet weekend away to spend with the person you love, and I felt like I peeled back a few more Dan layers this weekend by meeting a few new members of his family and by watching baby videos of him.  I am so excited for all of the changes that will happen in just over a month when we move in together, and I can tell how psyched he is as well.  I can't wait to see my guy every day!!

Trying to Make Sense of a Tragedy

via A Blog About Love

I promise I will post about our hiking adventure from this past weekend, but I am writing with a truly heavy heart this morning and wanted to address those feelings first.

As all of you are probably aware, two bombs wreaked havoc yesterday near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three and wounding more than 120, nearly 20 critically.  The attacks occurred on Patriot Day, better known as "Marathon Monday." Patriot Day is the most sacred of days in Massachusetts, with the entire state taking a day off from work and school to celebrate the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the start of the Revolutionary War.  The day truly does capture the extreme pride of the citizens of Massachusetts, who ring in the day by tuning in to the afternoon Sox game and the running of the Boston Marathon.  The bombs that ripped through crowds of innocent bystanders yesterday shattered the sacredness of the day.

On a personal level, while I may not live there anymore, Massachusetts is the state where I grew up, and it will always profoundly affect how I view myself.  To illustrate this, my Massachusetts license is due to expire next March, and I would rather not have a valid ID than have to trade in my Massachusetts ID for a Virginia one.  They can punch a hole in it, rendering it useless, but I refuse to fork it over.  The type of pride instilled in every "Masshole" for our beloved state is something that you can't really put into words.  Many people have a strong allegiance to their city, but mine is statewide, and, better said, region-wide.

A very close friend of mine was at the finish yesterday, watching a friend run.  Thankfully, through the magic of Facebook, I was able to see that she was fine.  However, when I texted her to tell her how glad I was that she was okay, she told me that she had left the blast site mere minutes before the bombs went off, joking that she had wanted ice cream and that that was the first time when her sweet tooth had been legitimately good for her health.  I am so grateful that she is okay, but my heart is broken for the families of the dead and of those still fighting for their lives.  My thoughts and prayers are with all of them as they struggle to make sense of lives cut short.  The fact that an eight year-old child was among the dead is truly sickening.  When will our children cease to be targets of acts of violence??? When will parents stop outliving their children?

Having run my first marathon exactly a month ago today, I tried to put myself in the runners' place, that of complete confusion in the face of sheer exhaustion.  The fatalistic part of me can't help but think, 'What if that had been my race? What if that had been my parents, my boyfriend and my friends at the finish?'  The thought that you could be putting yourself in danger of a terrorist attack just by going out for a run is enough to strike fear into any runner's heart.  But runners are a strange breed. We do what we do for reasons that we cannot really explain to anyone else.  There were so many stories of heroic runners who, immediately after finishing the race, continued running to Mass General in order to give blood.  So, even in the face of this tragedy, I choose to run.  I run for Massachusetts, I run for Boston, and I run for the innocent lives lost.  That's about the best that any of us can do.