Meg{Moir}

For the most part, Patrick puts up with my revolving door of interests and the super important things I need to go along with them like a champ.

Well, with the exception of a couple of nights ago when I announced that we need a VitaMix, the Cadillac of all blenders, which retails for just shy of $400. (You could make orange juice without peeling the orange. You can make soup in that baby because it spins fast enough to actually heat liquid.)

But I digress.

Sometimes, I come at him with something so far out of left field that he literally just looks at me with no expression on his face and blinks a lot. He has no words.

And that’s when I know I’m on to something good.

I should explain.

I decided again (is this the third time?) that I am going to get more serious about running. I’m even seriously thinking about signing up for a local half marathon in December.

This would mean that I need to go from running 2-3 times a week (when I feel like it, in other words) to 3-4 times (1-2 times a week more than I feel like, in general.)

You know what really helps give me a boost of extra motivation?

If you’re a girl, you know the answer to this.

Cute clothes.

Of Course.

(What, were you expecting something less shallow? Cause you should read the archives and get to know me a bit better.)

So, I did what I do better than anything else, research.

There are way more cute running clothes out there than I imagined.

Lululemon is always good. I’ve definitely got my eye on their Speed Shorts. Maybe one day when I can wear them in an un-ironic fashion.

Then I found the cutest, most colorful, most absolutely completely necessary peice of running clothing that I clearly need if I ever hope to surpass my running goals ever, the running skirt.

The running skirt.

I know. It sounds like a throwback to a cheerleader uniform. Or maybe an old lady skirted swim suit. But these things are cute.

How cute?

Look for yourself.

I know.

I KNOW!

I want one some kind of bad.

And I know you’re probably just thinking…so Megan, um…how abot you just go and buy one already? I mean, you married a Doctor and everything, so I know you’re swimming in cash.

This is the part where I laugh in your face. This part may take a few minutes.

Ok, I feel better. Except you just reminided me that I’m poor. (Or I reminded myself? Whatever)

Point is, work out gear is expensive. Or expen$$$ive, if you will.

And here’s where I tell you about how much I love the internet (this will all make a little bit of sense by the time I’m finished I promise).

A year or so ago, I found this blog about running by a girl whose love of Disney rivals my own. I have been a faithful reader ever since because her running posts are good and when she isn’t writing about running she is probably writing about Disney.

Well, Heather (yep, she has a name and everything) is participating in Team in Training for a half marathon in the next couple of months. I don’t know if you’re familiar with TNT (as those in the know/too lazy to type it all out call it), but it’s a training program that also raises money for The Lukemia and Lymphomia Society. TNT groups are out at all the big road races and I think they do triathlons too.

So Heather, being a rockstar member of her TNT group and a sales rep for RunningSkirts.com thought, hey, why not do a raffle to raise my donations and give away a running skirt as the grand prize (well, this is what I think she thought, as we’ve never actually spoken).

You see where I’m going now?

Of course I put in my donation. I want that thing! And, what’s really cool is that by writing this blog post, I get another entry into her raffle. SCORE. You’re reading what has to be my most wordy post ever because I want to win a contest. But it’s ultimately for a good cause so let’s just keep reading, shall we?

So in summary:

1) I’m pretty sure Heather and I could be friends becuase a) froyo b) Disney c) running skirts
(Hi, my name is Megan and I am definitely not a stalker)

2) I really want that running skirt, although the compression socks would also be lovely.

3) Maybe you want to make a donation too? It’s for a great cause and if YOU happen to win, you can give me the skirt (so nice of you)?

Oh, and as always

4) I have a super husband.

Not only does he leave me grass art, he asks great questions that really make me think about the important things in life.

Questions like, “So why do you want this thing so bad?”

To which I can only answer – If you’re not going to be fast, you might as well be cute.

He’s got no sarcastic retort, another way that I know I’m on to something good.

Let’s just say that the Wal-Mart in Baton Rouge knows whats up.

Wow, another weekend down, and this time I completed 3 out of 4 to-dos.  Still passing!

I think next week I’ll make a monster list.  I wonder if I’m making this too easy.

For instance…

I did this.  Matter of fact, between last Sunday and this Sunday I read 3 books.  Yes, I do want a cookie.

1) Finish whichever book it is I’m reading at the moment.

Did this too! Except there were no camera chargers to be found.  Come out, come out wherever you are.

2) Clean out the junk drawer and (fingers crossed!) find our camera battery chargers.

Hey, what do you know, I even did this.  And, I actually wore a pair to work today.  Totally worth it.

3) Iron my white pants before they spend 2 summers stuffed in the back of my closet.

This is the one I didn’t do.  Of course, it wasn’t really my fault.  Friday and Saturday night everything was cancelled due to weather.  Nothing I can do about that.  Although I was looking forward to some gator.

4) Hit up the Hot Air Balloon Festival again.  Eat Alligator on a Stick.

Also this weekend there were…

2 bike rides.

4 sushi rolls.

1 Netflix movie.

4 hamburgers.

2 loaves of pound cake.

Wow, that’s almost all about food, isn’t it?

What did you eat good this weekend?

It worked pretty well last week.

This week I will:

1) Finish whichever book it is I’m reading at the moment.

2) Clean out the junk drawer and (fingers crossed!) find our camera battery chargers.

3) Iron my white pants before they spend 2 summers stuffed in the back of my closet.

4) Hit up the Hot Air Balloon Festival again.  Eat Alligator on a Stick.

Happy Friday boys and girls.

The person who took this picture:

1) Really needs to stop taking pictures with her cell phone, because they’re killing my eyes.

2) Has a husband sweet enough to write her love notes in the grass.

3) May have had to climb up on the top of the house to get this shot, so let’s just stop hating on picture quality for a second.

(30.) Anna and the French Kiss

High school senior gets sent to Paris and falls in love with half-French boy with English accent…why did my parent’s have love me to much to not send me to boarding school again?

(31.) The Fiery Cross (Outlander)

Less Roger, more Jamie, please.

July went by way too fast. Super fast. And as a result, I have not a whole lot to show for it. I’m feeling really good about August though.

4. Read 50 books in 2011, 2012, 2013 (31/150)

(30.) Anna and the French Kiss
(31.) The Fiery Cross (Outlander)

Yep, I only got through 2 books this entire month. That’s pretty pitiful for me. The Fiery Cross took me the whole time (of course, it is 979 pages), while Anna and The French Kiss I read in 3 days somewhere in the middle of the month.

42. Contribute monthly to IRA (7/33)

I’m thankful that if all else fails, I know that I can check this one off every month.

Can I just say something?

Today, for the first time in a while, I feel quite productive.  With a capital PRODUCTIVE.

I mean, Friday night I came home from work so sapped of energy that I barely made it off the couch to go get Mexican for a friends birthdays.  Hello…do you know how much I love enchalidas?

Then Saturday morning, I take Patrick for his first long(ish) bike ride at Alligator Bayou only to come home with a headache so bad that I end up sleeping for most of the the rest of the day.

But today…well.  Today I get up, down 3 cups of coffee, make Patrick more when he comes home from feeding his herd of horses.  While he’s busy with his coffee, I manage to re-organize and clean our coat closet.

Next, we go for a shorter  bike ride (11-12 miles around the ‘hood), eat a quick lunch, shower, read a bit, and decide that this is the day I will finally make good on my promise to get those chicken carcasses out of the freezer (aren’t you glad that YOU don’t have to live with me?)  A few minutes later, I have chicken stock working in the crock pot and a huge batch of lima beans soaking on the stove because at this point, why not? Soon, we head out to run errands.  Our first stop is Hancock Fabric, where I get everything I need to finish my lap quilt (check 1), knit for a cute dress I saw online, and a few pocket squares for Patrick.  Next stop was Lowe’s for paint chips (check 2). I planned on making a Target run as well while I was in the neighborhood, but we ran out of time.  I miss Target.

Back home, Patrick left for a tech shift at the vet school and I got to work.  First, I worked on the knit, with every intention of having a dress ready to show you tonight.  And I do, have it that is.  If I tried to show you a picture of me wearing the dress, your firewall would block it.  Lets just say that, if a fabric is see-through when you buy it, then fabric dye won’t make it un-see through.  Lesson learned.

That slight disaster done with (I think I’ll still use the fabric, maybe for a pillow or something?) I got to work straining my chicken stock and cooking my lima beans.  Oh, and somewhere in there I finally finished The Fiery Cross, which seriously took me the whole month of July to read (check 3).  Now I’m sitting on the couch, watching The Darjeeling Limited, the Netflix movie we’ve had sitting by the DVD player for far too long (check 4).

The only thing I didn’t get done?  Going for a run outside.  Which I was all set to do this afternoon, seeing as I finally had some energy.  Sadly, Mother Nature had other plans, and we’ve had heavy rain, thunder and lightening all afternoon.

Maybe next weekend?

1) Go for a run.  Outside.

2) Buy supplies to finish my lap quilt.

3) Grab paint chips from Lowe’s for a little DIY artwork.

4) Watch the Netflix movie I’ve had for a month now.

5) Finish the Firey Cross, in the hammock, weather permitting.

Nice and easy.  Whats going on in your neck of the woods?