Brain Dump

running last night: anyone who knows me already knows that i detest running. i'm a very picky runner - as in, i have to be in the "mood" to run, and am usually able to tell if i'm in this "mood" within 2 minutes of starting to jog. mostly i dislike running because it's so hard on my knees, but honestly....it's just so darn boring. but lo and behold, the other night at the gym i actually ran a mile! which to most doesn't seem like much, but seeing as I haven't touched a treadmill in months, it was quite the accomplishment.

london olympics: summer olympics, 2012. i DESPERATELY want to go. anyone have an extra two grand they'd be willing to give me, as well as a recommendation of a free 5-star hotel in london? let me know!

knitting: my aunt taught me the basic knit and pearl stitches last march, with the intent that i could make a blanket for the Nugget before he/she was due in July. it's almost a year later, and i don't think i've gotten past row 12. i really need to get working on that again.

fashion: my word, i need help. i have some cute clothes, but i need my very own stacy and clinton to tell me how to wear them and what to wear them with. Grace, we're going shopping when you get here!

house of cards: totally random (the theme for this post, if you couldn't already tell), but i was listening to a taylor swift song and she mentioned a 'house of cards', when i realized that i've never built a literal house of cards. i remember there was a brady bunch episode where the kids had a card-house-building competition, and i vowed right then and there i would build my own someday. i think i was about 10 when i made that promise. i should honestly cross that off my bucket list.

healthy living: i've finally reached the point in my never-ending weight battle, and decided that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: i'm finally going to lose this weight once and for all! i lost 15 lbs. in college after doing the nutrisystem plan, and kept it off for about a year and a half. but then when Nuggette was born in July, i didn't go to the gym for about a month - just burnt out, i suppose. then there were the good old American (read: fattening) summer BBQs, halloween candy, thanksgiving, christmas cookies, etc. and now that it's the new year, i have no more excuses, no more holidays, and honestly need to focus on my health. which means back to my old routine of going to the gym a MINIMUM of four times per week (hopefully 5-6), eating rabbit food and lots of soup, lean protein, yadda yadda yadda. basically torturing myself until i'm back down to my old weight. oh the fun never stops around here!

day 13

a photo of your best friends:

K

Shawtz and Polly

Grace

CKN

(haha looks like an abbreviation for chicken)

day 12

a photo of you:

today's theme seems to be without any kind of specific requirement, and wait a sec, didn't we do this one already??? fine, i'm going to deviate away from the assignment and make up my own.

DAY 12 - a photo of your pet.

i've already written a story about how Sadie came to be a member of our family here. nowadays, she's moving a little bit slower from arthritis, but is still a young puppy at heart, even at the age of 14 1/2. i can't imagine a better dog.

then there's this little mutt-face. soon after getting married in the summer of 2009, my sister and her husband decided they wanted a puppy. after spending hours upon hours scouring pet adoption sites, they found what they were looking for: a 6-month old black lab puppy named Trudie. well the great thing about pets that isn't necessarily true for humans is that you can change the animals name on a whim and the world will keep spinning. anyway, they had decided on the name Laney Lou for this puppy. isn't she adorable? the even better part is that there are still times when i need a puppy fix, and this adorable creature continues to barrel me over whenever i pull in their driveway for all the puppy-lovin' i can get.

day 11

a photo from your favorite film:

oooohhh, close tie. basically the same plot/movie, but one is definitely updated for our times. the kiera knightly/matthew macfadyen is waaay more romantic, and my go-to movie when i'm in a sappy chick flick kind of mood. Bridget Jones carries more of the cynical plot, and is the best medicine when i'm in a "i'm-single-and-thats-okay-because-i-don't-need-a-man-just-a-good-love-story" kind of mood.


P&P favorite line:

Mr. Darcy: "You must know...surely, you must know it was all for you. You are too generous to trifle with me. I believe you spoke with my aunt last night, and it has taught me to hope as I'd scarcely allowed myself before. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes have not changed, but one word from you will silence me forever. If, however, your feelings have changed, I will have to tell you: you have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love, I love, I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on.

-SWOON-

Bridget Jones favorite line:

Mr. Darcy: " I don't think you're an idiot at all. I mean, there are elements of the rediculous about you. Your mother's pretty interesting. And you really are an appallingly bad public speaker. And, um, you tend to let whatever's in your head come out of your mouth without much consideration of the consequences... But the thing is, um, what I'm trying to say, very inarticulately, is that, um, in fact, perhaps despite appearances, I like you, very much. Just as you are.

or is it just the British accents that make me swoon and vow to move to England at the earliest possible opportunity?

day 10

a picture of you as a baby:
(or not quite a 'baby', but still dang little!)

obviously i look nothing like i did as a baby. blonde, shirley-temple-curly hair, slate blue eyes, and an ever-present high-pitched squeal? not so much. funny how genetics and time work out. but anyway, here's the family again in all its early-90s fabulous glory:

can we just take a moment to admire a few things here?

- despite his salt-n-pepper hair color, my dad was probably 32 or 33 in this picture. everyone on my dad's side of the family starts going grey around age 18. you're jealous, right?

-POWDER BLUE DINNER JACKET. with a pink tie? honestly, dad.

-my mom's fantastic hairstyle. actually not bad considering the time period, but still probably the shortest i've ever seen it. (love you, mom!)

-from the time i was born until about age 11, my sister and i wore matching or at least coordinating outfits, until we had a united rebellion against my mom's dress choices. freedom form bows, lace, and pink synthetic fabrics forever!

day 9

day 9: a picture of your family

well, since i used my newest favorite family photo in day 7 (i think), i don't want to use the same picture twice. here's a family shot from last year:

dad, mom, me, K, Generic

ok, so this photo was taken last year at thanksgiving. unbeknownst to us, my sister K (red sweater) was already about 2 months pregnant with the Nuggette AND LIED TO OUR FACES ABOUT IT, THE LITTLE BUGGER. so the rest of us, thinking everything was fine and dandy, let her go on a quad ride, and kept refilling her wine glass at dinner (thanks dad) only to be sneakily drunk by my brother-in-law Generic (far right). right before this photo was taken, K hissed, "Hide my stomach!" because she already had a little bit of a baby bump. the little buttheads. all was forgiven, though, once this gorgeous little Nuggette was born:

what. a. CUTIE!!!

day 8

a picture of your favorite band/musician:

love her love her love her. she has great music, an incredible voice, and still made sure to finish college after becoming famous. you can also bet that i voted for her on American Idol, too.

(current) Favorite Song: Cowboy Cassanova

yet again, i've fallen off the bandwagon

ok, so i really did get off to a good start with the 30-day-challenge thing. buuut, then i was getting ready for christmas. and then my whole family came over for christmas. and then we were all busy stuffing our faces full of holiday goodies (or was that just me?). and then i went to seattle for new years. and then i got home and had a whole lot of stuff hit me all at once, SO I'VE BEEN A BIT BUSY. anyway, i WILL finish this!