food type stuff things

i've been trying all kinds of different things lately
things i didn't use to like
i used to make fun of some people for eating these things
now
here i am
not only eating them
but cooking them
and enjoying them
a lot
so here's a short list of some of the things i've tried
and
what i might think of them

on my running days
i really enjoy a big fat clif bar
after the run
i'm usually pretty hungry
not usually
i'm always hungry
hk suggested a protein bar
so we got a few different flavors of them
pretty darn good
i mean
they aren't a snickers bar
but for what they are
they are good

these little guys are a great snack
or addition to that meal where you say
"it's good but, it needs a little crunch"

like this pasta dish

i just made this for dinner
needed the additional crunch
and just a smidge less lemon juice
for my taste anyway
and
you can use any kind of pasta
and regular old mayo
or even add some tuna
or even chicken for a little something extra

it took a couple of bites to figure out if we
really did like it
but once we added the snap pea thingamajigs
it was perfect

and of course
these bad boys

but i would suggest

just bringing a small portion with you

and leaving the bag in the pantry

i don't know how i survived so long without these in my life

there's more but

right now

i'm gonna have hk stretch my legs out for me

she just doesn't know it yet

so i'm gonna post this

and

wait for her to smile when 

she reads this part...

a little late

i know i said i would be
up and about at 5:30 this am to run
oops
here's what happened
wednesday i don't have to work until 10:00
and hk leaves sometime around 5:40
so i didn't set an alarm
i always wake up when hk gets up
and sleep on and off while she gets ready
and am awake when she leaves
so i thought for sure
i'd be awake
oops
i woke up at 6:40
wondering why it was light in the bedroom
wondering why hk's alarm didn't go off
i don't remember her getting up
her getting ready
or
her leaving
oops
so i got a bit of a late start this morning
but that allowed me to see this

so after my horrible time monday
i started this run with as much positive attitude as i could muster
and focused on my breathing
i mean
really
FOCUSED
i walked my walks just a smidge slower
and ran my runs just a smidge slower
well not just a smidge
i slowed down quite a bit
i actually listened to my lungs
instead of just bullying my way through
but
i made it
the last three minutes were hell
but i focused my eyes on a spot in the distance
and told myself to just make it to that mailbox
or that driveway
or that little chihuahua that looks like one of the hyenas from
the lion king
and then when i did
i focused my eyes on another spot in the distance
where the grass goes from short to long
or that white mini van
or that dog that looks like pete from
the little rascals
rinse and repeat
but
i made it
i completed the whole damn thing
as good as i felt when i completed this
i can't wait for my 5k

memorial day weekend and such

monday being memorial day
hk and i went to see loyd

flowers courtesy of my brother's garden
thanks johnny

but
before we went to see loyd
it was time for a run
even on a day off
that alarm went off at
5:30
day 1
week 3
run 90 seconds
walk 90 seconds
run 3 minutes
walk 3 minutes
repeat
well
i made it through the first set
on the second
run of 90 seconds
my lungs quit on me
the rest of my body
was
ready
willing
and able
but my lungs couldn't hang
so i walked pretty much the rest of the way
pissed
because my body quit on me
because i let myself get this way
because i made myself this way
because i drank too much this weekend
because i ate too much crap this weekend
pissed at myself
but that's behind me
that's over
i can't change that
move on and fix it
so
i'm moving on
and
i'm fixing it
so i ate good and healthy yesterday
even went out to dinner and had a
SALAD
and only a salad
i know right
and yoga
yup
yoga's on the horizon
and today i actually said
i'm looking forward to it
it's even in print
it really happened
so tomorrow's a new day
the alarm will go off at 5:30
and i'll run
and i'll run
and i'll run
and if i think i'm gonna die
then i'll walk
but i know that each time i run
i'll make it a little bit farther than
the time before
because i'm not quitting
no matter how much my lungs and i
fight about it
i will win

oh
and here's what hk and i had for dinner tonight

this is the one i made
here's a link to the recipe
deliciousness
and
OH
EM
GEE
it was so stinking good
the only thing i would do different is
add some shredded carrot
for crunch
and
because i love carrots

now i relax
to get ready to kick running's ass tomorrow morning...

over the shoulder bolder holder

let's start with something we all know
i have tig o bitties
fat girls normally do
so i got a sports bra
just a regular one from the wal-marts
and started running while hk was on vacation
well
let's just say
i was still a little
floppy
so i mentioned it to hk
while on vacation
not too long after i got an email with this
bra
and it pretty much said
read the reviews
and
what size do you think you are
because i'm getting this for you
i responded with
i'm this size
but
$66
really
that's a lot
she said
but
you get what you pay for
i'm ordering it
well
it came in last night
so i of course had to try it on
that thing has 13
13
clasps on the front of it
it's like fort knox
it's a chastity bra
it was a little tight
but that's what the reviews all said
so i finished up with my chores around the house
and honestly
forgot that i was even wearing it
until i sat down
not comfy
not a lounging bra
so i took it off
much to my relief
ahhhhhh
and headed to bed
"the bras were hung by the back door with care
with hopes that black eyes would soon disappear"
set my alarm a little early
just to take the time to
strap myself into this thing
and headed out the back door
not without a kiss
and
a look from hk
and her saying
"those puppies are really smashed down in there"
and let me just say
boobs stayed flat
it was great
i totally forgot that i was even wearing it
it does come up a little high
and when i first put it on
it felt like i was putting on a bullet proof vest
swat team style
but once i got going
it was
AH-MAZING
so i end this blog about my boobs
with a big boob sized thank you to hk
for taking care of my ladies
and
me
you are my inspiration for everything
for quitting smoking
for not drinking so much
for eating healthier
for running
for wanting to be a better me
so that i can spend more time
with you
being happy
and
being in love
crazy
stupid
love

and to think that i saw it on mulberry street

what an absolutely beautiful morning to go running
it was about 55 degrees
foggy
sun was just barely up

it was a pretty damn good run
my legs don't hurt today
today
they feel like jello
weak
but at least they don't hurt

i have done this 5 days now
here's some of the fun stuff i have seen
imagine this being said in the voice of a little kid
because that's how i hear it in my own head

- a dog
i called him roger

- a spider
i didn't call him anything
i stayed away from him
he was big
and hairy
and just hanging out on the side of the road

- two yellow finches
not sure if they were
playing
fighting
or
ahem
something else that bees do also

- some garbage
a label off a bottle of water
i picked it up
why you ask
because i can't have this on my conscience

litter bug

- an old man
shuffling down his driveway to get the paper
it was towards the end of my run
so he was probably moving faster than i was

- spider web

i liked this one so much
that after my run
when i got back in my truck
i drove back here
just to snap some pics
i wonder where the owner was
i wonder if it was the same spider i saw the other day
the two spots weren't very far apart
well
to me they weren't
to a spider
they probably were
so it probably wasn't

ok
bye

week 2 day 1

started week 2 this morning
it was pretty darn good
once again
a little rough when i got to the very end
but still
persevered
feel good today
feel really good today

now let's talk food
i can already tell that weekends
shew
weekends are going to be my downfall difficult
i must find snacks
i must find healthy things
weekends are for working in the yard
and swimming drinking in the pool
both of which make me want to snack
and eat cheeseburgers
and chili dogs
and chips and dips
who wants celery when you can have
chili cheese fritos
well
i guess the answer to that is
me
i'll be the one eating veggies as snacks all summer long
not that i won't have a double cheeseburger
with some of jen's chili on top of it every once in a while
(my stomach just said "ummmm yes please")
geez
i'm not dead
but the majority of what i eat will be healthy
(i think i'm saying this more for my benefit
i will eat healthy
i will eat healthy
i will eat healthy)

in just a week of eating SO much better
and running
and getting off my fat ass
and doing stuff
i feel so much better
i don't think i could say it enough
i feel AMAZING

HK is finally home
a week of her gone felt like a month
she's going to the grocery today
i wonder what she's bringing home for this week...
 

a concert

week one
DONE
this morning's run was great
i mean
GREAT
first of all
i woke up in a great mood
my body wasn't sore
i was ready for the world
second of all
there was a thumbnail moon hanging low
and i got to watch the very beginnings of the sunrise
which we all know
i love
my lungs cooperated
my legs didn't give out
my music kept me going

if you live in the daycrest neighborhood in northern garrard county
where i run
i hope you enjoyed my version of
missy elliott's gossip folks
this morning
i can't say for sure
but i think i was singing it
out loud
i tried to keep it quiet
but sometimes
when the music's in ya
ya gotta let it out
if you missed it
i'll be back on monday
same bat time
i have a feeling i will be singing along to
pink's raise your glass
and
if 5:30 in the am is too early
check by my house in the evenings
tina turner and i perform
what's love got to do with it
while i mow the grass

no running for the weekend
i'm done until monday
when it's
90 seconds of running
2 minutes of walking
for a total of 20 minutes
looking forward to this next step

and with heather coming home this weekend
i'll hopefully have more food type stuffs to talk about
trying new recipes and such

avocados

i have absolutely no idea why
but avocados have become my new obsession
i eat them on
EVERYTHING
my new favorite lunch is
a whole wheat organicy kinda tortilla
avocado
mater
carrot straw things
vegan cheese type things
i know
it's not cheese if it's vegan
it's not vegan if it's cheese
honestly
i'm not sure exactly what it is
some sort of cheese flavored soy organic vegan thing
either way
it's good
so i've had that for lunch
and these

according to the label they are don't have anything in them
they are free of this
and free of that
but damn they taste good
i venture to say that they
might possibly be
the best pretzels i've ever had
nah
but they are pretty good
but i even eat avocados with these too
i made a grilled cheese
ok ok
a grilled cheese flavored soy organic vegan thing sandwich
the other night
with avocados on the sandwich
i guess there are worse things to be addicted to
but if this keeps up
i might need to go on intervention
imagine writing that letter

dear jess,

your addiction to avocados has affected me in the following ways:
the fridge is full of green/brown snot looking things
it looks like you are eating slime from nickelodeon

do they even still do that
i don't know

no running for me today
but tomorrow morning
tomorrow morning i run
and oddly enough
i can't wait
i am so excited to get back out there and run
that even sounds weird writing it

smoking's stupid...

today i finished
week 1
day 2
of couch to 5k
i thought it would be hard on my knees
or my back
or my ankles
but nope
it was my lungs
my lungs are revolting
i quit smoking january 1st
but after smoking for more than half of my life
god that's a long time
thought i was going to throw up at one point
but i made it
i finished
i had to slow down towards the end
but i still did it
but the whole time i thought
sure wish i would have listened to my parents
who smoked
so when you are 16 and the people who are lecturing you
are smoking
well - it doesn't quite mean as much
sure wish i would have listened to my coaches
but who could take big bill matros seriously
when he smelled like cough drops
and spit when he talked
sure wish i realized that
i sure as hell didn't know everything at that age
but luckily i quit
hopefully my body will recover
hopefully my lungs will forgive me


here are my parents
in high school
a long long long time ago
their love
well
it was awesome

on august 3rd
it will be 10 years since my mom died

on august 5th
it will be one year since my dad died


both from cancer
both related to smoking
smoking is stupid

so here i am
that person
nobody will probably listen to me
i probably won't change anybody's minds
or habits
but i'm still here
and i'm still saying it
don't smoke
if you smoke
quit
now

for now
i'm just hoping my lungs will forgive me
and let me breath again
and realize that
i'm sorry for everything i put them through
but we'll get through this
me
and
my
lungs
together...

some music...

with this couch to 5k program
you run in intervals
like week one is
run 60 seconds
walk 90 seconds
for a 20 minute period
so in order not to watch the clock the whole time
which i DON'T want to do
you need some sort of verbal cues
and i know that i need music when i run
if not
i get stuck in my own head
and bad things happen
anyway
i've been searching around the interwebs for the perfect combo
music that doesn't suck
isn't techno
up beat
makes me feel good
with cues as to when to switch from running to walking
i think i found it here
music
first of all
her website is
kissmyblackass
how could i not already love it
i downloaded week one
brittney (my assistant who is doing this as well)
went nuts and wanted to know where to get it
so i thought i would share it
i know that some of my fb
and real life friends are doing this
and thought it might help them out

i had today off
and am really looking forward to running again tomorrow
my legs are a little stiff today
but i figured they would be
but i still feel amazing
and am looking forward to each day

and so it begins...

so here's the deal
starting to run
starting to eat better
NO
i'm not going vegan
i would like to try to eat more of a vegan diet
more veggies
less crap
YES
i do know that
cows are not part of a vegan diet
but i will be eating them
trust me on that
i'm just trying to eat healthier
so please don't jump to conclusions when i say
VEGAN
in my best jerry seinfeld voice
"not that there's anything wrong with that"

 peep this pic from many many moons ago

to be young and skinny again
while i am aware that i will never look like i did in this pic
i will definitely feel like i did in this pic

i will be posting and updating about my journey
from the couch to running a 5k
which
BTDUBS
i have already signed up to run a 5k on july 21st
so i weighed myself this morning
and
started my journey
i will not be posting my weight on here
not because i'm ashamed
i learned a long time ago
to never be ashamed of who i am
but because i don't think that this journey is about weight
this is about being healthy
feeling comfortable in my own skin
sticking around for a really long time
just feeling better about life overall

so this morning
i woke up at dark:30
got dressed
ran/walked in the rain
by the end of it
i was tired
not gonna lie
but i stuck it out
i made it through my first run/walk
legs are a little tight and sore
as i move around the office today
but i expected that
but let me tell you
I
FEEL
AWESOME
just taking this first step to a healthier me
and when heather gets home
i am going to count on her to help me with
healthy eating options
she's better at the researching part
and i'm better at the cooking part
pretty good team if you ask me

so watch out world
here comes big Rhonda!!!