Last Post

Well, this is going to be my last post on this particular blog. I hope everyone has enjoyed reading my stuff so far, and if you would like to continue then you will be pleased to know that I have set up a new website that will be launching soon! I just have a few more bugs to work out and some more editing to do, and then you can continue following me along my journey of life.

Thank you to all my friends and family who have supported my blogging and shared it with others in their social networks. I really appreciate it!

See you all soon at my new website :) Love ya!

XOXO,

~Fluffy Girl~

Sick and Tired

As I'm sure some of you have noticed, I haven't been writing much lately. This is for a number of reasons, but the main one is that I feel like absolute crap every single day. I'm exhausted for no good reason, and I don't even have the energy to think of anything to write about. My entire body aches from my neck to my feet. Literally--I am not exaggerating one bit. I feel like I'm 80 years old, not 34. I have also been having troubles focusing and paying attention to anything for an extended period of time. I know this is because I am being under-treated for my thyroid disease, and yesterday I decided I have had enough of this doctor I am currently assigned to.

I called the endocrinology clinic and basically demanded in the nicest way possible--which for someone who is suffering from hypothyroid symptoms is not very nice at all--that I get reassigned immediately. Within two hours, I got a phone call from a different doctor and we talked for almost 20 minutes about all my symptoms and the struggles I have had finding a good doctor since moving here 2.5 years ago. This doctor seemed knowledgeable and asked lots of questions, unlike the doctor I saw back in November. He reviewed my test results from the blood work I did recently and told me that my thyroid hormone levels are indeed too low--which is incredible considering his colleague just told me last week that everything "looked good" when I called to get the results of my blood test. I do not understand how two doctors in the same clinic practicing the same specialty of medicine can have completely opposite findings regarding my blood test results. Neither of us could come up with a logical reason for it, and that doctor is on leave until next month. How convenient for him. I will be following up in a couple weeks to see what happens with him. I only saw him once, but I knew from the get-go that he was no good. And surprise, he's not!

Alright, enough about that. Another thing on my mind lately that has had me preoccupied is Hubby's deployment. A couple weeks ago I wrote about how things change constantly in the military (you can read that post here) and sure enough, a couple days after I wrote that post things changed yet again. Now we are back to the original deployment date of June. I really, really hope that they don't change it again because I'm not sure how much more of this emotional roller coaster I can take. I know Hubs is getting frustrated too--we kinda just want to get it over with already so we can move on. We are excited to see what will happen when he gets back next year, because we will be due for a move. I love being near the ocean and there's tons of stuff to do here, but I am ready for something new.

Hubs is currently gone doing deployment training for three weeks. What's really interesting is that he is up in Wisconsin just a few miles from our hometown! I have to admit that I'm kinda jealous he's so close to home and might get to visit friends and family while he's up there. As much as I hate that town and all of it's drama and the bad memories it brings to mind, I do really miss my loved ones. It's hard being so far away from everyone sometimes. There are days I wish I could just go to my parent's house to sit and talk to them, or go to my brother's house and hang out at his bar. Every time we miss a holiday, birthday party, or other special event I always feel a little homesick. Hopefully I will be able to make it up there soon for a visit.

I've also been working on a couple projects, and I hope to be sharing them with you sometime in the near future. Stay tuned for updates!

By the way, this is my new friend at work. His name is Felix.
He likes hanging out in the fake tree by my desk and watching me work.

~Fluffy Girl~

Shamrock Race Recap 2014

Well, it's all over. Four months of preparation, and it's done in the blink of an eye!

I didn't achieve a personal record, but the important thing is that I finished. Even though I am now 35 pounds heavier (thank you, thyroid disease) and only did about half the training as I did the first time I ran this race (thank you, injuries), I finished within five minutes of my previous time.

On Saturday I headed down to the Virginia Beach Convention Center to pick up my race packet. I got to meet Bart Yasso, who is the Chief Running Officer of Runner's World magazine. His stories were inspiring and hilarious. I'm really glad I was able to catch his speech and meet him. He is an amazing man who knows everything there is to know about running!

Bart Yasso speaking at the expo

Bart Yasso and I

Then came race day. Up at 4:30 a.m. to drive down to Virginia Beach and find parking. I actually lucked out this year and ended up getting a spot real quick, and it was close to the finish line. Bonus! Last time I felt like I had to walk another mile to get back to the car, which of course was the last thing I wanted to do after running 13.1 miles.

My favorite part of any race is the couple minutes before the gun goes off. The excitement is high, my heart is pounding, everyone is pumped up, and it is such a major rush to be part of something so huge. The moment I have been training and working so hard for, worrying about, and stressing over for the past four months is finally about to happen. There's a million things running through my mind in those last few seconds. And when the gun goes off, there is no turning back.

 Just minutes before the start. Let's do this!

My Corral: #6

There is always so much stuff going on during the race that at times I forget that I am even running. The spectators, bands, DJ's, water stops, talking to other runners, and of course checking out (and laughing at) people's costumes makes the time absolutely fly by. There was one couple I ran next to for a while that was singing songs to eachother but mixing in their own words. It was hilarious! That kept me entertained for a good mile or two. It really made me wish I had a running buddy to do silly things with to make the time go by.

Beautiful Ocean Sunrise

The last half mile of this race is soooo awesome. The finish line is right on the boardwalk overlooking the ocean. A beautiful way to end an amazing race!

Almost done, I look exhausted! LOL

I made it! Love the Finisher's Beach Towel, I will use it this summer!



Of course, I promoted my blog while running this race :)

Bling, Bling!

My stats:

Official Chip Time: 2:35:33

Overall Results: 6565 out of 8936 finishers

Age Group (30-34) Results: 678 out of 984

Gender Results: 3685 out of 5510

~Fluffy Girl~ 



Always Write in Pencil

When I became an Army wife in 2007, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I was happy (and honestly--relieved) to escape my tiny hometown in Wisconsin to begin a new chapter of my life with my new husband in Texas. Little did I know just how tough it was going to be.

I went through some very traumatic experiences when I was a teenager, but that is a different story for a different time...maybe. It's difficult for me to think/talk/write about it. But my point is, those experiences shaped me into the person I am today, which is a very strong woman who is also somewhat of a control freak. I can admit that. I don't like surprises, and it freaks me out to be in situations that I have no control over. As I have now learned, the military lifestyle is not easy for a control freak. I never know what the hell is going on or what will happen next.

Looking back, I now realize how unprepared I was and how little I knew about military life when I got married. Unless you grew up in a military family, it is impossible to have any idea how tough it is. All of the "unknowns" and "what-ifs" of military life make me a little crazy in the head sometimes. Between deployments, moving every couple years, field exercises, temporary duty assignments, 24 hour staff duty schedules, promotion boards, unit transfers, meetings, recalls, tracking soldiers, counselings, classes, constant phone calls and text messages, FRG functions, and everything else that soldiers do, it is really hard to keep track of whether he is coming or going sometimes.

Over the years I have learned one very basic and valuable lesson as a military wife:

ALWAYS write in pencil, because everything is subject to change.

For example, we just found out last week that the deployment has been postponed until the end of the summer. Of course we are thankful for the extra couple months of family time, but on the other hand we have already been in "deployment mode" for a while now and we kinda just want to get it over with already. It's an emotional roller coaster to think he's about to leave, and then think we have more time, but also knowing it can all change again at the blink of an eye. This is the type of thing that drives me absolutely bonkers. I have no control over any of it!

Being an Army Wife is definitely challenging and there will always be situations that aren't ideal, but I don't regret a second of it. I am proud to support my hero and his career, and I will do whatever it takes to stand behind him.

I guess I should go buy some more pencils.

~Fluffy Girl~

Wait, I'm not ready!!

So.....I am totally not ready for this half marathon on Sunday. I haven't run a single step in 15 days because I've been trying to nurse my IT Band, but it doesn't seem to be getting any better.

My entire winter training season has been hell this year. First it was shin splints/stress fractures in both legs, then I was laid out with a massive cold/sinus infection for almost 3 weeks, then my knee was bothering me, my thyroid disease has destroyed my energy level and is causing weight gain and major fatigue, and finally the IT Band injury reared its ugly head about a month ago. I'm really glad I made the decision to downgrade my race from the full marathon to the half marathon--there is absolutely no way I could have finished the full.

I'm still going to do the race on Sunday and hope for the best. The PR I was aiming for is probably not going to be possible, but I'm just gonna have to get over it.  There will be plenty of other opportunities to reach those goals in the future.

Once this race is over, I'm really going to focus on just getting myself healthy again. The main factor that needs to be addressed is my thyroid disease because that is what causes most of my problems (weight gain, fatigue, muscle aches, depression, hair loss, dry skin, etc etc).  I'm going for a blood test this week to see where my levels are at for the first time since going on the new medication three months ago. I'm really interested to see the results and decide if I should stay on it or go back to the synthetic stuff.

As I am working on getting all of that under control, I'm also going to incorporate some strength training and pilates into my workout routine. I know I should have started strength training a long time ago to help prevent running injuries, but I didn't...and now I'm paying the price. Lesson learned!

It's amazing how much time, work and effort actually goes into being a runner if you do it correctly. It's more than just running--there's cross training, strength training, stretching, foam rolling, icing, finding the right running shoes and other gear, keeping your motivation, and then of course the actual running! And it is all totally worth it. Running has taught me to push myself in ways I never would have imagined before I started three years ago. I love it!

Stay tuned for a race recap after the weekend. Until then, happy running :)

~Fluffy Girl~

C'mon, Make Me Laugh

I have really been struggling lately with stress (hence my lack of posts the past couple weeks--my mind has been too pre-occupied) so I figured it's time to have a little fun.

I've been doing this blog for about five months now, and I want to learn about my readers. So let's play a fun Q&A game and get to know eachother. Just copy/paste the questions in the comments and add your answers. I'll even play along. Here we go!

These first few will be easy:

Where do you currently live?  Yorktown, VA
What other places have you lived?  Tomah, Wisconsin - Killeen, TX - Burkburnett, TX - Wichita Falls, TX - Newport News, VA - Yorktown, VA
What decade were you born in? 1970's
How many tattoos do you have? 9
Have we ever met eachother? If so, when/where did we meet?

These are fun:

Have you ever had a fake ID? Yes. I have no idea how it worked because the pic looked nothing like me, but it did! Fools.... 
If you had the option to go back in time and "start over" your life from the age of your choice, would you? If so, what age would you go back to and why? I thought really hard about this one. I don't think I would!
Have you ever had "an accident" in your pants? If so, you must share the story. I need a good laugh! Not yet, but I'm always afraid this will happen to me someday when I'm running!
If you could live the life of any sitcom character, who would it be? Rachel Green on Friends 
Have you ever woken up somewhere odd, not knowing how you got there? I once woke up in my back yard (and I was 100% sober, by the way). I still have no clue how that happened! Good thing I didn't sleep nude :)

Would you rather:

Be puked on, or pooped on? Poop. I can't handle puke. I just can't.
Permanently remove your eyebrows, or have a quarter-sized face tattoo? Remove my eyebrows. As much as I like tattoos, I wouldn't want one on my face.
Be cold, or be hot? Ooohh, that's a tough one. Hot I guess. 
Stay awake for 72 hours, or have no food for 72 hours? Stay awake. I would much rather be tired than hungry!
Know when you will die, or how you will die?  When. If I know when, it's not going to matter how.



Well, that was fun....right? I can't wait to read everyone's answers!

~Fluffy Girl~

Can I Just Cry Now?

Super stressed lately. Here's a couple reasons why:

Please no.

My baby telling me he didn't make Varsity soccer team after three stressful days of tryouts :(

This is just two of the many reasons this week is kicking my ass. I'm emotionally and physically exhausted. I started this post with the intention of writing more, but this is all I have the energy for right now. Ugh.

Can I just cry now? 

It's another Throwback Thursday!

I was looking through some old photos lately and thought I would share some of my favorites. Some make me laugh, some make me want to cry, and some were just too interesting not to share.

Enjoy!

Let's start off with a little something to make you chuckle. If this picture doesn't scream "I'm a dork who grew up in the 80's!" then I don't know what does. Loving the denim vest, puffy hair, and of course my supremely awesome coke-bottle glasses. Gosh, I was so darn cool I can barely stand to look at myself!

This is definitely one of the pics from the "interesting" category. I can't believe I actually used to have this haircut. I was about 20 years old in this picture.

With Varsity Soccer tryouts coming up next week for my son, I thought this picture was appropriate. Also coming up next week is his 17 birthday. He is sooooo adorable it makes my heart melt. Where has my little boy gone? **tear**

This next little series of photos is from my son's 8th birthday. When I asked him what he wanted, he said "ummmm, tuna". So of course, being the smart aleck that I am, I called everyone and asked them to bring a can of tuna wrapped up. It was the funniest thing ever and everyone played along. As you can tell by the looks on his face as he kept opening can after can of tuna, he was not impressed with this little prank. I still don't think he has forgiven me to this day.

This is one of my favorite pictures of us together. I don't know why, but it just is. It's from Chucky Cheese in 2003.  

Hubs is so smokin' hot in this cowboy hat. I have always loved this picture of him! We were on our way to have some drinks in Wisconsin Dells on a summer night in 2005. Good times!

This is me and my bestest best friend forever. We were out on the town for my birthday in 2006, and later that night I rode a mechanical bull. I'll spare myself the embarrassment of posting any pictures of that! We always have so much fun together, and I sure do miss her soooo much.

 







Since this is supposed to be a blog about running, here's the three of us at our first-ever race in 2011. Hubs even got second place in his age bracket! Pretty good for a guy who had just gotten home from the bar a few hours ago. Ha!

I saved the best for last. This is my parents from waaaaay back, I'm sure before I was even thought of. I absolutely love, love, love this picture. They are so young, and my Mom looks absolutely beautiful! (If you are wondering what they are looking at, there was actually a third person in this picture that I cropped out. Sorry, lady!)



I think most of us don't often think about what our parents were like before we were born, but I actually wonder about it a lot. Whenever I think about it, this picture always comes to mind and it makes me smile. Also, don't you think I look JUST LIKE my mom?? If I had dark hair and stood at this angle, I almost don't think you could tell us apart! 

That wraps up this edition of Throwback Thursday.

~Fluffy Girl~

Best. Present. Ever.

So I'm not a huge fan of Valentine's Day, but I must admit this one was pretty good. Hubs and I had agreed not to celebrate, but of course he still got me a little something anyways. It was meant more as a joke but actually turned out to really come in handy.

Yup, that is exactly what you think it is folks. A rolling pin. And he wasn't even wanting me to bake anything!

The other day I was talking about foam rolling, and I mentioned that it would be a lot less awkward if I had something handheld "like a rolling pin" to roll out my IT band which has been hurting like hell lately. So, being the awesomely wonderful husband that he is, he actually got me a rolling pin! And guess what--it works like a charm on my IT band. Thanks babe!

Then Hubs took me to a new (to us anyways) restaurant, and it was absolutely delicious. We were a little nervous when the GPS started taking us in the direction it did, but it turned out to be okay. We went super early to beat the rush, and it's a good thing we did because the place filled up fast.

Loved their V-Day message. LOL!

We started off with an appetizer:

BBQ Deviled Eggs (there was meat mixed with the yolk & BBQ sauce on top)

We weren't sure about the egg/meat mixture at first, but they were really good. My favorite part was the dab of BBQ sauce on top.

And then these two whopping plates of food:

This was an insane amount of food, and of course we took a full box of leftovers home. Everything was really good, and the service was great. Hubs did a really good job picking out this place!

That pretty much wrapped up our night--by the time we stuffed ourselves with all this yummy goodness, all we had the energy to do was go home and lay on the couch. And of course I had to try out my new rolling pin, so I did that while we caught up on our DVR.

Juding from this display at Walmart, the marketing department had their own ideas about how to spend Valentine's Day. Ha!

~Fluffy Girl~







Little White Lies

When I was running the other day I was thinking about {wow, some actual fluffy girl running thoughts this time!} how often people (including myself) lie. I'm not talking about the big whoppers, just the little white ones. I think most of the time we tell little white lies in order to avoid conflict or spare someone's feelings. I do it all the time (mostly to avoid conflict at work), and the more I thought about it the more it bothered me.

I used to be a very outspoken person and had no problem telling people what I thought or felt. Some might say that I matured and "grew my filter" as someone once put it, but I'm not completely sold on that philosophy. I think my filter is screwed on a little too tight these days.

Sometimes you just need to tell the truth instead of pussy-footing around to make everyone feel warm and fuzzy inside.

For example, look at the way society has changed in terms of raising/teaching children. "Everyone's a winner, everybody did a great job, life is wonderful" yada yada yada.  I personally do not agree with this mindset. Our children need to know when they have done something wrong and how to own up to their mistakes. We need to push our children to do better, try harder, and be competitive. Children need to know that life isn't always easy, and we should teach them how to cope with that reality. Society today is grooming our children to be weak, lazy, and feel a sense of entitlement that they don't deserve. It drives me crazy when I see people praise children for things that should be a standard in the first place. And don't even get me started on playing organized sports "for fun". I just can't.

Before I started this blog, I read lots of articles about the do's and don'ts of the blogging world. I was a little surprised at how often it was mentioned that you should always be positive in your blog posts. Isn't that a little unrealistic (and fake)? Life has its constant ups and downs, and I think we should share our real feelings and experiences so we can learn from eachother.  I don't plan to follow this "rule" of blogging, because guess what--I'm going to have bad days just like everyone else, and if I feel like venting then I'm going to do it. Sorry readers, but I'm not going to be fake and lie to you by pretending that I'm perfect.  

Moving on to a different point....lying in the workplace to avoid conflict. I am completely guilty of this because I do it every single day. I currently work for a man who admittedly goes out of his way to be a complete jerk every chance he gets. A majority of the time I just try to ignore whatever ignorant thing he just said to me and then evacuate the room as soon as possible. There are a couple issues that I call him out on, but for the most part I never say what I'm actually thinking even if he asks for my opinion. This is where my reluctance to tell the truth really bothers me. If I had met him ten years ago, I wouldn't have kept my mouth shut. I think I need to bring some of that unfiltered truth back into my life and stop being so passive. I'm not sure how, why or when exactly this change happened, but it's time to put an end to it.

Having said all that, I don't want anyone to think that I'm promoting hate, bullying, shaming, ignorance, pessimism, acting like a crazy beotch, or any other such nonsense. I generally am a positive person, but I'm also realistic and know that life just isn't all rosy and smiley. Sometimes people need to hear the truth, and the truth might hurt--but the delivery of such information is what is key. If you practice some tact and grace, even a hurtful truth can be expressed in a way that won't damage someone's self worth.

A Special Kind of Crazy

Another Monday.....how in the world does time keep flying by so darn quickly?!

This weekend was pretty fun, and we got to see something we've never seen before. I love living on the East Coast and always having something going on in the area to go do/see. What we saw this weekend at Virginia Beach was borderline insane!



Rescue Squads hit the waves first

It's almost time!

And there they go.

It was pretty darn cold and windy on the oceanfront, and I don't even want to think about how frigid that water was. I gotta hand it to these people--they are a special kind of crazy.

What was the highlight of your weekend?

Have you ever done (or would you do) a Polar Plunge?

~Fluffy Girl~

Tweet-Tweet and Throwback Thursday

Big news: I finally joined the tweeting world! I have been toying with the idea for quite some time, so I finally bit the bullet and signed up to see what all the fuss is about. I'm going to give it 30 days and see what happens. The experience of using Twitter would probably be more fun if I had some followers, so hit me up @thatgirouxgirl and I will follow you back :)

A year ago, Hubs and I were boarding the Carnival Fantasy for our "honeymoon" cruise to the Bahamas. I guess five and a half years late was better than never! We had a great time that first night--I wish we could go back and do it again.

All Aboard!

The second day...not so much. Hangover + Seasickness + Boat almost tipping over = Not much fun.

We ended up being small-time celebrities on that boat because we participated in (and won!) The Newlywed Game. I'm pretty sure Hubs dancing onstage in only some Cookie Monster boxers and a bowtie made the biggest lasting impression. Thank goodness for video cameras, because we will be able to relive that glorious moment over and over with the DVD that Carnival gave us of the show. I can't wait to whip that out when we have grandkids to show them how young and cool we once were. Ha!

What is your favorite social media platform and why?

Have you ever been on a cruise? If so, did you get seasick?

Where did you go for your honeymoon?

~Fluffy Girl~

I Double-Dog Dare You

Have you ever had a "moment" that made you wonder about your own sanity? I had one of those moments yesterday.

I was at Lowe's getting some supplies for work and there was a little girl and her mother in front of me in line at the checkout. The mother was scolding the little girl for something she had done wrong and she just kept going on and on. I was getting a little annoyed myself at the mother's endless rant when all of a sudden the little girl turned around and screamed at the top of her lungs. And it was L-O-U-D. The mother immediately clamped her hand over the girl's mouth and pulled her aside. When she stopped, the mother asked the girl why she was screaming and the girl said "Because it feels good."

The girl's response stuck in my mind as I paid for my stuff and walked out to the truck. I tried to remember the last time I had actually screamed. Not like a "woohoo" kind of scream you do at a concert or sporting event--but a real, blood curdling scream like you are so scared by something that you wet your pants. I do remember a screaming phase I went through when I was little, but that didn't last long because my brother would pound the snot out of me every time I did it.

Since I couldn't exactly pinpoint the last time I had screamed, I figured I was about due for a good ear-popping one. As I was driving back to the shop, I let out a little blurp. It wasn't much, but I was surprised by how loud it seemed. I'm generally a pretty quiet person so this was beyond my usual decibal range. I tried it again..and then again...and one more time before I started to feel a little weirded out by this strange experiment I was doing. I felt a little crazy doing it, but I decided to give it one more try and to make it a really good one. And guess what--that little girl was absolutely right. It felt so good that I laughed at myself for not figuring this out sooner. I think I have found a new stress management tool!

I'm sure some of you are thinking, wow she has definitely gone off the deep end this time. But I double-dog dare you to try it for yourself. Go somewhere--preferably where nobody will be alarmed and think you are being murdered--and scream it out. Think about all the things that have been stressing you out, all the hurt you feel inside, all the anger you have been bottling up, and just let it all out. You will be glad you did, I promise.

Maybe there really is something good about all that "screamo" music.....

 

~Fluffy Girl~

Escaping the Funk

The last week of January was a total drag for me. I tried several times to produce something worth reading, but every post I started to write became an angry rant so I deleted every single one. I finally escaped my emotional funk on Saturday, which resulted in a spontaneous decision to sign up for a 10k that took place on Sunday. I'm so glad I did it--the adrenaline rush of the race gave me a new wave of motivation and focus.

Ready, Set, GO!

Another medal for my growing collection :)

Got a new 10k PR on the books! 

It's hard to believe my half marathon is only 40 days away--it is coming up super fast. I'm hoping there isn't any more snow/ice this winter so I can get back on track with my training schedule and pull off that half marathon PR I'm gunning for. I'm also thinking about signing up for another 10k that is coming up on March 1 for a little extra motivation to train harder. Who knows, maybe I could also beat the 10k PR I just made yesterday! Wow, two PR's in one month. Can I handle it?! I think so :) 

There's something magical for me about participating in races . Some people don't get it and say, well you can run for free--why pay to run in races? I'm not sure exactly what it is...the excitement, the adrenaline, the competitiveness, the camaraderie, the race against yourself to obtain a new PR, the race swag...I guess a combination of all those things is what makes them special. Now what I really need is to find some running buddies to make races even more fun! 

Who's in??

~Fluffy Girl~

Slow It Down

I really wish time would just slow down a little bit. I can't believe this month is almost over already! I can remember when I was a kid and my Grandpa H would always say how fast time goes when you get older, and now I know exactly what he meant. It seems like the weeks/months just fly by, and I don't like it one bit. I need a slow motion button! 

We had a pretty good weekend of family time and some yummy food. Friday night Hubs and I went bowling, and I'm very happy to report that I beat him TWICE. Actually, you could say three times if you want to count overall pins. We ordered a Chicken Fajita Pizza from the snack bar, and it was freaking delicious (and cheap). We need to try making that one ourselves. Best pizza I ever had! Then we went home and had a family game night. I absolutely love family game nights. They are truly the best <3

Saturday the three of us ventured over to Richmond to check out some stores and eat at one of our favorite restaurants--Genghis Grill. As always, it was delicious and I had to take home half my bowl. They really need to open a location here in Hampton Roads so we don't have to drive over an hour to get our GG fix. Yum!

After we stuffed ourselves, we walked around the mall a bit and just happened to see this.

Yes, that is a man on the right. Yes, he is wearing a mini skirt, carrying a purse, and what you can't see in this pic is that he is also wearing heels. And yes, they are bedazzled to the max. There were people stopping them left and right to take their picture, and they were loving every minute of it. Apparently these folks are pretty popular because several of the locals made comments that they see them all around town and they are always the center of attention. Very interesting!

Yesterday I finally went running for the first time in ten days. I was so pumped because it was finally a little warmer and most of the snow/ice had melted from our "winter storm" last week. The trail I run on goes through a wooded area so there were still some spots of black ice where the sun never shines. I found this out by falling down within the first quarter mile of my run. I'm sure it looked hilarous because my foot only slipped a tad bit, but it was just enough to throw off my balance. I took several crazy steps while flailing my arms around trying to catch myself before digging it. Luckily I fell into the grass, so I just got right back up and kept going. I finished my six miles strong and it felt great!

We finished off the weekend with some laughs by watching this:

 

What were the highlights of your weekend?

 

What was your favorite movie of 2013?

How far did you run this weekend?

Ten Things

With another deployment looming on the horizon, I have been thinking a lot about the things I want to do with Hubs before he has to leave again. Of course this list is actually a mile long, but here are the top ten:

1. Go on a date every weekend. We often go several months without doing anything fun together. That is totally lame and it makes me sad.

2. Show him more love. One thing I know I'm not very good at is showin' some love. I have never been a real touchy-feely kind of person, but I have come to realize during his past deployments that I miss his touch soooo much. Hugs, holding hands, snuggling...all that stuff. I know I will miss it tremendously in a few months when he's gone, so he better watch out because I'm bringing it on.

3. Get professional family photos taken. We have been saying this for the past 6.5 years and still haven't done it. It's time.

4. Go on a weekend getaway--just the two of us. It has probably been about five years since we have just packed up and went somewhere alone for the weekend. We don't have to go far...just somewhere away from this crazy traffic and city life would be marvelous.

5. Surprise him with something he will never forget. Obviously, I can't tell you what it is. It's a secret!

6. Take lots of pictures. I want to take tons of pictures of us doing random things and being silly together. Looking at them will help me get through those tough, lonely days during his deployment.

7. Be more sociable. We haven't made many friends since we moved here two years ago. Part of that is our fault because we haven't really put ourselves out there too much, but also I think it is hard to make friends at this stage in life. Everyone is so busy with work, kids, school, etc. and a lot of times we don't have much in common with most people our age. Everyone else is having babies, and we are close to being empty-nesters. But, I hope we can somehow meet some more people to hang out and create memories with before he leaves.

8. Go on a REAL family vacation. We have never done this. Every year we use our vacation time to go back to Wisconsin to visit our families and friends. No offense, but I don't consider that a vacation because it is very stressful for me and I just can't relax there. Plus, we all kind of head our separate ways and do our own thing--we barely see eachother while we are up there! So, I want one week of just me and my guys exploring somewhere new and having the time of our lives together.

9. Do something outside our comfort zone. I have no clue what this will entail quite yet, but it's going to be something really cool. I promise. Ideas welcome :)

10. Throw him a kick-ass farewell party. Before Hubs deployed in 2012, I threw him a pretty awesome birthday/farewell party in our hometown. It was a lot of fun, and I plan to do it again this time around--only BIGGER and BETTER!

Walk It Out..and a Throwback

I never did get around to that foam roller last night, but I did go for a really nice, relaxing 4 mile walk. I had forgotten how much I love walking since I've been focusing more on my marathon training for the past two months. Walking has always helped me de-stress by giving me time to think things over that have been bothering me. By the time I'm done, I usually feel so much calmer and in a better mood than when I started. For some reason running doesn't give me the same peace of mind that walking does--probably because when I'm running, I am too focused on my pace and breathing and whatever pain my body is producing.  I need to start going for more walks on my non-running days to clear my head and come home refreshed.

We are supposed to be getting a "snowstorm" today over here on the East Coast, but it hasn't done anything yet. Since I am originally from Wisconsin, I find it hilarious that a forecast of a couple inches of the white stuff can produce such mass hysteria. People are talking about going to the store for supplies and making sure they have enough food, water, etc etc. What exactly do they think is going to happen? It's not the apocalypse people, it's just a little snow. Everything will be okay.

Every time I think about snow I remember one of my first dates with Hubs. It was the dead of winter, temperatures were somewhere in the teens, it was snowing (and there was already a couple feet on the ground), and we thought it would be a great idea to walk home from the bar with no coats on. Hubs has the bladder of an eighty year old, so he had to stop along the way home to take care of business next to a parked car. Just then, a fire truck came flying out of the fire station that was a couple blocks away from my house and it scared the crap out of us. Hubs went running down the road trying to get his stuff zipped back up and all I can remember is his tiny white hiney flashing me as he ran away from the fire truck. I also demolished my own son's snowman that night (sorry buddy, the truth finally comes out!) while trying to show off my kickboxing skills, although they weren't very good skills considering it took me a few tries to knock it down. We laughed so hard that night, and I wish we could go back to being so young and silly and carefree. It's hard to believe that was nine years ago already. Where has the time gone??

Here's a little throwback from our wild and carefree days. I miss those times soooo much.....

Weren't we cute?
Hubs and Me, Summer 2005

~Fluffy Girl~

Can't make this stuff up!

The weekend was pretty good overall. Friday night we went out for dinner and drinks with some friends to a place I have been wanting to try out for quite awhile--The Taphouse in Hampton. I was a little scared because it is "downtown"--which around here generally means an area that you wouldn't want to go at night--but it wasn't anything like I imagined it would be. I've heard that during the summer this is THE place to go for a good time on the weekend, so we will have to check it out again once the summer block parties start. It was a cozy little pub with some really good food, and they have a HUGE selection of beers on tap. Hubs tried out a few different beer selections, but I stuck with one of our new favorites that we discovered when we moved here: Yuengling. We had a good time chatting with our new friends and getting to know them better. I even got some good stair climbing in because the restroom was on the second floor, and I think I made at least 4-5 trips up there. I was wearing three inch heels which made the descent a little tricky, but I survived the night without rearranging my face on the wood floor. Go me!

Hubs and Me @ The Taphouse 1.17.14

Saturday we did absolutely nothing besides be lazy and catch up on our DVR. If it wasn't for the dogs needing to go outside, I never would have even seen the sky that day. Sometimes you just need a day of pure nothingness to relax and recharge your batteries.

Yesterday Hubs and I decided we needed to leave the house, but we didn't really have anything in particular to do. We ended up roaming the mall, where I saw this ridiculous and disgusting game:





I actually called Hubs back into the store to see this because I simply could not believe my eyes. The concept of this game just blows my mind. Who in the hell thinks of this stuff? And what kind of person would buy this for their children? "Here kids, go throw poop at each other's heads.It's tons of fun!" And then when they start throwing REAL poop at each other, who is to blame? Oh my goodness. I can't believe the pure stupidity going on in this world today. You can't make this stuff up!

Did you notice I didn't mention any running from this weekend? Yup, that's because I have now pulled a muscle (or something) in my right leg. I was doing some sprinting during one of my short runs last week and managed to come away with a very sore outer thigh. Actually, the pain kind of radiates all the way from my hip to my knee. I did find a foam roller yesterday when we were out and about, so I will be trying that tonight after I find some videos on how to do it correctly. I've got four miles on the schedule for tomorrow--we'll see how that feels after I've rolled myself out.

I hope everyone has a great week!

~Fluffy Girl~

Battle of the Sexes

Being the only female at work has it's pros and cons.

Pros

1. I have my own bathroom. I can spend as much time in there as I want, and nobody can bother me.

2. Every time I pull up to the shop with a truckload of material, the guys practically race eachother to come over and unload it. I think it is hilarious. What a bunch of buffoons!

3. I don't have to deal with other women's catty attitudes. Come on ladies, let's admit it--when there is an office full of women, there is bound to be drama. And there's always "that one" who nobody likes, but we are all forced to make nice and tolerate her crazy ass. I'm so glad I don't have to deal with any of this nonsense.

4. When it's time to go home, the guys always let me budge in line to punch out.

5. A majority of our customers and vendors have said that they prefer to deal with me instead of my boss. However, this probably actually has nothing to do with me being a girl and more to do with the fact that my boss is--um, we'll just say "a difficult person to deal with"--but whatever. I'll take the compliment.

Cons

1. Men stink--literally.

2. I don't have anyone to talk to or be friends with. Face it--most guys couldn't care less who got booted off of The Bachelor, and they don't want to hear about the hilarious thing my husband/son/dog/cat did last night. I do miss the "social" part of working with other women.

3. There's nobody to back me up when the boss is being a complete macho and egotistical bully. I think if there was another female around here, this wouldn't happen nearly as much as it does now.

4. People treat me like I'm an idiot because I work in a male-dominant industry. Sure, I don't know how to use a lathe or weld, but give me some credit. If you are trying to screw me over on pricing for material or sell me something I don't need just because I'm a girl, then YOU are the idiot. Don't you know that buying stuff and getting good deals is what women thrive at?? Duh, stupid.

5.  I will never understand this phenomenon: How men can be complete psycho jerkwads one second and then turn around and act like nothing ever happened. Kind of like the whole, I'm-going-to-punch-your-lights-out-and-then-shake-your-hand-and-buy-you-a-beer thing. This phenomenon happens around here on a daily basis, and it blows my mind every time. {poof}

What do you think--would you rather work with all women or all men?

~Fluffy Girl~

Twitchy

You can always tell when I'm stressed out because two things happen:

1. My right eye twitches.
2. I scratch my face (specifically my huge forehead) in my sleep.

My right eye has been twitching for days, and it is driving me in-freaking-sane. Like, seriously--it is making me a little crazy in the head. My most recent forehead scratch is pretty much healed up right now, but I'm sure another one will appear soon. It is so weird to wake up in the middle of the night and you are clawing yourself in the face.

I just had a brilliant idea! I should start wearing boxing gloves to bed, which would serve two purposes: I couldn't scratch myself in the face, and I could give Hubs a little bump on the noggin when he's snoring and keeping me awake. These seem appropriate:



What wierd and uncontrollable thing does your body do when you are stressed??

~Fluffy Girl~

Runner's Envy

Yesterday when my husband woke up, he decided that he needed to go run a half marathon--so he strapped on his shoes and did just that in under two hours. The reason this blows my mind is because he didn't train for it, he just did it. Sure, he runs a few miles a couple times a week for PT, but not usually more than 4-5 miles at a time. When he got home and showed me his tracker, I was overcome with runner's envy. How can he just wake up one day and decide to run a half marathon without training, and then pull off a sub 2:00??? I wish I was even half as athletic as he is.

After my envy subsided, I figured I better get my fluffy butt out there and get my 8 miles in. It turned out to be a pretty weird run. The first couple of miles I could not get my breathing or pace under control, so I took a walking break and gave myself a pep talk. The next four miles went really well, but then I got stuck waiting for traffic at a red light and that completely threw me off.  The last two miles I was cursing my heavy legs and just wishing it was over already.

On a good note, I finally broke out of that two pound yo-yo effect I've had going on with my weight for the past few months. I actually lost a couple pounds! I just hope I can continue on this path and not go back up again. Could this mean that my new thyroid medicine is finally working?? I sure hope so!

~Fluffy Girl~

This and That

Here's a bunch of random stuff that I have been thinking about this week but just haven't had the time to write about until now. Enjoy!

1. I need some good sleep. I haven't had a full night of rest in what feels like forever. Either the dogs are whining, Hubs is snoring, or I just plain can't sleep because my mind never stops racing.

2. My boy had his first job interview last night at a new pizza place that just opened up in the neighborhood. It was a "group" interview that included about ten applicants--that is a cool concept! The owner went around the room and asked random questions, and my son got this question: If I was cheating on my taxes, would you rat me out? Interesting question for a sixteen year old! I think he answered correctly. Hopefully he gets a call back for a one-on-one interview. Momma needs him to start paying some of his bills!!

3. I ran on a treadmill at the gym the other day because it was so cold outside, and it sucked. I absolutely hate treadmills, and it was the longest 4 miles I have ever ran. It was boring, hot, and there were way too many people around me. I definitely prefer the outdoors and solitude when it comes to running!

4. Hubs decided to shave his head bald again after having hair for over a year. For the record, I prefer him with hair. He was a little upset when I told him he looks five years older without hair, and then he was REALLY upset when a young buck on his basketball team told him he looks ten years older. Haha! Poor guy. Either way, he's a sexy stud in my book :)

5. This week has been really stressful at work. I'm super-duper glad that today is Friday and I won't have to deal with any of these jerks people for two days. I think Hubs and I might have to crack open that bottle of Cherry Doctor McGillicuddy's my parents brought us. Yum!!

6. I have been trying really hard not to think about Hubs's upcoming deployment, but it is a constant thought in the back of my head lately. Several times a day I find myself thinking about it--especially when I'm getting ready in the morning or driving to/from work--and I start to tear up. I just want to slow down time and enjoy every moment with him, no matter how trivial. I'm going to miss our bedtime talks, his nonsense "factoids", and everything else he does that makes me laugh. He is my everything <3

7. Below is a pic of my first official purchase order that I generated with my newly added title of "Purchasing Agent". I am so cool! (Not really-I've been writing purchase orders for a long time, just without the title.)

I hope everyone has a great Friday night! Cheers xoxo

~Fluffy Girl~

 

Facing Reality

After being sick for the past ten days, I'm finally almost back to feeling normal. Now that the cold-medicine-induced haze has cleared, I'm ready to look forward and start thinking what I want to accomplish this year.

The thing that has been weighing on my mind the most lately has been my marathon training. I had signed up to do a full marathon (26.2 miles) in March, but I have come to the disappointing conclusion that I need to face the reality that I'm not going to be physically ready for that yet. I have had some setbacks in my training--thyroid disease related health issues, injury, illness--and I just don't feel like my body is strong enough to be able to finish that race in two months. Yesterday I did finish my 12 miles--but it was painful, I was dizzy the last few miles, and I threw up twice. It really upsets me to have to put this goal off for now, but I am also trying to be realistic. Therefore, I have downgraded my registration from the full marathon to the half marathon. Sometimes things don't work out the way we want or expect them to, so we have to alter our goals. This just happens to be one of those moments. I don't like it, but it is what it is.

So, now that I have made that difficult decision it is time to move on and set some new goals for the half marathon. Over the next two months I plan to really push myself to improve my pace so I can set a new PR (personal record). I am aiming for a sub 2:10, which means I have to get down to about a 9:50 pace. I am currently running closer to a 10:40 with short walking breaks on my long runs. Let's do this!  

Don't get me wrong--I still plan to defeat the almighty full marathon sometime this year, it just won't be in March. After I complete the half marathon, I will continue training instead of taking a break and starting from scratch later in the year. I am on the prowl for a new marathon to sign up for in the fall/winter season. Any suggestions??

I hope everyone is happy, healthy, and enjoying the new year so far!

~Fluffy Girl~