I FINALLY shook a chest cold I've been fighting since April and got to head out in my new running shoes. I HATE having to start from scratch with exercise, but I sure felt better, even though my stats weren't very good according to my standards. I jogged one mile, and then wogged (walk+jog- thanks Audrey!) the mile back. Took me 26 minutes. Again, not very impressive according to my standards for myself, but 2 more miles than I have walked or jogged in one set period in a long time. I'm sure part of the problem over the last two months is that I would wait until I almost felt well enough to run, go ahead and run, and then end up sick again.
Forcing myself to start off slowly has been the hardest part. Being a former athlete, I still have a hard time ridding myself of that "nothing less than 110%" attitude that coaches force down your throat. It is hard to learn as I get older that my body's 110% isn't the same now as it was 15 years ago, or even 8 months ago, so every time I start an activity I have to force myself to go slower than I think I should.
Of course, I was pumped to get up this morning and discover a high of 77, meaning I could actually go for an afternoon, outdoor run. (My motivation issues include not liking to run on a treadmill, and being a dreadfully NON-morning person.) When I started my run, it was clouded over and sprinkling, and I was STOKED! Of course, about 1 minute and 6 houses into my run, the clouds passed over and the rain stopped, leaving the sun to beat down on my for the rest of my session. But still FAR, FAR better than 97 degrees in direct sun.
Now I just have to remember to EASE back into this so I don't end up sick again.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
A White Girl's Mexican Fiesta. . .
All weekend I have been looking forward to my dinner plans for tonight.
I had planned to make an authentic Mexican dinner: homemade tortillas, homemade Mexican rice, homemade salsa, and tacos, all of which I have done before, just not usually in one evening. (Let's not get carried away. . . I buy Old El Paso taco seasoning in the big shaker jar.)
So I come straight home from work and begin the process. I will skip the boring details and just tell you that it is now 8:15, I've still had no dinner, and Mexicans everywhere are shaking their heads at me.
The tortillas are useless. I rolled them too thin which caused them to cook way to fast. They taste good, but are more like chips than tortillas. Not very conducive for tacos.
The salsa either has too much of something or is missing something. Not sure which.
I should never be allowed to cook any kind of rice other than Minute Rice. When I try to use "real" rice, I screw it up every single time. Somehow, I always manage to get half of it cooked, but then I run out of moisture before the other half cooks. The weird thing is that when I say "half," I don't mean "left/right" half, or "top/bottom" half. It is all mixed together, as in if you put a spoonful in your mouth, half of it will be cooked and half of it will still be hard. If anyone can figure out how I do this, I welcome tips.
The final straw was the taco meat. At 7:50 I discovered, much to my dismay, that we are out of Old El Paso taco seasoning. I am unsure how that happened. That is a staple I always make sure we have. Anyway, I scrambled to my computer and found a mix of seasonings for tacos that was rated 5 stars out of 5 by over 1600 people. As I'm happily stirring my spices into the meat, thinking I have for sure found something WAY better than taco seasoning, I taste it and discover it is not even close.
0 for 4. And the husband is getting us tacos from Rosa's. :(
So, there you go. My yearly attempt to cook. See you next March!
I had planned to make an authentic Mexican dinner: homemade tortillas, homemade Mexican rice, homemade salsa, and tacos, all of which I have done before, just not usually in one evening. (Let's not get carried away. . . I buy Old El Paso taco seasoning in the big shaker jar.)
So I come straight home from work and begin the process. I will skip the boring details and just tell you that it is now 8:15, I've still had no dinner, and Mexicans everywhere are shaking their heads at me.
The tortillas are useless. I rolled them too thin which caused them to cook way to fast. They taste good, but are more like chips than tortillas. Not very conducive for tacos.
The salsa either has too much of something or is missing something. Not sure which.
I should never be allowed to cook any kind of rice other than Minute Rice. When I try to use "real" rice, I screw it up every single time. Somehow, I always manage to get half of it cooked, but then I run out of moisture before the other half cooks. The weird thing is that when I say "half," I don't mean "left/right" half, or "top/bottom" half. It is all mixed together, as in if you put a spoonful in your mouth, half of it will be cooked and half of it will still be hard. If anyone can figure out how I do this, I welcome tips.
The final straw was the taco meat. At 7:50 I discovered, much to my dismay, that we are out of Old El Paso taco seasoning. I am unsure how that happened. That is a staple I always make sure we have. Anyway, I scrambled to my computer and found a mix of seasonings for tacos that was rated 5 stars out of 5 by over 1600 people. As I'm happily stirring my spices into the meat, thinking I have for sure found something WAY better than taco seasoning, I taste it and discover it is not even close.
0 for 4. And the husband is getting us tacos from Rosa's. :(
So, there you go. My yearly attempt to cook. See you next March!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
The Adventures of Closet Dog. . .
I swear, this dog. . . She is going to be the end of me. She better be glad that I find her so funny, and that she is so lovable when she isn't being a neurotic head case, because I know a lot of people that would have kicked her to the curb by now.
This dog used to beat me down to get outside. If she heard me so much as touch the doorknob to the back door, she came running, and lord help me if I was in her way. Then, for some reason a year and a half ago, she just wouldn't go anymore. I opened the back door and cleared out of the way for her and she came running like always, but came to a dead halt at the door way, looked at me, and started backing up. It was so strange!
Ever since then, she will not go outside unless either: a- one of us goes with her. b- we throw her out.
But the dog LOVES to be outside! If we go with her, she romps and plays and chases squirrels and barks at the runners across the street just like she used to. And we figured out that if we can get her out and then leave the door cracked, she knows we aren't leaving and she will do the same. But if she thinks we are leaving. . . oh, you would think we were trying to trap her in a room full of fire breathing, razor backed horses or something.
In the mornings, we have to LITERALLY throw her out. Now, this dog is small framed for a German shepherd, but she still weights a good 65 pounds. So this is the process we have to go through. I walk outside with her while Bill waits at the door. There is no chance of me beating her back in the house. (Trust me, I have tried every way possible.) So when I walk toward the door, Bill is there to catch her and not let her back in. The trick is getting her far enough away from the door that we can get the door closed without closing it on her. This is not easy, as she is the fastest large dog I have ever seen. (She caught a mouse once. Another story.) So what happens is he holds her while I get in the house around her. Then one of us takes her by the chest and shoves her slightly up and out so that she backs up on her hind legs, and is off balance enough that we can get the door shut, and all she can do is give us the, "Why do you hate me?" look.
Now if you ever see this look, don't let it fool you. As soon as she sees us heading out the door, she runs and plays. She didn't hear me come back in the house one morning when I forgot something because she was chasing a bird. Uh-huh. I've busted her act.
So anyway, when it is time to go out in the mornings, now, she hides. Yes, she hides. It used to be in pretty obvious places, like on her bed in the back bedroom or in the bathroom. One morning, though, I checked all of the normal places and she wasn't in any of them. I called her but she wouldn't come. I finally found her in the back bedroom closet. Of course she rolled over on her back and went all limp when I tried to haul her out.
You should see Bill try to carry a 65 pound German shepherd who has gone completely limp like a 5 year old.
I think if dogs could roll their eyes, Abbey would be every morning.
This dog used to beat me down to get outside. If she heard me so much as touch the doorknob to the back door, she came running, and lord help me if I was in her way. Then, for some reason a year and a half ago, she just wouldn't go anymore. I opened the back door and cleared out of the way for her and she came running like always, but came to a dead halt at the door way, looked at me, and started backing up. It was so strange!
Ever since then, she will not go outside unless either: a- one of us goes with her. b- we throw her out.
But the dog LOVES to be outside! If we go with her, she romps and plays and chases squirrels and barks at the runners across the street just like she used to. And we figured out that if we can get her out and then leave the door cracked, she knows we aren't leaving and she will do the same. But if she thinks we are leaving. . . oh, you would think we were trying to trap her in a room full of fire breathing, razor backed horses or something.
In the mornings, we have to LITERALLY throw her out. Now, this dog is small framed for a German shepherd, but she still weights a good 65 pounds. So this is the process we have to go through. I walk outside with her while Bill waits at the door. There is no chance of me beating her back in the house. (Trust me, I have tried every way possible.) So when I walk toward the door, Bill is there to catch her and not let her back in. The trick is getting her far enough away from the door that we can get the door closed without closing it on her. This is not easy, as she is the fastest large dog I have ever seen. (She caught a mouse once. Another story.) So what happens is he holds her while I get in the house around her. Then one of us takes her by the chest and shoves her slightly up and out so that she backs up on her hind legs, and is off balance enough that we can get the door shut, and all she can do is give us the, "Why do you hate me?" look.
Now if you ever see this look, don't let it fool you. As soon as she sees us heading out the door, she runs and plays. She didn't hear me come back in the house one morning when I forgot something because she was chasing a bird. Uh-huh. I've busted her act.
So anyway, when it is time to go out in the mornings, now, she hides. Yes, she hides. It used to be in pretty obvious places, like on her bed in the back bedroom or in the bathroom. One morning, though, I checked all of the normal places and she wasn't in any of them. I called her but she wouldn't come. I finally found her in the back bedroom closet. Of course she rolled over on her back and went all limp when I tried to haul her out.
You should see Bill try to carry a 65 pound German shepherd who has gone completely limp like a 5 year old.
I think if dogs could roll their eyes, Abbey would be every morning.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
2010. . . Whatever.
For the link to my actual blog: http://ldclark12.blogspot.com
Well, here I am again, writing the third annual Leslie Clark Year-in-Review. I don't know what spurred me to begin this tradition, but now I feel obligated to keep it up. It is interesting to go back and look over how things have changed.
10 years ago today I was halfway to college graduation, partying in with college friends with no idea what I wanted to do with my life.
5 years ago today I was preparing to be engaged, 4 years into my teaching my career, and already questioning whether I would be able to continue teaching until retirement.
2 years ago today I had begun a Master's degree fully preparing to leave education.
Today I have a Master's degree that I am not using, I'm still in education, and I still don't know what I want to do with my life. All I know is that I have great family and great friends.
I think I want to be a Yoga or Pilates instructor. But that's another blog post.
There really isn't much to reflect on this year. Other than one major event, it has been a very quiet year. It has been a year of healing, however, and a year of learning to let go, of learning that I don't have to have all of the answers, even if I think I do. It has been a year of great disillusionment as I've seen many things that aren't as they appear to be, or how I think they should be. It has been a year of wondering and questioning and doubting. "The year of the Mustard Seed," I like to call it.
It doesn't even really feel like a new year is about to roll over. It just feels like I am in this place of waiting, the place Dr. Seuss warned us all about. I have no idea what I'm really waiting for. Well, waiting for someone to show up and spontaneously clean my house, of course. Who isn't? But also waiting for something else. Something big.
Last year I made a pledge to take a great big step out in faith. Well, I did, and it wound up being the most painful think I have ever had to endure. I'm sure I will take the same step this new year when the time comes, but I don't know if I will be able to take it as eagerly as I did before.
It is also the time for making a bunch of promises to myself I probably won't keep. Really, whose bright idea was the "New Year's Resolution?" So in order to make myself feel less guilty when these promises fall on their respective faces, I will not be making a list of "New Year's Resolutions" this year. Instead, I will be making a list of "New Year's Intentions."
1. I intend to get myself back in shape, in shape enough that I can run 10 miles without stopping. Not in any specific time, but just do it. I discovered this year that I would rather just run and run and run rather than try to finish a set distance or run for a set amount of time. So the number 10 is arbitrary, but I feel like I have to put a number in the intention somewhere.
2. I intend to renew my relationship with God. I spent the better part of 2009 being mad at him, but I know I need him. Some will call me weak for this, and that's ok.
3. I intend to find a way to work with children, whether it be volunteering somewhere, getting back into a classroom, or SOMETHING. I MISS KIDS.
I think I'm going to stop with just those three right now. But I've also been thinking about things I would like to do before I die. Don't really know why I've been thinking these things. Probably just bored with vacation. No, that can't be it. . . but here are some of the things I've come up with:
1. Get my dogs trained and certified for Love on a Leash. (Claire and Chelsey, you can stop laughing anytime now.)
2. Sit in the live audience of Saturday Night Live.
3. Go to a Cubs game at Wrigley Field.
4. Go to Spain, Italy, Austrailia, and Ireland.
5. Live ANYWHERE but here. At least for awhile!
6. Own a Wrangler/ Rubicon again. (I miss mine so much!!)
7. Be debt free.
8. Backpack from coast to coast.
9. Go back to Vegas and ride EVERY roller coaster.
10. Go to Walt Disney World.
11. Go to Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks.
That's it so far. I think there were others, but I can't remember them. That's what I get for not writing them down!
Thank you to those who choose to share in my narcissistic blogging about all things me. :) I hope you all have a wonderful, safe, and reflective New Year's Eve, and a Happy New Year's Day. May your new year be filled with blessings, and may it not take you until April to stop dating things 2009. :)
Here's to 2010. . . Whatever.
Peace,
Leslie
Well, here I am again, writing the third annual Leslie Clark Year-in-Review. I don't know what spurred me to begin this tradition, but now I feel obligated to keep it up. It is interesting to go back and look over how things have changed.
10 years ago today I was halfway to college graduation, partying in with college friends with no idea what I wanted to do with my life.
5 years ago today I was preparing to be engaged, 4 years into my teaching my career, and already questioning whether I would be able to continue teaching until retirement.
2 years ago today I had begun a Master's degree fully preparing to leave education.
Today I have a Master's degree that I am not using, I'm still in education, and I still don't know what I want to do with my life. All I know is that I have great family and great friends.
I think I want to be a Yoga or Pilates instructor. But that's another blog post.
There really isn't much to reflect on this year. Other than one major event, it has been a very quiet year. It has been a year of healing, however, and a year of learning to let go, of learning that I don't have to have all of the answers, even if I think I do. It has been a year of great disillusionment as I've seen many things that aren't as they appear to be, or how I think they should be. It has been a year of wondering and questioning and doubting. "The year of the Mustard Seed," I like to call it.
It doesn't even really feel like a new year is about to roll over. It just feels like I am in this place of waiting, the place Dr. Seuss warned us all about. I have no idea what I'm really waiting for. Well, waiting for someone to show up and spontaneously clean my house, of course. Who isn't? But also waiting for something else. Something big.
Last year I made a pledge to take a great big step out in faith. Well, I did, and it wound up being the most painful think I have ever had to endure. I'm sure I will take the same step this new year when the time comes, but I don't know if I will be able to take it as eagerly as I did before.
It is also the time for making a bunch of promises to myself I probably won't keep. Really, whose bright idea was the "New Year's Resolution?" So in order to make myself feel less guilty when these promises fall on their respective faces, I will not be making a list of "New Year's Resolutions" this year. Instead, I will be making a list of "New Year's Intentions."
1. I intend to get myself back in shape, in shape enough that I can run 10 miles without stopping. Not in any specific time, but just do it. I discovered this year that I would rather just run and run and run rather than try to finish a set distance or run for a set amount of time. So the number 10 is arbitrary, but I feel like I have to put a number in the intention somewhere.
2. I intend to renew my relationship with God. I spent the better part of 2009 being mad at him, but I know I need him. Some will call me weak for this, and that's ok.
3. I intend to find a way to work with children, whether it be volunteering somewhere, getting back into a classroom, or SOMETHING. I MISS KIDS.
I think I'm going to stop with just those three right now. But I've also been thinking about things I would like to do before I die. Don't really know why I've been thinking these things. Probably just bored with vacation. No, that can't be it. . . but here are some of the things I've come up with:
1. Get my dogs trained and certified for Love on a Leash. (Claire and Chelsey, you can stop laughing anytime now.)
2. Sit in the live audience of Saturday Night Live.
3. Go to a Cubs game at Wrigley Field.
4. Go to Spain, Italy, Austrailia, and Ireland.
5. Live ANYWHERE but here. At least for awhile!
6. Own a Wrangler/ Rubicon again. (I miss mine so much!!)
7. Be debt free.
8. Backpack from coast to coast.
9. Go back to Vegas and ride EVERY roller coaster.
10. Go to Walt Disney World.
11. Go to Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks.
That's it so far. I think there were others, but I can't remember them. That's what I get for not writing them down!
Thank you to those who choose to share in my narcissistic blogging about all things me. :) I hope you all have a wonderful, safe, and reflective New Year's Eve, and a Happy New Year's Day. May your new year be filled with blessings, and may it not take you until April to stop dating things 2009. :)
Here's to 2010. . . Whatever.
Peace,
Leslie
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Christmas Wisdom. . .
Always take the time to stare at your tree with the lights off.
A brightly lit tree is a symbolic, philosophical thing. Standing in the corner of a room, quiet, beautiful, wanting nothing more than to be admired.
But the true wisdom is in a dark Christmas tree. For it is only when gazing upon a dark tree, do you see exactly how uneven your ornaments are.
Peace!
A brightly lit tree is a symbolic, philosophical thing. Standing in the corner of a room, quiet, beautiful, wanting nothing more than to be admired.
But the true wisdom is in a dark Christmas tree. For it is only when gazing upon a dark tree, do you see exactly how uneven your ornaments are.
Peace!
Monday, November 23, 2009
I'm a Mac. . . ?
I got a Mac for my birthday. (I love you, Bill!) And I love it very very much. At the same time, I often feel like I am too stupid to operate it.
I miss the "Home" and "End" keys. I miss having both a "Backspace" and a "Delete" key. The Control Key is really the Function Key, while the Command Key is really the Control Key, and both are in the wrong places! I can't figure out how to crop a photo or edit a video. I have a hard time moving video projects back and forth between home and work. (Seriously, Apple, you open every Microsoft formatted document out there, but you won't open a .wmv or .wma? Come on!)
But I L-O-V-E LOVE the fact that it has not slowed down, frozen, or crashed on me at all. I love how pretty it is. (Yes, I'm still a girl.) I love that everything in our house, from our computers to our iTunes to our TV to our printer to our phones works seamlessly. I love how much freaking FASTER it is because it doesn't load 20 programs into the system tray.
Yep. I think I am a Mac.
I miss the "Home" and "End" keys. I miss having both a "Backspace" and a "Delete" key. The Control Key is really the Function Key, while the Command Key is really the Control Key, and both are in the wrong places! I can't figure out how to crop a photo or edit a video. I have a hard time moving video projects back and forth between home and work. (Seriously, Apple, you open every Microsoft formatted document out there, but you won't open a .wmv or .wma? Come on!)
But I L-O-V-E LOVE the fact that it has not slowed down, frozen, or crashed on me at all. I love how pretty it is. (Yes, I'm still a girl.) I love that everything in our house, from our computers to our iTunes to our TV to our printer to our phones works seamlessly. I love how much freaking FASTER it is because it doesn't load 20 programs into the system tray.
Yep. I think I am a Mac.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Bloggers Anonymous. . .
Hello. My name is Leslie. And I have too many blogs.
And how do I deal with it? I start another one!
I have begun another blog that will document my weight loss journey that I began, once again and hopefully for all, last week. Although I am going to give you the link in this post, and anyone is welcome to read it, the new blog will not feed directly into Facebook the way this one does.
I will still maintain this one as my outlet for venting and for attempting to amuse people with silly anecdotes from my life. But I feel my fitness/nutrition/weight loss blog will be much more personal than my typical blog posts, and should only be read by people who want to, and not clogging up space on people's Facebook Newsfeed.
So here you go. I invite anyone who wants to walk this journey with me to follow along, whether it is from the sidelines as an encourager, or in the trenches with me. Feel free to bookmark the site, read and comment.
My new blog will be found at: http://frenchfryloveaffair.blogspot.com/
Peace,
Leslie
And how do I deal with it? I start another one!
I have begun another blog that will document my weight loss journey that I began, once again and hopefully for all, last week. Although I am going to give you the link in this post, and anyone is welcome to read it, the new blog will not feed directly into Facebook the way this one does.
I will still maintain this one as my outlet for venting and for attempting to amuse people with silly anecdotes from my life. But I feel my fitness/nutrition/weight loss blog will be much more personal than my typical blog posts, and should only be read by people who want to, and not clogging up space on people's Facebook Newsfeed.
So here you go. I invite anyone who wants to walk this journey with me to follow along, whether it is from the sidelines as an encourager, or in the trenches with me. Feel free to bookmark the site, read and comment.
My new blog will be found at: http://frenchfryloveaffair.blogspot.com/
Peace,
Leslie
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