Monday, December 21, 2009

Fun with the 4MP Kodak

I'm lucky enough to work near two very different Target stores. One is the old layout with no real grocery presence and the basic snack bar- ooh, and TWO entrances, LOL. On the plus side, it doesn't seem like this store gets shopped as much as some of the "fancier" ones, so it's easier to find your size. The other one boasts the expanded grocery section and a Starbucks with the newer store layout. This is the one I wandered into today to kill some time at lunch.

I was pleased to find some new Merona slub tees that I can't seem to find online yet. I'm sure someone else will post a review soon with better pictures. I opted not to take fitting room photos with the iPhone only to be at the mercy of a 4MP Kodak that has seen better days. I really need to upgrade for when I'm out and about. Sorry for the blurry pics in advance (plus my poor photo skillz).


Up first is the Berry Stripe Slub Tee for a reasonable $9.99. I tried on the large and was pleased with the fit. I'm a sucker for striped/graphic tees and thought the raspberry color would be fun. The stripes look "painted" on. The price tag is also different, shown below.








The next tee I tried on has a cute little gray Schnauzer on it, but the tag says Slub Tee Black. Not real creative...I tried on an XL because they didn't have a large and even though that was a bigger size than the berry stripe, it seemed like it fit the same. This was also $9.99.

I also picked up a Merona cardigan that was originally $19.99 but has been marked down to $13.98. It's very similar to the much talked about J Crew honey glaze. It's thin and might stretch/pill some (cotton/nylon/spandex blend), but for the price I wanted the color. This is the large layered over the doggie tee.The cardi is still available online but at the original price. It lists the color as ochre.




Check back soon for post(s) of my recent shoe acquisitions courtesy of eBay and the resale shop!

Friday, December 18, 2009

The Informers

Have you seen The Informers? It's based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis, which I know I read awhile back. I can't recall a damn thing about it other than it's a bunch of jaded rich kids getting into trouble and making poor decisions.I get to watch it on my own since hubby has no interest. My goal is to get through it tonight so that I can put it in the mail tomorrow in the hopes that Netflix will send the first disk from True Blood before the holiday. I actually did not request this series...


Thursday, December 17, 2009

My Wish List (subject to change at any time)

Inspired by TastyMoog here, I've decided to make up my own little wish list for the holidays. While I have excluded health care reform (a girl can dream!), my list is pretty small since I just buy whatever. I also don't trust people to get me the right size in clothes since it can vary from store to store. And I'm picky. And I really don't need anything.


First up, I want a new stainless steel water bottle. I have a Nathan brand one with a straw, but it sucks. Pressure builds up, causing unfortunate explosions of water at inconvenient times. I'm not picky about color/pattern- I just want it to fit in the cup holder in my car.

I've been coveting this cute beetle watch from Fossil. I don't need a watch since I don't wear the one I do have, but I kinda want a big man-type watch.

I also need a case for my iPhone since I'm too lame to buy one for myself. That would be why it's all scratched up and there's a tiny chunk missing from it...minuscule, really. Hubby prolly wouldn't be too happy to see that...In any case (ha!), I want this slider case where the bottom pops off so that I can easily set it on the docking station at night where the phone magically turns into an alarm clock that channels Thom Yorke to sing me awake in the morning. I want the orange case, but my better half already claimed that color. Black is lame and pink isn't really my thing, so I'm going with gray. That earned me a "Really! Grey! Ugh!‏" email this morning. LOL.

And of course a gift card from JC would be nice. I reminded him that it was on the OTHER corner at Easton. For my birthday, he got me an iPhone, so I wasn't expecting anything else. He surprised me (and was all excited about it) when he whipped out a gift card to...Banana Republic. It was so sweet, and I felt awful about not loving it. I just don't shop there. He just went to the wrong store on the corner at the mall. I was kinda surprised since my JC obsession is pretty obvious.

The next two items are random and I prolly won't get them. I've been wanting a Magic 8 Ball, but thanks to the folks at Lolcats, I could have a Magic Cheezburger. Their shirt of the day has an ANTEATER on it. I love those!

And though they won't get much play despite my desire to want to play more video games, I want Wolfenstein and Beatles Rock Band. I also need to add to my achievements since I've already received some when I rented the games from Blockbuster.

Lastly, who wouldn't want another kitty? This one actually looks a lot like Ben, which should thrill my husband. It would prolly become roly poly and messed up, too. Unfortunately, I can't get another cat until a current one kicks it or we get a house. A condo is too small for another cat...or a fourth litter box. And we'll need to get a bigger bed so that I can increase my chances of having foot room.

I still have some shopping to do. I've been randomly buying stuff for my parents, sister, and husband. I also need to mail a package to my nieces in the hopes they'll get it before Christmas. They like crafts, so they're getting a big box of Martha Stewart crafts I scored for a great deal at Big Lots. Hubby's going to make out the best of anyone (as usual cuz I spoil him), although he'll fake sadness over receiving clothes. I've seen him looking at the JC catalog tear outs from the men's pages! Mayeb I can talk him into wear a manly cardi?

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

This is a test of the emotional disturbed kitteh meowing system


My first photo! LOL. I do have vacation coming up, so I'll try to be a good blogger and post some real pictures. I definitely want to post all my awesome J Crew scores from the resale shop. It's just that I'm so bad at making sure to use a real camera and not the iPhone. I hope with the new one next year that they'll include a better camera. You'd think so since so many people take photos with their phone. I should break out the old Kodak, but it's maybe a 3.1MP...I can easily upgrade to a 12MP for less than $90.

So this is Ben. Yes, that's a weird cat name, but I didn't give it to him. Full name is Benjamin Franklin because at the time I brought him home, I was studying American History and my now husband was also reading my textbook (for fun...) thought that'd be cool. It's a good thing this furball is so cute, cuddly, and loving because he's a mess. Allergies, litterbox issues, fear of everything...A free cat is no free cat. I have no idea how much we've spent to "fix" him, but it's A LOT.

Our other "pretty" kitteh is Arwen. Yes, named after the elf from Lord of the Rings. Husband named her, too. Just thinking about her is exhausting. She's always into everything and never shuts up. Total antithesis to Ben. This is actually a really old photo of her- from back when I was still a science major. Perhaps this is why I had to drop out of Chemistry?

Return of the Hobbling Jedi

Egads, I haven't blogged since August? FAIL! All the time I think, "Hey, this is interesting/funny; I should blog about it." And it NEVER happens. I'm amazed by the people who do update their blogs every day, sometimes multiple times. How do they do it? I obviously have time to read theirs and take no time to update mine.

To recap, I'm still having issues with my right side, but at least now I know what it is. Pinched S1 nerve (due to a bulging disk), which is near the base of the spine and runs down my right leg. So all that running/exercising I was trying to do wasn't helping. Awesome. So the doc gave me this fantastic hard core back brace that I wore nonstop for almost two weeks...and then I started just wearing it while at home. It's hard to wear clothes over the monstrosity, plus I feel like a turtle. I worried that if I fell over I wouldn't be able to get back up.

Even better, the physical therapy I've been doing the past week and a half appears to have worsened my pain. What was once just a pain in my ass has mushroomed into an all out attack on my right leg. After some trial and error with some different anti-inflammatories, the doc had to put me back on prednisone, which is helping somewhat. New symptom that started up yesterday was some numbness in my pinky toe. Today the outer edge of my right foot feels numbish when I stand on it. Needless to say, the doc was NOT happy with the PT people because they weren't following his directions. Now I get to switch to a different place...but it prolly won't be until after the holiday. :(

So no running, biking, swimming, walking, etc until I get this sorted out. I haven't tried any yoga on my own recently, but depending on the move, it might aggravate that nerve. In the meantime, I REALLY need to focus on nutrition so that I don't balloon up...any more than I have in the past few weeks since I eat anything that's not nailed down or under glass. I tracked my food in Sparkpeople today, and so far I've been successful! Now just to do it for the next 1 million days...

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

I have trouble with...BENDING

I can hardly move without feeling like someone is stabbing me in the lower back. Or, it feels like my tailbone is going to burst out of my butt. Said pain is really low on the right side and seems to also be affecting my right hip. I'm shuffling about like an old person and have to brace myself when sitting down or standing up.

If life is like this now, WTF is it going to be like when I finally AM old?

So still now workouts this week. Blech! And all I want RIGHT NOW are potato chips and ice cream. I can't wait until Saturday when I get to go see a doctor, although I don't know what can be done there. What I really need is an X-ray or MRI or something. Back in June I had issues with my right shoulder/arm, but that seems to have cleared up. I was experiencing some back trouble then, but then it kinda went away. It's been acting up this past week, but last night and definitely today it's been worse. This is not a way to live life, so now I must go spend $25 to have someone tell me what's wrong...or at least refer me on to someone else.

I hope I won't have to see a chiropracter, but I'm not a fan of medication either. We'll see.

On a positive note today, I'm going to be getting some more work at work and some more responsibility. I guess they don't know what to do with me- I've exceeded expectations, which makes me ponder how low their expectations are. Or am I truly that awesome? I wish that was the case, but I'm realistic. I'm just hoping it all pays off and I can get into the Merchant in Training (MIT) program next tear. Only 3 people are selected each year, and I REALLY hope to get a spot. I'm eager to learn about the other departments within the company.

I just sneezed and it makes me want to cry. Maybe I should just go to bed and hope for something better in the morning. Or I might just read my nerd book until I pass out.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Tired Tuesday

Is it just because it's been gloomy all day? Is it because I didn't have my usual afternoon RedBull? In any case, I didn't workout like I'd planned...so, fail.

Right now I could go for a nap. I'm thinking about reading through my fitness magazines and planning my workouts for the week, but I'll prolly end up watching political commentary all night until it's time to go read my "nerd" book in bed. I'm reading "The Paradise War" by some nerdy looking guy. It's one of those sci-fi/fantasy books that I used to scoff at when I was younger...but now I'll read that kind of stuf. Within reason. The sad thing is that I'm reading it only because it references a place called Albion, which is also the name of the world in Fable...but neither the book nor the game are connected. I really should see about Fabling sometime soon...

I also need to look into adding photos into the blog, especially since I like to talk about pretty things that I buy. And of course there'll be cat pictures. Lots and lots of cat pictures...although nothing as fab as what can be found at icanhascheezburger.com That is THE funniest site.

In a nutshell, I'm:
  • Too lazy to post
  • Too tired to post
  • Too boring to post
Maybe I'll get my act together tomorrow...

Monday, August 3, 2009

You gonna wait too, fat boy, fat boy, wait til tomorrow...

I miss Silverchair. What ever happened to them? Even though Daniel Johns was blonde, he was still a cutie...I should really listen to their music more. I mean, it's not like they aren't on my iPod...

I heart my Nano, which I've had since Christmas '05. It's a measly 2GB, but since I'm always adding/subtracting songs, I hadn't filled the thing until the past week. Amazing. I love the tiny thing and will be sad the day it stops working because then it means I have to use my hefty iPhone when I workout. Granted, the phone can hold a TON more songs AND enables me to watch videos...but the kind of videos I want to watch just aren't available on iTunes.

I want to watch people running.

Does that sound crazy? I think that's part of what really helped me get into running last year. I remember watching the Olympics one afternoon at the gym (after consuming a RedBull), and I ran 2 MILES. Straight! I'd never run that much! Actually, it could have been 3 miles, but I really don't remember. I just remembering how awesome it felt because I'd never run any long distance before. Yeah, 2 miles isn't all that far now (oh wait, it is again), but it was back then. It's probably been about a year now since that day. And since then I've run an entire 5K (no walk breaks!), a 4 miler, and a half marathon. I can't believe I've done all that when I'd never been able to push myself to run more than a mile at one time.

That brings me to the point of this post- tomorrow I need to start buckling down with this running. I keep starting and stopping. I think the most I've run at once since the big race has been a mile. In more recent times, it's been a 1/2 mile. I want to run the half in October, but right now I'm in no shape to even THINK about that. I need to rebuild my base and get with the program. I also need some speed...

I've been pushing myself to run at a 10 minute pace on the treadmill, which is MUCH faster than the 12 minute pace I had been running before. I'm hoping that if I just start out at the speed, I'll be able to stick with it. I'm also trying to be mindful of my breathing and how my foot is hitting the ground. So every week, at least 4 times a week, I need to be chained to that treadmill. I know it's not as fun as being outside, but it's the only way I'm going to learn the pace.

As for running outside, I don't think I've done it at all this summer. There was a brief jog at the park in June (up a stupid hill which then ruined it) and a 2 mile run/walk up at the lake...but there's been nothing else. I have all kinds of excuses: I don't want to run with my pepper spray, I don't want to run alone, I can't keep up with the runners in Run Club, it's too hot...

One thing I can say for certain is that I'm getting my weight training in. I find that it's easier to focus in the tiny gym at work than at the fancy gym I pay for...and haven't been to in at least a month...but let's not talk about that...

So here's to tomorrow where I can get my workout in...since tonight was lost to yummy ahi tuna and cinnamon ice cream at Eddie Merlot's for a work dinner. Yum!

So...

Yes, I'm a very bad blogger. I haven't posted in well over a month as Lindsey (I spelled your name right!) was kind enough to point out. It's not like I'm not thinking "hey, I should talk about that on my blog" about all sorts of things...it's just that I forget what it is or I'm wasting time reading other blogs or hunting for deals on J Crew on eBay. As for that, I'm 0-2 for things I've purchased on there in the past two weeks. It was so sad to relist the patent leather Juliet heels (especially since they are orange!), but they just weren't comfortable. I think if they made a 10.5, that might work.

As for J Crew deals, I've scored some awesome ones lately. I've acquired 4 cardis from Clothes Mentor in the past month at scandalous prices- 3 of the four still had the original tags! I'm the lucky beneficiary of some local Aficionada who must have scored them as part of a final sale that didn't work out for them. I mean, $14 for a sweater that was originally $98?! W00T! I also got a few final sale pieces at reasonable prices at the actual J Crew store. I can't wait to go to the outlet soon in the hopes that I'll find more awesomely cheap things since I can't bring myself to pay full price for anything, let alone their stuff. Their jewelry is ridiculous, having prompted me to try making some of my own jewelry. I have some supplies but haven't gotten around to it yet...like so many other things...

Like blogging!

Anyway, I'm going to start keeping track of blog ideas- maybe use that Notes app on my phone. If I were to sit tonight and go through everything that's happened since my last post...no one is going to want to read it! It'll be WAY too long, so maybe I'll break some of it up. Stay tuned...

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Track Workout #2

Today I did my second track workout...in the heat. Blech. I don't remember it being so hard to run in the heat- or so miserable. I was a big sweaty mess the whole time, but this time I remembered to wear both my heart rate monitor and my iPod so I could keep track of where I was and stay motivated. It's amazing how a simple run in the HEAT makes your heart rate shoot right up to a chest-bursting 180 bpm. At least I didn't pass out or puke...

But, it wasn't as great as it could have been because something is wrong with my right arm. I think I've got a pinched nerve, so the arm feels all useless and tingly. I should prolly put some heat on it, but I'm lazy. I should also prolly stretch again...but see previous statement.

The problem with evening workouts is that I get home late and don't feel like cooking for myself, let alone the husband. Thankfully he likes quick (albeit gross) foods like sandwiches, hotdogs, and tv dinners. I'm boring and have been eating egg white omlettes for dinner just about every night for the past week with some sort of roasted veggie. Last week it was broccoli...every.single.night. But I like how I prepare it, so it's really not an issue. This week's repeat veggie has been some fabulous sugar snap peas from the Worthington Farmer's Market.

Speaking of peas, my plants looked kinda pale this evening. Either they need more water (they got some yesterday!), or I need to harvest what's there. It IS getting a little hot for peas. I'm just happy the correct thing grew...but more on garden fails another day- plus pics!

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Let the blogging begin...

For starters, I'm about *this* close to chucking this keyboard in the trash. Keys keep sticking so I have to retype every third word...if I'm lucky. Or maybe the wireless board is failing.

So I've got a blog now. BFD. Doesn't everyone? But I'm going to see where this leads. Maybe I'll get lucky and can write a best selling book based on my blog...but in the meantime, you can read my rantings- for free!

I'll be writing about everything in general, but if you know me, most topics will prolly be about:
  • Cats
  • Food
  • Running
......

Got "sidetracked" for awhile there and have lost my train of thought, so...now I'm not sure what I was going to say next.

I'd been thinking about doing this for awhile, but since Lindsey started hers, I figured I'd start one up too!

Happy reading.