Category Archives: celebrations + rewards

It really is. It isn’t, but it is.

I just had one of those moments: I was filling up my water bottle, stooping a little to reach the spout and feeling really, really good. “My abs! They’re doing their job!”

And my next thought was: Huh, and if I want to keep feeling this good, all I have to do is keep making the right decisions. Simple.

Not really, of course. Three weeks ago, the right decisions felt like monumental tasks. I had to work hard to get to this place, where they feel like an effortless Turn Right instead of Turn Left.

But I’m at this place right now, and I’m totally going to celebrate it, and celebrate myself for having done the work to get here.

Tomorrow, I’m waking up to get to my 5:45 spin class, and I’m truly looking forward to it.

No joke.

list blog: treating myself!

I think people who know me *very* well know that I’m not very good at treating myself to gifts, or even necessaries. I might even have some kind of a … thing … about it. I usually find an excuse why I don’t need / shouldn’t have / can live without something.

But you know what? That has *got* to change. I don’t know why exactly, I just know there’s something about it that’s wrong. Maybe it’s as simple as holding myself in high enough regard to say I deserve something, even if it is mildly frivolous (though I’m not one for frivolity in general).

And here we come to a new list. A list of things I’ve thought in passing that I’d love to have. I’m gonna keep this on hand and refer to it on occasion, perhaps especially on occasions that I think I’ve accomplished something important, big or small.

things i want!

clothes

I realized at some point I needed to make “clothes” its own category. I’ve never been a clothes horse, but I have always appreciated fashion. Most especially I’ve coveted good shoes (when I was a little girl in church, I loved getting the seat right next to the outside aisle, where all those returning from communion passed by and where I could subtly inspect their footwear as they did).

» new boots (Frye, please? Though I don’t know that they make them quite big enough to fit over my calves.)
» flats! Most of my shoes are cheapy Target buys that are totally adorable but that do no stand up to my whole shoe-wearing strategy, which is where them the hell out. I think something like these Frye ballets (I swear I’m not a Fryehound, I just think they present a nice example of classic styles).
» TOMs. I bought a pair and liked them two years ago, but I ran them into the ground … not to mention that I’d bought them in the height of my baking days. Before they became so raggedy I had to toss them, they’d gotten caked in flour and sugar. I’ll likely opt for the burlap, which I’d always wanted anyway, and which look slightly more durable.
» A pair of Raleigh Denim denims. The jeans are expensive, but they’re handmade in Raleigh, N.C., in a store run by a young couple who was running the (very small) retail floor when Patrick and I visited in early winter last year. Mr. Raleigh Denim was very helpful when Patrick was trying to figure out which pair to buy. And the care with which he wrapped the jeans was notable. He also said anytime we were in town, Patrick (or anyone who buys jeans from them) could stop by to have the jeans (which are sold in one length) hemmed to his liking. This’ll be the kind of purchase I made when I’ve reached my goal weight, and which will be one of the most satisfying rewards I can imagine.
» tights (oy, the runs in the ones I have now!)
» new gym attire … this should probably float at the top of my list. I really, really want nice gym clothes. And to look extra cute in it.

house & home
~~» nice, matching towels for our bathroom~~ Done! Patrick brought home a pair each of bath towels, hand towels and wash clothes from Target. Yay for matchy matchy!
» frames for some of our lingering Knoxville art
» bento boxes! I’m doing a good job of taking healthy lunches to work. I’d like to make them cuter and more organized with these magic little systems. (these vivo bentos are my favorite so far!)

pure pampering
» a manicure & pedicure (just once!)
» aveda skin care (especially eye cream. I’m getting old, y’all)

ummmiscellaneous?
» Nice headphones. I have weird ear holes. Those little earbuds that come free with every listening device you buy do NOT fit me. They fall out. They hurt if I shove them in (and then they fall out). I need good old-fashioned headphones. What I have now is, I think, some freebies we picked up on a plane ride? Something like that? And I have no idea what makes for quality. I just know what I got ain’t it. It’ll be a treat to find nice, comfy headphones that are meant to survive the sweaty lifestyle of a gym mouse like myself (phrase “gym mouse” totally stolen from Bailie at Adventures in Foodland, and I love it!)

I’ll add to this list as I think of more things, which I tend to do throughout any given day. Kinda can’t wait for my first big (or small) accomplishment!

shoe romance

You know how I wear these on bike rides?

It’s because I can’t not feel cute; it goes against my nature. These shoes may be ratty as hell, but they’re better than my $18 Target no-name sneakers.

I’m usually all for frugality and simple pleasures; but I’ve also always loved shoes. Red shoes, platforms, clogs, boots, purple shoes, green shoes, heels, ballet flats. I love them. When I take up a new hobby, it’s invariably a good excuse to get new footwear.

So when I started cycling, I was counting down the days until I proved to myself I was taking it seriously enough to get cute shoes. And the day has come (what with our Sunday bike rides, the Creeper Trail adventure, and some solo bike rides that I’ve taken up fearlessly).

So I got these!!!

I’ve wanted Saucony originals since I was in college (where all the cool girls were wearing them). That was 10 years ago. And you know what? There’s no math behind it, but waiting 10 years to get something I really wanted totally justified me paying full price. Right?

Also … pink? I’m not normally a pink girl, but I’ve always been a red shoe girl; this was the closest to red, and I think they may be turning me pink …

(PS: they’re vegan! Bonus.)

happy anniversary to us!

Patrick and I celebrated our second wedding anniversary Monday.

Scratch that. We started on Saturday. We’ve done a great job in the last few months of enjoying our time together as much as possible; maximizing our adventures, stretching out our weekends. It’s especially fun to act like the entire weekend was a celebration of something: our anniversary, my 29th birthday.

I have a feeling this is part of the secret to me getting serious about healthfulness. I know how to have fun. I’m having a lot of positive, enriching experiencing. I’m getting off my butt.

I don’t know; it makes sense somehow that having a full life means having more room to make sound decisions. Positive energy breeds positive energy. An object in motion tends to stay in motion. That whole thing.

In any case, our weekend looked like this:

saturday: neighborhood bike ride!
I was getting over a little cold (that Patrick had gotten over a few days earlier), but I’d really wanted to ride from our house to the start/finish point for the 10th anniversary of this neighborhood ride. So we did, damnit. Six miles there and back. A little over ten miles through Knoxville neighborhoods. Twenty-two miles total!

I felt a little like I made up for missing our Sunday ride the week earlier. And let me tell you, this was my first long ride with Stinger, and she was freakingamazing.

I’m gonna sound maybe, I don’t know, obsessed? But this bike feels so much better than the mountain bike. Maybe because it’s a road bike, and I’m riding it on roads? Right? Also, I love the positioning. I thought I’d feel unbalanced hanging my torso over the bike, arms outstretched. But there’s something strangely comfortable about it. (My neck and shoulders are extremely sore, but I expect I’ll develop better upper-body support over time.)

Also? I loved riding with a group. Whaaa? I was scared as heck at the beginning of the ride that I was going to crash into the (hundreds of?) other riders, but that didn’t happen. Instead, I felt a great energy. Which I noticed only once Patrick and I headed back home by ourselves, and suddenly I got a bit sluggish.

Even then, though, the bike felt easier to maneuver. And I know I made it up some hills with more ease than I had a few weeks earlier on our 23-mile ride around Knoxville.

Progress: it feels good.

Things we did after our ride: brewed beer! I helped. Kind of. Mostly watched. I even took a nap in the middle of everything.

And then we sauteed up some veggies and fried up some sweet potatoes (lesson: acorn squash, skin it!).

sunday
I worked on spreadsheets! I’ll write up a series of entries about these tools I built and how I use them. In the meantime, preview:

And we went to see The Social Network, which I loved. I liked it more as a metaphor for the generation than a biopic on one man.

And that was us on Sunday. Spreadsheets? Movies? Perfect Sunday.

monday, our anniversary!
I worked at the bakery, then came home and off we went to Cades Cove to ride our bikes.

Original plan? Park at the foot of the road that leads up to the park, ride up it, around the park and back down. But not so much. The ride to the park is seven miles and straight up. One: I was still a little sore from Saturday’s ride. Two: I’m scared of being run over and killed by a car on two-lane roads; especially ones with sheer drops down a (admittedly small) mountainside. And while it’s something of an irrational fear, it makes me a nervous rider (which is what would be the more likely culprit if I ever got in an accident). So until I’m more comfortable, I’ll stick to wider roads on flatter land.

In any case, that’s a long way of saying that what we did do was ride the 11-mile loop around Cades Cove and had a really spectacular, chilly, invigorating ride. So many deer and wild turkeys. And some familiar old churches and log homes.

Note of progress? There’s a hill that, when we’ve riden the park before, I had to hop off my bike to walk up. But after our Monday ride, I couldn’t tell you which one it was, because I didn’t get off my bike once.

Also? I love Stinger.

We followed our ride with lunch at Tomato Head (our first trip to the one in Maryville), where I had my favorite healthy meal (hummus plate), and where I forgot to take photos. Arg! I’ll get the hang of this food documenting soon.

Before we headed home, I picked up … pumpkin cake! I made up extra pumpkin layers that morning and made a friendly request that it be decorated for our anniversary. Request granted by the best cake decorators in Knoxville.

Then home for a nap (for me) and grocery shopping (for Patrick … best husband ever).

We rounded out the day with roses (aww), a mixed tape (best one!), and a famous Lindsay & Patrick meal: chicken cordon bleu with rice and veggies (asparagus). Patrick made me this our first Valentine’s Day, and the night before he proposed to me, and for various happy celebrations in our five years together.

All in all, perfect day.

birthday weekend: celebrating year 29

I always find ages funny, because I celebrated turning 29 years old, but I actually began my 30th year on this here earth. So I suppose our birthdays commemorate the year we just finished? Yay! Made it through year 29! Have cake.

Or beer, as the case may be.

Patrick bought Brewgrass Festival tickets the first day they went on sale. Good thing, because they sold out within 24 hours of being posted. Months ago.

The festival just so happened to coincide with the weekend leading up to my birthday, so we booked a room at the Princess Anne Hotel, where we stayed for our honeymoon. The place is a gorgeous, old building and staffed by some of the most friendly service-folk I’ve met. Also … breakfast. Delicious. Local. Homemade. I meant to take pictures, but I kept forgetting my camera. I’m sure we’ll return.

saturday
The weekend was full of indulgence and commenced with beer at Standard Pizza Co.
(new favorite!) and a sampling of regional beers and bluegrass music. I had only about four or five tasters before I sat out the rest of the afternoon.

sunday
Patrick and I headed out on an aimless bike ride. We passed through The UNC-Asheville campus, where Patrick spotted an apple tree and we had ourselves a little snack. I gotta say, that was pretty satisfying — seeing fruit growing in the wild and just taking it.

We rode up to the Grove Park Inn (amazing and fantastical looking hotel), and I gotta tell you, I’m proud of my sore ass. I got my butt out of my seat to climb even though I hate doing it; I rode down a hill and clocked my highest speed yet, at least 33 miles an hour. Totally exciting.

For lunch? We’re die-hard 12 Bones fans, but the River Arts District location (our favorite of the two) is closed on the weekends, so we tried out Luella’s Bar-B-Que.

It was good, but it was no 12 Bones.

I give credit where it’s due, though. The smoked sweet potato chips were inspiring. I’ll be trying my hand at some soon. If my version is good, I’ll write about ‘em.

And then? A nap before beer and dinner. More like trying to nap while catching a half-hour of Tomb Raider 2 … terrible idea. What wasn’t a terrible idea? The beer.

Patrick and I headed to Craggie Brewing Company, the newest of a dozen breweries in the Asheville area, and I think it found its place just fine. When we got there, a couple of people were already sipping on their free flight of beers, won by bringing in their favorite vinyl. I can’t remember what was playing, but I remember thinking that was about the coolest way to get new customers.

monday (birthday day!)
How I wish wish wish I’d remembered my camera for breakfast at Princess Anne! I got the granola, yogurt & fruit because I knew we’d be eating 12 Bones with my parents for lunch. It was adorable granola. It had sesame seeds! I took notes.

And lunch at 12 Bones? Delicious as always, and got what I usually get, the sides platter. Always enough. More than enough. Indulgent, delicious, down-home.