Running in the Mud

Way, way back when I used to be a "runner"(like last November), our friends put together a Mud Run team. I kind of forgot about it. And I I kind of stopped running (except for that brief moment a month or so ago when I though we were going to do a 10k). And then all the sudden it was here. And we were on a team. And though I was about as prepared as FEMA for Hurricane Katrina, it all worked out. 

We gathered Friday Night for a pre-race shirt marking/ wholly unecessary, but delicious, Carbo loading team night. You need to eat a lot of brownies to fuel for 5 miles, trust me. 

I wasn't expecting much for our team shirts, being that we threw them together last minute and all, but turns out Rick is an artist. And he owns a airbrusher. All things previously unknown. 

"The Dragon Army" (note: the boys were in charge of names/designs) all ended up with lovely dragon encrusted shirts. It took till midnight. Poor Rick exacto knifed and sprayed them, while the rest of us "helped." The later it got, the funnier everyones jokes got... Let's just say good times were had by all of THE DRAGON ARMY.

Team Line Up: 
The Silver Bullet (Rick), Monster (Pete), Bjorn Jorn (Bonni), Jolly Green Giant (Dan), and Lo ( I lack creativity).

All of these pictures made possible by our lovely 6th teammate/photographer/support crew: 

Sue "BABY ON BOARD" Maloy!

Saturday morning we gathered to more of Monterey's KA weather: cloudy, cold, rain. Awesome. 

We were entertained, as we waited in the rain for the race to start, by the creativity of other teams and their costumes... I have great admiration for the Village people team that ran the entire thing in jean and leather cut offs. Sweet.

The Dragon Army then proceeded to run over 5 miles (I swear it was uphill the whole time) with mud pits, climbing walls, and pushups interspersed. Let's just say I was a bit of a Dragon liablity (being that I can't run, climb walls, or do push ups).... However we were able to make up time as all other teams stopped at the BEER STATION, and the sole Mormons pressed on...

We kept a good pace and I was pretty darn proud as we linked arms
and crossed the finish in true cheesy fashion. 

THE BIG SUR MUD RUN 2011 was actually a legit race (organized by the same people that do the half and full big sur marathon). There were t-shirts, space blankets, medals, and BABY BANANA refreshments.  Though we really could've used some sun/heat/non-monterey blows weather, it was really fun. Nothing brings friends together like running 5 miles. With obstacles. And Mud. Oh, and add rain for good measure.
I would totally do it again next year.*

*Note: If we are still living in Monterey this time next year to run this race again, I. will. kill. myself. 

Not Much Going On, But Let's Be Happy

Let me start out this post by saying that:
 1) I have Pink Eye for the 4.5 millionth time 
 2) We have not had running water in our apartment for 24 hours.

Since I had a recent maniefesto on focusing on the happy things in life rather than the negative, I will not dwell on the fact that I had to shower at the city gym today, without shower shoes, and am on my 4th day wearing glass to mask my infected eyes.. .. Rather I will point out that which is making life Good:

1) I got my first award from Army. Last week, while still sick, I went and gave blood. Probably shouldn't have, but there was no way I was passing on cookies and FINALLY finding out my blood type (I've been on a quest for years since my negligent parents can't supply this crucial info). As an added bonus, since it was my second time giving my life giving platelets to Servicemen in Iraq, I got my hand shook and was given an AWARD in the form of a metal coin. Also, I found out I am O negative. DOUBLE REWARD. Also, I got to eat a ton of Sandies, TRIPLE REWARD.

2) Dan constantly insists he is terrible at French and that his sunday school lessons don't go well. In actuality, he is actually doing well in class (even though stress levels have hit a new high) and rocks being a Gospel Doctrine teacher with what non-existent leftover time he has to prepare his lessons.  However, we're both ready for him to be done with both of these obligations...

3) Since were soon going to be moving soon, I decided the most logical thing to do was to start decorating my apartment. I discovered CB2, Crate and Barrel's Ikea-esque daughter company. My eternal companion gave me these wall scones as a belated Valentine's gift. 

I love them and regularly bask in their glow. 

{ i made these blondies for my sunbeams. they refused them. i was left with no choice but to eat. the. entire. pan.}

4) Yeah, we totally gave up on Atkins. We completed the two week induction phase where you eat nothing but meat and vegetables (and not even all vegetables.) It was pretty rough, the lack of carbs had Dan and I about to claw each other's eyes out at any second - but hey, we lost weight! And then we fell off the wagon, hard. Like eating out everyday (gotta celebrate Chuck Norris' B-day and St. Patricks day and Fat Tuesday...) and baking really ridiculous amounts of treats nightly. Needless to say, I gained back all that was lost. But I figure I'd rather take those 5 lbs back and enjoy life. Though I learned to love brussels sprouts, Atkin's really only taught me one valuable thing: 

 A life without croissants is not a life worth living.

Me and Money

I'm an accidental money saver.
 It's not that I have great moral restraint and like my money safely tucked away in a bond - rather its simply that I want to spend my money on too many things.
I am paralyzed by indecision on which of my many wanted items to buy and thus my money remains in my wallet. For the past year, I've kept an ongoing list of things that I want to save and spend my allowance on.

I have yet to pull the trigger and buy any of these things:

1) Rayban New Wayfarer. In Brown/Brown. Polarized.

2) Lululemon Gym Bag. To carry my beloved spin shoes. 

3) Michael Kors Gold Watch

4) The Cadillac of Fleeces: North Face Denali, in black, of course

5) A Large Cuisinart Food Processor

Until last week! I did it. After going to Costco  THREE TIMES in two days, I finally got the courage to keep my food processor in the cart. Why did I decide to splurge all my long hoarded savings on what basically amounts to a giant blender? One word: NUT-BUTTER.

I read an unhealthy amount of "Healthy Living Blogs". It has become very vogue on said blogs to concoct recipes for gourmet homemade nut butters. As a die hard lover of Almond Butter that is more expensive than liquid gold, I could not let this trend past me by. I NEED to make my own almond butter.  I have made two batches already. I plan to make my own homemade Lara bars with it later today. I also have plans for pesto, hummus, grinding scottish oats.... The possibilities are LIMITLESS!!!!!!

Verdict on my 11 Cup Cuisinart: It is obscenely huge. It is hard to clean. It pretty much takes up my entire counter. It is ridiculous.

And I couldn't love it more.

{see how healthy & happy I am w/ coke? pic from honeymoon in cabo}

In non-food processor related news: Dan and I have both been sick, which basically amounts to both of us laying on the couch, coughing up our lungs, eating naughty non-atkins foods, and watching disturbing Swedish movies (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series). As a holistic person, I shun medicine. I'm fairly certain that reintroducing diet coke and crazy amounts of my new nut butters back into my diet will heal me. Forget Nyquil, a Donut will put into a cough-less sleep. I just know it.