Hi from Texas. Again.

Welp, I’m back. Let’s just call Killeen “Home Two.” I’ve been here so much, I actually know my way around town and that’s a pretty big deal because I have the worst sense of direction ever. I still can’t find places in Orlando and I’ve lived there for 11 years.

The flight into Austin was uneventful except for the purchase of my new neck unicorn pillow.

Those pillows do not stop your head from falling forward and jerking you awake on a plane, by the way. Or maybe they do if you buy one that was created for a person over eight.

I flew in with a couple of co-workers on Sunday. I had to get their help lifting my luggage since I’m still on a 10lb weight restriction for two more weeks and mine weighed 50lbs. I felt bad watching one of them pull my behemoth purple monster off the conveyor belt and then felt even worse when he grabbed his own luggage. W.T.F?

We’re here for two weeks. How the hell is it possible for anyone to pack that lightly? That little suitcase might fit my things for an over-nighter and even that’s debatable.

This time we’re in a different hotel, which is a nice change of scenery. I even scored a partially obstructed pool view! That’s the kind of sweet treatment I get from Marriott’s silver elite club.

Here’s where I’ll be spending the next two weeks.

This is my favorite part of the room.

You can never have too many exposed wires, that’s what I always say.

After we checked into the hotel, we made a trip to my grocery store lover, HEB. I bought food for the next two weeks (eggs, frozen dinners, peanut butter, and Diet Coke – keepin’ it healthy). HEB is the Wal-Mart of grocery stores, so it has tons of useless stuff that I want to buy. I went back yesterday and spent an hour in the makeup section, so obviously I’m making quality use of my time.

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Off topic, but did anyone see True Blood this week? Is Sookie crunching boulders or something? Those abs are ridiculous for having twins not long ago.

Five for Friday

I’m going to talk about boobs some more. You are not safe yet. You may never be safe actually. Think of this as a nice break from race season poop talk.

1.  One of the things I was dreading most about the new ladies is that I knew I would have to sleep on my back for the six weeks of recovery. I’m a 100% all the time stomach sleeper. I never sleep another way. Not on my back. Not on my side. Just, no. Let me say how miserable sleeping is now. My second favorite thing in the world (the first being eating) has been ruined. I’ve never been so uncomfortable. Couple that with some insomnia last night and I was doing dishes and laundry at 4:45 in the morning.

(source)

After the first week of recovery, I was released to sleep on my side. Sleeping on my side is fine for an hour until I wake up thinking I’m having a stroke because my shoulder down to my hand and upper right side of my torso is numb. How the hell do people sleep on their side? I have no idea. So every night, I toss and turn (without the turning part) until I finally fall asleep only to wake up shortly after because I’m so uncomfortable.

2.  I finished Deadwood (loved it) and now I’m catching up on season 2 of House of Lies.

I’m loving it even more than last season and not just because my lovah, Kristen Bell, is in it. I feel like the things that annoyed me about the first part of season 1 are gone and the story is getting even better. Season 2 is worth it just for the Matt Damon episode alone. Also, it helps that KB looks exceptionally smokin’ this season.

3. I started Orange is the new Black yesterday on Netflix.

I’ve been really looking forward to this one because it’s from Jenji Kohan, who created Weeds, and I looove Weeds. So far I’m two episodes in and I’m really liking it. I asked hubs if he wanted to watch this one with me and he told me to go ahead and watch it on my own. Then, he ended up watching the second episode with me and declared that I could no longer watch it without him. So, that says something. Also, I’m secretly super excited when I can get him to watch new shows because he almost always says no.

4. I’m back at Crossfit three times a week and on Wednesday, I used my arms for the first time in a month (still no chest exercises for two weeks, though).

**How to do: lateral raises, leg lifts.**

I’m not able to lift over 10lbs right now, so I used 5lb dumb bells for the lateral raises and 10lbs for the bicep curls. I was seriously wiped out after this workout. Hubs went on to do a 5th set while I just watched. Today, I’m sore. Everywhere. Do not underestimate light weight and high reps, my friends. I’m supposed to go to Crossfit tonight but I’m not sure what’s left to work out on me that isn’t already in pain.

5. Remember that work trip to Maryland that I was supposed to go on? Well, that was cancelled. Guess where I’m going instead?

It’s like Texas doesn’t want to let me go. I’m leaving Sunday and I’ll be there for (wait for it) another two weeks. At least I’ll be reunited with Whataburger, Freebirds, Chedddars, and this girl once again. I’ll also be reunited with 107 degree temperatures. Not as excited about that part.

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Have a great weekend and I’ll talk to you all next week from Killeen.

Lately

Ok, so here’s what’s been going on lately.

1.  Nothing.

So lame. I know. I managed one fairly decent run in my new Brooks Glycerins last Thursday (so far, so good) but have been doing absolutely nothing since then. (More on that later.) I sit on the couch most days in a haze of lazy. Or I nap for long periods of time. I know there’s a point where you realize you’ve done jack shit for so long and you just need to get up and do something, but I have not reached that point. Probably because I haven’t run out of Netflix stuff to watch yet.

2. Speaking of Netflix, I don’t know what’s worse – staring at a wall for two hours or watching this movie.

Ok, it wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t good either. It was about as interesting as a movie called Jeff, Who Lives at Home could be. At the end, I had the same look on my face as Ed Helms in that poster.

3. I also watched The Lincoln Lawyer.

This is actually a great movie and Matthew McConaughey is really good. I’m not a big fan of courtroom whodunits along the John Grisham line, but this was worth watching.

4. I’ve been giving TV equal love and started watching Deadwood.

(source)

WHY did I wait so long to watch this? Hubs has owned all three seasons for years now and we are just watching now. It’s so, so good. We’re half way through season 2 and I’ve already learned so many new ways to insult people.

5. Speaking of Deadwood, go ahead and add Timothy Olyphant to “the list.”

6. In a few weeks, work is sending me away yet again. This time, I’m headed to Aberdeen, MD for two weeks. I hear Aberdeen has lots of fun things to do, like going through Taco Bell drive throughs and daydreaming you are any place other than Aberdeen. Luckily, Washington DC is only an hour train ride away so I’ll get to see my DC love again. It’s been too long!

7. And finally, some adorable for your weekend.

I’m gonna have to do something about those dirty feets. Also, her life is going to get a lot more annoying now that you can upload video to Instagram.

No More Ms. Nice Girl

Week one in Texas is almost over. It’s gone by really fast but at the same time really slow, which makes no sense. I spend all day in a computer lab, with no windows, talking with ten other people. I usually spend my lunch break with my co-workers as well. There’s nothing wrong with my job, it’s just that I’m not usually social for that many hours straight. It’s exhausting.

By the time I get back to the hotel, it’s like I’ve used up all my nice. I have a certain amount of nice that I like to spread throughout the day, but I’m forced to use it all from 8 – 5. I feel bad that my poor co-workers have to deal with me after hours. So after work, I try my best to avoid all people for the rest of the night and therefore end up spending hours in the gym. It is the only thing that brings the sanity back. I’m in the gym for so long that I’ve managed to get in over 10k steps on my pedometer three days in a row.

At least all the gym time means I’ve been working on that one fast mile:

• Tuesday’s mile: 9:05 pace
• Wednesday’s mile: 8:57 pace
• Thursday’s mile: 8:49 pace

Besides all the miles I’m putting in on the treadmill, I usually spend at least 40 minutes on the bike so I can read. I also did a pretty good ab workout last night that I’ll share with you guys later since I haven’t posted a workout in awhile.

So that’s my life right now.

Thank goodness today is Friday. I’m already mentally done for the week.  Plus I’m really looking forward to this weekend. I have a 10k tomorrow morning with a friend and then more fun planned tomorrow night. Should be a good time and it might even make me nice again. No promises, though.

Hi from Texas

Oh hey there. Just thought I’d drop in really quickly to say hi.

I made it to Texas in one piece. Before I left, I had one last lunch with hubs at Joe’s Crab Shack. I ordered a steampot of crab and shrimp, so the waiter put a bib on me which entertained hubs enough to take a picture.

It’s been non-stop ridiculousness since I arrived in Austin. It started with packing four people and seven pieces of luggage into a Camry. I mean, we really had to get all Tetris on the trunk to fit everything which turned the car into a sweet low-rider. All we needed were some neon lights under the car to complete the look.

My home for the next three weeks is a hotel room that is totally messing with my feng shui. I didn’t even know I had feng shui. When you walk in, everything is on the left.

Who would do that? Left is no good.

Besides working, I’ve also been trying to get settled. I’m not a fan of relying on other people to get things done but that’s what happens when you have four people and one car. We made a trip to the grocery store once we got to Killeen. One hundred dollars later…

That should keep me from eating out for every meal and returning to Florida in a mu-mu, which might happen anyway because I bought these.

I bought those…yesterday. Bad idea. Bad, bad idea. Why you gotta be so delicious, cookies?

I packed one pair of pants and a few light cardigans (because it’s Texas and a million degrees out). The rest of my work clothes are dresses like this.

It’s going to be 40 degrees today, so I had to buy a damn jacket last night. In Texas. In April. I can’t wait to wear that jacket again never. WTF Texas? You are ridiculous. But you have good wings, so I’ll forgive you.

Home for the next Two Weeks

I made it to Arizona.

I flew into Tucson on Sunday and my plane was 45 minutes early. I’m not sure what the deal is with me and early flights lately, but I’m kinda liking it.

I found my co-workers at the airport and we made the hour drive to Sierra Vista/Ft. Huachuca. This is my home for the next two weeks.

Once we settled in, a few of us (that are staying the full two weeks) made a trip to the grocery store. I bought the essentials.

I just wish I would have noticed that a couple were missing when I bought it. How’d those go missing?

My room is about four doors down from the gym, which I will need after that giant snickerdoodle binge.

The gym is pretty decent. There’s only one treadmill but it’s a really good one. Yesterday, I tested it out by running three easy miles since I was feeling like a giant, lazy turd after sitting on a plane all day and then eating my first Cinnabon.

I don’t get the hype. I was not impressed. It was way to gooey/slimy in the middle and the frosting wasn’t sweet enough. I ended up throwing out over half of it. Then I tweeted my Cinnabon disdain and they started following me on Twitter, so I guess I need to give them another chance.

My goal while I’m here is to do some type of exercise everyday. Not like I have anything else to do.  After work, I basically sit in the room and refresh my email every minute waiting for someone to talk to me. #loser

Tomorrow, I plan on getting an hour in the stationary bike so I can read more of the book I started on the plane.

I’m about 60 pages in and so far it’s good (but not great). The movie is coming out next year. I saw the trailer before the great American classic Breaking Dawn 2 and it looked really good. So I figure the book should be even better. Has anyone read this? I never heard of it until I saw the preview. But then again, I don’t read much more than the side of cereal boxes, so I’m not surprised.

 

Five for Friday (Texas Edition)

I’m only here in Killeen for one more day and I can’t wait to get home. I miss my hubs and my bunny. I need to see that sweet bunny butt again.

I’m also in desperate need of a long run. I haven’t run longer than 5 miles in a month and I have some races coming up that I’d like to actually be prepared for. I’m also considering signing up for a race in January (ahem) so I need to keep my endurance up. If I don’t run with my group next weekend, it might get ugly.

So here’s what you’ve been missing in Killeen because I’m too busy blabbing about how much I love Austin:

1.  It’s burning hot outside but any establishment has the A/C jacked so high (low?) that I’m either hotter than hell or freezing my ass off. The classroom I work in happens to be of the freezing variety. I threw a jacket in my suitcase just in case, and I’ve worn it every single day. I didn’t try the jacket on before I packed it, so let’s just say it’s a size too small. And my arms only lift half way up.

2.  Yesterday, a bunch of us went to lunch at noon. I thought it was kinda chilly outside, which I found super weird. I checked the temperature on my weather app and it was 92 degrees with a “feels like” temperature of 98.  Ninety-eight is my new cold. It only took two weeks in Texas for this to happen. I might have to bring out the ear muffs if it gets down to 80.

3.  I’m working in a classroom on a military base and the badge I wear requires an escort. That means, I can’t go anywhere in the building without someone who has a no escort required badge. So, I have to ask random dudes (with the correct badge) anytime I want to go to the bathroom. And then they have to wait outside the bathroom door for me to finish so they can walk me back. That’s fun.

So I’ve basically been living on Diet Coke and barely drinking water so I’m not running to the bathroom every 30 minutes. And I’m worried that I’ll take more than 2 minutes in there and they’ll know what I’m doing.

4. The other day, one of the ladies that hands out badges when we enter the building asked me if I thought it was hot enough outside. I told her I could go for it being 110 instead of 104, and that it wasn’t quite hot enough. And then she was all…

Texas has not taken kindly to my weather jokes.

5.  The hotel doesn’t get the AMC channel, so I’m two weeks behind on Breaking Bad. It’s killing me! The internet connection at the hotel is so slow that it’s too annoying to watch through my SlingBox, so I have to wait till I get home. They do have HBO, which may not be a good thing. I’ve managed to see In Time again (< — click that if you haven’t seen it – it’s a public service warning), part of Something Borrowed (ugh),  the same episode of Newsroom four times, and some movie with Chris Evans where he’s naked a lot.

Ok, that last part isn’t so bad.

This pretty much sums up my last two weeks in Killeen. Exciting, right? Next time I talk to you, I’ll be back in Orlando. I’m so ready to be home. Have a great weekend!