Random Conversations with my Husband that You Don't Care About

Two random conversations from last night.

Him: Why are you still biking to work?
Me: Because it's healthier and saves gas money.
Him: But it's dark outside.
Me: Only at night.
Him: But you do bike home at night.

(yes, I did bike in today.)

Me: How many times a day do you pee?
Him: I don't know. Probably twice.
Me: Damn. Sometimes I have to pee twice an hour.
Me: You need to drink more water.

(maybe I need to drink less water...)

What randomly odd conversations have you had lately?
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Looking back...

Today's challenge from the SITS Girls is to share something we posted on Sept 28 in a previous year. I looked through my archives and couldn't find anything on 9/28 since 2006.

So, here are a few links to some previous posts from the last week of September.

9/24/2009 Do You Have the Time?
9/24/2009 Can sitting at your desk be harmful?
9/25/2007 Happiness...

Geez I wasn't very consistent over the years. :)

What have you posted about this week over the years?
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Questions

I found this list of questions on Simple Girl, Simple Pleasures. I thought they were really fun, and I'm trying to post more regularly, two posts in two days! Woot woot!! so here goes...

would you rather be able to dance, sing or draw?
Definitely dance. I've always dreamed of being graceful and elegant. Plus extra fun ways to exercise. :)

on pinterest, would you rather have the clothes you pinned appear in your closet, the decor you pinned show up in your house (and you can change it as you please) or have the recipes you pinned show up on your kitchen table?
I guess I'd have to go with the recipes - seeing as I have no closet and my house will soon be a van. I don't have a kitchen table either, but just having delicious food show up would be fantastic. A girl's gotta eat, y'know.

Source: thediva-dish.com via Heather on Pinterest

for the next five years, which five countries would you like to live in, changing every year (you would still work and have a life. this is not a vacation. feel free to state a city too)
In no particular order, United Arab Emirates, Belize, Denmark, Australia, China

for the next five years, which five states would you like to live in, changing every year (you would still work and have a life. this is not a vacation. feel free to state a city too)?
Again, no particular order, California, South Carolina, Maine, Kentucky, Colorado

in what event would you most like to win an Olympic gold medal?
I've not thought about this. Can't say I'm much of an Olympic-y gal.

which disney princess do you want to be?
My husband would likely say Ariel, if he had a vote, because well, she lives Under the Sea, which is where he'd like to be. all. the. time. As for me? Maybe Jasmine from Aladdin. Not sure why.

if you were hosting SNL, who would you want to be the musical guest?
I'd love for the Squirrel Nut Zippers, of course.

if you could take one class at Hogwarts, what would it be?
Don't judge, but I'm not really very familiar with Hogwarts. I do think that maybe a flying broom class would be useful, though.

would you rather have the power to see the future or fix the past?
If I have to choose, I'd rather see the future. I have no regrets of the past.

what is your favorite pop tart flavor (i'm running out of creative juices for questions and well you know, i'm a fan)?
I think I'll go with s'mores. I think that's the flavor I buy most often anyway. That, or blueberry.

Where did April Go?

This past month of student teaching has really been time consuming - not to mention STRESSFUL!! I'm down to 8 days left, and I am certainly ready to be finished. :-)

I've got some very exciting news to share in the next few days, plus I really hope to get back on the blogging bandwagon soon!

In the meantime, it's supposed to be gorgeous here today. Maybe I'll even have a chance to go for a run this afternoon after school. Yay!

Wish I were spending the day somewhere like this.

Have a super Wednesday, everyone!

Saturday evening randomness

This afternoon, I went for a bike ride.

Check out that elevation profile! Naturally, the worst of the hills came at the end along with an ever-so-lovely headwind. Yikes! Next time, perhaps, I'll do the reverse for maybe a slightly easier ride.

Other than the last few miles with the headwind, this was all on city streets - not separate bike paths.

Does anyone else feel weird about just going out for a bike ride on city streets without any particular destination or purpose? Whenever I start to go fast, I think, Why? I'm in no hurry. I still try to push myself. But, I'm not gonna lie. It just feels weird.

As I pulled up to a red light, I could see the State Capitol in the distance.

In other randomness, when you visit a blog, do you check out the sidebar? I generally try to, but I'm not always the best at it. That said, I tend to expect that visitors to my blog are checking out my sidebars. Sometimes, I add something to the sidebar without ever mentioning it in a post. Now, I wonder if maybe I shouldn't do that.

So, just in case you missed them...

I've decided to join a couple different challenges for April.

First up, I'll be joining Run to the Finish for: 30 Days of Fun

I'm super excited for this challenge! Who doesn't need a little more fun in their life? I want to laugh more and try some new things. We'll be moving soon, so I've got to do this challenge on the ultra-cheap free side of fun.

Amanda also posted a calendar with some ideas. Click on the picture above or in the sidebar to see her calendar and get more info about the challenge.

A few ideas I might try yeah I stole a few from Amanda's calendar:

• run like Phoebe
• sing in the shower
• solo dance party in the living room
• bike to a friend's for a puppy play date
• Pinterest funny photos
• YouTube funny videos
• experiment with different laughs
• organize a game night
• read funny greeting cards
• do a cartwheel
• do something with a friend(s)
• stop to take more pictures when out running or cycling

If you have any other fun free ideas of things to do, let me know.

I doubt I'll post my fun every day in a blog post, but I'll try to at least share what I do on Facebook and Twitter.

The other challenge I'll be doing in April is: Amazing Arms 'n Abs April

I found this challenge via Ali Mc at Running with Spatulas, but she found it on Domestic Diva in Training's blog. I think I'll follow over at Domestic Diva primarily because there are a few exercises on this calendar that I am not familiar with at least by name.

Hopefully this challenge will motivate me enough to actually do some core work. At this point anything will be better than what I have been doing. I think a lot of my problem is knowing what to do, so this should help to solve that.

How will you be challenging yourself in April? I'll be doing the both two challenges Feel free to join me. plus continuing with my marathon training.

Do you check out a blog's sidebar? I'm not always the best at this, but I do try to check them out at least occasionally.

Ever feel weird about bike riding with no particular purpose other than exercise? Obviously, I do.

Crazy Eyes!

I don't actually have crazy eyes.


crazy eyes from Crono on Vimeo.

At least I don't think so. Jeff's never mentioned anything...and he's stayed married to me for over 7 years.

But really, I get all kinds of crazy when I consider my eyes.

Need a new driver's license? I always get totally freaked out about having to take the eye test. Seriously. My heart begins to race, and my palms get all sweaty.

Is it even possible to fail an eye exam?

Going to the eye doctor is even more stressful for me than going to the dentist or any doctor for that matter.

Yeah, I totally need a mantra for going to the eye doctor.
Stay calm.
Don't squint.
Relax.
You can't fail.
You've totally got this.

Of all the doctors out there, the eye doctor should probably be the least scary.
Not for this crazy chica.

Do you get freaked out about going to the eye doctor? Any other weird phobias?

That's one cute kid!

I crawled into bed and suddenly realized that I hadn't posted anything today! I wish I could say it was because was I SO productive, but, well, I just can't.

Since I need to be sleeping right now, I thought I'd just share my current favorite commercial.



Isn't he just about the cutest kid? Ever?

My favorite line - "No, a small cat." The way he says it just melts my heart.

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend!

Why is it...

When I forget to bring my water bottle to work, I seem to have to go to the bathroom more often than if I am sipping on water throughout the day?

Hydration is important, and I'm terrible about drinking water, so REMEMBER your water bottles!

On another note, I am so exhausted (probably due to lack of water) and therefore SO happy it is finally Friday.

Any fun weekend plans? Not really. I'll be planning my unit on Latin America and hopefully getting things situated in order to do my TPA (teacher performance assessment) before Spring Break. Fingers crossed.

Inner Dialogue

Last night I went for nearly a 10 mile run. Here is a brief dialogue I had with myself while running.

Wow! This is probably ones of my best runs!
You've only gone halfway. It's way too early to make that conclusion.
Yeah, that's probably true.

A couple more miles down the road...

Seriously this has been such a great run!
You've still got a few miles to go. Again, it's still too early to say that.
What am I saying? That's not very positive encouragement. I should be saying, "Way to go! Keep up the good work! This run really is going great so far, isn't it?"
Okay, okay. You're right. That's probably better. "Keep it up!"

Several more times throughout the run I had to remind myself of this dialogue. Even though it was a pretty great run, I had I hard time accepting that, I guess. :)

Anyone else have weird, fun, interesting dialogues with themselves when they run?

I MADE IT!

Today marks the end of my 30-day challenge. I'm kind of surprised I was able to stick to it and post something every day. Well, there were two very minor bumps in the road. Here's a few things I learned from this challenge.

I actually had something to say.
Sometimes even more than once a day.
It's really difficult to find the time.
Sometimes it made for very late nights, throwing off my sleep schedule.
It was fun!

Would I do it again?
Not right away.
But, I do hope to continue blogging regularly.

For now, I'm exhausted!
With a long weekend ahead of me.

Good-night!

Are my feet fat?

Day 8

Seriously.

I bought these shoes back in Oct or Nov.

Super cute shoes from Marshalls

I thought buying shoes would be safe while I'm trying to lose weight. Something that would last and still fit even after a drop some pounds.

I know, I know. I should be working.
Or studying for my final.

I loved these shoes when I first brought them home and the first few times I wore them.

Now, they are T-I-G-H-T!
And painful.

Can you see the indentations? Ouch! :(

So, I ask again. What's the deal? Can feet get fat?

Oh, and I'm so desparately in need of a pedi, that my pinkie toe started bleeding this afternoon.

Ok, so maybe it wasn't completely spontaneous.

Yikes!

Day 6

I'm so not looking forward to this week. Yes, I know that Monday is nearly over. Well, the work day at least. I have so much to do this week!

I can't believe that my Pedal & Paddle weekend is already this coming weekend. Friday afternoon, I'll be heading up north for a weekend enjoying the outdoors. I'm super excited.

BUT!

Before I can go, I have to ...

Study for, and take, a final
Do Laundry
Pack
Schedule some blog posts

Hopefully get in a bike ride

Get a pre-weekend massage

(I think I'll be needing a post-weekend massage as well)

Which means it will be a very busy week!

But, the reward at the end will make it all worth it!

Provided I can make it through the week.

Successfully.

******

Just a a follow-up note on my post from Saturday. I did go back on Sunday for the 2nd pool session. I did feel a lot more comfortable in the pool, but I still didn't do all the exercises. In fact, I mostly hung out in the shallow end by myself just getting used to being surrounded by water and using the regulator. I did push my boundaries and felt good about it! I have a lot of practicing to do, but luckily, I also have a very patient, understanding husband that will encourage and help me. Not this week, though. Way too much else going on.

The Challenge Begins...

Day 1

Last week, I mentioned that I was going to challenge myself to post something everyday for the next 30 days, beginning June 1st.

Thank you to those you gave me some blogging ideas! If/when I use your idea, I'll be use to link back to you. :)

I can't believe it's already after 4pm, and I'm just now finding time to put something together. To start the month off, here's some total randomness going through my head right now.

• I absolutely can NOT believe it's already June! Where did the first ½ of 2011 go?
• I am so tired of MN weather! This past winter was so cold and long and spring has been pretty nonexistent.
• I'm looking forward to moving some place where it feels like summer all year round.
• Even though it's 74°F and sunny outside, I'm wearing a sweater at my desk, and my fingers are little ice pops.
• I ♥ to complain, but I don't consider myself a negative person.
• One week from Friday, I head up north for my Pedal & Paddle weekend.
  11-mile kayak trip on Sat.
  45-mile bike ride on Sun.
  It is going to be T-O-U-G-H!
  But the weekend will be spent with my good friend, Laura, and I'm sure we'll have a blast with the other women. Did I mention it was a women's only weekend?
• SCUBA diving lessons this weekend! Fri, Sat, Sun. I'm so excited! I just hope I love it. :)
• I ♥ my MyTouch 4G phone, but I have to charge it 2-3x per DAY. That can get a bit annoying.
• Oh, this past weekend, I watched Die Hard for the very. first. time.

I think that's good for my first post. :)

Happy June!

Signs

It's actually quite warm out today. Way too warm for the skyways. I wish I'd had my bike, so I could ride home, but then I would've missed out on the following signs out on Nicollet.

A guy sitting on the sidewalk, eating a big slice of pizza, holding a sign that read:

"No food"

At first read, I thought, "Why? Because you're already eating a slice? What about later? Why would anyone turn down food?"

Then I read the rest of the sign:

"No money
Anything will help"

Oops! This poor man wasn't turning down food, he was simply stating he didn't have any. D'oh! (on my part)

A couple blocks later, there was a kid (late teens, early twenties), holding this sign:

"Wife Kidnapted Ransom .99"

I feel bad for his wife, if he has one. It would suck to be held with such little value by the one who should value you the most.

Then I glimpsed the other side of his sign:

"Will work half assed ... "

I'm not sure how he ended that sentence, but ...

I certainly hope the first guy gets more sympathy.

Why I'm Smiling Today...

It's FRIDAY!

The sun is shining brightly.

The temps are actually warm, too.

I got out of class early.

I walked outside to work. WITHOUT wearing a jacket.

The traffic lights were favorable in my route, so where I didn't have to stand and wait for too many.

I nicely zigzagged through downtown, coming across a really cool, old building in the midst of the modern skyscrapers.

I also stumbled upon and walked through a small park outside the government center.

My new ID arrived at work; my fidgeting hands broke my old one.

It's gonna be a great weekend!

Hope you all have something fun planned. :)

Where Does the Time Go?

Spring has come and gone and will (hopefully) come again soon. I've been struggling a lot this spring. I blame SAD. I think getting a real taste a warmer weather made it so much more difficult to accept the relapse back into colder temps. I'm hopeful that it will not last long.

In an effort to overcome SAD, I've been attempting (the past few days) to brighten my outlook. I've been trying to wear brighter, more spring-like colors. While this has helped immensely, it has also been a part of the problem. Staring into my closet filled with browns, oranges, and reds, it's becoming more and more diffcult to decide on a cheery outfit.

And so, although April is nearly over, my workout goal for April has been to beef up my exercise schedule. It's kind of a complicated schedule, so let's just simplify it by saying my goal is to exercise 23 days from April 2nd to April 30. I've got it all scheduled out. It's a mix of running, biking, and swimming. So far, I've met this goal. Only one more week to go! :)

My prize for attaining this goal? A SHOPPING SPREE! I get to buy some fun, spring/summer clothes. It's been very motivating. I just know I'll meet this goal.

It had been awhile, so I also decided to update the look of my blog. Let me know what you think.

I'd especially like to point out the addition of a couple widgets in my right sidebar. I've joined a site called Daily Mile (basically a twitter-like site for althetes). I've added a widget that simply states the total miles I've done (since joining the site) and one that gives a snippet of my most recent workout. I only joined the site yesterday, but I'd already recommend it to anyone that wants a nice, easy way to track and reflect on their exercise routine.

For those of you that may celebrate it, HAPPY EASTER tomorrow!

Is Winter Over YET??

My clothing certainly seems to think so. :)

This past Saturday, the zipper broke on my (3-year-old) winter coat.

This morning, my boots have eaten another pair of my socks.

It just dawned on me today, that the holes in my socks must be from my boots. I have gone through so. many. pairs of socks this winter. It's ridiculous! Now, I've got to either trash them....or learn how to darn socks. Several of said ruined socks I just got this past Christmas from the Ugly Sock Fairy, and I'm just not ready to part with them yet.

Stupid boots!! :P

This is MN, afterall, so, although Spring is nearing calendar-wise, there is still a good chance we'll get more snow this season.

I need new boots, a new coat.
I don't want to buy them, though.
Especially knowing after this one, we'll only have one more winter.
It's so hard to buy new winter stuff knowing it will only get used for one season.
Guess time will tell if I buckle.

At least one post in March? Check!

Neglect

My little corner of the world has been sadly neglected. I guess life just got in the way. I'm sure you all know how that goes.

Anyway, since it's already Jan 25th, I'm going to make some pretty loose goals for 2011 here at All Things Clarinda.

1. Post at least once each month! Lame post, funny post, serious post, re-post. I don't care. Just something, at least, to let you all know that I'm still here!

I guess that's really just about it. Anything more than that and I'm quite certain I'll just fall short. So, here's to my first post in 2011, my first post in Jan (and hopefully not my last).

Here's a few updates or things that have been on my mind recently.

Why do I live in MN??? It is WAY too cold here, and the winters seem to really be dragging these past couple of years. What does this mean? Well our plans for moving to the Mediterranean after we're finished with school have really intensified. We're anxiously anticipating the milder weather. Jeff has been investigating moving there for quite a long time, but we're really beginning the countdown now. After this winter, only one. more. to go! Yay!!

******
My trip to Costa Rica was phenomenal! So much sun, so much fun! We don't do much for adventurous vacationing; it was mostly just relaxing in the hot tub or down at the beach or lounging in the hammocks. I even finished two books. It was lovely. Well, except that whole part about returning to MN just in time for temps not even breaking 0°F!

*****
I'm all registered for my class for the Spring term, which begins on Monday. Jeff took this course earlier in his St Thomas career, and I've been on a couple trips with the professor when Jeff was in the Geography department. I'm excited to learn more about Humans and the Environment and play in the GIS lab. Plus the class begins at 9:35am MWF, so I'll be able to sleep-in slightly before class. It's going to be great not having to leave my apt until 9:20 or so rather than by 7:10 (which I'll still have to do on TR. oh well.). I really think this new schedule will be good for me and that I'll enjoy it much more. I'll still be heading to work right after class.

*****
I just discovered that there is a Core Power Yoga only a few blocks from my work. I see lots more hot yoga in my future! I'm very excited about it. This studio will be so much more convenient than the two in St Paul that are relatively close to my apt but more difficult to get to during the winter.

*****
If you know me, you know I don't generally like fish or seafood, and I'm not the most daring or adventurous eater. I know that fish is much healthier for me (and the environment), so I'm trying to incorporate more into my diet. In Costa Rica, we tried some tilapia. It was so very tasty!! I do think I'll try to make some at home some time. Last night, I tried some spearfish at the restaurant in our building. It was good, but I wasn't too crazy about the texture. It was cooked med-rare, and looked more like an undercooked pork chop than a fish fillet. I know it's just my untrained eye, but it didn't look that appetizing to me. It was served with sticky rice, vegetables, and wasabi. I ate all the veggies and half of the fish. The waitress suggested eating the rest on top of a salad, so that's what we'll be dining on for dinner tonight. :)

*****
I think that's good for now. Hopefully I'll be back again soon. Perhaps this week. Definitely sometime in February. (I hope).

Come back, fall! I want to bask in your loveliness a little longer.

The weather this fall has been crazy warm! I'll have to check the actual stats later, but to my recollection, it's been one of the nicest, warmest falls.

Most days I've been able to enjoy going outside in T-shirts and flip flops. Jeans, too, of course. That would be terribly inappropriate to go out without them. Of course, many days campus was filled with girls sporting their short shorts. No shorts for me, though. I'd already packed them away for the season.

Anyway, I digress. Let's just leave it at it's been unusually warm. And beautiful.

The leaves paid no mind to the warmth and changed colors and fell to the ground all the same. Actually this added to the gloriousness (is that a word?) of this season.

All this came to an abrupt end a couple days ago.
The temps dropped.
The winds became fierce.
This morning, I awoke to falling snow.

I love the look of snow, and while it's not in the least bit unusual to have snow at the end of October, the fact it's been so unseasonably warm the past few months, makes today's weather unusual indeed.

Mostly I feel jipped of the gradual transition from summer to winter.

My hope for fall this year is gone. :-(
Today I dug out the winter coat and gloves.

******************************
Have you been experiencing unusual weather this fall? What are your predictions for the weather this winter?

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Do you have the time?

I was walking home from work today when a passerby tapped his wrist to ask if I knew the time.

I was about to say No, because I knew I had no watch upon my wrist.

Then I remembered my cell phone was very easily accessible in the pocket of my hoodie!

I grabbed it and told him the time, but I was amazed at my reaction to this universally recognized symbol.

That tap to the wrist barely even registered as a valid question until AFTER I'd verbally heard the request as well.

With the ubiquity of the cell phone, has this simple gesture lost its meaning?

Or am I just old and losing my mind?

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