Ugh

A very eloquent subject that sums up how I'm feeling about this -

My pale freckly skin has gotten the best of me once again. I went in for my annual body scan about a month ago and they removed a couple of sunspots and sent them to the lab. One on the arch of my right foot came back abnormal and they needed to get more of the cells out. I'm working from home with my foot propped up and hobbling and hopping around my condo, it's quite the site. 

Thoughts about this ordeal -

1. The stitches come out in 2 weeks. They said no exercising until then. Needless to say I am not thrilled about this.

2. The guy doing the procedure yesterday said I seemed tough, the first time anyone in my life's ever said that to me. With my pale skin and red hair most people perceive me as delicate. I guess my grilling him about all the different exercise I could do and him shooting them all down contributed to this assessment.

3. He also said in his experience redheads require more numbing medication than the average person. Reason #745 why we're so special :)

4. Most of y'all know I am a creature of habit. Monday and Wednesday are spin class, Tuesday is Pure Barre and small group and Thursday is Pure Barr and kickball. I have such a hard time when I'm taken out of my weekly routine. I think because I live alone and work long hours and late nights my exercise schedule is super important for my mental and and physical health. So I'm going to *try* to not be dramatic about this and hold onto perspective that it's not going to be forever. When I am up running and exercising again I'll just be all the more thankful for my good health. Last year I was in a fender bender on the way to my small group. Lori our group leader acknowledged that it was very frustrating but kindly said to think about the people who are in wheelchairs and unable to drive at all. Not that it's not okay to feel frustrated about life's speed bumps but it's an opportunity to have a new vantage point. I'll be so glad this is behind me when walking 60 miles come this October! 

Your Pinspiration for the day -

 

4th of July

Hey guys! Hope everyone had a fun and safe 4th! I am all disoriented about what day of the week it is, so weird the 4th landing on a Wednesday. I'm at home right now waiting for a repairman to come fix my AC (more on that in a bit) sitting in bed, drinking iced coffee and wearing a Kiehl's white clay face mask. Tough life. So I said I'd try and take lots of pics over the holiday, here you go!

Tuesday night we went out for our friend Kyle's (far left) birthday in Buckhead

The group got bigger as the night progressed

We did the Red, White and Brews Buckhead pub crawl, every spot had a different shot to take. I only partook in two of the stops, I tried to be semi responsible and call it an early night.

Because I had to get up at 6:50 the next morning and didn't want to vom or pass out while running the Peachtree

Lori and I looking lovely en route to the race. I tell you what, figuring out driving and logistics for the PRR is stressful! They close Peachtree Road from Brookhaven all the way to Piedmont Park starting at like 5:30am, thankfully I spent the night at Lori's who lives in Brookhaven so I wouldn't be freaking out trying to figure out how to get over to the start of the race from my condo. Me + Directions + Not knowing different and creative ways to get around in Atl + Early morning + Having gone to a pub crawl the night before = Would have been a disaster of epic proportions

But we finished! Was definitely glad to have it done. My dad emailed me my finish place and time - I finished 11,866 out of 57,754 total finishers with a time of 59:08. I didn't pass out or vom so I consider it a success.

Hanging out waiting for the rest of our group to finish

Just a few people came out for it...

 As I'm trying to make my way home from the race later that morning (stupid street sweepers) I received a call from someone in my building informing me that my AC was leaking into the unit below me, happy 4th to me! I came home to discover a giant ice block up in my AC, so I put down lots of pots, pans and towels. I had never noticed this and had not seen any problems. Somebody is coming out today to hopefully fix it.

After dealing with my AC drama and taking a much needed nap I headed over to hangout at Chrissy's pool, it ended up being a very fun and relaxing day.

 Scott/Kitty used a carrot to cut off a piece of cookie cake -

No comment about that

After pool time we walked over to Truffles for dinner (Chrissy/Pony and I had the black bean burger and mac and cheese that was delish)

Then watched the fireworks at Lenox -

Pony and baby bwown beayah ♥

"Living free in America!" he yelled oh, once or twice.

Kitty bought everyone ice cream from a scary truck

My Bratz pop cycle thing, I threw it on the ground after a few bites.

Pretty fireworks! Thankful to live in a such a great country and city :)

Small Group Retreat

On Sunday my small group spent the day at Montaluce Winery in Dahlonaga, just a little over an hour outside of Atlanta. It was my first visit ever to a winery and I was definitely not disappointed, it was beautiful there.

 

 We bought a Living Social package that offered a day of yoga, hiking, painting, wine tasting and lunch.

  

 

So zen

  

We loved the yoga session out on this terrace, there was a breeze and it was nice and cool under there.

 

 Confession - After yoga we broke away from the Living Social agenda and group to do our own thing, it was a little too drill sergeant for our liking. We were disappointed in the lunch offerings, a box turkey lunch airplane style and regular fatty Lay's potato chips, so we made the very wise decision to have lunch at the restaurant there.

We split some wine of course, this was our fav -

 

More amazing wine and a lemon tart for dessert

After our leisure lunch (we looked much less sweaty and tired than the others) we popped into a wine tasting session and then on to painting where we each painted our own wine glass with acrylic paint.

Our masterpieces, I didn't take mine home though since it was covered in wet paint and just wasn't worth the hassle.

Some pretty pics around the estate, definitely want to visit more of the vineyards in this area.

I'll take this house please

Not a bad way to spend a Sunday :)

Spring Cleaning

Sitting at my desk at work while there are several painters at my condo right now - YAY! Since moving into my condo highrise over 3 years ago I have wanted my place painted. I just never got around to it until now since the color wasn't anything extreme or painful to look at. However there are places that look like a blind person made a go at it, particularly in my bathroom. Subtle splotches and dings everywhere and around the ceiling edges not so subtle. So a creamy white a couple shades lighter than what it currently is is going everywhere. Ahhhh. So if all goes to plan by tomorrow night I'll be living in a newer, cleaner looking and feeling apartment. This makes me extremely happy :-)

My condo before I moved in and current wall color

Just read this article, Spring Cleaning From The Inside Out, and it talks about the meanings we attach to things we hold onto. Allison and I were just chatting about how good it feels to clean stuff out, which makes me think it goes way deeper than just getting rid of some old clothes, but rather a fresh beginning, shedding of the old and moving forward to a better and healthier version of ourselves.

Something I struggle with is constantly thinking, "Okay now that's done what else can I do?" Rather than just basking in the recent productivity, accomplishment or purchase I want more, more! I do this with just about everything, "Okay I ran a half marathon now time to train for a full...I bought a Michael Kors watch now I need new Tory flats...This vacation is over where can I plan to go next"...Why is it so hard to just stop and live in the moment and allow whatever has just happened a chance to settle and resonate with me? Sure I can say oh it's the culture we live in that rewards "more," but I think it has more to do with that all that stuff is part of how I view myself and feel validated. In addition to getting my condo painted I have a laundry list of stuff I want - New appliances for the kitchen, new curtains, a new couch, (current couch is a hand me down with a cotton cover) just to name a few...If I'm totally honest it's because I'm afraid of what having outdated appliances, Target curtains and hand me down furniture says about me, that if I really "had it all together" my appliances would be new and my furniture and home goods would be nice, investment pieces.

A few years ago when I did AmeriCorps in Kentucky I was required to do service projects around the state. I remember one brought me to Boonesborough, KY, the second poorest county in the country. I went with some other AmeriCorps workers and cleaned and painted an elderly couples' house. It was so sad to see how they lived, dust and spider webs everywhere and so dark and dingy. I remember them sitting there hooked up to some kind of ventilators. Not only did their house desperately need the work we did, but I hope it gave them a sense of renewal and injected some life into their home.

I really like this quote from the article I mentioned above, “Letting go isn’t the end of the world; it’s the beginning of a new life.” ~Unknown

Maybe in addition to letting go of paint colors and outgrown clothes I can let go of trying to be who I think I should be, because most likely in the near future I will have formed a new perception of what an "all together" me looks like. Plus I never want to make the mistake of getting so focused on what I want or don't have that I take for granted all that I do have - my health, home, family, friends and job just to name a few, oh and freshly painted walls ;-)

Thankful For

That I get to work from home today, esp when it's a grey, rainy day -

enjoy coffee in bed

and have this Harry Potter on :)

We had a Taqueria del Sol buffet at the office yesterday, omg it was so good. And yes those 3 plates were all mine. (I didn't want to have to stack things) There was also a cinnamon chip pita bar where you could pile on whipped cream, chocolate and caramel sauce, nuts and cherries. It was basically one of the best days of my life ;) Oh and I definitely went to Cantina after work for a happy hour, but just had a ridiculously expensive skinny marg ($9, ridic) and a few chips and salsa. Oh and then I ate a kid's size pumpkin YogurBerry, sigh. It was right next door!

These fun, cheap boots I got from Old Navy this past weekend. Hayley/Bat informed me they look like real Uggs :) What I love me some f'uggs!

That I got to kickback and relax on Chrissy's amazing Restoration Hardware couch and cuddle with her Pottery Barn blanket last night. We watched (aka had on in the background while we chatted) Going the Distance with Drew Barrymore and Justin Long. We decided that neither of them are attractive enough to be starring in a romantic comedy and that it makes us really angry that Drew Barrymore is a Cover Girl spokesperson. (Chrissy, "It's not a charity!") Reminds me of something Hayley said awhile back, "Guys, it's a good thing we love each other, because we're bitches!"

Speaking of Hayley her blanket was rolled up and unused because she went home after Cantina :*(

A yummy, healthy snack of apples with cinnamon and warm honey while working late the other night.

So I'm all about the sparkling water right now, such a good alternative from soda and I just get tired of drinking regular old water. In addition to the Fresh Market pomegranate kind I mentioned in my previous post I am loving the raspberry lime kind from Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. LaCroix's coconut and apple cranberry is super good too!


I am thankful I caught the story and interview on 20/20 about congresswoman Gabby Gifford. She was shot in the left side of her brain from an attack at a meet-and-greet in Tuscon in Jan. It showed her recovery in the hospital and it was so inspirational and humbling. She says, "I'm beat up, not beaten." Her and her husband are so positive it's amazing!