What a long, strange summer this as been.

I realize I haven't posted in months- this summer hasn't been an easy one. Mentally, physically, spiritually even... and now that summer is out of the way, a change of season yet again brings a new beginning.

In June my parents had to put my childhood cat down... she was 18. Months later I still tear up at the idea that she's not home when I visit. I still get sad and tear up when I think about her too much. Every day gets easier, but the loss is still more real to me than I admit.

In July I ran my first 5K, and yesterday I ran my second. The first race was the highlight of the year (to date). The second race confirmed the first wasn't just a fluke. And now that I've started running, I'm afraid to quit...turns out a girl can daydream just as much on land as in the pool. I just have to be more careful so I don't trip.

August brought more weddings and some much needed time at our home, working in the yard, playing outside, all therapeutic in their own right.... it also marked five years with my company. So much change in those five years....and now I've seen my 22 year old self in newbies within the office and find myself wanting to teach them the mistakes I made so they don't repeat them. And apologize to my managers and directors at the time for appearing so lost (probably because I was!).

September swept in our fourth wedding anniversary and a reunion with university friends which, whether they know it or not, allowed me to find a piece of myself that somehow got lost in all the corporate clutter. A quiet confidence in being accepting of who I am that I thought I'd never be able to find again.

This past weekend was the first "fall" weekend of the season, ushered in by cooler temps, rain that blew sideways in the wind, and me completely curled up with a book. Or two (three if you count the one read last weekend). It's comforting to know that I can still get sucked into a story, to feel the words and interpret them so much so that the characters are real and I find myself thinking about them for days. There are few books where I can get lost amongst the pages, and when I find them, they are purchased and put back on my shelves for those days when I need to get lost to be found again. Chemistry between reader and literature can be an amazing thing.

And all of this leads me to now...yes, there was a lot more to this summer than I have mentioned...vacations, babies (not mine!), more weddings, more soul searching through reconnections with old and very dear friends....but in the sprit of being an only child, those memories I'm not sharing :-) All I can say is to stay tuned, for there is surely more adventure to come.

I just realized that the 20/20 deadline was August 7.  While I did not lose my 20lbs, I lost about 15 which is still great. I have between 12-15 left to go, and now I just need to get back on the wagon.

I've been doing very well fitness-wise, with three masters' swim practices a week and usually 1-2 more workouts involving running/walking.  I did slide on the nutrition, which is why the scale isn't down more. But, overall, all is good. Life habits have changed for the better, and wasn't that the point of all this in the first place? :-)

For generations, the dream has always been about providing. Whether it's shelter, food, clothing- it's about providing a better life than the generations before experienced...a better quality of life.  But now it seems that the definition of quality has also changed.  It's not about simply providing a better life, but enjoying that life and showing our children and their children how to really live.

Too many times in life, I settle for things, not waiting until I find something that I really love or helps me accomplish a goal.  I'm the queen of settling for "good enough", especially when it comes to clothes. If I kinda like it and it fits ok, I have a tendency to buy it.  The result?  A closet full of clothes, most of which I'm not excited to wear.   Yesterday I went shopping with a friend of mine and purchased three things for myself- a dress, belt to go with it and a workout tank.  I tried on much more that fit ok but at the end of the day, didn't pass the "I want to wear it tomorrow" test.  So it stayed on the rack, even if it was a "good deal".  I also resisted passing up the cutest clutch bag- reasonably priced- because I couldn't name a single outfit I had to use it with. That purchase would have led to me buying an entire OUTFIT to go with a clutch that I was buying because I kinda liked it and it was a great deal (better than good!). And I couldn't justify the purchase, so I walked away.

Why am I telling you this, you ask? Because I finally- FINALLY- feel like I've got this control over decisions I make.  Lame I know, but "good enough" has been a common theme in purchasing/decision making and in a mad attempt to make everyone else happy before making ME happy.  I'm through settling for clothes I kinda like,for  the first food choice that crosses my eye line or the first solution to an issue at work.  More often than not, my newfound control and patience has paid off- and sure, I might have to wait a little longer to find the "perfect" wrap cardigan, a Subway instead of a Burger King or a cost effective solution that may take longer instead of a quick, expensive fix at work. But it has been- and will continue to be- worth it.

As mentioned in my previous post, courtesy of my new BzzAgent-ness, I'm reviewing and promoting the new John Frieda's Root Awakening product line.

After about two weeks of 'testing" the nourshing line, I must say that I really like this line! I have noticed a difference in my hair- it stays smoother longer and looks a lot healthier than it used to.  I've never been a big fan of conditioner- historically it has weighed my hair down and then it looks, well, just sad.  I am proud to say that this combination of shampoo/conditioner/detangler is a great one.  

In my testing, I tried different combos of the products...shampoo/conditioner one day, conditioner/detangler another, and lastly, shampoo/detangler.  It is safe to report that, at least, one should use the shampoo and the conditioner. The two days I didn't my hair a) did not behave nicely with the hair dryer or flat iron and b) it frizzed up by lunchtime. And if any of you have seen me when my hair frizzes, I begin to look like a lop-eared bunny. And while they're adorable, it's not a good look for me.  The detangler is nice and smells great (the whole line smells great) but maybe is more necessary for longer hair than shorter hair (mine's about chin-length).  I even got my hair cut a week ago and my hairstylist didn't notice the chlorine damage that has happened as a result of all the swimming lately (which I love and wish I could do every day, but that's a different post).  

Overall, I think this product line is great and worth a try, and while I may not have observed all of the "root-tingling" benefits the product promotes, the smell is fabulous, it makes my hair look healthy and I don't look like a lop-eared bunny anymore!

And in the spirit of lop eared bunnies, here is a very cute one for you to look at...and to remind you that this look is better on the bunny than on me. All together now....awwww!

Awhile ago, I found a product review on a board on The Nest from a woman who was a "BzzAgent". I read through her review and appreciated her honest feedback about a product that she had signed up to review but honestly, didn't really like all that much! Wanting to know more about what a "BzzAgent" really was, I visited their site and found a whole new world of word-of-mouth marketing! Becoming a member (or in Bzz speak, a BzzAgent) is simple and free. You take a bunch of surveys and BzzAgent "serves" up potential campaigns you might be interested in and you sign up for those that interest you. It's completely free, it just requires a bit of your time to provide feedback on the product/service and talk to others about the product, sharing your opinion and collecting theirs.

The first campaign I signed up for was John Frieda's Root Awakening product line. Newly launched, the product line is pretty extensive and (duh) focuses on nurtring the roots/scalp. I figured why not, since I hate my current shampoo (sorry Herbal Essences!). My first BzzKit came today and I'm shocked what the kit came with- generously sized samples of the "nourshing" shampoo, conditioner and...bonus! Detangler! That should come in handy after my thrice-weekly swim practices.

First impression of the shampoo/conditioner: Smells GREAT..must say I was a bit concerned about the eucalyptus/peppermint promotion because frankly, done wrong it could really be overpowering. We'll see how well it works in the upcoming weeks.


Oh, and today we spent the day outside in the yard, scraping the last of the leaves out of the flower beds, spreading grass seed, etc. The tulips FINALLY have buds on them, the trees have buds on them, the hostas and peonies have sprouted...spring is here. Finally!!

Days like today remind me that everything doesn't have to be perfect for me to have a "perfect" day. The sun was out, the sky a cloudless, shimmering blue. The weather hinted at spring. I left work a bit early since, courtesy of spring break traffic, I got to work in 18 minutes this morning (a good 20 minutes before I typically arrive)!. All things to be happy about.

Add in a good nutrition day, a 3.69 mile walk outside the fresh air and sunshine, great music to rock out to on my walk, my favorite movie is on television right now and my cat is snuggly against my feet...could the day get any better? Oh, AND the Cardinals beat the Cubs!

I have to remind myself to appreciate the little things in life sometimes, and today, the little things made all the difference.

In support of my friend Richard's giving up of fast food for Lent, I decided to refrain from consuming a) pimped out coffee, b) sugary, carb breakfast pastries and c) the desk of temptation candy for the same time period.

Well, Monday morning I had a pimped out coffee, I have yet to consume a sugary breakfast pastry and dang it, the desk of temptation got the best of me two days in a row now.  What is the desk of temptation? One of the exec assistants keeps a desk full of sweet treats...which included a giant platter of Easter goodness...starting Monday. Which I can't keep away from, since I have to walk past it every time I go to my desk. DOH. I've consumed about 20 mini malted milk balls, one Crunch mini egg and one (soon to be two) mini white chocolate Reese's eggs. DANG IT. The desk has hold of my sweet tooth. In the word of a dear friend of mine....blurg. And yes,  I write all my sweet-snagging into my food journal so it doesn't go unnoted, but still. I clearly need to find an alternative route to get out of my workspace without seeing (or smelling) all of the tasty goodness the desk of temptation has to offer.

This is my least favorite time of year- the dreaded months of March and April.  It's the time of year that I am more homesick for the 'Lou than any other time of year...at home, the tulips and daffodills are blooming, the red buds, dogwoods and bradford pears have already bloomed and they have actual leaves on their trees. We have...nothing.  It's mid-April and today i finally found a few tulip leaves pushing their through the soil.  I'm a pretty patient person typically, but right now I'm sick of the cold and am getting fussier by the second. Where is my spring?

Swimming is going well. I am actually faster than a few people which is shocking (and motivating)- it is also nice to have people to strive to keep up with. I've also noticed that it has greatly improved my endurance outside of the pool- I ran two-plus miles yesterday on the treadmill without stopping which is not something I could have done two weeks earlier.  I'm kind of shocked about my progress in six practices and hope it continues :-)

This morning I went to my first swim practice in about a decade. I wasn't sure what I am more nervous about- keeping up with the current swimmers, getting up at 4:45am or the commitment this masters program requires. Three days a week, 5:30-6:45am...from today until August. I haven't signed up yet- I'm still in "trial" mode. I'll make a decision after I've been through a full week of it all...a full week of soreness, repeated practices, early mornings and sleepy afternoons.  Regardless of how good a workout it is, if these early mornings (earlier than I normally work out on MWFs) start impacting my job, I have to stop.

I do have to say though, for being out of practice for so long, I did pretty well today. 2450 yards in about an hour and 20 minutes...not bad. Not bad at all. And- bonus for now- I can still move without too much soreness. Tomorrow will likely be a different story :-).

Overall, I'm down 7lbs since I started being more conscious about food choices and placing more importance on being fit...about a month now I suppose. I have to keep reminding myself that I'm not on the Biggest Loser and it is completely unrealistic for me to expect to lose the kinds of weight they do in such a short amount of time. But, I can make healthy changes in my life and surround myself with supportive people. So I'll continue on, one lap at a time :o).

Last year I couldn't ride my bike due to surgery, so today was my first ride since 2007. It's a beautiful day, I'm sporting my purple UE shirt in support of the Lady Aces, I'm in an ok-place fitness-wise, so I figured why not!

I had a great ride! According to Google maps, I biked about 3.275 miles in about a half hour- not top speed, but there were inclines so take that into consideration. :-). My booty and hamstrings feel like jello- but it was worth it to be outside in the sun! And I didn't get hit by any cars, so that is also a plus, but man do I feel the burn. 

I think I'll try and bike outside whenever I can on the weekends as part of my workouts...it was a nice change from Jillian's 30 day shred, walking on the treadmill and running on the treadmill.   Now if I could just get my behind to the pool once a week...

Ashlee over at Ash is Fit! came up with this great 20/20 challenge- one pound weight loss per week for 20 weeks.  I started my own journey to a better waistline a few weeks ago, but this might be the kick in the behind I need. I would encourage anyone who is interested to head on over to Ashlee's blog- she has an incredible story. I've never met her, but I hope that I can be half as diligent- and stay as motivated- as she has been!

While I may not blog about every aspect of this fitness challenge, stay tuned for reviews and updates :-)

Don't worry- it seems a bit odd to me too. Ironic, even a little bit sick and twisted.

And sick and twisted is exactly what happens these days after consuming dairy.

Right after my 27th birthday, I began to feel bad and felt that way for majority of February.  It was never too bad not to go to work, just bad enough to feel...off. So, after doing a little bit of research online, I stumbled across a lovely little thing called lactose intolerance.  I had most of the symptoms so I thought I would try a week of a dairy-free lifestyle to see if my symptoms went away.

And they did. Within 24 hours. And have stayed away for 5 days.

Now I'm slightly annoyed, but I'm not jumping to any conclusions. I'll try to reintroduce dairy beginning again Thursday...and if the same symptoms come back, I'll be omitting dairy until I get to the doctor for my annual exam in April. Good times.

I wonder if I would have moved to Georgia instead of Wisconsin if I would have developed an allergy to peaches? :-)

Today, while at work, I picked up a phone call where the caller ID read " Switchboard > Incoming Line". Uh oh!  This was a vendor and they were trying to sell me something.  Thank you switchboard for yet another transferred call.  But, given the nature of my job, I'm obliged to pick it up because it could easily be a branch office that actually does have a question for me the person, not me the potential buyer.

I picked up the phone, managed to squeak out a cheery greeting only to be greeted by....Yes, hi Lindy? I corrected her, of course, but repeatedly through the phone call...Lindy, Lindy, Lindy.  I grew increasingly annoyed throughout the call, not because of the sales pitch but because the person on the other end of the line didn't bother to listen to me. She probably heard me, but she didn't listen. Rule # 1 of engaging with a potential client: Listen to them. You might actually learn something!  And if you can't seem to get my name right, what does that tell me about your service?

I realize to this person, I'm a just name on a list.  Believe me, I've made enough market research calls in the past few weeks to understand how frustrating it is to call person after person, only to be hung up on (or worse). That being said, be nice to those names on the lists because one of these days, it may mean the difference between making the sale that keeps a company afloat or helping it go under.

This morning was a rare occasion- hubs had to be at work before I did. While a good part of the nation is enjoying a holiday, this dynamic duo is spending it where most of corporate America will...in our cubicles.

After being startled at 5:15 by hubs tripping over his own laundry basket, I was wide awake. Not really needing to be at work until 8 (which means leaving the house by 7:15), I figured I could use the "extra hour" of awakeness to do any number of things: get a workout in, put away some laundry that I did yesterday, eat breakfast, work on some things I need to do for work at home, or heck, even go into the office early....but what did I do?

I turned on the tv, dumped the 15 pound orange cat who was sitting on me off the bed and fell back asleep for another hour. I did leave the house at 7:15, took an improptu trip to Starbucks courtesy of a gift card and made it to work by 7:50 (which is kind of a miracle in itself...why can't this short commute happen on days when I'm running late?).  I also left the house with wet hair, which I try not to do when it's 9 degrees outside but oh well. That's why I have a great heater in my car.

Anyway, as I sit here on this "holiday" with a bit of regret about how I spent my "extra" hour today, I can't help but wonder if anyone else (with the exception of a coworker who is a) a single parent b) runs on energy drinks and c) is, quite possibly, wonder woman) would have done any different :-).

My cat, Rudy, always keeps hubs and I on our toes.  Right now, however, he's sitting between myself and my laptop, eyes closed purring. In a second he could be leaping across the couch to a red and white fleece snowflake blanket or dashing downstairs to hang out in manland with hubs.  He fancies glitterball toys and does somersaults chasing them in a blue cube thing that my aunt bought him for Christmas last year. Overall Rudy's a good cat and but  never ceases to get in a bit of mischief now and then.

Today was a perfect example.

Our laundry is housed behind two bi-fold doors in our kitchen.  The washer and dryer have about 8 inches between the respective machine and the wall.  The doors are on hinges which are screwed into the molding or they collapse on the launderer.  Rudy loves the laundry closet, most of the time jumping to the shelves that hold the detergent, softener sheets, etc. But sometimes,he decides that he should jump down into that 8" space between the dryer and the wall and gets stuck.....which he did today. Normally when this happens we try to coax him to jump back on the dryer with treats, once I had to take the doors off the hinges.  Today, he decided he could jump out, and after three leaps of not going anywhere but up, I grabbed him mid-leap....and got what we call "bunny thumped", resulting in a gash in my left hand. Despite the fact that he has no front claws, he still does some damage with the back feet!

Anyway, he went running away, fell asleep in a sun beam and eventually ate some food so we figured he wasn't hurt.  And then he tried to jump back in the closet tonight when I was doing laundry.  Never a dull moment with this one.

I can't remember the last time I posted to this blog...likely years ago. My, how things have changed.

Instead of commenting about the drama of undergraduate studies, the status of my romantic relationships, friendships, etc....adulthood has brought an entirely new set of topics. An entirely new set of challenges.

This spring, I will have lived in Milwaukee five years. Five. Years. I planned to stay two, maybe three years and now I can't imagine a life anywhere else. At least for the time being. August will bring my five year anniversary with my company (yes, I live in a cubicle). I've been married almost three and a half years, we've been in our house for almost four and we've had our kitty Rudy for nearly three years.  And I started and finished a masters degree in there as well.  So although my life hasn't been nearly as exciting as it was in undergrad, it's been rich.  And I hope, in entries to come, I can begin sharing that life with you once more.