A Conspiracy

Have you ever noticed that the cream cheese to bagel ratio is never equal?
There is always more than enough cream cheese in the package to cover the six bagels, but not enough to cover twelve bagels.
I'm just saying.

A Week of Thanks: The Finish Line

On Thursday of this week, I was incredibly thankful for a lot of things. For my family, for my friends, for my sweet, beautiful children. But more specifically, I was most thankful for finishing a race. In September, I did a lot of research about local fitness centers. Who had the most to offer? Who had the best price? Who would best meet my needs? I got all my questions answered and discussed with Richard. I am so thankful that he agreed that I could sign up to join the gym. Since then, I have worked hard, training for the Turkey Day 5K in Minneapolis. Again, I am thankful for Richard's generosity, because any time I was at the gym meant I wasn't at home.
So, on Thursday morning, I got up very (VERY) early and rode down to Minneapolis with my sweet friend, Sarah. Oh, how thankful I am for her! We have been friends for 24 years. She has been a part of my life for my whole life. And together, we "ran" 3.1 miles together in the freezing cold. What a joy!
On Friday, I was thankful for friendships once again. Mom, Naomi and I went out with the crazed shoppers on Black Friday. None of us spent a whole lot, but going on an adventure of that kind with two of my best friends is more than I could hope for. What's more? I bought new jeans. New. Jeans. Catch my drift? Wahoo! All that time at the gym is paying off!
Today, the finish line for the Week of Thanks, I am so thankful for my loving family. My sister worked so hard to prepare a gorgeous meal for all of us. (And most of it was gluten-free!) We got to spend precious time together laughing and talking, and watching Shirley show off.
So, the Week of Thanks comes to a close. I will try not to stop being thankful. You do the same. Deal? Deal.


Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
-Psalm 100:4

A Week of Thanks: Wednesday

Today I am thankful that I was able to make it to the grocery store before the snow started flying and everybody got off of work. I would not want to be out in that madness right now!
I am also thankful for a husband who provides and enables me to host a dinner for our family. I'm looking forward to having them over to celebrate the first leg of our Thanksgiving weekend.

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! 1 Chronicles 16:34

A Week of Thanks: Tuesday

Yesterday I was thankful for forgiveness, Coca-Cola, and vitamin D capsules.
Take from that what you will.

A Week of Thanks: Monday

Yesterday, I was thankful for rest. And Netflix.
So there.

A Week of Thanks: Sunday

Tonight, I am thankful for all the hard work I did last week to get ready for our company to come this weekend. Because of that hard work, my house is still clean enough for me to relax and veg out after our fun, albeit exhausting weekend.
I know that doesn't seem like much, but an evening of reprieve from the daily uphill battle is greatly appreciated.
Looking forward to the week ahead.
I am also very thankful for new friendships made, old friendships nurtured, and grandparents who will sit in our living room until three o'clock in the morning because we are stuck in an ice storm on the 35W bridge.

Dirty it up!

Last week, a large amount of tomato juice got spilled in the fridge. Before that, it was half a bottle of RED wine. Before that a quart of milk.
I finally decided that just wiping out the spills was no longer sufficient, so I took the whole bottom shelf apart and ran the drawers through the dishwasher, then scrubbed down the glass shelf and plastic parts. It was disgusting, but high time.
Now?
My fridge is SO CLEAN, that I can't slide anything in or out of the bottom shelf! I go to slide in a pan of lasagna and it sticks on the super clean glass! I'm thinking I need some surf board wax to be able to slide the huge juice jug in and out.
Or maybe I should just dump some milk and a handful of dirt in there and let it do its thing.

Shelter from the storm.

As a kid, just could not figure out what those cute playhouses were for at the end of people's driveways out in the country. So I finally asked. Turns out, they're not playhouses. They're for kids to wait for the school bus in a place to get safely out of the frigid weather. What a disappointment.
I was probably nine or ten when I figured it out, and at the time I thought, "We live in such a cold part of the world that kids need shelter to get on the school bus? It's dangerous waiting for the bus? WHY do we live here?"
Just a little pre-winter memory I thought I'd share.

28!

While I worked out tonight, I watched two girls goofing around, daring each other to lift weights, racing each other on the treadmills, that kind of thing. I guessed them to be either seniors in high school or freshman in college. Somewhere in the 17-19 range, possibly older, but definitely not younger. (This information will be important later.)
Over all I had a really good night at the gym tonight. I reached a personal goal that I really thought would take at least another month. I lost two more pounds. I can feel myself getting stronger and more confident by the day. Lots of milestones all around.
After my fantastic work out, I was literally smiling on my way into the locker room, thrilled with my progress, just ACHING for someone to tell.
I was washing up in the when one of the girls I had noticed earlier said to me, "Hey, are you Bella's mom?"
I said, "No, why? Is someone crying in the nursery?"
She said, "No, uh...Bella's my friend."
Now, I ask you, interweb.
Am I so frumpy that I could so easily be mistaken for a 40+ mother? REALLY? I don't try too hard to be stylish when I go to the gym, but maybe it's time to start. I don't mean to offend my 40+ readers, but COME ON. I am TWENTY-EIGHT years old.
Oh well. I guess she saved me from getting a big head or something.

Comforteater

(Alternate title: Bally Belly)
(Alternate title: Erin the Comfort Eater: MINDFREAK)

To me, a comfort and reward eater, it is the absolute epitome of Cruel (with a capital C) that my gym shares a parking lot with two fast food "restaurants" and my favorite grocery store.
The mind games have gotten completely out of control. It doesn't help when my legs feel like jelly and I can hardly walk...in my weakened state my will power doesn't stand a chance, so it typically hides its head in the sand.
Walking to the car, it's like there's a good angel and a bad angel on my shoulder.
Bad Angel: You worked hard. You deserve a treat.
Good Angel: You did work hard, but a treat won't help.
BA: You burned 700 calories today. Plus the 500 for breastfeeding. You can have a little something.
GA: Go home and make a little something. It will still be half the calories and they won't be empty calories.
BA: You know how good it will taste. You deserve it.
GA: Food isn't the Ultimate Comforter. Run to Jesus instead of food.
BA: Jesus doesn't taste as good as a Frappuccino.

It's hard to argue with that.