TGIF

This was totally me this morning:

Fortunately, it IS Friday!!  And I have off of work today for WCC graduation!

So yesterday's evening meal did not go quite as healthily as planned.  Instead of a veggie/sausage mix I prepared to eat as dinner at work, I snacked on the goodies we had out for Ladies' Night in Princeton.

Well, at least there were some strawberries in there along with cheese, cookies, and chocolate.

This morning, I had my cup of coffee with skim milk and one of my favorite light breakfasts:

graham crackers and milk!

I crack up 5 graham crackers into a bowl, and then drizzle the tiniest bit of milk over top to make them slightly mushy, but still have a little bit of crunch (and also so I can pick them up and eat them with my hands).

On to the rest of my day...graduation and Katie's birthday!

A New Life

Wow, time really gets away from you, doesn't it?

I feel lifetimes away from where I was (physically, mentally, emotionally) the last time I posted.  I resigned from my full-time job to pursue my dream of being an opera singer.  I'm now living in New Jersey, where I just finished my first year of a Masters degree in voice performance.  Moving and then school full-time with a part-time job (plus homework, plus practicing) has really made me busy this past year.  But, it is time to get back on track to being healthy.  Time to restart my commitment to exercising more and eating more healthfully with this blog!

To start off the day I went for a run.  Five times around the park, the last time at a faster pace.

I WILL get faster!

It's a good thing I went out when I did; by the time I made it back there were already rain drops beginning.

So, this is New Jersey, where the power goes out when it's slightly windy.  So, naturally, the power went out because it started drizzling.  (Actually, there was apparently a huge transformer fire, but still.)  My post-shower breakfast had to be

Makes messes all over the place

Thank goodness the power went out AFTER my coffee had finished brewing.

Fortunately, the power came back on in about an hour, so I was able to cook a healthy breakfast.  I tried a egg/cheese/raspberry jelly sandwich that Julie loves on one of my favorite blogs, Peanut Butter Fingers.

toasted english muffin, shredded mozzarella, egg, raspberry jelly

Unfortunately, I didn't love it.  Maybe it's because I used mozzarella cheese instead of smoked gouda.  The smoked gouda would have given it a lot more flavor, I'm sure.

Now it's off to run some errands on Westminster's campus, go to work, and graduation rehearsal.

Color Run

I did the Color Run Philly this morning!  I got up around 5am, and since I had to stop for gas for my car anyway, I picked up a toasted bagel from Wawa.

There was no traffic on the Schuylkill Expressway!  That's kind of a big deal.  The run started and ended at Eakins Oval, right in front of the Art Museum.  Everyone lined up, wearing white shirts.  The race organizers started the crowd in waves, so that not everyone was running at the same time.  It actually worked pretty well at this run.  I think it really helped that this was not a timed run/race.  No one was stressing about how fast they were going to run or how soon they were going to get to the finish line.  

pre-color

It was not extremely hot, but it was very muggy.  The Color Run website shows pictures of people covered in colored powder but totally cool, unsweaty.  There was NO WAY that was going to happen today!  There were five "color stations" along the route, where volunteers used ketchup and mustard squirt bottles to toss colored cornstarch powder on you!

orange

I definitely slowed down at the color stations, but between the stations I was able to get some jogging in.  A lot of people were walking, but it was pretty easy to get around them.

At the end of the run, everyone gathered for a "color toss".  We were given packets of color and tossed them up into the air at the same time.  It was craaaaazy!

even more color!

Since I had gotten up so early, I decided to take a stroll to Starbucks for an iced vanilla latte (with skim milk.....and very little ice).  I had a bunch of people ask me why I was covered in color!

The rest of my day was filled with mundane adult chores - laundry, dishes, cleaning, etc.  Although lunch included a peanut butter jelly sandwich!  (since I was finished running for the day, I felt safe eating peanut butter).

Dinner was a mish-mash of various foods:  some leftover sweet potato fries, watermelon, sauteed mushrooms, and a microwave brownie (I'm not even going to give the recipe here.  It's too easy and too good and too dangerous).  I attempted a drink that I saw in an issue of Better Homes and Gardens.

muddle blackberries and mint.  add 6TBSP vodka and 2TBSP elderberry liquor (I used St Germain).  Shake and pour.

It was all right.  Perhaps it would have been better if I'd used vanilla vodka instead of regular.  I'm finding that I like most drinks using vanilla vodka, rather than regular.  I guess I like the sweet taste  :)

Here's hoping this week will stay in the 80's like weather.com promised!

100+ degrees....are you serious?!

Today was just freakin' hot.  I decided to forgo my run this morning, as it was already 82 degrees when I woke up at 6am.  So I slept in with the air conditioning instead.  A smoothie kept me cool after I woke up.

frozen banana, blueberries, chocolate protein powder, ground flaxseed, and coconut milk

We (me, my sister, and my dad) took my mother to 401 Diner in Conshohocken for lunch.  It was her Mother's Day present, so we're a bit late on that!  Oh well!  The diner is very cute, pretty small inside but it wasn't extraordinarily crowded for a Saturday morning (we were there around noon).  Interesting fact - they don't put out their lunch menu until noon!  So if you're looking forward to their lunch food, don't go until after 12:00.  Fortunately, we got there right around noon, so I was able to choose food from the lunch menu.  I had the french onion soup (I forgot to ask for it without the crouton, oops) and chicken quesadillas.

with the cracked pepper aioli the sweet potato fries were very good!

a bit bland....but I suppose it's my fault for leaving everything out but the chicken and cheese

hahaha oh boy....and here come the political comments...(it's not my car, I just thought it was humorous)

We had a lovely time talking and spending time as a family.  I spent most of the day reading "Drop Dead Healthy" by AJ Jacobs.  There's information about being healthy, but it's a funny book at the same time.  I'm finding it very enjoyable.  There are bits where I actually laugh out loud.  One-liners are the best.  :)

afternoon snack mmmm

dinner (well, after leftover quesadillas).  I got it from the Amish bakery at Reading Terminal Market yesterday and saved it in my fridge.  Whoopie pies!  Apparently a Pennsylvania thing.

There was a large (but all too short and without much rain) thunderstorm a while ago.....it apparently lowered the temperature quite a bit.  Let's hope that sticks!

A Phew Phun Hours in Philly

A four-mile run started the day.  So hot!  A cold smoothie was needed afterwards - a frozen banana, blueberries, a scoop of chocolate protein powder, some ground flaxseed, and coconut milk.

Then, I went BACK OUTSIDE for 1:15 of bike riding.  Yeah, I'm not sure what I was thinking.  By the end of the bike ride, I was pretty done....and maybe a bit sun stupid.

Breakfast/lunch was a scrambled egg and avocado on a whole wheat English muffin, with a nectarine.  And I made the tea before the bike ride but put it in the fridge, so it was cold tea.  Much better on such a hot day!

In the afternoon, I took the train down to Philly.  I had to pick up my race bib for the Color Run on Sunday, and I figured I could also have a bit of fun (or "phun", as you have to spell it when you're talking about Philly).  I took the R6 (oh sorry, the Norristown/Manayunk line) to Market East because I didn't want to have to drive in rush hour and then pay for parking.  Going to the Reading Terminal Market for dinner was a no-brainer.

I always love walking around and just looking at everything.  It makes me want to live in the city just so I can go shopping here.  There were several counter shops dedicated to just cheese!

now that's my kind of store

One of the markets had an entire shelf of just Red Mill products (flours, seeds, etc.)

better selection than Wegmans

Dinner had to be a reuben from Hershel's East Side Deli.  It was even better than I remembered.

oh yes

Dessert had to be Bassett's ice cream - Preston and Steve's Gadzooks (chocolate with brownies, chocolate pieces and caramel) is on the bottom and The WHYY Experience (vanilla with butterscotch swirls and chocolate covered pretzels) is on the top.  I had to eat it fast because it was melting!

July is National Ice Cream Month

Then I walked out to the Art Museum.  Yes, it was hot.  Really hot.  Really, really hot.  Like 95+ degrees hot.  But I played tourist and took a lot of pictures of my city.

I love these signs

I hate this building.  It's the dumbest looking building.

I took off my shoes and splashed in the Logan Square fountain.  Who knows when the next time I might get to splash around in a fountain will be?

the frog is vomiting water!

does anyone else see the Dalek attachments on top?!

I stopped for a humongous Sprite on the walk back to Market East.  It was just too hot!  Granted, a sugary beverage probably did absolutely nothing to slake my thirst, but at the time it tasted so good.

my favorite building (even with the Dalek technology)

Back home (in air conditioning) I watched a bit of the Phillies game, but went to bed as soon as Bastardo walked a run and then pitched to a grand slam home run.  Oh well.  Everything else about Philly today was good!

Let's see if I can remember the train stops:  Norristown Transportation Center, Conshohocken, Spring Mill, Miquon, Ivy Ridge, Manayunk, Wissahickon, East Falls, Allegheny, North Broad, Temple, and Market East.  I think I got them all!  I miss the Monday night conductor...he had a great way of announcing each stop, "Allegheny nex" (and no, there's no "t" when he says it; I typed it right).

Good Swim

Apparently the light in my kitchen is absolutely terrible, so I apologize for the picture quality.  I began my morning, not with a run, but with a scrambled egg/avocado/wholewheat English muffin sandwich, a nectarine, and tea.

my breakfast for this whole week basically

After a long morning of cleaning through stacks of papers and magazines in my apartment, I had some wholewheat rotini with cherry tomatoes and shredded mozzarella cheese (just like yesterday).

I braved the heat to head over to the gym in the afternoon to knock out a swim workout (WU 500, 8x100- 50 sprint 50 easy, 8x50- 25 sprint 25 easy, CD 200), and it turned out to be a very good swim!  The pool was not crowded (for ONCE), so I got to have my own lane.  During my cooldown swim, I was the only one in the pool!  

I felt a bit nauseous once I got home, so I had a snack.  Blackberries, graham crackers, and, since I can't often eat straight out peanut butter (I seem to be mildly allergic), PB2 (powdered peanut butter with a lot less fat) mixed into greek yogurt.  

The PB2/Greek yogurt was very tangy.  There was a slight peanut butter taste though, so I may continue to tweak these proportions.

Dinner was sauteed mushrooms, chicken with some leftover chocolate bbq sauce from Hersheypark, and some bubbly water - flavored with lemongrass, mint, and vanilla.  A very refreshing beverage!

mushrooms cook down a lot!

I heard tonight is actually going to get down to 70 degrees!  Woo!