Queest-ce que j'ai fait ce week-end ?

I'm practicing my French. After all we will be in Paris in two weeks!!! Je suis tres heureux!!!

I started off the weekend wanting to blow off Friday's 5K, which I did... Then I ended up feeling blah. The rain. The headache. Selecting an outfit didn't go so well either. The bf really hasn't lost 6 lbs. It's really just relocated to my behind. Remember Friday's post about slacking... I wanted to crawl into bed and sleep, but there was a birthday dinner awaiting. After being an hour late and making everyone wait, I arrived at home to see not just my brother & sister, but some of my closer friends were there. Two of my most favorite little girls were there too. Instant pick me up! We laughed. We ate. Then we went out and partied like rock stars townie style. A few more friends and family members joined the festivities. Despite becoming an "old bag" as my mother said, nice right, I woke up feeling great on Saturday. I won't lie though. I did take a 4 hour nap later that day though. Still I was hangover free, which was an accomplishment for someone who does not drink often but would have made her Irish ancestors proud on Saturday... I must say that this was the best birthday ever. Twenty-eight turned out to be the greatest year ever. I say bring it on twenty-nine!

After some napping on Saturday I did a little house work, dishes, laundry. All the fun stuff. As I was doing dishes , back turned to eveything I heard this loud bang. Again, back turned to everything so I was completely unaware. I was in Azzy-world. Now had we been in the south end I would have hit the floor. However, we are in Newport and that is not one of my biggest worries here in our little seaside community... Any loud noises here are from the drunk college kids returning from the bars. Anyhow, I froze. I turned around to see the bf dazed and confused... Now rewind 5 minutes, I walked past the bf who was dilligently working on his bike. While I did dishes, he started pumping up the tire... the tire which took no more than 100 psi but he thought took 110 psi. Big difference. HUGE. After a good chuckle we headed over to a friend's house for dinner & games, which is something one does starting in their late 20's. That was a topic of discussion that night... After winning (he, he, he) trivial pursuit we headed home because Sunday was an early day.

We awoke before the a**-crack of dawn on Sunday to drive 2.5 hours to CT for a cyclocross race, which lasted 30 minutes and then make the 2.5 hour drive home. Now that is love people. I am not an alarm clock person, and I fight to get out of bed for work during the week at 6am. This morning I was up at 5am. It wass all in support of the bf's quest for Ironman. Besides, I love being his cheerleader. It was really cool to watch, just to watch. I took some pictures and video. It really was cool. I also earned some points for when I drag him around to bead stores and such.

And now here we are. Another weekend gone just like that.

Slacking

I'm not sure what I think of the beta version for blogspot. I tried to post this several times. I felt like I was a magician. Every time I hit publish post, the post vanished. Only I couldn't get it to reappear... So maybe I'm just a magician in training. On to the post...

And that's not such a bad thing! However, the bf is ready to run a 5K tonight and he just doesn't seem to agree with my slacker mentality. Pffft, mr. athletic-overachiever-going-to-run-an-ironman... Sometime a girl is just tired. Between my 10 hour work day, school, homework and other obligations I'm just too wiped out at the end of the day to head out on a 3 mile run. Who am I kidding? I'm too tired to head out on a 1 mile run. I'm still adjusting to the new schedule. I am also recuperating from a neck injury... Hey, there my excuses and they make sense in my head... I was praying that today's rain would hold up and the race would be called off. Alas, that has not happened. Mother nature is apparently not on my side. The bf is aware of my lack of enthusiasm. He laughed this morning saying I was probably hoping for the rain. He does know my pretty well. I do think I am going to bow out regardless of the weather though. I'm just not feeling it. Besides, I'm the birthday girl and I can do what I want to... :)

Just my opinion

This week brought more tragedy and fear to parents, children, and communities nationwide when a 32 year old man entered a school in Lancaster County, PA and murdered 5 young girls, young innocent children. A community is forever scarred. Families are forever changed.

Sadly as most tragedies do, the most appalling people come out to exploit the tragedy. They use the limelight for their cause. The Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas has publicly declared that it will protest the funerals of the young girls because Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell will be in attendance. However the daughter of the church’s pastor, Rev. Fred Phelps stated they would call of the protest if they were given media time. First, I think it would be a sad day if our local leaders to know come to pay their condolences during a time like this. They are a representative for the people. They should care about those they represent. His political stances have nothing to do with him paying respect to the families of these young girls. Second, who cares if they don’t go to the funeral? I think that they are not worthy of attending since it is obvious their thoughts are not for the children lost. Under no circumstance should they be given media time.

I say shame on them. Shame on those who were going to protest. How could one even justify that action during such a tragedy? To add more disgust to the pastor’s daughter Shirley Phelps-Roper was as quoted saying “Those Amish people, everyone is sitting around talking about those poor little girls — blah, blah, blah — they brought the wrath upon themselves," adding that the Amish "don't serve God, they serve themselves.” I am not a religious person by any means. I was raised quasi-Catholic. Who are we to judge? Who are we to say deserves death, or who “brought this wrath upon themselves”? I wonder if Ms. Phelps-Roper has children. Do they go to a public school? Did the thought cross her mind that something like this could have happened to her children? Religion aside, that isn’t even an ethically sound statement.

Let us forget that these girls were Amish. Let us put our beliefs aside. Let us forget this publicized event. These were young girls, innocent children who will never get a chance to grow old. They won’t have a family. They won’t get to grow and experience life. They won’t be able to contribute to their community. This is not a time to call attention to any cause. This is a time to mourn for those girls who were tragically murdered while at school. This is not a time to protest.

My thoughts are with the families. I am so very, very sorry for your loss.

Vacation Input

The day is coming. The passports are en route. Planning is getting more detailed. Before we know it we will be arriving in London! I'm so excited I can't stop hopping around! The bf suggested that we sit down to figure out exactly what we are doing in Europe. I told him I had a plan. I always have a plan. I researched online like it was my job. Then I interrogated some friends. Luckily these three ladies helped me in fine tuning the itinerary! Originally I was going to skip Versailles because that was the vibe I got with just 3 days in Paris, but Janet insisted that we go. I really did want to go so all I needed was that one person to agree with me! Besides, there is a frog pond there. How could I not go?

If anyone has any suggestions on switching the itinerary around b/c of location or times, please let me know. I'd appreciate any and all advice. This is my first trip there so everything will be new to me! Here is the itinerary, which I should probably share with the bf...

London, day 1

• St. Paul's Cathedral
  
• The London Eye
  
• The British Museum
  

London, day 2

• Buckingham Palace - Changing of the Guard
  
• Westminster Abbey
  
• Tower of London
  
• Spamalot starringTim Curry!!!
  

London, day 3

• Windsor Castle
  
• Covent Garden
  
• Harrods
  
• Other little site before our departure
  

Paris, day 1

• Eiffel Tower, what a way to view our first day!
  
• Notre Dame
  
• Sacre Couer
  

Paris, day 2

• Versailles
  
• Latin Quarter
  

Paris, day 3

• Arc de Triumphe
  
• Louvre
  
• Montemarte
  
• Eiffel Tower, we must say good bye to the city...
  

Where I Catch Up... In Chapters

The Weekend, bulletized!

• Great, as usual!
  
• Friend's military graduation. The bf in uniform, very handsome!
  
• Cut & highlights and low lights... Feeling less disheveled and trashy now that my roots match the rest of my hair
  
• Feeling all girlie led me to the mall.
  
• Got to see the nieces! They are my most favorite girls!
  
• Yummy sushi with good friends
  
• I met Sake Bomb, so very, very nice...
  
• A few more drinks with a few more friends...
  
• Found out that I can handle my own in the hockey-foozball game. A little competitive Azzy? Noooo....
  
• Was pokey because of the new friend I met on Friday, not so very, very nice
  
• Discovered a love for the bead store!
  
• Boston with the BF
  
• Caught a Sox game, watched them loose...
  
• Brunch with Janet. Loved the food, loved the restaurant, could have passed on the choir.
  
• Chinese food with the family before they left on vacation. Dad was at the center of all jokes, again...
  
• Got all weepy eyed watching Extreme Home Makeover. I'm a sappy sally...
  

The Cab Ride

I was working with half a brain on Saturday due to what I can only imagine was the curse of the Sake bomb. I honestly did not drink much. Honest. This led to the early decision of cabbing it after the game. There was no need to cattle car it on the T back to the North End with all of the other crazy fans. Besides, we'd have to catch a cab to Charlestown at some point anyway. I just cut out the uncomfortable middle man. That is where the adventure begins.

I seriously prayed! I closed my eyes and prayed! Oh my lord... Please let me get to the hotel safely. Beeping at the cabs in front of us to move even thought they were unloading and loading passengers should have been my first clue to be afraid. Maybe it should have been the pedal to the metal dart around the other cab just to cut back in front. Then again it could have been when old dude almost hit two different groups of pedestrians as he yelled to them his light was green. Not to let us down, he turned the 90 degree right hand turn to our hotel going at least 20 for a finale. I kid you not! There were moments of gasps of air. I even hid my face. Did I mention he was shifting gears or dropping the crown vic taxi cab into neutral every time he had to stop? He did.

I got out and said, "Oh my god. That was awful." And being the typical guy the BF said, "That was awesome!"

The Promise

So after feeling out of sorts on Saturday I reminded myself, "You cannot go out like you used to." The body just doesn't not recover as quick. At least my body does not. Too much partying in my early 20's? Maybe. A girl never tells. I did have fun though! Rebounding back and being ready to go at 8am is a thing of the past. Now, it's at least a whole day before I'm even quasi human. Water and sleep are my only allies at a time like this. In 16 days I will officially cross the threshold into the last year in my 20's. Truthfully, I want to be in the best shape of my life when I hit 30! That is my goal. I'm pretty healthy now and I'm happy with my weight. I just really need to be better about working out. I'd also like to do some more triathlons next year. So more cardio and yoga, less napping. More salad, less pizza. More water, less soda.

So we'll see how this one goes! At least I'm dating Mr. Ambitious. He'll keep me on my toes. I've actually given him permission to bop me on the head when I try to weasel out of workouts. I probably should have thought that one through!