Comments (25)

By kilax, January 1, 2010 11:57 am

What was your biggest accomplishment in 2009?

I saw this question yesterday all over the blogosphere and loved reading everyone’s answers, so I would love to hear yours as well!

When I was answering this question yesterday, I kept saying that the accomplishment I was most proud of is running my first half marathon in under 2 hours and feeling great afterward.

The more I think about it though, I think maybe my biggest accomplishment was dealing with the setback of being injured and not being able to run, and coming back from that by the end of the year. And not just coming back to running, but getting myself out of a funk.

I hurt my wrist in July, which didn’t affect my running that much, but I had to keep it in a brace and I became very frustrated with doing things around the house. I stopped taking care of myself as well. I really shut myself out from my friends in August. I didn’t feel like talking to anyone – I didn’t feel like I had anything positive to say. I had to stop running completely in September, and I ended up spending two months not being very active.

I’m not telling this very well, but I was in a super funk for a few months of the summer, and finally came out of it in the fall (I think after we watched the Chicago Marathon). I learned a lot about my body and what it can and cannot handle. I learned how to be more open with my friends. I learned how to handle stress better.

I really feel like I’ve turned a corner, and made some huge accomplishments towards being more stable in my health and emotional-state. I am really hoping 2010 won’t be as bumpy of a ride! But if it is, I feel like I’ve learned some new tools on how to handle it.

Comments (12)

By kilax, November 27, 2009 7:51 am

What do you think of those airblown holiday decorations that people put in their yards? Cute or tacky? Would you put one in your yard?

I’ll admit – I think one, or even two, can be pretty cute.

But sometimes, people go a bit… overboard. I wish I had a picture of this place by Steven’s parent’s house, but I don’t. Anyway, year-round, they have 20-30 of these inflatable things in their yards. It’s ridiculous! I wonder if they ruin the grass by sitting there for so long.

It’s amazing how much these inflatable decorations have gained in popularity over the past few years. We definitely have quite a few of them in our neighborhood. I would put one up. Ha! I know Steven never would though.

Comments (16)

By kilax, November 6, 2009 9:11 am

If rain could fall in any scent, what scent would you want it to be?

How about… buttered popcorn?! What can I say, I guess I’ve woken up in a silly mood today.

We had a lot of rain in the Chicagoland area in October. I’ll admit, I’ve said the dreaded, “I wish it would just snow already,” a few times. There are only so many times you can sit on the train ride home with shoes soaked through to your socks, and not be a little bit annoyed.

Comments (21)

By kilax, October 30, 2009 7:33 am

What are your Halloween plans this year? Dressing up and going out – what as? Trick-or-treating with the kids – what are they going as? Handing out candy – what kind? Not doing anything?

We are doing the same thing we have the past two years – handing out candy. Well, not candy, but animal crackers! We usually don’t have many kids come to our door; I think it’s because we live in a townhome. Two years ago we had 35 kids visit, and I think last year we had between 20-25.

Two years ago, we handed out little Darth Vader helmets (from inside of that big helmet) that were full of candy.

This year the trick-or-treating in our neighborhood is from 1:00-7:00 pm. Doesn’t that seem like a long-ass time?! When I was a kid, it was from 5:00-7:00, and we were hauling ass going from house to house.* We had so much fun though. We always went to my grandma’s neighborhood, and hit almost every house. Then we immediately went back to her house to sort our candy and make any trades. My grandma really got into Halloween. She always had this scary dummy she put on the bench on her front porch. One year, we arrived, and walked right past it, and it jumped out at us! She had dressed up as they dummy to freak us out. Well, she did. Hmm, that must be where my mom got that. Ha, I’ll have to tell a funny story about that sometime.

Oops, got off tangent. I hope we have more trick-or-treaters since they have a six-hour window to trick-or-treat. Our only other plans this weekend are to paint the guest bathroom. Woo-hoo! Not. I hate to paint. But this was my idea. We have paint, might as well use it!

*I apologize for the use of the word “ass” twice in one sentence.

Comments (18)

By kilax, October 23, 2009 8:40 am

If you could open your own store, what merchandise or service would  you sell?

I’ve always thought it would be neat to be a tour guide. So, maybe it would be neat to have my own little tour guide company. Here, or anywhere! I love learning things about the city I live in and sharing it with visitors. I had a lot of fun when Steven and my family came to visit me in Italy. We traveled all over, to cities I had never visited, but I did a lot of research so we would know where to go. And when we came back to Rome, I gave them a tour of the city, based on all of the favorite places I had discovered living there, and of course, the very popular tourist spots as well.

A must visit in Rome is Giolitti, the famous Gelateria! You can read more about our Italy adventures on this page, the 3/13-3/24 entries.

Have you heard about City Running Tours? I just read about it on Melanie’s blog, because she won one in Chicago! She got to go on a guided running tour of Chicago, at the pace she preferred! What a neat idea! I think that would be a fun job.

Comments (14)

By kilax, October 16, 2009 5:00 am

If you could be anyone’s personal assistant for one day, who would you choose and why?

I think I would chose First Lady Michelle Obama.

It would be so neat to see what a day is like in her life. From everything I’ve read about her, it sounds like she is a very busy, involved and dedicated person, but also balanced. I feel like I could learn a lot from watching someone like that in action! I think she makes a great role model.

Plus, I LOVE her wardrobe. I would just like to look into her closet. And maybe help her organize some clothes to donate…? Wink wink. Have you visited the blog Mrs. O? They follow her fashion, and I am always excited to see what she’s wearing.

Your answer doesn’t have to be a political figure. It can be anyone! This is just the first person that popped into my head!

Comments (26)

By kilax, October 8, 2009 5:03 am

A coworker was politely and continually inviting me to social work events that focused around drinking alcohol (Happy Hour, Booze Cruise, etc.). I continually, and politely, declined the invitations, because social drinking is not my idea of fun, and most of the after-work engagements would have me getting home after 10:00 at night.

This back-and-forth invite and decline situation continued until I found out I would be going on travel with this coworker for training, and she began mentioning hitting the bars after class. That is when I told her, “Drinking is not my idea of fun. I also don’t enjoy hanging out in big groups of people, which is why I haven’t been going to the work socials and probably won’t want to go out to the bars after class while on travel.”

I thought she understood what I was saying – that I don’t think of drinking as an “activity” or way of having fun. But I think she really took it as “I never drink. I am opposed to drinking. I am anti-alcohol.”

This came to my attention when she acted nervous buying beer at dinner (while on travel) around me. And when she seemed ashamed to want to go to Trader Joe’s and buy a 6-pack of beer. And when she timidly asked if I would mind if she brought a beer to my hotel room to drink while we watched TV.

Then yesterday, we were talking about Facebook (which inspired tomorrow’s Friday Question), and I said, “It’s not like I have any drunken pictures of myself on there*.

“Of course you don’t,” she replied. “You don’t drink.”

“It’s not that I don’t drink,” I said, “It’s that I don’t drink for fun.”

“Oh, so you drink to get drunk?” she was completely serious.

“No, I just don’t view it as an “activity.”

“Well, I don’t either.” She seemed offended.**

I was with another coworker, and we started talking about having a glass of wine now and then. For me, “now and then” is probably 4 times a year, tops. But, I have proof below! My mom, grandma and I had “wine-a-ritas” on my birthday this year. I am not opposed to drinking. One coworker seemed to get that. I am not sure why the other doesn’t.

Some people I work with drink every night. They come in smelling like alcohol. The coworker I am talking about does not do that, but she does stay out late on the weekends, drinking in the bars, from time to time. There is nothing wrong with that! It is just not something I desire to do. I try telling her that, but all she hears is “I don’t drink.” Is it even worth talking about? It’s not causing any problems in our relationship, I just get the feeling she thinks I am judging her. I’m not. We’re just different.

*This will make more sense tomorrow.
**It’s a big pet peeve of mine when people post long dialogue in their posts. Sorry.

Comments (22)

By kilax, October 2, 2009 6:00 am

Do you have any clothes hanging in your closet with the tags still on (or never worn)?*

Fess up!

I certainly have a few items. See that tag hanging from that beige suit jacket in the photo below? I think I purchased that jacket well over five years ago. It was on sale at Target for $6 or something ridiculous. And the gray jacket next to it has never been worn either. I bought it last season at New York & Company, then lost too much weight, and it was too big to wear. Hey! I think it would fit now. Woo-hoo! Not.

The other clothes that still have tags on them are gifts, and they’re mostly stored in boxes. I try to only hang up the clothes I actually wear. And I also I try not to buy clothes that are the wrong size, or not my style, but I have definitely made a few mistakes!

Thanks for inspiring this question, diane!

Comments (18)

By kilax, September 25, 2009 8:45 am

What reality show/game show do you want to be on?

Definitely TLC’s What Not to Wear. Whenever I happen to catch that show, I always wonder what they would make me throw out of my closet. I do hold on to all of my race shirts, but I only wear them for exercise and sleeping in. I try not to wear too many t-shirts. But, my work wardrobe is admittedly plain – nice slacks and a blouse every day.

And I would LOVE to do a shopping spree in NYC! And to get a hair and make-up makeover. I am so lost with my hair… I don’t know how to style it. I am doomed to be a frizzy fluffy head.

Maybe Steven should enter me as a contestant. He keeps asking me to enter him on Overhaulin’…

Comments (12)

By kilax, September 18, 2009 7:02 am

What is your favorite flavor of juice (or juice-inspired drink)? How often do you drink juice?

My favorite flavor of juice is orange juice, freshly squeezed. I hardly ever drink it, because, as you all know, I prefer to eat all of my fruit.

But since I’ve been in DC this week, I have been drinking a lot more juice, either because I don’t have access to fresh fruit, or because I have a per diem and can afford to get it.

Yesterday, I grabbed a Strawberry Banana Naked Juice. Whoa. Have you ever had one of these? They are FILLING. I wondered why I felt so full after drinking it, then looked at the back of it and realized it had a DAY’S worth of fruit inside.

It’s actually a pretty convenient way to eat your fruit for the day, especially since they don’t have any added sugar! It got me thinking about the juicer we have at home. It would be fun to experiment with making my own fruit concoctions. But I wonder if a blender would be a better appliance to do that in, and we definitely don’t have one of those.