Jescipes: A Feast in 20 Minutes

I managed to beat traffic home today, and walked in the door from work around 5:15 PM... it was awesome. I'd had a big healthy lunch at my desk, skipped a snack, and power walked for 50 minutes with a co-worker during my lunch hour -- so I was JUST starting to feel the nagging tinge of hunger.

Luckily I'd planned ahead and knew exactly what I was making -- it was Leftover Tuesday, but in a good way -- I don't have a name for this creation, but it was basically a fusion of Asian and Caribbean food. Awesome.

(Sorry, I don't have a pic of all the ingredients because as per usual, I didn't think of this until a few minutes into it).

Earlier in the week, I'd skewered some frozen shrimp and pineapple and sprinkled with black and white sesame seeds.... and put them back in the freezer for safekeeping!

I knew I had leftover mango cous cous in the fridge...

...an unopened bag of sugar snap peas*...

And a fresh container of pine nuts.

SO I turned on the oven to 400, and while it preheated, I pulled out the skewers and  the rest of the ingredients:

Cous cous.  Sugar snap peas.  Teriyaki sauce.  Pine nuts.  Olive oil.  Kosher salt.  Lime pepper.

I lined a cookie sheet with foil and sprayed with pam, then basted the skewers with some teriyaki and baked at 400 for 15 minutes.

(As an added bonus, while they were cookin' away, I unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher, and packed my lunch for tomorrow -- amazing what you can do in 15 minutes when you need to).

After 15 minutes, I pulled the skewers out, rebasted, and put them back in for another 5 minutes

 While they were finishing off, I heated up a bit of EVOO in a saute pan and tossed the sugar snaps in with a little bit of salt.

Added the leftover cous cous and warmed it for a few minutes.

Scraped 2 of the 4 skewers into the saute pan with the rest of the mix and let it mix and mingle for just a few minutes...

...then quickly hit it with a little lime pepper and salt before adding the pine nuts...

...and then dumping the whole pile on a plate.

Delicious, nutritious, and done in 20 minutes.  

Think about what food groups / types are represented here: fruit, vegetable, protein, whole grains, nuts, healthy fat... say nothing of the different flavors and textures:  the tang and sweetness of the pineapple and mango, the spice of the lime pepper, the crunch of the sugar snap peas, the buttery flavor of the pine nuts, the savory chewy texture of the cous cous, the salt of the teriyaki, and the sweetness of the shrimp.

I might have just created the perfect meal - for around 500 calories*.

Off and eating,
~Jessica

*Please forgive the bad photo quality - not sure why, but my point-and-shoot seems to be taking very blurry photos later, and I can't figure out why.  One more reason to fully learn how to use my DSLR.
**This is a rough approximation, so don't rely too heavily on these numbers, but when I added up all the ingredients for my dish, I got the following.  This assumes the following ingredients:

2 skewers, each containing about 4 shrimp and  pieces of pineapple each
1 TBSP of pine nuts
1 cup of cous cous
1 tsp of EVOO
1 cup of sugar snap peas

Calories: 550
Fat: 14 grams
Carbs: 83 grams
Fiber: 6 grams
Protein: 30 grams
= approximately 11 points, for those counting.  A high point meal if you haven't planned for it, but luckily I had the points given my food choices earlier in the day!

Sweating Out The Toxins -- and A Grateful Giveaway!

Yesterday, I sat around a lot. 

(NOTE: you'll want to read all the way to the end of this post to find out how you can win the gratitude journal that I'm selling in my shop).

I wrote, I read, I watched some TV, I did a teeny bit of yard work, paid soe bills and got a little bit organized (though my house is still a disaster), but mostly I just sat around a lot.

And then at 4 PM I decided I was going to be VERY mad at myself if I didn't get the exercise I'd declared I was going to get.  Not guilty, mind you, but MAD. 

I set out thinking I'd just go for a 45 minute walk, and then could do a 45 minute walk today to hit my remaining 90 minutes to my monthly goal.  After all, it was 90 degrees and HOT out there -- but then I kept thinking about how awesome it would be to just get my 90 minutes DONE so that today I could take a rest day if I wanted to.  So I decided I'd do the approximate 90 minute loop that I used to run when I was training...

Except, duh, I'm walking now.  So 90 minutes was actually 2 hours.  And about 5.5 miles.  And 90 degrees.  And I not only met -- but exceeded -- my monthly goal.  A day early (with plans to walk at lunch today with a co-worker).

THANKYOUVERYMUCH.

And what a beautiful walk it was -- hot, indeed, but there was a FIERCE wind blowing, and much of my walk was shaded.  I started to kinda lose it in the last 20 minutes -- very thirsty and sweaty -- but mostly I just felt GOOD.  Like I was sweating all the toxins out of my body... I didn't even bring music, just my phone and my feet, swingin' down the pavement.

And what a beautiful walk it was -- the wind was quite powerful, as you can see from the sailboat picture below... but it was a very clear, sunny, blue-skied day, and I loved every minute of it. 

It had apparently been a while since I walked all the way around the lake, because I was thrilled to notice the Nokomis Art Walk, a project funded by the city as part of a park beautification project.  Every 50 feet or so there was a new piece of art with a sign explaining what it was, the artist who created it, and how to purchase if interested.  Very cool! 

Also, on the West side of Cedar, there is a giant mock dinosaur / Lochness Monster in the lake -- hilarious, except that I keep waiting for somebody to drive off the Cedar Avenue Bridge while staring at it.  Apparently her name is Minne -- and I saw her two summers ago when she lived in Lake Harriet (I actually saw her when Kath visited and we went for a walk around the lake), but I didn't realize that she was now living in my 'hood).  You can watch the video if you click on the link above -- I couldn't figure out how to embed it, so this is just a screen shot below. 

Anyway, just a few rare treats of a Minneapolis summer, which again remind me why I am grateful to live here.

And speaking of being grateful -- I'm really excited because I'm ready to do my very first OpenSky product giveaway!

Daily Gratitude Journal!

I've been keeping a gratitude journal for over a year now -- just a little place where I can jot down three simple things a day that I am grateful for.  At first it was really easy -- my family, my friends, my boyfriend, my house, my job, food on the table, money in the bank, a car that drives, a neighborhood I love.. but once you hammer out all the OBVIOUS stuff, it gets really hard - especially on a really bad day. I  find myself being grateful for things like... my favorite flowers were on sale at the market.  Or I made a really healthy, satisfying meal, or my favorite song played on my way home from the office.  I had a great workout.  a good night's sleep.  That sort of stuff.  BUT, what I love about this exercise is that it causes you to take a moment and pause and recognize the GOOD in life, rather than focusing on the bad.

The people at This Is It were kind enough to send me a sample of this darling little Gratitude Journal, which I'm selling here in my shop, and on Friday, I'd like to give it to one of YOU (because my readers are definitely on the list of things I am grateful for!)

So here's how you enter:
First of all, "Like" this post on Facebook (I think you have to be logged into FB in another window to do so), then leave a comment HERE ON THE BLOG IN THE COMMENTS SECTION telling me what you're grateful for this week.

On Friday, I'll enter all the names into a randomizer and pick a winner, and the cute little journal will be yours.  I will email you to let you know that you won, so make sure you enter your email address when you comment... Of course, if you still want one, you can buy one in my OpenSky shop.


FUN, huh?  I still think I'm not entirely doing this whole OpenSky thing correctly, but hopefully I'll figure it out soon!

On that note -- I'm wrapping this up just in time for an 11 AM meeting.  After that I'm going walking / having lunch with a co-worker... and the it is an afternoon of meetings and work before I head home to cook a healthy dinner.

B: Smoothie
L: Sandwich, baked chips, vegetables, granola bar
S: popcorn (if I need it)
D: shrimp & pineapple skewers, mango couscous, sugar snap peas

Off and walking,
~Jessica

Sorry, I'm Not Sorry

Do you guys read Rachael? 

If not, you should -- I'm not quite sure how I stumbled across her blog, but I absolutely adore this woman and her take-no-prisoners attitude.

Like... if you want to be fit and healthy, that's a holistic thing.  And it starts with liking and respecting yourself, two things that I haven't done enough of lately.

I'm not talking about relationships or work or any of that stuff -- in fact, I'm not even being HEAVY here, I'm just talking about the way I treat my body and mind on a daily basis, because lately it hasn't been great.

When I was at my healthiest, physically, I'd gotten myself into the REALLY good habit of using exercise as a coping mechanism -- every stressor, work or otherwise, was met with a run.  Every argument, every frustration, every job crisis... I'd lace up my shoes and hit the pavement.  The rewards were huge -- not only did it very effectively manage my stress, but it toned my body and my mind.  I'd work out my problems on the pavement, and by the time I got home, they didn't seem like a very big deal anymore.

(Of course, I did my fair share of running away from my problems too -- but mostly it just helped me... manage).

I am FILLED with excuses right now -- it's too hot.  My foot hurts.  I'm exhausted.  I have to much other stuff to do.  Work is making me tired.  I didn't sleep well last night.  I need to run errands.  The excuses and the feelings and the physicality and the bad choices are SO circular, and it all just makes me feel guilty, and you know what?

And. I. am. so. sick. of. feeling. guilty. 

I started writing this list of things that I "own" -- statements I can make about myself that are unabashedly, unapologetically me and that I don't feel one ounce of remorse for saying.  And it was REALLY hard. This was an important exercise because a lot of the things that I wanted to end by saying "Sorry, I'm not sorry," I COULDN'T.  Because I am sorry.  Very. About a lot of things.  But writing, deleting, rewriting this list of things I "own" led me to one pretty powerful realization:

I am really mad at myself for regaining a bunch of weight.  Yet at the same time I am absolutely sick of feeling guilty about it, punishing myself, worrying about my weight; obsessing and stressing out about it... which in turn just leads to more bad choices, a loss of empowerment, frustration, stress, and gaining more weight.  It is only in forgiving myself and moving on that I'm ever going to tackle this problem for good.

So here's me, owning it. 

(Sorry, I'm not sorry).

• I'm powerful and I know it.  I also know that it makes some people uncomfortable.  Sorry, I'm not sorry.
• I totally ate french fries on Sunday.  With a salad.  Sorry, I'm not sorry.
• I am a big old emotional softie.  It took me a long time to be able to even admit that I HAD emotions, and now that I have, sometimes it runs a little out of control. I have big emotions.  Sorry, I'm not sorry. 
• I'm smart.  Sorry, I'm not sorry.
• When I think something is unethical, untoward, or just plain WRONG, I will not keep my mouth shut.  Sorry, I'm not sorry.
• I'm totally not competitive.  When people get competitive with me, I tend to just drift away.  Not interested.  Sorry, I'm not sorry.
• I have no use for, and refuse to play, political games -- in and out of the workplace.  Sorry, I'm not sorry.
• Sometimes I have to be incredibly selfish in order to prioritize healthy eating and exercise over everything else.  Sorry, I'm not sorry.
  

So now that I'm feeling all empowered and shiz, it's time to go get some sort of exercise and keep this day on the right track.

New beginning number bazillion and ten starts right now.

I OWN IT (sorry, I'm not sorry).

Off and owning it,
~Jessica

So Sue Me

I have to admit having been somewhat of a failure in the "healthy living blogger" department this week -- not enough workouts, too many bad foods, and Friday night, way too many glasses of wine.


Oops.

So I'm not perfect -- sue me. So I worked late and then inhaled Cheez-its for dinner on Friday. So I chased it with several glasses of wine while hangin' at The Manfriend's house. So I spent most of Saturday on his sofa, watching TV and feeling like crap, breaking only to grab breakfast at the grocery store, some lunch from Chipotle, and later go out for dinner. So sue me.


Can I get a do-over, please?

Unfortunately, in life, there are no do-overs -- but there is always the ability to start fresh and make better choices going forward. So that's what I did this morning. Rather than mope around all day about Sunday being the end of my weekend, I decided to frame it up as the start of my week - so I popped out of bed at 8 AM, and while the Manfriend peacefully slept, I threw on my running shoes and went for a really nice long walk. It is supposed to be hot here today -- probably in the 90s -- but the humidity is low, and this morning was just beautiful. I bopped along streets and sidewalks to the sounds of Ke$ha and Gaga... I was walking in the Manfriends neighborhood, which is somewhat unfamiliar territory, so I enjoyed having new things to look at!

Back "home" for an english muffin & banana w/ all natural peanut butter... and now it is time to hit the shower.

I'm not sure what the rest of the day will bring, but I just got an invite to have dinner with my family at a steak place, so I guess I'm glad I "burned and earned" those extra calories.

I'm working from home tomorrow, so I'll be sure to get in a great workout (I only have 90 minutes left to get to my goal for the month!). Goal for the rest of the week is to get 3 more -- either at the gym, on my bike, or on the pavement.  This heat should give way to some 70-degree temps later this week and I cannot wait.

• What are your goals for the week?
• How do you get back on track after a derailment?
• What is your favorite form of exercise?

Off and running.
~Jessica

Follow Friday

Those of you on Twitter are probably familiar with the hashtag #ff (#followfriday) where twitter users all recommend that their followers follow somebody that they find interesting (wow, that was a lot of F's in one sentence).

I'm taking the lazy blogger route today and rather than some insiring, interesting, though-provoking post, I'm just going to give you some links of blogs, email lists, etc. that I think are worth following.

(Sorry, it has been a doozy of a week, and my neighbor's dog kept me off barking her head off all night.  Charming. Needless to say, after being waked up at 11, 2, and 3 -- and then randomly waking up at 5 AM -- I didn't get out for a walk or bike ride this morning).

1) First off – I WROTE THIS ARTICLE, but for some reason my byline isn’t appearing. Not sure what’s up with that, but I’m trying to get it fixed.


2) http://www.livestrong.com/ is a great website, and this week in their email, I received a helpful “5 Factors to Diet Success” article that I think is right-on.  You can follow Livestrong on twitter @livestrong_com. Their email newsletter is usually filled with healthy recipes, mind/body health advice, fitness tips, etc. I love it.

3) The Fit List from Fitness Magazine also does a nice job with their email newsletter – This week’s included 99 Healthy Recipes, freezer essentials, and quick workouts. Their twitter handle is @FitnessMagazine, and they also have a YouTube channel, helpful for demonstrating fitness moves!

4) I’m a huge fan of http://www.sparkpeople.com/. Just go there. Immediately. Sign up for their daily newsletters and emails. You’ll get success stories, tips, hints, food finds, fitness suggestions, etc… and group support. It is free – you can track your calories and other nutritional components, etc.

5) Women’s Health Magazine – Women’s Daily Dose is a daily email newsletter that I LOVE. On twitter they are @womenshealthmag and their newsletter is shock full of quick bits about fitness, nutrition, and some sexy stuff as well. ;-)

6) Last but certainly not least is Cooking Light Magazine. Their semi-weekly email is always full of really great recipe ideas – but it is more than just a foodie magazine. I’m always surprised to see articles about exercise, travel, etc. The pictures alone will inspire you to make something special (other than reservations) for dinner. Their twitter handle is @cookinglight


It is a beautiful Friday in Minneapolis, and I'm looking forward to a nice long "walking meeting" at 2 PM. 

The office is quiet, the sky is blue, the humidity is low, and life is good.

Off and running,
~Jessica

PS: I'm rockin' it with my cardio minutes this month, but weight loss has not been as good -- I've basically maintained for the last 3 weeks.  Boo.  But, better than a gain!

Healthy Living Blogs

So, getting the OpenSky shop up and running is taking a bit longer than I anticipated, mostly because I haven't recieved any samples yet, and a key componant to this adventure is obviously being able to do giveaways on the blog!  So please be patient -- you can still view and shop in my store, but I won't be actively promoting things until I've had the chance to try them out... with one exception:  The Foam Roller



I'm selling two of these bad boys in my shop, because I just recently discovered the joy of the foam roller -- I have used them at the gym from time to time, but on Sunday, I finally puchased one for myself to aid in stretching after at-home workouts / runs / walks / bike rides.  When I was getting my massage on Monday (and the masseuse was lamenting over how tight I was), he commented "you know what would be really good for you... a foam roller!"

SHUT UP.

"I JUST bought one yesterday!" I told him.  I hadn't even USED it yet, but he was thrilled to hear I had one at home -- he commented that when he was in massage school, they used 'em all the time.

Anyway, I've been using it nightly and have noticed a marked decrease of tension in my back, neck, and quads. 
This website has some great pictures of ways that you can use the roller to aid post-workout stretching. Since I don't need to wait for a sample in order to test this out and see if it is worthy of my accolades, I put it in the shop right away -- there are two versions, both reasonably priced.  One is a half-cylinder and the other a full (note: I've only used the fully cylindrical version).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Moving right along... 

• I didn't manage to get out of bed early enough to sneak in a workout this morning, but my 3 PM meeting is a "walking meeting," which I'm quite excited about!  I've never actually done that before, though I do sneak out for walks from time to time during the workday.
• Navigated an office pizza party quite well today -- 2 slices of vegetable pizza and a bit of salad and water.  Not as healthy as a home-packed meal, but good nonetheless
• Had a spontaneous happy hour last night with a good girlfriend who was having a tough week... discovered that sometimes I am the one who needs a reminder to make healthy choices (rather than being the one doing the reminding).  Girlfriend is newly enrolled in weight watchers -- and she steered our menu choices away from onion rings and high-fat options and towards gazpacho, hummus & pita, and schezuan green beans.  It was great to come home from happy hour feeling like.... I ate just as healthily as I would have at home.  Thanks lady!
• And FINALLY... I'm a new member of the "Healthy Living Blogs" website.  Yay!  Healthy Living Blogs is "a website designed to enhance the positive community of the healthy living blog world. Bloggers and readers can explore the site and find more blogs to love, fellow bloggers in their area, and forums to deepen healthy discussion and support."  I can't wait to add these lovelies to my feed reader!

From the website:
Healthy Living Blogs is a new resource for the health blogging community. Created by Lindsey of Sound Eats, HLB is a site designed to enhance the positive community of the healthy living blog world. Bloggers and readers can explore the site and find more blogs to love, bloggers in their area, and forums to deepen healthy discussion and support. If you're interested in having your site listed on HLB, simply send the following information to healthylivingblogs@gmail.com and check the site out for yourself!

• Email subject line: MEMBERS
• Your name (please share if you prefer to go by first name, first and last, or however you prefer to be known on the Internet)
• Blog Name
• Blog URL (please start with http://, not www.)
• Your twitter handle, if applicable
• Your location (if you prefer not to disclose this information for privacy's sake, that is completely understandable. We'll simply include your blog listing in the A-Z listing, not by location, too)
• Any specific labels (i.e. vegan, gluten-free, weight loss, running, etc.)

It is Thursday.  That means my official WI is tomorrow -- judging by this morning's scale hop, I'm not going to lose any weight.  For this week -- I'm okay with that.  I navigated 2 difficult food situations and walked away feeling like I'd made the best possible choices; walked away satisfied rather than stuffed; and walked away ready to get back to my normal food and fitness habits.

On that note -- it's time for my walking meeting!

Off and running,
~Jessica

Third Law of Motion

"For every action, there is an equal and opposite re-action"

...or so I thought.  But last night after work, I hopped on my bike to experience what can only be described as a meteorological phenomenon. :-)


I rode against the wind.  Both ways*.

It wasn't the greatest ride of my so-far-short biking career.  I didn't want to work out.  But I wanted to work out.  But I didn't.  But I did.  Know what I mean?  (We're definitely "equal and opposite" on that one).  It was a GORGEOUS day -- and after the weeks and months of nasty heat and humidity, I was dying for some fresh air (and scared to not take advantage of the weather, lest we never experience it again, and jump right into winter).  But I had a crabby day at work, had ZERO energy, and was hungry due to skipping my snack at work (never a good idea), and then fighting traffic all the way home.

The desire for fresh air won out, and apparently the rest of Minneapolis had the same idea: I really had to fight for my space on my beloved parkway, and as a relative biking newbie, I must say -- it was terrifying.  I had bikes whizzing past me, rarely dinging a bell or calling out "on your left!"  I didn't like it one bit, and I think that my future rides -- at least until I get more confident -- will be restricted to less trafficky times.

And about that wind -- yeah, I don't know how it happened, but on the way OUT, I was really struggling and thought, "Well, at least on the way home the wind will be at my back!"  Nope.  On the way home, I was definitely still struggling, and definitely still riding against the wind.  The equal and OPPOSITE reaction, of course, would have been to have the wind at my back.

These are the times I miss running -- the pavement never lies.  When you push at it, it pushes back.  There is no switching of gears or futzing with a bell or basket.  You just GO.  And then you turn around, and GO home.  No confusion over wind or speed or terrain.  It is all pretty evident and obvious, right beneath your feet.  Unfortunately for me right now,  the "equal and opposite" reaction of running is intense foot pain for a few days - something I'm not to keen to experience again anytime soon.

There are other "equal and opposite" phenoms to examine: for example, my extreme use of energy will result in an extreme case of exhaustion.  My expulsion of water via sweat results in taking in a lot of water.   And most importantly?

The ambivalence I felt about working out resulted in the passionate desire to do it all over again the next day.

I popped out of bed this morning at 6:09 AM, and by 6:20 I was on the pavement -- for a nice long walk.  I grabbed a cup of coffee** from the local bakery, and walked about 90 minutes.  It is blissful in Minneapolis today -- 58 degrees, sunny, blue skies... The pictures attached were the reward of the journey.   I knew that "my" lake (Nokomis, for those who know Minneapolis), would be absolutely stunning this morning, and it did not disappoint.

As for the running -- I'll get back there again, but in the meantime, swimming and biking it is.  And if I have to "settle" for the feel of the sunny wind in my hair and the therapeutic repetition of swimming laps... well, there are worse things in the world!

Off and running,
~Jessica








*Insert obvious joke here about walking to school uphill both ways in the snow... and LIKING IT!
**Some of you may know that I gave up caffeine and diet coke back in April -- I did this successfully for 3 months, and experienced a drastic decrease in headaches and heartburn.  But I've missed the ritual of coffee, so I've slowly started working some decaf back into my menu, alongside a dose of Pepcid / Prilosec... so far so good!

What A Long Strange Trip It Has Been

I'm back.

I don't have any great excuses -- you've heard it all before -- but in addition to being crazy busy, out of town, and exhausted, I haven't felt like I've had a ton to say*.  Not my proudest moment, given that the main point of this blog is to be to chronicle my healthy living / fitness adventures.  Because basically that means... there hasn't been any to write about.

(Oops.)

Don't get me wrong - I haven't gone totally off the rails, but given the 90 degree + humidity temps lately, most of my exercise has come in the form of completely mandatory yard work and cleaning.

I'm not proud of my lack of attendance at the gym (or on the trails) lately, but sometimes that's just how it goes.

Fall down 10 times, stand up 11, right?

I've neglected my poor little Direct Life device for the past week too -- I finally just charged it and put it back around my neck tonight.

But the week wasn't a total fail.

The Wins: 

• Even while on a business trip to Omaha, I was pretty conscious of my food choices.  
• At the Twins game on Friday night, I had 2 beers and 1 hot dog, and nothing else.
• On Saturday morning, I woke up early and went for a walk from The Manfriend's house -- getting in a solid 45 minutes of running / walking before heading home for an hour or two of yard work... 
• ...after which I cooked a nice healthy dinner for The Manfriend and I.
• Sunday, more and more and more yardwork -- then a few errands, a trip to the grocery store, a pedicure, food prep, a healthy dinner and an early bedtime
• And today?  Worked at home while waiting for cable guy and phone guy -- and accomplished more than I have in ages.  Went for lunch and made healthy choices.  Mowed the lawn for exercise (HOT out there -- I was dripping sweat), got a post-work massage, and ended the day with another healthy, home-made meal, despite wanting to pick up take-out on my way home from the spa.

The Lessons:

• This healthy lifestyle is fully ingrained in my brain, heart, and soul now -- even when I go a week with less than stellar performance, I always pick myself back up.  Despite frustrations, setbacks, self-loathing on the scale, and food and beverage mistakes: I never give up.
• Little things make a big difference!  When I was in NYC, I didn't have any planned workouts, but the sheer amount of walking / foot time resulted in a 2 lb loss.  Wowza.  
• Sitting on my butt all day in Omaha resulted in a 2 lb gain.  Double wowza.
• It felt really good to get back in the kitchen this week -- I love to cook, and I've missed it
• The aforementioned bullet also goes to affirm the fact that my favorite nights are quiet ones at home with my guy: yummy meal, glass of wine, snuggly TV time, early bedtime, and a "homecooked smelling house." 
• The humidity doesn't just make me uncomfortable, it makes me TIRED... seriously, I have been sleeping so much over the past week that it is ridiculous.
• All of that makes me VERY ready for fall, which segues beautifully into...

What's Next?

• The weather is calling for cooler temps and a drop in humidity starting tomorrow.   I can't wait to get my feet / tires back on the pavement and enjoy the great outdoors.  It is going to heat up again by the weekend, but the next three days should be bliss (and the weekend can be spent at the pool or beach if necessary, rather than stuffed into a suit / heels / desk)
• I have a kitchen full of healthy, prepped food, a meal plan on the fridge, and all the determination required to follow it.
• No social plans for the foreseeable future.  That sound so pathetic, but it is a welcome break.
• Don't have to get on a plane again until late September.   
• Annnnnnnnnd exhale.

Today's stats:
B: smoothie
L: cup of gazpacho; pita pizza; hummus w/ pita
S: air popped popcorn
D: filet, baked potato, asparagus

Next up, I'll pack tomorrow's lunch, close down the kitchen, watch a little TV and head to bed early.

I want to hear from you:

• What are your "rituals" that keep you on track?
• What are your favorite indulgences and how do you keep them in check**?
• And this one is random, but... what are you reading?***

Once again I'm reminded how easily, naturally, and happily I make good choices (even when faced with seemingly endless possibilities), when I'm content with my life -- in my house, in comfortable clothes, cranking away at work, undisturbed by meetings or distractions or fire drills.

Everything flows, everything works, and everything just seems to get done... naturally.

Off and running,
~Jessica

*Also, people -- I'm not feelin' the love.  The comment love, that is -- are you out there?  Are you reading?  My google analytics says that you are, but sometimes I wonder.  Jump into the conversation!
** My indulgences are pretty basic: massages, manicures, pedicures, good food and good wine.  All kept in check by whether or not time / calories / finances will allow
***I'm reading Committed, by Elizabeth Gilbert, who wrote Eat Pray Love.  This book is NOTHING like EPL, but I'm enjoying it nonetheless.

The (Open) Sky Is The Limit

I'm super excited to announce that I've been accepted into the OpenSky community, which is a way to specifically promote and sell products that I love via my own Open Sky shop. I love to share newfound favorite products with you, and I like this format better than the Amazon Associates program, because it doesn't require any advertising.  It also allows me to flex my retail marketing muscles a little bit and write creatively about the products - more than just a link to a website.

So what will I be showcasing? Well, first of all, inexpensive products that are unique and useful -- I won't be selling $300 garmins (even though I will probably put it in my shop), because even though I love mine, it is a really expensive item that you don't need to "discover." You can walk into any wal mart or target and buy one. I'll be focusing on unique products that offer a feature or benefit in support of my endeavors: fitness, nutrition, weight loss, cooking, and balance / holistic health.

This is a fantastic blend of my passions and background - retail marketing, writing, product marketing, and health / fitness... I'm excited to throw it on the table and see how it spins!

The really fun part?  

I get to request a sample of each product from the vendor... and then do a reader giveaway on this blog!

The shop isn't quite up and running yet, but I'm working on it fast and furious... as soon as I'm home and can really dive into it, I will! 

I'm happy to have a new project!

I'm wrapping up my time in Omaha, where I've been in meetings nonstop for the last day and a half (and won't be done until EOD today). 


I'm done presenting for a few hours -- back on from 1:30 - 2:30 -- so I'm using the time to listen to my coworkers, but also to catch up on some personal stuff, namely blogging and emails. Can't wait to get home tonight, relax, and enjoy NOT having to get back on a plane until the end of September!

The first product I'm excited to try is The Food Loop (this is just a test on how to do the HTML, as I haven't recieved or reviewed the product yet).



Off and running,
~Jessica

How To Eat Supper

The weather in Minneapolis today was the stuff of magical, blissful outdoor summers... in the high 70s, not a drop of humidity... a slight breeze.  I got home from The Manfriend's house around 2 PM and instantly threw open the windows and turned off the A/C...  and then set about mowing the lawn, doing some laundry, and preparing for the busy week ahead.  I had a chicken defrosted and ready to roast alongside some fresh sweetcorn and yukon gold potatoes -- finally it was cool enough to turn the oven back on without turning my house into a sweat lodge!

The Manfriend was going to come over to help me take down the last remaining tree trunk... and I figured I'd make a nice dinner for us to wind the weekend down right.

But at the last minute we were both too tired and lazy to deal with the tree...

... so I made the simplest of dinners: soup and salad.  After a weekend that included Chipotle, pizza, bar food, beer, and wine, my body was screaming at me for some healthy whole foods.

I absolutely LOVE Pacific Natural Foods Cashew Carrot Ginger soup -- it has been too hot to eat it for, oh, the last 2 months, but I could eat this for days on end and not get sick of it.  I had some in the cupboard, and paired with a bit of warmed up baguette, it was the perfect comfort food.  The salad?  A mix of heirloom tomato, farm fresh cucumber and avocado -- dressed with a sprinkle of salt and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Sometimes simplicity is the best solution.

Tuesday morning, bright and early, I'm off to Omaha on business.  I'll return Wednesday night, and then leave again on Friday... this time for a relaxing weekend at the lake.  Can't wait!

Off and running,
~Jessica

You Can Grow Flowers (From Where Dirt Used To Be)*

I woke up early this morning and it was a wee bit cooler than it has been for the past few days.  Since I have given up all hope of ever being able to sleep past 8 AM, I decided I'd get up and do just a bit of yard work before it got too hot and steamy.  I started out by trimming some trees / bushes that were below my window... my father recently warned me that they were a bit of a safety issue because people can hide in them.  EEK!


The solution was to trim them until I had time to get a landscaper in here to remove them and tell me what to plant in the empty patch of dirt.

I really wish I had a "before" shot so that I could fully show you how much work this was, but the picture above is the end result: no bushes, no trees, no shrubs, no weeds. Just a tree trunk to cut down (on the right), and some stumps to remove.  Once I started trimming, I did such a lousy job that I couldn't bear to leave it looking so shabby... so I just kept cutting and cutting and cutting and then... voila!

After all the cutting was done, I ventured to Home Depot to buy a small bow saw to cut down the smaller of the two trunks -- cutting through it proved to be a ton more work than I expected, so I am leaving the larger trunk for when I have a chainsaw and, preferably, one of the men in my life to operate it. :-)

Now that that mess is gone, I'm excited about the possibilities: Flowers! Hosta! Low shrubs!  Color!  There is a small rock garden with a wooden border that was surrounding the trees (which I assume started as small shrubs and then grew out of control), but I had to cut away all that excess to even know it was there.

After 6 years in this house, I've discovered a beautiful space that I didn't even know existed because it was too covered up, to be blunt, by junk.

And isn't that just how it is with life sometimes - we get so bogged down with "junk" that we can't see what is really there.  Too much work, too many obligations, too many chores and errands... too much time spent looking for the perfect (shoes, dress, car, computer, dishes -- insert your choice of "junk" here), that we miss and overlook the important things in life: the things that really make us whole.

I know that for me, when overwhelmed by life's obligations, I tend to stop taking care of myself.  I tend to stop remembering how GOOD I feel when I exercise, eat right, get enough sleep, and fill my hours with meaningful activities, like spending time with my family, boyfriend and friends, volunteering (something I adore, but haven't done enough of lately), or focusing on a hobby that makes me happy (running, writing, reading, takin' pictures).

Today, even though it was a lot more work than I bargained for, I thoroughly enjoyed the peaceful quiet of taking care of my home and making it more beautiful.  It wasn't just a workout for my body, but for my soul, and I can't wait to dive into Stage Two: growing flowers where dirt used to be.

In a way, that phrase is kind of a metaphor for my life, and August always seems to be my period of regrowth.  Three years ago, almost to the day, I was finally ending a four-year relationship that was going nowhere and should have probably ended two years prior.  Two years ago, I was a pile of tears, relief and anxiety, watching my father and 1800GotJunk quite firmly remove that ex boyfriend (and his mountains of junk) from my home and my life. One year ago, I was returning from a weekend at my family's lake home with The Manfriend, having spent a quiet and rainy weekend enjoying each others company.  Throughout that period of my life, I had this theory that every time it rained, it was God (Allah / Buddha / The Universe / Whatever Higher Power Of Your Choice), washing away all the junk that had previously occurred or existed -- when that happens, it is amazing what you can find. 

This year, 1800GotJunk came back to my house, but for very different reasons.  The sun is shining brightly (there's nothing left to wash away), growing flowers where dirt used to be. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On Friday morning, I pulled out my DSLR camera -- a gift I'd bought myself with my Health.com column earnings, when I thought that learning about photography would complement my new adventures as a writer.  I was so proud to buy it with my first paycheck "as a published writer."  Much later, for our first Valentine's Day together, The Manfriend very thoughtfully bought me a "DSLR Photography for Dummies" book that he'd seen me eying on a few occasions.  I'd read it at the time, but then due to a computer malfunction and busy life, I'd put photography and writing on the shelf for a while.  Yesterday, I pulled it out and started re-reading, and though it took a little while to re-familiarize myself with the settings and options, I'm really looking forward to diving in again and learning about this art and technology - a postponed passion of mine that had been "shelved," while I dealt with the junk of everyday life.

How about you?

• What are your passions?
• How do you feed your soul?
• What are your cues that it is time to take a step back and reprioritize?

This morning, what started out as a simple chore took me down unplanned paths and turned into a bigger workout than I imagined.

The only thing bigger is the reward.

Off and running,
~Jessica

*titled with respects to my friend Kristi, who writes a blog by this very name, and the song "Merry Happy" by Kate Nash:

"Sitting in restaurants, thought we were so grown up, but I know now that we were not the people that we turned out to be. Chatting on the phone, cant take back those hours, but I wont regret, cause you can grow flowers from where dirt used to be"

Weighing In

I stepped on the scale this morning for my official weekly Weigh-in, and...




I lost 1.2 lbs!

This makes for a grand total of 7.7 towards my "33 by 33" goal. Given a long weekend in NYC and record-breakingly humid temps, I'm THRILLED by this.

See below for today's "Foodie Thursday" post!

Off and running,
~Jessica

Foodie Thursday: Sunnyside Up!

It's been a while since I did a good food / Jescipes post, so I thought I'd go for it this morning. Yesterday I took a break from my usual smoothie-breakfast in an effort to use up the remaining eggs in my fridge.

This is a pretty simple breakfast: 1 egg, some polenta, shredded cheese, and a bit of extra virgin olive oil







What is polenta, you are probably asking?  Polenta is ground cornmeal that is boiled in water and then hardens into a "loaf" of sorts.  It is a great option when you're trying to skip out on the bread or other processed foods, but still want a grain or some sort of crunch.

You cut the polenta like you would a loaf of bread.  I cut it into verrrrrrrrry thin "slices."

And then pan-fry it in a little bit of EVOO or PAM

In the meantime, I cracked an egg in the pan, thinking I would eat it sunny side up, with the yolk running over the polenta...

See how golden and crispy the polenta gets?










At the last minute, I decided I wanted it scrambled, so I added a little bit of cheese and milk and scrambled away until I got the finished product:

Bon Appetite!

Off and running,
~Jessica

Exercise Your Rights!

Major thunderstorms / tornadoes were predicted to roll into Minneapolis late yesterday afternoon -- I decided that I'd hightail it out of the office a wee bit early and VOTE (Minnesota primary) before the polls got crowded and the heavens opened.

By 7 PM, I'd voted, picked up a salad for dinner (decided I didn't want all the sodium in the lettuce wraps), stopped by Walgreens to pick up conditioner and a prescription, and was changed into my workout clothes.  By 8:30 PM, I was done with an hour on the treadmill in my basement, 2 loads of laundry, a stretch session and a bubble bath.

And then it was time for Rachael Zoe Project from bed, and an early snooze session!

Plan for the day:
B: Egg w/ polenta
L: lean cuisine
S: vegetables w/ hummus
D: Depends on how plans shake out: The Manfriend and I might have a date night, in which case I'll cook a nice dinner. Otherwise, I'll probably just make a salad and chicken breast and call it a day. :-)

Today I'm exercising my right to take a rest day, if it works out that way -- my gym bag will be packed and ready to go if I feel inspired, but I might skip it.  We'll see -- depends on plans tonight.

Off and running,
~Jessica

Re:

Re-motivated
Re-invigorated
Re-freshed
Re-inspired
Re-COMMITTED.

Who's got 2 thumbs and a lot of focus, discipline, energy and RE-newed ambition?? 

This girl, after this fabulous weekend at BlogHer (I know, broken record much?).  I can't tell you how healthy and satisfied I feel today, and that's just after ONE day away from the office to focus on my healthy initiatives.

After sleeping approximately 12 hours (yes, that is a major accomplishment for me), I felt fully "recovered" from my Manhattan weekend.  After I finished yesterday's post, I headed out for an intense walk in the intense heat -- I was only able to run for 10 minutes (too hot, too tired, too achey), but walked for 60.  The heat meant that my HR was higher than normal, and by the end, I burned about 600 calories in 71 minutes.  Not bad at all!

The rest of my day involved laundry, food prep, catching up on work and email, and tidying up the house a bit... at 5 PM, I met The Manfriend at his house, and we ventured off to the pool: and what a great idea was THAT.  It was so hot out that swimming or A/C were the only options, and it was a beautiful night: since it is supposed to be rainy and gross tonight and tomorrow, I'm thrilled that we made that decision.  I was still pretty exhausted from NYC, so it felt good to just lounge.  On the way home we stopped at Wendy's to pick up dinner -- burger and fries for him, salad for me.

Wow, I must say that the new salad line from Wendy's is impressively good -- but the calories?  Notsomuch.  I had the Apple Pecan Chicken Salad, and at 500+ calories and 29 grams of fat, it is the lowest calorie option on the salad menu.  Don't get me wrong -- it was delicious, but at 13 WW points, I'm not sure it will be a regular menu item... which is disappointing, because it was so good that I was contemplating ducking out to get one for lunch today.  Since I'd eaten light / exercised, I came in within my points / calories for the day, but it obviously can't be a daily indulgence.  Bummer.

This morning I had a scale-hop so awesome that I wanted to kiss the scale (but that's gross, so I didn't).  I am amazed that I've come back from a business trip weighing less than I did when I left.  That RARELY happens.  But I seem to have done a bang-up job over the past few weeks of picking myself up, dusting myself off, and climbing back on that wagon.  I've worked hard, and dangit, I DESERVE a loss this week. 

B: smoothie (7)
S: chocolate milk (4)
L: lean cuisine*, veggies w/ hummus (7)
S: popcorn (4)
D:  Pork lettuce wraps, egg roll (6)

Water water water water water.
Exercise: vinyasa yoga at 6PM, if I can get there in time.  Otherwise, might be a rest day, we'll see.

How about you:

• How do you get back on track when you've slipped up?
• Do you weigh-in daily, or once a week?
• How many calories / points do you try to "spend" per meal?

On that note -- I've got wet hair and an 8:30 meeting, and still need to get some breakfast down the hatch before I hit the road. Lots to accomplish today in the office, but remember the best part of a 3 day weekend... 4 day week!

I'm reminded of this quote that got me through the 70 lb weight loss:

"Persistence, not perfection." 

Although yesterday was, for all practical purposes, a day of perfection, it isnt' realistic to think I'll do that over and over again every single day. 

What IS realistic is to plan to never give up.

Off and running,
~Jessica

*Caption reads, "Focus on your goals and let nothing get in the way of your dreams."
**I don't eat many of these, due to preservatives and high sodium, but they are nice when I'm pressed for time.  I'll review it later, but this is from the new "steamed" entree line.

Back To Life; Back To Reality

Monday.  Ugh.  Normally you plague me so... but I knowing that I would be deep in sleep-recovery from BlogHer10, I had the foresight to take the day off / work from home today.  And after sleeping like the dead for approximately 10 hours straight, I'm getting things going the right way today. 

It is amazing to me how quickly I slip back into my healthy habits when given the opportunity to work from home.  (Of course, it helps that I am totally re-motivated from a weekend of discussing fitness and weight loss!)  I could have slept in at least a bit, but I automatically woke up around 8 AM and, after going about my morning routine (pee, brush teeth, weigh in), fired up both laptops to check in for the day.

(Anybody else having a big of trouble "disconnecting" after this past weekend?  I feel like I'm unable to step away from Twitter right now). 

Then, re-motivated by this weekend of healthy blog talk, I immediately put on some workout clothes (dressed to the shoes!), filled my water bottle, and set about making a healthy breakfast.  I'm digesting right now, then heading out for a run/walk, despite the stifling heat and humidity that seems to have completely taken over this summer. 

A couple of quick hits --

1) I was thrilled with my scale-hop this morning.  I was down .5 from my pre-BlogHer weight, and that is actually quite incredible, given that usually I am up a few pounds simply from the plane-dehydration alone.

2) There's nothing more humbling than putting on your favorite running clothes from a few years ago and realizing... wow, that is a lot tighter than it used to be!

3) Based on my learnings from this past weekend, I'm considering doing some video blogging ("vlogging").  Any thoughts on that?  The recommendation was in regards to demonstrating cooking or fitness actions that are hard to explain with words and no images.

4) I've realized that I need to re-incorporate more lifting / core work into my exercise routine.  I used to end every workout session at the gym by doing at least 50 crunches, and now I just... don't do it at all.  Bad news bears.

5) Need to get better about taking my multi-vitamin and other supplements too -- I kicked THAT goal off this morning by swallowing a maltov cocktail of multi-vitamin, B complex, B12 and D.  

6) I met a TON of cool bloggers this weekend -- the list below is by no means comprehensive but just a quick showing of new blogs I'll be following:

http://healthyhappierbear.com/
http://carrotsncake.com/
http://fitchickinthecity.com/
http://fitarella.com/
http://fitbloggin.com/
http://www.gympressions.com/
http://www.halfofjess.com/
http://operationbeautiful.com/
http://ronisweigh.com/ (*)
http://www.jessruns.com/ (**)
http://shesafitchick.com/
http://weightfordeb.wordpress.com/ (*)
http://www.fatfightertv.com/ (*)

(*) = panelist at Saturday's fitness blogging session
(**) = hung out with this girl a bit - very funny, because we were randomly sitting next to each other in a lounge area; I was checking email, she was networking with somebody else, and I overheard her say "Well, I write at Jessruns.com."  My head whipped around and I said "No way, I write at seejessicarun.com!  Ha.  We then sat together at the fitness blogging session.

You can read a transcript of the session here, noting that I am "audience member" that commented right at the end... and they did a pretty good job of summing up what I said, but my point was that the weight loss blogging community is a safe zone for those of us who have never had anybody to talk to about our body image / weight management struggles... so it is important to admit the successes AND the failures, because people take comfort in the idea that they aren't the only one who continues to struggle.

And NOW, I am off for some exercise while it is "only" 84 degrees (lovely), 60% humidity (gag)

Off and running,
~Jessica







Plan for the day:
B: Scrambled egg, english muffin, slice of havarti, cooked in EVOO (6 points = 1 oil, 1 dairy)
L: Smoothie! (8 points = 3 fruit, 1 dairy)
S: Vegetables w/ hummus (2 = 2 dairy)
D: sushi with a gf...  which is why I need to go earn some serious APs!

Water water water... still re-hydrating from NYC...

Off and running,
~Jessica

Happily Home Sweet Home

(Let me preface this by saying that Blogger is doing something REALLY funky with my pictures and formatting, and I have no idea how to fix it, so I'm just goin' with it).

It's 10:19 AM on Sunday and I'm sitting on my sofa, kinda feeling like I never let -- except that my feet are awfully sore, and I'm exhausted from only 4 hours of sleep last night.

Why, you ask?  Were you out partying?  Were you up late chatting with people?  

No and no -- the answer is that I'm exhausted because I'm an idiot.  

But let me back up.

After all the sessions and closing keynote were finished yesterday, I went back to the hotel to freshen up.  I wasn't feeling 100% excited about the parties, I was tired, and I didn't feel like TALKING anymore.  I'd navigated my way through an insanely busy Times Square at about 5 PM, and after that, I was "put a fork in me" done.  I just wanted to chill out.  Chilling out involved hangin' in my hotel room for about 2 hours, catching up on work emails, and eating a big slice of NYC pizza... and suddenly I realized, I didn't want to go to the parties AT ALL.

It was a completely perfect day in NYC.  All the heat and humidity from Thursday and Friday were completely gone -- it was warm, but comfortably so and happily the humidity had totally disappeared.  I didn't want to sit in my hotel room all night - duh!  I'm in NYC! - but I also didn't want to spend it inside another hotel conference room, drinking and eating mediocre food.  I decided to skip the parties, the dinner invitations, and just have a little date with myself.  At first I thought I'd head to central park and walk around for a while.  Maybe the Met.  Maybe Top of the Rock.  And then I remembered those open-air busses that were cruisin' around the city... offering sight-seeing tours.  Bingo!

After a quick internet search, I'd purchased and printed out a ticket and was in a cab headed to the boarding area.  The ticket included a trip to Top of the Rock -- perfect!  But things didn't go quite as planned.

First of all, when I got to the ticket booth,the agent told me that it wasn't a hop on / hop off tour, so I'd have to use the Top of the Rock ticket either before or after -- but the ticket was good for a week.  Perfect!  I thought I'd use it this morning since my flight wasn't leaving until 2:30 PM.

Second, I literally could not hear ONE WORD of what the tour guide was saying.  So even though it was a beautiful night, and very fun to be relaxing in the air, alone with my thoughts and my camera, I wish I could have heard some of what he was telling us.

Third, speaking of my camera, the battery was starting to die, which resulted in some VERY blurry pictures.  Disappointing, because I could have gotten some incredible shots of Manhattan at night from Brooklyn.

All of that said, I enjoyed the tour and the lights and the sights of New York City... I just don't think it was worth QUITE what I paid for it.

Now here is where the story gets a little crazy -- while on the bus, I thought "Oh hey, I should check in for my flight," so I pulled out my blackberry to do so... and upon doing so, discovered that...

I missed my flight. 

Because my flight was mistakenly scheduled for Saturday.

Because I was too frazzled / rushed to properly look at the reservation that I got from our office travel agency.

I missed my flight.

And, despite the message from the airline telling me that I could rebook for free, for whatever reason, my blackberry was telling me there were NO OTHER FLIGHTS available out of LGA, JFK, or Newark.

None!!!!

Now, this wouldn't have been the end of the world - I'm taking the day off on Monday, I could have gotten an inexpensive hotel room in Queens (we just opened a Country Inns there), and it wouldn't have been a big deal.  Except that by this point I was really, really, really DONE with New York City.

So after finishing the tour and then navigating myself through Times Square AGAIN (Ohmygodseriouslysocrowded), I retreated to my hotel room to try to figure this out.

And rebooked myself (for free, yay), on a flight at 6 AM out of LGA.

Yep, 6 AM.

Which means that my wake-up call came at 4 AM, just four short hours after I got home, figured out the mess, booked my flight, packed my suitcase, printed my boarding pass (sans seat assignment), took a shower, and turned out the lights.

The upside?  I wanted to come home earlier anyway.  The downside?  I didn't get to use my Top of the Rock ticket, which certainly would have made for some great photo ops.

LaGuardia at 4:30 AM was completely insane.  I mean, I cannot BELIEVE how busy it was, how rude people were, and how dirty that airport is.  At 4:30 AM!!!  I kind of expected it to be empty, but no -- the baggage check line was a billion miles long, second only to the security line.  Luckily I got through both and got to the gate with time to spare, and luckily not only did they give me a seat assignment, but it was an aisle saeat... and then luckily there was nobody sitting next to me, so it was quite a pleasant flight... but WOW.  4:30 AM.

I landed back in Mpls around 8 AM and as I walked through the 13 baggage carousels in our gleaming clean airport, completely empty, Vivace being piped in through the speakers, I wanted to lay down and take a nap right there on the cold tiled floor. 

Minneapolis, I'm so glad to be home -- away from the noise and honking and sirens; the stench of garbage, the pulsing throngs of people, and the flashing lights.

Home sweet home has never been sweeter.

Below are all the pictures I took on the trip:

The view from my room on the 19th floor of the Radisson on Lexington

NYC Summer Streets! Park Ave closed for bikers / runners!

 

The famous Magnolia Bakery, a sad little fire hydrant, and a HUGE Rodin sculpture... at least I think it is Rodin.. at least very Rodin'esque. All spotted on my way to the conference on Saturday morning.

Radio City Music Hall

Iconic NYC taxis, lined up and waiting!

 The gorgeous lunch time spread on Saturday

 View from the 43rd floor of the Hilton - beautiful!

 Obligatory Times Square shots....

 

 Everybody's favorite, the Naked Cowboy!

After all of that, I was very happy to be "home"at the Radisson for a few hours!

 Chrysler Building

 Flatiron Building

 2 Shots of Manhatta from across the bridge!

I did "pretty okay" in regards to food and fitness.  One thing that really helped is that there were a lot of healthy options in regards to meals... and of course, tons of walking.  Didn't manage a run, and didn't hit the gym ,but walked 40-60 minutes, minimum, each day. 

Time to unpack, take a nap, and get back to reality...

Off and running,

~Jessica