Song of the Day: Ra Ra Riot- Boy

Just because. Oh, and this is officially (I think) my 400th post. It just seemed silly to go into the weekend with 399.

A new friend-who-is-a-boy

Part of my work-out schedule involves time on the stationary bike at the office gym every Monday and Wednesday. Sometimes I ride in the morning and sometimes it's at lunch. For about the past month, there has been an attractive man riding the bike next to me at lunch time (guess which time I've picked to ride more, lately). At first, we just said hi, and then went about our "ride" with earbuds in and music on. Over the past few weeks though, we have talked a little bit more each time we see each other. He's slightly older, but really attractive and very fit. He also happens to be super nice. 

Two weeks ago, a lady I know at the office stopped to talk to the guy while we were on the bikes- I didn't know that she knew him. Well, last week she stopped me in the break room and asked if she could ask me a personal question. Um, ok.....  Basically, she said that she had seen me riding next to Cute Bike Guy (real nickname is yet to be determined) and thought that we looked really good together. She didn't know what my dating situation was, and wondered if I had any interest in him at all. She filled me in on a few details and gave him a stellar review- said they don't come much nicer, but that he is also a lot of fun.

I had not really given much thought to him other than thinking he was nice looking, but she definitely piqued my interest. Our schedules were a little different last week and I actually didn't see him at all until yesterday. He had already started riding when I got there, but took his earbuds out to say hi and chat. I'm pretty sure that the mutual friend had reported back to him- a little awkward, but whatever. He asked if I had done the shop ride a couple of weeks ago, that he thought he had passed me on the opposite side of the road. It's possible, I guess....but I think he was trying to make conversation. Anyway, he said he would be interested in joining the next time I went on that ride (he has done several Ironmans and various triathlons in the past). 

As luck would have it, I had already planned on doing the ride this weekend and said he was welcome to come along. I figured it was a harmless way to get to know him more. If it turns out that we don't have much in common, then it wouldn't be as weird as if I had gone on an actual date with him. We work in entirely different departments (with no connection at all), and the only time I see him is at the gym. Can't be too bad if it doesn't work out, right?

As we were finishing up, I told him he could look me up in the directory (so Freshman Look Book!) and that I would pass along my number if he sent an email. We have exchanged a few emails since, and I'm looking forward to tomorrow. At the very least, I might make another friend to do some riding with, which wouldn't be a bad thing at all.

Song of the Day: Mumford and Sons- Sigh No More

I realize that I have now included 3 Mumford & Sons songs as Songs of the Day. If you haven't caught on by now just how great this band is, then I give up. Last night I got to see them play at the Railroad Revival Tour with a few girlfriends. What am amazing show. Three bands, downtown Austin as the backdrop, and awesome weather. We were also treated to this gorgeous thunderhead rolling through the sky. A little rain would have been nice, but I think we all enjoyed the tease.

The first band to play was Old Crow Medicine Show. I was not at all familiar with their music, but really enjoyed hearing them live. I don't know that it's something I'd listen to on my own, but they were entertaining enough on stage. Next up was Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. Wow. All I can say is there is most likely an insane amount of drugs going on in his train car. He's a little out there (the whole band was, really), but they put on an amazing show. He interacted with the crowd quite a bit, and seemed genuinely excited to be on stage. I didn't count, but it looked like there were at least 15 people playing on the stage, and they were all having a great time.

I'll admit that when they played the song Home, I had a brief moment of sadness. The song always reminded me of Frans and the time we spent apart traveling, etc. I do not miss him at all, I just miss the idea of him. Anyone who has been in a relationship and then finds themselves single understands the moments of loneliness that you deal with on occasion. It can be exhausting fighting them off, but I usually prevail. However, being surrounded by couples all enjoying the concert together, just made it a little tougher to swallow. The moment passed though, and I wasn't about to let that ruin the experience for me.

And then Mumford & Sons took the stage and all was right with the world. They were everything I hoped they would be. I loved every single song that they played, including several new ones. It's really hard to pick a favorite, but this one stood out for whatever reason last night.

Mumford & Sons ended their set with the Austin High marching band coming on stage to play along for The Cave. What a cool experience for them. I loved how the band interacted with all the kids. I'm sure they had such a great time. Unfortunately, the 10pm curfew quickly approached, and the show had to end. All three bands got together on stage to play one last song, This Train is Bound for Glory. Just imagine horns, fiddles, an accordion, piano, and too many singers to count. It was unreal, and so fun to watch. I can only imagine what goes on in that train as they travel from city to city. 

Rejection Email Deja Vu

I woke up this morning and did my usual routine. Check Facebook, Twitter, Words with Friends and then email. Usually it's all junk in the morning- various deals, Loft emails, etc. This morning there happened to be an extra special treat. A rejection email from Dr. Dull. Just how I like to start my morning.

My dear amy:  I had a lovely time with you on Friday night!  I think our conversation was easy, as was our late night nuzzling.  now here's the hard part..I've had several other dates and I'm not very good at dating multiple women, especially as things begin to heat up.  I managed several dates with a couple of other gals before you and I even met for lunch so you and I are a bit behind the 8 ball.  My bigger worry is that you and I will get more physically involved, which would make this tougher if it happened later since I am quite interested in one of the other women and don't see that dying out any time soon. 

I know this is lame in a lot of ways.  I've had a few dates in the past that were just no good and where there was no expectation from either side of anything more, not even a phone call or a note, but that was certainly not the case with you.  I recognize that we had a great time and I genuinely feel bad that I've got to back out so soon.  I wish you the best of luck with this crazy dating game.  Albeit necessary, this dating business is sometimes not a lot of fun as we push through stuff like this.    

suerte, felicidad, y amor!

Dr. Dull

I'm not mad- this kind of thing happens and it's all part of the risk you take. I guess I should have paid better attention to that little blip of our conversation on Friday night.  I really didn't think it was a prelude to this, but I guess I was wrong. Sure, I'm disappointed. I was really looking forward to getting to know him more. I do appreciate him at least taking the time to send me this email. It's much better than dropping off the face of the earth, leaving me to wonder what happened. It just sucks being the person who "doesn't get picked". I'm not going to waste my time thinking about that, or letting it get me down. This is just the way it goes sometimes. 

Marley and (Probably Not) Me

In case you're wondering how my Thursday night date went with Marley, it just went. Not anything great enough to warrant an immediate recap. In all fairness, I was in a pretty crappy mood. Work was insanely busy and I was just exhausted and hungry. (In fact, I was borderline hangry). Never how you want to feel on a first date when you're trying to be nice and charming. It took effort that night, unfortunately.

I showed up at NXNW (a happy hour spot my friend swears is full of hot guys) to find Marley waiting at the bar. I immediately noticed the following good things:
a) he was tall
b) he was not totally unfortunate looking
c) he wasn't wearing a cheesy tight shirt or ugly shoes.

Score. What I noticed throughout the rest of the evening was that, while totally polite and even a little funny, he came across as slightly effeminate. Interesting. There really weren't any other glaring red flags that made me question his sexuality,  so I just didn't know what to think about it. And then he complimented me on my legs. And then he walked me to my car and KISSED ME ON THE LIPS. On a FIRST DATE! I rarely (seriously, almost never) do that. I've had some pretty good first dates before, but it's usually the second date when I decide if it's someone I like enough to kiss. But this just came so out of left field, I really didn't know what to do.

I was really too tired to even think about it on the drive home. He seemed to have a good time, and even asked me out for a second date before it ended. That's always a great sign. If you like that person. I'm just not really sure that I do. I've made the mistake of letting things go on for too long when I know deep down inside that I'm just not into it. And someone usually ends up getting hurt. I don't want to do that, and frankly there are plenty of other things I would rather be doing than going out with someone I don't even have luke warm feelings for.

My general rule of thumb is that if I'm at all on the fence, to at least give it a second date. I'm waffling pretty hard on that. We'll see what happens. He emailed me over the weekend and wants to get together on Thursday. I'm already coming up with excuses for why I can't. Not a good sign.

So there you go. Looks like my few tiny fish in the sea have dwindled down to about 1. At least he's a hot one! I did get a few texts from him over the weekend as well- he was doing dad duty all weekend, so I appreciate that he took the time to say hi and Happy Easter.

Speaking of Easter, it was a fun one for my family. I knocked out a 6 mile run on Saturday and decided that was all the exercising I was going to do for the weekend. I had family in town and it was just more important to get time with them than anything else. Not going to lie, my legs needed a little bit of a break, too. I'm hoping that the rest will make this week a little easier. The rest of the weekend included food, alcohol, egg hunting, cute pups, extended family, and more food/alcohol. It was a restful weekend and I think everyone enjoyed themselves.

Now back to work...

The Heat Is On

To borrow a line from the funky Isley Brothers, "The heat is on, you better keep moving on." That is exactly how I felt when Dr. Dull laid one on me in the parking lot as our fantastic date came to an end. I'm sure the couple walking by us on the way to their car definitely wanted to keep moving on. Dear lord, what a great kiss. He is dead sexy, that's all I have to say about that.

Let me back up though. I met him after work at Trudy's because I was dying for a Mexican Martini, and they make some of the best. We grabbed a table outside and caught up on each other's week. While the patio was great, I couldn't help but notice (and smell) how many smokers there were. Gross. I'm sorry, but I just don't understand why so many people still smoke. It's so 1998, and it will eventually kill you. Get with the program, people.

Moving on. Conversation was great. He's an interesting guy with entertaining stories to tell, but it was a conversation that was engaging, rather than two people just taking turns telling stories. I found out a little bit more about his kids and his family in general. It was nice.

We ordered food and one last drink to share (those things will sneak up on you if you're not careful), but weren't quite ready for the date to end. I love that feeling. We decided to head down the street to grab a beer at The Pourhouse and watch a little basketball. It was there that I knew a goodnight kiss was inevitable, and it was all I could think about. We were just having so much fun!

Finally we called it a night and he walked me back to my car. No awkward pause, he just grabbed me by the hips and planted a really, really nice kiss on me. What a relief. There is nothing worse than a first kiss that is so awful, even the most perfect guy wouldn't stand a chance after. Of course, that really nice kiss led to a little (ok, maybe a lot) more kissing. Keeping it classy in the parking lot. Sorry mom.

It has been awhile since I've come home from a date thinking, wow- that was a lot of fun. I'm pretty sure Dr. Dull enjoyed it too.

We did have a frank conversation about dating and he mentioned that he had gone on a couple of dates with someone else recently, but that he's really not good at the dating-multiple-people thing. I told him that I did not expect to be the only person that he is seeing, as I am dating myself. I just asked that if at any point he decided that he favored someone else over me, that he let me know. No big deal. I don't want to jump into anything too quickly. I'm really enjoying getting to know him, but not quite ready to stop pursuing other options either. Regardless, I'm definitely looking forward to seeing him again.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Why I Tri

I recently joined a research study that asks participants to document their training and experiences leading up to the CapTex triathlon on Memorial Day. It has prompted me to do some thinking about how I got started in this crazy sport in the first place. Here is my story.

About 6 years ago, I went on a Spring Break trip with my family and returned to find out that my boyfriend had started seeing someone else while I was gone. Always an awesome feeling. My family didn't like him, and I think I knew that he wasn't a good one for me anyway, but it still stung quite a bit. I was pissed, and for whatever reason decided that I needed a way to prove to myself, and anyone else who cared, that I was strong. Some how "being strong" parlayed it's way into fitness. I was already running then, but that didn't seem like a big enough challenge. My brother had been a cyclist for awhile at that point, and I always thought that biking sounded fun. So I started saving some money and eventually bought a bike (Bleu) from my brother's friend for about $600. I didn't really know anyone else who rode though, so I didn't get out there as much as I wanted to. Months went by and I still hadn't really decided the direction I was going in, until I came across information about the CapTex "First Tri". The distances didn't sound unreasonable, so I decided that I would sign up and make it my goal.

I had no idea what I was doing back then. I did as much reading as I could, but really I just got out there to train when I could, with no real focus. A teacher's salary did not afford me the option to sign up for any training groups either. But each week I found a way to swim, bike, and run, and took pride in each little accomplishment along the way. My brother's girlfriend at the time decided to do the race with me, so we would often email each other during the week with the work-outs that we were doing. It was definitely nice to have at least a virtual training buddy.

As timing would have it, I started dating a guy shortly before the race who's mom was a pretty hard-core triathlete (talk about intimidating!) She gave me some pointers though, but when I think back to that first race, it's hard to believe I didn't drown or face plant at some point. But I was hooked, and there was no turning back. I wanted more, and I wanted to do better. I completed at least 3 more races that season, and several more over the next year.

My job transition 3 years ago from teaching to technology (and a life on the road) did not allow me to continue training with any consistency. I also started dating The Professor around that time and just stopped training. I continued to exercise, but not at the same level leading up to that time. A few years went by, and then entered the year of Frans. I really don't feel like it's necessary to dwell on that- we all know how it ended. But the one good thing that came out of that was my rekindled interest in triathlon. Of course it helped that (he who really shouldn't be named) was an Ironman, and heavily involved in that lifestyle still. We volunteered at a race together and again I was hooked- I wanted to be participating, and not just watching.

Even though I was traveling extensively, I still found time to fit training into my schedule, and signed up for a race last Labor Day. Of course, we also know what happened shortly before the race. It only motivated me even more to train harder and kick butt. I ended up signing up for two more races to finish out the season and was really proud of what I had been able to accomplish given all the different circumstances and hardships I faced during that time period.

And here I am today- still not knowing exactly what I'm doing while training, but feeling good about it nonetheless. I am stronger than ever and in the best shape of my life. At age 35, that's a pretty awesome feeling. When I first started this journey, I thought riding 12 miles on a flat surface was a challenge of epic proportions. Now I can ride 50 on killer hills. Six years ago, the thought of running 6+ miles sounded like crazy talk. Surely I would have a heart attack. While I'm still not as fast as I would like, I can run 7 miles (and counting). I have met some great people along the way, and still enjoy the challenges each week as I continue to find ways to get better, stronger and faster. As long as it stays interesting, I plan to keep at it. Yes, it's time consuming, hard, sweaty, exhausting and often expensive. But if it were easy, it wouldn't be any fun.

Dressing for a Date

Raise your hand if this is one of your least favorite parts about going on a date? Especially a first date? It is for me, that's for sure. I don't really want to waste a "cute outfit", but I do want to look nice. Meeting someone after work makes it even harder. Our dress code around the office is pretty casual, which means I'm often in jeans. That's not always my favorite thing to wear on a first date, mainly because I get self conscious about my legs. I much prefer to wear a skirt or casual dress.

Of course this morning I was already running late, and then realized that whatever I picked is what I would be wearing to my happy hour date. I decided to throw on a recent purchase from Ann Taylor Loft, along with a few necklaces (my sister says I'm terrible about accessorizing) and hope for the best. I did get a few compliments around the office, but I'm feeling a little "school girlish" now. I don't know what my deal is. I'm wearing a navy t-shirt, a navy and khaki striped shirt, and brown wedges. 

Do you have a go-to outfit that you usually rely on for dates? I need to find one (or three) if I'm going to keep this up at all. I do love my shirtdress from Loft, but I could use a few more casual skirts to get a solid rotation going. 

And then there were two...

Work has been busy (as always). Thankfully our earnings report today was pretty stellar, and very indicative of how nuts it has been around here. No complaints on my end!!! Now only if it would stop cutting into my blogging time....

Updates on the few tiny fish in the sea:

I have a date scheduled with Marley for happy hour tomorrow night. I started exchanging emails with him first, but have had to wait the longest to meet. It almost feels a little anti-climatic as a result, but I am still looking forward to meeting him. We actually have a mutual friend in common who says he's a nice guy, so we'll see.

As expected, I have not heard from Don Draper. There was definitely the silent understanding when we parted ways that it just wasn't in the cards. After getting daily texts or emails from him, the message was loud and clear when I didn't hear from him again. No biggie...it happens.

Dr. Dull did contact me and we talked on the phone last night. We have plans to get together on Friday and I'm definitely looking forward to a second date. They are always so much better than first dates- no stress or pressure. Not sure what we're going to do just yet. I'm keeping my eyes open for something fun, but curious to see what ideas he might throw out as well. He has made references to being somewhat of an absent-minded professor, so I'm not necessarily expecting him to plan something great in advance. Right now I'm just thankful that he can at least reserve an evening ahead of time.

There you go. I'll let you know how tomorrow night turns out.

Once Upon a Rescue

If you have followed my blog for any length of time, you know how passionate I am about homeless animals and animal adoption. This story warms my heart more than anything I know, and I couldn't be happier for all the parties involved.

Last fall was a difficult time for everyone in my family. We all dealt with some type of crisis, whether it was personal or a shared one (like my grandmother's death.) In the middle of it all, my parents had to put their beloved dog to sleep. His last year wasn't the easiest one, but the decision was still difficult. Recently they began to toy with the idea of getting a new dog. At first they were set on going to a breeder, as they had a very specific breed in mind. You can imagine how disappointed I was.

Thankfully, my older sister (who works for Best Friends) referred my mom to Pet Finder, a great online tool that allows you to search for specific breeds through rescue organizations all around the US. She started to have a little bit of luck and found a couple of possibilities. Knowing that it's not as easy as just saying "I want that one", she was prepared for a few disappointments. This is an important thing to know when considering adoption.

On Sunday, I was talking to her on the phone and she was telling me about a few of the dogs. I mentioned that she should check out the site for Austin Pets Alive, because you just never know. They have been instrumental in helping the city shelter (where I volunteer) reach No Kill status for several months in a row. They only pull animals who are on the euthanasia list, and either get them the medical help they need, place them in foster care, or shelter them in their facility until they are adopted. As luck would have it, my mom saw a picture of an adorable Maltese who just happened to be making an appearance at the closest Pets Mart for an on-site adoption clinic that day. It was fate.

I got a text from my mom that afternoon (not having a clue as to what had transpired over the past few hours) telling me about the dog and how cute he was. I offered to drive out immediately to take a look for myself. When I pulled up, this is what I saw:

"Sparky" (the shelter named him) was in my dad's arms, and I knew at that point he had found a forever home. He was adorable, and so calm and loving. It was a match made in heaven. My parents filled out the paperwork, and a few hours later he was romping in their backyard. Does it come much cuter than this:

Love his little smile.

Needs to grow some hair and put on a few pounds, but otherwise in good shape. 

Through the adoption process, we learned his whole heartbreaking story. The short story is that he was picked up on the street and dropped off at the shelter with injuries that placed him on the euthanasia list. Can you even imagine putting this dog to sleep?! You can read the details about it here, and the follow-up here. Of course, this story is his happy ending, and it wouldn't have happened if my parents hadn't been open to the idea of finding their perfect dog through adoption. 

You never know what special animal you might find by keeping an open mind when looking for a pet. So many people have a misguided notion that adoption animals have been scarred for life, and are not capable of being good, loving pets. While some might have special needs, more often than not you will find one as cute as this guy, Brody (much better, right?) I urge anyone considering adding a pet to their family, to please keep your shelters in mind when looking. You can't put a price on good karma.

Queen of the Hills

This morning I went on my second 50 mile bike ride on a rather hilly road. Last time I rode this route, I did it with a co-worker. He's off riding in the MS-150 this weekend, so I decided to join the actual Bicycle Sports Shop ride. As I pulled up and got ready, I noticed that there were only guys lining up to head out. Normally this would be awesome, but not in a case like this. It only meant one thing- that I was guaranteed to get dropped about a mile in, and it would be a long 49 miles riding solo.

Luckily more people showed up, including a girl I was hoping to stay with for most of the ride. Once we got going and hit the first few hills though, she slowed way down, so I just continued on my own. I ended up riding the next 20 miles pretty much by myself until I rolled up to the Andice General Store, where the main pack of guys had stopped. I think they were all a little surprised to see me, and not a few of the other guys I had passed.

They waited so that I could have a quick pit stop, and then I stuck with their group on the back roads until we made it back to the main highway. They were riding a pretty quick pace, and I was proud of myself for staying with them as long as I did (thank goodness it was mostly flat.)

But that wasn't the good part. The ride out has some hills, but it's the return trip that has at least 3 pretty tough climbs. Long, slow, and with a short and steep incline right at the end. The first time I rode this route, it was such a tough mental battle for me. I had to tell myself constantly "you can do this". Well, today I hardly even noticed the big hills, including the one aptly titled "Hell's Gate". I was nearly to the top when I realized which hill it was.

Granted, conditions were nearly perfect for riding today. There wasn't much wind and the temperature was really comfortable. But I have been really focused on my bike training lately and it was nice to finally feel like I was making progress.

Two days during the work week, I try to get a minimum of an hour on the stationary bike and have been working hard on simulating longer climbs. I was worried if it would transfer well to the road, but I guess it is. Today I just felt stronger and faster, and I'm hoping that little boost of confidence will be the momentum I need to keep up the hard work.

The other nice thing about today was that I actually enjoyed the ride, even if I did spend a good portion of it by myself. I did a lot of thinking, enjoyed listening to some new music, and planned what all I wanted to eat to replace the 1400 calories that I burned. Not a bad trade-off in my opinion.




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

1-1 for dates

I guess that last night wouldn't qualify as a total date FAIL, but I don't really see anything coming from it. We met at Opa! on South Lamar, and it was an incredible night for sitting outside, so at least there was that.

I showed up a minute or two before him and grabbed a table. After he got there and we had the brief, unavoidable, awkward first hello, he went to grab two glasses of wine. This is when I noticed the unfortunate shoe choice. Some kind-of funky black, shiny sneaker. Combined with jeans and a moderately tight t-shirt, the overall look was not my thing. He wasn't unattractive by any means, he just wasn't really my type. He's from Florida after all, if you get my drift.

Conversation was just polite chit chat. We talked about work mostly- nothing that really told me much about him. It felt very superficial. It was just so weird- in emails he came across as being really charismatic and charming. I just didn't get that feeling in person.

I offered to grab two more glasses of wine and he declined. A definite sign that he wasn't feeling it either. However, we continued to talk for awhile (really could have used that glass of wine) before I finally pulled the "well, I have to get up early" spiel. He hugged me goodbye, but neither of us said anything about getting together again.

Kind-of disappointing, but that's just the way it goes sometime. Still planning on getting together with Marley on Thursday. Maybe third time will be a charm. I'm hoping that Dr. Dull calls, though I have learned not to get my hopes up. He has his kids this weekend, so I wouldn't expect anything until early next week any way. Guess time will tell.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Lunch with Dr. Not So Dull

Lunch was great! We met at Bombay Bistro in the Arboretum area. I asked if we could meet somewhere closer to my work so that I wouldn't have to spend half my lunch driving, and he has a much more flexible schedule. He suggested two places and the Yelp! reviews were great for this one, and they were absolutely right. They have a reasonably priced and delicious lunch buffet- not your typical curry Indian food, but some really great choices. Atmosphere was nice too- way more than I was expecting from a random shopping center restaurant.

We happened to be walking up at the same time which made meeting inside less awkward. He has really sexy salt and pepper hair, though was a bit shorter than I was hoping for. He said 5'10, and that's probably exactly how tall he is. I just always forget how short that sometimes feels next to me. We got a table and talked for a little bit, but we were both pretty hungry and decided to hop in line. Easy opportunity to ask if there are any foods he does not like (remember the no dairy, no sugar eating Professor?). Turns out the only thing he doesn't is red meat. I can totally live with that.

Back at the table conversation flowed easily. Fortunately he is not recently divorced, as I was afraid he might be. But it did lead to a candid conversation about his youngest son. I won't go into details just yet, but it's not my favorite situation. Still not the end of the world though. Overall he was really personable, easy to talk to, and I really enjoyed sharing lunch with him. It ended with a hug and he said he had a nice time and that we should do it again. I told him that he knew how to reach me and that I would like to get together again as well. Ball is in his court, so we'll see what happens. Whatever happens, I'm glad I went.

First Date 101

In anticipation of two first dates today, I thought I would revisit a few key points for making a great impression on a first date. Prior to the actual date, I think it's important that you (meaning the guy, usually) do your best to schedule the date in advance (girls really appreciate a guy not waiting until the last minute). It's also really nice when you have the chance to at least talk on the phone (assuming that you met this person online). Both of my dates for today scheduled in advance, scoring serious bonus points with me.

Things to remember on a first date:
1- Make eye contact
2- Smile
3- Don't wear a hat (unless you are at an actual ballpark, and/or are outside and need the sun protection)
4- Ask questions that facilitate a conversation, not an interview
5- Be polite- thank the other party if they pay for the meal
6- If you had a good time, indicate to the other person that you would like to see them again

It has been awhile since I've been on a first date. I'm not nervous, but I am experiencing equal parts excitement and dread should either of them be total first date FAILS. You know my rule about taking 3 months to really get to know someone, but the fun part about a first date is the "what if". As in, what if this is THE ONE this time? Not that I'm expecting to know that the first time I meet anyone, but I think it's always fun to be able to look back to the first time you met someone special in your life, and remember what those first few moments were like. That's part of why I enjoy writing this blog. I guess I just hope that one day that will happen and I will have recorded things that I might not have remembered otherwise.

I was supposed to have had a date last night with Marley, but he had to reschedule due to a work deadline. I appreciated that when he canceled, he actually provided two alternative dates for getting together. The bummer was that I ended up not going to the movie/beer party that I was kind-of looking forward to. All of my friends had other things going on, and it just didn't work out. I know I could have just gone by myself, but I chose to do a 5 mile run and a quiet night on my couch instead. Pity party avoided.

Today I am having lunch with Dr. Dull, formerly known as Kelly Slater. The nickname makes me laugh, though I'm hoping it doesn't ring true. I talked to him on Wednesday and he sent a rather funny/sweet email yesterday. It's weird- on paper he had the least amount of potential, but so far he has come across as a pretty cool guy. Of course, nothing beats meeting someone in person, so I guess I'll find out in a few hours.

Tonight I am meeting Don Draper for happy hour at a cool little spot on South Lamar. He is ridiculously funny and has kept me entertained all week with emails. He gets points for scheduling early (he actually said he wanted to get on my calendar before it got full), as well as for picking out a great spot to meet. I just wished he had at least called at some point this week. Eh...I can budge on a few things.

Hopefully I will have a little time this afternoon for one update, and will let you know the rest over the weekend. Happy Friday!

KOL

The concert last night was absolutely amazing, only made better by the fact that I got to share such a cool experience with some of my closest girlfriends. The suite that we were in was awesome, and it would be really hard to go to another concert there without that set-up. Open bar, bathroom, room to walk around- it was perfect. And don't even get me started on the hot boys of Kings of Leon. While my friend may have called dibs on Caleb, who was looking finer than fine last night, I would have been happy with just about any of the other brothers, especially Jared.

They played all the best songs with no fancy stage antics. Just pure, hot, guitar goodness. You can read a local review here if you want more. If the show is coming to your town though, you don't want to miss it. Worth every dollar, for sure!

Kings of Leon, and a date with Dr. Dull

First things first...I'm going to the Kings of Leon concert tonight and I couldn't be more excited. A good friend's fiancee has the hook-up to one of the suites, where we will be watching the show from. It was too late to get really good seats, so I think this is the perfect alternative. I'm working as hard as I can to get out of here early so that I can meet my sister and girlfriend for a much needed girl's night out.

Next, I have not one, but TWO dates planned for this week. Thursday night is with Bachelor #1, Marley. We're going to the Strange Brew Beer Party hosted downtown by Alamo Drafthouse. Basically a movie in the park, with beer. Sounds fun to me. Turns out that I have a friend who knows Marley (Austin really is a small world) and seems to think he is a nice guy.

And then on Friday, I have lunch with Dr. Dull, formerly known as Bachelor #3, Kelly Slater. I don't think he's dull by any means (and I won't yet reveal why his nickname changed) but I guess I'll have idea after our lunch.

So there you have it. Work is nuts and I don't have time for more, but thought a date update was in order.

Song of the Day: DOM- Living in America

As always, I realized after the fact that this band was just in Austin for SXSW. I love this song. It's super catchy, and the lead singer rocks the 80's look like no other. I haven't listened to anything else by them, so who knows if they're just a one hit wonder.

Nothing much to report from the weekend. Lots of training on a hot, windy weekend. Time with my niece, dinner with a friend and a backyard BBQ yesterday with another group of friends. It felt like the weekend was over with before it started.

Looks like I should be getting together with Bachelor #1 (Marley) this week. We're just trying to find a night that works for both of us. Stay tuned. I'm feeling a little rusty on first dates, so it could be interesting.

Until then....enjoy.

A Few Tiny Fish in the Sea

Can we have a moment of silence? My match.com profile has officially been laid to rest. You might remember that in a recent fit of frustration over the online dating process, I rewrote my About Me section, attempting to take a more light-hearted approach. I also provided explicit instruction (because boys need that, right?) that if they were interested, to please send a message instead of a wink. Very few guys were able to follow those instructions, making it pretty easy to weed them out.

As annoyed as I was, I decided that since I had at least paid for it, I might as well let my subscription run its course. That course ended this morning, and I officially shut down my match.com account. But as my luck would have it, three (seemingly decent) prospects all emailed me over the last couple of days. Great timing guys. I let each of them know that my profile was about to be taken down, and that if they wanted to continue corresponding, I wouldn't mind sharing my contact info. They all said yes. All three also seemed to enjoy my "witty sarcasm", saying that it made me stand out above the rest. Who doesn't like a compliment?

Not to get too ahead of myself, because we're still in the early stages of communicating. But I figured I could at least share a few details about each bachelor.

Bachelor #1: "Marley" I have no idea what the significance of that name is. I'm pretty sure it's not his last name, but it's cute nonetheless. Marley is 40, an architectural engineer, avid volleyball player (tall AND athletic) and seemingly overall nice guy. Never been married (partial red flag?), no kids. I appreciate that he's pretty involved with his sport, as it would be nice to not feel guilty about continuing my training schedule since he has his own.

Bachelor #2: "Don Draper" Don is a lawyer-turned copywriter/advertising guy, and writes the absolute funniest messages. I literally laugh out loud every time I get one from him. He's 39, 6'0 and pretty athletic (I think he spends a lot of time lifting weights, but not too meat-head looking.) He has a cute dog, enjoys going to a lot of the same places I do, and comes across as pretty outgoing. Never been married either. According to him "he met the right ones in his 20's, but wasn't ready, and all the wrong ones in his 30's". Most importantly, he says he's learned a lot and has a good idea of what he is looking for now.

Bachelor #3: "Slater" As in Kelly Slater, the surfer. This guy is the big wildcard, and I'm not sure if it will even come close to resulting in a date. He left town this morning for a long weekend with family and I'm not expecting to hear back from him until early next week. He's 42, with 3 kids, and is an environmental-something professor at UT. He also owns a hotel and surf company in Central America. He's really good looking, but I think it might just be a little too much for me. We'll see. He comes across as a really interesting guy though.

So there you have it, the few remaining fish in the sea of match.com. Like I said, these are all in the early stages. Marley is the first who has actually suggested getting together soon. Don comes across as being the most interested, but his parents are in town visiting this weekend, so nothing would happen until maybe next week. Regardless, it's a glimmer of something in my rather bleak dating life. I'll keep you posted should anything interesting come about.

I Dream of Grilled Cheese

I am a cheeseoholic. I love the stuff, and have (almost) never met a cheese I didn't like. Just that one time in Paris when I tried the stinkiest, yuckiest Camembert ever. But it wasn't bad enough to deter me from my favorite food group.

Equal to my love of cheese, is my love for bread. I have been known to stop in Great Harvest just for a sample, only to buy a whole loaf and eat half before I even make it home. I guess I know that I'm eventually going to eat the whole thing, so why not do it when it's fresh?

So, it's only inevitable that my two great loves be combined into the greatest sandwich known to man- The Grilled Cheese. Nothing beats a warm, crispy on the outside/gooey on the inside, grilled cheese sandwich. If my rear end wasn't at risk of quadrupling in size, I would make it my mission in life to create the absolute, most perfect grilled cheese ever. However, I'm content to let others do the dirty work, and I'll do my best at a suitable re-creation. I rarely keep bread or cheese in the house (for fear of quadrupling ass syndrome), but the post I came across recently just may be a good enough excuse to go do some shopping.

Check out the link for this Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwich from Closet Cooking. The blog is about a guy who is trying to be creative in his closet-sized kitchen. I can relate- mine isn't much bigger. It's pretty impressive because he really has no background in food, and just decided one day that he wanted to make his meals more interesting. He actually has some pretty creative recipes on his site, including several other grilled cheese renditions. And really, who doesn't love jalapeno poppers? I realize there is not a single redeeming health factor to this sandwich, but I'm all about splurging every now and then. The addition of tortilla chips sounds like sheer genius to me.

I'm thinking that Sunday afternoon (it's supposed to be a little cloudy) might be the perfect time to play around in the kitchen a little, and treat myself  to one of these.

Weekend Radar

Looking for something fun to do this weekend? There's never any shortage of fun in and around Austin. Below is a list of a few things you should consider adding to your calendar this weekend.

Blue Starlite Mini Drive-In- The weather is perfect (for now) to be outside in the evening. I can't think of a better date idea than a drive-in movie. They're playing ET both Friday and Saturday night. You can BYOB and snacks, but they also have a cash-only treat stand. Make reservations in advance if you want to park, but they also have a bike/walk-in area where you can place chairs or blankets.

28th Annual Bluebonnet Festival- Bluebonnets are here, and it's the perfect time of year for a short drive to the Hill Country. Whether you go to an actual festival or not, I love going for a day drive and stopping in a small town for lunch. Burnet, Fredericksburg and Marble Falls are all great options.

St. Arnold Pub Crawl- Beer on a Saturday afternoon? Don't mind if I do. Be sure to start no later than 4 (you can only get tickets between 3-4), and if you hit all 4 stops, you get a Pub Crawl pint glass. St. Arnold's is one of my favorite beers, and you can't go wrong with any of them. Be on the look-out for the Divine Reserve #11. I've heard mixed things, but haven't had a chance to try it yet.

12th Annual Lyndon Lambert Memorial Easter Pet Parade- Anything that the Hotel San Jose puts on is golden, and this is no exception. Participants and spectators are both welcome, but I recommend showing up early. Grab some breakfast nearby and then snag a good spot. I've heard the pet costumes are to die for.

Let's MeetUp

In my on going effort to be more social (and to avoid awful dating sites), I have decided to give Meetup a try. First of all, their logo is adorable. And second, it's not a dating site. (Did I mention how over them I am?!) The premise behind Meetup is to start or find activities that you are interested in, and then meet up with other people who are interested in the same.

I created my account a few weeks ago, but just haven't had the time to browse through all the options. Big surprise, but there are a ton of fitness-related Meetup groups. I decided to join ones that are specific to running and triathlon, and I will be attending my first "Meetup" this evening for a swim. Not really sure what to expect, but today is a swim work-out anyway, so why not do it with a few other people?!

There are groups for just about any kind-of hobby or interest. Think specific exercises, wine, languages, book clubs, animals, etc.  I think a site like this is particularly helpful for anyone new to a city, someone who may have just gotten out of a relationship or anyone just wanting to expand their circle of friends.

Expectations are low for this evening. It's kind-of hard to talk to anyone while under water. But next week I signed up for a hills run, and they encourage participants to stay afterwards for dinner and margaritas at a nearby Mexican restaurant. Who knows what will happen, but I'm always up for a new adventure.

Weeknight Dinner: Baked Pecan-Crusted Chicken Tenders

I am hoping to make this a more regular post- I think it might be more helpful than my weekly meal plans that honestly haven't been as organized these past few weeks. The goal is to include easy (like under an hour), healthy meals geared more towards cooking for one or two.

This week I kept my grocery shopping minimal and only purchased produce, chicken and yogurt. It was enough for lunches, and to make at least two dinners for me (maybe three if I make a frittata with leftovers.)  I try to keep a moderately stocked pantry- I usually have things on hand like canned beans/tomatoes, Panko, good spices, and I always have frozen veggies in the freezer. Keeping things like this guarantees that I can at least put something reasonable together. I also like the flexibility of being able to experiment a little because I usually plan my meals to a T.

I'm kind-of weird about eating a full chicken breast and much prefer to cook it in smaller bites. Hey- my food issues are a lot less cumbersome than they used to be, so I don't think this is too bad. Anyway, I browsed the fridge and pantry and decided to do chicken tenders and steamed broccoli with a squeeze of lemon. While I figured out exactly how I wanted to do the tenders, I cut up the chicken and then brined them in a cup of water and a tablespoon or two of salt. Even if you just have 15 minutes, I highly recommend doing this as it always guarantees juicy chicken.

The recipe that follows is really flexible. If you only have mustard to coat the chicken, I'm sure that's totally fine. Feel free to make adjustments as needed.

Baked Pecan-Crusted Chicken Tenders
serves two


Marinade:
2 T mustard (I used a combo of regular and honey)
1 T tahini
1 tsp soy sauce
dash of Sriracha

Breading:
1/2 cup Panko
1/4 cup chopped pecans (almonds would be great too)
few sprinkles of chili powder

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 350.
Remove chicken from brining and pat dry with a paper towel.
Line a baking sheet with foil and give it a spray of olive oil.
Mix the marinade and breading in two separate, shallow bowls.
Toss the tenders in the marinade, and then coat a few at a time in the breading, placing them on baking sheet when done.
Bake for about 25 minutes (turning once half-way through), and serve with your veggie of choice.

I had two work-outs yesterday and needed a good dose of protein. This dish came in right around 500 calories, 16g fat, 16g carbs and 55g protein. I also added low-fat chocolate milk because I needed some extra calories (and it just sounded good.)

Would love to hear your feedback if you think including posts like this is at all helpful.

Song of the Day: Jonsi- Go Do

Everyone has heard this song already. And most likely every time you see the commercial, you think to yourself "I need to go and google that." When I was in Denver, this song was on a mix that my friend had in the car and I just couldn't resist purchasing it on iTunes. It's so catchy, and I think it will be the perfect first song for my current running mix. I always like to start off with something that makes me smile, and this song does the trick.

Nosy Co-worker

My cute co-worker crush is being awfully nosy. I often stay late after work to write blog posts (he stays late to edit videos he takes) and he stopped by to say hi the other night. I guess he saw my computer screen and asked what I was doing. I changed my screen and casually mentioned that I was working on a blog post. In typical guy fashion, he has been hounding me ever since wanting to know the name of my blog. Um, I don't think so.

Apparently today he even went so far as to start googling. All I told him was that it's about life (and sometimes dating) in my thirties. He has either chatted or come by at least 5 times today asking about it. He's being relentless. There is nothing on it that I would be embarrassed for him to see, other than the one post claiming him as my office crush. That still hasn't changed.

Denver, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

What I love about Denver (if you're looking for the short version):

1- Fresh (non humid) air
2- Dog friendly
3- Hot guys
4- Fun neighborhood pockets of bars/restaurants/shops
5- Athletic guys
6- Abundance of parks
7- Proximity to mountains and other fun towns
8- Tall guys
9- Delicious food
10- Did I mention hot, athletic, tall guys? Denver has lots of them.


I had such a great time in Denver that I wasn't quite ready to come home yesterday. We couldn't have asked for better weather though, so I won't complain. I'll just start planning my next trip out there.

My friend Sarah picked me up at the airport Thursday on what was an absolutely gorgeous afternoon. Unfortunately one of her dogs had gotten sick that morning, so we stopped at the vet to pick her up on our way home. I had seen pictures (and heard stories) about both of her beautiful dogs, so I was really excited to get to meet them. We got home with Maya (a Husky) and then I got to meet Ranger (a German Shepherd) who needed just a few minutes to decide that I wasn't a threat to his house. We became good friends immediately after.

We were both starving, so we headed to a really cute neighborhood restaurant, Rootdown, for happy hour on the patio. Sarah lives in a great neighborhood just west of downtown called The Highlands, and there was no shortage of bars, restaurants and shops to choose from. We shared some small plates and a couple of drinks, and then headed to a pub downtown to meet some of her work friends. Not wanting to blow it out the first night, we headed home at a reasonable time.

On Friday we walked down to a locally owned coffee shop, Haney's, for the best Chai Tea Latte ever. Sarah raved about it, and she wasn't lying. It was awesome. Cute, cozy little shop and the owner literally lives right across the street. Very cool. After that, we loaded up the dogs and drove about 20 minutes west to Evergreen. Such a pretty drive! There is an amazing dog park built into the side of the mountain and the dogs had a blast running all over the place.

Dog park- Colorado style

Maya

Ranger

Back in Denver, we went to Confluence Park to take the dogs running around the trail. It was just like the Town Lake trail in Austin, only with mountains in the backgrounds. And this is where I must point out the overwhelming number of hot guys in Denver. Hotness at every single turn. Fit, tall, hunky men were in abundance all over this part of town. I was drooling worse than the dogs. Apparently Denver has been ranked one of the best cities for being single, and that's no lie people.

That night we decided to cook at home, and then got dressed to head out. We were both a little shocked when we realized it was already 10:30 when we finally headed out the door. I can't remember the last time I started my night that late. Lucky for us though, because the bar we went to was doing a late happy hour with $5 martinis. Ruh-roh....sounds like trouble for me. If you're in town, go try a Secretary Martini at The Corner Office. It was fantastic. We walked around downtown some, but after witnessing a guy getting rolled into an ambulance after a fight, and not really wanting to venture too far from where we parked, we decided to head back to her neighborhood for one last drink.

Earlier in the day we had driven down "Tenn Street", yet another great row of bars/restaurants/shops, and she had pointed out a bar called The Hole. It's a beer and donut place. Yes, I said that right. Beer and Donuts. I had really high hopes for this place, but left with mixed reviews. We sampled a few donuts (cinnamon sugar was my favorite, but The King was good too.) I recommend going on Friday nights as the bartender was awesome. The service we received on another trip there left much to be desired. It was on Friday night that we both experienced "The Worst Pick-Up Ever."

We had noticed these two clowns sitting across the bar from us. One in a stupid hat, and the other in a really bad shirt. Just as we were getting ready to leave, the ugly shirt guy snuck up behind us and said "What's up you dirty bitches?" Seriously. After we told him that was the worst line ever, he followed up with "I mean, classy ladies sitting at the end of the bar eating french fries." Much better, except that he proceeded to torture us with his stinky breath and slurred speech for the next 15 minutes. After we disappointed him by turning down his offer of a $2000 brunch (drunk, much?), he went off to bother some other ladies. It was hysterical.

The King- Chocolate glaze with a peanut butter filling and bacon topping

On Saturday we slept in (that's what happens when you stay out until 3) and went to Snooze for a late brunch. I don't even know where to begin with how good the pancakes were. I'll just show you a picture. The Red Velvet was my favorite, but The Graceland (a banana/chocolate/bacon maple syrup concoction) was a close second.

l to r: Pineapple Cheesecake, The "Graceland", and Red Velvet with Cream Cheese icing

Saturday was yet again another gorgeous day, so we hopped in the car and drove 30 minutes to Boulder, home of CU and Pearl Street. Lots of shops, people watching, and odd street entertainers. My favorite place there was this mecca of a home store called Peppercorn. Anything that you could possible want for entertaining, cooking, baking, etc is at this store. Check out this wall of cookbooks. We were in heaven walking around this place.

Street entertainer who eventually stuffed himself through the tube, and then into the box.

Saturday night we headed to The Hornet for burgers and basketball. Seriously good burgers!!! Sad end to the game (I was cheering for Kentucky), but still a fun night. The weather app said that rain was likely for Sunday, but instead of rain, we got snow! So weird to go from warm and sunny to cold and rainy. Luckily we had time to walk back to Tennyson street for breakfast and coffee before the snow started. After a busy couple of days, we were more than happy to have a rest day. Nothing like being snuggled under a blanket watching the snow outside. It was the perfect end to a little vacation, and I can't wait to go back. Overall I was totally blown away by how cool Denver is. Active, outdoorsy, young, professional, and just all around fun. A lot of similarities to Austin, minus the crazy heat and humidity. There is still a ton of things I would love to do (skiing, breweries, more of downtown) and am glad that Southwest makes it so easy to get there. Thanks Sarah for such a fun time!!