in hindsight

One of my primary measuring sticks is the question, "what am I going to remember more later in life?" For instance, if I'm feeling like I don't have enough time to go on a bike ride with a friend or if I shouldn't spend money on a fancy night out, the question gets busted out. Most of the time, the experience wins, but sometimes I realize that a night out isn't going to be memorable. Anyway, it's a trusty scale and it's helped power me through some of my tougher times in life...like tonight. I'm not going to remember staying up until all hours meeting this deadline, right? Right?

6 things...

...I did this week. Whoa, this summer is just flying by.

1. Rode my bike past Dumbo and down to Red Hook. What a cool neighborhood! I met up with some ladies at Brooklyn Crab, which is a fun New England-style crab shack right on the water. It felt like I was on vacation.
2. Ran 17 miles and surfed twice. The beach is the best place for cruising cool chicks. :) Love our ladies surf crew.
3. Hung with Erik, who got home from his trade show madness. I just love that man.
4. Started another once-a-week fill-in gig. It's funny always being the outsider. I feel like That Dude who always shows up to parties, but no one really knows.
5. Ate a gigantic and super-rich meal at St. Anslem's. Yum. All this exercise is making me hangry.
6. Napped. All this exercise is making me tired.

the art of nothingness

I've always come from a place of yes. Partly because I like to please others, and also because I like trying new things. My mantra is often, "sure, why not?" This attitude has led to heaps of adventures, but it can drain my time, energy, and sanity. Case in point: This summer has been hecka hectic with work and social obligations. It's been fun, but there were times when I felt like my eyes were going to pop out of my head and roll around on the ground. Phew. So I'm trying to be better about saying no right off the bat. I've already turned down a few projects! Baby steps, baby steps...

NYC Marathon training, post 2

...Aaaaand I'm back with another marathon post! It's been a pretty productive month on the training front. As usual, I'm deviating from the set plan (story of my life, coloring outside of the lines) and doing my own thing. Instead of all the weekday runs, I've been surfing and swimming because, well, it's fun. But I have been sticking with the long runs, thanks much to my lovely running buddy Aphrodite. This past Sunday, we woke up at the crack of dawn to join a New York Road Runners long run in Central Park—and covered 16 whole miles! (Of course, I did manage to oversleep my alarm and ate Swedish fish as my fuel.) Regardless, it was a personal distance record, and I couldn't be more proud of myself. Go me!

weekend pics

a. Ran through Queens and down Park Ave. with Aphrodite. The humidity was stifling, but it's so cool to run past Grand Central.
b. Roasted a chicken for Friday's dinner and whipped up these delicious chicken and biscuits with the leftovers.
c. Surfed twice this weekend! Took this pic to show Erik that I was wearing one of his hats. (Hat by Rocksmith.)
d. It was so crowded on Sunday. I didn't surf well, but Kim and I laughed until we cried as we waited for the sets. So, basically, best time ever. :)

the silver lining

After my long run, I had to work all Sunday to make a deadline. It could have been a major bummer, but we made the most of it. Monkey sat on my lap and did her best imitation of a totem pole. And Erik kept me giggling all evening with his running commentary about the Olympics. We also took breaks to have 5-minute dance parties. I think that's the secret to life (at least, my life): Having fun and laughing, no matter how crummy the circumstances. :)

6 things...

...I did this week:

1. Played in the ocean. On Friday, I met Lisa and Linden for a waist/shoulder-high day. The big waves brought out the real surfers! Once I got over the intimidation of being in a for-serious-dude lineup, it was so fun. Saturday was a girl's beach day; we laughed and joked in the waves and grabbed tacos and beers afterwards. My version of heaven. :)
2. Caught up with friends. In NYC, it's so easy to go a month or more without seeing a good buddy. Last week I was able to have dates with a few, and Erik and I even went to his friend's show at another pal's new venue in Bushwick.
3. The price that I paid for all of that fun: I worked around the clock meeting deadlines during the week. Can you say sleep deprivation? Phew.
4. Watched the Olympics. I love witnessing all that determination and hard work unfold during a race. Seeing the swimmers race reminded me of my competitive swimming past. Those long hours in the pool and weight room (often 5 hours a day!) taught me so much about leadership, challenges, and goals.
5. Kept up my marathon training. I'm up to 13 miles, which I logged in this morning's humidity. It was like running through soup.
6. Spent some QT with my handsome guy, fuzzy cat, and mom (via FaceTime). They make me so happy!