Quick Update . . .

Thank you all for bearing with me during this seriously wacky point in my life. I can't believe it has been almost a month since that last post (it seems like it's been a few days, at most!). But alas, here we are. I keep thinking I should have more time than ever to blog right now, seeing as how I'm unemployed . . . but somehow, the days fly by and there never seems to be enough time in the day. Go figure.

So where does the time go? Well, for starters, we're still working on the job thing . . . so that's been more or less monopolizing our lives as of late. I know it's probably healthy to take a break from it every once in a while; but there's a part of me that fears that any second I take away from job-hunting, cover letter-writing, resume-updating, networking, etc. could be the second that I miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime. I've had a few interviews that haven't amounted to anything and I'm still in the running for one other job. But Wilson hasn't found anything at all yet. **Sigh**. Each week that passes gets more and more depressing, and I get more and more desperate for basically anything that would pay. Take the job I'm up for now: It's something I would never consider were we not in such a crazy situation right now. It's a law(ish) job (ugh), but it's a weekends/night shift kind of thing. So my hours would be 4 p.m.-1 a.m. and I would have to work on weekends. It's not exactly what I was hoping for (and not exactly the best schedule for someone who loves training for and running races) . . . but I guess desperate times call for desperate measures.

On the upside, running has been going a little better as of late. Not great, but I'm getting out there probably 3-4 times a week, which is an improvement. I'm in crappy shape and it hurts, but I know I have to get through this rough patch to get back to the place where running is magical and dreamy (at least most of the time). I did learn recently about a "No Frills" 5K series in the area that takes place once a month and only costs $1 (1 FREAKING DOLLAR!!) to race in. That has definitely given me something to look forward to and some motivation to get training. I'm also starting to think about the New York City Marathon coming up in November, and I really want to make sure I have an AWESOME base going into training for that one. So I'm happy to report that my motivation is improving steadily!

On the days that I'm not running, I've been making an effort to get some form of movement in, whether it's going for a hike, playing tennis, doing some body weight resistance training (push-ups, squats, hip extensions, lunges, planks, bench dips, etc.) or vigorously cleaning the entire apartment (totally counts!). I REALLY want to get back to lifting weights as well, so I think Wilson and I are going to sign up for a membership at Planet Fitness in the next couple of days. As much as I tend to be a gym snob--and as much as I REALLY don't want to support a gym chain that makes use of a "Lunk Alarm" (seriously?!)--I figure I should probably just suck it up and sign up, considering it costs $10 a month and it's a month-to-month contract. You better believe I will be out of there as soon as one of us snatches up a job. But for the time-being, we'll make it work.

In other news, some jerk stole a bunch of my running clothes out of the laundry center at our apartment complex. REALLY?! Who does that?! At the present time, I have identified 4 sports bras and 2 pairs of running shorts that are missing (along with who knows what else that I haven't noticed yet). And somehow, this person seemed to know exactly which items were my favorites . . . because the items that are missing are those that were always the nearest and dearest to my heart. You know the items you turn to time and time again when planning your race day outfit? The loyal shorts that stay ever-so-nicely in place? The comfy sports bra that never attempts to chafe/saw your boobs off? Yup, that's exactly what this jerk-face stole. In a matter of minutes I went from having 3 of those trusty sports bras and 3 of those perfect pairs of shorts down to just one of each. GRRR. Well, lesson learned. I guess I will not leave my laundry unattended in the laundry room ever again. And hey, at least it will be that much easier to pick out my race-day outfits from now on!

To end this on a happy note, here is a photo of Wilson and I in front of the Texas Capitol on Valentine's Day.


I'm not typically a huge V-Day fan, but we DID have a pretty nice evening, all things considered. First of all, it was a gorgeous day as you can tell from our attire--in the mid-70s!! We splurged and went out to dinner at a cute but inexpensive restaurant in an adorable old house. The food was to die for and the place scored extra points because it had its own vegetable garden on site (LOVE!). We haven't been doing much eating out lately, and while I was a little hesitant at first, I'm glad Wilson made reservations and insisted on taking me out. Eastside Cafe will for sure be a favorite of ours if/when we get back to the point of being able to afford eating out! After our meal, we decided to stop by the Texas Capitol, since it looks SO beautiful all lit up at night. Thus, the photo of us above. Then, we ended the night with some fantastically crappy tv. Not bad at all!

Well, that's all I have for now. I'm going to try to get a post up about my thoughts on the new Boston Marathon registration process sometime in the next couple days . . . so stay tuned for that. Also, the Austin Marathon is on Sunday! I'm quite sad I won't be running it, but still very excited to get to participate in the weekend's events. We're debating whether we should volunteer for the race or just spectate and be the best cheerleaders ever. To be honest, the call times ranging from 4 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. will probably lead us to go with the latter, but I'll be sure to post a report either way!