On trying not to pass out in the middle of the street

And now for something totally different...a bad workout.

It has been a while since I had one of these, and it hit me hard. Now that I am comfortably sprawled out on the couch, let me try to figure out what went wrong.

After getting home and doing my Audrey duties (cuddling, feeding, walking), I laced up my sneakers and headed out. Apparently New York is masquerading as Seattle this week, so I stepped outside into a fine, constant mist. A little chilly and not doing the hair any favors, but I was ready for it.

I knew I needed to finish up my walk/run with some errands, so I decided to stay close and do some "laps" up and down the long stretches through the brownstone neighborhoods. Straight, flat, not too crowded...perfect. I could cover some distance without actually going too far away from home, and I would be able to take care of a few things before heading back.

Along my route: a retro soda shop in modern Brooklyn; photo taken using my
modern iPod with an app that makes things look old. In my low
blood sugar state, this seemed highly amusing.

A little quiet

I have been quiet lately but don't worry, I'm here -- I'm just thinking. A lot on my mind right now, but I'll get to that.

I decided to take a nice walk to clear my head. Last night was a clear, mild night in NYC and it was great just being outside. I knew I wanted to do the Brooklyn Bridge Park loop again tonight (I've been taking that route a lot lately -- I love it!), and I decided to do two things differently tonight. First, I left Audrey at home. I was a little sad, because I do like her company. But she pulls a lot, and it distracts me from keeping up a good pace. Also, despite her repeated requests I have not been able to have all other dogs removed from the borough of Brooklyn, and sometimes she does feel the need to scream and carry on when she sees another four-legged furball.

The second thing I did differently is that I grabbed my point and shoot camera -- because I promised pictures! I only took a few because the little camera isn't the best for night shooting, but it was easy to stick in my pocket. Once I start my DSLR classes, I'll be sure to get some quality shots. I headed out of my apartment and down to the park and as soon as I looked up, I was SO glad I my camera.

That sky, oh my goodness that sky!

Mapping it all out

"You can always change your plan, but only if you have one."
-Randy Pausch

Last week I launched fully into goal-setting and life-planning mode, which I have found to be lots of fun and super energizing. There was even more of that this weekend. Things are starting to take shape!

Saturday morning I slept in, headed out for a 3 mile walk/run, showered, and was sipping on a yummy protein shake before the morning was through. Since I felt I'd been pretty productive, I decided to do a couple of things that would help me continue with figuring out my goals and plotting out a course for the next few years of my life.

First, I re-watched Randy Pausch's "The Last Lecture".

Revelation...

Trader Joe's Chicken Patties are the diggity!

I'm not a food blogger, mostly because I tend to eat the same things over and over, and because when it is chow time I am usually so hungry that I don't want to take the time to pull out the camera a snap a pic. BUT, I had to share my recent delicious find: Trader Joe's Frozen Chicken Burger Patties.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day, everyone! I hope all of the moms had a great day, and I hope all of the kids made sure to thank their moms. I know today can be an emotional day for people (maybe your mom isn't here anymore, or you're struggling to become a mom), but I think everyone has a special lady in their life that deserves to be honored -- and it feels great to make someone's day!

Source: Some ecards

Vacation planning

This spring is flying by so quickly that I was surprised to remember that I'm going on vacation next month! Woo-hoo!

Where am I headed? Only the Happiest Place on Earth (my #1 vacation destination)!

Photo credit: Disney

We'll be there for about a week, doing all my favorite things: touring the parks, volunteering at Give Kids the World (more on that in another post), and eating!

Now that I realize my trip is so soon, I have begun doing a bit of vacation planning. Not creating itineraries or planning activities -- I've been to Disney a lot, so I have my plans down. The kind of planning I'm talking about is making sure I'm continuing to take care of myself (with good food and exercise) while I'm away. I have some good momentum going and I want to keep that up, and I know when I'm doing the right things just feel better -- and I'm going to need tons of energy for my trip! A Disney vacation is amazing, but it can really kick your ass.

So here's the plan...

To Judge Judy, With Love

Right now I am engaging in one of my favorite evening activities: watching today's Judge Judy episodes, which I have lovingly DVR'd. I recognize that my TV viewing choices are not always the best (Real Housewives of Anything), but I know that my JJ habit makes me a better, smarter person.

**A little side note: I don't remember this, but my mom tells me that I used to like watching the People's Court when I was very little. In fact, I told her that I should have my own show called Ali Decides. I was quite a bossy toddler!

Today, I share with you life lessons learned from the Honorable Judge Judy Scheindlin: