I'm feeling a bit too nostalgic to write about this yet. Until I do, here are some magic photos.

Whirlwind

I'm still a bit winded from what I can only describe as a killer weekend. I'm still attempting to get my head back on straight. It doesn't help that I have a math test tonight that I am unprepared for AND that I am wearing high heel shoes in the first time since... well, forever. But they are also the cutest of all shoes (and surprising comfortable despite the 3 inch heel), so we move on.



When I got home from work on Friday Dan had prepared an early Valentine's Day meal (steak, mashed potatoes and green beans). He also surprised me with an electric neck massager, because I get a lot of tension in my neck when I'm stressed. We watched new episodes of our favorite sitcoms and went to bed early, as he was driving me to the test site the next morning.

Saturday was full of test taking. It was a long, painful, and tiring event. I had thought ahead and took some excedrin before the first test and right before the second test. I also wore stick on heat pads on my back and shoulders (I am apparently an elderly woman). I think I did well, but with standardized tests you can never really know for sure. I feel relatively positive about the Writing Subsection and the Language Arts Subsection of the first test. The Math section is anybody's guess. I was more prepared because of my math class, but there were still some math areas where I wasn't confident. And surprisingly, the Reading section gave me more difficulty than I expected. They actually told us that this would happen, but it still surprised me. The problem is that there are usually two "correct" answers, but one is BETTER than the other. So I did a lot of vacillating between what I "thought" was right and what the test "thought" was right. We'll see.

The second test of the day (content area) covered Math, Science, Reading Comprehension, Social Studies, Health, Music, Art, Dance and Drama. For this test the math was actually the easiest portion. The toughest questions were about the subject matter in terms of teaching pedagogy. I haven't taken classes in teaching theory, so I had to do a bit of guess work. Normally you take this test halfway through your second year of graduate school, so there's that. Anyway, I think this one could go either way.

I finished the second test 2.5 hours early, so I was suddenly done and without a ride. I called Ryan to let him know I'd finished up and then headed to a pub across the street from the school, where I managed to drink four glasses of wine before he picked me up. We had some fun searching for Huck Finn's Donuts and then had a nice post test talk on the drive back to Chicago. When I got home Dan was waiting with a bouquet of roses and a pint of mint chocolate chip. That man, he knows me.

I spent Sunday in a daze, running about Chicago looking for a nice pair of shoes and tights for the interview. We also briefly stopped by to say hello to the babies and walked a bit in Lincoln Square. It seemed that everyone was outside, what with the weather in the low 50's. We enjoyed a bit of overdue vitamin D.

This morning was the interview. It was very different from what I was expecting. They asked me to spend the first ten minutes briefly summarizing my background. The other fifty minutes was a very intense decision making session where they asked me what I would do in various situations. I think I did well. I answered honestly and I think I made some points that they weren't expecting. I was able to cover my experiences at Shakes, Columbia College and Northwestern, which I think makes me look pretty fancy. And I also talked about my experiences with Blackbird and Open Books, which seemed to impress them a great deal.

And now... more waiting. I get the test results mid-March and they said I'll hear back about whether I have a second interview sometime in the next four weeks. All this waiting makes a girl pretty nervous.

This week will likely bring more whirlwinds. I'm trying to ride it out and to not let myself get down or stressed out. Pushing through seems to be the current motto.

So it goes...

I have two five hour tests tomorrow. Think lovely thoughts for me! I've known I'd be taking the tests for a little over seven weeks. To prepare I signed up for a math course (meets twice a week for two hours at a time) and I've attended two test workshops (3 hour sessions each). As far as plain old studying for the test... well, I did that a lot for the first two weeks, and this week. But those four weeks in the middle - well, they were spent on math class, math class homework and workshops. I feel like I probably should have prepared more than I did, but it's too late now. I do feel like I have a good grasp of the majority of the subjects. It's just math and science that have been weighing me down.

I have my first interview (of hopefully two) for AUSL coming up soon. This is one of the four things I've been waiting on, so very exciting!!!

So you say you want a resolution...

It has been a long while since I've thought about blogging. A few reasons:

1. My dearest of friends, Mr. Brian Ness, gave me a perpetual journal/calendar/box of good things. I update it daily. Although it's just a sentence per day, it contains wonders.

2. I have started carrying a notebook again, for all my reflecting/doodling/list building needs. It fills me up.

3. I have had a mixture of absolutely nothing to talk about and things that I want to say that are so huge I don't know how to contain them.

4. I track what I eat each day in a thingy (app?) on my fancy phone. Alas, what I eat today blogs now seem even more meaningless.

All this being said (my husband claims this is my favorite phrase), I miss the blog-o-sphere. I liked the idea of an online trail of breadcrumbs that led to better self awareness.

So here are some things.

I am tired of resolutions. If January is an example of things to come, then I can say without a doubt that THINGS CHANGE quickly and unexpectedly. Making a list in January that is for the whole year just doesn't work for me anymore. So instead of yearly resolutions, I'm making monthly goals. Each month I'll assess and adjust.

Here are my goals for February:

1. Stop using the words "exercise" and "workout." These words imply to me that won't enjoy the activity. Instead, this month I want to dance with Dan, stroll with friends, and to play with the dogs. I want to jump in the snow and stretch in the morning and just before bed. I want to feel strong.

2. Stop using the word "diet." I make constant attempts to do this but it never sticks. This month I want to focus on making healthy choices. Less cheese, less meat, less snacks, more tea, and more veggies. I can say I am content with the amount of fruit I eat (yay)!

That's it. Play more and focus on making healthier choices.

Other things:

I have been applying for jobs, grad school, and any other opportunity that strikes my fancy. Nothing to lose, lots to gain. I'm currently playing the waiting game and trying not to let it get the better of me.

I am very excited to say that husband and I were recently made godparents to some very awesome babies. It feels really good to be loved and trusted enough to be asked to take on this responsibility. We spent our weekends in January helping out the family and it was the most fun I've had in a long time. We feel good that we can sort of fit into their routine. It warms the heart to take a seat (and a baby) and quietly spend an afternoon. Husband and I seem to have mutually caught the baby bug even more so than before. I think we would start working on making babies right now if it weren't for a few pesky factors in the way. Seeing my husband caring for the babies makes me even more excited (if that's possible) that I married him. He's a natural. Favorite baby moments- anytime a baby farts, Dan singing No One is Alone, Dan and I singing a Beatles/ Ben Folds medley, and babies curling up against my shoulder.

More on the couple front- Last week we saw Les Miserables. It's in his top three of beloved musicals (the others being RENT and Jesus Christ Superstar). It tickles me to think these choices stem from a love of historical storytelling, a love of classic rock, and that he identified (and even dressed) like Mark in high school. The show was excellent and we were both giddy and wide eyed by the end. Next month he is taking me to one of my favorite musicals - HAIR (others being Godspell and Wild Party).

Other news- I'm traveling to Minneapolis next weekend for a play date with the darling Brian. I'll be staying at his new house and planned activities include antiquing, drinking around his dinner table, and just enjoying each other's company.

I have a stellar idea for a new blog. I've been kicking it around for a few month, rolling it over and seeing whether it's something I'd want to actually commit to. If I do it, it'd involve traipsing about the city/state/country to collect stories. I think doing it depends on whether or not I get into grad school/get a new job/move. If I don't get any of these things, then the new blog will definitely take off.

On the work/school front- This month has dumped a lot on my plate and I am trying to keep my head above water. Thankfully I have supportive friends who see me through- who are even picking me up from my test this weekend for a "detox" car ride.

Okay. This is longer than I intended. I don't know how long I'll keep it up. I miss my online community- specifically the sweet Aileen who always has helpful things to say.

Gluten Gone

I have been meaning to update this blog for ages. And so it begins.

I went to the doctor a little over 2 weeks ago for recurring stomach pain that I've been dealing with. The doctor suggested I try a gluten-free diet and in just two short weeks it has made a world of difference. It's a big lifestyle change and it's not without difficulties. I'm trying to approach it as an adventure. Some of the major differences (important and silly alike) are:

1. No more stomach pain. Very important, for obvious reasons.

2. Guilt-free shopping at Whole Foods.

3. All wheat products and any product that uses gluten as a stabilizer are out. That means the majority of all processed foods.

I find myself craving fruit now on a daily basis, which was never the case before. My diet has become even healthier, which I honestly did not think was possible. Here is my new typical daily nutrition:

Breakfast: Apples w/ Peanut Butter

Snack: Dried Cranberries, Almonds, Dark Chocolate

Lunch: Chickpea Salad (carrots, cucumbers, cranberries) or Black Bean Salad (red peppers, onions, green peppers, corn)

Snack: Carrots with Hummus & Watermelon or a Banana

We have two favorite dinners that we make each week.

The first is chicken tacos. They are really easy to make and very delicious. We make them with ground chicken that we cook in lime salsa (available at all grocers). The fixings included fat free re fried beans (canned and microwaveable), whole grain brown rice (you can get the 90 second kind if you are lazy), guacamole, and pineapple/mango salsa (from whole foods). I've also tried them with a three pepper salsa and with a papaya/cucumber salsa from Whole Foods and all are magical. We always have leftovers for the next night when we make this.

The second is homemade pizza. We dice a red pepper, a green pepper, and an onion and saute them in olive oil with garlic powder and oregano. Then we put tomato sauce (canned or fresh from Trader Joes) on a gluten-free pizza crust and we load them up with the pepper/onion mixture. We throw a small amount of soy cheese on top.

The other nights of the week we typically do chicken burgers with potatoes, or gluten-free pasta, or sometimes we'll do a nice cut of steak with green beans. Nothing fancy.

As for sweets, Whole Foods carries a good gluten-free chocolate chip cookie and a gluten-free cheese cake for holidays. And they have mixes for things like pancakes, cookies, corn bread, brownies, etc. etc. And Trader Joe's has an extremely decadent flourless chocolate cake. And a complete list of which of their candies are gluten-free. Most grocery store boxed brands of cookies so far taste like absolute crap, so anything sweet I will be spending a bit more money on.

At work I'm pretty limited for now to what I bring with me from home. Thankfully there is a Trader Joe's and Whole Foods within 10 minute walking distance, so if I'm ever dealing with serious cravings I can make a quick run to the store. There is an Argo Tea at the hospital too and they make a gluten-free (DELICIOUS) cookie and a gluten-free chickpea salad. The trouble with Argo Tea is that all the best tasting drinks are expensive.

In other news, I am on track with all of my New Years resolutions, with one exception. Now that I am going gluten-free, I am allowing aged cheeses back into my diet.

Anyway. This blog will probably become more about my adventures in gluten-free living than my diet. Mostly because the gluten-free living now takes priority over my diet. I'm still counting points and trying to follow the weight watcher guidelines, because it's what I know. But I'm allowing for flexibility. This is a big change and it will take a lot of time to make it work for me and my current lifestyle.

Happy Realiziations

I realized today that I make many more good choices than I realize. For example....

When I do have oatmeal for breakfast, it's cranberry oatmeal. So there is another source of fruit besides the banana I have w/ breakfast. And if I have reduced fat peanut butter on whole wheat toast, I am getting a serving of nuts. I never consider it that way, but it counts!

AND when I have soup for lunch, it is always a soup that is loaded with veggies. And if I decide to make a sandwich instead, I always use soy cheese (which comes from a nut too).

Anyway. It's not that I was thinking that I had reverted back to making bad choices. I've been doing reasonably well. Sometimes I think when you do create good habits you sometimes forget that even though it's become a habit, you are still making the healthy choice every day.

I need to come up with a good reward for when I hit 15 pounds.

Updating a blog is hard...

Hello again.

Apparently I am getting bored with blogging about what I eat ecah day. Probably because I also write it down in a journal that I carry everywhere. So.

My resolutions are going okay. I've eaten cheese three times. Two of those times were in moderation and two times were in excess. I'm still making an effort to choose soy over milk and for the most part I'm avoiding cheese completely. But slip ups are bound to happen.

I've also had a little bit of splenda. One time because I was thirsty and the only drink available was a diet coke. I had a huge headache afterwards. And I sent Dan to the grocery store to pick up yogurt and he accidentally bought the sweetened with splenda stuff. You can't return perishables and I don't like to throw food away, so I'm eating them this week. Can't really be helped. The only thing I'll say is that it must be a tiny amount, because no headaches.

I've been getting in two servings of fruit of day - typically a banana for breakfast and then a combo of pinapple, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries with my yogurt. I also get in at least one serving of vegetables with dinner. When I buy my lunch at work I always get a side salad loaded with veggies, but I don't like doing that very often (it's expensive). I've also purchased some carrots to bring with my lunch, so if I ever get around to chopping them up I'll bring them with me to work. I get my fiber in with either oatmeal or whole grain bread for breakfast and either beans, brown rice, or whole wheat pasta for dinner. So I am doing really well with the variety goal.

I've been drinking a lot of water during the week and a decent amount on the weekends. I've been exercising about 4 times per week. I still want to push up to 5 times per week, but I can't seem to make it happen. I should probably just be happy that I'm getting in 4 times per week, but maybe it's good to never be completely satisfied.

I've lost about 11.3 pounds so far. I need to lose 14 by the end of February to keep up with my goal of 7 pounds per month.

My motivation is strong in the morning and all day at work, but it is very fragile by the time I get home at night. I think it's a combination of the shitty weather, wanting to feel comforted after a long day, and to be honest, a bit of depression. "The Anniversary" is coming up. I can't decide if I'll ask for the day off work. Plus it's hard not to be a homebody when it's cold outside and I miss being busy.

Anyhow. That's where I am. Think good thoughts for me!