Fashion And Cheap Wine Friday

I don't know about anybody else, but I love Free People clothing especially the summer fashions.  I've had this Free People dress for about three years now and these Kenneth Cole Reaction sandals for at least that long.  The Murph asked why I would want to get a picture of me wearing the sandals since they weren't new.   I couldn't believe he actually said that because it just set him up for all kinds of new shoe arguments.  I mean when a woman of her own free will is wearing three + year old shoes (gladly and proudly) instead of going out and buying new ones, a man should be smart enough not to say anything but maybe, "Hey!  Great shoes!!  I LOVE them!  Are they new???"

See what I mean?

                                           
                                      Dress - Free People
                                      Shoes - Kenneth Cole Reaction (old)  :)
                                      Bracelet - David Yurman - find similar here
                                      Sunglasses - Oakley (last photo)

The pool is looking much better after several rounds of algaecide, lots of other chemicals and some vacuuming.   It's still not up to the Running Nazi's standards, but she won't know if she doesn't get to see it.  Right?

Moving onto another very important subject, I have finally found a red wine that I can drink that does not trigger migraines.  I have never been able to drink red wines, especially aged red wines because of this problem and have stayed with white wines, mostly Rieslings.   The guy at the local liquor store, who we call the "Beer Guy" turned me on to this one.  It is very light, sweet, I love it and it's just a mere $6.19!  Seriously though, I wanted to switch to reds for health reasons (of course).  Who wouldn't want the anti-aging benefits of resveratrol found in red wines?  Even cheap red wines!

You can find it here.

As I was trying to find the best spot take a picture of this oh so classy bottle of wine, I didn't notice a certain other something in both of the photos.  I moved the bottle from the counter to the table and somehow the demanding cat ended up in both pictures.  He's a fast, sneaky little bastard who fully appreciates a cheap bottle of red wine.  And kitty Party Mix.

The Beer guy told me I probably wouldn't want to tell any of my wine snob friends that I drink this stuff so if you should want to try it, I would suggest the same for you.

 It's our little secret!

Cantankerous

can·tan·ker·ous/kanˈtaNGkərəs/

Adjective:

Bad-tempered, argumentative, and uncooperative.

This has been the word of the week at our house.  Actually, it has been the word of the past two weeks.  Mostly because I haven't felt well and I get a little irritable when I don't feel well.  The Murph has called me cantankerous all week.  And had fun doing it too!   He can see it in my face when I start getting irritable even though I try to fake that I'm not irritable because I don't like him being right all the time.

After the really bad episode at the doctor's office, I went home and was pretty desperate for meds.  I knew there were some expired antibiotics in the cabinet but was afraid to use them because I didn't want to take a chance on having super hero strength bacteria floating around in my body because they were able to resist a weakened antibiotic.

All bets were off when I got home from the doctor.  I was miserable and afraid to get accosted by another quack.  I have an appointment with a new pulmonary specialist in July so I just have to make it until then.  I don't trust any other doctors right now so there was only one desperate thing left to do.  Take the expired antibiotics.

After just one I immediately felt better.  So far everything is good.  I've had three and was even able to run long with the Running Nazi this morning.  I felt weak but was able to run 10 miles.  

This morning I wasn't the one being cantankerous.  The Running Nazi, let's just say, was not her normal self.  She was as cantankerous as hell!  I was so glad I had the perfect word to describe her.  (not to her face of course!)

Lemon balm - perfect for cantankerous behavior

I can only imagine what caused her cantankerous behavior.  I'm sure it has something to do with the fact she just started a new job a few weeks ago and she's had to be up by 4 a.m every week day morning and goes non-stop until close to midnight with lots of traveling.  She's only home on the weekends and has hardly any time to do anything much less work out.  Yep, it's no wonder she was cantankerous.

This particular cantankerous episode was (I think) directed at me somehow although she pretended it was the Murph.  Or rather the Murph's swimming pool.   Since neither the Murph nor I are working right now (this is temporary) and we have plenty of time to work out and stuff and I think she's a little huffy about that.  She asked me last week if I wanted to be her assistant and work maybe 10 hours a week making calls and computer "stuff".  She was all vague about exactly what I would have to do and that had me suspicious right away.  She can be pretty sneaky!

Anyway, the Murph and I decided that we are going to wait until the Fall to think about jobs again so I told her if she still needed someone in the Fall I would consider it.  I think that is what started all her cantankerousness because the next thing I know she asked me if we'd "fixed" the pool yet.  I told her the Murph had the water tested and it came back ok and all he needed was a little something to make the water less alkaline.  The water is anything but clear but the Murph insists that one of the filters isn't working and then there's that yellow gunk that I think is algae but the Murph says he knows what he's doing and he gets all defensive when I say anything negative about his pool or his pool handling skills.  So I keep my mouth shut.

The Running Nazi then launches into a blast about how easy pool care is and her pool is always crystal clear (and it is) despite the fact she works all the time and is never home. She told me what she thought the Murph needed to do and she didn't understand why since neither one of us work, how we couldn't somehow keep our pool clear and if something was wrong with the filtering system, why didn't the Murph get it repaired.   It was then that I had a feeling this was not about how clear our pool was.

I told her the Murph says the pool is clean, just not clear, and she said we should not get in the pool because we can get impetigo.  Then I told her the Murph says the pool is cleaner than a lake and people swim in lakes all the time and she said you can get impetigo in a lake too.  I agreed that the water didn't look too healthy and the Murph stands in it all the time.  I told him he was going to get a fungus on his privates if he didn't watch out.  He wasn't too concerned.  I don't get in the pool at all except on a float and I try not to touch the water.

After the little cantankerous tirade the Running Nazi apologized, said it really wasn't her business and she was just tired and irritable and she wouldn't blame me if I was mad at her because she would be mad if I had said those things to her.

I wasn't mad at all.  In fact, it was rather amusing.  I love it when I have companionship in my cantankerousness. It's even better when someone else is more cantankerous than me.  

When I got home I told the Murph some if the conversation.  I asked him if he ever back washed the pool (she told me that's what you're suppose to do and I wasn't sure the Murph's done that in a while).  He scoffed and said he KNEW how to take care of the pool.   I told him that the Running Nazi said it was easy to take care of a pool and her pool was always clear and that she said her two brother's had pools and theirs were always clear and had waterfalls too!

He said I didn't know what I was talking about.  He's the pool expert.

                                 The Running Nazi's Pool

                                            Our Pool

After I told him all this, he suddenly decided to put some chemicals in the pool (cement pond).  He said he "melted the pool" just now and threw in a sh**t load of algaecide and stirred it up and shocked it really good and oh yea, he sarcastically said he "learned how to backwash".  

None of this will probably work.  The pool's a hot mess!  (that was our last word of the week before cantankerous)

Princess Birthday Party For A Little Princess

And no, it's not my birthday although I have been called "a princess" by the Running Nazi and she didn't mean it as a compliment exactly.  I still have a few days to go before my big day and just for the record, I'm 29 and holding. (It works for my mom so it'll work for me!)

I went over to the Running Nazi, L's house today.  She was having a party for her niece who turned 3 years old.  It was the first time I had met her cute little niece A, but I have heard lots about her during our long runs.  A is very, very lucky to have the Running Nazi as an aunt. RN's make great aunts!

I also finally got to meet several of L's family members - brother, sister, nieces etc.  She loves doing parties and is a super cook.  I've told her she should do catering she loves it so much.  She really went all out on decorations, food, activities.  I have never left her house hungry and she even helps me out when I have parties by making something really tasty.

L's niece A wanted a pink princess party with tacos for lunch, so the food was Mexican themed and delicious.  I had a soft taco with a little steak and chicken on it, (she had three different choices), guacamole dip, chips, 7 layer dip, chicken enchilada casserole, and several other types of dips and black beans and stuffed jalapenos.

For dessert L had birthday cake, cupcakes, cookies and chess squares.  And then there was some delicious pink princess punch made with raspberry sherbet and ginger ale.

It's a good thing we are running 13 miles tomorrow.  I need to burn this off.

It's been a long time since The Boy was that age, but it brought back memories of all his parties and the many parties he was invited to go to..  It seemed like everybody in his preschool class had a big birthday party.  And all his cousins as well.  They are all graduating from high school or in college now.

Those days he wouldn't let me out of his sight.  All the other kids would be playing and he would be right by my side.

He wasn't diagnosed with Asperger's yet during those days so I just thought he was shy and would out grow it.

I don't think he ever really out grew it.  I think his peer group just got older and eventually stopped having birthdays where they invited everyone in the class.

The girls invited girls and the boys invited boys and only close friends got invited.  The Boy did better in these smaller groups.

Back then I got my share of jumping in these things with The Boy.  It was the only way I could get him in one, but once inside he loved it.

All the children had fun swimming in the swimming pool.  I didn't see any adults go in the pool, but a mom, dad or two that had really small children might have gotten in.  I was too busy inside eating cupcakes.

The Running Nazis' dog's Ali and Max were handling things really well.  Ali even dressed for the occasion.

Ali

Max

 And then there was the pinata, handmade in Mexico that the RN's husband, P called the "bad prom date'.   Yes, I can see why.  So can the Murph.

I love this sandbox that the RN's husband P made for little A.

And the funniest picture of all,  P riding in cinderella's carriage.

And princess goody bags!  (I got some pink Lancome lip gloss)

What a fun party!  Happy Birthday A!

Iron Girl Gone Bad

The pool is shaping up nicely

It seems like I spend more time these days taking pictures of bodies of water (such as swimming pools) than actually getting in them and swimming laps.  I realize at some point this has to stop if I am going to race this year.  I'm always in the pool a couple of times a week by now.

 I could use the excuse that I am no longer a member of the Y and my new gym doesn't have a pool.  I could also say that the pool in the back yard has looked more like a fungus filled mud hole until a couple of days ago.  It looks very inviting now, but it isn't quite long enough to swim a good lap in so there's my excuse for that.

I have always been a pro at good excuses to get out of swimming too much.  In fact, the only time I have ever put in a consistent 3 days a week, at least a mile or more swim is when I have signed up for at minumun a half ironman.  More if I am training for an Ironman.  But not much more.  I just make one of my swims a long 2 hour straight swim.  Sprints, not so much.

I realize I could do so much better in a race if I got in the water on a regular basis.  My lack of water time was never much of an issue when I was a stronger biker.

That's the other problem.  In order to be a stronger biker, I know I need to put more time in on the saddle and that doesn't mean just trainer rides, exercise bikes or spin classes.   I love (loved) biking so I don't really have any reason for not riding except I'm just being bad.  I'm an Iron Girl gone bad.  It's a simple as that.

Donuts, alcohol, chips, sugary sweets combined with no swimming and very little biking.

Put me in time out!

Cream filled Dunkin Donut....

I eat way to much sugar including pigging out on Dunkin Donuts this week along with other kinds of sweets.  The other day I recklessly started tweeting about all the Dunkin Donuts I was eating and the next day the" Find Healthy Snacks Girl" was following me on Twitter.  Coincidence or is "big brother" watching?   Was this a sign that I need to become a healthier snacker or else??

I was so worried that the Murph and I checked our blood sugar levels with his dad's diabetic kit when we were in New Jersey a couple of days ago.   I was relieved to find that despite all the sugar, desserts, pasta and alcohol I had consumed all that day, my blood sugar was normal.

 But now what?  It is May and I haven't been in the pool since last October.   I have only been on my bike a handful of times and here I am wanting to qualify for the Ironman World Championship in Kona.  I am also planning on doing some races in June.  Less than a month away.  I know I can do it even without all the training and discipline I usually have by now because I have been racing for almost 15 years.

Will it be painful?  Yes.  Will my time totally suck?  Yes.  Do I need to get my procrastinating butt in the pool and on my bike?  Hell, yes!  Enough already.

I have a Running Nazi to hold me accountable for running.  I just need to find a Swimming Nazi and a Bike Nazi.  Then I will swim way more than I want and bike more than I want.  Then I will get on here and write blog posts about them cussing at them to make me feel better.

It's a perfect solution cause then I will get all the training I need and lots of writing practice too and they will never know that I blog about them.  The Running Nazi doesn't know unless I tell her and she doesn't care anyway.  (I don't think she cares)

My goal is to get faster.  To get faster I need to go shorter distance first and then get longer and try to stay fast.  Then I will be fast enough to qualify for Kona.

 I'm already fast enough in my dreams.  Blazing fast.  In my dreams I swim every single night.  At some point during REM sleep between frantically searching for my bike helmet, goggles, race number, and various other race gear (during my dreams for some reason I always forget my racing gear) and getting lost along the course.

 Getting lost on the course is a recurring dream since that time last summer when the Nazi and I got lost running without fluids in 90 degree F. temps in what should have been a familiar neighborhood.

Then the cat usually wakes me up from this dream/nightmare by pawing me in the face.

My plan is to just slip in and start training like I've been doing it for months.  Hopefully, my body won't notice.  I have been running fairly steadily thanks to marathon training so the running part is easy.   I have also been working out at the gym doing weights and at least 30 minutes of cardio every single day for over a year now.

It's all mind over matter anyway.  This should work, right?

Dive Into This Stuff

It's official - the pool's a mess.  There's been a mystery leak that started about 3 years ago and the Murph just ignored it and kept adding water to the pool.  The leak wasn't that bad, but any leak apparently needs repair immediately according to what we found out today.  It's not a good idea to let a pool leak go for three years.  Who knew?

At the end of last summer, the Murph had the pool guy cover the pool without cleaning it (against the pool guys advice) because we were moving to the coast for the fall and he had already decided to do a super clean/leak repair this spring when he opened the pool back up.  I can only imagine what the pool guy was thinking as he covered a filthy pool with yellowish black water last fall.

I'm surprised the pool guy even showed up today knowing what he was going to be dealing with.

I haven't been in the pool since summer before last except on a big float where the water wouldn't touch me.  This is because by mid-summer the water was a funny color, murky with yellow stuff floating around in it. I told the Murph he was going to get a fungus or something really gross if he got in the water.

He got in anyway.  He didn't get a fungus.

Yesterday he spent the afternoon scooping up dead leaves that had fallen on top of the pool cover.  Water had collected on top of the cover as well and now it's a mosquito breeding ground.

The pool guy came today and was mortified.  He and the Murph have a love/hate relationship.  The Murph loves it when he comes and gets the pool uncovered, but hates the prices he charges.  The pool guy loves the money he gets but not enough to deal with the pool's neglected condition.

Now The Murph is really going to "love" it when he gets the final pool bill.  I think the pool guy wanted The Murph to call somebody else to do the work, but he's been doing it for almost 20 years so he's stuck.  The Murph's not letting him get away that easily.  He's a loyal customer.

The pool guy couldn't do much today because he had to pump the water off the pool cover before he can get it off.  Then he discovered that the mystery leak has caused the pool liner to slip off and now he's going to have to empty the pool to stretch the liner back on or get a new liner.  Then he's going to have to dig around underground to see where the leak is coming from.

Yes, it's a MESS!

On a positive note  - once the leak is repaired, the liner is properly installed and the pool is filled with fresh water. maybe we will have a summer where the water is clear all summer long and we can actually swim in it without fear of fungus or other nasty infectious diseases.

Seriously, we had a party here last summer where more than one person commented on the "funky" color of the water and asked what The Murph was doing to it.  One person even offered to loan us some pool chemicals....

Dreariness

I am so ready for Spring to get here.  How dreary it is outside right now.  I love Fall and then the holidays, but now I wish I could fast forward through the next couple of months and get right to Spring.  This is what the swimming pool area looks like now.  Ick!

This is what's left of our herb garden from last summer.

I don't think this hibiscus plant survived the cold temperatures.

Dreary.  Press fast forward now!