Summer Streak - Week 2

Last week's numbers:

2 - days of yoga (actually three 20-minute DVDs)
7 - days of running (of course)
8 - separate runs (I did a double on Wednesday)
10 - longest run, in miles (I set out to do 6...oops)
30 - my approximate total mileage this week
92 - the temperature of my run this afternoon!

I've really been enjoying this challenge so far. Even though I ran five more miles this week, my legs feel better for it. Well, aside from that unexpected 10. After that they weren't very happy with me. I totally misjudged my turnaround point and thought running a loop route rather than my intended out-and-back would net the same result. So, so wrong. The H got a kick out of that. :) I like knowing, although I'm supposed to run every day, all I truly have to do is a mile for it to count. That usually turns into two miles, since I like to break a good sweat and feel like getting suited up was worth my time.

This week I'm happy to be tromping around some of our favorite spots in Alexandria, VA. A local acquaintance was kind enough to lend us a jogging stroller; I've already scoped out a playground for me and the little guy. Conveniently, it's about a mile away from our hotel. Bring it on, week three!

Farewell, Chicago

It's been a fantastic two weeks. We're back to the mitten in the morning. The little guy did amazingly well this time around; he didn't start asking about going home until yesterday. Meltdowns were kept to a minimum, activity levels were decently high, and food choices were indulgent but not regretted. We visited the aquarium, the Bean, the Museum of Science and Industry, and we even got to see the city from 103 floors up...

Poor guy was petrified that I'd drop him.

Overall, it's been a great trip!

My running totals for the past twelve days equal 7 runs and just over 32 miles. That's a little less than the first week of February alone, but I also got up at 7am or earlier to do it *and* walked almost everywhere--with the jogging stroller--during the day. I've never been a big fan of early rising, so to have done that five times is a victory in itself. The other two runs were an afternoon 10-miler along the lakeshore and a head-clearing five on the treadmill while The H put the little guy to bed. On the easiest of days, our walks were never less than two miles round trip. I've officially contacted the race director for my would-be marathon in April, and I'm now truly registered for the half. Still enjoying feeling "lighter" about my "new" training regime!

While we were here, I found a few new recipes--like the lentil and spinach soup I posted--in some surprising places; keep your eyes out for those soon. I also snagged a cheap copy of the Biggest Loser 30-Day Jump Start, which I look forward to perusing and sharing (pieces of) with you. 

Tomorrow we'll get on the road after making a stop to see "the dinosaur museum" aka the Field Museum and Sue the T. Rex. I'm sad to leave the super-close Whole Foods and Trader Joe's behind, but excited for my own kitchen and friends again! Also looking forward to paying the yoga studio some long-overdue visits. Have a great weekend!

This is how we roll

Some people hear that we'll be spending (another) week in a hotel and comment about how great it must be to let someone else do the cooking and cleaning for a change. Well, yes, to a point. I'm not going to turn down fresh towels and someone else making the bed. I won't be begging to vacuum anytime soon. But I'm also not going to let a week or two away from home completely derail our habits.

This time around, we traveled a little "heavier" than we have in the past, simply because we drove here in a rented van rather than flying with limited suitcase space. This allowed me to bring more kitchen goodies than I usually do--such as my smallest slow cooker and our wonderfully amazing rice cooker. Not pictured is the mini bullet blender I usually pack, even when flying, to make my green smoothies.

Lined up here along the edge of the two-burner electric stove that is the bane of my two-week existence are some of the ingredients for lentil soup that the little guy and I are so excited to make.

He's traveled with us enough to know that eating out in restaurants isn't really all that great when you do it night after night. I try to cook dinner for us "on the road" at least twice a week. Last week we had the lemon chicken pasta pictured here, a meatless feast of taco-inspired quinoa and black beans, and a breakfast dinner of gluten-free pancakes and chicken sausage.

With a little planning ahead, the little guy and I are often able to enjoy breakfast and lunch in our hotel room, without being subjected to the insanely delicious-smelling Belgian waffles and heaps of sweet baked goods in the breakfast buffet area. This morning after my 3-mile run, I nuked some Trader Joe's steel-cut oats with fresh blueberries and walnuts, which did come from the buffet, and whipped up a green smoothie to accompany that. My willpower is somehow stronger when I've just broken a good sweat. :)

Lunch this afternoon will either be the lentil soup I mentioned, or PB&J on Udi's gluten-free millet bread, courtesy of the nearby Whole Foods. Oh, how I hate to love that store! But I do enjoy having a wealth of GOOD goodies at our disposal, so I can't get too down about it. Sure beats facing another day of rubbery eggs, fast-food lunch, and overportioned dinners.

This is not to say that we don't indulge when we travel. I did, of course, have to try a real Chicago-style hot dog (spicy peppers? genius!) and sample at least one slice of deep-dish pizza. Both were delicious and have been checked off my to-do list, leaving room for more new things. Like the chocolate-cake shake I've been hearing about, or some almond milk hot chocolate at XOCO... guess I'm going to have to run tomorrow, too. :)

Old Town Alexandria, 3-year-old style

Here's how we spent our day:

Playing ghost

 

Petting moss 

 Cheesing for the camera while acorn hunting

 Watching a construction site (he loves the cranes)

 Taking a coffee (for me!) and cookie (oatmeal raisin) break

 Hanging out at the fountain near the train station

 Observing the bubbles and money in the fountain

 Playing with (antagonizing?) one of the tiniest dogs he's ever seen

 Bumming around a farmers' market we found a block from our hotel

 A brief cuddle with his oh-so-tired mama after dinner

 Gelato date! He chose pineapple-basil. :)

He also spent time in the pool with The H, but I didn't document that. It's slightly different than how it might look if The H and I were here by ourselves, no doubt. But it was fun and tired him out, so I'm a fan.

Freeeeeedom!!!

This morning the little guy and I took The H to work, which meant we had the car all day! Oh how I love that glorious, sweet, wonderful (too small) car! It shuttled us ever so kindly to Target/Starbucks for my morning coffee--the hotel ran out of non-flavored creamer, do you believe it?--and some good ol' time wasting for me and my little buddy.

I don't care that we got there well before 9am, or that we left close to 11am. We had a darn good time cruising the aisles, playing with toys that make noise (yes, we put everything away), and even letting me try on some clothes. He came out of there with a Matchbox car and some bubbles, and I am three very simple, very-on-clearance wardrobe basics richer. Oh, plus we got some applesauce for lunch, and a carton of half-and-half... just in time to get back to our hotel and see the Sysco food delivery truck hauling in a fresh shipment. ::womp womp::

We spent the rest of the morning running barefoot in the grass, giggling like, well, a three-year-old, and chasing bubbles until the little guy sat down on the grass and said, "Is it not close to bedtime yet?" And away we went, into our room for a quick lunch, stories, and nap. Whew! Based solely on 7am to 1pm, so far I'd call this one of our most successful on-the-road "Mommy and Caleb Days."

Wednesday number one

I got to run outside! There is a paved multi-use trail just over a mile from here. Granted, it's pretty much all uphill for that first mile, but whatever. Next time I'll drive there and just enjoy a normal, non-prehistoric machine, non-knee-busting workout. I got just over 4 miles in at a 9:something average pace, which felt like at least 5mi and a minute faster. Ooof. It's rather flat where I'm used to running!

Here's the rest of the day:

Pre-run: half a piece of toast with honey and organic peanut butter
Exercise: 4.25 mile run and core work, followed by an hour and a half in the pool with the little guy
Breakfast: green monster with lowfat milk, banana, spinach, chocolate protein powder
Snack: farmers' market popcorn and two chocolate Joe Joe's cookies
Lunch 1: quinoa-rice cakes with hummus and turkey, half a pear, half an orange, sesame almonds
Lunch 2: leftover chicken enchilada with rice and salsa
Dinner: Sooooo not clean. And too salty. But along with that-which-shall-not-be-named, I had a small side salad (iceberg, blah...with tomato and olive oil vinaigrette) and a bowl of fruit salad (grapes, banana, strawberries, blueberries, pineapple)
Snack: The H and I had some peanut butter fudge ice cream when the little guy went to bed

I've noticed a lack of fresh vegetables in my diet this week, so while The H put the little guy to bed, I went to Target for some kid-free time and came back with these goodies:

The baby carrots are super-thin and sweet (I'm not a fan of the fat ones that taste like dirt) and will be great in hummus. I'm going to add them both to my meals tomorrow. I will also make sure my dinner is more veg-heavy than they have been. The Crystal Light--not usually my thing!--is sweetened with real sugar and claims to have electrolytes in it; I will add some to my bottle of water on my next run. The Larabars had a $1 off coupon on them, and I like 'em. :D

First of two Tuesdays

Our trip to CT is longer than a week, but shorter than two. We left on a Sunday and get back on a Thursday. So today is the first of two Tuesdays here. I'm going to be so confused when we get home.

After a different breakfast than yesterday--Kashi GoLean Crisp, with fresh blueberries and low-fat milk--the little guy and I slapped on some newly-purchased sunscreen and headed out into the sunshine to explore our surroundings on foot. Yeah, that didn't take long. From our hotel, and not even all on sidewalk, we can get to a gas station, Dunkin' Donuts, two nail salons, a convenience store, Subway, a pizza joint, and Bank of America. He was less than thrilled. I was wondering where in the world I (and The H) will get to run. The side street(s?) that are nearby look to be straight uphill. The memory of the prehistoric treadmill I pounded on Monday makes me determined to at least TRY running outside.

After wandering, we came back to our room for a little guy quiet time (he has been up before 6:30 every day since he turned three, and I'm NOT a fan!) while I made lunch. His plate was loaded with strawberries, hummus, and GF pretzels, with a cup of macaroni on the side. I'm a sucker.

Remembering that I needed more vegetation and variety in my meals, I made a sandwich on seedy-wheaty bread with hummus, spinach, and low-sodium turkey lunchmeat. On the side I had green grapes the size of golf balls, and a dish of strawberries with yogurt. It was quite a bit more filling than yesterday's soup; go figure. :)

Hello from Hartford!

OK, we're not actually *in* Hartford, just a bit south, but "Hello from a tiny town in Connecticut you've probably never heard of!" didn't sound as snappy.

We got in yesterday afternoon so The H could start his assignment with the client this morning. After breakfast the little guy and I chilled in our room, watching junk TV and waiting for the pool to open. I also gave him a new puzzle to work on while I ate. That lasted about 30 seconds; this kid is a puzzle whiz. He LOVES them.

While our suitcases were mysteriously (much) lighter than they've been for past trips--even the one we took about a month ago--I've packed quite a number of breakfast/lunch/snack options for me and the LG so we don't have to eat out all the time.

This morning I started with whatever wheat-looking toast they had at the breakfast buffet, with a chocolate protein shake (using milk from breakfast) and coffee, which we brought from home. My toast was topped with an organic crunchy peanut butter The H got on his last trip and some honey my parents brought us from their trip to France.

Yes, it was a very brown breakfast. Tasty, though. Tomorrow I'll try to remember to include some fruit.

Once the pool opened, my highly excitable companion and I ventured down there. He did SO great this time, right away wanting to "go to the last step" and have me swim with him to the ladder in the deep(er) end (the pool goes from 3ft to 5ft) so he could get out, walk around, and do it again. Whew! Swimming works up a big appetite; we snacked on some farmers' market popcorn on the patio next to the pool while our suits dried and housekeeping straightened our room.

Lunch for me was creamy broccoli soup and crackers, courtesy of the soon-to-be-closing Subway we landed at for dinner last night. They'd made a fresh batch (or so they say... some things I'd almost rather not know) but funnily enough, soup was not a hot seller on a 90* day, so they were giving cups of it away. The little guy asked for peanut butter and jelly, which he polished off with uncharacteristic enthusiasm, along with an Activia yogurt, some gluten-free pretzels, and a glass of milk. Then we shared an orange from breakfast.

Once The H got back from work, we piled into the [very small] car and made the quarter-mile trek to the Target (which, incidentally, you cannot do on foot... such a tease) behind our hotel. We stocked up on some fresh items like spinach, grapes, and eggs, and grabbed a few things that forgot to come with us. Like, um, sunscreen. We ended up at Red Robin for dinner, where I once again thoroughly enjoyed a grilled chicken sandwich with melon.

I took advantage of The H being able to put the little guy to bed, and dashed out to the hotel "gym" for a treadmill run on one of the most ancient dinosaurs of machinery I've ever set foot upon. Broke a good sweat doing the "5K lake route" program, so I guess it worked just fine. I lifted a few weights for good measure. Then after some crunch twists and planks, I proceeded to eat my weight in chips and salsa. It was SO GOOD and exactly the snack I wanted after my workout. The end. :)

With a little help from my friends...

I mean, Trader Joe's and the Marriott breakfast buffet, I was able to refuel with steel-cut oats topped with walnuts after my 4-mile run this morning. While I do appreciate having things I don't buy at home, like bagels and cream cheese, when we travel, having them fairly often for two weeks isn't very smart. Granted, I have been mixing it up a little--eggs and toast, English muffin and peanut butter, fruit and yogurt--but it still felt really nice to get back to those old familiar oats.

Today the little guy told me he's "done with Phillyadelphia" and wants to go back to Michigan now. When I mentioned that maybe he'd get to have his new big boy bed for his birthday and not his crib* anymore, he clapped and said, "Yeah, and not a couch!" Poor kid...he's been an AMAZING traveling buddy, as usual, but it's quite apparent that he's tired of the nomad lifestyle. We have one more full day here, ending with a laid-back pizza dinner with my friend and her family. Oh, and packing. Lots and lots of packing.

(Has anyone ever shipped their dirty laundry home to lighten the suitcases on the return trip? Anyone?)


*Yep, it's true. As of two weeks ago, we still had our almost-three-year-old in a crib. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. However, after sleeping very well in a queen bed, a toddler bed, and on a couch made up as a bed, we think going back to the crib especially when he is nearly potty trained, would make it broke. :(

How to not feel like a boat...

after eating at the Hard Rock Cafe: order two shrimp skewers (total: 12 large grilled shrimp) and a side of "confetti rice" (mixed with pea pods, corn, broccoli). It was more filling than it sounds, but still way lighter than any of the other options. I love that HRC lists the calorie *and* sodium counts of each item on their menu. Too much salt in a day makes me feel gross. I was very happy with this lightly satisfying dinner after almost two weeks of meals-from-menus!

The H and I ground some of our Ocean City Blend (decaf) coffee after the little guy went to bed, and now I'm perusing some running routes for tomorrow morning. Philly is a really cool city, FYI. I just wish there weren't so many people smoking everywhere we walk... :z

First day in Philly

After a whirlwind tour of the great state of Pennsylvania, we arrived safely in Philadelphia last night. Our hotel room is situated in a way that we have a great view of "dat building wif dat man on it" according to the little guy. He and I spent the morning exploring our surroundings, playing on the giant game pieces at the municipal building, and bumming around Trader Joe's. Yum. I picked up a few snacks for us to have around this week (string cheese, hummus, rice crackers, dark chocolate) and some breakfast options (bananas, steel-cut oats, gluten-free Puffins cereal) to have when the breakfast buffet gets wearying. We had lunch in our room before he went down for an early nap. Being pushed around in a stroller for a few hours is apparently very hard work for this almost-three-year-old.

Post-nap found us in search of the Bath & Body Works I found on Google Maps (I need more lotion! It's all on sale!) and killing time waiting for The H to get back from work. For dinner, we ended up at a teeny little non-chain place called Giorgio on Pine. And that is where we wish we could spend the rest of our week.

Service was friendly, attentive, helpful, and fun. Portions were massive. They were *great* with the little guy, who wasn't so sure about this "fancy" place. It's a BYOB restaurant, but we didn't have any B (or W, actually) so that didn't matter. The owner, Giorgio, who recognized us from the phone call The H had made asking about a kids' menu, included a complementary creme brulee for dessert, after making sure The H was aware of all their (delicious) gluten-free options. Once he knew The H was gluten free, Giorgio brought The H his own package of crispy GF breadsticks so he could enjoy the garlic-infused dipping oil, too. We plan to go back, even if it's just for a splurge dessert or cappuccino later in the week.

Tomorrow, the little guy and I are off to visit a friend, whom I haven't seen since roughly 1999, and meet her little boy! Wish us luck on the train. I'm a big fat chicken about handling my impossibly wiggly monkey child on public transportation.

Eatin' on the cheap...on vacation??

Usually when we travel with The H, we've on the company dime. We try to use some of his daily food allowance to buy us ingredients--healthy meal/snack options--so we're not forced to eat out every night. But this week we're on our own, and I don't want that to mean all restaurants, all the time. First, because it can be expensive, and second, because I don't want to rely on fat- and salt-laden meals all week!

The past two days we've spent nothing out-of-pocket on food until dinnertime, and one of those days included a trip to the Philadelphia Zoo.

We're fortunate to be staying at a hotel that sets out a fantastic continental breakfast spread every morning (included with the room rate). If we eat here, and bring a few extras back to our room for later, we can easily do lunch on the cheap. This time we took advantage of the little guy's insulated lunch box--previously filled with airplane activities-- and the icemaker in our room, and were able to pack a lovely little picnic for (nearly) free.

Here's what we had at the zoo:

The H: a few hardboiled eggs, gluten-free pretzels, and hummus (from our small grocery trip Monday), plus an apple and yogurt from breakfast.

The little guy and I: PB&J on wheat with peach yogurts (all from breakfast); he also had pretzels and hummus and some bites of apple while I had cantaloupe from breakfast.

We all brought our own water bottles, too. Having lunch this way saved us *at least* $30 (I think that's a conservative estimate) that we then had available for dinner. Plus, not having eighty zillion (unhealthy) choices in front of us, we all stuck to what we'd brought and that was that. No tantrums about this fried meal or that frozen treat! Love it.

Today's lunch was brought to us by "Kate's Tendency to Overpack and Plan for the Worst." Before we left MI, I tucked a few microwaveable soups and a box of GF mac 'n' cheese into my suitcase, in case we didn't have time to grab dinner at the airport between flights. My leftovers from dinner + macaroni for my boys + applesauce + more hardboiled eggs + chicken-rice soup = "free" lunch again! This was after we had breakfast in our room, which was a combination of grocery-store acquisitions and continental breakfast.

We even went so far as to bring our own coffee (and grinder...) on this trip, not really to save money, but because we're weenies.  

Every time we travel with The H, one (or both) of us complains that hotel coffee "just isn't the same" as our freshly-roasted-from-a-local-roaster java at home. So yeah, it took us this long to figure out that if we bring our own, that's not an issue! SMRT, I tell ya. We've been augmenting it with half-and-half from the breakfast buffet.

How do you (or DO you?) look for ways to save money on vacation?

Hello, New Jersey!

This is my first time in NJ, and the first week of our 14-day adventure with The H. I started the week with a lovely run from our hotel Monday morning. Although I started a bit fast, it felt GREAT to be running without a training plan hanging over my head! (FYI, the majority of that third mile was downhill!)

Split	Moving Time	Distance
1	0:08:34	1
2	0:08:34	1
3	0:08:03	1
4	0:08:31	1
5	0:08:23	1
6	0:00:23	0.05
Summary	0:42:28	5.05

After I refueled (peanut butter toast, yogurt, melon) and got cleaned up, we set out for the Adventure Aquarium, where the little guy had a blast watching sharks, penguins, seals, and fish. He almost didn't stay awake through lunch, but lucky for us took a two-hour nap once we got back to our room. Whew!

Post-nap = pool. The water was a bit chilly (it was kind of breezy out) but I bet in a few days when the temp hits 98* or higher we will find ourselves there again. For dinner, we gladly gave our business to Pizza Pomodoro, which advertises an extensive gluten-free menu. Yay! A bit of brief grocery shopping followed, then it was home for bed. Whew! Great first day--looking forward to the rest of the week.

I forgot the camera cable, so no pics until I figure out how to upload from my phone or 'til I have The H load the memory card into his laptop...but trust me, there will be some! (Think: little guy in a full-body rashguard/wetsuit, complete with built-in Superman-esque swim floaties at the chest and back...)

Well that flew by...

Has it really already been a week since we headed up to Traverse City for the marathon? Having a shortened week/long weekend to kick off this past week kind of messed me up. Here it is, Friday again, and I feel like it's only Wednesday. I suppose there are worse things...

Today is a whirlwind of laundry, packing, and shopping for me as we get ready for our two-week trip to Pennsylvania. Got any great "must-see" recommendations, or a gluten-free restaurant we should try?

Our meals for the past week were more or less cobbled together at the last minute, but pretty decent if I must say so myself. Last night we had grilled cubed round steak, corn on the cob, leftover potato salad, and fresh-from-the-co-op grilled asparagus. I used grapeseed oil instead of olive oil on the asparagus, which I don't recommend, but otherwise it was a good meal. We've also had one of my favorites, "fridge cleanout pizza." It was topped with mushrooms, green pepper, onion, and co-op beef pepperoni. YUM.

Tonight I'll probably throw some chicken breast on the grill, sauce it with Trader Joe's BBQ sauce, make some rice or quinoa as a side, and grab a green veggie at the farmer's market while I'm running errands. How handy that I just discovered a new market right near where I'll be shopping today!

One for the record books

Yesterday will go down in personal history as one of my worst food-related days since I started eating clean. The whole day was out of whack, having been delayed--then canceled--on our flight home from DC. We ended up spending Friday night in another hotel in Alexandria, only to be back at the airport at 6am for a different flight out (on a different airline, no less) Saturday morning.

We began the day at 4:45am with Starbucks coffee in-room (thanks, Sheraton Suites!) and hard-boiled eggs that I'd brought from our *other* hotel. There were four, and three of us, so it wasn't very filling. I also pulled some organic cereal bars from my suitcase and put them into my carryon bag for later. We had to ditch the coffee since we didn't have enough hands to carry that, the little guy, our bags, and three suitcases. Sad.

Once at the airport, after checking in and enduring the luggage and security lines, we had very little time before our plane arrived. And I was starving. Around 6:45 The H went to get coffee and asked what I liked from McDonald's... and oh, yes, rather than saying "Nothing, thanks, I have a cereal bar" I fired off a quick "Sausage McMuffin with egg!" as he walked away. Ooops. So I gobbled that before we boarded, and finished my coffee in-flight. And then had some Biscoff cookies, which I love. Thanks, Delta! We are card-carrying Continental flyers, but I do love me some Delta Biscoff cookies.

Once we landed, shortly after 9am, The H got us *more* coffee (mmm...Caribou...) and we met my wonderful dad, who was kind enough to pick us up. Oh, and kind enough to pick up a new carseat for the little guy, since by taking a different flight/airline, we also ended up at a different airport, a full 2 hours from the one at which our car--and LG's seat--was waiting.

From there, since we happened to be in town, the little guy and I went with my mom and sister to my extended family's "Cookie Day," which is as you might guess: a day designated for baking eighty zillion Christmas cookies. Having no supplies or recipes with me, I was fully unprepared and basically useless to the operation. I did, however, manage to eat several cookies, drink MORE COFFEE if you can believe it, and eat two slices of pizza for lunch--one veggie, and one pepperoni/mushroom.

As luck would have it, another one of my sisters (who lives in the same city we do) was there. OK, it wasn't luck; we asked her to please please please come to Cookie Day and bring us home with her! So she did. :) The little guy and I slept most of the way home, a much-needed rest for both.

Dinner was a matter of convenience for the sleepy, out-of-sorts, amazingly resilient little guy, and he requested nuggets. It felt like an out-of-body experience as I sat down at Wendy's and unwrapped a spicy chicken sandwich, fries, and root beer. What was I thinking?! I know Wendy's has salads and potatoes, but I apparently chose to ignore that. Sigh.

Once LG was in bed, The H made us some... oh yeah, coffee. Decaf for this round. I could only handle half a cup before I felt like I'd pee brown the next day, and called it quits. A few glasses of water later, I went to bed. My own sweet, blessed, comfortable, non-bleachy-sheets bed.

It wasn't normal. It wasn't pretty. But it is what it is. Today I got back on track as much as possible without grocery shopping, had a great run, and enjoyed dinner with friends (steak, sweet potato, veggies, gluten-free brownies). Tomorrow is Monday--a 5 mile day. Perhaps then life will resume its regularly scheduled programming.

Taking control

Sometimes when we're on the road with The H I feel like I don't have much control over my meals. It's easy to fall into that mindset when breakfast is provided by the hotel, lunch is all too easy to grab while the little guy and I are out and about, and dinner is paid for by the company. However, I know that's not how it HAS to be. Even though I'm not cooking 100% of my meals, I can still choose to take control of what I'm eating most of the time. During weeks when eating out frequently is inevitable, sometimes I feel like rebelling (against myself? LOL) and choosing something fatty, fried, and utterly indulgent **just because I can**. And while that is my prerogative, I think the motive behind it is kind of sucky.

Yesterday after a good, solid run, I exercised good control by opting for a Greek yogurt (Fage 2% with blueberries) and glass of water before making taco salad for dinner. We bought meat, lettuce, cheese, chips, and salsa at Whole Foods earlier in the week, and I combined it all with taco seasoning I'd brought from home. It was good and filling (and spicy!), and aside from the tortilla chips (with the shortest ingredients list I could find), mostly clean. It was refreshing to have a run behind me and dinner on the table before 6:30 on a Tuesday night, when we usually don't get home from running group until almost 8pm. I think that alone, regardless of my dinner, made me feel accomplished and successful.

I carried over that feeling of empowerment to breakfast today, where I had oatmeal with walnuts, raisins, and a little brown sugar instead of the waffle with butter and artificially-flavored syrup I'd been dreaming about. With a side of fresh pineapple and some bites of scrambled egg, I was off to a good start that wouldn't result in a carb-hangover at 10am.

Tonight we're having dinner with a friend of mine from high school, whom I haven't seen in probably 10 years. While I know she's planning a good clean meal for us after learning of The H's allergies, I still might want to squeeze in a quick run before we go. The sun is out, and there's no snow on the ground!

And yes, I know these really long rambly posts without pictures are kinda boring, but I forgot to bring the camera cord with me this week! Maybe The H will be so kind as to offload the pics onto his laptop and email them to me. Well, maybe I should take pictures of something first, and then have him do that... ;)

Old Town A - Day 2

This morning was nice and leisurely, as mornings out of town should be. When the little guy started calling for me at 7am, I told him it wasn't time to be awake yet... so he went back to sleep 'til 8! Merry early Christmas to me. Since I showered after my run last night, I was fresh as a daisy already and just needed to flatten out my hair and throw on some makeup to look presentable for breakfast. Breakfast was nothing to write home about; much of the same from yesterday. Tomorrow I think I'll give in to my inner child and make a Belgian waffle with butter and syrup.

We didn't venture outside until well after 11am, since the little guy made friends with two other tiny boys at breakfast, and they had a good time running around together for the better part of an hour. Once we got moving, we braved the blustery weather--yep, again--so I could get a few things from the Gap and Walgreens. Super exciting, no?

Lunch was in-room: leftover pizza for us both (and a peach cup for the little guy) followed by some coffee with half-and-half for me as I sat down to work during naptime. The sunshine is streaming in the windows, making my legs itch for a run, so I hope The H gets back sooner than he did yesterday! I've got plans to reacquaint myself with the Mount Vernon Trail, and I'd love to do it during daylight hours.

Old Town A - Day 1

The H has a different work schedule than usual for being on the road, which means rather than bringing breakfast to the room for me and the little guy, he's out the door by 6:45 and we're on our own. LG slept long enough this morning that I could shower and get ready in peace. Love that! We headed down to the breakfast buffet just after 8am. I can't tell you the last time I was ready to leave the house that early, let alone that presentably--I did my makeup, folks. Yeah.

My little buddy perused the spread and requested that "orange melon and green melon" be part of his breakfast. Then he insisted upon calling them "oranges and pears." He ate two large chunks of each, along with a sausage patty, less than 1/4 cup of Froot Loops (he calls them colored Cheerios), and some 2% milk. I mostly enjoyed a bowl of melon, coffee with half and half, and an egg sandwich: wheat English muffin with spinach, Canadian bacon, and egg. We snagged a small blueberry muffin to share for morning snack-time. It was dry and we didn't eat it all.

On this fine, sunny, WINDY morning, we blew down to Whole Foods, more to warm up than shop, and later found ourselves in a small independent bookstore before choosing convenience over cleanliness and diving into Subway for lunch. My turkey-on-wheat was mediocre. I didn't realize the "sandwich artist" helping me thought this was my 6" sandwich, rather than LG's kid's meal, so I didn't have it toasted, had her add cheese, and omitted my favorite topping--the yellow peppers! It was instead made simply with spinach, tomato, oil, and vinegar. Fine, but not really what I wanted.

As soon as The H got back from work I blasted out the door for a run. Coming from Michigan, I'll take just about any chance I get to run on clear, dry sidewalks in mid-December, wind or not! Dry sidewalk trumps treadmill. I had to cut my planned 5 miles down to 4 because he was later than planned, and really windy, but 4 is better than zero! I made up a route based on the wind and traffic. It was fun--looking forward to going further tomorrow, hopefully with more daylight.

Dinner was post-run: delicious goodies from ZPizza. Half of a thin-crust "Rustica" style pizza with chicken sausage and arugula (and a light beer--complementary from the hotel's happy hour) for me, a gluten-free pepperoni and mushroom pizza for The H, and a pear and gorgonzola salad with balsamic vinaigrette for us to share. I went shopping at Whole Foods while my boys went to hunt and gather. It was a quick trip. The little guy has been very picky lately, which is unusual for him, but I guess not atypical for his age. We ended up spending less than we ever have at a grocery store on the road with The H! I got some Greek yogurt and organic graham crackers for snacks, cereal bars that the little guy asked for, yogurt/cottage cheese/turkey lunchmeat for The H, and ingredients for taco salad tomorrow.

Tomorrow is supposed to be windy again, so we'll probably stick close to the hotel, but we'll see...

Hello again, Old Town.

This week we're probably going to eat here... and here... and perhaps even here.

Oh, and we'll have to stop in here, of course.



No, I didn't go on a cooking strike. We're in Alexandria, VA with The H again! Despite a fairly stressful adventure getting here, we made it in relatively good spirits. We're staying at the same hotel we were at for this trip, but this time--thankfully--we are blessed to have a two-room suite instead of a studio room! Dinner last night was courtesy of the Whole Foods just a few steps outside our door. The H brought mac 'n' cheese for the little guy, who'd been asking for noodles all day, some turkey, mashed taters, and beans for himself, and a pork tenderloin with rice and veggies for me. A tasty end to a hectic day!

Soup and salad

Tonight's dinner was light, after playing at the children's museum. It's nice to have local contacts like the one who told us the museum is free on the 2nd Tuesday of the month! She was kind enough to join us with her husband, little girl, and another local mom and her toddler. Thanks for meeting us, guys!

For dinner we got salads from a place at the food court in the CNN Center (Building?). I was in the mood for some more comfort-like food, and vegetable soup hit the spot. It was made without MSG, trans fats, or other weird ingredients. Aside from being quite salty, it was good.

My salad, while quite pretty, wasn't much to write home about. Maybe it was the dressing--too tart? Too cold?

The little guy ate some of my tomatoes. He also made up his own salad (cucumbers, cheese, turkey, kidney beans) and ate most of it.

A small miracle occurred when we got home: rather than making a beeline for the cheesecake or frozen espresso bar lurking in the fridge, I rounded out my evening with three whole-wheat graham crackers and a bowl of fruit (blackberries, bananas, strawberries) and cottage cheese. And decaf. (Did you really think I'd go a day without my decaf?)