NYC HALF

WHAT???

Alright, so we all know that I am a little bit insane.. and part of that insanity comes out with me thinking that I would actually be able to run a half marathon in March.  Yet, I have registered for the race and will find out before 2012 if I will be running 13.1 miles in just under 12 weeks.  Maybe it's exactly what I need to push myself to get to a-run-ning! (and to stop eating everything I see...)  NO CLUE. Though, it's terrifying.  The longest I have run since starting this thing (I'll be more specific when I have more time to write) is 4 miles. And, not in a continuous fashion (damn cramps) either. So is it possible to get to that point in such a short time?  I guess we'll see (and I might not even get in, so whatever!)

This quick update brought to you by: Ferrero Rocher (because there's a whole box of them sitting on my desk to share with the office, and they keep ending up in my mouth! Sneaky bastards...)

We had some guests this weekend. After they left, Penelope needed some alone time to decompress. :)

A Childhood State

It seems I have reverted back to some "old style"

 

"It's hard to dance with the devil on your back. So, shake him off.."

Oh, you thought I was done?

hahaha nope! I'm in full swing marathon fever. (This better keep up, because I'm going to need this adrenaline this year!)

This was always my favoite image during the NYC marathon. I would sit in front of the TV and watch the beginning each year just to catch this shot of the runners starting out over the Verrazano Bridge from Staten Island.

Amazing!

Also, my knee is seriously hurting today. I think it is sympathy pains from watching the marathoners yesterday.

Stuff my boyfriend says...

Me: "I just saw Mario Lopez run by"
Him: "Is he sexy in real life?"
Me: "Yep!"
Him: "I figured."

You are amazing!

I screamed and clapped and called out every name I could spot. It is my hope that someday, some stranger will do the same to me.

I spent most of the day at that same 24 mile banner cheering on the runners as they came around the bend. "How much longer until 24?" some of them called out. "Just around the bend!" we would yell back - the finish was so close they could taste it.

I've spent a lot of time thinking about whether or not I am the type to run a marathon. Today, I realized that there is no type of person that runs a marathon. Today's marathoners were tall, short, skinny, fat, young, and old. There were people of all different nationalities, people that had traveled far from home and people who walked to the start from their homes. Anyone CAN be a marathoner, but not everyone IS a marathoner. I think that is what inspires me most.

Marathon Training: Day 1

Did I tell you I'm running a marathon? No? Oh, well, add me to the list of stupid idiots that think running 26.2 miles in one morning is a good decision.

So, I'm running a marathon sometime in 2012. Now that we've got that out of the way, let's talk about day one.

The New York City ING Marathon will begin tomorrow morning. The city is in a full marathon mode, barricades are set up, the path is properly labeled with banners and flags, signs are in store windows, congratulating tomorrow's runners. So what better time to start the training for MY marathon than today? The ultimate goal is to run the NYC marathon in exactly one year. (Note: it can be really difficult to get in to run the NYC marathon, which is a crazy idea if you think about it - it is HARD to gain access to run 26.2 miles. So Philly or DC may have to take NYC's place if I can't get in.)

This morning, Craig and I went to Central Park to run around the Jackie O. Reservoir.  The 1.6 mile loop would be a perfect start to our running "careers". We would go around twice, just over 3 miles. I take a spin class several times a week, do weekly cardio classes, yoga, swim, pilates, certainly running 3 miles wouldn't be a bad place to start. We walked over, arms crossed against the chilly wind, excited to begin this journey. At the reservoir, we noticed the marathon flags. "They'll run down this road tomorrow," Craig said, and I thought about how I might run down that road in one year. I was excited.

We started running at a steady pace together and I was feeling good. The leaves were beautiful in the park and the water glistened in the sunlight. And then it hit me: a cramp. Already! We stopped and walked for a bit, the cramp subsided and so we picked it back up again. I was surprised that running didn't hurt my knees or my hips, and I didn't even feel a burn in my muscles! At the mile point, my hand found my abdomen again as the cramp swelled back up. Suddenly, the other side cramped up as well. Breathing in started to feel like knives being jammed into my ribcage and I slowed to a walk again. Craig ran ahead and I walked with my hands rubbing the knots in my stomach. At one point, a man walking with his new-to-two-legs child passed me. I caught up with Craig and he could see it on my face. "What's wrong?" he said. "I can't do this," I lamented back, "Why can't I do this?"

And there it happened. I cried. I cried with over half a mile to go before I got back to the starting point. The point where I intended to start a second lap. I cried from the pain of the cramps and the headache I started to feel. I cried for the second lap I knew I could never complete. I cried from the disappointment I felt in myself. Craig walked with me a bit and eventually the cramping subsided, along with the tears. At the bend in the path, I decided that I would push myself, push past the pain and the disappointment and complete the last half a mile to the starting point.  So we did. We ran together through the last bit of the reservoir loop.

At the end of the loop, we made our way out of the park. Crossing the street, the 24 Mile banner hung over the road. 2.6 miles past that point was the NYC Marathon finish line. And I couldn't even make it 1.6 miles around the reservoir.

Let's just say, there is work to be done.

Elon, and a note about forgiveness

Last week, this video made the rounds on almost all of the social networking sites. I caught it from a twitter post and before the nearly 3 minutes were up, I had tears in my eyes.  You see, there is a sense of pride in every Elon student. Just as it says in the video, I don't know any student that doesn't feel that way, that doesn't look back on their time there with nostalgia. But for me, it brought on very a very different type of emotion. I was sad, very sad. And angry.

Part of me feels robbed of my college experience because of the relationship I was in. I didn't participate in all that I could have because I felt I had to be constantly "on call" waiting for phone calls from another part of the world. I spent so much of my time trying to make a long-distance relationship work that I had no other time for non-scholarly events. In the scene where the graduates are excitedly staring at their degrees, hugging family members, and posing for pictures, I can only remember the disappointment I felt because he had not shown up. I only wanted to be out of there.

In many ways, I have come to a place of forgiveness in light of what transpired in that relationship; but, when it comes to my college experience, knowing everything I could have had, I can only feel that twinge of regret and anger. I hate that my college memories, ones that are supposed to be remembered with fondness, are sprinkled with nauseating memories of hurt. He took a lot more from me than I realized at the time, and I'm not ready to forgive that.

Stuff my boyfriend says..

Boyfriend: "What do you want for dinner?"


Me: "Fried everything

Dipped in chocolate

and then salted

and some sour patch kids"

 
Boyfriend: "Crepes?"

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.

If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on."

-Steve Jobs, 1955-2011

Hump Day Hilarity

"Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly-sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address."

- Tom Hanks, You've Got Mail

Who has a child that I can borrow for Halloween???

Can someone teach Craig how to do a proper "self-portrait"?

We need some better pictures together!

Any tips?

The Lights

I've always wanted to see these lights with my own eyes.  I guess I could venture out tonight to see them, but I'm not sure where I would go without having to use public transportation.  Maybe next year, I'll venture out of the city so I can see the entire island just like this.

To all of you remembering the events of 9/11, my heart is with you today. God bless. xoxo

My Last Dollar

I moved to New York City on a brisk Saturday in October.  After driving straight through the night in a moving truck, I can remember seeing the New York skyline and feeling a nervous anticipation about what my life would be across that river.

Once arriving, I didn't have much time to think about what I would do in the city since I had to focus on getting the furniture in my apartment and saying goodbye to my father.  After spending the day and night with him, I walked with him out to a street corner in the East Village to hail him a cab that would take him to the airport.  During a tearful goodbye, he reached in his pockets and shoved several crumpled bills into my hand.

"It's all the cash I've got on me right now," he said. "Good luck. I love you."

In that hand full of bills, one dollar ended up sitting on my desk for several weeks.  After securing a job and getting my first paycheck, I was able to relax (a little) in knowing that I just might be able to make it here.

I have kept that dollar and I vowed to myself that if I ever had to spend that one dollar, I would call my parents and say, "Come and get me, I'm coming home."  If I had to spend my last dollar in this city, I would cut my losses and move back home.

This weekend, I pulled the dollar out and put it in a picture frame.  It now hangs right inside my front door of the little studio apartment that I afford all on my own.  Every day, when I come home, no matter how difficult my life can seem at times, I will know that for now, I've made it.  I've made it in New York City; and, when I think back on what little I knew about possibilities of the City on that day, I smile to myself and say, "It's more than you ever dreamed of, girl."

Sneak Peek!

Tonight!

Lots of fabulous things happening tonight! First, Craig and I are going to an event for Elon at the amazing Metropolitan Club -

Then, we're hitting the town for:

Too much fun for a Thursday?? I'm so excited!

Oh to own a piece like this:
 

Jeanine Payer, Palmer Cuff Bracelet - $4,785.00

The inscription reads:
Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don’t search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, some day far in the future you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.



- Rainer Maria Rilke

Absolutely lovely.

Irene's coming!

Unless you have been locked up in a dungeon somewhere being asked to “put the lotion on its skin”, you know that there is a major hurricane coming toward the northeastern part of the United States.
I know that a lot of people are really freaking out about the impending storm, but there are far more people not paying attention to the warnings. So, from my knowledge of hurricanes (living in North Carolina), here is the advice I can give about preparing for a hurricane.


What can happen:

Rain: This storm will bring a considerable amount of rain. While rain falling from the sky in itself is not hazardous, the accumulation of rain over a small period of time can be very dangerous, leading to excessive runoff and flooding. When it comes to a place like New York City, underground tunnels have the capability of serious flooding, basically halting all traffic in and out of the nation’s largest city.

Wind: The wind will be excessive. Strong, over 100mph winds are nothing to joke over. Trees will topple over, crushing power lines and cars. Some houses may suffer from considerable damages due to falling trees and limbs. The wind will be so strong that cars will be pushed from one side of the street to the other. Rain will come in sideways, ocean and river waves will swell 3 or 4 times their usual height. Which brings me to:

Storm Surge: With New York’s five boroughs being surrounded mostly by water, this could very well be the most dangerous. When the bodies of water are disturbed by the hurricane, waves pick up and slam into the shore. That, combined with natural tides, a storm of this size could bring swells of water in the 20 feet range. This could be detrimental to low-lying places such as Downtown Manhattan, Coney Island, and the Far Rockaways in Queens. New York City has never (EVER) issued a mandatory evacuation for flood zone areas. Take heed and evacuate if you are told.

Power: Power outages across the five boroughs will cause a great inconvenience to most people. It may take a large amount of time to restore power to the masses if downed trees and flooded areas cause problems.

Water, Gas: I don’t foresee the water or gas lines to be messed with within the city, but if for any reason, New York City’s water becomes tainted by sewage, having bottled water on hand will be you only option. If the water does go out, you will not be able to flush your toilets. It may be a good idea to fill up your bathtub full of water so you can manually flush the toilet in the event of a water outage.

With power outages and extensive damage to the transit systems, you may have to stay where you are for several days. This means having non-perishable food items on hand to eat for a few days. Please remember that if you have an electric can opener, it will not work if the power goes out (That seems obvious, but you’d be surprised). Do not open your freezer for any reason. Once the power goes out, you need to keep that cold in there for as long as possible in hopes to save some things that may be in there.

Don’t do anything stupid. Don’t go swimming before a hurricane comes. And don’t rush out to clean things up until emergency personnel have at least taken a look. Don’t touch downed power lines and don’t stand underneath leaning trees.

One thing to note: If the storm comes straight across Manhattan, it will stop for a period of time. This does not mean the storm is over! The eye of the hurricane is an eerie, slightly sunny, calm period where many people think the worst of the storm is over. STAY WHERE YOU ARE! The second half of the storm will be along shortly. Stay up to date about where the storm is and when it is expected to be over with a battery-operated radio.

It should also be noted that there is a chance that nothing happens at all. I’ve seen storms look like they’re going to barrel straight into North Carolina and disappear overnight as if they never existed. The storm could turn at any moment and go straight out to sea. But, you should always be prepared for the worst. Katrina was the worst hurricane we’ve had in a very, very long time and the catastrophe was heightened by the people’s refusal to listen. They thought the storm would turn, they thought it would die down, it would all be okay. And it wasn’t.

Please keep yourselves (and your pets) safe and be sure to check on your neighbors, friends, and relatives. By law, all pets are allowed to accompany you into emergency shelters. Don’t let people tell you otherwise. Make a plan now so that if the time comes to evacuate, you already know what to do. Phone lines will be flooded with people asking questions. Save yourself the trouble and figure out where to go now. Also, did you know that failure to comply with a mandatory evacuation is a misdemeanor? It is actually punishable with jail time up to 90 days!

Be careful, be safe. Keep your pets and loved ones near you. And remember to stay inside and stay calm. We’ll all be alright.

See you on the other side!

-VA

Holy Crap! I think I just won something!

Update: I did, indeed, win the Star Clutch in Blue.  Never would I think to purchase a blue clutch, but I think it just might be the great pop of color with an otherwise neutral outfit!  What do you think?

Irene

New Yorkers' reaction to an impending hurricane

A North Carolinian's reaction:

Seriously, y'all. Calm down. It will all be okay.

Get in my closet!

Let's fast-forward 10 years...

This is my kitchen: 

I love my kitchen.

Where is this and who will take me there???

Oddly, anytime I take a bath, I prefer the shower to be running.. I would stay in this all day until my skin turned to raisins.

The hardest period in life is one’s 20s. It’s a shame because you’re your most gorgeous and you’re physically in peak condition. but it’s actually when you’re most insecure and full of self-doubt. When you don’t know what’s going to happen, it’s frightening.


- Helen Mirren in Esquire

Do you ever feel like this?

Stuff my boyfriend says..

"I'm bad a communication sometimes."

Ya think?

Shoe Forecasting??

During the fall and winter of last year, I spent the majority of the season searching for the perfect boot.  The one I had in my head that would complement my winter outfits perfectly.

It was a tall boot, just below the knee (not one of those over the knee boots, blech!) with a rounded toe, a stacked, less than 3-inch heel, that laced completely up the front.  Certainly that couldn't be hard to find! Well, since they are currently NOT in my closet right now, the search was a complete bust. 

So, it was a complete shock to me when the Ugg Australia Fall Preview catalog popped out of my mailbox one afternoon and displayed my perfect boot!  As if I designed it myself, there it was!

Since then, my tall, lace-up boots have been popping up everywhere. Just this morning, two graced my inbox!


I'm not saying that I'm amazing or anything, but it does strike me as odd.  I search and search for the perfect boot for the 2010 season and it suddenly pops up for 2011.  Does this mean I should go into fashion forecasting? 
 
(Note: I do not have a photo of the Ugg boots. They are not yet listed on the e-commerce site)

I remember spending one summer frantically searching for pants that fitted snug at the top but had really wide legs that appeard skirt-like.  After that season, goucho pants suddenly appeared everywhere!  And, when planning a wedding, I chose navy blue as my main color. A very difficult color to find at the time in the wedding industry, I searched high and low for navy ribbons, navy dresses, navy invitations.  The next season, David's Bridal released a new dress color.. "Marine" a deep blue.   And, hello? My full-lace dress was chosen long before Kate Middleton made lace popular again!

Coincidence? Or am I due for a career change??? ;)

Goodbye, Wendell

Ah, my dear Wendell ring has been lost.  After a fabulous weekend in the Hampton with great friends, my beloved ring got left behind. It's my own fault, I know that, but it doesn't take away the loss I feel. It sounds silly, to be so emotionally attached to a piece of metal that in the grand scheme of things, is extremely trivial. But, I loved that ring and it meant a lot to me.

The silly thing is that I took it off to swim in the pool on Sunday. I never really take it off (ever!) but I was so concerned about the chemicals affecting the metals that I took it off my hand and laid it on the table. But, it was several hours (and a car ride home) before I realized it was missing. Too late to turn around, too late to go back, too late.

I bought the ring for myself during one of the lowest points in my life. I purchased it as a daily reminder to focus more on the day-to-day rather than what will be in the future. "The journey is the reward" actually etched into the metal was my reminder. 

I'm not one that owns a lot of jewelry.  Nice pieces I have were passed down from loved ones.  I don't usually purchase a lot on my own except for costume pieces.  It was something I found and purchased for no other reason except for me.  It was the perfect piece for daily wear. Dainty, yet unique. Small enough to go unnoticed when paired with bolder pieces, but just enough to be worn alone.  In fact, you can hardly see it in the photo to the left.  The simple gold band picked up touches of gold in any outfit and the silver complemented the watch I always wear.  I am very sad to no longer have it in my jewelry collection. 

Being a firm believer in fate and the universal meaning of events, I am wanting to believe that my complete carelessness means that I am to move on from the 'focus on today' mindset to be strong enough to focus my eyes toward the future.  For the first time since picking up the few things I owned and moved to New York City, I am in a place where I feel stable.  I have an amazing boyfriend, a great group of friends, a job with steady pay and benefits, an apartment of my own, and a kitten that likes to tear it to pieces.  I am my own person, I make my own rules.  And living in the moment was exactly what I needed to do. 

Now, maybe things need to change.  I think I might actually need to adopt a 5-year-plan.  I might have to start putting some money away for the future. Maybe it is time for me to stop focusing on the journey and start thinking about where I am going.  Maybe it is time.

I really wish I could say I was done with bedbugs...

actual bedbug bites (on me)

..because living like this is awful

AccuWeather Forecast - Nationwide

No need to look up the weather, this handy map has done all of the work for you!

Photo by @Sundry

Challenge

For the next 4-6 weeks (I don't know exactly how long it is), my sister is studying animals in South Africa.  I challenge you to send her something in the mail.  Got a "Baby's First Communion" card? An inappropriate postcard? Want to write a haiku? Draw a picture? SEND IT TO:

Laura Zint

P.O Box 548, Sonpark, Nelspruit, 1206
Mpumalanga, RSA

Note: Postage to South Africa is 98 cents

Penny Vs. Paper

Birthday time!

I'm not one to really get overly excited about birthdays. My birthday usually comes and goes, maybe accentuated with a nice meal.  But, for Craig, I like to do something a little bit special. Birthdays can't go without dessert and presents!  So, I took Craig out to Dylan Prime in Tribeca for a special birthday dinner.

The food? TO DIE FOR. Seriously, I would put Cabernet Sauvignon Butter on everything and it would be perfectly okay.

"Pork Belly Tater Tots"

Don't be fooled, there was absolutely no "tater" in these tater tots. It was basically deep fried bacon. And it was delicious.

Craig's meal - The Carpetbagger. A steak stuffed with oysters. Sounds really gross but it was absolutely delicious.

My filet mignon with the Cabernet Sauvignon Butter, the best mac & cheese ever made, and green beans.

The dessert menu wasn't anything you couldn't get anywhere else, so I left it up to the birthday boy to decide what he wanted to make a birthday wish over. And what did he pick? Crepes!

So we trekked across to the East Side to the teeny-tiny Creperie and had a delicious crepe stuffed with chocolate, brownies, ice cream, and whipped cream.

Craig, I hope you had a great birthday. Here's to many many more!

Someone has a birthday tomorrow...

I'll be on a cruise ship in two weeks

Know what that means??  Breaking in my formal shoes at the office.

Craig and I at the gym

Yes, you are seeing Craig wearing Vibram Five Finger shoes. Jury is still out on this one.

"A SQUIIIRREEELLL"

This annoys me..

I have seen this picture all over the internet:

People are sqeeee-ing all over themselves about the similarities between the two, but it has been photoshopped!

First, Cinderella was BLONDE!

And the ugly stepsisters? Come on now.. Don't you remember those horrible dresses?

Now, now, people. Such lies.

"Maybe we are the way we are because of the people we're with. Or maybe, we just pick the people we need. However it works, when you find each other, you never let go."

-Modern Family

The Death of Bin Laden

"Bin Laden is dead."

I can't even tell you how many times I heard that sentence as those words were spoken over and over and over again during the CNN broadcast before Obama's speech.  Yet, it was not those words, or Obama's speech that shocked me last night.

It was this:


Look at the people, all of them, celebrating.  Screaming, jumping, climbing on signs, stopping traffic, well into the night.  It continued this morning.  It sickened me.  Why? Because it so much resembled the footage we all saw after 9/11:



Paliestinians jumping, screaming, stopping traffic - to celebrate lives being lost in America. 

Why? Why are we behaving as they do? Why are we putting ourselves on their level? 
Osama was captured and killed.  Some may breathe a sigh of relief, others may feel that justice is served. I personally believe that his killing was just. But there is no need for callous celebration for death.

I am proud to be an American. But, I don't believe in celebrating this.

I couldn't stand the pre-wedding coverage...

But I actually enjoy reading everything about the wedding this morning and I loved seeing little things like this. I'll watch what I recorded tonight over dinner. Weddings make me feel love. I feel love today.

My Life

Gym, Work, Gym
Gym, Work, Gym
Gym, Work, Gym
Gym, Work, Gym
Gym, Work, Gym


I'll get back to regular blogging when I can lift my arms up to the keyboard....

I need this:

Excuse me, where can I find this mirror?  Thanks.

Another Look-Alike?

I saw this series of photos today posted on someone's blog as I was scrolling through - I paused, startled, because it looked like Craig! (especially the photo on the top right)

Then, I realized, it was Ryan Gossling.... and got turned on.



(Bad angle, but with that scruffy face, he can totally pull off the "Ryan" lookalike)

Give a little...

Unless you have literally been sleeping for a whole week, you know that Japan is suffering after a major earthquake, destructive tsunami, and now a near nuclear meltdown.  The citizens of Japan need as much help as they can get and I urge you to do what you can to help.  If you need some coercing, there are a couple of places that are a win-win donation.

LivingSocial offers a $5.00 donation that is matched 100%

Gap, Inc. (which includes Banana Republic, Old Navy, and Piperlime) is also offering matching donations to anyone who gives through their GlobalGiving campaign. 

But the best one I've seen is Forever21.  They're donationg 100% of the proceeds for online purchases (TODAY ONLY) to the disaster relief.  So go get yourself some new clothes for a good cause!  I'd been scoping out a cute jumpsuit at H&M for a few weeks now, (going to visit when I'm nearby, you know, things that sane people do) and I decided my money would be better suited to go to this cause. 

Please donate if you can, it's money not gone to waste.

Cat Brain

Penny's "Total drive to be where they are forbidden to go." sector is double that size.

Stuff my boyfriend says..

"Geez, your boobs look huge! New bra? Or is it because your waist is getting smaller?"

Takin' it as a compliment!

Weekend in Review: 2/25 - 2/27

Michael and Kim got married!

Craig and I left the city before the sun came up on a Friday morning and drove down to Lynchburg, VA to witness my dear, dear friends Michael and Kim tie the knot!

There's not much I can say to fully capture the magic of the weekend, the sun shone brightly and seemed to follow the bride wherever she went.  

Being a bridesmaid can usually end up being more work than anything else, but Kim was cool, calm, and collected and required no work from her bridesmaids.  I was truly honored to be one of the women standing with her on her and Michael's very special day.  

I even think that Craig had a great time even though people below the Mason-Dixon Line drive "way too slow"!

Here's to love!

*All photos by Leah Rhianne

Weekend in Review: 2/19 - 2/20

Two weekends ago (I know, I know.. I've been terrible about updating this thing!) Craig's young cousin came into the city for some fun!  Themed restaurants, Times Square ferris wheels, and painting pottery at Make! on the Upper West Side.

Hey, Craig and I aren't that bad in the painting department, huh?  Sometimes it's just more fun to be a kid!