I'm baaack. Again.

I have been absent. From writing, working out, and although I have been eating relatively healthily, it hasn't been anything worth writing about. If it ever is.

one of the Story People by Brian Andreas

Time to play catch up, since the last time I wrote I was totally overwhelmed with my new job. I am less overwhelmed now, at least most of the time. And often, I even feel like I have a clue!  I have to tell you, though - it was a rocky start. I am used to being the smart girl who catches on quickly, but there was a steep learning curve here. Emmy and Tony were home during the week the store opened, and Erin came home the next week to do wedding stuff (flowers, invitations, reception details - lots of meetings), and I was still trying to figure out how to be efficient at work. (It included Erin helping in the back room for a few days!) And then to make it all more exciting, I somehow got a UTI - something I have not had since college. Oh well - antibiotics and gummi probiotics...

Tomorrow starts half-marathon training in earnest, instead of just messing around and being casual and running (walking) when I feel like it. Week one is two three-milers and one four-miler, plus a day of cross-training. Since I don't work till 11:00, I have no excuse not to work out in the morning. So it's Monday and Wednesday for a run, Friday for a cross-train (bike) and Saturday or Sunday for the long run. If I can choose, I'm going for the better weather day!

Today's meals were pretty yummy. Breakfast was yogurt with granola and almonds (you'll have to use your powers of imagination since I didn't take a photo.) Lunch was 1/2 cup cottage cheese, a packet of tuna, a few tablespoons of  Greek yogurt, and some capers all mixed up and spread on two pieces of toast. And it was filling - always a plus. I was going to chop up the tomatoes and cucumbers and mix them in with the tuna and cottage cheese on Emmy's recommendation, but they were so pretty and I just felt like eating them plain.

Check out Pete eying the tuna!

I tried a new recipe for dinner: salmon with capers, chives, and sweet chili sauce. SO GOOD! And I don't love salmon! The flavoring was strong enough to cover up any fishy flavor of the salmon,  and since it was baked, the house didn't even get stinky. I have learned to buy wild salmon, and I particularly like sockeye. It seems to be the mildest and the least cat-food-tasting to me.

Roasted peppers were the perfect side

Last week was our annual golf trip to Pinehurst, and it was a perfect time to leave the Midwest. We left early in the morning on Tuesday, and that day there was a huge hail storm in Omaha, which left us wondering what our car looked like at the airport (just fine.) But since were were in North Carolina with our good friends, lots and lots of wine, laughter, and golf, I didn't worry about the state of my car for too long.

View from our deck

Our condo

At Pine Needles

Check out one of the many bunker complexes at Tobacco Road - one of my favorite courses ever

The next few weeks will be exciting expensive here. We are having our house re-sided and having new windows put in, except for those we have already replaced. Our next-door-neighbor said "I can't believe you're doing all that the same year that you're buying a wedding!" Go big or go home.

 Time to go relax with my husband. Even though we had some time off together, there were always other people around. I love quiet time with him.