Music & Medicine

Perspective

2012-01-28T14:56:00.002-06:00

I have a new perspective on running distance. The past 3 half marathons that I've participated in have had absolutely awful weather. They have been super cold and wet. Here's the breakdown....

1. The Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon had a freakishly cold thunderstorm blow through (complete with a torrential downpour or rain, lightening, and hail!) on May 1, 2011.

2. The Route 66 Marathon in Tulsa, OK on Nov. 20 was freezing cold and misty. The cold winds were brutal!

3. The Dallas White Rock Marathon on Dec. 4 was freezing cold with heavy rain the entire 13.1 miles.

These aren't my favorite running conditions by any means. There is one group of people that I believe have it much worse than us runners. Can you guess who? My vote is the spectators, entertainers, and people who are there just to cheer us on and support us. Can you imagine standing in those cold nasty conditions for several hours? Well, I sure know I wouldn't be out there if I wasn't running. I'm so grateful for each and every person that has been there to support me and all the other runners during these races.

Now, because of the weather we haven't had quite the support that there usually is when the weather is good. You don't really realize just how important the spectators are until they're not there for you. I remember saying that making it through 13.1 miles without much of a crowd was one of the most difficult things ever.

As my mileage has increased, so has my perspective. The past two weekends I have run at least a half marathon. I did this without any crowds there to cheer me on. It was just me, the road, and some other runners. Now, look how far I can go all by myself! This sure puts a new spin on things. Love it!

Week 2 - OKCMM Spring Training

2012-01-20T18:10:00.002-06:00

Week 2 was AWESOME! I really enjoy these early morning runs because I can look up at the stars in the sky (I start running at 5:30-5:45am) and a little later I am able to see the sunrise over the lake. It's quite the sight!

Here's PROOF that I made it 16.1 MILES!!! My Garmin does't lie! : )

I'll also mention that after my run, I quickly went home to shower and was back at the lake by noon for a Classy Ladies Cupcake Ride. We dressed up (skirts, dresses, and all!) and rode from the lake over to a cupcake shop in the Classen Curve. Our total mileage was 12.56 MILES. I loved it so much that I'm doing it again tomorrow, except that we're having lunch at Whole Foods this time. Mmm.....

Week 1 - 2012 OKCMM Spring Training

2012-01-07T16:42:00.003-06:00

The Landrunner spring training for the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon officially began today. It started at 7am and the full marathoners were scheduled to run 6 miles. Since I have another run before the OKCMM, I met up with some of my friends at 6am to run additional miles. My totals were 4.5 and 6.32 making my morning run a grand total of 10.82. I didn't have any problems until I was about a mile out. My right arch felt as though it was collapsing again and my left foot felt like somebody was standing not it. I stopped and tried stretching it all out for a few minutes. It didn't completely solve the problem, but it did make it feel a little better.

Over 300 runners/walkers of all paces/levels showed up for the training run this morning. My friend, Amy, attended. She went to Tulsa with me for the "Race Into The New Year" 5k. That was her second 5k to ever run. This morning she ran the entire 6 miles! You have to remember that the 6 miles was for the full marathoners, so she's doing super. I told her that now she must run the OKC half marathon. I know she can do it!

I also met up with Aunt Amy this morning. We both have our eyes on the prize and are training for the OKC full marathon. I ran with her for a bit today and she's doing awesome. She's a true athlete!

After the run, the Landrunners met at Starbucks for our usual post-run treat. We must have taken 50 group pictures. It was so fun! I'm really looking forward to running with the group again next week.

300+ runners!

Me with my Aunt Amy

Me with my friend, Amy G.

Me with some of my fellow Zebras

Holiday Schedule

2012-01-03T09:33:00.000-06:00

To say David's holiday schedule was really tough would be an understatement. He left our home every day by 4:30 am for five days. The poor guy would grab a protein bar on his way out the door and not eat until he'd arrive home in the evenings, which was about 7 pm. I should probably mention that he's been working in the ICU. ICU!!! I sure wouldn't want a doctor working on me if they were starving, dehydrated, and sleep deprived. The next morning I made sure he had little snack bags of non-perishable items to place in his coat pocket. I know a homemade trail mix isn't the healthiest and most filling thing out there, but it does the job.
Last night David arrived home and I asked him what he'd like me to heat up for dinner. We had leftover ham and chicken so it would have been an easy fix. He then tells me that he's to tired to eat and wants to go straight to bed. Blerg.
On a happy note, he was able to sleep in until 5:30 this morning. Woot woot! I'm positive he'll work over 80 hours this week, so hopefully there will be a week in the month somewhere that he doesn't work quite that many hours.
Now, it's been a rough 5 days, but at least he had off 5 days for Christmas. Yes, it was gloriously wonderful to feel like I had a husband for a whole 5 days! Now it's back to being a Resident Widow. Time for a run!

Half Fanatic

2011-12-07T18:15:00.003-06:00

I am OFFICIALLY in the HALF FANATICS AsyLum!!!!

Half Fanatic #1654.

I completed TWO Half-Marathons (13.1 miles) in 15 days. Yippee!

I'm Alive!

2011-12-05T21:31:00.001-06:00

I'm alive, I promise! I knew it had been a while since I last blogged, but I can't believe it was OCTOBER. Really? Oh, well. Life has been really busy.

I think about blogging often, but I feel like there's just so much to post. So, I end up thinking that I'll save it and post on the weekend, but that never happens. I'll try my best to catch y'all up on everything.

October:
David was the House Officer during October. He worked from 6:30 pm to about 7:30 am every night. To say it was awful would be an understatement. We didn't handle that month well and I think he's still recovering.

The only race event I participated in during October was the 5k to Monet in Edmond. It was a pretty decent run. My first mile I clocked at 9:20 which is pretty good for me.

November:
I took my honor chorus on a field trip to the HS on Nov. 9. We rehearsed with the other schools on our side of the district for our area festival. The festival was on Thursday, Nov. 10 and was a hit. Seriously amazing! I teach the best students. They really are amazing!
The next day was Veteran's Day and we had our big Veteran's Day assembly at school. Everything for that went smoothly. All of my 4th and 5th graders performed and they did a great job. We had a repeat performance of the musical selections from the Veteran's Day assembly on Thursday, Nov. 17. It was nice performance and I think our Vet's felt appreciated.

On Nov. 19, I headed to Tulsa with my friends, Lisa and Barbara. We took a road trip together to run a half marathon. When we arrived to Tulsa, we headed straight to the expo. It was a pretty good expo and I made some incredible purchases. We eventually finished our shopping and then went back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. All the OKC Landrunners met up for dinner at Olive Garden in Utica Square. That was a lot of fun! After dinner, we returned to the hotel and went to bed.
The next morning we woke up early for our half marathon. It was cold, windy, and it was drizzling. These are NOT the conditions I like to have when running. We survived though and all finished. It was such a fun experience and I can't wait to do it again next year.

November was pretty cool for me this year at school. Somebody nominated me for Teacher of the Year. I made it past several rounds of voting and was in the top and final 3. Can you believe it? Now, Teacher of the Year is a pretty big deal and comes with a lot of responsibility that I don't really want, but what an honor to make it that far after having only completed ONE full year of elementary school. That was such a positive validation for me. I feel like I AM doing what I should be doing and I AM doing a great job at it. The other candidate and new Teacher of the Year have taught more than half my lifetime. I am honored to have my name even placed by theirs. Congrats to our newest Teacher of the Year! She will do a wonderful job representing LP.

I participated in the Edmond Turkey Trot 5k on Thanksgiving. Some of my fellow Landrunners were there so we joined together and had a wonderful time. Love them to pieces!

David lucked out this year and was off for Thanksgiving. We went to his parents house and had a nice meal. I took rolls, 2 sweet potato pies, a pecan pie, banana bread, and banana pudding. It was all a hit, as usual. = )

December:
December has just begun and so far it's going great. I hosted the Christmas Party for my Side By Side Bible Study. It was wonderful! I served a dinner of vegetable soup and rolls. For dessert, I had a hot chocolate bar with tons of goodies. After we ate, we had a gift exchange to the story of "'Twas The Night Before Christmas"Everybody had a great time.
I took a personal day on Friday, Dec. 2 so I could have a weekend trip in Dallas. I bet you'll never guess why I went there. Hehee.... Yep, to RUN!
My friends, Lisa and Ann, picked me up on Friday morning and we headed to the big D.... and I do mean DALLAS. We stopped for lunch at an Applebee's in Denton for our first round of "laughing so hard that you almost pee your pants" moments and lots of silly photos. After lunch, we continued on our journey. We drove straight to the expo where we ended up spending almost 5 HOURS. I loved every moment of it!!! I bought so much running stuff that it's almost ridiculous. How is it possible that I can love a sport this much? Really? My, how I've changed.
After the expo we went and checked into our hotel.... the OMNI. It was magnificent! Seriously, it was! Shortly after we arrived to our room, Ann's friend, Jen, arrived. She is AWESOME! Jen mentioned that we may actually be twins separated at birth. Hahahaaaaa..... Anyway, we were all starving so we walked over to a local cowboy bar and had dinner. It was crazy fun! And yes, there were many more of the "laughing so hard that you almost pee your pants" moments and silly photos. They're on Facebook. lol!
After dinner I retired for the evening and went to bed (11 pm) because I had only received about 8 hours of sleep TOTAL for the past 2 nights combined. I was so sleep deprived. They all stayed down at the hotel bar until midnight.
We all woke up at about 10 am and got ready for the day. Our mission for the day was to SHOP. We drove to Northpark Center and had brunch at Corner Bakery before splitting up to shop for several hours. This mall had everything. It was the best mall ever. Really, it was. There were so many Christmas performances going on in each area of the mall that you could't be a grinch even if you wanted too. It was glorious! We all shopped, and shopped, and shopped.
The Landrunners had reservations at Maggiano's so that's where we met everyone with shopping bags in hand. Maggiano's was delicious as usual. I sure miss that place.
Lisa and I split up from the other girls because we had a couple of different places we wanted to go after dinner. We went to Nordstrom Rack and they went to another sporting goods store in search of Smart Wool socks. I scored some great things at the Rack and can't wait to return to shop there some more in a few months.
After our shopping adventures we went back to the hotel and got all of our race stuff out and ready for the next morning. We went to bed later than we should have, but we managed to get some sleep. The alarm went off at 4:45 am on Sunday, Dec. 4.

You'll have to stay tuned for the half marathon story..... it's currently my bed time. = ) More to come soon!

Home Alone

2011-10-25T21:02:00.000-05:00

I'm over October and ready for November. October really is my favorite month and I love everything that comes with it..... until 2011. David has been the house officer all month. This means that he is THE doctor in charge during the night. He goes to work at 6:30 pm and doesn't get home until almost 8 am. I don't see him much these days and I'm about to go crazy because of it. It's difficult to make decisions and be productive when he's not around. By productive, I mean that I'm unable to hang mirrors, install curtain tie-backs, decide on a dining room table and other needed furniture, etc.
We haven't had a date night in ages and haven't engaged in any real conversation. Even tonight I was only able to see him for a few minutes due to a faculty meeting I had after school today. I just have to remind myself that November is around the corner and things will be a little more back to normal.... normal being days.
On a super positive note, I registered for a couple more races. I'll be participating in a 5K this weekend, a 12K, 3 half marathons, and a full marathon. Thank goodness for running!

Clown-inspired

2011-10-23T22:53:00.000-05:00

Here are a few photos of my most recent cookie job. They were clown-inspired for a sweet little girl's 5th birthday party. Her mother made the adorable cupcakes.

Living Room Update

2011-10-23T22:05:00.000-05:00

I finally decided on a rug this weekend. I'm still in need of a coffee table, leather chair, a vintage/antique chair, new curtains, and maybe some more paint to complete this room. It's going to take some time to find the perfect pieces.

Change of Plans

2011-10-11T21:43:00.000-05:00

So, it's been a long time since I've posted anything. Sorry about that. Life has been very busy!

Anyways, I'm sure you're wondering about the whole "change of plans" post. Well, Dallas White Rock will NOT be my third half marathon. It'll be my fourth.
= ) That's right!!! I just registered for the Tulsa Route 66 half marathon on Nov. 20 so that will be my third half marathon. I'll be taking a little road trip with my running buddy, Lisa.

I also registered for my 5th half marathon. It will be in Little Rock, Arkansas on March 4. So I'll have FIVE half marathons under my belt before running the OKC Memorial Marathon. My training has been going alright. I suffered from a cold for a little over a week and missed one weekend long run. I've been back out there since, but I really need to start kicking it into high gear now. I'm absolutely thrilled to be running so much and participating in all these races. It is so fun and an amazing journey.

Half Marathon #3

2011-09-20T22:05:00.000-05:00

I registered to run my third half-marathon. This one will be a girls road trip with my friends Ann and Lisa. I'm so excited to run another 13.1 and do some serious shopping in Dallas. We're going to have a blast!

I encourage you to register for the Dallas White Rock Marathon.

This half-marathon will help me focus to reach the 13.1 necessary base to begin my full marathon training. Yes, I'm registered for the OKC Memorial Marathon on April 29, 2012. I'll be running 26.2 miles!

VOTE

2011-09-20T21:46:00.002-05:00

Please VOTE for my BEACH COOKIES over at Sweetopia.net. They're featured in Sweetopia's Sweet of the Week Contest.

It would be pretty amazing to win since this is only a hobby for me. My cookies are competing against creations by people who are actually in the baking business for a living. : ) Happy Voting! Thanks so much!

Kitchen Update

2011-09-18T21:03:00.002-05:00

Jenn= 0; Ceiling fan= 1
Note to self: turn OFF the fan before getting on a ladder/stool to paint.

The orangish drab color is gone! Take a look...

This deep plum will look great behind my milk glassware.

It's a HAPPY gray!

I'm not calling the kitchen complete yet, because it's not. I'll touch up a couple of areas with paint and our new SS Professional Range will be delivered at the end of the month. We're planning on purchasing a matching SS dishwasher soon too. We just haven't officially decided on one yet. For some reason, dishwashers don't have very good reviews so we're going to have to conduct more research.

I'd like to eventually distress the cabinets and replace the light fixtures. That'll all have to happen AFTER we move in. I still need to pack up our apartment and put everything in boxes so it's ready for the movers. Thankfully this will be the last move we'll make for a very long time.

Kitchen: In Progress

2011-09-11T21:54:00.000-05:00

I'm (yep, just me so far!) painting the kitchen in attempt to brighten it up a bit.

Before

In progress.... the primer has been applied.

I'm also painting the breakfast nook. The previous color was fine and all, but I really want to make this space feel more open, fun and cheery.

Stay tuned for updates!

Refinished Floors

2011-09-11T21:44:00.000-05:00

Our decision to have the hardwood floors refinished

was well worth the investment. They are gorgeous!

Before

After

Christmas In September

2011-09-05T11:42:00.001-05:00

Here's what we've purchased this weekend:

Front-loading Washer
Front-loading Dryer
Elliptical and mat
Weight Rack and mat
Decorative Iron Fence to keep Ethan (our Yorkie) safely in the backyard
40" Stainless Steel Electric Range

The flooring company we hired started on our floors Saturday, Sept. 3. They look and smell like new! I picked out the stain already. It was a tough job. Oh, my! The job should be completed this week.
After the floors are done, I'm hoping to hire a painting company to do a custom paint job for us. It'll be awesome if we can afford it. Everything is adding up so quickly. It's exhausting, but fun and very nice to feel like a real adult again opposed to a college kid.

We still need to purchase a microwave, coffee table & end tables, kitchen table & chairs, and a grill. After all that, I think we'll go on a spending fast for a while.

It's OURS!

2011-08-31T19:25:00.000-05:00

Home, Sweet Home!

We sold our first home and most of our belongings in May 2007 and have been living like poor college students ever since. The dream of owning a home again seemed to be exactly that... a dream.

It turns out that dreams do come true.

We purchased our first home TOGETHER today. The closing was at 4 pm. Everything went fabulous and we couldn't be more excited. Thank you for your prayers along the journey.

We won't be moving in for a few weeks because we're having the original hardwood floors refinished. The company we hired will start on the floors on Tuesday, Sept. 6. After that, I'm hoping to hire a professional painting company to artistically paint the kitchen and the 2nd bedroom. I look forward to seeing the finished product. I'll be sure to post more photos soon.

Apartment Living

2011-08-27T21:30:00.001-05:00

"Luxury" Apartments are overrated.

10:30 am:
GOOD: A vocal major that practices. BAD: The vocalist is your upstairs neighbor who practices while you're trying to sleep.
If David weren't sleeping after working a 24+ hour shift, I'll pull out all my instruments and declare an obnoxious musical war. There's a reason I DO NOT practice while living in an apartment. Praying we close on our house on Wednesday at 4 and can get out of this awful place! (more firetrucks here this morning)

8:45 pm:
Our neighbor just came to our door to inform us that she's a vocalist and will be practicing late tonight because she has auditions tomorrow. My reply: Aren't there practice rooms at OCU? She replies, "It's OKCU and the practice rooms are really dead." seriously..... I feel like I'm living in a college dormitory.

A Teacher's Life

2011-08-20T19:55:00.002-05:00

Almost 10 hours later, I've finally completed 2 lessons (1 weeks worth) for the 3-day rotations for grades K-5. That's 12 individualized and very thorough lesson plans. I also completed 5 loads of laundry, unloaded and loaded the dishwasher, cleaned up the bathrooms, went to Office Depot and Target to spend some POs and have had 1 LARGE cup of iced coffee, 1 glass of water, and some cottage cheese. I'm exhausted, dehydrated, and hungry. My poor husband and dog want me to watch TV/Movies and play. I want to cry. I need 4 more of me AND a housekeeper.

I did NOT get up for Week 4 Training with the OKC Landrunners. I'm suffering from exhaustion and sore/tired feet. Hopefully I'll make it out for a run tomorrow.

Midnight Streak 5K

2011-08-15T07:16:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, Aug. 13 I participated in the Midnight Streak 5K. I had already been up since 4am and ran 5.4 miles for the training run, shopped at a fabulous estate sale, attended the RPSA (Resident Physician Spouse Alliance) Brunch, and hung out with Dave. By the time 8pm rolled around, I was already tired. My normal bedtime for the summer has been between 8:30-9:30, so staying up so late wasn't easy.

I was dressed and had just put my bib number on when I took a sip of iced coffee. The little seal was twisted up in the lid and I ended up wearing my coffee. I quickly changed and went for my bright, happy "Run" shirt. Anyways, I left home just a few minutes before 10pm. I met up with my friends for some before race photos. We're not responsible for our actions past our bedtime as seen in the photos. Ha!

Me, Cathy, & Jenny

Me with my OKC Landrunner buddies

Me, Holly, Jenny, & Cathy

Ann, Lisa, & Me

After the race, I went to IHOP with Ann, Lisa & her husband, and Evelyn. It was a great time! I hadn't laughed so hard in quite awhile. I'm pretty sure all of our abs were sore the next day due to all the laughter. Too fun!

Here's my entry from DailyMile:

I could come up with excuses, but the "excuses" are more impressive than anything. My day started at 4am with a 5.4 mile run/walk (trying not to overdo it) combo. The day was packed with events and NO time to rest. My bedtime is normally between 8:30-9:30, so it's impressive that I stayed up for the Midnight Streak 5K RACE that started at 11pm. It was late at NIGHT, in the HEAT and had to run up a monster HILL towards the end! It's impressive I finished. Whew! Afterwards, I went to IHOP with some running buddies and didn't get home until 2am and didn't go to bed until 3am. I slept in until 10am the next morning.

Fall Training - Week 3

2011-08-15T06:56:00.000-05:00

The training schedule listed 10 miles for full marathoners and 5 for half marathoners. I did a run/walk combo with my friend, Laura, who recently had her boot removed. She hadn't run since the full marathon on May 1 due to 2 fractures. Laura was a little nervous about her time back out there, but she did awesome. No pain! I'm so proud of her for her determination.

We conquered 5.4 miles together.

Here is a photo of me with my Landrunner buddies. Love them!

Go, Landrunners!

Sewing

2011-08-14T19:40:00.003-05:00

Remember the sewing machine David gifted me for Christmas 2010? Here's a photo of my proud moment.....

Sadly, we don't have a table and there's always too much going on in our kitchen to use the counter space, so it stayed safely boxed up for a few months. By a few months, I mean 8 months. It was 8 months of me wanting to sew so badly, but not having anywhere to set up this wonderful machine.
I was recently blessed with a sewing machine table from my Grandma. The very woman who's taught me so much about being domestic loves to contribute to my Domestic Diva hobbies as much as possible. The sewing machine table actually has a sewing machine built in, but I haven't had a chance to try it out because I was too anxious to try out mine.
This past week I learned how to thread the bobbin and thread the needle. I took some older pillow cases and repurposed them for a cheap project. I made a giant music staff to hang on my bulletin board at school. I'm going to see if there's a simple way I can make it interactive for classroom use. Photos of that will be posted at another time.... hopefully. Here's a photo of the giant music staff...

My sweet friend, Natalie, let me borrow her pattern for cupcake potholders. It is my first project with a pattern. I did as much as I could today, but can't complete the next step until I buy and install the appropriated sized needle. Here's a couple of photos of my first sewing project.....

I think this turning out to be pretty cute for my first project. My friend, Natalie, was impressed with my straight quilting lines that act as the cupcake liner.
I obviously have a LOT to learn, but I'm having a good time.

Obedient Pup

2011-08-10T14:02:00.004-05:00

LOVE my dog, Ethan! He's so smart!

Long Hours

2011-08-10T06:22:00.000-05:00

My DH left for the hospital a few minutes ago. He is starting a little later today since he has short call this evening. That's right, he left home at 6am and won't return until sometime after 8. I'll be meeting up with a colleague for dinner tonight at 8:15. This means I probably won't actually see my DH until tomorrow morning since I'll be getting home after he's already in bed asleep.
He worked a shorter shift on Sunday because it was the weekend. Somehow, they aren't usually too busy on the weekends and they can knock out the work pretty quickly. Even with that short day on Sunday he still ended up with over 30 hours at the end of work on Tuesday.
I'm still not really used to his long hours yet. I've been able to keep up with the laundry, housecleaning, dishes, shopping, errands, etc. because I've been on summer break. I think his long hours will really hit me when I go back to work and have a rough time fitting in all of our household chores. It'll make my days seem shorter and his even longer. How many more days of this? I'm just going to have to take it one day at a time.

Fall Training - Week 2

2011-08-07T08:36:00.003-05:00

The week 2 training run schedule was 8 miles for full marathoners and 4 for half marathoners. You guessed it... I "ran" 4. I couldn't find my awesome Injinji socks as I was getting dressed the morning of my run, so I just wore another pair of running socks. Bad Idea. I could feel blisters forming on the bottoms of my toes as I was about 1 mile from finishing. The pain became more intense and I ended up walking in the last 1/2 mile. I drained those bad boys (blisters) when I got home and they seem to be doing better so far. I'm having a couple of other foot problems, but I won't talk about them in this post. I'll save it for next time. It's gross.

I LOVE the OKC Landrunners! I've made some wonderful friends through this group. They are truly inspiring and always encouraging.

Ann, Lisa, & Me

Me and some of my running buddies enjoying

a post-run treat at the Nichols Hills Starbucks.

A close group of us running gals within the Landrunners had a farewell dinner at Nunu's for our dear friend, Maura. Her husband was transferred with his job so they're moving to Washington. She will be missed!
Do we look a little different without our running gear and 5 gallons of sweat?

(L to R) Cathy, Maura, Dyani, Jenny, Me, Terra

Fall Training - Week 1

2011-08-07T08:16:00.004-05:00

The OKC Landrunners officially started the fall training group runs on July 30. Full marathoners ran a scheduled 6 mile run that day. The half marathoners ran 3. I'm working on the half marathon training schedule again so I only ran 3 miles for our first training run. Well, I say "ran" very loosely. I ran 2 and walked 1. The heat is too much for me. It makes me miserable! I need some cooler temps.

There are a couple of half marathons I'd like to do this fall, but it all depends on our crazy schedules and finances with the new house and all. My plan is to train for the half (13.1 miles) this fall and then bump it up for the full (26.2 miles) this spring. I sure hope my body and mind can handle it.

Me with my running buddies:

(L to R) Terra, Jenny's Mother, Jenny, Jenny's Sister, Me

Me with some of my Landrunner friends

at the Nichols Hills Starbucks

for a post-run treat.

Questions to Ponder

2011-07-31T18:24:00.003-05:00

What good is an instrumental musician
without their instrument?

What good is a baker without an oven?

What good is a cook without food
(because they have no fridge to store it in)?

What good is a dinner party host without a table?

What good is a deck without patio furniture?

What good is owning a home
if you don't have the basic essentials in it?

How good can the quality of life be
when you are a slave to debt?

Excuse me while I go eat another cookie....

Culinary Compositions

2011-07-29T15:53:00.001-05:00

After many comments, praise and encouragement, I've decided to create a Facebook page dedicated to things I make in the kitchen. Please "like" Culinary Compositions on Facebook. It's a place where I'll post photos and recipes. I hope to inspire others to spend more time in their kitchens at home creating tasty dishes from scratch instead of eating out all the time or eating something that came from a box. Always pursue happiness and health!

Advice

2011-07-28T09:59:00.000-05:00

Today I'm holding on tight to a piece of advice I heard from another Medical Spouse right before Residency started. She said, "Love the man, hate the Doctor." I just knew I'd have to remember that phrase sooner or later. Well, the time has come.
My DH informed me this morning that the vacation time he requested won't exactly work out as planned. Yes, I know the key word is "request", but it's usually not difficult for them to get that requested time off. We each have $250 in SW LUV vouchers we can use towards our next flight. Spring break was when we were planning on using them for another vacation. Well, it turns out that it's not going to work out that way. The DH is scheduled for Jeopardy during the back half of March. He's already tried swapping with the person who has Jeopardy during the front half, but apparently he has vacation plans for spring break too. At this point, our only option is to try to pay somebody to cover his jeopardy and then hopefully make the money back by taking somebody else's Jeopardy.
If you don't understand all of the "doctor" scheduling, it's alright. I don't get it much either. All I know is as of right now we won't be able to vacation together. So, I'm remembering "Love the man, hate the Doctor."

On a positive note, I made a wonderful breakfast for myself this morning. I mean, I always eat a wonderful breakfast, but lately it's been egg whites and some low-fat cheese. This morning I'm suffering from a horrible migraine and didn't feel like eating the usual.
I would post a photo of my breakfast, but I ate it before I could snap one. Oops. I enjoyed Fage Greek yogurt (lower in sugar and higher in protein than other yogurt) (1/2 a small container = 3.5 ounces of Fage) with 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder, 1 pump SF vanilla Torani, fresh blueberries, 1Tbsp. old fashioned oats, and a few almond slices. It was crazy good! You should definitely give it a try!

Food Review - Gigi's Cupcakes

2011-07-26T08:04:00.002-05:00

Pretty= yes. Taste= meh.....

This is their Orange Dreamsicle Cupcake. The actual cupcake was dry and bland, but the frosting was dreamsicley delicious.

A blog follower (and friend) commented on my recent food review of Cupcakes To Go Go. She was curious if I'd tried Gigi's Cupcakes. I have tried Gigi's here in OKC and wasn't impressed.
When the DH and I walked in we were greeted with a beautiful case of cupcakes. They really were quite gorgeous. We ordered the Orange Dreamsicle Cupcake to go. Once we got home we were excited to try our cupcake. As we both took a bite and chewed it, we looked at each other with disappointment. Our conclusions were that the buttercream icing was piled too high but pretty dreamsicley delicious. The cake part of the cupcake was dry, stale, and flavorless. The texture was all wrong. We discovered that we weren't the only cupcake connoisseurs that thought this.

Here's what a friend said on Facebook in response to the above photo and caption:
"I have to agree! Darling cupcakes but nothing special taste... Unless all you care about is frosting. And then, even still, it's quite expensive for just the joy of the frosting. Oh, well... Gotta try all the cupcake shops! : )"

Life is too short to get calories from things that aren't worth it. Over 1/2 of our cupcake went in the trash. We would have been happier with Pillsbury boxed cake mix and frosting.

Food Review - Matthew Kenney OKC

2011-07-24T07:38:00.002-05:00

This RAW restaurant was featured on LivingSocial several months ago. I purchased the deal. If I remember correctly, I only paid $25 for $50 worth of food. I took David to this restaurant one evening and we took a look at the menu before sitting. He noticed that they specialized in raw, dairy free, gluten-free, and vegan dishes. That was it for him. We left and ate somewhere else that evening.

I decided my Mother In-Law would be the perfect person to try this place out with me. She's okay not having meat and does very well with ethnic foods and trying new things. So, as soon as she returned to OKC from her summer adventure in Santa Fe, I had to meet her for lunch. We made a girly date and enjoyed trying out this restaurant.

Matthew Kenney OKC was much better than I expected. I'm very much an avocado girl, so I thoroughly enjoyed their 'chips and guac.' The guac was chunky and had an incredible flavor. It was served with cacoa-corn chips, which were surprisingly good. I would love to go back and order this again.

The green curry noodle dish was probably my second favorite item. It was so fresh and the flavor combinations were wonderful. I just wish I knew the nutrition information for the kelp noodles.

While still incredibly delicious, my least favorite dish was the fajita lettuce wrap. Going by the title and description, I assumed that it was served in a fresh leaf of lettuce so I was quite surprised to find that it was actually served in a wrap. It was probably my least favorite because it wasn't super unique and I could make something very similar in my own kitchen.

The pizza bianco was excellent! It was served on a giant cacao-chip. I'm not sure if the whipped marscapone was real or some sort of substitute because I was told everything was dairy-free and vegan. As I'm sure you know, marscapone is a cheese. Either way, I may be lactose-intolerant (can't do milk or ice cream), but I'm not a dairy-free gal. I LOVE cheese!

Matthew Kenney OKC isn't a place I'll go often, but I really enjoyed it from the food to the ambiance. It was wonderful and I definitely recommend giving them a try if you're in the OKC area. It's located in the hottest new place in OKC, the Classen Curve.

‘chips and guac’

fork crushed avocado, cacao-corn chips, pickled green chili, smoked salt, mole

green curry noodles

thai coconut, kelp noodles, peachcrest vegetables, basil, chili, almonds

fajita lettuce wrap

marinated vegetables, pico de gallo, avocado ‘beans’, sour cream, cilantro

pizza bianco

whipped marscapone, sweet peppers, young arugula, marinara, spicy olive oil

400th Post!

2011-07-23T18:16:00.001-05:00

This is my 400th post! I thought I'd celebrate by posting current photos of my fur-child because he's usually lying on my lap while I blog. Love him to pieces!

A BIG THANK YOU to all of my readers!

It has been my pleasure to have you along for the journey. I hope you'll continue to follow "Music & Medicine" because things are going to start getting a little more exciting around here. Enjoy!

Food Review - Cupcakes To Go Go

2011-07-23T18:08:00.004-05:00

I have a couple of friends that swear by Cupcakes To Go Go located in Edmond, Oklahoma. They say their cupcakes are the best in the state and that I should give them a try. I love and adore my friends, but I've come to the conclusion that we don't have the same tastes when it comes to cupcakes. Their #1 flavor recommendation was the Almond Resort. First of all, I'm not a fan of fake almond. I love real almonds, but the fake flavoring just doesn't do it for me. My friends didn't believe there was a fake almond taste at all, but simply explained it to be like the most incredible wedding cake ever made. So, I gave this place and their Almond Resort a try.
My conclusions are that these are not from scratch cupcakes. The texture was that of a boxed mix. It was piled pretty high with almond buttercream frosting. I'm also guessing the buttercream was made of shortening (Crisco) and not butter. My reason to believe that is due to the fact that it was 104 degrees out and I left 3/4 of 2 uneaten cupcakes in my car for about 1 1/2 hours and they didn't melt. Also, the buttercream frosting tasted like that fake almond extract of which I'm not a fan.
We all have different tastes and that's part of what makes the world so beautiful. Boxed cake mix topped with fake flavoring buttercream that's piled high isn't appealing to me in the least. If you're a fan of a consistent cake that's piled high with buttercream frosting, then this is your place. You'll love it! I'll stick to my favorite place which meets my snobbish occasional cupcake needs, Sara Sara Cupcakes.

SOLD!

2011-07-18T21:26:00.000-05:00

It's official! Our offer was accepted on a house today. We're set to close on August 31.

This is the first home that David and I are purchasing together. Our first home was purchased solo by him when he was 20 and only 4 days before we were engaged. We lived in that home until May 2007 when we sold it to move to St. Louis to pursue a dream. Apartments have been our home ever since.

We've moved so much in the past year that the idea of doing it again is absolutely exhausting. At least this time it will be the last time for quite a while. Seriously, we don't plan on moving again for at least 5 years.

Here's a lovely photo of our home...

It's a historic home (completely redone) in OKC that was originally built in 1920. It's 2 bed/2 bath in a highly sought after neighborhood. It still has the original hardwood floors, Frankoma fireplace, original glass doorknobs and so much more!
The kitchen currently has an antique stove/oven, but we're having them remove it prior to closing. The actual oven space was too small for what I do, so I'll be shopping for a new one soon. Yippee!
The garage has an air-conditioned room that's separate and we'll eventually use that as a home gym (Note to my DH: I would LOVE an elliptical for Christmas). The master bedroom has a private door that opens up to the patio where our hot tub is located. We'll use the 2nd room as our "media room" for 2-4 years until it's time to have a kid. lol!
This home was so well taken care of and we just love it! It's on a corner lot and about 3.1 miles to DH's work and 6 miles to mine. It's also super close to the bakers supply store I've been shopping at lately. I feel there are more cookie orders in my future. lol!
The backyard is absolutely gorgeous!
Please pray the inspection and everything else goes well.

O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A

2011-07-15T14:31:00.001-05:00

To all of my friends & family living somewhere
other than Oklahoma.

Howdy, from Oklahoma! You are missed!

Life's A Beach!

2011-07-15T14:25:00.002-05:00

I had a fabulous time decorating these cookies.

The theme was fantastic!

New Addition!

2011-07-13T16:49:00.002-05:00

My DH knows how much I used my mixer so he treated me to this BEAUTY!

I'm currently working on a dessert order and it was the perfect opportunity to try out my new mixer. One word = WOW! I LOVE it!
As you can see from the photos, it's the KitchenAid Professional 600. It has a 6-qt. bowl and a 575 watt motor. That's some power! I may need to take a few more cookie/dessert jobs to help pay for this, but that's currently in the works. Contact me if you're interested in placing an order.

RIP

2011-07-13T16:44:00.000-05:00

I had to say my farewells to a wonderful friend. My KitchenAid Artisan mixer bit the dust. I plugged it in and turned it on hoping to make some homemade whipped cream, but it was completely non-responsive. I did try other outlets and my DH started taking it apart, but it was no use. I'll get it to the repair shop one of these days to see how much it would be to get up and running again.

My guess that I worked it to death and burnt out the motor.

It was a super sad day.

Dec. 2004-June 2011

From The Kitchen

2011-07-07T08:46:00.005-05:00

Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

I made for David's Birthday (July 3)

Recipe by Martha Stewart

(mine look different because I used my cupcake corer and then filled them)

Patriotic Strawberries

for Independence Day 2011

Homemade Blueberry Pie

with 2 pounds of fresh blueberries I purchased at Sams.

Roasted Tomato

Clean and slice tomatoes. Lay them on a parchment lined pan. Drizzle with good quality EVOO and balsamic vinegar. Add some crushed garlic, basil, and thyme. Bake at 425 for 30 minutes. Peel if desired.

These were amazing!

Banana Cupcakes

with PB Frosting

Mmm..... I'll have to post the recipe for this one later.

Low-Carb Sushi

2011-07-07T08:14:00.002-05:00

I LOVE sushi, but it is by no means healthy for this non-carb eating girl. After discussing sushi over lunch with a friend the other day, I was REALLY craving it. So, this is what I had for dinner that evening.

It's zucchini, cream cheese, smoked salmon, and avocado.

You could make this by using cucumber, shrimp, crab, asparagus, etc.

Do yourself a favor and try it because it's

absolutely delicious and cures that sushi craving.

Summer Schedule

2011-07-07T08:00:00.002-05:00

Being a teacher is awesome... really awesome. I absolutely love working most of the year and then having my summer off and still receive a paycheck. It's truly wonderful and I can't imagine having any other profession.

My DH is coming up on his 1 week anniversary of being a PGY1. We've already had a few stressful situations at home, but thankfully they weren't anything too bad. While the DH has been at work I've been dealing with an apartment flood, a de-magnetized/non-sealing freezer door (leading to a flood in the freezer), and on top of all that, our internet pooped out on us. It's a good thing I'm on summer break so I could take care of all this. It has been a full-time job. I've also had a couple of health situations that have kept me from doing much. I sure hope our luck turns around soon.

I'm discovering how I can spend more time with my DH. I have been getting up with him in the mornings. I make him breakfast and then we sit on our leather sofa and chat while he drinks his many shots of espresso. Once he leaves I hydrate and head to the gym or go out for a run. After that I do housework and hangout with our pup. I run errands if needed and try to soak up some rays by the pool. When the temps become too high for me to handle, I head back to our air-conditioned home and do more housework, hangout on facebook, research recipes, etc. I start cooking dinner when the DH calls me to let me know he's on his way home. That's usually 14 hours after he left that morning.

As much as I love summer, I am looking forward to school. It'll be nice to be busy all day and not sit around waiting for my DH to come home. We're only a week in so I don't have any words of wisdom. It'll take a while to get all of this figured out. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that as soon as we start becoming comfortable with PGY1 it'll be over. We're just taking it one day at a time. That's the best we can do right now.

Lounging poolside

Bad photo, but you can see the water line and stained floor.

(Our neighbor had a party and a

drunken male guest left her bathtub water

running ALL NIGHT LONG.)

Recipe Review

2011-07-06T18:47:00.000-05:00

Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

I found the recipe here on Martha Stewart's website. This recipe was an extreme disappointment to me. I followed it perfectly, but the cake turned out dry and I wasn't impressed with the texture or flavor. I have had much better cupcakes.

PGY1, Day 1

2011-07-01T15:32:00.008-05:00

This is a very personal post, but I felt I needed to document this moment.

I woke up this morning at 5:54 am knowing that my husband had already arrived to the hospital for his first day as a first year Resident. My heart sank. That's it... our bit of freedom and summer together is officially over. I'm not ready to feel as if I do life by myself again.

My husband is now an employee and no longer a student. He'll be working no less than 60 hours a week for the next 5 years (unless he's on vacation) and is "capped" (a term I use loosely) at 80 hours. Did I mention he's on salary?

My husband now wears a long white coat, a stethoscope around his neck, a reflex hammer, other various "doctor tools", has special keys, keeps his medical license on him at all times, and carries around a pager that rules ~~his~~ our lives. Whether we're ready or not, it's here and it's happening. Welcome to Residency.

A friend made a post on a blog and I'd like to quote parts of that entry. Please know that I did respectfully ask and receive her permission before posting this.

I believe she explains the thoughts and life issues of a Resident's Wife very well.

"we deal with so many lies about medicine like, doctor husband = money, doctor husband = sweet schedule, doctor husband = easy life. and after you hear these lies on repeat, you start to wonder what the truth really is. . . what really happens when that MD gets tacked onto your husband's mail. sometimes it's bliss. but most of the time it's chaos"

"im glad to get things moving again. im ridiculously excited to get some sort of a paycheck. but then there's the majority of my thoughts. ive been bursting into tears randomly throughout the day. something will remind me that my best friend isnt going to be right next to me anymore. that all this incredible time with him is going to disappear."

"what really kills me inside is that im going to have to deal with the hard stuff by myself again."

"the bank account will be just as empty"

".....and so the truth of being a doctor's wife is that you're at the mercy of "the schedule". sometimes that means he's home in time for a birthday party. sometimes it means that you're all alone in a new city with none of your friends around"

"and while it would be so nice to spend our last day together
as a family, orthoman decided that Poker Night
with his new fellow interns wasnt enough.
they're playing golf in the morning and then,
oh yeah, did he forget to mention that one
of the reps is taking everyone out tomorrow night
for a fancy dinner? dammit, i mean it's not like he's
disappearing for the next 5 damn years.
so i guess you could say that truthfully,
im already feeling bitter."

"well shit. i guess the truth is just as ugly as the lies."

- Natalie L.

Thank you to Natalie for contributing to today's post.

Graduation Celebration

2011-06-18T12:28:00.004-05:00

David's Graduation Celebration took place on Sunday, June 5. It was wonderful to celebrate his accomplishments and to thank a few family members and friends that encouraged us along the journey. Here are a few photos...

I ordered mini cupcakes in 4 flavors from our favorite cupcakery. Three flavors are pictured above along with the chocolate dipped strawberries that were quite the conversation piece (they were huge!).

One tray of the cookies I baked and decorated.

Pictured is smoked salmon with cream cheese and capers, honey sesame cashews, sugar cookies, pretzel M&Ms, fancy mixed nuts, peanuts, cupcakes, sliced citrus and iced tea.

Another view: cupcakes, sugar cookies, red grapes, green grapes, strawberries, cherries, smoked gouda, provolone, aged cheddar, brie, carrots, cucumber, zucchini, broccoli, asparagus, grape tomatoes, and everything else that was listed in the above photo.

Every table had a different cake plate and was topped with various sugar cookies.

We had a great turnout, but about 24 people ended up not being able to make it due to last minute emergencies.

Several of our guests who did attend may be contacting me to cater their next event. How fun!

We had an after party with Cocktails and Caviar at our new home. I skipped out on the caviar, but enjoyed cocktail shrimp and more smoked salmon. It was great!

Enjoyin' the Greens

2011-06-18T12:04:00.000-05:00

David has always enjoyed golf and now he's recruiting me to the sport. We both have our own set of clubs. So fun!

Practicing my putting

Tag (Not the game)

2011-06-18T11:36:00.001-05:00

Medical School is hard... real hard. So I felt the graduate needed a really nice gift... Ya know, something timeless and classic. I found THE gift and gave it to David after we had dessert at our favorite little cupcake place.

I gave him an "OU" Scentsy. Ok, ok... it was pretty low of me, but his facial expression was priceless. Really, what man wants a Scentsy? After the Scentsy came THE real gift....

He was absolutely shocked and speechless when he opened the box.

He LOVES his new Tag Heuer automatic timepiece.

It's gorgeous!

I'm one PROUD WIFE!

I'm back!

2011-06-17T20:36:00.001-05:00

Hey! I haven't posted in a really long time. Sorry about that. Life has been crazy with moving, vacation, and an injured Macbook. That's right, my Mac has been out of commission for a while. I believe it was the evening of May 31 when I simply opened up my Macbook and felt a crack in the screen. The right side of the screen was cracked from top to bottom. I have no idea how this happened. I've never dropped it or mistreated my Mac in any way. I was devastated! So, I just put it back in it's case and put it aside until after our move. I finally dropped it off at the Apple store on June 8 and they repaired it while I was on vacation. I picked it up yesterday and am very pleased with the repair. The replaced the entire top panel. I can now reply to all the emails, messages, and update the good ol' blog. Praise the Lord!

The past few weeks have been an absolute whirlwind. I'm not exactly sure yet on how to catch up, but I'll try my best to get it going soon.

Here are a few photos for a sneak peek....

David's Graduation Celebration - the food spread

We're on top of the world!

We enjoyed a spectacular from the Empire State Building.

Good Morning from Times Square!

Enjoying a sunny day at Washington Square Park

On the boat to see the Statue of Liberty.

She is magnificent!

SLU Cookies

2011-05-31T17:10:00.000-05:00

I made 2 batches of sugar cookies for David's Graduation Celebration that is this Sunday.

These will be at the party if I can keep the Doctor's hands off of them. = )

Final STL Trip - Day 3

2011-05-27T22:39:00.003-05:00

The day following David's gradation was a shopping day. Penzeys Spices is my favorite spice store and was the first place we had to visit. I loaded up with some refills and new spices.

Me outside of Penzeys after making my purchase.

After visiting Penzey's we headed to the University to return David's cap and gown. While we were on campus we journeyed over to the undergrad bookstore and purchased some souvenir items for the graduate.

We became quite hungry and decided to head over to Central West End one last time. On the way there I mentioned that I'd like to see the Basilica. David didn't object to that because he's been trying to get me there for a year. It just wasn't something that was ever on the top of my "to do" list. Here are a few photos....

The Basilica is covered in mosaics.

Each tile isn't much larger than the tip of my thumb.

Part of the ceiling.

The Basilica was absolutely beautiful.

Me and David outside the Basilica

Me at the Basilica

After visiting the Basilica we went to Crepes, etc. in Central West End for a delicious lunch.

Here is David with our Skinny California Crepe. It consisted of chicken, bacon, avocado, tomato, and a mixture of Italian cheeses. This crepe was wonderful.

David and our Skinny California Crepe

Me with our dessert crepe.... Blueberry!

Isn't it gorgeous? It tasted incredible!

The best husband in the world!

After lunch I spotted these roses. Sometimes ya just gotta stop and smell the roses. = )

David needed a post-lunch afternoon nap, so he dropped me off at Nordstrom Rack. I spent a couple of hours shopping there and then went and shopped at the Whole Foods next door. We'll be getting our first Whole Foods in OKC this fall, so I didn't buy a whole lot there this time.

Friday was my last visit to the Brentwood (STL) Trader Joe's.

Trader Joe's has become one of my favorite stores. I sure hope we can get one in OKC.

I also stopped in at World Market to stock up on some sugar-free Torani syrup. They have a great selection.

We saw "Avenue Q" here at the Fox Theatre back in February 2008.

The Powell Hall is the home of the St. Louis Symphony.

I met up with my friend, Rachel, for a bit in the evening. It was great to see her and I didn't want our time to end. One of us are going to have to purchase a plane ticket soon.

THE Graduation (Final STL Trip - Day 2, Part 2)

2011-05-27T00:22:00.000-05:00

David had to be at the Chaifetz Arena by 2 so I rode with his family. We found seats and I immediately called my fellow med wife, Tammy, to find out where she was sitting. We were eager to see each other on this wonderful occasion so we met up half way around the stadium and hugged like sisters. There were tears of joy and sadness.

Goodbyes are never easy for me.

Me and my fellow med wife, Tammy.

David walking to his seat.

Me with Lloyd and Dr. P-L following the graduation.

Me with Tammy again. We couldn't get enough hugs from each other that day. It's tough not knowing when we'll actually see each other again.

Tammy and her DOCTOR.

Me and my DOCTOR!

I am an EXTREMELY PROUD Wife!

Me, Dr. M, Dr. B, and Tammy

The doctor at his post-graduation celebration dinner.

A delicious New York Strip steak from Maggiano's. Mmmmm......

Congrats, David!!!

Final STL Trip - Day 2, Part 1

2011-05-26T23:33:00.003-05:00

One week ago I woke up to this..........

What a glorious sight!

I quickly threw on some clothes and we loaded up the family to go downtown to see the Arch.

David's side of the fam that came for graduation. They enjoyed the Arch!

This is me.... being silly!

And this is my FIL being silly.

Here's a J.D. standing with the historic St. Louis Courthouse in the background. Priceless!

Sisters!

My MIL. We are too fun!

The soon-to-be DOCTOR!

Keep posted for Part 2 (THE Graduation)!

Final STL Trip - Day 1

2011-05-25T21:55:00.000-05:00

David and I arrived to St. Louis and immediately drove to the University to could pick up his cap and gown.

David's Parents and Aunt Amy arrived to STL shortly after us. I prepared a delicious dinner (chicken fajitas and all the goodies that go along with it) and then we all went out for some late night custard at the famous Ted Drewes.

David's parents.

They LOVED Ted Drewes!

Me and Aunt Amy attempting to tackle our custard.

David and his mom

Stay tuned for more details about our trip............

Spring Program

2011-05-17T20:31:00.002-05:00

We had our Spring Music Program on Thursday, May 12. The students and parents surprised me with flowers once again. They spoil me!

Ethan was proud of his mommy.

Caleb's Graduation

2011-05-15T14:46:00.003-05:00

David's brother, Caleb, graduated from

OU College of Law on Saturday, May 14.

We are so proud of him!

Highly Educated Brothers!

David, M.D. and Caleb, J.D.

The Graduate and his proud family!

The Graduate and his Parents.

Two generations of Lawyers.

Father and Son

A trio of Lawyer friends at the
graduation party.

13.1

2011-05-01T20:51:00.007-05:00

The 11th Annual OKC Memorial Marathon was set to begin at 6:30am. There was a 20% chance of rain and would you believe that it started raining as soon as I got out of the car at 5:35am?!?!? It was cool, windy, and now rainy.

All runners were told to seek shelter immediately. We all crammed in wherever we could. They even backed up the start time to 7am.

The storm kept me from getting to the Survivor Tree at 5:45 so I could meet my friends. I eventually braved the elements and ran to meet them there. The pavement already slick! A bunch of us girls huddled together and chatted until it was time to go to the starting line. We were all so cold! I cannot say enough good things about this wonderful group of gals. When one of us would start toying with the idea of ditching the race to go have a hot breakfast with coffee, somebody else would step in and be the strong one. That is a true friend!

Here are some photos of today's adventure...

Me and the girls at the Survivor Tree before the run (minus a couple).

Me with Jenny and Cathy waiting for it to start!

This is where my husband will be working. = )

Gorilla Hill!

Just FINISHED my 2nd half-marathon!!!

Cold and wet! Fig Newtons are best when enjoyed post-run. Try it sometime!

My time. I shaved almost an hour off last year's time. It would have been even better without all the stops for water, potty, photo opportunities, phone calls, and the bit of walking I did at the end. I'm hoping to improve complete the half between 2-2:15 next time.

MARATHON tie-dye COOKIES!

Yes, I thought I'd be festive.

I made care packages for my runner friends.

I have the best running friends ever!

David drove me down to the event and stayed for the entire thing. He was soaking wet and freezing. What a trooper! He truly is the BEST husband ever!!!

This is me showing off my medal before I enjoy a delicious brunch.

Dave's meal at Classen Grill. Soooo good!

My post-run meal at Classen Grill. YUM!

My route!

Completing 13.1 in the chilly wind, frigid rain, lightening, & hail makes me feel stronger (& possibly stupider). Never had so much fun while being completely miserable at the same time!
Definitely a race to remember!
I'm already looking forward to the 12th Annual OKC Memorial Marathon. Bring it!

Magic Number

2011-04-28T22:15:00.003-05:00

3... It's a Magic Number! Yes, it is!

3 days until I run my 2nd half-marathon AND 3 weeks until David graduates and becomes an M.D.
= )

Love 3!

13.1 Anniversary!

2011-04-26T19:41:00.003-05:00

It was ONE YEAR ago yesterday (April 25) when I conquered my first half-marathon. Crossing that finish line was a glorious moment and definitely one that I'll never forget. However, my journey was the reward!

Here are a couple of photos displaying my victory...

April 25, 2010

Here's a photo to help explain why conquering my first half-marathon was and still is such a big accomplishment for me.....

April 2009

...... And this year's HALF-MARATHON photos will be taken this Sunday, May 1.

Stay tuned!

Testing

2011-04-26T19:28:00.000-05:00

I left school early (my plan time, but still contract hours) yesterday to go to the doc. She checked me out and then immediately sent me to Integeris Hospital for labwork (D-Dimer (looking for blood clots) and a chest X-ray (looking for pneumonia or something else abnormal). I'm positive it's nothing serious, but she wants to be sure.
I also have to schedule an appointment for spirometry testing (pulmonary function testing) to see if I have asthma. I've gone to see this doc with the same thing 3 times since the end of January and the sad thing is that I don't go in every time I'm sick. Blaaahhhh.....
Wah, wah, wah. ; )

I'm ready to stop being sick and start being AWESOME again! lol!

Week 16

2011-04-24T07:42:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was my the final LandRunner training run for the 11th Annual Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. We started in Nichols Hills Plaza at 6:30am. It was cool, windy, and RAINY!!! Yep, I was drenched! I looked like a wet rat after the run. It was so bad that I stopped and purchased a new hat just to cover up my awful hair so I would feel more comfortable running a couple of errands. Ha! I really should start keeping a towel in my car.

6:25am: Ready to run!

"The few, the proud, .... The tired... Thank God for Starbucks! Like I said.. It is not considered a run without coffee after!" - Cathy

Me with some more of my amazing running friends. There's a good mix of half-marathoners and full-marathoners. WOW!!! I am inspired!

We needed a silly shot after all of those serious training runs. = )

I Still Remember

2011-04-19T19:19:00.008-05:00

4/19/1995: I was in my 9th grade Algebra class at Edmond Santa Fe HS. They were doing construction on our building and we thought there was a construction accident. It even felt as if maybe a semi ran off 15th Street and into our school. I looked out the south window that was open and began to see a cloud of smoke fill the air. We didn't know that the smoke we were seeing was from the very blast that shook our school.
That very morning my HS Band took off for Stillwater, OK for state solo and ensemble contest. We were all so confused and heartbroken. We didn't understand any of it. That evening we headed to St. Louis, MO for our spring trip. Little did I know that STL was where I'd end up living for 3 years of my life while married to the nephew of a survivor.

My husband's Aunt Amy is a survivor and a major spokesperson about that day. I was blessed to run by her side last year in an event for the OKC Memorial Marathon. As we ran our first half marathon together, she pointed out the names on the banners of everybody she knew. She told me great memories of those individuals for 13.1 miles. It was an emotional run. Seeing her cross that finish line in honor of the 168 lives lost is something I will always remember.

"We run to give to the Memorial. We run to involve the community, the nation, and perhaps th e world in the continuing process of coping with the tragedy of the past. We run as a step toward a better future."

I run to remember.

Week 15

2011-04-17T12:41:00.002-05:00

Today's training run had 8 miles in store for me. Here are a couple of photos of me with my running friends...

Our run started out with a very chilly breeze. Can you tell we were cold?

Enjoying some post-run coffee

at Starbucks. YUM!

Last Sunday I ran 7 miles with the Landrunners starting at 6:30am and then went home to do some laundry and eat lunch. David's Aunt and Uncle picked me up at 12:30 and we headed to the Red Bud Classic. Amy and I ran the 10k. It was HOT! I wasn't quite prepared for the heat that afternoon. My morning run left me feeling really well, but once I started baking in the afternoon sun that feeling left. There weren't enough water stops in the 10k. I really should carry my own water when it's that hot outside. The post-race food was lame. They had a guy passing out chocolate milk next to the finish line. The thought of chocolate milk after running 13.2 miles in the heat makes me want to vomit. Ugh.... Seriously... they had more sugar loaded foods than anything else. I was disappointed. I don't eat donuts, yogurt, granola bars, or ice cream shakes. I ended up getting a banana for the road and ate cottage cheese when I arrived back home. I've already told myself that I won't be participating in the Red Bud Classic next year. I would love to volunteer but I'm not running in it. Hopefully I'll remember that when the time comes. = )

Today's run was great. It was breezy and cool, but I loved it. I wanted to run 12, but was worried I'd end up getting lost near the official turn around. So I just followed a few other runners that were taking a shorter route today. I saw quite a few cops along Britton Rd. I'm guessing they wanted to make sure we were staying safe out there. I also saw a couple of firefighters standing outside their station gawking at all of us. It was kinda funny. So glad we could provide them with some morning entertainment. ha.
I made snacks last night to share with my fellow runners today. I took peanut butter honey oat protein balls and homemade larabars. My "larabars" were made from dates, almonds, banana, peanut butter, cocoa powder, and oats. They were sooo good! My snacks were a real hit! Mmm.... I'm currently wishing I had saved some for home.
After making the goodies last night, I was washing the food processor and I sliced my finger open. It was bleeding everywhere! The wound looks awful, but it wasn't quite deep enough for stitches. Oh, and don't worry, the food was prepared and put away before this happened. ; ) I'm good with cooking, just not with cleaning. Hehee....

Week 14

2011-04-10T11:56:00.000-05:00

As I was driving to the Week 14 Training Run with the OKC LandRunners, I realized another change in my life. I used to almost never see the sunrise because I couldn't ever get my butt out of bed. Now I look forward to being on the running trails, listening to some David Crowder or Darlene Zschech, and watching the sun come up over the horizon. AMAZING! It really is the best!!!

Me and some of my running buddies. Ready to conquer some miles on week 14 of the training run in preparation for the 2011 OKC Memorial Marathon.

Really?

2011-04-06T20:42:00.001-05:00

Today would have been pretty amazing if......

I wouldn't have noticed a nice lil' chunk missing out of a real sapphire on my wedding band. I just had it cleaned and inspected a few weeks ago too. Major bummer! I noticed it today while I was writing a letter of recommendation for a student.
My COACH (favorite) watch hadn't broke. Right before we went for a walk tonight I looked at my watch to check the time and I noticed it looked funny. Ummm, yeah, the face is cracked and has a nice chip out of it that's now floating inside the watch face.
I've been experiencing a pain for a couple of days now. I called David on my lunch break because I was so concerned. It's looking like my change in medications have lead to another painful complication.

On a positive note, I made Coconut Chicken Curry for dinner and it was amazing.

School was also great. We are super busy and loving all of our units of study. Kindergarden and 1st grade are doing "Animal Songs" and "Spring Songs" and playing percussion instruments and kazoos. My 2nd and 3rd graders are gearing up for their music program in May. 4th grade is really working buckling down so everybody will reach mastery on their next assessment. 5th grade just finished studying everything about instruments and now they're learning about Jazz and Opera. School is sooo much fun and sooo busy!

On Top Of Spaghetti!

2011-04-02T10:21:00.002-05:00

April Fool's Day hasn't ever been something I've participated in or celebrated. So, I decided to change things up a bit this year.
We had another teacher luncheon at school where we all bring stuff to share. I brought spaghetti and meatballs. Take a look......

Okay, okay... It was really spaghetti and meatball cake. And don't worry, there wasn't any meat involved.

I used a basic boxed white cake mix (nothing fancy) and baked it in a 9x13 pan. Once the cake was completely cool, I made my homemade vanilla (sorry, but I think almond frosting is gross) frosting and placed it in a quart-size ziploc and cut off a small corner. Then, I randomly piped out the frosting to look like noodles. The "meatballs" were made of peanut butter, honey, and oats. They were formed into the "meatballs" and placed in the fridge to chill and keep a good shape. Finally, the meatballs were placed in a bowl of strawberry preserves and then placed on the cake.

I wasn't sure how the cake would go over at school. It made for some interesting looks and comments, but was the only cake that was completely demolished. So, for as "weirded out" as some may have been, it must have tasted pretty good. hahahaaaa...

Hope you had a Happy April Fool's Day!

From The Kitchen

2011-03-28T19:21:00.000-05:00

The staff/faculty at my school honored our cafeteria manager (it was her last day) and a custodian (received an award) by having a dessert buffet in the faculty lounge last Friday. I contributed two desserts that kept me busy for 5 1/2 hours (on a school night!). They were the hit of the party and barely made it to lunch. By that, I mean that the word got out of what I brought and many had to sample them before lunch because if they waited they may have missed out. Good thinkin'! I'm lucky to have been able to try them myself. I must say.... they were pretty.darn.tasty.

Mmmm...

Carrot Cake

Peanut Butter Torte

Lake Hefner Run

2011-03-20T20:49:00.002-05:00

My day started out by sleeping in

and sipping a nice cup of coffee on my patio.

Ethan wanted to soak up some sun with me.

Then he went in and brought out his

stuffed turtle to chew on while in my lap.

After coffee, I got dressed and

drove to Lake Hefner for a run.

You can see the lighthouse in the distance.

I was several miles into my run.

At the end of my run around the lake.

Sailboats and restaurants by the lake.

A final view.

Stretching and still smiling!

This was my first time to run the ENTIRE lake. I've biked it plenty (years ago), but running was a different story. It took forever with winds of 25-35mph and a temperature above 80 degrees. My pace was horrible, but that wasn't the focus of today's run. Today's goal was to run the entire lake and I did it.

Yesterday, I ran 5 miles at the lake for the St. Paddy's 8k. That makes a total of 15 miles this weekend. Not bad! I hadn't planned on running that much... it just happened. The weather was too good to not want to run.

The St. Paddy's race left me with a blister under the arch of my right foot. It's extremely painful and I could feel it every step of the way. My right sock was a bloody mess when I finally removed my shoes when I arrived at home. Apparently I need a little TLC this week. : ) My run also left me with what you see in the photo below. I'm hoping it's just a sunburn even though I DID wear SPF 70 all over my body and SPF 50 on my face (Cetaphil facial moisturizer with sunblock).

Only 42 days until the OKC Memorial Marathon!

Dinner FAIL

2011-03-19T21:37:00.000-05:00

I WAS going to have eggs for dinner,

but the carton slipped out of my hand.

Oops.

Have you had a dinner fail lately?

Match Day 2011

2011-03-19T17:11:00.002-05:00

Match Day 2011 was on Thursday, March 17.

Here's our BIG NEWS in photos.....

Holding our future in my very hands!!!

One final photo before we know where we'll be for the next 4 years. It felt as if David's heart was going to beat out of his chest while I was leaning into him for the photo.

I nervously watched David
as he opened his envelope.

His letter!!! It's IN WRITING!

Ahhh!!!! We did it! We got our #1! I get to keep my job (as long as they ask me back)!!!

Boomer Sooner, baby!

We were obviously planning on these results, but we couldn't be certain until it was in writing.

Calling his closest family and friends
to share the fabulous news!

Dave and me at Busch Stadium in Saint Louis, MO. Home of the Cardinals!!!

Me and one of my favorite Med Wives, Tammy!
I LOVE her to pieces!

Do you see the famous arch?

Loved that we could sport our Sooner jerseys
in Busch Stadium.

WE ARE SOOOOO HAPPY!!!!

Another SLU SOM family will be joining us
at OU for Orthopedics.
Welcome to the dream team!

David, Me, Tammy, and Eric. Friends for life!

Do you see the sign? "Congratulations Saint Louis University Medical School Students"

My amazing husband!!! I am so proud of him!

His smile is ear to ear. LOVE it!

Match Day Countdown

2011-03-16T20:10:00.001-05:00

We are in the final countdown to Match Day. Tomorrow at this time we'll be brainstorming about what's next. There are so many thoughts running though my head right now. I sure hope I can sleep tonight.
I must say that I'm really looking forward to catching up with a bunch of my friends from our med school journey. We sure had some good times together and I will never forget them. Man, tomorrow is gonna be rough even if we do match to our #1. Tomorrow is the beginning of the final chapter in our book about med school.
While I'm very glad it's over, good-byes are never easy for me. Tomorrow I may hug my friends a little tighter and for a little longer because it may be the last time I see them. *sigh*

Doctor Debt

2011-03-14T17:42:00.009-05:00

Well, if you follow this blog, you know that my husband, David, will be a doctor in May. We are very excited about what's to come. We are also trying to remain positive about all the student loan debt we've accumulated during the past several years.

Let's just say that dinner and drinks will NOT be on us anytime soon.

If we started paying off his (NOT including mine for grad school) student loans today, assuming there were no increases in interest rates, and started a 25 year payment plan, we would pay over $2,000.00 per month until he was 53 years old and would pay a total of over $600,000.00.

I believe we're going to have them deferred during his residency. Once we actually start paying, it'll be even more. Lord, help us!

Death is the ONLY way to escape these loans.

I love my husband and will be with him for richer or poorer.

*Please let me know if you have any words of wisdom, advice, encouragement, etc.

Good News!

2011-03-14T13:08:00.002-05:00

Medical students were notified this morning on whether they matched or were scrambled.

*More on scrambling later.

Here's what David's email said.....

This was taken directly from his email. It's the four words we've been hoping and praying for. YAY!

We find out WHERE he matched on Thursday.

We're still praying we match with our #1.

More to come so stay tuned!

Slimed

2011-03-12T09:11:00.000-06:00

Today marks the beginning of my spring break. I LOVE my job, but always look forward to this much needed break. It gives all of us teachers to rest, get reorganized, and ready to finish the year strong.

Yesterday was a great day! Here's a summary: Before-school rehearsal with my honor choir; taught 4th and 5th grade with quite a few students missing (started vacation early); 3rd grade was on a field trip so I had that time to work on stuff and was quite productive; taught kindergarden and 1st grade; and my last class of the day didn't come so I could prepare for our extra crazy and fun school assembly.

Our school does a jog-a-thon every year to raise money for cancer research. We are a small school and hit our $100,000. mark this year. Isn't that exciting!?!?! Well, the incentive for reaching goal was for a bunch of teachers/staff to get slimed. Yours truly is full of school spirit, so I gladly volunteered. Here's a photo of me being SLIMED....

My awesome friend, Lisa, was also slimed. LOVE her pose!

We LOVE our school!!!

After being slimed, I rushed home to de-slime my clothes (aka laundry) and shower. I had to be back to school soon to meet my honor choir for their performance in the school talent show. We were the opening act and I couldn't be more proud. All of the other student performers were also amazing. Many students have been holding back, but now their secret is out. They are full of talent and skills! I'm so blessed to work with such great students and teachers.

1 Week

2011-03-10T21:01:00.000-06:00

One week from now, we'll know where we get to spend the next 4 years. Yes, folks, next Thursday is the day we've been waiting for: Match Day!

We are so excited about what's to come!

Run

2011-03-06T12:30:00.002-06:00

9.8 miles today!

The run started out at a cold and windy 28 degrees. Brrr.....
This is a pic of me and my SIL, April, at the first water stop which was 3 miles into the course....

Still going strong!!!

56 days until the OKC Memorial Marathon. Woohoo!

Seuss!

2011-03-02T22:28:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

It's Read Across America Week
and today is Dr. Seuss' birthday.

We've been celebrating all week at school. Tomorrow we are supposed to dress up like our favorite Dr. Seuss character. I won't be dressing up as anything in particular, but I'll be slightly jazzed up for the occasion. ; )

I baked and decorated sugar cookies inspired by "The Cat In The Hat" for a few of my fellow teacher friends.
I hope they enjoy them.

Cookie Tips:

The "hat" was achieved by using a mitten pancake mold from Crate and Barrel. I simply cut off the thumb and cut of a bit of the top portion to achieve a smaller size (aka get more cookies out of the batch).

I use Wilton's coloring and #3 Wilton tips
(should have used #2).

I also use LOTS of toothpicks.

Check out sweetopia.net for cookie/icing recipes.

Hello, March!

2011-03-01T20:22:00.004-06:00

Today is the first day of March. It's this very month that we'll find out where Dave matches for residency. I can't believe this is actually happening. March 17 can't come soon enough!

Here are some random thoughts that have been running through my head today:

I currently wish I were sitting with my favorite med wives at Cheesecake Factory reminiscing, laughing, crying, and ~~chowing~~ conquering a big slice of cheesecake.
I hope my latest clothing order will be delivered before I leave for STL, but that's not realistic.
I wonder if they prescribe short-term anxiety medication?
I need to schedule a hair appt and get beautified before my trip.
I hope I return from my trip with the best news ever.
Did I really just spend that much on food coloring?
I wish I could lose 8-10 pounds in the next 1/2 weeks, but that's not going to happen.
I have been enjoying chocolate for medicinal purposes.
I LOVE new boxes of crayons.
I should write lesson plans with activities that require me to color more often.
They should put 2 red crayons in the crayon box.
I can't wait to see my friends on Match Day! = )

Cheesecake substitute...

SF Mocha Ricotta

Ingredients

1/4 cup ricotta cheese

2 pumps SF vanilla Torani syrup

(a Splenda packet works too)

1 tsp. cocoa powder

Directions

Mix ingredients well.

Top with pecans (optional)

Weekend Fun

2011-02-27T21:26:00.002-06:00

While I do miss my husband very much, I'm trying to have a great time while he's gone. On Friday night I went to a local well-known jeweler to look and get some ideas and pick up my engagement ring. They're getting it all fixed up for me. No, nothing is wrong with it... I'm just having some work done to make me a happier wife. ; ) While I was at the mall, I may have purchased some delicious berry bark and peanut pretzel bark from Godiva. It is good!

Saturday consisted of a 6-mile early morning run at Lake Hefner with my sister in-law, April. We have a great time running together. Next week we're planning on running around the entire lake. I'm really looking forward to it.

After our run I went to the store for a few things. Once I arrived back at home, I took Ethan for a long walk, worked on stuff for my classroom, and relaxed all day. I never did nap even though I probably should have.

A friend picked me up and we drove across town to meet another friend (and her husband and infant) for dinner at BJ's Brewhouse. It was so wonderful to be out on the town with my friends. We're definitely going to have to do it more often.

Here's a pic of me with my friend's baby, Emily.

Here's my attempt to eat healthy at BJ's Brewhouse...

I ordered the turkey burger (no bun) with steamed broccoli instead of fries.

It was really good! I'd get this again. = )

Today consisted of laziness and shopping with some sugar. Yes, woke up at a decent hour (8am) and made sugar cookie dough. It's all prepped and ready to be cut out and baked tomorrow night. On Tuesday night I'll decorate them, so stay tuned!

I also got together with a friend and her daughter for a lil' road trip to Norman for some shopping. We attended a Trunk Show and I ordered a couple new items. The items I ordered today are part of a clothing line I've recently discovered. Everything is absolutely adorable! Not only that, but they are super comfy! I'll have to post pics of my new clothes soon.

That pretty much explains my weekend. Tomorrow is the beginning of longer school days. Yes, I now have an extra 30 minutes to my work day. I'm okay with that though because I'll still get out as planned. Staying until June would NOT have been majorly fun.

Well, it's Read Across America week and we have a TON of activities planned. I need lots of sleep to prep for it. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that I'm having extra before and after school rehearsals every day for the next 2 1/2 weeks. It's gonna be rough, but I'm grateful to work with such wonderful students. I am truly blessed!

Off to bed!

Numbers

2011-02-27T21:03:00.000-06:00

18 days until Match Day

and 81 days until Graduation.

Just sayin'!

Speaking of Match Day, I have my outfit. = ) I'm still not sure what to wear for graduation. My guess is that I'll do some shopping in the Lou while I'm out there for Match Day. Maybe I'll find something then. I'm so excited!

Rank List

2011-02-23T21:12:00.001-06:00

Rank Lists are officially due tonight (ugh... the stress makes me nauseous). David certified his over a week ago and we are confident with the choices. We obviously want our #1 choice, but we have to protect ourselves by ranking other programs just in case. So, worst case scenario is that we'll end up somewhere south. And no, I'm not naming names at this time. You'll just have to wait and see what happens on March 17. ; )

Here's what one of David's classmates posted as her facebook status tonight...
"If we talk between now and March 17 and I seem stressed, please don't take it personally!"

I'm definitely with her on that one. Eek!

On a very positive note, I reserved a location and time for David's Graduation Celebration. I'll start planning the details after spring break.

Doctor Loan?

2011-02-22T19:31:00.000-06:00

The solicitation begins...

Survey: Medical Research

2011-02-21T20:03:00.001-06:00

If you can spare the time, please take 2 minutes to complete this brief survey. My husband is doing a small research project for a medical school grade and needs 100 participants. The survey is completely anonymous and responses will only be used for medical education purposes.
Thank you so much for your help!
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/F7FPTHG