Heavy lifting, ice and snow, and how is that even allowed?! (TOL #2)

Hi there!

Happy Thursday!

What makes it even happier is it’s my Friday! Whoop, whoop! Gotta love a 4 day weekend!

And nope, I didn’t have to take any time off to make that happen! No sireebob. The Commonwealth of Virginia celebrates both Lee-Jackson Day and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. #winning

So, I’ve been at my CrossFit box since May and I love it out there.  It’s a bit of a hike and I have to pay tolls to go through some tunnels but I’ve made some friends and have been hitting some PRs (stay tuned for Saturday’s recap!!), so the whole time suck has been worth it to me.

Until 2 coaches that I really, really, REALLY like left. 😦

To open their own CrossFit box. (in case you didn’t know, box = gym in CrossFit lingo)

And, I recently learned that it’s practically right next door to where my sailor works. And HALF the distance I was travelling before.

Can you see where I’m going with this?

I thought about changing boxes, and then I stressed about it, and then I tried to think reasonably about it. I was riddled with guilt for even THINKING about changing.

But, once the rational part of my brain took over, the whole thing just makes sense.  I’ll be able to do morning WODs before work which allows me to have my evenings back for making dinner and, now, doing homework. Which is a priority. And, if I decide to do a double, the new box is just a hop, skip, and a jump from my office so I’ll be able to make an earlier class and get home earlier afterward. Makes so much sense! So, they can count me present when they finally open their doors (like, maybe in 2 weeks!!!). 🙂

Well, yesterday, they got equipment delivered and asked for help unloading the truck, etc. So, that’s what I did.  My first workout at the new box. 😉  And, I’ve committed to helping out this weekend, too. I’m really excited!!

pretty sure coach said it was 5 tons of stuff. yes, TONS.

So, as indicated above, I live in Virginia. But, where I am, it’s pretty moderate, as far as weather is concerned. We’ve gotten snow before so it’s not a shocker when it happens. I mean, it’s not like I live in San Diego and everyone flips out when it rains. Snow, sleet, ice – it’s all happened here before.

Well, the whole place went bat shit crazy on Tuesday because there was a little ice storm. I mean, I get the school closures and all that because a lot of this area is rural and those roads don’t often get pretreated, are narrow and dangerous, etc and kids can’t be standing outside for EVER in the sleet waiting for a bus to come slipping and sliding down the hill. Too dangerous. But, I was watching the news and there were reporters out in the streets like they were Jim Cantore. For less than an inch of ice. And people were sending in pictures of inch-long icicles hanging from their porch lights, etc. Seriously people. It was not the snowpocalypse.

I play Words with Friends. Pretty regularly, as a matter of fact. I’m kind of a scrabble nerd and I just love words. I have games going with 5 people right now. And, I’m getting whupped in a couple of them. Seriously, the luck of the letter draw is not always in my favor.

Anyway, in a previous game, a friend was flabbergasted when the game would not accept ribeye as a word. In fact, I know you can’t see it but, there’s a red squiggly line under the word ribeye in this post. But, unless you’re a vegetarian, you’ve probably eaten a ribeye steak. So, legitimate word, right? No.

But, last night, another friend played this –

Hardly seems fair, doesn’t it?

And yes, I do have all consonants. And 2 of them are Vs. Nice.

Talk to me: Have you ever made snow ice cream? When was the last time?

Thanks, Amanda, at Running With Spoons, for hosting Thinking Out Loud Thursdays!

– jennifer

Thursdays are now for Thinking Out Loud!

Hello, hello!

So, you’re probably wondering what the heck I’m talking about.

Pssh, like that’s anything new. I often wonder what the heck I’m talking about, too!

Well, this time, it’s your lucky day! I’ll tell you. 🙂

I’ve decided to join in the fun and link up with Amanda’s blog over at Running With Spoons! Here’s what Thinking Out Loud is all about – uh, thinking out loud (duh) without looking like the crazy person wandering the grocery store talking to herself!

Unless, of course, that’s where you do some serious thinking out loud and then, well, you’re on your own. #crazypersonalert

1. Printed/patterned socks

I love printed/patterned socks. I probably shouldn’t. They certainly aren’t fashionable (but, remember when they WERE?!) and I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing a pair out in public. But, for some reason, I held on to some. I mean, really, it’s cold (um, hello, unless you live in Hawaii, Miami, or Mexico, you’re probably freezing right now) and we have wood floors. And, I don’t want to put on running socks when I change out of my work/workout gear because those are only for RUNNING and I certainly don’t want to put on boring work appropriate socks and just lounge in them so……

Is it bad that I’m wearing my Christmas socks and it’s not Christmas anymore?

2. Homework

Hoooo boy. It’s been a minute since I’ve had homework.

I may have bitten off a little more than I can chew, too. I’m presently registered for 2 classes and, once my Consortium Agreement is approved, will be registering for another class at a different university (the class I need isn’t offered online at Eastern Michigan). So, I’ll be taking 9 credits.

NINE.

And still working full time.

Pray for me.

3. Pinterest boards

So, we have an entry way in our house. I mean, everyone pretty much has an entry way but our little foyer is its own little room. We have a Cape Cod and the front door is pushed out a little. Yes, I know that’s a terrible description. Here’s a picture…

see what I mean? Yes? Good. (isn’t my house CUTE?!)

Anywho, we open the front door and we’re in the foyer with a nook and a coat closet and then, there’s another door (glass paned) to get into the house.

*side note – we don’t call this room the foyer. it’s the ‘forbidden room.’ as in, forbidden and off limits to the animals. makes answering the door a much calmer situation without the cats trying to escape or the dogs being nosy. 🙂  it’s also a very cold little room. probably because we keep the inner door closed all the time so it never gets any heat from the house. cold and forbidden.

Well, we want to “warm” it up a little with some paint in the nook and maybe a bench, umbrella stand, some hooks, and a mirror.

But, the closest I’ve gotten to making something happen is taping paint chips to the wall (been there for a couple of months now. still no paint.) and filling up a pinterest board with ideas. I really like that one. Can someone come help me make it reality?

4. Sunsets

I’ll tell you what. I am very very well aware of the fact that I should not be taking pictures while I’m driving but, come on, how could I not?! We have some absolutely gorgeous sunsets over the river. *love* So, there. Now you know. If I share a picture of a sunset (or even a sunrise over the shipyard) and there’s water involved, there’s a 99% chance I took it while I was driving. Please don’t tell on me.

Talk to me: Your turn! Tell me something random. 🙂

– jennifer

Scenes from a snow day

Stay safe and warm! Prayers to those who live in areas not normally affected by this kind of weather. (Looking at you Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, and Florida peeps!)

Talk to me: Are you snowed in? Can I borrow a shovel?

– jennifer