i really have nothing to say but want to post something anyway.

I'm having a bit of a hard time concentrating today and coming up with a blog-worthy topic.

It might be the insanely beautiful weather.

It might be the fact that I finished my work yesterday and my brain is rebelling against any type of constructive thought.

It might be the fact that my brother will be here in 2 days.

It might be the fact that said brother and I are going to Dublin in 3 days.

It might be the fact that I'm going home in 12 days.

Maybe it's because every time I look at my hands I start thinking about what color I'm going to paint my nails next, but then I remember I'm waiting to paint my nails because you know that little note on the nail polish bottle that says "apply base coat first"? Yeah I totally ignored that and now my nails are kind of stained and I'm 99.9% sure that's why so I'm waiting to see if the stained color grows out but I really want to paint my nails like, yesterday, so I'm getting kind of impatient and yelling "grow!" at my nails. But that's crazy, because nails don't talk, and they definitely can't hear. Could you imagine if fingernails had ears?

See what I have to deal with? See the ridiculous amount of randomness going through my brain right now?

Too bad I couldn't make a post about all of this.

Except that I totally just did.

why today is a good day

I'm a generally happy person.



<----See? That picture just screams happy. Or neurotic. Take your pick.




Today though, I have reasons (see the "s"? There's more than one!) why I'm happy.

Why are you happy today, Adie?

Glad you asked! Although honestly, I was going to tell you regardless of whether or not you asked! Because you see, it's my blog. I do what I want! (Cue song: It's my party and I'll cry if I want to....cry if I want to...except I won't cry. Because I'm happy, remember?)

Reason 1: I have officially accomplished my goal of completing all school work before my brother gets here on Tuesday! This may not sound like such a big deal to you, but it really kind of is. I'm like, really good at procrastinating. I also seem to pick the courses where all of the work is due in the last week, so I tend to just live in the computer lab at uni for the last week of classes. I feel so much more productive getting everything done in a few long days than spreading work out over 8 weeks. Is that weird? Maybe. But it's how I roll. And I don't see any of my professors complaining. But this term I got started early! And now, heading into week 7 of 8, I have every.last.assignment.done. No exams, no presentations, nada. Yep, I'm awesome.

Reason 1.1: My brother gets here on Tuesday!

Reason 2: I had potatoes for breakfast and lunch today. That's right, twice!

But Adie, that doesn't really fulfill your GHGs very well, does it?

Well no. But I'm usually pretty good at cramming them into dinner. And anyway, I really, really needed potatoes. See, potatoes are my favorite food. Somehow I went like, 2 weeks without potatoes in my flat (adie = lazy bum). Except that I found a few small ones in my cupboard last night that I totally didn't think I had. But seriously, I was going through withdrawal! I almost forgot just how much I love potatoes. Almost.

Reason 3: I started packing today, and suddenly the fact that I'm going home in 13 days is way more real than it was say, yesterday. Sure, I've been counting down for like 2 months, but it still felt so far away. I live here. What do you mean I have to pack up all of my things and go somewhere else for 6 weeks?? I was discussing this with my friend Lauren the other day, how it will be so weird to go back to our Stateside lives when really we don't feel like there has ever been anything other than where we are now.

But Adie, you said you were listing reasons you were happy today? This doesn't sound happy

I'm getting there! Patience is a virtue, you know.

Really, I'm super duper incredibly unbelievably excited to go home. I'm pretty good at dealing with distance for lengthy periods of time, so most of the time I had the concept of "home" tucked neatly away in the back of my mind. Now, it's kind of all I can think about. I think seeing suitcases on my floor with stuff in them (instead of under my bed) really made it.....real. I packed all of the stuff I knew I wouldn't be needing for my last 2ish months in London. Ya know, winter clothes, Harry Potter books, that kind of stuff. So far I have one suitcase filled, and another about halfway. I'll save the rest of that space for summer clothes. Because I need to wear something while I'm home! And not just anything, but my super fashionable London clothing (which really isn't much different than what I normally wear, I just bought it in London. But shhhhhh).

Reason 4: I discovered this blog. This girl is friggin' hilarious. And I want to share her with the world. Because I stayed up an extra few hours last night reading her blog. I especially like the pictures. I count this in reasons I'm happy today because I spent all morning reading. So there.

And that's why I'm happy today.

hakuna matata

Another thing I love? Disney movies. So much truth (and entertainment)!

This week, I gained. And not just .2, which I wouldn't even consider a gain. I gained 1.2lbs. I have several theories on this.

Theory 1: I didn't drink enough water.

The daily recommendation for water is 6-8 8oz glasses per day. However, I've also heard that you should drink roughly half your weight in oz of water. So really I should be drinking like 95oz instead of 48-64oz. I slacked this week. Did you know that coffee =/= water? Yeah. This week my goal is to refill my water bottle twice each day (so 3 32oz bottles).


<---Look at me, I love water!



Theory 2: My day of not eating finally caught up with me.

One day last week (well, 2 weeks ago but the week leading up to last week's weigh-in) I ate about 7pts the entire day. No I was not trying to starve myself. I just didn't feel well. That probably contributed to my loss last week, kind of how when you're sick you lose a bunch of weight. But just like when you're sick, I gained that weight back. It was a false loss. They say sometimes it takes a week for your eating habits to catch up with you. I guess I had it coming.

Theory 3: I ate all of my weeklies and a couple APs, and ate some of them on Monday.

Normally I use my weeklies Fri/Sat, and maybe a few on Sunday. It doesn't seem to matter how many of them I use; if I only use them the first couple days of my week, I lose at WI. That's just the pattern I've gotten into, and it works for me. It encourages me to eat really well most days and only indulge when I really feel the need to. But not whenever I want to. See the difference? It teaches me restraint. What a concept!

I came up with these theories this morning while I was a bit miffed about the gain. Justification always makes me feel better, if only temporarily. This week, I'm trying something new. In addition to tracking normally (I write everything down in a notebook in addition to tracking online, which stemmed from an unreliable internet source but has now turned to habit), I'm going to track how many filling foods I'm eating. So next to the points value for every food I'm noting if it's SFT. I'm also adding up both sets of points. Eventually I'd like to transition to doing Simply Filling, but the last time I tried it I failed miserably. This time I want to be prepared!

SO. I'm leaving last week behind and focusing on the new week ahead of me.

Hakuna Matata!

IP: i love running!

This post is kind of a copy cat post. I was reading my friend Rachel's blog today and she was talking about how she really got into running, which made me think about how I've really gotten into running lately. Sure, over the years I've had random urges to run, but I would generally go out for about 20 minutes and not go for another run the rest of the year. These urges to run generally coincided with beautiful weather, so it was more me wanting to be outside and feeling like I should be running, rather than me wanting to become a runner.

When I joined WW I didn't really do much in the way of activity for the first two months. I justified this with the fact that I was steadily losing without it, and I would start when I stopped losing. I eventually started the couch-to-5k (C25K) program, but I stopped after like, two days. Running just wasn't for me! I sucked at it. So I found other ways to exercise.

A couple months ago, I had that random urge to run again, probably sparked by all of my friends on the WW message boards who were starting to run (or had been running). I decided to give C25K another try, but this time I was so excited I signed up for a race just 10 weeks later (the program is designed to take 9 weeks). Man, what a difference that made! Especially since my race was a charity race, so friends and family had donated to the cause. I couldn't let them (or myself) down. I pushed past the usual two-day-quitting mark and realized something.

I actually enjoy running.

Sorry, what did you just say?

Let me repeat: I actually enjoy running. omg.

Now, when I take a few days off, I feel guilty. Even when I know I shouldn't be running, like when I injured myself (yes, I know, I was dumb and pushed too hard at the beginning. But I'm better now! I promise). This guilt is a huge motivator to get me moving! You know what else motivates me? Challenges with friends! Thanks to JB for doing the Nike+ challenge with me. We're both kicking butt and taking names!

I love that I can actually experience a change of scenery when I'm running outside, instead of running in place at the gym (or really any exercise at the gym). The gym is kind of boring. Like, really boring. And also, running is FREE! I like free stuff. Free stuff means I have more money to spend on food and clothes. And I love food and clothes, as I've mentioned before...and will probably mention many more times.

Anyway. I've passed the point of no return. I ♥ running.








<------Chillaxin' after my race, feelin' good about life.

an ode to goat cheese...

...and probably just the first of many.

I super duper love goat cheese. You're probably thinking of that crumbly stuff you get on salads sometimes. I love that kind too, but my recent (does "for the past 6 months" count as recent?) obsession is a hard goat cheese called Murcia al Vino. If the label is in English it probably says "drunken goat cheese". It's got a purple rind because it's been soaked in red wine, and that gives it a nice bite that goes wonderfully with the slightly more mild flavor of this cheese. Since I tried it for the first time at Borough Market when my parents visited in December, I've had to have a wedge of it in my fridge at.all.times. For serious.

Normally, because of WW I like to keep my cheese consumption low. I could eat a lot more of it if I switched to fat-free or low-fat but I'm not willing to give up real cheese. The great thing about goat cheese? It's lower in points naturally! So naturally, this makes me happy.

Tonight, seeing as how I had about a brazillian points left for my day, I thought I would treat myself to a yummy "dinner". I use the term "dinner" loosely because what I made is more like an hors d'oeuvre super-sized. But it made me happy, and I didn't have to use extra points on it. So I consider that a win-win!

What did you make, do you ask?

I'm getting there!

I thought of this recipe yesterday, but ended up not being home for dinner (surprise surprise, I was at L's house). So tonight was the night! Have you ever had baked brie and cranberries? Usually with some kind of nut in there too? Super delicious. This was inspired by that, but I used my dear Murcia instead. I needed some more dairy for my day and healthy oil, but that's it. So I didn't feel bad about indulging a bit.



Reason number 19257 why I love Whole Foods: the bulk section! I have a stash of dried cranberries and walnuts for salads and things, which I got to measure out myself. It's also pretty dang cheap which is wonderful when you're on a budget and have a spending problem at grocery stores...




I also happened to have a couple frozen baguettes that were just begging to be baked. Tesco is a really wonderful place. They sell a pack of 4 partially baked demi-baguettes for £1. Yes, £1! So I broke one of those suckers out and baked for a couple minutes so it was mostly baked. I took it out of the oven, sliced it lengthwise, and topped first with some sliced Murcia, then with some chopped dried cranberries (1tsp) and coarsely broken walnuts (3). I drizzled with a little olive oil, and baked for a bit (I wasn't paying attention. Remember how I told you the term "recipe" really has no place in my vocab? Case in point.) until the cheese was melted and the bread had pretty golden edges. Wanna see a picture? I'm going to show you anyway.

The before...











...and the after! Doesn't that look deeeeelicious?










Oh and a big thanks to boardie friends for asking me if I ran today! I did indeed! 4.4km in 38 minutes. It was my first day out since my race a week ago, and it was pretty warm outside, so I didn't push it too much.

Basically, today was a good day.

on APs...

I've been a slacker this week. Yes, my tracker says I've earned 8APs since Friday, but they're kind of (in my opinion) fake APs. As in, I've been tracking any walking I'm doing as long as it's more than 10 minutes. But I don't really feel like I deserve to track that, because I do a lot of walking and most of the time I don't bother tracking it. I can tell I've been slacking in the AP department when I start tracking my walking. Boo hiss.

Yes, I wanted to heal my legs. But they don't hurt anymore. That means I have no more excuses! And really, I do enjoy running.
<----see? I love running! (Taken after my first 5k in Greenwich Park last weekend)





Do me a favor guys. Tomorrow, ask me if I ran! With any luck, I'll be able to tell you that it rocked, instead of mumbling something about the casserole burning and having to cut our conversation short...

happy dad's day!

<----my dad, and some random person I swear I've never seen in my life. I'm in a different country from my dad. This makes me sad. (Look at me, I made a rhyme!) Some people may think I'm crazy, but I really kind of need to talk to him like, every day. Yes, I'm 25 and an adult. But also, I love my parents. So if that makes me crazy, so be it. I would like to take a moment and thank my dad for a few things: *for always apologizing first *for passing on a teensy bit of neurosis before traveling, which has spread to pretty much every aspect of my life.
*for being an awesome cook (he's modest so he won't admit this, but really he's pretty dang good) and teaching me how to be a total foodie.
*for teaching me how to spend money while complaining about not having any.
*for the hilarious conversation, quick wit and sending text messages at the dinner table.
*for always looking out for me, even when it seemed at the time as though he just wanted to make my life miserable.
*for putting up with me for 25 years. Although let's face it, we both know he loves it.

Love ya dad!

people i love

I don't really have anything to write about today, but I feel like writing.

You know what makes for good filler material?

PICTURES! Lots of pictures. Pictures of people. People whom I love. People who make up my life in London.

This is Lauren. She gets her own picture. Lauren was my first friend in London and I'm pretty sure life would have been really super boring without her. Also the people she lives with. I'll get to them, too.


Readers, meet roommates! Technically, they're not my roommates. But kind of, they are. We have a nice setup: I cook for them, they let me sleep on their couch when it's late and I'm lazy. It's a pretty sweet deal.


Look mom, I have friends! I love these pictures. It's like, kind of candid, but kind of not. It's just happy.

I love happy.

two things

Happy Friday!

First, I was down 2lbs at WI this morning. *hears crowd cheering and clapping* I'm so stinkin' close to the next decade, I was actually disappointed when I first looked at the scale. Now, I'm over it. Next week I won't just dip a toe into the 180's, I'll do like, a super long jump. Just you wait. It's going to be fantastic.

Second, I keep meaning to take pictures as I make my breakfast. My breakfast is awesome. If Wheaties hadn't stolen "breakfast of champions" I would totally use that to describe my breakfast. The problem is, my breakfast is so awesome that I get so excited and eat it before I remember I was going to take pictures to post. *sigh* Next time. Maybe today I'll tell you all about my lunch instead. Because really, whatever I make is the [insert meal here] of champions.

confessions of a shopaholic

Right.

So remember how I told you yesterday I'm easily distracted? Today I went shopping, because I desperately need a new pair of jeans. I generally have one pair of jeans at a time. I wear them almost every day, and I wear them down until I need a new pair. I went to the Gap because I love their Curvy fit jeans - they were totally made for me. I could just go into the store, pick a pair off the shelf and take them to the register. But is that what I did today?

No. No I did not.

Not only did I leave without a pair of jeans, but I left with a new dress. I mean, it's super cute and I love it and I'm going to wear it lots, but in no way, shape or form does dress = jeans.

But wait! There's more!

I love Kensington High St. There are like, a billion awesome stores to shop in. Most are out of my price range, so I admire from afar. But right next to the Gap is H&M, which is possibly my favorite store here. Way better than in the States. Did I even look at the jeans? No. But I bought two shirts! I promise, I'll wear them. You can never have enough simple, everyday shirts right? *This is the point where you just nod your head in agreement because I'm not going to listen anyway if you try and tell me otherwise* And besides, for £3 each, who wouldn't buy them?

Thankfully I had the willpower not to walk into Whole Foods, and walk home instead. I could have done some serious damage in there. But that's another story for another day.

who am i?

<---- that's me. Just in case you care. I wanted to find some crazy picture that really depicts how awesome and fabulous and fun I am, but I settled on one that's actually pretty. Or at least I think so. You do too, right? Right? That's what I thought. So maybe I should start off with a little bit about me. Ya know, create a connection with my readers, or whatever. I'm in London right now for grad school. I've been here since last October and will be here until this October. I absolutely love it here, and if I had no attachments at home I would totally stay. But I kind of love my family, and my friends, and my boyfriend, and that's enough to love home more than London. I love food. I love talking about it, cooking it, and eating it. I'll pretty much eat anything except for peas. I can't stand peas. You may be thinking "you're crazy! They're not so bad." No, they really are. I have to pick them out of my food if they're in there to begin with. As I am a self-proclaimed foodie, I'm sure most of my posts will include food in some way, shape or form. Don't worry, I'll include pictures so you're not bored to death. I love music. I think it makes the world go 'round. My dad once asked me if my headphones were surgically attached to my ears. I grew up playing in the band and orchestra in school, so I have a soft spot for orchestral music. It makes me happy, no matter what's going on in my day. Sometimes I conduct the music I'm listening to. People I pass on the street must think I'm crazy, but I love it. I am also that person who has to sing along with every song on the radio, because not only do I love to sing, but I have quite the knack for memorizing things. As a kid I would impress people by reciting phone numbers. I could also tell who you were calling by listening to the tone of each number you pressed on the phone. But I digress...

If I could combine food and music into a career, I would be in heaven. We'll see how that one goes...

I'm currently following the WeightWatchers program online, so expect posts about health and weight loss and all that good stuff. I'll try and post points values for any recipes I make as well, just in case any of my boardie buddies are reading, and feel compelled to try out one of my "recipes" (I use this term loosely because I measure loosely. It's just a hassle).

I get sidetracked easily. Like this post - it's taking me an inordinately long time to write because I keep getting lost in my thoughts. I can't promise any regularity in posting for this reason. But I'll do my best.

a little bit o' life

And go!

I decided to start a blog. But what to write about? There are so many options! I love options, but I hate choosing. Hence the title, "All of the Above." I'm not going to choose, and you're just going to have to deal with that!

I promise, I'll try and keep it interesting.