Today was full of random moments – little things that made the day interesting. Rather than attempt a coherent post, please enjoy the Cliff Notes version of my day!
The morning sun.
It wasn’t exactly sunny, but for the first time in forever, I took a photo of my breakfast in natural light.
Photographers speak of the glory of natural light. Clearly, I am not a photographer. My breakfast really wasn’t blue. In fact, it was a beautiful jar filled with a voluminous banana oats. I stirred in an egg white at the end for staying power, which really fluffed things up. Perfect, protein-packed, almond buttery goodness!
The snowy day.
As I slowly ate my oats, I peered out the window. The light of day made one thing very apparent. Rhode Island got their very first snow of the season…on November 8th! What?!
An interesting surprise! I was glad I didn’t have a morning workout planned. I’d rather ease into the winter weather. By the time I got out there, the snow had turned to slush. I didn’t even have to break out the scraper. Close call.
Hair 9-1-1.
While I got lucky with snow, I didn’t get so lucky getting ready for work. The story I’m about to tell is scary. It’s scary because it involves two major players – my hair and smoke. Like any other morning, I broke out the blow dryer and got to work on my mane. If you know me, you know that my hair is a big deal. I take my routine pretty seriously. So I went along brushing and blow drying…
*sniff* *sniff* *sniff*
Something wasn’t right. Something was burning. I immediately turned off the dryer. As I lowered the brush, I saw my hair. Tufts of my thick, blonde hair were singed and falling in the sink. I did not have the presence of mind to take a photo. Instead, I freaked out, cried a bit, and tried to patch things up.
It just looks like normal layers, right? Right? Spare me the truth. It’s in the back. I don’t have to look at it, so it’s best if I believe that it’s not so bad. Closer call.
Good news.
Despite the small catastrophe, I pulled myself together and braved the stormy day. It turned out to be a good one! This afternoon I got a lovely email from Melinda Hinson Neely. Melinda is a busy woman who writes and blogs while running a business and plenty of marathons! Melinda’s latest venture involves a book for first-time marathoners. As a part of her research, she interviewed me for her blog. The interview went LIVE today! Check it out here. I love reliving that day.
Work it.
Maybe it was the rough morning or the mid-day email that gave me a surge of motivation. After work I enjoyed a fabulous non-running workout. I warmed up on the elliptical for twenty minutes and then took an ab-blasting Pilates class. I could feel the burn and I loved it! Running made some muscles so strong, but a few others turned to jello during training. The body has amazing muscle memory, though, and I can feel those muscles coming back to life!
Chilly chili.
I needed something filling and satisfying tonight. I needed it to be tasty, yet easy to prepare. Enter chili.
I based my chili off this Real Simple recipe. I always change the recipe up a bit – tonight I added corn – but it’s my favorite base for a quick, one-pot meal. Topped with some crunchy blue corn chips and shredded cheese, dinner hit the spot!
Phew! I am ready to hit the hay. It’s so dark – the perfect excuse to go to bed early!
How was your Monday?
Are your mornings crazy or relaxed? I like relaxing mornings, but I always find myself rushing. It’s tough to plan for your hair catching on fire.
