7 Things

Happy Monday! We got an amazing delivery to kick-off the weekend 🤩

Our new Nordictrack came in and it took us a few hours to get it inside the house and set it up (the delivery drivers had to drop it outside the home because of COVID). It wasn’t too bad (we got it all inside before it started pouring rain) to carry everything in with two of us (thankfully Alex is very strong) and put it together. We also celebrated our 6th date-aversary with dinner take-out from our favorite little Italian restaurant-Vitos. I’m really just a huge fan because of their cannolis (although everything is honestly spectacular).

And yes, we watched Jeopardy while eating dinner. Normally we eat at the table, but splurged and watched TV with our dinner. I got a new iPhone Saturday (11 Pro) and wow, are the photos just amazing. I really feel like a professional photographer when I snap a photo in portrait mode 😂

I’m almost finished with Running Home by Katie Arnold and wow, does this book really want me to run another ultramarathon. How she describes the longer distance races is exactly how I feel.

Got our fill of Apple Cider donuts on Thursday (we went to the Apple Orchard again with my Grandmother this time) and I’m just really wishing October will never end.

They also taste really good after a long-run (FYI 🙃). We got out Sunday morning for a hike out to Rattlesnake Pool near Evans Notch. We didn’t see any rattlesnakes (thankfully), but this gorge was amazing.

Finished the weekend with my usual Sunday afternoon 8-mile loop and Core Strength with the Peloton App (just finished the 4-week core challenge!). It’s just a sea of orange leaves around here and I love it. I start my new job today, so feeling excited/ nervous/ ready to get through the week-long orientation and into a groove of 12-hour shifts.

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-How was your weekend?
-Favorite Italian dessert?

-Anyone else getting the itch to race again? Tips for curbing it?

7 Things

Happy Monday! I’m on week 2 of my fun-employment and can’t believe how fast time has gone. I begin my new full-time RN position next week and cannot be more excited. Almost as excited/ nervous as I was when I had my first banana split this summer.

The foliage here right now is just the best. I love Fall in New England.

I took a break from listening to Running podcasts while I was studying for my Nursing Boards and now it feels so nice to catch back up on my favorites. Also- just running right now feels pretty great. I ran 41 miles this week and hoping to hit another 40+ this week!

Coffee and a good book in the mornings is one of my favorite things. If I had like 5 hours each morning I think it would always be filled with coffee, reading, journaling, yoga, & Running. What would you do with an in-interrupted 5 hours each morning?

Running Home is such a good book so far. There are many passages that resonate with me and why I run. Including this one:

I’m definitely a competitive person and miss those in-person races! I signed up for one next month, but then realized that I work until 7:30 the morning of the race (so that certainly won’t work). I love the thrill of chasing others and those post-race endorphins. The virtual 5k that I did this weekend was fun, but I have a really hard time running really fast on my own!

When they cuddle like this, my heart just melts into a million pieces. I mean- how can you not think that’s adorable?!

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• How was your weekend?

• Anyone else miss racing in-person or have advice for pushing yourself in virtual races?

• Banana splits- tell me your thoughts!

7 Things

Happy Monday! I’m in denial that it’s no longer the weekend and still wish that we were at the Basin like we were on Labor Day. Why can’t it just be long weekends every week?!?

I remember having jobs when I first got out of college where I was so spoiled and had EVERY Friday off. I really need to make that a priority again in the future. We also went camping Labor Day night (perks of both working from home right now- we don’t need to start work until 9am so we have the flexibility of going places on work nights)!

This was the first-time camping without Stella and it was really sad. She loved camping more than anything and she was definitely missed. We did get up extra early to catch the sunrise before heading home and that was so nice. Especially with a side of fresh brewed coffee.

It’s just been a whole lotta studying for my nursing boards around here lately. I learned so much information the past 15 months and if I think about how much I still have to learn-> it definitely gets my heart rate going! I’m trying to just stay focused and utilize my review platforms and stick to my study schedule.

We kicked off the weekend with our first APPLE PICKING of the season! I love love love being able to go apple picking again after not having any options when we were in Colorado. First sign of Fall for me = apple orchards opening.

So ofcourse I then had to go out and decorate our home with all. the.fall.things and pick-up some Mums to plant. It’s the little things like decorating for each season that brings me SO MUCH JOY. Anyone else feel this way?

Also running has started to pick-up for me again lately. I hit a burn-out spot this summer (especially with crazy school hours/ clinical hours/ working), but finally starting to hit my stride. 8 miles on Sunday and 9 miles on the bike for a nice little Sunday Funday workout. I’m in the midst of a 5k training plan (virtual race is the beginning of October) and thinking about maybe signing up for an in-person race in November (with all the precautions, of-course). Anyone else getting the itch to race in a safe environment?!

I also broke-out all of my Fall/Winter gear (including my bulky sweaters and mittens), so I am prepared. Also tried to pack Brady away, but Alex talked me out of it…

At least we have this little cutie to balance the other naughty one out. Thankful for the cats to help us work-through losing Stella. They are certainly getting extremely spoiled now.

7 Things

I’m back again for what seems like my monthly posting! I have less than 3 weeks left of classes, so hoping to make my blog posts more regular again. Life has been completely crazy this past month with my nursing senior practicum at the hospital (night shifts!), but I finished my last one this morning. Cheers to no longer having to look like a smurf & maybe a week without mask-ne (the masks we have to wear during our 12 hour shift causes me to break out in crazy acne)

We’ve been biking together so much lately & I love it. It’s amazing how much farther you can get when you’ve got two wheels!

We ate-out for the first time since the pandemic started & it was so nice! We wore masks to our table (we ate at the Old Saco Inn) & then took them off. The Chicken Piccata was amazing (& leftovers just as good)!

Every time I feel like I’m heat-acclimated, I run in crazy humid weather and become very humbled. I know running this Fall will so good once those cooler temperatures come.

We took the kayaks out last week and it’s so nice being out on the water after dinner. It’s quieter on the water and so serene.

It’s funny when this is actually your “nights “ sleep (when I have back-to-back night shifts I sleep during the daytime)

Really enjoying splurging on coffee Oreo ice cream lately. So so good. Maybe my favorite flavor?

Just a daily dose of Manx kitty cuteness.

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-What’s your favorite Ice Cream flavor?
-How much sleep do you get each night?
-Biking or running- tell me your favorite way to get around

7 Things

We’re still working through the donut-shaped birthday cake. Still not sick of it.

We celebrated my Birthday on Friday night since I worked until 10pm on Thursday (my original Birthday). We got all dressed up in what-would-have-been our Wedding Rehearsal dinner outfits and picked up Italian take-out from the BEST restaurant (Vito’s in North Conway if anyone ever goes there-amazing). Ate it while playing Italian playlist on Amazon Music and a glass of wine. Also- split the cannoli and tiramisu for dessert. So so good. Also it just felt really good to ‘put on real clothes’ even if we were just going to be in the car!

We’ve been keeping a few extra boxes out on the porch for the cats and apparently Maple approves? e

I have finals next week so did mostly studying this past weekend and making up a bunch of notecards. One of my classes has over 250 slides for a non-cumulative last exam= a whole lotta notecards.

We also picked up a bunch of paint to do our living room, kitchen, and bathroom (& maybe laundry room). We’ve been putting off getting paint for weeks now, but I got to Lowe’s basically right as they opened on Sunday morning and was the first in line (so not as bad as we were originally thinking)! We’ve also been doing a grocery run every 2 weeks so it’s been nice to know that we don’t have to go this week.

Alex got two of our garden boxes put together and I think they look great. Woodworking definitely is not my area of expertise so I’m thankful that he’s able to do these! Can’t wait for fresh veggies in a few months.

I had one of the best long runs I’ve had in a while yesterday. It was pouring rain, windy, and 37*, but it was awesome. I ran on the bike path so I wouldn’t have to deal with any cars (it’s also flatter) and did: 3 mile warm-up/ 3 miles @ 7:45 (7:46 actual)/ 3 miles @ 7:30 (7:33 actual)/ 3 miles down. Also started a new round of strength exercises yesterday and figured out my route that I’m going to be running my 26.2 mile run next month which is exciting!