I'm taking my laptop to get repaired, so please understand that I'm away from my email for the next 7 to 10 days.
So glad I bought that extended warranty.
First off friday i swam 2 miles, finishing off the 37. 5 mile swim and starting it again. It felt great, - Jack came and we swam together, plus I had 1/2 a lane to my self until the last 12 laps so I was happy.
Saturday came and while Jack and Megan went on a bike ride with friends, I headed to an outlet mall to find Megan some new dresses. Jack and I went out saturday night and had lovely dinner at Elbe. The rest of our evening is classified.
Sunday came and after breakfast at our favorite diner Jack and Megan headed to the pool to play with friends and I went to see Music & Lyrics- which I throughly enjoyed. Drew was great, and Hugh was his normal character self - Very Very funny.
Megan and I then drove Jack to the airport - he has a business trip this week, and she cried half way there and all the way home. She was very cute giving him a little stuffed bunny to take with him so that he wouldn't be alone. By the time we got home she told me she was too sad to play with our Wii but once I assured her we'd pick daddy up together she decided she could in fact play.
After dinner she and i had some hot cocoa and watched the opening of the Oscars. I got 14 right, Jack 11 - this is my best year guessing and i didn't even see half the movies. The only bummer was that Gore didn't announce and said he wouldn't. I really like him, and would have gladly voted for him again.
With today's swim of 2 miles, I only have 1 more mile to go in the swim. I can't believe I was scared I wouldn't have time to finish.
I will have 25 more days at the pool till the deadline so I might try to swim it again - My typical swim now is 1.5 miles with a couple of 2 miles swims a week usually. Though I planned to cut that down to just once a week, Even then I should be able to do it again if all 25 days are 1.5 miles. We'll see - maybe I can do the swim twice.
Last night Jack and i had a date. Megan spent the evening at the Little Gym's parent survival night. I made us reservations at Nouvelle Bistro. Last december while shopping for an outfit for Jack's company xmas party I found a top I loved. I didn't buy i though cause it was crazy expensive. After the holiday I was back at the same store and it was on sale for $29 and in my size so I bought it, and have been saving it for just such a night. Then last week, after noticing my jeans were all getting too loose (yeah me!) I bought the next size down - they didn't have the jeans in the cut I liked so I bought a pair of black pants and a pair of tan ones. So I planned for our night to wear the cute top with the tan pants.
The night was going fine until I got in the car and looked down - I had never sat in the shirt and when I sat the bust opened exposing me! I looked down shrieked and then ran in and changed my shirt. We still had a lovely night - but i'm so bummed about the shirt that should have been great.
I just got a letter and a pin from the American Red Cross - apparently I'm officially a gallon donor - didn't know it was coming but I guess it makes since.
I've been donating off and on since my mom died - in her honor at first and then just cause they won't leave me and my A- blood alone, but really it makes me some how feel closer to her. Really when you consider that's only 8 pints and she died in 99 - its really taken me a while, but time off for having Megan and nursing and the whole anemic vegetarian thing I guess i'm amazed I've done a gallon.
I'm schedule to donate on friday after I swim in the morning.
I'm not one for war movies usually. The lack of females, the ultra violence - it just doesn't speak to me. But I understand their place in telling history, and some Like "Saving Private Ryan" stay with me long after I saw them.
Film club sunday screened Indigenes which has been renamed "Day's Of Glory" For its American release. Its a french film about African soldiers who came to France's call and fought against the germans during WW1, and yet they were marginalized and treated unfairly. Its a very moving piece, incredibly well made.
Apparently when Jacque Chirac viewed the movie with his wife, she leaked to the press that he'd better do something about the pensions for the foreign soldiers, and he did, ordering pensions paid to foreign french fighters equal that of native french military. It's costing the french government millions. This all happened when the film opened in France so its been a big hit there. Unfortunately unless it wins the oscar for best foreign film, it'll only ever be seen in limited release here.
I recommend it. Its not a light film, but its thought provoking and deeply moving.
We made a roast chicken last night, It was really delicious but really really complicated. I'll try again with a few less steps.
Basically we brined the bird then used a rosemary and garlic rub. We roasted it at a high temp for 30 mins, then lowered it for another 30. The chicken was tasty and moist - really really good. But I think we could have accomplished the same thing at a lower temp with out smoking out the house. Also the Au Jus on the side would have made a great gravy if i'd thickened it, so i'll do that next time too.
Tonight we had over some friends for dinner. I made Pan seared steaks 4 mins on a side, (London Broil Cut) with a red wine (Thyme, shallot, broth and butter) sauce. To go with it I made Broiled asparagus with a Balsamic Reduction, and a salad with a really lovely homemade dressing (in the salad was mixed greens, grape tomatoes, hearts of palm, caramelized onions, walnuts, avocado, carrots, and celery.
Jack made lava cake for dessert - truly wonderful chocolately goodness. The kids all ate a pizza we threw together.
I set out today to swim 2 miles. After doing it monday and having it kick my butt I figured I'd not do it again, but then I spent the last few days thinking about it - wanting it and so today I did it !
How strange that just a few months ago - last sept/Oct I was worried that I wouldn't be able to even swim 1 mile in time for the swim-a-thon - let alone 2 miles in one sitting.
Jack and I both love to cook, and for years we delighted in cooking. In Australia we worked on perfecting Pizza, and being Vegetarians we got really creative.
But since Megan we'd hit a rut. Lots of Pasta, Lots of pizza, Lots and lots of the same oh same oh. But now Jack is eating meat we've spent the last couple of weeks delighting in new foods. I've decided to share some of our cooking success with you, starting with Dinner tonight.
Tonight we made Fajitas. Since the weather isn't great I pan seared the skirt steak. When it was done it sat covered on a plate absorbing some fresh lime juice while I cooked up the onions and peppers in chili pepper tabasco and cumin.
I also made some fresh guacamole. - Let me just say this was the best fajitas i've ever had.
I need to start working more with the dogs- they don't do anything like this...
I don't want Jack to take any offense to what i'm about to say but...
(Don't you just love things that start that way?)
I thought the man was insane - He would get so into exercise that that was all he talked about - he would live and breath it and I who was never into it would just go bonkers. Add to that the fact that I never got why people would do marathons, or swim around Key West, or hike the Appellation trail (or Hike period!) I just figured I wasn't give the gene that made me want to exercise.
But now I'm hooked. I can't imagine my life with out it.
Last week I swam M T W F and did my work out video M, W, Th, Sat 2 times with a Hike on Tuesday and Yoga on friday night. I look back at my log and I'm amazed with myself and yet... when I took Sunday to rest my body - I ended up in the yard pulling out a bush (with Jack's able assistance) because the thought of sitting still all day made me cringe. I actually did a bunch of cleaning up in the yard, and I washed both dogs.
I can't say this enough - it feels good. Really really good.
I decided this morning to swim a mile and a half. The first mile went smoothly, I spent it dealing with my head phones which wouldn't stay on and switching between the fast and the slow lane depending on the number of swimmers. At the end of the mile I felt great and figured I'd go ahead.
I did the next half mile with very little trouble, and by now the pool had cleared and I was splitting the fast lane with another swimmer. All was right with the world. Ended that half mile and still felt great so I decided to go for 2 ... Jack does it all the time so why not me ...
Well it all went ok but by the 1 and 3/4 I was pooped. I could barely get my arms out of the water for that last 1/4 mile, But I did it and though I didn't have any energy left - not even to walk over to the Jacuzzi I did have a nice long hot shower before picking Megan up at school.
I'll probably add the half a mile regularly but i'll keep the 2 miles for when I really want to kick my own ass.
Megan is sick, Fever, Cough stuffy nose. Its all there. She stayed at home today while Jack worked from home so I could go pick up our new over the stove exhaust fan, swim my mile, and return some stuff to Target.
Our weekend was supposed to be entertain friends tonight, go out with sitter coming tomorrow, and then entertain a group on sunday for the superbowl. We've basically canceled all the entertaining and told the sitter if she didn't want to come over we understood, but she's decided she still will come, so we'll still be able to go out, if Megan is feeling up to it.
We enjoyed a few movies with Megan - We watched Spirited Away today and then Megan watched Alice in wonderland for the first time.