Hello beautiful people.

How’s it going? Thanks for your thoughts on yesterday’s manifesto on lady issues. Clearly, it’s something I feel strongly about, but there are definitely multiple sides to the issue. I think the most important takeaway is to remember that everyone is fighting a hard battle, and we should all be on the front lines of attack for our fellow gal pals.

But moving on.

Welcome to Friday! I hope your week has been splendid, and you’re getting all Spring-fevery with all the flowers, racing, and sunshine in the air. Had my previous agenda not been changed, I would be gearing up to hit the road tomorrow for Oregon for the Eugene Marathon. And I admit…I’m a little bit sad this isn’t the case. Am I glad I got an extra week of training? Definitely…especially in terms of letting my knee get better. But, I was/am really hoping to do this race—and I’m getting sad with all the emails I’m still receiving about the expo and my virtual race packet.

Oh well, next year Eugene.

As for now, I’m easing into the depths of taperdom. That’s an actual place, I’ll have you know, and it involves a lot of sleep, a lot of eating, and a lot of on-again off-again nervous stomach. I’m wavering back and forth between feeling really amped and really nauseated—which is normal, except that it’s still over a week away and the real taper anxious energy hasn’t even started yet. Be warned, if you come across my path next Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, I might scream at you in a fit of unused-endorphins-induced rage. I apologize in advance for any violent Tweets, blog posts, comments, or general anxious energy I throw into the universe.

Okay, it might not be that bad. But when you put together a unhealthfully competitive person, a hilly marathon, and the potential for a PR—you get a groveling, weepy, bagel-stuffed Bird.

BF, all I can say is I’m glad you’re also racing so if you need to run away from me you have an excuse.

Truthfully, I am feeling pretty good about how things are shaping up. My knee started hurting again a bit, which is annoying, but it seems that as long as I do a lot of hamstring stretching and knee icing, I’m keeping it mostly at bay. At this point though, I’ll be racing no matter what— inflamed bursa or not.

Enough of this banter though, Friday Favorites is the name of the game today, and onward we go!

iPod Shuffle

I recently made the switch to this little baby from my old nano for running, and I cannot believe I hadn’t done so earlier. The nano was fine, but the ease in not having it strapped to my arm and having the cord dangling and flailing about it infinitely more enjoyable. Also, since I’ve been going back and forth between music-running and non-music-running, this makes the transition much easier.

Gossip Girl

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.

Yes I still watch Gossip Girl, and yes I still love it.

Do I get really pissed at the characters as if they’re people I actually know? You betcha. I’m right there along with the high-school girls who gather together on Monday nights for a “OMG SO SCANDALOUS!” viewing session.

In case you used to watch, and have since given up due to never-ending story lines and Serena being annoying (I don’t blame you), allow me to give you a few snipits of info for what’s currently going down in the “Upper East Side.”

Dan sucks, he really needs to cut his hair, and his pretentiousness has gone up about 1000%. He wrote a NYT bestseller and then basically cried when it went to number 11. GET OVER YOURSELF DAN.

Blair and Chuck aren’t together, and I hate it. They writers know this is all anyone cares about anymore, therefore they are intent on making it not happen, thus ensuring I will continue to watch vying for the next big pent-up sex scene between these two.

Serena really really sucks, which seems to be the case since the first season ended.

Jenny is off the show, so is Vanessa.

Elizabeth Hurley is a guest star this season, which is kind of weird. She and Nate hook up, which obviously I’m jealous of, but the age separation is a bit much. She’s hot, but there’s really only so much you can cover up with makeup and way-too-tight dresses, Liz.

That’s all that matters, which obviously is very little. And yet, my DVR continues to record this show, and I continue to cuddle up with anticipation to watch it.

Maybe I’ll grow up someday, but not now.

xoxo

50 Shades of Grey

I realize I’m way behind the ball on this one, but I do have a funny little thing that happened when I innocently—promise!—decided to start this book.

As I was perusing my Nook’s suggested reads, I came across this book and the title was super familiar. I knew this book was all the buzz among people my age, and obviously it was selling like hot-cakes, so I decided to go for it. Why not? It’s probably decent—and the title sounds like it could be some interesting modern writing, hey…maybe even some innovative prose and highlight-worthy lines.

WRONG.

This is a sex book. I started reading, and while it wasn’t the most cryptic or advanced writing, it was interesting enough. The further along I went, I quickly realized that it was actually the hot-and-heavy, explicitly detailed bedroom scenes that made this book so popular. This is definitely the kind of book I would have hidden from mom—just like Forever by Judy Blume. Did anyone read that?! I credit that book for teaching my 11-year-old self about what sex actually entailed. None of Judy’s other books are like that, and let me tell you—I read that naughty little paperback cover-to-cover at least 5 times.

Moving back to the point, obviously I’m going to finish the 50 Shades of Grey series.

Red Robin

Anyone who says they don’t like Red Robin is lying to themselves. And if you are, in fact, one of these Red Robin naysayers, you probably shouldn’t be reading my blog—and you should instead be in confession for blasphemy.

Was that inappropriate?

Oh well, most of this post has been about gossipy teens and dirty sex books, so let’s just continue along that thread.

Now back to the burgers. It is safe to say that I never actually order a burger at a restaurant except for Red Robin. Also, I probably only ever go once or twice a year, because let’s face it—it takes about that long to digest a meal from RR. But oh do I love those few and far between excursions I do get to take.

Red Robin has been a family favorite ever since they plopped themselves down in the center of Colorado Springs (my hometown), and I can remember the sheer joy of hearing we’d get to go their for dinner.

In reality, the food is good, not incredible, but it’s the whole atmosphere that makes RR the Happiest Place On Earth II (obv Disneyland is number 1, do you know me at all?). The bottomless freckled lemonade, the balloons, the french fry baskets, and the super annoying but addicting “Happy Birthday” jingle they sing no less than 10 times per trip are what make Red Robin an amusement park of a restaurant.

____

Okay, we’re done for this week…I hope I didn’t frighten you too much with my tapering, over-the-top GG coverage, and adoration of RR bacon cheeseburgers.

I’d like to say GOOD LUCK!! to everyone racing in Eugene, and Big Sur, and everywhere else this weekend. I know you all will crush it, and remember to run your race and enjoy every minute of it!

TELL ME YOUR FAVORITE THINGS! Or, tell me something from your childhood—either a book, a movie, a tv show, etc.—that made you feel “grown up.”

Have a great weekend!