Walk it Out.

Fro-Yo & Sun Hats. Summer has arrived.

Alice and I did a lot of walking yesterday.  Some of it was intentional, some of it was not.  You will probably think No duh! when I say this but life with a baby is totally unpredictable.  You always have to be ready for the unexpected!  Of course I am still learning this concept but I am pretty proud of myself for starting to anticipate the needs of this little kid.  I am definitely getting better at reading her cues!  For the most part, anyway.

Walk number one was unintentional.  Alice had a tasty morning snack, we read The Cat in the Hat while she digested her food and then it was time to load her up in the stroller for my morning run.  Diaper was changed.  WubbaNub Giraffe was on hand.  We were ready to go.  It is par for the course for Alice to whimper and whine a little as we head out the door but this time she started to get a little more worked up.  No problem, I thought.  She'll mellow out after a block or two.  She always does.  But not this time.  Oh no!  Her crying got more and more persistent and frantic in spite of my efforts to calm her as we walked.  I think I missed the I'm tired. I need a nap now! window by like five minutes which caused her to go into the I am so pissed that I'm still awake mode.  Not good.  I realized that my efforts to calm her while in the stroller were in vain so I took her wailing little body out of the stroller and held her tightly feeling that lovely mommy guilt for letting her get that out of control.  I rocked and shushed her for a few minutes while a group of construction workers wondered what the hell I had done to my kid because she was still screaming at the top of her lungs.  I thought for sure my run was not going to happen but then I remembered that I had stowed the baby carrier in her stroller the last time I used it.  Salvation!!  She loves being in that thing!  I strapped a still crying Alice into the baby carrier and started walking.  After just a few steps her crying subsided and she was fast asleep on my chest.  And I am sure we were a site to see... frazzled chick in running clothes carrying her baby while pushing an empty jogging stroller.  Fortunately I was able to ease Alice back into her stroller after a few blocks when she was sufficiently asleep and we finished our run.

Walk number two was purely selfish on my part.  Alice had just awoken from a nap.  I wanted frozen yogurt.  So off we went.  Strawberry and coconut fro-yo with strawberries, blueberries, shredded coconut and crushed graham crackers.  Um, delicious!

And walk number three was an experiment.  Remember how well Alice did the other night when we took her out for a walk just before bedtime?  I decided to try it again tonight rather than jostle and walk her in circles around our apartment.  So back in the baby carrier Alice went and we were out the door for an evening stroll.  And she loved it!  She stayed awake for a few blocks, looking at the trees and listening to the traffic and then drifted off for a quick pre-bedtime nap.  No evening meltdown or witching hour in site.

(Non) Garmin stats: Yesterday = 3.5 miles/?? minutes, including some seriously steep hills.  My run was almost thwarted by a cranky baby but quick thinking by this mommy saved the day.  Hooray!  And... P.S.  I am STILL sore from my Monday & Tuesday workouts.

Summer Cocktails.

Hello Mojitos. I've missed you...

When I walked into the grocery store this morning I could practically smell this mint from across the produce department.  Instantly, I was reminded of Mojitos and summertime!  Since you know how much I love to buy local, I was so excited to see that this mint came from neighboring New Jersey!  The limes, though?  Mexico (wah, wah).  You can't win 'em all.

I will be attempting to make my own SkinnyGirl version of the Mojito using this recipe by cutting the amount of sugar in half.  We'll see if I still love them with just a fraction of the sweetness.

Any fun plans for the weekend?  What is your go-to summer cocktail?  The weather is supposed to be beautiful in Boston this weekend.  We'll be out in it, for sure.  As far as summer cocktails go, you can never go wrong with the Mojito, the Dark & Stormy, or an always refreshing Gin & Tonic.

Garmin stats: 4 miles/34-ish minutes + wall squats with a Pilates ring between thighs (one minute in squat position, followed by a minute of rest x 5)... it burns so good).  You are going to think I am crazy but I still haven't charged up my Garmin post-pregnancy.  You know why?  I tend to get a little competitive with myself and the miles-per-minute so, rather than focusing on how fast I am running, I am working on running by feel while I ease back into running after an almost nine-month hiatus.  Smart, right?

It's Friday!

 Alice has Mommy's elf ears. No doubt.

We are preparing for my husband's return from China today.  Baking these awesome cookies.  Making these delicious meatballs.  And cleaning house so that we can enjoy a nice weekend together with no chores.  I swear Alice has grown like a weed in the few days that my husband has been away.  She seems so much more alert and sociable and tolerant (hallelujah!!).  I am excited to see if Lee thinks so, too.

We talked a little about this yesterday in my Mommy class.  What are your thoughts on birth control after pregnancy?  Any experience with the Rhythm Method?  Sorry, TMI.  I really don't want to take The (dreaded) Pill.  But is the Rhythm Method synonymous with ooooops-we're-pregnant-again?!

Garmin stats:  4 miles/32 minutes (8 min/mile!!) and 40 walking lunges + 40 crab-walk lunges.  No stroller.  No baby!  Alice stayed home with Grama Barb.  My first time running post-pregnancy without baby in me or in front of me! 

Welcome Weekend!

Photo Friday. Views from our morning run.

Welcome weekend!

  It is so nice to see you.  

We miss you during the Monday thru Friday madness.

Being at home alone with a newborn is tough!
But now Dad will be around to lend a hand.

To comfort a crying baby!

To deal with a diaper blowout.

To let Mom pee & shower in peace.

And, of course....

So we can spend time together.

Our little family of three.

That's my favorite part of the weekend.

What's yours?

Garmin stats: 4 miles/?? minutes + walking lunges.  And I feel great!  Time to bust out the Garmin to see those blazing 10 minutes per mile in action!  I'll get back to the sub-8 minute/miles eventually.  I mean, I will, right?!

 

Unmoving Scale.

Alice enjoying a riveting book. It's a page-turner!

An update on my quest to lose the baby weight.  I'll admit... the scale hasn't changed all that much since my last post.  Like we're talking only about 0.2 pounds in two weeks.  What the eff?  I do think my non-maternity clothes are fitting better, though, and I am able to pull up and button pants that I wasn't able to at my initial weigh-in so something is happening but why in the hell have I not lost any more weight?  Especially since I am breastfeeding, which supposedly burns an extra 500 calories a day!  I have heard the terrible rumors, though, that if you are breastfeeding your body holds onto 5 to 10 pounds of pregnancy weight as a safety net for milk production.  Um, hi.  If that's true, it is ridiculously cruel.  I mean, I just spent the last NINE months with a growing waistline and widening body parts, I do not need my body to force me to carry around those last few pounds for a little longer.  So mean!  

I know it has only been just under five weeks since Alice was born but, as you know, patience isn't one of my strong suits.  And the summer season is coming up with sun dresses and tank tops and swim suits and shorts and I'd like to look good for all of that.  Hey.  At least I admit that I am vain. 

 

Did you have difficulty losing those last 5 to 10 pregnancy pounds?  Okay.  Fine.  I haven't been a saint with what I have been eating but overall, I think we eat pretty healthy at our house.  Maybe if I cut out that daily beer with dinner I'd lose this weight a bit faster.  Hmmmm.  Nah.  I'll cut something else out instead.

Garmin stats: Yesterday - 4 miles/?? minutes + walking lunges.  Today - 30 minutes of yoga + arm workout with free weights.  I'm sore from those lunges!  It hurts so good.

Beer! Baby.

Non-Garmin stats:  I'm bringing the stats back, baby!  And now that I have officially done my first post-baby run, maybe I should dig my Garmin out from the back of my closet and charge its dead-for-9-months battery.  It felt SO GOOD to run yesterday.  And Alice loved it, too.  We did about 4 miles in who knows how long but WHO CARES because we were running!  And we multi-tasked on this run by getting a bag of coffee beans from my favorite latte place and grabbing two 6-packs of beer and some Skinny Girl Margaritas from the Packie.  I'm sure it didn't look strange at all to see a woman post-run taking her 4 week old into the liquor store.  Right?!  Right. 

the Dumps.

Ugh.  UGH!  You know way back when I blogged a lot about feeling displaced, about feeling transient, about feeling unsettled?  Well, those feelings returned today.  WHY?  I have no idea (okay, I have some idea).  But it's annoying, nonetheless.  I know I've said many times that I can't keep living in the future of when we move back to Utah but, the last few days, for some reason... I miss home.  A lot.  You'd think that, seven months into this journey in Boston, I'd feel more at ease here.  But I just don't.  And I don't know why that is.  Maybe it's hormones.  Maybe it's the fact that Lee is out of town for a few days (DING! DING! DING!).  Maybe it's because I was looking through old photos last night of our loft in Salt Lake City.  Maybe it's just that I do miss Utah.  And I'm acknowledging that feeling.  And now I'm letting it go.  Because life is beautiful.  My life is beautiful.  And there is no point in wasting this beautiful day feeling melancholy. 

What do you do to help yourself feel better when you're a bit down-in-the-dumps (besides eat a huge bowl of ice cream)?  Usually, I'll go for a run but I already did that this morning (surprisingly, it didn't really help).  Luckily I'm having dinner with a friend tonight which I'm sure will help lighten my mood!

I'm reading the book, 'The Help.'  Have you read it?  Have you seen the movie?  I think the book is great (but shocking) and I'm wondering how true to the book the movie is.  I think I'll take myself on a date next week to see it (Lee will be out of town again).

Garmin stats: 4 miles/Not sure of the minutes.  I'm running sort of slow (for me) these days.  I used my Garmin's heart rate monitor function to gauge my run, not the miles per minute.  Revolutionary!

Farmers Market Finds.

It's good to be home.  The cats missed me us.  My plants needed some attention.  And I was ready for FARMERS MARKET THURSDAY!  I was so excited to see what was fresh and new in my two week absence.  Wow.  There was so much new stuff!  I got all the usuals (spinach, mixed greens, tomatoes, cheese, raspberries, cucumbers, herbs) and a bunch of new things that haven't been available until now.  Carrots!  Corn! Peaches!  Plums!  (Just to name a few).  And they had wild blueberries!  I've never had wild blueberries before... and I'm not sure what the difference is but the lady told me the wild ones are sweeter (excellent!).  I bought both the conventional and the wild blueberries to compare.  I'll taste test them tomorrow morning on my cereal and get back to you.

It's also good to be back to eating like I usually do.  You see, I have no self control while on vacation.  And my mother-in-law is an awesome cook and baker to boot.  She always has a fresh batch of something coming out of the oven (cookies, pies, cinnamon buns, rice krispie treats, muffins, fresh bread).  The smell of baked goods permeates the house and I must have whatever she is baking!  So I'm pretty sure I gained just a teeny bit of weight (okay, maybe more than a teeny) while on vacation.  But that's okay.  We're back to eating how we usually eat, which (for me) doesn't involve a half dozen cookies washed down with a beer every day.  I am so glad my mother-in-law loves to cook and I always look forward to her home-cooked everything while we're visiting.  Thanks, Barb!  

Do you gorge a little bit (or a lot) while on vacation?  If you say no, then I might question if you are even human.  Or you have the self-control of a nun.

Do you know the difference between wild and conventional blueberries?  The wild ones are so small!  How do they pick them without squishing them?!

Garmin stats:  4 miles/36 minutes + 40 lunges.  Yes, I finally took my Garmin with me on a run.  It's been weeks or maybe even months!  But today, I used my heart rate monitor and focused on that, not the pace.  And it felt good!  And then my Garmin died... and it had just been fully charged that morning!  WTF?  Has this happened to you?

Censored!!

Dear devoted blog readers (all 3 of you),

Hello there!  Maybe you've already clicked on this particular blog entry and the above picture is the same but the topic has changed!  Well, if that's the case... then lucky you!  You were privy to my initial blog from earlier today before it got censored.  No big deal.  I'm a share-er.  That's just me.  But the person who 'censored' me isn't.  And that's okay.  I'm generally a bit 'TMI.'  Just ask the grocery store clerk/random stranger on the street/mailman/frozen yogurt shop cashier.  They all practically know my life story.   I sometimes just can't help myself.

So there you have it.  I've been 'bleeped.' :-)

love,
the girl who shares too much!


Garmin stats: 4 miles/31 minutes.  Just a teeny-little-super-guy run.  Just what I needed.  Then some NTC 'Leg Sculptor' & 'Arm Definer.'  Also just what I needed.

Locavore in Action.

Here's why today was great... no... AWESOME (wait for it..................)

I went on a run!

No joke.  I did.  Just a little guy.  A teeny-tiny 4 miler around the reservoir.  And it felt won-won-wonderful.  And no knee pain in site!  But I'm not pushing my luck.  I'm going to ease back into it.  Slow and steady.  And I'm going to continue doing yoga and Nike Training Club for cross-training (plus I'm seeing awesome results!).  It feels good to be back, you guys.

Today was also awesome because...........

It was the first day of the Brookline Farmer's Market! 

I am so happy to have found a Farmer's Market close to our house.  And it's a good one, too.  Fresh fruits and vegetables, freshly caught fish, handmade goat cheese, local grass-fed beef, bread and baked goods from Clear Flour Bakery (crack!).  All good stuff.  When I got home I whipped up a delicious sandwich with the following delectable ingredients: fresh oatmeal bread (lightly toasted), herb & chive goat cheese, homemade pesto (made by Chef Lee), sliced tomatoes and cucumbers topped with crispy lettuce.  It was oh-so-good.  I love summer eats.  Tonight's dinner?  Sauteed fresh bay scallops (caught this morning in New Bedford, MA) on a bed of spring greens with a chive vinaigrette and a hunk of rosemary foccacia on the side.  And mojitos with fresh mint.  Get excited. 

What is your favorite summer meal (drink/cocktail included)?  I love big fresh salads with in-season vegetables topped with grilled fish or steak and a Dark & Stormy.  So good.

Garmin-stats:  4 miles/32-ish minutes.  Okay, so I didn't take my Garmin with me on my run today for two reasons... 1) The battery was totally dead and I was too impatient to wait for it to charge, and 2) I wanted to focus on how my body felt while running for the first time in A MONTH.  And it felt good.  When I got home I did some Nike Training Club... 'Butt Buster' and 'Back Definer.'  Aaaaaaawwww yeah.

Yes! It's (almost) Monday!

(The historic South End. Boston, MA.)

I know you're going to think I'm crazy... but I'm glad the weekend is over.  I really am.  It just means it's that much closer to Wednesday when Lee will be home.  I miss him!

I did manage to get out and about a bit this weekend.  I went to an awesome spin class in the South End with my friend.  The music was loud.  The studio was dark.  The instructor was tough.  It was a great class.  I'll definitely go back. 

 

I just got home from a totally invigorating run.  I kind of moped about all morning, feeling a bit sorry for myself (at least I'm honest!) and, after a talk with Lee (who is waaaaay over in Germany), I peeled myself off the couch and laced up my running shoes.  I am so glad I did.  It had just stopped raining so it was cool and misty and perfect.   One of the many things I love about running is all that you see and discover while you're out there.  Every time I go on a run in my neighborhood, I discover some cool street or hidden trail or small lake or historic statue.  It's awesome.  And now a quote.  It's one of my favorites and describes my love for running perfectly. 

"I always loved running...it was something you could do by yourself and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs." - Jesse Owens

Okay.  This is personal.  Do you have issues with chafing when you run?  Ooooooooh.  Chafing.  Why must you exist?!  Body Glide and petroleum jelly work but, after awhile, NOTHING helps.  Do you have a solution?

Garmin stats: 5 miles/40 minutes.  Just what I needed!  And I discovered a new little trail!

Sanely insane.

Garmin stats: 5 miles/ 38min 30sec. This week I'm orienting to the psychiatric area of the ER and, let me just say, nothing makes you want to go for a run after work more than 12 hours of that!! So I did a quick run around the reservoir at dusk. Beautiful (and sanity has been restored)!

Just kidding!

GARMIN STATS!!  3 mini-miles/22min 45sec.  I couldn't help myself.  I decided to do a quick jaunt 'round the 'hood to shake out the legs.  Glad I did.  I feel grrrrrreat!

10 days.

Ten days seems like a long time.  Big Kitty agrees.  She'll miss Lee a whole bunch (me, too).  Here's to hoping the next ten days just fly right by!  Some things we'll miss while Lee is across the pond...

• The way he scratches our ear juuuuust right.
• How he fills our food bowl to the top!
• The way he whispers sweet nothings to us while we purr.
• The way he walks in the door and announces... 'Girls! I'm home!!'

Just kidding.  He doesn't really do any of that.  In all seriousness, though... I am sorta sad (okay, a lot sad) about the prospect of 10 whole days without Lee.  But I'll manage (Big Kitty will, too).  And Little Kitty?  Well, Little Kitty doesn't give a cat's ass whether Lee is here or not (or if I'm here, for that matter).  As long as her food bowl is full, she's a happy camper.  She's what we refer to as special.  'Special' as in she stands in front of walls and meows.... all by herself.... in the other room... with no one else around.  There is no other explanation than I think she was dropped on her head as a kitten.   Seriously.  She's mental! 

Non-Garmin stats:  I wanted to run today.  I WANTED TO RUN SO BAD!  But I need to ease back into running.  You don't go from over 3 weeks of NOT running due to knee pain to running every day IN ONE WEEK.  Duh.  So I did an hour of yoga.  And I will run tomorrow.  I am so smart... SMRT!

Mother's Day funk.

I love my Mom, don't get me wrong.  But I don't love this holiday.  As someone who would love to be a mother, it's just a reminder that I'm not.  But this isn't that kind of blog so I'll let it go.  Happy Mother's Day to all women out there... if you are a mother, if you plan on being a mother or if you desperately want to be a mother...  you deserve a day dedicated just to you.

Boston was gorgeous today.  We walked around our neighborhood and enjoyed a frozen custard (my first time... did you know frozen custard is ridic delicious?).  And then we sat in the park.  And talked.  It was a good day.  

Garmin stats:  5 miles/39 minutes. RUN! AROUND! THE! RESERVOIR!  And it felt amazing.  No knee pain in site!  Yoga... you are my best friend.  

Photo Friday. The Rally to Restore Sanity.

I know I've been biking and yoga-ing a lot lately... but it just isn't the same as running.  Running keeps me centered.  It keeps me sane.  It does.  And my knee was feeling pretty darn good today.  So I ran.  I did an easy-paced run on the dirt path around the lake near our apartment.  It was glorious.  Sanity restored. 

I'm gearing up to work the next five out of six nights... all 12-hour shifts... and aaaaaaaaall night shifts, baby!  Pray for me.  And know that the introspective blog posts will be in full swing in about two days!

Are you a major league baseball fan?  I'm not.  I just live in Boston now so I'm jumping on the Red Sox bandwagon.  Let's hope they're good this year.  Goooooo Saaaaaaawx!

Do you drink coffee?  I think I kind of drink a lot.  Like for sure more than 2 cups a day.  And around here we grind our own beans and french press our coffee.  'Tis delicious.

Garmin stats: 4 miles/32-ish minutes. My Garmin peter-ed out during my run so I had to go old skool circa 2010 and use the pedometer on Google maps post-run.  Nice easy run at a nice easy pace.  Knee felt 97% better!  Yoga is saving me.

Bipolar Spring.

I woke up to a gloomy, cloudy mess this morning.  And I had planned to do a run.  Bummer.  So I wussed out and decided to do a ride on the bike trainer instead... but first I checked weather.com to see how pissed off Mother Nature was going to be today.  Wait a second!!  I realized that if I got my ass in gear right then, I could get a run in before the 'winter-y mix' settled in over Boston.  So I manned up and headed out the door.  The brooding weather called for some brooding music... on today's play list was Blonde Redhead and Brandi Carlile.  Sometimes I just can't do the teeny-bopper music and today was one of those days.  Surprisingly, the melancholy music didn't slow me down and I averaged a 7:31 min/mile.  And I literally walked in the door just as the slushy snowy mess started.  HA!!  Briana: 1.  Mother Nature: 0.

What better thing to do on a crappy day than an at-home face mask!  I'm still in love with this particular peel-off mask... I guess it was worth the $34 as the tube seems never-ending.  Just don't mind the sensation of your skin peeling off with the mask.  Remember... pain = it's working!! 

  (What the f*#k is floating in the bottom of this sh*t?!)

Another great thing to do on a crappy weather day?  Grocery shopping.  Since Lee is gone (still), the cupboards are pretty bare.  I don't know what it is about him being out-of-town but when he is I seem to sustain myself on cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, smoothies, and occasionally... if I'm feeling really productive... I'll make myself an omelet.  Something about cooking for one is a total turn-off for me.  I'm surprised I'm not malnourished!  Since he's due home soon, I went all out and got tons of tasty things from Whole Foods, including Kombucha.  I've never tried it and I honestly have NO IDEA what to expect... and please tell me... what, exactly, is floating at the bottom?!  I'm not sure I want to know.  I'm a little worried it's going to taste like vomit.

Do you cook elaborate meals for one?  Not usually.  I think the idea of creating a huge mess of dishes for a meal just for me is the issue.  I'm perfectly happy eating a bowl of cereal for dinner!

Have you ever had (or even heard of) Kombucha?  I read about it's health benefits all the time... I just think it looks disgusting.  And I've heard mixed reviews on how it tastes.  I'm about to have some now.  Let's hope my lunch doesn't come up after it. 

Garmin stats: 7 miles/52 min 43 sec.  I must've had ants-in-my-pants.... I felt like I was FLYING.  Maybe I was just trying to get home before winter returned.  I hate Sprinter (Spring + Winter = Sprinter) 

Welcome.

Hello, my old friend! I've missed you!

It feels like years since I've seen you, but I'm glad you're here.

Winter's grip has loosened as you've made your presence known.

Your breeze is sweet. Your rays are warm. Your skies are blue.

It is so good to have you back, Spring.

Please.... stay awhile.

Garmin stats: 7 miles/55 minutes. The Charles looked gorgeous today.

P.S. I went to the convenience store to buy an Arnold Palmer and as I got up to the register, I noticed a box of Cadbury eggs.  My eyes grew wide and I said to the clerk, 'Ooooooh. Those things are CRACK!  I ate four yesterday.' She looked at me, faked a smile, and rang me up.  I'm not sure why I decided to confess this to a complete stranger... she definitely didn't care!

Do you ever give TMI with complete strangers?  I do ALL the time.  It's embarrassing, really.  I just can't help myself sometimes! 

Off the Wagon.

 (9 loooong days without you.)

Today's run was brought to you by... SHORTS!  And.... CADBURY!  Yep.  I'm back on the eggs.  I went 9 days without one and, after my night shift last night, I couldn't hold out any longer.  Aaaaaand I bought four.  They'll most likely be gone by 10 p.m. and I'm okay with that.  Enough about Cadbury.  Let's move on to RUNNING IN SHORTS!

When I woke up from my day-of-sleeping-post-night-shift... I was groggy... I was grumpy...  and I certainly didn't feel like going out for a run.  But then I remembered just how good I would feel after my run and that was all the motivation I needed to get off my ass and get out the door.  I checked weather.com and it was 48 degrees outside.  48 degrees is TOTALLY 'running in shorts' weather (it's sad that I now think 48 is warm enough for shorts but whatev).   So I did a run around the reservoir and when I got home I felt like a million bucks.  Now where are the rest of those eggs?

Do you sometimes eat candy after a run?  I am embarrassed to admit this but sometimes my post-run snack is a piece of chocolate followed soon-there-after by a protein smoothie or a big bowl of cereal.  I promise 94% of what I eat is really healthy.  And then there is the 6% that is filled with gummy candy or chocolate or baked goods or cookies... all in moderation, though.

Is it 'running-in-shorts' weather where you live?  I'll admit... it was a little chilly when I first got out there today... but after about 5 minutes, the fresh air felt AWESOME on my bare legs! 

Garmin stats:  5 miles/39 minutes. 'Round the Reservoir.  And now my head is clear.  Thank god for that.

Uninvited Guest.

(Our little uninvited guest is now residing in a plastic bag. Eff you, deer tick.)

So apparently after you frolick in the outdoors here in Massachusetts you need to check yourself for ticks.  Here's what I learned yesterday about ticks...

• They are really small.
• They are really hard to remove from your skin.
• They look really eff-ing disgusting, especially when you look down and suddenly realize you have one embedded into your leg.
• After removing one from your skin, you can't help but feel you're covered in creepy-crawly bugs.  Try finding one right before bedtime and then trying to fall asleep.  Um, nightmares?

I guess we'll be investing in some DEET so that we can enjoy the great outdoors without the fear of contracting Lyme disease from these little blood-suckers.  Eeeeew.  I totally wasn't expecting to find that last night before bed.

 (I grabbed him with my tweezermans and I yanked him out. And he held on TIGHT!)

Have you ever found a tick on you or someone else?  Nope.  Never.  I remember learning about ticks in girl scouts and then our leaders making us check each other over after camping trips.. and we'd giggle and goof around as we looked at each other's armpits and hairlines but we never found any.  Now I know what they look like and how hard they are to remove.  Ick.

Garmin stats: 6 miles/47 minutes 30 seconds.  I can't shake that 'off' feeling I'm still having.  Eff this!!